Madam Nalan shook her head. “Boundless Advanced Lockbreakers hold such an esteemed status that our Nalan Family does not qualify to invite one. It’s fine. We can discuss this matter at another time.”
As Lu Yin watched her store the broken-hand sourcebox away, he could not help himself from blurting out, “Madam has saved me twice. One day, when I reach the Boundless Advanced level, I will help Madam unlock this sourcebox.”
She smiled happily at Lu Yin. “Then I’ll await the future exalted Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker.”
Lu Yin forced a smile onto his face, as the Boundless Advanced level was too distant for him at this time. He had just unlocked two sourceboxes and was not far from becoming a three-star Discerning Junior, but becoming a Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker was still a distant dream for now.
“Here is your reward.” The alluring Madam Nalan passed a Mavis Bank crystal card to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin raised an eyebrow. “Madam, please don’t look down upon me.”
She smiled faintly and casually put the card away again. She then looked at Lu Yin. “If you don’t want that reward, then let me give you some information that may interest you.”
“What? Another Sword Sect genius?” Lu Yin teasingly enquired. She was the first person who had mentioned Liu Shaoqiu to him, and the information had shocked Lu Yin at the time. Now, after defeating Liu Shaoqiu, Lu Yin could not help but be a little cheeky.
She laughed. “Close, but not a Sword Sect genius. This time, it’s about the Cosmic Sea.”
Lu Yin turned serious. “The Cosmic Sea?”
She nodded and sashayed forward temptingly before looking back at Lu Yin. “Do you know about the Cosmic Sea?”
He shook his head. “Not really.”
“How should I explain this? Those who hail from the Cosmic Sea gather in groups called regiments, and all kinds of people who cannot live in the Innerverse or Outerverse have gone to that place. Those who can reach the Cosmic Sea are all experts, and their combined strength is something that even a powerful organization such as the Sword Sect cannot ignore. The four strongest regiments are truly terrifying and are known as the Four Pirate Crews. Any one of them wield a power that can shock the Sword Sect, and there are still many smaller but strong regiments below the top four. In order to survive, every year, the smaller regiments must offer tribute to the Four Pirate Crews similar to a protection fee. Of course, there are some that refuse to offer gifts, such as the Arcadian Arrow Crew or the Unyielding Corps, which I will explain to you in detail today.”
The Arcadian Arrow Crew? Lu Yin recalled his battle with Silus atop the Heavenly Drum. That person seemed to be from the Arcadian Arrow Crew.
“It’s very hard to survive in the Cosmic Sea, and even powerhouses from places such as the Sword Sect or Daynight Clan would meet their deaths there. The regiments that have survived until today are unbelievably fearsome. Of them all, the Unyielding Corps is the most incredible since their regimental commander is only a Limiteer.”
Lu Yin was stunned. “A Limiteer?”
She nodded. “Correct. That person is a Limiteer who is publicly recognized by the entire Cosmic Sea as a Ten Arbiters’ candidate. It’s said that this person possesses enough strength to rival the Ten Arbiters when they were Limiteers. This person is an absolute expert with terrifying talent.”
Lu Yin recalled that his family had also mentioned an expert from the Cosmic Sea; could it be this same person? Uncle You Ling had not given any clear details at that time.
“Madam, what’s this person’s name?” Lu Yin asked.
She turned around, and her eyes flickered as she answered, “Ye Xingchen.”
Lu Yin blinked. A good name.
“Logically, a regiment led by a mere Limiteer should not be able to survive in the Cosmic Sea, but the Unyielding Corps has managed to survive until now, and it has successfully attracted the attention of the larger regiments. It has actually become a target for capture.”
“Will this Ye Xingchen take part in the Tournament of the Strongest?”
“It’s been reported as a possibility, and recently, there have been some changes in the Cosmic Sea. Several regiments have left one after another and seem to be seeking a different path. Ye Xingchen may also leave the Cosmic Sea, and if he intends to do so, then his first order of action would be to demonstrate his value to other organizations. This Tournament of the Strongest is an excellent opportunity for him to do exactly that.”
No wonder Uncle You Ling mentioned that this person might join. Lu Yin now understood. If this was the case, then the Arcadian Arrow Crew was likely participating in the competition for similar reasons. The Cosmic Sea, huh? I’ll head over there sooner or later.
“Thank you, madam, for the information,” Lu Yin gratefully said.
She pursed her lips and smiled. “I hope that you will also defeat Ye Xingchen this time around. Next time, I’ll tell you the names of the Ten Arbiters, and then wait to see if you can defeat them, hehe.”
When he heard her bewitching giggle, Lu Yin’s heart skipped a beat and he hurriedly restrained his wandering thoughts.
Madam Nalan was in no hurry to leave Astral-10, but she was not allowed to enter it either. Lu Yin could not accompany her for an extended period of time, so he left not long after.
The next day, Astral-3 burst into an uproar. Liu Shaoqiu had appeared.
To participate in the Astral Combat Tournament, Liu Shaoqiu had joined Astral-2, so he was also technically a student of the Astral Combat Academy. However, he rarely spent any time at the academy. Despite his usual behavior, he had shown up at Astral-3 with the sole intent of challenging one of the experts from the Cosmic Sea.
It was not surprising for Liu Shaoqiu to appear here, especially after considering the fact that news of the Cosmic Sea experts’ behavior at the Sword Sect had spread.
If not for his previous battle with Lu Yin, Silus would never have taken Liu Shaoqiu seriously. However, after learning that Liu Shaoqiu had lost to Lu Yin by a very narrow margin in an intense fight, Silus became much more cautious. However, this battle was not with him, as Liu Shaoqiu’s target was instead Nate.
Nate did not avoid this battle and was actually very excited. Liu Shaoqiu was one of the two inheritors of the Sword Sect’s Thirteen Swords in this generation, and Nate wanted to personally see how powerful this renowned technique was.
“Be careful, Nate,” Silus softly reminded.
Nate frowned. “I’ve already contacted the commander. You’re no longer qualified to participate in this competition.”
Silus fell silent. He was indeed not qualified. Since he had already lost to Lu Yin, there was no meaning in him participating in the tournament. But what about Nate? Could he win against the Thirteen Swords?
Many students excitedly gathered at an empty region in Astral-3, and even Nightqueen Yanqing showed up. She did not stop this battle, as all else aside, the Sword Sect was one of the Daynight clan’s main competitors. She was looking forward to seeing the Sword Sect becoming enemies with the entire Cosmic Sea.
Nate arrived and stood a hundred meters away from Liu Shaoqiu. “You’re the inheritor of the Thirteen Swords? You have a very common look.”
Liu Shaoqiu calmly observed him. “Are you the one who defeated Senior Yanhua?”
Nate nodded. “That person’s got guts, but unfortunately, he joined the Sword Sect.”
A chilling look flashed across Liu Shaoqiu’s eyes. “Let’s go.”
Nate sneered, but he did not hesitate. Although he despised the Sword Sect disciples, he was no fool, as Liu Shaoqiu’s name and reputation as a Ten Arbiters’ Candidate had spread even to the Cosmic Sea. Despite the fact that, in the hearts of those from the Cosmic Sea, the only true Ten Arbiters’ candidate was Ye Xingchen, Nate did not dare to look down on the Thirteen Swords. Liu Shaoqiu’s strength was also equally renowned, and he was definitely outstanding in his own right.
Nate raised a hand as his star energy materialized into a bow and arrow. Lightning exploded forth, and a terrifying shockwave swept across the entire expanse, causing many students to go numb and unconsciously back off.
Nightqueen Yanqing’s face turned solemn; this was a powerful arrow shot.
Liu Shaoqiu whipped out his rusty sword to face Nate’s arrow. He raised his blade and directly chopped down in front of him. In that instant, Nate’s hair stood on end as he loosed the lightning arrow. It collided with a formless energy just two meters in front of Nate. As arcs of electricity swept out in all directions, the collision resulted in a shockwave that suddenly exploded. Nate was too close to it and was blasted back even as a giant pit opened up in the ground.
Nate looked at Liu Shaoqiu in shock. Was that just now the First Sword of the Thirteen Swords? What strong power! Suddenly, a shiver ran down Nate’s spine. His instinct for danger that had been honed over many years of fighting for survival in the Cosmic Sea caused him to look up in time to witness an inconceivable scene. The entire region was enveloped by a sea of sword qi. This was a domain.
Liu Shaoqiu’s Second Sword soon followed, unleashing a pressure upon everything as countless strands of sword qi pierced through the void and pervaded the area within a thousand meters of him.
The students retreated time and time again, as they could also feel the danger from the Second Sword.
Nate grit his teeth and chose not to defend, but to instead loose another arrow. Oddly enough, he did not aim his bow and seemingly released it at random, but Liu Shaoqiu was shocked to see that the arrow carried the sensation of a domain with it. Nate had also comprehended a domain.
Layer after layer of earth was stripped away as Nate forcibly took on the full might of Liu Shaoqiu’s Second Sword. He did not attempt to dodge or redirect it, but he was also unable to completely block this sword. Nate’s domain was an archer’s dream, as it allowed him to see what others could not. However, his domain did not directly improve his defenses, so he could only aim for mutual destruction.
Liu Shaoqiu’s Second Sword eliminated everything in its path and turned all to nothingness. Multiple spatial cracks appeared before merging back into the void. It was a long time before space stabilized once again.
Off in the distance, Silus’s eyes went wide. This was the Thirteen Swords, which not even they with reflexes honed in the Cosmic Sea could evade.
Nightqueen Yanqing’s eyes narrowed; this sword was enough to defeat Nate, but Liu Shaoqiu’s condition was unknown. She considered her options and then waved her hand, causing a gale to sweep through the battlefield. A bloodsoaked Nate was revealed. He had been severely injured. Meanwhile, Liu Shaoqiu’s right arm had received some slight damage, but he had no other injuries aside from his arm.
The onlookers were shocked; this was Liu Shaoqiu! He was the Sword Sect’s preeminent genius, the inheritor of the Thirteen Swords, the one who had used just the First Sword to defeat Kuang Wang and many others. If not for Lu Yin, he would have definitely been one of the top four in the Astral Combat Tournament.
Nate spat out a mouthful of blood, and with great difficulty, raised his head to look at Liu Shaoqiu. He could not accept this outcome. He had not underestimated the Thirteen Swords, but he had still lost. The moment the Second Sword was displayed, his defeat had been guaranteed. He did not possess the strength to match it.
Silus walked over to Nate and helped him up to his feet.
Nate felt miserable. If our Arcadian Arrow Crew had a battle technique as powerful as the Thirteen Swords, would we still have to hide? We’re nothing but stray dogs.
Silus felt helpless. “Nate, we’ve been defeated, first by Lu Yin, and now by Liu Shaoqiu. This is the strength of the top four.”
“There’s nothing more to say since we’ve already lost. Let’s go.” Nate suppressed his heavy injuries and bade farewell to Nightqueen Yanqing. The two members of the Arcadian Arrow Crew would now leave Astral-3 and return to the Cosmic Sea. There was no longer any need for them to participate in the tournament since they had already lost here.
Nightqueen Yanqing tried to convince the two of them to stay, but they left since they were too ashamed.
Afterwards, she turned to Liu Shaoqiu with a somber expression and said, “You’ve improved yet again.”
His eyes passed over her with clear disdain that could even be seen by the students who were some distance away. This caused Nightqueen Yanqing to feel unbearably furious. “Liu Shaoqiu, what are you implying?”
“In the Daynight Clan, only Zhanlong Daynight might be my match,” he softly replied.
She clenched her fists as four-lined battle force surged out from her body. “You’re too arrogant!”
Liu Shaoqiu turned around and looked at the rest of Astral-3’s students. He then said, “Pass my message on to Lu Yin: I, Liu Shaoqiu, will be waiting for my battle with him with my Fourth Sword.”
Many were stunned. The Fourth Sword was unfathomable, as Lu Yin had only forced out Liu Shaoqiu’s Second and Third Sword during the Astral Combat Tournament, and the Second Sword had even defeated those stuck up experts from the Cosmic Sea. And now, Liu Shaoqiu was saying that he had actually comprehended the Fourth Sword?
