Mister Mu studied Lu Yin. This time, the emotion in his eyes was no longer that of indifference, but rather suffused with a hint of gentleness and longing. “Very well. After surveying the universe, an Explorer such as you is hard to come by. I will formally take you as my disciple from this day forward.”
Lu Yin was elated, and he hurriedly knelt down to pay respects to his new master. “Disciple Lu Yin offers his respects to Master Mu.”
Mister Mu nodded his head. “I was merely testing your skills, and I never expected you to actually have any chance of becoming my disciple. Becoming a disciple of mine is an opportunity that is extremely difficult to obtain. Having said that, since you are now my disciple, I will be sure to take good care of you.” As he spoke, Mister Mu stretched out a hand, and in his palm was a memory chip. “Take it.”
Lu Yin took the chip and looked at Mister Mu, puzzled by the gift.
“This is probably something that you desperately need right now. The Cosmic Art,” Mister Mu said quietly.
Lu Yin’s eyes lit up with glee. “The Cosmic Art? Master, this is the Cosmic Art?”
Mister Mu nodded his head. “Even though this chip just contains remnants, it still has the cultivation method of up to ninety nine stars. After all, the Cosmic Art is the Cosmic Sect’s most guarded technique, and they are so protective of it that even I am unable to obtain the full technique. For you to obtain the entire Cosmic Art, you would have to head to the Neoverse and join the Cosmic Sect. That is a matter to be explored in the future, but for now, these remnants of their cultivation method should suffice for your present needs.”
Even though Lu Yin was disappointed that he had not received the complete Cosmic Art, cultivating the technique up to the ninety nine star level was still plenty good enough for him. That was the equivalent of speeding up his cultivation rate ninety nine times. With his current star energy absorption rate, he would have taken 100 years to complete a single cultivation cycle in the Explorer realm, and that was already after the fact that his Cosmic Art could accelerate his absorption speed by nine times. Now that he would be able to cultivate the Cosmic Art to ninety nine stars, it would at most take him ten years to complete a cycle, which was a speed that was comparable to ordinary Explorers.
Lu Yin was quite satisfied with this potential speed.
“Thank you, Master,” Lu Yin said gratefully.
Mister Mu replied, “Take this with you as well.” After he was done speaking, he handed Lu Yin a yellow futon.
Lu Yin blinked. A futon? Mister Mu has a futon too?
“This is a futon. When you sit on it, it will transport you to the ruins of the Fifth Mainland’s Daosource Sect. Since you are already privy to those secrets, you should know what the Daosource Sect is about. Entering that place will not just give you the chance to obtain an inheritance from the Daosource Sect—in that place, your status will also be different. You will learn more when you go there. However, please remember this: in the ruins of the Daosource Sect, there are not only people from the Fifth Mainland. There are also cultivators from the Sixth Mainland, and those people have unique cultivation methods. They are known for their strength, so you will have to be careful to not be exposed,” Mister Mu cautioned.
Lu Yin took the futon and respectfully replied, “Thank you, Master.”
When Mister Mu saw that Lu Yin did not appear as happy to receive the futon, he mistakenly thought that Lu Yin did not understand its significance. This was an object that others had tried to obtain by offering secret techniques, but to no avail. It represented not only the chance to obtain an inheritance from the Daosource Sect, but it was also a symbol of a certain status. However, Mister Mu chose not to elaborate any further, as he knew that Lu Yin would find all this out in the future.
Lu Yin naturally understood how important a futon was. It was likely that the Ten Arbiters enjoyed their supreme status partly due to these futons. Having it was the equivalent of gaining the entire universe’s protection, as it would make the owner one of the universe’s true elites. Mister Mu giving Lu Yin a futon was an extraordinarily extravagant gesture, but he did not know that Lu Yin already had one.
He struggled with himself as to whether or not it would be a good idea to reveal this detail to Mister Mu.
“I have to leave now. I came here in a rush, and I never expected that I would actually be able to formally accept you as my disciple. If I am satisfied with your progress the next time we meet, I will give you something more.”
Lu Yin hurriedly asked him, “Master, hasn’t the Outerverse been isolated? How did you appear here?”
“As luck would have it, I was already in the Outerverse the moment it was isolated,” Mister Mu said before vanishing.
After Mister Mu left, the area returned to normal.
With his eyes full of star energy, Lu Yin surveyed his surroundings, but he was unable to see an immense amount of rune lines.
When it came to his newfound master, Lu Yin did not know how powerful Mister Mu really was. However, from his maneuvers alone, the man was a complete mystery. Was it space or time that he had frozen earlier?
Lu Yin looked at the memory chip in his hand and could not help a massive smile from emerging on his face. This was truly an incredibly lucky break. Even without receiving more of the Cosmic Art, becoming Mister Mu’s personal disciple was an amazing opportunity all on its own. Lu Yin had believed that Mister Mu was still in the Innerverse, which meant that crushing the jade slip would not call the man over to save Lu Yin. But now, his new master was shockingly in the Outerverse, which meant that the jade slip was as good as a protective amulet. With the ability that Mister Mu had shown so far, he was likely as powerful as the Sea King!
Lu Yin could not draw any direct comparisons, but based on just his instincts alone, Mister Mu was definitely more powerful than Elder Lohar. Lu Yin now had some solid backing in Mister Mu.
It was impossible for Lu Yin to use two futons, and after thinking about this, he left King Zishan’s palace and made his way to the Fifth Princess’s residence.
Lu Yin had never come to Wendy Yushan’s home at night, and if he was discovered at this time, it would be impossible to explain himself. Thus, he decided to go right in.
Lu Yin unleashed his domain, intending to use it as a method of informing Wendy Yushan that he had arrived. However, in the very next moment, Lu Yin felt his face go red with embarrassment. Wendy Yushan was bathing.
In the backyard of the princess’s residence, Wendy Yushan’s head snapped up. Her expression changed, and her hand shot out of the water and into the void. “Keep it in!”
Lu Yin hurriedly withdrew his domain and coughed a few times. He had half a mind to just leave, but after some thought, he ultimately decided to stay. Leaving now would make things even more awkward, and it would look like he had come to her home just to peep on her. However, what he had inadvertently seen had already become a beautiful memory that was deeply imprinted within his brain. Her absolutely stunning figure had sent him into a daze.
Wendy Yushan’s face was bright red with embarrassment. She threw on some clothes as she pulled her sword out from her cosmic ring. She clenched the handle tightly as she entered her sitting room. As soon as she saw Lu Yin, she unsheathed her sword, and a cold ripple echoed through the void. It seemed like she was ready to strike with her sword at any moment. “Explain yourself.”
Lu Yin rubbed his nose. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you any harm.”
“Who gave you the right to enter my home as you please?” Wendy Yushan questioned him, her face completely red. She had never been exposed to anyone else before, so this was a very strange moment for her. She felt as though the sky had come crashing down. Someone who was usually unafraid of even death was now afraid to look at a man.
Lu Yin shot a glance at Wendy Yushan, and the image of a hazy white, glistening, beautiful body appeared in his mind. He coughed to dispel the image as he pulled out the futon. “This is for you.”
Wendy Yushan’s eyes twitched, and she thrust her sword at Lu Yin. “Don’t try to trick me.”
Lu Yin raised a finger as seven lined battle force circled about it. He flicked his finger out and lightly tapped the sword tip away. “Don’t mistake my intentions, and please hear me out.”
Wendy Yushan snorted coldly as she lowered her sword and stared at Lu Yin. There were not many things in the universe that could make her lose her cool anymore, but her heart was still racing even now.
“Do you remember the Daosource Sect I asked you about before? This futon is the key that allows one to enter the ruins of that Daosource Sect.” Lu Yin then proceeded to tell her all about the Fifth and Sixth Mainlands, the Daosource Sect, imprints, and other relevant matters.
Wendy Yushan was confused. “Are you really telling the truth?”
Lu Yin smiled bitterly. “What good would lying to you do me?” He then thought to himself that he had seen her showering, so she might have thought that he was coming up with an excuse after being caught.
Wendy Yushan caressed the futon. “When you asked me about Xing Kai’s name back then, did you hear it in the Daosource Sect?”
Lu Yin nodded his head. “I heard people of the Sixth Mainland mention Xing Kai’s name. That person said that he had killed a Realmling. After learning about that, I assumed that Xing Kai was one of the Ten Arbiters. If not for their ability to access the Daosource Sect, then even with the Ten Arbiters strength, they would not enjoy such a high position right now. There should be a direct connection between them essentially being potential inheritors of the Daosource Sect and the great powers allowing a certain level of authority to be passed on to the younger generation. This is also why the different powerhouses don’t deal with them. It’s because they’re the hope of our Fifth Mainland.”
“How many people from the Fifth Mainland go to the Daosource Sect?” Wendy Yushan asked.
Lu Yin shook his head. “I don’t know the exact number, but an educated guess would be that those numbers include the Ten Arbiters. In fact, it’s even possible that not all of them have entered and that perhaps a few big shots created a commotion to divert our attention.”
“Are you saying that even some of the Ten Arbiters are unable to enter the Daosource Sect? And that this is all done to confuse the people of the Sixth Mainland so that those who truly have a chance to obtain the Daosource Sect’s inheritance can remain hidden?” Wendy Yushan asked.
Lu Yin replied, “This is all pure speculation on my part. It’s also possible that all of the Ten Arbiters can enter, though perhaps only a few can enter at a time. It’s also possible that there are more than ten people from the Fifth Mainland who can enter or who have been hidden. Don’t forget—we know very little about the Neoverse, and it’s highly unlikely that no one from there can enter the Daosource Sect.”
The third possibility was the most likely. The Hall of Honor, the Cosmic Sect, even the Three Dark Hands, and the Neoverse were all a part of the Human Domain. In other words, those places were where the strongest individuals of the Fifth Mainland had gathered. Logically speaking, there were bound to be others who could enter the Daosource Sect.
And yet, that elegant-looking man had said that there were not many people from the Fifth Mainland, which made the entire situation feel rather strange.
“If entering the Daosource Sect is so important to the universe, to the extent where those people will be protected by the Hall of Honor, then how did you get this futon? And why aren’t you keeping it for your own use?” Wendy Yushan asked Lu Yin suspiciously.
Lu Yin laughed. “I have another one.”
Wendy Yushan was amazed. “You have another one? You have two futons?”
Lu Yin nodded his head. “There’s no need to doubt the value of one of these futons, and I can say that because I’ve already been to the ruins of the Daosource Sect and have fought with some people from the Sixth Mainland. This thing is incredibly important, and there aren’t many of them in the entire universe. It’s simply an amazing coincidence that I ended up with two.
“Also, I heard from someone from the Sixth Mainland that they have already launched an attack on the Fifth Mainland. In the Innerverse or the Neoverse, war may already have broken out.”
Wendy Yushan looked at the futon. “I want to make a trip to the Daosource Sect to check it out.”
“Wait for me, and we can go there together in about ten days. That way, we’ll be able to watch out for each other,” Lu Yin suggested.
Wendy Yushan nodded her head.
After a moment of silence, Lu Yin said, “I’ll head back now.”
“Wait.” Wendy Yushan stared at Lu Yin. “There is an unwritten rule in the universe—if one can minimize the range of their domain, they should do so. Using a domain to observe others is considered very rude and can even start fights. You would do well to remember this.”
Lu Yin let out a cough. “Noted.”
“Also, you’ll need to inform me the next time you come to visit,” Wendy Yushan warned him. She then grabbed the futon and left the room.
Lu Yin laughed mockingly at himself and left her house.
Cultivating the Cosmic Art required simulating the movements of stars. Ever since the crazy headmaster had helped Lu Yin simulate the ninth star, he had not studied any other astrological movements.
Over the next ten days, Lu Yin spent his time on a desolate planet that was not too far from Zenyu Star. He sat under a night sky and started practicing the Cosmic Art.
He immediately destroyed the ninth star that the crazy headmaster had helped him simulate. Using the remnants of the Cosmic Art that Mister Mu had passed on to him, Lu Yin took two days to cultivate the correct ninth star, and his stars started increasing one by one after that.
