Southside Weave was not very well known, and it had originally been nothing more than a prop for Endless Weave. However, after the border with the Technocracy had been shifted, Southside Weave had quickly become rather famous in the Outerverse.
The Dark Phoenix family, Endless Borders’ headquarters, and other various powers that had once dominated Endless Weave had all been relocated to Southside Weave. That, coupled with the existence of the border defense, meant that Southside Weave had instantly become one of the most important weaves in the Outerverse at the moment.
Endless Borders’ headquarters was located within Silentflock System, and Silentflock Planet had twenty two sub-planets revolving around it, each one representing one of the twenty two expedition crews that operated under Endless Borders’ banner.
A vessel appeared outside of Silentflock System with Endless Borders’ emblem on the hull. Within the spacecraft was Yang Hai’s crew, which Lu Yin had met in the past.
Most small crews would appear for the internal tournament whenever they had the opportunity to do so.
Yang Hai looked at Silentflock System, feeling rather emotional. He thought back to the time when he had first joined Endless Borders, as well as each arduous step of progress that he had taken to reach his current position. He had also participated in the internal tournament in the past, and he had performed brilliantly there. He had then been scouted by an expedition crew and had climbed higher step by step after that. Unfortunately, that crew had gone completely missing while they had been exploring a new route, and going missing meant death.
“Captain, who shall we send as our representative for the tournament this time?” a cultivator behind Yang Hai asked.
Yang Hai thought about it and replied, “It doesn’t matter, as the border defense pulled quite a few of the expedition crews out of the Astral Wilderness. If they send people over to participate, then even I won’t stand a chance. Just choose anyone.”
“Yes, captain.”
…
A similar scene played out within many other expedition crews, as the crews that wandered the Astral Wilderness were on an entirely different level compared to the expedition crews that explored the Outerverse. The Windflower Crew’s Vice Captain Mo was a peak Hunter, and he alone already surpassed Yang Hai’s strength. This was the level of an expedition crew that explored the Astral Wilderness.
Some people were unwilling to be left out, and they felt as if they had to participate in the tournament. One such person was Captain Shi, who had reinforced the border during the Sixth Mainland’s invasion. As his representative, he had chosen a genius who was heralded as someone who would shoulder the mission of an era. People called him Little Stoneman. He was a stoneman who had an innate gift of unlimited recombination. He was not human, though he could also be considered human. He was a very bizarre lifeform.
There were also some other expedition crews who sent out their super experts who had cultivated eight lined battle force, and some of the participants’ strengths had nearly reached the peak of the Hunter realm. These people were exceptional, and they even surpassed the power of the Outerverse expedition crews’ captains.
Those who did not visit Silentflock System could not fully appreciate the terror of Endless Borders. Although they were the one of the most peaceful organizations since they did not let themselves be caught up in various conflicts and simply earned money through transportation, their hidden strength would shock countless people the moment it was revealed. Not even Aegis at its peak could compare to Endless Borders’ power.
Just the Windflower Crew itself had two Enlighters. Captain Shi was also an Enlighter with a power level of 290,000, and that still was not Endless Borders’ full strength.
If these people did not desire to risk their lives exploring the unknown, then Endless Borders’ strength would be enough to cause even the Outerverse’s Hall of Honor to feel nervous.
The Windflower Crew arrived in Silentflock System, and they immediately landed on the sub-planet that belonged to them.
It was just an ordinary sub-planet with typical landscapes, culture, and geography. There was nothing there that was worth Lu Yin’s notice, and he simply followed Vice Captain Mo to Silentflock Planet, as that place was the true headquarters of Endless Borders.
Silentflock Planet was a massive and robust planet. In a mere glance, Lu Yin could see quite a few clusters of countless rune lines, and while they did not quite reach the level of an Enlighter’s rune lines, there had to be quite a few Hunters on this planet.
Lu Yin could not help but be rendered speechless, as Endless Borders had a terrifying amount of hidden strength. Any random expedition crew that they sent out would have surpassed the full power of the Great Yu Empire back when Lu Yin had first left Earth.
However, the expedition crews could not be considered as Endless Borders’ true strength. If Endless Borders ever revealed an intent to fight for power, then it would be difficult to tell how many of their expedition crews would simply leave the organization. These people had gathered under Endless Borders’ banner due to their mutual passion for adventure and exploration, and that was why they lent their support to an organization like Endless Borders. Otherwise, they would simply leave whenever they wished.
Vice Captain Mo had an innocent face, but in reality, he liked to bar hop and visit other similar venues, which was something that Lu Yin was unaccustomed to, as he was not interested in such places.
“Alliance Leader Lu, since we’re here, you should just relax a bit. The tournament won’t be held for a few days.” Vice Captain Mo brought two drinks over as he smiled at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin replied, “Calling me Seven is just fine.”
Vice Captain Mo laughed. “There are probably very few people in the entire Outerverse who can call you that, so it would be my honor.”
Lu Yin shook his head. The bar’s atmosphere was very lively, and there were many people around them debating about who would emerge as the tournament’s victor. However, in the end, most of them were confident that Little Stoneman would win. His image even appeared on the bar’s screens.
Lu Yin glanced at the pictures and was rather surprised. This person could not even be considered human, as he was entirely made of stone!
The Outerverse had all sorts of strange and extreme environments, and with the passage of time, many civilizations that lived in near inhospitable environments would evolve a bit and adapt to their surroundings. Still, this was Lu Yin’s first time seeing such a thorough transformation.
“I’m telling you that there’s not much point to the tournament this time around. The champion has to be Little Stoneman, as no one can break him down. Even if he’s beaten and broken apart, he can just reform himself.”
“That’s not true. I think that Brother Qiang has a good chance. He’s an impressive expert with eight lined battle force, and he’s a peak Hunter as well.”
“No, no, I think that an Enlighter may join in this time. I heard that the two captains of the Windflower Crew came back, and is there anything that those two shameless old farts won’t do?”
“That’s true. If they join the fight along with Captain Shi, then the rest of the fighters won’t even have a chance. We’ll just have to watch those three go at it.”
…
As he listened to the various conversations, Lu Yin glanced over at Vice Captain Mo, but surprisingly, the man did not seem to be even the slightest bit upset. In fact, he even seemed to be used to hearing this talk. Perhaps those two old men, Wind and Flower, had actually done something similar in the past.
“If Enlighters don’t join the tournament, then is there anyone else who you think can really sweep the competition without question?” someone shouted out loudly. “If anyone can answer correctly, I’ll buy them a round of drinks.”
“Bullshit! Everyone uses their own judgement to determine who’s the best. How can anyone be convinced by someone else? You bastard, you always go on about such pointless stuff,” someone shouted, and the crowd immediately jeered at the man.
The man waved his hand. “I’m not talking about just Endless Borders, but rather the entire Outerverse. I’ll name one person that none of you will be able to deny. If anyone can, then I’ll really buy the next round of drinks.”
Everyone was drawn in by the man’s words, and some people loudly asked for him to give out the name while others mentioned the Ten Arbiters.
That person revealed a gleeful smile. “Aside from the Ten Arbiters…” He paused for effect before dramatically announcing, “Lu Yin.”
With that name, the bar fell silent and nobody spoke.
Vice Captain Mo sipped his drink and glanced around, rather speechless as the aforementioned man was actually sitting with them in the bar.
“How’s that? Can’t argue with that, can you? As long as no Enlighters move, Lu Yin would win without any question if he participated in this tournament.” The man continued to talk, quite pleased with himself.
Some people were unconvinced. “Lu Yin doesn’t count, as he’s a freak. Honestly, even if Enlighters did join the tournament, I feel that Lu Yin would still stand a good chance of winning.”
“I reckon so as well. In the current Outerverse, there are two people beneath the Enlighter realm who cannot be provoked. One is that Divine Fist Arbiter and the other is Lu Yin. If either of those people make a move, then there wouldn’t be any suspense at all,” someone else commented.
The crowd’s discussions picked back up, and some people even mentioned Lu Yin’s imminent battle with the Arbiter.
Vice Captain Mo became even more surprised. Although he knew that Lu Yin’s reputation was impressive, he had never expected that just mentioning his name would be enough to leave an entire bar in awe with no one able to argue against the person.
“Seven, how does it feel? Are you proud?” Vice Captain Mo asked as he leaned closer to Lu Yin’s ear.
Lu Yin smiled slightly. “I’m used to it.”
Vice Captain Mo was taken aback; was this humility or arrogance? He could not tell, but this youth seemed drunk!
At this time, Lu Yin’s gadget beeped, and he revealed a small smile after glancing at it. He had done it. He had formally joined Endless Borders under the name of “Seven.”
The two old captains, Wind and Flower, treated Lu Yin quite well. They were well aware that he was Lu Yin, but they had still allowed him to join their crew. Of course, Lu Yin had not ruled out the possibility that these two wanted to foster a better relationship between Endless Borders and the Great Eastern Alliance.
“Let’s go.” Lu Yin set his cup down.
Vice Captain Mo was puzzled. “So soon? You’ve only had one glass. Are you afraid of being recognized?”
Lu Yin nodded and then slowly walked out of the bar.
Vice Captain Mo did not leave, as he wanted to continue drinking.
Lu Yin had seen too much of the universe. Silentflock System was famous due to it being Endless Borders’ headquarters, but by itself, the system was nothing impressive.
With nothing to do, Lu Yin did not roam about. Instead, he directly returned to the Windflower Crew’s sub-planet and waited for the tournament that would begin in a few days.
Endless Borders did not invite any outsiders to witness their internal tournament. Not even the Hall of Honor’s Elder Daggs, who was close by at the border, had been invited. Rather, Silentflock System was actually sealed off, and the tournament quietly began just like that.
The tournament venue was Silentflock Planet’s Adventure Plaza. The plaza itself was massive, and it even included a dozen mountain ranges within its area. In terms of size, it might have surpassed Earth in its entirety, and it had also been reinforced to the point of being able to withstand battles between Enlighters.
Countless cultivators from Endless Borders arrived and gathered all around the plaza, and the place became exceptionally noisy.
Each expedition crew had their own hovering platform that was shaped like a spacecraft. These platforms floated all over the plaza, slightly higher than where the rest of the spectators stood. This was just one of the benefits to being an expedition crewmember.
There was such a distinctive difference in treatment that it caused countless cultivators from Endless Borders to start considering the various ways they could establish their own expedition crews.
Lu Yin stood beside Captain Wind and Captain Flower, and behind the three men were the rest of the Windflower Crew’s members. As they all stood together, they looked around Adventure Plaza.
The plaza was simply too vast, and it was difficult to see the entire place clearly even with their eyesight. This was why screens had been set up everywhere, and there were enough cameras to capture every corner of the plaza.
“Chairman Yan will arrive soon,” Vice Captain Mo said softly.
Lu Yin followed the vice captain’s gaze towards the central screen, which was the one displaying the image of another floating platform that already had a crowd of people on it. None of the people on that platform were weak, and Lu Yin’s expression became even more serious. The weakest person there had rune lines equivalent to a Hunter’s, and there was even an Enlighter on the platform. He was an older man and was sitting in the very center of the platform. In fact, he was Endless Borders’ Chairman, Yan Chen.
Many people in the Outerverse did not even know his name. Everyone was aware that Endless Borders was one of the four great conglomerates, but few were aware of Chairman Yan Chen’s existence. This was consistent with his low-profile manner of handling things, though it was also possible that the various media outlets had been warned to not publicize anything related to him.
Yan Chen lowered a hand, and the plaza fell silent as everyone stared at the chairman through the central screen .
Yan Chen’s face had a strict appearance, and his expression looked dignified. “Does everyone remember what the essence of my Endless Borders is?”
Nobody responded.
“It’s risk-taking. It’s exploration. It’s about discovering new objects that have never been seen before and the spirit of blazing a trail unknown. Recently, due to certain things that were discovered in the Outerverse, many have forgotten about our core values. Does anyone truly believe that we are actually a corporation whose goal is to make money? Wrong! We are the Adventurers’ Guild! We are not a company striving for profit.”
