Star Odyssey

Chapter 3679: A Certain Direction

The Wayfinder Sutra: like a mountain, like my true intention, like sorrow and joy, like happiness, like the unity of heaven and earth, like hearing the approach...

First, they had received the Nine Heavens Transformation, and now, they were learning Ru Shi’s Wayfinder Sutra.

The techniques that Lu Yin had shared with the people aboard Boundless left everyone dumbfounded. The Nine Heavens Transformation needed no explanation, as it was the High Seraph’s most powerful battle technique. However, the recently acquired Wayfinder Sutra also seemed far from simple.

Still, regardless of how impressive a technique was, it had to be suitable for the person attempting to learn it.

For example, the Nine Heavens Transformation was not suited for Chu Yi. He cultivated the Dao of One Heavens, which sought to find a sliver of hope in even the most desperate of circumstances. The Nine Heavens Transformation, on the other hand, specialized in ruthless offense, directly confronting and resolving issues. It was much more suitable for individuals like Sovereign Dou Sheng and Wilderness God.

In contrast, the Wayfinder Sutra resonated with Chu Yi. Even the Origin Progenitor and the old Lu Tianyi felt an impact from the sutra, whereas Sovereign Dou Sheng was unaffected to the point where it seemed like he had not heard a thing.

Yet the one with the most dramatic reaction was Shao Chen. As soon as he heard the Wayfinder Sutra, he immediately received enlightenment.

Everyone who saw his reaction was stunned. Even Lu Yin was astonished. So fast?

Lu Yin had also started cultivating the Wayfinder Sutra, and when he first heard it, he had achieved enlightenment in the same manner as Shao Chen, startling Ru Guo. It was only at this moment that Lu Yin understood what Ru Guo had experienced.

The sight of Shao Chen’s sudden enlightenment caused everyone else to quietly withdraw.

There was a cultivation art that was best suited to each person. Shao Chen was following his own path, cultivating the mortal world. No one could help him. Even when Lu Yin had hoped to share Wu Jin’s method of cultivating the mortal world with Shao Chen, the man had gained nothing. His was a path that had to be walked alone. However, the Wayfinder Sutra was finally something that could help Shao Chen.

This made sense. The Wayfinder Sutra focused on intention, but it also required emotions as a foundation. What was most abundant in the mortal world? Emotions. What was the mortal world other than a place where emotions flowed? Nothing could suit Shao Chen better than the Wayfinder Sutra.

Compared to experts like Lu Tianyi, Shao Chen was an incredibly young cultivator. He had tremendous potential for further improvement. Even the Origin Progenitor was curious to see just how far the man would make it down his path of the mortal world.

When it came to both business and cultivation, as long as one was a sapient creature, it was impossible to escape the mortal world. It was possible that Shao Chen might eventually surpass everyone else.

Lu Yin was similarly looking forward to the man’s progress. After all, he hoped that everyone aboard Boundless would make future progress.

Throughout the megaverse’s history, countless geniuses had appeared in the Tianyuan Megaverse, but very few had survived. If the day came when those experts could return to life, how brilliant would the megaverse become?

...

In the Spirit Nidus, the person who had destroyed the ruins of the Ru family’s one-time home arrived at the boundary. They stared at the tightly closed gate with intense frustration.

Even just one step too late was still too late.

This must be Mo Shang’s doing. You want to run? Impossible!

The person stared at the boundary for a long time before finally turning and leaving. There were still matters that needed to be resolved in this megaverse. In addition to Lu Yin, there was also Yong Heng. Anyone who dared to trick him had to be dealt with.

...

Days passed. The darkness of the Aevum Inch never changed, and the monotonous scenery left everyone numb. Fortunately, everyone making the journey was a cultivator. Ten years, a hundred years, or even a thousand years of the numbing darkness could still be endured.

After two years had passed, Shao Chen mastered the first realm of the Wayfinder Sutra: when the heart moves, the body does not.

This was not surprising. Both the Origin Progenitor and Chu Yi had achieved the same level of mastery long ago, but both of them had far surpassed the Origin realm. Both their cultivation and age far surpassed Shao Chen’s. There was simply no comparison.

Another five years passed. Seven years after Boundless had entered the Aevum Inch, Shao Chen mastered the second realm: when the body moves, the mind does not.

That was unexpected. Out of everyone on Boundless, only the Origin Progenitor had reached that level. Neither Chu Yi nor Lu Yin had mastered the second realm yet. While they would eventually succeed, they could not do so nearly this quickly.

Even Ru Guo had only mastered the second realm of the Wayfinder Sutra.

However, just because Shao Chen had reached the same level of mastery with the Wayfinder Sutra as Ru Guo, it did not mean that he was Ru Guo’s match. It simply meant that he was shockingly talented at cultivating the Wayfinder Sutra.

The Origin Progenitor relied on his countless years of cultivation and enlightenment, as had Ru Guo. Despite not even being a sequence powerhouse, Shao Chen was able to match those two ancient powerhouses’ comprehension of the Wayfinder Sutra. If Ru Guo learned of this, he would undoubtedly find a way to take Shao Chen away.

Throughout the entirety of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and the Spirit Nidus, only one person had ever managed to cultivate the Wayfinder Sutra to the third realm, and that was its creator, fallen Lesser Sancte Ru Shi.

The difference of a single realm could be as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Shao Chen opened his eyes. His expression was calm, and his eyes were as still as an ancient, bottomless well.

“How do you feel?” Lu Yin asked curiously. The Origin Progenitor and several others were also observing Shao Chen. He followed a path that was nearly impossible for anyone to duplicate. He had spent so many years lost in insanity, only to suddenly regain lucidity and shock everyone.

The man looked at Lu Yin. “Not bad.”free\we\bnov(e)(l).com

Lu Yin blinked. “What about your combat strength? Has it improved much?”

Shao Chen considered the question for a moment. “Not much.”

“The Wayfinder Sutra emphasizes intent,” the Origin Progenitor explained. “If that were not the case, Ru Shi wouldn’t have lost to the High Seraph. Ru Guo is able to use it with such power only because he is already a Dukkhan. That cultivation realm grants him a level of combat strength that approaches the High Seraph’s. It’s not realistic to expect a massive boost in strength from this technique alone.”

Lu Yin looked disappointed.

Shao Chen looked down at his hands. “While my combat strength hasn’t improved very much, I have a strong feeling that I’ll reach the third level soon. When that happens, I should undergo a transformation.”

Lu Yin’s eyes lit up. “You’re confident that you can reach the third realm?”

Shao Chen nodded. “Completely.”

Lu Yin marveled. “Do you know what kind of person last reached the third realm of the Wayfinder Sutra?”

Shao Chen excitedly replied, “Surely someone who shook the megaverse.”

Lu Yin exchanged glances with the Origin Progenitor. Both of them felt like Shao Chen was praising himself.

No one disturbed the man, and he was allowed to continue cultivating quietly. Lu Yin grew eager to see what Shao Chen would achieve upon reaching the third realm.

Of course, Lu Yin was not expecting to see some dramatic increase in combat strength. It was not reasonable to expect Shao Chen to suddenly leap to the level of the Seven Seraphs. That would simply be absurd.

What Lu Yin longed for was the transformation that came with reaching the next realm of the Wayfinder Sutra, hoping it would guide him forward.

The Wayfinder Sutra could help Lu Yin solidify his current realm. After reaching the third realm, Lu Yin could not predict how much his abilities would increase by, but he was certain that he would be able to fight the High Seraph on equal terms. He was not yet confident that he possessed that level of strength, but that could change in the future.

If Ru Shi could reach the third realm, then so too could Lu Yin.

The Origin Progenitor shared Lu Yin’s anticipation. The Wayfinder Sutra was ideal for cultivating, and even the Origin Progenitor was not sure what benefits would come from reaching the third realm. However, it was that very uncertainty that made the wait worthwhile.

Elsewhere on Boundless, the Dao Bell flickered intermittently in front of Yuan Qi.

When he had been defeated in the Tianyuan Megaverse, his Dao Bell had been shattered. Only recently had the spirit weapon managed to recover the smallest fraction of its former power. Earlier, when Yuan Qi had helped Lu Yin to intimidate the High Seraph at the boundary, the High Seraph had not seemed to notice that anything was amiss with his Dao Bell.

While a full recovery was still a long way off, the spirit weapon had at least recovered enough to give Yuan Qi a modicum of strength to protect himself.

He stared at his Dao Bell with a bitter smile. He was a mighty Dukkhan, and even after losing his spirit weapon, he had not been reduced to being the weakest within that cultivation realm. Still, Yuan Qi had long felt utterly powerless to protect himself. He felt as though the megaverse that he had once known had been nothing but a sham.

Across Boundless, some people trained with the Wayfinder Sutra, while others practiced the Nine Heavens Transformation.

Lu Yin grabbed the Pridebeast and the Megalith so that he could check on their progress with the Nine Heavens Transformation. He could not help but admire the two creatures’ extraordinary talent. The Nine Heavens Transformation had allowed their power to completely eclipse their previous limits, and their strength was continuing to evolve in an unknown direction, just like Lu Yin’s.

The two beasts were overcome with confidence, and defiance glittered in their eyes when they looked at Lu Yin.

He was irritated by the look in the beasts’ eyes. Did they want to use a battle technique that he had given them to rebel against him?

Therefore, he lashed out with two quick punches, instantly dropping both beasts.

The Pridebeast became upset. The Nine Heavens Transformation caused its body to flicker, and each flicker caused its strength to spike, bolstering its confidence to an unprecedented level.

Bang!

There was a deafening crash as the Pridebeast fell back to the ground. It trembled as a large lump started forming on its head.f|re(e)web.n\ovel. (c)o.m

Lu Yin threw a dangerous glance at the Megalith.

The beast responded with a broad grin as it moved its tail as though giving Lu Yin a thumbs-up. The Megalith had never moved against Lu Yin, and it had simply remained in place, as though serving as a mascot.

Lu Yin snorted contemptuously as he looked back at the Pridebeast. The ape was sprawled across the ground, and it could not even lift its head. Instead, it moved a single digit on one hand, giving Lu Yin a thumbs-up.

“Behave,” Lu Yin ordered before walking away.

Soon, he was visiting Astral Anura.

The toad was in a dark mood, huddled in a corner and seemingly depressed.

He had failed to learn the Nine Heavens Transformation. No matter what the toad had tried, all of his attempts had failed. He also felt nothing from the Wayfinder Sutra. Despite being an immensely powerful cultivator, why on earth was he unable to cultivate either power? Even those two idiotic beasts had succeeded.

That brat Lu Yin must have given me a fake version and given the real one to everyone else.

Astral Anura was indignant.

Suddenly, Lu Yin appeared in front of the toad. “You can’t master the Wayfinder Sutra either?”

“Of course not!” Astral Anura snapped irritably.

Suddenly, the toad felt that there was something wrong. He looked up and saw Lu Yin’s grim expression. Astral Anura’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly greeted Lu Yin. “Um, Lord Lu, I didn’t realize it was you... I thought you were some other fool. Please, don’t hold this against me. Please pay it no mind.”

“You can’t master the Wayfinder Sutra?” Lu Yin repeated.

Astral Anura looked pitiful as he clung to his lotus leaf. “I just can’t grasp it...”

As he spoke, the toad stole a glance at Lu Yin, as though trying to see something.

Lu Yin found it strange. “How utterly useless. It’s one thing for you to not be able to master the Nine Heavens Transformation, but you also failed to master the Wayfinder Sutra?”

With that, he walked off.

Astral Anura was dumbfounded. He remained frozen in place, struggling not to curse.

That’s because you must have given me a fake version! I don’t doubt it!

Lu Yin could not understand why Astral Anura was unable to master either technique, but this might actually be better. After all, he had captured the toad, and it certainly was not a true ally.

Looking back, he has always held a grudge against me.

Lu Yin made his way around Boundless, even checking on Jiang Qi. The man was still wrapped up in his blanket, seemingly too scared to emerge. Lu Yin simply had no idea how to deal with the man.

Suddenly, Lu Yin remembered someone else: his captive Verdant Sage. The Verdant Sage had been confined to Zenith Mountain ever since Boundless had left the Tianyuan Megaverse, which had been a very long time ago.

The Verdant Sage was released, and it looked around in a bit of a daze. “Master, where are we?”

For the Verdant Sage, it was much better to be imprisoned in the Zenith Mountain than be allowed outside. At least as long as it was imprisoned, it did not have to worry about being killed by Lu Yin. That made the Zenith Mountain highly preferable.

Lu Yin stared at the Verdant Sage. “Are you injured?”

The Verdant Sage cautiously replied, “No, I’m not.”

Lu Yin’s mood fell. As expected, the insect had not suffered any sort of karmic backlash. This meant that the Verdant Sage was beyond karma. Was that the power of an Immortal? This suggested that Cang Xiaoxue’s Verdant Sage might also still exist after the temporal reversion. Lu Yin could not help but wonder how that insect had fared in the Tianyuan Megaverse.

He had no interest in having a conversation with the Verdant Sage, so he put it back.

He failed to notice that, before being returned to the Zenith Mountain, the Verdant Sage cast a glance in a certain direction. It was an odd, somewhat confused look, as if simply curious and surveying its surroundings, which is why it did not catch Lu Yin’s attention.

Only three years remained before they arrived at Beacon City. There was not much time.

...