Chapter 4118: You’re Also Excellent
Chapter 4118: You’re Also Excellent
After Lu Yuan, Ancient God, and the others were all defeated by experts from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, Jiang Feng had stepped forward. On his own, he had defeated multiple peak Dukkhans: Ming Zhuo, Yu, Lu Sizhan, and Ku Ji. Half a month before Lu Yin returned, Jiang Feng had even managed to defeat Xue Lou, a pinnacle expert on the same level as Qing Xing. This feat formally inducted the man as one of the few humans who had reached the pinnacle of power beneath the Immortal realm.
Regardless of what the others from the Tianyuan had managed to achieve, Jiang Feng alone was enough to raise their megaverse’s standing.
When the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s cultivators learned that Jiang Feng had once managed to injure an Immortal with only his own abilities, not even using Immortal matter, no one had wanted to challenge him again.
Many commented that the Nine Odysseys Megaverse excelled at producing conventional powerhouses, which resulted in multiple talented individuals reaching the peak. In contrast, the Tianyuan specialized in producing cultivators with unique powers, which led to the rise of a few absurdly strong monsters.
Lu Yin was one such monster, and Jiang Feng was another.
In the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, in a place surrounded by mountains and drifting clouds, stood Whitecloud City.
Upon learning that cultivators from two other megaverses would be arriving, the Nine Odysseys Megaverse had designated a large expanse of territory for the new arrivals that was located between the Northern and Eastern Domains. The environment there was quite pleasant.
All of the clans that had originally occupied the region had been relocated.
The city floating among the mountains perfectly mirrored the Whitecloud City on Earth in the Tianyuan.
The old city had not been moved, but rather rebuilt from scratch. This was a trivial task for cultivators.
As Lu Yin approached the mountains, he immediately heard hearty laughter.
“City Lord Jiang, your fight completely convinced those Nine Odysseys Megaverse folk! Haha, let’s see who still dares to bare their fangs!” Lu Yuan cackled.
Wu Tian said, “Don’t exaggerate things. ‘Convinced?’ The Nine Odysseys Megaverse still has plenty of experts.”
Jiang Feng nodded. “There is Deathmound’s Great Master, Lesser Sancte Dan Jin, Xing Fan, and Qing Xing, who is Mi Jin’s disciple. None of them are weak. After cultivating the Nirvana Tree Path, each one of them is able to face off against one of the Nest civilization’s Insect Lords on their own. It’s possible that I am only their equal.”
Lu Yuan retorted, “That’s just because they have Immortal matter. When Little Seven gets back, we’ll get you some as well. Then, there’ll be no doubt that you’ll surpass them then.”
“There’s no need to rush things. Our training in the Mirari Realm allowed our overall power to increase, but that’s far from enough. Once we all become peak Dukkhans, we will be able to contend with the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s experts even without City Lord Jiang lifting a hand,” Sovereign Dou Sheng added.
No one disputed his comment. At the same cultivation realms, they surpassed the vast majority of cultivators from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, but peak Dukkhans were a difficult obstacle to overcome.
Lu Yin smiled as he entered Whitecloud City.
Seeing him filled everyone with delight, and they hurriedly asked about the war.
Most everyone dispersed a short while later, leaving Lu Yin behind in Whitecloud City.
“Uncle Jiang, how did it feel to fight against the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s cultivators?” Lu Yin asked as Liu Pianran served some tea.
“Thanks, Aunty Liu.”
“You’re welcome. Take your time.”
Jiang Feng took a sip of tea and said, “The Nine Odysseys Megaverse and the Spirit Nidus are essentially the same in nature. Both pursue a cultivation path aimed at great unity. But once you reach a certain level, you inevitably carve out your own way. Many of us look down on that fixed-thought cultivation method, but in truth, it’s only a matter of sooner or later.
“For a civilization to survive in the cosmos, I actually prefer the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s model.”
Lu Yin nodded. “Our arrival from the Tianyuan has actually accelerated Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s breaking from their old way of thinking. With the addition of the Nirvana Tree Path, things could look very different in their future...”
Lu Yin had always felt as though he and Jiang Feng were quite similar. Despite all that had happened during his time as Lu Xiaoxuan, Lu Yin had started as an ordinary human on Earth, and he had climbed up, one step at a time, to become his current self. Jiang Feng had also survived an apocalypse on Earth and gone on to gradually create Whitecloud City and spread its fame and influence.
Often, the two even employed similar methods; they were equal parts a cultivator’s bold vengeance and a leader of men’s ruthless stratagems.
What intrigued Lu Yin most was Whitecloud City’s aura energy.
He had no intention of cultivating it himself. What he wanted to know was whether Jiang Feng could truly break through to the Immortal realm. Lu Yin very much hoped that the Tianyuan Megaverse could gain a true Immortal powerhouse.
Jiang Feng was calmer than Lu Yin, and he simply stated, “I can step into the Immortal realm, absolutely.”
Lu Yin was surprised. “Are you that certain?”
Jiang Feng replied, “Aura is a shortcut. It allows you to catch a glimpse of the summit sooner, but there is still an inevitable chasm that cannot be crossed.
“I need to thank Master Qing Cao. He sealed my senses and my power away, stripping me of everything. In that state of ignorance and powerlessness, I was able to cross the chasm. Oh, and I must also thank your disciple, Tuo Lin.”
“Tuo Lin?” Lu Yin blinked.
Jiang Feng solemnly stated, “Someone who accompanies Tuo Lin helped me find my way.”
Lu Yin frowned. “Someone who accompanies Tuo Lin? Who?”
Jiang Feng gave Lu Yin an intense look. “I didn’t know at first, but while recovering, I shadowed Tuo Lin for a while and learned the truth. He is always accompanied by a Verdant Sage.”
Lu Yin jolted to his feet. “A Verdant Sa- One of the Nest civilization’s bugs?!”
Jiang Feng raised a hand. “Calm down. Yes, one of the Nest civilization’s Verdant Sages. But it’s fine. If not, I would have informed you sooner.”
Lu Yin exhaled and sat back down, listening in silence.
“That Verdant Sage is unusual. Ordinary people can neither see it nor sense it. Even when Tuo Lin returned to the Heavens Sect, not even the Three Realms and Six Daos noticed anything. This isn’t because the Verdant Sage is powerful, but because its nature has fully merged with Tuo Lin, to the point that even its intent is linked to his... the intent it holds toward you.”
Lu Yin grew increasingly puzzled as Jiang Feng continued to explain, “Tuo Lin respects and adores you, possessing a practically fanatical reverence towards you. Strangely, that Verdant Sage feels the same about you, and at times, it is even more devoted than Tuo Lin.
“Because of this, its aura is perfectly identical to Tuo Lin’s.
“Had I not seen it while deprived of my senses and power, I would have also been fooled.
“It’s like Tuo Lin’s shadow...”
Lu Yin said nothing as he listened, but the situation only became stranger by the second. One of the Nest civilization’s Verdant Sages revered him? How did that make any sense?
If he was not mistaken, it should be the Verdant Sage that had spawned from Cang Xiaoxue’s Nest.
Her Nest had undoubtedly spawned a Verdant Sage, but by the time that Cang Xiaoxue was discovered, the Verdant Sage had already gone missing. It had to be the one following Tuo Lin.
But why had the Verdant Sage gotten so close to Tuo Lin? And why was it so fanatical about Lu Yin?
“You won’t believe this.” Jiang Feng’s voice took on an odd tone as he continued to say, “Tuo Lin carries a statue of you, and that statue seems to have gained some kind of sentience. It even grants him a bit of power. As for the Verdant Sage following him... It has actually condensed a statue of you as well.”
“Condensed?”
“Yes, condensed. I don’t know how else to put it, but it’s like their devotion to you has taken physical form.”
Lu Yin was left speechless. ...Is that even a thing?
“I watched them for a long time, worried that the Verdant Sage might exploit Tuo Lin, given his status, but they’ve been together for a very long time. While I was without my senses or power, I was constantly speaking with that Verdant Sage. It’s a simple creature, nothing like the others of its kind, and it showed no reaction to the Nest civilization. It’s bizarre, and I have no way to explain it.
“Even if you hadn’t come to see me, I was already planning on finding you to discuss this. After all, Tuo Lin is your disciple.”
Lu Yin released his consciousness to search the nearby area.
Everyone from the Tianyuan was in the same region of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. While it looked like a small region, it was still large enough to hold many seas of stars.
As Lu Yin’s disciple, it was a given that Tuo Lin had journeyed here on the battleships, and Lu Yin quickly found him.
At the moment, Tuo Lin was strolling along, warmly greeting everyone he passed by while carrying a statue on his back. The people of the Tianyuan were used to this, though many from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse found his behavior strange. Even so, no one interfered.
What could be said about it? Carrying a statue of Lu Yin was like wearing a golden shield. Even if people hated it, no one would dare to make trouble about such a thing.
A glance revealed nothing odd, but a closer inspection revealed the truth to Lu Yin. There was a figure following Tuo Lin’s steps, also carrying a statue of Lu Yin.
Being idolized by an insect carrying a statue of him... Lu Yin had no words for his feelings.
A casual wave sent a spiral of karma shooting towards Tuo Lin, and it pierced the Verdant Sage as well.
On the ground below, Tuo Lin continued to greet people warmly, muttering as usual. Only those who knew him well understood that he was speaking to Yan Ruyu, not just to himself.
“What? What’s wrong? No, I don’t feel any strange chill. Little Ruyu, are you getting sick?
“No, I don’t doubt Master. You’re right. As long as Master is here, we won’t fall ill. Little Ruyu, Master will surely feel your devotion.
“You’re great too.”
As the spiral of karma pierced the Verdant Sage, scenes of the past were revealed to Lu Yin, stunning him. Every last scene that appeared was of Tuo Lin roaming the cosmos, constantly expressing his reverence for Lu Yin.
He had visited all of the places that Lu Yin had once visited, pausing wherever his footprints remained, endlessly proclaiming his admiration.
This is... just... too... too much.
Lu Yin truly had no words to describe what he was seeing.
He had been acknowledged by the Tianyuan, allowing him to merge with its will. That meant the people of the entire Tianyuan Megaverse respected and revered him, but none of them could compare to Tuo Lin. Lu Yin even suspected that his ability to merge with the Tianyuan’s will might have been thanks to Tuo Lin.
His devotion was too fanatical, to the point where it bordered on obsession.
Seeing all these scenes of Tuo Lin showed that the Verdant Sage had never left Tuo Lin’s side. It was just as fanatically devoted to Lu Yin as Tuo Lin, to the point where the Verdant Sage was almost losing itself.
Since there was a Verdant Sage involved, Lu Yin continued watching for a long, long time. He had never expected his disciple to worship him so completely.
Seeing the truth was embarrassing.
“Uncle Jiang, I’m heading out for a bit.”
Jiang Feng nodded.
Lu Yin took a step, vanishing from Whitecloud City and reappearing a short distance from Tuo Lin.
Tuo Lin continued to smile warmly at everyone he saw, up until he noticed Lu Yin. At that moment, his expression froze, and his eyes suddenly blazed with fervor. “Little Ruyu! Little Ruyu! It’s Master! Master!
“I see him too! It’s Master.”
He rushed over, overly excited. “Master! Your disciple, Tuo Lin, greets you!”
Lu Yin helped the man to stand back up, smiling warmly while taking Tuo Lin’s hand. “It’s been a while since I returned to the Tianyuan. Why didn’t you come to see me?”
Tuo Lin blushed with shame. “Your disciple has not yet finished walking your path, Master. I haven’t found an answer in my heart that would please you. I- I am unworthy.”
Lu Yin sighed. “You’ve done very well. You both have.”
Tuo Lin glanced to his side, where Lu Yin was also looking. “You, too, Little Ruyu. You’re also excellent.”