Far away, Lu Yin had teleported the Seven-Treasure Anuras and Mister Mu into the Aevum Inch. The seven-colored land could no longer even be seen. There was absolutely no way for the Blacklight Civilization to pursue them.
Most of the Seven-Treasure Anuras were placed in a Zenith Mountain. The only ones who remained out in the Aevum Inch were Lu Yin, Mister Mu, Old First, Old Fourth, Old Fifth, Little Eighteen, and... Astral Anura.
“Where are we?” Old First asked. The black qi that once shrouded their body had dispersed, exposing the toad’s true form.
Compared to Old Fourth and the others, Lu Yin realized that Old First was the most imposing and impressive of the Seven-Treasure Anuras. Their head was even blockier than the others’.
“We’re some distance away from your homeland, beyond where the Blacklight Civilization can see,” Lu Yin replied.
Old First looked at Lu Yin. “Thank you, human. If not for you, I would have also died.”
Old Fourth and Old Fifth hurried to express their gratitude as well.
Lu Yin exchanged a look with Mister Mu and then turned back to Old First. “There’s no need for thanks. Astral Anura is a friend of us humans, and I also promised him that our human civilization has his back. He came seeking our help, and we wouldn’t refuse.”
Astral Anura was moved. He knew that Seventh Bro was making things up again, but hearing those words still deeply touched the toad.
Old First glanced at Astral Anura and nodded.
“Old First, are we really not saving Ancestor?” Old Fifth asked.
Old First remained silent.
Little Eighteen was unwilling. “Dad, can you not break that seal either?”
Old First shook his head. Half of a lotus leaf was still stuck to it. “I can’t. That seal is the Blacklight Civilization’s ultimate power. Legends claim that it can seal everything in the cosmos.
“Even if that creature hasn’t actually cultivated to the One-Hundredth Seal on its own and it isn’t as absurd as the legends, the fact that it imprisoned Ancestor means that it’s not something that we can break.”
Old Fourth lowered their head, not saying a word. The mood had grown quite heavy.
“Revenge! We’ll wipe out that Blacklight Civilization!” Astral Anura suddenly shouted, sparking an echo from Little Eighteen. “That’s right, revenge! Dad, we want revenge!”
Old Fourth and Old Fifth exchanged glances before turning to Old First. “We also want revenge!”
Old First’s expression fell as the toad radiated sharp killing intent. “I won’t let that Blacklight Civilization go!”
Little Eighteen looked at Lu Yin. “Human, help us. With another Immortal, we can annihilate the Blacklight Civilization.”
Old First snapped in a low tone, “Shut up! Humanity helping us escape is already enough of an exception. Whenever an Immortal takes action, they add to their karmic chain. They shouldn’t have to pay that price. This hatred is ours, and it has nothing to do with them.”
“But without the humans helping us, we-” Little Eighteen tried to argue.
Lu Yin interjected, “Actually, there isn’t just one way to get revenge.”
Seeing the puzzled looks from Old First and the other toads, Lu Yin glanced back in the direction of the Seven-Treasure Anuras’ homeland. “When I first arrived at your land, I left a gate behind. If we’re lucky and the Blacklight creatures haven’t found it and destroyed it... they’re in for some trouble.”
Old First frowned. “A gate?”
“Obscura?” Old Fourth and Old Fifth blurted as one.
Lu Yin shrugged. “I’m sorry, but to protect my human civilization, I joined Obscura.”
Old First and the others stared at Lu Yin in a daze. “You’ve joined Obscura?”
Little Eighteen’s lips peeled back reflexively, but as soon as they remembered how they had all been saved by Lu Yin, the toad could only suppress its reaction.
Lu Yin met their eyes, silently on guard.
While it was true that he had saved the Seven-Treasure Anuras, who could say just how much they hated Obscura? The toads naturally had nasty personalities, and it was not by any means impossible that they would repay kindness with betrayal.
After a moment, Old First let out a breath. “How did you end up joining them?”
Lu Yin shared how he had been threatened and left helpless to join Obscura. It was necessary for him to be open about such things; their human civilization needed the Seven-Treasure Anuras. If not, why would he have gone to such lengths to save the toads?
Also, Ancestor Shan’s words had affected him. Lu Yin had become far more wary of Obscura.
After hearing Lu Yin’s tale, Old First and the others understood. “Obscura always has ways to threaten anyone. Don’t worry. While we are indeed mortal enemies with Obscura and Old Second died at their hands, we also know that Obscura is not a singular civilization, but rather an alliance of various creatures. Each creature is assigned to their own missions, and the one that killed Old Second has no connection with you. You unwillingly joined in order to save your civilization. We understand that.”
Old Fourth’s mouth twisted. “Just... try not to bring it up in front of us. It’s disgusting.”
Old Fifth nodded, but then the toad’s expression grew odd, and they pointedly studied Lu Yin. “I’m so smart, and yet I still can’t figure out how an Aberrant like you managed to join Obscura. Every member of that civilization is incredibly strong, only a bit weaker than me at worst.”
Lu Yin said, “We’re not going to discuss that right now. In any case, I placed one of Obscura’s gates beside your land. Now, we need to go after another civilization. If things go smoothly, you will have your revenge.”
“What civilization?”
“A technological civilization. A fishing technological civilization.”
...
Technology was relatively unfamiliar and mysterious among civilizations that roamed the Aevum Inch. It was also precisely that unfamiliarity and mystery that made technological civilizations feared by all.
Unlike cultivation civilizations, where those who became Immortals were bound with karmic chains, there were no such restraints placed upon technology.
For technology to overcome the barrier of the Immortal realm was something that even Immortals could not comprehend.
However, overcoming that barrier did not mean that the creatures in a technological civilization were able to become Immortals themselves, but rather that their technology possessed the destructive power of an Immortal.
If the power of an Immortal could be used without restraint, how terrifying would that be?
Aberrants were feared and were even rarer than Immortals precisely because obtaining the power of an Immortal without reaching that realm was unbelievably difficult. It was even more outrageous than actually breaking into the Immortal realm. It was why Aberrants were so scarce.
In the Aevum Inch, technological fishing civilizations were the rarest of the rare.
Old First had forgotten the last time that he had seen a technological fishing civilization. It was possible that he had never even seen one. This was the most extreme case that the toad had ever seen, where a technological civilization was capable of roaming the Aevum Inch. Creatures who were capable of roaming the Aevum Inch did not necessarily have to be Immortals. More often, such creatures were Dukkhans or beings who had gotten lost in the Aevum Inch.
The moment Lu Yin spoke the words “technological fishing civilization,” the Seven-Treasure Anuras all just stared at him, too stunned to even speak.