Lu Yin had no intention of intervening. Ruler Garden had always been his enemy, and he was not about to start saving his enemies.
As for the idea of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” that was entirely dependent on whether or not Lu Yin held the advantage. The two survivors from Ruler Garden simply wanted to escape, the same as Old Chief and the other two Luminaries. He would accomplish nothing from saving the two people.
Lu Yin also did not intend to learn about the Nine Odysseys Megaverse from them.
It was not long before Yanbo Haomiao’s Nine-Rulers: Heaven-Defying Art gave way, shattered by Chao Yi’s Twin Ghosts.
Yanbo Hongli’s Wildcat’s Aid was being suppressed by the Voidheart Mirror. How could the woman fight against Yue Ya with her level of strength?
Yanbo Haomiao was bathed in blood, and he gave a hoarse roar, “I hate you, Yue Ya! I hate that we ever tried to help you! My Ruler Garden gave you everything! I hate it all!”
Chao Yi raised a hand, and the Deathmound spread out once again before his indifferent gaze. “All actions are determined by one’s self-interest. Your Ruler Garden destroyed me back then because you feared this exact day, and this day was always fated.”
Boom!
A loud explosion rang out, and Yanbo Haomiao’s body was obliterated. Even as he died, his eyes remained locked upon Yue Ya.
The old man did not hate Chao Yi. Their enmity had run too deep for far too long. Chao Yi’s animosity and actions were to be expected. Yao Haomiao had hated Yue Ya far more, as that man had betrayed Ruler Garden.
Yanbo Hongli grieved, and tears of blood ran across her cheeks.
Her crimson hair caught on fire, and her breathing grew increasingly weak.
“Only one remains of Ruler Garden: you,” Chao Yi coldly stated.
Yanbo Hongli stared at Chao Yi. “Does it feel good to get revenge?”
Chao Yi’s eyes remained as calm as still water. “You will never know.”
Yanbo Hongli barked a bitter laugh, her anguish clear. “True. Some people can get revenge... while the rest of us are destined to never get the opportunity.”
Boom!
There was another loud explosion, and Yanbo Hongli fell. A streak of red trailed across the stars. When it was gone, so was the woman.
Chao Yi looked down. “You and I were never more than mere dust in the cultivation world. Death could very well be a form of rebirth. Who can truly understand such things?”
Yue Ya was unconcerned by the deaths of Yanbo Haomiao and everyone else. All he cared about was Chao Yi. “Because of you, the Thirteen Luminaries have fled, and Ruler Garden has been destroyed. It’s time for you to fulfill your promise.”
Chao Yi looked over at Yue Ya. “I don’t understand. Does me taking the place of Ruler Garden and the Thirteen Luminaries really offer you a better chance against Lu Yin?”
Yue Ya frowned. “The Thirteen Luminaries’ escape was unexpected. I only intended to have you replace Ruler Garden. Lu Yin already understands their abilities, which made them useless.”
“By the looks of things, you’ve suffered a loss,” Chao Yi continued calmly.
Yue Ya’s eyes narrowed. “As long as our preparations are correct, there will always be a chance of success. You’re not planning to break our deal, are you?”
“I’m not that despicable,” Chao Yi replied.
Yue Ya let out a breath of relief. “I know where Boundless is. Let’s go.”
With that, the two men left.
In the place that they had just left, the stars continued to spin. Neither knew that Lu Yin had been watching them all along. His consciousness blanketed the entire Consciousness Megaverse, and because of that, it was ignored.
The annihilation of Ruler Garden showed Lu Yin the cruelest aspects of the world of cultivators. Such cruelty played out every single day.
Yanbo Hongli had been right; some people could get revenge, while others were doomed to never have the chance.
Who truly controlled all of it?
Yanbo Hongli had been a pitiful woman. She had not even been willing to attack Lu Yin, yet such was the nature of the world of cultivators.
Had Yan’er offended anyone? And yet she had also been drawn into things.
Only after confirming that the Tianyuan Megaverse was safe would Lu Yin awaken Ming Yan. He did not want her to suffer a fate like Yanbo Hongli’s.
Lu Yin returned to Boundless. Yue Ya and Chao Yi were already nearly there, so Lu Yin immediately warned everyone on the ship.
He no longer feared Yue Ya.
Soon, Yue Ya and Chao Yi arrived. The sight of Boundless’s massive form in front of the other four battleships intrigued Chao Yi. Just what kind of person was this Lu Yin?
Even with the full power of Ruler Garden, Yue Ya had failed to take Lu Yin down. Such a feat was practically legendary.
Chao Yi had no doubt that he would have died before such an ambush.
Yue Ya unleashed his manifested thought, and his Voidheart Mirror spread out to envelop the stars. He had no desire to face Lu Yin directly. It would be too difficult to succeed like that. Instead, his goal was to use the lives of those aboard Boundless as leverage, thus creating an opportunity to eliminate Lu Yin.
Threatening the Tianyuan Megaverse would likely break Lu Yin, which was why Yue Ya was optimistic about his chances.
There was no other choice. There were no other experts remaining in the Consciousness Megaverse who were capable of helping Yue Ya. This was his last chance.
Just as Yue Ya was about to attack, a voice rang out from Boundless. “Are you Chao Yi, master of Deathmound’s Sixth Peak?”
Luo Ning appeared on Boundless’s deck. At his side were Lian Shuang and the other captives from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse that were under Lu Yin’s control.
As they appeared, overwhelming waves of consciousness crashed across the sky, creating a curtain that blocked the Voidheart Mirror.
Yue Ya’s expression changed. Lu Yin’s consciousness had grown even stronger, but how had he improved so quickly? Was there no limit to how much consciousness the man could devour?
Chao Yi stared at Boundless’s deck and immediately saw Luo Ning and the other prisoners. “I remember you. You’re Luo Ning, the genius from the Skyward Gate’s Luo family. You were frozen in the Scion Spire.”
Luo Ning met the man’s gaze. “What is someone from Deathmound doing in the Consciousness Megaverse? And why are you attacking cultivators from the three megaverses?”
“I don’t need to explain my actions to you,” Chao Yi coldly replied.
Lian Shuang’s voice grew solemn, “According to my understanding, Deathmound only deals with those who violate the laws of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, and they have no dealings at all with the lower three megaverses. If Peak Lord Chao Yi is acting against these people of your own accord, then you are also committing a crime.”