Lu Yin looked at Lan Si, who was coughing. “Don’t drink too fast. The pill is effective, but it still needs some time to work.”
“Thanks,” Lan Si said. “Defeating me means that you can replace me as one of the Ten Arbiters. You’re certainly qualified in terms of strength.”
Lu Yin stared off into the distance. “I don’t want to replace you—I want to replace someone else.”
Lan Si’s gaze shifted, but he did not reply.
Lu Yin wiped his lips, which had had some leftover dried bloodstains on them. He had also swallowed a pill already, one that had been upgraded until its rune lines almost matched those of an Enlighter with a power level of 300,000. Naturally, it was amazingly effective.
Lan Si looked down at his own arm and smiled bitterly. “I never imagined that I could lose.”
“You’ve already said that several times,” Lu Yin observed.
Lan Si shook his head. “But I truly never even considered it.”
Lu Yin’s lips curled up. “Each of us is confident in our own strength, and we almost came out even. If you had been just a little luckier, I would have lost, and if I had been a little less luckier, then you would have won. This is quite normal.”
Lan Si seriously answered, “This was not just a matter of luck. You were able to withstand more than ten Vacuum Palms, which is something that I never expected. When we competed outside of the ruins, I was able to sense your physical strength, and I am confident that, at that time, you could not have even received three Vacuum Palms. Who could have guessed that, in such a short amount of time, you would improve by so much. You were even able to upgrade your eight lined battle force to nine lines, and your physical strength is strong enough to compensate for a difference in realms, even surpassing mine. Along with your secret technique and Gods’ Origin’s methods, your improvement was just too much.”
Lu Yin nodded. “That’s true. If I hadn’t been able to improve my eight lined battle force to nine lines, then there’s no way I would have been able to receive so many of your Vacuum Palms, and I would have definitely lost in that case.”
“Lu Yin, the difference between us will only grow more in the future,” Lan Si said seriously.
Lu Yin did not understand. “What do you mean? That I’ll pull ahead, or you will?”
Lan Si laughed. “Of course you’ll be the one to pull ahead! You’ve only cultivated for twelve years, but me? I’m close to forty years old, and I’ve been cultivating ever since I was young. I was given the Mt. Stacks Dojo’s best resources, and I even obtained the Vacuum Palm by chance. But you walked out of the Outerverse, step by step, and although many say that the Hall of Honor is your true background, I have the feeling that you’ve never received any guidance from them, as your battle style is very feral.”
Lu Yin’s brows rose up, as this was the first time anyone had called his style feral.
“What? You’re not convinced?” Lan Si retorted. He then continued, explaining, “You have many methods, and they are all quite complex. The higher you climb, the more these things will burden you. You have a domain and battle force, and you’ve cultivated them decently. However, you also use battle techniques, your physical body, and spiritual force. Such diversity is taboo among cultivators, or at least, it is according to the education that I’ve received.”
Lu Yin muttered to himself, deep in thought. He had considered this before, and it was true that his strength was complex with many different techniques. However, there was nothing that he could do about it. He had not put much effort into improving his domain, and he had never specifically trained his physical strength either, but they had both been miraculously upgraded as he naturally cultivated. Lu Yin was quite helpless about the process, but of course, he enjoyed the results.
If he hadn’t been able to use his domain to sense Lan Si’s location during this battle, then Lu Yin would not have had enough time to react to the Arbiter’s sudden movements and seize the advantage. Having more varied fighting methods in battle was not necessarily bad, as they provided him with more flexible attack patterns.
Still, Lu Yin did not say any of this to Lan Si, as the Arbiter would not possibly believe Lu Yin. His abilities had been miraculously upgraded? Only a fool would believe that such things were possible.
“You said that you’re almost forty, but I’ve heard that two of the Ten Arbiters are already older than forty. Do you know which ones they are?” Lu Yin asked.
Lan Si replied, “Xing Kai and Serati Phoenix.”
Lu Yin was not surprised to hear that Xing Kai had already surpassed forty years of age, as his appearance looked like a fifty year old’s. On the other hand, judging by his appearance, Serati Phoenix did not look older than forty at all.
Still, it was quite normal for a cultivator’s age to be drastically different from what age they physically appeared to be.
“What’ll happen when the Ten Arbiters surpass the age limit?” Lu Yin asked.
Lan Si set the wine pot down. “What do you think?”
Lu Yin shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
Lan Si thought about it and then replied, “We’ll see if anyone can replace them.” After saying that, he looked at Lu Yin and commented, “Your position right now is pretty awkward.”
Lu Yin also had thought about this, as his strength was strong enough to replace either Xing Kai or Serati Phoenix. If anyone wanted to use age as an excuse to remove them from their positions, then Lu Yin would definitely be used in the negotiations.
Lu Yin did not have much of an impression of Xing Kai, but it was different for Serati Phoenix. Even though Lu Yin had never really encountered the Arbiter, just the Undying Bird’s reputation was enough to make people wary. The family’s ability to survive within Daynight Flowzone without caring much about what the Daynight clan thought was indicative of the Phoenix family’s strength.
Lan Si stared at the distant Astral River. He seemed to be speaking to both himself and Lu Yin as he said, “The Ten Arbiters are ten extraordinary people, and not a single one of us can be underestimated.”
Lu Yin’s heart twitched. “Have you traded blows with any of the other Arbiters?”
Lan Si thought about it and nodded. “Yes.”
Lu Yin’s eyes lit up. “Who? And what was the outcome?”
Lan Si thought back, and his brows involuntarily rose up. “Wen Sansi, outcome-” He paused as he took a long drink of wine from the pot. “Lost.”
Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. “How?”
Lan Si looked at him. “If you fight against him one day, you’ll understand what it truly means to be exasperated. Even if he just stands there and doesn’t attack you, you still won’t be able to think of winning.”
Lu Yin did not understand. “Unable to be attacked?”
Lan Si shook his head. “The one who can’t be attacked is Jin He. Wen Sansi is even more disgusting, and you’ll understand when you eventually face him. Actually, I didn’t exactly lose, but regardless, I can’t beat him.”
“Do you know about Jin He?” Lu Yin asked, his expression growing a bit colder.
Lan Si shook his head. “Not really. He usually seems pretty laid back, but he enjoys killing too much.”
The two chatted for a long time. By the end, Lan Si’s injuries had recovered a bit, and he was barely able to stand up.
“For our battle, I lost. According to our wager, from this day forward, the Mt. Stacks Dojo’s Lan family will unconditionally support you,” Lan Si solemnly said to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin grew emotional, as the Lan family’s strength was rather significant. Also, Lan Si was one of the Ten Arbiters. This meant that, before Lu Yin had even become an Arbiter himself, he was already able to influence one of the Ten Arbiters.
Lu Yin also stood up. The feeling in his left arm was slowly returning, and he was recovering from his other injuries as well.
Off in the distance, away from the ruins of Planet Fleabane, the crowd gradually dispersed. At the same time, the Great Eastern Alliance established a perimeter and prevented anyone from recording Lu Yin at this moment.
Lu Yin extended his hand towards Lan Si.
Lan Si smiled bitterly, but then he grabbed Lu Yin’s hand to stand up.
Upon seeing this, Elder Tie and the others approached the two, and Lan Baobao glared fiercely at Lu Yin, but she quickly looked at Lan Si with concern.
“Young Master, how are your injuries? Let’s go and get you treated first,” Elder Tie said.
Lan Si shook his head. “It’s not a big deal.”