At the top of the tavern, Lu Yin slowly stepped forward to hover in midair. He looked up as the light descended. Its scorching heat caused the water of Ninerings City to boil. The tallest structures in the Waterspire Grove started to melt as the light moved closer.
There was no record of the light of the Nine Horizons ever descending upon Ninerings City. It had never happened before.
Even so, the light looked poised to descend, as if it were impatient about being overshadowed by a greater ambition.
Old Tao, Palace Master Yao, and the others present were all shocked. They knew that Lu Yin was certainly capable of illuminating many domains and might even be comparable to the High Seraph, illuminating all thirty-six domains. However, even the High Seraph had needed to move himself and merge with the light.
What was happening with Lu Yin? Was the light really descending to merge with him?
One by one, the cultivators who had been moving towards the light stepped back, allowing it to pass them by and descend to the city.
The Waterspire Grove melted.
The tallest tower, which represented the High Seraph, was the first to melt.
The light of the Nine Horizons made Ninerings City look like a carving of red crystal as it sat in outer space. Multi-colored light reflected off of the water, producing a breathtaking spectacle.
Lu Yin stood high in the sky, staring at distant space. Ambition? What was ambition? Was it to become a peerless powerhouse? Was it challenging the impossible? No, it was neither of those things. Protecting an entire megaverse—now that was ambition.
Lu Yin was the ruler of the Tianyuan Megaverse, and he had led his megaverse’s greatest cultivators on an expedition into the Spirit Nidus. That was ambition.
There was no need for Lu Yin to speak a word, as his presence alone blazed with enough ambition to eclipse all others.
At this moment, even if the High Seraph himself were present, Lu Yin was confident that he would surpass the man. The light would merge with Lu Yin alone, for he possessed the greatest ambition of all.
He had already experienced far too much. Life and death no longer fazed him. Carrying the weight of an entire megaverse into battle—what could compare to that?
Lu Yin represented not only himself, but also the entire Tianyuan Megaverse and the countless individuals within it who faced despair and the threat of annihilation.
He had tasted the greatest joys of the world and lived a carefree life. He had climbed up, step by step. He had risen up from a mere ant, only to stare into the abyss of death.
Everything in existence, everything that the creatures and the megaverse itself had experienced, so too had Lu Yin.
From the moment he entered Ninerings City, the astral phenomena had not had any other choice.
The water that formed Ninerings City continued to boil. Everyone who was watching was about to lose their minds. Why was this happening? How was such a thing even possible?
The light fully descended and merged with Lu Yin.
Light erupted, piercing the darkness and illuminating one domain after another, falling upon countless eyes.
Forget nine domains; at this moment, all thirty-six domains in the Spirit Nidus saw Lu Yin.
There were some domains which had only ever seen the Nine Horizons once in all of history: when the High Seraph had participated. This was the second time.
They saw a young, unfamiliar man, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back. There was no overbearing arrogance to be sensed from him, and yet he stood at the pinnacle and stared down at everyone.
No matter if a person was in one of the thirty-six domains, or elsewhere in the megaverse, everyone could only look up at Lu Yin.
In the Primal Beastland, countless eyes opened, and they all looked upward. "Who is this child? My Primal Beastland has only witnessed the Nine Horizons three times in history."
"That is the Third Boss of the Grandverse Manor. The same Grandverse Manor that killed our Primal Beastland's experts. Our enmity will never be resolved."
"Old Salamander, your descendant also went to Ninerings City, didn’t he?"
"That doesn’t matter. Life and death will be decided by fate. Still, if this brat dares to harm my descendant, I’ll be forced to visit that Grandverse Manor and demand an explanation…"
The ground rumbled beneath the Gate of Laws. "This boy is quite impressive, to make us see him. The Gate of Laws is close to the Ascendant Hall. This is only the second time in history that we’ve been able to see the Nine Horizons."
"This child can rival the High Seraph himself. Who is he? I would like to accept him as my disciple."
"You’re not qualified."
"You’re not qualified! I’m reaching the end of my life. When I pass down my legacy, there will be countless young elites fighting tooth and nail to receive it!"
"That’s the Grandverse Manor’s Third Boss. Everyone, settle down," Zhan Ming’s voice rang out.
No one spoke again. If this man was from the Grandverse Manor, then they truly were not qualified to take him as a disciple.
The Wisdom Domain, Lushan Domain, Heavenly Craft Domain, and the Zhou Domain rarely ever saw the Nine Horizons, so people stared in amazement at the sight of Lu Yin.
In the Ascendant Hall’s Apex Hall, the High Seraph looked up. Once again, he was face to face with Lord Lu.
Thirty-seven years ago, he had fought Lu Yin in the Tianyuan Megaverse at the Heavens Sect. Decades later, the High Seraph was seeing the man again, but in the Spirit Nidus.
Initiative, reaction, schemes, and strategies; everything revolved around the High Seraph’s confrontation with this man.
As his thoughts traveled back to the upheaval that had occurred some time ago, bloodlust flashed across the High Seraph's eyes. If the timing had been right, he would have never allowed this man to live. Lu Yin was far too dangerous.
Soon, very soon.
Everyone in the Spirit Nidus could see Lu Yin, though he could not see them. Still, he knew that everyone could see him, and that was enough.
He raised his right hand and wrote in the space in front of him. The light warped and twisted as it spread across all thirty-six domains.
"The Grandverse Manor proclaims that all restrictions will be revoked and that we will protect all good people who are facing a dire situation."
The message reached the entire Spirit Nidus, unsettling many people’s nerves.
Both inside and outside of Ninerings City, people exchanged glances. No one was sure how they should react.
They knew that they should put a stop to what was happening, but who was even capable of doing so?
Shu Qian felt bitter. He had failed. The moment the light had descended upon Ninerings City, he had used his comprehension technique: The Rising Sun Illuminates My Tomb. It was a technique that signified that, even in death, it would illuminate his grave, as all would pay homage to him. It was a technique that he had specifically created for the Nine Horizons, and it had been designed to illuminate more than fifteen domains, all so that Shu Qian could fulfill his master’s dying wish.
He had waited a long time for this moment. Creating a comprehension technique was extremely difficult, but the moment he succeeded, he had known that it would work.
Unfortunately, no one could have anticipated the Third Boss’s arrival. Shu Qian’s comprehension technique was unable to even shake the light as it merged with the Third Boss, unphased by all that surrounded it. What qualified the Third Boss to accomplish such a feat?