One by one, cultivators returned to the Heavens Sect, all of whom were qualified to enter.
Lu Yuan and the others also came back, laughing.
Lu Yin’s return had instantly restored the Tianyuan’s backbone. He provided something that no one else could replace.
Even the Three Realms and Six Daos and other members of the old guard felt the same.
Jiang Feng went back to Whitecloud City. Lu Yin’s return meant that things in the Heavens Sect could be left to him.
Many cultivators arrived at the Heavens Sect from all the different parallel universes.
Lu Yin did not need to be greeted by the masses; his return had already made enough of a stir. He wanted everyone to finish dealing with the bugs first.
At the bottom of the Stairway to Heaven, Sapling leapt out of the cauldron and excitedly circled around Lu Yin, prompting a laugh. “Alright, alright! I’m back! I know, you missed me. Hahaha!”
Sapling’s green leaves rubbed against Lu Yin’s cheek as it clung to him.
Only a long while later did Sapling reluctantly return to the cauldron.
From afar, He Ran approached and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Lord Lu.”
After Bai Qian was captured by the Aeternals, Lu Yin had assigned He Ran to oversee the Transcendent Universe. He had not expected her to approach him so soon. “Is something wrong?”
If she did not have something important to report, He Ran would not have been waiting in the Heavens Sect.
There were many people already waiting in the Heavens Sect’s main hall, wanting to catch up with Lu Yin.
She glanced up at Lu Yin, maintaining a respectful attitude. “Bai Qian asked me to deliver a message to you.”
In the past, He Ran had clashed with Lu Yin, and she had even been kept in the Heavens Sect to serve as a mascot, due to her beauty.
However, after multiple wars, and especially when Lu Yin had led Boundless to the Spirit Nidus to protect the Tianyuan with the intent to die on that journey, He Ran had developed an increasing amount of respect for Lu Yin.
Most recently, when the Nest civilization had attacked, Lu Yin had rushed back to save their megaverse.
Everyone owed their lives to Lu Yin, and He Ran knew that she was no exception. At this moment, her attitude towards him was no different from anyone else’s in the Tianyuan.
Lu Yin was caught off guard. “Bai Qian? When did you see her?”
“When I was reassigned to rule the Transcendent Universe.”
Lu Yin thought for a moment. That had taken place long after Aeternus was defeated. Time had reverted for the Tianyuan, a springboard had been built, and Boundless had been about to leave for the Spirit Nidus.
“How is she?”
“She was captured by the Aeternals and taken to the Second Scourge back then, but she managed to escape before the Scourge collapsed. She asked me to give you a message.”
He Ran paused and then said, “‘Thank you.’”
Lu Yin was puzzled. “She wants to thank me?”
He Ran nodded.
Lu Yin said, “Throughout the war against the Aeternals, and even when the Second Scourge was destroyed and I killed Xu Jin, I never saw her. The fact that she got out alive is a miracle. How is she now?”
“I don’t know. She only sought me out to have me thank you on her behalf. However, she was with someone at that time. They were stiff and cold, with no aura at all, almost like a corpse,” He Ran replied.
Lu Yin raised a hand and shot a spiral of karma into He Ran. He was using karma to search for anything related to Bai Qian.
It was better to see than to hear.
In He Ran’s karma, he saw Bai Qian, as well as a figure who followed behind her.
The karma revealed very little. Lu Yin could only see a figure standing in the shadows, completely covered by a cloak.
Dispersing the karma, Lu Yin gave the matter no further thought. Like Progenitor Ku, Bai Qian was taking her own path. The fact that she had been able to freely approach He Ran indicated that Bai Qian was free and likely not in any danger. Even if she were, he was not able to find her.
He was not a god; he could not help everyone.
“I understand,” Lu Yin said.
He Ran bowed and dismissed herself.
Lu Yin patted Sapling again and then moved towards the Stairway to Heaven.
At the top of the stairway, the Origin Progenitor’s statue faced the starry sky.
Lu Yin looked up, feeling mixed emotions. Senior, where are you? With so many parallel universes in the Consciousness Megaverse, how can I find you? I hope that you can make it back alive.
Step by step, he climbed the Stairway to Heaven. Finally, he stood beside the statue. He turned to look out at the stars and closed his eyes.
He would try something else to see if he could compensate for his lack of karma.
No one disturbed him. Lu Yin stood above the stairs, his eyes closed in contemplation. This lasted for three days.
After three days, his eyes suddenly opened, and he released his inner universe. The Wordless Heavenly Book floated up. It looked small, and yet the names of everyone in the Tianyuan flickered across it.
He could cross out certain names in the Wordless Heavenly Book or add others.
He was the ruler of the entire megaverse.
As the book appeared, countless voices entered his ears. They belonged to those who were praying to him or paying him homage.
As he stared up at the Wordless Heavenly Book, his gaze deepened. He raised his hand and sent a spiral of karma soaring up. It passed straight through the book and continued higher up.
The Tianyuan rumbled. It was the thunder of karma, but this time, the commotion was coming from the megaverse’s own karma, rather than the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm.
Excitement flickered in Lu Yin’s eyes. It was working.