The Old Man Under the Stars? Lu Yin found the name vaguely familiar. Old Tao had mentioned it once before, while they were traveling to Ninering City.
Tian Ya explained, "It seems that you don't know about the Old Man Under the Stars. Well, that’s perfectly normal, given your youth.
"However, if you've visited Ninering City, you might have heard a legend about the Old Man Under the Stars. He once left a water spire there, and he even surpassed the High Seraph for a time. However, when he died, his water spire was destroyed.
"He was from the same generation as the High Seraph, and he was even a Seraph at the same time as the current High Seraph. They both witnessed the unique sight during the Day of Offering.
"But the Old Man Under the Stars was killed by High Seraph."
Hu Wu clenched her hands into fists as her eyes grew bloodshot. "My grandfather was the real High Seraph! Back then, the High Seraph couldn’t compare to my grandfather. The position was originally intended for my grandfather. However, the current High Seraph used a spar as an excuse to ambush and kill my grandfather, and then he erased his legend. No one in the entire Spirit Nidus speaks of the Old Man Under the Stars anymore, and it’s all because of the High Seraph!
"I am determined to eliminate the High Seraph and avenge my grandfather."
Tian Ya nodded. "My master treated me as his own child. The High Seraph killed my master, and we must avenge him. However, after all these years, I understand quite well just how powerful the High Seraph has become: he’s an overwhelming force that we can't measure up to.
"Neither Hu Wu nor I are strong enough to kill the High Seraph. We’re not even close to that level.
"Hu Wu is impulsive. She’s wanted to storm into the Ascendant Hall for a long time, but on her own, she would have never had any hope of success. Only by joining forces can we gain strength, but I’m not willing to die for no reason. That is the source of all our arguments, as well as the reason for all the battles we’ve fought throughout these years.
"We’ve made a pact: we will take the title of Seraph and get close to him. That will be our chance to try to kill him. Our opportunity will be our technique, Thunderclap—Skyrend."
Hu Wu’s voice was filled with despair. "However, our attack is unable to hurt even you, let alone the High Seraph."
Lu Yin agreed, "You two really are incapable of harming the High Seraph. A single slap from him would kill you both."
Tian Ya sighed. Despite it being true, it was a hard thing to hear.
Hu Wu clenched her fists tightly. "Thunderclap—Skyrend is our only possible technique that might be able to kill High Seraph. If even that attack fails, I truly don’t know what to do."
Tian Ya bitterly commented, "Given our cultivation... We can’t outlive the High Seraph. He will likely enter the Immortal realm soon. Some time ago, the High Seraph wanted to send powerful experts to invade the Tianyuan Megaverse, hoping to achieve Immortality by resetting that megaverse. We wanted to destroy that plan, but we were powerless to do so. After all, three Seraphs were part of that invasion, which is more than what we can handle.
"We can't even upset his plans, and yet we want to kill the High Seraph. What a joke!"
Hu Wu was unwilling to accept their situation. "Regardless, we first need to get close to him, and then we can talk. We must obtain the title of Seraph."
Tian Ya placed his hand over Hu Wu's.
The woman quivered, but she did not push the hand away. She allowed Tian Ya to hold her hand.
Throughout the years, Tian Ya had indulged his wife’s stubbornness, and he had fought her for so long. She felt guilty towards him, but there was also the pang of heartache.
Tian Ya could have made a name for himself across the megaverse. No matter which of the thirty-six domains, or even the Ascendant Hall, he could have become an unparalleled expert.
Instead, he had stayed at her side, carrying this hatred with her.
Her grandfather's teachings and kindness had been repaid long ago. Tian Ya had stayed for Hu Wu alone.
Lu Yin took a sip of tea. Everyone had their own story, but Hu Wu and Tian Ya’s story just happened to coincide with Lu Yin’s goals.
As he thought about this, a spiral of karma twirled about his fingertip and then shot at both Hu Wu and Tian Ya in an instant.
The two could feel something, but they were unable to perceive the spiral of karma. They felt like something was about to strike them, which was the same as Mr. Li. While the two were unable to perceive the spiral of karma, they could still sense something.
Still, they were unable to avoid the spiral. Not even a powerful Dukkhan, like Mr. Li, could avoid Lu Yin’s spirals of karma.
When the spiral passed through them, they felt the sensation even clearer than ever.
Hu Wu and Tian Ya simply closed their eyes and offered no resistance. After all, they knew that there was nothing they could do.
They did not know what Lu Yin was doing. Killing them? Suppressing them? Neither mattered any longer. This was the path that they had chosen for themselves.
There was no hatred or resentment, only a sliver of unwillingness.
The spiral of karma continued through Hu Wu and Tian Ya. Lu Yin could see threads of karma and caught glimpses of their pasts. He was not able to see everything clearly, as karma was different from reviewing a person’s memories through his die’s Possession. Still, each thread of karma allowed him to roughly sort out the pair’s connections to others.
At the least, Lu Yin was certain that neither Hu Wu nor Tian Ya had lied to him.
They truly knew nothing about the Grandverse Manor and Lu Yin’s title as its Third Boss. It was also absolutely certain that they wanted to kill the High Seraph.
One was driven by gratitude, while the other was merely stubborn. However, even the stubborn one was quite rational. She would not simply charge off to the Ascendant Hall on her own; she needed to drag the other along with her.
If not for their contrasting personalities and close bond, both would have died long ago.
The two were essentially bound together. No matter how badly one of them might want to go in a different direction, they needed to drag the other along, while the other stubbornly pulled back. Their situation was quite interesting.
"Come to think of it, what you're attempting to do is the same as me," Lu Yin stated as he took a sip of tea.
Hu Wu and Tian Ya both turned to look at Lu Yin, confused by his comment.
Lu Yin smiled at them. "Leave. Go and look around, find out about what’s been happening beyond this place, and then return to talk to me."
Hu Wu and Tian Ya exchanged looks, growing even more confused.
"You want to... let us leave?" Hu Wu asked.
Lu Yin replied, "You'll come back."
The two stood. If it was possible to avoid death, then they would accept. It was not something they wished for.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Hu Wu could not hold back her question.
Lu Yin said nothing. He calmly enjoyed his tea, still sitting in place.
Tian Ya grabbed Hu Wu's hand and led her away, leaving the landmass.
After the two left, Lu Yin looked around the peach orchard. It was a beautiful place, and it stood in stark contrast to the desolate land where the red rain fell, beyond the hidden paradise.
Old Tao and the others soon arrived. "Third Boss, you're not hurt, are you?"