As Lu Yin moved closer to Astral Anura, the toad’s panic spiked. He was feeling immense pressure from the young human.
When had this guy become so powerful? The pressure he gave off was entirely different from the last time Astral Anura had met him in the Mirari Realm.
The toad’s eyes darted about. Lu Yin had clearly become a Progenitor, but would a simple breakthrough explain how he had grown so much more powerful? Chu Yi had also made a breakthrough; when had he reached the Origin realm? Also, that super giant was supposed to be at the Immemorial Citadel, no? Could it be…?
Lu Yin stopped when he was right in front of Astral Anura, and he studied the toad. “Last time you went into that forbidden region, you came out and said that you had seen your ‘great-grandmother.’ This time, when you’ve come out again, are you going to say the same thing?”
Astral Anura answered in a miserable voice, his lotus leaf drooping. “Great-grandmother’s spirit just won’t leave me alone.”
“Why did you go back into the forbidden region?” Lu Yin suddenly demanded. The first time Astral Anura had emerged from the forbidden zone, he had looked miserable, and it was clear that he had held no intentions of ever returning to the place again. If Lu Yin had not framed the toad for killing Tian Fa, he would have left the Mirari Realm. Instead, he had returned to the forbidden region. Something did not seem quite right.
Astral Anura clenched his jaw so tightly that the copper coins hanging from his neck started jingling. “I didn’t want to.”
“The path to Immortality?”
“All of you told me that the forbidden region holds a path to Immortality. It was possible that I took the wrong turn last time, so I agonized over the matter for a while before finally deciding to try another forbidden region.”
“Great-grandmoth-”
“Shut up.” Lu Yin crouched down low while staring at Astral Anura.
In order to sneak by Lu Yin and the others, Astral Anura had shrunk down until he was only the size of a human’s palm. With Lu Yin staring down at him, the toad felt more anxious than ever, so he put on a flattering smile. “Congratulations, Lord Lu! Congratulations on breaking through to the Progenitor realm! You must be invincible among peak powerhouses! Congratulations! Truly, congratulations!”
A smile spread across Lu Yin’s face. “I should thank you. Without you, those two would’ve gotten away.”
Astral Anura vigorously shook his lotus leaf. “Gotten away? They wouldn’t dare! If Lord Lu wants them dead, they wouldn’t be able to survive for another three moments! Rest assured, Lord Lu, they won’t get away.”
Lu Yin nodded. “You’re right, they won’t get away now. You can’t exit the Mirari Realm while in a forbidden region, right?”
“Well, I don’t know about that. Supposedly, some forbidden zones do have that restriction, but not that one,” Astral Anura replied.
“You tried to leave?”
“I did. That place is too unpleasant.”
“How long did you stay in there for?”
“I don’t know. There’s no way to measure time in that place.”
“How long?” Lu Yin demanded, his expression darkening.
Astral Anura gulped. He felt completely humiliated. He was a Dukkhan, and he had once created waves in the megaverse. He had done business with humanity’s Origin Progenitor and Aeternus’s True God. Despite all of that, he was currently being threatened by a mere child. He wanted to leap up and kick Lu Yin, but after taking a moment to think, he decided against it and restrained himself. 𐍂₳NổbÈꞨ
“Given how much time passed outside of this place, I should have spent about ten years in there.”
Lu Yin did some quick calculations. It had been about twenty years since he had killed Tian Fa, which meant that ten years had passed since Astral Anura had escaped from the previous forbidden region and entered another one. There was something unusual about this timing, though it did demonstrate just how unwilling the toad was to give up.
“What did you experience in the forbidden region?” Everyone wanted to hear the answer to this question.
Chu Yi, Lu Yuan, and the others were all staring at Astral Anura.
In the Mirari Realm, each forbidden region was most likely unique. Even the Origin Progenitor had only entered a few, and he had warned his disciples not to enter them.
Astral Anura spoke mournfully, “It was too cruel! I saw myself, but I can’t even say if what I saw was real or not. I saw my great-grandmother, my people, myself as a child, myself growing up… I saw countless versions of myself, and it continued endlessly. Everything was there… Great-grandmother…”
Lu Yin frowned as he listened. He was unable to make full sense of what the toad was saying, but it was clear that Astral Anura was not lying.
He glanced over at Chu Yi and the others.
Chu Yi shook his head. “Every forbidden region is different. This one seems to have something related to the karmic cycle of living creatures. It almost seems like it manifests the origins of the megaverse. It would be easy to lose oneself there.
“That’s what Master said.”
Lu Yuan sighed. “Back when Lassy came out of that forbidden region, she was like a completely different person.”
The Three Realms and Six Daos did not know Wei Nu’s story. To them, Wei Nu was nothing more than a powerful cultivator who had suddenly appeared.
To prevent Wei Nu from sensing Destiny’s ambush too early, Lu Yin had not shared what he knew with anyone.
The Origin Progenitor’s words made Lu Yin consider things carefully. The karmic cycle of living creatures? The Mirari Realm already had the River of Aeons, which belonged to not only the Tianyuan Megaverse, but also to the entire omniverse. Without access to the River of Aeons, the people of the Spirit Nidus struggled to learn more about the power of time.
Lu Yin stared off into the distance. Could it be that, in addition to the River of Aeons, the Mirari Realm’s forbidden regions represented other fundamental forces?
It seemed like the cycle of karma, but Astral Anura had described something that sounded more like a scenario that forced a person to confront themselves.
Lu Yin grew increasingly curious about the forbidden region, and he even felt an urge to explore it himself.
Astral Anura continued talking to himself. It was hard for anyone else to understand what he said, as he was mostly rattling on about his own experiences, including numerous business transactions.
Lu Yin set a hand down on the toad. Instinctively, Astral Anura wanted to lash out, but he found himself unable to resist Lu Yin’s strength.
The toad’s eyes went wide in shock as he stared up at Lu Yin.
The toad had already been feeling a bit of pressure from Lu Yin, but Astral Anura had not expected the young man’s physical strength to be so overwhelming. Was such power even possible for a human to possess?
“Lord Lu, your… your strength?”
Lu Yin smiled at the toad. “My enemy escaped from me by fleeing into a forbidden region. Would you care to help me chase after him?”
Astral Anura reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and he nearly jumped in shock. “No way! Absolutely not! I’ll never go near that wretched place again!”
Lu Yin’s expression fell, and he applied a bit more pressure with his hand. “What was that?”
Astral Anura grimaced, and a vicious light glinted in his eyes as his skin changed color. It was sorely tempted to stab Lu Yin right then and there.
Having lived as long as the toad had, one shouldn’t be fooled by his smiling demeanor. Countless creatures had died at his hands.
If not for how quickly Lu Yin had grown, the toad would have dealt with the young man long ago. He would have used Mr. Daheng to take Lu Yin down. Astral Anura had never expected that he would be the one to be used instead.