In a parallel universe, Forgotten Ruins God’s expression changed drastically. The red sword in her hand shot out, piercing through the void as it shot straight towards the Origin Universe, stabbing at Lu Yin in a single attack.
Found it.
Lu Yin saw the red sword piercing the void and lifted his hand to grab it.
The blade sliced sideways. Lu Yin surrounded his arm with Lifeforce, and then he deflected the blade with his fingertips before using that same motion to capture the hilt.
The sword trembled as streams of crimson energy rose from it. The moment they made contact with Lu Yin, uncontrollable emotions surged through him: rage, greed, obsession, and desire. Even deeper, a buried desire to slaughter and an accompanying madness was drawn out from within him.
His eyes grew bloodshot.
This was Qi Xu’s power.
Lu Yin instinctively loosened his grip, which allowed the blade to reverse itself and cut sideways at his neck.
He avoided the slash, and Heaven's Seal’s sequence particles gathered at his fingertips. He flicked his finger, and a clang rang out as the blade vibrated. The dark universe abruptly turned gray as time froze, and Lu Yin’s movements slowed to almost nothing. In front of his eyes, a crimson figure took form. It looked up and smiled at him.
It was a familiar crimson figure, and the smile was just as familiar.
Once, in the Mirari Realm, the same crimson figure had injured Hongyan Mavis. That was the first time that it had appeared, and it had left them both completely powerless. Before disappearing, the figure had even gestured to Lu Yin to be silent.
It was a scene that he would never forget.
To him, that moment had been no different from witnessing Heaven.
That same crimson figure had just reappeared, and it grabbed hold of the red sword’s hilt and swung the weapon down at him.
The movement was familiar and carried no effort whatsoever, but Lu Yin was not the same as when he had first encountered the crimson figure.
Lightstream flickered out. Previously, it had only barely allowed Lu Yin to avoid an attack from the crimson figure, but this time, he was able to move as easily as the descending slash.
Instead of moving as though he was bogged down in a swamp, like before, Lu Yin immediately recovered. He evaded the strike and simultaneously threw a palm strike at the crimson figure. His hand carried a spiral of karma. He was going to force out the hidden member of Obscura.
Just as Lu Yin dodged the sword’s attack, the crimson figure avoided his palm strike.
The blade swept down, only to shift and thrust at him again from a seemingly impossible angle. The grayness that filled the surrounding area intensified as the power of time coiled about Lu Yin like ribbons, only for Lightstream to tear them all apart.
Lu Yin understood. This frozen time did not belong to the Tianyuan. The crimson figure was using a time that did not belong to the megaverse to affect its natives.
This was no different from Unbroken Time.
However, the crimson figure had underestimated Lightstream. When Lu Yin had faced off against Unbroken Time, Lightstream had evolved. The previously small boat had grown larger. Now, it even surpassed the boats that belonged to the ferrymen of the River of Aeons.
Unless the crimson figure’s mastery of the River of Aeons was enough to overturn Lightstream, time could not be used to suppress Lu Yin.
Lu Yin and the crimson figure clashed within the gray mire of the power of time. A hundred moves were exchanged without a single solid hit landing on either of them.
The crimson figure’s smile grew as the swordplay employed grew increasingly complex. Each attack contained countless variations, and even the figure’s sword intent was constantly changing. Lu Yin also possessed an exceptional understanding of sword skills, so even if his own mastery of the sword did not surpass the crimson figure’s, evading was no problem.
When Lu Yin attacked, the crimson figure was also forced to evade.
The Tri-Azure Sword Intent, Lifeforce, spirals of karma, and the Heaven and Earth Lock were all used. However, Lu Yin failed to trap the crimson figure even once.
The figure’s attacks emerged like drifting clouds and flowing water, as effortlessly as a stroll through the rain.
Lu Yin maintained his pursuit, but he was unable to so much as touch the red sword.
“All of your moves have been seen through.” Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s voice reached Lu Yin’s ear.
His eyes narrowed. Had he been seen through?
“He understands you too well. Your habits have been completely exposed. Listen to me: Word Manifestation, Karmic Dao, Heaven and Earth Lock. Seal off every direction.”
Lu Yin released his consciousness and used Word Manifestation.
As he did that, he unleashed his Karmic Dao. Countless spirals of karma coiled upward to form Wheels of Karma that sliced in all directions.
The Heaven and Earth Lock stretched across the universe like a monstrous beast.
The chaotic assault momentarily bewildered the crimson figure, and it retreated step by step. While its face remained unreadable, Lu Yin could sense confusion.
He seized the opening, and Lightstream formed a small boat beneath his feet. The River of Aeons appeared as he sailed up it, changing his location in the past.
In an instant, Lu Yin appeared behind the crimson figure, karma gathered in his palm to attack the back of the figure’s head.
The attack landed squarely, shattering the crimson figure’s head and producing a spray of blood. The karma pierced the figure to reveal a hand as white as jade. It was the same hand that Lu Yin had once seen when examining Yong Heng with karma.
It was the same member of Obscura.
Hiss...
In front of Lu Yin, blood splattered everywhere. The headless crimson figure spun around, slicing the sword downwards to carve a massive wound across Lu Yin’s torso.
The same overwhelming emotions spiked within him, and Lu Yin’s eyes grew bloodshot as he stepped forward. He sent out a vicious palm strike from above, smashing the crimson figure.
Blood sprayed out in front of him, though his emotions instantly calmed down.
“Watch out!” Greater Sancte Green Lotus shouted. A strand of karma fell from above and wrapped around the red sword just as it was about to strike Lu Yin. The blade was only millimeters away from his forehead. A chill ran through him. Through that sword, he caught a glimpse of a white, jade-like hand, as well as a pair of eyes that were filled with countless emotions.
Just as he was about to grab hold of it, the sword broke free from the karma and shot towards the gate.
Lu Yin raced after it.
The sword vanished, moving at an incredible speed.
Lu Yin was shocked. So fast?
“You won’t catch it. This scene should feel familiar to you.” Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s voice reached him again.