Since Lu Yin had asked Arch-Elder Zen to leave his semi-retirement to stand guard over Shenwu Continent, Qing Ping had taken charge of the Hall of Honor’s affairs.
Lu Yin had not seen Qing Ping ever since his senior brother had returned to the Fifth Mainland after becoming a Semi-Progenitor. Lu Yin wondered how he had been doing.
"Senior Brother, who’s currently in charge of the Interstellar Supreme Court?" Lu Yin and Qing Ping sat on the trunk of a tree, facing each other.
Qing Ping had changed. He felt less mysterious and more carefree now. His temperament had changed and become more similar to Arch-Elder Zen’s. It was a change brought about by Qing Ping’s elevated status.
The former Chief Justice of the Interstellar Supreme Court was clearly not suited to run the Hall of Honor.
"Mu En," Qing Ping replied.
Lu Yin nodded. "Judicial Commissioner Mu En is quite suitable for that role."
Qing Ping looked at Lu Yin. "If the true universe persists with its current state, technology will eventually replace cultivation as the path to strength. The changes can already be seen."
"I know, but don't worry. It will be taken care of soon," Lu Yin replied.
This answer startled Qing Ping. "You can fix it?"
Lu Yin smiled. "I'm 70% confident in success."
Qing Ping nodded and dropped the subject.
"Senior Brother, the next Heavens Assembly is a month from now. Make sure that you’re on time," Lu Yin commented before leaving.
Not only was Qing Ping given this news, but it was also spread to the Fifth Mainland’s various Semi-Progenitors, as well as to the Perennial World.
However, there was an additional bit of news that quickly reached the Perennial World, and it quickly caught the attention of Bai Wangyuan and the other Progenitors in particular.
"Dao Monarch?" Progenitor Long exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, that’s the word from the Fifth Mainland. Lu Xiaoxuan intends to refer to himself as Dao Monarch and no longer represent the Heavens Sect," Wang Fan stated.
"An Envoy calling himself Dao Monarch! How ridiculous." Progenitor Long sneered.
Bai Wangyuan was not particularly concerned, and he said, "Leave him be. Even if he calls himself the Origin Progenitor, it won’t matter. He rules the Forsaken Land, which means that he can ignore all of our objections. However, the day he takes the title of Dao Monarch for himself, he will also have to pay the corresponding price. We may not have been accepted by the Sixverse Association, but they also have not been ignoring us. The title of Dao Monarch holds a special meaning to the Sixverse Association, and if Lu Xiaoxuan wants to carry that burden, then he is welcome to it."
For Bai Wangyuan and the others, the crisis in the Fifth Mainland regarding stellular energy remained unresolved, which meant that their entire cultivation system had collapsed. Lu Yin's self-given title had no impact on the four ruling powers or the Perennial World.
This was the situation as a month passed by. After that, the Heavens Assembly started.
This particular Heavens Assembly was a far smaller affair than the Heaven Sect’s previous assembly, which was when the Dao Chosen had been selected. Everyone, including Semi-Progenitors, was currently in a weakened state, and thus they could only rely on their physical strength to travel through outer space to reach the Heavens Sect. The vast majority of cultivators were in low spirits and were absolutely not in the mood to appreciate the magnificence of the Heavens Sect.
People could not understand why Lu Yin had called for a Heavens Assembly at such a time.
The rumors that claimed that Lu Yin wanted to call himself Dao Monarch had spread to not only the Perennial World, but also throughout the Fifth Mainland, and these rumors left many people puzzled.
What was the reason for holding a Heavens Assembly and claiming the title of Dao Monarch when the crisis concerning the Fifth Mainland’s stellular energy remained unresolved? Was this all simply for Lu Yin’s own reputation?
Many people approached Lu Yin about the matter, but his only response was that the Heavens Assembly would proceed as planned. Not once did he confirm any of the rumors.
Step by step, he ascended the astral stairs. Cultivators stood on both sides and watched him, though confusion and befuddlement filled their eyes.
Lu Yin looked up at the statue of the Origin Progenitor. He hoped that the answer provided by the Book of Destiny would truly save the Fifth Mainland. After all, if it did not work, he had no other ideas on how to try to proceed. The only other option was to break through to the Progenitor realm and reshape the universe, much like how the Rune Progenitor had given rise to the rune civilization or how Gu Yizhi had created battle force and domains.
Within the Technocracy, a figure stepped out from the New Corridor. It was Bai Wangyuan.
He tore through the void, making his way towards the Heavens Sect.
No one detected the man’s presence.
Lu Yin approached the top of the astral stairs, drawing closer to the statue of the Origin Progenitor with each step.
Normally, Arch-Elder Zen and the Progenitor of Bloodlines would stand in front of the statue, but at this moment, Arch-Elder Zen needed to remain in Shenwu Continent. This meant that the person standing closest to the statue, aside from Lu Yin himself, was the Progenitor of Bloodlines. Directly below the two of them were Semi-Progenitors, such as Lu Buzheng and people like Master Shan. Despite the fact that Master Shan and several others had crippled their cultivation and were no longer truly at the Semi-Progenitor level, their status remained unaltered.
Lu Yin walked up to the statue of the Origin Progenitor, bowed to it, and then turned around to face everyone.
At this moment, Lu Yin’s image spread across the entire Fifth Mainland.
However, this event did not create much of a stir. At the moment, no one was in the mood to be shocked by such things. Everyone only hoped for the true universe to return to normal so that they could continue cultivating.
"Does anyone not know who I am?" was the first sentence out of Lu Yin’s mouth.
People on various planets, spaceships, and lands all over the Fifth Mainland felt confused by this question, and they could not understand Lu Yin’s intentions.
Lu Yin’s gaze swept across the audience as he continued speaking. "The people who have gathered here for this Heavens Assembly include not only the Semi-Progenitors and Envoys in front of me, but also everyone who has ever seen me, everyone in the Fifth Mainland, and everyone under the protection of the Heavens Sect. All of you should know who I am, right?”
"My name is Lu Yin. Over the last few decades, I’ve made a name for myself in this universe. I fought battles and wars, vanquishing enemies one after another. Who was it that turned the tides when our enemies invaded? Who took over the war when a portion of the Outerverse faced a crisis? Who sealed off the entrance to the Starfall Sea when Aeternus tried to wipe us out? Who has taught and guided the cultivators of this place? Who fought off enemy Progenitors?”
"That was me. I'm standing here now. Do you see me? Even now, I'm still right here."
Everyone in the Fifth Mainland was engrossed in the moment, and they all stared at the various displays as they listened to Lu Yin's words.
In the Neoverse, Yaya's eyes grew bloodshot. When the Sixth Mainland had invaded and the Cosmic Sea had been thrown into turmoil, her parents had met tragic deaths, and she had been forced to survive on her own. She would never forget the despair that she had felt in those moments. She had been lucky, compared to others. After all, if not for Brother Lu, she might not have survived until the Hall of Honor found her.
In the Outerverse, Elder Lohar clenched his fists. Wars had been fought in Ironblood Weave, and the leader of the Great Eastern Alliance had once taken the initiative to fight against the Astral Beast Domain when they had invaded the Outerverse. How could anyone forget that incident?
This young man, Lu Yin, had repeatedly turned the tides and risked his life to save countless people.
To many, Lu Yin was a symbol of faith.
Highsage Grandmaster stared at Lu Yin in amazement. When Aeternus had invaded and drained all stellular energy from the true universe, it was this young man who had found a way to seal the entrance to the Starfall Sea, saving humanity from extinction.
The Progenitor of Bloodlines nodded in agreement. Lu Yin had pulled him back from the entrance of the Starfall Sea, saving his life. If not for Lu Yin, the Progenitor of Bloodlines would have been trapped out in the Starfall Sea, bereft of any hope of survival.
In recent decades, the Fifth Mainland had witnessed many different events, from the Astral Combat Tournament, to the intense battles of the ZENITH tournament and deadly wars. Wherever Lu Yin appeared, he had proved that he possessed the ability to restore hope to even the most desperate of situations.
Everyone in the Fifth Mainland had faced disaster, and every cultivator had suffered pain. Still, all of them had persevered.