Time rolled on. The swarms of insects continued to expand, and voices in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse continued to condemn Lu Yin.
More and more people started to believe that Lu Yin was purposely allowing the insects to increase their numbers so that they would become an even greater threat to the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. The rulers of the megaverse’s powerful factions were unable to silence the accusations, and things even reached the point where Greater Sancte Awe Gate could not silence the condemnations.
“You surprise me, Lord Lu,” Master Qing Cao commented.
Lu Yin calmly replied, “You also surprise me.”
“Oh? How so?” Master Qing Cao asked in puzzlement.
Lu Yin looked over at the man. “I thought that you weren’t at all anxious.”
Master Qing Cao chuckled lightly. “What leads you to believe that I am anxious?”
“Intuition.”
“Intuition, is it?”
“Are you anxious, or not?”
Master Qing Cao stared deeply at Lu Yin, then nodded. “Perhaps a little.”
“Because of the Spirit Nidus?”
“Because of humanity.”
Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed, but he did not argue. He simply waited for Master Qing Cao to continue.
The man gravely stated, “If even the Nine Odysseys Megaverse fails to survive the Nest civilization, your Tianyuan Megaverse will fare no better. Should that happen, it won’t be a matter of the Spirit Nidus replacing the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, but rather a question of whether or not humanity will even continue to exist.”
Lu Yin smiled. “So what you want, Senior, is a game that can be completely won.”
Master Qing Cao nodded. “A gameboard that has been flipped over is useless.”
Lu Yin stared eastward. “You know as much as Greater Sancte Awe Gate and I do, so why do you still harbor such doubts? Both the Greater Sancte and I are able to remain composed, so you should be able to as well. Besides...”
He motioned downward, his meaning clear. No matter how many in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse spoke against Lu Yin, he would never be swayed.
Master Qing Cao said nothing, as he was uncertain how to respond.
Lu Yin looked at him again. “What one gains is proportional to what one knows. Could it be that you know more than we do, Senior?”
No matter how many might condemn Lu Yin, he had already informed Greater Sancte Awe Gate, Gu Duanke, and the other top powerhouses of what he had learned. That ensured that the war would proceed as they had previously planned. Even if people too grew restless, they still needed to restrain themselves.
What had not been within Lu Yin’s expectations was the possibility that the first to lose control over their would be Master Qing Cao.
To Lu Yin’s understanding, Master Qing Cao should be the one with the most self-restraint. No, the man should not even need to hold himself back at all, as the situation would continue to proceed in a manner that favored him. Despite that, the man was anxious.
Lu Yin did not like seeing Master Qing Cao nervous. That man’s anxiety only meant that there were additional factors that remained unknown to everyone else.
Master Qing Cao lifted his head to look at Lu Yin and sighed. “There are certain things that can only be understood after becoming an Immortal, but even then, not all information is shared.”
Lu Yin nodded.
Master Qing Cao went on, “In short, I have always worked to maintain a certain balance. I do not want to see that balance broken. Humanity’s legacy is the cornerstone of that balance. Lord Lu, tell me, will this war end up as you have foreseen?”
Lu Yin thought for a moment, but then he shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Master Qing Cao’s expression grew complicated.
Lu Yin wanted to know exactly what the man was keeping balanced, but Master Qing Cao would never share that information.
Still, Lu Yin had become certain of one thing: the balance that Master Qing Cao protected required the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, and it also required it to have enough people. The Nest civilization’s endlessly increasing numbers might not pose a threat to the strongest in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, but they did endanger the overall population.
What kind of balance could require a certain number of humans to exist?
Master Qing Cao suddenly said, “If, and I do mean if, the Nine Odysseys Megaverse is defeated, or wins while paying an extremely steep price, I will invite you, Lord Lu, to combine your Tianyuan Megaverse with my Spirit Nidus and replace the Nine Odysseys. Would you be willing?”
Lu Yin laughed. “Senior, have you forgotten about Greater Sancti Green Lotus and Blood Tower?”
Master Qing Cao solemnly replied, “If that day comes, they will also be willing.”
Lu Yin was left puzzled, and he stared blankly at Master Qing Cao. Normally, no one would say such a thing, but after reaching the Greater Sancti’s height, many situations that seemed incomprehensible would be clear. For example, abandoning the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and choosing to join the Spirit Nidus and the Tianyuan might actually be possible.
That was because the Greater Sancti had the perspective of looking at all of humanity, rather than just a single megaverse.
In that case, if it was for this balance, then would even the Greater Sancti be willing to allow the Spirit Nidus and the Tianyuan to replace the Nine Odysseys Megaverse?
Lu Yin said nothing. He did not want the Tianyuan Megaverse to replace the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. All along, he had never considered such a possibility.
The Tianyuan was simply the Tianyuan. If it was abandoned, he would live or die with it. If the Nine Odysseys Megaverse was abandoned, the Tianyuan could accept its people, but there would be no idea of replacement. There would be no conquering or plundering.
That was because the Tianyuan’s cultivation methods did not emphasize such things.
In fact, for some time, Lu Yin had been considering whether or not he should change the Tianyuan’s cultivation method.
No matter how he looked at things, the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s cultivation method better suited the concept of surviving in the cosmos. That even included the fact that they survived by plundering the Spirit Nidus.
The cosmos was an inherently cruel place, and even merely surviving was quite difficult.
However, changing the cultivation method of an entire megaverse was easier said than done. Perhaps if Lu Yin did eventually become an Immortal, he would be able to create a new method.
Master Qing Cao left. He had only stopped by to check on Lu Yin’s position, or possibly to reveal his own to Lu Yin.
Even so, the reality was that, regardless of Master Qing Cao’s attitude, he could not change Lu Yin’s.
Humanity’s strategy was not an active one, but entirely passive. There was no real choice to be made at all. Given the circumstances, there was no point in contemplating anything, as there were no other options that they could take.
Greater Sancte Awe Gate likely had the same thoughts, which was why she had never pressed the matter.