The fact that the Neohuman Alliance was searching for Burial Garden’s gates and systematically destroying them meant that there was a very low chance of ever finding a gate anywhere on Grayweed Continent. Still, regardless of the probability, Lu Yin still had to search. Burial Garden’s gates were Lu Yin’s only way of leaving the Starfall Sea and returning to the Innerverse. The Sixth Mainland’s three Progenitors were guarding the pass to the Innerverse, so even if the Aeternals did not stop Lu Yin, he still would not even consider the possibility of making his way past the three Progenitors.
In particular, the Progenitor of Combat was eager to kill Lu Yin, though he did not actually trust any of the three Progenitors.
“Senior, what are you going to do now?” Si Xiao’er asked.
Lu Yin was solemn. “I’m going to find one of Burial Garden’s gates and make my way to the Innerverse. I refuse to live under the reign of corpse kings.”
“But all of Burial Garden’s gates should have already been destroyed, right?” Si Xiao’er had very little confidence in this plan.
Lu Yin remained determined. “Even if there’s only a glimmer of hope, I’ll still pursue it.”
Si Xiao’er pursed her lips. “This junior is willing to take Senior to search across Grayweed Continent. If you go alone, Senior, you will run into corpse kings, and you’ll be easily found out. You clearly are not an ordinary person, and even my master might not be your opponent, correct?”
Lu Yin smiled. “Your master is definitely not my opponent.”
Si Xiao’er was startled. How could he be so confident?
“If you go with me, what will you say if we meet with a corpse king?” Lu Yin asked.
Si Xiao’er thought for a bit, but her eyes soon lit up. “Do you have any way to drain water from your body? Our Water God Dojo has a battle technique that can extract the water from an opponent’s body, but it takes a long time to train in the technique. If we encounter a corpse king, we can just say that you are a junior of mine who’s out training in that water extraction technique.”
Lu Yin found this option quite odd. “Extract water from an opponent’s body? Where did this technique come from?”
It had not been long since Lu Yin had fought against Jiu Han, and she had possessed an innate gift that had allowed her to do the exact same thing as this battle technique. Lu Yin had almost been drained, and it had been an awful feeling.
Si Xiao’er replied, “All of our battle techniques have been handed down to us by our ancestors, and most people whose cultivation involves water have similar techniques.”
Lu Yin nodded. “I’ll take you out of here. Just hold on for a bit.”
He then grabbed hold of the woman and shot upwards.
Lu Yin tore the flames apart above Si Xiao’er’s head as they raced upwards, and she left the underground flames without ever feeling any hint of heat. The other Water God Dojo disciples had already left, as she had spent a long time underground.
Lu Yin used Progenitor Ku’s battle technique Extremes Must Be Reversed.
If Lu Yin wanted to deceive a corpse king with the strength of an Envoy, he needed to actually drain his body of water. Si Xiao’er was far from strong enough to do this to Lu Yin, and it was not something that could be faked.
Actually, Lu Yin had another reason to use this particular technique. After activating this technique, suffering attacks would allow a person’s body to return to normal. The more powerful the attack was, the greater the recovery, and the more power the technique would accumulate.
Lu Yin had no idea when he would be able to return to the Innerverse, so this sort of battle technique was perfect for this situation. It would practically guarantee his survival from almost any attacks, and it would also change his appearance to something similar to a mummified corpse. No one would be able to recognize him. Best of all, this was not some sort of disguise, but a genuine change in appearance, which meant that not even a Semi-Progenitor would be able to see through it!
Si Xiao’er waited just outside of Skyblaze Dojo for more than three days. She spent this time cultivating, so she did not become impatient with the wait.
Fire opposed water, and suppressing her water techniques with the heat and fire in the air was also a form of cultivation.
Finally, the void behind the woman twisted, and Lu Yin appeared. Si Xiao’er turned to look, and her expression changed completely, as she was overcome with fear. “You- you?”
“It’s me,” Lu Yin replied.
Si Xiao’er stared blankly for a moment, and then was shocked. “Senior?”
At this moment, Lu Yin’s appearance was quite frightening, as his entire body looked like a mummified corpse. There was no trace of moisture within his body, and let alone Si Xiao’er, even Ming Yan would not recognize Lu Yin in this condition.
Lu Yin’s body looked like he was nothing more than stringy muscles stuck to bones.
“Let’s go and find a gate,” Lu Yin tried to speak casually, but his voice had become incredibly hoarse.
Si Xiao’er grunted in acknowledgement. Lu Yin’s appearance caused her to feel a bit of fear, but he absolutely had the appearance of someone who had drained the water from their body. As expected of a powerhouse, this man was quite thorough.
“By the way, don’t mention me to your master. After all, I am someone from Skyblaze Dojo,” Lu Yin commented.
“I know.”
Si Xiao’er moved quite slowly, and Lu Yin also had to limit his speed so that he did not draw any unwanted attention and potentially attract a corpse king.
The two then made their way towards the west from Skyblaze Dojo. They specifically sought out regions with dense forests and no people, as well as forbidden areas.
“Forbidden areas? No, the seventy-two dojos divided the entire Grayweed Continent, so even if there were any forbidden regions, they’ve all already been explored,” Si Xiao’er said.
No matter what, Grayweed Continent was smaller than any of the Innerverse’s eight great flowzones. Venom Flowzone had the Infernal Zone, which was a place that not even Qing Shaohuang had been willing to enter, and he was an Envoy powerful enough to overpower all of Grayweed Continent. In the entire Starfall Sea, only the Sea King himself could compare to Qing Shaohuang.
“Have any gates shown up inside one of the Aeternal Kingdoms?” Lu Yin asked.
Si Xiao’er nodded. “One did, but it was immediately destroyed.”
“No one tried to go through it and explore?”
“No.”
“You all just trust the Neohuman Alliance’s words?”
“It’s not a matter of trust, but that no one wants to die.”
…
Lu Yin and Si Xiao’er chatted as they traveled, and half a month passed in a blink of an eye.
They found nothing at all during this half a month, but after another two days, they found a destroyed Burial Garden gate, which Lu Yin found regretful.
“Senior, let’s find another,” Si Xiao’er encouraged.
Lu Yin nodded. “Don’t refer to me as ‘Senior.’ It makes it too easy to be exposed.”
“Then what shall I call you?”
Lu Yin thought for a moment. “Call me Seventh Bro.”
“But what should I call you if we meet a corpse king?” Si Xiao’er asked again.