Chapter 2142: Revisiting The Past
"Do you not believe me, Dao Chosen? Honestly, I’m a member of the Hidden Earth Society, and I was born on Earth. I went to the Perennial World through Jupiter, and I only joined the Celestial Frost Sect through a coincidence. I really am not someone from the Perennial World. I was ordered about by Yu Chen, not the Junior Progenitor, and I followed her orders out of fear of being exposed."
This made sense to Lu Yin. Why else would a powerful Envoy like Elder Qing Xing listen to Yu Chen’s orders? Even if Yu Chen had acted on Bai Shaohong’s behalf, she had never been anything more than a maid. How could someone with that status order an Envoy around? As time passed, Yu Chen had become more and more accustomed to giving Qing Xing orders, and she had simply assumed that he was hoping to use Bai Shaohong to rise up.
"Are you referring to her jade butterflies?" Lu Yin asked.
Elder Qing Xing nodded. "Yu Chen trained her jade butterflies to gather information, and with Bai Shaohong’s support, she learned many of the Perennial World’s secrets. If she ever decided to investigate me, I might not be able to keep mine. The worst things that the members of the Hidden Earth Society can do in the Perennial World is antagonize someone like Yu Chen, as being exposed could create a great deal of trouble for the Hidden Earth Society.
"That’s why I had to listen to her and fulfill so many of her request."
Lu Yin nodded. "Got it. Well, the tea’s getting cold, so let’s enjoy it."
The old man’s expression fell. "You still don’t believe me, Dao Chosen? I can get in touch with the Hidden Earth Society that’s still on Earth."
"The army that you arrived with has already been in the Fifth Mainland for more than twenty years, right? Are you saying that you never reached out to Earth’s Hidden Earth Society for all these years?" Lu Yin asked.
"I was able to get in touch with them, but there was never any need."
Lu Yin looked across the stone table and observed the old man. Seeing the man’s awkward behavior, it was clear what he was thinking. The many years in the Perennial World had shifted Qing Xing’s perception and changed his mind about different things. He had stopped caring about the Fifth Mainland, no longer feeling any attachment to it. He had never intended to contact the Hidden Earth Society in the Human Domain, despite having the ability to do so.
The old man simply felt that the Hidden Earth Society in the Fifth Mainland could not compare to their members in the Perennial World.
On top of that, reaching out would also risk exposure. For two decades, the Perennial World’s forces in the Fifth Mainland had been part of the Three Fatalities Gate in the Neoverse, so it would have been very difficult for Qing Xing to get in touch with the Hidden Earth Society even if he had wanted to.
The old man’s attitude made it clear to Lu Yin that his reservations were not due to the risks involved with making contact, but because Qing Xing completely looked down on the Fifth Mainland’s Hidden Earth Society.
"Elder, drink your tea," Lu Yin ordered, his tone lowering.
Elder Qing Xing's heart fell. Was there no escaping this fate?
"Your Highness, your tea is getting cold." Zhao Ran spoke up to remind Lu Yin, still staring at the two men with eager expectations filling her eyes.
Lu Yin coughed and finally picked up his own teacup. He could not help but stare at it one last time. It took a great deal of courage to drink such a thing.
Elder Qing Xing was stunned. "Dao Chosen, you actually intend to drink this as well?"
Lu Yin somberly answered, "Zhao Ran's herbal teas are delicious."
He then took a sip of the tea. It had a refreshing taste that was extremely pleasant. Just one sip cleared his mind as though it had been washed in pure ice water.
His eyes lit up. "Pretty good."
Zhao Ran was thrilled to hear it. "I'll make you another cup, Your Highness!"
She immediately left.
Elder Qing Xing licked his lips and forced himself to take a sip. The man was as resigned as if he was making his way to his own execution.
Suddenly, his eyes went wide. "It tastes quite good."
Lu Yin smiled. "I’m glad to hear you like it."
Elder Qing Xing could already sense that no toxins or poisons had entered his body. In fact, nothing at all had happened to harm him. Instead, he felt that his mind had become clearer. He stared at Lu Yin in shock. "Dao Chosen, what is this?"
"Special features."
The older man let out a sigh as he stared intently at the tea still in his cup. This was a special feature that most people would not be able to handle at all.
"Elder, you should know Lei Wu, right?" Lu Yin suddenly asked. The name that was brought up caused Qing Xing's face to turn pale, and he stared at Lu Yin in disbelief.
"Dao Chosen, How do you…?"
"How do I know that name?" Lu Yin smiled at the man.
Qing Xing’s horror only mounted further. "You know Lei Wu? You already knew that I’m a part of the Hidden Earth Society?"
Lu Yin’s smile grew as he set his teacup down. "Liu Shaoge, Lei Wu, Humility’s Gate’s Cai Shu, and Root’s Le Le, right?"
For the first time, Qing Xing felt that Lu Yin was a complete mystery as he stared at the young man’s smiling face.
No matter how freakishly powerful Lu Yin had proven himself to be, even the fact that Lu Yin had killed Semi-Progenitor Wang Si had not been too shocking to the old man. On the other hand, out of everyone present within the Perennial World’s forces, only Qing Xing and Liu Shaoge knew of the Hidden Earth Society.
"Did Liu Shaoge tell you?" Elder Qing Xing asked.
Lu Yin laughed. "Does Liu Shaoge even know about Cai Shu?"
Cai Shu was the eldest disciple of Humility’s Gate’s Semi-Progenitor Qing Chen. The man had been assigned to protect Lu Yin in the Perennial World when he had been using the alias of Long Qi. When Lu Yin had Possessed Elder Qing Xing, he had been absolutely shocked to learn from the old man’s memories that Cai Shu was also a member of the Hidden Earth Society.
Elder Qing Xing’s mind started racing, but he had never mentioned Cai Shu to Liu Shaoge. Cai Shu held an important position in the Perennial World, and he was extremely important for the Hidden Earth Society as well. After all, he was the disciple of a Semi-Progenitor.
However, if Lu Yin had not learned about Cai Shu’s connection to the Hidden Earth Society through Liu Shaoge, then how had the Dao Chosen found out about this matter?
"Did Cai Shu tell you himself?" Elder Qing Xing asked, though he felt foolish for asking such a thing as soon as the words left his mouth. How could that ever have happened? While Lu Yin had spent a good bit of time with both Semi-Progenitor Qing Chen and Cai Shu, how could Cai Shu have possibly learned about Lu Yin’s true identity at that time? Without that knowledge, how would he have ever revealed a secret like the Hidden Earth Society?
Lu Yin replied, "Elder, stop trying to guess how I know. I came to you to ask for the Hidden Earth Society’s help. I’m going back to the Perennial World."
This startled Qing Xing yet again. "The New Corridor’s been repaired?"
"Even if it hasn’t, I can still get back there."
"Jupiter? That’s right, that’s how you got there before," Elder Qing Xing commented.
Lu Yin did not offer much additional information. "Elder, I need as much information about the Hidden Earth Society in the Perennial World as possible, and I’m quite sure that you’re the best person to help me."
Qing Xing frowned and said nothing.
Lu Yin tapped a finger on the table. "You believe that the Hidden Earth Society wields a great deal of influence, but only secretly. As long as you can find a bit of specific information, you’ll be able to bring it all together. But tell me, with Lei Wu, Cai Shu, and Le Le, do you think that I can’t get the information I want from them? In particular, Cai Shu. Don’t forget that I was almost accepted as the disciple of Humility’s Gate’s Progenitor Mu Xie. I might be a part of the Lu family who’s hated and targeted by the four ruling powers, but as far as Cai Shu is concerned, I’m another person from Earth with connections to the Hidden Earth Society. As long as it doesn’t place him directly against the four ruling powers, he’ll do his best to help me, won’t he?”
Elder Qing Xing grew curious. "If you’re confident about that, why not simply approach Cai Shu first, Dao Chosen?"
"Then what would be the point in keeping you around any longer!" Lu Yin’s voice boomed, causing Elder Qing Xing to blanch out of fear. Lu Yin’s expression had transformed as he spoke, which caught the old man completely off guard.
Lu Yin’s voice dropped low, "Given the fact that I’ve already executed Wang Si, I don’t have any reservations in killing you. You should understand the value of a Semi-Progenitor to humanity as a whole. Given that I was still willing to get rid of one, do you think that you’re more important than a Semi-Progenitor and that I won’t hesitate to kill you as well?"
The old man’s expression grew ugly. Given Lu Yin’s friendly attitude while chatting, Qing Xing had relaxed and gotten a bit carried away. He had actually forgotten about just how ruthless Lu Yin could be. This was someone who had publicly executed a Semi-Progenitor. Qing Xing stared at the bizarre tea still in his cup and let out a breath. "What is it that you want, Dao Chosen? I’ll hear you out."
Lu Yin nodded, and his vicious expression softened a bit. "I understand that you were born on Earth, but remember that I also consider Earth my home. It’s where I first started cultivating, and I won’t do anything to harm the Hidden Earth Society."
Elder Qing Xing felt trapped. His greatest fear was Lu Yin being discovered and exposed while in the Perennial World, and then implicating the Hidden Earth Society. However, the information that Lu Yin had revealed meant that, even without Qing Xing’s assistance, Lu Yin could already threaten the Hidden Earth Society.
"Elder, despite our current relationship, I don’t think that you’ll betray me even if you go back to the Perennial World. However, I can't take any risks, so I need to take some preemptive measures," Lu Yin said.
Elder Qing Xing was shocked yet again. "You want me to return with you to the Perennial World?"
Lu Yin just smiled slightly before he lifted a hand. A black and white mist appeared over his hand, and it swirled to form a seal. That small emblem then shot straight into Qing Xing’s body and etched itself onto his stellular energy vortex.
The old man could not even react before it was already too late. He leaped to his feet. "Dao Chosen, what did you-"
Lu Yin cut the man off with a hand. "There’s no need to act so surprised. This is just a little insurance. As long as you don’t betray me, nothing will happen."
As he spoke, Lu Yin’s expression grew vicious yet again. "However, if you ever betray me or disobey me, something will happen. Trust me, you don’t want to take that risk."
Elder Qing Xing checked his stellular energy vortex. Over the past twenty years, most of his stellular energy reserves had been depleted, and there was no way for anyone in the Fifth Mainland to replenish their reserves. Still, no matter what he tried, Qing Xing could not affect or remove the black and white seal on his stellular energy vortex. It was death energy, which was a higher form of power. Qing Xing could recognize it, as he had seen Lu Yin’s God of Death Transformation in the past.
This young man was becoming increasingly frightening. He has this much power even without the God of Death Transformation?
Lu Yin felt that it would be better to take Qing Xing along to the Perennial World, rather than just rely on his information. After all, it would be possible to use the man and his connections at a critical moment.
"There’s one more thing." Lu Yin stared at Elder Qing Xing. "If I want to keep my identity hidden when I’m in the Perennial World, I need to have a suitable alias. I need an identity that won’t draw any attention from the four ruling powers, but one that will also give me the qualifications to reach out to them if I need to. What identity do you suggest, Elder?"
Elder Qing Xing sucked in a deep breath. Given the fact that Lu Yin had taken control of him, his only option was to do his best to help Lu Yin with what he required. Otherwise, if anything happened to Lu Yin… Qing Xing did not even want to imagine the consequences. "Let me think about it. There should definitely be a suitable person to impersonate."
"You can take your time with that," Lu Yin said. He then quickly placed the old man in Zenith Mountain. Aside from Elder Qing Xing, Lu Yin needed to consider who else should be taken with him to the Perennial World.
Progenitor Smoke was a given, as Lu Yin would not entrust the Progenitor’s mirror to anyone else. Rather, the more important thing to decide was which Semi-Progenitor Lu Yin would take along. Senior Brother Qing Ping intended to break through to become a Semi-Progenitor, so who else could go along? If Lu Yin wanted to rescue the prisoners in Crimson Garden or the members of the Star Alliance, it would be absolutely necessary to take a Semi-Progenitor along. However, if too many powerhouses accompanied Lu Yin, it would be easy to draw the attention of the Perennial World’s Progenitors.
This had already caused a headache for Lu Yin.
He spent several days considering the matter, but could not come up with any answers. After those few days passed, Astral-10 arrived outside of Earth’s solar system.
Lu Yin did not want to do nothing as he waited for the shipment of star essence from the Technocracy and an answer from the creeper spy in the Astral Beast Domain. Thus, he had called Astral-10.
Actually, he had not just summoned Astral-10, as the entire Astral Combat Academy had been called to the Heavens Sect’s headquarters. He intended to bring the Tower of the Fifth back so that the Heavens Sect could provide inheritances to all of humanity and not just the top elites.
The return of the Tower of the Fifth created a surge of excitement throughout the entire Human Domain. This time, not only would people from the Fifth Mainland be allowed entry, but also the Sixth Mainland cultivators. Naturally, they would have to pay a steep price, and the Sixth Mainland was required to offer up many inheritances to enter the Tower of the Fifth.
Also, Lu Yin once again made sure to mention that accepting the inheritances inside meant accepting him as a half-master.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om