Chapter 2338: Formalizing The Truce
After a moment of silence, Bai Wangyuan spoke up again, though his tone had softened. "If you don't tell me, I can simply ask Xian'er. This matter cannot be kept hidden."
"As you wish," Lu Yin said.
Bai Wangyuan stared at Lu Yin. "You will not harm Xian'er, and the four ruling powers will not touch you before you become a Semi-Progenitor. Will you agree to this?"
It was impossible for Lu Yin to truly fight against the four ruling powers. Even if everything else was disregarded, it was important to remember that the Aeternals were always watching. Aeternus was aware of everything that happened among the humans. Lu Yin was aware that Corpse God had attacked the Higher Realm at a critical moment, which had forced Xia Shenji to stop attacking Lu Yin. That incident had greatly increased Lu Yin’s fear of Aeternus.
Aeternus possessed an unimaginable foundation, and there was nothing that Lu Yin could do against a power that had already completely destroyed four Mainlands.
"Additionally, I need you to release the surviving vassals of the Lu family, including the people from Star Alliance and Crimson Garden. In exchange, I will release the entire army that you sent against me, as well as everyone else from the four ruling powers that I hold prisoner," Lu Yin said.
…
While Lu Yin was negotiating an agreement with Bai Wangyuan, the Seven Skygods had just gathered outside the Starfall Sea.
"Shaman God, your plan has failed," Blackless God stated in an indifferent tone.
Forgotten Ruins God showed a charming smile. "This is quite amusing. Not only did you not touch him yourself, but you also stopped all of us from targeting him as well for the sake of your plan. Yet not only did they not end up fighting a war, but that kid also rose up and became qualified to negotiate terms with Bai Wangyuan and the other human Progenitors. Was this what you were aiming for, Shaman God? Hehe."
Shaman God answered in a hoarse voice as one of their dolls floated about. "This is my mistake. I never expected the kid to improve so quickly, and I even accidentally provided him with the power to stand up to Progenitors.”
"My original intention was for us to attack while the humans fought their internal war. Truthfully, if not for Mu Xie and Xi Wei unexpectedly showing up to stop anyone aside from Xia Shenji and Bai Sheng from going to attack Lu Yin, the plan would have been a success. At the very least, we would have been able to break Ceaseless Impetus and induce a great deal of instability to the Perennial World. The biggest surprises to my plan were the unexpected interference of Mu Xie and Xi Wei. Still, this failure doesn't really matter. The four ruling powers and Lu Xiaoxuan will never be able to reconcile, and they will eventually have a showdown. We can simply wait for that day."
Blackless God spoke up in a deep tone. "We can ignore Xi Wei, as her combat ability is pathetic. Mu Xie was the biggest surprise. Who could have expected that someone who was believed to be an ordinary Progenitor who focused entirely on hunting down Redbacks and who avoided facing us in the Dominion Realm would possess a combat strength comparable to Xia Shenji’s? There’s something odd about him."
"Also, who is Mu Xie's and Lu Xiaoxuan's master? Mu Xie's master can’t be someone who just suddenly popped up. They must have been famous at some point in history," Forgotten Ruins God commented.
At this moment, the void suddenly split apart to reveal an endless darkness. The Seven Skygods all looked over at a single slitted eye with a scarlet iris that had appeared in the infinite darkness, seemingly imprinted atop a floating coffin. The entire region changed color.
Even the lazy Undying God and the indifferent Corpse God became awake and alert. All the Skygods bowed in unison. "We greet True God."
There was no one in the Fifth Mainland who was aware that, just outside the Starfall Sea, Aeternus’s True God had just appeared. There had been no movement or any sort of warning.
All of the Seven Skygods also repressed their auras. At this moment, they appeared no different from seven ordinary humans.
"Activate Murkiness." The scarlet eye disappeared as soon as the order was delivered. It might as well have never even appeared.
The Seven Skygods offered another bow and then turned to look at the Fifth Mainland. "It’s finally beginning. Civilization is about to restart."
…
Inside the Fifth Mainland, in the ruins of Aeternus Nation, Lu Yin and Bai Wangyuan came to an agreement.
Lu Yin would do nothing to harm Bai Xian'er, and in turn, the four ruling powers would not attack him until after he became a Semi-Progenitor. Furthermore, all the surviving vassals of the Lu family would be freed, aside from those who were fighting on the rear battlefield. Lu Yin wanted the four ruling powers to release those people as well, but there was always a need for more people to join the war on the rear battlefield. Bai Wangyuan would not budge on keeping the people on the rear battlefield there, though he was willing to release everyone else, including the prisoners who had been placed in Crimson Garden.
As for Lu Yin, he agreed to release everyone from the Perennial World that he had captured over the years, including the Semi-Progenitors.
There were terms that both parties had to carry out. Even though they had come to an agreement, a verbal agreement was not enough.
Both Lu Yin and Bai Wangyuan required witnesses to their agreement, and so they had agreed to formalize their truce in the middle of outer space.
Witnesses for both parties would arrive to watch the formal truce, and it was agreed to be carried out three days later.
Lu Yin left Aeternus Nation. He had done all that he possibly could for the time being. Restrictions had been put in place, and concessions had been agreed to, all because the two parties feared each other.
If Lu Yin had not managed to find a way to threaten Bai Xian'er, then it would have been utterly impossible for him to even try to threaten the four ruling powers. He might be able to stop their first offensive wave, but the second wave would be too much for him to handle. In truth, the four ruling powers would rather sacrifice the entire army that they had sent after Lu Yin than allow him to live.
This was how great a threat the four ruling powers saw Lu Yin as.
However, the truce was temporary, as it would only last until Lu Yin became a Semi-Progenitor. Once that happened, the four ruling powers would absolutely attack him again without hesitation. Bai Wangyuan was really just trying to stall for time.
When Lu Yin became a Semi-Progenitor, he would have his true deathmatch with the four ruling powers.
Lu Yin could not help but wonder how Aeternus would react to the temporary truce between him and the four ruling powers. Also, how was Lu Yin supposed to get the Lu family back?
He stared out into space. Just where was the Lu family? Had they been destroyed?
…
Three days quickly went by. The three days had been agreed upon for Bai Wangyuan to have a chance to persuade Wang Fan, Xia Shenji, and Progenitor Long. After all, the truce was not between Lu Yin and just the Celestial Frost Sect, but all four ruling powers.
Lu Yin did not care what it took for Bai Wangyuan to convince the others, as only the final results mattered to Lu Yin.
On the third day, the jiao was staring out at the universe, with Lu Yin standing atop its head. Behind him stood all the Fifth Mainland’s Semi-Progenitors, followed by a vast crowd of cultivators, all of whom were staring off into the distance. In front of everyone, Bai Wangyuan stepped out, along with an agreement from all four ruling powers. "From henceforth, the four ruling powers will no longer attack Lu Yin. In the same manner, Lu Yin cannot attack Bai Xian'er. This agreement will be terminated once Lu Yin becomes a Semi-Progenitor."
The statement was very simple, but it clearly showed that the four ruling powers had stepped back.
Anyone who knew about how the four ruling powers had exiled the Lu family from the Perennial World would never believe such a thing. Every member of the Lu family was considered the four ruling powers’ worst enemy, and they would never allow anyone from the Lu family to live. Not only that, but the Lu family’s vassals and friends had also been targeted for annihilation.
Adventure King had been repeatedly sent to perform various missions in the Lower Realm.
The All-Dao and Qiming families had both been destroyed.
The Yu family had been ruined and humiliated so that they no longer had any trace of a good reputation in the Perennial World.
Some of the Lu family’s former vassals had been imprisoned in Crimson Garden and made insane.
During Lu Yin’s first visit to the Perennial World, as soon as he had been exposed, he had been hunted and pursued no matter where he had gone. The four ruling powers had been desperate to do whatever it took to eliminate the last member of the Lu family.
However, they had just stepped back. They had not done so because they wanted to, but rather because they had been forced to do so.
Even more impressive was the fact that they had been forced to accept the situation after failing to kill Lu Yin twice.
Who in the current universe could survive not one, but two different attempts on their life by the four ruling powers? Forget Envoys and Semi-Progenitors—even Progenitors would struggle to survive.
Despite that, Lu Yin had lived. He had also stopped the four ruling powers from launching a third attack on him, and he had even threatened the Celestial Frost Sect and forced Bai Wangyuan to step back and protect Lu Yin instead of trying to kill him.
Lu Yin had accomplished such feats despite having cultivated for such a short amount of time. His achievements were shocking to everyone, even people like Progenitor Smoke who had countless years behind her.
As Progenitor Long had said, Lu Yin had accomplished something that not even Progenitor Chen had been able to achieve. Xia Shang had only managed to survive because of the Lu family’s protection, while Lu Yin had survived not by relying on some legacy, but rather by relying on his own connections and forces that he had personally raised up. Besides surviving two attacks from Progenitors, he had also survived an attack in the Perennial World, which meant that Progenitors had failed to kill Lu Yin on three separate occasions.
Lu Yin was not merely admired by his own people, but even by people like Bai Wangyuan, Wang Fan, and Xia Shenji, Progenitors who were after Lu Yin’s life.
Lu Buzheng, Destina, and the other Semi-Progenitors watched in shock from behind Lu Yin as a Progenitor reached a compromise with Lu Yin. The man before them was one of the legendary masters of one of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas, and yet he was compromising with a mere Envoy. It was a scene that the Fifth Mainland would never forget. No matter how many years passed or how civilization might change, this scene would forever be remembered by the Fifth Mainland.
"I, Lu Yin, agree to these terms." Lu Yin stared at Bai Wangyuan as he answered. He then stretched out a hand, and Bai Wangyuan did the same. Despite the vast distance between them, their hands struck. The first terms of the truce were agreed upon.
The formalization of the first agreement of the truce caused Bai Wangyuan's heart to drop. Despite his determination to see things through, he was still unwilling to accept this compromise, but it was already too late. "Today, all of the Lu family’s former followers and vassals, except for those currently on the rear battlefield, will be freed. This includes even the prisoners of Crimson Garden, and every other such prisoner in the Perennial World. In turn, Lu Yin will release all of his captives from the Perennial World. This agreement takes effect immediately."
Lu Yin replied, "I, Lu Yin, agree to these terms."
As soon as Lu Yin spoke, his hand rose and struck Bai Wangyuan’s hand again, formalizing the second terms of the truce.
Then, it was time for the final terms to be formalized.
"The Fifth Mainland will send people into the Perennial World within ten days to take over the defense of the rear battlefield’s fourth array base. At that time, the Perennial World will release all surviving vassals and followers of the Lu family who are currently on the rear battlefield into Lu Yin’s custody. With this defense accepted-” Bai Wangyuan suddenly stared at Lu Yin with much greater intensity. "There will be unrestricted access to both the Perennial World and the Fifth Mainland through their connection, allowing free passage to people from both places."
These were all the terms of the truce that Lu Yin and Bai Wangyuan had agreed to over the course of their negotiations in Aeternus Nation. The Fifth Mainland lacked stellular energy, which had crippled humanity’s cultivation. Lu Yin was in charge of the Fifth Mainland, and it was his responsibility to find a path forward for his people.
The only option was to gain access to the Perennial World for the Fifth Mainland’s people so that they could cultivate there.
Over the passage of countless years, the Perennial World had never accepted the people of the Fifth Mainland. This was not only because of the threat of the Aeternals sneaking in, but also because the Perennial World had developed an attitude of superiority and regarded the Fifth Mainland as a forsaken land.
However, Bai Wangyuan, Xia Shenji, and others had already seen the full strength of the Fifth Mainland. It was not the Forsaken Land that they had believed it to be. The Fifth Mainland had no fewer Semi-Progenitors than the Perennial World, and there were countless cultivators living throughout the Fifth Mainland.
Bai Wangyuan had acknowledged the Fifth Mainland’s cultivators, though that was dependent on them helping to protect Ceaseless Impetus.
Having the Fifth Mainland take over the defense of one of the array bases had been Bai Wangyuan's condition.
Many years had passed, but the four ruling powers had not seen any increase in their strength; rather, they had grown weaker. When the Lu family had ruled the Perennial World, the four ruling powers had not felt any threat, but with the Lu family gone, the four ruling powers had become responsible for guarding Ceaseless Impetus. It was too much pressure, and they could no longer afford to lose so much as a Semi-Progenitor without cause.
They all felt incredible relief that the Fifth Mainland would be taking over protecting one of the five array bases.
There was another crack, as the hands struck for a third time.
Bai Wangyuan and Lu Yin had struck hands three times before countless witnesses, formalizing a truce and establishing a new connection between the Perennial World and the Fifth Mainland.
Countless people arrayed behind Lu Yin grew excited. They would be allowed into the Perennial World! They would finally be able to cultivate again!
At this moment, countless people were cheering.
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