Chapter 2551: Offended Lu Yin
A few people left the crowd that had gathered near the stone wall, and others arrived. The eyes of everyone present were fixed on Lu Yin. They were all curious to see whether he could master the Sixth Hand within a month.
For the other students, Xuan Qi had been given an impossible task. Only people like He Shu were able to master even the First Hand in a month, so there was no need to even mention the Sixth Hand.
After just seven days, Lu Yin finally started to move, which instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Shi Jiao stared at Xuan Qi, carefully watching each move he made. While he did not move smoothly, he continued to execute the Sixth Hand slowly and steadily.
Seeing Xuan Qi left Shi Jiao, Xu Xiangyin, and the others all astounded. Had this youth truly mastered the Sixth Hand within less than a month?
They had clearly been underestimating Xuan Qi the entire time, or perhaps, his abilities were beyond what humans were capable of. Within a span of just twelve days, he had mastered the Sixth Hand, which left Shi Jiao at a complete loss for words. Xu Xiangyin's expression grew grim, and he quickly left the Sixverse Academy. Things had just gotten very serious.
The fact that Xuan Qi had mastered the Sixth Hand in just twelve days made it perfectly evident that his success could not be solely attributed to mere talent. Instead, it indicated that the Eight Hands of the Stone Gate perfectly resonated with him, as though it was destined for him.
Shi Jiao suppressed her astonishment long enough to say, "Continue with the Seventh Hand."
Before Lu Yin could even refuse, the woman was already demonstrating the Seventh Hand.
The Seventh Hand had a qualitatively increase in strength when compared to the Sixth Hand, and it was also far more complex. Even so, Lu Yin succeeded in comprehending it after just twenty days. Without allowing Xuan Qi to speak a single word, Shi Jiao immediately started demonstrating the Eighth Hand—the final portion of the Eight Hands of the Stone Gate. "The Eighth Hand incorporates all the changes of the previous seven Hands, while also encompassing a distinctive approach in how the power is released. Watch carefully."
The power fluctuations that emanated from the Eighth Hand of the Stone Gate caused the Cyclic School’s continent to tremble and come close to collapsing. The Eighth Hand far surpassed the previous seven Hands, and it demonstrated the true power of the Eight Hands of the Stone Gate.
The crowd of students retreated further and further until they were completely out of sight.
Bitterness welled up in Shi Hong's heart. She had initially believed that, by working hard to master Dragon Flash, she would be able to get her revenge. However, she had instead become painfully aware of just how peerless Xuan Ji's talent was. Even if she dedicated another hundred years to perfecting Dragon Flash, her technique would still be effortlessly seen through in a single glance. There were people who innately possessed a level of talent that surpassed all effort.
Lu Yin observed Shi Jiao's demonstration of the Eighth Hand. After she was finished, he shared his impression. "This junior is unable to execute that technique. The power needed for the Eighth Hand is beyond my current capabilities."
Shi Jiao replied, "There is already someone about your age who is able to force out the Eighth Hand with their own strength. They used their abilities to surpass the limits of their cultivation realm. I don't know how they did it, as it is beyond me. Even so, I hope that you can accomplish it."
Lu Yin was astonished. The Eighth Hand required the user to have the strength of an Envoy it, and that was beyond the strength that he had revealed so far.
Provided that there was proper instruction, there were many Progenitor-level battle techniques that he could learn. For example, the Heart Seeker that Nightking Zhenwu had previously used was a battle technique from the Sixth Mainland’s Arrow Progenitor. Heart Seeker was a rather standard Progenitor-level battle technique. There was also Progenitor Chen’s Cosmic Art. However, some of the most powerful aspects of Progenitor-level battle techniques required specific thresholds of strength, such as the Eighth Hand of the Stone Gate.
Lu Yin did not want to reveal himself as too talented, so when he saw that the Eighth Hand needed the strength of an Envoy to be used, he had immediately reported that he was unable to learn the technique. It was shocking to learn that someone had been able to forcefully execute the Eighth Hand without meeting the prerequisite strength. "Senior, may I ask who possesses such incredible talent that they are able to perform the Eighth Hand with a lower level of power?"
Shi Jiao said, "You don't need to know about that. Still, I’m not trying to deceive you. Someone truly did do exactly what I told you. Even so, I won't blame you if you can’t do the same."
Lu Yin's eyes flickered. He could tell that the woman was indeed not lying. There was also no need for her to lie. It seemed that the Cyclic Universe was capable of producing truly exceptional individuals. In that case… "I am willing to try."
Shi Jiao nodded. "Three months. If you can do it within three months…" She paused for a moment. "Your entire future will transform."
Lu Yin remained silent. Naturally, it was possible for him to succeed, but seeing Shi Jiao's attitude had only reinforced Lu Yin’s determination to avoid succeeding, no matter what. Even so, he needed to put forth a show of effort.
Still, three months seemed rather long!
Lu Yin frowned as he considered how he should proceed.
Shi Jiao's eyes betrayed her anticipation as she occasionally turned to look at the young man. He simply had to succeed. If he could do as she had asked, then he would undoubtedly meet the criteria to join the Stone Gate, and he would also meet her master's expectations of a worthy successor.
Peace returned to the Sixverse Academy. When Shao Qingfeng and others learned about what had taken place in the Cyclic School, they all fell silent.
They had originally expected Xuan Qi to keep a low profile for a while after he acquired such a terrible innate gift from his wood transformation, and it was a complete surprise that he had created such an uproar in the Cyclic School. On top of what Xuan Qi had pulled off, Xu Xiangyin and Shi Jiao had nearly started a fight over him.
Yet again, Xuan Qi’s reputation as the greatest genius in the school was reinforced.
Zi Jing was once again summoned to meet with He Ran. As she looked down at the respectful attitude of the woman below, He Ran could not help but wonder how Zi Jing had managed to find a person with such incredible talent yet such a mediocre level of cultivation.
"Zi Jing, what is going on with Xuan Qi?" He Ran asked.
He Ran was certainly no fool. As soon as Xuan Qi had demonstrated an impressive level of talent in the Voidforce School, an investigation had immediately been conducted. However, the information that the Transcendent Universe provided merely mentioned that he came from a parallel universe. There was no mention of the universe’s name, or even any hints. While the relationship between Lu Yin and Zi Jing had been leaked, no one was aware that Zi Jing had been hiding in the Origin Universe. Thus, Xuan Qi’s origins became even more mysterious.
More than one person had visited and asked about Xuan Qi’s origins, but He Ran sent all of them away, claiming that it was impossible to ever visit that universe again.
Zi Jing respectfully dropped her head. "I don't understand what you mean, Madam."
He Ran's lips curled upwards to form a beautiful smile. "While in the Origin Universe, Xuan Qi's cultivation only allowed him to become an Enlighter. However, since entering the Sixverse Academy, he has demonstrated an absurd level of talent that even the Main Universe has entered the competition to take him. How could such a person only be an Enlighter in the Origin Universe?"
He Ran did not even consider that Xuan Qi could be hiding his cultivation level. Unless one was a peak powerhouse, it was impossible for anyone to hide their cultivation level from the Transcendent Universe, considering their abilities to analyze matter and energy. Instead, He Ran was simply curious as to why Xuan Qi had not surpassed the Enlighter realm.
Zi Jing replied, "Xuan Qi is too emotional. Whether it’s his family, friends, or loved ones, he cares too much for people. This has made it difficult for him to obtain resources for his cultivation."
"Even so, he shouldn't be merely an Enlighter," He Ran pressed as she stared at Zi Jing.
Zi Jing fell silent for a moment. When she spoke again, there was a hint of sadness in her voice, "He offended someone."
"Oh? Who would that be?"
"Lu Yin."
"Lu Yin?" He Ran's eyes instantly grew sharp. She knew this name. The first time she had heard it was from the Main Universe’s Sage Yuan. The second time, He Shu had mentioned the name.
Lu Yin was the name of the undisputed overlord of the Origin Universe. The Origin Universe was currently split into two parts, and Lu Yin ruled one of the two. He was also the founder of the Heavens Sect, and he held the title of Dao Monarch.
The Origin Universe and the Heavens Sect. He Ran understood what both of those names meant, and she also knew about the Origin Universe’s past glory, as well as the strength of the ancient Heavens Sect. However, times had changed, and the megaverse no longer bowed to the Heavens Sect. Even so, Lu Yin was someone with the ability to change everything. Even without becoming a peak expert, he had already confronted the entire Perennial World. He was the number one person on the Sixverse Association's watchlist.
Sage Yuan once said that, if Lu Yin were given just a little more time, he would be able to unify the entire Origin Universe. It was apparent just how shocked Sage Yuan had been by the young man. While Sage Yuan looked down on the current Origin Universe, he remained extremely wary of Lu Yin.
"Xuan Qi offended the overlord of the Origin Universe?" He Ran asked.
Zi Jing replied, "That’s right. In fact, Lu Yin and Xuan Qi are about the same age, as they are from the same generation. They fought over resources on numerous occasions, but Xuan Qi always lost. No matter how talented he may be, he was never able to compare to Lu Yin's background. Lu Yin has too many supporters, while Xuan Qi is just an independent cultivator."
"How did he manage to survive after offending Lu Yin?" He Ran set her chin on her hand. "I heard that Lu Yin has a bit of a temper. He even attacked Sage Yuan and forced him to leave the Origin Universe. How has Xuan Qi managed to survive?"
Zi Jing sighed bitterly. "Lu Yin doesn't care about Xuan Qi at all. He simply wants to prevent Xuan Qi from achieving anything and to never give him the slightest chance to rise up. He wants to see Xuan Qi's talent rot away until he dies of old age. That would be the greatest torment."
He Ran's eyes gleamed. "Doesn't that leave a sour taste in your mouth, haha! Never mind, let's not discuss him. Now that Xuan Qi has left the Origin Universe, he is no longer under Lu Yin's control. If Lu Yin ever manages to one day reach our Transcendent Universe, I'll make sure that he experiences the same thing. Compared to us, he is unworthy."
Zi Jing cast her gaze downward, a tiny smirk tugging at her lips. He’s right here, and you’ve already met him face-to-face, He Ran. If not for his curiosity about the Sixverse Association, he would have taken you long ago.
Both when Lu Yin had unified the Outerverse and when he had clashed with the Perennial World’s four ruling powers, Lu Yin had always remained a step ahead of his opponents. The current situation was no exception. The Sixverse Association lacked any true understanding of Lu Yin's nature.
"If you have the time, then reach out to Xuan Qi more often. He has become someone whom both the Cyclic Universe and the Voidforce Universe are pursuing, and there might be a chance for us to collaborate with him in the future. Keep that in mind, Zi Jing," advised He Ran.
Zi Jing was overjoyed. "I understand. Thank you, Madam, on Xuan Qi’s behalf."
He Ran felt quite satisfied. She had already heard from You Teng that Xuan Qi had remembered her words. Given the situation, she did not mind giving him some help. At the very least, he had become pleasant in her eyes.
A month passed, and Xu Xiangyin returned to the Sixverse Academy. At this time, Lu Yin opened his eyes inside the Cyclic School and wearily rose to his feet. "Senior, I can't do it."
Shi Jiao felt disappointed. "It hasn't been three months yet."
Lu Yin shook his head. "Forget three months. Even if I were given three years, I still might not be able to succeed."
Shi Jiao sighed, knowing that Xuan Qi was telling the truth. There were things that people could never accomplish throughout their entire lifetimes, though others could accomplish them in an instant. The difference lay in one’s talent.
She had believed that Xuan Qi could stand shoulder to shoulder with that perfect Junior Sovereign, but it seemed impossible.
There were some things that could not be forced.
"If you can't do it, then forget it. You've already done very well. As I told you before, if you succeeded in mastering the Sixth Hand in a month, you could make a request. What would you like?" Shi Jiao asked.
Lu Yin thought for a moment. "I haven't considered that."
"In that case, tell me when you've thought of something. Do you know about the Stone Gate?" Shi Jiao asked.
At this moment, Xu Xiangyin appeared. "Shi Jiao, are you still not giving up?"
Shi Jiao looked over at Xu Xiangyin. "This is still the Cyclic School, and you are not welcome here. Leave."
Xu Xiangyin sighed. "I’m here because it is time."
"Time for what?" Shi Jiao asked, confused.
Lu Yin also felt confused, and he gave Xu Xiangyin a quizzical look.
Xu Xiangyin lifted his head. "It’s time to open the Voidchaos Territory."
Lu Yin blinked. The Voidchaos Territory was opening? Had it not been postponed?
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