Chapter 2589: The Only Ruler
Lu Yin stared blankly at the scene playing out before him. His eyes followed Xu Wuwei’s movements as the older man focused on seasoning the meat perfectly. It finally made sense why the old man was called "Xu Wuwei." The old man clearly had an obsession with food and using the five flavors to elevate the quality of food to the peak. The mouth-watering aroma that teased Lu Yin’s nose was irresistible. Naturally, everything was only enhanced by the exceptional quality of the meat itself.
“I got it! That’s how it should be!" Xu Wuwei happily exclaimed. He carefully rotated the meat as he carefully sprinkled the adjusted seasoning, and the smell intensified. The man was clearly satisfied.
"There we go," he declared as he tore a piece of meat off and contentedly ate it.
Lu Yin remained silent the entire time. He tried to act like a ghost, invisible and unobtrusive.
Xu Wuwei spent nearly two hours savoring his meal. He ate slowly and thoroughly enjoyed every bite.
After finishing his meal, he stretched and turned to look at Lu Yin. "Not bad, child. You've done well by not disturbing my feast. For that, I promise that your ending will be less painful."
Lu Yin's face hardened. "I am not a spy. Why do you wish to kill me, senior?" he questioned.
Xu Wuwei picked at his teeth with a bone. "If you can prove that you're not a spy, that will suffice. I have no interest in useless chatter."
Lu Yin fell silent, lost in thought.
“My time is limited." Xu Wuwei flicked the bone away. "I can't remain here for long, and even if you intend to stall until Xu Xiangyin appears, it won't change my decision."
After some thought, Lu Yin pulled one of the Zenith Mountains out from his cosmic ring.
Xu Wuwei was stunned by the sight. “A Sky Pillar?”
Lu Yin’s eyes flickered. As expected, Xu Wuwei recognized the Sky Pillar. It seemed that long, long ago, the Sixverse Association had once had a deep connection with the Origin Universe. Lu Yin started to wonder what sort of role the association’s members had played during the destruction of the Origin Universe’s Mainlands.
“This is a power vessel that I took from Tu Shuangshuang. It is able to hold people, but can also be stored in a cosmic ring." As Lu Yin offered an explanation, he removed Tu Shuangshuang out from the Zenith Mountain. "She is proof that I am not a spy of Aeternus. This is Tu Shuangshuang."
Xu Wuwei was stunned yet again. "The traitor who instigated Sage Hua's death?"
Lu Yin nodded. "That's right. During the secret auction here, she attacked all of the students. She did so because this power vessel is something that she received from Aeternus, and she even admitted that it is from the Origin Universe. If anyone saw her with it, they would certainly assume her to be a spy, which is why she took such a risk to capture everyone. I am the one who saved everyone and scattered the students across the various parallel universes.
"If I were a spy for Aeternus, why would I do such a thing? Even if there might be valid excuses for some of my actions, there would be no reason for me to not have simply killed all of the students. Why else would I save them and let them return? All of them have been examined by the Sixverse Association, and they’ve confirmed that there are no issues with any of them. Aeternus is not able to deceive the Sixverse Association."
Xu Wuwei nodded. "That is indeed a valid argument, but the Sixverse Association’s position when it comes to potential spies is that we would rather kill an innocent person than let a potential spy go free by accident. Child, even if you aren't a spy for Aeternus, there is clearly some reason why you are hiding your strength here in the Sixverse Academy. This academy is the Sixverse Association’s future, and the center of where the various civilizations converge. If something happens to this place, it will be a terrible disaster. I will only give you one more chance to prove that you have benign intentions towards the Sixverse Association, or else you will not escape death."
Lu Yin sighed inwardly. Having his strength exposed was extremely frustrating, and the unique nature of the Sixverse Academy gave him very little to work with. The fact that Xu Wuwei was offering Lu Yin the chance to explain himself demonstrated that he was confident that Lu Yin was not a spy of Aeternus. However, the Sixverse Association, as well as many other parallel universes, was far from a peaceful place. Without Aeternus, there most likely would not be any Sixverse Association, as conflicts between the various universes were inevitable. How could the man allow an unknown factor like Lu Yin to remain in such a sensitive location?
Xu Wuwei needed Lu Yin to clearly demonstrate his identity.
After a moment of internal debate, Lu Yin brough another person out from the Zenith Mountain: Bai Qian.
She felt a little confused when she was released, as the first thing that she saw upon emerging was Xu Wuwei.
While it might be possible for many people to not recognize Bai Qian, how could any of the Sixverse Association’s high-ranking individuals not know who she was?
Xu Wuwei was a someone from the Voidforce Universe with a status just below Lord Xu’s, and he immediately recognized Bai Qian. For the first time, he expressed his surprise in front of Lu Yin. "The Transcendent Universe’s Bai Qian?"
Bai Qian looked at Lu Yin in a questioning manner. She did not recognize Xu Wuwei. It was true that she had high status in the Transcendent Universe and was readily recognized by high-ranking figures of the Sixverse Association, but that was mostly because of her competition with He Ran. Bai Qian herself did not have much experience and had only been able to meet a few of the powerhouses from other universes, such as Xu Wuwei.
Lu Yin sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't hide it anymore. I need to reveal the truth."
He looked back at Xu Wuwei. "Since you recognized Lady Bai Qian, you should have guessed the truth of the matter. You are correct. I was sent to He Ran’s side by Lady Bai Qian. My mission is to help her defeat He Ran."
Bai Qian's eyes flickered before she calmly looked at Xu Wuwei. "Who are you?"
Xu Wuwei was quite startled, as he had not anticipated this situation at all. Guessed the truth of the matter? How was that possible? Still, after considering Xuan Qi's identity, his relationship with Zi Jing, his peerless talent, and not to mention what Xu Xiangyin had mentioned about He Ran's attitude towards the youth, what Xuan Qi was saying was far from impossible.
Lu Yin took a deep breath. "This is Lady Bai Qian's desperate counterattack. Compared to He Ran, Lady Bai Qian holds no advantage in the Transcendent Universe, so she can only try to use my talent to win over various parallel universes before attempting to suppress He Ran with Zi Jing's breakthrough in the cultivation technology she is researching. This is the only path that can hope to lead to victory-"
Xu Wuwei interrupted, "Stop."
Lu Yin stared at Xu Wuwei in confusion.
Xu Wuwei rolled his eyes. "I have no interest in your messy state of affairs."
Lu Yin replited, "But this junior needs to clarify this matter."
"Things are already quite clear." Xu Wuwei glanced at Bai Qian, and then back at Lu Yin. "You attacked Tu Shuangshuang because of her?"
Lu Yin gave a bitter smile. "Nothing escapes you, Senior. When Lady Bai Qian arrived at the secret auction and was unexpectedly captured by Tu Shuangshuang, I was forced to take a risk. That woman is Cheng Kong’s disciple, and while my cultivation far exceeds her own, I was still uncertain of victory. Even senior Sage Hua died because of Cheng Kong’s manipulations, and that enemy’s schemes are unfathomable."
Xu Wuwei's expression grew conflicted. "Sage Hua... What a tragic fate. He died without even seeing the face of his enemy, and everything was because of a single rebellious disciple."
The man stood up again and dusted off his behind. "Come."
His voice echoed, and the stars shook. Lu Yin looked up in time to see Xu Xiangyin arrive, and the man looked equal parts nervous and eager as he descended. He visibly twitched upon seeing Bai Qian, and the first thought in the man’s mind was that Xu Wuwei had saved all of the kidnapped students. Xu Xiangyin bowed to Xu Wuwei. "Senior."
Xu Wuwei grunted. "The child that you've chosen truly does possess a remarkable level of talent."
Xu Xiangyin grew elated, and he eagerly awaited Xu Wuwei’s next words.
The man looked to have something more to say, but after glancing at Bai Qian, he restrained himself. "I won't accept him."
Xu Xiangyin thought he must have misheard as he stared at Xu Wuwei in surprise. "Senior, what did you say? You won't accept him?"
Xu Wuwei remained indifferent. "I won't accept him, and my Voidforce Universe doesn't need him."
Lu Yin frowned, but there was nothing that he could do. It was clear that he had already left an extremely bad impression on Xu Wuwei. He also realized just how lucky he was to have not sent Bai Qian away, as her presence had given him the means to muddle through this crisis. Without her, he would have struggled tremendously to try to explain himself.
Xu Xiangyin felt incredibly confused., "Senior, not only is Xuan Qi extraordinarily talented, but he is also humble and courteous while greatly admiring our Voidforce Universe. Could you have misunderstood something?"
The man spun around to face Lu Yin. "Hurry up and clarify the situation with Senior. What did you do to upset him so?"
It was clear that Xu Xiangyin genuinely cared for Lu Yin. The man was more desperate than anyone else present.
Lu Yin felt a pang of guilt.
"Enough. He did nothing wrong, but our Voidforce Universe does not need him. Don't bother asking anyone else, as no one will accept him as their disciple."
With that, Xu Wuwei glanced back at Lu Yin for a brief moment before he vanished.
Xu Xiangyin cried out, "Senior, please wait!"
However, Xu Wuwei was already gone, and it was impossible for Xu Xiangyin to find any trace of the man.
Lu Yin stepped forward. "Senior, there’s no need to call him. Just let things be."
Xu Xiangyin turned back to look at Xuan Qi, unable to understand what could have happened. "Just what is going on? Given your talent and character, this should not have happened. Xu Wuwei is usually very eager to nurture juniors. Even when he accidentally met me in the Cyclic Universe, he offered me a few words of guidance. Why is his attitude toward you so different? Xuan Qi, tell me, what just happened?"
A sudden thought struck the man as he was speaking, and he turned to look at Bai Qian. "Is it... is it because of her?"
Bai Qian spoke up in a calm voice, "Xuan Qi, it's time for me to leave."
Lu Yin’s eyes met Bai Qian’s. "Stay safe."
She nodded, tore through the void, and then left the Singularity Universe. She had already connected to a coordinate seal in the Transcendent Universe, which allowed her to return without any difficulty.
"Xuan Qi, tell me the truth. What is your relationship with Bai Qian? Why won't Xu Wuwei accept you as his disciple or even allow you to join the Voidforce Universe?" Xu Xiangyin asked seriously.
Lu Yin responded with a helpless shrug, "Senior, I truly appreciate your concern, but I can't share this with you. Xu Wuwei also forbade me from speaking of it."
Xu Xiangyin grew upset and started scolding Lu Yin. "Do you understand just what kind of opportunity you've let slip by you? Do you really not care at all? Do you understand Xu Wuwei’s position within the Sixverse Association is?
"He is second only to Lord Xu in our Voidforce Universe. In the Cyclic Universe’s terms, he is equal to one of the three Sovereigns! A word from him can completely change your destiny, as he can overturn the association’s decisions. He is one of the few individuals qualified to meet with the Great Sovereign at any time, as well as one of the few who has a designated seat at the Great Sovereign's tea ceremonies.”
"Do you have any idea just how many people in the Sixverse Association dream of being Senior Xu Wuwei's disciple? I did not tell you any of this before because I didn't want to put further pressure on you. Under normal circumstances, given your talent, you should be more than qualified to become his disciple. Why can't you pull yourself together?"
Hearing Xu Xiangyin’s angry chastisement suddenly became amusing to Lu Yin. Somehow, he had managed to create a familial bond with this old man. Affection filled Xu Xiangyin's eyes, and his anger stemmed from his disappointment in Xuan Qi. Lu Yin had never before been looked at in such a manner.
While Highsage Leon and Big Sis were both family to Lu Yin, he had already outshone both of them, which gave them no opportunity to scold him in a similar manner.
Lu Yin was filled with warmth, as he was experiencing something that only Xu Xiangyin was capable of giving him.
Lu Yin laughed.
Xu Xiangyin glared, speechless. "You can still laugh?"
Lu Yin just laughed again. "Thank you, Senior!"
Xu Xiangyin pointed a finger at Lu Yin. His mouth opened to resume the scolding, but instead, the old man just sighed from frustration. "Not only have you lost the chance to be Senior Xu Wuwei's disciple, but that single sentence from him also guarantees that you will never be able to join the Voidforce Universe throughout your entire life. Do you understand this?"
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