Chapter 2600: Demands
Lu Yin soon left Aeternus Nation and returned to the Fifth Mainland. Upon arriving, he immediately made his way to Gods' Origin.
The appointed time for the trade was quickly approaching. It had been close to half a year since the agreement had been made.
It took Lu Yin a few days to travel to Gods' Origin. Ke Jian also arrived, and with him was Zi Jing. Her presence had been agreed to during the negotiations, as Gods’ Origin had stated that they would only conduct the exchange with Zi Jing. This was a rather obvious bid by Lu Yin to increase Zi Jing's influence in the Transcendent Universe. People had seen through his intentions, but they also had not refused.
Zi Jing was He Ran's underling, and since He Ran held Zi Jing in high regard, the condition did not matter much to He Ran. After all, the materials from the trade were for Zi Jing’s use and experimentation.
Within Gods' Origin, an inter-universal trade was conducted, unbeknownst to anyone else in the Fifth Mainland.
Only five people were present: Lu Yin, God Taiyi, God of Mirrors, Ke Jian, and Zi Jing. All of them understood the full magnitude of the situation. If word of what they were doing ever leaked, there would be massive repercussions, as even the Sixverse Association as a whole would take interest.
"Excellent!" Zi Jing confirmed that all of the agreed-upon materials during the initial negotiations were in order, and Ke Jian generously gave God of Mirrors the gift of a blue energy converter.
God of Mirrors appeared confused by the gift, and he turned to look at Lu Yin for some clarification.
Lu Yin explained, "Senior, this is one of the Transcendent Universe’s energy converters. Once you equip it, you will be able to unleash an attack with a power level of almost a million."
"A power level of nearly one million?" God of Mirrors exclaimed. He was only the equivalent of a three-tribulation Envoy, which put his power level at just barely over 700,000. God of Magenta had possessed a similar level of strength, and even Gods’ Origin’s strongest individual, God of Flames, had only ever reached the peak Envoy level.
God of Mirrors stared at the blue energy converter, excited. Could such a tiny device really increase his strength so dramatically?
Ke Jian was pleased with God of Mirrors' response. This was a reaction that indicated both ignorance and reverence, which were appropriate.
"Xuan Qi, have you not told them about energy converters?" he asked.
"Not yet."
"Then allow me," Ke Jian said. He adjusted his tone as he proceeded to explain the usage of energy converters to God of Mirrors and God Taiyi, leaving both men completely dumbstruck. With the existence of such a thing, what was the point of cultivating?
"I’ve already told you that my Transcendent Universe is far stronger than you people here. As long as we decide that you will be safe, Lu Yin will not dare to lay a single finger on you," Ke Jian solemnly declared with a stern expression.
Lu Yin chuckled as he glanced from Ke Jian to God of Mirrors.
God of Mirrors stared blankly at Ke Jian. While he was indeed amazed by the power of the energy converter, the man giving the explanation was overly arrogant. The Dao Monarch was already working against the Transcendent Universe right in front of the man and even at that very moment!
"Senior, we made an agreement. We will gather materials for the Transcendent Universe, and in return, you will move us. If we offered you sufficient resources, you told me that my Gods' Origin might even earn a seat on the Ruling Council. This energy converter..." God of Mirrors sounded troubled.
"Treat it as a simple means of protection," Ke Jian replied.
God of Mirrors instinctively turned to look at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin quickly spoke up, "Senior, there are many energy converters of this strength in the Transcendent Universe. Senior Ke Jian really doesn't mind giving you one. If you manage to collect more resources for next time, it’s even possible that you'll receive a better energy converter, which could allow you to obtain the strength of a peak Envoy."
Ke Jian remained indifferent, and he merely dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "These are minor matters."
God of Mirrors and God Taiyi quickly expressed their thanks.
The transaction was completed with both sides satisfied. Lu Yin was also able to take the opportunity and have a private conversation with Zi Jing, though he did so while putting on a show for Ke Jian's benefit. After all, Xuan Qi and Zi Jing had a certain relationship to maintain in the eyes of the Transcendent Universe.
"How is Bai Qian doing?" Lu Yin asked.
Zi Jing leaned close and whispered, "Not so well. She's not from the Transcendent Universe, and so she doesn't have too many supporters. Only a handful of the Ruling Council support her. When she disappeared, He Ran took advantage of the opportunity and struck back. Now, there is no one on the council who supports Bai Qian."
Lu Yin started thinking, and he immediately realized that the Ruling Council, which was supposed to be the most powerful group in the Transcendent Universe, was actually nothing more than a collection of puppets for the true ruler of the Transcendent Universe to use to select contenders. The council’s true purpose was not to oversee and manage the universe, but rather to select a winner between He Ran and Bai Qian.
Bai Qian had done quite well by gaining some supporters in just a few decades, but her brief disappearance had cost her everything.
On the surface, it appeared that He Ran held the upper hand.
"What exactly happened?" Zi Jing inquired.
Lu Yin replied, "You don't need to worry about that. Just focus on researching your cultivation technology. That’s your ticket out. I’ll deal with Bai Qian's matter myself."
Zi Jing nodded and then casually rested her head onto Lu Yin's shoulder. Ke Jian was watching them from a distance.
It was not long before Ke Jian approached. "Xuan Qi, I need to speak with you."
Zi Jing nodded at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin walked away with Ke Jian. The older man offered Zi Jing an apologetic smile. "We only have a limited amount of time here, but next time, I'll make sure to let you two have a longer conversation."
Zi Jing laughed the matter off. "It's no trouble."
Ke Jian gave a small laugh of his own before leading Lu Yin a short ways away from the others. His need to speak with Xuan Qi was simple: Ke Jian needed to ask about the recent events of the Voidforce Universe. He Ran was very concerned about Xuan Qi.
Lu Yin provided a brief explanation of the events.
"You crossed the Void Pass?" Ke Jian asked, shocked.
Lu Yin nodded. "Yes. It was difficult, but I was lucky enough to make it through."
Ke Jian stared at Lu Yin. He had only been planning to casually catch up on a few minor details, which made such a startling bit of news completely unexpected.
"Did you not know, Senior?" Lu Yin asked, surprised by this. It had already been more than half a year since he had crossed the Void Pass, so how could someone with the strength of a Semi-Progenitor from the Transcendent Universe like Ke Jian have not heard about such an important event?
Ke Jian responded with a bitter laugh. "I've been so engrossed in my work with the Energy Research Group that I’ve paid no attention to anything else. We are entirely focused on our cultivation technology, and we almost never hear any news from the outside world."
"I see," Lu Yin said with a nod. "Madam He Ran should already know about it."
"Of course," Ke Jian replied, though he gave Lu Yin an odd look. The youth’s achievements were becoming more and more exaggerated. He had crossed the Void Pass and then chosen Xu Xuwei as his cultivation guide. That, combined with his already close relationship with Xu Xiangyin, meant that Xuan Qi’s influence in the Voidforce Universe would undoubtedly continue to grow. It seemed that Madam He Ran's plans might actually come to fruition.
"Xuan Qi," Ke Jian began, "We can get some of the resources that we need from the Origin Universe, but we can't rely solely on this place. The Transcendent Universe isn't concerned about Lu Yin, but there’s no denying the influence that he wields here. So, do you have any way to gather more materials for us from the Voidforce Universe?"
This was the man’s true purpose, as well as He Ran’s orders.
Lu Yin sank deep into thought.
"Xu Xiangyin's clan holds a considerable level of influence in the Voidforce Universe. You could start there," Ke Jian suggested.
"Senior Xu Xiangyin's clan?" Lu Yin asked, puzzled.
"That’s right. I’ve heard that you have a close relationship with Xu Xiangyin. Do you not know about his clan?" Ke Jian asked in confusion.
Lu Yin shook his head. "Senior told me that he was an independent cultivator."
"Xu Xiangyin is indeed an independent cultivator," Ke Jian agreed, "However, after he became a Void Morphora, he was recruited by a clan, the Cloudview clan. They managed to produce a powerful Void Suprema a long time ago, which allowed them to expand their influence throughout almost half of the Voidforce Universe. At that time, it’s claimed that even Senior Xu Wuwei would frequently visit the Cloudview clan. However, after that Void Suprema died in battle, the Cloudview clan fell from power. A hundred years ago, their status plummeted once again when their elderly patriarch died, as the clan was left without even a single Void Morphora. If not for the fact that they had managed to recruit Xu Xiangyin in time, the Cloudview clan might have disappeared entirely.”
"Xu Xiangyin is a necessary existence for the Cloudview clan’s survival," Ke Jian explained, "Also, while the clan may have fallen from glory, they still maintain a considerable level of influence in the Voidforce Universe. Many have been helped by them in the past. If you can create a relationship with the Cloudview clan, it will not be difficult for you to gather the resources that we need."
Lu Yin stared at Ke Jian. This man must have been incredibly busy recently. For a person from the Transcendent Universe to gain such a clear understanding of the Voidforce Universe, he had to have conducted a very lengthy investigation.
The Transcendent Universe had not been idly waiting around while Zi Jing had been missing. They had prepared as many of the required materials for researching sequence particles as possible. Essentially, they had never given up on Zi Jing, and they had always acted as though she would be found eventually. In fact, they had acted more like Zi Jing’s absence was an extended vacation, rather than a true loss.
Lu Yin exhaled. "I understand. I will seek out the Cloudview clan when I return to the Voidforce Universe."
"First speak with Xu Xiangyin. If you use him as your connection, the Cloudview clan will treat you as their honored guest," Ke Jian suggested.
"By the way, what about the Void Yang clan and the Void Yin clan?" Lu Yin asked.
Ke Jian was taken aback. "Why are you asking about them? Do you know the two clans?"
Lu Yin gave a brief explanation of his encounter with Xu Heng and Xu Leng while traveling through the Void Pass. As Ke Jian listened, his eyes started to light up. "You have a good relationship with the two clans?"
"I have a good relationship with Brother Xu Heng and Sister Xu Leng," Lu Yin clarified.
Ke Jian was overjoyed. "Excellent! Xuan Qi, do you know that there is a specific material that is only produced at the intersection of the Void Yang and Void Yin clans' territories? We've tried hard to trade with both clans, but there have always been problems. Whenever one of the two agrees to a trade, the other sabotages the deal. We've even tried to negotiate with both at the same time, but those efforts were always bluntly refused. We've never been able to reach any sort of workable agreement. You having connections with both clans is perfect."
Lu Yin arched a brow, feeling that he had just stumbled upon something interesting.
"Wait here. I'm going to return to report this matter to Madam He Ran," Ke Jian said, unable to conceal his excitement. He immediately left with Zi Jing.
God of Mirrors shook his head after watching things unfold. As far as he was concerned, the Dao Monarch was completely dominating the current game.
"God of Mirrors," Lu Yin called out calmly.
The older man quickly approached. "Dao Monarch."
Lu Yin continued, "After a few more transactions, we can make a trip to the Transcendent Universe to see the situation for ourselves. There's no harm in demonstrating a bit of arrogance. While it is certainly appropriate to be impressed by the power of the Transcendent Universe, that does not make us in any way inferior to them. The power of the Rune Progenitor allows one to create things from nothing at all, which is something that no one else can do."
"But my current cultivation of Truesight makes it difficult to use runes outside of this region of this universe," God of Mirrors protested, feeling a bit troubled.
Lu Yin blinked at the man’s comment. That was true. Even Lu Yin was only able to use runes in other places because of the God of Flames’ figurine. Without the Semi-Progenitor-level runes from that small item, it would be impossible for Lu Yin to use Truesight in any other part of the Origin Universe, or any other parallel universe.
"Don’t worry about that," he replied, "The Transcendent Universe needs a lot of materials, so just act like you are already a future member of the Ruling Council."
Lu Yin then casually chatted with God Taiyi for a while. It was only natural that Lu Yin acted differently around the younger man than with God of Mirrors. Even so, God Taiyi and Lu Yin did not return to how they had been during their first meeting, as Lu Yin’s status had completely transformed since then.
After three days, Ke Jian returned, though this time without Zi Jing.
"Xuan Qi, Madam He Ran asks that you help us collect a certain material that is only produced between the territories belonging to the Void Yang and Void Yin clans. It is called dual-colored soil." Ke Jian was blunt with his request.
Lu Yin replied, "This junior is willing to help."
Ke Jian continued, "Your help will not be unappreciated."
As he spoke, Ke Jian pulled out a white energy converter. It was much like the man’s own, and it was similarly capable of unleashing a power equal to a Semi-Progenitor.
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