Chapter 4390: Not One Less
Time passed. Lu Yin continued to pant heavily. His tri-colored divine energy had clearly weakened greatly, and his Manifestation Beyond the Pupil was also swaying unsteadily.
Chang Dou remained arrogant as a Godplume Spear shot at Lu Yin, its power undiminished. Does this human truly believe that he, an Aberrant, could contend with me?
Lu Yin teleported away to evade.
Trying to escape?
A surging river descended from the void. Lu Yin looked up, his expression changing. The River of Aeons?
Chang Dou soared upward and entered the River of Aeons. Rain began to fall across the cosmos. It was a rain with the power of time itself, dripping down as though washing the mirror of the cosmos clean, removing the dust and revealing the Godplume Spears that had always existed there.
Lu Yin was shocked. What is this?
“Human, you should feel honored. This is a battle technique passed down to the Plume Immortals: River Epoch. It is said that, during the war that destroyed the Nine Ramparts, many humans died to this technique. You will join them.” As the bird spoke, the Godplume Spears revealed by the rain of time shot forward in whatever direction they had originally been launched in. Lu Yin quickly teleported to evade them, but no matter where he went, more Godplume Spears continued to descend.
He moved far away from the Human Trio, appearing a distance equal to ten years’ travel, but more Godplume Spears still descended. These were not ones which had been revealed by River Epoch, but were launched by Chang Dou itself. The Plume Immortal was continuing to condense more spears through the rain of time so that they continually increased in number, or rather, repeatedly reappeared.
Lu Yin’s teleportation range was far inferior to Chang Dou’s. Although the bird could not see as far as Lu Yin, its attack range allowed it to sense Lu Yin’s location. He could not evade.
When fighting against Ming Yu, the bird had not used this battle technique. Still, Ming Yu’s Guard of Truth and Falsehood had been far more terrifying than this move. Even so, Chang Dou was using this just to further exhaust Lu Yin’s strength. Since he could teleport, the bird knew that it was impossible for it to actually land a blow.
Lu Yin had to ceaselessly teleport and constantly flee.
But while he fled, the Trio became riddled with devastation. The repeated Godplume Spears formed from time pierced the void again and again.
The Trio began to tremble upon the brink of collapse. Even Mister Mu and the others were affected and had no choice but to change positions.
Godplume Spears fell like rain, bringing catastrophe upon the human civilization. Countless people wailed as blood stained the earth red. Blood-colored dust rose into the sky as the cries of despair echoed out everywhere.
Lu Yin gripped his scythe tightly. His body trembled, his fury rising to the peak while he was consumed by a feeling of helplessness. No matter what methods he possessed, they could not be fully utilized against the combination of teleportation and Thousand Feathers, Thousand Changes. What he wanted was a battlefield where Chang Dou could not escape, a chance for a life-and-death bet. Either the bird would die, or Lu Yin would. One opportunity would be enough.
Far away, the Consciousness Megaverse was collapsing and restarting. Little Twenty-fifth, the Seven-Treasure Anura who had been living there, hurriedly fled, unable to see what had happened. They had only heard what sounded like bird cries.
Near the Willbound Spire, the thatched hut flickered faintly. In the palace upon the cliff, a figure that seemed to have sat there for countless years slowly opened its eyes. It turned in the direction of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and spoke with an aged voice that spread across the cosmos. “Pillar.”
Lu Yin’s gaze burned with killing intent as he stared at Chang Dou and listened to its triumphant cries. His thoughts raced. What could he use to create an environment that it could not escape from, where he could force this beast into a decisive battle? What could achieve that?
Suddenly his expression changed, and he looked into the distance as someone called out, “Pillar. Child, can you hear me?”
Lu Yin’s eyes trembled. That warm and familiar voice was the Origin Progenitor’s. “Origin Progenitor, is that you?”
“Child, you have worked hard.”
At that moment, Lu Yin’s eyes grew red. Hard? Yes. Memories surfaced one after another, of battle after battle and slaughter after slaughter. He had carried the banner of humanity and walked at the very front without regret, yet he had always stood on the edge of life and death. His struggle and inner anguish had truly been bitter.
He had never shown weakness to anyone, but the Origin Progenitor was different. He was the Origin Progenitor of the Tianyuan, the ancestor of all from that megaverse. “Origin Progenitor, how are you now?”
“I still cannot leave. This megaverse’s reset awakened me. Child, listen. I have seen countless civilizations and felt the hearts of countless beings. The cosmos is dark, yet hearts yearn for light. Civilizations appear to not communicate with each other, but the essence of protection is communication. That is the meaning of every civilization’s existence.
“I felt your heart. One thought holds countless worlds. The heart, the mind, the body—everything that exists in the cosmos can become infinite. This is what the existence I merged with allowed me to feel. So, I will use the reset of this megaverse to fulfill your wish. Child, live on. None of us can be missing.”
Lu Yin stared into the distance in the direction of the Consciousness Megaverse and smiled. Yes, none of us can be missing.
From within the River of Aeons, Chang Dou saw Lu Yin smile. Has the human gone mad? How can he still smile at a time like this?
Si Qin also saw Lu Yin’s smile and was struck by an inexplicable sense of unease. Suddenly, its pupils shrank, and it cried out, “Chang Dou, run!”
Chang Dou was startled and instinctively tried to teleport away, but it did not move. What’s happening?
At that moment countless people saw an entire megaverse appear. It overlapped with the cosmos itself and then descended between the Human Trio as it was reset. It enveloped Chang Dou.
It was the Consciousness Megaverse.
The megaverse’s reset cut off the bird’s ability to teleport, preventing its escape.
It was an immensely shocking sight. No one had imagined that such a thing would occur. How could a megaverse suddenly appear and descend? People had heard that megaverses could move, but never that one could descend in such a manner.
Both Si Qin and Chang Dou were utterly terrified. This was not a power that they could comprehend. Did this human civilization possess an even stronger powerhouse?
Lu Yin’s expression grew as calm as still water. The bird could not escape any longer. Good. In that case, it will be a fight to the death. Let’s see whose life is tougher—yours or mine.
He leapt into the shattered megaverse. The Consciousness Megaverse was being reset. Lu Yin did not know how the Origin Progenitor had moved the entire broken Consciousness Megaverse over, but it was probably not the Origin Progenitor’s power, but that of the being within the Willbound Spire.
The Consciousness Megaverse had been reset more than just once, yet the Willbound Spire had always remained.
Senior, watch carefully. I will collect some interest for our human civilization. Aberrant, slash.
Chang Dou turned back and extended its talons.
Bang!
With a tremendous crash, Lu Yin’s arms pressed down with divine energy, forcing Chang Dou downward as multiple Godplume Spears shot out.
The bird could not teleport, and neither could Lu Yin.
Human, whatever this is, you are doomed!
Tri-colored divine energy shrouded Lu Yin’s body. The Godplume Spears pierced him, but they only penetrated a few inches and failed to truly break through. When he had first used the tri-colored divine energy transformation, he had already been able to block Ni Ren’s twin blades with just divine energy. The attacks with those blades had included a cosmic law and had been able to cut through anything. Two strikes had shattered Lan Meng’s blue coffin, but they had failed to sever Lu Yin’s body.
Later, during his battle against Ming Yu, divine energy alone had not been enough to withstand the bird’s Godplume Spears. However, destroying the Plume Immortals’ great tree had caused Lu Yin’s physical body to transform, multiplying his strength and drastically increasing his toughness. This had granted him the strength to withstand the Godplume Spears of two-law Plume Immortals, such as Chang Dou and Ming Yu.
He still could not block Nan Ling’s Godplume Spears, but Chang Dou could never defeat Lu Yin with its spears alone.
Avoiding direct confrontation did not mean that Lu Yin was incapable of it.
Godplume Spears pierced into his body one after another, and his blood scattered across the stars. At the same time, Lu Yin swept his scythe sideways, and Activeness surged into Chang Dou’s body. For the first time, Aberrant’s blade struck the bird, and a bleeding wound appeared on Chang Dou’s wing.
The Plume Immortal lunged at Lu Yin’s face. His Manifestation Beyond the Pupil appeared, along with the fifteen black armor plates.
Bang!
The two collided. Lu Yin twisted aside while grabbing at Chang Dou’s beak, his body withering and recovering as he endlessly absorbed power.
Chang Dou’s talons raked across the void, opening up countless spatial rifts. The Consciousness Megaverse was being reset, and yet the battle taking place within it looked like a scene from the apocalypse.
Lu Yin’s Manifestation Beyond the Pupil shifted to block the talons. He leapt upwards, throwing a punch straight at Chang Dou’s head.
The bird’s wings overturned the universe, causing shockwaves to tear through the Consciousness Megaverse like a river, yet they could not throw Lu Yin off. His punch smashed the wing downward with the sharp crack of a breaking bone.
Chang Dou had never expected Lu Yin’s physical strength to be so absurd. How could a mere Aberrant possess such power? He could even withstand its Godplume Spears. This should be impossible, completely impossible.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lu Yin grabbed Chang Dou’s beak. “I said that I would tear your beak apart.”
There was a tearing sound, and Chang Dou wailed while retreating back again and again. Its furious shrieks echoed across the megaverse as the flesh beside its beak was torn open and blood stained its eyes red.
Its killing intent spiked violently, and Godplume Spears shot out wildly as its talons slashed forward.
Bang, bang, bang!
The black armor plates blocked the talons as the Godplume Spears impaled Lu Yin’s body. Enduring the pain, he twisted his scythe around and slashed again. His right hand swung while his left hand pressed down. As a result, his immense strength dragged the scythe’s blade across Chang Dou’s talons, drawing blood. Darkness sliced across the stars, splitting the collapsing Consciousness Megaverse in two and carving a black line through the cosmos.
In the distance, Si Qin, Mister Mu, and the others all watched on in shock. This was a bloody brawl where neither side would retreat. The most primitive type of fight unfolded. The two had forgotten their battle techniques and innate gifts and were using nothing more than the instinctive savagery of beasts as they fought to the death.
Blood sprayed out, scorching the void as the Consciousness Megaverse’s reset accelerated. Countless bits of Immortal matter drifted down like snow.
The River of Aeons had long since vanished.
Watching Lu Yin and Chang Dou clash in such a brutal melee, Si Qin initially believed the fight to favor Chang Dou. Yet, as the battle continued, something felt wrong. Although Lu Yin bled, his strength was not weakening in the slightest. He kept pressing Chang Dou back, and one of Chang Dou’s wings had been nearly torn off. The feathers on its head were already gone, and its flesh had been torn open, leaving it in a miserable state.
It did not want to step onto that battlefield. Teleportation would not work in the collapsing megaverse, and it could not understand why. Was it possible that this human civilization still had another supreme expert who had not yet taken action? Or was it someone from Obscura? Si Qin remained on edge.
It was impossible for it to enter, so it could only shout, “Chang Dou, do not fight him to the death!”
Chang Dou shrieked and pushed Lu Yin away with all its strength. Its pupils shrank to pinpricks. There was yet another disadvantage that it faced in this life-and-death struggle: it could not look. It could not look at Lu Yin. The moment it did so, it might be immobilized, and that would be its end.
This human was unbelievably difficult to deal with. Was this the true face of human civilization?
Lu Yin charged forward yet again, intending to kill the bird before the Consciousness Megaverse could finish resetting.
Chang Dou retreated, not out of fear, but because it believed that there was no need to fight this human to the death. It felt as though this human’s power was slowly increasing. Something’s wrong.
It attempted to rush out of the megaverse, but without the ability to teleport, Chang Dou could not move any faster than Lu Yin. This was especially so when Lu Yin released his inner universe and used the Cosmic Art to shatter multiple stars, blocking Chang Dou’s escape. With no path out, the bird turned back around as an invisible force spread out from it.
