Star Odyssey

Chapter 3189: Pawns And Schemes

On the platform high in the air behind the statue, Bai Ni and the other hosts had expected something to happen during the auction. However, they had no intention of getting involved, as they lacked the strength to do so. Instead, they placed their hopes on Arch-Elder Zen.

The auction’s profits were going to be sent to the Heavens Sect. Part of the reason why the Bai Wu Universe had done this was because they wanted to use the Heavens Sect's reputation to intimidate the crowd. Unexpectedly, it was not enough to suppress people's madness.

Arch-Elder Zen watched the ensuing chaos calmly. It was clear that he had no intention of intervening.

The statue shattered, which caused Bai Ni's expression to fall. Even after that, he did not step forward. He and the other four hosts could not stop the madness in the plaza, as there were terrifying experts participating.

Bai Ni looked at Arch-Elder Zen, only to see that the man was staring at the members of Second Life who were trying to escape.

"You want to leave?" Arch-Elder Zen's voice rang out and entered the ears of the four members of Second Life.

The four people all looked up at the platform. The Heavens Sect?

"Take the stones and the hide, and everything from your past will be swept under the rug. Don’t, and the Heavens Sect will send the Inner and Outer Eight Paths out to execute you," Arch-Elder Zen stated in a deep voice that was dripping with bloodlust.

Throughout Second Life’s existence, they had been threatened countless times. At first, it had been others threatening them, but as time had passed, they had become the ones making threats. It had been a long time since they had felt intimidated by any threat, but this time, they knew that they had to tread lightly.

The Heavens Sect was an absolute monster. The Aeternals had suppressed humanity for countless years, to the point where humanity had struggled to resist. However, Aeternus had pushed too far, and they had lost control of the situation. That had led to the rise of the Heavens Sect.

As for Second Life, none of them cared about humanity or Aeternus. Whoever dominated the megaverse was irrelevant, as the members of Second Life only cared about themselves.

Even if everything else was ignored, the Heavens Sect had already risen to power. Even if the positions of the Inner and Outer Eight Paths had not yet been completely filled, there were still more than ten sequence powerhouses who held one of those two titles. Second Life had five members, but only two of them were sequence powerhouses.

What would it be like to be hunted by more than ten sequence powerhouses? Just the thought made their scalps tingle.

Second Shan looked past the ruins of the statue. "You're already fighting against Aeternus. Can you spare the manpower to deal with us?"

Arch-Elder Zen chuckled. "If we have to, then we'll send one of the Three Suns and Six Rulers, or maybe one of the Three Realms and Six Daos after you. Whatever works."

His words sent chills down the spines of the four members of Second Life. The Inner and Outer Eight Paths had terrifying numbers, but every last one of the Three Suns and Six Rulers or the Three Realms and Six Daos was an unbelievable powerhouse.

Second Life had survived a trap set for them that had included Sovereign Lotus, as they had not dared to face the woman. Dealing with experts who were even more powerful than that woman was unthinkable.

Despite Second Life’s confidence, the Heavens Sect stood at the pinnacle of the human race and could rally countless experts at a call. On top of that, Second Life had a terrible reputation, and there were many entire universes calling for their deaths. Given their infamy, being hunted by the Heavens Sect’s experts would pose a significant problem.

"Fine, we agree. But first, we need to take care of someone." Second Shan suddenly looked at a corner of the plaza. Huh? Where did he go?

He was searching for Lu Yin, as that person had thrown the stone at Second Life. Second Shan had felt a sense of great danger from the young man, which was why he wanted to attack Lu Yin. In addition to eliminating a threat, this would also test the Heavens Sect and reveal if the one who had targeted Second Life was someone else from the Heavens Sect.

If he was, then Second Life would prefer being hunted by the sect than remaining in the plaza. An attack from someone from the Heavens Sect would indicate that the sect was toying with Second Life. However, if the attack was not from the Heavens Sect, then Second Life might genuinely help the Heavens Sect. There was some interest in the positions of the Inner and Outer Eight Paths. If one of them could gain the position of one of the Three Suns and Six Rulers, that would be even better.

However, Lu Yin had already vanished.

When Arch-Elder Zen saw Second Shan's movement, the old man’s eyes narrowed. Second Shan was clever, and he had quickly come up with a way to test Arch-Elder Zen and the Heavens Sect. This person could not be allowed to live.

Most of the people present were fleeing from the plaza. Mr. Daheng, Luo Shan, and several other peak powerhouses were demonstrating a terrifying level of power, and no one weaker had any place in the battle.

Second Gu looked at the stone in his hand and hesitated. Should they leave or stay?

"Big brother, let's go," Second Shan said decisively. Even being hunted by the Heavens Sect would be better than staying in the plaza and waiting to die. He was sensing more and more danger every second. They could not stay.

Suddenly, Second Gang vanished. A card flashed through where he had just been standing before flying on towards the auction stage.

Second Gu was shocked. "Third brother!"

He reached out to grab the card but could not touch it. He watched as the card moved further away, and the frustration that had been building from the moment Second Life had entered the plaza finally erupted. Sequence particles surged and spread to fill the plaza.

Second Gu had comprehended the Law of Fear, and his sequence particles induced terror in his opponents. Anyone who touched his sequence particles would immediately feel fear when facing him.

At that moment, everyone who was still in the plaza was affected by Second Gu’s sequence particles.

Not even Mr. Daheng or Luo Shan were spared.

Lu Yin was in a corner of the plaza. He had been watching everything all along. Second Gang had been captured by Heavenly King, as Lu Yin had asked Great Elder Shan Gu to take action and force Second Life to stay in the plaza. Lu Yin was surprised by the strength of bandits, but it was a pleasant surprise. They just needed to be stalled until Tian Fa arrived.

No one had expected Second Life to attend the auction, and Lu Yin had not anticipated the presence of two other uncertain factors in the plaza.

There was a man and a woman whose expression had not altered the slightest bit since they had first entered the plaza. They had remained completely unfazed even when the chaotic battle had broken out. The more they looked at ease in the growing chaos, the more abnormal they appeared. They were another reason why Lu Yin wanted to force Second Life to stay around.

There were deep waters in the plaza.

Second Life was unable to leave for the time being. Their five members were connected by strong bonds, and while they did not care about the lives or deaths of others, they cared a great deal for each other. None of them would leave as long as Second Gang was a captive.

On the auction’s stage, Daheng waved his hand, releasing his Law of Lightness to slice through the void in a long slash as he tried to get close to the hide.

However, it was too difficult to get close to it. Luo Shan, who had initially agreed to work with Mr. Daheng, suddenly attacked.

A Monarch Arrow pierced through the void and appeared right in front of Mr. Daheng. The arrow managed to completely avoid the Arborean’s slash, as Luo Shan was also using his sequence particles; he had comprehended the Law of Transmission.

Mr. Daheng raised a hand to deflect the Monarch Arrow, and he then whirled around to glare at Luo Shan. "What are you doing?"

Luo Shan remained indifferent. "I thought that there were some real experts here, but it looks like you're still the one most likely to get something. That makes this nothing more than a contest between you and me."

Mr. Daheng was furious. "Are you insane? Arch-Elder Zen is here. Do you really think that he's the only one from the Heavens Sect who came? I don’t have any choice right now! Who threw the stones into the crowd? Who can use the power of time like that? Lu Yin is obviously here!"

It was as if Luo Shan could not even hear the other man. The Monarch reached for Mr. Daheng, monarch essence smashing the void open and exposing the Hollow. This was Luo Shan's Progenitor's world: Monarch's Domain.

Mr. Daheng was furious. This bastard!

The situation was already precarious in the plaza, and this was Mr. Daheng’s only chance to make a move, and yet Luo Shan was stopping him.

At this moment, the Heavenly King card floated out. Both Mr. Daheng and Luo Shan saw the card and simultaneously exclaimed, "Shan Gu?"

"Third Brother!" Second Gu's sequence particles spread out, still being recklessly dispersed.

Mr. Daheng shot a cold glare at Second Gu and then raised a hand to release a slash with the Law of Lightness, cutting right through the void.

Second Gu twined his arms around each other, grabbing at his joints to rip two bones out from his body. He then used them to block the approaching attack. Mr. Daheng’s slash slammed into the bones and sliced them in two. Second Gu was startled, and he barely avoided the attack. Where had this expert come from?

By pure coincidence, Second Gu brushed against Luo Shan's Progenitor's world, which had already started to devour everything nearby, and it even tried to pull Second Gu into the Hollow.

The man felt a terrible chill that numbed his scalp. This was another terrifying powerhouse.

"Big Brother, duck!" Second Shan called out, just in time. Second Gu dropped down out of pure reflex, just as another slash from Mr. Daheng’s Law of Lightness shot by. This time, it was aimed at Luo Shan.

Mr. Daheng had wanted to use Second Gu as a shield while attacking Luo Shan, but Second Shan's warning had allowed the man to duck out of the way within just enough time, while also warning Luo Shan.

The Monarch dodged the slash, and his expression chilled. "Daheng, you're still as despicable as ever."

Mr. Daheng sneered. "When it comes to being despicable, who can compare to you, Luo Shan? I’ve figured it all out. You knew that Lu Yin was here, and you’re acting on his orders. He’s behind this whole setup!"

In a corner of the plaza, Lu Yin felt helpless. These men were too sharp, and Lu Yin was not really able to say that the current situation was not his fault. He had been a bit too obvious.

There really had not been any other way. Since no one was going to make trouble at the auction, Lu Yin had needed to do it himself.

He had indeed been the one to orchestrate the auction, though the people of the Bai Wu Universe did not know anything about it. They had only been reacting to their circumstances. Similarly, Luo Shan had not known that Lu Yin was behind everything, and it was because of his ignorance that the Monarch had attended the auction. Lu Yin would not have been able to find Luo Shan without drawing him out of hiding.

Luo Shan knew that Lu Yin was present, and yet he still attacked Mr. Daheng. This was because Lu Yin had just told the Monarch to do so, as it was a chance to prove his innocence.

The entire goal of the auction and everything related to it was Tian Fa.

Mr. Daheng, Luo Shan, Second Life, the Bai Wu Universe, and all the other experts who had been lured to the auction were nothing more than pawns in Lu Yin’s scheme. While there had been a few unexpected developments, the overall goal had never changed.

Hmm? The goal just changed.

Lu Yin looked at the man and woman who were still as calm as ever. They were preparing to tear through the void in order to leave, but while others could be allowed to go, these two could not.

Lu Yin attacked. Infinity appeared, and the lines of strength collided as he used Extremes Must Be Reversed. A powerful punch was thrown at the man and the woman.

This punch shook the universe itself, causing it to howl.

Everyone still in the plaza was stunned by this attack.

The man and woman both turned to look at Lu Yin. The young man’s punches were powerful enough to threaten even sequence powerhouses. At the very least, both Mr. Daheng and Luo Shan were terrified.

The calm man confronted the punch on his own, and Lu Yin’s punch suddenly shifted in a direction and slammed into the floor of the plaza.

His eyes bulged. "Di Qiong!"

Di Qiong had just used his sequence particles, which manifested the law Under the Dome. In the past, Lu Yin had not understood why so many attacks aimed at Di Qiong had missed and had instead fallen at the man’s feet. Later, Lu Yin had realized that it was because of the law that Di Qiong had comprehended, which was called Under the Dome. As long as the man’s sequence particles remained intact, every attack would land at his feet.

Lu Yin had thought that Aeternus might send some powerhouses to the auction, but he had thought that it was more likely that no one would appear. While Lu Yin was scheming against Tian Fa, if one or two Aeternal powerhouses could be lured in as well, things could still work. He could simply trap both the Aeternus powerhouses and Tian Fa.

Since Di Qiong is here, then...

An arrow shot through the air, aimed straight at Lu Yin. She was also present; it was Arrow God.

"Not bad. Di Qiong and Arrow God? Two of the Three Pillars and Six Skies showed up. Aren't you afraid that you’ll be surrounded and killed?" Lu Yin dodged the arrow. It had not been moving fast and was not particularly powerful, but Lu Yin knew that the longer the battle dragged on, the more difficult it would become to avoid Arrow God’s attacks. Even Sovereign Dou Sheng would be riddled with arrows every time he faced Arrow God.

Di Qiong looked over. "Lu Yin, do you really think that you can keep us here? How do you plan to handle us while also dealing with Tian Fa?"

Lu Yin stared back at Di Qiong. "The Heavens Sect has plenty of experts."

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