Chapter 2663 – An Unfathomable Person
Zi Jing suddenly remembered that, when she had first arrived in the Fifth Mainland, she had researched the local theories and knowledge regarding parallel universes. At that time, she had found some regarding the idea of varying flow rates of time in other universes. Did that mean that someone from the Origin Universe had already visited similar universes?
“Let’s focus on our research while we’re here. We don’t need to worry about any disturbances. There are only a handful of people in the entire Transcendent Universe who know about this universe, while the people here…” The mad old man glanced around the facility at the tens of thousands of people bustling about. “Will never have a chance to return."
Zi Jing’s brow furrowed subtly. She was not worried that she would not be allowed to return, as the study of sequence particles could not proceed without her. Even once they completed their research, they would still need her to execute and maintain the technology. No one could trap her in this particular universe, though she would naturally have to wait until her research was completed before she was allowed to leave. There was also no certainty regarding when that might happen.
What about the Dao Monarch? Would he be able to find her? As for Bai Qian, this marked the end of their cooperation.
That was a real problem.
…
In Aeternus Nation, Lu Yin and Mu Xie waited for Chen Le, who was finally delivered to the small parallel universe by a Fenglei clansman.
The two men had not been worried about the possibility that Chen Le might try to bring Monarch Luo or Mr. Daheng along. If the worst happened, the two would simply leave Aeternus Nation. The place was nothing more than a stopover. It was not the Fifth Mainland itself.
“Senior Chen Le, you haven’t disappointed me." Lu Yin smiled while heaving a sigh of relief internally. He was thrilled to be able to continue to use his alias of Xuan Qi.
Chen Le replied, "I’ve given the stone to Monarch Luo, and I also swear to cooperate with you. Please complete your side of our agreement and release your controls on me. From now on, I will be free, and neither of us will owe the other anything. Even if we find ourselves unable to cooperate, we will still protect each other"s secrets."
Lu Yin nodded. "Of course."
He then glanced over at Mu Xie.
The two men quickly removed the Death Seal and the trace of energy from inside Chen Le’s body. Once the two energies were gone, Chen Le felt a great deal of tension leave him.
He had taken a huge risk to travel to Aeternus Nation. No matter how confident Chen Le had been that Lu Yin would not resort to mutual destruction, the Monarch had still been quite nervous. After all, he only had one life, and he had been left with no choice.
Finally free from any foreign control, the man felt liberated.
Lu Yin"s eyes showed his conflicted feelings at this moment. Things were changing quickly. He had thought that he had a Progenitor under his control, but that joy had been short-lived. Could there truly be some invisible existence that forbade certain deeds? He looked up, staring at the dim sky of Aeternus Nation, but there was nothing to be seen at all.
"I wish to see Monarch Mu," stated Chen Le.
Lu Yin arched a brow. "Not just yet."
"Didn’t you say that Monarch Mu is working with you?" Chen Le asked as his brow furrowed tightly.
A smile spread across Lu Yin"s face. "What I told you was that she has no choice but to cooperate with me, as she will die otherwise. Still, she hasn"t given in just yet. Give her a bit of time, though I might need your help to persuade her."
Chen Le felt confused. "Where is she? Are you confident that you can restrain her?"
"Relax, you don’t need to worry about that at all." How could Lu Yin possibly allow Chen Le to see Monarch Mu at this point in time? Even if the chances were remote, he still needed to remain on guard against the possibility that Chen Le was secretly working with Monarch Luo. If that were the case, it would not be impossible for the Monarch to deliberately risk his life for the chance to save Monarch Mu. Even if the chances were only one in a billion, Lu Yin would not take the risk.
Chen Le did not push. After agreeing to cooperate with Lu Yin, the man shared everything that he knew about the three Monarchs. Naturally, the conversation lasted for several days.
Far away, Fenglei Guanqin stared at Chen Le, surprised to see even the leader of the Mo Courtyard joining Lu Yin. The patriarch’s respect for Lu Yin deepened even further.
However, Fenglei Guanqin had not been informed that Chen Le had already ascended to the Monarch realm. That knowledge would have shaken the man to his core.
From Chen Le, Lu Yin learned quite a bit about the three Monarchs. There was even specific information about Monarch Luo"s collaboration with He Ran, which included things like the destination for the materials exported from the Three Monarchs Universe. There was also the revelation that certain unsolved murders that had been committed in the Transcendent Universe had actually been carried out by members of the Mo Courtyard.
Bai Qian had originally had quite a few supporters within the Ruling Council, but most of them had died, and that could be traced back to the Mo Courtyard’s efforts.
After learning the location of the Transcendent Universe"s Energy Research Group, Lu Yin felt that he had learned of Zi Jing’s location.
However, what was even more astonishing to Lu Yin was the fact that Monarch Luo and Monarch Xing were not actually spouses.
"They aren’t married?" Lu Yin was taken aback. The whole Sixverse a.s.sociation knew that Monarch Luo was married to both Monarch Mu and Monarch Xing, which many people envied the man for.
It was common knowledge even in the Fifth Mainland.
Shockingly, the whole thing was nothing but a facade, which stunned Lu Yin.
Chen Le said, "Hard to believe, isn"t it? Still, it"s true. Of course, Monarch Luo hopes to see the rumors come true one day, as he’s always had feelings for Monarch Xing, but she has never reciprocated that affection. The only reason why she maintains the appearance of a relationship is for the sake of the Three Monarchs Universe, and for her own universe, which is known as the Starlight Universe. That is Monarch Xing"s homeland."
Not one of the three Monarchs were actually from the Three Monarchs Universe. The universe had once been afflicted with Time Poison, which had crippled the native cultivation system. The arrival of the three Monarchs had brought the monarch essence cultivation method to the universe, and when the three Monarchs joined forces, they were able to stand up to even Forgotten Ruins G.o.d. This had given the Three Monarchs Universe the chance to rise up and become an official member of the Sixverse a.s.sociation.
As for the Three Monarchs Universe, there was the marriage, but there was also a partnership.
"The Starlight Universe ended up as one of the sixty two parallel universes that form the Endless Frontier. Despite becoming a part of the battlefield, the people of that universe were moved to the Three Monarchs Universe, which is another reason why Monarch Xing continues to maintain the facade. The truth is that no universe can escape the war against Aeternus," Chen Le said.
Lu Yin asked, "What kind of person is Monarch Xing?"
Chen Le considered his answer. "She’s basically the opposite of Monarch Mu. Monarch Mu is rather rigid and domineering, someone who pursues authority and control. On the other hand, Monarch Xing is indifferent to politics or compet.i.tion, as she has never pushed for anything. As long as the people of the Starlight Universe remain safe, she is content. She is also incredibly talented. Monarch Mu needed to rely on Monarch Luo to become a Monarch, while Monarch Xing achieved it on her own."
"What about her strength?" Lu Yin inquired.
Chen Le again took a moment to respond, "It’s reasonable. She’s about as strong as Monarch Mu, but that"s mostly due to Monarch Xing’s personality. During every fight against Aeternus, Monarch Luo always charges to the front, while Monarch Xing maintains the Three Monarchs Formation and Monarch Mu oversees the entire battlefield."
Lu Yin nodded, having gained a basic understanding of Monarch Xing.
"Don"t bother trying to target Monarch Xing. Unless you take everyone from the Starlight Universe to the Origin Universe, you won"t be able to sway her at all," Chen Le cautioned. Influencing Monarch Xing depended almost entirely on the people of her native universe.
Lu Yin had no intention of doing anything to Monarch Xing. If she truly was as Chen Le had described, then she was someone with the same nature as the Progenitor of Bloodlines, and Lu Yin would feel guilty plotting against such an individual.
Chen Le continued to share his knowledge of the Three Monarchs Universe with Lu Yin, but Lu Yin was mostly interested in learning more about Monarch Luo. Unfortunately, Chen Le"s understanding of the man was rather limited.
"I heard that Monarch Luo managed to escape from the Hollow, creating a legend for himself. However, you don’t seem to feel that he is particularly impressive. You clearly don’t place him on the same level as Mr. Daheng," commented Lu Yin.
Chen Le responded with a bitter smile. "That"s because it’s a hoax."
Lu Yin was astonished.
Chen Le continued, "Without such a legend, how could the Sixverse a.s.sociation ever pay any attention to Monarch Luo? The truth is that Monarch Luo put on an act that made it look as though he escaped from the Hollow. He then complemented that demonstration by gathering tea leaves for the Great Sovereign. I"m sure that everyone believes that the Great Sovereign respects Monarch Luo, right?"
Lu Yin felt as though everything he had learned about the Sixverse a.s.sociation was being overturned.
“That’s another misconception that Monarch Luo created. Between people believing that he managed to escape from the Hollow, as well as people thinking that the Great Sovereign respects Monarch Luo, the three Monarchs achieved exactly what they want. How else could the Three Monarchs Universe qualify to be a member of the Sixverse a.s.sociation?” Chen Le chuckled. “Long ago, there was a parallel universe even more powerful than the Three Monarchs Universe, but it failed to become a member of the Sixverse a.s.sociation precisely because of the misunderstanding that Monarch Luo created. That universe ended up being absorbed into the Endless Frontier, and every last one of that universe’s experts died to the Aeternals. Without Monarch Luo’s act, the Three Monarchs Universe would have been doomed to take that universe’s place."
Chen Le looked at Lu Yin. "Monarch Luo is an incredible actor."
Was that true?
"Then why did the Great Sovereign cooperate with him?"
"The Great Sovereign did not cooperate with Monarch Luo. Rather, the Great Sovereign simply did not care."
After Chen Le left, Lu Yin went to speak with Monarch Mu.
For anything regarding Monarch Luo, Monarch Mu was undoubtedly the best person to speak to.
However, the woman’s answer differed from Chen Le"s. "An act? Once you enter the Hollow, it"s impossible to get back out. Do you really think that such a thing can be faked?
"Monarch Luo seems to have the Great Sovereign"s respect because of an offering of tea leaves? Do you know how many people have given the Great Sovereign tea leaves? All of them are peak powerhouses, as well.
"Whoever told you that Monarch Luo faked that must be out to get you."
After hearing Monarch Mu"s sarcastic responses, Lu YYin found himself somewhat at a loss as to what to believe. Chen Le was unlikely to lie to Lu Yin, and it was certainly far more likely that Monarch Mu was trying to build Monarch Luo up to appear to be a much greater threat to Lu Yin. However, Lu Yin had personally witnessed Monarch Luo attack the Ziyou Realm. It was true that Lu Yin had felt danger from the Monarch, but it had not been overwhelming. At the very least, Monarch Luo had not given Lu Yin the same mysterious and unpredictable feeling that he had felt from Xu Wuwei.
Who was telling the truth?
He Ran and Uncle Mo would not lie to Xuan Qi, and Chen Le was not likely to lie to Lu Yin, either. However, what he heard from them were completely contradictory statements.
Lu Yin left Aeternus Nation. He needed to return to the Three Monarchs Universe.
After Lu Yin left, Monarch Mu"s expression turned ugly. Someone from the Three Monarchs Universe had defected to Lu Yin’s side, and it had to be someone with a very high status. Who could it be?
As soon as Lu Yin returned to the Three Monarchs Universe, the first thing that he did was to make a trip to inspect the pa.s.sage to the Fifth Mainland.
Mu Shang had been at the pa.s.sage’s entrance when he had been attacked by a corpse king, which was a matter that fell within the scope of the Bureau"s responsibilities. Xuan Qi had been silent regarding the attack for so long that tongues had started to wag. If he did not thoroughly investigate the matter, it might rouse suspicions.
Fortunately, Chen Le had helped smooth things over by explaining that Xuan Qi was in the middle of investigating a spy and that the attack at the pa.s.sage was not an urgent matter. Furthermore, divine energy had been detected in the attack, and that was not something that Xuan Qi could handle on his own.
Even so, Lu Yin still needed to maintain appearances.
While he was on his way to the pa.s.sage, Xu Ji told Lu Yin him that Yao Lan had been punished by being sent to the Endless Frontier.
"This matter has stirred up the entire Cyclic Universe. Members of the Stone Gate believe that Yao Lan is responsible for the previous Sage Stone’s death, and thus are continuously demanding that the new Sage Stone obtain justice. As for Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciples, all of them are defending Yao Lan and claiming that she must have been framed by Cheng Feng. Both sides refuse to back down at all, and now that Sovereign Ninth Lotus has sent Yao Lan to the Endless Frontier, it"s as good as admitting guilt. This has made the Stone Gate even more furious," Xu Ji explained.
"At the same time, many of Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciples are furious with you. After all, Yao Lan didn’t intentionally leak the location of the previous Sage Stone. Sovereign Ninth Lotus would never have given her disciple such a punishment if it had been done on purpose. For this reason, many of Sovereign Ninth Lotus" disciples are determined to make you pay. They are claiming that you deliberately escalated the situation and are targeting Yao Lan."
Lu Yin remained calm. After all, those accusations were absolutely correct. He was trying to escalate things. Without stirring up a bit of trouble now and then, how else could he ensure that Xuan Qi would become known throughout the Sixverse a.s.sociation? How else could he find people to help make trouble for him when he eventually visited the Cyclic Universe?
Sovereign Shao Yin had instigated the Lu family’s banishment, while the Cyclic Universe had bullied the Origin Universe for some time without letting up at all. Lu Yin had a lot to do.