Chapter 2677 – Lu Yin VS. Cloudflow
In order to ensure that the data that they obtained was perfect, the Transcendent Universe had only trapped and ruined Cloudflow’s body. However, they had never done anything to impact the man’s cultivation. Essentially, if Cloudflow faced a peer, he would be helpless, but as long as his opponent was someone weaker, he would be able to completely suppress them with his overwhelming quant.i.ty of power. After all, Cloudflow was someone with the ability to transform a universe.
Lu Yin just stood there and watched as the man tried to remove his Death Seal.
While Lu Yin had never tried to use a Death Seal on a peak powerhouse, once it was planted into a person’s body, it was extremely difficult to remove.
The power created by the G.o.d of Death was simply too overbearing.
While it might be impossible for Lu Yin to force a Death Seal into the body of a peak powerhouse who possessed their full strength, once it had been planted in their body, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to remove, regardless of their strength.
Chen Le had not been able to remove the Death Seal, and Cloudflow similarly found himself helpless.
This was the power of the G.o.d of Death, a battle technique that had been reserved for his sole heir. It was an ability created by one of the Three Realms Six Dao, the G.o.d of Death.
An energy that looked like flowing clouds enveloped the man’s body, and it continued to surge and radiate from him. It created an odd image that looked as though Cloudflow was standing in the sky. The energy spread further and further out until it filled the entire Aeternus Nation.
The members of the Fenglei clan were startled by the sudden appearance of the strange energy, but it was clear that they could not resist it.
Fenglei Guanqin was shocked, as he understood that this meant that a peak powerhouse was present. How could so many experts appear in this place? It felt as though one after another had visited Aeternus Nation.
Deep underground, Monarch Mu looked upwards when she sensed an unfamiliar energy that belonged to another peak powerhouse. Did Lu Yin actually have another expert hidden away? How was that possible?
Aboveground, no matter what Cloudflow tried, the Death Seal remained completely still. On top of that, as the man focused on the inside of his body in a daze, he wondered why his own energy felt so weak as soon as it came in contact with the strange black energy. It felt like a hundred children were pushing against a giant. No matter how hard those children tried, they would never be able to move the giant.
This power was domineering, utterly domineering.
Cloudflow turned to stare at Lu Yin. "What kind of energy is this?"
A smile touched Lu Yin"s lips. "One that’s beyond your comprehension."
Cloudflow could not believe what he was seeing. "This is impossible! How could I not be able to even shake a power that did not even come from another peak expert? Impossible!
“Could it be…?" The man suddenly remembered something. "Could this energy have actually reached that level?"
Lu Yin grew curious. "That level? What level?"
Cloudflow looked back at Lu Yin. "While I am unable to expel this energy, it also can"t suppress me. I can temporarily seal it off to deal with you. Child, I will admit that you possess great potential. If you cultivate this power, your future is unimaginable, but you are still too weak. Even if you possess an incredible power vessel, it is useless. Just give up. We can still cooperate, as you did save me."
Lu Yin laughed. "I still want to control you, so why don’t you try and see if you can deal with me."
Cloudflow’s eyes narrowed. "Your power may allow you to alter the rules of the universe, but it is just the power that does so, not you. Don"t be too arrogant."
"What do you mean by ‘alter the rules of the universe?’" Lu Yin’s curiosity was quickly mounting. Even at Cloudflow’s peak, he had only been roughly comparable to the Progenitor of Bloodlines, but for some reason, he seemed to possess knowledge that the Progenitor did not. Was it knowledge from the Transcendent Universe?
Cloudflow replied, "Each universe has its own rules in how it operates. According to the Transcendent Universe, these rules are called sequence particles. While peak powerhouses are able to alter a universe and create their own energy, that power is still at a level below the sequence particles. Only those with the power to influence or even alter sequence particles can be considered the most powerful. I am unable to do that, and there is no one in the entire Transcendent Universe who can.
"This energy that you have cultivated is undoubtedly capable of that, but while you control this energy, you are not its creator and are far from reaching that level yourself. Additionally, because you have cultivated this power, you will never be able to break through the limits of this energy’s capabilities. You will be forever limited by this power and will never be able to surpa.s.s the level of this energy’s creator."
Lu Yin understood what the man was saying. This was the line that separated the truly powerful experts at the Progenitor level from the rest. The Progenitor of Bloodlines and the Progenitor of Combat could both be regarded as average Progenitors, and maybe even the masters of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas were only common Progenitors. It was possible that they were also unable to influence sequence particles. However, the Three Realms Six Dao had been different; they had been exceptionally powerful.
In that case, what about the Origin Progenitor? Where did the Great Sovereign stand? What about Mister Mu? What about powerhouses at that level?
"How do you know about sequence particles?" Lu Yin was surprised by this detail.
Cloudflow sneered. "The Transcendent Universe originally wanted me to cooperate with them, and they told me that they wanted to study sequence particles. They also wanted to use me, a true powerhouse, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the universe. I refused, which is why they started their research project with me. They knew that experimenting would be useless, even if I had agreed to join them, though they might have simply not trusted me. After all, the research of sequence particles is their greatest secret and greatest ambition.
“They have already reached the level of average peak powerhouses with their energy converters and Bestowal Art, but they are now trying to research the ability to directly influence sequence particles. If they succeed, they might be able to truly change the balance of the Sixverse a.s.sociation. That sort of power is absolutely terrifying," Cloudflow solemnly stated.
Lu Yin nodded. "I am very grateful that you have shared this with me. You’ve already witnessed the power of the Transcendent Universe, and I’m sure that you don’t want to deal with them again. In that case, accept my control. If you don’t, you’ll suffer a fate not much better than what you suffered at the hands of the Transcendent Universe."
Cloudflow"s eyes instantly turned cold. "You still want to control me?"
"That’s never changed," Lu Yin replied with a smile.
Cloudflow spread his power out once again.
"You don’t need to bother checking—there’s no one here but me. If you can escape from me, that will simply prove your abilities. However, you don’t have the strength to do that." Lu Yin had no desire to waste time talking with the man, so he immediately used his Invest.i.ture of the G.o.ds. Golden light filled Aeternus Nation and illuminated the flowing clouds that permeated the s.p.a.ce. Light shone down upon the Fenglei clan, and it even shone through the death energy. It looked like a golden rainbow had fallen upon the ground.
Monarch Mu once again looked up, shock covering her face as she stared at the golden light that filtered through the death energy that trapped her. This light felt so holy that even she felt the urge to worship it. What kind of power was this?
Cloudflow felt a similar reaction. He stared at the Invest.i.ture of the G.o.ds in utter shock. What kind of power was this? The light was both brilliant and sacred, which made it difficult to look directly at the scroll. This youth had clearly used black energy earlier, but this golden light gave off a feeling that was in no way inferior to the black energy.
Just who was this young man?
After Lu Yin brought out his Invest.i.ture of the G.o.ds, Progenitor Nong’s image stepped out. This was the first and currently only Progenitor that Lu Yin had conferred into his Invest.i.ture of the G.o.ds.
In Lu Yin’s previous battles, the image of Progenitor Nong had never played a great role, and there had even been times when the image had not been even as effective as E Chi. However, at this moment, Lu Yin did not have E Chi or the jiao available. The only option was to use Progenitor Nong’s image to deal with Cloudflow.
Cloudflow stared at the summoned Progenitor Nong, and his eyes flickered. Was this a power that borrowed the strength of another? How could such a thing be possible?
Ignoring Cloudflow’s thoughts and reaction, Lu Yin took action.
The summoned Progenitor Nong waved a hand, and green leaves flew towards Cloudflow.
Cloudflow suppressed his shock. No matter who this child might be, he needed to win this battle. He refused to allow himself to be controlled by anyone. With this thought, the man’s energy that resembled flowing clouds surged forth from his body and slammed into the leaves. The impact clearly shook the leaves, and it nearly shattered them. However, Lu Yin was lucky that the leaves managed to resist the impact, and they continued on towards Cloudflow.
Lu Yin frowned and looked at Cloudflow strangely. This man was equal to a Progenitor, but he seemed incredibly weak. Progenitor Nong was not a particularly powerful expert, and he was absolutely greatly inferior to the masters of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas. Despite that, the surge of leaves that Lu Yin had used as a test to probe Cloudflow’s strength had actually overcome the attack. Something did not seem quite right.
One clash after another broke out, and the void warped and twisted. The cloud-like energy seemed to awaken, and it gradually gathered into thousands of cloud constructs that filled the sky in every direction. It looked like thousands of monsters were staring down, where each and every construct was more powerful than Cloudflow’s initial attack.
Lu Yin"s eyes went wide. This was absolutely ridiculous. From what he could see, he was surrounded by thousands of these cloud constructs, and each and every one of them was strong enough to instantly kill a Semi-Progenitor. The change in Cloudflow’s strength was incredible.
A short distance away, A-Mei was stunned. This was the power of Lord Cloudflow. She had once heard some older people mention the Lord’s Thousand Streams Shatter the Dao. That name had once represented Lord Cloudflow, and the Thousand Streams Shatter the Dao was exactly what A-Mei was currently witnessing.
"Child, I don"t care what strength you may possess. You can"t endure my Thousand Streams Shatter the Dao. Just give up. I’m willing to owe you a favor and help you, but I refuse to be controlled by you." Cloudflow and Lu Yin had moved far apart. Even if the older man’s limbs had been destroyed, he was still fully capable of exerting the power of a peak powerhouse who was capable of altering the universe.
Lu Yin looked around and commented, "Is this your Progenitor’s world? It"s rather similar to Xia Shenji’s, but," He paused as he looked back at Cloudflow. "This lacks the edge that Xia Shenji"s sword possesses."
Cloudflow"s eyes abruptly flared. The thousands of cloud constructs that filled the area all instantly crashed towards Lu Yin from every direction. At this moment, even the void was shattered, sealing off that path of escape. The only way for Lu Yin to avoid this attack was to enter the Hollow.
Lu Yin watched as the spatial lines were distorted, or even broken, by the cloud constructs. It was clear that it would be very difficult to avoid this attack even with his innate gift.
This was the power of a peak powerhouse. Even if they were unable to control the power of s.p.a.ce, they could still counter it to some extent.
After all, Lu Yin was still just an Envoy. Things would be different once he became a Semi-Progenitor. At that point in time, as long as s.p.a.ce did not completely collapse into the Hollow, he would still be able to escape. However, his current strength was insufficient to do that.
Since he could not escape from this attack, the only other option was to face it head on.
The image of Progenitor Nong vanished from in front of Lu Yin and returned to him. Lu Yin stood back to back with his summon, just as the cloud constructs descended.
He took a deep breath and pulled out the slipper.
Cloudflow saw the footwear and once again felt both stunned and confused. He would never be able to forget the image of this slipper shattering the base of the Bestowal Art cage that had trapped him. Not even his peak strength had been able to do anything against that cage. Just how powerful was this slipper?
He quickly found out for himself.
Each of the cloud constructs was instantly shattered by a single slap from the slipper.
Lu Yin let out a sigh of relief before letting out a boisterous laugh. As long as his slipper could shatter these constructs, it did not matter if there was one or a thousand descending upon him. Let them come!
Cloudflow was stunned silly. Was this even possible? His Thousand Streams Shatter the Dao was so powerful that even the Transcendent Universe had initially struggled against it. It had taken three of their experts with black energy converters launching a sneak attack to deal with this technique, but a mere child was now using a slipper to shatter Cloudflow’s greatest strength. The man’s Thousand Streams Shatter the Dao was completely suppressed, so he used the cloud constructs to seal off the area.
This meant nothing to Lu Yin with his innate gift of spatial control. Even if thousands of cloud constructs all fell upon him at once, he would be able to shatter them all with his power of s.p.a.ce. While his innate gift could not help him escape from his current predicament, the Thousand Streams Shatter the Dao could not hinder him, and he could break through. In fact, the tighter the cloud constructs piled together, the easier it was for Lu Yin to shatter them with his slipper.
It could only be considered Cloudflow’s bad luck. His greatest attack was too perfectly countered by the slipper.
Xia Shenji, whose Shenwu World consisted of endless blades and who also possessed the power of time, had posed a truly difficult combination for Lu Yin to defend against. He would have needed to use both the jiao and E Chi, but those two were not necessary against Cloudflow.
Lu Yin had not yet fought against any of the Sixverse a.s.sociation’s peak powerhouses, but he did know that Xia Shenji and the other Progenitors from the four ruling powers were not considered weak, even among their peers in the Sixverse a.s.sociation. In fact, they might even all be above average.
Even so, it did not matter how strong Cloudflow was, as his power was useless in Aeternus Nation. After all, there was a sea of death energy underground.