Star Odyssey-Chapter 3461: Nine Steps

Lu Yin was astonished. This light only appeared when one’s physical strength had reached the absolute limit within their cultivation realm, which was something that he had also once achieved.

This person’s cultivation was only equal to that of a Tianyuan Megaverse’s Envoy, which had an average power level of about 600,000. The man was comparable to the best of his generation, but he had also pushed his physical body to the limit of his cultivation realm, which made it impossible for the woman to breach the man’s defenses.

The woman unleashed an assortment of weapons, only for the man to effortlessly catch them all with one hand. She reluctantly retreated, her face pale. "I won't stop you. I forfeit this Nine Horizons."

During the Nine Horizons, one’s attitude was paramount. The man's fourth step had already overwhelmed everyone, and the woman had been forced to retreat. Her bearing, along with that of others like Shouhe Boy, had been utterly disgraced.

There was no need to wait for the end of this Nine Horizons.

The man took his fifth step, this time focusing on a bald man.

The bald man was wearing plain clothes and kept his eyes closed. He had not opened them since arriving in Ninerings City.

As the attacker approached, the bald man opened his eyes and met the antagonist’s eyes. Then, the bald man clapped his hands together. "Thousand Worlds Palm."

Someone shouted, "Thousand Worlds Palm? Isn't that the Thousand Worlds Demon’s technique? Then that must be his successor!"

"The Thousand Worlds Demon was once an incredible figure with a five-spirit ranking on the Black Spirit List. He was remarkably powerful, but he died in the Vast Qian Domain. It's said that the Thousand Worlds Demon tried to steal a battleship, wanting to traverse the Aevum Inch and go to the Consciousness Megaverse. However, he died fighting."

"Who would have thought that the Thousand Worlds Demon had a successor who would appear now?"

Boom!

There was a deafening sound as the bald man’s hand met his attacker’s. While the attacker’s physical strength had reached the limit of his cultivation realm, the bald man was only slightly weaker, and he also possessed the formidable Thousand Worlds Palm technique.

The power of the two men’s clash caused many onlookers to step back, leaving only a few older individuals that were still standing firmly in place.

Many young elites had been escorted back to Ninerings City by their elders.

In Ninerings City, the Nine Horizons was a contest for the younger generation, but occasionally, some elders would come out to bully the young.

At the moment, as people watched the two young men clash, killing intent flickered in one elder's eyes. He considered stepping in and eliminating both competitors on behalf of his young master.

Boom! Another collision rang out, and the bald man staggered back a step. Ultimately, his Thousand Worlds Palm could not match up to someone who had reached the limit of physical strength while they were in the same cultivation realm.

One step back. The bald man did not want to continue retreating, but he no longer had a choice. His attacker struck again, and the bald man was sent flying.

This was the man’s fifth step.

For the sixth step, the man suddenly turned to look at the tavern, at Lu Yin, who was still sitting inside.

In the shadows, the elder who had been considering attacking the man instantly stopped himself, horrified. This brat actually dares to target the Third Boss? Is he insane?

To the elder’s eyes, the man attacking everyone was a mere ant. He was nothing but a Spirit Warrior, while the old man was a Spirit Ancestor.

Even so, in the eyes of the Third Boss, a Spirit Ancestor was just another ant.

This young man was far too daring. He was simply gambling, betting all of his momentum for the Nine Horizons on this final step. He did not intend to complete all nine steps—just six of them. The sixth step’s target was the Third Boss.

To face the Third Boss head-on, there was no denying that the man’s courage was without equal.

Lu Yin arched a brow and smiled. So, he intends to use me as a stepping stone. He wants to ascend into heaven with six steps, building his momentum and demonstrating his ambition. Interesting.

The man stepped forward for his sixth step, moving straight at the tavern. He met Lu Yin’s eyes as he lashed out with a palm strike. As long as he survived this attack, his ambition would leave everyone in awe.

However, before the man could complete his sixth step, his body suddenly collapsed to the ground.

No one knew what had happened.

Lu Yin had retaliated. There was no denying the man’s courage, as he was genuinely unafraid of death. If he had taken his sixth step and survived, his name would have been recorded in the history of the Waterspire Grove. It was true that the young man’s bearing was unbeatable, as a mere ant had dared to challenge the heavens.

However, was Lu Yin someone who would be willing to pave the way for another? While that might be true in the Tianyuan Megaverse, in the Spirit Nidus, the stronger the young man became, the greater the potential threat he posed to the Tianyuan Megaverse.

So, he had to fall.

As for killing the man, that was simply not necessary.

An ant that challenged the heavens sought only the smallest chance of survival, relying not on its own strength, but rather on the heavens' indifference.

The man had succeeded, as Lu Yin had no desire to kill him. However, that did not mean that Lu Yin would allow the man to complete his sixth step either.

A comprehensive plan often hinged on a single detail. A gap in strength could not be overcome with pure ambition and courage; it had to be earned, step by step.

The crowd dispersed, leaving the man lying on the ground, seemingly lifeless and merely unaware of his own death.

The bald man stared blankly at the fallen figure. He could see himself in the fallen man. The only difference was that one had acted sooner... and then lost.

Both of them were independent cultivators. Remaining free from the oppressive dominance of the powerful factions that ruled the Spirit Nidus’s domains was no easy feat.

The bald man raised his head, looking at the tavern.

Lu Yin drank his wine, relaxing in the tavern while occasionally listening to Old Tao’s flattery. He was enjoying a carefree moment.

One day, the bald man would also achieve such a status. He would make it impossible for anyone in the entire Spirit Nidus to underestimate him.

As the Nine Horizons drew closer, more people resorted to every conceivable method to demonstrate their ambition and outshine all others. Strange and outlandish tactics were found in abundance.

Some even emulated the Grandverse Manor by provoking the Ascendant Hall, only to be obliterated without leaving anything behind.

Lu Yin could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for them as he watched.

On the eve of the Nine Horizons, someone completed the Nine Steps. For their ninth step, they directly targeted Ru Mu. With just one move, Ru Mu was defeated, and the person proved themselves as unmatched.

The man’s name was Ye Jun, and he had guaranteed a place for himself in the history of the Spirit Nidus the moment he defeated Ru Mu and completed the Nine Steps.

Ye Jun resonated with everyone's idea of a peerless gentleman. His demeanor was unmatched, his gaze was as sharp as a sword, and his ambitions were flawless. In an instant, countless women’s eyes lit up, feeling as if they were looking at another Yu Shan.

However, the very next moment, an unknown sword qi appeared out of nowhere and beheaded Ye Jun.

Even when dead, there was a smile on the man’s face. He had clearly believed that he had reached the pinnacle of his life. He had never known that reaching the peak would also be his final curtain call.

Many lamented Ye Jun’s fate. There was no doubt that he had been a genius. It was a waste and a pity to see him die.

No one knew who had lashed out, though there was no need to find out either. No one would stand up for Ye Jun.

Lu Yin looked away. He had seen who had attacked, but he had chosen not to intervene. Was the man’s death a pity? Perhaps. But that was also the cultivation world. The man had indeed been a prodigy, and yet his radiance had burned too brightly. If he could have avoided disaster and proceeded step by step, his future potential would have been limitless. But how many were actually capable of avoiding all such calamities?

There had been countless geniuses throughout history, but those who reached the end were not necessarily always geniuses.

In Ninerings City, Ye Jun was far from being the only one who was capable of completing the Nine Steps.

Not even Ru Mu had fully revealed her true strength yet.

Progress did not always involve moving forward. There were times when retreating was also progress, though most people would fail to see so.

One might think that Ye Jun’s death would instill fear in others, but to the contrary, two more immediately started taking the Nine Steps. This was the most effective method to succeed, as completing all nine steps meant standing above everyone else in Ninerings City. Who would not be tempted?

Ambition was a double-edged sword. Fulfilling it meant unmatched greatness, while failing turned ambition into pure arrogance.

Regardless of whether a person ended in greatness or as merely arrogant, it was still necessary to walk down the same path.

A woman with long purple hair drew everyone’s attention. Her first to seventh steps were almost instantly completed. The opponents that she had chosen were far from weak, especially her seventh target, which was the Augury Domain’s Misery Gate’s young Si Tu.

The Misery Gate was famous across the Spirit Nidus, as cultivators from that sect primarily focused on refining their hearts and tempering their willpower.

Willpower might not directly transform into strength, but it did represent perseverance and, to a certain extent, ambition.

The Misery Gate’s young Si Tu was not only strong, but he also possessed a willpower as solid as stone.

Not even Ye Jun had targeted the man.

Young Si Tu could be defeated, but surpassing his ambition would be exceedingly difficult. After all, the man would rather die than yield.

Even so, the purple-haired woman went after young Si Tu, using a single blade of grass to bewilder her target, ultimately defeating him.

This scene caused the Misery Gate’s Si Kon, who was here to observe Lu Yin, to grimace. Still, he did not act against the purple-haired woman.

There were people who could be challenged, and others who could not.

The purple-haired woman was someone who could not be touched.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

In Ninerings City, aside from the Third Boss, no one would dare to attack the purple-haired woman, as she had powerful people behind her.

For her eighth step, the purple-haired woman went after a man who appeared to be harmless, given his round face.

The man was startled by the sudden attack. "Zi Yi, what did I ever do to provoke you? Why are you targeting me?"

The purple-haired woman smiled faintly. "Stop the act. Others may believe that you’re just a junior craftsman from the Heavencraft Domain, but I don’t believe that at all. You’re definitely already a craftsman!"

The surrounding crowd erupted in disbelief. "Is that chubby man a craftsman from the Heavencraft Domain? Impossible!"

"How is that possible? I can’t believe it."

"It has to be true. If not, Zi Yi would have never chosen such a fatty as her eighth opponent."

"But that fatty doesn’t look anything like a craftsman..."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

...

As he heard the surrounding discussions, the chubby man’s face flushed red with rage, and he cursed, "You’re the fatties! Your whole family is fat!

"Zi Yi, you’ve brought this upon yourself! This Nine Horizons will be the end for you!" With that, the man spread his hands out wide, sending out silk threads that formed a net before shooting at Zi Yi.

The purple-haired woman cackled. "Fatty, so you're finally revealing yourself! Only a craftsman would dare to use the Heavencraft Domain's Everchanging Spiritsilk battle technique. Without reaching that level, it will backfire on you-"

Before she could finish, the round-faced man let out a wail. His arms were cut up by his Spirit Silk, and his blood splashed to the ground.

The crowd was stunned.

Zi Yi was also dumbfounded. What... what is going on?

The chubby man cried out in pain and agony. "I told you that I’m not a craftsman! I’m not a craftsman! You insisted that I was! Master, save me! Your adorable disciple is dying! Master-!"

The scene left everyone bewildered for a moment, and then they erupted into laughter.

The chubby man had been cornered, left with no way out by the various comments from the crowd. So, he had gambled and used the Everchanging Spiritsilk battle technique, but it had not paid off.

Zi Yi’s face turned the same color as her hair, and she started trembling with rage. This idiot! She had misjudged him the entire time. The damned fatty acted all enigmatic so many times! She had genuinely believed that the man was a craftsman, and she had specifically saved her eighth step for him. The final outcome was completely unexpected.

After all, not only had the fatty become a laughingstock, but so too had Zi Yi.

As for continuing on to the ninth step? That was out of the question. Her Nine Steps had been completely ruined.

Zi Yi clenched her jaw from anger as the fatty was fully occupied with begging his master for healing. She wanted to slap the man dead.

On the top floor of the tavern, Cai Keqing could not hold back the smile that spread across her face. Even she found the scene amusing.

Old Tao chuckled and shook his head. “So is this where Zi Yi’s journey ends? Who would’ve thought the Nine Steps could be undone like this?”

Lu Yin stared at Zi Yi. He had seen her before, though it was in the branch stream of the River of Aeons. She had been one of the young elites who had joined the invasion’s vanguard when they had gone to the Tianyuan Megaverse. She was quite powerful for her age and cultivation realm.

Lu Yin then turned to look at the chubby man who was still running around, searching for his master. The fatty had done it all on purpose.

Interesting. A very clever person.

Zi Yi had been unstoppable, and she had been quite confident about choosing the fatty as her eighth opponent. The chubby man was indeed capable of using the Everchanging Spiritsilk battle technique, but he had deliberately failed. He had injured his arms just to destroy Zi Yi’s Nine Steps. In doing so, he had eliminated a competitor without even needing to fight.

Out of everyone present, the fatty was the most intelligent.