"So what? Everyone in Leon’s Armada is a pirate, so give us what you found!" The pursuers had already caught up to the fleeing man, and one of them instantly attacked with a long knife.
The escaping man turned pale, and he screamed, “Don’t kill me! I’ll give it to you!"
"Too late!" There was no hesitation as the blade continued to descend. However, there was a ringing sound, and the knife suddenly snapped. It broke at the hilt and harmlessly flew past the frightened man’s neck.
The man’s attacker was horrified by this development, and he quickly glanced around. "Who’s interfering?"
Lu Yin emerged from the void. He took a few light steps through the air, and a gust of wind blew all the attackers away with an irresistible strength. Fortunately, Lu Yin was not vicious with his attack, or else everyone here would have already died.
Regular cultivators were simply not strong enough to wander around the Cosmic Sea, and Lu Yin’s casual attack was more than enough for the people here to realize that Lu Yin’s strength far surpassed their own.
The targeted man had escaped death. He gasped for air as he looked over at Lu Yin and quickly thanked him.
"There’s no need to thank me. Just give me what you’re holding in your hand. That will count as thanks," Lu Yin indifferently replied.
The man barely hesitated before he stretched out his hand. "It's yours."
A certain nearby cultivator was clearly in the same group as the man who had been targeted, and it was also clear that this companion was unwilling to let their prize be given away. Still, the man did not dare to say anything, as Lu Yin’s strength far surpassed anything they could handle.
"I’m taking something from you, so here’s some compensation." Lu Yin tossed out a hundred star essence before he disappeared.
There was a thump as the hundred star essence fell into the sea. The man whom Lu Yin had saved was momentarily startled, but he quickly recovered and grabbed the star essence.
"Boss, he gave you this much star essence? This is enough for all of us!" The man’s companion saw what Lu Yin had done and was shocked by the generosity.
The man gulped. He had originally wanted to sell the treasure that he had found, and he would have considered it a win if he had gotten a dozen or so star essence for it. He had just been robbed, and he had not expected the thief to be generous enough to pay such an exorbitant amount of star essence.
"Second Bro, we just met someone very important," the man said in a dry tone as he did his best to suppress the excitement in his eyes while he quickly put the star essence away. "Let’s go!"
"Boss, why do I feel like that person looked a bit familiar? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before."
"I’m pretty sure he’s someone important, so don’t bother worrying about it. His status has nothing to do with us, so let’s just focus on avoiding our pursuers for now."
…
Lu Yin reappeared back on the Arcadian Arrow Crew’s battleship. He opened his hand, and a surprised smile appeared on his face.
He was looking at a grain of fatesand! He really had not expected to come across more of this in the Cosmic Sea; perhaps it really was fate.
Hai Dalu stared at what Lu Yin was holding, and he was also shocked by what he saw. “Is that fatesand?"
"I was lucky."
Hai Dalu was genuinely impressed. "I've only ever heard of fatesand before, and I certainly didn’t expect to see any today! This is an impressive opportunity!"
Lu Yin quickly put the fatesand away. "I’m actually collecting the stuff, so if you hear of any more, let me know and I’ll make it worth your while."
Hai Dalu smiled. "If I find out anything, I’ll definitely let you know. Actually, I really want to ask you for some help, Alliance Leader Lu."
"Oh?" Lu Yin glanced at the man. From the time that Lu Yin had first stepped foot on the battleship, all the other crew members had been avoiding him, even the captain. However, the first mate had stuck close to Lu Yin, and there seemed to be a motive behind his actions.
"I’m not sure if you might remember Zhang Chiting, Alliance Leader Lu?" Hai Dalu quietly asked.
Lu Yin's expression instantly changed, and his head spun around to stare at Hai Dalu as though he were seeing the man for the very first time. "Are you from the Hidden Earth Society?"
Hai Dalu nodded. "I wanted to tell you as soon as I saw you, but I’ve been hesitant this whole time. Yes, I’m part of the Hidden Earth Society."
Lu Yin had not expected to run into someone from the Hidden Earth Society here. He had first learned about the group from Huo Qingshan, but even after that, Lu Yin had only ever managed to learn a tiny bit more. In fact, all he knew was that the organization tried to protect Earth and was associated with the primeval surnames.
Due to a Possession, Lu Yin had learned that the Hidden Earth Society also existed in the Perennial World. However, the organization seemed to be far more powerful in the Perennial World than in the Fifth Mainland, though it was shrouded in fog of mystery in both places.
Lu Yin had already learned about the history behind the primeval surnames in the Fifth Mainland, but what about the Hidden Earth Society? What about the Primeval Surname Alliance? What was the story behind those two organizations?
"Since you’re from the Hidden Earth Society, please do me the same favor as Zhang Chiting," Lu Yin requested.
Hai Dalu sighed. "It won't be long before Earth experiences another extinction cycle."
The man grew somber as he stared at Lu Yin. "We are helpless and can’t do anything to help Earth. The only one who can is you! Alliance Leader Lu, I beg you, help Earth!"
"Tell me everything you know about the Hidden Earth Society," Lu Yin replied.
Hai Dalu showed no hesitation and easily revealed everything he knew.
The first mate’s knowledge of the Hidden Earth Society was the same as what Lu Yin had learned from Huo Qingshan and Zhang Chiting. None of them knew how the society had started, and no one knew what was in Jupiter, which was disappointing to Lu Yin.
"How many people are part of the Hidden Earth Society right now?" Lu Yin asked.
Hai Dalu revealed a bitter smile upon hearing this question. "I know of about a dozen people, all of them under me. I’m not sure how many others there are, as we don’t have any real centralized leadership. There are some people who enter Jupiter, others who leave, and yet more who just stay on Earth. Alliance Leader Lu, if you think that you can use the Hidden Earth Society for your own use, I can tell you right now that it’s pointless.
"By the way, there’s something you should know: I was the one who took Zhang Dingtian, Bai Xue, Xu San, and Seruzen away."
Once again, Lu Yin was surprised by his conversation with Hai Dalu. "You took them?"
Hai Dalu nodded. "I wanted to intervene at the end of the trial on Earth, but there were too many people present. On top of the people from the Great Yu Empire, there were also people from the Daynight clan and the Mavis clan. It was truly incredible. At that time, I saw Alliance Leader Lu turn the tide and save Earth, and then I watched as Zhang Dingtian and the others left with you.
"I followed all of you into the Great Yu Empire. While you were in the Astral Combat Academy, I grabbed Zhang Dingtian and the others and took them away, as none of them had any future if they stayed in the Great Yu Empire. Back then, I had no idea that you would one day reach your current level, as there was actually no reason to take any of them."
Lu Yin was well aware that Hai Dalu was an Enlighter, and it would have been all too easy for him to take a few people away from the Great Yu Empire. The only person in the entire empire who might have been able to do anything about it had been Undying Yushan, but the former emperor had been masquerading as a Hunter at that time, so it would have been impossible for him to do anything at all.
"All of them were talented youths, so I wanted to take them out into the universe to gain experience. I left Zhang Dingtian on Grayweed Continent when I passed through the Starfall Sea, Xu San was brought to the Cosmic Sea, Seruzen was dropped off in the Innerverse, and Bai Xue was left in the Outerverse. I firmly believe that Earthlings are not people who will easily fail or fall and that each one would find their own opportunities."
"You caused Bai Xue to become controlled by someone, Xu San nearly died, and Seruzen’s completely disappeared. Zhang Dingtian was the only one to have slightly better luck, as he received the Blacktop Dojo’s inheritance and later joined Mt. Stacks Dojo," Lu Yin said commented.
Haidalu's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! If one of them was able to rise up, that’s plenty."
Lu Yin shook his head, as his thoughts did not align with Hai Dalu’s at all, though he also could not say that the man was completely wrong.
Earth was a completely average planet and had no ability to offer its people exceptional opportunities or even provide its cultivators enough resources. Lu Yin had managed to rise from an ordinary human to an Enlighter, but that was not an easy path to take in the universe. Also, Lu Yin’s mind worked differently from most people’s.
"Alliance Leader Lu, you’re someone who’s spent some time living on Earth, so if possible, please save Earth!" Hai Dalu repeated his request.
Lu Yin felt curious about something. "You never revealed yourself before, so why now?"
Hai Dalu's eyes flickered. "Because you gave that person compensation."
"Just because of that?" Lu Yin was taken aback.
Hai Dalu grew solemn. "After leaving Earth, you have risen step by step until you’ve reached the Enlighter realm. This path is unimaginable for most people. I’m also someone who’s never received outside support, and it’s difficult to find friends and family in situations like ours. I’ve seen an unimaginable amount of hypocrisy, and I’m someone who’s also survived my own share of desperate moments, which is why I believe myself to be someone with a talent for reading through people. Alliance Leader Lu, you saved that man’s life and then were also willing to compensate him with star essence for the fatesand. At the very least, this tells me that you have a bottom line that you will not cross."
Lu Yin laughed. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"I'm not in any position to praise you, and I’m simply stating the truth," Hai Dalu replied.
With their ties to the Hidden Earth Society, the two’s relationship imperceptibly grew closer. Lu Yin had never viewed the Hidden Earth Society as a threat because he viewed Earth as his second home planet.
The truth was that many planets would do their best to protect themselves after they joined the greater universe and became part of the cultivation civilization. In essence, each planet would form their own organization in hopes of carving out a place for themselves in the universe. Unfortunately, most failed to accomplish this.
The Great Eastern Alliance was an alliance, as the various members all belonged to different regions of the Innerverse and Outerverse while the Hidden Earth Society was essentially a planetary alliance for Earth.
"After we pass through this upside-down sea, we’ll enter Leon's Armada’s territory," Hai Dalu stated as he pointed to an area up ahead. That area was not an endless sea like the one they had been sailing across, but rather two seas, and the second was upside-down. Another ship was sailing closer to the upside-down sea, and the moment it came in contact with the reversed area, the ship flipped over. It was a very strange sight.
This area also had more ships around it, as well as numerous small islands.
"Leon’s Armada controls most of the Cosmic Sea, and the people who care for various regions within their territory are given a corresponding amount of resources as payment for their work. As for actual protection, that’s left up to Leon's Armada itself…" Hai Dalu explained.
Lu Yin was quite impressed, as this was a very lively area. The people he saw were not afraid of Leon’s Armada. Rather, it was quite clear that Leon’s Armada was admired by these people.
Upon entering the upside-down sea, the Arcadian Arrow Crew’s battleship also turned upside down as it continued sailing across the blue sea.
Right after they entered the new region, the weather shifted, and red raindrops began to fall, dying the entire sea red.
No one hid or anything, as this red rain was quite common in the Cosmic Sea.
The arrival of the Arcadian Arrow Crew drew a bit of attention, but no one moved to stop them. They continued sailing along without issue until they approached a warship from Leon’s Armada.
At this point, the captain and the other crew members all stepped out to say goodbye to Lu Yin, as they all wanted him to leave. However, a smile spread across Lu Yin’s face. "You have other guests on board, so even if you want to leave, you should first greet your guests."
The captain and the others were all taken aback. Guests? None of them had noticed a thing.
"Cap- Captain! Behind you!" someone squeezed out.
The captain spun around. The red rain was still falling, but it was bouncing off of a humanoid figure behind him, revealing this hidden guest.
"So what? Everyone in Leon’s Armada is a pirate, so give us what you found!" The pursuers had already caught up to the fleeing man, and one of them instantly attacked with a long knife.
The escaping man turned pale, and he screamed, “Don’t kill me! I’ll give it to you!"
"Too late!" There was no hesitation as the blade continued to descend. However, there was a ringing sound, and the knife suddenly snapped. It broke at the hilt and harmlessly flew past the frightened man’s neck.
The man’s attacker was horrified by this development, and he quickly glanced around. "Who’s interfering?"
Lu Yin emerged from the void. He took a few light steps through the air, and a gust of wind blew all the attackers away with an irresistible strength. Fortunately, Lu Yin was not vicious with his attack, or else everyone here would have already died.
Regular cultivators were simply not strong enough to wander around the Cosmic Sea, and Lu Yin’s casual attack was more than enough for the people here to realize that Lu Yin’s strength far surpassed their own.
The targeted man had escaped death. He gasped for air as he looked over at Lu Yin and quickly thanked him.
"There’s no need to thank me. Just give me what you’re holding in your hand. That will count as thanks," Lu Yin indifferently replied.
The man barely hesitated before he stretched out his hand. "It's yours."
A certain nearby cultivator was clearly in the same group as the man who had been targeted, and it was also clear that this companion was unwilling to let their prize be given away. Still, the man did not dare to say anything, as Lu Yin’s strength far surpassed anything they could handle.
"I’m taking something from you, so here’s some compensation." Lu Yin tossed out a hundred star essence before he disappeared.
There was a thump as the hundred star essence fell into the sea. The man whom Lu Yin had saved was momentarily startled, but he quickly recovered and grabbed the star essence.
"Boss, he gave you this much star essence? This is enough for all of us!" The man’s companion saw what Lu Yin had done and was shocked by the generosity.
The man gulped. He had originally wanted to sell the treasure that he had found, and he would have considered it a win if he had gotten a dozen or so star essence for it. He had just been robbed, and he had not expected the thief to be generous enough to pay such an exorbitant amount of star essence.
"Second Bro, we just met someone very important," the man said in a dry tone as he did his best to suppress the excitement in his eyes while he quickly put the star essence away. "Let’s go!"
"Boss, why do I feel like that person looked a bit familiar? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before."
"I’m pretty sure he’s someone important, so don’t bother worrying about it. His status has nothing to do with us, so let’s just focus on avoiding our pursuers for now."
…
Lu Yin reappeared back on the Arcadian Arrow Crew’s battleship. He opened his hand, and a surprised smile appeared on his face.
He was looking at a grain of fatesand! He really had not expected to come across more of this in the Cosmic Sea; perhaps it really was fate.
Hai Dalu stared at what Lu Yin was holding, and he was also shocked by what he saw. “Is that fatesand?"
"I was lucky."
Hai Dalu was genuinely impressed. "I've only ever heard of fatesand before, and I certainly didn’t expect to see any today! This is an impressive opportunity!"
Lu Yin quickly put the fatesand away. "I’m actually collecting the stuff, so if you hear of any more, let me know and I’ll make it worth your while."
Hai Dalu smiled. "If I find out anything, I’ll definitely let you know. Actually, I really want to ask you for some help, Alliance Leader Lu."
"Oh?" Lu Yin glanced at the man. From the time that Lu Yin had first stepped foot on the battleship, all the other crew members had been avoiding him, even the captain. However, the first mate had stuck close to Lu Yin, and there seemed to be a motive behind his actions.
"I’m not sure if you might remember Zhang Chiting, Alliance Leader Lu?" Hai Dalu quietly asked.
Lu Yin's expression instantly changed, and his head spun around to stare at Hai Dalu as though he were seeing the man for the very first time. "Are you from the Hidden Earth Society?"
Hai Dalu nodded. "I wanted to tell you as soon as I saw you, but I’ve been hesitant this whole time. Yes, I’m part of the Hidden Earth Society."
Lu Yin had not expected to run into someone from the Hidden Earth Society here. He had first learned about the group from Huo Qingshan, but even after that, Lu Yin had only ever managed to learn a tiny bit more. In fact, all he knew was that the organization tried to protect Earth and was associated with the primeval surnames.
Due to a Possession, Lu Yin had learned that the Hidden Earth Society also existed in the Perennial World. However, the organization seemed to be far more powerful in the Perennial World than in the Fifth Mainland, though it was shrouded in fog of mystery in both places.
Lu Yin had already learned about the history behind the primeval surnames in the Fifth Mainland, but what about the Hidden Earth Society? What about the Primeval Surname Alliance? What was the story behind those two organizations?
"Since you’re from the Hidden Earth Society, please do me the same favor as Zhang Chiting," Lu Yin requested.
Hai Dalu sighed. "It won't be long before Earth experiences another extinction cycle."
The man grew somber as he stared at Lu Yin. "We are helpless and can’t do anything to help Earth. The only one who can is you! Alliance Leader Lu, I beg you, help Earth!"
"Tell me everything you know about the Hidden Earth Society," Lu Yin replied.
Hai Dalu showed no hesitation and easily revealed everything he knew.
The first mate’s knowledge of the Hidden Earth Society was the same as what Lu Yin had learned from Huo Qingshan and Zhang Chiting. None of them knew how the society had started, and no one knew what was in Jupiter, which was disappointing to Lu Yin.
"How many people are part of the Hidden Earth Society right now?" Lu Yin asked.
Hai Dalu revealed a bitter smile upon hearing this question. "I know of about a dozen people, all of them under me. I’m not sure how many others there are, as we don’t have any real centralized leadership. There are some people who enter Jupiter, others who leave, and yet more who just stay on Earth. Alliance Leader Lu, if you think that you can use the Hidden Earth Society for your own use, I can tell you right now that it’s pointless.
"By the way, there’s something you should know: I was the one who took Zhang Dingtian, Bai Xue, Xu San, and Seruzen away."
Once again, Lu Yin was surprised by his conversation with Hai Dalu. "You took them?"
Hai Dalu nodded. "I wanted to intervene at the end of the trial on Earth, but there were too many people present. On top of the people from the Great Yu Empire, there were also people from the Daynight clan and the Mavis clan. It was truly incredible. At that time, I saw Alliance Leader Lu turn the tide and save Earth, and then I watched as Zhang Dingtian and the others left with you.
"I followed all of you into the Great Yu Empire. While you were in the Astral Combat Academy, I grabbed Zhang Dingtian and the others and took them away, as none of them had any future if they stayed in the Great Yu Empire. Back then, I had no idea that you would one day reach your current level, as there was actually no reason to take any of them."
Lu Yin was well aware that Hai Dalu was an Enlighter, and it would have been all too easy for him to take a few people away from the Great Yu Empire. The only person in the entire empire who might have been able to do anything about it had been Undying Yushan, but the former emperor had been masquerading as a Hunter at that time, so it would have been impossible for him to do anything at all.
"All of them were talented youths, so I wanted to take them out into the universe to gain experience. I left Zhang Dingtian on Grayweed Continent when I passed through the Starfall Sea, Xu San was brought to the Cosmic Sea, Seruzen was dropped off in the Innerverse, and Bai Xue was left in the Outerverse. I firmly believe that Earthlings are not people who will easily fail or fall and that each one would find their own opportunities."
"You caused Bai Xue to become controlled by someone, Xu San nearly died, and Seruzen’s completely disappeared. Zhang Dingtian was the only one to have slightly better luck, as he received the Blacktop Dojo’s inheritance and later joined Mt. Stacks Dojo," Lu Yin said commented.
Haidalu's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! If one of them was able to rise up, that’s plenty."
Lu Yin shook his head, as his thoughts did not align with Hai Dalu’s at all, though he also could not say that the man was completely wrong.
Earth was a completely average planet and had no ability to offer its people exceptional opportunities or even provide its cultivators enough resources. Lu Yin had managed to rise from an ordinary human to an Enlighter, but that was not an easy path to take in the universe. Also, Lu Yin’s mind worked differently from most people’s.
"Alliance Leader Lu, you’re someone who’s spent some time living on Earth, so if possible, please save Earth!" Hai Dalu repeated his request.
Lu Yin felt curious about something. "You never revealed yourself before, so why now?"
Hai Dalu's eyes flickered. "Because you gave that person compensation."
"Just because of that?" Lu Yin was taken aback.
Hai Dalu grew solemn. "After leaving Earth, you have risen step by step until you’ve reached the Enlighter realm. This path is unimaginable for most people. I’m also someone who’s never received outside support, and it’s difficult to find friends and family in situations like ours. I’ve seen an unimaginable amount of hypocrisy, and I’m someone who’s also survived my own share of desperate moments, which is why I believe myself to be someone with a talent for reading through people. Alliance Leader Lu, you saved that man’s life and then were also willing to compensate him with star essence for the fatesand. At the very least, this tells me that you have a bottom line that you will not cross."
Lu Yin laughed. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"I'm not in any position to praise you, and I’m simply stating the truth," Hai Dalu replied.
With their ties to the Hidden Earth Society, the two’s relationship imperceptibly grew closer. Lu Yin had never viewed the Hidden Earth Society as a threat because he viewed Earth as his second home planet.
The truth was that many planets would do their best to protect themselves after they joined the greater universe and became part of the cultivation civilization. In essence, each planet would form their own organization in hopes of carving out a place for themselves in the universe. Unfortunately, most failed to accomplish this.
The Great Eastern Alliance was an alliance, as the various members all belonged to different regions of the Innerverse and Outerverse while the Hidden Earth Society was essentially a planetary alliance for Earth.
"After we pass through this upside-down sea, we’ll enter Leon's Armada’s territory," Hai Dalu stated as he pointed to an area up ahead. That area was not an endless sea like the one they had been sailing across, but rather two seas, and the second was upside-down. Another ship was sailing closer to the upside-down sea, and the moment it came in contact with the reversed area, the ship flipped over. It was a very strange sight.
This area also had more ships around it, as well as numerous small islands.
"Leon’s Armada controls most of the Cosmic Sea, and the people who care for various regions within their territory are given a corresponding amount of resources as payment for their work. As for actual protection, that’s left up to Leon's Armada itself…" Hai Dalu explained.
Lu Yin was quite impressed, as this was a very lively area. The people he saw were not afraid of Leon’s Armada. Rather, it was quite clear that Leon’s Armada was admired by these people.
Upon entering the upside-down sea, the Arcadian Arrow Crew’s battleship also turned upside down as it continued sailing across the blue sea.
Right after they entered the new region, the weather shifted, and red raindrops began to fall, dying the entire sea red.
No one hid or anything, as this red rain was quite common in the Cosmic Sea.
The arrival of the Arcadian Arrow Crew drew a bit of attention, but no one moved to stop them. They continued sailing along without issue until they approached a warship from Leon’s Armada.
At this point, the captain and the other crew members all stepped out to say goodbye to Lu Yin, as they all wanted him to leave. However, a smile spread across Lu Yin’s face. "You have other guests on board, so even if you want to leave, you should first greet your guests."
The captain and the others were all taken aback. Guests? None of them had noticed a thing.
"Cap- Captain! Behind you!" someone squeezed out.
The captain spun around. The red rain was still falling, but it was bouncing off of a humanoid figure behind him, revealing this hidden guest.
