Star Odyssey

Chapter 2661: Gains And Losses

Lu Yin needed to come up with a way to both avoid offending the Liberation Palace, while also diverting Mr. Daheng's attention.

"Are you getting rid of this stone?" Chen Le asked as he stared at the stone in Lu Yin’s hand.

Weighing the stone in his hand, Lu Yin replied, "I don't know what they’re used for."

"Then why not give it to Mr. Daheng himself?" Chen Le asked in confusion.

A smirk touched Lu Yin's lips. "If I have you give it straight to Mr. Daheng, which might not leave you facing any repercussions, what about me?"

Chen Le's expression instantly grew sharp.

"If you're fine with remaining under my control," Lu Yin continued, "I'll be fine with you giving the stone to Mr. Daheng and eliminating any future trouble for yourself. If not, this serves as a way for me to keep you in check after we remove the energies from your body. You’ve already dared to threaten me with mutual destruction, so I can't just let you off without any worries.”

"At this point, if Monarch Luo learns that you’ve had previous dealings with the Liberation Palace, you can just say that you were threatened. However, after you give the stone to Monarch Luo, that excuse becomes worthless."

Chen Le glared intensely at Lu Yin through cold eyes. "It won’t just become worthless—doing this might even create suspicions that I’m trying to sow discord between Monarch Luo and the Liberation Palace."

Lu Yin laughed. "It's not that serious, though it all depends on how you look at things."

Chen Le stared at Lu Yin before glancing over at Mu Xie. "You're ruthless."

Lu Yin clasped his hands behind his back as he explained, "There is another option: you can go straight to Mr. Daheng or Monarch Luo and fully explain your current situation. Ask them to free you from our control. Pretend to agree with me now, but reveal the truth as soon as you're with one of them. We have no idea which choice you will make, and you just might be able to turn the tables on me. Tell me, Senior Chen Le, what do you think of this?"

Chen Le was no fool. Before seeking out Xuan Qi, he had already considered the possibility of doing exactly what Lu Yin was suggesting. If Chen Le approached Mr. Daheng, he would risk being controlled once again. If he asked for Monarch Luo’s help, he risked exposing his previous affiliation with the Liberation Palace. After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Le would prefer revealing everything to Monarch Luo and confessing his previous betrayal, as he had never once done anything to harm the Three Monarchs Universe.

Monarch Mu was missing, and Chen Le had become a Monarch, which meant that Monarch Luo could not afford to do anything to Chen Le at this time.

However, the chain preventing Chen Le from proceeding with this option was just one question: was Monarch Luo actually capable of freeing Chen Le from the energies inside him?

Chen Le did not fully understand how powerful Monarch Luo was. In fact, Chen Le knew less about the matter than most peak experts in the Sixverse Association. He was not certain that Monarch Luo had the strength needed to free him. There was no question that Mr. Daheng possessed such strength, but there was a very high possibility that Chen Le would just end up under Mr. Daheng’s control again.

This was why Chen Le had struggled so much with his decision, and it was also why he felt that he had no other choice.

Throughout a person's life, there would be too many occasions where they would be faced with situations without a singular right answer. If Chen Le was certain that Monarch Luo could free him, or that Mr. Daheng would not exert control over him again, things would have been simpler.

Unfortunately, given the current situation, what real choice did Chen Le have?

Furthermore, the fact that Chen Le was hearing Xuan Qi himself suggest the option raised even more doubts for the Monarch. Could the young man have some hidden agenda?

Lu Yin's words echoed in Chen Le's mind. Such a meticulous person was very unlikely to leave a back door for Chen Le. Just what was the real reason for reminding him of alternative options?

Countless thoughts filled the man’s mind to the point where even a peak powerhouse like Chen Le found himself struggling to make sense of it all.

Lu Yin studied Chen Le's darting eyes, knowing that the man was trying to come to a decision.

Regardless of what choice he made, it would be difficult for Lu Yin to maintain control over the man while he was in the Three Monarchs Universe. If Lu Yin actually did anything to try to harm Chen Le, Monarch Luo would certainly notice, and Xuan Qi would be exposed as a fraud. It was a path with no future.

"Actually, there is another option," Lu Yin slowly stated.

Chen Le turned to look at the young man. "What is that?"

Lu Yin smiled. "Cooperate with the Heavens Sect."

Chen Le's eyes grew sharp in an instant. "The Heavens Sect?"

Lu Yin raised his head. "That’s right, the Heavens Sect. A powerful organization with numerous peak powerhouses and a deep foundation. A group that even the Sixverse Association fears and which not even the Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages wish to face in a direct confrontation. The force which is plotting against the Three Monarchs Universe and aiming to overtake it. This is another path that you can take."

For the first time, Lu Yin was openly admitting to Chen Le that he was someone from the Origin Universe’s Heavens Sect. What had previously been a mere guess had been verified as fact.

Staring at Lu Yin in a daze, Chen Le asked, "Who exactly are you?"

With a small smile, Lu Yin replied, "The Heavens Sect’s Lu Yin."

Chen Le's expression changed drastically. "Lu Yin? The Dao Monarch? Are you really him?"

"Chen Le, are you willing to work with my Heavens Sect?" Lu Yin asked.

Chen Le became more confused than ever, as the Heavens Sect had suddenly been thrown into the mix.

Lu Yin continued, explaining, “Regardless of whether you choose to join the Liberation Palace or remain as part of the Three Monarchs Universe, things won’t end well for you. Mr. Daheng will control you, while Monarch Luo only enslaves others. Right now, both of them need you, so they won’t hold what you’ve done against you, but what will happen when they no longer need you?”

"Monarch Mu is my captive. Would you like to speak to her?"

Chen Le was startled. "You really had something to do with Monarch Mu's disappearance?"

"She’s still alive and is even willing to help me work against the Three Monarchs Universe. With both her and you on our side, the Three Monarchs Universe is too weak to stop us. With my Heavens Sect behind you, you will no longer need to fear anyone, not even Mr. Daheng. Does he dare to step foot into my Origin Universe? The Sixverse Association has explicitly forbidden anyone from entering the Origin Universe without their express permission. What I, Lu Yin, am currently doing and what I can accomplish in the future is incomparable to what Mr. Daheng is capable of, not to mention Monarch Luo," Lu Yin declared.

Chen Le found himself unable to refute anything he heard, though he still was not ready to agree.

"Moreover, my Heavens Sect is hiding in the shadows. As long as you cooperate with us, we can completely direct Mr. Daheng's aggression onto Monarch Luo. Once we overtake the Three Monarchs Universe, you will be the master of this universe. I don't need it, as I only need to get the Heavens Sect to become a member of the Sixverse Association," Lu Yin finished.

While Lu Yin’s words had not been very aggressive, one detail had jumped out at Chen Le: he was intended to replace Monarch Luo. From Chen Le’s perspective, this was actually a reasonable goal. With Monarch Mu missing, the Three Monarchs Universe was already struggling to hold back Aeternus, let alone face the Heavens Sect.

"Will Monarch Mu really help you?" Chen Le voiced his doubts.

Lu Yin laughed. "She has no choice. If she doesn't help me, she’ll die."

Chen Le's eyes shimmered. That statement again. He too, was being threatened by the same words.

"What are you planning to do with the Three Monarchs Universe? How will you replace Monarch Luo? The Cyclic Universe will never agree to such a thing," Chen Le asked.

"That's my business. Do you think that people like Xu Wuwei, Xu Heng, Xu Leng, and Xu Wuji are merely my acquaintances? When I faced off against Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciples, Xu Heng, and Xu Leng moved to protect me. Xu Wuji has promised to take that burden for me. Senior Xu Wuwei even taught me his Spiral Domain, and I have even met Lord Xu himself."

Chen Le was startled. It was true that he was not merely speaking to the overlord of the Origin Universe’s Heavens Sect, but also to Xuan Qi. This young man had established too many connections, especially to various peak powerhouses.

"I'll give you some time to think about things," Lu Yin said as he tossed the stone over to Chen Le, "You can choose to give it to Monarch Luo and follow my suggestion, or you can be truthful about things. You can also choose to give it to Mr. Daheng in exchange for his trust. However, you should remember one thing: you don't fully understand my senior brother’s strength. Do you really believe that Mr. Daheng can free you? Have you forgotten the horror of the Heavens Sect era?"

Chen Le was stunned. Everything that he had considered was built upon the assumption that Mr. Daheng could free him from these two men’s control. What would Chen Le’s fate be if not even Mr. Daheng could free him? Mr. Daheng would never trust someone controlled by another, and that would not end well for Chen Le. The same was true of Monarch Luo. If that man found that it was impossible to free Chen Le, his first response would be to kill the new Monarch.

Who could trust someone controlled by another?

Chen Le quickly regained his senses, and realized that he had forgotten about this particular detail. He looked over at Mu Xie. This man was a peak powerhouse from the Origin Universe, and no one knew what he was capable of. Xia Shenji was certainly not weak, and he seemed to be about equal to Monarch Luo. It was important to note that, just because this unknown man had been able to destroy Mr. Daheng's door, that did not mean that Mr. Daheng would be able to remove this unknown powerhouse’s trace of energy.

Breaking free from someone's control and defeating a person were two entirely different concepts.

Chen Le needed to take a gamble. If he won, he could choose what was causing him to hesitate. However, if he lost, he would lose absolutely everything.

Chen Le's mind was in chaos, and he needed some quiet.

Before leaving, Lu Yin commented, "I will be attending the Great Sovereign's next tea ceremony."

Chen Le was stupefied. "What?"

Lu Yin repeated, "I will be attending the Great Sovereign's next tea ceremony. The Great Sovereign can't touch me."

Chen Le's pupils instantly shrank to pinpricks from the absurdity of what he was hearing. "The Great Sovereign can't touch you?"

"You can believe it or not," Lu Yin responded while clearly dismissing Chen Le.

The Monarch disappeared. The last thing that he had learned from Lu Yin was too much for the man to handle, and he no longer had any idea what to choose.

The only thing he knew for certain was that whatever choice he made would determine his future.

Not once did the man consider the promise that Lu Yin had made to Old Dian to avenge the Bai clan. From Chen Le’s perspective, how could someone like Lu Yin care about the grudge of the Bai clan? Compared to the value of a peak powerhouse, such grudges were nothing more than childish squabbles.

After Chen Le was gone, Lu Yin let out a sigh. "That was exhausting."

Mu Xie gave Lu Yin an admiring look. "Junior Brother, your persuasiveness is impressive."

Lu Yin responded with a wry smile. "Senior Brother, don't tease me. We both know I’m not that convincing. It was the fact that you are a complete mystery to him that made him question whether anyone he reaches out to will be capable of removing the energy that you placed in him. On top of that, he was reminded of the obstacles that he’ll face even after all the controls placed on him are removed. If not for all that, he would have sold us out without a second thought."

"And yet he didn't immediately demand that I remove my energy from him," Mu Xie countered.

Lu Yin nodded. It was not that he had refused to honor his promise, but rather that the current stakes were simply too high. He felt like he was dancing along the edge of a knife.

This was his first time trying to threaten and coerce a Progenitor-level figure, not to mention one who might end up as his enemy. A single misstep could prompt Chen Le to choose mutual destruction.

This conversation had been more exhausting than fighting a Progenitor.

"What do you think he will choose?" Mu Xie asked, curious.

"I really don't know. I can't predict a Progenitor's thoughts. After all, such people hold the power to alter a universe. Also, I can’t say how much importance Mr. Daheng is to Chen Le. If he regards Mr. Daheng as someone equal to the Great Sovereign, we should run now."

Mu Xie nodded. "True. It's not actually mutual destruction that you should fear, but reckless ignorance. Let's return to Aeternus Nation. We can't stay in this universe for now."

"I’ll get someone to wait for him here. If he decides to cooperate with us, he’ll take the risk and visit us in Aeternus Nation. If he refuses..." Lu Yin's eyes turned glacial. "Then Xuan Qi will need to be abandoned."

It was impossible to never encounter obstacles or setbacks.

Almost right after Lu Yin used the Bai clan to lure out Chen Le and start scheming against the Three Monarchs Universe, Lu Yin had discovered that the passage connecting the Three Monarchs Universe to the Origin Universe was about to be opened. If not for Chen Le, Lu Yin would have never learned about the impending invasion.

Chen Le had already served his purpose, but if the man chose the path of mutual destruction, Lu Yin would need to sacrifice his identity as Xuan Qi.

All gains came with losses.

However, if it came down to opening a passage between the Three Monarchs Universe and the Fifth Mainland or losing his identity as Xuan Qi, Lu Yin would readily sacrifice his alias. If that passage ever opened, there was no telling what the consequences might be.

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