Star Odyssey

Chapter 4514: Little Grass

If any beings managed to step off of those planets, they would never imagine, even if they were beaten to death, that they were not even leaving a cave in a mountain.

Lu Yin’s head suddenly snapped up. Then could the Aevum Inch be in the same situation?

He had had similar thoughts far too many times over the years, but they had only ever been idle thoughts. Lu Yin refocused his attention on Void Mountain.

With his hands behind his back, his fingers gently tapped the void, creating ripples that spread through all of Void Mountain. He was using a portion of his strength to test the true state of Void Mountain.

As this power spread across the entire mountain, it revealed that the strongest creature currently residing there was only a sequence powerhouse. After surviving a terrible battle, it was trembling and hiding in a corner. It was the same kind of seaweed-looking creature as Senior You Wu.

It was possible that You Che was the same sort of creature, but Lu Yin had never seen You Che’s true form.

Void Mountain had once been Senior You Wu's homeland.

Lu Yin pulled his power back and then took one step to enter the mountain.

Since this was Senior You Wu's homeland, Lu Yin intended to see if he could hide it. That could be considered a favor for Senior You Wu. However, it was impossible for humanity to accept this civilization. This civilization had given rise to Senior You Wu, but it had also produced You Che, a half-traitor.

You Che had died while fighting in outer space. Lu Yin quickly found fragments of his Starforged Sword, as well as fragments of his green coffin and pieces of a gate.

It was clear that You Che had wanted to leave but had failed to escape.

Even his green sword had been shattered.

Lu Yin searched everywhere, but as expected, he could not find the green line of divine energy. What a pity. If he found it, he could attempt a four-colored divine energy transformation. With how much his vitality had improved after breaking through to the Immortal realm, he could definitely withstand such a transformation. He was now capable of withstanding far more divine energy than before.

He sometimes wondered if the reason why Ba Se had that name was because they were actually able to use eight-colored divine energy.

That was a somewhat terrifying thought, though it was not necessarily impossible. So far, Obscura had never had a true ruler. Ba Se merely issued missions, and some members of Obscura publicly obeyed the rules while privately defying them without consequence. Some examples were Lu Yin himself, Wang Wen, and Hong Xia. If Obscura's rules were truly above the heavens, then it was certain that no true ruler could exist.

Lu Yin vanished again, and when he reappeared, he was already in front of a waterfall on Void Mountain. This was where the greatest amount of Stillness lingered, as well as where the gate had shattered. This should be where You Che had fallen.

There was another world behind the waterfall. Lu Yin stepped inside and found ruins. This place had also been shattered by war.

However, past the ruins, there were some areas that remained intact.

Lu Yin teleported through the area. He arrived before massive stone walls that slanted down, plunging into the depths of the mountain. These stone walls were still perfectly intact, formed from some extraordinary material.

Lu Yin moved to the first stone wall and examined it.

There were paintings on these stone walls. The style was rough yet very realistic. When he examined them carefully, there was an invisible power lingering on them. Was this the power of heart techniques?

Lu Yin's focus sharpened. These paintings had been left behind by You Che. When painting them, he had used the power of heart techniques.

Heart techniques. Heaven and earth were born from the heart. Though they were called techniques, they were in truth the heart.

Each of these strokes had not relied on skill, but rather on the heart’s intent. It was the same principle as roaming the universe in order to refine one's mental state.

What had painted these pictures was not a brush, but rather heart power.

The first mural featured a tiny piece of green seaweed being led by a larger piece of green seaweed into a hazy universe. Worlds and cities could vaguely be made out within that universe, like a palace from a dream.

Sensing the heart power, Lu Yin subconsciously raised a hand and reached out to touch the mural.

Everything around him seemed to go back in time. He crossed an endless distance and countless years to see the magnificent universe portrayed in the mural. It was the Fifth Rampart.

"Little Che, Master has brought you to the human civilization’s Fifth Rampart. Here, they will not treat you as an outsider. Humans are a very inclusive civilization, and they will not look down on us. You will live here from now on. Do you like it?"

An innocent voice carried unease and expectation, as well as a little fear. "Master, what are humans?"

"Humans are a species of creature, and they are the best civilization in the cosmos for us."

"The best for us?"

"Yes, the best."

Lu Yin’s hand touched empty air. He had reached the end of the first mural. He continued down, step by step, as though descending an invisible staircase that slanted down along with the murals. His hand touched the second mural, and at this moment, the heart power seemed somewhat familiar.

"Little Che, Little Che, come quickly. Senior Brother will take you to see something fun."

"Senior Brother, wait for me."

"Little Che, do not be rude. How can you chase after your senior brother like that?"

"Master, Senior Brother is the one who told me to chase him."

"Senior You Wu, this junior was the one who told Little Che to chase after me. There is something fun up ahead."

"I see. Then Little Che, go with your senior brother, but do not get too carried away."

"I know, Master.

"Huh? Senior Sister? Are you here too?"

"Little Grass?"

"It is Little Che."

"But what should I do if I prefer to call you ‘Little Grass’?"

"As long as Senior Sister prefers it."

"Hehe, Little Grass is very good. From now on, only your senior sister can call you that, alright, Little Grass?"

"Alright, Senior Sister."

Lu Yin’s hand touched empty air again. He continued down the steps to the third mural.

"Stop being mischievous, all of you! Stand properly! The Rampart Master will arrive soon. Do not make him angry.”

"Little Grass, you are standing crooked."

"Senior Sister, the wind pushed me."

"Hahahaha!"

"Senior Brother, stop laughing at me."

"Shh! The Rampart Master is here."

"Starting today, all of you will begin learning heart techniques. The heart techniques of my Fifth Rampart possess invincible power and are good enough to serve you for your entire lives." It was Xiang Xue's voice. You Wu stood beside the man, gazing at everyone with kind eyes. Among those gathered, the little green seaweed was particularly eye-catching, though in Xiang Xue's eyes, it was no different from the other children.

One of the older boys raised his hand and asked, "Rampart Master, I heard that the Fourth Rampart has Heaven's Sight, which can shoot out divine light and is invincible in the cosmos. Is that true?"

Xiang Xue replied, "My heart techniques are absolutely not inferior to Heaven's Sight."

Someone else raised a hand and asked, "Rampart Master, legends claim that the Sixth Rampart’s Star Fist is truly invincible and that no one can block it when it is cultivated to the extreme. Is that true? Can I learn Star Fist?"

Xiang Xue grew somewhat more stern. "You are aiming too high. Before even cultivating heart techniques, you already want to cultivate something else. You deserve a beating."

"Rampart Master, I want to learn the Yan Gate’s Seven Needles! I heard that they can cure illnesses."

"Are you ill?" Xiang Xue was angry.

"Yes, I am ill."

"You are ill? What is your illness?" Xiang Xue was surprised. A glance was all he needed to see if these children had any hidden ailments.

“If you’re sick, it cures you. If you’re h-healthy, it makes you stronger.”

Xiang Xue. "..."

You Wu held back his laughter, while Xiang Xue glared at that child. "Stop being mischievous! Go fix your stutter!"

A girl raised her hand, looking extremely excited.

Xiang Xue directed his glare towards her. "What do you want to say?"

The girl blinked her star-like eyes. They looked as though meteors were flashing across them. "I want to enter Manifest City."

Xiang Xue was taken aback. "Why?"

The girl smiled. "I heard that that place is very simple and unadorned, and that it also hides the true invincible heart technique of our Fifth Rampart, the Heartbond Nonduality."

Xiang Xue scolded her as well, "You have not even learned heart techniques, and yet you already want to learn the Heartbond Nonduality? Behave yourselves! Every one of you is mischievous and troublesome, without any steadiness at all. I think that this generation is already ruined."

You Wu spoke up, "They are still children."

Xiang Xue helplessly shook his head. "When I was their age, I was immersed in books, unable to pull myself away from them. Sigh. Forget it. If we rely on them, we have no hope for the Nine Ramparts Grand Competition. It seems that I will have to think of another way."

You Wu grew curious. "What way?"

Xiang Xue clasped his hands behind his back. His bearing made him seem extraordinary as he stared out at the starry sky. "If they cannot study properly, then the children of the other Ramparts should not think of studying properly either.

"All of you."

"Here!" the group of children answered.

Xiang Xue looked at them seriously. "I will entrust you with a severe mission."

The children grew excited. A mission? They felt a sense of duty, as though they could save all living beings. "Please give your orders, Rampart Master!"

Xiang Xue pointed out with his hand. "Go bring the children of the other Ramparts out to play. Make them play until they no longer want to go home."

"Yes!" The children's little faces flushed red with excitement.

"As long as you can do this, every one of you can enter Manifest City."

"Yes!"

Within the crowd, the little green seaweed shouted louder than anyone else, competing with its senior brothers and sisters in volume. It happily swayed left and right, looking so happy that You Wu could only show a helpless wry smile.

Lu Yin smiled without realizing it. He seemed to dream of ancient times while watching this scene. It was as if, when seeing those children's innocent smiling faces, he could not help but feel happy as well.

His hand touched the fourth mural. On a mountain peak, a young man stood tall, one hand in front and one hand behind. He looked very elegant, wearing a white robe that made him look like a scholar.

However, if one looked more closely, they would discover that this young man's bearing was exactly the same as Xiang Xue's.

"Little Grass! Little Grass, come quickly!"

The young man was startled by the voice, and he hurriedly withdrew the hand that he had held out before him. A sheet of paper could be faintly seen as he put it away.

"Huh? Little Grass, what are you hiding? Let your senior sister see." A rather beautiful young girl rushed over, her mischievous eyes locking onto the young man.

The young man reacted shyly. "Senior Sister, it is nothing. It is just a family letter that Master gave me."

"Who are you trying to fool? Senior You Wu has already returned, so why would he still send you a family letter?"

"What? Master is back? Great! I will go find Master!"

"Stop. Hand it over."

"Senior Sister, do not take it."

"Give it to me."

"Senior Sister, please show some self-respect."

"Give it to me!"

Crack.

The young woman cracked the mountain peak beneath her feet, and her body fell along with the shattered rocks. The young man hurriedly grabbed her. "Senior Sister, be careful!"

The young girl looked up at the young man, confusion filling her eyes. "Little Grass, did you just use a heart technique?"

"Yes."

"But how could you force me back?"

The young man froze, growing somewhat flustered. He did not know how to answer.

The young girl continued to stare at the young man. "Little Grass, you’ve overtaken me, haven't you? You’ve been yielding to me all along, haven't you?"

The young man pulled the young woman up, even though falling from the top of the mountain would not have harmed her in the least.

She stared intently at the young man but said nothing. Then, she turned around and left.

The young man looked at the young woman. "Senior Sister?"

The woman did not even turn her head as she faded into the distance.

From the young man's chest, the paper fell to the ground with the wind. The words "I like you, Senior Sister. Only you can call me Little Grass." could vaguely be made out.

They were words that he had written for his senior sister.

The heart power caused Lu Yin to feel sadness and confusion. He seemed to become one with the young man, unable to understand why his senior sister had suddenly looked at him with a different gaze. He no longer knew how to show the piece of paper to his senior sister. The way that she had looked at him before leaving felt suffocating.