Chapter 4573: Events Of The Nine Ramparts Era
Chapter 4573: Events Of The Nine Ramparts Era
With a thunderous boom, the void was crushed, and the earth shattered as Chang Tian was smashed into the underground space beneath the Abyss. Only then did Thousand Machinations stop attacking.
Lu Yin stared down below, afraid that Chang Tian might have been beaten to death.
Thousand Machinations clasped their paws behind their back. "Defensive power at the level of a peak two-law Immortal."
Lu Yin was shocked. "Are his defenses really that impressive?"
Thousand Machinations continued to say in open admiration, "As expected of an innate gift of the Ten-Eyed Divine Crow! It can directly elevate his defenses by more than a full tier. If he were facing someone like Withered Requiem, it really would not be able to move him.
"This is also only the beginning. This innate gift will grow stronger as his cultivation improves. Once he breaks through to resonate with two laws, this innate gift will improve enough for him to protect himself even against a three-law expert. It is a very useful innate gift."
Even Lu Yin felt envious. Why were none of the three eyes that he had encountered like this? Crow Immobilization and Crow Reversal were both very useful, and Crow Teleportation could also surprise opponents. But compared to this purely defensive power, those other three abilities felt somewhat lacking.
If Lu Yin’s true body had obtained this innate gift, how impressive would his defenses have become?
No, that was not accurate. If this innate gift improved one’s defenses according to their cultivation, then even if Lu Yin had obtained it, it would not have been better than the Extremes Must Be Reversed that he already had.
However, if these feathers’ toughness was determined by one’s actual strength, it would be absolutely terrifying. With that, Lu Yin would dare to challenge even Wang Wen.
"Does this innate gift improve according to one’s realm or actual power level?" he asked.
Thousand Machinations shook its head. "That still needs to be studied."
Lu Yin continued his questions, "Senior, you kept attacking him. Aren’t you afraid of increasing your karmic chain?"
Thousand Machinations smiled. "I did not kill him. Being an Immortal being does not mean that one cannot make a move. Those who do not dare to even spar are far too repressed."
Lu Yin thought of Awe Gate and the others. All along, they had been unwilling to even spar with him. Of course, they were still unwilling.
In the underground space, Chang Tian struggled to rise to his feet. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. The feathers receded from his body.
His improved defenses from the feathers were not nearly enough for Chang Tian to surpass Thousand Machinations. His improved defenses might as well be nothing at all before the Abyssal. In fact, it would be better for Chang Tian to not bother using the ability at all.
Using the feathers made him easier to beat up.
He looked up at the dark ceiling overhead. He was surrounded by endless white bones. Hearing the conversation above, Chang Tian could not suppress the wave of sorrow that rose in his heart.
It seemed that he would not be able to return alive. He might never see Xiao Zhi and Qing Yun again.
Up on the surface, Lu Yin asked Thousand Machinations what should be done with Chang Tian. The Abyssal wanted to study Heaven's Sight, and for the time being, it had no intention of removing the Ten-Eyed Divine Crow’s eye from Chang Tian's Heaven's Sight.
"The Divine Crow’s eye can still be removed?" Lu Yin was shocked.
Thousand Machinations curled their claws. "Of course it can. Today, I will teach you a principle. This principle is something that I’ve gained from observing countless creatures over countless years. It may benefit you for your entire life. This is no boast."
Facing Thousand Machinations, Lu Yin bowed low. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."
Thousand Machinations' voice slowly entered his ears. "All things in the cosmos, all living beings, have their own fairness. That fairness applies both outwardly and inwardly. This is the fairness of life's instinct. No external force can obstruct it.
"For example, the Ten-Eyed Divine Crow achieved the ultimate extreme with its innate gift. Is that fair to other creatures? Many creatures have no innate gift at all, so where is the fairness in that?
Thousand Machinations paused. They turned around and looked up at the sky. "It is found in the fact that it can be plundered."
Lu Yin was puzzled. It can be plundered?
Thousand Machinations continued, "Have you ever seen a creature whose innate gift can be continuously used, fought over, removed, and so on after the original creature's death?"
Lu Yin shook his head. "Almost never."
He was reminded of the Lu family's Champions' Stage, which could also materialize.
Thousand Machinations grinned. "There are indeed such cases, but very few. Whenever such a thing appears, there is only one explanation: the fairness sought by life itself is at work. This means that the creature's innate gift is too powerful, or rather, fairly powerful. In that case, the fairness of life itself causes the creature's innate gift to become a target that can be fought over by countless other creatures, bringing disaster upon the one with the innate gift.
"One will lose as much as they gain. That is fairness."
Dazed, Lu Yin stared at Thousand Machinations. He had never heard such a thing before. Was this really true?
Thousand Machinations studied Lu Yin. "The fact that you do not know something does not mean that it does not exist. Geniuses experience more hardships than others. If mortals want to succeed, they will inevitably lose something. In truth, the universe has always been fair, it is just that you cannot see that fairness.
"To give another example: if a highly poisonous creature exists, an antidote must also exist within a hundred steps of it. Living creatures enhance and counteract one another. That antidote is the fairness that the cosmos offers.
"There is no invincible technique. You humans’ Nine Ramparts had far too many so-called invincible techniques, and they were indeed dazzling during their era, but what about now? That, too, is the fairness of the cosmos."
Lu Yin's body shook. The fairness of the cosmos?
For the first time, he felt that the word "fairness" was utterly terrifying.
Thousand Machinations patted Lu Yin on the shoulder, but they said nothing more before leaving.
Lu Yin watched the bear’s back. For a moment, he did not know his own thoughts.
Chang Tian was imprisoned beneath a river, right beside where Thousand Machinations often stood to gaze at the water.
Lu Yin tried his best to not show any concern for Chang Tian. He did not want Thousand Machinations to notice anything.
However, every so often, Lu Yin would still glance over. Occasionally, he could hear screams.
Thousand Machinations was extremely interested in Heaven's Sight, and Chang Tian suffered no small bit of torment.
If he could never be allowed to escape, granting him Bone Script would certainly be a more straightforward method to restrain him.
Chang Tian cursed Thousand Machinations incessantly. Every scream was followed by a roar of abuse. The man showed no fear at all.
Nearly 100 years passed in that manner before Thousand Machinations no longer stood by the river.
Lu Yin grew curious about the change and went over to ask what had happened.
Thousand Machinations scratched its head. "That human is too stubborn. He says nothing and just curses me all day long. I have heard enough. I will leave him alone for a while before trying to deal with him again."
Lu Yin grew puzzled. "He curses you every day?"
Thousand Machinations nodded.
"Senior, you still care about something like that?"
"The problem is that I cannot curse him back."
Lu Yin understood. That really would be stifling. The Abyssal had listened to insults for more than a century without being able to return even a single word.
Thousand Machinations looked at Lu Yin. "Go talk to him. At least you can respond to him."
Lu Yin did not put on any show of refusing. Any such act would be too fake. He immediately went over.
Chang Tian lay beneath the river, facing upwards. The water was not deep. There were fish, shrimp, and even the occasional snake swimming around him. It was a lively scene.
Lu Yin stood on the bank of the river and looked down at Chang Tian. "Tell me, why bother? Since you will never be able to escape, why not just say everything that should be said? Once Thousand Machinations loses interest in you, you won’t have to suffer this torment any longer. I am only saying this for your own good."
Chang Tian sneered. "If one cannot endure even a mere 100 years, what use are they?"
"This has nothing to do with the amount of time. I believe that your willpower is enough for even 10,000 years of torture to be useless. But people should look at the final results. In the end, you will be thoroughly studied, so you might as well explain everything clearly from the start and spare yourself the painful process," Lu Yin explained.
Chang Tian looked over at Lu Yin. "Is this why you were willing to become a puppet of the Death Megaverse?"
Lu Yin slowly sat down. "I was given Bone Script, unable to ever resist the Death Megaverse."
Chang Tian's gaze trembled, and much of the coldness vanished from his eyes.
"Of course." Lu Yin suddenly smiled. "Even without Bone Script, I would not like the Nine Ramparts. I am a descendant of those who were abandoned, while you are a member of the Heaven's Sight Clan that escaped back then. You should have some knowledge of that bit of history. Perhaps you know that, at the end of that ancient war, groups of people were deceived into believing that they could escape, but in reality, they were just bait sent out to attract hostile civilizations. Their purpose was to buy some time for the Nine Ramparts to gain a chance of survival. I am a descendant of that bait."
Chang Tian blankly stared at Lu Yin. It was clear that the man knew of this incident.
The Longevity Civilization were the descendents of the core Heaven's Sight Clan which had escaped, so they were far more knowledgeable about the Nine Ramparts. Although Chang Tian had not been born during the Nine Ramparts era, he had learned some of that era’s history.
The hatred for the Nine Ramparts that he heard in Lu Yin's words made Chang Tian feel stifled. He could curse Thousand Machinations, but he could not curse this human skeleton.
It was no different from how Lu Yin had once understood Green Lotus’s actions due to his hatred.
Although he did not curse Lu Yin, that was not to say that Chang Tian acknowledged him. Lu Yin was also an enemy.
Chang Tian fell silent.
Lu Yin sat down beside the river. There was no rush to speak. He simply tried to merge the two powers beside the river.
Time passed slowly. Starting with silence, neither knew how the conversation began, but Chang Tian slowly shared some details of the past concerning the Nine Ramparts with Lu Yin. To Chang Tian, such matters were mere history, and of course, he did not share any important information. "In that era, the ones that people feared encountering the most were those fellows from the Seventh Rampart. Each of them looked upright and awe-inspiring, claiming that they could heal the sick and save lives, that they were capable of accomplishing anything. In reality, they were incredibly insidious. If anyone offended them, they could stick a needle in their backside without anyone knowing about it. My Heaven's Sight Clan suffered quite a bit at their hands, yet we could not afford to offend them. After all, those people truly did have methods of saving people."
"The Seventh Rampart? Those people who were skilled with needles?"
"Yes, them. I never experienced their abilities for myself, but my clan’s seniors suffered quite a lot. The Yan Gate’s Seven Needles sound impressive and powerful, but they are really just vicious tools for scheming against others. Especially during the Nine Ramparts Grand Competition, I’ll tell you, was when they were the most devious. During the years leading up to the Nine Ramparts Grand Competition, everyone from the participating generation had to be cautious of needles wherever they went. Many people were hit. It was despicable.
"As for how despicable they were, before the Nine Ramparts Grand Competition started, every arena had to be inspected for needles. That actually became a standard practice, which should tell you just how sinister they were."
"Did no one do anything about it?"
"Who would? The Seventh Rampart specialized in producing Aberrants. In Senior Chang Tu's words, little old men have no shame, and when one has no shame, one can be invincible."
When Lu Yin had learned the First Needle, his immediate thought had been that it was ideal for sneak attacks. It turns out that it was absolutely true.
...
"The most wretched one was the Fifth Rampart."
"The Fifth Rampart?"
"The rampart that cultivated heart techniques. I don’t know how heart techniques are cultivated, but if the Seventh Rampart was despicable, then the Fifth Rampart was wretched. If they thought that their generation would not be able to win the Nine Ramparts Grand Competition, they would try to find ways to deal with things before the competition started. The generation that left the deepest impression took action very early. They were a group of children that was sent out to drag the elites of the other Ramparts out to play. They were all just children, and one by one, they lost interest in cultivation and were pulled off to play. That generation's competition was simply unbearable to watch."
Lu Yin pursed his lips. That generation had been taught by Xiang Xue.
...
"Our Heaven's Sight Clan was always envied by the other Ramparts. They said that we were naturally blessed, but they had no idea just how difficult it is to cultivate sight power. Much of the time, because we dedicate our energy to cultivating sight power, we had fewer methods than those from the other Ramparts. Also, the different levels of mastery of Heaven's Sight were thoroughly studied long ago, allowing all of them to target us. Every competition was very difficult for us."