Looking at Chen Hai and the others from the Astral Source Universe was like looking at dummies in slow motion. Lu Yin could deal with them however he wanted. This was the superiority of an Emissary, and he would never be able to understand this feeling unless he stepped into the Astral Source Universe.
Cheng Ji stared blankly at Lu Yin as he stepped into the Astral Source Universe. "You … How is this possible?"
Lu Yin smirked. "My apologies, Emissary. I've killed more than one, starting from the Hunter realm." He then unleashed another Empty Palm. It was powerful and fast, and there was nothing else that Lu Yin was more satisfied with.
Cheng Ji subconsciously dodged, but the Empty Palm was too fast, and his shoulder was still struck. Lu Yin took out his cicada-wing blade from his cosmic ring and slashed out. The Astral Source Suppression followed, and the star energy within Lu Yin's body became unstable. He ignored Cheng Ji's attack and ruthlessly slammed into it.
With a bang, the blade energy was shattered by the Cloud Lice. Cheng Ji was horrified, and he looked at Lu Yin as if he was looking at a beast in human form. Suddenly, he recalled Hua Beibei's words: this guy was the beast king of this group.
Lu Yin charged in front of Cheng Ji and slapped out. Cheng Ji gritted his teeth, and his eyes suddenly changed. His pupils dilated, and a majestic spiritual force swept towards Lu Yin. Lu Yin's brain trembled, but then … nothing happened. Cheng Ji was stunned. What's going on?
Lu Yin grabbed Cheng Ji's shoulder. "I feel sorry for you. All of your attacks are useless against me." He then exerted strength and crushed Cheng Ji's shoulder. Cheng Ji howled and slashed at Lu Yin with his cicada-wing blade. Lu Yin kicked Cheng Ji out of the Astral Source Universe and sent him crashing into the Ant Queen.
Chen Hai and the others had already dealt with the spies that had followed Cheng Ji, but they were still at a loss. They could not figure out how Lu Yin had stepped into the Astral Source Universe to fight. Was he also an Emissary?
Just as they were thinking about this, Cheng Ji suddenly appeared and crashed into the Ant Queen. The Ant Queen's body was broken, and it shrieked.
Lu Yin walked out of the Astral Source Universe and looked down at Cheng Ji.
The advantage of being an Emissary was completely useless against Lu Yin. Star energy could not be used?
Then he would use the Empty Palm since he had always used it. Could the Astral Source Universe not see it?
Could he see it? Lu Yin's spiritual force?
Was it enough to instantly kill an Enlighter?
Lu Yin's spiritual force was not weak.
Lu Yin was like Cheng Ji's nemesis. No matter what Cheng Ji did, he couldn't deal with him.
Cheng Ji despaired. He was an Emissary, while Lu Yin was just an Enlighter. How could the difference between them be so great?
"Who, exactly, are you?" Cheng Ji spat out a mouthful of blood before coughing up blood again. Lu Yin's kick had not been gentle.
Lu Yin stared at Cheng Ji. "Tell me the truth. Are there any spies?"
Cheng Ji smiled bitterly. "Do you think I'll tell you?
What a joke! "
Lu Yin raised a hand and lightly flicked his finger. His finger's force was enough to tear through the void and cross the barrier of an Emissary's power. A single finger could easily deal with an Enlighter like Shen Hai.
The finger force broke Cheng Ji's legs. "Not going to talk?" Lu Yin continued to ask.
Behind Cheng Ji, the Ant Queen wailed, and the surrounding Terror Ants frantically gathered in an attempt to kill Lu Yin.
Lu Yin frowned and flicked his finger once more, piercing through the queen's body and killing it completely.
Following the death of the Ant Queen, the surrounding Terror Ants went berserk, biting everything they saw. Some continued to bite Shen Hai and the others, while others scattered in other directions.
Shen Hai and the rest heaved a sigh of relief, as they had finally escaped death.
Cheng Ji stared at Lu Yin. "You're definitely not an ordinary person. You- you're from the Four Cardinal Scales."
Everyone looked at Lu Yin in confusion.
Lu Yin met Cheng Ji's gaze and then raised a hand.
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Lu Yin's palm landed, ending this person's life.
This person was the same as Guan Tong and the others in that he would not say anything. Even if this person was not a Redback, he was still an important spy.
"Expert, you're too powerful. You're worthy of being a Beast King," Hua Beibei spoke up again, as if she was cursing someone.
Lu Yin glanced at everyone. "Have you forgotten your mission?"
Only then did everyone react, and they hurriedly cleaned up the surrounding Terror Ants.
Lu Yin then reported Cheng Ji's matter to Xia Yan.
Xia Yan's reply was quick. "Immediately head to the Second Matrix to provide support. You're allowed to reveal your identity as the Token Master, and you can recruit any cultivators you encounter along the way."
The Second Matrix?
Lu Yin called Shen Hai over. "Where's the Second Matrix?"
Shen Hai was surprised. "It's the lowest point of the Second Matrix Base, located between the new continent and the Second Matrix Base. The Token Master oversees it all year round to fend off monster attacks. Why do you ask?"
"Is the Second Matrix Base very important?"
"Yes, it's one of the fiercest battlefields. It's said that the person overseeing it is the Left Token Master, who has the title of successor to the Commander-In-Chief."
Lu Yin solemnly said, "Everyone, follow me to the Second Matrix Base. We need support there."
Everyone's expressions changed. The Second Matrix Base was no longer about cleaning up Terror Ants, but rather joining the battlefield.
Someone immediately objected, "Brother Seven, our mission is to clean up Terror Ants, not the battlefield."
"Sorry, we don't want to go to the Second Matrix Base."
"Sorry."
…
Shen Hai added, "Seven, we know that you're a righteous person and want to make a difference on the battlefield, but our mission is to clean up Terror Ants. Once we join the battlefield, we'll disappear like cannon fodder. We won't be of any use."
No one wanted to go to the battlefield. If they had been cleaning up Terror Ants on the Mother Tree's trunk, they had a 60% chance of returning alive. But on the battlefield, their chances of returning alive were less than 1%, or even less. They would definitely die.
Lu Yin understood that no one wanted to throw their lives away, and he didn't want to go either. However, he had received Xia Yan's orders, and if he didn't go, he would be disobeying orders. Xia Yan knew how important Lu Yin was, but even so, Xia Yan still wanted Lu Yin to bring people to the Second Matrix Base to provide support.
This was a battlefield between humans and monsters, and no one could stay out of it.
Lu Yin looked at everyone and saw resistance, fear, helplessness, and fear for the future. He sighed and said, "I'm sorry, everyone." He then took out his token. "I'm Seven, and as the Token Master, I'd like to recruit all of you to assist the Second Matrix Base."
Everyone stared at the token in a daze, their hearts in turmoil. They were actually working together with a Token Master.
A Token Master was a position that only experts who had survived multiple Origin Tribulations could obtain. It was second only to the Commander-In-Chief, and the Token Master had the authority to issue orders during a battle. Even in their wildest dreams, they would have never imagined that an Enlighter would actually be a Token Master.
Shen Hai was stunned; it really was a Token Master.
Lu Yin showed everyone Xia Yan's orders. "Head to the Second Matrix Base immediately."
Everyone fell silent, and no one moved.
"Are you disobeying orders?" Lu Yin barked.
Someone couldn't help but roar, "The only reason we came to the Matrix Base was to clear out the Terror Ants. Why should we go to the battlefield? This is a lie!"
"That's right, we're not going. Our mission is to clear out the Terror Ants. We're determined not to go to the Second Matrix Base."
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"We're not going."
…
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "Disobeying the Commander-In-Chief's orders is punishable by death."
Everyone paled.
Hua Beibei licked his lips and looked around. It was time to slip away. He didn't want to go to the battlefield, as that would be suicide.
Shen Hai sighed. "Everyone, you might die if you go to the battlefield, but if you survive, your lives will be different. You should know the consequences of disobeying orders. Even if Brother Ah Qi doesn't kill you, you'll still receive the cruelest punishment when you return to the headquarters. Even if you make it back to the Astral Trees alive, what will your lives be like?"
Everyone clenched their fists. Those who weren't afraid of death had already gone to the battlefield. They had come to the tree trunk because they were afraid of the battlefield, but now, they were going to go to the battlefield.
Lu Yin frowned. "I'll say it one last time. Follow me to the Second Matrix Base. Disobeying orders is punishable by death."
Everyone trembled. "Yes, Token Master."
Lu Yin glanced at Hua Beibei's figure; this guy actually wanted to slip away. He glanced at Shen Hai.
Shen Hai looked at Hua Beibei, shook his head, and grabbed him back.
"Expert, expert! No, Brother Beast King, I've done well. I've helped you find the Ant Queen, and I've saved all of you. Please let me go. I won't go to the battlefield, please!" Hua Beibei wailed.
Lu Yin calmly replied, "If you don't go, then die."
Hua Beibei opened her mouth. "I'm from the Frigid Immortal Sect."
"If you don't go, then die." He had met many people like this before, and Ku Wei was the most typical example. When dealing with people like this, it was best to remain silent.
Hua Beibei was frightened, and she didn't dare to speak again.
The Second Matrix Base wasn't difficult to find, and all they had to do was head straight down.
Lu Yin led the group towards the Second Matrix Base. Along the way, they encountered Terror Ants and dealt with them if they could. If they had to take a detour to find the Terror Ant Queen, then they could forget about it.
They had to support the Terror Ant Queen as soon as possible, but it would take them quite some time to reach the Second Matrix Base from where they were.
A day later, Lu Yin's group met up with a few other groups. The leader's cultivation was about the same as Shen Hai's, and he was delighted to see Lu Yin's group. He suggested that they work together to clear out the Terror Ants. Although it would take longer to complete the mission, it would also be safer.
However, the group was met with sympathetic gazes from Shen Hai and the others when they made this suggestion.
Lu Yin took out his master token. "Commander's order to recruit all of you to support the Second Matrix Base."
The group immediately flared up and immediately refused. Even the leader, who had a similar cultivation as Shen Hai, refused. They had never seen Lu Yin's strength before, and their tone was not as friendly as Shen Hai's. Some even suggested that Lu Yin's token was fake, as there was no way an Enlighter could become a Token Master.
Lu Yin silently struck out with his Empty Palm and slapped the group's ears. He wanted to teach them a lesson with his fierce palm strike.
The group no longer dared to refuse, as Lu Yin's words were always "if you don't go, then die." It was truly frightening.
In this manner, Lu Yin's group headed towards the Second Matrix Base, clearing out Terror Ants along the way and recruiting others along the way. Their numbers grew larger and larger.
Right below Lu Yin's group was a metallic plain that was completely constructed from a strange, sturdy metal. Even the ground beneath their feet was metal.
Extending out from the metallic plain was the Second Matrix Base, and this metallic plain was the Second Matrix Base.
(End of chapter)