Lu Yin once again saw the karma, as well as the passage of time.
When the Lu family returned, the Four Way Libras and the Lu family would not rest until one of them was dead. In the end, Nightking Zhenwu chose to help the Four Way Libras and destroy the Lu family. Immemorial City was also destroyed, and the Primogenitor and Mister Mu both died. Nightking Zhenwu chose to join the spiritualized universe, and because of his contributions and innate gift, he was hailed as the next Yu Sang Tian.
He had led a group of people to the spiritualized universe alive. Among them were the four scales, those who supported him, and even the Firesmelt Planet.
He also had people he cared about.
But what he cared about wasn't what Lu Yin cared about.
The Heavenly Dao's bestowal, swallowing and spitting out a hundred rivers, the ancient land's harmony, imitating the High Sage … The Heavenly Dao's refusal, the Qi's induction … Leaping through the starry sky to lie down … Being good at communicating with people … Swallowing and spitting out a hundred rivers … Leaping through the vast expanse to lie down …
His consciousness was as steady as a rock.
Lu Yin instantly returned to San Dios. His choice had not been wrong. Whether it was the cause or effect, since he was the one who had done it, he should bear the consequences.
Lu Yin could almost hear Nightking Zhenwu's unwilling roar.
"I just made a choice, but you can't walk out of it."
This time, Nightking Zhenwu walked out of the fog once again. The only difference was that this time, Nightking Zhenwu's eyes were dazed, just like Jenny Auna and Yan Gang's.
This Nightking Zhenwu was not the real Nightking Zhenwu, as it was just a strand of Lu Yin's own karmic imagination. It could be Nightking Zhenwu, Liu Shaoge, or even Silver. It could be anyone.
Could karma be changed?
If Nightking Zhenwu had come to the Mirage Domain during Lu Yin's second choice, would Nightking Zhenwu really replace him?
Would the outside world really change?
Who wrote down the laws of the universe?
If karma existed, would it replace karma?
Everything was like a dream. Whose karma did his existence replace?
Lu Yin stood in place and pondered for a long time, forgetting the passing of time.
After an unknown amount of time, the fog around him dissipated. Lu Yin walked in a certain direction and saw the Desolate Ancestor's corpse. The Desolate Ancestor wasn't dead, but he was sitting cross-legged in the same state as Lu Yin had been.
Lu Yin did not dare to disturb him.
Karma was an interrogation of one's soul. It was one's understanding of the universe. Once one couldn't figure it out, it would be easy to go berserk.
In fact, even he couldn't tell if he was real or an illusion.
He walked in a different direction. The time fog didn't affect him at all, but it was as if he had a passive choice. Wherever the fog dissipated, he would go.
This time, he saw the round-faced old man from the headquarters.
It wasn't just the president himself, but rather a group of people surrounding him. There were humans and creatures of other forms, but Lu Yin knew that all of those surrounding him were his karma.
The Main Guild Leader just stood there motionlessly with his eyes closed. This seemed to be the only way to interrogate himself.
Was he experiencing a choice?
Lu Yin approached him and reached out to touch one of the figures.
The president's eyes widened as he stared at Lu Yin in shock. "I don't want to start over. You …"
"Ah-, I didn't kill you, I had no choice, you go find them, ah-"
"Choose again? How should I choose?
If I don't help them, they will deal with me. I have no choice. If there is only one choice in karma, why should I choose again?
I've had enough, I've had enough - "
The president's figure was illusory, and Lu Yin stared at him. He was changing.
He had made a new choice.
The president's figure gradually blurred and was replaced by another figure.
There would always be a figure here who would lead the spiritualized cultivators to invade the Tian Yuan Universe and fight with Lu Yin's group. They would then be lured into the mirage domain and brought to this forbidden area. This process would not change, only the person.
The president had changed, but to the Tian Yuan Universe and Lu Yin, nothing had changed.
Lu Yin casually waved his hand, and his palm swept past the other figures.
The figure that had replaced the president suddenly vanished, and the president reappeared. No matter what he chose, the choice of karma would affect the karma of others. If he decided on those karma beforehand, it would be the same as deciding the karma of the past.
Golden light bloomed, and the president suddenly attacked in front of Lu Yin, catching him off guard.
Lu Yin hurriedly dodged, but by the time he came back to his senses, the president was already gone. The figures around him had also vanished.
Lu Yin sighed. He had been so focused on karma that he had forgotten about him.
Lu Yin looked around. Karma, karma. Cultivation was a line, time was a line, and karma was a line. These lines were all the same, and this was a law of the universe.
How a person cultivated and what realm they reached were all predetermined. Even if the person changed, karma would not change.
Where did this line begin?
Who held it?
Lu Yin slowly sat down. Since he was already here, he would take a look at karma and see if he could see through it.
He had once thought that karma was the path to eternal life. Since he had already embarked on this path, he would continue down it.
Let me see how this karma will continue.
Around him, the trees were still the same, and they were filled with fruits. They were still the same as Lu Yin's. It was as if as long as he was in this forbidden area, these trees and fruits would follow him wherever he went. It was just like the karma of Nightking Zhenwu, Jenny Auna, and Yan Gang.
Lu Yin closed his eyes and recalled the past, searching for karma that could be changed.
He found the pirate port. If the pirate port had not been attacked and he had not been severely injured, he would not have been tossed to Driftcharge Planet like a living corpse. He would not have met Luo Zhe, and he would not have been able to recite the Stonewall Scriptures and those numbers. Then, what would the future hold?
Lu Yin had chosen not to go to the pirate port. Zhuo Daynight had died, and her injuries could only be healed if he met Zeng Jie there. If he did not go to the pirate port, he would only be able to watch Zhuo Daynight die while he safely returned to Astral-10.
Since he had not experienced life and death, and he had not gone to Driftcharge Planet to cultivate the Arcane Art of Life and Death, Lu Yin's power was only average, and he could not shine in the Astral Combat Tournament. No matter how hard he worked, some people would never surpass him, and they would always be replaced by Nightking Zhenwu.
Nightking Zhenwu was too dazzling, and the head of the Ten Arbiters seemed to be the same.
Lu Yin recited the Primogenitor's Scripture and opened his eyes to look at Nightking Zhenwu.
No matter how he changed his choices in the Fifth Mainland, unless he walked up to the top himself, the person who would replace him would always be this person.
Ever since Lu Yin had started cultivating, only Nightking Zhenwu had been able to bring him several life threatening situations and even kill him. Nightking Zhenwu was not only powerful, but he was also scheming and meticulous. If not for Lu Yin's good luck, he would have died long ago.
Nightking Zhenwu was indeed qualified to replace Lu Yin, but this person could only reach the Astral Tree Realm. After that, it would be a karmic illusion.
That was if he did not go to the pirate port, but what if he did not recite the Primogenitor's Scripture?
Karma. Lu Yin had to constantly experience karma and grasp the threads of karma in order to walk this path.
Intense pain spread throughout Lu Yin's body.
He looked in front of him. This was Driftcharge Planet. Luo Zhe, it had been a long time.
He had not known that this old man was one of the Kui Luos, Luo Zhe, who had escaped from the Astral Tree Realm with the Lu family's Primogenitor's Scripture and numbers.
"Memorize it."
Lu Yin stared blankly at Luo Zhe. Actually, he had another choice, which was to reveal his identity to Luo Zhe.
"I told you to memorize it," Luo Zhe barked as he glared at Lu Yin. A foul stench assaulted Lu Yin's nostrils; it was the stench of white meat.
"Kid, if you don't memorize it, I'll eat you."
Lu Yin slowly said, "Luo Zhe."
Luo Zhe's body trembled, and he stared at Lu Yin in shock. "Wh- what did you call me?"
Lu Yin looked at Luo Zhe. "I'm Lu Xiaoxuan."
Luo Zhe stared at Lu Yin in a daze, and his trembling hands helped Lu Yin up. He scrutinized Lu Yin's face, and his eyes reddened. "You look like the Young Master."
"You're really the Young Master?"
Lu Yin sighed. "It's hard to believe."
Luo Zhe suddenly twisted Lu Yin's neck forcefully and tore Lu Yin apart as if he had gone mad. "Impersonating the Young Master, the Four Directions Scales. You've finally found me. I'm not afraid. Then die, die, die-"
Time passed, and Lu Yin died on Driftcharge Planet. Everything in the Fifth Mainland continued on its path, and Nightking Zhenwu rose to power, repeating what he had seen through karma.
In the Mirage Realm's forbidden area, Lu Yin opened his eyes. Sure enough, this choice's outcome was within his expectations, and Luo Zhe would not believe it.
He had only wanted to die once during this choice and see what kind of effect it would have on karma and the flow of time. The result was the same as when he had first seen the destruction of the Above Heaven Sect. He had become a third party, watching the Fifth Mainland's development.
It was as if he had become the embodiment of karma.
That's right. Lu Yin looked at his hands. Wasn't this karma that he had chosen again and again?
Wasn't this karma? When he chose again, he had taken control of karma, but he could not see the karma's future.
Only I am absent, and I am replaced by benefits!
Only I am transformed, and I am replaced by no longer existing!
This was the karma that he had seen so far.
These two sentences suddenly appeared in Lu Yin's mind, and they represented his current understanding of karma.
He looked around and saw that the fruits of his appearance had increased.
If he continued, he would comprehend even more karma, and one day, he would be able to grasp the threads of karma.
At this moment, Lu Yin seemed to have forgotten about the outside world. He had forgotten that he needed to find the president and his daughter, and he had even forgotten that he wanted to leave the forbidden area.
This time, he had chosen not to participate in the Star Tower struggle.
He had defeated Nightking Zhenwu and stomped him to death. One by one, the Ten Arbiters had walked out, and Starsibyl had stood behind him, draping his clothes over him. He had become the strongest youth in the Innerverse and Outerverse.
"From now on, you will replace Zhenwu and join the ranks of the Universe Youth Council, which is commonly known as the Ten Arbiters Council."
"First you defeated Lan Si, then you destroyed Zhenwu. Brother, you're ruthless."
"If you're a man, then drink it."
"Joining the Ten Arbiters Council means that you have to fulfill your obligations. The first thing you have to do is work together to deal with that group from the Neoverse."
This was Lu Yin's first meeting with the Ten Arbiters after becoming one of them, and it was on Nightking Planet.
Lu Yin looked around. "I refuse."
Liu Tianmu and the others were stunned. "What did you say?"
Lu Yin repeated, "I refuse to participate in the Star Tower struggle. Do as you please." He then left, leaving behind the other Ten Arbiters with confused expressions.