Chapter 2343: We Are Back
As soon as Lu Yin returned to the Fifth Mainland, he had captured the Perennial World’s army and executed Wang Si. However, before that, the Perennial World’s forces in the Fifth Mainland had been quite close to the Three Fatalities Heavenly Gate. Thus, Wang Shang was quite familiar with Aurora Enterprises’ research.
As Wang Zheng listened to Wang Shang\'s narration, the patriarch’s expression grew more and more somber.
The patriarch was no fool, and Wang Shang’s casual recounting opened Wang Zheng’s eyes to extraordinary possibilities. In particular, microarray technology represented a new realm where humans did not have to rely solely on personal strength; one where they could also use equipment and tools to fight against the Aeternals.
"This pyrolyte that you mentioned is mother soil, correct?" Wang Zheng asked.
Wang Shang nodded. "The Forsaken Land doesn\'t know the term ‘mother soil,’ and while we are familiar with it, we kept silent on that matter and hid our knowledge."
Wang Zheng nodded. Microarray technology? Even the gatemasters of the Heavens Sect’s Twelve Heavenly Gates had taken an interest in such a thing, and Lu Xiaoxuan had not hesitated to offend many Semi-Progenitors in order to reclaim the technology. Once it was fully developed, microarray technology could potentially change the universe.
The Perennial World had always ignored the development of science and technology.
Ordinary humans struggled to cultivate, which was why they developed technology. Technology was used to alter their environments, resist bad weather, and cull threatening creatures. Cultivators desired to become stronger, and their goals were fully defined. Cultivators focused entirely on cultivation, on becoming an Envoy, a Semi-Progenitor, or even climbing higher. To cultivators, the power achievable with technology was simply pathetic.
There was a pond civilization in the Wang family’s mainland that focused on developing technology. However, every time their technology reached a certain threshold, Wang Zheng had destroyed their progress. He had done so for no other reason than, regardless of how advanced technology might become, weapons could never compare to Envoys, let alone Semi-Progenitors. Civilizations that focused on science and technology would do their best to break free of their pond civilization’s limitations, but they would always just be ordinary people in the Perennial World. In other words, they would always be worthless.
As far as Wang Zheng was concerned, pursuing the development of science and technology was a complete waste of time.
However, Wang Shang\'s information opened Wang Zheng’s eyes to new ideas and possibilities. Microarray technology was still a form of technology, one that had come about by combining sourcebox arrays with mother soil and battle techniques. However, this combination had resulted in a technology that could change the universe.
If such technology took off, would it not mean that a regular human being would be capable of wielding the power of a cultivator?
Ordinary people possessed technology developed by ordinary people, while cultivators possessed technology developed by cultivators.
The more Wang Zheng considered the possibilities, the more excited he became. The patriarch immediately wrote down his thoughts and prepared to send them over to the family’s Progenitor.
It was at this time that the last army from the Fifth Mainland arrived. It was the Astral Beast Army.
Neither the Redemption Army nor the Lu Elite Troops had shocked the Wang family too badly, but the sight of the Astral Beast Army certainly did.
The army consisted of a million astral beasts of all different sizes and shapes, and they shook the void itself. There were 5,000 astral beasts that ranged from Explorers to Hunters, 300 with the strength of Enlighters, and a full twenty with the power of Envoys.
The Astral Beast Army completely compensated for the lack of powerful cultivators among the two human armies that had been sent to defend the fourth array base.
Upon seeing the Astral Beast Army, Wang Zheng understood that the fourth array base would be safe. In fact, the forces being sent to defend the fourth array base were several times more powerful than what the other array bases possessed. With these armies, the fourth array base would become an unscalable cliff for the forces of Aeternus.
Even the Progenitors in the Dominion Realm were surprised by the strength of the army that had gathered in the mountain valley.
Mu Xie showed a rare smile. "Junior Brother did well."
Progenitor Smoke praised, "This is absolutely enough to protect the fourth array base. The kid has not been lazy."
Bai Wangyuan and Xia Shenji glanced at each other. The two of them alone had seen the gathered power of the entire Fifth Mainland for themselves. Compared with what they had seen there, the army that Lu Yin had brought to the Perennial World was too small. Still, it was enough to protect the fourth array base.
Both Semi-Progenitors and armies had arrived in the Perennial World, and Lu Yin arrived after everyone else.
Countless people stared as Lu Yin emerged from the New Corridor. He looked up, glanced at the Wang family’s mainland, and then looked towards the Dominion Realm. He clasped his hands behind his back and smiled slightly as he said, "I\'m here."
In the Dominion Realm, Xia Shenji reflexively wanted to attack.
Bai Wangyuan let out a long breath. In the end, Lu Xiaoxuan actually had the courage to return to the Perennial World.
Progenitor Smoke\'s eyes lit up. "Here we go."
Mu Xie glanced around. With his junior disciple brother back in the Perennial World, Mu Xie could not allow anyone to leave the Dominion Realm.
On the Wang family’s mainland, Wang Zheng’s eyes flared when he saw Lu Yin, and the patriarch shouted, "Lu Xiaoxuan, how dare you come back here?"
Lu Yin looked over at the floating mainland. "Wang Fan hasn’t said anything, so why are you?"
Wang Zheng became furious, and he wanted to attack. However, the patriarch was aware that Lu Yin had already reached an agreement with the four ruling powers. Before Lu Xiaoxuan became a Semi-Progenitor, the four ruling powers would not move against him. That was precisely why Lu Yin had returned to the Perennial World.
Even so, Wang Zheng had not expected Lu Yin to actually have the courage to return to the Perennial World. This was not merely antagonistic, but rather an open challenge. The youth was challenging the four ruling powers themselves.
"Strange, why don\'t you have a Semi-Progenitor?" Jiu Yao commented as he looked up at the Wang family’s mainland.
Yao Di remarked, "This place is much less impressive than what I had imagined."
Hen Xin frowned. "Is this place truly so far removed from the Fifth Mainland?"
Arch-Elder Zen glanced over. Behind?
Lu Yin found the reactions hilarious. The Perennial World looked down on the Fifth Mainland, even calling it the Forsaken Land. However, when the Fifth Mainland cultivators arrived in the Perennial World, as long as Progenitors were ignored, the Perennial World truly seemed a great deal inferior to the Fifth Mainland. After all, just how many advantages did the Fifth Mainland possess?
Of course, in a real comparison, the Fifth Mainland could not truly measure up to the Perennial World. Just how many Semi-Progenitors were hidden throughout the Perennial World?
Still, even with their hidden power, the Perennial World was not strong enough to pose a threat to the Fifth Mainland. After all, they were forced to dedicate a great deal of their strength to defending the rear battlefield.
Lu Yin understood the Perennial World, but the rest of the people from the Fifth Mainland did not.
As far as the people of the Fifth Mainland could see, the arrival of their army in the Perennial World should warrant observation by various powerhouses, but not one could be found.
The Astral Beast Army, the Lu Elite Troops, and the Redemption Army were the first forces the Fifth Mainland were sending to the fourth array base. Later on, the Giants Army, the Heavens Corps, and the lesser giants would all take turns serving at the fourth array base. Lu Yin saw the rear battlefield as a training ground for his forces.
"Don\'t underestimate this place. Do you really think that there aren’t any powerhouses watching us? Look up," Lu Yin said. He did not want his people to become complacent, as they would be struck down without even understanding their ignorance.
Yao Di, Jiu Yao, and the rest all looked upwards, but they could not see a thing.
Lu Yin explained, "Just above that floating landmass you see over there is a Mountain and Sea."
The expressions of Hen Xin and the others instantly changed.
"That\'s right. As all of you know, if any master of a Mountain and Sea wants to attack us, we’ll struggle to survive," Lu Yin warned in a low voice.
Arch-Elder Zen\'s expression turned serious. "Is that the Wang family’s mainland?"
Lu Yin nodded. "Don\'t underestimate this place. There’s a reason why they’ve always referred to our Fifth Mainland as the Forsaken Land. Today, I am going to show them that the Forsaken Land can protect the fourth array base. Let’s show them the power of the so-called Forsaken Land!"
Lu Yin then took a step out of the valley, and he was instantly followed by everyone from the Fifth Mainland. As one, they all started making their way towards the rear battlefield.
Not to mention Lu Yin, not one other person from the Fifth Mainland restrained their auras as they moved out. Also, while Lu Yin had spoken to his senior brother, Mu Xie, Lu Yin still knew that he needed to remain wary of the four ruling powers. For that reason, he had ordered the jiao to shrink its body and pass through the New Corridor with everyone else.
As soon as Lu Yin stepped out of the valley, the jiao recovered to its full size and let out a mighty roar that shook the Higher Realm. The roar spread to the Middle Realm and even the Lower Realm, intimidating the countless creatures that heard it.
Hen Xin waited for all the Semi-Progenitors to release their auras. While a Semi-Progenitor’s pressure was not nearly as terrifying as the jiao’s, four Semi-Progenitors combined with a massive army represented a power of their own. Then, they moved out as though they were trying to intimidate the entire Perennial World.
Wang Zheng looked irritated, as it was clear that Lu Yin was putting on a demonstration for the Perennial World.
The valley in the Wang family’s territory where the New Corridor was connected to was a good distance away from the rear battlefield. Despite that, Lu Yin was in no hurry to cover the distance. He had agreed to take over defending the fourth array base within ten days, and while it was already the tenth day, he still had a few hours left before his deadline. As long as everyone moved atop of the jiao, they could arrive at the rear battlefield almost instantly.
Lu Yin finally had an opportunity to reveal his power and the power of the Fifth Mainland, and there was no way he would let it slip by.
He did not want to show off to just the Higher Realm; he wanted to proclaim his return to the entire Perennial World.
He had spent several days considering how to best go about flaunting both the strength of the Fifth Mainland and his own return before coming to the Perennial World. Lu Yin being allowed to openly return to the Perennial World revealed a great many things that had been kept secret, and Lu Yin wanted to show himself to the surviving vassals of the Lu family. Lu Xiaoxuan had returned.
Lu Yin patted the jiao’s head, and the beast’s eyes twitched. It looked a bit confused.
Lu Yin quickly pulled out the slipper. "Did you already forget what I asked you to do after just a few days?"
The jiao was terrified by the sight of the slipper. Its eyes blinked rapidly and then grew large when it remembered. Fangs were bared and claws stretched out as the jiao raised its head high.
Up in the Dominion Realm, Wang Fan and the others frowned. What was Lu Yin planning next?
"Lu Xiaoxuan, your ten-day deadline is almost over. What do you intend to do if you do not arrive in time to take over the fourth array base’s protection?" Bai Wangyuan\'s voice was heard, blatantly carrying the pressure of a Progenitor.
Lu Yin sneered. "You\'re about to find out."
Bai Wangyuan suddenly had a bad premonition.
The next moment, the jiao’s power that was in the Progenitor realm was fully released. The void warped, and space peeled back one layer after another. Images of the jiao and the Fifth Mainland’s army were transmitted through the void to the Middle Realm, the Middle Ocean, and the Lower Realm.
It was similar to how the scene of Long Qi’s disguise being seen through atop Dragon Mountain. The ceremony of Mu Xie accepting Long Qi as a disciple had been transmitted throughout the Perennial World, and everyone had seen Lu Yin be exposed. Even the game of Stable Zone that he had played against Grandmaster Qiu Ling had been transmitted. For countless people, that had been their first time seeing a game of Stable Zone.
At this moment, Lu Yin wanted the entire Perennial World to know that Lu Xiaoxuan was back.
The expressions of Bai Wangyuan and the other Progenitors all changed. "Stop!"
They wanted to stop Lu Yin and the jiao but were blocked by Mu Xie. "Don\'t forget your agreement."
"Mu Xie, get out of the way! We won’t allow that jiao to do anything! We don’t have any intention of doing anything to Lu Xiaoxuan himself!" Wang Fan shouted.
However, Mu Xie\'s brief delay was enough for the image of the jiao to be sent to the Middle Realm and the Lower Realm.
Countless people looked up, and all of them saw Lu Yin standing atop the jiao, as well as the millions of cultivators arrayed behind him.
It was also seen by everyone preoccupied at Virtue Archives’ sourcebox array.
Even Mu Shang, who was still in the process of breaking through the defensive sourcebox array, was shocked by the sight. Is that Lu Xiaoxuan?
Yu Hao\'s true identity had already been exposed, so Mu Shang now knew that Yu Hao had actually been Lu Xiaoxuan. The news had completely shocked Mu Shang.
Mu Shang had known Lu Xiaoxuan long ago, and they had reunited in such a bizarre manner.
Lu Yin was standing high above all else, literally stepping upon a jiao with the strength of a Progenitor. He was leading an army of millions and blatantly looking down upon the entire Perennial World while everyone in it could look up and see him.
Looking down upon the Perennial World, Lu Yin announced, "My Lu family and I, we are back!"