Chapter 2419: Counterattack

“What the hell? When did you learn about all this? How much do you know about Aeternus’s wars in parallel universes?” Progenitor Smoke asked, frustrated that she was the only one ignorant of such things.

Wang Fan replied, “Even though we know about this, we have no way of interfering with it, as we don’t have the means to travel between parallel universes. Xi Wei, if even a master of one of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas like you can’t do it, then you should understand just how difficult such a feat is. It has nothing to do with one’s strength. Even the Three Realms Six Daos during the Heavens Sect era were unable to do this. It’s possible that only the Origin Progenitor had the means to do it.”

Xia Shenji added, “In our known universe, only a handful of people have learned about this since the ancient era. The Origin Progenitor might have been the only person to ever live who had the ability to freely travel between parallel universes in the same way as Aeternus. We are not able to exert any influence on the wars being waged in parallel universes, so nothing would have changed even if we had told you about this before.”

Lu Yin rebutted, “What do you mean, ‘Nothing would have changed?’ Even if we aren’t clear on the exact situation in different parallel universes, that doesn’t stop us from making certain predictions given Aeternus’s reactions. Take our current situation, for example. Four of the Seven Skygods were sent here just to rescue Undying God. That shows that they diverted most of their strength from their wars in the other parallel universes during their time attacking us. The reason why they were in such a hurry to leave is that they needed to quickly regain control of those other battlefields. There’s no difference between that and us choosing to reopen the Starfall Sea to take on some of the Perennial World’s burden.

“You people are too cowardly. As I’ve already said, we can reclaim the New World. Aeternus doesn’t have the time to create new avatars, as they are too busy dealing with their wars in the parallel universes right now. This is our only opportunity to rid our universe of Aeternus once and for all. If we miss this chance, we might never get another in the future. Do any of you dare to guarantee that one of the Seven Skygods will be trapped by himself once again?”

Xia Shenji answered in a stern tone, “Lu Xiaoxuan, are you able to bear the consequences? If this is all part of Aeternus’s plan to lure us away so that they can destroy Ceaseless Impetus, our defenses in this universe will suffer a terrible blow.”

“So do you plan to hide here forever like tortoises in your shell? Do you merely want to protect this little territory you control?” Lu Yin mocked.

Bai Wangyuan sighed. “Billions of lives reside in the Perennial World. Who can shoulder the responsibility for their safety?”

“If you know that, then you should have never exiled the Lu family,” Mu Xie interrupted.

Bai Wangyuan and the others were unable to come up with any response to that. Humans were innately selfish. They may have succeeded in exiling the Lu family, but they had also failed.

With the Lu family gone, the sky that had once protected humanity had been removed. The four ruling powers had never stopped to consider who would protect them from the outside world if they removed that protective sky. The outside world was dark and terrifying.

Lu Yin stared up at the Dominion Realm. “It appears to be impossible to get you people to join me in retaking the New World. In that case-” He nudged the jiao toward the rear battlefield. “I’ll lead the fourth array base and pave a road of blood.”

There was no right or wrong choice, given the current situation. If Bai Wangyuan and the others possessed the same certainty as Lu Yin that Aeternus had only left Yi Ren in their universe, they would definitely choose to attack the New World as well. In fact, it would become their top priority, as doing so would allow them to surpass the Lu family’s accomplishments. However, they had no way to confirm Lu Yin’s knowledge, and they also could not trust Lu Yin. He was an enemy that they hated just as much as Aeternus.

A cautious, defensive strategy was simply logical since they had no way of knowing Aeternus’s future plans. If not for Lu Yin’s confidence in knowing the Aeternals’s plans, Lu Yin would not be willing to rush into the New World either. It would be pure suicide.

“It looks like Lu Xiaoxuan really intends to clear a path to the New World,” Wang Fan mused. “How is he so confident that Aeternus won’t concern themselves with this place?”

“If he wants to go, then let him. He’s planning to demonstrate the Lu family’s power by pushing into the New World. He won’t get too far,” Progenitor Long said.

Xia Shenji’s eyes narrowed. “I’d actually prefer it if he pushed deep into the New World.”

The discussion died down. Based on what the four ruling powers’ Progenitors knew, Aeternus’s strength was as unfathomable as an abyss. If Lu Yin pushed too deep into the New World, he was guaranteed to run into a tough opponent, such as Progenitor-level corpse kings or even one of the Seven Skygods. If he died in the New World, it would be the best outcome imaginable for them.

They had no intentions of stopping Lu Yin from trying to reclaim the New World.

The moment Lu Yin arrived at the rear battlefield’s fourth array base, Mu Xie transmitted his voice to Lu Yin. “Regardless of how things turn out, if the Fifth Mainland is unable to protect the fourth array base, the agreement that forms the truce will be broken. If that happens, the four ruling powers will no longer have any reason to accommodate you, as they played no part in your current decision. Have you carefully thought this through?”

Lu Yin’s expression grew solemn. “I’m aware of all of that, Senior Brother. I have asked Progenitor Smoke to keep an eye on Nutjob Lu. It still isn’t time for me to end the truce, or else I won’t be able to accomplish much in the New World. If I do run into a strong opponent, I’ll have to trouble Senior Brother to help me.”

“Are you not certain that you’ll win?” Mu Xie asked.

Lu Yin remained completely serious. “This is war.”

While the Seven Skygods had indeed left the known universe, that did not mean that they would never return. It was simply a matter of time.

The fact that the Seven Skygods had been in such a rush to leave indicated that, just as Lu Yin had told Bai Wangyuan and the others, the Aeternals were starting to struggle on their battlefields in other universes. If this was true, then they would need some time to turn the tides on those battlefields before they could return. Lu Yin estimated that the Skygods could only return after a month at the earliest, though there were no guarantees.

It was undoubtedly risky to clear a path through the New World. Lu Yin would never take on such a risk if he were not at least ninety percent sure of achieving victory. Still, at the end of the day, there was no such thing as complete reliability in war.

The four ruling powers had established themselves quite firmly in the Perennial World after they banished the Lu family. If Lu Yin wanted to uproot them, he would need to take risks. There were also some other things that he simply needed to do no matter what.

The Champions’ Stage floated behind Lu Yin’s back as he stood atop the jiao. He had already retrieved it earlier. The sight of the jiao’s enormous body raised cries of shock and fear across the rear battlefield as it slowly descended upon the five array bases.

Defenders on all of the five array bases warily eyed the jiao. Its massive body hid Lu Yin from their sight.

Lu Yin’s eyes swept across the fourth array base. “We defend because our enemy is strong and we are weak, but my forte is attack! All of you just fought against Aeternus. Tell me, were you afraid?”

Across the entire fourth array base, the Lu Elite Troops, the Redemption Army, the Astral Beast Army, and the rest of the army of cultivators turned their attention to just above the jiao’s head.

“We were not afraid!” someone shouted.

“We were not afraid!”

“We were not afraid!” More and more voices joined in, from both humans and astral beasts. They were terrified of the jiao, but they knew that it was on their side. The powerful, tyrannical beast would not attack them.

Lu Yin’s eyes were filled with determination. “All of you have carved a path through blood and fire. Whether we are friends or enemies, our common enemy remains Aeternus. I’ll tell you this: they do not belong to this universe. They are aliens who are determined to destroy and enslave us. We have always been weaker than them, but this time, they lost to us! We forced them to turn tail and retreat! If I ask you to join me in clearing a path from this array base into the New World, will you join me?”

“We will!” The shout came without any hesitation.

Atop the jiao’s head, Lu Yin pointed at the other four array bases. “They may not dare to, but we do! They call us the Forsaken Land, but let our Forsaken Land clear the path for them! Let us show them that the so-called Forsaken Land is their ancestral land!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

…

Upon hearing Lu Yin’s words, the defenders of the other four array bases felt their faces grow hot. Kuang Yan started cursing at Lu Yin, Xia Yan clenched shaking fists, Bai Chi’s expression grew dark, and Wang Xun took a step forward as he swore in anger. Since when had they been cowards who needed someone else to clear a path for them? They had all defended the rear battlefield for countless years, and reclaiming the New World was their greatest dream.

Arch-Elder Zen smiled bitterly. Lu Yin’s words were incredibly offensive, but that did not matter.

Lu Yin was not aiming his contempt towards the people who had fought and risked their lives to stave off Aeternus, but rather the four ruling powers. If he was going to take this risk, then the potential rewards he reaped needed to be substantial. Regardless of whether he could actually eradicate the forces of Aeternus from their universe, Lu Yin needed his name to shine brighter than any other from either the Perennial World or the Fifth Mainland. He needed to be known as someone who was able to guide humanity’s future. He needed to become the light that pierced the darkness that was Aeternus.

“Fifth Mainland, kill them all!” Lu Yin yelled. The jiao extended its claws as it let out a howl. The beast charged out of the fourth array base, killing every Aeternal in sight as it began to clear a path to the New World.

Arch-Elder Zen, Hen Xin, Jiu Yao, and Yao Di all rushed forward behind the jiao. Behind them followed the Lu Elite Troops, the Redemption Army, and the Astral Beast Army. A flood of humans and astral beasts left the fourth array base in formation. With the support of the Semi-Progenitors’ inner worlds, the defenders of the fourth array base made their way toward the New World, toward a land that humanity had not managed to set foot on for dozens of years. This charge signaled the start of humanity’s counterattack on Aeternus.

The scene left every single person on all the other array bases with a fire in their belly. They had dreamed of stepping onto that land for so long. Back when the Lu family had still been around, humanity had done it, but with the Lu family gone, they had started to believe that they might never be capable of setting foot there again. Lu Xiaoxuan’s appearance had ignited a dying spark of hope in their hearts. He had proven that it was possible to pave the path once more. Every fiber of their being wanted to charge forth and slaughter their way into the New World, to reclaim that land for humanity.

Xia Yan looked up at the Dominion Realm where Xia Shenji was, the Semi-Progenitor’s eyes pleading for permission to go as well. Wang Xun, Bai Chi, Kuang Yan, and all the other generals looked up at their Progenitors, begging to be permitted to leave their array bases.

The expressions on Bai Wangyuan and the others’ faces grew dark as they watched the situation unfold. They had underestimated just how important invading the New World was to humanity. What Lu Yin had just done represented a new chapter for humanity, one in which they regained the ability to actually fight back against their ancient enemy. Regardless of whether Lu Xiaoxuan ultimately succeeded or failed, he would still be the overall winner, as his name was destined to be engraved in every historical record for years to come.

News that Lu Yin was leading the fourth array base into the New World quickly spread across the Perennial World’s Higher, Middle, and Lower Realms. This was all due to Kui Luo’s efforts. Lu Yin wanted his name to resonate across the universe. He wanted the Lu surname to become a symbol of belief, of faith.

There would not be any short term benefits as he worked towards that goal. It was also impossible for Lu Yin to eliminate the four ruling powers with mere fame. Still, the true results would begin to show later on. It was much like how he had established the Tower of the Fifth in the Fifth Mainland as a source of benefits far into the future.

Lu Yin had become the Fifth Mainland’s Dao Chosen, but his indispensable contributions to the Tower of the Fifth remained unforgettable. This was the power of fame.

There were cities and humans living in the New World, but they were in the same situation as those in the various Aeternus Kingdoms; these humans were all being transformed into something else.

The jiao’s colossal body dropped into the New World. Upon arriving, the first thing that Lu Yin noticed was not an endless sea of corpse kings, but rather the devouring metal that had been dropped down earlier.

He frowned as he watched the huge shards of metal twisting about, devouring the nearby corpse kings’ flesh and blood. He ordered the jiao to pick up one of the shards.

These hunks of metal had no intelligence whatsoever, and they acted solely on their innate mechanisms. It had absolutely no fear of the jiao, and the metal actually tried to devour the jiao’s flesh and blood, only to be easily shattered by the jiao’s claws.

“Be more careful! Don’t play around!” Lu Yin scolded.

The jiao dived towards the city that stood closest to the fourth array base. It dropped to the ground like a meteor, stomping numerous corpse kings to death. The ground broke apart, revealing tens of thousands of people who were in the middle of being transformed underground. Some of them looked like they had only just arrived, while others looked to have just completed the process.

A corpse king launched a sneak attack through the void at Lu Yin. Lu Yin did not pay the monster any attention, as the jiao’s tail lashed out and destroyed the corpse king.

Corpse kings had the advantage of being completely fearless, which meant that the jiao’s aura did not hinder them at all. Any normal beast would have already prostrated on the ground in terror.