Star Odyssey-Chapter 3553: Unworthy

The others all glanced at each other, instantly reminded of the stone gate at the boundary.

Old Tao clapped his hands. "Third Boss, your wisdom is unparalleled throughout the ages! Of course, why didn't we think of such a possibility? Only you could have conceived of such an idea. Your strength is boundless, and your wisdom is unmatched. If I had even one ten-thousandth of your intellect, I would have become a Seraph long ago. Please, Third Boss, enlighten me more so that I may gain greater wisdom and walk a different path in the future."

Everyone felt disgusted.

"Following such speculation, if that gate does indeed lead to another megaverse and that megaverse is guarded by the Spirit Nidus as to be unreachable, it must be a mythical place. Third Boss, it must be the Tianyuan Megaverse, seeing as you yourself are from the mythical land and are a divine being. I pay my respects to you, divine Third Boss."

"Shut up." Lu Yin had gotten annoyed. He was sick of the flattery.

Old Tao grinned obsequiously.

Ye Laogui let out a heavy sigh. How had he ever become friends with this man? He was a complete disgrace.

Ye Yan’er hid her smile behind a hand.

...

The Clearflow Realm was the headquarters of the Sima Chamber of Commerce. It was not part of the thirty-six domains but was located in the upper half of the Spirit Nidus's "灵" character. This placed it closer to the Ascendant Hall than Yi Shang’s Chamber of Commerce, which was based in the Daquan Domain.

The events in Buyi City had immediately been sealed by the Chamber of Commerce. Nothing was publicly released, so the vast majority of people had no idea that anything had happened. All that was known was that Buyi City had suddenly been destroyed and that everyone in it had lost consciousness. There was no further information, and no explanations were being shared by anyone at all.

For Yue Ting, the events in Buyi City were already a closed chapter. He was quite ready to enjoy his beautiful life.

When he thought back, it was clear that his life had completely changed the moment his Spirit Rebirth was complete.

For a long time, the Spirit Nidus had found it relatively easy to search for necessary materials to construct their sequence bases. Some of the materials were extremely rare, while others needed to be refined endlessly.

The refining process was manageable, given the large number of people in the Spirit Nidus who were capable of doing so, but searching for materials had always been an obstacle.

Yue Ting could not even guess how many parallel universes there were in the Spirit Nidus. The Ascendant Hall and the seven major powers constantly sent out countless cultivators to search for materials. The Chamber of Commerce, in particular, explored innumerable parallel universes while conducting its business. The number of cultivators involved in exploring the megaverse simply could not be counted.

It had always been a slow process to build sequence bases. How many had been made throughout the megaverse’s history?

However, the entire situation had changed after Yue Ting’s Spirit Rebirth, when he had experienced a Spirit Transformation and awakened an innate gift.

His Spirit Transformation’s innate gift was useless in combat, as its sole function was to track things through their scent. As long as he was within the same universe, he could pick up a scent and find the associated item. However, his ability was limited to metals. It would not react to anything else. Despite that limitation, he had given his ability a grand name: Endless Pursuit.

The moment Yue Ting had completed his Spirit Rebirth and awakened Endless Pursuit, the Ascendant Hall had seen the potential of using that innate gift to find the rare materials they needed to construct sequence bases, and they had considered Yue Ting to be a priceless asset. The High Seraph had personally met the man and helped him establish his Sima Chamber of Commerce. The company had been slowly expanded and grown to the point where it had caught the attention of Yi Shang’s Chamber of Commerce. Even then, Yue Ting had managed to avoid being forcefully acquired by Yi Shang’s company, and he had become an exception within the Spirit Nidus.

As time passed, Yue Ting’s spirits had soared. He had married a beautiful woman, becoming the envy of many. He enjoyed a prestigious position and was now protected by elite cultivators that he had once looked up to. He had truly reached the pinnacle of his life.

Those years had been the most wonderful and dreamlike period of his life. The High Seraph, fearing Yue Ting’s premature death, had poured vast resources into strengthening the man’s cultivation, which had guaranteed that Yue Ting would never need to worry about his progress.

However, when Yi Shang’s Chamber of Commerce had started to act against his company, Yue Ting’s days had grown increasingly difficult.

His confidence stemmed entirely from being supported by the High Seraph. That was the only thing that had ever enabled the Sima Chamber of Commerce to maintain its independent status. However, not even the High Seraph could stop the Chamber of Commerce from also searching for the materials needed for sequence bases.

At some point in time, though so long ago that Yue Ting could not remember when, it had become apparent that even someone like him who had mediocre talent had managed to become a sequence powerhouse. The Chamber of Commerce had started aggressively competing to acquire the sequence base materials. Every time the selection for the five official trade associations took place, the Chamber of Commerce had succeeded in obtaining a large amount of those materials.

Yue Ting relied on his innate gift, while Yi Shang’s Chamber of Commerce relied on its influence. For a time, the two had been evenly matched.

Of course, the greatest beneficiary remained the Ascendant Hall. Still, Yue Ting saw his influence gradually declining, and his best days were forever behind him. Even the birth of his daughter, who had proven to be exceptionally talented at managing the Sima Chamber of Commerce, running it better than her father ever had, had not been enough to lift his spirits.

Then, one day, he had received a bit of news: it was possible that Yi Shang’s Chamber of Commerce would act against Yue Ting and destroy his innate gift.

Hearing this had left him feeling like he was sitting on a bed of needles. He had constantly been anxious and had started wishing that he could hide within the Ascendant Hall and never leave it again. Even with the powerful protectors assigned to him, he failed to find any peace of mind.

Shan Xian had assured the man that there was no need to worry, as there was no chance that the Chamber of Commerce would dare to make trouble for Yue Ting, as long as the Ascendant Hall was still present. The High Seraph would never allow anything to happen to the man.

Unfortunately, both Shan Xian and the Ascendant Hall had no idea that Yue Ting had stumbled upon an unusual connection between the Chamber of Commerce and the Gate of Laws. Why had the Chamber of Commerce never taken action against the Sima Chamber of Commerce in the past? What had prompted them to suddenly target him? It was all because he had discovered something. Despite that, he could not reveal the matter to the Ascendant Hall, as doing so would inevitably cause him to be targeted by both the Chamber of Commerce and the Gate of Laws. Yue Ting wanted nothing more than to live a peaceful life without interference from anyone. He did not want any enemies, just a free and happy life.

He had needed to find a way to present the matter to Seraph Yi Shang and use it to threaten the Seraph’s Chamber of Commerce and the Gate of Laws. Doing so would force the Chamber of Commerce to cease all competition with Yue Ting with regards to the sequence base materials, which would protect his Sima Chamber of Commerce. Yue Ting would then be able to return to his beautiful, dreamlike days.

It was not something that he could do on his own, as he would surely meet a tragic end. That meant that there was only one person who could carry out Yue Ting’s will.

He poured a cup of wine and raised it in the direction of the Daquan Domain with a sigh. "Susu, your father has wronged you. This cup is my apology to you.

"In your next life, if you have one, your father will repay you." With that, he spilled the wine onto the floor, sorrow covering his face.

Someone spoke up from behind him. The voice belonged to a woman. "Seeing my father's myriascale mantle on you is utterly revolting. You sacrificed your own daughter for your own sake. Seeing that has truly opened my eyes."

Yue Ting answered in a dry tone, "Senior, I was left with no choice. I was powerless to do anything else. Besides, Susu was my daughter. I gave her life, so it is only natural that she sacrifice it for me."

"You better return the myriascale mantle sooner rather than later. As soon as my time protecting you runs out, I will become your enemy." The woman's voice was ice-cold, and it was easy to hear her sarcasm. Yue Ting felt a shiver run down his spine. He felt miserable. Why had the Gate of Laws assigned someone like her to protect him? It was clear that her lifespan had nearly run out and that she was approaching death, and yet she still harbored such hostility towards Yue Ting.

They had sent her on purpose. That was it. The Gate of Laws must have deliberately sent her.

She was their retaliation against his threats, as not even the Gate of Laws could openly defy the High Seraph’s orders. That was why they had sent this particular woman to protect Yue Ting.

She was even worse than Shan Xian.

At that moment, someone arrived with a report. "President, news from Buyi City."

"What is it?" Yue Ting's eyes lit up as he turned to look at the messenger, eager to hear the news.

"A great battle took place in Buyi City, but we have not been able to determine who was involved."

"What about my daughter? How is she?" Yue Ting knew that Shan Xian had most likely done something. The old man genuinely cared for Susu; would he allow her to die to save her father? It was a true pity. If not for the fact that Yue Ting needed a scapegoat, he would have never chosen to sacrifice his own daughter. After all, Shan Xian felt genuine affection for the girl, and he would protect her from anything. In a way, that protection extended to Yue Ting himself, which had been quite reassuring.

The messenger shook his head. “We have heard nothing concerning the young mistress.”

“What about Shan Xian?”

“N- nothing. We have no news of him, either.”

“Then what do you have to report? Scram! Go find out! If you have not learned anything by tomorrow, then your life is forfeit! Get lost!”

The man fled the room, his face pale as he raced off to gather more information.

Yue Ting’s expression turned grim. Shan Xian had to be dead, and Susu had probably been captured by the Chamber of Commerce. It was possible that she was dead, but not guaranteed. Yue Ting shook his head and sipped his wine, thinking that, regardless of the outcome, it had nothing to do with him. Susu had been the driving force behind everything that had happened, and Yue Ting had already excused himself from the Chamber of Commerce’s business.

The following day, when people failed to gather any news, Yue Ting grew furious, and several people were quickly killed during his rage.

To outsiders, the man appeared to be worried about the lack of news regarding his daughter, Yue Susu. No one could have imagined that Yue Ting had personally sent Yue Susu to march to her own death.

Several days passed, and Yue Ting was sitting alone in the courtyard. His mood had greatly improved.

No news was actually the best news, as it meant that the Chamber of Commerce had sealed all information.

As wine trickled down his throat, a spicy tang that combined with a refreshing sensation, Yue Ting prepared to pour another glass when the sky shook. The glass tumbled from his hand, lightly tinkling as it struck the stone table.

A woman emerged from the void beside the man. Her face was somber as she looked up. A true expert had arrived.

The sky above the Clearflow Realm grew dark for a moment before quickly returning to normal, much to the confusion of countless people throughout the universe. At that moment, the most notable change had taken place in Yue Ting’s courtyard within the Sima Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters. Several more people had arrived.

Yue Ting stared at Lu Yin and the others who had suddenly appeared there in a daze. The man even saw Yue Susu among the newcomers.

Yue Susu was staring straight at Yue Ting.

She had thought that she would never be able to face Yue Ting. She did not know if she hated her father or was mourning what he had done to her. But when she arrived in the Clearflow Realm and saw this familiar place once more, her heart grew unexpectedly calm.

In front of Yue Ting, Yue Susu felt neither the anticipated sadness or hatred, but merely a calm acceptance.

Somehow, she had managed to see the man’s true nature, and while she had long been unwilling to accept the truth, upon seeing him again, she did not feel surprised by his betrayal. She knew that it was an inevitable outcome, nothing more.

This man, who was both familiar and unfamiliar, was still her father.

Trickling water echoed in the courtyard.

Yue Ting looked away from Yue Susu and glanced at the side. There was someone sitting at the stone table, pouring wine just as Yue Ting himself had been doing only moments before.

The man looked young, and yet he gave off an aura that made direct eye contact difficult. A hint of a smile toyed at the man’s lips.

When had he even appeared?

That man was Lu Yin.

The woman beside Yue Ting stared at Lu Yin. She raised a hand and placed it on Yue Ting’s shoulder, gently pulling him back.

Yue Ting rose to his feet and slowly moved away.

Lu Yin sipped the wine that he had just poured. "Does that distance mean anything here?"

The woman stared at Lu Yin. "The Grandverse Manor’s Third Boss."

Yue Ting’s pupils shrank. The Grandverse Manor’s Third Boss? The invincible Third Boss? The same man who killed Bao Qi at the Umbral Deep, destroyed the Phantom Reach, and caused Yi Nan to disappear? Is this really that same man? Why is he here? Could it be because of Yue Cheng? Didn’t Susu already clear all of that up before the trade association selection took place?

Right, Susu. Yue Ting looked over and met Yue Susu’s calm gaze.

Lu Yin raised his head and looked at the female bodyguard. "You must have been sent by the Gate of Laws to protect Yue Ting, right? Might you honor me with your name?"

"Feng Chengzhu." The woman had a graceful appearance, and while she looked middle-aged, her aura was similar to Shan Xian’s, carrying a heavy sense of decay and imminent death.

Shan Xian spoke up, "I didn’t expect them to send you."

Feng Chengzhu looked over at Shan Xian. "I didn’t want to come, but Yue Ting wears the myriascale mantle. He is unworthy of my father’s armor, so I will take it back."

Shan Xian looked at Yue Ting. "True, he is completely unworthy."

Yue Ting's face grew pale. He trembled as he hesitantly spoke up, "Th- Third Boss, you... Susu, she...?"