Chapter 285: Secret Sidestep (1/2)
It was no wonder why the Rainmaster had once said that comprehension took but a moment, though Lu Yin was more willing to believe that his comprehension stemmed from his Cosmic Art. It was just like the Second Sword of the Sword Sect’s Thirteen Swords, which was the manifestation of a domain. It could even be said that Liu Shaoqiu had to comprehend a domain before he could display the Second Sword, or that the Second Sword had helped him comprehend a domain.
And Lu Yin’s Cosmic Art came from the Cosmic Sect, which surpassed even the Sword Sect according to the Trialmaster. With the word “Cosmic” in the technique’s name, it was likely a top technique from that peak sect, so there was nothing mysterious about it assisting him in comprehending a domain.
Eh? Lu Yin looked towards Han Chong. He could now clearly sense Han Chong’s strength, which he had not been able to do so before. He could tell that there was an ever-ready reserve of strength. Also, there was an indescribably mighty force present on Han Chong’s body. This strength felt strangely familiar to Lu Yin, but he could not recall where he had encountered it before.
The instant Lu Yin comprehended his domain, Han Chong’s eyes brightened. He could sense the collision between their domains, and his lips curled upwards. Five-lined battle force and now a domain. This person did not disappoint him in the slightest.
Lu Yin had no time to think about what was going through Han Chong’s mind as waves of energy continued to crash over him. Lu Yin stood up and inhaled deeply as his eyes widened. His right leg precisely shifted a few centimeters to the right, allowing him to barely avoid the impact from the energy surge. He then shifted a few centimeters back left to dodge the fluctuations of the next wave. His movements seemed perfectly natural and carefree, a complete change compared to before.
If Lu Yin had previously been a rock trapped under a torrent, then he was now a dancing skiff that could not be capsized no matter how large the seething waves were.
“No, no, impossible! You, Seventh Bro, when did you comprehend the Secret Sidestep?” the Ghost Monkey cried out in disbelief.
Lu Yin glanced around. “What’s the Secret Sidestep?”
Lu Yin was puzzled as well. “I don’t know. In any case, these energy surges are now useless against me. Also, my vision has become more piercing, and I’m much more confident in my chances of unlocking this seal and releasing the people trapped down below.”
“I’ll be damned, you really comprehended the Secret Sidestep! What the—how is this even possible!? That’s the Secret Sidestep, a supreme technique like no other. It can improve one’s safety while lockbreaking by a hundred times! This is nothing more than a dream for many Lockbreakers, but you learned it just like that!? Disgusting, how disgusting!” the Ghost Monkey screamed with jealousy.
Lu Yin’s eyes flashed mysteriously. Comprehended? That shouldn’t be the case… He had relied on a combination of the Giant Emperor’s third eye, the Cosmic Art, and his new domain to calculate his movements. This shouldn’t be the real Secret Sidestep but rather a forgery. If any one of the three parts were missing, then Lu Yin would not have been able to come up with this version of the Secret Sidestep.
Then, what was the true Secret Sidestep? Lu Yin suddenly thought of one of the sourcebox catalog videos that he had seen during his first viewing sessions. In one of those videos, someone had been unlocking a mountain-like sourcebox, and that person had incessantly patted the sourcebox while their body trembled slightly. Could that have been the Secret Sidestep?
However, he didn’t have the time to consider the possibility any further. He easily dodged all of the surging energy fluctuations like a fish swimming through tumultuous rapids. He then used a single hand to press against the materialized energy seal as his eyes sparkled. After gaining a domain in addition to his lockbreaking tool and Cosmic Art, his perception was now able to penetrate through the sea of energy even more, visually dissecting it layer by layer.
Below him, the trialtakers were all watching with gaping mouths. They could see the energy seal visually dissipating and vanishing as specks of light drifted away. Even if this was restricted to a small area, the fact that Lu Yin was successfully able to do this meant that he had the potential to unlock this seal.
Lu Yin’s left hand pressed up against the energy seal, and he raised his right hand as the muscles in his arms swelled. “Nine Stacks… Twentyfold… Spacerender Palm.” With a deafening roar, his martial power pierced the void and exploded over the collapsed Zhanlong Daynight…
…Who suddenly opened his eyes and tried to dodge. He was still struck by the aftershocks of the attack, and he spat out another mouthful of blood as his body was blasted some distance away.
Lu Yin sneered. The moment he comprehended his domain, he had sensed that Zhanlong Daynight’s heartbeat was not that of an unconscious person’s; the Daynight clan genius had been feigning unconsciousness this entire time. The Daynight Restoration Technique was truly terrifying and could withstand even the strongest strike, but Lu Yin’s palm had still inflicted a grievous injury upon him. And his Spacerender Palm truly knocked him out completely this time.
The crowd had apprehensive looks. That was Zhanlong Daynight who was being tossed around, but who would believe them when they recounted this scene?
Among Limiteers, Lu Yin should truly be matchless now. Everyone was thinking the same thing, and they were quite certain of his superiority.
While Lu Yin was completely focused on lockbreaking, Starsibyl, who had been waiting behind Crown Prince Ming Hao, left the celebrations without anyone’s notice. Not even Ming Hao paid her departure any mind, as he greatly trusted Tian Ji’s heir.
Similarly, Grandini Mavis, who had been standing behind Ming Zhaochen, also vanished.
The security detail around the imperial palace was very strict, and there was a sentry every few steps, each one an expert. However, the sentries were common cultivators compared to Starsibyl and Grandini. Given the absence of any Explorers, it was child’s play for the two of them to enter and leave the palace.
The two women met within a rock garden.
“What are you looking for?” Grandini asked.
Starsibyl smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“I asked you first.”
“And I’m not obliged to answer.”
“You are truly detestable. You act mysteriously whenever there’s nothing going on, but you’re always the first to act when something actually happens,” Grandini mocked as she rolled her eyes.
Starsibyl remained smiling. “Our goal should be the same. I suspect that the Tower of Resonating Light is not one of the five control nodes.”
Grandini frowned. “It should be. This information was only discovered after spending hundreds of years investigating.”