Chapter 4022: Fusion

Granny Yin sat down cross-legged, and Lu Yin released his inner universe. A miniscule speck broke off from the cluster of green light that he had acquired from the dying Mother Trees. It was so small that it was barely visible, and it drifted towards Granny Yin. It hovered above her head, and from it, an illusory tree sprouted that gradually merged with the old woman’s body.

As that occurred, Granny Yin heard Lu Yin’s voice echo in her ears: “The tree is the source. Its branches spread into myriad forms. The Nirvana Tree Path finds the gaps between your cultivation’s source and its branches. You must pierce them yourself, link them, and open the path of the tree.”

Granny Yin frowned. In that instant, she felt a tree rooting itself inside her body, a green tree whose branches spread along her blood, her meridians, and the paths that her cultivation had once carved. However, there were some places that remained unconnected. Without any hesitation, she forced them open and bound the spirit seed essence in her body to the green tree’s branches.

The process was not quick. Granny Yin was a peak Dukkhan who had acquired her cultivation through Seed Transfusion, but even before that, she had been a Dukkhan.

While the process was not short, it did not take an excessively long period of time either.

Over the course of several days, Granny Yin’s aura declined from that of a peak Dukkhan to the level of overcoming Dukkha, and it continued dropping further and further until she seemed as ordinary as a normal human who had never cultivated at all. Qing Yun’s heart clenched in fright.

She had a deep relationship with Granny Yin. Greater Sancte Awe Gate had not been able to look after her daughter, so Qing Yun had been raised by Granny Yin. The old woman had long been regarded as a member of Qing Yun’s family.

“Mr. Lu, Granny Yin won’t be harmed, will she?” Qing Yun asked anxiously.

Greater Sancte Awe Gate calmly ordered, “Quiet. Just wait.”

Qing Yun pursed her lips while glancing back at Lu Yin. He offered her a reassuring smile.

Relieved, Qing Yun focused back on Granny Yin.

Several more days passed before Granny Yin abruptly opened her eyes. At that moment, her aura surged back to a peak Dukkhan’s. She rose to her feet and stared down at her body with visible confusion.

Lu Yin explained, “Your Seed Transfusion now hangs on the tree. Spirit seeds are fruit. However many fruits your tree can bear, you can accept. The tree is the source, and what bursts forth is your true self.”

However, Granny Yin did not appear to be as excited as expected. As she bowed to Lu Yin, there was a complicated expression on her face. “Thank you, Mr. Lu.”

“Granny, what’s wrong?” Qing Yun asked in confusion. While Granny Yin seemed to have succeeded, she did not seem to be happy about it.

Granny Yin gave a bitter smile. “I thought that this cultivation path would be able to guide an old woman like me back towards Immortality. Even if it is practically impossible to reach that realm, having some hope is still better than none. However, this cultivation path does not lead there.”

“Why not?” Qing Yun asked, still confused. Greater Sancte Awe Gate silently observed the exchange.

Granny Yin replied, “This path may be able to increase my power level, but it won’t let me cultivate further on my own.”

“Who says that it can’t?” Lu Yin countered as he stared at Granny Yin. “Do you think that the only fruit the tree can bear is the spirit seed from your Seed Transfusion?”

Granny Yin trembled, and her eyes gained a fervent light as she turned to stare at Lu Yin. “Could it be...?”

Lu Yin nodded. “As long as you have the resolve, you can cultivate any path that you believe leads to Immortality. Those paths will all bear fruit upon the tree. And what is Nirvana? It is the power to reset the past. You once accepted a Seed Transfusion and lost your future. This tree method lets you keep the strength gained through that choice, while opening up a new road forward. Otherwise, how could it be called a cultivation path worthy of a civilization?

“If it cannot change the past, how can it be Nirvana?”

Granny Yin stared at Lu Yin and swallowed hard. At this moment, she saw him in the same light as she did Greater Sancte Awe Gate. She bowed so low that she was almost kneeling. “Thank you, Mr. Lu. Your talent surpasses the universe, and my blind eyes were unable to see it.”

Lu Yin gently lifted her back up. “It may be possible, but you may not have enough time to recultivate. For you, there might not be a significant difference.”

Qing Yun stared at Lu Yin, speechless. Was this some kind of joke? He first gave Granny Yin hope, only for her to discover that there was none. He then gave her hope again, only to crush it himself. This was too cruel.

Granny Yin laughed, long and hearty. “Immortality, who can truly attain that level? Had I ever had hope of reaching that level, I never would have accepted that Seed Transfusion.

“Mr. Lu, you have not given me hope once more. Even if it is just as impossible as before, all I ever wanted to do was chase after that hope, or perhaps, my former self.

“Thank you, Mr. Lu.”

Qing Yun moved to support Granny Yin. “Granny, are you alright?”

Granny Yin nodded. “I’m fine, just fine.”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate stared at Lu Yin. After a moment, while Granny Yin and Qing Yun watched in astonishment, the Immortal slowly bowed. “I, Greater Sancte Awe Gate, while unworthy, thank you on behalf of human civilization, Mr. Lu.”

Lu Yin was startled by the gesture and quickly returned the bow. “Senior, you exaggerate things.”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate’s face remained solemn. “Not at all. Your cultivation method grants far too many people hope. For the cultivators of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, who would choose to accept a Seed Transfusion and destroy their future if they had any other option? People claim to pursue the pinnacle, but how many truly believe themselves capable of reaching it? What they pursue is nothing more than hope. A future that cannot be seen is a true future. Hope that has not been denied is true hope.

“Your cultivation method will not only raise humanity’s overall strength, but also grant countless people hope for a future. For our human civilization, this is a tremendous blessing. If not for my status as one of the Greater Sancti, I would not even be qualified to thank you on behalf of humanity.

“Now and in the future, whether you become an Immortal yourself or not, you stand equal to us Immortals.”

Lu Yin drew in a deep breath. “Thank you.”

Was it even necessary to have people perform the rite of acknowledging him as a half-master anymore? Greater Sancte Awe Gate’s attitude and Granny Yin’s attitude made the situation plain to see.

Ingratitude could only exist when a gap was small enough where constraints were necessary. However, if a benefactor stood too high and was so far above enough that they even controlled life and death, why would they worry about something like betrayal? As for the recipients, they would never dare to harbor any sort of ill intent. The thought itself could not manifest.

When one ordinary person borrowed money from another, they would need a contract or some other kind of binding agreement. Even sentiment could serve as a form of restraint. However, if an ordinary person borrowed from a cultivator, the cultivator would not care about such constraints, as their mere existence was the greatest restraint.

Lu Yin had reached too high a level. He had given a blessing to the entire Nine Odysseys Megaverse and the Spirit Nidus. The cultivators in those places were too far beneath him. They would only ever feel gratitude, and they would never harbor ulterior thoughts.

If he were even close to standing on the same level as those people, further constraints would have been necessary.

The rite of acknowledging Lu Yin as a half-master had once been proper, but it had since become entirely unnecessary.

Greater Sancte Awe Gate brought out a cultivated spirit seed and handed it to Granny Yin.

The old woman accepted. She was about to attempt to fuse with a second spirit seed, which had been Lu Yin’s goal from the very beginning. The Nirvana Tree Path had been entirely unexpected. He had never considered creating a cultivation path for a civilization.

As the spirit seed entered Granny Yin’s body, even Lu Yin felt a flicker of anticipation.

With the exception of the Netherfiends or when someone had used a mirebound artifact, no cultivator had ever fused with a second spirit seed before. This was a groundbreaking moment.

Success was inevitable, but witnessing it unfold was still nerve-racking.

A new spirit seed appeared in Granny Yin’s inner tree. Right after that, the illusory tree quivered. The old woman’s brow furrowed, and she forced the sensation down. If the tree shattered, it meant that she was incapable of enduring a second spirit seed.

While she did not know for sure if she could withstand it, she would put forth all her strength in an attempt to succeed.

After receiving such a blessing from Lu Yin, Granny Yin refused to allow herself to let him down.

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Lu Yin frowned. “If you can’t endure it, then just stop.”

But Granny Yin did not give up. She endured.

Greater Sancte Awe Gate said, “The Netherfiends took countless attempts and experiments for just a few of them to succeed. It is only natural for us to not succeed on the first try.”

Lu Yin shook his head. “The Nirvana Tree Path works in the same manner as the Netherfiends’ approach, but it is much gentler. For the Netherfiends’ energy, one success in ten attempts is quite good, but with mine, we should see three out of four attempts succeed.”

No one said another word. All of them were entirely focused on Granny Yin.

The old woman’s face grew increasingly ashen, until Qing Yun could not hold herself back from urging the woman to stop.

Granny Yin refused. Then, all of a sudden, her eyes snapped open, and she released an explosive aura that shot high into the sky with enough force to shake the void itself.

Countless people surrounding the region noticed it, and someone exclaimed in shock, “Is that Senior Granny Yin’s aura? How did it become so much more powerful?”

“You’re right, that is Granny Yin’s aura, but...”

“Could it be because of that illusory tree?”

“That tree stirred up a powerful longing within me. There must be some connection.”

“Where is that tree?”

...

The Great Master, Qing Xing, Dan Jin, and a number of other powerhouses arrived in the area. They stared at the area that was sealed off by the field of consciousness, but they would not enter without acquiring permission.

“I know Granny Yin, but her strength is only average. How could her power have spiked so much?” Dan Jin asked, perplexed.

The Great Master’s expression turned grave. “Fusing with another spirit seed.”

“Fusing with another spirit seed?” Qing Xing was surprised.

The Great Master replied in a low voice, “There is no other possibility that I can imagine that would allow Granny Yin’s power to soar in such a manner. She became a peak Dukkhan by accepting a Seed Transfusion, capping her potential for the rest of her life. She can never have another breakthrough, unless she fuses with another spirit seed.”

“That’s what the Netherfiends do. Is it even possible for us?” Dan Jin asked. Suddenly, she thought of the illusory tree that had appeared. “Could it be because of that tree?”

Qing Xing peered into the distance. “Even I felt a yearning for that tree. It’s a new cultivation path, and it even triggered an incredible phenomenon. It’s possible that this cultivation method is precisely what makes multiple spirit seed fusion possible. As expected of Mr. Lu.”

The Great Master said, “If this new cultivation method can truly allow everyone to fuse with multiple spirit seeds, the overall strength of our Nine Odysseys Megaverse will surge.”

As she spoke, she suddenly understood why Greater Sancte Awe Gate had given orders that no one was to destroy any spirit seeds. The Immortal must have already known what was going to happen.

This was what Lu Yin had been working on.

The man is truly able to accomplish anything. It’s astounding.

Far away, Qing Yun let out a breath of relief.

Lu Yin also let out a breath. A success on the first try was truly an excellent start.

“Granny, how do you feel?” Qing Yun asked.

Granny Yin smiled. “Filled with strength. I’ve entered an entirely new tier of power, one which I’ve never touched before.”

Lu Yin allowed himself a small smile. After fusing with two spirit seeds, Granny Yin had become one of the most powerful experts in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. Even if she had once been one of the weaker peak Dukkhans, she could now be considered a true master at. She was powerful enough to compare to Xing Fan and the others at that level. If the old woman could fuse with three spirit seeds, she would undoubtedly be able to contend for the title of strongest beneath the Immortal realm.

Unfortunately, she would never be able to accomplish that; two spirit seeds were her limit.

Still, this much was more than enough. A few more such experts would be enough to give the Nest civilization a real headache.

If Qing Xing and the others at his level also fused with two spirit seeds, they would be able to put up a fierce fight, provided that they did not encounter an impossible ability like Broken Time’s temporal template.

“Senior, the Nirvana Tree Path can be taught to everyone at once, so before that happens, don’t release any news. We need to prevent people from hiding cultivated spirit seeds. We need to gather all of them first,” Lu Yin advised.

Greater Sancte Awe Gate nodded. “I understand. That will be our top priority.”

“What about Obscura?”

“There’s been no news, and they won’t move anytime soon.”

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