Chapter 4169: Reverence

Lu Yin stared blankly at the world before him as the seven-colored light intertwined with the endless darkness of the sky above. It created an image of both hope and despair.

“The end of every civilization is destruction. All one can do is delay its arrival, nothing more.

“Your human civilization currently occupies a fixed link within the Aevum Inch’s ecological chain. That position has long since solidified.

“Obscura currently stands above you, occupying the upper layer. For now, that actually shields you. But if you forcibly destroy Obscura, what awaits you will be suppression from a higher level of the ecological hierarchy, a crushing force that comes from civilizations beyond your reach.”

Shan’s voice slowly reached Lu Yin’s ears.

Lu Yin remembered everything that he had experienced since he had first started cultivating. There had always been an enemy waiting ahead of him, each one stronger than the last. That was because each step he had taken had led him into a greater world. But the Aevum Inch was endless. Who could guarantee that it would be possible to defeat his next enemy?

Is the end of every civilization truly destruction? Is that really true?

Before making the journey to see the Seven-Treasure Anuras, Lu Yin had prepared countless arguments to persuade them, but at the moment, he could not say anything.

To persuade someone, it was necessary to have a better understanding than them, but who could possibly know more about the Aevum Inch than this ancient creature?

What Shan said were things that Lu Yin had never even considered before, things that he had not reached the level to consider.

It was possible that not even Greater Sancte Green Lotus had ever considered such matters.

The ancient toad bluntly defined the relationships between cosmic civilizations as an ecological system, and they even defined the relationship with Obscura as a form of protection. This was something that his human civilization had certainly never considered.

And yet there was no way to argue against it.

Before Shan, Lu Yin was simply too small. He really was just a child, someone pitifully lacking in knowledge.

“Child, what is most important to survive in the Aevum Inch?” Shan suddenly asked.

Lu Yin replied without even thinking, “Self awareness.”

“And what else?”

Lu Yin pondered.

“Respect. Respect for the Aevum Inch and respect for the ecological order of civilizations,” Shan explained. “When you lose that respect, you are not far from destruction.

“I tell you these things as thanks for caring for my little anura. The power that he has is very good,” the ancient toad explained.

Lu Yin’s heart stirred. “The Nirvana Tree Path?”

“Oh? Is that its name? It’s a fine name. This is a path of cultivation that was developed by your civilization. That you were willing to share it with my little one shows that you regard him as one of your own. That is the only reason why I am even speaking to you. Otherwise, I would not have said anything at all. There are some insights that must have a price,” Shan said.

Lu Yin stared at the land below. Astral Anura had learned the Nirvana Tree Path because Lu Yin had made a point of teaching it, but there had been no greater purpose behind that action other than to smooth a path in the future with the Seven-Treasure Anuras.

Those efforts had paid off.

Had Lu Yin not taught Astral Anura that cultivation system, how could Shan have shared so much information or even demonstrated such goodwill?

Regardless of how harmonious the land of the toads appeared to be, the anuras inherently possessed nasty temperaments. That could not be changed, but it did depend on whom they were dealing with.

When Lu Yin had tried to examine Astral Anura’s karma, the killing intent that had injured him had not been an illusion.

“All right, go back now. Our civilizations do not need to interact any further. Your human civilization is rather troublesome,” Shan said.

Lu Yin’s heart stirred. “Senior, you know about our human civilization?”

Shan’s gaze grew distant, filled with nostalgia. “Human civilization once reached extraordinary heights, but in the end, it destroyed itself by its own hand.

“Many civilizations believe that we Seven-Treasure Anuras are flawed in temperament, and humans are no different. In some respects, you are even worse.

“Our flawed personalities are something innate to our species, whereas yours shift with strength.

“When you are weak, you will endure humiliation in order to survive, but when you are strong, you act without restraint.

“That is human civilization.

“Of all of the rules and knowledge that I have of the Aevum Inch, your human civilization has violated them all at some point in time. For this reason, even though you once shone brilliantly, you inevitably withered.”

Lu Yin asked, “Aside from us, are there any other human civilizations still around?”

Shan shook his head. “I do not know, nor would I wish to encounter any. Ask yourself, when you first confirmed that my species would not become your enemy, what was the first thought that came into your mind?”

Lu Yin’s eyes flickered. His first thought? Naturally it had been to create allies and to strategize from there.

Shan looked at Lu Yin with an expression that was neither quite a smile nor a sneer. His eyes appeared clouded, yet they gleamed with sharp awareness. “You want to use us to deal with Obscura together, don’t you? There’s no need to deny it.”

Lu Yin replied, “Isn’t that the natural conclusion to reach?”

Shan shook his head. “That is what you believe is natural. It reflects the nature of human civilization, but it does not represent how all life thinks.

“Some beings would choose to distance themselves from us. Some would seek to gain something from us. Others would think about how to deal with us or eliminate us. There are countless possibilities. Yet human civilization has only one thought, to use us against Obscura. That is your sole instinctive response.

“To be frank, this is even worse than simply wanting to oppose us directly. Humans are innately adept at exploiting everything around them. Put nicely, it is called intelligence. Put bluntly, it is called despicable.

“You were like this in the past, and you are still like this now. In that regard, you are no different from Obscura.

“This way of thinking allows human civilization to survive, but it also makes you prone to turning that cleverness against yourselves. You believe you are smart, yet in the end, it is always yourselves who suffer.”

Lu Yin was caught off guard by how low of an opinion Shan had of humanity. He had assumed that, since the toads did not intend to oppose humanity and that the ancient monster had praised him for teaching Astral Anura the Nirvana Tree Path, that Shan harbored goodwill toward humanity. Instead, it appeared that the human civilization of the past had left anything but a good impression.

Upon considering it, that made sense. If what Shan had said was true, then the Seven-Treasure Anura, though arrogant, lived in peace with the ecosystem of the Aevum Inch, whereas humanity acted without restraint and was fundamentally incompatible with that ecosystem.

Even having Obscura as a common enemy changed nothing.

“Return, human child. If you are not destroyed by Obscura, you may flourish once again. However, remember to not seek us out again. We have no need to interact with your civilization.” After speaking, Shan vanished, and an irresistible force pushed Lu Yin down to the seven-colored grasslands below.

The lakes, the prairies, the lotuses, and the mountain peaks formed a picturesque scene that soothed the mind.

Lu Yin stood at the edge of a lake, staring off into the distance. He looked at where Astral Anura was surrounded by many Seven-Treasure Anuras who were all asking him questions nonstop. Astral Anura was not weak for his kind, as a Dukkhan.

But because he had grown up away from his own kind, they sought to care for him upon his return.

Some of the toads clearly took on the roles of aunt-like seniors. They patted Astral Anura’s head while asking him about his years away, while others kept bringing him more food. Lu Yin saw some dried giant snails among the dishes, which had initially stunned Astral Anura. Even so, he felt a warmth that he had long forgotten. He called the other toads auntie and uncle as he chatted with them.

There was also a swarm of young toads crowded around, the smallest even calling Astral Anura grandfather, which left the toad dazed.

Despite having lived for so long, this was the first time he had felt any sort of familial affection.

Astral Anura looked at Lu Yin from across the distance, wanting to speak to him, but unable to do so.

Lu Yin smiled. “I’m leaving. Live well here. I hope that, when we meet next time, you will already be an Immortal.”

Astral Anura was reluctant, not to part ways with Lu Yin, but to lose everything he had in their human civilization, especially his businesses. Still, the toad’s reluctance was meaningless. He knew that he would not be able to leave again anytime soon.

Perhaps... I could build a business here?

“Do you want to buy some flags? I’ll give you a low price.”

“Child, what are you selling? Whatever you want, your auntie will give it to you. You’ve suffered while away from your family for all these years.”

“Yes, take all of your fifth uncle’s savings.”

“And me! And me! Uncle, here is my allowance! It’s all yours.”

“All of this is for you.”

Astral Anura was left dumbfounded. How was he supposed to conduct business like this?

He suddenly looked up. A black shadow was plummeting from the sky, and it crashed down onto the ground nearby. Another Seven-Treasure Anura had arrived, but this one was far more formidable than the others. They were thinner than most, and their aura was lean and hardened. Around their neck hung a string of giant snail shells. In their hand was a steel fork, while a lotus leaf sat on their head. Their aura boldly proclaimed that they were absolutely not to be trifled with.

Their arrival sent the young anuras fleeing.

An elderly toad beside Astral Anura scolded the newcomer. “Little Eighteen, was the lesson that you were given last time not enough? You scared the children again!”

The lean anura’s gaze swept across the area before their eyes locked onto Astral Anura, examining him.

Astral Anura felt his skin crawl. No matter how he looked at things, this anura looked dangerous.

“So, are you the kin who was lost outside? You look young, but your power is lacking. Just wait, I will train you.”

Astral Anura’s face twitched as he forced out a smile. “There’s no need. I prefer peace.”

“Who is Peace? Is there an anura with that name?” Little Eighteen asked in confusion.

Astral Anura was rendered speechless.

Little Eighteen stared at Astral Anura. “Don’t blame me for not warning you. Reproduction is only allowed amongst our own kind here. Do not make a mistake, as those elders are annoying. Watch yourself, or else they will make trouble for you.”

“All right, Little Eighteen, why have you come back?” one of the larger anuras asked, as they stepped between Little Eighteen and Astral Anura.

The lean toad ignored the elder, their gaze moving past the nearby surroundings until their eyes suddenly locked onto Lu Yin, who was still standing at the edge of the lake. A fierce glint flashed across the toad’s eyes. “Return the slug.”

Lu Yin arched a brow as he met the toad’s gaze. So it’s here for me.

Little Eighteen leaped forward and crashed down in front of Lu Yin with a glare. “Return the slug.”

“By ‘slug,’ are you referring to the Immortal snail or the entire species?” Lu Yin asked.

“The entire species.”

Lu Yin shook his head. “They’re dead.”

Little Eighteen was stunned. “Dead? You ate them?”

Lu Yin said, “The Tricolor Skyborne attacked my human civilization. They were killed in battle.”

Little Eighteen glared at Lu Yin in open displeasure. “Do not lie to me! There are consequences for lying to me.”

Lu Yin chuckled. “I am not lying to you. Go ask Astral Anura.”

Little Eighteen turned to look back, and Astral Anura quickly nodded.

Little Eighteen clenched their jaw as they shot Lu Yin an angry glare. With that, the toad turned around and left.

Curious, Astral Anura asked one of the older Seven-Treasure Anuras, “What is wrong with them?”

The toad who referred to herself as an auntie quietly replied, “Little Eighteen’s favorite food is the slugs. When they grew up, they went with Old Fourth to guard the snails. I heard that, in order to make them taste better, they specially bred a batch of stronger slugs to improve the texture. Now, it seems that that batch of stronger ones are all dead.”

Astral Anura was stunned. “Just to make them taste better?”

“Yes. Little Eighteen is a gourmand.

“You have to give them credit for that. Every time they return, they bring a batch of delicious slugs to share with the children. Don’t be fooled by how fierce Little Eighteen might look. They really are quite kind, just not very gentle.”

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