Published at 20th of May 2026 6:24 am

Chapter 4281: Procedure

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Ba Yue suddenly turned around. You are too insolent.

As she spoke, she pressed a hand down. Her crimson robes stirred despite there being no wind, and Lifeforce and Immortal matter gathered in her palm. In a normal situation, even someone who had obtained the pinnacle of strength beneath the Immortal realm would be left in a sorry state after receiving such a strike. It should be more than enough for Ba Yue to establish her authority.

But Lu Yin did not move at all, and he simply allowed the hand to fall.

Ba Yues palm stopped less than half an inch away from Lu Yins forehead. She stared at him. Are you not afraid of death?

Lu Yin lifted his eyes. Why not finish the blow?

Ba Yue sneered. Youre relying on the fact that you come from another human civilization. You know that I want to use you to find your civilization, so you believe that I wont kill you. Not bad. Quite bold.

Lu Yin gave a small smile. It was indeed possible to interpret his behavior in that way.

Ba Yue withdrew her hand and sat in the primary seat of the main hall. State your origins, your coordinates, and your purpose. I can grant you the treatment you deserve. We are both human, so whatever you enjoyed in your own civilization, you can enjoy here as well.

If Lu Yin had encountered someone with sufficient authority before seeing the truth of Crimson Starshade, he might have truly been tempted. Unfortunately, after seeing the Path of Dispassion, he had no interest in this civilization at all.

It was only because they were both human civilizations that it was possible for them to watch over and help one another, but he would never allow these two human civilizations to come into contact with each other.

The Path of Dispassion cared about nothing, but Lu Yins people were different. They could be easily influenced by this path.

More importantly, tell me how you got in. There was a profound depth to Ba Yues gaze as she stared at Lu Yin. This last point was crucial.

Four Immortal beings guarded their megaverse in four different directions. Not to mention someone who had reached the pinnacle of strength beneath the Immortal realm, it should be impossible for even an Immortal to silently slip past their watch. And yet, Lu Yin had done exactly that. This indicated the possibility of a hole in their civilizations defenses, which was a serious matter.

Lu Yin shrugged. If I said that I entered openly, would you believe me?

Ba Yue frowned. Your name is Lu Yin, yes?

Yes.

Dont force my hand. Since you were able to reach this place, it means that your own civilization isnt that far away. If I want to find it, I can. Ba Yues voice turned cold. Dont risk your own life to joke with me. You cant afford it.

Lu Yin nodded. Fair enough. Theres no point in talking to you. Have whoever really calls the shots behind you come out.

Insolent! Ba Yue struck again. This time, she was genuinely enraged and showed no restraint. She slammed her hand down, yet she still failed to land a blow. The crimson umbrella behind Lu Yins chair opened on its own and blocked her attack.

Ba Yue looked to the side. At some point in time, an old man had appeared there. He was not wearing crimson, but instead a long robe that looked like a scholars. He held a wine gourd in one hand, and watched things play out with a slight smirk.

Lu Yins attention also shifted to the old man, entirely ignoring Ba Yue.

Sect Master. Ba Yue was puzzled. This child is far too insolent.

The old man smiled and shook his head, waving a hand. I know, but this is enough. Theres no need to try to scare him. This kid has no intention of being frightened at all.

Ba Yue looked at Lu Yin and saw his calm eyes. There was even a faint smile on his lips. She truly could not understand his reaction. How could anyone who had not stepped into the Immortal realm dare to be so insolent? Could this brat be an Aberrant?

Youre standing too close to me. Men and women should maintain a bit of distance, Lu Yin blandly commented.

Ba Yue glared, wishing that she could strike again.

Lu Yin looked at the old man. Are you the sect master of the Sect of Dispassion?

The old man smiled and nodded. This old man is Jiu Wen.1

Lu Yin glanced at the wine gourd. Those who drink are people with feelings.

Jiu Wen smiled. There are dispassionate people too. You just havent seen them.

He turned back to Ba Yue. Girl, sit down. Dont be so impulsive.

Lu Yin looked at Ba Yue. You havent cultivated the Path of Dispassion.

He had deliberately provoked her, but she had flown into a rage much too easily. That did not match how someone who followed the Path of Dispassion should behave.

Ba Yues eyes narrowed. Youd better confess honestly. If not, the suffering of the Path of Dispassion is something that you are unable to endure, even if youre an Aberrant.

Oh? You guessed it. Not bad. I am indeed an Aberrant. Lu Yin smiled.

Ba Yue said no more. An Aberrant was qualified to speak with her as an equal.

Jiu Wen sized Lu Yin up with interest. Alright, kid, whats your name?

Lu Yin looked at Jiu Wen. Lu Yin.

A good name. The word yin speaks of countless cultivators entire lives. Many who cultivate ultimately only wish to hide themselves, just the same as entire civilizations. Jiu Wen sighed.

Lu Yin said, Your name is good too, Senior. Jiu Wen: inquiring the wine. Everything is in the wine.

Jiu Wen burst out laughing. Is that so? My master gave me this name. At the time, I didnt want it. I even named myself Jiu Tian instead, but alas, Master didnt agree.

Lu Yin said nothing.

Ba Yue frowned. Sect Master, this child is from another human civilization.

Jiu Wen hummed. I know. thats quite obvious. In our civilization, someone who hasnt walked the Path of Dispassion might as well be a rare beast. You only reached the Immortal realm by luck, but this child is different.

He looked Lu Yin up and down. Lu Yin, do you mind telling us about your human civilization?

Lu Yin answered directly. I do.

Ba Yues gaze instantly grew sharp, and Jiu Wen showed puzzlement. Why? We are both human civilizations, so we should support each other. Humanity as a whole is one family.

Lu Yin countered, Does Crimson Starshade truly treat humanity as one family?

Of course.

But you dont even care about your own family.

So you are prejudiced against the Path of Dispassion. Jiu Wen sighed. Theres nothing to be done about that. This is our path of cultivation. Without the Path of Dispassion, we would have been destroyed long ago. With the Path of Dispassion, we retain a small thread of hope. Tell me, what other choice could we have made?

Lu Yin did not argue. He had no right to judge whether the Path of Dispassion was right or wrong. Perhaps, as Jiu Wen said, without it, their civilization would have been destroyed.

But you can rest assured that contact with your human civilization wont spread the Path of Dispassion to you. What do you think the Path of Dispassion is? Do you believe that it is somehow easy to cultivate? Jiu Wen added.

Ba Yues tone turned grim. In our civilization, fewer than one in a thousand are qualified to follow the Path of Dispassion. Although almost all cultivators move towards that path,how many can slaughter their way out of a Dispassion Valley? Only by joining the Sect of Dispassion can one truly cultivate the Path of Dispassion. No one else can become completely dispassionate.

Lu Yin asked curiously, What is the connection between Crimson Starshade and the ancient Nine Ramparts?

Jiu Wen smiled, showing a broad grin. Good. Excellent! There are still others who have preserved that inheritance. Kid, do you know how long we have searched for our kin after the Nine Ramparts were destroyed? I was afraid that your civilization had lost its inheritance from the Nine Ramparts, so hearing you mention it relieves me.

Our Crimson Starshade civilization was once the Second Rampart.

Lu Yin also let out a breath. The Second Rampart? That meant that he had found the right one. However, what did that mean about the Crimson Starshade that Green Lotus had abandoned?

Lu Yin, which Rampart was your civilization? Jiu Wen asked with curiosity, and Ba Yue showed the same curiosity.

The Nine Ramparts had been the peak of human civilization. They had been supremely powerful, as any individual Rampart had been strong enough to contend with a fishing civilization on their own.

When the Nine Ramparts had spread across the cosmos, they had been a true behemoth of the Aevum Inch, able to disregard any other civilization.

Ba Yue did not know how the Nine Ramparts had been destroyed long ago. While Crimson Starshade had once been the Second Rampart, their own records from that era were extremely scarce. There were so few that even she, an Immortal, had a very vague understanding of that era.

Ultimately, while Crimson Starshades inheritance had survived, they had lost too much during the war that had destroyed the Nine Ramparts. They hoped to recover some of that lost history from other human civilizations.

Lu Yin stared at Jiu Wen. We were never a Rampart.

Jiu Wen was startled. Never a Rampart?

Ba Yue grew terribly confused. If their civilization had not been a Rampart, then what was it? When the Nine Ramparts had spread across the cosmos, all of humanity should have been gathered within that civilization.

The Nine Ramparts had been a monster even in the scope of the entire Aevum Inch, able to disregard any civilization.

Lu Yin spoke slowly. Back then, when the Nine Ramparts faced a powerful enemy, some people were sent away with the excuse of preserving humanitys legacy, but in truth, they were sent out to serve as bait.

Ba Yues eyes trembled.

I am a descendant of that bait.

Ba Yue stared blankly at Lu Yin. Bait?

Jiu Wen also stared at Lu Yin. Lu Yin met the old mans gaze, but he did not see even the slightest shift in his eyes. Let alone guilt, there was nothing at all. Jiu Wen was frighteningly calm.

So thats how it was.

Senior, what are your thoughts about that? Lu Yin asked.

Jiu Wen said, It was war. There was no helping it. There is always a need to sacrifice some.

An open sacrifice and a betrayalbeing used as baitare two very different things.

So what is it that you want?

Lu Yin stared at Jiu Wen. The mans cold, indifferent gaze made him deeply uncomfortable. His forebears had fought to the death for people like this. They had been used as bait, and yet there was not even the slightest shred of gratitude, as if such actions were only natural.

If his ancestors had knowingly been used as bait, Lu Yin would have had nothing to say about this, as they would have made that sacrifice for the preservation of human civilization. But instead, they had been deceived and lied to.

They had fled with hope of survival, as well as guilt and reluctance for everyone else from the Nine Ramparts, bearing the crushing burden of serving as humanitys legacy, only to later learn they had been tricked into serving as bait. The blow at that moment of understanding had been greater than any other.

What had truly been hated was not that they had been sacrificed, but rather that they had been deceived. It was possible that many people even within the Nine Ramparts had believed that the bait had truly escaped, fleeing to preserve humanitys inheritance.

But who knew what they had suffered?

What do you want from us? Jiu Wen asked again. Ba Yue silently looked at the old man.

Lu Yins voice was low. Do you think that I came here to collect a debt?

Jiu Wen chuckled. If your people wanted to collect a debt, they wouldnt send a brat like you. Whether you came here to scout or arrived by accident, since that happened in the past, our Crimson Starshade civilization can compensate you. Speak, what do you want?

Dont ask me for compensation to bring back your dead ancestors. In the Aevum Inch, countless beings die every day, and even entire civilizations are destroyed every day. Death is insignificant. Nothing is ever perfectly fair in life. They suffered injustice, and youve come to reclaim it. Our forebears did wrong, so we can now offer compensation. That is the procedure.

Kid, sometimes you shouldnt overthink things. The Nine Ramparts nurtured your forebears, and your forebears died for the Nine Ramparts. That is as it should be. The Path of Dispassion: cast aside distracting thoughts. Only in that manner can you overcome Dukkha and achieve Immortality. Arent you curious about our civilizations Path of Dispassion? I can tell you now that ones Dukkha arises from their emotions. The reason why the Immortal realm is so difficult to enter is because people cant find their own Dukkha.

However, if you can cast aside distracting thoughts from the beginning, Dukkha naturally becomes easier, and the chances of stepping into the Immortal realm greatly increases.

Lu Yin withdrew his gaze. He did not want to look into Jiu Wens indifferent eyes any longer. Those eyes were revolting.

The old mans voice continued to speak. I greatly admire the fact that your ancestors managed to pass down an inheritance and even raise an Aberrant like you. Still, you are ultimately meant to return to the Nine Ramparts. Since you have no home to return to, come to us. Otherwise, who knows? You may be wiped out one day.

1. Jiu Wen () literally means Wine Inquiry. In xianxia contexts, wine is often associated with emotion, attachment, and worldly ties. Lu Yins remark contrasts wine drinking with the Path of Dispassion, implying that one who drinks cannot be truly without emotion.

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