Chapter 75: Bottom Line and Resurrection

In the virtual universe, inside the Great Axe Temple, the meeting still continued.

"The first reason for this meeting is that Zhou Yu has become a universe sovereign; the second is for another universe sovereign—the Lord of the Seven Stars," the Founder of the Great Axe said, looking at the many universe sovereigns, and asked:

"You have all seen the data, right?"

"We have seen the data; it's astonishing—someone from the hidden realm human tribe can become a universe sovereign. That's unprecedented."

"According to the data, that Lord of the Seven Stars has seven major avatars. Before he became a universe sovereign, each avatar was only a few hundred meters tall; now they reach hundreds of kilometers. I suspect those avatars are not his true body; his true body is some special lifeform."

"Only by possessing a special lifeform and compensating for the deficiencies at birth can the hidden realm humans hope to become a universe sovereign."

Everyone was discussing; based on a few clues, deducing the truth wasn't hard. The only uncertainty now is what exactly the Lord of the Seven Stars' true body is.

"Zhou Yu, you've already met the Lord of the Seven Stars, right? Tell us, how was his attitude?" the Founder of the Great Axe asked Zhou Yu.

"It's hard to say; on the surface I'm just immortal," Zhou Yu said.

"I would be willing to reveal my strength and talk with him, but first I need to know where the clan's bottom line lies. Also, if the Lord of the Seven Stars agrees to join us, does he join the Hong Alliance or become a direct line of the human tribe?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell into thought.

Indeed, if the goal is merely to win over a powerful special‑life universe sovereign, they'd simply be let into the Hong Alliance.

But if the other side intends to bring their whole clan, they'd naturally become part of the cosmic human tribe.

"Try to determine what his true body is; if it's truly extraordinary, we can offer a pinnacle‑domain treasure or an equivalent item as a price to win him over," the Founder of the Great Axe said to Zhou Yu.

"However, if his true body is ordinary, there's no need to spend that much; the bottom line is a top‑tier domain treasure or an equivalent item."

"Understood."

Zhou Yu nodded.

A pinnacle‑domain treasure is indeed an extravagant price, dozens of times higher than the ordinary top‑tier treasure promised to Zhou Yu.

But this is normal; his Seven‑Star Vine avatars grew independently outside, even reaching the level of a universe sovereign. To win them over, a price is inevitable.

A universe sovereign like Zhou Yu's human avatar, who broke through within the human tribe, is different; he received numerous aids when he was weak. Though those aids might not be high in value, some things can't be measured that way—without that early assistance, Zhou Yu's human avatar might never have become a universe sovereign. Such early help is priceless.

In short, a foreign monk recites well.

"As for the Lord of the Seven Stars joining, he should first enter the Hong Alliance; once his clan fully integrates, we can let him truly join us," the Founder of the Great Axe added.

"I understand," Zhou Yu nodded, silently sighing within.

That's the advantage of negotiating with oneself; the bottom line is clear, so one must secure the greatest benefit.

…

A few days passed in a blink.

Deep within the Misty Swamp of the Endless Continent.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Time was reversing, rapidly rewinding, back to an unknown number of years ago.

At last a scene appeared: an immortal deity in the form of an elder confronting a Seven‑Star Vine that stretched millions of kilometers.

"Return, Elder Clan Chief."

Zhou Yu's Seven‑Star Vine avatar waved its vines, a force shielding the elder while gradually restoring the reversed time.

The elder was, of course, the old clan chief of the Endless Continent's human tribe; in strength he was merely a titled immortal, so reviving him was easy.

Originally, in the simulation, Zhou Yu could possess the Seven‑Star Vine and even had a chance to consume the lotus that greatly benefits the soul. Although the underlying cause might have been the influence of the Fortune Child, the apparent reason was the old clan chief's assistance.

Thus now possessing the ability, Zhou Yu chose to revive him.

Of course, revival was possible mainly because the elder was already immortal and could withstand the passage of time.

Huff! Huff! Huff!

Zhou Yu endured the backlash of time, which was trivial for his massive divine body.

Soon, the reversed time fully returned to normal.

"Where is this?"

A hint of bewilderment remained in the elder's eyes; he stared at the towering Gourd Vine before him, startled.

"Elder Clan Chief, you've died once before; do you still remember me?"

Zhou Yu's voice rang in his mind, and instantly a flood of memories resurfaced for the elder, including the fragment of consciousness that had conversed with Zhou Yu, now appearing in his mind as well.

"You? You succeeded in possession?" the elder said with surprise, looking at the Gourd Vine ahead.

"I not only succeeded in possession, but also cultivated to a higher level, gaining control over space‑time and reviving you," Zhou Yu explained with a smile.

"Revive?" the elder found it hard to believe.

But the fact was before his eyes, and he quickly accepted it.

"How are the humans now?" the elder suddenly asked.

"Haha, the clan is thriving; we've already dominated the Endless Continent," Zhou Yu began explaining to the elder.

After a long while, the elder finally regained his composure from the flood of information.

"You just said that the Endless Continent we inhabit is only a tiny part of the universe? That there are even larger human existences beyond?" the elder asked.

"Yes, I've agreed to join them, and soon I'll select a group of the most outstanding talents from our clan to immigrate there," Zhou Yu said.

"Humans born on the Endless Continent lack sufficient potential; immortals like you, Elder, are exceedingly rare. I only reached where I am because I once possessed the Seven‑Star Vine! Only humans born in the vast cosmic space have enough potential to hope to reach the level of a universe sovereign on their own."

"So that's how it is."

The elder felt a sigh of regret and sadness, for in his heart the Endless Continent, where humans originally gathered, was his hometown.

Learning that his hometown was insufficient made him uncomfortable.

"Elder, now that you're revived, don't overthink; just go out and have a look around first," Zhou Yu said.

"If you need anything, you can always return to me or my disciple Wu Hai; I've already told him about reviving you,"

"Alright, I've long wanted to see the current humans!" the elder nodded, gazing at the immensely powerful Gourd Vine, feeling a flood of emotions.

In hindsight, his earlier clash with this terrifying life in the Misty Swamp was far from wise.

Also, indeed, the harmed group almost faced extinction.

Fortunately, a chosen one appeared among the group; not only did he lead the group to rise, but he also reached an inconceivable realm, and in the blink of an eye resurrected him

(End of chapter)