"Why go to the capital? The apocalypse has come—every place is the same," Zhou Shan asked, puzzled.
Lu Yin didn't mention anything about the mission. He only said, "I want to find the truth behind the apocalypse. And that corpse."
Zhou Shan shook his head. "There's no need. That massive explosion reduced everything within dozens of kilometers around the capital to dust. Though the apocalypse followed shortly after, people rushed to the scene to investigate right away—and found nothing. Do you really think there's still value in going there after all this time?"
Lu Yin said in a deep voice, "Whether it's useful or not, I have to go."
Zhou Shan sighed and looked out toward the outskirts of Jinling with a complicated expression. "I can't stop you if you insist, but I hope that if your investigation turns up nothing, you'll come back to Jinling."
Lu Yin nodded. "I will."
Zhou Shan took out an ID from inside his coat. "This is an official credential under my name from the national army—also my token. The Seven Saints once made a pact: seeing this is the same as seeing me. Take it with you to the capital and find Zhang Dingtian. Ask him for help."
"Zhang Dingtian? One of the Seven Saints?" Lu Yin was puzzled. He didn't know much about the Seven Saints. Communications had been spotty since the apocalypse, and his attention had been on Liu Tiange. If not for coming to Jinling, he wouldn't even know that the Saint of Discipline was Zhou Shan. As for the one in the capital, he only knew the title—Blade Saint.
When Zhang Dingtian was mentioned, a strange look appeared on Zhou Shan's face. "Lu Yin, I know you're strong now, capable of suppressing aliens—but I have to tell you this: do not underestimate the Seven Saints. Don't measure them by my standards, especially not the top three. Zhang Dingtian is one of the top three Saints—recognized as the strongest of them all."
Lu Yin was shocked. The strongest of the Seven Saints? That wasn't just an ordinary title.
Zhou Shan said solemnly, "Ever since that corpse was brought back to Earth, China secretly selected countless individuals to try and inherit some legacy from it. In the end, only the Seven Saints succeeded. Zhang Dingtian was acknowledged as the strongest among them. His blade can suppress everything. The students may be powerful, but I don't believe any of them—at the same level—can defeat him. Even the prideful Luo Sheng or Bai Xue wouldn't compare themselves to Zhang Dingtian. Many call him the Blade Saint, but his full title is 'Mad Blade Hua Sheng.' He is Hua Sheng."
As Zhou Shan spoke, an image appeared in Lu Yin's mind: a domineering man with a blade, suppressing the capital with his presence alone.
"How do you compare to him?" Lu Yin asked. He wanted a direct comparison.
Zhou Shan gave a bitter smile and raised a single finger. "Aside from the other top three Saints, the rest of us would fall with just one strike."
Lu Yin's expression changed. To be defeated in a single strike—even Zhou Shan? That was terrifying. Zhou Shan's true strength exceeded both Orton and Grannie, and he could even fight Tres. That meant Zhang Dingtian could defeat someone on Tres's level with one blow. Based on Yego's description, Tres was at the pinnacle of the academy rankings—yet Earth had such a man?
Lu Yin believed that with his Rift Palm or Celestial Star Palm, he too could defeat Zhou Shan in one move. So how did he compare to Zhang Dingtian?
He carefully accepted the ID from Zhou Shan, knowing it represented a personal favor. Zhou Shan hoped he would one day return to Jinling, but Lu Yin was destined to disappoint him. His future lay among the stars.
There were still two months before the second wave of trial-takers would arrive. Lu Yin hoped to find the corpse and confirm its identity before then. Time was tight.
"What? You want me to go to the capital with you? No way!" Grannie exclaimed, immediately refusing.
Lu Yin said coldly, "You don't have the right to refuse."
Grannie protested anxiously, "Didn't you hear what Yego said? The ones in the capital are the strongest students from the academies. They're monsters. I saw Willow crush Tres with my own eyes. He wasn't beaten by surprise—he was overwhelmed."
"I said, you don't have the right to refuse," Lu Yin repeated.
Grannie was speechless and reluctantly pleaded, "Yata—no, Lu Yin, you don't understand what the strongest of the academies represent. Back during the academy tournament, Tres challenged Willow and was seriously injured in just one strike. The gap was too big."
"Yego was also seriously injured by one strike from me," Lu Yin replied flatly.
Grannie wanted to argue but suddenly realized—it was true. She had always considered herself a tier below Tres, and subconsciously had underestimated Lu Yin's strength. But thinking back now, this guy might be a monster too. Injuring Tres at the View realm, and seriously injuring Yego without even using star energy—she stepped back and looked at Lu Yin again. Maybe he really could rival the strongest students.
Lu Yin had never gone all out against Grannie. She didn't understand his true combat power, but even what he had shown was enough to astonish her.
"We leave tonight. Heading to the capital," Lu Yin said calmly and walked away, leaving Grannie no room to refuse.
Grannie was helpless. The universe was vast, full of countless academies. Even within the Grand Yu Empire, there were many schools. Trial missions were something far beyond her level. And yet now, she was being dragged into a different circle—the one where the so-called strongest gathered.
Hebei Province.Amid the vast mountains, a blood-red haze shot up to the sky like wolf smoke, dyeing the mountain streams crimson. The river was covered in blood, its pungent metallic scent drawing in more and more mutant beasts, only for them to be slaughtered in an instant. Agonized cries echoed through the mountains before all went silent.
The stream ran red. A short man stood in the water, rinsing his body. Several wounds on his back had long since scabbed over, and his firm muscles bulged with strength.
On the riverbank, a man and a woman quietly observed him.
"Bai Lie, if you keep playing like this, there'll be no mutant beasts left in this mountain range," the man commented.
The short man shot a cold glance toward the bank and replied, "There are still two Fusion-level mutant beasts I haven't touched. I'll butcher them before we leave."
The woman spoke calmly, "It's time to go to this country's capital. That's where we have the highest chance of finding the fugitive. The corpse brought from Neptune to this planet might very well be the target."
A flash of cold light passed through Bai Lie's eyes. "Willow, where are the other two teams?"
The man on the riverbank was none other than Willow, the top powerhouse of the Empire's First Military Academy. The woman beside him was Paris, the strongest of Blue Mountain Academy. These three were the elite members Ye Ge had mentioned.
Willow replied, "Based on their last known positions, Gleis and her team are in the grasslands north of the capital, and Urder's team is in Shanxi. Neither is far from the capital."
Bai Lie walked ashore. Energy rippled from his body, instantly drying him off.
"Let's go. To the capital."
The three departed, leaving behind a field littered with the corpses of mutant beasts, many of which were Heaven-rank.
Northern China.Vast grasslands swayed under a fierce wind, forming waves of green that shimmered under the sunlight—a breathtaking sight when seen from above.
A young woman on the plains raised her arms and took a deep breath. "So fresh! This is the scent of the grasslands!"
Not far from her, a two-meter-tall man with green skin glanced at her and muttered in a gruff voice, "Smells like dung to me. You're crazy."
"What did you say, Balaro?" The woman's ears perked up. She glared at him furiously.
Balaro quickly smiled. "Nothing! Smells great, smells great."
The woman smirked triumphantly. "That's better. Come on, let's head to the capital. I heard the natives of this planet found a corpse from a primitive world—it's probably the fugitive."
"Alright," Balaro replied.
He raised his head, and in front of him, the tall grass suddenly parted as if guided by an unseen will, clearing a path.
Shanxi Province.Two figures draped in black robes walked slowly forward. Before them lay a vast land of yellow earth. Strange and ferocious mutant beasts would occasionally burst from the ground, only to disappear again.
Beneath one of the hoods, a man with scales on his forehead wore a cold expression. With each step he took, the earth around him dried up completely, as if all moisture had been sucked away. A hundred meters behind them, the land they had walked over crumbled into dust, and the mutant beasts buried there had all been reduced to shriveled husks—completely drained of fluids.
"I hate this place. We should've landed in the ocean."
"There's no choice. We must go to the capital to complete the mission. I know you were born under the sea. Just bear with it—we'll be gone soon."
"I've sacrificed too much. If anyone dares stand in my way, I'll kill them all. Even if every native on this planet dies, they won't stop me."
"Of course. No one can stop us."
Northeastern China.A world of snow and ice blanketed the land, stretching as far as the eye could see. The endless white obscured all vision.
Amid this sea of white, a pair of red boots stepped slowly forward. Against the wind and snow, a face of peerless beauty was revealed—so dazzling it seemed to melt the frozen world around her. Her star-like eyes radiated brilliance that could pierce through the blizzard.
She was Snow, one of the revered Luo Saints of Huaxia, hailing from the side of the Luo River. Graceful and otherworldly.
This was the Blue Camp, under the command of the Luo Saints.
On the snowy ground, three figures knelt in agony, their faces twisted in pain. One of them managed to lift his head and looked at the stunning woman before him in terror, his lips trembling.
"You… You're just a native… How can you be so strong?"