Suddenly, Paris felt a sharp tightening in her chest and a chill down her back. She abruptly turned around, and in her sight was an absolutely stunning woman calmly looking at her. Red boots stepped on the dark red earth; she wore a pure white plain dress, with long blue hair flowing down to her waist, her expression cold and indifferent.
"Who are you?" Paris asked in horror. Someone had gotten this close to her without her noticing—was she being too careless? Was it a lingering effect of her injury?
The stunning woman looked at Paris coldly. "You caused this beast tide?"
Paris stared intently at the woman, jealousy flashing in her eyes. This woman was so beautiful—among everyone Paris had ever seen, only the Star Collector woman could compare. This kind of beauty was pure and flawless, without any worldly impurities. How could such a person exist?
"Let me ask you again, did you cause the beast tide?" the stunning woman asked once more.
"Who are you?" Paris demanded sharply, her gaze wary.
The stunning woman looked at Paris and said, "My name is Bai Xue."
"One of the Seven Saints, Luo Saint Bai Xue?" Paris exclaimed in surprise.
Bai Xue's gaze passed over Paris and fixed on the blood-stained battlefield. Her eyes turned icy cold. "You caused the beast tide—what are you trying to do?"
Paris sneered, "A mere native has no right to speak to me. When I catch you, I'll tear your face apart." As she spoke, she reached out toward Bai Xue, and a beast's roar echoed from her palm, sending chills down the spine.
Bai Xue stepped back, and layers of solid ice appeared before her, but Paris easily shattered them. "Is this pitiful ice conjured from plants all you can do? Natives will always be natives."
Bai Xue stopped and raised her palm to strike Paris. Paris sneered, "You're asking for death," and they clashed palms. A fierce cold wind swept in all directions, freezing the ground. Bai Xue's ice spread toward Paris.
Paris paid no mind. Although her injuries hadn't healed, she didn't regard Bai Xue as a threat. "I told you, the cold conjured by plants is useless." Paris growled, and the ice shattered violently, tearing Bai Xue's sleeve apart. Several tiny icy grass blades fell off—identical to the ones Zhao Yu had, which emitted cold energy enabling Zhao Yu to perform ice palm techniques, effects similar to a flame crystal.
Paris looked at Bai Xue arrogantly, wanting to see the despair on her face.
But the next moment, an overwhelming extreme cold enveloped the surroundings, and the ground instantly froze. Around them, a layer of white ice abruptly appeared, condensing the air.
Paris's pupils constricted sharply, and all color drained from her face. "Impossible... this, this is a talent... Ice talent. You have a talent?"
Bai Xue's gaze remained steady. The endless cold once again surged toward Paris, instantly freezing her right arm.
Paris screamed and tried to retreat, but it was too late. Within two seconds, her entire body was frozen solid—and then shattered.
The strongest of Blue Mountain Academy—dead.
With Paris's death, the beast tide on the blood-stained battlefield began to clear, many beasts retreating.
Bai Xue exhaled deeply. This woman was very strong; if she weren't injured, she might have broken free. Paris had severely underestimated her. Still, she had forced Bai Xue to unleash her ice talent.
Inside the city, Willow and Baille searched for Zhang Dingtian's residence, as well as the former Office No. 1, but found nothing.
Lu Yin and Granny arrived outside the capital, then crossed the battlefield to enter the city.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the capital was heavy but orderly. All survivors wore fearful expressions yet still held faith in the Huaying forces.
No matter how prosperous a city is in peacetime, after an apocalypse, it's the same.
Bridges broken, skyscrapers abandoned, houses collapsed—having a place to live was already fortunate.
Lu Yin found a map of the capital and, with Granny, headed straight to Zhang Dingtian's home. They shared the same thought as Willow and the others: if anyone knew the whereabouts of that corpse, it would most likely be Zhang Dingtian.
On the iron city walls, Zhang Dingtian's gaze was fixed on the white rising in the distant sky—that was the freezing aura, Bai Xue's ice.
"Saint Hua, look!" someone exclaimed.
Everyone looked toward the distance. On the battlefield, countless mutated beasts and zombies fought, dyeing the ground red. Suddenly, a patch of white appeared abruptly, freezing the ground. The stunning woman walked calmly across the battlefield, freezing everything in her path—beasts and zombies alike.
"It's Luo Saint, Luo Saint Bai Xue!" someone cried out joyfully, followed by cheers from countless others.
The Seven Saints were the protectors of the apocalypse, and Bai Xue was their signature figure. She was the only female among the Seven Saints and also the most beautiful woman in Huaxia. Her presence energized the evolved soldiers as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
Beauty is a kind of power—it can awaken potential and make people forget the pain and hardships in their bodies. Bai Xue undoubtedly possessed such power.
The moment Bai Xue appeared on the city wall, all the soldiers of Huaying let out low growls, terrifying the countless mutated beasts on the battlefield.
Zhang Dingtian calmly looked at the battlefield, gripping his long knife tightly.
Bai Xue walked to Zhang Dingtian's side. "I've dealt with the person who caused the beast tide—it was an alien student."
"Thank you," Zhang Dingtian said calmly.
Bai Xue responded coldly, "You're too merciful. Even if you didn't kill them, you should have captured them. These people don't see us as human at all."
Zhang Dingtian said in a deep voice, "I killed five. The rest are difficult."
Bai Xue was surprised, "Difficult? Even for you?"
Zhang Dingtian looked at Bai Xue. "Among the Seven Saints, there are three upper saints and four lower saints. Alien students are naturally divided as well. The ones you just killed weren't ordinary."
Bai Xue fell silent. That woman had forced her to use her innate talent—a power that even the lower four saints couldn't match. That woman possessed strength comparable to the upper three saints.
"You said 'several' just now, so there's more than one alien student here? What about the others?" Bai Xue suddenly asked.
Zhang Dingtian narrowed his eyes, "I don't know."
Bai Xue took out a personal terminal she had seized and tapped on it a few times. The screen emitted a series of beeps. "Eight. There are eight Heavenly-level elites in the city," Bai Xue said in surprise.
Zhang Dingtian's eyes widened, filled with fury. Eight Heavenly-level elites appearing at once was enough to completely destroy Jing City. "They're looking for death."
Meanwhile, when Lu Yin and Granny arrived several kilometers from Zhang Dingtian's residence, Granny suddenly stopped and looked ahead in surprise.
Lu Yin followed her gaze and immediately spotted two men—one tall, one short—standing out conspicuously. Few survivors could dress so neatly, and the short man looked particularly strange: about one meter tall with a stocky build, a physique unmistakable on the street.
They were Willow and Bairie, who had just left Zhang Dingtian's place empty-handed and were about to move elsewhere when they coincidentally met Lu Yin and Granny.
Willow and Bairie were quite conspicuous, and so were Lu Yin and Granny—especially Granny. After the apocalypse, many women struggled to survive, let alone maintain their appearance. Granny was beautiful and shone like a light in the crowd, immediately spotted and recognized by Willow.
"Willow!" Granny exclaimed, instinctively stepping closer to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin's gaze sharpened. Willow? He had heard that name several times before—the strongest warrior from the Empire's First Military Academy, an elite qualified to complete important missions. It was quite a coincidence to meet here.
Willow was also surprised to see Granny. Jing City was a necessary stop for investigation missions. Was Granny here to complete a mission as well? Willow smiled slightly and glanced at Lu Yin with a trace of contempt. Through star energy, he could sense that Lu Yin had just broken through his limits—basically trash.
"Do you know them?" Bairie asked in a low voice.
Willow replied, "From the same academy."
"Take them along. We need more manpower," Bairie said grimly.
Willow nodded and hissed at Granny, "Come with us."
A flicker of fear flashed in Granny's eyes as she looked at Lu Yin.
The trial was against everyone; unless friends or relatives, everyone else was an enemy—even those from the same academy were enemies. For Granny, although Lu Yin controlled her, he didn't threaten her life. Willow, however, was different—coming from the stars, he was far more ruthless.
"I told you to come over, didn't you hear me?" Willow shouted loudly, drawing the attention of many around.
Bairie frowned. "Lower your voice."
Willow fixed an icy glare on Granny.
Lu Yin stepped forward a few paces and looked at Willow calmly. "Who are you talking to? It's noisy, don't you know?"
Willow was momentarily stunned, probably not expecting Lu Yin to speak like that. He sneered, "I don't know which academy you're from, but today, you're expelled." Saying this, he slammed one palm down; the air rippled violently, waves spreading out and scattering many survivors before they could react.
Lu Yin raised an eyebrow. Cracking Sky Palm? He also slammed his hand down and then struck out with a palm.
At the same time, Willow also launched a palm strike.