That night, Erde was thrown back into the prison, replaced by the young master Las.
This person's identity was truly extraordinary. Gradually, some students contacted Lu Yin, expressing willingness to pay a price to exchange for him, but Lu Yin refused them all. The value of this young master Las was not comparable to those resource crystals.
Las was roughly thrown onto the ground, not far from where the Hua Camp Evolvers were building defensive city walls.
"Gulei, what are you doing here too?" Las exclaimed in surprise, looking at the woman not far away.
Gulei smiled sweetly at Las. "Sorry, Senior Las, I was captured too."
Las was furious. That stubborn girl was lying with her eyes open—there was no way she was captured looking like that. Wait, "Are you the one behind this? No wonder you dared to kidnap me. You're really bold. Don't think you're safe just because your brother protects you. My father is Xika."
Gulei blinked her innocent big eyes. "Senior Las, don't wrong me. I don't have the ability to control them. If you don't believe me, ask the others—I was robbed by him too."
Las didn't believe it at all. He refused to believe that some mere natives dared to lay a hand on him. Although that native's strength was unexpectedly strong, so what? Without a solid background, no matter how good the talent, they were just ants.
"Another student is approaching!" Granny shouted.
Everyone, including Lu Yin, looked toward the distance. A figure rapidly approached and finally hovered above the capital city, overlooking Lu Yin and the others.
Seeing the newcomer, Las was overjoyed. "Senior Mono! It's Senior Mono! Senior, I'm here!"
Gulei's expression changed. "Why is he here? He actually came too?"
Lu Yin was curious. "You know him?"
Gulei replied solemnly, "Mono, an elite warrior from Yutang, once rivaled my brother. Although now he's no longer regarded by my brother, he is still one of the few fusion-level students in Yutang."
Hearing "fusion level," everyone's hearts sank. Among the second batch of trial students, there must be fusion-level warriors. Huo Xiaoling was one of them. They originally thought fusion-level warriors were hard to encounter, but unexpectedly, one appeared here.
Mono lowered his gaze to scan the capital and spotted Las. His eyes lit up. He came for Las. Las's father was Xika; by rescuing Las, he could hitch a ride on Xika's powerful backing and live without worries in the Great Yu Empire.
"Native, release Young Master Las!" Mono shouted fiercely. The shockwave scattered the clouds, pressing down from above, terrifying countless survivors.
Las was ecstatic.
Lu Yin frowned and was about to take action. So what if he was fusion-level? A fusion-level with sealed cultivation might not necessarily be stronger than him.
At that moment, Zhang Dingtian stepped out, his gaze calm. "This battle, leave it to me."
Lu Yin's eyes flickered. Since a few days ago when he saved everyone, Zhang Dingtian had rarely intervened. When students arrived, Lu Yin was the one who defeated and captured them. Granny, Gulei, and others focused their attention on Lu Yin; even Erde and the others almost forgot about Zhang Dingtian. But he was a cross-boundary warrior, ranked first among the Seven Saints. He was proud and originally the guardian of the capital city, yet it was protected by others now. Zhang Dingtian had endured for a long time. Now that his injuries had recovered, he was eager for a fight.
Baixue watched Zhang Dingtian worriedly. These alien students used strange and unpredictable battle techniques, with control over their power far beyond theirs. Ordinary students could be crushed by Zhang Dingtian, but now they faced supreme warriors.
Las was disdainful. If it were Lu Yin, there might be a show, but a mere native dared to challenge a fusion-level warrior? Even if the fusion-level warrior's cultivation was sealed, they were not comparable to ordinary explorers. Just a native, after all.
Lu Yin nodded. "Be careful."
Zhang Dingtian's gaze sharpened. He raised his long blade and soared up, directly confronting Mono.
Gulei's eyes lit up. Las and the others didn't know, but these first batch trial students did. The greatest threat to them from Huaxia was not Lu Yin, but this First of the Seven Saints, a rare cross-boundary warrior. He guarded the capital alone with his blade. Even she had retreated from his edge.
Mono looked arrogantly at Zhang Dingtian rising into the air. "Native, get lost." With a casual wave, a torrent of star energy swept across. Unlike ordinary explorer cultivators whose power was scattered, his was focused in one direction. This was unconscious control and showed that fusion-level warriors had long mastered the use of star energy.
Zhang Dingtian's gaze was firm. He raised his blade to slash horizontally. Following the blade, the strike tore through the star energy and directly approached Mono.
Mono, who had previously ignored Zhang Dingtian, suddenly changed expression. He raised a hand and crushed the slash with a claw. "Interesting. A mere native actually possesses strength comparable to ordinary Yutang members. No, slightly surpassing ordinary Yutang members. You, a cross-boundary warrior?"
Facing Mono's increasing astonishment, Zhang Dingtian swung his blade again, but it was shattered by Mono. Zhang Dingtian had cross-boundary combat strength, stronger than Erde, enough to fight Las. But facing Mono, a fusion-level warrior with sealed cultivation, his attacks were ineffective. Mono was a true fusion-level warrior. Even with his cultivation sealed and unable to unleash his fusion-level power, his use of star energy and combat skills remained. Zhang Dingtian could not match him.
Bang! Mono's claw-like strike slammed into the blade's edge with a loud crack, sending a small fracture along the sword. The force rippled down the long blade to Zhang Dingtian's arm, tearing apart the sleeve on his arm.
Originally, Mono had intended to shatter the long blade with that strike but failed. At the crucial moment, Zhang Dingtian miraculously absorbed part of the force, preserving his sword and avoiding more severe injury.
Zhang Dingtian spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered backward. Raising his long blade high, he let out a roar as a terrifying slash, unpredictable and fierce, surged forth. His body suddenly vanished, leaving only afterimages behind.
"Youshen Step?" Lu Yin was surprised. Zhang Dingtian had actually learned the Youshen Step.
Everyone stared blankly into the sky—were there two Zhang Dingtian?
Las's mouth dropped open. No way! A native was actually putting up a proper fight against Mono? Mono had unleashed the Heavenly Beast Claw but still hadn't crushed him. How was this possible? When had natives become this reckless? A cross-boundary warrior? The native planet actually had a cross-boundary warrior?
High above, Mono's gaze grew cold. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the afterimages and spun around to sweep out a kick. A violent gale twisted the air recklessly, the shockwave crashing into the earth and shattering it. At that moment, Zhang Dingtian appeared beside Mono, slashing with his blade. To everyone's eyes, the blade struck Mono.
Countless hearts leapt in shock as they witnessed the scene, including Gulei and the others. This was cross-boundary power—strong enough to contend with Mono. Zhang Dingtian was truly defying fate.
The long blade swept through with no tangible impact. Zhang Dingtian's pupils constricted sharply as Mono's figure vanished. Instinctively, Zhang Dingtian raised his blade behind him, but bang!—the blade shattered. A terrifying force slammed into Zhang Dingtian's body, smashing him into the ground.
Everyone fell silent.
In the sky, Mono appeared, his face darkened. A mere native had not only forced out the Heavenly Beast Claw but also forced out his footwork and combat technique. Unbelievable.
Everyone looked toward the land outside the city. Dust soared to the horizon.
Gulei exhaled. This was more like it. If this native had actually defeated Mono, that would upend their worldview. No matter what, natives couldn't possibly defy fate!
"It's your turn now," Gulei said to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin pointed outside the city. "It's not over yet."
"Do you want him to die? A native can't defeat Mono. He can't even injure him," Gulei said.
Lu Yin's eyes narrowed. "I really don't like the word 'native.'"
"Hmph." Gulei turned her head away.
Zhou Shan and Wu Sheng also appeared, worry etched on their faces as they gazed outside the city.
Baixue clenched her fists tightly, chilling energy emanating from her body.
Las stared blankly at Baixue. He had noticed this woman earlier—she was stunning. Originally, he planned to take her back as a servant. But what was this? Cold air? Ice? Talent? Damn, what kind of native planet was this? Even gifted cultivators appeared here, plus cross-boundary warriors, and that freak who defeated him. What the hell was going on?
At this moment, the dust cleared. Before everyone stood Zhang Dingtian, gripping a broken blade. His body was covered in scars, but he stood firm, looking resolutely into the sky as he slowly ascended.
Mono raised an eyebrow. "You have spirit. What's your name?"
"Zhang Dingtian."
Mono nodded appreciatively. "Follow me. I'll help you join Yutang. You're qualified. What do you say?"
"Not interested," Zhang Dingtian replied coldly with three words, tightening his grip on the broken blade.
Mono chuckled. "You want to fight me with that broken blade? Let me tell you, the gap between us is unbridgeable. Against me, you can only fail."
"That remains to be seen. Zhang Dingtian, here's something for you." From below, Lu Yin shouted and threw Gulei's ring armor toward Zhang Dingtian. Instinctively, Zhang Dingtian caught it, then looked at Lu Yin in puzzlement.
Lu Yin said, "Your fight was always unfair. He's fusion-level; you're only explorer-level. Don't be stubborn."
Zhang Dingtian's eyes flashed. He put on the ring armor, and in the next moment, the armor covered his entire body, crackling with thunder.