In the capital city, Lars was utterly despondent. Even Mono had been defeated; no one could save him now, and his trial was destined to end in failure.
Granny stared at Lu Yin in disbelief, recalling their first encounter. Back then, he was merely at the Wàng Realm, but now he was nearly invincible at the Tàn Realm. What was his background? Yata, Tata Planet Academy? His grandfather was the dean? Could it be that his grandfather was an unparalleled powerhouse?
Mono was well-known among the trial students. When news of his defeat in the capital spread across the local network, it shocked all the students. Their first reaction was disbelief, but the network didn't lie.
Soon after, Gules confirmed the news, prompting many students to take the defending force of the capital seriously.
So far, the only Rong Realm experts to appear were Huo Xiaoling and Mono, and both had been defeated. This trial was proving to be anything but simple.
Not long after, several more students were captured by Qing Yu.
Lu Yin did a quick count. "Seventeen. That fugitive has captured seventeen students."
Bai Xue looked at him puzzled. "Why are you counting this?"
Lu Yin's expression darkened. "He's stealing our leverage."
Everyone was speechless.
Lu Yin took a deep breath. "This guy isn't stupid. He's thinking along the same lines as us—using the students to force some concessions. But our situations are different. He's a fugitive; we're natives. He's destined to be judged, no matter how many students he captures."
"Then it's not your concern," Gules said, blinking.
Lu Yin looked at her. "Every student he captures is one less for us, reducing our bargaining power."
Gules widened her eyes. "You actually plan to use the students to negotiate with the Empire? That's impossible."
Lu Yin replied matter-of-factly, "Nothing's impossible. Students who dare to participate in the trial are all elites; they're important to the Empire."
Gules sneered. "Do you know how many students the Empire has in the trial? This planet is just one of many trial sites. Even if all the trial students here die, it won't affect the Empire. Do you think the Empire would compromise with natives over these students? Dream on."
Upon hearing Gules' words, Bai Xue and Zhou Shan's expressions changed. The Great Yu Empire was vast, with countless students and academies. The students in the Earth's trial were just a tiny fraction; negotiating with the Empire was indeed impossible.
"Not necessarily," Lu Yin said, grabbing Lars. "This man's identity is enough for us to secure some promises."
Lars was furious. "Let go of me."
Lu Yin released him, a smile playing on his lips. "Deputy Minister of Finance of the Empire—a high position. I've heard he has connections with the Royal Court's Twelve Teams. Even better. The higher his background, the greater our chances of successful negotiations, right?"
Gules pondered, looking at Lars. That was true. This guy was Sika's only son. For his son's sake, Sika might go to any lengths.
Lars glared at Lu Yin in anger. This bastard was using him to threaten the Empire. Whether successful or not, he would become a laughingstock among the Empire's younger generation. Bastard!
In Northern Europe, another group of students was equally furious.
Over twenty students from around the world had gathered to confront Qing Yu. Leading them was Yan Gang, not from the Great Yu Empire, but a young powerhouse from Lianyan Star in the Canglan Territory.
Lianyan Star was a formidable force rivaling the Great Yu Empire. Though just a single planet, it was massive, engulfed in seas of fire. Legend had it that all life on Lianyan Star had immense resistance to flames and could unleash powerful flame-based combat techniques. It was a terrifying force.
Yan Gang, like Huo Xiaoling, was a Rong Realm expert, also with sealed cultivation. Many students believed he was even stronger than Huo Xiaoling.
"Qing Yu, release Huo Xiaoling," Yan Gang stood high in the sky, glaring coldly below. His body emitted a dark red hue, radiating intense heat even in the frigid Northern Europe, melting the snow beneath him.
Qing Yu sat leisurely on the ground, behind him were seventeen captured students, including Huo Xiaoling.
"Quite a crowd, huh? Kid, do you think you can snatch people from me?" Qing Yu mocked, his gaze contemptuous. He had once traversed the stars as an explorer; mere students were nothing to him.
Yan Gang said coldly, "I warn you, Huo Xiaoling is the fiancée of the young clan leader of Yan Peak on Lianyan Star. If you harm her, you'll face the wrath of Lianyan Star."
Qing Yu scoffed, "Just a remote border territory. Do you really think you're something special? But I'll give you a chance to take her from me—if you can."
"You speak," Yan Gang said in a low voice.
Qing Yu curled his lips. "Go to Huaxia's capital city and bring me my item. I'll exchange it for this woman."
A glint flashed in Yan Gang's eyes. "Release Huo Xiaoling first, and I'll get it for you."
Qing Yu burst into laughter. "Are you an idiot, or do you take me for one? Release her first? Has your brain been burned by fire?"
Furious, Yan Gang clenched his fists. The air around him distorted from the heat. "Fine, I'll get the item, but you must promise not to harm Huo Xiaoling."
Qing Yu shrugged. "That depends on how long it takes you to get it. If you're too slow, I can't guarantee anything. She's a beautiful woman, after all."
Yan Gang roared, "Huo Xiaoling is a Rong Realm cultivator! If you dare lay a finger on her, we'll break our seals if we must—and kill you!"
"Doing so will mean you'll never be accepted into the Tenth Academy of the Starry Sky. You can't even complete a simple trial mission at the Tàn Realm. The Starry Sky War Academy won't take garbage like that. What will you say to your clan's young lord then?" Qing Yu mocked as he looked at Yan Gang.
Yan Gang snorted. He turned and whispered to the students behind him, "Watch him. I'm going to Huaxia."
"Mono was just defeated in Huaxia. Can you manage on your own?" one student asked. He was from the Huo family—not concerned about Yan Gang, but very much about Huo Xiaoling.
Yan Gang sneered. "Don't compare me to that piece of trash." With that, he soared into the sky. Wherever he passed, the air twisted, forming a white, ribbon-like distortion.
From Northern Europe to Huaxia's capital, even at the speed of a Tàn Realm cultivator, the journey would take at least two days—assuming no mutated beasts blocked the way. If they did, the delay would be unpredictable.
At night, only a few places in the capital city had lights, for fear of attracting mutated creatures.
Lu Yin arrived at the underground Institute of Technology, where Dean Lian personally guided him to see the item Qing Yu had left behind—a stone the size of a human head.
The stone was roughly spherical but had sixteen flat, smooth faces. In the center was a mark no one could decipher. The entire stone emitted an ancient, timeworn aura, as if it came from a distant past.
Standing beside Lu Yin was Bai Xue. It was thanks to her that Lu Yin was allowed to view the stone. At first, she had strongly opposed letting him access anything left by the fugitive, saying the Seven Saints needed to approve it. But now, that was no longer necessary—Lu Yin alone was protecting the entire capital.
Lu Yin looked curiously at the stone, resting stably beneath a glass dome. "It's just a stone, but it feels extraordinary."
Dean Lian asked, "Can you guess how old it is?"
Lu Yin shook his head.
Dean Lian sighed in amazement. "It can't be determined."
"Can't be determined?" Lu Yin was surprised. That Earth's current technology couldn't even date a stone was hard to believe.
Dean Lian explained, "The stone has existed for so long and undergone changes we can't trace. Its age keeps shifting—there's no way to measure it. We've studied it many times, but we haven't been able to discover anything."
Bai Xue added, "Based on the intelligence we've gathered, fugitive Qing Yu escaped from the depths of the universe to get here—a vast distance. Even so, he's still being hunted. The only explanation is that he's carrying something extremely valuable—probably this stone."
"When you brought him back from Neptune, was there anything else besides the stone?" Lu Yin asked.
Bai Xue looked at Dean Lian, who replied, "A battle blade, several dozen crystals—basically star energy crystals—and a chip that contained cultivation techniques. But the chip was badly damaged, and most of its data couldn't be recovered."
"The battle blade was just given to Zhang Dingtian. As for the star energy crystals, we've already used them for cultivation. At the start of the apocalypse, we were already close to reaching Heaven-level, or the Tàn Realm," Bai Xue added.
Lu Yin looked at the stone. "So, the stone and the battle blade are the only two things Qing Yu left behind."
"We studied the blade—it's extremely durable, far stronger than any metal on Earth, even mutated ones. But this stone—we've got nothing. No clues at all," Dean Lian said.
Lu Yin said calmly, "Can I study it?"
Dean Lian shrugged indifferently. "Be my guest."