Bai Xue was furious. That bastard Lu Yin was clearly taking revenge. Back then, she had stopped him from seeing what Qing Yu had left behind—now this bastard was retaliating after all this time. Outrageous!
She wanted to confront Lu Yin, but at a time like this, seeing him would only make things worse. Who knows what kind of rumors might spread? Bai Xue had no choice but to endure it.
The next afternoon, a figure descended upon the capital. The air twisted and surged, and a vast wave of star energy swept across the sky, pressuring the entire city.
Zhang Dingtian and the others immediately rushed out, looking up into the sky.
The newcomer was none other than Yan Gang.
"Hand over everything Qing Yu left behind in the capital—now!" Yan Gang shouted, looking down coldly at the crowd.
Zhang Dingtian gripped his long blade and rose into the air. "Who are you?"
"Yan Gang, from the Flame Refining Star," Yan Gang responded arrogantly and coldly, not even bothering to glance at Zhang Dingtian.
Below, Grace cried out in shock, "Flame Refining Star?"
Bai Xue was confused. "What's so special about Flame Refining Star?"
Grace's expression was solemn. "Flame Refining Star is one of the major forces in the Canglan Territory, on par with the Great Yu Empire. That planet is engulfed in flames, and its people are incredibly powerful. Their flame-based battle techniques are unparalleled."
Granny added gravely, "Ordinary flame techniques are useless against them. Their skin is constantly scorched by fire, and they've long since mutated."
"Anyone from Flame Refining Star who appears in the Great Yu Empire is at least at the Fusion Realm. This Yan Gang is definitely one too—stronger than Mono," Grace said seriously.
Bai Xue looked up at Zhang Dingtian, her eyes filled with worry. Their enemies kept getting stronger and stronger.
"If you want it, tell Qing Yu to come and get it himself," Zhang Dingtian said in a deep voice, tightly gripping his war blade—this very blade once belonged to Qing Yu. His own blade had been destroyed by Mono, and now this one had become his weapon.
Yan Gang sneered. "A lowly insect like you dares speak to me?" He casually waved his hand, and star energy surged forth with scorching heat, blasting toward Zhang Dingtian.
Zhang Dingtian's eyes widened. He launched into his movement technique and charged at Yan Gang, slashing his blade down. The blade vibrated rapidly, incorporating the fluctuations of the Ripple Palm—this was the very slash that had once wounded Mono.
This strike was incredibly powerful. Zhang Dingtian had already surpassed his own realm, and with the battle technique infused into it, even Yan Gang was surprised. Yan Gang clashed his palms together, suddenly summoning flames that transformed into a spear, which he thrust toward Zhang Dingtian.
Blade and spear collided. The fire rained down like meteors upon the capital, causing widespread panic and scorching the land. The air was blasted aside, and shockwaves rippled in all directions.
With a deafening boom, Zhang Dingtian could not withstand Yan Gang's might and was knocked down by the spear, crashing heavily into the ground.
High above, Yan Gang looked down at Zhang Dingtian in astonishment. "To survive one of my spear strikes—few in the Probe Realm can do that. You're not bad. You can follow me."
Bai Xue, Zhou Shan, and the others glared at Yan Gang in fury. These trial students always acted high and mighty toward Earthlings, as if letting them follow was some kind of charity. This was pure survival of the fittest.
Granny was surprised. "Flame affinity?"
Grace responded seriously, "No. The people of Flame Refining Star have mutated skin that can generate flames through extreme heat. It's essentially a form of unique talent. This guy is seriously strong."
Lu Yin was still unconscious. The rest were powerless before Yan Gang.
Yan Gang stood arrogantly, his flaming spear pointing downward. "I'll say it again. Hand it over, or I'll reduce you all to ashes."
Zhang Dingtian coughed up blood. "Give him the stone."
Everyone was filled with sorrow.
Grace raised an eyebrow. Stone? What stone?
At that moment, a figure clad in green soared from the distance. In a flash, she vanished—and reappeared behind Yan Gang.
"You're pretty good. Let me try White Flash."
"What?" Yan Gang's eyes narrowed. He didn't even have time to react.
Boom!
Everyone stared in shock at the crater just outside the capital. The once-arrogant Yan Gang now lay in it like a dead dog.
High above, the woman in green was visibly excited, clenching her fists and muttering to herself.
Yan Gang roared in fury, his eyes bloodshot as he glared up. "You bitch! I'll kill you!" He shot into the sky, his body engulfed in flames that formed a battle armor around him. His flaming spear tore through the air toward the woman.
The green-clad woman exclaimed excitedly, "Perfect timing!" Without any visible movement, her body suddenly vanished. Moments later, Yan Gang coughed up blood as he was struck by an invisible force, his body bending at the waist before crashing back into the ground.
Reappearing, the green-clad woman looked down with a smug expression.
Everyone was stunned by the overwhelming disparity in power.
This time, not only the onlookers noticed the vast difference, but Yan Gang himself felt it. Climbing out of the pit, he looked up at the woman in shock.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The woman raised her head proudly. "Lulu—Mebius."
Upon hearing the name, Yan Gang, Gu Leisi, and Gelanni were all taken aback.
"Mebius? That Mebius?" Yan Gang exclaimed.
Lulu Mebius smirked. "Is there another Mebius in the universe?"
Zhang Dingtian, Bai Xue, and the others were puzzled.
"Mebius? What does that mean?"
The flames around Yan Gang dissipated as he looked at Mebius with newfound respect.
"Is this your territory?" he asked.
Lulu Mebius didn't answer but beckoned him with a finger. "Come on, I want to test the power of White Flash again."
Yan Gang smiled wryly. "I'm not here to fight. Huo Xiaoling, the heir of the Huo family, was captured by Qing Yu. Qing Yu has conditions: we must return what he left in the capital to secure Huo Xiaoling's release."
Lulu Mebius frowned. "What's that got to do with me? You're not fighting anymore?"
Yan Gang stood calmly, showing no intention of continuing the fight. His demeanor had completely changed from when he first appeared.
Finding it uninteresting, Lulu Mebius pouted and flew back into the city.
Watching her leave, Yan Gang rose into the air, his tone turning cold. "Did you hear what I just said? Who's in charge here? Bring them out to talk."
Zhou Shan immediately went into the city to find Lu Yin.
That stone belonged to the capital, so Zhang Dingtian should have the authority. However, Lu Yin had clearly received some inheritance, so Zhang couldn't make the decision alone. They needed to consult Lu Yin. Although it was hard to admit, Lu Yin was now the capital's greatest protector.
"Gelanni, Mebius—what is that?" Bai Xue suddenly asked.
Gelanni and Gu Leisi exchanged glances.
Gu Leisi said solemnly, "The universe is vast, with countless empires and massive forces, each with its own currency and laws. But there's only one bank that issues a universal currency across the entire universe: the Mebius Bank. It's an enormous and ancient economic powerhouse."
No further explanation was needed. The fact that the Mebius Bank could issue a universal currency across the universe spoke volumes about its influence. Compared to the universe, Earth was just a tiny planet. Even so, Earth had many banks, but none could issue a universal currency. Yet, the Mebius Bank managed to do so, showcasing its terrifying reach.
No wonder the arrogant Yan Gang didn't dare act recklessly. If that woman truly belonged to the Mebius Bank, her background would far surpass that of Huo Xiaoling, Las, and Jenny Ona.
Inside the capital, Lu Yin lay on the ground, eyes closed, brows furrowed, drenched in sweat, and fists clenched.
In his dream, he saw a snow-white jade finger crushing through the void, transcending time, spreading across countless stars, drawing ever closer. Suddenly, Lu Yin shouted, "How dare you!" and sat up abruptly, gasping for breath. His pupils were unfocused, and it took a while before he calmed down, shaking his head with a dazed look.
At that moment, Zhou Shan arrived. "Lu Yin, are you okay?"
Lu Yin got up from the ground, exhausted. "It's nothing. Why are you here?"
Zhou Shan looked at him suspiciously. He looked like he'd been pulled out of water. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Lu Yin shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Someone named Yan Gang, representing Qing Yu, wants to take the stone," Zhou Shan said.
Lu Yin's eyes flashed, and he nodded. "Let's go meet him."
Zhou Shan responded, "Do you want to change your clothes first?"
"I'll change when we get back," Lu Yin replied, flying towards the outskirts of the city.
On the way, Zhou Shan briefed him on how Lulu Mebius had defeated Yan Gang. Hearing the name, Lu Yin was surprised. Mebius—if he remembered correctly, that surname belonged to only one entity in the universe: the Mebius Bank.
The Mebius Bank wasn't an ordinary bank. He had once tried to open an account there but lacked the qualifications. Even ordinary wealthy families didn't qualify. The Mebius Bank was the only institution that could exchange universal currency. If this was indeed that Mebius, the woman's background was truly terrifying.