The shockwave tore the walls apart, blew away the clouds, and carried lightning to bombard all directions. At the top of the tower, Lu Yin had finally blocked a full-power strike from Gurbach at the Reaching Realm. Not only that, but when the fifth star exploded, it even suppressed Gurbach's Flashing Thunder Arrow, scattering all the lightning and causing Gurbach's combat technique to collapse on its own.
Although Gurbach himself was not injured, having his combat technique broken was equivalent to defeat.
Lu Yin retracted his hand. In his palm, a black mark was deeply etched into his sight. This was from the power of the lightning, which had scorched his palm, but it wasn't too serious.
"You win," Gurbach said.
Lu Yin took a deep breath. "It's a draw. I'm injured," he said, holding up his palm.
Gurbach laughed. "Using an external force to execute my combat technique was already cheating. I believe you didn't use your full strength either. I, Gurbach, am not a sore loser. A win is a win."
Lu Yin didn't argue further. He indeed hadn't used his full strength; at the very least, he hadn't used Bai Xue's talent. If he used her talent to enhance the Heavenly Star Palm, its power would be even greater.
"Although a fight with a suppressed realm isn't very satisfying, it's not bad. With your strength, you're qualified to rank in the top 10 of the Martial Hall," Gurbach said frankly.
Lu Yin was surprised. "Doesn't the Martial Hall have more than ten Melting Realm experts?"
Gurbach sneered. "Melting Realm? So what? Do you know? No more than ten people in the Martial Hall could have blocked that arrow of mine just now. Therefore, you are qualified to rank in the Martial Hall's top 10."
Lu Yin suddenly thought of Thyssen, who had provoked him at the body reconstruction pool. That person was also a Melting Realm expert but had been defeated by his Heavenly Star Palm. And then there was Mo Nuo; with his current strength, he could definitely defeat him at the Melting Realm. Thinking about it, it was true. He could defeat Melting Realm experts while being in a lower realm.
Were Melting Realm experts weak? No, the Melting Realm was very strong. But the Melting Realm experts of the Great Yu Empire were weak. Gurbach was strong in the Martial Hall, but if placed in the Innerverse, he was far from reaching the level of being strong. This was the difference between the Outerverse and the Innerverse.
Thinking of this, Lu Yin was no longer in a hurry to break through to the Melting Realm. He wanted to understand more about the Melting Realm; he didn't want to become a bottom-tier Melting Realm cultivator like Mo Nuo.
At this moment, Lu Yin saw that in the request he had sent, Gurbach had agreed.
"Thank you," Lu Yin said.
"That leaves Shuz. How do you plan to get him to agree?" Gurbach asked.
Lu Yin hadn't thought about this. He had heard of Shuz, the undisputed strongest of the Great Yu Empire's younger generation, the number one master of the Martial Hall, firmly surpassing Tian Ming and Gurbach, and a former member of the Great Yu Empire's Youth Council. With so many halos to his name, even an ordinary person would be elevated to the peak. Lu Yin really had no idea what this person's personality was like.
Gurbach smiled. "I'll be a good person to the end and help you out. But you've already learned 15 forms. The difference between having five more or five less isn't that great, but the price to pay isn't small. Have you thought it through?"
Lu Yin was curious. "That depends on what the price is."
Gurbach was surprised. "I thought you would charge forward bravely."
Lu Yin shrugged. "As you said, five more or five less doesn't make a big difference. If the price doesn't match the reward, then it's not necessary."
Gurbach sized Lu Yin up. "To be honest, I've met many people. When faced with a powerful combat technique, everyone is fierce and unafraid of death, especially the Martial Hall elites. They'll fight to the death with anyone who stands in their way. A practical person like you is rare."
Lu Yin smiled. If he could learn the entire Heavenly Beast Claw, he would be willing to pay a great price. But for just 20 forms, it really wasn't necessary. He wasn't entirely reliant on the Heavenly Beast Claw for combat; his focus was on the Heavenly Star Palm.
In fact, he hoped Gurbach would demonstrate the 20 forms of the Heavenly Beast Claw for him to see, but he knew this request was a bit too much. No one liked having their combat techniques stolen by others, even if it was a common technique, just as no one liked having their privacy invaded.
Gurbach already knew about his ability to learn the Heavenly Beast Claw in battle, so he would never fight him with it again.
Gurbach opened his personal communicator, and a light screen appeared, showing a young man with a cold gaze, carrying a red battle saber on his back. His upper body was bare, covered in dense scars. This was Shuz. Compared to Gurbach, Shuz looked very ordinary, but it was precisely this person who firmly suppressed countless young people in the Great Yu Empire to become the strongest.
"What is it?" Shuz's voice was hoarse, his tone indifferent.
Gurbach said, "I lost."
A glint flashed in Shuz's eyes. "Lost to whom?"
"Lu Yin, that King of Zishan," Gurbach said.
Shuz's eyes were thoughtful. "He's in the Reaching Realm."
"I lost to him using the strength of the Reaching Realm. Moreover, he learned all 15 forms of the Heavenly Beast Claw that I executed and replicated them perfectly," Gurbach said.
Shuz was silent.
"In my opinion, he's already invincible in the Reaching Realm. At least, I can't find anyone in the Martial Hall who is his opponent. His overall strength is enough to rank in the Martial Hall's top 10. Once he breaks through to the Melting Realm, he might threaten the position of the Five Great Hall Masters. What do you think?" Gurbach said.
Shuz looked at Gurbach. "Where is he?"
"He just left. What, you want to see him?"
"I want to fight him. In the Reaching Realm."
Gurbach said, "He might not have the time. You know, he's the King of Zishan, not an ordinary Martial Hall disciple. He doesn't belong to any branch."
Shuz's gaze sharpened. "Tell him I can agree to let him learn the first 20 forms of the Heavenly Beast Claw, as long as he dares to accept the challenge."
Gurbach thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll find him."
Without another word, Shuz closed the light screen.
Gurbach turned to Lu Yin and smiled. "Done. So, do you dare to pay this price?"
The corner of Lu Yin's mouth lifted, a trace of excitement in his eyes. "It is my honor to fight the strongest in the empire. When?"
Just as Gurbach was about to say something, both of their personal communicators chimed at the same time. This was a sound that only appeared for major announcements, which could not be closed and had to be forcibly received, just like the news about the Astral-10 academy before.
Lu Yin and Gurbach looked at their communicators simultaneously. A moment later, they looked up and faced each other in shock. The empire's Fifth Princess, Wendy Yushan, had joined the Outerverse Youth Council, becoming a decision-making councilor, and would concurrently serve as a councilor for the Great Yu Empire's Youth Council, with full authority over the selection of the empire's councilors.
"Something big is about to happen," Gurbach said in a low voice.
At the same time, countless people in the empire received the news. Learning that Wendy Yushan had joined the Outerverse Youth Council and was also in charge of the empire's Youth Council, most people cheered excitedly. The empire finally had someone with a voice in the Outerverse. But at the same time, many people sighed. Those people were all who understood Wendy Yushan, including Undying Yushan.
In the imperial palace, Undying Yushan sighed and smiled bitterly. "Trouble."
In the Crown Prince's residence, Dolan Yushan stared blankly at the light screen, then let out the same sentiment as Undying Yushan. "With Royal Sister's personality, is there anyone in the empire who can catch her eye?"
Duke Yushan laughed loudly. "This is going to be interesting. It seems the empire will be lively from now on."
Many people expressed their own feelings.
At the top of the tower in the first ring, Lu Yin was confused. "Why do you have that expression? Isn't it a good thing that Wendy Yushan joined the Outerverse Youth Council? And she's even in charge of the empire's Youth Council."
Gurbach smiled bitterly. "Do you understand the Fifth Princess?"
Lu Yin shook his head. He knew nothing at all, only that this woman was very successful in the Innerverse, and furthermore, she was incredibly arrogant, looking down on even the Great Yu Empire, and no one could control her.
"Princess Wendy, she..." Gurbach hadn't finished speaking when another notification came through: 'The Great Yu Empire lacks effective talent. The Council's recruitment is suspended, to be taken over by the Outerverse Youth Council councilor. Personnel will arrive at Planet Zhenwu soon.'
Lu Yin stared blankly. What did this mean?
"See? This is Princess Wendy. Not a single person from the empire's younger generation can catch her eye, including the five of us Hall Masters. In her eyes, we don't even have the qualifications to enter the Council, so the empire's Youth Council is basically non-existent and is being directly taken over," Gurbach said helplessly.
For the first time, Lu Yin felt Wendy Yushan's dominance. One woman decided everything, and no one could defy this decision, not even Undying Yushan.
He seemed to have an engagement with her. Remembering this, Lu Yin also felt a chill down his spine. This woman wouldn't use this kind of method—sending a public notice—to break off the engagement, would she? Even though I'm a fake, that would be too embarrassing. I hope not.
"Just how strong is this woman? She looks down on even you guys?" Lu Yin asked.
Gurbach's expression was complicated. He said in a low voice, "You should know that she is the captain of the Second Squad of the Imperial Court's Thirteen Squads."
Lu Yin nodded. He had heard Bronson mention it.
"She fought her way up herself," Gurbach said with a tone of reverence.
Lu Yin's expression changed. "What? She fought her way up herself?"