The metal was in the process of converting. A problem had arisen. He didn't know how long the ship would be stopped. Was he supposed to just keep floating like this? This was extremely dangerous; all sorts of disasters could appear in the universe at any time, like black holes. Who knew when those things would show up? One might just appear right next to him.
Right now, the closest person to him was Zhuo Baiye. Ask that woman to save him again? He couldn't afford to be indebted to her.
Just as Lu Yin was agonizing over his dilemma, a luxurious spaceship appeared in the distance. The reason he called it luxurious was that its hull was coated in an exceptionally rare metallic material called Yuan Kui. This material was easy to recognize; it was one of the primary materials for making cosmic armor, and it was very expensive.
Those who hadn't reached the Explorer realm couldn't spacewalk. Only by wearing cosmic armor could one do so. This armor allowed even ordinary people to move freely in space. It was very valuable, but not strictly necessary, as ordinary people had no need to spacewalk. Thus, cosmic armor was rare, usually only provisioned on large-scale vessels.
Yuan Kui was not just a manufacturing material but also used for maintenance. This was the first time Lu Yin had seen someone use it to coat the outside of a ship. This was a full-sized large vessel; who knew how much Yuan Kui had been consumed.
The ship immediately approached. Lu Yin quickly sent a distress signal, making sure to state his identity as a student of the Tenth Starry Sky Academy. Normally, unless they were enemies, people were willing to rescue him. A simple favor like this could easily earn the friendship of a Starry Sky Academy student.
In the command room of the luxurious ship, the operator looked up. "A personal Aurora spacecraft nearby is requesting aid. Their ship's metal is decomposing. Requesting permission to board."
"Identity?" the middle-aged captain said in a deep voice.
"A student from the Tenth Starry Sky Academy, named Lu Yin."
The captain was surprised. "A student from the Tenth Starry Sky Academy? Tell him to wait a moment," he said, before leaving the command room.
On the top floor of the ship was an observation lounge with fully transparent walls, making one feel as if they were floating in space. The surroundings could light up with various holographic murals, creating an immersive experience. At this moment, in the lounge, the middle-aged captain was reporting the rescue request. In front of him, a graceful figure stood with her back to him. Her rosy lips sipped a bit of juice, and she spoke with a captivating voice, "It's fine. Let him board."
"Yes, my lady," the captain responded respectfully and slowly backed out.
Lu Yin didn't know that this luxurious ship he had coincidentally encountered belonged to the Nalan family. The Nalan family was recognized as the wealthiest family in the Outerverse, with business spanning dozens of territories. If giants like the Mebis Bank or the Aurora spacecraft company were the tycoons of the entire universe, then the Nalan family was the tycoon of the Outerverse. No one knew just how much money they had.
The Nalan family was legendary. In just a few thousand years, they had become the wealthiest magnates of the Outerverse. However, accompanying their Midas-like fortune was a terrifying curse. Over thousands of years, the Nalan family's disciples had gradually dwindled due to this curse. The last remaining clan member was the family head, Nalan Tun. Unfortunately, he died on the day of his wedding to a woman, and that woman became the official head of the Nalan family—a leader with a different surname.
That woman was Lady Nalan, beautiful and alluring, known as the richest widow in the Outerverse.
Lu Yin's Aurora spacecraft docked with the luxurious ship. He was personally met by the captain and led to a guest room. He was, after all, a student of the Tenth Academy, and deserved respect. Moreover, the Nalan family's way of handling things was not arrogant; this was their iron rule.
"Mr. Lu, what would you like to eat? I'll have someone prepare it," the middle-aged captain asked with a faint, respectful smile, his tone polite without being overly subservient.
Lu Yin was grateful. "Anything is fine. Thank you, Captain, for letting me board. Otherwise, I don't know how long my ship would have been stranded."
The captain chuckled. "Unless it's upgrading, an Aurora spacecraft's metal decomposition takes at most one day. After a day, Mr. Lu, you should be able to start it normally."
Lu Yin quickly said, "May I ask where your esteemed ship is from? If I have the chance in the future, I will certainly repay this favor."
The captain laughed. "It's a small matter, Mr. Lu, no need to worry. We are from the Nalan family."
"The Nalan family?" A strange glint flashed in Lu Yin's eyes. He had heard of this family—the wealthiest in the Outerverse. He never expected to run into them.
"Thank you again, Captain. I will remember this debt to the Nalan family."
Soon, the captain left and ordered someone to bring Lu Yin a large spread of food and drinks. A good portion of this food Lu Yin had only heard of but never seen. For example, the caviar that glowed with a faint white light, carrying a refreshing herbal fragrance. If he wasn't mistaken, it must be the famous Infected Starwood White Fish Caviar from the Boundless territory. Then there was the dish that resembled tofu, which was constantly shimmering; it was likely made from an ingredient called 'Dancing Bean', which could hide in the void and was extremely hard to catch.
And the drink in the cup, multicolored (gold, green, red, white, black), with a faint mist swirling within. Lu Yin had heard of this drink; it came from the Innerverse. And the tenderloin on the plate, glowing with a faint golden light—could it be the meat of a Starry Sky Giant Beast?
Of the entire table, Lu Yin only recognized these few items, but he knew the others were just as extraordinary. Each dish here was worth several dozen cubic Star Crystals, because the ingredients were incredibly rare.
A single dish worth dozens of cubic crystals. Lu Yin was stunned. This whole table must be worth several hundred cubic crystals, which translated to several billion cosmic credits. It was staggering.
Of course, it wasn't calculated that way. Cosmic credits were just currency used by ordinary people. Cultivators rarely used them as a unit of settlement because the numbers involved were too massive. Generally, powerful factions used Star Crystals as their method of payment. For many, Star Crystals were easy to obtain. The Nalan family, for instance, was rumored to control quite a few Star Crystal mines. For them, cosmic credits were actually harder to use.
The first time Lu Yin saw the Mebis Bank, he was shocked to see them hanging cosmic credits on trees, letting them be swept away by the wind for anyone to pick up. At the time, he was stunned by the Mebis Bank's sheer wealth. But as time passed, that scene no longer shocked him. Because in the eyes of Mebis Bank, cosmic credits were just paper. Yes, just paper, nothing more.
That's why Mebis Bank's star cards only allowed red and blue cards to use cosmic credits. Black cards and above all used Star Crystals. Their main business was Star Crystals.
Perhaps to these great factions that paid with Star Crystals, cosmic credits were like the result of inflation—an inflation magnified countless times. A different kind of economic structure.
Faced with a table full of delicacies, Lu Yin didn't stand on ceremony. He ignored his image and began to eat and drink voraciously. It was free, after all. For the Nalan family, this kind of food was probably just a home-cooked meal.
In the top-floor lounge, a smile played on Lady Nalan's lips, her eyes dancing. "An interesting little guy. Have you finished investigating his background?"
A young woman stepped out from behind her and said respectfully, "It's done. Lu Yin, King Zishan of the Great Yu Empire in the Canglan territory. He passed the exam to join the Tenth Academy and is currently its top student."
"Top student?" Lady Nalan was surprised, looking at the young man on the screen. "He only joined the Tenth Academy half a year ago, less than a year, and he's already the top student? What about his background?"
The young woman shook her head. "We haven't found anything yet. His experience before the Great Yu Empire is a blank slate."
Lady Nalan's eyes held a look of curiosity. "Keep checking."
"My lady, there's one more thing. He... is a one-star 'Bright Eyes' entry-level Lockbreaker. It took him less than a month from certification to successful lockbreaking," the young woman said gravely.
Lady Nalan suddenly spun around, her eyes shining bright as stars. A smile graced her beautiful face. "A genius, and a certified Lockbreaker. It seems I'll have to have a chat with this little guest."
Lu Yin had no idea that from the moment he boarded this ship, his identity had been thoroughly investigated, even his status as a Lockbreaker. The Nalan family had connections in every trade. Their dependent forces included not just legitimate merchants, but also national powers, empires, assassins, mercenary groups, and even Lockbreakers. Investigating Lu Yin completely was a simple task.
Before long, Lu Yin finished eating his fill. The large table was picked clean. He felt a little embarrassed, but... whatever. He could leave after a day anyway.
After eating his fill, he should walk around. Lu Yin left the guest room and entered the corridor. He thought for a moment, then took out the Giant Emperor's third eye—that white, crescent-shaped crystal. He held it in his hand, observing it carefully. Zhuo Baiye and even Buyou wanted to get this. What did it do? Elder Cai wouldn't have just randomly sent him all the way to the Dieying territory. There had to be a reason.
Grasping the Giant Emperor's third eye, although he hadn't figured out its purpose, Lu Yin found that his view of the universe became a little clearer. How to describe it? It was like a thin veil had been lifted. It was subtle, but definitely clearer. He thought for a moment, and Star Energy stirred in his palm, flowing into the crystal. In an instant, his vision became much clearer again. He could even see the discrete Star Energy existing in the universe.
Lu Yin's eyes widened. Was this real? He could actually see Star Energy. This was a scene he could only witness when circulating the Heavenly Star Art, but now he could do it just by borrowing the power of the Giant Emperor's third eye. It was too magical.
Just then, Lady Nalan appeared from around the corner of the corridor. Lu Yin turned his head, his eyes flashing. The moment he saw Lady Nalan, he was stunned by her beauty. This woman possessed a mature, subtle charm that no one else could match. Coupled with her fresh and stunning features, it created an intense, contrasting beauty that made Lu Yin dazed. At the same time, he saw a layer of gray matter outside Lady Nalan's body.
Lu Yin retracted his Star Energy and put away the Giant Emperor's third eye. Everything returned to normal, though the lights seemed a bit brighter, and Lady Nalan's features became even clearer.
It had to be said, this woman's allure for a man of Lu Yin's age was immense. It wasn't just about appearance; her temperament alone was enough to make other women pale in comparison. Even Bai Xue's exceptional beauty couldn't overshadow the mature radiance of the woman before him. She was like a honey peach, fresh and juicy, making any man want to take a bite.
"Lady Nalan, hello," Lu Yin said, his daze lasting only a moment before he recovered.
The woman chuckled lightly. "Mr. Lu, how did you know I am Lady Nalan?"
Lu Yin smiled. "With such a presence, if you weren't Lady Nalan, then I truly don't know who else in this universe would be more qualified to be Lady Nalan."
Lady Nalan burst out laughing. Her beautiful eyes stared at Lu Yin. She wore no makeup, yet her gaze was soul-stirring. Without any deliberate posturing, she exuded an intoxicating beauty. Her radiant, snow-white skin was exposed, clear as ice and jade, carrying a bewitching fragrance as she approached Lu Yin, step by step. This woman was a siren.