A Cross-Realm powerhouse

Who was that man? Granny stared at the silver-haired man. She had no impression of him at all. Butterfly knives and silver hair were both rare traits, yet she couldn't remember him. Could he be a native?

"Hey, my blade's gone dull. There's no time to sharpen it, so I can only manage half my strength," the silver-haired man said, feigning regret. As he spoke, he glanced at Lu Yin.

Lu Yin's eyes flickered. He raised his hand and looked at his palm. "My hand's dirty, so I can only manage forty percent."

The silver-haired man was speechless. That counted as a reason?

"Classmate, this is the second time we've met. Let me introduce myself. I'm Silver." The silver-haired man smiled at Lu Yin, looking as sly as a fox.

Lu Yin smiled faintly. "I'm Asta, from Tata Planet. My grandfather is the principal."

Silver exclaimed, "The principal? A second-generation student—no, a third-generation one! Congratulations, congratulations."

Lu Yin smiled. "You're too kind. I like your silver hair."

"Hahahaha, I like it too. Oh, right, I have something to take care of, so I'll be going. Until we meet again, Asta." Silver spoke politely.

Lu Yin smiled. "Until we meet again, Silver."

Before long, Silver disappeared into the distance.

Granny flew up behind Lu Yin and asked in confusion, "Which school is he from?"

Lu Yin shook his head. "I don't know. Let's go."

"Wait, you don't want the Energy Crystal?" Granny held out her hand. A white crystal the size of a finger gleamed in her palm under the sunlight. "This kind of Energy Crystal isn't suitable for absorption, but it can power technological weapons, and it still fetches a decent price. After all, it came from an Integrating Realm creature."

Lu Yin took it without hesitation. "Let's go. We'll keep heading north." With that, he flew north with Granny.

The Energy Crystals inside Earth's evolved creatures were considered inferior in the universe. Even Wandering Soldiers, who directly absorbed Energy Crystals to cultivate, wouldn't use them. They contained too many impurities and greatly hindered cultivation. They weren't of much use to Lu Yin, either.

The die was picky, too. It wouldn't absorb inferior Energy Crystals. Lu Yin planned to stockpile them and sell them later in exchange for Star Energy Crystals.

Silver flew east. After covering some distance, he stopped and looked back, his gaze puzzled. "What kind of battle technique was that? He'd just broken through to the Probe Realm, yet he managed to block me. An unfamiliar technique, but a powerful one. I'll have to look into it when I get back."

When the apocalypse arrived, countless ordinary people in the Capital City turned into zombies. The entire national leadership perished in a massive explosion, leaving the city without a leader. Fortunately, Zhang Ding Tian, the foremost of the Seven Saints, stepped in to suppress the chaos and drive away the zombies, saving the Capital City. Even so, less than a third of the city remained; everything beyond it had fallen to an endless tide of zombies.

The Capital City's population had been enormous, and there were nearly ten million zombies—far more than in Jinling. Even after more than half a year, Zhang Ding Tian and the city's more than one hundred thousand evolvers still couldn't wipe them out.

The Capital City was like a giant beast surrounded by countless ants. Though it had the strength to crush them, it was trapped and unable to move.

The settlement was surrounded by ten-meter-high steel fortifications. Evolver guards stood shoulder to shoulder atop the steel walls, calmly watching the zombie hordes wandering in the distance.

The gates opened from time to time, and evolvers drove out in armored vehicles rented from the military, hoping to scavenge useful supplies outside the city.

Before long, the gates opened again, and an armored vehicle raced into the city.

On the steel wall, a centurion frowned. "Didn't that armored vehicle just go out?"

Beside him, another centurion said, "It happens. They ran into a powerful Mutant Beast and lost a few people. The rest came back to regroup."

Many survivors had gathered near the steel wall. They were dressed in rags, most so hungry they were skin and bones. Seeing the armored vehicle rush in, they hurried toward it, but it didn't slow down at all and nearly hit someone.

Inside the vehicle, Paris's eyes shone. "I'd only ever seen this kind of primitive firearm in textbooks. I never thought I'd get to operate one. This is really interesting."

Willow smiled. "If you like it, take one back with you."

In the back, Bailie wore a grave expression as he looked into the Capital City. A sharp energy occasionally emanated from within, enough to make even him uneasy.

"Willow, who's the strongest person in the Capital City?" Bailie asked. He hadn't cared before, but now he sensed that something was different.

"Someone called Zhang Ding Tian. He's known as Mad Blade Hua Sheng and is the foremost of the Seven Saints," Willow replied.

Bailie's expression turned solemn.

Willow glanced at Bailie. "Don't worry about him. The strongest of this planet's Seven Saints are only in the Probe Realm. They're barely stronger than some elite students, and nowhere near our level."

Bailie ignored Willow. Of the three, only he had sensed that sharp power. It was elusive, seeming both far away and close at hand.

The armored vehicle barreled through the city, ignoring the soldiers' warnings as it sped straight toward the southern district, where the massive explosion had occurred.

The site of the explosion in the southern district had long been sealed off, and a Commander of Ten Thousand was stationed there.

The moment the armored vehicle appeared, they moved to stop it. Paris excitedly drove straight into them.

"Impudent!" A shout rang out as an Earth-level Commander of Ten Thousand leaped high and attacked the armored vehicle.

Willow glanced up and casually flicked a finger. A gust of force tore through the air and pierced the commander, who crashed to the ground badly wounded. The soldiers around them were horrified.

The armored vehicle stopped. The three of them, Bailie, Willow, and Paris, climbed out and looked toward a nearby crater filled with red-hot lava. The air above it was warped.

"This is the place. A massive explosion brought evolution to this planet, but the corpse is gone," Willow said gravely.

Bailie stared thoughtfully at the crater. Lava filled it, and any clues had been burned away. There was no way to learn anything from the site. "Looks like we'll have to find the person in charge of the Capital City. The foremost of the Seven Saints."

Willow smiled faintly. "I'll bring him here."

Bailie was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. He looked up. At the same moment, Willow and Paris looked up as well. At some point, a man had appeared in the sky, standing silently and staring coldly at them.

Bailie's eyes narrowed, his expression more solemn than ever.

"When did he appear?" Paris asked in surprise.

High above, the man held a blade in his right hand and slowly descended.

The soldiers all around saluted in unison. "Greetings, Hua Sheng!"

Bailie and the others stared in surprise. Was this man Zhang Ding Tian?

"Everyone, stand down," Zhang Ding Tian said calmly. All the soldiers surrounding them immediately withdrew in an orderly fashion.

Bailie and the others studied Zhang Ding Tian closely. He looked ordinary and wasn't particularly muscular. He had no obvious scars, either. There was nothing remarkable about his appearance, but there was one thing: he gave off an overwhelmingly domineering impression. They couldn't say why, but they instinctively felt it. Perhaps it was because of the blade in his hand.

"You're from the stars?" Zhang Ding Tian asked calmly, looking at the three of them.

Willow stepped forward a few paces. "That's right. We're from the stars, and we have questions for you."

Zhang Ding Tian looked past Willow at Bailie. "Leave the Capital City. You are not to set foot here again."

Bailie narrowed his eyes.

Willow was furious. This man had actually ignored him. "I have questions for you. Didn't you hear me?"

Zhang Ding Tian glanced at Willow. "Before you leave, each of you will take one slash from me as punishment for causing trouble in the Capital City." Without waiting for their reply, he raised his hand and struck. His first slash targeted Willow.

Beep, beep, beep, beep!

Paris's personal terminal suddenly blared. She looked down, her face changing dramatically. "Willow, watch out! He's a Cross-Realm powerhouse!"

Willow's expression changed. The seemingly ordinary slash before him suddenly became terrifying. Everything in the world disappeared; the only thing he could see was that blade, drawing closer and closer. Willow's pupils contracted. He raised his palm. "Void Splitting Palm!" he roared. Ripples spread through the air, forming a wave of force that blasted forward.

Zhang Ding Tian's blade slashed through the air and was stopped by the Void Splitting Palm. A powerful pressure erupted, spreading in every direction and pulverizing the ground. Paris's breath caught, and she hurriedly retreated. The violent pressure swept into the sky, dispersing the clouds and even tossing the lava in the nearby crater into the air.

In the distance, countless soldiers watched in shock. Every time Hua Sheng struck, it was this breathtaking.

Willow gritted his teeth and stared at Zhang Ding Tian, who stood only a few meters away, unable to believe it. How could a native—a mere native—be so powerful? A Cross-Realm powerhouse? How could a native possibly be such a monster?

Behind him, Bailie made his move, throwing a punch at Zhang Ding Tian.

Zhang Ding Tian's gaze sharpened. He shifted his blade, striking the back of it against Bailie's punch. An arc of force blasted out and demolished the distant ruins, tearing open the earth. The surging shockwave roared outward. Willow was sent flying at once, coughing up blood. Bailie used the force to retreat. Zhang Ding Tian remained in place, still holding the pose of his swing. He looked toward Paris as his blade turned again, and he struck once more.