Capital City

Paris's pupils contracted, and she rapidly retreated. She hadn't expected the native who had been attacked by Bailie and Willow working together to still have enough strength to come after her. By the time she reacted, it was too late. The slash swept past, leaving a huge bloody gash across Paris's abdomen. Blood dripped from her clothes onto the ground. Agony surged through her nerves, and Paris involuntarily dropped to one knee, cold sweat pouring down her forehead.

One man and one blade had subdued the Capital. First among the Seven Saints, Mad Blade Hua Sheng. At that moment, Bailie and the others deeply understood what it meant to be first among the Seven Saints. This man might well be Earth's strongest.

They couldn't understand how, after just half a year of evolution, Earth could have produced someone so terrifying. Even across the Great Yu Empire, it was rare to find someone capable of fighting across realms.

To fight across realms meant that someone could display the combat power of a higher realm while still in their current one. The Personal terminal's settings were extremely strict. Even if someone reached the peak combat power of their current realm, they might still be unable to display the combat power of the next realm, even with the aid of battle techniques.

Take Bailie, for example. His combat power was three thousand, the peak of the Probe Realm. But even if he used a battle technique and gained the power to fight an Integrating Realm creature, his combat power could never reach three thousand and one. It was like a wall separating the Probe Realm from the Integrating Realm.

Only one kind of person could break through that wall: someone capable of fighting across realms. Though they possessed Probe Realm strength, they could display Integrating Realm combat power. Such people were called prodigies. Just now, when Zhang Ding Tian raised his blade, his combat power had been—three thousand two hundred, an Integrating Realm combat-power rating.

"Go!" Bailie barked, immediately taking to the air and flying out of the Capital.

Willow and Paris left at the same time, forcing themselves to endure their injuries.

Zhang Ding Tian didn't pursue them. He calmly watched the three leave. None of them were weak. Some time ago, a group of alien students had come to the Capital to cause trouble, but not one had survived a single slash from him. He had already killed five students, yet these three had managed to withstand one of his strikes. They had the strength of the Upper Three Saints.

Especially that short one. He had matched Zhang Ding Tian's blade strike for strike. He was very powerful.

"Hua Sheng!" Armored vehicles appeared one after another. A beautiful young woman in professional attire stepped out of one of them and came to Zhang Ding Tian's side, her face full of concern.

Zhang Ding Tian said flatly, "Pass down the order. Thoroughly investigate any unfamiliar evolvers. If you encounter evolvers who look like students, report them immediately. Don't engage them on your own."

"Were those the students from the stars you just fought?" the woman asked.

Zhang Ding Tian looked at her. "Don't worry. No one is my match."

The woman gazed at him with admiration, nodded, and issued orders to the troops, acting swiftly and decisively.

Outside the Capital, the three landed. Paris snarled furiously, "A native! He hurt me! He actually hurt me! I want him dead. I want him dead right now!"

Willow wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "There's a native with the power to fight across realms? Unbelievable."

Bailie said gravely, "Don't dwell on it. Combat power is the least reliable way to measure someone. Victory also depends on the individual and their battle techniques."

Willow frowned as he gazed toward the Capital. Unreliable? That was true. Generally speaking, combat power really wasn't reliable. Many powerful people had no intention of increasing their combat power at all; they devoted themselves entirely to battle techniques. Such people were incredibly strong. But combat power that surpassed one's current realm was different.

The Great Yu Empire had even once decreed that those capable of fighting across realms could join the Imperial Court Thirteenth Team directly. That was the Empire's highest authority. People who could fight across realms were revered as much as those with exceptional talent. He had just experienced the terror of such a fighter firsthand. That native didn't seem to have used any battle technique—one slash alone had left him unable to cope. That was what it meant to fight across realms.

Though Bailie spoke casually, he couldn't hide the envy and jealousy in his voice. He was powerful, born on the Third Gravity Planet, with combat power of three thousand and at the peak of the Probe Realm. With battle techniques, he had even defeated Integrating Realm creatures. But so what? He still couldn't break through that barrier or raise his combat power to three thousand and one. That single point had trapped countless geniuses, and now he had seen it in a native.

"I won't let him get away with this. How dare a native hurt me?" Paris was consumed by hatred, her eyes flashing with deep-seated loathing. "I'll trigger a beast tide."

Bailie's gaze sharpened, but he said nothing. Beside him, Willow agreed. "The fugitive's trail must be hidden in the Capital, and Zhang Ding Tian might know something. A direct confrontation would be unwise. Paris, trigger a beast tide at once and keep Zhang Ding Tian tied up outside the city. Bailie and I will search for clues."

Paris nodded, licked the corner of her mouth, and rushed into the distance.

A day later, when Lu Yin arrived in Hebei with Granny, he heard that a beast tide had struck the Capital. The entire area outside the city was filled with Mutant Beasts and zombies.

"There are nearly ten million zombies outside the Capital. A beast tide shouldn't have happened. I remember Ye Ge saying that the strongest student from his academy, Paris, came to the Capital too. Could she have been behind this?" Lu Yin guessed.

"It's possible," Granny said. "The students from Blue Mountain Academy all know a little about controlling beasts. As the strongest student in the academy, Paris's methods must be extraordinary."

Lu Yin's gaze turned cold. If that person was behind this, she couldn't be allowed to live.

"Actually, this is a good thing. As long as the people inside the Capital don't come out, they should be safe when the beast tide and zombie tide clash," Granny said.

Lu Yin pondered. Granny had realized this, and Paris must have realized it too. Why had she still sent the beast tide?

Inside the Capital, countless soldiers ran to change shifts. The beast tide and zombie tide had impacted the city as well. Occasionally, a Sky-Flying Level Mutant Beast swooped past, drawing cries of alarm.

On top of a high-rise building, two figures gazed beyond the city walls. In the distance, a slash swept across the sky, cutting a flying Mutant Beast in two. Blood sprayed through the air.

"So that's Zhang Ding Tian, first among the Seven Saints. He really is impressive," Gulles said in surprise.

Beside her, Balaro said solemnly, "He's stronger than I am."

"Obviously. He can fight across realms. You and I together might not be enough for him to take on," Gulles said.

Balaro refused to accept that. He clenched his green fist. "I don't need to fight him head-on. I can wear him down."

"This beast tide must have been started by that woman, Paris. She's vicious. Looks like she suffered at Zhang Ding Tian's hands; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone so crazy and triggered a beast tide on this scale. It must have cost her quite a bit," Gulles mused.

"The beast tide is drawing Zhang Ding Tian's attention. The city's undefended. Bailie and Willow might be inside looking for clues about the fugitive," Balaro said.

Gulles immediately tapped open her Personal terminal and exclaimed, "Wow, there are five Probe Realm experts. One has reached Integrating Realm combat power—that's Zhang Ding Tian. The other four must be Bailie, Willow, Ede, and Heidian. They've all snuck in. Things are about to get lively."

Balaro's expression turned grave. "Ede came too. That's trouble. He's extremely powerful."

"Ede entered Yu Tang through a special exception and defeated the strongest students from thirty academies. That's his record. He is a bit of a problem, but it's fine. What do you think would happen if we gave Zhang Ding Tian the information?" Gulles asked.

Balaro frowned. "Betray our own people?"

"What do you mean, our own people?" Gulles rolled her eyes. "We're competitors. Besides, in the Empire's eyes, we're Trial Takers just like the people of Earth. There's no such thing as betrayal."

Balaro nodded. "I can control the plants to help hold back the beast tide and give Zhang Ding Tian a chance to act."

"Then it's settled!" Gulles said, delighted.

Elsewhere, two figures clad in black robes stood inside an abandoned hotel.

"Ede, I can sense Balaro's presence. His plant energy is very strong," one of the black-robed figures said, the corners of his mouth curving into a cruel smile.

The other black-robed figure, Ede, said gravely, "Including us, there are seven Probe Realm cultivators in the city. And there's Paris outside. That makes eight Probe Realm cultivators gathered here. It's a little troublesome, but not too hard to kill. The only real problem is Zhang Ding Tian. A native who can fight across realms—unbelievable."

"Leave Zhang Ding Tian to me. I want to see what this so-called fighter across realms is really like," the black-robed figure said excitedly. He looked up, his eyes glimmering with green light.

On the steel city wall, Zhang Ding Tian looked grave. In the distance, the vast zombie tide and beast tide clashed like a grinding mill of flesh and blood. Every second, creatures died, and bloodlust soared into the sky.

Zombies were weak and could be torn apart with ease by Mutant Beasts, but their poison was potent, causing the Mutant Beasts to suffer heavy losses too.

More than ten kilometers to the east, Paris's face was pale as she watched the distant battle with excitement. "Go on. More, more! I'll bury this city under the beast tide. How dare a mere native hurt me? I'll make you pay!"

Paris didn't notice the chill spreading beneath her feet. Though the temperature wasn't low, crystalline white frost had appeared in the air.

Paris kept staring at the distant battlefield, where the creatures were locked in combat. She tugged at her clothes. Why was it so cold?