The Fugitive

Zhang Ding Tian froze for a moment, then said, "He's Zhou Shan's friend, and he's a Heavenly Rank Expert."

Dean Lian was astonished. "Heavenly Rank? A person from Earth?"

Lu Yin nodded.

Dean Lian was even more surprised. "I didn't expect anyone besides the seven of you and the Tian Zhu Ku Seng to reach the Heavenly Rank at a time like this. Incredible. Young man, how did you do it?"

Lu Yin replied with two words. "Talent."

Dean Lian accepted the explanation. It seemed there wasn't any other answer.

"Dean, what exactly happened?" Bai Xue asked.

Dean Lian sighed. "The Science and Technology Institute was breached. That alien kid took all the information."

"What information did he get? It doesn't seem like the Institute had anything that would interest him," Zhang Ding Tian said, puzzled.

Dean Lian shook his head, frowning. "I don't know either. He connected that thing on his wrist to the Institute's computer, and soon after, he was overjoyed."

"Personal terminal," Bai Xue said gravely. "It's alien technology, far beyond Earth's. Maybe it identified information the Institute couldn't. No wonder he destroyed the Institute. It seems he didn't want us to find out."

"No. I was the one who destroyed it," Dean Lian said.

The others were startled.

Dean Lian smiled wryly. "That man killed all the researchers as soon as he came in, then searched the computer. I had to destroy the Institute, or he would have discovered what was underground. Besides, it was the only way to alert you and get you here."

Lu Yin admired the old man's courage. He hadn't even been afraid of burying himself alive.

Zhang Ding Tian frowned. "The Institute was destroyed, and all its information went up in flames. We won't even be able to find them and avenge ourselves."

Dean Lian shook his head. "Who says the information's gone? If destroying the Institute meant losing all the information, what would be the point of me being its dean?" As he spoke, he opened the floor leading underground under the watchful eyes of Zhang Ding Tian and the others. "All the Institute's information was backed up underground. You should have alien technology, right? Give it a try. Maybe you can analyze something."

Zhang Ding Tian, Bai Xue, and Lu Yin immediately went below.

Before long, they stared in shock at the screen projected by the Personal terminal.

The footage showed the massive explosion from more than six months ago. On the Science and Technology Institute's screen, the explosion seemed unremarkable; everything had been destroyed. But the Personal terminal's analysis revealed a black shadow streaking westward from the blast, gone in an instant. Earth's technology couldn't make sense of the image. The shadow was simply too fast.

Zhang Ding Tian, Bai Xue, and Lu Yin looked grave.

Dean Lian was stunned. "What is that shadow? A person?"

Lu Yin said calmly, "More than six months ago, the Seven Saints hadn't reached the Heavenly Rank yet, as far as I remember. That speed is comparable to a Heavenly Rank Expert's. If I'm right, it was the corpse. Nothing else at the scene could have moved like that."

Dean Lian stared at him. "You mean it wasn't a corpse at all? That person wasn't dead?"

Lu Yin nodded. "He covered himself in energy and stopped all his bodily functions. There was no difference from being dead, so it makes sense that Earth's technology couldn't tell. It seems we were right. That corpse was the fugitive from the student trial."

Silence fell as they watched the screen.

Lu Yin looked at Dean Lian. "I have a question. Why did you move the corpse in the first place? Zhou Shan told me it was because you couldn't control some kind of substance."

Dean Lian glanced at Zhang Ding Tian and Bai Xue before answering. "We analyzed the corpse and found a strange substance in his body. If it erupted, the consequences would be impossible to predict. We really couldn't control it, so we had to move him."

"Number One was worried that the substance would erupt during the transfer, so he split the seven of us up as a precaution. We never expected his concern to come true and the apocalypse to arrive. Fortunately, the seven of us were stationed in different areas, which allowed us to protect the survivors," Bai Xue said solemnly.

Lu Yin sighed. "Number One really was a great man. If he'd had you seven protect him back then, he might not have died."

Dean Lian sighed. "There was nothing we could do. No one could have anticipated this. Now it seems that corpse was the culprit behind everything. He caused the explosion and brought about the apocalypse."

Lu Yin frowned, sensing something was wrong. Why would the corpse bring about the apocalypse? For Earth, the apocalypse had meant evolution. Wasn't he afraid of attracting the Great Yu Empire?

"When we studied the corpse, we placed a nanotracker in his skin tissue. I'll see if I can locate it," Dean Lian said, fiddling with the computer. After a while, he opened a map of the world and exclaimed, "Found it! The tracker signal last disappeared here."

Everyone looked. "Europe, the Mediterranean."

"That alien student is heading west, toward the Mediterranean," Zhang Ding Tian said gravely.

"Should we go?" Bai Xue asked.

Zhang Ding Tian stared at the screen. "No."

Lu Yin said calmly, "That corpse was once a powerhouse who roamed the stars. Even if he's gravely wounded and near death, he must still have ways to protect himself. It would be too dangerous for us to go."

Dean Lian said, "Don't worry. If those alien students fail to catch him, he'll definitely come back."

Lu Yin looked at Dean Lian, puzzled.

"His things are in the Science and Technology Institute. He'd never abandon them," Dean Lian explained.

"What things?" Lu Yin asked. When the corpse had been brought to Earth, no one knew what else had come with him. They only knew about a War Saber.

Dean Lian was about to answer, but Bai Xue stopped him. "That's a state secret. We can't reveal it."

Lu Yin laughed. "The apocalypse has already arrived. You Seven Saints are the highest authorities in the country now. What secrets could there still be?"

Bai Xue stared at Lu Yin. "We don't know your background. Who knows whether you're an alien student?"

"Zhou Shan can vouch for me. I was in the penal camp before the trial students arrived," Lu Yin said with a frown.

Bai Xue's lips curved into a beautiful smile. "I remember those students saying that Earth had been under the Great Yu Empire's surveillance for a long time. It wouldn't be impossible for you to have arrived early."

"You're just twisting things to suit yourself," Lu Yin said, annoyed. "You can say whatever you want."

"I'm only telling the truth," Bai Xue said calmly.

"I have to tell you, those students just now were only the first batch of Trial Takers. The second batch is about to arrive, and they'll definitely include enemies you can't handle. I can help you, so don't reject kindness when it's offered," Lu Yin said.

Bai Xue snorted. "If you're from Earth, you should help us. Otherwise, you're a traitor. If you're not from Earth, there's no point in asking for your help."

Lu Yin winced. The woman's reasoning was annoyingly sound.

Zhang Ding Tian looked at Lu Yin and said solemnly, "Your identity is still unclear. Zhou Shan can only speak for himself. If you want access to state secrets, the Seven Saints must vote on it."

Lu Yin waved his hand. "Forget it. Communications are down. Where would you even hold the vote? Besides, this woman probably has plenty of influence, so I'd be the one to lose." With that, he walked away.

Zhang Ding Tian watched Lu Yin's retreating figure, lost in thought.

Bai Xue said, "He's very strong. I can't understand how anyone besides the seven of us and those foreigners who accepted the inheritance from the country back then could reach the Heavenly Rank now."

"It's not impossible. The Tian Zhu Ku Seng was the first to reach the Heavenly Rank without accepting an inheritance. Lu Yin is only the second," Zhang Ding Tian said.

Bai Xue nodded. She wasn't deliberately targeting Lu Yin; she genuinely found him suspicious. His strength was strange, and he seemed a little greedy. She still felt uncomfortable thinking about how he had snatched the Void Rings from those two alien students right in front of her.

After coming up from underground, Lu Yin looked grave. Earth was mired in an apocalypse, alien students were running amok, a fugitive of unknown strength was in hiding, and a second batch of Trial Takers was about to arrive. Earth was getting more and more lively, while his strength was still increasing too slowly.

The Great Yu Empire was just one empire in the Canglan Territory. The Outer Universe contained countless territories and produced countless geniuses. He couldn't even handle ordinary students from the Great Yu Empire, let alone the elite young powerhouses from Yu Tang, the empire's top academy, or those from the Imperial Court Thirteenth Team. He had to make faster progress.

"Granny, come here!" Lu Yin shouted.

Granny walked over from a distance. "What is it?"

"Spread the word that the fugitive is in the Mediterranean, in Europe," Lu Yin said calmly.

Granny was startled. "Really?"

Lu Yin nodded. "Go ahead."

Granny frowned. "If you know where he is, why aren't you going yourself?"

"Just do as I say. Why all the questions?" Lu Yin said impatiently.

Granny was annoyed, but she opened her Personal terminal and sent a message to the Starry Sky Network.