Strange Stone

In the capital, Ras was filled with despair. Even Mono had been defeated; no one could save him, and his trial was destined to end in last place.

Granny looked at Lu Yin in disbelief, recalling the first time she saw him. From merely being in the Gaze Realm, he was now almost invincible in the Probe Realm. What was this person's background? Asta, Tata Planet Academy? Was his grandfather the Dean? Could his grandfather be an unparalleled, peerless expert?

Mono was very famous among the trial students. When the news of Mono's defeat and retreat to the capital spread through the regional network, it shocked all the students. Their first reaction was disbelief, but the regional network wouldn't lie.

Immediately after, Gulles confirmed the matter, making all the students take the force guarding the capital with utmost seriousness.

The Integrating Realm experts who had appeared so far were Huo Xiaoling and Mono, and both had been defeated. This trial was clearly not simple.

Not long after, several more students were captured by Qing Yu.

Lu Yin calculated, "Seventeen. That fugitive captured seventeen students."

Bai Xue looked at him curiously, "Why are you calculating this?"

Lu Yin's expression was grim, "He's stealing kills."

Everyone was speechless.

Lu Yin took a deep breath, "This guy isn't stupid. He thought of the same thing we did, wanting to use the students to force some compromises. Unfortunately, our situations are different. He's a fugitive, and we're just natives. He's destined to be judged. Capturing more students is useless."

"Then it's fine, it has nothing to do with you," Gulles said, blinking.

Lu Yin looked at her, "The more students he captures, the fewer we capture. Our bargaining chip for future negotiations decreases."

Gulles' eyes widened, "You actually want to use students to negotiate with the Empire? That's impossible."

Lu Yin said matter-of-factly, "Nothing is impossible. The students who dare to participate in the trial are all elites, very important to the Empire."

Gulles scoffed, "Do you know how many students the Empire has participating in trials? Let me tell you, this planet is just one of many trial planets. Even if all the trial students died, it wouldn't affect the Empire. Do you think the Empire would compromise with natives for these students? Dream on."

Hearing Gulles' words, Bai Xue, Zhou Shan, and the others' expressions changed. The Great Yu Empire was too vast, and there were too many students. Academies were countless, and the students on Earth's trial were only a small portion. Trying to negotiate with the Empire was indeed impossible.

"That's not necessarily true," Lu Yin said, grabbing Ras. "This person's identity is enough for us to get some promises."

Ras angrily shouted, "Let me go!"

Lu Yin threw him aside, a smile on his lips, "Deputy Minister of Finance of the Empire, a very high position. I heard he has ties with the Imperial Court Twelfth Team. Even better. The greater his background, the higher our chance of successful negotiation, don't you think?"

Gulles pondered, looking at Ras. That was true. This guy was Sika's only son. For his son, Sika might risk everything.

Ras glared at Lu Yin furiously. This scoundrel was actually using him to threaten the Empire. Regardless of success or failure, he would become a laughingstock among the younger generation of the Empire. Scoundrel, scoundrel.

In Northern Europe, a group of students was also furious.

More than twenty students from all over the world had gathered and found Qing Yu. The leader was named Yan Gang, not from the Great Yu Empire, but a young expert from the Blazing Flame Star in the Canglan Territory.

The Blazing Flame Star was a powerful force comparable to the Great Yu Empire. Although it was just one planet, its territory was extremely vast, and the planet was engulfed in a sea of fire. Legend had it that all creatures on the Blazing Flame Star had great resistance to flames and could use powerful flame-based Battle Skills. It was a terrifying force.

Yan Gang, like Huo Xiaoling, was an Integrating Realm expert, and his cultivation was also sealed. However, in the eyes of many students, his strength surpassed Huo Xiaoling's.

"Qing Yu, release Huo Xiaoling," Yan Gang stood high in the sky, staring coldly below. His body emitted a dark red glow, radiating heat even in the cold Northern Europe, melting the snow on the ground.

Qing Yu sat leisurely on the ground, with seventeen captured students behind him, including Huo Xiaoling.

"Quite a few people, kid. Do you think you can snatch someone from me?" Qing Yu looked at Yan Gang playfully, his gaze contemptuous. He had once been an Explorer who roamed the starry sky; mere students were beneath his notice.

Yan Gang said coldly, "I warn you, Huo Xiaoling is the fiancée of the young clan leader of our Blazing Flame Star, Yan Feng. If you dare to touch her, you will face the wrath of the Blazing Flame Star."

Qing Yu scoffed, "Just a barbaric border territory. You really think you're something. However, I can give you a chance to take her from me, if you can do it."

"Speak," Yan Gang grunted.

Qing Yu's lips curved, "Go to the capital of Huaxia and bring me my things to exchange for this woman."

Yan Gang's eyes flashed, "Release Huo Xiaoling first, and I'll go get it."

Qing Yu laughed heartily, "Are you an idiot, or do you think I'm an idiot? Release her first? Has your brain been burned by fire?"

Yan Gang was furious, clenching his fists. The air around his body burned and distorted, "Fine, I'll bring the things, but you must promise not to harm Huo Xiaoling."

Qing Yu shrugged, "That depends on how long it takes you to get the things. I can't guarantee anything if it takes too long. This woman is very beautiful."

Yan Gang was enraged, "Huo Xiaoling is an Integrating Realm expert. If you dare to touch her, we will break our seals and kill you."

"If you do that, you won't be able to join the Starry Sky Tenth Academy. They won't accept such trash who can't even complete a Probe Realm trial mission. How will you explain it to your young clan leader?" Qing Yu taunted Yan Gang.

Yan Gang snorted and said quietly to the students behind him, "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to Huaxia."

"Mono just retreated to Huaxia. Can you handle it alone?" a student said. He was from the Huo family and didn't care about Yan Gang, but he cared about Huo Xiaoling.

Yan Gang disdained, "Don't compare me to that trash." With that, he soared into the sky. The air along his path distorted, forming a white streak of air.

From Northern Europe to the capital of Huaxia, at the flying speed of a Probe Realm expert, it would take at least two days, and that was without encountering any Mutant Beasts. Once they encountered powerful Mutant Beasts, the delay would be unpredictable.

In the capital at night, only a few places had light, for fear of attracting mutant creatures.

Lu Yin arrived at the underground Science and Technology Institute. Under Dean Lian's guidance, he saw the item left by the fugitive Qing Yu: a stone the size of a head.

The stone was roughly circular but had sixteen facets. Each facet was smooth and flat, with indecipherable markings in the center. The entire stone exuded an aura of ancient times, as if it had come from antiquity.

Bai Xue stood beside Lu Yin. Lu Yin could see this stone thanks to Bai Xue's suggestion. At first, she had strongly opposed Lu Yin touching the fugitive's relics, saying it required the Seven Saints' consent. But now, that was unnecessary; the entire capital was under Lu Yin's protection.

Lu Yin looked at the stone placed steadily inside the glass case with surprise, "It's just a stone, but it feels very unusual."

Dean Lian said, "Guess how old this stone is?"

Lu Yin shook his head.

Dean Lian exclaimed, "Cannot be measured."

"Cannot be measured?" Lu Yin was surprised. He found it incredible that Earth's current technology couldn't determine the age of a stone.

Dean Lian said, "This stone is too ancient. It has undergone changes beyond our ability to detect. Its age markers are constantly shifting, making it impossible to measure. We've studied it many times, but we haven't been able to discover anything."

Bai Xue said, "According to the intelligence we've gathered recently, the fugitive Qing Yu fled here from the depths of the Universe. The distance is immense, yet he's still wanted. No information has circulated, which means only one thing: the item he carried must be extremely valuable. It should be this stone."

"When you brought him back to Earth from Neptune, what else did he have besides this stone?" Lu Yin asked.

Bai Xue looked at Dean Lian. Dean Lian replied, "A War Saber, dozens of Crystals, which are actually Star Energy Crystals, and a chip containing cultivation methods. However, it was heavily damaged, and most of it can no longer be read."

"The War Saber was just given to Zhang Ding Tian. As for the Star Energy Crystals, we absorbed them for cultivation long ago. At the beginning of Doomsday, we were already close to Heaven Rank, which is Probe Realm," Bai Xue interjected.

Lu Yin looked at the stone. "So, this stone and that War Saber are the only two things Qing Yu left here."

"We've studied the War Saber. Its material is incredibly tough, far surpassing any metal on Earth, including mutated metals. As for this stone, we have no leads. We can't figure anything out from it," Dean Lian said.

Lu Yin said calmly, "May I study it?"

Dean Lian didn't mind. "As you wish."