Lu Yin glanced at Zhou Shan. He was telling the truth. The so-called Seven Saints of Huaxia, the Heavenly Rank Experts, were nothing but ants in the vast universe. Even an ordinary student possessed Heavenly Rank strength.
Heavenly Rank was known in the universe as the Probe Realm. It was only the second step of cultivation. The first step was the Gaze Realm, a name that suggested a fledgling who could only look on from the sidelines. Lu Yin was currently at the Gaze Realm. Next came the Probe Realm, where one began exploring the body's potential for strength. The third step was the Integrating Realm, where one became strong for the first time and began to touch the limits of the human body. The fourth was the Extreme Realm, where one broke through those limits and could cross the void. Above that were explorers who could stroll through the void. People at that level were far beyond reach. If one appeared on Earth, a wave of their hand could send mountains and rivers tumbling and split continents apart.
Yet even explorers had not reached the level required to create the Body Sculpting Technique. The path of cultivation was long and boundless. For Wandering Soldiers like Zhou Shan, who cultivated using Energy Crystals, reaching the level of an explorer was nearly impossible. The stronger one became, the more keenly one felt one's own insignificance.
"Heh, why am I telling you all this? Come on, let's go see what's happening. Zhao Yu should be facing off against one of my Commanders of Ten Thousand by now." Zhou Shan smiled casually and led Lu Yin out of the conference room.
Lu Yin followed in silence. Soon, they reached the gallery above the square where they had been earlier. Through the glass, they saw one of the Commanders of Ten Thousand defeated by Zhao Yu, sprawled on the ground in a sorry state.
Zhao Yu wore a fitted combat outfit and struck with sharp, decisive movements. Lu Yin had seen that much for himself. At that moment, she was pressing Feng Hong hard.
Looking down from above, Zhou Shan shook his head. "There are different levels of strength even among Earth Rank fighters, and the gap can be huge. Zhao Yu can easily defeat one of my Commanders of Ten Thousand without even using a battle technique."
Lu Yin watched the scene below and said gravely, "Her battle technique draws its power from a plant."
"Of course," Zhou Shan replied with a smile. "Whether it's Snow Maiden or Saint Luo, they have to rely on external objects to use Ice Palm, which can freeze the human body. The human body can't produce that kind of effect on its own."
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes. Can't produce it? That was wrong. Powerful techniques, battle skills, and talents could all change the heavens and earth. It was just that Earth had never encountered such things. His Heavenly Star Art could even imitate the movements of the stars. No one would believe him if he told them.
Below, Feng Hong soon lost. Two more Commanders of Ten Thousand were defeated in succession, and no one else was willing to step forward.
Zhao Yu lifted her chin and looked around. "I heard that the Commanders of Ten Thousand in the Punishment Camp are fearless warriors. What, is no one willing to spar with me?"
Feng Hong and the others looked grim.
From above, Zhou Shan chuckled. "The three Snow Maidens under Saint Luo are known as invincible among Earth Rank fighters. It seems Zhao Yu really does have some ability."
Just then, Zhao Yu looked up and fixed her gaze on Lu Yin. She raised a hand and crooked a finger at him, exuding a spirited confidence.
Feng Hong and the others looked up in surprise.
Lu Yin raised an eyebrow. That was a challenge.
Zhou Shan smiled. "Looks like she's still unhappy about losing to you yesterday."
"We never settled the match yesterday," Lu Yin said.
"Then go have a bout with her. We can't let the Punishment Camp lose too much face."
Lu Yin nodded and turned to leave.
Inside the square, hundreds of Evolvers were gathered, talking excitedly. Many watched Zhao Yu with admiration. A woman who could make the Commanders of Ten Thousand in the Punishment Camp too afraid to fight was a genuine idol.
When Zhao Yu saw Lu Yin come down, she took a deep breath, her gaze fierce. She had indeed been dissatisfied with their fight the day before. She'd had the upper hand, only to be defeated for no apparent reason. She wanted to see that battle technique again.
In the distance, Feng Hong and the others watched Lu Yin approach. One of them called out, "Brother Lu, be careful. This woman can use the battle technique Ice Palm. It's very powerful."
Lu Yin nodded and walked toward Zhao Yu. "Please."
Zhao Yu's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. She leaped forward and raised her hand, somehow drawing a dagger from nowhere. Just as she had beside the sinkhole, she launched an immediate attack. The dagger tore through the air, its blade flashing coldly.
Lu Yin dodged with ease. The Lu Yin of yesterday and the Lu Yin of today were completely different. Yesterday, he had been an ordinary man with a strong body. Today, he was a cultivator who had reached the Gaze Realm.
Lu Yin dodged with effortless ease, but Feng Hong and the others watched with bated breath. Zhao Yu's attacks grew faster and faster. Even the dagger began to radiate cold, whitening the air and sending the temperature plummeting.
The square's floor shattered. Zhao Yu swung her dagger, sealing off every direction around Lu Yin like a whirlwind. Bursts of force shot out in all directions, punching through walls and leaving many Evolvers struggling to breathe.
Lu Yin stared intently at Zhao Yu. Suddenly, he raised a hand. Their figures crossed, and he emerged as calm as ever, holding a dagger that radiated cold.
No one dared to breathe. They stared silently at the scene. Zhao Yu stood frozen, her hand empty. The dagger had been snatched away.
Feng Hong and the others were stunned, then cheered. "Well done, Brother Lu!"
"Brother Lu, that was amazing!"
Lu Yin turned to face Zhao Yu, twirling the dagger in his hand. He casually tossed it back to her. "Do you want to keep going?"
Zhao Yu stared at Lu Yin. "How did you do that?"
Lu Yin shrugged. "Good eyesight and quick hands. You need both."
What nonsense, everyone thought.
Zhao Yu said with mixed feelings, "You win. To take my dagger without a scratch, you must be unbeatable among Earth Rank fighters. You're strong."
Lu Yin laughed. These people had such narrow horizons. They were fledglings at the Gaze Realm who hadn't even learned proper battle techniques. In the major academies of the universe, they'd be at the very bottom. They had no grounds to say such things. Still, Zhao Yu was right about one thing: Lu Yin was confident that no one at the Gaze Realm could defeat him.
Zhao Yu put away her dagger, looking rather dejected. Only then did she notice that Lu Yin seemed different from the day before. "You... ran out of energy yesterday?"
Lu Yin didn't explain. He turned and walked outside. He wanted to look around. There was nothing he wanted to find in the barren hills; perhaps it was hidden somewhere else.
Zhao Yu watched him leave. She wanted to ask about the battle technique he had used the day before, but battle techniques were personal secrets, and she couldn't bring herself to ask.
Feng Hong and the others were quite surprised. They hadn't expected the newly appointed Commander of Ten Thousand to be so powerful. The rumors that he had killed the alien were probably true. After all, that alien had been a Heavenly Rank Expert, even if a heavily wounded one.
Lu Yin had become a Commander of Ten Thousand. Though he had no real authority, the Punishment Camp still assigned him a squad of a hundred soldiers to command.
After leaving Zhong Mountain, Lu Yin beckoned. A young Evolver soldier behind him stepped forward. "Commander, please give your order."
Lu Yin asked coolly, "Do you know where Jinling's old weapons depot is?"
The soldier replied, "To the northwest."
Lu Yin took out a map. "Mark it for me."
The soldier pulled out a pen and drew a circle on the map.
Lu Yin took a look. "You can head back. I'll walk around by myself."
The soldier hesitated. "Commander, the weapons depot was destroyed at the beginning of the apocalypse. The few remaining conventional weapons have already been moved. If you need any, you can apply to Saint of Punishment."
Lu Yin nodded. "All right, I understand. You can go back." With that, he headed northwest alone.
The soldiers had been assigned to him by the Punishment Camp. On one hand, they were there to take his orders; on the other, they were also there to keep an eye on him. Lu Yin had no intention of hiding his movements. What he was looking for was hidden extremely well, and searching blindly was useless. It would only alert whoever was behind it. But now that he was searching openly, his Earth Rank strength wouldn't make anyone too wary of him. He might even find it.
Lu Yin had guessed right. As soon as he left, someone reported his actions to Zhou Shan.
Zhou Shan's gaze sharpened. "The weapons depot? Why is he looking for that place?"
The bespectacled woman walked over and pushed up her glasses. "The weapons depot was destroyed. He probably isn't looking for conventional weapons, but I don't know what he wants."
"Let him be. We have no secrets here." Zhou Shan smiled and didn't give it another thought.
Jinling spread outward from Zhong Mountain as its center. The closer one got to Zhong Mountain, the better the location and the safer it was.
The city no longer followed the layout it had in peacetime. People lived on the streets, in flower beds, and even in river channels, passing one fearful, aimless day after another.
By contrast, some people were having a great time. With their moral limits shattered, they did whatever they pleased. Along the way, Lu Yin saw many Evolvers bullying survivors. Even when Punishment Camp soldiers tried to intervene, they couldn't get there in time.
That was the state of the world. Everything happening on Earth was bewildering, but Lu Yin knew what it was: evolution, one civilization advancing toward another. The cost would be immense.
The sky grew overcast, and soon heavy rain began to fall, washing the ground. Red blood ran with the rainwater, mingling with all kinds of rubbish.
Lu Yin found a restaurant that looked reasonably clean and sat down. Survivors crouched all along its entrance. Whenever the restaurant brought out food scraps, they fought over them.
"Get lost, get lost! Keep your distance. And remember to wash the bucket and bring it back. If you don't, we'll get a different group to clean it next time!" the restaurant server shouted. He was clearly an Evolver.
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