Xu San saw Lu Yin get to his feet and thought he was about to attack him. In the apocalypse, human life was worth less than grass. Xu San had no doubt Lu Yin would kill him to vent his anger, so he hurriedly pleaded, "Sir, I can work for you. I can do a lot for you. Please don't kill me."
Lu Yin headed for the restaurant exit without paying him any attention.
As Lu Yin passed by, the evolved man's fear reached its limit. Certain he was about to be killed, Xu San thought of all the times he had seen powerful people murder others without a second thought. Gritting his teeth, he hurriedly cried, "Sir, I have a Special Ability. I can be useful to you!"
Lu Yin stopped abruptly and looked back in surprise. "What did you say? A Special Ability?"
Xu San's face was deathly pale. He lowered his voice. "My... my eyes can see much farther than ordinary people's—several times farther. That's how I managed to steal so many good things."
Lu Yin was astonished. He crouched down and stared into Xu San's eyes. The man's pupils seemed to split apart. "Dual pupils?" Lu Yin was genuinely surprised. This was a talent—a Talented Cultivator, one born among countless cultivators in the universe.
"Does anyone else know what makes you special?" Lu Yin asked with a frown.
Xu San shook his head and said quietly, "I didn't want people to think I was a monster, so I never told anyone. You're the first."
Lu Yin's lips curled up. "Your name?"
"Xu San."
"Good. From today on, you'll follow me. I'll take you into the Punishment Corps," Lu Yin said calmly.
Xu San looked up in fear. "Are you... going to dissect me?"
Lu Yin chuckled. "I won't. But someone else might, so you must never let anyone find out what makes you special. Understand?"
Xu San nodded, looking confused.
Until they set foot among the stars, people could never understand how important talent was. The Cosmic Youth Council was willing to let Talented Cultivators join outright—a chance countless people dreamed of but could never obtain. That showed just how rare and valuable they were. To Lu Yin, Xu San was a treasure who would surely prove useful in the future. Even if he sold him, he would fetch a good price.
Xu San was a local expert, and with his help, Lu Yin spent several days scouring Jinling, including the weapons depot that had once been destroyed. But he found no trace of what he was looking for.
"Boss, this is the tallest peak in Jinling after Zhong Mountain," Xu San told Lu Yin.
Lu Yin gave a quiet acknowledgment. "Take a look. Where are the troops concentrated, apart from Zhong Mountain?"
Xu San nodded and gazed into the distance. His pupils grew more diffuse and his eyes brighter.
After a while, Xu San gave a bitter smile. "Boss, my eyes can see farther than ordinary people's, but not so far that I can make out all of Jinling."
"Keep practicing," Lu Yin said coolly. "You'll improve eventually."
Xu San was speechless. He widened his eyes and kept looking.
"Boss, is that someone flying over from the horizon?" Xu San suddenly shouted, pointing toward the eastern sky.
Lu Yin looked up in surprise. Someone really was flying over, and he definitely wasn't from Earth. Like Asta, he had come from the stars.
The newcomer flew at great speed and descended straight over Jinling. He took a deep breath, then bellowed. His overwhelming power bore down, and a storm of energy swept across Jinling.
At the same time, alarms rang throughout the Jinling Gathering Place. Countless people looked up, stunned by the figure hovering in the sky.
Zhong Shan, Feng Hong, and the other Commanders of Ten Thousand rushed out. Their faces turned deathly pale as they stared upward. "A Heavenly Rank Expert?"
Countless people stared blankly at the sky. The ability to fly was the defining mark of a Flying Rank Expert. When had another Heavenly Rank Expert appeared in Huaxia?
High above, Aoton looked down at the Jinling Gathering Place with arrogant eyes. Just like Asta—or, for that matter, everyone from the universe—he regarded the people of Earth as savages.
"Esteemed Heavenly Rank Expert, why are you attacking the Jinling Gathering Place? This area is under Saint of Punishment's protection," a voice called from inside Zhong Mountain. Though the words were challenging, the speaker's tone was quite respectful.
Aoton sneered. "Saint of Punishment? Is that a title you savages gave yourselves? How dare you think you can lay claim to the word 'saint.' Bring out this so-called Saint of Punishment!"
Millions of people in the Jinling Gathering Place were terrified. The unfamiliar Heavenly Rank Expert radiated hostility. He was an enemy.
Feng Hong and the others looked grim. The rest of the people might not realize it, but they knew their visitor was definitely an alien, just like the man who had been killed a few days ago. He had Heavenly Rank strength, too. Jinling was in trouble.
With a loud shout, Zhou Shan soared into the sky, carrying a three-meter battle-axe. He faced Aoton, his expression grave. "I am Saint of Punishment Zhou Shan."
Countless people cheered. Saint of Punishment Zhou Shan was Jinling's guardian.
Aoton looked down on him. "You've probably guessed where I'm from. I'll give you a chance to serve me. In the future, I might take you off Earth and into the stars."
Zhou Shan narrowed his eyes. "I don't know where you're from."
Aoton scoffed. "You're nothing but a savage, yet you think you can play games with me? Asta landed somewhere around here. Don't tell me you haven't seen him. I'll have you know I rank far above him at the academy. You'll have a much better future following me than him."
Zhou Shan tightened his grip on the battle-axe. "We're people of Earth, not savages."
Aoton's lips curved. "Still refusing to accept it? I'll show you the difference between savages and people like us." As he spoke, a sword appeared out of nowhere and stabbed straight at Zhou Shan.
No one had expected Aoton to attack without warning. Zhou Shan hadn't expected it either, but he reacted quickly, with excellent combat experience. He raised the axe haft to knock the sword aside, then spun three hundred and sixty degrees, sweeping the axe upward from below. Aoton was startled by how fast he reacted and began to take him more seriously. His sword clashed with the axe, blocking the blow, but the force sent him flying back a hundred meters and numbed his hands.
The shockwave from the clash between sword and axe swept toward the Gathering Place in a crescent, cutting a hundred-meter-long gash into the earth. Many people were caught in the blast and fled in terror.
"What incredible strength!" Aoton exclaimed in surprise.
Zhou Shan gripped his battle-axe and swung it viciously at Aoton. Aoton sneered as energy surged around him. He held his sword crosswise, firmly blocking Zhou Shan's blow.
Zhou Shan's gaze sharpened. He narrowed his eyes and attacked again.
"You're trying to force me out of this settlement? Fine. I'll make you submit willingly." Aoton's sword clashed with the battle-axe once more. The tremendous force drove him back, and he flew straight out of the sky above the Jinling Gathering Place.
Though brief, their exchange stunned countless people. Humans could actually soar through the air and fight, and every move could split the earth. Was this the power of gods?
Feng Hong and the others looked worried. An alien who dared to land on Earth must have been prepared for a fight. They were concerned for Zhou Shan.
On another mountain, Xu San trembled. He had never seen Heavenly Rank Experts fight before; the sight was an eye-opener.
Lu Yin looked toward Outside the City and listened to the distant rumbling, his brows furrowed.
Every student who landed had Ring Armor, which could withstand attacks from Heavenly Rank Experts. That put Aoton in an unbeatable position. He thought he was sure to win, but Zhou Shan was one of the Seven Saints of Huaxia. Those seven had definitely inherited something from that corpse on Neptune. Even a small part of the inheritance was no reason for Aoton to underestimate him. The corpse had possessed the power to roam the stars, which meant its foundation was unfathomably deep.
Lu Yin could look down on every other evolved person on Earth, but he would never dare underestimate the Seven Saints of Huaxia. Those seven had been cultivating even before the apocalypse.
When Lu Yin had seen Asta's corpse and the spaceship a few days ago, Zhou Shan hadn't seemed particularly surprised. Lu Yin had watched his reaction closely. Aoton might not win.
Before long, thunderous booms erupted outside Jinling. Countless waves of energy shot through the air and tore the clouds apart. Then everything fell silent.
Soon after, Zhou Shan soared into the sky. Though he looked a little pale, he didn't seem seriously injured. He raised his battle-axe high, and the cheers of millions of Jinling's survivors rang out behind him.
"Stay here," Lu Yin ordered, then rushed Outside the City.
The place where Zhou Shan and Aoton had fought was not far away, just over twenty kilometers outside the city.
When Lu Yin arrived, he saw the earth reduced to ruins and rows of burning high-rises. The ground was marked with countless clear slash marks that stretched into the distance.
The zombies and Mutant Beasts that had once been in the area had long since fled or been reduced to dust.
Lu Yin crouched and touched one of the slash marks. A trace of fierce energy still lingered there. This was the power of Zhou Shan's battle technique. When he had killed the Mutant Vine that day, he hadn't been fighting at full strength. This was his true power.
A White Shard glinted nearby.
Lu Yin picked it up, his gaze sharpening. It was a fragment of Ring Armor. Aoton had suffered a terrible defeat—even his Ring Armor was shattered. Lu Yin didn't know if he was dead, but probably not; otherwise, Zhou Shan would have brought his body back to Jinling.
Lu Yin reassessed the strength of the Seven Saints of Huaxia. He didn't know how powerful the Upper Three Saints were, but Zhou Shan might have the combat strength of a Probe Realm expert at the peak. The shattered Ring Armor was proof.
A commotion rose in the distance. The other Commanders of Ten Thousand had probably arrived. Lu Yin didn't want to run into them, so he left at once.
Before you continue