"First Speaker" Lin Yuan? Babata: There are still experts?

The night on Mist Island was far from tranquil.

Ever since Atkin fell, the shock brought about by that headless corpse had yet to dissipate before the secrets and efficacy of the Muya Crystals spread, driving countless people to madness!

Because that news was tantamount to telling them that even if a War God obtained one, they could ascend to the heavens on the spot.

The potential profit was so immense that it was enough to drive a saint to insanity.

The various factions, who had initially been trembling with fear due to Atkin's death, now had eyes burning red with greed.

Fear was swallowed by avarice, and their noses became sharper than the hyenas of the wilderness, frantically sniffing out that unique, faint fragrance amidst the mist.

However, this night was destined to be a nightmare for many.

1:00 AM.

Above a swamp on the southeastern side of Mist Island.

"Found it! It's a Muya Crystal!"

An Councilor-level powerhouse from the European Union looked at the crystal emitting a milky-white halo in the center of the swamp, his eyes erupting with a wild, ecstatic light.

The two Advanced War Gods behind him were trembling with excitement.

"Quick! Collect it!"

The Councilor let out a low growl, his figure moving like lightning as he reached out to grab the crystal.

However, the moment his fingertips were less than three inches from the Muya Crystal—

Whoosh!

A jet-black stream of light seemed to be born from the void, moving with an unreasonable, savage speed; it arrived after the fact but struck first, instantly snatching the crystal away.

"Who?!"

The EU Councilor grabbed at empty air, staring at his vacant palm as his face instantly turned the color of liver, and he roared in exasperation: "Which bastard dares to steal from the European Union?!"

No one answered.

Only a faint chuckle drifted from the distant mist, and then that presence vanished completely, as if it had never existed at all.

2:53 AM.

The western side of Mist Island, the Stone Forest.

A brutal slaughter had just taken place here.

Teams from America and Soviet Russia had engaged in a bloody contest over three Muya Crystals clustered together.

The ground was stained red with blood, and the rocks were shattered.

The Councilor-level powerhouses from both sides were heavily wounded, gasping for air as they stood in a standoff.

"Ivan, we split these three, or no one gets to take them!" the American Councilor clutched his chest, gritting his teeth.

"Deal." The burly man from Soviet Russia wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Just as both sides reached an agreement and prepared to step forward to collect their spoils—

Whoosh—

A strange wind blew past.

The three Muya Crystals that had been lying quietly in the rubble suddenly floated into the air, and then transformed into three streaks of light, shooting off in the same direction!

"Fuck! That light again!"

"Bastard! We paid for those with our lives!"

The Councilors of the two great powers watched this scene, so angry they nearly coughed up blood.

Following this, at 4:00 AM, a roar of grief and indignation also erupted from the India team.

For a time, the entire Mist Island seemed to be shrouded by a ghost.

These factions, who were usually high and mighty and looked down upon one another, had reached a brief yet solid alliance at this moment.

There was only one goal—to capture the culprit behind those streaks of light!

They were very clear that it was definitely not Hong or Thunder God.

Given the status and strength of those two, they would never deign to do something so underhanded.

7:00 AM.

The morning light began to peek through, and the mist dispersed slightly.

On an open riverbank, over a dozen Councilor-level powerhouses from all over the world finally cornered the "culprit."

"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?"

"Hand over the Muya Crystals!"

The crowd burned with fury, staring fixedly at the young figure standing with his back to them.

The man turned slowly, revealing a delicate and handsome face, a trace of helpless amusement hanging at the corners of his mouth.

It was none other than Lin Yuan.

"Everyone, such hot tempers so early in the morning are bad for your health," Lin Yuan said indifferently, toying with a warm, smooth Muya Crystal in his hand.

"Lin Yuan! It really is you!" The EU Councilor gritted his teeth. "As an Inspector, you actually resort to such banditry. Are you not afraid of inciting public outrage?"

"Public outrage?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, his gaze turning abruptly cold. "Treasures belong to those with the virtue to hold them, and even more so to those with the strength to claim them. Since you are not convinced..."

BOOM!

A terrifying, suffocating burst of spiritual energy erupted instantly, centered on Lin Yuan!

A horrific pressure permeated the area!

"This... what kind of power is this?!"

"Impossible! He is clearly only..."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

There were no flashy techniques, merely the suppression of pure momentum.

Those arrogant councilors all collapsed to their knees, as if a massive mountain were pressing down upon their heads.

Lin Yuan looked down at them from above, his gaze as indifferent as a god's. "Now, does anyone else have an objection?"

The entire scene fell into dead silence.

In the distance, Hong and Thunder God, who were searching for Muya Crystals, sensed the commotion and paused to take a look.

"This kid is truly overbearing."

Thunder God rubbed his bald head and chuckled.

"Let him be." Hong shook his head, a flash of appreciation in his eyes. "As long as he doesn't kill everyone, these Muya Crystals were meant for the strong anyway."

The two exchanged a smile and turned back to continue searching for their own opportunities, showing no intention of intervening.

Lin Yuan had been very generous to them, never snatching the targets they had discovered; they naturally understood this unspoken agreement.

From then on, Mist Island had one more figure who could not be provoked.

Whenever that streak of black light flashed by, the experts from the major factions would pray in their hearts: Let it be Hong! Because at least Hong was reasonable and would leave them some scraps.

But Lin Yuan... he was pure evil!

He would pluck the feathers off a passing goose and leave not a single blade of grass behind!

What else was there to say? Give the Muya Crystals to him! Saving one's life was the priority!

Time flickered by, and three days passed.

The Muya Crystals in the shallow layers and on the surface of Mist Island had basically been excavated.

At a temporary camp, Hong gathered everyone to distribute the spoils.

Looking at the mountain-like pile of Muya Crystals in front of Lin Yuan, the corners of everyone's eyes twitched. It was several times the sum of all their shares combined!

"According to the rules, I will turn over thirty percent to the Martial Arts Hall," Lin Yuan said, generously pushing a portion forward.

Hong waved his hand, taking only a tiny fraction, and gave Lin Yuan a meaningful look. "A token gesture is enough. With your current strength, these resources are what you deserve."

Once these words were spoken, the hearts of those present grew even more solemn.

On the surface, Hong was the Hall Master and the world's strongest expert.

In reality, he knew very well that Lin Yuan was no weaker than him.

He even wondered if the position of First Councilor... was due for a change.

After the distribution, it was time for free exploration.

Most people chose to leave or rest; after all, the mental tension of the past few days had been exhausting.

Lin Yuan was undoubtedly the biggest "winner," but he was not satisfied. His gaze swept casually through the crowd, and he happened to see Luo Feng, carrying his battle saber, walking alone toward a deep underground fissure in the depths of Mist Island.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan followed him like a ghost!

Deep underground, the rock caverns were profound and dark.

Luo Feng moved forward cautiously, his spiritual energy constantly alert to his surroundings.

Suddenly, he paused, letting out a sound of surprise.

"Hm?"

He lowered his head, looking at the pile of rubble at his feet. There lay a blood-red fragment the size of a palm, half-buried in the dirt, looking completely unremarkable.

But just a moment ago, his combat boot had accidentally brushed against this fragment.

Sshhh!

That was an SS-grade Blood Shadow Battle Boots! Even the sharp claws of a Lord-level monster could barely scratch them, yet at this moment, they were sliced open as easily as if they were made of paper by this single fragment!

"What kind of metal is this?"

Luo Feng's expression shifted slightly. He crouched down and carefully picked up the fragment. It felt icy cold and exceptionally heavy in his hand, its edge sharp enough to send a chill down his spine.

He examined it closely, weighing it in his hand, his heart filled with confusion. On Earth, he had never heard of a metal with this level of hardness.

Just then—

Hum!

The fragment in his hand suddenly drifted upward, uncontrolled, hovering in mid-air while emitting a faint red glow.

A calm voice then echoed through the dim cavern:

"Confused? This is not something from Earth; it comes from the universe."

"The universe?"

Hearing this, Luo Feng was taken aback. His muscles tensed instantly, and he whipped his head around to find the source of the voice.

In the shadows not far away, a slender figure slowly stepped out.

Upon recognizing the newcomer, Luo Feng's taut nerves relaxed slightly, and he immediately said respectfully, "Inspector Lin!"

Lin Yuan nodded slightly, his gaze falling upon the fragment with deep, profound eyes. "Do you know why I, Hong, and Thunder God are able to possess power far exceeding that of ordinary people and stand at the forefront of the world?"

Luo Feng shook his head, looking like a student eager to learn. This was a mystery that had puzzled martial artists across the globe for years.

"It stems from the gifts of the universe."

Lin Yuan spoke candidly, his voice echoing in the vast cavern. "The most common of these are the ruins of ancient civilizations. And this fragment in your hand is a piece of wreckage from a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft."

With a flick of his hand, he finished his sentence.

The hovering blood-red fragment seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, flying back into Luo Feng's hand.

"This is your fortune. Keep it safe," Lin Yuan said.

Luo Feng instinctively gripped the fragment tightly.

At this moment, Lin Yuan spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of approval:

"I watched your battle earlier; your footwork and force exertion have improved significantly. It seems your Nine-Layer Thunder Blade is much more formidable and refined than when I last saw it."

"When you last saw it?"

Hearing this, Luo Feng frowned.

He had keenly caught onto this keyword. When had Inspector Lin ever seen him perform the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade?

The floodgates of his memory opened instantly.

He recalled that night at the Elite Training Camp, the dim corridor, the mysterious figure he had brushed past, and that thunderous piece of advice—

"Rather than pursuing release, you should first learn to grasp."

That back, seen then, gradually overlapped with the world-renowned Inspector standing before him.

Luo Feng's eyes widened, his breathing becoming rapid, his voice filled with undisguised excitement and reverence:

"You... you are that senior?!"

At the same time.

Deep underground, inside the broken Falling Ink Star spacecraft.

A phantom of a child wearing a black robe with two sharp horns on his forehead was watching this scene unfold through the monitoring equipment.

At first, he was jumping up and down in a rage.

"Bastard! Bastard! Where did this guy come from? How dare he interrupt my recruitment of a successor! This is a spirit reader seedling I've waited fifty thousand years for!"

Babata was screaming in anger, wishing he could rush out and take a bite out of Lin Yuan.

But the next second, when he activated the ship's remaining detection systems to perform a deep scan of Lin Yuan—

Beep, beep, beep—

A series of red data points began to jump wildly across the screen.

Babata's blood-red eyes went round, and his mouth hung open, revealing two sharp little fangs.

"This... this body strength? This purity of genetic energy? And these fluctuations of spiritual power..."

"Looking at these indicators, he doesn't look much like a native 'human' of Earth!"

Babata scratched his head, looking utterly incredulous, before finally blurting out an exclamation:

"What the hell... there's actually an expert like this on Earth?!"