Chapter 49

In the capital, Las's heart was like dead ashes, even Mono had been defeated, and no one could save him; his trial was destined to be at the bottom.

Granny looked at Lu Yin in disbelief, recalling the first time she met him. From a mere Boundary of Vision to almost invincible in the Boundary of Exploration, what kind of background did this person have? Yata, the Tatar Planet Academy? His grandfather is the dean? Could his grandfather be an unparalleled top-tier powerhouse?

Mono was quite famous among the trial students. When the news of Mono's defeat in the capital spread on the regional network, it shocked all the students. Their first reaction was disbelief, but the regional network never lied.

Shortly after, Gules confirmed the matter, making many students take the force guarding the capital seriously.

Now, the Boundary of Fusion powerhouses Hu Xiaoling and Mono had both been defeated, indicating that this trial was not simple at all.

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

Lu Yin calculated, "Seventeen, the fugitive has taken seventeen students."

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

Lu Yin's expression was not good, "He's competing for numbers."

Everyone was speechless.

Lu Yin took a deep breath, "This guy isn't stupid; he's thinking along the same lines as us. He wants to use the students to negotiate for some compromise. Unfortunately, our natures are different. He's a fugitive, and we are just natives. He is destined to be judged, and even if he captures more students, it won't help."

"That's fine, it's not your problem," Gules said, blinking.

Lu Yin looked at her, "The more students he captures, the fewer we can capture, and the less capital we have for future negotiations."

Gules widened her eyes, "You really want to use the 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, and they are very important to the empire."

Gules sneered, "Do you know how many students the empire has participating in the trial? Let me tell you, this planet is just one of many trial planets. Even if all the trial students die, it won't affect the empire. Do you think the empire will compromise with the natives for these students? Dream on."

Hearing Gules's words, Bai Xue and Zhou Shan's expressions changed. The Da Yu Empire was too vast, with too many students and countless academies. The students participating in the Earth trial were just a small part. Attempting to negotiate with the empire was indeed impossible.

"Maybe not," Lu Yin said, grabbing Las, "This person's identity is enough to get us some promises."

Las was furious, "Let me go."

Lu Yin pushed him away, a smile on his lips, "Deputy Minister of Finance of the empire, a very high position. I heard he has connections with the Royal Court's Twelve Teams. The more powerful his background, the higher the possibility of successful negotiations, isn't it?"

Gules pondered, looking at Las. That was true; this guy was the only son of Xika. For this son, Xika might go to great lengths.

Las glared at Lu Yin in anger. This bastard was using him to threaten the empire. Regardless of whether it succeeded or not, he would become a laughingstock among the empire's young generation. Bastard, bastard.

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

More than twenty students from all over the world gathered together to find Qing Yu. The leader was named Yan Gang, not from the Da Yu Empire but a young powerhouse from the Canglan Territory's Flame Star.

Flame Star was a powerful force on par with the Da Yu Empire. Although it was just one planet, it was extremely large, and the planet was covered in burning seas. It was rumored that all the creatures on Flame Star had great resistance to fire and could use powerful burning flame techniques, making it a terrifying force.

Yan Gang, like Hu Xiaoling, was a Boundary of Fusion powerhouse, and his cultivation was sealed. However, in the eyes of many students, his strength surpassed Hu Xiaoling.

"Qing Yu, release Hu Xiaoling," Yan Gang stood in the air, his eyes cold, his skin dark red. Even in the cold of Northern Europe, he emitted a scorching heat, melting the snow on the ground.

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

"Quite a few of you, kid. Do you think you can snatch people from me?" Qing Yu mocked, looking at Yan Gang with disdain. He was once a space explorer, and mere students were nothing to him.

Yan Gang said coldly, "I warn you, Hu Xiaoling is the fiancée of the Flame Star's Flame Peak Young Clan Leader. If you touch her, you will face the wrath of Flame Star."

Qing Yu was dismissive, "Just a border territory, thinking you're something. But I can give you one chance to take her from me. Let's see if you can do it."

"Speak," Yan Gang growled.

Qing Yu's lips curled, "Go to the capital of Huaxia, get my things, and exchange them for this woman."

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

Qing Yu laughed, "Are you an idiot or do you think I am? Release her first? Have you lost your mind?"

Yan Gang was furious, clenching his fists, the air around him burning and distorting, "Fine, I'll get the things, but you must promise not to harm Hu Xiaoling."

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

Yan Gang was enraged, "Hu Xiaoling is a Boundary of Fusion powerhouse. If you dare to touch her, we will break the seal and kill you."

"Doing that, you won't be able to join the Tenth Academy of the Starry Sky. You can't even complete the Boundary of Exploration trial mission; the Starry Sky Combat Academy won't accept such failures. How will you explain it to your Young Clan Leader?" Qing Yu mocked, looking at Yan Gang.

Yan Gang huffed and said to the students behind him, "Watch him, I'll go to Huaxia."

"Mono just lost in Huaxia. Can you do it alone?" a student asked. He was from the Hu family, not caring about Yan Gang but caring about Hu Xiaoling.

Yan Gang was disdainful, "Don't compare me to that waste," and took off, the air distorting as he flew, forming a white air trail.

From Northern Europe to the capital of Huaxia, it would take at least two days for a Boundary of Exploration powerhouse to fly, and that was without encountering any mutated beasts. If they did, the time could be unpredictable.

In the capital, only a few places had light to avoid attracting mutated creatures.

Lu Yin came to the underground technology institute and, guided by Dean Lian, saw the things left by the fugitive Qing Yu, a stone the size of a human head.

The stone was roughly spherical but had sixteen faces, each smooth and flat, with incomprehensible markings in the center. The stone emitted an aura of ancient times, as if it had come from the distant past.

Bai Xue stood beside Lu Yin. This time, Lu Yin could see the stone because Bai Xue suggested it. Initially, she strongly opposed letting Lu Yin touch the fugitive's things, saying it required the approval of the Seven Saints. But now, it was unnecessary, as the entire capital was under Lu Yin's protection.

Lu Yin looked at the stone steadily placed in a glass case with surprise, "Just a stone, but it feels very special."

Dean Lian asked, "Can you guess how old this stone is?"

Lu Yin shook his head.

Dean Lian exclaimed, "It cannot be measured."

"Cannot be measured?" Lu Yin was surprised. With Earth's current technology, it was hard to believe that the age of a stone could not be determined.

Dean Lian explained, "This stone is too old, having undergone changes that cannot be detected. Its age traces keep changing, making it impossible to measure. We have studied it many times but found nothing."

Bai Xue added, "From the intelligence we have gathered, the fugitive Qing Yu escaped from deep space to here, a very long distance. Despite this, he was still wanted, and no information has leaked. The only possibility is that he carried something extremely valuable, which should be this stone."

"Besides this stone, what else did he have when you brought him back from Neptune?" Lu Yin asked.

Bai Xue looked at Dean Lian, who said, "A war knife, dozens of crystals, actually star energy crystals, and a chip containing cultivation methods, but it was heavily damaged, and most of it could not be read."

"The war knife was just given to Zhang Dingtian. As for the star energy crystals, we have already absorbed them for cultivation. At the beginning of the apocalypse, we were already very close to the Heaven level, or the Boundary of Exploration," Bai Xue added.

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

"We have studied the war knife; its material is extremely hard, far surpassing any metal on Earth, including mutated metals. As for this stone, we have no leads, and we can't figure out anything," Dean Lian said.

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

Dean Lian didn't mind, "Sure, go ahead."