Lu Yin glanced at Zhou Shan, who was speaking the truth. The so-called Seven Saints of Huaxia, powerful as they were on Earth, were merely ants in the vast universe. Even a random student could possess their level of strength.
On a universal scale, their level was known as the 'Exploration Realm,' merely the second step in cultivation. The first step was the 'Observation Realm,' symbolizing fledglings who could only watch. Lu Yin was at this stage. After that came the 'Exploration Realm,' where one began to probe the body's potential. The third step was the 'Fusion Realm,' where one started becoming truly powerful, touching the limits of the human body. The fourth step was the 'Extreme Realm,' where one broke through these limits and could traverse the void. Beyond this was the 'Explorer,' who could walk through the void effortlessly. Such beings were so far beyond that if they appeared on Earth, they could reshape mountains and continents with a wave of their hand.
Even Explorers couldn't create the kind of techniques needed for body shaping. The path of cultivation was long and vast. For someone like Zhou Shan, who relied on energy crystals for training, reaching the level of an Explorer was nearly impossible. The stronger one became, the more they realized their insignificance.
"Heh, why am I telling you all this? Let's go out and see. By now, Zhao Yu should be up against one of my commanders," Zhou Shan laughed carefreely, leading Lu Yin out of the meeting room.
Lu Yin followed silently and soon reached the plaza they had seen before. Through the glass, they saw one of Zhou Shan's commanders defeated and lying on the ground in disarray.
Zhao Yu, dressed in combat gear, moved with fierce decisiveness. Lu Yin had seen this before. At the moment, she was suppressing Feng Hong.
Zhou Shan watched from above, shaking his head, "Even within the same level, there are differences. Zhao Yu hasn't even used her combat skills yet and can easily defeat my commanders."
Lu Yin, watching from below, said, "Her combat skills are triggered by a specific plant."
Zhou Shan laughed, "Of course. Whether it's Xue Nu or Luo Sheng, they all need external aids to use techniques like the Ice Palm that can freeze a human body. The human body itself can't produce such effects."
Lu Yin squinted his eyes. Can't produce them? Wrong. Powerful techniques and talents could indeed alter the environment. It was just that Earth hadn't encountered them yet. His Heavenly Star Technique even mimicked the movement of stars. No one would believe it if he told them.
Below, Feng Hong was quickly defeated, followed by two more commanders, none of whom wanted to step up.
Zhao Yu raised her head, scanning the surroundings, "I've heard that the commanders of the Execution Camp are tough warriors. What, no one wants to spar with me?"
Feng Hong and the others looked embarrassed.
Above, Zhou Shan chuckled, "The three Snow Girls under Luo Sheng's command are known to be invincible at their level. It seems they have some skill."
At this moment, Zhao Yu looked up, directly at Lu Yin, and beckoned him with a finger, exuding a heroic air.
Feng Hong and the others were surprised, looking upwards.
Lu Yin raised an eyebrow. This was a provocation.
Zhou Shan laughed, "It seems she wasn't satisfied with you defeating her yesterday."
"Yesterday's match was inconclusive," Lu Yin replied.
Zhou Shan said, "Then go for another round. We can't let our Execution Camp lose face."
Lu Yin nodded and turned to leave.
In the plaza, hundreds of evolutionaries discussed fervently. Many looked at Zhao Yu with admiration—a woman who could make the commanders of the Execution Camp afraid to fight was definitely an idol.
Seeing Lu Yin coming down, Zhao Yu took a deep breath, her eyes sharp. She hadn't been satisfied with yesterday's fight. She had the upper hand but was inexplicably defeated. She wanted to see that technique again.
From afar, Feng Hong and the others watched Lu Yin approach slowly, calling out, "Brother Lu, be careful. This woman can use the Ice Palm technique. It's very powerful."
Lu Yin nodded and walked towards Zhao Yu, "Please."
Zhao Yu's eyes were full of fighting spirit. She leaped up, pulling out a dagger from somewhere, attacking aggressively like she had by the pit. The dagger tore through the air, reflecting a cold light.
Lu Yin dodged easily. Yesterday's him and today's him were entirely different. Yesterday, he was just a physically strong ordinary person. Today, he was a cultivator who had reached the Observation Realm.
Lu Yin dodged effortlessly, but Feng Hong and the others broke into a sweat. Zhao Yu's attacks grew faster, the dagger exuding a chill, causing the air to turn white and the temperature to drop.
The ground of the plaza shattered, Zhao Yu's dagger creating a whirlwind that surrounded Lu Yin, sending air currents shooting in all directions, piercing walls and making it hard for many evolutionaries to breathe.
Lu Yin focused on Zhao Yu, suddenly raising his hand. Their figures crossed, and in the next moment, he held a dagger emitting cold air.
Everyone held their breath, staring at the scene. Zhao Yu was stunned, her hand empty. The dagger had been taken.
Feng Hong and the others were surprised, then excited, "Well done, Brother Lu."
"Brother Lu is amazing."
Lu Yin turned to Zhao Yu, flipping the dagger in his hand and casually tossing it back to her, "Want to continue?"
Zhao Yu stared at him, "How did you do that?"
Lu Yin shrugged, "Eyesight and speed, both indispensable."
Nonsense, everyone thought.
Zhao Yu said complicatedly, "You win. To take my dagger without injury, no one at our level can match you. You're very strong."
Lu Yin chuckled. These people had such limited perspectives. They were like fledglings without proper techniques, bottom-tier in any major galactic academy, unqualified to say such things. But Zhao Yu was right. Lu Yin was confident that no one at the Observation Realm could defeat him.
Zhao Yu, feeling somewhat defeated, put away her dagger. She then noticed that Lu Yin seemed different from yesterday, "Were you exhausted of energy yesterday?"
Lu Yin didn't explain, turning to leave. He wanted to explore. He hadn't found what he was looking for in the desolate mountains, maybe it was hidden elsewhere.
Zhao Yu watched him leave, wanting to ask about yesterday's technique but knowing it was a personal matter. She couldn't bring herself to ask.
Feng Hong and the others were amazed. They didn't expect the new commander to be so powerful. The rumor that he had killed the alien must be true. That alien had been a Heavenly level expert, even if severely injured.
Lu Yin, now a commander, had no real authority but was still assigned a hundred soldiers by the Execution Camp, for his use.
Leaving Zhongshan, Lu Yin beckoned to a young evolutionary soldier, "Commander, give the order."
Lu Yin asked calmly, "Do you know where the old hot weapons arsenal in Jinling is?"
The soldier replied, "Northwest."
Lu Yin took out a map, "Mark it for me."
The soldier drew a circle on the map.
Lu Yin looked at it, "You can go back now. I'll go alone."
The soldier hesitated, "Commander, the arsenal was destroyed at the beginning of the apocalypse. The remaining weapons were moved. If you need them, you can request them from the Execution Saint."
Lu Yin nodded, "Got it. You can go back." With that, he walked northwest alone.
These soldiers were assigned to him by the Execution Camp, both for his use and to monitor him. Lu Yin had no intention of hiding his tracks. What he sought was well hidden. Blind searching was futile. He needed to flush it out. His open search, with his level of power, wouldn't cause much alarm and might even succeed.
Lu Yin's guess was correct. As soon as he left, someone reported to Zhou Shan.
Zhou Shan's eyes narrowed, "The arsenal? What's he looking for there?"
The bespectacled woman approached, adjusting her glasses, "The arsenal was destroyed. He shouldn't be looking for weapons, but I don't know what else."
"Let him be. We have no secrets here," Zhou Shan laughed, unconcerned.
Jinling radiated outwards from Zhongshan. The closer to Zhongshan, the better and safer the location.
This city had long lost its peacetime order. People lived on the streets, in flowerbeds, even in the river, living each day in blind fear.
In contrast, some people lived happily, their moral boundaries collapsing, doing whatever they pleased. As he walked, Lu Yin saw many evolutionaries bullying survivors, with even Execution Camp soldiers unable to keep up with the chaos.
This was the state of the world now. For Earth, everything was uncertain, but Lu Yin knew this was evolution—a civilization evolving into another, at a great cost.
The sky darkened, and it soon began to rain heavily, washing the ground. Red, blood-tinged water mixed with various debris flowed.
Lu Yin found a relatively clean restaurant and sat down. The entrance was crowded with survivors who scrambled for the food waste the restaurant discarded.
"Get lost, keep your distance. Remember, wash the bucket and bring it back clean, or next time, someone else will do it," a waiter shouted, clearly an evolutionary himself.