"Why go to the capital? When doomsday arrives, everywhere is the same," Zhou Shan questioned in puzzlement.
Lu Yin didn't elaborate on the mission but simply stated, "I want to uncover the truth about doomsday and find that corpse."
Shaking his head, Zhou Shan replied, "It's unnecessary. The great explosion turned everything within tens of miles around the capital into dust. Even though doomsday followed, investigators rushed to the scene immediately afterward and found nothing. Do you think it's useful to go investigate after all this time?"
"In any case, I'm going," Lu Yin asserted firmly.
Sighing, Zhou Shan looked out towards the outskirts of Jinling. "You're free to go, but if you find nothing, I hope you'll return to Jinling."
"I will," Lu Yin nodded.
From his pocket, Zhou Shan produced an official document. "This is my military credential, registered with the national army. It serves as my token. The Seven Saints had an agreement: seeing this is akin to seeing me. Take it with you to the capital and find Zhang Dingtian. He can help you."
"Zhang Dingtian? One of the Seven Saints?" Lu Yin was puzzled. He wasn't familiar with the Seven Saints. Communication about doomsday was intermittent, and his attention had been focused on Liu Tiange. Had he not come to Jinling, he wouldn't even know that the Execution Saint's real name was Zhou Shan. As for the Seven Saints in the capital, he only knew of the Sword Saint.
Upon mentioning Zhang Dingtian, Zhou Shan's face lit up mysteriously. "Lu Yin, I know you're strong now, capable of suppressing extraterrestrials. But let me tell you, don't underestimate the Seven Saints. Don't measure them against my strength, especially the top three Saints. Zhang Dingtian is one of the top three Saints, acknowledged as the head of the Seven Saints."
Lu Yin was astonished. Head of the Seven Saints? That was no ordinary title.
Zhou Shan continued solemnly, "Since the body was brought back to Earth, numerous people in Huaxia have attempted to inherit some legacies. The Seven Saints were the ones who succeeded. Zhang Dingtian is recognized as the strongest among them. His sword can suppress everything. Those students are formidable, but I refuse to believe anyone of their level can defeat Zhang Dingtian. Even someone as outstanding as Luo Sheng Bai Xue wouldn't dare compare themselves to Zhang Dingtian. Many call him the Sword Saint, but his full title is... Mad Blade Hua Sheng. He is Hua Sheng."
Listening to Zhou Shan's words, Lu Yin's mind conjured an image of a powerful man with a sword, dominating the capital.
"How do you compare to him?" Lu Yin asked, seeking a direct comparison.
With a bitter smile, Zhou Shan raised a finger. "Except for the top three Saints, anyone else facing him is just a single stroke."
Lu Yin's gaze shifted. To defeat Zhou Shan with just one stroke would be terrifying. Zhou Shan's true strength surpassed Odon and Granny and could rival Tres. In other words, Zhang Dingtian could defeat someone of Tres's caliber with a single stroke. According to Ye Gao's description, he should be the strongest among the major academies. Earth unexpectedly harbored such individuals.
Lu Yin believed that he could defeat Zhou Shan in one move with his Fissure Palm or Celestial Palm. Then who was stronger between himself and Zhang Dingtian?
Accepting Zhou Shan's credential solemnly, Lu Yin kept it safe. Zhou Shan had done him a favor, hoping he would return to Jinling someday. Lu Yin was determined to not disappoint him; his future lay in the stars.
Two months remained until the arrival of the second batch of trial participants. Lu Yin hoped to identify the body's identity within this time frame, pressing against a tight schedule.
"What? You want me to go to the capital with you? That's impossible," Granny exclaimed, immediately refusing.
Lu Yin's voice turned cold. "You don't have the right to refuse."
Granny pleaded urgently, "Haven't you heard what Ye Gao said? The ones going to the capital are the strongest from those academies. Those people are freakishly strong. I saw Willow crush Tres with my own eyes. He can't be defeated by surprise attacks."
"I said you have no right to refuse," Lu Yin reiterated.
Granny was speechless, her pleading in vain. "Yata... no, Lu Yin, you have no idea what the strongest from the academies represent. In the previous academy competition, Tres was severely injured by Willow. The gap is too wide."
"I also severely injured Ye Gao with one strike," Lu Yin stated lightly.
Granny wanted to argue but suddenly realized that it was true. She had always regarded herself as beneath Tres's level, which indirectly lowered her assessment of Lu Yin's combat power. Now, recalling the past, faced with Lu Yin who severely injured Ye Gao and also crippled Tres without being able to mobilize star energy, Granny stepped back a few steps, appraising Lu Yin. She suddenly felt that this guy in front of her might really be able to rival the strongest in the academy.
Lu Yin had never used his full strength against Granny, so she had no idea of Lu Yin's true combat power. Even the glimpses of his abilities were enough to astonish her.
"We leave tonight for the capital," Lu Yin said calmly before leaving, leaving Granny no room for refusal.
Granny was helpless. The vast expanse of the cosmic domain, countless academies, even within the Grand Universe Empire, there were many academies. The so-called trial missions were simply beyond her level. Yet now, she was being forced into another circle—the circle of those who claimed to be the strongest.
In Hebei, amidst vast mountains, crimson smoke rose into the sky, turning the river valleys red. The scent of blood covered the river, attracting more and more mutant beasts, their wails echoing across the wilderness, marking a scene of slaughter.
The stream turned red, and a petite man stood in the river, washing his body. Numerous scars on his back had long since healed, his robust muscles bulging.
On the bank, a man and a woman quietly observed him. "Bair, if you continue like this, there won't be any mutant beasts left in these mountains."
Glancing at the bank, Bair coldly remarked, "There are two Rong Realm mutant beasts I haven't provoked. I'll kill them before we leave."
The woman calmly stated, "It's time to head to the capital of this country. That's where we'll have the best chance of finding the fugitive. The body brought from Neptune to this planet is likely that of the fugitive."
A cold gleam flickered in Bair's eyes. "Willow, where are the other two teams?"
Willow replied, "Based on our estimates, Gureis and the others are in the grasslands, north of the capital. Erde and his team are in Shanxi, not far from the capital."
Bair walked ashore, and energy waves shook around him, drying his body instantly. "Let's go to the capital."
The three departed, leaving behind countless dead mutant beast corpses, including many celestial-level mutant beasts.
In northern China, endless grasslands swayed under the sweeping wind, resembling green waves dancing under the sunlight, exceptionally beautiful.
On the grassland, a woman raised her hands high and took a deep breath. "So refreshing. This is the scent of the grasslands."
Not far away, a man with green skin, standing two meters tall, glanced at the woman and muttered, "It smells like a pile of dung. Are you sick?"
"Bararo, what did you say?" the woman's ears perked up as she heard and immediately glared.
Bararo hastily chuckled. "Nothing, it smells good, smells good."
The woman smirked. "You know what's good. Let's go to the capital. I heard that people on this planet obtained a body from a primitive planet. It's likely the fugitive."
"Okay," Bararo responded, raising his head. In front of them, the endless expanse of grasslands parted as if sensing their presence.
In Shanxi, two figures wrapped in black robes walked slowly. Ahead lay endless yellow soil, from which bizarre and fierce mutant beasts occasionally burst out, only to vanish soon after.
Under the black robes, one man with scales on his forehead had ice-cold eyes. With each step he took, the earth became incredibly dry, as if all moisture had been sucked out. A hundred meters behind them, the ground previously walked on cracked and turned into dust, with the internal mutant beasts reduced to mere skins, their bodies completely drained of moisture.
"I don't like this place. We should have landed in the ocean."
"No way. To complete the mission, we have to go to the capital. I know you were born in the deep sea, but overcome it. We'll be able to leave soon."
"I've sacrificed so much. Anyone who dares to stop me from completing the mission, I'll kill them all—even if all the natives of this planet die."
"Of course, no one can stop us."
In the northeast, the sky was obscured by endless snow and ice, presenting a vast white world.
In this boundless white, a pair of red boots stepped slowly, facing away from the snowstorm, revealing an incredibly beautiful face that could almost melt the frozen world.
She was White Snow, Luo Sheng of Huaxia, by the Luo River, captivating and beautiful.
Here was the Blue Camp, the camp of Luo Sheng.
On the snowy ground, three figures knelt in submission, their faces contorted in agony. One of them managed to lift his head reluctantly, fear evident in his eyes as he stared at the stunningly beautiful woman before him. His lips trembled as he stuttered, "You... mere native, how can you be so strong?"