For Lu Yin, the most important thing right now is the Star Energy Crystal, followed by the fugitive who possesses the Tres Plasmic Art of Terese, enabling him to undergo the third plasmic transformation, reaching Fusion Realm. However, beyond Fusion Realm lies trouble.
Ordinary plasmic arts only allow three transformations; only stronger arts can achieve a fourth. Even Wilo and Bailey, formidable as they are, cannot reach this level. The only hope on Earth lies with that fugitive.
Although the fugitive may be powerful, Lu Yin is unsure about the capabilities of those four students. To sow confusion, he has stirred the waters, attracting all students to fight over resources. The more chaotic it gets, the better for the fugitive. Lu Yin aims to delay until his third Star begins to operate, ensuring none of the initial trial participants can match him.
In a secluded mansion in the capital, Lu Yin closes the windows and doors, scatters Flame Crystals around, then returns to his room. He opens his hands, and a die slowly materializes.
The die's surface is dim, not yet restored. Without the Star Energy Crystal, it would take a long time to recover its functionality, time Lu Yin is unwilling to wait.
Rubbing his hands, Lu Yin gazes eagerly at the die. With some apprehension, akin to a gambler's thrill, he mutters, "Come on, give me some luck. Let's see what I can roll." With that, he taps the die.
The die spins rapidly, its dim starry glow beautiful.
Wide-eyed, Lu Yin watches as it finally stops. Five sides show nothing, leaving just one side—a single dot.
"Another single dot," Lu Yin is surprised. A single dot allows him to randomly obtain an item from someone's Void Ring. The first time he rolled the die, it was also a single dot, granting him the Celestial Star Art and Celestial Star Palm, propelling his rise. This is his second time.
Lu Yin stares as a beam of light shoots from the die, piercing the void as if opening a passage. Something drops to the ground with a soft thud.
Dumbfounded, Lu Yin stares at the ground, hardly believing. It's... it's a snack?
There lies a beautifully packaged snack on the ground, adorned with inscriptions he can't read, likely an advertisement.
Lu Yin numbly picks up the snack, feeling an urge to scream.
He expended a cubic Star Energy Crystal only to receive such a thing—a snack. Even a broken dagger would have been better!
The die's surface dims, then disappears.
The room returns to normal, leaving Lu Yin speechless, clutching the snack. He feels cheated, as if bleeding inside. It's too disappointing.
For ten days, Lu Yin has remained in the capital, where things are relatively calm. Outside the city, the number of corpses has decreased significantly since the clash with the Beast Tide, allowing more Evolvers to venture out.
While Beijing remains peaceful, Europe has erupted in chaos.
Ten days ago, Lu Yin instructed Granny to release news of the fugitive in the Mediterranean. Initially disbelieved, the news gained credibility as sightings of Ed and others surfaced, prompting many students to head for the Mediterranean.
A few days ago, a great battle erupted in the Mediterranean, evaporating layers of the sea. Rumors spread that the fugitive possesses Fusion Realm strength, killing several students and escaping, including injuries to Ed and his companions.
The strongest teams in the academy are not limited to Ed's group; China has three teams, Northern Russia two, and Europe two more. Along with teams from Africa and elsewhere, numerous top students have formed teams, turning Europe upside down.
Lu Yin listens to Granny's reports with satisfaction. As long as the fugitive remains at large, and his simulation of the Star Operation proceeds smoothly, his third Star is faintly visible, likely to succeed in half a month. Then it will be time for him to act.
Outside Beijing, countless zombies roamed along the roadsides, occasionally emerging from nearby shops with unknown objects clenched in their mouths.
Amidst the gunfire echoes, a convoy approached at full speed, plowing through zombies without slowing down, leaving behind pools of blood and a pungent odor.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted, and a fierce wind swept in from nowhere, overturning the convoy. Evolvers scrambled out, bewildered by the bizarre gust.
"What's going on?" A tall, rugged man dusted himself off, cigarette hanging from his lips, barking loudly.
"Captain, the convoy was flipped by some sudden wind," someone reported.
Frowning, the man looked into the distance. It was calm all around; where did this wind come from?
At that moment, invisible attacks severed nearby shops. In the next instant, all Evolvers stood motionless, their upper bodies cleanly separated and dropping to the ground—they had all been obliterated by an unseen force.
Initially, such Evolver deaths were not particularly unusual, but over the next few days, more Evolvers were similarly wiped out by these invisible attacks, drawing attention from the Huaying organization.
After a high-ranking Earth Realm expert from Huaying was killed, Zhang Dingtian left Beijing. The deceased Evolver was second only to these Heavenly Realm experts in the capital in recent days. Without his intervention, no one in Huaying dared to act.
Zombies roared and charged towards Zhang Dingtian from both sides of the road, strange mutated beasts wriggling underground.
Unfazed, Zhang Dingtian casually waved, and a gust of energy wind sliced through all the zombies.
Perhaps sensing Zhang Dingtian's power, the roadsides fell silent. He walked for half a day without encountering any further attacks. After a moment's thought, he put on the personal terminal given to him by White Snow. Originally, Zhang Dingtian disdained using it, but now it seemed the most appropriate tool.
He tapped the terminal lightly, and soon, it emitted a series of beeps. Zhang Dingtian's gaze sharpened as he looked northeast, swinging his blade directly. A massive slash cut through the earth, sweeping across. There, a figure fled in disarray, left arm wounded by the slash, emitting a low growl.
Zhang Dingtian rushed out, his blade slashing horizontally. The figure turned, revealing a grotesque, terrifying face—a zombie.
With a bang, the zombie was pinned to the ground by Zhang Dingtian's blade. Crimson eyes gleamed with cruelty as it swung its hands. Invisible gusts transformed into blades, slashing towards Zhang Dingtian. With a casual slap, he dispersed the wind blades, flipping his blade and slashing across. The zombie's head rolled away, shattered by the residual force.
Zhang Dingtian frowned at the zombie, his expression peculiar. In his understanding, zombies were merely failed products of human evolution, lacking significant power. Yet this one not only possessed Earth Realm strength but could also wield gusts of wind—a strange occurrence.
Zhang Dingtian swiftly returned to Beijing and sought out Director Lian, briefing him on the zombie's capabilities. Director Lian was shaken. "What did you say? Zombies with Earth Realm strength? Wielding gusts of wind? Impossible—they're just failed mutations of human genes."
Zhang Dingtian's voice was solemn. "That's the reality."
Director Lian pondered deeply, his gaze serious. "We've always believed zombies to be failed products of human evolution. While that holds true for most, only capable of wandering with weak combat abilities, what if zombies aren't failures but represent another path of evolution? Would that make sense?"
Zhang Dingtian's gaze shifted. "Humans can absorb energy crystals from mutated beasts to grow stronger. If zombies can do the same, even absorbing supernatural energy crystals to gain greater strength..."
Director Lian interrupted gravely, "No one has ever seen a zombie consume energy crystals. A single mutated beast can easily tear through many zombies, and even if heavily injured, it can escape easily. So, zombies can't access energy crystals, and no one would willingly give hard-earned crystals to zombies. This possibility was initially dismissed, but I can't deny that some exceptionally fortunate zombies might obtain energy crystals. If such a possibility truly exists, Earth will undergo a major transformation."