Hearing Lu Yin's words, Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue exchanged glances. This man made a valid point. If he were also a trial student, he wouldn't bother with thankless tasks.
"I do suspect someone," Lu Yin said again, staring at Bai Xue. "Liu Shaoge."
Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue were taken aback. "Why?" they asked.
"The area he controls, Hubei, is marked in blue. You know what that means," Lu Yin said calmly.
Bai Xue disagreed, "The Northeast, where I am, and Jinling, where Zhou Shan is, are also marked in blue. That doesn't prove anything."
Lu Yin looked at Bai Xue, "You are one of the Upper Three Sages, capable of killing trial students. Jinling was only saved because of me; otherwise, it would have been controlled by students. Liu Shaoge is one of the Lower Four Sages, on par with Zhou Shan. How could he resist those students? Look for yourselves—there is more than one trial student in Hubei."
Bai Xue wanted to argue but found herself at a loss for words. Lu Yin was right; Liu Shaoge did not have the strength of the Upper Three Sages and could not have opposed those students.
Zhang Dingtian pondered for a moment before sheathing his blade. "Without evidence, we can't condemn someone. You, Liu Shaoge, and anyone else deserve the same consideration," he said, then walked away.
Bai Xue gave Lu Yin a complex look before leaving as well.
Granny walked over to Lu Yin, puzzled. "Was it really Liu Shaoge who spread the information?"
"How would I know?" Lu Yin replied nonchalantly.
Granny blinked. "But you sounded so certain just now."
Lu Yin looked at Granny as if she were an idiot. "If I didn't sound certain, how would they believe me? When shifting blame, you have to be steady, ruthless, and accurate. Haven't you learned anything all these years?" With that, he descended to his dwelling.
Granny's face darkened. Shifting blame? This bastard was truly despicable.
Granny's anonymous message spread quickly within the local network. Students engaged in fierce battles across Europe immediately rushed to India.
Erde and Heidian hurried to clarify, claiming they were just passing through and happened to encounter the monks of India, leading to a fight. But no one believed them, and more students kept arriving in India.
Over the next few days, Lu Yin watched the local network as if it were a movie from peacetime. Notices constantly appeared about who defeated whom, who died, and so on. Some students even tried crossing the ocean from the Americas, only to be eaten by mutated sea creatures. The notifications were nonstop.
It wasn't until five days later that Erde and Heidian proved their innocence—the fugitive's belongings were not in India. Instantly, many students turned their attention to the capital city, Beijing.
Lu Yin sighed. It was inevitable. Trying to divert attention could only work for so long. Students who dared participate in these trials weren't fools. Beijing was the most likely location.
In this situation, Erde connected with many students, proposing they control Beijing and wait for the fugitive. If the fugitive didn't appear within a month, they would unite to face the second wave of trial participants.
This proposal garnered significant support.
The Tenth Academy of the Starry Sky was soon to arrive in Canglan Territory. The second wave of trial participants would undoubtedly include formidable individuals, perhaps even those the trial was specifically designed for. Many students were unsure if they could handle it alone. Erde's proposal gave them hope.
Support grew rapidly.
In Beijing, Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue looked grim upon hearing the news. They knew trouble was coming. For the next half-month, Beijing would be a battlefield.
Zhang Dingtian was strong, but his strength had limits, and he lacked combat techniques. He wouldn't be able to protect Beijing under siege. Bai Xue was in a similar position; even with the combined strength of the Seven Sages, they would be outmatched by the numerous students.
Lu Yin was also concerned when he heard the news. As an Earthling in this trial, letting Beijing be controlled would undermine his goals. He couldn't let the fugitive go, nor could he abandon the fugitive's belongings. Beijing was crucial.
"Lu Yin, let's go. Beijing can't hold out," Granny urged him.
Lu Yin pondered deeply. Earth's top combatants were at the level of Zhang Dingtian and Erde, with Zhang Dingtian slightly stronger. With numerous students attacking Beijing, there would be more than one strong individual like Erde. To break this stalemate, Lu Yin had to surpass this level. The only way was to enhance his combat strength to at least match Erde's, bridging the gap in energy intensity and allowing him to use his Celestial Palm technique to crush them.
With this in mind, Lu Yin said to Granny, "Stay in Beijing. I'll be back in a few days." Then he flew into the sky.
Granny gritted her teeth. She wasn't foolish enough to stay and wait for death.
Just as Lu Yin was about to leave Beijing, Bai Xue intercepted him. "Are you running away?" she questioned him.
"I'll be back before the students attack Beijing," Lu Yin replied solemnly.
"Why should I believe you?" Bai Xue's beautiful face was filled with disdain for Lu Yin.
Lu Yin responded coldly, "There's no need for you to believe me. You can't stop me. Or do you want to duel with me before fighting the students?"
Bai Xue clenched her fists.
"Let him go," Zhang Dingtian's voice came, though he did not appear.
Bai Xue, feeling helpless, descended back to Beijing.
Lu Yin took one last deep look at Beijing before flying away.
Shortly after leaving Beijing, Lu Yin checked his personal terminal. "The nearest one is you," he said, then sped westward.
After Lu Yin left, Granny also took the opportunity to leave. She wasn't Lu Yin's servant. She would have fled long ago if not for his supervision. Now was her chance.
However, her plan didn't work out. Bai Xue intercepted her.
"Why are you stopping me?" Granny demanded angrily.
Bai Xue coldly replied, "Because you're Lu Yin's woman. Since he left, you must stay."
"I'm not his woman! Don't talk nonsense!" Granny shouted in anger.
Bai Xue might be powerless against Lu Yin, but dealing with Granny was easy. In no time, she froze Granny and threw her into Lu Yin's dwelling. It took Granny a while to thaw out.
"Damn Lu Yin! Damn ice witch! Damn natives! This is so unreasonable!" Granny cursed, infuriated.
In Shanxi, the closest region to Beijing, there was no sage to guard it initially. The strongest person in Shanxi was only at the Earth level. Despite this, a group of evolutionaries had gathered in Tongcheng, making it one of the largest hubs in Shanxi.
Lase was a cheerful and easily satisfied person. Despite being the second strongest at the Gailu Academy of the Great Yu Empire, he had no ambition to complete his tasks. He just wanted to occupy an area and mine peacefully, with no desire for trouble.
During the two-month safe period, Lase was very happy. He had claimed Tongcheng with his Sky-level strength, becoming its protector and enjoying the adoration of countless people. He occasionally helped the survivors fend off monsters, but most of the time, he lived leisurely. He was especially pleased recently after discovering a unique mineral deposit that would boost his achievements. Thinking about this made Lase even happier.
Enjoying the sunlight and sipping on wine, Lase hummed a hometown tune. "Life on this primitive planet is wonderful. The air is fresh, the people are simple, and there's no surveillance. I can do whatever I want, and occasionally discovering valuable minerals is a bonus. Life is perfect. Hahaha."
Feeling content, Lase beckoned, and two beautiful girls came over—one massaging his shoulders and the other his legs, while also serving him wine. Lase exhaled comfortably. "This is the life."
Just as he was about to take a sip, the sunlight was blocked. Lase frowned and looked up to see a plain-looking young man floating in the air, staring at him. A Sky-level fighter?
Lase's expression turned serious. He waved the two frightened girls away and coldly eyed the young man. "Who are you?"
"Robbery," the young man said.
Lase stared blankly. "What? Say that again."
The young man was, of course, Lu Yin. He needed to enhance his strength quickly, and the fastest way was to absorb star energy. Robbery was the quickest method. "I said, robbery."
Lase laughed in disbelief. "Kid, you must be a trial student. Are you blind? Do you know who I am? How dare you rob me. Let me tell you, I—" Before he could finish, his abdomen was hit with excruciating pain, and his body was sent flying by a terrifying force, crashing into the ground and creating a massive crater.
In the crater, Lase coughed up blood, his face pale. Looking up, he muttered, "Was that the Sky Splitting Palm? Damn, where did this monster come from?"