Bai Xue was furious. That scoundrel Lu Yin was undoubtedly taking revenge on her. She had once stopped him from seeing what Qing Yu had left behind, and now, after all this time, he was getting back at her. It was utterly infuriating!
She wanted to confront Lu Yin, but the more she saw him, the more things would get muddled. More rumors might spread, so she had no choice but to endure it.
The next afternoon, a figure descended upon the capital. The air twisted, and a massive surge of star energy swept across the sky, pressing down on the entire city.
Zhang Dingtian and the others rushed out, looking skyward.
The newcomer was Yan Gang.
"Hand over what Qing Yu left in the capital immediately," Yan Gang bellowed, looking down coldly at everyone.
Zhang Dingtian gripped his long blade and ascended, "Who are you?"
"Yan Gang, from Flaming Star," Yan Gang replied arrogantly, looking down at Zhang Dingtian with disdain.
Below, Grace exclaimed, "Flaming Star?"
Bai Xue was puzzled, "What about Flaming Star?"
Grace's expression was serious, "Flaming Star is one of the major forces in the Tsanglan Domain, on par with the Great Yu Empire. The entire planet is engulfed in flames, and its inhabitants are incredibly powerful, especially their unparalleled flame combat techniques."
Granny said solemnly, "Ordinary flame techniques are useless against them. Their skin is constantly scorched by flames and has long since mutated."
"Anyone from Flaming Star appearing in the Great Yu Empire must at least be a fusion realm expert. This Yan Gang is surely stronger than Mono," Grace said gravely.
Bai Xue looked up at Zhang Dingtian, her eyes filled with concern. Each enemy was stronger than the last.
"If you want the item, let Qing Yu come and get it himself," Zhang Dingtian said sternly, gripping his battle blade. This blade belonged to Qing Yu; his own blade had been destroyed by Mono, and this one was now his weapon.
Yan Gang sneered, "An ant like you dares to speak to me." With that, he casually waved his hand, and star energy, accompanied by scorching heat, blasted towards Zhang Dingtian. Zhang Dingtian's eyes widened as he used his evasive steps to charge at Yan Gang, slashing out with his blade. The blade trembled rapidly, incorporating the changes of the wave palm technique. It was with this very slash that he had injured Mono.
This slash was incredibly powerful. Zhang Dingtian was already a cross-border expert, and combined with his battle technique, it even surprised Yan Gang. Yan Gang clashed his hands together, and flames surged forth, transforming into a long spear that thrust towards Zhang Dingtian.
Blade and spear collided, and the flames fell like meteors upon the capital, causing panic and scorching the ground. The air was displaced, and the shockwaves spread in all directions.
With a loud crash, Zhang Dingtian ultimately couldn't withstand Yan Gang and was struck down by the spear, crashing heavily into the ground.
In the sky, Yan Gang looked down at Zhang Dingtian in amazement, "To survive my spear strike, few in the exploration realm can do that. You're quite good. You can follow me."
Bai Xue, Zhou Shan, and the others glared at Yan Gang in anger. These trial students always looked down on Earthlings, treating them as if following them was a charity. It was a blatant display of the law of the jungle.
Grace was shocked, "A flame talent?"
Gureis said solemnly, "No, Flaming Star people's skin has mutated, allowing them to produce flames through high temperatures. It's a different kind of talent. This person is really strong."
Lu Yin was still asleep, and the others were powerless against Yan Gang.
Yan Gang stood arrogantly, his flame spear pointing down, "I'll say it again, hand over the item, or I'll turn you all into charcoal."
Zhang Dingtian coughed up blood, "Give him the stone."
Everyone felt a sense of despair.
Grace raised an eyebrow, "Stone? What stone?"
At that moment, a green figure shot up from the distance, vanishing and reappearing behind Yan Gang, "You're pretty good. Let me try the White Flash."
"What?" Yan Gang's eyes narrowed, caught off guard.
Bang!
Everyone was stunned, watching as a crater formed outside the capital. The previously arrogant Yan Gang now lay in the pit like a beaten dog.
In the sky, the green-clad woman was exhilarated, clenching her fist and muttering to herself.
Yan Gang roared in anger, his eyes red with fury, "Bitch, I'll kill you," he shouted, charging out. Flames covered his body, forming armor-like protection, and his flame spear pierced towards the green-clad woman.
The green-clad woman was excited, "Bring it on," she said, not visibly moving. Suddenly, Yan Gang spat out blood as an invisible force hit him, bending his body and sending him crashing into the ground again.
The green-clad woman reappeared, looking smugly downwards.
Everyone was shocked. The gap was enormous.
Not only did the onlookers notice the disparity, but Yan Gang himself felt it too. He climbed out of the pit, staring up at the green-clad woman in shock, "Who are you?"
The green-clad woman lifted her chin, "Lulu Mebius."
Hearing this name, Yan Gang, Grace, and Granny were all shocked, "Mebius? That Mebius?" Yan Gang exclaimed.
Lulu Mebius smirked, "Is there another Mebius in the universe?"
Zhang Dingtian, Bai Xue, and the others were puzzled, Mebius? What does that mean?
Yan Gang's flames dissipated, and he looked at Mebius with newfound respect, "Is this place yours?"
Lulu Mebius didn't answer but gestured for Yan Gang to continue, "Keep going. I want to test the power of the White Flash."
Yan Gang smiled wryly, "I didn't come here to fight. The heir of the Fire family, Huo Xiaoling, was captured by Qing Yu. Qing Yu has conditions. He wants the item he left in the capital to be returned before he releases Huo Xiaoling."
Lulu Mebius frowned, "What's that got to do with me? Not fighting anymore?"
Yan Gang stood calmly, showing no desire to continue fighting, his attitude completely different from when he first arrived.
Lulu Mebius lost interest, pouted, and headed back into the city.
Watching her leave, Yan Gang ascended, his tone turning cold again, "Did you hear what I said? Who's in charge here? Get them out to talk to me."
Zhou Shan immediately went into the city to find Lu Yin.
The stone belonged to the capital, so the decision should be in Zhang Dingtian's hands, but since Lu Yin had clearly obtained some inheritance, he couldn't make the decision alone. He had to consult Lu Yin, though he hated to admit it, Lu Yin was now the biggest protector of the capital.
"Granny, what's Mebius?" Bai Xue suddenly asked.
Granny and Grace exchanged a glance, then said gravely, "The universe is infinitely vast, with countless empires and massive forces. Each has its own currency laws, but the only bank that issues a universal currency throughout the universe is the Mebius Bank. The Mebius Bank spans the entire universe, issuing a unified currency and is an incredibly powerful and ancient economic dominator."
There was no need to say more. The fact that Mebius Bank issued a universal currency for the entire universe was enough to illustrate its influence. Relative to the universe, Earth was a tiny planet. Even so, Earth had many banks and no single bank issued a universal currency. But Mebius Bank could do this for the entire universe. It was an unimaginable level of influence.
No wonder the arrogant Yan Gang didn't dare act recklessly. If that woman was indeed from Mebius Bank, her background would far surpass those like Huo Xiaoling, Lars, and Jenny Ona.
In the city, Lu Yin lay on the ground, his eyes closed, frowning, drenched in sweat, fists clenched.
In his dream, he saw a snow-white jade finger shattering the void, crossing time, spreading over countless stars, coming closer and closer. Lu Yin suddenly shouted, "Bold!" and sat up abruptly, gasping, his pupils unfocused. After a while, he calmed down, shaking his head hard, his eyes bewildered.
At this moment, Zhou Shan arrived, "Lu Yin, are you okay?"
Lu Yin got up from the ground, "I'm fine. Why are you here?"
Zhou Shan looked at him suspiciously, "Are you really okay? You look like you were pulled out of the water."
Lu Yin shook his head, "I'm fine."
"A man named Yan Gang is here on behalf of Qing Yu to take the stone," Zhou Shan said.
Lu Yin's eyes flashed, and he nodded, "Let's go meet him."
Zhou Shan nodded, "Should you change your clothes first?"
"I'll change when we get back," Lu Yin replied, flying towards the outskirts of the city.
On the way, Zhou Shan explained how Lulu Mebius had defeated Yan Gang. Hearing the name Mebius, Lu Yin was surprised. If he remembered correctly, this was a surname unique in the universe—Mebius Bank.
Mebius Bank is not an ordinary bank. He had once wanted to open an account there but didn't have the qualifications. Even ordinary wealthy families weren't qualified. Mebius Bank is the only bank that can exchange universal currency throughout the universe. If this woman really is from that Mebius, her background is incredibly terrifying.