Immortal Yushan was the name of the Great Yu Empire's emperor, while Immortal Zishan had long been dead. The Zishan Clan gradually declined following Immortal Zishan's death, eventually disappearing entirely. Hundreds of years ago, the Zishan Clan was confirmed to have completely perished, with no surviving members. It was an extraordinary coincidence to find a member of the Zishan Clan on this remote planet.
The Zishan Clan had an undeniable influence on the Great Yu Empire. Immortal Yushan had once promised that the Zishan Clan could forever hold the title of Zishan King, a status second only to the emperor himself.
If this person was indeed a descendant of the Zishan Clan, it would be a great pity. She had hoped to recruit him.
On Earth, Zhang Dingtian and the others looked on in confusion, unaware of what was happening.
Lu Yin struggled to stand, almost collapsing again from the heavy blow of Toleo Oona's kick. "What do you want?"
General Mardo asked solemnly, "Child, tell me, where do you come from?"
Lu Yin sneered, "Earth."
General Mardo shook his head. "During the Earth trial, we observed everything. You are definitely not from Earth. Earthlings don't have battle techniques."
Lu Yin wiped his mouth. "I am from Earth. I left Earth when I was young. Believe it or not."
General Mardo wanted to ask more but, seeing Lu Yin's exhausted and pale face, immediately ordered someone to bring Lu Yin onto the spaceship for treatment.
"Wait, what about them?" Lu Yin pointed to Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue.
General Mardo assured him, "Don't worry, the Empire won't touch Earth. Everything on Earth will remain the same. Moreover, we can send people to help Earth clear out powerful mutated beasts." With that, General Mardo shouted, "Men!"
A squad of hundreds of soldiers stepped forward, all at the Explorer level, including some at the Fusion level. These soldiers had all cultivated using energy crystals from their respective planets and had not practiced the Plasticity Technique. They were the lowest-ranking cultivators in the Empire, and reaching the Fusion level was their limit.
"Immediately disperse to protect Huaxia and other populated areas on Earth, especially cities under beast tide attacks. Move out now," General Mardo ordered.
"Yes, General," the soldiers replied, taking off and flying in all directions.
Seeing this, Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue finally relaxed.
No one tried to stop them, including Toleo Oona and Saro Tree. Lu Yin's identity had been confirmed and reported to the Empire. The descendants of the Zishan Clan were not to be trifled with.
Emperor Immortal Yushan of the Great Yu Empire had reigned for eight hundred years. With his strength, he could easily live for a thousand years. His iron-fisted rule for eight centuries made the Empire heed his commands without question. One of his iron rules was that the Zishan Clan would forever hold the title of Zishan King. Although this title might lack real power, it held high prestige. Toleo Oona and Saro Tree, as deputy captains of the Imperial Guard's Thirteenth Team, ranked far below the Zishan King and dared not cause any trouble.
Lu Yin was taken onto the spaceship, where everyone inside was cautious and attentive. As soon as he appeared, they immediately began treating him with extreme care.
Seeing this, Lu Yin felt relieved and passed out.
The trial ended, and all students were to be sent back to their academies.
The trial was a failure, leaving the students in low spirits. The Explorers were somewhat resigned, but those like Huo Xiaoling, who had joined as Fusion realm participants and still failed, were even more disheartened. Their failure in the Explorer trial severely impacted their dreams of joining the Starry Sky War College. Moreover, many students didn't realize it, but top-tier students like Huo Xiaoling were concerned about the upcoming reorganization of the Great Yu Empire's Youth Council.
The Youth Council wielded significant power, overseeing trials, intervening in academy education, and even commanding their own military forces. They all aspired to become members of the Youth Council, but the blemish of this failed trial greatly diminished their chances.
The atmosphere was somber.
Only Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue felt a sense of relief. Many things had happened, bringing sorrow and despair, but in the end, Earth was saved. They were grateful to Lu Yin. Without him, even if they had been rescued, the countless evolutionaries on Earth would have been sent to the battlefield, facing certain death.
Lars looked at the spaceship with frustration. He wanted to kill Lu Yin but was warned by Saro Tree to behave, making him feel incredibly stifled.
Yan Gang also felt frustrated after speaking with Toleo Oona. What he had thought would be an easy trial ended with him as a mere sideshow. He hadn't even qualified for the final battle and had watched as Huo Xiaoling was threatened by Lu Yin. He couldn't confront Lu Yin, having received a warning from Toleo Oona.
As for Erdo and Willow, they didn't dare show any hostility towards Lu Yin. They didn't know about the Zishan Clan, but from General Mardo's attitude, they sensed that it was best to avoid trouble with Lu Yin and Earth. A cross-realm combatant and someone with an ice talent—who knew what other surprises they might have.
Suddenly, the spaceship's alarm blared. General Mardo and the others looked north as a huge shadow approached.
All the students looked, stunned, mouths agape.
"What a giant turtle!" a student exclaimed.
Zhang Dingtian and the others were surprised. It was the flying turtle that had destroyed the Northeast Blue Camp and appeared in Jing City.
Yan Gang's face darkened. This turtle had humiliated him.
General Mardo, Toleo Oona, and Saro Tree simultaneously soared into the sky, releasing terrifying star energy, stirring the clouds and changing the sky's color. They were all cosmic explorers, and the turtle was also one.
"An Explorer-level mutated beast appearing so quickly. This planet is truly surprising," Toleo Oona remarked.
General Mardo's face was solemn. This turtle was not simple or weak.
Looking at the three tiny figures blocking its way, the turtle's giant eyes remained calm and indifferent. It slowly opened its mouth, preparing to attack the three of them, when suddenly a woman appeared on the turtle's head. "Little turtle, don't be naughty. They are good people. You can't fight them."
General Mardo and the other two were astonished to see the woman. "Lulu Mebius?"
On the turtle's head, Lulu Mebius greeted the three of them. "Long time no see. How are you?"
The three were speechless. Long time? It had barely been a month!
"Miss Lulu, about this turtle?" General Mardo asked, puzzled and shocked that an Explorer-level student had tamed an Explorer-level turtle.
Lulu Mebius immediately became defensive. "It's mine. It will always be mine."
General Mardo forced a smile. "Yes, yes, it's yours. Just, if I may ask, how did you tame it?"
Lulu Mebius grinned mischievously. "That's a secret of the Mebius Clan. Come, I'll tell you."
General Mardo quickly waved his hands. "No, no, it's fine. Since it's a clan secret, I shouldn't pry. Um, the trial is over. So…"
Lulu Mebius was disappointed. "So soon? What about the fugitive? Did you catch him? There's no news on the local network."
All the students had discarded their personal terminals to avoid leaking information, so there was no news on the local network.
Toleo Oona recounted what had happened. After listening, Lulu Mebius's face changed. "Night King? Are you saying that White Night Clan fugitive awakened and became a Night King?"
The three nodded.
Lulu Mebius was amazed. "This is interesting. No wonder you didn't dare kill him and had to save him. It was supposed to be a fair trial."
General Mardo was embarrassed. Indeed, in the final moments, Lu Yin could have killed Qing Yu, but he had intervened. They had broken the rules.
"What a pity. If I had come earlier, I could have personally killed an awakening Night King. What an achievement that would have been! The clan would have praised me," Lulu Mebius said regretfully.
The three didn't comment. Both the White Night Clan and the Mebius Clan were not forces the Great Yu Empire could provoke.
"Never mind, I missed my chance. It's too late to chase him now. The trial is over. I should go. Is it okay if the turtle follows behind the spaceship?" Lulu Mebius asked General Mardo.
General Mardo smiled. "Of course, no problem. We can have the spaceship tow it. But I'm afraid it might not withstand the pressure during a space jump."
"That's okay. The turtle is very strong," Lulu Mebius said nonchalantly. She whispered something into the turtle's ear, and the massive creature obediently floated up, then settled quietly below the spaceship, closing its eyes to rest.
Compared to the spaceship, the turtle was still smaller, but not by much, making it quite a sight.
Lulu Mebius entered the spaceship, now very interested in Lu Yin. Nearly killing a newly awakened Night King was something that would shock the Inner Universe, yet it happened with a mere Explorer from a primitive planet.