"Don't you want to know about him? It's said he defeated Ghostfire," the man asked.
Wendy continued walking, unaffected by the news. Ghostfire? To her, he was just an insect, not worth her time.
Watching Wendy disappear, the smile on the man's face slowly faded. He activated his personal terminal and said, "Do as you please."
"Yes, Councilor Bu You," Bazel's voice replied.
For the next half month, Lu Yin didn't step out of the Purple Mountain Manor. He spent his time understanding the Triple Force combat technique, trying to incorporate it into other techniques, and studying star maps.
During this period, he also rolled the die but found that it most often landed on one and four. It never landed on three, and six was equally elusive. It landed on two once, but it wasn't very useful.
Lu Yin decided to stop rolling the die for a while. His star crystals were running low, and he felt a bit mentally exhausted, probably from rolling the die too often. He decided to pause until he could replenish his star crystals.
Around two months after arriving at Zhenyu Star, an explosive piece of news shook the entire Outer Universe: the Tenth Astral Academy had descended.
The Tenth Astral Academy, carrying the hopes of countless young people in the Canglan Region, had finally appeared.
There were numerous academies in the universe, but none could match the level of the Astral Combat Academy. The descent of the Ninth Astral Academy into the Endless Territory had birthed countless geniuses, causing a sensation across the Outer Universe. For years, the seventy-two regions of the Outer Universe had been striving to bring about another Astral Combat Academy, and now they had succeeded. The Tenth Astral Academy had appeared.
The form and manner of the Astral Combat Academy's descent were unknown, only the most powerful individuals, such as the Undying Yushan of the Great Yu Empire and Yan Wujiao, Lord of Refining Flame Star, had access to such information. On this day, the Undying Yushan announced nationwide that in five days, the third squad leader of the Imperial Court's Thirteen Squads, Absolute Wolf, the fifth squad leader, Fire Qingshan, the ninth squad leader, Lockeon, and Crown Prince Doran Yushan would lead students to the Tenth Astral Academy.
Lu Yin also received a notification. He was eligible to go to the Tenth Astral Academy for the assessment.
Despite the failed trial on Earth, some individuals, due to their special status, could not be barred from participating, such as Lu Yin, Jenny Auna, and Lulu Mebius. They, along with the successful participants from the planetary trials and elite members of the Imperial Court, totaled nearly a hundred people.
Nearly a hundred people from the Great Yu Empire would be participating in the assessment. Across the entire Canglan Region, tens of thousands would join, along with geniuses from other regions and even from the Inner Universe. The Tenth Astral Academy's assessment was set to gather countless talents.
"Xiu Zi and the other Five Hall Masters are going, along with Huo Xiaoling, Jenny Auna, Russ, Shalot, Lulu…" Lu Yin looked at the list with anticipation. Among the hundred people, there were many familiar faces. This would be interesting. He wondered how many of them would make it into the Tenth Astral Academy. Huh? Even Ghostfire was accompanying the Great Yu Empire.
Lu Yin thought of Mira, the seductive woman with the Scarlet Lotus Bow. Only by joining the Tenth Astral Academy and achieving something notable there could he be introduced to the Outer Universe Youth Council by her. Lu Yin believed she had the ability, as she came from the Ten Decisions Council.
His family wanted him to join the Great Yu Empire Youth Council. If he joined the Outer Universe Youth Council, it would certainly surprise them. Lu Yin was looking forward to it.
At that moment, a notification arrived. Lu Yin glanced at it, showing a strange expression. "Bazel is inviting me to a banquet?"
His communicator beeped, and Gulbach was contacting him. Lu Yin opened the screen.
"Did Bazel invite you?" Gulbach asked immediately upon seeing Lu Yin.
Lu Yin nodded. "Did he invite you too?"
"To be precise, he invited all the students going to the Tenth Astral Academy for the assessment. Are you going?" Gulbach asked.
Lu Yin hesitated. From Ghostfire's attitude, he knew the Outer Universe Youth Council members didn't like him, probably because of Wendy Yushan. Attending their banquet now might cause trouble.
"Lu Yin, it's best to go together. As a member of the Outer Universe Youth Council, Bazel likely knows a lot about the Astral Combat Academy," Gulbach said seriously.
Lu Yin's eyes gleamed. He was right. "Alright, I'll go."
Gulbach nodded and closed the screen.
That evening, at the luxurious top-floor banquet hall of the Dayu Hotel in the Imperial Capital Star, many students had gathered. Among them were numerous nobles, including Russ, Ukai Maldo, and others. When Lu Yin arrived, the hall was almost full.
The first person Lu Yin noticed was Xiu Zi. He stood out because while everyone else was dressed formally, almost like they were attending a wedding, Xiu Zi wore his usual clothes and was shirtless, seemingly proud of his scars.
In stark contrast to Xiu Zi was Russ, who was dressed like a peacock in full display, giving the impression he was there for a date.
The banquet was mainly a social event, a chance to get to know each other since they were all going to the Tenth Astral Academy for the assessment. Helping each other out would be beneficial.
Lu Yin scanned the room, bypassing the noble children like Huo Xiaoling, and headed to a long table where Gulbach was eagerly devouring a large piece of meat.
"Why are you here? Aren't you networking?" Gulbach asked, his words muffled by the food in his mouth, causing a richly dressed girl across from him to leave in disgust, brushing off her hands as she went.
Lu Yin shrugged. "Not interested. Why isn't anyone approaching you? You're one of the top experts in the Empire, a Hall Master of the Imperial Court."
Gulbach scoffed. "Not many people know me."
"But everyone has heard of you," Lu Yin replied with a smile.
With a bang, Gres suddenly appeared, glaring at Lu Yin. "You dare show up?"
Lu Yin rolled his eyes. "What's wrong? I helped you during the trial."
Gres fumed. "You—" She suddenly fell silent because Gulbach was watching. She had concealed the fact that Lu Yin had robbed her, not wanting to lose face.
Lu Yin smirked, picking up a piece of meat and stuffing it into Gres's mouth. "Eat up. You might not get much to eat at the Astral Combat Academy."
Gres glared at him, threw the meat aside, and stormed off.
"That girl has no manners," Gulbach grumbled.
"Girls are allowed to have tempers. Compared to others, Gres is fine," Lu Yin said.
"Really?" Gulbach was skeptical.
"Watch this," Lu Yin said, walking over to Jenny Auna. "Hi, Miss Jenny."
Jenny Auna turned, saw Lu Yin, and her face darkened immediately. With a huff, she walked away.
Lu Yin smiled at Gulbach. "See? Gres's temper isn't so bad."
Gulbach nodded. "Seems like it. My sister has good manners."
People nearby who witnessed this scene shook their heads and walked away speechlessly.
In the distance, Huo Xiaoling was talking to Huo Zhong. When Huo Zhong saw Lu Yin, he smiled and nodded. Lu Yin nodded back. They had no interactions, but a nod was a greeting.
"Xiaoling, this Prince of Purple Mountain is formidable. Even if you use your integrated power, you might not win," Huo Zhong said seriously.
Huo Xiaoling hummed in agreement, glancing at Lu Yin. Like Jenny Auna, she couldn't forget being threatened by Lu Yin. But she had to admit, he was advancing rapidly. She had witnessed his fight with Ghostfire. His speed was overwhelming, and his battle experience surpassed hers.
On the other side, Russ, who had been peacocking, looked furious, his face red with anger. Across from him, a young man sneered, "You failed the trial and still have the face to come here. If it weren't for your father, Russ, you wouldn't even have the qualifications to be here."
"Eck, don't forget, you are my defeated foe," Russ retorted.
Eck sneered, "That was before. Besides, you failed the trial and have no chance of joining the Astral Combat Academy. Just get lost and let someone worthy take your place. Haha."
Russ was enraged but couldn't argue.
The banquet was essentially a social gathering, especially with the impending assessment for the Astral Combat Academy. They needed to unite against young experts from other forces, regions, and even the Inner Universe.
The Huo and Auna families were surrounded by people. Tian Ming, Lockeon, and others were also receiving attention. Only a few, like Lu Yin and Gulbach, were left alone. Particularly Lu Yin, as everyone knew he had offended too many people and was only at the Explorer level. There were very few Explorers participating in the Great Yu Empire's assessment, so no one bothered with him.