Lu Yin took the chip, his eyes brightening. This must be the same gift Michelle and the others received. He couldn't believe he got one too. It must be hush money or maybe compensation.
Just as he was about to ask something, the Rain Observation Mentor vanished before his eyes.
Feeling slightly disappointed, Lu Yin inserted the chip into his personal terminal and eagerly looked at the display. The screen provided detailed information about star energy, explaining its various transformations. Only then did Lu Yin understand the path he needed to follow next.
"Every student should have access to this kind of information," Lu Yin muttered to himself. The Tenth Academy's educational methods clearly had issues.
According to the chip, the process of refining star energy involves purging impurities, forming a physical entity, and reaching the stage of infinite variations. Many practitioners rely on natural crystals for their battle techniques, but once star energy is cultivated to the stage of infinite variations, it can mimic natural phenomena.
Lu Yin raised his hand, concentrating star energy in his palm without using his Celestial Star Technique. He could barely form a solid strand, not yet reaching the stage of physical manifestation, let alone the stage of infinite variations.
After the stage of infinite variations, there is an even deeper level: imbuing one's own will, even forming a unique system of power described as "Supreme Sovereignty." Though the chip mentioned this in passing, the phrase "Supreme Sovereignty" captivated Lu Yin.
Star energy is the foundation of everything. Currently, his control over star energy was too crude. No wonder all the students who passed the assessment were sent to the Rain Observation Platform. The Tenth Academy intended for all students to start their cultivation from there, but everyone focused on other areas.
The screen disappeared, and the chip shattered. Lu Yin looked up. He also wanted to cultivate at the Rain Observation Platform to transform his star energy, but it would take too long. What he desired most now was to obtain a batch of star energy crystals and start rolling the dice. He eagerly anticipated the never-before-seen three points and the six points that would absorb all star energy but had yet to reveal their abilities.
Determined, he headed toward the teleportation device and flew off.
In the distance, the Rain Observation Mentor watched him, eyes thoughtful. "Strange, I've never seen a seal like the one on him. It's very advanced and complex, definitely not from the Outer Universe. Even the Inner Universe rarely has such things. Could it be...?"
Besides the three major landscapes, the Tenth Academy had another place called the Treasure Pavilion, which was Lu Yin's next destination.
According to Big Cannon, the Treasure Pavilion not only housed numerous rare treasures but also issued trial missions for students to earn rewards. Lu Yin was now eager to obtain star energy crystals and hoped to try his luck there.
The Treasure Pavilion was grand and resplendent, living up to its name.
At this moment, Gray White Night turned and left just as Lu Yin arrived.
"Move aside," Gray White Night sneered, casting a disdainful glance at Lu Yin before leaving.
A glint of coldness flashed in Lu Yin's eyes. This guy deserved a beating.
"Hey, another new student. The seventh one. Need anything?" Not far away, a thin, wizened old man with a mischievous smile called out to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin was taken aback by the old man's unique mustache, which twitched with his smile. His eyes were cunning and deceitful, clearly not a good person. "Are you the Treasure Pavilion Mentor?"
The old man nodded, twirling his mustache. "Student, are you here to seek treasures or to do missions?"
"Can I take a look inside?" Lu Yin asked.
The old man waved his hand, and a screen appeared, displaying a vast array of items. "Everything in the Treasure Pavilion is here for you to see, but you can't enter."
Lu Yin marveled at the screen, which showed countless items—armor, elixirs, books, weapons, and even spacecraft.
After a while, the screen disappeared. The old man waved his hand again, and another screen appeared, showing missions instead of items. "To obtain anything from the Treasure Pavilion, you must complete missions and exchange points for them. Interested?"
"They all seem to be exploration missions," Lu Yin remarked, puzzled.
The old man twirled his mustache. "Those who dare to issue missions to the Tenth Academy are powerful forces across the universe. Their missions aren't easy. Don't think about challenging beyond your level. Completing an exploration mission is good enough. Look at the top one."
Lu Yin looked up. The mission was to achieve five consecutive wins in the Battle of Realms, with a reward of an Aurora Universe spaceship and ten thousand cubic star energy crystals.
"Five consecutive wins?" Lu Yin was surprised.
The old man nodded. "Yes, five consecutive wins, not just five wins. The difficulty is worlds apart. But the reward is generous. That kid from the White Night Clan just went to challenge it."
Lu Yin chuckled. For them, five consecutive wins, let alone five wins, was very challenging. No wonder Gray White Night he had a sullen face. He continued scrolling, searching for a suitable mission.
'Find the legendary Purple Orchid Bud on Wooden Bud Star.'
'Complete a Domain Trial.'
'Interpretation.'
'Interpretation.'
'Interpretation.'
'One Year of Silence.'
'Interpretation.'
'Help Eltuo Universe Starship Company dismantle waste materials. Reward: one-third of the value of dismantled materials.'
...
There were all sorts of tasks, even a one-year silence mission. Lu Yin was impressed. "Mentor, what does 'Interpretation' mean?"
The old man glanced at him. "Never heard of an Interpreter?"
Lu Yin shook his head.
The old man scoffed. "Kids these days know nothing. Can't even bother explaining. Look it up yourself."
Lu Yin didn't mind. He pointed to a mission. "I'll take this one."
The old man glanced at it. "The Eltuo Universe Starship Company is an old friend of the Tenth Academy. Don't embarrass us. If you do, you'll be punished."
Lu Yin smiled. Embarrass them? With the dice, dismantling would be a breeze. He could dismantle their entire company to the point of existential crisis.
"I've transferred the mission to you. The location is on it. Off you go," the old man said indifferently.
Lu Yin checked the location. The nearest Eltuo Universe Starship Company site was two days away, requiring a wormhole passage. Following the mission instructions, he borrowed a personal spaceship from the Treasure Pavilion.
"Return it after use. If you lose it, you compensate," the old man said flatly, handing the personal spaceship to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin registered his fingerprint and, through the teleportation device, arrived at the Tenth Academy space station. There, he saw dozens of personal spaceships. He picked one, boarded it, and soon the ship ascended, soaring into the stars.
The Tenth Academy was shrouded. As his ship entered the dark starry sky, looking back, he couldn't see the academy at all.
Such a massive place was completely concealed as if this region didn't exist. He couldn't fathom how it was done.
After over half a month, Lu Yin left the Tenth Academy. Now, he traveled the universe as a student of the Tenth Academy.
Elsewhere, at the Wangchuan Sand Sea teleportation device, Coco nervously looked at the boundless desert, her face filled with dread. "Brother Cannon, I don't like it here."
Big Cannon chuckled. "This is a great place to train, bringing out anyone's potential."
"I'm really not in a hurry," Coco said anxiously.
"Then I wish you victory in the upcoming freshman competition," Big Cannon replied.
Coco was startled. "Freshman competition? What freshman competition?"
"Every new student participates in a competition to determine their place in the academy. The strongest get great rewards," Big Cannon explained.
Coco pursed her lips. "When is it?"
Big Cannon shrugged. "Not sure. Could be in a few days or a few months, depending on the mentors' mood. But the last place will definitely be punished."
Coco felt helpless.. Remembering all the freshmen, she realized she was likely the weakest. "Why is this happening?"
Big Cannon laughed. "Go train."
In the dark starry sky, meteors streaked across.
Two days later, a dark yellow planet appeared before Lu Yin. This was his destination: one of Eltuo Company's waste disposal planets.
The dark yellow planet was an ordinary one, managed by Eltuo Company, inhabited solely by its personnel.
Lu Yin's spaceship was cleared for landing.
As he stepped out, a slightly overweight middle-aged man greeted him with a smile.
"Welcome, student, to Eltuo Company. I'm the company manager, Ark," the man said courteously.
Lu Yin nodded. "My name is Lu Yin."