To the people of Earth, the news of the Da Yu Empire's trial was far beyond their reach. All they knew was that the apocalypse had begun, and powerful individuals had appeared to protect the settlements. As for what had really happened, no one knew apart from a very limited few.
One after another, students were taken aboard a spaceship. There were 237 students participating in this trial, and only 150 returned alive, meaning that 87 students had died. When this data was reported to Siken Maldo, he remained calm. That death rate wasn't considered high.
Every trial had a mortality rate of around fifty percent. As long as it stayed below that, it was acceptable. Even if it slightly exceeded that, no one would question it—unless the deceased happened to be children of powerful families.
Many students like Glannie were in high spirits. They had only intended to occupy a territory and survive; making it back alive was enough. But the strongest students from the academies—especially those in the second batch of trial-takers—looked extremely displeased, their expressions dark and sullen.
Among the Earthlings, Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue were granted exceptional status and allowed to join the Da Yu Empire directly. One possessed cross-border combat strength, while the other had innate talent—both were eligible to enter the Imperial Court's Thirteenth Division. Zhou Shan and Wu Sheng were also invited to join the Empire but declined, choosing instead to remain on Earth.
Siken Maldo didn't mind. Compared to Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue, those two were far inferior and would only amount to ordinary soldiers even if they joined.
Apart from them, another Earthling who was granted exceptional entry into the Empire was the Indian monk Shi Wuzhang. He was the only one besides Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue to receive such a distinction.
Lu Yin underwent two hours of medical treatment before his chest injury was finally stabilized.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue.
"How are you feeling?" Lu Yin asked weakly.
Zhang Dingtian's tone was solemn. "It's over. Earth remains unchanged. The Da Yu Empire will continue to monitor it and send soldiers to clear out the zombies. Lu Yin, thank you."
"Thank you," Bai Xue added sincerely.
Lu Yin coughed, climbed down from the bed, and looked at the clouds drifting outside. "Is it time to leave?"
Zhang Dingtian nodded. "Zhou Shan and Wu Sheng have decided to stay on Earth. Besides the three of us, another Earthling joining the Empire is the Indian monk Shi Wuzhang."
Lu Yin was surprised. "An Indian monk? Is he powerful?"
Zhang Dingtian replied with respect, "He's a remarkable person. See for yourself—he's right outside. The Da Yu Empire will assign us to the Imperial Academy."
Lu Yin stepped out of the treatment room and immediately spotted the monk. He was truly eccentric—barefoot, half-dressed, his entire body a bronze hue and extremely skinny, practically skin and bones. At first glance, one might mistake him for an exquisitely sculpted bronze statue. Most striking was his right hand, raised high as if in a permanent gesture. It had become shriveled and deformed, more like a branch than a human hand, and his beard had curled around the dried-up arm in loops.
Passersby stared at him in astonishment.
Lu Yin blinked. "This… is the Indian monk Shi Wuzhang?"
Even someone as steadfast as Zhang Dingtian looked puzzled, not to mention Bai Xue—Lu Yin felt she might've even been frightened.
"That's him," Zhang Dingtian said seriously. "The only person on Earth to reach the Explorer level without receiving anything from Qing Yu. He defeated Heidi An and possesses strength on par with the academy's top elites."
Lu Yin found it bizarre. "How did someone like that become a cultivator?" Just looking at him, it seemed like he'd struggle to fight a mutant beast—heck, he might even lose to an ordinary person.
"I don't know. He hasn't spoken a single word," Zhang Dingtian replied.
"I can answer that for you," said Siken Maldo as he approached. People around immediately saluted.
Zhang Dingtian and Bai Xue remained impassive. They had joined the Da Yu Empire to grow stronger; they had no real affection for it, nor any hatred—after all, the planet's evolution came from Qing Yu, not the Empire.
Lu Yin looked at Siken Maldo and asked knowingly, "You treat me differently. Why?"
Siken Maldo smiled. "I'll explain. The spaceship is about to leave Earth. Is there anything you need to arrange?"
Lu Yin thought for a moment. "Go to Jinling and bring a man named Xu San. He's my little brother."
Siken Maldo nodded and issued an order through his personal terminal. Then he looked at Shi Wuzhang and turned back to Lu Yin. "As for your question—this man is possessed of extraordinary willpower. He sat alone between two warring packs of mutant beasts, soaked in blood, without a trace of fear. After the beasts finished fighting, he picked up an energy crystal and consumed it, reaching the Explorer level. His perseverance is rarely seen; his inner strength is unimaginable."
The three of them stared at Shi Wuzhang in amazement. Sitting in the middle of a beast battle, as a mere mortal—was he insane? How did he not get eaten?
"I gave him special permission to join the Empire," Siken Maldo added. "His willpower caught the attention of certain individuals. He might have a promising future."
At that moment, Shi Wuzhang lifted his gaze. His clouded eyes met Lu Yin's. He stepped forward, barefoot on the cold metal floor, and slowly bowed.
Lu Yin was puzzled.
"Tha—nk you," Shi Wuzhang rasped. His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in years. If one didn't listen carefully, they might not have understood.
Lu Yin joked, "Not to be picky, but you don't really look Indian."
Shi Wuzhang straightened. "I… was born in Huaxia's Zangfeng, but cultivated in India." After speaking, he bowed again and turned to leave.
Siken Maldo also departed. He had much to handle in the aftermath.
"Let's go explore. This is a super-class starship of the Da Yu Empire. A single ship like this is worth as much as an entire ecological planet," Lu Yin said.
"I'm not going. There's a gravity chamber and a small library here—I want to check them out," Zhang Dingtian replied flatly and left.
Lu Yin looked at Bai Xue. She was breathtakingly beautiful, a delight to behold.
Still reeling from what had happened with Liu Shaoge, Bai Xue offered a polite apology and left as well.
Lu Yin sighed. These two were both introverts. Might've been better to hang out with Shi Wuzhang—his appearance alone was enough to deter trouble. Having him around would be impressive.
The massive spaceship was called the Perseverance and was specially used to transport trial students. Its scale exceeded that of the capital's settlement, with complete facilities. There were over a hundred gravity chambers and more than three hundred personal spacecraft stored onboard. All trial students' ships had been recovered and stored in the Perseverance.
The Perseverance had zones for training, machinery, daily life, observation, operations, and more. Lu Yin was currently in the living quarters, on the very top floor. He had a private courtyard, a swimming pool, and a medical bay. Only three such residences existed on the entire ship—Lu Yin occupied one, living better than Saroshu himself.
Other students lived on the floor below. Though their hundreds of rooms were spacious, they were worlds apart from Lu Yin's suite.
Lu Yin descended to the lower level, where most of the students lived. Staff stayed on another side, and soldiers occupied the lowest floor.
The living area was encased in transparent metal layers. Lu Yin tested them—they were incredibly strong.
"This kind of metal can only be broken by those who've walked the starry skies. With your strength, you couldn't even leave a scratch," came a calm voice.
Not far away, Charlotte approached with a gentle smile, eyes warm as he looked at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin turned, curious. "Why didn't I see you during the battle in India?"
Charlotte smiled. "I wasn't interested."
Lu Yin raised an eyebrow. "You're a trial student with that level of strength, and you weren't interested? I find that hard to believe."
Charlotte walked to his side, gazing through the metal at the clouds outside. A massive turtle's tail could be seen swinging in the distance. "As long as the goal is achieved, the details of the mission don't matter," he said. Then he turned to Lu Yin. "Congratulations. Defeating Qing Yu is an achievement that will make the Da Yu Empire take notice."
Lu Yin shrugged. "I just exploited an opportunity. I couldn't have beaten him otherwise."
"There's no such thing as exploiting an opportunity in this universe. A win is a win. Lu Yin—no, Brother Lu—do you know what it means to defeat a member of the Nightking Clan?" Charlotte asked with a smile.
Lu Yin shook his head.
Charlotte gazed deeply into the distance. "It means you've caught the attention of the White Night Clan. Unless you never set foot in the Inner Universe, they will come for you."
Lu Yin moved his shoulders. "So I've got trouble coming my way."