Lu Yin hadn't expected that he could cultivate using this method even on Earth. Coupled with the Heavenly Star Technique, which doubled his cultivation speed, his rate of energy absorption far surpassed that of students like Grany. Even across the Grand Yu Empire, he would likely rank among the top.
Before long, a whole star energy crystal was fully consumed, and the star energy within Lu Yin's body surged significantly.
Then, he crushed another crystal and began absorbing it.
However, having enough star energy crystals didn't mean one could cultivate to the peak of the current realm. These crystals contained impurities that needed to be refined. Only those cultivating with the Body Shaping Technique could do this.
Those who directly absorbed star energy crystals needed to reach the Fusion Realm before they could remove impurities. Otherwise, their energy would lack density, their combat strength would be unstable, and they'd remain dependent on the crystals for cultivation. But star energy crystals were hard to obtain, creating a vicious cycle. This was the origin of the term "drifters" or "combat slaves."
Lu Yin absorbed all five star energy crystals. Only then did he feel the turbulent energy within his body. He had reached the peak of the Perception Realm—equivalent to the Earth's peak Earth-level—and was just one step away from entering the Exploration Realm. That final step would require the Body Shaping Technique.
He lay on the rooftop of the abandoned villa and rested for a night. The next day, he went straight to Grany. "Let's spar."
Grany looked speechless. "You're asking me to spar first thing in the morning? I may be a cultivator, but I'm also a woman. What kind of man asks a woman to fight at dawn?"
Lu Yin also felt it was a bit inappropriate, but he was eager to gauge the gap between himself and an elite cultivator in the Exploration Realm. "Alright, I'll come find you in the afternoon."
"No need. If you want to fight, let's fight," Grany said indifferently. She didn't take Lu Yin seriously at all. If it weren't for his decent Wave Palm technique, she wouldn't even have bothered to work with him.
The two found an open area about ten meters apart. In the distance, faint beast roars echoed, and the bloody scent of the wild drifted with the wind.
"Go ahead and attack. I won't fight back," Grany said coolly, her gaze proud.
Lu Yin clenched his right hand, then released it. The air rippled like a curtain being drawn back. He kicked off the ground, the shockwave tearing open the earth as he surged forward and slammed a palm toward Grany—a full-force Wave Palm strike.
Grany was surprised. She had planned to block it with one hand but ended up raising both.
Boom!
The shockwave swept out violently, the massive pressure crushing the ground and shattering the earth. Lu Yin's palm forced Grany's legs into the soil, forming a crater several meters wide.
Grany was astonished. "Impressive power. Even students at our academy in the Exploration Realm might not have such a forceful strike. If this was a sneak attack, it could easily kill someone below 2000 combat strength."
Lu Yin grinned. He had indeed killed Asta with a Wave Palm, though it wasn't as powerful as now. But Asta hadn't reached 2000 combat strength either. "I'm not done yet—one more!" He struck again with a second Wave Palm, almost as powerful as the first, pressing Grany even deeper into the ground.
Grany frowned, her hands numb. "Enough. Your attacks are ineffective against me. My combat strength exceeds 2000—you should know that for every 1000-point jump in strength, the energy density and power change drastically."
Lu Yin shouted, "One last move!" This time, his right palm flickered faintly with starlight. A small moon revolved around it, and the outer layer of air rippled just like with the Wave Palm. This was—the Heavenly Star Palm.
As Lu Yin delivered the final strike, Grany's heartbeat quickened. Her body flickered and vanished in an afterimage. A moment later, the area where she had stood was shattered by Lu Yin's blow. The ground within a hundred-meter radius was pulverized, shockwaves radiating outward with a deafening boom. Even the air distorted from the blast.
Grany reappeared several meters away, shocked as she stared at the destruction. "What was that?"
Lu Yin smirked. "My grandpa taught me this—Ultimate Wave Palm."
Grany narrowed her eyes. With her experience, she couldn't identify the Heavenly Star Palm, but if it was just a Wave Palm, the power was far too great—it had even made her feel threatened. "I've heard the Wave Palm can be stacked. That last move must've been a double-layered Wave Palm," she said seriously.
Lu Yin shrugged. "Maybe. Just a different name, I guess."
Grany looked at him, her gaze no longer arrogant but earnest. Her tone softened. "A double Wave Palm has extremely high physical requirements. Even in the Exploration Realm, few can pull it off. We don't have a single student who can do it at our academy. You're impressive. Once you reach the Exploration Realm, you'll be able to compete with any elite—and might even get into the Empire's top university, the Imperial Academy."
Lu Yin was surprised. "Imperial Academy? Me?"
Grany nodded. "Maybe. With your physical strength, it's not impossible. Anyway, I'm tired. That's enough," she said, then turned to leave.
Lu Yin watched her back as she walked away. He looked down at his hand. The sparring had been one thing, but more importantly, he wanted to see if he had any chance of defeating her. This woman had incredible reflexes—at the crucial moment, she dodged with a movement technique. As expected of an academy elite.
But he wasn't bad either. At the moment she dodged, he had already retracted some of the Heavenly Star Palm's power. If she thought that was his full strength, she was in for a surprise.
With no way to contact Jinling, Lu Yin had Luo Yun and the others remain at the base. Grany didn't care about them anyway, saving him the trouble of explaining.
After staying for two days, Luo Yun approached Lu Yin.
"Brother Lu, how long are we going to stay here?" she asked, her gaze fixed on Lu Yin. She had learned from two frontline centurions that this was a frontline supply station, but something felt off. People here kept mentioning Heavenly-ranked powerhouses—where could such experts possibly come from?
Lu Yin replied, "Don't ask too much. I'll give you an answer in a few days."
Luo Yun wanted to press further, but her expression suddenly changed as she looked up at the sky. Lu Yin also turned around. Granie descended with a look of urgency.
"Come, Orton has gone to Jinling," she said quickly.
Lu Yin was startled and grabbed her arm. She took him into the air, flying toward Jinling.
Luo Yun was surprised. If she wasn't mistaken, the armor that woman wore was identical to that of the aliens who had attacked Jinling not long ago.
Not far off, Xu San also approached, equally astonished.
In the sky, the airflow howled past as Granie sped toward Jinling at full speed. But with Lu Yin in tow, she couldn't move at her fastest pace.
"How do you know Orton went to Jinling?" Lu Yin asked.
Granie replied coldly, "That's none of your business. Just remember—when we reach Jinling, act accordingly. Our mission is to take Jinling. Orton definitely didn't go alone. His accomplices are definitely not weak, so be careful."
Lu Yin's expression turned grave. If Orton had chosen to abandon Granie, that meant whoever he teamed up with was stronger than her. Based on estimates, Yasta's power level was around 1,500. Orton was likely close to 2,000, and Granie was over 2,000. Therefore, Orton's new ally must be well beyond 2,000—and possibly not just one person.
Lu Yin looked southward, hoping Zhou Shan could hold on.
Half an hour later, Granie and Lu Yin neared Jinling rapidly. In the sky above Jinling, two figures hovered. One of them was Orton. His armor and ring were heavily damaged, and beside him stood a young man with his hands behind his back, eyes filled with arrogance.
All the survivors in Jinling looked up in horror—two Heavenly-ranked powerhouses?
An alarm sounded from Zhongshan Tower. Zhou Shan rose into the air, stopping a hundred meters from Orton and the other man, his expression solemn. "You again?"
Orton sneered. "Regretting not killing me last time?"
Zhou Shan narrowed his eyes. "Very much."
"Hmph. Too bad you'll never get the chance. This is my senior, Thress," Orton said proudly.
Zhou Shan glanced at the man beside Orton. He could feel the energy waves emanating from Thress's body—and his heart sank. This man was far stronger than Orton.
Thress looked at Zhou Shan with cold arrogance. "I didn't expect a native to be this powerful. I can help you step into the stars. Join me."
"Senior Thress, no need to waste words on him. These natives are all bone-headed and won't agree," Orton interrupted.
Thress shot Orton a cold look. "It's not your place to speak when I'm talking."
Orton quickly responded and fell silent, though he gritted his teeth and glared hatefully at Zhou Shan.
Zhou Shan gripped his giant axe tightly and said coldly, "There's no way I'd follow you. You aliens are here to take Jinling, right? Then defeat me first." With that, he flew toward the northern part of Jinling—he didn't want to fight directly above the city.
Unfortunately, things were beyond his control. Zhou Shan had only flown less than a kilometer when Orton slashed his sword at Zhongshan Tower. The sword-like energy strike cut off part of the tower, triggering countless screams.
"You're courting death!" Zhou Shan roared, swinging his axe at Orton.
Orton smirked and met the blow with his sword.
Meanwhile, a few minutes later, Granie and Lu Yin arrived over Jinling. At a glance, they saw the damaged Zhongshan Tower and the city below engulfed in chaos. Countless people fled toward the outskirts. Huge cracks split the ground, devouring everything. The energy in the air fluctuated violently, destroying building after building.
Even the clouds in the sky were scattered by the force.
Inside Jinling, Zhou Shan spat out a mouthful of blood. Propping himself up with his axe, he glared up at the sky.
Thress and Orton looked down with icy disdain.
"Not bad. With your strength, you could rank in the top fifteen at the military academy. Too bad you ran into me," Thress said coldly.