The lightning not only flickered on Zenyu Star, but it even spread beyond the star and enveloped the surrounding space.
It had been a long time since Aden had displayed his power, and he was rather excited.
Lu Yin's eyes filled with star energy as he watched in shock. Aden's rune lines surpassed Karthika's, which meant that he was indeed a Hunter. However, he was a freak who could surpass realms and defeat Enlighters. Just like when Lu Yin had been a Limiteer, he was an existence that ordinary Enlighters could not contend against.
In particular, Aden's rune lines were not scattered, but rather formed a shield that was as immovable as a mountain. This shield gave Lu Yin a feeling that it could not be shaken.
Lu Yin's mouth twitched, as he knew that he had gone too far. His spear's attack power might not be able to penetrate this shield. Aden's attack power might not be comparable to an Enlighter's, but his defense was definitely freakish.
Suddenly, there was a thunderous explosion, and the prison collapsed. Aden's body was covered in lightning, and a giant shield appeared in front of him. The lightning had branded the shield with lightning runes, giving it a majestic aura.
"Brat, the difference in power between us is too great. I won't bully you, so I won't use my battle force. As long as you can break this shield, you win," Aden shouted with a proud expression. His arrogance was not due to the difference in realms, but rather his confidence in his own power. Even when facing an Enlighter, he still had the same arrogance.
Lu Yin relaxed, as his shield's defense was already terrifying. If he used his battle force as well, then he really would not be confident. He did not believe that Aden's battle force was weak. If Long Yun could cultivate to seven lined battle force, then Aden must have been around Long Yun's level when he was younger. He must have been an absolute genius, as his battle force was at least eight lined battle force or even nine.
With that level of battle force, it would be too difficult for Lu Yin to break through his defenses.
Even when facing an Enlighter like Nightqueen Qiuyu, Lu Yin was confident that he could break through her defenses. However, when facing Aden, his confidence wavered, which showed just how strong Aden's defenses were.
This also reminded Lu Yin of Undying Yushan. If Undying Yushan had the strength to break through Aden's defenses, then how could he have been killed by someone at the same level as him?
The Neohuman Alliance's foundation was impressive.
Lu Yin calmly took out his spear, raised it, and aimed it at Aden. "Senior, I'm coming."
Aden stared at the spear in shock. "Is this a power vessel?"
"You can say that. I've killed three Enlighters with my spear."
Aden was astonished, and his eyes lit up with excitement. "Alright, a power vessel that can kill an Enlighter! Let's test out my thunder shield."
Lu Yin didn't hesitate. With a loud bang, the bullet tore through the void and struck the shield. It was weakened by the lightning, but the bullet still had a power level of over 200,000. The lightning wasn't enough to stop it, and the bullet still struck the shield.
In an instant, Aden took a few steps back. His eyes were wide open as he stared at the surface of the shield. The bullet had disappeared, and a crack had appeared where the bullet had hit.
....................................................................
Aden was just as shocked. His thunder shield had blocked an Enlighter's attack before, and it was precisely because he had fought against Enlighters that he had become so confident and dared to bet with anyone. In the end, he had lost to Undying Yushan, which was why he was so shocked that Undying Yushan had died. No one understood Undying Yushan's strength better than him.
But now, a Limiteer had used a broken spear to almost break through his shield. Even if that broken spear had killed an Enlighter before, Aden felt as if his world had been turned upside down.
Fortunately, the spear had not been able to break through Aden's defenses.
Aden heaved a sigh of relief and was about to put down his shield when Lu Yin pointed the gun at him again. He subconsciously raised his shield in front of him. "Kid, are you going back on your word?"
"Senior, I didn't say that I would only fire once. The bet was on whether or not I could break through your defenses, not whether or not I could break through it in one shot. If I hit the same spot again, I'll definitely break through your shield. I believe that it will take some time for your shield to regenerate." Lu Yin smiled.
Aden opened his mouth, but he could not think of a rebuttal. Indeed, he had not said that he would only fire once.
"Can your power vessel attack multiple times?" Aden was surprised.
Lu Yin nodded. "Quite a few times. That should be enough to break through your shield."
Aden's defenses surprised Lu Yin. With this person around, even if Nightqueen Qiuyu, Huo Houye, and the others wanted to take revenge, Lu Yin would still have time to react. This person was like a gift from Undying Yushan, and Lu Yin had to accept him no matter what.
Aden stood in place and stared at Lu Yin's spear.
Lu Yin raised a brow. "Senior, are you going back on your word?"
Aden sighed and smiled bitterly. "I lost to Undying Yushan a hundred years ago, and today, it's even worse. I lost to a Limiteer. The Great Yu Empire really is my nemesis." He then put away his shield.
Lu Yin was delighted. "Senior, you should feel honored that you lost. Not every Hunter can withstand that attack. Even Enlighters can't."
Aden looked at Lu Yin with a strange expression. "Kid, Enlighters aren't that simple. Your power vessel is powerful, but it's not enough to lock onto an Enlighter. You must have used a sneak attack."
Lu Yin was not embarrassed, as killing an Enlighter was something to be proud of. How could a Limiteer like him kill an Enlighter without using a sneak attack?
"If you can sneak attack three Enlighters, then you must have some other power vessel that can prevent them from escaping or even losing their consciousness. Are you really from the Outerverse?" Aden asked in surprise.
Lu Yin smiled. "I'm the real deal."
Aden shrugged. "Since you've lost, then I'll accompany you to Ironblood Weave. That place isn't suitable for humans." There was a look of respect in his eyes as he continued, "Countless people have died dauntlessly, and their families, friends, and descendants have all died on that battlefield. The Outerverse's current peace is all thanks to them."
Lu Yin's expression turned solemn, as he truly respected Ironblood Weave from the bottom of his heart. If it weren't for this crisis, Lu Yin would not have even known that such a place existed.
If there was one Ironblood Weave in the universe, then there could be a second or even a third. These places were truly worthy of respect.
Lu Yin brought Aden back to King Zishan's palace. He only had five days, and he had to deal with some matters in the Great Yu Empire as soon as possible before he could head to Ironblood Weave with peace of mind.
One day later, Lu Yin ended his court session and stood up. It was time to borrow some money.
His future in Ironblood Weave was uncertain, and he only had 2,420 star essence on him at the moment. This was too little, and it was not enough to deal with this crisis. It was time to talk to Madam Nalan.
She seemed to have guessed that Lu Yin was coming, and she smiled as she welcomed him into her palace. She then poured him a drink. "Why have you come, Your Highness?"
Of course, I'm here to borrow money, Lu Yin thought to himself. However, his words were a little awkward, as borrowing money under the current circumstances would inevitably make him seem like a bully. "How are you doing here, Madam?"
Madam Nalan's eyes lit up, and there was a different kind of temptation in them. "Are you concerned about me, Your Highness?"
Lu Yin coughed. "You can say that."
She pursed her lips and smiled. "Not bad. Your Highness must have received Ironblood Weave's request for help. When do you plan on leaving?"
Lu Yin replied, "I'll arrive in five days. It will take three days to reach Ironblood Weave's Seasons Fort from here. I plan on leaving tomorrow to avoid any delays."
Madam Nalan nodded. "You should leave as soon as possible. My Nalan family has also prepared a batch of resources to send to Ironblood Weave."
Lu Yin nodded, but he did not say anything.
She looked at Lu Yin. "Is there something you need from me, Your Highness?"
Lu Yin revealed an awkward expression. "Um, I would like to borrow some money."
Madam Nalan's lips curled up, but she did not ask any more questions. Instead, she handed Lu Yin a cosmic ring. "The Outerverse's major banks are currently running low on star crystals, and many people cannot withdraw their money. Even the Mavis Bank is in a similar situation. I won't be giving Your Highness a crystal card."
Lu Yin accepted the cosmic ring and glanced at its contents. He looked up in shock. "That much?"
The cosmic ring that Madam Nalan had given him contained a total of 30,000 star essence. This was star essence, and it was comparable to an Enlighter's collection.
She replied, "I know that Your Highness is short on money, but my Nalan family has placed a lot of money in the Mavis Bank and cannot withdraw it. I can only give Your Highness this much for now."
"That's quite a lot," Lu Yin said happily.
She earnestly replied, "If this money can be exchanged for Your Highness' safety in Ironblood Weave, then it's worth it. Just treat it as my Nalan family's support for Your Highness."
Lu Yin immediately replied, "That won't do. Wouldn't that be robbing me? If I said I'd borrow it, then I'd borrow it. Don't worry, madam. If I can return alive from Ironblood Weave, then I'll definitely return the money. But if I can't, then —" Madam Nalan interrupted Lu Yin before he could finish his sentence. She raised her drink. "Here's to Your Highness' victory and to the glory of the human race."
Lu Yin cheered and raised his drink as well, clinking glasses with Madam Nalan's.
The next day, Lu Yin brought Wendy Yushan, Aden, Huo Qingshan, ten newly joined Cruisers, a hundred Explorers, and a fleet to Ironblood Fort under the watchful eyes of many of the Great Yu Empire's courtiers and Hai Qiqi.
The mission had stated that Lu Yin had to reach Ironblood Weave within five days, so he, Wendy Yushan, Huo Qingshan, and Aden boarded one of the few ships that could rival a radiant-grade spacecraft and set off to pick up Ryan Merk. When the Merk family head heard that they were going to Ironblood Weave, he had reflexively refused, but Lu Yin had threatened him.
If he went, then he might be the only one to die, but if he didn't, then his entire family would be charged with treason.
This was Lu Yin's method, and it was clean and efficient.
Ryan Merk had no other choice. Although he was selfish, the Merk family was too large, and he could not abandon his family. Besides, going to Ironblood Weave might not necessarily lead to death, but if he did not go, then he would definitely die.
Helpless, Ryan Merk agreed.
With Frostwave Weave settled, Lu Yin did not need to worry about Grandtop Weave. Although he had taken control of the Nine Stacks Sect and was using it to conquer Grandtop Weave, the Hall of Honor did not care who Grandtop Weave belonged to. They only cared about whether or not the weave sent anyone to participate. Even if the families and sects of Grandtop Weave were unwilling, they still had to send someone to participate.
It was only when Lu Yin picked up Ryan Merk that Grandtop Weave finally decided who would head to Ironblood Weave.