Lu Yin's expression changed, and his heart was in turmoil. He could imagine how much despair Ming Yan must be feeling at this moment. She must be feeling terrible for personally judging her father. Was the Shenwu Empire really that important?
"Prepare immediately. I'm going to Shenwu Continent." Lu Yin walked out of King Zishan's palace and headed towards the space station.
En Ya hurriedly gave orders to the space station.
Soon, the Aurora headed towards the Darkmist Weave.
Lu Yin looked at the dark sky with a heavy heart.
Her father's death was already a huge blow to Ming Yan, and with all the burdens she was shouldering, he didn't know if she could handle it.
Now that the Great Eastern Alliance had been established, Lu Yin didn't care even if Shenwu Continent didn't exist. He had joined Shenwu Continent because he needed someone to lead him. To the Great Eastern Alliance, Shenwu Continent wasn't even as important as the puppet Nine Stacks Sect.
Meilan Daynight and the others had already known that Lu Yin would appear. When Lu Yin arrived at the space station, the Daynight clan members all distanced themselves, as they knew that Lu Yin was not in a good mood.
Lu Yin couldn't be bothered with them, and he entered Shenwu Continent with Huo Qingshan's help.
Ming Zhaoshu's reputation on Shenwu Continent was terrible, but he had a good reputation in Shanhai City. After all, he had lived there for so many years.
Thus, when he died, the people of Shanhai City fell into grief.
All of Shanhai City was busy. On one hand, they were dealing with Ming Zhaoshu's funeral, and on the other, they were preparing for Ming Yan's succession.
The Ming family's direct descendants were all dead, and only Ming Yan was left. For countless years, the Shenwu Empire had been controlled by the Ming family, and Ming Yan's ascension to the throne was not hindered by the righteous cause of Ming Zhaoshu's death. The 28 crimes had won her the hearts of countless people.
However, it had also caused many people to feel a chill in their hearts.
When Lu Yin arrived at Shanhai City, he heard many voices, and there were many opinions about Ming Yan.
Lu Yin's figure flashed, and he entered the Reverent King's Residence.
At this moment, the place was heavily guarded. Two Cruisers were using their martial power to cover the entire area. Bei Hong and the other ministers were all inside the residence, helping Ming Zhaoshu with his funeral.
Ming Yan was in the study. Ming Zhaoshu's corpse had already been taken care of, but the room still reeked of blood. The desk was still stained with blood, and there was a bloodstained letter.
It was for Lu Yin.
Ming Yan had been staring at the letter for a long time.
The door to the study slowly opened, and the guards filed in and stood on both sides. Bei Hong bowed deeply to Ming Yan. "Princess, please restrain your grief. The most important thing right now is to inherit the throne and stabilize the Empire."
Ming Yan's voice didn't waver at all. "Pick a day."
Bei Hong bowed again. "Yes, your subject will take his leave."
"Who is it?"
Bei Hong and the rest looked over and saw Lu Yin appear outside the study, looking at Ming Yan with a pained expression.
The moment Ming Yan saw Lu Yin, tears streamed down her face once more. She stood up and ran towards him, but suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare!" Within the study, one of the guards who had been standing on either side suddenly made a move against Ming Yan and grabbed her by the throat. A transparent crystal bottle appeared in his hand as he stared at Lu Yin. "Don't move."
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
Lu Yin stared at the person who had captured Ming Yan, and when he saw the person's appearance, a thought flashed through his mind. It was Wu Shang, an expert from the Neohuman Alliance who had entered the Shenwu Continent at the same time as Lu Yin. Lu Yin had actually forgotten about this person.
"Release the princess!" Bei Hong barked.
In the sky, two Cruisers appeared, and one of them used his martial power to wrap around Wu Shang. Wu Shang's eyes suddenly turned red, and then to Lu Yin's astonishment, they changed again to green. This was the second transformation of a Corpse King, Green Eyes Transformation.
"Green Eyes Transformation! Seventh Bro, run!" the monkey shouted.
Lu Yin had not expected Wu Shang to be able to use the Green Eyes Transformation. Wu Shang was only an Explorer, but after using it, his rune lines increased by a hundred times, and he was no weaker than an elite Hunter's. The martial power was immediately repelled by Wu Shang. "Lu Yin, if you don't want her to die, then get the others to back off."
Lu Yin shouted, "Everyone, back off!"
Everyone looked at Ming Yan and ignored him, as not many people recognized him.
Bei Hong hurriedly shouted, "Everyone, back off! Quick!"
The two Cruisers looked at each other, and when they heard Bei Hong's words, they slowly retreated until they finally left the study's courtyard.
In the end, only Ming Yan, Wu Shang, and Lu Yin were left in the courtyard.
"What do you want?"
Lu Yin stared at Wu Shang. Wu Shang's green eyes caused his heart to turn cold, but it could not hide his killing intent. Ming Yan was a forbidden area that he could not touch.
Wu Shang's voice was cold. After using the Green Eyes Transformation, his speech was different from a normal person's, and he stuttered, "My Lord, said that … I … will … make … you … despair."
"Seven Skygods?" Lu Yin's tone was icy.
Wu Shang stared at Lu Yin and waved the bottle in his hand. "The … thing … here … is … the … same … as … Ming Zhaoshu."
Ming Yan's expression changed, and she looked at the crystal bottle in Wu Shang's hand with a furious gaze.
Lu Yin's face paled. "Life Poison. What exactly do you want?"
"You … should … know," Wu Shang slowly opened his mouth, but his words were unclear.
Lu Yin clenched his fists and stared at the bottle. The bottle contained Ming Zhaoshu's poison, and there was no cure for it. The short old man who had poisoned Ming Zhaoshu had wanted to use Ming Zhaoshu's poisoning process to develop an antidote.
"I'm just a puny Explorer. If your Neohuman Alliance wants to work with someone, there are plenty of powerhouses. Why me?"
Lu Yin asked as he placed his right hand behind his back and crushed the jade that Mister Mu had given him. He would not use this jade unless it was absolutely necessary, but he was not confident that he could save Ming Yan from Wu Shang's clutches. He also did not dare to gamble, so he could only ask Mister Mu for help.
Nothing must happen to Ming Yan. This was Lu Yin's only thought at the moment.
Wu Shang's tone was icy. "Are … you … stalling?"
Lu Yin sternly replied, "I need to know why you want to work with me and what I need to do."
Wu Shang stuttered, "There are … many … people … who … want to work with … us … but … there are … too few … who … are … interested … in … working with … us … you … must … show … sincerity …"
"Speak," Lu Yin said.
Wu Shang's green eyes met Lu Yin's. "We … need … the … box … in … Geoffrey's … secret room."
Lu Yin's eyes narrowed. He was not surprised, as the last Corpse King that had appeared on Sourcepeak Planet was also a green-eyed Corpse King. Someone who could use such a transformation was definitely not a weakling. That box was very important to the Neohuman Alliance. "Alright, I'll go get it for you, but you have to guarantee Ming Yan's safety."
"One … day … after that … despair …" Wu Shang coldly replied.
Lu Yin agreed. "I'll go get it for you right away."
However, at this moment, no one was paying attention to Ming Yan. Lu Yin stared at Wu Shang to prevent him from making a move. Wu Shang was similarly wary of Lu Yin. Lu Yin had too many treasures, and Wu Shang was worried about him as well. However, he had neglected Ming Yan.
Ming Yan looked at Lu Yin longingly, but then she turned around and bit off the crystal bottle's cap. The colorless liquid inside dripped into her mouth in one smooth motion, and even Wu Shang did not have time to react. By the time he did, the poison had already entered Ming Yan's mouth.
Lu Yin's eyes narrowed, and his killing intent surged. "You're courting death!" He then clawed out with a Skybeast Claw that tore through the void and let out a shocking bestial roar. It was as if a giant beast from ancient times had descended, and it ruthlessly pressed down on Wu Shang. Wu Shang let go of Ming Yan. This woman was no longer of any value, and she would definitely die after being poisoned. He looked up and faced the Skybeast Claw head-on before sweeping out with a leg.
His body, which had been strengthened a hundredfold by the green-eyed transformation, collided with the Skybeast Claw. There was a thump as the void distorted, and a giant black crack spread out in midair. The two's attacks had clearly surpassed the strength of an ordinary Hunter, and they had even caused the void to split apart.
The Reverent King's Residence was instantly split in half. Outside the courtyard, Bei Hong and the rest were aghast. The two Cruisers did not dare to move, as this was not a battle that they could intervene in.
The Skybeast Claw forced Wu Shang back, and Lu Yin hurriedly held onto Ming Yan. Her face was pale, and her eyes gradually dimmed. Her hair was slowly turning white, and her life force was fading even faster than Ming Zhaoshu's.
Lu Yin suddenly stared at Wu Shang. "Hand over the antidote."
Wu Shang frowned, turned around, and fled.
Lu Yin unleashed his full strength, and eight lined battle force condensed in his palm. The Skybeast Claw pressed down once more, and Wu Shang raised his arms in an attempt to block Lu Yin's attack. However, his entire body was smashed into the ground, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Eight lined battle force and seven lined battle force were not on the same level. Coupled with the Skybeast Claw's breakthrough, Wu Shang was still suppressed even with his Corpse King Transformation.
However, it would be very difficult for Lu Yin to kill Wu Shang. A Corpse King's physical strength and recovery abilities were not something that an ordinary person could comprehend. This was especially so when the formless undulations spread out. Lu Yin's body swayed, and he almost fell over. This was Wu Shang's innate gift, and it made his entire body feel weak.
Wu Shang had no intention of fighting with Lu Yin, and he leaped up in a futile attempt to escape.
Lu Yin growled. Even though he knew that Wu Shang did not have the antidote, he still held onto a sliver of hope and would not let Wu Shang escape.
As he watched Wu Shang get further and further away, Lu Yin tapped out with a finger. His eyes grew slack as he used the Dream Finger to freeze the void and rapidly closed in on Wu Shang. His finger pierced through Wu Shang's abdomen, and Wu Shang crashed into the ground once more. Blood spurted out from his abdomen, and he looked extremely miserable.
The ground of Shanhai City trembled as cracks spread out.
Lu Yin did not care that his finger had cracked, and he suddenly descended. He stepped on Wu Shang's body and shouted, "Hand over the antidote!"
Wu Shang spat out a mouthful of blood. "I don't have the antidote."
Lu Yin's face went pale, and he lowered his head and punched Wu Shang's abdomen. "Hand over the antidote."
Wu Shang coughed up more blood and tried to escape, but he was punched into the ground by Lu Yin.
Both of them were Explorers, and although Wu Shang had the Green Eyes Transformation, Lu Yin's increase in strength was even more terrifying. His eight lined battle force alone was not something that an ordinary expert could contend against. Coupled with Lu Yin's already abnormally powerful physical body and terrifying battle techniques, Wu Shang could not even last a few moves with his Green Eyes Transformation.
When Lu Yin had been a Limiteer, he had been able to fight against the experts on the Top 100 Rankings. Now that he was an Explorer with eight lined battle force and the Dream Finger, there were very few powerhouses who could exchange a few moves with him. Any one of them was enough to place him at the very top of the Top 100 Rankings.
Wu Shang spat out another mouthful of blood, and his figure turned blurry as he looked at Lu Yin. "No wonder my lord took a liking to you. If … you … become … a Corpse King … and cultivate … the Corpse King Transformation … then … no … one … will … be … your … opponent … in the future …"
Lu Yin punched Wu Shang so deep into the ground that even magma began to appear.