Lu Yin put down his gadget. No matter who did it, it had nothing to do with him for the time being. Those giants were arrogant, and taking them down would be beneficial to him.
He'd asked Gavin to keep an eye on this matter and see how Shamrock Enterprises and Aurora would retaliate.
Now, he stood up; it was time to head to the first ring.
Yu Academy was recruiting new students, and not only were there youths from Frostwave Weave, but there were also youths from other weaves who wanted to join.
The Great Yu Empire was like the midday sun in the Outerverse, and Yu Academy was an institution that nurtured the younger generation. Joining Yu Academy would not only allow them to cultivate, but they would also have a chance to meet Lu Yin. This was an opportunity for countless people in the Outerverse.
Even if there was only a sliver of a chance to meet Lu Yin, they would fight for it with all their might, just like how Lu Yin and the others had participated in Astral-10's entrance exam for the sake of a single opportunity.
The first ring was bustling with activity, and many youths jumped into the sea excitedly as they swam towards the nearby land. That was where the exam was held. No matter what method was used, the one who survived to the end would be able to join Yu Academy. This time, Yu Academy was recruiting five hundred students.
There were a million people participating in the exam.
Only five hundred out of a million was a one in two thousand chance, and this was even after most people had already been eliminated. The number of people signing up for Yu Academy's exam had already broken the record from several years ago, reaching nearly a hundred million people. These people had all been selected from the various weaves and were qualified to sign up. This showed how difficult the exam was.
Lu Yin watched the youths fighting to the death on the screen and felt rather emotional.
Back when Earth had ended, the Seven Sages of China had appeared out of nowhere and stood at the pinnacle of Earth's billions of people. They were known as Sky Realm powerhouses, but such powerhouses did not necessarily qualify to participate in Yu Academy's selection. This showed just how cruel it was, and this was only the Great Yu Empire of the past. This cruelty had been magnified countless times after the Great Eastern Alliance was formed, resulting in the current situation.
Yu Academy's Hall Masters were all Limiteers, and most of its members were Melders. There weren't many Sentinels, and those who were qualified to sign up were all Sentinels. Those who had come to the first ring to participate in the exam either used formcast models or were strong enough. They had all gone through several rounds of elimination before reaching this point.
"Your Highness, we've arranged for nearly a hundred members of Yu Academy to be stationed on the mainland. They're dressed in eye-catching attire, and as long as you can defeat them, you'll be able to obtain the right to join Yu Academy in advance. These Yu Academy members are all Melders," Huo Zhong reported respectfully from behind Lu Yin.
Lu Yin grunted and then looked at one of the screens. It was Fu Xiaoshu from Earth, and Lu Yin had an impression of him. His innate gift was illusions, and his cultivation speed was fast. In Yu Academy, his strength was second only to the Hall Master.
There were dozens of cultivators around Fu Xiaoshu, and three of them were Melders from other weaves. They all attacked Fu Xiaoshu in an attempt to defeat him.
However, Fu Xiaoshu's eyes only flickered for a moment before all of them fell to the ground and sank into his illusions.
Given the strength of these people, numbers meant nothing to Fu Xiaoshu.
Lu Yin's gaze shifted to another screen. Another Yu Academy member was being surrounded, but with his Skybeast Claw and star energy proficiency, he was able to easily defeat the two Melders who had joined forces and arrogantly leave.
These cultivators were all elite disciples from various weaves, and their strength was similar to the Yu Academy members from a few years ago. Some were even stronger, and some could even rival the Hall Master.
However, the current Yu Academy was completely different from before. There had been very few Melders back then, but now, Schutz had returned from the Innerverse and trained Yu Academy for several years. With the addition of Yue Xianzi, An Shaohua, Ah Fan, and the others, Yu Academy's overall strength had increased greatly. Yu Academy had already surpassed the limits of the Outerverse's cultivation.
Of course, there were also experts among the candidates who could fight against ordinary Yu Academy members.
Lu Yin looked at one of the screens with interest and saw Huo Xiaoling. She was a Limiteer, but she was actually joining in on the fun.
Huo Zhong saw Lu Yin look at Huo Xiaoling and awkwardly explained, "She said that she was bored after staying at home for too long, so she came out for a walk."
As he spoke, Huo Xiaoling's phoenix descended from the screen and burned everything within a thousand kilometers. Countless candidates withdrew in dejection.
Lu Yin laughed, but he did not stop them. Luck was also a part of cultivation, and he had no one to blame but himself for running into Huo Xiaoling. During Earth's trial, he had met Nightking Qingyu of the Daynight clan, and he had also reached his current position.
"What about Schutz?" Lu Yin asked.
Huo Zhong replied, "He might be breaking through to the Explorer realm soon."
Lu Yin was shocked, as Schutz was actually about to break through. That made sense, as he had been a Limiteer for too long and had even experienced the cultivation of Astral-10 in the Innerverse. He should have broken through long ago, but once he did, the position of Yu Academy's Hall Master would become vacant.
Lu Yin looked at Huo Xiaoling again. "Since Schutz has become an Explorer, let Huo Xiaoling take over the position of Hall Master."
Huo Zhong was delighted. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Lu Yin was amused. "Why are you thanking me?
It's not like she's nepotism. She took the position based on her own strength. "
Huo Zhong hurriedly agreed.
Lu Yin didn't stay for long before leaving. Although these people were about the same age as him, and some were even older than him, their horizons and statuses were completely different, and Lu Yin wasn't interested in staying any longer.
Yu Academy did indeed have many talents, especially those from Earth. Fu Xiaoshu had comprehended a domain, and Song Shi had comprehended battle force. Zhen Tong and Qin Xuan were all talented, and Yu Academy would provide many experts in the future.
These people reminded Lu Yin of Jupiter, which was like a thorn in his heart. The secrets that had been sealed away for a long time might be revealed there, but he couldn't go there.
How depressing.
In the Frostwave Weave, there was a dark red planet to the west of the central region. The sky was filled with smoke and poisonous gas, and the ground was filled with lava. This planet was completely uninhabitable, and no living creature could survive here.
Suddenly, a spacecraft appeared above the planet, swaying as it descended. It crashed into the lava, causing lava to fill the sky and shatter everything within ten thousand meters.
Thick black smoke rose from the spacecraft, and it was obvious that it had been damaged.
Several figures wearing universal armor walked out of the spacecraft and walked towards the damaged area. A middle-aged man walked out, but he wasn't wearing any armor. Since he could survive in such an environment, he was clearly an Explorer.
The middle-aged man waved his hand, causing a strong gale to sweep away the lava that was spreading over. The shockwave shot off into the distance and cut off a black mountain.
"Captain, there are no signs of life on this planet," the middle-aged man said through his gadget.
"Got it. Repair the spacecraft as soon as possible. We still have a mission."
"Yes, Captain."
The spacecraft was large and could hold over a thousand people. They weren't distressed by the damage, and they either cultivated, rested, or went to the bar to party.
They were the Swordguard Mercenaries, one of the most famous mercenary groups in the Great Yu Empire. Their vice captain was Shalosh, the captain of the Eighth Imperial Squadron. They could do whatever they wanted in the Great Yu Empire.
Inside the bar, a tall and beautiful woman held a leather whip in her hand. She was dancing around a steel pole in her black boots. The people around her were whistling and shouting excitedly.
Beside the bar, Ian frowned. He didn't like this kind of environment. He had been with the Swordguard Mercenaries for a few years now, but he still hadn't gotten used to it. That woman, in particular, sometimes seemed like a lunatic.
The beautiful woman finished her song, but the people around her were still cheering. She waved her whip and whipped quite a few people, causing the crowd to become even more excited.
"Scram, you pack of wolves!" she shouted.
The crowd cheered even louder.
Not long after, the woman walked over to Ian and put an arm around his shoulder. Her breath reeked of alcohol. "Little Brother Ian, let's go. Dance with me."
Ian was helpless. "Sister Dai Na, you can go by yourself. I don't know how to dance."
The woman was Dai Na, the daughter of the leader of the Swordguard Mercenaries, Qi Jin. Back on Zenyu Star, she had been the one to bring Ian into the Swordguard Mercenaries. Although she often bullied this talented student, she also took good care of him. If it weren't for her, Ian would have died during his previous mission.
Although Ian wasn't used to interacting with Dai Na, he was grateful to her from the bottom of his heart. Of course, there were also some indescribable feelings.
Dai Na rolled her eyes. "It's already been a few years, and you're still like this. Be careful, or I'll take care of you." She then walked back to the dance floor and started dancing crazily.
Ian rubbed his head helplessly and walked out of the bar. After thinking about it, he put on his universal armor and decided to go out for a walk.
There were many uninhabited planets in this part of the universe. There was no water or oxygen, and the air was filled with deadly toxins. It was like hell, and Ian had seen too many of such scenes.
In just a few years, he had gone from being a top student at the Imperial Military Academy to a mercenary with rich combat experience. Sometimes, he thought that if he had had such combat experience back on Earth, he wouldn't have lost to the Royal Regent!
As he walked on the scorching red earth, Ian looked into the distance and saw a giant fire tornado roaring towards him.
Qi Jin appeared behind him and waved his hand, tearing the fire tornado apart. The strong winds caused the lava on the ground to fly everywhere.
"Still not used to it?" Qi Jin asked as he looked at Ian.
Ian smiled. "It's a little boring."
Qi Jin said, "Mercenaries are different from the army. They fight separately, and even though they have more experience, they don't have much discipline. It's the complete opposite of what you were taught."
Ian replied, "Our mercenary group's discipline is already very good."
Qi Jin patted Ian on the shoulder. "I've seen your performance over the past few years. You're a top military student, and it's a waste for you to stay in the mercenary group. I'll find some time to talk to Shalosh and have him transfer you to the Thirteen Imperial Squadrons."
Ian's eyes lit up, but when he thought of Dai Na, he felt conflicted. He couldn't bear to part with that beautiful big sister of his.
Dai Na seemed to have become a part of his life. Ian lowered his head and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, his eyes trembled as he stared at the ground. There was a strange mark on the ground. He squatted down and carefully blew away the dust. After looking at it for a while, he looked around and seemed to have discovered something.
Qi Jin felt that it was strange, but he didn't pay much attention to it. Although Ian hadn't helped much during the past few years in the mercenary group, he had sometimes provided very good suggestions, especially when facing enemies. Many of his suggestions had been effective, and it fully demonstrated his military talent.