Lu Yin used the Wandering Steps technique to rush to Mono's side and slammed a punch into his stomach. Mono had already been injured by Qing Yu, couldn't outrun Lu Yin, and was in no condition to resist. Lu Yin forcibly shoved a vial of medicine into him and then hurled him hard toward Qing Yu.
"Take this!"
"What the hell did you make me take?!" Mono shouted in panic.
"Strength Surge Elixir," Lu Yin replied casually as he turned and fled without looking back.
Mono's expression changed dramatically. The Strength Surge Elixir was a drug meant to enhance a Fusion Realm cultivator's attack power. It was harmless to those in the Fusion Realm—but for someone in the Exploration Realm, it could easily cause severe backlash.
"Lu Yin, you son of a bitch! You despicable, shameless bastard!" Mono roared as a terrifying surge of star energy exploded from his body, instantly shattering the seal and propelling him into the Fusion Realm.
Right in front of him, Qing Yu came charging in. The two now stood face to face.
Without thinking, Mono unleashed the Heavenly Beast Claw. In the Exploration Realm, he could only use seven forms of the technique, but now in the Fusion Realm, he could use all ten.
The moment the Ten Forms of the Heavenly Beast Claw appeared, Qing Yu's pupils shrank. He tried to use his speed technique to escape, but the claw covered a radius of over a hundred meters. One swipe sent him crashing back into the earth. Blood spurted from his mouth as he smashed into the ground again.
At the same time, a beam of light swept in and forcefully pulled Mono away.
"Lu Yin, I'll never forgive you!" Mono shouted furiously.
Lu Yin ignored him. He rushed toward the crater and slammed a palm down.Take your life while you're weak.Against a powerhouse like Qing Yu, who possessed the strength to walk among the stars, Lu Yin had to give it everything he had. He unleashed five consecutive Heavenly Star Palms, each striking the spot where Qing Yu had previously been severely injured. Qing Yu was smashed deep into the mountain, dust and debris rising into the air.
The entire mountain split in half.
Panting heavily, Lu Yin raised his hand again. His star energy was depleted—but he still had the Wave Palm and the Sky-Splitting Palm. Without hesitation, he unleashed both, and all of it struck Qing Yu.
Qing Yu opened his mouth and coughed up a massive amount of blood. Seeing Lu Yin's eyes filled with killing intent, he gritted his teeth and roared, "Damn it! My injuries are stopping me from using my innate gift! I only have Exploration Realm strength! Stop! If you dare kill me—I'm the Nightking! I'm an awakened Nightking! No one dares kill me!"
Lu Yin raised his right palm. One last Heavenly Star Palm.
"Die," he said coldly.
The palm descended.But just as it was about to hit—one centimeter from Qing Yu's body—it stopped.
Lu Yin's wrist had been caught.
Beside them—neither of them knew when—stood a middle-aged man, staring at Qing Yu in shock.
"You… what did you just say?"
Qing Yu coughed up more blood and grinned widely. "I… I am the Nightking. The Nightking."
The man's pupils contracted sharply. He looked at Qing Yu's hair—among the mix of black and white strands, a single gray hair stood out. It wasn't obvious, but it sent a jolt through the man's heart. His face went pale. He flung Lu Yin away and pulled a healing potion from his spatial ring, feeding it to Qing Yu with an expression that showed both urgency and fear.
At the same time, beside the conical crater, Tolleona and Shaluoshu appeared. They, too, stared at the strand of gray hair in Qing Yu's head with visible shock.
That was the symbol of the Nightking.White Night Royal Clan. Nightking.
Any one of the Nightkings was the White Night Clan's reverse scale—their untouchable taboo.To touch them was to invite annihilation from the stars.
Before this, Qing Yu was just a regular member of the White Night Clan.But now, he was a Nightking.
Even within the White Night Clan, that title commanded supreme status.Such a person—not just the Daynight Empire—even the entire Canglan Territory wouldn't dare touch him.
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes and took out a healing medicine of his own. His entire body had been pushed to its limit—his skin was cracking from the intense strain. He had thought he could kill Qing Yu and obtain his Physical Reforging Technique. But he hadn't expected the Daynight Empire to intervene.
Nightking? Lu Yin's heart trembled.
He had seen that surname before—when receiving the inheritance from that stone slab.At the top of the stone corridor… the True Martial Nightking.
In the sky, at some unknown point, a massive spaceship had appeared, blocking out the sun.
"All students, attention! The trial is over.Repeat: the trial is over.Trial results will be announced by your respective academies…"
A collective sigh of relief spread among the students.It was finally over.
Velo, Erde, Lars, and the others also relaxed. They had participated in trials before, but never one this terrifying. They were supposed to dominate this indigenous planet, yet they had been captured right at the start and shamefully turned into hostages. They couldn't even participate in the final battle.
Fusion Realm powerhouses had joined the fight—this wasn't an Exploration Realm trial. It was a Fusion Realm war.
Liu Shaoge released all the students.Now that Qing Yu's identity had been exposed, they were no longer useful.
They were useless to Qing Yu, yes—but these students were originally supposed to serve as Earth's bargaining chips in negotiations with the Daynight Empire.
Now, they'd all been set free—wasted.
Granny Glen shook her head in pity. So close, yet so far—Lu Yin had nearly succeeded. If he had managed to kill Qing Yu in that final battle, he would have been the only one to complete the mission. That result would have been enough to qualify him for the selection of the Tenth Courtyard of the Stars. What a shame.
Huo Xiaoling also looked at Lu Yin. That recent battle had truly shocked her. Even if she had used her full Fusion Realm power, she wouldn't have done any better. Qing Yu's physical strength far surpassed that of the Fusion Realm—she knew she couldn't beat him. Yet this man had managed to fight him to a standstill with just Exploration Realm strength. Though he had relied on some tricks, it was still astounding. Unfortunately, the difference in status between them was just too vast.
Bai Xue stared at Liu Shaoge the whole time, her eyes filled with fury—but even more with sorrow.
Zhang Dingtian stood up, dragging his heavily injured body, and fixed his gaze on Qing Yu.The culprit responsible for the deaths of countless people on Earth had just been rescued like that.He couldn't accept it.
"Return to the ship. We'll give you the best treatment," said Siken Mardo—the middle-aged man who had stopped Lu Yin's final palm strike.
Cough, cough Qing Yu coughed up blood.This time, his injuries were truly severe.While walking among the stars mainly relied on star energy, the body still needed that energy to protect itself. But Qing Yu's star energy had only been able to support Exploration Realm strength, drastically reducing his defenses. He'd been attacked by two Fusion Realm powerhouses—one of whom had taken the Strength Surge Elixir. Add in all of Lu Yin's furious blows… it was a miracle he wasn't dead.
Qing Yu spat out a mouthful of blood, looked up at Lu Yin, and grinned."Pity, little bug, isn't it? That you couldn't kill me? Hahaha!"
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes.
Siken Mardo sighed silently.If Qing Yu had only been a regular member of the White Night Clan, his death would have been no big deal. After all, the bounty on him came from that very clan.But now that he was a Nightking, it was different.
Even the White Night Clan dared not judge a Nightking.He was royalty.Only the Nightking bloodline could judge one of their own.
What a shame… What a shame that he awakened as a Nightking on Earth.The Nightking Clan had very few members, and each one was treated as a priceless treasure.
If Qing Yu were killed within the Daynight Empire, the entire empire would be drowned in blood. No one would escape. Even Mira hadn't dared to stop Siken Mardo from intervening—proof of the Nightking Clan's power.
Absolute fairness doesn't exist.The Nightking Clan had the right to override fairness itself.
"General Mardo! General Mardo!"Lars rushed over, yelling, "That native just tried to kill me! Kill him! Kill him now!"
Siken Mardo backhanded him into the ground."Shut up."
Shaluoshu appeared in front of Lars, looked down on him, then turned to Qing Yu with a respectful smile."Shall I eliminate these natives for you?"
That one sentence made Lu Yin, Zhang Dingtian, and the others instantly tense up.They stared at Shaluoshu with fury in their eyes.
Siken Mardo also looked toward Qing Yu.
So did Tolleona.Among everyone present, Qing Yu now held the highest status—from the moment he became a Nightking.
Liu Shaoge quietly walked over to stand behind Qing Yu, straight-backed and respectful.
Qing Yu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.Looking at the crimson stain, he raised his head and stared at Lu Yin.
"No need," he said. "Just wait. It won't be long before I return.By then… this planet won't need to exist.Everyone will die."
Zhang Dingtian's eyes turned to ice.He clenched his fists tightly.
He felt the weight of despair.
Qing Yu had brought Earth to the brink of doomsday, caused the deaths of countless people, personally killed Wang You and Tong Zhan, and triggered beast hordes across Huaxia that slaughtered untold innocents.Now, he was openly declaring Earth's extinction.
This man was the mortal enemy of all Earth's people—bathed in their blood and hatred.
Zhang Dingtian swore:If ever the chance arose, he would cut down this man himself, to honor the souls of the countless dead.
"You truly are merciful," Shaluoshu said with a smile. "As you wish—we'll keep this planet preserved for you."
Qing Yu didn't even glance at him.He had once been a star-walking powerhouse—far stronger than Shaluoshu.The only one he cared about was Lu Yin.This insect had actually defeated him.
It was a stain on his record—one he could never erase.He had to erase it himself.But not now.
For now, the most important thing was returning to the ancestral land with the inheritance stone and becoming a true Nightking.
"Let's go," Qing Yu said indifferently.
He gave Lu Yin one last glance, his eyes cruel."I'll be back soon, little bug. Just wait."
As he spoke, a beam of light descended, and he and Liu Shaoge were both drawn up toward the massive spaceship in orbit.