Chapter 14: Energy Crystals (1/2)

The girl was exasperated by Lu Yin’s claim that his grandfather could get him into Astral-10. Not even powerhouses beyond the Explorer realm could affect the Astral Combat Academy, and that knowledge caused her to hesitate, “Wait, how can I be sure you’re not a native?”

Lu Yin raised his hand and his right palm vibrated, compressing the surrounding air tightly before launching it towards the ground. The girl was caught off-guard as the resulting explosion left a large crater, “Shockwave Palm?”

“So does that count?” Lu Yin asked smugly.

The girl’s eyes narrowed as she pondered. She knew that although Shockwave Palm was a common battle skill, it wasn’t something everyone could learn. It required the user to have a body even stronger than her own; it was astonishing for any Seeker to be able to use it. Feeling the slightest of threats herself, she responded slowly, “Alright, that makes you at least a little useful. Help me capture Nanjing, and I’ll share some of the glory with you.”

Lu Yin was shocked, “You want to capture Nanjing? I heard that there’s someone called the Executioner there who’s a very powerful Sentinel.”

“I know. I heard even Orton was humiliated by him, but I’m not that pathetic. If we work together, we can beat that native,” she replied coldly.

“Huh? How did you find out?”

“Because we’re from the same school. We had a deal to work together if we landed nearby, same as most other people. I guess no one looked to make a deal with you because you’re so weak.”

Lu Yin felt relieved that he hadn’t impersonated Vesta. Since this woman knew Orton, she might have known Vesta as well. Could she be the reason why Orton had fled north after Zhou Shan had defeated him? So then why had he suddenly changed his direction and headed east? He really wanted to know, but kept himself from asking. The more ignorant he appeared, the more likely it was for his fraud to be exposed. Since this woman wanted to team up with him, she clearly had some kind of grudge against Orton or Orton had found a different ally. No matter which option was right, Nanjing was in danger.

“Okay. I’ll help you, but I need to strengthen myself first,” he finally answered her question. The formcast model he’d recovered from Vesta was limited to three uses, and Vesta had used it twice before he used it to become a Seeker. That was why he’d approached the girl in the first place, but she was too strong to beat.

“No need,” the girl frowned.

“I at least need to heal from my injuries!” he protested. This brought a glare his way, but she still flew towards the assembly point with him in tow. Lu Yin saw about 200,000 survivors on the way, and a large proportion of them were cultivators. Most of the soldiers wore the uniform of Zhou Shan’s camp; this woman had likely taken control of the frontlines.

“Oh. Right, I still don’t know your name,” Lu Yin mentioned.

“Jeraldine,” the girl replied as they landed.

“Master, another detachment of the Executioner’s troops are encamped about 30 kilometers away.”

Lu Yin turned to the newcomer and saw who it was. The man was visibly confused when he saw Lu Yin as well, but Lu Yin rushed the man instantly and struck his chest with a Shockwave Palm before Jeraldine could even move. The man spat out a mouthful of blood as the force of the attack pushed him off the roof, his fall creating quite a stir in the crowd below.

“What the hell was that for?” Jeraldine raged.

“That’s the bastard who ambushed me when I first landed. He’s the reason I was injured in the first place!” Lu Yin answered righteously.

“When was that?” she asked coldly.

“The day we landed,” he answered without hesitation.

“Where?”

“Around a hundred kilometers to the south,” Lu Yin replied, looking at her with indignation, “What? Are you doubting me, or do you care about that man?”