Chapter 297: A Mysterious Sign
Huo Qingshan’s face turned incredibly grim. “To become an Explorer, one’s body must become adjusted to the universe, and the universe’s cycle primarily depends on star energy. This is true for the human body as well. If your star energy circulation is not fast enough to support your body’s regular functions, then you will undergo something called the ‘period of exhaustion.’ Once you pa.s.s through that period, you’ll be fine. However, if you don’t manage to get past it, then you’ll die.”
“So is it impossible to get past this period by absorbing the ambient star energy in the universe?”
“No. The human body is too small compared to the universe, and most Explorers cannot absorb star energy quickly enough to match the cycle of the universe. Thus, they will typically search out star crystals or some sort of powerful technique so that they can absorb enough star energy quickly enough to match the speed of the universe’s cycle. That is also one of the reasons why star crystals tend to be scarce.”
…
Lu Yin and Huo Qingshan chatted for a long time, and as a result, Lu Yin gained a much better understanding of what being an Explorer entailed. The two of them also grew much closer.
The more they chatted, the more surprised Huo Qingshan became. The amount of power that Lu Yin had was shocking. He had five-lined battle force, could withstand 130 times the usual amount of gravity, had an extreme speed technique that could tear through s.p.a.ce, and a shocking comprehension talent, seeing as he was able to imitate battle techniques after seeing them just once. This young man gave Huo Qingshan the chills. It felt impossible that a monster like him had come from the Outerverse.
In her younger days, Wendy Yushan had cultivated at the Innerverse’s Myriad Swords Peak to reach her current power level. But in comparison, Lu Yin had still been struggling on Earth just two years ago. In these two years, he had climbed up to his current level. It was astounding.
Lu Yin grinned slightly. This amazement was the effect that he had intended to have. The more valuable he seemed, the more support Huo Qingshan would be willing to give him.
“Have you heard of the Lockbreaker Society?” Lu Yin asked. He wanted to show off even more.
Huo Qingshan nodded. “Of course. The Lockbreaker Society is an immense organisation in the universe, and every Lockbreaker is considered a treasure of the human race that should never be humiliated, killed, or undermined. If any Lockbreaker is humiliated or killed, then the entire Lockbreaker Society will take revenge on their behalf. They have far too many powerhouses.”
Lu Yin looked up. “Yes, that’s correct. Do we have any Lockbreakers in the Great Yu Empire?”
Huo Qingshan glanced at Lu Yin. “I heard from His Majesty that you are a Lockbreaker yourself.”
Lu Yin nodded. “Yes, but Lockbreaking is too dangerous, and it would be great if I could speak with some Lockbreakers from the empire.”
“I heard that there were a few in the past. By the way, may I know if you would be willing to divulge your current Lockbreaker ranking?” Huo Qingshan asked curiously.
“I’m a two star Bright-Eyed Junior Lockbreaker,” Lu Yin confidently stated.
Huo Qingshan was shocked. “Two stars? You’ve made achievements already?”
Lu Yin nodded and eyed Huo Qingshan in surprise. “Didn’t His Majesty tell you?”
Huo Qingshan shook his head and sighed in admiration at Lu Yin. “You truly are talented, Your Highness. Not only are you personally powerful, but you are also a Lockbreaker with achievements. There is n.o.body in the Outerverse who can compare to you. Even Princess Wendy Yushan only had her amazing strength when she was your age. She has no talent for Lockbreaking.”
Lu Yin smiled. “Princess Wendy is in the top twenty of the Top 100 Rankings and isn’t someone who I can compare to.
“Have you heard of Honor Points, Huo Qingshan?”
Huo Qingshan stared blankly at Lu Yin. “Are you saying… that you have Honor Points as well?”
Lu Yin grunted in acknowledgement. “Although, I don’t know how to use it. I just have one.”
Huo Qingshan was rendered speechless.
The Ghost Monkey couldn’t take it any longer. “Stop playing stupid, Seventh Bro! You’ve said more than enough. I think that he’s gone stupid from hearing everything that you have to say.”
“How about I give you a tour of my home, Your Highness?” Huo Qingshan did not want to discuss accomplishments anymore. He really could not understand this young man; he was a two star Bright-Eyed Junior Lockbreaker who had Honor Points! If the conversation kept going, then he had a feeling that Lu Yin might scare him even more. He also had a suspicion that the Great Yu Empire would not be enough to contain this young man.
Huo Qingshan was well aware that Lu Yin was already a member of the Council of Astral Academy and also that he had also joined the Outerverse Youth Council after getting first place in the Outerverse trials. Those were horrifying results! Any one of of this youth’s ident.i.ties could scare anyone stupid.
“By the way, I suddenly remembered this—I have something urgent to attend to. You can let Xiaoling give you a tour,” Huo Qingshan said, excusing himself.
Lu Yin nodded. “If you’re busy, then you should get back to work. Xiaoling and I already know each other anyways.”
Huo Qingshan hastily left.
Lu Yin burst into laughter as he looked at his palm. His many ident.i.ties were indeed terrifying, but they were still far from enough to satisfy him. He had yet to reach a point where even the Daynight clan feared him. That would indicate that his influence had truly reached an untouchable level. To that end, being a highly regarded Lockbreaker and acc.u.mulating Honor Points were methods to achieve his goal. However, Honor Points were too difficult to obtain, so the only way for him to move forward was as a Lockbreaker. It seemed that he needed to spend some more time honing his Lockbreaking.
Since his mind was on Lockbreaking, Lu Yin was suddenly reminded of the Shenwu Continent. The five sourceboxes that had trapped everyone in the Tower of Resonating Light had been setup in a similar manner to the five sealing planets that had sealed the continent away. He had had a very terrifying premonition back then that the five sealing planets were five unbelievably huge sourceboxes.
Lu Yin shook his head once more. That can’t be possible. No sourcebox can be that ma.s.sive. However, the Shenwu Continent did seem to have quite a few sourceboxes, and there had even been two standing guard at the entrance of the Ming Constables’ headquarters.
“Your Highness.” Huo Xiaoling came over and bowed to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin grinned at her. “We’ve only seen each other once since I came to the Great Yu Empire.”
Huo Xiaoling nodded, recalling how Bazeer had humiliated Lu Yin during the banquet back then. Bazeer was probably feeling rather uneasy now that the young man who he had humiliated back then had caught up to him.
“I’ll give you a tour of the Huo family residence, Your Highness,” Huo Xiaoling said.
Lu Yin nodded. When he stood beside this young woman, he unconsciously smelled the fragrance that wafted off of her. It was quite different from both Ming Yan and Madam Nalan’s. Huo Xiaoling’s fragrance seemed to have a bit of heat to it, though he didn’t know if it was real or imagined because of her fiery red locks.
Huo Xiaoling’s heart raced. The reason why her father had put her in this situation was quite obvious. He wanted her to interact with Lu Yin, and if possible, marry him.
She wasn’t romantically interested in anyone at the present, and she was totally fine with marrying this young man, but what were Lu Yin’s thoughts? Did he want to marry her? Huo Xiaoling had no idea.
“I seem to remember that you have an innate gift. Is that correct, Ms. Ling?” Lu Yin asked.
Huo Xiaoling nodded. “My innate gift is a fire phoenix.”
Lu Yin sighed in admiration. “You have an innate gift and are a Limiteer as well. Did you know? With your qualifications, you’d actually be able to join the Outerverse Youth Council.
Huo Xiaoling looked up at Lu Yin and mulled over this information. “I don’t want to leave my father.”
Lu Yin nodded. It was a bit of a pity since the girl had a fire phoenix as her innate gift, but it was normal for a daughter to not want to leave her family. What if he had a family as well? His family treated him very well, but they weren’t his true family, and he hadn’t actually been born to them. From his previous memories, the one place where he had felt the most at home was Earth. Perhaps it would be a good idea to return to Earth at some point with some powerhouses.
Behind the two of them, a little figure kept following them, sometimes hiding and sometimes peeking at them.
Lu Yin had known that she was there from the very beginning due to his domain. However, he hadn’t told Huo Qingshan about this because it was important that he leave something as a hidden trump card.
“Is the person behind us your little sister?” Lu Yin asked, finding the little shadow hilarious.
Huo Xiaoling was surprised and immediately turned around. She turned grim. “What are you doing, Xiaoxiao?”
The little girl yelped and tentatively walked out with her head hanging down low.
Huo Xiaoling walked over, glared at her, and then asked again, “What are you doing, Xiaoxiao?”
Lu Yin strolled over, chuckling. “Is your name Huo Xiaoxiao?”
Huo Xiaoxiao looked up at him, her gaze a mix of curiosity and a bit of fear. “Yes, I’m Huo Xiaoxiao.”
“How old are you?” Lu Yin gently asked.
Huo Xiaoxiao whispered, “Seven.”
“Are you following us because you’re worried about your sister?” Lu Yin enquired.
Huo Xiaoxiao nodded. She peeked at Huo Xiaoling and then ducked her head once again.
Huo Xiaoling gazed at Huo Xiaoxiao gently and picked her up. With an apologetic expression, she said, “I’m sorry, Your Highness. She’s still young.”
Lu Yin grinned. “I like children. Their innocence is always charming. You have a good sister.”
Huo Xiaoling smiled in response. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
An hour later, Lu Yin left the Huo family’s residence. As he left, Huo Qingshan and the rest stood up to see him off.
“What are your thoughts on him, Xiaoling?” Huo Qingshan asked as he watched Lu Yin leave.
Huo Xiaoling pondered over it. “We didn’t really talk much, so I can’t tell.”
“What’s your first impression of him?”
Huo Xiaoling blinked. “He’s decisive, ruthless, sly, talented, and willing to do anything to achieve his goals.”
Huo Qingshan was astounded. “Sly? He’s willing to do anything for his goals?”
Huo Xiaoling told him about the last battle during Earth’s trial. “This person never lets go of any opportunity he can find, and he knows how to make use of everything around him. He’s quite scary.”
Huo Qingshan burst into laughter. “That’s great! How can the Great Yu Empire survive if the one ruling it was a kind person? He’ll do well as Royal Regent.”
Huo Xiaoling did not speak any further. She had merely told her father her impression of Lu Yin. Currently, what kind of person he truly was had nothing to do with her, but in the future, perhaps it could become relevant if she ended up marrying him.
After parting from the Huo family, Lu Yin grew sullen. He had discovered something unique in the Huo family’s residence. It was a strange symbol composed of a blue ball and a pair of wings. He had never seen the symbol before.
The symbol had been hidden very well, and if not for his domain, he wouldn’t have discovered it. Huo Qingshan certainly had no idea that Lu Yin had seen it.
If the symbol had been placed in a very obvious place, then it might not have caught his attention. However, the Huo family had instead carefully concealed it. More importantly, Lu Yin had just searched this symbol up on his gadget, but there was no information about this symbol available anywhere. The Huo family clearly held a secret that n.o.body was aware of.
Lu Yin had initially a.s.sumed that they were just an ordinary n.o.ble family, but he had unexpectedly discovered that they were hiding something. Lu Yin was very uncomfortable with this new information. He disliked knowing that there were variables outside his control in the empire. He was now the person in charge of the Great Yu Empire, and he could not tolerate the fact that the Huo family had ties to another organization.
However, there was nothing that he could do about it for now. Lu Yin took a deep breath and disregarded the discomfort brewing within him and instead looked into the distance, towards where the Auna family’s estate lay. He had originally been planning on visiting the Auna family right after the Huo family, but now, after thinking things over, he instead returned to the Zishan residence.
The Auna family had let him down in the matter concerning Jenny Auna. If he rushed over too quickly, then it would make it too obvious that he needed the Auna family’s support. They would definitely try to make use of that weakness if he made the wrong move.
He would wait for them to visit him. If they didn’t… Lu Yin’s eyes flashed dangerously. The Auna family will no longer need to exist. He’d have the two sides fight each other to the death. Huo Qingshan would be his tool to control the Auna family. Similarly, the Auna family could temporarily be used to gain a bit of control over the Huo family. Lu Yin hoped that the Auna family would not disappoint him.
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