The Path of Assessment

This is the power of Undying Yushan, who once dominated the Inner Universe. Like Wendy Yushan, he ranked in the top twenty of the Star Battlefield List. Now, even though he has suffered severe injuries and has limited time left, he is still the Undying Yushan, an iron-blooded emperor that someone like the young Bazel cannot resist.

Bazel panted heavily, his face gradually recovering as he glared at Undying Yushan's departing figure with a look of unwillingness.

On the spaceship, Lu Yin reunited with Shalosh and Lulu Mebius. Ever since arriving on True Universe Star, they had not met each other.

"Haha, Lu Yin, I heard you got your engagement annulled. How embarrassing, haha!" Lulu Mebius laughed heartily.

Shalosh patted Lu Yin on the shoulder. "Don't mind it."

Lu Yin smiled. "It's fine. What about you guys? Weren't you invited to Bazel's banquet?"

Lulu Mebius rolled her eyes. "Do you think just anyone can invite this lady?"

Shalosh shrugged. "We just returned a couple of days ago."

"I wonder how strict the assessment will be this time, and what kind of people will come from the Inner Universe," Lu Yin said, looking at the starry sky.

"The Inner Universe? There shouldn't be many people coming," Shalosh replied.

Lu Yin was puzzled.

Shalosh glanced at Lulu Mebius. "You should know, right? The Tenth Institute of the Starry Sky War College is an exiled academy."

Lulu Mebius nodded, her laughter subsiding. "The Starry Sky War College is ranked from top to bottom. The Tenth Institute has been in the last position for many years. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been relocated to the Blue Billow Domain."

"It's rumored that when news of the Tenth Institute's relocation to the Blue Billow Domain was announced, almost all of its students left. So, the academy we are going to apply for is essentially empty," Shalosh said.

Lu Yin was confused. "Why is that? Even if the Tenth Institute moves to the Blue Billow Domain, the trials you mentioned, like the Three Realms and Six Paths, won't be canceled, right? Why would they leave?"

"We don't know. I suspect that most of the applicants for the Tenth Institute will be from the Outer Universe, with almost no one from the Inner Universe. The geniuses who can enter the Starry Sky War College are mostly taken by the top eight institutes. The Ninth Institute also primarily recruits students from the Endless Borders of the Outer Universe, and the Tenth Institute won't be an exception," Shalosh explained.

"Despite that, the Starry Sky War College still holds immense appeal for the Outer Universe. You can see it from your Great Yu Empire. The young elites from the regions near the Blue Billow Domain will surely come. It's the only place where they can compete with the elites of the Inner Universe. The Starry Sky War College gives the Outer Universe hope of surpassing the Inner Universe," Lulu said.

"A convergence of countless geniuses," Lu Yin murmured. The arrival of the Starry Sky War College was like a line connecting the young elites of the Inner and Outer Universes. He was curious to see how strong these so-called geniuses of the Inner Universe really were.

In preparation for the upcoming assessment, all the students shut themselves in for training, rarely going out to talk, including Gulbach and others.

Time passed quickly. After just a day, more spaceships began to appear, all heading in the same direction.

The spaceships came in various shapes and sizes, some bizarre and unusual. Lu Yin saw a spaceship resembling a coffin board and another shaped like a sword, all carrying the elites from various Outer Universe forces.

To the Inner Universe, the Tenth Institute of the Starry Sky War College was an exiled academy. But to the Outer Universe, it was the only hope of surpassing the Inner Universe, highlighting the significant disparity.

Another day passed. When Lu Yin withdrew his gaze from the star map, the spaceship stopped. He looked out the window to see the starry sky filled with spaceships of all sizes, all stopping and facing the same direction.

Lu Yin left his room and went to the top floor, where many students were already gathered, all looking ahead.

A continent stretched out in the starry sky, extending endlessly. Above the continent were scorching stars, spaced at regular intervals and not too far apart, illuminating the entire continent in a fiery red.

Even from such a distance, Lu Yin could feel the heat emanating from the land. The temperature was so high that it distorted and evaporated the air, like a flame crossing the starry sky.

All the students stared in awe. "What... what is that?"

At the front of the spaceship, Crown Prince Doran Yushan turned around and solemnly addressed the students, "This is the assessment for Explorers at the Tenth Institute of the Starry Sky War College. Walk this path to reach the Tenth Institute. If you can't make it, you either retreat or die."

Lu Yin's face grew serious. This was a path? Even compared to a continent, it was narrow, but it couldn't be considered a path—it was as wide as Earth's radius.

"Explorers?" Lulu exclaimed, her face turning bitter.

Doran Yushan looked at her with a gentle gaze. "Yes, this path is for Explorers. There are ten paths leading to the Tenth Institute—three for Explorers and seven for Fusion Realm practitioners. All Explorers should take personal spacecraft to the assessment."

Lulu Mebius's face turned even more bitter. "I should have brought Little Turtle with me."

Doran Yushan was puzzled. Little Turtle?

Lu Yin was speechless. Little Turtle? That creature was a monster that could walk through the starry sky.

The Great Yu Empire had fewer than twenty Explorers participating in the assessment. Lu Yin only knew a limited few, like Lulu and Ras. The others were elite students who had passed the planetary trials. Except for the banquet, he hadn't interacted with them, and they had no intention of getting to know him either. Lu Yin wasn't interested in getting close to them either.

"Good luck, Brother Lu. See you at the Tenth Institute," Shalosh said with a smile.

Not far away, Gulbach also encouraged Lu Yin with a few words. Gules didn't come; she had given up.

Lu Yin nodded. At this moment, Ghostfire walked over and whispered a threat as he passed by, "Better not run into me. I can't guarantee I'll let you go." He then left with a cold smile.

A glint of coldness flashed in Lu Yin's eyes as he slowly walked away.

Doran Yushan watched Lu Yin's back, lost in thought.

Jenny Auna approached Rock Auna, her face pale. "Uncle, this assessment environment is not favorable for me."

Rock Auna frowned. "The environment can change at any time."

"That's good," Jenny Auna sighed in relief.

Rock Auna regretted it. "I shouldn't have forced you to break through to the Fusion Realm. With the strength of Prince Zishan, he has a good chance of passing the assessment. He could have taken you with him, but now you have to take the Fusion Realm assessment, and no one can help you."

Jenny Auna bit her lip. She was somewhat scared, looking at the path ahead. That was just the assessment for Explorers—she couldn't imagine what the Fusion Realm assessment would be like.

The moment that fiery path appeared in the starry sky, the assessment had already begun. The Great Yu Empire wasn't the first to arrive. Many forces' Explorers had already entered the path, including those from the Refining Flame Star.

Scorching suns baked the land, distorting the air with their heat.

On the scorching ground, groups of Explorers advanced towards the distant horizon. The sounds of battles and beast roars occasionally echoed.

On the road, students faced not only harsh environments and enemies but also powerful creatures, all at the Explorer level, which they had to contend with.

A group of seven stood in the shadows, looking at the sky. "Young Master, the people from the Great Yu Empire will arrive soon."

Among the seven, a young man sitting on the ground looked up with a sinister smile. "Good, I'll make them pay for insulting the Refining Flame Star."

With a loud bang, a personal spacecraft crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the hatch opened, Lu Yin stepped out, immediately feeling the heat. Looking up, he saw a series of suns like another path extending into the distance, growing hotter as they went.

Lu Yin soared into the air, feeling the air and star energy. "Not bad," he said, then accelerated forward.

Nearly twenty Explorers from the Great Yu Empire landed on the ground. Several were close to the seven from the Refining Flame Star. The young master stood up. "Let the hunt begin. Leave no survivors," he said, taking to the air, followed by the seven.

The Refining Flame Star was accustomed to being baked by flames, and this environment was their favorite. No one could defeat a Refining Flame Star warrior in such a hot environment—no one. This was their confidence.

With a bang, a personal spacecraft door was kicked open. Eck stepped out, squinting against the sunlight. "Damn assessment," he muttered, flying into the air and checking his personal terminal. "Off course, but only by a dozen kilometers. Close enough," he said, heading west to join the others.

Suddenly, a fiery red spear pierced the air, aiming straight at Eck.

Eck's eyes widened in shock, reacting quickly to dodge. The spear grazed his shoulder and embedded itself in

 a rock wall.