Crush with one punch

Eck was furious, "Who?" he shouted, immediately checking his personal terminal, which displayed a power level of 3000, peak Explorer realm. Almost all candidates for the Starry Sky War College assessment had a power level of 3000, making combat values meaningless.

Not far away, a man with dark red skin charged towards Eck, sparks flying from his arms before they transformed into a flaming spear aimed directly at him. Eck roared in anger, "Scum from the Refining Flame Star," and engaged the man in battle.

In less than half a minute, Eck was pierced by the spear, his abdomen charred by the flames.

The man sneered, "This is the price for the Great Yu Empire's betrayal and insult to our Young Master Yan Feng," he said, pulling out the spear as Eck's body fell to the ground.

Similar scenes occurred in several places. It seemed the Refining Flame Star group knew the arrival time of the Great Yu Empire, and anyone landing during this period was their enemy.

The young man referred to as Young Master spat on the gradually cooling corpse. "The insult my brother suffered will be avenged by me, Yan Zheng," he declared.

Suddenly, there was another loud bang as a wave of heat rushed in. Yan Zheng looked west, a cruel smile forming as he flew towards the source.

A spaceship had crashed into the ground, forming a conical pit. A young man slowly emerged from the hatch.

Yan Zheng saw him and, without hesitation, clashed his arms to produce sparks, transforming them into a flaming spear aimed at the young man.

The young man glanced up, a sharp gleam in his eyes. He raised his hand and uttered, "Great Desolation Palm." His palm turned a dark yellow and collided with the flaming spear. With a bang, the impact sent waves of energy across the ground, shattering the flaming spear inch by inch. Yan Zheng was horrified, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as a sharp pain hit his chest. The young man's palm struck him, sending him flying. Without looking back, the young man soared into the sky, heading off into the distance.

Yan Zheng spat blood and crashed into a protruding rock wall, coughing up more blood, his face pale. That palm strike had nearly crippled him.

"Who are you?" Yan Zheng shouted, coughing up blood again.

The young man was surprised, "Still alive? My name is Meng Yue. If you have the guts, come and seek revenge," he said before quickly leaving.

Yan Zheng, enduring the intense pain, squatted down. At that moment, two members of the Refining Flame Star arrived, alarmed. "Young Master, who injured you?"

Yan Zheng did not respond, taking out medicine to treat his injuries.

Soon, two more members of the Refining Flame Star arrived, surrounding Yan Zheng.

After a while, Yan Zheng opened his eyes, breathing heavily, his gaze filled with fear. That palm not only shattered his combat skills but also severely injured him, as if his vitality had been drained. "Great Desolation Palm? It sounds familiar," he murmured.

"Go check that spaceship for any identifying features," Yan Zheng said weakly.

A member of the Refining Flame Star flew off and returned shortly, "Young Master, there are two words engraved on the back of the spaceship—'Great Desolation'."

Yan Zheng's face changed as he remembered. The Great Desolation Sect, a dominant force in the Great Desolation Region, was several regions away from the Canglan Region. No wonder it hadn't come to mind immediately. The Great Desolation Sect, the Great Desolation Palm, and someone capable of severely injuring him with a single strike—Meng Yue, the young master of the Great Desolation Sect.

Yan Zheng finally realized who he had faced—a genius from the Great Desolation Sect, a lunatic who refused to break through, attempting to push the Explorer realm to its limits. This person had once been invited to join the Outer Universe Youth Council but had declined. Capable of defeating Fusion Realm cultivators as an Explorer, Meng Yue was a monster, explaining his formidable strength.

Yan Zheng exhaled, knowing that facing such a person meant avoiding any thoughts of revenge, even avoiding meeting him altogether.

"Where are the other two? Why are only the four of you here?" Yan Zheng asked.

One of them hesitated, his face darkened, "They're dead."

"How did they die?" Yan Zheng roared.

"One was killed by a local exotic beast, the other by a cultivator from the Great Yu Empire."

Yan Zheng clenched his fist, "Who?"

"We don't know, we've never seen him before."

Yan Zheng felt helpless. He had underestimated the situation. This was the assessment for the Tenth Starry Sky Academy, attracting countless geniuses and talents. The Refining Flame Star could dominate the Canglan Region, but they were not qualified to face the entire universe's geniuses. "Rest up, we'll take revenge after joining the Starry Sky War College."

The group sighed in relief, grateful that their young master was not acting rashly, knowing the dangers they faced from numerous powerful opponents.

Meanwhile, Lu Yin reunited with Lulu, who was not far away.

"Lu Yin, let's see who gets there first," Lulu challenged eagerly.

Lu Yin checked his personal terminal. "Sure, but wait a moment. I'm expecting someone."

Lulu was puzzled. "Someone else is joining us?"

Lu Yin's eyes grew cold. "I'm here to send him off."

Lulu didn't understand, but Lu Yin's mouth curved into a smile. "He's here."

In the distance, Ghostfire was flying leisurely, adapting well to the environment.

Suddenly, Ghostfire stopped, surprised at what he saw ahead. "It's you?"

Lu Yin stepped forward, "I've been waiting for you."

Ghostfire sneered, "Sorry, I just killed a so-called Refining Flame Star waste. I was wondering where to find you, and you show up. Ready to die?"

Lu Yin clenched his fist. "I'll deal with Bazel later, but first, I'll collect some interest from you." He disappeared in a flash, appearing in front of Ghostfire. Ghostfire mocked, "Ant, there's nothing here to trap me. Let me show you the power of Void Flame," as black flames spread around him, turning his body into void.

His talent surprised Lulu. Void Flame could avoid physical attacks, a talent even many Fusion Realm powerhouses struggled with.

Lu Yin smirked, raising his hand and unleashing a punch. The alternating white and black represented the White Night Fist. The White Night Clan dominated the universe with their powerful techniques, able to crush various unique talents. This was the White Night Clan, never to be thwarted by something like Void Flame.

The White Night Clan's techniques included both physical and spiritual attacks. The alternating white and night represented a form of spiritual assault. Previously, Lu Yin hadn't understood why the White Night Fist alternated between white and night, but facing Ghostfire, he realized. The universe had countless unique talents. The White Night Clan's techniques were peerless, with no weaknesses—only less effective but never ineffective.

As the White Night Fist struck, Ghostfire initially showed disdain, then experienced a strange sense of contradiction. His body felt torn apart, seeing both day and night, with white and night alternating like the passage of time. His body was deceived. Despite knowing it was an illusion, his body couldn't resist, extreme fatigue preventing him from maintaining his talent, reverting to physical form, his face pale.

Lu Yin pressed his hand on Ghostfire's abdomen. "Tell Bazel, your fate is a preview of his future." He then slammed down, "Triple—Wave Palm." The impact dispersed the air, sending Ghostfire crashing into the ground, forming a massive crater, spitting blood. But it wasn't over. Another force erupted in his abdomen, expanding the crater again, followed by another. Three times—Triple Wave Palm.

Ghostfire was completely crippled, passing out.

Lu Yin stood in the air, looking down, his cold expression easing slightly. This was just interest; Bazel's future would be much worse.

Lulu, who had watched the entire battle, was amazed by both Ghostfire's talent and Lu Yin's Triple Wave Palm. "You've improved again. That's an impressive technique," she exclaimed.

Lu Yin smiled, "Let's go. Let's see who gets there first."

"Okay," Lulu accelerated.

After they left, Meng Yue appeared, looking at Ghostfire's miserable state and the crater left by Ghostfire's fall. He was quite surprised. "Triple strength, Wave Palm. Interesting."

At the same time, aboard the Great Yu Empire's spaceship, Doran Yushan and others received updates on all students participating in the assessment. The Fusion Realm assessment had just begun, while the Explorer assessment was nearly over, with only a few participants left.

"A student reported being hunted by Refining Flame Star," someone reported.

Doran Yushan's face darkened. "Refining Flame Star seems to want war with the Great Yu Empire."

Rock Auna replied calmly, "Not necessarily. Yan Gang paved the way for Yan Feng, giving him the courage to pursue Princess Wendy. They shouldn't be attacking us now unless the attacker is unaware of the situation and truly believes we dishonored Yan Feng."

"Yan Feng has a younger brother named Yan Zheng, who happens to be an Explorer. He might be the one who attacked," Doran Yushan speculated.

"Should we inform Refining Flame Star?" someone asked.

Doran Yushan responded calmly, "No need. Refining Flame Star is a minor player. If they can't get past Refining Flame Star, they have no chance of joining the Starry Sky War College."