The Hidden Gift

"My name is Val. Xia Luo, remember my name. I will find you in the Astral Combat Academy," the half-man, half-machine man suddenly turned his head and roared. He was unwilling to be threatened, not even having the courage to make a continuous move.

A smile touched the corner of Xia Luo's lips as he stepped into the beam of light.

Shuz took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and also stepped into the beam of light. This time, he was brought in by someone else. Next time, he wanted to walk out of the Tenth Academy with glory.

At the same time, Dolan Yushan and the others were pleasantly surprised to find Shuz's name appearing on the light screen. At the same time, Xia Luo's name was also there. Two cultivators from the Great Yu Empire, enough to make countless people envious.

"Hahahaha, Shuz passed. As expected of the number one expert of our Great Yu Empire's younger generation," Dolan Yushan was overjoyed.

Huo Qingshan and the others also nodded. To be able to pass the assessment guarded by Innerverse experts, it seemed Shuz's strength had improved greatly.

"Who is that Xia Luo?" Rock Ona was curious.

Everyone shook their heads. Dolan Yushan had someone check the files. "What? Top secret?" Everyone was surprised.

"Even I don't have the authority to view it. I'll have to go back and ask Father Emperor," Dolan Yushan said solemnly, then smiled. "In this assessment, our Great Yu Empire is the biggest winner. A full four people passed, enough for a nationwide celebration."

"Don't be too happy. The three major powers of the Innerverse failed in their ambush, and our Great Yu Empire has four people who passed. This will definitely make them dissatisfied," Jue Lang said in a low voice.

Huo Qingshan's eyes turned cold. "So what? My Great Yu Empire was founded on martial strength; we are not afraid of war."

Far away on the Great Yu Empire's Capital Star, it was indeed as Dolan Yushan had predicted, a state of wild joy. Undying Yushan ordered a general amnesty and tax reductions, pushing the atmosphere to a climax.

However, one person was extremely furious, and that was Barzel. Lu Yin passing the assessment meant that he couldn't find trouble with this person in the short term. Especially since he had entered the Astral Combat Academy. He didn't know much about the Astral Combat Academy, but even from what he had heard, he knew it was an extraordinary place. This person might really have the ability to threaten him in the future.

Remembering Gui Huo's miserable state, Barzel's face was ugly, and he smashed the ground with one palm.

In the imperial palace on Planet Zhenwu, Undying Yushan looked at the light screen in front of him with an undisguised smile. On the screen was a woman, exquisitely beautiful, with a calm expression and deep eyes. "Father Emperor, you should not have let people enter the Tenth Academy."

Undying Yushan took a sip of tea. "The gap between the Outerverse and the Innerverse is too large. We must always find a way to narrow it."

"It cannot be narrowed. You have roamed the Innerverse before; you should know how terrifying it is here. Do you really think sending a few brats to join the Tenth Academy can bridge the gap? They will only see how insignificant they are," the woman said indifferently. She was the Fifth Princess of the Great Yu Empire, Wendy Yushan.

Undying Yushan stared at Wendy Yushan. "Little Five, you are too arrogant. The universe operates according to its own laws. The starry sky shatters, sometimes strong, sometimes weak. No one knows when this sky will change. Father Emperor is old and can no longer protect the empire. You are also unwilling to return. We can only take a chance. Perhaps the future lies with these young people."

Wendy Yushan's gaze was still as cold as ever, or rather, indifferent. "As you wish. The Great Yu Empire is just a speck of dust in the universe. If you insist on holding onto that speck of dust, I can do nothing. But I must remind you of one thing: the Astral Combat Academy is not a stepping stone to heaven for those people. They will see how insignificant they are, and how ridiculous the words they once spoke were." With that, Wendy Yushan cut off the light screen.

Undying Yushan looked at the empty space where the light screen had disappeared and sighed. How could he not know the cruelty of the Innerverse? But if one did not leave this dry well, the frog at the bottom would never know how big the sky was. A frog wanting to swallow the heavens—ridiculous, yet respectable.

The rain kept falling, not too heavy, not too light, splashing on the bluestone platform.

Lu Yin looked in surprise at the two people not far away. Xia Luo? Shuz?

Xia Luo smiled at Lu Yin, not surprised.

Shuz, on the other hand, scanned the crowd. There were a total of eleven people here: six in the Reaching Realm, and only five in the Melting Realm. Excluding himself and Xia Luo, only three Melting Realm cultivators had passed the assessment. Shuz's gaze fixed on Hei Xu. This person gave him an indescribable sense of danger.

Not far away, Yin smiled faintly at Xia Luo. Xia Luo had also just looked over, and the two of them met eyes.

Yin still maintained his smile.

Xia Luo's gaze, however, was no longer gentle, but carried a trace of sharpness.

Just between the two of them, a figure descended, a new person who had passed.

Lu Yin looked over, his pupils contracting. He saw black and silver hair—the mark of the White Night clan.

At this moment, not only Lu Yin, but everyone was attracted by the newly appeared man. The White Night clan—any cultivator from the Innerverse would recognize them. That black and silver hair was too eye-catching.

The man's gaze was arrogant as he scanned his surroundings, pausing only briefly on Michelle, a hint of amazement in his eyes.

But at this moment, a voice echoed from the void. "The assessment is over. Twelve people have passed. Congratulations to all of you."

As the voice fell, in the starry sky, another name appeared on the light screen of a Reaching Realm path, right below Zhao Yilong's name—Hui Baiye.

Lu Yin withdrew his gaze from the White Night clan man and looked up at the sky. There was no one there. The voice came from above, from all directions.

In the distance, the dim cyan rain screen connecting heaven and earth occasionally had mist rising from it.

"Congratulations on being admitted to the Astral-10 Academy. The Academy has specially prepared five gifts hidden in the rainwater. Whoever finds them can have them."

Everyone's eyes lit up. A gift from the Astral-10 Academy must not be simple.

Lu Yin's gaze swept towards the rain. A gift hidden in the rain? What did that mean?

Twelve people, twelve thoughts, all looking at the rain. The rain in the sky kept falling, and as far as the eye could see, it was empty, with no trace of any gift.

Michelle walked to a corner of the bluestone platform, facing east, and stood quietly.

Xia Luo did the same. The White Night clan man, Hui Baiye, did the same. He was only in the Reaching Realm, but no one would treat him as such.

As time passed, the twelve people each faced a direction, staring at the rain, sensing something.

The rain was ordinary rain; this was Lu Yin's feeling. He reached out his hand. The rain fell on his palm, splashing up water droplets. It was very normal. The Tenth Academy wanted them to comprehend something in the rain, but facing this kind of celestial phenomenon, he was helpless.

Before long, bursts of surging Star Energy erupted and then subsided, coming from Michelle and a few others. They had discovered something.

Lu Yin raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lulu, noticing her eyes were shining, as if she had some comprehension. He glanced at Xia Luo again; this person's gaze was always so gentle, it was impossible to see anything. Lu Yin took a deep breath. He couldn't go on like this; he would fall behind.

With this thought, Lu Yin's gaze became firm. He actually didn't want to use the Heavenly Star Art. After all, this was the Astral Combat Academy, and it might be recognized. But he had no choice. One step behind, and he would be steps behind.

The next moment, Lu Yin circulated the Heavenly Star Art, six stars revolving around him. This was the result of his many days of work, a six-star Heavenly Star Palm. He didn't know if he could fight Gurbach at his peak, but even if he couldn't, the gap wouldn't be too large.

In the rain screen, a pair of world-weary eyes opened, seeing Lu Yin through an infinite distance, a look of surprise in them. "This is... that kind of cultivation art? Someone in the Outerverse actually obtained it. Interesting, very interesting."

Ever since everyone had entered this rain-drenched land, all contact on their personal communicators had been cut off. They didn't know how much of a sensation the Tenth Academy's assessment had caused outside. They had been under this rain screen, waiting, for three days.

In three days, Lu Yin had been staring at the raindrops. Through the Heavenly Star Art, he had seen something different. The rain was helping him wash away the impurities in his Star Energy. Vaguely, he saw figures flashing in the rain, saw Star Energy erupting, saw all sorts of incomprehensible and incredible phenomena.

The sound of the raindrops in his ears made his mind clear. What he saw was the rain, but what he felt was all the various experiences he had had since stepping onto the path of cultivation.

Just as Lu Yin was immersed in the sound of the rain, Michelle opened her eyes, and her Star Energy erupted again. This time, the erupting Star Energy pushed the rain away, turning into a shockwave that blasted forward, as if tearing a small crack in the rain screen. Michelle's eyes lit up. She took a step out and appeared in the rain screen, reaching out to grab. A star chip appeared in her palm.

The others looked at Michelle in surprise. She had gotten the first gift.

Lu Yin stared at the Star Energy on Michelle's body, then looked at his own. He knew where the problem was. Michelle's Star Energy had formed a substance and could push the rain away. His own Star Energy was tangible but not substantial; the rain passed right through it, and he couldn't push this rain screen away at all.

The gift was right in front of them, not hidden at all. It was just a matter of who could get it. This was a test of everyone's Star Energy.

Lu Yin took a deep breath, mobilizing the Star Energy in his body, feeling the raindrops. He had to turn his Star Energy into a substance to be able to tear open the rain screen. It seemed simple, but in reality, it was very difficult.