Initially, the space granted three days. To extend the time using Star Energy crystals, the cost increased significantly. A fist-sized Star Energy crystal only added five seconds, and a cubic meter of Star Energy crystals was estimated to add only 80 minutes, or one hour and twenty minutes.
Cultivation, combat techniques, weapon energy sources, dice, time... Lu Yin realized that everything he needed depended on Star Energy crystals. His premonition grew stronger that in the future, he might have to do some "bad" things for Star Energy crystals, such as robbery? Perhaps space pirate wasn't a bad profession.
Lu Yin surveyed his surroundings. He had to stay here for three days. This was awkward. Cultivating Heavenly Star Palm was completely insufficient, and there were no Star Energy crystals available to absorb. As for anything else? Lu Yin thought for a moment and concluded he could only cultivate one combat technique: the Sky Rending Palm.
The Sky Rending Palm was an advanced version of the Wave Palm, also a common combat technique. Its physical requirements far exceeded those of the Wave Palm. Even among Fusion Realm cultivators, few could use the Sky Rending Palm because its physical demands were too high. This suited Lu Yin perfectly; without energy, he could only cultivate this. Lu Yin was very confident in his physical body.
The Sky Rending Palm was more powerful than the Wave Palm, and more importantly, it was a long-range attack, which could compensate for Lu Yin's shortcomings.
Up until now, although Lu Yin hadn't cultivated extensively, he had never neglected his physical training. Fortunately, the Wave Palm didn't require high Star Energy, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to kill Yasta with it previously.
While Star Energy permeated the entire universe, each planet had its own ecosystem, and Star Energy wasn't uniform. Thus, body-reliant combat techniques like the Wave Palm were even rarer. Unfortunately, many people didn't see this, pursuing powerful combat techniques, unaware that in many situations, such techniques simply couldn't be used.
The seconds in the Time Stasis space dwindled. Lu Yin trained relentlessly, sweating profusely. The three days passed quickly.
When the final second ticked down, the scene before Lu Yin's eyes shifted, and he reappeared in the training room. Everything around him remained unchanged. Lu Yin quickly checked his watch. Indeed, time hadn't advanced. He had trained hard for three days, but only one second had passed in the outside world.
Lu Yin took a shower and rested well for a day. The next day, he met Granny again.
This time, Granny looked at Lu Yin with a mixture of apprehension and a hint of fear.
"Do you know your duty?" Lu Yin asked casually.
Granny whispered, "Your bodyguard."
Lu Yin smiled, "Let's go. Xing Sheng should be waking up soon."
Chu Shan had been undergoing intensive treatment; his injuries far exceeded Granny's. If Lu Yin hadn't intervened at that time, he would have been killed by Aodhan, and before that, he had been attacked by Tres.
Half a month of treatment had made Chu Shan lose some weight.
When Lu Yin brought Granny to the outside of the sickroom, Feng Hong hastily stood up. "Brother Lu, no, Saint Yin, Xing Sheng is awake."
Lu Yin felt helpless. He didn't want to be called Saint Yin, especially with the second group of trial students about to descend; it made him an easy target. But now that Jinling had started calling him that, and he had indeed become a Heaven-grade expert, he couldn't refute it.
"Understood. You all stay outside; I'm going in," Lu Yin said indifferently, bypassing Feng Hong and the others to enter the sickroom.
Feng Hong's eyes watched Granny warily; this woman was an alien.
Granny didn't care about Feng Hong. To be precise, she didn't care about anyone except Lu Yin. If Lu Yin hadn't been from the Starry Sky, it would have taken her even longer to submit, considering her pride.
Inside the sickroom, besides Chu Shan, Qin Xuan was also present.
Seeing Lu Yin enter, Qin Xuan's eyes became wary, subtly blocking Chu Shan.
Lu Yin chuckled, "I'm talking to Xing Sheng. You don't mind, do you?"
Qin Xuan pondered.
"Qin Xuan, step aside," Chu Shan's weak voice drifted out.
Qin Xuan hesitated, but eventually yielded, standing to one side.
Lu Yin looked at her. "You go out first."
Qin Xuan's eyes changed, and she looked at Chu Shan.
Chu Shan nodded, telling her to go out.
Qin Xuan reluctantly left.
"Sorry, she's just too worried about me," Chu Shan said softly, motioning for Lu Yin to sit.
Lu Yin sat by Chu Shan's bed and smiled, "She's afraid I'll hurt you."
Chu Shan laughed, "If you wanted to hurt me, I wouldn't be alive now. I heard you rejected the northern frontline, and want to focus on Jinling and the west?"
Lu Yin nodded, stood up, and walked to the windowsill. Looking at the chaotic Jinling, he said calmly, "Half a year into the apocalypse, zombies are the most numerous, but aside from their numbers, they don't have very strong offensive capabilities and don't pose a great threat to evolved humans. Mutated beasts are different; the longer time passes, the stronger mutated beasts become. The Xing Camp's front line is too stretched and could easily collapse entirely."
"It's precisely because the apocalypse is only half a year old that I hope to quickly connect with others and work together to reclaim Hua Xia. This is also why Zhao Yu risked coming to Jinling," Chu Shan said.
Lu Yin turned back to look at him, "How many casualties does the Xing Camp suffer every day? Can you really open up a longer path? I had Luo Yun report to you already, a Zombie King appeared on your so-called safe passage. Zombie Kings have intelligence, can evolve, and can even generate unique attack methods by devouring strange things. Myriad Commanders can't stand against them. Can you personally go to the front line? How far can you go? Can you guarantee that Heaven-grade mutated beasts won't appear?"
Chu Shan fell silent, saying bitterly, "I know, but I must reach the capital. I want to know what exactly happened back then, perhaps to find the origin of the apocalypse."
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes, "The origin of the apocalypse?"
Chu Shan looked at Lu Yin solemnly, "Back then, Hua Xia brought back a corpse from Neptune and obtained some information. We were able to get ahead of everyone else precisely because of that information, and after the apocalypse, we became the Seven Saints. But that corpse had problems. The Institute of Science and Technology discovered unusual substances on that corpse. Those substances could cause cell mutations. I suspect the apocalypse came from that corpse."
"And then?" Lu Yin asked.
Chu Shan said bitterly, "Those unusual substances were simply beyond the control of the Institute of Science and Technology. So, initially, Number One ordered that corpse to be transported away, and at the same time dispersed the seven of us to guard various parts of Hua Xia. Perhaps at that time, Number One had already guessed something, but on the very day of the transportation, the apocalypse descended."
Lu Yin stared at Chu Shan.
Chu Shan looked at the ceiling, vaguely saying, "We don't know what happened. We only know that in an instant, the world changed drastically. The researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology, Number One, and many other people all died in a massive explosion. Afterwards, we tried every means to establish contact, but we still don't know what happened, not even Elder Zhang Gao in the capital knows."
"That corpse?" Lu Yin quickly asked. He was most interested in that corpse. That corpse contained the Body Forging Art, and it was possibly the fugitive the trial students were looking for, from the inner universe.
Chu Shan shook his head, "I don't know. There was only a massive crater at the scene, filled with molten rock. All information disappeared in that explosion, bringing about the apocalypse."
Lu Yin turned away. It was clear that Chu Shan wasn't lying. He had tried to find that corpse, even traveling from Hubei to Jinling for it. But even the Seven Saints didn't know the corpse's whereabouts. It seemed he would have to make a trip to the capital.
"You rest well. I'll go first," Lu Yin said indifferently.
Chu Shan said to Lu Yin, "Are you leaving Jinling?"
Lu Yin looked at Chu Shan, "Do you want me to leave?"
"Of course not. Only if you stay can Jinling be held. I can feel that your strength is very powerful. An Earth-grade can injure that strongest alien. Now that you've reached Heaven-grade, your strength is definitely above mine. I hope you stay. The Xing Camp can obey your orders, and I can even obey your orders," Chu Shan said solemnly.
Lu Yin was surprised, "Why? If I leave, Jinling will still be your territory, and you'll still be Xing Sheng, admired by thousands."
Chu Shan chuckled, saying bitterly, "Do you think we want this title? The reason I guard Jinling is because Number One ordered me to. I am a soldier. Regardless of whether glory exists, I carry out my orders. The survival of millions of people in Jinling is more important than anything. I hope you stay and protect them."
Lu Yin stared into Chu Shan's eyes. Chu Shan met his gaze without any weakness.
After a long while, Lu Yin nodded. "I'll stay, for now." With that, he left the sickroom.
Chu Shan sighed with relief, looking out the window. The battle half a month ago had been deeply ingrained in his memory. The so-called Xing Sheng was nothing more than an ant. The pressure of millions of lives was too immense. He sincerely hoped Lu Yin would stay; only by surviving could there be a future.
Everything he told Lu Yin was top secret, but it was also his sincerity.
As soon as he left the sickroom, Qin Xuan rushed in.
Lu Yin nodded to Feng Hong and left with Granny.
Soldier, a heavy term, representing a sense of responsibility. This responsibility was too great, and Lu Yin didn't want to bear it. He respected Chu Shan, but that didn't mean he would stay forever to help him.