146: Stepping stone, here it comes.

The top floor of the Military Alliance base.

Yan Zijin was warmly entertaining a man and a woman in front of him.

“Brother Feihang, Prodigy Shu.”

“You’ve finally arrived.”

Geng Feihang blew on his teacup and spoke leisurely.

“Brother Zijin.”

“The loss of face you suffered has reached my Southern Region.”

Yan Zijin's expression stiffened, and a trace of irritation flashed in his eyes.

“You...”

Before he could finish his sentence,

a cold voice rang out.

“He barely reached the Star Level standard to begin with.”

“Forget a suspected Pseudo-Domain Level; any Star Level of the same Realm with a bit of skill could easily crush him.”

Yan Zijin took a deep breath and looked at the cold-faced woman who had just spoken with a bitter smile.

“Prodigy Shu.”

“That Lin Yan is truly bizarre.”

“His cultivation isn't high, but his combat strength is simply ridiculous.”

“You also know.”

“It's not just me; even Hang Qin from the Supreme Academy, who arrived not long ago, was crushed by him in a single blow in front of everyone.”

As his voice fell,

Geng Feihang chuckled and set down his teacup.

“Hang Qin, I know her.”

“Just an unremarkable Star Level who follows behind the Supreme Academy's Miss Liu.”

He turned his head slightly to look at the exquisite woman beside him.

“Although her cultivation is also Rank Six, it's only at the Early Stage, and her combat strength is far inferior.”

Dammit!

Yan Zijin noted the look of admiration in Geng Feihang's eyes and cursed inwardly.

Talking is as easy as drinking soup!

What is Shu Xia?

A Star River Rank!

And a Star River Rank with Rank Six Late Stage cultivation and a strong ability to fight above her level!

Is there any comparison?

And mentioning Miss Liu from the Supreme Academy!

Looking at your posturing, one would think you were Mr. Xu!

Aren't you just a Star Level with King Rank Six Middle Stage cultivation, only slightly stronger than me?

He's really lost all shame just to chase Shu Xia; calling you here was just to have a cheerleader.

But as it happened, someone found these words very pleasing.

Shu Xia's cold expression softened slightly.

“Even if he is Pseudo-Domain, he's only at the Rank Four Peak cultivation.”

“This Lin Yan is nothing to worry about.”

“I heard Cao Xiujie from the Supreme Academy has also come?”

Faced with this question,

a hint of awkwardness instantly flashed across Geng Feihang's face.

Yan Zijin glanced at him with schadenfreude and immediately replied.

“Yes.”

“Besides him, there's also Gu Zhu from the south.”

Geng Feihang's brow furrowed slightly.

“Hmph,” Shu Xia snorted coldly, “He loves bringing that little vixen around all day.”

“What's the point of dividing regions!”

“He might as well just move to the Southern Region and live with her!”

After speaking,

she rose directly from the sofa and looked out the window at the distant aerial arena.

“Let's deal with this Lin Yan first!”

“Then I'll see just what progress you, Cao Xiujie, have made lately!”

...Supreme Academy.

“Brother Jie...”

Hang Qin listened to this voice that was cloying to the extreme, suppressed her physical discomfort, and looked at the young man being held by a woman in pink clothes.

“Brother Xiujie.”

“I'm sorry for the trouble.”

Cao Xiujie reached out and patted the woman in his arms, who was acting like a delicate bird, with a smile.

“We both follow His Highness long-term; what's the trouble?”

“Exactly, Sister Qin, you're being too formal.” Gu Zhu snuggled into Cao Xiujie's arms and blinked her large, lively eyes. “For Brother Jie, that Lin Yan is just a matter of a single strike.”

Hang Qin took a light breath.

Hearing about someone is not as good as meeting them!

As expected of the little vixen who is famous throughout the academy!

She was starting to believe the rumors.

Gu Zhu?

That Star Level King Rank Prodigy?

She had just relied on her flirtatious techniques to latch onto several Star River Ranks early on and gained quite a few benefits.

She immediately cast these thoughts aside and asked aloud.

“Then we...?”

Cao Xiujie raised his eyes slightly, his gaze piercing directly through the room to look at the distant aerial arena.

“Naturally, we must first break the bones of the Tianqi Imperial Court citizens in this region.”

...“It's been two days.”

“The Star Envoy has been alone on the arena for two days, and no one has come to challenge him yet.”

Martial Arts Company building.

Zhu Ling, Sang Qian, and the others looked into the mid-air through the window.

“It should be soon.”

“Since the Star Envoy had us act this way at this time, he clearly must have received news.”

“Besides.”

“It's for a whole month.”

“Even people from the western side of the Star River could make it here.”

“I'm just thinking...”

“Forget it.”

“The Star Envoy said there are no 'ifs'; we should trust him.”

“Isn't that obvious?”

“If we don't trust the venerable Star Envoy, who will?”

Zhu Ling's voice was firm.

“Whether you believe it or not, I believe just by looking at the Star Envoy's face.”

“And I have a premonition that this time will be even more shocking than that day.”

“The name of Chezhou Star will resound throughout the entire Eighth Galaxy!”

Everyone paused, looking simultaneously at the young figure in black clothes standing on the arena.

Famed throughout the Galaxy... Fu Ying, standing not far away, withdrew his gaze from them and chuckled inwardly.

Famed throughout the Galaxy?

Too small!

Our Highness is a terrifying taboo that you couldn't understand even with all your imagination.

In less than a month, from Rank Four Peak to Rank Five Early Stage.

Who would dare believe it?

At that moment,

Fu Ying's brow twitched as if he had sensed something, and he shifted his gaze to the six figures slowly appearing in the sky.

The stepping stones have arrived!

...Lin Yan, who had been standing still with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and tossed the Spirit Medicine in his hand into his Storage Ring.

His gaze swept over the two groups of people in front of him, a faint smile on his face.

“State your names.”

“Then enter the arena.”

His voice spread across the fifteen stars through the network.

Everyone suddenly looked up at the projected images they had been occasionally monitoring.

“They're here!”

“Someone is going to challenge!”

“Who could it be?”

Exclamations rang out.

“I've seen that person.”

“Last time our Star Military Alliance held an event, he came and stood in front of everyone.”

“I've seen that short-haired woman too.”

“During an Academy competition once, she was sitting in the very center of the high platform.”

“So, they're from the Military Alliance and the Supreme Academy?”

“As expected, the two major powers that suffered losses before are the first to appear!”

Young faces also showed excited looks.

“Star Envoys.”

“These are all lords at the Star Envoy level!”

The two figures from the Starry Sky Bank and the Mercenary Alliance had solemn expressions.

“Shu Xia from the Military Alliance's Central Region, and Geng Feihang from the Southern Region.”

“Cao Xiujie from the Supreme Academy's Central Region, and Gu Zhu from the Southern Region.”

“Cao Xiujie and Shu Xia—those are two Star River Rank Prodigies.”

“What a grand gesture.”

“Just how much pressure did that Lin Yan put on Yan Zijin and Hang Qin that they actually called them all here?”

“They've blocked all the details, so we haven't known.”

“But now, we can get a good look.”