Stellar Steps

Chapter 9 - The Gifted Dual Eyes

Xu San saw Lu Yin getting up and thought he was going to make a move on him. In this apocalyptic world, life was as fragile as grass, and he had no doubt that Lu Yin might kill him to vent his frustration. He hurriedly said, "Sir, I can work for you! I can do a lot of things—please, don't kill me."

Lu Yin took a step toward the restaurant door, ignoring him.

As he passed by Xu San, the man’s fear peaked; he truly thought he was about to be killed. He’d witnessed countless powerful figures killing without hesitation. Gritting his teeth, he cried, "Sir, I have a special ability! I can be of help to you!"

Lu Yin stopped suddenly, looking at him in surprise. "What did you say? A special ability?"

Xu San’s face was pale as he whispered, "M-my eyes can see very far, several times farther than normal. It’s how I managed to steal so many valuable things."

Intrigued, Lu Yin squatted down, studying Xu San’s eyes. He noticed his pupils were slightly split. "Dual pupils?" Lu Yin was genuinely surprised. This was a rare gift—only one out of countless cultivators across the universe could be born with such a unique ability.

"Does anyone else know about your ability?" Lu Yin asked with a frown.

Xu San shook his head, whispering, "I didn’t want anyone thinking I was a freak. I’ve told no one—you’re the first."

Lu Yin’s mouth curled into a smile. "Your name?"

"Xu San."

"Alright, Xu San. From today onward, you’ll follow me. I’ll take you into the Xing Camp." Lu Yin replied casually.

Xu San looked up in fear. "You… you won’t dissect me, will you?"

Lu Yin chuckled. "I won’t, but others might if they found out. So, your special ability is to remain a secret. Understand?"

Xu San nodded, confused but compliant.

Unless one had experienced the vastness of space, they could never truly understand the value of a gifted talent. The Youth Council of the Universe would grant direct entry to anyone with such a talent—a feat most could only dream of. To Lu Yin, Xu San was a treasure with the potential for great use, perhaps even worth a substantial price if he were to sell him.

With Xu San’s local knowledge as a guide, Lu Yin spent the next few days combing through Jinling, including the ruins of the old weapons depot. But he found no trace of the things he was searching for.

"Boss, this is the highest point in Jinling aside from Mount Zhong," Xu San said to Lu Yin.

Lu Yin nodded, "Take a look. Where else do you see any military concentration, apart from Mount Zhong?"

Xu San nodded, gazing into the distance, his dual pupils brightening.

After a long while, Xu San chuckled bitterly, "Boss, my eyes do see farther than most people’s, but not so far that I can cover the whole of Jinling."

Lu Yin replied calmly, "Practice more, and you'll improve."

Xu San looked exasperated, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Boss, look! Is that someone flying over there?" Xu San suddenly shouted, pointing to the high sky in the east.

Lu Yin lifted his gaze, surprised. Someone was indeed flying over—and this person was clearly not from Earth, but like Yasta, from the vast reaches of the cosmos.

The figure moved at an incredible speed, descending over Jinling in moments. Taking a deep breath, the figure let out a roar, unleashing a violent wave of power that swept over the city like a storm.

Simultaneously, alarms blared throughout Jinling’s settlement, as countless people raised their heads, stunned by the sight of the figure standing in the sky above them.

At Mount Zhong, Feng Hong and other commanders dashed out, their faces pale as they looked up. "A Heavenly-level powerhouse?"

Everyone stared at the figure in awe and terror. The ability to fly was the defining trait of a Heavenly-level being. Since when has another such person appeared in China?

In the sky, the figure—Audun—looked down upon the settlement with a haughty gaze, exuding the same sense of superiority that Yasta and, indeed, all visitors from the universe shared towards Earth’s “primitive” inhabitants.

A voice came from within Mount Zhong, respectful despite the question it posed: "Honored Heavenly-level expert, why have you turned your power against Jinling’s settlement? This area is protected by the Sentinel of Justice."

Audun sneered. "The 'Sentinel of Justice'? Is that a title you earthlings have arrogantly claimed for yourselves? Such boldness! To presume you can wield the title of Sentinel! Tell this so-called 'Sentinel of Justice' to come out here."

The millions in Jinling’s settlement trembled in fear. This foreign Heavenly-level powerhouse exuded hostility, marking him clearly as an enemy.

Feng Hong and the others looked grim. While the common people might not understand, they knew for certain that this newcomer was an alien, just like the one who had been killed days before—possessing Heavenly-level power. Jinling was in serious trouble.

A thunderous shout rang out as Zhou Shan rose into the sky, wielding his massive three-meter axe, and faced Audun with a stern expression. “I am Zhou Shan, the Sentinel of Justice.”

Cheers erupted from below—Zhou Shan, their guardian, was the protector of Jinling.

Audun looked down with disdain. “I’m sure you’ve guessed my origins. I’ll give you an opportunity to serve me. In the future, I might even grant you the chance to leave Earth and step into the cosmos.”

Zhou Shan narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know where you’re from.”

Audun sneered. “You primitive earthlings dare to play coy with me? The coordinates where Asta landed are in this area. Don’t tell me you haven’t encountered him. For your information, my Academy ranking is far higher than his. Following me will bring you far greater prospects than following him.”

Zhou Shan tightened his grip on his axe. “We are Earthlings, not primitives.”

Audun smirked. “So, you’re not convinced? I’ll show you the gap between your kind and our superior beings.” With that, a sword appeared suddenly in his hand, and he thrust it directly toward Zhou Shan.

No one had expected Audun to attack so suddenly—not even Zhou Shan. But Zhou Shan reacted quickly; his battle instincts were sharp. He lifted his axe’s handle to deflect the sword and, with a 360-degree spin, swung upward at Audun. Audun was startled, impressed by Zhou Shan’s speed and reaction, and he immediately took Zhou Shan more seriously. He parried the blow, but the sheer force sent him flying back a hundred meters, his hands tingling from the impact.

The shockwave from their clash rippled out in an arc, slicing through the ground below and carving a hundred-meter gash into the earth. Many people were caught in the wave and fled in terror.

“What incredible strength,” Audun muttered, surprised.

With a fierce look, Zhou Shan swung his massive axe at Audun again. Audun sneered, a surge of energy emanating from his body, and he raised his sword horizontally, blocking the blow with ease.

Zhou Shan’s gaze sharpened as he pressed forward. “Trying to push me outside the settlement? Fine—I’ll make sure you surrender.”

Audun blocked the axe, but the force of Zhou Shan’s strike drove him backward until he was forced out of Jinling.

The brief exchange had left countless people below awestruck. To see humans battling in the air, each strike strong enough to rend the ground, felt like witnessing the power of gods.

Feng Hong and the others watched anxiously. They knew that any alien daring to descend to Earth would come prepared, and they worried about Zhou Shan.

On a distant peak, Xu San trembled with excitement. It was his first time witnessing a battle between Heavenly-level powerhouses, a truly eye-opening experience.

Lu Yin gazed toward the outskirts of the city, listening to the faint rumbling echoes of the fight with a furrowed brow.

Every student who descended possessed a ring-shaped battle armor capable of defending against Heavenly-level attacks, giving Audun what he assumed was an invincible edge. But Zhou Shan was one of the Seven Saints of Huaxia, and these seven individuals had received a part of their heritage from Neptune corpse. No matter how small the inheritance, it wasn’t something Audun could underestimate. The fact that they could stand their ground against the cosmic powers of Neptune meant that the heritage of that corpse held power vast enough to walk the stars, and its potential was immeasurable.

While Lu Yin could underestimate every other Earthly Evolver, he dared not belittle the Seven Saints of Huaxia. These seven had begun cultivating even before the apocalypse.

A few days ago, when Lu Yin saw Asta’s body and the alien ship, he had noticed that Zhou Shan wasn’t particularly surprised. He’d observed this closely, and now he doubted that Audun would emerge victorious.

Not long after, a deafening boom echoed from outside Jinling, with blasts of energy shooting skyward and tearing through the clouds before everything fell silent.

Soon, Zhou Shan soared high into the sky. Although he looked a bit pale, he appeared uninjured, proudly raising his massive axe. Below, cheers erupted from the millions of survivors in Jinling.

“Stay here,” Lu Yin instructed Xu San, then dashed out of the city.

Zhou Shan and Audun’s battlefield wasn’t far—about twenty kilometers outside the city.

When Lu Yin arrived, he saw a desolate, charred landscape with shattered high-rise buildings and deep, jagged s***h marks stretching far into the distance.

The area’s zombies and mutated beasts had long since fled or been turned to dust.

Lu Yin crouched down, touching one of the s***h marks. He could feel the lingering sharp energy—it was Zhou Shan’s battle technique at full force, far more powerful than when he had cut down the mutant vine earlier.

Not far away, a glimmer of white fragments caught Lu Yin’s eye.

Picking up a piece, he narrowed his gaze. It was a fragment of ring-shaped battle armor; Audun had suffered a brutal defeat, even losing pieces of his armor. He was likely still alive; otherwise, Zhou Shan would have brought his corpse back to Jinling.

Lu Yin now reassessed the power of the Seven Saints of Huaxia. He didn’t know the strength of the top three Saints, but Zhou Shan might have the combat power of someone at the peak of the Exploration Realm. The shattered ring armor was proof enough.

Voices in the distance signaled the arrival of other Commanders. Lu Yin had no desire to interact with them, so he left immediately.

(End of Chapter)