"Student Lu, welcome to the Nalan family."
Lady Nalan stopped exactly one meter away from Lu Yin. This precise distance allowed him to see her graceful figure and those "blood-spurting" curves even more clearly.
She wasn't intentionally trying to seduce him; her demeanor was perfectly normal. Yet, every move, however slight, was a test for him. If Comilla's charm was external and expressed through her actions, then this woman's allure was "innately natural"—no, it was "charm embedded in her very bones."
Lu Yin quickly composed himself. He was a man, a "hot-blooded" young man at that, and he was finding it hard to withstand this siren. He quickly said, "May I ask who gave Lady Nalan the necklace you're wearing?"
Lady Nalan was surprised, finding it odd that Lu Yin would suddenly ask this. "A close girlfriend," she said with a smile.
Lu Yin nodded. "It seems this close girlfriend of yours isn't very friendly toward you."
A glint flashed in Lady Nalan's eyes. "Why do you say that?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Lu Yin pondered for a moment. "Truthfully, you helped me, so I don't want to hide it from you. I am a Lockbreaker, and I can see some things that ordinary people cannot." Having said that, Lu Yin suddenly waved his hand. "My lady, I have a stomach ache! I have to go. See you later!"
He scrambled away.
He really couldn't handle this vixen. She just took a few steps, and he was already losing his composure. Besides, this woman was a widow. Could her husband have been seduced to death by her? It seemed very possible.
Lady Nalan paid no mind to Lu Yin's departure. She ripped the necklace from her neck, her eyes turning ice-cold, as if she could freeze the cosmos. It was hard to imagine a woman who didn't cultivate possessing such a chilling gaze. "Investigate this. I want to know what is on this necklace."
The young woman's figure appeared behind her, bowing respectfully as she took the necklace. "Yes, my lady."
Lady Nalan wouldn't believe him based on just a few words, but it cost nothing to check. Besides, what Lu Yin said wasn't impossible.
Meanwhile, Lu Yin returned to his room and immediately contacted Elder Cai. The distance between the Canglan and Dieying territories wasn't too vast yet, so his personal terminal could still connect.
"What is it?" Elder Cai's impatient voice came through.
"Elder Cai, I got the Giant Emperor's third eye," Lu Yin said.
"So you got it. What, you calling to brag?" Elder Cai grumbled.
Lu Yin said, "I want to know what the third eye does."
Elder Cai let out an "Oh?" "You still haven't figured out its use? Useless. I don't understand how you even managed to succeed at Lockbreaking."
"You knew I became a Lockbreaker?" Lu Yin asked, surprised.
"Nonsense. Do you think a mentor wouldn't know what's happening at the academy? Right, this mission wasn't so easy, was it? I bet quite a few people were fighting you for that Giant Emperor's third eye," Elder Cai cackled.
Lu Yin said, "Not really, no one fought me for it."
"Impossible. The news that the Dieying territory trial was set on the Great Superstar must have attracted a lot of attention. Those people would never pass up the Giant Emperor's third eye. There should have been plenty of Melting realm geniuses joining the fray," Elder Cai insisted.
"Well, there were, but only two. One from the Baiye clan, and one from the Outerverse Youth Council." Lu Yin said. He pointedly omitted any mention of the Human-Extinction Alliance. The Corpse King beside Buyou was a future trump card of his.
"That makes more sense. So the Outerverse Youth Council got involved. No wonder no one else dared to fight. For you to snatch the eye from the Council's hands, that's not bad at all, haha."
"You still haven't told me what it does," Lu Yin reminded him.
"Idiot! Ever heard of a 'Lockbreaking weapon'?" Elder Cai barked.
Lu Yin's eyes lit up. "You mean, the Giant Emperor's third eye is a Lockbreaking weapon?"
"Nonsense! You input Star Energy, and you see things you couldn't before. If it's not a Lockbreaking weapon, what is it? That's it, I'm busy." Elder Cai cut the connection.
Lu Yin looked at the Giant Emperor's third eye with excitement. He had suspected as much when he used it to see Star Energy. Now it was confirmed. This thing was just like Mentor Wusheng's two leaves; it could assist a Lockbreaker. Its value was limitless. No wonder the Baiye clan and the Outerverse Council both wanted it.
Half an hour later, in the top-floor lounge, the young woman stepped out and said respectfully, "Master Su has already checked the other jewelry Lady Lifu gave you. He found a harmful substance on one of them. This substance would cause you fatigue and, eventually, blindness."
Lady Nalan's eyes were frigid. "For how long?"
"Three years. Master Su said the substance is extremely faint; it would take at least ten years to take effect. That's why even he didn't notice it without an intentional inspection. He begs for your forgiveness. Also, Master Su wishes to meet the young Lockbreaker who could spot the problem at a glance," the young woman replied respectfully.
"Tell Master Su not to worry about it. And tell him the young Lockbreaker has already left," Lady Nalan said lightly.
The young woman acknowledged.
Lady Nalan clenched her fist. "That bitch. She actually dared to make a move against me. Plotting for ten years... very meticulous. This time, I'll make you wish you were dead."
One day passed quickly. During that day, Lu Yin did not see the "Nalan siren" again. Someone did ask him if he was in a hurry when delivering his food. Lu Yin off-handedly said no, his attention already captivated by the luxurious feast. This feast was even more lavish than the last, and the quality had clearly doubled, making Lu Yin hungry just by looking at it.
After eating, he found the middle-aged captain to ask about his ship's progress.
The captain smiled. "Mr. Lu, your ship will need another seven days to complete its... upgrade."
"Seven days? An upgrade?" Lu Yin was shocked. The metal he'd thrown in wasn't nearly enough for an upgrade.
"This is our lady's way of repaying you. You can ask her about it yourself," the captain said politely.
Repayment? It seemed the Nalan siren had confirmed the problem with the necklace. This was truly extravagant wealth. Her repayment was a direct spacecraft upgrade. He knew that upgrading an Aurora-class ship to a Shining-class ship required a massive amount of materials. The corresponding performance boost was terrifying: a 10-fold difference.
What did a 10-fold difference mean? It had taken him over a month to fly from the Canglan territory to the Dieying territory. With the upgraded ship, it would only take a few days. That was the 10-fold difference.
He originally thought upgrading his Aurora ship would take a very long time. He never expected the Nalan siren to just... do it. And all he did was say a few words. No wonder Lockbreakers have such high status; they could see things ordinary people couldn't.
If he weren't a Lockbreaker, just a student from the Tenth Academy—even the top student—she might not have even bothered to meet him. Lu Yin was increasingly realizing just how high the status of a Lockbreaker was. This had been the right move.
Lu Yin straightened his clothes. He had to go thank the "Nalan siren." Even if the woman was dangerously alluring, etiquette was etiquette.
Before Lu Yin could even ask for directions, someone was already there to guide him, leading him to the top-floor lounge. His vision was filled with the transparent walls, making the starry sky seem close enough to touch. And in front, the Nalan siren was smiling at him.
Compared to the previous day, the Nalan siren was now dressed a bit more conservatively, covering up her graceful figure. She was still very alluring, but it finally allowed Lu Yin to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Lady Nalan, this gift is too precious. I'm afraid I'll find it very difficult to repay." Lu Yin said with a wry smile.
Lady Nalan smiled faintly and gestured. "Sit down and talk."
Lu Yin nodded and sat down opposite her, not standing on ceremony. Just like yesterday, they were barely a meter apart. He could smell the Nalan siren's mind-beguiling fragrance.
"Student Lu, you saved me. Simply upgrading your ship cannot fully express my gratitude," Lady Nalan said in a serious tone. Although she was still smiling, Lu Yin could see that this time, her smile carried a trace of sincerity.
The Nalan family built its foundation on commerce, on honest trade. Regardless of this woman's past, the fact that she could maintain the Nalan family's wealth proved she was exceptional in the business world. On the surface, one unconsciously wears a veil of falsehood. For a merchant to become great, sincerity is fundamental, but the falsehood is to guard against "petty people." Unfortunately, there were too many petty people. Lady Nalan usually dealt with everyone through this veil. But at this moment, facing Lu Yin, that veil of falsehood seemed a little thinner.
"The value of a gift depends on who gives it. For me, upgrading my ship is already exceptionally precious," Lu Yin said sincerely.
Lady Nalan covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes curving into bright, clear crescents. "Student Lu, are you this serious when you talk to everyone?"
Lu Yin was taken aback and smiled awkwardly. He had overdone it. He was trying to use a serious attitude to face this siren, to keep himself from being enchanted, but he had laid it on too thick, and it came off as stiff.
Lady Nalan giggled again and personally poured Lu Yin a drink.
Lu Yin accepted it. "Thank you."
Lady Nalan looked at Lu Yin, a smile playing on her lips. "Actually, I want to apologize to you."
Lu Yin was in the middle of a sip. Hearing this, he looked up in confusion. "Apologize for what?"
"I investigated you," Lady Nalan said frankly.
Lu Yin's eyes flashed. He took another sip of his drink, saying nothing.
Lady Nalan stared at Lu Yin, her eyes shining with a brilliant light. "In just over half a year, you've gone from an ordinary Exploring realm cultivator in a remote Outerverse territory to the top student of the Tenth Starry Sky Academy, and you've even become a Lockbreaker, completing a merit and earning one star. Student Lu, your experience is very strange."
Lu Yin set down his drink and looked at Lady Nalan, his voice low. "I don't like people investigating me."
Lady Nalan smiled.
"However, I boarded your ship. It's not unreasonable for you to investigate me," Lu Yin's tone shifted.
A beautiful curve formed on Lady Nalan's lips. "Be that as it may, I was still in the wrong. I am willing to compensate you."
Lu Yin shook his head. "You're too kind, Lady Nalan. You've already helped me upgrade my ship. There's no need to do anything else."
"Including... compensation related to the Ten Academies Tournament?" Lady Nalan said enticingly.
Lu Yin was startled. "The Ten Academies Tournament?"
"This tournament is different from previous ones. The defeat in the border war has angered some people. This public, universe-wide tournament is being held to restore confidence. But no matter how high their status, they can't just decide matters for the entire universe with a single word," Lady Nalan poured herself a glass of juice, took a sip, and licked her rosy lips. "Normally, a personal terminal can connect across a few territories. But once you exceed ten territories, the distance makes connection very difficult. Only specialized terminals can do it. This Ten Academies Tournament needs to link the entire cosmic network. That can't be done without money. Therefore, my Nalan family... has become one of the sponsors for this tournament."