Chapter 331

Zhou Yu's words left both men on the helicopter stunned.

Has cosmic pollution always been here?

What does that mean?

Li Yi looked at the instructor with deep suspicion and asked: "Isn't the problem of cosmic energy pollution avoided by using odd artifacts? How can you say the pollution has always existed?"

"Living in a polluted world, do you think you can escape your fate of contamination?" Zhou Yu said calmly. "Whether an evolver or an ordinary person, anyone who stays in this world too long will eventually have their body and spirit corroded by polluted cosmic energy—ordinary people simply don't actively absorb cosmic energy, so the corrosion is slower."

"You've probably seen some reckless cultivators who directly absorb polluted cosmic energy and then go mad—those people's symptoms are the future symptoms of everyone."

At these words, Li Yi and Jiang Jiang Mingtian both turned pale.

"How is that possible?"

Neither could believe the world's future could become this.

"Once you enter the Golden Academy, you'll gain access to some truths about the world. Do you think I, as your instructor, would lie to you about something like this?" Zhou Yu said. "Ordinary people's fates are already sealed. The reason you're safe now is only because the pollution has been brief—but as cosmic energy concentration increases, contamination will worsen, and no one will escape."

"If that's true, then why stay here at all? Just cross over and leave immediately," Jiang Jiang Mingtian said, alarmed.

He hadn't expected cosmic pollution to ultimately affect everyone—it was too terrifying.

"We're already moving," Zhou Yu said. "The Golden Academy is the vanguard. You said earlier that the Golden Academy has opened a portal to another world and stabilized it—that's correct. But while the portal is open, the people on the other side aren't happy. After all, we're invaders. They won't allow mass relocation of everyone."

"And that will inevitably lead to war."

Of course, some may get lucky and find better worlds—but ask yourselves honestly: can you achieve mass cross-world relocation? It's nothing but minor skirmishes—moving a few dozen, a few hundred people—nowhere near enough to change the big picture.

"Besides, we still have reason to stay here. Though pollution exists, the high-intensity cosmic energy and various cross-world phenomena make this world ideal for cultivation. If you've crossed over before, you've felt it—no other world currently offers faster cultivation speed."

Li Yi's gaze shifted slightly.

That was true.

He had been to the Four Seas and Eight Zhou, where cosmic energy was thin and locals' bodies had even degenerated, unable to absorb cosmic energy, forced to rely solely on martial arts. He'd also been to World #36, where cosmic energy was only one-tenth of here—seemingly tolerable, yet plagued by undead ghosts that couldn't be killed; ordinary people lived in constant fear, spirit-controlling cultivators died young and went mad, and if spiritual anomalies spiraled out of control, extinction might come even faster than here.

If one wanted to cultivate, staying here was truly the best choice—even at the cost of some contamination.

"To pursue power and the path of evolution, or to seek peace and survival—that's a difficult choice," Zhou Yu said. "But before the great crisis arrives, we must fully secure one world as a refuge for everyone."

As he spoke, the helicopter arrived at the designated location and slowly landed on the helipad.

But at that moment.

Everyone in the cabin suddenly felt their spiritual sense scream a warning—a strong sense of danger surged in their hearts, as if something terrible was about to happen.

"How could this—" Zhou Yu's face instantly changed.

Li Yi had no time to think of anything else—he trusted his spiritual sense wouldn't deceive him. Instinctively, he channeled his blood and qi, and a vast, mighty Gangqi surged forth, instantly shielding his entire body.

Zhou Tian Gang Qi!

Even after doing this, the sense of danger did not fade.

The next instant.

From a certain direction, countless beams shot like bullets, instantly piercing the helicopter's thick steel plating and striking each person.

Simultaneously, everyone reacted.

Jiang Jiang Mingtian gripped his sword, slashed open the cabin, and retreated swiftly. Li Yi charged out, his Zhou Tian Gang Qi still active. But Zhou Yu, the instructor, roared in fury—he didn't retreat. Instead, he charged straight toward the attack, his body covered in an invisible energy field that forcibly blocked the assault.

"Who dares attack new recruits at the Golden Academy?" Zhou Yu suddenly kicked out sideways toward a direction ahead. The move looked simple, yet a brilliant energy burst forth.

"Boom!"

A dull collision echoed.

Zhou Yu's attack was halted midair. The air before him twisted, and a humanoid figure clad in armor suddenly appeared—wearing a helmet, face obscured, clearly hostile and filled with enmity.

"An alien gene warrior?" Zhou Yu recognized the enemy, his eyes narrowing sharply: "What are you doing lurking at the Golden Academy?"

"Of course, revenge," the armored figure replied coldly.

Revenge?

Before Zhou Yu could think further, he heard battle sounds erupting from other directions—some kind of gene warrior squad had inexplicably appeared within the Golden Academy and was now attacking others.

"You think this small number can seek revenge? You're committing suicide," Zhou Yu roared. His skin glowed brilliantly, energy ignited across his body like flame, and his body's restraints shattered instantly. He punched forward, tearing through the air with a sonic boom.

"Your coordinates are locked. We've mastered cross-world transit. Revenge is at hand."

The armored warrior replied coldly. His arm armor lit up with glowing rings, instantly charging up, then he punched forward in direct counterattack.

Boom!

The clash of evolver and technology unleashed unrestrained power.

But the next instant.

Zhou Yu was thrown back—his body slammed ten meters away by the armored warrior's charged punch. Yet he flipped midair and landed steadily, a trickle of blood seeping from his lip: "A Level Five gene warrior? So you're a suicide squad—never intended to leave the Golden Academy alive. Your goal was to transmit your coordinates back to your world, right?"

"Now that the mission's complete, you're trying to take some of our new recruits with you."

"It seems that after invading our world, you know us well. Quick strike—don't let those two new recruits escape," the Level Five gene warrior said coldly.

No sooner had he spoken.

A barrage of energy beams instantly locked onto Li Yi and Jiang Jiang Mingtian.

"Sword Calms the Four Seas."

Jiang Jiang Mingtian's eyes narrowed sharply. His sword, forged from extraordinary metal, instantly unfolded its blade pattern—the Eight Sword Scripture Li Yi had traded him days ago.

His sword moved like rain, as if sweeping away everything before him.

The deadly beams were instantly cut down, blocking every attack—but the moment the assault ended, a sharp blade of light appeared out of nowhere and slashed toward him.

"You think invisibility hides you from me?" Jiang Jiang Mingtian blocked with his sword, stopping the strike dead.

But the immense force sent him skidding backward several meters before he finally stopped.

The air before him twisted again, revealing another armored humanoid—this one wielding a long blade, no helmet, only high-tech sunglasses. Beneath them were eyes resolved to die.

"What level gene warrior are you?" Jiang Jiang Mingtian grinned, a fierce battle lust rising within him.

Perhaps because he'd studied the martial arts of the Four Seas and Eight Zhou, he felt no urge to retreat—instead, he wanted to kill this enemy.

"Level Four gene warrior. Long Blade." The man said calmly.

"Remember my name—Jiang Jiang Mingtian."

Before Jiang Jiang Mingtian could finish, Long Blade suddenly sheathed his blade and unleashed a rapid series of slashes—each strike refined by countless hammer blows, angles sharp, power astonishing, and utterly offensive, no defense—aiming to kill Jiang Jiang Mingtian in the shortest time possible.

"You think I'm afraid?" Jiang Jiang Mingtian roared, activating the Guiding Technique. Under cosmic energy enhancement, his extraordinary metal weapon glowed fiercely, its edge razor-sharp.

"Sword Sweeps the Eight Zhou."

With the Guiding Technique, the Eight Sword Scripture, and his Spiritual Perception realm's foundation, he engaged Long Blade, the Level Four gene warrior, in a direct melee of cold weapons.

The clashing of steel rang continuously.

Every collision was a brush with death—any misstep meant limbs severed or head cut off.

Meanwhile.

Li Yi sensed something. He reached out, as if tearing a piece of air from nothing, then molded it into his hand, forming an invisible long spear—crafted from a martial artist's Gangqi, its power concentrated and unbroken within a hundred meters, capable of killing at range.

In one motion, he hurled the spear—it locked onto a target.

Boom!

The next instant, air exploded midair, the Gangqi shattered, and the air twisted—another armored figure appeared. This one was a woman, slender and graceful, wearing a black face mask, features hidden. But notable was the pair of special gauntlets on her hands, glowing faintly red.

"You also use fists? Good."

Drawn by the pull between martial artists, Li Yi laughed aloud and leapt forward, his entire body wrapped in Gangqi, racing along the ground like a predatory supernatural beast, his eyes now vertical slits.

Before he even neared, terrifying killing intent and a powerful fist momentum crushed down upon him.

Fist Gang coalesced, blood qi rising like smoke from a wolf's den.

A killing technique, as if instinctive, launched.

Beneath her mask, the female gene warrior's beautiful eyes narrowed sharply. She didn't retreat—instead, she unleashed all her power and punched forward.

Boom!

Gangqi erupted and scattered, stirring violent winds around them.

"Damn it—is this guy really a Spiritual Perception-level new recruit? Even with my armor, as a Level Four gene warrior, I—" The female warrior was both shocked and furious, her body involuntarily stepping back half a pace.

"Retreat? Retreat means death."

Li Yi roared, his aura intensifying. He surged forward again, delivering another punch—stronger than before.

Before a martial artist, one step back means endless retreats—ending only in being slowly worn down to death.

The female warrior screamed, unleashing her full power. Her fists blazed with searing red light—the technological enhancement reaching its limit.

This time, after exchanging punches, the female warrior was still blasted backward several steps.

Before she could recover.

Li Yi closed in again, fists coalescing, aura fiercer—this time his fists rained down like a storm, giving her no chance to breathe.