The invasion of the Black Lantern Corps, followed by the overwhelming arrival of the Spectrum Lantern Corps, once again made Earth witness the vastness of the universe. Every single one of them was a Lantern warrior.
So compared to them, Earth didn't seem to have that many superheroes. But it was precisely these few heroes who stood their ground against the Black Lantern Corps, a force that shook the entire cosmos. The people of Earth had every right to be proud—their heroes had proven themselves to be cosmic-level too.
"That was terrifying," Neo said with lingering fear. "When you and Superman got swallowed up, I thought you were done for. If you really had died, I swear I would've carried on your will and kept the name of Kaitou Kid alive."
"Thanks." Liu A'dou had just returned to the Antarctic base when Neo ran up, looking excited. But his words didn't exactly make anyone happy. "These are my two apprentices. You've met them before."
"I have. Those two Jedi." Neo nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Hello."
"But in the end, you stole the show again. Don't tell me you planned it all? First hiding with Superman, then stepping out at the key moment to turn the tide?" Neo guessed. "And then that final seven-lantern fusion—so damn cool! Petals raining from the sky, pure romance in the middle of a battlefield. How did you even come up with that? You really know how to show off."
'Of course I do,' Liu A'dou thought. That was literally his livelihood. "Thanks for the compliment. But that last fusion wasn't my idea. Those rings chose me on their own. Honestly, I was shocked at first." He grinned. "I mean, why was I picked by the Orange Ring? Was I really that greedy? And then suddenly all the others came flying at me too. Took me a few minutes just to wrap my head around it."
"Either way, you completely stole the spotlight. In the end, every other superhero was just a backdrop for you. Amazing." Neo gave him a big thumbs-up.
"They won't mind," Liu A'dou replied.
"So, does your ring still have that kind of power now?"
It did. Liu A'dou raised his wedding ring and focused. At once, rainbow light shimmered within it. "Right now, I can use the ring to channel the powers of every Lantern Corps, plus the White Light."
No matter how you looked at it, Liu A'dou's role in this fight had been outrageous, way beyond anyone's expectations. For all seven colors to choose a single person was unprecedented. Looking at it carefully, the reason broke down into two parts: first, Liu A'dou really was that extraordinary. Second, his wedding ring itself was ridiculously special.
His strength had attracted the rings, and the ring's nature had allowed it to accept all seven.
Other than Tony Stark, who clearly wasn't thrilled about it, no one else had objections. For the rest, Liu A'dou's ability to lead them to victory was what mattered.
"Weren't you supposed to go be a substitute teacher? What are you doing back in Antarctica?" Neo asked curiously.
"How did you know about that? Don't tell me you're spying on me again?"
"Spying sounds so harsh. Think of it as concern between partners." Neo said it like it was the most natural thing. "I just did a little background check, that's all."
'Just a little,' huh. Liu A'dou wasn't happy. "Maybe put that energy into your actual job. Is the spaceship system finished yet?"
Neo smirked. "It's done. I even hacked into the Wugang's system for reference. Trust me, what I've designed will be far better than its original setup."
"…" Liu A'dou almost said that the Wugang's original program had been written by him. And Neo had just hacked it like that? "You didn't mess with anything important, did you? A ship's system is the lifeline of everyone onboard."
"Relax, I only took a look, didn't touch anything," Neo said. "But it gave me a lot of inspiration. I'm confident our ship will be much better."
Liu A'dou nodded. "With the Lantern energy, I can use their projection ability instead of 3D printing to design the ship."
"In the next few days, my two apprentices will stay and help you with supplies. Once the ship is complete, they'll be its captains."
"Master?" The two hadn't expected Liu A'dou to just hand the ship over to them.
"It's fine. Compared to me, you two need it more." Liu A'dou smiled. "As for things money can't buy, I'll handle those."
He still had to teach for another couple of days, so he headed back to the Interstellar Academy.
The substitute teacher appeared once more, but the looks from Ming Wu and Liu Su were odd. They hadn't told anyone the truth—that the temp teacher was really Kaitou Kid. That secret belonged only to the two of them.
The General met Liu A'dou with a broad grin. The battle for Star City had ended well, and Liu A'dou's contribution was undeniable. "Haha, our great hero returns." He only dared to be so direct because no one else was around.
"You flatter me. I just happened to be there and did my part." Liu A'dou asked, "How bad were the losses?"
At that, the General's expression grew serious. "Not light. Luckily the Black Lantern Corps only stayed briefly. The academy itself is intact, its shield held perfectly. The students' morale is stable too—in fact, some are even excited. I doubt they'd leave now even if we told them to." He gave a wry smile. "Strange to say, but the Black Lanterns really came at just the right time."
"Enemies don't wait for the right time," Liu A'dou replied. Alien threats could strike Earth at any moment.
"Either way, I'm planning to officially announce the purpose of our academy today, give the students some reassurance. Then classes begin tomorrow. Are you ready with your lesson content?"
"I'll just talk casually."
The General sighed and nodded helplessly. What Kaitou Kid decided to say, no one could control.
In the lecture hall, the students sat and watched an official Interstellar Academy short film, packed with classified details. This was humanity's most ambitious joint project ever. Information and technology here were shared globally. Anyone admitted to the academy automatically became a reserve officer of the Defense Bureau, learning the skills needed for work in space.
Wormholes. For the first time, people outside the top ranks learned that the universe contained a wormhole to the unknown. Ouyang's eyes widened, hands gripping his knees. Finally—it was true. This academy wasn't ordinary at all. The Interstellar Academy was destined for greatness.
He stared at the screen without blinking. The wormhole led to Einstein Star. Now, the students finally understood why they had complained about the course load earlier. On that alien world, sword techniques faster than bullets existed. Those beautiful warrior girls fought horrifying man-eating demons in brutal close combat. The sight alone made everyone's breath quicken.
Now the future was clear. They understood their role. They would be Earth's first professionals trained to handle extraterrestrial matters.
It was incredible. Ouyang, Ming Wu, and even Jiang Yuliu couldn't hide their excitement. Youth was the rising sun—it should meet challenges without fear. Their path was bright, but it was one they had to carve with their own feet. Brimming with courage and energy, these young students would walk this road, leaving Earth behind and stepping into the universe.