Every named Star Block in the universe had been inspected and evaluated on-site by experts from the Interstellar Alliance. Its rating had nothing to do with its size or location.
The five ranks—S, A, B, C, and D—depended entirely on the resources of that Star Block; in other words, on how suitable it was for human habitation.
It was said that on some high-ranking Star Blocks, lifeforms other than humans still existed.
Of course, they were merely hardy plants that had drifted there, evolved on their own, and remained in the universe.
As for the animals that had once existed on Earth, people nowadays had never even heard of them. Even if some had drifted away, they had probably been weeded out by survival of the fittest over the countless millennia.
As a lowest-ranked D-Class Star Block, D72 Star Block truly deserved its reputation for poor resources.
The ground beneath their feet was incredibly hard and riddled with fine cracks. This kind of terrain had no soil, while its stones were not sturdy enough, making it difficult to build houses.
Zhou Yi had originally thought Huadun's dilapidated buildings were pitiful enough, but after seeing the other structures outside, Huadun's teaching building suddenly seemed towering and majestic in his eyes.
The houses lining the streets were all built from panels. These panels were a new material developed by the Interstellar Alliance—lightweight, easy to assemble, cheap, and convenient to transport.
But their drawbacks were equally obvious: they were not sturdy enough. Strong winds or heavy rain could easily damage them.
Moreover, this was the cheapest building material produced by the Interstellar Alliance. Living inside was stifling, and it could not truly be called a home—at most, it offered shelter from the wind and rain.
Although his hometown was also a D-Class Star Block, it at least did not lack stone. This was Zhou Yi's first time seeing such harsh living conditions.
Zhou Yi walked slowly, taking in everything on D72 Star Block. There was no sunlight; the only illumination came from projections onto the artificial atmosphere. Fortunately, the temperature was pleasant, and the occasional breeze felt cool, easing some of the oppressive gloom.
The only source of food was Nutrient Solution, so naturally there was no trade to speak of. Not a single person wandered the streets.
Zhou Yi knew where the native residents of this Star Block were at that moment.
Most D-Class Star Blocks did not have schools, and there was a reason Huadun had been built on D72 Star Block.
That was because D72 Star Block possessed a scarce resource: Star Ore.
Star Crystals could be mined from Star Ore, and the Interstellar Alliance's circulating currency, Star Coins, was made from Star Crystals.
Star Crystals contained abundant energy, and that energy was precisely what powered mech energy systems.
The higher a Star Crystal's grade, the purer its energy and the more valuable it was.
Unfortunately, the Star Ore on D72 Star Block produced an exceptionally low-grade kind of Star Crystal. It could not power mechs, and it was not even suitable for making Star Coins.
But it was still Star Crystal, after all. No matter how impure it was, it was not entirely useless.
Mining it and supplying it to people on higher-ranking Star Blocks as building material still looked quite prestigious, and its price was not cheap either.
Naturally, the locals could not afford it. The Star Ore had first been discovered and claimed by the Interstellar Alliance. They were already satisfied just to work in the mines each day, earning enough to maintain their lives.
Zhou Yi had looked up the information. The Star Crystals produced by D72 Star Block's Star Ore contained no energy at all. Could that have been the reason his energy perception had surged?
He headed toward the mining area, but was stopped when he was still far enough away to see it from a distance.
He was not in a hurry. In a corner by himself, he began circulating the Star Gathering Art.
No. It was not here either.
After leaving Huadun, Zhou Yi had wandered around and tested his energy perception in various locations, but nowhere did he experience an abnormality like the one from the previous night.
He could now confirm that the abnormal energy perception only appeared within Huadun.
There had to be something in the school affecting him.
Once he confirmed that, the rest of D72 Star Block no longer held much appeal for Zhou Yi. Huadun was like an enormous energy chamber to him, irresistibly drawing him in.
Zhou Yi looked toward the Crystal Ore mine not far away. There were five entrances in total, each guarded by sentries carrying laser weapons and various detection devices.
There were actually laser weapons. They did not seem like something that should appear on a D-Class Star Block.
Zhou Yi fixed his gaze on the weapons in their hands, a sense of unease rising in him. Did a Star Ore mine on a D-Class Star Block, one that could only produce Star Crystals fit for construction materials, really require so many laser weapons to guard it?
What exactly were the Alliance trying to protect here?
Zhou Yi silently withdrew his gaze, lightened his footsteps, and quietly retreated.
He was merely an outsider who had just arrived on D72 Star Block. He did not know the area, and he was even unarmed. The matter of this Star Ore mine was not something he could involve himself in right now. It would be better to return to the school.
"Little girl, you're back!"
The uncle working as a guard at the school gate saw Zhou Yi return, unable to hide his delight. His grin nearly stretched to his ears.
"There's nothing fun outside. How could it compare to our Huadun? You did the right thing by coming back early!"
That was true enough. On low-ranking Star Blocks, food was always the same bland Nutrient Solution. Children went to school, adults went to work, and there were almost no entertainment activities whatsoever.
"Uncle, you mentioned the Battle Relic preserved inside Huadun. Could I go take a look?"
Having returned to school, Zhou Yi could not wait to understand more.
"Well, that place is usually locked up. Only when new students enroll each year does the principal open it for everyone to visit, as encouragement... How about waiting a few more days? You'll be able to see it then."
The security uncle had worked at Huadun for many years and seemed to know everything that went on there.
"A few more days, then. All right, thank you."
Zhou Yi looked toward the stone building.
In truth, it did not matter whether he went inside now. As long as he knew where it was, he could go over later and test whether the energy there was unusual. Then he would know whether it was related to the energy fluctuations.
"Where is the library?"
Huadun's campus was large, with many buildings that looked old. Most of them seemed on the verge of decline.
But if there was one place that had been preserved best, it was probably the library.
Zhou Yi arrived at the library entrance and looked up. It was a three-story building, already the tallest one here.
"Student, please show me your identification."
In a small booth at the library entrance, Zhou Yi met the second staff member he had encountered since arriving at Huadun.
She was an auntie who looked exceptionally energetic, probably only a few years older than Zhou Yi's mother.
Her hair was tied back impeccably, as if she could be dragged off at any moment to attend the school's five-hundredth anniversary celebration.
"Hello, I'm a new student and haven't received my student ID yet. May I show you my admission notice?"
Zhou Yi obediently opened his Star Brain, found his admission notice, and showed it to her.
"A new student? It really is rare to see a student come to the library to read before school has even started."
The auntie did not look at Zhou Yi's notice. With a wave of her hand, she let him through.
Qi Lan had worked at Huadun for many years. Few people came to the library, and even fewer came during the holidays.
She greatly liked little girls like the one before her, who had come to read even before enrolling.
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