Battle Relic

In her first month at Huadun, Zhou Yi could be said to have gained a great deal.

She obtained a complete set of Star Weaver Master study manuals, took on a master, and acquired a high-grade star treasure.

Huadun's exceptionally strong energy perception had also caused Zhou Yi's star power to surge. Although she had yet to test its exact value, the appearance of the fourth star point at the back of her neck made everything abundantly clear.

Zhou Yi was in no rush to study the Star Weaver Master materials. During that month, she learned everything about solo combat during the day as she waited for the upcoming practical classes.

At night, she stayed alone in the library warehouse with those mechs.

Time always flew when she was with the mechs. More than once, Zhou Yi became immersed in dismantling and assembling mechs and studying the parts in every section. By the time she checked the clock, it was already morning the next day, leaving her no choice but to go straight to class without washing her face or brushing her teeth.

Lu Xiaoxiao and Manman did not mind at all. They only felt that their good friend was working far too hard. Poor children had to grow up early!

Manman often secretly stuffed Zhou Yi with dried bugs, wanting to nourish her, but Zhou Yi refused every time.

Although her Star Coins were running short, Zhou Yi was still fairly satisfied with her current life. At least she would not starve to death.

Not only had she avoided starving, but with deliberate extra meals, Zhou Yi had gained nearly ten pounds in a month.

Her originally tall, thin frame had filled out a little. Coupled with the time she set aside for exercise each day and all the heavy machines she moved around daily, Zhou Yi no longer looked so frail. Instead, she had become much sturdier.

As a Mech Master, if she was not strong enough, she would not even be able to move a mech.

Zhou Yi touched the muscles on her arm, highly satisfied.

"We only have class this morning. This afternoon, the counselor said he's taking us to visit the Battle Relic!"

Zhou Yi had barely slept the night before, and today's lessons were all being read straight from the textbook. She only wanted to hurry off into dreamland.

Before she could fall asleep, the excited Lu Xiaoxiao beside her shook her awake.

"Battle Relic? Isn't that right in the school? Couldn't we just go see it ourselves? Do we really need an official visit?"

At the mention of the Battle Relic, Zhou Yi remembered what the security guard had told her before school started.

Back then, Zhou Yi had wondered whether that place was related to the increase in energy perception and wanted to investigate it. But after school began, the allure of mechs was simply too great. On top of that, she needed to increase her star power, and she did not even have enough time to sleep each day. She had completely put the matter out of her mind.

"It's normally locked, so you can't get in at all. To protect the relic, the school only gives first-year freshmen a chance to enter and observe it once each year."

Manman explained.

If Huadun had anything worth boasting about, it was this Battle Relic.

After all, these children had grown up without even seeing a star beast, much less witnessing a battle involving one.

"After all these years, I wonder how well it's been preserved. I looked it up on the Star Brain—it seems to be traces left behind by an ultra-high-grade star beast."

Lu Xiaoxiao said eagerly.

"What kind of person do you think could stand against an ultra-high-grade star beast? They'd have to be at least an S-rank solo combatant, right?"

"An ultra-high-grade star beast would require at least an SS- or SSS-rank solo combatant in a one-on-one fight. This star beast at Huadun was hunted down by all the forces D72 Star Block could mobilize. Even upperclassmen from Huadun Military Academy went at the time, and a lot of people died."

Hu Manduo clearly knew more than Lu Xiaoxiao.

"So many people died... Zhouzhou, what do you think that scene must have been like? Zhouzhou? Zhouzhou?"

Lu Xiaoxiao looked to the side. Just as she imagined a river of blood and fear rose in her heart, Zhou Yi beside her had already closed her eyes and fallen soundly asleep.

"With nerves like that, she'd definitely make it on the battlefield."

Lu Xiaoxiao said admiringly.

Hu Manduo, sitting on the other side, nodded hard in wholehearted agreement.

The morning classes ended quickly. By the time Zhou Yi woke up, the teacher was already gone.

She pulled out two Nutrient Solutions and gulped them down. She had now become accustomed to drinking two Nutrient Solutions with every meal, three meals a day, without feeling bloated in the slightest. In fact, when she cultivated for too long, even two bottles felt a little insufficient.

But her financial circumstances were limited, so she could only make do.

After the lunch break ended, Lin Xu appeared in the classroom and led everyone to visit the Battle Relic together.

This was the second time Zhou Yi had seen the counselor, aside from the previous class assignment.

It was called a Battle Relic, but in reality, the traces left by a single ultra-high-grade star beast's battle covered an area larger than all of Huadun.

At the time, Huadun had been devastated beyond recognition and had to be completely rebuilt.

Only a small portion of the battle's traces remained today, but even that was enough for these children, blank as sheets of paper.

Unlike the other stone buildings, the building that preserved the Battle Relic had been constructed with special building materials made by the Federation. It looked far sturdier, capable of withstanding wind and rain.

There were no windows on any side, only a small hole in the door. Lin Xu took out a key and inserted it into the hole, and the door opened.

Under Lin Xu's lead, dozens of people lined up to enter and observe.

"Be careful. Everyone stand along the edges. Do not get close to the inside."

After entering the building, everyone stood in two rows near the door and looked at the scene within.

Before them stretched an empty expanse. There was nothing there. Looking down, they saw that the ground was entirely dirt, with no sign that it had ever been artificially paved or leveled.

On top of the dirt were two enormous pits, one large and one small.

Zhou Yi examined the two pits closely. The smaller one looked like a star beast's claw print, while the larger one seemed to have been pressed into the ground when the star beast fell. There were no signs of it struggling back to its feet, so these must have been traces left near the end of the battle.

"These are the final traces left by the most difficult battle on D72 Star Block seven years ago. The incident happened suddenly, and the Federation military did not have time to send reinforcements. It was only through the united efforts of Huadun's teachers and students that this battle was won. I hope that after this visit, everyone will remember history and learn from your seniors' courage, fearlessness, and fighting spirit!"

While everyone was still immersed in shock, Lin Xu seized the opportunity to serve up a large bowl of inspirational rhetoric.

Zhou Yi stared thoughtfully at the enormous deep pit.

Huadun really was not so simple. It was full of hidden talents.

Without Federation support, if Zhou Yi truly believed that a group of ordinary people could defeat an ultra-high-grade star beast, then she might as well stop studying to become a Star Weaver Master. Her brain would not be worthy of it.

Although Zhou Yi had never seen a star beast, she knew that even a single ultra-high-grade star beast possessed the ability to completely destroy a low-level small star block.

If ordinary people could defeat one through sheer numbers, then the Federation would have won long ago. How could so many star blocks still have been occupied by star beasts?