"The Satellite City preliminaries are based on regional rankings."
"Only the top 160 can participate in the preliminaries, which determine the ten strongest contestants who will represent the Satellite City at the Central Imperial Capital. Only those ten will receive starflow pulp as a reward..."
"Right now, the newly advanced Starry-Sky Warriors in every Satellite City are making feverish preparations to enter the Astral Realm, hunt Star Beasts, and earn Contribution Points to improve their regional rankings."
Inside the café, the boy and girl had been chatting for a long while. The atmosphere was relaxed, free of their earlier awkwardness.
As Lin Yuan listened to Gu Yiyi share one little-known piece of important information after another, his gaze grew thoughtful, as though he were considering something.
Only ten people from each Satellite City?
It looks like these so-called preliminaries will be fiercely contested too...
I need to pick up the pace.
Besides, he had long wanted to see these so-called Astral Realms and Stellar Behemoths for himself!
"Would you like to join my squad?"
The girl suddenly asked. She sounded as though she had mentioned it casually, but her delicate hands tightly gripped her skirt, and her breathing quietly quickened.
Hm?
Lin Yuan raised his head and looked at the girl before him.
"Newly advanced Starry-Sky Warriors have very little natal stellar force in their bodies, so they can't maintain peak combat strength for long. It's also their first time facing supernatural creatures like Star Beasts..."
"To be cautious, they usually join a warrior squad. Fighting as a team is safer, and hunting is more efficient too..."
Gu Yiyi hurriedly explained.
Of course, Lin Yuan knew that.
In fact, he had intended to join a warrior squad anyway. After all, the Astral Realm was different from the Wilderness Zone: everything they faced there was a Star Beast born with supernatural power!
Star Beasts possessed all sorts of innate abilities. Even the weakest rivaled a Mortal Transcendence Realm Starry-Sky Warrior.
Exploring the Astral Realm alone as a newcomer was courting death... At the very least, he would only dare to act alone after becoming familiar with its environment and thoroughly honing both his strength and experience.
"Tell me more."
So Lin Yuan did not refuse. Since he would be joining a warrior squad anyway, having someone he knew there was more reassuring than picking a completely unfamiliar squad at random.
"My squad is called the Goddess Luo Squad. It's an elite warrior squad affiliated with the Luo Goddess Martial Hall."
Receiving a response from the boy she liked, Gu Yiyi grew visibly excited and hurried to introduce it.
"The Goddess Luo Squad has seven members. They're all veteran warriors who entered the ranks of Starry-Sky Warriors years ago. Although they haven't broken through to the Second Realm, they're all very strong."
"And our captain is a genuine Second-Realm Starry-Sky Warrior..."
A Second-Realm Starry-Sky Warrior?
Lin Yuan was a little surprised.
Now that's impressive...
The realms of the Stellar Martial Path were separated by vast chasms, and the difference in strength between the First and Second Realms was enormous.
As such, warriors generally formed squads with others in the same realm. It was rare for someone of a higher realm to lead lower-realm warriors.
After all, too great a gap in strength was not a good thing.
A target that was just right for a Second-Realm Starry-Sky Warrior might spell utter disaster for a First-Realm Warrior. Even the slightest spillover from the battle could lead to tragedy.
Unless there was one particular reason...
Lin Yuan could not help looking at the girl before him.
A guardian!
Perhaps this powerful Second-Realm Starry-Sky Warrior was not there to hunt Star Beasts, but to protect someone.
That would make sense.
"A special constitution... the thunder-origin immortal body."
Talent that powerful certainly qualified her to have a guardian...
In that case, exploring the Astral Realm would be much safer.
Lin Yuan quietly weighed it up.
To him, this so-called Star-Martial Prodigy Talent Development Program was merely something he had taken an interest in on a whim, a chance to shear some wool off the authorities' backs.
He would not actually risk his life in the Astral Realm for a spot... After all, with the Game Panel and the heaven-defying effects of his many talent traits, he only needed to keep his head down and survive. One day, he would become invincible!
Staying alive was what mattered most.
An elite warrior squad guarded by a Second-Realm Starry-Sky Warrior, versus some unfamiliar squad of First-Realm newcomers picked at random from the Starry-Sky Warrior Association...
Even an idiot would know which to choose!
"Then sorry for the trouble, Gu Yiyi."
Lin Yuan smiled and extended his hand.
"Don't mention it... You've awakened a special constitution too. They won't object."
Gu Yiyi shook Lin Yuan's hand with a perfectly serious expression.
Inside, however, she was screaming—
Three years!
I finally got to hold my dream guy's hand!!!
After watching the beauty leave with a spring in her step, Lin Yuan immediately returned to Zhonghai Sky City.
Since he had decided to shear some wool off the authorities' backs and witness the brilliance of those so-called true Star-Martial Prodigies for himself,
he could not afford to slack off.
After all, it had only been a few days since his breakthrough, and his preparations were still incomplete... The Star-Martial Prodigy Talent Development Program had begun the moment the "June Joint Exam" ended.
Some geniuses might have broken through early and already spent months fighting in the Astral Realm, putting them far ahead of him.
When Lin Yuan returned home, all the equipment he had ordered online had already been delivered, including the stellar force secret art he had selected.
"Heaven-Sundering Sword Draw!"
This was the stellar force secret art Lin Yuan had been eagerly awaiting, and one of the reasons he felt confident enough to enter the Astral Realm now.
A sky-tier stellar force secret art—a purely offensive supernatural sword technique!
Once mastered, its power would be unfathomable.
His combat strength would also improve dramatically, leaving him unafraid of those so-called Stellar Behemoths.
"According to Gu Yiyi, the Goddess Luo Squad plans to assemble in a week and set out for a Minor Astral Realm."
"With her vouching for me, joining the Goddess Luo Squad shouldn't be much of a problem."
"So, within this week, I need to..."
"Master Heaven-Sundering Sword Draw!"
Lin Yuan's eyes flashed like lightning, as though they held an endless wealth of razor-sharp Sword Qi.
Learn a stellar force secret art in a week?
And a sky-grade stellar force secret art at that, second only to the Star-Shattering Tier in difficulty?
Anyone who heard it would have thought it a tale from the Arabian Nights and believed Lin Yuan had gone mad.
But he was serious!
Swordsmanship Mastery had granted him a godlike understanding of the Sword Dao and swordsmanship.
Transcendent comprehension had greatly enhanced his comprehension, putting him far beyond ordinary so-called geniuses.
He would not boast about other types of stellar force secret arts, but Heaven-Sundering Sword Draw... was worth a try.
"Draw the sword!"
"Sunder the heavens!"
Inside the spacious training room, the boy let out a clear cry and drew his sword. Its deep-blue gleam was cold and sharp, as though it truly could tear the heavens apart...
A week later, Lin Yuan arrived at the Starry-Sky Warrior Association as agreed.
He wore an ink-black Full Combat Suit, with the Deep-Blue Battle Sword slung diagonally at his waist. On his hand were a Stellar Communicator and several small, ring-shaped accessories.
His eyes shone like lightning beneath sword-shaped brows, bright as stars.
He stood tall and straight, strikingly handsome.
He drew numerous gazes throughout the hall, eyes lighting up at the sight of him.
"Lin Yuan, over here!"
Just then, a delighted voice rang out, as lively as a lark.
It was Gu Yiyi.
Lin Yuan strode over, only to stop dead as soon as he reached her. He stared blankly at the bevy of beauties before him, his head buzzing.
Uh...
Women, women, every one of them a woman!
The Goddess Luo Squad... was actually an all-female warrior squad???
Before you continue