First Arrival in the Astral Realm, Gale Star Deer!

"Whoosh—"

The space before them rippled like water.

Lin Yuan stepped out of the spatial passageway, his expression unchanged and showing no signs of discomfort.

He looked up, only to discover that he was still standing in the central plaza of the Starry-Sky Fortress.

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuan paused, finding the familiar surroundings somewhat strange.

Hadn't they said that once one entered the spatial passageway, they would be transported into the Minor Astral Realm?

Why did it seem like he was still inside the Starry-Sky Fortress?

"Look up."

Gu Yiyi seemed to have expected this. She smiled brightly.

Look up?

Lin Yuan raised his head, and his expression changed slightly.

The sky here was brilliantly clear, without a single star or cloud. It was as clean as a blue crystal, clear and pure.

"Why is it daytime now?"

They had traveled for ten hours. It should have been dark long ago...

"No, this is already the Minor Astral Realm?"

Lin Yuan suddenly realized it, looking at the towering Starry-Sky Fortress around him with a flicker of astonishment deep in his eyes.

"There's also a Starry-Sky Fortress on the other end of the spatial passageway?"

The women of the Goddess Luo Squad merely smiled without speaking, offering no denial.

Lin Yuan took a deep breath.

He was secretly shocked by the sheer extravagance of human civilization.

It was already impressive enough that every Minor Astral Realm had a Starry-Sky Fortress standing guard. There was even a two-sided, double-layered defense...

"Deep pockets. Truly deep pockets."

Such a colossal undertaking could not be summed up by simply calling it wealthy.

Only human civilization, having entered the Star-Martial Domain, possessed such execution and creativity.

"Everything is for the continuation and prosperity of human civilization."

Captain Gu said only that before leading the group away.

Lin Yuan turned his head and saw other Starry-Sky Warrior squads arriving one after another behind them, their faces full of excitement as they began their expeditions.

"Once you leave the Starry-Sky Fortress, you officially enter another world."

"Take out your weapons and remain vigilant at all times."

"Any moment of carelessness will leave you with endless regret!"

The instant they flew out of the Starry-Sky Fortress, the Goddess Luo Squad members immediately put away their chattering smiles. Their beautiful eyes sharpened, and killing intent rose around them.

As the captain, Gu Shuangshuang stayed close to the team's two newcomers and spoke of the experience and hard-earned lessons countless predecessors had left behind from surviving and adventuring in the Minor Astral Realm.

Lin Yuan nodded silently and drew his sword.

Clang—

A streak of deep-blue cold light illuminated the void.

"The Deep-Blue Battle Sword?"

"Not bad, little brother Lin Yuan. You were willing to spend that much?"

Wu Junru, the mature beauty with grand ambitions, spotted Lin Yuan's Star-Iron Battle Weapon and could not help sounding surprised.

The Deep-Blue Battle Sword was not cheap. It cost a full 20 Contribution Points, worth twenty million Azure Coins. Ordinary newcomers would never be willing to spend nearly half their incentive bonus on a weapon.

"It's my main weapon. It's what I rely on to eat and stay alive, so naturally I had to pick the best one."

Lin Yuan smiled bashfully, then glanced at the blood-red sword in Wu Junru's hand with a hint of envy.

"Unfortunately, it still can't compare to Sister Ru's Bloodfang Battle Sword..."

The Bloodfang Battle Sword was a mid-grade battle sword with four cloud patterns. Whether in sharpness or Starforce amplification efficiency, it far surpassed his Deep-Blue Battle Sword.

Naturally, its price had soared to 100 Contribution Points. Without a solid fortune, one truly could not afford it.

"You can't compare it that way. I've had a few more years than you, so it's normal for me to use a better weapon."

"When I first broke through, I was still using a two-cloud-pattern Golden Radiance Battle Sword. It wasn't even as good as your Deep-Blue Battle Sword..."

Wu Junru gently stroked her battle sword, and a trace of nostalgia appeared on her alluring, flower-like face.

The grading of Star-Iron Battle Weapons was simple: it depended on the cloud patterns that naturally formed during forging.

The greater the number of cloud patterns, the better the quality.

Weapons with one to three patterns were low-grade battle weapons, suitable for First Realm Transcendence martial artists.

Weapons with four to six patterns counted as mid-grade battle weapons and were usually standard equipment for Second Realm Starfire martial artists.

As for seven to nine patterns, they had already reached the limit of Star-Iron Battle Weapons. Their quality was flawless, the pinnacle work of human civilization's swordsmiths. Their prices naturally rose accordingly, beyond what ordinary martial artists could afford.

They were normally used by Skyflight Realm experts of the Third Realm.

Newly advanced martial artists like Lin Yuan usually chose one- or two-pattern weapons. A three-pattern Deep-Blue Battle Sword was already top-tier equipment, rather extravagant.

Wu Junru was also at the First Realm Transcendence level, yet she could afford a four-pattern Bloodfang Battle Sword. To some extent, that showed her strength and wealth were indeed far from ordinary...

The group traveled through the skies.

After leaving the Starry-Sky Fortress by roughly a hundred li,

Captain Gu ordered everyone to put away their flying devices, descend to the ground, and continue on foot.

"The area within a hundred li is a safe zone established by the Starry-Sky Fortress. Few Star Beasts dare enter it, so we can fly quickly through the air."

Within the vast forest, sunlight filtered through green leaves and turned into golden specks of light, scattered in shifting patterns.

The Goddess Luo Squad moved through it with light steps, swift as the wind yet making little sound.

"In the Minor Astral Realm, the sky is very dangerous..."

Captain Gu led the way, with Wu Junru and another voluptuous beauty named Hu Meiniang following closely behind.

Behind them were the two newcomers, Gu Yiyi and Lin Yuan, who were also the priority protection targets.

At the rear, Ye Linlin, Su Ningxue, and Liu Yue'er remained on guard.

Their formation was one-two-two-three, orderly and clearly divided. No matter which direction danger came from, they could react quickly from both front and rear.

Either the two sides would close in and kill with force, or, if things proved impossible, they would immediately take Gu Yiyi and Lin Yuan and flee...

"Professional."

Lin Yuan observed silently and could not help feeling fortunate that he had chosen the Goddess Luo Squad. Their level of safety was absolutely maxed out.

Towering mountains and deep valleys stretched beneath a sea of emerald forest.

The scenery of the Minor Astral Realm truly differed from Azure Star. The oxygen content in the air here seemed exceptionally high, and every breath was mixed with dense stellar energy, keeping one alert at all times.

Whether mountains or trees, everything was incomparably enormous.

Peaks a thousand meters tall could be seen everywhere, while hundred-meter trees were utterly unremarkable.

As Lin Yuan's horizons broadened, he also muttered to himself inwardly.

With such a prehistoric environment, no wonder it could nurture the legendary Stellar Behemoths...

After crossing mountains and rivers and traveling dozens of li,

perhaps because they had moved beyond the Starry-Sky Fortress's coverage, the surroundings gradually became more vibrant with life. Earthshaking beast roars echoed through the heavens from time to time.

And Lin Yuan finally saw a legendary Stellar Behemoth with his own eyes for the first time—

Whoosh!

A gale swept through, slicing apart massive trees like blades and throwing up sand and rocks, leaving devastation in its wake.

At the center of that gale, a gigantic creature dozens of meters tall could vaguely be seen.

Its head resembled that of an alpaca, its body that of a deer. Its four hooves floated in the air as it leisurely strode across the sky atop a green gale.

At the center of its forehead, two blue Star Patterns gleamed upon its white fur. Brilliant and hazy with starlight, they emitted a faint but majestic Starforce fluctuation that intimidated all directions.

A Two-Pattern Realm Star Beast—the Gale Star Deer!