Stellar Steps

Chapter 14 - The Star Energy Crystal

The woman’s disdain deepened, now mixed with a mocking sneer. The Tenth Academy of the Starry Heavens was not a place for outsiders to interfere, regardless of how powerful they claimed to be. After all, there were many in the universe who could walk among the stars.

"Wait a moment—how do I know you're not just a native?" She fixed her sharp gaze on Lu Yin.

Lu Yin raised his hand, and his right palm trembled violently. The air seemed to ripple like a curtain being drawn taut, then suddenly slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crater.

“Wave Palm?” The woman looked at him in surprise.

Lu Yin smirked. “Well, does that prove my worth?”

Her eyes narrowed. The Wave Palm was not something just anyone could use. Though it was a common technique, it required a certain level of physical strength. Even she herself could not perform it. Yet, here was a mere Wanderer Realm practitioner who could. She began to feel some apprehension towards him.

"Very well. Since you’re capable of using the Wave Palm, you may be of some use. Help me seize Jinling, and I'll include your name in the credits." Her tone softened somewhat, though it remained cold.

Lu Yin was surprised. “You plan to capture Jinling? I’ve heard there’s a Saint of Punishment there who’s quite formidable—an expert of the Exploration Realm.”

“I know. Auden was defeated by him, but I’m not that useless fool. With you and I joining forces, we’ll crush that native.” Her voice was ice-cold.

“How do you know one of the academy’s students lost to a native?” Lu Yin asked.

She replied coolly, “Before the trials, students from the same academy would arrange to cooperate if they landed in nearby areas. Hasn’t anyone contacted you? Oh, right—you're too weak.”

Lu Yin silently thanked his luck. Good thing he hadn’t pretended to be Asta. This woman was acquainted with Auden, so there was a chance she’d know Asta as well. If Auden had come to find her after his defeat, then he must have been seeking her help. But why did he head east halfway?

He kept his questions to himself—asking too much risked exposure. Since this woman was seeking his cooperation, it meant she’d fallen out with Auden, or perhaps Auden had found someone else. Either way, Jinling was in danger.

“All right, I’ll help you. But I need to improve my strength,” Lu Yin said.

She frowned. “No need.”

Lu Yin shrugged. “Then at least let me heal.”

She stared at him briefly, then grabbed him and flew toward the encampment.

Asta’s Shaping Technique could only be used three times. He had used it twice himself, reaching the Wanderer Realm and then advancing to the Exploration Realm. The last time, Lu Yin had used it to break into the Wanderer Realm. To reach the Exploration Realm, he needed a new Shaping Technique. That was why he approached this woman—he had to obtain the Shaping Technique in order to progress.

The small settlement was home to about twenty thousand survivors, though it had a substantial military presence, mostly soldiers in Punishment Camp uniforms. These were likely frontline troops now under her control.

“The so-called Saint of Punishment from Jinling is no pushover,” she remarked from the rooftop of a tall building, gesturing toward the encampment. “He commands eighty thousand evolvers, with twenty thousand deployed on the front lines to establish contact with other regions. Six Explorers were sent, and I killed two myself; one was eaten by a mutant beast, leaving three.”

“What’s your name, by the way?” Lu Yin asked.

“Granny,” she replied coolly.

Just then, a figure appeared on the rooftop and reported respectfully, “Ma’am, we’ve spotted a Punishment Camp force thirty kilometers away.”

Lu Yin turned to see the newcomer, his gaze shifting. The person also noticed him, their eyes filled with confusion. Without hesitation, Lu Yin sprang at them, unleashing his Wave Palm before Granny could react. The figure was struck in the chest, spitting blood as they were flung off the rooftop, crashing into the ground with a loud thud.

“What are you doing?” Granny demanded sharply.

“That's the one!” Lu Yin snarled in anger. “I was ambushed by this guy and his group right after I arrived. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be injured.”

“When did this happen?” she asked icily.

“The day we landed,” Lu Yin replied without hesitation.

“Where?”

“About a hundred kilometers south.” Lu Yin looked at her coldly. “What, don’t trust me? Or are you feeling reluctant to lose one of your own natives?”

Granny snorted, “Watch your words. A mere native is of no consequence to me, but you cannot kill my people without permission.”

“Fine, fine,” Lu Yin replied, shrugging. “Oh, by the way, the force thirty kilometers away is mine. Should I bring them over?”

Granny turned to stare off in the direction of Jinling, consulting her personal terminal and ignoring him.

Lu Yin looked down at the fallen figure and sighed in relief. The man’s name was Li Hongliang, and he had been present when Asta was killed. If Lu Yin hadn’t acted, Li Hongliang would have recognized him, and things would’ve gotten complicated.

This woman was no Asta; Lu Yin could sense her strength far surpassed his. Trying anything now was unwise; he’d have to wait for the right moment.

With the frontlines in disarray due to Granny’s presence, Punishment Camp’s forces had either been absorbed, fled, or been killed. Meanwhile, communication with Jinling had been lost since morning, which troubled Lu Yin.

He brought Ruo Yun, Xu San, and nearly ten thousand evolvers to the encampment, issuing a stern warning to the remaining two captains who’d allied with Granny. That night, he approached her again.

“What? You want to borrow Star Energy Crystals?” Granny looked at him, her tone full of suspicion.

Lu Yin nodded. “Don’t worry. However many I borrow, I’ll pay you back tenfold after we return.”

She sized him up. “You have Flame Crystals but no Star Energy Crystals?”

“I ran out,” Lu Yin replied.

She hesitated. Star Energy Crystals were not like the energy crystals found within Earth’s mutant beasts. Each ecosystem had its own unique energy type, and Star Energy Crystals, derived from ecosystems that had fused with the cosmic energy field, allowed practitioners to absorb and cultivate cosmic energy.

“I’ll give you five,” she finally said.

Lu Yin’s eyes widened. “You’re robbing me! These Flame Crystals can exchange for at least twenty Star Energy Crystals, and you’re only offering five.”

“Take it or leave it,” she responded icily.

He sighed in defeat. “Fine, but I have one condition: let me test my technique.”

She smirked dismissively. “Anytime.”

Taking the five thumb-sized, transparent crystals, Lu Yin turned and left.

Once he was gone, Granny pocketed the Flame Crystals gleefully. These unique crystals were prized as an auxiliary to enhance battle techniques and were particularly valuable to her, as her combat style required Flame Crystals. She muttered to herself, “Tata Star? Never heard of it. Could it be a planet known for such rare resources?”

Leaving Granny’s quarters, Lu Yin grinned. Though the exchange was disadvantageous, it was worth it. Star Energy Crystals were unheard of on Earth outside of these students.

Returning to his makeshift home—a deserted villa—he buried Flame Crystals around its perimeter as a precaution against intruders.

In the main hall, he discarded the old, broken furniture, took out a Star Energy Crystal, and crushed it. At once, waves of Star Energy surged, filling the room.

With the Shaping Technique, he could directly absorb Star Energy floating in space, but the rate depended on the technique. Many powerful factions gathered these crystals to release Star Energy in a confined space, enhancing the speed of absorption, which was one of the reasons Star Energy Crystals were so coveted.

(End of Chapter)