32: Chapter 32: The Science of Interstellar Warfare! Celestial Weapons and Starship Frenzy

The academy's resource allocation for the talent training grounds was extremely strict. Aside from the fixed weekly base duration, any additional training time had to be exchanged for points earned by completing trial missions of varying danger levels.

Most freshmen only began attempting these missions after solidifying their foundations during their first year of basic courses.

After training a few times, Li Yuan discovered that, unlike when absorbing life essence previously, the system seemed completely uninterested in the pure psionic essence he was currently drawing from the training ground environment.

It flowed into the bei ming core without a single drop being left behind. Had the system turned over a new leaf, no longer acting like a capitalist skimming off his hard-earned labor? Or was it only interested in essence filled with biological activity? Thinking about it this way, the system seemed even more evil, and the image of a blood-stained vampire immediately came to mind.

As his thoughts drifted, he focused his attention more intently on the rotating bei ming core. As he concentrated, the speed at which the surrounding psionic energy flowed in increased slightly. However, there was an even faster way to improve—

With a soft "pop," a small figure tumbled in from the void.

Hmm, it was Laya. Her soul projection was far more solid than it had been initially, and the wings of light behind her were increasingly dazzling, shimmering with the rhythms of hope and life. However, he didn't know if it was just an illusion, but Li Yuan always felt that she seemed... a size smaller.

"Master! Don't be so impatient! Being pulled over still hurts a little!" Laya said indignantly, waving her small fist.

That's right, Li Yuan discovered that as long as he and Laya trained together and focused on the bei ming core, he could pull Laya's soul into his introspective space.

"Master, I'm here!" A vibrant Laya flew quickly toward Li Yuan. The moment Laya sat on Li Yuan's head, the speed at which energy and essence gathered increased several hundredfold instantly.

That's right, this was the fast training method he had discovered!

Unfortunately, it only lasted for 3 minutes!!!

"Ah... uh." Hearing a low moan from Laya, Li Yuan felt a chill on his head, and Laya had disappeared again.

Although it only lasted 3 minutes, the energy and essence collected were more than a whole day of training.

Li Yuan slowly woke up and looked at Laya. He saw Laya leaning against him, her face flushed and her breathing rapid, only waking up after quite a while.

Seeing that Li Yuan seemed to want to do it again, Laya was so scared she sat up immediately, her face full of lingering fear, and hurriedly said: "...I'll break! I'll really break!"

Li Yuan felt a pang of heartache and immediately dismissed his own desire to continue training. Strangely, although Laya always looked terrified after each "soul contact" training session, whenever Li Yuan prepared to enter the training room, she was always the most enthusiastic, happily pulling his arm and urging him to hurry.

Li Yuan couldn't help but feel moved. He figured that this deep soul fusion, while carrying a huge burden, must also have great benefits for Laya herself; otherwise, her soul projection wouldn't be solidifying so rapidly.

On the other side, Elia had also just finished her training state.

Her originally meticulous academy uniform had long been thoroughly soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her slender body and outlining breathtaking curves. Crystal-clear beads of sweat slid down her fair, long neck and disappeared into her collar.

Her cold and stunning face was now flushed from exercise, like a rose blooming in the snow, delicate and dripping. She panted slightly, seemingly still immersed in the aftertaste of training, completely unaware of her currently "revealing" state.

Li Yuan subconsciously touched his nose and awkwardly averted his gaze, but the corner of his eye couldn't help but admire this rare sight. He couldn't help but wonder why Elia always liked to squeeze into the same training room as them.

Every time the three of them finished training together, Elia's drenched, flushed state was truly... too thought-provoking. Yet, this S-rank heaven's proud daughter seemed not to mind at all, still taking the initiative to invite them every time.

"Hey, Li Yuan, Laya, what are you spacing out for?" Elia's voice carried a hint of husky laziness. As she walked over, fanning herself, her movements were incredibly natural, completely unconcerned about her soaked clothes. "Today's 'Star Sea Warfare' is Instructor Zhao Lie's class; we'll be in for it if we're late."

Li Yuan collected his thoughts and nodded.

The existence of the North Star Military Academy was to cope with the interstellar war against the Zerg Swarm, a battlefield spanning millions of light-years.

Here, individual strength was certainly important, but tactical and strategic vision, scientific literacy, and an understanding of the macro war situation were equally highly valued Keystones.

Therefore, hardcore courses like "Star Sea Warfare," "Zerg Biology," and "Mechanical Design and Manufacturing" followed one after another, filling their schedules.

"Let's go, we can't be late." Li Yuan stood up, also feeling a bit of anticipation for the upcoming class.

When the instructor, Zhao Lie, walked into the classroom, he didn't carry any lesson plans, but he himself was a living epic of war. The general's stars on his epaulets and the medals on his chest that could barely hold any more displayed his meritorious deeds and glory.

"Sit down." His voice was as loud as a military anthem. "Today, we are here to discuss only one thing—war."

He pressed his hands on the podium and leaned forward slightly. "War is the continuation of the will of civilization, the collision of systems! It is a symphony of destruction woven from intelligence, logistics, technology, industry, and countless lives!"

He paused, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "Individual power here is as small as dust. Perhaps some of you will become legends in the future, traversing the void with your physical bodies. But on the battlefield, even a powerhouse above the seventh rank cannot withstand the destructive torrent of ten thousand cannons firing in unison!"

"The greatness of the current great legends lies precisely in the perfect combination of individual might and legions."

Zhao Lie gave an example. "Take General Chen Tianyu, for instance, and the Prey Hub Starport he forged. In terms of direct firepower coverage, it can only cover one star system. But its true strategic value is that it established a solid battlefield fulcrum for our fleet across the entire Prey Star Domain! It is precisely by relying on this point that we can stabilize the long front line involving thousands of star systems in the Prey Star Domain!"

Zhao Lie continued with an example. "Or take the only SS-rank, the Holy Alliance Pope's [Great Prophecy Art]. In terms of individual strength alone, it might not even be able to withstand a direct volley from the main guns of a xihe-class battlecruiser, but it can lay the foundation for victory in countless key battles!"

"Then how should war be fought?" asked a student excitedly who had tested for an A-rank electromagnetic talent, carried a metal longsword, and called himself the "Flying Imperial Sword Style." Obviously, the grand tapestry Zhao Lie painted had stirred his heart.

"Troops have no constant formation, water has no constant shape." Zhao Lie answered calmly. "Knowing yourself and your enemy, and adapting to local conditions, is the highest realm. And to achieve this, deeply understanding the interstellar battlefield environment we are in is of paramount importance!"

Before his voice faded, the classroom dome slid open silently, and a holographic star map of the vast Virgo Supercluster enveloped everything, with planets, nebulae, and gravitational ripples visible in minute detail. Starlight flew past and circled around the students, creating an extremely immersive battlefield atmosphere. Everyone's gaze was drawn to it, as if they were instantly placed in the boundless universe.

The image zoomed in rapidly from the grand supercluster, finally focusing on the center of a star system—a massive gravitational source that emitted endless gravity, from which even light could not escape. "This is the most important celestial battlefield environment for humanity—the black hole."

Zhao Lie's voice echoed against the backdrop of the starry sky. "It is usually the core of a star system, and its most prominent feature is the 'event horizon,' which is the region from which the speed of light cannot escape."

He paused intentionally, letting the students feel that sense of cosmic oppression, and then continued: "This is one of the areas where we humans, as well as a few other advanced technological civilizations like angels and demons, currently have the greatest advantage over the Zerg Swarm!"

"Our human ships, as long as they reach the 'cruiser' class, can rely on mature curvature engine technology to effectively counter or even utilize the gravity of a black hole. As for the Zerg Swarm, only their 'Leviathan' class motherships possess the ability to forcibly break free from the black hole's gravitational trap." His finger traced across the star map, outlining the strategic situation.

"Therefore, by mastering the central black hole of a star system, one can advance, using it as a core to conquer the entire star system; or retreat, relying on this natural barrier to maintain our military presence in the star system for a long time, making it difficult for the Zerg Swarm to eradicate us."

"Instructor Zhao Lie!" Elia raised her hand enthusiastically to ask a question. In stark contrast to her talent attributes, her personality was always active and proactive. "Black holes sound more like they are used for defense and strategic deterrence. Are there any more active, more aggressive ways to utilize celestial bodies?"

"Of course there are!" A gleam flashed in Zhao Lie's eyes; he clearly appreciated Aria's follow-up question.

The star scene in the classroom changed again, quickly focusing on a supergiant star on the verge of eruption, extremely unstable. The boiling stellar surface and surging energy made this supernova precursor look incredibly violent; by comparison, the fleets of both sides fighting in the holographic projection next to it seemed somewhat small.

"Look there," Zhao Lie pointed to the star on the verge of destruction, "a supergiant in its twilight years. Our most powerful 'xihe-class' battlecruiser, its main gun 'Candle Dragon' possesses extremely high energy focusing characteristics. In a specific mode, it can act as a 'fuse,' precisely injecting energy to detonate such unstable supernovae in advance!"

The image demonstrated in real-time as a towering "xihe-class" battlecruiser's bow main gun lit up with blinding light. A thin beam, yet containing terrifying energy, crossed the void and accurately hit the core of the supergiant. The next moment, as if cosmic fireworks had been lit, the supernova erupted! An indescribable torrent of energy and matter expanded wildly in a spherical shape, instantly swallowing all Zerg Swarm units in that star region in the image; whether it was small mutalisks or huge leviathan motherships, they were all turned into elementary particles in the extreme light and heat.

"A successful supernova detonation can completely clear out all Zerg Swarm troops within several astronomical units, forming a short-lived 'absolute purification zone'." Zhao Lie's tone was light.

"And the neutron star remaining after the explosion will continuously release super-strong, wide-coverage pulse radiation. For the Zerg Swarm, which relies on biological neural networks and psychic induction for command and coordination, this radiation is a fatal source of interference and can form a natural safe zone for a long time."

"Hmph, it seems the bugs aren't so great after all." Saiwei Krol, hearing about such world-destroying combat power of the human race, showed an arrogant expression on his face.

"That is not the case." Zhao Lie immediately poured a bucket of cold water, his expression extremely serious. "Never underestimate the Zerg Swarm."

The classroom scene changed again. This time it showed an ordinary star system that looked calm and rich, possessing planets and asteroid belts.

"It is precisely in such stable star systems that both humans and the Zerg Swarm most want to fight for, which are often the Zerg Swarm's home turf!" Zhao Lie pointed to the star that provided light and heat. "The star's energy is an excellent hotbed for the Zerg Swarm to quickly hatch and multiply, rapidly forming tidal-like numerical offensives."

His finger moved to the dense asteroid belt. "This place contains rich mineral deposits. However, in this environment, our warships' flexibility is far inferior to the Zerg Swarm."

He paused. "In the asteroid belt, we often can only rely on 'Luan Bird-class' and 'Swordfish-class' fighter equipment. But the Zerg Swarm, from small mutalisks to huge brood lords, can move freely by virtue of their biological characteristics, even using asteroids as cover and stepping stones."

"Then don't we have any way to fight them in this environment?" Elia asked, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, clearly unwilling to accept such passivity.

"This requires relying on two key links in our defense system—the 'Sentry Planets' and the 'Star Shepherd Legion'." Zhao Lie's tone carried a hint of pride. "The Sentry Planets are built with the most advanced wide-area detection arrays, which theoretically can detect the movements of large-scale Zerg Swarm attacks at least a month in advance."

He looked around the room, seeing the focused eyes of the students, and continued: "At this time, the Star Shepherd Legion will be activated. They are the crystallization of our humanity's greatest engineering and war theories! Combining the latest research results from the Blazing Dragon Federation, the Holy Alliance, the Olympia Empire, and other human nations."

"Their main job responsibility is to herd stars, collecting stellar energy, driving stars with force fields, laying out star maps, and supporting human survival, production, life, and evolution. And in wartime, they can perform hyperspace jumps on the target star system, including its stars, planets, asteroid belts, and even the surrounding Sentry Planets, to escape Zerg Swarm plunder and cut off the Zerg Swarm's supplies!"

The image showed a shocking scene: several incomparably huge, ring-like structures wrapped around the entire star, driving the star to move slowly while carrying the entire star system with gravitational locking.

The next moment, dense small components suddenly flew out from the star, wrapping around each planet. Then, space seemed to be folded, and the entire star system disappeared from its original place, instantly appearing in a vast, void, and almost matter-free "cosmic void."

"The Zerg Swarm cannot, and almost cannot, survive for long in a cosmic void." Zhao Lie explained. "No matter means no energy source; without energy, their biological fleets cannot maintain activity."

The Star Shepherd Legion! Traveling with a star! Li Yuan pondered to himself, his heart filled with shock.

"As students of the North Star Academy, you must learn to actively integrate yourselves with technology." Zhao Lie's loud voice pulled Li Yuan back from his thoughts. "Everyone, next, you will conduct practical training in a simulation system that fully restores real physical parameters and battlefield environments at a 1:1 scale."