28: Heart Abyss

After leaving the main road, the surroundings became completely devoid of human presence.

Only the booming thunder echoed between heaven and earth, and Qin Jin's solitary figure appeared somewhat lonely.

However, he did find a familiar feeling.

Journeying through this unknown wilderness was quite similar to his explorations in the Great Barrens.

He had long since grown accustomed to this state.

After entering the uninhabited zone, Qin Jin quickened his pace, moving at full speed.

As he advanced, Qin Jin's gaze suddenly sharpened.

His forward momentum didn't decrease; instead, as his right leg landed, he forcefully pushed off to the side, dodging to his left.

The moment he dodged, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, striking precisely where he had been.

Qin Jin looked ahead.

About twenty meters in front, suspended in mid-air, was a sphere.

It was entirely composed of lightning, and as Qin Jin looked at it, the lightning surged, accumulating more light.

"No life signs, doesn't seem like a transcendent creature."

"It looks more like a pure energy construct."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Qin Jin had already taken action.

With spiritual perception as an aid and life energy surging, Qin Jin's speed increased dramatically; twenty meters was but an instant.

The lightning struck again.

Qin Jin didn't dodge or evade; he clenched his right hand into a fist, channeling life energy, and activated his Combat Method!

Thunder Restraint True Comprehension!

A faint light appeared above his right fist, and with a single punch, the incoming lightning was no match, directly dispersed by the life energy.

Qin Jin charged forward, and in the next instant, he had already slammed his fist into the lightning sphere.

Boom!

Amidst the burst of life energy, the lightning sphere exploded violently, dissipating completely.

"It really is an energy construct."

Qin Jin looked at the spot where the lightning sphere had vanished: "It seems to have been born from the environment, without consciousness, attacking all nearby creatures, not even dodging."

"The vast Star Sea truly is full of unknowns."

His gaze swept around, Qin Jin's expression remained calm as he continued towards his destination.

Just after he left, two figures appeared there.

One male, one female.

The man was tall, with clear signs of mechanical modification on his body; his left arm had been replaced with a mechanical arm, and his pupils were ink-black.

He observed everything here and slowly spoke.

"To be able to shatter a lightning element with one strike, he doesn't seem like someone who just entered the Newborn Realm."

"At this age, he certainly deserves the title of genius."

"Duoduo, record this."

"His combat style is quite fierce; facing an enemy, he directly chose a head-on confrontation."

"Excellent vigilance, excellent reaction speed."

"He's at ease in an unknown environment, showing no discomfort; his psychological quality is good."

Behind him, the other woman, dressed in a tight combat suit, held the most primitive paper and pen, writing diligently, a rustling sound accompanying her.

The man turned around, looking back in the direction they had come from.

"He came all this way without any hesitation, full of courage."

"He's a good prospect for a Martial Artist."

"Let's go, keep following."

"There's a possibility of encountering unexpected transcendent creatures in the wilderness; we need to ensure his safety."

As he spoke, the man turned around.

Just as he was about to continue, his steps suddenly halted.

"What's wrong?"

The woman called Duoduo finished recording with her head down, and as she looked up, she asked.

Then, she understood why the man had stopped.

Looking forward, dozens of meters away, a figure in a black Martial Artist uniform had appeared at some unknown time, standing still, quietly watching them.

It was Qin Jin!

"Add two more points," the man looked at Qin Jin, his voice a little lower, sighing: "Excellent perception, excellent stealth."

He said, looking at Qin Jin, and spoke loudly.

"When did you discover us?"

"After leaving New Sheep District,"

Qin Jin's reply came.

The training in the Great Barrens had long accustomed him to constantly perceiving surrounding information.

His mental strength continued to grow, aided by spiritual power, and when he left New Sheep District, he keenly noticed someone secretly watching him.

At that time, since he hadn't confirmed the other party's identity, he didn't expose them.

But now, he had already guessed their origin.

The two stepped forward, coming to a stop not far in front of Qin Jin.

Qin Jin's gaze swept over them: "How do I address the two of you?"

"Chu Yan."

The man pointed to himself, then to the woman: "Zhang Duoduo."

After the introductions, he walked past Qin Jin: "Come with us."

"I don't need to go to the marked location on the map anymore?"

"From the moment you discovered us, you didn't need to."

Chu Yan shook his head, leading the way, and said calmly: "This was just a small test for you, to get a preliminary understanding of you."

"To be precise, this wasn't even a test of your strength, but a test of your courage."

"Courage?"

"Exactly."

Chu Yan's voice was low: "Those who are qualified to receive the boss's invitation are all young people who can be called geniuses on this Mining Star."

"Their innate talent is not bad, and with the boss's help, whoever it is will have a qualitative leap."

"Compared to strength, the boss cares more about your will, about your courage. Only a Martial Artist with sufficient courage can rise in adversity and go further."

The three walked through the wilderness.

Qin Jin's question rang out.

"The boss you mentioned, is that Spiritual Energy User senior?"

"Of course."

Having received the answer, Qin Jin continued to ask: "What exactly is he planning to do by gathering a group of us?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know either. We just follow the boss's instructions."

"How many people were invited in total?"

"There are a total of one hundred and twenty-seven people."

"However, many will be eliminated today."

During the conversation, Qin Jin got the information he wanted to know and stopped asking questions.

Following Chu Yan, the three walked in another direction.

Along the way, they encountered several more energy constructs called "lightning elements."

They varied in size and energy intensity.

But just as Chu Yan said, his test was over; Qin Jin didn't even need to act, Chu Yan and Zhang Duoduo easily dealt with these natural obstacles one by one.

They continued forward.

In Qin Jin's estimation, the straight-line distance from here to New Sheep District was about five kilometers.

After climbing a hillside, Zhang Duoduo, who had been silent, became a bit more lively, saying crisply: "We're here."

Qin Jin looked forward.

As far as his eyes could see, there was a light-blue barrier similar to that of New Sheep District, spreading downwards from above, forming a safe zone.

Inside, figures were busy at work.

They had temporarily established a base in this harsh wilderness.

Most striking was the source of the barrier.

It was a mechanical construct over two hundred meters tall, full of technological flair, embodying the essence of Federation technology.

It stood motionless in the center of the base, with some runes of unknown meaning engraved on its upper part, forming patterns that glowed, providing light for the base.

The moment Qin Jin saw this mechanical construct, he knew exactly what it was.

Because this mechanical construct had four limbs and a head, appearing in the form of a giant; it was clearly a humanoid mech!

Beside him, Chu Yan followed Qin Jin's gaze, also looking towards the center of the base.

He began to introduce: "This is our boss's main combat mech."

"Its name..."

"Heart Abyss Echo."