52: echo

He stood above, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

"Captain."

Just then,

a shout rang out from the front.

Jiang Panxia's long spear was bound with a silk-like cloth, and combined with her heroic face, she had the demeanor of a female knight from a novel or biography.

Behind her,

Yu Sheng carried a saber on his back, full of vigor.

"How is it?"

Qin Jin's mood was relaxed as he asked, "Are you all ready?"

"Of course!"

Yu Sheng's tone was somewhat excited: "I never thought I'd be able to participate in something like this."

"The birth of a Star God, this should be recorded in the Starfire Federation's annals, right? When this Mining Star becomes a Gaia planet, won't our descendants be born with top-tier household registration?"

There was a hint of longing in his eyes: "I wonder what the Mining Star will be renamed then."

"Jing Ge, you don't know, when I chatted with netizens about the Mining Star's designation, they all asked me where JK was, saying they didn't want 'that JK.'"

"I heard that JK was a type of clothing on the ancestral planet before the Federation ventured into the Star Sea. Now, in those prosperous life planets, this retro style is making a comeback."

Qin Jin didn't give Yu Sheng a chance to ramble further, and looked towards Jiang Panxia.

After this period of time, he had a better understanding of his teammate.

She was relatively quiet, but cold on the outside and warm on the inside.

Meeting Qin Jin's gaze, she nodded.

It was at this moment,

above Heart Abyss Echo.

Chu Tianyi took a step, his body rapidly descending. Upon reaching the ground, his entire body suddenly stopped, landing on the ground.

"Teacher Chu."

Qin Jin called out.

The two beside him showed respect in their eyes.

When the elimination began at the base, they had seen Chu Tianyi and knew he was the big boss behind the scenes.

A Spiritual Energy User who could obtain a ticket to participate in the Star God Chosen was, in their eyes, a truly significant figure.

"We're about to depart."

Chu Tianyi's expression was kind as he looked at Qin Jin and the other two: "Before the Star God is born, all forces participating in this competition will converge at [The Front]."

"That is the extreme edge of the affected area when the Star God is born."

"Do you three have any other requests?"

His inquiry sounded.

Yu Sheng shook his head, and Jiang Panxia hesitated for a moment but also did not speak.

They had already gained much from this special training and had no greedy thoughts.

It was Qin Jin whose eyes showed thought, and he spoke at this moment: "Teacher Chu, I have a small request."

"Oh?"

Chu Tianyi looked at him, slightly surprised: "Tell me."

Qin Jin's gaze turned back to the massive mecha standing to one side.

"I want to witness Heart Abyss Echo in action."

As he spoke,

Yu Sheng's eyes, beside Qin Jin, also lit up.

"That's your request?"

Chu Tianyi laughed heartily, asking, "Qin Jin, do you really like mechas?"

Qin Jin nodded seriously.

He grew up on the Mining Star and had watched mecha combat shows on the inter-star network since he was a child. In the Star Sea Era, mechas were the crystallization of technology and the extraordinary. The most top-tier mechas could even be called treasures of civilization!

After discovering the teleportation function on his panel, he chose to modify a mining machine. Besides safety considerations, it might also have been to fulfill a dream.

Coming to the base every day, he had been staring at this large mecha for a long time.

"It's good that you like mechas."

Chu Tianyi showed no airs, smiling: "I had it built because I liked it."

"Its battle record is just barely acceptable."

"Since you want to see it..."

As Chu Tianyi's words fell, his figure shot into the sky, entering the mecha.

Below,

the personnel within the base couldn't help but watch.

A moment after Chu Tianyi entered the mecha, this giant object at the center of the base suddenly came alive!

Around its body, brilliant light bloomed. The runes engraved on the mecha's body shone brightly at this moment, even reflecting in the void as the runes evolved.

Heart Abyss Echo made no movement, but at this moment, with it as the center, the surroundings instantly fell silent, and an oppressive aura permeated the entire area.

That was the extraordinary materials used within it resonating with each other, subtly forming a field-like existence.

Pressure permeated.

Light was brilliant.

It was at this moment,

Qin Jin, Yu Sheng, and Jiang Panxia, almost simultaneously, heard a "thump."

Like knocking on the door of the heart.

That was the echoing sound from within the mind.

In this echo, Qin Jin seemed to see a pool of water, rippling and forming waves.

As this sound rang out, Qin Jin clearly perceived that his mental strength was condensed, and there was a sense of clarity in his heart.

This might be a certain ability of [Heart Abyss Echo] being unleashed.

Qin Jin looked at this mecha and suddenly had a deeper understanding of its name.

At the front,

the [Heart Abyss Echo], having displayed its truly complete form, once again fell silent.

Chu Tianyi left the mecha, stepping into the air, his voice carrying over.

"How does it feel?"

"Thank you, Teacher Chu."

Qin Jin responded.

Chu Tianyi's lips curled into a smile, and he said calmly, "No need to thank me."

"I eagerly await your performance in the Star God Chosen."

"Let's depart."

As the last sentence was spoken,

above the base, in the sky where thunder raged and thunderclouds obscured, a large starship, with its defensive field activated, broke through the thunderclouds and rapidly descended.

Like a beam of light piercing through dark clouds.

The starship hovered at a low altitude, and from its lower end, a beam of light with an unusual color descended.

"Let's go."

Chu Tianyi walked at the front, with Qin Jin and the other two following behind.

All the base personnel set off together.

The various buildings within the base had already been cleared this morning.

Everyone stood within the beam of light. The five-pointed star in Chu Tianyi's eyes rotated, and silently, Heart Abyss Echo vanished from its original spot, its destination unknown.

Space expansion equipment.

For truly high-end mechas, which are incredibly massive, equipping a space expansion device is a necessary option, allowing them to be carried at will.

Light enveloped them.

Qin Jin clearly felt a sensation similar to teleportation.

In the next instant...

Everyone was already in the activity hall within the starship.

"This... this is inside a starship?"

Beside him,

Yu Sheng's murmuring sounded.

The Mining Star was remote; these young men and women who grew up on the Mining Star had only seen such things on the inter-star network. This was undoubtedly their first time actually riding a starship.

The hall's decor was luxurious. After everyone entered, the starship ascended into the sky and began its voyage.

"You all rest first and adjust your condition."

With a wave of Chu Tianyi's hand, three physical therapists approached, ready to help Qin Jin and the others recuperate.

Qin Jin's exclusive physical therapist, Fang Zhu, was also among them.

Qin Jin's gaze swept around, a hint of doubt rising in his eyes, and he asked, "Teacher Chu, where is Su Teacher?"

"Su Chaozong?"

Chu Tianyi smiled calmly: "His mission is complete; he left with what he sought."

"Qin Jin."

"The next time you meet him, perhaps he will already be a..."

"Martial Saint."

The starship traversed through the thunderclouds.

Below,

under the influence of this harsh environment, the last remaining traces of the base rapidly dissolved into nature.

...

JK4176 Mining Star.

At this moment,

outside the Mining Star, in the Star Sea.

Nearly ten thousand military starships of different grades and sizes silently hovered around the planet, their ship weapons in a charging state.

From the Star Sea, one could also see the Mining Star's unusual thunderous spectacle.

However...

At this very moment,

the entire planet was surrounded by illusory rune chains.

This was a blockade.

It was also protection.