Chapter 697 691: The True Star Realm Battlefield

Shen Jin pointed at a spot in the projection, where a relatively dense cluster of light points gathered.

"This is the Second Star Realm Battlefield, where our Star Yuan Federation is located," he said, his voice calm. "In the second battlefield, there are tens of thousands of civilizations like ours."

"Tens of thousands?" Xu Wuyi was slightly taken aback.

Shen Jin nodded. "Yes, tens of thousands. Some of these civilizations are stronger than ours, some are weaker, and some are about the same. They are scattered across every corner of the second battlefield, separated by distances you couldn't even begin to imagine."

He paused, pointing his finger toward another spot.

There were two exceptionally bright clusters of light, denser and more dazzling than any others.

"These two are the strongest civilizations in the second battlefield," Shen Jin said, a touch of gravity entering his voice. "One is the Azure Star Realm, and the other is the True Dragon Star Realm."

Xu Wuyi looked at the two dazzling clusters of light in silence.

Shen Jin continued, "The Azure Star Realm is somewhat similar to our Star Yuan Federation. They have advanced technology and numerous Martial Artists. With nearly a thousand Grandmasters, their overall strength firmly suppresses ours.

"As for the True Dragon Star Realm..."

He paused for a moment, as if weighing his words.

"The situation in the True Dragon Star Realm is quite unique. They are still in a feudal era with no decent technology to speak of, unable to even achieve interstellar travel. However, their Martial Arts heritage is incredibly ancient, producing generations of powerhouses. Their number of Grandmasters is even greater than that of the Azure Star Realm."

Shen Jin went on, "Our Star Yuan Federation belongs to the first tier in the second battlefield, but there is still a significant gap between us and those top two. Over the years, we've only managed to secure our foothold and avoid falling too far behind because generations of Grandmasters have risked their lives."

He turned around and looked at Xu Wuyi, his gaze becoming exceptionally serious.

"That is why we need more fresh blood. We need more young people with potential like you to grow up as quickly as possible and share the burden with us old timers."

Xu Wuyi nodded without saying a word.

Shen Jin retracted his gaze and looked back at the projection.

"What I just told you was the macroscopic situation of the Star Realm Battlefield. Next, I will tell you something more specific."

He raised his hand and lightly tapped the projection. It instantly magnified, zooming in on a specific area.

Within that area, several points of light were exceptionally bright, far outshining the rest.

"These are the Star Realm strongholds," Shen Jin said. "They are the most important things in the Star Realm Battlefield and the focal points of contention among the major civilizations."

Xu Wuyi looked at the bright points of light, his gaze narrowing slightly.

Shen Jin continued, "Star Realm strongholds are special entities within the Star Realm Battlefield. No one knows their origins; we only know they formed naturally.

"Each stronghold is an independent pocket space with unique environments and extremely high Energy density, making it easy for various precious Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to spawn.

"More importantly, strongholds are the only entry points into the Star Realm Battlefield. Once a draft is initiated, only the Human Race civilization controlling a Star Realm stronghold within that twenty-four-hour period will be drafted.

"Therefore, the value of these strongholds far exceeds that of ordinary resource planets."

Listening to him, Xu Wuyi gradually formed a clearer understanding.

The Star Realm strongholds were equivalent to resource nodes within the Star Realm Battlefield, and exceptionally precious ones at that.

Whoever controlled a stronghold would obtain more Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and, consequently, nurture more powerhouses. Furthermore, the strongholds essentially determined the quota for the draft.

It was a positive feedback loop.

"The scramble for strongholds is the fiercest and most brutal competition in the Star Realm Battlefield. Star Beasts roam the perimeters of every stronghold year-round. If you want to go in and harvest resources, you first have to face the threat of those Star Beasts. And even if you make it inside, you might run into Grandmasters from other civilizations, which inevitably leads to a fierce battle," Shen Jin explained.

"Therefore, every stronghold exploration is a test of life and death."

Xu Wuyi asked, "How many strongholds does our Federation control?"

Shen Jin remained silent for a few seconds before answering, "Three."

His voice was very soft, yet it carried a heavy weight.

"Three strongholds, bought with the lives of generations of our Federation's Grandmasters. The location of each is classified as top secret. Ordinary Grandmasters don't even know their names, let alone their exact coordinates."

Xu Wuyi nodded and did not press the matter.

He knew that with his current status and seniority, it was not yet appropriate for him to know such specific information.

Shen Jin looked at him, a hint of approval in his eyes.

"You are very sensible; you know what to ask and what not to ask," he said. "When you participate in a stronghold exploration in the future, you will naturally learn where those places are."

He paused before continuing, "There are at least three to five years until the next draft. During this time, what you need to do is grow as quickly as possible. Strive to reach a level where you can represent the Federation in battle before the next draft, or the one after that."

Xu Wuyi looked at him and asked a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.

"Grandmaster Shen, I have a question."

Shen Jin nodded. "Speak."

Xu Wuyi said, "The draft mechanism of the Star Realm Battlefield clearly doesn't seem like something naturally formed. It has its own Rules and its own patterns, and it even gives out rewards based on individual performance.

"How could such a thing exist naturally?"

Shen Jin fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Countless people have pondered and asked that very question over the past millennia, but there has never been a definitive answer."

He turned around and gazed into the distance, his eyes growing profound.

"There are four known Star Realm Battlefields. Currently, the mainstream hypothesis is that all four share the same origin.

"They might have been established by a powerhouse far beyond the Grandmaster Realm, or they could be a legacy left behind by such an expert. The purpose is to screen and nurture outstanding juniors for the entire Human Race."

"Nurture juniors?" Xu Wuyi was slightly taken aback.

Shen Jin nodded. "Because all targets eligible to be drafted by the strongholds must be of the Human Race. Alien Races cannot enter the strongholds. No matter how strong they are, they will be repelled. This Rule has existed since the very day the Star Realm Battlefield was discovered.

"Therefore, some people speculate that the Star Realm Battlefield itself is a proving ground left behind by a powerhouse of the Human Race. He gathered countless Human Race civilizations together, letting them compete and hone each other, in order to filter out the most outstanding juniors and reward them.

"As for who that powerhouse was, whether he is still alive, and why he did this—no one knows the answers to these questions."

As Xu Wuyi listened, an indescribable feeling surged in his heart.

If this hypothesis were true, just how powerful would the entity that created the Star Realm Battlefields have to be?

Gathering tens of thousands of civilizations together, establishing Rules, distributing rewards, screening juniors...

Such a feat was completely beyond his imagination.

Shen Jin looked at him and smiled.

"Find it hard to imagine?"

Xu Wuyi nodded.

Shen Jin said, "I find it hard to imagine as well. But regardless of who that entity is and why he did it, one thing is certain.

"The Star Realm Battlefield has existed for tens of thousands of years, and it will continue to exist. All we can do is strive for the Federation's best interests within the Rules as much as possible."

He paused, raised his hand, and gave it a wave in the air.

The projection instantly dissipated. Sunlight spilled down once again, bathing the two of them in its warmth.

"What I've told you today is enough for you to digest for a while," Shen Jin said. "You've just advanced to become a Grandmaster. The most important thing right now is to stabilize your Realm; don't overthink things."

Xu Wuyi looked at him and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Grandmaster Shen."

Shen Jin waved his hand. "No need to thank me. I didn't tell you all this to earn your gratitude, but to let you know just how heavy the burden on your shoulders is."

He turned around and walked toward the courtyard gate.