# Chapter 351: The Silent Star System
Genesis City.
Reinforcements from the Human Race, Beast Race, and Elf Race streamed through the teleportation gate into the plaza in a steady flow.
Mechanical Race personnel received them, arranged accommodations, and would later brief them on the war situation and assign their missions.
The Human Race contingent was housed in the northern district, which contained an entire block of mechanical buildings serving as living quarters.
Of course, this was only a temporary base. As different missions were assigned, everyone would eventually depart for their designated operational zones.
At present, nearly four thousand fighters from four races—humans, Cat-kin, the Nightshade Race, and the Emerald Elves—followed a Battle Emperor-level Mechanical Lifeform toward their housing area.
Alongside them were several other Human Race groups.
Each group was assigned a liaison, though if multiple races were traveling together, they shared a single one. Such was the case for the four human-allied races.
"Everyone, this is the northern residential district of Genesis City, prepared specifically for your use," the Mechanical Battle Emperor said, gesturing toward a cluster of towers in the distance as he addressed the Tianming Sage and the others. "You'll be staying here until your missions are assigned."
The Tianming Sage exchanged a glance with Gladys, then asked:
"What kind of missions will we be carrying out?"
The Mechanical Battle Emperor considered for a moment before answering:
"The missions fall roughly into three categories. The first involves deploying to the front lines for direct combat against the Aberrant Beasts as part of the main counteroffensive force. The second involves infiltration and reconnaissance of Aberrant Beast movement routes. The last is clearing roaming Aberrant Beast packs within the Mechanical Kingdom. The most dangerous assignments in the first and second categories are being handled entirely by our Mechanical Race. The remaining tasks will be distributed among your three races. The third category is relatively less dangerous, though it doesn't require as many personnel—who ends up assigned there will depend on the higher-ups."
The Tianming Sage and Gladys nodded slightly, falling into thought.
"Well, those are concerns for later. Let's get you settled in first. I'll give you a thorough briefing on the battlefield situation once we're there."
Gladys nodded. "That works."
The Mechanical Battle Emperor continued leading the group toward the residential area—when a streak of light arced across the sky and landed before the four human-allied races.
The powerful aura radiating from the newcomer drew every Human Race fighter's gaze, surprise written across their faces.
A Battle Saint-level aura!
Under normal circumstances, with the front lines under such pressure, Mechanical Battle Saints were either deployed in combat or protecting civilians displaced by the Aberrant Beast tide. The liaison teams receiving the three races' reinforcements were led by a single Battle Saint at most, and the guides escorting groups to their quarters were all Battle Emperors.
No one had expected a Battle Saint to appear in person.
This Mechanical Battle Saint had a dark blue metallic chassis, with streaks of purple light flickering in his eyes.
Upon his arrival, the Mechanical Battle Emperor who'd been leading the Tianming Sage's group paused in surprise.
Then he bowed with respect:
"My Lord Gulros!"
Gulros nodded, glanced at the Battle Emperor, then turned his gaze to the Tianming Sage and the others.
He strode forward, stopping before the Tianming Sage and Gladys with a smile.
"Greetings. You would be the Tianming Sage and Saint Gladys, correct?"
Both blinked in surprise—this Gulros somehow knew who they were.
It wasn't just them. Yeye and the others, the fighters from all four races, even the reinforcement groups nearby who'd turned to watch after Gulros's arrival—everyone was curious.
The Tianming Sage nodded. "I'm Tianming. What business do you have with us?"
At the confirmation, Gulros smiled. "It's like this—War God Lu Yuan has provided tremendous assistance to our Mechanical Race, and he asked that we take good care of all of you. Lord Mados sent me personally to attend to your group."
The Tianming Sage and the others stared at him in astonishment.
"So this is because of Lu Yuan? What did he do?"
Surprise and curiosity mingled on the Tianming Sage's face.
Gulros hesitated, his gaze sweeping over the four races' fighters watching with equal interest, then drifting toward the distant reinforcement groups whose attention had turned their way.
"My apologies, but that information is currently classified. I can't say more."
After all, with so many ears around, Gulros worried about being overheard by someone with ulterior motives. What if an Aberration organization had planted traitors among the crowd?
Moreover, Lu Yuan hadn't yet succeeded in eliminating Blood of Machinery.
The Tianming Sage and the others exchanged glances.
Then Gladys smiled gracefully. "In that case, we'll leave the arrangements to you."
Gulros returned the smile. "You're too kind, Saint Gladys. Lord Mados has already arranged your mission—you'll be clearing Aberrant Beast packs within the Mechanical Kingdom. We'll provide the finest warships for maximum transit speed, and on the intelligence front, we'll supply detailed information on each beast pack."
The Tianming Sage and his companions were stunned.
Clearing Aberrant Beast packs—wasn't that the easiest assignment available?
They hadn't expected such favorable treatment.
Nearly everyone broke into pleased smiles.
Nearby, the Human Race reinforcements who'd been watching couldn't hide their envious looks.
They all knew of Lu Yuan, of course.
In the Upper Layer of the Land of Origin, he was arguably the most talked-about figure of late. Barely in his twenties, already a War God, and responsible for dealing with numerous Spatial Rifts opened by the Heavenly Calamity Cult's invasion of the Upper Layer.
Lu Yuan's strength had earned universal recognition.
What they hadn't realized was that these people actually knew him personally—and were receiving special treatment because of it.
Envy was only natural.
The Tianming Sage smiled and nodded. "Then we'll follow your lead, Saint Gulros."
While the Tianming Sage and the others were enjoying the Mechanical Kingdom's preferential treatment, Lu Yuan had already appeared in the vacuum of space, millions of light-years from the front lines.
He had prior experience hunting down an organization's headquarters.
He produced a spare Staff, and black-and-white rings materialized in his eyes as he cast Fortune on himself.
Then he began Fortune Pathfinding.
Just as he'd done when searching for the Heavenly Calamity Cult's headquarters—checking his bearing every million light-years—he began methodically sweeping through the Mechanical Kingdom.
It took only half a day.
In a stretch of empty vacuum, Lu Yuan's body materialized without warning.
The moment he appeared, he scanned his surroundings for any sign of Blood of Machinery's headquarters.
But his brow furrowed, and his expression turned grave.
No headquarters in sight.
What he sensed instead was an overwhelmingly dense and sinister Aberration aura emanating from the distance.
In that region of deep space, sickly green light pulsed through the void. Waves of tremendous power radiated outward, strong enough to reach even his current position.
*Aberrant Beasts? Or Blood of Machinery operatives causing havoc?*
Cold light flickered in Lu Yuan's eyes. He decided to investigate.
His body vanished.
An instant later, he appeared at the source of that thick Aberration aura.
It was a modest star system—one sun and six planets.
Swarms of grotesque Aberrant Beasts crawled across every world, flowing in and out in ceaseless motion.
The original environments of all six planets had been rendered unrecognizable. Green slime and eerie flames blanketed every surface.
Lu Yuan's vision surpassed any astronomical telescope. He could clearly make out faint outlines of shattered buildings on these worlds—remnants of what had once been cities.
After the Aberrant Beast invasion, those cities had been obliterated, leaving nothing but devastation.
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes. It was as if he were glimpsing a vision of the future—what would come when the Cosmic Boundary shattered entirely and Aberrant Beasts invaded en masse.
*This is probably what that future looks like.*
The thought of Great Qi Star being transformed into something like this sent a blade of cold fury through his gaze.
He would never allow that to happen.
Lu Yuan regarded the star system—utterly converted into an Aberrant Beast hive—drew a deep breath, and unleashed Radiant Fire.
Terrifying white-gold flames erupted across his body. The immense power surged outward, and every star system in the vicinity seemed to tremble beneath it.
In the distance, the Aberrant Beasts sensed the overwhelming aura and erupted from the planets' surfaces—a dense, endless swarm flooding into space.
They locked onto Lu Yuan, emitting piercing sound waves that cut through the vacuum unimpeded.
Three Aberrant Beasts at the forefront radiated Saint-level auras.
Led by those three, the entire horde surged toward Lu Yuan, wreathed in sinister green flames.
Lu Yuan's dark eyes transformed into twin suns of white-gold light.
He extended his right hand toward the vast star system.
Space rippled. Spheres of Radiant Fire materialized from the void, expanding until they enveloped the entire system.
Every planet—the star itself included—was consumed by the flames. Wisps of green mist seeped from the burning worlds as the fire purged them clean.
That mist was the will of the Mother Nest.
In the vacuum between worlds, every Aberrant Beast that had been charging toward Lu Yuan was engulfed in Radiant Fire. Only the Saint-level ones managed to struggle for a few seconds; the rest were incinerated almost instantly, reduced to ash.
Even the three Saints lasted only moments longer before they too crumbled and dispersed into the void.
The Radiant Fire faded, and silence reclaimed the star system. The green slime and flames that had covered the planets were gone, leaving only barren desolation.
The star still burned, but the faint green glow that had tainted it had vanished entirely.
Lu Yuan gazed one last time at the system—now a dead zone—then turned and left.
There were undoubtedly many more star systems suffering the same fate.
But his objective was to eliminate Blood of Machinery. Reclaiming corrupted systems was other warriors' responsibility.
All he could do was lend a hand when one crossed his path.
Still, having witnessed an Aberration-consumed star system with his own eyes left a weight pressing on his chest.
If the Cosmic Boundary was ever fully corroded and Aberrant Beasts poured through in force, wouldn't every world end up like this?
Lu Yuan drew a deep breath and shook his head, pushing the thought aside.
He understood what he needed to do: grow as strong as possible—and then destroy the Aberrant Beast Mother Nest once and for all.