You said mechs were going to fight monsters, but instead you're destroying stars with your bare

Chapter 123 Halftime Review
Judging by the time, sunrise should be just around the corner.

But when Li Zhe looked up at the sky...

The sky remained gloomy and dim.

The astronomical and meteorological conditions are difficult to discern; the sky, devoid of sun and moon, should be ablaze with starlight.

However, the sky seemed to be shrouded in a strange fog.

I can't see clearly, I really can't see clearly...

The Fusang Islands are still largely shrouded in an abyss barrier.

The Yamato was sailing on this strange sea at that moment.

The massive ship cleaved through a white wave on the dark sea and sped northward.

The target is northeastern Honshu Island, where the divine artifact signal echoes that of the Kusanagi Sword.

According to the optimal route planned by the stars, they will sail along the coast of the Fusang Sea and first arrive at Yamagata Prefecture.

After landing there, the next course of action will be determined based on the specific location of the energy fluctuations.

Should we continue north to Akita, heading straight for Hokkaido? Or should we traverse the mountains eastward to Sendai? Or perhaps head directly south to Fukushima, ultimately venturing into the Kanto Plain...?

During this rare respite on the voyage, Li Zhe finally had time to calm down and take stock of his recent great achievements.

First, there is the [Key to the Dimension - Kusanagi Sword], which was repaired by Jing Hezi and has once again revealed its divine power.

I've already eaten this, so I don't need it for now.

In addition, there are some super-nutritional pills.

The [Fallen Star Core] that fell from Benkei's mech has a simple and direct effect—it directly increases the mech's combat power by 10!

During the battle to defend Starfish Island, they also obtained several Fallen Star Cores.

On average, each of these star cores provides a combat power bonus of about 2 points.

Twelve of them together add up to 24 combat power!
However, these tonics were of little use to Li Zhe...

"Commander, according to my latest assessment," Xing's semi-transparent energy form appeared beside Li Zhe, data streaming rapidly through its golden eyes, "your current base combat strength of 10.0, according to the Star Mech Legion's combat strength ranking system, has reached the limit of a certain stage..."

"In layman's terms, it means reaching the 'Great Perfection of Qi Refining'."

"Perfected Qi Refining Stage?"

Upon hearing this term, which is full of Eastern fantasy connotations, Li Zhe's lips twitched involuntarily.

"So, my next step is to figure out how to build a foundation, right?"

"Yes, Commander, that's a fair interpretation."

Xing nodded, his tone becoming extremely solemn: "Only by successfully 'establishing the foundation' can your muscle armor break through the planet's constraints and enter a completely new realm."

"Otherwise, no matter how many fallen star cores you devour, you will not be able to improve your basic combat strength by even a little bit."

"Do you have any ideas about how to build a foundation?"

“I’m sorry, Commander.” Xing’s tone was tinged with helplessness. “With my current access level, all I can retrieve from the Star Mech Legion’s central database are fragmented pieces of information.”

She paused, then projected a few keywords in front of Li Zhe.

"...an immense amount of energy...power enough to pierce through a planet...capable of supporting a colossal hull undergoing metamorphosis...and...a kind of...an anchor of faith originating from the collective will of intelligent life..."

Looking at these vague terms, Xing added, "Although the information is limited, according to my deductions, once you successfully establish your foundation, your basic combat power can at least be raised to the level of overwhelming a Type I civilization, making you a true planetary-level mech."

Planetary-level mechs... single-handedly crushing a Type I civilization?!

The so-called Type I civilization is also known as a planetary civilization.

According to the Kardashev classification of civilizations, a civilization at this level can use all the energy on its home planet.

Such civilizations are the masters of the planet, able to control the weather, land, and various natural phenomena, know about the structural changes and rise and fall of the planet's surface and underground, and even have the ability to mine and destroy surrounding planets!
Once the foundation is successfully established, it will reach the level of a planetary-class mecha...

How could a single entity possibly crush a civilization of this level?!

Li Zhe listened with rapt attention, as if he could already see himself destroying a star with his bare hands and no longer eating beef...

Ahem, calm down.

Li Zhe was still quite clear-headed.

You have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to go step by step.

Right now, we should focus on completing "Operation Sunset" and wiping out these Japanese devils!

As for acquiring the other two divine artifacts, they might also be helpful for foundation building later on...

During this relatively peaceful voyage, Li Zhe's life was not just about monotonous war preparations.

The two ship spirits, with their distinct styles, added a lot of unique fun to the journey. As always, Star played the roles of "all-around butler" and "devil instructor."

As the flagship, she also had access to the Yamato's system.

With the help of Hezi, all systems were managed in an orderly manner.

At the same time, Xing also constantly urged Li Zhe to carry out daily training.

With her incredible computing power, she devised the optimal plan to improve his combat skills.

Kazuko, on the other hand, undergoes a complete transformation.

He became Li Zhe's exclusive "mythological history interpreter".

"Commander, aren't you curious about the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan?"

Kazuko brewed a pot of fragrant sencha, knelt on the tatami opposite Li Zhe, and took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Tell me about it." Li Zhe took a sip of tea and looked at her with great interest.

Li Zhe learned some information about mecha foundation building from Xing, which included the concept of faith anchors.

This reminded Li Zhe of a series of myths and legends that have been passed down through human history.

By thoroughly understanding these things, we might be able to find clues to foundation building.

"You are probably already familiar with the story of the Kusanagi Sword."

Kazuko put down the teacup in her hand.

A glint of reminiscence flickered in those obsidian-like eyes.

"The other two divine artifacts, the Yata no Kagami and the Yasakani no Magatama, also have origins that are full of mythological color."

"The Yata no Kagami is a legendary artifact created by the gods to lure Amaterasu out of her hiding place in the Ama-no-Iwato. Its mirror can reflect the true form of all things and dispel all illusions."

"The Yasakani no Magatama is a token bestowed by Amaterasu Omikami upon her grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto to rule the 1,500-year-old Akizuho Province of Toyoashihara, containing the power of protection and blessing."

Kazuko recounted those ancient myths in detail.

"but……"

She changed the subject, her tone becoming somewhat complicated.

These are all just legends.

"The true three sacred treasures have long been lost in the long river of history, or replaced by imitations."

"Whether what the royal families worshipped in later generations was real or fake, even they themselves probably couldn't say for sure."

“After the abyss descended upon Blue Star, the fake became real,” Li Zhe said calmly. “And even if the abyss hadn’t descended, sometimes as long as people believe it to be real, then it is real.”

"The commander is absolutely right."

Kazuko nodded: "The power of faith can indeed create miracles sometimes... However, when faith is exploited by those with ulterior motives, it can turn into a disaster."

She paused, her tone turning somewhat sorrowful: "Just like Japan today, weren't those militaristic ghosts dragging the entire country into an abyss of no return precisely by waving the banners of 'Emperor' and 'Divine Kingdom'?"

Li Zhe did not comment on this.

But then a thought suddenly popped into his head…

Fusang's reckless actions have given Huazhou a perfect opportunity for revenge, as well as a reason to start a war.

Japan was diplomatically isolated and completely lost its moral foundation.

As an ancient civilization, Huazhou now has the responsibility of leading the future development of the entire planet as a united government.

We must ensure that, for the next hundred or thousand years, when children read history, they will feel that our ancestors loved peace and that we were forced to retaliate.

The ones who started the war against us are the bad guys; they deserve what they got.

A glance at history will show that our ancestors did the same thing.

If you can't do this, you might go fast, but you definitely won't go far.

And one day, it will inevitably be swept into the dustbin of history...

"anyway……"

Li Zhe suddenly thought of a question: "Since the divine artifacts of Fusang can materialize due to the influence of the abyss, what about the legendary items of our Huazhou?"

"for example……

"The imperial seal?"

(End of this chapter)