Chapter 117: Are You Saint Casians?

Chapter 117 Is It the Saint Casians?

Xiao Chuzao put down what he was holding.

There hadn’t been such eerie hordes of beasts along the way, so something must be going on over there.

"This direction."

Chu Zao stood up, directing Yu Ye and the team.

As they got closer—within their mechs' scanning range—they gradually saw lizard-like beasts swarming a cave.

And within the cave, faint mech figures flickered in and out of view.

"Is that... Lai Te and the others?"

"It's too far—"

"Lai Te!! It's Lai Te!! Hurry! Quick!! They look like they're about to collapse!!"

Yes, it was indeed too far.

Even if they pushed their mechs to the limit, it was still too distant.

"Zao Zao."

Finn called out.

Xiao Chuzao responded.

Chao Huangmu instinctively moved aside.

The young boy murmured softly, "I'll do it."

Even though they were supposed to stay under the radar, right now—at this distance, even the Crown Clan's speed wouldn't be enough.

And that's not counting the horde of beasts.

But—

Talk about luck. The Crown Clan member who had been affected by spatial forces and arrived here happened to be one of just two elite long-range fighters in the clan.

Thus, Yu Ye and the others, still charging toward the fight, suddenly noticed a blinding flash erupting.

Inside their mechs, they whipped around in shock.

Meanwhile.

Cornered in the cave, the terrain kept the beasts from wearing them down or breaking through.

Their strength was fading fast.

Lai Te, gritting his teeth at the forefront, activated dual recording—both inside and outside his mech. He knew the third team would come looking for them, and he wanted to leave something behind—proof he'd been here.

If only they could see their fabled homeland just once before they died—that'd be enough.

Then suddenly, a searing light burst forth, like fireworks in the pitch black. The radiance streaked forward, tearing through space, warping reality behind it, leaving behind a trail of shimmering afterimages. The flames shifted from gold to leaping black, scattering from a single point like a black rain of fire that deliberately avoided them.

In the distance stood a young boy, bow drawn, wreathed in flames.

As Lai Te stood stunned and collapsed to the ground, both the recording and his pupils captured the fleeting glimpse in the distance—

The glow of the Sacred Crown and the wings that accompanied it surged forth with the arrow before abruptly retracting, like a mirage.

Though the wings they saw didn’t quite match what they had heard—

But what was that?

What was that…?

Was that… the legend passed down through generations—the Sacred Crown, wielded by a mighty yet gentle race, lifting them up, brushing off the dust, and strengthening the resolve of every defiant Saint Casian?

Tears spilled unbidden from his eyes, and the once-chaotic comms fell into complete silence.

Was it… just a hallucination?

Years of honed mental power proved formidable, unerringly striking the monsters and pinning them ruthlessly into the rubble.

Though there was no live broadcast here, the thunderous crash was bound to draw attention from those nearby.

The first to sense something amiss were the high-tier Monster Commanders overseeing everything from above.

"What happened?"

"These coordinates… Is this near the Sacred Territory?"

The Monster Commanders were well aware of the Gesen Empire’s plans, and most were content to let it unfold—until now.

"Dispatch the livestream drones to investigate—"

After the explosion, countless drones fluttered their wings, swarming toward the epicenter of the noise.

Soon, the live feed arrived—

The third group from the Sacred Territory had found the severely wounded first group, along with Lai Te and the others, who had held back, waiting to strike at the last moment.

The small screen of the drones couldn’t fully convey the shock of the slain reptilian monsters.

Yet, the livestream was in utter disbelief.

Weren’t these the Sacred Territory’s members who had entered the Survival Contest qualifiers?

Hadn’t they already died?

Not only were they alive, but they had also managed to kill so many monsters?

The livestream seemed to fall into an eerie silence before the cries that the Sacred Territory was finished grew louder.

However, the galactic broadcast was abruptly cut off, with no footage surviving. Those who caught a glimpse of the scene in the livestream mostly remained silent, never mentioning it again.

But the Monster Commanders saw it all.

"...So what really happened?"

"Unknown. This breed of monsters hasn’t evolved a commander-level entity yet. Before the drones arrived, we’re left in the dark about what transpired in the Sacred Territory."

"Is it because of the third squad from the Sacred Territory?"

Though the slain monsters were not of high rank, the Monster Commanders, who had grown accustomed to ruling here, felt a wave of dread.

Monsters have no bonds of affection. Just like the Monster Commanders seated together now, they would not hesitate to turn against each other if their interests were threatened.

They possess only two instincts: a craving for flesh and despair’s scent, and a fear of danger.

Thus, one Monster Commander instinctively spoke up.

"Do we still have time? Whatever the reason, those who threaten our kind must be swiftly eliminated—"

"There's no time left. The preheating matches are about to end."

"I've said it before—we should have dealt with these humans with unusual psychic powers sooner, instead of craving their tasty flesh and bringing trouble upon ourselves."

"Hold on, everyone."

A Monster Commander with an arm casually draped over his chair listened to the argument, his antennae swayed slightly, brushing together. His eyes lacked whites, replaced instead by countless tiny, protruding compound eyes—a sickeningly dense sight.

He let out a cold laugh, reeking of blood, having recently fed on humans. He licked his lips slowly.

"Everyone, aren't you overestimating psychic powers? There's no need for such fear. If the Sacred Territory were truly that formidable, they wouldn’t have lost so many of their people. Do you really believe they could grow this strong in just one year? I bet these monsters just had fatal flaws in their evolution, which they exploited."

The oldest and most senior Monster Commander, seated at the center, opened his eyes. His lashes were snow-white, like feathers, as he gazed at the speaker.

"Shan Huo, you’re too newly evolved. You don’t know of the *Forbidden Zone*. We must remain wary of opposing psychic powers—all psychic powers."

Ji Yu still remembered a time long before this star system took shape, when such overwhelming psychic power slaughtered countless monsters in an instant, all eventually perishing on a certain planet.

To this day, that planet remains a forbidden territory in the eyes of many monsters. Even if few from that era still live and fewer remember, they instinctively avoid it, as if the fear of that place was etched into their bones at birth, compelling them to steer clear—for fear it would consume them.

"Who knows if this *Forbidden Zone* is even real?"

Shan Huo's antennae touched again as he crossed his legs, staring at the final image on the live stream.

"But it doesn’t matter. I’ll just send a small squad of insectoids to check on the Sacred Territory after this is over—perfect timing, since the Pollution Tide is coming. Once we drive the Sacred Territory into the hunting grounds—I want this one. So young, looks tender... must taste delicious."

*

Meanwhile, in the preheating matches, Chu Zao and the others had successfully made it to Lai Te's side.

After holding out for so long, they were all badly wounded.

But the surroundings were eerily quiet.

"These are your people, right?"

Chu Zao asked.

Yet all the members of the Sacred Territory were gaping at them, especially at him, their eyes involuntarily flicking to Xiao Chuzao’s head.

"Ah, y-yes—"

After a moment, they snapped out of their daze, flustered.

Finn also paused, raising a hand to turn his young charge’s face toward him for a closer look.

Chu Zao: ?

"He looks fine. Quite cute, actually. No dust left, clean as can be."

What's everyone staring at?

Chu Zao: "..."

Chu Zao pushed Finn away.

"Third Uncle."

Finn beamed, clinging to their young charge: "Yeah?"

"Stop being so childish."

Finn: "..."

*Zao Zao said I'm childish...?*

*Zao Zao said I'm childish?!*

After speaking, Chu Zao glanced around at the critically wounded people nearby.

Sighing inwardly—all so badly injured. Humans recover too slowly, even the Saint Casians. They're still kind of high-maintenance.

So—

Chu Zao bat his large eyes, with a hint of bewilderment.

"What's with the staring?"

"Um—"

Someone wanted to speak up, but the words caught in their throat.

Too unfamiliar—too unreal.

It all felt surreal.

And whether it was the crown or the wings—they'd vanished.

Why had they disappeared?

Was it...was it because they didn’t want to reveal their identity?

Because they were too weak?

They, they should—

Lai Te, bleeding from multiple injuries, had just been freshly bandaged after ejecting from his mech. Thinking this, he spoke earnestly.

"I think we can still fight. There’s a little time left in the preliminaries. We can clinch better rankings and scores for the upcoming Survival Contest..."

Hell no, you're barely standing. Why push yourselves?

Chu Zao looked over, hesitating before speaking.

"I suggest you quit pushing your luck."

Of course, he was just saying. If they insisted on acting, Saint Cas would still honor our allies' choices and give necessary backup.

Chu Zao also chewed on how to explain that they were walking wounded, that playing hero would get them killed—but the right words escaped him.

Lai Te nodded like a bobblehead.

"Yes, yes, you’re spot-on."

Chu Zao: ? [confused]

"Right, that’s totally valid."

"Captain, you're so badly injured—you gotta listen."

"Exactly, we definitely shouldn’t mess around. We’ll just wait here for the preliminary round to end—it’s less than half an hour left."

Agreeing voices flooded in all at once, abruptly shattering the previous silence.

Kinda creepy, honestly.

Chu Zao: ...Huh?

Even weirdly déjà vu.

Chu Zao glanced at Chao Huangmu beside him in confusion.

Chao Huangmu couldn’t be bothered with them.

Once a man who could survive on scraps in the wild, Chao Huangmu was now a certified celebrity chef.

At some point, he had started a campfire and was roasting potatoes and meat he’d marinated earlier for Chu Zao.

Meanwhile, Finn, with his babyface, stood beside Chao Huangmu looking grave, his eyes flickering between the fire and Chao Huangmu, his face unreadable.

Chu Zao couldn’t make sense of it.

He found this part of space a bit bizarre.

Dad—dad, where are you? Zao Zao’s lost here.

But anyway—since things had come to this, food first, questions later.

Chu Zao sat down, took the food Chao Huangmu handed him, glanced at the time ticking down in the preliminary round, then at the ground beneath their feet.

After contamination, the soil of various planets had become too energy-dense, making it unsuitable for plant growth. Finding more varieties of land was a top priority for Saint Cas—not just to sustain interstellar stability but also for the ongoing research led by Zhong Zhiyi from the Agricultural Department.

Even Zao Zao’s potatoes had undergone several generations of her improvements.

So Xiao Chuzao was hyper-aware of which places were best for growing potatoes.

Taking a bite of meat and a sip of nutrient solution, Chu Zao looked down at the ground and muttered under his breath,

"This place is nice—good for growing potatoes."

The moment he muttered it—

A chorus piped up behind him—"Yes, yes—"

"This place is clearly potato heaven."

"It’d be a waste not to grow potatoes here."

Only Yu Ye was still out of it—because he had been the closest earlier and had seen everything most clearly.

Chu Zao: ????

Is everything alright with you?

Still puzzled about the sacred territory, the warm-up match ended.

Despite their terrible performance, at least all the residents of the sacred territory survived.

They boarded the starship returning to the sacred territory.

A day passed, and there was still no movement from Amos.

Coupled with the strange reaction from the sacred territory, no one responded, whether they asked or not.

Since they were returning directly to the territory, no one bothered them on the way.

Chu Zao had never dealt with anything like this, Chao Huangmu had no knowledge of such matters, and Finn wasn’t exactly a diplomat. Even after reaching the sacred territory, Chu Zao was still clueless.

But given this reaction, this attitude, and this name—

Were they connected to Saint Cas?

With no leads, Chu Zao couldn’t confirm anything.

After all, logically speaking, when the pollution trapped them, the Saint Casians had already safely evacuated. Only Ebinino and the First Army were completely wiped out by the pollution. There shouldn’t be anything here related to Saint Cas.

Upon arriving at the sacred territory, they didn’t go directly to see Speaker Lai Qing but instead scouted the area first.

Since they were exiled en masse every year, except for large empires and alliances that cooperated with alien beasts, places like the sacred territory resided on massive, mobile starships.

This made it convenient for them to leave at any time.

Finn led Chu Zao and Chao Huangmu on a reconnaissance mission.

Meanwhile, Lai Te, still recuperating, rewatched the footage again and again before finally heading to the sacred territory’s council hall.

Not long after the warm-up match ended, the council members looked grim.

"Although we didn’t lose too many members in this warm-up match, our main forces were severely injured. They probably won’t be fit to compete—"

"Yes, this could be our toughest year yet. The Gesen Empire is openly targeting us now."

"We need to gear up for the fight in the hunting zone, save our strength—for our homeland’s sake—"

"Speaking of which, Speaker, what’s the story with those three?"

"Right, Speaker. With enemies on all sides now, we shouldn’t trust anyone lightly, including the Eastern Alliance. To survive, they’ve been double-dealing. They could turn on us."

Lai Qing stayed quiet.

He was thinking about what his youngest son had told him—

"Lai Te said—"

He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"He saw the Sacred Crown—among those three."

The room went dead silent.

"What do you mean?"

"Sacred... Crown? Is it what I think it is? That homeland we don’t even know truly exists? The Saint Cas that only exists in the longing of the people of the Sacred Lands..."

The room buzzed with noise again.

Lai Qing wasn't so sure himself.

Could this really be true?

After being adrift here for so long, their homeland had become an obsession, a legend in their memories. Did they really find the Sacred Crown of Saint Cas, the very thing they had been chasing all this time?

Until someone firmly pushed the door open.

"Father."

Lai Te gave a weak cough.

But his eyes were bright as he looked at Lai Qing.

"No mistake about it, none at all—"

"Nephew, did you really see the Sacred Crown?"

"Impossible, right? Could you have mistaken it for something else?"

"I got it on video."

Lai Qing said, as Yu Ye and others supported him, passing them the recording.

In the footage, a bright light came rushing at them, the image trembling, and a golden crown flickering with flames faintly appeared. The room went dead silent.

"Is this... real?"

"But it was gone in a flash. Why? Why only for that instant?"

"Is it because we’re too weak now? Not like Saint Cas used to be?"

"If we tell them directly that we’re from Saint Cas, would they... No, no, we'd look pathetic."

The residents of the Sacred Lands, who had never truly encountered their homeland before, panicked instantly.

All their cool vanished.

"Where are these people now?"

"What do we call them?"

"If memory serves, it should be—it should be, Your Highness?"

They whispered to each other, then stood up, looking at Lai Te.

Lai Te looked right back at them.

"They said they wanted to check out the place, so I didn’t stop them. I couldn't check the footage before, but once I returned to the territory, I confirmed it—they're definitely from Saint Cas. They are the Sacred Crown we’ve been pursuing."

"This changes everything—"

"Then should we prepare more?"

The current Sacred Lands are in such a dire state—there's nothing, and they can do nothing.

The members of the Sacred Lands, who have long longed for home, finally meet visitors from home.

Yet, they find themselves second-guessing—would their homeland accept them if they hadn't tarnished the name of Saint Cas?

Perhaps, after being away for so long, it's inevitable to have such worries.

Before the words faded, an alarm suddenly blared.

"It's the Pollution Tide!"

Lai Qing sprang to his feet.

"Mobilize defenses! All starships, seal the hatches and activate shields! And—"

Lai Qing suddenly realized something and turned toward the door in slight panic—

"Let them... no, quickly find the traces of the royals."

This is too pitiful, far too pitiful—

How could they be in such a state?

"Why are there still so many mutant beasts?!"

Someone else exclaimed in shock.

Yu Ye gritted his teeth and stood up angrily. "I'll organize the resistance—"

Meanwhile, on a small hill outside the Sacred Lands.

"Right? I also thought their attitude was strange."

Chu Zao propped his chin on his hand.

"Uncle, do you feel it too?"

Finn, with his baby face and a gentle smile, seemed good-natured, but his nervous destruction of nearby rocks betrayed the unease of a parent left alone with a child. "A bit... like an echo of Saint Cas?"

Chao Huangmu suddenly understood. "That explains why I felt odd."

"Uncle, look—the position of the First Group Army's barrier. We discussed this before—the First Group Army advanced too far. Is it possible that after realizing they couldn't return, they charged forward, and part of the First Group Army wound up here? So, are they... Saint Casians?"

Chu Zao crouched on the ground, a twig in hand, his curls bouncing as he traced the barrier's location.

Finn stood up, his hand flared with light. With a light clench, the crown above his head flickered faintly. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the distant sky, then spread his wings. "Why speculate? Why not just ask?"

Chu Zao turned his head as well. Behind them, the Pollution Tide rolled in, carrying swarms of bug-like mutant beasts toward the Sacred Lands.

Inside the weakened Sacred Lands, only a few mech units rushed out to face the threat.

Yu Ye sat in his mech, listening to the static in his comms—

He tried to stem the tide of the mutant beasts, hoping to last until the Pollution Tide ended.

He thought—Saint Cas, it truly exists—

And the Sacred Crown—their royal family.

It wasn’t just raw power. Yu Ye still remembered the impression Chu Zao had made on him.

They had to do something.

Yes, they had to act—only then could they regain their confidence, find the courage to ask once more—after waiting so long, yet appearing so pitiful... Saint Cas, their homeland... would you still... take us back?