The fire raged throughout the night.

Even though more than ten hours had passed, the entire valley, reduced to ashes, still emitted a charred smell.

Baiyu came to this wasteland.

There were still many machines amidst the blazing fire, not completely destroyed, with remnants of life still present.

Baiyu mercifully put them all to rest.

Since Baiyu's knowledge of Mechanical Science had reached the Initial Glimpse stage, he could basically understand the structures of these machines. Although he hadn't systematically studied many areas, he could roughly guess their functions.

The greatest manifestation of this.

Was that Baiyu became increasingly adept at dismantling the energy cores of these machines.

He could dismantle them with precision almost every single time.

These energy cores were pale yellow rhomboid crystals, with photons pulsating in the middle. If used just as ornaments, they would easily outshine most diamonds in the world.

However.

Baiyu could feel traces of Spiritual Qi constantly flowing from them.

This meant.

These machines were also driven by Spiritual Qi. Their technology had evolved from being powered by electricity and heat to being powered by Spiritual Qi.

This was a scientific level unattainable by any country on Canglan Star.

If Baiyu claimed on Canglan Star that there were machines using Spiritual Qi, people would probably laugh.

After all.

In their understanding.

Machines could only be powered by heat and electricity.

Various chemical fuels, internal combustion engines, steam engines, and so forth, all functioned in this way.

Even nuclear energy.

Required tangible fuel.

However, although Spiritual Qi exists in the air, no research institution has been able to isolate it, let alone study it.

The idea of developing machinery powered by Spiritual Qi was seen as pure fantasy.

Nonetheless.

It was clear that the Mechanical Race, which fought across the universe, had achieved this feat. Otherwise, they couldn't have become such a formidable race in the universe, capable of waging war against the vast Human Imperial that ruled the Galaxy.

This rhomboid yellow crystal stone was the energy conversion device they developed.

Similar to how humans absorb Spiritual Qi for cultivation.

This energy core allows machines to convert Spiritual Qi into mechanical energy. However, this conversion isn't as rapid as human absorption of Spiritual Qi.

But from what was learned at Arnold Base.

The more advanced a Mechanical Race being is, the more advanced its energy core. This yellow energy core is from the mechanical insects.

While the one from the Blade Warrior is pale green.

Besides dismantling the corpses of these mechanical insects, Baiyu also found many supplies in the ruins of the valley base.

Lastly, he began intensively repairing his off-road motorcycle.

The motorcycles on Wood Iron Star.

Were somewhat different from those on Canglan Star.

But they were fundamentally similar with no differences in principle.

Baiyu was busy all morning, and Mu Feiyan watched the entire time. Finally, seeing the radically altered off-road motorcycle, he looked surprised, "What have you turned it into?"

"A motorcycle."

Baiyu patted the leather seat.

By now, the exoskeleton of the entire motorcycle had been transformed into bright silver metal, with metallic barbs on the tires and protruding metal frames.

Apart from that.

There were also two large metal boxes on the side of the rear of the motorcycle.

At a glance.

They looked somewhat like grenade launcher boxes.

These were the most visible changes, while the more subtle ones were hard to discern on the surface. For instance, Baiyu had installed the yellow rhomboid crystal stone he obtained from the mechanical insects.

Plus various other installations.

Making the motorcycle more than twice its original size, resembling a crouching beast.

After completing the motorcycle modification, Baiyu meticulously scavenged the entire base wasteland, taking everything useful before starting his vehicle.

"Where are you going?"

Mu Feiyan asked.

Baiyu frowned, "Naturally, to hide for a while, until the Imperial reinforcements come to deal with the Mechanical Race."

Mu Feiyan said, "I know a place. Do you want to come with me? It's temporarily safe there, with plenty of living supplies. It's like a small gathering place."

Considering Mu Feiyan's suggestion.

Baiyu didn't refuse.

...

The gathering place she mentioned was some distance from the Mechanical Race base, probably over a hundred kilometers away.

She had initially been from this gathering place.

But was unexpectedly captured by the Mechanical Race for experiments, which then led to a series of subsequent events. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Soon.

With Mu Feiyan guiding, Baiyu arrived at the gathering place.

This location was very hidden.

Situated behind a waterfall, on the cliff of the waterfall, there was a cave, with the waterfall's flow concealing the entrance.

It was a bit like the legendary Water Curtain Cave.

Once inside the cave with Mu Feiyan, Baiyu found the passageway surprisingly clean, evidently maintained by someone. Moreover, behind the waterfall cave, there was a faint purple protective barrier. Although its energy was weak, it provided basic protection.

Preventing the Mechanical Race from detecting people inside using a Life Detector.

Following Mu Feiyan inside, Baiyu saw a series of tents clustered together, with a bonfire burning in the center, over which a large pot was cooking a peculiar animal from Wood Iron Star.

The bonfire served as the heart of the gathering place.

Surrounding the bonfire were several stone and iron tables, alongside a variety of cabinets randomly placed around.

"Xiao Yan?"

As Mu Feiyan entered the gathering place, two people from the gathering quickly approached.

While they were visibly surprised.

They also exhibited profound suspicion.

Considering a person who had been missing for over ten days, suddenly returning was peculiar.

Mu Feiyan didn't have strong survival skills.

Moreover, they had been separated in the city, possibly prone to encountering the Mechanical Race.

"I was previously captured by the Mechanical Race. Baiyu saved me. At the front of the desert, there was a base of the Mechanical Race, but it's been destroyed. It's now a ruin."

Mu Feiyan explained.

The two men rejoiced greatly.

A Mechanical Race base holds many resources that could be utilized.

Mu Feiyan's return quickly spread throughout the gathering place, which originally only had a few dozen people.

They were also curious about the person she brought back.

Baiyu soon received the standard provisions of the gathering place: a tent, a washbasin.

Nothing else really.

Moreover.

Soon, a one-eyed man approached Baiyu.

"The gathering place doesn't charge any living fees, but any food must be earned by your effort. Every three days, a team ventures out to find food. You can choose to join or not."

This man was obviously the leader of the gathering.

After speaking, he handed Baiyu a can: "Remember, here you have to survive on your own."