Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [211]

Sparks flew amidst a flurry of blades and swords, their brilliance piercing even the faint light of dawn that stretched across the sky.

Chen Lin’s counterfeit longswords were of uneven quality, yet they were no ordinary weapons. Through relentless experimentation and adjustment, he managed to steadily improve the craftsmanship of his imitations.

"Your reverse grip is flawed," Jingliu remarked, deflecting an oncoming sword from the void. Observing the flow of air along the blade, she analyzed his stance. "You should exert force with two fingers, not all five. You bear no sign of the Abundance’s curse—an outsider, then?"

"Indeed," Chen Lin replied, deflecting a flying sword to open some distance. "I am not of the Xianzhou, though I do have a sworn brother and sister in Luofu."

"You’ve never studied swordsmanship before?"

"Correct. Close-quarters combat has always been my weakness. Occasionally, on a whim, I like to try new things."

Chen Lin didn’t shy away from exposing his limited melee skills in front of Jingliu. This fact had been apparent from the moment their blades clashed; keeping it hidden would have been pointless. By stating it outright, he conveyed both confidence and transparency—a subtle way of probing her response.

How Jingliu might interpret his behavior wasn’t something Chen Lin could easily predict. The two were unfamiliar with each other’s intentions. He feared she might derail his plans by attempting to curtail a volatile element like himself wandering the Xianzhou. But even if this alienated certain individuals, he wasn’t overly concerned.

This fight was also an opportunity—a test to see what caliber of opponent he could handle alone. Danger abounded in this world, and having both escape strategies and means to stand his ground was essential.

Over-relying on others was never a long-term solution.

Jingliu, it turned out, was far from unimpressive. She had been the first to attack, and with a single strike, she demonstrated that she was no mere "sorcerer." If anything, her primary profession was that of a swordsman, with her other abilities merely complementing her swordsmanship. Calling her a "spellblade" seemed more accurate.

Chen Lin’s own fighting skills amounted to little more than the basic sanda techniques he learned in middle school. High school kept him too busy to pursue martial arts, and his free time was mostly spent playing sports or running for exercise. By the time he reached university—well, his biomedical engineering major left no room for leisure.

Post-graduation, his life revolved around the lab, meeting rooms, and endless social engagements. Besides, in a harmonious society, who spends time learning to fight?

After his traversal to Jarilo-VI during the coup, Seele had once offered to teach him combat skills. Yet, overwhelmed by various responsibilities, Chen Lin had no bandwidth to train. He’d put off physical self-improvement until Fu Xuan expressed grave doubts about his combat abilities.

This realization struck him hard. In a universe where battles weren’t limited to warships, there were individuals powerful enough to dismantle starships with their bare hands.

His reliance on battleships for protection suddenly felt naive. Previously, he’d dismissed such stories as fanciful tales told by others on the Astral Express. Even the divine blessings of an Aeon seemed abstract concepts. Could they truly shatter entire planets?

Yet Phantylia’s vast knowledge had corrected him: Yes, such feats are improbable—but entirely possible.

What kind of power could achieve such a thing? Chen Lin couldn’t even fathom it.

Thus, his primary goal on this mission was to eliminate or mitigate potential threats. Secondarily, he sought ways to enhance his own abilities.

With this plan in mind, Chen Lin had started mimicking Jingliu’s swordsmanship. This woman was clearly extraordinary, and her techniques were unlikely to be anything less than exceptional.

To his surprise, practicing her moves triggered the latent traits granted to him by the [Zroni Nexus]. He began to "learn" abilities once he reached a certain level of proficiency, and these abilities carried the potential for further growth. This gave him a glimmer of hope—perhaps one day, he might dismantle a starship barehanded.

"One question for one answer," Chen Lin said in a low voice. "You’ve already asked; now it’s my turn. Are you here because of the revival of the Ambrosial Arbor?"

"No," Jingliu replied as her sword moved faster, her earlier ease giving way to seriousness. "I’m here to capture someone. He fled to this place. What’s your name?"

"Chen Lin. And yours?"

"…Jingliu."

The duel continued as their questions intertwined with their blows. Chen Lin managed to glean fragments of information about Jingliu: she was once part of the Xianzhou, only to leave after committing a crime. Her return now was prompted by other matters unrelated to the Ambrosial Arbor or the Stellaron's emergence. Despite the Arbor’s negative effects, she had no intention of exploiting the chaos. She even hinted that her swordsmanship had once been somewhat renowned on the Xianzhou.

As for the black veil over her eyes, Jingliu claimed it was to avoid "triggering the inner demon" of her Mara-stricken self—a remark that hinted at her advanced age. She answered other questions just as frankly, though her expression often turned strange during these exchanges.

Was it because he’d asked what she last ate?

Of course, her answers required careful scrutiny. Believing them outright would be foolish.

Chen Lin, in turn, offered half-truths and fabrications, including admitting he’d been monitoring her but weaving a plausible-sounding lie about how.

"Your talents are unusual, and your identity is no less remarkable. You mentioned a sworn brother and sister. Who are they?"

"General Jing Yuan of the Luofu and Fu Xuan, head of the Divination Commission."

Jingliu’s blade paused mid-swing as a playful smile tugged at her lips. "Ah, that explains it. No wonder the esteemed governor of the Instellar Rift Empire is here personally. Your connections seem quite deep…"

Her words and demeanor suggested she had pieced together Chen Lin’s reasons for being here. With a faint shake of her head, she softly said, "Pass on a message for me. I cannot visit the Divine Dignitary Hall just yet. When the time comes, I’ll seek him out myself."

"?"

Jingliu’s cryptic words left Chen Lin puzzled. But as her meaning slowly dawned on him, his thoughts scrambled to catch up.

Wasn’t this a veiled reference to Jing Yuan?

Had he been calmer, Chen Lin might have immediately realized that Jingliu knew Jing Yuan—and quite well, at that. But engaging in combat while adjusting his own flawed techniques divided his attention, delaying his conclusions.

So that’s why novels often describe martial artists as blunt and thick-skinned…

Jingliu, unaware of the ripple effect her words had caused, remained convinced that Chen Lin had stumbled upon her presence on the Xianzhou by accident, informed Jing Yuan, and was sent by him to retrieve her.

For a criminal exiled and hunted by the Xianzhou, stepping foot on its soil was no trivial matter.

Flying swords formed intricate arrays resembling blooming lotuses before Jingliu. Having familiarized herself with Chen Lin’s attacks, she countered effortlessly, dismantling his formations without a second thought.

But just as she shattered the formation, Chen Lin appeared at her flank. She quickly turned her blade, smashing his counterfeit sword with a single blow and forcing him to retreat several paces.

Assuming this exchange was over, Jingliu relaxed slightly—until Chen Lin tossed aside his shattered weapon and swung his arm through empty air.

Whoosh!

From the void emerged a translucent sword aura, its form teetering between energy and matter. Its violet edge shimmered faintly, exuding a sharpness that startled even Jingliu.

She let out a surprised "Huh?" before leaping away.

As she landed, the sword aura dissipated mid-air, failing to connect. But the ground around it—untouched by the aura itself—was sliced cleanly into fragments.

"Sword intent?!" Jingliu’s voice carried a mix of astonishment and disbelief. "How long have you been wielding a blade…?"

Before she could finish, waves of sword energy and flying swords surrounded her once more, with Chen Lin advancing at their center.

Through the sound-mapped image in her mind, Jingliu noted the peculiar "intent" radiating from the edges of his strikes. It wasn’t purely defensive, nor excessively aggressive, nor balanced. Instead, it felt… free.

The young man stood upon one of his counterfeit flying swords, his right hand brandishing another while his left traced invisible patterns in the air. With each gesture, sword-shaped constructs of intent materialized and struck.

For the first time in centuries, Jingliu’s worldview as a seasoned swordswoman teetered on the brink of collapse. How is he doing this?!

To Chen Lin, it wasn’t all that complicated. He had merely recalled flashy techniques from novels, video games, and dramas, stubbornly trying to replicate them.

Though spiritual energy initially refused to entertain his fanciful notions, the [Zroni Nexus] had finally answered his persistence.

Was the sword a vessel for power, or was it the wielder themselves?

For other Xianzhou practitioners of swordsmanship, questions about "sword intent" often became shackles that haunted them their entire lives.

Chen Lin, however, faced no such restraints.

He was a psionicist. His transcendent, sanctified mind was his greatest asset!

As random thoughts cluttered his brain, Chen Lin suddenly realized this truth. In response, the [Zroni Nexus] shifted. Vast reserves of residual [Zro Dust] within it were absorbed, transforming into energy that fueled the dimension itself. At the same time, the sword techniques Chen Lin had been trying to replicate from memory were transmuted into a flood of comprehension and knowledge, pouring into his mind and embedding themselves into his muscle memory as if he had practiced them for decades.

Chen Lin’s body, already nearly perfect, required no refinement from the dimension. His awakened and formidable mind, capable of reshaping the objective world, demanded no bolstering of inner power. Thus, the only thing the dimension needed to exert effort on was providing an understanding of a single craft: swordsmanship.

When Chen Lin remembered how fictional swordsmen always seemed to have dazzling special effects, the [Zroni Nexus] imbued every one of his strikes with psionically-infused flourishes and enhancements. When he lamented his lack of sword techniques, the dimension extrapolated from the fragmented moves he recalled from literature and games, turning them into fully-formed techniques. And when he felt his swordplay lacked gravitas, the dimension reminded him of a concept called sword intent—the manifestation of the wielder’s heart through the blade.

It could be said that once the [Zroni Nexus] responded to its master’s wishes, no matter how implausible the task seemed, it would expend energy to make it happen.

What had once been mountains of [Zro Dust] within the dimension was consumed in mere moments, with much of it vanishing to fuel Chen Lin’s newfound prowess. When the energy was depleted, the dust’s transformation halted, and the dimension returned to tranquility.

[Wielding the Sword – Mastery: This leader’s ability to command a sword has reached a level of divine unity with the weapon, resulting in exceptionally lethal attacks. How is this even possible? Don’t ask. (Ground Forces Damage: +222%)]

Chen Lin: "…"

Clang!

"Fascinating," Jingliu said, her tone carrying a hint of admiration. "I must admit, you possess the most exceptional swordsmanship potential I’ve ever seen. Especially with your disregard for human life—you have the temperament of a true warrior. Ha! If only you were of the Xianzhou…" She sighed. "No matter. Since you’ve accepted this challenge and can demonstrate such skill, I would betray my blade if I held back any longer."

With those words, her sword began to change. Frost crept from the hilt, encasing the blade in a layer of razor-sharp ice. The air around her shimmered with invisible blades, the atmosphere growing dense with a palpable chill. Her expression grew solemn.

"Three minutes. Let’s end this then. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Chen Lin, standing atop a counterfeit flying sword with psionics making it hover, nodded in response.

Whether or not he was about to get beaten senseless, there was no way he’d pass up the chance to look cool.

Look at this—flying on a sword! How awesome is that?!

I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid…

Wait, isn’t psionics basically cultivation in some sense?

If Jingliu knew what absurd thoughts were running through his head, she might have drawn her blade on him immediately.

Jingliu asked, "What is your sword intent?"

Chen Lin replied, drawing from his own insights: "A sword hidden in the heart, a weapon sheathed in the self. Observe the ever-changing flow. It takes shape as the heart wills and becomes a tool as the situation demands—but never just a tool."

Jingliu’s expression shifted slightly, as though seriously contemplating his words. But the concept of sword intent wasn’t something easily understood. Unable to fully grasp his meaning, she committed the words to memory, intending to reflect on them in the future.

"Common iron and mundane swords are useless—they cut nothing," Jingliu said, shaking her head. Beneath her black veil, her eyes opened. Though she could see nothing, she still chose to look. "I… swear by the moon to make my blade my soul. I am the sword."

Chen Lin blinked. Isn’t that literally becoming a sword spirit?!

He smacked his lips, refraining from saying it aloud.

---

Outside the cargo port, Li Sushang paced anxiously by the docks.

The commotion within was impossible to ignore.

"What do I do? What do I do?!" She clutched her head, muttering to herself as she wandered back and forth on the star skiff. "The officer said to retreat if things go south… Is this one of those situations? Ugh! What should I even do?!"

Reporting the situation wasn’t an option—her messages wouldn’t go through. Leaving to get help meant risking the officer coming back and finding her gone.

Not knowing what was happening inside left her paralyzed with indecision. Stay or go, neither option felt right.

More importantly, as a member of the Cloud Knights, watching her superior fight alone while doing nothing gnawed at her conscience.

Torn with indecision, she finally gritted her teeth and resolved to investigate. She needed to at least determine what was happening to avoid making the wrong call. Besides, maybe she could help.

Steeling herself, Li Sushang docked the star skiff, drew the massive sword strapped to her back, and sprinted toward the noise.

After much effort, she clambered onto a high platform overlooking the battlefield. What she saw left her gaping, her sword slipping from her grasp to clatter on the ground.

In the distance, a figure flitted through the air, balanced precariously on a flying sword. A tapestry of sword energy, flying blades, and ghostly sword shadows wove an extraordinary scene in the skies.

Streams of blue and violet clashed and collided, the ground below littered with shattered blades and broken hilts.

The cacophony of explosions and the clash of metal had long since left her ears ringing.

Then, as the blasts ceased, a momentary silence descended—a brief calm before the storm, her racing heart warned her.

Hundreds of longswords hovered ominously above, their tips angled downward. At the center of it all, her "officer" balanced atop an upturned sword, seemingly weightless. One hand held a sword behind his back while the other traced patterns in the air with three fingers.

Opposite him, a blindfolded woman stood amidst a tempest of frost. Even from afar, Li Sushang felt the chilling air seep into her bones.

Finally, the two moved.

The blindfolded woman leaped high into the air, her form as graceful as a painting. Though her movements appeared slow and delicate, they carried an undeniable strength. Her raspy voice rose and fell with an almost maniacal cadence.

A ghostly moon seemed to materialize above her, flickering faintly. As she swung her blade, the moon waned, as if she sought to pluck it from the sky and bring it crashing down.

An eclipse. The sword was unleashed.

Dozens of moonlit sword shadows erupted in an instant, her pupils narrowing beneath the veil.

"[Let this moonlight illuminate the myriad rivers!]"

Hearing her dramatic battle cry, Chen Lin nearly burst out laughing. Who shouts lines like that in a fight?

Desperate to respond in kind, he called upon the [Zroni Nexus] to supply him with a line. Sorting through the options, he hastily picked one that sounded cool enough.

As he formed a hand seal and positioned it before his chest, the air above the clouds seemed to tear open. One by one, massive ethereal swords—each over a hundred meters long—emerged from vortexes of glowing violet energy.

Lacking a detailed understanding of sword design, Chen Lin had unconsciously modeled these titanic blades after Li Sushang’s own.

In a flash, the enormous swords hurtled toward their target like bolts of lightning.

And then, he roared, "[A blade sheathed in the heart—nurturing the edge]!"

---

This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!