256: Review, Special Training, and "Unexpected" Visitors

The vast information fragments about "the primordial web" and "The Great Fracture" brought by the "Sky Watchers" messenger, along with the urgent warning of the "ancient gaze," acted like a potent catalyst injected into the civilization's veins, driving the entire "Homeland" base into a higher-intensity operational cycle at near-limit loads.

The nerves that had been slightly relaxed due to repelling the "World Devourer" were once again taut, and the air was filled with a unique atmosphere mixed with excitement and anxiety—the ultimate vitality that a struggling civilization can erupt with when facing an unknown catastrophe.

The interdisciplinary research team led by Evelyn entered a state of near-"madness" in their analysis.

The coding methods and knowledge structures of the information fragments from the high-dimensional messenger were far beyond the existing scientific framework of "Homeland," like a heavenly book.

However, merely attempting to understand the paradigms and energy models involved in the nuances of these "heavenly books" was enough to light up a series of unexpected branches on the base's technology tree.

In terms of energy theory, there were breakthrough conjectures regarding the interaction model of "Order" and "chaos" at the cosmic string level; in material science, preliminary progress was made in the biomimetic synthesis of those non-natural bio-alloys in the wreckage of the "World Devourer"; and in space technology, based on the inspiration of "dimensional fold stabilization technology" mentioned in the information fragments, the theoretical design of a new generation of short-range jump engines began.

Every bit of progress was accompanied by huge consumption of computational resources and countless sleepless nights, but no one complained; everyone knew that this was buying more survival chips for the future of the civilization.

The base's defense system underwent its second comprehensive upgrade after the war.

The energy output thresholds of all defense platforms were recalibrated, the phase coordination algorithms of the shield generator arrays were optimized, and the response speed and coverage accuracy of the firepower units were further improved.

More importantly, the "tentacles" of the deep-space monitoring network extended outward with unprecedented breadth and sensitivity.

A large number of miniature, long-endurance passive sensing probes were launched into more distant orbits; they no longer just scanned conventional energy and material signals but began to attempt to capture those extremely weak, peculiar-frequency "background fluctuations" and "dimensional ripples"—any clues that might be related to the "ancient gaze" or other potential threats mentioned by the "Sky Watchers" were within the monitoring range.

As the focus of all this, Excellence's personal training, under the mode of adjustment and optimization based on newly acquired information by Evelyn and "iron-fisted supervision" combined with "nagging care" by Su Mu, entered a more targeted and harsher stage of practical combat.

The goal was clear: to maximize the application of the "wings of order" in complex combat environments within the shortest possible time, and to initially explore the use of higher-level "rule intervention" capabilities within the authority of "Order."

The new training ground was selected in a barren asteroid belt several light-years away from the main "Homeland" base.

The environment here was harsh, with complex gravity, full of rocky and metallic celestial bodies of various sizes and compositions, as well as perennial interstellar dust and weak radiation belts; it was an ideal place to simulate space encounters, extreme maneuvers, and complex energy environments.

Training here would not affect the base even if a few asteroids were accidentally destroyed, and the cost was negligible—a point that deeply pleased Su Mu.

"Today's training subjects," the disciple of "White Elder" named "Black Armor," was currently standing by the porthole of a silver-gray observation ship, the "Star-Gazer," which was only the size of a destroyer and had a simple and smooth design.

Through a secure high-fidelity quantum communication channel, he conveyed instructions to Excellence, who was hovering on the periphery of the asteroid belt.

His voice came through the communicator, steady as a mountain, carrying a unique rhythm that seemed to soothe spatial fluctuations, "It is mainly divided into two parts. First, test the independent stability, maneuver maintenance capability, and self-repair efficiency of the 'wings of order' and its energy core under extreme complex energy interference environments. Second, and more importantly, guide you to initially attempt to use the 'rule intervention' authority contained in the 'Order Origin,' which transcends simple energy output. I will use the 'Wanxiang Disk,' a secret magic weapon of the 'Starwatchers' lineage, to generate a controllable composite interference field in this area that simulates various extreme cosmic phenomena and ancient energy disturbances. What you need to do is: First, cut off the active power supply link with 'The Weave' and maintain existence and maneuverability solely by relying on your own 'Order Origin' core and the light wings' energy circulation system; second, persist for the scheduled duration within this interference field and maneuver flexibly to avoid the most lethal energy vortices; finally, attempt to actively identify and use your power of 'Order' to 'smooth out,' 'channel,' or 'neutralize' specific, relatively obvious 'order node' of 'chaos' within the interference field. Note, it is 'intervention' and 'guidance,' not brutal 'annihilation' confrontation. Do you understand?"

"Understood." Excellence's voice came through the communicator, calm and firm.

He was currently hovering in the cold void, the pair of "wings of order" behind him fully spread.

The silver-white light was not dazzling, but it flowed as if it had substance, looking sacred and majestic against the dark starry background and the shimmering light reflected by the asteroid belt.

After previous high-intensity physical and virtual training, especially after that "accident" with a heavy price, his basic control of this pair of light wings was already proficient. At least there would be no more awkward situations where he would throw himself out like a spinning top because of a thought that was too intense, or where he would subconsciously "kick his legs" while hovering, leading to loss of posture control. The synchronization between his mind and the wings had become almost instinctive.

"Begin."

Black Armor said no more. He raised his hand and held it in the air. Above his palm, a phantom of a three-dimensional compass with an extremely complex and precise structure about one foot in diameter emerged.

This "Wanxiang Disk" was neither gold nor jade, and its whole body was translucent Deep Blue. Inside, it seemed to store a miniature galaxy and swirling clouds, and countless tiny light spots like dust were operating along mysterious trajectories.

As Black Armor injected a wisp of pale golden energy into his fingertips and gently flicked, the compass phantom suddenly shone brightly, emitting a low hum that seemed to come from the depths of the universe.

In an instant, with Excellence's position as the core, within a spherical space with a radius of about five hundred kilometers, the scene changed drastically!

The relatively calm void was like a lake into which a giant rock had been thrown, suddenly "boiling." Visible light began to twist and scatter, forming patches of fantastic colorful halos; the originally stable micro-gravity field became chaotic, with directions and magnitudes changing instantly, as if countless invisible hands were pulling randomly; even more lethal were the countless energy turbulent flows of completely different natures and colors generated out of thin air.

Some were as hot as solar prominences, appearing in blinding bright white and emitting terrifying high temperatures; some were bone-chillingly cold, appearing in dark blue, and where they passed, even space seemed to be frozen; some emitted strange purple-black ripples, which could severely interfere with or even distort the Perception signals of living beings and sensors; and some appeared in murky dark red, as if they had life, actively rushing toward Excellence, attempting to erode and pollute the pure Power of Order field on his body surface, and even drilling into the energy veins of the light wings to cause damage.

This was the composite field simulated by the "Wanxiang Disk," which fused various extreme cosmic natural phenomena (such as gravitational tide anomalies, high-energy radiation storms, and dimensional micro-leakage) and the energy interference methods commonly used by some ancient hostile existences.

Its design purpose was to test and hone Excellence's limit adaptation and response capabilities under safe and controllable conditions to the maximum extent.

The pressure struck like a landslide and tsunami! Excellence immediately felt his body sink, as if he had been thrown into a violent torrent vortex.

The stable lift and propulsion field provided by the light wings were severely interfered with, becoming sluggish and difficult to control, and his flight posture began to shake and shift uncontrollably under the action of various disordered forces.

What was more troublesome was that those endless energy turbulent flows of various natures, like maggots on attached bones, continuously impacted, consumed, and tested his Order protection.

He could clearly feel the output of his own energy core rising, and the light of the light wings fluctuated slightly under the counter-impact and erosion of energy.

"Steady your mind! Do not forcefully confront the entire field!" Black Armor's calm voice came through the interference, carrying a unique penetrating power, "The interference field looks chaotic and violent, but in fact, the internal energy flow still has its 'veins' and 'Nodes.' Open your Perception, try to 'listen' to the 'rhythm' of this chaos, and look for the relatively weak links, the gaps in energy conversion, and the 'contradiction points' of the chaos laws themselves. Use your 'Order' to be a delicate 'comb' or 'scalpel' to comb, to guide, and to resolve, rather than using a sledgehammer to hit an anvil!"

Excellence forced himself to calm down from the initial impact and settled his restless mood caused by the drastic environmental changes.

He followed the advice and no longer tried to use his wings to forcefully withstand all the incoming turbulent flows. Instead, he raised his Perception connected to the "wings of order" to an unprecedented level of sharpness.

His consciousness was like a delicate spider web, extending in all directions, trying to penetrate those violent energy appearances to capture the deeper flow laws, energy density differences, and the interaction "Nodes" between turbulent flows of different natures.

At the same time, he began to try to actively mobilize the deeper, more essential power within the "wings of order" and his own energy core—that was not just energy that could be used for bombardment or defense, but a special "authority" that could exert influence on local physical rules and energy states.

This feeling was mysterious, but the vague revelations he had gained from the "Sky Watchers" information fragments, as well as the occasional seemingly casual pointers from "White Elder," were now gathering in his mind like a trickle.

Order was not a rigid set of rules, but a dynamic balance, harmonious guidance, and the combing and transformation of chaos.

He locked his attention on a particularly active dark red corrosive energy turbulent flow that kept trying to drill into the energy veins of his left light wing.

He did not choose to use his wings to swat it away or use an energy shield to block it hard, but controlled a "light feather" at the very edge of his left light wing, making its energy structure extremely flexible and permeable, like the most dexterous probe, and with almost impossible precision and angle, "gently" "cut into" a tiny "gap" where the energy structure of that dark red turbulent flow was the loosest and where energy beams of several different attributes intersected.

His mind was highly concentrated, and his spirit condensed like a needle. He injected a pure, gentle, non-aggressive, and purely representative of "stability," "peace," and "Order" Order fluctuation through that "light feather probe," just like performing the most delicate microsurgery, precisely into that chaotic "Node."

"Combing... harmonizing... guiding... returning to the due peace..."

A wonderful change occurred at the microscopic level. That dark red turbulent flow, which was originally full of aggression and constantly twisting, did not explode or was forcibly dispersed after being injected with this wisp of gentle Order fluctuation.

On the contrary, its internal violent and conflicting energy structure seemed to be gently brushed by an invisible and gentle hand, and began to become supple and orderly.

The chaotic dark red color gradually faded and transformed, first turning into a relatively gentle orange-red, then blending into the relatively peaceful pale golden tone of the surrounding spatial background energy, and finally dissipating completely, as if it had never existed.

And the light feather that had been in brief contact with it was not only unharmed, but the energy luster on its surface seemed to have become even more moist and condensed.

Effective! And it felt far more "effort-saving" and "clever" than brute force confrontation!

Excellence's spirit was greatly boosted, as if he had pushed open a door to a new world.

He began to actively walk and shuttle through the violent interference field, no longer just passively avoiding, but like a highly skilled doctor, or an experienced gardener, actively "diagnosing" and "pruning" this chaotic "energy garden."

He searched for those "key Nodes" where energy was silted up and conflicted violently, or those "active turbulent flows" that were particularly active and had an amplification effect on the overall interference field, and used his wingtips, fingertips, or even occasionally guided the Power of Order directly with his mind to conduct precise "micro-surgery."

Every successful "smoothing" or "guiding," although it could only affect a small area, was not highly efficient, and consumed a lot of mental focus, but the effect was immediate.

Where he passed, the violent energy turbulent flows would temporarily subside, the twisted light would return to straight, and the disordered gravity would tend to be stable for a small area.

More importantly, in this high-intensity, fine-grained practice of "rule intervention," his understanding and application of the Power of Order were deepening at an astonishing speed.

His "wings of order" seemed to have been injected with new vitality in this state, the light was more restrained and condensed, the speed of the runes on the surface accelerated, and the energy interaction with the surrounding environment (even in a chaotic environment) appeared increasingly harmonious and natural, as if it was learning how to dance with this chaotic "ocean."

"Performance is beyond expectations!" A rare flash of clear appreciation crossed "Black Armor's" eyes, "The talent for comprehending and applying the essence of 'Order' is extremely high. Maintain this rhythm and mentality, and pay attention to the balance of core energy distribution and mental recovery. The intensity and complexity of the interference field are about to be raised to the second preset level!"

Before the words fell, the phantom of the "Wanxiang Disk" in his palm shone again, and the internal galaxy's operating trajectory suddenly accelerated!

Hum—!

The "violence" level of the entire interference field suddenly jumped by an Order of magnitude!

Not only did the intensity, frequency, and variety of energy turbulent flows multiply, but what was even more troublesome was that small-scale, short-term "law anomaly zones" began to appear randomly in the field!

The physical rules in these areas would temporarily undergo strange changes: for example, the local gravity direction at a certain place would suddenly reverse, pulling everything toward the void that was originally "above"; for example, the light in a certain area would not travel in a straight line, but would bend into a closed ring connected end to end; there might even be a short-term "causality delay" phenomenon, where there would be an unpredictable slight delay between action and result...

The pressure facing Excellence surged instantly! Fine beads of sweat immediately broke out on his forehead, and his breathing became slightly rapid.

He had to push the "wings of order" to a higher output state, their silver-white light shining brightly in the chaotic star sector like two miniature bright moons.

He no longer sought to "smooth out" the chaos quickly and over a large area, but instead devoted more energy to extreme maneuverability and evasion. Utilizing the monstrous mobility provided by the wings, he wove and turned like a phantom through the gaps of those constantly forming and annihilating "Law Anomaly Zones" and the weak interstices of the violent energy turbulence.

At the same time, with higher precision and a more cautious attitude, he sought the most suitable timing and the safest Nodes to perform that delicate "rule intervention." This was more like walking a tightrope over a bottomless abyss or fishing a needle out of a boiling pot of oil; it was an extreme test of his instantaneous judgment, control, and psychological endurance.

Just as Excellence was fully focused, adjusting his state to the peak, doing his utmost to deal with this upgraded interference field, and gradually finding his rhythm again—a mutation descended without warning!

He had just successfully used a delicate touch of his wingtip to disturb and dissipate a "light bending ring" that was about to form, and his mind had not yet fully withdrawn from that state of high concentration.

An indescribable, weak fluctuation—seemingly originating from the final destination of all things and the end of all meaning—cold, hollow, yet carrying a strange attraction, like an undercurrent lurking beneath the deep sea, silently penetrated the composite interference field carefully constructed by Black Armor's "Myriad Phenomena Disk," and also pierced through Excellence's own already quite solid Order protective force field. In a way that was incomprehensible and unstoppable, it directly "flowed" into the deepest part of his consciousness!

It was not a sound, not an image, nor any form of energy impact. It was more like a kind of "information pollution" that acted directly on the concept of existence itself, a "conceptual whisper" about "end" and "void."

It was impossible to paraphrase its content in any known language, but the core "intent" it conveyed carried a chill and despair that froze the soul, instantly branded into Excellence's Perception: "...Order...ultimately returns to void...prosperity...all turns to dust...birth...struggle...glory...extinction...reincarnation...futility...meaning...delusion...return...cast aside this heavy existence...merge into eternal silence...embrace that final peace...return to...Guixu..."

This "The Whisper" was not an attempt to persuade surrender, but rather a denial and deconstruction of the fundamental meaning of existence, a nearly pathological eulogy and summons to "end" and "void." It directly tugged at the instinctual fear of extinction in life, yet twisted it into an alluring "release" and "destination." It did not destroy your power; it disintegrated the reason for you to use that power.

"Ugh—!" Excellence was struck as if by lightning, his body shuddering violently, a muffled groan escaping his lips! His brain felt as if it were being pierced by billions of cold steel needles simultaneously, or as if all temperature and color had been instantly drained from it, plunging him into an absolute, suffocating gray and dead silence! His vision went black in waves, and countless fragmented, despair-filled illusions flashed and annihilated crazily in his consciousness! The "wings of order" that had been shining steadily behind him flickered violently like a candle in the wind, their light unstable, and the energy structure showed signs of brief disorder, nearly collapsing completely! His originally precise flight posture went out of control instantly, and his body, under the influence of the chaotic gravity and his own imbalance, spun wildly toward a craggy asteroid with a diameter of several dozen kilometers not far away!

"Excellence!!" Inside the bridge of the "Star-Observer," Su Mu and Evelyn, seeing this scene through the monitor, were scared out of their wits and cried out in alarm! Black Armor's expression also changed drastically; without hesitation, he immediately prepared to stop the operation of the "Myriad Phenomena Disk" and prepared to activate the observation ship's emergency tractor beam for rescue.

"Don't come over—!" At the critical moment, Excellence, relying on his remaining, near-instinctual will to survive and belief in protection, at the very last moment before his consciousness was submerged by the cold void, let out a hoarse roar! He bit the tip of his tongue hard, the sharp pain bringing a negligible yet crucial moment of clarity, and with all his might, he gathered his dissipating focus and issued a command to the flickering wings of light behind him!

Hum! The "wings of order" responded to their master's call at the last moment. The light suddenly solidified; although it was no longer as brilliant as before, it erupted with its final power and flapped violently toward the lower side with all its might!

Whoosh! Excellence's out-of-control body narrowly, almost brushing past the hideous rock spikes on the surface of the asteroid, grazed by, kicking up a spray of gravel and dust. He barely managed to stabilize his figure and hovered again in the void, but his face was as pale as paper, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for air, his eyes filled with the fear of surviving a disaster, as well as a deeper shock and horror at the strange method of attack just now.

What the hell was that?! It could completely ignore physical defenses and energy barriers, directly attacking the core of consciousness, and even shaking one's cognition of the meaning of one's own existence?! Compared to the "The Whisper" of "Entropy" that was full of madness and the desire to devour, this thing just now was even more bizarre, more "essential," and even more...despair-inducing!

The "Myriad Phenomena Disk" interference field was quickly withdrawn by Black Armor, and the surrounding space returned to its previous relative calm, leaving only some energy ripples that had not yet completely subsided. The "Star-Observer" approached quickly, and the tractor beam brought the somewhat exhausted Excellence back into the ship.

"What happened? That fluctuation just now... it was definitely not the effect of the 'Myriad Phenomena Disk'!" Su Mu was the first to rush up, supporting the slightly unsteady Excellence, her face full of anxiety and lingering fear. Evelyn also stepped forward immediately, holding a scanner to perform a quick check, her brows tightly knitted.

"It is the The Whisper of the Guixu People." An old and grave voice sounded at the cabin door. White Elder had arrived on the "Star-Observer" at some point. His expression was more serious than ever before, and deep in his eyes, there was even a rare hint of awe. "I didn't expect their 'sense of smell' to be so keen and their reaction so swift. It seems that it is not just 'watching'; they have already listed Excellence, this newborn, uniquely shining 'order node,' as a key 'target of interest.'"

"The 'Guixu People'?" Excellence sat steadily with Su Mu's support, drank a tube of high-efficiency energy supplement handed to him by Evelyn, and caught his breath, but his voice was still a bit hoarse. "Are they the ancient beings mentioned in the information from the 'Sky Watchers' who believe that all things ultimately return to extinction? What... exactly are they? How can their method of attack be so bizarre?"

"Let's return to the base first to discuss it in detail; this place is not suitable for staying long." White Elder said in a deep voice, signaling Black Armor to control the ship to return.

Returning to the central conference room of the "Homeland" base, the atmosphere was more grave than ever before. Wang Jianguo, Su Mu, Evelyn, Excellence, as well as White Elder and Black Armor, were gathered together, and everyone's expression did not look good.

White Elder spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the silent conference room: "The 'Guixu People,' strictly speaking, are not a 'race' with a unified form or social structure. They are more like a kind of... 'conceptual aggregate,' or rather, a wandering 'phenomenon,' formed during the catastrophe of 'The Great Fracture' that swept across countless dimensions, from a large number of annihilated civilizations, broken laws, and the deepest despair and obsession with void of living beings, mixed, precipitated, and alienated in the gaps between dimensions."

"They have no fixed physical form and usually penetrate and affect the real world through 'void whispers,' 'erosion of presence,' 'meaning deconstruction dreams,' and so on. Their core 'doctrine' (if that can be called a doctrine) is the firm belief that—all things, no matter how glorious, orderly, or full of vitality they once were, their final, only, and most beautiful destination is to completely 'return to Guixu,' that is, to return to absolute 'nothingness,' eternal 'silence,' a state of pure 'void' with no matter, no energy, no information, and no meaning. They believe that all existence, all struggle, all love and hate, creation and destruction, are meaningless futility on an infinite time scale; only by actively embracing 'Guixu' can one obtain true 'peace' and 'release.'"

"Their 'The Whisper' is the carrier of this philosophy. It can act directly on the depths of the consciousness of intelligent beings, evoking the fear of death, confusion about the future, doubt about whether efforts might be in vain, and interrogation of the meaning of existence hidden in the target's heart... and infinitely magnifying and twisting them, eventually inducing the target to produce a strong sense of void and self-denial, either ending their own life in despair, or abandoning all resistance, willingly being assimilated and devoured by their 'void' essence, and becoming a part of 'Guixu.' For them, finding those 'order node' that are full of vitality, huge potential, and shining with the glory of 'Order' or 'life,' and before they grow up, using whispers to induce them to wither on their own or dragging them into eternal silence, is a near-instinctual 'mission' and the 'ultimate aesthetics' they understand—witnessing brilliant things voluntarily stepping into the darkness."

The conference room was dead silent, with only the slightly heavy breathing of everyone audible. This kind of enemy was even more chilling and harder to defend against than the straightforward destroyers like the "World Devourer"! The "World Devourer" was at least a physical threat that could be seen, touched, and countered with artillery fire and power. But the "Guixu People," their attacks were aimed directly at the mind, will, and the foundation of existence, and conventional physical and energy defenses were almost completely ineffective.

"The one just now was merely a tentative, long-range 'The Whisper' projection." White Elder's gaze fell on Excellence, who was still looking a bit pale. "That you could withstand it without preparation, not be immediately dragged into the abyss of despair, and even manage to break free at the last moment with instinctive belief and stabilize your form, this already proves that your willpower is far tougher than the average person, and the foundation of 'Order' in your soul is also exceptionally firm. However, child, this is just the beginning."

His tone became extremely serious: "Once 'marked' by the 'Guixu People' in this way, they will, like sharks that have smelled blood, continuously, patiently, and in increasingly stronger and more covert ways, conduct 'The Whisper Erosion' on you. Especially when gaps appear in your mind—when you feel tired, lonely, doubtful, afraid, or witness precious things being damaged, or when your efforts encounter setbacks—their whispers are most likely to take advantage of the situation, magnifying your negative emotions until they drag you down."

Recalling the cold, dead gray in his consciousness just now, and the despairing temptation that all things return to nothingness, Excellence still felt a palpitation. He looked at the unconcealable worry in the eyes of Su Mu beside him, at Evelyn's tightly pursed lips and grave gaze, and at Wang Jianguo's mountain-like, steady yet equally worried face. The coldness and wavering in his heart caused by the "Guixu" whisper were gradually replaced by another, warmer, more solid, and more surging power.

He was not alone. He had this "Homeland," which had gone through hardships but remained warm and united, to protect; he had these companions who shared life and death with him and could be completely trusted to fight side-by-side; and he had countless ordinary but resilient people silently supporting him from behind. These concrete and vivid bonds, these meanings worth fighting for, were the firmest anchors for his existence in the world, and the strongest shield and most blazing flame for him to resist all "void" whispers.

"I understand." Excellence took a deep breath, straightened his spine, his eyes becoming clear and firm again, and that paleness was replaced by a sense of restrained power. "I will remain vigilant at all times. However, since they have already come to the door, avoidance and fear are meaningless. Is there any way to actively counter, or even... strike back against this kind of 'conceptual' erosion?"

White Elder pondered for a moment and said slowly: "The 'Guixu People' are intangible and formless; conventional physical and energy attacks are basically ineffective against them. The only things that can truly counter them are equally powerful and pure 'mental power' and 'will of existence.' Specifically, it is a sufficiently firm 'belief in survival,' 'passion for life' as hot as a star, an unbreakable 'mental defense line,' and a clear and unshakable cognition of the meaning of one's own existence. Your 'Order' power, especially the positive concepts and emotions contained within it such as 'protection,' 'hope,' 'creation,' and 'connection,' naturally has a certain restraining and purifying effect on the void attribute of 'Guixu.' The key is that you need to learn to actively transform these positive concepts and emotions from vague beliefs into a concrete, strong, and controllable 'mental energy field,' or in other words, condense them into a blazing 'heart fire' to forge an indestructible 'shield of will.'"

He paused and continued: "In addition, in the long history of the 'Lost Star Cluster,' there is no lack of experience in dealing with such threats. There is a lineage called the 'Soul Guardians,' whose path focuses on tempering the mind, holding fast to one's true self, and countering various forms of void erosion and mental pollution. Perhaps we can try to send a message through the contact method left by the 'Sky Watchers,' asking if any masters of the 'Soul Guardians' lineage are willing to come to help, or at least provide some basic defensive techniques and training insights. However," he changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over everyone, "far water cannot save near fire. The 'Lost Star Cluster' is vast and boundless, information transmission and personnel travel are time-consuming, and whether the 'Soul Guardians' are willing to intervene or when they can arrive are all unknowns. Before obtaining substantial external assistance, Excellence, your main reliance can only be yourself, and the support that these companions around you can provide."

Relying on himself, and his companions. Excellence's gaze met with Su Mu's, Evelyn's, and Wang Jianguo's again, and a warm current surged in his heart. He nodded heavily: "I understand. I will find a way. As it happens, my path of 'Order' also needs more mental tempering. Next time they come again, I will let them have a good look at what it means that 'hope never extinguishes' and what it means that 'bonds are power'!"

In the following days, Excellence's training schedule, in addition to continuing to deepen the maneuverability and tactical application of the "wings of order" and the precision of "Rule Intervention," added a crucial item—specialized mental protection and willpower tempering training.

Su Mu mobilized all the resources she could, bringing in the base's top psychology experts, neuroscience professors, and a few veterans who had shown extraordinary mental resilience during their exile.

They worked closely with the research team led by Evelyn, utilizing the simulation capabilities of "The Weave" and advanced neuro-consciousness monitoring equipment to tailor an extremely rigorous yet highly targeted "Anti-Void Erosion Comprehensive Training Program" for Excellence.

This program was complex and profound, including:

Willpower endurance training under extreme pressure: Maintaining clear cognition and positive action in simulated extreme environments (such as desperate survival, prolonged solitude, high-intensity information bombardment), resisting the negative emotions and thoughts of giving up generated by the simulation.

Reinforcement of positive emotional memory anchors: Through deep meditation and neurofeedback technology, repeatedly retracing and strengthening real and profound memory images and emotional experiences closely linked to positive concepts such as "protection," "joy," "thirst for knowledge," "friendship," and "responsibility," solidifying them into stable "lighthouses" and "cornerstones" in the mind.

Active construction and confirmation of existential meaning: Under the guidance of mentors, conducting profound self-dialogue and value sorting to clarify and continuously reinforce the multiple meanings of one's existence (as a guardian, as an explorer, as a companion, as a member of the Homeland, etc.), transforming them from abstract concepts into concrete, vivid, and detailed "meaning maps."

Cautious adaptive desensitization training: Under the personal protection of "White Elder" and with Evelyn strictly monitoring physiological indicators, extremely cautiously and gradually allowing Excellence to be exposed to information fragments that simulate the characteristics of "The Whisper" of the "Guixu People" that have been extremely weakened and filtered in a controlled environment, exercising his ability to identify, be vigilant, and mobilize positive power to resist and purify.

The process was undoubtedly full of pain and challenges, as if hammering the soul in a forge time and time again.

But Excellence accepted it willingly.

He knew that this was not just to enhance his strength, but a battle for survival involving life and death and protecting his loved ones.

Every time he successfully held on during the simulated desperate whispers, relying on the memory of Su Mu's smile, the recollection of Evelyn's focused profile, and the longing for the warm scene of the "Homeland" lights, he could feel his willpower becoming more tenacious like tempered steel; his control over the power of "Order," especially its warm and protective side, also became more handy.

And the disgusting whispers of the "Guixu People," just as "White Elder" expected, began to follow him like a shadow, appearing in increasingly frequent and covert ways.

Sometimes in the gaps of his deep meditation and relaxed consciousness; sometimes in the moments of physical and mental exhaustion after high-intensity physical training; sometimes even when he was chatting easily with Su Mu and Evelyn, enjoying rare moments of tranquility, that cold, empty, and tempting voice of nothingness would quietly seep in, trying to sow seeds of doubt and despair in the most unguarded corners of his heart.

The first time he encountered it in a non-training state was in the Ecological Garden.

He was checking the growth of the latest batch of "starlight lettuce" seedlings with Su Mu.

Su Mu was humming a light, unknown tune, carefully fiddling with the leaves, and the sunlight (simulated) shone on her through the dome, the scene peaceful and beautiful.

The Whisper sounded quietly at this moment, trying to make him feel that the vibrant scene before him "will eventually wither and decay, and all growth is a futile process towards death."

Excellence's fingers trembled, and the recording pad in his hand almost dropped.

But he immediately forced himself to calm down, turned to look at Su Mu's focused and vivid profile, felt the warm breath of pure care for life emanating from her, and then looked at the tender green plants around him that were still trying to stretch and shimmer even in the simulated environment... The sense of nothingness that struck, like ice and snow meeting the warm sun, instantly melted away for the most part.

He silently built a wall of belief in his heart to "protect this beauty and vitality," completely isolating the remaining whispering noise.

The second time was in the Central Laboratory.

He and Evelyn had been working for nearly twenty hours to verify a new model regarding the resonance between the "Power of Order" and the "order node" of "The Weave."

Both were exhausted, their eyes bloodshot.

The Whisper took advantage of the situation, suggesting to him that "all thirst for knowledge and exploration, in the face of the eternal indifference and nothingness of the universe, is nothing but a mayfly shaking a tree, destined to be forgotten, and of no value."

At that moment, Excellence did feel a strong sense of mental fatigue and existential void.

But when he looked up and saw Evelyn's eyes across from him, which, although tired, still shone with the unyielding light of thirst for knowledge, and heard her slightly hoarse but excited muttering because she had suddenly caught a calculation loophole, that pure passion burning to understand the mysteries of the world and for the continuation of civilization instantly infected him, dispelling the haze in his heart.

He turned his belief in "exploring the unknown and lighting up the road ahead with like-minded people" into firewood and threw it into the heart fire, and The Whisper returned without success again.

Every successful resistance made Excellence's wall of willpower thicker, and his understanding and application of his own "Order" power went a step deeper.

He discovered that when he actively integrated specific and vivid beliefs and emotions such as "protecting Su Mu's smile," "supporting Evelyn's research," "responding to Wang Jianguo's trust," and "defending the Homeland's lights" into his own Order energy cycle, that power would become warmer, more stable, and full of "vitality," and the purification and resistance effect against the "Guixu" whisper was also significantly enhanced.

Deploying the "wings of order" in this state, its light would even naturally emit a faint halo that made people feel at ease, warm, and full of hope, as if it could dispel gloom and despair within a certain range.

"White Elder" had been silently watching Excellence's growth, and the look of approval in his eyes was becoming more intense.

The tenacity of this child's character, the rapidity of his growth, and the depth of his understanding of the true meaning of "Order" far exceeded his initial expectations.

Perhaps this young man from a distant foreign land really had the ability to become a ray of dawn in this star region to fight against the erosion of "Guixu" and even other deeper darkness, a "hope coordinate" in the true sense.

However, just as Excellence was gradually adapting to the harassment of the "Guixu People's" whispers and starting to be able to effectively conduct mental defense, new, more practical, and urgent troubles had already followed the traces of resources to the door of "Homeland."

In the main control center of the base's deep space monitoring network, the harsh priority alarm sounded again.

This time, the signal source was a remote star region about three hundred and twenty light-years away from "Homeland," where several star systems with relatively rich resources but unstable environments that had not yet been developed on a large scale were distributed.

Monitoring data showed that abnormal subspace fluctuation ripples appeared in the area.

The spectral characteristics of the fluctuations were partially similar to the data recorded when the "World Devourer" appeared, but there were obvious differences—it was more covert, orderly, had a stable fluctuation period, and... the monitoring station captured regular, high-intensity energy extraction signals accompanying the fluctuations, the pattern of which was very similar to large-scale "directional resource collection" or "planetary-level mining" activities!

Almost at the same time the monitoring alarm sounded, a small engineering fleet (consisting of three industrial ships and two frigates) dispatched by "Homeland" to the L-7 mining point on the edge of the star region to perform routine rare mineral exploration and reserve assessment missions sent back a fragmented, interference-filled emergency distress signal:

"...This is the 'Explorer Seven' fleet... encountered unknown... unidentified... black ships... quantity three... medium size... they didn't fire directly... but... they are using some kind of beam... to extract the solid core energy of the XT-3 gas giant... we tried to warn and stop them... our attacks... the energy beams seemed to be... absorbed or deflected by them? Defenses completely ineffective! Repeat, defenses ineffective! They noticed us! One of them is turning... unknown energy lock... shield energy is being rapidly drained! Engine power dropping! Requesting emergency support! Requesting..."

The signal stopped abruptly here, leaving only disturbing current noise.

In the emergency conference room, the atmosphere dropped to freezing point instantly.

"Is it the 'World Devourer' returning? Or a variant of them?" Wang Jianguo stared at the flashing red dot on the star map and asked in a deep voice.

"The fluctuation characteristics are significantly different." Evelyn quickly retrieved the comparison data, "The energy signals of the 'World Devourer' are more 'chaotic' and 'violent,' tending towards indiscriminate devouring and destruction. And the signals detected this time, although equally powerful and aggressive, seem more 'purposeful' and 'technical,' with goals clearly pointing to high-value resources (planetary core energy), and the behavioral pattern is closer to... predatory efficient mining. The engineering fleet's report also mentioned that the opponent seems to have the ability to absorb or deflect energy attacks."

"Extracting planetary cores... this kind of targeted plunder of high-concentration energy and rare materials..." "White Elder" stroked his beard, a flash of realization in his eyes, "It reminds this old man of another group of survivors after 'The Great Fracture'—the 'Law Stealers'. They are a group of technology-supremacist, extremely greedy realists who believe that 'everything can be used by me.' They are good at analyzing, copying, and stealing various forms of energy and material technology, and then refining and modifying them to strengthen themselves or create powerful weapons and tools. They usually avoid meaningless direct conflicts, their movements are secretive, but once they lock onto a high-value target, they will use unscrupulous means to plunder greedily and efficiently. Judging from the behavioral pattern, it is quite consistent with this incident."

"'Law Stealers'?" Excellence frowned, feeling a headache.

Are there too many opponents on this "chessboard"?

Just finished dealing with the "World Devourer" that destroys everything, then came the "Guixu People" that disintegrate willpower, and now a "Law Stealers" that specializes in stealing resources?

How many monsters did this "Great Fracture" collapse out?

"The engineering fleet is in critical condition, we must rescue them immediately!" Su Mu stood up, her tone decisive, without any room for negotiation.

"The opponent's situation is unknown, and they possess the strange ability to absorb or deflect energy attacks. If a conventional combat fleet goes, I'm afraid it will not only be difficult to win, but may also suffer unnecessary losses, or even... send 'ammunition' to the opponent." Wang Jianguo analyzed calmly, his gaze finally falling on Excellence, "Excellence, the nature of your 'Power of Order' is special and not purely an energy attack, perhaps it can restrain the opponent's 'stealing' ability. And the speed of the 'wings of order' is enough to arrive and take action before the opponent reacts. The rescue mission may require you as the main force."

"I'll go." Excellence didn't hesitate at all and immediately agreed, "It just so happens that I also want to see the means of these 'ancient survivors' with my own eyes, and test how much of my newly practiced skills can be exerted in real combat. If it really is the 'Law Stealers', I will use 'Order' to tell them that some things are not for them to 'steal' at will."

"I'm going with you!" Su Mu immediately followed.

"I need to collect energy and behavioral data of the 'Law Stealers' on-site, which is crucial for improving our defense system and understanding these ancient existences." Evelyn also stood up, her tone unquestionable.

"White Elder" nodded slightly: "This old man will also go together. If the opponent is indeed the 'Law Stealers', perhaps there is still room for negotiation. Although they are greedy, they are not irrational destroyers. If they insist on plundering and refuse to stop, with this old man present, I can also guard against them using some bizarre means or artifacts that exceed common sense."

A capable rescue team was quickly formed: Excellence (main battle/high-speed maneuver), Su Mu (on-site command/tactical coordination), Evelyn (technical analysis/data collection), "White Elder" (high-level advisor/potential negotiator), taking the newly modified fast assault ship "light chaser" which emphasizes speed and stealth, and carrying a small team (twelve units) of the most elite "Fortress-VI" heavy mecha warriors as auxiliary and support forces.

Without too much delay, after a simple pre-battle briefing and equipment check, the "light chaser" slid silently out of the "Homeland" dock, the tail thrusters ejected a faint blue ion stream, accelerating rapidly, turning into a stream of light tearing through the dark universe, galloping towards that remote star region where ominous signals were coming.

This time, what they will face is no longer pure destructive desire or whispering nothingness, but greedy, cunning, and technically bizarre resource plunderers.

New challenges, new battles, await them on the other side of deep space.

And Excellence also wants to know what kind of sparks will be generated when the mind and power tempered by the "Guixu" whispers face these legendary "Law Stealers."

"Law Stealers"... I hope your technology is interesting enough, and don't let me be too "disappointed."

The wake of the "light chaser" gradually disappeared into the bright and indifferent starry background, leaving only the lights of the "Homeland" base still flickering, stubbornly proving the unyielding existence of life and civilization in the endless darkness.