277: Sprouts, Star Marks, and Uninvited Guests

G-7721 star sector, a region marked as the "Quiet Frontier" on the pan-dimensional star map.

It is far from major hyperspace routes, devoid of busy trade fleets, and rarely visited by explorers.

The distribution of stars is relatively sparse, with young celestial bodies emitting a stable and gentle light, and the nebular matter is thin, giving the entire sector a sense of nearly transparent depth.

Tranquility is the main theme here—sometimes, so tranquil that it makes one feel a tinge of unease, as if this starry sky is deliberately maintaining some sort of low-profile camouflage.

At the center of the star map, the third planet, "Tendril," is like an emerald embedded in black velvet.

It possesses vast azure oceans reflecting the starlight, landmasses covered in primitive rainforests so dense they are almost ink-green, and the atmosphere is filled with oxygen-rich, slightly pale-gold clouds.

This is a world teeming with life, with a complex and delicate ecosystem, and it is the cradle and Homeland of the target civilization, "Sprout."

Suspended in high orbit above "Tendril" is the stage for this historic meeting—the "Nexus Point" space station.

Its design fully embodies the philosophy and aesthetics of the "Sprout" civilization: the overall shape is a water droplet, with rounded and smooth lines, and the silvery-white alloy skeleton is covered by a layer of translucent, emerald-green composite material resembling a plant cuticle.

The surface of the space station is not smooth but features regular, vein-like protruding structures. These "veins" flow with glowing nutrient fluid, providing nourishment to the true symbiotic moss and bioluminescent algae attached to the surface, causing the entire space station to emit a hazy, vibrant green glow in the darkness.

The docking hatches are designed like flower buds, blooming when opened.

Rather than a space station, it is more like a giant "seed" carefully cultivated to grow in space.

The "ranger" slipped into the periphery of G-7721 like a drop of ink into the deep sea, finally mooring in the shadow of a metal-rich icy rock within a remote asteroid belt.

This position was carefully calculated by Evelyn; it is about 0.3 light-years from the "Nexus Point" space station, situated at a delicate balance point—it can effectively hide itself using the natural radio interference and material shielding of the asteroid belt, while also clearly eavesdropping on the space station's public communications and sensor network signals, like an omniscient eye hidden in the dark.

"Arrived at the designated lurking coordinates. Initial full-domain passive scanning complete."

Evelyn's voice rang out in the bridge, which was lit only by faint instrument lights, calm and clear, "No large-scale fleet assembly signals detected, no abnormal spatial warping or dimensional interference traces detected.

'World Devourer' characteristic energy spectrum scan... result is negative.

High-dimensional conceptual entity activity monitoring... at background levels.

The target 'Nexus Point' space station is operating normally, energy readings are stable, and life signal scans show approximately 1,200 'Sprout' civilization standard biological signature units, consistent with the scale of the diplomatic delegation and service personnel they reported in advance.

'Star Scar' civilization delegation ships... have not yet arrived in this sector.

No psionic fluctuations exceeding normal background values have been detected inside or around the space station."

Excellence's gaze fell on the 3D model of the "Nexus Point" space station displayed in magnification on the main screen.

Evelyn's fingers danced lightly on the holographic control interface, layering the scanned detailed information: the interior structural perspective of the space station, the main energy conduits (those veins flowing with gentle green light), the distribution of communication Nodes, the environmental circulation system, and even the temperature and gas composition differences in each major cabin.

Real-time data streams scrolled beside the model, including friendly greeting messages broadcast by the space station, dispatch calls from internal work channels, and constant data from environmental sensors.

Looking at that space station full of organic beauty, the nerves that Excellence had kept taut for days relaxed slightly.

At least the stage was set, one of the actors was in place, and it looked... quite harmless, even full of goodwill.

"According to decrypted data, the 'Sprout' civilization," White Elder's voice came through the encrypted channel, with pedantic steadiness, "its technology tree is significantly biased towards bioengineering, ecological regulation, and genetic harmony technology.

The social structure is composed of multiple relatively autonomous 'ecological city-states,' united through complex biological neural networks and consensus decision-making mechanisms, emphasizing the dynamic balance between individual and collective, life and environment.

Its individuals are unique plant-neural network symbiotes, humanoid in appearance, with skin mostly in varying shades of green or brown, flexible limbs, well-developed senses, and are especially skilled at pheromone communication and emotional Resonance.

Their general personality tends to be peaceful, curious, and collaborative, with an aversion to violence and destructive competition.

Their physical defense capabilities and aggression are low among known civilizations.

Their diplomatic tone for this contact with 'Star Scar' is expected to focus on demonstrating goodwill, seeking understanding, and exploring mutually beneficial cooperation."

"Sounds like an interstellar version of... an ecological utopia?"

Excellence watched the images of the green-skinned, elegant "Sprout" people busy preparing inside the space station (from their voluntarily released preparation records); they were decorating the venue with soft vine-like ornaments, debugging environmental systems that could simulate natural breezes and forest scents, and preparing to showcase the strange and beautiful ecological samples of their planet.

Everyone had a bright expression on their face, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

"Their civilization's history is relatively short and peaceful, having not yet experienced large-scale interstellar conflicts or internal devastating wars, and their understanding of the universe is perhaps... too idealized."

White Elder added, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible worry, "This is also an important factor in Clear Mirror's assessment of the risks of this contact.

They lack sufficient vigilance and experience in dealing with potential malice and complex games.

They are like a seedling cultivated in a Greenhouse, preparing to face the wind and rain outside for the first time."

Excellence nodded in understanding.

Flowers in a Greenhouse might be met with storms, or perhaps insects carrying pathogens, the first time they are exposed.

"Regarding the 'Star Scar' civilization, the information in the mission briefing is too vague."

Excellence asked, "Evelyn, can you dig up more from the public network or deep databases?"

"Trying, but the resistance is significant."

Evelyn brought up another work interface, on which complex decoding programs and firewall-breaking progress bars were scrolling, "'Star Scar' civilization has extremely strict control over external information, with very little public data, and it is full of propaganda.

The known information is summarized as follows: their home planet is a planet with high gravity, active geomagnetism, and strong background psionic radiation, which has given birth to individuals of this civilization who generally possess basic psionic talents.

The social structure is pyramidal and highly stratified, with psionic strength and mental 'purity' as the main criteria for division, and the ruling class is composed of powerful 'psionic masters' and 'mental priests.'

They value internal spiritual cultivation and the inheritance of psionic arts, and their historical attitude towards the outside world is known for being conservative, xenophobic, and arrogant.

There are records of limited contact with surrounding civilizations, most of which ended unhappily, and they are described by other civilizations as 'difficult to communicate with,' 'having vastly different values,' and 'lacking basic respect for non-psionic development paths.'

As for the 'Psionic Purity Faction' or 'Ascendants'..."

She paused, tapped her fingers a few times, and brought up a file marked [Low Credibility/Speculation]: "...The existence of this faction is more based on side observations and analyses from third-party intelligence agencies, as well as fragmented testimonies from a small number of exiles.

They are considered radical fundamentalists in 'Star Scar' society, firmly believing that psionics is the only truth in the universe and the ultimate direction of life's evolution, viewing other technological paths as 'deviant' or 'ignorant,' believing that non-psionic civilizations need to be 'guided' back to the 'right path,' and are even willing to use unconventional means such as infiltration, incitement, and mental intervention.

But there is no conclusive evidence directly linking them to any recorded malicious interstellar incidents."

"Arrogant, closed-off, and possibly with hidden extremists..."

Excellence rubbed his brow, feeling the nerves that had just relaxed begin to tighten again, "Letting a group of 'pacifists' conduct diplomacy with such neighbors... is there something wrong with this matching mechanism?

Also, where exactly is that 'World Devourer' residual signal that 'Clear Mirror' mentioned?

Is it brought by 'Star Scar,' or is there something hidden in this star sector itself?"

"That is exactly what we need to figure out by arriving early."

Evelyn replied, her gaze sweeping sharply across the various monitoring screens, "I have activated all passive detection arrays of the 'ranger,' scanning for all abnormal energy traces in the star sector with maximum sensitivity.

At the same time, I have released four sets of micro-stealth probes; they will act like space plankton, silently conducting a carpet scan of the surroundings of 'Nexus Point' and the expected arrival path of 'Star Scar.'

Additionally, I am attempting to infiltrate the open academic network and historical archives of the 'Sprout' civilization using multiple proxies and data camouflage techniques, perhaps I can find clues about ancient legends of this star sector.

As for the 'Star Scar' database... the protection level is extremely high, and it seems to have psionic-level encryption; the risk of forced breakthrough is too great, so I can only wait for an opportunity."

"Clear division of labor."

Excellence nodded approvingly, "Su Mu, you are responsible for continuing in-depth analysis of the social dynamics of the 'Sprout' civilization, especially the different voices within them regarding this contact, key personnel files, and especially the detailed background and past diplomatic style of that chief diplomat, 'Green Vine'."

"Already doing it, Brother Excellence!"

Su Mu's voice came from the base, with the characteristic energy of a young person, "'Green Vine' is highly respected within the 'Sprout' civilization, is a mediator for many inter-city-state disputes, and is known for his patience, wisdom, and insistence on the philosophy of 'Life Communion.'

But he is not without opponents; some younger, more radical diplomats believe he is too conservative and idealized, and should be tougher when facing civilizations that might be hostile.

I will continue to monitor their internal communications and keep an eye on emotional changes."

"Old Bai," Excellence looked at the communication interface with the base, "You are experienced, help me oversee the big picture, analyze any clues that might deviate from the predetermined path, especially the non-linear risk points that may arise when two completely different civilization thinking modes collide."

"It's my job." White Elder replied calmly.

"As for me..."

Excellence sighed, brought up the encrypted file package on his personal terminal marked with the "Clear Mirror" emblem, "Have to go meet the 'new toy' The Council has prepared for us."

He opened the file, and inside was the collection instruction for the "cognitive stabilization anchor (trial version)," a headache-inducingly long user manual, and that familiar "indenture" full of disclaimer clauses.

Quickly browsing through the text full of technical jargon and bureaucratic tone, Excellence's gaze finally fell on the compensation amount and several particularly "thoughtful" precautions.

"Fine, trial version, understood." He muttered, following the instructions to complete the identity verification and soul mark binding.

In one corner of the bridge, a small material recombination array lit up with a soft white light, and light particles quickly condensed and took shape.

A moment later, the light dissipated, and a metal cylinder, about thirty-five centimeters long, five centimeters in diameter, and matte silvery-white throughout, floated quietly in the center of the array.

Its design was extremely simple, without any extra decoration or interfaces, its surface was smooth as a mirror, with only a slightly concave, warm-to-the-touch circular button at the top.

Excellence walked over and picked it up.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, heavy, and solid in texture.

He tried to inject a trace of the Power of Order into it.

Hum...

A barely perceptible hum came from inside the "cognitive stabilization anchor," and a layer of extremely faint silver light seemed to flow across its matte surface.

At the same time, an indescribable sense of calm quietly spread from it as the center.

The chaotic memories of the L-5589 star sector in Excellence's mind, the absurd impression of the "Lord of the Grand Feast," and even the fatigue and tension from days of rushing about, all seemed to be separated by an invisible film, becoming slightly distant and blurred; although they did not disappear, they were no longer so intrusive.

"Oh? It actually has some effect?"

Excellence raised an eyebrow, weighed the "silver rod" in his hand, and then securely fastened it to the special multi-functional mounting buckle on his waist.

The cool metallic touch came through his clothes, bringing a sense of reassuring stability.

In the following days, in orbit around "Tendril," the "Sprout" delegation was making final, sincere preparations for the upcoming guests.

And in the shadows of the asteroid belt, the team on the "ranger" entered a state of highly tense, all-around monitoring and intelligence analysis.

Evelyn's micro-probes were like an invisible spider web, enveloping the "Nexus Point" space station and the tens of millions of kilometers of airspace around it.

The listening channels were full of various communications within the "Sprout" delegation, from subtle arguments about etiquette (what frequency of pheromones should be used to express welcome most appropriately?), repeated selection of display content (should ecological harmony or technological achievements be highlighted?), to the curiosity, yearning, and a hint of instinctive unease when facing the unknown during the members' private exchanges, all were clearly captured and classified.

Evelyn also successfully infiltrated part of the "Sprout" open database, obtaining a large amount of data on its history, culture, technological development path, and social operation mode, further confirming the "peaceful" background of this civilization.

However, intelligence regarding the "Star Scar" delegation remained shrouded in mist.

Until three days before the contact date, a strangely shaped spaceship that appeared quietly on the periphery of the star sector broke this "tranquility."

"Hyperspace jump-out signal detected! Coordinates: G-7721 - 0.8 light-years away, near the fourth Lagrange point.

Target confirmed: a medium-sized ship, energy signature matches 'Star Scar' civilization psionic propulsion technology, identification code—'blade of spiritual thought'."

Evelyn's voice rose instantly, and the focus of all monitoring screens was concentrated on the newly appeared signal.

On the main screen, the outline of the spaceship was gradually outlined clearly.

It resembled an elongated, multi-faceted deep purple crystal, or a sharp spindle, composed of a composite of some dull metal and translucent purple crystal material.

A faint, seemingly living purple psionic light flowed on the surface of the spaceship, appearing mysterious and cold in the dark space.

It did not immediately sail towards "Nexus Point" but hovered quietly in place, as if a cautious Predator were observing the prey's lair.

"'blade of spiritual thought' is in position, beginning remote scanning."

Evelyn reported, "The other party is actively scanning the 'Nexus Point' space station and the 'Tendril' planet, the scanning mode has strong psionic penetration characteristics... they are evaluating the 'psionic purity' and potential 'mental interference sources' of the environment."

A moment later, the public communication channel of the "Sprout" delegation received a message from "blade of spiritual thought," the tone was flat and direct:

"'Sprout' delegation, this is the 'Star Scar' diplomatic ship 'blade of spiritual thought.'

In accordance with our procedures, before formal docking, a 'deep psionic Resonance detection' must be conducted on the meeting area to ensure that the environment meets the minimum safety standards of our delegation, to avoid contamination from discordant thoughts and low-dimensional mental residues.

Please open the specified area access and cooperate with the detection."

"'Deep psionic Resonance detection'?"

Excellence frowned and looked at "White Elder."

"This is a very high-level and highly intrusive psionic Perception ritual," White Elder's voice carried a heavy tone.

"The practitioner can perceive and analyze collective emotional tendencies, subconscious fluctuations, and even residual spiritual imprints within a large area.

For a psionic civilization that values purity and safety on the spiritual level, this might be a standard procedure.

But for the party being detected, especially a non-psionic civilization, this is tantamount to exposing their own mental world and even historical scars nakedly before the other party; it is an extremely arrogant and insulting demand."

Sure enough, the internal channel of the Sprout delegation exploded instantly.

The hardline diplomats were furious, believing this to be a blatant trampling of national sovereignty and civilizational dignity, and absolutely could not accept it.

The moderates, on the other hand, argued for flexible handling and demonstrating an open mind, citing "cultural differences" and "the other party's security concerns."

The debate between the two sides was intense.

Finally, the old and steady voice of the chief diplomat, Green Vine, overwhelmed all disputes:

"Everyone, calm down.

Fear and anger stem from the unknown and misunderstanding.

We invited our Star Scar friends here to build a bridge of understanding, not to erect a high wall of estrangement.

If one detection can dispel their concerns and pave the way for sincere dialogue, then accepting a limited, non-directional detection in non-core public areas is a show of sincerity and grace that we can demonstrate."

Under Green Vine's insistence, the Sprout side finally agreed to accept "limited Resonance detection" in designated, non-core public docking areas and parts of the corridors.

"Giving in on the first step..." Su Mu evaluated with worry from the base, "This is a signal of weakness in interstellar diplomacy.

The Star Scar people might look down on Sprout because of this and push for more in subsequent negotiations."

After receiving permission, the blade of spiritual thought approached the Nexus Point at an unhurried speed.

The docking process was equally turbulent—they refused the standardized docking procedures and channels provided by Sprout, insisting on using their own dedicated docking module engraved with psionic runes, and demanded a secondary "purification" of the connecting corridor.

This obvious sense of distrust stung the self-esteem of many Sprout people again, but under Green Vine's soothing, friction was kept to a minimum.

When the docking hatch finally opened and the members of the Star Scar delegation stepped onto the corridors of the Nexus Point space station, which were filled with the breath of life, Excellence and his team finally saw the true appearance of these mysterious neighbors through the welcome footage proactively broadcast by the Sprout side (intended to demonstrate transparency and friendliness).

Their average height was slightly taller than the Sprout people, their builds slender and upright, and their skin color was a pale purple that seemed to contain starlight, smooth and poreless.

Their facial features were deep, and their silver-white eyes had no pupils, giving a cold feeling of having one's soul penetrated when looked at directly.

Everyone wore dark robes with a unified style and simple lines; the fabric of the robes seemed to absorb light, with complex psionic patterns—resembling both circuits and runes—embroidered in silver thread only on the edges and cuffs.

As they moved, these patterns would flicker slightly like breathing.

Their expressions were generally indifferent, the curve of their mouths seemingly measured with a ruler.

To the enthusiastic pheromone greetings and body language (gentle swaying of vine tentacles) of the Sprout people, they only slightly nodded, stingy even with the most basic ceremonial facial feedback.

And the three high-psionic reaction targets highlighted by Evelyn also appeared on camera.

They walked in a relatively forward position in the delegation, wearing more ornate robes embedded with tiny purple crystals, and their aura was more prominent.

The leader was a male with a cold face like an ice sculpture.

When his silver eyes swept over the welcoming team, he unreservedly revealed a hint of scrutiny and... faint disdain, as if observing a cluster of plants that were growing reasonably neatly but were ultimately low-level creations.

Another male beside him had eyes as sharp as a hawk, constantly scanning every corner and every decoration of the space station, seemingly evaluating its "psionic compatibility" and "pollution level."

The female slightly behind them kept her eyes slightly closed, a faint, spine-chilling smile playing on the corners of her lips, as if she were listening to some "musical movement" that ordinary people could not hear.

"According to the comparison of intercepted internal communications of the delegation and psionic fluctuation characteristics," Evelyn pulled up the analysis data, "The cold-faced man leading them, codenamed 'Sharp Light', is officially the deputy envoy of the delegation, an eighth-order psionic master, with a transcendent status in the delegation.

The one with sharp eyes, codenamed 'Flash Thought', is a seventh-order psionic manipulator and a capable assistant to 'Sharp Light'.

The smiling woman with closed eyes, codenamed 'Heart Ripple', is also seventh-order, specializing in psionic Perception and emotional Resonance (or rather, emotional induction), and is a student of 'Sharp Light'.

The psionic fluctuation spectrum of these three people has a overlap of over 78% with several vague samples of suspected core members of the 'Psionic Purity Faction' recorded in the database."

"In other words, the 'fanatics' not only mixed in, but also occupied high positions in the delegation." Excellence's eyes darkened slightly.

One of the worst-case scenarios was gradually becoming reality.

The first contact banquet ended hastily in an indescribable atmosphere of awkwardness.

The Sprout people had meticulously prepared a "Gift of Nature" feast featuring the planet's specialty plant fruits, genetically modulated delicious fungi, and nutrient agar synthesized from clean water, focusing on original flavors and energy balance.

The Star Scar people's reaction to this was almost indifferent; most of them only tasted it briefly, privately communicating via psionic transmission (captured by Evelyn as extremely weak fluctuation afterimages) with scathing evaluations such as "lacking spiritual Resonance," "tasteless," and "primitive metabolic products."

When the Sprout people enthusiastically introduced their ecological art (living plant sculptures) and symbiotic technology (working in synergy with intelligent plants), most of the Star Scar people were expressionless, with a few occasionally communicating in low voices in the spirit language, the gist being "clumsy imitation of nature," "soulless pile of machinery and flesh," and "deviation from the righteous path of spiritual evolution."

The first official closed-door meeting was held in the largest circular conference hall of the Nexus Point, which was decorated like an indoor forest.

The atmosphere dropped to freezing point from the very beginning.

The Sprout side, according to the established plan, put forward a package of proposals covering culture, technology, and basic resource trade aimed at establishing a long-term stable relationship, with a sincere tone and generous conditions.

The chief envoy of the Star Scar side, a male psionic master named "Wisdom Flow" who looked relatively older and had a relatively milder attitude (though only limited to superficial etiquette), was mainly responsible for responding, but his words were empty, mostly diplomatic jargon, with few substantive promises.

The deputy envoy, "Sharp Light," remained like a cold statue throughout, and only when a Sprout representative cautiously suggested, "Perhaps in the future, we can have preliminary exchanges in the fields of harmless psionic application and ecological energy," did he speak for the first time, his voice cold and clear, like shattering crystal:

"Psionics is the bridge for consciousness to reach the Sea of Origin, the wings for life to transcend the shackles of matter.

Its mysteries are profound and cannot be glimpsed by those who have not been immersed in it for thousands of generations.

Discussing psionics with a non-psionic race?" His silver-white eyes swept over the Sprout representative opposite, whose face looked somewhat ugly, and a curve of near-mockery hooked on the corners of his mouth, "It is no different from telling ferns rooted in the soil about the vastness of the sky.

It is not that I am unwilling, but that it is impossible."

This sentence, like the cold wind of winter, instantly froze the entire venue.

Even Green Vine, who had been trying hard to reconcile the atmosphere, had his gentle smile freeze on his face.

"Arrogant! Conceited! Who do they think they are?!" Su Mu stomped her feet in anger at the base.

"Internal emotional monitoring of the Sprout delegation shows that disappointment, frustration, and a sense of being humiliated are spreading rapidly." White Elder synchronized the monitoring data, "Chief Green Vine is still trying to control the situation, but with little effect.

Among the younger generation of diplomats, dissatisfaction is accumulating."

"And this is not the most troublesome part." Evelyn's voice carried an unprecedented seriousness, "Just now, the 'Prowler-IV' detector deployed on the periphery of the Nexus Point captured an energy fluctuation that lasted less than 0.5 seconds, was extremely weak in intensity, but had a spectral signature with a 73% similarity to the 'World Devourer secondary infection residue signal' sample previously provided by Clear Mirror.

The signal source..." She projected an energy waveform diagram that had been magnified multiple times onto the main screen, and used a red line to mark its source—"...preliminary retrospective analysis points to the interior of the Star Scar delegation ship 'blade of spiritual thought', a separate cabin located in the middle-rear of the ship, shielded by multiple psionic fields.

The signal leakage is extremely weak and seems to be forcibly constrained and covered up by some force.

If not for our detectors being specially tuned and at the closest distance, it would have been impossible to discover."

"What?!" Excellence stood up abruptly from his seat, his pupils constricted, "A 'World Devourer' signal... from inside the 'blade of spiritual thought'?!"

This discovery instantly raised the severity of the situation to another dimension!

Could the Star Scar civilization, or at least the "Psionic Purity Faction" within it, be connected to a cosmic-level corrupting force like the "World Devourer"?

Or were they so bold as to be secretly researching, or even attempting to utilize, this dangerous power?

"The signal intensity is extremely unstable, intermittent, not like an active transmission, but more like... some kind of imprisoned or sealed object, whose energy field naturally dissipates, occasionally penetrating the weak points of the shielding." Evelyn analyzed further, pulling up more detailed monitoring records, "Moreover, I noticed a subtle correlation: the timing of these few weak signal leaks exists in a high degree of overlap with the cycles when 'Sharp Light', 'Flash Thought', and 'Heart Ripple' are active near that specific cabin inside the ship, or when their psionic fluctuations are active.

When the three of them are gathered near there, the probability and intensity of signal leakage have a weak but measurable increase."

A spine-chilling picture gradually became clear in Excellence's mind: psionic extremists with unclear intentions had mixed into the Star Scar delegation; these extremists were secretly carrying dangerous items related to the "World Devourer" on their ship; they were conducting some kind of research or ritual on this item; and all of this was happening on the occasion of the first official contact between two primary civilizations!

"Sprout is completely ignorant of this." Su Mu's voice was full of worry, "They are still immersed in the emotions of diplomatic frustration, completely unaware that a fatal threat might be right inside the ship of the guests they are enthusiastically entertaining!"

Excellence forced himself to calm down and think quickly.

As an observer, directly intervening and exposing the truth violated the core guidelines.

But standing by and watching two civilizations (especially the relatively innocent "Sprout") fall into a possible "World Devourer" pollution crisis was even more unacceptable.

Clear Mirror's authorization explicitly mentioned "guidance when necessary" and "dealing with 'World Devourer' associations," which was the basis for his actions.

"We cannot act directly, nor can we be exposed." Excellence's gaze swept over the team members, "We must find a way to make the danger expose itself, or let 'Sprout' 'accidentally' discover it.

Guide them to develop reasonable vigilance, forcing the 'Star Scar' people to have to deal with this hidden danger, or at least expose the situation and trigger higher-level attention."

"Create an 'accident'?" Evelyn immediately understood his intention, calculation flashing in her blue eyes, "For example, make the psionic shielding of the cabin hiding the 'World Devourer' item have a momentary malfunction due to some 'coincidence'?

Let the energy signature of that thing be captured by the environment safety monitoring system of the Nexus Point space station after its upgrade?"

"That is the idea!" Excellence nodded, "But it must be seamless, without leaving any traces pointing to us.

Evelyn, with your technology, can you manage to briefly interfere with the psionic shielding field of that cabin without triggering an alarm?

Even if it's only a gap of a fraction of a second?"

Evelyn immediately pulled up the incomplete structural scan of the blade of spiritual thought, as well as the spectral analysis data of its psionic shielding field, and her fingers tapped rapidly on the virtual keyboard to perform simulation calculations.

"It's difficult.

Their shielding field is deeply integrated with the ship's main psionic network, complex in structure, and highly stable.

Conventional electronic or energy interference would be immediately identified and countered." She frowned, but her eyes were sharp, "But... every system has its natural frequency and Resonance point.

If we can precisely grasp the psionic fluctuation characteristics of the three of them—'Sharp Light', 'Flash Thought', and 'Heart Ripple'—when they are simultaneously in that cabin conducting high-intensity psionic activity... their psionics will interact with the shielding field and may cause small, periodic disturbances at certain specific frequencies.

If we can fire an extremely weak, but precisely frequency-modulated targeted energy pulse at the shielding field at that precise moment, like using a specially made tuning fork to strike a vibrating bell, it is possible to trigger a brief Resonance imbalance and tear open a fleeting 'gap' in the shielding field."

"Success rate?"

"It requires extremely precise calculation and timing; the window of opportunity might be only a few milliseconds.

Moreover, the energy pulse must be so weak that it is like background radiation noise, dissipating immediately after emission, leaving no traces.

Comprehensive assessment... the success rate is about 65%-70%.

And there is only one attempt; if it fails, the other party will inevitably strengthen their guard." Evelyn gave a cautious estimate.

"Over sixty percent... worth a try!" Excellence made up his mind, "Evelyn, you are fully responsible for calculating and preparing this 'precise strike'.

Whatever resources you need, prioritize their allocation.

Su Mu, you closely monitor the internal public opinion of Sprout, especially those factions whose attitude towards Star Scar is turning hardline, and see if you can guide their suspicion in a timely manner after the 'accident' occurs.

Old White, you continue to grasp the macro situation and predict various possibilities, especially the extreme reactions the Star Scar people might take after their secret is exposed."

"Understood!" The three responded in unison, and the atmosphere on the bridge instantly became like a drawn bowstring.

The next forty-eight standard hours were spent in a tense atmosphere filled with suppression and calculation.

The talks between Sprout and Star Scar progressed slowly, with huge differences between the two sides.

The conditions proposed by the Star Scar side were almost harsh, requiring Sprout to unilaterally open its biological gene database, provide coordinates of specific ecological planets, and even allow Star Scar psionic scholars to conduct "psionic enlightenment pilots" in Sprout society.

The patience and goodwill within Sprout were rapidly consumed, dissatisfaction fermented among young diplomats, and even Green Vine's mediation seemed increasingly powerless.

The "Sharp Light" trio, on the other hand, entered and exited that heavily shielded cabin on the ship more and more frequently, with each gathering lasting longer, and psionic fluctuation records showed they were conducting some kind of regular, increasing-intensity psionic Resonance.

"The time is almost here." Evelyn stared at the dense stream of data and the constantly revised prediction models on the screen, "According to the pattern analysis of the past 72 hours, there is over a 90% probability that the three of them—'Sharp Light', 'Flash Thought', and 'Heart Ripple'—will enter the target cabin again around 23:00 standard time tonight to conduct a round of high-intensity 'psionic tempering' expected to last 45 minutes.

At that time, their personal psionic waves will produce the maximum degree of coupling and disturbance with the cabin's preset protective field... this is the 'Resonance window' where we have calculated the shielding field to be the most unstable."

The "ranger" had long since utilized the natural perturbations of stellar gravity to quietly align its posture and the specially modified, low-power directional particle beam emitter at its bow with a specific coordinate on the "blade of spiritual thought" ship.

The firing parameters had been set according to Evelyn's latest calculations, and energy was charged to the critical point, waiting only for that decisive millisecond.

Excellence stood in the center of the bridge, a light sheen of sweat forming on his palms.

The "cognitive stabilization anchor" clipped to his waist emitted a continuous, gentle coolness, helping him maintain clarity and calm in his thoughts.

He could feel that a storm was brewing beneath the calm surface, and the small pebble they were about to cast might just be the lightning bolt that triggered it.

"Target entering the designated area... Psionic activity beginning to rise... Calculating coupling oscillation frequency of the shielding field..." Evelyn's voice, like the most precise instrument, reported strings of data without a trace of emotion.

"Countdown: thirty seconds... twenty seconds... ten seconds..."

Excellence held his breath.

"Five, four, three, two, one... Resonance window open! Energy pulse—firing!"

A directional particle stream, so faint that even the "ranger"'s own sensors could barely detect it, traveled through the void like a phantom's breath and struck with precision a "Node" on the hull of the "blade of spiritual thought"—a point theoretically identified through complex calculations where the shielding field and ship structure resonated.

Almost at the same instant, inside the "blade of spiritual thought," in that secret chamber sealed by layers of psionic runes.

Sharp Light hovered cross-legged in the center of the room, his body engulfed in flickering, tangible purple-black psionic light, his aura violent and profound.

Flash Thought and Heart Ripple sat on the psionic amplification array Nodes on either side, pouring their full effort into maintaining a complex, triple-layered shielding and binding array within the room.

In the air between the three of them, an irregular crystal, roughly the size of an adult's fist and pitch-black, seemed to have viscous, dark red magma flowing slowly and shifting its form within.

It was tightly bound by dozens of psionic chains flashing with blinding purple light.

Even so, a faint, heart-stopping aura—filled with endless hunger, madness, and twisted will—kept trying to seep out from within the crystal, creating an eerie Resonance and confrontation with the surrounding psionic field.

"The 'craving' of the Holy Artifact is becoming clearer," Sharp Light said, his silver-white eyes fixed on the black crystal, flashing with a mix of fanaticism, ambition, and a trace of imperceptible fear.

"It senses the vigorous yet 'ignorant' life force of this world; it is the 'nourishment' it craves most... and also the best 'catalyst' for us to 'purify' this spiritless world."

"Mentor, is it too risky to activate the Holy Artifact's power in a place like this?" Flash Thought asked, looking at the crystal that seemed to possess a life of its own, her tone hesitant.

"Although the Sprout people are primitive, their environmental monitoring systems..."

"How can one achieve a great cause while constantly looking back in fear?!" Sharp Light sharply interrupted.

"These primitive races, bound by natural desires and with sleeping souls, are the very firewood that most needs the 'fire of psionics' to burn away their ignorance!"

"Using the power of the Holy Artifact to plant a desire for 'purity' and 'sublimation' deep within their souls, guiding them to spontaneously discard this heavy material shell and embrace the eternity of the spirit—what a glorious achievement this is!"

"As for those stubborn impurities that resist salvation..." A flash of purple light appeared in his eyes.

"The Holy Artifact will naturally grant them the final 'purification,' transforming them into the purest psionic dust!"

Heart Ripple kept her eyes closed, but the eerie smile on her face grew more pronounced.

She extended her slender fingers, which were wreathed in a faint purple glow, and gently stroked the black crystal from a distance.

"It is singing... a song about hunger, about change, about the unity of all things... How wonderful..."

Just at the moment when the three's psionic Resonance reached its peak and interacted most violently with the indoor shielding and binding field—

The energy pulse Evelyn had calculated, like a string plucked by the god of fate, precisely "strummed" the "interference trough"—a point theoretically existing for less than one ten-thousandth of a second—created by the Resonance between the psionic shielding field, the ship's structure, and the trio's active psionics.

Hum... Zzz!

A high-frequency energy hiss, inaudible to ordinary people, emanated from within the shielding field, and the previously stable, flowing purple rune light suddenly disordered for an instant!

Although this disorder was so faint it could almost be ignored, and its duration was shorter than a heartbeat, for the "World Devourer" crystal tightly bound within, it was equivalent to a hair-thin crack appearing in the cage!

"Haa—!!!"

As if a silent shriek from billions of twisted souls, a burst of pure, violent dark red energy, filled with the most primal desire for consumption and assimilation, erupted from that fleeting crack like venomous blood finding a vent!

Although the total amount of this aura was extremely small, its essential "contaminating" nature and "presence" were shockingly intense!

It pierced through the ship's inner wall and the psionic deflection shield outside the "blade of spiritual thought," like a drop of thick ink falling into the "Sea of Consciousness" surrounding the "Nexus Point" station.

Meanwhile, a certain secondary sensor array of the "Nexus Point" station's public environmental safety monitoring system—which Evelyn had "tampered" with in advance—had its Perception threshold for abnormal mental pollution and high-dimensional energy residue temporarily and cleverly raised to its theoretical limit.

And so—

"Woo—woo—woo—!!!"

A sharp sound, shrill enough to pierce eardrums, representing the highest level of biochemical and energy contamination alert, instantly swept through the entire "Nexus Point" station!

The lights in all areas suddenly turned a glaring blood-red, flashing frantically!

In the station-wide broadcast system, a synthetic female voice roared repeatedly in an unprecedentedly urgent tone:

"Highest Alert! Highest Alert! Detected abnormal fluctuations of unknown origin, ultra-high danger, mental contamination, and energy corruption!"

"Coordinates locked: inside the Star Scar civilization delegation ship 'blade of spiritual thought', area code: Gamma-7!"

"Energy characteristic analysis: twisted, consuming, chaotic, uncontrollable! Contamination threat level: extinction level! Repeat, extinction level!"

"All units, immediately execute 'Deep Space Plague' protocol! Isolate the contamination source! Activate full-area energy purification field! Non-combat personnel, evacuate to the core shelter immediately!"

The entire station instantly transformed from a diplomatic venue into a disaster emergency center!

All the "Sprout" people, whether arguing in the conference hall, relaxing in the rest cabins, or preparing in the laboratories, were stunned.

The next second, their well-trained safety protocols kicked in instinctively, and security force members in simple protective suits poured out from various passages, attempting to seal off all access to the docking area and the "blade of spiritual thought."

Panic, like a cold tide, drowned out the previous disappointment and anger.

Inside the "blade of spiritual thought," piercing intrusion alarms and energy leakage alarms blared simultaneously!

"What's going on?!" Sharp Light's face changed drastically.

His psionic light surged, forcibly stabilizing the psionic chains that had nearly backlashed due to the instantaneous fluctuation of the shielding field, while he tightly suppressed the black crystal, whose internal dark red light was flashing frantically.

"How could the Holy Artifact's seal loosen?! Where did the external interference come from?!"

"Detected an extremely faint, untraceable directional energy disturbance that struck the weak point of Resonance between the shielding field and the ship's structure!" Flash Thought quickly checked the ship's passive defense logs, her expression ugly.

"The timing is incredibly precise! It's as if... as if they knew exactly when our psionics would be most active!"

"The Sprout people! Their monitoring systems captured the leaked aura! The alarm is already ringing throughout the station!" Heart Ripple opened her eyes abruptly, the smile on her face vanishing, replaced by an expression mixed with panic, anger, and ruthlessness.

"Mentor! We've been exposed! The existence of the Holy Artifact can no longer be hidden!"

Sharp Light's face twisted with extreme anger and a trace of panic.

The existence of the Holy Artifact was top secret! It was the key to the "Purity Faction's" years of planning!

Once exposed here, not only would this "guiding" mission fail completely, but the three of them, and even their faction behind them, would face annihilation!

Even more terrifyingly, the Holy Artifact's "excitement" and "craving" of the previous moment had nearly spiraled out of control and were now becoming increasingly difficult to suppress...

"Who?! Who is plotting against us in the dark?!" He growled, his powerful mental Perception sweeping out like a storm, attempting to scan the entire station and ferret out the enemy hidden in the shadows.

However, Evelyn's methods were clean and efficient; that energy pulse had long since dissipated into the cosmic background radiation, leaving no trace.

"We must make a decision immediately!" Flash Thought said anxiously.

"The Sprout people have already demanded that we hand over the 'source of danger' and explain! Their security forces are assembling!"

The purple-black light in Sharp Light's eyes flickered frantically, finally coalescing into a desperate, burn-the-bridges madness.

"It has come to this... there is no turning back!" His voice was hoarse but carried a sense of reckless determination.

"Since the 'gentle guidance' has been ruined by these ignorant people and the rats in the shadows, then let them experience for themselves what true 'psionic purification' is! What 'rebirth' under the radiance of the Holy Artifact is!"

He looked sharply at Flash Thought and Heart Ripple, his command icy:

"Activate the ship's backup power and supply full power to the 'psionic Resonance amplifier'! Release the secondary binding locks on the Holy Artifact, and using our psionics as the catalyst, combined with the amplifier, release the 'psionic purification ripple' at maximum power!"

"Target: cover the entire 'Nexus Point' station! Let these souls blinded by matter wash away their filth and embrace purity in the supreme Resonance of the Holy Artifact and psionics!"

"As for those who cannot withstand the 'purification' and whose souls are already rotten... let them become the Holy Artifact's first nourishment, a sacrifice for this great sublimation!"

"Yes! Mentor!" Flash Thought and Heart Ripple responded in unison, their faces showing an expression mixed with fanaticism and determination.

Inside the cabin, more complex and ancient psionic runes engraved on the floor and walls lit up one by one, together with the three people in the center whose purple-black psionic light was surging, and the black crystal that had begun to tremble violently with internal dark red light pulsing like a heart, forming an eerie and dangerous scene.

"Nexus Point" station, Central Command Area.

Chief Diplomat Green Vine watched the shocking red alert areas on the main screen, the dark red energy spectrum transmitted back by the sensors filled with an aura of destruction and madness, and the report from the security forces regarding the intense and dangerous psionic gathering inside the "Star Scar" ship.

The signature gentleness and composure on his face vanished completely, replaced by deep shock, anger at being betrayed, and the instinctive fear of facing a massive, unknown threat.

"This energy... this chaotic will that seems to want to consume everything, to twist everything... 'Star Scar'... what on earth have you brought here?!"

His aged voice trembled, but it was immediately replaced by a determination belonging to a guardian of civilization.

He slammed the communication button, and his voice spread through the station-wide broadcast to every corner:

"All citizens and warriors of 'Sprout'! We are facing an unprecedented crisis! An extremely dangerous source of contamination is hidden inside the 'Star Scar' delegation ship!"

"I declare that the 'Nexus Point' station is immediately entering the highest state of wartime readiness!"

"All non-combat personnel, follow the emergency plan and proceed to the deep shelters immediately! Security forces, spare no cost to stop the spread of contamination; if necessary... you may take ultimate measures against the contamination source and its carrier! Contact the homeworld and request emergency support!"

The dream of peace was completely shattered amidst the piercing alarms and scarlet warning lights.

Under the cold curtain of space, a storm brewed by conspiracy, misunderstanding, fanaticism, and ancient corrupting power had officially begun.

Inside the "ranger," Excellence watched the "Nexus Point" station on the monitoring screen, which had instantly plunged into extreme chaos, and the terrifying energy readings inside the "blade of spiritual thought" ship—rising rapidly like a volcano about to erupt, intertwined with violent purple-black and ominous dark red—his expression grave to the extreme.

"The 'accident' was successfully created..." he muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold surface of the "cognitive stabilization anchor" at his waist.

"But it seems... the stimulation was a bit too much? These lunatics actually want to flip the table?"

He could clearly feel a massive, chaotic, mixed psionic fluctuation—filled with the intent of forced purification and twisted desire for consumption—brewing frantically inside the "blade of spiritual thought," its target clearly being to cover the entire station!

"Evelyn! Scan the energy gathering point inside the 'blade of spiritual thought' at maximum power! Analyze its attack pattern and estimated impact range!" Excellence ordered quickly, while simultaneously connecting to the emergency communication with the base.

"Su Mu, Old White! The situation has changed! The fanatics of 'Star Scar' might be desperate and are preparing for an indiscriminate psionic attack! What is 'Sprout's' response plan? Do they have the ability to resist?"

"Analyzing! The energy readings of the 'blade of spiritual thought' are soaring toward a critical point! It is expected to reach the release threshold within three to five minutes!" Evelyn said, her speech rapid.

"The attack pattern is presumed to be a super-large-scale mental shock and forced psionic Resonance, possibly mixed with the contamination characteristics of 'World Devourer' energy!"

"The 'Sprout' station's defense is primarily focused on ecological maintenance and physical protection; its resistance to high-intensity psionic attacks... is unknown, but I fear it is not optimistic!"

"'Sprout's' homeworld has received the distress signal, but it will take at least forty minutes for the nearest defense fleet to arrive!" Su Mu's voice carried anxiety.

"The security forces inside the station lack the experience and equipment to deal with such an attack! His Excellency 'Green Vine' is organizing the evacuation and activating all available energy barriers, but... the results are unpredictable!"

"The worst-case scenario has occurred." White Elder's voice was heavy.

"The conspiracy has been exposed, and the fanatics have chosen to go all-in. Excellence, your previous 'guidance' forced the hidden viper out of its hole, but it also provoked its fiercest backlash."

"Now, it's no longer just a matter of observation and guidance. The survival of two civilizations, countless lives, is hanging by a thread."

Excellence took a deep breath, the Power of Order beginning to flow slowly within his chest, echoing the cool, stable sensation coming from the "cognitive stabilization anchor" at his waist.

He looked at the "blade of spiritual thought" on the screen, which looked like a purple crystal about to burst, and the green figures in the "Nexus Point" station who were panicked yet still trying to perform their duties.

"I know." He replied calmly, the silver-white light in his eyes gradually brightening like a spark lit in the dark night.

"Therefore, now is the time for the 'Observer'... to fulfill his duty of 'preventing disaster when necessary'."

He reached out and firmly grasped the silver-white "cognitive stabilization anchor."

The real test was just beginning.