435: The stone statue opens its eyes, the team asks for help (6k three-in-one)

Time passed bit by bit.

Fifteen minutes felt incredibly long to Lin Yang and the others.

Finally, it was 6:15 AM!

Nothing unusual appeared in front of the battleship; the Stone Statue did not reappear.

“Phew… it seems last time was an accident. Perhaps the Stone Statue we encountered seven days ago was a replica of the one we first saw,” Cai Fei couldn't help but exhale, his expression relaxing.

Que Tian and the others also slightly relaxed.

Their nerves had been taut for several days, and now they could finally ease up a bit.

Lin Yang was about to nod, but his heart suddenly tightened, and the words he was about to say were stuck in his throat.

Because, in front of the battleship, the mottled gilded Stone Statue’s toes suddenly reappeared.

The Vermilion Bird intelligent system also issued a warning.

The atmosphere in the ship's cabin instantly became solemn again.

Cai Fei, Que Tian, and the others, who had only relaxed a few seconds ago, also changed their expressions, looking grim.

“This… it followed us again?”

Lin Yang couldn't help but turn to Que Tian: “It seems this Stone Statue, like the one with the mark your Taixuan Ancient Dynasty encountered, follows us.”

“To be safe, let’s do another full body comparison,” Que Tian said gravely.

“Mm, this time, focus on comparing the mottled gilded parts,” Lin Yang nodded.

Although it was similarly mottled, had the character ' town' (zhen - suppress) on its chest, and its eyes were slightly open, they couldn't completely rule out the possibility of other replicas.

Therefore, Lin Yang had the Vermilion Bird continue a full-body scan, comparing it with the previously captured images.

However, this time, the focus was on comparing the positions of the mottled gilding on the Stone Statue.

The character ' town' on the chest and the slightly open eyes could be replicated, but if the mottling was natural wear and tear from the passage of time, it was absolutely impossible for the mottled positions to be exactly the same.

And if even the mottled positions were the same, then the possibility of it being a replica could almost be ruled out.

“I hope the mottled positions are different. I’d rather encounter other replicas than the same one,” Cai Fei mumbled again.

Only… ideals are grand.

Reality is harsh.

“I regret to inform you, everyone, after detailed comparison, the mottled positions and textures on the Stone Statue are also completely identical.”

After a period of detailed comparison, Lin Yang had no choice but to deliver the result he least wanted to see.

“This… what do we do now?” Cai Fei scratched his scalp, looking worried.

“Que Tian, are you sure the marked Stone Statue your Taixuan Ancient Dynasty exploration team encountered only followed without causing other dangers?” Lin Yang looked at Que Tian.

If it only followed, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

Que Tian nodded: “Indeed, that was the case, at least, until the exploration team was forced to leave the Unknown Space. Of course, we cannot completely rule out that it was due to the short duration of following or not triggering the dangers carried by the Stone Statue itself.”

“Oh… then let it follow for now?” Lin Yang currently had no better solution.

“We can only do that for now,” Que Tian said, then carefully examined the comparison images again.

Suddenly—

“Wait, are the Stone Statue’s eyes slightly more open than the previous two times we encountered it?”

Que Tian pointed at the comparison images of the eyes from the three encounters, exclaiming in surprise.

“Hm?” Lin Yang’s expression changed, and he immediately looked closely.

He had mainly focused on comparing the mottled gilded positions earlier and hadn't observed the eyes too carefully.

Now that Que Tian mentioned it, he indeed felt that the Stone Statue’s eyes were slightly more open than the previous two times.

A very subtle amount!

“This…”

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the ship's cabin became even more serious.

The Stone Statue’s eyes actually showed signs of opening.

This was not a good sign!

“This Stone Statue… isn’t it an inanimate object?”

Ding Hui, who rarely spoke, uttered a sentence that sent a chill down everyone's spines.

“This… that’s unlikely, isn’t it? It’s just a Stone Statue, right? If it’s not inanimate, what else could it be?” Cai Fei felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

“Is there a possibility that it’s a Stone Statue on the surface, but a creature is sealed inside?”

Que Tian also followed with a startling remark. He pointed at the character ' town' on the Stone Statue's chest, speculating wildly:

“' town' means to suppress. Could it refer to suppressing a creature inside the Stone Statue?”

“This should… be unlikely, right? Didn’t we scan it? This Stone Statue is made of stone from the inside out; there are no traces of any Life,” Cai Fei hesitated.

Que Tian shook his head slightly, looking at Lin Yang: “Team Leader, what do you think?”

Lin Yang took a deep breath: “I think no possibility can be completely ruled out. It’s best to be prepared to escape at any moment. If there really is a creature inside the Stone Statue, it’s definitely not something we can deal with. And if there’s no creature, then this Stone Statue is opening its eyes by itself, which is even more terrifying.”

Imagine, a Stone Statue suddenly starting to open its eyes; that would be far more terrifying than the Stone Statue being a disguised creature.

After a pause, Lin Yang said seriously:

“Now, as Team Leader, I issue the following order: From now on, everyone must wear their individual combat gear, enter combat readiness, fully replenish energy, and be prepared to abandon ship and escape at any time!”

“At the same time, I will begin sending out warnings to other teams and transmit the positioning equipment information of everyone’s individual combat devices to other teams. Once the Stone Statue begins to attack the battleship, the Vermilion Bird will enter automatic combat mode, delaying the Stone Statue as much as possible, allowing everyone to escape on their own and await rescue from other teams.”

“Yes, Team Leader!”

Que Tian and the others responded gravely.

“Now, I will request wartime authorization from other teams so that after escaping, when we are within a certain range of each other, we can accurately pinpoint each other, increasing the success rate of rescue. You must also ensure your positioning equipment is in good condition!” Lin Yang added.

“Understood, Team Leader.”

All four nodded simultaneously.

Lin Yang pressed the communication device on the battleship, began contacting other teams, and simultaneously sent out the wartime authorization agreement.

Within the Unknown Space, transmitting information to the outside world was very slow.

However, if they were also in the Unknown Space, they could establish contact relatively quickly.

Of course, real-time communication was still not possible, but the delay would be significantly lower.

Ten minutes later, the closest First Team, Second Team, and Fourth Team successively sent back feedback, indicating they had received the danger warning and wartime support request.

Afterward, the Fourth Team continued to transmit relevant information to the subsequent teams.

Lin Yang, taking advantage of the interval while receiving feedback, turned to Que Tian and the other three, saying in a solemn voice:

“Everyone, prepare for the worst. If an insurmountable danger arises, after escaping, return along the route we came, trying to run towards the direction of leaving the Unknown Space. Other teams will provide support as much as possible. If anyone leaves the Unknown Space, they must request timely reinforcements from the Alien Management Bureau.”

There were no other dangers on their inbound route, so returning along the original path was the optimal choice for escape.

Although without the battleship, safety was slightly reduced, the speed of the individual combat devices' aircraft was also extremely fast.

This time, for the mission to investigate the Mingye Clan in the Unknown Space, the Human Alliance provided very high-level individual combat devices to the participating members.

The chosen members, even the weakest among the fifty, were all elites.

The Human Alliance placed great importance on the personal safety of its members.

Even if the battleship was lost, it was enough to ensure that the members themselves could still survive, move, and even fight within the Unknown Space.

The primary role of the battleship in the Unknown Space was actually to engage in autonomous combat when danger was encountered, buying time and opportunities for members to escape.

After arranging matters within the team, Lin Yang had the Vermilion Bird move directly away from the Stone Statue.

According to the records of the Taixuan Ancient Dynasty, such a Stone Statue that could follow could be directly circumvented and left behind each time it was encountered.

The Stone Statue would not continuously follow but would suddenly appear next to the battleship after a certain period of time.

Since the Stone Statue had not yet shown any danger, the investigation needed to continue.

Being prepared for escape was also a precaution.

Another seven days passed.

The Stone Statue once again appeared precisely in front of the battleship.

Just like the first time they encountered it, they still saw its toes first.

It was as if each time it appeared, it did so in the same state as the first encounter.

If not for the battleship marking its movement trajectory and route, it would be easy to feel as if they had been circling in place for seven days, which was why they encountered the Stone Statue every so often.

“Vermilion Bird, go directly to compare the eyes.”

This time, upon encountering it, Lin Yang didn't waste time observing and comparing other parts; he directly had the battleship go to the Stone Statue’s eyes.

As the battleship moved, detailed images of the Stone Statue’s eyes were transmitted back again.

“It seems to have opened a bit more than seven days ago.”

After the comparison, Lin Yang couldn't help but sigh.

Comparing the last two times, it wasn't very obvious.

But comparing the first time with this time, it was quite clear that the eyes had indeed opened considerably more.

“At this rate, it might fully open in a few months,” Que Tian's gaze was profound.

“I have also transmitted the relevant information to Director Song. In a few months, Director Song might receive my message, and at that time, he should dispatch other reinforcements,” Lin Yang said.

“I hope so,” Que Tian's voice was low.

Time passed, and three months went by in a flash.

It was another full seven days.

The Stone Statue appeared punctually in front of the Vermilion Bird battleship.

Lin Yang and the others had grown accustomed to this.

For over three months, the Stone Statue would appear punctually every seven days.

Its eyes opened more and more, but there was still no other danger.

“It seems the marked Stone Statue your Taixuan Ancient Dynasty exploration team encountered only followed for two months because the exploration team left the Unknown Space after two months, not because it stopped following after just two months,” Lin Yang said to Que Tian.

"Yes, this Stone Statue confirms that, but I don't know how long it will follow us. Maybe it will follow us forever," Que Tian said slowly.

Cai Fei, who was beside him, had become much more composed over the past three months. With the pressure of the Stone Statue, he had been training himself during this period, apart from necessary rest.

When danger strikes, an extra bit of strength means a greater chance of survival.

Not just Cai Fei, Lin Yang and the others were all improving themselves.

Hearing Que Tian's words, Cai Fei suddenly looked as if a thought had struck him and said,

"What do you guys think? If we encounter other teams now, and then separate, will this Stone Statue follow us, or them, or neither?"

These words made Lin Yang and the others pause.

They had truly never considered this angle.

"This... is indeed a way to investigate the Stone Statue's following pattern, but we cannot easily involve other teams," Lin Yang glanced at Cai Fei and whispered.

"Hehe, Team Leader, I understand. I just suddenly thought of it and blurted it out. After all, we don't have the ability to contend with unknown dangers. If Director Song and the others personally made a move, such a test would be more appropriate," Cai Fei rubbed his head and chuckled.

"Alas, our strength is still insufficient. If we were strong enough, no matter what the danger, we could just suppress it with overwhelming firepower," Lin Yang sighed.

There's a saying in the country: all fear comes from insufficient firepower.

It's very fitting now.

Without enough power, they could only observe passively, completely lacking the initiative to probe.

"I'm going back to train," Cai Fei immediately ran to the training room.

With the chatterbox gone, the ship's cabin fell silent again... Time would not stop for anyone or any situation.

If there was one thing that was most cruel and merciless, it was time.

Anything and everything, under the erosion of sufficient time, would become insignificant.

In the Unknown Space, time seemed particularly ruthless.

Unconsciously, three years had passed since Lin Yang and the others entered the Unknown Space!

A full three years!

If they were in the outside world, three years would be enough to change many things.

But in the dark and silent Unknown Space, this amount of time was too insignificant to mention.

It was another exact seven-day mark.

Inside the Vermilion Bird battleship, Lin Yang and the others gathered again in the main cabin.

The Stone Statue outside appeared on time.

"It's been three years. Que Tian previously estimated that the Stone Statue would fully open its eyes in a few months at most, but later, the extent to which it opened its eyes became smaller and smaller. It seems the closer it gets to fully opening, the more difficult it becomes. Now, it's still quite a way from fully opening its eyes," Lin Yang sighed after comparing the eye chart again.

In these three years, nothing else happened except for comparing the extent of the Stone Statue's eye-opening every seven days.

They hadn't even encountered any other dangers.

If not for still being able to perceive the Stone Statue's eyes changing with time, it truly felt as if time itself had frozen in this endless darkness.

Moreover, in these three years, he had not received a reply from Song Qingfeng.

Clearly, the message he sent to Song Qingfeng might not have even been transmitted yet.

Or Song Qingfeng's reply was still en route.

In the Unknown Space, transmitting information to the outside world could take months to succeed at the shortest, but if it was long, it might not succeed for years or even longer.

So Lin Yang was not too anxious.

Anyway, in these three years, the Stone Statue's eyes opened slower and slower, and there were no other dangers.

Aside from being overly boring, there was nothing else bad.

On the contrary, as time accumulated, his passively earned national treasure value increased significantly.

Undoubtedly, in these three years, he felt almost no change in the Unknown Space, but the Ten Thousand Universes should have undergone significant changes.

He just didn't know if the country had experienced a period of rapid development or something else.

"Although the national treasure value has increased quite a bit, I still have to save it first," Lin Yang glanced at his national treasure value balance, still feeling very insecure.

Although his strength had also improved quite a bit in these three years.

But facing this endlessly dark and mysterious Unknown Space, he was still very weak.

"Team Leader, I want to apply for a period of secluded cultivation. After three years of training, I feel like I'm about to have a small breakthrough," Cai Fei suddenly spoke.

Lin Yang was delighted: "This is good news! Go into seclusion as you wish, no need for duty rotations."

Although these three years had been peaceful, it was conceivable that it wouldn't remain safe forever, so any improvement in a team member's strength was good news.

"Alright then, I'll go now..." Cai Fei chuckled and turned to head to the seclusion room.

Suddenly—

"Hiss... hiss... hiss..."

"Greetings... exploration teams, ahem... I am Team Leader Shen Feng of Fifth Team... my team, ahem... is under attack by a special Lifeform in the Unknown Space..."

"Requesting... rescue..."

"Requesting... rescue..."

A somewhat unclear voice suddenly came from the team interlink device.

This was a communication device specifically used to contact other teams.

However, except for the time Lin Yang contacted other teams three years ago, no one had used it to communicate at other times.

But now, a distress signal from Fifth Team came directly through.

In a flash, Lin Yang and the others all changed their expressions.

"Fifth Team encountered an attack from an Unknown Lifeform. Unknown Lifeforms are the most dangerous among known dangers. This is trouble," Que Tian's expression was grave.

Lin Yang nodded solemnly: "Lifeforms in the Unknown Space each have their own abilities and methods, and they can even withstand battleship bombardment. Encountering them is the most troublesome. If they were conventional Lifeforms, it would be fine, but if they are those colorless, formless Transparent lifeforms, it would be even worse."

"Then, Team Leader, should we go to their rescue?" Cai Fei turned around.

Lin Yang looked at him.

He understood Cai Fei's meaning.

Unknown Lifeforms are difficult to deal with, and rescue might mean they can't even protect themselves. They are also currently entangled with the Stone Statue. According to the rules, when one is in danger, they are not required to rescue other teams.

But... "Go! This Stone Statue temporarily poses no great danger to us. Besides... isn't this also a good opportunity to test the Stone Statue's following mechanism?"

Lin Yang made the decision directly without much hesitation.

Before Song Qingfeng received his message and the Human Alliance dispatched new reinforcements, every single person in their ten teams was their greatest hope and reliance for survival in the Unknown Space.

They couldn't just stand by and watch them die.

And they could also test this mysterious Stone Statue along the way.

There was no reason not to provide assistance!

Although Unknown Lifeforms were troublesome, there was strength in numbers, and it wasn't impossible to fight them.

Hearing this, Cai Fei said no more.

Que Tian immediately prepared for battle.

No one objected.

Normally, they would discuss matters with Lin Yang.

But on matters of such decision-making, as the team leader, once Lin Yang made a decision, they had to obey.

"Vermilion Bird, wartime authorization activated. Engage combat mode, initiate super-jump, full speed ahead to Sector Five!"

Lin Yang issued the command, feeling a bit emotional at the same time.

They had entered a state of readiness three years ago when they discovered the Stone Statue could open its eyes on its own, preparing for escape.

But three years passed, and they hadn't encountered danger; instead, Fifth Team encountered danger first.

As for super-jump, in the Unknown Space, advanced battleships could perform jumps.

However, the conditions for jumping would become more stringent, consuming more energy, and the distance of a single jump would be limited and unable to be too far.

Coupled with the fact that this mission was mainly to investigate the location of the Mingye Clan, they had been flying in cruise mode all along.

But now that they needed to perform a rescue, relying on cruise mode would take decades to reach Sector Five.

Therefore, they had to activate the jump.

"Understood, Captain. Vermilion Bird has activated combat mode and obtained a fuzzy localization through wartime authorization. In super-jump status, it is estimated to take thirty-six days, six hours, and thirty-six minutes to approach the fuzzy localization area."

The Vermilion Bird battleship's intelligent system also immediately made a series of responses.

"Thirty-six days?" Lin Yang's brow furrowed instantly.

Super-jump meant continuous, ultra-long-distance jumps.

Under normal circumstances, within the Ten Thousand Universes, a Vermilion Bird battleship of its class could generally cross one-third of a normal small to medium-sized universe in a single ultra-long-distance jump.

Although jumping was restricted here, it still required thirty-six days, which showed how vast this Unknown Space was.

"Captain, we are currently in the Unknown Space, and we cannot go any faster. Unless we activate the extreme escape and destruction mode for an escape and destruction-level jump, but in that case, the Vermilion Bird will be scrapped after the jump. Please be aware."

"Then forget it. Thirty-something days is thirty-something days. Fourth Team and Sixth Team are closer to Fifth Team. They should be able to arrive faster, and sustaining for thirty-something days should not be a problem. Begin the super-jump immediately."

Lin Yang said, pressing the jump authorization button.

"Jump preparations underway. Super-jump will commence in thirty seconds. Crew members, please enter safety pods for hibernation. This super-jump will automatically terminate upon reaching the target area and awaken the crew."

"Jump countdown begins..."

"Thirty."

"Twenty-nine."

"..."

As the Vermilion Bird's voice sounded, the battleship stopped cruising, and after a tremor, it transformed into a point of light and entered the jump in place.

Lin Yang did not go into hibernation.

He wanted to see if the Stone Statue would still appear after seven days.

Although Que Tian had said that their Taixuan Ancient Dynasty exploration team had tried jumping before, and the marked Stone Statue could still appear on time.

But Lin Yang still wanted to witness it with his own eyes.