111: Chapter 111 The Return Journey to Tianlang Mountain

Chu Yunting fell silent for two seconds.

He didn't laugh again.

He just slowly lowered his gaze, the light in the corners of his eyes gradually dimming.

Then, he raised his hand—

and firmly shook the hand Ye Nanxing had extended.

Ye Nanxing stood in the center of the warehouse, her palm slowly cradling a miniature light sphere transformed from the Spirit River, translucent with faint blue water-like veins.

This was the anchor point projection.

"Ready," she said, glancing back at the group, her tone as calm as ever.

The moment the words left her mouth—

the air became abnormally still.

The others hadn't yet realized what was about to happen until the drop of spiritual light in Ye Nanxing's palm suddenly expanded into a circular ripple. Space seemed to ripple like water's surface, revealing a visible "light gate."

Zhao Wei was the first to freeze. "Sis... this thing is... a door?!"

Lin Wanru's eyes widened. "You... you mean we're going to... go inside?"

Zhou Cheng rubbed the back of his neck. "Is this spatial teleportation? This isn't science fiction, is it?"

Zhang Tianjin hadn't recovered yet. "Wait... you're saying we can step through and go straight back to the base?"

"Yes," Ye Nanxing didn't explain further, only adding, "Don't hesitate. Keep your will steady. Don't look around or wander once inside."

"Stay close to me."

Chu Yunting didn't move. He stood outside the door, hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed solely on that gleam of spiritual light.

The emotion in his eyes was like a flame beneath heavy snow.

Ye Nanxing didn't look back again, merely waving a hand:

"Let's go."

She was the first to step through the light gate.

The spatial vortex emitted a low hum, like vibrating nerves. The air seemed wrapped in a thin membrane, abruptly severing all connection to real-world coordinates.

The group exchanged glances—

and followed closely behind.

As they passed through the thin, water-curtain-like fissure, gravity vanished completely in an instant. It felt as if countless stars were collapsing beneath their feet.

Before their eyes was a chaotic, dark blue spatial vortex, with no up or down, near or far.

The only sound in their ears was the beating of their own hearts.

Zhao Wei cursed under his breath. "...Holy shit, is this spacewalking?"

Sun Hao couldn't help but reach out and touch it. "This isn't an illusion, is it?"

Lin Wanru tightly gripped Zhang Tianjin's sleeve, her voice trembling. "I... I feel like my soul is drifting outside my body!"

Streams of spatial light continuously flowed past them, supporting their bodies like water—no falling, no rising, just a steady, gentle "drift."

This was the middle layer of spatial transition—the channel of stellar river traction.

Zhou Cheng suddenly sighed softly. "Before, I thought just surviving was enough... What are we doing now?"

"...We are passengers of a miracle."

A few seconds later.

Ye Nanxing opened her eyes and calmly uttered:

"We're here."

She reached out and gently "tore open" one side of the light gate.

The next instant.

The light curtain shattered.

The snowy ground vanished.

Ahead emerged a—clear, familiar hall, reinforced with steel beams and thermal pipelines.

The main hall of Tianlang Mountain Base—lay before their eyes.

Ye Nanxing stepped out. Beneath her feet was the long-reinforced floor; the walls were the shells she had personally fortified. The air carried a familiar, cool scent—the unique smell belonging to her team.

She stood still.

Quietly looking up at the door marked "Main Control A-1 Zone."

At this moment, she was no longer an observer or a traveler. She had truly returned to her own fortress.

"I... I'm still alive?!"

Zhao Wei was the first to stumble out, stamping his feet, nearly kneeling on the ground. "Shit! It's really... holy shit—this is our base!"

Zhou Cheng blinked rapidly. "This... this scratch on the floor... isn't this the one I left before I went out?!"

Zhang Tianjin stared at the blue light strip by the main control door. "I remember I replaced this light once... Ah, am I dreaming?"

Lin Wanru was the last to stumble out, frozen in place.

She looked at this massive, sealed steel structure. The broad, open main hall was covered in battle scars and signs of age, yet the whole was as unbreakable as a castle.

Cold emergency lights were embedded in the surrounding walls; the floor was seamless cast steel. The main control terminal was set into the innermost wall, and even the ceiling bore the marks of embedded rail gun ports.

This was not a Shelter.

This was—a war fortress.

Her mouth fell open. "This... this is your base?"

"You built this yourselves, bit by bit?"

Her voice trembled lightly, her gaze filled with shock and an unprecedented respect.

The others turned to look at her.

Zhou Cheng patted her shoulder. "Everyone reacts like this on their first visit."

Sun Hao smiled. "When we first saw this base, we all thought we'd entered some lost legion's lair too."

Lin Wanru nodded dazedly, looking at Ye Nanxing's back. It felt as if something within her had quietly settled.

—From following to trusting, from doubt to awe.

At this moment, she finally understood why this woman before her could be called "Captain."

Why everyone was willing to risk their lives for her.

And Ye Nanxing, amidst the clamor of the group, simply let out a slow breath.

Her gaze swept over every detail of the hall:

The lights weren't broken, power was still on, sensor modules were still activating automatically. This meant—

the base had been alive.

As if waiting for her return.

A faint smile touched the corners of Ye Nanxing's lips.

—She was back.

By the time Ye Nanxing returned, the night was deep.

The main hall of Tianlang Mountain Base was as quiet as usual. Thermal light strips along the walls cast a soft blue glow. The air was dry and stable, with no trace of the wind and snow from outside.

But at a certain moment—

the air suddenly trembled.

A spatial ripple, barely visible to the naked eye, appeared in the center of the hall. In mere seconds, the ripple flashed and was gone.

Lin Xiao had just returned from the patrol route and was about to head upstairs when he abruptly halted, his entire body freezing in place.

That presence—he wouldn't mistake it.

He turned, his gaze snapping toward the center of the main hall.

—Figures had appeared.

Several familiar yet unfamiliar figures stood in the center of the hall, having materialized out of thin air. They hadn't brought in a single speck of snow, appearing neat and tidy as if "plucked" directly from another world.

Lin Xiao's pupils contracted.

"...Nanxing?"

In that instant, his voice cracked.

"Ye Nanxing?!!"

He rushed over in three rapid strides, his voice low but still vibrating uncontrollably. "Where the hell did you pop out from?! You... how did you all get in?! No, the sentries at the entrance didn't report anyone!"

Zhao Wei couldn't help but chuckle. "Old Lin, we floated in."

"Don't joke around," Lin Xiao glared at him, but his eyes remained fixed on Ye Nanxing.

"Is it really you?"

"...Not my corpse," Ye Nanxing replied in her usual calm tone.

"Damn it, can't you say something human!"

Lin Xiao's eyes reddened, and he slapped her shoulder hard. "Do you know I was about to go crazy with no news from you for months?!"

Ye Nanxing frowned slightly. "Don't slap. I'm injured."

"...You're actually hurt?" Lin Xiao was completely overwhelmed.

"Don't panic. Call the others first," Ye Nanxing said, her tone as composed as ever.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, turned, and quickly opened the internal line. "Calling Shen Qingyan, Han Yiran. Come down to the meeting room. Do not alert anyone else!"