304: Chapter 304 Exploring the Metal Plate

Ling Ye walked step by step toward the floating metal plate. His footsteps made crisp, monotonous echoes on the crystallized ground, each step carrying a heavy, cautious weight.

The sublimated "the key" mark on his chest emitted a warm, stable, pale golden and dark blue intertwined light, creating a clear, stable, and harmonious resonance with the pure, dark blue, ancient Order light emitted by the metal plate ahead, even carrying a sense of "homology" and "allegiance." There was no longer the threat of confrontation, repulsion, or "freezing" as before; instead, it felt like... a sub-unit of the same system that had been separated for many years finally finding its superior core, or a wandering "spark" finally returning to its originating "furnace."

This feeling made Ling Ye feel a bit more at ease. At least, the metal plate did not seem hostile toward him now.

He stopped about three steps in front of the metal plate. Observed at close range, this metal plate appeared more "complete" and "solemn" than when it was embedded in the flesh before. The ancient, precise energy patterns on its surface were currently flowing with a steady, bright dark blue light, as if they had come to life. At the core of the patterns, that peculiar groove resonating with his "the key" mark was now emitting a deeper, more restrained, pure dark blue light that seemed to absorb all surrounding rays.

He slowly extended his right hand, palm upward, his fingertips wreathed in the sublimated, pale golden and dark blue intertwined Order light of "the key" mark. He did not directly touch the groove but suspended his palm about a hand's width above the surface of the metal plate, then slowly and tentatively probed his spiritual perception into the interior of the metal plate, like the gentlest yet toughest tentacles.

This time, he did not encounter any obstacles. The spiritual tentacles merged into the cold, dark blue light of the metal plate like warm water, smoothly penetrating through to its internal energy core.

There was no torrent of information, no energy shock. There was only an extremely stable, gentle, yet exceptionally vast and ancient "ocean" of dark blue Order energy. This "ocean" was no longer "frozen" or "solidified" as before, but presented a slow, constant, tidal energy flow that seemed to follow some ancient, established Law. Although it remained cold and inert, it was no longer dead silence, but... a living "breathing" and "pulsing" of Order, albeit extremely slow.

The moment "the key" mark established a connection with the core of the metal plate, a clear, stable stream of information, as if it had been waiting for this moment, flowed slowly and orderly into the consciousness of Ling Ye like a thawing stream.

The information was not text or images, but a more direct, abstract, and telepathic communication regarding "status," "function," and "authorization." Ling Ye instantly "understood" the meaning contained within:

"Suppressing Artifact - ID 'Desolation' - 7 - γ, Status: Core damaged, energy leakage 87.3%, basic anchoring function lost. Pollution erosion depth: Irreversible. Current mode: Emergency standby / Minimum energy maintenance. Detected 'the key' mark (Serial number: Seventh Star Gate Chief Maintenance Engineer - Ling / Wei, Rank: Advanced) approaching. Confirming authorization. Initiating final protocol: 'Return to Ruins' program pre-option."

"Available options: 1. Recovery: Recover the residual core Order energy from 'the key' mark to extend the standby time of this Suppressing Artifact and attempt to repair some basic functions. Cost: 'the key' mark will permanently lose part of its core energy, and its Rank may drop. 2. Resonance: Use 'the key' mark as an anchor to perform a deep resonance with the core of this Suppressing Artifact, attempting to activate a one-way, unstable, one-time space channel to the core area of 'Seventh Star Gate' (Coordinate: Anchor-α). Cost: This Suppressing Artifact will completely disintegrate and perish due to total energy depletion after the channel opens. Channel stability is unknown, and the transmission process carries huge risks. 3. Abandon: Give up further interaction with this Suppressing Artifact. This Suppressing Artifact will disintegrate on its own after its energy is completely exhausted (estimated remaining time: 73 standard hours), at which point it will release its last residual energy, forming a small-scale Order energy shock that can cause a certain Purification effect on the local polluted environment, but it is not enough to change the overall situation. Choosing this option will result in the loss of all subsequent support provided by this Suppressing Artifact."

Three options were clearly presented in the consciousness of Ling Ye.

Recovery could gain power and stabilize himself, but it would weaken "the key" mark and might affect subsequent actions.

Resonance could activate an unstable, one-time channel to the final goal, "Anchor-α," but the cost was the total destruction of this ancient "Suppressing Artifact," and the channel itself was full of unknown risks.

Abandoning meant doing nothing and waiting for the Suppressing Artifact to disintegrate on its own to trade for a small-scale Purification shock, but losing all potential opportunities.

Time was tight. The external flesh Hell was madly eroding this island of Order. Every second, more dark red, writhing flesh covered and penetrated the crystallized dark blue "barrier," emitting a teeth-grinding sizzling sound of intense confrontation, corrosion, and annihilation between energy and pollution. The time this island could hold out was clearly not long.

The gaze of Ling Ye, like the calmest, tempered, cold blade, quickly swept across these three options.

He took a deep breath and slowly but exceptionally firmly pressed his right hand, which had been suspended above the metal plate, onto the peculiar, dark blue groove that resonated perfectly with his "the key" mark.

At the same time, he mobilized the sublimated "the key" mark deep within his Soul, pouring all its energy and will, without reservation, like a river merging into the sea, through his right hand and into the vast, dark blue "ocean" of Order energy at the core of the metal plate.

"Buzz—!!!"

A clear, long, resonant, bell-like boom that seemed to come from the depths of the ancient starry sky erupted from the core of the metal plate! The entire metal plate suddenly burst forth with unprecedented, blinding, pure, dark blue Order light! The light, like a tangible, cold tide, instantly filled the entire crystallized hemispherical space, instantly scorching, evaporating, and purifying the dark red flesh that was eroding and penetrating it, just like ice and snow meeting a hot iron!

Immediately after, in the center of the metal plate, that peculiar groove began to rotate at high speed, projecting and weaving extremely complex, precise, and ever-changing three-dimensional light and shadow of dark blue energy patterns and spatial coordinates! The light and shadow quickly condensed, expanded, and stabilized above the metal plate, eventually forming an unstable, elliptical, dark blue space channel entrance with a diameter of about two meters, its edges flowing with countless fine, dangerous spatial cracks and sparks of Order energy, and its interior presenting a deep, unstable space channel entrance that seemed to connect to a distant place, with starlight and shadows intertwined and flowing within!

The edges of the channel entrance rippled slightly like the surface of water, emitting an extremely unstable, heart-palpitating aura of spatial and energy turbulence that felt as if it could collapse and implode at any moment. Inside the channel, some broken, distorted fragments of scenes that seemed to come from different times and spaces were vaguely visible, along with a clearer, more direct, and intense energy fluctuation and spiritual pollution aura from the distant end, where chaos and Order were fiercely clashing, blowing out from the depths of the channel like a cold wind.

It was the channel to "Anchor-α"! Although it was extremely unstable and full of unknown risks, it had indeed been forcibly activated by the resonance between "the key" mark and the ancient "Suppressing Artifact"!

As the channel entrance stabilized, the bright, majestic dark blue light on the surface of the floating metal plate rapidly dimmed and extinguished at a speed visible to the naked eye, like an old man on his deathbed whose strength had been instantly drained! The ancient patterns lost their luster and became like ordinary, dusty metal carvings. The entire metal plate seemed to lose all vitality, emitting a low, sigh-like groan of metal fatigue, and then, with a "clatter," it fell from mid-air, landing heavily on the crystallized ground and kicking up a small cloud of fine, dark blue dust left behind by the dissipated energy.

The "Suppressing Artifact" had exhausted its last strength and had completely fallen silent.

And that unstable, dark blue space channel leading to an unknown destination floated quietly in place, like a huge, tempting, dangerous, and unknown abyss entrance.

Ling Ye slowly moved his hand away from the metal plate, which had now turned into common iron. He felt the power within him, which had been consumed significantly by the full-force activation of the channel just now, but the core "the key" mark remained stable and even seemed to have gained a hint of "Perfection" due to the deep resonance with the "Suppressing Artifact."

He turned around, walked quickly to Old Shi, helped Old Shi up, and half-carried, half-supported Old Shi to the front of that unstable space channel entrance.

Inside the channel, starlight and shadows intertwined and flowed, emitting an aura of chaos and danger, but also carrying a glimmer of final hope.

He glanced at the channel, then back at the remains of the crystallized island of Order behind him, which was being rapidly swallowed, covered, and annihilated by the dark red flesh that was surging back, even more crazily and angrily.

Then, supporting Old Shi, he stepped into the unstable, dark blue space channel leading to an unknown destination.