175: Chapter 174 The Star Journey Begins! Blueprint Drawn to Conquer the Universe, Miraculous Phenomena Appear and Star Envoys Appear (2)

Ten minutes later, Professor Zhang hurried to the laboratory, his face etched with urgency. He clutched an ancient book filled with annotations, its pages covered in dense interpretations and hand-drawn star maps. "Engineer Mu, you really did ask about this! While I was organizing the literature just now, I happened to see a record about 'visitors from beyond the heavens.' I hadn't even had time to compile it into a report before I received Lin Wei's call." He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he strode toward the large screen, clearly having rushed all the way there.

He quickly flipped open the ancient book and pointed to a clear passage of hieroglyphs, his tone both excited and rigorous: "It says here that the ancestors of the Xuanguang Tribe once had contact with 'Star Envoys' from Orion. These 'Star Envoys' were tall, had silver-white skin, and wore strange clothing. They traveled in circular 'heavenly vessels' that could traverse interstellar space. The 'Star Envoys' brought the initial technology for the core system, taught the ancestors of the Xuanguang Tribe how to use cosmic energy, and helped them establish interstellar energy stations. But later, for some reason, contact was severed. The 'Star Envoys' returned to Orion and never appeared again."

"Orion?" Mu Li's heart stirred, and his eyes instantly lit up. "This is perfectly consistent with the direction of the signal source we monitored! Does the literature record specific information about the 'Star Envoys,' such as their civilization's name, their technical level, or the reason they cut off contact?"

"The records are very vague; after all, it was too long ago, and many of the writings are fragmented and incomplete." Professor Zhang shook his head helplessly as he carefully leafed through the ancient book. "It only mentions that the 'Star Envoys' came from a habitable planet in Orion and that their civilization was highly advanced, capable of manipulating cosmic energy. As for the reason contact was severed, it only vaguely mentions a 'Dark Invasion.' There's no detailed explanation of what that was, only that the 'Dark Invasion' brought a great disaster, and the 'Star Envoys' were forced to cut off contact with the Xuanguang Tribe for self-preservation."

"Dark Invasion..." Mu Li murmured to himself, a bad premonition rising in his heart as his fingertips tightened slightly. "core system, immediately analyze the restored signal data. Focus on looking for clues related to the 'Dark Invasion.' Compare the audio and images in the signal to see if there is any information related to 'Dark' or 'Invasion.'"

[Analyzing signal data... Repeated warning messages detected in the signal... Decoding warning messages... Decoding successful!]

A few minutes later, the core system's analysis results appeared clearly on the large screen. A line of striking red text made everyone's heart sink instantly: "Warning! The Dark Race has breached the Orion defense line and is heading toward the Solar System! Repeat! The Dark Race has breached the Orion defense line and is heading toward the Solar System!"

The laboratory fell into a dead silence, save for the faint hum of the core system. Lin Wei's face was pale, and her lips trembled slightly, her voice filled with disbelief: "The Dark Race... what is that? Is it some kind of dangerous alien force? What is their purpose in coming to the Solar System?"

"It's not clear yet, but judging from the records of the Xuanguang Tribe and this warning signal, it should be a highly threatening alien force—powerful and aggressive." Mu Li's gaze became incredibly solemn. He forced himself to calm down and quickly made deployments. "core system, expand the monitoring range. Fully search the periphery of the Solar System for any abnormal celestial bodies, energy reactions, or unidentified aircraft, focusing on monitoring signal dynamics from the direction of Orion. Additionally, immediately notify all representatives of the Global Interstellar Energy Council to convene an emergency meeting to report this matter and jointly discuss a response plan!"

[Expanding monitoring range... Detected an unidentified energy body 50 light-years from Home moving rapidly toward the Solar System at approximately 0.8 times the speed of light. Estimated arrival in the Solar System in 10 years. Characteristics of the energy body are unknown; no obvious hostile signals detected, but energy fluctuations are exceptionally strong.]

Ten years! This timeframe made everyone in the laboratory's hearts sink; they were both relieved that there was still buffer time and worried about the powerful strength of the Dark Race. Mu Li took a deep breath and slowly stood up, saying firmly, "Ten years is enough time for us to prepare. The top priority is to accelerate the construction of the interstellar energy collection stations to accumulate enough energy, while simultaneously launching the research and development of the interstellar defense system to enhance Home's space defense capabilities. The core system's interstellar exploration module should be able to find clues to deal with the 'Dark Race' from the Xuanguang Tribe's literature and the information related to the Star Envoys."

At the emergency meeting, the representatives of various countries were shocked to learn the news of the "Dark Race," and the originally relaxed atmosphere instantly became solemn. After more than two hours of intense discussion, the Council unanimously decided to shorten the construction cycle of the interstellar energy collection stations from the original five years to three years, concentrating global resources to speed up construction. Simultaneously, the Global Interstellar Defense Alliance was established, with Mu Li serving as the Alliance Commander-in-Chief to coordinate the R&D and construction of the defense system. Each country would dispatch technical personnel and provide military equipment and financial support based on their own advantages.

After the meeting, resources worldwide began to tilt toward the interstellar energy and defense projects. The Core Laboratory was brightly lit, with technical personnel working day and night. The sound of keyboard clicking and equipment running intertwined; everyone's face bore exhaustion, yet their eyes were firm, not daring to slacken in the slightest. Mu Li also practically lived in the laboratory, resting only three or four hours a day. During the day, he coordinated the technical division of labor and resource allocation among countries, and at night, he immersed himself in the core system's data analysis, optimizing the collection station's construction plan and developing interstellar defense technology. The scar on his shoulder from the Battle of Wuliang Mountain was particularly striking under the lights, a constant reminder that the responsibility he bore was far heavier than imagined.

Three months later, the core component of the interstellar energy collection station—the energy converter—was successfully developed. This was the "heart" of the collection station, directly determining the efficiency of energy collection and conversion. Under the precise control of the core system and the unremitting efforts of the Technical Team, the technicians broke through the limitations of traditional materials and developed a new type of "star energy crystal." This crystal was pale blue and translucent throughout, capable of efficiently absorbing and converting dark matter energy and solar energy. The conversion rate was 5 percentage points higher than the previous simulation device, reaching 94%, far exceeding expectations.

"Engineer Mu, the performance tests for the star energy crystals have all met the standards!" The leader of the Technical Team ran over excitedly with the test report. His face was full of fatigue but couldn't hide his excitement; his hair was messy and his eyes were bloodshot, clearly having pulled several all-nighters. "We used the core system to simulate the low temperature, radiation, and vacuum environment of space. There were no issues with the crystal's stability or conversion efficiency. The mass production technology is also mature, and we can start the production line at any time!"

Mu Li took the report and carefully checked every test data point, his fingertips lightly tracing the data tables. A gratified smile appeared on his face. "Very good! Thank you for your hard work; everyone has worked hard during this time. Immediately arrange the production line to mass-produce the star energy crystals to ensure the supply of components for the collection station's construction. Additionally, have the Europa Alliance team speed up the structural design of the collection station, ensuring the final design plan is completed within a month. The Americas team should prepare for the rocket launch, overhaul the launch equipment, and train the launch personnel. We will start the launch mission for the first batch of components in one month; there must be no delays."

"Understood! I'll go arrange it immediately. I definitely won't delay the progress!" The Technical Team leader turned and hurried out of the laboratory, full of drive.

Just then, Old Yang walked into the laboratory with several members of the special forces squad. After this period of recuperation, his wounds had completely healed, though the scar on his face remained clear. His gaze was still as sharp as a hawk's, and he still exuded the sharp aura of a soldier. "Engineer Mu, we're back!" Old Yang gave Mu Li a standard military salute, his smile hearty. "This clearing mission was successfully completed. The remnants of the North American Global Energy Group have been completely wiped out, leaving no hidden dangers. Those secret bases hidden in various places have also been destroyed by us, and we've seized a batch of illegal energy supplies they had stockpiled."

"Thank you for your hard work; everyone has been through a lot lately." Mu Li stepped forward and patted Old Yang's shoulder, clearly feeling the solid muscle there. "Take a good rest during this time, spend time with your family, and get into a good state. There are even more important tasks to give you next."

"Engineer Mu, just give the word!" Old Yang's eyes were firm, his tone resonant. "Whether it's climbing a mountain of blades or jumping into a sea of fire, our squad won't hesitate. We guarantee the mission will be completed!" The team members who came with him also nodded, their eyes full of determination. After the Battle of Wuliang Mountain and this clearing mission, they were even more convinced by Mu Li and more willing to follow him and fight side by side.

"No need for mountains of blades or seas of fire, but you might have to go into space." Mu Li smiled and pointed to the interstellar collection station model on the large screen, his tone solemn. "We plan to form a Space Security Squad responsible for the security of the interstellar energy collection station, dealing with possible space risks such as asteroid impacts, space debris, and potential threats from alien forces. I want you to serve as the squad leader, leading the members through systematic space adaptation training to familiarize yourselves with the space environment and space combat equipment, ensuring the safe operation of the collection station."

"Space Security Squad?" A flash of excitement crossed Old Yang's eyes, followed by a bit of hesitation. "No problem! Mission guaranteed! But, Engineer Mu, we are all ground combat veterans. We've carried out missions on the ground for years and know nothing about space combat. Even the space environment is something we've only learned about from data; I don't know if we can adapt."

"Don't worry about that." Mu Li patted his shoulder, his tone gentle but firm. "The Technical Team will equip you with specialized space combat suits and quantum weapons. These suits can withstand space radiation and low temperatures, and they also provide oxygen and gravity assistance. The core system will also provide space combat simulation training programs to simulate various space emergencies, allowing you to adapt to the rhythm of space combat in advance. Additionally, we have invited top experts in the field of aerospace to provide you with systematic space knowledge training, including the space environment, spacecraft operation, and emergency handling, ensuring you can quickly master the skills needed for space combat."

"Great!" Old Yang said excitedly, the hesitation in his eyes vanishing instantly. "I'll go notify the team members right now and have them pack their bags and get ready for training. We definitely won't let down your trust!" After speaking, he hurried away with his team members, his steps light and his face full of anticipation for the space mission.

Watching Old Yang's departing back, Lin Wei said with a smile, "Old Yang and the others are quite enthusiastic about the space mission. You can tell everyone is looking forward to stepping into space. However, the space environment is complex and ever-changing with many unknown risks. The security task won't be easy; they'll have to put in a lot of effort to be up to the task."

"They are the best candidates," Mu Li said, trust in his eyes. "After the Battle of Wuliang Mountain, the clearing of the Global Energy remnants, and many other practical tests, their combat power and psychological quality are outstanding. Moreover, they are highly disciplined and have strong execution. As long as they undergo systematic training, they will surely be up to the space security task and become the collection station's solidest security barrier."

A month later, at the aerospace launch center in the Rainforest Continent, the sun was bright and the sky was cloudless. A huge carrier rocket stood on the launch pad, silver-white throughout, with the logo of the Global Interstellar Energy Council printed on its body, looking exceptionally solemn. Inside the rocket's fairing were the first batch of core components for the interstellar energy collection station, including the star energy crystals, the core module of the energy converter, and preliminary protection devices. These components were only sent into the fairing after repeated testing to ensure nothing would go wrong.

Mu Li, Lin Wei, Old Yang, and project leaders from various countries all came to the launch site, standing on the observation deck and looking intently at the massive rocket. Old Yang wore a brand-new aerospace training suit, standing tall. Beside him, the members of the Space Security Squad were also in high spirits, their eyes full of anticipation and determination—they knew the rocket carried not just collection station components, but also humanity's hope for stepping into the universe. Representatives from various countries talked in low voices, their faces showing both tension and expectation. Everyone knew that this launch concerned the success or failure of the interstellar energy collection station's construction and the pace of humanity's march into the era of cosmic energy.

"All units attention, countdown begins! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition!" The voice of the launch commander spread throughout the launch site via the broadcast, firm and powerful.