183: Chapter 182 A New Beginning! A Radiant Light Paves the Way Forward, A Hidden Edge Awaits the Dawn (2)

After receiving the order, Old Yang did not delay for a single moment. He immediately selected 20 core members of the Xuanguang Assault Team. These members were all veterans of the interstellar wars, seasoned by a hundred battles. They not only possessed formidable combat strength but were also proficient in the operation and maintenance of Xuanguang Energy equipment; each was an elite capable of standing on their own. Upon arriving in Binhai City, they immediately took over the construction of the pilot base. The powerful performance of the xuanguang combat suit was utilized to its fullest during the construction. Relying on strength and speed far exceeding that of ordinary people, the team members moved heavy equipment and installed core components, significantly increasing efficiency. The main project of the base, which originally required three months to complete, is now expected to be successfully finished in one month, laying a solid foundation for the early implementation of Mystic Light Energy.

At the same time, Professor Zhang's team also sent good news. After fighting day and night, they successfully developed a mass-producible small Mystic Light Energy generator prototype. All performance indicators reached the expected standards, and its stability even exceeded expectations. In the production workshop of the Core Laboratory, the first production line for Mystic Light Energy generators was officially launched. Robotic arms precisely gripped and assembled parts with smooth and efficient movements, producing 10 small Mystic Light Energy generators every hour. These newly produced generators were neatly arranged in the warehouse, emitting a faint golden light. They will be prioritized for shipment to the three pilot cities to fully prepare for the subsequent energy transition work.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. According to the agreement with the Nightwatchers, Mu Li and Lin Wei put on the Core Laboratory's specialized protective suits and headed to the underground archives of the Core Laboratory. This is the most secret place in the Core Laboratory, located a hundred meters underground. Its security level is comparable to that of a top-tier military base, with multiple fingerprint, iris, and energy verification checkpoints at the entrance. The route was filled with surveillance equipment and defense robots. It stored the most core technological data and classified documents of the Home civilization. Normally, almost no one except Mu Li and Lin Wei could enter. In the center of the archives, a black alloy table sat quietly. There were no extra items on the table, only a black metal box. The surface of the box was smooth, without any markings or locks, exuding a mysterious aura.

Mu Li stepped forward, his fingertips lightly touching the metal box, feeling the cool sensation from its surface. He opened the box carefully, fearing he might damage the items inside. Inside the box lay a yellowed ancient book and a small energy crystal. The cover of the ancient book was made of some unknown beast skin with a tough texture, engraved with ancient Xuanguang Tribe script. The handwriting was blurred but still clearly discernible; the portion Professor Zhang had previously translated was only the tip of the iceberg. As for the energy crystal, it was pale gold throughout, emitting a faint but pure Xuanguang Energy. It bore a striking resemblance to the core crystal of the Mystic Light Energy generator, yet it was purer and more vital than the core crystal.

'Is this... the Core Key of Mystic Light Energy?' Lin Wei stepped closer, her eyes full of surprise. Her fingertips hovered lightly above the energy crystal as she felt the pure energy contained within. 'With this crystal, will we be able to completely crack the core mysteries of Mystic Light Energy and take its conversion rate and stability to another level?'

'It should be.' Mu Li picked up the energy crystal, a warm sensation spreading through his fingertips as the pure Xuanguang Energy slowly seeped into them, making him feel a sense of comfort. 'With this ancient book and this energy crystal, we can fully master the core technology of Mystic Light Energy. We might even develop more powerful energy equipment, such as large-scale Mystic Light Energy cores suitable for interstellar fleets, breaking the current energy bottleneck. It seems the Nightwatchers organization indeed holds the core secrets regarding Xuanguang Energy; their words may not be false.'

Just as Mu Li was carefully leafing through the ancient book, trying to decipher the text, the core system suddenly issued a sharp alarm. An emergency prompt popped up on the screen: [Unknown energy fluctuation detected. Source: Depths of the underground archives! Energy level is weak, no hostility detected, but trajectory is abnormal!]

Mu Li and Lin Wei were startled. They immediately put away the ancient book and the energy crystal and ran quickly toward the depths of the archives, holding their portable Xuanguang Energy Weapons tightly, remaining vigilant at all times. At the very back of the archives was a secret room that had been sealed for hundreds of years. Ancient Xuanguang Tribe patterns were carved on the door of the secret room, with faint Xuanguang Energy still remaining in the patterns, clearly having undergone special encryption. At this moment, the door to the secret room had been opened, with fresh friction marks remaining on the hinges. The secret room was empty, containing only an ancient stone platform. The surface of the stone platform was smooth, with faint Xuanguang Energy fluctuations remaining on it, consistent with the fluctuations of the energy crystal.

'Someone has been here, and not long ago.' Lin Wei knelt down, carefully examining the floor of the secret room. She found several blurred footprints. The size of the footprints was similar to those of the Xuanguang Tribe, but the patterns were different—more slender. 'The size of the footprints is similar to the Xuanguang Tribe, but they are also somewhat different, and the depth of the footprints varies, suggesting the visitor's strength was inconsistent. It seems the members of the Nightwatchers organization might be descendants of the Xuanguang Tribe, but after thousands of years of inheritance, their physical constitutions and characteristics have undergone some changes.'

Mu Li did not speak. His gaze was fixed on the wall behind the stone platform. A massive mural was carved on the wall. Although the colors had faded, the content remained clear: the painting depicted an alien civilization clad in silver armor solemnly handing a golden glowing energy core to the people of the Xuanguang Tribe. The latter half of the mural depicted a tragic interstellar war—this alien civilization, in order to protect the Xuanguang Energy core and resist an attack by a mysterious Grey Fleet, eventually perished along with the enemy. The descendants of the Xuanguang Tribe then took on the mission of guarding the Xuanguang Energy core and waiting for a suitable successor.

'So that's how it is.' Mu Li suddenly realized, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes as he spoke with some emotion. 'The Nightwatchers organization is the descendants of the Xuanguang Tribe. For thousands of years, they have silently guarded the Xuanguang Energy core, hiding in the shadows and observing the development of the Home civilization. It wasn't until we defeated the Dark Race and showed enough courage and strength that they felt confident enough to tell us this secret and pass on the core inheritance of Xuanguang Energy to us. The "true threat" they mentioned might be that mysterious Grey Fleet from the mural. That fleet didn't completely destroy the Xuanguang Energy core back then; they might reappear in the future to search for its whereabouts.'

Just then, Mu Li's communicator suddenly rang urgently. Old Yang's number was displayed on the screen. The moment the call connected, Old Yang's grave and hurried voice came through: 'Engineer Mu, this is bad! The pilot base in Binhai City has been attacked by an unknown force. The opponent is aggressive, and the weapons they use have strong Dark Energy fluctuations and considerable power. Several of our team members have been injured. Although their lives aren't in danger, their injuries are severe!'

'What? Dark Energy fluctuations?' Mu Li's heart sank, and his expression instantly became serious. His fingertips gripped the communicator tightly. 'Could it be remnants of the Dark Race? Have they not been completely wiped out?'

'It doesn't seem like it.' Old Yang's voice carried a hint of gravity, and faint sounds of explosions and energy collisions could be heard in the background. 'The opponent's tactics are very strange—fast actions and clear objectives. They are coming straight for the Mystic Light Energy generators in the base. Moreover, they seem to know our defense deployment like the back of their hand, precisely avoiding all defense nodes. We have fought hard to repel their attack, but their strength is great and their equipment is advanced; they don't seem like remnants of the Dark Race. Engineer Mu, I suspect we have a mole among us who leaked the defense deployment of the pilot base and information regarding the Mystic Light Energy generators!'

After hearing Old Yang's emergency report, Mu Li's face instantly turned cold as ice, and a daunting pressure emanated from his body. He tightened his grip on the communicator, his knuckles turning white from the force. His voice was cold but resolute, carrying an unquestionable command: 'Old Yang, immediately reinforce the base security, increase patrol forces, and set up an all-around defense. Even if you have to fight to the last man, you must hold the Mystic Light Energy generators and never let them fall into enemy hands! I will immediately dispatch Interstellar Alliance scout ships to rush to Binhai City at full speed to assist you in tracking the attackers and investigating suspicious forces in the vicinity! Furthermore, investigate every single person in the base. Leave no corner unchecked. Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find the mole and cut off the source of the leak! Anyone who dares to betray Home and leak secrets will pay the most painful price. I will show no mercy!'

After hanging up, Mu Li looked at Lin Wei and said in a firm and heavy tone, 'It seems our path to an energy empire is destined not to be smooth sailing. Remnants of the Dark Race, mysterious fleets in the universe coveting Mystic Light Energy, stubborn traditional energy giants at Home, and the Nightwatchers organization hidden in the shadows—these forces are intertwined and competing with each other, making the situation even more complex and unpredictable. But we have no way back; we can only face the challenges head-on.'

'So what should we do next? Should we pause the pilot work to first investigate the mole and deal with the crisis?' Lin Wei asked, her voice tinged with worry. She feared that continuing the pilot work would bring more danger.

Facing Lin Wei's concern, Mu Li shook his head sharply, a determined light flashing in his eyes. His voice was as firm as steel, each word carrying weight: 'We cannot pause, not even for a moment! The more danger surrounds us, the faster we must move forward! The attack on Binhai City is a wake-up call for us—only by firmly grasping the core technology of Mystic Light Energy and establishing an indestructible energy defense system can we protect Home and our future! Proceed with the pilot project as planned, while simultaneously increasing the intensity of the investigation: Old Yang's side must ferret out the mole and identify the attackers; Professor Zhang's team must immediately put all their effort into translating the ancient book, cracking the core secrets of Mystic Light Energy, and developing more powerful energy equipment and defense systems! The energy empire we want to build is not just a pillar of power supply, but also a bronze wall and iron bastion protecting the Home civilization, a sharp blade to resist all unknown threats! No matter how many obstacles lie ahead, we must break through. Even if we have to fight a bloody battle, we must let human civilization shine with immortal light in the universe!'

Lin Wei nodded, the worry in her eyes gradually replaced by determination. She turned and walked quickly out of the command room to immediately arrange the relevant work, coordinate various forces, and ensure the smooth progress of the pilot work while cooperating with Old Yang's investigation. Mu Li, meanwhile, returned to the underground archives. Looking at the murals on the wall and the ancient book in his hand, his heart was filled with emotion. Those alien warriors who sacrificed themselves to protect the Xuanguang Energy core, the Nightwatchers who had silently guarded it for thousands of years, and the countless heroes who died in the interstellar wars—they were all nameless guardians who paved the way for the continuation of the Home civilization with their lives and steadfastness.

He carefully stored the ancient book and the energy crystal in a specialized encrypted container, a firm decision already formed in his heart: while building the energy empire and promoting the popularization of Mystic Light Energy, he would also establish a specialized agency to investigate and record the deeds of these nameless heroes, documenting their perseverance and sacrifice so that their spirit would be passed down forever, and humanity would always remember these nameless individuals who made great contributions to the continuation of civilization. This decision also laid a deep foundation for the future, quietly setting the stage for the subsequent plot.

At this time, Home was bathed in the faint light of interstellar peace, standing steadily at a brand-new historical starting point. The land once scarred by war was being revitalized with the pace of reconstruction. The outline of the city became clearer under the initial nourishment of Mystic Light Energy, and the smell of gunpowder in the air faded, replaced by a sense of vitality and hope. The popularization of Mystic Light Energy was by no means a simple energy replacement; it would completely overturn the production and lifestyles humans had used for thousands of years—factories would no longer have pungent exhaust emissions, vehicles would no longer rely on fossil fuels to roar forward, and residents in remote areas could use stable and clean energy at any time. Every family and every industry would undergo unprecedented changes under the empowerment of Mystic Light Energy. It would lead Home to completely break free from the shackles and dilemmas of traditional energy, step out of the shadow of resource depletion, and move step by step toward a more prosperous, environmentally friendly, and vibrant future, making Home a brilliant green planet in the universe. But behind this peace and hope, the shadows never truly dissipated. Those crises hidden in the depths of the galaxy were quietly approaching in extremely secretive ways. Unknown threats, like lurking hunters, could break through their disguise at any time and push Home into danger once again.

Mu Li stood in the light and shadow of the underground archives, his fingertips stroking the encrypted container in his hand, his heart clear and firm. He knew better than anyone that the responsibility he bore was never just the grand mission of establishing an interstellar energy empire, but also the heavy duty of protecting the Home civilization and inheriting the spirit of the nameless heroes. On the long and bumpy road ahead, he would lead humanity forward side by side, using Mystic Light Energy as a blade and firm belief as a shield, overcoming technical difficulties step by step, resolving various hidden crises, breaking through the many barriers of the universe, and steadily moving toward the center of the universe to become a true powerhouse in control of the energy lifeline. At the same time, he would not forget those nameless heroes who silently sacrificed themselves—the guardians of alien civilizations, the Nightwatchers who had stood guard for thousands of years, and the warriors who fought in the interstellar wars. He would use his strength to clear their names and write their biographies, recording their perseverance, sacrifice, courage, and sincerity one by one, so that their deeds would forever be recorded in the annals of human civilization, remembered and admired by future generations, letting the heroic spirit be passed down from generation to generation, becoming the most solid spiritual foundation of the Home civilization.