479: Chapter 414: Abnormal Mission, Investigating the Missing Supply Line

After settling the military merits for the three-month training, Lin Zhou brought the Civilization Guardian Legion to rest at the fortress for three days.

On the morning of the fourth day, an encrypted communication came from General Rex's command post, requesting Lin Zhou to go immediately. When he walked into the command post, he saw not only General Rex, but also a major general from the Seventh War Zone logistics department—Zhou Mingyuan, an old soldier with a cold and stern face who rarely smiled.

"Lin Zhou, sit." General Rex pointed to a chair and pushed a sealed document over. "There is an abnormal mission that requires you to go personally."

Lin Zhou opened the document and scanned it quickly—in the past month, three transport teams had gone missing on the supply line behind the Seventh War Zone. There were no signs of combat, no distress signals, and not even any remains of divine kingdoms left behind. It was as if the entire transport team had evaporated into thin air.

[Supply Line Disappearance Incident · Preliminary Intelligence]

- Missing transport teams: 3

- Missing personnel: Approximately three hundred

- Missing supplies: Enough to sustain the Seventh War Zone for half a month

- Time span: One month

- Commonality: All disappeared in the "Silent Corridor"

- Scene: No signs of combat, no remains, no signals

"Silent Corridor？" Lin Zhou looked at the Star Map.

General Rex zoomed in on the Star Map behind the Seventh War Zone and pointed to a gray-white band. It was the only route connecting the fortress to the main shipping lane of the New Universe, about three thousand kilometers long and five hundred kilometers wide. Because the spatial rules were exceptionally stable and the Chaos energy was thin, it was called the "Silent Corridor" and was the safest transport route.

[Silent Corridor · Environmental Data]

- Length: Approximately three thousand kilometers

- Conventional Chaos energy concentration: Five times that of the outside (extremely low)

- Rule stability: 90%

- Spatial rifts: Very few

- Historical safety record: No accidents in a hundred years

"The safest route, yet it's the one with problems." Zhou Mingyuan spoke, his voice hoarse. "Before the transport teams went missing, they all sent back routine communications. The last communication said 'everything is normal.' Then they lost contact. Afterward, we sent out reconnaissance teams to search along the route, but found nothing."

"Found nothing？" Lin Zhou asked.

"Not even fragments of divine kingdoms. It's as if... they never existed."

Lin Zhou was silent.

"Lin Zhou, I need you to take your people and scout along the Silent Corridor." General Rex said, "Find the cause of the disappearance. Whether it's a Chaos Beast, the Shadow Clan, or something else, it must be investigated clearly."

"Yes."

Lin Zhou returned to the barracks and summoned his core team.

Qin Qing brought up all the data on the Silent Corridor, Wang Meng wiped his battle axe, Chen Xuan flipped through the investigation report from the logistics department, and Li Mo's projection was analyzing the route risks.

[Silent Corridor · Reconnaissance Plan]

- Route: Three thousand kilometers in total

- Key areas: Three disappearance points

- Reconnaissance method: Squad-based segment reconnaissance

- Estimated time: Seven days

- Risk: Unknown

"Captain, this matter is strange." Chen Xuan closed the report. "All three transport teams had escort forces. The first one had two Faint Divinity and one hundred soldiers; the second had one Lesser Divinity and two hundred soldiers; the third had three Lesser Divinity and three hundred soldiers. They all disappeared without a sound."

"No signs of combat means they didn't even have time to react." Wang Meng frowned. "To wipe out three hundred soldiers before they could react, the opponent's strength must be at least Mid-Tier Divine Power, intermediate stage, and they must be skilled in surprise attacks."

"There is another possibility." Li Mo pulled up the analysis model. "It's not an external attack, but a problem from within. There was an insider in the transport team who cut off communications and defenses at a critical moment, and then they were wiped out by external forces."

"An insider..." Lin Zhou was thoughtful.

The next morning, the reconnaissance team set out. Lin Zhou brought one hundred elites, the ark of Civilization Projection unfolded, the Dragon Vein Golden Scale coiled in the divine kingdom, and Su Yueyao's moonlight blessing was applied. The team advanced slowly along the Silent Corridor, maintaining maximum vigilance throughout, with the Civilization Projection covering a one-kilometer radius of the Void Realm.

[Reconnaissance Team · Data]

- Number of people: 100

- Average Divinity Rank: LV600

- Equipment: Civilization Armor · Enhanced Version, Rule Plague Purification Talisman

- Civilization Projection: Covering a diameter of one kilometer

The first day was peaceful. The team traveled about eight hundred kilometers and reached the first disappearance point. There was nothing here—no wreckage, no debris, not even a trace of energy fluctuation from combat. It was as if that transport team had never existed.

Lin Zhou had Li Mo use the rule detector to scan a radius of one hundred kilometers, still with no findings. He raised his hand, and the river of civilization surged out from his divine kingdom, turning into a cyan-gold ribbon of light, spreading in all directions.

[river of civilization · Detection Mode]

- Coverage: One hundred kilometers in diameter

- Effect: Detects rule anomalies within the perception range

- Sensitivity: Can perceive weak remnants of divine kingdoms

Wherever the river passed, everything was normal. But when the river spread to its furthest point, Lin Zhou captured a trace of extremely weak divine kingdom residue—not left after a battle, but a void left after being "extracted." The rule structure there was complete, but the "Karma" that should have existed had disappeared.

"Li Mo, record this coordinate and mark it as 'Karma Fault'."

"Yes."

The team continued to advance. On the second day, the team reached the second disappearance point. There was nothing here either. The river of civilization detection discovered the "Karma Fault" again. Lin Zhou squatted down and touched the Void Realm with his hand—his fingertips passed through that area without any obstruction, but he could feel a trace of energy residue that did not belong to the New Universe. It was extremely weak, almost imperceptible, but the Fire of Civilization reacted to it.

[Energy Residue · Analysis]

- Type: Void (Return to Ruins energy)

- Concentration: Extremely low

- Source: Man-made release

- Association: Void Sect

Lin Zhou's pupils shrank sharply. The Void Sect, it was them again. Although the White-Robed Bishop had fallen, his subordinates were still there. The Void Sect stronghold in the New Universe had been cleared, but in the Old Universe... there were still remnants.

"Captain, what did you find？" Su Yueyao walked over.

"Energy residue from the Void Sect." Lin Zhou stood up. "They aren't extinct yet."

The team accelerated, and by the evening of the third day, they reached the third disappearance point. It was the same as the previous two—there was nothing. But when the river of civilization was detecting, Lin Zhou captured a fragment of residual memory. It was not the memory of the divine kingdom's owner, but something discarded after being "stripped" by some force.

[Memory Fragment · Content]

- Perspective: A soldier from the transport team

- Final image: Gray-white light enveloped the entire transport team

- Sound: "The Void... is everywhere..."

- Fracture: Image interrupted

Lin Zhou put away the memory fragment, his face gloomy.

"Captain, the Void Sect did this." Qin Qing said.

"But they have already evacuated. They didn't leave any clues here." Lin Zhou stood up. "However, they overlooked one thing—the memory fragment."

"Can the memory fragment track their location？"

"No. There is no coordinate information in the fragment. But the Void Sect member in the fragment has a very obvious feature." Lin Zhou enlarged the final image in the memory fragment—in the gray-white light, a figure in a dark red robe was looming, "On the cuffs, there are dark gold patterns embroidered. That is the mark of a Void Sect Cardinal. The White-Robed Bishop has fallen, but the Cardinal is still there."

[Cardinal · Known Intelligence]

- Number: According to Old Universe interrogation records, there are three Cardinals

- Rank: LV3000 - LV3500

- Features: Dark gold patterns embroidered on cuffs, proficient in Void erosion

- Whereabouts: Unknown

"Three Cardinals, at least one is still alive. The one who attacked the transport team is likely him. The goal is to cut off the Seventh War Zone's supplies."

Lin Zhou put away the memory fragment and issued an Order.

"Expand the search range. With the third disappearance point as the center, radiate one thousand kilometers in all directions. If you find any suspicious signs, report immediately."

The team dispersed, and the river of civilization was fully deployed. After six hours of searching, Li Mo discovered an extremely weak spatial fluctuation about six hundred kilometers to the northwest—not a naturally formed spatial rift, but a teleportation array mark left by someone.

[Spatial Fluctuation · Data]

- Position: About six hundred kilometers northwest of the third disappearance point

- Type: Residual spatial teleportation array

- Time of use: About seven days ago

- Transmission direction: Old Universe

- Trackable: Yes (requires Origin of Space Stone)

"Captain, we can track it. But it requires an Origin of Space Stone as a medium."

"Use it." Lin Zhou took out a silver-white crystal from his divine kingdom and handed it to Li Mo.

[Origin of Space Stone · Use]

- Consumption: 1 piece

- Effect: Track the destination of the spatial teleportation array

- Time taken: About three hours

Li Mo embedded the Origin of Space Stone into the detector, and silver-white light enveloped the residual mark of the teleportation array. On the detector screen, a vague trajectory extended from the third disappearance point to the northwest.

"Tracked. The destination is at the edge of the Old Universe, about eight thousand kilometers from here. That place... was once a secret stronghold of the Void Sect." Li Mo's voice paused. "Before the stronghold was cleared by us, it had a teleportation array connection."

"Are there still Void Sect members there now？"

"Not clear. But according to intelligence, after the stronghold was cleared, most of the cultists were annihilated or captured. Only high-level members like the Cardinal might have escaped through the teleportation array. The destination of this teleportation array might be that stronghold."

Lin Zhou pondered for a moment.

"Captain, are we going？" Wang Meng asked.

"Yes." Lin Zhou stood up, the Fire of Civilization condensing in his palm. "As long as the Void Sect is not eliminated, the New Universe will not be at peace. This time, it's not just reconnaissance, but also eradication."

"Yes！"

The team headed to the destination of the teleportation array. After about two days of marching, they reached the edge of the Old Universe. In front of them was a huge ruin, which was once one of the main strongholds of the Void Sect and had been destroyed by the expeditionary army. The buildings had collapsed, the shields were shattered, and the corrupted turrets had become scrap metal.

But deep in the ruins, there was still a faint dark red light.

[Ruins · Detection Data]

- Area: About ten square kilometers

- Status: 90% destroyed

- Residual defense: Some corrupted turrets are still operating

- Personnel: Estimated less than ten people

- Core building: Half-collapsed, but there is still energy fluctuation

"Captain, they are inside." Su Yueyao pointed to the dark red light deep in the ruins.

Lin Zhou nodded, unfolding the Civilization Projection, covering the entire ruins. The Dragon Vein Golden Scale poked its head out from the divine kingdom, and the Dragon Breath was ready to go. Su Yueyao's moonlight illuminated every corner of the ruins, marking the corrupted turrets hidden in the dark one by one.

"Attack."

Wang Meng led the Vanguard Battalion to break through from the front, the heavy armored legion provided flank cover, and the Sword Cultivator of civilization rose into the air with their swords. The remaining Void Sect members in the ruins had almost no power to resist. In less than twenty minutes, the last cultist was captured.

[Eradication · Data]

- Kills: Twenty-three Void Sect members

- Captives: Seven

- Loot: Secret letters of the Void Sect, core of the Return to Ruins energy conversion furnace, contaminated cards

- Our losses: Five slightly injured

Lin Zhou walked into the core of the ruins, where there was a half-collapsed secret room. The walls of the secret room were covered with dark red Talismans, and a dark red crystal was floating in the center of the Talismans—the core of the Return to Ruins energy, larger than any previously captured.

He reached out, about to take the crystal—

"Stop！"

A hoarse voice came from behind. Lin Zhou turned around and saw a figure in a dark red robe walking out of the ruins. His cuffs were embroidered with dark gold patterns, his face was pale, and his eyes were two balls of dark red flames—the Void Sect Cardinal, still alive.

[Cardinal · Data]

- Rank: LV3200 (high-tier divine power, early stage)

- Status: Seriously injured (divinity integrity 40%)

- Skill 1: Return to Ruins erosion, Void devouring, consciousness erasure

- Weakness: Fire of Civilization

"You finally came out." Lin Zhou said calmly.

The Cardinal sneered: "You think you won？ The Return to Ruins is everywhere, and the Void will eventually descend. You can kill the White-Robed Bishop, you can destroy our stronghold, but you cannot kill 'Void' itself."

"The Void does not need to be killed. It only needs to be illuminated." Lin Zhou raised his hand, the Fire of Civilization condensing in his palm, "And the Fire of Civilization is that light."

The sword light slashed towards the Cardinal. He dodged, but the speed of the Sword of Civilization was too fast, slashing across his arm. Dark red blood gushed out, and the arm fell to the ground.

[Cardinal · Status]

- Divinity integrity: 40% → 30%

- Left arm: Severed

"You..." He widened his eyes.

"Surrender. The Void Sect is finished."

"No... it will never be finished..."

The Cardinal burned his remaining divinity, turning into a dark red light, and fled into the depths of the Void Realm.

Lin Zhou did not chase. He turned around and took down the dark red crystal.

[Return to Ruins Energy Core · Loot]

- Size: One meter in diameter

- Energy concentration: Extremely high

- Value: Can be converted into a Heart of Order, improving the efficiency of the civilization furnace

He walked out of the ruins, looking at the direction the Cardinal had fled.

"Captain, not chasing？" Wang Meng asked.

"He won't live long. His divinity integrity is only 30% left, and his left arm is broken. Escaping back to the depths of the Old Universe, he can only wait to die." Lin Zhou put away the crystal. "Clean up the battlefield, collect the Materials. Return to the fortress tomorrow."

"Yes."

After returning to the fortress, Lin Zhou submitted the reconnaissance report and eradication record to General Rex.

[Abnormal Mission · Report]

- Reason for transport team disappearance: Attack by Void Sect remnants

- Instigator: Cardinal (escaped with serious injuries)

- Loot: One Return to Ruins energy core, several secret letters

- Suggestion: Strengthen supply line patrols, add monitoring points for spatial teleportation arrays

General Rex looked at the report, his brows furrowed.

"The Void Sect... is not extinct yet."

"There is at least one Cardinal left. He may be hiding in the depths of the Old Universe, or he may have already infiltrated the New Universe." Lin Zhou brought up the records of the interrogation of the captives. "According to the captives, the Cardinal's goal is not simply to cut off the supply line, but to collect enough Return to Ruins energy to open the Gate of the Return to Ruins."

"Gate of the Return to Ruins？"

"Yes. In the era of the Old Universe, the White-Robed Bishop had tried, but failed. This time, they changed their method—not opening the door directly, but first using the Return to Ruins energy to corrode the rules of the New Universe, and then opening the door after the rules are loosened."

General Rex's face turned livid.

"We must find him."

"We are looking. The teleportation array marks in the Silent Corridor can be tracked, but it takes time. Moreover, they may have changed their foothold."

"What resources do you need？"

"Origin of Space Stone, at least three."

"Take it." General Rex took three silver-white crystals from the safe and handed them to Lin Zhou. "As soon as possible. As long as the Void Sect is not eliminated, the New Universe will not be at peace."

Lin Zhou accepted the crystals and walked out of the command post.

He stood on the city wall, looking in the direction of the Chaos Star Domain. In the gray-white mist, a dark red light flashed and disappeared. That was the direction the Cardinal had fled.

"Captain, what are you thinking about？" Qin Qing walked over.

"Thinking about why the Void Sect is obsessed with opening the Gate of the Return to Ruins. The Return to Ruins is not the end, but the Void. Opening the Gate of the Return to Ruins will not bring them any benefits. They will also be swallowed."

"They believe that the Return to Ruins is not the end, but a new birth. In the Void, they will exist in another way."

Lin Zhou shook his head.

"That's just self-comfort. There is no existence in the Void, only extinction."

He turned and walked down the city wall.

"Prepare to track the Cardinal. We need three Origin of Space Stones, and we have them. We also need a Return to Ruins energy core as a medium. We just happened to capture one. Three days later, we set off."

"Yes."