141: Silent Thunder and "Fishing" Traps

Inside the Shelter, time slipped away amidst tense preparations.

The second-generation Spirit Disturbance Array was successfully integrated into the improved personal node; although it was slightly larger, resembling a thick jade pendant, its effectiveness had significantly improved.

Research into the composite interference Domain had also achieved a Breakthrough; Senior Brother Zhang cleverly utilized Star Core Power as a buffer, initially resolving the energy conflict issues.

However, just as everyone was rejoicing over the technical progress, a sudden crisis, like silent thunder, exploded outside the Shelter.

On this day, Zhao Iron Pillar, who was responsible for monitoring external energy fluctuations, suddenly opened his eyes, his expression changing drastically!

"Boss! Something's wrong! The 'mining point' over at the Nirvana Swamp... the energy flow has been cut off!"

Wen Youyi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately perceived it through the star chain.

Sure enough, the secondary tributary that had been providing them with energy for months was now like a severed blood vessel, with not a single trace of energy flowing in!

"Is it a natural depletion? Or..." Senior Brother Zhang's face turned pale.

"It wouldn't be a natural depletion," Ying said with a grave tone. "Although the secondary tributary's energy isn't strong, its stability is extremely high. A sudden interruption can only mean two things—either the spirit net System is undergoing large-scale adjustments, or... we've been discovered!"

Almost at the same time, a rapid warning in Star Language from the outside world came from the star core fragment in Wen Youyi's embrace!

It was from a Loose Cultivator who had been awakened earlier and was currently in a small marketplace!

[Emergency! A few new faces have arrived at the marketplace! Their auras are very cold! They are asking if anyone has behaved abnormally recently or heard 'strange talk'! The tokens at their waists... they look like those from the Qingxuan Sect's Discipline Hall!]

The Discipline Hall! Elder Xuan Shi's men!

News followed in quick succession, and another awakened Disciple lurking in the peripheral area of the Qingxuan Sect also sent a warning:

[The Sect is under upgraded martial law! There are rumors that traces of 'evil spirits' have been discovered, pointing towards the southwest! A deacon has led a team out of the mountain!]

The southwest! That was the approximate area where the Nirvana Swamp and the Shelter were located!

All clues pointed to a terrifying conclusion—they had been exposed! At the very least, the operation poaching mining point had been exposed! The enemy was tracking them down along this line!

The atmosphere inside the Shelter instantly dropped to freezing.

"Damn it! We were discovered after all!" Zhao Iron Pillar gritted his teeth. "Let's fight them!"

"Calm down!" Wen Youyi barked, his brain racing. "The other side is only suspicious; they haven't determined our specific location yet. Cutting off the mining point and sending people to investigate—this is more like... beating the grass to startle the snake, or in other words, fishing!"

"Fishing?"

"Exactly!" Wen Youyi's eyes were sharp. "They aren't sure of our existence or strength, so they first cut off our energy source and then sent out their visible forces to test us, just to see how we would react! If we lose our cool and act rashly or move, we will fall right into their trap!"

"Then what should we do? We can't just wait for them to find us, right?" Senior Brother Zhang asked anxiously.

Wen Youyi pondered for a moment, a flash of determination in his eyes. "We'll use their own strategy against them! Since they want to fish, we'll give them a 'fish'! But not this big fish of ours!"

He immediately made his deployment:

"First, completely sever all contact with the Nirvana Swamp mining point, initiate the self-destruct sequence, and wipe away all traces!"

"Second, Ying, you are proficient in the operation of spirit net nodes. Immediately simulate the energy signature of a 'low-level evil spirit' or an 'accidentally formed energy anomaly point,' and set the location in another desolate valley a hundred miles away from our Shelter!"

"Third, Senior Brother Zhang, set up a one-time fake stronghold in that desolate valley that can erupt with strong energy fluctuations and chaotic signals, making it look like a hasty evacuation where traces were left behind carelessly!"

"Fourth, all personnel, enter the highest state of combat readiness, rely on the Shelter's defenses, and wait and see! No one is allowed to go out without my orders!"

Everyone instantly understood Wen Youyi's intention—a golden cicada shedding its shell, diverting the disaster!

They wanted the enemy to think that what they had discovered was merely an accidentally formed, low-level 'anomaly point,' and that this 'anomaly point' had been startled and had fled in panic.

Thereby diverting the enemy's attention away from the real Shelter!

The plan was set and immediately executed.

Ying quickly simulated the corresponding energy signature and, through special means, 'leaked' it into the designated desolate valley area.

Senior Brother Zhang and Zhao Iron Pillar took the Materials and, using star core teleportation, quietly headed to that desolate valley, racing against time to set up the fake stronghold.

Wen Youyi sat in the Shelter, fully maintaining the stability of the star chain while monitoring every movement in the outside world.

A silent contest unfolded on an invisible battlefront.

The enemy had cast their bait, and Wen Youyi was prepared to serve them a meticulously prepared 'fake fish.'

It all depended on whether they would take the hook.

(End of chapter)