585: Chapter 581 A New Exploration Team

Seeing that the two had made up their minds, Grand Elder Gou Yan immediately spoke up, "Good! Such ambition! I shall go and arrange for the Sect's Cross-Domain Shuttle Boat and assign you ten Galaxy Level guards. Although they cannot follow you into the depths of the dangerous zones, they can provide support from the periphery to prevent the fleets of the Tianxuan Universe from making things difficult for you!"

"That won't be necessary," Jiang Xuchen raised his hand to stop him. "This trip should be kept low-profile rather than conspicuous; too many people will only alert the enemy. Yuanzheng carries a Concealment Jade Pendant I bestowed upon him, which can hide the aura of both individuals. Xuanyuan Yao's combat power has reached the ninth stage of the Super Star Cluster Level, and Yuanzheng is also at the Peak of the eighth stage. They are more than capable of protecting themselves against Kairos."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, his words carrying immense weight. "Remember, your primary mission is to investigate the whereabouts of Aires and confirm whether that space with a CVI lower than 0.3 is truly the Source Universe Chaotic Zone. Secondly, if the Opportunity arises, you may collect ancient texts or Origin fragments of the Source Universe, but remember not to be greedy or reckless—the Source Universe Chaotic Zone is unpredictably dangerous. In billions of years, only Qin Feng has managed to survive it. The slightest carelessness will lead to eternal damnation."

"This Disciple shall keep Revered Master's teachings in mind!"

"Your subject shall keep the Sect Master's instructions in mind!"

The two answered in unison, their voices devoid of any fear, containing only determination and resolve.

Xuanyuan Canglun looked at his son, his eyes filled with both reluctance and gratification. He stepped forward and patted Xuanyuan Yao's shoulder. "Yao'er, be careful on this journey. Consult with Junior Brother Yuanzheng on everything and do not act impulsively. If things become impossible, remember that preserving your life is the priority. The Sect and the Family will always be your strongest support."

"Father, rest assured, I understand," Xuanyuan Yao nodded heavily.

Grand Elder Tai Yao took out two simple and ancient jade talismans and handed them to the two. "These are Source Universe Aura Detection Talismans. If you get close to the Source Universe Chaotic Zone, the jade talismans will issue a warning and guide you to avoid the most dangerous areas. Additionally, the talismans contain a strand of my Divine Thought. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush the talisman. Although I cannot arrive instantly, I can descend with a strand of my Divided Soul to buy you a chance to escape."

"Thank you, Elder Tai Yao." The two took the jade talismans and carefully put them away.

Jiang Xuchen raised his hand and injected a streak of spiritual light into their bodies. Their surrounding auras were instantly shrouded by a faint barrier, strengthening the concealment effect. "Go now, there is no time to lose. Kairos's fleet has already departed. You must set off as soon as possible and find Aires before they do to uncover the truth of the Source Universe Chaotic Zone."

"Yes!"

Jiang Yuanzheng and Xuanyuan Yao bowed again, then turned around, their footsteps firm as they stepped out of the Lingxu Hall together.

Outside the hall, a flash of light flickered, and their figures turned into two afterimages, heading straight for the Lingxu Universe's Cross-Domain Teleportation Array—from here, they would depart and cross the cosmic barriers.

Inside the Lingxu Hall, Jiang Xuchen and Xuanyuan Canglun watched the direction they left, their expressions becoming solemn once more.

Elder Tai Yao took a step forward and waved his sleeve. An ancient tortoise shell and three Yarrow Stalks engraved with ancient runes appeared out of thin air in his palm—the tortoise shell was dark brown all over and covered with fine cracks. It was the Lingxu Immortal Sect's divination treasure passed down for billions of years, the 'Xuanchen Tortoise Shell,' specifically used for deducing the Heavenly Dao and predicting good or bad Luck.

Elder Tai Yao placed the tortoise shell flat on the table and crossed the three Yarrow Stalks over it. He then closed his eyes, a dense black spiritual light glowing between his brows. His Cross-Universe Level aura flowed slowly as he muttered obscure and difficult ancient divination incantations.

As the incantation finished, the Xuanchen Tortoise Shell trembled slightly, and the cracks on its surface lit up with a faint white light. The three Yarrow Stalks actually floated up on their own, spinning rapidly in the air and tracing out mysterious trajectories before finally settling into a peculiar hexagram.

Elder Tai Yao's fingertip lightly touched the cracks on the tortoise shell, and spiritual light seeped in. The runes on the shell became clearer, and two intertwining streaks of light—one purple and one white—faintly emerged. These were the life auras of Xuanyuan Yao and Yuanzheng.

After a moment, the light on the tortoise shell faded, and the Yarrow Stalks slowly fell. Elder Tai Yao let out a long breath, his expression relaxing. He turned to Jiang Xuchen and Xuanyuan Canglun and said in a deep voice, "Sect Master, Clan Chief Xuanyuan, there is no need to worry. I see that the life lights of the two are full, and the hexagram shows a state of 'good fortune hidden within danger.' Although they are beset by calamities, they do not show signs of a short life. Furthermore, their Luck is connected and complementary. This journey, though a narrow escape from death, holds a glimmer of hope and hidden opportunities."

...

The spiritual light of the Cross-Domain Teleportation Array slowly dissipated behind them, and the figures of Jiang Yuanzheng and Xuanyuan Yao appeared in a desolate cosmic dust belt.

They were surrounded by floating rubble and abandoned celestial remains. Cold cosmic rays traveled silently, and distant stars emitted a faint and remote light, casting flickering shadows over the area.

"Junior Brother Jiang Yuanzheng, according to the coordinates given by Revered Master, the area where Aires disappeared is on the other side of this dust belt, about three standard days' journey from us." Xuanyuan Yao raised his hand and brought out a Star Map Jade Talisman. The talisman flickered with spiritual light, clearly marking their current position and destination. "Kairos's fleet set off ten days before us. With their cross-domain navigation speed, they should have already entered the core area of the dust belt by now."

Jiang Yuanzheng nodded, his fingertips lightly stroking the Concealment Jade Pendant at his waist. The jade pendant emitted a faint glow, tightly hiding their auras. Even if a Star Cluster Level expert passed by them, they would not be able to detect their presence.

"The Crown Prince is right. We need to speed up. We must follow the trail of Kairos's fleet while avoiding being discovered by them. Fortunately, Kairos's journey is a grand affair. With over a dozen warships crossing the border, they will inevitably leave obvious energy fluctuations. We only need to follow the energy trail to save ourselves a lot of investigation work."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two leaped up simultaneously, their spiritual lights surging—Xuanyuan Yao was clad in purple battle armor, which was the life armor of the Immortal King's royal Family, engraved with the ancient runes of the Xuanyuan Clan. Jiang Yuanzheng was surrounded by a faint white spiritual light, his moon-white Daoist robe fluttering. He did not use his full strength, yet his speed was not at all inferior to Xuanyuan Yao's.

The two traveled side by side through the dust belt, with floating rubble beneath their feet and cosmic air currents whistling past them.

Jiang Yuanzheng's gaze was sharp, constantly alert to the surroundings. He held the Source Universe Aura Detection Talismans given by Elder Tai Yao tightly in his hand. The talisman was still a dull color, clearly indicating they had not yet approached the range of the Source Universe Chaotic Zone.

"Crown Prince, look ahead." Jiang Yuanzheng suddenly gestured, looking deep into the dust belt where faint energy fluctuations were coming from, carrying the unique metallic texture and energy radiation of a technological civilization.

Xuanyuan Yao looked in the direction Jiang Yuanzheng pointed, his brows furrowing as he circulated the Laws of cultivation to spread his perception.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, "It's the energy fluctuation of Kairos's fleet. It's very weak, but it can be sensed. They should have just passed through here, and... the aura is somewhat chaotic, unlike the orderly state of normal navigation."

"Chaotic?" Jiang Yuanzheng's heart stirred. "Could they have encountered trouble on the way? Or have they already approached the area where Aires disappeared and encountered an unknown danger?"

"It's hard to say." Xuanyuan Yao shook his head, his expression becoming a bit more solemn. "Whatever the case, we must proceed with caution. Speed up and catch up with their trail to see what exactly happened."

The two no longer hesitated, their figures accelerating again as they turned into two streaks of light, racing towards the direction of the energy fluctuations.