167: Chapter 167 Void Stealth, Ghost Face Displays Divine Power

The "breathing" frequency of the nest entrance in Mining Area No. 3 changed 17 minutes ago.

It changed from one expansion and contraction every 1.7 seconds to once every 3.1 seconds.

That is the sign that the Mother Empress has entered a deep slumber.

Lin Ye stood behind a protruding rock layer 47 meters from the edge of the entrance.

The rock layer was about 2.3 meters high, its surface covered with hard scabs formed by dried Star Beast body fluids, emitting a pungent, corrosive odor.

His right hand pressed against his face.

The [bronze ghost mask] obtained from the abyss of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land was currently "melting" against his skin.

[bronze ghost mask · Activation]

[Current Illusion Target: None (Pure Stealth Mode)]

[Stealth Effect: +80% Aura Masking]

[Duration: 24 hours]

[Cooldown: 72 hours]

[Negative Effect: Prolonged wear may lead to personality changes — Single wear recommended ≤ 12 hours]

---

The edges of the mask squirmed like a living thing, and countless fine, almost invisible tentacles burrowed into his facial skin, spreading throughout his body along the subcutaneous tissue.

It was an extremely eerie feeling.

It was not pain.

It was "dissolving."

He felt his aura — that trace of Origin fluctuation unique to the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body that could not be completely hidden — being "devoured" bit by bit by those tentacles.

With every inch devoured, he felt himself "disappear" from this world by an inch.

3 seconds later.

He had completely "disappeared."

[Current Stealth Rank: Undetectable below Saint-Grade]

[Detectable Distance: ≤ 3 meters]

---

Lin Ye walked out from behind the rock layer.

He did not deliberately lighten his footsteps.

Because the stealth effect of the bronze ghost mask not only masked his aura but also masked his "presence."

He walked on the ground in front of the nest entrance, which had been corroded into countless pits, each step crushing a piece of dried Star Beast body fluid scab.

The sound was still there.

But those small Star Beasts guarding the two sides of the entrance — 7 Rank 58 [Void Larvae] — did not turn to look at him even once.

Their eyes remained fixed on the front.

Staring at the ground that was being frozen by Su Qingyue.

---

[Void Larva · Rank 58]

[Perception Range: 30-meter radius]

[Perception Method: Heat / Aura / Vibration]

[Current Attention: 100% focused on the "Ice Burst Zone" created by Su Qingyue]

---

Lin Ye passed between them.

The closest one was only 1.7 meters away.

He could even clearly see the 47 vibrating sensory villi on its abdominal segments.

The direction the villi pointed — was Su Qingyue.

Not him.

---

He walked into the nest entrance.

That irregularly circular fissure, 17 meters in diameter, which was breathing slowly.

---

[System Notification: You have entered the "Void Star Beast Nest"]

[Current Area: Outer Layer · Incubation Chamber]

[Threat Level: ★★★★ (Small Star Beast respawn cycle 3 minutes)]

[Current Small Star Beast density: approx. 300 / layer]

[Suggested Action: Stealth]

---

The interior of the incubation chamber was much darker than the entrance.

That kind of darkness was not "absence of light."

It was "light being devoured."

The inner walls of the nest were covered with a layer of translucent, membrane-like substance.

That membrane pulsed slowly at a frequency of once every 1.7 seconds, and with each pulse, an extremely faint, dark purple fluorescence seeped from beneath the membrane.

What the fluorescence illuminated was — eggs.

Countless eggs.

Ranging in size from 0.3 meters to 1.7 meters, they were densely attached to every inch of the inner surface.

Some eggs were transparent, and one could clearly see the curled, squirming larvae inside.

Some eggs were turbid, a sign that they were about to hatch.

Every 3 minutes, a batch of eggs would hatch.

Every time a batch hatched, 30-50 small Star Beasts would be added.

---

Lin Ye walked through the narrow passages, only 0.7 - 1.7 meters wide, between the egg chambers.

His shoulders were almost touching the eggs on both sides.

The surface temperature of those eggs was about 37°C, the same as his body temperature.

The stealth effect of the bronze ghost mask made him like a stone without temperature in this incubation chamber.

As he walked by, the larvae inside the eggs would occasionally squirm.

Not because they sensed him.

It was because his footsteps vibrated the egg walls.

---

3rd minute.

The first batch of small Star Beasts hatched.

47 [Void Larvae] broke out of their eggs, their eyes not yet fully open, and their sensory villi still trembling as they adapted to the environment.

The first thing they did after birth — was eat.

Eat the eggshells.

Eat their companions' eggshells.

Eat all organic matter they could.

Lin Ye walked past them.

The closest one was only 0.3 meters away from him.

That larva's mouthparts were chewing on a piece of eggshell, emitting a fine, glass-shattering sound.

It did not look up.

---

6th minute.

Lin Ye passed through the incubation chamber and arrived at the entrance to the middle layer.

[Current Area: Middle Layer · Worker Nest]

[Threat Level: ★★★★★ (200-300 Worker-class Star Beasts)]

[Patrol Cycle: 17 minutes / round]

[Shift Change Gap: Once every 47 minutes, lasting 17 seconds]

[Time until next shift change gap: 31 seconds]

---

He stood in the shadows of the worker nest entrance.

Ahead was a spiraling upward passage, about 3-7 meters wide, enough to accommodate mecha combat.

On the inner walls of the passage, every 17 meters there was a recessed nest chamber, and in each chamber, there were 1-3 [Void Worker Bees] sleeping.

[Void Worker Bee · Rank 60-62]

[HP: 47,000-53,000]

[Attack Power: 7,300-8,700]

[Perception Range: 50-meter radius]

[Patrol Route: Once every 17 minutes along the spiral passage]

[Sleeping State: Perception range -70% during deep sleep]

---

Lin Ye watched those sleeping Worker Bees.

Their abdomens were rising and falling slowly, and with each rise and fall, extremely fine, dark purple mist sprayed from the end of their abdomens.

That was the residue of Void Realm energy.

He needed to pass through this spiral passage within 31 seconds to reach the entrance to the Inner Layer.

And the length of this passage —

[Spiral Passage · Length Calculation]

[Number of layers: 7 layers]

[Circumference per layer: approx. 170 meters]

[Total length: approx. 1.2 kilometers]

[31 seconds]

[Average speed: 38.7 meters / second]

[Feasible]

---

He did not hesitate.

The stealth effect of the bronze ghost mask was fully activated.

He rushed into the passage.

---

1st second.

1st layer.

17 meters.

When his toes touched the edge of the 3rd nest chamber, the frequency of the sleeping Worker Bee's abdominal rise and fall inside — quickened by 0.1 seconds.

Not waking up.

It was a dream.

---

5th second.

2nd layer.

83 meters.

His right hand pressed against the outer wall of the 11th nest chamber for leverage; when his palm touched that translucent membrane, 0.3 seconds of dark purple fluorescence seeped from beneath the membrane.

The fluorescence illuminated the side of his face.

The compound eyes of the Worker Bee in the nest chamber — moved for 0.1 seconds.

Did not open.

---

11th second.

3rd layer.

197 meters.

17 meters ahead of him, three patrolling Worker Bees turned out from the passage corner.

[Patrol Cycle · 11th minute]

[Current position: middle section of 3rd layer]

[Distance: 17 meters]

[Relative speed: moving towards each other, meeting in 3.7 seconds]

---

Lin Ye did not stop.

He turned sideways and pressed into the gap between the 27th and 28th nest chambers.

The gap was 0.3 meters wide.

0.7 meters deep.

Just enough to accommodate one person.

---

3.7 seconds later.

The three Worker Bees walked past 1.3 meters in front of him.

The sensory villi on their abdomens almost brushed his clothes.

The direction the villi were swaying — was forward.

Not the gap.

---

17th second.

4th layer.

317 meters.

He passed a Worker Bee that was changing shifts.

That Worker Bee had just woken up from sleep, its eyes not yet fully open.

It stood in the center of the passage, its six limbs slowly stretching.

Lin Ye slid past 0.7 meters beneath it.

Its abdomen was almost touching his back.

---

23rd second.

5th layer.

471 meters.

The passage began to narrow.

Compressed from 7 meters wide to 3 meters wide.

The density of nest chambers on both sides increased, one every 7 meters.

There were Worker Bees sleeping in every nest chamber.

Their breathing sounds intertwined, forming a low, infrasonic-like humming in the narrow passage.

Lin Ye moved through this humming.

His heartbeat frequency was forcibly suppressed by the bronze ghost mask to synchronize with the humming.

0.7 seconds / time.

---

27th second.

6th layer.

617 meters.

17 meters ahead was the boundary point between the 6th and 7th layers.

There was an Elite [Void Worker Bee] standing guard there.

[Void Worker Bee · Elite]

[Rank: 63]

[HP: 77,000]

[Perception Range: 70-meter radius]

[Current State: Alert (Awake)]

[Patrol Range: Fixed]

---

It stood right in the center of the passage.

Its six limbs were spread in a combat stance.

Compound eyes scanning in all directions.

Sensory villi swaying in all directions at a frequency of 0.3 seconds / time.

No blind spots.

---

Lin Ye stopped.

He looked at that Elite.

3 seconds.

He took out the [Broken Holy Feather] captured from the Angel Legion from his bosom.

[Broken Holy Feather · Usage Method]

[1. Crush: Release light-element energy fluctuations to attract the target's attention]

[2. Enchant: Temporarily imbue a weapon with light-element attributes]

[3. Sacrifice: Permanently consume to exchange for one "Light Illusion"]

---

He chose 3.

[Sacrifice · Broken Holy Feather × 1]

[Obtained: Light Illusion (Duration 3 seconds)]

---

He held the Holy Feather in his palm.

Golden light threads overflowed from between his fingers.

Against the dark purple background of the worker nest passage, those light threads were like a drop of milk falling into an ink pool.

---

28th second.

He let go.

The Light Illusion condensed into a humanoid light silhouette 3 meters in front of him.

That light silhouette had no details, only a contour.

But it could "move."

It rushed towards the other end of the passage — the opposite direction from Lin Ye.

---

The Elite Worker Bee's compound eyes turned simultaneously towards that light silhouette.

Its sensory villi swayed wildly.

Its six limbs exerted force simultaneously.

It chased after it.

---

29th second.

Lin Ye passed through the position where it had been standing guard.

7 meters from its back.

---

30th second.

7th layer.

731 meters.

The Inner Layer entrance was 17 meters ahead of him.

It was a circular fissure about 7 meters in diameter, with edges jagged as if torn by sharp claws.

Behind the fissure was the Mother Empress Hall.

---

31st second.

He stood at the edge of the fissure.

Behind him, the Elite Worker Bee caught up with the Light Illusion.

Its forelimbs pierced through the light silhouette.

The light silhouette dissipated.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

It stood in place, its compound eyes scanning the surroundings blankly.

There was nothing.

———

Lin Ye stepped into the rift.

———

[Current Area: Inner Layer · Mother Empress Hall]

[Threat Level: ★★★★★★ (Mother Empress Sleeping / 12 Elite Guards)]

[Mother Empress Status: Deep Sleep (Time Remaining: approx. 3 hours)]

[Elite Guard Distribution: Surrounding the Mother Empress Throne, 47m spacing]

[Guard Patrol Route: Overlapping coverage, no blind spots]

[Current Distance to Mother Empress: approx. 500m]

———

The Mother Empress Hall was a dome-shaped space 500 meters in diameter and about 70 meters high.

The dome was embedded with countless dark purple glowing crystals ranging from 0.3 to 1.7 meters in diameter. Those crystals pulsed at a frequency of once every 1.7 seconds, casting a purple-black light into the hall with each pulse.

In the center of the hall was a giant "throne" about 30 meters high and 70 meters wide—it was the body of the Mother Empress.

[Void Star Beast · Mother Empress]

[Rank: 68 (BOSS)]

[Status: Deep Sleep]

[Dimensions: 47m long, 30m high, 23m wide]

[Characteristics:]

[1. Six pairs of compound eyes: All closed]

[2. Twelve pairs of limbs: Curled beneath the abdomen]

[3. Abdomen: Rising and falling slowly at a frequency of once every 1.7 seconds—breathing]

[4. Center of the abdomen: A translucent crystal approximately 3 meters in diameter—]

———

Lin Ye's pupils constricted slightly.

[Abdominal Energy Core · Weak Point]

[Location: Center of the Mother Empress's abdomen, between the 3rd and 4th pairs of limbs]

[Defense: 70% lower than the surface carapace]

[Attack Effect: Destroying the core deals 300% damage and triggers the "Energy Rampage" state—the Mother Empress will be unable to use any skills for 30 seconds]

[Current Status: Exposed (Due to the Mother Empress curling its limbs, the core is completely exposed)]

[Distance: 500m]

———

He saw it.

That translucent crystal.

It was pulsing at a frequency perfectly synchronized with the Mother Empress's breathing.

With every pulse, a visible ripple of purple-black energy spread from the crystal's surface, flowing along the Mother Empress's body to its twelve pairs of limbs.

That was the Mother Empress's source of power.

And also its fatal weakness.

———

Lin Ye did not move.

He stood in the shadows at the edge of the Mother Empress Hall.

The concealment effect of the bronze ghost mask was fully active.

His aura, body temperature, and presence—all were suppressed to the limit.

But his eyes were counting.

[Elite Guard · Patrol Routes]

[1st Guard: Departs from the left side of the Mother Empress Throne, circles clockwise, 47-second cycle]

[2nd Guard: Departs from the right side of the Mother Empress Throne, circles counter-clockwise, 47-second cycle]

[3rd-12th Guards: Evenly distributed, crossing every 47 seconds]

[Full coverage, no blind spots]

———

He was waiting.

Waiting for those 17 seconds.

Waiting for the shift-change gap that occurred every 47 minutes, exactly the same as at the Blood Altar.

———

[Current Time: era calendar Year 1972 · Day 332 · 07:47:13]

[Time until next shift-change gap: 31 seconds]

———

31 seconds.

30 seconds.

29 seconds.

———

Outside the hall.

Su Qingyue stood atop an Abandoned Mining Platform 17 kilometers from the nest entrance.

Her left palm was facing upward.

That 3cm diameter ice lotus was spinning at a speed of one rotation every 0.3 seconds.

With every rotation, the ice lotus grew by 0.1 millimeters.

At this moment, it had already expanded to 1.7 meters in diameter.

[Guanghan Ice Lotus · Charged Version]

[Current Charge Time: 7 minutes]

[Estimated Explosion Radius: 500 meters]

[Estimated Damage: 70,000 points of Ice Damage]

[Caster Status: Su Qingyue · HP 100% → 71% (Charge consumption)]

———

She looked at the nest entrance.

17 kilometers away, that "breathing" rift.

She knew Lin Ye was inside.

She knew he was waiting for those 17 seconds.

She knew that when those 17 seconds arrived, she only had to do one thing—

Detonate the ice lotus.

Make all the Lesser Star Beasts on the nest's periphery...

All look toward her.

———

[10 seconds]

[9 seconds]

[8 seconds]

———

At the front of the nest.

Shi Potian stood at the very front of 37 Chaos Mass-Produced Type I Mechas.

His left fist—the one that had remained standing after taking three punches from a Rank 70 Ancestor Phantom in the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star, that had crushed the skulls of 47 Crystal-Armored Giant Rhinoceroses in a 72-hour bloodbath in Chaos Valley, and that had smashed the Mother Empress's cephalothorax in the Mother Empress Hall—

Was raised to his chest.

Behind him, 37 mechas simultaneously raised their right arms.

Particle rifles were charged to 100%.

———

[3 seconds]

[2 seconds]

[1 second]

———

[Shift-Change Gap · Open]

———

Second 0.

Su Qingyue's ice lotus—detonated.

An ice-blue pillar of light 500 meters in diameter soared into the sky from 17 kilometers away.

Wherever the pillar of light passed, the air froze into fine ice crystals, falling from the sky like a rainstorm.

The seven Void Larvae at the nest entrance—all turned their heads simultaneously.

Looking toward the direction of the ice explosion.

———

Second 1.

Shi Potian took a step forward.

37 mechas fired simultaneously.

37 blue-white particle beams pierced through the 1.7-kilometer distance, accurately striking the seven Void Larvae outside the nest entrance.

[Kills × 7]

———

Second 2.

Over 200 Worker Bees in the middle layer of the nest simultaneously received the "Entrance Under Attack" signal.

Their compound eyes all turned toward the entrance.

Their sensory hairs stood up simultaneously.

Their limbs exerted force at once.

They all rushed toward the entrance simultaneously.

———

Second 3.

Inside the Mother Empress Hall.

The 12 Elite Guards simultaneously received the "Outer Layer Under Attack" alarm.

Their patrol routes—stalled for 0.3 seconds.

That was the only 0.3-second window within the 17-second shift-change gap where there was no overlapping guard coverage.

———

Second 3.3.

Lin Ye darted out from the shadows.

His speed was so fast that he left only a nearly imperceptible afterimage in the dark purple light.

The concealment effect of the bronze ghost mask was fully active.

His aura—0%.

His body temperature—perfectly consistent with the 37°C of the Mother Empress Hall's inner walls.

His presence—lower than even a Void Larva.

———

Second 5.

He swept past the back of the 1st Elite Guard.

Distance: 3 meters.

The guard's compound eyes were fixed toward the entrance.

It did not look back.

———

Second 7.

He swept past the 4th guard.

Distance: 2.3 meters.

———

Second 9.

He swept past the 7th guard.

Distance: 1.7 meters.

The guard's sensory hairs—trembled for 0.1 seconds.

Not from sensing him.

But from sensing the particle rifle fire from those 37 mechas toward the entrance.

———

Second 11.

He swept past the 11th guard.

Distance: 1.3 meters.

———

Second 13.

He stood directly beneath the Mother Empress Throne.

Distance to Mother Empress—47 meters.

———

Second 14.

He began to climb.

Not using Void Step.

But barehanded.

The Mother Empress's body was covered in a layer of translucent, slimy membrane.

For every meter he climbed, his hand would sink into that membrane for 0.3 seconds.

Temperature beneath the membrane: 47°C.

10°C higher than his body temperature.

The concealment effect of the bronze ghost mask was—for the first time—challenged at this moment.

[Concealment Effect Fluctuation: 80% → 77%]

———

Second 15.

He climbed to the Mother Empress's abdomen.

Distance to that translucent Energy Core—17 meters.

———

Second 16.

He moved up another 3 meters.

Distance—14 meters.

———

Second 16.7.

He moved up another 3 meters.

Distance—11 meters.

———

Second 16.9.

The Mother Empress's breathing frequency—changed.

From once every 1.7 seconds to once every 1.6 seconds.

That was a sign that the deep sleep was about to end.

———

Second 17.

Shift-change gap ended.

The 12 Elite Guards simultaneously resumed their patrols.

Their compound eyes swept across every corner of the Mother Empress Hall simultaneously.

Including the Mother Empress's abdomen.

———

Lin Ye pressed himself into the groove between the 3rd and 4th pairs of limbs on the Mother Empress's abdomen.

The groove was 0.7 meters wide.

And 0.3 meters deep.

Just enough to fit one person.

Three meters above him was that pulsing Energy Core.

Forty-seven meters below him, the 12 Elite Guards were on overlapping patrol.

He held his breath.

His heart rate was suppressed to once every 0.7 seconds by the bronze ghost mask.

Synchronized—with the Mother Empress's breathing.

———

[Current Status: Stealthing]

[Distance to Mother Empress Energy Core: 3 meters]

[Probability of Detection: 0.3%/second]

[Remaining Safe Time: Unknown]

———

Lin Ye did not move.

He just watched that core.

Watching it pulse at a frequency of once every 1.6 seconds.

Watching how the purple-black energy surging from deep within the core flowed along the Mother Empress's body to the twelve pairs of limbs with each pulse.

Watching that extremely fine crack on its surface that ran from the top to the bottom.

That was the only weakness—undiscovered by any being during the Mother Empress's 47 years of slumber.

———

[Weak Point Position Confirmed]

[Abdominal Energy Core · Center · Longitudinal Crack]

[Attack Method: Pierce sword into the crack, inject Chaos Power]

[Expected Effect: Core overload → Mother Empress enters 30-second "Energy Rampage" state (Unable to move/Unable to attack/Defense -50%)]

[Current Distance: 3 meters]

[Optimal Attack Timing: Peak of the Mother Empress's next breath—1.3 seconds later]

———

Lin Ye's hand rested on the sword hilt.

That Fine Iron Longsword he had brought back from the Trial Ancient Star; the gray crack in the center of the blade that had absorbed Michael's Origin light energy was now pulsing at a frequency perfectly synchronized with the Mother Empress's breathing.

Once every 1.6 seconds.

———

1.3 seconds.

The Mother Empress's abdomen bulged.

Peak of the breath.

———

Lin Ye's hand tightened around the sword hilt.

He was about to draw his sword.

———

And then.

The Mother Empress's breathing frequency—changed again.

1.6 seconds/time → 1.5 seconds/time.

———

[Warning: Mother Empress is about to wake up]

[Time Remaining: approx. 30 seconds]

———

Lin Ye did not draw his sword.

He looked at that core.

Looked at that longitudinal crack.

3 seconds.

He moved his hand away from the sword hilt.

———

[Chapter 167 · End]