238: Outpost Mystery, Trust Crisis
With his heart set on returning, or perhaps plagued by heavy doubts, Ye Chen pushed his speed to the limit. The power of the Chaos Law surged, tearing a straight trajectory through the bizarre and kaleidoscopic Ancient Path as he sped toward the Seventh Outpost.
In his mind, the gray and decaying aura coiled around the outpost's coordinates on the myriad laws star disk gnawed at his spirit like a venomous snake. Rock Mountain's face, as resolute as bedrock, and Xi's sapphire eyes, which held both ancient vicissitudes and hope, constantly intertwined and clashed with that gray color representing corruption by the Abyss.
He would rather believe that the star map was wrong, or that the power of the initial fire seed had triggered some misjudgment. But Blazing Venerable's warning to "trust your heart, not your eyes," along with the Abyss's specialty in "distortion and bewitchment," rang like an alarm bell, making it impossible for him to easily dismiss that cruel possibility.
"I hope... I am just overthinking it..." Ye Chen silently thought to himself, but the aura around him involuntarily took on a trace of biting coldness.
Several days later, that floating continent pieced together from countless dark yellow giant rocks—the Seventh Outpost—finally appeared again at the edge of his vision.
Looking from afar, the outpost seemed not much different from when he had left. The damaged fortress had been further repaired, the defensive runes flickered with a steady earth-yellow light, and some Panshi Warrior were patrolling the perimeter of the fortress. Everything looked orderly, perhaps even more vibrant than before.
However, within Ye Chen's perception, which was condensed with the Chaos Law, he captured a trace of extremely subtle... disharmony that was completely out of place with this Ancient Path space-time.
It was not a powerful energy fluctuation or an obvious abyssal aura, but a more subtle, more essential "Impurities" at the level of rules. It was as if a few almost invisible ink dots had been placed on a perfect painting, destroying the overall harmony. These "Impurities" permeated the entire range of the outpost, subtly clashing with the heavy and pure earth-element rules of the Bedrock Giants and the ethereal rules unique to Xi's Star Spirit race, yet they were forcibly suppressed and Fusion together by some power.
If he hadn't just experienced a battle at the Law level with the will of the Desert Abyss, making his sensitivity to rule changes extremely acute, and coupled with the prior warning from the star map, he probably would have found it difficult to detect this subtle anomaly.
Ye Chen's heart sank.
He slowed his speed and did not approach immediately, instead completely Fusion his own aura with the surrounding space-time, observing the outpost from afar like a cold bystander.
He saw Rock Mountain still patrolling on top of the fortress; his massive rock body seemed more condensed than before, his aura slightly more profound, and his voice commanding his clansmen was loud and powerful. But deep in his eyes, which occasionally swept across the Void Realm, there seemed to be a trace of something previously unseen, something extremely difficult to detect... agitation and calculation? As if he were waiting for something, weighing something.
He also saw Xi. She was standing on an observation deck of the fortress, gazing into the depths of the Ancient Path. Her pale complexion seemed a bit ruddier, but those sapphire eyes, usually as clear as crystal, now seemed to be covered by a very faint, indescribable shadow. Her fingers unconsciously caressed the metal fragment engraved with the "Watcher" symbol, her movements gentle, yet carrying a strange... attachment and reluctance? As if it were not a token, but some kind of... sustenance for an impending departure.
These subtle changes might seem insignificant in normal times, or even normal emotional fluctuations after surviving a disaster. But at this moment, knowing the star map's warning and sensing the rule "Impurities," in Ye Chen's eyes, they were as clear as fireflies in the night!
They... very likely really had a problem! Even if they hadn't completely betrayed him, they had definitely been profoundly influenced and bewitched by the power of the Abyss!
Ye Chen was silent, his eyes complex. Should he appear immediately and use thunderous means to test or even suppress them? Or should he continue to hide and investigate in secret to figure out the extent and method of the Abyssal infiltration?
A direct conflict carried huge risks. Not to mention whether he could take down the potentially bewitched Rock Mountain and Xi at the same time, once a battle broke out, this outpost that had been repaired with such difficulty might be destroyed, and it would also alert the enemy, making the Abyssal forces hidden in the deeper parts vigilant.
But if he left it alone, this "nail" stuck in the Ancient Path defense line was undoubtedly a fatal hidden danger! No one knew what they would do at a critical moment!
Just as Ye Chen was weighing the pros and cons, unable to make a decision—
The "Myriad Worlds Stone Altar" at the core of the fortress suddenly lit up without warning with a blinding red light, carrying an urgent warning!
Immediately afterward, a massive will, chaotic, tyrannical, and full of the desire for destruction, swept over from a certain direction in the depths of the Ancient Path like a hurricane, instantly passing over the Seventh Outpost!
"Alarm! Alarm! Ultra-high intensity Abyssal fluctuations detected! The source... originates from the direction of the 'Thousand Illusions Maze'! Energy level... Law Realm Peak... suspected... 'Abyssal Lord'... awakening...!!"
Xi's voice, carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, rang in the ears of every giant through the outpost's amplification array!
Thousand Illusions Maze? The Abyssal Lord is awakening?!
Ye Chen's pupils constricted! That was the area the star disk had previously warned about, where the Void Emperor had once guarded, and which had recently experienced strong spatial fluctuations! It had actually triggered an Abyssal Lord?! A existence at the Peak of the Law Realm was a terrifying enemy that transcended his current Realm!
Almost at the same time the alarm sounded, Rock Mountain let out a heaven-shaking roar, his voice carrying a deliberately rendered determination and... a trace of hidden excitement?
"All Panshi Warrior! Highest combat readiness! The Abyssal Lord has awakened, the Ancient Path defense line is in danger! We must hold this place to buy time for the rear! For the glory of the Bedrock!"
"For the glory!!" Inside and outside the fortress, the Panshi Warrior's response sounded like a tsunami, their morale high, but it revealed a guided, almost fanatical Battle Intent.
And Xi quickly walked to Rock Mountain's side, looked up at him, her tone urgent but carrying a strange "firmness": "Commander, the situation is critical! I'm afraid we cannot resist on our own... Should we... immediately send a top-level... distress signal... through the stone altar to all nearby outposts and fire seed worlds?"
Her proposal sounded reasonable. Facing an Abyssal Lord, asking for help was an inevitable choice.
But Ye Chen keenly captured that when Xi said the words "distress signal," the shadow in her eyes seemed to deepen a little, and the movement of her fingertips caressing the metal fragment also paused slightly. And on Rock Mountain's rock-like face, a trace of ferocity, like a scheme succeeding, flashed by extremely quickly!
Distress signal?
Alarm bells rang in Ye Chen's heart! This distress signal was probably not for help, but... bait! A deadly trap to lure other forces of the Ancient Path defense line, and perhaps even some surviving fire seed worlds, into this area, and then have them wiped out by the awakened Abyssal Lord!
The extent to which they had been bewitched was far deeper than he had imagined! They had already become accomplices of the Abyss!
He could not hesitate any longer!
Just as Rock Mountain took a deep breath, seemingly about to agree to Xi's proposal and order the distress signal to be sent, at the most critical moment—
"Hum!"
A majestic, vast Chaos aura, carrying awe-inspiring righteousness and cold killing intent, like a primordial beast that had been sleeping for ages, suddenly descended and enveloped the entire Seventh Outpost!
Ye Chen's figure appeared silently on top of the fortress, beside the stone altar, his gaze like ten-thousand-year-old ice, coldly watching Rock Mountain and Xi, who were close at hand.
"As for this distress signal, in my opinion, there is no need to send it."
His voice was calm, but carried an unquestionable dignity, instantly overpowering all the clamor in the fortress.
Rock Mountain and Xi's bodies stiffened abruptly, and they turned their heads to look at Ye Chen. When their eyes met Ye Chen's bottomless Chaos eyes, which seemed to be able to pierce through all falsehoods, the "firmness" and "determination" they had deliberately maintained on their faces instantly revealed a trace of undisguisable—panic and fear!
"Ye... Lord Ye Chen?! When... when did you return?" Rock Mountain's voice carried a trace of imperceptible dryness, and his massive rock palm subconsciously gripped his war hammer.
Xi was even paler, subconsciously clutching the metal fragment tightly in her palm, as if it were her last reliance. Her sapphire eyes were filled with complex emotions: shock, shame, and even a trace of... despair after being seen through?
"Just when you were preparing to lead your allies into a death trap." Ye Chen's tone remained calm, but every word was like a knife, piercing straight into the other's heart.
The atmosphere in the fortress instantly dropped to the freezing point! All the Panshi Warrior looked in astonishment at this sudden confrontation, at a loss for what to do.
The cornerstone of trust, at this moment, collapsed with a roar!