Before the exhilaration from the Sky-Piercing Shuttle's successful trial-production had fully settled within the alliance, Tang Xiao Qi had already made his decision. The demonic entity hidden in the voida sword hanging overhead hung over them. Until it was destroyed, the Three Realms could have no peace. Now that the blade was in hand, how could they remain idle?
Three days later, after thorough preparation and brief rest, Xiao Qi entered the Sky-Piercing Shuttle once more. This was not a test, but a real combat mission—void reconnaissance, locking onto the demon nest's latest movements. Accompanying him was only Mu Xue. Her cultivation was profound; her icemagical arts might have unexpected effects in the void; and their hearts were connected, allowing seamless cooperation. They were the optimal combination for such dangerous reconnaissance.
"Be careful in all things." Senior Brother Sect Master Xuan Xuan Zhenren stood outside the valley,spoke with graveinstructions, his gazefilled with trust and worry. Third Senior Sister, Zhao Tiezhu, and others also had solemn expressions, watching that streamlined starshine shuttle slowly rise.
The hatch closed. Xiao Qi and Mu Xue exchanged a look, both seeing determination in each other's eyes. Xiao Qi drew a deep breath, pressed his palm onto the main control orb, and his spiritual sense completely merged with the Sky-Piercing Shuttle.
"Coordinate locked, based on purification imprint residual sensation." Xiao Qi said heavily. He closed his eyes, histhe Green Lotus origin within him flowing slightly, establishing an extremely faint connection with that thread of pure imprint he had struck into the demon nest's outer shell all those months ago. That sensation was fleeting, like a dying ember in the wind, yet it clearly pointed toward a remote direction in the void's depths.
"Spatial jump, initiating!"
The Void Dragon Crystal blazed silver once more. The Sky-Piercing Shuttle trembled, tearing open the main world's spatial barrier and plunging into the fantastical, law-chaotic void.
This jump distance far exceeded the first test, crossing countless miles. When the Sky-Piercing Shuttle stabilized from the intense spatial fluctuation, the outside world had become utterly different.
Here, far from any known star position, was true void wilderness. Darkness was the eternal theme, with only distant warped nebulae or dying stars emanating eerie light,gave them an eerie coloration the nearby floating meteorites and ice dust. Void energy surged like intangible tides, occasionally stirring chaotic spatial ripples sufficient to tear ordinary artifacts.
Xiao Qi fully operated his spiritual sense, carefully piloting the Sky-Piercing Shuttle along that faint purification imprint sensation, like following a spider's thread through boundless darkness. Mu Xue constantly monitored the energy detection formations, vigilant against any possible void creatures or energy traps.
The voyage wasexceptionally tedious and full of pressure. In the void, there were no landmarks; time perception became blurred. After an unknown duration—perhaps several hours, possibly a full day—that purification imprint sensation finally became clear and stable.
"Approaching target area." Xiao Qi said lowly,expression grave. He reduced the Sky-Piercing Shuttle's speed while activating the hull's strongest concealment formation and outer defenses. The starshine shell's glow dimmed, becoming as dark as the deep space background,silently gliding forward.
After traveling a bit further, through the observation window, thatthe terrifying sight gradually came into view.
It was a massive,with difficultyinconceivable warped creation suspended in the void, like an ugly, diseased heart beating slowly. It was indeed the demon nest they had infiltrated and ultimately caused to collapse!
However, the demon nest before their eyes differed greatly from its remembered damaged form. Its volume had obviously swelled several times. The originally shattered shell seemed forcibly sealed and covered by some active, dark purple membranous tissue. Its surface covered with even more complex, menacing demon markings. Those markings like living things squirmed, constantly absorbing the free negative energy and thin matter from the surrounding void, causing the entire demon nest to emanate a nauseating,vigorous"vitality".
Around the demon nest, it was no longer empty. Dozens of varied void demon creatures like loyal guards patrolled fixed orbits. Some resembled giant bats with wingspansblocking the sky; others like multi-segmented strange insects withfierce proboscis; still others like warped energy body aggregations, emanating unstable destructive fluctuations. Their numbers and vigilance strictness far exceeded the previous reconnaissance.
"It... is growing? Recovering?" Mu Xue's cold, clear voice carrying incredulous astonishment. The demon nest before them, instead of declining due to the previous devastating blow, was recovering and even evolving at a speed beyond imagination!
Xiao Qi's brow furrowed tightly, hisgaze sharp as a blade. He piloted the Sky-Piercing Shuttle, using the concealment formation as cover, beginning to conduct long-distance reconnaissance around the demon nest's perimeter.
"Not just recovering," he said heavily, pointing to those newly formed, like blood vessels pulsating dark purple streaks on the demon nest's surface. "Look at those structures—they are actively absorbing and converting void energy. The demonic entity... it seems to have found a more efficient method of utilizing the void environment."
His spiritual sense carefully extended outward, avoiding patrol demon creatures, attempting to more deeply perceive the demon nest's interior. However, a powerful, chaotic,malevolent will like a thick fog enveloped the entire demon nest, greatly obstructing his probing. He could only vaguely sense that familiar demonic entity's source aura at the core—though still bearing traces of the previous Green Lotus power injury—its total amount and activity level wereeven more vast than during their previous encounter!
"Recovery speed is too fast." Xiao Qi withdrew his spiritual sense, his expression grave. "At this rate, it probably won't be long before it fully recovers its strength, or even... becomes stronger."
Mu Xue nodded,ice-blue eyes full of worry: "And it seems to have learned. With such tight perimeter guard, infiltrating the interior for destruction like last time will be exponentially harder."
Just as the two carefully observed and analyzed,sudden unexpected change!
A massive demon marking on the demon nest's surface suddenly blazed with piercing purple-black light. A powerful suction forcearose, forcibly pulling in a large nearby asteroid belt and small celestial debris. Those hard rocks and metals, upon touching the demon nest's surface membranous tissue, like snow melting in sun, were rapidly decomposed and devoured, becoming nutrients for the demon nest's growth!
This scene,shocked Xiao Qi and Mu Xue. This demon nest had become a terrifying existence capable ofactively hunting,devouring matter to accelerate its own growth!
"We must get the intelligence back quickly!" Xiao Qi decided on the spot. The demon nest's evolution speed and displayed capabilities far exceeded the alliance's previous estimates. The original battle plans must bemajor adjustments according to these new discoveries.
He piloted the Sky-Piercing Shuttle,preparing to silently withdraw from this dangerous airspace.
However, just as the Sky-Piercing Shuttle turned and was about to initiate another spatial jump—
At that instant, at the demon nest's core, that vast malicious consciousness seemed tofluctuated. A hidden yet overwhelmingly powerful spiritual sense like an intangible tentacleswept through this void!
The Sky-Piercing Shuttle's concealment formation under this powerful spiritual sense scanripples faint,almostwith difficultydetectable ripples.
"Discovered?!" Xiao Qi and Mu Xue's hearts botha chill.
Almost simultaneously, the dozens of patrol void demon creatures nearby as if receiving ordersall turned toward where the Sky-Piercing Shuttle hid, emitting silent roars. Their eyesflashing with violent purple-red light, like sharks scenting blood,charged over!
Void reconnaissance instantly became a life-or-death escape!