The docking process went remarkably smoothly. The entrance opened by the Whisperer fitted perfectly against the Dawnbringer's emergency launch hatch, forming a temporary but stable passage. Its inner walls were made of the same warm, milky-white material, giving off a gentle glow that completely shut out the oppressive atmosphere of the Eternal Corridor outside.
Supported by Sakura and Karin, with Sasuke and Naruto guarding his left and right, Lin Ye stepped aboard the lost ancient ship. Elder Mochen and Priest Lingxi followed close behind with several of the Stargazers' fittest warriors. Little Star had been carefully placed inside a portable life-support and analysis unit, which Naruto carried.
The passage was short. At its end stood a door engraved with a simple spiral pattern, which slid open automatically. Beyond it lay a circular hall, clean, bright, and futuristic, yet touched with classical elegance. A slowly rotating, polyhedral control core made of pure light hovered at its center. The surrounding walls seemed to be some kind of adaptable display material, currently showing the spherical space outside and the distant mist. The air was fresh, carrying a scent somewhere between sandalwood and electronic components, and the temperature was comfortable.
Most striking of all was a transparent device resembling a life support pod, positioned against a wall on one side of the hall. Pale blue liquid filled it, and a figure floated silently within.
It was a woman. She looked very young, barely in her early twenties, with exquisitely beautiful features and an ethereal air untouched by worldly concerns. Her long silver hair flowed like moonlight, and her fair skin was almost translucent. She wore a fitted silver-white operations suit bearing the emblem of the Seven Covenant Stars. Her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful, as though she had merely fallen into a deep