The One Who Chooses
The list was finalized at dawn.
Lu Yuan pushed open the door to the research lab, his eyes bloodshot. He walked to the center of the stone hall. Lin Xiao was leaning against the wall, Shen Moxin was adjusting his glasses, Mo Chen's hair was messy, Yun Youzi was stroking his beard, and Shi Jian was sitting near the door, his back ramrod straight like a stone.
"Five people." Lu Yuan's voice was hoarse. "Me, Senior Yun Youzi, Shen Moxin, Mo Chen, and Lin Xiao."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "I must go myself. The Source Seed is with me; only I can perform the resonance. Senior Yun Youzi is proficient in ancient runes, possessing the highest level, and is indispensable. Shen Moxin is responsible for mental protection and medical care. Mo Chen's Soul Tool Technology is for eyes and limbs. Lin Xiao— " He looked at the young man, "For reconnaissance and response in extreme environments, no one is more suitable than you."
Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth with the tip of his tongue, his eyes shining.
"Brother Shi Jian, you stay." Lu Yuan turned to the door. "The base camp can't be empty. In case something goes wrong on our end, or if we lose signal after the agreed time, or even if we receive an emergency signal, someone needs to immediately execute the final evacuation plan and get everyone out of the Black Stone Mountain Range."
Shi Jian's lips moved slightly.
"This person must be absolutely reliable, decisive, and able to control the situation," Lu Yuan said, his voice quickening. "It can only be you."
Shi Jian remained silent for a long time, his shoulder muscles tensing and relaxing. "How long?"
"Seventy-two hours after entering the rift." Lu Yuan pushed over a sealed metal box. "If there is no signal for more than ninety-six hours, or if we receive three consecutive short and one long emergency Soul Power fluctuation signals, we will activate the ' Core Flame ' plan. The route, base coordinates, and plan are all inside."
Shi Jian took the box, his fingers tracing its cool surface.
"Good."
There was no argument. Those selected knew what they would face, and those who remained understood the burden they carried. A heavy sense of determination permeated the stone hall.
In the following days, the "Land Where the Spark First Ignited" operated at full speed.
Lu Yuan and Yun Youzi immersed themselves in the isolated stone chamber, repeatedly Simulation the resonance interaction with the rift using the Source Seed as a medium. They failed many times; once, an energy backlash caused blood to spill from Lu Yuan's mouth and a section of Yun Youzi's beard to be singed. But the next time, the resonance channel lasted for another half breath.
In Shen Moxin's laboratory, the Soul Power lamp remained off all night. She optimized the group mental shield, shifting the focus of protection from "complete blocking" to "identification and filtering," prioritizing the blocking of malicious "whisper" wavelengths. A small petal of "Moonlight Orchid" was embedded in the core of the talisman, emitting a faint and refreshing fragrance.
The workshop of Mo Chen was filled with the clanging of metal. He designed an anti-interference detector, the core of which used inert crystals salvaged from the ruins. He made three portable Stabilization Anchor, each the size of a palm, with internal rune circuits as intricate as Spiderweb. He repeatedly tested the detonation mechanism—"I'd rather it explode than fall into 'their' hands."
Lin Xiao's training ground was moved to the outermost area of the ruins, where the energy disorder was most obvious. He practiced stealth assaults amidst distorted light and shadows and the hissing of energy. Shen Moxin would occasionally add fuel to the fire, Simulation the Mental Interference of "Shadow Whisper". Lin Xiao almost lost control twice, his pupils shrinking to vertical slits, but he gritted his teeth and endured it both times.
All equipment was checked three times. Soul Power batteries, rations, medicine, ropes, and signal flares—everything had a backup. The action plan was meticulously detailed: how to approach the rift, at what distance to scan, how to mark nodes after they were discovered, the maximum Soul Power output for attempting interactions, which way to retreat when encountering different energy turbulences, the coordinates of hiding spots along the retreat route, and the frequency to send signals in an emergency.
For each step, there are at least two backup plans.
On the eve of departure, Lu Yuan walked alone in the camp.
The glow of the Soul Power lamp was weak. In the makeshift training ground, two young Soul Master were still practicing Soul Power micro-management on wooden stakes, sweat dripping from their chins. In the workshop, Mo Clan disciples were arguing quietly around a half-finished probe vehicle skeleton. Under the researchers' shed, several people were having a heated discussion about a piece of animal hide covered with arithmetic symbols.
In the corner, a mother held her sleeping child, softly humming a song out of tune.
Lu Yuan stopped and stared at it for a long time.
I was slapped hard on the shoulder.
Shi Jian walked up to him without him noticing, his gaze also falling on the halos and figures in the distance. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice deep and heavy, as if squeezed out from a stone.
"Go ahead without worry."
He paused, then added three more words.
"I'm here at home."
Lu Yuan choked up, but didn't speak; he simply nodded.
Back in his lab, he took out a metal box from his inner pocket. Opening it, the Mutated Source Seed lay on the velvet. The dark red core was even more intense than a few days ago, like a drop of blood slowly dissolving. He stared at it, his fingertips able to feel the chaotic and dangerous pulse within.
This is a beacon, a risk, and perhaps... Key.
He carefully wrapped the crystal and put it back into his inner bag. The map, plan, and data sheets spread out on the table were carefully rolled up and locked in the cabinet. His small bag contained only a few things: a high-purity Soul Power crystal, a talisman given by Shen Moxin, a miniature Stabilization Anchor made by Mo Chen, a small roll of blank animal hide, and a charcoal pencil.
Outside the window, the deep, Mo Lan is gradually fading.
A faint gray-white hue peeked through the eastern horizon.
Dawn was approaching.