133: Traitors are hunted amidst the Northwest inferno; a path to survival is explored through the star core and spiritual veins.

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Six: Rooting Out Spies in the Northwest Sea of Fire, Seeking a Way Out via the star core spiritual vein

Countdown: 42 days, 10 hours.

The sound of explosions in the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone struck through the Eternal Kingdom's communication network like a thunderclap. A sea of fire in the R&D workshop spread frantically across the holographic sand table, as black smoke—a mix of Star Core Energy and dark matter—shot into the sky, dyeing half the firmament a localized, eerie purple-gold.

"Commander! The R&D workshop's damage rate is at 78%! The barrel of the first Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon is completely scrapped! Three core engineers were killed on the spot, and Professor Ivanov is seriously injured, trapped under the rubble!" The roar of the Northwest Communications Soldier carried a sob, set against a background of frantic firefighting and alarms.

Lin Zhou's consciousness was jolted into temporary clarity by the explosion, but the dark purple patterns across his body surged wildly due to his extreme rage. His veins bulged as he gripped his communicator, his knuckles nearly cracking. "red alert Engineering Corps formation, head to the Northwest at full speed immediately! Save the professor first, then lock down the entire heavy industry zone! No one is allowed in or out. Screen every single person—I want to see them alive if they're breathing, or their bodies if they're dead!"

Inside the Northern Territory Underground Palace, Lin Xiaoyu suddenly raised his hand and pressed it against the stone tower. Gold and purple energy spread along the patterns, instantly locking onto the energy fluctuations in the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone. "Commander, I can feel it—it's an Abyssal parasitic consciousness! It has the same energy signature as Morgan, possessing people to control their actions. This wasn't a voluntary betrayal!"

Dr. Mary immediately pulled up the genetic and energy monitoring data for all personnel in the Northwest. Dense red dots flashed rapidly across the screen before finally settling on the Soviet engineer who had pressed the overload button. "It's Petrov! He participated in the dark matter cleanup at the abandoned factory in the Northwest. He was slightly infected then, and we thought the purification was thorough. We didn't expect an Abyssal parasitic consciousness to be lurking inside him all this time!"

"He's not the only one." Lin Xiaoyu's voice dropped, the gold and purple light in his eyes intensifying. "There are at least twelve other faint Abyssal parasitic signals in the entire Northwest Heavy Industry Zone, all hidden within personnel who worked with dark matter. They don't even know they're being controlled!"

These words sent a chill down everyone's spine. The Abyss's infiltration had already silently pierced humanity's core defensive line. It wasn't through external assault, but internal subversion, wrapping around everyone who had touched dark matter like poisonous vines.

Northwest Heavy Industry Zone, the ruins of the rescue site.

The mechanical arms of the red alert Engineering Corps frantically cleared away reinforced concrete, while golden purification energy covered the ruins to suppress the spread of dark matter. Chen Hao personally led a red alert assault squad to seal the scene. Every person leaving the heavy industry zone had to undergo energy detection; if an Abyssal parasitic signal was found, they were immediately isolated for purification.

"Professor! We found the professor!"

Deep within the ruins, Professor Ivanov was pinned under a deformed steel beam. His left leg was a bloody mess and a metal fragment was lodged in his chest, yet he desperately protected a metal box in his arms. As the Engineering Corps pried the beam away, Chen Hao rushed forward to support him. The professor coughed up blood, thrusting the metal box into his hands. "Quick... the Antler energy-bearing factor samples are still inside... the barrel is gone, but the samples must not be lost..."

The metal box was stained with the professor's blood. Inside was the raw liquid extracted from the Antler of an Ancient Creature; it was the only hope for rebuilding the Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon. Chen Hao gripped the box, shouting with reddened eyes, "Medic! Quick! Get the professor into a purification medical pod!"

After the professor was carried away, Chen Hao immediately ordered, "Everyone detected with an Abyssal parasitic signal is to be sent to the East Sea Base's purification center for Dr. Mary to handle personally! All remaining engineers are to be moved to the heavy industry zone's underground backup workshop to restart R&D on the Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon. This time, red alert robots will assist throughout the process. No one is allowed to handle the Star Core Energy raw liquid alone!"

The crisis in the Northwest was temporarily contained at a tragic cost, but everyone knew this was just treating the symptoms, not the cause. As long as dark matter existed, the Abyssal parasitism would not stop. Today it was the Northwest; tomorrow it could be the Northern Territory, or even the East Sea Base.

When the news reached the Northern Territory, Lin Xiaoyu was sitting by the stone tower, his fingertips connected to a Star Core Crystal as gold and purple energy swirled around him. He closed his eyes, merging deeply with the Ancient Will. Images of ancient civilizations fighting the Abyss flashed through his mind. Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, a glint of light appearing in them. "Commander, the Ancient Will tells me that the way to break the Abyssal parasitism lies deep within the star core vein—there is a star core spiritual vein there. It's the purest source of Star Core Energy. Pure Star Core Energy can completely dispel Abyssal parasitic consciousness and even strengthen human resistance to dark matter!"

"Where is the star core spiritual vein?" Lin Zhou asked immediately. Even though his consciousness was blurring and the dark purple patterns almost covered his entire face, he still held on desperately.

"It's at the deepest part of the Northern Territory's vein core, hidden behind an energy barrier. Only someone who can coexist with the star core can open it—that means me." Lin Xiaoyu stood up, gold and purple energy forming patterns beneath his feet. "But the pulse's energy is too pure. Ordinary people will suffer energy backlash if they get close, and opening the barrier will consume a massive amount of my mental strength, which might cause me to fall back into energy imbalance."

"There's another problem." Chen Ye spoke up with a frown. "There have always been faint energy fluctuations outside the barrier deep in the vein. We didn't dare go deep before for fear of disturbing the vein. Now it seems there might be a star core guardian array left by the ancient civilization there, or perhaps... remnants of an Abyssal seal."

On one side was an Abyssal parasitic crisis that could erupt again at any moment; on the other was the unknown risk of opening the spiritual pulse, all with only 42 days left on the countdown. Everyone turned their gaze toward Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou leaned against the stone tower and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. The dark matter patterns on his left arm trembled slightly from the energy suppression. He looked at Lin Xiaoyu with no hesitation in his eyes. "Go! Even if there's a risk, we must go! Without pure Star Core Energy, even if we build the Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon, we won't be able to stop the internal infiltration. In the end, it would still be a dead end! Chen Ye, lead the elite Genetic-enhanced Soldiers to escort Xiaoyu deep into the vein core! Dr. Mary, immediately prepare high-concentration Star Core Energy potions for Xiaoyu!"

"Yes!"

Half an hour later, Lin Xiaoyu and Chen Ye led twenty elite Genetic-enhanced Soldiers, dressed in special Star Core Energy protective suits, into the depths of the vein core.

The tunnels deep in the vein were more profound than imagined, the rock walls covered in golden energy patterns. The deeper they went, the denser the Star Core Energy became, almost completely suppressing the dark matter in the air. At the end of the tunnel, a translucent golden energy barrier stood before them, carved with complex ancient runes that emitted a gentle yet majestic energy. Behind the barrier, a flowing sea of golden light could be seen—the star core spiritual vein.

"This is the barrier to the star core spiritual vein." Lin Xiaoyu walked to the barrier and pressed his hand against the runes. "I need to concentrate my mind and use the balanced energy of the star core and dark matter to crack the runic code and open the barrier."

He closed his eyes, and gold-purple energy surged from his palm, merging into the runes of the barrier. The runes began to turn slowly, and the originally gentle light began to flicker. The energy within the tunnel also began to fluctuate violently. On the distant rock walls of the vein, fine dark purple patterns began to flash—the remnant power of the Abyssal seal had been disturbed by the energy fluctuations.

"Watch out! Something's coming!" a soldier suddenly shouted, raising his purification rifle toward the depths of the tunnel.

From the darkness, a dozen blurred figures slowly emerged. They weren't Abyss Warriors or Mutated Organisms, but the skeletal remains of Ancient Creatures controlled by the remnant power of the Abyssal seal. Dark purple mist coiled around their bones, and an eerie purple light flickered in their eye sockets. With every step they took, the ground trembled.

"They're the skeletons of ancient guardian beasts, controlled by Abyssal energy!" Chen Ye roared. "Everyone, fire! Hold the barrier! Don't let them get near Xiaoyu!"

Golden purification energy rounds collided with the dark purple skeletons, emitting ear-piercing screeches. When hit, the skeletons merely shattered into pieces, only to be quickly pulled back together by the Abyssal energy. They were impossible to kill. The twenty elite soldiers held the tunnel desperately, but were still forced back step by step. One soldier, in an attempt to block a skeleton lunging at Lin Xiaoyu, was wrapped in the dark purple mist and instantly corroded until only his frame remained.

"Xiaoyu! Hurry! We can't hold them off!" Chen Ye's arm was slashed by a skeleton's claws, the dark purple mist spreading along the wound. He gritted his teeth and used a purification dagger to cut away the infected flesh before continuing to fire.

Hearing the fighting and screams behind him, Lin Xiaoyu's mind was in turmoil. The progress of cracking the runes instantly stalled, and the light on the barrier began to dim. He gritted his teeth and suddenly galvanized all his mental strength. Gold-purple energy exploded, surging frantically into the barrier. "Open for me!"

With a loud bang, the runes on the barrier completely shattered. A sea of golden light instantly flooded out from behind the barrier, and pure Star Core Energy swept through the entire tunnel like a tide. Those skeletons controlled by Abyssal energy instantly turned to ash under the illumination of the pure Star Core Energy. The dark purple mist was also completely dispelled, and even the residual dark matter on Chen Ye's wound was dissolved by the energy.

Peace returned to the tunnel, leaving only the warm and majestic glow of the golden star core spiritual vein.

Lin Xiaoyu collapsed weakly to the ground, the gold-purple energy churning violently within him. He had clearly over-exhausted his mental strength and fallen into energy imbalance. Chen Ye immediately rushed over and injected the Star Core Energy potion prepared by Dr. Mary into him, and Xiaoyu's complexion slightly improved.

"Quick... collect the pure energy of the spiritual pulse and make it into Purification Potion. Send it to all the settlements to detect and purify those parasitized by the Abyss." Lin Xiaoyu panted, pointing at the sea of golden light. "Also, soaking alloy materials in the spiritual pulse energy can increase their energy-bearing capacity tenfold. The Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannons built with it will not only withstand high concentrations of Star Core Energy but will also have a built-in purification effect, making it easier to pierce the armor of Abyssal warships!"

Chen Ye immediately gave the order, and the soldiers took out special energy storage canisters to begin collecting the pure energy of the star core spiritual vein. As the golden energy flowed into the canisters, they immediately lit up with a dazzling light. Every canister held the hope of fighting the Abyss.

East Sea Base, Purification Center.

Dr. Mary received the star core spiritual vein Purification Potion sent from the Northern Territory and immediately injected it into the twelve isolated personnel from the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone. As the pure Star Core Energy entered their bodies, the Abyssal parasitic signals lurking deep in their consciousness were instantly dispelled, turning into wisps of dark purple mist that were expelled from their noses and mouths and completely absorbed by the purification equipment.

Petrov was among them. When he woke up and looked at his hands, he was filled with guilt and lingering fear. "I had no idea what I was doing. I just felt like there was a voice in my head telling me to press that button... I'm sorry, I killed my comrades and destroyed the barrel..."

Dr. Mary patted his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault; it was the Abyss's plot. Now, what you need to do is take the spiritual pulse energy samples and rush back to the Northwest. Work with Professor Ivanov to rebuild the Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon and redeem yourself through action."

Petrov nodded vigorously, his eyes red. "I will!"

Northwest Heavy Industry Zone, underground backup workshop.

Professor Ivanov lay in a medical pod, his leg still wrapped in bandages, yet he still stared at the spiritual pulse energy data on the screen. Petrov rushed in with the spiritual pulse energy samples, shouting excitedly, "Professor! The star core spiritual vein energy samples are here! By soaking the alloy in this, the problem with the barrel can be solved!"

Looking at the golden energy in the sample canister, a long-absent smile appeared on the professor's aged face. He pressed the medical pod's activation button and forced himself to sit up. "Good! Start the furnace immediately! Soak the alloy in the spiritual pulse energy. This time, we won't just build a Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon; we'll build a Star Core Purification Barrier that can cover the entire Northern Territory, leaving the Abyss's infiltration with no opening whatsoever!"

The furnace was started once more. This time, the alloy material infused with star core spiritual vein energy took shape steadily within the Star Core Energy raw liquid. The superconducting coating on the inner wall of the barrel adhered firmly to the energy without any peeling, even emitting a faint golden purification light.

The barrel of the second Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon quietly took shape in the Northwest's underground workshop.

Northern Territory vein core, by the star core spiritual vein.

Lin Xiaoyu leaned against the rock wall, watching the soldiers continuously collect the spiritual pulse energy, his gold-purple pupils gradually returning to calm. Chen Ye walked to his side and looked at the sea of golden light, remarking emotionally, "This is the hope left to us by the ancient civilization."

Lin Xiaoyu nodded, his gaze turning toward the exit of the tunnel as he whispered, "But the problem in Lingnan hasn't been solved yet."

He could feel a faint but stubborn Abyssal signal in the direction of the South Sea, maintaining constant contact with the Abyssal Fleet far away in the asteroid belt. The source of that signal was precisely the hidden island in the Lingnan Coastal Area—it was the signal of Zhou Tao's deal with the Abyss.

"The Commander already knows." Chen Ye's gaze turned cold. "He's just waiting—waiting for Zhou Tao to show more of his hand, waiting for an opportunity to completely eliminate the traitor."

Lin Xiaoyu looked up at the sky above the vein, as if he could see the waves of the South Sea and the Abyssal Fleet turning around in the asteroid belt. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

In 42 days, they had cracked the Abyssal parasitism, found the hope of the star core, and rebuilt the Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannon. But the real contest had only just begun.

On one side was the main Abyssal Fleet about to return from the asteroid belt; on the other were the traitors hidden in Lingnan and the Abyssal Vanguards. Humanity's defensive line was still being attacked from both front and back.

Countdown: 42 days, 0 hours.

The golden light of the star core spiritual vein illuminated the depths of the Northern Territory's vein and the path of human struggle.

But darkness was still quietly brewing on the distant horizon.

And this time, in their hands, humanity finally held a weapon that could contend with the Abyss, along with the firm resolve to protect their home.