404: Anomalies in the Primal Universe

True Person Yuan Ling and Jiu You had been away from the Yuan Ling Universe for a long time, so they were naturally unaware of the latest arrangements and conditions here.

However, Xun Xiuyuan's situation was different. He hadn't been away from the Yuan Ling Universe for long—only about a year at most. Logically, there shouldn't have been any major changes during this time.

Filled with doubt, Xiuyuan was about to ask about the situation via sound transmission, but True Person Yuan Ling stopped him in time.

True Person Yuan Ling said in a low voice, "If something has truly happened in the Yuan Ling Universe, it's best for us to return quietly. If your transmission alerts the other party, it will startle the snake. If everything is normal and nothing has changed, then there's no harm in being extra cautious."

After hearing True Person Yuan Ling's words, Xiuyuan thought it over and felt that True Person Yuan Ling was absolutely right. This old fox's considerations were indeed more thorough.

Meanwhile, Jiu You's gaze fixed on the Void Realm ahead as he said thoughtfully:

"The Phantom Poison Universe is now like the setting sun, unable to stir up any major trouble. Could this abnormality be the work of the Silver Sea Universe's people, coming to invade?"

Hearing this, Xiuyuan scratched his head and replied uncertainly, "The possibility of the Silver Sea Universe is also low. After all, they haven't actively gone out to battle for nearly ten thousand years. Logically, they wouldn't suddenly change their strategy."

In fact, deep in Xiuyuan's heart, there was another guess: it was because he himself had intercepted that messenger's space-system cosmic core.

The Silver Sea Universe's attention should be focused on that cosmic core; they shouldn't be attacking the Yuan Ling Universe at this time.

Thinking of that space-system cosmic core, Xiuyuan couldn't help but pause as a thought flashed through his mind: Could it be because he was exposed? Did the people of the Silver Sea Universe find out about him obtaining that space-system cosmic core?

This thought made Xiuyuan frown. He thought carefully and felt it was unlikely.

After all, such a matter shouldn't be exposed so easily.

Could it be that man named Lai Wu who exposed him? But then again, the hatred between Lai Wu and the Silver Sea Universe was well-known; he shouldn't do something so detrimental to himself.

Xiuyuan thought back and forth but still couldn't figure out the connection. Eventually, he decided not to dwell on it and instead followed those two old rogues, True Person Yuan Ling and Jiu You, teleporting toward the Yuan Ling Universe.

Undoubtedly, True Person Yuan Ling's proposal to stop active contact was a well-considered and completely correct decision.

At this moment, Kong Ling asked General Wu, who was standing beside him, with a hint of urgency and confusion, "What? Has the detection equipment we invested so many resources in developing failed to provide even a single piece of valuable information?"

His tone revealed dissatisfaction with the current situation.

General Wu replied expressionlessly:

"Indeed. These new pieces of equipment specifically designed to detect sound transmission jades are high-end technical products recently developed by the Alliance in an emergency. According to our strict monitoring and analysis, they have absolutely not had any form of contact with the outside world."

His words were firm and confident, clearly showing his complete trust in the equipment's performance and the monitoring results.

After hearing this, Kong Ling nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging General Wu's words. "Since the situation is so clear, we can only wait patiently. As for that Xun Xiuyuan, regardless of whether he is truly suspected of killing the messenger, it seems we can only use him as a scapegoat to take the blame."

A flash of coldness and decisiveness crossed his eyes.

As a capable general for military operations, General Wu was neither aware of the internal details of the complex disputes and intrigues among the upper management, nor was he interested in getting involved.

Therefore, he simply responded in a muffled voice, "When it's time to act, just notify me. As for those other complex decisions and plans, make your own calls; you don't need to explain more to me."

His attitude was quite cold, clearly wanting to focus only on his own duties.

Kong Ling naturally understood this. He knew that the Combat Department of the Cosmic Chamber of Commerce Alliance was almost entirely composed of fanatics obsessed with force and battle. They had always been indifferent to trivial matters outside of cultivation and combat.

Thinking of this, Kong Ling couldn't help but lower his head again, falling into deep thought.

The Silver Sea Universe had already given them many substantial benefits, so they naturally couldn't easily cause trouble for them; otherwise, the losses would outweigh the gains.

On the other hand, this Yuan Ling Universe was like an obstinate iron rooster—not only stingy, but more importantly, they hadn't joined the Cosmic Alliance yet, so they weren't under any of the Alliance's protection.

In this situation, making them take the blame was undoubtedly the most suitable choice.

Kong Ling secretly calculated that if things didn't go smoothly, he could take the opportunity to seize the rich resources of the Yuan Ling Universe for himself. This way, he could not only compensate for previous losses but also maximize his own interests.

In an instant, a series of exploitation plans and strategies for maximizing interests targeting the Yuan Ling Universe emerged in his mind.

Xiuyuan gazed solemnly at the towering West Fortress ahead, a strategic stronghold previously guarded by Yuan Yi himself.

Although there were no obvious abnormalities from the outside, Xiuyuan felt a faint sense of unease.

Hurrying along the way, he discovered that the garrison troops deployed outside by the Yuan Ling Universe had all retreated inside the fortress. Various unusual signs suggested that some major change had likely occurred here.

Just as Xiuyuan fell into deep thought, struggling with what to do next, Jiu You suddenly spoke, breaking the silence:

"Why hesitate? I'll go in and investigate first, and we can discuss the details when I come out."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiu You's figure vanished like a ghost, moving so fast it was staggering.

Xiuyuan couldn't help but be stunned, thinking to himself: This Jiu You really acts with thunderous speed, leaving immediately without any hesitation.

Seeing Xiuyuan's shocked expression, True Person Yuan Ling chuckled softly, "I mentioned Jiu You's Law of Space to you before. His comprehension in this area has reached an extremely profound level. Unless there's an exceptionally powerful master present, it's very difficult to detect his movements."

Xiuyuan had naturally heard of this ability of Jiu You's. Hearing True Person Yuan Ling say this, he became somewhat curious and followed up with a question:

"What about you, Sect Master? With your cultivation, can you not discover Jiu You's tracks either?"