The Stars Beyond

Chapter 249: Restarting The Mothership

At the horizon of the mountainous terrain outside Kongning City, within an underground base, lay a massive mothership, its cold metallic sheen instilling awe and fear in all who beheld it.

"Restart... the mothership plan?"

Voices trembled at the thought. Although the base's existence revolved around the mothership, activating it was a matter of great significance, signifying a life-or-death crisis for the Sun family.

Core members of the Sun family, who took turns guarding the base, did not hesitate upon receiving the news. They immediately initiated the restart plan.

Terrifying sounds emanated, especially from the mothership's main control room. As the giant screen lit up, an influx of unknown information surged incessantly.

"It's sending messages to deep space again as soon as it starts reviving. It's frightening!"

An elderly member trembled, his heart racing with uncertainty about the outcome. Over the past century, they had restarted the mothership several times, hoping to decipher various cutting-edge technologies. There was nothing more extraordinary than this vessel.

However, each activation filled them with dread. Would the mothership draw something unknown from the depths of space? This was their deepest fear.

Therefore, they would not restart the mothership unless the Sun family faced existential threats.

The mothership's system emitted a cold voice, inquiring about their needs.

One of the Sun family's core members, Sun Rongkun, quickly explained the situation: a transcendent invasion, an attack by an Immortal, and the Sun family in Kongning City facing a critical moment of survival.

"An Immortal, akin to a primordial demon?" the mothership analyzed, then informed them that while conventional energy was sufficient, there was a scarcity of exotic matter energy, not enough to combat a demon-class entity.

The mothership clarified that exotic matter referred to all energy materials related to transcendent beings and demons.

Sun Rongkun was shocked. They had never discussed Immortals with the mothership before. It possessed databases on transcendent beings and demons, which was terrifying. What kind of adversaries had it faced in the past?

"Is there no way to deal with him?" Sun Rongkun asked anxiously, fearing the complete annihilation of the Sun family's stronghold.

"After scanning, there are two weakened demons in Kongning City, both heavily injured..." the mothership system reported.

In its analysis, Zhou Chong and Mr. Ghost were barely classified as weakened demon species. Currently in a state of extreme debilitation, they could be countered by the mothership's Number 5 robot, which could be deployed to protect the Sun family.

In the mothership, there were instructional mechs and several robotic prototypes. It suggested activating Number 5 robot, which consumed less exotic matter and could barely unlock its second-level abilities, potentially saving the Sun family.

Then, the mothership fell silent, only continuously transmitting signals, sending indecipherable messages deep into the unknown cosmos.

The Sun family members felt their scalps tingle with unease but had no time to ponder over it. They rapidly activated Number 5 robot, as any delay could mean the destruction of their headquarters.

Number 5 robot revived, its cold metallic body and sleek lines exuding an artistic beauty. It wasn't particularly tall, just over two meters. Quickly understanding Sun Rongkun's intentions, its eye sockets flashed intensely before returning to calm, stepping out of the mothership with an air of aloofness akin to a high-minded human.

"If there's nothing else, do not disturb me. I'm going back into hibernation," the mothership spoke, sending out its last batch of messages before shutting down its screen.

"Should be fine, right?" a middle-aged man inside the mothership whispered.

The mothership, originating from the moon outside the Old Earth, was one of five excavated and sent to this new star. Over the past century, it had sent numerous mysterious messages but never received any response from the depths of the universe.

The mothership, seemingly humanized, once stated, "The chances are slim; perhaps we'll never return."

......

At the Sun family estate, Zhou Chong, holding the silver bell, was rapidly retreating, looking to temporarily distance himself from the premises. However, his destructive power during this process was terrifying.

Sword light swept across, toppling swathes of the Sun family's buildings with clean cuts, the lethality immense. Apart from the area where the God-Slaying Flag was located, which remained relatively undisturbed, other places suffered heavy casualties.

In an instant, over fifty members of the Sun family perished, including security personnel, domestic staff, distant relatives, and even core executives.

Various energy cannons and other technological weapons targeted Zhou Chong, but their effectiveness was limited. Even when an energy cannon dispersed his blood shadow, he managed to reconstitute it from the blood light.

It wasn't that the technological weapons were weak, but rather, his bone was akin to an immortal bone, ceaselessly regenerating, an anomaly.

Moreover, this was the Sun family's main base, where overly destructive weapons couldn't be “unlocked,” lest they endanger the high-ranking members as well.

"If the mothership restart plan fails, or if it's too late, then let's destroy this place with a warship, taking the transcendent being down with us!"

The trembling old head of the Sun family ordered, heartbroken and desperate, as the warships already in the sky prepared to attack.

Thud!

After Zhou Chong's sword light cleared the surrounding buildings, a blinding beam of light struck him, causing his blood to splatter and his blood shadow to explode.

This time, he lost a portion of his blood mist, unable to fully reconstitute it, and some of the charred marks from the lightning strike on his true bone flaked off.

As he reformed his blood body, he looked up sharply. A small warship had fired a concentrated beam, injuring him.

"I'll find a place to refine the Soul Locking Bell. Yuan Hong, be careful, don't get close to the God-Slaying Flag. Head to another of the Sun family's secret vaults. I sense there are astonishing treasures there. Take them all!" Zhou Chong shouted. He cast a cold glance at the warship in the sky, then his blood figure flashed, darting out of the Sun family estate, not daring to refine the ancient heavy weapon near the God-Slaying Flag.

As he stepped out of the Sun family's territory, several beams of light from the sky interwove, striking down even more powerfully than before.

Zhou Chong narrowly evaded them, his blood shadow diving into the ground.

A horrific crater appeared in front of the Sun family estate, with the soil melted and nearby buildings cracked and on the brink of collapse.

"We've scanned him! He's underground, right ahead!"

Thud!

Another beam of light pierced through the surface and burrowed deep underground, exploding with terrifying brilliance and melting the earth and rocks.

"Think you can take advantage of me?" Zhou Chong's cold voice echoed as he suffered significant degradation in his realm, heavily bombarded.

Instead of fleeing deeper underground, he surged into the sky, rapidly changing direction to approach the small warship.

Temporarily abandoning his true bone and blood shadow form, he dropped the silver bell to avoid being an easy target in the sky.

Boom!

His soul body unleashed a sword light, piercing through the small warship, shocking everyone from the Sun family as a massive explosion rocked the sky. However, another small warship locked onto the ascending sword, striking it with a beam and sending it flying away, dimmed and damaged at the tip.

Zhou Chong's expression darkened.

Dong!

Simultaneously, the bell tolled as Mr. Ghost continued to manipulate it, racing against time to try refining it.

Zhou Chong dove back down, merging again with his true bone, his blood figure reappearing to vie for control of the Soul Locking Bell.

In the Sun family estate, Yuan Hong screamed as she made a hasty escape. She activated a deep red talisman, casting numerous runes to counter the black light chasing her.

She urgently transmitted a message, "There's a treasure in the Sun family's secret vault... golden bamboo slips. But there's something strange there, like it's been tampered with, very dangerous, specifically targeting transcendent beings, restraining those whose soul light leaves the body!"

"What, golden bamboo slips, the supreme scriptures of Fangshi?" Zhou Chong was astonished. "In this era, such things appear in a mortal family's possession?"

Having spent many years in the world beyond the veil, he was well aware of the significance of the golden bamboo slips. Practitioners of these slips were notoriously powerful, becoming some of the most renowned masters.

Furthermore, there were rumors that the golden bamboo slips and stone tablet scriptures were timeless artifacts, their origins shrouded in mystery.

Even those who ascended or transformed into immortals desired the golden bamboo slips, seeking to decipher them and find the weaknesses of the ultimate Fangshi.

Indeed, even after becoming immortal, the methods recorded on the golden bamboo slips remained applicable for further cultivation, a truly terrifying prospect.

Zhou Chong unleashed a talisman, emitting a flash of purple light that fell into the secret vault, suppressing the black light there. Then, he summoned the damaged flying sword and slashed into it.

Boom!

The exterior of the secret vault resonated with a terrifying sound, accompanied by the dazzling burst of runes.

"Someone skilled has set this up. As soon as any transcendent power is detected, the nether runes here get activated. Who could have taken control of this place first?"

Zhou Chong's expression turned to one of shock. The talisman he had deployed was rapidly destroyed, causing him distress as he didn't have many valuable items left. Even as a member of the peerless Immortals, the powerful being behind him had only transmitted some moderately good items for his use.

"Is it you?" Zhou Chong looked down at the silver bell.

Mr. Ghost retorted, "It's not me; there's someone else. I've always felt something odd about the Sun family. Someone has claimed this place as their territory, which is deeply unsettling. I suspect a top-tier Immortal from our ranks is eyeing this place, intervening in the mortal world. This place might become their cultivation ground in the future."

Zhou Chong was skeptical, "Nonsense. Even a peerless Immortal can't intervene like this without a trace. Are you hiding someone else behind you, any accomplices?"

At the same time, he returned to the Sun family estate for two reasons. First, he was intent on acquiring the golden bamboo slips, feeling it would be a regret lasting lifetimes if he didn't seize this extraordinary item.

Second, upon his return, the warships in the sky refrained from launching their destructive attacks. Of course, he also exercised restraint this time, not attacking the Sun family members.

Mr. Ghost urgently stated, "I swear, using the curse oath revered by cultivators, it truly has nothing to do with me. It must be some other unknown and terrifying being orchestrating this."

In the distant sky, Number 5 robot hovered, scanning Zhou Chong and collecting data, preparing to hunt this god-like demon!

In the hotel, Wang Xuan was moved. Just a Sun family estate, and yet it harbored so many mysteries, demanding serious attention.

It appeared that some entity had indeed set its sights on the secret vault, claiming it as its territory. But why hadn't it revealed itself, remaining hidden?

Wang Xuan watched quietly, waiting for the situation to clarify. Some things needed to be secured today; if missed and taken away by the Immortal, there might never be another chance.

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