Chapter 622: Rendezvous

Sparse vegetation grew tenaciously in the crevices of the rocks. The sky remained a leaden gray, but he could sense the direction of the light.

The "sun" of this Star Realm hung in the west, about to set.

The temperature difference between day and night would be extreme.

Xu Wuyi glanced at his terminal. He was still one hundred and twenty kilometers from the crater canyon.

He pressed on.

The Gobi’s terrain was more complex than the ice plains, featuring ravines, hills, and exposed rock formations. Xu Wuyi used the terrain for cover while expanding his perception to its maximum radius.

His Gravity Field spread out silently.

Any object entering this range would cause a subtle disturbance in the Gravity Field, which he would instantly detect.

It was a method of reconnaissance far more reliable than sight or sound.

Sure enough, with forty kilometers still to go to the canyon, he sensed the first patrol.

Five people, each with a Life Energy Level of around 40. They wore dark Qing leather armor, with long sabers at their waists, and were standing watch on a high-ground position.

Xu Wuyi went around them.

Not out of fear, but because he didn’t want to alert the enemy.

His primary mission was to extract the team. Combat was the last resort.

As the sky darkened, night fell quickly on Liang Wei Third.

Once the sun sank completely below the horizon, the temperature plummeted to below minus fifty degrees Celsius. A fierce wind rose again, kicking up sand and dust from the Gobi and drastically reducing visibility.

This was good for Xu Wuyi.

Using the cover of night and the sandstorm, he increased his speed to the Quasi-Grandmaster Level, his dark-golden figure nearly melting into the darkness.

Finally, nearly an hour after setting out, he saw his objective.

It was a massive crater, over ten kilometers in diameter, with steep edges and a deep interior. The map showed that the team was hidden in a natural cave at the bottom of the crater.

Xu Wuyi didn’t head down directly.

He hid behind a giant boulder on the crater’s rim and observed carefully.

His Gravity Field extended downward and soon "touched" his targets.

Inside the cave, there were seven life signs. Four were stable, three were faint, and one was extremely weak but holding steady.

Outside the cave, there was no ambush.

Xu Wuyi waited another ten minutes, and only after confirming the surroundings were secure did he slide down the inner wall of the crater.

His movements were as light as a feather. He landed without a sound, not stirring a single speck of dust.

The cave entrance was blocked by an Energy Barrier disguised as rock. As Xu Wuyi approached, the barrier automatically opened a slit.

He slipped inside.

"Martial Artist Xu!"

The cave wasn’t large, about thirty square meters. The most conspicuous object was the small Starship. It was leaning against the rock wall, its stern heavily damaged, but its main structure was more or less intact.

All seven members of the survey team were there. Four were standing and three were sitting. The most severely injured member was lying on a simple medical bed, connected to life support equipment.

The one who spoke was the captain, a middle-aged man of about forty. He had fresh scrapes on his face, but his eyes were still sharp.

"Captain Chen," Xu Wuyi nodded. "Is the situation worse than expected?"

"Great Liang’s search frequency is increasing," Captain Chen reported quickly. "They might suspect we’re hiding in this area. Three of their teams have already passed over the crater today. The cloaking device’s energy is down to 42%. At most, it can last another fifteen hours."

Xu Wuyi walked over to the Starship and glanced at the damage to its stern.

It was indeed irreparable. The main thrusters and the Energy Core were destroyed. It would be impossible to fix without a full set of replacement parts and at least a full day’s work.

"What about the backup shuttle device?"

"It’s here." Captain Chen pointed to a separate compartment on the Starship’s side. "It takes thirty minutes to charge. The Energy Fluctuation on startup is equivalent to a full-power strike from a Quasi-Grandmaster. It will definitely be detected."

"So once we start it, we only have thirty minutes," Xu Wuyi said.

"Correct." Captain Chen’s expression was grave. "Furthermore, of Great Liang’s three Sub-Saints, one is permanently stationed at an outpost less than a hundred kilometers from here. At a Sub-Saint’s speed, they could arrive within ten minutes."

Xu Wuyi fell silent for a moment.

"And the locations of the other two Sub-Saints?"

"According to our previous reconnaissance, one is patrolling the continent on the other side of Liang Wei Third, and the other is guarding the passage between the Great Liang homeworld and this Star Realm." Captain Chen pulled up a map. "But if we’re exposed, they could come at any time."

"Then we won’t give them time to react," Xu Wuyi said. "Start charging it now."

Captain Chen was taken aback. "Now? But..."

"The Federation’s negotiation team should have already made contact with Great Liang," Xu Wuyi said, looking out at the pitch-black night sky beyond the cave. "They’ll be drawing attention. This is our best chance."

Captain Chen gritted his teeth and nodded. "Understood. All hands, prepare to initiate the backup shuttle device’s charging sequence!"

The team members immediately sprang into action.

The backup shuttle device was a three-meter-diameter ring, its interior filled with energy conduits and runes. Once charging began, the ring’s surface lit up with a faint blue halo and emitted a low hum.

"Charging initiated. Thirty-minute countdown."

A cold, electronic voice echoed in the cave.

Xu Wuyi walked to the cave entrance and looked out.

The night was thick, and the sandstorm still raged.

But his perception was already extended to its limit. His Gravity Field covered a five-hundred-meter radius, the maximum range he could maintain without causing a noticeable fluctuation.

Time ticked by, second by second.

The atmosphere inside the cave grew increasingly tense. The team members checked their gear, administered booster shots to the injured, and prepared for battle.

Xu Wuyi remained at the entrance, motionless as a statue.

In the twelfth minute, his eyes narrowed.

’They’re here.’

At the edge of his Gravity Field, he detected three rapidly approaching life signatures. Their Energy Levels were all above 45, and the leader’s had reached Level 47.

It was a Great Liang patrol, and an elite one at that.

They had clearly sensed something—perhaps the fluctuation from the charging device, or an anomaly from the cave’s cloaking device.

"Three people are heading this way," Xu Wuyi said, his voice calm. "All above Level 45, three kilometers out and moving fast."

Captain Chen’s face changed. "Should we intercept them?"

"I’ll handle it," Xu Wuyi said. "You all keep charging. Don’t stop."

He walked out of the cave, his figure melting into the night.

Three kilometers away, three Great Liang Martial Artists were speeding across the Gobi.

The leader was a lean old man with eyes like a hawk and a slender curved saber at his waist.

He was holding a compass-like magical artifact. Its needle was shaking violently, pointing toward the crater.

"There’s an abnormal Energy Fluctuation up ahead!" the old man shouted in a low voice. "Have you notified Sub-Saint Zhao at the outpost?"

"The signal has been sent!" a young Martial Artist behind him replied. "But Sub-Saint Zhao is in secluded meditation to regulate his condition. It might take him a moment to arrive."

"We’re not waiting. Let’s go check it out first!" The old man accelerated. "If it’s those off-worlders, capturing them will be a great achievement!"

The three picked up their pace again, arriving at the foot of the crater in the blink of an eye.