Chapter 748: Seeing Qiao Zhiyao Again

But Xu Wuyi knew that after the day after tomorrow, all of this would end.

Those Star Beasts would become materials, those materials would become resources, and those resources would become stronger equipment and better Cultivation conditions. This was his value. Not purely power, but efficiency and profit.

He withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and continued to regulate his breathing.

As the night deepened, the noise in the camp gradually quieted down. Occasionally, patrolling Martial Artists walked past the tent, their footsteps very light, afraid of disturbing the people resting inside. Xu Wuyi sat in the darkness, his breathing steady, surrounded by the faint Power of Order.

He was adjusting his condition, bringing himself to his peak. Tomorrow’s observation and the day after’s action did not allow for any accidents.

Early the next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Xu Wuyi woke up.

He washed up simply and walked out of the tent. The camp was already bustling. Martial Artists were going in and out; some were eating breakfast, some were checking equipment, and some were making final preparations.

Qiao Tongyu stood in the center of the camp, talking with several core members of the Battle Group. Seeing Xu Wuyi come out, he waved. Xu Wuyi walked over, and the few people beside Qiao Tongyu immediately bowed respectfully.

“Grandmaster Xu.”

Xu Wuyi nodded in response.

Qiao Tongyu said, “Let’s go. We’ll eat breakfast first, and then we’ll set off once we’re done.”

The group walked into the large central tent together, where a simple breakfast had already been set out. Steamed buns, porridge, pickled vegetables, and eggs—standard field rations. Xu Wuyi sat down, picked up a steamed bun, and ate it slowly.

Qiao Zhiyao was also there, sitting next to him and eating very quickly. She was clearly excited, occasionally looking up at Xu Wuyi as if she wanted to say something but swallowing it back down.

By the time they finished the meal, the sky was completely bright.

Qiao Tongyu stood up and said, “Let’s go take a look at that Rift.”

The group walked out of the camp and headed deeper along a simple mountain path. The further they went, the more obvious the Energy Fluctuations in the air became. That kind of fluctuation was different from the Profound Abyssal Rift. It was more violent, more chaotic, as if something was struggling madly inside.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

It was an artificially cleared valley. The bottom of the valley was flat, and the surrounding rock walls were covered with traces of reinforcement. In the deepest part of the valley, a Qing-gray Rift pierced through heaven and earth.

That Rift was smaller than the Profound Abyssal Rift, with a width of only a dozen meters and a height of around thirty meters. The light on its surface was Qing-gray, constantly twisting, expanding, and contracting, like a breathing behemoth.

Around the Rift, the Dongjiang Battle Group had already set up a defense line. Four Energy Shield Generators were distributed around the Rift, forming a translucent barrier. Behind the barrier, dozens of fully armed Martial Artists waited in strict formation, their eyes fixed on the Rift. Further away, several automated turrets had their muzzles aimed in the direction of the Rift, ready to fire at any moment.

Qiao Tongyu stood at the valley entrance, pointing at the Rift. “This is the one, codenamed Qingya. The Energy Level Limit is Level 45. There is no Beast King, but there are at least five Great Commander Level Star Beasts. Based on our estimates, the number of ordinary Star Beasts should exceed three thousand.” He paused and looked at Xu Wuyi. “You perceive it first and see if there are any issues.”

Xu Wuyi nodded, closed his eyes, and slightly released his Spirit, probing toward the Rift.

That familiar presence rushed at him. Deep within the Rift, chaotic Energy surged madly, and the auras of countless lives mixed together—roaring, howling, and struggling.

He carefully distinguished those auras. The auras of the ordinary Star Beasts were very faint, densely packed together, making it impossible to count them all. The Great Commander Level auras were slightly clearer; there were seven in total, distributed in different locations deep within the Rift.

Seven Great Commanders—slightly more than Qiao Tongyu had estimated, but still within an acceptable range.

He opened his eyes and looked at Qiao Tongyu. “Seven Great Commanders,” he said. “The number of ordinary Star Beasts should be around three thousand five hundred.”

Qiao Tongyu’s expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered his calm. “Seven…” he repeated in a low voice, then nodded. “It’s fine, not too outrageous. If you weren’t here, we wouldn’t dare touch this number at all. But now, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

He looked at Xu Wuyi, his gaze carrying a bit of inquiry. “Are you confident?”

Xu Wuyi nodded, his expression calm. “I can do it.”

Qiao Tongyu let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face. “Good. Then early tomorrow morning, we’ll make our move.” He paused and added, “Go back and rest for today. Restore your Spirit. I’ll leave tomorrow’s matters to you.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and turned to head back.

The following dawn, just as the sky began to lighten, the valley where the Qingya Rift was located was enveloped in a layer of thin mist.

Xu Wuyi stood at the edge of the camp, holding a cup of hot water, his gaze falling on the faintly discernible Qing-gray streak of light in the distance. The mist intertwined with the Dawn, making the Rift look as if it were faintly pulsing, like some sort of living creature lying dormant deep in the valley.

Footsteps sounded from behind; it was Qiao Tongyu.