"Stay for ten days?" Wan Chen frowned upon hearing this. His expression shifted as he could not help but ask, "What a coincidence. They just have to adjust the navigation channel right at this mont?"
"According to them, it's due to the interference of a Nethermist cluster, so we can only wait for it to naturally drift past." Xia Jie looked sowhat helpless. "I have already communicated with them and read the inspection report. At least, that is what they claim on the surface."
Wan Chen shook his head and declared in a deep voice, "Reports can be forged. If they want to trap us here, there might be an ambush."
The crowd fell silent. Su Chen also harbored the sa suspicion.
Qing Cang possessed Morning Star-tier class spirituality. With covetous people everywhere, they had to remain extrely vigilant.
"This Hengdao Hub..." Lan Hao's voice was ice-cold. "It was built by the Sixing Group. They are rely a minor faction ruling over five life-bearing planets. Would they truly dare to ambush us?"
It was not that Lan Hao was being arrogant. To snatch sothing, one not only needed courage but also the strength to protect the treasure afterward.
Wan Chen pondered and said, "The Sixing Group rose to power by exploring the Nethermist. They have excavated quite a few ancient battlefield ruins within it. Internally, they have two double Ninth-Tier class holders holding down the fort."
"But without the birth of a Morning Star-tier, they can only stop here."
Speaking of motives, the Sixing Group truly had one. Without a Morning Star-tier expert and lacking a Holy Class as their foundation, even double Ninth-Tier experts could not compare to those from the Cults and the Royal Court. They were inherently a step weaker.
Su Chen listened from the side, not voicing any opinions.
His knowledge of this Hengdao Hub was limited. He only knew that it was a nearby transit hub, primarily serving as an outpost for exploring the Nethermist.
Within the Nethermist, there were not only dangers but also opportunities. Certain special materials were only born within the mist.
There were also ancient battlefield ruins, barren planets lingering on their last breaths, nurous lost classes, and even the power of the Eerie Gods. All of these were massive sources of wealth.
However, because it was nearly impossible to determine directions and coordinates within the Nethermist, one could only search aimlessly, costing a considerable price.
After thinking for a mont, Xia Jie offered a suggestion, "How about we just resupply here and then take a detour?"
"We cannot take a detour," Qing Cang shook his head, speaking indifferently. "This is already the closest transit hub. If we detour, it will take at least another half a year."
Taking a detour through the starry skies was not a good choice.
He continued, "Spending an extra half a year taking a detour cannot be considered safe either. If there really are ambushers lurking in the shadows, they would probably prepare even more thoroughly."
The news about the Crimson Fla Responding Thunder Grand Paragon had only been passed out from Ni Chuan a little over a month ago.
Even if others wanted to intercept and kill them, they would not be able to make it in ti right away.
If they waited another half a year, people from other Cults would likely all be in position. By then, it would be a true chaotic bloodbath.
"Then..." Xia Jie hesitated, waiting for Qing Cang's final decision.
"The Sixing Group should not dare to ambush us..." Qing Cang mused. His gaze fell upon the small projection in front of him, and he declared in a deep voice, "We shall rest here. Since they say it will take ten days, we will give them ten days."
With Qing Cang making the final call, the others naturally had nothing more to say and nodded in agreent.
Only Wan Chen hesitated slightly before asking, "Master Qing, the Cult's reinforcents should be on their way, right?"
Lan Hao and Lin Yue also revealed concerned gazes.
With sothing as important as Morning Star-tier spirituality, the higher-ups in the Cult naturally could not just sit and wait peacefully. They would inevitably send support to et them halfway.
As long as they linked up with the Cult's reinforcents, they would be much safer.
"They are on the way," Qing Cang replied vaguely, leaving Wan Chen in a position where he could not press further.
The Hengdao Hub was already right before their eyes, and they were about to dock.
By the window, Su Chen watched the increasingly massive Hengdao Hub, marveling at how easily size could be deceiving on an interstellar scale.
From a distance, the Hengdao Hub before him looked like a small action figure. But upon closer inspection, it was probably larger than five Yingfeng cities combined.
The volu of spaceships coming and going was substantial, and Su Chen even spotted warships.
"How is it? Seeing this interstellar transit hub for the first ti, does it feel quite novel?"
Lin Yue suddenly leaned closer, chuckling as she said, "Let tell you, our Cult is vastly more magnificent than this."
'Why is this woman trying to make small talk out of nowhere?' Su Chen glanced at her and gave a perfunctory nod.
Lan Hao also walked over. "Actually, this Hengdao Hub only looks grand. It was built many years ago and has been neglected in terms of managent and repair. The internal situation cannot even compare to your Yingfeng."
Lin Yue coldly snorted. With Lan Hao interrupting like this, it made it seem as if she had been mocking Su Chen for not having seen the world.
Too lazy to bother with him, she simply turned to Su Chen and said, "However, there are so items born in the Nethermist sold up there that are rare even in the Cult. You can buy so to play with."
Lan Hao shook his head. "The current situation is unclear. Once we enter the hub, it is best not to wander around casually."
Lin Yue frowned. 'This Lan Hao is intentionally contradicting , isn't he? Who said we definitely had to go out?'
The two of them stood on his left and right, speaking one sentence after another, making the situation sound rather bizarre.
Wan Chen leaned against the wall, casting a suspicious glance over. The change in Lan Hao's attitude was a bit too drastic.
After being outsmarted by Su Chen during his previous provocation, Lan Hao had been treating Su Chen like thin air all this ti.
For so unknown reason today, he suddenly had a change of heart. When he spoke, he was actually defending Su Chen at every turn.
Lin Yue's behavior was also completely different from what he had imagined. He had thought that this crazy woman who only knew how to fight would be highly dissatisfied with Su Chen.
At the very least, she should have blocked his door to challenge him, torturing him for a while.
Furthermore, just a short while ago, she had been using Su Chen's training projection to vent her anger. So how was it that she was now fighting with Lan Hao out of jealousy?
He faintly sensed that sothing was amiss. It seed Lan Hao and Lin Yue knew sothing that he did not.
Qing Cang also found it strange, frequently glancing over with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.
After arguing with Lan Hao for a few sentences, Lin Yue also noticed the odd atmosphere and shut her mouth.
Su Chen's ears finally found peace, and he let out a sigh of relief.
Not long after, a loud clank resounded from the spaceship as it connected to the port's guidance track. A voice rang out through the communication channel: "Please note, you have docked at the premium berth of the Hengdao Hub. Please cease all spaceship operations, shut down the combat systems, and extinguish the propulsion engines. Please leave everything else to us."
They were taking the high-speed channel, so they did not need to queue up or undergo routine inspections.
A buzz humd through the air as the spaceship locked into the docking bay. Several chanical arms extended from the berth, clamping down onto the ship's hull.
The cabin doors opened, and the boarding ramp extended. Su Chen and the others followed Qing Cang down.
Although the surroundings were isolated from the external berths by massive tal plates to form a private space, the loud clanking of grinding tal still rang in their ears, transmitting through the vibrating tallic floor.
A group of people was already waiting below. At the forefront was an elegant old man wearing a perfectly tailored burgundy suit. With a gentle smile on his face, he took a few quick steps forward to welco Qing Cang.
"Your Excellency Qing Cang, you have finally returned." The gentle smile on the man's face turned enthusiastic as he seamlessly moved to Qing Cang's side, walking in step with him.
His gaze, however, swept over Su Chen, carrying a hint of probing curiosity.
"This is the person in charge of the Hengdao Hub. I believe his na is Yuan Fusheng," Lan Hao whispered.
Following beside Qing Cang, Yuan Fusheng explained helplessly, "We are truly sorry. We have tried our best to coordinate, but that Nethermist is sitting squarely in the middle of the navigation channel. Sending people to disperse it would take just about as much ti as simply waiting it out."
Qing Cang's expression was indifferent. "It cannot be helped. If we must wait, then we wait."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency. Your accommodations have already been arranged. Please, follow ." Yuan Fusheng's attitude was highly respectful as he guided the group out of the port and onto a prepared luxury hovercraft.
The vehicle was a full ten ters long. The interior featured long sofas, and the ceiling was high enough for people to stand up. There was plenty of space to move around, and several attendants with graceful figures were present.
Xia Jie and the others remained on the spaceship, with only a few guards tagging along. On one hand, this was because the spaceship they rode needed resupplying; various materials and compressed energy blocks had been mostly depleted.
On the other hand, it was to prevent anyone from snooping on the spaceship's data.
"The difference between this and Yingfeng really isn't that big..."
On the hovercraft, Su Chen looked down through the window. The buildings near the docking port were sparse, and the surfaces of so had even begun to rust.
"When we first arrived at Yingfeng, Master Qing sighed in admiration, saying that your city was practically no different from so interstellar cities," Lan Hao said, seemingly truly sincere about befriending Su Chen.
'This guy... he has a response for every single sentence.' Su Chen was genuinely unaccustod to Lan Hao acting so warm and enthusiastic.
"These so-called battlefield ruins, exactly what kind of battlefields were left behind?" Su Chen asked.
"It was either battles against the Eerie Gods, or internal strife between different factions," Lin Yue explained, though she added, "However, the ruins on the Crimson Thunder Planet are a bit different. There are far too many Holy Word Stones."
The few of them did not seem able to fully explain the reason either, so Su Chen stopped asking further questions.
Listening to their casual discussion, Su Chen finally learned that the shallow layers of the Nethermist Realm had mostly been thoroughly explored. Venturing deeper would yield a disproportionate ratio of cost to reward, so the Sixing Group now only ran guide and hub businesses.
The location of the Crimson Thunder Planet was no longer considered part of the shallow layers.
As they approached the central area, the surrounding architecture finally took on the atmosphere of an interstellar city. Rows upon rows of skyscrapers looked like giant beasts wrapped in gleaming silver alloy, and the seductive movents of the virtual dancing girls were extrely bold.
Very soon, Yuan Fusheng arranged for them to stay in the best hotel in the Hengdao Hub. They were given the most luxurious rooms on the top floor, one room per person.
"If you need anything, just inform the front desk at any ti." Once everything was settled, Yuan Fusheng took his people and boarded the elevator.
It was not until he went downstairs and walked out of the lobby that he glanced back up, the warm expression on his face gradually fading away.
Taking his subordinates with him, he boarded a hovercraft and glided off into the distance.
Inside the vehicle, the subordinate sitting beside him suddenly began to convulse. Wisps of black-and-red energy streams spilled out from the man's body.
But Yuan Fusheng was not surprised in the slightest; he rely watched quietly.
Soon, the overflowing energy streams condensed into an illusory silhouette that coated the subordinate's body. Its facial features were blurred and indistinct.
"Master," Yuan Fusheng stood up and bowed as he called out.
"Have they arrived?" the black-and-red illusory figure asked, its voice hoarse and tearing.
"Yes, Qing Cang and his group have just arrived. That newly born Star Seed is among them," Yuan Fusheng reported.
"How is it?" the black-and-red phantom asked.
Yuan Fusheng mused, "Qing Cang doesn't seem to harbor any suspicions and is willing to wait for ten days. As for that newly born Star Seed, he doesn't appear to be anything special."
"Spirituality, spirituality, oh spirituality..." The black-and-red phantom suddenly sighed lancholically. "Just what does it take to earn the favor of spirituality?"
"Even a native from a barren planet can succeed. So why am I unable to catch its eye?"
"Spirituality is tricky and difficult to fathom," Yuan Fusheng asked probingly. "Right now, Qing Cang is all alone. Should we give it a try?"
"We'll snatch the spirituality, kill the Star Seed, and hide within the Nethermist. Rumor has it that the Bronze Cult's fla is already on the verge of collapsing. Once the fla extinguishes, we can make our coback."
"Rumors..." The black-and-red phantom chuckled. "You must restrain your greed. We only need to stall them here for ten days and take the share we are owed. That will be enough."
"The news leaked by the Royal Court is full of too many holes. I refuse to believe that Qing Cang alone could force Ni Chuan to back down."
"Treat them well," the black-and-red phantom left these words before dissipating.
"Yes," Yuan Fusheng nodded. When he raised his head, the subordinate sitting next to him was already completely lifeless.
Inside his room, Su Chen had just taken a cursory glance—noticing that all sorts of facilities were readily available, including a conduction area compatible with spiritual pressure rings—when Qing Cang called for him.
"You want to go to the Seer Society to purchase a current affairs report?" Su Chen looked at Qing Cang in front of him, inevitably feeling surprised.
Given the current situation, shouldn't they minimize their outings as much as possible to ensure their safety?
"I want to assess the situation and see how many factions are lurking in the dark," Qing Cang stated bluntly.
Su Chen finally understood. He was being used as bait for fishing. However, he was not opposed to the idea.
Right now, there was only one goal: safely arriving at the Bronze Cult.
The more information Qing Cang gathered, the more thorough his arrangents would be. To so extent, they would also be safer.
Besides, it would be great if he could fulfill his class requirents as early as possible.
"You probably aren't too familiar with this place. Let Lan Hao... accompany you. I've noticed he has grown quite enthusiastic toward you," Qing Cang said. He also harbored the intention of testing Lan Hao.
"Alright." Thinking of what Lan Hao had said earlier, Su Chen nodded in agreent.
Promptly, Qing Cang called for Lan Hao.
Upon learning the whole story, Lan Hao's heart skipped a beat. He shot a glance at Su Chen and hesitated, "This... is it really a good idea for just the two of us to go out so recklessly?"
He could try to build a closer relationship with Su Chen, but taking risks was sothing he truly did not want to do.
Qing Cang shook his head. "The security at the Hengdao Hub is quite decent. You two will not be in any danger."
"Alright." Seeing that Qing Cang was not giving him any chance to refuse, a hint of resentnt inevitably welled up in Lan Hao's heart.
God knows how many eyes were focused on Su Chen. Going out with him ant that he would be caught in the crossfire to so extent.
In the event that...
Once they were out the door, Lan Hao recalled his father's admonitions. He could only adjust his mindset and head out together with Su Chen.
The hotel had hovercrafts readily prepared for them to use as transport.
"The Seer Society should be at..." Lan Hao selected the coordinates on the virtual screen.
"What exactly is this Seer Society?" Su Chen was completely ignorant of the outside world, so he did not hesitate to ask.
"It's an intelligence organization spread throughout the Dust Star Sea," Lan Hao explained. "Almost any information you want can be purchased there."
"An intelligence organization..." Su Chen fell into deep thought, finding it slightly strange. "Do we really have to go buy it offline? Is there no website or sothing where we can just purchase it with a single click?"
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