"One month of preparation time—it's neither long nor short," Caroline spoke first. A massive amount of quantum data flowed through her palm, quickly condensing into a virtual document. "I will immediately interface with headquarters to retrieve detailed intelligence on the Meteor Ruins, including topography, the distribution of known Abyss creatures, and the danger levels of Old Era relics, to provide as much support as possible for the operation."
Jing Liuli also cast aside her usual casual demeanor, her tone serious. "I'll be responsible for screening the elite squad members, prioritizing those skilled in team coordination, and preparing sufficient Star Energy supplies and specialized equipment."
Chen Kong looked toward Tendo, his eyes resolute. "Isabelle and I will use this month to enhance our strength. I will try to become more proficient in controlling the Star Sources I've copied—especially Isabelle's 'Absolute Zero.' It might play a significant role in the low-temperature environment of the Meteor Ruins."
Isabelle nodded, a faint chill rising around her. She was clearly already contemplating how to refine her Absolute Zero ability.
Hearing everyone's input, An Qin hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. "I have a relatively deep understanding of the Abyssal Heavens Organization's internal structure and the characteristics of Abyss energy. Perhaps I can help formulate targeted combat strategies. Meanwhile, I will strengthen my own Star Energy cultivation and try my best not to hold everyone back."
"There's no need to be so quick to dismiss yourself," Tendo glanced at An Qin and spoke calmly. "Your Dark Spirit Snake bloodline's ability to perceive Abyss energy is one of our greatest advantages in the Meteor Ruins; it's more reliable than any detection equipment. During this time, you only need to focus on how to expand your perception range and increase its precision."
Receiving Tendo's affirmation, a flash of gratitude crossed An Qin's eyes, and she nodded vigorously.
"Alright, divide the tasks and begin preparations," Tendo waved his hand. His tone remained lazy, yet it carried an intangible, unquestionable authority. "In three days, assemble at the Heavenly Martial Training Base for the first synchronization drill."
The group responded in unison and then dispersed, throwing themselves into the intense preparation work.
Tendo, meanwhile, left the Star Energy core district alone, walking toward a deserted valley within the Heavenly Martial Training Base. This was his usual cultivation spot—far from the noise, where the flow of Star Energy was relatively pure.
Upon arriving at the valley, the vector field around Tendo suddenly expanded, forming a massive energy barrier that enveloped the entire valley. The barrier not only blocked outside detection but also gathered the surrounding Star Energy, creating a natural cultivation ground.
He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, beginning to organize his Star Energy. Although resolving the sub-space projection and destroying the main altar had seemed effortless, Tendo knew that the Calamity-rank powerhouses in the Meteor Ruins were no pushovers. For the Abyssal Heavens Organization to operate there for so many years, they surely had trump cards.
While his current strength far exceeded that of an ordinary Calamity-rank, he had not yet fully mastered "Source Power." If he encountered a truly veteran Calamity-rank powerhouse, he might not be able to achieve a total crush.
Yes, Tendo was thinking about a "crush," not whether he would lose. With his current hidden cards, unless he encountered certain old monsters, it might be possible to defeat him, but keeping him there... would be absolutely impossible.
"The essence of Vector Control is mastering the trajectory of all motion and the flow of all energy," Tendo's mind flashed with countless energy operation models. "When dealing with the sub-space projection, I already touched the edge of transforming the imaginary into reality. Perhaps I can break through further from this angle, allowing the vector field to not only control physical matter and energy but to directly interfere with space itself."
With this thought, Tendo began attempting to guide his vector field to permeate the surrounding space. His Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye opened, peering through the surface to see the subtle folds and energy meridians of space. The vector field, like the finest stream of water, slowly flowed into these folds, attempting to alter the curvature of space.
Initially, the resistance from space was extremely intense. The moment the vector field made contact, it was bounced back. But Tendo was not discouraged; he adjusted the frequency and intensity of the field time and again, patiently carving it like a piece of raw jade.
Before he knew it, three days had passed. The space in the valley began to show minute distortions. Light that was originally straight actually underwent a slight refraction when passing through the barrier.
"Interesting."
Tendo opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within. He raised his hand and made a grasping motion toward a distant boulder. The vector field no longer acted directly on the boulder itself; instead, it warped the space surrounding the rock.
With a boom, the boulder wasn't smashed; it was ground into powder by the crushing force of space itself, leaving not even a single shard behind. This ability to manipulate space was more covert and lethal than direct field attacks.
Tendo nodded in satisfaction, retracted the energy barrier, and hurried toward the Heavenly Martial Training Base.
By this time, dozens of elite Star Envoys had gathered at the base. Jing Liuli was conducting a headcount, while Caroline was calibrating a large-scale simulation training device that displayed a partial topographical map of the Meteor Ruins. Chen Kong, Liu Ma, Isabelle, and An Qin had also arrived and were performing simple warm-ups.
Seeing Tendo arrive, the group immediately surrounded him.
"Tendo, you're here," Jing Liuli stepped forward and handed over a roster. "This is the finalized list of participating members, thirty in total."
Tendo took the list and scanned it quickly. Unsurprisingly, he saw many familiar names. For example, No. 5 Ye Shenlin, No. 7 Jeremiah, No. 13 Mi Yao, and No. 2 Chen Xing. However, it seemed Chen Xing currently had important matters to attend to and had not come.
Tendo said nothing more and walked straight to the simulation device. "We'll start with a simulation drill. Simulate the Star Energy turbulence environment of the Meteor Ruins and a surprise attack by Rank-3 Abyss creatures."
At Tendo's word, Caroline immediately operated the device. The training ground was instantly enveloped in pale purple Star Energy turbulence, and phantoms of massive, hideous Abyss creatures emerged from the ground.
Swiftly, the thirty elite members divided into three squads responsible for offense, defense, and support. Chen Kong activated his "Void Mark," taking Isabelle into the flank for a sneak attack. An Qin stood at the rear, pale purple Star Energy flowing around her as she constantly sensed the fluctuations of Abyss energy. Caroline manipulated her Mech Star Energy to construct several quantum shields to resist the erosion of the turbulence.
Battle was imminent.
The Abyss creature phantoms hissed and charged at the members. The Star Energy turbulence constantly interfered with the members' energy flow, causing many attacks to veer off course. Although the team cooperated well, they gradually fell into a passive position under such harsh conditions.
At that moment, Tendo moved. He didn't join the fray; he simply raised his hand and gave a light wave toward the training ground.
The invisible vector field instantly expanded, enveloping all the Star Energy turbulence. The previously violent and chaotic energy became docile under the influence of the vector field and was even guided to surge toward the Abyss creature phantoms.
Seeing this, the team members were stunned. The Star Energy turbulence that had been hindering them had turned into a weapon to attack the enemy. Hit by the turbulence, the Abyss creature phantoms instantly became translucent and سپس dissipated.
Those familiar with Tendo felt nothing out of the ordinary; after all, Tendo was always revealing methods that exceeded their understanding. But for those unfamiliar with him, the ease with which he dominated the entire field with a wave of his hand was quite shocking.
"This is Tendo's strength?" a Rank-3 Star Envoy murmured to himself. He had participated in similar missions before and knew how troublesome Star Energy turbulence could be. He hadn't expected Tendo to control it so easily, even turning it against the enemy.
"Alright, the simulation is over," Tendo retracted his vector field and said flatly. "Your cooperation is decent, but your adaptability to harsh environments is too poor, and your Star Energy control lacks precision. For the next month, you will undergo at least three high-intensity simulation sessions every day until you can fight accurately within Star Energy turbulence."
"Understood!" the team members shouted in unison. At this moment, their awe of Tendo had reached its peak. With such a powerful captain leading them, their confidence in the Meteor Ruins mission grew.
In the days that followed, the Heavenly Martial Training Base was filled with the sounds of fierce combat every day. Aside from guiding the team, Tendo spent the rest of his time cultivating, occasionally offering pointers to Chen Kong, Isabelle, and the others.
Under his guidance, Chen Kong's mastery of the Void Mark became more proficient; he could not only erase the presence of multiple people simultaneously but also block Abyss energy within a certain range for a short period. Isabelle's Absolute Zero also saw a breakthrough; within a certain radius, the flow of all energy would be frozen.
Tendo's own strength was also steadily improving. He could now proficiently manipulate spatial curvature, forming two new abilities: "Spatial Barrier" and "Spatial Cleave." The Spatial Barrier could withstand a full-power strike from a Calamity-rank powerhouse, while the Spatial Cleave could directly tear through space, inflicting wounds on enemies that were difficult to heal.
Beyond this, he attempted to combine the vector field with the Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye, allowing him to anticipate the trajectory of enemy attacks in advance and even see through the energy cores of Abyss creatures.
While Tendo and the others were preparing with all their might, deep within the Meteor Ruins, inside the Abyssal Heavens Organization's headquarters—a stifling black palace—several figures draped in black cloaks sat in a circle. In the center of the palace floated a massive black crystal, which reflected Tendo's image.
"This fellow's growth rate is too fast," a cloaked figure spoke with a raspy voice, a hint of wariness in his tone.
"Hmph, just a lucky brat," another cloaked figure snorted, a terrifying Calamity-rank pressure radiating from his body. "Even if he has some strength, thinking he can break into our headquarters is nothing but a fool's dream. The Star Energy turbulence and Abyss creatures of the Meteor Ruins, combined with the layers of traps we've set, will be enough to ensure he never returns."
"You can't say that," the figure sitting in the primary seat spoke, his voice low and majestic. "The Enite of the past was just like him, breaking conventions time and again. Though it's too early to say for sure, in my view, if he's given enough time to grow, he will inevitably become our greatest threat. But since he's chosen to deliver himself to our doorstep this time, we might as well take the opportunity to eliminate him."
"The Leader is wise," the other cloaked figures responded in unison.
The Leader raised a hand, and the image in the black crystal switched to a map of the Meteor Ruins, marked with several red dots.
"I have already ordered my subordinates to deploy 'Purgatory Broods' along the route Tendo and his group must take. These Purgatory Broods can draw upon Abyss energy to form an independent Purgatory Space. Inside that space, our strength will be amplified while their Star Energy will be constantly eroded. Furthermore, I will personally take action to summon a projection of an Abyss Lord to lend us aid."
Hearing this, one cloaked figure said excitedly, "With the Leader personally acting and the addition of an Abyss Lord's projection, these fellows are certainly doomed!"
The Leader did not speak; he simply stared at Tendo's image in the black crystal, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes. He knew very well that Tendo was the future hope of the Star Envoy Association. As long as Tendo was removed, the Association would lose its most powerful backup force. Once that old man Enite "passed away naturally," the Abyssal Heavens Organization could smoothly open the Abyss channel and let Abyss energy sweep across the entire world.
[The Fourth Day, Martial City Heaven-Capital, Heavenly Martial Training Base]
Boom!
In the deserted valley, Caroline looked at Tendo standing not far from her with bewilderment. In her eyes, which were usually defined by rationality and calmness, there appeared a rare sense of shock and confusion.
From an outsider's perspective, there was nothing between her and Tendo at this moment. But in Caroline's vision, it was entirely different. She suddenly found herself in the middle of a boundless starry void, losing all external perception including, but not limited to, sight, hearing, space, and time.
For a Mech Star Envoy, this was undoubtedly an unprecedented situation. The greatest characteristic of a Mech Star Envoy was the reception and rapid processing of information. For this to happen, there was one, and only one, possibility: Tendo had separated her from the original world.
As a wave of invisible fluctuations vanished, Caroline gazed at Tendo. After a moment of thought, she said, "Tendo, that just now... that was the prototype of your Domain, wasn't it?"
Tendo did not hide it and nodded. During the trial on Longevity Island, Tendo had briefly manifested this method. In subsequent battles, he hadn't used it much for a simple reason: it wasn't necessary.
But in the upcoming operation, it was highly likely he would face one or even multiple Calamity-rank powerhouses. Although Tendo understood that in this operation, students like them would clearly not be the main force—as Calamity-rank experts from the Association would surely take action—the probability of them encountering a Calamity-rank entity remained high.
Thus, Tendo had begun to constantly refine his Domain. At this moment, he was only one final step away from completely mastering it.