The raging sands and turbulent energy of the Star Wasteland provided the perfect cover for the five Star Sea Shamans. They sped along, relying on Lin Xingyun's exquisite perception of spatial turbulence and his foresight of the "Universe Burner" patrol routes to narrowly evade possible pursuit. They ultimately found a relatively secluded hiding place within a vast starship wreckage, resembling the cleavage of a giant axe. The wreckage's thick metal walls blocked out most of the harmful radiation and energy storms from the outside world, leaving only a few cracks to let in a faint light, illuminating the mottled, rusted interior.
As soon as they settled in, everyone's gaze turned to the softly starlit crystal fragment in Lin Xingyun's arms. It lay quietly, seemingly encasing a miniature universe within. Points of light flickered endlessly, emitting a heart-pounding, ancient, and pure spatial vibration. "Is this the thing that caused such a massive outburst from the 'Universe Burner'?" Buakaw took a closer look and scratched his head. "It feels like there are a few glowing insects trapped inside."
Ayesha's eyes lit up. As someone extremely sensitive to energy patterns, she could clearly "see" the trajectory of the light points within the crystal fragment. It contained an extremely profound, near-perfect rhythm, far more complex and mysterious than any batik pattern inherited from her family. "These aren't insects... This is... a language, a language that describes the starry sky and the roads."
Nguyen Thi Mai felt the vibrations emanating from the crystal fragment and whispered, "It's very 'quiet,' yet very 'profound,' like the deepest ocean trench. Its vibrations are very similar to the 'spatial veins' Xingyun had sensed earlier, but more... complete?"
Dilawang's expression was extremely solemn. Holding the jade Buddha, he carefully directed a trace of calming mental energy towards the crystal fragment. However, the moment his spiritual power touched the surface of the fragment, it was like a drop in the ocean, gently pushed away by an invisible and vast will, unable to penetrate even a little. "This object has a spirit, or rather, it contains the imprint of extremely powerful laws that cannot be penetrated by brute force. It seems... waiting for the right resonance."
Everyone's eyes finally focused on Lin Xingyun. He was the cohesive force of the "heart anchor," the key to establishing a connection with the spatial veins.
Lin Xingyun took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and placed the crystal fragment in his palm. He closed his eyes and first communicated with the "heart anchor" in his palm. The silver light flickered, stabilizing his aura. Then, he slowly and carefully touched his spiritual energy and mental consciousness to the crystal fragment, like the softest feather.
This time, there was no rejection.
The moment his consciousness came into contact with the fragment, it was like a drop of water merging into a vast ocean! An indescribable amount of information, mixed with images of countless stars birthing and dying, twisting and shifting corridors of space, and a desolate, ancient cosmic echo, instantly flooded his mind!
"Ugh!" Lin Xingyun groaned, his face instantly pale, his body shaking violently, and he almost fainted. The impact of this information flow was a thousand times more intense than when he had previously received the inheritance of the "Star Spirit Atlas"!
"Calm your mind!" Dilawang whispered, and the Jade Buddha's clear light shone brightly. A peaceful and resilient spiritual power enveloped Lin Xingyun, helping him to withstand the impact of the information torrent. Aisha immediately draped a piece of batik cloth with a calming effect on the mind over Lin Xingyun's shoulders. The radiant light from the cloth helped him sort out his chaotic thoughts. With the support of his companions, Lin Xingyun gritted his teeth and persevered, concentrating his will. He no longer attempted to "understand" the vast sea of information, but rather, as he had once perceived the fabric of space, to "feel" its core "rhythm," to capture the part that resonated most strongly with his "heart anchor" and "spatial veins."
Gradually, the chaotic starscape began to focus, and the phantoms of countless spatial corridors gradually faded. Finally, a dynamic star map emerged clearly from the depths of his consciousness!
This star map was not a static plane, but a three-dimensional, slowly rotating model. Within it, the two brightest points of light were connected by an exceptionally clear and stable band of light. One point, emitting a familiar blend of bluish-white and orange-yellow light, was the Qingai Galaxy they were in! The other point of light, though slightly dimmer, shook Lin Xingyun's soul violently—it was the solar system! The band of light connecting the two was the complete and concrete representation of the "spatial veins" he had vaguely sensed!
Furthermore, the star map also revealed other faint points of light and indistinct paths, apparently leading to other corners of the universe, though far less clear than the one connecting Qing'ai to the solar system. This crystal fragment was indeed an ancient interstellar navigation chart, or rather, a portion of a "space network navigator" used by a powerful civilization!
Just as Lin Xingyun was stunned by this discovery, something even more miraculous occurred. The silver light of his "heart anchor" seemed to be drawn to the star map, automatically detaching from his hand and slowly levitating, clinging to the crystal fragment.
"Hum—"
A soft, soul-shattering humming sounded. The silver light of the "heart anchor" and the starlight within the crystal fragment began to merge! The silver light was like a nimble chisel, and the starlight like a flowing source of energy. The two intertwined and entwined, until the silver light of the "heart anchor" completely merged into the crystal fragment. On the three-dimensional star map, next to the point of light representing the Qing'ai Galaxy, an even smaller, yet incredibly solid silver point of light coalesced—that was Lin Xingyun's personal spatial coordinate imprint! The point of light representing the solar system also became clearer!
The fusion of the crystal fragments dimmed its light, but the star map within it operated more smoothly and steadily. It slowly fell back into Lin Xingyun's palm, and a feeling of blood connection and control arose. At this moment, this was no longer just a star map; it was a spatial compass bound to his soul, personal to him!
Through it, Lin Xingyun could sense every ripple of the "main vein" leading to the solar system with uncanny clarity, its stability and the intensity of its energy flow. He could even vaguely sense that something on the other side of the solar system seemed to be resonating with this vein—possibly the star gate to Angkor Wat!
"I... I can 'see' the way home! Very clearly!" Lin Xingyun opened his eyes, his voice trembling with excitement. He shared the information he had sensed through the compass with his companions.
Hope ignited in everyone's hearts like wildfire! However, before they could fully deliberate on the specific uses of their newly acquired space compass, Dilawang and Aisha's expressions changed almost simultaneously!
"A powerful energy source is rapidly approaching! It's coming from the direction of the 'Universe Burner's' main base!"
"The fluctuations in the space compass...although faint, may have been picked up by their large-scale detection equipment!"
Peering out through the cracks in the wreckage, they saw three black dots approaching at astonishing speed in the distant sky. Their energy response far surpassed that of the earlier Scythe warships—they were the main cruisers of the 'Universe Burner's' main battlecruisers! Dozens of small attack pods detached from the warships like a swarm, descending directly upon the wreckage where they were hiding!
Clearly, the attempt to seize the crystal fragments had thoroughly enraged the 'Universe Burner' and attracted a truly powerful force!
"There's no time to hide deep!" Lin Xingyun gripped the spatial compass tightly, his eyes sharp as a knife. "Perfect! Let's use them to test the compass's power, to see if we can... embark on our journey home sooner!"
In despair, newfound strength and the longing to return home transformed into the courage to fight to the bitter end. The Star Sea Shamans are about to face their most severe test since arriving in this world!
(End of Chapter 29)