He needed to get as close to the fissure as possible and find a relatively safe position to collect the special, free-floating energy that originated from it.

Xu Wuyi’s gaze swept the area, quickly settling on a huge, black lava rock protruding from the ground ahead and to his left, about twenty meters from the fissure’s glowing membrane.

It was in a good position, and the rock formation looked relatively stable.

He carefully maneuvered around several clearly unstable energy vortexes on the ground, making his way to the side of the lava rock.

The sense of chaotic energy was stronger here. His skin felt a faint stinging, the natural corrosive effect of high concentrations of free-floating energy on living tissue.

The protective layer of his combat suit shimmered with a faint light as it constantly worked to resist the corrosion.

Xu Wuyi held his breath, steadily extending the tips of three collection tubes and initiating the collection program.

A faint blue absorbent halo emanated from the tips of the tubes. The surrounding air seemed to be drawn in by an unseen force as thin streams of dark red energy were slowly pulled inside.

The collection process would take about a minute.

While keeping the collection tubes steady, Xu Wuyi vigilantly observed his surroundings, especially the boiling, dark-red glowing membrane of the fissure.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Twenty seconds passed. The first collection tube was nearly full.

Just then, Xu Wuyi’s gaze happened to drift over the bottom edge of the fissure’s glowing membrane, to an area half-hidden by collapsed rock.

His pupils contracted sharply.

There, in the crevices between the scorched black rocks, something seemed to reflect an unnatural metallic glint. And... it was arranged with a strange regularity.

’That’s not a natural rock formation.’

He immediately sent a portion of his Spiritual Power out in that direction, like an invisible probe.

The interference was strong. As his Spiritual Power drew near, it felt like sinking into a swamp, the feedback growing hazy.

But he still managed to "see" it—

a few metal components, partially melted by the intense heat but still roughly recognizable. They looked like the base or support frame for some kind of device.

Scattered around the components were the scorched-black remains of what looked like insulation material or energy conduits.

More importantly, on the fractured surface of one component, he saw a clean break—the kind made by specialized tools or a controlled blast, not by melting or brute-force impact.

’This was done intentionally.’

Judging by how they were half-buried and the amount of molten rock and dust covering their surfaces, they had been there since before the missile strike... perhaps even longer.

Xu Wuyi’s heart sank.

He quickly finished collecting the energy samples, stowing the three sealed tubes.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he used his personal terminal’s emergency channel to report the anomaly he’d detected with his Spiritual Perception, sending a rough visual snapshot back to the command post.

After sending the message, he looked back at the fissure’s glowing membrane, his gaze turning exceptionally sharp.

...

Inside the temporary command tent, the atmosphere grew taught.

"Report from Target Six: Suspected artificial device wreckage found at the edge of the fissure, approximately fifteen meters southeast of the KZ-1 base station site."

"Wreckage shows signs of being destroyed by tools. Preliminary assessment suggests it is not naturally occurring and may predate the missile strike. A partial image has been transmitted." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The communications officer reported rapidly, simultaneously projecting the image Xu Wuyi had sent onto the main screen.

Major Zhao Zhen strode to the screen, his eyes fixed on the twisted metal components and their clean breaks. His face instantly turned livid.

"Zoom in! Analyze the image!" he snapped.

A technical officer worked quickly. The image was enhanced, revealing more detail.

"Metal composition analysis... it’s not a standard Federation alloy. Shows signs of specialized treatment for high-temperature environments. It’s a sixty-three percent match to components of a ’fissure stabilizer/augmenter’ known to circulate on the black market."

"Microscopic scan of the fracture... confirms high-frequency energy cutting and traces of explosives. The work is professional."

"Wreckage distribution simulation... estimated volume of the original device is approximately one-point-five cubic meters. Likely part of a portable or modular unit."

With each new analysis, the temperature in the tent seemed to drop another degree.

"Someone installed a device here before our missile strike, possibly right after the fissure appeared and before it had a chance to expand," Zhao Zhen said, his voice ice-cold and laced with suppressed fury.

"What was their goal? Stabilize the fissure? No... it’s more likely they were trying to expand it, or just keep it open!"

An older staff officer spoke in a grave tone, "Major, I’m afraid this is no longer a simple Star Beast incursion."

"Someone is pulling the strings, trying to make this fissure disaster more severe, cause more destruction, or... let more Star Beasts through."

"Who could it be?" another officer asked. "The Alien Races of the Star Realm? Or..."

He didn’t finish the sentence, but everyone understood the unspoken possibility: human traitors, or a faction that had been swayed or bought off by the Alien Race.

Zhao Zhen took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

He glanced at the screen. The green blip representing Xu Wuyi was still holding steady at the edge of the fissure.

"Patch me through to Target Six," he commanded, then added, "And patch in all team leader channels, including our two solo operatives."

A few seconds later, Xu Wuyi’s calm voice came over the channel: "This is Xu Wuyi."

"Lei Lie here."

"Luo Geng," the hoarse voice of the blade-wielding man added.

The leaders of the other two squads checked in as well.

"Listen up, everyone. The situation has changed." Zhao Zhen’s voice reached the ears of every Martial Artist fighting or resting on the scorched earth.

"Target Six has found conclusive evidence of sabotage at the edge of the fissure. Our preliminary assessment is that an unknown party is attempting to amplify the threat of this fissure."

The channel went quiet for a moment, filled only by the hiss of static.

Lei Lie’s gruff voice was the first to break the silence. "Son of a bitch! I knew it wasn’t that simple! I told you something was off about how agitated these Star Beasts were!"

Luo Geng’s voice remained hoarse and steady. "Do our mission priorities need to change?"

"The primary objectives remain the same," Zhao Zhen said quickly. "Deploy the base stations, restore surveillance, and clear out the remaining Star Beasts. Those are still top priority."

"However, I’m adding a new objective: all teams, as you advance, be on the lookout for similar signs of sabotage, suspicious objects, or any unnatural activity. If you find anything, report it immediately and, if possible, secure the scene or collect evidence."

"Target Six, Xu Wuyi," Zhao Zhen said, addressing him directly. "You’re in the core area where the evidence was found, which also makes it the most dangerous zone."

"Your new directive is to secure your position in the safe zone around the KZ-1 base station site and establish a temporary defensive perimeter. Conduct a more detailed reconnaissance of the immediate vicinity, but do so only if you can guarantee your own safety. Do not approach the fissure any further, and do not enter any areas that could be an ambush."

"Your job is to be our ’eyes’ and our ’anchor’ out there. Understand?"

"Understood," Xu Wuyi replied succinctly.