Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high! Chapter 1087 - 738: Silent Royal Court (Part 2)

Establishing a base on the Mine Star, incorporating new technologies, and integrating the population all demand significant time and resources. The Golden Federation's invitation conveniently offers pathways for acquiring these essential "resources" and accelerating "technology transfer."

"We must accept their terms," Bai E decreed, his voice steady and resolute. "Our need for development and rapid strengthening is paramount. Risk and opportunity are invariably intertwined. I will personally join this expedition, both to honor our partnership and to observe and learn. The responsibilities concerning the Mine Star, and the subsequent technological advancements and fleet construction for 'New Bauhinia,' will be entirely yours, Helen."

He fixed his gaze on Helen, his eyes conveying absolute trust. "Utilize the knowledge I've already extracted from the 'Divine Fragment,' blend it with your ingenuity, and lead Dai Lian, Zhou Wenjie's Fire Hammer Guild, and all our researchers to swiftly convert theory into tangible results. We require superior mechas, more advanced starships, and a more robust defense network. While the Golden Federation will supply funding and some fundamental technology, the critical core components must be developed by us."

Helen met Bai E's unwavering look, her own eyes alight with assurance and a deep sense of duty. "Understood. The Mine Star will be your unwavering bedrock. Depart with peace of mind; I pledge to make 'New Bauhinia's' technological foundation flourish brilliantly by your return." She remembered his earlier words to her: "The Mine Star is entirely in your hands."

With their mutual understanding secured, Bai E conveyed his formal acceptance of the joint exploration invitation to the Golden Federation via a secure, encrypted channel.

A rendezvous point was agreed upon by both parties: near a clandestine jump point situated at the fringes of the Golden Federation's territorial influence.

Several days later, Bai E, piloting the "Star Emperor" mecha – which had undergone urgent repairs and enhancements by Helen's diligent team – embarked on the "Sharp Blade," a swift, compact escort vessel. This ship had detached from the "Dawn Light" and was further concealed and fortified, as Bai E proceeded solo towards the designated meeting location.

Catherine, Rose, and the others remained aboard the "Dawn Light." Together with Helen, they set course back towards the Mine Star region, poised to commence a new era of development and construction.

Upon the "Sharp Blade's" arrival at the agreed-upon coordinates, the Golden Federation's flagship, the cruiser "Glorious Destiny," awaited them. Its design was striking, embellished with elaborate golden and deep purple patterns, its form sleek, and it emanated potent spiritual energy undulations.

Several slightly smaller, yet equally imposing, escort vessels formed a protective cordon around the colossal cruiser.

The communication channel crackled to life, and a voice, familiar yet imbued with a subtle shift in tone, resonated. It carried the refined elegance and dignified reserve characteristic of the Golden Federation's aristocracy.

"Sir Bai E, you are most welcome. I am Astra, commanding this joint exploration mission."

Astra's visage materialized on the screen. This was the "Child of Destiny" who had previously contended with Bai E during the Star Alliance competition. Now clad in the distinguished uniform of a high-ranking Golden Federation officer, his expression was more composed and penetrating than the fervent fighting spirit he'd displayed on the competitive stage.

It was evident that he was not merely a skilled contender but also held a significant position within the Golden Federation, likely the "young prince" Elorin had referenced.

"Sir Astra," Bai E replied, his demeanor perfectly matched.

"Kindly dock with the 'Glorious Destiny.' Final mission briefings are scheduled, and we wish for you to acclimate yourself with our fleet and the exploration contingent," Astra stated formally.

Once the docking procedures were finalized, Bai E convened with the mission's core team within the "Glorious Destiny's" opulent and spacious tactical briefing chamber.

In attendance, alongside Astra, were several venerable scholars from the Golden Federation Academy of Sciences, emanating an aura of profound calm, and a number of officers who were clearly elite mech combatants or possessed potent spiritual abilities.

"To begin, allow me to reiterate our sincere welcome to this mission, Sir Bai E," Astra announced, positioning himself before the holographic star map as the mission commander. "Our objective this time is designated by the codename 'Silent Royal Court,' situated deep within the 'Forgotten Corridor,' a largely uncharted region in the Milky Way's undeveloped frontier."

He gestured towards the holographic map, zooming in on a section highlighted in a deep crimson hue, its appearance denoting extreme spatial turbulence and chaos.

The 'Forgotten Corridor,' a vast expanse, is characterized by unstable gravity wells, intense radiation storms, shattered nebulae, and numerous remnants of ancient warfare. Conventional warp travel is exceedingly difficult within its boundaries, and the environment itself is highly perilous. Through years of covert exploration and the study of incomplete ancient documents, we have deduced that the 'Silent Royal Court' is not a naturally occurring celestial body, but rather a location of... immeasurable scale. It is believed to be the resting place or central hub of a powerful, ancient civilization's 'ruler' or 'primary intelligence nexus.'

Holographic displays shifted, showcasing fragmented, blurry, and heavily restored ancient star charts, alongside fleeting glimpses captured by passing probes—

These spectral images revealed the outlines of colossal, unnatural geometric structures, silently adrift amidst the nebulae and darkness, emanating a chilling, lifeless aura.

An aged scholar with white hair then assumed the narration, his voice imbued with a palpable tremor of excitement: "Its energy signatures and material composition bear a strong resemblance to the 'ancient bell' relics you previously discovered in the Aisera Star System! However, the sheer scale... is incomparable! The 'Hammer of Morning Star' found on the 'ancient bell' satellite was likely merely a 'localized defense node' or a 'minor purification apparatus' of that lost civilization. In contrast, the 'Silent Royal Court'... we theorize it served as one of the core sites for that civilization's ultimate authority or collective intellect, functioning perhaps as... a throne, or an immense repository of knowledge."

He presented analytical data: "Our most sophisticated long-range spiritual energy remote sensing and quantum entanglement detectors have provided feedback indicating that the main structure of the 'Silent Royal Court' is enveloped by an extraordinarily potent, near 'absolute' static field. Time progresses at a near standstill within this domain, and the fundamental laws of physics exhibit significant 'inertia' or 'deviation.' Standard physical contact, energy scans, and even spiritual energy probes are drastically weakened or distorted. This is the very reason it is called 'Silent'—it offers only 'silence' in response to nearly all known methods of detection."

"Our objective," Astra articulated, "is to leverage your unique aptitude, Sir Bai E, your innate resonance with such ancient artifacts, to try and penetrate or at least 'perceive' the interior conditions of the 'Silent Royal Court's' static field domain. Our aim is to identify potential ingress points or 'interfaces.' Should the opportunity arise, we will attempt to establish preliminary connections to acquire any valuable intelligence or technological blueprints. The entire operation will be coordinated from the 'Glorious Destiny,' supported by specially outfitted anti-interference detection vessels and elite exploration teams. We will not proceed with reckless deep dives; the initial phase will concentrate on reconnaissance and establishing forward outposts."

He gazed at Bai E, his golden eyes gleaming: "Sir Bai E, your 'key' holds paramount importance for the success of our mission. As per our agreement, any discoveries made during the exploration will be jointly shared. For now, please accompany the fleet as we first proceed to the observation station located on the periphery of the 'Forgotten Corridor' for final resupplies and necessary adaptive adjustments. Following that... we shall venture into that silent domain."

"Understood." With the operational plans finalized, the fleet commenced its journey.

After executing several meticulously calculated long-distance warp jumps and conventional traversals, the Golden Federation's exploration fleet finally reached the outer reaches of the 'Forgotten Corridor.'

Even while still positioned beyond the Corridor's gravitational influence, the spectacle unfolding before them was enough to instill a profound sense of insignificance in any observer, highlighting the uncanny nature of the cosmos.

Through the expansive observation window of the 'Glorious Destiny,' Bai E beheld the boundary of the 'Forgotten Corridor,' appearing as a profound scar upon the fabric of space.

It wasn't a defined edge, but rather a slowly rotating, tumultuous band of nebulae, interlaced with countless fine particles of stardust and ice crystals that emitted an eerie luminescence.

Further within, faintly discernible were colossal fragments of celestial bodies, twisted remnants of metallic structures, and certain inexplicable 'voids' that seemed to have originated from tears in spacetime itself, suffused with dark energy.

Incoming probes transmitted data sporadically, heavily laden with interference:

'Space curvature anomaly detected ahead... gravitational readings are chaotic, indicating the presence of multiple transient micro black holes or gravity vortices...'

'Background radiation intensity exceeds normal parameters... high-energy particle storms are frequently active...'

'Spiritual energy background field is highly unstable, exhibiting intense 'information annihilation' effects, severely obstructing conventional communications...'

'Significant quantity of non-natural metallic signals detected... dimensions... are incomprehensible...'