Xyrin Empire-Chapter 1395: Powder Keg

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You know the saying that art is derived from life but rises above it, right? The colloquial translation is that the stuff you come across in real life is always more outrageous than in stories—because after all, when you’re making up stories, you need to consider plausibility, right? But look at the things I deal with in my daily life; how many of them are actually reasonable? These days, Little Crow has started trying to hatch little birds from walnuts again...

Who would have thought that the clues to our Hometown World were right under our noses, of course, the bad news is that it’s also right under the Fallen Apostles’ noses: the thing recording the coordinates is placed right at the friction point on the border between the two empires. There’s a saying that after searching thousands of times, you suddenly turn your head and that thing is right by you, though the latter half seems a bit off, but you get the idea. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"This location is a huge headache," Sandora frowned, her fingers subconsciously tapping the coffee table, "any movement over there will definitely be noticed, that’s the point closest to the Empire and the Fallen Apostles’ border."

I thought about it and slowly started to understand Father God’s meaning, and at the same time, some ideas began to form in my mind.

"Because it’s quite sensitive over there, the Divine Race can’t send people to retrieve it, right?" I glanced at Father God, "If you send even one or two people over, it’d easily be seen as a sign of a Divine and Imperial alliance army, at worst they’d start a war, at best they’d send people over to check the situation, and once they discover the intention, everything would be compromised."

Father God nodded, "That’s exactly it. It’s embarrassing to say, this was originally something from the Divine Realm, and now we can’t even send people to retrieve it. If it were elsewhere, the Divine Realm could send someone to get it and deliver it to you, without all this hassle."

"The Divine Race can’t do it, how about us?" Qianqian happened to be passing by and overheard our discussion, immediately blinking as she joined us, "If we declare we’re sending people there for tourism, the Abyss Xyrin won’t believe it..."

I pondered the situation over there, trying to find a way to send people without arousing the enemy’s suspicion, and after thinking for a while, I came to a conclusion: sending people over is easy, but there’s no way to make the Fallen Apostles turn a blind eye. You have to understand, there are hundreds of monitoring stations watching that spot around the clock, imagine the level of surveillance? Even if a fly flew over, they’d probably analyze its gender immediately. So the remaining thing to think about is: how to stealthily retrieve a divine artifact right under the Fallen Apostles’ watchful eyes?

If successful, it would be the most thrilling capture in history...

But it seems that it’s not entirely impossible, I came up with two alternative plans: the first is to send a large army over and have a blatant fight, making it clear that we are going there for invasion, then amid the chaos, seize that area, and naturally, the thing will be ours. I didn’t dare say this plan out loud, fearing Sandora would think I’d lost my mind...

The second plan has a touch of espionage: we just send a few people, openly flying over in a shuttle, because at that friction point, this is "common."

"The Empire and the Fallen Apostles have built many outposts in that area," I shifted, slowly articulating my thoughts, "it’s like a fire line, sentries every few steps, these outposts undergo changes every now and then, be it relocating, personnel rotation, or just messing around to confuse the other side’s sight, at such a close distance, the actions on both sides are pretty much open, the most daring outposts even switch shifts right under the enemy’s nose—sometimes they’ll symbolically throw a couple of self-destructing probes at each other."

"We could send a few people, blend into the regular sentry shift rotation, the other side is so accustomed to it that they won’t suspect there’s anything special about these rotating sentry units," Sandora immediately grasped my meaning and carried on, "both sides monitor only the Void Channel; those universes, on the other hand, are ignored because neither side dares to build military fortresses in those worlds: doing so would signal fully-fledged war. So we just pretend to be regular rotating sentries, then find an opportunity to sneak into those worlds, and the rest can be freely handled, as long as no military base is constructed on the Main Material Plane, no alarms will trip."

I nodded, this was my idea, regardless of the daunting details, it sounded feasible. Father God also nodded slightly, evidently approving of this idea, but he still had some concerns: "This task is very challenging, and there’s only one shot at success. How confident are you? If the odds aren’t promising, we must be ready for all-out war; I’ll return to prepare reinforcements, that area’s positions must not be lost."

"I’ll go personally, and take the best fighters with me." I casually expressed my initial thought. Sandora showed no surprise; after so many years together, she knew what I’d think in such situations. However, Father God’s reaction was interesting; he was surprised and somewhat pleased: "You have a temper much like mine back in the day; I too was quite reckless back then..."

Me: "..."

When in doubt, go big, and if still in doubt, sacrifice a tower; could this be considered part of my Great Void Clan’s traditional culture?

I decided to personally trek for a reason, after all, I am no longer that hot-headed youth who plans on impulse. First of all, the personnel that can go this time is limited, taking three to five people is easier to explain; bringing thousands of troops for a sentry rotation, do you think the Abyss Xyrin would buy it? So the personnel must be few but elite. Secondly, we must be prepared to engage the Fallen Apostles directly if the plan fails. In this case, someone capable must hold the frontline—at least someone tough enough. Scouring the Empire, only me, the Undead Taoist, could handle this responsibility. Thus, even if the plan is exposed, we can buy a bit more time, and don’t underestimate that time; the artifact might just come into our grasp.

Moreover, if worst comes to worst, we can still retreat...

"Then it’s settled," Father God said with a hearty laugh after hearing my plan, "you really are quite like me back in the day. Then I’ll leave all the information here; we only confirmed the artifact’s location in which world and its approximate position. But after such a long time, the data may not be accurate, and its specific appearance is uncertain."

With that, Father God took a scroll from his bosom and placed it on the coffee table. I kept the scroll safe, planning to have Sister Bing translate it before departure. With this, another major task was added to the agenda. As for the so-called inaccurate information—it’s not a big deal; nothing in this world is seamless, and when we reach the spot, I’ll gather information. I believe this divine artifact will shine through, it’s even more conspicuous than gold; such a thing that casually stirs heaven and earth in the mortal world would be renowned; perhaps the local natives hold clues.

At that moment, Anwina floated out of the kitchen, carrying a platter with snacks and tea. Little Ghost skillfully set the items on the coffee table, while Father God observed the delicate pastries with interest: "Why are there small pits on these cakes?"

Anwina awkwardly wiped her hands: "Those were once nuts—Sandora the hostess picked them out and ate them as soon as they were baked..."

Father God and I simultaneously: "..."

Sandora turned her head and pretended to know nothing, snatching a cake in the blink of an eye.

"Speaking of which..." while we were all engaged in attacking the pastries Anwina baked, Father God leisurely started, "besides telling you the main task, there’s a side matter I came for this time."

My heart skipped a beat, here it comes: this laid-back big brother here actually has a higher integrity level than all of us combined. What he discussed with us just now could have been communicated by a trusted subordinate, so him coming personally indicates more plans. This "by the way" thing is likely the main event.

Then, under my curious gaze, Father God pulled a round plastic disc from his pocket, looking puzzled: "This thing recently made its way to the Divine Realm, said to be the latest craze in trading goods in several bordering worlds of the Star Domain and Xyrin. Cynthia brought a heap back when she went out to play—I researched it for days, but what exactly is this?"

I was dumbfounded, staring at the plastic disc with colorful images and a line of big words underneath: Heaven and earth collapsing, the colors of the wind and clouds changing, a romance beyond the heavens between God’s Seven Sons and the last Demon Queen—Capture of Hu Luwa (Part Two).

Sandora turned her head to take a look, and at that moment, half of the cake got stuck in her throat, choking her until her eyes went wide. She quickly fired three shots into her mouth with a handgun just to swallow it down. Then, utterly dumbfounded, she exchanged glances with me, both of us showing one expression: How did that old bastard do it?

Later, we saw a department called "Sicaro Media and Cultural Cooperation Project Department" in the organization structure report of the Feiyali Void Consortium, and everything became clear... Of course, that’s a story for another time.

Due to the sudden news brought by Father God, my original plan with Sandora to visit the deep dive site had to be abandoned. After all, I had to consider the possibility of something going wrong later, so it was better to set out early. However, I felt it wasn’t a big loss, given my primary role in the deep dive project was more of a decoration, and I estimated my presence onsite was probably less significant than that of the Ancestors...

The deep dive test scheduled for the following day could only be overseen by Sandora, while I had to lead a team to the border to recover the Divine Artifact. However, there was a problem with the selection of personnel—who would be suitable to go?

That afternoon, after sending off Father God, I remembered this issue, and quickly gathered everyone at home to discuss it. This time was different from the past, and it was best to have as few people as possible. Going out like before with a dozen family members in a group tour manner was unsuitable. Moreover, for an exploration-oriented mission, the number of people was not relevant.

Besides Sandora, who needed to stay back and oversee the Empire, everyone at home thought they were suitable to go, including a few little girls who knew nothing but loved to join the fun. Of course, this wasn’t the time for that kind of fun, so the little ones were promptly shooed away by Big Sister. Finally, after careful consideration, we decided the personnel should focus on "combat ability" and "strategy," and Pandora and Visca Sisters were the first to be chosen.

After all, in the Fifteenth Day Zone back then, Pandora ranked second in combat power, second only to the Emperor. Don’t be fooled by her seemingly simple battle style of just pushing a bunch of Floating Cannons around; it’s a mistake to assume the little girl’s combat prowess is limited to that. It’s just that she hasn’t unleashed any powerful moves or used super weapons. I’ve seen her arsenal; if all her weapons were brought out and thrown, they could wipe out several Divine Race Teams with spare force. She’s especially adept at handling situations where she’s outnumbered, and the enemy’s numerical advantage poses minimal pressure for her—a perfect fit for dealing with potential emergencies in this mission. Visca shares similar traits with Pandora; thus, the sisters were selected.

Next up were Alaya and Dingdang; aside from Angel Sister’s combat ability, the two were chosen because they are bound equipment, sharing the advantage of not taking up space. Additionally, both are multifunctional—Alaya can serve as a lamp under special circumstances, and Dingdang can cure all ailments with water immersion...

That’s how we decided the "combat-ready" personnel; next were the strategists. I considered myself one—but others didn’t agree much...

Lin Xue stood up: "I’ll go."

The two words were spoken with such decisiveness, leaving no room for rebuttal. Xiao Xue got up to say something but was silenced by a glare from Miss: "Naughty kid, stay home and take care of your sisters; this isn’t the time to meddle."

Xiao Xue pursed her lips, glancing at Little Baobao, Little Crow, and little doll peeking out from behind the sofa, their eyes darting around, she sat down dejectedly on the couch: "Is there such a thing as a sister taking care of the sisters..."

I chuckled: Serves you right for crossing over backwards!

It’s good to have Lin Xue along; in such a crisis-ridden place, you indeed need a Prophet for guidance.

Another must-have was Qianqian—as wherever I went, she would follow. Apart from a few times, this girl hasn’t operated separately from me, and her abilities are especially useful for handling emergencies and various crises. I didn’t think much and decided to take her along.

"Include my humble self in the final count."

Just when I thought all selections were finalized, Bingdisi suddenly stood up. Boss, in true fashion, tossed out a statement with an uncompromising tone, settling the matter herself. I couldn’t help but glance at her: "Sister Bing, this mission isn’t about busting places and collecting protection fees; can you handle this slow and strategic operation?"

Bingdisi glanced askew, "Can you recognize a Star Domain Artifact if given one? Can you sense a Bible within a hundred miles? Do you know how to change the insurance if a Heavenly God War Chariot breaks down? Forget everything else—if that Reconnaissance Soldier added a Rune Lock on the Divine Artifact years ago, can you even recognize all the characters?"

I was immediately at a loss; meanwhile, Sandora came up with a question: "What about the Divine Race powers on you? Although Fallen Apostles may not necessarily be able to detect them, it’s better to be cautious; if a Divine Race appears among the Sentry in turns, as long as the enemy isn’t stupid, they’ll surely suspect something’s wrong."

Bingdisi laughed softly upon hearing this, her face showing a profound expression. Soon, I felt a certain "presence" around her changing rapidly. This "presence" is a vague, indescribable feeling, which, if explained, is the information disturbance power that Divine Race members possess around everything nearby. We, who are somewhat "special," can distinctly feel that around Bingdisi as a Divine Race member, there’s a field, where everything within strongly carries her "aura." Now, the aura around Bingdisi is slowly dissipating, then gradually regained—but when it reappeared, its form was markedly different.

"You’ve already mastered it..." Sandora stared at Bingdisi in awe, while the latter nodded proudly: "I am a study master; as long as someone of my kind is willing to put effort, there’s nothing they cannot comprehend; wouldn’t want to waste having two household registers, right?"

Only then did I realize, quickly checking the information link of the Imperial Main Network, and found a label beside me indicating Bingdisi of Bingdisi Sub-clan, High-level Xyrin Apostle and Commander of Bingdisi Legion, with full signal response...

Indeed, Bingdisi having the identity and "presence" of a Xyrin Apostle isn’t strange—after all, she currently has dual household registers. The puzzling part is that her inherent "traits" of the Star Domain Divine Race portion have been entirely disguised...

"Since there are dual household registers, naturally, one racial trait can completely cover up the other," Bingdisi said grinningly, "I know the Xyrin Divine System hasn’t formed yet, so disguising as a Xyrin God makes no sense. But as long as the Star Domain God’s traits are covered, that’s enough. As long as the Fallen Apostles can’t recognize my Star Domain identity, at most they’ll suspect you’ve developed a new model of Imperial Soldiers."

Scratching my head in confusion: "The more I listen, the more muddled I get; how did you do it?"

"If you can’t figure it out, stop thinking; it’s too complex for you," Bingdisi sincerely advised me, "See, you’ve had so many unsolvable mysteries over the years, yet you’ve managed, haven’t you..."

Me: "...Forget it, I don’t understand the world of study masters, as long as you don’t mess up."

In any case, the selection of personnel was finalized—apart from me, there were the Pandora Sisters serving as fighters, Lin Xue self-proclaimed as strategist and little map, Bingdisi acting as fighter and advisor, Qianqian as the strongest support and mascot, Alaya included as a binding equipment, and Dingdang serving to brew tea and alleviate boredom. Others wouldn’t work: this lineup suffices.

We rested for a night to recuperate, then set off the next day in a shuttle towards the border.

Currently, the Empire and Fallen Apostles have surpassed the initial mutually cautious stage through the fog. After mapping each other’s territories and most of the surrounding worlds, these arch-enemies now station troops at their borders, confronting one another like typical warring nations—at least along part of the border. Such confrontations resemble an explosive powder keg, with two enemies holding matches, waiting for one to dare throw in first. Aside from this confrontation, both parties are in such proximity that they’ve gradually developed an odd tacit understanding of "changing shifts daily, scouting together, scanning each other, and regularly firing self-destructing probes." We know exactly how often the Fallen Apostles reposition all posts; they know how many Sentry Units the Imperial Army rotates each wave. The inconvenience of void warfare and mutual reluctance to initiate a full-scale decisive battle prevent the powder keg from exploding. I don’t know how long these insecure safety mechanisms will hold, but our small team reached this quiet yet dangerous void place the following day. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)