Chapter 100: Starfire Tempered Blade

The Expedition Fleet left that dead, silent Stardust Region and began the long jump back to the Solar System. Unlike the urgency and unknown of the outbound journey, the return is shrouded in a heavy silence.

Chen Mo stood alone at the observation window of the Qiming Ship, staring at the streaking Starlight outside. The warm Starlight Crystal pressed against his chest as if it weighed a thousand pounds. In his mind, the desperate tableau and final charge from the ancient Stardust Civilization were imprinted deeply.

He recalled the beginning, when it was only to lead the people of Pure Land to survive, fighting for a sliver of hope in the wasteland. Later, it was to end the Ark's twisted order and reclaim a world belonging to humanity. Even later, it was to fend off the Reapers and protect the hard‑won New Hope.

And now… find the Door of the End, stop the return of the Void Devourer, or all things will fall into silence.

The responsibility was colossal, so massive it left him breathless. He was merely an ordinary person struggling to survive in the ruins; even with Luo Ya's inheritance and a modest amount of power, how could he bear the mission of the universe's survival?

Past experiences flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern: his first meeting with Su Yu in the ruins, her clear and steadfast gaze; Kaiwen's excited, gesturing wildly before the Luo Ya console; Zhang Yang's hearty laugh while shouldering a heavy machine gun; Wang Hu's silent yet mountain‑solid reliability; Han Qing's cool, meticulous composure; Hui Jin's shift from obsession to tolerance… and the people in Qiming City who rekindled the fire of hope.

He was not alone. He had companions he could lean on, and a people willing to follow and trust him. Everything he did had never changed in purpose—protection. Protecting those around him, protecting the land beneath his feet, protecting this hard‑won order and hope. Now, that scope of protection had been forced to expand to the entire heavens. Was it avoidance? Sealing the Starlight Crystal, pretending ignorance, retreating to a corner? Yet the Hunter Dog had already come knocking, its cold mark like a sword of Damocles. When the nest is broken, how can any egg remain intact?

Chen Mo inhaled deeply, gripping the Starlight Crystal at his chest even tighter; the last hint of bewilderment in his eyes was dispelled, replaced by a rock‑solid resolve. Greater power, greater responsibility. Since fate had placed this burden in his hands, and since he was currently the only one who had inherited Luo Ya's and the Stardust Civilization Clues, he… could not shirk his duty!

"Notify all core members to the conference room." He turned, his voice regaining its usual steadiness, now laced with undeniable authority.

Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was heavy. As Chen Mo slowly recounted his observations of the Stardust Civilization, the horror of the Void Devourer, and the mission of the Door of the End, even the most free‑spirited Kaiwen fell into prolonged silence.

"…so, our opponent might be… a cosmic‑scale calamity?" Zhang Yang opened his mouth, struggling for a moment before forcing out the words, his facial muscles stiff. This far exceeded his previous conception of an 'enemy.'

Wang Hu simply clenched his fist, the joints emitting a faint crack, his gaze fierce as if he already saw the foe he needed to smash.

Su Yu gently placed her hand on Chen Mo's back of the hand, the cool temperature conveying her support and worry. Her True Knowledge Vision could vaguely sense the immense pressure weighing on Chen Mo's heart.

Han Qing furrowed his brows, his fingertips tapping the tabletop as he quickly analyzed: "If the Hunter Dog is merely a vanguard or a minion, its true body behind it… our current strength is no better than a mantis trying to stop a chariot. The Stardust Civilization is so powerful it is nearly extinct…"

"But we are not without hope!" Kaiwen snapped his head up, his eyes blood‑shot yet flashing with the fanatic glow of a tech‑nerd. "The ruins gave us clues! The Starlight Crystal! And its Resonance with your power, leader! This shows we're on the right path! What we need is time! Faster assimilation of Luo Ya's and Stardust's legacy! To become stronger!"

Hui Jin's voice came through encrypted comms, carrying a calm forged by ages: "Destruction and protection are the two fundamental tones of the universe. Since the shadow of destruction is already closing in, we can only burn everything, safeguarding this tiny yet precious flame of life. This is the true meaning of Pure Fire, and also the purpose of our existence."

Zhang Yang's bold courage faced the pressure head‑on, Wang Hu's silent resolve turned into action, Su Yu's subtlety offered support, Han Qing's cool analysis of the situation, Kaiwen's technocratic optimism, and Hui Jin's faith ascended. Their motivations were all tightly linked to the core goal of protecting Qiming City, and grew even more resolute and unified in the face of the new cosmic‑scale threat.

Chen Mo looked at his companions, a warm current stirring within him. He rose, his gaze sweeping each face: "Kaiwen is right; we are not without hope. Time is pressing, but we still have time. The Stardust Defense Line is our first shield, but it must not be the last."

He made a decision: "After returning to Qiming City, first, fully analyze the Starlight Crystal to find concrete clues about the Door of the End and how to counter the Void Devourer. Second, launch the Fire Seed Tempering project, concentrating all resources, using Luo Ya and Stardust technology as a foundation, combined with our own traits, to forge an ultimate power for humanity capable of deep‑space expeditions and decisive battles! Third, strengthen communication with the Guardians and even the Forged Fire Clan and other known civilizations, and where possible, attempt to establish a broader early‑warning and defense alliance."

The objective shifted quietly from 'protecting the homeland' to 'for survival, proactively confronting the cosmic‑scale threat.' Passive defense could no longer meet the approaching storm; only by actively seeking answers and power could a sliver of hope remain.

When the Expedition Fleet returned to Qiming City bearing a heavy yet steadfast belief, the whole city sensed an unusual atmosphere. Chen Mo did not fully disclose the terrifying truth of the Void Devourer to the public, lest panic spread, but the launch of the Fire Seed Tempering plan and the renewed tilt in resource allocation made people understand that greater challenges lay ahead.

The Academy of Sciences became the busiest place. Kaiwen led his team in near‑constant work, simultaneously trying to forge a more stable link with the Starlight Crystal and decipher the vast, smoky information within; and beginning to design next‑generation weapons and ship blueprints based on the newly acquired knowledge. Luo Ya's Order Power, Stardust's ancient energy theory, and humanity's own tech tree began to produce a marvelous chemical reaction.

Chen Mo began a deep excavation and systematic organization of his own power. He no longer regarded the Order Power merely as a potent energy, but sought to understand its underlying philosophy and rules. He spent long periods before the Luo Ya Stele, engaging in a spiritual dialogue with the ancient civilization, while also guiding Su Yu, helping her integrate True Knowledge Vision more deeply with Order perception, hoping to capture threat signals from Deep Space more quickly and clearly.

Han Qing's intelligence network began to cautiously leak portions of information about the Ancient Threat to the Forged Fire Clan and the Guardians (omitting specific details of the Stardust ruins), probing their reactions. The Guardians showed heightened vigilance and a willingness to offer more technical support; the Forged Fire Clan, after cold logical calculation, indicated that if the threat were confirmed, they could consider providing Limited Military Cooperation on a Reciprocal Trade basis.

That day, in the highly classified Zero Test Site, Kaiwen excitedly contacted Chen Mo and Su Yu.

"Leader! Su Yu, sis! Come quickly!"

In the center of the test site stood a sleek, dark‑blue armored prototype fighter, its armor faintly coursing with silver Starlight— the prototype of Starfire.

"It combines Luo Ya energy conduction, Forged Fire heavy structure, and our preliminary analysis of the Stardust Energy Deflection Coating!" Kaiwen announced excitedly. "Its speed, maneuverability and defensive power, especially its resistance to that shadow‑corroding energy, are more than three times those of our current fighters! Though its energy consumption is huge and it cannot yet be mass‑produced, this proves we're on the right track!"

Chen Mo stepped forward, his palm lightly brushing the Starfire's icy armor; he could feel the faint vibration within, sharing the same origin as the Starlight Crystal. This was not merely a technological advance, but a symbol—human civilization was merging ancient heritage with its own will, tempering a blade of its own.

Su Yu also sensed the fighter's pure, resilient aura; she looked at Chen Mo, her eyes full of hope: "Look, we're getting stronger."

Chen Mo nodded, his gaze seeming to pierce the test site's dome and reach into the boundless Deep Space.

The enemy is formidable, the road ahead arduous.

But humanity has never ceased moving forward.

Though Starfire is small, it can still set the prairie ablaze. And this tempering process itself is the most powerful retaliation against any will of destruction!