Chapter 63: North Mountain Beacon Fires, the Rule Mediator

The wind along the North Mountain ridge carried a bone‑piercing chill and lingering data dust. The ruined old‑era signal tower stood alone like a broken giant's finger. Around its base lay scattered tools and mottled bloodstains, silently telling of a recent clash.

Chen Mo crouched, his finger brushing a charred mark on the ground where a faint yet pure purification aura lingered, different from the gentle Pure Fire represented by Hui Jin; this aura was more domineering and aggressive. "It's a Pure Fire remnant, indeed. But its aggression is strong, not merely expulsion."

Su Yu's fingertip traced an empty arc in the air, and True Knowledge Vision captured the lingering energy trails in the environment. "It's not just Pure Fire. There's also a kind of… extremely stable, extremely 'orderly' energy residue, like that emitted by a precisely calibrated instrument, different from Pure Fire's 'activity' and the 'chaos' of naturally mutated organisms. It should be the white‑clad people Zhao Lei mentioned."

Han Qing inspected the violently dismantled tower components, his brows knit. "They seized the energy core; according to Li Siwen, that thing is the key to activating wider‑range communications. Their purpose is clear."

Zhang Yang hoisted his gun, swearing, "Damn it, they stole something and took people! Captain, what do we do? Charge straight at their den?"

Chen Mo did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes, letting his spirit slowly resonate with the surrounding environment. The mountain wind, the rocks, the lingering energy, even the tension hanging in the air, all turned into invisible data flowing into his perception. He "saw" several chaotic tracks spreading toward the deeper northern mountains, one of which represented Liu Neng's life force—weak but steady—bound by a cold, orderly energy.

"They didn't go far; they're toward the north 'Broken Canyon'." Chen Mo opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. "The opponent came prepared, strength unknown. A direct assault might not rescue Liu Neng."

He looked at Li Siwen. "Engineer Li, if we lose that energy core, how long will rebuilding the communication network be delayed?"

Li Siwen pushed his glasses up, his complexion grim. "At least three months, and we'll need a replacement; cores of that specification are hard to obtain now."

Chen Mo nodded, already decided. "Pursue, but change tactics. We're going to rescue people and retrieve what's ours, not to start a war."

He addressed the group. "Han Qing, lead a team around the left ridge, seize the high ground, handle vigilance and long‑range support. Zhang Yang, lead another team to stealth through the right‑hand forest, create disturbance and draw their attention. Wang Hu, you, me, and Su Yu will approach from the front."

"Front?" Wang Hu asked in a hoarse, muffled voice. "Doesn't that expose us directly?"

"Exactly, we must expose ourselves." Chen Mo's eyes were calm. "We are now the 'Rule Weavers' of this land, not marauders. Courtesy before force; let's see where they truly come from."

……

Broken Canyon resembled a snarling scar on the earth. On one side of the canyon's rock wall was an unmistakably man‑carved, later enlarged opening; outside lingered crude defensive works and patrolling Pure Fire remnants. They wore tattered sect robes, but their eyes were more fanatical and numb than the disciples under Hui Jin, and the weapons they wielded flickered with unstable Pure Fire arcs.

Chen Mo, Su Yu, and Wang Hu appeared at the canyon entrance without any concealment.

"Halt! Defiler!" a junior Pure Fire commander shouted, raising a staff studded with unstable crystals. "This is the 'True Pure Fire' Holy Land; intruders will be purified!"

Chen Mo released no aura, simply looking at him calmly. "We're here for the comrade you captured today and the stolen energy core. Hand over the people and the thing, and we'll leave immediately."

"Absurd! You're stained with worldly filth, and that energy core harbors impure power; it should be purified by our sect!" the junior commander said fervently. "As for that prisoner, he will become a sacrifice offered to the True Fire!"

Sacrifice? Chen Mo's eyes hardened.

At that moment, three figures in pure‑white, oddly textured uniforms emerged from the opening. They wore full‑coverage helmets that hid their faces, moving in perfectly synchronized, mechanically precise motions. The leader bore a simple gear and wheat‑ear insignia on his shoulder tab; he glanced at Chen Mo, and his voice, filtered through the mask, carried an electronic synthetic tone:

"Low‑entropy disturbance entity. According to Article 7 of the Post‑War Cleanup Agreement, the energy core is a regulated reclaimed item. You have no right to possess it. Leave immediately to avoid unnecessary conflict."

Post‑War Cleanup Agreement? Low‑entropy disturbance entity? Those terms made Chen Mo's mind stir. These people seemed to follow an entirely different, tightly regulated rule system.

"There is no such agreement here." Chen Mo stepped forward, his tone still even, but an invisible pressure began to emanate from him, resonating faintly with the canyon wind and surrounding rocks. "This is our home. Hand over the people and the thing; this is an ultimatum."

The white‑clad commander seemed to detect the rule‑level fluctuation emanating from Chen Mo; the gaze beneath his helmet (if it could be called a gaze) grew a shade more solemn. "Detected high‑dimensional rule interference… threat level rising. Initiating expulsion protocol."

He waved his hand, and the two white‑clad soldiers behind him instantly raised their oddly shaped, submachine‑gun‑like weapons, the muzzles glowing with blue energy. At the same time, the surrounding Pure Fire remnants began to stir.

"Looks like there's no negotiation left." Wang Hu snarled, slamming his massive war axe heavily onto the ground.

Just as battle was about to erupt, Chen Mo made an unexpected move. He neither attacked nor defended, but pressed both hands virtually toward the ground.

"Mediation: This location—energy activity suppression."

An invisible wave radiated outward from him! It was not an offensive compile but more a "rule‑level" mediation. In the canyon entrance, the active energy particles instantly became "lazy."

The blue energy glow at the white‑clad soldiers' muzzles dimmed visibly and flickered, ultimately failing to fire. The Pure Fire on the remnants' staff also grew weak and unstable, as if it could extinguish at any moment.

Everyone froze, including the white‑clad figures; their movements briefly stiffened, as if unable to comprehend this ability that acted directly on environmental rules.

"Impossible! Environmental energy parameters forcibly altered?!" The white commander's electronic voice quivered with a noticeable modulation for the first time.

Chen Mo did not stop; his gaze fixed on the depths of the opening, where he could feel Liu Neng.

"Guidance: Structural stress—localized release."

He made a slight pulling motion toward the rock wall above the opening.

Boom—

A small rock fragment, not struck by external force, seemed to reach its structural limit and collapsed naturally, falling to block most of the opening and kicking up a cloud of dust!

"Rescue!"

Chen Mo barked low, and Wang Hu surged forward like a released tiger, roaring as he charged the Pure Fire remnant stunned by the falling rock. Su Yu flickered like a wraith, slipping through the chaotic battlefield toward the cave.

"Stop them!" the white commander recovered, trying to raise his gun again, but the energy weapon remained in an "inert" state. He decisively discarded the weapon, drawing a high‑frequency vibrating blade from his waist, moving lightning‑fast to thrust at Chen Mo! The other two soldiers also drew melee weapons, closing in.

Their combat skills were exceptionally refined, coordinated with military‑grade efficiency and lethal simplicity. Yet Chen Mo's footwork was stranger; he seemed to anticipate each strike's landing point, moving just in time to evade the blades, while his hands intermittently performed subtle guiding motions.

"Mediation: Ground friction coefficient—decrease."

A white‑clad soldier's footing suddenly slipped, and his attack collapsed instantly.

"Guidance: Airflow—accelerate."

Another soldier's blade was deflected by a sudden cross‑wind.

Chen Mo moved like a conductor dancing on a blade's tip, not crushing with raw force but subtly mediating and guiding the rules, rendering the enemies' attacks intangible and turning environmental factors to his advantage. This left the white‑clad foes, accustomed to absolute power and precise tech gear, profoundly unsettled.

Fighting noises and Su Yu's light shouts echoed from within; soon, Su Yu emerged, supporting the weakened Liu Neng. Liu Neng bore some injuries but was conscious; upon seeing Chen Mo, he was eager to speak.

"Go!" Chen Mo, seeing the goal achieved, ceased lingering in battle. He stamped his foot hard!

"Definition: This location—visual and perception interference (high intensity, duration: 10 seconds)!"

Thick data dust and warped light instantly enveloped the canyon entrance, cutting off all sight and mental perception!

When the dust cleared, Chen Mo and his group had already vanished onto the rugged mountain paths. Only the stunned Pure Fire remnants and three silent white‑clad figures remained.

The white commander watched the direction where Chen Mo disappeared, his mask's electronic eye flickering with complex data streams.

"Target possesses high‑dimensional rule‑interference capability, suspected 'Primordial Origin carrier'… threat level reassessed to 'extremely high.'"

"Post‑War Cleanup Agreement priority order adjusted. Requesting connection to the 'Ark' database to reacquire authorization."

"Tracking signal implanted in the rescued personnel's bodies… awaiting further orders."

He sheathed the vibrating blade, turned toward the rock‑blocked opening, his tone returning to icy calm:

"Clear the obstacles, retrieve all valuable items. The 'True Pure Fire' sect, your performance is disappointing. If you cannot prove your utility, cooperation ends."

The canyon wind remained cold. Yet a larger storm involving old and new forces, rules and technology, was already brewing deep within the North Mountains, silently.

The Echo Camp temporarily reclaimed the comrade, but they knew a new, more mysterious enemy had already bared its fangs. And Chen Mo's "Rule Mediator" ability, for the first time in a real confrontation, displayed its unique power and limitless potential.