Chapter 82: Radiation Pure Land, Luo Ya Echoes

The coordinates of the southern "Heavy Radiation Zone" are like a candy stuck in one's throat—offering tempting sweetness (possible Luo Ya relics) yet choking the breath (the heavy radiation marked by the old era). The camp argues endlessly over it.

"Go! We must go!" Kaiwen waved his terminal, spittle flying, "This is a direct lead on the golden dragon! We might find a backdoor to the 'Prometheus' Project, or even more badass Luo Ya black tech! Fortune favors the bold, brothers!"

Zhang Yang crossed his arms, a look that said "you must be an idiot," and said, "What a joke! That spot is marked with a skull on the old maps! We go and become skeleton soldiers? I still want to gnaw potatoes for a few more years!"

Wang Hu muttered gloomily, "Radiation, filthy. I'm not going."

Even Han Qing took a cautious stance: "Insufficient intel, risk uncontrollable. Our primary goal now is to stop the 'Silent Plain' Project."

Chen Mo did not respond immediately; he looked at Su Yu and Hui Jin. Su Yu's True Knowledge Vision is sensitive to the energy environment, while Hui Jin's Pure Fire is adept at purifying contamination.

"Radiation… is also a rule‑level 'pollution' and 'destruction'," Su Yu mused. "My vision should be able to pre‑warn high‑concentration zones. But if it's leftover nuclear waste from the old era, I'm afraid…"

Hui Jin's fingertip sparked a strand of Pure Fire, brow furrowed: "Pure Fire can cleanse data pollution and rule injuries, but against this purely physical radioactive dust… the effect is unknown, possibly more effort for less result."

As the stalemate continued, Li Siwen adjusted his glasses and offered a compromise: "We don't need to go deep. We can send an elite squad with the latest upgraded protective gear and detectors to the perimeter of the coordinates for a preliminary survey. Verify whether the environment is tolerable and whether there are signs of Luo Ya relics."

The proposal won most votes. In the end, the survey team consisted of Chen Mo, Su Yu (environmental perception), Kaiwen (technical analysis), Hui Jin (purification support), and the reluctant Zhang Yang and Wang Hu, who insisted on coming "to see the world" (reason: "where the leader goes, we go, and we'll also carry equipment").

The group, laden with big and small packs (mostly Kaiwen's odd devices and Wang Hu's spare power units), set off southward. The nearer they got to the coordinates, the more desolate the surroundings became; a faint metallic, fishy‑smelling dust began to pervade the air. The sky was a oppressive lead‑gray, vegetation almost extinct, leaving only twisted, bizarre rocks.

"Radiation readings are rising, but… not lethal yet," Kaiwen said, eyes on the detector, surprised. "It's much weaker than the old estimates—natural decay? Or…"

Su Yu's eyes glimmered as she surveyed the surroundings: "The rule‑level is very 'filthy', full of destruction and decay traces, but… it seems restrained by some force within a bounded area, not spreading wildly."

Pressing on, a massive ruin of twisted metal and shattered concrete loomed on the horizon. It appeared to be a gigantic old‑era research facility, far larger than the Qingrang Ecological Station.

"The coordinates are inside!" Kaiwen exclaimed, pointing at the ruin's core.

Near the ruin's edge, Hui Jin suddenly halted, crouched, and ignited Pure Fire at his fingertip, touching a clump of gray‑white dust on the ground. The Pure Fire met the dust with a faint "sizzle," slightly neutralizing the radioactivity, but, as he expected, the effect was modest.

"Looks like Pure Fire isn't omnipotent," Hui Jin sighed.

"But at least it has a starting effect, better than nothing," Chen Mo patted his shoulder.

The group entered the ruin cautiously. Inside it resembled a maze; collapsed corridors and rusted equipment blocked most passages. Kaiwen's detector kept issuing warnings, showing radiation levels still dangerous in some zones.

"Turn left! Avoid the main corridor! Radiation exceeds limits!" Su Yu warned in time.

Relying on Su Yu's guidance, they painstakingly groped toward the central area. Along the way they saw many human skeletons in tattered protective suits and some oddly shaped, seemingly radiation‑twisted creature remains, heightening the grim atmosphere.

"Dammit, this cursed place…" Zhang Yang tightened his grip on his gun, even he felt a chill.

Finally, they reached the ruin's core—a relatively intact circular hall. In the center stood no research gear, only a massive platform of some dark‑silver metal, its surface etched with complex, faintly glowing runes similar to those in Luo Ya relics.

"That's it! Luo Ya's thing!" Kaiwen shouted, about to rush forward.

"Wait!" Su Yu grabbed him, face grim, pointing at the ground around the platform. Several twisted skeletons lay scattered, as if they died while trying to touch the platform. "There's a defense mechanism!"

Chen Mo activated Rule Perception, cautiously probing the platform. Indeed, a highly concealed yet powerful energy field enveloped the platform, not hostile but a "identification and repulsion" mechanism. Any life or energy not matching a specific "frequency" approaching would trigger a devastating rule backlash.

"It requires a key… or a specific Resonance," Chen Mo withdrew his perception, saying gravely.

"A key? Where the heck do we find a key?" Zhang Yang was dumbfounded.

Hui Jin stepped forward, staring at the shifting runes; his Pure Fire seemed drawn, tilting slightly toward the platform. "I feel… it's 'calling' something… not repelling, but yearning for a 'response'."

Chen Mo's mind stirred; he again sank his consciousness into the rule layer, this time not forcing a break but mimicking the feeling when he touched Luo Ya artifacts at the Qingrang Ecological Station, tuning his Primordial Core's vibration to a peaceful, inclusive frequency imbued with "order" and "life," and slowly extending toward the platform.

The runes on the platform flickered a faint brighter, and the repulsive sense of the energy field seemed to lessen slightly.

"Effective!" Su Yu whispered.

Chen Mo continued experimenting, signaling Hui Jin: "Hui Jin, use your Pure Fire—not to purify—but to synchronize its 'Definition Order' essence wave with mine!"

Hui Jin instantly understood, closed his eyes, and fully guided the Pure Fire, no longer as an external flame but extracting its most primal "order" rule, slowly aligning and attempting to merge with Chen Mo's emitted Primordial Core vibration.

At first it was awkward, but gradually their rule vibrations seemed to find a marvelous harmonic, like two sound waves overlapping, producing a stronger "Resonance"!

Hum—!

The runes on the platform suddenly glowed with a soft, steady white light! The lethal energy field rippled outward like water and quietly dissipated!

"We did it!" Kaiwen shouted, the first to rush up, crouching on the platform to study the runes. "My god! This… this is a massive 'Environmental Rule Stabilization and Purification Device'! Not a weapon! The Luo Ya built here a core of a 'Radiation Shelter'!"

As he decoded, the center of the platform projected a holographic map showing the three‑dimensional structure of the entire ruin and surrounding area. Large sections were marked red (high radiation), but the hall they stood in and several specific corridors were marked stable green (safe). More shocking, the map revealed a larger, dormant main control room deep underground!

"The main control room! There must be more complete data and control systems there!" Kaiwen's voice rose with excitement.

Following the map, they descended through a hidden, force‑field‑shielded passage. At its end stood a massive rune‑carved metal door. This time, without Chen Mo and Hui Jin's effort, the door sensed their rule vibrations resonating with the platform and slid open slowly on its own.

Behind the door lay an immensely grand underground chamber. Countless massive crystal pillars rose, within which pure energy light flowed. At the center stood a more intricate console, atop which hovered a fist‑sized, slowly rotating deep‑blue crystal.

"Authorized wave detected… Luo Ya Legacy… Welcome to Stagnant Ark No. 7 Environmental Maintenance Outpost," the system announced.

A gentle, ancient electronic tone echoed through the space.

"Stagnant Ark?" Chen Mo caught the term, starkly different from the "Ark Project."

"Yes. Before evacuating, Luo Ya civilization established several 'Environmental Maintenance Outposts' across the planet to cope with possible ecological disasters, preserving life samples under extreme conditions and maintaining local rule stability. This outpost's code is 'Pure Land', primarily handling nuclear radiation and other high‑energy pollution."

The electronic voice patiently explained, while the console projected abundant data: how to activate and expand the Pure Land's purification scope, how to use geothermal energy to sustain its operation, and… a detailed dossier on the "Rule‑Level Pollution Hedging Theory".

"Rule‑Level Pollution Hedging…" Chen Mo's gaze fixed on the file. "Could this theory… be applied to counter the Ruin's erosion?"

"The theory holds. The Ruin's essence is extreme 'disorder' and 'information entropy increase', essentially the highest‑level rule pollution. The Pure Land device's purification principle creates a localized 'ordered' rule domain to oppose external 'disorder'. In theory, with adaptive tweaks, it could suppress the Ruin's environment."

Everyone held their breath! They had not only found a safe stronghold but also a theoretical weapon that might counter the Prometheus Project and even the Ruin itself!

"Download all data immediately! Especially that hedging theory!" Chen Mo ordered.

Kaiwen and Li Siwen (via remote link) instantly began a frantic data transfer.

At that moment, Su Yu frowned; her True Knowledge Vision caught an extremely faint yet familiar spatial fluctuation. "Something's wrong… outside… something's coming! It's… it's the Ark's transmission signal! They've tracked us here!"

The others' faces changed!

"That fast?!" Zhang Yang instantly raised his gun.

Chen Mo's gaze hardened as he looked at the deep‑blue crystal at the console's center: "Pure Land, can we temporarily seize this location's defense system?"

"Authorization confirmed. Defense system 'Order Barrier' activated. Good luck, Legacy."

The entire underground chamber trembled slightly, the wall runes lighting up in sequence, and a powerful rule force began to coalesce.

A new crisis, alongside a massive opportunity, arrived simultaneously.

This forgotten "Radiation Pure Land" is about to become another battlefield for the Resonance and the Ark's "Evolutionary Faction". And the echo of Luo Ya civilization will resound through artillery once more across this wasteland.