Chapter 358

The mine cave was dead silent, only the faint phosphorescent glow on the rock walls flickered, illuminating the filth covering the ground and the lifeless bodies of the evil dark.

The residual death qi in the air had not yet fully dissipated, like a cold spiderweb clinging to skin and Daoist robe, bringing a persistent chill discomfort.

Wang Ping maintained a crouching posture, his finger slowly withdrawing from the brow of the evil dark leader who had utterly lost all life and spirit fluctuations. The chaotic spirit light lingering on his fingertip swayed faintly, as if still digesting the unexpected impact he had last encountered in that brief and perilous divine sense clash.

His brow was tightly knit, his gaze falling on the charred, withered corpse before him, which bore a strange gray mark on its brow. Just moments earlier, his chaotic divine sense had been like the finest probe, trudging through the fragmented sea of consciousness of the evil dark leader on the verge of collapse, where the seal had loosened, capturing those memory fragments not yet utterly obliterated.

The initial fragments were bloody and cruel, confirming their suspicion: the evil dark clan on Inkrock Star was not merely raiding. Their core mission had two parts:

First, to test a new device called the Death-Qi Absorption Device. The memory fragments flickered with a few blurry images: deeper underground, an ugly instrument forged from complex pipes, writhing flesh, and black crystals was connecting to the already exhausted and fragile spirit‑vein node of Inkrock Star.

When the device operated, it emitted a low hum, forcibly extracting and transforming the last trace of thin spirit qi remaining in the spirit vein, even the planet's own earth‑vein vitality, mixing it with intense netherdark death qi to form a more viscous, more corrosive new death‑qi compound.

The netherdark cultivators called it the Corruption Source Fluid. The efficiency test data…… seemed deliberately blurred or encrypted; Wang Ping could only glean fragmentary thoughts like 'preliminary standard met', 'good compatibility', and 'needs larger sample'.

Second, to establish covert coordinates. Not only would they serve as spatial anchors for the subsequent netherdark troops' descent, the memory fragments hinted that these coordinates might also be linked to a far vaster 'network' spanning multiple star fields, used to 'guide the Return‑to‑the‑Abyss tide' or 'welcome the supreme will'. This information was even more obscure, layered with encryption and distortion.

However, just as Wang Ping's divine sense probe tried to delve deeper into the Death‑Qi Absorption Device's exact structure, the coordinate network layout, and what that 'supreme will' actually was, an extraordinarily abrupt, crystal‑clear image fragment—utterly at odds with the surrounding bloody, chaotic memories—slammed into his perception!

In the image, it was still the dark depths of this mine cave, but seemingly at an earlier time. The evil dark clan's overseer here (a being whose aura was many times stronger than the surface leader, his figure shrouded in a thick, substance‑like black robe) stood bowed, his posture showing obvious reverence… and a barely perceptible fear.

Opposite him stood a cultivator.

This person was tall and slender, wearing a seamless, strangely textured silver‑white robe. The robe's style was simple to the point of rigidity, bearing no decorative patterns, only reflecting a cold, uniform metallic sheen under light.

His face…… could not be made out. Not because the memory was blurred, but as if it were veiled by an unchanging, soft silver radiance that blocked all probing; only a vague sense remained that his facial contours were unusually standard—so standard as to lack vitality.

He showed no expression, stood motionless there, like a puppet crafted with the utmost precision yet utterly devoid of soul.

No fragments of dialogue remained, only a silent scene. The silver‑robed person seemed merely to have briefly 'observed' the evil dark's arrangements here, his gaze lingering slightly on the prototype of the Death‑Qi Absorption Device (the device then appeared not yet fully built).

Then he raised one hand——that hand also encased in a silver‑white glove, fingers long and movements precise as if measured by a ruler——and an object appeared out of nowhere in his palm.

It was a palm‑sized, square, entirely silver metal box.

The box's surface was not smooth, but covered with countless minutely fine, barely discernible, criss‑crossing precise grooves.

These grooves were not decorative; they followed an extremely complex, geometrically beautiful regular pattern, faintly emanating a weak, ice‑cold order vibration that shared the same source as the silver‑robed person.

The silver‑robed person handed the metal square box to the evil dark overseer. The black‑robed figure received it with both hands, his movements careful and even slightly trembling.

From this brief scene, Wang Ping clearly caught, on the evil dark overseer's shadow‑shaded face, a fleeting complex emotion: deep apprehension, fear hard to conceal, a hint of unwillingness, and…… a twisted longing akin to making a deal with a devil.

The metal square box was solemnly put away, and the image cut off there.

"A silver‑robed person! Indeed it's the silver‑robed faction!" Wang Ping's heart jolted; the value of this memory fragment far surpassed everything before.

It directly confirmed Yu Liuli's discovery regarding the 'An Shi Yao', confirming that the mysterious silver‑robed faction, suspected to be the 'Heavenly Patroller' or the 'Shadow of Order', not only exists but has also made contact with the evil dark clan.

What did they leave behind? What is that metal square box? A locator? A communicator? Or some even more terrifying device? Why is the evil dark clan's attitude toward them so contradictory?

A strong urge to investigate drove Wang Ping's divine sense to press on heedless of cost, delving deeper into the memory fragments toward the time points before and after the silver‑robed person's image appeared, trying to capture more details: the silver‑robed person's aura traits, his possible origin, the content of his conversation with the evil dark clan (even a lingering trace of thought), the concrete function of that metal box……

Just as his divine sense probe was about to reach a segment that seemed heavily sealed yet directly related to the silver‑robed person—

An abnormal change suddenly arose!

That netherworld dark leader was already on the verge of complete dissipation, relying solely on Wang Ping's chaotic divine sense to forcibly maintain the last thread of its sea of consciousness core that refused to collapse; without any warning, a burst of power erupted from its deepest depths.

It was not the yin-cold corrosion of netherworld deathly qi, nor the destructive impact of an ordinary soul seal. Rather, it was a kind of power quality that Wang Ping had never felt before, utterly different:

Ice-cold, absolutely ice-cold, like ancient Xuan ice that never melts, devoid of any emotional chill.

Rigid, like the most precise machinery jammed in a certain state, losing all flexibility and spirituality.

At its core, it carried the meaning of 'absolute order'! It was not the order that arises from chaos's inclusiveness, but an order that rejects all foreign elements, erases all variables, and pursues absolute unity and constancy! This power of order harbors a will that stands above all, like the heavenly dao's law, beyond question and beyond defiance.

At the moment it appeared, Wang Ping's chaotic divine sense seemed to strike an invisible wall, perfectly smooth and extremely hard! Moreover, this 'absolute order' power, with an unimaginable speed and efficiency, like the finest eraser or the most ruthless formatting program, instantly swept over all remaining memory regions in the netherworld dark leader's sea of consciousness!

It was not destruction, nor annihilation, but 'erasure'! It thoroughly wiped away the very 'trace' of information's existence from the most basic level, returning it to an icy, absolute 'nothing'!

Wang Ping didn't even have time to react further; he only felt a sharp pain at the forefront of his divine sense that pierced deep into his soul, accompanied by a strong sense of rejection, and immediately his last link with the netherworld dark leader's sea of consciousness was forcibly severed.

"Pfft."

A faint, almost inaudible thud sounded. The corpse of the netherworld dark leader on the ground had its gray mark between the eyebrows suddenly flare with an intensely piercing silver-white cold light, then instantly dimmed. At the same time, the corpse visibly 'faded' and 'dematerialized' at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if its 'information' was being siphoned away; within just two or three breaths, it turned into a patch of void-like gray dust that drifted down, leaving not a trace, not even its scorched skin.

In place, only a small amount of ash with no energy reaction remained, along with a lingering trace in the air that quickly dissipated—an icy aftertaste of 'absolute order' that caused extreme discomfort.

Wang Ping abruptly stepped back half a pace, his face slightly pale, his sea of consciousness sending waves of faint pain. It was not an injury, but the mental shock and cognitive upheaval brought by that 'orderly erasure' power just now. Too fast! Too thorough! This could not be a method the netherworld race could master on its own! Was it left by the silver-robed person? Or a protective mechanism triggered remotely by the silver-robed faction through some means?

"Team Leader!" "Senior Brother Wang Ping!"

Qinglin and Leishuo's cries of alarm rang out almost simultaneously. They also witnessed the strange disappearance of the netherworld dark leader's corpse, felt the fleeting yet heart-pounding icy undulation of order, and immediately gathered around, flanking Wang Ping's sides, vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Xuanji Zi likewise instantly expanded the detection range of the Heavenly Star Disk to its limit, the clear, cold starlight sweeping every inch of the cavern.

"I'm fine." Wang Ping took a deep breath, suppressed the discomfort in his sea of consciousness, quickly shared via divine sense the information he had just obtained from the memory fragments about the 'Deathly Qi Soul-Drawing Ritual', the 'coordinate network', and the most crucial segment of the 'silver-robed person's' image, and briefly explained the final encounter with the 'orderly erasure'.

"Silver-robed person... left a metal box... orderly erasure..." Xuanji Zi whispered, repeating, the starlight on the star disk flowing faster: "This power quality... differs from any known technique or race recorded. Ice-cold, absolute, formatted... it resembles an extreme manifestation of the legendary 'Heaven's Way is unfeeling', yet bears obvious traces of artificial control."

Qinglin's face showed worry: "If even memories can be so thoroughly erased, this power is terrifying indeed. Who exactly is that silver-robed person? In cooperation with the netherworld race, their aims must be even greater."

Leishuo gripped his heavy hammer tightly, faint lightning flickering over his body: "Never mind whether it's silver-robed or black-robed; if they dare come, we'll smash them! Team leader, what should we do now? Will that soul-drawing ritual and metal box still be deep in this mine?"

Wang Ping was about to answer when suddenly—

"Click… click… click…"

A clear, regular, rhythmic sound of metal friction and mechanism operation came from deeper in the mine, from the far end of the downward-sloping main shaft leading into unknown darkness, approaching from afar.

The sound was not hurried; instead, it carried an icy, precise, unhurried rhythm. Each step landed with a dull thud, as if some heavy, hard object were marching in a standardized pace, steadily walking along the shaft.

The four instantly tensed their nerves, all attention turning toward the direction the sound came from. The illumination crystals' light did its best to shine into the shaft's depths, but visibility remained limited under the devouring of the ink rock.

"Something is coming… not a lifeform… the energy reaction is strange… icy, concentrated, highly ordered… similar to that erasing force just now, but much weaker, and… more mechanical?" Xuanji Zi stared at the star disk, tone uncertain.

After a few breaths, the shadow at the turn of the shaft was broken by a steadily moving silver-white silhouette.

It was a humanoid figure, roughly human height, its entire body presenting a flawless silver-white metallic texture, emitting a cold glow in the dim light. Its build was proportionate, its lines smooth and simple, with no extra adornments or parts. Its joints were not simple hinges; instead, faint blue energy lines like circuit boards could be seen flowing beneath the metal shell, emitting a regular, weak light.

Its 'head' was a smooth oval, lacking facial features, only two recessed eye sockets housing two crystals that constantly flickered and expanded with icy blue light, like its 'eyes'. Those twin blue eyes were now locked onto Wang Ping and his three companions at the cavern entrance, their gaze (if it can be called a gaze) icy and precise, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Its 'hands' were not human palms either; its right hand grasped a rod about five feet long, of the same silver-white material, tipped with a diamond-shaped blue crystal, a peculiar staff; its left hand was empty, its five fingers able to flexibly open and close, fingertips flashing a faint cold light.

It stepped with a precision as if measured by a ruler, stepping out of the shadow into the full light of the illumination crystals. In motion, the 'click-clack' of its mechanisms and the faint 'hum' of its energy flow intertwined, filling the air with a non-living, mechanical rhythm.

A puppet! A never-before-seen puppet brimming with exotic technological feel and icy order, silver in color!

It stopped in the center of the cavern, about twenty zhang away from Wang Ping and his four companions. Its icy blue eyes swept over the four in turn, finally locking once more onto Wang Ping. A cold, stiff, unmodulated electronic sound, like metal friction synthesized, emanated from some part of its head, spoken in standard, clear lingua franca of the spirit realm:

Detected unauthorized high-energy lifeform intruding the test zone. Detected abnormal access and leakage traces of core test data. Executing cleanup protocol: target locked, highest priority threat——Chaos Pollution Entity (pointing at Wang Ping). Initiate purge procedure.

At the moment the words fell, the blue light in the silver puppet's eye sockets suddenly became blinding! It raised its left hand, palm facing Wang Ping, and its five fingers flung open!

Hum——

A visible, pale blue grid-shaped force field emitting strong 'Order' fluctuations burst forth from its palm center like an invisible wall, pushing straight toward Wang Ping and the three others! Where it passed, the lingering thin death qi in the air was forcibly swept away and annihilated, even the phosphorescence on the rock walls showed a brief dimming and disorder.

Again this kind of Order power! Be careful!" Wang Ping let out a low shout, the Chaos Domain unfolded again, meeting that pale blue grid force field.

Siss—

The murky Chaos Domain collided with the pale blue Order Force Field, not producing an earth-shattering explosion but emitting a grating sound, as if two utterly opposed laws were mutually eroding and wearing each other down. The Chaos Domain's inclusive evolution characteristic fiercely opposed the Order Force Field's absolute exclusion and solidification trait. For a moment, they actually reached a stalemate!

At the same time, the blue diamond crystal atop the silver puppet's right-hand staff also lit up, emitting an extremely condensed, laser-straight blue beam with a sharp tearing-through-air sound, shooting toward Wang Ping! Where the beam passed, the air was ionized, leaving a faint scorch mark.

Lei Shuo!" Wang Ping shouted urgently while maintaining the Chaos Domain against the Order Force Field.

Leave it to me!" Lei Shuo roared, purple lightning surging atop his heavy hammer, he stepped forward, swung the hammer round, bringing down a myriad-jin thunderbolt, and smashed hard at that blue beam!

Boom!

Thunderlight and blue light exploded, the violent energy impact reverberated inside the cave. Lei Shuo's whole body jolted, he retreated half a step, the lightning coiling around his hammer head was actually weakened by a layer! The energy contained in that blue beam was extremely condensed and focused, and possessed a peculiar 'Order Stabilization' trait, actually giving it a certain resistance against the violent thunder!

The silver puppet seemed to judge Lei Shuo as the main attack point; its left hand maintained the Order Force Field to suppress Wang Ping, while its right-hand staff tapped repeatedly, sending several more blue beams at Lei Shuo. At the same time, it began to advance with precise steps, and in wielding its staff it actually displayed a certain simple, efficient, geometrically beautiful close-quarters staff technique—point, thrust, sweep, smash—each move aimed straight at vital spots, coordinating with that eerie blue beam's long-range harassment, for a moment leaving Lei Shuo somewhat flustered. Its combat style was completely different from cultivators' spell clashes or martial arts comparisons; it was more like a precision killing machine executing a preset optimal attack program.

Qing Lin, disturb it! Xuanji Zi, find its weakness!" Wang Ping quickly assessed the situation. The puppet's 'Order' power had some restraint on the Chaos Domain, but it was not unbeatable. The key was that it seemed to possess some kind of core energy and control system.

Hearing that, Qing Lin immediately formed seals with both hands, activating the Yi Wood Qing Emperor Technique; countless emerald-green spirit-light vine phantasms burst from the rock crevices in the ground, like supple tendrils, winding toward the silver puppet's legs and staff-wielding arm. However, upon contacting the puppet's silver-white shell, those vines withered and scattered as if touching a soldering iron! The puppet's surface seemed to have an invisible 'Order Barrier', rejecting direct contact with any 'disordered' or 'life' energy.

Its shell has extremely strong resistance to vital-energy types!" Qing Lin exclaimed.

Xuanji Zi's star plate spun rapidly, pure radiance enveloping the puppet's whole body, and she quickly analyzed: 'The energy core is at the exact center of the chest, heavily protected! Energy conduits converge at the joint connections, a relatively weak point, yet still guarded! Its overall structure is seamless, almost lacking the traditional puppet's 'core seal' or 'spiritual sense connection point'…… more like an independent killing construct that carries its own power source and logic!'

At this moment, Lei Shuo had been forced into repeated retreats by the puppet's exquisite staff technique combined with long-range beams, roaring continuously; although his lightning was fierce, each collision with that staff or beam weakened it by a fraction, while the puppet's movements remained precisely steady, without fatigue.

Wang Ping's eyes narrowed. We can't drag this out! This puppet's 'Order' power differs from the Netherworld death qi; it leans toward 'solidification', 'exclusion', and 'erasing variables', giving it some restraint over the Chaos Force's 'inclusive evolution', but the essence of Chaos lies in 'infinite possibilities'! No matter how absolute Order is, it is merely one aspect evolved from Chaos!

His thoughts raced; suddenly he withdrew part of the Chaos Domain resisting the Order Force Field, instead driving the Chaos Immortal Essence to operate in a peculiar way. No longer head-on against that 'absolute Order', he simulated countless minute, ever-changing fluctuations that seemed chaotic but actually contained infinite 'possibilities', like mercury spilling over the ground, permeating every crevice into that pale blue grid force field.

You want absolute Order, to reject the alien? Then I'll give you endless change, so your 'Order' rules will be overwhelmed!

Sure enough, when that pale blue Order Force Field contacted this infinite-variation Chaos fluctuation, it exhibited extremely minute, brief stagnation and disorder! Its inherent rule, pursuing unified constancy of 'Order', seemed unable to instantly process such a massive, continuously changing 'disorder information'!

It's precisely this moment of stagnation!

Heaven Overturning Seal!" Wang Ping shouted low.

The Heaven Overturning Seal that had been hovering above his head for protection suddenly burst with black light, turning into a heavy black beam—not aimed at the puppet's body (where its defense is strongest), but taking a mysterious trajectory, bypassing the densest area of the Order Force Field, and smashing hard into the rear of the silver puppet's right leg knee joint——that being one of the relatively weak points where energy conduits converge, as analyzed by Xuanji Zi!

Clang——!!!

A deafening roar, like a great bell, exploded in the cave! A large cluster of blinding blue electric sparks burst from the silver puppet's right leg joint! Its precise step was disrupted for the first time; its body staggered, leaning to the right, and the left hand maintaining the Order Force Field and the right hand attacking Lei Shuo both fell momentarily out of sync!

Great opportunity!" Lei Shuo, whose combat experience was extremely rich, would not let it pass; he bellowed, ignoring a blue beam that grazed his arm leaving a scorch mark, gathered all his lightning at the hammer tip, followed the hammer's swing, and delivered a plain yet all-powerful 'Purple Heaven Break Evil', like heavenly thunder descending, smashing hard into the exposed shoulder joint of the puppet's right arm holding the staff, due to its stagger!

Bang! Crack!

Another muffled sound accompanied by a clear metallic cracking! The silver-white shell at the puppet's right shoulder joint was visibly dented and deformed, its blue energy conduits severed, electricity arcing wildly! The light in the staff held in its right hand suddenly dimmed, almost slipping from its grasp!

Suffering successive blows, the silver puppet's eye‑socket blue light flickered violently, its electronic voice now tinged with urgent static: 'Warning! Structural damage exceeds 15%! Energy conduits damaged! Threat level reassessed…… executing backup protocol: self‑destruct initiated, erase all biological traces and test data. Countdown: five……

It actually intends to self‑destruct!

Retreat!" Wang Ping's pupils constricted as he shouted sternly; simultaneously the Chaos Domain contracted fully to shield the four of us, preparing to rush backward.

However, at the instant the puppet's countdown read 'four', another change occurred!

At the exact center of the puppet's chest, the spot Xuanji Zi had identified as the energy core, suddenly blazed with an intensely bright silver‑white light without any warning! This light was not its own blue energy, but a purer, colder force bearing a stronger sense of 'absolute Order'! This force seemed to stem from a hidden mechanism deep within the puppet's core, now activated by the self‑destruct program!

Hiss——

The silver‑white flash came and went like the sharpest blade, instantly severing all energy streams violently surging toward the self‑destruct core inside the puppet! At the same time, a powerful, icy Order ripple swept over the puppet's entire body; the frantically flashing blue light in its eye sockets abruptly extinguished, all motion ceased instantly, as if hit by a pause button.

Three…… two…… one…… self‑destruct program…… forcibly terminated. Core command overwritten: enter deep silent mode, await the 'Silver Radiance Council' recall order. Coordinates uploaded.

The icy electronic voice finally announced a message, then fell utterly silent.

That silver puppet remained in the posture of a dented right shoulder, flashing electric sparks on the right leg, and a slight bodily tilt, standing stiff in place, turned into a true metal sculpture, devoid of any energy or life fluctuations.

Inside the cave, a deathly silence.

Only the lingering faint burnt smell in the air, the scent of molten metal, and the chilling aftereffect of that heart‑pounding 'absolute Order' power reminded everyone that what had just happened was no illusion.

Wang Ping slowly withdrew the Chaos Domain, stepped forward, and with a solemn gaze examined this puppet that had suddenly 'crashed'. Its appearance, the power it displayed, and its final forced‑stop self‑destruct awaiting recall by the 'Silver Radiance Council'—all pointed to that mysterious and terrifying Silver Robe Faction.

'Silver Radiance Council……' Wang Ping murmured the term he had heard from the puppet's final command, his eyes falling on the puppet's chest where the core had returned to normal silver‑white, showing no abnormality.

The Netherworld Clan's 'Death Qi Soul Absorption Ritual', the Silver Robe People's metal square box, this puppet before us brimming with 'Order' power…… the waters of Ink Rock Star are far deeper than he had imagined.

He turned, looking at his three teammates who were likewise shaken and awestruck, and said in a deep voice: 'We shouldn't linger here. Immediately gather any evidence we can carry, especially this puppet, and seek clues to any possible existence of the 'Death Qi Soul Absorption Ritual' and that metal square box. Then we withdraw at once!'

Under the shadow of the starry sky, new mysteries and threats have already revealed a more ferocious facet. And the name 'Silver Radiance Council', like an icy alarm bell, rang in Wang Ping's heart.