Chapter 166: Hyperspeed Vessel

Qin Feng's declaration, brimming with murderous intent and absolute certainty, exploded like thunder across every corner of the Poseidon's Pillar island, and through encrypted channels, echoed clearly back to the rear Base—and to the waiting Candle Dragon team.

Inside the island, after a brief silence, chaos erupted abruptly!

Piercing alarms tore through the night sky; the already alert defense systems activated fully! Hidden automatic machine gun turrets rose from their cover, searchlight beams frantically swept the sea and dock areas, and countless black-clad, armed private operatives of Deepsea Technology surged from buildings, trying to lock onto the audacious intruder who had dared to infiltrate alone and make such bold threats!

Yet Qin Feng's figure vanished in an instant at the dock. After delivering his ultimatum, he slipped back into the water like a ghost, his Advanced Underwater Combat Mastery allowing him to merge seamlessly with the ocean, leaving no trace.

"Find him! Track him down! Tear him into a thousand pieces!" In the underground core Kongzhi Shi, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat with a sinister gaze—the Deepsea Technology site director, codenamed "Doctor"—shouted furiously into his comm. He hadn't expected the intruder to be so brazen, nor his infiltration so stealthy; he hadn't been detected until now.

"Doctor, the dock guards have lost contact! There are signs of intrusion aboard the Poseidon! The underground research lab is under attack by another intruder!" a subordinate reported in panic.

"Useless! Deploy the Hounds! Dig out the intruders! Also, immediately transfer the core data and the Original Mother Plant!" The Doctor's face turned ashen, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. He could not allow even the slightest loss to his years of research or this vital base.

Meanwhile, high above.

Receiving Qin Feng's explicit order, the eight dark figures of the Candle Dragon team shot out like arrows from the hovering stealth transport aircraft! The rear thrusters of their Living Performance Mobile Battle Armors spat eerie blue flames, propelling them faster than any conventional aircraft, like eight falling stars, hurtling relentlessly toward the Poseidon's Pillar island!

"Execute plan! 'Stone,' 'Smith,' lead the frontal assault and draw fire! 'Shadow Dancer,' 'Peregrine,' infiltrate the flanks and eliminate defense nodes! 'Amber,' 'Night Owl,' provide long-range support and information suppression! 'Medic,' 'Siren,' follow me straight into the core lab to rendezvous with the Leader and Gao Yuan!" The team's temporary commander, "Night Owl," issued orders calmly.

"Understood!"

Eight sets of armor maneuvered sharply in midair, instantly splitting into multiple tactical squads, slicing into the battlefield like scalpels!

The island's air defense system had barely locked targets when "Amber" unleashed a powerful electronic jamming pulse, disabling most of it! "Night Owl" circled high above, his electromagnetic sniper rifle acting like Death's roll call—each faint flash of light instantly destroyed a critical defense facility or firing point!

"Stone" and "Smith" descended like two war gods onto the island's edge, braving sparse anti-air fire, their heavy armaments unleashing torrents of firepower that blew the gathering private forces into chaos!

"Shadow Dancer" and "Peregrine," using superior mobility and optical camouflage, moved like invisible phantoms through the buildings, their High-frequency Blades and micro-submachine guns efficiently clearing internal resistance.

The entire Poseidon's Pillar island plunged instantly into fire and chaos! Deepsea Technology's decades-built defense system crumbled before the Candle Dragon team's futuristic technology and combat power!

Inside the underground lab.

Gao Yuan had forcibly breached the alloy door of the isolation observation room and found Su Yuqing and her core team members imprisoned. Though weakened and frightened, they had suffered no serious injuries.

"Come with me!" Gao Yuan said tersely, tossing a simple protective suit to Su Yuqing.

"Wait! Our research data! And the original sample of that microbial strain!" Su Yuqing cried urgently, pointing to a secure storage zone deep in the lab. As a scientist, she knew the value of those records and samples.

Gao Yuan glanced toward it—dense footsteps and gunfire were rapidly approaching from the other end of the corridor. Deepsea Technology reinforcements had arrived.

"No time! The Leader's order is to prioritize your safety!"

At that moment, the entire lab shuddered violently! The overhead lights flickered wildly, dust raining down!

Louder explosions and the distinctive energy weapon howls of Candle Dragon armor echoed from outside!

The Candle Dragon team had arrived!

Gao Yuan's spirits lifted: "Go!"

He covered Su Yuqing and the others as they rushed toward the evacuation point agreed upon with Qin Feng.

But where was Qin Feng?

He had not gone directly to meet Gao Yuan. After diving underwater, he used his Advanced Underwater Combat Mastery and acute danger perception to evade wave after wave of bio-engineered, shark-like Hound underwater combat units, silently approaching a highly concealed exit at the island's base.

There, a small high-speed submarine, guarded by several armed speedboats, was slipping silently away from the island, diving into the Deep Sea.

Through previously intercepted fragments of information and the intuition granted by Investment Insight, Qin Feng deduced: this submarine was likely the transfer vessel carrying the "Doctor" and Deepsea Technology's most core research data and the Original Mother Plant!

Run? Did you ask me?

Qin Feng's eyes flashed with cold light; his underwater thrusters surged to full power, and like a marlin chasing prey, he silently trailed behind.

Yet, just as he neared the submarine, an overwhelming sense of danger erupted from the depths of his spirit!

Not from the submarine, nor from the escort speedboats—but from… deeper, farther into the ocean!

He spun around, staring into that endless darkness.

Almost simultaneously, a frantic system alarm blared in his mind!

【WARNING! Detected ultra-high-energy spatial fluctuation! Source: Depth 11,342 meters, Mariana Trench edge region!】【Fluctuation signature analysis… matching database… match confirmed!】【Identified as: Non-local civilization artifact—'Star Shuttle' class hyperspeed vessel (slightly damaged state)—awakening signature!】

Hyperspeed vessel? Non-local?

Qin Feng's heart lurched!

Before he could process this astonishing information, more detailed data streams flooded his mind with system prompts:

【This vessel is in autonomous repair mode, energy nearing full charge, estimated 24 hours until basic repair completion, may initiate autonomous jump protocol to leave this Starfield, or… execute preset 'Cleanup' protocol.】【Based on energy signature and damage state reverse-engineering, 87.5% probability damage resulted from transit through unstable spatial wormhole.】【WARNING! This vessel's technological level far exceeds host's current civilization. Its existence itself constitutes a Level-1 'Anomaly.' Suggestion: Contact or… seize it before repair completion!】

The system's warnings exploded like thunder in Qin Feng's mind.

Deepsea Technology, anomalous microbial strains, human experiments… all the original objectives of this mission, before this suddenly appearing hyperspeed vessel from another Starfield—or another universe—suddenly seemed trivial!

A hyperspeed vessel from an alien (or other-dimensional) civilization lay dormant in the nearby seabed—and was about to awaken!

Was its arrival accidental? An exploration? Or… an invasion?

What exactly was its "Cleanup" protocol?

Countless questions and immense dread surged over Qin Feng like a freezing tide.

He glanced at the submarine vanishing into the Deep Sea's darkness, then at the direction from which the danger emanated.

One concerned personal grudges and local interests; the other, the future of the entire planet and human civilization…

The choice came in an instant.

Qin Feng turned without hesitation, maxing out his underwater thrusters, a black lightning bolt racing unswervingly toward the ten-thousand-meter-deep sea where danger and opportunity coexisted!

"Gao Yuan!" he said urgently over the comm, voice grave, "Plan changed! Leave Deepsea Technology's remnants to the Candle Dragon team. Ensure Su Yuqing's team evacuates safely! I have something far more critical to handle!"

Without waiting for Gao Yuan's reply, he severed the connection, his figure vanishing entirely into boundless darkness and crushing pressure.

Target—Hyperspeed Vessel!

This time, he would face what was truly… unknown!