Chapter 183: Even Here Is Not Better Than Mine

The 【Object Tracking】 skill was like lighting a faint lantern in the fog—though it couldn't provide precise coordinates, the clear causal line pointing southeast, and the non-human aura within it, identical in origin to the Traveler-7 but far colder, was enough for Qin Feng to pinpoint the general source of the threat.

Not the Traveler-7 itself, but certainly related to it! Perhaps another reconnaissance unit, perhaps a hidden beacon activated, or even… some monitoring device automatically launched by the Traveler-7 during its slumber.

Regardless, it must be found, contained, or destroyed before it can pose a tangible threat!

The "Candle Dragon" Base and Universal Airlines' Special Projects Team operated like precision instruments wound tight, functioning with unprecedented efficiency.

High-altitude reconnaissance satellites adjusted their orbits, conducting carpet-style scans over the vast Pacific and surrounding regions, focusing on anomalous energy radiation and spatial distortions.

Several "Global Hawk" drones, modified by 【Super Technology】 for stealth and long-endurance capability, took off from a secret base and conducted low-altitude, detailed reconnaissance along the general direction indicated by the causal line.

The six most elite members of Phase One of the "Candle Dragon" unit, led by Gao Yuan, equipped with the latest upgraded 【Living Performance Mobile Battle Armor】 enhanced for reconnaissance and anti-stealth functions, boarded a specially modified "Kunpeng" transport aircraft capable of VTOL and short-range submersible operations, awaiting orders above the target sea area, ready to force entry at any moment.

Qin Feng commanded from the Yunding Mansion Command Center, where massive screens before him rapidly refreshed countless data streams and surveillance feeds. His 35-point Spiritual Attribute resonated faintly with the 【Object Tracking】 skill, acting like a living radar, continuously perceiving and correcting the direction of the faint causal line.

Time passed second by second.

"Report! Satellite scan detected no large-scale anomalous energy sources!"

"Report! Drone swarm has covered sixty percent of the designated area—no clear suspicious targets detected!"

"Report! 'Candle Dragon' team has reached standby position—request further instructions!"

The search appeared to have hit a dead end. The target was hidden too deeply, or its signal signature was simply too weak to be detected by conventional means.

Qin Feng frowned slightly, but showed no sign of impatience. He trusted the guidance of the 【Object Tracking】 skill, and trusted his own intuition.

"Expand search radius. Focus scanning on underwater mountain ranges, trenches, and any areas with complex electromagnetic environments." He issued the order calmly, "'Candle Dragon' team—lower altitude, hug the sea surface, activate your battle armor's highest-sensitivity environmental perception module. Use your bodies to 'feel' the anomalies!"

The order was executed without hesitation.

The "Kunpeng" transport aircraft descended, flying almost level with the turbulent sea surface. Inside the cabin, Gao Yuan and five team members held their breath, pushing their 【Living Performance Mobile Battle Armor】's perception systems to maximum, like six sharp-eyed cheetahs searching for any discordant ripple of energy in the air.

Suddenly!

The team member codenamed "Physician," skilled in energy perception and analysis, snapped his head up, his tactical goggles revealing eyes as sharp as blades: "Captain! Two o'clock, approximately fifteen nautical miles, seabed depth two thousand meters—detected an extremely faint, unnatural spatial fold reaction! Energy signature… matches the Leader's described marker source with high fidelity!"

Found it!

In the Command Center, every mind surged with renewed focus!

"Lock coordinates! 'Kunpeng' close in! 'Candle Dragon' team—prepare for underwater assault!" Qin Feng's voice carried a cold edge of lethal intent.

The "Kunpeng" transport aircraft executed a sharp turn, hurtling toward the target coordinates, its belly opening to reveal a dark deployment chute.

Beneath the sea, two thousand meters of darkness.

A device no larger than a sedan, entirely coated in a camouflage layer indistinguishable from seabed rock, shaped like an irregular polyhedron, lay silently hidden within a fissure of a seamount. Its surface bore no visible light sources or interfaces—only an extremely faint, space-distorting energy field, pulsing slowly like a living breath.

This was the source that had marked Qin Feng—a "Traveler" series autonomous reconnaissance beacon!

It seemed unaware of the approaching danger, still faithfully executing its hidden and intermittent scanning mission.

Yet, the instant the "Kunpeng" transport arrived overhead and released six shadowy figures resembling black torpedoes!

The reconnaissance beacon suddenly "awoke!" Its camouflage layer vanished instantly, revealing an intricate internal structure glowing with ghostly blue light! A powerful, warning-and-repelling spiritual wave surged outward like an invisible shockwave!

"High-threat armed unit detected approaching! Classified as hostile action!"

"Initiate autonomous defense protocol!"

"Release 【Mind Interference Wave】!"

The powerful 【Spiritual Impact】 struck the six descending "Candle Dragon" team members instantly!

Even with their battle armor's 【Spiritual Shield Field】, the team members still felt searing headaches and dizziness, their movements momentarily stalling!

"Hold firm! Activate spiritual defense at maximum power!" Gao Yuan roared over the comms, forcing himself to stabilize.

Simultaneously, several tiny apertures opened across the beacon's polyhedral surface, firing multiple high-velocity, intensely hot ghostly blue 【Energy Beam】s!

Hssss—!

The beams, like the scythes of death, pierced through seawater and struck with pinpoint accuracy at the "Candle Dragon" team members!

"Evasive maneuvers!" Gao Yuan's pupils contracted; his armor's thrusters fired at full power, executing an almost impossible extreme maneuver in the water, narrowly dodging two crossing beams. The other team members each employed their own skills—some dodged with speed, others used temporary energy shields generated by their armor to absorb the impacts!

Explosions and water shocks flashed repeatedly in the deep sea!

This tiny reconnaissance beacon's defensive firepower was shockingly fierce!

"Don't let it keep attacking! Force a breakthrough! Destroy it!" Gao Yuan ordered the assault.

Six figures charged through the dense energy beams and spiritual interference, like six sharp knives, hurling themselves toward the seabed beacon!

The battle raged fiercely in the dark depths. 【High-frequency Blade】s clashed against the beacon's resilient hull, sparking blindingly; the "Candle Dragon" team moved with flawless coordination and tactical precision, yet the beacon's defenses were unexpectedly strong—its energy shields and structural integrity far exceeded expectations.

In the Command Center, Qin Feng watched the intense battle footage on screen, his eyes cold.

He could see: this beacon's technology level was extremely advanced. Alone, the "Candle Dragon" team would likely fail to neutralize it quickly—and might suffer casualties.

No more waiting.

He stood up and instructed Su Wenqian: "Prepare my battle armor."

"Sir, you're going to personally…?" Su Wenqian gasped.

"Yes." Qin Feng nodded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Let's see what this cowardly thing is truly capable of."

Minutes later, Qin Feng donned the custom-fitted, superior-performance 【Living Performance Mobile Battle Armor】 designed for him. The armor, woven in dark gold and black, featured sleeker, more dominant lines, radiating a terrifying energy fluctuation.

He did not board the transport. Instead, he went directly to the open rooftop platform of the Yunding Mansion.

Below the platform lay several hundred meters of open air.

Qin Feng took a deep breath; the thrusters on his armor's back erupted in ghostly blue plasma flames.

Boom!

He shot skyward like a cannonball, breaking the sound barrier, leaving a long white trail behind him as he raced toward the target sea area in the southeast.

Speed far exceeding any known aircraft!

Less than ten minutes later, Qin Feng arrived above the battlefield.

Without hesitation, he plunged into the sea like a meteor, barely disturbing the surface.

Beneath the sea, the battle continued. The "Candle Dragon" team held the upper hand, but the beacon still fought desperately.

Qin Feng's appearance instantly changed the tide of battle!

He didn't even use a weapon—just relying on the terrifying strength and speed provided by his battle armor, he charged straight to the Beacon and punched!

Boom—!!!

The massive sound echoed through the Deep Sea like a great bronze bell!

The Beacon's incredibly sturdy outer shell was crushed inward by his punch alone! The internal pale-blue light flickered violently, as if severely damaged!

The Beacon seemed stunned by this sudden, brutal attack, its assault pausing for an instant.

"Leader!" Gao Yuan and the others exclaimed, shocked yet delighted.

Qin Feng ignored them—he reached out, pressing his hand against the dented part of the Beacon, his Spiritual Attribute of 35 points combined with the Object Tracking skill like invisible tentacles, forcibly invading the Beacon's internal system!

He intended to read its data! Find its origin and purpose!

A vast, chaotic stream of data, mixed with cold logical code and warning messages, flooded into Qin Feng's mind.

【Warning! Unauthorized access!】

【Core database encrypted…】

【Detected high-privilege individual… Performing identity recognition…】

【Recognition failed… Energy signature mismatch… Threat level elevated to maximum!】

【Initiating self-destruct sequence… 3… 2…】

Want to self-destruct?

Qin Feng's eyes turned icy—his Spiritual Force surged like a raging flood, instantly smashing through the Beacon's fragile firewall and self-destruct command!

【Self-destruct sequence interrupted!】

【Core database forcibly opened!】

Vast amounts of data were forcibly extracted by Qin Feng.

This was indeed an automated reconnaissance Beacon from the Traveler Series, serial number "Shadow-7." It had been automatically launched after Traveler-7 was damaged and crashed, one of several reconnaissance units deployed to monitor this planet's civilization dynamics and mark potential "high-value" or "high-threat" targets.

Qin Feng, due to his display of power and technology far surpassing this civilization's level, had been marked as an Extremely High Threat Observation Individual.

Its mission was to lie dormant, observe, mark, and transmit data back… to the Mother Ship?

The data stream here was incomplete and encrypted—Qin Feng could not read the exact coordinates of "Shadow-7"'s data recipient, but he clearly sensed the far grander, colder source!

The direction of that presence pointed deeper into the stars!

Qin Feng forcibly suppressed the Beacon's final resistance, scanning every ounce of its energy and structural data.

He slowly withdrew his hand.

The Beacon named "Shadow-7" lost all its glow, becoming a pile of floating scrap metal in the seawater.

The battle ended.

The "Zhu Long" team members gathered around, staring at the Beacon destroyed by the Leader's punch, their eyes filled with awe.

Qin Feng hovered in the Deep Sea, surveying the surrounding darkness and cold.

He raised his hand, gazing at his battle armor's fist brimming with terrifying power, then looked down at the massive ship sleeping deeper below—the one named "Traveler-7" (he could sense its presence); finally, his gaze seemed to pierce through endless seawater and atmosphere, gazing into the depths of the Star Sea.

A sense of supreme dominance, mixed with a cold battle intent toward the unknown, surged within him.

He murmured softly—his voice, transmitted through the battle armor's communication system, clearly reached every "Zhu Long" team member, as if declaring it to the watchers in the starry depths:

"Even if you come from the starry depths, possessing superior technology…"

"Even if this is just a remote planet, a trivial civilization…"

"Yet right here—at this moment—"

His voice suddenly rose, brimming with absolute confidence and dominance:

"Even here is not equal to me!"

His voice echoed through the Deep Sea, like a declaration, a challenge.

From this moment on, Qin Feng knew his battlefield would no longer be confined to this planet.

Deep in the Star Sea, those watching eyes would one day witness how an individual from a "backward" civilization would rise against all odds, ascending to a peak they had never imagined…

"Recover the wreckage. Return to Base."

Qin Feng issued his final order, turned, and raced toward the sea's surface—toward his own world.