Chapter 312: Arrival at Wonderful Island

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, Xia Wan barely slept or rested, devoting herself entirely to familiarizing and mastering the power she had gained after her breakthrough. She no longer needed to consciously maintain fine control—where her mind went, energy surged like tides, flowing and receding with perfect ease, seamless and unobstructed. The deeper bloodline power awakened within her merged perfectly with the Origin Contract, granting her profound insight into the nature of energy, even allowing her to faintly draw in the stray energies of the surrounding space.

Her demeanor also underwent a subtle change: calmness now carried an inwardly restrained authority; when her eyes opened or closed, divine light shimmered within, as if capable of piercing through illusion.

On the morning of the third day, the time to depart arrived.

On the base's landing pad, instead of the expected large interstellar vessel, there stood a medium-sized aerospace craft—"Star Shuttle"—with sleek contours, elegant lines, and a matte black coating. It possessed both atmospheric flight and short-range interstellar travel capabilities, one of the New Era's most advanced stealth high-speed vehicles.

Lei Dong came personally to see them off, accompanied by several core senior officials, as well as Xia Wan's parents, who had insisted on coming after hearing the news, and Nannan, holding her mother's hand, eyes red as if she had just been crying.

"Be careful," Xia Tian said, patting his daughter's shoulder, all his words condensed into this simple warning, his eyes filled with pride and worry.

Xia Madam held her daughter's hand, repeating over and over about staying safe, eating on time, her eyes reddening.

Nanni broke free from her mother's grip, rushed forward, and hugged Xia Wan's legs, looking up with a tearful voice: "Sister, are you leaving again? Will you be gone a long time? Nannan will miss you…"

Xia Wan's heart ached. She bent down, picked up her sister, rubbed her forehead gently, and said softly: "Sister has to go far away to handle some business. When it's done, I'll come back. You stay home and listen to Mom and Dad. When I return, I'll bring you a Gift, okay?"

"Pinkie swear!" Nannan extended her little finger.

"Pinkie swear," Xia Wan smiled, linking her finger with hers, though her heart felt heavy. The path to the Final Trial was unknown, and her return uncertain.

After returning Nannan to her mother, Xia Wan turned to Lei Dong: "Commander Lei, I entrust the Base to you."

Lei Dong nodded solemnly: "Rest assured. We've got this side. You… must return safely." His gaze also swept over Qin Feng, standing quietly nearby, as if unrelated to this farewell.

Qin Feng remained as indifferent as ever, oblivious to the sorrow around him. He merely nodded slightly in greeting to Lei Dong, then stepped onto the Star Shuttle first.

Xia Wan cast one final look at her family, took a deep breath, suppressed her reluctance, turned, and walked with firm steps into the craft's hatch.

The hatch sealed. The Star Shuttle's engines roared with a deep, powerful hum, slowly rising vertically, then shooting like a black arrow through the clouds, vanishing into the blue sky.

Inside the cabin, besides the pilot and essential navigators, only Qin Feng and Xia Wan remained. The interior was minimalist yet steeped in technology; through the high-strength windows, they could see clouds rushing past and the gradually curving horizon emerging.

"Coordinates input. Course calibrated. Estimated travel time: 47 standard Earth hours," the navigator reported.

Xia Wan sat in the comfortable seat, watching the view outside slowly replaced by the profound depths of starlight. This was her first true departure from Earth, heading into the unknown Starfield.

Qin Feng closed his eyes, resting, as if on an ordinary short trip.

The journey passed in silence, broken only by occasional slight jolts from crossing interstellar dust belts. Xia Wan spent most of her time in meditation, consolidating her realm and adapting her power's flow in the space environment. Occasionally, she gazed through the window at the brilliant yet cold star river, feeling her own insignificance and the weight of her responsibility.

When the navigation system chimed, signaling imminent arrival in the target Starfield, Xia Wan awoke from meditation.

Looking ahead through the window, she saw a strange sight.

It was not the barren planet or massive space station she had expected, but a… colossal "island" suspended in the void, shrouded by a curtain of seven-colored aurora-like energy, seemingly assembled from countless shattered continents and isles!

The island's scale was incalculable. Mountains, rivers, forests, lakes dotted its surface; even peculiar architectural ruins could be seen—but all were veiled beneath the shifting energy curtain, appearing surreal and dreamlike. Around the island, space itself warped slightly, as if surrounded by a natural concealment and protective field.

"That's… the Final Trial?" Xia Wan murmured, stunned by the sight. It surpassed all her imagination.

The Star Shuttle slowed, approaching the energy curtain cautiously. When the craft touched the curtain, no collision occurred—the energy rippled like water, silently "swallowing" the Star Shuttle.

Beyond the curtain, the scene grew clearer. The air was thick with an intense yet remarkably gentle and pure energy; each breath felt refreshing. Gravity here also differed from Earth's, lighter and more buoyant. The sky held no sun or moon; the light came from the seven-colored energy curtain itself, bathing the entire island in a soft, dawn-or-dusk glow.

The Star Shuttle landed gently on a relatively flat, jade-white rock platform.

The hatch opened. Xia Wan and Qin Feng stepped out.

As her feet touched the warm, supple "ground," Xia Wan immediately sensed that every inch of soil, every breath of air, brimmed with an ineffable ancient Dao rhythm and boundless vitality. Her Origin Contract and Bloodline Power surged to their peak here, as if returning to their true home.

She looked around and saw distant towering ancient trees wreathed in auspicious clouds, waterfalls flowing like nectar, pavilions and towers floating midair, and farther still, massive mountain ranges that seemed alive, slowly shifting…

Everything here defied the physical laws she knew, brimming with miracles and impossibility.

"This is…" Xia Wan turned to Qin Feng, seeking confirmation.

Qin Feng's gaze swept over this wondrous land, a faint trace of memory flickering in his eyes. He spoke calmly, naming this trial ground hidden within the folds of space in the distant Starfield:

"Miao Fa Xuan Zhou."

He paused, looked at Xia Wan, his tone calm yet carrying invisible pressure:

"The Trial has already begun the moment you set foot here."

"Survive. Find the Origin Temple."

"I'll wait for you there."

Without waiting for Xia Wan's response, Qin Feng's figure faded like dissolving into air, vanishing completely before her, leaving her alone on this magnificent, mysterious, yet perilous "Wonderful Island."

Xia Wan stared blankly at the spot where Qin Feng had vanished, then at the breathtakingly beautiful yet eerily silent surroundings. She took a deep breath of the energy-rich air, clenched her fists.

The Master had dropped her straight at the Trial's starting point.

Everything that followed, she must face alone.

She oriented herself, sensing the faint call from her Origin Contract toward a certain direction—there, the Origin Temple must lie.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward, walking resolutely into the island's depths.

Wonderful Island, I've come.

Trial, begin.