Chapter 275: Transformation in the Dire Situation

In the precarious space of the Chan dao Yuzhou, everyone is racing against time to locate the remaining nerve nodes, and the situation grows ever more critical. Lín Jìn is locked in a fierce battle with the lingering consciousness phantom of Lin Yuan in the nursery cabin, while the companions here also face unprecedented difficulties. Ling Yue lies comatose, and the collapse of the Chan dao Yuzhou accelerates, each second sounding like a countdown clock urging everyone to act.

Seeing the comatose Ling Yue and the worsening environment, a companion suddenly suggested: "Perhaps we could try inserting the Star Boat neural bundle into Lin Li's crystallized body; it might convert her brain into a bio‑mechanical core, and maybe that would give us a way out of this predicament."

The group hesitated, but there was no better option now. After a series of preparations, they carefully guided the Star Boat neural bundle to slowly pierce Lin Li's crystallized body. In an instant, a strange light burst from the contact point, and Lin Li's crystallized brain began to undergo astonishing changes.

As the light flickered, the previously inert crystallized body seemed infused with new vitality, countless fine patterns surfacing like active veins. Then, the tip of the obstetric forceps slowly opened nine hundred compound eyes. Those eyes emitted a mysterious dim glow, like deep cosmic vortices, inspiring awe.

The group stared in amazement, and before they could recover from the shock, they realized the nine hundred compound eyes possessed abilities beyond imagination. When one eye locked onto a dimension barrier, a scorching beam erupted, instantly burning through the sturdy barrier.

"This… this power is overwhelming!" a companion shouted excitedly.

However, the joy was short‑lived. After the compound eyes used their ability, the group noticed subtle changes in Lin Li's vital signs. Tests revealed, to their sorrow, that each use of the eyes consumes Lin Li's memory data.

"We can't keep doing this; every use harms Lin Li," a companion said with concern.

But the collapse of the Chan dao Yuzhou had already reached a point of no return; the remaining nerve nodes were hidden in even more complex and dangerous zones, shielded by multiple dimension barriers. Without the eyes' power, breakthrough was impossible.

Faced with a painful choice, the group finally decided to use the compound eyes' ability cautiously, provided they could still locate the nerve nodes.

The first use of the eyes successfully pierced a dimension barrier, revealing a hidden nerve node behind it. But Lin Li's memory data was partially consumed, and the surface of her crystallized brain seemed dimmer.

The group hurried toward the node, only to find the surroundings riddled with powerful defenses—streams of electricity weaving through space, forming a lethal electric net.

A companion tried to touch the net with a tool and was instantly blasted away by the powerful current. "The electric net is too strong; we can't get close."

Meanwhile, the collapse had torn massive fissures in the surrounding space, devouring anything that approached. Time pressed, and the group once again turned their gaze to the compound eyes at the tip of the obstetric forceps.

"We can only use the eyes' ability once more, hoping to destroy the electric net outright," the leader said through clenched teeth.

So they guided the eyes again; a more powerful beam shot out, striking the net. The net shuddered violently under the impact, emitting a "zzzz" sound, but it was not instantly destroyed.

"Increase the energy!" the leader shouted.

The eyes' glow swelled, the beam thickening. At last, the net could not withstand the force and, with a booming crack, shattered. The group rushed forward and secured the fourth nerve node.

However, Lin Li's memory data was again heavily drained. Small cracks appeared across her crystallized surface, as if she could shatter at any moment.

"Lin Li…" the group looked at her, their hearts full of guilt and helplessness.

At this moment, less than half the time remained before the Chan dao Yuzhou fully collapsed, and the remaining three nerve nodes lay hidden in even more perilous zones, each heavily guarded as if awaiting the group's step into a death trap.

The group knew every subsequent step would be harder, and their race against time had entered its most critical phase…

As the group kept searching for the remaining nerve nodes, each use of the compound eyes further depleted Lin Li's memory data and increased the cracks in her crystallized form. While seeking the fifth node, the beam from the eyes unintentionally triggered a chain reaction in the surrounding space, spawning a small black hole that nearly swallowed them. After barely escaping its pull, they were confronted by a horde of terrifying monsters formed from collapse energy. The monsters were massive yet agile, lunging at the group madly. The group wielded the obstetric forceps to fend off the attacks while looking for a chance to use the eyes to breach the node's protective barrier. In the fierce battle, a companion was struck by a monster and gravely wounded. Meanwhile, the collapse had torn a massive void in the sky, as if ready to devour the entire universe at any moment.

At the last moment, the group once again used the compound eyes to burn through the barrier, locating the fifth nerve node. By then, cracks had spread across most of Lin Li's crystallized body, and her vital signs were extremely faint. Carrying the wounded companion, they pressed on toward the arduous search for the sixth node. They knew little time remained, and each step could be their final one in this doomed Chan dao Yuzhou…

During the search for the sixth nerve node, the Chan dao Yuzhou's environment grew increasingly hostile. Space twisted more violently, forming massive vortices that could engulf anyone careless. The group cautiously guided the obstetric forceps through the warped space, constantly on guard for surrounding dangers.

Suddenly, a massive spatial fissure opened before them, exuding a powerful suction that tried to draw the obstetric forceps and the group inside. They struggled desperately, but the pull grew stronger. At the brink of despair, the compound eyes at the forceps' tip automatically emitted a beam toward the fissure. The light clashed with the suction, generating violent energy fluctuations.

Under the light's influence, the fissure gradually narrowed, but the compound eyes' massive energy output drained Lin Li's memory data to a terrifying degree. Cracks now covered almost the entire surface of her crystallized body, and her vital signs were barely perceptible.

The group could not linger in grief, for they knew only by finding all the nerve nodes could they survive. Finally, aided by the eyes' glow, they crossed the fissure and discovered the sixth nerve node hidden beyond.

At this point, the collapse of the Chan dao Yuzhou had entered its final frantic stage. The entire universe seemed to become a massive black hole, endlessly devouring everything within. The remaining final nerve node was shrouded in a mysterious glow that appeared to echo the collapse's force, creating a strange equilibrium.

The group knew this would be their toughest challenge. If they failed to locate and activate the last nerve node, they would vanish along with the Chan dao Yuzhou's destruction…

At this critical juncture of life and death, the group engaged in heated debate over how to breach the final layer of mysterious light. Some suggested concentrating all the obstetric forceps' energy for a full‑force strike; others feared it would trigger a stronger collapse reaction, causing the universe to be destroyed prematurely.

While the group argued, the perpetually comatose Ling Yue suddenly awoke. Though her body was severely frail, her eyes held resolve. Ling Yue said, "I sense a connection between this glow and the Mechanical Zigong; perhaps I can try using the Mechanical Zigong's power to dissolve this light's defense."

The group, though worried about Ling Yue's condition, had no better option. Ling Yue forced her body to move, steering the Mechanical Zigong to emit a gentle blue light. The blue light slowly approached the mysterious glow, and the two lights met, beginning a wondrous reaction.

The mysterious glow trembled faintly, as if resisting the Mechanical Zigong's power. Ling Yue clenched her teeth, continuously raising the uterus's output. Her body, unable to bear the intense energy backlash, began to sprout streaks of blood, yet she did not give up.

With Ling Yue's perseverance, the mysterious glow gradually weakened. At that moment, the compound eyes at the forceps' tip emitted light again, combining with the Mechanical Zigong's power for a final strike against the glow.

With a deafening crash, the mysterious glow was finally breached. The group rushed forward and secured the last nerve node. However, Ling Yue, having over‑exerted herself, fell back into a coma, her life hanging by a thread.

The group dared not delay; they swiftly activated the seven nerve nodes. In an instant, the entire Chan dao Yuzhou erupted in a burst of intense light, the collapsing space gradually stabilizing, and the crystallized cage's seal was successfully lifted…

After the Chan dao Yuzhou temporarily steadied, the group had no time to celebrate. They knew a greater danger lay ahead. The outcome of Lín Jìn's battle with the lingering consciousness phantom of Lin Yuan in the nursery cabin remained unknown.

The group decided to split into two parties: one stayed to tend to Ling Yue and Lin Li, striving to restore their bodies and memory data; the other took the obstetric forceps and headed to rendezvous with Lín Jìn.

When they arrived at the nursery cabin, they found it in ruins. Lín Jìn was locked in a life‑or‑death struggle with the lingering consciousness phantom of Lin Yuan; both were heavily wounded. Lín Jìn's body was splattered with blood, and the glow of the Abyss Return Ruler had dimmed considerably. The phantom's form was also wavering, as if it could dissipate at any moment.

Seeing this, the group immediately joined the fight. The compound eyes at the forceps' tip fired scorching beams at the phantom. Sensing a greater threat, the phantom roared wildly, unleashing its final power. In an instant, energy surged throughout the nursery cabin, and space warped again.

Under the group's combined assault, the phantom finally could not endure. It let out a mournful wail as its body gradually dissolved into the air. Lín Jìn looked at the group, his eyes filled with both relief and fatigue.

After a brief rest, Lín Jìn shared the crucial information he had uncovered in the nursery cabin—coordinates of the Observer's nursery cabin and secrets about Ao Li's past life. The group was shocked by the revelation and their resolve to thwart the Observer's plot hardened.

Based on Lín Jìn's clues, they learned that to reach the Observer's nursery cabin located in the Hongjun Evil Corpse Quantum Cemetery, they must traverse a perilous Quantum Sea. This sea is riddled with massive quantum storms, bizarre spacetime vortices, and various unknown quantum creatures.

But the group showed no sign of retreat; they piloted a modified Star Boat toward the Quantum Sea. Upon entering, they immediately sensed the danger. Powerful quantum storms raged like furious beasts, repeatedly battering the Star Boat's shields. The vessel shook violently in the storm, as if it could be torn to pieces at any moment.

The group clutched the control levers, doing everything to keep the Star Boat stable. In the main control room, Lín Jìn commanded, "Everyone hold steady, follow the preset course, don't let the storm disrupt our rhythm!"

However, at that moment a swarm of jellyfish‑like quantum creatures drifted toward the Star Boat. These beings emitted an eerie glow, and their tentacles, upon touching the ship's shields, generated intense electric currents that severely damaged the shields.

"Activate the weapon system, repel these creatures!" Lín Jìn shouted.

The Star Boat's weapon system sprang to life, firing energy beams at the quantum creatures. Yet the creatures were numerous and swift, making them hard to hit. They kept closing in on the ship, placing massive pressure on its shields.

During the fierce battle, the Star Boat's shield energy kept dropping. Just as the shield was about to break, a companion suddenly discovered the quantum creatures' weakness—they were extremely sensitive to a specific frequency of sound waves.

The group quickly adjusted the Star Boat's equipment to emit that specific frequency. Under the sound waves, the quantum creatures writhed in pain and fled away from the ship.

Just as the group breathed a sigh of relief, a massive spacetime vortex appeared ahead. The vortex emitted a cold glow, as if linking to an unknown realm. Its powerful suction pulled the Star Boat inexorably toward it.

"Full reverse! We can't be sucked in!" Lín Jìn shouted.

The group strained to boost the Star Boat's thrust, but the pull was overwhelming. The vessel still drifted slowly toward the vortex. At the critical moment, Lín Jìn conceived a plan. He harnessed the power of the Abyss Return Ruler, combining it with the ship's engine energy to generate a massive thrust in the opposite direction.

With the Abyss Return Ruler and the engine working together, the Star Boat finally broke free of the vortex's pull and continued toward the Hongjun Evil Corpse Quantum Cemetery.

After a grueling voyage, the group finally reached the edge of the Hongjun Evil Corpse Quantum Cemetery. A thick black mist hung there, faintly echoing eerie roars. Inside the cemetery, towering quantum tombstones stood like silent testimonies of past events.

The group carefully piloted the Star Boat into the cemetery; upon entry they felt an intense pressure. Space here twisted even more violently, with myriad mysterious forces intertwining, making them feel as if inside a massive labyrinth.

During their exploration, they found strange symbols etched on the tombstones. These symbols differed from any runes they had seen before, exuding an ancient, mysterious aura. Lín Jìn and the others speculated that the symbols might conceal clues about the Observer's nursery cabin.

Thus, the group began a careful study of the symbols. After effort, they deciphered part of their meaning. The symbols indicated that the Observer's nursery cabin was hidden in the cemetery's core, guarded by a powerful energy shield and surrounded by numerous deadly traps.

Just as the group prepared to delve deeper for a way to breach the shield and traps, a squad of quantum‑energy‑formed ghost warriors appeared before them. These ghost warriors wielded blades, their eyes hollow, exuding a chilling murderous intent.

The group engaged in a fierce clash with the ghost warriors, and the Star Boat's weapons continuously poured fire onto the ghost warriors. Yet the ghost warriors seemed tireless, surging toward the Star Boat in endless waves. Their blades struck the Star Boat's shield, splashing sparks, and the shield's energy kept dropping under the relentless attacks.

Lín Jìn watched the shield's energy value keep decreasing, his anxiety burning. He knew that if they could not quickly shake off the ghost warriors, once the Star Boat's shield shattered they would all fall into extreme danger.

At that moment, a companion noticed that the ghost warriors seemed to react to a certain special electromagnetic Pulse Wave. Whenever the Star Boat emitted this Pulse Wave, the ghost warriors' movements slowed. The group immediately adjusted the Star Boat's systems, increasing the Pulse Wave's output power.

Under the influence of the powerful electromagnetic Pulse Wave, the ghost warriors' movements grew ever slower, eventually halting their attack as their forms gradually dissipated into the air.

Seizing the chance, the group pressed deeper into the Hongjun Evil Corpse Quantum Cemetery. As they drew nearer to the core area, the surroundings grew increasingly bizarre. Strange luminous liquids began to appear on the ground, seeming almost alive as they flowed and morphed. When the Star Boat approached these liquids, they quickly coalesced, attempting to envelop the Star Boat.

Lín Jìn hurriedly ordered everyone to avoid the liquids while closely monitoring the surroundings. Suddenly, the Star Boat's radar displayed a massive energy reaction source ahead, which was the energy shield protecting the Observer's nursery module.

Just as the group contemplated how to breach the shield, a swarm of massive Quantum Puppets suddenly appeared around the energy shield. These Quantum Puppets stood dozens of meters tall, made of solid quantum crystal, and each step caused the ground to quake violently.

The Quantum Puppets swung their massive arms, smashing toward the Star Boat. The Star Boat dodged nimbly, but in such a cramped space evasion grew increasingly difficult. A huge fist brushed the Star Boat's edge, and the powerful impact made the Star Boat shake violently, causing some equipment to malfunction.

"Continuing like this won't work; we must find the Quantum Puppets' weak point and concentrate our force to attack," Lín Jìn said.

The group began to scrutinize the Quantum Puppets' movements, trying to spot a flaw. After some observation, they found the Quantum Puppets' joints relatively vulnerable.

Thus, the group wielded the Obstetric Forceps, using the powerful light from the forceps' tip Compound Eyes to focus on the Quantum Puppets' joints. Streams of scorching light shot at the joints, and under the intense energy impact the joints began to crack.

However, the Quantum Puppets seemed to sense the group's intent, coordinating to form a defensive line that encircled the Star Boat, while shielding their joint areas with their bodies.

At that moment, Lín Jìn suddenly conceived a daring plan. He decided to pilot a small shuttle himself, slipping behind the Quantum Puppets while their attention remained on the Star Boat, to attack their joints from the rear.

Lín Jìn ignored the group's objections and resolutely boarded the shuttle. He piloted the shuttle, carefully weaving past the Quantum Puppets' defense line, flying toward their backs. Upon nearing a Quantum Puppet, Lín Jìn activated the shuttle's weapon system, launching an attack on its joint.

Under Lín Jìn's assault, a Quantum Puppet's joint finally gave way, snapping with a thunderous crack. Deprived of an arm, the Quantum Puppet's movements slowed, and cracks appeared in the other Quantum Puppets' defensive line.

The Star Boat seized the opportunity, launching another attack. The forceps' tip Compound Eyes combined with the Star Boat's weapon system to strike the Quantum Puppets in a full‑scale offensive. Under the group's combined assault, the Quantum Puppets fell one after another.

The group finally broke through the Quantum Puppets' defense line and reached the energy shield. Yet how to pierce this formidable energy shield became a daunting problem before them…

The group conducted tense research around the energy shield, seeking a way to breach it. After probing, they discovered that the shield's energy source seemed closely linked to the Hongjun Evil Corpse's Quantum Remnant.

Lín Jìn speculated, "Perhaps we can locate the key control point of the Hongjun Evil Corpse Quantum Remnant, cut off its energy supply, and thus breach the shield."

Thus, the group resumed their search in the perilous Quantum Cemetery. After a hard‑won exploration, they discovered a hidden passage beneath a massive Stele. The passage was filled with eerie light, faintly echoing a low hum.

The group proceeded cautiously along the passage, repeatedly encountering traps and strange energy fluctuations. At the passage's end, they found a massive Quantum Core Device, which supplied the energy shield with a continuous flow of power.

However, the Quantum Core Device was surrounded by intricate defensive mechanisms that could trigger lethal attacks at the slightest misstep. The group studied these mechanisms closely, seeking a way to crack them.

After research, they discovered that by adjusting the light Pinqü emitted from the forceps' tip Compound Eyes to resonate with the defensive mechanisms' energy Pinqü, they could temporarily disable the defenses.

The group acted swiftly, operating the Obstetric Forceps to adjust the light Pinqü. The moment the light touched the defensive mechanisms, a burst of intense brilliance erupted, and the mechanisms began to quake violently. Through their effort, the defenses were finally cracked.

The group rushed toward the Quantum Core Device, only to find that shutting it down required entering a complex password. Just as they were at a loss,