Chapter 270: Rescue

A previously activated Level Two Purification Tower has been contaminated again.

Li Luo knew very well what this meant.

Because ordinary aberrations lack the ability to further contaminate an activated Level Two Purification Tower—even a Earth Catastrophe-level aberration cannot do it.

In this region right now, only one aberration can accomplish this: the Smile Aberration of Great Catastrophe level.

This newly re-contaminated Level Two Purification Tower lies at the junction between the outer and inner zones, indicating that the Smile Aberration is moving—and its direction is toward the outpost...

At this moment, some heavy thoughts surfaced in Li Luo's heart; the worst scenario had finally arrived.

The aberration had targeted the outpost faster than they had imagined.

"This Level Two Purification Tower—I recall it was activated by Du Ze Duze Honglian and the others, right?" Li Luo asked.

Jiang Jiang Qinge gave a slight nod.

Li Luo frowned: "I wonder if their team has returned yet."

Although he had little fondness for the Du Ze siblings—given their opposing positions on any front—in the current situation, their assistance would undoubtedly ease much of the pressure.

Regardless, Du Ze Duze Honglian's team ranked among the top in the Third Star Academy, with formidable combat strength.

Jiang Jiang Qinge shook her head and said, "I've been monitoring them too, but I haven't received any word yet. Still, if they're smart, they should be returning soon."

"I hope so."

Li Luo sighed, gazing at the returning teams in the distance, rubbing his temples in frustration—he never imagined that coming to the Dark Cave just to earn some credits would suddenly draw such a massive problem.

Truly, not a single moment of peace.

All they could do now was hope the Academy received the news and reacted quickly.

Sheng Zhu Xuan Star Academy.

In a chamber resembling a basement, the architecture was uniquely strange—both floor and walls were woven from ancient roots.

Figures moved back and forth within.

On some stone platforms, figures sat in meditation, each gripping a section of root, eyes closed, while occasional streams of light flickered across the roots.

Suddenly, one opened his eyes, his face darkening with Solemn expression; in his hand appeared a leaf of jade-green jade.

"Emergency situation!" he said gravely.

Instantly, many gazes turned toward him; a Purple Radiance Instructor stationed at the Academy hurried over, took the jade-green leaf from him, and focused his senses to read its message.

"Thirteenth Outpost? A Great Catastrophe-level aberration has appeared?"

After a moment, his expression changed slightly.

He turned to the person beside him and asked, "How long until the teleportation array at the Thirteenth Outpost reactivates?"

"... Seven days. It just activated today, so it's currently in energy accumulation."

Hearing this, the Purple Radiance Instructor's frown deepened; seven days was too long—if the Thirteenth Outpost truly faced a Great Catastrophe aberration, it would inevitably target the students there.

And the outpost's defenses might not hold.

If the Great Catastrophe aberration breached the outpost's defenses, the students inside would surely perish.

The complete annihilation of an outpost's students would be a major event shaking the Academy, and the news would eventually spread across the Great Xia Empire.

This would bring many negative consequences.

"Damn it, how did a Great Catastrophe aberration slip into the outer zone?" the Purple Radiance Instructor muttered, then asked again: "Which students are at the Thirteenth Outpost?"

Someone immediately handed him the roster assigned to the Thirteenth Outpost.

The Purple Radiance Instructor swiftly scanned it: "Jiang Jiang Qinge? Du Ze Duze Honglian? Both top-tier students of the Third Star Academy... but even their strength likely won't stop a Great Catastrophe-level aberration."

After reviewing the list, the Purple Radiance Instructor's headache worsened—Jiang Jiang Qinge, Du Ze Duze Honglian, and Li Luo were all elite students; even the Academy's high-ups monitored their talents. If anything happened to them, it would be a massive trouble.

Yet the Purple Radiance Instructor swiftly made his decision.

"Send word to the nearest Fourth Star Academy squad—have them converge at maximum speed and rush to the Thirteenth Outpost for support."

"Yes!" someone immediately responded.

The Purple Radiance Instructor watched the messenger hurry off, his brow still knotted; finally, he could only sigh.

"I hope it's not too late."

The deeper region beyond the Dark Cave's outer zone is called the Sweeping Zone, the operational area for Fourth Star Academy students and some Gold Radiance Instructors.

Here, aberrations have virtually all surpassed White Corrosion level; the weakest are now Red Corrosion level, and Catastrophe-level aberrations, while not everywhere, are far from rare.

Occasionally, even Great Catastrophe-level aberrations are encountered—and each appearance triggers a fierce battle.

At this moment, in a certain direction of this region, several Fourth Star Academy squads received sudden messages transmitted through their Green Wood Tablets.

They came from within the Academy.

An urgent distress call.

Support the Thirteenth Outpost.

This sudden plea caught the Fourth Star Academy students and Gold Radiance Instructors off guard; they found it hard to believe a Great Catastrophe-level aberration had slipped past their blockade and appeared in the outer zone.

Yet the Dark Cave was vast—even the closest among them would still require considerable time to reach the Thirteenth Outpost.

This... might be too late!

In a gathering point within this region.

The squads here also received the sudden order, and immediately fell into heated debate: whether they could reach the outpost in time—if not, wouldn't going be pointless?

Among the crowd, a figure of peerless beauty stood out sharply—it was the Princess.

She wore simple pale-purple attire, yet even this plain garb radiated an undeniable nobility and splendor; her lovely face now showed subtle shifts of emotion: "Thirteenth Outpost? Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge are stationed there?"

"How unlucky..."

The Princess furrowed her delicate brows, her slender fingers gently clenching—a sign of her agitation.

The surrounding quarrels of other Fourth Star Academy squads continued, but the Princess drew a deep breath, her chest rising and falling, then rose to her feet and slammed her white-jade staff-like weapon hard against the ground, producing a deep resonance.

The surrounding arguments quieted considerably; all eyes turned toward her.

Then they saw that the Princess's usually approachable, smiling pretty face was now covered in frost.

The Princess's phoenix eyes swept across them with dignity as she said in an icy voice, "I don't want to waste words. I just want to tell you all that our classmates are facing a crisis of annihilation. If we don't go, they might all die on this desolate, cold land."

"If you are no longer students of the Saintly Astral Star Academy, then I won't ask anything of you. But... since we are still students of this Saintly Astral Star Academy, we have the duty to save them."

"No matter whether we make it in time or not, I will not abandon them."

When the Princess's voice fell, she said no more, turned around, and headed straight out of the base.

Behind her, some students of the Four Star Court immediately followed.

The remaining Four Star Court students exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, and finally swarmed after her in a rush. The entire gathering point instantly became completely empty.

It had to be said, the Princess's rallying power within this Four Star Court was truly unmatched.

Hearing the many footsteps following behind her, the Princess's expression did not ripple at all. Her phoenix eyes, tinged with worry, gazed toward the direction of Outpost Thirteen.

The reason she was so agitated was mainly because of Li Luo.

After all, her own younger brother's congenital defect still relied on him for treatment.

"Li Luo..."

"You have to hold on."

She murmured, then her graceful figure shot up into the sky.