Chapter 409 - 372: Application and Breakthrough

Chapter 409: Chapter 372: Application and Breakthrough

On Terra Star.

On the third day after the sixteenth rule was announced, Wei Xuan and the other astronauts who chose to stay and continue the mission collectively relocated to the *Imperial Pioneers*.

A total of six people, including him, chose to stay. The others boarded *Dream Ship One* to take Robert and those suffering from acute stress reactions back for treatment.

As for the rules, they were irrelevant to them.

Everyone had a "1" point value above their heads, but in this environment, no one had any desire to take points from others. There were only a few people in total. Even if one person killed all the others, their point total would still be in the single digits, making it impossible to get any ranking rewards.

After everyone had moved over, Wei Xuan held a meeting. He encouraged the group, saying, "Every one of us who chose to stay has undoubtedly accepted that we may have to sacrifice ourselves for humanity. But as your team leader, I promise you that if we encounter danger, I will do everything in my power to protect you."

"Team Leader, you don’t have to say it. We all understand!"

"Yeah. Since we chose to stay, we have no regrets."

"Going back now would be cowardly. Even if we die, we’ll die on Terra!"

The remaining team members were all in high spirits. Their courage was contagious, and Wei Xuan nodded firmly. "Hearing you all say that sets my mind at ease. In that case, we’ll continue the mission as planned, both improving the construction of our survival point and expanding our exploration of Terra Star."

Someone asked, "Team Leader, aren’t we going to investigate the existence of that ’demon’?"

"Don’t worry about that thing. We have too little intel right now. Rather than wasting energy chasing phantoms, we should focus on our assigned tasks. However, we can’t let our guard down. When we’re on missions, we shouldn’t all stick together. We need to leave someone in the rocket. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If..."

[BEEP. Incoming call from Ground Command.]

The sudden alert from the console’s communication device interrupted Wei Xuan. He went over and answered it.

"This is Wei Xuan. What is it, Ground Command?"

The voice of the Ground Command officer was heavy, laced with a barely perceptible thread of terror. "This is a notification: a suspected violent incident occurred suddenly aboard the *Dream Ship One* spacecraft, which departed for its return journey two hours ago. We have lost contact."

!!

Wei Xuan and the others were stunned by the news.

’The crew of *Dream Ship One* is out of contact because of a violent incident? What the hell happened?!’

"Right now, *Dream Ship One* is stationary in Terra’s orbit. Your mission has been changed. You are to immediately board the rocket, leave Terra Star, and return to Celestial Water Star."

Wei Xuan was stunned. "Return directly to Celestial Water Star? We’re abandoning the exploration mission on Terra... and the people on *Dream Ship One*?"

"Abandon all of it." The helpless voice of the North Star Aerospace Agency’s Director came through the comms. "This mission has already lost too many elite astronauts. If you go for a rescue, something will likely happen to you as well. Humanity cannot accept the cruel outcome of a total loss... At the very least, you few must come back alive."

...

The astronauts aboard the *Imperial Pioneers* fell silent.

A moment ago, everyone was full of drive, but now their declarations felt meaningless.

"Wei Xuan, obey the order."

"Director, I’d like to make a request," Wei Xuan said after a moment of silence.

"What kind of request?"

"After the rocket enters orbit, let the team members head back. I’ll pilot an ejection pod by myself to board *Dream Ship One* and investigate what happened. Many of my crew are on that ship. Please, I’m begging you to approve this!"

"Team Leader..."

The other team members had complex expressions on their faces. After a moment of silence, the Aerospace Agency Director sighed. "Alright. I approve your request."

"Thank you!"

After the call ended, Wei Xuan turned around to see the other team members saluting him. Everyone knew this was very likely a one-way trip.

Wei Xuan returned the salute. Then, without a word, he and the team followed procedure to launch the rocket.

After entering orbit, they found *Dream Ship One*. No matter how many times they hailed it, there was no response. It felt like a silent coffin.

Once they were closer, Wei Xuan boarded a small, single-person pod and launched himself toward *Dream Ship One*.

The moment his pod ejected, his team members couldn’t bear to watch, knowing this farewell was likely their last.

Compared to the others, Wei Xuan himself was quite calm. He wasn’t overly sentimental, nor did he feel his actions were particularly noble. He was simply fulfilling his duty as team leader—he would not abandon his crew.

When the ejection pod neared the front of *Dream Ship One*, Wei Xuan decisively exited, using the gas thrusters on his back to adjust his position and propel himself to the ship’s outer airlock hatch.

He skillfully turned the handle, verified his authorization, and opened the outermost hatch. Once inside, he turned to close it. After gravity was restored, he opened the second hatch to enter the ship’s inner cabin.

The moment he stepped inside, he felt his foot land in something viscous.

He looked down to see a large pool of blood spreading across the floor...

"You shouldn’t have come."

A voice came from ahead.

Wei Xuan snapped his head up, his voice filled with disbelief. "Robert?!"

...

「Psychic Power Development Academy.」

In a tranquil courtyard, Shi Jingyi sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, her eyes gently closed, her breathing long and steady.

If anyone else had been there, they would have been astonished by her current state. A large amount of radiant, flowing matter was burning all around her body!

A veteran Ascender would recognize that radiance as flowing Psychic Power, but they would be unable to understand why this Psychic Power was "burning" like a flame.

When it came to the deep development and application of Psychic Power, Shi Jingyi had always been a pioneer, walking at the very forefront.

Aside from teaching classes and answering questions, her time was spent in self-cultivation. She had little in the way of social life or entertainment. Or perhaps, cultivation itself was the best form of entertainment she had nurtured since childhood.

It was this ceaseless, diligent cultivation that allowed her to continuously improve.

Her initial development of Psychic Power Flow, which harnessed Psychic Power as an external form of energy, had already benefited countless Ascenders, earning her their utmost respect.

But she didn’t rest on her laurels. Instead, she delved deeper, fusing Psychic Power with Martial Arts to create several astonishingly powerful Mind Martial Techniques.

Even after that, she didn’t stop. She continued her deep dive and has now grasped a special application of Psychic Power.

She named it "Condensation."

It is a method of refining Psychic Power. In simple terms, it involves consuming a massive amount of Psychic Power in a short period to impact the "Psychic Power Conduit" theory proposed by Guan Tong, thereby stimulating an accelerated increase in one’s Psychic Power limit.

The external manifestation of this cultivation method is that the Psychic Power appears to burn like flames... Through continuous "Condensation," she has further accelerated the growth rate of her Psychic Power limit.

Originally, her natural growth rate of 1 point to her limit every two days—or even every day—was already enough to make countless Ascenders’ jaws drop. Now, having mastered the refining method of "Condensation," after several days of cultivation, she has managed to increase the natural growth of her Psychic Power limit to 3 points a day!

This terrifying speed was something even Guan Tong couldn’t hope to match. And after many days of such cultivation, this day was a special one for Shi Jingyi.

In a certain moment, the Psychic Power burning around her abruptly vanished without a trace.

She opened her eyes, and a flash of golden light glinted within them.

A formless, colossal aura silently began to spread. She was still herself, and yet not herself. Some profound change had occurred within her body...

’My Psychic Power limit... has finally broken through one thousand points.’