Chapter 337: Chapter 337: Identity Exposed
"Lord Contract Master, they found me first," Yun Han replied.
"You were supposed to be staying put with the Heavenly Might Corps. How would you have time to track my movements? If it weren’t for Yu Mingche, you wouldn’t have found me here so quickly." A wisp of an electric arc coiled around Ning Xuan’s fingertip, tracing a faint blue scar of light inside the tent.
She suddenly clenched her fist. The air crackled faintly as a translucent barrier instantly enveloped the entire tent. A current flowed across its surface, forming a fine, web-like pattern that completely blocked all sound from passing in or out.
"Alright, put them through." Ning Xuan nodded at Yun Han, then took half a step back, melting into the shadows.
Yun Han’s hands flew across the Light Computer, which gleamed with a metallic luster. His fingertips were a blur, leaving afterimages as they danced over the holographic keys.
After three confirmation chimes, two intertwining blue beams of light erupted from the device’s center. One was as clear and bright as a pristine spring, while the other possessed the cold, hard quality unique to military hardware.
The beams of light twisted in midair, gradually coalescing into two distinct humanoid silhouettes.
Yu Mingche’s projection solidified first. He looked as if he were stepping out from behind a curtain of water, his form still shimmering with a crystalline halo. The sleeves of his moon-white robe draped gently, and the silver-thread bamboo pattern embroidered on his lapel was rendered in perfect detail by the projection.
Yu Mingche’s gaze swept the room and quickly locked onto Ning Xuan’s position. He bowed respectfully in her direction. "Ming Che pays his respects to the Lord Contract Master." As Yu Mingche lowered his head, the jade crown in his hair refracted a soft light, casting his already delicate features in a glow that made him resemble a transcendent immortal from a painting.
Yu Mingche’s voice carried the slight electronic tinge of a holographic transmission, but it failed to conceal his innate elegance.
The light on the right gradually solidified as well, revealing the tall, imposing figure of Ying Yaoshi.
Ying Yaoshi was in a military uniform, his full suit of armor forged from a matte alloy. Every plate gleamed. His face, as always, looked like a meticulously carved sculpture, its lines elegant yet chiseled with a sharp edge.
"I told you two not to look for me. You both received my email. What, do my words mean nothing?" Ning Xuan demanded, raising an eyebrow.
Ning Xuan sat at the boundary of light and shadow inside the tent, with Yun Han kneeling beside her, head bowed. Hearing her question, Yu Mingche dropped to one knee. "Lord Contract Master, the Star Domains have been fraught with crisis in recent years. With you out here all alone, how could we possibly rest easy?"
"Exactly! Xuanyuan, you’re being far too reckless. I thought you were unwilling to stay with me because you felt it was too dangerous. It turns out you just felt you weren’t free enough at my side, is that it?" Ying Yaoshi said, his brow furrowed.
"And to top it all off, you ran off to the Edge Star Domain. That same Edge Star Domain now has a spatial rift and is exceptionally dangerous. Time is of the essence. We found you because we want you to have Yun Han get you off that planet immediately. This is all for your own safety," Ying Yaoshi said, his voice laced with urgency.
"Ying Yaoshi, watch your attitude. You have yet to pay your respects to the Lord Contract Master." Seeing Ning Xuan’s expression grow colder, Yu Mingche reminded Ying Yaoshi with dissatisfaction.
Ying Yaoshi glanced at Yu Mingche and Yun Han, then took the advice and bent a knee, kneeling.
"This is exactly what I hate to see. It’s as if I can only live in a cage you all build for me. Especially you, Ying Yaoshi. Do you think I don’t know that as long as I bear the name Ning Xuan, I can never escape your surveillance, no matter where I go?" Ning Xuan said, directing her words at Ying Yaoshi.
"Lord Contract Master, please watch this recording." Yu Mingche played a video. It was the scene of Ning Xuan eliminating the Poison Abyss Beast.
Lightning crackled around Ning Xuan, but at the critical moment, a searing, vermilion flame erupted from her palm. The fire coalesced into the shape of a divine bird—it was the long-lost Vermilion Bird Fire.
In the recording, Ning Xuan’s Vermilion Bird Fire was exposed. Despite being known for her Thunder Ability, she had also used a Fire Ability. This strange discovery had already attracted the attention of certain interested parties.
"Ning Xuan, this footage has already been sent to the Military Department. All the major reclusive families can access it. Your identity is exposed," Yu Mingche said in a gentle voice.
"Then let it be exposed. I wasn’t planning on staying on this planet for much longer anyway," Ning Xuan said nonchalantly.
"You can’t stay there any longer, Xuanyuan. That spatial rift’s danger Level is very high, and the spatial environment has become extremely unstable. The longer you wait, the more dangerous it will be. Listen to me. Leave with Yun Han right now," Ying Yaoshi urged.
"No. I am a High-level General now. I can’t abandon the soldiers under my command and save myself," Ning Xuan refused.
"But—" Yu Mingche started to say, but Ning Xuan cut him off by shutting down the screen.
The holographic transmissions for both Ying Yaoshi and Yu Mingche were severed.
Ning Xuan had shut down the transmission so quickly because she had just detected a fierce argument outside her tent.
"General, the temporary safe zone is under attack by newly emerged Exotic Beasts! What’s more, many of the wounded soldiers have begun to mutate. It’s absolute chaos out there!" Seeing Ning Xuan step out, Liu Linfeng rushed over to report.
"Let’s go take a look at the front lines." Ning Xuan waved her hand and led the way. Yun Han naturally stepped forward to follow right behind her.
Hearing the chaotic footsteps and intense sounds of gunfire outside, Ning Xuan decided to see what was going on. ’Why is the base in such an uproar?’
After a full day and night of rest, Ning Xuan’s mental state was much better than before.
Ning Xuan soon arrived at the military command center, where Yang Lei was in the middle of issuing attack orders.
Seeing that Yang Lei was completely unfazed by her arrival, Ning Xuan knew that her identity had not been exposed, at least not within this base.
Ning Xuan watched the command center’s monitor for a long time before realizing just how dangerous the situation truly was.
"Dean Ding, you have to save General Zhao, no matter what. He has rendered great service not just to our base, but to the entire Federation." After one wave of the attack ended, Yang Lei took Ning Xuan to the medical center to visit the wounded.
"Admiral Yang, it’s not that I don’t want to save him, but I’m truly powerless. For this level of complete mutation... I’m afraid the only person to have ever successfully treated a case like this is Miss Ning. I’ve tried many times, and all have ended in failure," Dean Ding said, shaking his head in utter helplessness.
"We have many patients like General Zhao, and the numbers are increasing explosively," Dean Ding informed Yang Lei in a low voice.
Hearing Ding Xiangyang’s words, Yang Lei looked stunned for a moment before sighing. "A female Spirit Controller with such a limitless future... why would she ever come to the dangerous Edge Star Domain?"
