Leng Ningxue's ice-blue image lit up on the communication screen, data streams sliding smoothly through her eyes: "The hyperspace fluctuations have stabilized."
A new rift has formed seven light-years away, its scale even larger than the previous Judgment Legion flagship.
Based on energy signature analysis, it's likely a Territory Arbiter-class fortress ship of the World Government."
Chi Yan's projection immediately cut in, flame patterns burning silently on his shoulder guards: "The Archives' escort fleet has all returned, and damage repair progress is at eighty-nine percent.
If another round of conflict breaks out, we need a more comprehensive contingency plan. Our existing forces are insufficient to face an Arbiter-class head-on."
Huang Yu added steadily: "The Archives' defense array can be temporarily reinforced, but it will consume a large amount of Resonance reserves. I suggest prioritizing the remote protection channel for the Nebula Heart Tree."
Lan Xiaoyu quickly pulled up a list: "Medical and supply reserves are sufficient, but if the war escalates, we will need support from more external resonance nodes.
Should we issue a watch request in the river of light network?"
Bai Cheng shook her head slightly, her silver eyes looking at the flowing star river outside the porthole.
"The river of light network is a vein of resonance, not a military alliance. The stance of the Starfire Archives has always been consistent:
What we protect is the freedom of existence and choice, not opposition to any particular faction.
Issuing a watch request would blur this stance."
She paused for a moment, her fingertips lightly touching the cover of the book of commonality.
"But we are not fighting alone. Those civilizations connected under the heart tree, those echoes recorded throughout the Star Abyss, and all beings who identify with the philosophy of resonance are our invisible allies.
What we need is more refined resonance coordination, rather than a simple gathering of military force."
Zi Yuan stood by the hatch holding her long blade, adding coldly:
"In other words, the key to the next conflict is not to repel the enemy, but to make the World Government understand that the cost of forced harvesting far exceeds the gains."
Qing Niao stretched, lightning jumping at the tips of her hair: "Then let them try again. The heart tree is already established this time; let's see how ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) they can possibly snatch it."
Bai Cheng nodded, the light of the oath of starlight spreading across the main console into a star chart.
She marked the Archives, the Faith Nebula, and the newly appeared hyperspace rift, connecting the three into a clear arc.
"The next steps are three-fold. First, consolidate the foundation. Lu Duo and Yu Nian will continue to remotely protect the heart tree, helping those seventy-three civilizations establish a deeper resonance network, so the heart tree can grow from newly planted to ever-green."
"Second, strengthen early warning. Leng Ningxue, concentrate sixty percent of the Thousand Mirror Eye' computing power on monitoring the movements of the Arbiter-class fortress ship.
At the same time, set up a mirror refraction maze around the Archives; any forced entry without resonance identification will fall into a spatial loop."
"Third, prepare for dialogue." Bai Cheng's gaze swept over everyone.
"The World Government is not a monolith, and there are different voices within the Infinite Realm. We need to find ears willing to listen before a full-scale conflict erupts."
She looked at Chi Yan and Huang Yu: "The daily guarding and reception work of the Archives will continue as usual; maintaining normalcy is the best signal of stability. Lan Xiaoyu, prepare the medical and resonance recovery units to handle emergencies at any time."
Finally, she turned to Zi Yuan and Qing Niao: "The dawn will temporarily station at the outer edge of the Archives as a mobile response force. If the Judgment Legion attempts small-scale infiltration, simply repel them; there is no need to pursue.
Our core objective is always protection, not annihilation."
The orders were clearly given, and everyone responded in unison before dispersing to prepare.
Bai Cheng remained alone on the bridge as the book of commonality automatically flipped to a new page. She picked up the pen formed by the oath of starlight and wrote at the top:
Star Abyss Echoes
As the tip of the pen touched down, ripples rose from the depths of the page, as if a distant resonance was quietly responding across the sea of stars.
She looked out the window; the river of light still flowed quietly, and the light of the Starfire Archives was as warm as ever in the deep space.
In the direction of the Faith Nebula, the radiance of that heart tree was distant but clearly visible, like an eternal lamp lit in the darkness.
The journey never stops, only each departure carries more weight. With the starlight as witness, the heart tree remains ever-green, and the river of light shines forever.
And a new chapter has already begun to echo quietly in the depths of the Star Abyss.
The dawn slowly sailed into the Archives' spaceport, its hull light merging with the keystone resonance like a returning bird into a forest.
In the distance, that hyperspace rift still hung in the darkness, grim and motionless.
But within the Archives, life and stories continued to grow.
When the next voyage begins, the starlight will shine toward deeper echoes.
The keystone of the Archives breathed steadily in resonance, like a warm heart in the depths of the Star Abyss.
The dawn stayed at the spaceport, its hull light merging with the veins of the Archives. Lu Duo and Yu Nian were resting with eyes closed in the recovery area, the halos of the Emerald Network and pure heart vines rising and falling gently like tides.
In the main control room, Bai Cheng stood before the Mirror Corridor. The ice-blue mirror reflected images of distant star sectors:
That hyperspace rift hung in the darkness like a cold giant eye, the silhouette of the Arbiter-class fortress ship faintly visible in its depths, the light of the Infinite Emblem stern and orderly.
Leng Ningxue's image appeared silently, "The rift is stable but has not expanded further. The opponent seems to be observing, or perhaps waiting for higher-level instructions."
"They are assessing the cost." Bai Cheng's silver eyes reflected the scene in the mirror.
"The Faith heart tree has already achieved symbiosis with civilizations; forced harvesting would only yield a soulless husk. Although the World Government worships order and control, they are not incapable of weighing pros and cons."
The book of commonality slowly opened beside her, the light of the oath of starlight flowing across the pages, faintly echoing the pulse of the heart tree in the distant Faith Nebula.
On the page, the four characters 'Star Abyss Echoes' glowed slightly, as if tiny echoes were already rising from the depths of the river of light network.
Just then, an unfamiliar resonance frequency lightly touched the outer barrier of the Archives.
The frequency was very special, not belonging to any civilization or echo known to the Starfire Archives, nor was it the cold logical fluctuations of the World Government.
It was more like a wisp of wind passing through the silence of the Star Abyss, carrying a certain distant and restrained inquiry.
Lu Duo opened her eyes immediately, "There is a visitor, but no hostility. The frequency comes from... an unmarked area downstream of the river of light."
Yu Nian's pure heart vine stretched slightly, "I feel a kind of exhaustion, but not sadness. Like a traveler after a long journey, looking for a lamp to rest by."
Bai Cheng nodded, "Access the guidance channel and welcome them with resonance etiquette. But maintain the mirror refraction protection; until their identity is clear, they must not directly touch the Archives' core."
The instructions were quickly executed.
At the outer edge of the Archives, an ice-blue mirror light screen quietly unfolded, extending into the void like a transparent corridor.
That unfamiliar frequency slowly approached along the corridor, finally taking shape on the reception platform on the outer layer of the Archives.
