Chapter 2257 The End

"It's interesting!"

Yang Shan's lips curled slightly upward, a hint of barely perceptible amusement flashing in his eyes. He murmured softly, as if filled with interest and anticipation for what was happening before him.

"That brat Ye Ye actually dared to step into the territory of the Xuan Bird Clan! He really has some nerve! You know, the Xuan Bird Clan has a bad temper, and ordinary people wouldn't dare to take even half a step closer!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qifeng, who was standing to the side, immediately became serious, and his already furrowed brows tightened even more.

His sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed intently ahead, as if he could see through the thick fog to reveal the hidden truth. After a long while, Li Qifeng finally spoke slowly.

“Yang Shan, I must remind you of something: excessive curiosity is not always a good thing. As the old saying goes, ‘Curiosity killed the cat,’ and there’s some truth to that. Before we understand the situation, we’d better not act rashly. After all, this is the territory of the Xuan Niao Clan, and a slight mistake could lead to our utter destruction. In my opinion, we should linger on the edge of the area for a while, carefully observe the surrounding movements, and make a decision after we’ve figured out the details.”

However, Yang Shan remained unmoved by Li Qifeng's earnest advice. He snorted coldly, his face full of mockery and contempt.

"Hmph, coward! Do you think I don't know? You're just afraid of causing trouble. Don't worry, with me here to keep things under control, so what if we run into trouble? We can just pack up and leave. Why be so hesitant and timid?"

"Hmph! Why is it that only that brat Ye Ye can go, but we can't? Are you scared or something?"

By the end, a look of disdain had even appeared on Yang Shan's face.

Faced with Yang Shan's provocation and mockery, Li Qifeng felt a surge of anger. He glared at Yang Shan and retorted sharply.

You'd better show me some respect when you speak!

At this very moment, on the edge of the Xuan Niao star system, in the vast, boundless expanse of space known as the "No Man's Land," two strangely shaped interstellar warships, shimmering with a faint light, stood side by side, streaking across the sky like two bolts of lightning. Within their respective cockpits, communication had been quietly established.

Yang Shan and Li Qifeng stood face to face, their eyes sparking as they engaged in a heated debate, both intently focused on the distant, mysterious starfield ahead, a place shrouded in countless unsolved mysteries. In truth, they were perfectly aware of what might happen next: ever since they had successfully navigated the heart of the ruthless Lion Pirate Gang's territory and completed the first phase of their assessment, their superiors hadn't issued any new orders. Considering the sudden, unannounced disappearances of Ye Ye, Ning Dan, and Zhao Qiaoqiao, a little careful thought was all it took to conclude—the situation had likely changed!

Unfortunately, things had already progressed to this point, and no matter what they tried, it was to no avail. They not only exhausted all the connections they had built up on Qimingxing (a Chinese online forum) to inquire about information everywhere, but they also went so far as to ask their families for help in gathering relevant information. However, all their efforts were in vain, and they did not obtain any useful clues or intelligence.

Just as they were feeling frustrated and helpless, suddenly, a sharp, piercing alarm blared throughout the space! This unexpected sound made Li Qifeng and the first mate standing beside him's heart race and their nerves tighten. They quickly grabbed their communicators and stared intently at the screen—it was an emergency distress signal???

The alarm signals were issued by Ning Dan, Ye Ye, and Zhao Qiaoqiao! And what was even more unexpected was that all of these distress signals originated from a single star system called Xuan Niao!

This astonishing discovery was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples and, like a raging fire, instantly igniting the curiosity and doubts deep within the two individuals. Before this, no one had mentioned anything about the Xuan Niao Star System, and now Ye Ye and his companions had inexplicably appeared there, even sending out an urgent distress signal. What did this mean? Did they find the assessment too tedious and boring, and thus decide to go sightseeing in the Xuan Niao Star System? But that idea seemed rather illogical…

Almost without hesitation, Li Qifeng and Yang Shan instantly reached an agreement, resolutely deciding to embark on a journey together to the mysterious and unpredictable Xuan Niao Star System, to conduct a thrilling and in-depth investigation. Just as they were busily preparing for their upcoming expedition, a sudden change disrupted their original plans—an urgent order from the higher command arrived before them.

The order was sternly worded and resolutely demanded that Li Qifeng and Yang Shan be absolutely forbidden from taking any action on their own, and even more so from rashly carrying out the rescue mission! Such a tough order left the two men astonished, and a wave of doubts immediately arose in their hearts; but at the same time, their desire to know the truth behind the incident and their irrepressible thirst for knowledge surged even more fiercely.

After a brief silence, Li Qifeng made a shocking decision with a firm gaze and without fear: he resolutely ignored the stern warnings from the command center and led his team at breakneck speed toward the Xuan Niao Star System.

Time flew by, and in less than an hour, they had already arrived at the edge of the Xuan Niao star system. However, the moment their feet touched the ground, Li Qifeng's keen intuition was instantly awakened—a strange and subtle atmosphere gradually rose and spread like smoke... The surroundings were eerily silent!

It's important to understand that at the boundary between two adjacent star systems, there will inevitably be various kinds of strict outposts and defenses. Especially for relatively weak groups like the Xuan Niao Clan, whose strength is far inferior to that of the human race, they would never sit idly by and allow human starships to freely intrude into their territory.

Such behavior was far more than a simple provocation; it likely concealed enormous risks and hidden dangers. However, after lingering there for a long time, the group not only failed to detect any trace of the Xuan Niao Clan's starships, but they hadn't even found a single one. In an instant, Li Qifeng felt a sense of foreboding, but at the same time, Yang Shan beside him displayed a completely different attitude: he seemed indifferent, as if he didn't take the situation seriously enough.

"Speak politely? Hmph! We've only formed a temporary alliance. As for what this assessment will actually test, nobody knows. If you're not in a hurry to take the assessment, you can just stay here and wait."

Yang Shan's lips curled slightly, revealing a faint hint of contempt, seemingly filled with disdain and mockery towards Li Qifeng. Their alliance was merely temporary; Yang Shan could choose to sever this relationship at any time and embark on his journey to the Xuan Niao Star System alone.

Faced with Yang Shan's arrogant and domineering attitude, surprisingly, Li Qifeng didn't utter a single word in rebuttal, contrary to his usual behavior. To be honest, he deeply disliked Yang Shan's self-righteous way of doing things and his reckless, sarcastic remarks. This guy was simply arrogant to the extreme, and his words were particularly offensive; his arrogance was unbearable, even more so than Li Qifeng himself!

However, it cannot be denied that Yang Shan did have reason to be arrogant and complacent. The strong sense of superiority that he usually felt due to his family background paled in comparison to Yang Shan at this moment, and he had no advantage whatsoever.

"and many more!"

With that sudden shout, Li Qifeng appeared in everyone's sight. His eyes were fixed on the faintly glowing virtual screen not far ahead, as if trying to see right through it. At this moment, he had completely forgotten his earlier argument with Yang Shan, his mind filled with all sorts of guesses and imaginations about the information displayed on the screen.

Time ticked by, and after a few seconds, a subtle change occurred in the expression on Li Qifeng's handsome face. His initial surprise and excitement faded, replaced by a barely perceptible seriousness. He parted his lips slightly and slowly uttered a single sentence.

"Hmm... I spotted a starship. Interesting. Looks like we've found a new target."

Upon hearing this, Yang Shan, who had appeared quite anxious, suddenly snapped out of his daze. His previous impatience vanished instantly, replaced by curiosity. Yang Shan rushed to the star map, his eyes wide as he stared intently at the images on the screen. After a moment, he said in a deep voice.

"Indeed, I just spotted that starship as well. Without further ado, let's set off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two dazzling beams of light ripped through the dark void like lightning. Immediately afterwards, two starships of different shapes and sleek lines sped away like wild horses, disappearing into the depths of the endless galaxy in a flash, leaving only faint trails as proof that they had been there. Undoubtedly, the ultimate goal of these two fleets was the location of the elusive and mysterious starship they had just discovered.

However, just as the two were pondering, the unexpected situation suddenly occurred! The starship, which should have been completely unaware, seemed to have a telepathic connection with the enemy relentlessly pursuing it from behind, and suddenly accelerated, speeding towards the heart of the Xuan Niao star system like an arrow released from a bow.

This sudden and unexpected turn of events left Li Qifeng and Yang Shan stunned, but at the same time, an even stronger fire of curiosity and a thirst for adventure was ignited within them. After all, according to the existing intelligence analysis, the direction in which this mysterious starship was fleeing for its life perfectly matched the urgent distress signals previously received from the three starships of Ye Ye, Ning Dan, and Zhao Qiaoqiao.

"Chase?"

Li Qifeng hesitated for a moment before slowly asking the question, his voice tinged with uncertainty and hesitation. In truth, he already knew the answer in his heart, but he dared not make a decision hastily. He understood very well the potentially disastrous consequences of doing so.

Keep in mind, they're currently piloting a starship that departed from the Morning Star! And this entire star system is completely controlled by other powers. Under these circumstances, if they rashly intrude, it would undoubtedly be a blatant provocation and contempt for those powers!

Once they arouse the enemy's vigilance and take action, there are probably only three possible outcomes for them: either they will be completely surrounded and annihilated by the enemy's fleet; or they will be ruthlessly captured by the enemy; or even worse, they will be utterly destroyed!

Neither outcome would be acceptable to Li Qifeng. More importantly, because the operation itself lacked sufficient legal basis, even if an accident ultimately occurred, Qimingxing would find it difficult to find a reasonable and plausible excuse to rescue them or avenge them…

However, in stark contrast to Li Qifeng was Yang Shan. Yang Shan's eyes gleamed with boundless curiosity and barely suppressed excitement, as if he had discovered some priceless treasure. Without hesitation, he issued an order that astonished everyone.

"Why aren't you chasing after them? Are you scared? If that's the case, then you'd better get back to Qimingxing as soon as possible, because only there can you guarantee your absolute safety!"

However, before he could finish speaking, Yang Shan had already steered his personal starship away at breakneck speed, like an arrow shot from a bow. His speed was astonishing, and in an instant, he had created a considerable distance between himself and Li Qifeng, who was hot on his heels.

As Yang Shan's starship raced off like a wild horse, disappearing into the distance until it vanished on the horizon, Li Qifeng finally gritted his teeth and, without hesitation, gave the order to follow. Thus, the two starships, like shooting stars streaking across the night sky, sped together into the mysterious and perilous depths of the Xuan Niao star system.

At this moment, both Yang Shan and Li Qifeng were completely focused on the starship desperately fleeing. They had no time to consider anything else, let alone inquire with their superiors. But who would have thought that if they had proactively reported to their superiors, they would have been shocked to discover a startling fact—all their communication with each other and with the outside world had been inexplicably and completely severed!