The infiltration into the harsher northern regions intensified the pressure on the companions. The close encounter with the Dynasty patrol in the previous chapter highlighted the immediate threat posed by the Crystalline Sensors woven into the guards' armor—technology designed specifically to foil elemental concealment.
Lin Feng knew that relying solely on Xia Qingwu's Phoenix Smoke Runes to mimic static was unsustainable; the effort was rapidly depleting her Origin Qi. He needed a permanent, silent solution that targeted the sensors without alerting the wearers.
During their next mandatory rest period—a brief, frigid pause hidden beneath a layer of Yin Xiu's Shadow Arts—Lin Feng consulted with his two technical companions, Wanying and Xia Qingwu, focusing on Siku.
"The crystalline sensors operate by reading the localized flow of elemental Qi," Lin Feng explained, tapping the map with a finger. "We can't stop the flow of our own Qi, but Siku can stop the sensor itself."
Xia Qingwu's eyes narrowed in thought. "A focused Dimensional Compression? Shrink the crystal so it can't process the input?"
"Too crude," Lin Feng countered. "A sudden, violent spatial manipulation will register as an anomaly and trigger an alarm. We need Temporal Stasis on the crystal itself."
Wanying, her understanding of temporal suppression absolute, shook her head. "Siku is not ready for focused Temporal Regression. The effort would destabilize him, and risk a new Chronos Burst."
"We use a compromise," Lin Feng decided, looking at Siku, who was watching their debate with intelligent curiosity. "We use Siku's controlled Spatial Jump, but we apply it to the crystal's input flow. We make the sensor believe the information flow is normal, but shunt the processed data away for a microsecond before it reaches the guard's mind."
Lin Feng began the agonizing process of communicating this abstract, multi-step concept to the Infant Chronos Dragon using the Essence of Transcendent Insight and the stability of the Void Sovereign Nexus.
Siku, the small rock (the sensor) must see, but the man must not see what the rock sees. Lin Feng projected, demonstrating the concept by using his hand to cover and uncover a small spot on the map, then using a burst of Void Qi to shift the light around his hand.
The Crystalline Neutralization Test
The next day, Yin Xiu tracked a lone scout assigned to setting boundary markers—an ideal, low-risk target for their experiment.
The scout moved slowly, placing markers into the permafrost, his crystalline sensor glowing faintly. The four companions waited in utter stillness, concealed by Yin Xiu's masterful Shadow Arts.
"He is within range," Yin Xiu whispered. "His sensor is active."
Lin Feng took a deep, steadying breath. This was a direct test of Siku's disciplined spatial control. He channeled a focused, thin thread of his Void Law—not to interact with the scout, but to act as a guidance beam for Siku's power.
"Siku, now. Focused spatial shunt, three feet, one microsecond," Lin Feng projected.
Siku, focusing his starlight eyes, purred softly. An invisible ripple emanated from the Infant Chronos Dragon, guided by Lin Feng's Void thread. The ripple traveled through the air and struck the Crystalline Sensor on the scout's armor.
The effect was instantaneous, silent, and perfect. The sensor continued to glow, registering the chaotic natural Qi around it. But the output—the processed information—was instantly shunted three feet away, held in a temporary, localized spatial pocket for a single microsecond, and then allowed to flow back to the scout's mind, which registered nothing irregular.
The scout scratched his head, glanced at his now-useless sensor, and continued his slow walk, convinced the erratic readings were just environmental static.
Lin Feng felt a rush of tired triumph. "The Spatial Shunt is a success. We have neutralized the Dynasty's eyes."
The Ongoing Toll of Sustained Concealment
The success allowed them to move with slightly less pressure, but the pace remained slow and grinding. They were not fighting enemies, but fighting the continuous mental strain of maintaining these specialized techniques.
Xia Qingwu was now conserving her Phoenix Fire Qi for emergencies, no longer needing to constantly generate mimic particles.
However, her core was exhausted from the previous weeks of weapon crafting and the constant readiness for an elemental battle. She found herself relying on Wanying's purified Ice Law to soothe her overworked meridians.
"Your Primordial Ice is an incredible coolant, Wanying," Xia Qingwu observed during a short break, sharing a bit of dried ration. "It's the perfect counter to the volatility of my Phoenix Fire."
Wanying accepted the compliment with a reserved smile. "It is the purity of the Astral Jade that allows this control. It shows that our independent strengths are magnified when combined, Qingwu."
Yin Xiu, having shed the need for immediate, extreme stealth, was now able to focus her Shadow Arts on long-range information gathering, projecting her consciousness across the frozen plains to better map the defensive structure of the Northern Abyss Garrison.
"The Garrison entrance is heavily protected by a layered Qi-Disruptor Barrier," Yin Xiu reported, showing them a mental image of a massive, fortress-like structure embedded in the ice. "It's designed to violently destabilize any elemental Qi signature above the Primal Core realm. We cannot blast our way in."
Lin Feng nodded, his eyes fixed on the projected fortress. "Then we don't blast. We use the Void to bypass the instability, and we use Siku's spatial control to create a stable access point. General Lei will not expect us to bring the chaos of spacetime to his front door."
The path forward was clear: the final approach required the combined, complex application of the Void Law and Spatial Manipulation. The slow, meticulous planning for the final infiltration was already underway.
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