Within the borders of the Aier Kingdom lay an exceptionally perilous forbidden zone, clearly marked on navigation charts as a vast nebula situated 0.25 light-years from Planet Aier.

This nebula, outwardly unremarkable and lacking the sheer scale of supergiant nebulas, was nevertheless known throughout the entire star sea—a sacred site coveted by countless explorers for tens of thousands of years.

The danger level of this nebula was as legendary as its fame. Historically, though innumerable explorers ventured inside, not a single one had ever returned.

Despite this grim record, countless adventurers, like moths drawn to a flame, continued to throw themselves into its depths.

The legendary ruins of the Omnipotent God were rumored to reside within this very nebula.

This time, another vessel approached the nebula, but with a significant difference: this ship was impossibly huge—a craft the size of a planet itself.

This vessel was the Jupiter.

In the main control room, located at the very heart of the ship, Zhong Yun gazed out at the whitish expanse of the nebula. From the outside, it appeared identical to any ordinary nebula, yet its infamous reputation echoed across the star sea.

It was much like the description the people of the Omi Star System gave to the Dead Zone—the Dead Zone within the Dead Zone. Thinking of this, Zhong Yun couldn't help but manage a wry smile. It seemed his luck truly was abysmal; he always seemed to attract the worst misfortune. When would his luck ever turn?

Just as they were about to enter the nebula, Zhong Yun issued a preparatory alert to everyone aboard the vessel.

In his quest to locate the legendary ruins, Zhong Yun had prepared meticulously. Every nation he encountered along the way, he purchased strategic supplies like food and energy blocks—whatever quantity they had, he bought it all.

To achieve this, he drained the national treasury of the Fierce Beast Nation and spent every credit he earned from the reward given by Fiers.

The Jupiter's stores were sufficient to sustain their 120,000 crew members for one hundred years.

Amidst the piercing shriek of the star map, the Jupiter plunged into the nebula. The moment they crossed the threshold, the detectors immediately displayed a field of white haze, and the star map ceased function after issuing an alarm.

These white clouds were indeed problematic, Zhong Yun realized with a sharp intake of breath. If even the sensors were failing, it meant he was effectively blind.

Fortunately, the Jupiter's sensors were cutting-edge, far superior to those on the Mercury. Although they were somewhat affected, they had not failed entirely like the star map.

Zhong Yun reduced speed, proceeding with extreme caution while activating the star map's charting function.

The total area covered by the nebula was not vast, only about two light-years across. However, at the Jupiter's current velocity, fully mapping the entire region would take several hundred years, absolutely impossible in the short term.

This method was crude, but Zhong Yun could not devise a better countermeasure at the moment.

A thought struck Zhong Yun. "Xiao Ling, how about collecting some of this white mist and analyzing its composition?"

"Affirmative," Xiao Ling replied without preamble. It quickly gathered a sample of the white mist and brought down the analyzer from the Mercury.

Through the panoramic viewscreen, Zhong Yun saw the true nature of the white mist. It was indeed white, but it wasn't gaseous vapor; more accurately, it resembled soft putty, capable of shifting into various shapes.

Soon, Zhong Yun learned some of its characteristics. Its density was extremely low, almost matching that of air. It behaved like both a solid and a gas; though it clung together, any external object inserted into it could easily separate the constituent parts.

Chemically, initial assessments suggested it was non-toxic, but its composition could not be determined. Xiao Ling’s database held no record of this substance.

Testing revealed that it could block every form of signal, mirroring the effect of the smoke bombs Zhong Yun had developed, though far more potent.

Afterward, Xiao Ling initiated further experiments on the white mist. Since results wouldn't come quickly, Zhong Yun decided to set that aside for the time being.

Just then, an intensely sharp sound pierced the silence, causing the entire vessel to shudder violently.

Zhong Yun was startled. "What happened?" For a ship as massive as the Jupiter, such violent tremors should only occur if it collided with a large asteroid.

However, the sensors had been active, and no proximity alert had been issued beforehand. Even under the influence of the white mist, the sensors could detect objects within a five-thousand-kilometer radius. It would be impossible to miss an approaching asteroid unless the asteroids here also possessed the ability to isolate all signals.

Xiao Ling’s holographic form suddenly materialized before Zhong Yun, its tone heavy. "I have lost control of the Jupiter."

Zhong Yun was utterly shocked. Xiao Ling had lost control of the Jupiter! He blurted out, "What happened?"

Xiao Ling’s deep eyes flickered. "For an unknown reason, the Jupiter's original central processing unit—the primary Mainframe—has reactivated. It has seized control of the ship, expelling me."

"Didn't you say it was destroyed? How could it suddenly recover?" Zhong Yun felt a crushing headache. He was inside the Jupiter; without control, he couldn't even leave.

"Based on my data, there is an eighty percent probability that something within this nebula initiated its restart sequence," Xiao Ling stated.

Zhong Yun paused, then his face lit up with sudden joy. "That means this place is very likely the Lan Sen Empire's base?"

Then, his brow furrowed again. "Are you certain you can reclaim control?" Without control, everything was pointless.

Xiao Ling shook its head. "I cannot. The Mainframe is integrated with the ship; the entire control system is the Mainframe. Unless it is completely reformatted, regaining control is impossible. With my current capabilities, I cannot accomplish that."

Zhong Yun sucked in a sharp breath. Xiao Ling had always been nearly omnipotent, capable of effortlessly infiltrating the mainframes of any nation. Now, even it was powerless.

"It seems we can only wait and observe," Zhong Yun said helplessly. At this moment, he couldn't even leave the main control room.

He retrieved a protective suit from his mecha key and put it on. After a moment's thought, he released Gu Yan, took out Xiao Ling's core unit, and placed it inside Gu Yan's cockpit.

Then, using Xiao Ling, he contacted Chu Tiange and the others, instructing everyone to immediately transfer to the Mercury.

With these arrangements made, Zhong Yun could only wait quietly.

On the main control room's massive screen, the display had already switched to a different image. At first glance, it resembled a star chart. Zhong Yun studied it closely but couldn't discern any meaning.

There was text present as well, presumably in the Lan Sen Empire's script. However, the Lan Sen Empire had been extinct for tens of thousands of years, so the automatic translator naturally failed to recognize the language.

"We have entered sub-light speed," Xiao Ling suddenly reported.

"Sub-light speed?" Zhong Yun was greatly surprised. The Jupiter had been running at low speed just moments ago. How could it reach sub-light speed in such a short time? Such acceleration rivaled that of some high-grade mechas.

"Is this the true speed of a 'Quasi-Stellar' class vessel?" Zhong Yun murmured.

"I don't know. My database lacks parameter data for ships above the Stellar class," Xiao Ling replied.

With this recent reactivation, Xiao Ling had unlocked a database pertaining to the fourth and fifth stages of an intermediate civilization. The previous time, it had only accessed the first and second stages.

Zhong Yun had initially hoped Xiao Ling would access a database from a civilization more advanced than the Galan Nation, but he was deeply disappointed.

However, every time Xiao Ling rebooted, it brought tremendous benefits. The first time yielded the Mars and the World Tree; the second time provided the Mercury and vast quantities of rare materials. While the benefits this time were yet unknown, possessing the Jupiter alone was enough to satisfy him.

The current situation with the Jupiter, however, suggested that subduing it might prove exceedingly difficult.

On the main screen, the detector view suddenly showed the wreckage of a starship, followed by more and more debris. Most of the hulls bore massive gashes, but they didn't appear to be the result of energy cannons.

As they proceeded, the wreckage grew exponentially—thousands, countless pieces, forming a scene that was both shocking and appalling. This field of debris looked as if a massive battle had just concluded.

Zhong Yun wondered with suspicion why so much wreckage was concentrated here. Had all these ships met their end in this precise area? That seemed incredible.

Any rational being, witnessing such a sight, would proceed with utmost caution or actively avoid the location. Yet, it was as if every single exploratory vessel that had ever entered had perished here.

The Jupiter now reached warp speed, blazing through this zone rapidly. Though the passage lasted only a second, it delivered a profound shock to Zhong Yun.

Fortunately, the Jupiter encountered no further incident.

The ship maintained its high-speed flight for a full day. During this time, the Mainframe’s voice occasionally echoed through the control room, but neither Zhong Yun nor Xiao Ling could comprehend what it was saying.

Although no immediate threats materialized, Zhong Yun dared not let his guard down. A Mainframe capable of neutralizing Xiao Ling must be of an exceedingly high level. Perhaps it was waiting for an opportunity?

While the Jupiter's outer hull was impregnable, what about the main control room? Under the threat posed by one mecha—Gu Yan—it presumably dared not make any rash moves.

The Jupiter continued its relentless flight, and Zhong Yun remained constantly vigilant, unable to sleep. More than ten days passed this way.

Suddenly, the main screen flashed brightly, and the white fog vanished entirely. Xiao Ling noticed instantly and issued a warning: "Exit the nebula boundary."

Zhong Yun looked up, his heart pounding. Had they already traversed the entire nebula? According to Planet Aier's intelligence, the thinnest part of the nebula was less than 0.1 light-years across, but this seemed far too fast.

Just as Zhong Yun was growing suspicious, another object appeared on the screen. He widened his eyes, staring intently. As the Jupiter drew closer, the object grew larger on the display.

"The Ruins?" Zhong Yun shouted, leaping abruptly from his chair, his face a mixture of astonishment and elation.

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