Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [203]

The commanding officer in charge of reporting had already gathered details from the Cloud Knights who first discovered the survivors. His report left little room for error. The survivors' identities were confirmed on-site—they were staff members of the Alchemy Commission, and none of them appeared on the Cloud Knights' Disciple Sanctus watchlist.

This watchlist had been provided to Chen Lin by Dan Shu, through the jade token entrusted to him earlier. Thanks to the intelligence work of the Divine Strategy Office, the Disciple Sanctus’s members had long been under strict surveillance. Even new recruits who had barely joined and hadn’t yet attained "immortality" were unaware that their every move—work hours, comings and goings—was closely monitored. They naively believed that someday they might receive a formula from their leader to transform into an immortal body.

“They were found in an empty warehouse near the dock. We were concerned about startling the survivors, so we left a few men to care for them while the main force stayed back to avoid unnecessary alarm,” the officer explained.

“So you’re saying these people are innocent staff from the Alchemy Commission?” Fu Xuan murmured, her expression contemplative as the third eye on her forehead flickered faintly. “The interplay of Kun and Zhen… yin and yang cycling endlessly… life springing forth unceasingly…”

She frowned, finding it strange that survivors could exist in a facility that had long been sealed off. What puzzled her further was that these survivors appeared to have no connection to the Disciple Sanctus.

It didn’t add up.

When logic failed, Fu Xuan turned to divination. According to the hexagrams, she could judge the situation more accurately.

Unlike others, Fu Xuan’s thoughts were never simple. The fact that Jing Yuan had handed her the military command token was a testament to his trust in her ability to use her divinations to steadily advance the campaign. Whether the process was fast or slow didn’t matter—the outcome was what counted.

Chen Lin’s presence was an additional safeguard. As someone familiar with the plan, he could step in if anything went awry, ensuring the operation’s success.

Qingzu and the officer remained silent as Fu Xuan began her divination. To them, the imposing, sharp-witted Master Diviner was almost omniscient, capable of foreseeing dangers through her mystical arts.

They waited quietly, watching her murmuring interpretations.

“Cyclic renewal… vitality returning… successes and failures intertwined, yet unable to resist the greater trend. This hexagram’s outward signs point to a decisive victory for the Cloud Knights, a flourishing of life…”

As she spoke, Fu Xuan’s face suddenly froze. Her third eye flared, revealing glimpses of a near-future scene—Cloud Knight forces in chaos.

Her tone sharpened. “Where are these so-called survivors? Detain them immediately—something’s wrong!”

The cycling of yin and yang, the endless rebirth of all things...

On the surface, the signs indicated vitality and resurgence. But the hexagram also implied something ominous—losses returning in an unexpected form.

What kind of losses?

Clearly, the Disciple Sanctus’s forces being routed, leaving them disorganized and unable to retaliate.

Understanding the meaning of the hexagram, Fu Xuan saw chaotic scenes unfolding among the Cloud Knights. Though the cause wasn’t yet apparent, the survivors were the only possible variable.

In that case, take no chances. Detain first, analyze later.

The officer didn’t hesitate. Without questioning her sudden orders, he saluted and sprinted out the door, sword drawn.

But as soon as he stepped outside, chaos erupted.

A Cloud Knight sitting on the ground for treatment suddenly drew his blade and slashed at his unsuspecting comrade, who had been bandaging his wounds. Taken completely off guard, the victim let out a strangled cry, convulsed for a moment, and fell lifelessly to the ground.

“Old Ninth! What are you doing?! Stop this madness!”

“Hey, look over there—why is Old Ninth acting crazy? Let’s go subdue him—urgh!”

Another knight rushed over to intervene but was abruptly stabbed in the stomach. His bloodied organs spilled onto the ground with a sickening splatter. He turned in disbelief to see his attacker—his own patient, trembling violently.

“I didn’t do it! I can’t control myself! It hurts… it hurts so much! Aaaah!”

The attacker screamed in agony as sharp bone spines burst from his armor. His body twisted grotesquely, transforming into the corrupted form of a mara-struck.

This grotesque scene repeated throughout the medical camp. Knights who had appeared normal moments ago began succumbing to mara transformation, uncontrollably lashing out at their comrades.

Even as unaffected knights regrouped and tried to fight back, more of their comrades succumbed to madness, attacking from within. The camp devolved into pandemonium, trust shattered.

Fear gripped everyone. Nobody knew if the person standing next to them would turn on them next.

When Fu Xuan arrived, the chaos she had foreseen was unfolding before her eyes. Her expression darkened, lips pressing into a tight line.

Her third eye glimmered as she began to weave.

There’s no need to hold back now.

Fu Xuan’s slender fingers danced in the air, invoking her power. A fierce wind tore through the camp, and dozens of formations appeared beneath the feet of the mara-strucks.

Though the formations were small and intricate, their destructive power was immense.

Threads of energy connected the formations, converging into a concentrated light in Fu Xuan’s palm.

Crack!

She clenched her hand, shattering the light—and with it, the formations.

The afflicted knights froze mid-motion before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Fu Xuan exhaled slowly, surveying the camp. Though she usually relied on divination and strategy, her combat abilities were formidable. Jing Yuan had chosen her as his successor for good reason. Even Phantylia, cunning as she was, avoided direct confrontation with Fu Xuan, preferring to hide within Chen Lin’s mental space until Fu Xuan was gone.

“Find the cause!” Fu Xuan barked, her voice sharp as a blade. “Sort the bodies, examine every detail, and report to me immediately!”

She turned on her heel, her icy expression unwavering as she headed toward the warehouse where the survivors had been kept.

Behind her, Qingzu called out firmly, “I will oversee the investigation. Rest assured, Master Diviner!”

He gestured to the knights. “Begin sorting the corrupted corpses! Check them thoroughly!”

Fu Xuan walked away, her face like stone.

She knew that every step toward victory came at a steep price. Yet no matter how meticulous her divinations were, certain schemes—insidious and elusive—remained beyond her foresight.

The Cloud Knights deployed for this mission had undergone rigorous selection. No older soldiers or those with abnormal health conditions were among their ranks. The sudden onset of madness could only mean one thing: the Disciple Sanctus was behind this.

Fu Xuan clenched her fists. She understood all too well the damage such treachery could cause. A military force divided, its soldiers wary of each other, trust in tatters…

If just the opening skirmish ends like this, how will we fight the larger battles ahead?

What will we use to fight?

More lives?

The more Fu Xuan thought about it, the angrier she became. She was itching to drag those so-called survivors in for interrogation, determined to uncover how they managed to disrupt the morale of the Cloud Knights.

However, just as she stepped out of the command tent, a strange ripple behind her caught her attention. Turning quickly, she saw the familiar deep purple energy vortex, from which Chen Lin emerged.

He barely had time to process her scowling expression before Fu Xuan called out, “Brother, follow me!”

Chen Lin nodded and quickly fell in step with her. As she explained what had transpired, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Cloud Knights suddenly turning into mara-strucks? And no clue how the Disciple Sanctus managed it? Or worse, were these knights secretly infiltrators all along?

What’s next, a zombie apocalypse blended with a round of Werewolf?

Despite his inner sarcasm, Chen Lin shared Fu Xuan’s suspicions. The Alchemy Commission had been sealed off for some time—practically since Dan Shu fled. It was hard to believe that innocent staff could have remained there. Their focus now was squarely on the alleged survivors.

As for the Crafting Commission, it wasn’t as urgent. Phantylia was keeping an eye on things, and the Astral Express crew would likely find a way to escape if they couldn’t win.

The chaos in the medical camp had already been quelled, thanks to Fu Xuan’s decisive actions. The disturbance had barely lasted ten seconds before order was restored. Nearby units, unaware of the specifics, only noticed the commotion and assumed the camp had been under attack.

However, upon seeing Fu Xuan and Chen Lin emerge from the area, calm and composed, they concluded there was no need for additional reinforcements and returned to their posts.

After confirming the location of the survivors with a few nearby officers, the two wasted no time heading toward the site.

The survivors were being kept in a modest warehouse near the docks, among storage units for medicinal herbs and equipment. Concerned about scaring the survivors, the Cloud Knights had stationed eight men inside to care for them, while the rest maintained a respectful distance. The knights were empathetic, as many of the survivors exhibited severe psychological distress and malnutrition.

As they approached, Fu Xuan stopped Chen Lin, her expression serious. “Stay vigilant. Who knows what insidious tricks the Disciple Sanctus might have up their sleeves.”

Chen Lin sighed, his psionic abilities already giving him a clear view of the warehouse. The scene inside made him pause.

“Sister, the knights inside… they’re already dead. Their bodies are…” He hesitated, then continued grimly, “I don’t recommend going in. In fact, you should stay back.”

Fu Xuan’s face darkened. She could tell from his tone that he had seen something unsettling. Without hesitation, she nodded. “I’ll hold the line here. Be careful.”

She retreated several meters, as Chen Lin had suggested, and watched him cautiously from afar.

Chen Lin extended a hand, and with a burst of psionic energy, the warehouse doors swung open.

“Is anyone there? Help us! Someone fainted! We need more people in here—hurry!”

Wisps of pale smoke curled out from the warehouse, carrying with it a faint, pleading voice.

Fu Xuan’s brow twitched. Despite its innocuous appearance, the smoke triggered an instinctive sense of dread within her—her body recoiled as if warning her of danger.

So this is why Chen Lin warned me to stay away.

The smoke wasn’t ordinary. It had a sinister property: it could nurture inner desires and push Xianzhou natives toward mara corruption. If she had entered without this knowledge, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

Understanding the threat, Chen Lin didn’t hesitate. He wrapped the smoke in a cocoon of psionic energy and sealed it within the Zeru Void Realm. The incense sticks emitting the smoke, placed strategically at the room’s corners, were similarly extinguished and thrown into the void.

Inside the warehouse, a woman in Alchemy Commission robes leaned leisurely against the wall. Her previously frail and pitiful voice had been an act, an attempt to lure someone inside. Now, however, her words faltered.

The smoke was gone. The incense was gone.

The woman’s confident demeanor wavered, and the others in the room froze, their eyes darting around in confusion.

“What… what just happened?” one of them whispered, fear creeping into their voice.

Before anyone could react further, the woman straightened up, abandoning her pretense. But just as she opened her mouth to issue new orders, her body was hoisted into the air by an invisible force.

Chen Lin’s hand closed around her throat, lifting her effortlessly off the ground.

The woman’s expression shifted to one of terror as her words died in her throat. She clawed at his hand, gasping for air, but her struggles were futile.

The other “survivors” immediately realized their ruse had been discovered. They leaped into action, aiming to attack Chen Lin.

But before they could so much as move a muscle, they were frozen in place, their bodies pinned down as if by a crushing weight.

“What… what is this?!” one of them stammered, his voice trembling with panic.

“Why… why can’t I move?! It feels like a mountain is pressing down on me!”

The entire room was enveloped in an oppressive silence, broken only by their frantic, labored breaths.

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This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!