"If the Annihilation Star Reef is the hub of the ancient law network, then changes in its state could affect the stability of laws across the entire Emerald Sea,"

"It might even concern whether the leader can smoothly absorb creation, and whether the Enforcement Officers can implement their subsequent plans."

"We need intelligence; we need to understand the deeper rules of this sea area."

Leng Ningxue nodded. "I agree."

"Data on star map deviations is still accumulating. I suggest sending reconnaissance units to the periphery first to collect real-time law ripple data, while the train maintains a medium distance, ready to provide support or evacuate at any time."

"Yu Nian and I can control detection vines and life spores for a preliminary environmental scan," Lu Duo proposed. "Their life fluctuations are extremely low, making them difficult to detect."

"Lan Xiaoyu and I will be responsible for monitoring movement in the peripheral waters," Chi Yan chimed in. "Water and fire dual-system laws are quite sensitive to energy anomalies."

Bai Cheng's gaze swept over her companions. "Action plan: Complete rest and equipment checks today, and set out at dawn tomorrow."

"Qing Niao and Zi Yuan will follow me on a light speedboat to approach the periphery of the Annihilation Star Reef first;"

"Ningxue, Lu Duo, and Yu Nian will remain on the train to maintain central control and remote support; Chi Yan, Huang Yu, and Lan Xiaoyu will be responsible for the train's defense and sea area security."

"Remember," her voice was calm, "this mission is primarily for investigation; do not engage in conflict unless necessary."

"If you encounter Enforcement Officers or Constellation forces, prioritize evasion; if you encounter incomprehensible law mutations, evacuate immediately."

Everyone responded with a solemn promise.

After the meeting dispersed, Bai Cheng remained alone in the meeting room, her fingertip lightly touching the coordinates of the Annihilation Star Reef on the star map.

That stardust crystal grew slightly warm in her palm, as if it felt some faint pull toward that sea area.

She recalled an obscure passage from the final chapter:

"Where the tides of law rise and fall, there must be a star rail anchor. When anchored, all things are in order; when lost, the realms shall sway."

At the time, she thought it was just a metaphor, but now it seemed the star rail anchor might actually exist.

And the abnormal movements of the Annihilation Star Reef likely meant that an anchor point somewhere was loosening.

Outside the window, the morning light grew stronger, and the sea surface shimmered with golden light.

The silver-threaded vines on the train's hull stretched under the light, like awakening vessels.

In the distance, the waves of the Emerald Sea remained slow and heavy, as if they had never changed since ancient times.

But Bai Cheng knew that beneath the calm, the undercurrents had already begun to accelerate.

They had to see its direction, find a reef to stand on, or grasp that anchor that hadn't completely spiraled out of control before this undercurrent fully erupted.

As the first light of dawn broke through, the silver train quietly departed from Coral Fjord, gliding toward the Annihilation Star Reef in its lowest energy consumption mode.

Outside the porthole, the azure of the Emerald Sea was gradually replaced by a hazy grayish-white, as if the seawater itself was losing its color.

Bai Cheng stood before the main control console, her silver eyes staring at the increasingly clear outline of the star reef ahead.

It wasn't the jagged group of reefs she had imagined, but a vast archipelago of floating islands composed of pale crystals.

The crystal surfaces were smooth as mirrors, reflecting the sky without a single ripple; the entire sea area was so silent it was heart-stopping, as if even the sound of waves hitting the reef was swallowed by some power.

"We have entered the outer thirty nautical miles of the Annihilation Star Reef," Leng Ningxue's voice came through the communication rune, cold yet steady.

"Real-time monitoring shows that the law ripples ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) in this area exhibit regular pulsations, with a frequency... showing signs of faint synchronization with the train's engine resonance band."

"Synchronization?" Qing Niao raised an eyebrow on the light speedboat, her Thunder Spear resting across her knees. "What kind of resonance could this dump have with our train?"

"It's not resonating with the train." Bai Cheng tapped the console, bringing up a set of energy flow diagrams. "It's resonating with the fluctuations of the Doorway bloodline."

In her silver eyes, the pull from the stardust crystal became clearer, as if an invisible thread connected her to the depths of the star reef.

She closed her eyes and focused, the thin stream of faith circulating silently within her body as she tried to capture the source of that resonance.

In an instant, fragmented images flashed through her consciousness—

Deep within the pale crystals, a massive bronze creation shaped like a compass, deeply embedded in the earth's veins, was slowly rotating.

The compass surface was covered in complex star rail runes, but the central needle was broken in half, its remaining cross-section shimmering with an unstable silver-gray luster.

It was from that broken point that pulses of distorted law ripples were continuously released... "The star rail anchor..." Bai Cheng opened her eyes and whispered, "It really exists, and it's already damaged."

"Damaged?" Zi Yuan gripped her sword hilt, purple electricity humming softly within the scabbard. "Is it natural aging or intentional destruction?"

"The marks are very fresh." Bai Ningxue brought up a high-precision scan image, zooming in on the break in the compass.

"There are law impact residues on the cross-section, with mixed attributes... but one of the fluctuations is seventy percent similar to the energy signature of an Enforcement Officer's standard weapon."

Everyone's expression tightened.

The Enforcement Officers had already been here and tried to destroy the star rail anchor?

"That's not right." Lu Duo suddenly spoke softly, her life perception fully open.

"The signs of life deep within the star reef aren't completely extinguished... something is lingering around the anchor point. Its aura is very strange, human yet not human, with a strong... mechanized quality."

Just as she finished speaking, dozens of crimson light dots suddenly lit up on the monitoring screen!

Those light dots emerged from the crystal crevices all over the star reef, their movement trajectories stiff yet precise, closing in on the train and speedboat in a surrounding formation.

"Enemy attack! Count is thirty-seven, energy levels are all at the early King rank!" Chi Yan's low growl came from the defense channel.

"Appearance resembles humanoid mechs, but there are traces of flesh and metal fused at the joints... Are they puppets? Or modified beings?"

Bai Cheng's silver eyes turned cold. "They are Star Reef Guardians. Ancient records in the archives mentioned law constructs created by ancient civilizations to protect the star rail anchor."

"They should have fallen into a permanent slumber unless the anchor point was damaged or encountered an intrusion..."

She understood instantly. "The Enforcement Officers' act of damaging the anchor activated their defense protocols. And now, we are being judged as the second wave of intruders."

"Can't we talk some sense into them?" Qing Niao stood up, her Thunder Spear humming. "We're here to fix the anchor!"

"They don't understand."

The first Star Reef Guardian had already broken through the sea surface, leaping in front of the speedboat.

It was three meters tall, its outer shell spliced together from pale crystal and dark silver metal. A pulsating law core was embedded in its chest, and its eyes were two pools of cold blue light.

The ends of its arms weren't palms, but transformable cannon barrels and energy blades.

No warning, no negotiation.

With a flash of blue light, the arm cannon suddenly charged, and a pale beam of light, compressed to the extreme, tore through the air, shooting straight for Bai Cheng's face!