In the 118th year of the Star Dome Calendar, on the seventh day and night of the Forgefire Embryo Starship traversing a spacetime rift, the scenery outside the portholes gradually condensed from shattered light membranes into a rotating purple star vortex. This was the "Polar Night Star Vortex" in the parlance of the Rift Clan. Inside the gravitational whirlpool—over two light-years in diameter—floated twelve ring-shaped cities constructed from dark matter and anti-gravity crystals, resembling gears manipulated by a giant hand, maintaining an eerie equilibrium at the center of the vortex.
"Captain, the gravitational field of the star vortex is mimicking the symbiotic frequency of the twelve major civilizations." Su Yuhan stared at the gravity scan, her fingertips tapping a flurry of sparks on the console, "But the energy fluctuations in the core area are exceptionally chaotic, as if... the symbiotic pacts of different civilizations are repelling one another."
Chen Feng gripped the Anchor of Eternal Time, the temporal patterns on the surface of the anchor suddenly reversing: "The Rift Clan said there are seven civilizations here, yet the scans show twelve cities." He turned and gave an order to Liu Ruyan, "Activate the Mist Clan water curtain radar, and run a spectral analysis using the frequency of the Symbiotic Heritage Ring."
Chapter 167