The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The colossal hand, composed of pure shadow and negative energy, carrying a chilling aura that froze the soul and an overwhelming malice, reached straight for the helpless "sacrifice" on the ground. Time seemed to stretch out, and Luo Wei could even see the countless blood-red eyes on the giant hand, each one gleaming with the most primal greed for life and soul.

"A fresh...soul..."

That intent, though not a sound, was like a tangible mental storm, violently assaulting the consciousness of everyone present. Barton's forward momentum abruptly halted, his face instantly drained of color—the instinctive fear brought about by absolute suppression on a higher level of existence. The shimmering dust scattered by Lilith was like fireflies in an abyss before this pure darkness, its effect negligible.

"An abyssal monster!" Lilith exclaimed in shock, her voice trembling uncontrollably. The pointer of the probe in her hand spun wildly, and finally, with a "snap," a thin crack appeared on the surface of the crystal.

Marco and the other two Gray Tower apprentices were also horrified. They clearly hadn't expected such a terrifying being to emerge from the other side of the passage. Marco reacted the fastest, shouting hoarsely, "Stabilize the passage! Offer the sacrifice! Complete the transaction!" He knew that if the transaction failed and the being on the other side of the passage was angered, the three of them would have no chance of survival.

Another Gray Tower apprentice, suppressing his fear, lunged at the struggling "sacrifice" once more.

We must not allow this monster to receive sacrifices, and we must not allow it to fully descend!

Under the immense pressure of the crisis, Luo Wei's mind operated at its limit. The Book of Truth frantically flipped through its pages in his sea of ​​consciousness, combining the information captured by the Eye of Truth to instantly provide an analysis:

[Target: Abyssal Erosion Entity (Projection, Incomplete)]

[Energy Composition: High concentration of negative energy, chaotic consciousness aggregate, weak spatial affinity.]

[Characteristics: Extremely high resistance to physical attacks, extremely strong resistance to conventional elemental energies, and extreme fear of highly ordered energies (such as holy light, advanced purification power, and extremely pure positive energy).]

[Weakness (Current Projection): Its existence depends on temporary spatial channels and shadow beacons, resulting in unstable energy transmission. The core consciousness resides at the other end of the channel, and the energy structure within the projection exhibits intermittent disordered nodes.]

Ordered energy! Spatial conduit!

A resolute glint flashed in Luo Wei's eyes. He no longer tried to destroy the stable spatial anchor, but instead turned his attention to the energy transmission that maintained the existence of the abyssal monster projection!

"Barton! Rescue him! Lilith, use the highest strength purification potion. The target isn't the monster, but the energy vein connecting its hand and the passage!" Rowe instantly transmitted the command to his companion using his mental power, and at the same time, he moved himself.

He abandoned all offensive tricks, pressed his hands lightly against the ground, and his mental energy began to circulate in an unprecedented way. He no longer constructed concrete models, but instead pushed the power of the "Heart of Analysis" imprint to its limit, combining it with the concept of "field" gleaned from Karls's notes and the stone tablet, attempting to do something extremely dangerous—disrupt the energy order of a local space!

He's not trying to create anything, he's trying to subvert it!

Using his own spiritual power as a guide, he directed the chaotic spatial remnants and energy turbulence in the surrounding space, causing them to cease their disorder and instead, temporarily and forcibly, converge, clash, and annihilate in one direction—the connection between the giant abyss hand and the spatial rift!

This is tantamount to dancing on the edge of a knife; if one is not careful, he himself will be the first to be torn apart by the spatial turbulence!

"Ugh!" Luo Wei felt as if his mental energy was being cut by countless tiny blades, and a tearing pain shot through his sea of ​​consciousness. But he held on tightly, and the [Glimmering Moonlight Amulet] shone brightly, desperately protecting his clear consciousness.

At the same time, Barton roared, his warrior courage overcoming his fear of the unknown. He shot forward like a cannonball, snatching the "offering" covered by a black bag before the Gray Tower apprentice could reach him, and rolled backward. The Gray Tower apprentice's attack landed on his back armor with a dull thud, but it failed to stop him.

Without hesitation, Lilith hurled a bottle of her treasured "Holy Water of the Blazing Sun," which radiated a light like a small sun, at the area that Luo Wei pointed to—the connection between the giant hand and the crack!

"laugh--!!!"

Like cold water poured into boiling oil, the Holy Water of the Blazing Sun reacted violently with the pure energy of the abyss! Blinding white light and darkness intertwined and annihilated each other, emitting a sickening corrosive sound. The giant abyssal hand trembled violently, its movements noticeably slowing, and the several blood-red eyes on it even dimmed and closed instantly!

"It works!" Lilith exclaimed in surprise.

It's now!

Despite the immense drain and backlash on his mental energy, Luo Wei guided the spatial turbulence to its limit, sending it crashing like an invisible wave towards the connection point that had become unstable due to the power of purification!

Buzz! Click!

Like the sound of shattering glass, the enormous shadowy hand became ethereal, its edges beginning to crumble. Its connection to the spatial rift was temporarily and significantly weakened by Rowe's risky attack!

"No!!" Marco was shocked and furious at the sight. He disregarded everything else, pulled out a black crystal engraved with twisted runes from his pocket, and crushed it violently! A powerful burst of shadow energy erupted, attempting to stabilize the passage and the giant hand.

But the brief respite that Rowe's squad gained was enough!

Barton, clutching the "offering," quickly retreated to rejoin Rowe and Lilith. Rowe immediately said, "We can't stay here any longer! The passage is unstable; the monster's true form might try other methods, and Gray Tower reinforcements might arrive soon!"

"Let's go!" Patton said without hesitation.

Without lingering in battle, the three took advantage of Marco and the others being busy stabilizing the passage and the Abyss Giant Hand not yet fully recovering, and quickly retreated along the way they had come.

Just as they were about to rush out of the dilapidated gate of the teleportation hall, the largest blood-red eye on the crumbling abyssal giant hand suddenly locked onto Luo Wei's back. A more condensed and extremely vicious intent, like a curse, crossed space and slammed into Luo Wei's back!

Luo Wei felt an icy, bone-chilling power pierce through the Moonlight Amulet's defenses and invade the depths of his soul! He groaned, his vision went black, and he almost collapsed.

"Love!" Lilith and Barton both caught him at the same time.

"I'm fine... Let's go!" Luo Wei gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the discomfort, and rushed into the night with his companions.

Behind them, Marco's furious roar echoed from the abandoned teleportation hall, along with the chilling hum of unstable vibrations from the spatial rift.

……

Once they were temporarily safe, the three stopped behind a hidden section of broken wall. Barton put down the "offering" and pulled off the black cloth bag from his head, revealing a pale but youthful face. He was a young apprentice who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, his eyes filled with fear and the bewilderment of surviving a close call.

"Thank you... thank you for saving me..." the boy said, his voice trembling with tears.

Lilith quickly checked on Luo Wei's condition, her expression grave: "That abyssal intent is highly corrupting. Although it was blocked by the amulet, some of it still invaded your spiritual body and needs to be purified as soon as possible."

Luo Wei nodded. He could feel a chilling power, like a venomous snake, coiling at the edge of his consciousness. It was temporarily suppressed by the power of the "Heart of Analysis" and the Moonlit Amulet, but it was still slowly eroding him. He looked at the young apprentice and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? Why did the Gray Tower capture you as a sacrifice?"

The boy choked back tears as he answered, "I...I'm called Evan, an apprentice in the Herbalism Department...I...I don't know why they captured me...I only heard them say...saying something about 'pure soul,' 'high compatibility'..."

A pure soul? Compatibility?

A thought struck Luo Wei: recalling the Gray Tower's previous spying on him and the unique nature of this abandoned teleportation hall, a more terrifying conjecture surfaced in his mind: the deal between the Gray Tower and the Abyss might not be as simple as exchanging resources. This "sacrifice" might be related to some grander, more sinister plan!

"We must report this immediately!" Barton said firmly. "The Gray Tower's collusion with the Abyss is a heinous crime of treason!"

"Reporting is inevitable," Lowe analyzed calmly. "But to whom should we report? How can we ensure that the information reaches the truly powerful higher-ups, and isn't intercepted by the Gray Tower or its protectors? We need solid evidence."

He glanced sharply in the direction of the abandoned teleportation hall: "That spatial anchor point, and Marco and the others, are the best evidence. But we need stronger forces to ensure we can take them down and prevent them from resorting to desperate measures, destroying evidence, or even causing a greater disaster."

He paused, then continued, "Go directly to Master Walter and Master Field! They are trustworthy and have the authority and power to handle this. Evan, you're coming with us; your testimony is crucial."

Without delay, the four rested briefly before setting off immediately, hurrying towards the heart of the castle, towards the tower of Wizard Walter.

However, what Luo Wei didn't know was that the abyssal intent that had invaded his body was not merely simple corruption. Deep within it lay a very subtle mark from the abyss.

He not only disrupted the Gray Tower's deal, but also attracted the attention of... a being in the Abyss.

Saving Evan and uncovering the conspiracy were just the beginning of the storm. The whispers of the abyss had already planted a seed of unease in his soul.