The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The desert was deathly silent, save for the howling wind. In the center of the colossal, glassy crater, the tilted, silvery-white observation station, like the corpse of an ancient behemoth, gleamed coldly under the blazing sun. At this moment, the long howl emanating from within this "corpse," filled with boundless sorrow and oppressive power, and the violent tremors emanating from the ground beneath their feet—as if some colossal entity were awakening from an ancient slumber—instantly sent chills down the spines of Luo Wei and his companions!

"Retreat! Retreat to the edge of the pit wall!" Lowe shouted sharply, grabbing Lina, who was nearly fainting from the shock of her spiritual senses. He unleashed his star power and dragged her towards the steep, glassy pit wall behind them. Barton and Lilith reacted quickly and followed closely behind.

Almost the instant they left their spot, the sand where they had just been standing suddenly exploded! A ferocious pincer, as large as a house and covered in dark red crystalline carapace, burst forth from the sand and slammed down with a piercing shriek that tore through the air! Sand and gravel flew everywhere, and a deep crater appeared in the ground!

Then, a second, a third… more giant claws tore through the sand, and the silhouette of a colossal creature slowly rose from the ground! It was a terrifying creature resembling a hybrid of a giant scorpion and a beetle, its carapace covered with twisted, abyssal patterns that looked as if corroded by strong acid. Its long tail stinger gleamed with an ominous, eerie green light, radiating a ferocious aura comparable to a second-tier magical beast! Its multi-eyed head turned towards the observation station, emitting a threatening hiss. Clearly, the presence within the observation station was its primary target, but it also regarded Luo Wei and his "little bugs" as intruders!

"It's the 'Sand Lord'! The legendary guardian (or prisoner) of the 'Star-Eating Scar'! It was completely awakened by the commotion in the station!" Lilith's face turned pale as she recognized this legendary monster from the sand sea.

Ahead lies a mysterious and dangerous observation station, behind lies the terrifying Sand Lord! The team is in dire straits!

At this critical moment, the "Observer's Eye" crystal in Luo Wei's palm erupted with unprecedented heat and light! A clear stream of thought, filled with urgency, forcefully surged into his mind:

"Outsiders! Star Speakers! If you want to live and know the truth, enter the 'Hall of Stargazing'! The entrance is beneath the third cracked glass wall on the left side of the base! Activate the runes with your star power! Quickly! I can hold this beast back for now, but not for long!"

It's that entity within the observatory! It's communicating! And it accurately identified the Lovi Star Speaker!

There was no time to hesitate! The Sand Lord had already turned some of its attention to them, and its massive pincers swept across with destructive energy!

"Trust it! Barton, cover our retreat! Lilith, Lina, follow me!" Lowe made a decisive move, his star field perception instantly locking onto the left side of the pit wall, and sure enough, he discovered a glass wall with abnormal energy fluctuations! He shot forward like lightning, pressing his hands against the wall at the same time, and his pure star power surged into it!

Om-!

Dust settled on the glass wall, revealing dense star-like runes, and a portal, just wide enough for one person to pass through, opened instantly! Behind the portal was a downward-facing, dust-covered metal passage.

"Go in!" Rowe roared. Lilith, supporting the weakened Lina, rushed in first. Barton roared, his greatsword erupting with dazzling starlight, and his "Earth-Splitting Slash" cleaved the Sand Lord's sweeping claws, using the recoil to send him flying into the portal. Rowe took one last look at the enormous monster and the depths of the observation station where the energy collision roared once more, before flashing inside.

The portal closed rapidly behind them. The roars and crashes of the Sand Lord outside became muffled and indistinct.

The passageway was deathly silent, save for heavy breathing. A thick, dusty smell filled the air, along with a faint, ozone-like lingering odor. Emergency lights cast a ghastly green glow, illuminating the rusted metal walls and scattered, broken equipment.

"For now... we're safe." Lilith quickly distributed calming potions and stamina boosters to everyone and checked Lina's condition. After taking the potion, Lina's expression eased slightly, but her eyes were still filled with fear: "That voice... it was very sad, very painful... but... it wasn't as hostile as before... it seemed to be... protecting this place?"

Luo Wei nodded; he felt the same way. The being's intent, though urgent, was not malicious; it seemed more like a plea for help. He raised his palm; the crystal continued to emit a steady light, pointing towards the depths of the passage.

"Follow the light. Stay alert." Rowe took a deep breath and took the lead. Barton gripped his greatsword and brought up the rear.

The passage wound downwards, revealing traces of a fierce battle along the way—charred energy burns, metal walls torn by claws, and weathered, non-human skeletons dressed in observer uniforms. All of this indicated that this observatory had long ago experienced a devastating collapse.

Finally, at the end of the passage stood a large alloy door, cracked yet still stubbornly pulsating with energy runes. The markings on the door were blurred, but one could still vaguely make out an eye emblem surrounded by stars—the symbol of the Observer Sequence.

The light emitted by the crystal shone on the door, and the runes on the door lit up one by one, emitting a deep hum, and slowly slid open to both sides.

The sight behind the door made the four of them hold their breath instantly.

This was a vast circular hall, its dome a high-precision projection of a star map. Although most areas were dimmed, its former glory was still evident. At the center of the hall was a complex control panel, surrounded by dozens of floating light screens, most of which were now off. But the most striking feature was the center of the hall itself, enveloped and wrapped by countless thick energy conduits shimmering with a ghostly blue light… a crystal coffin!

Inside the coffin, submerged in a pale blue liquid, was not a complete body, but a Protoss creature with only its lower half remaining, its skin a pale gray, and a shattered crystalline prism on its forehead! Its upper body seemed to have been torn apart by some terrifying force, the wound replaced by intricate mechanical structures and energy circuits connected to the entire observatory's control system. At this moment, its remaining, star-like blue eyes slowly opened, gazing at the intruder, filled with endless weariness, vicissitudes, and… a faint glimmer of hope.

"Finally...the wait is over..." A dry, hoarse voice, as if it hadn't uttered a word in a thousand years, echoed through the hall and resonated in the minds of the four. It was the Protoss in the coffin! It was still "alive," existing in a state between life and death!

"Who are you? What happened here?" Rowe stepped forward, shielding Lilith and Lina behind him, and asked in a deep voice. Barton stood guard by the door, watching for any movement outside.

"I... am the last chief observer of the Echo Station... Iselin Starsight..." The Protoss's voice was broken and filled with immense pain, "As you can see... I have become symbiotic with the station's core... with this crumbling body, maintaining the station's minimum operation... and awaiting... the prophesied holder of the 'key'..."

Its gaze fell on the crystal in Luo Wei's palm: "'The Observer's Eye'...it has chosen you...Star Speaker...that's good..."

"What's going on with that monster outside? What's the truth you just told me?" Luo Wei pressed, time was of the essence.

"The Sand Prison Lord... was originally the guardian crystal scorpion of this place... but was corrupted by the abyssal radiation emitted from the fallen star fragments... the source of the 'Star Devouring Scar'... and turned into a monster... It guards the fragments and hates everything related to the stars... including us..." Iselin explained, "I temporarily trapped it using the remaining city defense system... but it won't last long..."

Her voice (which suggested she was female) quickened, her words urgent: "There's no time to recount the past... The important thing is... the information you brought back from the 'Eye in the Distance'... is true! The 'Starfall Pact'... was indeed tampered with!"

The screen lit up, displaying a clearer, more detailed phantom image of a contract scroll, similar to the one in the previous log, highlighting the rune "Libra and the Eye of Nothingness".

"This rune... belongs to the 'Silent Court'... a group of ruthless beings who call themselves guardians of the universe's balance!" Iserline's voice was filled with hatred. "They feared that the power of the Stargazers and the Abyss would expand excessively... breaking a fragile balance... so they planted a trap in the pact... twisting the alliance to jointly resist external enemies... into a one-way shackle that restrained the Abyss! This led to the Abyss's subsequent out-of-control backlash... and the Stargazer civilization's passivity and... decline in the ensuing wars!"

The truth strikes like a hammer blow to everyone's heart! The root cause of all this disaster lies in a higher-dimensional conspiracy of "balance"!

"We...were victims too..." Iselin's voice was filled with sorrow. "The mission of 'Echo Station' was to monitor 'Throat of Annihilation'...but because the contract was tampered with, we couldn't receive timely support and were ultimately destroyed by the Abyss...I was forced to merge with the core, and only by doing so can I survive until now...just to wait until...I can pass on this truth...and...the 'key'...to those who come after me..."

"A key? What key?" A thought struck Luo Wei.

"One of the key fragments to open the 'Stargazer Council's' final sanctuary—the 'Starry Sky Temple'..." Iselin's gaze seemed to pierce through Lovi's soul. "'The Observer's Eye'... is the token... and the other part... is... deep within this site... in the secret chamber that preserves the 'Star Core Fragment'... but that place... has been corrupted... and is guarded by terrifying 'Star Devourers'..."

Before she could finish speaking, the entire hall suddenly shook violently! The control panel screen flashed alarms wildly! From outside came the Sand Lord's even more ferocious roars and the sounds of energy colliding!

"The defense system... is about to collapse!" Iselin's voice became urgent and weak. "Listen... Star Speaker... take the 'Stellar Core Fragment' from the secret chamber... combine it with the 'Observer's Eye'... and you'll find clues to the 'Starry Sky Temple'... there... might be hope to fight the Abyss... or even... reveal the true face of the 'Silent Court'..."

She gave Luo Wei a deep look: "But the price is enormous... Once the fragment is taken... the energy sustaining my existence will be completely exhausted... this site will also completely collapse... the monsters outside will be free... you... must leave as soon as possible..."

This is a cruel choice! To sacrifice Iserline's last chance at life and the release of the terrifying monsters outside, in exchange for a fragment of hope that might determine the future!

"There's no...time to hesitate..." Iselin's image began to blur. "Take the fragments...and then...live on...tell the stars...we...were not...willing traitors..."

As the words fell, the metal floor beside the coffin slowly opened, revealing a downward-facing passageway entrance emitting an ominous red glow. That was the path to the secret chamber.

At the same time, above the main control panel, a hidden compartment of the physical structure popped open, revealing a fist-sized rhomboid crystal that constantly emitted pure stellar energy—the very "stellar core fragment" that Iserin had mentioned!

Iselin's eyes slowly closed, her breath becoming extremely faint, and the light connecting her to the station dimmed rapidly. The sounds of impact outside grew closer, and the entire station groaned under the strain.

Rowe looked at the fragment, then at the dying Iserline, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He stepped forward and picked up the warm star core fragment.

The moment the fragment left her hand, a relieved smile seemed to appear on Iserline's lips before her vital signs vanished completely. At the same time, the lights in the site went out en masse, and the energy alarms blared mournfully! The red glow of the entrance to the secret chamber abruptly turned a deep purple, signifying extreme danger!

The site is starting to crash!

"Go!" Lowe gathered up the fragments and turned without hesitation to rush back through the passage they had come from. Barton scooped up the weakened Lina, with Lilith close behind.

When they rushed out of the portal and returned to the Glazed Pit, they saw that the energy barrier that had trapped the Sand Prison Lord had shattered, and the enormous monster was frantically attacking the collapsing entrance to the observation station! Upon seeing Luo Wei and the others appear, it immediately let out an angry roar, abandoned the station, and pounced!

"Go back the way you came! Quick!" Luo Wei roared, unleashing his full star power, firing "Starlight Rays" backward to hinder the giant scorpion while sprinting towards the top of the pit with all his might.

The desperate escape unfolded once more! The Sand Lord's speed was astonishing; its massive pincers slammed down behind them, kicking up clouds of sand. Lina, nestled in Barton's arms, managed to cast nature magic, creating a fragile quicksand trap behind them. Lilith, meanwhile, continuously hurled flashbangs and smoke bombs to disrupt the giant scorpion's senses.

Just as they were about to reach the top of the pit, the Sand Lord's huge, poisonous tail spike pierced towards Lilith at the back of the group like lightning!

"Watch out!" Patton's eyes widened in horror, but it was too late to save him!

Just as the tail spike was about to hit, starlight flashed in Luo Wei's eyes, and he instantly activated a stronger sorcery that he had never used before and that he had comprehended after his advancement!

"Star Imprisonment!"

He pressed his hands down, and the immense star power transformed into countless silver threads, instantly wrapping around the Sand Lord's massive body and tail spikes! Although it could only imprison it for less than a breath, it was enough for Lilith to narrowly escape a fatal blow!

Boom! The Sand Lord broke free of his restraints, becoming even more enraged. But that little time was enough for the four-person team to rush to the top of the pit and plunge into the vast sea of ​​sand without looking back.

Behind them came the deafening roar of the observation station collapsing completely and the earth-shattering, unwilling roar of the Sand Prison Lord.

Only after running for several miles and confirming that the monster was not chasing them did the four collapse on the sand dunes, panting heavily and still shaken.

Lowe opened his hands, revealing two slightly resonant crystals—the "Eye of the Observer" and the "Stellar Core Fragment." They had paid a heavy price, releasing a terrifying monster, but they had also obtained a crucial key fragment and, through a witness, confirmed the shocking conspiracy.

Iserline's last words still echoed in my ears: "Tell the stars...we...were not...willing traitors..."

Does "we" refer to the stargazers? Or... does it include those in the abyss who are being exploited?

Starry Sky Temple... Silent Court...

The road ahead became clearer, yet heavier still. First and foremost, they had to escape this deadly desert alive and return to the "Stargazer."