The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

Like a lark being chased by a falcon, the "Stargazer" streaked with dissipating energy as it raced desperately toward the faint point of light indicated by the starlight signpost—an inconspicuous maintenance passage entrance on the temple's outer shell. Behind it, countless dark red threads of "devouring light" clung relentlessly like a malignant tumor, their passage causing even space itself to groan in agony.

"Shield is about to overload! Engine output 130%! Hold on!" Elder Anderson roared amidst the violent tremors, gripping the navigator tightly with both hands.

"Entrance barrier detects Star Key fluctuations! Activating!" Lilith stared intently at the scanning screen, where the light spot rapidly enlarged, forming a rotating energy vortex.

At the critical moment, the starship plunged into the energy vortex!

After the dizzying teleportation sensation, there was a deathly silence. Outside the porthole was no longer the dangerous void, but a narrow metal tunnel filled with thick energy pipes and intricate runes. The tunnel was dimly lit, flashing emergency red alarms, and the air was thick with the smell of ozone and burning metal, but the suffocating oppressive feeling of the "devouring light" vanished abruptly. They had successfully stormed into the temple!

[Entered the outer maintenance layer of the Starry Sky Temple. The external entrance has been forcibly closed. Instability detected in the internal spatial structure, with multiple energy leakage points. High-intensity energy conflict reactions are emanating from the direction of the temple's core area.] The Star Core's report brought a slight sigh of relief to everyone, but their mood remained heavy. The situation inside the temple was clearly extremely dire.

The starship glided cautiously inward along the passageway. Along the way, traces of fierce battle were visible—deep claw marks on the walls, charred remains from explosions, and congealed blue bloodstains that emitted a faint starlight glow. Occasionally, the skeletons of those clad in tattered stargazer uniforms could be seen, their death postures filled with the resolute determination of battle.

"A fierce defensive battle took place here..." Instructor Verna stroked a mark on the wall that had been corroded by some kind of corrosive energy, her voice low, "It was the temple guards resisting the invasion of the 'Devouring Light'."

At the end of the passage stood a massive alloy gate, engraved with patterns of the sun, moon, and stars. The gate opened wide, revealing a vast circular plaza. In the center of the plaza floated a colossal crystal sphere, its star map constantly shifting, but now its surface was riddled with cracks, and its internal light flickered erratically. Around the plaza were twelve arcades leading in different directions, but most were blocked by collapsed crystals and metal fragments. Only the most magnificent arcade directly ahead remained faintly discernible, emanating from its depths a faint energy fluctuation and… a strange gravitational pull—the very direction of the temple's core, as sensed by the Star Key.

"Stay close to me and stay alert." Holding the Star Key, Luo Wei felt the intense call and the unsettling fluctuations emanating from the core, and stepped out of the starship first. The others formed a defensive formation and followed closely behind.

As Lina crossed the plaza, she suddenly stopped, her face pale, and pointed to the shadows at the edge of the plaza: "There... there's a 'voice'... very faint... calling for help..."

The group cautiously approached and discovered a severely damaged construct slumped against the corner of the wall. It had a streamlined body and a Protoss-like facial structure, but its chest was pierced, and its internal energy core was nearly extinguished, with only its eyes flashing a faint blue light. Upon seeing the Star Key in Luo Wei's hand, the construct's eyes flickered rapidly, emitting intermittent electronic sounds:

"The...key...holder...finally...in...the core...control room...'The Light-Devouring Core'...is...eroding...the 'Sphere of All Consciousness'...and must...stop...the path...to...the 'Stairway to Truth'..." Before the words were finished, the light in the construct's eyes went out completely.

"It is the guardian of the temple! The 'Light-Devouring Core' should be the source of the 'Light of Destruction,' and it is attacking the temple's central 'Orb of All Consciousness'!" Lilith quickly analyzed.

"The Steps of Truth... what is that?" Barton asked.

Instructor Verna's gaze fell upon the only unobstructed passageway leading into the depths of the archway, her tone grave: "If I remember correctly, the 'Stairway of Truth' is the final test leading to the core control room of the temple, and also a powerful protective mechanism. It is not a physical staircase, but a corridor of consciousness imbued with the wisdom and will of generations of stargazers. Only by passing its test, proving one's pursuit of the truth of the stars rather than its destruction, can one gain access to the core."

There was no turning back. The group moved swiftly forward along the arcade. The walls were composed of dark crystals that absorbed energy, with flowing star runes floating on them, emanating a tranquil yet vast aura that contrasted sharply with the pervasive sense of destruction outside. But as they went deeper, patches of dark red energy began to appear on both sides, corroded like a spreading plague.

At the end of the arcade, there was no gate, but a swirling vortex made of pure starlight. Before the vortex, dozens of faintly visible steps made of light floated upwards, disappearing into a hazy glow—this was the "Stairway to Truth."

The moment Luo Wei stepped onto the first step, he felt his consciousness being abruptly ripped from his body! The surrounding scenery blurred and distorted, eventually merging into an endless starry sky. A grand, ancient, and emotionless voice resounded directly within the depths of his soul:

"Those who seek knowledge, stepping onto this path, must understand your own heart. What is the secret of the stars?"

At the same time, he felt an invisible pressure acting on his soul, as if trying to squeeze out his most essential understanding. Below the steps, Verna and the others could only see Luo Wei's body trembling slightly, frozen in place, but they could not perceive the test of consciousness he was undergoing.

Luo Wei steadied himself, not rushing to answer, but immersing himself in understanding the stars. He recalled the awe he felt when his talent awakened, the focus he had when analyzing runes, the ease he had when manipulating stellar power, and the reverence he felt when facing the vast cosmos. He responded in a deep voice, not with words, but with a resonance of souls conveying his thoughts: "The stars are the manifestation of rules, the cradle of life, the measure of space and time, the lighthouse for our pursuit of truth, and the coordinates by which we measure our own insignificance and greatness."

Buzz! The first step solidified, and the pressure lessened slightly. He stepped onto the second step.

"He who holds the key, what do you fight for?"

Countless images flashed through Luo Wei's mind: the persecution by the Academy, the trust of his companions, the threat of the Abyss, the compassion of the Stardust Whale, Iseline's entrustment, and the cold "balance" of the Silent Court... He replied, "For survival, to protect those who trust me, to reveal the distorted truth, and also... to defend civilization's right to freely explore the stars, to fight against that imposed, cold 'balance'!"

Buzz! The second step stabilized. The pressure eased again, but he felt the depth of the test increasing.

As he ascended, the questions became increasingly profound, pointing directly to the origins of existence and even touching upon the birth and end of the universe, the dialectic of order and chaos. Relying on his deep resonance with the Star Key, his own insights, and the ancient wisdom taught by Verna, Luo Wei struggled to cope. With each step he took, the pressure lessened, but the tests to his character and wisdom increased exponentially. He felt as if his soul was being tempered, his understanding of the laws of the stars deepening and sublimating at an unprecedented speed. The bottleneck in his cultivation, which had stagnated for so long, was actually beginning to loosen!

Below, Verna watched intently. She could vaguely sense the ancient will flowing down the steps, the most rigorous selection process for inheritors. Barton, Lilith, and the others were on high alert, guarding against any possible attacks.

As Luo Wei stepped onto the last step, the grand voice rang out again, but this time, it carried a hint of... relief?

"The spirit of the stars is passed down from generation to generation. You have begun to understand your true nature and can now obtain the key to the door. However, the road ahead is fraught with peril, and the real test begins just beyond the door. Enter, successor, and may you live up to our expectations."

The starlight vortex suddenly expanded, engulfing Luo Wei's figure. At the same time, a stable portal of light appeared below the steps, leading to the rear.

"He did it!" Anne cheered.

The group immediately passed through the portal and found themselves on a relatively small circular platform. In the center of the platform stood Luo Wei, his stellar energy flowing continuously around him, his aura deeper and more restrained than before, clearly indicating the significant benefits he had gained from the steps. Before him was a more ancient, weathered stone door, covered with ancient stellar runes never seen before.

"Love, are you alright?" Lilith asked with concern.

Luo Wei opened his eyes, starlight swirling within them, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air: "I'm alright. The Steps of Truth... are a baptism of the soul and cognition. I saw a lot... and understood some things." He felt that he had already reached the pinnacle of a first-ring Star Speaker, only needing one more opportunity to break through to the second ring. More importantly, through the trials of the steps, his fusion with the Star Key had reached a completely new level, as if he could vaguely sense the faint and painful "heartbeat" of the temple itself.

He reached out his hand, and the Star Key flew automatically to the stone gate, embedding itself in a groove in the center.

The door slid open silently, and the sight behind it made everyone gasp.

This was an incredibly magnificent circular hall, its dome a flowing sea of ​​stars, its floor a smooth, mirror-like black crystal. In the center of the hall, suspended, was an enormous crystal sphere composed of countless rays of light—the Sphere of Universal Consciousness, the central hub of the temple. However, at this moment, most of the sphere was covered and corroded by a viscous, writhing, dark red energy, like a beautiful planet being devoured by hideous parasites. Inside the sphere, countless flickering streams of data could be faintly seen struggling and annihilating in agony.

Above the sphere, a constantly rotating, dark red prism composed of pure "Devouring Light" floats—the "Devouring Light Core"! It exudes a cold, all-consuming will, constantly drawing energy from the Sphere of All Consciousness and transforming it into more Devouring Light, eroding the foundation of the temple.

Even more alarming, three figures stood silently beneath the core of light-devouring and in front of the sphere of universal consciousness.

The one on the left is a knight with a twisted figure, made of shadows and shattered armor, exuding a strong abyssal aura, with strength comparable to a second-tier abyssal lord!

On the right is a figure wearing a tattered robe of a deacon from the Discipline Tower, but with empty eyes and a strange energy swirling around him—a mixture of golden threads of law and crimson light of devouring—the leader of the "Scavenger" assassins who had escaped earlier! He had actually been controlled and strengthened by the light of devouring!

The figure in the center caused Instructor Verna's pupils to shrink sharply, and she exclaimed in shock, "Impossible! It's you?! 'The Silent One' Malbas!"

He was an old man dressed in the robes of an ancient stargazer, embroidered with strange runes of scales and the Eye of Nothingness. His face was withered, his eyes empty, like a soulless shell, yet the energy emanating from him was vast and boundless, far surpassing anyone present, reaching the peak of the third ring! Moreover, his energy attribute was that cold, orderly force of annihilation! In his hand he held a crystal compass that was constantly calculating complex models, clearly manipulating the Devouring Light Core to erode the Sphere of Myriad Consciousness!

"Marbas... he was the last 'Stasis Observer' of the Stargazer Council... responsible for monitoring the balance of civilizations... he actually defected to the Stasis Court? Or... he was already replaced?" Verna's voice was filled with shock and anger.

Malbas slowly raised his head, his empty eyes "looking" at the intruder, and said in a flat tone, "Variables...cleanup procedure...start. Obstacles to balance...erasure."

The compass in his hand shone brightly, and the rotation of the Devouring Light Core suddenly accelerated, releasing even more dark red energy! At the same time, the Abyss Lord and the controlled assassin beside him also exuded a chilling killing intent!

The final battle is about to erupt at the heart of this temple!