Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Following the updates on Cola Novels has never been so enjoyable.

three days later.

No. 7, Zifang Lane, underground.

The silver-white patterns of the "phase stabilization array" on the stone platform had dried completely, and under the crystal lamp, they gleamed with a cold, hard luster.

Ian stood in the center of the formation, his dark gray robe sleeves hanging down, his fingertips hovering in the air.

Before him, twenty-eight void anchor stones floated in a ring, slowly rotating.

Each anchor stone is covered with fine silver veins, like solidified ripples in space.

"Let's begin."

The sound was very soft, falling into the quiet laboratory.

Ian closed his eyes.

Within the spiritual sea, the [Two Realms Phase Instrument] vibrated quietly.

On the dark silver outer shell, the array of runes outlined by astral silver sand lit up one after another, and the pure black crystal at the core rotated slightly.

The void of gravitational field spread out.

In mid-air, all twenty-eight void anchor stones trembled simultaneously!

The originally scattered silver patterns began to flash synchronously, connecting with each other and weaving into a three-dimensional spherical network in the air.

Each node in the network is an anchor.

Each connecting line is a stable spatial coordinate.

Ian raised his hand and took the Abyss Runestone from his Dimensional Ring.

The dark red stone surface is covered with twisted natural patterns, and it feels cold to the touch, carrying the chaotic aura unique to the abyss.

With a flick of his finger, the runestones landed precisely on hundreds of basic nodes of the spherical network.

laugh!

The moment the dark red and silver-white met, tiny sparks burst forth in the air.

Two completely different spatial rules began to clash and rub against each other.

Finally, under the forced void gravitational field of the [Two-World Phase Analyzer]... equilibrium was achieved.

He maintained his mental energy output and took out the Unstable Iron from the ring.

Gray metallic powder dispersed in the air, guided by mental energy, and evenly coated onto every spatial connection line.

It's like coating a fragile glass pipe with a protective film.

Then came void dust, abyssal crystals... and finally, hundreds of magic crystals.

The gray fine sand blends into the amorphous iron coating, forming a second layer of insulation.

Ian crushed them in a specific ratio and sprinkled the powder throughout the spherical network.

hum!

A deep, resonant sound filled the laboratory.

The spherical network began to shrink and compress, slowly collapsing from a diameter of three meters to one meter.

The silver patterns of the Void Anchor Stone, the dark red luster of the Abyss Runestone, the gray-black coating of the Unbound Iron and Shadowmoon Sand, the milky white halo of the Magic Crystal…

All colors, all energies, all rules, all merge perfectly in this moment!

Ian gritted his teeth, as information streamed down his mental screen like a waterfall.

Spatial structure stability: 87%...92%...95%...

"Abyss Rule Compatibility: 74%...81%...89%..."

"Energy channel flux: Meets the target"

The data stream was refreshing rapidly at the edge of the field of vision.

He could clearly sense that the altar he was building this time was fundamentally different from the one he had built a year ago beneath the Shadowmoon Tower.

That altar uses the will of the abyss as a bridge to "randomly" send contract fluctuations into the endless void.

It's a gamble on luck.

And this... is based on the [Two-World Phase Meter], with phase anchoring enhanced tenfold as the coordinate system.

"I guess I've activated 'precision positioning'!"

There is only one destination: Starshine City on the continent of Alan.

Ian opened his eyes, and deep in his pupils was a spherical network shrunk to its limit.

At the center of the network, space began to distort, fold, and finally... tear apart.

A dark vortex, one meter in diameter, slowly emerged.

The vortex rotated very slowly, yet it carried a certain heavy weight.

It's as if the space itself is being stirred, rather than the air.

Deep within the vortex, faint starlight can be seen.

This is not an illusion, but a projection of the starry sky of the continent of Aran transmitted through the passage.

"It's done."

Ian let out a long breath, looking at his latest masterpiece and nodding repeatedly.

Then, he sat down cross-legged and placed his hands lightly on the ground on both sides of the altar.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the magical array of [Phase Weaving Soul Technique] began to operate.

The soul connection, dormant for more than six months... was suddenly ignited at this moment!

No longer a vague signal, no longer fragmented pieces.

Instead, it is complete, clear, and as if face-to-face...

"Original body."

Li Xing's voice echoed deep within his consciousness, calm yet carrying a hint of barely suppressed turmoil.

"You've finally... arrived."

Ian closed his eyes.

In an instant, a massive amount of information surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, flowing through the connections that had been a hundred times stronger!

Countless memories, images, emotions, and... a full twelve years of expedition!

The first image is of Starshine City ten years ago.

Gray clouds loomed overhead, and the roars of corrupted beasts echoed from the depths of the wilderness, like a never-ending background noise.

This is a frenzied counterattack by the Corrupted Beasts in response to the ever-expanding Holy Land.

Li Yao stood at the breach in the city wall, his body straight, holding a broadsword in his hand.

His face was resolute, and he exuded a murderous aura.

Behind him, thirteen Star Guard Captains stood in silent formation.

Everyone was covered in wounds, and the bloodstains dried into dark brown patches on their coarse cloth clothes.

But they stood tall and their breathing was steady, like thirteen steel nails driven into the city wall.

"Brother." Li Yao turned around and looked at Li Xing, who was standing on the high place.

A touch of silver light shone from the fingertip, transforming into fine threads of starlight that intertwined in the air to form a complex three-dimensional topographic map.

On the map, the red dots representing the corrupted beasts surge like a tide, constantly squeezing the blue line representing the human defense line.

The blue line recedes step by step, like the edge of paper scorched by flames.

Squeezed, charred, and turned to ashes little by little.

"We can't refund any more."

Li Xing's voice was very soft, yet it carried throughout the entire city wall.

"Behind Xinghui City are nine cities and fifty-four towns, and five million seven hundred thousand civilians."

"If we back down, they'll have one less chance to survive."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone on the city wall.

Star Guard, Merchant Alliance Guard, and even... temporarily conscripted militia.

And then there are the ordinary people who huddle behind cover, trembling, yet still have a last glimmer of light burning in their eyes.

Li Xing withdrew his hand, and the starlight topographic map disappeared.

He turned around and faced the desolate wilderness to the north, shrouded in gray clouds.

The black robe fluttered in the wind.

"From this day forward, all of Starshine City, follow me... in our counterattack."

The city wall was deathly silent.

Then, Li Yao was the first to raise his sword.

The sword tip pointed north, and his arm remained as steady as a rock.

"Counterattack!"

The thirteen Star Guards roared in unison, their voices shaking the city wall so much that dust fell from the bricks.

Then came the merchant alliance guards, the militia, and those ordinary people who were just trembling...

"Counterattack!!"

"Counterattack!!!"

The roar was like thunder, crushing across the wilderness, crushing through the gray clouds, and crushing into the deepest part of the corrupt beast tide.

The second scene is six years later.

The territory of the Starry Holy Land has expanded more than three times again.

The original nine cities and fifty-four towns became eighteen cities and one hundred and eight towns.

The population surged from 5.7 million to 30 million.

The sphere of influence of Starshine Holy City extends to the distant horizon, reaching 15,000 miles.

The once scorched and eroded land has been gradually purified and reclaimed.

Under the protection of the Starshine Array, the newly sown crops sprouted tender green shoots.

But the price... is also suffocatingly heavy.

Of the original thirteen members of the Star Guard, four died in battle and three were seriously wounded and retired.

The new blood that comes in keeps changing.

Li Yao underwent the most significant change; among the common people, his reputation even surpassed that of Li Xing.

After Li Xingyin's death, almost all matters were decided by Li Yao.

Today, he has grown into an outstanding leader.

In that bloody battle three years ago, he led from the front and was severely injured by a corrupted lord of the Manifestation Rank.

He was never afraid of danger, and whenever there was a battle, he always stood at the forefront of the defense.

Like a stone statue that will never fall.

The third image is from three years ago, when Li Yao successfully broke through to the Manifestation stage.

Starlight Holy Land has become the second largest human power in the entire continent of Alan, second only to "Sunrise City".

Its territory spans 30,000 li, governs 32 cities, and has a population exceeding 80 million.

Li Xing continued to disappear, while Li Yao's name began to circulate throughout the continent.

Some call him the "Saint of Starshine," while others call him a "war maniac."

But whether in awe or hatred, everyone has to admit it.

This once shy young man, leading his Star Guards, single-handedly carved out a haven of peace amidst the rampant corruption.

Meanwhile, the corrupted creatures finally couldn't sit still any longer.

The seven corrupted lords, each equivalent to a late-stage Manifestation Realm expert, joined forces to launch the "Blood Moon Siege".

This battle lasted for a full month.

Seventeen sections of the city wall collapsed, more than half of the Starshine Guards were killed, and they almost reached the Star Tower, alarming Li Xing.

Even Li Yao himself was attacked by the three lords in the final battle, his chest was pierced, and his heart stopped beating for ten breaths.

But in the end...

Seven enormous, corrupted heads were hung high on the tallest flagpole in Blue Hole Mountain.

Dark red blood flowed down the flagpole, accumulating into seven shocking blood pools on the stone slab.

Li Yao stood in the center of the pool of blood, his black robe torn and his body covered in blood.

The longsword in his hand, reforged from fragments of a meteorite core, dripped a viscous black liquid from its tip.

He raised his head and looked in his brother's direction, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes.

Finally, look north to that corrupt core region forever shrouded in gray clouds.

Deep within his pupils, something icy cold was reflected.

"Not enough..." Li Yao's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing.

"The corrupt king... is not dead yet."

The screen shattered again.

The fourth image is of the present.

The Star-Guiding Hall is located at the top of the Star Tower.

Li Xing sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, his long black hair cascading down to the ground like a waterfall.

The nine miniature stars surrounding it rotate so fast that they cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Only nine silver-white arcs of light could be seen, weaving together into an impenetrable net around him.

Inside the net, space was slightly distorted.

The ripples of the gravitational rules manifested, like ripples on the surface of water, spreading outwards in concentric circles.

The aura... the pinnacle of divine manifestation.

It's only one thin, almost transparent layer away from the true form stage.

He could even clearly feel that the stellar bloodline within him was boiling, roaring, and trying to break through some ancient shackles.

Outside the hall, Li Yao stood quietly.

His robes fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and he held a dark silver longsword in his hand.

The surface of the sword was covered with starlight patterns, which resonated faintly with the aura of Li Xing inside the hall.

His robes fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and he held a dark silver longsword in his hand.

The surface of the sword was covered with starlight patterns, which resonated faintly with the aura of Li Xing inside the hall.

A new scar appeared on his face, gleaming a pale silver in the moonlight, like an unusual star mark.

His eyes were calm and serene.

Through the connection, Ian seemed to clearly "hear" the whispers in his mind.

"Brother...you must succeed."

"Billions of living beings in the Sacred Land of Starshine... are waiting for you."

"Me too..." The voice trailed off.

It's as if they don't want that deeply hidden emotion to be revealed.

The flood of information has finally come to a halt.

Ian slowly opened his eyes, his pupils reflecting the cold stone walls of the laboratory, yet he could almost see the war-torn continent beneath them.

Twelve years, four thousand three hundred and twenty days and nights.

The fall of seventeen corrupt lords.

The hopeful gaze of billions of people...

All of this weighed heavily on the depths of his consciousness at that moment.

Like a red-hot branding iron, it burned so intensely that even the soul trembled.

"Original body."

Li Xing's voice rang out again, clearer than before, and also more... weary.

It's not physical exhaustion, but a weariness deep in the soul, a weariness born from carrying too much of life's weight.

"I need your help."

Ian did not respond immediately. He took a deep breath and allowed his surging emotions to calm down slowly.

"you say."

"The final step in the Star Bloodline..."

A complex energy flow diagram was transmitted from Li Xing's consciousness.

That is the key to the bloodline leap to the True Form stage.

At the core of the soul, one's own "star imprint" is engraved.

This is not a simple energy condensation.

It is about fully understanding the laws of gravity, fully comprehending the resonance with the stars, and fully tracing the origins of one's bloodline...

All of it was compressed, refined, and finally solidified into a... soul imprint.

If successful, this mark will live on with the soul forever.

Even if the physical body is destroyed, as long as the soul remains, the mark will not disappear.

It will become the "source" of bloodline and the "anchor" of rules.

To become... the most precious "gift" when it returns to its original form in the future.

"But even with the help of the control panel, I was stuck on this step for ten years."

Li Xing's voice carried a rare hint of confusion.

"Each attempt to inscribe triggers a tremor in the soul."

"It's not a lack of energy, but rather... a conflict of rules."

"The rules of the stars in the continent of Aran seem to have subtle differences from the rules inherited deep within one's bloodline."

"Like two similar locks, but the keys are different by one tooth."

"Forcing the lock open will only break the lock cylinder."

Ian was deeply shaken and remained silent for a long time.

"To condense the rules and comprehend the soul imprint—this is something only third-level wizards begin to do in the wizarding world..."

"The projection has already come this far... how can I not lend a hand?"

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the pale golden crystalline core rotated silently.

Deep within its core, the Seed of Stars trembled slightly.

The insights into the stellar rules of a level four Morning Star Wizard flowed forth.

Even the slightest insights began to resonate with the diagrams transmitted by Li Xing.

Ian closed his eyes, his consciousness completely sinking into the connection.

"Open up your soul's perception... completely."

Li Xing and he were originally one, without the slightest hesitation.

For an instant.

Ian saw the vast, illusory starry sky deep within Li Xing's spiritual sea.

In the center of the phantom image, I saw the incomplete star mark.

I saw countless fine, regular cracks around the brand.

Like a fine piece of porcelain, it was shaken by an invisible force, causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear.

If you apply a little more force, it will be completely crushed.

"As expected..." Ian murmured softly.

He controlled his own power of order and stellar energy, slowly probing into the connection.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the rules and information of the [Seed of Stars] emerged, transforming into countless tiny silver specks of light, which scattered like stardust across the illusory starry sky.

Every speck of light contains the wizarding world's understanding of the rules of the stars.

An analysis of the nature of gravity, a grasp of the curvature of spacetime...

The moment these specks of light touched the phantom of the starry sky.

hum!

Li Xing opened his eyes, his body trembling violently.

The nine miniature stars surrounding it stopped simultaneously, and then... began to rotate in reverse!

The gravitational field inside the palace instantly became disordered.

Tables and chairs floated, stone slabs cracked, and the air began to distort and deform.

An unprecedented realization appeared on Li Xing's face.

"So...that's how it is..."

He murmured to himself, countless flowing silver trails reflected deep within his pupils.

Those intertwined, collided, and merged paths ultimately sketched a completely new one deep within his soul...

A perfect and flawless star imprint!

The instant the brand is formed.

Outside the palace, in the night sky of the continent of Aran, all the stars shone brightly for a moment at the same time!

This is not an illusion.

The entire sky over the continent of Aran, and all the visible stars.

In that instant, they all shone with unprecedented brilliance.

Light pierced through the gray clouds and shone down on the earth.

It shines upon every inch of the sacred land of starlight, and upon countless people who gaze at the night sky.

"Brother...you succeeded?"

Li Yao's hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and a blazing light burst forth from his single eye.

Inside the hall, Li Xing slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within the pupil, the newly formed star imprint slowly rotated, radiating a vast, ocean-like fluctuation of rules.

Dark red bloodstains spread out between the silvery-white lines, a shocking sight.

A tearing pain surged through my mind.

The guidance he had just received had almost completely drained his mind.

Without the help of the panel, the rules of the fourth-level Morning Star were simply beyond his reach.

A slight smile slowly curved the corners of Ian's lips.

"It really happened..."

Although his voice was hoarse, it was filled with undisguised excitement.

The dark vortex at the center of the altar is now spinning at an unprecedented speed.

Deep within the vortex, the landscape of Aran is as clear as a mirror.

He could even "see" the regular ripples surging around Li Xing's body.

They could "hear" the cheers of billions of humans sweeping across the Star Tower like a tsunami.

I can "feel"... the originally fragile connection between the two worlds.

It is stabilizing, strengthening, and finally... transforming into a real bridge at an astonishing speed.

A bridge spanning endless void, connecting two worlds, and piercing the hearts of two stars... the Bridge Between Worlds.

Ian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly straightened up.

My fingertips lightly touched the edge of the vortex, feeling the increasingly strong resonance of rules coming from the other side.

"Next... we'll wait for you to break through, Li Xing."

He murmured to himself, his eyes reflecting the starlight deep within the vortex.

"The moment you step into the True Form stage."

"Bring back that third-level wizard's insights... in their entirety."