Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

A terrifying, world-destroying light crashed down.

Ian's figure hovered, surrounded by a pale golden halo, which was an order barrier formed by the high compression of the five rules.

Sizzle!!

The beam of destruction crashed into the barrier of order, and a piercing annihilation sound exploded in the void.

The barriers of order caved inward, and countless fine cracks appeared on the surface, but they ultimately held firm.

Amidst the interplay of light, Ian and Astra gazed at each other across the distance.

This isolated fragment of space is now on the verge of collapse.

Cracks spread across the sky like a spiderweb, and darkness seeped from the cracks, causing the palace to collapse and reveal the bottomless void below.

Each time the two clashed, the spatial fragments trembled, and each time the rules collided, this space diminished by one unit.

"Haven't made a move yet?" Ian felt a mix of surprise and disappointment.

"Is there some restriction preventing me from making a move?"

This space is about to collapse completely. If we stay here any longer, even a Morning Star Wizard will be swept into the void turbulence.

If you're lucky, you'll be thrown into some other world; if you're unlucky, you'll be lost in eternal darkness.

He no longer held back his strength, and the blazing star core in his spiritual sea suddenly accelerated!

hum!

The domain of rules began to shrink rapidly inwards: 5,000 kilometers, 1,000 kilometers, 100 kilometers...

The smaller the domain, the higher the density of its internal rules, and the stronger the power bestowed upon Ian.

Ultimately, the domain stabilized into an area of ​​absolute control with Ian at its center and a radius of ten kilometers.

"The rule-based support has increased it more than tenfold..."

Ian felt the surging power within him; even a single thought could trigger the tides of rules.

With a slight thought, a ring of transparent star trails suddenly brightened, the time rules were activated at full power.

The flow of time within a ten-kilometer radius suddenly accelerated tenfold, forcibly rewriting the time rules of the entire area.

Astra's movements seemed to slow down tenfold in Ian's eyes.

Eternal Sun - Ultimate Edition!

Ian clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and a blazing white ball of light took shape, which then split into three.

Three miniature stars, each half a meter in diameter, float in mid-air in a triangular formation, each containing his five rules.

"Go." Ian pushed forward with both hands.

Time accelerated, and the three eternal suns transformed into three streams of light, instantly enveloping Astra.

Astra's lifeless eyes finally flickered violently, and three Starshine Shields instantly materialized.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three explosions rang out almost simultaneously, and a blinding white light exploded around Astra, completely engulfing him.

The shield's surface was covered with countless cracks, and starlight scattered everywhere. The abyssal energy in his right hand swirled, attempting to devour and dissolve it.

However, the extreme heat and purifying golden light were too strong against the abyss, and the vortex was dispersed as soon as it took shape.

He groaned as the shockwave struck his chest, blasting a charred hole in it.

"Annihilation!"

Astra's right eye blazed crimson, and she opened her mouth to unleash a dark purple beam of light that swept outwards.

Noisy!

The beam of light and the light sphere disappeared simultaneously, leaving behind a pitch-black hole with a diameter of three meters.

But this attack exhausted the last bit of strength Astra had left to maintain her balance.

"Ugh!!"

He let out a painful growl, and his body began to tremble violently.

The brilliant starlight on the left side of the body quickly dimmed, while the dark purple abyssal energy on the right side frantically eroded the core of the starlight.

The translucent texture beneath the skin began to disintegrate, the nebula reflection in the left eye became blurred, while the abyss vortex in the right eye grew brighter and brighter.

The balance between the two energies was finally broken.

"I...I..." Astra's voice began to change.

The hoarse voice from the abyss gradually gained the upper hand, while the clear, melodious starlight grew weaker and weaker.

He staggered backward, bracing himself against the broken armrest of the throne with one hand, his gaze fixed on Ian, a glimmer of clarity flashing in his left eye.

"You won..."

His lips moved, and a faint mental message was sent directly into Ian's mind.

"I made a terrible mistake... I shouldn't have forged this forbidden magical artifact... It came from the abyss... It's a trap..."

"Be careful... that thing might backfire..."

The message abruptly ended there, and Astra's body stiffened abruptly.

The starlight in his left eye went out completely, and the abyssal vortex in his right eye suddenly contracted.

"Oh no, this is about to self-destruct!"

A self-destruction of a level four peak-level soul is enough to completely erase this spatial fragment.

Ian's pupils constricted sharply, and his gravitational field contracted at full force, attempting to contain the explosion.

But the self-destructive fluctuations have already touched the core of the soul...

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, the panel vibrated silently, and pale gold lettering appeared at the edge of vision.

[High-purity contaminated soul detected, initiating aggressive self-purification...]

An invisible, intangible, and supreme wave extended from the panel.

A gentle sweep across Astra's soul, which was about to explode, and the self-destructive energy... vanished.

Astra stood frozen in place, the light in her eyes quickly dimming.

The body began to turn to ashes, disintegrating and dissipating inch by inch, starting from the fingertips.

Three breaths later, the ashes dispersed, leaving behind a silver-white gem the size of a goose egg suspended in place.

[Obtained: Pure Level 4 Soul Gem]

Ian reached out and took the gem into his palm.

It has a warm and smooth feel, and the immense spiritual power within it is several times stronger than any of the previous ones.

"This is the peak of level four..." he muttered to himself, carefully putting away the gem.

The moment the gem was in hand, an extremely cold and sinister spiritual force attacked from behind without warning!

"Gah!"

Gaga, hidden in the shadows nearby, was also hit, letting out a scream as its wings burst open.

The next second, the sound stopped abruptly, the pupils became empty, and the body froze in mid-air.

Ian's vision went black as his consciousness was forcibly dragged into a distorted illusion.

The cramped rented room was filled with the smell of instant noodles and dust.

He lay on the bed, pale and breathing weakly, with his phone screen displaying missed calls and debt collection messages.

A light rain was falling outside the window, the raindrops tapping against the glass with a monotonous and despairing sound.

He reached for the water glass by the bedside, but his hand drooped weakly, his eyes slowly closed, and he died alone.

The Wizarding World, Starlight Potion Shop.

Blood stained the courtyard, the alchemical sapling was uprooted, and its five revitalized fruits were scattered all over the ground.

Parents, sister, Malena... all were nailed to the wall, their eyes vacant, long since lifeless.

A figure wearing the robe of the Undying Heart stood in the center of the ruins.

He slowly turned around, revealing a blurry face with a twisted and crazed smile.

"The trouble you caused has led to the deaths of everyone around you..."

In the endless abyss, Gaga was entangled by countless dark purple tentacles and dragged to the deepest part of the abyss.

It struggled desperately, letting out a piercing scream.

"Ian! Help me! Help me! I don't want to die! I don't want to be eaten!"

The tentacles tightened their grip, gradually engulfing it until only a pair of desperate, gradually dimming silver eyes remained.

Every illusion points directly to the fear in one's heart.

A lonely death in a past life, the tragic deaths of family members in this life, and the devouring of companions...

Negative emotions surged like a tidal wave, attempting to overwhelm Ian's consciousness: wavering, guilt, pain, despair...

Just as his mind was about to collapse, a golden halo suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light from the depths of his spiritual sea!

The light, like a sharp sword, pierced through layers of illusion, illuminating every corner of consciousness. All the distorted images shattered and dissipated like bubbles, and consciousness returned to the body.

Ian opened his eyes, a flash of intense golden light appearing deep within his pupils.

"That's it?" He slowly turned around and looked at the shadow in the corner of the hall.

There, a transparent phantom was slowly emerging, without a fixed shape, like a swirling mist.

Deep within the fog, two crimson lights flickered, exuding a cold and cunning aura.

The Soul Ruler, the true source of corruption that has always parasitized in Astra's shadow.

"How...how could you...?"

The phantom emitted a piercing mental scream, filled with unbelievable panic.

Its most proficient soul illusion, which once corrupted Astra, a peak level four cultivator, is actually ineffective against this human?!

"Because you don't understand my true fears."

Ian's voice was chilling, his eyes burning with killing intent. He took a step forward, and the rule domain that had shrunk to ten kilometers shrank again!

hum!

The surrounding space instantly froze, and even light could not spread freely.

The Soul Ruler let out a shriek, trying to burrow into the void, but its body felt like it was stuck in quagmire, and its movements were a hundred times slower.

"Purify".

Ian raised his right hand, and a pure golden light emanated from his palm.

The light transformed into dozens of golden chains, which pierced through the illusory figure like serpents, binding it tightly.

"Aaaaaah!!"

The Soul Ruler let out a piercing scream; the light of purification had absolute restraint on abyssal creatures.

Each chain binding it burned its soul, emitting sizzling blue smoke.

It struggled frantically, trying to break free, but the chains tightened more and more, and the light grew brighter and brighter.

"Um?"

Ian sensed that deep within this guy's soul, there was an extremely resilient abyssal aura that had already surpassed the limits of the Morning Star level.

"Ugh...you can't kill me..."

This is the "favor" bestowed by the will of the abyss, and it is also its greatest reliance.

"As expected, the pollution that surpasses that of Morning Star cannot be completely purified yet."

Ian frowned slightly, increased the output of the purifying light, and the golden chains began to contract, constricting into the phantom's body.

The screams of the soul ruler grew weaker and weaker, tormented beyond measure, yet unable to die.

This feeling of being unable to be completely killed, yet constantly being purified and scorched in one's soul, is ten thousand times more painful than direct death.

It felt as if it were being subjected to the most severe form of torture, each cut slicing into the most sensitive part of its soul.

"Kill me...please...kill me..."

It began to beg for mercy, but Ian remained expressionless and continued to activate the purification rules.

He wanted to see just how stubborn this wisp of Level 5 Abyss Will truly was.

Time passed second by second.

The phantom had faded to almost transparent, but the dark purple light in the deepest part still flickered stubbornly.

"You're getting off easy. Here you go."

A cold glint flashed in Ian's eyes. Now that he had tested his purification limit, he was too lazy to waste any more time.

With a thought, he loosened the chains. The Soul Ruler was stunned for a moment, then reacted.

It let out a desperate shriek, and its soul core began to collapse madly.

Since we're really going to die, let's go down together! A soul self-destruction empowered by the level 5 Abyss Will is enough to kill the Morning Star Wizard!

It let out a desperate shriek, and its soul core began to collapse madly.

Since we're really going to die, let's go down together! A soul self-destruction empowered by the level 5 Abyss Will is enough to kill the Morning Star Wizard!

Just as the self-destruction fluctuation reached the critical point, the panel vibrated again.

[Residual Level 5 Abyss Will Detected, Forced Purification Initiated...]

An invisible and intangible wave gently swept across the core of the Soul Ruler.

With a hiss, like a flame being extinguished, the stubbornly resisting Level 5 Abyss aura vanished, and the self-destruct program came to an abrupt halt.

The Soul Ruler stared blankly as it "watched" its soul gradually become pure, eventually transforming into a crystal-clear gem with internal spiritual ripples.

[Obtained: Pure, Level 4 Peak Soul Gem]

[Obtained: Fragment of Abyss Will Information (Level 5)]

Ian reached out and took the gem into his palm, while at the same time a fragmented stream of information was poured into his mind.

Regarding the erosion patterns of the abyss, the underlying rules of soul corruption, and how to forge forbidden magical artifacts.

"So that's how the demonic artifact 'Star-Eating Eye' works..."

He was greatly shocked, and a flash of understanding appeared in his eyes.

"Gah... Ian..." A faint voice came from my shoulder.

Caw Caw awoke from its illusion, its little eyes still glistening with tears. In the illusion, it had seen itself transformed into an ordinary raven.

He was carelessly abandoned by Ian and died of cold and hunger in the wind.

After waking up, she pecked Ian's shoulder sadly, "Ian, you don't want me anymore..."

"That was just an illusion." Ian gently rubbed its little head. "I will never abandon you."

Gaga's eyes brightened slightly as she buried her face in her feathers. "I knew it..."

Ian put away the two level-four peak soul gems.

In addition to the thirteen level-four aberrant beasts killed earlier, there were also two petrified lizards at the spatial entrance.

There are a total of nineteen level-four soul gems, but when the Earth Rule was perfected, the Earth Devouring Demon Lizard used one of them, so there are now eighteen left.

"A bountiful harvest." He looked around.

This fragment of space is on the verge of collapse and we must leave as soon as possible, but there is one more thing to do before we leave.

Ian flew deeper into the hall, where the sealed orb on the altar had dissipated.

A giant eyeball, over three meters in diameter, floats silently in mid-air, its entire surface a dark gold.

On the left side, silvery-white starlight flows like liquid, with the phantom of stars appearing and disappearing within.

On the right side, dark purple abyssal energy slowly writhed, emanating a chaotic and terrifying aura.

The two energies converge at the pupil, forming a constantly rotating vortex. Deep within the vortex, one can see the annihilation and rebirth of space.

This is the unfinished forbidden artifact: the Star-Eating Eye.

Ian stood in front of the eyeball, his gaze complex.

In his mind, he was processing the information he had received from Astra and the Soul Ruler.

The Star Empire, the most brilliant civilization on this planet, once ruled the entire planet Ester for tens of thousands of years.

The floating city hangs in the air like a star, its starlight network covering the continent. People live in peace and contentment, and the land is serene and harmonious.

The strongest being of this generation, Emperor Radiant Astra, was the strongest being of his time, with a lifespan of five thousand years and ruling the empire for over three thousand years.

He once slew a Void Star Beast that had invaded the world in the void, and obtained a forbidden magic weapon crafting method from the beast's corpse.

In the wizarding world, magical artifacts are a higher-level existence than magical tools.

It can only be driven by rules, and each magical artifact is extremely precious. Many Morning Star wizards have never been able to own a single magical artifact in their entire lives.

The method of crafting this weapon records an ultimate weapon capable of absorbing and transforming the rules of the two extremes and annihilating stars in a single strike: the Star-Devouring Eye.

In order to surpass his predecessors and break through to a higher level, Astra began to study the forging of this forbidden artifact.

However, crafting magical artifacts requires a large amount of extreme negative energy, which catalyzes the weapon's "annihilation" property, causing it to begin collecting the world's filth, death, and resentment...

But that's far from enough; these energy levels are too low and completely mismatched with his own starlight power.

So, following the "Communicating with the Abyss" ritual recorded in the alchemy manual, he began to draw upon the abyss's energy.

The will of the abyss in the void responded to him and descended according to the coordinates.

The disaster struck suddenly.

The corruption began in the underground filth that gathered, and spread at a terrifying speed. By the time Astra realized his mistake, it was too late.

He exhausted his last strength to seal the Empire's core knowledge base and the unfinished Star-Eating Eye within the spatial fragment of "Eternal Starry Sky," before being corrupted and becoming an Abyss Puppet.

A thousand years have passed, the empire has fallen, and the civilization has collapsed.

All that remains are survivors struggling underground and a polluted planet.

"The former guardians have become destroyers in the blink of an eye. How ironic!"

After Ian processed the information, his eyes shone brightly.

The forging of this forbidden magical artifact is indeed extremely dangerous, requiring completely opposite and conflicting rules.

Life and death, light and darkness, order and chaos... the mere clash of rules is enough to stump most people.

Astra chose the chaos that clashed with the power of the stars, but his biggest mistake was his inability to resist the corruption of the abyss.

But he's different; he perfectly meets all the conditions for crafting this magical artifact.

First, his meditation technique, the Starry Sky Ritual, can easily attract the will of the abyss and store the purest abyssal demonic energy.

Secondly, the purified golden light he condensed into one manifested as ultimate order, forming a perfect "bipolar opposition" with the chaos of the abyss.

Once they collide and explode within the Star-Eating Eye, they will unleash a terrifying "annihilation" attribute.

It is enough to threaten the late-stage Morning Star, or even... higher.

Moreover, he possesses a control panel, making him least afraid of erosion and backlash at the level of will and soul.

"Astra..." Ian looked at the floating eyeball and murmured to himself.

"You were once a great monarch, but in your pursuit of breakthroughs, you became a sinner against the entire civilization."

"I will be the one to end this sin."

He first put away the recording crystal next to him, and in the corner of the crystal, he found an exquisite space bracelet with intricate star patterns engraved on its surface.

He picked up the bracelet with a wave of his hand and probed it with his spiritual power.

The space inside was several hundred square meters in size, neatly filled with astral gold, and piled up with a large number of materials and books, making the entire space crammed full.

Ian's eyes lit up with surprise; this was probably Astra's last moment, stuffing all the good stuff from the entire treasury into the house.

"What a pleasant surprise! My wizard tower can finally continue its deductions."

After glancing around and finding nothing else, he finally arrived in front of the Star-Eating Eye.

With a light touch of the fingertips, the eyeballs trembled slightly, and the starlight and abyssal energy within began to flow at an accelerated pace.

At the same time, at the edge of the field of vision, the text on the panel quietly appeared.

[Detected Demonic Artifact: Star-Eating Eye (Incomplete)]

[Structure parsing begins: progress 0.1%, 0.2%, ...]

As the progress bar rapidly advanced, Ian's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Once he refines the true Star-Devouring Eye, it will become his strongest offensive trump card besides the main attack panel, and even the level 5 Radiant Moon will no longer be out of reach.

He turned to look at the collapsing space, and his gravitational field expanded, slowing the collapse.

While waiting, I started to organize the knowledge I had just acquired.

A stream of imaginative memories flowed into his mind, expanding his knowledge base.

The Wizard Tower's deductions have begun again.