The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The instant the radiance of the "Shadow Gate" completely engulfed the "Stargazer," the scene inside the ship instantly synchronized with the core control area of ​​the entire pale golden crystalline ruins. The walls of the bridge, the portholes, and even the ceiling and floor transformed into semi-transparent displays flowing with data streams and energy veins, presenting the entire scene inside and outside the ruins, the energy flow, and the enemy and friendly forces situation to everyone in the most intuitive way.

At this moment, they were no longer just passengers of the starship, but also the temporary "nerve center" and "execution terminal" of the last remaining power of this ancient legacy.

"Barrier energy reading: 73%, continuing to decrease. External crystal-devouring bacterial tide impact intensity: peak and continuing to rise. Multiple high-energy 'node organisms' detected, suspected to be secondary command units of the bacterial tide. The 'mother nest' itself is located behind the tide, about 0.5 light-minutes away from the barrier, energy characteristics... highly restrained, structural information being transmitted." Verna's voice rang out in the connected public consciousness channel, calm and swift. At this moment, she was deeply connected to Yize's control system, responsible for overall monitoring and energy allocation.

A massive stream of data—information about the initial structural weaknesses of the Crystal Devouring Nest, key nodes in the energy cycle, unique reaction patterns to the aura of the "Source Species" and the power of "Evolution," as well as several active defense and counterattack modes of the Legacy Barrier—flooded into everyone's minds. This information was complex and profound, but with the guidance of the "Corridor Spirit" and the knowledge boost gained from the trials, everyone understood and absorbed it at an astonishing speed.

Luo Wei felt as if he had merged with the entire pale golden crystal. A vast yet gentle spiritual energy, resonating with the Star Key, washed over his mind and body. The bottleneck of his recently loosened mid-stage Second Ring Star Speaker was instantly broken through, his total star power and purity soared, and his understanding of the fusion of the *Elementary Explanation of Star Laws* and the fragments of the "Origin Codex" deepened. He was in control of the entire situation, his mind intimately connected with the Star Key, the Legacy Core, and every companion.

"Tactical simulation complete!" Elder Anderson's voice carried a hint of tense excitement. He was responsible for analyzing the weaknesses of the Mother Nest and formulating specific battle plans. "The Mother Nest's core possesses three layers of protection: the outermost layer is an ultra-high concentration of inert energy field, capable of absorbing and assimilating most energy attacks; the middle layer is active silicon-based bio-armor, possessing extremely strong physical defense and regeneration capabilities; the innermost layer is the 'Order Resonance Network,' which appears to have a weak connection with the 'Libra Coordinates' of the Static Court, serving as its source of power and its greatest weakness—extremely sensitive to 'interference' at the rule level and the aura of the 'Source Species'!"

"Our attack must be layered and coordinated." Luo Wei's will was clearly transmitted within the consciousness network. "First objective: weaken the outer force field to create an opening for subsequent attacks. Instructor Verna, could you guide the energy of the Legacy Barrier for a high-precision, short-duration 'energy attribute reversal impact'? Could you utilize the 'evolutionary' power inherent in the barrier itself to temporarily neutralize the assimilative properties of its inert force field?"

"Yes! But it requires precise guidance and will increase the energy consumption of the barrier. It is estimated that it can only create an effective window lasting fifteen seconds," Verna replied quickly after calculation.

"Fifteen seconds...that's enough." Rowe's gaze fell on Barton and Airi. "Second objective: break through the middle armor and strike the core network. Barton, with your newly acquired 'High-Frequency Oscillation' battle aura, combined with the Star Stream Crystal energy enhancement, can you create a sufficiently deep penetration through the armor?"

A burning fighting spirit erupted in Barton's mind: "Leave it to me! Although I just broke through, I feel an unprecedented surge of power! Create an opening for me!"

"Irene," Luo Wei's thoughts shifted to the girl standing calmly, her crystalline blue eyes shimmering with silver light, "the most crucial third objective: to interfere with or even temporarily paralyze the inner 'Order Resonance Network.' You need to use the 'Interference Eye' to glimpse the key 'nodes' and 'connections' of this network, and with the assistance of me and Instructor Verna, use the aura of the Star Key and the legacy of spiritual energy to conduct targeted disturbances. This requires extremely high precision and meticulous control over your own power. Can you do it?"

Airi nodded slowly, her ethereal voice carrying an undeniable firmness: "I can 'see'... those cold 'lines.' In the ruins, I felt them very clearly, and very... powerfully. I will do my best to disrupt them."

"Lilith, Lina, Annie, you're in charge of support and emergency response," Rowe gave his final instructions. "Lilith, prepare the highest concentration of 'Psionic Order' neutralizer to deal with any possible bacterial backlash or energy erosion. Lina, your intuition is responsible for warning of any unusual mental attacks or sneak attacks from the Mother Nest or the surrounding bacterial tides. Annie, assist Mentor Verna in stabilizing energy transmission and prepare for emergency treatment."

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, each person's role and task perfectly clear.

"Finally," Luo Wei's thoughts swept across the entire Remnant Swamp, a hint of resolve in his voice, "when we successfully disrupt the inner network, when the Mother Nest is at its weakest, can the 'Spirit of the Corridor'... the last remaining power of the Remnant Swamp, unleash a... targeted 'Spirit Core Overload Impact'? Destroy the Mother Nest's core at the cost of the Remnant Swamp's own collapse?"

Silence. After a moment, the grand yet weak voice rang out with a hint of relief and approval: "Agreed. This was originally the pre-arranged final agreement. However... we must ensure the interference succeeds, and the impact must be absolutely precise, otherwise... all previous efforts will be in vain. I will devote the remaining strength to this strike."

"For those who have been devoured, for those who are still struggling, and for... the future." Luo Wei took a deep breath, his thoughts coalescing into clear commands through the connection: "All units—prepare for Operation 'Nest Destruction'!"

Outside the swirling swamp, the pale golden barrier, battered by the endless waves of dark purple bacteria, had transformed from a smooth, rounded arc into violently fluctuating, indenting "bubbles." The bacteria were not simply living organisms; they were more like a living, collectively conscious energy-matter hybrid. Each impact carried a strong corrosive force and an assimilationist will, causing the barrier's energy readings to plummet.

"Barrier energy: 61%...55%..." Verna reported the numbers.

"Now! First attack, activate!" Luo Wei shouted.

Verna gestured with both hands, and the connection with the core of the legacy shone brightly! The entire pale golden crystal legacy trembled violently, and the runes flowing on its surface instantly reversed and reorganized. A dark golden energy torrent, completely different from the previous gentle and inclusive one, filled with an aura of "rebellion" and "denial," surged like a reverse waterfall from all parts of the barrier towards the forefront of the bacterial tide contact surface!

laugh--!

The moment the dark golden energy came into contact with the dark purple bacterial tide, there was no explosion. Instead, they frantically eroded, neutralized, and annihilated each other! The viscous, inert energy field on the outer layer of the bacterial tide melted and disintegrated rapidly under the impact of this "evolutionary" reverse force, like ice being doused with strong acid! Within the fifteen-second window, a "vacuum" zone several kilometers in diameter, reaching all the way to the middle active armor, was forcibly torn open on the outer layer of the bacterial tide!

"Barrier energy: 42%! Window of opportunity: 10 seconds remaining!" Verna's voice was urgent.

"Patton! It's up to you now!"

"Received!" Barton, who was already prepared, suddenly contracted and condensed the platinum-gold starlight battle aura surrounding him, mixed with the solidified will of star rock, onto his right fist. Fine, crystal-like cracks even appeared on the surface of his fist—a manifestation of the "high-frequency vibration" characteristic being pushed to its limit! At the same time, a pure, dark blue "evolution" energy from the star crystal was guided from the starship's energy network into his arm, giving this attack a targeted defense-breaking attribute!

"Starfall - Rockbreaker!"

With a roar, Barton transformed into a blazing white meteor, shooting out of the opened hatch of the "Stargazer" and delivering a powerful punch at the end of the passage opened by the torrent of dark golden energy, slamming it into the exposed, writhing, and attempting-to-close dark purple active armor!

Buzz—! !!! !

The dullest impact sound, accompanied by a shockwave caused by high-frequency vibrations that rippled through space, spread outwards! Under Barton's all-out attack, which contained the four characteristics of "Star Rock" condensation, star explosion, "Evolution" armor penetration, and high-frequency vibrations, the incredibly tough active armor was like glass struck by a hammer. From the point of impact, it was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and then it exploded open with a huge hole with a diameter of more than fifty meters! The armor at the edge of the hole was still writhing frantically, trying to regenerate, but it was firmly suppressed by the residual shock force and "Evolution" energy.

"Well done! The passage is open, Airi!" Rowe shouted.

In Ariel's crystalline blue eyes, the two points of silver light suddenly shone as brightly as morning stars! She did not leave the starship, but instead took a step forward, her hands forming a strange hand seal in front of her chest. Her gaze seemed to pierce through layers of obstacles, ignoring physical distance, and directly "looked" into the depths of the Mother Nest, at that complex network composed of countless cold, silver-gray ordered rays of light.

"I...see it..." she whispered, her voice carrying a strange echo. In her "vision," the vast "Order Resonance Network" within the inner layer of the hive was clearly visible, like a precise but cold circuit board, with countless points of light (nodes) and rays of light (connections) operating and flowing according to fixed, rigid rules, radiating a suffocating will of order that originated from the Stasis Court.

"Node A-7, a weak point in energy transfer."

"Connect to K-12, the main information transmission channel."

"The core resonance cluster C echoes the external 'Libra coordinates'..."

She instantly locked onto several key targets. At the same time, Luo Wei pushed the power of the Star Key to its limit. A pure and vast aura of the "Source Seed," mixed with the immense spiritual energy provided by the legacy, was like the sharpest "blade of will." Guided precisely by Ai Rui's "Interference Eye," it silently pierced into the core of the Mother Nest along the path she "saw"!

"Interference—Start!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, but deep within the mother nest, the intricately operating silver-gray network suddenly experienced violent disruption! The lights of several key locked nodes flickered wildly and erratically, the information transmission lines twisted and broke, and the fluctuation frequency of the core resonance cluster became chaotic!

"Ugh—!!!"

The Mother Nest emitted its most piercing, furious, and soul-piercing shriek in history! The entire massive bacterial swarm paused, its offensive clearly disrupted. The inner network of order was interfered with, its energy supply, information transmission, and even the command of the bacterial swarm all suffered serious problems.

"Interference successful! But... there's a backlash!" Ai Rui's body swayed violently, her face instantly turning pale, a trickle of pale golden blood spilling from the corner of her mouth (psychic backlash), and the silver light in her eyes dimming slightly. Forcibly interfering with such a vast and complex network of order placed an unimaginable burden on her.

"Barrier energy: 18%! Imminent collapse!" Verna reported urgently.

"Now! 'Spirit of the Corridor,' the final step!" Rowe roared hoarsely.

"As you wish..."

The entire pale golden crystalline swamp suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant light! That light was not an attack, but a condensation, a retraction! The vast spiritual energy stored within the swamp for billions of years, along with the last consciousness of the "Corridor Spirit," all collapsed and condensed towards the core point, transforming into a pale golden spear of light, only as thick as an arm, condensed to the extreme, with an interior that seemed to contain scenes of the birth and death of the universe!

This spear of light contains pure, ultimate, and destructive energy that represents "evolution" and "possibility." It is this legacy, the final lament and fury of those ancient warriors!

"In the name of evolution... the end... the devouring..."

The final thoughts of the "spirit of the corridor," carrying a sense of liberation and anticipation, gently brushed through everyone's hearts.

The next second, the pale golden spear of light traveled along the passage opened by Barton, through the disordered network of order disrupted by Ariel, and ignored the last instinctive resistance of the Mother Nest. With unparalleled precision, it struck the most vulnerable "core of order resonance" at its core, the part that had a weak connection with the "Libra coordinates" of the Stasis Court!

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Then--

boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An explosion beyond description occurred. It wasn't a matter explosion, nor an energy explosion; it was more like a collapse and annihilation at the level of "rules"! Originating from the core of the Mother Nest, a destructive sphere of light, constantly expanding and filled with a mixture of grayish-white (collapse of order) and pale gold (evolutionary impact) light, instantly engulfed the Mother Nest itself and spread wildly towards the surrounding bacterial tide!

Wherever it passed, the dark purple microbial community melted and vaporized silently, like snow under the sun, completely shattering even the most basic material and energy structures and returning them to chaos. The powerful node creatures let out desperate cries before being swallowed by the light.

The sphere of destruction expanded for several tens of seconds before slowly beginning to shrink and dim.

When the light finally faded, all that remained of the airspace where the mother hive had once stood was a massive, slowly mending spatial distortion, and countless scattered, rapidly decomposing dark purple energy dust particles. The enormous crystal-devouring bacteria swarm, deprived of the mother hive's command and energy supply, descended into utter chaos and paralysis, instinctively devouring and disintegrating, no longer posing a unified threat.

The pale golden barrier of the remnant, having exhausted all its energy after unleashing its final strike, crumbled and dissipated like a broken eggshell. The massive pale golden crystal was now riddled with cracks, its light completely dimmed, as if it might disintegrate into cosmic dust at any moment.

"It...it worked?" Annie stared in disbelief at the empty area on the main screen, which only showed spatial ripples and energy embers.

"The mother hive...confirmed destroyed. The remaining microbial population has lost its organization, and the threat level has dropped significantly." Verna's voice was filled with immense exhaustion and a hint of unbelievable joy.

Inside the bridge, a suppressed, relieved gasp and low murmurs filled the air. Barton slumped on the deck, covered in blood (his own and the bacteria's), but grinning. Lilith and Annie clung tightly to each other. Elder Anderson let out a long sigh of relief. Lina closed her eyes, sensing the gradually subsiding "tide" of malice outside.

Rowe felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, but a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. They had done it! In the face of utter despair, using their newly acquired power and the sacrifices of their legacy, they had destroyed the terrifying biological weapon nest cultivated by the Stasis Court!

However, just as the afterglow of this victory was beginning to rise—

hum!

A chilling, indifferent, supreme, and terrifying pressure, seemingly originating from the very rules of the universe, descended without warning! This pressure did not originate from physical space, but acted directly on the soul and on the level of rules, far more powerful than the "Silent Archiver" and far more profound than the "Eye of Order"!

Everyone, including Barton who had just broken through, and Rowe and Lina whose mental strength had greatly increased, felt as if their souls were frozen, their thoughts almost stopped, and their bodies completely unable to move!

On the main screen, above the destroyed Mother Nest, space seemed to be slowly torn apart by an invisible hand, and a huge, horizontal "crack" composed of pure silver-white ordered light slowly emerged! In the center of the crack, a huge, blurry phantom composed of scales and countless gears, exuding an aura that commanded all things to submit, slowly rotated. A cold and ruthless will, like the whispers of billions of living beings, swept across this airspace where the war had just ended, and finally, it fixed itself on the broken Remnant Crystal and the "Stargazer" within it.

"...High activity fluctuations of 'high-priority variables' (mother hive destruction event) and 'unauthorized source fragments' have been detected..."

"...Coordinates locked: γ-7 star system, former site of 'Evolutionary Legacy'..."

"...Executive body: Seventh Chamber of the 'Judgment Court,' with the remote observer 'Shadow of Libra' intervening..."

"...Assessing: Variable threat level...Upgraded. Source species fragment activity...Abnormal. Associated 'Interference Eye' awakened individual...Confirmed."

"...Preliminary assessment: This cluster of 'variables' has reached the 'balance threshold.' It will be marked and monitored. If it deviates further from the 'model,' 'final pruning' will be performed."

"...Mark complete. Warning: Do not overtake."

The chilling voice wasn't heard, but rather "read" directly into the depths of everyone's soul. The enormous phantom of the scales slowly faded, and the silvery-white spatial rifts began to heal.

But in the last instant before it completely disappeared, a faint, almost imperceptible, silvery-white light, carrying a clear malice, flashed out from the crack like the forked tongue of a viper, ignoring the distance and the last remnants of the ship's wreckage, and struck the "Stargazer" with precision!

No, it didn't attack the ship's hull, but... it hit the Star Key in Lovi's arms, and the faint silver glow on Airi's forehead!

The Star Key shuddered violently, its surface flashing brightly, revealing a tiny, ominous silver crack. Ariel groaned, the silver light in her eyes extinguishing instantly, and her body slumped to the ground, where Lilith and Annie hurriedly caught her.

The silvery-white cracks disappeared completely, and the terrifying pressure that had frozen the soul also faded away.

Inside the bridge, there was a deathly silence. The joy of victory had not yet been savored when it was completely extinguished by this sudden, cold "mark" and "warning" from a higher level of existence, turning into a bone-chilling cold.

"The Shadow of Libra... the Tribunal's... remote observer..." Verna's voice was dry, filled with helplessness and fear, "We... we just destroyed their 'tools,' and then we were... watched by the 'eyes' above us... and... 'marked.'"

Luo Wei looked down at the tiny but stubborn silver crack on the Star Key, then at the unconscious and weak Ai Rui, and his heart sank to the bottom.

They won the immediate battle, but this has drawn an even more terrifying and irresistible gaze. The true power of the Court of Stasis (the Court of Order) far exceeds their imagination. The so-called "red line" and "final pruning" mean that any "out-of-line" behavior they may take in the future could lead to annihilation.

And they, because of this pyrrhic victory, are now standing on the edge of that red line.

The "Stargazer" hovers amidst the ruins of the devastated wasteland and the dissipating remnants of the microorganisms, like a lone boat on the sea after a storm. Though not sunk, it is riddled with holes and its future is uncertain.

The final thought of the "Spirit of the Corridor," carrying endless regret, gently dissipated: "The path of evolution... is arduous... take care..."

The crystal of remnant finally exhausted its last bit of power, emitting a soft, sigh-like cracking sound as it began to slowly disintegrate, turning into specks of pale golden dust that drifted into the cold starry sky.

The burial ground of heroes, the place of their final gift, has become history. All that remains are a group of wounded survivors with uncertain futures, a starship nearing its limit, a marked key, a pair of eyes forced into slumber, and... the cold and merciless "Shadow of Libra" hanging high above fate.

The starry sea is deep and the darkness is eternal. The battle is far from over. And the enemy they are about to face has already revealed only the tip of an iceberg—a much larger and more ferocious one.