Chapter 318: Pyramid Beneath the Sea

With Mephisto and Lady Venomblade's panicked escape and the mending of the spatial rift, Miao Fa Xuan Zhou returned to tranquility. On the Sacred Hall Plaza, only Xia Wan remained, along with the Origin Sacred Hall that radiated a vast, awe-inspiring aura.

Qin Feng's figure had already vanished into the light deep within the Temple, leaving behind that lingering remark about "Human Sentiments and Worldly Ways" for Xia Wan to ponder alone. She understood that her teacher had brought her here and swept away outside interference for her; the road ahead, she would have to walk herself.

She looked up at the wide-open Temple doors, which seemed to contain the mysteries of the universe, and the resonance of the Origin Contract within her reached its peak. There lay the entrance to the Final Trial.

Without hesitation, Xia Wan took firm steps and entered the Temple.

The expected gilded splendor or solemn majesty did not appear. Passing through that layer of light, she seemed to step into a boundless void. Beneath her feet was a road seemingly paved with starlight; around her, slowly rotating nebulae and brilliant star rivers stretched out, while countless ancient runes flickered and flowed through the void like swimming fish.

This was the realm of consciousness, the manifestation of rules.

A grand, gender-neutral voice, carrying no emotion whatsoever, rose within this consciousness space, acting directly upon her soul:

"Inheritor, welcome to the Origin Chamber."

"The Final Trial is neither battle nor riddle."

"This is the path of Questioning the Dao Path."

"Tread this path, illuminate your heart and see your nature, perceive the origin, and only then may you bear the heavy duty of 'Guardian'."

As the voice fell, the scene before Xia Wan on the starlit road shifted.

She saw Earth, saw the phantom image of Kunlun Mountain, saw the look in Yun Ge's eyes that held expectation and worry.

She saw her father Xia Tian fallen and gravely wounded, her mother's helpless weeping, her Sister Nannan's terrified scream.

She saw Qin Feng step in time and again, each move plain yet heavy as a thousand pounds.

She saw, deep within the starry sky, the hidden crisis, the shadow that devoured stars, the "them" pressing ever closer that Yun Ge and Jing Yi had spoken of.

She saw herself drenched in sweat on the training field, steadying her shield amid explosions, cutting through thorns on the Trial road…

Scene after scene flashed past like a revolving lantern, clearly presenting before her eyes every experience, every emotion, every choice she had made since awakening her Bloodline.

This was no illusion; this was an interrogation of her heart, an examination of her path.

"Why do you fight?" the grand voice asked.

For family? To guard the land beneath her feet? To repay Qin Feng's kindness? Or for that ethereal "Guardian's mission"?

Countless thoughts churned in Xia Wan's heart. At first, she had only wanted to protect her family, to never again experience the Pain of helplessness. Later, she learned of the broader crisis, took on Yun Ge's Inheritance and Jing Yi's entrustment. She craved power, craved becoming stronger.

But deep within, had she truly clarified the meaning of her own battle? Had she truly understood the full weight of the word "Guardian"?

The scenes continued to flow.

She saw the infighting among humanity, saw the greed of G. S. C., saw the cold-bloodedness of the "Shadow" Mercenaries. She also saw the steadfastness of Lei Dong and the others, saw the dedication of the researchers, saw ordinary people's hopes for the future.

To guard was not merely to fight external foes; perhaps it also included guiding internal order, quelling pointless strife.

She saw the vast universe, countless civilizations, rising and falling like bubbles. To guard Earth, to guard humanity—what meaning did that hold within this boundless Star Sea?

The grand questions struck her Dao heart like heavy hammers.

Xia Wan closed her eyes, no longer watching those scenes, and sank her consciousness deep within, into the origin connected to the Origin Contract and the ancient Bloodline.

She recalled that every increase in her power, every joy of breaking through a bottleneck, had not come from a desire for destruction, but from the pursuit of "control," from the peace of being able to better protect what she cherished.

She recalled Qin Feng's seemingly cold figure, yet one who always offered guidance and help at critical moments. What was it that he guarded? A certain balance within this Starfield? Or some deeper… order?

She recalled the weariness and resolve in Yun Ge's ethereal voice, and Jing Yi's persistence in guarding through countless ages.

Power, responsibility, guardianship, order, the meaning of life…

Countless thoughts intertwined, collided, and settled.

After an unknown span of time, Xia Wan slowly opened her eyes.

In her gaze there was no longer confusion, no longer hesitation—only a clarity and resolve as deep as the starry sky.

She looked toward the depths of this consciousness void, as if in dialogue with that grand voice, or perhaps swearing an oath to herself, her words clear and calm:

"I fight for everything I cherish."

"For my family's smiles, for the land beneath my feet, for the ordinary beauty worth guarding."

"I also fight for the 'Dao'."

"For the Bloodline borne by this body, for the oath sworn by this heart, for the responsibility carried by these deeds."

"Power is a means, not an end. To guard is a choice, and also an instinct."

"The starry sky is vast, civilizations are like sand; though my strength is slight, I am willing to give all I can—to protect the Dao I have chosen, to guard those I love."

"This heart is my Dao."

"This resolve shall never waver."

When her words fell, the entire consciousness space seemed to still for a moment. The flowing nebulae and flickering runes all radiated a joyful, approving brilliance.

The starlit road beneath her feet suddenly stretched forward, converging ahead into an even more brilliant, more solid gate of light.

"The path of Questioning the Dao Path is passed," the grand voice sounded again, carrying a trace of subtle approval. "Inheritor, you have illuminated your heart and seen your nature, perceived the origin."

"Pass through this gate, and you will reach the Origin Core."

"Receive the final baptism, and complete the ultimate Inheritance."

Xia Wan drew a deep breath, feeling an unprecedented clarity and resolve within, and stepped through that gate of light.

The light swallowed her.

The next moment, she found herself standing in a place beyond words.

It was a "point" infinitely small, yet infinitely large. There was no space around, no time—only countless most-original laws intertwining, flowing, and perishing like threads. Here, she saw the birth and annihilation of energy, the twisting and smoothing of spacetime, the first stirrings of life and the rise and fall of civilizations in miniature…

Was this the "Origin Core"? The manifested source of the universe's laws?

An irresistible, purest original power, like a mother's embrace, gently enveloped her. The Origin Contract within her was fully activated, merging as one with this sea of origin. Her body, soul, and consciousness were all undergoing the most fundamental baptism and reshaping.

This time, there was no Pain—only an ultimate joy and sublimation of returning to the origin, of becoming one with the Dao.

She could feel her life level undergoing its final, most thorough leap. All the potential dormant in her Bloodline was completely awakened; her control over power reached an entirely new realm. In her mind, many obscure points of Yun Ge's Inheritance suddenly became clear, and more information about the starry sky, about civilizations, about "them" flowed through.

After an unknown span of time, the original power enveloping her slowly receded.

Xia Wan once again "saw clearly" her surroundings. She still stood within that consciousness void, but everything felt utterly different. She seemed to have become a part of this void; with but a thought, she could stir the resonance of the surrounding laws.

She lowered her head to look at herself. Her body did not seem to have changed much, but inwardly she had been utterly transformed. She could clearly "see" the energy within her body flowing brilliantly like a river of stars, as well as the "Origin Contract" that had fully merged into her soul and become part of her very essence.

The Final Trial, completed.

She had successfully borne the Inheritance of the "Guardian."

The grand voice sounded one last time, carrying a sense of relief and a solemn entrustment:

"Inheritor Xia Wan, congratulations. You have passed the Final Trial and officially inherited the position of 'Tiankong Guardian'."

"May you keep to your true heart, use your power wisely, protect this Starfield, pass the torch from generation to generation, and keep the flame of civilization from going out."

The voice gradually faded, and the surrounding consciousness void began to recede.

Xia Wan felt a pulling force drawing her back to reality.

A flash of light before her eyes, and she found herself standing once more in the grand hall of the "Origin Sacred Hall." Only now the hall was no longer empty—at its center floated a gentle yet vast orb of light composed of countless origin runes—the projection of the "Origin Core" in the physical dimension.

And Qin Feng stood beside the orb of light, quietly watching her.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment, and within those calm eyes, there seemed to flash a nearly imperceptible… acknowledgment?

"Not bad," he remarked lightly.

Xia Wan walked up to him and bowed deeply: "Thank you, sir, for making this possible."

Without Qin Feng's guidance and protection, she would never have been able to reach this point today.

Qin Feng gave a slight nod without saying more, and turned his gaze outward, past the Temple, toward that boundless starry sky.

"The Trial is over," he said calmly, "but the real test has only just begun."

"The vanguard of 'them' has already arrived."

"It's time to go back."

Xia Wan followed his gaze, and her eyes grew incomparably sharp and resolute.

Yes, it was time to go back.

Carrying the power and responsibility of the "Tiankong Guardian," she would return to her homeland to face the starry crisis whose curtain had already been drawn back by a corner.

Her journey was the sea of stars, and also the homeland beneath her feet.