Chapter 345

In the dead of night, when most of the observatory's staff had entered a state of rest, Luo En came to the special ritual room alone.

The walls pulsed faintly upon his arrival, as if sensing the visitor's emotions.

Youteer's phantom projection hung in the center of the room like a silver star, surrounded by a complex array of protective runes.

These runes constantly shifted in pattern and color, forming a multi-layered, nested protective network.

"Luo En, are you ready?"

Youteer said solemnly, his silver eyes flickering with deep radiance:

"Although the Stargazing Ritual of the Constellation of Wisdom is relatively safe, one must still be extremely careful. What you are about to touch is the deep-level information flow of the universe."

"I am ready, Mentor."

Luo En sat cross-legged in the center of the ritual platform, his expression focused and calm.

Placed before him were three precious star crystals, corresponding to the Hermit Star, the Scholar Star, and the Observer Star, respectively.

Inside these crystals seemed to be contained a miniature starry sky, with countless points of light rotating slowly within, emitting a mesmerizingly beautiful radiance.

"These crystals..." Youteer gazed at those star crystals:

"Each one was refined by ancient wizards; they record the memories of the stars and also carry the secrets of the universe."

"Remember, Luo En."

The old mentor's voice became deeper, carrying a profound sense of warning:

"The astrology ritual is not just about establishing a connection with the stars, but a dangerous act of peeking into the essence of the universe.

Even with my protection, you must maintain your sanity at all times."

He paused for a moment, his phantom leaning slightly forward:

"Some knowledge actively seeks suitable carriers, and a primal wizard like you is exactly the target they favor most.

Once struck by information that is too deep, the best case is mental fragmentation, and the worst is complete assimilation."

"I understand, Mentor."

Luo En took a deep breath and activated all the abilities within his body related to spiritual protection:

"The cultivation experience of 'The Star-Eater's Babble' has given me a certain resistance to high-dimensional information."

He chose the most familiar Constellation of Wisdom as his target—the Hermit Star, the Scholar Star, and the Observer Star, which was about to be lit.

Because of his long-term cultivation of 'The Star-Eater's Babble', the first two stars had already established a stable spiritual link with him.

Although the Observer Star was still some distance away from a fully established connection, it already possessed a considerable degree of familiarity.

"Very well, begin."

Youteer's phantom began to emit a stronger silver light.

Those protective runes also lit up accordingly, providing multiple layers of security for the entire ritual space.

Luo En closed his eyes, his consciousness extending like invisible threads into the depths of the starry sky.

As the ritual officially began, the three star crystals started to emit a soft light, resonating perfectly with his spiritual frequency.

Unlike previous meditations, this connection was exceptionally smooth.

The deep purple light of the Hermit Star immediately responded to his call, that familiar perception of wisdom brushing over his consciousness like a spring breeze;

The silver-white radiance of the Scholar Star followed closely behind, bringing the calm power of rational analysis.

"Sure enough, the already established connection makes the ritual much simpler."

Luo En silently evaluated his current state in his heart; the consumption of spiritual power was much less than expected.

As the connection deepened, the third star—the Observer Star—also began to respond.

The amber light, carrying a certain ancient wisdom, slowly merged into his spiritual network.

This feeling was like finding a puzzle piece that had been missing for years, making the entire cognitive framework more complete.

Just at the moment when the light of the three stars converged completely, an unprecedented anomaly occurred.

Luo En's consciousness was suddenly pulled by a massive force, as if falling into a bottomless vortex.

The surrounding reality began to distort violently, and the concepts of time and space became blurred.

He felt himself rising at an incredible speed, crossing the constraints of the material layer, and arriving at a dimension composed of pure information.

This was a dazzling space.

Countless data streams surged through the void like a galaxy, each one carrying an immeasurable amount of information.

This information was not simple text or images, but pure concepts acting directly upon consciousness.

In these torrents of information, Luo En saw scenes that made his soul tremble.

There was no matter here, no energy, only pure concepts and information.

Countless data streams surged through the void like a galaxy, each one carrying the complete history of a civilization.

This information was not text or images, but pure knowledge acting directly upon consciousness.

In this ocean of information, Luo En saw scenes that made his soul tremble.

A mechanical voice echoed in the void, devoid of any emotion, only cold logic:

"Civilization ID: 7749-a, Race: Mechanized Coalition, Development Stage: Post-Interstellar Era..."

The scene unfolded before his eyes.

That was a civilization composed entirely of machinery; their cities were like massive gear systems, and every resident was a precision mechanical creation.

Luo En saw the initial appearance of this civilization.

A group of intelligent beings yearning for perfection, in order to eliminate disease, aging, and death, began to replace their organs with mechanical parts.

At first, it was just organs prone to failure like the heart and liver, then limbs and sensory systems, and finally, even the brain was replaced by a quantum computing core.

They succeeded, gaining near-eternal life and abilities that transcended biological limits.

But the price was...

"Evaluation Result: Creative thinking ability decreased by 98.7%, emotional fluctuation coefficient approaching zero, reproductive desire completely disappeared..."

"Verdict: This civilization has lost its evolutionary potential, exists the risk of spreading mechanized viruses to the universe..."

The scene flickered, and Luo En saw the final moments of this civilization.

It was not war, not disaster, but a strange "systemic error."

All mechanical life simultaneously experienced calculation failures; they stood in place for hundreds or thousands of years until their energy was exhausted, becoming metal statues.

"Executing Correction Protocol: Internal logic conflict implantation...

Correction Complete: This civilization has self-terminated, threat eliminated..."

Behind this "accidental" failure, some unspeakable intervention was hidden.

The subsequent scenes were even more unsettling.

"Civilization ID: 5621-b, Race: Dream Weavers, Development Stage: Full Virtual Reality Coverage..."

Luo En saw a civilization addicted to a virtual world.

They created perfect virtual reality technology, constructing an ideal world within it without pain, death, or any limitations.

At first, the virtual world was just an entertainment tool.

But gradually, more and more individuals found the imperfections of the real world unbearable.

Why endure disease, aging, and death when a perfect substitute was right before their eyes?

Eventually, the entire civilization collectively migrated to the virtual space.

Trillions of consciousnesses abandoned their physical bodies, immersing themselves in an artificially constructed paradise.

"Evaluation Result: Real-world maintenance system unmanaged, physical infrastructure relied upon by the virtual world beginning to decay..."

Luo En saw a heartbreaking scene:

On countless planets, the massive server clusters supporting the virtual world failed one by one due to lack of maintenance.

And the consciousnesses immersed in the virtual paradise were completely unaware of this, still enjoying their perfect dreams.

"Verdict: This civilization has detached from reality, exists the risk of spreading escapist viruses to other civilizations..."

"Executing Correction Protocol: Accelerating infrastructure decay...

Correction Complete: Virtual world has completely collapsed, trillions of consciousnesses dissipated simultaneously..."

The scenes switched faster and faster, each one showcasing the destruction of a different civilization:

The Soul Church attempted to merge with high-dimensional existences, resulting in chain pollution, and all living beings in the entire galaxy turned into unspeakable, twisted creations...

The Flesh Empire pursued the ultimate evolution of life, eventually all individuals merged into an out-of-control super-organism, constantly devouring everything it encountered...

The destruction of every civilization followed a similar pattern:

In the process of pursuing some "higher form," they walked down the wrong path and were judged as having "no future."

Then, those existences known as "Anomaly Catchers" would intervene, allowing these civilizations to head toward self-destruction in seemingly natural ways.

What made Luo En feel even more terrified was that these intervention methods were extremely subtle:

Key technologies developed "accidental" flaws at the last moment;

Important figures made "wrong" judgments at critical moments;

Low-probability disaster events began to occur "coincidentally" and frequently...

"They are like the universe's immune system." Luo En concluded tremblingly in his heart:

"Any development pattern judged as a 'virus' will be cleared in a seemingly natural way."

But what truly stopped his heart was the next scene.

"Civilization ID: 8847-c, Race: Wizard Kindred-Fusion Variant..."

He saw a familiar yet strange Ring Abyss Continent group.

In that version of the world, the Central Land had become a massive tower composed of flesh and bone, with countless twisted tentacles spreading from the top of the tower toward the sky.

The cracks of the abyss were no longer wounds, but components of some evil rune, and the entire continent had become the carrier for this rune.

The ocean had turned deep red, as viscous as congealed blood.

Countless massive eyeballs hung in the sky, each as large as a city, staring fixedly at everything below.

Most terrifyingly, all wizards had lost their independent will.

They had become neurons of some massive consciousness, operating according to a unified thought pattern.

Individual differences had disappeared, creativity had disappeared, and even humanity itself had disappeared.

But from a certain perspective, this was indeed "evolution."

... An evolution that transcended individual limitations and achieved collective consciousness fusion.

"Evaluation Result: This civilization has completed abyss assimilation, possesses the ability to spread pollution across dimensions..." "Threat Level: Extremely High... Executing highest-specification clearance procedure immediately..."

In the scene, a "light" that could not be described in words descended from the depths of the void.

That was not light or radiation in the physical sense, but some more essential "corrective force."

The polluted Ring Abyss Continent group melted like a candle under this light.

All twisted creations returned to nothingness in an instant.

But this was not the end.

The river of time branched.

Where the original timeline broke, a brand-new timeline began to grow.

It was as if some will beyond understanding was "re-seeding" the same civilization seeds.

The words of the King of Illusions echoed in his mind:

"When a timeline reaches its end, the Great Ones will restart it."

The one he was in might not be the first timeline.

Those destroyed wizard civilizations were all previous failed attempts.

And now this timeline...

Cassandra's conquest route and the fusion route of another timeline seemed completely different, but essentially, both were pursuing power that transcended boundaries.

Would this route eventually also be judged as "deviating from the track"?

"Expansion... Conquest... Devouring other civilizations..."

Luo En felt a certain pattern matching in the torrent of information:

"This development trajectory is extremely common among those 'corrected' civilizations..."

A deep chill surged from the depths of his soul.

If the wizard civilization continued to develop along the current path, would it also be judged as "deviating from the track"?

Would it also suffer "correction" by the Anomaly Catchers?

Would this timeline eventually also be reset, with all efforts and existence returning to nothingness?

"No... I cannot keep watching..."

The heavy burden on his mind made even thinking difficult.

He tried to escape from this information dimension.

But those data streams wrapped around his consciousness like living tentacles, trying to force more information into him.

Blurred scenes flashed by:

More versions of the Ring Abyss Continent group, more types of "deviation" routes, more instances of "correction" and "reset"...

Luo En felt his sanity gradually collapsing under this information bombardment.

This was not an amount of information a human consciousness could withstand...

Just as he was about to be swallowed, the light of the three stars suddenly shone brightly.

The deep purple light of the Hermit Star cut through the information tentacles binding him like a sharp blade;

The silver-white radiance of the Scholar Star protected his rational core like a shield;

The amber light of the Observer Star pointed out the path of return like a lighthouse.

When the terrifying data stream dissipated and Luo En's consciousness returned to reality, he found himself drenched in sweat.

Although the Observer Star still had not established a complete connection with him like the other two stars.

But after experiencing this stargazing ritual, the conditions for the Astrologer class change had been fully met.

【Astrologer (Three-Star) Class Change Conditions:

1. Skill - Astrology reached Proficient level

2. Spiritual power reached 5.5 or above

3. Mastered basic stargazing array construction

4. Completed one full stargazing ritual under specific astrological phenomena】

【Astrologer class change conditions met】

【Change class to "Astrologer (Three-Star)"?】

Luo En chose to confirm.

Starlight erupted from within his body, reshaping his spiritual structure and magic circuits like a pouring galaxy.

The feeling of this class change was completely different from previous attribute increases.

It was not a gentle improvement, but a fundamental transformation at the spiritual level.

He felt his consciousness expanding, his cognitive boundaries extending, and the once unreachable starry sky becoming within reach.

【Class Change Successful: Astrologer (Three-Star)】

【Basic Attribute Increase:

Spiritual Power 5.69 -> 5.89 (+0.2)

Magic Power 5.0 -> 5.5 (+0.5)

Physique 3.8 -> 3.9 (+0.1)】

【Special Bonus:

1. Can extract energy directly from the stars during combat, partially replenishing magic consumption

2. Possess keen perception of spatial distortion and dimensional anomalies

3. When divining matters related to oneself, the higher the correlation, the clearer the divination result

4. Gained additional resistance to high-dimensional existences】

Most importantly, the class synergy effect:

【Detected multiple class synergies:

1. 'The Star-Eater's Babble' meditation efficiency increased, star lighting speed accelerated

2. Can observe the truth of historical events through astrological backtracking

3. Potion making, enchanting, and alchemy processes can be amplified by specific astrological phenomena, producing extra effects】

After the class change was completed, Luo En clearly felt the massive increase in his spiritual power.

According to current progress, he would reach the critical value of 6.0 for the Morning Star level in about half a year.

Besides this, he also gained a brand-new perspective.

Now he could observe this world from a higher dimension, able to perceive those deep-seated laws hidden beneath the surface.

Youteer quietly observed the changes in Luo En, the sense of pressure coming from the depths of the stars making even him, a Great Wizard, feel shocked.

"This aura..."

His phantom trembled slightly:

"This child has already touched some extremely deep power; this is not a change that an ordinary Astrologer class change could bring..."

He could feel the "possibility" in Luo En that transcended conventions.

It was an indescribable trait, as if the threads of fate were automatically re-weaving around him.

"It seems..."

Youteer thought silently in his heart:

"This timeline might truly be different; if anyone can jump out of the established track, it might be him."

But he did not ask for details.

"Some knowledge requires the right timing to be fully understood."

The old mentor said meaningfully, his voice carrying deep concern:

"But I can feel that you are no longer the you from before.

There is some... change in you, a change that makes one both expectant and worried."

He paused for a moment, his silver eyes gazing at Luo En:

"In the ritual just now, what did you see?"

Luo En was silent for a long time, eventually deciding to tell the truth:

"I saw... wizard civilizations of other timelines, and their destruction."

His voice was very light, but every word struck Youteer's heart like a heavy hammer:

"There are some existences that will 'correct' those civilizations that deviate from the track. And we... might also be within their observation range."

Youteer's phantom trembled violently, then returned to calm.

"Sure enough... you have already touched information at that level."

The old mentor's voice became exceptionally heavy:

"Anomaly Catchers... Correctors of timelines..."

His phantom began to drift slowly, and the surrounding protective runes dimmed accordingly:

"Since you already know, I don't need to continue hiding it.

Yes, our civilization indeed faces this kind of threat.

Every development path has its risks, and this path we are currently on..."

"Has already begun to attract their attention, right?" Luo En stated his deduction:

"Cassandra's conquest plan is essentially accumulating power rapidly; this pattern..."

"Is very common among corrected civilizations." Youteer nodded, his phantom becoming more transparent:

"This is also why I support your research so much; we need brand-new directions."

A light of hope ignited in his eyes: "And your existence, your research, might be able to find a longer-lasting path."

"Mentor." Luo En finally broke the silence: "I need more information about those correction mechanisms."

"I will provide help as much as I can." Youteer promised solemnly:

"But not now; this knowledge itself is a double-edged sword. The more you know, the greater the risk."

He paused for a moment, his voice becoming deeper:

"And even if we find the right path, convincing others to change the existing trajectory is a huge challenge.

Cassandra and the others... will not easily give up the results they have already achieved."

"I understand." Luo En nodded:

"But people must be responsible for the future; if everyone chooses to run wildly along the wrong path, then destruction is truly inevitable."

Youteer nodded faintly, clearly having no intention to continue the deep conversation:

"Alright, let's stop here for now.

Since the ritual is already complete, go back and rest; I can feel the fatigue in your thinking."

(End of Chapter)