The illusory figure of Lablas visibly paused upon hearing the words "Space Truth." A flicker of curiosity and a faint light seemed to flash in his eyes, like catching sight of a strange spark in the endless darkness.

But that light only flickered for a moment before being swallowed up by deeper darkness, swiftly extinguished and obliterated. He shook his head slowly yet resolutely, his voice carrying an almost cruel calm:

"No!"

"It's useless."

His gaze refocused on Gulwige, with a scrutinizing and questioning look: "Gulwige, compared to your mentor, Argit, how do you fare in your space talent?"

Gulwige was silent for a moment, then openly admitted, with deep admiration for his mentor and a clear understanding of himself: "My mentor Argit, his talent and achievements in Space are among the best in the history of the Wizard World. He is the Wizard closest to 'Absolute Truth'. I... naturally am not as good."

"That's it then."

Lablas's voice suddenly rose, with a sense of finality. His words, cold as arrows, aimed directly at the core as he stared at Gulwige:

"Even your mentor, that genius once unmatched in the Space Domain, exhausted all efforts yet failed to travel this path, to truly mend and master the complete Space Truth. On what basis do you believe you can succeed? On what basis do you think you can comprehend the final secret that even he could not unravel?"

Gulwige's lips parted slightly as if to refute, but the words stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken. Lablas's words, like a key, unlocked the depths of his heart, stirring doubts about the potential for failure and his own limitations that he did not want to confront.

Seeing Gulwige at a loss for words, Lablas shook his head again, with a tone of final judgment and certainty:

"Argit has already proven with his failure that the path to return home through Space Truth is impassable! Even after acquiring all the data and literature he left behind, you have no chance of succeeding! It's nothing but repeating a hopeless exploration on a known broken road."

He paused, his phantom figure rippling from emotion, yet his voice grew even more unwavering, with a determination akin to a last-ditch effort:

"What we have left is only one way, the only correct path — to complete the 'Eternal Heart' experiment! This is the true path to break the shackles of the planes and surpass the erosion of time! It's also our only hope to achieve eternity and return to the source!"

His words echoed across the empty plaza, filled with an indisputable obsession and madness, along with a heart-stirring longing for the ultimate answer.

"Absurd!"

Englis, who had been trying to maintain harmony, could no longer stay calm. He stepped forward abruptly, his pure aura of Light becoming sharp and cold, like an unsheathed Holy Sword. The usual gentle smile on his face was replaced with unprecedented sternness and coldness, his eyes piercing directly at Lablas.

His voice was icy, brimming with repressed anger: "Lablas! Have you become so blinded by that illusory eternity that you've completely forgotten the anguish and scars the 'Eternal Heart' experiment once brought?!"

His voice rose sharply, filled with anguish and questioning: "We spent ten thousand years! A whole ten thousand years barely recovering from the devastation left by our ancestors in that disaster, pulling this world back from the brink of collapse! Do you mean to once again, for selfish motives, destroy the world we rely on, recreate that tragedy?!"

Faced with Englis's stern questioning, Lablas's illusory face showed no guilt or hesitation. Instead, it twisted into something more eerie and insane. He let out a low, cold laugh, eyes glinting with the light of complete abandonment, speaking in a spine-chilling, chant-like tone:

"Destruction?"

"If it means touching eternity, grasping that True Meaning beyond all... What does the world's subsistence or destruction matter to me!"

His words, like a chilling wind from the Abyss, instantly froze the remaining warmth in the plaza, vividly showcasing the madness of a Truth Wizard forsaking responsibility and principles in pursuit of transcendence.

...

Jade Land, Ruins Forest.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through overlapping ancient canopies, casting dappled shadows on the forest clearing.

A five-member adventurer team was cautiously moving towards the famous entrance to the Underground City, along a winding path trodden by those before them.

In the team, there was a warrior hefting a giant sword, a wizard holding a magic wand, the leader carrying a longbow, along with a thief scouting ahead and a priest providing healing. To them, this was just another ordinary adventure among countless missions.

However, as they were about to reach their destination, the wizard in the middle of the team, who had been sensing the surrounding energy fluctuations, suddenly halted, his magic wand striking heavily against the ground with a dull thud.

"Stop!" His voice carried a subtle tension.

The leader, an experienced archer at the front, immediately gestured for the team to halt, turning back with a half-joking inquiry: "What's up, old buddy? Something happening?"

He habitually surveyed the surroundings. The thick forest was silent and serene, "Could we have such luck as to encounter those rumored dumb thieves robbing in the Ruins Forest?" It was well known that Ruins Forest was one of the safest regions in Jade Land, teeming with adventurers and well-patrolled, much like Feiyan City's backyard garden.

Yet the wizard's expression showed no amusement from the leader's jest, turning even more grave, brows furrowed tightly. He slowly raised his hand, weak magic power flickering uneasily at his fingertips: "No… it's not a robbery. I feel... something's wrong… the elements around us… have become very… agitated…"

As he spoke, his face suddenly changed, pupils contracting in utmost shock, exclaiming in horror: "Not good! It's an Elemental Storm! Quickly find cove—"

Before he could finish the word, an unexpected change erupted!

The next moment, an unprecedentedly fierce storm swept towards them in an instant.

It was a phenomenal upheaval brought by the basic elements constituting the world!

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