318: The "greeting gift" from the Temple of Starlight

The gates of the Starlight Sanctuary were wide open, and a path made of pure light extended from within, stretching all the way to the bow of the "hope".

The light path was not wide, just enough for one person to walk on, and its edges were flowing with fine stardust, dreamlike and illusory.

"Who's going?" Wen Youyi looked at the path of light, then at the people on the bridge.

Zhao Iron Pillar was the first to raise his hand: "I'll go! I'm best at this kind of exploration stuff!"

"If you go, I'm afraid you'll knock down the pillars of their sanctuary." Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his glasses, "I should go; I have more research on the structure of ancient ruins like this."

Wang Wu was also eager to try: "I can go too, I can bring the small exploration robot of the 'Hidden Dragon'..."

"Stop arguing, all of you." Aila's voice came through the communication channel—she was still in the medical pod, but she could already get out of bed and walk, "Wen Youyi must go. He is the star key holder and the only one qualified to represent us. Besides... I'm going too."

"Is your body okay?" Wen Youyi asked.

[I won't die. Besides,] Aila paused, [I know more about the Star People than all of you combined. With me there, at least we won't break any taboos because we don't understand the rules.]

Wen Youyi thought for a moment: "Then it'll be me, Aila, and Iron Pillar. Iron Pillar is responsible for security, Aila is responsible for technology and etiquette, and I... am responsible for playing it by ear."

"Boss, why pick me and not Senior Brother Zhang?" Although Zhao Iron Pillar was happy, he still asked.

"Because if we really need to fight, you can fight; if we really need to run, you can run fast." Wen Youyi said very realistically, "Senior Brother Zhang, you stay on the ship. In case we encounter any situation, you have to be responsible for the backup."

Senior Brother Zhang nodded: "Understood."

Ten minutes later, Wen Youyi, Aila, and Zhao Iron Pillar stood on the bow platform of the "hope".

Although Aila's face was still a bit pale, she had changed into her cyan uniform of the "Sky Patrol" civilization, and the small horns on her forehead shimmered in the starlight. Zhao Iron Pillar was fully armed, carrying his heavy sword, and had two energy pistols tucked into his waist—although he didn't know if they would be useful against the creations of the Star People, having them was better than not.

Wen Youyi took a deep breath and was the first to step onto the path of light.

The moment his feet touched it, he felt his whole body lighten, as if gravity had disappeared. The path of light carried them forward slowly, without them needing to take a step themselves.

"This saves effort." Zhao Iron Pillar grinned, "It's like riding an escalator."

As they approached the sanctuary gates, the details of the magnificent building became clearer. The entire sanctuary was woven from pure starlight; it had no physical entity, yet one could see the texture of every "brick" and every "pillar".

The temple doors were carved with complex star charts, and the positions of the seven main stars corresponded exactly to the patterns on the surface of the star key.

When the three of them reached the door, it slid open silently.

Behind the door was another world.

It was an infinitely vast starry hall. Beneath their feet flowed a galaxy, overhead rotated a nebula, and on the surrounding "walls," countless stars were being born, evolving, and dying, as if the entire evolutionary history of the Universe were condensed in this space.

In the center of the hall hovered a huge "round table" made of light. Around the round table were seven "seats" also made of light, but only one was a physical entity—a simple stone chair, without any decoration.

A voice echoed in the hall, indistinguishable in direction, yet clearly resounding in everyone's mind:

"Welcome, inheritor of the star key, and... his companions."

Wen Youyi looked around, not seeing the speaker: "Who are you?"

"I am the projection consciousness of this sanctuary, and also the 'gravedigger' left behind by the Star People." The voice said calmly, "You can call me 'Star Memory'."

As the words fell, a blurry humanoid silhouette gradually condensed on one of the light chairs beside the round table. The silhouette had no facial features, but one could make out the outline of an elder in robes.

"Please, sit." Star Memory pointed to the seven light chairs.

The three of them looked at each other and each chose a chair to sit on. Although the chairs were made of light, there was a sense of physical support when they sat down.

"First of all, congratulations on passing the triple trial." The silhouette of Star Memory "looked" at them, "Wisdom, courage, compassion—these are the three most important qualities for a civilization to continue. You have proven that you possess these, so you are qualified to receive the gift of the Star People."

Zhao Iron Pillar's eyes lit up: "Gift? What good stuff?"

Star Memory seemed to smile—although the silhouette had no expression, Wen Youyi just felt it was smiling: "Don't be impatient, young man. Before giving you the gift, I need to confirm a few things first."

Its "gaze" turned to the star key in Wen Youyi's hand: "Where did you get this fragment?"

Wen Youyi answered honestly: "From a place called the 'Ranch World'. It was transformed by the 'Creation Heavenly Court'—or rather, the predecessor of the 'Star Devourers'—into a civilization Ranch, used to harvest spiritual power and Luck. We are the rebels who escaped."

"Ranch World..." The silhouette of Star Memory flickered slightly, "As expected, they still used that plan."

"You know about the 'Creation Heavenly Court'?" Aila asked.

"I do." Star Memory's tone became heavy, "They were an early version of the 'Star Devourers'—or rather, a testing ground for the 'gentle harvesting mode' of the Star Devourers. Before they completely fell into the destroyers they are now, they once tried to obtain a permanent energy source by 'farming civilizations and harvesting them periodically'. Now it seems... they failed, and they headed down a more extreme path."

Wen Youyi's heart tightened: "Then what exactly are the 'Star Devourers' trying to do now? Why are they hunting for star key holders across the entire Universe?"

Star Memory was silent for a moment.

The speed of the starlight in the hall suddenly increased, as if expressing some emotion.

"This is a... very long story." Star Memory spoke slowly, "But to put it simply, what the Star Devourers are pursuing now is 'ultimate evolution'."

"Ultimate evolution?"

"They want to sublimate themselves into an 'ultimate existence' that transcends matter, transcends energy, and transcends concepts. To achieve this goal, three conditions are needed: First, devour enough advanced civilizations to accumulate 'civilization diversity'; Second, collect all star key fragments to open the final treasury of the 'Star People'; Third..."

The silhouette of Star Memory turned to Wen Youyi: "Find and absorb the Soul essence of a 'perfect rebel civilization'—which is exactly what you are."

Wen Youyi felt a chill down his spine: "Why us?"

"Because civilizations that still choose to resist under extreme oppression, and are able to unite to resist, will produce a unique 'spiritual trait'." Star Memory explained, "It is a mixture of extreme emotions like hatred, hope, unyieldingness, sacrifice, unity, etc. For the Star Devourers, this is the top-tier 'nourishment' that can help them break through their final evolutionary Bottleneck."

Aila clenched her fists: "So from the very beginning, our resistance... was already in their plan?"

"Not entirely." Star Memory shook its head, "They are indeed creating 'rebels', but that you were able to escape, that you were able to get here, is something they didn't expect. According to their original plan, the rebels of the 'Ranch World' should have been rounded up at the final moment, becoming the last batch of 'high-quality crops' for them to harvest. But you... jumped out of this cycle."

It looked at Wen Youyi: "In your words, you are a 'bug in the program', a 'variable outside the plan'. That's why they are looking for you like crazy now—not just for the star key, but also for you 'perfect rebel Souls'."

There was dead silence in the hall.

After a long while, Zhao Iron Pillar squeezed out a sentence: "So... we're actually quite valuable?"

This sudden humor eased the heavy atmosphere a bit. Wen Youyi smiled bitterly: "Iron Pillar, your focus is..."

"It's true!" Zhao Iron Pillar was righteous, "At least it shows we aren't just any old leek, we're premium leeks! Valuable!"

The silhouette of Star Memory "laughed" again: "This... Mr. Iron Pillar is right. Your 'value' is precisely the key to your ability to defeat the Star Devourers. Because they want you, they will definitely come after you. And as long as they chase you, they will reveal flaws."

Wen Youyi understood: "So, our escape is a bait in itself?"

"You could say that, but it's more than that." The silhouette of Star Memory floated to the round table, and its fingers swiped across the tabletop. A huge star map immediately appeared on the table, marked with seven flickering light points.

"These are the locations of the seven star key fragments." Star Memory pointed to the star map, "The one in your hands is the master key, and the other six are scattered across the Universe. The Star Devourers have already collected two, and the remaining four... are in the hands of four different civilizations, or in ruins."

It paused: "If the Star Devourers collect all seven fragments, they will be able to open the final treasury of the 'Star People'—which contains not only all the knowledge and technology of the Star People, but also a... 'device' that can reset the entire Universe's Law."

"Reset the Universe's Law?!" Aila gasped.

"Yes." Star Memory's tone was extremely serious, "That is the last resort left by the Star People, prepared to deal with 'Universe-level disasters'. But if this device falls into the hands of the Star Devourers, no one knows what they will turn it into. The worst-case scenario is... they will use that device to transform the entire Universe into an eternal 'Star Devourer farm', where all civilizations will become their slaves and nourishment."

Wen Youyi felt his throat go dry: "So, we must collect the fragments faster than them?"

"No." Star Memory shook its head, "You don't need to collect all the fragments, you only need to do one thing—prevent them from collecting them."

It pointed to several locations on the star map: "In the places where these four fragments are located, the Star People have left behind protective mechanisms. As long as you can activate these protective mechanisms, you can temporarily 'Seal' those fragments, making them inaccessible to the Star Devourers. And the key to activating the protective mechanisms... is the master key in your hands."

Wen Youyi looked at the star key in his hand: "That is to say, we have to travel to these four places before the Star Devourers and use the master key to activate the Seal?"

"Yes." Star Memory nodded, "This is difficult, because the Star Devourers are doing the same thing. But you have an advantage—you are 'bugs', you are existences outside their plan. They don't know what your next step will be, and you... can predict their actions."

Aila suddenly asked: "Lord Star Memory, you just mentioned a 'gift'... what is it?"

The silhouette of Star Memory turned to her: "Ah, I almost forgot the main business."

It raised its "hand" and tapped lightly in the hall. Three beams of light descended from the sky, falling in front of the three of them, turning into three floating light orbs.

In the first light orb was a small silver badge, shaped like a feather.

In the second light orb was a glowing scroll, filled with flowing characters.

In the third light orb was a... Seed? Something that emitted a gentle light, looking like a crystal and also like a Seed.

"These three items are the 'welcome gift' left by the Star People for those who come after." Star Memory introduced, "The first item, 'Feather of Starlight'. The wearer can obtain the energy disguise of the 'Star People' for a short time, which can fool most detection Systems, including those of the Star Devourers. But it can only be used three times, each lasting for two hours."

Wen Youyi took the badge; it felt cool to the touch and was so light it had almost no weight.

"The second item, 'Legacy Scroll of Civilization'." Star Memory pointed to the second light orb, "This records the research results of the Star People on the 'Laws of civilization development', including how to establish a stable social structure, how to avoid internal division, how to deal with external threats, and so on. It should be helpful for you to build a new civilization."

Aila carefully took the scroll. As soon as she touched it, the scroll turned into a stream of light and merged into her palm. "Knowledge... is transmitted directly into my consciousness..." she murmured, her eyes flashing with shock.

"The third item," Star Memory looked at the last light orb, "is the 'Seed of hope'. This is a 'civilization spark' that can be planted in any environment. If one day your civilization faces extinction, plant this Seed, and it will absorb the surrounding environmental information and automatically evolve into the 'civilization template' most suitable for that environment. Although it cannot guarantee it will be exactly the same, at least... it can allow the spark of civilization to continue."

Zhao Iron Pillar scratched his head: "This thing... how do you plant it? Just bury it in the dirt?"

"Not necessarily soil." Star Memory said, "As long as there is a stable energy field and suitable temperature, it can grow. Its final form might be a plant, might be a crystal, or even a mass of energy life... depending on the planting environment."

Wen Youyi took the "Seed of hope", feeling the gentle and tenacious pulse of life inside it.

Three gifts: one for hiding, one for Legacy, and one for continuation.

The Star People... really thought of everything.

"Besides these, I have one most important 'gift' to give you." The silhouette of Star Memory suddenly became serious, "But this gift... is a bit special."

It "looked" at Wen Youyi: "Are you willing to accept a piece of... 'memory'?"

"What memory?"

"The final memory of the Star People before they disappeared." Star Memory said slowly, "It contains all their research on the origin of the Star Devourers, as well as... the only possible method to defeat the Star Devourers. But this memory is too vast and too heavy; the person who accepts it might be overwhelmed by the information within, or even lose themselves."

Wen Youyi was silent.

Zhao Iron Pillar urged: "Boss! This is too dangerous! What if you become a fool?"

Aila also advised: "Lord Star Memory, this memory... can't it be shared among multiple people?"

"No." Star Memory shook its head, "It must be complete, otherwise key information will be missing. Also, it can only be given to the holder of the star key—because only the star key can protect the recipient's consciousness from collapsing during the memory shock."

Wen Youyi looked at the star key in his hand, then at Star Memory.

He thought of his kin in the Ranch World who were still being harvested, thought of the civilization wrecks he had seen along the way, thought of the Souls that had turned into stardust.

"I accept."

He said it very calmly, but very firmly.

"Boss!" Zhao Iron Pillar still wanted to persuade him.

Wen Youyi waved his hand: "If we don't even have the courage to know the truth, then what are we resisting for? Might as well surrender."

The silhouette of Star Memory seemed to nod: "Very well. Then, please prepare yourself."

It stretched out its "hand" and tapped its fingertip on Wen Youyi's forehead.

In that instant, Wen Youyi only felt an infinite starlight explode before his eyes!

Massive amounts of information poured into his consciousness like a bursting flood. The glory of the Star People, the birth of the Star Devourers, that war that changed the Universe, the destruction of countless civilizations, the final despair and hope...

He saw it.

He saw the truth.

And he also saw...

The only possibility.

(End of chapter)