Core secret meeting, ancient Protoss

The passage where the mist parted was deep and quiet, with flowing silver light walls on both sides that isolated everything from outside prying eyes.

Nightmare and Su Wanqing moved along the passage, maintaining the highest level of vigilance, with the Power of Annihilation slowly circulating through his Meridians, ready to respond to any sudden situation at any time.

The passage was not long; after about a hundred steps, the view before them suddenly opened up.

They arrived in a huge spherical space.

The dome and walls of the space were made of that smooth silver metal, inlaid with countless tiny, sparkling light points like stars, forming a vast and precise star chart that slowly rotated, emitting profound fluctuations of Law.

In the center of the space floated a huge, complex three-dimensional structure interwoven with countless blue light rays, which rotated slowly, like a miniature, functioning model of the Universe.

And below that three-dimensional structure, a figure sat with their back to them on a seat also made of blue light rays.

It was a figure wearing a tattered star-blue robe, with silver-white long hair draped over their shoulders, their figure appearing somewhat hunched, exuding an indescribable sense of vicissitudes and fatigue, as if carrying the weight of eons.

Seemingly sensing their arrival, the figure slowly turned the seat around.

What came into view was an aged face covered in wrinkles, yet the contours of the past could still be discerned.

His skin presented an unhealthy gray-white color, and his eyes were no longer bright, but like dust-covered stars, carrying deep weariness.

But most striking was the small blue crystal embedded in the center of his forehead, similar in material to the previous Scavenger core, but with a deeper color and more complex patterns.

And his aura... although extremely restrained, nearly withered, one could still capture a trace of star Origin power within it that was of the same source as Star Spirit Princess Lia, yet more ancient and vast!

This was a member of the Star Spirit Race! And, an ancient Star Spirit who had lived for who knows how many years, in an extremely poor state!

"Sit."

The old man spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and aged; it was exactly the voice that had sounded in their minds earlier.

He gently raised his hand, and two seats condensed from blue light rays appeared beside them.

Nightmare did not stand on ceremony, taking Su Wanqing to sit down calmly, while carefully scanning the old man and this core room without causing obvious resentment from the other party.

[Target: Ancient Star Spirit (Identity unknown). Status: Soul Origin severely withered, Physical Body nearly decayed, barely maintaining existence by relying on external energy (central structure and forehead crystal). Energy Rank: Cannot be accurately assessed (Full prime suspected to be far beyond Body Integration). Threat Rank: Extremely low (Current status).]

[Central structure analysis: A combination of a super-large precision magic array and unknown technology, function unknown, energy source unknown, exists in deep connection with the external Order barrier and Scavenger units.]

[Warning: Weak spacetime fluctuations detected, this space may have abnormal time flow.]

"Outsider, state your name, or... codename." The old man's turbid gaze fell on Nightmare, carrying scrutiny.

"Nightmare." Nightmare responded calmly, "She is Su Wanqing."

The old man nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Su Wanqing for a moment, especially pausing on the pure Nine-Aperture Exquisite halo around her, a trace of imperceptible surprise flashing in his eyes, but he did not ask further.

"Nightmare... a strange name, does not belong to any known powerful Legacy." The old man said slowly, "But on you, there is the aura of 'her'... that child sealed in the star coffin by the last power of my race, Lia..."

His voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling and nostalgia.

"You have seen her, and even... contacted the 'Eternal Stasis' divine array." The old man's tone was affirmative.

Nightmare did not deny it: "By chance, I broke into a ruin called 'Star Patrol City' and saw the princess in the coffin."

"Star Patrol City... is that the place guarded by that child, Ashi..." A trace of sorrow flashed in the old man's eyes, "She is still alive... but only a lingering thought, right... it has been hard for her..."

He was silent for a moment, seemingly calming his emotions, then his gaze became sharp again, looking at Nightmare: "Then, what about the traces of 'Origin'? That object on you... which does not belong to this era, and perhaps does not even belong to this 'cycle', where did it come from?"

What he was referring to was clearly the primal cube!

Nightmare's heart trembled slightly; this old man could actually perceive the existence of the primal cube? And called it "an object that does not belong to this cycle"? The amount of information was a bit large.

"Obtained by chance." Nightmare was still concise, not revealing more. One must always be on guard, even if the other party seemed to be in an extremely poor state.

The old man did not seem to expect him to disclose everything, just looking at him deeply, as if trying to see through him.

"You don't need to be nervous, young man." The old man sighed, "My name is 'Ector', one of the last 'Keepers of Secrets' of the Star Spirit Race, and also... a prisoner trapped here, waiting for the final moment."

"A prisoner?" Nightmare caught this word.

"That's right, a prisoner." Ector smiled bitterly, raised his hand to point at the surroundings, and then pointed at the blue crystal on his forehead, "Maintaining this 'Order Sanctuary', monitoring the anomalies of the 'Chaos Frontier', and at the same time... it is also the prison that Seals myself."

He paused, then continued: "The 'Scavenger' you destroyed is one of the guards I created back then by utilizing some of the technology left behind by the 'Origin', combined with the secret arts of my race, with the purpose of clearing any existence that might threaten this place or be contaminated by 'them'."

"'Them'?" Nightmare pressed.

Ector's eyes became deep and solemn: "'god devourer'... or according to the designations in the 'Origin' records — 'High-Dimensional Interference Entities', 'observer'."

god devourer! observer! Nightmare immediately recalled that fragmented warning message cracked in the Star Track Secret Hall!

"They are existences that transcend our cognition, feeding on worlds, civilizations, and even powerful individuals, or... using them as samples for observation." Ector's voice carried suppressed fear and anger, "The destruction of my Star Spirit Race, the crash of Star Patrol City, and even the sudden end of many glorious ancient civilizations, likely all have their shadows behind them!"

"They are formless and intangible, difficult to understand, and difficult to confront head-on. We can only hide, only able to, like cleaning up a virus, clear out those 'anomalies' that have been contaminated by their power, or that might attract their gaze."

Waves rose in Nightmare's heart. The Star Spirit Race was so powerful, yet they were only hiders? What kind of terrifying existences were these "god devourer" or "observer"?

"Then you are here, are you hiding from them? Or are you monitoring them?" Nightmare asked.

"Both. Both." Ector looked at the huge blue three-dimensional structure in the center, "This is the 'Order Sanctuary', and also the last 'monitoring outpost'. With the help of 'Origin' technology and the clan's supreme treasure, the 'star sequence compass' (he pointed to the three-dimensional structure), I have barely distorted the spacetime and rules here, isolating detection, while simultaneously monitoring the depths of the 'Chaos Frontier', that area marked as potentially active with 'god devourer'."

"And you..." His gaze focused on Nightmare again, "You carry an 'Origin' object, have formed a connection with the last Bloodline of my race, and even possess... a strange Law power that I have never seen before, as if it could end everything. Your appearance is in itself a huge 'variable'."

"Variable?" Nightmare raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, a variable." A complex light flashed in Ector's eyes, "It could be hope, or it could... be a catalyst accelerating destruction. I cannot see through your future; the rules on you are chaotic."

He took a deep breath, seemingly having made a decision.

"Young man, I don't have much time left, and the compass's energy is about to run out. I want to... make a deal with you."