Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [234]

The warships in attack formation retracted their turrets, and a large number of carrier-based aircraft took advantage of the mothership’s realignment to return to their docking positions. The launch bays slowly closed, and within less than ten seconds, the three cruisers reverted to their harmless appearance.

They had received their orders and began turning toward the Jade Gate, slowly making their way in that direction...

It seemed as though everything was over.

But was that really the case?

The space where the Ambrosial Amber lay trembled incessantly, as torrents from the outside world crashed into this hidden realm—one that had resurfaced barely an hour ago. If there was any difference now... it was that this space no longer contained only the pure energy of Abundance. Instead, vast swathes of materialized psionic energy had seeped in.

Phantylia did not stop Welt, who was carrying Jing Yuan away. Instead, she set her gaze upon Chen Lin, who seemed as insignificant as a speck of dust beneath her. Despite the overwhelming presence of psionic energy flooding the area, all of it felt like nothing more than the futile struggle of ants in her eyes.

The body she was about to inhabit would be the most perfect vessel. Any other body was merely a disposable tool for carrying out tasks. No matter how many were lost, at most, she might feel a twinge of regret—but never true sorrow.

“The seal is about to close again. Could it be that my dear benefactor wishes to stay here with me?” Phantylia teased playfully, her tone light and carefree. “But you see, I have plenty of ways to leave. You, on the other hand, may not even get the chance to touch the seal again.”

“You say that as if it’s true, Phantylia. You still love putting on a show.” Chen Lin surveyed his surroundings and said calmly, “If you were truly that confident, would you have let Uncle Yang and the others leave so easily?”

Every general of the Xianzhou had received the Hunt’s blessing, making their strength undeniable. Jing Yuan, in particular, posed the greatest threat to Phantylia’s plans. Chen Lin didn’t believe she would be foolish enough to let such a threat escape, only for it to return and haunt her later.

There was only one plausible explanation—Phantylia had shifted her focus. Instead of dealing with Jing Yuan, who could obstruct her goal of destroying the Xianzhou and using the Arbor to sustain her existence, she had now turned her attention to Chen Lin.

She had to stay fully alert against this young man standing before her!

She had assumed that as long as she avoided directly invading his mind, once she acquired a physical body, he would be the weakest of her adversaries. But now, after witnessing the sheer unpredictability of his swordsmanship, enduring the relentless harassment from carrier-based fighters, and ultimately losing one of her bodies to an antimatter explosion...

It was almost ironic—despite having him by the throat, she still had to remain wary of him!

And she didn’t even know why!

Phantylia gazed at Chen Lin, his presence burning like a roaring flame in the darkness of winter. His determination to cleanse everything in his path was nothing like the desperation of a man on the brink of death.

His eyes were no longer gentle. The psionic energy around him laid bare his emotions, allowing Phantylia to probe his mind through the energy itself.

Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, desire...

Emotions cycled through him, only to be devoured by something unknown.

Madness...

That was the conclusion she arrived at. This young man before her resembled a lunatic—his emotions were so unstable that he should have long since lost all reason. And yet, he remained clear-headed, speaking to her with precise logic. That, more than anything, deepened Phantylia’s unease.

“Pretending to be strong? The Xianzhou are mere insects, and to crush an insect requires nothing more than a single squeeze!”

Phantylia gritted her teeth and waved the feathered fan in her hand.

The scene changed in an instant—Chen Lin grew smaller and smaller, while Phantylia expanded in size until she loomed over him like a celestial body. Her hand, now the size of a planet, seemed to grasp the entire Xianzhou. A devastating force poured forth, surging inward as if she intended to detonate the entire fleet.

Chen Lin hesitated for a brief moment. The ground beneath his feet cracked like a spider’s web, and scorching magma gushed forth from the fissures. It seemed as if his death was but an instant away.

But then, realization struck him, and he shook his head in mild exasperation.

“A mirage of the sea... Oh? If the target truly believes in the illusion, then the fabricated scene will manifest upon them. This trick of yours might disrupt others’ minds, but it won’t deceive me.”

As he spoke, the psionic energy around him surged, unraveling the illusion that Phantylia had meticulously woven. The energy of the illusion was stripped back into its raw, blank state, devoured in an instant.

Sure enough, the apocalyptic scene vanished. He was back in the depths of the Ambrosial Amber’s seal. He jumped twice in place—completely unaffected.

A familiar smirk crept onto Chen Lin’s face, one that Phantylia despised.

“Because I know you can’t actually do that.”

Phantylia bristled with fury.

“So what if you defend yourself over and over again? My bodies are endless, my strength inexhaustible! The Ambrosial Amber is my nourishment—how long do you think you can keep this up? Stop pretending!”

Without a physical body, Phantylia was the weakest of the Extinction Lords. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been forced to hide from Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan, let alone the Divination Commission’s formations that specialized in dealing with spiritual entities. She didn’t even dare approach them, fearing the damage they could inflict.

But now, she had obtained a physical body—one crafted from the Arbor itself!

It could accommodate boundless power, its flesh was indestructible, and its regenerative abilities were monstrous. If she fully adapted to it, those three cruisers wouldn’t even be able to leave a scratch on her, let alone pose a threat. Even if thirty more arrived, they would be just as useless.

What was past was past—this was the present.

Now that she had a physical form, she would no longer tolerate anyone doubting her power. No one would look down on her as the weakest Extinction Lord!

And a sparring partner had conveniently presented himself. Not only could she use him to accelerate her adaptation to her new body, but she could also refine her understanding of the fusion between Abundance and Destruction—creating the perfect existence.

A frenzied assault erupted in the depths of the Ambrosial Amber. Defense was not Chen Lin’s strong suit, so Phantylia had him on the back foot for quite some time. [Zroni Dust] absorbed and absorbed, yet it still struggled to keep up.

But his efforts were not in vain. Perhaps because the psionic energy within [Zroni Dust] was too immense, from the very first time he used it, Chen Lin felt as if he could touch something unknown. The more he wielded it, the clearer that sensation became—its connection leading straight to [Zroni’s Netherworld].

It was his first encounter with it, yet it felt strangely familiar.

As if... with just a single thought, he could receive a response.

That was precisely why he had Welt take Jing Yuan and retreat—because he had no idea what was about to happen.

No event chain. No unread intelligence logs.

[Zroni’s Netherworld]....

Was awaiting his command.

Chen Lin observed the wisp of psionic energy he had left on Welt...

And only when it had exited the Scalegorge Waterscape did he exhaust the last of [Zroni Dust]’s power, slapping aside Phantylia’s incoming strike.

The sharp, successive cracks rang out like a death knell, making Phantylia's heart tighten. When she noticed a massive purple vortex forming beneath the Arbor, draping the entire space in a violet haze, the spatial fabric had already begun to distort. Something was trying to swallow this place whole. Phantylia’s expression twisted in shock.

She tried to escape this unknown domain, but to her horror, she found herself completely unable to move.

“W-What is this?!”

“This is your opportunity.”

Phantylia’s pupils quivered. Her powerful body and immense spiritual strength—neither were of any use now. She was completely paralyzed.

For some reason, a strange illusion crept into her mind—it was like she was standing before a true Aeon.

In the depths of darkness, she thought she saw a throne. A shadowed figure sat upon it, slowly rising. They reached for the two longswords resting beside them, tossing one toward her before stepping forward…

But what bewildered Phantylia even more was the gaze that had been fixed upon her all this time.

It suddenly turned away, carrying an unmistakable hint of pity.

---

Waves crashed relentlessly against the barriers reinforced by the Sovereign’s power, and torrents of ancient seawater surged toward the depths of the Scalegorge Waterscape, forming cascading veils that drenched everyone below.

Dan Heng’s face was deathly pale. His mind had begun to blur, his lips murmuring words no one could understand. Only the faint remnants of his dragon power still struggled to hold on.

Welt’s forehead was slick with moisture—whether from sweat or seawater, he couldn’t tell. With Dan Heng slung over one shoulder and Jing Yuan over the other, he sprinted toward the exit at full speed.

Ahead of him, March 7th was carrying Stelle, who was significantly bulkier than her. She had to maintain her balance amidst the tremors while dodging falling debris, making her escape all the more grueling.

“March, hang in there—we’re almost there.”

“Uncle Yang… Did you really have to knock her out?” March grumbled, barely dodging a collapsing pillar with a yelp.

Welt’s expression remained grim. “Chen is buying us time to retreat. Stelle cannot go back in… Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to face him.”

After explaining the situation upon carrying Jing Yuan out, Stelle had immediately tried to charge back in. Had Welt not acted quickly, knocking her out with his staff, things would have become far more complicated.

“She’ll be fine. Chen won’t fall so easily.”

That was all Welt could say after holding back for so long.

With their last burst of strength, the two finally reached the incline, tumbling out of the great hall.

The keen-eyed Cloud Knights instantly recognized them—along with the gravely injured, unconscious Jing Yuan.

“T-That’s the General!”

“Has the crisis been averted? But… the Arbor is still growing!”

“No way, don’t tell me—”

“Shut up! The General wouldn't lose!”

“Wait… doesn’t it seem like someone’s missing? Lord Chen Lin… I don’t see him.”

“Silence!”

The clamor ceased instantly at the sharp reprimand. Fu Xuan strode forward, her face set in a hard line. She gestured for two Cloud Knights to take the three injured men off their hands, then swept her gaze over the group that had just escaped from the Scalegorge Waterscape.

“What’s the situation inside?”

Since March was at the front, she stammered under Fu Xuan’s questioning. Though her words came out jumbled and rushed, she still managed to summarize what had happened during their retreat.

Welt knew things had taken a turn for the worse. After handing over Jing Yuan and Dan Heng to the Cloud Knights, he said, “Master Diviner, I leave the General and my companions in your care.”

“Wait.”

“Master Diviner, there’s no time. If you need more details, ask March. Chen is still inside. As his elder aboard the Express, I must bring him back.” Welt didn’t stop walking. Without hesitation, he turned toward the closing tides, his voice unwavering.

Fu Xuan sighed quietly before vanishing in a flash, reappearing beside him.

“I’m coming with you.”

Her words sent a jolt through the Cloud Knights. Even Welt’s expression darkened.

“Master Diviner!”

“Silence! Escort the injured away from here without delay.” Fu Xuan shot them a sharp glare.

“But the General said—”

“And? He isn’t dead yet.”

“…Understood.”

No one dared to object further.

“Master Diviner, Phantylia has obtained a body crafted from the Arbor. The tides will soon close completely. It’s incredibly dangerous inside.”

Welt came to a halt at the entrance, pointing at the increasingly unstable currents, his expression grave.

“I am not blind—I can see, hear, and comprehend just fine. Mr. Welt, lead the way.”

“…You have my respect, Master Diviner.”

Seeing her unwavering resolve, Welt no longer argued. The two charged forward, braving the falling torrents as they fought their way back inside.

---

After a while, as they sprinted deeper, Fu Xuan spoke, her face emotionless.

“You heard him. He is the General. But aside from being the Master Diviner, I am also his elder sister. It is my duty to protect my foolish younger brother.”

Hum—!

In an instant, a violet veil surged outward, forming a sphere that completely enveloped the Ambrosial Amber and its surroundings. The towering Arbor was sealed within—along with their path forward.

The sudden obstruction forced them to a stop.

“This feels like Chen’s psionic energy… Wait—no!!”

The moment Welt placed his hand on the strange barrier, he sensed a drastic shift within the space. Instinct kicking in, he jerked backward, shouting, “Master Diviner! Get away from there!”

BOOM!

A violent airburst, born from the sudden compression of space, sent them both flying. When they finally lifted their heads, the sight before them made their eyes widen in shock.

At the heart of the ancient sea, a massive void had appeared. The surrounding waters surged into it, struggling to fill the empty space.

And above them—

The sky. The ocean.

Everything was gone.

The once-towering Arbor—an omnipresent fixture of the Xianzhou skyline—

Vanished.

It was as if it had never existed. Every trace of it had been erased.

Including the hidden realm that had once sealed it.

Thud…

Fu Xuan fell to her knees, staring at the emptiness before her in utter disbelief.

“Hah…

“First my master… and now you…

“Why does it always have to be like this?!”

Collapsing to the ground, she clutched her head, trembling.

Welt opened his mouth but found no words.

In the end, all he could do was sigh—a deep, weary breath that drifted away with the ocean breeze.

---

T/N: holy honestly this story tests me everytime in translating it... but also CLIFFHANGER TIME MUAHUHUAHUAHUAHUA

This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!