Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [229]

Boom!

The Scalegorge Waterscape rumbled violently, the ground shaking as floating stones began to gravitate toward one another. The intricate mechanisms hidden beneath the ruins stirred to life, constructing a pathway that led one step closer to the heart of the Ambrosial Arbor.

Massive streams of seawater poured from above, cascading over the large, unique aquatic plants of the ancient sea. The water slipped along their enormous leaves in rolling sheets, falling intermittently like curtains of artificial rain.

A slender hand reached out to catch the cascading water, the droplets cold to the touch. Standing amidst this ink-painting-like scenery, Chen Lin gazed toward Dan Heng, who was moving forward at an increasingly sluggish pace.

“…Things aren’t looking too good. If possible, I’d rather avoid any non-combat casualties at a time like this. What do you think, brother?”

Chen Lin knew Dan Heng’s temperament well enough. He was the type who would never ask for help unless there was absolutely no alternative. If it were possible to bear everything on his own, he’d do so without uttering a single complaint.

After reversing the second seal, Chen Lin suspected that Dan Heng had been using his own power as a makeshift core to stabilize the seal. At least until the path to the Arbor’s depths was fully opened, Dan Heng’s energy supply was indispensable.

“…”

Jing Yuan, his silver hair now soaked and plastered to his face, walked along quietly, his damp figure exuding a serene but weary demeanor. Not wanting to waste his energy unnecessarily, he had simply allowed the seawater to drench him.

He looked at Dan Heng, silent for a moment, before smiling helplessly.

“Sometimes, I truly feel ashamed of my own leadership. The Arbiter’s powers are incomplete, yet he bears the burden of a fully-realized Arbiter. To make matters worse, he’s been saddled with responsibilities beyond his station. The Xianzhou owes him that much. Once the path to the Arbor’s root is opened, Chen Lin, you and your companions should take him back to the entrance. You’ve already done more than enough for me.”

Chen Lin came to a halt. Not because he wanted to give an inspiring monologue like the protagonist of some hot-blooded manga, but because his psionic senses had detected numerous hidden enemies lurking both ahead of and behind their group.

Among the ruins, concealed in the shadows of crumbled structures, were numerous figures, moving with speed and precision. It was obvious—they had been lying in wait all along, ready to strike once Dan Heng activated the mechanism.

“Move! Buy some time! Wait—what is this?!” A voice cried out from a hidden corner, but the furious shout quickly turned into confusion.

Before the assailants could react, multiple void rifts opened above Chen Lin’s head. Streams of raw psionic energy surged outward, flooding the area. Under Chen Lin’s command, the energy quickly obeyed its new master, recognizing him as the dominant force.

In mere moments, deep violet barriers constructed from pure psionic energy rose on both sides of the group. These walls completely severed visibility and access, isolating the attackers from their targets and vice versa.

Chen Lin, of course, was the sole exception.

“Not again?!”

Hearing the sound of weapons being drawn and water splashing ahead, March 7th instinctively readied her bow, pulling the string taut. However, with her vision entirely blocked, she had no idea where the enemies were and couldn’t aim her arrows.

Welt, recognizing the psionic barriers as Chen Lin’s handiwork, immediately grasped the intention behind them. Lowering his weapon, he urged, “Go! Head for the third seal!”

“Brother, get Dan Heng to finish his task. I’ll take care of this,” Chen Lin said calmly.

The attackers had formed an extensive encirclement, but Chen Lin understood that engaging them directly would only waste precious time—time they couldn’t afford to lose.

He knew exactly what Phantylia was attempting at the Arbor’s root. Every second spent here was another second Phantylia could use to solidify her schemes. Moreover, Dan Heng was exhausting himself to sustain the second seal, especially after fortifying it against tampering by the Vidyadhara deathsworn.

Reversing all the seals and opening the path to the Ambrosial Arbor’s root was the top priority.

Jing Yuan re-sheathed his blade, fully aware of what needed to be done. Without wasting another moment, he nodded and helped the weakened Dan Heng press forward.

Meanwhile, the Vidyadhara deathsworn, attempting to push forward despite the barriers, found themselves hindered at every turn. The psionic walls twisted and redirected their movements, splitting them into smaller groups or outright trapping them.

Some rushed ahead with reckless determination, only to slam headlong into the barriers, collapsing to the ground in pain. Blood poured from their wounds as they writhed and howled in agony.

Sharp spikes protruded from the outer edges of the barriers, each one covered in jagged barbs. Any attempt to struggle free would inevitably tear away large chunks of flesh.

A commanding voice among the deathsworn barked orders. “Calm down! Stay composed! Focus your attacks on one point to break through!”

Following the command, the deathsworn began coordinated attacks, concentrating their spells and weapons on the barriers.

But no matter how fierce their assaults were, the psionic walls remained unyielding, only rippling faintly in response.

As one of the deathsworn hesitantly asked what to do next, a hand suddenly pierced through the opaque barrier and yanked him out.

Chen Lin didn’t waste a moment. Grabbing the deathsworn leader by the jaw, he pried his mouth open, preventing him from biting down on any poison capsules hidden within. With a flick of his hand, he summoned his flying swords, pinning the man’s limbs to the ground.

Psionic energy sealed the wounds, stopping the bleeding but ensuring the captive remained immobilized. Chen Lin calmly extracted several sesame-sized poison pellets from the man’s mouth.

“Mm… mmm!”

The deathsworn’s face turned pale as he glared at Chen Lin. His eyes were bloodshot, his body trembling from the sheer pain of being impaled. Yet even in such a state, he struggled futilely to escape.

Chen Lin placed a hand on the man’s head, attempting to extract his memories through psionic probing. As expected, the resistance was fierce—too much for a quick success.

He sighed, rising to his feet. Dan Heng needed time to recall the specifics of each seal, and Chen Lin decided to use this time wisely—both to uncover the deathsworn’s motives and to replenish the psionic energy stored in his [Zroni Nexus].

The deathsworn’s struggle provided an opportunity. Chen Lin had long observed that those trained in the Vidyadhara’s Cloudsong Technique possessed highly developed psionic potential. If he could provoke this potential and harvest it… the results could be astonishing.

And astonishing they were.

As he ignited the deathsworn’s psionic reserves, some of the Vidyadhara began transforming into golden, translucent eggs—a sign of their species’ natural rebirth mechanism. What shocked Chen Lin even more was that these eggs retained the psionic potential he had awakened within them.

“They’re resilient… and the yield increases exponentially. What a resource…”

The realization sent a shiver of excitement down his spine. Even better, the harvested energy could be funneled directly into the [Zroni Nexus], enhancing its efficiency as a psionic tool.

As the remaining deathsworn screamed in terror, watching their comrades burn and collapse, Chen Lin worked methodically. With each victim, his [Zroni Nexus] grew more saturated, and his control over the battlefield tightened.

One by one, the deathsworn fell to his hands. Their leader, barely conscious, could only watch as his comrades were reduced to fuel for Chen Lin’s growing power.

When Chen Lin finally returned to probe the leader’s mind, there was no resistance left. The man’s sanity had been shattered. Memories were fragmented, but what remained told a damning story.

In a hazy recollection, the leader entered a grand palace, its pillars carved with intricate patterns. The surroundings were distorted, blurred by his broken mind.

A voice echoed, filled with anger and bitterness:

—“How dare he return?! After rejecting our offer of protection, after spurning our goodwill… he dares to show his face again?”

—“Let him open the Scalegorge Waterscape. Let him exhaust his strength keeping those seals intact. When the time comes, bring him to me. I know how to forcibly reclaim the Arbiter’s legacy… This is the Vidyadhara’s chance to reclaim our glory!”

Chen Lin returned to reality, the fragmented memories fading. Without hesitation, he tossed the now-mad deathsworn leader into the [Zroni Nexus], watching as purple flames consumed him entirely.

“So, it’s about the Arbiter’s legacy… The Vidyadhara’s ambitions are clearer now,” Chen Lin muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

He recalled Bailu, the current Arbiter—a stark contrast to Dan Heng. Unlike him, Bailu lacked the strength to wield the Arbiter’s power, leaving her as little more than a symbolic figurehead.

But there was no time for further musings. Up ahead, the third seal’s twin pillars flickered, erupting into flames.

The path to the Ambrosial Arbor’s root had been opened.

—

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!