Time is like falling rain, drop after drop, without ceasing.
The rain fell on every inch of the Astral Realm, on the surface of every star, and into the veins of every law. It silently seeped into the very foundation of the Astral Realm, like a patient and persistent sculptor, gradually changing the texture and quality of this ancient realm.
Ten thousand years have passed in a flash.
For the Eternal, this period of time is but an insignificant point in Endless life. A seclusion, an enlightenment, or a long deduction can easily take tens or even hundreds of thousands of years. A hundred thousand years is as short as a day for mortals in their life scale, nothing more than an inconspicuous ripple in the River of Time.
But for the beings of the Astral Realm, this was a cataclysmic change.
Because the Third Age of the Astral Realm has ushered in an unprecedented period of prosperity.
The final battle that determined the Fate of the Astral Realm 100,000 years ago completely reshaped the foundation of the entire Astral Realm.
After suppressing the Mother of the Stars, the Lord of Truth used his power of words to heal all the wounds caused by the war, reconnecting the shattered River of Space-Time, rebuilding the collapsed dimensional structures, and reviving the Endless Gods. After that reshaping, the Astral Realm not only returned to its pre-war state but also began to expand and evolve at an astonishing rate.
The wounds of war have healed, but the changes it brought about are far from over.
After the Lord of Truth completed the suppression of the Astral Realm, he no longer maintained the combined state. The magnificent body that carried the will of the three and was invincible throughout the Astral Realm slowly separated, differentiated, and became independent again under their will.
Golden light split into three beams from the core of the combined entity, drifting off in three different directions.
Logo.
Lancelot.
Gustavo.
The three beings reverted to being independent entities, each standing in three different locations in the Astral Realm Void.
Although their auras are independent, they still maintain a certain subtle connection, like three rivers that share the same source, flowing independently yet always surrounded by the aura of the same ocean.
The three exchanged a glance and simultaneously revealed a knowing smile.
While fusion is powerful, it is not the norm.
Every being needs independent thought, independent insights, and independent space for development. Only by continuing to climb and grow on their own independent paths can they unleash even greater power when they reunite in the future.
Since the entire Astral Realm has been completely brought under Logo's control, with the help of that unimaginably vast power of the realm, even setting aside Lancelot and Gustavo, Logo alone has already fully entered the realm of the Third-Step Eternity.
Third-Step Eternity.
That is the ultimate level that most Eternal in the Chaos Sea cannot reach in their entire lives.
That is the supreme realm where the three major systems of "matter, law, and world" are fully integrated and encompassed, a peak that all Walker dream of but very few can truly reach.
On the day Logo became the Lord of the Astral Realm, the entire Astral Realm was filled with unprecedented and magnificent phenomena.
The phenomenon was incredibly dazzling, covering every inch of the Astral Realm.
Nine rotating colored halos appeared in the sky, each containing a completely different law: the gray of chaos, the silver of order, the black of devouring, the emerald green of life, the crimson of Destruction, the azure of Space-Time, the gold of cause and effect, the milky white of Samsara, and the dark gold of stars.
The nine halos rotated simultaneously, adorning the entire Astral Realm's sky with a magnificent picture that cannot be described in words.
In that instant, billions of stars burst forth with light ten times brighter than usual, as if offering the most solemn tribute to their new master.
The shattered River of Space-Time reformed into its most complete form at that moment, its waters flowing ceaselessly, creating dazzling waves unlike anything seen in billions of years.
The colossal face of the Astral Realm Will reappeared in the heavens, this time with an expression that was no longer one of awe, but rather a deeper one of acceptance and submission.
The Astral Realm has welcomed its new master.
Following this, Logo naturally became the first Speaker of the Civilization Council.
This ancient power structure in the Astral Realm, composed of representatives elected by numerous powerful civilizations, is responsible for managing the overall order and making major decisions within the Astral Realm.
In the era of the Mother of the Stars, the Civilization Council existed, but it was mostly a symbolic entity, with real power concentrated entirely in the hands of the Mother of the Stars. Now, Logo, as Speaker, has taken back control of the institution, bringing together numerous civilizations and races of the Astral Realm into a common management framework in a more open and inclusive manner.
Of course, many other civilizations privately refer to Him as His Majesty the Star Emperor.
That is a more awe-inspiring title—meaning the King of the Astral Realm, the Lord of All Things.
Although Logo himself didn't care much about these titles, His fame and prestige had penetrated every corner of the Astral Realm over the past hundred thousand years. Wherever He went, He was greeted with the most devout praise and the most respectful submission.
However, Logo had no intention of rebuilding the empire.
He disliked rigid systems that forced all civilizations into a single framework, creating a monolithic structure.
The establishment of the Golden Empire was merely a means to coordinate all forces and enable the company to advance and develop in a better manner.
Now that He stands at the pinnacle of all things, He no longer needs such a form of civilization. What He needs now is the inspiration and innovation brought by diversity.
In His view, diverse forms of civilization, fierce competition and collision, and free evolution and development are the soil that can truly give birth to brilliant sparks.
Only competition can allow civilization to continuously break through and evolve under pressure; only through collision can different ideas and technologies learn from and integrate with each other in the process of confrontation; only in a free environment can the most incredible and ingenious ideas sprout, grow, and blossom from the most inconspicuous corners.
Therefore, Logo chose a more lenient management style.
He transformed the originally rigid rule of the upper class into guidance and regulation. He set common rules and boundaries for different civilizations, but allowed them to freely develop their own characteristics within those boundaries.
Some civilizations focus on the study of magic, some dedicate themselves to the advancement of technological civilization, some delve deeper into their Faith System, and some explore the fundamental mysteries of the soul and consciousness.
Over the course of a hundred thousand years, countless brilliant new stars have emerged in the Astral Realm.