Pei Du remained clad in his simple battle attire, adorned with dark gold patterns. His molten-gold eyes lost their previous destructive edge, now possessing a depth of calm. His hand naturally interlocked with Xu Shuangyao's. The thorn mark on the backs of their clasped hands shimmered in sync, like an invisible bond.

"They need time." Xu Shuangyao's voice was gentle, like a breeze through the forest. "They also need guidance. The ancient technological gap, the scarcity of resources, the remnants of incompletely purified mycelium lurking in dark corners, and the thugs who take advantage of the chaos... The road to reconstruction will not be smooth."

"Thorns are the path to be pierced through." Pei Du's deep voice was filled with unquestionable determination. "The city's framework is complete, and the lifeline is connected. What remains is their own war. We..." A sharp glint flashed in his molten gold eyes. "There are more distant battlefields."

Xu Shuangyao clenched his hand, her clear eyes becoming serious. "The star core's memory... is clear?"

Pei Du nodded slightly. He raised his other hand, palm facing up. A constantly shifting star map, condensed purely by thought, materialized above his palm. At the core of the star map was the azure dot representing Gaia. And immensely distant from Gaia, across an unimaginably cold dimension of deep space, several crimson dots of light, emitting a cold metallic sheen and a destructive aura, were clearly marked, like the eyes of a vicious beast!

"The Harvester Nest." Pei Du spat out the name coldly, with a cold fire burning in his molten gold eyes. "They are not the source, but just... minions. The real source is here."

The star map suddenly zoomed in, swirling! A coordinate located in a more distant, ancient, and colder star region was magnified! There were no specific stellar images, only a constantly twisting shadow like a vast metallic vortex! At the center of the shadow, a cold, indifferent, faint blue light, like a cosmic surveillance eye, exuded a heart-pounding aura of control.

"The Stardust Son Project's central control hub—'Cradle.'" Pei Du's voice carried a chilling chill. "My 'birthplace' is also... the source of all my pain. The true owner of that drop of 'Star Core Blood' is there."

Xu Shuangyao stared at the cold, swirling shadow of metal, feeling the pain and hatred from deep within Pei Du's mind. She gripped his hand even tighter. The golden flame mark between his eyebrows shone faintly, conveying a silent warmth of support and protection.

"And..." The star map in Pei Du's palm shifted again, pointing to a completely different coordinate area, one that exuded a warm and ancient aura. That star region was shrouded in a hazy, golden, gauzy nebula. At its center, the shadow of a giant tree, so vast it stretched across the galaxy, could be seen. However, this shadow was incredibly dim, covered in massive fractures and scars, like the gnawed skeleton of a giant beast, emitting an endless sense of sorrow and desolation.

"The Mother Tree of Life... the remains of Yggdrasil." A complex expression flashed through Peidu's eyes. "The source of the Gaia Seed is also... the sacred object originally guarded by the Covenant Stele. Your power originates from this."

He looked at Xu Shuangyao. "The will of the stone tablet...is not evil. Its final guidance is for us to find the core of the Mother Tree's remains—the 'Seed of Eternity.' Only that seed, containing the very essence of life, can completely purify the icy logic of the 'Cradle' and end the reincarnation of the 'Son of Stardust.'"

Xu Shuangyao gazed at the mournful shadow of the giant tree, her clear eyes filled with a resonance and sorrow that stemmed from the very source of life. She could feel the call of the mother tree, the undying vitality buried deep within the wreckage.

"The roadmap is clear." Pei Du put away the star map phantom, and a new flame burned in his molten gold eyes. It was no longer the fire of destruction, but the fire of exploration and protection. "The cold logic of the cradle is a sharp blade hanging over the heads of thousands of civilizations. The reapers are the mad dogs they have unleashed. And the remains of the mother tree are the only fire of redemption."

He turned and met Xu Shuangyao's eyes. The thorn marks on the backs of their clasped hands lit up simultaneously.

"Gaia is already a fortress of rebirth, but it is not the end. The battlefield of the universe requires us to ignite more sparks."

"Our battle has just begun."

"For Gaia, for the Mother Tree, for all the lives that have been strangled by cold logic..."

"Wherever the thorns point, sparks will spread across the land!"

Xu Shuangyao met his burning gaze, her clear eyes free of any hesitation or uncertainty, only the resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Guardian and the unwavering will of the planet. The golden flame mark between her brows burned brightly, juxtaposing the glow of Pei Du's molten gold core.

"Wherever the thorns point, sparks will spread across the land!" She repeated softly. Her voice was not loud, but it was like the heartbeat of a planet, carrying the power to penetrate everything.

As the two clasped hands, the light of the Thorn Mark suddenly grew brighter! A powerful will, a blend of the final order and the vitality of the planet, like an invisible declaration, penetrated the dome of the City of Thorns, penetrated the atmosphere of Gaia, and shot out into the cold and vast depths of space!

A new journey begins at this moment.

The star core watches, and the song of thorns will resound among the stars!