"A Soul Oath? For people like us, you know better than I how many loopholes there are to exploit. What’s more, you’d be the one drafting its terms..."

The Wizard fell silent for a moment. The shadows beneath his hood seemed to undulate slightly.

Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice deeper than before. "Then, Governor, what is it you want? More detailed intelligence? About the Erosion Core?"

Murphy’s voice was clear and cold. "About the Erosion Core, about that temple—of course I need that. But what I want to know more is the Church Court’s true objective in this matter, the secrets behind this whole game."

The two motes of eerie light in the Wizard’s eyes flashed. He seemed surprised, then chuckled, his laughter laced with a playful tone. "The Church Court’s secrets? The truth behind the game? You are the one chosen by the great Enchanting Witch. Don’t tell me... she’s never revealed a single thing to you?"

"Since you know I’m her man," Murphy’s voice didn’t waver, but grew even sharper, "you still dared to try and fool me with such ambiguous intelligence? Did you really think I was completely ignorant, or did you think her name wasn’t enough to make you offer something of real value?"

"Hah..." The Wizard’s laughter now held a note of understanding. "Interesting... It seems even the great Enchanting Witch hasn’t earned your complete trust. Or, should I say, the two of you aren’t entirely honest with each other?"

Murphy neither confirmed nor denied it, merely watching him coldly.

"Very well," the Wizard seemed to give up on probing the matter. He waved his hand dismissively, his dark green cloak brushing against the dry ground and stirring a puff of dust. "In any case, none of this is top secret. At least, above a certain level, it’s a tacit understanding. There’s no harm in telling you."

He gathered his thoughts for a moment before continuing. "Do you know why the Truth Church Court splintered four hundred years ago, giving rise to the Northern Shepherd Chief District?"

Murphy’s gaze narrowed as he waited for the rest.

"On the surface, it was a struggle for power, a dispute over different interpretations of doctrine and secular authority." The Wizard’s voice was tinged with undisguised mockery. "But in reality, one of the root causes was... lifespan."

He paused, his deep gaze seeming to pierce through the shadows of his hood. "That’s right. Lifespan!"

"Don’t be fooled by the Pope’s Holy Throne. He may be recognized as one of the most powerful beings on the Continent, wielding supreme authority and revered by hundreds of millions, but his lifespan is a mere century. He’s no different from any mortal with a fleeting life, and can’t even compare to those beings who have truly achieved longevity."

The Wizard’s tone grew profound. "So, here is the question. When you command immense power, stand at the apex of the mortal world, looking down on the masses like ants... but you discover you still cannot escape the shackles of a mere century-long life. You find you will eventually return to dust just like the mortals you scorn. Would you accept that fate?"

"And would you still accept it, knowing that in some corner of this world, there are groups like us Wizards who actually *can* break the limits of their lifespan through the accumulation of knowledge and power?"

"There has never been a shortage of those among the Church Court’s high command who crave and research longevity. The schism of the Northern Shepherd Chief District was backed by the shadows of those early malcontents. And for the past few centuries, the Church Court has maintained a complex relationship with certain Wizard Organizations—at arm’s length, sometimes as enemies, sometimes as allies. Do you really think that’s just about disputes over faith or territory?"

He let out a soft sneer. "They secretly support, fund, and even collaborate on certain Wizard projects, but their goal has never been so simple. Eliminating heretics? That’s just a side benefit. What they truly want is to unlock the secrets of lifespan, to find a way for themselves—for the entire high command of the Church Court—to break through the limits of a mortal life!"

"Take this incident with the passage in the Iron Ridge Mountain Range. The Church Court reacted so fiercely, even issuing its highest decree and throwing top-tier fighters like you in as if you were disposable. Do you really believe it was just to ’purify evil and defend the Main World’?"

"On the other side of that passage, this Deep Red Wilderness itself—or more precisely, certain ’things’ left behind from the convergence of the two worlds in ancient times—very likely holds clues. Clues about the transformation of life forms, the essence of Energy, and even... clues to extending or transcending the inherent limits of life!"

"The anchor point isn’t just a device to stabilize the passage. It’s very likely also a ’converter’ or a ’resonator,’ one that connects to ancient secrets of life and time that lie buried here!"

The Wizard’s gaze locked onto Murphy. "This—this is the truth! This is why certain powerful figures in the Church Court tolerated, and to some extent even tacitly approved of, this passage being opened! If the passage never opened, how could the secrets buried deep in this realm ever see the light of day? And how would they obtain the key they so desperately covet—the key to breaking the limits of their lifespans?"

After hearing all this, Murphy slowly spoke, raising the key question. "If that’s the case, then why was the Holy City attacked? If their target is the secrets here, why risk letting the situation spiral out of control, to the point of endangering themselves? And..."

He paused. "Why don’t you publicize these secrets to shake the very foundations of the Church Court’s rule?"

"Simple," the Wizard replied without a moment’s hesitation. "Do you think everyone’s interests are aligned? The Church Court is hardly a monolithic bloc. The ones who crave long life, who seek a breakthrough, are the old men at the pinnacle of power, the ones who feel time slipping through their fingers."