He didn’t finish speaking, but the longing in his eyes said it all.
In the hall of the Crystal Tower, Cassandra was presenting her conquest plans to the other wizards.
A gigantic star map floated in mid-air, marking countless worlds waiting to be conquered.
Each point of light represented a civilization, a potential discovery, an unknown miracle.
"Colleagues, we stand at the crossroads of history."
Cassandra’s voice was full of charisma:
"What unfolds before us is not just more territories or resources, but infinite possibilities.
Every new world has the potential to upend our understanding of reality, every new civilization could bring us unprecedented inspiration."
The wizards’ eyes glistened with greedy light.
Cassandra showcased each framed target:
"Worlds where time flows backward, dimensions where cause and effect are reversed, spaces where the boundaries of life and death are blurred...
Each one is a unique experimental field, each could potentially answer the ultimate mysteries of existence for us."
Perhaps this should be the true motive of conquest.
Not for dominion, but for exploration.
.........
The stars sparkled, endlessly flowing.
In the end, Ron gradually touched upon something far greater.
It was not a specific life or civilization, but some kind of "will" of the universe itself.
This will, like an invisible giant hand, secretly manipulates the development of everything.
Countless civilizations bloom like flowers in the universe.
They are born out of yearning, thrive through exploration, and wither from excessive pursuit.
Then new civilizations are born again, continuing this seemingly eternal cycle.
The withering of every flower of civilization scatters seeds to every corner of the universe.
These seeds, carrying the wisdom and experience of previous civilizations, take root and sprout when the time is right, nurturing new explorers.
The will of the universe seems to consciously cultivate this cycle, implanting the yearning for the unknown into the deep genes of every intelligent race.
As if the universe itself is seeking something, and intelligent life is just a part of its exploration toolkit.
It is searching for some ultimate answer, some way of existing that surpasses all limitations.
Every civilization’s exploration is a part of this search, every destruction is a necessary part of the selection process.
In this macro vision, individual pain and sacrifice become insignificant, what matters is the continuous operation of the whole system.
Civilization is like an experiment, explorers like experimental data, all serving that ultimate goal.
But ironically, even the will of the universe itself doesn’t know what it’s seeking.
It is driven by some deeper yearning, exploring in endless darkness like a blind man feeling an elephant.
This is the truly terrifying aspect of yearning.
It is a loop without a solution, a desire that can never be satisfied.
Every discovery only leads to more questions, every answer reveals deeper mysteries.
.........
When Ron’s consciousness returned from the river of time, the reality of the Meditation Room became strange and illusory.
He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the weight of his body and the temperature of the air, but his mind remained immersed in the deep experience just now.
"What did you see?"
Uther’s voice came from afar, the phantom was so dim it was almost transparent.
Ron was silent for a long time before speaking slowly:
"I saw that the main driving force for civilization to progress is not simple curiosity or ambition, but some more fundamental existential drive."
He raised his head, his eyes shining with profound light:
"Every explorer, every civilization, even the universe itself, is driven by this desire.
We explore not because we want something, but because we cannot stop wanting."
Uther’s phantom nodded slightly:
"That’s why we old folks are always full of sighs, we’ve witnessed too many cycles, too much repetition.
Every generation thinks they found the answer, but the answer always leads to new questions."
"So... does it all have meaning?" Ron asked.
"Meaning?" Uther chuckled lightly:
"Meaning itself is what we yearn for.
We explore to find meaning, but meaning is always in the next discovery, the next answer."
The old professor’s figure began to completely disappear:
"Go, young man. Explore and pursue in your own way.
Maybe you’ll find answers we predecessors have never touched."
"Or, at least you’ll enjoy the process of this search."
With these words, Uther’s phantom dissipated, leaving only faint silver dots floating away in the air.
Ron sat alone in the Meditation Room.
He felt the restlessness in his heart, the strong desire to dive into the unknown and explore the truth.
But he had no intention of getting rid of it.
For a true seeker, a life without yearning is indeed more frightening than death.
That would be a lifeless shell, devoid of all meaning and motivation.
Ron slowly got up, walked to the window, leaned out and gazed at the sky, stars twinkling.
No matter what awaits ahead, he would only continue moving forward.
Not because of bravery, but because there’s no other choice.
Yearning lights the way like a torch and also burns away the path back.
At the end of the road always hides the next mystery, the next discovery.
The next... even greater unknown.