270: Teaching and learning go hand in hand, along with unexpected home visits.

The previous experiment regarding the "future information bubble," although it triggered earth-shattering alarms and an unexpected "class," had also acted like a key, opening a new door for Excellence to interact with the Node AI.

He had finally figured out how things worked—it turned out this seemingly rigid "cosmic beat cop" didn't respond well to force, but rather responded better to "tactics."

This strategy, which he privately named "repeatedly jumping on the edge of death to exchange for AI-style nanny technical assistance," sounded extremely unreliable, and executing it was like walking on thin ice; the slightest mistake could trigger some irreversible "purification" protocol.

However, under the control of Excellence's near-instinctive danger intuition, the strict vigilance of Su Mu's constantly tense nerves, and the assistance of Evelyn frantically calculating various parameters and probabilities, this dangerous game actually began to steadily yield surprising "returns."

Excellence even gave his behavior a rather formal and intimidating name—"High-Risk Frontier Concept Exploratory Practice and Knowledge Verification Application Process," or "Jump-Jump" Project for short.

Before each execution, he would act like the most rigorous scientist, dragging Evelyn and White Elder to repeatedly deduce, setting up multi-layer energy thresholds, precise time windows, redundant safety barriers, and emergency interruption plans.

The core principle was: one had to "jump" high enough and be stimulating enough to attract the Node AI's "deep attention" and "desire for technical guidance," while also ensuring that a sturdy "safety rope" was tied to his feet, allowing for a stable "landing" at the very last moment before triggering its "stern warning" or even "forced intervention" red line.

"What's the 'jump' theme for today?" It was another afternoon. Su Mu watched Excellence, who was gesturing at the air in the corner of the leisure center, clearly conceiving new ideas again. Her tone had shifted from initial sheer terror to a flat, slightly helpless tone mixed with a sense of watching a show.

She even brewed herself a cup of tea and found a comfortable spot to sit, ready to "watch the battle."

Excellence turned his head at the sound, his eyes flashing with the excitement before an experiment: "Today we're playing something 'hardcore,' Squad Leader. Last time we touched the edges of 'information' and 'possibility'; this time, let's explore the bottom line of 'matter'."

"The bottom line of 'matter'?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow.

"That's right!" Excellence rubbed his hands, as if preparing a grand feast. "Look, that World Devourer thing, isn't it claimed to be able to devour everything and convert energy? I've been pondering, its devouring process must essentially involve the destruction, disassembly, and reorganization of the most basic structures of matter. We won't simulate its violent devouring behavior—that's too dangerous, and the energy signature is too obvious. We'll just simulate a little bit, just a tiny bit of that 'structural destruction'... 'trend,' or rather, 'intention'."

He extended his finger, gesturing a tiny distance: "It won't involve any real matter. I'll just use my Power of Order to simulate a 'conceptual field' that 'wants to destroy but hasn't started yet.' As for the intensity... let me think, controlled to the level where a single hair could develop the 'thought' of breaking in the middle, but in reality, not even the weakest stress would be generated. I'll only capture its 'spirit' without bestowing its 'form'."

White Elder, who had just walked over, heard this idea, stroked his beard, and pondered for a long while before slowly saying: "This idea... is very tricky, and also has quite a bit of the flavor of 'taking an unconventional path, with the intent preceding the sword.' Simulating the 'intention of destruction' rather than the destruction itself, like sketching the 'sharpness' of a blade without actually swinging it, can indeed greatly reduce the actual threat and energy fluctuations, while precisely pointing to the essence of the relevant rules. However..."

The old man looked at Excellence, his gaze evaluative: "How can you ensure that this 'intention' you simulate is sufficiently 'like' that cold, greedy 'structural disintegration' trend originating from the World Devourer, without descending into superficial agitation or chaos? And how can you guarantee that this simulated 'intention of destruction' won't, by being too 'realistic,' trigger the real 'destruction' rules in the environment, even by a tiny bit?"

"That's where your masterful array formation comes in!" Excellence chuckled, his tone carrying just the right amount of flattery and trust. "My idea is to have you set up a composite 'conceptual cage.' The outer layer uses the most stable entrapment and isolation arrays to ensure that energy and concepts never leak out; the middle layer uses illusion and mimicry arrays to provide a 'stage' where this 'intention' can 'perform' but is absolutely illusory; the innermost layer is inversely embedded with some 'stability,' 'toughness,' and 'existence enhancement' concept seeds to form a logical 'absolute defense.' This way, the 'intention of destruction' we simulate is locked inside an absolutely safe glass jar. It has the strong urge to 'destroy everything' but can't find any object to destroy, and even the 'path' to destruction is locked by rules. We only extract its 'characteristic spectrum,' like extracting a fingerprint, and bring it out for our 'good neighbor' to appreciate."

Evelyn also joined the discussion. She had already opened her portable data pad and started quickly building an energy model: "Theoretically, it's feasible, Excellence. However, the concept of 'destruction' itself is considered to have extremely strong 'corrosiveness' and 'contagiousness' in the myths and psychology of many civilizations. Even if we are only simulating its 'intention' and restricting it within multiple arrays, it may still have potential, subtle influences on your spirit as the simulator. It's like staring into the abyss for a long time... Excellence, are you sure your mind can remain stable and not be tainted by this simulated, pure 'desire for disintegration'?"

"Don't worry, sister Evelyn!" Excellence patted his chest, his smile full of confidence. "I'm someone who has personally experienced the corrosive whisper of the 'Return to Void' and faced the purification of Order from 'Xuan' head-on. I can't say much else, but when it comes to resisting various 'conceptual pollutions' and 'mental interference,' my willpower has at least been tempered by fire! Besides," he touched the warm "heart-clearing pendant" on his chest, "isn't there this treasure to back me up? It's very sensitive to these things."

Seeing that the trio's plan was set and well-considered, Su Mu, although still feeling a bit nervous, didn't object further. She just silently moved her seat back, further away from the expected "experimental area."

No sooner said than done. After White Elder spent nearly an hour meticulously setting up the layered, shimmering composite arrays, and after Evelyn calibrated all monitoring instruments and activated additional energy shielding fields, Excellence stood at the "operation position" in the center of the array, which was specifically left with enough space for only one person.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and completely calmed his mind. The stable energy of White Elder's array around him was like a warm cocoon, and Evelyn's shielding field brought a sense of absolute security. He needed to touch and simulate an absolutely unsafe concept within this absolutely safe environment.

The Power of Order flowed slowly within him, no longer the usual warm, bright, silver-white color that carried the meaning of vitality and protection. Under the guidance of his will, the Power of Order began to become obscure and stagnant, emitting a cold "meaning" that instinctively made one feel uneasy. He controlled it carefully, not to simulate the violent release of "destruction" or the greedy seizure of "devouring," but trying to capture and reproduce that more underlying, more fundamental—"internal trend of structural disintegration."

This was difficult. The Power of Order itself tended toward defining, stabilizing, and constructing, but now he had to make it express an opposite trend. Excellence felt his control over the power become exceptionally arduous, as if paddling through viscous asphalt. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, but his gaze was incomparably focused.

Gradually, between his palms, which were loosely cupped, an extremely tiny, almost invisible energy field slowly took shape. This field had no dazzling light, no violent fluctuations, and not even a fixed form. But it existed and emitted an extremely faint, yet incredibly clear "meaning"—it was a cold, fatalistic "trend" as if everything was destined to collapse, decompose, and dissipate. It was firmly restricted within the invisible "conceptual cage" in the center of the array, like a ghost trapped in an absolutely transparent, absolutely sturdy glass bottle, leaving only the purest, unrealizable desire for destruction.

The moment this weak "structural disintegration trend field" finally stabilized, the silver hexagonal Node that had been floating on the other side of the leisure center, seemingly "watching" quietly, suddenly saw the blue light steadily flickering on its surface brighten significantly, entering an obvious "high attention" mode. The blue light flickered in a fast and regular rhythm, clearly mobilizing resources to deeply scan and analyze this newly appeared, special "phenomenon."

This time, there were no shrill alarms, but the "interest" shown by the Node was clearly much stronger than when dealing with most "bait."

A few seconds later, the Node AI's familiar, flat electronic voice sounded, but the speaking speed seemed slightly faster than usual:

"Detected low-intensity, high-conceptual-similarity 'entropy increase tendency' simulation field. Simulation target points to: 'structural stability disintegration' basic trend. Simulation accuracy after preliminary analysis: approximately 0.05%. Threat level assessment: extremely low (currently within multiple high-Order suppression and isolation fields, no target for action, the conceptual field itself is extremely weak). Energy spectrum and action mode comparison: 3.8% similarity with the 'prelude interference ripples' generated during the primary digestion stage of the 'World Devourer' (archived number: D-113); approximately 0.2% similarity with the edge characteristics of the passive dissipation field of the 'Entropy Demon' (archived high-dimensional threat entity - number: E-7742)."

"Record: Observation target 'Excellence,' at standard time XX:XX, once again proactively conducted a conceptual simulation experiment involving high-risk basic rules (entropy, structural disintegration). Experimental safety control measures are complete, and no detectable impact on the real material structure and information environment has been caused."

"According to the 'Seventh Sub-bureau Supplementary Regulations on Behavior Guidance and Standardization for Highly Active Observation Targets (Trial Version),' a brief explanation and risk warning regarding the relevant basic concepts touched upon by this simulation experiment are provided now—"

The Node AI began to expound in that monotone voice:

"'Entropy,' within The Council's general basic science framework, does not simply refer to 'chaos' or 'destruction.' A more precise description is: a physical quantity characterizing the 'degree of disorder' of microscopic particle movement within an isolated system or the 'spontaneous decrease trend of structural Order.' The devouring behavior of existences like the 'World Devourer' can essentially be regarded as an extreme acceleration and directional guidance of the 'entropy increase' process, and in this process, it plunders the energy and information fragments released by the disintegration of material structure."

"For lower civilizations, defensive or counterattack strategies to combat such threats involving 'entropy increase' and 'structural disintegration' include but are not limited to: constructing local 'anti-entropy' or 'negative entropy flow' systems (extremely high difficulty); strengthening the 'definition' and 'stability' of key structures (basic means); establishing targeted 'information shielding' or 'concept filtering' layers; and exploring the possibility of using specific 'concepts' or 'rules' for hedging and offsetting (high-Order application)."

"Regarding the specific structure of observation target 'Excellence's' current simulation experiment, a total of 13 energy Nodes were detected to be improperly placed, and conceptual anchoring was unstable, which easily leads to the dissipation of the simulation field's own structure or the dilution of the conceptual 'intention.' Basic optimization suggestions are provided as follows: 1. Strengthen the directedness and purity of the core 'disintegration trend' simulation, avoiding the introduction of irrelevant emotional color (such as anger, greed); 2. Add 'conceptual reflection' and 'logically self-consistent closed-loop' structures at the energy boundary of the simulation field to prevent the simulator's own consciousness from being subjected to weak reverse erosion; 3. Consider introducing a trace amount of 'time dilation' concept fragments (if available) to observe the performance differences of the 'disintegration trend' under different time Perceptions (this item is an advanced idea, requiring extremely high control)..."

Another series of detailed and in-depth technical critiques and conceptual expansions! Although still remaining at the level of principles and directions, for Evelyn and White Elder, this was undoubtedly dropping a bombshell of knowledge! "Entropy," "negative entropy," "conceptual hedging," "time Perception influence"... these terms and the corner of the vast theoretical system vaguely revealed behind them made them feel both shocked and full of the desire to explore. Many fuzzy areas and inexplicable phenomena encountered in previous research now seemed to have their outlines illuminated by a faint but clear beam of light.

Excellence, however, more keenly grasped a fleeting new term in the Node AI's words—"Entropy Demon (E-7742)." A high-dimensional threat entity that had already been officially archived by The Council, sounded difficult to deal with, and seemed to have some connection to the "World Devourer" but was different. Just knowing that such a thing (or class of things) existed in the universe was, in itself, extremely valuable intelligence.

"This 'tuition fee' was really worth paying!" Excellence cheered inwardly while quickly memorizing every word of the Node AI. Although most of those high-Order theories sounded like gibberish to him right now, he would just swallow them whole for now; one day he would be able to digest them.

Since then, the "Jump" project entered a new, more systematic, and targeted phase.

Excellence was like a tireless explorer, holding a fragmented "map" "tricked" out of the Node AI, repeatedly testing the edges of the minefield known as "High-Risk Concepts," never tiring of it.

Today, he tried to simulate a faint precursor to the "concept parasitism and emotional assimilation" of the Lord of the Grand Feast (which the Node AI pointed out with pinpoint accuracy was closer to crude "mental pollution," briefly explaining how "concept parasitism" achieves "assimilation" by tampering with the cognitive foundation, whereas "mental pollution" is more about forcibly overwriting or distorting surface consciousness, with essential differences in mechanism and depth).

Tomorrow, he would fiddle with reproducing a faint sense of "information vacuum" that the Dream Weaver might generate when extracting future possibilities (evaluated by the AI as "a poorly structured imitation, possessing only its hollow appearance, failing to touch the core dynamics of the entanglement and mutual generation of 'possibilities' and 'information'," with an additional explanation of the complex and exquisite relationship between "information" as a "carrier of Order" and "possibilities" as a "set of uncollapsed states").

The day after, on a whim, he wanted to touch upon the cold oppression brought by the "Absolute Order Framework" of "Xuan" (this time the AI's commentary carried obvious "disdain": "The simulated Order framework lacks internal logical self-consistency and evolutionary tolerance, possessing only the appearance of coerciveness and exclusivity, easily triggering rule conflicts and structural embrittlement," and rarely added a few more words about the conceptual differences between different "Order" schools regarding "definition sources," "execution scales," and "compatibility design").

Every "Jump," regardless of success, could precisely elicit a "professional critique" and "extended popular science" from the Node AI.

The comments always ruthlessly pointed out "crudeness," "inefficiency," and "fundamental fallacies," but the subsequent optimization suggestions, conceptual clarifications, and directional guidance were like the most precise scalpel, cutting through the fog and pointing straight to the core.

Under this high-intensity, high-quality "information feeding," Evelyn's personal knowledge base expanded frantically at an unprecedented speed.

Although many high-dimensional theories could currently only be stored as "conjectures" or "background knowledge," her scientific research vision and thinking methods had been completely refreshed, and she could often come up with brilliant new ideas when solving existing technical problems.

The harvest for White Elder was equally huge.

His understanding of arrays was no longer limited to the arrangement and combination of energy and the invocation of the power of heaven and earth; he began to deeply consider the "rule definition," "conceptual bearing," and "information interaction" attributes contained within the arrays.

He integrated some of the concepts he grasped from the Node AI's few words into the improvement of the arrays, making the base's defense system, energy circulation efficiency, and even the environmental simulation capabilities of the training ground undergo significant, qualitative changes.

The one who benefited the most was naturally Excellence himself.

This cycle of "theory guiding practice, practice feeding back into theory" made his understanding and application of the Power of Order advance rapidly.

He began to no longer be satisfied with simply "crafting" equipment or energy structures but tried to integrate "components" that sounded high-end, such as "information reflection layers," "entropy buffer structures," and "concept hedging arrays" mentioned by the Node AI, into his attack, defense, and auxiliary skills in a way he could currently understand.

Although these attempts were mostly still at a very rudimentary stage of "conceptual attachment" or "morphological imitation," with limited power increases, the diversity and future potential they displayed made both the watching White Elder and Evelyn feel surprised.

Of course, there is no free lunch in the world, and The Council's "knowledge" even less so.

Every time a "Jump" experiment ended successfully (or, one could say, safely), the base's main control terminal would always, on time and to the minute, receive a "Resource Consumption Compensation List" from the "sentry-7391b" Node.

The items on the list were varied, from "extra energy consumption for high-risk protocol pre-trigger monitoring systems" and "dynamic risk assessment matrix computing resource usage fees" to "passive activation wear and tear depreciation of concept purification force fields" and "temporary expansion and maintenance fees for high-dimensional information interaction channels," all written solemnly and down to the last detail.

Fortunately, the amount was always controlled within a range that the Homeland base could easily afford, even being a bit of "drizzle."

Excellence and his team were long used to this, even jokingly calling it "tuition fees" or "experimental equipment wear and tear fees," and paid it quite readily.

Just as Excellence was gradually immersing himself in this virtuous cycle of "training the AI, acquiring knowledge, and improving himself," full of excitement and a sense of achievement, and almost becoming "lost in pleasure," an unexpected variable, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, suddenly shattered everything.

This time, what came was not an "Order Purifier" like "Xuan," nor the minions of the World Devourer, and not even any known enemy.

What came was—someone from The Council.

On a seemingly ordinary day, Excellence had just finished a small-scale simulation experiment on "how to embed self-repair logic into energy structures" (inspired by the "structural stability and negative entropy maintenance" mentioned by the Node AI last time).

He was huddled together with Evelyn and Su Mu, enthusiastically discussing the possible technical paths behind the Node AI's subsequent suggestion on "introducing a micro 'negative entropy flow closed-loop' to enhance structural durability and anti-interference capability."

Suddenly, the silver hexagonal Node in the center of the recreation center, which most of the time just flickered with blue light quietly, erupted without warning into a light that was completely different from any previous time!

It was no longer the blue representing calm observation, nor the glaring Deep Blue of alarms, but a soft, pale golden light with a unique rhythm and texture!

The light was not dazzling, yet it carried an indescribable "sense of presence" and "authority," instantly attracting everyone's gaze.

Immediately after, an even more astonishing change occurred.

The hexagonal structure on the surface of the Node began to rotate, decompose, and recombine at an unprecedented speed, no longer a simple projected light screen, but as if "weaving" a more solid, clearer, almost indistinguishable from real, three-dimensional image in the void.

What appeared in the image was no longer cold text or abstract data streams, but a vivid, detailed portrait.

It was a woman, whose specific age could not be determined, with delicate features and distinct lines, carrying a rational sense of beauty.

She wore a pair of simple, rimless crystal glasses with lenses reflecting a faint blue shimmer.

Her eyes behind the lenses were calm and profound, her gaze so sharp that it seemed capable of piercing through the phantom and landing directly into the depths of the observer's soul.

She wore a perfectly tailored, exquisite silver-gray uniform, with a simple style full of futuristic technological feel, and a hexagonal badge similar to the emblem on the Node but with more complex and exquisite patterns on her left chest.

She had neat, short silver hair, meticulous in every detail, and her whole person exuded a powerful aura of competence, calmness, and extreme professionalism from the inside out, as well as a faint, unquestionable majesty derived from a higher-level civilization.

"Notice."

The woman's voice came through the Node, clear, stable, and carrying a unique rhythm that seemed to have been optimally processed; it was not an electronically synthesized sound, but a real, textured human voice.

Her gaze swept over the few people in front of the Node and finally landed precisely on Excellence's face.

"Pan-Dimensional Civilization Observation and Mediation Council, Seventh Sub-bureau, Special Investigator, codename 'Clear Mirror'."

She stated her identity with a steady speaking speed, every word carrying official rigor, "Based on the series of abnormal behavior reports No. 114514 continuously uploaded by the observation Node 'sentry-7391b' left by Special Agent CZ-7391, and the preliminary review opinion of the 'Potential Assessment and Special Sample Department' of the Seventh Sub-bureau, in accordance with Chapter 7 of the 'Pan-Dimensional Civilization Observation Basic Law,' the 'Seventh Sub-bureau Jurisdiction Special Observation Target Management Measures,' and related regulations, we are now conducting a periodic review and potential assessment field investigation procedure for the observation target individual 'Excellence' (ID: HJ-AT-0047) and its affiliated 'Homeland' civilization."

"Repeat, this is a formal official investigation procedure, possessing corresponding authority and validity. Please cooperate."

In the recreation center, the air seemed to freeze instantly.

The excited expression on Excellence's face, immersed in the knowledge discussion, froze completely, slowly transforming into astonishment and vigilance.

Su Mu and Evelyn were also stunned, looking at each other, and both saw uncertain alarm in each other's eyes.

White Elder had silently stood half a step in front of Excellence at some point, his old but still clear eyes slightly narrowed, his gaze like lightning, tightly locking onto the woman in the light screen who called herself "Clear Mirror."

Field investigation? Periodic review? Potential assessment?

These words combined were like a basin of cold water poured over everyone's hearts.

They had been dealing with The Council until now, always separated by a layer—separated by a cold Node running according to fixed programs.

Although they interacted frequently and were even "using" this Node to some extent, it had always been an indirect, unofficial contact with a sense of wishful thinking.

Now, this behemoth, The Council, actually sent "people" directly? And official personnel with the title of "Special Investigator"?

Was it because the "Jump" project was played too hard, touching The Council's sensitive nerves and attracting investigation and accountability?

Or was it that Excellence's previous "high activity" and "high potential" performances finally attracted the "interest" and "attention" of a higher level?

Regardless of which possibility it was, it clearly conveyed a signal: the previously relatively "free" days of messing around within a small scope were likely coming to an end.

"...Investigator... Madam, hello." Excellence was the fastest to recover from the shock.

He quickly adjusted his facial muscles, trying his best to squeeze out a smile that looked as innocent, sincere, and even a bit flattered as possible (although he himself felt this smile might be a bit stiff), "Welcome... uh, to 'Homeland'! That... the abnormal behavior report you just mentioned, and the potential assessment, this... is there any misunderstanding? We have always been well-behaved and are very grateful for The Council's previous... care."

"There is no need for meaningless defense or emotional statements."

Clear Mirror's tone was calm and waveless, neither softening because of Excellence's "welcome" nor showing impatience because of his probing, as if she were just stating an objective fact, "'sentry-7391b' Node has completely recorded the behavioral logs of the observation target 'Excellence' for a total of 47 times involving different high-risk concept simulations, rule-edge probes, and non-standard information interaction requests over the past three standard observation cycles.

Its behavioral frequency, the breadth of concepts involved, and the progressive trend of risk have all significantly exceeded the conventional observation expectations for a 'newly promoted sub-civilization individual'."

She paused for a moment, seemingly retrieving data, and then continued in that steady tone: "At the same time, based on the integrated data feedback from the Node and preliminary analysis, 'Excellence' has shown 'outstanding potential' in the adaptability to the Power of Order, abstract concept comprehension, rule structure imitation ability, and creative application, which does not match the average development level of its civilization.

Its behavioral pattern fits the 'High Potential, High Activity, High Uncertainty (3H)' characteristic model defined in the 'Sub-bureau Special Target Identification Manual.'

According to The Council's related regulations and the Seventh Sub-bureau's internal management procedures, for such identified targets, a periodic field review mechanism needs to be initiated to update the comprehensive assessment database, adjust subsequent observation and interaction strategies, and, when necessary, provide compliant guidance and behavioral boundary limitations."

Her words were clear and logical, her wording rigorous, and every judgment seemed to be supported by data, but the information contained within made Excellence's heart sink slightly.

"47 high-risk concept simulations, rule-edge probes"—this was almost like packaging up all the experimental records of the "Jump" project and uploading them!

Sure enough, there is no wall that doesn't let wind through; in the eyes of the true "administrator," their little tricks were fully exposed.

"High Potential, High Activity, High Uncertainty"—this "3H" evaluation, "High Potential" sounds like a compliment, "High Activity" is also neutral, but that "High Uncertainty" is meaningful; it's almost like stamping "requires key monitoring, behavior difficult to predict" on the file.

"Provide compliant guidance and behavioral boundary limitations"—translated, isn't this just "personally coming down to discipline and setting rules"?

"That... Investigator Madam," Excellence carefully organized his language, trying to struggle a bit more, "Our previous... uh, exploratory behaviors, the original intention was absolutely to deepen the understanding of universal rules and enhance the civilization's self-preservation capability!

We know we are small and hold the greatest respect for The Council.

All... interactions were conducted under the premise of ensuring absolute safety, absolutely without any intention of provoking rules or abusing resources!

You see, the Node has never judged us to have any substantial threat..."

"Individual subjective motives are not the core basis for the assessment in this on-site investigation." Clear Mirror directly interrupted Excellence's explanation. Her tone remained devoid of fluctuation, yet carried an unquestionable authority. "Motives are mutable and prone to concealment. The Council's assessment system focuses more on objectively observable behavioral patterns, consequences of behavior, ability growth curves, and their objective impact on the civilization as a whole and its surrounding environment. This investigation will conduct a systematic review and comprehensive evaluation based on multidimensional objective indicators, including on-site data collection, standardized ability tests, and situational interaction feedback, regarding the potential direction, current risk level, and controllability index of the individual 'Excellence,' as well as the stability, development, and potential risks of the 'Homeland' civilization as a whole."

"On-site testing?" Excellence keenly caught the keyword, his heart tightening. "What kind of testing?"

"A series of standardized and non-standardized assessment projects designed to evaluate your fundamental control precision of the Power of Order, the depth of your understanding of high-risk rule concepts, your ability to apply and translate rule knowledge in practical situations, and your understanding of and willingness to comply with The Council's basic behavioral norms." Clear Mirror pushed up her pale blue crystal glasses; a faint stream of data seemed to flash across the lenses and vanish. "The testing will take place within the 'Homeland' base in an area designated by me that meets safety standards. I will conduct remote supervision and data recording through the 'sentry-7391b' Node, which will provide the necessary environmental simulation and testing assistance. The testing process will be recorded in its entirety, and all data will serve as the core basis for the final assessment report."

"What will the results of the test... determine?" Su Mu couldn't help but interject, her voice laced with undisguised worry.

"The assessment results will directly affect the following areas:" Clear Mirror's gaze turned to Su Mu, her tone still flat but her answer very clear. "First, the official 'Observation Level' and 'Civilization Development Potential Rating' of the 'Homeland' civilization within the jurisdiction of the Seventh Sub-bureau. Second, the 'resource quota' and 'priority' for the 'Homeland' civilization to apply for non-confidential intelligence, limited technical consultation, or other compliant services from The Council in the future. Third, the Seventh Sub-bureau's 'risk warning and response support inclination' regarding 'external threats' that the 'Homeland' civilization may encounter, in accordance with regulations. Fourth, the 'follow-up handling and development suggestions' for the observed individual 'Excellence'."

She paused slightly, as if weighing her words, and then added: "The spectrum of 'handling and development suggestions' is quite broad. Depending on the assessment results, it may include: maintaining the existing basic observation mode; initiating 'guidance and standardization processes' in specific areas; providing limited 'potential development resources'; imposing 'specific behavioral restrictions' if the risk assessment rises; or... if the comprehensive assessment deems the 'uncertainty' risk too high and it may cause uncontrollable harm to itself or the environment, initiating further control measures including 'isolation observation'."

The four words "isolation observation" pierced into everyone's hearts like an ice pick. This was absolutely no joke; given the level and capabilities displayed by The Council, so-called "isolation observation" was likely no different from "imprisonment" or "sealing"!

"Of course," Clear Mirror seemed to perceive the sudden tension in the atmosphere. Her tone still lacked any element of comfort; she simply added in a matter-of-fact manner, "Based on the preliminary analysis of past data uploaded by the 'sentry-7391b' Node, the current risk assessment for the individual 'Excellence' is tentatively set as 'moderately controllable,' and the overall stability assessment for the 'Homeland' civilization is 'good.' As long as performance in the subsequent on-site testing meets or exceeds the data model's predictions, the comprehensive assessment results will likely lead to positive adjustments, such as increasing the observation level and potentially gaining certain compliant resource access privileges. In principle, The Council maintains an attitude of observation, encouragement, and limited guidance toward emerging civilizations and individuals that demonstrate positive development potential and a certain degree of controllability."

This sounded like a statement of a "high probability" optimistic outlook, but combined with Clear Mirror's expression, which was devoid of any emotional ripples from beginning to end, and her business-like tone, it always made one feel that this was more like a standard set of "soothing rhetoric" written in an operations manual, the authenticity of which needed a big question mark.

"When will the investigation procedure begin?" Wang Jianguo's steady voice came through the suddenly connected public communication channel. He had clearly received the news and had quickly entered a state of maximum alert. His voice held little emotion, only the calmness belonging to a leader.

"In one hour." Clear Mirror looked up, as if she could see Wang Jianguo on the other end of the communication through the Node. "I need to perform deep data synchronization with the 'sentry-7391b' Node to calibrate the test environment parameters. One hour from now, the test will take place in the area you have designated as 'Training Area 3.' Please ensure that this area is cleared and meets basic safety standards. Observed target 'Excellence,' please adjust your state and prepare during this time. Other relevant personnel of the 'Homeland' civilization may watch from the designated observation area outside the testing site, but must strictly comply: you must not interfere with the testing process in any form or by any means, and you must not transmit any suggestive information to the test subject. Any violations will be recorded by the Node and will directly lead to the 'failure' of this assessment."

Having finished speaking, Clear Mirror's 3D image nodded slightly to everyone again—a standard, distant, ceremonial gesture. Immediately, that pale golden light, along with her figure, slowly dissipated into the air like an erased ink drawing. The silver Node returned to its usual state, its blue light flickering steadily, as if that oppressive "home visit" opening had never happened.

But the heavy and tense atmosphere permeating the leisure center clearly told everyone: everything was real.

"Looks like the little tricks we were pulling under the 'parents'' noses have finally been caught red-handed by the 'homeroom teacher'." Excellence rubbed his nose and gave a wry smile, attempting to use banter to ease the atmosphere. "This is going to be a 'surprise diagnostic test' combined with a 'comprehensive quality assessment'. Quite the setup."

"It's all your fault! All you know how to do is mess around all day! Constantly provoking that metal lump in different ways!" Su Mu was angry and anxious, her eyes turning slightly red. "Now look! You've gone and summoned a proper 'superior leader'! That 'Clear Mirror' is clearly not to be trifled with; her gaze is like an X-ray! What if, what if there's a slip-up in the test and they really lock you up for 'isolation observation'? What are you supposed to do... what are we supposed to do?" Her voice trembled as she finished speaking.

"What are you panicking for?" Excellence took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the unease in his heart. Instead, a spirit of defiance ignited in his eyes. "If it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, there's no avoiding it. Since The Council has clearly laid out their forces to 'examine' us, then let's play along with them! It's a good opportunity for us to probe the bottom line of this 'universal neighborhood committee,' see how deep their cultivation really goes, and what they want to do with us 'country cousins'!"

"Excellence's words are not without merit as a way to cope." White Elder spoke slowly, the old man's voice steady, carrying a calmness that had weathered many storms. "This woman, 'Clear Mirror'—observing her words and actions, her aura is composed, her gaze is clear. Although cold and aloof, and strictly business, she is not an unreasonable or bullying sort. The 'testing' and 'assessment' she spoke of, while carrying the intent of scrutiny and discipline, may not necessarily be without opportunity. If handled properly and performed excellently, perhaps we really can, as she said, obtain some increase in 'Observation Level,' or even limited 'resource allocation.' Misfortune and fortune are interdependent; things are determined by human effort."

Evelyn also quickly calmed down from the initial shock and began to analyze rationally: "From the fragments of information revealed by 'Clear Mirror,' it seems there is indeed a complete process within The Council for identifying, assessing, and guiding (or controlling) 'high-potential targets.' Excellence's previous actions, which seemed a bit 'foolish' to us, were likely converted into data in the Node's AI records that proved his 'high activity' and 'special potential.' Now, they have sent an investigator to conduct a more precise 'on-site verification.' The key lies in how we can, during the test, fully demonstrate Excellence's value and potential—proving we are 'useful'—while cleverly controlling the exhibition of 'risk' and 'uncertainty'—proving we are 'controllable.' This is a challenge that requires precise balance."

"Demonstrate value, prove controllability..." Excellence repeated these two phrases, his eyes flickering, his brain working at high speed. "I have a rough idea. Isn't it just a test? We're 'honor students' who have snatched people from the jaws of the 'Return to Void,' gone head-to-head with a perverted BOSS like 'Xuan,' and survived. Are we afraid of a 'diagnostic test' from him? Squad leader, Sister Evelyn, Elder White Elder, don't worry, I know how to 'answer the questions'."

Although the words were said lightly, everyone present knew in their hearts that the difficulty and significance of this "test," led by a special investigator from The Council, were by no means comparable to any training or assessment within the "Homeland." The vision, standards, and judgment system represented by Clear Mirror were currently difficult for them to fully fathom. This was not only an exploration of the limits of Excellence's personal ability, but also a serious scrutiny of the overall heritage, adaptability, and future potential of the "Homeland" civilization.

The one hour of preparation time passed in a flash.

The base's Third Training Area was now completely cleared. According to the precise parameters transmitted by Clear Mirror through the Node, a transparent barrier with faint energy ripples had been temporarily raised inside the training area, clearly to isolate any energy leakage or rule disturbance that might be generated by the test. Excellence stood alone in the center of the field. He had changed into training clothes suitable for movement, his expression calm, his eyes focused, and he was making final adjustments to his breathing. Su Mu, Evelyn, White Elder, Wang Jianguo, and a few core personnel were in the observation area specially opened up above the side of the field, made of one-way transparent material, watching the scene below with bated breath.

The silver "sentry-7391b" Node was now hovering directly above the training area. A faint golden halo flowed on the surface of the Node, originating from the same source as the light when Clear Mirror appeared earlier. The hexagonal structure of the Node projected a clear 3D phantom of Clear Mirror. She was still that calm and professional figure, seemingly holding a virtual recording board made of light and shadow, with data streams constantly refreshing.

"Testing procedure initiated. Item One: Evaluation of fundamental Power of Order control precision and micro-manipulation ability." Clear Mirror didn't have any superfluous pleasantries or explanations; she immediately announced the start in her steady, uninflected voice. "Observed target 'Excellence,' please use your Power of Order to construct three basic energy-concept structures on-site, in accordance with the following specified parameters and structural requirements."

As soon as she finished speaking, three clear structural blueprints, a detailed list of energy parameters, and conceptual attachment requirements were projected directly into the void in front of Excellence in a 3D form.

"Structure One: An absolutely stable spherical field where internal energy can form a perfect self-circulation, diameter range: 9.8 to 10.2 centimeters, energy dissipation rate must be less than 0.01% per second. Structure Two: An Order chain capable of autonomous morphological change, able to sequentially simulate the basic physical properties of three different materials: 'high-hardness metal,' 'high-toughness fluid,' and 'specific plant fiber.' The simulation similarity must reach over 85%, and the morphology switching time interval must not exceed 0.5 seconds. Structure Three: A 'dual-state concept module' with basic information storage and simple logical judgment response functions, requiring stable storage of the two basic opposing concepts of 'light' and 'dark,' and capable of accurately releasing the corresponding conceptual influence when receiving clear instructions of 'excite-light' or 'excite-dark,' producing light and shadow effects that conform to the definitions."

"Total time limit: fifteen standard minutes. Now, timing begins."

In the observation area, Evelyn and White Elder exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. These three tests, while seemingly basic, actually covered the stability of energy control, the precision of morphological and property changes of the Power of Order, and the preliminary understanding, definition, and logical application ability of abstract "concepts." Especially the third item, the "dual-state concept module," which already touched upon the edge of creating "conceptual creations" with simple "rule response" functions, was a direct assessment of the deep application of the "definition" attribute of the Power of Order, with a difficulty far exceeding general energy demonstrations.

Excellence's gaze quickly swept over the three requirements; there was no look of difficulty on his face. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and completely excluded all distracting thoughts. When he opened his eyes again, only pure focus and a silvery-white glimmer remained in them.

He slowly raised his hands, palms facing each other. The warm and bright silvery-white Power of Order flowed naturally from his body like a waking stream, gathering between his palms. For the first item, the energy sphere, he hardly thought about it, as if he had practiced it a thousand times. Under his exquisite control, the Power of Order quickly formed a perfectly round sphere of light. Inside the sphere, the energy flow formed a perfect closed loop, without the slightest stagnation or conflict. The diameter was exactly ten centimeters, and the energy fluctuations on the surface were as stable as if they were stationary. The entire process was smooth and flowing, taking less than two minutes.

Then, with a thought, the Power of Order flowed and shifted, separating a wisp from the sphere, which rapidly elongated and condensed in his hand, transforming into a slender chain shimmering with a metallic luster.

The chain seemed to possess life, swaying gently according to his will.

First, the surface of the chain took on a cold, hard alloy luster, emitting a crisp, clanging sound as it struck the ground, demonstrating excellent hardness simulation;

Immediately after, the chain suddenly softened, like mercury spilling onto the ground, flexibly maneuvering around several obstacles, displaying the suppleness and formlessness of a fluid;

Finally, a wooden texture appeared on the chain's surface, and it even emitted a faint, fresh scent of vegetation, as if it had truly transformed into a piece of ancient vine.

The transition between the three forms was smooth and natural, and the simulated physical properties were remarkably lifelike, far exceeding the 85% requirement.

The second item took about three minutes.

The successful completion of the first two items did not make Excellence relax in the slightest; his attention was entirely focused on the third, and most difficult, item—the "Dual-State Conceptual Module."

He did not rush to act but instead closed his eyes, seemingly engaged in complex construction and deduction in his mind.

His understanding of "light" and "darkness" had long since transcended simple brightness and darkness.

In his Perception, "light" was the manifestation of energy, the carrier of information, and the harbinger of warmth, hope, and existence; "darkness" was not void, but another form of energy, the concealment of information, and the possibility of stillness, the unknown, and gestation.

The two were interdependent, defining each other, and on a higher level, they constituted a dynamic balance.

He needed to use the Power of Order to "define" this understanding and endow it with simple logical response capabilities.

Under the guidance of his will, the Power of Order began to perform extremely precise and complex operations.

It was no longer a matter of simple shaping or conferring properties, but rather the weaving of "conceptual encoding" and "logic circuits" at the microscopic level.

He carefully separated two wisps of the Power of Order with distinct properties—one bright and active, the other deep and still—to serve as the core carriers for the concepts of "light" and "darkness," respectively.

Then, using finer threads of the Power of Order, he constructed an extremely tiny, stable double-helix structure, embedding the two cores within it to form a balanced state that was both independent and interrelated.

Finally, he introduced the most basic "if-then" logic circuit: when a specific "excitation-light" command fluctuation was received, it would strengthen the bright core, suppress the still core, and release the "light" concept influence; the opposite would occur otherwise.

This process was extremely mentally taxing; fine beads of sweat appeared on Excellence's forehead at a visible rate, and his breathing became slightly rapid.

He had to be fully focused, maintaining the absolute stability of the structure to prevent the two opposing concepts from conflicting within the confined space and causing the module to collapse, while also ensuring the precision and response speed of the logic circuits.

Time passed second by second.

In the observation area, Su Mu clenched her fists nervously, Evelyn stared intently at the feedback on the data board showing the stability curve of Excellence's energy output recorded by the Node, while White Elder narrowed his eyes slightly, as if sensing every subtle fluctuation of rules during Excellence's construction process.

Just as the fifteen-minute time limit was about to enter the final one-minute countdown, Excellence suddenly opened his eyes and gave a low shout: "Done!"

In the palm of his hand, a cube about the size of a walnut, translucent silver in its entirety, with countless extremely tiny light and dark spots inside slowly rotating and intertwining like stars, had steadily formed.

The cube's structure was stable, emitting a faint yet clearly discernible aura of "concept."

"Complete." Excellence let out a long breath, steadied his slightly trembling hand, and held the small "Dual-State Conceptual Module."

In the eyes of Clear Mirror's phantom, extremely subtle streams of data seemed to flash by rapidly.

The module floated slowly from Excellence's hand and flew in front of her.

She extended a slender yet stable finger made of light and shadow and tapped gently in the air.

A silent command was issued.

"Excitation-light."

Inside the module, those tiny light spots instantly increased in brightness, like ignited sparks; a soft and stable light emanated from the module, illuminating a small area around it, while those dark spots were compressed into the corners of the module, almost invisible.

"Excitation-dark."

The light instantly retracted, as if absorbed by an invisible force.

A deep darkness, as if capable of absorbing light, permeated from the module, making the module itself look like a miniature black hole, causing even the nearby light to slightly distort.

"Test one, complete." Clear Mirror's voice remained flat, devoid of any joy or anger.

A series of evaluation data flashed rapidly across the virtual record board in front of her.

"Structure one: Energy Sphere. Diameter: 10.01 cm. Energy dissipation rate: 0.008%/sec. Stability: Excellent. Completion time: 1 minute 55 seconds. Evaluation: Excellent."

"Structure two: Order Chain. Form simulation similarity: Metallic state 92%, fluid state 89%, plant state 88%. Form switching interval: 0.3 seconds. Control precision: Excellent. Completion time: Cumulative 5 minutes 10 seconds. Evaluation: Excellent."

"Structure three: Dual-State Conceptual Module. Concept carrying clarity: Good. Logic response accuracy: 100%. Module structure stability: Good (presence of subtle energy ripples, within acceptable range). Completion time: Total time 14 minutes 20 seconds. Comprehensive evaluation: Excellent."

All three basic tests received an "Excellent" rating!

In the observation area, the tense atmosphere eased slightly; Su Mu quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and a trace of joy appeared in Evelyn's eyes.

"Test two: Evaluation of depth of rule understanding and situational application ability." Clear Mirror did not pause, not even giving Excellence much time to catch his breath, and directly announced the move to the next stage,

"Next, you will be placed in three 'Rule Interference Simulation Fields' generated by the sentry-7391b Node, which have been highly weakened and rendered harmless.

The interference fields will be activated in sequence: 'Information Disturbance Field,' 'Entropy Increase Erosion Field,' and 'Concept Confusion Field.'

You need to apply your understanding and mastery of the relevant rules to persist in the interference fields for three minutes, and maintain your energy stability, clear consciousness, and logical coherence as much as possible."

"Warning: Although they have been treated to be harmless, the interference fields will still cause perceptible effects on your Perception, energy control, thinking logic, and self-cognition.

The simulation intensity has been set according to your preliminary evaluation data.

If you cannot persist, you may voluntarily signal to withdraw, but this action will be recorded and will affect your score for this item.

Now, prepare."

As her voice fell, extremely faint halos of different colors began to permeate the ground and air of the training field.

A faint sense of "noise," as if countless people were whispering in the far distance, yet it was completely impossible to distinguish any specific information, began to invade Excellence's Perception (Information Disturbance);

A sense of "fading," as if his body and internal energy were placed in a slowly leaking container, causing him to involuntarily feel exhausted, scattered, and experience a decline in control, quietly emerged (Entropy Increase Erosion);

At the same time, various chaotic color fragments, distorted geometric figures, unrelated words, and fragmented images began to flicker and collide at the edge of his consciousness, attempting to interfere with his focus and logical coherence (Concept Confusion).

Although the intensity of the three sensations was controlled at a very low level, far from being comparable to real threats, they overlapped and intertwined, still forming a complex interference that was distracting and made it difficult to concentrate.

Excellence immediately channeled the Power of Order, subconsciously wanting to form a thick film of light on his body surface for hard isolation.

But as soon as the light film formed, he felt that the energy consumption was unusually rapid, and it had very little effect on the pervasive "information noise" and the "concept confusion" at the thinking level.

He immediately recalled some ideas that the Node AI had sporadically mentioned in previous "popular science" sessions: "Information disturbance requires anchoring one's own information core and establishing a logical firewall," "Countering entropy increase requires constructing a locally ordered structure to form a 'low-entropy island'," "Concept confusion requires constantly clarifying and strengthening self-definition, using the immutability of 'I' to respond to all changes"...

With a flash of thought, he quickly changed his strategy.

The emitted energy light film retracted rapidly; the vast majority of the Power of Order was withdrawn into his body, no longer engaging in futile comprehensive confrontation.

He concentrated his power deep within his consciousness, like a bright lamp, firmly anchoring his core cognition and memories, constructing a solid "logic dam" to resist the torrent of noise from "Information Disturbance."

At the same time, within a range of about a foot around his body, he used exquisite control to construct a miniature, extremely tight and orderly energy circulation network; this small network was self-contained, striving to maintain an internal low-entropy state, like a sturdy small boat in a raging sea, resisting the pervasive force of dissipation brought by "Entropy Increase Erosion."

As for the most troublesome "Concept Confusion," he no longer tried to sort out or disperse those chaotic pieces of information, but instead began to repeatedly and clearly recite and strengthen the concepts that formed the foundation of his self-cognition in his heart: "I am Excellence," "I guard the Homeland," "Order is born from the heart, definition is up to me," "Light and dark both have their places, movement and stillness both follow their paths"...

Using clear and firm self-definition as a pillar, he resisted the various chaotic "concepts" that the outside world attempted to impose.

This was no longer a contest of brute force, but a complex battle of understanding, skill, and will.

Excellence was like a rock in the center of a storm; under the alternating washing and intertwined erosion of the three rule interference fields, his body swayed slightly, the silvery-white light on his body surface flickered, and his breathing became heavy, but the clarity and firmness in his eyes never wavered, and the "heart lamp" anchored deep in his consciousness never dimmed.

Three minutes felt exceptionally long in this state of internal and external torment.

When the faint halos in the interference fields slowly receded like a tide, Excellence's face was noticeably pale, his forehead hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to his forehead, and his chest was heaving slightly.

But he still stood steadily in place, and although the spirit in his eyes was weary, it was still bright.

"Test two, end." Clear Mirror's voice sounded at the right moment, and the data stream on the record board in front of her refreshed again.

"Interference field persistence time: Exactly three minutes. Energy stability retention rate: 81%. Consciousness clarity score: 85. Logical coherence score: 83. Comprehensive state retention: 79.5%. Evaluation: Good."

Her gaze seemed to linger on the "Good" rating for half a second before she continued in a steady tone: "Being able to quickly abandon inefficient energy confrontation under complex rule interference and turn to using targeted rule cognition for internal stabilization and logical defense, your performance meets the evaluation expectation of 'possessing basic rule understanding and application ability.' Your tactical choice was reasonable, and the execution was effective."

With excellent performance in two consecutive tests, Excellence felt slightly reassured; it seemed that the knowledge he had "scrounged" from the Node AI previously had indeed played a key role in this kind of actual combat (albeit simulated combat) situation.

This gave him a more intuitive understanding of the value of The Council's "knowledge system."

"Final test: Evaluation of actual combat situation simulation and comprehensive adaptability." Clear Mirror pushed up her crystal glasses, which seemed capable of seeing through everything; the gaze behind the lenses seemed to become sharper and more focused,

"The last item. You will face a virtual opponent generated by the sentry-7391b Node, simulating some basic characteristics of 'Archived Medium Threat Entity - No. S-332 (Common Codename: Heart-Bewitching Demon).'"

This simulated opponent possesses the following simplified characteristics: basic mental interference ability, primary illusion creation ability, and a weak tendency for energy extraction.

Your mission: Within ten minutes, identify its operating mode, find its core weakness or flaw, and use your abilities to effectively defeat it or render it ineffective.

In this test, you may use any means you deem appropriate.

The intensity of the simulated opponent has been dynamically adjusted based on your performance in the previous two tests, striving to match your current comprehensive strength evaluation.

Now, the test begins."

The light in the center of the training field twisted and folded violently, as if space itself were being crumpled.

A dense, constantly rolling and changing shadow slowly condensed, eventually forming a phantom without a fixed shape, seemingly composed of countless whispers and fragments of negative emotions.

It sometimes extended hideous tentacle-like outlines, sometimes transformed into a seductive human shape that tempted the heart, and sometimes dispersed into a piece of unsettling fog.

A mental pressure field, weak but definitely present, spread out; at the same time, Excellence could feel that the trace amounts of energy naturally dissipating from his body surface, as well as the energy remaining after his attacks, were being pulled and drained away bit by bit.

"Heart-Bewitching Demon?" Excellence's eyes narrowed, and he was on full alert.

Just hearing the name and Clear Mirror's brief description, he knew that this thing was definitely not the type that could be easily solved by brute force.

The battle broke out suddenly amidst a silent mental shriek from the phantom that pierced straight into his mind!

Various illusions emerged—Su Mu screaming while entangled by shadow tentacles, Evelyn's laboratory exploding, the Homeland base collapsing in flames, and even mountains of rare resources and technological blueprints tempting him...

Excellence held his focus, and the heart-clearing pendant on his chest emitted a familiar cool aura, helping him filter out most of the mental impact and low-level illusion interference.

He wielded the Power of Order, either condensing it into silver sharp blades to hack and slash, forming light shields to block impacts, or attempting to weave energy cages for imprisonment.

However, the effect was minimal.

Physical slashes often only made the phantom ripple for a moment before it recovered; part of the energy attacks would be absorbed, making it appear even more "spirited"; and energy cages were often intangibly "infiltrated" or avoided through "distortion."

Moreover, just as Clear Mirror had said, this phantom indeed possessed a weak energy-draining ability.

It was like an invisible energy sponge, constantly absorbing the energy dissipated in the surrounding environment (including the remnants after Excellence's attacks), causing it to seem to grow "sturdier" the more it was fought, while Excellence's energy consumption continued.

"Skilled in mental interference, illusions, energy absorption... core weakness..."

Excellence moved and dodged flexibly, evading the phantom's attacks—which flickered between solid and illusory—while his brain raced.

The sporadic "knowledge points" from the Node AI regarding energy-draining enemies and mental-interference enemies flashed through his mind once again:

For energy absorption, one could consider "energy recoil," "polluting energy injection," "structural interference," or "severing its energy circulation Node"; for mental interference, one needed to "stabilize mental anchors" or "identify true information streams"...

Energy recoil?

With his current control, in the midst of an intense confrontation, it was difficult to precisely "backflow" a large amount of energy without injuring himself.

Polluting energy?

He didn't know how to create that sort of thing.

Structural interference?

The phantom didn't seem to have a stable structure at all.

Severing the energy circulation Node?

A flash of light appeared in Excellence's eyes!

Any form of energy absorption, conversion, or utilization, no matter how bizarre its manifestation, must possess inherent "paths" and relatively critical "Nodes"!

This phantom might seem intangible and unpredictable, but its process of absorbing and converting those dissipated energies could not be without traces!

He changed his tactics instantly.

He stopped performing high-energy active attacks and instead converted most of his Power of Order into extremely thin, sensitive threads of energy Perception, which spread outward from him like an invisible spider web.

These threads did not seek to attack; they focused solely on capturing the most minute energy flows.

At the same time, he deliberately left a small opening, allowing the phantom to "successfully" absorb a slightly stronger beam of his Power of Order that he had specifically marked.

Now!

Excellence concentrated all his focus on tracking that absorbed, marked energy beam!

His Perception threads, like the keenest of hounds, clamped onto the trail of that energy, piercing through the phantom's ever-changing exterior and deep into its internal, chaotic energy flow!

"Found it!" A few seconds later, Excellence's eyes snapped open, and silver light surged within them!

Within the phantom's constantly churning and shifting internal energy turbulence, he captured a relatively stable, minute energy gathering and conversion "Node"!

Although this Node also shifted slightly as the phantom's form changed, its functional characteristic as a "core hub" was exposed completely under Excellence's focused Perception!

Without the slightest hesitation, and without even having time to consider whether this was a trap or an opening deliberately revealed by the phantom, Excellence compressed and condensed all the remaining Power of Order within him—along with the superficial understanding of "structural disintegration trends" he had grasped during the previous "jump" experiment—into the tip of his right index finger!

That point of silver light was as solid as a physical object, its radiance contained, yet it emitted a peculiar, faint fluctuation that seemed capable of inducing a tendency for things to "self-destruct"—this was the closest application of power to the edge of "breaking the rules" that he could currently simulate.

"Break!"

With a low shout, the condensed silver point shot out like the most precise surgical scalpel, ignoring the phantom's shifting form and interfering energy layers, tracing an almost absolute straight line and hitting the constantly moving, minute energy Node with pinpoint accuracy!

Pfft!

A slight, strange sound, like a bubble bursting or a short circuit.

The constantly churning and shifting phantom, as if hit by a pause button, suddenly stiffened in place!

Immediately afterward, starting from the inside, its structure trembled, twisted, and disintegrated violently!

The fragments of shadow and The Whisper that made up its body scattered like they had lost their adhesive, and within a mere two or three seconds, they completely turned into countless dim points of light, dissipating within the training ground's energy barrier.

The center of the field returned to calm, leaving only Excellence, panting slightly with sweat rolling down his forehead, and the energy ripples in the air that had not yet fully subsided.

The observation area was silent.

Su Mu and the others had had their hearts in their throats just a moment ago; seeing the phantom dissipate, they finally let out the breath they had been holding for so long.

Evelyn quickly recorded the final data feedback from the Node, while White Elder nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes.

Clear Mirror's phantom remained silent for a moment; on the virtual recording board in front of her, data streams refreshed like a waterfall for a long time.

She looked up and turned her gaze back to Excellence in the center of the field.

On that face, which had always been devoid of emotional fluctuation like a precision instrument, there seemed to be... finally, a hint of an extremely subtle expression, bordering on "approval" or "satisfaction"?

It was so fast that one might think it was an illusion.

"Simulation target destroyed. Effective time: six minutes and seventeen seconds."

Clear Mirror's voice sounded, still steady, but if one listened carefully, it seemed to have a hint of imperceptible "warmth" compared to before?

"Tactical selection and adjustment: reasonable. Weakness insight and timing: accurate. Final attack execution: effective, possessing a certain degree of rule-targeting. Comprehensive evaluation: Excellent."

She closed the virtual recording board in her hand (though the board might essentially just be a projection of light), pushed up her glasses, and shifted her gaze away from Excellence, as if piercing through the barrier of the training ground to scan everyone in the observation area.

"Preliminary on-site review and testing procedures are complete," Clear Mirror announced, her tone returning to complete officialdom and rigor.

"Based on the historical data of the sentry-7391b Node and the comprehensive performance of this on-site test, the assessment for the observed individual 'Excellence' and the affiliated 'Homeland' civilization is now updated as follows:"

"1. Observed individual 'Excellence' (ID: HJ-AT-0047): Basic abilities are solid; precision in controlling the Power of Order is excellent; possesses understanding and application potential for high-risk rule concepts that exceed the level of his civilization; performance in combat adaptability, analytical judgment, and learning ability is outstanding. The 'High Potential' assessment is confirmed, and the potential rating is upgraded."

"Original potential rating: B+ (possesses cross-disciplinary development potential, requires observation)."

"Now upgraded to: A- (possesses significant potential to become an outstanding individual in specific fields, requires focused guidance)."

"His 'High Activity' and 'High Uncertainty' characteristics still exist, but based on the rationality, controllability, and willingness to follow rules demonstrated in this test, the risk level evaluation is maintained at: Medium Controllable, but systematic guidance and behavioral norms need to be strengthened."

"2. Overall assessment of the 'Homeland' civilization: Internal civilization stability is good; social organization and crisis response capabilities meet expectations. Due to the outstanding performance of the individual 'Excellence' and the resilience and adaptability shown by the civilization as a whole in responding to recent events, the comprehensive development potential rating of the civilization is upgraded."

"Original rating: Good."

"Now upgraded to: Good+ (possesses the foundation for accelerated development in specific directions)."

"Based on the above updated assessments, and in accordance with the 'Management Measures for Special Observation Targets in the Seventh Sub-bureau Jurisdiction' and the 'Interim Regulations on Civilization Potential Guidance and Cooperation,' the following interim resolutions are hereby issued:"

"Resolution 1: Grant the 'Homeland' civilization the temporary status of 'Potential Cooperative Civilization in the Seventh Sub-bureau Jurisdiction (Observation Period),' valid for three standard years. During the observation period, the 'Homeland' civilization may use this status to subscribe to non-classified intelligence information released by The Council's Seventh Sub-bureau at a more favorable exchange rate compared to ordinary secondary civilizations (some high-value intelligence still requires additional review), and may apply for limited, non-combat-related technical consultation and directional guidance in accordance with regulations (subject to paying the corresponding standard cost)."

"Resolution 2: Formally initiate the 'Special Potential Observer Guidance and Standardization Process (Initial Stage)' for the observed individual 'Excellence.' This process will be led by this investigator, 'Clear Mirror,' as the primary supervisor and guidance lead, with the 'sentry-7391b' Node as the auxiliary execution and recording unit. 'Excellence,' you will periodically (cycle to be notified separately) receive learning tasks, capability development exercises, and behavioral guidelines designated by me through the Node, and you must submit progress reports as required. The purpose is to systematically standardize your capability development path, reduce the risk of 'Uncertainty' caused by lack of knowledge or improper behavior, and simultaneously unearth your potential value more effectively."

"Resolution 3: Severe warning. Effective immediately, the 'Homeland' civilization and the individual 'Excellence' are strictly prohibited from conducting high-risk concept simulations and rule-edge testing behaviors without plans, reports, or adequate safety protection, as seen in past records. All experiments, research, or capability development attempts involving medium-to-high-risk rules must be formally reported in advance to the 'sentry-7391b' Node or this investigator, with detailed plans and safety contingencies submitted, and must be conducted with permission and necessary supervision. Any unreported violations, once discovered, will be subject to penalties ranging from warnings, deduction of resource quotas, and temporary capability restrictions, to the cancellation of 'Potential Cooperative Civilization' status and the initiation of further control measures, depending on the severity."

"The above resolutions are effective immediately upon announcement. If the 'Homeland' civilization has any objections to the content of the resolutions, it may file a formal appeal to the relevant departments of the Seventh Sub-bureau via the 'sentry-7391b' Node within 24 standard hours, but The Council reserves the right of final interpretation and adjudication based on global considerations."

With the announcement complete, Clear Mirror's gaze swept over everyone again, finally lingering on Excellence's face for a moment. That gaze seemed to contain scrutiny, warning, and a hint of something extremely faint... expectation?

"Investigation procedure concluded. Maintain contact."

As her voice fell, her three-dimensional image, along with that pale golden light, slowly dissipated just as it had arrived.

The silver Node returned to its steady blue flickering, floating quietly, as if everything had returned to how it was before Clear Mirror appeared.

In the training ground, the barrier was lifted, leaving only Excellence standing in place, panting slightly, feeling the exhaustion and mental exhilaration brought on by the test.

The door to the observation area opened, and Su Mu and the others walked in quickly.

Potential rating A-?

Potential Cooperative Civilization (Observation Period)?

Special Observer Guidance Process?

This result seemed far better than the worst-case expectations?

Not only was he not held accountable or punished, but it was as if... he had received a kind of "official recognition" and "development opportunity" with strings attached?

But that "guidance process," those strict reporting regulations, and Clear Mirror's unquestionable "warning" all clearly indicated that this "opportunity" was by no means a gift without cost.

It meant closer "supervision," more standardized "restraints," and unknown "tasks" that might have to be completed in the future.

The "home visit" and "placement test" had come to an end, but the relationship between "Homeland" and the behemoth that was The Council had undoubtedly entered a brand new, more subtle, and complex stage.

Excellence raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, looking at the Node in the air that had returned to calm, then looked down at his own hands, which were somewhat weak from high mental concentration and energy consumption.

He suddenly grinned, a smile mixed with exhaustion, relief, and a hint of irrepressible curiosity and eagerness for the future.

"Special Observer? Guidance process? Sounds like I'm about to be dragged off to a 'special training class'?" he muttered to himself, his voice slightly hoarse.

"I wonder if this 'Clear Mirror' teacher is stricter than our 'Sentry' AI when she teaches, or... more interesting?"

In his eyes, the light of curiosity and the desire for challenge gradually overcame his initial nervousness and unease.

The new "class schedule" seemed to have been issued.

But no one knew what the true "syllabus" behind this "course" was, or what the "tuition" that needed to be paid truly was.

And as for that investigator, Clear Mirror, who seemed cold, precise, and acted strictly according to the rules, her deep intentions and the role she played in The Council's vast system remained an unknown shrouded in mist for "Homeland."

The ark in the eye of the storm, under the invisible gaze and manipulation of various parties, seemed to have had its course gently, yet irresistibly, pushed onto a predetermined track by a larger and more powerful hand named "The Council."

At the end of the track, would it sail toward a vast sea of stars, or be drawn into an unfathomable vortex of space-time?

Only time could provide the answer.