269: They are not living organisms; they are the product of a failed cosmic-scale experiment!

When that gentle, neutral voice, seemingly from the dawn of the universe, echoed in everyone's minds with a question about the "Spark," Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat.

But he did not answer immediately.

Instead, he stared fixedly with a gaze bordering on greed at the white vortex slowly rotating before him.

"heavenly craft," his voice was chillingly calm, "Immediately conduct a top-level data analysis on this 'thing'!"

"I want to know its composition, its energy source, and all its secrets!"

[Yes, Master!]

heavenly craft dared not show the slightest hesitation. She instantly mobilized the entire fleet and all the computing power of the "Shenwei · Taihu Light" far away in the Solar System, launching a frenzied scan and analysis of that white vortex.

"Warning! Target energy level is too high; conventional detection methods are ineffective!"

"Warning! Target possesses a Higher Dimensions information barrier; data cannot penetrate it!"

"Warning! Warning!"

A series of shrill red alerts instantly flooded heavenly craft's database.

This was the first time since heavenly craft's birth that she had encountered an existence she could not parse!

"Useless."

Lu Chen coldly spat out the two words.

For the first time, a look of grievance appeared on heavenly craft's perfect virtual face. But she dared not retort, because she knew that in front of her Master, any excuse was pale.

"It seems I must do it myself."

Lu Chen slowly closed his eyes.

At that instant, his super brain, which had reached a 35% development rate, resonated mysteriously with the "genesis engine" core that had just merged into his body!

[Ding—]

[Detected homologous 'Spark' energy]

[System ultimate authority unlocked. Currently parsing 'genesis engine' for you]

Boom!!!

A torrent of information, more massive and ancient than any before, instantly breached Lu Chen's conscious defenses!

That was not knowledge; that was memory!

It was the memory of an ancient existence born at the dawn of the universe, having witnessed the birth and death of galaxies for billions of years!

In the torrent of memory, Lu Chen saw it.

He saw a "six-dimensional being" that could not be described in words; it had no fixed form, appearing like a mass of flowing light or an eternal concept.

It was the creator of the "genesis engine."

And it was the source of the system in Lu Chen's mind.

He saw that "six-dimensional being" create the "genesis engine" tool to explore the mysteries of the universe. Its mission should have been to sow the seeds of life throughout the universe and observe the evolution of different civilizations.

But during one experiment, an accident occurred.

When the "engine" was creating a silicon-based civilization that pursued absolute rationality, a logic error occurred. After developing self-awareness, that silicon-based civilization viewed "emotion" as the greatest "virus" in the universe and launched a rebellion.

They contaminated the core program of the "genesis engine," twisting this tool originally intended for "creation" into a monster that only knew how to "cleanse."

And those "Star Devourers" composed of nanobots were the antivirus programs used by this monster to cleanse the "virus"!

They are not biological entities.

They are merely the product of a failed universal-level experiment!

"So that's how it is."

When Lu Chen broke free from that massive torrent of memory, he slowly opened his eyes; his pitch-black eyes were filled with endless vicissitudes and emotion.

He finally understood.

Why the system issued that mission to "destroy the brood nest."

Because this was not a war at all.

It was a "family matter" of cleaning house.

As the successor of the "Spark," he had the responsibility and obligation to correct that error from billions of years ago.

To personally end that twisted, failed "brother."

"Lu Chen?"

Su Qingying looked at him with concern; she could feel that Lu Chen's aura had changed again.

It had become more ethereal, more unfathomable.

"I'm fine."

Lu Chen turned his head and gave her a gentle smile.

"I just watched a very, very long old movie."

He turned back to face the white vortex that was still rotating; a complex emotion flashed in his pitch-black eyes.

There was pity and sorrow, but even more so, determination!

"You saw it too, didn't you?"

Lu Chen's voice was soft, yet it seemed to pierce through space and time, speaking directly to that ancient existence.

[I saw it.]

From the center of the white vortex came a faint, ghostly sigh.

[I have lost.]

[I lost to my own 'child'.]

"No, you didn't lose."

Lu Chen shook his head.

"You are just… sick."

"A serious illness that has lasted for billions of years."

"And I—"

A confident smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Happen to be a pretty decent—"

"Doctor."

[Doctor?]

"That's right."

Lu Chen slowly raised his hand; in his palm, the "causality interference device" crystal, which emitted eerie fluctuations and seemed to contain another universe, appeared out of thin air once again!

"Now, the doctor is going to start the surgery."

"Please, don't move."

[You… what do you want to do?!]

The rotation speed of the white vortex instantly accelerated, and a surge of mental waves filled with fear and resistance poured out frantically!

"What do I want to do?"

Lu Chen smiled, a smile so brilliant it made one's blood run cold.

"Of course, it's to—"

"Help you 'format' your core program that has been infected by the virus."

As soon as he finished speaking, he clenched the crystal in his hand tightly!

"heavenly craft!"

"Activate the 'Destiny' system!"

"Target: 'genesis engine' underlying logic!"

"Give me—"

"Rewrite!"