143: Deep-sea development and the "internal circulation" system

The feint at Ghost Howl Ravine successfully deceived the first wave of investigations, but the Shelter paid a price—it lost the stable and relatively safe "mining point" in the Nirvana Swamp.

External surveillance was like an invisible shackle, quietly tightening.

Through the faint perception of the "star chain," Wen Youyi could feel that the energy environment around the Shelter had become unusually "smooth" and "clean"; any fluctuation that did not belong to the natural background could be as conspicuous as an ink spot on a white sheet of paper.

"operation poaching" could not be done for the time being, and the dissemination of the "dandelion" plan also needed to be more cautious; it was necessary to avoid those areas and groups of people that were under heavy surveillance.

The situation was pressing, so Wen Youyi decisively adjusted his strategy—turning fully inward, digging deep into potential, and building a self-sufficient "Internal Circulation" System!

"With external energy input decreasing, we must improve our energy utilization efficiency and develop internal energy sources!" Wen Youyi said to everyone in front of the altar, "Our core has always been this altar and the Star Core!"

He proposed three development directions:

First, optimize the "star chain" to improve resonance efficiency.

Senior Brother Zhang and Ying were responsible for conducting in-depth research on the altar runes, attempting to increase their power of attraction and energy transmission efficiency towards distant star core fragments, allowing every bit of support from companions to play a greater role.

Second, deeply develop the potential of the Star Core.

Wen Youyi was personally in charge; he was no longer satisfied with merely using the Star Core as an energy source and communication hub, and began to try guiding the Star Core Power to simulate the subtle rule changes of the sun and moon cycles and the nourishing wind and rain of the outside world, attempting to build a more complete and natural micro-circulation ecosystem within the Shelter.

He even had the whimsical idea of whether it was possible to let the Star Core itself slowly "grow" or "multiply" energy.

Third, resource circulation and innovative utilization.

Zhao Iron Pillar and two other "Purifiers" were responsible for this.

They began to systematically study everything within the Shelter—did the seeping water droplets contain special minerals?

Could the moss and fungi in Senior Brother Zhang's experimental field be improved or cultivated into more valuable varieties?

Did the rocks that constructed the Shelter's barriers, soaked in starlight, have other uses?

The goal was to achieve internal circulation and value-added of energy, matter, and information within the Shelter without relying or relying very little on external input!

This was a more grand and challenging goal.

It required them to have a deeper understanding of the Star Core, rules, and the conversion of matter and energy.

Life within the Shelter thus entered a new stage.

Senior Brother Zhang and Ying spent their days buried in the altar runes and energy diagrams, attempting to decipher more mysteries of the ancient Star Mages.

Their discussions were often filled with various obscure terms and complex deductions, leaving Zhao Iron Pillar, who was listening on the sidelines, scratching his head.

Wen Youyi often sat quietly beside the altar, his mind deeply in Fusion with the Star Core, guiding that vast Star Power like the most precise carving knife, attempting to "carve" the flow of wind, the moisture of water, and the gradient of light within the Shelter.

This process was extremely mentally exhausting and progressed slowly, but he never tired of it.

Occasionally, successfully simulating a breeze with the fresh scent of vegetation could make everyone happy for a long time.

Zhao Iron Pillar became the Shelter's "general manager" and "chief experimenter."

He led people to carefully explore every inch of land, analyze water quality components, record the growth of moss, and even tried to use rocks solidified by starlight to polish tools.

Although most of it was futile, there were occasional surprises, such as discovering that a certain type of moss would secrete a substance capable of weakly nourishing the Divine Soul under specific starlight illumination.

Days passed slowly in focused and fulfilling research.

The space of the Shelter continued to expand slowly and steadily; although the speed slowed down due to the reduction in energy sources, it did not stop.

The internal energy concentration rose steadily, and the ecological environment became increasingly stable.

Even next to that small experimental field, a small piece of land was cleared to try planting several types of low-grade Spiritual Plant Seeds that were highly adaptable to the Star Power environment.

It was as if they had truly established a small, isolated, and self-contained Small World within the cracks of these rules.

This deep-diving development, although it lost the grandeur of the outside, had a sense of weight that came from rooting in the soil and accumulating strength.

Wen Youyi knew this was only temporary.

The storm outside had never ceased, and the enemy would never give up searching.

But they needed this precious time to solidify their Foundation and sharpen their claws.

When the Shelter could truly achieve "Internal Circulation" and no longer rely completely on the outside, they would truly be considered a nail that was difficult to pull out in this "Ranch"!

Deep diving was for a higher and further leap in the future.

(End of chapter)