209: External Events and the "Spark" Blueprint

With a stable energy core, Bedrock Base seemed to have been injected with an adrenaline shot, and various construction projects progressed by leaps and bounds.

However, Wen Youyi was not carried away by the prosperity before him; he knew deeply that isolating themselves was not a long-term plan, and 'Spark' had to understand the outside world to better survive and develop.

He activated the one-way contact with the Peddler, sending a message to inquire about the latest situation outside and to request a list of supplies.

A few days later, the 'Messenger Puppet' brought back several thick Jade Slips.

Wen Youyi locked himself in his room, carefully reading the contents of the Jade Slips; the more he read, the tighter his brows furrowed.

The situation outside was even worse than they had imagined.

Under the iron-fisted control of Elder Black Fiend, Qingxuan Sect had become a high-pressure prison.

The Discipline Hall held overwhelming power; any Disciple who expressed slight dissatisfaction with the 'spirit net' or exhibited 'abnormal' behavior would be ruthlessly purged.

Light cases resulted in having their Cultivation crippled and being expelled from the Sect, while severe cases were directly executed for 'being possessed by demons'.

Originally neutral peaks, such as Danxia Peak and the Sword Pavilion, were now places where everyone feared for themselves, and the Disciples walked on thin ice.

Even more disturbing was that the extraction power of the 'spirit net' seemed to have secretly increased.

Many low-level Disciples generally reported increased feelings of stagnation during Cultivation, Bottlenecks were harder to overcome, and feelings of irritability and negative emotions were growing.

The Sect's upper echelons always explained this as 'The Heavenly Tribulation is coming, and Spiritual Qi tides are fluctuating,' demanding that Disciples rely on the 'spirit net' more 'devoutly' and contribute their own efforts.

'They are accelerating the harvest... or rather, they are accumulating "nutrients" for some greater action.' Wen Youyi put down the Jade Slip, his mood heavy.

This method of draining the pond to catch the fish indicated that the Creation Heavenly Court had either lost patience or was in urgent need of massive energy and negative emotions.

Information regarding the 'Scavenger' was somewhat subtle.

Those three metal lumps were still active around Qingxuan Sect, but their behavior was becoming increasingly 'humanized'.

They were no longer just mechanically patrolling and clearing 'abnormalities'; instead, they began to more deeply 'observe' and 'learn' various phenomena in the Cultivator world, from Alchemy and Artifact Refining to Sect management, and even showed interest in the mundane life of Mortals.

On a few occasions, they even 'prevented' the Discipline Hall from inflicting excessive punishment on certain 'rule-breaking' Disciples, the reason seeming to be 'data collection incomplete'?

This change made Elder Black Fiend quite annoyed, yet he dared not vent his anger on the 'Envoys from Above'.

'They are adapting, understanding the rules of this "Ranch"...' Wen Youyi analyzed. 'This may not be a good thing. Once they fully understand and integrate, investigating us will likely be even more precise and deadly.'

However, the distraction of the 'Scavenger' did indeed give the remnants of the 'Spark' alliance a chance to breathe.

The Peddler mentioned in the message that although contact points had suffered heavy losses, most core members had managed to hide using various disguises, though contact had become more difficult and dangerous.

The supply list the Peddler provided this time, besides regular Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and Talisman Materials, specifically requested a Magical Artifact capable of 'deeply concealing aura and simulating different Spiritual Qi fluctuations,' clearly intended for high-level infiltration and disguise.

The Peddler also vaguely mentioned that other forces seemed to be secretly watching the upheaval in Qingxuan Sect and the abnormalities of the 'spirit net,' but the information was vague and difficult to confirm.

After reading all the intelligence, Wen Youyi walked to the sand table in the center of the room and stared at it for a long time.

On the sand table, the model representing 'Bedrock Base' was stable and bright, while the area representing the outside world was shrouded in a haze.

They could not keep hiding here.

With energy and technology issues initially resolved, 'Spark' had a solid base and capital for development; it was time to take the initiative.

His finger traced across the sand table, and a clear, phased 'A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire' plan gradually took shape in his mind:

Phase One: Deep Hibernation and Internal Strengthening.

Utilize newly acquired energy and ancient technology to fully enhance the base's comprehensive strength, including:

Equipment Upgrade: Use 'star iron' and ancient technology to craft standard equipment for all core members, and develop more powerful individual weapons and defensive Magical Artifacts.

Personnel Training: With the help of dense Star Power and improved Cultivation Techniques, rapidly improve the Cultivation of existing members; at the same time, using the technical concept of 'Rule Stability Anchor,' attempt to build safer and more efficient 'Secret Realm' for Cultivation within the base.

Technology Cracking: Concentrate efforts on researching that dark gold metal plate, striving to crack the mystery of the 'Rule Stability Anchor,' which was an important bargaining chip for resisting the rule suppression of the 'Creation Heavenly Court' in the future.

Phase Two: Limited Contact and External Layout.

Under the premise of ensuring safety, start to output support in a limited way through the Peddler's line.

Material Aid: Provide 'Spark' brand Flying Swords, specially made Medicinal Pills, and the concealment Magical Artifacts urgently needed by the Peddler to enhance the self-preservation and infiltration capabilities of comrades outside.

Intelligence Network: Assist the Peddler in establishing a more hidden and efficient intelligence transmission network, and attempt to contact other forces that might be dissatisfied with the 'Creation Heavenly Court'.

Talent Recruitment: Under the premise of absolute safety, look for opportunities to secretly bring trustworthy and potential 'sparks' from the outside to the base.

Phase Three: Proactive Attack and Rule Leveraging.

When strength reaches a certain level—

Targeted Elimination: Find opportunities to conduct surgical strikes and interference on the 'monitoring nodes' or 'harvesting facilities' deployed by the 'Creation Heavenly Court' in various places.

Public Opinion Guidance: At the right time, through secret channels, reveal part of the 'Ranch' truth to the wider cultivation world, shake the faith foundation of the 'spirit net,' create chaos, and distract the 'Creation Heavenly Court'.

Rule Confrontation: Use the cracked 'Rule Stability Anchor' or other technologies to attempt to shield or distort the harvesting of the 'spirit net' in local areas, establishing a true 'safe zone'!

This was a grand and long-term plan, and every step was full of danger, but Wen Youyi believed that this was the only way for 'Spark' to move from survival to resistance.

He summoned the core members to the council hall and laid out his analysis and blueprint.

After listening, the crowd was silent at first, then flames burned in their eyes.

Zhao Iron Pillar roared in a muffled voice: 'Do it! We should have done this long ago! What's the point of always hiding!'

Wang Wu nodded steadily: 'Youyi's plan is step-by-step; I agree. We have the confidence now!'

Senior Brother Zhang and Ying were even more looking forward to the technological Breakthrough: 'Rule Stability Anchor... If it can succeed, it will be subversive!'

Looking at his impassioned partners, Wen Youyi felt a surge of pride in his heart; he stood up, his gaze sweeping over every determined face.

'Then, starting today, the "Spark" Prairie Fire plan is officially launched!'

'Our goal is no longer to be content with a corner, but to—pierce through this Ranch and let our generation of Cultivators truly grasp our own destiny!'

The magnificent blueprint had been drawn, and the long-accumulated power began to surge; this spark in the Starry Sky Debris was about to burn toward a wider world with unstoppable momentum.

(End of Chapter)