259: The relocation of "flowing silver" and the inheritance of "star patterns"

After returning from the basin where the remains of the "Star People" were located, the atmosphere of the entire "Spark" Base changed quietly. Before, everyone built starships mostly to "escape for their lives," but now there was an added sense of gravity from "inheriting a mission." In Zhao Iron Pillar's private crude words: "This damn thing went from running away to taking over a job; I feel like several mountains have suddenly landed on my shoulders!"

Wen Youyi immediately gathered all core members for a "closed-door briefing" in the base control room. He recounted everything he had seen and heard in the basin, including the fragmented images and concepts like "Star People," "the watchman," and "cradle."

After listening, the control room was so quiet that the subtle hum of the main star core fragment's energy flow could be heard.

Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses terrifyingly bright: "So... the 'junk' we picked up is actually the 'heritage' of a previous cosmic civilization? The spirit net, Heart Demon, Mandate Reaping System—they're the same group that destroyed the 'Star People'?"

"Most likely," Wen Youyi nodded. "At least they are the same kind of existence. The name 'Creation Heavenly Court' sounds high and mighty, but what they do is exactly the same as those invaders in the images—plunder, enslave, and destroy."

Senior Brother Li rubbed his hands excitedly: "Then 'Flowing Silver'... those little guys are actually 'Guardian Seeds'! No wonder their manipulation of energy and matter is so exquisite! This is living ancient technology! We must invite more 'Flowing Silver' back! No, invite them 'home'!"

Mu Wanqing was more concerned with practical issues: "If the 'Creation Heavenly Court' is truly the enemy of the 'Star People,' then the 'marks' that might exist on us are very dangerous. The stealth and protection Systems of the 'Hidden Dragon' and 'hope' must be raised to the highest priority. We even need to consider... the possibility of actively interfering with or disguising the 'marks'."

Wang Wu had a bitter face: "The problem is, we don't even know what the 'mark' is or where it is. We can't just strip everyone naked and look with a microscope, can we?"

Xiao Wu raised his hand and said weakly: "Um... I communicated with the 'Flowing Silver' in the basin, and they seem... to have some ideas?"

"Oh?" Everyone looked at him.

Xiao Wu's face turned red, but he still tried to express himself clearly: "They said they have a sense for 'bad markers.' Like... 'dirty things' stuck to the Soul or energy core. They usually wander in the wreckage, and sometimes they encounter strange fragments with a similar feeling. They instinctively stay away or try to 'clean' them off."

"Clean?" Wen Youyi's heart stirred. "They can clean the 'marks'?"

"Not entirely sure," Xiao Wu scratched his head. "The thoughts they transmit are very vague, but it seems to require... a sufficient number and the guidance of the 'Seed'." He pointed to the key in Wen Youyi's arms.

Wen Youyi was lost in thought. The key was the fireseed core of the "Star People" and had a natural appeal to the same-sourced "Flowing Silver." It might really be able to guide them to identify or even handle the "Reaper marks."

"This is a direction," he decided. "Xiao Wu, your most important task next is to build a good relationship with the 'Flowing Silver,' invite as many of them as possible to the base as 'guests,' and ideally have them 'settle down.' At the same time, try to guide them to see if they can help us check if there are any 'marks' on us and... how to handle them."

"Mission guaranteed!" Xiao Wu puffed out his chest, feeling that his career as a "translator" had reached its highlight moment.

"Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Zhang, you two cooperate with Xiao Wu to study the collective behavior and energy interaction patterns of 'Flowing Silver' to see if you can design more efficient 'Communication Protocols' and 'Collaboration Frameworks.' Since they are living technology, we will manage and cooperate with them in a living way."

"Understood!"

"Senior Sister Mu, you take the lead, with Wang Wu and Mo Chen assisting, to establish a 'mark Research Group' to search for any records of tracking, marking, or hiding from the key's information and ancient data. At the same time, start designing targeted protection and interference plans. Regardless of whether they're useful, prepare them first."

"Good."

"Iron Pillar, the daily defense and construction progress of the base cannot slacken. Especially the 'Hidden Dragon,' it needs to be speeded up. We need a ship that can scout ahead and verify technology."

"Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on it!"

With the tasks assigned, the entire base began to operate at high speed once again, but this time, the goal was clearer and the motivation was stronger.

Xiao Wu's work progressed surprisingly smoothly.

When he brought Wen Youyi and the crystal key back to that basin and sent a mental invitation to the "Flowing Silver" to "come home together and help the Seed," those silver liquid lifeforms showed... extraordinary enthusiasm.

They first "worshiped" the key for a good while (manifesting as circling it and gently touching the key's surface with silver tentacles, emitting pleasant fluctuations), and then the "Flowing Silver" in the basin began a grand... relocation.

Yes, a relocation.

Silver "streams" converged from all over the basin, gathering more and more until they formed a "silver river" several yards wide. They had no fixed form, sometimes spreading flat like a mirror, sometimes surging like waves, but the overall direction was clear—following Xiao Wu and the key.

Xiao Wu walked in front, feeling like a "leader of children," followed by a large group of lively (and somewhat rowdy) silver "little brothers." They were curious about everything they encountered on the way, running to "lick" a rusted metal plate to analyze its composition, crawling into cracks to "dig out" energy crystals hidden inside and piling them at Xiao Wu's feet like offerings. There were even a few particularly mischievous clumps trying to "disassemble and study" an unknown metal beetle passing by, scaring that beetle until its Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering as it scrambled and crawled to escape into the shadows.

When this "Flowing Silver army" grandly returned to the base entrance, Zhao Iron Pillar, who was on guard duty, was dumbfounded.

"My goodness... Xiao Wu, did you just wipe out their entire nest?"

Xiao Wu wiped his sweat: "They... are quite enthusiastic."

The newly arrived "Flowing Silver" were full of curiosity about everything in the base. They poured into the base, "flowing" everywhere along the walls, floors, and ceilings, as if coating the interior of the base with a layer of moving silver film. They were especially interested in the keel of the "hope" currently under construction, swarming over all at once, nearly scaring Senior Brother Li, who was working, off the scaffolding.

"Don't panic! Don't panic!" Xiao Wu quickly comforted them through the key, "They are here to help! They are here to settle down!"

Under Senior Brother Li's terrified gaze, the "Flowing Silver" began to "inspect" their future new home. They crawled into the gaps of the keel structure to assess its sturdiness, attached themselves to energy pipes to feel the energy flow, and a few clumps even crawled into the newly laid "star pattern gold" neural network to communicate with the "old residents" there.

Soon, the base control room received a large amount of feedback from the "Flowing Silver" network—all "optimization suggestions" regarding hull structural strength, energy circuit efficiency, and material compatibility. Although the expression was very primitive (e.g., "this place is a bit soft, can be hardened," "there's an energy traffic jam there, open a new path"), it went straight to the heart of the matter.

Senior Brother Li looked at the data and suggestions refreshing like a waterfall on the light screen, his eyes widening: "This... this efficiency is equivalent to ten Advanced Artifact Refiner teams!"

Senior Brother Zhang stared at another screen, which showed the internal "collaboration network" spontaneously formed by the "Flowing Silver." Those silver light points were like living neurons, flashing, connecting, and exchanging information throughout the base, forming a vast and precise living monitoring and maintenance System.

"They... are self-organizing and self-optimizing," Senior Brother Zhang's voice trembled. "This is the prototype of swarm intelligence! No, it already is! The 'Net Weaving' project we designed before might look like child's play to them... they come with their own more Advanced collaboration protocols!"

Wen Youyi was also deeply shocked. He had originally thought "Flowing Silver" were just useful tools, but now it seemed they were a complete, living civilization creation with a Legacy. What they needed was not "command," but "guidance" and "cooperation."

Just then, the star core fragment that had been quietly staying inside Wen Youyi's body, along with the crystal key in his hand, transmitted a gentle throb simultaneously. Following that, a clear, complete stream of information, no longer fragmented images, poured directly into his mind like a long-prepared Legacy.

This time, it was no longer tragic war memories, but knowledge.

About the "Star People's" fundamental understanding of stellar energy, the basic Laws of matter and energy conversion, the techniques for spatial structure stability and folding, and the philosophy of the harmonious coexistence of life and energy... it was as vast as a sea, yet clearly organized.

Among them, the most core part was marked as the "Dao of Star Patterns."

"Star Patterns" were not simple runes or Formations, but the fundamental way the "Star People" communicated with the Universe and applied rules. It was similar to a programming language, but its foundation was not 0s and 1s, but different vibration frequencies of stellar energy and the arrangement of basic particles of matter. Through "Star Patterns," one could construct energy circuits, stabilize spatial structures, guide matter generation, and even... influence the evolution of life.

Wen Youyi closed his eyes, digesting this sudden and vast knowledge. He felt like a parched sponge suddenly thrown into an ocean of knowledge, with the Profound Truth of every "Star Pattern" impacting his original cognitive System.

How was this cultivation? This was clearly... cosmic-level science!

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was completely different. He looked at the active "Flowing Silver" in the base, at the starship under construction, and at his confused and expectant companions around him.

"I seem... to know how to proceed next," Wen Youyi said softly, a trace of an uncontrollable smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Boss, don't smile so creepily..." Zhao Iron Pillar muttered.

Wen Youyi ignored him and walked straight to the console, pulling up the design plans for "hope."

"Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Zhang, our design... needs to be changed."

"Changed?" The two were stunned.

"Yes, a major change," Wen Youyi nodded. "Use 'Star Patterns' instead of the runes and Formations we pieced together before. Let 'Flowing Silver' become the 'flesh and blood' and 'neural network' of the starship, and use 'Star Patterns' to construct the energy core, propulsion System, and defense force field. What we are building is not a 'ship'."

He paused, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented light.

"What we are building is a living, growing celestial lifeform that can inherit the fireseed of the 'Star People'."

The control room fell into silence.

Then, someone was the first to gasp.

"Boss," Wang Wu asked cautiously, "is this step... a bit too big? It's easy to tear your..."

Wen Youyi laughed: "What are you afraid of? What we're tearing isn't our crotch, it's the sea of stars."

(End of Chapter)