270: "Starlight Veil" and Base Evolution

Once the "starlight gauze curtain" project was proposed, it immediately became the base's "number one viral project." The name sounded poetic, but the work itself was a real heavy-duty task—outfitting the entire "Spark" base with an "invisible gauze garment" capable of defending against "bugs."

Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Zhang dove into it with the technical team, disappearing for several days. Occasionally, the sounds emerging from the design room were either intense arguments or sudden, surprised shouts of realization.

"No way! Using 'little bean sprouts' as nodes is too extravagant! There aren't enough of them! And the mobility is poor too!"

"Then let's design dedicated 'sentry dumplings'! Simplify the structure, specialize the function; they just need to 'glow' and 'sound the alarm'!"

"What about power supply? The base is so big, how many 'sentries' would we need to cover the perimeter? Relying on the main star core for remote power? The loss is too great!"

"You fool! Use 'Flowing Silver' to lay an 'energy capillary network'! Just like plant roots, transporting pure starlight energy like water to the feet of every 'sentry'!"

"And what if the 'Flowing Silver' gets corroded by the 'Shadow'?"

"Add 'self-purifying Star Patterns' and a 'sever-tail-to-survive protocol'! Once corroded, isolate it immediately and initiate localized purification!"

"We also have to consider the risk Rank in different areas; some places are closer to the depths of the wreckage and need to be denser, while others are relatively safe and can be sparser..."

People outside were confused, feeling like they were holding some kind of "interstellar greenhouse planting technology seminar" inside, what with all the talk of roots and capillaries.

Three days later, Senior Brother Li rushed out with messy hair like a bird's nest, clutching a large roll of "blueprints," and announced with glowing green eyes: "Done! The 'starlight gauze curtain version 1.0' plan!"

Everyone crowded around to look, and good heavens, this "gauze curtain" wasn't "gauze" at all; it was clearly a blueprint for an extremely complex three-dimensional defense network.

The core concept was: using the base as the center, radiating outward with a three-layered concentric defense belt structure.

Inner Layer (Base Core Area): Composed of a large number of "sentry dumplings" specially cultivated and enhanced with "pure starlight generation" and "crisis perception" functions, with the highest density. These "sentry dumplings" are connected to the main star core via an underground "Flowing Silver energy pipe network," receiving a stable power supply. They are like the "immune cells" of the base, normally emitting gentle pure starlight to form a continuous, low-intensity purification field, while constantly monitoring the energy environment for any "noise."

Middle Layer (Conventional Warning Area): The density of "sentry dumplings" is lower, but many fixed "Star Pattern warning stakes" are added. These "stakes" have a simpler structure, and their main function is to amplify the detection signals of the "sentry dumplings." When an anomaly is detected, they can instantly burst out a high-intensity directional purification pulse to delay or weaken intruders.

Outer Layer (Early Warning Area): Composed of a large number of smaller, lower-cost, and even expendable "spore dumplings." They are deployed to more distant wreckage areas, attaching themselves to rocks or metal like dandelion Seeds. Their main functions are "passive perception" and "signal relay." Once they sense abnormal fluctuations like those of a "Shadow Devourer," they immediately self-destruct, bursting with a strong flash of pure starlight while transmitting the alarm signal back to the base via the relay network.

The entire network is uniformly dispatched by a complex "Star Pattern coordination hub," which can dynamically adjust the activity level and energy output of the "sentries" in each layer according to the threat Rank.

"How is this a 'gauze curtain'..." Zhao Iron Pillar said, clicking his tongue as he looked at the layered, dense node map. "This is practically putting an iron turtle shell on our home, and a spiky one at that!"

"That's exactly the effect we want!" Senior Brother Li waved the blueprints. "Passive defense isn't cowardice; it's strategic composure! We need to guard our home like an iron bucket so we can farm... ah, no, build big ships in peace!"

The plan was approved and immediately entered the implementation phase. The entire base was mobilized; this was a matter of paramount importance concerning everyone's safety.

Xiao Wu led his "Flowing Silver nursery team" to begin batch "hatching" of the simplified "sentry dumplings" and "spore dumplings." The process was a bit like an Assembly Line operation: first, a large mass of "Flowing Silver" was differentiated into hundreds of "dumpling embryos" under the guidance of template Star Patterns, then each was "injected" with specific functional Star Pattern modules, and finally placed into the "nurturing pool" to absorb energy and be quickly "ripened." Soon, the base warehouse was piled high with silver-glinting, fist-sized, quietly dormant "dumpling soldiers."

Zhao Iron Pillar led the combat team and infrastructure team, carrying specially made "Star Pattern drills" and "Flowing Silver injectors," working enthusiastically to dig trenches, bury pipes, and erect warning stakes around the perimeter of the base. The clanging sounds echoed throughout the base, and from time to time, Zhao Iron Pillar's rough voice could be heard: "Over here! Another half-foot deeper! Right! Bury the 'Flowing Silver pipe network' firmly! This is our home's 'main artery'!"

Wang Wu and Mo Chen led the scout team, piloting small aircraft to carefully scatter baskets of "spore dumplings" into the predetermined outer areas. Once these little guys attached themselves, the Star Patterns on their surfaces would light up with an extremely faint, rhythmic light like breathing, then fade into the environmental background, becoming the "eyes" extending out from the base.

Mu Wanqing was not idle either. She led the Medicinal Pill workshop to develop "high-efficiency energy nutrients" and "rapid repair gel" specifically for the "Flowing Silver pipe network" and "sentry dumplings," ensuring the "logistical supply" for the defense network.

Wen Youyi sat in command at the center, monitoring the overall progress while using a key to perform initial mental connection and debugging with the "Star Pattern coordination hub," which served as the core of the network. This "hub" itself was a special, slightly larger "Flowing Silver-Star Pattern" aggregate, possessing the initial ability to process complex information and make simple logical judgments, and could be considered the "cerebellum" of the "starlight gauze curtain" network.

The entire project lasted for nearly a month.

When the last "spore dumpling" was activated at its predetermined coordinate, and when all nodes of the inner and outer three-layered defense network were online and had completed their self-checks, Senior Brother Li solemnly pressed the "starlight gauze curtain—Full Activation" button on the console.

Hum—

A low and harmonious resonance spread out from the base in all directions.

The naked eye could not see any earth-shattering changes, but on the level of energy perception, the "aura" around the base had completely changed. The chaotic, desolate "background noise" inherent to the wreckage area, occasionally mixed with unknown dangers, was covered by a layer of gentle, pure, and orderly starlight fluctuations.

It was like suddenly opening a large, invisible umbrella that radiated a fresh aura in a noisy and chaotic downtown area, covering an area and shielding it from the noise and filth of the outside world.

Those team members active on the perimeter of the base felt it most clearly.

"Hey! It feels like the air... no, the energy, has become much fresher!" A patrolling team member took a deep breath (although there was no air in the starry sky, the change in the energy environment gave them a similar feeling). "That tight, tense feeling in my heart seems to have eased up a bit."

Another team member who was recycling old equipment in the outer area discovered with surprise that the abnormal fluctuations on the surface of a nearby piece of metal wreckage, which had originally emitted weak corrosive energy, were being slowly "smoothed out" and "purified" by the ubiquitous, gentle starlight.

Even those "little bean sprouts" and "heart module" in the base seemed more "lively," and the fluctuations they transmitted were more stable and joyful.

The "starlight gauze curtain" not only provided external defense but also had a gentle, purifying, and calming effect internally!

"Dragon" excitedly spun around in the dock, transmitting a clear thought: [Home... is safer! More comfortable!]

Feeling the reassuring, pure fluctuations surrounding the area, a heavy burden finally lifted from Wen Youyi's heart.

With this "gauze curtain," the base finally had a preliminary, reliable active defense capability, no longer relying entirely on the concealment of the wreckage. They could more confidently push forward with the construction of "hope," and could also face potential threats like "Shadow Devourers" with more confidence.

Of course, the "gauze curtain" was not invincible. Its defense was mainly aimed at enemies like "Shadow Devourers" that were countered by pure starlight; it had limited protective power against physical impacts, high-intensity energy bombardment, or other unknown types of attacks. Moreover, continuous operation required energy consumption. Although the consumption was kept within an acceptable range through optimized design and the efficient transmission of the "Flowing Silver pipe network," it was still a long-term expense.

However, this was already a milestone achievement.

From discovering the threat to analyzing samples, and then to designing, building, and completing the deployment of an active defense and purification network covering the base, they had only used less than two months.

This efficient adaptability and execution made Wen Youyi feel deeply gratified. His companions were no longer the lost Cultivators from the Qingxuan Sect who needed him to lead them by the hand. They had become a team capable of independently facing crises, solving problems, and creating miracles.

The base was evolving, the team was growing, and hope was becoming more solid day by day.

Wen Youyi stood in the control room, looking at his home gently shrouded by the invisible "gauze curtain" outside the window, and then looked toward the deep starry sky in the distance.

The gauze curtain was complete. The next step was to sharpen the blade that was "Dragon," making it sharper and able to explore further.

(End of Chapter)