332: Guixu Awakens and "Brother's Message"

When Wen Youyi walked out of the pyramid, he felt that the Guixu outside seemed... different.

It wasn't a structural change, but a difference in "atmosphere." The previous deathly silence, like the feeling of a museum after closing time, had faded significantly. In its place was a subtle "vitality"—although it was still very quiet, the flowing light patterns were noticeably brighter and moving faster. In the air (if the concept of "air" existed in Guixu), there seemed to be a faint, elusive pulse of energy.

"Has this place... come alive?" Zhao Iron Pillar shouldered his heavy sword and looked around vigilantly. "Could some mechanical guards suddenly pop out?"

"It doesn't look like it." Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his glasses, the light patterns on the walls reflecting in his lenses. "It's more like... the System has switched from standby to low-power operating mode. Look at those discarded aircraft—"

He pointed to a bird-shaped aircraft on a circular platform not far away. Just as they looked over, the dust on the surface of the aircraft suddenly began to fall off on its own, revealing the silvery-white metal shell underneath. Several runes on the shell flickered slightly before dimming again.

"Automatic cleaning and basic self-check?" Wen Youyi raised an eyebrow. "It seems the intelligent System of Guixu has truly been 'awakened' by us."

"Didn't the gravedigger say they opened up partial access permissions?" Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain said softly. Her gaze was somewhat unfocused, clearly still immersed in the shocking news from just moments ago—her brother Galuo Xinghen - Captain's consciousness was actually still "existing" in some form.

The four of them returned to the landing craft and headed back along the path they had come. The light patterns in the corridor were no longer just "flowing"; they now formed guiding patterns as they passed, as if showing them the way, or perhaps... showing goodwill?

"Why do I feel like this place has suddenly become enthusiastic?" Zhao Iron Pillar scratched his head. "It was quite cold and aloof when we came in earlier."

"We probably passed the verification and were upgraded from 'suspicious visitor' to 'VIP user'." Wen Youyi joked, but in his heart, he was thinking quickly: What did it mean for Guixu to open up partial access? How much help could those databases and facilities provide them? Most importantly—was there any direct assistance for the mission regarding that last fragment?

The landing craft drove out of the pyramid and reappeared in that massive indoor transportation hub hall. But at this moment, the scene in the hall was completely different from when they had arrived.

Those previously stationary, dust-covered aircraft now had nearly half of them glowing with a faint light. Dozens of basketball-sized silver light orbs floated in the air, drifting slowly as if patrolling or observing. When the landing craft flew by, the light orbs would automatically clear a path and "politely" flicker twice, as if saying hello.

"This service attitude is too good, right?" Wang Wu exclaimed over the communication channel. "It's even more attentive than our Sect's etiquette team for receiving foreign guests!"

"I hope it's not a sugar-coated bullet." Senior Brother Zhang maintained his consistent caution. "Before we fully understand the operating logic of Guixu, it's best to remain vigilant."

Wen Youyi agreed with this point, but from a programmer's perspective, he also noticed some clues: the "friendliness" the System (if Guixu could be considered a System) was currently showing them was more like a conditioned reflex based on some preset protocol, rather than "emotion" with autonomous consciousness. It was like entering the correct password; the door opens—but as for why the door opens, the door itself doesn't know.

The landing craft returned to hope. As soon as it docked, Commander Luochen Guanzhe came up to meet them with a group of people.

"How was it? Are you injured?" Commander Luochen Guanzhe looked the four of them up and down. "Three hours after you went in, we detected energy readings across the entire Guixu starting to fluctuate, and we thought something had happened."

"We're fine, we just... filled out a questionnaire." Wen Youyi briefly recounted the process of the "civilization qualification verification," leaving Commander Luochen Guanzhe and the crew of Sky Patrol dumbfounded.

"Three questions determined whether or not you could inherit the legacy?" Commander Luochen Guanzhe's daughter, Liya, widened her eyes. "That's just too... like child's play, right?"

"It looks like child's play, but it's actually ingenious." Commander Luochen Guanzhe pondered. "Those three questions correspond to 'a civilization's choices when facing a desperate situation,' 'order and tolerance within a civilization,' and 'a civilization's desire to control ultimate power'—these are precisely the core elements of whether a civilization can endure for a long time. The Star People using this method to screen successors is very clever."

Wen Youyi noticed that Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain had been silent since returning, so he gave Commander Luochen Guanzhe a look. Commander Luochen Guanzhe understood and let the others go about their business, while he, Wen Youyi, and Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain went to a small conference room next to the bridge.

"Aila, about your brother..." Wen Youyi got straight to the point. "Do you want to see him? Or rather, see his... consciousness backup?"

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain raised her head, her indigo eyes filled with complex emotions. "I do. But I... don't know how to face it. Is that still my brother? Or is it just a piece of data with his memories?"

"You might have to find the answer to that question yourself." Wen Youyi said softly. "But since there's an opportunity, I think you should go see him. At the very least... say goodbye, or rather, confirm what he wanted to convey in the end."

Commander Luochen Guanzhe also nodded. "Back then, Galuo Xinghen - Captain insisted on infiltrating the Star Devourer Royal Court; besides gathering intelligence, there must have been other reasons. Perhaps in his consciousness backup, there is key information we don't know about."

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain was silent for a long time, finally taking a deep breath. "Okay, I'll go. But... Wen Youyi, can you come with me?"

"Of course." Wen Youyi didn't hesitate.

According to the guidance left by the "gravedigger," Galuo Xinghen - Captain's consciousness backup was stored in an independent data node on the outskirts of Guixu, located in a "Star-Observing Tower" at the edge of Guixu. To get there, they needed to take the transportation System inside Guixu—the very aircraft that had just "awakened."

Half an hour later, Wen Youyi, Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain, and Commander Luochen Guanzhe (who insisted on accompanying them) stood on a circular platform. At the edge of the platform was a sleek, silver-white aircraft, shaped a bit like an elongated water droplet, with no visible portholes or hatches on its surface.

"How... do we get into this thing?" Zhao Iron Pillar wanted to touch the aircraft's shell, but Senior Brother Zhang grabbed him. "Don't touch it randomly! What if there's a defense mechanism!"

Just then, a door slid open silently on the side of the aircraft, revealing simple seats and soft light inside. A gentle, neutral voice came from within: "Please board. Destination: Seventh Star-Observing Tower. Estimated travel time: nine minutes and forty-three seconds."

The three looked at each other and walked in. The cabin space was not large, just enough to accommodate three floating seats. As soon as they sat down, the cabin door closed. There was no vibration, no noise, and even the feeling of inertia was very weak—the aircraft had already taken off steadily, flying toward a corridor deep in the hall.

Through the cabin wall (which was now translucent), Wen Youyi saw the scene inside Guixu rushing past. The interior of those massive ring structures was actually layered, with each layer having different functional zones: some were neatly arranged living quarters, some were laboratories filled with instruments, and others looked like... ecological domes? Although now, only withered plant remains were left inside.

"Guixu could accommodate at least tens of millions of people back in the day." Commander Luochen Guanzhe looked out the window, his tone filled with emotion. "The scale of the Star People during their peak period far exceeded what we can imagine now."

"But they still left." Wen Youyi said. "Or rather, they were forced to leave."

The aircraft soon drove out of the main structure area and entered a relatively empty "suburb." Many smaller tower-like buildings floated here, with various shapes, but all carried that unique aesthetic style of the Star People, perfectly combining artistic sense with functionality. One of the towers was particularly eye-catching—it was entirely transparent, as if carved from a single piece of crystal, with a constantly rotating silver light orb at the top.

"That is the Seventh Star-Observing Tower." The aircraft's voice sounded. "Arrived. Visitor identity confirmed: Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain, direct blood relative of Galuo Xinghen - Captain, access permission approved. Companions Wen Youyi, Commander Luochen Guanzhe, temporary permission granted."

The aircraft docked on a protruding platform on the tower. The cabin door opened, and outside was a corridor made of the same transparent material, leading directly into the tower.

The three stepped out of the aircraft and onto the corridor. The floor under their feet was transparent, allowing them to see the "ground" thousands of meters below—which was actually part of the Guixu structure, like a silvery-white plain extending to the edge of their vision.

"I'm a bit afraid of heights..." Commander Luochen Guanzhe smiled bitterly and grabbed the handrail next to him.

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain, however, walked very steadily. Her gaze remained fixed on the rotating light orb at the top of the tower, her eyes filled with both anticipation and unease.

Entering the tower, the scene changed again. It didn't have the "technological feel" of other places; instead, it looked more like a... study? The four walls were lined with solid wood (or rather, what looked like solid wood) bookshelves, filled with some kind of crystal flakes—possibly the "books" of the Star People. In the center of the room was a large desk, and behind the desk was a high-backed chair. But most eye-catching was a device in the corner of the room—it looked like a constantly flowing humanoid outline made of light, and the facial features of the outline could vaguely be seen as those of a male Sky Patrol member.

"Brother..." Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain called out softly.

The light-shadow outline turned. Although the facial features were not clear, Wen Youyi could feel that it was "looking" at Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain.

[Aila.] A gentle, smiling voice sounded directly in their minds. [You've grown up.]

It was the voice of Galuo Xinghen - Captain. Not a mechanically synthesized sound, but a real, living voice with emotional fluctuations.

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain's tears welled up instantly. "Brother... is it really you?"

[It is me, and it is not me.] The light-shadow walked slowly to the desk and made a "please sit" gesture. The three noticed that three chairs had appeared by the desk at some point. [I am merely the consciousness backup uploaded by Galuo Xinghen - Captain before he left, carrying most of his memories, personality, and emotions, but... I am not the complete him. The real Galuo Xinghen - Captain already sacrificed his Physical Body thirty years ago during that mission to transmit key intelligence.]

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain sat down, wiped away her tears, and forced herself to calm down. "Then... what are you now? Artificial intelligence? A ghost?"

[Consider me a 'message'.] The light-shadow's voice remained gentle. [Back then, Galuo Xinghen - Captain insisted on infiltrating the Star Devourer Royal Court; besides gathering intelligence, there was a more important purpose—he wanted to confirm one thing: whether the 'Dominator' of the Star Devourers still retained the 'core command' from when it was first created.]

Wen Youyi perked up. "Core command? What is it?"

['Protect all civilizations, maintain the order of the Universe'.] The light-shadow said. [This was the most fundamental command written when the Star People created the Guardian prototype; it cannot be deleted, and it cannot be overwritten. But later, when the 'Continue Research Faction' manufactured the Star Devourers, they superimposed the new command of 'collect data, wait for return' onto this command. Later still, during the long process of devouring and evolution, the new command twisted into 'devour everything, evolve oneself'.]

It paused. [But Galuo Xinghen - Captain suspected that the bottom-most protection command had not disappeared, but was merely buried deep. Just like a person who has been brainwashed into doing bad things, but might still have a remnant of conscience deep within their heart. If one could awaken that remnant of conscience...]

"So it is possible to make the 'Dominator' stop devouring, or even... turn against its own?" Wen Youyi continued.

[The probability is very low, but it is worth a try.] The light and shadow said, [Jialuo risked his life back then to infiltrate the Royal Court, just to plant a 'Wake-up Program' in the 'Dominator's' core data zone. That program will activate under specific conditions—when a 'legitimate successor of the Star People' approaches with the complete master key.]

Wen Youyi subconsciously touched the master key in his pocket—it now had six fragments.

"So what we need to do is not just get the last fragment, but also activate that 'Wake-up Program'?" Luo Chen asked.

[Yes. But the risk is immense.] The voice of the light and shadow became serious, [First, you must be able to infiltrate the Royal Court's core zone, which is already incredibly difficult. Second, the 'Dominator's' core defense mechanism will automatically attack any external program attempting to modify its underlying instructions. The program Jialuo planted back then used the most sophisticated stealth technology, which is why it was not discovered, but once activated, it can no longer be hidden. Finally...]

It looked at Aila: [Even if you succeed in waking it up, no one knows what the 'Dominator' will become. It might revert to its original role as a guardian, it might collapse due to conflicting instructions, or it might... go completely insane.]

Silence fell in the room. The risk was indeed too great, so great that there was almost no hope of success in sight.

But Wen Youyi suddenly smiled: "Sounds like... a standard 'final dungeon' challenge. Difficulty maxed out, rewards unknown, but with a hidden storyline."

Luo Chen and Aila both looked at him.

"Programmer mindset," Wen Youyi explained, "When encountering a seemingly unsolvable puzzle, the first reaction is not 'it is over,' but 'since the designer set this challenge, there must be a way to clear it.' The key is to find the 'backdoor left by the designer'."

He looked at the light and shadow: "Besides planting the wake-up program, did Jialuo leave any other 'backup plans'? For example... a map of the Royal Court's interior? Vulnerabilities in the defense System? Or the 'Dominator's' schedule?"

The light and shadow seemed amused by the mention of a "schedule," its outline flickering: [There are maps and an analysis of defense weaknesses, which have already been transmitted to your database. But the 'Dominator' has no 'schedule'; it never shuts down. However...]

It paused: [Jialuo discovered an interesting pattern: every 120 standard days, the 'Dominator' enters a brief 'deep self-check' state, lasting about thirty seconds. At that time, its external perception and defenses drop to their lowest, making it the best time to approach it.]

Wen Youyi's eyes lit up: "When is the next self-check period?"

[Seventeen days from now.]

Seventeen days. It takes twelve days of full-speed travel from Guixu to the Star Devourer Royal Court. With preparation time, it is just enough.

"Time is tight," Luo Chen frowned.

"But at least there is a clear timeline now." Wen Youyi actually breathed a sigh of relief—a mission with a deadline is much better than aimless fumbling.

Aila finally calmed her emotions. She looked at the light and shadow and asked softly, "Brother... is there anything else you want to tell me?"

The light and shadow was silent for a few seconds. Its outline slowly changed, gradually coalescing into a clearer, more detailed image of a male Sky Patrol—that was what Jialuo looked like when he was alive, handsome, resolute, with gentle eyes.

[Aila,] the figure smiled, [see the end of the Star Sea for me, will you?]

Aila's tears welled up again, but she nodded vigorously: "Okay."

[And,] Jialuo's consciousness looked at Wen Youyi, [young navigator, the Star People's choice of you was not accidental. You possess something that we 'old fogies' lack—that creativity that does not play by the rules, that optimism that allows you to joke even in desperate situations, that... 'foolish' wisdom that is willing to entrust ultimate power to a committee.]

He paused, his voice becoming ethereal: [Perhaps the true future of civilization lies not in 'perfection,' but in the possibilities of the 'imperfect.' Good luck...]

The light and shadow began to dissipate, like morning mist fading under the sun. Finally, the whole room returned to its original state, leaving only bookshelves, a table, and chairs.

Aila sat quietly for a while, then stood up, her face still tear-stained, but her eyes had become firm.

"Let's go back and prepare," she said, "Seventeen days from now, we will go to see that 'possibility' my brother left behind."

The three of them walked out of the Star Observation Tower and boarded the waiting aircraft. On the way back, Wen Youyi kept thinking about Jialuo's words.

The possibility of the imperfect. This phrase seemed to have become the best footnote for their journey so far.

Back on "hope," Wen Youyi immediately gathered the core team and conveyed the intelligence provided by Jialuo and the seventeen-day deadline.

"So we need to infiltrate the Star Devourers' lair within seventeen days, steal what is in its heart while the boss is napping, and by the way, install a 'whitewashing program' in its brain?" Zhao Iron Pillar summarized it bluntly, "Sounds... more troublesome than slaughtering a pig for the New Year back home."

"But at least we know how to proceed." Senior Brother Zhang had already started calculating the flight route and time on the data pad, "Twelve days of travel, leaving five days for infiltration preparation and emergency buffer, the timing is just right."

"What about the members of the infiltration team?" Wang Wu asked.

Wen Youyi looked at everyone present: "Aila and I are definitely going. Iron Pillar, you..."

"I must go!" Zhao Iron Pillar patted his chest, "For this kind of heart-digging (literally) job, you cannot do it without my strength!"

Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his glasses: "I have research on energy Systems and data intrusion, I should be able to help."

Xiao Wu raised his hand: "I can be responsible for equipment maintenance and emergency repairs!"

"That is enough." Wen Youyi shook his head, "Too many people will just make it easier to be exposed. The four-person team: Me, Aila, Iron Pillar, and Senior Brother Zhang. Wang Wu, you stay on 'hope' and be responsible for support and intelligence. Xiao Wu, you assist Senior Brother Li in maintaining the ship to ensure we have a way to retreat."

Luo Chen spoke up: "We Sky Patrol can provide some technical support—such as more Advanced stealth coatings, and jammers for the Star Devourers' reconnaissance modes."

"Then I will leave it to you." Wen Youyi did not stand on ceremony either.

Over the next two days, "hope" entered an unprecedented state of busyness. "Hidden Dragon" was sent into a maintenance bay provided by Guixu for a deep refit. The Sky Patrol technicians brought by Luo Chen and the technical team of "Starfire" worked day and night to equip "Hidden Dragon" with a phase-shift stealth device, an energy signature simulator, and an "emergency space jump escape device"—this thing could only be used once, with a jump distance of only 0.5 light-years, but it could save lives at critical moments.

Wen Youyi locked himself in his room, studying the Royal Court terrain map and defense analysis left by Jialuo. The Materials were shockingly detailed, even marking the blind spots of the surveillance cameras at certain corridor corners; clearly, Jialuo had been doing this with a determination to die.

"Here..." Wen Youyi pointed to a passage in the core area of the Royal Court, "The notes say the defense System here has a 0.3-second signal synchronization gap every forty-seven seconds. If we can pass through in that gap, we will not trigger the alarm."

"0.3 seconds, is that enough?" Aila asked.

"It is enough for 'Hidden Dragon' to dash through two hundred meters at full speed." Wen Youyi calculated, "But it requires extremely precise timing."

"Leave this to me." Senior Brother Zhang said, "I can write an automatic navigation program that will execute the dash automatically upon reaching the predetermined coordinates."

The preparations proceeded in an orderly manner. Some of the facilities opened by Guixu also provided huge help—they obtained a batch of energy batteries from the Star People era, with an energy density five times higher than what they were currently using; there were also some special Materials that could be used to reinforce the armor of "Hidden Dragon"; and even a simulation training pod that could generate a virtual environment of the Royal Court's interior, allowing the infiltration team to familiarize themselves with the terrain in advance.

On the third day before departure, Wen Youyi came to the ecological dome of "hope" alone. It had now been managed by Mu Wanqing and her team to be full of vitality; the "star rice" had grown to knee height, emitting a faint silver light; the "fluorescent algae" formed a blue light belt in the pool; the few pairs of "Moonlight Rabbit" were jumping on the specially prepared grass, and seeing Wen Youyi come, they were not afraid, but instead came over to sniff his boots.

Wen Youyi squatted down and touched a rabbit's ears. The rabbit narrowed its eyes comfortably.

"If we do not come back," he said softly, "at least this place will continue to grow."

"Do not say such discouraging things." Mu Wanqing's voice came from behind. She walked over with a cup of freshly brewed calming tea, "You will definitely come back."

Wen Youyi took the tea and smiled: "I think so too. After all..."

He looked at the transparent ceiling of the dome; outside was the quiet, silver-white light of Guixu, and further away, the brilliant starry sky.

"After all, we are the 'viruses' that fought our way out of the Ranch World," he said, "How could we be so easily wiped out by antivirus software?"

Mu Wanqing also smiled. She accompanied Wen Youyi quietly for a while, then said softly, "Wen Youyi, thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for letting me know that the world does not have to be so cruel, civilizations do not have to devour each other, and life... can have another possibility besides being harvested."

Wen Youyi was silent for a moment, then raised his teacup: "Then for that 'other possibility', cheers."

The two teacups clinked together gently. The crisp sound echoed in the quiet ecological dome, like some kind of oath.

On the night before departure, Wen Youyi had a dream.

He dreamed that he had returned to the Ranch World and was standing in front of the gate of the Qingyun Sect. There was no spirit net harvesting, no Heart Demon breeding, no child of destiny being treated as food. Disciples were Cultivating normally, sparring with each other, occasionally bickering over resources, but not fighting to the death. Yun Zhi was teaching new Disciples how to practice swordplay, Zhao Iron Pillar was stealing steamed buns in the kitchen, Senior Brother Zhang was staying up late in the library, and Wang Wu was calculating how to get an extra month's allowance...

Then the scene changed, and he dreamed he was standing in a sea of stars, with "hope" behind him and countless strange civilizations in front of him. Some looked like light clusters, some like machines, some like plants, but all radiated friendly fluctuations. Everyone was exchanging technology, sharing knowledge, and watching the newly born stars deep in the starry sky together...

When he woke up, it was not yet dawn. Wen Youyi looked at the silver light of Guixu outside the porthole and smiled.

"Then for this dream," he said to himself, "let's fight one more time."

Seventeen-day countdown, reached zero. "Hidden Dragon," set sail. (End of chapter)