342: The Ruins Labyrinth and the "Consciousness Resonance Test"

On the morning the exploration team set out, the weather in New Homeland was unbelievably good.

Two small suns (New Homeland galaxy is a rare binary star System) had just risen from the horizon, dyeing the sky a warm, orange-gold.

The silvery-blue leaves in the forest reflected the sunlight, making the entire forest look like it was piled high with gems and silver.

There was a sweet scent in the air, which, according to Mu Wanqing's analysis, was pollen from a night-blooming plant; it was non-toxic and even refreshing.

But of the thirty people standing at the entrance of the temporary camp, few had the heart to appreciate the beautiful scenery.

Wen Youyi scanned this "multinational force": Qingyun Sect sent their Preaching Elder, Immortal Master Qingfeng (Soul Transformation Middle Stage, skilled in Formation), and a young female Disciple named Lin Wei (Golden Core Peak, rumored to have absurdly keen perception); the East Sea Loose Cultivator Alliance sent two old foxes—"Flying in the Waves" Zhou San and "Iron Abacus" Qian Laoqi, one with uncanny movement techniques and the other skilled in calculation; the Mortal representatives from the Western Wasteland were Madam Liu, the mother who had been holding a baby earlier (her husband died in an accident during construction, and she volunteered to join, saying she wanted to earn a better future for her daughter), and an old hunter named Uncle Sun; the Southern Border Yao Race, besides Mountain Roar Lord, also sent a taciturn Tree Demon Elder, "Mu Xin," whose footsteps automatically sprouted moss.

Blood Fiend Old Demon, Heaven Swallowing Ancestor, and Sword Maniac, the three big shots, were naturally present, each bringing two trusted aides.

As for the Sky Patrol, Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain and Luo Chen had to stay behind to preside over the council, so they sent technical officer Renault (the one who survived the last time at the Royal Court) and scout Lia (Luo Chen's daughter, who pestered them to come along).

The old members of "Spark," besides Wen Youyi, included Zhao Iron Pillar, Senior Brother Zhang, and Zhao Iron Pillar's eager apprentice, Little Li.

"Everyone is here," Wen Youyi cleared his throat.

"Let me repeat the rules: during the exploration, follow all commands; all discoveries belong to the public, and those who hide things privately will have their contribution qualifications revoked; in case of danger, prioritize protecting teammates—no matter which sect or faction you belonged to before, we are now grasshoppers tied to the same rope."

"Grasshoppers is such an ugly word," Mountain Roar Lord grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "We are a wolf pack."

"Fine, a wolf pack it is," Wen Youyi didn't dwell on it. "Let's move out."

The team of thirty plunged into the forest.

The silvery-blue trees were exaggeratedly tall, their canopies interweaving into a glowing dome a hundred meters high; the light in the forest was dim but not eerie, and the ground was covered with thick, soft silvery moss.

Glowing butterflies and beetles were everywhere, and occasionally, small beasts with iridescent fur could be seen darting across the treetops.

"This place is really eerie," "Flying in the Waves" Zhou San said, treading with strange footwork, barely touching the ground. "There isn't a shred of Killing Intent, not even a single ferocious insect to be seen."

"The lack of Killing Intent is what's scary," "Iron Abacus" Qian Laoqi squinted. "It means either the creatures here are extremely peaceful, or... something even more powerful is suppressing the place, making them afraid to act out."

Wen Youyi felt the same.

He gripped the master key, which was emitting a continuous, faint resonance here, as if greeting something.

After walking for about three hours, the trees in front suddenly thinned out.

A clearing appeared before them—it wasn't natural; the ground was flat as if sliced by a giant blade, paved with some kind of smooth black stone.

In the center of the clearing stood a building.

Rather than a building, it was more like a giant "crystal brain" half-buried in the ground.

The object was over fifty meters in diameter, made entirely of translucent pale blue crystal, its surface covered with a complex honeycomb structure.

Countless tiny points of light flowed and flickered within the honeycomb cells, like neural signals.

The strangest thing was that it had no doors, no windows, and one couldn't even tell where the front was.

"The energy reading is off the charts," the detector in Senior Brother Zhang's hand emitted an overload warning tone. "It's three orders of magnitude higher than the main energy core of 'hope.' But this energy is perfectly contained within, not a single bit leaking out."

"How do we get in?" Zhao Iron Pillar circled it. "There isn't even a crack."

Wen Youyi recalled the resonance of the master key; he walked up to the "crystal brain" and pressed the master key against it.

The moment they made contact, the entire "crystal brain" lit up!

The flowing light points accelerated, forming a rotating star map on the surface—it was an enlarged version of the one on the master key.

A few seconds later, a circular opening split open in the center of the star map, just large enough for one person to pass through.

"Authorization verified," a gentle, neutral voice came from the hole, using the ancient language of the Star People (the master key automatically translated it). "Welcome to 'Civilization Legacy Node - γ - 7.' Please enter one by one, do not crowd."

The thirty people looked at each other.

"I'll go first!" Zhao Iron Pillar said, about to dive in.

"Wait," Wen Youyi grabbed him. "In order. I'm first, Senior Brother Zhang is second, Iron Pillar, you're third. Everyone else enters according to their team number."

He stepped into the opening first.

Inside wasn't the room or corridor he had imagined, but an anti-gravity space.

Wen Youyi felt empty beneath his feet, and his whole body floated up.

Surrounded by soft, milky-white light, he couldn't see walls or a ceiling, only a few glowing platforms in the distance.

Others entered one after another, all floating in mid-air; a few inexperienced ones (like Madam Liu) panicked and flailed a few times, but soon realized the buoyancy here was stable and they wouldn't fall.

"Adapting to the gravity field, please wait," that voice rang out again. "Scanning visitor consciousness characteristics... Scan complete. Detected a multi-civilization mixed group, meeting the criteria for 'Diverse Legacy.' Starting to load test environment."

"Test?" Blood Fiend Old Demon's eyes sharpened. "What kind of test? This old man doesn't like being examined!"

"The test is not mandatory," the voice explained. "But those who pass the test can obtain access to the corresponding level of the 'Knowledge Base.' The test content is 'Consciousness Resonance,' aimed at evaluating team cooperation and civilization comprehension abilities."

Before the words faded, the surrounding space began to change.

The milky-white light receded, replaced by a vast starry sky.

It wasn't a projection, but a real starry sky that felt like it could be touched.

The thirty of them floated in the sea of stars, with a slowly rotating galaxy beneath their feet.

"First question," the voice sounded. "Please use team cooperation to jointly construct a blueprint for an 'Ideal Civilization' in your consciousness. Requirement: It must contain core traits of at least three different civilization types, and the consciousness participation of all members must exceed 70%."

Everyone was stunned. Construct a civilization blueprint? And construct it together using consciousness?

"How do we do this?" Little Li was dumbfounded. "I can't even write an essay well."

Wen Youyi's eyes, however, lit up. Isn't this what programmers are best at—requirement analysis, architectural design, and team collaboration?

"Everyone, listen to my command," he floated to the center of the team. "Let's first determine the 'core requirements.' Come, everyone say in one sentence what you think an ideal civilization should have. Starting with me: The right to free development."

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain followed: "The inheritance of knowledge and technology."

Senior Brother Zhang: "A fair distribution mechanism."

Elder Mu Xin (Tree Demon) said in broken common language: "Harmony with nature."

Mountain Roar Lord: "Powerful force to protect oneself."

Sword Maniac: "The possibility of pursuing individual extremes."

Madam Liu whispered: "Children can grow up safely..."

One by one, thirty "requirements" were listed.

Wen Youyi used the master key to draw a mind map in the air, categorizing these requirements: survival needs, development needs, spiritual needs, safety needs...

"Now, we need to design a 'System Architecture' that can satisfy these requirements," Wen Youyi entered the zone. "I propose using a 'multi-layer distributed structure.' The base layer is the production and distribution System that meets basic survival; the middle layer is education, medical care, and technological development; the top layer is art, philosophy, and individual pursuit. There must be communication channels between each layer, but they cannot oppress each other."

"How is power distributed?" Qian Laoqi asked. "It can't be that everyone has a say, right?"

"Adopt a 'Council-Functional Department' System," Wen Youyi said. "The council represents the interests of various groups and sets the general direction; functional departments are responsible for specific execution. Council seats are dynamically adjusted according to contribution and population ratio to prevent one party from dominating."

"What about Cultivate?" Immortal Master Qingfeng frowned. "The strong being respected is an ancient principle."

"The strong can possess more resources, but cannot deprive the weak of the opportunity to develop," Wen Youyi replied. "We will establish a 'Contribution Point' System. Any behavior beneficial to the civilization counts as a contribution and can be exchanged for resources. This way, it can both motivate the strong and protect the weak."

The discussion grew increasingly heated.

Even Blood Fiend Old Demon and Heaven Swallowing Ancestor joined in—although they were overbearing, they had lived long and seen much, and the questions they raised were often incisive.

The Yao Race provided a perspective on living in harmony with nature, the Mortals contributed experience in stabilizing society, and the Cultivators brought thoughts on individual potential.

Wen Youyi was like a product manager, constantly organizing, summarizing, and drawing diagrams.

The mind map projected into the air by the master key became increasingly complex, but also more complete.

Gradually, everyone became immersed in it, and even their initial reluctance vanished.

I don't know how much time had passed when that voice sounded again: "Consciousness resonance detection: 89.6%, threshold exceeded. Blueprint logical self-consistency: 91.3%. Evaluation: Excellent. First question passed."

The starry sky dissipated, and they returned to that white anti-gravity space.

Everyone's face was filled with excitement—the feeling of everyone's thoughts colliding and creating together just now was truly marvelous.

"Second question," the voice said, "please choose one of the following three 'civilization crisis scenarios' and formulate a solution together."

Three holographic images unfolded before them.

Scene One: A highly developed technological civilization where, due to over-reliance on artificial intelligence, humanity lost its creativity and the civilization stagnated.

Scene Two: A cultivation civilization that erupted into civil war over resource competition and ultimately self-destructed.

Scene Three: A civilization that had just escaped the fate of being harvested, facing powerful external threats, yet internally divided into multiple factions, arguing endlessly.

"Isn't this our current situation?" Lang Li Fei Zhou San muttered.

Wen Youyi looked at the third scene and took a deep breath: "Choose this one. We have the most experience with it."

The image enlarged, turning into an immersive scene.

The thirty of them "played" the leaders of this nascent civilization, facing internal quarrels and external threats, and had to make decisions within a limited time.

This time, no one waited for Wen Youyi to command.

Everyone spontaneously divided into groups: the Qingyun Sect and the Alliance of Loose Cultivators were responsible for analyzing external threat data; the Yao Race and the Mortal community surveyed internal public opinion; the Sky Patrol and the "Spark" technical team formulated technical solutions; and a few old monsters acted as the "opposition," specializing in finding faults.

Wen Youyi was responsible for coordination.

He once again utilized his programmer specialty to design a "decision tree": based on variables such as threat Rank, internal unity, and available resources, he formulated different response strategies.

Every decision made required an assessment of risks and benefits, while also considering the acceptance level of each group.

The process was noisy.

Blood Fiend Old Demon insisted on subduing the internal opposition first, Sword Maniac believed that resources should be concentrated to Cultivate a few top combatants for a decapitation strike, and Mountain Roar Lord proposed taking those willing to follow and running away first...

Every time they argued, Wen Youyi had to pull everyone back to the "decision tree" and let the data speak.

"Time's up," the voice interrupted them, "evaluating the solution... Logical integrity: 88.7%; feasibility: 76.4%; balance of satisfaction among groups: 81.9%. Evaluation: Good. Second question passed."

"Only 'Good'?" Heaven Swallowing Ancestor was dissatisfied, "I think we did quite well."

"Because your solution sacrificed the interests of the 17% minority," the voice said calmly, "a true civilization should allow everyone to see hope as much as possible."

These words silenced everyone.

"Third question," the voice continued, "and the final one. Please watch the following record and then answer the question."

The surroundings darkened again.

This time, what appeared was a real memory recording from the era of the Star People.

In the image, inside the council hall during the Peak of the Star People, a group of representatives with various forms were arguing fiercely.

The topic was: how to handle those "Ranch" civilizations they had discovered that were in a primitive state.

One faction advocated for "protected observation," letting these civilizations develop naturally; another faction advocated for "guidance and support," actively imparting knowledge; and there was another faction—the predecessor to the later "Continued Research Faction"—that advocated for "limited intervention," establishing a "Guardian System" to regulate civilization development and prevent them from going astray.

The argument lasted for a long time.

Eventually, the "limited intervention" faction won by a narrow margin.

Thus, the "Guardian Project" was launched, the initial prototypes were manufactured, and they were deployed into those civilizations.

The image fast-forwarded.

Thousands of years later, those intervened civilizations did indeed avoid self-destruction and developed rapidly.

But the internal divisions among the Star People grew larger—some believed the intervention was excessive, while others thought it wasn't enough.

Eventually, the division evolved into war, which was the later "Dimension War."

After the war, the Star People were disheartened and collectively ascended to a higher dimension and left.

As for those "Guardians," over the long years, some protected diligently, while others gradually became twisted... one of them was the origin of the later Star Devourers.

The image ended.

The space was deathly silent.

Everyone was shocked by this history—it turned out that everything they had experienced originated from a well-intentioned but ultimately failed attempt by the Star People.

"The question," the voice sounded, this time with a hint of imperceptible heaviness, "if you were the Star People council members at that time, what would you choose? Please answer honestly; there is no standard answer."

The thirty people floated in the Void Realm, silent for a long time.

Finally, Wen Youyi spoke: "I would choose... to give the power of choice to them."

"What do you mean?" the voice asked.

"Give them knowledge, tell them the risks, and then let them decide for themselves which path to take," Wen Youyi said, "just as parents cannot live a child's life for them, an Advanced civilization should not decide the fate of a lower civilization. We can be teachers, we can be friends, but we should not be nannies, and certainly not shepherds."

"But what if they choose wrong and self-destruct?" the voice pressed.

"That is their right," Wen Youyi's voice was firm, "the preciousness of civilization lies not only in continuation, but also in the freedom of choice. Even if they choose wrong, it is still their own story."

A long silence.

Then, that voice chuckled—for the first time, there was distinct emotion in the voice:

"The answer... has a 73% similarity to the last words of the last council speaker of the Star People. He said: 'Our greatest mistake was being too afraid of them making mistakes.'"

The light around them brightened again.

This time, dozens of glowing "bookshelves" appeared in the white space; on the shelves were not books, but floating spheres of light.

"Congratulations, you have passed all the tests," the voice said, "this is the entire knowledge base of the 'γ-7' node. According to your performance in the tests, everyone will receive corresponding access privileges. Please remember, knowledge is a tool, not a shackle. May you... go further than we did."

As the voice faded, it disappeared.

Replacing it was a clear directory of knowledge that emerged in everyone's mind: agricultural technology, ecological engineering, spatial physics, energy application, social management, art and philosophy... categorized and vast like the sea.

"We're rich..." Senior Brother Zhang's eyes were fixed, "This is more complete than the database of the Guixu!"

"Don't be in such a hurry to be happy," Wen Youyi looked toward the entrance, "we should head out. The people outside must be waiting anxiously."

The group floated out of the cave entrance one by one.

When they stood on the black stone slab again, they discovered that the sky had already darkened—they had stayed inside for an entire day.

And what surprised them even more was that the light on the surface of the "Crystal Brain" was gradually dimming, and the points of light in the honeycomb grid were extinguishing one by one.

"Is it... shutting down?" Aila asked.

"It may have completed its mission," Wen Youyi said softly, "passing the knowledge to those who come after, and then resting in peace."

The last bit of light vanished, and the "Crystal Brain" completely turned into a huge, dim blue crystal, as if it were just an ordinary Ore.

But everyone knew that they had taken away something even more precious.

On the way back to the camp, no one spoke.

Everyone was digesting today's experience, as well as the new knowledge in their minds.

As they approached the camp, Madam Liu suddenly asked in a low voice: "Mr. Wen, can we... really build a different civilization?"

Wen Youyi stopped, turned back to look at the strange group behind him composed of Cultivators, Mortals, the Yao Race, and aliens, and then looked at the twinkling lights in the camp in the distance.

"I don't know," he said honestly, "but at least, we have the opportunity to choose."

"And this time," Zhao Iron Pillar grinned, "we choose for ourselves."

Night fell, and the two moons rose, bathing the land of New Homeland in silver-white light.

A new chapter has just begun.

(End of Chapter)