46: Open source and collaboration

The visit from the Mission Hall's Old Deacon was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the excitement that had surged in D-7 Courtyard after they had counter-killed Chen Jian.

The attention of an Inner Sect Disciple meant the level of trouble was entirely different. It was no longer a small-scale squabble in the Outer Sect, but a game that could involve Sect factions or even higher levels.

"Little Wen, what should we do? That Old Deacon's words had hidden meanings," Zhao Iron Pillar scratched his head, feeling like his brain wasn't quite up to the task.

Wang Wu was deeply worried: "If an Inner Sect Senior Brother forces us to hand over the method, we won't have the power to resist at all."

Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Zhang also looked concerned.

Wen Youyi paced the courtyard, his mind working at high speed. Refusing completely would mean offending both the Inner Sect Disciple and that unfathomable Old Deacon at the same time; the risk was too great. But handing over the core secrets of the 'Star Domain' directly? That would be destroying his own Foundation; it was absolutely impossible.

He had to find a balance.

His gaze swept over some low-grade Materials piled in the corner of the courtyard—leftover scraps from when they practiced the 'Cooperative Force Talisman' and modified Talismans. A thought flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning—

He couldn't give them the 'fish', but he could sell them the 'fishing rod'! Or rather, a simplified, flawed version of a 'fishing rod'!

"Brothers, I have an idea." Wen Youyi stopped pacing, his eyes shining with decisive light. "Perhaps we can... actively 'open source' a part of our technology."

"Open source?" Everyone was puzzled.

"It means we take our concepts of 'team collaboration' and 'simple anti-poison Formations,' package them up, and treat them as a... well, a 'New Team Combat Method' or 'Low-End Environmental Adaptation Technique,' and spread them out in a limited way!" Wen Youyi explained. "Of course, it will be a castrated version. The effect won't be nearly as good as our 'Star Domain,' but it will indeed improve a team's survival capability in harsh environments like poisonous miasma."

He carefully elaborated on this "Open Source Plan":

First, simplify The core five people's 'Breathing Cache Method' into a 'Basic Synchronous Breath-Regulation Technique' that requires high levels of unspoken understanding to be effective, emphasizing the extreme requirements for team coordination.

Second, draw from the superficial knowledge of 'concealment' and 'internal seeking' found in the 'Elementary Explication of the Minor Five Elements Formation' and the Ancient Cultivator's inscriptions. Combined with common low-grade Materials, design a refining method for an extremely crude, high-consumption, and highly unstable 'Miniature Environmental Stabilization Formation Plate.' The effect of this Formation Plate would be far inferior to a Domain—it would have a small range, short duration, and require multiple people to continuously inject Spiritual Qi to maintain it—but it would indeed isolate poisonous miasma and stabilize Spiritual Qi within a small area to some extent.

Third, package these two together and call it the 'Youyi Collaboration Method' (he unceremoniously named it after himself), positioning it as an auxiliary technique suitable for Low-level Disciples to huddle together for warmth and challenge high-difficulty missions.

"This way," Wen Youyi's eyes gleamed, "we both respond to the Inner Sect's 'interest' and demonstrate our 'value' while keeping our core secrets safe. More importantly, if this method can spread among the Low-level Disciples, it will invisibly gather a force, and might even... shake the Foundation of 'the net'!"

He was looking further ahead. If more and more Low-level Disciples learned to collaborate, reducing their dependence on 'calming heart pills' and learning to rely on the team rather than individual endurance in harsh environments, would the harvesting efficiency of the 'spirit net' and 'Heart Demon' Systems decrease? This was itself a form of silent resistance!

Everyone was shocked by Wen Youyi's bold and long-term vision.

"Brilliant!" Wang Wu clapped his hands in admiration. "This way, we not only resolve the immediate crisis but might also... sow a Seed!"

"But Little Wen, if we teach this method to others, aren't we helping them get stronger so they can come and rob us later?" Zhao Iron Pillar couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

"Brother Pillar," Wen Youyi smiled, "First, what we're teaching is a simplified version with limited effects. Second, true strength doesn't lie in guarding a few secrets, but in the fact that we can always stay ahead and constantly release 'upgraded versions'! Third, more friends make for an easier path. If Low-level Disciples can live better using our method, who would easily let themselves be used as a pawn by someone like Chen Jian?"

Zhao Iron Pillar only half-understood, but he felt that what Wen Youyi said made sense.

With the plan set, Wen Youyi acted immediately. He spent several days meticulously concocting a Jade Slip titled "A Preliminary Study of the 'Youyi Collaboration Method'—On the Crude Application of Team Synchronization and Miniature Environmental Formations."

In it, he "sincerely" shared the difficulties of practicing the simplified synchronous breath-regulation technique, as well as the complex refining process and massive flaws of that crude Formation Plate, "humbly" stating that this was just a bit of immature exploration on their part, hoping to invite further discussion.

He handed this Jade Slip over to the Inner Sect Disciple through that Old Deacon from the Mission Hall.

At the same time, he didn't pin all his hopes on the Inner Sect. He had Wang Wu and Senior Brother Li vaguely reveal bits and pieces of the 'Collaboration Method'—such as emphasizing the importance of tacit coordination—within small circles of Low-level Disciples they were friendly with or who were similarly oppressed, beginning to spread the influence subtly.

After doing all this, Wen Youyi stood in the courtyard, looking at the star core fragment in his hand.

"Open sourcing is for better development. But the true core technology must be firmly held in one's own hands."

He believed this packaged "gift" was enough to temporarily stabilize the Inner Sect's gaze. Meanwhile, they gained precious time and space for development.

Next, he would use this time to fully study the star core fragment, upgrade the 'Star Domain,' and search for more clues about 'star core fragments' and the 'Primal Array'.

The storm was temporarily diverted, but the journey of D-7 Courtyard had only just begun.

(End of Chapter)