171: Chapter 171 Deep Within the Ruins, the Spark of Civilization

How long the spiral staircase extended downward into the darkness, no one could accurately count.

Lin Ye only knew that he had counted 1,700 heartbeats.

Each heartbeat lasted 1.7 seconds.

That was the frequency he deliberately maintained—synchronized with the ancient fluctuation's pulse deep within the ruins.

【Current Depth: Underground Level 4】

【Total Steps: 2,347】

【Vertical Drop: Approximately 170 meters】

【Current Magic-Forbidden Domain Intensity: +300% (3 times stronger than Level 1)】

【Physical Body Load: Normal walking consumption = 4.7 times normal combat state】

———

Lin Ye stopped in his tracks.

Not because he was tired.

It was because his foot had stepped onto level ground.

At the end of the spiral staircase was a space completely different from the upper levels.

There was no absolute darkness here.

There was "light" here.

It wasn't blue light.

It wasn't any known light source.

It was an extremely restrained, pale golden, soft fluorescence emanating from somewhere right in the center of the space.

The light wasn't dazzling, it wasn't warm, it didn't even have any temperature.

It simply "was."

———

Lin Ye's eyelids felt a stinging sensation for the first time within the Magic-Forbidden Domain.

It was the instinctive reaction of pupils that had been constricted in absolute darkness for 47 minutes suddenly coming into contact with light.

He narrowed his eyes.

He saw what lay ahead clearly.

———

【System Prompt: You have arrived at the bottom floor of "Ancient Civilization Ruins No. 7"】

【Current Area: Civilization Spark Preservation Room】

【Space Diameter: 70 meters】

【Dome Height: 17 meters】

【Center of Preservation Room: Civilization Spark Display Stand × 1】

【Above Display Stand: Floating Object × 1——【civilization spark chip】】

【Around Display Stand: Mechanical Guards (Dormant) × 7 units】

【Guard Rank: Rank 65 (Elite)】

【Guard Status: Dormant (Same Rank as Mother Empress Hall guards)】

【Behind Display Stand: Star Core Energy Storage Cabinet × 1 (Transparent Material)】

【Inside Storage Cabinet: star core energy × 5】

———

Seven Rank 65 elite guards.

Five pieces of star core energy.

One floating chip emitting a pale golden fluorescence.

———

Lin Ye did not move.

He was looking at that chip.

The light was too soft, too restrained, too much like a kind of—waiting.

Waiting for 470,000 years.

Waiting for the first life form to arrive here.

———

Behind him, seven people.

Stopped their footsteps at the same time.

———

Shi Potian took half a step forward.

His left fist—the one that had stood firm against three strikes from a Rank 70 Ancestor Phantom during the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star, smashed the Mother Empress's cephalothorax in the Mother Empress Hall, and crushed 17 Mechanical Guards on the previous floor—

Was raised to his chest.

But that fist stopped in mid-air.

Not because he didn't want to strike.

It was because he too saw that chip.

That glowing chip, floating in mid-air, pulsing slowly like a heart.

———

Chu Yunxi's hand was on her bowstring.

But she didn't pull it back.

Because she saw it too.

———

Zhou Tieshan placed the two halves of his broken shield on the ground.

Not because he was tired.

It was because—here, a shield was no longer needed.

———

Lu Xinghe stood where he was.

His compass—【Star River · Rebirth】—was in his palm.

For the first time, in a state without spiritual power, the needle moved on its own.

Pointing toward that chip.

———

Yun Qianxue gripped her staff.

The head of the staff did not glow.

But she felt it.

It was an extremely faint pulse, like an infant's heartbeat.

Coming from the chip.

Synchronized with her own heartbeat.

———

Qin Ruoxue stepped out from the shadows.

Under the pale golden light, her thousand faces cloak revealed its true color for the first time—gray.

She did not hide.

Because here, there was no need to hide.

———

Su Qingyue stood by Lin Ye's side.

Her left hand—the one that had pressed against the core shield in the Blood Altar guardian battle and released an extreme cold blast in the Mother Empress Hall, but was now just an ordinary human left hand—

Gently took Lin Ye's hand.

Three seconds.

She let go.

———

Lin Ye took his first step forward.

———

Step 1.

The chest chambers of the seven elite guards lit up simultaneously.

A pale blue light.

In stark contrast to the chip's pale golden glow.

【Ancient Mechanical Guard · Elite】

【Rank: 65】

【HP: 117,000/117,000】

【Attack Power: 9,700-11,300】

【Physical Resistance: +80%】

【Trait: Guardian Protocol—Any intruder attempting to touch the "Spark Chip" will be prioritized for elimination】

———

Step 2.

The seven guards stood up at the same time.

Seven long sabers—0.3 meters longer than those of ordinary guards, with dark golden edges—were raised simultaneously.

———

Step 3.

Lin Ye did not stop.

He looked at the seven guards.

Three seconds.

He spoke.

Not to them.

But to the seven people behind him.

"Don't move," he said.

"Let me handle this."

———

Step 4.

The first guard moved.

Its long saber slashed down toward Lin Ye's head.

Its speed was 30% faster than that of a normal guard.

———

Lin Ye sidestepped.

The blade grazed past his left shoulder.

His right hand—holding the fine iron longsword he had brought back from the Trial Ancient Star—swung upward at the same instant the blade passed.

The sword tip pierced into the very center of the guard's chest chamber.

【Weak Point Hit】

【Damage Dealt: 4,700 points】

【Guard HP: 117,000 → 112,300】

———

The guard did not stop.

Its second strike was already coming.

———

Lin Ye withdrew his sword.

He took half a step back.

The blade swept past 0.1 meters in front of his chest.

———

Step 5.

The second one.

The third one.

The fourth one.

Four guards lunged at him simultaneously.

Four long sabers from four directions sealed off all his paths of retreat.

———

Lin Ye did not retreat.

He lunged forward—crashing into the first guard's embrace.

His sword pierced upward into its chest chamber.

【4,700 points】

———

The blades crossed and slashed 0.3 meters behind him.

They missed.

———

Step 6.

He pulled out his sword.

He turned.

The sword swept horizontally.

Hitting the second guard's knee joint—it wasn't a weak point, but it was a joint.

【Damage Dealt: 1,700 points】

【Guard Imbalance: 0.3 seconds】

———

0.3 seconds.

Enough for him to leap up.

The sword pierced downward into its chest chamber.

【4,700 points】

———

Step 7.

He landed.

Five left.

———

Step 8.

Step 9.

Step 10.

———

【Combat Time: 31 seconds】

【Elite Guards Killed: 7 units】

【Lin Ye HP: 100% → 73% (3 grazes)】

【Obtained: Ancient Mechanical Core (Elite) × 7】

———

【Ancient Mechanical Core (Elite)】

【Type: Advanced Mechanical Unit Core Materials】

【Quality: Legendary】

【Description: A complete energy core extracted from a Rank 65 elite Mechanical Guard, containing the cutting-edge technology of an ancient mechanical civilization and the original code of the Guardian Protocol.】

【Effects:】

【1. Research: Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Starfield is offering 17,000 Tech Resource Coupons per unit for acquisition】

【2. Analysis: Chance to crack the "Guardian Protocol," gaining a permanent damage bonus against mechanical units】

【3. Fusion: Can be fused with a mecha energy core, granting the mecha "Guardian Mode" (All attributes +30%, lasts 60 seconds)】

【Current Quantity: 7 units】

———

Lin Ye didn't look at the cores.

He tucked them into his robes.

Then he walked toward the display stand.

———

Step 11.

He stood before the display stand.

The stand was 1.7 meters high.

Floating 0.3 meters above the stand was the chip.

【civilization spark chip】

【Type: Quest Item/Worldview Unlock Item】

【Quality: ??? (Beyond Legendary)】

【Description: Before its downfall, the ancient mechanical civilization compressed all its civilization's Legacy and the truth of its destruction into this 3-centimeter diameter chip. It has slept for 470,000 years, waiting for the first "destined one" to arrive here.】

【Current Status: Awaiting Activation】

【Activation Method: Touch】

【Post-Activation Effects:】

【1. Unlock hidden worldview "Above the Heavens"】

【2. Obtain truth of civilization's destruction × 1】

【3. Obtain "Spark Legacy" quest line × 1】

【4. All attributes permanently +5% (Exclusive to the first person to contact the ancient civilization)】

【5. Unlock "Mechanical Civilization Favorability" System】

【Warning: Activation will trigger the "Guardian Protocol · Final Stage," the ruins will self-destruct in 17 minutes】

———

Lin Ye looked at the line "self-destruct in 17 minutes."

Three seconds.

He reached out.

And touched the chip.

———

【civilization spark chip · Activating】

【Reading Progress: 0%...17%...31%...】

———

Lin Ye's consciousness was dragged into a boundless Void Realm.

It wasn't darkness.

It was "nothingness."

No up or down.

No near or far.

No reference points whatsoever.

There was only him.

———

Then.

A voice rang out.

It wasn't a language.

It was a "direct consciousness transmission."

———

"...Hello."

"Human from 470,000 years in the future."

———

Lin Ye did not answer.

He just "listened."

———

"We are what you call the 'Ancient Mechanical Civilization.'"

"But we do not call ourselves that."

"We call ourselves—'Kindling.'"

———

Images began to emerge in the Void Realm.

A silver-white planet.

Countless massive space stations orbited it.

The planetary surface was covered in silver-white cities that grew slowly like living things.

Between the cities, countless mechanical life forms were moving about.

Some were combat units.

Some were construction units.

Some were—children.

———

"We existed for 170,000 years."

"From birth to extinction."

"In those 170,000 years, we never waged war against any civilization."

"Never plundered any resources."

"Never harmed any life."

"We were just... living."

———

The scene shifted.

A crack suddenly appeared on the surface of the silver-white planet.

It wasn't a geological fissure.

It was a "spatial rift."

The edges of the rift were dark purple.

In the center of the rift—something was "squeezing" its way in.

———

"In the 170,000th year."

"They came."

"We do not know what they are called."

"We only know—"

"They came to 'reap.'"

———

In the images, countless dark purple, formless existences like mist surged out from that spatial rift.

Any mechanical life they touched—within 0.1 seconds, they all "disappeared."

Not destroyed.

They were "erased."

From the physical level, from the energy level, from existence itself—completely erased.

———

"Our warriors met them in battle."

"170,000 years of accumulated technology."

"4.7 billion combat units."

"All committed to the battlefield."

"All of them—"

In the images, that mass of dark purple mist swallowed all 4.7 billion combat units—within 17 seconds.

———

"Then they began to reap the planet itself."

"The planetary core."

"The planetary atmosphere."

"Every resource on the planet."

"Every life."

"Every—trace of civilization."

———

In the images, that silver-white planet, within 17 minutes—shrank from a diameter of 17,000 kilometers to a diameter of 17 meters.

Finally, all that remained was a 3-centimeter diameter chip.

Floating in the Void Realm.

———

"We did one last thing."

"All the memories of our civilization."

"All the crystallization of our technology."

"All the truths we wanted to leave behind."

"Compressed into this chip."

"Then, using the last 1% of our energy, we launched it toward an unknown direction."

———

In the images, that chip traveled through the Void Realm.

Through countless star Systems.

Through 470,000 years of time.

Landing on a strange planet.

That planet was named by those who came after as—

"Eternal Star Domain - Stage Two."

———

"470,000 years later."

"You have come here."

"And touched us."

———

In the Void Realm, the voice showed a fluctuation of emotion for the first time.

It wasn't sadness.

It wasn't anger.

It wasn't an indictment of fate.

It was simply—relief.

———

"We were not completely erased."

"Someone remembers us."

———

The image shifted one last time.

That mass of dark purple mist.

It was moving in another direction.

There was a boundless, pale golden space there.

On the edge of the space were carved three ancient characters that Lin Ye had never seen before.

But in that instant, he "understood."

【Above the Heavens】

———

【Truth of Civilization's Destruction · Unlocked】

【Above the Heavens · Worldview Unlocked】

———

Lin Ye's consciousness was pushed out of the Void Realm.

He opened his eyes.

He was standing before the display stand.

Holding the chip in his hand.

【civilization spark chip · Bound】

【Binder: Lin Ye】

【Current Status: Readable/Transferable/Destructible】

【Legacy Uses: 1/1 (Limited to one time)】

【Consequences of Destruction: Permanently lose "Above the Heavens" worldview and related quest lines】

———

Behind him, seven people.

Seven pairs of eyes.

All were looking at him.

———

Su Qingyue spoke.

"What did you see?"

———

Lin Ye did not answer immediately.

He looked at the chip in his hand.

470,000 years.

A 170,000-year civilization.

4.7 billion combat units.

Wiped out completely—within 17 seconds.

———

"They," Lin Ye said.

"Are called 'Above the Heavens.'"

"Reapers."

"They come to reap civilizations."

———

No one spoke.

But those seven breaths, in the same instant—skipped a beat.

———

Lin Ye tucked the chip into his robes.

Placing it alongside the self-healing Mother Empress core.

With the three shattered sacred feathers.

With the 47 final commands sent by the command-type mechas before self-destructing.

With the 12 ancient mechanical cores.

With the seven elite cores.

He placed them all together.

———

He turned.

And walked toward the back of the display stand.

There was a transparent storage cabinet there.

Inside the cabinet, five pieces of star core energy were pulsing at a frequency of once every 1.7 seconds.

Synchronized with his heartbeat.

———

【star core energy × 5】

【Current Quest Progress: 5/10 → 10/10】

【Quest Completed】

———

Lin Ye took out the five pieces of star core energy.

And tucked them away.

———

【System Prompt: You have completed the "Star Core Collection" quest】

【Quest Objective: 10/10 pieces】

【Quest Time Taken: 13 days 7 hours (Remaining: 1 day 17 hours)】

【Quest Rating: S】

【Quest Rewards:】

【1. Entrance Qualification for Stage Three "Prodigy Arena" × 10】

【2. Faction Reputation +200,000】

【3. Unlock hidden plotline "Spark Legacy"】

【4. Obtained Title "Civilization Guardian": Damage to mechanical units +30%, damage from mechanical units to you -15%】

———

Lin Ye didn't look at the rewards.

He looked behind the storage cabinet.

There was a wall there.

Three lines were carved on the wall.

They weren't in the script of the ancient mechanical civilization.

They were—ancient characters of the Big Dipper Star Field.

———

"We have left behind a spark."

"We hope you can find it."

"We hope you can protect it."

"Because—"

"They will come again."

———

Lin Ye looked at those three lines.

Three seconds.

He turned.

And looked at the seven people.

———

"In 17 minutes," he said.

"The ruins will self-destruct."

———

No one spoke.

The seven people turned at the same time.

And walked toward the spiral staircase at the same time.

———

Step 1.

Step 17.

Step 47.

———

Lin Ye walked at the very back.

He looked back.

Glancing at the spot where the chip had once floated.

It was empty.

But that pale golden fluorescence was still there.

Still pulsing at a frequency of once every 1.7 seconds.

Synchronized with his heartbeat.

Synchronized with that last sentence left by that voice from 470,000 years ago.

———

"Someone remembers us."

———

He turned.

And stepped onto the spiral staircase.

———

【Chapter 171 · End】