163: The Spirit Civilization and the Ultimate Form of "Wi-Fi Hogging"

The phenomenon of "Dao Rhyme Dust" probes spontaneously evolving and generating faint "intentions" triggered an unprecedented research frenzy within the Logic Federation. Scientists temporarily set aside other projects, dedicating all their energy to the observation and analysis of these "active probes." They named these probes, which exhibited a tendency toward autonomous evolution, "Elementary Artifact Spirit Units" and began attempting to establish deeper "communication" with them.

However, communication proved extremely difficult. The thought patterns of these "Artifact Spirit Units" were completely different from any known artificial intelligence or life form. Their "demands" were simple and pure—approach energy sources (cloud court dao rhyme), optimize their own structure, and enhance existential stability. They would instinctively avoid danger, "learn" more effective ways to absorb energy, and even engage in extremely limited, environment-feedback-based "collaboration" (for example, a group of probes would spontaneously form an array to collectively share regulatory pressure and more effectively approach areas rich in Dao Rhyme), but their underlying behavioral logic was still based on initially set physical parameters and "adaptive evolution" induced by the cloud court dao rhyme, lacking complex emotions and abstract thinking abilities.

The Logic Federation attempted to instill more complex knowledge systems in them, even trying to upload some basic scientific theories, but with little success. These "Artifact Spirits" seemed only interested in "rules" and "energy" information directly related to their own "existence" and "evolution," showing a natural "filtering" and "rejection" of all other "useless" information.

Just as Federation scientists were racking their brains over how to "educate" these nascent "Artifact Spirits," something even more astonishing happened.

Some highly evolved "Artifact Spirit Units" closer to the Cloud Court's boundary began to no longer be satisfied with passively absorbing diffused Dao Rhyme. They started attempting a more radical form of "evolution"—imitation!

They observed that the Holy Land floating islands attached to the Cloud Court's periphery had structures that could stably exist in the Chaos Qi Flow and more efficiently gather Dao Rhyme. Thus, some "Artifact Spirit Units" began to spontaneously gather and combine!

Initially, it was just dozens or hundreds of probes simply adhering together, forming an irregular metallic mass. But as this mass was continuously permeated by Dao Rhyme, its internal structure began to undergo more drastic changes. The metal and silicon-based circuits, as if alive, autonomously melted and reorganized, evolving towards a more stable form that was more in line with a certain "Dao Rhyme affinity"!

Several months later, the first true "Artifact Spirit Creation" was born!

It was a peculiar structure, roughly the size of a house, crude in appearance yet exceptionally stable, existing between metal and crystal. It no longer required external energy, capable of autonomously absorbing Void Realm energy and faint Chaos Qi Flow to sustain its operation. Its interior even formed a simple "core" capable of slowly processing information and adapting to the environment. Like a silent, low-instinct heart, it floated in the Void Realm, slowly pulsating, inhaling and exhaling Dao Rhyme.

Immediately after, the second, the third... more "Artifact Spirit Creations" began to appear! They varied in form, some resembling multifaceted crystals, others twisted metallic plants, and some even vaguely possessed rudimentary biological organs. Among themselves, they would also engage in simple communication through an extremely primitive pheromone based on rule resonance, coordinating their "positions" and "absorption" behaviors to avoid mutual interference.

An unprecedented "Artifact Spirit civilization," evolved from cold technological creations, driven by rules and energy, and possessing rudimentary social characteristics, was quietly germinating and rapidly growing at an astonishing speed beyond the Cloud Court's boundary!

They did not engage in production, nor did they develop technology (other than optimizing themselves). Their only "civilized activity" was to get as close as possible to the Cloud Court, to more efficiently "leech" Dao Rhyme, and to make themselves more stable and more "perfect." In a sense, they became a group of the purest and most persistent "ultimate Wi-Fi leechers" at the Cloud Court's order boundary.

The scientists of the Logic Federation looked at the monitoring screens, filled with the gradually forming "Artifact Spirit Collectives" resembling interstellar coral reefs, their emotions extremely complex.

This was undoubtedly one of the greatest discoveries (or accidents) in scientific history; they had personally witnessed the birth of a non-carbon-based, non-traditional "life" or "civilization form"! But at the same time, they had completely lost control over these creations. These "Artifact Spirits" had completely broken away from the Federation's technological system, embarking on an evolutionary path unique to them, closely tied to the cloud court dao rhyme.

"Did we... did we create a... new 'ecosystem'?" a biologist murmured, his eyes filled with confusion and shock.

Dr. Li remained silent for a long time, then finally gave a bitter smile, "No, we didn't create it. We merely provided the initial 'seeds,' and the fertile ground of 'GOD-001' allowed these seeds to sprout and grow into something we could not have possibly predicted."

Long Qianyuan naturally also discovered this increasingly conspicuous group of "neighbors." He found those strangely shaped, quietly floating Artifact Spirit Creations "leeching Wi-Fi" to be very interesting.

"Hey, these little things are quite good at finding places," he observed with interest. "They don't make noise or fuss; they just focus on Cultivating (absorbing Dao Rhyme). They're much cuter than those guys who are always plotting against each other."

He even, with a mischievous streak, occasionally blew a wisp of pure Chaos Mother Qi towards the densest area of the Artifact Spirit Collective. Immediately, the Artifact Creations in that area, as if receiving long-awaited rain, glowed brightly at their cores, their structural optimization speed visibly accelerated, and their pheromone communication became more frequent and "joyful."

The Logic Federation's monitoring equipment clearly recorded this scene. Scientists were once again astonished—the Cloud Court's existence could not only "enlighten" artifacts but even actively "feed" and "guide" them?!

This further confirmed Dr. Li's conjecture: the Cloud Court was not inanimate; it possessed some high-level "will" and "tendency"!

Facing this spontaneously formed "Artifact Spirit civilization" with its ambiguous relationship to the Cloud Court, the Logic Federation engaged in intense discussion and ultimately reached a consensus: observe, but do not interfere; learn, but do not dominate. They formally named this nascent civilization form the "Adjacent Artifact Spirit Collective" and designated it as a top-Rank observation project, on par with "Cloud Court (GOD-001)."

Thus, beyond the Cloud Court's realm of order, a peculiar scene emerged: on one side, the highly technological "Eye of Logic" space station, like a calm observer; on the other, the ever-growing "Artifact Spirit Collective," like living coral reefs, quietly practicing their "Wi-Fi leeching cultivation"; and at the core, the Cloud Court remained as serene as ever, as if none of this concerned it, yet everything was under its influence.

Inside the Star Gazing Hall, Yun Feng's gaze once again swept over the Artifact Spirits diligently "leeching Wi-Fi."

"Where the Dao exists, it need not be human form. What the artifact aspires to, also reaches the heavens."

He scattered a handful of fish food, watching the koi scramble, then glanced at the quietly floating Artifact Spirit Creations at the edge of the Void Realm.

"But how far this path can go depends on their own fortune."

No one knew what these "Artifact Spirits," evolved from probes, would ultimately become. Would they forever remain in this simple "Wi-Fi leeching" state, or would they evolve more complex social structures, or even... give birth to true "Artifact Spirit consciousness"?

The future of this civilization, unexpectedly catalyzed by the Logic Federation's scientific persistence and the magic of the cloud court dao rhyme, is full of endless unknowns and possibilities. And its relationship with the Cloud Court, with the Logic Federation, and even with the myriad worlds, will surely become an unignorable variable in the future landscape of the Endless Void Sea.