181: Knowledge overload and the initial emergence of the "weight of truth"

The prosperity of the “cloud court encyclopedia” and the establishment of the “Certified Scholar” System were like giving the wings of cognitive takeoff to all connected civilizations. Knowledge accumulated, collided, and innovated at an unprecedented speed. Researchers were immersed in a frenzy of intellectual explosion, constantly pushing the boundaries of understanding toward deeper and further unknowns.

However, just as the moon wanes when full and water overflows when the container is full, when the tide of knowledge surged past a critical point, subtle yet undeniable anomalies began to quietly surface.

The Logic Federation was the first to feel the pressure. Their scientists were accustomed to processing structured, quantifiable information, but the massive data from the Holy Land Alliance and the Artifact Spirit Collective within the “cloud court encyclopedia,” full of Concept and fuzzy perception, became easier to understand after being processed by the dao rhyme compiler. However, its total information volume and complexity far exceeded the original design load of the Federation Superbrain.

Some Federation scientists who had been immersed in high-intensity cross-disciplinary research for long periods began to exhibit varying degrees of “Information Overload” symptoms: difficulty concentrating, occasional momentary “blanks” in logical thought, and some even had dreams woven from constantly flashing mathematical symbols and flowing Dao Rhyme light and shadow, leaving them utterly exhausted upon waking.

“Dr. Li, our cognitive System... seems to be approaching some kind of physiological limit.” A chief scholar in neuroscience reported anxiously. “The brain consumes far more energy and generates far more ‘information entropy’ than before when processing this mixed flow of absolute logic and transcendental Concept. If this continues long-term, I fear...”

Dr. Li frowned, looking at the data reports on the screen regarding researchers’ abnormal brainwaves and cognitive fatigue. He realized that the acquisition of knowledge was not without cost, especially when that knowledge originated from sources far exceeding one's own civilization level. The inherent “information density” and “rule weight” could, in themselves, constitute a burden on the receiver.

Almost simultaneously, similar troubles were reported from the Holy Land Alliance.

Several Holy Land Leaders who were diligently studying the Federation’s cutting-edge theories (especially those involving high-dimensional spacetime and the quantum essence) felt their Dao Foundation groan under the unbearable burden as they tried to “digest” the profoundly esoteric knowledge, even after it had been refined by the compiler.

This was not the agitation of Qi Deviation, but a deeper, more fundamental sense of “heaviness.” It was as if the Great Dao they carried had become somewhat “bloated” and “stagnant” from forcibly accommodating too many cold and vast “Fragments of Truth” that exceeded their current framework of understanding, losing the smooth, agile, and eternally vibrant charm it once possessed.

“Even the Dao... has a limit to what it can bear!” The Master of Heavenly Secrets Pavilion sighed to his old friends, his face slightly pale, after waking up from a deep state of enlightenment. “When I recently contemplated the ‘Transformation of Spacetime Topology,’ I felt my mind and spirit were like carrying a mountain, my Dao Heart covered in dust, no longer clear. If I force myself to absorb more, I fear... the danger of Dao Collapse!”

Upon hearing this term, the Holy Land Leaders were all horrified. “Dao Collapse” was the most terrifying outcome for a cultivator, meaning the Dao they practiced could no longer bear its principles and would completely disintegrate! Previously, it only existed in theoretical deductions and extreme cases of Qi Deviation, but now, signs of it were appearing because of “too much, too profound knowledge!”

In the Artifact Spirit Collective, although they lacked complex consciousness and emotions, their spirit net also reported a decrease in the efficiency of rule resonance when processing highly complex cross-disciplinary theoretical information from the knowledge base recently. The structural optimization speed of some Artifact Spirit Creations noticeably slowed down, as if their Evolutionary Computing Power had been exhausted by this massive, high-dimensional knowledge.

For a time, the shadow of “Knowledge Overload” and the “Weight of Truth,” like invisible dark clouds, hung over the Research Community, which had just been immersed in the joy of a harvest.

“Could it be... that the path of seeking knowledge also has an end?” A young Federation scholar looked at the dazzling new knowledge notifications still scrolling across the screen, feeling confusion and a hint of fear for the first time.

“The Great Dao is infinite, yet we... are merely Mortals?” A Holy Land Prodigy stroked the Jade Slip in his hand, which recorded countless profound theories, his Dao Heart slightly shaken.

Just as this slightly oppressive atmosphere began to spread, the Golden Koi in the Cloud Court Pond once again did something unique.

It seemed completely unaffected by “Knowledge Overload.” It still enthusiastically swallowed and spat out Pond water daily, observed the interaction crystal, and blew various functional bubbles toward the knowledge base. However, careful observation revealed that the bubbles it released recently—whether Analysis Bubbles, Navigation Bubbles, or Purification Bubbles—had become more “nimble” and “efficient” in structure.

It no longer pursued the complexity of information or the extreme intricacy of structure. Instead, it began trying to express the same amount of information using a simpler, more fundamental “rule symbol” or “Concept core.” It was as if it instinctively realized that navigating the sea of knowledge required not only a sturdy ship (logical framework) but also knowing how to “traverse the water” (efficiently utilize the information itself) to avoid being dragged down by the weight of information.

Even more surprisingly, it began to selectively “ignore” information flows in the knowledge base that were too profound and temporarily impossible for its “Fish-style Thinking” to fully digest. It only focused on knowledge related to its current “research interests” (such as Pond ecological optimization or bubble structure innovation), or knowledge that brought it “joy” and “new discoveries.”

This instinct for “selective absorption” and “efficient expression” allowed it to navigate smoothly amidst the cries of “Knowledge Overload,” seeming even... happier?

Long Qianyuan noticed the Golden Koi’s change and also sensed the predicament facing the Research Community. He stroked his chin, deep in thought.

“It seems just eating isn’t enough; you also need to know how to digest, what to eat, and what not to eat,” he muttered. “These guys are just too greedy. They see good stuff and want to shove it all into their bellies, not caring if they burst.”

He felt it necessary to remind these knowledge-obsessed individuals.

Thus, Long Qianyuan used his Divine Thought to send a brief but pointed message to all researchers at or above the “Cloud Court Certified Scholar” level:

【Knowledge is like the sea, but you are not boats; you are swimmers. Greed leads to indigestion. Knowing what is, you must also know what you can contain. Proceeding according to your capacity and advancing gradually is the Righteous Path. Don’t end up failing to cultivate the Dao while bursting your own brains or collapsing your Dao Heart. That would truly be a joke!】

These words rang like an alarm bell in the minds of the scholars.

Dr. Li immediately ordered the implementation of a “Cognitive Health Management Program” within the Federation, mandating researchers to regularly undergo mental relaxation and cognitive sorting, and restricting the daily time spent acquiring high-density information from the knowledge base.

The Holy Land Alliance also issued similar “Dao Heart Protection Guidelines,” emphasizing “accumulating slowly to release strongly” and “unity of knowledge and action,” opposing the blind pursuit of knowledge quantity. They required Disciples to spend more time settling, internalizing, and practicing new knowledge.

The knowledge base itself, within the compiler’s core, added an “Intelligent Information Flow Regulation” function based on the Golden Koi’s “selective absorption” model. This function dynamically adjusted the intensity and complexity of recommended information according to the user’s cognitive load and Dao Heart state.

With the joint efforts of all parties, the crisis of “Knowledge Overload” was initially alleviated. Researchers began to learn to selectively draw from the sea of knowledge, focusing more on internalization and practice rather than blindly trying to grasp everything.

Inside the Star Gazing Hall, Yun Feng sensed the external turmoil gradually subside and the researchers regain their rhythm of seeking knowledge. His gaze once again fell upon the consistently calm and composed Golden Koi.

“Knowing when to stop leads to stability; stability leads to tranquility...” he murmured softly, as a wisp of Chaos Qi merged into the Pond. The water rippled with wisdom, but the heavy oppressive feeling was gone.

“It seems this fish in the Pond understood this principle earlier than those standing on the shore.”

The initial appearance of the “Weight of Truth” served as a warning bell for all fervent researchers. The path of seeking knowledge is long and arduous, requiring not only the courage to forge ahead but also the wisdom to know when to stop, digest, and settle. And this seemingly ignorant Golden Koi, once again, used its instinct to point the way forward for all explorers.