182: Cognitive leap and the birth of "bubble programming"

The crisis of “knowledge overload,” though brought under control by Long Qianyuan’s warning and the self-adjustment of various parties, also forced the Research Community into deep introspection. They realized that the previous extensive learning model of greedily absorbing and attempting to encompass all knowledge was unworkable when facing a vast and unfathomable source like the Cloud Court.

A more efficient and fundamental method of knowledge processing and cognition had to be found.

Just as the researchers were struggling to find a way forward, the Golden Koi, which had always remained aloof yet consistently brought surprises, once again became the key to breaking the deadlock.

It seemed to have become addicted to the previous methods of “selective absorption” and “efficient expression,” and began to focus more intently on optimizing its unique “Bubble Language.” It was no longer content with simply analyzing, navigating, or purifying; it began to try to “construct” and “define” using bubbles.

One day, facing the Pond’s surface, it continuously exhaled dozens of “basic rule bubbles” of varying structures, yet with strict logical connections to each other. These bubbles were like “keywords” and “basic data types” in a programming language, representing the fundamental elements of the Pond environment such as water flow, light, temperature, and material composition.

Then, it began to combine, nest, and loop these “basic rule bubbles” at a dazzling speed… It was “writing” a complex “program” with bubbles!

The goal of this “bubble program” was to optimize the energy flow in a specific area of the Pond, promoting the growth of a certain aquatic plant. The program’s logic was clear, including conditional judgments (if light is below a certain threshold, guide more Chaos Qi Flow to converge), loop control (continuously monitor the aquatic plant’s status until conditions are met), and even simple “function calls” (referencing its previous research on “Chaos fertilization”)!

When this complete “bubble program” was activated by its final “execution bubble,” an astonishing scene unfolded!

The water flow, light, and energy in that target area seemed to be precisely manipulated by an invisible force, operating automatically according to the logic set by the program! The Chaos Qi Flow was gently guided, sunlight was cleverly refracted, and the aquatic plant visibly became more vibrant and lush at a speed discernible to the naked eye!

It succeeded! It used its self-invented “Bubble Language” to complete a small-scale, precise rule intervention and environmental modification!

This process was fully recorded by the Logic Federation and the Holy Land Alliance, who had been closely observing it through their respective means.

When Dr. Li, the Master of Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and others saw the “program” composed purely of bubbles, yet operating with strict logic, and its immediate effects, everyone fell into prolonged silence and extreme shock!

This had completely transcended the Realm of “imitation” or “learning”! This was a new paradigm of “expression” and “creation” based on the rules themselves! It bypassed cumbersome mathematical formulas and profound Concept descriptions, directly touching upon the underlying logic of how rules operate!

“This… this is…” Dr. Li’s voice trembled with excitement, “This is a form of… ‘Rule Programming’! Directly taking rules as objects, and using intent (or rather, its bubbles) as code, to construct logic and control processes!”

“The Great Dao is simple, yet it has reached this point!” The Master of Heavenly Secrets Pavilion clapped his hands and sighed, his eyes filled with disbelief. “No need for deduction, no need for enlightenment, directly ‘writing’ rules and letting them operate on their own! Such a method is almost… the nascent form of ‘what is said becomes law’!”

The “Bubble Programming” ability inadvertently displayed by the Golden Koi was like opening a brand new door for the researchers! It pointed to a shortcut that might bypass “knowledge overload” and directly interact with rules!

The scientists of the Logic Federation immediately realized that if they could understand and master the core principles of this “Rule Programming,” they might be able to develop more efficient knowledge processing tools, or even directly use rules for computation and deduction, thereby greatly reducing cognitive burden.

The bigwigs of the Holy Land Alliance, on the other hand, saw that this method of directly “defining” and “driving” rules might be more direct and powerful than traditional “enlightenment” and “guidance,” a possible path to higher Realms.

The research direction of the Research Community once again underwent a revolutionary shift due to a fish’s “play”! Everyone’s gaze was focused on the seemingly simple, yet infinitely potent, “Bubble Language.”

“We must decipher it!” Dr. Li declared decisively. “This may be the key for us to cope with the ‘weight of truth’ and achieve a cognitive leap!”

“The power of the Sacred Koi is unfathomable! If we can learn even a bit, our Dao path will surely open up!” The Master of Heavenly Secrets Pavilion’s eyes also shone brightly.

A vigorous “Bubble Language Deciphering” movement thus began. The Logic Federation mobilized all its computing power to analyze the structure, associations, and operational logic of each bubble; the Holy Land Alliance, relying on its spiritual perception, attempted to comprehend the “Dao Rhyme of Rules” and “Defining Will” contained within the bubbles.

Even the Artifact Spirit Collective showed great interest, with the spirit net continuously scanning the operational trajectory of the bubble programs, attempting to understand this more proactive intervention method, which was different from their rule resonance.

However, the deciphering work was more difficult than imagined. The Koi’s “Bubble Language” was formed based on its unique cognitive methods and life form; its “grammar” and “thought logic” were completely different from humans and Artifact Spirits. Many structures seemed redundant or contradictory to the Federation, and lacked “Dao Rhyme” to the Holy Land, yet they worked when combined!

Research once again fell into a stalemate. They could observe the phenomenon but found it difficult to understand its essence.

Just as everyone was at their wit’s end, Long Qianyuan couldn’t stand it anymore. He felt these guys were once again getting bogged down in minutiae.

“I say, have you forgotten ‘Dao follows nature’ again?” His Divine Thought once again echoed in the minds of the scholars. “Do you really have to completely decipher its whole system and turn it into your own? Why not try… to use it directly?”

“Use it directly?” Dr. Li and the Master of Heavenly Secrets Pavilion were both stunned.

“Exactly!” Long Qianyuan said righteously. “Just like you use the ‘dao rhyme compiler,’ you don’t need to fully understand how it works, you just need to know how to input and output. Now this fish has created ‘Bubble Programming,’ why don’t you try to ‘tell’ it what you want to do, in a way you can understand, and let it ‘compile’ it into a bubble program for you?”

A single sentence awakened those lost in thought!

That’s right! Since they couldn’t fully understand the Koi’s “native language,” why not treat it as a ready-made “Rule Compiler”? They would provide “requirements” and “Advanced logic,” and let the Koi “translate” them into executable bubble programs!

This idea instantly opened up a new situation.

The Logic Federation attempted to transmit the core logic of a complex “energy shield optimization algorithm” to the Golden Koi using a highly condensed information flow (mainly by adjusting the content of the tribute interaction crystal).

After receiving it, the Golden Koi seemed to understand their intention. After some “thought” (swimming a few circles around the crystal), it exhaled a set of exquisitely structured “adaptive energy shield regulation programs,” entirely composed of bubbles! The Federation ran it in a simulated environment, and the effect far exceeded any algorithm they had designed themselves!

The Holy Land Alliance also tried to transmit the essentials and desired effects of a complex escape technique to the Koi in the form of Concept flow. What the Koi returned to them was a “bubble escape technique driving core” capable of stirring local rules to achieve more efficient spatial traversal! Although cultivators still needed to activate it with their own Dao power, the consumption was greatly reduced, and the effect doubled!

“We succeeded! We found a method!” The Research Community cheered! Although they still couldn’t fully understand the mysteries of the “Bubble Language,” they had found a way to collaborate with it! They provided the “strategic intent,” and the Koi was responsible for the “tactical implementation”!

This wonderful mode of collaboration was named – the “Bubble Programming” Collaboration Paradigm.

Researchers no longer fixated on deciphering every detail of the bubbles, but instead focused on how to express their “needs” more clearly and accurately, and how to establish more efficient “demand docking” with the Koi. This, in turn, prompted them to a deeper level of refinement and abstraction of their own knowledge.

The Golden Koi also seemed to enjoy this feeling of being “employed.” Whenever new, interesting “programming demands” came through the crystal, it would become especially excited, and the bubble programs it exhaled became increasingly sophisticated and creative. It even began to proactively optimize programs it had “written” before, or solidify some common “functional modules” to form a reusable “bubble library.”

Inside the Star Gazing Hall, Yun Feng looked at the research wave that had become active again due to “Bubble Programming” and the Golden Koi enjoying itself, and nodded slightly.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. However, knowing how to fish, one must also know the joy of it.”

His fingertips swirled with Chaos Qi Flow, quietly adding a more stable and inclusive rule foundation to the continuously expanding “bubble program library.”

The birth of “Bubble Programming” not only found an effective path for the Research Community to cope with “knowledge overload” but also opened up a new mode of collaborating with higher-order existences to explore the unknown. The boundaries of cognition were once again powerfully pushed forward in this wonderful “human-fish collaboration.” And the very existence of the Golden Koi, serving as the core “compiler,” became one of the most intriguing mysteries within the Cloud Court’s secrets.