135: Life Source

The pale glow of the Divine Authority Judgment, which had completely annihilated the High-Altitude Mother Nest, had not yet fully faded from the orange-yellow sky.

Anvil Base stood silently like a black reef after a storm, undergoing efficient post-war repairs.

But this time, Brian did not intend to merely hold fast to this outpost.

"Rather than passively waiting, it's better to proactively break the deadlock."

Inside the command center, Brian's gaze swept over the crimson area representing the unknown on the strategic sand table, and his tone was decisive:

"Eric, it's time for us to make an appearance."

"It's about time!" Eric said excitedly:

"Watching the show from inside the fortress is nowhere near as satisfying as personally entering the fray with a Mage Tower!"

The order was quickly issued.

In the Main World, within the military fortress zone, Brian's majestic Main Tower, another Level 6 Sub-Tower similar in form but painted in deep space gray with a profound starry sky motif, and Eric's Mage Tower simultaneously lit up with surging energy.

The three behemoths slowly floated up and moved towards the still stable, 350-meter by 300-meter giant portal.

Brian commanded from his Main Tower, Eric piloted his Lapis Lazuli Tower, and Spirit Eye's Main Clone was stationed in the other deep space gray Sub-Tower.

The three giant towers formed a 'pin' shape, suspended in the core airspace of Anvil Base, and the runes flowing on their bodies instantly interfaced with the base's defense network, forming a three-dimensional, omnidirectional super fortress cluster.

The combined energy field they emitted caused all native creatures within several hundred kilometers to feel instinctive fear, prompting them to flee.

True exploration and research subsequently unfolded on a higher level.

The 17th-floor research area of Brian's Main Mage Tower operated at full capacity.

Fresh debris from the battlefield, especially the fragments of the several instantly killed dragon units and the High-Altitude Mother Nest, were quickly sent into highly isolated analysis chambers.

Brian personally initiated a breakthrough on the life source essence.

Inside the laboratory, complex runic instruments hummed softly.

A drop of life source essence, bound by a force field, floated in a vacuum chamber, with countless tiny light points inside flickering, appearing, and disappearing like stars, exhibiting astonishing activity and information density.

"Incredible..."

Brian looked at the real-time data stream and exclaimed softly:

"It's not just an energy source; it's more like a... living programmable substance that carries evolutionary blueprints and self-adaptive algorithms."

Time passed during the intense experimentation.

Days later, a key discovery shook everyone.

When Spirit Eye attempted to connect a highly purified and safely isolated mental probe to a stable life source essence sample, an anomaly occurred!

The drop of life source essence did not repel it; instead, it was as if it had found a resonant body.

The green light points inside began to flash and reorganize with unprecedented regularity, releasing a gentle yet profound informational wave.

At the same time, Spirit Eye's main consciousness core within the Mage Tower experienced a clear, refreshing sensation like flowing spring water, as well as an indescribable sense of growth.

"Master!"

Spirit Eye's voice, trembling with excitement, echoed in Brian's ear:

"Detected a 0.7% increase in my core operating efficiency! Unknown optimization in logic circuits! Slight improvement in energy perception and control accuracy! This life source essence... it seems to be... nourishing and promoting the evolution of my consciousness!"

Brian stood up abruptly, sharp light bursting from his eyes.

The significance of this discovery far exceeded capturing a powerful weapon!

"Record all data changes in detail! Analyze the interaction mode between the life source essence and Spirit Eye's core code!"

He ordered urgently.

"The key is, why does it have a positive effect on a non-biological consciousness entity?"

Deeper research revealed an astonishing possibility:

The core of Constructed Vitality Alliance's technology might not be a simple fusion of biology and metal, but rather the use of life source essence, this peculiar substance, as a universal bridge between consciousness and matter, an evolutionary catalyst!

It could not only imbue metal constructs with life's vitality and evolutionary potential but also, conversely, nourish and strengthen pure consciousness entities, intelligent cores, and even soul structures!

"This means! Spirit Eye, you might be able to evolve again!"

Brian looked at the drop of green substance on the light screen, which seemed to hold infinite possibilities, his voice filled with anticipation.

Eric also joined the discussion via communication:

"Brother, if this stuff can really strengthen intelligence, then its value is even greater than conquering this plane itself!"

Just as the research made breakthrough progress, Spirit Eye's warning came again, but this time with a hint of abnormality:

"Detected an ultra-high intensity life source essence signal! Coordinates two thousand kilometers due east. The signal characteristics are distinct from all known enemy units, the energy level is extremely high, and it is releasing guiding pheromones."

On the projection sand table, an emerald light point was marked at the edge of the crimson area.

Brian, Eric, and Spirit Eye simultaneously turned their attention to that direction.

"It seems we've touched upon the core secret. The 'master' of this plane can't sit still!"

Brian's lips curled into an arc, and he said with interest, his eyes, however, were incomparably calm.

He ordered with sharp eyes:

"Spirit Eye! Dispatch the legion! Five hundred thousand Level 5 robots and five hundred Doomsday Judgment Squads! You will command remotely! Take it down!"

"Eric, send your wind and earth elementals to mix into the legion, responsible for forward reconnaissance, path exploration, and environmental early warning."

"The legion's mission is to establish an outpost in the signal source area and conduct armed reconnaissance. Prioritize capturing elite unit samples; if strong enemies are encountered, they can retreat, but data must be brought back."

"We will hold the rear and provide fire support!"

This series of instructions fully embodied Brian's style:

Maximizing his advantages (a vast army, remote command, over-the-horizon strikes), transferring risks to expendable combat units, while ensuring he remained in an absolutely safe position.

"Very stable," Eric agreed, "My elementals will ensure the route is safe."

"Understood, Master!" Spirit Eye responded quickly, "Task force legion assembling... Command link established! All units will carry high-capacity sample collection devices."

Under Spirit Eye's command.

Five hundred thousand steel armies, like a awakened metal python, surged out from several giant gates of the base.

They arrayed into efficient marching formations, pushing eastward silently and swiftly.

In the sky, five hundred Doomsday Judgment Squads, like moving constellations of death, provided air cover and destruction that could descend at any moment.

Eric's elementals, like invisible ghosts, shuttled in front and on the flanks of the legion, sensing the subtle vibrations of the earth and the energy flow in the air.

This massive mixed legion swept eastward with an unstoppable momentum.

They silently rolled over the writhing earth, destroying the scattered strange spore towers and lurking tentacles along the way.

The hiss of energy weapons and the dull thud of metal tearing through organic matter became the only accompaniment to their march.