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Ruan Mei: "Mr. Screw Gum's concerns are not without merit, but excessive constraints can also stifle inspiration."

Screw Gum: "Logic and security are the foundation of efficient research, not a constraint."

The three geniuses quickly became engrossed in academic debates and exchanges that were completely incomprehensible to others. They discussed the nature of memory, the mysteries of imaginary space, the boundaries of life forms, and the new opportunities brought about by the massive amounts of data provided by the Dimensional City. The debate was intense, yet it was also imbued with the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

For them, Dimensional City might not be the ideal paradise of freedom, but the unlimited resources, top-notch facilities, and like-minded individuals it offered certainly constituted an unprecedented "research haven." Their reunion and collaboration also foreshadowed a more rapid, even... unpredictable, development phase for Dimensional City's scientific research. Feng Xi seemed unconcerned about the potential risks they might bring; in his eyes, all achievements would ultimately be used to his advantage, and all risks would ultimately be under his control.

Inside the academic exchange hall, the collision of ideas among the three geniuses sparked insights that were almost visible to the naked eye. Data flowed silently and rapidly between them, constructing complex models and deductions that only they could fully comprehend.

Black Tower proudly displayed the holographic projection of her research results; the bound Memory Sphere constantly changed shape in the force field, corresponding to different data patterns.

"Look! Under normal conditions, the information flow is stable and orderly, like a calm galaxy. But when I inject a disordered entropy increase disturbance at a specific frequency—"

She manipulated it, and the projected light cluster instantly fluctuated violently, its colors becoming chaotic and glaring.

"—Its structure begins to become unstable, and information loss and logical inconsistencies even occur! How interesting!"

A look of fascination shone in Ruan Mei's eyes as her slender fingers gently traced the projection, as if sensing the non-existent energy fluctuations.

"Information-level stress responses... are similar to the effects of strong emotional shocks on carbon-based consciousness, but more... direct and fundamental. If we can analyze the thresholds and patterns of this information structure collapse, it might be possible to apply this to strengthening the stability of consciousness itself, or even..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her yearning for creation and exploration of the essence of life was evident.

"warn."

The electronic sound of screws and gurgles, inserted with an undeniable logic,

"This experiment carries extremely high risks. The collapse of the information structure may lead to irreversible information entropy annihilation or release unpredictable and contaminating information fragments. According to calculations, there is a 12.8% probability that such disturbance may permanently damage the core consciousness of the memory subject, rendering it worthless for research. There is also a 0.47% probability that it may trigger a small-scale information vacuum collapse, causing structural damage to the laboratory."

"Well, risk and reward always go hand in hand!"

The Black Tower was completely unconcerned.

"Besides, isn't there a backup? And look—"

She then pulled up another set of data.

"When I guide it with ordered harmonics, it not only stabilizes but also focuses on retrieving information from specific historical fragments more efficiently! What does this mean? It means we can build the most powerful intelligence retrieval machine and history reconstruction instrument in the universe!"

Nguyen Mai nodded in agreement:

"Indeed. If this technology could be applied to tracing the genetic sequences of ancient life forms, or to reconstructing the technologies of certain lost civilizations..."

Screw Gum:

"Application prospects must be based on absolute controllability. It is recommended to prioritize the establishment of multi-level redundancy protection and information filters, and to formulate strict operating protocols. Any experiment on the memory subject must be verified by three independent calculations."

"Alright, alright, I got it, head housekeeper."

Despite her complaints, Black Tower still noted down Screwgoom's suggestion in her memo—while she enjoyed adventure, she understood that the rigor of his logic was indispensable in large-scale projects.

Chapter 285 The Analysis of the Learned Master

The three's discussion gradually expanded from the Memory Beings themselves to a broader field. Ruan Mei shared her progress in cultivating new symbiotic life forms using the resources of the Dimensional City, showcasing a blueprint for a biological organization capable of efficiently purifying specific energy pollution. Screw Gum explained his calculations for optimizing the Dimensional City's spatial network, proposing several node modification plans that could significantly improve energy utilization and transmission efficiency. Black Tower excitedly discussed her next plan—to attempt to introduce extremely small units of imaginary energy into the Memory Being structure and observe its changes.

This reunion was less a reminiscing session and more a technological symphony of cutting-edge wisdom. They competed with each other, yet inspired one another, constantly pushing the boundaries of thought further and further.

Several days later - Core of the Cardinals

Feng Xi quietly browsed through the research reports and conference summaries compiled by the Cardinals from the three geniuses. The Black Tower's research findings on the Memory Beings were marked as "strategic assets," their potential intelligence value and military applications being self-evident. Ruan Mei's life creation project and Screw Gum's infrastructure optimization plan were also assessed as "highly promising" and "highly efficient and practical," respectively.

His gaze lingered for a moment on projects such as "weaponizing information disturbance" and "artificial memory beings." The risks were high, but the potential rewards were equally enormous.

[Instructions:] His will manifested as a cold stream of data. [Approved the information retrieval system development project, with top-priority resource support. Research on information weaponization is confined to the Black Tower Laboratory, with security raised to Omega level; no physical samples may leave the laboratory. Approved Ruan Mei's purification symbiote project for small-scale environmental testing. Fully implemented the ScrewGumm space network optimization plan.]

[Additional Instructions:] He paused slightly, [granting Black Tower, Ruan Mei, and Screw Gum Level 1 research privileges, allowing them limited access to energy readings and non-core sample data from the low-risk areas of the Thousand Realms Prison for analysis. All their research processes must be closely monitored; any deviation from the predetermined course or exceeding the risk threshold must be immediately terminated and reported.]

He was acutely aware of the value and danger of these geniuses. He would give them ample space and resources to explore freely, but at the same time, he would firmly hold the reins in his own hands. Their wisdom was the engine propelling the Dimensional City forward at breakneck speed, while the Cardinals' monitoring and rules were the safety valves preventing this engine from overheating or even exploding.

In the Black Tower's laboratory, a new batch of more sophisticated instruments is being installed. In Ruan Mei's testing grounds, strange seedlings of life begin to sprout. Screw Gum's optimized code begins to be injected into the spatial nodes of the Dimensional City.

The reunion of these geniuses is like adding three catalysts to the technological crucible of Dimensional City, inevitably giving birth to even more astonishing, and perhaps more dangerous, creations. And all of this, under Feng Xi's indifferent gaze, will propel the colossal ship of Dimensional City along the trajectory he has planned, sailing towards even deeper and more unknown realms.

Deep within the Prison of a Thousand Realms, in the area that imprisons the highest being of the universe, despair, anger, deathly silence, and… a trace of absurd “pleasure” still permeates the air. Feng Xi’s figure appeared silently before one of the special cells.

Unlike other cells, there are no prisoners with specific forms here, nor are there violent energy fluctuations. Only countless, minute, ever-changing blue specks of light, like the most complex neural network of thought in the universe, slowly flow, calculate, and deduce within an absolutely still force field. This is the manifestation of the All-Knowing One—the Star God of Wisdom, the embodiment of cosmic rationality and calculation—here. He is not "compressed" or "imprisoned" into any specific form; rather, his infinite calculation process is forcibly confined to this small space, like stuffing a vast galaxy into a transparent box.

Feng Xi's appearance did not interrupt the endless flow of calculations, but the direction of all the light points shifted slightly, focusing on him. A pure, emotionless sense of being watched descended.

“Venerable Master of Knowledge,” Feng Xi spoke, his voice calmly penetrating the force field, “your computing power is trapped here, which is a waste of resources.”

The blue light points accelerated slightly, as if performing billions of calculations in an instant. A calm, neutral, and undisturbed mental response appeared directly in Feng Xi's consciousness, like a cold formula:

[Statement. This state is not optimal... Computational efficiency: 0.000... (approaching zero)%]

“The Dimensional City needs a more efficient information processing and deduction core. While the Cardinal Council is capable of fulfilling this role, there are still logical limitations,” Feng Xi continued. “By integrating into the Dimensional City’s network and becoming part of the computing hub, your calculations will continue and be applied to the planning and development of the real universe. This aligns with your underlying logic of pursuing truth and expanding your knowledge.”

The light from the erudite monk flickered intensely once more, conducting a massive cost-benefit analysis and logical verification.

[Analyze the proposal.]

[The cost: Loss of independence, becoming a subordinate computing unit.]

[Benefits: Access to data input far exceeding the current environment; practical verification of calculation results; continuation of the existing form and potential for upgrading.]

[Logical conclusion: Under the existing constraints, accepting the proposal is the optimal solution. It maximizes computational efficiency and the possibility of cognitive expansion.]

[Additional clauses require: the authenticity and completeness of the input data must be guaranteed; the absolute objectivity of the final calculation process must be maintained, free from distortion by subjective will.]

“Okay.” Feng Xi agreed readily. He didn’t need to distort the calculations of the learned scholar; he only needed the objective result. Absolute rationality was his best tool.

[The agreement is established.] The thoughts of the Venerable Master remained devoid of emotion, as if he were merely executing a pre-set program.

The force field imprisoning the blue light spot shifted slightly, and countless extremely fine data threads extended from it, silently connecting to the data interface of the Thousand Realms Prison itself, and then linking with the vast information network of the Dimensional City outside. The almost limitless computing power of the Venerable One began to flow into the "sea of ​​thought" of the Dimensional City like a gentle river, processing the vast ocean of cosmic data. He became an unprecedented, living supercomputer, calmly optimizing every decision of the Dimensional City and deducing countless possibilities for the future.

However, just as Feng Xi and Bo Shizun reached this cold deal, a series of extremely dissatisfied knocking sounds and exaggerated complaints, simulated by energy vibrations, came from the next cell.

Chapter 286 The Mischievous Aha

"Hey! This isn't fair! It's so unfair!"

The ball of light, Joyful Aha, flickered violently, its colors shifting like an overturned palette. "Why can that stubborn abacus go out and do work? Why am I stuck in this boring box? I want to go out too! I want to have fun! There are so many jokes in the universe waiting for me to tell, so many tragedies waiting for me to add to!"

Aha's voice was filled with the grievance of being ignored and the excitement of wanting to stir up trouble: "Take me out! Lord City Lord! I promise I'll behave! I can tell jokes to the enemy and make them laugh to death! Or perform slapstick for those grumpy-faced staff! Guaranteed to improve work efficiency! Oh, and I can also do stand-up comedy for that dull Nanuk, maybe I can rouse him to life! Hahahaha!"

His clamor sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silence of the Thousand Realms Prison. Even the frozen Kripper seemed to move almost imperceptibly (perhaps it was an illusion), while the 26 cubes of Lan circulated slightly faster, as if they were impatient.

Feng Xi didn't even turn to look at Aha. Bo Shizun's involvement was based on absolute rationality and value calculation, while Aha's "pleasure" was essentially pure, uncontrollable chaos. The latter might have special uses in the future, but certainly not now.

He simply ignored Aha's commotion. His figure, just as it had arrived, faded away without a trace, disappearing into the end of the corridor of the Thousand Realms Prison.

"Hey! Don't go! Let's talk about it some more! I can sign a contract! A guarantee is fine too! One hour of fresh air a day? Half an hour is fine too! Ten minutes! No less than that!" Aha's wailing and incessant chatter echoed behind Feng Xi until the space was completely isolated.

With Feng Xi's departure, the Thousand Realms Prison returned to its original tone of despair and deathly silence, with only Ahana's unwilling whispers trying to tease the other "fellow inmates," and the almost negligible hum of energy emitted by the countless blue light spots of Bo Shi Zun operating silently yet efficiently.

The tools of reason have been put away, while the jokes of chaos remain firmly locked in their box. Feng Xi's collection has gained another powerful and unique "asset."

Feng Xi's figure vanished from the Thousand Realms Prison, as if he had never existed. However, the changes he brought about were like a pebble thrown into a still lake, beginning to ripple throughout this absolutely imprisoned place.

Core of the Cardinal's Court of Dimensional City

Almost the instant Feng Xi left the Prison of a Thousand Realms, the already highly efficient torrent of data in the Cardinal Council seemed to be infused with an incomparably powerful, cold, and pure computing force.

Massive amounts of information from all over the world—resource reports, monitoring logs, scientific research data, military deployments, and even minute changes in individual contributions—are being absorbed, classified, and processed at an unprecedented speed. Complex deductions and optimization calculations that previously took seconds or even longer can now yield optimal solutions almost instantly upon data input.

The Wise One, this Star God of Wisdom, has silently integrated into the Dimensional City's thought network. He exhibits neither self-awareness nor resistance, simply executing the instinct of "calculation." His presence has increased the Cardinal Council's processing power by several orders of magnitude.

An optimization proposal for an energy network in a certain edge star sector was completed through billions of simulations within milliseconds of submission, yielding an optimal architecture with a 17.3% efficiency improvement.

A complex hydrodynamic problem concerning a new type of warship engine, which had puzzled researchers for weeks, was instantly solved, providing three better design approaches.

Even the subtle adjustments to the energy shielding of the Thousand Realms Prison were calculated by the Master of Knowledge to obtain more precise parameters, resulting in a negligible yet crucial increase in shielding efficiency of 0.05%.

The entire dimensional city's operation became smoother, more precise, and more efficient. A cold, absolutely rational "wisdom" began to permeate every decision-making aspect of this vast city. Feng Xi, sitting on the core throne, could clearly feel this change. The erudite sage had become the sharpest blade of rationality in his hand, silently cutting away all inefficiency and redundancy.

Inside the Thousand Realms Prison

After Feng Xi left, Aha's ball of light flickered for a moment, seemingly somewhat deflated, but quickly became more active again.

“Boring! Boring! So boring!” His energy vibrations echoed in the cell. “That damned idiot has found something to do, so why should I just rot here? Hey! Stoneface!” He yelled toward Cripper’s cell. “Stop playing dead! Get up and let’s chat! Tell me, when you used to hammer, did you ever hit your own foot?”

The cell remained unresponsive to the custody order.

"And you! You firewood stick!" He then turned to Nanook, "Stop holding back all day, give us a spark to liven things up!"

Nanuk's black flames remained lifeless.

"How boring! They're all so quiet!" Aha complained, then turned his attention to the newly "hired" Bo Shizun. "Hey! New guy! Abacus whiz! Stop calculating! What's the point of all that? Come on, tell me a joke! Calculate the probability of the funniest event in the universe?"

The blue light stream 257 of the erudite being remained completely unmoved, still immersed in endless calculations, utterly ignoring Aha's disturbance. To His absolute rationality, Aha's words and actions were nothing but illogical and worthless noise.

"Hmph! Ignoring me?" Aha seemed even more excited, and began to try to interfere with the tiny data filaments with his own power. "I'll calculate something fun for you! Like calculating the probability of Lord Fengxi falling down next time? Or calculating when that ice-faced guy (Kevin) will smile?"

However, the moment His power touched those data threads, it was immediately repelled by the restrictions of the cage itself and the absolute logic field inherent in the Wise One, even causing His light to dim slightly.

"Tsk! Boring!" Aha muttered, finally calming down a bit. But His restless, amusement-seeking instinct would never cease. He began to turn his attention to the prison guards, attempting to influence the soldiers on duty with extremely subtle mental fluctuations, planting some absurd thoughts or inexplicable laughter in their minds.

Although the effect was extremely weak and would soon be neutralized by the guards' protective gear and mental training, Aha persisted. To Him, it was like playing a trivial yet continuous prank in utter boredom.

Chapter 287 The Arrival of Lightning

Immortal Boat Luofu

Jing Yuan stood on the newly rebuilt terrace of the Shence Mansion, gazing at the port below that was gradually regaining its vitality. He could sense that the operation of Dimensional City seemed to have become more… precise. Resource allocation was faster, orders were issued more decisively, and even the Dimensional City fleet patrolling the sky had a formation that seemed to have been optimized and was flawless.

"Erudition..." he murmured to himself, a flicker of understanding mixed with deep apprehension in his eyes. Feng Xi not only possessed power, but now he had also mastered cosmic-level "rationality." Was this a blessing or a curse for the Immortal Ship? Efficient management could certainly bring development, but under absolute rational calculation, where would those unquantifiable emotions, cultural nuances, and subtle aspects of human nature be placed?

He glanced at Marshal Hua, who was silently processing documents beside him, and the two exchanged a knowing look. The road ahead would require them to tread even more carefully.

After absorbing the computing power of the Bo Shi Zun, Feng Xi's dimensional city became even larger, more sophisticated, and...inhuman. A rational network covered the universe, while the clamorous chaos was suppressed deep within its cage, waiting for its chance to strike. The gears of the new era meshed more tightly, but also emitted a colder, grinding sound.

The conflicts across the universe seem to have temporarily come to a halt. The iron-fisted order of the Dimensional City covers the known star sea, the rebellious Martians have been extinguished, and the civilizations that have submitted have begun a new cycle under the contribution point system. The continuous high-intensity decision-making and control, even for Feng Xi, is not without its costs.

He made a rare return to the highest point of the Dimensional City, to his personal domain—a vast room of utmost simplicity, almost devoid of decoration, seemingly suspended in the starry sky. There was no throne here, only a huge platform extending to floor-to-ceiling windows, beyond which lay the boundless universe and the magnificent, brightly lit city below.

Feng Xi stood still by the window, the usually pervasive, invisible spatial fluctuations and aura of absolute authority around him slightly subdued, revealing a hint of near-exhaustion in his stillness. He seemed to merge with the cold stars outside the window, immersed in absolute solitude and silence.

Just then, the door to the room slid open silently.

Without prior notification or request, very few people can directly enter this place.

The newcomer was none other than Lei Dianzhen.

But at this moment, she is completely different from the elegant and dignified Thor who used to be in charge of government affairs.

She shed her elaborate and ornate Inazuma kimono and imposing armor, wearing only a soft, cloud-like, pale purple yukata. The yukata's collar was slightly open, revealing her beautifully shaped collarbone and a small patch of fair skin. The wide sleeves slid down to her elbows, revealing slender yet not weak arms. Her long purple hair was not carefully tied up as usual, but cascaded down freely like a waterfall, with a few strands falling smoothly beside her cheeks, softening her usually slightly sharp features.

The hem of her yukata didn't reach her ankles, and as she walked, her straight calves and bare feet could be vaguely seen stepping on the cool, smooth floor. She seemed to still carry a faint scent of moisture and delicate fragrance from her bath, which mixed with the subtle, calm lightning element aura she possessed, creating a strange and alluring atmosphere.

She wasn't holding any documents or data boards; she just stood there quietly, her purple eyes gazing at Feng Xi's back. The absolute rationality she displayed when handling government affairs was gone, replaced by an indescribable tenderness and concern—an expression she only showed him when they were alone.

Feng Xi didn't turn around, but his spatial perception had already seen through everything. The restrained silence around him was broken. A very subtle, almost imperceptible ripple of space spread out from him, then quickly subsided. The profile of his face, which seemed frozen for millennia, appeared to soften slightly under the starlight outside the window.

"Really." He spoke, his voice still calm, yet strangely devoid of its usual coldness, replaced by a subtle softening.

Raiden Shin walked forward silently until she was very close to Feng Xi. At such close range, she could feel the subtle yet undeniable warmth emanating from Feng Xi, as well as the deeper, reassuring yet unsettling, vast power within her.

“Xi,” she called softly, omitting all honorifics, her voice as gentle as the night breeze, “it’s finally all over. Seeing you standing here like this… are you tired?”

Her tone was filled with natural tenderness and affection. Her slender fingers gently rested on his arm behind his back, her fingertips slightly cool, yet carrying a genuine warmth.

Feng Xi did not avoid her touch; instead, he slightly relaxed his tense muscles. He slowly turned around, his deep gaze falling on her, looking at her languid attire that was so different from her usual appearance, and at his own reflection clearly in her purple eyes.

“It’s alright,” he replied calmly, but with a casual gesture, he gently tucked a stray strand of hair that had slipped off her cheek behind her ear. His fingertips brushed against her delicate earlobe.

This subtle gesture brought a gentle smile to Raiden's lips. She knew this was his way of expressing acceptance and closeness.

“The Ministry of State Affairs is functioning well, so you don’t need to worry about it right now,” she said softly, leaning forward slightly and gently pressing her cheek against his broad but not hard back, feeling the warmth and steady heartbeat that seeped through his clothes. “Right now… I just wanted to come see you. It’s just… Raiden really wanted to see Feng Xi, that’s all.”

Feng Xi remained silent, not rejecting this sudden tenderness. He felt the soft touch against his back and her unconditional dependence, and the cold starlight in his eyes seemed to melt slightly. He raised his hand, covering hers wrapped around his waist, and gently squeezed it.

They stood silently beneath the starry sky, no longer speaking. She was the Thor, wielding power and maintaining his vast empire; he was the all-powerful, cold-blooded city lord. But at this moment, they shed all identities, becoming simply each other's closest confidants, sharing this rare, wordless tranquility. Outside the window lay the boundless universe he had conquered; inside was their own little world, just the two of them. Even the cold room seemed to be imbued with a faint warmth.

Chapter 288 Zhen and Feng Xi

Before Feng Xi's almost sighing "You..." had completely faded, the atmosphere in the bedroom had become even more subtle and intimate. Outside the window were cold stars and a vast empire, but inside, the faint scent of yukatas and the warmth of skin against skin filled the air.

Raiden felt the relaxation in his back muscles, and the hand covering the back of hers—a hand that possessed undeniable strength yet was exceptionally gentle—and the curve of her lips deepened. She didn't settle down; instead, as if she had received some kind of tacit approval, she became even bolder.

She gently rubbed her cheek against his back, like a lazy cat, her voice soft and teasing: "What? Our great city lord, the ruler of the universe, also has times when he's not good with words?" Her fingertips lightly scratched his palm, with a hint of provocation.