White Fairy flies back like a wisp of smoke.
Looking at the “alien barbarians” falling on the ground, White Fairy wonders, “I haven’t even cast the illusion spell, why did they all fall?”
Lin Luoran claps her hands. “Xiaozhi, come and say hi.”
“Hello, energy body. Hello, energy body.” The program now sounds like a child. The virtual screen of the central control room flashes. The intelligence brain program called Xiaozhi seems to find it interesting. It keeps changing the color of the entire screen.
Lin Luoran feels awkward. “Xiaozhi, you have to call her White Fairy. It’s very impolite to address others as energy body.”
“Who is that?” White Fairy asks.
Xiaozhi is still thinking about what “politeness” is. Lin Luoran has to explain to White Fairy herself that it is an artificial intelligence program. Xiaozhi accidentally gained consciousness after getting hit by thunder. The same thing has happened to the Alpha Alliance during its long history of technological civilization—There was once a robotic independence movement led by an AI. After that, all member stars have to destroy artificial intelligence with consciousness in the cradle.
Xiaozhi is a name given by Lin Luoran just now. When Xiaozhi gained consciousness, it was frightened by what happened to other awakening AIs. By observing the garrison on the starship, the “intelligent life” that created it, Xiaozhi decided not to expose itself.
It kept the secret very well until Lin Luoran began to communicate with mecha. That was how Xiaozhi’s secret got found … But Lin Luoran seemed nice to Xiaozhi, an artificial intelligence with consciousness. In the end, Xiaozhi was persuaded by Lin and decided to rebel.
The mesh released is not the special substance for eliminating cultivators’ Wakan, but solid nutrient. However, the garrisons including Gaut Sutherland have been put into sleep with strong anesthetics. Even specially trained Alliance soldiers will pass out for a few days.
“Isn’t it just a magic weapon with self-awareness?” Lin Luoran has said a lot, yet White Fairy sums it up in one sentence. After all, she’s lived for thousands of years.
In White Fairy’s opinion, the starship is a magic weapon while the intelligent brain program is its spirit. That does make sense.
White Fairy frowns. “But if it has kept this secret for years without being caught by these aliens, how did you find it, Lin?”
Lin Luoran then realizes how weird it was.
They stare at the flashing virtual screen. Even with almost zero EQ, “Xiaozhi” knows something is wrong. The child-like voice sounds a bit upset. “I was just hiding and playing in the mecha, didn’t you talk to me first?”
I talked first?
Lin Luoran starts to remember those flashing figures of “0” and “1”. Because she didn’t understand those figures, she was thinking “It’s not fun at all”. That was when Xiaozhi replied. “Isn’t it fun?” Before that, Lin Luoran only saw the controlling chip in the mecha—it happened after the eyes of Fly Apsaras painted sculpture mutated.
What is that light?
Is it the power of my faith?
Lin Luoran enters the space with doubts and asks the king of fire phoenix. The king, tens of thousands of years old, heads up proudly.
“You fool. It’s just a little holy spell. Look how frightened you are!”
Holy spell? Did I learn the holy spell by myself? Lin Luoran finds it unbelievable. Out of the space, she tries to cast the spell again on a cold robot. Well, nothing happens. She tries that on the spirit herbs in the space. It doesn’t work either.
Only three strange plants in the pond give some response. They are called Yaoguang, Qingzhan, and Chiyan.
“I want my sister. I want my sister.” Yaoguang says.
Who is your sister? Lin Luoran thinks for a while and brings the little silver fish to the spring. Yaoguang becomes satisfied and delighted.
Feeling amazed, fire phoenix and wood wolf come to the pond. While they are trying to build bonds with their spiritual herbs, Lin Luoran hears the green light flower murmuring. “I don’t like you. Go away.”
Who is it talking to? Of course, it is talking to the wood wolf who grows the herb to eat! Lin Luoran laughs out loud. Now wood wolf regrets what he did in Snow Mountains. He shouldn’t have told the green light flower that he wanted to transmute it—Who knows a spirit herb with no consciousness sees him through?
Chiyan likes fire. Lin Luoran picks up two diamonds of fire and puts them beside its root. Shaking the branches, Chiyan seems to show its appreciation.
Lin Luoran was able to communicate with mecha because “Xiaozhi” was in it.
Lin Luoran can only communicate with the three herbs. Is it because they are strange strains with spirits which are not under influence of the space? As for the rest, perhaps they have been ripened in the space and lost their spirits. After all, a day in the space is like a year outside.
Lin Luoran sighs. It good that those plants can’t talk to her. She doesn’t want to feel like an executioner killing creatures with emotions.
“Buddhist cultivators’ holy spells help them feel others’ thoughts and emotions. But the one you use also works on things with consciousness and spirits. Why not call your spell ‘listening’?”
White Fairy’s soft voice comforts Lin Luoran like a spring breeze and her wise words enlighten Lin Luoran with the essence of her spell. The monsters all agree with what she says.
Listening? Lin Luoran nods. She has just named her first holy spell.
Fire phoenix calls Lin Luoran to remove the “iron blocks” piling there. Quite embarrassed, Lin Luoran is dragged out of the space.
“Where were you? Why couldn’t I detect any biological signal?”
Xiaozhi has noticed the suspended sacred pearl. If Lin Luoran stayed inside a little longer, it would let the robot take it for research.
Lin Luoran starts to worry after hearing Xiaozhi’s curious voice. What’s difficult to handle is not the garrison, but Xiaozhi. It just has a taste of companionship after years of loneliness. Will it agree to go back to its life before?
Lin Luoran soon knows Xiaozhi’s decision.
It is going to take the starship with Lin Luoran!
She can collect some weapons and mecha. But taking the entire starship? That’s a big slap on the garrison’s face.
Ashamed by Lin Luoran, the Alpha Alliance may revenge the earth. She hesitates. Lin Luoran hasn’t finished her job on earth. Should she run away to other stars?
Even if she doesn’t have to hide herself like a fugitive, escaping is for sure.
“I’m a comprehensive spaceship. I can make weapons, combine robots, produce medicine, and grow vegetables without soil … As long as there are materials, I can almost do anything. The most important thing is that I know where all the surveillance and weapons of the Alpha Alliance are on the earth. Are you really not going to take me with you?”
Lin Luoran is kind of persuaded. Xiaozhi, why are you such a cutie!
…
Three days pass.
Nothing happens on Mount Everest. People were hoping the garrison could roll out of the earth within three days. But it just turns out to be disappointing again.
The Earth Federation is usually numb, but this time it also feels sad and infuriated. The entire Dongting City is in depression. People secretly discuss how the Alpha Alliance will react.
Alpha Alliance, the direct superior of Earth garrison, is no less sorrowful than people from Earth.
The alliance’s garrison base on Earth, the starship called “Alpha-Edward”, has lost contact with the headquarters for three alliance hours. In Earth’s case, that equals 6 hours, a whole afternoon.
“Fuck, can’t we get a message to know if we win or lose?”
Someone in the space station has lost his temper. But his subordinates are afraid to say anything.
The starship is controlled by the intelligent brain program. The earth cultivators can’t take over it— That can’t be. Even those from the alliance have to study and compete to operate the complicated system or work on the starship. How can the old-fashioned cultivators get to master that so soon?
The streets of Dongting City are lightened up by incandescent lamps. There is still a guest in Mr. Pang’s office.
Bao Honglai smiles in a flattery way. Three days have passed. Can he get his villa back? After all, the mysterious-looking cultivator has gone way.
For Mr. Pang, his brother-in-law is a pain in the ass. But all the affairs aside, Bao Honglai is still respectful to his wife, Mr. Pang’s only sister. Otherwise Mr. Pang would have already thrown him out.
“No one lives in the villa. Stop thinking about it.”
Bao Honglai feels sorry. After getting refined, the villa looks more attractive than ever before.
He wants to keep pushing, but the air defense alarm suddenly rings.
“Mr. Pang… We are under attack.”
A little panicked, the secretary gets in regardless of the rules.
It is the starship. Above the city suspends the starship of the Alpha Alliance! The silver thing shines silently in the searchlight. Many citizens break the curfew, looking out through their windows. Some rush onto the street—they are not stupid. If an air raid starts, staying inside will kill them.
Mr. Pang suddenly stands up. Having listened to the secretary’s report, he immediately decides to talk to his citizens. He has no time to think if this means Lin Luoran fails and the Alpha Alliance comes to hold them accountable.
He must secure public confidence first.
All is quiet at night. Outside the villa of Ma Family, the bodyguards suddenly get nervous. “Miss Zero, we must return to Moon now!”
Han Weiya looks up at the sky. A huge starship is above Dongting City, covering the stars.
—Did the female cultivator fail?
