Chapter 37: The Simulation Chamber and the Logic-Soul Resonance
The silver desert of the Secret Continent was no longer a barren wasteland. Under Zhou Fan's absolute command, the obsidian towers emitted a rhythmic hum that vibrated through the fabric of reality. These towers acted as "Signal Repeaters" for Zhou Fan's consciousness, extending his reach across the entire tectonic plate.
Standing atop the highest spire, Zhou Fan observed Ling Er and the few surviving high-level cultivators who had followed them from Tian Long. They looked pale, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the Architectural Shift.
"Your current levels of cultivation are obsolete," Zhou Fan's voice boomed, amplified by the crystalline atmosphere. "You rely on the 'Chi' of the heavens, but the heavens are about to be unplugged. To survive the Erasure, you must learn to cultivate 'Information Density'."
He waved his hand, and the space around the cultivators shimmered. A massive, translucent dome enveloped them—the [Hyper-Temporal Simulation Chamber].
"Inside this dome, one hour in the real world is equivalent to ten years of computational training," Zhou Fan explained. "I have uploaded the combat data of a million warriors and the laws of the 5th Dimension. You will fight, die, and respawn a billion times until your souls resonate with the Logic-Gate."
"Zhou Fan, this is too much!" one of the old sect leaders cried out. "We are flesh and blood, not lines of code!"
Zhou Fan looked down at him, his gaze devoid of empathy. "Flesh is just a complex arrangement of carbon atoms. Blood is merely a biological cooling system. If you cannot evolve beyond your biological limitations, you are already a 'Null Variable'. Enter the simulation, or be deleted by the incoming tide."
Reluctantly, they stepped into the shimmering light.
As the simulation began, Zhou Fan turned his attention to Ling Er. He didn't send her into the general chamber. Instead, he opened a private channel.
"Ling Er, you are the only one whose soul possesses a 'Random Seed' that I cannot calculate," he said softly. "I need you to become the System's Anchor. While I process the external defenses, you must master the [Soul-Logic Resonance]. You will be the bridge between my cold calculations and the raw vitality of this world."
He handed her a fragment of the Logarithmic Existence. "This is a 'Source Key'. It will allow you to manipulate the local constants. If I fall into a recursive loop during the war, you are the only one who can reboot my consciousness."
Suddenly, the countdown in the sky flickered.
[Warning: Dimensional Integrity at 88%... Early Arrival Detected: The 'Sentinels of Order' have breached the outer atmosphere.]
"They are early," Zhou Fan muttered, his eyes flashing with violet lightning. "It seems the Designers are afraid of my progress. They sent the Sentinels—automated anti-virus programs of the universe."
High above, the sky began to pixelate. Three gargantuan entities, shaped like inverted crosses made of white fire, descended. They didn't have faces, only a single, glowing eye that projected a beam of 'Nullification'. Anything the beam touched was instantly converted into white, featureless static.
"Ling Er, start the simulation. I will handle the debuggers."
Zhou Fan took a step into the void, his body dissolving into a swarm of golden geometric shapes as he soared upward to meet the fire of the Sentinels.