The success rate isn't actually low; firstly, these intelligent machines were originally human.
"One needs to create something similar to the Transformer's Spark to activate the intelligent machines, granting them life."
It's impossible to have Gu Shanhai activate them one by one; that would be too troublesome.
Therefore, he immediately thought of a certain unfortunate fellow.
The digital life immersed in virtual reality, now still serving as servers and data nodes, is perfect for further exploitation, becoming the self-conceived spark source of the Ascension Empire.
Such a vast empire must surely have a central consciousness for integration and planning, essentially an artificial intelligence.
The planet-scale high-energy computer he crafted is very suitable.
With readily available materials, Gu Shanhai did not think of making another one, wasting resources for nothing.
