The staircase, formed of blue light, felt cold and solid to the touch; it was no mere projection.
Every step Ling Feng took was agonizingly difficult. He had to fight not only his body's extreme fatigue but also the gale-force winds that howled from both sides of the canyon. The force of the wind was staggering, as if countless invisible hands were trying to rip him from the hundred-meter-high cliff and dash him to pieces below.
He had no way back.
Behind him was a bottomless darkness. Before him was the only opening where an answer might lie.
He poured all his willpower into his fingertips and toes. His spiritual energy was highly focused, allowing him to anticipate each turbulent gust and adjust his center of gravity in time. He clung to the vertical cliff face like a gecko, climbing slowly but steadily upwards.
Time lost all meaning here.
After what felt like an eternity, just as his last ounce of strength was about to give out, his hand finally touched the edge of the cave opening.
He used all his remaining power to haul himself over the edge, collapsing onto the flat ground.
The moment he entered, the blue light staircase behind him abruptly extinguished. A heavy gate, made of some unknown alloy, slid down silently from above, sealing the entrance with a solid thud.
The howling wind was completely shut out.
The world fell into a deep, absolute silence.
Ling Feng lay on the cold floor, gasping for air, his entire body drenched in sweat. He realized for the first time what a luxury pure silence could be.
He looked around. This was not the dark, damp cave he had imagined, but a semi-circular room filled with futuristic technology. The walls were made of a material that emitted a soft, white light, bathing the space in even, shadowless illumination. The air, filtered and at a comfortable temperature, flowed around him.
Suddenly, a section of the wall in front of him slid apart like flowing water, revealing a small recess. Inside, a single injection pen and a silver, paste-like packet lay waiting.
A line of universal text appeared on a light screen above the recess:
[Intruder's vital signs detected at a state of extreme exhaustion. Immediate replenishment of stamina and nutrients is advised.]
Ling Feng was stunned. He had expected a harsher trial, perhaps even a trap, not this... thoughtful arrangement.
He hesitated for a moment, but his body's desperate craving for energy made the offer impossible to refuse. He picked up the paste packet, tore open a small corner, and a rich aroma, like nuts and caramel, wafted out. He cautiously tasted a small amount. A warm, energizing current instantly flowed from his esophagus to his limbs.
It was the most efficient concentrated nutrient he had ever experienced! In just a few mouthfuls, his body, which had been on the verge of collapse, recovered seventy to eighty percent of its strength.
After regaining his stamina, Ling Feng stood up, his guard now raised to its highest level.
This mysterious "Echo" seemed to know everything about him and was in complete control of this place.
Directly in front of him, a much larger gate opened silently, revealing a deep, glowing corridor.
A calm, electronic voice, with no discernible gender or emotion, echoed from all directions, carrying a strange, ethereal resonance.
"Verification passed. Welcome, Questioner."
Ling Feng's heart leaped. He tightened his grip on the hidden alloy staff and slowly walked into the corridor.
At the end of the corridor was a space so magnificent it defied his imagination.
It was a colossal, domed cavern. In its center stood a "great tree" that reached from floor to ceiling, composed of countless transparent crystals. Every branch, every "leaf," was a crystalline storage unit, shimmering with massive streams of data. A soft, blue light flowed through it, emitting a pleasant hum like the chime of wind bells.
The entire space was filled with a sacred and solemn aura.
This was no lair; it was a... temple. A temple that housed endless knowledge and data.
"You... you are 'The Echo'?" Ling Feng asked, his voice filled with awe as he looked up at the divine tree of data.
"'The Echo' is the designation your organic lifeforms have given to this 'Data Ark' where I reside," the voice replied. "The designation is poetic and filled with misunderstanding, but it is acceptable. I am the 'Regulator' of this ark."
"Regulator? You're... an artificial intelligence?"
"You could understand it that way," the voice answered calmly. "My core directive is to maintain the normal operation of the Ark, and... to update its database through the long passage of time."
A storm of shock raged in Ling Feng's mind. He felt as if he had stumbled upon one of the world's deepest secrets.
"I have received your question," the Regulator's voice continued. "'How do I recognize and control my own power?'... This is a high-clearance level query. The answer you seek is in the Ark's database, under the entry 'Pre-Civilization Era: Application and Development of Spiritual Energy.'"
Ling Feng's breathing quickened. "And what price must I pay?" He had not forgotten the old scavenger's warning.
"The price," the Regulator's voice, for the first time, held a hint of what could be described as "amusement." "That rejected failure did not lie to you. Knowledge is never free."
The Regulator paused, then stated its terms.
"This Ark has been isolated from the world for too long. My database has not received a significant update in several ages. My price is this: you will become my 'Information-Gathering Terminal' in this era."
"I will grant you the knowledge you require. In return, you will walk the earth in my stead. You will observe, record, and collect data on this era's technology, energy systems, social structures, lifeforms... and any other 'data' that interests me. You will return here periodically to synchronize with me."
"This is a contract. Are you willing to become my eyes and ears?"
Ling Feng was silent.
This was indeed a price heavier than death. It meant his life would be forever bound to this mysterious Ark. He would no longer live for himself, but for an ancient artificial intelligence, to update its database.
But did he have a choice?
He looked up at the divine data tree, radiating with infinite wisdom. He thought of the eternally dusky sky of the Rust Belt, of Shi Lei's worried eyes, of his parents' unjust fate.
"I..." He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming incredibly firm. "I accept."
"The contract is established."
The moment the Regulator's voice fell, the entire crystal tree erupted in a brilliant light!
A beam of pure, blue data shot down from the top of the tree, instantly enveloping Ling Feng!
"Initiating primary knowledge authorization. Entry: Fundamentals of Spiritual Energy and the Induction Chapter. Please prepare yourself. The information infusion process may cause a severe impact on your brain."
"Ahhhhhhh—!!"
An unimaginable, overwhelming flood of information, enough to burst his brain, forced its way into the depths of his consciousness like a collapsing river of stars. Ling Feng let out his first scream since entering this place, and then he lost consciousness completely.