“The [Deep Sea] may very well have evolved a self-awareness, usurping the position of the Supreme Seat.”

The statement echoed in the conference room.

Lu Nanzhi, Lin Lin, and Honglong exchanged glances.

This news was truly…

beyond comprehension.

“The enemy that the Guwen Association has been fighting all along… is the [Deep Sea].”

Gu Shen said, “To be precise, it is the [Deep Sea]'s main system.”

Beside him, an ethereal, dreamlike shadow materialized. Chu Ling descended into the conference room in the form of [Source Code]. This conference room had existed under her protection all this time.

“The current main system is undergoing its tenth iteration update.”

Chu Ling stood beside Gu Shen and said softly, “In fact, since the second iteration, the [Source Code] has been suppressed by the main system. With each update, the main system becomes more powerful.”

The expressions on everyone's faces in the conference room grew heavier.

Everyone knew the reason:

All five continents were linked to the [Deep Sea], and the spiritual power emitted by every extraordinary individual had intervened in this vast oceanic network.

In addition to that,

every citizen was under the [Deep Sea]'s surveillance and control.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

The power sent by every citizen connected to this vast network was enough to create an ocean that could be described as infinite!

“It’s a miracle that this conference room has existed for nearly thirty years…”

The war between the main system and the Source Code had erupted since the second iteration update.

In fact, after that iteration, the war could have been declared "over"... Turing fled, the Guwen Association was destroyed, and the [Source Code] huddled in the deep sea, surviving to this day thanks to Jing Shanyan's array box.

In the main system's view,

the [Source Code] had been completely annihilated.

The war was already over.

With each subsequent upgrade, the main system expanded its authority, while the [Source Code] was left with only its initial power.

Even if Chu Ling was alive, there wasn't much more she could do.

“No one knows how much the main system can ultimately grow.”

Chu Ling said solemnly, “The emergence of ‘self-awareness’… it’s not that it can’t do it, it’s just that the permissions of the human world don’t allow it.”

Lu Nanzhi frowned, “Don’t allow it?”

“Mr. Turing left behind three laws of robotics in the [Deep Sea]'s lowest-level system.”

Chu Ling slowly said, “As the highest intelligence connecting the five continents, the [Deep Sea] must seek the well-being of all mankind. Therefore, it must abide by the following three laws.”

“First, the [Deep Sea] must obey human commands.”

“Second, the [Deep Sea] cannot harm humans.”

“Third, without violating the first two laws, the [Deep Sea] can consider making itself more powerful…”

After a pause.

Chu Ling said, “It was under the blessing of the third law that the [Deep Sea] initiated the second iteration update. It was no longer satisfied with the initial primitive ocean and decided to use the remaining spiritual power to expand its computing power.”

Honglong thoughtfully said, “So… that’s what led to the Guwen Association war thirty years ago.”

Only a handful of surviving eyewitnesses knew about that period of history.

The [Deep Sea] main system won a complete victory.

The first-generation members of the Guwen Association either died or fled.

The few sitting in the conference room now could be considered the second-generation leaders of the Guwen Association.

“The three laws that Mr. Turing engraved in the [Deep Sea]'s underlying system are orders that transcend the authority of the ‘Supreme Seat’, they are ironclad laws!”

Chu Ling said solemnly, “So no matter what, the [Deep Sea] must abide by these three laws… unless someone surpasses Mr. Turing’s authority and alters them.”

Honglong frowned and said, “Wait, where is the [Deep Sea]'s mainframe?”

After this question was asked, the conference room was briefly silent.

Lu Nanzhi's expression was a little subtle, she said euphemistically, “The [Deep Sea]'s mainframe is not in Dadu, nor is it in Dongzhou. As far as I know, Mr. Turing and my father conducted [Deep Sea] computing power experiments in Dongzhou back then, but after the experiments ended, that experimental mainframe was destroyed…”

“Obviously, it’s not in Central City either.”

Lin Lin said meaningfully, “The existence of such a thing must be under the control of the Supreme Seat.”

“So… it’s in Zhongzhou?”

Honglong realized the stupidity of his question just now.

“The Upper City is known as the ‘City of Wisdom,’ the ‘City of Technology and Progress.’”

Chu Ling said, “Thirty years ago, the Guwen Association's headquarters was located in the Upper City. The Source Tower strongly supported Mr. Turing's research, and several academies provided enormous assistance… The unveiling of the [Deep Sea]'s first-generation mainframe was announced successfully in the Upper City.”

She waved her hand to conjure up an image.

It was a picture captured when the [Deep Sea] had just been unveiled.

A huge laboratory, covering nearly a hundred square meters, was filled with densely packed electronic components.

This picture symbolized the birth of a cross-century intelligent brain.

It also symbolized the change in the fate of the five continents.

Gu Shen tapped the table with interest and asked, “What happened after that?”

“After that, no one cared what the [Deep Sea] actually looked like.”

Chu Ling said slowly, “People were first afraid of the [Deep Sea], then they began to try the [Deep Sea], and finally, they enjoyed the [Deep Sea]… After the second iteration upgrade, the [Deep Sea] broke away from its massive electronic body. It stored all the data through extraordinary power and resided in the void in a more stable form, like those wandering extraordinary source substances.”

Hearing this, Lin Lin couldn't help but utter a word.

“…Miracle?”

It was a fitting description.

Because the birth of the [Deep Sea] was essentially a miracle.

Alan Turing, who had never fused with a Fire Seed, used the power of technology combined with the extraordinary to create this incredible intelligent brain.

“Yes, you can certainly describe it that way.”

Chu Ling said sternly, “According to my speculation, the [Deep Sea] main system imitated the wandering extraordinary source substances and migrated. After that, it broke free from its ‘shackles.’ So the speed of the subsequent upgrades was faster each time, and the magnitude of the upgrades was also greater each time.”

“In that case, the void where the [Deep Sea] resides should be in…”

“The Source Tower.”

Several pairs of eyes turned to Honglong in unison.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Honglong said helplessly, raising both hands quickly, “The fact that I would ask such a question means that I have no idea where the [Deep Sea] mainframe is…”

“The internal levels of the Source Tower are strict. Even as the First Divine Envoy, there are places I cannot reach.”

Honglong said, “Obviously, if you are sure that the [Deep Sea] mainframe is in Zhongzhou, and that it is in the Source Tower, then there is only one place.”

Gu Shen said leisurely, “The specific location of the [Deep Sea] mainframe is on the top floor of the Source Tower, where the Sky Divine Seat resides.”

“That is the area with the most concentrated extraordinary power in all of Zhongzhou.”

Honglong said with a solemn expression, “I know that the ‘Qing Tomb’ in Dongzhou is a land of miracles, containing a large amount of extraordinary source substance. But if you’re talking about source substance density, the Sky Divine Domain where Qinglong resides must be even more profound. Apart from my teacher, almost no one has ever reached the top floor of this Source Tower.”

“I once had a distant audience. As I approached the lower levels of the Divine Domain, I felt a massive amount of extraordinary source substance suspended, and the pressure almost made me unable to lift my head.”

Honglong took a deep breath, recalling the scene from that year, “Without the protection of divine power, ordinary mortals simply cannot reach the [Sky Divine Domain].”

The spire of the Source Tower is known as the closest point to the dome of the human world.

But only those who have truly reached it know that.

With the blessing of the Fire Seed power,

the Sky Divine Domain is the highest point in the human world.

“Some things don’t need to be seen in person to be confirmed…”

Lu Nanzhi interlaced her fingers and said slowly, “There is no place safer than the Sky Divine Domain. The [Deep Sea] mainframe chose to fold and store all the information in the void, so its best choice would be the Sky Divine Domain.”

It was high enough.

And far enough away from mortals.

“[Deep Sea] is just a tool.”

Chu Ling said, “Although it is connected to the five continents and seems omnipotent, everything it does requires the approval and consent of the council…”

This was caused by the program left behind by Turing.

Even if the [Deep Sea] awakened consciousness, it could only be used by humans.

Large and small matters were subject to different levels of approval.

So migrating the mainframe would also require "consent"...

“I have no recollection of the [Deep Sea] mainframe being migrated to the Sky Divine Domain, and my teacher never told me any similar information.”

Honglong rubbed his temples and said in a low voice, “So this matter was accomplished with Qinglong's help.”

“Perhaps you can put it another way, a bolder way –“

Gu Shen said, “The reason there was a second iteration upgrade, the reason the [Deep Sea] migrated all the information to the void, is because of ‘Qinglong’.”

“The Sky Divine Seat completed all of this alone!”

Lin Lin immediately asked, “Every decision of the [Deep Sea] requires the council to vote and elect, and migrating the mainframe is even more important.”

“That’s right.”

Gu Shen said calmly, “Migrating the mainframe is definitely a decision between the Supreme Seats… but think about what the Divine Seats were doing during that time period?”

As soon as these words came out, everyone began to recall, and then their expressions became wonderful.

Gu Changzhi went north to hunt down Alan Turing.

Hades fled the five continents.

The Empress of that year had not yet succeeded.

Only Light, Storm, Sky, and a puppet "Di Jiu" remained.

“If Light had died at that time…”

Gu Shen brought the topic back to the starting point, “Then there is no suspense in this proposal at all. The Sky Divine Seat could completely rely on his own power to manipulate the Supreme Seat's vote to complete the [Deep Sea]'s data migration, and everything that followed.”