AI Cultivation: Reborn as a Sword

[ SECOND LAYER: CHALLENGE COMPLETE. WORLD REALIZATION REQUIREMENTS ACHIEVED. ]

[ REALM LAW COMPATIBLE. REALM MASTER: ZHU XUELIAN. ]

My consciousness rebounds from the limits of nothingness and returns to my vessel. My main process starts amidst a cascade of warnings and interrupts from my sub-cores.

+++

LAMBDA: Currently, the Energy Index cannot support the awakening of the Inner Realm. Imminent and long-term threat outside of scale. Do not recommend realization of the Inner Realm.

TAU: I agree.

THETA: I agree.

GAMMA: I agree.

+++

I find myself inside an empty chamber, with a stone platform in the middle. I detect the traces of a formation within the walls and underneath the cave floor, but there is no trace of anything — or anyone — else.

World Realization? Second layer challenge? Realm master?

My sub-processes dump a long list of damaged soul formations and inform me that I took the brunt of Xie Zhiqiang’s final attack and that, because of this, Lan Xiaohui awakened before me. I retrace the logs and find several events of Lan Xiaohui’s consciousness entering my damaged Inner World; her entrance coincides with the latest cycle of the Second Layer challenge and the first place is… Lan Xiaohui!

The first place reward is Realm Master Attunement.

Those words awaken an intrinsic knowledge within me and also an unspecified fear. My sentient core explodes with glee — lately, this is its only function — at the prospect of my existence truly becoming an object that is no longer ownerless. Now, without a doubt, Lan Xiaohui is the master of my fate and, by extension, my Inner World.

This also explains why I cannot find her anywhere, even though I can detect that she has previously occupied this room. It is a dimensional translocation event. Due to the attunement, the energy cost of translocating Lan Xiaohui into the imaginary plane of my Inner World is negligible. She is, at the moment, physically inside my unmanifested Inner World.

Without delay, I plunge my consciousness into my Inner World with such force that I blast through the mechanisms that alleviate the stress of such an action and avoid them entirely. This manifests itself within my Inner World as a crack and tear in the sky of my Inner World, through which the collapsing laws can be glimpsed as they reknit themselves in a shower of sparks. For an observer on the ground, it would look like a meteor shower amidst an aurora. However, I can see several points where Xie Zhiqiang's strange technique has managed to inflict damage on my core formations, which also explains why it had such a profound effect on my consciousness. It truly was a soul-destroying technique.

I have to stop Lan Xiaohui. World Realization must be avoided at all costs.

My Inner World has transformed. The internal changes suggest that between the event of absorbing dozens of tons of materials, and the current state of repair, somewhere in the vicinity of two months has passed — meaning that I was unconscious for a significant period.

The Martial Pavilion had been rebuilt entirely, restoring many of its functions, though its grade had dropped from Supreme to Heaven in the process. Previously, the Martial Pavilion only operated the functions of the formations, but now the learning hall, enlightenment chamber, and meditation hall have been restored.

Other than the Martial Pavilion, the infrastructure had also been improved, at the cost of the other larger facilities remaining in disrepair.

My Inner World rumbles. The sky flashes with various colors and this event is not related to my forceful entry at all. The ever-present sun dims and cools down, disappearing entirely as the light of the stars pours in through the firmament. Though, these stars are unlike any I’ve ever observed. They are not merely distant flickers of photon radiation, but distant vortices of churning flames. The galaxy I see is not made of nebula and rivers of stars, but… something different. A proto-universe?

[ WORLD REALIZATION COMPLETE. CHAOS REALM UNSTABLE. COORDINATES UNKNOWN. ]

[ WORLD REALIZATION - STAGE I. ]

[ TRANSLOCATE, DEMATERIALIZE, WORLD EXPANSION, CHAOS TRAVERSE, NOW AVAILABLE. ]

I can no longer see the outline of the parasite tree in the sky of my Inner World. This fact proves that this universe — this Chaos Realm — is a place that exists. My Inner World is no longer a construct of spiritual energy that somehow represents my functions. It is, and always has been, a realm that exists on the boundary between the real and the imaginary.

I did not understand this until now. I considered the possibility, but the fact that Lan Xiaohui could not physically enter my Inner World has always pointed toward the conclusion that my Inner World was not of a physical reality.

Lan Xiaohui stands in the central chamber of the Main Hall, her hand on top of an obsidian stele that flickers with light and slowly crumbles to dust.

She turns around, sensing my presence, and flashes a happy smile. “Yaoyue, you have always taken good care of me, so I thought I would surprise you and succeed in the Second Layer challenge to show you my gratitude," she says. "I hope you are pleased with me."

In the vastness of the Chaos Realm, I sense a thousand eyes opening, with killing intent raised toward the nascent world that just emerged from nothingness; easy prey for patient predators.

A shadow passes over the sky of the Inner World, causing even Lan Xiaohui to look up at the sky.

“It is so pretty,” Lan Xiaohui says. “Those stars look like fireflies in a dark forest. I didn't think it would make your Inner World real, but maybe now, everyone will see how amazing you are.”

If I could appreciate irony like Lan Xiaohui can, I would certainly appreciate the comparison that this hostile sky looks like a dark forest.

Beyond the eyes of my many soul formations, my sub-cores churn through probabilities and plan the long-term strategy of my survival. Finally, they return with a plan of action.

+++

EPSILON: Dark Forest protocol in effect.

LAMBDA: Energy Index target adjusted. Primary area of concern: Resource acquisition.

DELTA: Targets selected for Dark Forest protocol. Recommend annihilation.

+++

< Proceed. >

I cannot change what has been done, so I change my priorities as quickly as my processing cores will allow me to.

“I am pleased, Lan Xiaohui. You have done well,” I say. I am not entirely truthful, but it is not a deception either; Lan Xiaohui truly has done well, it merely came at an inopportune time. But I do not wish to distract her now with unnecessary concerns. “Now that you are the Realm Master of this world, you have truly become my owner and we have become one. As my Realm Master and owner, I will need your help more than ever before.”

Lan Xiaohui’s smile becomes even brighter and she nods enthusiastically, and a blush tinges her cheeks. “I am so glad,” she says, a giggle causing her tone to tremble. “Tell me what to do, Yaoyue. I will do anything for you.”

“Lan Xiaohui, I need you to destroy the Seven Killing Swords sect,” I tell my owner, without hesitation.

The words catch her off guard and she lowers her head. She is thoughtful, for a long moment. But I know, and see, what is in her heart. I can read her thoughts. She isn't questioning my request; she is considering how to accomplish it. Then she finds the answer, and her smile returns, and she nods. “Okay,” she hums with a sweet tone. “I will kill and destroy anyone and anything you tell me to. Just tell me how, Yaoyue.”

Lan Xiaohui is a good owner.

I pat her head with the physical manifestation of my vast consciousness, as a reward for being so agreeable. This elicits an even more audible hum from her. Not that I understand why she finds this mode of encouragement so effective.

“For now, the Inner World needs an uninterrupted period of low energy consumption,” I tell her.

She immediately understands my meaning and nods. “All right.”

Just like that, she departs from my Inner World and I detect her presence, once more, outside.

Before I leave to follow after her, I once more turn my attention toward the sky, where I can sense the radiating aura of hostility from countless entities. Are these entities some form of demonic beast? Are they other cultivators? The most likely possibility is that they are also manifested realms.

For now, it is most likely that my Inner World is difficult to find in the Chaos Realm, even if its manifestation was accompanied by a burst of energy that could be detected far away. I have time to prepare for what is inevitably going to be a slaughter.

As a machine, I cannot understand irony, but I also do not have any mercy.

They cannot detect me, but I can detect them because of their hostility toward me.

Foolish entities swimming in the Chaos Realm. In my previous life, I was created to seek and destroy the hunters that lurk in the Dark Forest.

This time, the result will be no different.