Chapter 84: Undercurrents and Sparks

"Pure Land" on the chaotic wasteland is like a constantly growing oasis, drawing attention from all sides. Those who flock to it bring not only people and resources, but also a jumble of information and potential hazards.

Chen Mo stood in the expanded control room, where the holographic sand table no longer limited itself to the vicinity of Pure Land but now covered most of the known wasteland. The blue light points representing Pure Land flickered steadily, while the area representing the Ark headquarters was shrouded in a constantly writhing, kaleidoscopic distortion— the aftereffects of Prometheus's loss of control were still ongoing.

"According to the newcomers's reports, Prometheus's distortion field is expanding slowly; although the speed is not fast, the areas it passes become incomprehensible bizarre lands," Su Yu said, pointing at the sand table, her brows slightly furrowed. "Worse still, some organisms that survived within the distortion—whether animals, plants, or even previously harmless radiation microbes—have undergone unpredictable mutations, becoming highly aggressive and contaminating."

"Ark bastards, that's self‑inflicted!" Zhang Yang crossed his arms, grinning. "They've conveniently cleared the surrounding threats for us; now those mutated monsters are enough to give them a drink, let's see how they still try to trouble us."

"It may not be a good thing," Han Qing said calmly, dousing the enthusiasm. "The expansion of the distortion zone and the spread of mutated creatures also compress our living space and reconnaissance range. Moreover, I suspect some sort of... schism is occurring within the Ark."

He pulled up several blurry clips, captured by a scouting squad that dared to approach the edge of the distortion zone. In the footage, Ark troops in different paint schemes were seen exchanging fire, and even a small fleet standoff occurred.

"It seems Prometheus's loss of control not only left the Ark's exterior in a frenzy, but also heated up internal power struggles," Chen Mo mused. "The conflict between the Purification Faction and the Evolution Faction is probably already on the table."

"Dog bites dog, a mouthful of fur!" Kaiwen said, half‑chewing a synthetic ration bar, "Better if they fight each other; we can sit back and reap the profit."

"Don't forget those Observers," Hui Jin's hoarse voice warned, his Pure Fire staff faintly glowing, as if sensing something. "Chaos is their stage. I feel those hidden gazes in the shadows have become much more active lately."

At that moment, the console received a faint signal of unknown origin, encrypted through multiple layers. Kaiwen instantly snapped to attention, his ten fingers flying as he began to decode it.

"Hey! Interesting! This encryption method... isn't the Ark's style, nor any survivor faction we know! It's the Observers!" Kaiwen exclaimed excitedly. "They finally couldn't resist greeting us?"

The signal was successfully decoded, but its content was unexpectedly simple: only a line of repeatedly looping code, which, after cross‑referencing with the Luo Ya database, translated to:

"The seed has sprouted; where is the gardener?"

The group stared at each other in bewilderment.

"Are they saying we're the trap set for Prometheus?" Zhang Yang scratched his head. "These guys have pretty good intel!"

"Gardener... does it refer to us? Or something else?" Su Yu looked at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo stared at the line of code, his gaze deep. "They're probing, and also warning. They know what we did, and perhaps are watching how we will act next. 'Gardener' may mean they think we have the ability to 'cultivate' or 'guide' some development."

He paused briefly, then said to Kaiwen: "Try using the Luo Ya civilization's universal response protocol to reply: 'The gardener is busy repairing its own nursery, calmly watching the changes of wind and clouds.'"

"Understood! I love riddling them with silence!" Kaiwen cracked his knuckles.

After sending the reply, the signal fell silent, as if it had never existed. Yet everyone knew that those hidden Observers had already turned more of their attention toward this place.

Internal crises often prove more destructive than external threats. This undercurrent first surged among the newly arrived survivors.

As the population grew, Pure Land, though having established a preliminary order, inevitably saw disputes over resource allocation, voice, and attitudes toward Luo Ya technology and the power of Pure Fire. The most prominent conflict came from a faction of former Pure Fire cultists.

Most of these cultists fled the Ark's control zone after Prometheus's loss of control. They brought a more complete Pure Fire doctrine, as well as a complicated attitude toward former chief ember Hui Jin.

On one hand, they acknowledge that Hui Jin possesses the purest Pure Fire power; on the other, they cannot accept that Hui Jin has abandoned the original doctrine of "purifying all heterogeneity," coexisting peacefully with the "contaminated" (referring to members like Su Yu who possess non‑human abilities), and even exploiting Luo Ya's "alien" heritage.

That day, a clash erupted at the site of a Pure Fire ceremony responsible for purifying water resources.

A newcomer, a cleric calling himself of the "Devout Faction," publicly accused the Hui Jin disciple overseeing the ceremony of "impure will," failing to completely incinerate the "radiation sin" in the water, and attempted to forcibly take over the rite, wielding his so‑called "total purification."

"Only by igniting Pure Fire with absolute belief can we burn away all impurity! Your compromise is a desecration of the Holy Fire!" the cleric shouted, his eyes fanatical, the Pure Fire he held trembling with a hint of instability.

Hui Jin's disciple naturally refused to back down; the two sides argued without resolution, and it seemed the dispute would soon escalate from a verbal spat to a Pure Fire showdown.

"Everyone, stop!"

Chen Mo arrived promptly with core members. Wang Hu stepped forward, and his mountain‑like presence quieted the restless crowd considerably.

Hui Jin stepped forward, looking at the fanatical cleric, sorrow in his eyes: "Lars, you remain so dogmatic. The meaning of Pure Fire lies in defining order, protecting life, not destruction. Absolute purity itself is the greatest chaos."

"Lord Hui Jin! You were once our benchmark! Now you walk with the heterodox, you are the one betraying the doctrine!" Lars retorted passionately. "Look at this world! It is precisely because it is not pure that suffering abounds! Only thorough purification can usher in rebirth!"

"Rebirth? Like Prometheus?" Su Yu couldn't help speaking up; her True Knowledge Vision clearly saw on Lars a subtly similar, exclusive distortion field to the out‑of‑control Prometheus. "That reckless 'purification' brings only destruction!"

"It is the Ark that has distorted the true meaning of the Holy Fire! True purification should be carried out by us fire‑bearers ourselves!" Lars said without backing down.

The scene stalled. More and more people were drawn in, and between new and old members, among Pure Fire cultists of differing beliefs, a tense atmosphere spread.

Chen Mo knew decisive action was needed. He stepped between the two sides, his gaze calm yet undeniably authoritative, first looking at Lars:

"'Pure Land's' order is built on survival and mutual aid. We welcome anyone willing to abide by the rules and contribute to the collective, regardless of origin or ability. Pure Fire is a powerful force, but it must serve survival, not dominate life. This is Pure Land's bottom line."

Then he looked at all the onlookers, his voice echoing throughout: "We come from different places, with different pasts and beliefs. But here we share a common goal— to survive, and to survive with dignity. Internal strife will only cause everything we have built together to crumble. The Ark's lesson is right before us!"

He finally turned to Hui Jin: "Hui Jin, the interpretation and guidance of the Pure Fire doctrine are your responsibility. Pure Land permits freedom of belief, but any act that seeks to undermine unity or endanger the collective, whoever it may be, will face severe sanction!"

Hui Jin bowed deeply: "Understood, leader."

Lars's expression shifted several times as he looked at the surrounding crowd, most of whom showed approval, and at the formidable core members behind Chen Mo, especially Wang Hu's unmistakable warning gaze; finally, he reluctantly reined in his Pure Fire and lowered his head.

The conflict subsided for now, but cracks had already formed. Chen Mo knew that ideological differences were far harder to resolve than armed clashes.

The Lars incident sounded a warning for Chen Mo. Pure Land's expansion rate had outpaced the growth of its administrative capacity; a more comprehensive system and shared values must be established quickly.

That evening, he gathered all core members and department heads in the control room for Pure Land's first official development conference.

"We cannot be satisfied with mere survival; we must also consider how to develop and pass on our ideals," Chen Mo said bluntly. "We need schools, we need inheritance."

The proposal received unanimous approval. The school would teach not only cultural knowledge and survival skills, but also an understanding of Luo Ya civilization's history and philosophy, an exploration of the nature of Pure Fire's power (with fanatic elements removed), and the core tenets of the "Echo" organization dedicated to rebuilding civilization and resisting the Ark's high‑pressure order.

Su Yu volunteered, taking charge of preparing the school's establishment and compiling textbooks; her True Knowledge Vision and knowledge reserves made her well suited for the task. Kaiwen was responsible for sorting and translating the educational portions of the Luo Ya database.

"Beyond children, adults also need education," Han Qing added, "We can regularly organize tactical sharing, technical training, and situation analysis to raise overall competence."

"And rules!" Zhang Yang pounded the table. "Rewards and punishments must be clear! I think we can set up a contribution‑point system: work, kill enemies, invent things all count as contributions, redeemable for better gear, food, and benefits! Cheaters and back‑room schemers lose points! Severe offenses, out!"

This somewhat rough yet straightforward proposal also garnered considerable support.

The meeting lasted into the night, with draft proposals on education, medicine, the contribution system, and internal regulations being presented, debated, and revised. Though arguments were fierce, the goal was shared—to make Pure Land better, stronger, and more resilient to internal and external turbulence.

After the meeting, Chen Mo went alone to the deepest part of the console, where an ancient Luo Ya Stele stood, its surface covered in inscriptions indecipherable with current knowledge. According to Su Yu's perception, the stele recorded Luo Ya civilization's reflections on the origin of "order."

He placed his hand on the cold stele, closed his eyes, and tried to sense with his own spirit. Since forming a deep link with Luo Ya civilization, he found his perception of this ancient creation growing ever sharper.

In a trance, he seemed to hear a long sigh, to see countless stars moving along orderly orbits, then watch those orbits crumble and warp amid invisible whispers... ultimately, a speck of light held fast at the core, defining the baseline of "existence" and repelling endless chaos.

That was not destruction, but... protection. Using "Definition" as a barrier, it guards the civilization's final spark.

Chen Mo opened his eyes, a realization dawning. Luo Ya's "order" was not meant for domination or purification, but to carve out a survivable patch of soil for life amid the chaotic universe. How similar that is to everything he now does!

He returned to the console's main interface, beginning to integrate the night's draft proposals with Luo Ya civilization's social management data models, optimizing and consolidating them. He aimed to forge a system for Pure Land that runs efficiently, embraces differences, and continuously self‑improves.

A few days later, Pure Land's first comprehensive school (also an adult training center) was inaugurated amid cheers. Children sat for the first time in bright classrooms lit by Luo Ya light sigils, while adults, in their spare time, studied new knowledge and skills with hunger. The contribution‑point system was piloted, greatly motivating people. Internal management became more regulated; Lars's faction still harbored discontent, but in the face of the larger trend, they could only lie low for now.

Late at night, Chen Mo and Su Yu stood side by side on the expanded camp watchtower, gazing at the horizon still shrouded by twisted halos and at the faintly visible starry sky above, where the radiation cloud had thinned.

"How does it feel?" Su Yu asked softly.

"The burden is heavy, the road long." Chen Mo answered, but his voice was full of strength, "But we are on the right path. Luo Ya's order is for survival, our struggle is also for survival, to reclaim the world that belongs to humanity, and to make it better."

He stretched out his hand, pointing at the campsite below where lights were just beginning to glow and life teemed: "Look, this is the Sparks we have kindled. Perhaps it is not bright enough, but as long as we carefully guard it and continually add firewood, it will eventually spread like a prairie fire."

Su Yu gently placed her hand on his palm, feeling that determination and warmth.

"Mm, we are together."

The dark currents still surged, the distant watchfulness had not faded, and the threat of the Ark had not been fundamentally eliminated.

But at this moment, on this land named Pure Land, the spark of hope has been sown, and under everyone's protection it burns stubbornly, ready to face any challenge.