Chapter 236: System Upgrade! Top-Level System

As the Dragon Country's high command strained to determine how to define its relationship with the New Era, and Lilith drowned in her absurd "marriage research," Qin Feng at the heart of the New Era underwent a silent yet earth-shattering transformation tied to his very essence.

Late night, Ding Ceng Ban Gong Shi.

Qin Feng did not rest, nor did he handle any documents. He sat alone, eyes closed, his spirit fully immersed within, forging the deepest possible connection with the mysterious system that had accompanied him since his rebirth and provided the foundation for everything.

Since the successful deployment and stable operation of the two transcendent systems—the Earth Pulse Harmonic Resonance Array and the Void Energy Spectrum Resonance Probe—and especially after the preliminary validation of the "Crowbar" project's theory, allowing him to touch the threshold of "guiding planetary energy," a realm bordering on divine, Qin Feng had faintly sensed that the long-dormant system within him had reached a critical threshold.

It… was about to upgrade.

This feeling was ineffable, not arising from any alert tone or screen display, but stemming from a resonance at the very core of his soul. It was as if a disciple who had accumulated sufficient experience and qualification had finally reached the moment to ascend to the realm of a master.

At this moment, his consciousness floated in an endless ocean of data and rules. Countless light points representing his past achievements—the initial offshore platform, the Sea-floor City, the keel of the Deep Space Mothership, the two sensing arrays, the discovery of the Obsidian Type-C, the launch of Pioneer One, the decryption of Mu Zhaoxue's data, even his confrontations with Lilith and Pandora—all these grand or minor "events" and "achievements" transformed into the purest "information sources," flowing like countless rivers into the sea, continuously pouring into the system's core.

The system's interface flashed and restructured at an unprecedented speed within his consciousness; its formerly clear functional zones blurred, then recombined in a more complex, deeper manner. Vast torrents of data surged endlessly, as if undergoing a complete self-renewal and metamorphosis.

How long passed—perhaps an instant, perhaps eternity—no one knew.

All agitation and light abruptly ceased.

Qin Feng "saw" the original system interface vanish entirely. In its place was a profound, tranquil darkness, like the cosmic background.

At the center of this void, a faint light ignited, then rapidly expanded, evolving into a new interface—simpler, yet brimming with infinite mystery.

The interface's core was no longer individual icons or lists, but a slowly rotating, three-dimensional star vortex composed of countless tiny light points. At its heart lay an indescribable singularity, seemingly representing "origin" or "end."

A realization arose naturally in Qin Feng's mind.

This was not an ordinary version update.

This was an essential leap.

From a mere "tool" that aided him in rebuilding his foundation and providing specific technological blueprints, it had evolved into something closer to the universe's foundational rules—a system that could bind more deeply with his consciousness and the entire Civilization Spark of the New Era… a "Civilization Beacon" or "Rule Core."

【Confirming Host Civilization Development Level Has Reached Critical Threshold…】【Confirming Host Individual Cognitive Level Has Broke Established Framework…】【Confirming Contact and Preliminary Analysis of High-Dimensional Information Fragments (Star Ring, Watchers)…】【System Core Protocol Unlocked… Reconstructed… Transcended…】【…Upgrade Complete.】

No triumphant alert tone—only a calm, almost cold stream of information, directly etched into his perception.

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes. Everything in the office remained unchanged, yet he knew everything had changed.

He subtly shifted his intent.

The profound three-dimensional star vortex appeared before him, perfectly overlaid upon reality, undisturbed by it.

His consciousness sank into the vortex.

In an instant, he felt as if he had merged entirely with the entire New Era!

He could "see" every welding spark in the Deep Space Mothership dock, "hear" the subtle flow of water in the Sea-floor City's ecological cycle, "perceive" the surge of energy pathways during the Quantum Computing Array's upgrade, and even faintly sense the faint yet clear spacetime ripples emanating from Pioneer One, cruising steadily half a light-year away…

This was no longer simple data monitoring—it was an almost "omniscient" absolute insight into all matter and energy flows within his domain!

More importantly, he felt his connection to the technologies directly provided by the system—the Earth Pulse Harmonic Resonance Array, the Void Energy Spectrum Resonance Probe, even the core design of the Deep Space Mothership—had grown tighter, more… instinctive.

He no longer merely understood and replicated them through blueprints; he now felt he truly grasped part of the underlying rules governing their operation. He even had a vague sense that, if he were to redesign the Earth Pulse Harmonic Resonance Array now, he might make it more refined, with lower energy consumption, or… greater functionality!

This meant he was advancing from a "user" and "copier" of technology toward a "comprehender" and "creator"!

The system's upgrade brought not merely enhanced functions, but a rise in cognitive dimension!

He attempted to direct his consciousness toward the slowly rotating core of the vortex—the singularity representing origin and end.

A torrent of information, vast beyond description, nearly shattered his consciousness! It seemed to contain the ultimate mysteries of the universe's birth, rule evolution, dimensional shifts—and… the origin of the system itself.

At his current level, he could not yet endure or interpret this information.

But he knew the path had been opened for him.

Qin Feng took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within.

He understood: this upgrade carried meaning far beyond any previous one.

This was no longer the "Super Technology" system.

Perhaps, it could now be called…

"Top-Level System."

A true companion capable of aiding him—and ultimately aiding the entire New Era civilization—to touch, and one day surpass, the very limits of this universe's rules.

His gaze grew deeper, as if reflecting the fate of the entire Star Sea.

The road ahead seemed clearer now—and yet… more extreme-challenging.

But he feared nothing.

With this "Top-Level System," whether facing the planet beneath his feet or the distant stars, whether confronting the threat of the Star Ring or the entanglement of Pandora, he now had greater confidence to face them all.

He rose, walked to the window, and gazed down at the New Era, glittering like a jewel set upon the sea, its lights blazing through the night.

Upgrade complete.

It was time to make certain petty fools finally recognize reality.