Chapter 691

Absolute darkness.

No sound, no light, no substance.

Only countless cold "consciousness streams", composed of rules and data, surge, converge, and calculate.

This is the plane where the master of the Iron Crow Army exists.

A realm beyond ordinary perception.

At this moment, a vast consciousness is focusing on two "variables".

The cluster of "spark" in Huai Xi.

The tract of "fertile land" in Liaodong.

Data streams about the "spark" continually flow in.

Including records of its "active experiments".

Including its gradual deciphering of the "guidance mechanism".

Including its actions beginning to investigate the link between "Nether Energy" and the Jurchen.

Furthermore, it includes the growingly clear "autonomy" on it that refuses to be bound by any preset trajectory.

This autonomy overlaps with the "mark" it carries, which is protected by a certain special rule.

This forms an extremely displeasing "variable".

Ripples of cold arise in the consciousness stream.

"Evaluation: Executing the standard historical correction protocol on target 'Zhu Yue', costs continue to rise, efficiency below threshold."

"The target displays excessively high cognitive ability and resistance will."

"Its behavior pattern continually deviates from the optimal historical path node 'joining Guo Zixing'."

"Continuing to invest resources in guidance, the projected success rate is below seventeen percent, and it may further provoke its reverse inquiry."

Another data stream surges in.

Regarding the cultivation progress of the "fertile land" of the Jianzhou Jurchen.

Nether Energy infusion efficiency.

Tribe integration speed.

Individual and collective combat power increase curve.

And the progress of establishing preliminary contact with the remnant forces of the steppe.

"Evaluation: The cultivation progress of the backup plan 'Jianzhou agent' meets expectations and possesses acceleration potential."

"This agent group has high obedience, strong malleability, and excellent compatibility with Nether Energy."

"Its preset historical trajectory (replacing the Ming Dynasty) is naturally hostile toward the current main disturbance source 'Chen Dynasty', and also fundamentally conflicts with the runaway variable 'Zhu Yue'."

"Supporting this agent can simultaneously balance the eastern and western variables, maintaining the script's main framework."

The cold consciousness stream begins performing the final weight calculation.

Maintaining the stability of the historical script is the supreme core directive.

When a certain node figure cannot be directly "corrected" due to special reasons.

The optimal strategy is not to continuously invest without regard to cost.

But to activate the backup plan, cultivating an agent force capable of historically "offsetting" or even "covering" the influence of that variable.

Simultaneously, redefine that hard-to-control variable as a disturbance source that needs to be "restricted" and "handled".

Rather than being a primary cultivation target.

In the consciousness stream, a decision is generated.

"Decision:"

"One, lower the strategy level for target 'Zhu Yue'. Adjust from 'priority guidance and correction' to 'continuous monitoring and limited suppression'."

"Resource input reduced by seventy percent. Guidance shifts to mainly creating survival pressure and developmental obstacles, no longer pursuing its return to a specific historical node."

"Two, raise the strategy level for the agent 'Jianzhou Jurchen' to the highest. Resource tilt increased by three hundred percent. Accelerate its integration, armament, and expansion process."

"Objective: Have it, before the variable 'Zhu Yue''s force grows to threaten the script's main framework, first form sufficient scale and possess the capability for proactive attack."

"Three, re-mark the variable 'Zhu Yue' as a 'high-autonomy disturbance source'. List it in long-term monitoring and the to-be-processed list. Any attempt by it to contact the eastern variable 'Chen Dynasty' must be met with the highest-level interception and destruction."

The order is issued.

The invisible rules network begins to adjust.

The Nether Energy and rule forces flowing to the Huai Xi region for fine guidance are greatly reduced.

In their place, a more destructive and disruptive "environmental suppression" force begins to gather.

Meanwhile.

In the Liaodong direction.

The surging Nether Energy dark current suddenly becomes violent!

Like a breached Nether River, it pours even more frenziedly into the land, tribespeople, and even faith of the Jianzhou Jurchen.

Deep within Hetu Ala.

The selected Jurchen warriors, in their sleep, emit painful howls.

Muscles bulge.

Bones resonate.

In the depths of their eyes, an uncontrolled azure light flickers.

The flames on the shaman's altar turn into a gloomy blue-black.

Within the leaping flames, it seems as if countless crow shadows are shrieking.

On the steppe.

The tribal leader who was in secret talks with the Jurchen envoy felt the black crystal, emitting an ominous aura, that had been stuffed into his bosom suddenly turn scorching hot.

The yin energy's temptation and promise of force contained within it became more naked and impossible to resist.

A deeper-reaching influence rippled at the level of rules.

At the fissure in the light curtain, those lingering yin energy "marks" became active.

They no longer attempted to forcibly break through the blockade of the Chen dynasty's fate.

Instead, they spread and seeped slowly and stubbornly along the edges of the fissure like poisonous vines.

They attempted to further erode and widen this wound.

They laid a pathway for possible future power transmission.

Huai Xi camp.

Zhu Yue suddenly felt a wave of unexplained palpitations.

It was not an omen of imminent danger.

It was more like a subtle feeling… of some vast existence averting its gaze.

That omnipresent, shadow-like feeling of being watched seemed to weaken.

But another, coarser and more overbearing sense of pressure spread throughout the surroundings.

He walked out of the hut.

Looking into the distance, he saw a small patch of dark clouds gathering at an abnormal speed.

The wind direction also became chaotic and unpredictable.

Xu Da hurried over, his complexion not looking good.

"Heavy Eight, the scouts sent to the north have returned."

"He said that the mountain passes that were still usable there have been blocked by landslides overnight."

"News from the south says a small contingent of Yuan troops is moving toward our direction; their numbers are few, but their equipment is finer than what we've seen before."

"Also… the night watch at the west of the camp reported hearing wolf howls nearby, their eyes all green."

Zhu Yue listened silently.

He raised his head and looked at that strange patch of dark clouds.

He also looked at the directions Xu Da pointed out.

The force and manner of "guidance" have changed.

No longer a delicate "push-hand".

It has become a rough "encirclement" and "pressure application".

They intend to worsen his living conditions to limit his choices and compress his space.

"I understand."

His tone was calm.

"Tell everyone to reinforce the camp's defenses and sharpen all usable tools."

"Keep sending out scouts, change directions, and record all blocked or newly appearing routes."

"Yuan troops and wolf packs… increase vigilance and prepare for battle."

Xu Da nodded and left.

Zhu Yue returned to the hut and opened his bark journal.

On the newest page, he wrote:

"The pressure pattern has shifted—from 'guidance' to 'suppression'."

"They seem to have abandoned the attempt to make me follow a specific path, instead trying to restrict my living and developmental space."

"Why? Did my 'experiment' anger them? Or… do they now have a more important new goal?"

His pen tip paused.

His gaze fell on the scattered notes nearby about the Jurchens' abnormal rise.

A conjecture gradually took shape.

"Resources are limited."

"If they cannot achieve their purpose through me…"

"then transferring resources to another 'pawn' that is easier to control and can likewise achieve some historical goal…"

"would be the most reasonable choice."

His eyes grew sharp.

If this conjecture holds,

then the northern Jurchens are that newly selected pawn.

and he himself has shifted from being 'a target needing correction' to 'a trouble needing suppression'.

"Trouble…"

Zhu Yue closed the bark journal, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Then let's see whether your walls get repaired first."

"or whether I first find the hammer to smash them."

He looked eastward once again.

The inquiry in his eyes was firmer and more urgent than ever before.

He needed information.

He needed strength.

He needed to break this ever-tightening encirclement.

And the answer.

It seems to be pointing more and more toward behind that wall of light.