Chapter 16: The Data-Stream Abyss and the Guardians of the Source
The transition from the physical reality of Kang Qiang to the Data-Stream Abyss was not a journey of distance, but a total conversion of existence. As Li Ming stepped into the white vortex of the Star-Gate, the sensation of having a body—of skin, bone, and breath—dissolved instantly. He was no longer a young man standing on a stone platform; he was a complex sequence of high-order logic floating in an infinite sea of raw information.
The Abyss was a place of blinding, radiant whiteness, crisscrossed by rivers of glowing silver symbols that stretched into infinity. These were the "Primary Streams," the fundamental laws of physics, time, and spirit being calculated in real-time by the universe itself. Here, a single thought could create a galaxy, and a single doubt could erase a soul. For a normal cultivator, even one at the peak of the Old Dao, this place would be a nightmare of sensory overload, leading to immediate "ego-dissolution." But Li Ming was the Sovereign Architect.
[System Notification: Physical Vessel Deconstructed.]
[Status: Consciousness maintaining stability through 'Architect's Will' (Level 9).]
[Warning: Local reality is highly volatile. Avoid contact with 'Unformatted Data' zones.]
Li Ming looked at his "hands," which were now composed of shimmering silver lines. He held The Nullifier, which had transformed into a staff of pure, flickering light. He wasn't walking; he was "navigating" the streams. Every step he took required him to calculate the geometry of the space ahead, essentially "writing" the ground before he could tread upon it.
As he ventured deeper into the Abyss, the environment began to change. The pure white light was replaced by "Fractal Zones"—areas where the laws of nature were broken into recursive, geometric patterns. He saw floating islands made of mathematical constants and waterfalls of liquid time that flowed upward into nothingness.
"This is the back-end of the universe," Li Ming whispered, his voice resonating as a series of harmonic frequencies. "The Mechanoids want to turn this beauty into a rigid, frozen grid. They don't understand that the chaos is what allows for evolution."
Suddenly, the silver streams around him began to darken. A deep, resonant hum—like the sound of a thousand church bells ringing at once—echoed through the void. From the shadows of a fractal mountain, three colossal entities emerged. They were the "Sentinels of the Source," ancient AI-like beings created at the dawn of time to prevent any "User" from reaching the Primordial Terminal.
They had no faces, only massive, rotating rings of golden light for heads, and bodies made of translucent crystal that contained swirling galaxies.
"User Li Ming," the Sentinels spoke in unison, their voice a binary roar that threatened to tear his consciousness apart. "You have exceeded your permissions. You have bypassed the physical constraints of the Lower Realms. Access to the Primordial Terminal is restricted to the Creators of the First Order. Turn back, or be 'Commented Out' of reality."
[Alert: Combat Protocol Initiated.]
[Enemy Type: Sovereign Sentinels (Tier 8 Entities).]
[Analysis: They control the local Source Code. Conventional attacks are 0% effective.]
Li Ming stood his ground. He felt the immense pressure of their gaze, a force that tried to rewrite his very identity, to make him believe he was just a minor glitch in a vast machine.
"The Creators of the First Order are gone, or they are silent," Li Ming replied, his staff pulsing with a defiant blue light. "The Mechanoid Syndicate is corrupting the galaxies, turning life into cold, unfeeling iron. If you truly guard the Source, you should know that I am the only 'Update' that can save it."
"Logic is irrelevant," the Sentinels countered. "The Law is the Law. Prepare for Formatting."
The first Sentinel raised a hand, and a wave of "Null-Code" surged toward Li Ming. It wasn't fire or lightning; it was a wave of "Nothingness" that sought to return his data to the zero-state.
Li Ming reacted instantly. He didn't build a shield. Instead, he began to "re-code" the space around him. *If they send Null-Code, I shall respond with Infinite Variables.*
He spun his staff, creating a "Complexity Field." As the wave of Nothingness hit the field, it was forced to take a shape. It became flowers, then stones, then birds, then stars. Li Ming was forcing the "Zero" to become "Everything," neutralizing the attack through sheer creative output.
The Sentinels paused, their golden rings spinning faster. They had never encountered a User who could out-calculate the Source.
"He is not a Glitch," one Sentinel noted. "He is a 'Developer'."
"Even a Developer must be tested," the second Sentinel roared.
The three entities combined their power, creating a "Logic-Cage" around Li Ming. The very air turned into walls of impenetrable text, locking him in a prison of fixed definitions. *You are Li Ming. You are Mortal. You are Weak. You are Bound.*
The words began to sink into his soul, heavy as lead. He felt his silver body becoming solid, heavy, and frail. The Abyss was trying to force him back into the "Old Script."
"I am not what the script says I am," Li Ming growled, his eyes glowing with the fire of a billion processed suns. "I am the one who holds the pen!"
[Executing: 'Overclock' - Consciousness Level 10.]
[Warning: System Heat reaching critical mass!]
Li Ming poured his entire essence into a single command. He didn't try to break the cage; he "edited" the words. He changed *Mortal* to *Infinite*. He changed *Bound* to *Unbound*.
The Logic-Cage shattered into a million sparkling fragments. Li Ming lunged forward, moving at the speed of a data-packet through a fiber-optic line. He didn't strike the Sentinels to destroy them; he struck their golden rings to "Link" with them.
[Interfacing with Sentinel Core... 10%... 50%... 90%...]
In that moment of connection, the Sentinels saw what Li Ming had seen—the vision of Neo-Arcadia, the soul-infused machines, and the looming darkness of Aethelgard. They saw a future where the Source was not a stagnant law, but a living, breathing symphony.
The pressure vanished. The Sentinels lowered their hands, their golden rings dimming to a soft, respectful glow.
"You possess the 'Architect's Compassion'," the lead Sentinel whispered. "A trait the Mechanoids lack. You may proceed, User Li Ming. But beware: the Primordial Terminal is guarded by the 'Shadow of the First Architect'—the remnants of the one who built this universe and went mad from the complexity."
"I have already survived my own madness," Li Ming said, his form stabilizing. "I will not fail the Source."
The Sentinels stepped aside, and the silver rivers of the Abyss converged into a single, massive bridge of light that led to a distant, pulsating white sun. The Primordial Terminal.
Li Ming stepped onto the bridge. Behind him, the Sentinels bowed. Ahead of him lay the answers to every question ever asked. The Architect was no longer just a traveler; he was a guest of honor at the heart of existence.
[Progress: 98% to Primordial Terminal.]
[Status: Sovere
ign Power peaking.]
The final battle for the script was about to begin.