Chapter 433 - Holy Spell: Listening (1/2)

White Fairy flies back like a wisp of smoke.

Looking at the “alien barbarians” falling on the ground, White Fairy wonders, “I haven’t even cast the illusion spell, why did they all fall?”

Lin Luoran claps her hands. “Xiaozhi, come and say hi.”

“h.e.l.lo, energy body. h.e.l.lo, energy body.” The program now sounds like a child. The virtual screen of the central control room flashes. The intelligence brain program called Xiaozhi seems to find it interesting. It keeps changing the color of the entire screen.

Lin Luoran feels awkward. “Xiaozhi, you have to call her White Fairy. It’s very impolite to address others as energy body.”

“Who is that?” White Fairy asks.

Xiaozhi is still thinking about what “politeness” is. Lin Luoran has to explain to White Fairy herself that it is an artificial intelligence program. Xiaozhi accidentally gained consciousness after getting hit by thunder. The same thing has happened to the Alpha Alliance during its long history of technological civilization—There was once a robotic independence movement led by an AI. After that, all member stars have to destroy artificial intelligence with consciousness in the cradle.

Xiaozhi is a name given by Lin Luoran just now. When Xiaozhi gained consciousness, it was frightened by what happened to other awakening AIs. By observing the garrison on the stars.h.i.+p, the “intelligent life” that created it, Xiaozhi decided not to expose itself.

It kept the secret very well until Lin Luoran began to communicate with mecha. That was how Xiaozhi’s secret got found … But Lin Luoran seemed nice to Xiaozhi, an artificial intelligence with consciousness. In the end, Xiaozhi was persuaded by Lin and decided to rebel.

The mesh released is not the special substance for eliminating cultivators’ Wakan, but solid nutrient. However, the garrisons including Gaut Sutherland have been put into sleep with strong anesthetics. Even specially trained Alliance soldiers will pa.s.s out for a few days.

“Isn’t it just a magic weapon with self-awareness?” Lin Luoran has said a lot, yet White Fairy sums it up in one sentence. After all, she’s lived for thousands of years.

In White Fairy’s opinion, the stars.h.i.+p is a magic weapon while the intelligent brain program is its spirit. That does make sense.

White Fairy frowns. “But if it has kept this secret for years without being caught by these aliens, how did you find it, Lin?”

Lin Luoran then realizes how weird it was.

They stare at the flas.h.i.+ng virtual screen. Even with almost zero EQ, “Xiaozhi” knows something is wrong. The child-like voice sounds a bit upset. “I was just hiding and playing in the mecha, didn’t you talk to me first?”

I talked first?

Lin Luoran starts to remember those flas.h.i.+ng figures of “0” and “1”. Because she didn’t understand those figures, she was thinking “It’s not fun at all”. That was when Xiaozhi replied. “Isn’t it fun?” Before that, Lin Luoran only saw the controlling chip in the mecha—it happened after the eyes of Fly Apsaras painted sculpture mutated.

What is that light?

Is it the power of my faith?

Lin Luoran enters the s.p.a.ce with doubts and asks the king of fire phoenix. The king, tens of thousands of years old, heads up proudly.

“You fool. It’s just a little holy spell. Look how frightened you are!”

Holy spell? Did I learn the holy spell by myself? Lin Luoran finds it unbelievable. Out of the s.p.a.ce, she tries to cast the spell again on a cold robot. Well, nothing happens. She tries that on the spirit herbs in the s.p.a.ce. It doesn’t work either.

Only three strange plants in the pond give some response. They are called Yaoguang, Qingzhan, and Chiyan.

“I want my sister. I want my sister.” Yaoguang says.

Who is your sister? Lin Luoran thinks for a while and brings the little silver fish to the spring. Yaoguang becomes satisfied and delighted.

Feeling amazed, fire phoenix and wood wolf come to the pond. While they are trying to build bonds with their spiritual herbs, Lin Luoran hears the green light flower murmuring. “I don’t like you. Go away.”

Who is it talking to? Of course, it is talking to the wood wolf who grows the herb to eat! Lin Luoran laughs out loud. Now wood wolf regrets what he did in Snow Mountains. He shouldn’t have told the green light flower that he wanted to trans.m.u.te it—Who knows a spirit herb with no consciousness sees him through?

Chiyan likes fire. Lin Luoran picks up two diamonds of fire and puts them beside its root. Shaking the branches, Chiyan seems to show its appreciation.

Lin Luoran was able to communicate with mecha because “Xiaozhi” was in it.

Lin Luoran can only communicate with the three herbs. Is it because they are strange strains with spirits which are not under influence of the s.p.a.ce? As for the rest, perhaps they have been ripened in the s.p.a.ce and lost their spirits. After all, a day in the s.p.a.ce is like a year outside.

Lin Luoran sighs. It good that those plants can’t talk to her. She doesn’t want to feel like an executioner killing creatures with emotions.

“Buddhist cultivators’ holy spells help them feel others’ thoughts and emotions. But the one you use also works on things with consciousness and spirits. Why not call your spell ‘listening’?”

White Fairy’s soft voice comforts Lin Luoran like a spring breeze and her wise words enlighten Lin Luoran with the essence of her spell. The monsters all agree with what she says.

Listening? Lin Luoran nods. She has just named her first holy spell.