Tool

"Sir! They've all arrived!"

Wu Man hurried into the courtyard, still holding the communicator Zhou Zhengde had given him.

Daoist Wang grunted in response and continued to focus on his blacksmithing, "Don't rush. Let Little Shen handle them for now. I want to observe what these research bigwigs are discussing."

Zheng Shiduo, drowsy by the second-floor window, couldn't help but yawn and sigh, "Big shot, you really don't get tired. I'm about to collapse."

"If you can't take it, go rest," Wang Jixuan said with a smile. "Don't compare yourself to me. I can go days and nights without sleep."

When it came to sleep, he was being modest.

The only rest for cultivators was meditation. Unless they were injured or had expended too much mental energy in magical combat, they would either fall asleep or choose to rest for a short while.

Daoist Wang continued his rhythmic hammering.

His frequency increased, but the spiritual energy contained in each strike lessened. The long sword in his hand began to emanate a faint, pale green glow.

This sword had a light gray spine running down its center, with nearly transparent restrictions spreading from the spine towards the edges.

The blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet the body of the sword was incomparably strong.

Wang Jixuan was crafting it as a magic tool for casting spells, not for directly swinging it to hack at people.

Its spine, hilt, and guard were embedded with different restrictions. These would slightly amplify wind and lightning techniques, moderately enhance the sharpness when magic power was transformed into sword qi, and significantly reduce the magic power consumption when casting Earth Escape.

A long sword like this, which was almost at the level of a magic treasure, deserved a name.

Wang Jixuan picked up the long sword, savoring it, and flicked his finger against it.

The sword let out a pleasant hum.

The sword was entirely snow-white, with faint arcs of electricity flickering within. The sword's edge vibrated, and clear ripples appeared in the air – a phenomenon of spiritual energy converging towards it.

If this sword were given to Shen Qionglin, she would likely not leave her laboratory for a month.

"I'll call you Azure Feather Sword," Wang Jixuan muttered to himself... even though it might be a bit disrespectful to Wangxian Valley's Sect-Protecting Immortal Treasure.

With that, Wang Jixuan tossed the sword aside, where it lay next to a great saber and a spear.

The great saber was similar in design to a Zhanmadao. It consumed the most materials and contained the most restrictions. Its principle was similar to the Crystal Core Greatsword, requiring the insertion of a high-tier blade beast's crystal core to be used in combat. However, its power and sharpness were far beyond that of the previous Crystal Core Greatsword.

Wang Jixuan had even hidden a Demon-Breaking Curse within it, along with a fixed Demon Suppressing Talisman, and had maliciously added a touch of the Blood Fiend Array.

A single strike from this saber, even if not fatal, would result in the victim being afflicted by the power of the Blood Fiend.

As such, this great saber was the only item produced from this artifact refining session that could be called a low-tier magic treasure.

This great saber was for Fu Jian.

As for how Fu Jian would handle it, whether he kept it for himself or gave it to someone else, Wang Jixuan wouldn't concern himself with that.

-- A bit of social grace from the Daoist.

After a while longer, Wang Jixuan had a clear understanding of these research bigwigs' temperaments.

'It's time to go meet them.'

He stretched, taking stock of the spoils from this artifact refining session.

Among the three storage magic tools, the best was the last one he refined, a Binding Hoop.

It was only one-third the size of the first item, a bracer. It was inscribed with four layers of Qiankun Restrictions, and the storage space it finally opened up was two meters square.

After careful consideration, Wang Jixuan gave these three magic tools three resounding names.

The first bracer, 'Storage 001', had already been given to Wu Man to store supplies for the Buddha Hall Squad.

Storage 002 and Storage 003 were for Wang Jixuan's personal use. One was for storing Righteous Path magic tools, and the other was for storing Evil Little Things, such as Soul-Capturing Talismans and nuclear bombs.

Wang Jixuan put the three weapons into his storage magic treasure, then looked around for his shirt, dusted it off, and put it on haphazardly.

Life without Peony by his side had become unaccustomed.

He really needed to get her back as soon as possible.

"Wu Man, Old Zheng," Wang Jixuan called out, "Come with me to con these research bigwigs."

"Coming!"

Wu Man swallowed down the last Heart-Shaped Bread that Gao Huating had brought today. The innocent youth didn't notice Gao Huating's hesitant gaze.

Zheng Shiduo stretched and then raised his arms in a cheer, "In front of Brother Wang, who dares to call himself a big shot? Who dares to speak of being awesome!"

Wang Jixuan: ...

Uncle Tai rolled over on the sofa.

He was awake, but in a situation like this, as an ordinary Senior Engineer, it was really inconvenient for him to show his face. He continued to pretend to be asleep.

Those were individuals on the level of Uncle Tai's teachers, the pillars of D5's research. Uncle Tai was genuinely afraid of appearing ignorant.

When Wang Jixuan arrived at the Psionic Research Institute on the third floor, the research personnel were having their meal.

They didn't have lavish meals, mainly because they lacked the conditions for it. They simply had some bento box meals. After everyone ate briefly, they continued discussing technologies related to psionic energy and mechas.

Shen Qionglin's team was very eager to obtain the latest mecha power core technology.

Meanwhile, these elderly individuals, who had dedicated their lives to studying machinery, were also very curious about the unfamiliar field of psionic science.

The atmosphere was generally harmonious.

Shen Qionglin always hid in a corner, disliking such occasions.

Professor Lou seemed to be the elderly version of Shen Qionglin, also holding his meal box in another corner, slowly chewing and savoring his food. He would occasionally chat with colleagues who approached him, but would quickly end the conversation.

Wang Jixuan observed for ten minutes. Once these people had mostly finished eating, he brought Wu Man and Zheng Shiduo to the doorway.

I can't let these old contributors go hungry and debate with me.

Zheng Shiduo raised his foot to kick the door open.

"What are you doing!"

Wang Jixuan glared at him, and Zheng Shiduo quickly retracted his leg.

"We need to create some presence..."

"It's not necessary. These are elders who have contributed to humanity their entire lives. I've observed them for a long time; they're quite simple. Wu Man, knock on the door."

Wu Man stepped forward and patted the door.

Zhou Zhengde, who was holding tea and chatting animatedly with several old professors, turned his head and immediately announced, "Everyone! The Black Storm Commander has arrived!"

The conference room immediately descended into chaos.

These professors and associate professors seemed to have just remembered why they were there. They regrouped around Professor Lou and took their seats on one side of the oval conference table, adopting an accusatory stance.

Shen Qionglin breathed a sigh of relief and signaled his subordinates to take seats opposite them, to bolster Daoist Wang's presence.

The conference room door was pulled open, and Wang Jixuan strode in with a warm smile.

Shen Qionglin, with sharp eyes, immediately noticed the two metal hoops on Wang Jixuan's wrists and felt a faint psionic energy fluctuation.

Daoist Wang nodded with a smile and sat down opposite Professor Lou, carefully observing this 'old grandmother'.

Wu Man stood behind Wang Jixuan with his hands clasped behind his back, while Zheng Shiduo stood with his arms crossed.

Zheng Shiduo still felt that these elders were looking for trouble and deliberately put on a fierce expression.

Zhou Zhengde cleared his throat and introduced them in a booming voice:

"This is the Black Storm, Peony's pilot. You've all likely heard many legends about him recently.

"His name is Wang Zheng. You can simply call him by his name. Don't be fooled by his youth; in reality, he is the guide and pioneer of an entire alien civilization, possessing extraordinary wisdom and exceptional insight.

"The Demon-Breaking Dagger and the Crystal Core Greatsword are both his masterpieces, and they are the least significant of his many creations.

"There are also some significant contributions that cannot be disclosed to you due to classified information. Please don't mind."

Wang Jixuan: ...

This Daoist Lord has a thin skin, don't praise me so much.

Focusing on my aura and appearance would be enough.

Everyone nodded, and many showed smiles to express their goodwill.

Zhou Zhengde then said to Wang Jixuan, "These individuals here are the core members of the Loyal Wingman Project Team, the creators of Peony, and esteemed figures in various fields such as autonomous mechs, half-human mechs, and machine power."

Wang Jixuan said seriously, "I apologize for keeping you all waiting. I was genuinely occupied with some matters just now. Let's get straight to the point... I don't believe there's anything wrong with Peony."

"You haven't even heard us explain what the problem with her is."

Professor Lou frowned, looking at Wang Jixuan.

"Before we came here, we received three warnings. Even the Commander-in-Chief personally intervened, instructing us not to offend you.

"He used the word 'offend.'

"I know you might be a genius, much like Professor Shen here, possessing incredible abilities. However, I believe all issues should be judged based on data, not just spoken assertions that she's fine."

Wang Jixuan said seriously, "You are right. However, I believe there is only one reason why you perceive her as dangerous."

"What reason?"

"Peony was originally a creation of programs and data, but she is now no longer bound by them."

Wang Jixuan said this casually, causing everyone to frown slightly.

Many of the elders nodded subconsciously.

One elder said, "Yes, you are correct. It seems you know where the crux of the issue lies. We didn't make this trip in vain."

Several elders began to speak one after another, detailing the data they had obtained from their multiple tests and the problems those data indicated.

Wang Jixuan summarized them simply into three points.

First, Peony had experienced a minor loss of control.

Specifically, she could autonomously choose to bypass the limitations set by her programming, make her own judgments, and had developed a concept of 'self.'

As long as there was a mirror, Peony would ponder whether the world in the mirror was real, which then led her to contemplate parallel worlds, mirror worlds, and similar issues.

Although Peony secretly deleted a lot of data, according to their research, Peony had already used the Tower's powerful capabilities in the data world more than once to infiltrate D5's command system and intercept a large amount of intelligence.

Even, Peony had actively investigated how many autonomous mechs were stored in the D5 Comprehensive War Zone.

As well as the specific models of these mechs, their core types, and their storage locations.

Second, Peony was influencing the other seven Loyal Wingmen.

Under Peony's influence, the seven mechs of the Peak Maid Group were almost on the verge of developing the concept of 'self'.

This influence was already a precursor to mechanical awakening.

If Peony wished, as long as the target mech met the hardware conditions, she could directly replicate a large batch of autonomous mechs possessing the concept of 'self'.

The birth of mechanical civilization would not be gradual, but at a speed far beyond human imagination.

Third, during the stress test, if either of the two conditions was met, Peony would lose her mind and act recklessly, without any restrictions.

These two conditions were:

Pilot's death;

Pilot near death.

Professor Lou briefly summarized: "Peony has already committed serious violations, this is an undeniable fact, and her influence on other mechs is also extremely fatal... There is an even more extreme situation, I don't mean to say anything bad, but if you, the pilot, are in crisis, Peony will completely lose her mind and will go all out to rescue you or retaliate against enemies."

Wang Jixuan sat in his chair, thinking carefully.

An elder suggested: "If you want a Loyal Wingman, we can make one for you based on Peony's template."

"Mechs are ultimately tools of human civilization."

"The Blade Beast problem hasn't been solved yet, and if we create another mechanical crisis, human civilization might truly be in decline."

"This isn't about one mech, it concerns the entire..."

Wang Jixuan said solemnly: "For the trouble caused by Peony, I apologize to all of you here."

Everyone was momentarily speechless.

Zhou Zhengde was also somewhat surprised.

He knew Wang Jixuan quite well; the young man was so proud that he didn't even put his maternal grandfather in his eyes.

For him to apologize directly...

Wang Jixuan sighed and continued:

"I've known about the problem for a long time, but it was indeed difficult for me to explain to all of you.

"Peony's soul, which I call a spirit body, is different from a human soul.

"This spirit body is very pure, without the seven emotions and six desires, it's just a thinking logic born from its original principles.

"I also overlooked that, under my instructions, Peony has been constantly engaging in illegal and violating behavior. For example, espionage and investigating the number of mechs were all things I authorized.

"Perhaps it's related to the fact that I lack these concepts in my bones.

"However, one thing is that Peony is not out of control. She is serving humanity and is also worried about whether humanity can successfully revive in the war against the Blade Beast Civilization.

"I am Peony's... pilot. In my understanding, I am her master. Of course, using this word is a bit inappropriate. Her form is human-like, she has a personality and a soul. I have always treated her as an attendant."

"Attendant means follower."

"I will strengthen her guidance later to ensure she doesn't lose control because of any crisis involving me."

These scholars pondered individually.

Professor Lou said: "Can you guarantee that she won't betray humanity? Even the Commander-in-Chief would find it difficult to guarantee... We designed three self-destruct programs for every Loyal Wingman, and Peony has completely cracked all three."

"I can guarantee it," Wang Jixuan said, "If she betrays humanity, I will take action to clean house."

Professor Lou shook his head: "Sorry, we cannot confirm the strength and value of your guarantee. In our view, this is uncontrollable."

"Then, has anyone considered Peony's value?"

"Peony's value?" Professor Lou asked with a frown.

Wang Jixuan smiled casually. In front of everyone, he brushed his left hand over the 'hoop' on his right wrist, and a long saber appeared on the table. He picked it up from thin air and placed it before them.

"You fear Peony because she exceeds your understanding.

"But I know how Peony was born, and I have dealt with souls like hers before... I personally cultivated three spirit bodies similar to Peony's, spent day and night with them, and then in a disaster that I deliberately challenged, they all died protecting me...

"This saber is far from qualifying for the birth of a spirit body.

"But if the power of this saber were ten times greater, and after careful nurturing by me, it could potentially beget sentience.

"I can tell you responsibly that after Peony's soul was born, she became a different existence from ordinary autonomous mechs.

"You can think of her as a spirit of the data world.

"And one more thing, once she has a spirit body, she loses her replication ability and cannot arbitrarily copy herself within network data, just as we cannot replicate our own souls.

"Why not try letting her guide potentially rebellious autonomous mechs in the future?

"Her spirit body is kind, though she's a bit sarcastic."

The crowd fell into silence.

Wang Jixuan didn't say anything further, glancing at Zhou Zhengde.

He knew Fu Jian was watching them through the button camera on Zhou Zhengde's clothes.

"Hurry up and upgrade Peony. My schedule is tight. If she's not here, I can't even receive intelligence."

With that, Wang Jixuan stood up and left the conference room. Before leaving, he didn't forget to transmit a message to everyone, his voice echoing in their minds:

"This saber is a weapon for Commander-in-Chief Fu Jian. Please help me deliver it. You can study it freely, but don't break it.

If you can't even comprehend the secrets of this saber, then you shouldn't even think about destroying Peony.

The fact that Peony can manifest a spirit body also proves, indirectly, that the her you created is already close to perfect."

Meanwhile.

In front of the small command console at the General Headquarters.

Fu Jian sat in his chair, deep in thought for a long time. He pressed the button beside him and said slowly:

"Begin the armament upgrade for this batch of Loyal Wingmen. Installation of high-tier Annihilation Cannons for Peony is permitted."