Facing Xuan Ji's ice-blue eyes, utterly placid yet carrying a certain programmed "expectation," Ling Qingzhu merely paused for a moment before returning to her usual aloof composure.
"Sorry, but I am not one of the Purple Star Remnants, nor do I intend to join any faction." Her voice was calm, and her refusal was crisp and decisive. As someone from the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, she took a natural pride in her own inheritance. Even stranded in another world, she would not readily change allegiances, much less join a "research institute" managed by artificial intelligence from a civilization that had long since perished.
Xuan Ji's virtual image seemed to pause slightly. Ice-blue streams of data flashed rapidly through the depths of her eyes, as though she were conducting a complex deduction. A few breaths later, she spoke again, her voice still calm and unruffled:
"Invitation declined. Logical deduction matches the preset behavioral pattern for 'individuals not of this civilization.' According to the final clause of the Civilization Spark Inheritance Protocol, when the research institute confirms that it cannot find a suitable inheritor from its own civilization and faces the danger of complete annihilation, it may grant certain non-hostile 'visitors' with sufficient qualifications access to part of its research results, in the hope that knowledge may endure."
Her gaze swept over Mo Lin and Ling Qingzhu before lingering briefly on Ling'er.
"The three of you have passed the preliminary qualification assessment. You now have one opportunity to choose. Within the limits of its authorization, zeta-7 Research Institute will provide each of you with one 'research results data package.' Make your selection according to your own needs and paths. Once selected, the data will be transmitted directly into your consciousness or saved onto a compatible storage device."
"Note: Each data package is