Du Zhaodi's consciousness withdrew from the outside world as cleanly and decisively as the ebbing tide, returning to the depths of that vast, pulsating megastructure.
There were no unnecessary warnings, nor did she give any instructions to the Shadow Merchant, who stood nearly rigid nearby.
With the addition of the "One Who Unites All Machines," a peak Tier Four mechanical scholar, the megastructure's construction immediately advanced another step.
"Buzzz..."
A deep and majestic rumble was born in the megastructure's very core before rapidly spreading to every corner. It resembled the satisfied growl of a sleeping stellar core suddenly infused with tremendous energy.
Immediately afterward, the sound of the entire megastructure's operation suddenly rose by an order of magnitude!
The slow yet powerful pulsing that had resembled the heart of a nebula suddenly quickened, becoming even more forceful. Every "beat" made the surrounding space tremble faintly.
The radiance flowing through the metal-and-machine veins covering the megastructure grew even more dazzling. The energy flowed several times faster than before, and one could even hear a faint hiss, as though billions of precise gears had finally begun meshing and turning with perfect efficiency.
The most obvious change was that the megastructure's form began undergoing extremely subtle yet continuous adjustments.
In some structures that had originally seemed sluggish or imperfect, metal and machinery writhed and reassembled at a visible speed, optimizing themselves. It was as though a top engineer had just obtained the ultimate tool they had dreamed of and could not wait to incorporate it into their magnificent creation, making it more efficient and more dangerous.
The Shadow Merchant and the Ancient Dragonkin exchanged glances. Their expressions were somewhat stiff, but neither dared move an inch.
In truth, even the Ascended civilization behind the Shadow Merchant was still only in the preliminary discussion