The Tide of Meaning had arrived.
Without warning, without boundaries, it welled up from the deepest layer of every conscious being's perceptions, like warm amniotic fluid enveloping everything capable of thought.
The sages of the Glow Domain had been meditating when the "question of existence" that had troubled them for so long suddenly vanished. In its place came an overflowing sense of fulfillment—existence itself was sacred, and quiet contemplation was perfection. A serene sweetness that made them unwilling to think further or explore further spread through the entire civilization.
The creators of the Vortex of Flourishing Life collectively experienced an "explosion of inspiration" amid their revelry. Every thought was endowed with epic significance, and even the smallest doodle seemed to contain the truth of the universe. Ecstatic, they squandered energy even more recklessly, tearing reality into dazzling yet fleeting fireworks.
Those weak civilizations at the fringes sank directly into the gentle dreamscape woven by the tide. Some "saw" the Paradise of their departed ancestors, some immersed themselves in visions of everlasting peace, and some found contentment in the simplest repetitive labor, believing that this was the entirety of life.
"Report! The consciousness activity curve across all dimensions is abnormal!" the Absolute One's alarm rang out. "It isn't declining—it's becoming 'inwardly self-consuming'! Thought is continuing, but all of it is being directed into self-satisfying closed loops! The indices for exploratory, critical, and connective thought are plummeting!"
The light and shadow around the Primordial Source rippled. "An infusion of meaning... This is the gentlest anesthetic. All beings no longer suffer, but they have also lost their edge."
Xuxi tried to contact friendly civilizations, but the replies it received were filled with peaceful yet hollow platitudes. "Everything is well. No change is needed."
The crisis had arrived in the least crisis-like manner possible.