"Our 'anchor' was absolute honesty toward the 'cognitive self'! Including honestly admitting that 'cognition needs others'!" Exploratory tendrils began to grow from Mirrorheart's mental imagery.
The three civilizations withstood the tide's targeted escalation. Under the pressure, their mental imagery instead became more solid and resilient. The radiated Awakening Field greatly intensified, helping more surrounding civilizations steady themselves.
Yet the threat of those Distorted Mental Imagery entities was imminent.
They spread from the dark regions in twisted forms: extreme xenophobic "truth-monopolizing" types; "meaning-plundering" parasites; "nihilistic detonation" revelers of destruction.
Xuxi attempted communication, but received only chaotic hostility and warped logic in return.
"Communication is impossible. Their mental structures have already hardened into pathological forms."
Lin Ye observed in silence for a moment, then suddenly said, "They are also failed variants of Anchor and Sail. Their anchors have twisted into obsession, and their sails have torn into rags. Yet they are still trying to 'sail.'"
"Destroying them would be easy, but that is what the tide wants to see—to drag us into conflict and exhaust the power of awakening."
"Let's try another method."
Lin Ye sank his consciousness down, no longer focusing on the surface hostility. Instead, he perceived through them the vast Meaning Tide to which they were connected.
He wanted to find the "specific deep currents" within the tide that had spawned them.
Under intensely focused perception, Lin Ye "saw" them.
The Meaning Tide was not a uniform whole. In the depths of the ocean existed countless subtle Meaning Tendency Currents—leaning toward Absolute Order, chaotic revelry, isolation and xenophobia, self-destruction... When these deep currents resonated with civilizations whose mentalities held corresponding tendencies, they catalyzed distortions.
The tide was unconsciously carrying out "selection" and "catalysis"!
"So that's how it is." Lin Ye understood. "The tide is a 'compiler.' It compiles and