Inside the Star Patrollers's flagship, a metal structure centered around a fragment of the Seed of Seed of Creation is taking shape. This is the " Memory Core "—its appearance resembles a spiraling silver conch shell, its surface covered with intricate energy patterns. Each pattern connects to a memory storage unit, capable of holding the memory imprints of billions of living beings.
Xiao Yan stood before the core, watching the Star Patrollers import the first batch of compiled memory data into it. The data transformed into streams of light that flowed into the fragments of the Seed of Creation. The fragments trembled slightly, emitting a soft glow, smoothing and stabilizing the emotional fluctuations in those memories one by one.
"Currently, the basic memories of three thousand worlds have been recorded, including historical context, legal systems, and biographies of important figures." The Star Patrollers leader's electronic voice carried a hint of mechanical smoothness. "The initial construction is expected to be completed in three months, at which time cross-galaxy memory synchronization will be possible."
Xiao Yan nodded, his fingertips touching the patterns on the core's surface. He could clearly "hear" countless memories flowing within it—the morning bells and evening drums of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Realm, the sharp sword cries of the Sword Domain, the humming of the Mechanical Clan's factories, and the casual conversations of ordinary people after meals... These trivial yet vivid fragments converged into a warm power, complementing the Power of Order of the Seed of Creation.
"These memories are the source of our confidence in resisting ' Return to Silence '," he said softly.
Just then, the core suddenly emitted a piercing buzz, the surface patterns instantly dimmed, and the previously smooth flow of memory became disordered. The Star Patrollers immediately rushed forward, their fingers flying across the control panel: "Warning! Unknown interference detected; some memory units have become 'blank'!"
Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and he immediately injected the power of the Seed of Creation into its core. Silver light flowed through the patterns, and the chaotic stream of memories gradually calmed down, but several storage units had completely turned black, and the memory data inside had disappeared without a trace, as if erased by an eraser.
"It's the aura of Return to Silence," he said in a deep voice, his fingertips able to feel the cold touch emanating from the core. "They're seeping into the Memory Core, trying to erase these imprints from their very source."
The Star Patrollers leader's crystalline head flashed red. "Analysis indicates the interference originates from the Memory Core's energy interface, which connects to the Star Patrollers ' main database. The Aura of Return to Silence may be remotely eroding the system through network nodes."
This discovery sent chills down everyone's spine. The Those Who Return to Silence can not only erase physical existence but also infiltrate digital networks, meaning that even stored memories are not absolutely safe.
"We must sever the physical connection and switch to 'Law Transmission'," Xiao Yan decided decisively. "Use the Power of Order from the Seed of Creation to construct an independent Law Channel, isolating all network interfaces."
This would undoubtedly increase the difficulty of memory entry and might even lead to the loss of some data, but it was the only way at present. The Star Patrollers did not hesitate and immediately began to reconstruct the core energy transmission system.
In the days that followed, building the Memory Core became exceptionally difficult. The interference from the Return to Silence was like a malignant tumor, sometimes seeping into the energy lines, sometimes attaching itself to the memory data. Each time it appeared, it would erase a small piece of memory, leaving a chilling blank.
The cultivators had to simultaneously input the memories and reinforce their cores with their own laws. Everyone's face showed exhaustion, but no one dared to slacken their efforts. They all knew that behind these memories were vibrant lives and unforgettable histories.
Late that night, Xiao Yan was meditating beside the core, consolidating the connection between the Seed of Creation and the core. Suddenly, a faint whisper entered his sea of consciousness—
"... An unbalanced existence... will eventually return to nothingness... memories are nothing but self-deceiving illusions..."
The voice was cold and ancient, carrying an indifferent air of looking down upon all living beings, as if stating an unquestionable truth. Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, the Heart of the Flame Realm in his sea of consciousness pounded violently, and the Seed of Creation burst forth with dazzling light, forcefully dispelling the whisper.
" The Lord of Return to Stillness?" he murmured, a storm raging within him. This will was a hundred times stronger than the Emissary of Returning to Silence, clearly originating from the depths of that absolute void.
What alarmed him even more was that the whisper made him waver—if the memory was truly just an illusion, then was their current act of protection truly meaningful?
"I can't let myself be affected!" Xiao Yan bit his tongue, the sharp pain instantly bringing him back to his senses. He looked at the Memory Core and saw that the fragments of the Seed of Creation on its surface were trembling slightly, clearly also affected by the whispers.
He immediately summoned Qing He and the Blazing Sun Realm Lord ( the Blazing Sun's Soul Imprint has now been preserved in the Memory Core; although it cannot materialize, it can participate in protection through ideology): " The Lord of Return to Stillness has begun to intervene directly; it wants to undermine our beliefs."
Qing He gripped the reforged longsword tightly. Though the blade still had blank spaces, the sword intent was more resolute than ever before. "The more it tries to make us give up, the more we must hold on. Those memories contain our laughter, tears, and sacrifices—how could they be illusions?"
The Blazing Sun's ideology flickered in the air. "I'll reinforce the outer law barrier. Even if my soul is annihilated, I cannot allow the core to be corrupted!"
Seeing their resolute figures, Xiao Yan's wavering completely dissipated. He walked to the Memory Core and poured a portion of his memories—from his initial confusion upon entering the heavens, to his battles with the Shadow Clan and the Rotten Realm Spider, to the days and nights he fought alongside his companions—into the core.
These memories transformed into a golden stream of light, merging into the fragment of the Seed of Creation. The fragment's radiance instantly surged, enveloping the core, and the Return to Silence energy that attempted to penetrate it melted away like ice and snow encountering a raging fire.
"Memories may be forgotten, but as long as someone believes in their existence, they will never truly disappear," Xiao Yan said softly, his tone filled with unprecedented determination.
For the next few weeks, the whispers of the Lord of Return to Stillness never ceased, sometimes as temptation, sometimes as intimidation, sometimes as cold mockery. But the monks gritted their teeth and supported each other with their memories—veterans recounted past battles to the newcomers, historians consulted ancient texts to awaken forgotten histories, and children dispelled the oppressive atmosphere with their innocent laughter.
Under this protection, the Memory Core not only remained uncorrupted but became even more stable. The patterns on the core's surface began to emanate a warm golden light, the "light of existence" woven from countless memories, which even reflected faint human figures and images on the metal walls of the Star Patrollers.
When the three-month deadline arrived, the Memory Core had finally completed its initial construction. The silver, conch-shaped structure floated in the center of the Star Patrollers's flagship, radiating a soft yet resolute light. Fragments of the Seed of Creation slowly rotated at the top of the core, firmly locking away billions of memories.
Xiao Yan stood before the core, feeling the warm power flowing within, and a smile appeared on his lips.
The whispers of the Lord of Return to Stillness still echoed in the depths of the universe, but he knew that they had erected an unbreakable "memory defense line."
This war between "existence" and "forgetting" has only just entered its most crucial stage.