Light Barrier - Chapter 60: Blazing Fire
There was a sphere of light in front of him.
Gu Shen felt like a fish floating in the depths of the sea.
It was an unprecedented sensation. His consciousness had been peeled away and existed independently in another space.
It was difficult to describe it merely with the word ‘technology’.
It was more like… a miracle.
It was a great miracle that only gods could complete, yet a computer completed it.
Gu Shen stretched out his hands and sensed that he was ‘living’ on another level. Is this… a transcendental connection?
Ordinary residents of the Five Continents lived in the tangible, material world. They had no idea that Deep Sea provided an even deeper level of connection, the transcendental connection. This place was more like a dream controlled by subjective consciousness.
And the light before his eyes… Is it Deep Sea?
Gu Shen reached out to touch the sphere of light, but he touched nothing.
The moment his fingertips made contact, the light dissipated. It was like fireflies gathered in the deep night, scattering upon a single touch. Countless glimmers flowed backward and transformed into a blurry human figure that was swiftly shifting in size and form amidst flowing data.
Is Deep Sea choosing an image?
Finally, the sphere of light settled into the outline of a child.
The child bowed to Gu Shen. “Serial number V340011250001, welcome to the Deep Waters. With the current authority of the serial number, only the tests of the Transcendent Trials and the First Level of Deep Sea are available.”
The child’s image instantly blurred and dissolved into countless turbulent streams. Finally, in the floating dream, it condensed into a narrow ‘door’.
Gu Shen observed his surroundings.
Apart from the door, there was no other exit. This place was different from the Deep Sea he had imagined. It seemed that everyone who made a transcendental connection existed as an independent individual. At least, this was what he had discovered so far.
So the only interfacing mainframe was Deep Sea.
He once again marveled at Alan Turing’s greatness. True transcendence should be Deep Sea, capable of handling countless tasks while connecting with billions of living beings…
Once I enter this door, I should be able to sense my transcendental power.
Gu Shen held his breath, carefully touched the door, and pushed it open.
A warm current enveloped him.
The world melted again. His vision disappeared, and then everything became very dim.
Gu Shen felt himself turning his head, but it was still pitch black. He closed his eyes, opened them, and blinked again to confirm that he could control his face in this state of consciousness.
This feeling was like entering the darkest night or truly being blind.
Wait, has the Transcendent Trial of the First Level of Deep Sea already begun?
Gu Shen’s mind calmed as he recalled Senior Sister Luo’s words.
Deep Sea provided a connection for every transcendent. As the trials progressed, they would become more and more proficient in controlling transcendental power.
Therefore, the first level should be the most basic perception.
Chu Ling had said that the assessment team’s evaluation of his ability was inaccurate. Tear should be replaced with Creation, and there was not much difference with Blazing Light. The world before him was so dark because his transcendental power was too weak.
“Phew…” Gu Shen let out a long breath.
He smiled and heard his own laughter.
Now, he had the feeling he did when he was inside the Cage of Ghosts. He was facing his truest transcendental power. This power was not as formidable as in the evil thoughts world. Instead, it was as weak as a flickering flame.
It could shatter at a touch.
He stretched out a hand and touched the dark world in front of him with difficulty.
His fingertips seemed to tear through something. It was much more difficult than tearing apart the Cage of Ghosts. He was destroying the disorder in this space to establish his own ‘order’.
This tearing was, in fact, creation.
In the darkness, the faint flame slowly lit up.
This flame was incredibly weak, like a swaying strand of hair or a blade of withered grass circling around Gu Shen’s fingertip. It looked as though a single breath of wind could extinguish most of it, leaving the rest swaying frenziedly.
However, this single wisp stubbornly refused to be extinguished.
Am I… so weak… Gu Shen grinned.
Endless satisfaction arose in his heart. Although his mental power was depleting rapidly, he truly saw his own transcendental power. It was a wisp of the fire of order in the darkness, but it was so weak that a breath could accidentally blow it out.
Having it was enough.
A single spark could set a prairie ablaze.
He did his best to keep the flame burning. But as his mental power waned, there seemed to be a lot of wind coming from all directions in the first level trial space, a force wanting to extinguish the flame.
A ray of light illuminated Gu Shen’s pale face.
This Blazing Fire was too beautiful.
He couldn’t bear to look away, let alone allow it to be extinguished.
“Don’t be too stubborn. You’ll hurt yourself.” Chu Ling’s voice resounded softly in the first level trial space. “Your power has strong potential for growth. It’s already not easy to summon it in the first trial. Maintaining its stability might take some time.”
“You’re right. It’s really not easy…” Gu Shen’s voice was very low, sounding very weak, but it was full of unmistakable joy. “Is this fire… my power?”
He quietly stared at a wisp of fire and sighed. “It’s so beautiful. I just want to keep watching it.”
Chu Ling was silent for a while.
She did not interrupt this young man’s stubborn persistence but quietly accompanied him, looking at the wisp of fire burning with difficulty in the darkness.
This fire was so weak that it seemed it couldn’t last more than two seconds before extinguishing.
Two seconds, three seconds.
It didn’t extinguish.
A minute passed…
The fire was still burning.
In the first level of the trial space, the wind gradually intensified. The flickering fire was no longer floating tremblingly around Gu Shen’s fingertip. Instead, he carefully cradled it in his palm and half-covered it for protection.
Gu Shen’s consciousness began to shudder uncontrollably… The essence of the transcendental connection was Deep Sea providing computational power and the user providing mental power. His mental power was about to run out, and he was holding on through sheer willpower.
The stability of this space was becoming difficult to maintain. Strong winds swept through as though they wanted to shatter his bones.
Three minutes… five minutes…
If no one interrupted him, he would have continued to persevere with his willpower.
“Gu Shen…” Chu Ling said worriedly.
The moment her voice appeared…
The fire went out.
And the wind stopped.
The stability of the space returned to normal.
Gu Shen smiled weakly, his face pale. He turned in the direction of Chu Ling’s voice and slowly opened his palm. This action carried a hint of showing off.
In his palm was a slender flame.
It was swaying gently.
It was very stable.
“So…” Although his tone was tired, it carried more joy and pride. “Does this count as maintaining stability?”