Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

"Thump! Thump thump thump~~!"

Before the vortex of creation, during the solemn ceremony of returning the flame, Bai E, holding the flame that carried the world, lit the final mark on the wheel. Xing and Lai Gu Shi watched, each with their own thoughts.

On the eve of the completion of the 33550336th cycle, everything proceeded in an orderly manner amidst ignorance and confusion.

[March 7th: Xing was present, Laigus was also present, and they hadn't fought yet. So, was this the period before Caislan charged towards Nanuk, when the truth was almost revealed?]

[Fireworks: Understood. In a maximum of 3 seconds, the Black Calamity forces will charge out with devilish steps, snap Laikushi's head off with a crack, and then commit suicide! Cherish this little White Calamity before you; it can smile! You won't see it again.]

[Star: Are you a devil? I'll take my sunny, cheerful Samoyed!]

[Bai'er: Am I a Samoyed?]

[Star: Yes. Hello, I'm Bat Raccoon.]

Bai E opened his palm and sank the fire seed into the water...

"Click!"

Suddenly, a circular pattern with two vertical lines appeared on the screen; it was a very common pause marker.

The viewers instinctively thought there was a problem with the playback and were about to call for the director when suddenly, Lai Gushi's voice rang out: "Ha, ha, ha. What a magnificent adventure!"

[Hanabi: Huh? Who pressed the pause button on me?]

[Star: Holy crap! @Lin Shuo, director, your bird spot was stolen by Lai Gu Shi? This guy even dares to steal the power backing Aha?]

[Lin Shuo: How could that be? While Aha might lose face, it shouldn't be this much.]

[Star: You scared me...]

"The hero's journey has come to an end, and the truth of [Recreation] is about to be revealed—" Lai Gu Shi, like an detached story commentator, patiently guides everyone to see the light.

"But is that really the case?"

Bang!

On the dark stage, a spotlight shone down, and Lai Gushi faced the screen, like a seasoned program host, dutifully fulfilling his duties.

"Here, please allow me, in the name of the divine audience, to take the time to listen to what I have seen."

"This concerns the essence of Onphalus: a story about the First Cause of Life."

……

Inside the Starry Sky Train.

Xing's eyes narrowed, flashing with an unusual gleam: "The first cause of life..."

"I see." She nodded calmly, then asked the rest of the train crew, "What's that?"

"..." March 7th's eyes trembled: "Judging from your expression, I thought you knew."

[Screw Gum: The First Cause of Life, simply put, is the first driving force of life. As we all know, the earliest life evolved from single-celled organisms. After a long period of time, life first learned to use fire, first used chemical rockets to walk among the stars, first established bases outside its home planet, and finally, has spread throughout the galaxy, establishing a brilliant civilization. But what exactly is that most primitive, most instinctive code in the underlying code of life that drives us to do these things, big or small? This is the First Cause of Life, and it is also a matter that science and philosophy have been debating to this day without a conclusion.]

[Star: Oh... I understand everything!]

[March 7th: Are you sure? Then recite it once.]

[Star: ...You're asking too much! But what use is it for Lai Gushi to research this?]

[Black Tower: Who knows? Maybe he's just bored, or maybe the Iron Tomb is a weapon that launches attacks from this low-level code? At the very least... this topic might tell us about his thought process.]

[Star: Oh~~ I have one more question.]

[That Summer: Where do you get so many questions?]

[Star: I'll just say a few words! This isn't a live broadcast, it's a pre-recorded episode, right?]

Lin Shuo: Yes.

[Star: Who is this being addressed to, Lagushi? There's no one else here.]

[That Moment Summer: What do you know? Over thirty million reincarnations, all failed, and you don't even have a single friend to confide in. So boring, it's normal to occasionally talk to yourself in frustration.]

[Bai E: At that moment, Teacher Xia, it seemed like you... didn't have many friends either?]

[That Summer: When I'm bored, I can go and have a "friendly chat" with those old charlatans. Watching them grit their teeth, wanting to kill me but unable to do anything about it is very stress-relieving.]

[Feng Jin: As expected of you!]

[Black Tower: Alright, let's not worry about these trivial details. I'd like to see what insights this anonymous "senior" in the club has to offer.]

Boom!

The light came on again, but the scene had transformed into an art gallery, much like an museum.

Under the spotlight, in front of the enormous black tower image.

Lai Gushi looked up, his hands raised as if to embrace the sun. But if viewed from another angle, with his "embracing arms" on his chest as his actual arms, it revealed a different kind of arrogance.

[Walter: This pose... never mind, it's fine.]

"That being said, this topic seems rather broad; where should we even begin?"

"I've got it." Lai Gushi felt he had found a great starting point: "Let's start from the beginning of the universe. After an explosion, elementary particles were born, evolving into everything..."

[Star: No, where to begin? I'll go get the blanket now. Remember to wake me up when we get to the important part.]

[March 7th: Give me one too!]

Lai Gushi smiled faintly: "Hehe, just kidding."

[Star: ...Are you sure this isn't a live stream? I have a feeling he's deliberately messing with me?]

[Black Tower: This is nothing compared to the intelligence he's displayed. If he wanted, he could chat with you for two hours straight, seemingly without any misunderstanding, only to let you know afterwards that it was a pre-made video. Do you believe it?]

"What I'm trying to say is that all concepts—time, space, matter…—exist because they depend on our understanding. This is what we call 'knowledge.' Without it, the universe would just be a book of chaos, written by chance, but without any reader to appreciate it."

"The Lord Anacharsagoras you know also put forward a similar view: everything in Onphalus was born in the memory of future generations through the [Spirit Seeds]."

"What a wonderful consistency! With just a few strokes, he has captured the truth of the world. Only he can explain the question of 'what we are'."

[Feng Jin: Was Teacher Xia really that authoritative back then?]

[That Summer: Just something I think about casually on ordinary days.]

[Star: So, can I interpret this as him saying that he's talking about the importance of "intellect"? Without it, nothing in the universe has any meaning?]

[Laigushi: Your Excellency, please listen carefully; this will greatly benefit you.]

[Star: But... I'm not old enough to go to school yet.]

"But do you remember? Even after becoming the embodiment of reason, he still had one unsolved problem..."