For ease of conversation, Zhou Yi leapt down from the opening.

The prison cave emitted a pungent, fermenting stench, which was far more suffocating up close than it seemed from the outside.

Zhou Yi's head spun a bit from the foul odor.

By comparison, Mei State Prison was much cleaner and sanitary.

However, Feng Ying seemed unfazed, as if she couldn't smell anything at all.

"What do you mean by resurrection?"

"It's no secret," the female pharmacist spoke softly, "Every Beiyang Knight has a Beiyang Weapon. Whether it's a blade, spear, sword, halberd, or combat prosthetics, the weapon has a special 'upload' Light Imprint connected to the 'download' Light Imprint inside the knight's body."

"Every move of the knight is recorded by the weapon, especially the combat experience, which ultimately becomes a special type of storage."

"If they don't die, Beiyang Weapons will accompany the knight for life until the knight ultimately passes and returns to the Sword Tomb. If they unfortunately perish in battle, then the knight will continue to exist in the form of the weapon."

"Human Ding Ye is dead, but Beiyang Sword Ding Ye can be resurrected. As long as the Beiyang Sword is restarted, Ding Ye will reappear in the form of the sword."

Zhou Yi hissed internally.

Were all the knight's data recorded into the weapon, directly involving consciousness uploading?

He quickly realized, "This isn't consciousness, it's just data."

"You are right. What's uploaded and downloaded isn't consciousness but a massive amount of memory data left from the past."

Feng Ying explained calmly, "But it's also a form of continuation, like offspring continuing a part of their forebears. Ding Ye's combat memories, lifestyle, personality habits... they're all recorded in the Beiyang Sword, forming a unique trajectory. As long as that sword is activated, Ding Ye's trajectory won't cease."

"Beiyang Knights extend their spiritual selves this way, thus fearlessly facing death."

"What happens afterward?"

Zhou Yi asked again, "Even as you say, what kind of life does a knight in weapon form have?"

"There are usually two paths. One is to return to the Sword Tomb, tasked with teaching and sparring with new knights."

Feng Ying had no intention of hiding anything, "The other is to enter the Northern Ocean Army and serve as warriors. The Sword Tomb will equip them with special mechanical bodies that they can control, allowing the weapon to direct the entire machine's movement and combat."

Zhou Yi thought to himself, so that's how it is.

Beiyang Knights honed their individual combat skills, and after death, are activated in weapon form to serve in the army.

No wonder Qian Su and the Weapon Merchants thought the army was more powerful.

The Northern Ocean Army was comprised entirely of battle-hardened knights.

Zhou Yi pondered, "This technological mechanism, it's basically using people to nurture special weapons, isn't it? Gathering extensive combat data through human knights, then uploading it to Beiyang Weapons..."

In his era, it was just like a massive AI model.

Nourished and refined by vast amounts of data input and feedback, thus creating a sufficiently strong artificial intelligence.

Beiyang Weapons, as long as they weren't damaged, would grow stronger with each battle.

"The data volume of the Northern Ocean Army must be immense and will continue to expand with the death of knights year by year. Storing such a massive amount of data... Is this a unique technology of the Beiyang Region?"

This was what concerned Zhou Yi the most.

"It seems you are quite familiar with the Light Imprint Technology."

Feng Ying appeared slightly surprised, "Our 'upload' and 'download' both use the Star Core Light Seal, technically supported by Star Axis."

Zhou Yi was stunned, "You belong to the Star Axis faction?"

"No."

Feng Ying patiently explained, "The Beiyang Region belongs neither to Heavenly Kingdom nor to Star Axis; it's an independent settlement."

"Long ago, after repelling the invasion of the Heavenly Country Governor in the Honor War, the Star Core Electors came to the Beiyang Region to lobby for Star Axis. However, the people of Beiyang refused. We just wanted to live our own lives."

"Later, the Beiyang Region underwent a series of reforms, establishing organizations like the Beiyang Knights and the Northern Ocean Army on an institutional level, and introducing Star Core Light Imprint Technology on a technical level... After various trials and adjustments, we have achieved the current state."

"We leased Star Core's Flying Star to store the Sword Tomb, so the spirits of knights within the Beiyang Weapons can be uploaded into the Flying Star."

Zhou Yi understood.

Star Axis provided cloud data services.

From this perspective, the Beiyang Region and the Star Axis faction had closer relations.

For Star Axis, gaining the support of an independent force tough for the Heavenly Kingdom to crack was also a strategic success.

Zhou Yi looked at Feng Ying, "What's this about you hurting someone?"

"It was because of a scam."

The female pharmacist spoke frankly, "I received news of Ding Ye's death and came all the way to handle his affairs. While passing by here on a ship, I discovered someone selling fake medicine to a patient."

"The patient had given all his money to the scammer for useless fake medicine."

"I exposed the scammer on the spot. He threw sand at me and attacked me with several others, so I knocked him down first."

"Then I was brought here."

It sounded like an act of courage.

Zhou Yi asked the Steel Refining Lord through Red Kestrel.

The latter also acknowledged this fact, but as a ruler's perspective, any person disrupting the order was apprehended.

Apart from Feng Ying, the scammer was also held in the prison.

Zhou Yi asked the Steel Refining Lord, "How much longer does Feng Ying have to stay here?"

"It isn't really a big deal; I can release her now."

"We should follow the rules though."

"Then… as per the usual procedure, enhancers need to pay bail of 5 Light Seeds."

"Okay."

Zhou Yi paid, bailed Feng Ying out, and flew back to Jade City on the Hunter.

…

After arriving at Maria Hospital, Feng Ying listened to Ding Ye's will.

Da Vinci had also verified Feng Ying's identity, finding her personal information on "Medical Encyclopedia" and had completed the comparison, confirming it was indeed her.

Only then did Zhou Yi hand over the big sword left by Ding Ye to her.

The big sword had two layers, an outer and an inner. The thick outer layer was just a protective metal scabbard.

After receiving it Zhou Yi hadn't done anything with it, just placed it on a rack inside the house.

Feng Ying took the big sword with both hands, checked it on both sides, turned the hilt several times, unlocked two mechanical clasps on it, and removed the hilt.

She then gripped the hilt, the end emitting a green light, which blinked rhythmically several times before finally returning to darkness.

"Done."

Feng Ying waved the hilt lightly, "Ding Ye has been activated in sword form."

The Beiyang Sword, Ding Ye, could not directly converse; it was more like a CPU.

It still lacked a prosthetic body to match its functions.

Zhou Yi said, "May I try it?"

"Sure."

Feng Ying handed the hilt over.

Zhou Yi grasped the handle.

He embraced the mood to try and activated the energy input.

It worked successfully.

Then the consciousness synchronization started.

"Ding Ye?"

"Who are you?"

The voice in his consciousness was indeed Ding Ye.

Zhou Yi shifted his perspective.

Even if the data inside the weapon was just a replica with significant limitations, if it could serve as both a knight coach and a warrior of the Northern Ocean Army, then it could be considered a consciousness.

Whether or not it still counted as Ding Ye was another question.

"I am Zhou Yi."

"Ah? Wasn't it Senior Sister before? Can you directly connect to the Beiyang Sword's Light Imprint?"

Zhou Yi just said, "Do you know your current state?"

"I know, my physical body is already dead, what remains is the memory trace in the Light Imprint. I was Ding Ye in the past, but now I am this sword. I had learned this in the knight classes."

"I am indeed dead."

The Beiyang Sword said, "But this does not affect my current existence."

The opponent seemed to have anticipated all this.

The psychological construct of the knights had been completed long ago.

"What should I call you now?"

"Still Ding Ye."

The Beiyang Sword stated: "The name is inherited by the weapon; this is a tradition of Beiyang knights. I am an extension of Ding Ye's spirit, just transformed into another form."

Zhou Yi asked, "What are your plans next?"

"I will join the Northern Ocean Army."

It's not a coincidence.

Zhou Yi talked about his employment of the Northern Ocean Army.

"Is that so? Then I can connect with the Sword Tomb and apply to participate in your operations, getting a matching prosthetic body isn't hard."

Ding Ye immediately became active, "I didn't expect to have the opportunity to join in the great battle so soon!"

Zhou Yi thought of a question, "If, I mean if, you die in battle now, does that mean you really die?"

"It depends."

Ding Ye said, "If there's a backup at the Sword Tomb, even if this me dies, if necessary, the next Ding Ye will also be activated. Knights don't die out!"

Zhou Yi's gaze sharpened.

According to this model, the Northern Ocean Army was almost an undying army.

As long as there was enough time to continuously accumulate data and enhance the strength of the prosthetic bodies, the army's warriors would grow stronger and stronger, with a limitless future.

This also showed how strong Star Axis was in the data realm, serving as a technical support for them in the background.

Zhou Yi handed the hilt back to Feng Ying.

He immediately switched to recruitment mode, smiling and saying, "Miss Feng, as you see, our Wasteland Development Company hospital has only one doctor and it's lacking medical staff. The number of patients is increasing; Dr. Da Vinci also has to perform various surgeries, it's really too much for one person."

"I officially invite you, hoping you can join Maria Hospital and become a doctor of our company. How do you feel about this?"

Feng Ying reinserted the hilt back into the sword: "I heard your medical treatment is free here?"

"For employees, it is free."

"As for outside patients, it depends on Dr. Da Vinci's situation. Like the high-risk surgery D не wanted that others refused to do, our hospital is also willing to try."

Feng Ying's eyes brightened, "It sounds like you are not short of money."

Zhou Yi nodded, "We have other profit-making projects; medical services are considered basic internal welfare for us."

"That means you won't be deceiving patients using the hospital."

Feng Ying said earnestly, "Some medical institutions, unwilling to perform high-risk surgery, deliberately hide untreatable conditions but still find ways to charge high costs. For poor patients, this isn't a placebo, just draining their money and hope. You don't do that, right?"

Zhou Yi assured, "We wouldn't."

"Then I'll join."

Zhou Yi checked with Da Vinci, then said, "The average monthly salary for a pharmacist in Mechanical City is 3 Light Seeds. However, conditions here are tough, there's also heavy workload and occasional overtime, so I'll offer you 5 Light Seeds per month. Can you accept that? Also, the previous bail will be deducted from your salary."

"I accept."

And so, Maria Hospital welcomed its second professional medical staff member.

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