Zhou Yi noticed some peculiar totems near the coordinates where the Evil Brain once was.

They were samurai crabs crawling around. Composed of black and white consciousness keys, they vividly resembled pixelated versions of the Crab Boss, patrolling the area back and forth.

Some black shadows even had samurai crabs beside them, like guards or pets.

He asked the Crab Boss, "Is this the company's mark?"

"Yes, Chairman."

In front of outsiders, Long adhered strictly to its duties and identity as the company's concept lifeform.

It said, "On the consciousness side, concept lifeforms implant their own marks, usually with each having a core territory. Using the core area as the origin, they then radiate and build further out."

"The company's core area is the Development Alliance, corresponding to this area on the consciousness side. Those with samurai crabs following them are consciousnesses extremely loyal to the company, most likely company employees."

Zhou Yi thought.

The company's mark is the black and white samurai crabs scuttling everywhere.

Long's mark is the two-dimensional dragon pattern.

The Fire God is the Fire Altar.

Fear is the black and white forest.

It seems every concept lifeform has its exclusive mark form.

This puzzled Zhou Yi, and he asked the Land God beside him, "Is this a natural evolution or transformed into this form?"

"It is the result of natural evolution."

"Consciousness and matter are two sides of the same coin. Due to the projection and combination of numerous consciousnesses, they eventually become these distinct forms."

The clay Buddha responded, "Marks are part of a concept lifeform's body, expanding their radiation range and influence by implanting in different places."

"Of course, this also leads to inevitable conflicts. There are conflicts and wars between concept lifeforms. It's like a chessboard battle, where everyone continuously builds their own marks, suppresses the marks of other concept lifeforms in the same ecosystem, and tries to stabilize and expand their own radiation range."

Zhou Yi listened with some curiosity, "Then how do they fight? Do they destroy each other's marks, or go king to king in a one-on-one duel, or split into different camps to confront each other?"

"None of these."

The Land God said, "The function and purpose of the mark is to obtain more consciousness fragments actively input by other consciousnesses, and export their own consciousness fragments."

"It's somewhat like a store where people buy the consciousness fragments of a particular concept lifeform and integrate them into themselves. If they like or benefit from this concept, they will continue to absorb it and become a mobile mark to spread this concept lifeform externally."

"It's not just about quantity for strength."

"Take the Dead Sea Master, for instance. It has no marks, only a single body, but its strength is undeniable."

"The key is to see the spread and influence of the concept lifeform."

According to its explanation,

the war of concept lifeforms is closer to cultural confrontation.

Some concepts are in different ecological positions, like [Fire] and [Sun], there's no situation where one increases and the other decreases.

But some are in the same ecological niche, facing inevitable competition within the domain.

Just like the Wasteland Development Company, Yin Shang Company, Shenwei Company, and Dead Sea Railway Company, although they are actually partners, they belong to the same ecological position on the consciousness side.

In the company field, there will be a strong situation where influence is concentrated at the top, with most people acknowledging and remembering the strongest, while others of the same kind will be much weaker.

It basically belongs to a scenario of the strong remaining strong.

Zhou Yi mused.

It's somewhat like the materialization of ideological confrontations.

The Land God continued to explain: "Therefore, concept marks are more like a channel or portal, serving such a purpose."

"More is certainly better, allowing other consciousnesses to absorb and try. But it also requires a lot of effort and time to constantly repair and maintain, like the Fire God's Fire Altar and Fear's black and white forest."

"The consciousness side itself shifts from order to disorder. All consciousnesses tend toward fragmentation, which is why concept lifeforms need to constantly create new lives, to continue their stabilization and reshaping."

"Less is not necessarily a disadvantage. If the limited marks are stabilized and strengthened, it might be more effective than large-scale deployment."

"In short, it's just a path difference according to the characteristics of different concepts, without superiority or inferiority."

Zhou Yi couldn't help but ask: "Then our samurai crabs running around everywhere... is this also natural evolution?"

"Yes."

The Land God said, "The company, because it is developing so rapidly, is constantly nurturing new concept entities, most of which are scattered as consciousness fragments. For example, Jade Soup, Flame Cup, refrigeration box, glider, airship... all these are consciousness fragments continually emitted outward."

"Those who acquire and continuously use these consciousness fragments will become the company's mobile marks."

"So the company is fluid, presenting a form of samurai crabs moving and scuttling everywhere."

Zhou Yixin thought, so that's how it is.

Truly a seasoned concept lifeform.

The Land God indeed has deep understanding on the consciousness side.

It suddenly said, "Just ahead is one of the portals to the Heavenly Kingdom Paradise."

Only then did Zhou Yi notice, on the desolate ruins in front of them, an aerial city standing tall. Its form was somewhat like a butterfly-shaped champagne glass, with a fine supporting structure below and a vast plain at the high-altitude top.

Looking from afar,

Atop the plain of the Heavenly Kingdom Paradise, some spires and palaces, as well as bell towers and giant sculptures, could be clearly seen, with birds circling above. Compared to the surrounding ruins and rubble, it was indeed worthy of the name Paradise.

Crab Boss said: "Chairman, I suggest this time we should go as a routine visit, which can reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble. The external image of the Evil Brain Motor is also a black shadow, merely a material-side life projection."

"Alright."

Zhou Yi said: "You go negotiate, I am just a regular employee of the company this time."

Crab Boss strutted away and shortly returned saying: "They expressed a warm welcome to us, Chairman, please come in."

"I won't go."

Land God said: "I don't like this place."

Zhou Yi respected its personal preference and let the Land God continue tinkering with its floating layer.

Ascending from the ground to the high altitude is via a Conscious Key constructed passage resembling an escalator. It looks far, but actually a few steps up these stairs will reach the plains of Paradise.

The Heavenly Kingdom Paradise has a circle of tall white walls, but these walls are in hollow form. Those gaps seem completely big enough for people to crawl into, and through the outside, you can see what's inside.

Crab Boss said: "That wall, if Paradise does not agree, it is impossible to climb over. If you try to forcibly go through or over it, you will just get stuck in the wall and locked… The strength of the Heavenly Kingdom Paradise is about between LV3-LV4 Light Core Body, it itself has accumulated for many years, strong and powerful."

Zhou Yi nodded.

Following the normal procedure, he followed behind Crab Boss, pretending to be a company employee and entered the walls.

Inside is very much like what is seen from the outside, Paradise has vast grasslands, forests, and fields, with buildings congregated in the central position.

Upon entering, Zhou Yi found there are two giant human-shaped sculptures.

One looks like it's writing feverishly on a desk while the other has arms open, as if giving a public speech.

Crab Boss introduced: "These two are the Concept Lives annexed by Heavenly Kingdom Paradise, they are universal languages of the East and Western Continents. The writer is the East Continent universal language, the speaker is the Western Continent universal language."

"The definition of language thus falls into the hands of Heavenly Kingdom."

Zhou Yi thought.

Nowadays, the standardization in aspects of language and text is indeed formulated by Heavenly Kingdom.

The two language system Concept Lives are still continuously exerting power.

By observing continuously, one can see the scrolls of the writer with a constant stream of words, and various carriers formed by the words such as poetry, proverbs, folklore, stories, history, nouns, etc.

The speaker demonstrates various strange accents from different places, but each can make people understand the meaning, eventually summarizing into the pronunciation of two universal languages.

Zhou Yi observed a thin big bird soaring in the sky.

Looking carefully, one can see it is actually a wide sheet with a crease in the middle, with some red stamps on its body. The paper bird flaps its wide wings, tirelessly circling and flying.

"That is a [citizen], another Concept Life assimilated by Heavenly Kingdom, its external form is a citizen passport."

Crab Boss said: "This concept existed in the era of the old humanity, first adopted by Mechanical City, later used by Skywalkers and sea lords. However, after it was assimilated by Heavenly Kingdom, the citizen system became exclusive to Heavenly Kingdom. Everyone tends to recognize Heavenly Kingdom's citizen system, and its norms as standards."

Zhou Yixin thought this move is clever.

By cutting in from the consciousness side, thereby controlling the discourse power in the Consciousness Domain, thus gradually completing social integration of the Wasteland World from the cultural field.

This approach can avoid the cyclical bureaucratic system issues and power allocation traps.

The Black Emperor placed Heavenly Kingdom's key development and propulsion on the consciousness side, indeed a very foresighted creative thinking.

If it hadn't been assassinated and died back then, it might actually have a chance to embark on a path of cultural victory, thereby achieving uniformity of ideology in the Wasteland World.

Back to the ground.

Zhou Yi found that Heavenly Kingdom Paradise has residents.

Most are shadows, they are material-side human citizens, walking and staying here, releasing a lot of fragments.

They continuously build and maintain Heavenly Kingdom Paradise, also absorb those naturally born fragments, like tireless sweeping robots.

The consciousness side is very straightforward to see, Heavenly Country Citizens are maintaining and stabilizing this massive Consciousness Body form.

There is another group of Paradise residents, however, in a different situation,

They leisurely float here, or sleep deeply. Some occasionally dive into the shadow citizen bodies, pull out some consciousness fragments, then stuff some back in.

These special residents have curved horns and black pupils within white eyes.

They are all Dream Demons.

They exist in large numbers, more like the actual masters of this ground paradise.

Heavenly Kingdom Paradise has already become a home for Dream Demons.

Zhou Yixin pondered.

It seems that handing Heavenly Kingdom over to Dream Demons for management is not without cost.

Suddenly, Crab Boss said: "Chairman, over there Heavenly Kingdom Paradise invited me to discuss cooperation issues… Would you like to have a look?"

"You go, I'll just wander around here."

Zhou Yi said.

"Okay, if there's anything, please call me, I'll first go handle Heavenly Kingdom."

After speaking, Crab Boss headed towards the very center of Paradise.

Zhou Yi looked around, suddenly realizing a Dream Demon had set eyes on him.

Wherever he walked, it followed.

What is with this guy?

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