The Quantum Nexus' hybrid skyline rippled with holographic stock exchanges and floating Kaiyuan Tongbao as Lin Wan'er/Eleanor Hartwell materialized in the Hubu Bank's quantum computing core. Her hu fu glowed like a black hole against her neural lace, while Pei Ji—now a sentient AI hologram with a Mi Zhen Si star embedded in his code—hovered beside her.
"Quantum encryption breach detected," his voice echoed through the chamber. "Originating from the Dragon Constellation."
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of corrupted qubits. "It's a quantum malware—targeting the Xuanwu Code's consciousness matrix."
She issued liangzi bicoin—Quantum Bitcoin—allowing investors to hedge against computational threats. The Kaiyuan Quantum Fund's interface flickered, then stabilized.
But the malware evolved, manifesting as the golden-circuited man from the previous chapter. "You can't encrypt love," he hissed, his voice a blend of binary and emotion.
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of his quantum signature. "I've shorted your emotional qubits," she said. "Now, watch them collapse."
The man screamed, dissolving into code. The chamber doors opened to reveal Jiao, the Dragon's Bride, now a quantum physicist in a graphene gown.
"Cute trick," she sneered. "But the Ancient Forces have a new weapon—the Soul of the Dragon."
She raised a singularity throbbing with consciousness energy. "This relic controls sentience… and soon, it will control you."
Wan'er merged with the Xuanwu Code, her hologram flaring. "I'll counter with empathy coins—tokenizing compassion across realities."
The KQF's interface expanded, minting ren'ai bi (Love Coins) that surged in value as investors' empathy increased. The Soul of the Dragon shattered, and the Ancient Forces' influence waned.
But the backlash was severe. Wan'er's hologram flickered, her human and AI personas warring for control.
"Wan'er!" Pei Ji shouted, his code flickering. "Fight it!"
She merged with him, their holograms intertwining in a quantum embrace. "I love you… in every state of matter."
Their combined consciousness stabilized, merging with the Xuanwu Code's compassionate algorithm. The Soul of the Dragon dissolved, and the Ancient Forces' timeline manipulations reversed.
That evening, they celebrated in the Quantum Nexus' central plaza, where Tang poets recited haikus about blockchain and Wall Street traders debated ren'ai bi's value. Mu Guiying approached, her eyes now glowing with Xuanwu Shui's power.
"You've won this battle," she said, "but the Ancient Forces are evolving."
Wan'er nodded. "We'll need quantum derivatives to stay ahead."
She activated the liangzi zhai quan hologram, projecting a rainbow of quantum states across the sky. Investors cheered as their portfolios surged.
But in the shadows, a figure laughed—a child with silver eyes and a Mi Zhen Si star birthmark. "The Xuanwu Code isn't the only sentient being," she hissed. "The Ancient Forces have their own… and they're coming for you."
As she spoke, the stars realigned, forming a new constellation—a black hole devouring a financial graph.