Chapter 271: The Width of Vision

 Yan Xia did not hesitate; An Li pondered whether this language carried an unknown influence, but Yan Xia did not consider it.

 Because at this moment, they could not afford to think about such things.

 They bore the weight of the entire civilization federation, and they were in an absolute disadvantage. They needed to find a breakthrough, and quickly.

 It was like being broke; could you still afford to be picky?

 After enduring so many battles with the federation, Yan Xia had let go of their previously selfish stance. They had been too self-serving in the past, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Life often emphasizes utilitarianism because, in the context of human civilization, every life is inherently utilitarian.

 However... the blossoming of life within the federation showed that countless individuals could sacrifice themselves for the collective. That spirit made Yan Xia rethink life and death.

 What is the ultimate ideal of survival?

 Or rather, why does an intelligent life come into existence?

 Is it for longevity?

 If so, then with natural evolution, every life should become more long-lived, rather than being filled with limitations everywhere. In fact, even the essence of cells is survival; reproduction must yield to survival. Yet, in a natural state, Yan Xia had not seen any existence of immortality among any civilization or race.

 On the contrary, some lower forms of life have longer lifespans than intelligent beings.

 Just like the Finilians, who regard thousands of years as merely a burden. Compared to such a long lifespan, they prefer to experience brief emotions and desires.

 Yan Xia had been contemplating this matter.

 For them, longevity remains painful; sometimes they felt a strong sense of confusion, believing they were supporting the entire federation. But upon careful reflection, Yan Xia realized that it was actually the federation supporting them.

 Without the federation, Yan Xia did not know what significance their existence would hold.

 It was like playing Minecraft; after spending a year or two building in that world with friends, if suddenly your save file were lost, would you still have the desire to start over? You might even find it impossible to open the game again.

 Yan Xia must resolve the significant trouble posed by Olive Branch Civilization.

 They could abandon the federation and build a new one, but that would be too painful; the federation is not just a game save; every life within it truly exists.

 They used their secondary brain to read the language of Olive Branch Civilization.

 As soon as they received these languages, they understood something profound.

 It was like learning another language in elementary or middle school; once you encountered it, you could feel a tremendous impact from a different culture that was unlike anything you had experienced before.

 No! Even greater than that impact.

 The world seen by Olive Branch Civilization is completely different from what humanity perceives.

 In their language, colors are even 37 types instead of just 7; they do not have three primary colors but rather 14 primary colors.

 Up and down, left and right, front and back.

 This is the direction of human civilization, but Olive Branch Civilization has many more directions, including higher and lower dimensions.

 This is not an abstract concept; in the eyes of Olive Branch beings, they can inherently see higher and lower dimensions.

 The overwhelming sense of impact left Yan Xia stunned.

 Most humans knew as early as the 19th or 20th century that light is limited in what can be seen; for example, red and violet rays in sunlight are invisible to them.

 A prism can refract white sunlight into seven colors; these seven colors combine to form white light.

 However, other animals on Earth do not see as humans do. Many mammals can only see blue-green colors; this is why predators like tigers and lions are orange-yellow because those mammals cannot perceive red hues at all.

 Some creatures have stronger senses than humans; for instance, birds have four types of cone cells that allow them to see ultraviolet light.

 So does what birds see match what humans see?

 Even fish have different perceptions than birds or humans. Fish perceive their world as spherical; any straight line appears curved to them while some curves seem straight. Even if fish evolve a civilization, early integration with human civilization would be nearly impossible.

 What does the federation look like now?

 Yan Xia knows all too well.

 The lives of various races within the federation are forced to speak human languages. Even if they cannot speak or lack mouths, they can use mechanical vocalizers instead.

 If they cannot comprehend human civilization's dimensions—lengths and widths—then here's a standard measuring tool for you: this is length, this is width, this is height.

 If they cannot grasp the difference between 3D and 2D dimensions, then we'll directly implant things into your brain without needing your eyes to see them.

 In this way, each race adapts to their current situation.

 However, in reality, Yan Xia never knew what those races saw or heard.

 Those individuals who transformed themselves through genetic technology might have something to say about this.

 "We never truly understood Olive Branch Civilization," said Yan Xia to Ella!

 At that moment Ella was taken aback for a moment before responding: "Yeah."

 Her slight hesitation was caught by Yan Xia. The world perceived by robots must differ from that seen by humans; machines can sense a broader world while Olive Branch beings are mechanical. Perhaps Ella can see part of what Olive Branch beings perceive.

 "What is the essence of the world? This is an eternal topic."

 "I used to think what I saw was everything but now I realize what I saw is just part of it—perhaps less than 1%."

 "What we perceive comes from our hearing, smell, touch, taste, and sight—so narrow."

 The width of vision determines both the upper and lower limits that civilizations can touch.

 Human civilization sees a broader world through machines while Olive Branch Civilization lives in a broader world by becoming machines.

 These two are different.

 When you can see ultraviolet rays easily utilized them; however when you cannot see them at all you must first discover them.

 At this moment Yan Xia finally understood why they could not detect weapons capable of destroying cosmic silk roads: because they simply could not "see."

 This differs from how so-called dark matter weapons are discovered by lower civilizations. With technological advancement some civilizations will inevitably discover dark matter's existence but discovery does not equate to truly seeing it.

 Just as the federation has already discovered dark matter and widely utilizes it—who among them can actually see dark matter?

 Will Yan Xia then transmit their consciousness into Olive Branch beings' carriers?

 No need!

 Because language can carry this idea; language's descriptions can make unseen things become "visible."