Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 206 Star Core Special Training, Forty Years in the Blink of an Eye (2-in-1 5K)

The afterglow of the setting sun, like molten gold, was poured onto the huge crater in the ruins, casting a long shadow of Lin Yi.

He stood in the center, like a pillar of strength, and calmly announced the start of the Q&A session.

Although Lin Yi majored in the rules of the metal element, many principles are still interconnected.

Moreover, during his thousands of years as a mercenary in his previous life, his comrades-in-arms came from all walks of life, practicing various rules and often sparring with each other.

Therefore, with his experience from his previous life, plus his current understanding of the rules at the fifth level of the Star Vortex, he is more than capable of guiding these youngsters who haven't even entered the field yet.

After a brief silence, following the order of questions marked by Xuanji, Elizabeth, standing at the front, bowed slightly. Her icy blue eyes were filled with a thirst for knowledge and reverence. She raised her voice and asked:
“Principal, I am already extremely proficient in my special skill ‘Frost Silence’, and I can even sense and be guided by the rudiments of its rules, but I always feel that there is an invisible barrier between us, and I cannot truly master it and turn it into an extension of my own will.”

"Excuse me, what am I still missing before I can push open this door of rules?"

Her question hit the nail on the head, representing the common bottleneck faced by the top experts present.

Lin Yi looked at her, his gaze seemingly piercing through the chill emanating from her: "Rules are not external things, but the resonance between your own soul's will and the essential frequency of the universe. You perceive them, you are drawn to them, but you have not truly understood them, much less merged your heart with them."

"Let go of your obsession with pushing open this door for now. When you no longer see it merely as a force, but as a part of your being and a manifestation of your will, that barrier will naturally melt away."

Elizabeth's body trembled slightly, a look of realization flashed in her eyes, and she bowed deeply: "Thank you for your guidance, Headmaster."

Immediately afterward, Chen Yu stepped forward, his temper more impatient, and his questions more direct.

"Principal! I feel like my Sky-Piercing Slash has reached a bottleneck in power. I know it involves the basics of the rules, but this thing is too abstract! How can I really get the hang of it?"

He gestured as if he were swinging a knife.

Lin Yi's lips twitched almost imperceptibly: "Space is not empty. It has its resilience, its folds, and even its nodes. Your knife should not only be used to cut matter, but also to try to sense the flow of space and to find those 'lines' that are inherently fragile or easily twisted."

“Use your mind to guide the source energy, not to chop with brute force, but to dissect an ox like a master butcher, using the thinest part to penetrate the gaps between the grains. When you swing a knife and feel that you have not hit something, but rather ‘cut’ something open, then you have entered the gate.”

Subsequently, some Stardust Level 5 and 6 powerhouses also asked questions, mostly focusing on how to master the ultimate techniques.

A powerful man from Russia, with a burly, bear-like build, asked in broken Xia language, "Principal, I feel like I've gotten close to mastering the 'Earthshaking Strike' technique, but I'm still struggling to truly control it. How can I more effectively channel the power into the depths of the earth and control its range and form?"

Lin Yi replied, “The earth bears all things and has its own pulse. Your power should not be a brutal hammering, but rather finding the earth’s ‘resonance point,’ like plucking a string on a musical instrument. Feel the frequency of the land beneath your feet and let your source energy fluctuations resonate with it, only then can you control it as if it were your own arm.”

His answers are often incisive and get straight to the point.

Moreover, Lin Yi did not directly provide specific steps, but rather pointed out the direction and concepts, which the questioner needed to understand on their own.

But it is precisely this kind of insightful guidance that often makes both the questioner and the listener feel enlightened, and many long-standing confusions are suddenly cleared up.

When it was the "Lynx" team's turn, the members hesitated for a moment before Nightingale finally stepped forward, encouraged by Old Cat's gaze.

Unlike the powerful figures before her, she carried a hint of the restraint of someone struggling at the bottom of society.

"Principal Lin, I've been stuck at the peak of the third tier of the Stardust level for a long time. I feel like my soul power and source energy control have reached their limits, but I still can't break through that barrier and advance to the fourth tier. What am I lacking?"

Her question represents the sentiments of many ordinary martial artists who climb the ranks step by step through hard work.

Lin Yi's gaze fell on her, less profound than before, and more peaceful.

"The limit is often not the real limit, but the boundary of your cognition, or the underestimation of your own potential deep in your heart. The difference between the fourth and third order lies in the further penetration and integration of the soul with the source energy."

"You are too obsessed with control, trying to forcibly bind the source energy with your power of control, but you have forgotten that the source energy is an extension of life and soul. Try to relax, feel the flow of the source energy in your body, trust it, guide it, rather than control it. Sometimes, what is needed for a breakthrough is not stronger power, but a change of mindset, a breaking of self-perception."

Lin Yi paused, then added, "Your foundation is very solid. What you lack may just be an opportunity, a moment of sudden enlightenment that will allow you to fully integrate all your past knowledge. Don't worry, things will fall into place naturally."

Nightingale carefully savored each word, feeling as if a taut string in her heart had loosened slightly.

She bowed deeply and said, "Thank you!"

Several more people asked questions, and Lin Yi answered them all concisely.

The entire Q&A session lasted nearly two hours, with the sun already mostly below the horizon, leaving only a magnificent sunset in the sky.

After the last questioner left with a satisfied and thoughtful expression, Lin Yi surveyed the room and slowly began to speak.

"Today's battle marks our initial acquisition of the ability to clear out enemy strongholds and reclaim lost territory. But our journey should not end here."

He paused, then dropped a bombshell that was enough to ignite the global community of Source Energy users:

"Therefore, I hereby announce that preparations for the 'Star Core Level Special Training Program' have officially commenced."

A chorus of gasps and commotion erupted below.

Star Core level, that's the realm that countless Origin Warriors dream of!

Lin Yi continued, "The special training program aims to systematically cultivate and guide those with potential to break through the bottleneck of understanding the rules at the Star Core level. The registration period is one month."

"There is only one requirement for registration: you must have a basic understanding of the rules, or to put it bluntly, you must have mastered a unique skill."

"Regardless of identity or nationality, as long as you are a member of the Blue Star Community and meet the requirements, you can submit an application through the Merit System, which will undergo preliminary review by Xuanji."

"The final list will be personally approved by me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire ruins fell into a deathly silence, which was then followed by a burst of heated discussion.

Chen Yu clenched his fist tightly, his eyes burning with fierce battle intent: "Finally...it's here!"

Zhou Yuxuan didn't say anything, but he had already started planning the registration process in his mind.

Elizabeth took a deep breath; beneath her cold and beautiful face lay a surging fighting spirit.

Andrei roared to the sky, "Star Core level, here I come! Nobody can take it from me!"

Even the "Lynx" team, who had just received guidance and were still in awe of the grand plan, temporarily suppressed their personal joy.

The old cat murmured, "The Star Core Level Special Training Class... this is the real opportunity to change one's destiny."

The message spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the globe instantly through the communication devices of everyone present.

Inside the Dongfeng Military Academy, the elite cadets who had not yet graduated were in an uproar, all checking whether they met the requirements.

At the Tower of London, Elizabeth's deputy immediately began compiling a list of eligible individuals within the country.

At a military base in America, Andrei's underlings cheered, as if they could already see their boss breaking through to the Star Core level in the future.

On the ice fields of Rus', in the ancient castles of Frankish countries, in the industrial districts of Junkerd.
Every member state of the Blue Star Community, those who were already famous or living in seclusion and possessed unique skills, whether they were lone travelers honing their skills in the wilderness, officers serving in the army, or honored guests of certain powerful forces, all submitted their applications through the merit system without hesitation as soon as they received the news.

A storm that will sweep across the world's top combat forces is quietly taking shape.

A month later, after Xuanji's rigorous screening and Lin Yi's final confirmation, a list containing more than seventy people was officially announced.

Familiar faces such as Chen Yu, Zhou Yuxuan, Elizabeth, and Andrei were among those selected, as were some lesser-known but highly skilled folk masters or foreign experts.

They gathered once again from all over the world at Dongfeng Military Academy.

The special training course has officially begun.

However, this three-month intensive training was not the enlightening experience that outsiders might imagine, but rather a brutal and targeted ordeal.

The core training venue is the "Advanced Comprehensive Training Tower" that has just completed its final debugging.

The next three months were a strange time for the more than 70 people selected for the Star Core Special Training Program, a time that was compressed to the extreme and a constant cycle between pain and ecstasy.

The newly completed "Advanced Comprehensive Training Tower" at Dongfeng Military Academy became their temporary home, as well as their shared "purgatory".

It was early morning, before dawn. There was no bugle call, but the invisible pressure was more effective than any command.

Chen Yu rubbed his still throbbing temples as he walked out of his assigned rest pod, where he ran into Zhou Yuxuan coming out from the next pod.

"How was it, Lao Zhou? How long did you last in 'that room' last night?"

Chen Yu yawned, his tone carrying a hint of fatigue, but also a barely perceptible excitement.

The "room" he mentioned refers to the training room inside the tower specifically used to withstand the pressure of Lin Yi's rule-based aura.

Zhou Yuxuan had faint dark circles under his eyes, but his eyes were unusually bright: "Forty-seven minutes, three minutes more than the day before yesterday. It felt like my brain was being repeatedly hammered under a forging hammer, but every time I got through it, I felt that my understanding of the rules became clearer."

He paused, then looked at Chen Yu, "And you? How's your close combat?"

Chen Yu grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, with a hint of ruthlessness: "Hey, don't even mention it. Yesterday, I was almost crushed by that invisible pressure, but for a fleeting moment, I felt like my knife had actually 'cut' something—not air, but something deeper. Although it was only for a split second, the feeling was unmistakable!"

He waved his arms, mimicking the motion of wielding a knife, which drew the attention of some foreign students passing by.

In the restaurant, everyone silently took their high-energy nutritional meals, which Xuanji had precisely prepared based on each person's physical data. Few people spoke, not because they didn't want to, but because their mental exhaustion far outweighed their physical fatigue.

Andrei, holding a bowl bigger than his face, gulped down some kind of pungent-smelling protein mixture. After finishing, he wiped his mouth and yelled at Elizabeth, who was sitting opposite him, taking small bites of specially made chilled jelly: "Hey, yesterday's virtual battle, your 'Absolute Domain' move was too overpowered! As soon as I got close, my speed was reduced by 70%. How am I supposed to play like that?"

Elizabeth raised her eyelids, her icy blue eyes calm and unwavering: "Your will is not pure enough and is easily disturbed by the external environment. If you could condense it into a single, unified force, even my domain might not be able to completely restrict it."

As she spoke, a wisp of cold air unconsciously lingered around her fingertips, causing a layer of white frost to quickly condense on the rim of the water glass on the table.

Andrei scratched his messy hair and muttered, "Pure. Easy for you to say."

But there was little discouragement in his eyes; instead, his fighting spirit burned even brighter.

Morning training sessions are usually conducted in groups.

Sometimes it takes place in a virtual tactical combat room, where players face all sorts of bizarre enemies simulated by Xuanji.

One time, Chen Yu came out with a pale face and complained to Zhou Yuxuan: "Damn it, I actually ran into a defensive Stardust-level Perfected Abyss Beast leader today. I slashed at it with my sword and almost broke my own arm. How am I supposed to fight this thing?"

The afternoons are often filled with more tedious, yet crucial, training in source energy control.

In the advanced areas of the Energy Control Refinement Tower, trainees are thrown into various extreme environments.

Elizabeth spent several hours each day for three consecutive days trying to steadily build a perfect ice crystal shield amidst the turbulent currents of raging source energy.

Failure, shattering, reforming, and the cycle repeats itself.

When she finally succeeded, even with her usual aloofness, a faint smile couldn't help but appear on her lips.

What troubled Chen Yu the most was threading the needle with source energy threads under the superposition of supergravity and interference force fields.

His signature sweeping, powerful swordsmanship appeared remarkably clumsy in the face of training that required extreme precision and patience.

Several times he almost lost his temper and wanted to smash that damn training equipment, but when he saw that even Andrei next to him was grimacing and sweating profusely, trying to stabilize more than a dozen energy spheres of different attributes at the same time, he gritted his teeth and endured it.

In the evening, there will be matches arranged by Lin Yi.

On one occasion, Chen Yu, who was always at a disadvantage, narrowly missed Elizabeth's cheek with his blade, severing a few strands of her golden hair.

Of course, it was immediately pierced through by Elizabeth's "Frostwhisper" sword.

The team collaboration task to be practiced in the evening felt more like an adventure.

They were divided into several groups and thrown into simulated mission environments, either to fight each other for some key resource, or to cooperate against powerful humanoid abyssal beasts.

In such missions, individual bravery often has to give way to teamwork.

Zhou Yuxuan's analytical skills shone brightly, and Andrei's ferocious charge also required the support and cover of his teammates. Chen Yu's attacks and Elizabeth's control of the field had to be perfectly coordinated.

Arguments, adjustments, and finally trust—this process itself is a valuable form of self-cultivation.

Three months passed quietly amidst the daily grind of extreme pressure, the encouragement and support among colleagues, and the increasingly clear understanding of the rules.

When the training ended and the trainees walked out of the training tower, looking at the seemingly unchanged sunlight outside, they all felt as if they had been transported to another world.

They have become less impetuous and more composed. The once unbreakable barrier, though not broken, is now full of cracks.

They knew that the road ahead was theirs to walk alone, to break through that final bottleneck.

The end of the Star Core-level Special Training Program is not an end, but the prelude to a new era.

With their tempered will and a deeper understanding of the rules, the trainees returned to their respective positions, like pebbles thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples throughout the global Source Energy user community.

Today, the military, scientific research, and production chains of Dongfeng Military Academy and even the entire Blue Star Community are able to operate efficiently on their own and handle the vast majority of affairs.

Therefore, after personally laying a solid foundation for this group of seed students, Lin Yi entrusted the heavy responsibility of teaching and daily management to the administrative and teaching system that had matured with Nie Chang, Zhou Yuxuan and others as its core, as well as Xuanji, whose computing power and intelligence were constantly improving.

After all, Lin Yi knew very well that with his current source energy at the initial stage of Star Core, he was not yet able to kill the numerous Star Core-level Abyss Beasts in the main nest by himself in a short period of time.

After reaching the Star Core level, even without any bottlenecks, it would take at least fifty or sixty years of arduous cultivation to reach the next level.

However, Lin Yi didn't want to wait that long at all.

Therefore, there is only one solution.

If the source energy is insufficient, rules will make up for it.

Lin Yi couldn't help but recall the power of the field that he had personally experienced with his life back then.

The powerlessness he felt when he was reborn and was wiped out by the rules and domain without any resistance only fueled his current anticipation for the domain.

The power of the domain was so great that even he, a newcomer to the Star Vortex level, could not resist it, let alone these mere Star Core level Abyss Beasts.

Lin Yi thought to himself, "As long as I can master the domain, even if the source energy is only enough to sustain it for a dozen or so breaths, that will be enough."

Having made up his mind, he devoted more of his energy to self-cultivation.

Of course, Lin Yi did not go far away. He still kept a firm grasp on the general direction of civilization's progress, frequently participated in the highest-level meetings of the Xia Kingdom and the high-level meetings of the community, regularly led the operation to clear out the giant nest, and listed the Star Core-level Special Training Class as a regular training program to be held every 5 years.

However, Lin Yi spent more of his time on cultivation.

This practice is not just about understanding the rules; in fact, he spends most of his time honing his skills.

Lin Yi is now well aware of his talent in understanding the rules. Rather than sitting idly for a long time without finding a way, he would rather spend more time honing his skills in applying the rules in combat.

Therefore, he would often transform into a streak of light, storm the main nest, and seek out those star-core level abyssal beasts to verify his thoughts.

Only after using the Qi of Enlightenment would Lin Yi devote most of his energy to comprehending the rules during the afterglow of enlightenment.

Time, in his cycle of honing his skills—gaining enlightenment—understanding the rules—honing his skills, seemed to lose its daily measure.

Forty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Forty years is a long journey for an ordinary individual life.

Enough to make a newborn baby enter middle age, and turn the hair of a young person in the prime of life gray.

Forty years is usually insignificant for a civilization.

However, for Earth, these forty years have also brought about tremendous changes.

(End of this chapter)