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

Chapter 213 Undercurrents, the Voice of the Gods (5.6K)

Meanwhile, in outer space on Earth.

Inside the main control room of the Emerald Whisper Starship.

Irelia stood quietly in front of the huge viewing window, gazing at the blue planet below, her eyes filled with complex emotions that even she herself could not fully comprehend.

Just now, through the shared data chain and the real-time feedback from "Star Language," she witnessed firsthand how the Blue Star civilization, under Lin Yi's leadership, destroyed the last Abyss Nest with a speed and decisiveness that exceeded all rational deductions.

The assessment is over.

Logically, she should feel incredibly relaxed and relieved at this moment.

Because Lin Yi received a level 7 assessment rating, and Blue Star Civilization received a level 5 civilization rating, everything went as she expected, without any unexpected events.

However, a message she received three days ago has left her with very mixed feelings.

Her grandmother told her that the clan had finally decided to give up their ancestral homeland, which had been passed down for thousands of years, while there was still room for negotiation. In exchange, they exchanged this land for a huge sum of money with a rival family and prepared to migrate as a whole clan into the vast but unfamiliar territory of the human race in search of a glimmer of hope.

That communication was, on the one hand, to inform her of this cruel decision, that her family no longer had a "hometown" to return to.

On the other hand, they asked her, the clanswoman who had stayed in the human territory the longest, what suggestions she had regarding the use of the funds and their future direction.

At that moment, the first image that flashed through Irelia's mind was Lin Yi.

That young man who showed incredible potential on an energy-poor planet.

His talent, his composure, his leadership—this is the variable that creates miracles in desperate situations.

Now that they had decided to come to the human territory, Irelia almost instinctively explained Lin Yi's situation to her grandmother and proposed the idea of ​​investing.

She originally only hoped that her family could allocate some resources as a long-term bet.

But Irelia never expected that her grandmother's courage far exceeded her imagination.

"Either do it or do it to the best of your ability." Grandmother's words still echoed in my ears. "Now that our homeland is lost and the future is uncertain, we should seize any opportunity that comes our way! Ellie, the family has decided to dedicate the entire clan to him and help him grow. This will be a new beginning for our Sheena family in the human realm."

A powerful, ancient family at the star domain level, all seeking refuge with a weak native genius who has just passed the initial civilization assessment.

This seems utterly absurd.

But after her initial shock, Irelia strangely came to understand her grandmother's choice.

This was not a momentary impulse, but the only ray of light that the family saw in the darkness amidst despair, a light with a clear direction.

Tying the fate of one's family to a potentially rising super genius is extremely risky, but if successful, the rewards will be beyond imagination.

This meant that she, Irelia Sheena, had truly become a homeless and displaced person.

The ancestral land has been sold, and the family is about to become a wandering vassal. The starry sky of our memories can never be returned to.

A faint bitterness and emptiness spread through my heart.

But she quickly suppressed that emotion.

Now is not the time for sentimentality.

The fate of her family had already been decided, and she still had a task to complete.

"Xingyu, has the final assessment data been compiled?"

She asked softly, her voice regaining its usual coolness.

"Master, statistics complete. The time flow rate coefficient has been calculated."

The starlight shimmered, projecting rows of data onto the light screen.

[Final Assessment of Blue Star Civilization's Advancement]

Civilization Total Score: 290000000
Civilization rating: Level 5

Highest individual score: Lin Yi, 630000000 points, rating: Level 7

Individual rating level 5: 679 people

Individual rating level 4: 29841 people

Looking at the dazzling data on the screen, especially Lin Yi's personal rating of 7, Irelia took a deep breath.

Level 5 civilization! Level 7 individual rating! In this star system, which is considered to be energy-poor and low-potential, this is simply an incredible achievement.

This further confirms the correctness of her and her grandmother's decision.

She straightened her long dress, woven from starlight and mist, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles, while the diamond-shaped crystal on her forehead shone with a steady and restrained radiance.

All the complexities and sorrows were suppressed; at this moment, she remained the elegant and respectful guardian of civilization.

With a flash of light, Irelia's figure appeared in the cold void outside the Emerald Whisper Starship.

She performed a perfect obeisance towards the matte black, shuttle-shaped spaceship not far away, and reported in a clear and respectful voice:
"Reporting to Your Majesty Xuchen, the advancement assessment of planet TC-YHLHXB-ZJ-G-7392113, namely Blue Star Civilization, has officially concluded."

After a moment of silence, the hatch of the spaceship, which seemed to be carved from cosmic rock, slid open silently like mercury once again.

The divine avatar, composed of pure light and shadow and constantly appearing and disappearing runes, slowly emerged.

The rhythm of the laws emanating from him still made Irelia's soul tremble instinctively.

The rune-covered face turned towards Irelia, its cold gaze seemingly piercing her soul.

"I already know."

A calm, unwavering voice resounded directly in Irelia's consciousness.

Irelia felt a chill run down her spine, daring not to have any other thoughts. She simply maintained her bowing posture, awaiting the god's next instruction.

Her future, the fate of her family, and even the trajectory of the blue planet beneath her feet may all be decided in the next few words.

Xu Chen's face, composed of pure light and shadow and life and death runes, still showed no fluctuations that could be described as "expression".

However, in the deepest part of his consciousness, a very faint ripple quietly spread.

surprised.

Yes, a hint of almost negligible surprise.

For beings at the level of eternal gods, their long lifespans and near-infinite power have allowed them to witness countless rises and falls, miracles and dust in the universe.

The results of ordinary civilization advancement assessments were nothing more than a line of numbers about to be archived in a vast database to him, failing to arouse the slightest interest.

He didn't even bother to pay attention to the specific process; he just waited for the intelligent light sphere to submit the final report, which he would then confirm before returning.

"Level 5 Civilization Assessment, Level 7 Individual Assessment?"

The rewards set by the Human Race's Supreme Council for this low-level assessment might be considered decent for newly promoted gods, but in his eyes, they were merely ordinary.

However, this assessment seems to be somewhat different.

His memory bank instantly retrieved the preliminary assessment report from when he arrived at this place: "Comprehensive assessment of civilization development index: 0.73, energy environment assessment: extremely barren, intelligent race potential model deduction: low, expected potential rating: level 2."

Expected level 2, actual level 5.

The expected low-level genius turned out to be a level 7 rating.

The difference is not simply a matter of the numbers doubling.

The rating system for civilization advancement assessments increases exponentially in difficulty as you go higher.

The jump from level 2 to level 5 may seem like only a three-level improvement, but it represents a leap in civilization potential, organization, adaptability, and individual quality.

Especially in these marginal star regions that are classified as "extremely energy-poor," the probability of such a situation, which far exceeds the intelligent predictions, is extremely low.

This aroused a subtle curiosity in his heart.

For an eternal deity, a mere whim is enough.

After all, having seen so many things in their eternal lives, there are few things left that can interest them.

A thought flickered in Xu Chen's mind.

"Backtracking."

Immediately, in his mind, an invisible torrent of information began to surge backward, replaying the entire process of the Blue Star civilization assessment that had just ended in Xu Chen's consciousness at a speed exceeding billions of times the speed of light, in the form of information.

Xu Chen's gaze swept over the retrospective scene with a sense of rules that transcended visual perception.

He witnessed the chaos, fear, and individualistic warfare among the nations of Earth in the early stages of the "Abyss's" arrival.

He witnessed how the young man named Lin Yi could quickly assess the situation from a seemingly ordinary banquet, and how he could guide his country to efficiently eliminate the Abyss Beasts and destroy the Abyss Nest with extraordinary calmness and precise intuition.

He saw Lin Yi's talent and comprehension, which were completely out of place on this planet.

He witnessed the astonishing efficiency that the massive machine of the Xia Kingdom unleashed under the leadership of Lin Yi, the "leader" who suddenly appeared and was quickly recognized and granted absolute command by the highest levels.

Directives were communicated smoothly, resources were supplied to the fullest extent, and the public cooperated closely.

He witnessed how other nations, initially skeptical, gradually chose to comply and coordinate in the face of harsh reality and Lin Yi's absolute capabilities, ultimately forming a global counterattack network with Xia Kingdom at its core and Lin Yi as its brain.

He witnessed the final Abyss Nest collapsing under a meticulously planned, coordinated global attack.

Backtracking complete.

The faint ripple in Xu Chen's consciousness had not completely subsided.

"Lin Yi."

His focus was on this individual.

His talent is indeed remarkable, possessing an extraordinary affinity and understanding of the rules, especially in an energy-scarce environment where he can utilize limited power with such exquisite skill. His combat wisdom and growth potential are commendable. However, this is not enough.

Xu Chen frowned slightly.

Geniuses of this caliber emerge in every Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle of the Human Race.

Placed within the vast territory of the human race and on a long timescale, this could be considered a phenomenon that occurs approximately once every five thousand years.

A genius appearing once every five thousand years sounds astonishing, but for the human race, which has spanned countless star systems and whose life is innumerable, such a genius is not rare.

Every now and then, similar stars will shine and rise in various corners.

They may dominate a star system, or leave their mark on an era, but very few can truly break through all the barriers and step into eternity.

Therefore, in Xu Chen's eyes, he didn't care much about a genius with a "level 7" rating at all.

Instead, he cared more about the Level 5 civilization assessment.

It's understandable that a genius who appears only once every five thousand years, leading a civilization that was originally assessed as having only level 2 potential, would achieve extraordinary results in the assessment.

Throughout history, there have been numerous examples of exceptional individuals who swept away the beasts of the abyss and led their civilizations to achieve Level 3, and even a few Level 4 ratings.

But level 5?
This is no longer just a matter of the leader's personal ability.

Civilization itself must possess the "soil" and "skeleton" sufficient to support and amplify this leadership.

With this in mind, Xu Chen had a sudden thought: "Retrieve the civilization detection data of this planet, as well as the guardian's observation report."

"Command confirmation."

The intelligent light sphere responded calmly, instantly organizing the massive flow of information and presenting it to Xu Chen's consciousness.

Xu Chen's "gaze" began to sweep across the trajectory of civilizations on Blue Star, which were repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, with a focus on the civilization that was recently participating in the assessment.

At the same time, the observation logs and assessment reports of the Eldar guardians regarding the development of Earth's civilization over the past five thousand years also emerged one by one.

At first, Xu Chen's consciousness was like the calm depths of space, simply receiving information objectively.

But soon, some unique "patterns" that appeared frequently began to catch his attention.

competition.

A contest.

These two concepts, along with their countless variations and practices, have permeated almost every corner of Earth's civilization and its social structure.

It's not just about obvious military conflicts and national rivalries.

In the economic sphere, market competition, technological races, and advertising and marketing wars among enterprises are ubiquitous, and survival of the fittest is considered an ironclad rule.

In the field of education, from academic rankings in early childhood to entrance exams and academic competitions in adolescence, there is a process of selection at every level, with an elite orientation.

In everyday life, sports are popular all over the world, and the saying "competition first, friendship second" is widely praised.

Various rankings—wealth rankings, influence rankings, sales rankings—are stimulating people's senses.

Even in the virtual world, games intended for entertainment and relaxation are filled with player battles, ranked ladders, guild wars, and competitive events.
They incorporated confrontation and transcendence into relaxation and leisure.

In his report, the Eldar guardian repeatedly described this "ubiquitous antagonism" with a bewildered and even slightly condemnatory tone, believing that it led to enormous internal friction and was the root cause of how the Blue Star civilization repeatedly destroyed its brilliant achievements in war and was unable to achieve sustained peaceful development.

Upon seeing this, Xu Chen couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

"Internal strife? That's a shallow view."

In Xu Chen's view, the Spirit Clan guardians, or rather, those Spirit Clan people living in a peaceful and prosperous environment, have misunderstood the nature of this "competition".

This is not a simple destructive internal conflict.

This is a "dynamic optimization mechanism" and "pressure screening system" deeply rooted in the genes of civilization.

So-called "internal strife" often only occurs during periods when there is a lack of a recognized, sole "leader".

A fierce struggle between different groups and with different ideologies for control over development and resource allocation.

While this kind of competition involves losses, it has also objectively spurred technological breakthroughs, institutional innovations, and cultural vitality.

Once a widely recognized and powerful "leader" emerges.

Just like Lin Yi in this assessment, this ubiquitous competitive spirit will be quickly guided and integrated, transforming from internal horizontal attrition into external vertical breakthroughs.

The entire civilization will be as if it has been thoroughly warmed up and trained, and will quickly unleash astonishing speed and power.

"They have competition ingrained in their bones and consider surpassing others as instinct."

A clear understanding formed in Xu Chen's mind: "The gap between the upper and lower limits of this civilization will be extremely large."

Led by mediocrity or chaos, they may fall into endless involution and self-consumption, with their civilization stagnating or even regressing, as the Eldar guardians have observed for most of the past five thousand years.

This perfectly aligns with the previous model extrapolation of "potential rating: low," as extrapolation models are typically based on average conditions and historical trends.

However, once a suitable and powerful leader is encountered, capable of integrating this strong competitive momentum and directing it towards clear external goals or development paths, the entire civilization will instantly "unite as one," unleashing potential and efficiency that will astound the outside world.

All internal competitions will be transformed into powerful tools for overcoming external challenges; all the skills, wisdom, and resilience honed in competition will become the cornerstones of civilization's advancement.

"Level 5 rating. I see."

The slight surprise in Xu Chen's heart finally dissipated, replaced by a clear understanding of the essence of things.

The Blue Star civilization did not suddenly mutate, nor did it rely solely on Lin Yi's efforts.

Rather, it was Lin Yi, the "Level 7" leader, who perfectly activated and mastered the unique and powerful "competition-follower" nature inherent in the Blue Star civilization itself.

A civilization that grows stronger when faced with adversity, capable of unleashing astonishing cohesion and action under pressure, a race that has challenge and transcendence ingrained in its cultural DNA—it is truly a perfect fit for the current situation of humanity.

Thinking of this, a thought quietly took shape in Xu Chen's mind.

The potential assessment of this civilization, known as "Blue Star," needs to be revised.

The value of that young man named Lin Yi may not be limited to simply being a "genius that appears only once every five thousand years".

His compatibility with this civilization created a wonderful chemical reaction.

"Currently, the surrounding alien races are constantly provoking our human race, and the Spirit Race is vague about the matter. It's a pity that they haven't taken that step; it's all just a fog. What if we can't get through this hurdle?"

Thinking of this, Xu Chen's heart stirred slightly, and a decision was already formed.

For the eternal deity, a thought is the beginning of an action.

Almost at the same moment he made the decision.

hum! !

A will far more vast and primal than the previous "Abyss Realm" descended, yet strangely without any sense of oppression, precisely covered the entire Blue Star like silent cosmic background radiation.

Lin Yi was hovering above the ruins of the Abyss Nest when suddenly he felt a vast will descend upon him.

It's not through sound or images, but rather a kind of "information" directly imprinted on the foundation of one's thinking.

The advancement assessment for Blue Star civilization has concluded.

[Final Civilization Rating: Level 5.]

[Civilization advancement approved.]

[Personal assessment scores and levels have been synchronized to individual consciousness and can be perceived by the individual.]

Simple, yet cold.

Following this, the origin and significance of the "Civilization Advancement Assessment," the relevant rules of the Human Race Supreme Council, and the rough meaning of the assessment levels were quickly made known to all Earthlings, like decompressed data packets.

"So, all of this was just an assessment?"

Beside Lin Yi, a Star Core level expert muttered to himself.

The entire planet Earth fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone received the same message.

After a brief moment of bewilderment came an indescribable sense of absurdity and a tsunami-like anger.

An assessment?

For this assessment, cities were turned into ruins, and familiar homes were reduced to rubble?
For this very test, countless soldiers fought valiantly, dying on the battlefield.
So many innocent civilians lost their lives in fear and despair just for this test?

Are the blood, tears, and lives they sacrificed merely a cold "performance score" on an exam paper?
A suppressed, burning rage was growing and spreading wildly in the hearts of every human on Earth who knew the truth.

Above the ruins of the Abyss Nest, heavy breathing echoed, and many people's eyes instantly became bloodshot, their fists clenched, and their nails dug deep into their palms.

If it weren't for that vast will still faintly shrouding the area, the earth-shattering roars and questions would probably have already erupted.

Lin Yi's face was ashen. He knew more than others and was more aware that in the face of such an existence, anger was meaningless and might even lead to destruction.

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding Star Core-level monsters that were about to spiral out of control, and he hissed, "Calm down!"

His voice seemed to carry a calming power, causing the almost boiling emotions around him to pause slightly.

Just at this moment.

That vast will surged once more, and a new message, like sweet rain or a thunderclap, exploded in the hearts of all the people of Earth.

[In recognition of the Blue Star civilization's outstanding performance in achieving a Level 5 rating, the following reward is hereby given: All intelligent life forms who died directly or indirectly during this civilization advancement assessment will be fully resurrected.]

　I'll continue updating tonight.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)