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

Chapter 237 Aftermath, Communication Between Sects (5.5K)

Upon seeing Lin Yi emerge, the team members immediately gathered around him.

Kenx was clearly quite excited, his colorful short hair seeming even more vibrant. Evan Whisper's icy blue eyes held a hint of doubt in addition to admiration, while Starfire stared at Lin Yi with a curious expression.

Mo Yuan remained as aloof and unapproachable as ever, but deep within his eyes, besides his recognition of strength, a flame of competition was quietly burning.

Amber's little hands were clenched tightly, as if she was still savoring the captain's earth-shattering final blow.

"Captain!" "Captain, you're awesome!"

Everyone gathered around.

Lin Yi waved his hand, looked at the figures walking from different directions, and said, "Let's find a place to talk later, we have guests."

The first to arrive were representatives from several teams they had never met before. They came from different races, but all wore carefully crafted smiles that blended friendliness and respect.

"Congratulations, Captain Lin Yi." A Spirit Race member dressed in a star-patterned robe, who looked like a team leader, bowed with his hand on his chest. "I am the adjutant of 'Eye of the Stars.' I hope to exchange marks with you so that we can discuss our understanding of the rules in the future."

As he spoke, a communication mark shimmering with a ghostly blue light appeared before him.

Another agile figure, seemingly formed from shadows, spoke in a voice like a whisper: "Captain Lin Yi, I hope there will be a possibility of cooperation in future missions."

His also presented a mark that seemed to carry hidden fluctuations.

Lin Yi remained calm, acting like a host receiving a visitor, and exchanged basic communication permissions with the other party through Xuanji.

These are the rules of the training camp: strength is the only pass.

Immediately afterwards, two more familiar human figures walked through the crowd; they were Xingyu, the vice-captain of "Starshine," and Qingfeng, the captain of "White Fang."

Xingyu's expression became much more complicated. The composure and calmness that belonged to the core members of a veteran team had disappeared, replaced by a solemnity that was almost equal.

He took a deep breath and spoke first, "Captain Lin Yi, congratulations! 17th floor. To be honest, that really surprised me."

Then, Xingyu smiled and handed over the contact mark, "As fellow human beings, we need to help each other even more in this land inhabited by alien races. Although our Xinghui Squad is not top-tier, we do have some resources and channels. If Captain Lin Yi or your team ever needs anything in the future, as long as it is within our capabilities, Xinghui will never refuse."

Qingfeng remained as energetic and straightforward as ever.

But the way she looked at Lin Yi had completely changed; she no longer saw him as a "promising newcomer."

She grinned and clapped her hands: "Impressive! Damn, really impressive! I knew you were hiding something, but I didn't expect you to have so much. Enough with the chit-chat, if you ever need to fight or find any good work, remember to call us White Fang. We humans have to stick together!"

Lin Yi showed due respect to these two fellow clansmen who had tried to recruit him.

As he smiled and formally exchanged contact tokens with the two, he said, "Captain Xingyu, Captain Qingfeng, thank you for your high regard. We are both human, so please don't hesitate to ask our team for help in the future."

This exchange, viewed by other observers around them, carried a different meaning.

They all knew very well that the human race would gain another core force in the training camp in the future.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the crowd gradually dispersed, each with their own thoughts.

Lin Yi turned around and smiled at his teammates. "You've all been watching each other's battles, so you must all have a lot to say now. Come on, let's not just stand here like idiots. It's my treat. Let's find a quiet place, have some drinks, chat, and also review the battle we just fought."

After saying that, without waiting for anyone's response, his figure blurred and disappeared directly from the noisy tower base area.

A few seconds later, everyone except for Amber, who was still a little confused, received a virtual coordinate invitation from Lin Yi—[“Starry Sky Summit” Hotel, Top Floor Room 1758].

"Wow! The Summit of Stars." Kenx chuckled. "Come on, Captain, you've really gone all out. A single cup of the most basic 'Void Ripple' there costs a hundred star crystals, and the minimum spend for a private room on the top floor is five thousand star crystals."

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled.

Although they could all afford it, the fact that the team leader chose such a place for a small virtual gathering showed how much he valued the team, which put everyone in a good mood, and they all accepted the invitation.

Xuanji, a virtual space transition, is like a curtain being drawn back, revealing a suddenly open view.

The six people appeared in a private room filled with an ethereal atmosphere.

There are no solid walls here; all around and under the dome is a vast, flowing sea of ​​stars, where stars are born and die, and nebulae swirl. Being here feels like strolling through the universe.

Beneath your feet lies a soft, elastic energy cloud carpet, making it feel completely silent.

In the center of the private room was a long table ingeniously inlaid with celestial crystal and life-giving starwood. Several pots of fine wine and spiritual tea, each with a different luster and an alluring aroma, were already placed on the table.

Lin Yi was already seated in the main seat, relaxed, indicating to everyone to make themselves at home.

Everyone took their seats.

Kenx had already poured himself a glass of "Aurora Brew," which seemed to contain the entire Milky Way, and took a deep, blissful breath.

Even the usually aloof Xingying poured herself a cup of "imaginary liquid," which was like liquid metal.

Taking a sip of the "Breath of Life" spiritual tea, which exuded a rich life force, Lin Yi felt much more relaxed by its perfectly simulated crispness and sweet aftertaste.

He put down his teacup, looked at everyone, and said frankly, "Alright, there are no outsiders here. Feel free to ask or say anything you want."

After a brief silence, Xingying was the first to speak, asking curiously:

"Captain, based on my complete recording and analysis of your combat data, especially the energy level and rule interference intensity at the moment you triggered the rule resonance at the final moment of the 17th level, I have performed reverse modeling and deduction. The results show that, theoretically, there is a 27.5% probability that your comprehensive rule comprehension index could support your attempt to break through to the 18th level."

"This means that Captain, your understanding of the rules of life should be over 80%, but you ultimately chose to stop at the 17th floor. I wonder what your considerations were? Was it because you sensed a specific threat model from the guardian mirror on the 18th floor?"

Everyone nodded.

Not only Xingying, but they also noticed the anomaly, just not as meticulously as Xingying.

Evan gently put down his moonlight cup and added softly, "Captain, I also noticed that when you used the rules of life for domain confrontation and energy neutralization, some subtle energy node resonances and flow paths bore a resemblance to our Spirit Clan's techniques and habits. This is not something that can be achieved by simply taking some Spirit Clan rules and techniques courses or practicing basic Spirit Clan secret texts. Could it be that the Captain has a deep connection with my Spirit Clan?"

Lin Yi looked at them, a helpless, bitter smile on his face saying, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you."

"You all have very keen observation skills."

He spoke frankly and directly, "Let's address Evan's doubts first. You're right. I have a close friend from the Eldar race. We often exchange ideas and discuss things, which influences our styles to some extent."

"As for why I stopped at the 17th floor, it's because before I entered the training camp, I had just experienced a rather dramatic improvement in my understanding of the rules."

Lin Yi naturally omitted the details of the spiritual energy, but the phrase "drastic improvement" had already caused a slight tremor in the hearts of everyone present.

"For me now, it's like suddenly getting a divine weapon. Its weight, length, and balance have all changed. To use it as I see fit, I need time to readjust and adapt."

He looked at Xingying and Aiwen: "By the time I reached the 17th floor, I could clearly feel that I was about to lose my grip on this 'divine weapon.' It wasn't that I lacked strength, but rather that my control had reached a critical point. The sluggishness in the operation of the rules was very obvious. I knew very well that if I forced myself to try to reach the 18th floor, failure would be almost inevitable, and the time I spent on the 18th floor would allow others to deduce my level of mastery of the rules."

As he spoke, Lin Yi took a sip of tea and continued to explain, "I thought at the time that there was no need to expose all our secrets. Once I fully digested this upgrade and made full use of the new power, passing through the 18th floor would not be difficult. This would take no more than half a year, and it could become one of our trump cards."

This insightful yet simple explanation is reasonable and demonstrates wisdom in considering the team's needs.

With everyone's doubts dispelled, the topic shifted to reviewing their respective battles, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

Kenx described with great enthusiasm how, amidst the relentless onslaught of the wind blade mirror image on the ninth floor, he used the Iridescent Laws to create a visual trap, narrowly escaping behind it to deliver the fatal blow. "That guy, he's fast, but not so bright, haha!"

Lei Hao stroked his chin and recalled, "I'm stuck on the ninth floor. That mirror image is really troublesome. Although my Earth Barrier defense is strong, it lacks effective countermeasures, so I can only passively take hits. It seems that in addition to stacking the thickest armor, I also need to find a way to incorporate a sufficiently sharp counterattack into the defense."

With a smile, Evan shared his insights on how to leverage the resilience of life's rules to turn a duel into a protracted battle.

"Attacks are not only about destruction; sometimes, exhausting the opponent's life force is also a way to win." In addition to sharing their combat experiences, they also point out each other's shortcomings.

Xingying calmly pointed out that Mo Yuan had several opportunities to end the battle earlier in the tenth floor: "Mo Yuan, your penetrating attack is extremely strong, but there is 12.3% room for optimization in the rules 'linkage' and 'variation'. For example, if you can connect a small rule tremor during the seventh thrust, you can break through the opponent's defensive node 0.5 seconds earlier."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yuan's cold eyes suddenly lit up, and he fell into deep thought. Then, he solemnly nodded to Xing Ying: "I have learned a lot."

Such advice, based on precise data, is extremely valuable to him.

Naturally, the discussion returned to Lin Yi.

Mo Yuan rarely spoke up, "Captain, when you were on the 15th floor, facing that mirror image, the nine lightning orbs merged into one in an instant, breaking its core. That kind of control over the soul weapon, as if it were an extension of your own arm, and the grasp of the timing of the attack, I still have a lot to do with."

He specializes in extreme point-based destruction, but he has a sincere admiration for the skill of instantly concentrating scattered power and then unleashing it at a single point.

Lin Yi smiled and explained, "That's a secret technique recorded in the 'Myriad Soul Control Manual.' Its essence lies in 'gathering and dispersing in a single thought,' not simply the accumulation of power. Although the manual is restricted and cannot be given to you directly, if you are interested, we can discuss the power generation technique of 'concentrating power at a single point' later."

A hint of surprise flashed in Mo Yuan's eyes, and he quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Captain. I look forward to learning from you in the future."

To Lin Yi's surprise, Xingying also offered suggestions from her perspective.

"Captain, your strategy of deploying the Golden Domain for absolute defense when dealing with the mirror image on the 13th floor was correct. However, according to the energy dissipation data analysis, you consumed 7.8% of your source energy to maintain the domain's unnecessary 'perfect form.' Based on the mirror image's attack pattern, you could concentrate 97% of the domain's strength in a localized area and maintain 70% in other areas, saving at least 5% of source energy for subsequent chain attacks or dealing with emergencies."

Evan added, "When the captain used the rules of life to infuse a large area with vitality to neutralize the frost domain, the flow of life energy was extremely efficient, but there seemed to be a slight discord in the 'node resonance'."

"Perhaps we could try adding a brief 'returning' guidance during energy output, like a vibrato in music, which could more deeply leverage the power of the rules and potentially have a better effect."

These suggestions were insightful, pointing directly to subtle details that Lin Yi had failed to notice due to his sudden surge in power.

Lin Yi listened carefully, and his mind suddenly became clear. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "They are indeed geniuses who can stand out from billions of living beings. Even though I am temporarily ahead in strength, I can still gain such valuable inspiration from communicating with them."

The value of such intellectual exchange within a team is no less than that of a high-intensity training session.

"Well said," Lin Yi praised sincerely. "The optimization of Xingying's energy efficiency and Aiven's rule resonance technique have benefited me greatly. It seems that we should make post-battle analysis a regular practice in the future."

The atmosphere grew increasingly harmonious and enthusiastic amidst the technical discussions, and the fine wines and delicacies added to the pleasant experience. Although the effects of cultivating these rare wines could not be simulated in the virtual world, their taste and flavor were perfectly replicated, otherwise they wouldn't be worthy of their hefty price tag.

As the wine flowed freely, Lin Yi gently tapped the starwood tabletop, drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright, now that we've enjoyed ourselves, it's time to get down to business."

Lin Yi straightened his expression and said, "We all gained a lot of initial points by taking advantage of this first free opportunity. I personally gained 25 points, and because of the ranking, I also have a fixed income of 310 points every day."

This number secretly alarmed everyone except for Xingying and Kenx, who had already guessed it.

"I suggest"

Lin Yi's gaze swept over everyone. "For the next month, we will temporarily refrain from high-intensity team activities or large-scale missions. Everyone's core task is the same: to use the points at hand to strengthen themselves."

"A month from now, once we've fully digested what we've learned and our skills have been refreshed, we'll challenge the team mode."

"Okay!" Everyone agreed.

A month is neither too short nor too long. If it's too short, the improvement in strength won't be enough, and the free team challenge opportunity will be wasted. If it's too long, it will drag on for too long, and the lost daily points will be quite a pity.

A month is just right.

Just as Lin Yi set goals for his team and began to focus on his training, discussions about Lin Yi and his team continued to escalate.

On the "Starry Sea Sword Competition" platform, where four groups of geniuses gather:

"That Lin Yi, it's been half a month, and there's been no movement at all? Is he in seclusion digesting his points?"

"It's definitely a period of consolidation. After reaching level 17 on the first day and gaining a lot of points, it will inevitably take time to consolidate them."

"The other members of his team have also disappeared; it seems they've gone into seclusion for collective cultivation. Such a temperament should not be underestimated."

"I've inquired about it. Their team composition is extremely reasonable: one top-tier 4th tier member, two excellent 4th tier members, one near-4th tier member, and three excellent 5th tier members. Once they've gelled together, their team model will definitely be a dark horse."

"It seems that the team structure in Zone 4 is really going to be reshuffled because of this guy's addition."

Even the higher-level, Tier 3 talent circles occasionally mention it:
A higher-level circle—private exchanges among three types of geniuses:

In a tranquil tea room that seemed to be built of starlight, two geniuses of the third tier were sitting facing each other, drinking.

"Oh? 17th floor on the first day." A young man with a languid air and eyes that seemed to hold the shimmering nebula chuckled. "Not bad."

Opposite him, a man with an even colder aura looked at the information that popped up in front of him and said indifferently, "Hmm. He's only one level weaker than I was back then."

The lazy young man raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Tsk tsk, it's not easy for you, 'Ice Blade' Qinglan, to remember and admit that you're only one level short."

Qinglan shook her head: "What's there to be ashamed of? He has reached the perfection of the Metal Domain and possesses a remarkable foundation in the rules of life. He is a worthy opponent."

Elsewhere, several geniuses at the third tier were practicing combined attack tactics in a simulated starry sky. After receiving the message, one of them laughed and said, "An interesting newcomer has arrived. He reached the 17th floor on the first day. Do you think Qinglan, that bottom-ranked guy, will be overtaken later?"

"The results of the first day don't tell the whole story, but at least the potential is high. It seems this training camp won't be boring," another person replied, a glint of interest in their eyes.

Even within the second-gear circle, someone casually remarked, "It seems there's a promising new talent emerging in the fourth gear."

Although it was just a casual remark, the fact that it caught the attention of two geniuses is itself a form of implicit recognition.

The name Lin Yi has gradually evolved from an "amazing newcomer" into a "variable that may influence the lower levels of the training camp," and has entered the watch list of more people.

At this moment, Lin Yi, the key figure in the incident, had just emerged from a top-level simulated cultivation environment called the "Tree of Life".

His face showed signs of fatigue from intense concentration, but his eyes were clear and bright, and the sense of emptiness that came with the sudden enlightenment had largely dissipated.

"This 'Tree of Life' that consumes 1000 points per hour is indeed worth every penny."

Lin Yi was filled with emotion. In this environment that simulated the origin of the rules of life, his 82% of his insights were refined and purified time and time again. Many things that he knew but did not know the reasons for suddenly became clear, and the sluggishness in the flow of power was significantly reduced.

"At this rate, I might be able to fully control the new power in another month."

He was planning his next step, heading to the "Golden Origin Sword Tomb" to further refine his perfected Golden Domain, when Xuanji's usual calm notification sounded in his mind:

"Principal, a new contact mark has been received via reply."

Lin Yi didn't pay much attention.

For the past two weeks, although he has kept a low profile, thanks to his record of reaching the 17th floor on the first day, many geniuses who came to admire him or wanted to make friends with him sent contact requests through various channels.

At the same time, he also noticed something.

Purple access in the training camp was quite ordinary. Not to mention others, Kenx, Amber, Evan, and Starfire in the team all had purple access to the virtual network, which made him realize once again that none of his teammates were simple.

"Whose contact mark is it?"

Lin Yi asked a question out of habit, preparing to let Xuanji handle it according to procedure.

However, what Xuanji said next was like a silent thunderclap, exploding in his heart, and even the step he was about to take paused slightly.

"The contact information that was approved is: Ninth Senior Brother".

Ninth Senior Brother?
Lin Yi's pupils contracted slightly. After more than forty years, he had finally made contact with the rest of his sect?
(End of this chapter)