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

Chapter 239 Senior Brother's Greeting Gift, Team Challenge (5.4K)

Silence filled the two of them for a long time. Lin Yi lowered his head and pondered, seemingly digesting the huge amount of information, or perhaps weighing something.

Cangming, lost in thought, gazed at the distant starry sky.

Finally, Lin Yi raised his head, hesitated for a moment, and then looked at Cangming and asked:

"Senior brother, if I were to hypothesize—just hypothesize—that a human prodigy in a certain tiered battlefield displays strength comparable to, or even to some extent suppressing, the strength of the top prodigies from other races who come to train, thus eliminating the need for us humans to humbly beg for assistance from the top races in that tiered battlefield, what impact would such a situation have?"

"Or rather, will this prodigy be targeted maliciously by a top-tier race, outside the rules of the battlefield?"

Upon hearing this, Cangming was slightly taken aback, then a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

The smile held understanding, and also a hint of appreciation for the ambition behind Lin Yi's "hypothesis".

He chuckled, shook his head, and said with absolute certainty:

"You can rest assured about that. Even the most brilliant and talented person, even a peerless genius who only appears once every few million standard years, as long as he has not yet crossed that final threshold, his value is absolutely not worth any peak race openly tearing up the rules that are tacitly observed by the three peak races and many powerful races."

Cangming paused, seemingly lost in memories, before explaining earnestly:
"You must understand that the value and stability of maintaining the current rules of war far outweigh the outcome of any particular battlefield or era. As for the impact of a few exceptional talents, that's insignificant. This is one of the cornerstones of maintaining the current relatively peaceful order of the universe, and neither side will easily shake it. Even if..."

Cangming paused very briefly here, as if touching on some deeper taboo.

He didn't continue, but instead changed the subject, emphasizing again:
"In short, you can rest assured. To truly make the top races feel threatened and willing to take action, one must at least be someone who touches the edge of the 'Source Law Lord'. So, as long as you have the ability, feel free to use it within the rules and compete. The better you perform, the more the top races might even thank you for helping to temper the arrogance of their proud and arrogant geniuses."

Then, as if recalling something, Cangming added, "Once, our human race also produced an unparalleled figure who overshadowed the geniuses of the Spirit Race and the Abyss Race of the same era. His brilliance was so great that it overshadowed his peers. But in the end, that person still got stuck at the threshold of becoming the Lord of Source Law. Talent is important, but growing up and reaching the end is the key."

Lin Yi listened carefully, and a weight was lifted from his heart.

What he needs to confirm is the bottom line of safety in acting within the rules.

Having received the answer he wanted, Lin Yi nodded, indicating that he understood: "I understand, thank you for informing me, Senior Brother."

Having obtained the information and dispelled his concerns, Lin Yi decided not to linger any longer, as cultivation was the most important thing.

He bowed to Cangming again: "If Senior Brother has no other instructions, Junior Brother will go and cultivate now."

Cangming looked at his junior brother, who, after hearing the grand background and cruel truth, was not discouraged at all, but instead had a more determined look in his eyes, and even showed a hint of "wanting to fight for the human race on his own". Cangming couldn't help but shake his head inwardly, feeling quite emotional.

He seemed to see himself countless years ago, when he was also full of vigor and wanted to compete with the heavens after hearing the truth.

Therefore, Cangming did not dampen Lin Yi's enthusiasm, nor did he describe in detail the vast gap between human prodigies and those true geniuses who were nurtured by the endless resources of the peak races and possessed ancient and terrifying bloodline inheritances.

After all, it's a good thing for young people to have goals and drive.

Anyway, it's still thousands of years before those top geniuses enter the arena on a large scale. We can find a reason to get this junior brother out of the core vortex of the tiered battlefield when that time comes.

Thinking of this, Cangming said in an encouraging tone, "Yes, go. Cultivate diligently and solidify your foundation. If that day ever comes, let those arrogant fools see for themselves that our human territory is not a backyard they can come and go as they please!"

Lin Yi could hear the expectation in his senior brother's tone. He nodded earnestly, bowed again in greeting, and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Cangming seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly called out to the little guy who was about to bury himself in his cultivation. "You're even more impatient than me. I haven't given you my greeting gift yet, what's the rush?"

Lin Yi paused, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

Having just heard such bombshell news, he was indeed too preoccupied with thinking about the future and cultivating.

Cangming pondered for a moment before saying, "Let me think. You specialize in the rules of metal and are also trying to comprehend the rules of life. Hmm, I've got it."

He waved his hand lightly, as if retrieving a list of items in a virtual space.

“I happen to have a few portions of Life Source Fruit here. One of these can be consumed every fifty years, and it is quite beneficial for those who comprehend the rules of life at the Star Domain level.” He looked at Lin Yi. “I will have my intelligent life form contact yours directly and send it to you through the Human Race Merchant Guild’s encrypted logistics channels. It should arrive in your hands very soon.”

soon?

Lin Yi thought to himself, given his senior brother's perception of time, he wondered how long "soon" actually meant.

Moreover, he gleaned another crucial piece of information: "It can only be consumed once every fifty years?"

"good."

Cangming confirmed, "The Life Source Fruit has rich energy and contains a unique life rhythm. It needs time to digest and absorb. Frequent consumption is tantamount to wasting its resources. A fifty-year interval is the best cycle that has been proven."

Lin Yi quickly calculated in his mind that even if he got it immediately, he could only consume one at most in the foreseeable future.

However, it was, after all, a token of my senior brother's goodwill, and the extra portion could be used by Irelia, who also cultivates the rules of life, so it wouldn't be wasted.

Although the truth about the proxy war shattered the positive impression Lin Yi had just built up of the "Spirit Race" as a whole, he would not foolishly project his feelings about the race onto any specific individual.

Irelia is Irelia, and the Eldar are the Eldar.

Having served in the upper echelons of civilization for so long, he has long seen things clearly and thoroughly.

Between races, just as between nations in past lives, there are no eternal feelings, only eternal interests.

If the Human Race and the Spirit Race were to switch places, and the Human Race were in the position of the most powerful race, the choices they would make would probably be no different.

What he needs to do now is the same as when he led the Blue Star civilization to struggle for survival in the apocalypse: only self-reliance.

Whether it's external assistance or internal unity, the ultimate goal is to enhance one's own strength.

With this thought in mind, Lin Yi stopped worrying and sincerely thanked Cangming: "Thank you for your generous gift, Senior Brother!"

Cangming waved his hand: "It's just a little gadget, I hope it will be of some help to you. Go on, I look forward to your performance in the training camp and on the battlefield."

The two said goodbye again, and Lin Yi did not linger, his consciousness immediately returning to reality.

He instructed Xuanji to pay attention to and receive the "Life Source Fruit" that was about to be delivered, and then devoted most of his energy to frantic cultivation.

Regarding his understanding of the rules, after forcibly raising his understanding of the rules of life to 82%, he did feel a sense of stagnation and a lack of power. Apart from digesting the lingering effects of his sudden enlightenment on the rules, he did not intend to spend more time trying to understand the rules. Instead, he placed his main hopes on the spiritual energy he was accumulating and waiting for the opportunity for quantitative change to lead to qualitative change.

Therefore, he is focusing his current training efforts on refining his skills.

Understanding the rules is the foundation and the source of power, while combat skills are the key to perfectly or even extraordinaryly unleashing this power.

Lin Yi has now realized that having powerful rules without skillful application is like a child wielding a sledgehammer—not only inefficient at injuring the enemy, but also potentially harmful to oneself.

Therefore, he selectively chose several advanced combat skills courses in the virtual training camp.

"The Blade of Rules: Advanced Application": This book provides an in-depth explanation of how to highly compress the power of a domain, change its form, and even learns some knowledge about attribute superposition, pursuing the ultimate destructive power. This perfectly aligns with his path of using the Nine Luminaries Thunder Pearl and fusing with future rules.

"Starry Sea Shadow Movement Technique": Focuses on extreme evasion and high-speed maneuvering in complex cosmic environments, under high-intensity energy and rule interference, with survival ability always being the top priority.

"Multidimensional Battlefield Tactics Analysis" is not about individual combat skills, but rather teaches how to maximize the role of individual combat power in different dimensions of battlefields such as starship battles, stronghold attacks and defenses, and squad coordination.

Every day, he traveled between the various training areas.

He placed himself in various extremely harsh environments and faced powerful virtual opponents, repeatedly honing the new skills he had just learned, transforming theory into muscle memory and combat instinct.

In his hands, the Nine Luminaries Thunder Pearl became even more agile and unpredictable, sometimes splitting into nine shadows that enveloped the four directions; sometimes merging into one, transforming into a thunder spear that could pierce through everything; and sometimes invoking the rules of metal, setting up a domain filled with a chilling aura.

His control over his power became increasingly refined, and his source energy utilization rate improved significantly based on Xingying's previous warning.

Time flew by amidst the sweat and points, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

This was the day the team had agreed upon to take their first team Endless Tower challenge.

When Lin Yi arrived at the foot of the Endless Tower on time, the other six team members had already arrived.

After only half a month apart, the aura emanating from everyone seemed to have changed slightly. Their eyes were more focused, and the source energy flowing around them appeared more harmonious and free.

"team leader!"

Kenx was the first to chime in, his colorful hair seeming to shine even brighter with excitement. "The resources in this training camp are amazing! I redeemed a 'Light Illusion Body Technique,' which gave me a new understanding of the application of the laws of light. I feel like I might even be able to pass the tenth level of the individual level." Evan Whisper smiled and nodded. "I studied the 'Life Meridian Resonance Technique' in depth and gained a deeper understanding of healing and group support."

He looked at Lin Yi and said meaningfully, "Perhaps in team battles, we can better cooperate with the captain's life rules."

Lei Hao pounded his chest hard, making a dull thud, his honest face full of confidence: "I have mastered the 'Immovable Mountain Seal' to a minor level, and now I am confident that I can withstand the full force of the late-stage Star Vortex Mirror Image."

Mo Yuan remained concise, stating, "I've become even stronger."

Xingying calmly reported: "Based on comprehensive data analysis, the team's average combat strength is estimated to increase by about 14.7%. I personally loaded the new combat calculation module, which improved the efficiency of battlefield dynamic analysis and tactical suggestions by 12.1%."

Amber was the most excited. She waved her little fist and said, "Captain, I learned a new technique for generating power called 'Star Collapse Force.' I'll definitely be able to smash those hard shells even faster next time."

Seeing the obvious improvement in his teammates, Lin Yi felt a surge of pride.

This is the power of a team: mutual support and common growth.

"Very good." Lin Yi's gaze swept over everyone. "It seems that everyone has made good use of this time. So, let's see how much progress everyone has made."

As the team leader, he led the team to the team mode registration area of ​​the Endless Tower.

The team mode entrance is adjacent to the individual mode entrance, but the information displayed on the screen is more complex. In addition to the team name and queue sequence, it also displays the team's overall rating and the expected challenge level.

Just as Lin Yi submitted his challenge application and the team leader's name appeared on the team queue screen, it immediately attracted the attention of many people.

"Look, it's Lin Yi!"

"Are they finally going to challenge team mode?"

"One top-tier 4th gear, two excellent 4th gears, one near-4th gear, and three excellent 5th gears. This configuration is considered luxurious even among 4th gear teams."

"I heard that their captain reached the 17th floor on his first day. His potential is amazing."

"Look at how well their team works together. Strong individual skills don't necessarily mean they'll be good at teamwork."

Whispers arose from all around, including from personnel sent by the other four teams to gather intelligence.

The emergence of Lin Yi's team has clearly been regarded as a new force that cannot be ignored.

Almost within minutes of Lin Yi's name appearing on the screen, the news spread rapidly through the virtual network.

The first to arrive was Qingfeng, the captain of the "White Fang" team. She was as energetic as ever, leading two core team members. She nodded to Lin Yi from afar, then stood aside with her arms crossed, clearly wanting to assess the quality of this potential competitor or future partner as soon as possible.

Immediately afterwards, Xingyu, the vice-captain of the "Starshine" team, appeared with a gentle smile.

He first greeted Lin Yi: "Captain Lin Yi, I wish you a successful first team challenge."

Then he stood quietly on the other side, his gaze sweeping over Kenx, Mo Yuan, and the others, as if he were silently taking notes.

His intelligence officer even initiated a non-intrusive recording mode.

Moreover, representatives from several other teams who had exchanged contact marks with Lin Yi after his solo tower raid, such as the Spirit Clan adjutant from "Eye of the Stars" and the Shadow Clan prodigy from the "Shadow Shuttle" team, also appeared one after another.

They came alone or with one or two team members, nodding from afar as a greeting and to show their interest.

There were even a few geniuses that Lin Yi didn't recognize, but who were standing on blue halos, who appeared around the base of the tower. Most of their eyes were focused on Lin Yi, with curiosity and scrutiny, and perhaps a hint of competition.

Clearly, Lin Yi's achievement of "17 floors on the first day" has attracted the attention of some higher-level geniuses, who also want to know how this new team performs in teamwork.

For a moment, the area at the entrance to the Endless Tower, which was originally just a regular queue, had a subtle atmosphere of a small-scale celebration.

Various gazes fell upon the seven people, some curious, some scrutinizing, some expectant, and some with a hint of pressure.

Kenx felt the gazes around him, but instead of getting nervous, he straightened his back and said in a low voice, "Captain, we're warming up before the battle even begins."

Mo Yuan frowned slightly, seemingly disliking being the center of attention, but his grip on the gun became even firmer.

Lei Hao grinned, as if the surrounding gazes were a form of encouragement.

Evan and Xingying remained calm, one focused on adjusting his own state, and the other quickly analyzing the reactions of the people around them.

Amber, on the other hand, looked around excitedly, showing no fear of the gazes directed at her.

Lin Yi took in the team members' reactions and remained calm.

This attention was bound to come sooner or later.

He took a deep breath and looked toward the magnificent entrance to the team's Endless Tower.

The rules for the team endless tower are completely different from those for the individual tower.

It doesn't simply test the depth of an individual's understanding of the rules; rather, it focuses on the complementary rules, tactical cooperation, and synergistic explosive power among team members when their cultivation level is limited to the Star Core level. Its core is—challenging those above their level.

The mirrored enemies inside the tower, starting from the first floor, are all standard Star Swirl-level Tier 1 enemies.

The second layer consists of two Star-level Tier 2 individuals.

Moreover, it will no longer be a single type of soldier; there will be mirror combinations with different rule tendencies and different combat functions.

As the level increases, the number and types of enemies, their coordination, and the strength of the rules will also increase.

Up to the tenth floor, you will face a Star-level peak mirror team composed of ten Star-level Perfection members, whose coordination is skillful and whose application of rules is close to perfection.

Furthermore, starting from the eleventh level, the enemies will no longer be Star Swirl-level, but true Star Domain-level Tier 1 mirror images.

Although it is only the most ordinary star domain level, its life level and control over the rules represent a qualitative change compared to the previous star vortex level, and the difficulty of the challenge increases exponentially.

This also means that being able to pass the tenth level in team mode proves that this Star Core-level team has the ability to contend with or even defeat an ordinary Star Vortex-level perfect team.

If they can pass the eleventh level, it means they have the potential to defeat even the most ordinary star field level beings.

This is the miracle created by teamwork under the support of rules.

As time passed, it was soon Lin Yi and his group's turn.

More and more eyes are focusing on the base of the tower.

Many other team members who were queuing or resting stopped what they were doing and watched with curiosity as this upstart team made its debut.

Lin Yi took a deep breath and looked at his six teammates standing side by side.

Kenx stopped joking and focused his gaze; Mo Yuan pressed his hand to his hidden spear, his aura chilling; Lei Hao stepped forward, as imposing as a mountain; Evan's fingertips were surrounded by emerald light; Xing Ying's expression was calm, and data flowed silently; Amber licked her lips excitedly, her fighting spirit boiling.

"Gentlemen," Lin Yi said, skipping a lengthy pre-battle speech, "remember the formation and coordination we practiced. Our goal is not just to clear the level, but also to figure out the limits of our team."

"Understood!" the crowd shouted in unison, their momentum unstoppable.

A massive portal of light illuminated the team's entrance, casting a hazy glow.

Without further hesitation, Lin Yi took the lead and stepped into the portal.

The other team members followed closely behind, and the seven figures disappeared one after another into the entrance that represented challenges and trials.

As the last person entered, the portal trembled slightly before stabilizing.

At the same time, outside the team's Endless Tower, the huge ring of lights corresponding to the first floor suddenly lit up with white light.

The first team challenge has officially begun.

(End of this chapter)