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

Chapter 241 The Battlefield of Defying Fate Begins (5.4K)

There are seven late-stage Star Swirl level beings in total.

They are interconnected, forming an almost impenetrable energy circulation field.

“The energy field is impenetrable, and conventional tactics are ineffective.” Xingying instantly came to the cruelest conclusion. “Captain, we can only try our extreme tactic. As long as we can withstand the first wave of attacks, we will have a chance.”

Lin Yi glanced at the rapidly solidifying phantom before him and quickly said, "Let's go with our final plan and take a gamble!"

At this moment, the mirror image solidified, and the battle erupted instantly.

"Now! Vast Ocean - Frozen Ice!"

"Heavy Mountain, Thousand Pounds!"

"Golden Limit - No Return!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Xingying, Hupo, and Moyuan ignited and sublimated all the miniature star cores within the Source Sea without reservation.

Starfire transformed into an extremely cold, blue, eternal spear, tearing through space and crashing headlong into the frost-covered mirror image that exuded an aura of absolute zero.

Extreme cold against extreme cold, the ultimate collision at the level of rules, does not erupt with heat, but with absolute silence that devours everything.

Both were annihilated simultaneously.

Amber, like a war god of collapsing stars bursting out from the star's core, had a petite body that bore a weight enough to crush stars. She punched the mirror image that controlled the blazing light, and in the end, they both returned to nothingness.

Mo Yuan's figure had become one with the spear in his hand, the rules of gold were compressed to the extreme, turning his entire body into a golden thread that existed purely for "penetration".

He used himself as the sharpest arrow, piercing through the mirror core that was constantly releasing scorching flames with speed beyond comprehension.

At the cost of shattering the source sea and burning the star core, they made a heroic sacrifice, trading one life for another.

At this moment, there are four mirror images remaining.

These four late-stage Star Swirl mirror images launched a counterattack simultaneously.

There are no fancy moves, just the simplest rules and the outpouring of energy.

The four terrifying attacks of the rules—the scorching flames, the absolute zero that freezes the soul, and the ultimate energy beam—converged into a destructive wave that surged toward the remaining four.

Its power far surpasses that of the sixth level by several times.

"It's my turn!"

Lei Hao unleashed a deafening roar, shattering the Source Sea. At the same time, he pushed the rules to their limit, and a massive barrier connecting the sky above and the energy river below suddenly appeared. The ancient mountain patterns on the barrier seemed to come alive, radiating a heavy will that suppressed everything.

"boom!"

The destructive torrent slammed into the barrier, like two stars colliding, and a terrifying shockwave swept across the entire space, causing the energy river to reverse.

The barrier groaned under the strain, and cracks spread across Lei Hao's body like a spider web in an instant. But his eyes were bloodshot, and he stood like a giant mountain nailed to the spot, firmly resisting the first and most violent impact.

Then, Lei Hao grinned, "Blocked it."

Before he could finish speaking, his body shattered into a shower of dazzling light.

Behind Lei Hao, Evan Whisper seemed oblivious to the scene. His moon-white robes fluttered without wind, and the emerald green life radiance around him burned with unprecedented brilliance. His voice was exceptionally solemn: "Ode to Life - Defying Fate as the Source!"

Xuanji, the gentle yet boundless source energy, surged into Lin Yi's body like a galaxy that had found its final resting place.

This force was so immense that it instantly pushed Lin Yi's source energy intensity to the peak of the star core level.

Meanwhile, Aiven's body, starting from his fingertips, transformed into countless green light particles, like fireflies drifting and rising against the current, before finally disappearing completely in front of Lin Yi.

At the same time, the four late-stage Star Vortex mirror images had already locked their killing intent onto Lin Yi, who they felt was a strong threat, and were about to make their move.

"Light Illusion. Return to Ruins".

In an instant, all the light in the seventh level of space was completely drawn away and swallowed up.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kenx chose to squeeze everything dry, creating an extremely dazzling illusion that dragged the perceptions of the four mirror images into an endless labyrinth.

The attack trajectories of the four mirror images were instantly lost.

"Three seconds."

Kenx only had time to deliver this last message to Lin Yi before he vanished into nothingness.

At this moment, the remaining four mirror images remain completely unharmed.

Only Lin Yi remained in the room.

He didn't have time to feel the terrifying, surging power within him, a power that seemed capable of crushing stars with a mere gesture, because it wasn't enough to deal with the remaining four mirror images in one go.

therefore.

"Defying fate is the source!"

Lin Yi roared silently in his heart.

As fellow practitioners of the rules of life, he originally did not know the forbidden technique of reversing life force to restore it into source energy, which was created by the Spirit Race.

However, when he heard Evan mention that there was such a secret technique, he immediately asked Irelia about it and then, after much pleading, learned the trick from her.

Of course, his understanding of the rules of life was not as deep as Aiven's, so it took him a little longer to activate this forbidden technique.

At this moment, Lin Yi frantically activated his understanding of the rules of life, not only perfectly accepting all the source energy transmitted by Evan, but also igniting most of his own life force.

"Click. Click."

Cracks, like those on broken porcelain, began to appear on the surface of his body. From within these cracks shone a dazzling light that was a mixture of emerald green life radiance and dark gold destruction.

This is a sign that the power has exceeded its limit and is about to collapse.

At the same time, the Nine Luminaries Thunder Pearls merged instantly, and a thunder spear with black electric sparks silently dancing on its surface condensed in his hand.

Seeing that the four mirror images were about to break free from the illusion, Lin Yi immediately poured all his energy into the black Annihilation Thunder Spear in his hand without reservation.

Instead of throwing it, he gently pushed the gun, which held everything in its hands, into the void ahead.

The black lightning spear vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

The next moment.

The four late-stage Star Vortex mirror images, which had already broken free of the illusion and were about to launch an attack, suddenly froze, as if a pause button had been pressed.

A hole silently appeared in each of their chests.

At the edge of the void, tiny black sparks of electricity flickered.

Subsequently, these four powerful late-stage Star Vortex mirror images slowly turned into black ashes, drifted away, and disappeared.

The seventh level of space was deathly silent, with only the silent flow of the energy river remaining.

Lin Yi maintained the gesture of sending out, and the cracks on the surface of his body increased, while the light became more and more intense, like a star about to explode as a supernova.

He struggled to turn his eyes toward the direction where his teammates had once stood, now empty, and a faint smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

"Won."

The words have not yet fallen.

Lin Yi's body exploded with a bang, turning into countless specks of dust that shimmered with tiny lights, like a grand shower of stardust, which eventually drifted away and returned to silence.

Outside the tower, the green light ring on the seventh floor lit up.

Seventh floor. Passed.

A team of newcomers, with a maximum rating of 4, successfully cleared the seventh level of the Endless Tower team mode.
The silence lasted for a full ten seconds, and then a commotion erupted.

"They actually managed to break through to the seventh floor."

"I never expected this episode to have such an exciting thing."

"Lin Yi, I'm quite curious about what the Nightmare Clan team, which doesn't get along with humans, is thinking."

"Quickly, send the message back immediately. They have the potential to be a three-tier team."

Huiyao stared intently at the tower for a long time before finally uttering, "Impressive."

Xingyu stared blankly at the light screen. He knew that from today onwards, this team would become an object that needed to be treated as an equal.

Qingfeng let out a long sigh of relief, a bright smile spreading across her face: "Good heavens, that's really good heavens."

Inside the tower, on the eighth floor.

The seven people, now recovered, looked at each other in silence.

"Eighth Floor"

Kenx looked at the eight mirror images that were slowly condensing and then looked at Lin Yi.

"Captain, what do you say? Should we fight or not?" Lin Yi shook his head, his eyes regaining their clarity and calmness: "The eighth level has eight Star Vortex Rank 8s, and the strength difference is even greater. We used all our trump cards and barely made it through the seventh level. There's no chance on the eighth level. Dying once is not a pleasant experience, so it's not worth it."

Everyone nodded silently.

"We give up and leave."

Lin Yi made the most rational decision.

With a flash of light, the figures of the seven people were teleported out from the Endless Tower.

Almost the instant they steadied themselves, several figures stepped forward to meet them.

"Captain Lin Yi, congratulations!" Hui Yao exclaimed. "You've made it to the Endless Tower as the first team to clear seven floors. Such a feat has already broken the record for teams at level four. I'm truly impressed!"

Xingyu, who was following behind him, smiled and nodded in greeting, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He had tried to recruit him back then, but he never expected that so soon he would have to treat him as an equal.

Almost simultaneously, another clear, cold voice rang out: "Seventh floor, not bad."

Everyone looked and saw it was "Ice Blade" Qinglan.

He still had his arms crossed, and nodded slightly to Lin Yi, "Looking forward to meeting you in future missions."

The other top-tier geniuses who rushed over upon hearing the news also stepped forward to offer their congratulations and express their desire to make friends, some simply and others warmly.

Lin Yi responded appropriately to the crowd's enthusiasm, neither arrogant nor humble. He accepted their kindness without losing his composure, which further enhanced Huiyao, Qinglan, and the others' opinion of him.

"Captain Lin Yi."

Huiyao deliberately lingered a while longer, waiting for the crowd to disperse before returning to Lin Yi and saying:

"As fellow humans, we should support each other within this alliance. In the future, whether in this training camp or in the vast human territory, if you encounter any troublesome matters and need intelligence or certain channels, please feel free to ask. My Starshine Squad will do its best."

These words were more than just polite formalities; they signaled recognition and a potential alliance.

Standing to Lin Yi's side and slightly behind, Kenx was overjoyed to see these usually arrogant Tier 3 geniuses now behaving so amiably, even with a hint of trying to make friends. His rainbow-colored short hair seemed to tremble slightly with excitement.

"Here it comes, this is the feeling! It feels so good to be clinging to the captain's coattails! With his background as a direct descendant of the Source Law Lord, I can practically walk around the Aurora Rainbow Starfield with my head held high, right? Hehe, deciding to follow the captain was absolutely the right decision."

After receiving Lin Yi's affirmative reply, Huiyao and the others wisely refrained from further intrusion, leaving behind contact marks and goodwill before departing one after another.

In the days that followed, Lin Yi and his group did not lose their way because of the temporary sensation.

The tragic sacrifices on the seventh floor of the tower made them deeply aware of the gap between themselves and the truly top-tier combat forces, as well as the subtle flaws that still existed in their coordination.

They digested the experience and gains from this tower challenge, and used the huge amount of points they obtained to devote themselves even more diligently to their cultivation.

Training, exchanging ideas, reviewing, and improving—the days quietly slipped by in a fulfilling and structured rhythm.

The Star Core-level training camp provided the best platform, and the seven members of the team were like seven sponges thirsting for water, frantically absorbing all the nutrients that could make them stronger.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, two years have passed.

On this day, Lin Yi had just finished a round of in-depth tempering of the metal domain in the "Golden Origin Sword Tomb" and was preparing to conduct team tactical simulations when Xuanji's voice rang in his mind.

[Headmaster, an encrypted message has been received from General Ruger's adjutant in the 93778th Frontier Legion of the Astral Army. The message is marked as—Highest Urgency.]

[Meanwhile, the Mercenary Alliance mission system has been updated, and designated missions have been released.]

Lin Yi's mind raced, and he immediately ordered: "Connect the information and display the mission summary."

The next moment, a screen of light unfolded before his eyes.

At the top is General Luger's resolute electronic signature seal, below which is the concise yet powerful text:
To Lin Yi, leader of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group:
The K-77 star system, the 'Ash Star System' tiered battlefield, was officially designated and activated at 08:00 Ephemeris Standard Time.

In accordance with the previous agreement, the first batch of Level 2 battlefield designated combat missions are hereby issued to your organization through the Astral Army's military merit system.

Detailed operational area star map, enemy situation reports, mission objectives, and merit criteria are provided in the appendix.

We urge your unit to complete its combat readiness as soon as possible and arrive at the designated assembly coordinates within ten days.

—The 93778th Frontier Legion Command of the Astral Army.

As his gaze swept over those few lines of text, the fighting spirit that had been dormant for two years suddenly ignited in Lin Yi's eyes, like a spark being set ablaze.

The tiered battlefield has finally begun.

Without any hesitation, his consciousness immediately connected with all team members through the Xuanji. Whether they were cultivating in the virtual network or busy in various parts of the North Wind, all the team members received his concise and powerful message at the same time:

"All personnel, level one combat readiness."

"Target: Ash Starfield, Level 2 Battlefield."

"We should set off."

Northwind, bridge.

The atmosphere on the bridge, which had been operating smoothly, changed instantly.

The soft ambient lighting switched to a slightly cold, war-ready tone, and the holographic star map quickly unfolded on the central main screen, locking onto the coordinates of the "Ash Starfield".

Xuanji simultaneously transmitted Lin Yi's orders and mission briefings to the tactical terminals of every ship and every member of the fleet.

"Repeat, Level 1 combat readiness order confirmed. All non-essential systems enter low-power mode, prioritizing energy supply to combat units. Flight path replanned, target: designated assembly coordinates in the Ashes Starfield, all departure preparations expected to be completed within two hours."

Xuanji's voice echoed across the bridge.

Lin Yi stood in front of the captain's seat, his gaze sweeping over the busy operators before finally settling on Irelia beside him.

"It's finally about to begin," Irelia said softly.

"Yes." Lin Yi nodded. "A thousand days of training, one day of use. It's time to test our true strength."

The rest cabin of the Sharp 3 assault ship.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the solemnity of the bridge; almost the instant the order was given, it was like a huge powder keg was ignited.

"Hahaha! They're here! They've finally arrived!"

Andrei leaped from the maintenance platform, his thick arm wrapped in biological bandages slamming heavily onto the alloy table beside him with a dull thud. "My greatsword has been itching for a fight for ages! This time, I'm going to chop off a few bug heads to use as wine glasses!"

"Come on, Andrei." A teammate next to him laughed and teased him, but his eyes were equally eager. "I'd be satisfied if I could take down a few more elite units and get a dukedom title."

"Tiered battlefield, military merit system!" Chen Yu rubbed his hands excitedly, pacing back and forth in the rest cabin, muttering to himself, "Brothers, today is the day to make our mark!"

Liu Yuan was much calmer. He carefully examined every energy circuit of the longsword, looked up when he heard this, and said calmly, "Don't just think about military merits, think about how to survive first. The Kunmo tribe is not a target, and the tiered battlefield is not an amusement park."

His words were like a bucket of cold water, cooling down the heated atmosphere slightly, but also making everyone more sober.

Not far away, the chill emanating from Elizabeth seemed to intensify. She silently inserted several vials of high-concentration energy potions into the slots on the side of her arm armor. Her icy blue eyes were devoid of any emotion, displaying only absolute calmness, as if what was about to happen was not a life-or-death battle, but rather a routine training session.

Sharp Edge IV Assault Ship, Eldar member area.

The Spirit Clan members of the Sheena family reacted with elegance and restraint.

They stopped their research or meditation and gathered at the observation window, watching the fleet outside begin to adjust its course.

“A tiered battlefield. A true arena of racial conflict,” a young Eldar male murmured, a hint of tension in his voice.

“This means we will face the main force of the Kunmo Clan head-on, not small harassing units,” another Elven woman interjected, her slender fingers gently brushing against a family crest on her chest that emitted a faint glow. “Lady Irelia has chosen to accompany them, and our Xena Clan should also show the courage and strength to match her.”

"Adapt, observe, learn, and then... conquer."

The elder Eldar concluded, her gaze fixed through the porthole on the massive man-made fortress in the distance, "This will be the most important lesson we learn after leaving the Peaceful Starfield."

Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, Wolf Howl.

"Boss, there's movement from Dongfeng. All the warships' engines are warming up, and judging from their course, they're leaving the fortress." The intelligence officer rushed to report to the regimental commander, Buck.

As a mercenary group that provided timely support to the Astral Army, the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group also received an invitation to the Tiered Battlefield.

Buck abruptly sat up straight in his command chair, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes: "Sure enough, General Ruger just designated the war zone, and they're already making their move. They're going to the tiered battlefields to rack up military merits."

He stroked the stubble on his chin and clicked his tongue: "Pass down the order, tell the brothers to keep their eyes open. If they encounter Dongfeng's men on the battlefield, they should help them out if they can. If they can't help in times of need, they can at least help in times of good fortune. Making a good relationship might just save our lives someday."

Similar conversations have taken place within mercenary groups like "Thorn Shield" and "Eye of the Eagle," which have had interactions with Dongfeng over the years.

The actions of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group are now affecting the nerves of many forces in this border star region.

One hour later, the Astral Army 93778 Border Legion outpost, third export port.

The massive Northwind, like a behemoth awakening, slowly sailed out of its berth, its sleek and powerful hull gleaming with a cold metallic sheen under the harbor lights.

Following closely behind, the Sharp-class assault ships and Guardian-class frigates lined up in sequence, forming a compact and efficient combat formation.

A calm voice came through the port control channel: "Eastern Front Mercenary Group fleet, identification code confirmed, navigation beacon guided, wish you good luck in your campaign."

"Dongfeng received this, thank you for the guidance," Lin Yi replied calmly.

(End of this chapter)