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

Chapter 243 So your human race has geniuses? (5K votes requested)
Meanwhile, the Dongfeng team members who were the first to rush out of the airdrop capsule did not rush to the nearest gap to fill the defensive line like ordinary reinforcements.

They assembled with astonishing efficiency. Then, except for Lin Yi, the more than 500 Star Core level warriors instantly formed groups of ten into fifty tactical squads, led by their respective captains. Without hesitation, they transformed into fifty sharp arrows and accurately shot towards the area on the periphery of the base where the Kunmo Clan's source energy fluctuations were most concentrated.

Their movements were swift and deadly; upon first contact, they displayed a combat prowess and mastery of rules far exceeding that of ordinary Astronaut soldiers.

Chen Yu's blade flashed, shredding large swarms of insects into dust; Andrei's giant blade roared, tearing through the air and carving a bloody path through the insect tide; Liu Yuan's sword light was as fine as silk, precisely targeting and killing the Kunmo clan command units mixed in with the insect sea; Elizabeth's frost effectively slowed down the movements of large swarms of insects.
Their arrival instantly stabilized several local fronts that were on the verge of collapse.

Apart from the 500 Dongfeng team members who went out to attack, the remaining 20 soldiers did not go out with the team.

They moved swiftly and silently, forming a tight circular defensive formation that protected Lin Yi, who had just stepped out of the drop pod, in the center.

These twenty people were all Spirit Race warriors at the Star Core level of perfection.

Their faces were cold and stern, their bodies surrounded by powerful energy fluctuations, and the weapons in their hands gleamed with a dangerous light.

Before setting off, they received instructions from Irelia to ensure the absolute safety of Commander Lin Yi at all costs.

Anyone who tries to threaten the commander's life must first step over their dead bodies.

Lin Yi felt the twenty unwavering auras around him, as firm as rocks, and sighed inwardly.

Although he felt it was unnecessary, he knew it was Irelia's last insistence, so he let the Eldar warriors guard her.

Lin Yi turned his gaze to the boundless sea of ​​insects in the distance, his eyes becoming extremely focused.

It's time to give these bugs a surprise.

Lin Yi did not gather his strength and prepare a devastating attack as he had done when dealing with powerful opponents in the past.

Instead, he slowly closed his eyes.

An invisible "field" centered on him, like ripples spreading when a stone is thrown into a lake, initially weak, but expanding and spreading geometrically in an instant.

It silently swept across the entire "Helios" base, past the tattered defenses, across the scorched earth, and towards the distant swarm of insects that covered the vast plateau like a blood-red carpet.

The area of ​​this "field" is beyond imagination, almost completely enveloping the entire plateau.

However, the Star Guardian soldiers and Eastflight members inside did not feel a deadly pressure. They only felt as if a cool veil was gently brushing against their bodies, which even made their source energy flow smoother.

However, for the Zerg, this "veil" is a death sentence.

Since a domain can be highly compressed and attached to a weapon to pursue single-target attacks, it can naturally reduce power in order to obtain a larger coverage area.

This is another advanced technique for applying the domain: domain extension.

After sensing that his domain had expanded to its limit under a certain power, Lin Yi suddenly opened his closed eyes, and countless tiny golden and emerald green rule runes seemed to flash by deep in his eyes.

Then, he raised his right hand and gently clenched it towards the vast sea of ​​insects in front of him, as if he wanted to grasp the whole world in his palm.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling brilliance.

The next moment.

Centered on the base, the insect swarm that had been surging and roaring like a boiling pot of porridge across the entire plateau presented an astonishing scene.

All the smaller, relatively fragile "blade bugs," all the "diggers" that burrow underground and try to break through, and all the "blade-winged locusts" that hover in the air, waiting for an opportunity to swoop down.
All Zerg units with an energy level clearly below the Star Core level, regardless of their state—whether charging, roaring, or just leaping—immediately become stunned and then turn into countless tiny, dark green dust particles floating in the air.

Not even a single cry of agony could be left behind.

In an instant, the hundreds of millions of stardust-level cannon fodder driven by the Kunmo Clan melted and vanished silently under Lin Yi's seemingly casual grasp, like ice and snow under the sun.

The originally noisy and chaotic battlefield suddenly became quieter by more than 80%.

The heavy blood-red clouds that had been pressing down on the city suddenly cleared away, leaving only the exceptionally large "Tear Beasts," "Acid Cannon Bugs," and the Kunmo Clan's own warriors, whose auras clearly reached the Star Core level, standing blankly on the suddenly empty battlefield.

But they certainly don't have it easy either.

Although the power of the domain was diluted and mainly targeted lower-tier units, the aftershocks still dealt a heavy blow to these star-core-level Zerg.

Almost every surviving high-level Zergling had numerous cracks on its body, green blood oozing from the gaps in its carapace, its aura instantly weakened by more than half, and its movements became sluggish, clearly indicating that it had suffered severe damage in the indiscriminate crushing of the domain just now.

What... what is this?!
All the human soldiers who witnessed this scene, whether they were frontline soldiers fighting against the high-level Zerg or command personnel who saw it through observation equipment, were momentarily stunned.

A young Astral Army soldier, who had just plunged his sword into the Blade Worm's body, was still in a charging posture when he stared in disbelief as the once dense swarm of worms in front of him instantly turned to ashes, leaving only a few massive, wounded Rippers writhing in agony.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Good heavens...am I seeing things?"

A veteran next to him subconsciously wiped the dust that had fallen on his face and muttered to himself.

Inside the command fortress, Commander Tavik, who had just grabbed his weapon and rushed to the front line, stumbled and almost fell.

He stared intently at the battlefield in front of him, which had been mostly cleared away in an instant. His mind went blank, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

"Starfield level?!"

This was the first and most reasonable thought that popped into his mind, and immediately, a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

"Dongfeng's star-domain level expert has violated the rules! We're doomed. The Kunmo Clan supervisors will intervene immediately, and those of us who indirectly benefited will be severely punished!"

His face turned deathly pale instantly, not only from fear of the rules and punishment, but also from the despair of failing after so much perseverance and sacrifice, all because of the reckless interference of a powerful figure.

He subconsciously looked up at the sky, waiting for the terrifying pressure of the Transcendent Realm level to descend and crush him and the entire base together.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Nothing happened.

The sky remained a dark red stained by gunpowder, with nothing unusual except for the ongoing battle between the Astronauts' fighters and the remaining Zerg flying units.

The invisible domain power still lingered faintly, but the expected intervention from the overseer did not materialize.

Commander Vic was stunned.

The adjutant, Noah, was also stunned, and the data tablet in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

All the veterans who were familiar with the rules of the battlefield and realized what had happened were stunned.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with bewilderment and disbelief.

No punishment?

This means that the terrifying method of clearing out all low-level Zerg within a radius of tens of kilometers just now was not done at the Star Domain level.
But how is this possible?

Could a Star Core-level being possess such power?
Just then, the East Peak Mercenary Group's communication channel, which had just been synchronized, came through the battlefield communication channel.

"The commander is awesome, this is really awesome."

"This time, the leader's domain range has increased by such a large margin."

"Attention all units, prioritize focusing fire on severely wounding high-level targets; beware of a desperate counterattack." Domain Control
These two words struck Tavic like a thunderclap.

He had heard of Star Core level mastery of domains before, and had even witnessed the battles between geniuses in the Pan-Spirit Alliance's Genius Battle. However, those geniuses' domains seemed to be used more to enhance their own weapons or to control the field in a small area.

But what lies before us covers the entire plateau region; in the blink of an eye, it could annihilate all low-level Zerg and severely damage high-level ones.
Is this really something a star-core level can do?
But then, Tavik didn't have time to think about it anymore. After all, he was in the base, and he could ask any questions he had later. Right now, he had more important things to do.

"Counterattack! All units, concentrate firepower to eliminate the remaining high-level targets! Recapture the outer perimeter! Now!"

Tavic practically roared the order, his voice trembling with extreme excitement, even cracking.

He shouted into the communications channel, "Attention all squad commanders! Remind the brothers in Dongfeng to be wary of the suicide attacks from those heavily wounded insects. They know they can't escape! Dongfeng's friendly squads, thank you for your support, please coordinate your operations and be aware of crossfire!"

Tavik's experience was on full display at this moment; he did not lose his composure despite his elation.

"kill!"

After a brief silence came the thunderous roar of the Star Guardians.

The pent-up despair and anger, along with the hope and ecstasy that burst forth at this moment, transformed into an overwhelming fighting spirit.

A junior officer of the Astral Army brandished his sword and charged ahead of a ripper beast whose carapace was shattered and green blood was gushing out, roaring, "Brothers, charge with me! Slaughter these bastards!"

The soldiers behind him, as if injected with a powerful energy booster, rushed forward with bloodshot eyes.

The various squads of Dongfeng also quickly coordinated with the Astronauts.

Just as a Terran player from the Eastern Front subdued an Acid Cannon Bug, a nearby Astronaut soldier immediately and precisely inserted his spear into a crack in the bug's carapace.

Amid the explosion, Elizabeth's frost power spread in time, freezing the legs of another ripper beast that was trying to charge and self-destruct, creating valuable time for focused fire.

Without the cover and attrition of a massive number of cannon fodder, these Kunmo star core-level units, already heavily wounded and hampered in their movements, were quickly annihilated under the organized siege of human warriors.

Many heavily wounded Kunmo Star Core-level units did indeed fall into a final frenzy, attempting to rush towards the human lines and self-destruct. However, thanks to the timely reminders from the officers and the precise long-range targeting by the Dongfeng team members, most of them were intercepted halfway, with only a few successful attempts causing minor casualties.

The Astronautical Army's defenses were not only stabilized, but they also took advantage of the opportunity to push forward more than ten kilometers, recapturing many of the previously lost outer positions and key support points.

Cheers erupted on the battlefield.

The Kunmo tribe's originally surging and decisive offensive was suddenly halted by Lin Yi's unexpected attack. Like a wild beast with its claws and teeth cut off, it showed obvious signs of shrinking and hesitation, temporarily stopping its reckless and frenzied assault.

As far as the eye could see, the once despairing swarm of insects was now reduced to distant, indistinct figures and sporadic roars, appearing much emptier.
-
In the core area of ​​the base, Lin Yi slowly lowered his hand, his face slightly pale and his breathing a little rapid. The precise control of that extremely large area of ​​domain just now was also a considerable burden for him.

The twenty Eldar guards remained as loyal as sentinels, standing motionless around him, vigilantly watching for any potential threat.

Commander Vic, surrounded by several guards, practically ran to Lin Yi.

He looked at the black-haired youth in front of him, noticed Lin Yi's pale face and the twenty powerful spirit race warriors who were clearly guarding him, and was even more shocked.

"Commander Lin Yi. It's me."

The battle-hardened commander was momentarily speechless.

Tavic took a deep breath, forcibly calming his turbulent emotions, and solemnly gave an Astral Army salute. "On behalf of all the garrison troops at 'Helios' base, I thank you and the East Peak Mercenary Group for turning the tide. I...I initially thought..."

He shook his head with a wry smile, not saying anything more, but the meaning was self-evident.

He thought it was a Star Domain-level violation and was almost scared to death.

"Commander Tavic, you're too kind. It's our duty to assist in defending the base."

Lin Yi responded calmly, as if the earth-shattering attack just now was nothing more than a casual gesture. "However, I must remind you that this kind of area-of-effect clearing consumes a tremendous amount of mental and source energy, and requires time to recover, so it cannot be used frequently."

To prevent unnecessary misjudgments, Lin Yi frankly explained the limitations.

Vic's expression hardened, and he immediately nodded emphatically: "I understand, I understand! That attack just now was incredibly powerful, and it has probably thoroughly alarmed the Kunmo tribe's command. Their brief retreat is not an excuse to give up easily; they are likely readjusting their deployment, and their next attack will definitely be targeted!"

His gaze drifted towards the distant direction of the insect swarm, which had temporarily calmed down but was still teeming with undercurrents, and he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"It's alright." Lin Yi's gaze also turned to the distance. "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. We just need to hold out for these seven days."
-
Meanwhile, deep beneath the surface of Crimson Star, in a vast cavity covered in biological tissue and filled with slime and dark energy flows.

A figure clad in heavy chitinous armor, resembling a giant, upright mantis, smashed a communicator made of flesh and crystal in front of it to pieces.

Green energy slurry and fragments of biological tissue splattered everywhere.

"Trash! They are all a bunch of trash!"

An angry roar of the spirit echoed within the cavity, causing the surrounding flesh walls to convulse violently.

"How is this possible?! My sea of ​​'Blade Insects' and swarm of 'Tunnelers' were wiped out in an instant?! Even the 'Tear Beasts' and 'Corruptors' were severely damaged?! How could the Crimson Blood Star Battlefield possibly have a Star Core-level attack of this magnitude?! This is definitely a Star Domain-level attack! This is a violation. This is a serious violation!"

This figure was none other than Zagar, the battlefield commander of the Kunmo tribe in charge of the "Helios" offensive.

Its enormous compound eyes flashed with a violent and incredulous light. It immediately sent an urgent complaint and report to its superiors through another encrypted mental channel, requesting that they file a complaint and report with the race's world-level overseer and strongly demand arbitration.

A moment later, a cold will responded to it.

"The supervisors' investigation found no signs of illegal intervention in energy fluctuations at the star-domain level or above. The target unit's energy response was undeniably at the star-core level. The method used was determined to be an advanced application of the rules of the battlefield, executed at the star-core level, and is in accordance with the rules of the battlefield."

what?
Star core level?
Zagar's anger was instantly replaced by a bone-chilling cold.

A star-core level domain—or is it a domain capable of covering such a terrifying area and causing such targeted destruction?

How is this played?
This is no ordinary genius, this is a monster! A carefully cultivated genius war seed of humanity!

"Damn it. The human race actually deployed such a high-level 'prodigy' to 'Helios,' a meat grinder, right at the start of the battle?"

Its massive scythe-like forelimbs rubbed together, producing a teeth-grinding "clanging" sound, and the light in its compound eyes became incredibly fearful.

But soon, this fear transformed into a calculated killing intent.

It is well aware of the value of such outstanding individuals.

They usually enter the fray to reap the rewards when the battlefield situation is clearer or they have a better chance of success, rather than venturing into such dangerous territory at the beginning.

Humanity's investment demonstrates both their determination to conquer Crimson Star and the possibility that it was a huge mistake!

It immediately sent another urgent distress message to its superiors via the mental link:
"Human prodigy has appeared at the 'Helios' node in the 'Crimson Plateau' war zone! Confirmed to have mastered the rule domain, he instantly wiped out low-tier units and severely damaged our high-tier units. Requesting immediate deployment of our 'Blade Prince' level prodigy to carry out the highest priority decapitation mission! Repeat, requesting prodigy to enter the battlefield for decapitation!"

After sending the message, Zagar stared at the virtual sand table representing the "Helios" base, his compound eyes flashing with an extremely cruel yet excited light.

"Talented individuals aren't exclusive to your human race! Since you dared to come, and since you've exposed yourself, then don't even think about leaving!"

Zagar's mental fluctuations were filled with cruelty; it seemed as if it could already see the scene of that genius's head being severed by its own clan's prodigy.

"Killing a human prodigy with such immense potential is enough to elevate my status within the clan, and the rewards I receive will certainly be no less than those from destroying that damned base!"

(End of this chapter)