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

Chapter 282 Three Races on the Same Stage, the Foundation of Races (5K)

Are the three most powerful races simultaneously hosting similar genius battles?
Lin Yi was immediately taken aback.

This can't be a coincidence!

When it comes to the level of racial survival and competition, especially among the three giants who have waged war and harbored hatred for each other for countless years, any large-scale action that is highly coordinated and follows a similar pattern must be hiding a strategic plot concerning the fundamental interests of the race.

This is no longer competition, but rather a tacit understanding in some sense?

Or is it driven by some higher-level rules or needs?

In an instant, a fragment of memory that he had almost forgotten suddenly became crystal clear, like a seashell washed ashore by the waves of a starry sea.

Not long ago, in the "Shattered Star Belt" war zone, when he was fighting to the death with those three Kunmo clan prodigies, before they used that strange secret technique of burning their own clan's blood essence to forcibly raise their realm, they roared with resentment and determination: "Forcing us to use the means prepared for such a secret realm."

The battle was intense at the time, and he had no time to think deeply. He assumed it was the enemy's ultimate trump card for some unknown danger or important mission.

At this moment, combined with the information revealed by Senior Sister Qianhuan about the secret realm and the simultaneous genius battle of the three races, that sentence was like the last and most crucial piece of the scattered star map puzzle, instantly connecting all the scattered clues perfectly.

The Kunmo Clan, as the most loyal henchmen and vanguard race of the Eclipse Clan, spared no expense in preparing a secret technique for its top geniuses. The target of this technique is extremely likely, no, almost certain, that the Eclipse Clan's version of the Genius Battle points to the secret realm shared by the three races!
All the doubts seemed to have found their only way out.

Lin Yi suppressed his turbulent emotions and slowly said, "Senior Sister, so this grand event, which involves the three top races and attracts the attention of countless star fields, is actually more like a preliminary competition for the qualification to enter a special secret realm?"

"You can understand it that way."

Qianhuan reaffirmed Lin Yi's judgment.

Her expression also lost some of its languor and gained a touch of solemnity and profundity befitting an eternal deity.

Lin Yi remained silent.

This truth overturned his previous understanding.

The grand event that impacted the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance was actually centered around a secret realm.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yi asked, "This secret realm must be extremely restricted, and only those at the Star Core level can enter, or at least be able to exert their greatest influence within it."

"Furthermore, the output within is of paramount importance; otherwise, the three major races wouldn't have invested their most outstanding young talents in this gamble. Moreover, the secrecy surrounding this matter is extremely high. I possess purple-level access, yet I have never heard a single word about it on the virtual network."

"With purple access, it's naturally impossible to query."

Qian Huan said calmly, "This matter is not a top secret among the Yanjie-level circles. Many Yanjie-level individuals were once witnesses to it. However, due to rules and tacit understandings, they will not discuss it in semi-public settings such as virtual networks, let alone mention it to those without sufficient authority."

"That secret realm is called the Myriad Secret Realms."

Qianhuan finally unveiled the heavy veil shrouding the endless mystery: "It is jointly controlled by the three peak races of the Spirit Race, the Abyss Race, and the Eclipse Race. Many of the peak battles between the three races were started by it."

She explained in detail, her tone filled with awe at the creation of the universe: "It can only be entered by those at the star core level. The reason it is called the Myriad Secret Realms is that every time it is opened, the internal world rules, environment, landforms, ecosystem, and even the spacetime structure itself may be completely reshaped."

"Mountains and rivers turn into vast oceans, and civilizations rise from deserts. Your experience from the last time you enter is almost useless for the next time. Every step you take is equivalent to entering a completely new world."

Lin Yi suddenly realized that this perfectly explained why it was necessary to select the most outstanding geniuses.

This unknown environment especially requires individuals with strong adaptability, learning ability, and the capacity to quickly rise to prominence and find potential for survival in a completely unknown environment.

Fixed strength and familiar tactics will be greatly diminished in the face of the ever-changing and diverse "myriad secret realms," and may even become a constraint.

"But beneath all these ever-changing appearances, the core rules and ultimate goals remain unchanged."

"Among them, a core resource will inevitably emerge. This thing takes many forms and has no fixed shape, but its essence contains an extremely pure, almost primordial, primordial energy of the universe."

After a slight pause, Qianhuan continued, "This wisp of primordial energy, through special and complex methods of refinement and purification, can ultimately yield primordial essence."

"Essence?"

Lin Yi keenly noticed this new word and subconsciously repeated it.

"Not bad, source material."

Qianhuan affirmed, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"This item is of irreplaceable help to us eternal gods in consolidating our own source laws. It is one of the key resources that propels gods to continue on their path, break free from their inherent shackles, and move towards a higher level."

Source Law!

These two words exploded in Lin Yi's mind.

All doubts were suddenly resolved.

No wonder!
No wonder the three races spared no expense, no wonder they needed to select the most outstanding Star Core level geniuses.

The Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle is not only a turning point for personal glory and destiny, but also carries the heavy mission of obtaining "source matter" for the gods of their respective races, influencing the comparison of high-end combat power, the rise and fall of future fortunes, and even whether the race's civilization can continue in the cruel universe.

However, Qianhuan did not stop talking.

"Speaking of which, junior brother, do you know why all the races in the universe, from the Spirit Race, the Abyss Race, and the Eclipse Race—the pinnacle beings standing at the top of the pyramid—to our Human Race, the Li Race, and even those weaker races struggling to survive on the edge of the starry sea, are so keen on exploring newly discovered secret realms?"

"Is it merely for those seemingly precious resources, lost legacies, or opportunities to gain insights into the rules?"

Lin Yi's thoughts were drawn back to this deeper question. After a moment's thought, he was startled, "Could it be that... those new secret realms also contain Origin Essence?"

"It's close, but more accurately, there's a slight possibility."

Qianhuan nodded slightly, revealing the most primal driving force behind the competition among all races in the universe.

“Any unexplored secret realm, no matter its size or how absurd its form, has an extremely small and faint but real probability of directly giving birth to a formed source substance, or containing primordial substances that can be refined into source substance.”

"This is also the fundamental opportunity that allows those seemingly weak races in the vast universe to seize that one in a billion glimmer of hope, give birth to their own powerful beings, and even achieve a leap in racial level, gradually moving towards prosperity."

"For those tiny and weak races, even if they explore thousands of secret realms, it may be difficult to find even one that produces source matter. But if one does appear, it may create a supreme ruler and completely change the fate and status of a race in the universe."

As she spoke, Qianhuan sighed, her gaze seemingly piercing through time and space, her tone carrying a barely perceptible sigh: "Our human race, back then, relied on the indomitable will and selfless exploration of our ancestors, along with that elusive yet crucial bit of luck, to gradually reach where we are today."

Lin Yi was completely stunned.

He originally thought that "source matter" only existed in the ultimate secret realm, "myriad secret realms," which were jointly controlled by the three major races.

Unexpectedly, in any new and unknown corner of the universe, there lies this tiny yet powerful hope that can defy fate and create a legend.

But after a moment's thought about this fact, Lin Yi couldn't help but blurt out, "Senior Sister, does that mean that the more vast the territory controlled by a race and the richer the star field, the more new secret realms will theoretically be born within its territory as the universe evolves?"

"So, the overall probability of discovering and obtaining source matter is also higher? Is one of the deepest meanings of the struggle for territory actually for this fertile ground that breeds opportunities?"

"That's natural."

Qianhuan affirmed Lin Yi's deduction, her tone carrying a hint of cold reality.

"Territory does not only mean visible resource planets, energy veins, and populations, but also represents fertile ground and a breeding ground for the unknown and opportunities."

As she spoke, she smiled with a hint of sarcasm, "If it weren't for the fact that the Spirit Clan, the Abyss Clan, and the Eclipse Clan are of similar strength, restraining and hindering each other, forming a fragile and dangerous dynamic balance, most of the known rich star fields in this universe would have already been divided up by these three families with thunderous force."

"We other races are probably struggling to even retain our pitiful territory. We have long been enslaved, let alone have any chance of rising up by relying on the slim probability of that secret realm."

"The so-called myriad races of the starry sky, their living space is largely built on the foundation of mutual fear among the three giants." "However, even now, with the three races checking and balancing each other and eyeing each other covetously, the calculation of interests and compromises are everywhere."

"For example, based on practical strategic needs and in-depth cooperation in certain areas, our human race needs to cede a portion of the exploration rights for newly discovered secret realms within our own territory each year to the Elven race. This is a necessary price to pay for choosing sides among the three top races. As a powerful race, our human race is now in a much better position, only needing to cede 20%, while other races..."

Qianhuan shook her head, leaving her words unfinished.

But Lin Yi had already fully understood the unspoken meaning behind it.

Lin Yi remained silent.

With just a few words, his senior sister meticulously unraveled the complexities of the universe, revealing to him the deepest aspects of the competition among all races.

One of the core purposes of the struggle for territory is to obtain the probability of the birth of the source substance.

This goes far beyond the struggle for conventional resources; it addresses the very foundation of racial continuity and advancement.

In contrast, the bloody battles fought by the Astral Army against the Kunmo on the border seem to be merely the most brutal expenditures under this grand scheme, undertaken to maintain and even expand this "fertile ground for opportunities."

The gain or loss of every inch of territory could mean a change in the ownership of a certain secret realm in the future, which in turn would affect the probability of that source matter.

"So, junior brother..."

Qianhuan looked at the deep light that finally returned to Lin Yi's eyes, and brought the topic back to him, her tone returning to its previous calmness.

"The Myriad Secret Realms is the only known ultimate secret realm that can stably produce source essence. It is a strategic location that the three major races must fight for. Only the top one thousand in the Genius Battle are qualified to enter, as it concerns the foundation of their race and their future fortune."

"Adapting to the exploration of secret realms in advance, and developing the ability to quickly adapt, survive, explore, and accurately seek opportunities in completely unknown environments with vastly different rules, is extremely important, both for your competition for the source material in the myriad secret realms and for the various unknown dangers and opportunities you may encounter on your long cultivation path in the future."

"Junior brother understands." Lin Yi nodded solemnly.

"Alright, I've shared everything I should and shouldn't have said with you, senior sister."

Qianhuan resumed her lazy and leisurely demeanor, as if what she had just recounted was not a world-shaking secret that could affect the entire universe, but merely an interesting anecdote during her leisure time in the afternoon.

"Practice the Time Reversal Clone Technique diligently, striving for perfection and stability, and avoid rash actions. I will arrange for a reliable person to deliver the Time Origin Core and your senior sister to you. Junior brother, your senior sister is very much looking forward to your outstanding performance in the upcoming Genius Battle and in the myriad secret realms to come."

As soon as she finished speaking, she gently waved her wide sleeves, as if brushing away the clouds and mist before her eyes.

The surrounding fairy mountains and pavilions, the swirling sea of ​​clouds, the cries of cranes and the murmur of springs, began to fade and become transparent, like a faded ink painting, and finally completely disappeared into the invisible data stream.

The virtual communication was completely disconnected, and Lin Yi's consciousness returned to reality.

He opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed his turbulent emotions.

The amount of information obtained today is enormous. Not only did we obtain the coveted clone technique and the invaluable Time Source Core, but we also glimpsed the earth-shattering secret about the Source Law behind the Genius Battle.

"The technique of creating clones must be mastered as soon as possible."

Lin Yi made up his mind.

This is not only a powerful tool for survival and exploration, but also an essential means to cope with the complex and ever-changing environment of the "Myriad Mysterious Realms" in the future, and an important reliance for competing for Origin Essence and fighting for supremacy for the human race.

At the same time, he subconsciously sensed the "Voidwalker" armor he wore, which had accompanied him through many battles and helped him overcome numerous crises.

The tear on his left shoulder was still clearly visible, like a scar.

Touching the broken edge, Lin Yi could feel the fracture and dimming of the array patterns beneath it.

Facing even stronger enemies in the future and the clash of the three races' most outstanding talents, a more powerful top-tier battle suit is of paramount importance.

"Resources. We still need massive amounts of resources!"

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Yi's eyes. "The Endless Tower, it's time to venture there again and let some people rediscover the name Lin Yi."

The "Endless Tower" of the Star Core-level training camp is the best way to test combat strength and obtain a large number of points and rare resources.

He was busy with battlefield missions and understanding the rules, and did not deliberately try to improve his ranking.

Now that my strength has greatly increased and I possess the four domains, once I've mastered the techniques of the four domains, I'll try to break records, earn enough points to upgrade my battle armor, and accumulate resources for future exploration of secret realms and training in the rules of death.

Time slips away quietly during cultivation.
-
Five years later, Lin Yi finished a short period of seclusion, and then, on a whim, he accessed the Star Core-level training camp.

His figure materialized in the private rest area. He immediately pulled up his contact list, hesitated briefly, and sent a concise message to his teammates:

"I'm going to charge into the Endless Tower now."

The message was sent, and within seconds, a series of virtual projections eagerly materialized in front of him.

Kenx was the first to appear, "Captain?! What did you say? Charge the tower? You're going to charge the Endless Tower now?"

Immediately afterwards, a petite figure appeared; it was Amber.

She covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Captain...you...weren't you always on battlefield missions and teaching on the platform? How come suddenly...and, with your previous strength, did you reach 50% comprehension of the rules of time?"

"With the power of the superior rules, even if it's only 50%, it should be enough to reach the 40th floor."

Then, Xingying appeared.

Even Mo Yuan, who is usually quite quiet, said, "Captain, I'll come and watch the battle."

Seeing the shocked yet expectant reactions of his teammates, Lin Yi couldn't help but smile inwardly.

He could understand their reaction. After all, in other people's eyes, it hadn't been too long since he last reached the third level, and his strength improvement should be within a reasonable range.

Reaching the 40th floor is already an astonishing achievement and in line with expectations given his "genius" status.

Lin Yi's expression remained unchanged, still calm, and he said in a relaxed tone, "Well, I've made some progress recently, and since I'm a bit short on resources, I thought I'd go into the tower to try my hand at something and stretch my muscles."

His gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Xingying's expectant little face. He smiled slightly and said vaguely, "As for how many floors we can reach, we'll do our best. Let's try and see how far we can go."

"Give it a try?"

These words, when heard by Kenx and Amber, almost implied that the goal was the difficult 40th floor!
The two became even more excited.

"Go, Captain! You can do it!" Amber waved her little fist in encouragement.

"Haha, great! With the captain on the case, we're sure to succeed!" Kenx rubbed his hands together, as if he were going to take on the challenge himself.

However, none of them knew that beneath Lin Yi's calm exterior, he had already set a goal far beyond their imagination.

Lin Yi knew very well that with his current mastery of the four realms, especially with the two superior rules of time and space at his disposal, the 40th floor was by no means the end, or even the main goal.

What he wanted was to make a name for himself and firmly establish his undisputed top position among the younger generation of humans.

It was to obtain the massive amount of points and rare resource permissions needed to support his subsequent training in the rules of death, upgrade his battle armor, and prepare for exploring secret realms.

"Currently, the top spot in the training camp is held by floor 54."

Lin Yi silently recited in his heart, a flash of silver-gray light passing through the depths of his eyes, "Since the Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle hasn't started yet, let's start with the Endless Tower for first place."

(End of this chapter)