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

Chapter 284 Aftermath, Preparations for the Secret Realm (5K)

Subsequently, other familiar or befriended third and fourth-tier geniuses, as well as representatives of some races, also stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

Shi Man, for example, offered his congratulations in a loud voice; Lan Shuang, for example, nodded in a cool tone; and some geniuses from the Spirit Clan and the Holy Feather Clan also offered their polite blessings.

Lin Yi responded to each question with perfect tact, maintaining the dignity of a powerful figure without appearing aloof.

He could clearly feel countless eyes focused on him.

The gazes filled with curiosity, awe, inquiry, and ignited fighting spirit, along with the purple halo around his feet, all signified that he had truly stepped into the spotlight of the training camp, and every step he would take in the future would attract even more attention and interpretation.

After a brief exchange with several important figures, Lin Yi did not linger.

He nodded slightly to everyone as a final farewell, then, with his core team members, calmly turned and left the Endless Tower under the watchful eyes of many.

Long Ge Xing Tong, You Lan Ying Ge, and Xuan Zhong watched Lin Yi's departing figure without leaving immediately.

"What do you think?" Youlan asked.

The nebula in Long Ge's eyes calmed down: "Unfathomable. I might be able to touch the threshold of the sixtieth floor even if I exert all my strength, but there is absolutely no way I can pass it. He will be the biggest favorite to win the next Genius Battle."

Xuan Zhong said in a muffled voice, "Unless he stops advancing, I can't beat him."

Long Ge nodded and said, "He may have had some fortuitous encounters and secret techniques. But in any case, this is his strength. We belong to the same mercenary alliance, so we should try our best to be on good terms with him. At the very least, we shouldn't be enemies."

Youlan chuckled lightly, "Such a person is naturally worth befriending. Being classmates is also a kind of friendship. Besides, he might be the one to hold the fort in the secret realm. It seems I need to prepare a suitable gift."

Shi Man walked up to Hui Yao and said, "Hui Yao, congratulations! Brother Lin Yi is truly beyond words. It seems that in the next Genius Battle, your side finally has a chance to compete for the highest honor. If you need any help, just let us know."

Huiyao returned the greeting with a fist and a fist salute, his smile sincere: "Brother Shiman, congratulations! If the human race can achieve good results, it will be a good thing for all our races."

Lan Shuang also gave Qing Feng a rare nod: "Congratulations, Lord Lin Yi is truly admirable."

Qingfeng laughed heartily: "Thank you."

At this moment, having left the bustling and attention-grabbing center beneath the Endless Tower, Lin Yi, along with Kenx, Mo Yuan, and other core team members, did not return directly to their respective training grounds, but instead held a small gathering first.

The observation deck on the hotel's rooftop seems to float in a sea of ​​stars, with the Milky Way flowing beneath your feet and swirling nebulae in the distance, a scene of tranquility and vastness.

"Finally, some peace and quiet!"

Kenx let out a long sigh and slumped unceremoniously into a soft chair bathed in starlight, his short, colorful hair seemingly drooping in a relaxed manner.

"The way those people looked at the captain just now, tsk tsk, it was like they wanted to devour him alive."

He complained, but his face showed undisguised smugness as he casually ordered an energy drink from the menu that was extremely colorful and called "Aurora Storm".

Mo Yuan stood ramrod straight, holding his spear, his gaze sweeping across the dazzling sea of ​​stars, his cold profile standing out sharply against the starlight.

Although he didn't speak, his tense muscles had already relaxed, and he was clearly enjoying this moment of peace.

Xingying quickly brought up the virtual panel, her eyes flashing with data, as if she was analyzing the data on the reactions of the people outside the tower that she had just recorded, and constructing some kind of sociological or psychological model.

Amber, the most lively of the group, curiously clung to the edge of the platform, gazing at the flowing river of stars below, letting out a small gasp of amazement. She then ran back, looking at Lin Yi expectantly: "Captain, aren't we super famous now? When we go on missions, will mentioning our names scare away a bunch of people?"

Lin Yi looked at the different expressions on his teammates' faces and a smile appeared on his face.

He casually sat down opposite Kenx, ordered a refreshing "Starry Sky Iced Brew," and looked at Amber, saying gently, "Reputation is meaningless; strength is what matters. After today, more people will be watching us, and the challenges will be greater."

His tone was calm, without the slightest hint of arrogance.

“The captain is right.”

Evan Whisper sat down gracefully, holding a glass of "Dawn Dew" that exuded a faint scent of life, and said, "The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. We need to be more careful with our words and actions, and work together sincerely."

Lei Hao nodded vigorously, "I knew following the captain would be the right thing to do. Anyone who dares to cause trouble in the future will have to ask me first." As he spoke, he patted his muscular chest forcefully.

"Alright, we can celebrate later."

Lin Yi raised his cup, the transparent glass seemingly holding a miniature galaxy. "Today's gathering serves two purposes: to relax and to clarify the path ahead. The Endless Tower is merely a milestone on the path of cultivation, not the end. The Pan-Spirit Alliance's Genius Battle and the secret realms are the true testing grounds."

Everyone's expressions turned solemn, and they all raised their glasses.

"For our team, and for the journey ahead." Lin Yi's gaze swept over each team member, and he thought to himself, "They all seem to be quite capable. They all seem to know about the secret realm. No wonder no one told me; perhaps they assumed I should know as well."

"For the team!"

Everyone responded in unison, their cups clinking lightly, and the virtual drinks shimmered with different colors.

The atmosphere at the small gathering was relaxed and harmonious.

Kenx began to vividly describe the shocked expressions he had observed on the faces of those usually arrogant third-rate geniuses, which made everyone laugh.

Occasionally, Xingying would insert a few precise data analyses, pointing out how abnormal someone's pupil contraction was at that moment.

Although Mo Yuan remained silent, a barely perceptible smile would occasionally appear at the corners of his mouth.

Amber chattered away, full of wild and imaginative ideas about the future.

Lin Yi mostly listened, occasionally interjecting a few words or answering the team members' questions about the rules of practice.

Although he has reached the top of the training camp, in front of his team members, he is still the trustworthy captain, not the high and mighty leader.

About an hour later, Lin Yi put down his cup.

"That's enough for today." He stood up. "Go back and digest what you've learned today. Tomorrow, I will lead everyone in a team mode challenge. Once you get your points, you must quickly convert them into real strength."

"Understood, Captain!" Everyone stood up and responded in unison.

Lin Yi nodded, satisfied with everyone's reaction.

Without saying another word, his figure blurred and disappeared from the viewing platform, returning to his private space.

"Xuanji, bring up the points redemption list and prioritize filtering for the three categories of weapons, armor, and rule-enlightenment aids."

"Okay, master."

Xuanji's palace attire appeared in the shadows. With a wave of her hand, a huge light screen unfolded in front of Lin Yi, and information about countless rare items surged forth like a galaxy waterfall.

This time, he made it to the 60th floor in one go, earning a full 1000 million points. Lin Yi had a clear goal for how to spend these points.

He was quite comfortable using his main weapon, "Rending Universe," and there was no need to change it for the time being.

However, clones require the right equipment, otherwise their strength will be greatly reduced.

"My clone is also my body, and should not be treated lightly."

Lin Yi's mind raced, and he quickly locked onto his target.

He chose the [Thousand Shadows Flowing Light Blade].

This weapon system is composed of 999 pieces of "flowing light crystals" that are as thin as cicada wings and possess spatial cutting properties.

It can be separated and combined, and its form is varied. Although it is not as transformed from a fragment of the Evolution Realm as "Rending Universe", and its extreme sharpness is slightly inferior, its unpredictability, agility and ability to conduct spatial power are extremely outstanding. It is perfect for clones to perform various exquisite combat techniques, and its price is relatively affordable.

A set of [Thousand Shadows Flowing Light Blade] costs 3 points, but Lin Yi directly redeemed five sets, spending 15 points.

After all, it's a clone; it can explode at any time.

Buying something too expensive will hurt you more if you lose money, so a moderately priced item is best.

Regarding battle attire, he redeemed another Voidwalker Battle Suit for his main body, and also purchased 5 sets of [Starry Sky Armor].

This combat suit is considered a universal battle armor for star-level powerhouses. It can fine-tune the defensive focus according to the user's rules and characteristics. Although it is far inferior to the Voidwalker's battle suit, it has the advantage of high cost-effectiveness and is sufficient to deal with most combat scenarios.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of thousands of points were spent. This number is enough for ordinary fourth-tier geniuses to accumulate over thousands of years.

But for Lin Yi, who has tens of millions of points, this is just a necessary investment to solidify his foundation.

After doing all that, Lin Yi turned his gaze to the deeper part of the exchange list, to the areas involving the rules of death.

"The rule of death. Life and death are interdependent, and the cycle repeats itself. If we want to reach higher levels of creation and destruction in the future, the rule of death is an unavoidable link."

Lin Yi was well aware of the strangeness and danger of cultivating the rules of death. Rashly delving into it could easily backfire on him, causing damage to his soul at best and annihilation of his life force at worst.

However, he has the rules of life as his foundation, the perfect rules of space as his barrier, and the rules of time as his final insurance, thus qualifying him to begin exploring.

Even so, he did not rashly choose those relatively high-risk items related to the rules of death, but instead selected a series of relatively mild auxiliary enlightenment treasures.

【Breath of the Styx (Diluted)】: An extremely faint aura derived from a tributary of the Styx River in a vanished secret realm. It can be used to initially perceive the silent and final characteristics of the rules of death. Exchange Points: 30.

[Stone of Rebirth (Fragment)]: A legendary fragment of a strange stone that witnessed the annihilation of countless lives. It passively increases sensitivity to the aura of death. Exchange Points: 50.

"The Record of Contemplation on Nirvana (Fragment)": A contemplation chart of a certain eternal deity regarding the decay of all things and the collapse of rules. Only the first three charts remain, containing an introductory guide to the rules of death. Exchange Points: 90.

[Withered World Tree Seed]: A World Tree seed that has completely lost its vitality and contains the rules of death, making it an excellent sample for studying the transformation of life into death. Exchange Points: 100 million.

In total, nearly 300 million points were invested.

These treasures are enough for him to carefully explore the mysteries of the rules of death for a long time to come, laying the foundation for the future integration of "life and death" and even the exploration of "reincarnation".

At this point, nearly half of the 1000 million points I had just acquired were gone.

He kept the remaining points as a reserve.

After all, the treasure that most desired to greatly enhance one's understanding of the rules of death in a short period of time has not yet appeared, and it is also unknown whether 5 sets of equipment are enough for the clones to use. In addition, some equipment needs to be reserved for daily cultivation.

After doing all this, Lin Yi stopped paying attention to the outside world and entered into deep meditation. He began to review what he had gained from the tower-climbing battle and to nurture his mind, which had been slightly depleted when he attempted to reach the sixtieth floor.

While Lin Yi was focused on his cultivation, news of his ascension to the Star Core level training camp was quietly spreading on the distant Blue Star in a different way, causing a completely different shock.

Blue Star, the residence of the Chief Executive.

Li Zhenguo had just finished a video conference with a star-level trade alliance and rubbed his slightly tired temples.

At that moment, the secretary hurried in, her expression solemn.

"Chief, the Sheena family's ambassador to Silverblue Star, the representative of the Pan-Spirit Alliance Virtual Network Company to Silverblue Star, and representatives from several other forces have come to visit, requesting an urgent meeting. They stated that they have come to express their sincerest congratulations to you and the Silverblue Civilization."

"congratulate?"

Li Zhenguo was slightly taken aback. There had been no major events recently that would warrant these interstellar forces coming to offer their congratulations.

"Could it be," he keenly sensed something unusual, "that they should be invited to meeting room number one?"

With that, he got up and walked toward meeting room number one.

Inside the No. 1 reception room, the atmosphere was solemn yet tinged with a strange eagerness.

The ambassador of the Sheena family, an elegant Elven woman, rose first, placed her hand on her chest, and performed the highest Elven salute:
"Your Excellency Chief Executive, please allow me, on behalf of the Sheena family, to extend our highest respect and congratulations to you and the Silver Blue Civilization! Commander Lin Yi has reached the top of the Star Core Level Training Camp of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, winning first place. This is a divine achievement, and he will surely shine brightly in the starry sea."

Her voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Immediately afterward, the representative of the Pan-Spirit Alliance Virtual Network Company, a knowledgeable elder, exclaimed, "Lord Lin Yi has demonstrated potential beyond conventional understanding. We all believe this is a clear sign of the path to the Eternal Throne."

Other factions also offered their congratulations.

Li Zhenguo was deeply shocked, but he maintained the composure of a ruler on the surface.

He inquired in detail about the specific meanings of "Star Core Training Camp", "60th Floor of the Endless Tower", and "Quadruple Fusion Domain".

As the representatives explained, Li Zhenguo gradually realized that Lin Yi's achievements were far more terrifying than his previous understanding of geniuses and disciples of gods.

"Thank you all for the news and your sincere congratulations."

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Li Zhenguo solemnly replied, "Silver Blue Civilization will always welcome like-minded friends."

After seeing off the delegates, Li Zhenguo sat quietly in his office for a while.

He looked out the window at the azure sky and the nascent interstellar port in the distance, and an unprecedented sense of historical weight and mission welled up in his heart.

Subsequently, Li Zhenguo connected to the internal communication system and instructed the head of the propaganda department: "In the name of the civilized officialdom, announce to all citizens the news that Commander Lin Yi has reached the summit of the Star Core-level training camp."

Soon after, the official media of the Silver Blue Civilization released this news.

There was no noisy hype, only solemn communiqués and editorials full of pride and inspiration.

"Congratulations to Commander Lin Yi on reaching the Star Core Level Training Camp of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance!"

"Silver-blue light shines in the sea of ​​stars—a record of Commander Lin Yi's journey to the summit!"

"From Blue Star to Starry Sea: On Individual Leadership and the Rise of Civilization"

The cheers and pride of the people were boiling over online and in the streets. People were extremely proud of Lin Yi's achievements and regarded him as a beacon for the progress of civilization.

At a higher level of strategic planning, Li Zhenguo and his core think tank have already begun intensive deployments.

How to make good use of the "attention dividend" brought by Lin Yi, how to deal with the opportunities and challenges that may follow, and how to further consolidate the foundation of the Silver Blue Civilization—all of these are being carried out calmly and in an orderly manner.

but.

Inside the distant Star Core-level training camp, Lin Yi was unaware of the turmoil his presence had caused on his home planet.

He reinvested most of his energy into cultivation and preparation, with his sights set on exploring the secret realm, a place where danger and opportunity coexisted.

Lin Yi did not hesitate to use his points, spending tens of thousands of points to take a series of advanced courses on exploring secret realms.

"The Taxonomy of Starry Sea Mysteries and the Laws of Energy Tides": A systematic study of the causes, stable cycles, internal rule tendencies, and the impact of energy tides on the exploration window of various mysteries.

"Survival Guide to Restricted Realms (Star Core Level)": This book focuses on techniques for self-preservation, reconnaissance, resource identification, and avoiding deadly traps in environments where one's strength is suppressed.

"Identification and Preliminary Deciphering of Ancient Restrictions": This book covers the principles of some common ancient formations, the identification of energy nodes, and methods for safely passing through or temporarily avoiding them.

"Adaptability Training for Different Rule Environments": Simulates how to quickly adjust one's own rule application and maintain combat power in an environment where the rules are vastly different from those of the main universe.

These courses are not simply theoretical instruction, but rather combine highly simulated virtual reality experiences, allowing Lin Yi to experience in advance the bizarre situations that might be encountered in various secret realms in a safe environment.

In his private space, Lin Yi would control his clone to learn and practice the knowledge of the secret realm, while his main body would continue to consolidate the fourfold fusion domain and carefully use treasures such as the Breath of the Styx to deepen his initial perception of the rules of death.

At the same time, he gave Xuanji a clear instruction: "Continue to scan the Star Army mission system and the internal channels of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, and pay special attention to newly discovered secret realm exploration missions around the Ash Starfield with entrance energy levels limited to the Star Core level and below."

Time slipped away quietly amidst focused practice and waiting, and six years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Lin Yi was immersed in cultivation, with subtle ripples of time rippling around his body.

Suddenly, Xuanji's figure in palace attire appeared beside Lin Yi.

She bowed slightly and whispered a reminder:

"Master, we have just detected a secret realm exploration mission that meets the screening criteria."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes, the fleeting shadows of time in his eyes quickly disappearing, and his vision clearing.

"Oh? Six years have passed, and finally a suitable secret realm has been found."

(End of this chapter)