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

Chapter 297 The True Purpose, Five Realms (6.4K views, please vote at the end of the month)

The main hall of the Firefly Manor is even more magnificent and luxurious than the outer courtyard.

The dome is carved from a single piece of starry crystal, shimmering with light and color. The floor is paved with warm jade that can soothe the soul, and ancient paintings containing profound meanings and rules hang on the surrounding walls. A faint fragrance permeates the air.

As Lin Yi followed the Lord of Hongyan Realm into this place, he immediately sensed many subtle yet powerful auras.

Clearly, those were other guests at the Derivation Realm level present, as well as some hidden Star Domain level beings.

Most of them simply nodded to Lord Hongyan from afar, their gazes lingering on Lin Yi with scrutiny and curiosity, but none of them took the initiative to approach him.

Hongyan Realm Master Lin Yi led him to a relatively quiet spot with an excellent view, and said with a smile, "Commander Lin Yi, please rest here for now. We have many guests today, so please forgive us if our hospitality is lacking."

"Please go ahead, Lord of the Realm," Lin Yi replied with a smile.

After Lord Hongyan left, Lin Yi did not rush to sit down, but instead glanced around the hall where people were drinking and dressed in fine clothes.

He wasn't very interested in purely social occasions.

Of course, the main reason is that he doesn't know anyone and has no intention of actively getting close to those already formed cliques.

Therefore, Lin Yi casually summoned a waiter standing to the side and took a cup of wine with a beautiful color and a shimmering, star-like glow from the jade plate the waiter was holding.

"This is a special product of this star field, the Vortex Elixir, which is made from the essence condensed by the vortex of a star core that has existed for ten thousand years. It is brewed with seventy-three kinds of rare spiritual fruits and has the effect of nourishing the soul and purifying source energy."

The waiter introduced it in a low voice.

Lin Yi nodded slightly and took a small sip.

The wine enters the mouth and transforms into a warm and refreshing current that instantly reaches every part of the body. The soul seems to be cleansed by gentle starlight, and impurities are quietly purified. Even the perception of rules seems to become a little clearer.

"It really is a good product." Lin Yi thought to himself, praising the Hongyan Realm Lord for really going all out for this banquet.

Since there was nothing to socialize about, Lin Yi simply took his wine glass, leaned against a pillar, and leisurely savored the wine by himself, like a detached observer.

However, despite his low-key demeanor, the name "Lin Yi" and the commotion he caused at the entrance had already spread like wildfire throughout the main hall.

He wanted peace and quiet, but someone didn't want him to.

Before long, people started to approach and strike up a conversation.

Merchant tycoons from nearby star systems enthusiastically introduced their businesses, hoping to establish contact with the Dongfeng Mercenary Group; core members of certain powerful clans spoke with an intention to make friends, hoping to have the opportunity to discuss cultivation experiences; there were even one or two powerful beings from the Derivation Realm with profound auras, exchanging contact marks with him with peaceful smiles, their words full of encouragement for the younger generation and expectations for future cooperation.

Lin Yi knew very well that what these people valued was his potential as the "number one at the Star Core level" and the power of his sect that he represented.

However, this is only human nature; he is equally reluctant to associate with people who have no value.

Moreover, this expansion of his interpersonal network is not necessarily a bad thing for him and the Dongfeng Mercenary Group's future development.

Therefore, Lin Yi treated everyone with courtesy, neither being overly enthusiastic nor keeping them at arm's length.

Of course, he wasn't just passively socializing.

Between wine tastings and conversations, Lin Yi also listened attentively to the various fragments of information circulating in the hall.

Because in such situations, it is easiest to hear some news; those seemingly casual chats often contain clues about the movements of different forces.

"Starry Sky Power Company has been making some big moves lately. I heard they've cut 30% of their civilian spacecraft production lines and are further shifting resources toward the military sector."

"The Tree of Life Company has also increased its procurement of core raw materials for life-saving drugs and several high-level battlefield first aid drugs, resulting in a 15% price increase."

"It's not just them. I've heard that the military's orders for certain special alloys in the next cycle have more than doubled in quantity, and the delivery dates are very tight."

"Strange, I haven't heard of any large-scale conflicts breaking out on the border or in any disputed secret realms recently. Could it be that this is a precautionary measure?"

"It's hard to say. Although there haven't been any major conflicts on the border, it's been quite unsettled. The Kunmo tribe has been making a lot of small moves in recent years, perhaps the higher-ups have noticed something we don't know about."

These scattered pieces of information came together in Lin Yi's mind like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Star Power, Tree of Life, Military Order
"It seems that the higher-ups anticipated, or rather, prepared for, the rapid escalation of the border war situation long ago. They have already begun to make covert adjustments and build-up in resources, military industry, and medical fields," Lin Yi thought to himself.

It's unclear whether this adjustment stems from a specific plan or is merely a precautionary measure based on an assessment of the situation.

Before long, the banquet reached its climax.

Lord Hongyan led Hong Hanran onto the small platform in front of the main hall.

With a warm smile, he thanked all the guests for coming, reminisced about the traditional friendships with various forces, and finally, subtly changed the subject:
"The universe is vast, and the future is uncertain. My Hongyan lineage wishes to strengthen exchanges and deepen cooperation with all of you friends present here, as well as all allies from all sides, in the future. Resources, information, and technology can all be shared. Only by helping each other can we stand firmly at the forefront of this great era and overcome difficulties together."

These words were spoken rather subtly, but to those who were paying attention, especially when combined with the previously circulated industry trends, they took on a more unusual meaning.

Many guests looked thoughtful, exchanging knowing glances with each other.

Lin Yi held his wine glass, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Perhaps, this centennial birthday banquet is a pretext to celebrate Hong Hanran's birthday, but rather to gather representatives from various forces, foster relationships, emphasize cooperation, and even use this platform to convey some kind of consensus or warning signal?"

He couldn't be sure whether this was the judgment of the Lord of Hongyan Realm or the decree of the God Honghuan.

But in any case, this confirmed his suspicions—a storm was brewing.

Even the grandest feast must eventually come to an end.

As the guests gradually departed and the main hall quieted down, Lord Hongyan kept Lin Yi behind and invited him into a quiet room.

Lin Yi had thought that the other party might reveal some deeper information, or entrust him to pass on a message to Senior Brother Cangming or even his master.

He was prepared to listen attentively.

However, Lord Hongyan simply expressed his gratitude for his arrival once again, praising him for being young and promising with a bright future. He was quite polite in his words, but said nothing else.

Then, the Lord of Hongyan Realm took out a tightly sealed jade box and pushed it in front of Lin Yi.

"Commander Lin Yi, thank you for coming all this way. This is a gift of gratitude that we agreed upon beforehand, the water of Yongyuan. Please accept it."

Lin Yi was slightly taken aback, then took the jade box and thanked him calmly: "You're too kind, Realm Master. It's my duty."

He already knew the answer.

Although he is crowned with the halo of "the number one star core level person" and has unlimited potential, and his status in ordinary matters is already comparable to that of the Yanjie, in some truly important matters, in the eyes of others, his current strength and voice in the sect are still far from enough.

Therefore, Lin Yi estimated that in the mind of the Lord of Hongyan Realm, there was no need to talk to him any further.

Furthermore, the true core secrets, or messages that need to be passed on to the higher-ups of the sect, are likely handled by the Lord of Hongyan Realm through his own channels, and there is no need for him to act as a "megaphone".

Having figured this out, Lin Yi felt no displeasure whatsoever.

Because he understood a principle very early on: strength is always the cornerstone of the right to speak.

Seeing that Lord Hongyan had nothing else to say, Lin Yi didn't ask any further questions. He simply put away the jade box and got up to take his leave: "Lord Hongyan, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

Lord Hongyan smiled gently: "Alright, take care on your journey. If you have time in the future, you are welcome to visit Wanhua Star often."

"must."

Lin Yi bowed respectfully, turned and left the quiet room, leaving behind this bustling and noisy star field.

He boarded the spaceship he had come from, carefully put away the jade box containing the water of the Eternal Abyss, and set the route back to the base.

The purpose of this trip has been achieved, and we even gained some extra information about the situation, which is enough.
-
Border Legion Fortress.

The Dongfeng Mercenary Group's headquarters, in their private training room.

Lin Yi sat cross-legged in the center, his aura extremely restrained, like an ancient jade that had sunk into the deep sea.

Before him floated several objects emanating distinct auras, forming a small yet profound array.

At its core is a transparent crystal bottle, no bigger than a fist, filled with a liquid that seems to be formed from the deepest night and the will to end all things.

It is silent and still, yet it exudes an aura of finality that silences even the soul.

It is the water of Yongyuan.

Surrounding him were several auxiliary items that he had exchanged for from the Legion Treasury at a considerable cost.

The diluted Breath of the Styx is a wisp of decaying aura sealed within a special crystal, seemingly capable of smelling the lament of countless worlds reaching their end.

The Rebirth Stone (Fragment) is an irregular stone fragment with a dark color. It is cold to the touch, as if it bears the last mark of countless living beings before their demise.

The "Nirvana Contemplation Record (Fragment)" is an ancient scroll made of an unknown material. When unfolded, it contains three contemplation diagrams depicting the collapse of stars and the decay of all things.

As for the most expensive Withered World Tree Seed, it is a gray-black, shriveled seed that looks lifeless, yet it subtly resonates with the rules of death.

Five years ago, the clone returned from Wanhua Star, bringing back not only the perfect result of "subduing the enemy without fighting" at the banquet, but also the reward that Lord Hongyan readily paid: the Eternal Abyss Water.

This item can increase the comprehension of the rules of death by about five times within three months. This is the most powerful treasure that Lin Yi has been able to find so far for increasing the comprehension of the rules of death.

Now, everything is ready.

Lin Yi took a deep breath, his eyes sharp.

He planned to press on with his efforts, relying on the miraculous effects of the Eternal Abyss Water, combined with these rare auxiliary items and the spiritual energy he had accumulated over eighty years, to push the rules of death directly to perfection.

And on this basis, we will strive to achieve the ultimate integration of the five rules of life, death, time, space, and gold.

"let's start."

With a thought, Lin Yi quietly opened the stopper of the suspended Eternal Abyss Crystal Bottle.

Instantly, an invisible and intangible sense of "annihilation," which seemed capable of freezing thoughts and extinguishing life, spread out like a tide, instantly engulfing Lin Yi's mind and body.

At the same time, deep within Lin Yi's soul, the spiritual energy that had been anchored beforehand, like a sacred fire ignited, began to burn and consume at an unprecedented speed, transforming into a surging torrent of enlightenment that washed over his soul.

Lin Yi first focused his mind on that wisp of Styx breath.

With the combined blessing of the Eternal Abyss Water and the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, his perception was amplified infinitely.

That faint aura was no longer a simple gray and stagnant flow of air in Lin Yi's "eyes," but transformed into a vast and illusory river that stretched across the void, carrying countless fragments of souls, tombstones of rules, and even the remains of the world.

Lin Yi seemed to hear the death knell of the end of an era, see the last embers of civilization, and feel the despairing wail of the world collapsing.

Death is not simply destruction, but an irresistible destiny, a return to eternal tranquility from the clamor of the world.

"Silence. End," Lin Yi murmured to himself, his consciousness floating in the phantom of the River Styx, trying to grasp the most essential rules and patterns.

Immediately afterwards, he grasped the fragment of the Rebirth Stone.

The icy touch penetrated his very soul. Countless chaotic and fragmented thoughts of ending the world surged through his mind like a flood bursting its banks.

Normally, Lin Yi must be extremely careful and guard his soul.

But at this moment, supported by his immense insight, he actively accepted and analyzed these ideas.

Lin Yi felt as if he had personally witnessed the end of countless different lives, from ants to stars, from mortals to gods.
Death is equal; it is the ultimate "fairness" for all things.

This fragment passively enhanced his sensitivity to the concept of "death" itself, allowing him to more clearly "smell" the true meaning of annihilation contained within the rules.

His gaze then fell upon the "Illustrated Record of Nirvana Contemplation (Fragment)".

The first picture shows everything withered and dying.

The once vibrant forest withered in an instant, the flesh and blood of living beings vanished, their bones weathered away, all life was stripped away, and they returned to deathly silence.

He came to understand the death laws of "life passing away" and "structural disintegration".

The second image depicts the collapse of a star.

Countless points of light faded from their peak, the nebula collapsed, the light was swallowed by darkness, and finally turned into cold dust.

He was not contemplating the appearance, but rather the underlying rules and trajectories of "energy termination" and "matter collapse".

The third image shows the breakdown of rules.

The originally stable and interwoven lines of rules were torn and twisted as if by an invisible hand, and finally dissipated into nothingness.

This is the most crucial and also the most difficult part, directly addressing the negation and termination of existence itself by the rules of death.

The three visualizations, progressing layer by layer, were rapidly analyzed and digested by Lin Yi's extraordinary comprehension, becoming the cornerstone of his understanding of the rules of death.

Finally, his attention fell on the withered World Tree seed.

The World Tree is one of the ultimate symbols of life force in the universe.

But this seed in front of us has gone completely in the opposite direction, twisting and solidifying the rules of life, ultimately freezing into the form of death.

It has become an excellent sample for studying the process of "life turning into death".

Lin Yi's soul power permeated it, feeling how the once magnificent life force was eroded and assimilated by the power of death, ultimately leaving only the pure concept of "death".

This gave him a more dialectical and profound understanding of the boundary and transformation between life and death.

Time flies by as one deeply contemplates the meaning.

Lin Yi's understanding of the rules of death is soaring at an unprecedented rate.

From first getting a glimpse of the basics, to mastering the fundamentals, and finally to achieving complete understanding.
He understood that "silence" is the norm of death, "end" is the process of death, "annihilation" is the result of death, and "destiny" is the meaning of death.

He saw the interdependence and opposition between the rules of death and the rules of life, the catalysis of death by the passage of time, the reflection of death in the desolation of space, and even the “sharpness” and “immortality” of the rules of gold appear fragile and futile in the face of death.

After about four standard hours, a profound and incomparably dark light suddenly erupted from the depths of Lin Yi's soul, representing the primordial runes of the rules of death, which had completely condensed into form.

The rules of death are complete!
Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes, and a fleeting image of the birth and death of all things and the return of the universe to nothingness seemed to flash in the depths of his pupils.

He sensed it slightly and felt certain.

This successful impact on the rules of death was due to thorough preparation and the miraculous effects of the Eternal Abyss Water, consuming approximately forty-two years' worth of spiritual energy reserves.

"There are about forty years of spiritual energy left. Next, the most crucial step is the fusion of rules."

The fusion of five rules is far more difficult than comprehending a single rule, and even several times more difficult than the fusion of the previous four rules.

This is not merely an accumulation of quantity, but a qualitative transformation, requiring the discovery of the supreme balance point that governs life and death, time and space, and the sharpness of metal.

Lin Yi didn't pause for a moment and closed his eyes again.

He meticulously planned out the remaining forty years of spiritual enlightenment.

He continued his old habit of investing in the process in batches over five-year cycles, focusing on understanding the critical juncture of rule integration.

The first five-year cycle is infused with spiritual energy.

Consciousness sinks into the sea of ​​rules and origins.

The emerald glow of the rules of life and the dark light of the rules of death collided first, like water and fire meeting, bursting out violent ripples of rules.

Life and death, creation and destruction—two diametrically opposed forces were forcibly combined under Lin Yi's will.

He needs to find that delicate line, where life contains the essence of death, and where death gives birth to new life.

In my mind, I kept simulating the transformation, balance, and unity of life and death.

The five-year cycle has ended, and progress has been slow, only initially curbing the intense back-and-forth between the two sets of rules.

In the second five-year cycle, the spirit of enlightenment reignites.

We must continue our arduous journey to achieve a fusion of life and death.

With the groundwork laid in the first cycle, Lin Yi gained a deeper understanding of the essence of life and death.

He contemplated the process of the World Tree seed from birth to death, and experienced the eternal silence within the breath of the Styx.

Gradually, the emerald green and the somber darkness were no longer mutually exclusive, but began to permeate each other, each containing the other, forming a dynamic, hazy, balanced energy that contained endless mysteries.

The second five-year period ended, and the rules of life and death were successfully integrated.

The goal of the third five-year cycle is to initially integrate time, space, life, and death.

The silvery light of time's rules and the invisible veins of space's rules are incorporated.

Lin Yi needs to integrate the dimensions of time and space into the newborn power of life and death.

Let life bloom and wither in time, and let death permeate and solidify in space.

This involves nesting and interweaving of rule levels, which greatly increases the difficulty.

The spiritual energy was being consumed rapidly, and it seemed as if a model of the birth and death of multiple dimensional universes was being constructed simultaneously in the mind.

Five years have passed, and the rules of spacetime and the power of life and death have initially established a connection, but they are far from being perfectly integrated; they have only built a rough framework.

The fourth five-year cycle will deepen the integration of time, space, life, and death.

Lin Yi continued to pour his spiritual energy into refining the rough framework.

Time is no longer a one-way flow, but can resonate with the cycle of life and death; space is no longer a fixed container, but can expand and collapse with birth and death.

Lin Yi's understanding of time and space becomes more three-dimensional and cruel with the addition of life and death.

With the investment of spiritual energy over the past five years, his integration with the power of time and space and life and death has significantly improved, the framework has become more stable, and the power of life and death and time and space has begun to be initially integrated.

In the fifth five-year cycle, the rules of gold began to take hold.

This is the last and the strongest piece of the puzzle.

The rules of gold represent ultimate sharpness, solidity, immortality, and ruthlessness.

How can it be compatible with the four-fold rule realm that contains the cycle of birth and death and the great power of space and time?

Can sharpness sever life and death?

Is it sturdy enough to withstand spacetime distortion?

Is immortality something that can endure until the end of all things?
Is killing an extreme form of death?
Lin Yi fell into unprecedented deep thought, his spiritual energy being consumed at an unprecedented rate as he deduced countless possibilities.

He tried to imbue death with the "sharpness" of gold, making the end more resolute; he tried to imbue the core of life with the "solidity" of gold, making new life more resilient; he tried to integrate the "immortality" of gold into the long river of time and space, searching for that eternal and unchanging "one".
Deduction, failure, and re-deduction
Consciousness teeters on the edge of its limits, the soul dances on the edge of a knife.

Finally, at the moment when the fifth five-year cycle was about to end—

Blessing to the soul!

He understood.

Gold is not external to life, death, time, and space; it is one of the fundamental material laws that constitute all things in the universe and carry out the rules of operation.

Its sharpness is the "driving force" of the evolution of rules; its solidity is the "carrier" of existence; its immortality is a "concept" relative to the mundane; its killing power is the "appearance" of the collision of rules.

It is not a foreign object that needs to be "integrated" into, but a "foundation" that already exists in every corner of this new field!
"Buzz!"

The moment this realization occurred, deep within Lin Yi's soul, the five perfect rule runes completely lost their boundaries and merged perfectly together.

The Five-Tier Rule Domain is complete!

"Boom!!"

A deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart, erupted from the depths of Lin Yi's soul.

A powerful force, like the first ray of light at the beginning of the universe, instantly swept over Lin Yi's entire body, washing over every inch of his flesh, every cell, and even his most primal soul.

The space inside the cultivation chamber groaned under the strain, the flow of time became chaotic, and life and death alternated, with sharp golden light tearing through the void only to be smoothed out in an instant.
A sense of "omnipotence" arises spontaneously, as if one controls the birth and death of all things and holds sway over the cycle of time and space.

Although Lin Yi knew this was just an illusion caused by the surge in power, this power was truly mesmerizing.

After a long while, this astonishing transformation gradually subsided.

Lin Yi reopened his eyes, and deep within them seemed to be a vortex of chaos slowly turning, reflecting the birth and death of the world and its essence.

He felt the unified, boundless power of the five-fold fusion rules within his body, and a satisfied smile finally appeared on his lips.

Successful.

Five-fold rule domain integration.

Lin Yi briefly sensed the origin of his soul. The spiritual energy he had accumulated over eighty years was now depleted, leaving only the last five years' worth.

"Over forty years were spent perfecting the rules of death, and forty years were spent fusing with other rules. And that's with a whole bunch of treasures. Sure enough, the later the understanding of rules, the greater the consumption."

Lin Yi sighed softly, but his eyes were filled with joy.

During this period of seclusion, his strength underwent a qualitative leap.

Lin Yi pondered to himself, "I wonder if I, in my current state, could hold my own against a true Star Domain level opponent, even if it's just an ordinary early-stage Star Domain level opponent, or if I could defeat them?"

(End of this chapter)