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

Chapter 299 Father-Daughter Dialogue, Exceptional Application (Latest Event Offers Title)

Lin Yi was somewhat surprised to hear this, but before he could ask any more questions, Qian Huan's figure vanished like a dream.

Left with no other choice, Lin Yi could only stand amidst the mountains and rivers and wait patiently.

Meanwhile, a strange dimension exists, attached to the membrane of the real universe.

Within this plane, there are no sun, moon, or stars; only the ever-changing, eternally illusory light shines down, illuminating a vast and boundless territory below.

The mountains and rivers seem both real and illusory, sometimes clear as reality, and sometimes transformed into flowing colors and light spots. Exotic flowers and plants exhale the rhythm of laws, and all living things carry a touch of unreal, hazy beauty.

This is the Illusionary Realm, and also Qianhuan's daily residence.

At the heart of the divine kingdom, a palace entirely formed from the materialized and condensed laws of illusion and reality floats silently.

The palace has a translucent glass-like texture, sometimes clear as crystal carving with every detail, and sometimes blurry as a reflection in water, swaying in the wind.

The hall contained no ordinary furnishings, only ever-changing illusions of laws that resonated with and transformed the emotions of a thousand illusions.

At this moment, deep within the palace, on the jade couch formed from endless dreamlike clouds, Qianhuan slowly opened her closed eyes.

Without pausing, she quietly rose from the jade couch and took a step forward.

Space seemed to have lost its meaning for her.

Her figure did not break through the void to leap or traverse in the conventional sense, but rather seemed to "walk" directly from one "scene" into another.

The scene of the Illusory Realm faded behind her, and a completely different scene appeared before her eyes.

This is not an ordinary starry sky; there are no familiar stars or nebulae, only boundless, absolute darkness that seems capable of swallowing all light and heat.

However, in the center of this darkness, a group of ancient palaces stands majestically.

The palace complex is entirely dark gold in color, and its material is neither stone nor jade. It is more like a combination of some solidified cosmic law and immortal divine metal, exuding a heavy aura of eternal immortality.

They are incredibly vast in scale, stretching for countless miles, with an ancient and imposing architectural style. Every pillar and every wall seems to bear the marks of time and the epic history of humanity's conquest of the stars.

Outside the palace complex, faint energy barriers flickered, isolating the inside from the outside.

At this moment, in the void surrounding the palace complex, streaks of light flashed by from time to time, revealing figures with auras as deep as abyss.

Judging from their auras, they are mainly of the Transcendent Realm level, with many even being Eternal Gods, and a very small amount of Star Domain level auras mixed in.

However, no matter how powerful they were in the outside world, when they arrived here, they all landed far away from the palace complex and walked along the road.

Unmanned flight is an unspoken rule and a sign of reverence for this sacred place.

Just then, a unique streak of light disregarded the default rules and came straight from the distant void at an incredible speed, without slowing down or falling in the slightest. Its target was the most majestic and ancient main hall in the very center of the palace complex.

On the ground, a powerful cultivator from the Realm of Derivation, who was walking side by side with his companion, seemed to sense something. He looked up, a hint of surprise on his face, and whispered, "Who is so bold as to fly directly in Changqing Palace?"

An older companion beside him also looked up, and the moment his gaze fell upon the streak of light, his pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately lowered his voice and said, "Silence! Look closely. That's His Majesty Qianhuan."

"Your Majesty Qianhuan?"

The powerful figure from the Derivation Realm who had spoken earlier was taken aback, then suddenly realized, but a deeper doubt arose within him, and he murmured in a lower voice, "So it was her. Not just rumored, she and the Venerable One..."

"Be careful!"

His older companion immediately interrupted him, "How dare we presume to discuss the affairs of our lord's family? Just mind your own business."

The two stopped talking, quickened their pace, and walked forward without looking to the side, as if they hadn't seen or discussed anything.

The streak of light had already traversed a vast distance, ignoring the many complex gazes below, and landed directly before the towering gate of the central main hall, which was ten thousand feet high and engraved with reliefs depicting the sun, moon, stars, and the history of human warfare.

At the gate, two guards, clad in full dark gold armor and with their faces covered by masks, stood like statues.

They made no attempt to stop or question Qianhuan's arrival, not even a flicker of their gazes, as if it were her natural course of action.

Qianhuan didn't even glance at the two guards. Her flowing robes fluttered as she walked straight into the magnificent palace gate that seemed capable of swallowing all light.

Inside the main hall, the space is far more expansive than it appears from the outside, as if it were a small world of its own.

The dome is high and distant, with a recurring image of stars appearing and disappearing.

The ground was covered with smooth, mirror-like black jade, reflecting the starlight from the dome.

The interior of the hall was so simple that it was almost empty, except for a seemingly ordinary, dark throne placed on a nine-tiered platform in the deepest part.

At this moment, a figure sat casually on the throne.

He wore a simple black robe, his face shrouded in a hazy halo, making it difficult to see clearly. Only his eyes remained calm and still, as if they contained all the time since the beginning of the universe, so deep that one dared not look directly at them.

Below the throne, a little forward, another eternal deity clad in intricate star-patterned armor bowed slightly, seemingly reporting something.

Qianhuan's footsteps as she entered the hall were soft, yet they seemed to break some kind of invisible balance.

The deity, who was reporting, paused, as if sensing something. He turned around and saw that it was Qianhuan. A clear look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and turned to the figure on the throne, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, since Your Majesty Qianhuan has come here, I will take my leave and report to you later."

The figure on the throne seemed to pierce through the halo and land on Qianhuan, then sighed softly.

"Very well, there's no rush. Please wait in the side hall for a moment."

"Yes."

The deity turned around decisively and walked out of the hall.

As he passed by Qianhuan, he paused slightly and nodded gently in greeting.

Qianhuan nodded slightly in return, her expression calm.

As the two passed each other, the deity thought to himself, "Although there are rumors that the Lord and this daughter have a long-standing strained relationship, they are still blood relatives, connected by blood. Moreover, this Lady Qianhuan is exceptionally talented. It's best to be polite, after all, who can predict what will happen in the future?"

In the blink of an eye, he had already quickly left the main hall.

In the vast main hall, only the figure on the throne and Qianhuan standing in the center of the hall remained.

After a moment of silence, the figure on the throne slowly spoke, his voice echoing through the hall, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"The last time you came to see me here was 102 epochs ago. At that time, you came to me to ask for a spot for your senior brother to enter the Void Graveyard Secret Realm."

He paused, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through the void and see into the past: "What is the matter this time?"

Qianhuan looked up, meeting the gaze behind the hazy halo, and said without any beating around the bush, "For my junior brother, Lin Yi."

"He is exceptionally gifted. He has only been cultivating for a little over three hundred years, yet he has already reached the Star Core level of perfection, the fifth level of the Domain, and has fully comprehended and successfully integrated the principles of time and space, life and death, and the Golden Rules. I believe that he fully meets the qualifications and potential standards for entering the list of special geniuses for humankind."

"Lin Yi."

The figure on the throne whispered the name over and over, seemingly unsurprised.

"I know him. He's definitely a good prospect."

"However, the inclusion of Star Core-level entities in the list is against the rules."

"rule?"

Upon hearing this, Qianhuan sneered, "Back when you fought against the Spirit Clan for your mother, why didn't you ever mention the word 'rules'?"

The figure on the throne seemed to move slightly, and the surrounding aura rippled almost imperceptibly.

But he neither refuted nor got angry; he simply remained silent.

Qianhuan continued, "Furthermore, don't think I don't know the rules. Usually, a genius at the Yanjie level is admitted after an application is submitted by one Venerable Lord and reviewed. However, for special cases where a genius has not yet reached the Yanjie level but has shown extraordinary potential, as long as two Venerable Lords submit applications at the same time, they can also be admitted exceptionally. This is not without precedent. Yan Jun and Xu Yan were both admitted exceptionally when they were at the Star Domain level. My junior brother Lin Yi, in terms of potential, is no less than them back then."

Upon hearing this, the figure on the throne seemed to deepen the gaze behind the hazy halo.

He paused for a moment before slowly saying, "Qianhuan, you may not know this, but the expectations and scrutiny that those who are exceptionally added to the list must bear are far greater than those who are usually included. It is not as simple as being nominated by the two Venerable Lords."

"Because the list of exceptional individuals will, as is customary, be submitted to the Sovereign for review. If the individual on the list subsequently performs poorly and fails to meet expectations, not only will he or she be removed from the list, but the Sovereign will also be left with the impression that he or she was incapable of judging people."

"This impression may not be harmful in the short term, but its impact is immeasurable at certain critical moments of decision-making."

He looked at Qianhuan, his tone solemn: "You must understand that the fundamental purpose of the list is to cultivate as many future leaders of our human race as possible, or even higher!"

"The resources it allocates are the core treasures accumulated by the race over a long period of time, each one of which is extremely precious. Investing these resources in a star core-level being that has not yet proven itself to have unparalleled talent on the path of the laws is extremely risky."

"Historically, there have been many examples of people who made rapid progress and were stunningly brilliant in the rule stage, but after entering the evolutionary realm, their progress slowed down in the law stage and they eventually became just ordinary people."

"The reason why the standard threshold is set at the Derivation Realm level is because once you reach that level, your adaptability to the laws and your future path have a relatively clear outline, and the risks will be greatly reduced."

These words were profound and insightful, analyzing the pros and cons and getting straight to the heart of the matter.

This is not a simple excuse, but a fact from the perspective of resource allocation and risk control for the entire human race.

However, Qianhuan's sneer became even more pronounced, even carrying a hint of mockery.

“If you were to spout these high-sounding principles to me under normal circumstances, I would not hesitate to turn around and leave without a word, and I would never let my junior brother get involved in this mess.”

"but!"

She abruptly changed the subject, "Don't think I'm really indifferent to what's happening outside. You know the current situation better than I do. The atmosphere of an impending great battle has even been sensed by many well-informed cultivators at the Transcendent Realm level. How could you not know?"

"At times like these, our community needs more than just steady progress; it needs to increase its influence throughout the Pan-Spirit Alliance!"

Qianhuan's voice rose a few decibels, "If, and I mean if, in the next Genius Battle, our human race's geniuses can win the Star Core level with an absolute advantage and overwhelming force, wouldn't the influence and hidden benefits brought by this be enough to make up for the resource costs invested in the early stages of the list?"

She looked at the silent figure on the throne and slowly said, "Besides, as you just said, the list has its own review and exit mechanism. If my junior brother Lin Yi's performance is unsatisfactory after entering the Yanjie level, and his potential is exhausted, then according to the rules, we will ask him to be removed from the list." The hall fell silent again, with only the faint light of the fading stars in the dome shining down.

Finally, Qianhuan added slowly, a smile playing on her lips.

"Furthermore, Father, if the human race does not cherish some geniuses and does not give them the attention and support they deserve in time, other races will understand their value and will be willing to pay any price to win them over."

Above the throne, the hazy halo seemed to finally show a slight fluctuation.

The gaze behind that hazy halo seemed to traverse endless time and space, looking towards a distant past, at a figure equally brilliant but unable to fully display their talents for various reasons.
Or perhaps, it foresaw the regrettable situation in the distant past, when humanity, due to momentary hesitation, missed out on a future pillar of strength.

A deeper silence fell over the hall, with only the ever-changing light and shadow cast by the simulated stars on the dome illuminating the father and daughter facing each other below.

After a long silence, a long and complex sigh, as if coming from the end of time, broke the silence.

The figure on the throne spoke slowly, "I can take care of the matter of the list for you."

Qianhuan's eyes brightened slightly, but she did not immediately show joy. She knew that her father would have something to say next.

Sure enough, the voice continued, "But the reason is simply because, in terms of the rules, their talent and potential do indeed meet the minimum standard for exceptional entry into the list. Furthermore, I trust your judgment, not..."

He paused for a moment, "Instead of what you just said, he will definitely be able to crush everyone and win first place in the next Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle."

Upon hearing this, Qianhuan's delicate eyebrows immediately furrowed.

She had great confidence in Lin Yi, a confidence stemming from witnessing firsthand his terrifying growth rate and profound understanding of the rules.

In her view, with Lin Yi's current foundation and the infusion of rare resources that are unimaginable to outsiders, it would be almost a matter of course for him to stand out in the next Genius Battle and even win the championship.

"Why did father say this?"

"Given my junior brother's current talent and temperament, and with the help of the roster resources, if he dedicates himself to cultivation for a period of time, he should have a very high chance of winning the next Genius Battle, even if there are setbacks. But you don't seem to think so."

It's not that I don't believe in his potential.

The figure on the throne shook his head slightly, "It is you who, perhaps because you have been so immersed in your own cultivation, have not paid enough attention to the true strength and operating methods of other races in the Pan-Spirit Alliance, especially the Spirit Race, in the Genius Battle."

"Did you know that the geniuses sent by the Spirit Race to participate in the Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle are often not the strongest geniuses of their generation?"

Not the strongest?

Qianhuan was slightly taken aback; this statement was indeed somewhat unexpected.

The Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle is an important stage for all races within the Pan-Spirit Alliance to showcase their new generation's strength and compete for glory. Moreover, it is related to countless secret realms, so each race should send its strongest representative.

"good."

The figure on the throne affirmed, "Before each Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle officially begins, the Primordial Ancestral Court, the highest training ground within the Spirit Race, will first hold an internal selection. The intensity of this selection far exceeds outsiders' imagination. The top three winners will receive generous rewards that would tempt even the Eternal Gods. Not only will they gain the qualification to enter the Spirit Race's most core secret realm for secluded cultivation, but they will also be able to directly enter the myriad secret realms without participating in the Genius Battle."

He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm: "But as a price, or rather, as a strategy for the Spirit Race to maintain its transcendent status and mystique, these top three usually do not participate in the subsequent Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle."

Qianhuan immediately understood the key point: "Concealing our strengths? And simultaneously building up our true high-end combat power?"

"exactly."

The figure on the throne nodded.

"Doing this will prevent the full strength and trump cards of the Spirit Clan's top new generation of prodigies from being exposed too early, making it difficult for potential opponents to figure out their limits."

"Secondly, it also saves face for other races within the Pan-Spirit Alliance, so that every Genius Battle doesn't present a scene where Spirit Race geniuses sweep everything away, leaving all races in despair. This helps maintain the alliance's superficial balance and cohesion."

Qianhuan remained silent.

As the initiator of the Pan-Spirit Alliance and one of the oldest and most powerful races, the Spirit Race has always acted in ways that are unpredictable and profound. Upon reflection, such an arrangement is indeed reasonable. This cast a shadow over her previous expectation that Lin Yi would easily win the championship.

"So, the one participating in the Genius Battle is the fourth-place winner?" she asked.

"Usually."

The figure on the throne said, "The fourth-ranked member of the Spirit Race often possesses talent and strength sufficient to crush the so-called number one geniuses carefully cultivated by most races within the Pan-Spirit Alliance. Winning the Genius Battle championship with such strength is enough for the Spirit Race to maintain its apparent glory and interests."

Qianhuan frowned even more deeply: "Although the fourth person sent by the Spirit Clan is already extremely strong, my junior brother..."

“That’s not the problem.”

The figure on the throne interrupted her, his voice carrying a rare hint of solemnity, "There are always exceptions, and the Eldar are not bound by conventions."

"To ensure that the glory of the Genius Battle championship never falls into the wrong hands, this glory is of great symbolic significance to their maintenance of their leadership in the alliance. Before the start of each Genius Battle, the Eldar will conduct a comprehensive evaluation."

He looked at Qianhuan and said, “If the assessment concludes that the fourth-ranked candidate sent out according to convention is not strong enough to secure first place and there is a risk of being unexpectedly overturned by the geniuses of other races, then they will not hesitate to break with convention and choose the most suitable candidate from the top three, or even send out the true first-place candidate selected internally to participate in the battle.”

Qianhuan's heart sank slightly.

"The true number one selected from within the Spirit Clan's Primordial Ancestral Court, judging from the information we've gathered from countless secret realms, usually comprehends and integrates the rules to the seventh or even eighth level at the Star Core stage."

"Seventh or eighth level of domain?" Qianhuan's eyes narrowed sharply.

She herself is an unparalleled genius, and she knows that at the Star Core level, the difficulty increases exponentially with each additional rule fused.

It should be understood that the Spirit Race's number one genius could not possibly comprehend common rules; he must at least be at least guided by a superior set of rules!
"This is only on the premise that they do not use any obviously excessive treasures."

The figure on the throne added, his tone deep.

"The Spirit Race's foundation is far deeper than many races can imagine. If they are determined to secure first place, the resources and means they can use are extraordinary."

He looked at Qianhuan, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate her thoughts.

"Now, do you still believe that your junior brother Lin Yi, with only a five-fold fusion domain, can crush everyone and win first place in the next Genius Battle after obtaining the list of resources?"

Qianhuan fell silent.

She had indeed underestimated the Eldar's commitment and bottom line in the Battle of Geniuses, as well as the potential heights her competitors might reach.

Lin Yi's talent is indeed extremely high, but as the overlord who has ruled the Pan-Spirit Alliance for countless years, how could the most outstanding talents cultivated by the Spirit Clan be easily matched?

Moreover, the other party may have a longer cultivation period, more top-tier resources, and even a more secretive and powerful lineage.

The starlight inside the hall seemed to have dimmed slightly, reflecting Qianhuan's stunning profile.

"Seven or eight layers of domains. Truly astonishing."

Qianhuan spoke slowly, her voice regaining its calm, "But that is only the strength that the Spirit Race might send out, not a certainty."

She raised her head, looked directly at the figure on the throne, and spoke slowly.

"As you just said, you acknowledge his talent and that he has met the criteria for being exceptionally admitted to the list. Once admitted, he has gained the recognition and investment of the community."

"As for how far he can ultimately go, and whether he can win supreme glory for the human race in the battle of geniuses, that will take time, resources, and even more so his own hard work and opportunities."

"I am here today to fight for him a fair starting point, a platform that allows him to grow faster. As for where the finish line is..."

Qianhuan smiled slightly, "Just as I believed that my senior brother would definitely be able to break through to the level of a god, I also have enough confidence in my junior brother."

"I'll leave the matter of the list to Father. As for the Genius Battle..."

She bowed slightly, her flowing robes trailing on the ground, "I believe my junior brother will give me a surprise."

Having said that, she said no more, turned around, her skirt swaying, and walked out of the hall.

The figure on the throne watched her depart.

"Based on time and space, life and death have cycled for over three hundred years."

A low, muttered voice echoed in the empty hall, "Qianhuan's judgment has always been discerning. For her to recommend me so strongly, even resorting to accusations of the past and threats about the future..."

He shook his head slowly.

"That's fine."

The moment the words fell, silent ripples spread through the space around the figure in the black robe on the throne.

His figure did not stand up, but quickly became illusory in the ripples.

A moment later, outside a cluster of equally ancient but stylistically different buildings, the space rippled slightly, and a figure in a black robe silently appeared.

The architecture here has colder, sharper lines, as if it were carved from the core of a cold star, exuding a sharpness that stings the soul.

This is one of the secluded cultivation sites of another Venerable Lord, Venerable Lord Tiange, located on the outskirts of the "Ten Thousand Soldiers Mound".

The figure in black robes took a single step, bypassing countless restrictions and sentries, and appeared directly in front of a dark palace shaped like an inverted giant sword.

There was no one in front of the door, but an incomparably sharp will had already locked onto him.

"Xuan Yan, what brings you to my Hidden Edge Hall?"

A cold, hard voice came directly from inside the hall.

Lord Tiange is known for his decisiveness and formidable combat power. Although his relationship with Lord Xuanyan is not particularly close, they have always been reliable allies on matters of great importance to the human race and on key issues.

Lord Xuan Yan was used to this unconventional style, and in a flash, he entered the hall.

The hall was empty, with only the phantom of an ancient stone spear constantly emitting subtle chaotic energy floating in the center. A tall figure dressed in a simple gray robe, with short hair like a halberd, was facing away from him, looking up at the stone spear, as if comprehending the supreme way of killing.

"I'm making an exception and nominating him for one person," Venerable Xuan Yan said succinctly.

　The new "Carnival Reading" event seems to offer fan titles, which is great news for someone like me who can't afford to give out titles right now.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)