Transcending Godhood: I Extract Keywords and Crush the Gods

The lighting in the rest area corridor is a cool white.

Lin Yuan looked down at the sandalwood box in his hand.

The wooden box is carved with intricate star patterns and faintly exudes a calming and soothing fragrance.

With a thought, he sent out a wisp of spiritual energy, which permeated every corner of the wooden box.

The density of the wood, the direction of its grain, and the elemental composition of the aromatherapy powder were all clearly visible to him.

Calming herbs, deep-sea agarwood, and century-old starwood chips.

The three materials are mixed together and complement each other.

It is indeed just a regular aromatherapy product used to aid in deep meditation.

There are no hidden spatial coordinates, no concealed curse laws, and no added toxins.

Lin Yuan withdrew his mental energy and ran his fingers along the edge of the wooden box.

Judging others by one's own petty standards is a very dishonorable act.

However, Lin Yuan always trusted his first instinct.

In this dog-eat-dog world, good people often die the fastest.

He never considered himself a good person, and naturally he was willing to assume the worst about strangers who took the initiative to be friendly.

Offering unsolicited favors is either a sign of malice or theft.

"Brother Lin Yuan, have you figured out what's going on?" Bai Ye leaned over, craning his neck to stare at the wooden box, his eyes full of wariness.

Lin Yuan casually stuffed the wooden box into the Star Key space and turned to look at Bai Ye.

"Since you think there's something wrong with him, then you should pay more attention and keep a close eye on him for me."

Lin Yuan left those words behind and turned to walk towards his own room.

There was absolutely no intention to mend the atmosphere within the team.

Bai Ye stood frozen in place, watching Lin Yuan walk to the door, verify his iris, and push the door open to enter.

"Bang."

The metal hatch closed mercilessly before Bai Ye's eyes, stirring up a gentle breeze that ruffled the bangs on his forehead.

Bai Ye was firmly turned away and stood helplessly in the corridor.

"Hey! You're the captain!" Bai Ye shouted at the closed hatch.

"There's a potential spies in the team. You've really gone too far in shirking your responsibilities!"

There was no response from inside the door.

In the room, Lin Yuan walked to the bedside and sat down cross-legged.

The shouts from outside the door, pierced through the soundproofing, were reduced to a faint buzzing sound.

Lin Yuan twitched the corner of his mouth and chuckled softly.

Harmonize the team? Take on the responsibilities of a team leader? Lead everyone in unity and friendship to create a brilliant future?

He simply doesn't possess that kind of profound awareness.

The Starry Sky University leadership forced him into the position of leader of the vanguard, simply to raise a flag and attract attention and criticism.

He took the position only because he was interested in the resources that would come with it and the access to the front lines.

Lin Yuan closed his eyes, and the divine power within his body began to surge along a specific route.

His only realization was that he needed to find those alien gods in this blood pact war among all races.

Crush their divine realm, strip them of their laws, and turn their flesh and blood into nourishment for their ruined divine realm.

Slaughter, plunder, and using war to sustain war.

That was his purpose in boarding this warship.

outside the hallway.

Bai Ye gave the cabin door the middle finger, cursing under his breath.

"Fine, you're so high and mighty, you think you're so great, you're going to be a hands-off boss."

Bai Ye gritted his teeth and muttered, "I've really gotten myself on a pirate ship."

He turned around, his gaze following the corridor toward the lobby.

Starfall was still sitting on that single sofa, holding a cup of hot tea, and blowing on the floating leaves on the water.

His demeanor made him look every bit the refined and elegant young nobleman.

The nameless fire in Bai Ye's heart instantly shifted its target.

"Keep pretending, keep pretending." Bai Ye narrowed his eyes, his gaze unfriendly.

"I'll see what kind of devil you're hiding under that skin."

"You dare try to play dirty tricks on me? I'll make sure you regret it!"

Bai Ye snorted coldly and turned to walk towards his room.

Within minutes, everyone except Jiang Tai'a, who was still snoring in the corner of the lobby, entered their respective private cabins.

"boom--"

The plasma thrusters at the stern of the warship emitted a ghostly blue plume of flame.

The ship trembled slightly as it slowly sailed away from the hidden starport.

In the void ahead, a stargate appears in the center of the asteroid belt.

The warship accelerated, transforming into a black streak of light, and crashed headlong into the distorted spatial vortex at the center of the stargate.

Ripples spread through the space, and the massive hull of the warship vanished in an instant.

……

At the same time.

Inside a panoramic observation tower at the highest point of the hidden starport.

The intense light from the artificial star pierced through the glass and spilled onto the metal floor.

A man and a woman stood side by side in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the stargate that had just returned to peace.

The man was of average appearance, with a buzz cut, and looked quite unremarkable.

The woman wore a moon-white long dress, and her long hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin.

She placed her hands folded in front of her, exuding a dignified and gentle demeanor.

It was Xiao Lie, the commander-in-chief of the Starfire Legion, and Su Jin, who held a nominal position at Starry Sky University.

The two were classmates at Starry Sky University.

Over a thousand years have passed, and only a handful of old friends have survived, making their relationship extraordinary.

Su Jin turned her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"The commander-in-chief of the front-line war zone actually has the leisure to come to this rear area." Su Jin said in a gentle tone.

"In your eyes, Lin Yuan is truly a precious gem."

"Are you planning to escort him all the way to the front lines, afraid he'll die halfway there?"

Xiao Lie crossed his arms and let out a hearty laugh.

"The way you're saying that makes me sound like a protective mother hen."

Xiao Lie stopped laughing, a terrifying glint flashing in his eyes.

"Lin Yuan is to my liking."

"I've been on the front lines of the Abyss for so many years, and I've seen too many spineless cowards raised by powerful families."

"Lin Yuan is different. He has a ruthless streak in his bones and was born to make a living on the battlefield."

Xiao Lie raised his right hand and cracked his knuckles.

"As for the front lines, you can rest assured."

Xiao Lie's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"A few days ago, I took a knife and charged into the front line of the abyss all by myself. I chopped down three abyss demons and crushed their divine essence, hanging it on the boundary marker."

"Those bastards from the Abyss terrified me."

"I did this to warn them to behave themselves and avoid causing trouble while I was away."

"Anyone who dares to show their face, I'll go back and slaughter their entire star field."

Xiao Lie raised his right hand, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fist.

Su Jin shook her head, already used to her old friend's straightforward and blunt style of doing things.

She turned her gaze back to the starry sky outside the window.

"The quality of this year's freshmen is indeed much better than in previous years," Su Jin commented softly.

"That little guy named Xingyun has completed the bloodline awakening of the SS-level God Realm, and his potential is astonishing."

"And then there's Chu Xiaoxiao. Her divine domain is the [Mechanical Divine Domain], which is quite rare. Moreover, she has completed her transformation in Wen Muxue's Rubik's Cube World, so her future is also limitless."

"That young lady from the Su family is quite something; she has a ruthless streak in her bones."

Su Jin listed the members of the team, her eyes full of admiration.

"The performance of these people in the selection competition was in no way inferior to that of the core seeds cultivated by those ancient families."

"With Lin Yuan, whom you personally selected, leading the team, this Blood Pact War of Ten Thousand Races will surely let those alien gods see the sharpness of the new human blood and wash away the shame of our last-place finish."

When Lin Yuan was mentioned, Su Jin's tone noticeably rose, and she spared no praise.

"I'm completely impressed by your eye for talent this time," Su Jin praised.

"A demigod at the sixth level, facing Blood Raven, a wanted criminal at the seventh level of demigod with rich combat experience."

"Not only did he survive, but he also invaded in reverse through the spatial passage, directly destroying the Blood Raven's divine realm!"

Su Jin recalled the scene when Lin Yuan mentioned this matter a few days ago, and she still found it unbelievable.

"A clean and decisive comeback against a higher level."

"I can't find another person with this kind of courage and spirit among the new students in the past few decades."

Su Jin continued with a sigh, "What's even more terrifying is that after plundering the Blood Raven God Realm, he quietly broke through to the seventh level of demigod."

"He's only a freshman!" Su Jin emphasized. "His cultivation speed and combat ability are simply monsters born for war."

Upon hearing Su Jin's words, Xiao Lie could no longer suppress the smile on his face.

"Hahahahaha!"

Xiao Lie threw his head back and laughed heartily. His boisterous laughter echoed throughout the tower, conveying a sense of triumphant exhilaration.

"Good lad! You didn't embarrass me!" Xiao Lie slammed his fist on the metal railing of the windowsill.

"A sixth-tier demigod defeating a seventh-tier demigod—well done! This is the style our Starfire Legion should have!"

"If you can take action, don't just talk nonsense; nip the problem in the bud!"

Xiao Lie glanced at Su Jin, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"With Lin Yuan as our sharpest weapon, I believe this vanguard will be able to break through the alien race's defenses."

"Let those arrogant fools in the Myriad Races Royal Court see for themselves that the backbone of humanity isn't broken yet!"

However, this enthusiasm only lasted for a moment.

When Xiao Lie recalled the "humiliation of coming in last place last time" that Su Jin had just mentioned, the smile on his face vanished.

"The previous one..." Xiao Lie gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffing out slightly.

"The Blood Pact War of All Races is a place where people risk their lives for the glory of humanity! Look at the kind of trash the Starry Sky University sent out in previous years!"

"On the battlefield, when faced with the elite forces of a foreign royal court, they didn't even have the courage to confront them head-on! They crumbled at the first touch, and were chased around like dogs!"

Xiao Lie grew angrier as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.

"What's even more hateful is that, with a formidable enemy at hand, instead of thinking about how to join forces to defend against it, they are secretly scheming against each other and fighting for those pitiful resources."

"The prestige that Starry Sky University has built up over tens of thousands of years has been completely ruined by this bunch of spineless cowards!"

Xiao Lie stared intently at Su Jin, his voice filled with heartache, "Back in school, who dared to back down even a step? And now?"

"Starry Sky University is too weak. Those old guys at the top only know how to maintain balance and play the game of checks and balances all day long. They've almost lost all their fighting spirit!"

Faced with Xiao Lie's angry roar, Su Jin did not refute him.

The smile on her face vanished, and she could only sigh helplessly.

The man in front of her was one of her few trusted old friends, and there were some things she no longer needed to hide from him.

"Do you think I wanted to see the school become like this?" Su Jin sighed, walked to the window, and looked at the deep starry sky outside.

"The situation at Starry Sky University is far worse than you can see."

Xiao Lie frowned and turned to look at her.

Su Jin lowered her voice, her tone heavy.

"Several old guys in the Federal Parliament have already put pressure on us."

"The Origin Academy in the Central Star Sector and the Royal Divine Academy in the Sirius Star Sector have produced quite a few monstrous geniuses in recent years."

"They have long been dissatisfied with Starry Sky University's control over the allocation of slots for the Blood Pact War among all races."

Su Jin sighed softly and revealed the cruel truth at the end.

"The power struggle at the highest levels has reached a fever pitch, and Parliament has issued an ultimatum."

"If the team led by the juniors fails again, Lin Yuan's team led by the freshmen won't get a good ranking either."

"Starry Sky University will likely be stripped of some of its spots in the Blood Pact War of Myriad Races."