The Three Peaks, Helpless

Lin Yi immediately checked the list of Contact Mark.

Sure enough, a new Contact Mark named "Ninth Senior Brother" was added to the list, radiating a purple glow.

His application, submitted more than forty years ago, was approved.

"A purple mark. As expected, it's a being at the World Derivation level."

Lin Yi understood, gaining a more intuitive understanding of the level of disciples under his master Xuchen.

Before he could think it through, Xuanji gave him another hint.

"Received a coordinate invitation."

Lin Yi accepted without hesitation.

In an instant, the virtual space switched, and the scene before my eyes changed completely.

There are no opulent decorations here, only a metal platform that looks like it has been through the ravages of war, and outside the platform a deep universe dotted with Star Shatter and slowly rotating nebula dust.

A sense of desolation and loneliness washed over me.

A figure stood with his back to him, gazing into the distance from the railing.

The man wore a simple black robe, his figure was tall and straight, and his black hair was casually draped over his shoulders. Even just his back view gave people the feeling that he was integrated into this starry ruin, quiet and vast.

As if sensing Lin Yi's arrival, the man slowly turned around.

His face looked quite young, even with a sunny and handsome air, but his eyes were like an ancient well that had been precipitated for millions of years, so deep that one could not see the bottom, and it seemed as if the image of stars rising and falling was flowing within them.

"Junior Brother?"

With a gentle yet slightly curious smile, he said, "I am your Ninth Senior Brother, Cang Ming."

"Lin Yi greets Cang Ming Brother Cangming."

Lin Yi respectfully.

When facing a senior brother at the World Derivation level, it is essential to observe proper etiquette.

Cang Ming nodded slightly in return.

He looked at Lin Yi with a calm gaze, a hint of undisguised curiosity in his eyes.

"I had been in seclusion for a while, and recently I received a call-up invitation from the Strategic Affairs Department under the Hengji Global Council, so I came out to stretch my muscles. I didn't expect to find that I had a junior brother as soon as I came out to deal with the backlog of information. This surprise has made me feel a bit less tired from my seclusion, so naturally I had to come and see you as soon as possible."

His tone was calm and his words were appropriate. He explained why he had come and expressed goodwill.

Lin Yi understood that Master Xuchen taking on disciples was clearly no small matter, and these senior brothers and sisters must have internal communication channels.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked with great interest, "By the way, junior brother, did Master give you a brief introduction to us good-for-nothing senior brothers and sisters?"

Lin Yi frankly replied, "Senior brother, Master only left behind Contact Mark and did not explain the situation of the senior brothers and sisters in detail."

It would be foolish to try to outsmart someone at the World Derivation level.

"Haha, just as I expected."

Cang Ming chuckled and shook his head. "Did he tell you to contact your sixth senior brother, ' Xuanshu, ' beforehand?"

Lin Yi's heart stirred slightly; this Ninth Senior Brother really understood Master's character.

"Yes, Ninth Senior Brother." He nodded in acknowledgment.

"See? I knew it."

Cang Ming's face revealed an expression of "I knew it."

"Senior Brother Xuanshu is calm and meticulous, so Master is naturally happy to have a leisurely life and has pushed him out to be the steward. However, since I happened to come out of seclusion first, it can be considered fate, so I'll share the responsibility of being his guide and introduce you to the basic information of each of the senior brothers and sisters."

Cang Ming's tone became slightly more formal, "Including you, Master nominally has sixteen disciples. However, the path of cultivation is long and fraught with thorns and unexpected events. Over the long years, only eight of us, including you, are still alive today."

Lin Yi listened quietly, which was consistent with the fact that his master had only given him seven Contact Mark.

"The eldest brother ' Prison Suppressor,' the third sister ' Thousand Illusions.'"

When Cang Ming mentioned these two names, his tone naturally carried a hint of respect, "These two have ascended to Eternity, and are the pride of all our junior brothers and sisters."

Even though Lin Yi had heard Xing Yi mention it before, hearing it confirmed by a World Derivation level still deeply shocked him.

Two Eternal Divinity, plus the master, that's three deities in one family!

This significance, even when considered within the broader context of the entire Human Race's territory, should not be underestimated.

"In addition, there is my second senior sister Henghuan."

Cang Ming paused for a moment, "She is stationed in the Myriad Worlds Abyss Grotto year-round. Fourth Senior Brother Lieyang has a fiery temper and is often away on campaigns; you can't know his exact location yet. Sixth Senior Brother ' Xuanshu ' is the one Master asked you to find; he's responsible for internal coordination within the sect. Seventh Senior Sister ' Bingling ' has a cold and aloof personality and is currently recuperating from her injuries. And me, ranked ninth, Cang Ming, I just recovered from my injuries and, since I don't have any missions, I accepted an aid application from the council."

He paused, then added calmly, "As for the other senior brothers and sisters among them, they have all perished on the long path of cultivation or in past battles."

These few words paint a magnificent yet cruel picture of powerful beings in the starry sky.

With only 8 out of 16 surviving, a 50% failure rate, the path to the highest realm is fraught with peril.

Lin Yi could sense the vicissitudes of time and the ruthlessness of life and death hidden behind those plain words.

"Recently, due to frequent border conflicts, the situation has become somewhat delicate. The council has mobilized forces from all sides, and those of us who are currently in seclusion will likely be pulled out to participate in various activities one after another."

Cang Ming changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of reminder, "According to past practice, after everyone emerges from seclusion, if the time is right, we might find an excuse to get together and exchange ideas. Junior brother, let me remind you..."

He looked at Lin Yi, his eyes filled with a friendly teasing, "For beings like Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister, even a little something slipping through their fingers is a stroke of luck for us at the World Derivation level. As Eternal Realms, they're always generous, and they'll certainly be even more so towards you, their newly promoted junior brother. Unless you have something extremely urgent to attend to, you'd better not go into seclusion for too long. Missing out on such a good thing would be a huge loss."

This was a practical suggestion from his senior, concerning his actual interests, Lin Yi naturally kept in mind.

"Thank you for the reminder, Ninth Senior Brother. I've noted it down. I'll definitely keep it in mind."

"Um."

Cang Ming responded, then casually inquired about everyday matters, "By the way, how are you doing these days? Are you still handling the follow-up matters of your civilization's advancement on your home planet ' Silverblue '?"

Lin Yi knew that with his senior brother's level and connections, if he really wanted to find out, he probably wouldn't be able to hide his basic information.

After a moment's thought, he frankly told me, "I have left Silver Blue Star and have formed a Mercenary Group called ' Eastern Edge.' We mainly operate in the border star system, taking on missions and accumulating combat experience to prepare for breaking through to the Dual Domain, while also paving the way for the future development of our civilization."

"Oh? You're at the border?"

Cang Ming's tone revealed a hint of surprise, as if this information was slightly unexpected. "Are you planning to participate in the Tiered Battlefield that's about to officially open over there?"

"Yes, senior brother. We do have that plan."

Lin Yi readily admitted it.

Which star system?

Cang Ming asked another question, appearing slightly more serious than before.

A hint of surprise flashed through Lin Yi's mind. Why ask such a specific question?

Without hesitation, he replied directly, "K-77 star system, specifically the ' Ash Star Domain ' area."

"K-77? Ash Star Domain?"

Cang Ming repeated himself, then chuckled, "That's quite a coincidence. The council's summons I received is to serve as one of the supervisors for several border -Tiered Battlefield within the Human Race's territory. Which specific star system I'll be responsible for is still under internal coordination and hasn't been finalized yet. However..."

He smiled slightly, looking at Lin Yi, "Since you're in K-77, Junior Brother, I'll just say hello to my old friend in charge of assignments and go there. He'll still give me that much face."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi was overjoyed.

Having his senior brother as a supervisor is like adding an incredibly solid layer of insurance to his journey in the Tiered Battlefield, which is definitely a great thing that he couldn't ask for.

"Thank you very much, Senior Brother!" Lin Yi bowed again sincerely, as this favor was quite substantial.

"It was nothing, no need to be so polite among family."

Cang Ming waved his hand, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

But then, his tone shifted slightly, and he said solemnly, "However, junior brother, there's something I must remind you. In the early stages of the Tiered Battlefield, most participants are geniuses like you and me, from Human Race or affiliated races. With your strength and Rule Comprehension, going in to train, gain some military merits, and solidify your foundation is indeed a safe and sound choice."

Then, Cang Ming paused slightly, seemingly choosing his words carefully. "However, remember not to linger there, and certainly don't consider it your primary means of acquiring resources in the long term."

Lin Yi's heart tightened, and he suppressed his joy.

He realized that his senior brother's warning was not unfounded.

"Before long, that region will no longer be confined to border skirmishes between our powerful races."

Cang Ming's voice deepened, "It will gradually evolve into a place of conflict, a chessboard for the true geniuses of the top races to vie for supremacy. At that time, the battlefield will become extremely complex, and the situation will be even more unpredictable and dangerous. With your current strength, it would be quite dangerous for you to remain there."

"A prodigy from a top-tier race?"

"That's right," Cang Ming nodded. "When the time is right, the nature of this so-called 'border conflict' will completely change. At that time, the real protagonists will be the core geniuses from the three top races: the Pan-Spirit Alliance, the Abyss Race, and the Devouring Race."

He looked at Lin Yi with a serious expression. "These prodigies from the top races, besides competing with each other, have an important task: to hone their skills in these 'specific battlefields.' Compared to them, although you have great potential now, the risks would be extremely high if you got involved too early."

Lin Yi's mood gradually grew heavy.

The Abyss Race, who call themselves the "Source Race," are said to be descendants of the "Origin Beast" from the beginning of the universe. They come in various forms, are all beast-like intelligent beings, possess powerful bodies, and have unpredictable and mysterious innate abilities.

The Devouring Race was originally just a maverick insect branch of the Abyss Race. Because their ideology and evolutionary path were incompatible with those of the other Abyss Race, a war that eventually broke out, affecting countless star fields.

After the war, this terrifyingly powerful branch declared independence and called itself the "Devouring Race." These two races, along with the Spirit Race, constitute the three pinnacle races of the universe.

Lin Yi immediately thought of the monstrous talents in the Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle. The top-ranked ones were monsters who had fused five or six levels of rules. How could the prodigies of the opposing peak races be weak?

If what my senior brother said is true, then that place will become a hunting ground for such beings. As a Star Core level who has not even fully integrated the two levels of rules, he is indeed no different from an ant and could be affected and crushed at any time.

It's not worth risking your life for a little military merit.

For a moment, he almost had the urge to leave the border as soon as possible and get away from this place of trouble.

Safety first; it's the instinct of those who have been reborn.

But soon, a strong question arose in my mind.

Wrong!

In his past life, until his death, he had never heard of top geniuses from powerful races appearing on a large scale on the border battlefields between Human Race and medium-powered races like the Kunmo Race and Rift Mantis Race.

At most, it's just that the geniuses cultivated by the Human Race themselves make a name for themselves there.

The timelines don't seem to match.

Lin Yi keenly noticed the unusual situation.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Yi cautiously asked, "Senior brother, when you said 'not long ago,' how many standard years do you mean?"

He needs to confirm this crucial timescale.

The universal standard year is similar to the old Blue Star year, approximately 362 days.

"Hmm?" Cang Ming seemed surprised that Lin Yi would ask such a specific question.

He paused briefly, as if calculating and assessing various variables, "Based on the current escalation of the conflict and some predictive models within the council, it will take anywhere from six or seven thousand to over ten thousand standard years. In short, it won't be long."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's tense nerves instantly relaxed, and he even felt a little amused and exasperated.

Really!

For beings at the World Derivation level, whose lifespan is over a thousand Epoch and whose single period of seclusion might last for hundreds of years, several thousand years is indeed "very fast."

But for someone who has only been reborn for a hundred years, several thousand years is enough time for him to do a lot of things.

It seems that, at least for a considerable period of time in the future, such as three or four thousand years, the border battlefield should remain relatively safe, within a stage that he can control and utilize.

Relieved, Lin Yi's tone became much more relaxed. "I understand, thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I will be careful not to be greedy or reckless."

Once you relax, curiosity takes over.

Lin Yi couldn't help but ask, "Senior brother, there's something I don't understand. The border conflicts between our Human Race and the Kunmo Race and Rift Mantis Race should theoretically be limited in scale and impact on the universe. Why would they attract the personal intervention of the geniuses of top races? Would the Spirit Race send their geniuses to help our Human Race fight?"

Upon hearing Lin Yi's words, Cang Ming let out a cold snort that was difficult to decipher.

There was no anger in that voice; it was more like a detached, mocking indifference that came from a world-weary perspective.

"Help you? Do you think this war is something that our Human Race, or the Kunmo Race and Rift Mantis Race can just start on their own?"

His tone was clearly sarcastic.

Lin Yi paused slightly, realizing he might have touched on a deeper truth. "Senior brother, what do you mean?"

"Sigh," Cang Ming sighed again, gazing at the endless universe. "Never mind. With your talent and temperament, you'll know the truth about these universes sooner or later. Since we've come this far, I'll tell you in advance, so you'll be more informed in the future."

As he spoke, he casually waved his hand.

A grand and detailed three-dimensional star map instantly unfolded before Lin Yi.

The star map is vast and boundless, but the three most striking colors are: emerald green representing the territory of the Spirit Race, dark gold representing the star field ruled by the Abyss Race, and ghostly purple marking the territory of the Devouring Race.

The territories of countless other races, including Human Race, are marked with a relatively dim gray.

"This is a simplified star map of the current cosmic landscape, marking only the territories of the most powerful and elite races. Junior brother, take a close look; can you spot any problems?"

Lin Yi observed intently.

Although he has purple-level access and could theoretically view such star charts, he had previously been either busy with cultivation and Mercenary Group affairs, or felt that such macroscopic patterns were too far removed from his own experience, so he had not studied them in depth.

Now, under his senior's guidance, he quickly discovered an extremely unusual phenomenon.

"Senior brother, why do these three core territories seem to be completely separated? Are they separated by buffer zones composed of countless other races' territories?" Lin Yi asked with some surprise. "The distribution of the universe can't be that coincidental, can it?"

"Coincide?"

A cold glint appeared at the corner of Cang Ming's mouth.

"How could the universe operate with so many coincidences? Long ago, the territories of the three supreme races were directly adjacent, constantly clashing and waging war. Several great wars broke out during this period, affecting countless races and reducing numerous civilizations to ashes. Later, perhaps because the casualties were too great and touched a fundamental core, or perhaps due to some deeper game and compromise, the three parties had no choice but to reach a tacit understanding and finally cease hostilities."

"To prevent direct war from happening again in the future, they believed that a sufficiently wide buffer zone was needed."

Cang Ming traced lines on the star map with his finger. On the star map, those vast star regions located between the territories of the three major races and occupied by many powerful or medium-sized races such as the Human Race, the Kunmo Race, and the Rift Mantis Race were specially marked, like colorful isolation strips.

"Thus, they joined forces to promote the largest territorial exchange strategy in history. Through a series of means, including forced relocation, transactions, and covert manipulation, they relocated, resettled, and even supported many races that were not considered elite at the time to their original border regions, filling and shaping these buffer zones."

"We Human Race, along with the Kunmo Race, the Rift Mantis Race, and many other races in this star sea, are essentially 'chess pieces' placed in specific positions within this grand game spanning the star sea."

Lin Yi held his breath, and a cold yet precise word slowly surfaced in his mind.

"Therefore, one of the strategic significances of our races located in the buffer zone is that they serve as a strategic buffer between the dominant races."

Cang Ming's voice was calm to the point of cruelty, "If there are any irreconcilable conflicts between them, or if they need to resolve certain issues that are inconvenient to personally intervene, or if it is merely to test the other side's bottom line and the power of the new generation, they often do not easily intervene on a large scale themselves. Instead, they influence, support, arm, or even indirectly manipulate our races to open up battlefields in the star systems on which we depend for survival, and to conduct controlled and limited wars."

"Through our fighting and attrition, they can not only handle the conflict and achieve their strategic objectives at low cost, but also take this opportunity to send their carefully cultivated young talents into the battlefield under the guise of observers, volunteers, or military advisors. This will allow them to undergo real combat training in the most realistic and bloody environment, sharpen their claws, see bloodshed, eliminate the weak, and cultivate true elites."

Cang Ming paused, his tone becoming even more sarcastic. "And the most ridiculous and pathetic thing is that when conflicts arise between races within our buffer zone, in order to avoid being quickly defeated by an opponent who has the covert or overt support of a particular top race, we often have to actively beg those top races to send their prodigies to assist in the battle, and pay a considerable price for it. Moreover, many times, we have to express our gratitude for this, thanking them for being willing to uphold justice or provide assistance!"

Lin Yi fell completely silent, a chill rising from the bottom of his heart and spreading to every part of his body.

The image of the Spirit Race as a humble and gentle supreme race that Aurelia, the Xina Family, and even Ai Wen and other Spirit Race friends had cultivated in his mind was utterly shattered at this moment.

Looking at the star map before him, which symbolized the highest order of the universe, Lin Yi felt as if he had truly touched the top layer of this dark forest for the first time, where the cold, cruel, and extremely real laws of operation operated.

The so-called clash of civilizations and racial wars, from a higher perspective, may just be a carefully directed drama, and they are all actors who have no choice in the matter.

He muttered to himself, "This... this is proxy warfare."

"Proxy war?"

Cang Ming softly repeated the unfamiliar yet perfectly apt term, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, before calmly nodding. "A very accurate description. Yes, it's a proxy war. The territory and resources we shed and sacrifice here for may be nothing more than decorations on a chessboard in the eyes of the top races. And we don't even have the right to refuse to be pawns."

After they finished speaking, they both fell into a long silence.

Only the star map continued to rotate silently, its brilliance illuminating the three supreme races with indifference, reflecting the rise and fall and struggles of countless civilizations in the buffer zone.