Defy Fate as Source, the Battlefield Opens (54K)

There are seven late-stage Star Vortex level beings in total.

They are interconnected, forming an almost impenetrable energy circulation field.

"The energy field is impenetrable; conventional tactics are ineffective." Star Firefly instantly reached the cruelest conclusion. "Captain, we have no choice but to try our extreme tactic. If we can withstand the first wave of attacks, we'll have a chance."

Lin Yi's gaze swept over the rapidly solidifying afterimage before him, and he quickly said, "Let's go with our final plan and take a gamble!"

At this moment, the mirror image solidified, and the battle erupted instantly.

"Now! Vast Ocean - Frozen Ice!"

"A towering mountain, weighing a thousand pounds!"

"Golden Limit - No Return!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Star Firefly, Amber, and Mo Yuan ignited and sublimated all the miniature Star Core within the Source Sea without reservation.

Star Firefly transformed into an extremely cold, blue, eternal spear, tearing through space and crashing headlong into the frost-covered mirror image that exuded an aura of absolute zero.

Extreme cold against extreme cold, the ultimate collision at the level of rules, does not erupt with heat, but with absolute silence that devours everything.

Both were annihilated simultaneously.

Amber, like a war god of collapsing stars bursting forth from the Star Core, carried a weight large enough to crush stars in her petite body. She punched the mirror image that controlled the blazing light, and in the end, they both returned to nothingness.

Mo Yuan's figure had become one with the Long Spear in his hand, the Metal Rule compressed to the extreme, turning his entire being into a golden thread that existed purely for "penetration".

He used himself as the sharpest arrow, piercing through the mirror core that was constantly releasing scorching flames with speed beyond comprehension.

At the cost of shattering the Source Sea and burning the Star Core, they made a heroic sacrifice, trading one life for another.

At this moment, there are four mirror images remaining.

These four late-stage Star Vortex mirror images launched a counterattack simultaneously.

There are no fancy moves, just the simplest rules and the outpouring of energy.

The four terrifying attacks of the rules—the scorching flames, the absolute zero that freezes the soul, and the ultimate energy beam—converged into a destructive wave, surging towards the remaining four.

Its power far surpasses that of the sixth level by several times.

"My turn!"

Lei Hao unleashed a deafening roar, shattering the Source Sea. At the same time, he pushed the rules to their limit, and a massive barrier connecting the sky above and the energy river below suddenly appeared. The ancient mountain patterns on the barrier seemed to come alive, radiating a heavy will that suppressed everything.

"Boom!"

The destructive torrent slammed into the barrier like two stars colliding, and a terrifying shockwave swept across the entire space, causing the energy river to reverse.

The barrier groaned under the strain, cracks spreading like a spiderweb across Lei Hao's entire body in an instant. But his eyes were bloodshot, and he stood like a giant mountain nailed to the spot, stubbornly resisting the first and most violent impact.

Then, Lei Hao grinned, "Blocked it."

Before he could finish speaking, his body shattered into a shower of dazzling light.

Behind Lei Hao, Ai Wen Whisper seemed oblivious to the scene unfolding before him. His moon-white robes billowed without wind, and the emerald green life force around him blazed with unprecedented brilliance. His voice was exceptionally solemn. "Ode to Life - Defying Fate as the Source!"

Xuanji, the gentle yet boundless source energy, surged into Lin Yi's body like a galaxy that had found its final resting place.

This force was so immense that it instantly pushed Lin Yi's Source Energy Intensity to the peak of the Star Core level.

Meanwhile, Ai Wen's body, starting from his fingertips, transformed into countless green light particles, like fireflies drifting and rising against the current. Finally, it completely dissipated before Lin Yi.

At the same time, the four late-stage Star Vortex mirror images had already locked their killing intent onto Lin Yi, who they felt was a strong threat, and were about to make their move.

"Light Illusion. Return to Nothingness."

In an instant, all the light in the Seventh Floor of space was completely drawn away and swallowed up.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kenkes chose to squeeze everything dry, creating an extremely dazzling illusion that dragged the perceptions of the four mirror images into an endless labyrinth.

The attack trajectories of the four mirror images were instantly lost.

Three seconds.

Kenkes only had time to deliver this last message to Lin Yi before he vanished into nothingness.

At this moment, the remaining four mirror images remain completely unharmed.

Only Lin Yi remained in the room.

He didn't have time to feel the terrifying, surging power within him, a power that seemed capable of Star Shatter with a mere gesture, because it wasn't enough to deal with the remaining four mirror images in one go.

therefore.

"Defying fate is the source!"

Lin Yi roared silently in his heart.

As fellow practitioners of the Life Rule, he originally did not know the forbidden technique of reversing life force to restore it into source energy, which was created by the Spirit Race.

However, when he heard Ai Wen mention this secret technique, he immediately asked Aurelia about it and eventually learned it from her after much pleading.

Of course, his understanding of the Life Rule was not as profound as Ai Wen's, so it took him a little longer to activate this forbidden technique.

At this moment, Lin Yi frantically activated his understanding of the Life Rule, not only perfectly accepting all the source energy transmitted by Ai Wen, but also igniting most of his own life force.

"Click. Click"

Cracks, like those on broken porcelain, began to appear on the surface of his body. From within these cracks shone a dazzling light that was a mixture of emerald green life radiance and dark gold destruction.

This is a sign that the power has exceeded its limit and is about to collapse.

At the same time, the Nine Luminaries Thunder Bead merged instantly, and a thunder Long Spear with black electric sparks silently crackling on its surface condensed in his hand.

Seeing that the four mirror images were about to break free from the illusion, Lin Yi immediately poured all his energy into the black Annihilation Thunder Spear in his hand without reservation.

Instead of throwing it, he gently pushed the gun, which held everything in its hands, towards the empty space in front of him.

The black lightning spear vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

The next instant.

The four late-stage Star Vortex mirror images, which had already broken free of the illusion and were about to launch an attack, suddenly froze, as if a pause button had been pressed.

A hollow space silently appeared in each of their chests.

Tiny black sparks flickered at the edge of the void.

Subsequently, these four powerful late-stage Star Vortex mirror images slowly turned into black ashes, drifted away, and disappeared.

The Seventh Floor of space fell into a deathly silence, with only the silent flow of the energy river remaining.

Lin Yi maintained the posture of sending out, and the cracks on the surface of his body increased, while the light became more and more intense, like a star about to explode as a New Star.

He struggled to turn his eyes toward the direction where his teammates had once stood, now empty, and a faint smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

We won.

Before he could finish speaking...

Lin Yi's body exploded with a bang, turning into countless specks of dust shimmering with tiny lights, like a grand shower of Star Dust, which eventually drifted away and returned to silence.

Outside the tower, the green light ring on the Seventh Floor lit up.

Seventh Floor. Passed.

A team of newcomers, with a maximum Star Core level of 4, successfully cleared the Seventh Floor of the Endless Tower's team mode.

The silence lasted for a full ten seconds, then suddenly erupted into an uproar.

"They actually managed to break through to the Seventh Floor."

"I never expected something so exciting to happen in this episode."

"Lin Yi, I'm quite curious about what the Nightmare Race team, who aren't on good terms with Human Race, is thinking."

"Quickly, relay this message back immediately; they have the potential to be a tier 3 team."

Hui Yao stared intently at the tower for a long time before finally uttering, "Impressive."

Xing Yu stared blankly at the light screen, knowing that from today onwards, this team would become someone they needed to treat as an equal.

Qing Feng let out a long sigh of relief, a bright smile spreading across her face, "Good heavens, truly good heavens."

Inside the tower, on the Eighth Floor.

The seven people, now recovered, looked at each other in silence.

"Eighth Floor"

Kenkes looked at the eight mirror images that were slowly coalescing, and then looked at Lin Yi.

"Captain, what do you say? Fight or not?"

Lin Yi shook his head, his eyes regaining their clarity and calm. "The Eighth Floor has eight Star Vortex Rank 8 opponents, the strength difference is even greater. We used all our trump cards and barely managed to get through the Seventh Floor. The Eighth Floor is hopeless. Dying once is unpleasant, there's no need for that."

Everyone nodded silently.

We give up, we leave.

Lin Yi made the most rational decision.

A flash of light, and the seven figures were teleported out from the Endless Tower.

Almost the instant they steadied themselves, several figures stepped forward from the crowd to meet them.

"Captain Lin Yi, congratulations!" Hui Yao exclaimed. "To be the first team to conquer the Endless Tower and clear seven floors is an achievement that breaks the record of four tiers of teams. I'm truly impressed!"

Xing Yu, who was following behind him, smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He had tried to recruit him back then, but he never expected that so soon he would have to treat him as an equal.

Almost simultaneously, another clear, cold voice rang out. "Seventh Floor, not bad."

Everyone looked over and saw it was none other than "Ice Blade" Qing Lan.

He still had his arms crossed, and nodded slightly to Lin Yi, "Looking forward to meeting you in future missions."

The other top-tier geniuses who rushed over upon hearing the news also stepped forward, offering their congratulations and expressing their desire to make friends, some simply and others warmly.

Lin Yi responded appropriately to the crowd's enthusiasm, neither arrogant nor humble. He accepted their kindness without losing his composure, which further enhanced Hui Yao, Qing Lan, and the others' opinion of him.

"Captain Lin Yi."

Hui Yao deliberately lingered a while longer, waiting for the crowd to disperse before returning to Lin Yi and saying:

"As Human Race, we should support each other within this alliance. Whether in this training camp or across the vast Human Race territory, if you encounter any difficult situations, need intelligence, or require certain channels, please don't hesitate to ask. My Star Radiance Squad will do our utmost."

These words were more than just polite formalities; they signaled recognition and a potential alliance.

Standing to Lin Yi's side and slightly behind, Kenkes overjoyed to see these usually arrogant Tier 3 geniuses now behaving so amiably, even with a hint of trying to make friends. His rainbow-colored short hair seemed to tremble slightly with excitement.

"Here it comes, this is the feeling! It feels so good to be clinging to the Star Radiance's coattails! With his background as a direct descendant of the Lord of Source Laws, I can practically walk around the Aurora Rainbow Star Sector with my head held high, right? Hehe, deciding to follow the captain was absolutely the right decision."

After receiving Lin Yi's affirmative reply, Hui Yao and the others wisely refrained from further intrusion, leaving behind Contact Mark and goodwill before departing one after another.

In the days that followed, Lin Yi and his team did not lose their way because of the temporary sensation.

The horrific sacrifices on the Seventh Floor of the tower made them acutely aware of the gap between themselves and truly top-tier combat power, as well as the subtle flaws that still existed in their teamwork.

They digested the experience and gains from this tower challenge, and used the huge Points they obtained to devote themselves even more diligently to their cultivation.

Training, practicing, reviewing, and improving—the days slipped by quietly in a fulfilling and structured rhythm.

The Star Core level Special Training Camp provided the best platform, and the seven members of the team were like seven sponges thirsting for water, frantically absorbing all the nutrients that could make them stronger.

Time flies, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Lin Yi had just finished a round of in-depth tempering of the Gold Domain in the "Golden Source Sword Tomb" and was preparing to conduct team tactical simulations when Xuanji's voice rang in his mind.

[Principal, an encrypted Information Flow has been received from General Luger's adjutant in the 93778th Border Legion of the Star Realm Army. The message is marked as -- Highest Urgency.]

[Meanwhile, the Mercenary Alliance mission system has been updated, and designated missions have been released.]

Lin Yi's mind raced, and he immediately ordered, "Connect the information and display the mission summary."

The next moment, a screen of light unfolded before his eyes.

At the top is General Luger's resolute electronic signature seal, below which is the concise yet powerful text:

To Lin Yi, Commander the East Peak Mercenary Group:

The K-77 star system, the "Ash Star Domain" Tiered Battlefield, was officially designated and activated at 08:00 Ephemeris Standard Time.

In accordance with the previous agreement, the first batch of Level 2 battlefield designated combat missions are hereby issued to your organization through the Star Realm Army merit system.

Detailed War Zone star map, enemy situation reports, mission objectives, and merit-based reward system are available in the appendix.

We urge your regiment to complete its combat readiness as soon as possible and arrive at the designated assembly coordinates within ten days.

--Astral Star Realm Army 93778th Border Legion Command.

As his gaze swept over those few lines of text, the fighting spirit that had been dormant for two years suddenly ignited in Lin Yi's eyes, like a spark being set ablaze.

The Tiered Battlefield has finally begun.

Without any hesitation, his consciousness immediately connected with all team members through the Xuanji. Whether they were cultivating in the Virtual Network or busy in various parts of the North Wind, all the team members received his concise and powerful message at the same time:

"All personnel, level one combat readiness."

"Target: Ash Star Domain, Level 2 Battlefield."

"We should get going."

North Wind, bridge.

The atmosphere on the bridge, which had been operating smoothly, changed instantly.

The soft ambient lighting switched to a slightly cold, warlike tone, and the holographic star map quickly unfolded on the central main screen, locking onto the coordinates of the "Ash Star Domain".

Xuanji simultaneously transmitted Lin Yi's orders and mission briefings to the tactical terminals of every ship and every member of the fleet.

"Repeat, Level 1 combat readiness order confirmed. All non-essential systems enter low-power mode, prioritizing energy supply to combat units. Flight path replanned, target: designated assembly coordinates in the Ash Star Domain, all departure preparations expected to be completed within two hours."

Xuanji's voice echoed across the bridge.

Lin Yi stood in front of the captain's seat, his gaze sweeping over the busy operators before finally settling on Aurelia beside him.

"It's finally about to begin," Aurelia said softly.

"Hmm." Lin Yi nodded. "A thousand days of training, one day of use. It's time to test our true strength."

The Sharpness III assault ship, rest cabin.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the solemnity of the bridge; almost the instant the order was given, it was like a giant powder keg was ignited.

"Hahaha! They're here! They've finally arrived!"

Andre leaped from the maintenance platform, his thick arm, wrapped in biological bandages, slamming heavily onto the nearby alloy table with a dull thud. "My greatsword has been itching for a fight for ages! This time, I'm going to chop off a few bug heads to use as goblets!"

"Come on, Andre," a teammate next to him chuckled, but his eyes were equally gleaming. "If I can take down a few more Elite Unit and get a dukedom title, I'll be more than satisfied."

"Tiered Battlefield, military merits!" Chen Yu rubbed his hands excitedly, pacing back and forth in the rest pod, muttering to himself, "Brothers, today is the day to make our mark!"

Liu Yuan was much calmer. He carefully examined every energy circuit of the longsword, looked up at the words, and said calmly, "Don't just think about military merits, think about how to survive first. The Kunmo Race is not a target, and the Tiered Battlefield is not an amusement park."

His words were like a bucket of cold water, cooling the heated atmosphere slightly, but also making everyone more sober.

Not far away, the chill emanating from Elizabeth seemed to intensify. She silently inserted several vials of high-concentration energy potions into the slots on the side of her Arm Armor. Her icy blue eyes were devoid of any emotion, displaying only absolute calmness, as if what was about to happen was not a life-or-death battle, but rather a routine training session.

Sharpness IV Assault Ship, Spirit Race member area.

The Spirit Race members of the Xina Family reacted with elegance and restraint.

They stopped their research or meditation and gathered at the observation window, watching the fleet outside begin to adjust its course.

"Tiered Battlefield. A true arena of racial conflict," a young Spirit Race male murmured, a hint of tension in his voice.

"This means we will face the main force of the Kunmo Race head-on, not small harassing groups," another Spirit Race woman interjected, her slender fingers gently tracing a faintly glowing family crest on her chest. "Lady Aurelia has chosen to accompany them, and we, the Xina Family, must also demonstrate the courage and strength to match."

"Adapt, observe, learn, and then... conquer."

The elder Spirit Race concluded, her gaze lingering through the porthole on the massive man-made fortress in the distance, "This will be the most important lesson we learn after leaving the Peaceful Star Domain."

Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, Wolf Howl.

"Boss, there's movement from Eastern Edge. All the warships' engines are warming up, and judging from their course, they're leaving the fortress." The intelligence officer rushed to report to Commander Buck.

The Blood Wolf Mercenary Group Mercenary Group, which provided timely support to the Star Realm Army, also received an invitation to the Tiered Battlefield.

Buck abruptly sat up straight in his command chair, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. "Sure enough, General Luger just designated the War Zone, and they're already making their move. They're going to the Tiered Battlefield to rack up military merits."

He stroked the stubble on his chin and clicked his tongue. "Pass down the order, tell the brothers to keep their eyes peeled. If they encounter Eastern Edge's men on the battlefield, they should offer them assistance if possible. If we can't help them in times of need, we can at least offer them help when they're already successful. Let's build goodwill; who knows, it might save our lives someday."

Similar conversations have taken place within Mercenary Group like "Thorn Shield" and "Eye of the Eagle," which have had interactions with Eastern Edge over the years.

The actions of the East Peak Mercenary Group are now affecting the nerves of many forces in this border star region.

One hour later, at the Star Realm Army 93778 Border Legion outpost, the third export port.

The massive North Wind, like a behemoth awakening, slowly sailed out of its berth, its sleek and powerful hull gleaming with a cold metallic sheen under the harbor lights.

Following closely behind, the Sharpness -class assault ships and Guardian-class frigates lined up in formation, forming a compact and efficient combat group.

A calm voice from the Star Realm Army controller came through the port control channel. "East Peak Mercenary Group fleet, identification code confirmed, navigation beacon in place. Best wishes for your success."

"Eastern Edge received this, thank you for the guidance," Lin Yi replied calmly.