Divine Secrets, Ellie's Thoughts (58K)

In the grand scheme of the gathering, giving a gift to the junior apprentice was just a minor incident.

After this extra segment came to an end, the pace on the Star Banquet Platform became very casual and homey.

Yes, it's just everyday stuff.

If a group of beings at least at the World Derivation level, including two Eternal Divinity, can discuss topics that can be described as "casual conversation," then...

On the star-studded stone platform in front of Lin Yi, the delicacies and fine wines still radiated an alluring glow and aroma, but his mind was no longer on these illusory pleasures.

He sat upright, like a naive freshman just entering a vast university, listening attentively as his professors and senior students discussed cutting-edge and challenging topics.

The senior students were clearly already used to this kind of gathering, and the conversation naturally turned to things that were of interest to them at this level.

"I've heard that there's been some unusual activity in the Ancient Underworld Secret Realm recently. The spatial turbulence on the outer perimeter has weakened by 30%, and a few old guys have already sent people out to scout ahead."

Fourth Senior Brother Lieyang took a swig of the wine that seemed to be made of magma and spoke in a carefree manner.

Sixth Senior Brother Xuanshu frowned slightly and replied, "The Ancient Underworld Secret Realm is extremely dangerous. It was last opened 700,000 years ago, and quite a few beings perished within it. However, it is said that some people have obtained fragments of the ' Heart of Time ' within it. If one can refine them, it will greatly benefit one's understanding of the laws of time."

Third Senior Sister Thousand Illusions toyed with a strand of hair woven from starlight, and chuckled lazily:

"The Heart of Time? That thing is too ethereal and elusive. I did hear that the newly ascended Eternal of the Phantom Race and the veteran deity of the Rock Armor Race almost came to blows at the Pan-Spirit Alliance Arbitration Court over the ownership of a rare mineral vein star system. In the end, it was only through the intervention of a deity under the Xingyu Sovereign that the matter was resolved."

Her beautiful eyes darted around, a hint of mockery in them. "Tsk tsk, they've thrown away all their dignity for a few Star Pattern Gold Core."

"As a newly ascended Eternal God, with an unstable foundation, it is natural to need resources to consolidate the Divine Kingdom, and it is inevitable that some aggressive actions will follow."

Second Senior Sister Henghuan, as a top-tier cultivator in the realm of evolution who is just one step away from eternity, obviously knows some inside information.

"The Rock Armor Race, relying on their seniority, tried to gain the upper hand, but they've only just met their match. Such clashes happen daily outside the border."

Lin Yi listened silently, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

Ancient Underworld Secret Realm? Fragments of the Heart of Time? Conflict between gods?

These terms were like a foreign language to him.

Lin Yi could only try his best to memorize this information, knowing that the vastness of the universe was far beyond what his limited knowledge from his two lifetimes of less than ten thousand years could imagine.

These secret realms, resources, and the interplay between deities are the true high-level structures that support this vast starry sea.

Just then, the usually taciturn Seventh Senior Sister Bingling, spoke in a cool voice, "Bingzhi of the Cold Feather Starfield has broken through."

Her words were brief, yet they surprised everyone present.

"Bingzhi? That little girl who's been trapped at the peak of the Yan Realm for nearly a million years?"

Thousand Illusions sat up straight with great interest. "She's following the Path of Extreme Cold and Annihilation. It's said that when she tried to break through to Eternity last time, she almost froze her Internal World to pieces. I never expected her to succeed?"

Bingling nodded slightly in confirmation, without saying anything more.

However, Lin Yi could sense from the reactions of his senior brothers and sisters what a momentous event the birth of a new Eternal was for the Human Race, enough to change the power structure of a star field.

Even the eldest disciple, Prison Suppressor, slowly opened his slightly closed eyes after hearing the news.

However, he did not comment on Bingzhi's breakthrough, but instead spoke of another matter in a calm and indifferent tone:

"A few days ago, the Seventh Floor of the Sin Prison took in a man Mu Yan."

Upon hearing this, Cang Ming seemed to recall something, a complex expression appearing on his face. "Mu Yan? I remember he became famous very early. Before I even entered the Yan Realm, he was already a renowned Eternal Divinity, known for his benevolence and having protected weaker civilizations many times, with an excellent reputation. How could this be?"

Prison Suppressor remained expressionless. "To prolong the life of a Companion Divine Tree at the core of his Divine Kingdom, he secretly sacrificed over 40,000 low-rated, Primary Civilization that had just emerged from their protection period, extracting their stellar essence and the soul power of billions of living beings, disguising them as various accidents. The evidence is irrefutable."

A hush fell over the Star Banquet Platform.

Lieyang frowned, Xuanshu sighed softly, and Thousand Illusions's playful expression faded somewhat.

It is truly lamentable that a deity once known for its "benevolence" ultimately committed such a horrific crime.

Prison Suppressor added casually at the end, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact. "It's a pity, I remember he used to be a pretty honest person."

These words, when they reached Lin Yi's ears, sent a chill down his spine more deeply than any previous secrets or gossip.

It clearly reveals a cruel truth: in the face of a long life and immense power, one's original intentions are easily changed, and the boundary between good and evil is not eternally immutable.

Even gods can fall into the abyss in their pursuit of power or survival.

For the rest of the time, the senior students chatted about other things, and Lin Yi still couldn't get a word in edgewise. He could only be a quiet listener, greedily absorbing the knowledge and information that far exceeded his current level, trying his best to piece together a more realistic, and also more cruel, picture of this universe.

Unbeknownst to them, the simulated light and shadow of the starry sea in the background outside the virtual Star Banquet Platform had quietly changed. The brilliant nebula was gradually replaced by a deep blue, as if foreshadowing the passage of time in the outside world.

The eldest brother, Prison Suppressor, was the first to stand up.

His figure, as solid as a cornerstone of the starry sky, moved slightly, causing ripples in the rules of the entire Star Banquet Platform.

"Time Gap."

The Prison Suppressor calmly began, "I need to make an inspection of the Sin Prison."

Upon hearing this, everyone stood up.

"Senior Brother, important matters are at hand." Second Senior Sister Henghuan nodded.

"Take care, Senior Brother," Cang Ming, Xuanshu, and the others said in unison.

Thousand Illusions also stopped joking and said seriously, "Senior Brother, you've worked hard."

Prison Suppressor's gaze swept over the crowd, pausing slightly on Lin Yi. He nodded almost imperceptibly, and then his figure faded and disappeared silently, like ink dissolving in water, leaving no trace.

With Prison Suppressor's departure, this gathering of disciples naturally came to an end.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the senior brothers and sisters transformed into streaks of light and vanished.

Before leaving, Third Senior Sister Thousand Illusions winked at Lin Yi and said, "Junior Brother, work hard! Your senior sister's planet is waiting for you to take over."

In the end, only Lin Yi and his Ninth Senior Brother, Cang Ming, remained.

"How do you feel?" Cang Ming asked Lin Yi with a smile.

Lin Yi let out a long sigh and said with a wry smile, "There's just too much information; it's like trying to see through a fog."

"Normal."

Cang Ming patted him on the shoulder. "We've been through the same thing. Remember what you hear and see today; it will benefit your future. Alright, I should go back now. The things and permissions I've given you will arrive soon; please check them."

After saying that, Cang Ming's figure slowly disappeared.

The next moment, Lin Yi felt a slight sense of weightlessness and detachment, as if his soul had fallen from a very high cloud.

Inside the cultivation room, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes.

A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes at first, but then quickly returned to clarity.

He remained seated cross-legged, surrounded by familiar metal walls, the faint aura of energy permeating the air—everything was exactly the same as when he "left."

He had only spent less than a day in the Virtual Network, but returning now gave Lin Yi a feeling of being in another world.

In my mind, the magnificent scenery of the Star Banquet Platform, those unheard-of secret realms and tales of gods...

And those heavy and precious gifts, especially the promise of the "100,000-life planet" and the "moving star system," surged into my heart like a tide.

All of this is no longer just data flow in Virtual Network, but is truly imprinted on his experiences and future destiny.

Lin Yi raised his hand, vigorously wiped his face, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and instructed, "Xuanji, contact Ellie and tell her something terrible has happened. Ask her to come over immediately."

"Okay," Xuanji replied immediately in a gentle voice.

A moment later, the hatch of the training room slid open silently, and Aurelia's figure appeared hastily.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and as soon as she entered, she asked anxiously, "Commander, what's wrong? What serious incident has occurred? Has there been a problem with your cultivation, or is it something at the border?"

After his prank succeeded, Lin Yi laughed heartily, interrupting Aurelia's questioning, and said loudly, "Irelia, this is indeed a big deal, a tremendously good thing! I've obtained 100,000 life-bearing planets! Isn't that a big deal?"

He had expected to see Aurelia's shocked, even incredulous, expression.

However, the expected excitement did not materialize.

Aurelia was taken aback for a moment, but the worry on her face did not disappear. Instead, she hesitated for a moment, as if she was organizing her thoughts.

After a moment, she said softly, "Commander, please don't get agitated. The Virtual Network... it's convenient, but there are also countless scams on it."

"Although you possess exceptional talent and are the most promising person we have ever seen, you ultimately bear the weight of the entire Silver Blue Civilization, and even... the burden that our Xina Family has forced upon you."

Aurelia said apologetically:

"I know this is stressful, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. A planet with 100,000 inhabitants? This... Even with your purple-level access, you might have encountered a carefully crafted scam targeting high-level circles within the Virtual Network."

Aurelia took a deep breath and comforted him, "It's alright, Commander. Even if we were really fooled and lost some Star Crystal, consider it a lesson learned, it's still worth it. Money is just an external thing, don't blame yourself for it or let it affect your cultivation."

Lin Yi was stunned, and the smile on his face froze.

Scammed?

He blinked, looking at Aurelia's "I understand, it's okay that you were fooled" expression, before belatedly realizing what had happened.

A feeling of being both amused and exasperated welled up inside me.

Lin Yi shook his head helplessly, looked into Aurelia's eyes, and said, word by word, "Irelia, I wasn't deceived. Today, in the Virtual Network, I attended my sect's formal gathering. I saw all my senior brothers and sisters, including my eldest senior brother and third senior sister, who are all... Eternal Divinity."

He paused briefly, allowing the words "Eternal Divinity" to settle in Aurelia's mind, before continuing:

"The 100,000 Life Planet was a gift from my third senior sister, Thousand Illusions, to mark our first meeting."

???

The worry and reassurance on Aurelia's face—all her expressions froze completely in that instant.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but found that she couldn't even utter a single, simple syllable.

Seeing Aurelia standing there dumbfounded, Lin Yi couldn't help but chuckle.

He could understand her reaction. If he hadn't experienced it firsthand, anyone who heard that "a planet with 100,000 lives" was a "gift" would think it was a fantasy.

Lin Yi gestured for Aurelia to sit down, then poured two cups of Clear Mind Tea and began to recount some details from the sect gathering that could be revealed but did not involve core secrets.

He did not mention the dangers his master faced in challenging the Origin Law, nor did he elaborate on the specifics of the "Sin Prison" guarded by his eldest brother, nor did he delve into the secrets and gossip among the gods.

He simply described the magnificent and wondrous Star Banquet Platform, mentioning two senior brothers and sisters at the Eternal Divine level, as well as the existence of several senior brothers and sisters at the Realm of Transformation.

Even with this simplified description, when Aurelia heard the number "two Eternal Divinity," her hand holding the teacup couldn't help but pause slightly.

Next, Lin Yi briefly mentioned the gifts given by his senior brothers and sisters, omitting details about specific combat trump cards such as the "Space-Burning Fire Ring" and the "Crimson Armor Guard," but emphasizing treasures like the "Void Shadow-Escape Shuttle" and the "Space-Freezing Cold Jade" that had miraculous effects on the Space Rule, as well as...

Third Senior Sister Thousand Illusions's seemingly casual yet earth-shattering description of a planet with 100,000 inhabitants.

Aurelia was deeply moved just listening to Lin Yi's story.

After saying that, Lin Yi quietly sipped his tea, giving Aurelia time to process the huge amount of information.

After a long while, Aurelia finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing that Aurelia had mostly calmed down, Lin Yi put down his teacup and said seriously, "Irelia, I have a preliminary idea about the 100,000 life-bearing planets that Third Senior Sister gifted me, and I'd like to hear your opinion first."

"Please speak, Commander." Aurelia sat up straight, knowing that the main topic had arrived.

"First, it concerns your Xina Family."

Lin Yi considered his words carefully before saying, "Your Xina Family has been migrating to outer space for some time now, but you've been living inside the giant eco-transport ship. While you're financially secure, it's not a long-term solution, and it will affect the development and mindset of your people. Your Xina Family has been helping me wholeheartedly since I was a nobody, providing me with tremendous support in terms of resources and manpower. I will always remember this kindness."

He paused, then continued, "So, I've been thinking of giving a portion of these 100,000 inhabited planets to your Xina Family, so you can settle down as soon as possible, rebuild your homes, and properly resettle your people. What do you think?"

In Lin Yi's view, this was a reasonable return for the Xina Family's previous personal investment in him.

He had even already decided that he wouldn't be so generous to the Silver Blue Civilization, but would instead use the merit-based exchange method to grant the civilization the right to use the planet.

However, to Lin Yi's surprise, after listening carefully to his idea, Aurelia did not show a happy expression. Instead, she frowned slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said firmly, "Commander, I don't think this is appropriate."

"Oh?"

Lin Yi was somewhat surprised, "What's wrong with it? Is it because you think the quantity is insufficient, or..."

"No, it's not a matter of quantity." Aurelia interrupted him, organizing her thoughts before explaining, "Commander, think about it, if we directly give the inhabited planet to our Xina Family, then wouldn't you hand over the remaining planets to the Silver Blue Civilization for development?"

"That's natural."

"That's the problem."

Aurelia analyzed, "Our Xina Family is, in essence, an 'outsider,' yet you directly gifted planets to us. The Silver Blue Civilization is your mother civilization, your root. If you treat them differently, using methods like merit-based exchanges or paid use, it creates a discriminatory effect. Perhaps the Silver Blue Civilization's higher-ups will verbally express understanding and gratitude, but human nature is unpredictable. Over time, it's hard to guarantee that some won't feel that you, the leader of this civilization, are 'favoring outsiders' and being harsh on your own people. They'll feel that accepting these planets for the development of our civilization is a matter of course, a matter of course."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi was speechless.

Having said that, with his intelligence, he instantly understood the core meaning Aurelia wanted to convey.

He had to admit that Aurelia's grasp of the Silver Blue Civilization, or rather, of "human nature," was indeed extremely accurate.

She pointed out a potential problem that he hadn't previously considered.

His initial, subconscious thought was based on a simple distinction between "personal feelings" and "civilized responsibility."

They believe that giving back to the Xina Family is a personal investment, a private transaction. However, guiding the Silver Blue Civilization requires the introduction of rules, making it a public transaction.

However, he overlooked the fact that, in the eyes of the Silver Blue Civilization, Lin Yi was first and foremost "one of their own," and his resources, on an emotional level, should be prioritized for the civilization.

When an "outsider" receives a gift while an "insider" has to spend their merits, it can easily create emotional rifts.

"I must say, you really know a lot about the Silver Blue Civilization."

Lin Yi sighed with a wry smile, admitting that he hadn't thought things through.

At the same time, he also realized that Aurelia, who had been influenced by thousands of years of Blue Star's culture, already deeply understood the sophistication and trade-offs involved.

Considering her past life's ability to lead Mercenary Group to rapid rise, it's likely related to her experience as a guardian of Blue Star.

"So, in your opinion, what would be a more appropriate way to handle this?" Lin Yi decided to listen to Aurelia's advice first.

After frowning and thinking for a moment, Aurelia said, "I suggest we take a different strategy."

"For our Xina Family," she gestured to herself, "We will adopt a 'discounted sale' approach. You can transfer ownership of a portion of the planet to us at a suitable price. This demonstrates your care and friendship for the Xina Family while avoiding the awkward contrast that might arise from a 'free gift.' Our Xina Family will pay a certain price, making the acquisition of the planet legitimate and further motivating our members to cherish and strive to build upon it."

"As for the Silver Blue Civilization..."

She continued, "I suggest you retain ownership of the planet and use a 'merit-based leasing' system to open up its usage rights to other civilizations."

"Civilizations can accumulate merit by completing tasks you set, achieving development goals, or through future outputs. This merit can then be used to pay 'rent' and obtain the right to develop and use a specific planet for a certain number of years."

At this point, Aurelia hesitated for a moment, but then added, lowering her voice slightly, "After all, Commander, we need to consider the most realistic scenario. What if one day in the future, the Silver Blue Civilization develops and gains the ability to repay you, but when they look back on history, they feel they owe too much in 'debt of merit' for acquiring the planet and are unwilling to honor it, or even want to renege on their debt? You can't really take action against your home civilization and forcibly demand it, can you?"

She raised her eyes to look at Lin Yi: "But if it's just renting it out, the initiative is always in your hands. When the lease expires, whether to renew it, and how to adjust the rent, are all your decisions. This can minimize potential future conflicts or even falling out over interests."

Finally, she concluded softly, "Sometimes, it has happened in the universe that powerful civilizations ultimately clash with their own civilizations due to differing ideologies or immense interests. It's best to take preventative measures in advance."

After listening, Lin Yi fell completely silent.

He looked intently at Aurelia, as if recognizing for the first time her keen insight and decisiveness in this regard.

Lin Yi really wanted to ask her, "Does Liyue know that things the Xina Family could have obtained for free are now being bought with a huge amount of resources, potentially leaving them with a mountain of debt?"

Also, what were you thinking when you said something that seemed to sow discord between him and the Silver Blue Civilization, and just stated it so directly?

Is it because of absolute trust, or because...

A deeper consideration?

Aurelia seemed to see the complex emotions in Lin Yi's eyes, met his gaze calmly, and said softly:

"Commander, all my suggestions are primarily to ensure that your interests and superior position will not be challenged or harmed in the future. Only if you remain strong and independent can the alliance with our Xina Family and the leadership of the Silver Blue Civilization continue."