The old king abdicated, the new king was crowned (5K)

In the Virtual Starry Sky Plaza, countless star data flowed as usual, reflecting the geniuses from various star fields.

The Endless Tower stands majestically, its runes and inscriptions bearing witness to the footsteps of challengers.

Lin Yi's figure reappeared in front of the tower.

He was still wearing his simple combat uniform, with black hair and black eyes, and a calm demeanor. The blue halo around his feet marked his third-tier status.

"The captain is here."

Kenkes was already waiting there, whispered to Mo Yuan beside him, his tone as relaxed as ever.

Mo Yuan, cradling a dark Long Spear, nodded slightly, his cold gaze fixed on Lin Yi.

Soon, Hui Yao, Xing Yu, Qing Feng, and other core members of the Human Race received the news that Lin Yi was going to challenge the Endless Tower and quickly teleported there.

"Although only a little over seventy years have passed," Hui Yao said sharply, "I have a feeling that his target this time is probably more than just the 40th floor."

Qing Feng raised an eyebrow. "I bet he can reach over the 40th floor. This guy never plays by the rules."

Their gathering attracted even more attention.

Soon, some alien geniuses noticed Lin Yi's arrival.

Lin Yi made no unnecessary movements and calmly stepped into the teleportation beam.

From the 31st to the 35th floor, the green lights lit up sequentially in a steady rhythm.

"Lin Yi is challenging the tower again?" a Spirit Race genius commented. "He's moving so fast, looks like this is going to be interesting."

"It seems he's made considerable progress recently," Li Race chimed in from the side.

However, when the floor reached the 38th floor, some astute observers began to notice something amiss.

"The speed hasn't decreased at all," Xing Yu exclaimed in surprise. "This strength is far beyond the 40th level."

A glint of light flashed in Hui Yao's eyes. "Could it be him?"

Before the words were even finished, green lights illuminated the 39th floor.

Immediately afterwards, 40 layers of white light illuminated—the threshold of the Fourfold Domain of the Star Domain level!

All eyes in the room instantly focused on them.

Then, before anyone could react, the green light had already illuminated.

Less than three breaths later, 40 floors, passed.

"This..." Xing Yu was somewhat stunned.

A look of surprise flashed across Qing Feng's beautiful eyes. "Not even a warm-up?"

Hui Yao took a deep breath, his voice filled with suppressed excitement. "Fourth level. He mentioned before that he wanted to comprehend the Time Rule; it seems he's reached the fourth level."

"Time Rule?" The four words struck like a thunderbolt.

The expressions of the surrounding alien geniuses changed drastically.

"Space-time fusion?" The Holy Feather Race genius's wings trembled slightly. "No wonder."

"If that's really the case, then something big is about to happen today." Ripples spread across the bodies of the members of the Shape-Shifting Race Clan.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lin Yi's speed in clearing the challenges did not slow down at all.

41st floor, 42nd floor, 43rd floor.

The time it takes to pass through each floor is frighteningly consistent.

Undercurrents began to stir within the training camp's communication network.

"Quickly! Lin Yi of the Human Race is attempting to break through the tower. He appears to have achieved spacetime fusion and reached the fourth level of his domain. Hurry!"

"Captain, Lin Yi has already reached the 44th floor, and is expected to reach at least the 50th floor. Hurry up!"

"Hurry! There's going to be something exciting today!"

Soon, Long Ge Xing Tong, You Lan Ying Ge, Xuan Zhong, three second-tier prodigies, arrived together.

Nebula swirled in Long Ge's eyes, while shadows rippled around You Lan, Xuan Zhong and imposing.

Even they came.

"It seems we're about to witness history."

Under the watchful eyes of the current top three in the training camp, Lin Yi's pace did not slow down in the slightest.

44th floor, 45th floor, 46th floor.

In the Human Race territory, there is already a noticeable sense of excitement.

"47 floors," Qing Feng's voice trembled slightly, "We've reached the first tier of the third level."

Xing Yu murmured, "This is the power of spacetime fusion; a breakthrough is all-encompassing."

Hui Yao didn't say anything, but his gaze was fixed intently on the light ring on the tower.

48th floor, 49th floor, breakthrough.

Then, on the 50th floor, white light shone.

However, before anyone could even get nervous, the white light suddenly went out and the green light came on.

Level 50, cleared!

A restrained cheer suddenly erupted from the area where Human Race geniuses were gathered.

"His strength at the fifth level of the Domain Realm has already reached the standard of the second tier!"

We're currently tied for third!

Hui Yao let out a long breath and exchanged excited glances with Xing Yu and Qing Feng.

But Lin Yi's steps did not stop.

The 51st floor lights up.

Long Ge Xing Tong finally spoke, "Starting from the 51st floor, the mirror image will randomly master a higher-level rule, greatly increasing the difficulty."

Youlan Yingge's voice was clear and cold. "Space-time fusion. I really want to experience what it feels like to face such an opponent."

Xuan Zhong said succinctly, "He's very strong."

As soon as the three finished speaking, the white light on the 51st floor turned green.

51 floors, passed!

Then, the 52nd floor, and the 53rd floor.

Lin Yi's steps never faltered.

When Lin Yi surpassed Youlan Yingge's record, the shadow around Youlan rippled slightly.

Then, there's the record held by Long Ge Xing Tong on the 54th floor.

Soon, at the same speed as before, floor 54, passed!

Tied for first place.

"It's broken even! It's really broken even!"

"Space-time fusion. To be honest, I'm a little jealous."

"Stop being jealous. I tried to comprehend the Time Rule using a treasure once, but I gained nothing. Your talent is even inferior to mine."

Long Ge Xing Tong closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with a clear mind. "Space-time fusion is indeed impressive, but I wonder how far he can go."

White light illuminated the 55th floor simultaneously.

"Unexpectedly, after more than two thousand years, we are witnessing a new chief ascend to the top today."

"The first floor is about to change hands; clearly, the 55th floor can't stop him."

Where exactly is his limit?

Before long, the green light on the 55th floor illuminated.

A new first has been born!

However, to everyone's surprise, Lin Yi did not stop.

Then, the 56th, 57th, 58th, and 59th floors.

Unstoppable momentum, advancing without hesitation!

Finally, the 60th floor lit up with a white light.

60 layers -- Fusion Domain six realms!

The entire room fell silent.

All eyes were focused on the halo around the tower, awaiting the final result.

Meanwhile...

Endless Tower.

When Lin Yi was teleported to the 60th floor of the Endless Tower, a chilling sense of oppression instantly enveloped him.

This is not some kind of extreme environment simulation, but an absolute "nothingness"—no light, no sound, no matter, and even the basic rules seem thin and sluggish.

Only in the Central District did a blurry figure begin to slowly take shape, and the fluctuations emanating from it made this void seem to tremble.

Lin Yi noticed that at the core of its figure, these two advanced rules were intertwined like a double helix: one was the Death Rule that eroded all life, and the other was the rule of darkness that was deep and dark, devouring light and perception.

On its outer perimeter, the four colors of light—gold, green, blue, and red—represent the four fundamental elements of metal, wood, water, and fire. Like loyal guards, they revolve around the core of death and darkness, providing it with solid support and diverse variations.

The six Fusion Domain, radiating an aura of power far exceeding that of the 59th floor.

"With the two advanced rules of death and darkness at its core, supplemented by four basic rules, it is almost a collection of rules that leads to destruction and silence." Lin Yi felt a chill in his heart.

Death erodes life, darkness devours existence; the combination of these two rules exponentially increases their difficulty.

The mirror didn't give Lin Yi more time to think. Its blurry figure moved slightly, and the gray, deathly ripples and the deep, dark Tide spread out silently like two intertwined torrents of destruction.

The power of death strips away life, the power of darkness annihilates perception and energy, and wherever it passes, even "nothingness" itself seems to return to eternal silence.

The Sharpness of metal lies hidden in the darkness, waiting for its chance to strike; decaying wood fuels the erosion of death; the endless flow of water allows darkness to penetrate every crevice; and the explosive force of fire brews a deadly attack within the darkness.

Lin Yi remained calm in the face of this attack, which would have been troublesome for most late-stage Star Domain level experts.

He knew very well that attacking from a lower level and getting bogged down in a battle of attrition was not a wise move. Therefore, after level 50, he used more of a decapitation tactic that took advantage of the rule hierarchy.

In the blink of an eye, a clone of Lin Yi appeared silently beside him.

The moment the clone appeared, it ignored the pervasive waves of death and darkness and locked onto the mirror image at the core of the domain.

The next instant, the clone's figure blurred and merged into space, teleporting a short distance.

The clone's strength was almost identical to the Main Body, so its teleportation was exceptionally precise and swift. Almost as soon as it disappeared, it appeared very close to the mirror image of the six-fold Fusion Domain.

The mirror image reacted much faster than its opponent on the 59th floor.

The instant Lin Yi's clone appeared, dense darkness immediately coiled around him like a living thing, while the Death Rule bit him like venomous snakes, and the rules of gold and fire also condensed into fierce attacks within the darkness.

However, the clone had no intention of defending or dodging. The moment it appeared, its entire body exploded like a New Star.

"Boom!!!"

The highly compressed power of the quadruple Fusion Domain erupted from within, and the violent energy instantly tore apart the entangling darkness, dispersed the erosion of the Death Rule, and severely damaged it in an instant. Even the sturdy armor of the six domain rules was blasted into cracks and damage.

The power of the clone's self-destruction is significant at such close range.

More importantly, a small but effective time-delay zone was created at the core of the self-destruction.

Although the rules of darkness have a devouring effect on energy and perception, and the Death Rule have a time-eroding effect on vitality, they cannot instantly resolve this change in local spacetime flow.

The mirrored figure froze for an extremely brief moment in that distorted light and shadow, and the speed at which the rules were manipulated was noticeably slowed down.

Now!

Lin Yi's Main Body, like a ghost waiting for its prey, simultaneously activated spatial teleportation in the blink of an eye, while the light from the clone's self-destruction was still burning and the time-delay effect was still present.

The dark golden "Cosmos Ripper" Long Spear cleaved through the brief barrier of darkness and death, carrying the power of four Fusion Domain, and pierced with unparalleled precision the core that had revealed a flaw due to the domain's vibrations and time stagnation.

"Sizzle!"

This time, it was as if something resilient had been forcibly torn apart.

The tip of the Cosmos Ripper felt immense resistance, the last stand of two higher-level rules on the verge of destruction: darkness attempted to devour the spear's light, and death tried to erode the wielder.

However, under Lin Yi's all-out attack of Fourfold Domain, this resistance was as fragile as a spider web.

The Long Spear pierced through the core without any resistance.

The mirroring motion was completely frozen.

The deathly grayness and profound darkness surrounding them receded like a tide, and the brilliance of the four colors of metal, wood, water, and fire instantly dimmed.

Its blurry figure began to vanish into nothingness, disappearing completely.

The battle is over.

From the appearance of the clone to the collapse of the mirror image, the entire process was breathtakingly fast, full of calculation and absolute efficiency.

Lin Yi stood holding his gun, his brows slightly furrowed.

He clearly felt that at the moment when Cosmos Ripper pierced the opponent's core, although the Death Rule of the mirror image was shattered, there was still a tenacious force of resistance coming, trying to erode Cosmos Ripper and even trace back to the source.

This means that an enemy who has mastered advanced rules such as death and reached the sixth Fusion Domain has a much more resilient and dangerous nature than before. My tactic of "clone attack and self-destruction + time delay + Main Body finishing blow" is still effective on the 60th floor, but it is no longer as almost unsolvable as it was on the 59th floor and below.

"If it were on the 61st floor, the rules of the guardian mirror might be more complete, with stronger resistance and faster reaction. My tactics would probably be intercepted more fiercely and precisely the moment the clone teleports close, the effect of time delay would be weakened, and it might not even have time to complete the self-destruction."

Lin Yi quickly calculated in his mind, "Even if I go Main Body out and use all my trump cards, I'll probably encounter a real bottleneck around the 63rd floor."

The objective of the tactical experiment has been achieved.

This simple, brutal, yet highly effective "exchange of pieces" tactic can be a game-changer in crucial moments.

I've already earned the Points and upgraded my privileges, so there's no reason for me to aim for a higher level for now.

"You always have to keep some cards up your sleeve."

Lin Yi put away the Cosmos Ripper, his expression returning to calm. "Now is not the time to reveal everything."

Outside the tower.

The white light on the 60th floor went out, and the green light came on instead.

Level 60, cleared!

Then, a flash of white light appeared on the 61st floor, and Lin Yi's figure appeared outside the Endless Tower.

He remained calm, as if he had just completed a routine training session, rather than a feat that had shocked the entire training camp.

The only difference was the halo beneath his feet, which had transformed from deep blue to a noble purple—a symbol of a second-tier genius, silently announcing the coronation of the new king.

"Team leader!"

Kenkes was the first to rush forward, his rainbow-colored short hair swaying slightly with excitement. His smile was so bright it almost overflowed, but he restrained himself and stopped a step in front of Lin Yi, without making any overly inappropriate moves.

He simply pumped his fist, lowered his voice, and exclaimed with pride and excitement, "Awesome! Sixty floors! I knew it! Now let's see who dares to say our team doesn't have enough resources!"

The three-eyed squirrel on his shoulder squeaked, its three eyes full of ingratiation.

Lin Yi looked at him, a gentle smile playing on his lips, and nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, I've kept you waiting."

The simple response only made Kenkes stand up straighter.

Immediately afterwards, Mo Yuan, Star Firefly, Amber, and others also gathered around.

Mo Yuan still held his dark Long Spear, his cold and stern face seeming to soften slightly. He solemnly clasped his hands in a salute to Lin Yi without saying a word.

Lin Yi nodded slightly to him in return, everything understood without a word.

Amber was the most impatient of them all. She squeezed to the front, tilting her little face up, and exclaimed, "Commander! You're number one now!"

Lin Yi chuckled, "It's only temporary; the road ahead is long."

Lei Hao and Ai Wen Whisper stood a little further back.

Lei Hao smiled honestly and nodded vigorously, while Ai Wen gracefully touched his chest and saluted.

Almost at the same time that the team members surrounded them, a Human Race geniuses led by Hui Yao also quickly walked over.

Hui Yao's expression was complex, a mixture of excitement, emotion, and above all, a sense of relief and satisfaction.

He walked up to Lin Yi, and without any unnecessary pleasantries, solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, "Brother Lin, congratulations on reaching the summit!"

Xing Yu, Qing Feng, and the others behind him also clasped their hands in a fist salute.

This attitude is different from that of previous interactions with peers; it now carries an absolute respect for the strong.

Lin Yi returned the greeting with a clasped fist salute, "Brother Hui Yao, everyone, there's no need for such formalities. As fellow human beings, we should encourage and inspire each other."

Qing Feng, with her straightforward personality, couldn't hide her excitement either. Looking at the purple ring at Lin Yi's feet, she laughed, "That's great! From now on, in the training camp, our Human Race can truly hold our heads high. Let's see who dares to underestimate us!"

Xing Yu exclaimed, "Space-time fusion, Fourfold Domain, Lin Yi, you have truly shown us what it means to have a heaven beyond heavens."

Just then, the crowd of onlookers naturally parted to make way for them.

Long Ge·Xing Tong, You Lan·Ying Ge, Xuan Zhong arrived together.

Their arrival instantly silenced the surrounding noise.

Everyone wanted to see what kind of clash would take place between the new and old chief leaders.

Xuan Zhong stepped forward with heavy steps. His body, which looked like it had been cast in metal, carried immense pressure, but his eyes were pure.

He spoke in a deep, booming voice, like a boulder colliding. "You are strong! Stronger than me!"

His words were straightforward and to the point, full of the unique simplicity of the Giant Rock Race and their absolute reverence for power.

Lin Yi nodded to him. "Thank you."

Youlan Yingge's figure solidified slightly in the shadows, revealing her perfect jawline and those captivating eyes.

She bowed slightly in a peculiar way, "Congratulations, Lord Lin Yi. I look forward to the opportunity to spar with you in the future." Her voice carried a hint of languid magnetism, yet contained a strong fighting spirit.

Lin Yi looked at her, his gaze calm. "There will be opportunities, Your Excellency Youlan."

Finally, all eyes were focused on the two chiefs, the old and the new.

Long Ge Xing Tong, his silver hair flowing over his shoulders, the nebula in his eyes regaining its peaceful flow, walked up to Lin Yi, and, mimicking Hui Yao, clasped his hands in a salute, "Lord Lin Yi, I admire you. The Dao of Space-Time Fusion is indeed well-deserved of its reputation. I have witnessed it firsthand today."

Long Ge's posture was perfectly upright, a pure recognition of an even stronger person by a stronger one, without the slightest hint of jealousy or reluctance, further highlighting his magnanimity.

Lin Yi returned the greeting earnestly, saying, "Your Excellency Long Ge is too kind. I still have much to learn from you."

This wasn't just polite talk. Long Ge was able to reach the 54th level with less than five levels of fusion and even held the top spot for a long time. His understanding of the rules and his combat wisdom were extraordinary.

After a brief exchange, the former king abdicated gracefully, and the new king was peacefully crowned.

There was no tense standoff, only mutual recognition among top talents and a subtle shift in the landscape.