The aftermath and preparations for the secret realm (5K)

Subsequently, other familiar or befriended third- and fourth-tier geniuses, as well as representatives of some races, also stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

Shi Man, for example, offered his congratulations in a loud voice; Lan Shuang, for example, nodded in a cool and aloof manner; and some geniuses from the Spirit Race and the Holy Feather Race also offered their polite blessings.

Lin Yi responded to each question with perfect tact, maintaining the dignity of a powerful figure without appearing Qianli.

He could clearly feel countless eyes focused on him.

The gazes filled with curiosity, awe, inquiry, and ignited fighting spirit, along with the purple halo around his feet, all signified that he had truly stepped into the spotlight of the training camp, and every step he took in the future would attract even more attention and interpretation.

After a brief exchange with several important figures, Lin Yi did not linger.

He nodded slightly to everyone as a final farewell, then, with his core team members, calmly turned and left the Endless Tower under the watchful eyes of many.

Long Ge Xing Tong, You Lan Ying Ge, and Xuan Zhong watched Lin Yi's departing figure without leaving immediately.

"What do you think?" Youlan asked.

The nebula in Long Ge's eyes calmed down. "Unfathomable. I might be able to touch the threshold of the sixtieth floor even if I exert all my strength, but there's absolutely no way I can pass it. He will be the biggest favorite to win the next Genius Battle."

Xuan Zhong said in a muffled voice, "Unless he stops advancing, I can't beat him."

Long Ge nodded and said, "He may have had some fortuitous encounters and secret techniques. But regardless, this is his strength. We belong to the same Mercenary Alliance, so we should try our best to be on good terms with him. At the very least, we shouldn't be enemies."

Youlan chuckled softly, "Such a person is naturally worth befriending. Being classmates is also a kind of friendship. Besides, he might be the one to hold the fort in the secret realm. It seems I need to prepare a suitable gift."

Shi Man walked up to Hui Yao, "Hui Yao, congratulations! Brother Lin Yi is truly beyond words. It seems that in the next Genius Battle, your side finally has a chance to compete for the highest honor. If you need any help, just let us know."

Hui Yao returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, his smile sincere, "Brother Shi Man, congratulations! If the Human Race can achieve good results, it will be a good thing for all our races."

Lan Shuang also gave Qing Feng a rare nod. "Congratulations, Lord Lin Yi is truly admirable."

Qing Feng laughed heartily, "Thank you."

At this moment, having left the center of turmoil and attention at the foot of the Endless Tower, Lin Yi, along with Kenkes, Mo Yuan, and other core team members, did not return directly to their respective training grounds, but instead held a small gathering first.

The observation deck on the hotel's rooftop seems to float in a sea of stars, with the Milky Way flowing beneath your feet and swirling nebulae in the distance—a scene of tranquility and vastness.

"Finally, some peace and quiet!"

Kenkes let out a long sigh and slumped unceremoniously into a soft chair bathed in starlight, his short, colorful hair seemingly drooping in a relaxed manner.

"The way those guys looked at the captain just now, tsk tsk, like they wanted to devour him alive."

He complained, but his face showed undisguised smugness as he casually ordered an energy drink from the menu that was extremely colorful and called "Aurora Storm".

Mo Yuan stood ramrod straight, clutching his Long Spear, his gaze sweeping across the dazzling sea of stars, his cold profile standing out sharply against the Star Radiance.

Although he didn't speak, his tense muscles had already relaxed, and he was clearly enjoying this moment of peace.

Star Firefly quickly brought up the virtual panel, her eyes flashing with data, as if she were analyzing the data on the reactions of the people outside the tower that she had just recorded, and constructing some kind of sociological or psychological model.

Amber, the most lively of the group, curiously clung to the edge of the platform, gazing at the flowing river of stars below, letting out a small gasp of amazement. She then ran back, looking at Lin Yi expectantly. "Commander, aren't we super famous now? When we go on missions, will mentioning our names scare away a bunch of people?"

Lin Yi looked at the different expressions on his teammates' faces and a smile appeared on his face.

He casually sat down opposite Kenkes, ordered a refreshing "Starlight Cold Brew," and looked at Amber, saying gently, "Reputations are meaningless; strength is what matters. After today, more people will be watching us, and the challenges will be greater."

His tone was calm, without the slightest hint of arrogance.

"The captain is right."

Ai Wen Whisper sat down gracefully, holding a glass of "Dawn Dewdrop" that exuded a faint, life-giving aroma, and replied, "The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. We need to be even more careful with our words and actions, and work together sincerely."

Lei Hao nodded vigorously, "I knew following the captain would be the right thing to do. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will have to get past me first." As he spoke, he patted his muscular chest forcefully.

"Alright, we can celebrate later."

Lin Yi raised his cup, the transparent glass seemingly holding a miniature galaxy. "Today's gathering serves two purposes: relaxation and clarifying the path ahead. The Endless Tower is merely a milestone on the path of cultivation, not the end. The Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle and the secret realms are the true testing grounds."

Everyone's expressions turned solemn, and they all raised their glasses.

"For our team, and for the journey ahead." Lin Yi's gaze swept over each team member, and he thought to himself, "They all seem to be quite capable. They all seem to know about the secret realm. No wonder no one told me; perhaps they assumed I should know as well."

"For the team!"

Everyone responded in unison, their cups clinking lightly, and the virtual drinks shimmered with different colors.

The atmosphere at the small gathering was relaxed and harmonious.

Kenkes began to vividly describe the shocked expressions he had observed on the faces of those usually arrogant third-rate geniuses, which made everyone laugh.

Occasionally, Star Firefly would insert a few precise data analyses, pointing out how abnormal someone's pupil constriction was at that moment.

Although Mo Yuan remained silent, a barely perceptible smile would occasionally appear at the corners of his mouth.

Amber chattered away, full of wild and imaginative ideas about the future.

Lin Yi mostly listened, occasionally interjecting a few words or answering the team members' questions about the rules of practice.

Although he had reached the top of the training camp, in front of his team members, he was still the trustworthy captain, not the aloof leader.

About an hour later, Lin Yi put down his cup.

"That's enough for today." He stood up. "Go back and digest what you've learned today. Tomorrow, I'll lead everyone in a team mode challenge. Once you get your Points, quickly convert them into real strength."

"Understood, Captain!" Everyone stood up and responded in unison.

Lin Yi nodded, satisfied with everyone's reaction.

Without saying another word, his figure blurred and disappeared from the viewing platform, returning to his private space.

"Xuanji, bring up the Points redemption list, and prioritize filtering for the three categories: weapons, armor, and Rule Comprehension aids."

"Yes, Master."

Xuanji's palace attire appeared in the shadows. With a wave of her hand, a huge light screen unfolded in front of Lin Yi, Information Flow about countless rare items surged forth like a galaxy waterfall.

This time, he made it to the 60th floor in one go, earning a full 10 million Points. Lin Yi had a clear goal for how to use these Points.

He was quite comfortable using his main weapon, "Cosmos Ripper," and there was no need to change it for the time being.

However, creating clones requires the right equipment; otherwise, their strength will be greatly reduced.

"Even a clone is part of me; it should not be treated lightly."

Lin Yi's mind raced, and he quickly locked onto his target.

He chose [Thousand Shadow Flowing Light Blades].

This weapon system is composed of 999 pieces of "Flowing Light Crystal" that are as thin as cicada wings and possess spatial cutting properties.

It can be divided and combined, and its form is varied. Although it is not as transformed from a fragment of the World Derivation level as "Cosmos Ripper", and its extreme Sharpness is slightly inferior, its unpredictability, agility and ability to conduct spatial power are extremely outstanding. It is perfect for clones to perform various exquisite combat techniques, and its price is relatively affordable.

A set of [Thousand Shadow Flowing Light Blades] costs 30,000 Points, but Lin Yi directly redeemed five sets, spending 150,000 Points.

After all, it's a clone; it can explode at any time.

Buying something too expensive will hurt you more if you lose money, so something moderately priced is best.

Regarding his battle attire, he redeemed another Voidwalker Suit for his Main Body, and also purchased 5 sets of [Star Billow Battle Armor].

This combat suit is considered a universal battle armor for Star Domain level expert. It can fine-tune the defensive focus according to the user's rules and characteristics. Although it is far inferior to the Voidwalker Suit, it has the advantage of high cost-effectiveness and is sufficient to deal with most combat scenarios.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of thousands of Points were spent.

This number is enough for ordinary fourth-tier geniuses to accumulate over thousands of years.

But for Lin Yi, who has tens of millions of Points, this is just a necessary investment to solidify his foundation.

After doing all that, Lin Yi turned his gaze deeper into the exchange list, to the areas involving the Death Rule.

"The Death Rule. Life and death are interdependent, a cycle that repeats itself endlessly. If one wishes to reach higher levels of creation and destruction in the future, the Death Rule is an indispensable element."

Lin Yi was well aware of the strangeness and danger of cultivating the Death Rule. Rashly delving into it could easily backfire on him, causing damage to his soul at best and annihilation of his life force at worst.

However, he has the Life Rule as his foundation, the perfect Space Rule as his barrier, and the Time Rule as his final insurance, thus qualifying him to begin exploring this field.

Even so, he did not rashly choose those relatively high-risk items related to the Death Rule, but instead selected a series of relatively mild aids to enlightenment.

[Breath of the Nether River (Diluted)]: An extremely faint aura from a tributary of the Styx River, taken from a vanished secret realm. It can be used to initially perceive the silence and finality characteristics of the Death Rule. Exchange Points: 300,000.

[Rebirth Stone (Fragment)]: A legendary fragment of a strange stone that witnessed the annihilation of countless lives. It can passively increase sensitivity to the aura of death. Exchange Points: 500,000.

<Nirvana Visualization Codex (Fragment)>: A visualization record of the withering of all things and the collapse of rules by Eternal Divinity. Only the first three images remain, containing an introductory guide to the Death Rule. Exchange Points: 900,000.

[Withered World Tree Seed]: A World Tree Seed has completely lost its vitality and contains the Death Rule, making it an excellent sample for studying the transformation of life into death. Exchange Points: 1 million.

In total, nearly 3 million Points were invested.

These treasures are enough for him to cautiously explore the mysteries of the Death Rule for a long time to come, laying the foundation for the future integration of "life and death" and even the glimpse of "reincarnation".

At this point, nearly half of the 10 million Points I had just acquired were gone.

He kept the remaining Points as a reserve.

After all, the treasure that most desired to significantly enhance one's understanding of the Death Rule in a short period of time has not yet appeared, and it is also unknown whether 5 sets of equipment will be enough for the clones to use. In addition, some equipment needs to be reserved for daily cultivation.

Having done all this, Lin Yi stopped paying attention to the outside world and entered into deep meditation. He began to review what he had gained from the tower-climbing battle and to nurture his mind, which had been slightly depleted when he attempted to reach the sixtieth floor.

While Lin Yi was focused on his cultivation, news of his ascension to the Star Core level training camp was quietly spreading on the distant Blue Star in a different way, causing a completely different shock.

Blue Star, the residence of the Chief Executive.

Li Zhenguo had just finished a video conference with Star Domain level trade alliance and rubbed his slightly tired temples.

At that moment, the secretary hurried in, her expression solemn.

"Chief, the Xina Family's ambassador to Silver Blue Star, the representative of the Pan-Spirit Alliance Virtual Network Company to Silver Blue Star, and representatives from several other factions have come to visit, requesting an urgent meeting. They stated that they have come to express their sincerest congratulations to you and the Silver Blue Civilization."

"Congratulate?"

Li Zhenguo was slightly taken aback, as there had been no major events recently that would warrant these interstellar powers coming to offer their congratulations.

"Could it be..." He keenly sensed something was amiss, "Invite them to meeting room number one."

With that, he got up and walked toward meeting room number one.

Inside Reception Room Number One, the atmosphere was solemn yet tinged with a strange eagerness.

The ambassador of the Xina Family, an elegant Spirit Race woman, rose first, placed her hand on her chest, and performed the highest Spirit Race salute:

"Your Excellency Chief Administrator, please allow me, on behalf of the Xina Family, to extend our highest respect and congratulations to you and the Silver Blue Civilization! Commander Lin Yi has reached the pinnacle of the Galactic Mercenary Alliance's Star Core level Training Camp, winning first place. This is a divine achievement, and he will surely Yao Xing."

Her voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Following this, the representative of the Pan-Spirit Alliance Virtual Network Company, a knowledgeable elder, exclaimed, "Lord Lin Yi has demonstrated potential beyond conventional understanding. We unanimously believe this is a clear sign of his path to the Eternal Throne."

Other factions also offered their congratulations.

Li Zhenguo was deeply shocked, but he maintained the composure of a ruler on the surface.

He inquired in detail about the specific meanings of "Star Core level Training Camp," "60th Floor of the Endless Tower," and "Quadruple Fusion Domain."

As the representatives explained, Li Zhenguo gradually realized that Lin Yi's achievements were far more terrifying than his previous understanding of geniuses and disciples of gods.

Thank you all for the news and your sincere congratulations.

Suppressing the turmoil within him, Li Zhenguo solemnly replied, "Silver Blue Civilization always welcomes like-minded friends."

After seeing off the delegates, Li Zhenguo sat quietly alone in his office for a while.

He looked out the window at the azure sky and the nascent interstellar port in the distance, and an unprecedented sense of historical weight and mission welled up in his heart.

Subsequently, Li Zhenguo connected to the internal communication system and instructed the head of the Propaganda Department: "In the name of the civilized officialdom, announce to all citizens the news that Commander Lin Yi has reached the summit of the Star Core level training camp."

Soon after, the official media of the Silver Blue Civilization released this news.

There was no noisy hype, only solemn communiqués and editorials filled with pride and inspiration.

Congratulations to Commander Lin Yi on reaching the Star Core level Training Camp of the Galactic Mercenary Alliance!

"Silverblue light Yao Xing —A record of Commander Lin Yi's journey to the summit!"

From Blue Star to the Stars: On Individual Leadership and the Rise of Civilization

The cheers and pride of the people were boiling over online and in the streets. People were extremely proud of Lin Yi's achievements and regarded him as a beacon for the progress of civilization.

At a higher level of strategic planning, Li Zhenguo and his core think tank have already begun intensive deployments.

How to make good use of the "attention dividend" brought by Lin Yi, how to deal with the opportunities and challenges that may follow, and how to further consolidate the foundation of the Silver Blue Civilization —all of these are being carried out calmly and in an orderly manner.

but.

Inside the distant Star Core level training camp, Lin Yi was unaware of the turmoil his presence had caused on his home planet.

He reinvested most of his energy into cultivation and preparation, aiming directly at the exploration of the secret realm, a place where crisis and opportunity coexisted.

Lin Yi didn't hesitate to use his Points, spending tens of thousands of Points to take a series of advanced courses on exploring secret realms.

<Classification of Starry Sea Realms and Laws of Energy Tide>: Systematically learn about the causes, stable cycles, internal rule tendencies, and the impact of energy Tide on the exploration window of various realms.

<Survival Guide to Restricted Realms (Star Core level)>: This guide focuses on techniques for self-preservation, reconnaissance, resource identification, and avoiding deadly traps in environments where strength is suppressed.

<Ancient Restriction Identification and Preliminary Deciphering>: This section covers the principles of some common ancient formations, the identification of energy nodes, and methods for safely passing through or temporarily avoiding them.

<Adaptability Training for Different Rule Environments>: Simulates how to quickly adjust one's own rule application and maintain combat power in an environment with rules vastly different from the Main Universe.

These courses are not simply theoretical lectures, but rather combine highly simulated virtual reality experiences, allowing Lin Yi to experience in advance the bizarre situations he might encounter in various secret realms in a safe environment.

In his private space, Lin Yi would control his clone to learn and practice the knowledge of the secret realm, while his Main Body would continue to consolidate the fourfold Fusion Domain and carefully use treasures such as the Breath of the Nether River to deepen his initial perception of the Death Rule.

At the same time, he gave Xuanji a clear instruction. "Continue to scan the Star Realm Army mission system and the internal channels of the Galactic Mercenary Alliance, focusing on newly discovered secret realm exploration missions around the Ash Star Domain with entrance energy levels limited to the Star Core level and below."

Time slipped away quietly amidst focused practice and waiting, and six years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Lin Yi was immersed in cultivation, with subtle ripples of time rippling around his body.

Suddenly, Xuanji's figure in palace attire appeared beside Lin Yi.

She bowed slightly and whispered a reminder:

"Master, a secret realm exploration mission that meets the selection criteria has just been detected."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes, the fleeting shadows of time in his eyes quickly disappearing, and his vision clearing.

"Oh? Six years have passed, and finally a suitable secret realm has been found."