Limited-time exchange, news from Ninth Senior Brother (7K)

The ten days passed swiftly, like sand slipping through our fingers, amidst the tense yet orderly gathering and handover.

Inside the Pale Forbidden Land camp, the atmosphere was busy yet tinged with a sense of relief at the successful completion of a mission.

The last group of outing teams has returned safely. In the open space in the center of the camp, specially made metal boxes with subtle spatial runes flowing on their surfaces are neatly stacked into several square formations.

Zhou Yuxuan walked quickly to Lin Yi was standing outside the command cabin.

"Commander."

Zhou Yuxuan handed over a data panel. "The final statistics are complete. The total amount of standard Blood Crystal Coin we brought back this time, as well as unprocessed Blood Crystal ore with more intact energy, is approximately 700 billion."

He took a deep breath and pointed to the sea of metal crates. "All supplies have been packed into containers, using a total of seven hundred standard miniature storage crates."

Despite the fact that it had been predicted, when the figure of "700 billion" was officially announced, a hint of joy still flashed in the eyes of Chen Yu, Andre, and other core members who were listening in.

Lin Yi's gaze slowly swept over this sea of boxes that contained a vast amount of resources, and a sharp glint flashed deep within his calm eyes.

He seemed to already see how these seemingly chaotic crystals, after purification, would transform into a solid stepping stone for the East Peak Mercenary Group's rise.

"Well done."

"Pack your gear and prepare to leave. The secret realm is now under the complete control of the Star Realm Army. Our mission is complete."

The order was quickly relayed, and the entire camp, like a sophisticated machine, began operating at high speed once again, making final preparations for returning to the Main Universe.

Lin Yi, in a flash, arrived at the Star Realm Army's forward fortress, which was already taking shape. In a room filled with holographic projections of various Detector, he found Lanhe, who was intently analyzing data.

"Lanhe Consultant."

Lin Yi gently knocked on the open door. "Our East Peak Mercenary Group is about to return to the Main Universe and has come to say goodbye. We thank the advisor for his guidance during this exploration of the secret realm."

Upon hearing this, Lanhe looked up from the complex energy spectrum diagram and smiled.

"Commander Lin Yi, you're too kind. How much resources your East Peak Mercenary Group can obtain is up to its own capabilities. This time, Source Essence in the secret realm. When we return to the Main Universe, the military's reward should be quite substantial. I congratulate you in advance and look forward to the day we meet again in the vast starry sea."

"Thank you for your kind words, consultant."

Lin Yi exchanged pleasantries, then looked out the window at the bright sun and asked about the main purpose of his visit before his departure.

"Advisor Lanhe, before leaving the secret realm, I still have some questions in my mind. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to answer them?"

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Lanhe put down the data stream in his hand with great interest.

"I'm curious, why does this Blood Sun- red sunlight possess characteristics of madness and pollution?"

Lin Yi frowned slightly, organizing his thoughts, "Source Essence, as far as I know, is the physical manifestation of the origin of the universe. Since this Blood Sun is so closely related to Source Essence, why is this happening?"

"Oh? You mean this?"

Lanhe chuckled.

"Commander Lin Yi, you may not know this, but the manifestation of Source Essence is not static; it can be not only inanimate objects but also living things."

"A living thing?" Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes, a living thing. This Blood Sun is actually a living entity."

As he spoke, Lanhe also turned his gaze to the bright sun outside the window, his eyes becoming profound. "Furthermore, strictly speaking, it is still in an extremely long growth period."

"It's a living being."

Lin Yi murmured something, then a thought struck him, "Could the periodic Blood Sun phenomenon during the day be a part of its growth process?"

"Good."

Lanhe nodded slightly, "Just like ordinary children who need to expel impurities from their bodies to grow strong, this daytime, in its growth process, also needs to periodically expel fragments of rules and energy impurities. This is the ultimate source of pollution and madness in this world."

"Of course, while expelling these filthy substances, just as a flowing river inevitably carries silt, it will also inevitably carry a very small amount of Source Essence derivatives."

"These byproducts, combined with impure energy, ultimately created the unique environment of this world."

Lin Yi suddenly understood upon hearing this.

"I see. The unique environment of this secret realm is actually the reason for the metabolism of Source Essence. I just wonder how long it will take for this Source Essence life form to get through its growth period."

Lanhe smiled upon hearing this, "We've conducted a preliminary analysis and calculation based on its energy emission cycle and intensity; it will probably take another thousand Epoch."

"It'll take that long?" Lin Yi was somewhat surprised.

An era is 129,600 years.

"Hehe, it sounds long, but on a cosmic scale, it's actually quite short, even shorter than the lifespan of World Derivation level cultivator. Therefore, many gods should be looking forward to the maturation of this Source Essence."

Lanhe added, "You should know that some ancient Source Essence that existed in the primordial era of the universe had a gestation process measured in billions of Epoch."

Lin Yi remained silent upon hearing this.

At the level of Source Essence life form, its strength after maturity must be considerable. However, even so, it is nothing more than meat on a chopping board. The essence of the universe, where the strong prey on the weak, is revealed without a doubt at this moment.

Fortunately, I'm currently on the stronger side.

Lin Yi sighed inwardly, then bid farewell to Lanhe, "Thank you for your guidance, advisor. Goodbye."

Lanhe nodded and watched them leave.

Then, Lin Yi's figure transformed into a stream of light and merged into the torrent of the East Peak Mercenary Group, which had already lined up in formation.

Seven hundred miniature storage boxes were pulled by a special force field and, along with the procession, entered the stable, blue mirror-like spatial passage.

--

The outer perimeter of the "Thunder Radiance" space station features a giant space platform with a secret passage.

When the main force of the East Peak Mercenary Group appeared with that huge number of storage boxes, it attracted many curious and inquisitive glances, but no one asked any questions.

The space station staff and the Star Realm Army stationed there all knew that the group exploring this secret realm was the East Peak Mercenary Group.

The handover of the mission proceeded smoothly as usual. The officer in charge of receiving the mission solemnly showed Lin Yi the assessment results that were instantly updated on the screen:

[Exploration Mission: TQ-73419-X (Early Exploration of the Unknown Realm)]

[Basic Task Completion Assessment: S+]

[Basic Military Merit Reward: 5,000,000 points]

[Special Contribution Bonus (Confirming the correlation of the strategic resource "Source Essence" and establishing a comprehensive intelligence network and early intervention forces): 50,000,000 points]

[Total Military Merit Reward: 55,000,000 points]

Fifty-five million military merits.

Although he had expected it, a hint of joy still flashed in Lin Yi's eyes when the number was clearly presented before him.

After all, discovering new secret realms yields a huge amount of merit points. For secret realms that have already been discovered, it's essentially just doing manual labor, and the military merit points are usually around 10 million.

The extra portion is mainly due to the Source Essence in this secret realm; it's considered good luck, a bonus from the Star Realm Army.

Lin Yi didn't linger at the Thunder Radiance Space Station and led his team back quickly to the Border Legion Fortress Base.

Having already received the news, Aurelia was waiting at the fortress entrance. She did not neglect Lin Yi's clone just because it was returning.

Aurelia's clear blue eyes quickly swept over the crowd, confirming that no one was missing or seriously injured, before finally landing on Lin Yi. A slight smile curved her lips, "Welcome back, Commander."

"Yes, everything went smoothly." Lin Yi looked at her and nodded.

Upon entering the fortress, the clone first met with the Main Body in the cultivation room and exchanged information about the situation within the secret realm.

After all, some things cannot be said in other ways.

After understanding the situation, Lin Yi first sent his clone back to the private rest room that had been set up for him, and then immediately began to make intensive arrangements.

He first distributed the merits for this exploration according to the pre-established contribution system, which caused the entire group to cheer with joy. Then, he instructed Xuanji:

"Xuanji, connect to the Virtual Network and contact the Tree of Life Company to request a conversation with Manager Estelle."

"Yes, Master, connection request in progress." The illusory figure in palace attire bowed and waved to help Lin Yi connect to the Silverblue Space reception room of the Virtual Network.

A few minutes later, an elegant figure with the characteristics of the Spirit Race appeared in front of Lin Yi.

It was Estelle, the head of the Purple Gold Star Union branch of the Tree of Life Company.

She remained as beautiful as a work of art, her emerald eyes carrying a professional smile.

"Mr. Lin Yi, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Manager Estelle, it's been a long time," Lin Yi said, getting straight to the point. "I have a large quantity of special energy crystals, but their energy structure has been severely contaminated."

He waved his hand and sent over a package containing detailed data on the energy structure analysis and pollution characteristics of the Blood Crystal Coin.

"I would like to commission the Tree of Life Company to purify these supplies, with the goal of completely removing the contamination and chaotic ideas while preserving their other functions."

Estelle received the data and examined it carefully.

A moment later, the smile on her face faded slightly.

"Lin Yi."

Her tone turned serious. "Based on the data provided, the depth and complexity of the contamination in this energy crystal far exceed that of ordinary systems. This distortion, involving the very foundations of the rules, cannot be resolved through conventional purification methods."

Estelle paused slightly, seemingly retrieving permissions and calculating the plan. "To process such a large quantity of materials with such a high level of contamination efficiently, we would need to activate at least World Derivation level purification matrix, and we must invite at least one World Derivation level expert to personally control the matrix core to ensure the purification effect and the integrity of the materials."

She raised her eyes, looked at Lin Yi, and gave him a number that still made his heart skip a beat, even though Lin Yi was somewhat prepared.

"Therefore, even considering your good working relationship with us and your previous contributions, and allowing us to offer you a friendly internal price, the final total price will still be 500 billion Star Crystal."

Lin Yi's expression remained unchanged, but his mind raced as he weighed the options.

A hundred years ago, he absolutely couldn't afford that price.

But after decades of accumulation, he has accumulated a lot of Points in the Star Core level training camp. After reserving them for exchanging for cultivation resources, he still has a lot left over. With his current connections, it would be very easy for him to monetize them.

Although Points are much harder to obtain than Star Crystal, and usually no one would use Points to exchange for Star Crystal, Lin Yi neither wanted to ask to borrow them nor was he willing to mortgage the life planet given to him by his senior sister. After thinking it over, this was the only way that was convenient and quick.

Moreover, given the characteristics exhibited by the Blood Crystal Coin, once purification is complete, the boost to the East Peak Mercenary Group will be absolutely enormous.

"Can."

With that in mind, Lin Yi no longer hesitated. "Let's proceed with this plan. I will immediately arrange for a completely reliable transport ship to deliver the first batch of purification supplies to the designated coordinates via a secure shipping route. The deposit will be paid later."

A hint of surprise flashed in Estelle's eyes, then she bowed slightly. "Rest assured, Lin Yi, our Tree of Life Company will absolutely not let you down in this regard."

Three years is but a fleeting moment on the scale of the Main Universe.

On this day, Lin Yi was performing his routine cultivation in the cultivation room.

"Master, we have received a communication request from Estelle of the Tree of Life Company." Xuanji's figure appeared.

"So fast? Connection."

Lin Yi was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought it would take ten years or so, but then he thought about it again and realized that it made sense. After all, the total price was only a few hundred billion Star Crystal, so how could it take so long to use the power of the World Derivation level?

"Lord Lin Yi, I have not failed you."

Estelle appeared, a hint of relief and pride on her face as she completed her mission. "The materials you entrusted to be purified have all been processed. We have successfully removed 99.987% of the rule-related contamination and chaotic related intentions, preserving the most essential Source Essence- derived properties."

"This is a detailed energy spectrum comparison and analysis report before and after purification."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi smiled awkwardly, thinking to himself that, Dao Fruit expected, a force of this level must have had considerable contact with Source Essence.

He checked the transmitted data, especially the report showing that the core traits had been perfectly preserved, and felt relieved. He then thanked her, saying, "The results exceeded expectations. Thank you for your hard work, Manager Estelle."

"That's only right. It's a pleasure doing business with you, Lin Yi."

More than a month later, as the transport ship of the Tree of Life Company arrived and the handover was completed, Lin Yi immediately went to the specially prepared confidential warehouse.

When he opened a sample box, what came into view was no longer the dark red, murky crystal, but a crystal that emitted a soft, pale golden halo, with a warm, misty aura slowly flowing inside.

Lin Yi casually picked up a piece, and a gentle and pure energy slowly seeped into his soul along his arm. The subtle stagnation in the application of the Death Rule began to loosen.

Let's name it Dawn Crystal.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yi decided on a name that would inspire wisdom and illuminate the path ahead.

"Xuanji."

"Owner."

"Name this crystal ' Dawn Crystal,' add two-thirds of its total quantity to the Mercenary Group's exchange list, and issue a notice for a limited-time exchange."

"Yes, Master."

The illusory figure in palace attire bowed slightly before disappearing.

Meanwhile, all members of the East Peak Mercenary Group received a notification.

[Limited-time update to the Merit Exchange List!]

[Name: Dawn Crystal (Micro)]

[Source: Blood Crystal Coin and Blood Crystal Ore from the Secret Realm, refined and purified by the Tree of Life Company, eliminating the madness within and containing a trace of the primordial energy of the universe.]

[Efficacy: Gently nourishes the Soul Origin, slightly enhances mental activity and the efficiency of Rule Comprehension, and long-term use has a slight auxiliary effect on breaking through cultivation bottlenecks. (Note: Effects vary from person to person and are related to individual aptitude and compatibility with rules.)]

[Status: Limited quantity, available for a limited time!]

This news instantly ignited the entire East Peak Mercenary Group.

Because news of the secret realm, especially the role of Blood Crystal Coin, was not exactly a secret within the East Peak Mercenary Group, almost all members with enough Points submitted their exchange applications as soon as the limited-time exchange information was released.

Aurelia was the first to submit it.

She barely checked the required Points, directly using all her accumulated points to exchange for a massive amount of "Dawn Crystal," enough to support her several deep retreats.

Back in her meditation room, she lightly touched the pale golden crystal with her fingertips, and a gentle yet vast energy surged into her body, reaching deep into her soul.

"What a wonderful feeling."

Aurelia closed her eyes, and a deep black aura involuntarily shone around her, purer and more vibrant than ever before.

Encouraged by Lin Yi, she chose the Death Rule as her second rule. However, progress was slow, and after many years, she had only just begun to grasp the basics.

Aurelia discovered that as the Dawn Crystal continued to fade and be consumed, the vague perceptions she had previously had about the "transformation of flourishing and decay" and "cycle of life and death" in the Life Rule seemed to have been wiped away and become clearly visible.

She could even see the finer details of the lines of rules, and an unprecedented realization welled up in her mind. The bottleneck that had troubled her for so long showed obvious signs of loosening.

Chen Yu and Andre made their exchanges at almost the same time.

"Hurry up and change them, Lao Zhou, you should change them too, change as many as you can."

As Chen Yu shouted, a fierce flame burned in his eyes.

After obtaining the crystal, he went straight into the training room.

Holding the "Dawn Crystal," Chen Yu felt as if his brain had been cleansed by an icy spring. His understanding of the two core flame rules, "explosion" and "condensation," was no longer a matter of either/or, but rather he began to clearly perceive the Dynamic balance between them.

He attempted to control the flames, and a fire serpent, condensed to the point of being tangible, appeared out of thin air and danced nimbly. This was a level of control that he had struggled to achieve even after years of arduous training.

Andre, however, felt a different kind of shock.

The gentle energy seeped into his heavy earthly rules, without changing its essence, but as if it had infused it with spirituality.

His understanding of power was no longer limited to physical collisions and pressures, but began to naturally touch upon more fundamental aspects such as gravity. In the training room, the earthy yellow light around him was no longer just for defense, but also subtly emitted a force field effect that distorted gravity.

Zhou Yuxuan, Elizabeth, and every core member benefited greatly from this opportunity.

Zhou Yuxuan discovered that his perception of energy flow had become several times more acute, and Elizabeth's ice-based rules had gained an extra layer of resilience and vitality.

Throughout the training area, various fluctuations of rules rose and fell, like sparks spreading across a prairie, indicating that the team's overall strength was undergoing a qualitative leap.

Of course, Lin Yi did not forget Blue Star.

He specially allocated a considerable number of Dawn Crystal and dispatched an absolutely loyal and powerful squad to secretly deliver them to Blue Star on a disguised transport ship. He personally handed them over to Li Zhenguo and Zhou Donglai, along with detailed instructions for use and strict confidentiality regulations.

These resources will be used to reward those who have made indelible contributions to the stability and technological development of the Silver Blue Civilization.

At the same time, he also used his personal Points to redeem a gift for his family.

While the entire Mercenary Group was immersed in the joy of their soaring strength and the craze for cultivation, Lin Yi's clone was conducting a crucial challenge in the absolutely quiet meditation room.

Before the clone, tens of thousands of cultivation manuals from the "Blood Sun Secret Realm" were projected virtually, ranging from rudimentary Qi-inducing techniques to bizarre forbidden manuals, encompassing everything.

During this period, as required by the Main Body, the clone's sole task was to find a way to utilize the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi.

However, he devoted immeasurable mental energy to analysis and reverse deduction, attempting to find even the slightest clue from this ocean of knowledge to safely extract and preserve the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi sealed within his own Soul Origin.

Unfortunately, the result was disappointing.

The cultivation system in the secret realm is fundamentally centered around how to utilize and combat that polluted energy, leaving a complete void regarding how to actively and safely control one's own more primal and pure power.

"It seems there's no hope of finding a solution solely through the scriptures found in the secret realm."

The clone opened its eyes, a resolute glint in them. "Unprecedented, but perhaps future generations will follow. Now, I can only create my own."

There's definitely a reason I made this decision.

His confidence stemmed not only from the solid framework built upon his profound understanding of the four rules, but also from his miraculous Spiritual Enlightenment Qi.

In addition, although the answers cannot be found directly in those classic texts, they can still provide a lot of insights.

After making the decision, the clone calmed down and meticulously planned the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi it had accumulated over seventy years since its existence as the "Time-Tracing Clone".

He decided to use a five-year cycle for the deduction, investing Spiritual Enlightenment Qi in batches to achieve insights and creations that transcend limits.

In the first five years, Spiritual Enlightenment Qi surged into the sea of consciousness like a burst dam.

Countless microscopic manipulation models of Soul Power, exquisite techniques of energy stripping, and combinations of rule runes flashed, collided, and annihilated like a kaleidoscope.

The amount of information was so vast that it could cause the souls of ordinary Star Domain level expert to collapse.

Five years later, the simulation was progressing slowly, and it only eliminated a large number of incorrect directions.

Continue investing in the second five years!

The deductions went deeper, and they began to attempt to construct a structural model of the Soul Origin, simulating the mysterious generation and flow of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi within it.

The third five-year plan, the fourth five-year plan—the simulations progressed slowly and with difficulty.

When the tenth cycle had been completed, after investing the equivalent of fifty years' worth of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, the body of the meditating clone suddenly trembled.

In the deepest part of his consciousness, in the Core Zone shrouded by the vast light of enlightenment, all the previously chaotic information, failed models, and vague perceptions, like rivers flowing into the sea, were suddenly arranged and optimized perfectly in a mysterious way.

Quantitative change leads to qualitative change!

Lin Yi clearly sensed that at the very core of the slowly rotating Purple Mist Space, a wisp of purple mist, thousands of times finer than a strand of hair, was trembling slightly at a unique frequency that contained the mysteries of time and rules.

In a moment of inspiration, he used the power of his perfected Time Rule as a guide, focused his mind, and outlined a composite rule rune that had multiple effects, including guiding, stripping, stabilizing, and sealing.

This rune seemed to be the culmination of his life's learning.

Lin Yi manipulated the rune as if wielding the world's most precise scalpel, carefully and cautiously, clearing his mind of all distractions, gently touching and then softly yet firmly enveloping the trembling purple mist.

It worked!

Overwhelmed by immense joy, the clone was instantly consumed.

That faint yet infinitely potential Spiritual Enlightenment Qi was perfectly extracted from the Purple Mist Space and sealed within a "Spacetime Bubble" constructed from his own Soul Power and the Time Rule.

This Spacetime Bubble exists independently outside the Purple Mist Space, like a private treasure trove that can be clearly perceived and freely controlled by his will.

After a long period of deduction, consuming up to fifty years' worth of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi reserves, it was finally successful.

The clone immediately approached the Main Body, delivering the good news and explaining the principles behind the method.

After a short while, Lin Yi mastered the method. Spacetime Bubble, containing a Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, quietly appeared at his fingertips, emitting a hazy and mysterious purple glow. The misty energy inside flowed slowly, as if it possessed life.

He carefully examined every detail of this creation, feeling the immense potential and infinite possibilities it contained.

After the initial euphoria, Lin Yi regained his composure.

"Although we have a solution, the timing is far from right."

Lin Yi made a judgment immediately.

This item's effects are so extraordinary that if leaked, the resulting upheaval will far surpass that of the "Dawn Crystal."

Without sufficient strength, perfect "packaging," and a plausible "origin" story, this Spiritual Enlightenment Qi can only be transmitted from the clone to the Main Body for use, and must never be known to a third party.

With a thought, Lin Yi 'Spacetime Bubble re-integrated into the depths of his soul, quietly rejuvenating.

"The clone still has about twenty years' worth of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi left, Main Body has over seventy years, totaling nearly a hundred years. However, according to calculations, to comprehend the Death Rule, even using a conservative estimate, it would take approximately two hundred and fifty years."

Even assuming double the accumulation efficiency in the future, it would still take over seventy years. That's still a bit slow; we need to find some treasures that can quickly boost comprehension in a short period.

As Lin Yi pondered his future path to understanding the Death Rule, Xuanji's figure suddenly appeared beside him.

"Master, a visit invitation has been received from the virtual universe network. The contact person is Cang Ming. The message included: Junior Brother, I heard you returned from the secret realm with great gains? We have something to discuss."

Ninth Senior Brother?

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Yi's eyes.

He wasn't surprised that his Ninth Senior Brother was well-informed; the fact that his Ninth Senior Brother was invited to be an overseer meant that he naturally had a close relationship with the Star Realm Army.

However, his Ninth Senior Brother, who was in charge of the tiered Tiered Battlefield, had not contacted him for a long time since he sent a congratulatory message after learning that Lin Yi had comprehended the Time Rule. Now, his sudden statement that he had something to discuss aroused Lin Yi's curiosity and anticipation.

After all, every time I contact Ninth Senior Brother, it's always something good!