Spirit Race's Schemes, Temporal Interstice

Meanwhile, deep within the Primal Ancestral Court the Spirit Race's territory.

This sacred land, shrouded in endless pure energy, is the core inheritance site of the Spirit Race. Even ordinary World Derivation level experts would find it difficult to enter its outer area without special permission.

At this moment, inside a pure white hall floating above a sea of light in the Core Zone of the ancestral temple, the atmosphere was unusually solemn.

"My lord, I have something to report."

In the center of the hall, beneath the throne shrouded in mist, a Spirit Race dressed in a pale gold robe, his face enveloped in a soft halo, bowed slightly, his tone solemn.

He is "Inspector" Iser, responsible for monitoring the movements of the new generation of geniuses from various races within the Pan-Spirit Alliance, and directly reports to "Radiance Lord" who is in charge of this year's Genius Battle.

On the throne, the figure of the Radiance Lord was shrouded in a hazy radiance that seemed to be composed of countless tiny feathers of light, and only his slender and upright outline could be vaguely discerned.

He didn't speak, but simply gestured for Iser to continue.

"It's about Lin Yi, the Human Race genius who was exceptionally included in the list."

Iser dared not delay and quickly reported, "In the latest seed rankings released by the Starsea Observers Team, they have placed him sixteenth, but the accompanying evaluation and analysis deserve our attention."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed, and a screen of light unfolded in front of the throne, displaying the prediction list and a detailed analysis page about Lin Yi.

The line marked "Suspected to have reached the threshold of life and death but not fully integrated" and the comment "May have some hidden aspects" were specially highlighted.

The Radiance Lord's gaze swept across the light screen, and his calm, unwavering voice echoed in the hall, "Starsea Observer..."

What did they discover?

Iser organized his thoughts. "Your Majesty is wise. Although the Starsea Observer are a loosely organized group, their entry threshold is the World Derivation level, and their members are spread across the high ranks of various races. They exchange intelligence, and since their emergence 300,000 Epoch ago, their analyses, while occasionally biased, are rarely unfounded."

"Our intelligence nodes on the Human Race Origin Star have only provided some fragmented information that is difficult to verify. Lin Yi rarely engages in public activities in the Star Source District and almost always keeps a low profile. But their special mention that Lin Yi might be hiding something is probably not unfounded."

He paused, then said, "Considering his talent for merging with spacetime at just over three hundred years old, and the decision of the two Human Race lords to make an exception and include him in the register... I boldly speculate that this person may have already passed the hurdle of merging the rules of life and death, and may even be at more than the fifth level."

"His so-called stagnation is most likely a strategic concealment."

"Hidden?" The Radiance Lord's voice was unreadable. "For the sake of the Genius Battle?"

"Yes, and not entirely."

Iser had clearly given this considerable thought. "If it's merely a matter of winning Genius Battle, concealing some of their strength to launch a surprise attack at a crucial moment is indeed a common strategy. However, I believe that the higher-ups of the Human Race behind them may want more than that."

"Myriad Secret Realm," the Radiance Lord said slowly.

"Exactly!" Iser affirmed. "If Lin Yi has truly concealed his strength, and concealed it sufficiently, he may very well have a chance. Once he obtains this position, given the current situation, the Human Race will certainly use it as leverage to seek more support from our race, or in exchange for other benefits."

"Although it's really nothing, I just don't know if Lord Henghuan will care about such trivial matters."

The hall was quiet for a moment, with only the faint sound of the surrounding sea of light flowing through it.

After a moment, the Radiance Lord asked.

"To what extent do you think he might have hidden himself?"

Iser took a deep breath and stated his judgment.

"Given his exceptional talent based on the rules of spacetime, coupled with the full allocation of resources from the Human Race's register, and a period of seclusion that could exceed seven hundred years... I believe he has at least solidified his fifth realm, and there is even a high probability that he has already entered the sixth realm."

"If he has enough talent and opportunity, it's not entirely impossible for him to reach the seventh level of the realm."

"Sevenfold..."

39

The radiant feathers Radiance Lord seemed to ripple slightly for a moment. "Star Core level, with spacetime as its foundation, encompassing life and death, if it truly reaches the seventh level... even an ordinary eighth-level domain might not be able to secure a victory."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Iser quickly replied, "This is precisely what I was worried about."

"As originally planned, our side will be represented in this Genius Battle by Crystal Light, who ranked fourth in the Sacred Tree Battle. His sixth level of domain has reached perfection, which is enough to suppress the geniuses of other races in the Pan-Spirit Alliance and ensure that we do not lose the first honor."

"But if Lin Yi truly possesses the strength of the sixth or even seventh level, given the profound mysteries of the rules of spacetime, Crystal Light would probably be no match for him."

Then, he raised his head, "Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to adjust the selection of fighters and have Edith ranked first in the Sacred Tree Battle, take the field."

"Reason."

Iser immediately said, "Telan ranked second in the Sacred Tree Battle, although he has comprehended the eighth level of the Space Rule, is not necessarily guaranteed to win."

"As for Edith, although she is also at the eighth level of the realm, she has not only comprehended the rules of spacetime, but also cultivated the rules of light and darkness. Even if Lin Yi can reach the seventh level of the realm, he will have little chance of winning, so we can be absolutely certain of victory."

Ensure that nothing goes wrong.

These five words often carry immense weight in the Spirit Race's decision-making process.

This is especially true of the Pan-Spirit Alliance's overt symbols of authority and key positions that could influence subsequent strategic planning.

The radiance surrounding the Radiance Lord slowly swirled, and after a moment, his deep voice rang out.

"Iser, your concerns are not without merit. Although the Human Race has not made any rash moves in recent years, its accumulated strength and upward momentum should not be underestimated. I agree to your request."

But then he changed the subject slightly. "However... what you've said isn't the real reason I agreed to let Edith fight."

Iser paused, then said, "Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

"The real reason is..." Radiance Lord said slowly, "I obtained top-secret intelligence a month ago. This trip to the Myriad Secret Realm is likely unlike any other. The other two races have been plotting this long-brewing war for a long time."

Iser's heart skipped a beat. "Your Excellency means..."

"Their number one genius at the Star Core level," the Radiance Lord's voice carried a hint of coldness, "According to reliable sources, they have all fused and stacked the rules to... the Ninefold Domain."

"Ninefold?" Iser was taken aback.

Star Core level, Ninefold Domain.

This has already reached the theoretical limit of the Star Core level.

Even if there are traces of external forces forcing it, its combat power will be terrifying beyond imagination.

At the Star Core level level, the advantage of having an additional domain is often overwhelming, let alone the qualitative leap from eight to nine domains.

It should be understood that the power of the Ninefold Domain, which have comprehended all five basic rules, is comparable to the combined power of advanced fusion rules such as life and death, light and darkness. Therefore, the Nine Realms are equivalent to having one more advanced fusion rule than the Eight Realms.

This is almost a crushing defeat.

"What are they trying to do?" Iser's voice was hoarse.

"What is it? Naturally, it's to use absolute strength to kill as many Star Core level geniuses as possible from our Pan-Spirit Alliance within the Myriad Secret Realm, especially... the core seeds of our Spirit Race. This way, we can not only seize the Source Essence, but also gain an advantage for them in the subsequent conventional wars in the energy-poor regions."

As he spoke, the Radiance Lord sneered, "I was wondering why the other two races suddenly proposed to escalate the war. This alone is enough to show that there must be a conspiracy... It's just a pity that we haven't found out any specific information yet."

Iser frowned immediately.

This is an open conspiracy, using the rules of exploring secret realms to carry out killing and weakening tactics.

"Since the enemy has been plotting this all along, and Edith's information has likely already been leaked, there's little point in hiding it anymore. Order Edith to sign up for the battle."

"Yes!" Iser's spirits lifted, and he bowed to accept the order.

"Furthermore..." Radiance Lord pondered for a moment, and a ray of light flew from his hand, landing in front of Iser and transforming into a pure crystal that appeared simple and unadorned, yet seemed to contain an infinite ocean of light within.

"Give this to Edith. It is one of the fragments of the Sacred Source Crystal Core. Although only a portion of its power remains, it is enough to help her push her domain to the ninth level before entering the Myriad Secret Realm."

"Tell her that if she encounters any of the other two races' ninth-level prodigies in the secret realm... she must kill them."

Iser solemnly accepted the crystal with both hands, which emanated a warmth that made his soul tremble, and he was deeply shocked.

Sacred Source Crystal Core!

That was one of the oldest sacred artifacts of the Spirit Race. Even if it was just a fragment, its value was enough to tempt the Eternal Divinity.

This time, Your Majesty has truly spared no expense.

"Your subordinate understands, and will personally convey this item and Your Majesty's decree to Edith," Iser said solemnly.

"Go."

The Radiance Lord waved his hand, his figure gradually fading in the radiance. "As long as Edith can break through the Ninefold Domain, with her strength in the fusion of spacetime and light and darkness, she will be able to handle whatever the other two races have prepared."

Iser bowed deeply, then transformed into a streak of light and swiftly departed from the Temple of Light.

Origin Star, Star Source District, Lin Yi Manor.

Inside the private high-level training room, the last wisp of chaotic spacetime fluctuations slowly subsided.

Lin Yi's figure emerged clearly from a gradually dissipating distorted light and shadow. He exhaled a breath of turbid air, his breath long and restrained, and the rule-like meaning that occasionally flowed from his body was more harmonious and profound than it had been a few months ago.

He has just completed a live-fire simulation exercise of a new composite combat technique, "Instant Return to Void".

This combat technique, derived from the "Nirvana Return-to-Void Finger," is a trump card prepared for truly formidable enemies. It has consumed most of his time and energy over the past hundred years, and now it has finally taken initial shape.

Afterwards, Lin Yi walked out of the cultivation room, where the gentle yet highly concentrated source energy automatically nourished his slightly tired body.

With a slight thought, the illusory image of Xuanji in palace attire quietly appeared, and he gracefully bowed.

"Owner."

"Um"

total.

Lin Yi walked to the window of the living area, gazing at the pale golden energy flowing outside the manor, and casually asked, "Xuanji, what's the current state of affairs regarding the Genius Battle on the Virtual Network?"

Xuanji's light and shadow flickered slightly as she quickly organized the information. "Master, the current focus of public opinion is mainly on the seed ranking predictions released by the Starsea Observers Team. The comments regarding your sixteenth place ranking, and the implication in the evaluation that you might be hiding your strength, have sparked widespread and ongoing controversy."

She brought up several light screens, on which scrolled selected comment summaries. "Supporters within the Human Race mostly believe this assessment is fair and look forward to your remarkable achievement; skeptics, however, think the 'hidden' explanation is too far-fetched and is merely a preemptive excuse for potential failure."

"Opinion from most other races was largely sarcastic, believing that the Starsea Observer were overinterpreting the situation and emphasizing that the fundamental differences in the rule hierarchy could not be bridged by concealment."

"It is worth noting that the Starsea Observers Team itself has not responded further."

"Overall, your popularity remains high due to the controversy, but public opinion is generally cautious or negative about your chances of breaking into the top five. The official Spirit Race website and mainstream media are currently focusing on promoting their sixth-level genius, Crystal Light, and have not directly responded to related speculations."

Lin Yi listened quietly, his face showing little surprise.

He had also heard of the Starsea Observers Team.

Over the past few hundred years, he has exchanged a massive amount of basic Rule Comprehension and auxiliary resources in the Star Core level training camp, especially the special courses and treasures for the major basic rules of water, fire, earth, and wood. Although he tried to disperse and use different channels each time, the number of times and the time spent inevitably left traces.

However, if one were to completely abandon the resources of the Star Core level training camp in order to conceal one's strength, that would be putting the cart before the horse and utterly foolish.

Therefore, it is perfectly normal for an organization that makes a living by exchanging intelligence and whose members are spread across the upper echelons of various ethnic groups to catch some of the news.

Moreover, he never expected to completely deceive everyone.

The core purpose of concealing one's strength is not to maintain complete secrecy, but rather to exploit the "Time Gap" and the "certainty difference."

As long as we don't reveal our talents too early and make the Spirit Race wary, and prevent the Spirit Race from making "extreme maneuvers" too early before the match, it's fine.

For example, by using forbidden methods that require a long preparation time or come at a great cost, a monster that is completely beyond the norm can be created temporarily.

After all, the Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle has evolved to the point where it has long surpassed a simple contest of geniuses.

In Lin Yi's view, it is more like the top-level sporting event that attracted global attention in the Blue Star era.

Even if no players from their own race participate, it doesn't stop millions of viewers from getting excited, discussing, analyzing, betting, and arguing.

The underlying issues are incredibly complex, involving racial honor, resource allocation, and political maneuvering.

Where there are grand events, there are bound to be underhanded tactics.

In the Blue Star era, some countries would create elaborate schemes like "asthma teams" in order to win gold medals in sports such as swimming.

As for the Spirit Race, this supreme race that has ruled the Pan-Spirit Alliance for countless years and whose foundation is unfathomable, in the snippets of conversation among my senior brothers and sisters, the means they might take to maintain their absolute advantage and resolve Potential Threat are probably even more extreme than those of some countries in the Blue Star era.

Lin Yi's concealment was precisely to guard against this.

To prevent the Spirit Race from prematurely implementing unconventional pre-match enhancements.

As long as his true threat level remains uncertain, the Spirit Race will be more inclined to make decisions based on "convention" and "cost considerations."

Now, there is less than a year until the official start of the competition.

Even if the Starsea Observer ' speculations caught the attention of the Spirit Race higher-ups, even if they decided to change the chosen contestant and even provide additional resources... it was too late.

In a year, the improvement that can be achieved is extremely limited.

Even if you throw away a massive amount of precious resources, the limit is probably that you can forcefully push your cultivation level up by one small realm.

Moreover...

Lin Yi's thoughts shifted, and he asked, "Xuanji, how long is it expected that the latest batch of Enlightenment Crystal transported through the secret channels of the Human Race Chamber of Commerce will arrive at the clone's location?"

"Reporting to Master..." Xuanji quickly checked the logistics information, "Due to the large volume of this shipment, and the need to apply for additional access to the Divine Kingdom teleportation channel and undergo security checks to enter the Core Zone of Origin Star Domain, the process is more complicated than usual."

"According to the latest feedback, the cargo has passed through the Seventh Starfield transit station and is expected to arrive in 173 standard days, approximately six months in homeworld time."

"Six months..." Lin Yi nodded slightly, thinking to himself, "It's a month earlier than my planned entry time into the Temporal Interstice. There's plenty of time."

"Enlightenment Crystal" is a unique "supply" he created over the past few centuries by combining the characteristics of his clones with the remnants of the Blood Crystal.

He discovered that the empty shells of the Dawn Crystal, which had been purified by the Tree of Life Company and had had their energy completely absorbed, still retained an extremely fine inert structure inside.

The clone attempted to infuse it with the "Spiritual Enlightenment Qi" it naturally accumulated each day, and was able to successfully seal it away.

Although each empty shell contains only a one-day supply, it's enough.

After all, the amount of Blood Crystal he had used up was in the hundreds of millions.

These empty shells, imbued with Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, are almost indistinguishable from Dawn Crystal in appearance and residual energy fluctuations.

Therefore, every so often, the clone would mix a batch of Enlightenment Crystal into the Dawn Crystal normally supplied to Aurelia and others for cultivation, and transport them to Origin Star through the reliable channels of the Human Race Chamber of Commerce.

To outsiders and even those around him, this was simply Lin Yi's usual practice of using purified Blood Crystal to aid his cultivation.

No one knew that those seemingly ordinary crystals contained a "cheat code" that could directly enhance the efficiency of Rule Comprehension.

It was precisely by relying on the regular replenishment of "Enlightenment Crystal" from his clones, along with the various rare and precious enlightenment treasures he could exchange for in the resource database, that Lin Yi was able to maintain his astonishing cultivation speed.

Otherwise, relying solely on the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi naturally accumulated by oneself and one's clones, achieving the goal would likely take several times longer.

"Temporal Interstice..."

Lin Yi silently recited the name of this special cultivation place that he had spent a considerable amount of registration contribution points to reserve.

Together with the "Enlightenment Crystal" that will be delivered at that time, as well as other treasures he exchanged for by using up all his roster Points, he will be able to make a final push before the top 100 ranking competition of the Pan-Spirit Alliance geniuses.

"Xuanji." Lin Yi snapped out of his thoughts and ordered, "In my capacity, formally submit the registration application to the Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle Organizing Committee."

"Yes, Master. Registration information is complete and submitting... Submission successful. You have received your entry number: AL-7942-331."

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Xuanji acted swiftly.

"Very good." Lin Yi nodded and continued, "In addition, in the name of the Commander the East Peak Mercenary Group, issue a mandatory mission notice throughout the group's entire channel: All official members who meet the requirements must register to participate in the preliminary selection for this year's Genius Battle. Set this mission as the highest priority."

He paused slightly, then added, "The announcement states that a special reward system will be established within the group. Members will receive varying amounts of contribution points, Star Crystal, and cultivation resources based on their final ranking in the Genius Battle."

"Those who break into the top million of the Human Race will receive extra rewards; those who break into the top 100,000 will receive special training; and those who can break into the top 10,000... I will personally guide their cultivation for a hundred years."

This order serves as both an incentive and a test of the Mercenary Group's overall strength.

After hundreds of years of accumulation, the East Peak Mercenary Group is no longer the small, isolated team it once was.

The abundant supply of purified Dawn Crystal, the rotation of cultivation slots on Origin Star, and the selection of suitable team leaders from the Star Core level training camp by Lin Yi have all contributed to a significant improvement in the overall strength of the core team members.

People like Liu Yuan, Elizabeth, and Zhang Zhen, who were among the first to follow him and had cultivated for a long time on Origin Star, have now all reached the Star Core level of perfection and have a high Rule Comprehension.

For example, Liu Yuan's overall Rule Comprehension has reached nearly 63% according to the last report.

This data might not be outstanding at the top level of the Human Race or the Mule race, but if placed at the level of the Eternal Silence Ringverse, it is enough to compete for the top ten of the Star Core level, and even challenge for a higher ranking.

Lin Yi had high expectations for them.

This is not only to bring glory to the Mercenary Group, but also to show the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance that the Yinheng Civilization has cultivated not only a genius like Lin Yi, but also a well-organized backbone force.

"The announcement has been drafted and released for all group members' personal terminals and local public channels," Xuanji replied.

Lin Yi smiled slightly upon hearing this. He could imagine how Chen Yu would be yelling and threatening his combat teams, how Andre would calmly check the registration process, and how Zhou Yuxuan would start analyzing the possible opponents in the preliminary selection...

"Xuanji, retrieve the list of some of the key applicants that we know so far, especially those familiar faces from the Human Race Star Core level Training Camp," Lin Yi instructed.

The light screen unfolded, displaying a scrolling list of names and information. "Long Ge Xing Tong (Spirit Race) has registered, Ling Xuan (Human Race) has registered, White Phoenix (Human Race) has registered, Hera (Holy Radiance Race) has registered, You Lan Ying Ge (Spirit Race) has registered."

The list is very long, encompassing almost all the well-known Star Core level geniuses within the Pan-Spirit Alliance.

Among them, Lin Yi not only saw that all his competitors had registered, but also many Human Race geniuses he had interacted with in the training camp. It was foreseeable that this would be a fierce competition that brought together the best of contemporary Xinghai.

"I wonder if the true number one of the Spirit Race will come..." Lin Yi pondered to himself.

If the Starsea Observer ' speculations truly garner sufficient attention from the Spirit Race, then the likelihood of the Spirit Race sending their true number one to the arena will greatly increase.

Lin Yi was not afraid; on the contrary, he was secretly looking forward to it.

A full-scale battle against a truly top-tier peer is the best way to test one's own path and hone one's skills.

He concealed his strength to avoid the unfair "forbidden enhancement" before the competition, rather than facing off against a normal Spirit Race genius on the arena.

"Xuanji, close the message." Lin Yi waved his hand, dispelling the light screen.

He walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and his gaze seemed to pierce through the energy barrier of the manor, turning towards the eternally brilliant starry sky of the Origin Star.

The noise on the virtual network, the public opinion battles between different races, the names on the adversary list...

At this moment, everything gradually settled down, transforming into the surging undercurrents beneath the calm surface of his heart.

Eight hundred years of silence, the accumulation of countless resources, the combined efforts of the clone and the Main Body, the silent accumulation of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi and Enlightenment Crystal... all of this will soon usher in a concentrated explosion and verification.

He doesn't like to be high-profile, but sometimes, for certain positions, you have to fight for them.

In order for the Yinheng Civilization to gain more attention and resources within the Human Race, for the future development of the East Peak Mercenary Group, and also to... fulfill his expectations for his senior sister, for the two nominated lords, and for the countless people who are watching him.

"Genius Battle..."

Lin Yi repeated the word in a low voice, a slight smile curving his lips.

Then let everyone see what kind of sharpness this "fallen genius," whom you've been discussing, speculating about, and questioning for hundreds of years, truly holds.

He turned and walked towards the cultivation room.

Every second of the final preparation time is precious.

Meanwhile, throughout the Pan-Spirit Alliance, as the registration deadline approached, an increasingly heated atmosphere was spreading.

Countless races, regardless of strength or price, have all turned their attention to this grand event that is about to begin.

In bars, academies, fleets, virtual communities... everywhere people are talking about potential dark horses, debating rankings, and predicting the final winner.