Star Source Space, 100!
The New Era 3615.
Within the Myriad Secret Realm, the blood mist continues to surge.
However, the area around the camp, spanning over a hundred kilometers, has been cleared to resemble the eye of a storm, exhibiting an unusual cleanliness.
Only from extremely far away can one sense the energy ripples of the Mist Beast's activity.
In a quiet room.
Lin Yi sat cross-legged, with the Blood Mist Beast Crystal Core, which he had initially obtained, floating in front of him.
Inside the crystal core, a viscous sea of blood was slowly rotating, emitting a chilling fluctuation.
Beside it, there was a small mountain of ordinary Blood Mist Beast crystal cores.
These are the lowest-tier spoils from daily hunts, serving almost no purpose other than as fodder for the Beast King's core.
Lin Yi mechanically manipulated the Beast King Crystal Core, absorbing these ordinary crystal cores.
As these ordinary crystal cores merged into it, the aura of the Beast King Crystal Core became even deeper and more profound.
This process continued day after day, year after year, for countless years.
Lin Yi initially hoped that quantitative changes would lead to qualitative changes, but after so many years, apart from his aura becoming more profound, there had been no special changes, and he had long since given up hope.
These ordinary crystal cores are indeed of no other use, and it would be a waste to discard them, so they have been persisted with as a routine.
Today seems no different from any other day.
The Beast King Crystal Core absorbed the essence of another ordinary crystal core, which then turned into grayish-white dust and fell to the ground.
Just as Lin Yi was about to send in the next one, a sudden change occurred!
The Beast King Crystal Core, which had been steadily being absorbed, suddenly stopped being devoured.
The slowly rotating crimson ocean within it suddenly stopped, and then, a dazzling golden light suddenly shone from its core.
That golden light was pure and gentle, completely different from the violent crimson color of the crystal core itself.
"Um?"
Lin Yi's eyes narrowed, and he immediately stopped what he was doing, focusing all his attention on sensing.
The golden light spread rapidly, instantly permeating most of the Beast King's crystal core.
As the sea of blood and golden light gradually intertwined, the crystal core began to tremble violently, emitting an unprecedented and strange fluctuation.
This fluctuation was no longer chaotic and violent; instead, it carried a special charm, even subtly stirring the laws of time deep within Lin Yi's soul.
Lin Yi's heart stirred, and he grabbed the Beast King crystal core that was undergoing dramatic changes. In a flash, he appeared in the open space in the center of the camp.
His sudden appearance, along with the crystal core in his hand that was emitting a golden-red interwoven light, immediately attracted the attention of several nearby prodigies.
"Team leader?"
"That's... the Beast King's Crystal Core? How did it get like this?"
Lin Yi didn't bother to explain; he just stared intently at the crystal core in his hand.
The golden light grew stronger and stronger, gradually overshadowing the crimson color, until finally, the entire crystal core turned into a translucent pale golden Amber.
Click.
With a soft, crisp sound, fine golden cracks appeared on the surface of the crystal core.
The next moment, a dazzling light shone forth.
A beam of light, about three meters in diameter and composed entirely of soft, pale golden mist, shot into the sky from the crystal core.
As the beam of light stabilized and solidified, a golden passage appeared before Lin Yi.
The passageway was shrouded in a golden glow, obscuring the view.
"This golden passage?"
The prodigy beside him murmured.
"Everyone, immediately stop what you're doing and return to camp. All non-patrol and guard teams, recall." Lin Yi immediately notified all members through the camp's communication network.
Within fifteen minutes, apart from a few necessary perimeter guard squads, all the remaining prodigies in the camp had gathered in the central open space, their eyes fixed intently on the golden passage.
Lin Yi briefly explained the reason for the passage's appearance, then said to his clone beside him, "Go in and investigate first."
The clone that had been guarding him nodded, took a step forward, and without hesitation disappeared into the golden mist passage. His figure was instantly swallowed by the soft golden light.
Everyone's attention was focused on the clone, waiting quietly.
About ten minutes later.
A golden mist rippled slightly, and the clone took a step forward, returning to Lin Yi's side.
"How is it?" Lin Yi asked.
The clone pondered for a moment before saying, "Inside is an independent space, about a hundred kilometers in diameter. The ground is a smooth, pale golden crystal, and the sky is also a soft gold. The space is very stable, and most importantly, there is no suppression inside. Our source energy and soul perception can be fully unleashed."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.
No rules to suppress it?
Everyone's had had enough of this godforsaken place.
But the clone continued, "However, it's completely empty inside. There's nothing there. No Mist Beast, no resources, and no buildings or objects. But..."
He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "There's a strange feeling, I can't quite put my finger on it. It's not danger, it's just... a very peculiar atmosphere."
special?
Lin Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "As long as there's no danger, everyone, maintain your battle formation and follow me inside. Green Leaf, Hui Yao, you two take men and cover our retreat."
"Yes!"
The team quickly adjusted, with Lin Yi taking the lead and stepping into the golden passage.
Edith, Liu Yun, and others followed closely behind.
After a brief moment of surreal experience, the scene before me suddenly opened up.
Just as the clone said, a pale golden world spanning a hundred kilometers in radius.
The sky and earth were bathed in a soft golden light, bright yet not glaring.
Beneath your feet lies a warm, smooth, golden crystal surface, as if you were walking on the finest jade.
The moment Lin Yi stepped into this space, his soul was suddenly cleared.
It was as if a layer of dust that had long obscured one's wisdom had been quietly swept away, or as if a blocked spring had been suddenly cleared, and a feeling of "clear and bright mind" arose spontaneously.
Lin Yi felt that the obscure and difficult parts he usually encountered when trying to comprehend the laws of time had become much clearer at this moment, and his speed of thought processing and sensitivity to the fluctuations of the laws had been greatly improved.
It wasn't just him.
"This feeling"
Edith, standing beside her, sounded quite surprised.
"My understanding of the laws is accelerating," Green Leaf exclaimed in surprise.
"Me too! The Space Rule are so much clearer than they are outside!" a prodigy who had mastered the Space Rule shouted excitedly.
The entire team instantly stirred, each person feeling a surge in their own comprehension speed.
Lin Yi quickly focused his mind and carefully comprehended the meaning.
With his precise control over his own cultivation progress, he estimated a rough increase multiple almost instantly.
"Three times!"
Lin Yi opened his eyes, his silver-gray pupils gleaming with a sharp light. "Comprehending the laws here is at least three times more efficient than outside!"
At the same time, a piece of information seemed to flow naturally from the rules of this Golden Space, reflecting in the depths of his soul, and also appearing simultaneously in the consciousness of every prodigy who entered this place.
[Anyone who sets foot in the Star Source Space has their Soul Origin imprinted upon it. Every epoch, regardless of their location, they can enter the Star Source Space for one year of cultivation.]
"An Epoch enters a year? Regardless of where you are?" Lin Yi quickly processed this information, his heart trembling.
This means that even if they leave the Myriad Secret Realm in the future, or even return to their respective distant homelands, they can return to this space every Epoch and enjoy a year of triple-accelerated cultivation.
Upon receiving this information, the crowd immediately began to discuss it.
"Judging from the information, the Myriad Secret Realm are indeed not natural products, just as the various races have guessed. It's just unknown what kind of power the being that created these secret realms possesses," Edith couldn't help but sigh.
"This is probably the core of the Myriad Secret Realm. It feels a bit like the Tree Heart Space of our Spirit Race's Sacred Tree!"
Green Leaf recovered from her shock and murmured, "However, the Tree Heart Space can provide up to a tenfold boost to the comprehension of specific attribute laws, but it can only accommodate a very small number of people each time it opens, and the duration is only a few days."
"While a threefold increase here isn't as terrifying as a tenfold increase, its advantage lies in its vast scope, capable of accommodating all of us, and its duration measured in years. Its value is immeasurable."
Kenkes slammed his fist into his palm, excitedly saying, "No matter what powerful being created it, one year of cultivation here is equivalent to three years outside. Our overall strength will experience another leap forward."
"That's not all." Lin Yi suppressed his excitement, looked around at everyone, and said, "There are no rules suppressing us here. We can practice our secret techniques to the fullest, refine our battle formations, and completely digest the power we gained earlier. This will be our new base!"
After speaking, he looked at the entrance to the golden passage and decisively ordered, "Have the outer perimeter guard teams take turns withdrawing and inventorying all important supplies in the camp. Except for necessary protective equipment, move everything else into the Golden Space. From now on, we will be stationed here, and when hunting Blood Mist Beast, we will return to the Blood Mist Layer in teams."
"Yes, leader." Everyone responded in unison, and then returned to the Blood Mist Layer to prepare for the move.
However, as soon as everyone stepped out of the golden passage, a strange tremor rushed towards them.
The blood mist remained thick and crimson.
But everyone clearly felt that the sense of compression that permeated every inch of space suddenly intensified, as if the entire blood-red world itself was collapsing inward from all directions.
"The spatial contraction is accelerating!" Edith's expression changed slightly.
In the past, the rate of contraction was extremely slow, and it would take several years before a noticeable change in distance could be observed.
Now, this sense of compression is almost perceptible in real time.
"Xuanji! Immediately calculate the current rate of spatial contraction of the Blood Mist Layer and predict the time to complete collapse."
Lin Yi said in a deep voice, while simultaneously spreading his Soul Power outwards with all his might.
"Yes, Master," Xuanji. "The data acquisition rate for comparing historical models has increased by over 500%, and it continues to rise."
Within just a few minutes, the contraction accelerated to an astonishing degree.
The several giant blood-red crystal mountains that had originally marked the camp's boundary in the distance were now approaching at a visible speed.
In a mere moment, Xuanji provided the answer, "At the current rate of acceleration, the overall spatial structure of the Blood Mist Layer will completely collapse and annihilate in five standard days."
At this moment, everyone received the answers calculated by their respective Intelligent Life, and their expressions changed drastically.
The recent discovery of the Golden Space has given everyone a solid foundation for long-term stability.
Unexpectedly, the collapse came so suddenly and so violently.
Lin Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart was also stirred, but he immediately suppressed it.
Fortunately, the Golden Space was a way out, so at least they didn't have to face a life-or-death crisis.
He immediately ordered, "Begin moving supplies immediately! Take what you can, abandon what you can't. Then, everyone move out to hunt down Mist Beast and collect their crystal cores. Harvest as quickly as possible! We only have four days at most!"
Clearly, the most urgent task now is to seize the last opportunity before the collapse and secure more resources for the future.
"Yes!"
After a brief moment of shock, everyone displayed astonishing efficiency. Each team sent several people to move supplies, while the rest rushed towards the Blood Mist Beast, which had become unusually dense due to the compression of space.
The battle instantly intensified.
Lin Yi hovered in mid-air, the fluctuations of the laws of time rippled silently around him.
He did not directly participate in the clearing out of ordinary areas, but instead raised his perception to the limit to specifically seek out those Beast King.
After all these years, Lin Yi's comprehension of the laws of time has now reached an astonishing 93%!
He locked onto a Star Domain level Mist Beast that was frantically attacking the hunting team, and lightly tapped his fingertip.
The flow of time around the Mist Beast was instantly sliced into hundreds of chaotic fragments.
Its energy flow went out of sync in an instant, and its solid, misty body began to disintegrate from the inside. Before it could even let out a wail, it completely collapsed, leaving behind a huge Source Essence Crystal.
The efficiency is frighteningly high.
The other prodigies also delivered outstanding performances; amidst the churning blood mist, the light from the collision of laws almost illuminated this rapidly collapsing world.
The crystal nuclei were collected like raindrops.
However, as time went on, everyone's mood grew increasingly somber.
The rate at which the Mist Beast multiply seems to have become strangely fast due to the compression of space.
Often, as soon as an area is cleared, a thicker blood mist will gather and condense into the outline of the Mist Beast again.
More importantly, everyone knows that once the Blood Mist Layer collapses, it means that this almost limitless "Source Essence Crystal" mine will be completely destroyed.
While the triple acceleration of comprehension in the Golden Space is valuable, it is still much slower than the leapfrog improvement brought about by directly absorbing "Purified Source Essence".
Without a continuous supply of source Source Essence Crystal, Lin Yi's "Purified Source Essence" production will also dry up, and everyone's cultivation speed will plummet.
"Sigh, we can't kill them all, we simply can't kill them all. And even if we kill more, these are just the last few days."
A prodigy swung his sword, shattering a Mist Beast, picked up the crystal core, and couldn't help but sigh.
"Stop talking nonsense, kill as many as you can!" a teammate roared, intensifying their attacks.
Worry, helplessness, and a complete lack of options—this is the reality facing everyone.
All they could do was wield their Sharp Blade and carry out the final harvest.
Four days flew by in the high-speed battle.
The original campsite has long been emptied, and at the entrance of the Golden Passage, the mountain of supplies has been mostly transferred.
The area Blood Mist Layer has been compressed into a small region with a diameter of no more than two kilometers.
The blood mist was so dense it was suffocating, and the breeding and attacks of the Mist Beast were almost insane.
The fifth day, at noon.
The entire Blood Mist Layer trembled violently, the boundary between the sky and the ground began to blur, the spatial structure groaned under the strain, and fine black cracks began to spread within the blood mist.
This is a sign that space is about to completely collapse.
"All squads, immediately retreat to the Golden Space!"
Lin Yi dared not let everyone risk further delay, and immediately gave the order.
The last hunting squad fought their way back, slaying several Mist Beast around them, grabbing the crystal cores, and rushing into the stable golden mist passage without looking back.
Lin Yi was the last to step into the passage. Before his figure was swallowed by the golden light, he looked back once more.
Behind them lay a crimson world crumbling inch by inch.
Golden light flowed, and he returned to the calm and gentle Golden Space, or, according to the information he received in his consciousness, the Star Source Space.
The entrance to the passage, located directly above the center of the space, rotates steadily.
All team members had retreated and gathered on the golden crystal surface. Many of them were injured and their breathing was uneven, but their eyes were fixed on the golden passage, waiting for the expected outcome.
The passage disappeared as the Blood Mist Layer collapsed.
However, one minute, two minutes
The golden channel remained stable, showing no signs of dissipating.
"What happened? The Blood Mist Layer should have collapsed by now, right?" Green Leaf asked, puzzled.
"Why is the passage still there?" Hui Yao frowned.
Just then, a gentle enlightenment quietly emerged in everyone's soul.
[Remaining time for this activation: one standard year.]
[Time has run out, the space will temporarily close and enter a period of silence.]
Will it close in a year?
Everyone's hearts tightened suddenly.
The safe zone and sacred cultivation ground we just found will be gone in a year?
Where did they go?
A sense of unease began to spread.
Please calm down.
Lin Yi's voice rang out. He looked up at the golden passage, his eyes gleaming with a silvery-gray light. "The passage is still there, which means it doesn't connect to the collapsed Blood Mist Layer. Perhaps... it connects to somewhere else."
With a thought, he sent his clone out, once again heading towards the golden passage.
A moment later, the clone returned.
He opened his hand, and in his palm lay a crystal core that emitted a soft, milky-white glow, with what appeared to be swirling clouds inside.
The energy fluctuations of this crystal core are quite different from those of the Blood Mist Crystal Core, but the levels are similar.
"That place is completely different."
The clone carefully considered its words before saying, "It was a space filled with white mist, and it seemed to be expanding outwards at an extremely rapid pace. The white mist had no suppressive effect on the rules, but the rules themselves became extremely unstable. Their power fluctuated wildly, making them very difficult to control. You might only achieve 30% of your full power, or you might inexplicably unleash 150% of your full power."
"Also, new Mist Beast have begun to spawn in the white mist. I casually killed one that had just fully formed; this is it."
He pointed to the white crystal core, "Its strength is roughly at the mid-stage of the Star Domain level."
White mist space? Expansion?
The rules are disordered, but the power remains undiminished?
Are there new Mist Beast and crystal cores?
Edith eyes gleamed as she pondered, "The Myriad Secret Realm open every five thousand years. We've spent nearly two thousand five hundred years in the secret realm since we entered the Gray Mist Layer. If the normal lifespan of the Blood Mist Layer is around two thousand five hundred years, then will the secret realm enter a phase of expansion and rebirth in the next two thousand five hundred years?"
"Contraction and expansion, destruction and rebirth, are common cycles in the universe. This white mist space might be a new layer that emerged from the collapsed Blood Mist Layer, or perhaps it has returned to some more primordial state?"
Her conjecture based on time cycles was reasonable and instantly gained the approval of most people.
"So, the secret realm has started to reset? Does that mean we're safe?" Liu Yun asked thoughtfully.
"If the White Mist Layer continues to expand for 2,500 years, wouldn't the problem of resource scarcity be solved?" Green Leaf's eyes lit up.
After pondering for a moment, and combining the information brought back by his clone, Lin Yi concluded that Edith's words made sense.
He thought for a moment and concluded, "Regardless of what rules this secret realm follows, at least we now have three things clear: First, the Golden Space can last for another year. During this year, we have three times the acceleration, which allows us to fully digest what we've gained, stabilize our realm, and even attempt a breakthrough."
"Secondly, a year from now, we won't be trapped; instead, we'll enter the White Mist Layer."
Third, the Source Essence Crystal has not been interrupted.
Lin Yi pointed to the white crystal core brought back by his clone. "Although its form and energy properties have changed, it is still a crystal core containing Source Essence. As long as the Mist Beast are still around, the hunt can continue, and the source for Purified Source Essence will not run out."
The biggest weight that had been pressing on everyone's hearts suddenly lifted.
Hope, far from being extinguished with the collapse of the Blood Mist Layer, seemed to point to a wider world.
"Our task for the next year is to focus entirely on cultivation! Make the most of the three-fold acceleration provided by the Golden Space!" Lin Yi issued the final order.
"Yes, team leader!"
Hope was rekindled, and morale soared.
Everyone quickly sprang into action, dividing the Golden Space into areas and setting up temporary residences and meditation rooms.
Despite the simple environment, everyone was full of enthusiasm.
There is no sun or moon within the Golden Space, but there is a precise sense of time.
Soon, more than half a year had passed.
Lin Yi's meditation room was very simple, with only a flat golden crystal as a cushion.
He slowly opened his eyes, and deep within his pupils, it seemed as if two silver-gray River of Time were converging.
99.4%.
It's just 0.6% away from completely mastering the laws of time and reaching 100% perfection.
Lin Yi slowly exhaled, leaving a faint silver trail in the Golden Space.
After a year of arduous training, coupled with the vast reserves of "Spiritual Enlightenment Qi" accumulated previously, he has finally reached this crucial moment.
"It's time," Lin Yi murmured to himself.
He sank his mind into the deepest part of his soul, into that mysterious Purple Mist Space, then directly anchored his Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, and then took a deep breath.
Boom!
His entire consciousness was completely immersed in the ultimate torrent of this understanding of the laws.
He saw the more fundamental way the river of time flows, the patterns of countless tributaries, undercurrents, and hidden currents.
He heard the voice of time itself, an eternal rhythm of the growth, decay, and reincarnation of all things.
0.5% 0.3% 0.1%
For every step forward, the required insights and energy increase exponentially.
But Lin Yi's mind was like an ancient Rock, firmly locked on that ultimate goal.
He discarded all distracting thoughts, his soul transforming into the most precise carving knife, following the essential veins of the river of time, meticulously dissecting and imprinting the last obscure laws and mysteries.
Time loses its meaning in this profound realization.
I don't know how much time passed.
Buzz!!
Deep within Lin Yi's soul, the silver mark representing the laws of time suddenly erupted with indescribable brilliance.
The structure of the imprint became incredibly complex, yet also incredibly perfect, with each Dao Patterns seemingly containing an epic tale of time.
Perfect! Flawless!
100%!
The instant he achieved 100% mastery of the laws of time, an invisible wave emanated from Lin Yi and quietly spread throughout the entire golden Dharma practice space.
All the prodigies who were cultivating, regardless of what laws they were comprehending, felt their souls inexplicably clear at this moment, as if they had been cleansed by a clear spring of time, and their understanding of their own laws became inexplicably deeper.
Edith, Green Leaf, Hui Yao, and the others were all awakened and looked in horror toward Lin Yi room.
Although no unusual phenomena could be seen, the palpitations and oppressive aura at the soul level were crystal clear.
"This is... the fluctuation of perfect law?" Edith murmured involuntarily.
In the quiet room, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes had now turned a pure silver-gray, and wherever his gaze fell, the light subtly curved, and the flow of air seemed to freeze for a moment.
A powerful aura, as if he held sway over all of time, naturally flowed out, only to be quickly suppressed by him.
Since everyone is strongly requesting an extra chapter, I'll take a break today and add one more tomorrow before heading out to explore the secret realm!