Tit for Tat
Lin Yi's gaze fell on the familiar yet unfamiliar figure below, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.
Elizabeth.
In my memory, she was elegant, capable, intelligent, and decisive. She would occasionally joke around with Chen Yu and the others in private, but she was never ambiguous when carrying out missions.
The person before him had a hideous scar across his face, and his eyes held only the ferocity and death-defying determination of a trapped beast. He exuded a tragic aura as if he had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
His armor was shattered and he was riddled with wounds, yet he still gripped his weapon tightly, like a lone wolf defending its last stronghold.
What happened in the outside world over the past five thousand years that shaped her into this form?
Lin Yi remained silent for a moment, then looked at the clone beside him maintaining the operation of the battle formation and instructed, "You take over the central control of the battle formation. From now on, if any more enemies come in, show no mercy and annihilate them directly."
"Yes." The clone responded, and the silver-gray light of the law of time lit up simultaneously with Lin Yi's Main Body, seamlessly connecting the core control of the entire multi-law battle formation.
Then, Lin Yi's figure flashed, and silver-gray spatial ripples spread out. In the next instant, he appeared inside the battle formation, hovering directly above the more than 60,000 Human Race.
Without uttering a single word, and without giving the Star Realm Army below, who were filled with doubt and instinctively wanted to be on guard or attack, any time to react, he simply raised his hand.
An invisible and intangible yet vast temporal force, as boundless as the starry sea, instantly enveloped the entire battle formation from his center.
Time delay.
All the Human Race warriors who had just completed the teleportation and were still in a state of chaos and vigilance had their source energy flow forcibly slowed down by a factor of ten thousand at this moment.
Like insects trapped in Amber, they remained frozen in place, their posture unchanged from a moment before, only their souls able to sense the terrifying fluctuations of the laws that sent shivers down their spines.
Lin Yi looked down at his wounded kin, his gaze lingering for a moment on the hideous scar on Elizabeth's face before shifting away.
Then, his voice clearly entered the soul of every soldier.
"I am Lin Yi."
"This is not an illusion. We have not perished."
"Now, surrender. I will lead you away from this battle formation. Do not make any unnecessary movements."
As soon as he finished speaking, before the crowd below could even process this explosive information, Lin Yi moved his mind and lifted the time delay that had been applied to them.
At the same time, a gentle yet irresistible spatial force enveloped the entire remnant Human Race army, just as it had been used against the Spirit Race and the Holy Radiance Race, guiding them toward the opening at the bottom of the light barrier.
The moment the stagnation was lifted, many Human Race warriors swayed, only to be steadily supported by the spatial force.
The expression on their faces quickly changed from shock to bewilderment.
Lin Yi?
That legendary number one First Heavenly Prodigy from the previous generation?
He's not dead?
Still here? What exactly is going on?
Elizabeth was the quickest to react.
The instant time resumed its flow, her gaze became fixed on Lin Yi above her, as if trying to find a flaw in that endlessly majestic face.
However, the unfathomable fluctuations of law emanating from the opponent, and the terrifying battle formation surrounding them that was completely beyond comprehension, silently proclaimed—this was no illusion.
Elizabeth tightened her grip on the sword hilt, but ultimately made no move, letting the spatial force carry her and the group silently toward the gap.
Soon, the remnants of the Human Race were safely lured out of the battle formation and landed on a relatively calm open ground below, shrouded in white mist, not far from the Spirit Race and Holy Radiance Race teams that had come out earlier.
Lin Yi also landed and stood at the front of this disheveled but still upright team.
Without a command, the Star Realm Army surrounding Elizabeth seemed to receive some kind of signal and tacitly stepped aside to make way.
At the end of the passage, Elizabeth gripped her sword, looking at Lin Yi. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to take a step, but she stopped herself.
She turned her head sharply and looked at a female officer to her side and behind her.
The officer was pale and weak, but his eyes were resolute.
She glanced at Lin Yi, then at Elizabeth, and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Elizabeth then took a deep breath, suppressing all the turbulent emotions in her heart, and with a flash, flew to Lin Yi's side.
Instead of excitedly shouting "Commander" as she used to, she solemnly gave a standard and powerful Star Realm Army salute.
Her voice was somewhat hoarse, yet unusually solemn.
"Elizabeth, 32nd Battle Group, 86613th Assault Legion the Star Realm Army, pays respects to Commander Lin Yi of the East Peak Mercenary Group."
Star Realm Army, 32nd Battle Group, 86613th Assault Legion
East Peak Mercenary Group - Commander
Each word is like a cold carving knife, cutting through the curtain of five thousand years of time, clearly placing between the two people their completely different identities, experiences, responsibilities, and belongings.
Lin Yi quietly watched Elizabeth bow before him.
After a moment of silence, Lin Yi sighed almost inaudibly.
"It seems that a lot has happened in the outside world over the past five thousand years."
He paused for a moment, then said directly, "Tell me."
There were no pleasantries, no questions asked about the scars, and no lamentations about how things have changed.
Time was of the essence. The battle formation was still in operation, and the enemy was still pouring in. He needed intelligence, he needed to understand how the star sea had changed over the past five thousand years.
Elizabeth lowered her arm and gathered her thoughts slightly.
"That story begins five thousand years ago, when the Abyss Race and the Devouring Race joined forces to launch a sneak attack on the Spirit Race."
Her voice lowered as she began to recount the all-out cosmic war that had ignited over five thousand years and swept across countless star systems.
How the exposure of the secrets of the second Supreme Being of the Spirit Race became the fuse.
How the flames of war spread across the borders of three sides in an instant.
How the Human Race was forced into this situation, and how their territory was repeatedly defeated in the early stages, losing nearly 15% of its territory.
How did the Silver Blue Civilization participate in the war?
How did the East Peak Mercenary Group Mercenary Group, under Aurelia's leadership, gradually integrate into and supplement the heavily damaged Star Realm Army?
How did the core members of the original Mercenary Group perish in one fierce battle after another? And how did Nie Chang, Chen Yu, and others perish together with an enemy several times their size in the famous "83227" fortress defense battle?
How did the core members of the East Peak Mercenary Group constantly change over five thousand years of war, with only one in ten surviving?
How were the sixteen warbands subsequently formed by the Silver Blue Civilization repeatedly decimated, reorganized, and replenished in different secondary battlefields?
There was also more advanced information, information she could only glean from battle reports and rumors—the annihilation of the rulers, the passing of the lords, and the fall of gods like rain.
Elizabeth's narrative is clear and concise, highlighting key points without excessive embellishment, presenting only cold numbers, harsh facts, and a succinct process.
But it is precisely this simple narrative that reveals a profound weight, steeped in blood and sacrifice.
One standard hour later.
Lin Yi's expression had become extremely solemn, and a cold flame seemed to burn deep within his eyes.
Although they had already deduced from the slightest clues while still in the secret realm that a tremendous change must have occurred in the outside world.
But speculation aside, when all of this was confirmed by Elizabeth herself, especially when he heard those familiar names associated with "sacrifice," "death in battle," and "mutual destruction," and when he heard about the heavy price paid by the Silver Blue Civilization and the East Peak Mercenary Group, an uncontrollable anger and a chilling killing intent surged in his chest.
The total war in the universe has resulted in the loss of 15% of the territory. The Silverblue Legion has been repeatedly decimated and rebuilt. Nie Chang and Chen Yu have sacrificed their lives. Of the ten old brothers of Eastern Edge, only one remains.
Lin Yi slowly exhaled, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions.
Now is not the time to be angry.
"So," Lin Yi's voice was even colder than before, "According to you, Myriad Secret Realm, this star field where the entrance is located is now divided into two fierce battlefields? You seized the opportunity to rush in after gaining a temporary local advantage during a surprise attack?"
"Yes, Commander." Elizabeth nodded, a complex look flashing in her eyes. "The Human Race has deployed the second largest force in this star system connecting to the entrance to the secret realm, second only to the Spirit Race. And about two hundred years ago, Vice Commander Aurelia— no, General Aurelia— after discussing with the Supreme Council of the Silver Blue Civilization, issued a mobilization order. All personnel within the civilization who met the requirements for supplementing the assault legions in this star system volunteered to join the Star Realm Army's assault legion. Currently, many of our Silverblue comrades are among the assault legions fighting the enemy outside."
Voluntary recruitment? Supplementary troops?
Lin Yi fell silent.
He's certainly not stupid.
There are some things Elizabeth doesn't need to say explicitly; he can instantly understand the underlying meaning.
The entrance to the Myriad Secret Realm is extremely far from the Core Zone of Human Race's territory. Under normal circumstances, the Human Race would not need to, and would not, deploy the second largest force after the Spirit Race race to this place.
Why would the Silver Blue Civilization, a newly emerging civilization, recklessly send its precious troops to this "meat grinder" battlefield far from its homeland before the entrance to the secret realm opens, given the already scarce war resources?
To put it bluntly, the root of the problem lies in the fact that Lin Yi was trapped here.
To put it bluntly, it was Aurelia, the Silver Blue Civilization, and even some of the higher-ups of the Human Race who still held onto a sliver of hope.
What if he's just trapped in a secret realm, his life hanging by a thread?
What if the secret realm reopens, giving us a chance to find him and rescue him?
They were not comfortable placing all their hopes on the "devotion" of other races, and were even more afraid that the Abyss Race and the Devouring Race would once again plot against them in the secret realm.
Therefore, we must invest sufficient resources and take the initiative to ensure that, at the very least, we can ensure that our own people are present in the secret realm and by his side at any critical moment.
This dedication, this willingness to pay any price, is backed by thousands of years of perseverance, sacrifice, and unwavering hope.
Beneath the chilling killing intent in Lin Yi's heart, a complex warmth and a deeper sense of responsibility quietly began to grow.
But he didn't let these emotions show; he simply nodded to indicate that he understood.
The general situation is clear; we can discuss the more detailed aspects later.
The most urgent task is to deal with the current situation and settle these wounded soldiers.
"Now is not the time to say more," Lin Yi said to Elizabeth, his tone softening. "Your injuries are quite severe; rest and recuperate in the secret realm first. There will be no danger here."
After saying that, he directly Soul Transmission to summon three Spirit Race prodigies from the nodes maintaining the battle formation above.
The two women and one man were all surrounded by rich and pure Life Law fluctuations, clearly indicating that they had a profound understanding of this path.
"Valerie, the three of you no longer need to participate in battle rotations," Lin Yi instructed. "You are responsible for healing all the warriors who entered the secret realm, prioritizing the seriously wounded."
"Yes, leader!" The three prodigies of the Spirit Race bowed and responded without hesitation, their attitude naturally respectful, as if obeying Lin Yi's orders was a matter of course.
Elizabeth, who was standing nearby, witnessed this scene and was immediately taken aback.
Although I could sense terrifying auras emanating from each of those nodes through the battle array's protective barrier, the situation was too urgent for me to think about it in detail.
But at this moment, she saw up close that the Commander, just like when he was giving orders in the Mercenary Group, casually assigned three Spirit Race prodigies who were radiating such powerful law fluctuations.
The way these three Spirit Race responded to the order was exactly the same as the reaction of the old brothers in the East Peak Mercenary Group when they received orders!
The Commander of her 86613th Assault Legion is said to be a powerful expert who has just entered the World Derivation level.
Elizabeth had once seen the Commander from afar during a new recruit commissioning ceremony, and at that time she felt that the aura of law emanating from the other party was as vast as the sea, awe-inspiring.
But upon comparison, she was horrified to discover that the Commander's aura of law seemed to be less profound than any of the three Spirit Race prodigies before her!
What level have the Commander and these Spirit Race reached in these five thousand years in this secret realm?
Lin Yi nodded slightly to Valerie and the other two, then his figure blurred again, instantly returning to the very top of the battle formation. He regained control of some of the core operations, maintaining the massive hunting net together with his clone.
Below, among the three Spirit Race prodigies, the one with the gentlest and most serene aura, named Valerie, fixed her gaze on Elizabeth was still somewhat dazed.
She smiled warmly and spoke first, "Hello, I'm Valerie from the Spirit Race. You're a member of the leader's home civilization, right? I heard the leader used to run a Mercenary Group, and you were a member of that group?"
As previously required, in front of outsiders, members of the Star Source Society should still address Lin Yi as the team leader.
Faced with this Spirit Race prodigy whose strength was unfathomable yet whose attitude was unusually gentle, Elizabeth quickly composed herself and respectfully replied:
"Hello, Lady Valerie. I am Elizabeth, Human Race from the Silver Blue Civilization. I was once a squad leader in the East Peak Mercenary Group, and had the privilege of training under Commander Lin Yi for a period of time. Later, I answered the call and joined the Human Race Star Realm Army."
"As expected. She even trained under the guild master," Valerie thought to herself, and her attitude towards Elizabeth became even more friendly.
She asked no more questions, but instead raised her slender hand, and a rich, vibrant green light instantly enveloped Elizabeth's entire body.
Elizabeth felt a gentle yet immense life energy surge into her body. Wherever it passed, the burning pain quickly subsided, the exhausted cells regained their vitality, and the broken bones and damaged internal organs healed and recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Even the hideous scar on her face, eroded by the Death Rule and difficult to remove, melted away rapidly in the green light, like snow under the sun, revealing smooth, newly grown skin underneath.
In just a few breaths, the green light dissipated.
Valerie withdrew her hand and smiled, "I've repaired all your injuries, including the regular scars on your face. Hmm."
She paused for a moment, looking at Elizabeth's face, which had regained its beauty but appeared even more resolute, and said with a smile, "I wonder if we could exchange Contact Mark after we leave the secret realm? I'm quite curious about some of the leader's past experiences. Of course, I'm only curious about the parts that don't involve any secrets. As someone who once followed him, you might know some interesting stories?"
--
At the pinnacle of the battle formation.
After Lin Yi returned, he looked at Edith, who had a serious expression on her face.
"You probably already know the general situation, right?"
Lin Yi looked down at the remaining soldiers from all sides who were being rapidly healed by the three prodigies of the Life Law, and at the entrance to the secret realm that was still spewing light, and asked in a deep voice.
Edith's beautiful face was covered with a layer of Frost, and the light and shadow in her blue eyes fluctuated violently, clearly indicating that her heart was not at peace.
She nodded and said, "I never imagined such a massive event had occurred outside. Four Sovereigns have perished, and hundreds of Venerables have vanished. Gods have fallen like rain. Even those qualified for resurrection would likely have to wait in a long line. At some of the most intense Frontline battles, some gods have already been resurrected several times."
This is the brutality of a total cosmic war.
Even the high and mighty gods have become numbers that can be consumed.
Lin Yi also sighed softly, gazing into the distance as if trying to pierce through the barrier of the secret realm and see that burning sea of stars.
"Yes. I never expected that the birth of your Spirit Race's second Supreme Being would trigger such a violent chain reaction, causing the Abyss Race and the Devouring Race to launch a full-scale war. However, these high-level games and the overall situation are not matters for you and me to worry about at the moment."
He abruptly changed the subject, a chill flashing in his eyes, "Now, there's a situation that might be good news for us. According to them, outside the secret realm, the star field where the entrance is located has been divided into two battlefields that can influence each other."
Edith nodded. "That's right. According to Qing Lana, the Abyss Race ruler used a treasure called ' Two Realms Abyss ' at the beginning of the war to forcibly divide this vast star field where the entrance to the secret realm is located into two parallel battlefields that can observe each other and interfere to a limited extent."
"Within the area covered by the Abyss of Two Realms Abyss, battles at the Star Core, Star Vortex, and Star Domain level are confined to the surface battlefield. Clashes at the World Derivation level, God Realm, and even Venerable Lord Rank are restricted to the inner battlefield. Both battlefields are located within the same star domain coordinates, allowing them to see each other's battlefields, but they cannot directly touch them."
"No," Edith corrected her wording, "It's not entirely impossible to interfere. If a powerful being from the inner battlefield launches an attack at full strength, even a tiny fraction of its power can penetrate the barrier of the Abyss of Two Realms Abyss and be reflected onto the surface battlefield. Although the power is reduced to almost nothing after being weakened by the barrier, for Star Core and Star Vortex level battle groups, a full-force attack from a God-level being through the Abyss of Two Realms Abyss is still enough to wipe out a small portion of the battle group."
Hearing this, Lin Yi couldn't help but sneer, "Ha, the Two Realms Abyss, what a vicious conspiracy. No, it should be called an open conspiracy."
Edith agreed, "Indeed, it's a calculated move."
"According to Qing Lana, although the Abyss Race and the Devouring Race have joined forces, there are frequent instances of high-level cultivators from these two clans betraying and harming each other. This is not difficult to understand; the blood feud between the two clans in history is far deeper than the conflict with our Spirit Race. Many high-level beings have had close friends and relatives die at the hands of the other side, and some were even resurrected at great cost after being killed by the other side. How could the highest-level beings easily resolve this with a simple 'joint effort'? On the contrary, mid- and low-level warriors, who only need to follow orders, are relatively easier to unite."
"Therefore, at the level of truly high-level combat power, although the allied forces of the two races are numerous, they do not hold much of an advantage. However, they have a clear advantage in the number of mid-to-low-level combat forces."
At this point, Edith sighed, "The Abyss Race's mastery of these Two Realms Abyss clearly indicates their intention. If the strong and the weak were locked in a chaotic melee, our gods and lords could easily annihilate their massive Star Core and star vortex legions with a single strike, rendering their numerical advantage meaningless. However, by dividing the battlefield into layers..."
She paused, her voice turning cold. "Our side's strong warriors are trapped in the inner battlefield, forced to watch helplessly as their kinsmen and legions on the surface struggle against the enemy's superior forces, Severing Flow and sacrificing themselves."
"If it were completely impossible to intervene, that would be one thing, but there's even a tiny possibility of intervention! Tell me, how many powerful individuals can remain heartless and watch their own kin being slaughtered without doing anything?"
"If they are distracted and intervene in the surface battlefield, even with the slightest impact, it will give their opponents in the inner battlefield an opportunity. Even if they don't intervene, the anxiety and helplessness they feel will become a psychological weakness, affecting their performance in the inner battlefield. This tactic is indeed extremely vicious."
Lin Yi nodded slightly. "Indeed vicious. According to them, some of our strongmen suffered losses because of this. They were distracted by the surface battle and exposed their weaknesses in the inner battlefield, suffering considerable damage. The reason these groups were able to rush into the secret realm just now was because our lords intervened fully in the inner battlefield, temporarily clearing out a section of enemy forces and creating an opening for the surface attack."
As he spoke, he casually waved his hand, and the laws of time, combined with the battle formation, silently annihilated the new wave of approximately 50,000 members of the Devouring Race battle group, along with two domain-level prodigies among them.
The movements were fluid and natural, as if he were simply dusting off some dirt.
"However," Lin Yi gazed at the deep, swirling entrance, his eyes flashing even colder, "This place is ultimately just a high-level secret realm. Although important, it's not the most crucial and contested area in this war. Therefore, neither side has deployed their top-tier Star Domain level experts to this surface battlefield to fight for the entrance."
As he spoke, Lin Yi's lips curled into a cold smile.
"This might be our chance."
Upon hearing this, Edith's blue eyes flashed with understanding; she immediately grasped Lin Yi's meaning.
You mean after we go out?
"Not bad." Lin Yi sneered, "Although we are suppressed to the Star Core level by the secret realm, our comprehension of the laws far surpasses that of ordinary Star Domain level, and even many World Derivation level may not be able to compare. This is especially true for a few of us."
Lin Yi didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was crystal clear.
With their strength, once they enter the surface battlefield separated by the Two Realms Abyss, they will face enemies whose highest Star Domain level.
A complete and utter defeat!
Edith took a deep breath; even she felt an irrepressible surge of excitement at the thought of that scene.
Lin Yi looked down at the people receiving treatment and slowly said, "The strongest enemies on the outer battlefield are only at the peak of the Star Domain level, and not even the most elite ones."
"The Abyss Race's ruler intends to divide the battlefield using the Two Realms Abyss, using their low-level troop advantage to wear us down and distract our high-level experts. We'll do the opposite. We'll use our overwhelmingly superior low-level combat power to directly shatter their low-level troop advantage, and even force their high-level experts on the inner battlefield to either divert their attention to reinforcements or watch helplessly as their low-level legions are slaughtered by us!"
"To paraphrase an ancient saying from my Xia Country, I will repay them in kind!"