Plans for a more aggressive advance
Just as the Fearless War God Clone was preparing for its first mission with the divine squad, a pitch-black spaceship was flying smoothly on a warp track, with distorted and elongated starlight outside the porthole.
Inside the cultivation chamber, Lin Yi was closing his eyes and sorting through the information in the seven Law Insight Crystals given to him by Xuan Yan when a soft knocking sound came from the chamber door.
"Lin Yi," Eternal Rock's voice rang out from behind the cabin door.
Lin Yi opened his eyes. "Please come in."
The hatch slid open, Eternal Rock walked in.
"Excuse me." Eternal Rock, still wearing his dark blue, ancient-style battle armor, walked to the seat opposite Lin Yi but didn't sit down immediately. "There's something I need to inform you of in advance. According to the planned route, we will arrive at the Seventh Star Gate Hub in three standard hours. At that time, the spaceship will not continue its regular journey but will instead use the fixed Divine Kingdom teleportation channel within the hub to jump directly to the Watcher Outpost on the outer edge of the Origin Star Domain."
A hint of curiosity flashed in Lin Yi's eyes. "Divine Kingdom teleportation? I remember that requires at least Eternal Divine level Divine Kingdom as a coordinate anchor point, and the farther the teleportation distance, the more divine power it consumes."
"Yes." Eternal Rock sat down opposite him. "In wartime, to ensure the rapid deployment of important personnel and supplies, the Pan-Spirit Alliance has activated several fixed teleportation channels maintained by multiple Eternal Divinity of Space Law. The one at the Seventh Star Gate Hub is a Divine Kingdom teleportation channel provided by seven Space Law Gods in rotation, specifically used to connect Frontline nodes with the core territory."
He added, "However, the teleportation process will be rather bumpy. After all, the Divine Kingdom passage is different from the stable natural space; the internal laws will be slightly distorted and superimposed. But don't worry, safety is guaranteed. Nowadays, the technology for ultra-long-distance multi- Divine Kingdom teleportation is very mature."
"Understood." Lin Yi noted this information down.
In the past, only a very few important figures could enjoy the long-distance teleportation between different races Divine Kingdom. Now that I have experienced it myself, it seems that war has indeed changed many conventions.
Three standard hours later, the spaceship slowly entered a massive space structure composed of countless metal structures and energy rings— the Seventh Star Gate Hub.
It's less of a stargate and more of a steel city floating in the void.
Countless spaceships come and go here, but Lin Yi's spaceship has a very high priority and was directly guided to a closed area at the deepest part of the hub.
In the center of this area, a huge silver halo with a diameter of over ten kilometers floats. Inside the halo, strange energy, like liquid mercury, surges. Ripples appear on the surface from time to time, and countless tiny laws and secret patterns can be vaguely seen to be creating and disappearing within.
"That's the portal to the Divine Kingdom." Eternal Rock stood by the porthole, pointing to the silver halo, "Connecting to the unified Divine Kingdom passage maintained by the seven guardian deities."
The spaceship slowly entered the area enveloped by the silver halo.
In an instant, Lin Yi sensed a change in the surrounding space.
The starry sky outside the porthole disappeared, replaced by a chaotic torrent of bizarre and indescribable colors.
Countless fragments of laws, distorted spatial folds, and even blurry afterimages of light and shadow swept rapidly past the spaceship.
The spacecraft itself experienced a slight vibration, but its protective force field remained Rock.
Lin Yi could clearly sense a force of law with a distinct sense of artificial order, like a sturdy pipe forcibly carving out a path through this chaotic torrent.
The inner wall of this pipe is woven from seven different yet perfectly blended Space Law.
"This is the interior of the Divine Kingdom Passage," Lin Yi thought with a chill.
He could sense that without the protection of this passage, anything below the god level would probably be torn apart instantly.
The passage is not straight, but has complex folds and transition nodes.
Each time it folded, the spaceship would shake violently, and the surrounding chaotic colors would change accordingly.
The whole process lasted about ten minutes.
When the normal starry sky reappeared outside the porthole, Lin Yi immediately sensed something was different.
Energy concentration surged.
"We've arrived," Eternal Rock's voice rang out. "Outer perimeter of the Origin Star Domain, airspace of the Seventh Watcher Outpost."
Lin Yi looked out the porthole.
In the distance, a colossal planetary fortress floats silently, surrounded by defense platforms and patrol fleets arranged like a honeycomb.
This is only what's visible to the naked eye.
Lin Yi extended his soul perception slightly and immediately sensed at least dozens of probe waves of varying intensity sweeping across the surface of the spaceship.
Some of the fluctuations were so strong that the time law imprint deep within his soul felt slightly hot, spontaneously generating a defensive reaction.
That was a deep scan being conducted by a superweapon powerful enough to threaten Eternal Divinity.
"We are currently on wartime alert." Eternal Rock had clearly also sensed the scans, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply said to Lin Yi, "The Origin Star Domain's defense system has been fully upgraded. Many previously hidden or dormant defensive forces have now been activated."
Lin Yi nodded seriously, indicating that he understood.
Soon, following the received guidance signals, the spaceship began to decelerate and travel towards the Origin Star.
For the rest of the voyage, every so often you travel a certain distance, you will encounter a virtual or physical checkpoint.
The first step is to verify the energy characteristics and identity code; the second step is to verify the soul fluctuations and life imprint; and the third step even requires a brief connection to Virtual Network for real-time permission confirmation.
When the spacecraft finally passed through the pale golden energy membrane outside the atmosphere of the Origin Star, also known as the "source energy protection and regulation layer," the inspection frequency reached its peak.
Thirteen scanning waves of different natures and intensities swept across every inch of the spacecraft's surface like a comb.
Lin Yi could even hear a faint humming sound emanating from the spaceship's hull under some kind of high-frequency detection.
Finally, the spacecraft landed on a dedicated landing pad near the third entrance to the Star Source District.
The hatch opened, Lin Yi stepped down the gangway.
The familiar aura of source energy rushed towards him, but Lin Yi keenly sensed that the atmosphere of the Star Source District was completely different from when he left last time.
There were hardly any people on the streets.
Occasionally, a figure would flash by, but they were all in a hurry, skipping even the most basic greetings, nodding to each other before quickly leaving.
The public lounges and open-air tea houses that were originally used for members to socialize were now mostly empty.
In the few rooms where lights were on, the people inside were silently processing information on the screens or conducting encrypted communications in hushed tones.
An oppressive atmosphere permeated the entire Star Source District.
"There are far fewer people," Lin Yi said in a low voice.
"Most of the geniuses on the list have accepted war missions and gone to the Frontline," Eternal Rock, walking beside Lin Yi. "Those who remained on Origin Star are either like you, needing long-term seclusion for breakthroughs, or responsible for non-combat functions such as logistics and research, or... are still recovering from injuries."
Lin Yi remained silent.
He followed Eternal Rock along the familiar path toward his manor.
The manor's pale blue energy membrane remains, and the interior scenery is unchanged, but the sense of tranquility has been somewhat diminished by the bleakness of the external environment.
The supervisor, who was in charge of intelligent power Lan Yuan, was already waiting at the main entrance of the house.
"Welcome back, Lord Lin Yi." Lan Yuan bowed slightly, data flowing calmly deep within his eyes. "During your absence, the manor operated normally."
"Thank you for your hard work." Lin Yi nodded and walked into the main hall of the house.
At this moment, apart from the intelligent servants, only he and Eternal Rock in the manor.
Eternal Rock didn't leave immediately. He followed Lin Yi into the living room, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "Mr. Lin Yi, there's something I'd like to say."
Lin Yi turned to look at the Eternal Divinity who had served as his protector for hundreds of years. "Mr. Eternal Rock, please speak."
A complex expression appeared on Eternal Rock's face. "I submitted an application to the clan's higher-ups, requesting a change in the guards. Once the clan approves my application, I... I will leave the Origin Star."
Lin Yi was taken aback. "Leave? Mr. Eternal Rock, what is this?"
"It was for personal reasons." Eternal Rock gave a wry smile. "I had a daughter named Yong Qing. She World Derivation level. She died in a border raid early in the war."
Lin Yi's heart sank.
"According to clan rules, reviving World Derivation level requires 100,000 clan merits." Eternal Rock's voice was calm, but Lin Yi could hear the suppressed undercurrents beneath. "Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I almost exhausted my clan merits. Now that war has broken out, high-risk war missions offer lucrative rewards, making this the fastest time to earn clan merits."
He looked at Lin Yi: "I am relieved that you have returned safely, Lord Lin Yi. Now that you have safely returned to Origin Star, the safest place for Human Race, I would like to apply to the clan to change the guards. I must take on those high-paying missions and collect 100,000 clan merits as soon as possible."
Lin Yi was silent for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Eternal Rock, after an accident that depleted your clan's merits, was it a resurrection?"
"Yes," Eternal Rock readily admitted, "So right now, the clan merits in my account are still far from 100,000."
"If I were to take on low-risk, long-duration stationing or patrol missions as usual, and slowly accumulate experience, I'm afraid by the time I've saved enough, Yong Qing will be gone." Eternal Rock didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Those that sink to the bottom.
Lin Yi understood.
The maximum time for Venerable Lord Rank powerhouse to be resurrected is one hundred Epoch. The war has only just begun, and while time may seem ample, being late in the resurrection sequence is the real fatal flaw.
He really wanted to tell Eternal Rock: Even if you have gathered 100,000 clan merits and submitted a resurrection application, if the situation of the Overlord does not improve, your daughter may have to wait for thousands or even tens of thousands of Epoch.
By then, she will have long since sunk to the bottom. At that point, the clan will most likely return the clan honor to you, telling you, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do."
Even if something were to happen to the Overlord, it's hard to say what would become of the Human Race.
But he couldn't say that.
The information revealed by the Xuan Yan was a clan secret. He could not disclose to outsiders the fact that the Sovereign was seriously injured, the Time Venerable Lord was too busy to attend to other matters, and that the Human Race was at the back of the resurrection sequence.
Lin Yi could only suppress this heavy feeling in his heart. Looking at the resolute determination in Eternal Rock's eyes—willing to risk danger again for his daughter—he finally asked, "Ten thousand clan merits. A high-risk mission, how long will it take?"
"It depends on luck," Eternal Rock said honestly. "If you get missions like clearing out enemy god squads, raiding resource points, or exploring high-risk secret realms, you could earn several thousand or even tens of thousands of clan merits in one go."
"With good luck, it might take decades or even centuries to collect them. If you're unlucky..."
If you're unlucky, you might die during the mission.
Eternal Divinity are only immortal, they have endless lifespans. They will still perish before higher levels of power.
Eternal Rock has already been resurrected once, and his clan merits are almost gone. If he were to fall again, no one would be able to resurrect him unless he had saved up enough clan merits for a second resurrection, which would be another astronomical number.
Clearly, Eternal Rock is a doting father to his daughter; this is a gamble.
He risked his eternal life for a sliver of hope that his daughter might be resurrected.
But Lin Yi couldn't say anything. He could only take a deep breath and solemnly say, "Mr. Eternal Rock, take care. I wish you a speedy fulfillment of your wishes."
"Thank you." Eternal Rock nodded, then added, "Furthermore, regarding the matter of guards, it is currently wartime, and the clan's high-end combat power is indeed strained. Since you intend to remain in seclusion on Origin Star for an extended period and your safety is assured, perhaps you could proactively suggest to the clan that there is no need to arrange new Eternal Divinity guards for the time being, and instead use this power on the Frontline it is more urgently needed."
Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat.
This is indeed a reasonable suggestion.
The defense level of Origin Star is already the highest among Human Race. It is impossible for him to get into trouble while he is in seclusion here. The reason why guards were originally assigned to him was mainly for his safety when he goes out.
The power of an Eternal Divinity, placed on the Frontline, might play a greater role in saving more lives, or, like Eternal Rock, earn clan merit to resurrect loved ones.
"I agree," Lin Yi said immediately. "I will submit an application to the Directory Management Committee through formal channels, explaining the situation and requesting a temporary halt to the dispatch of new divine guardians."
Eternal Rock looked at Lin Yi, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes.
He knew that Lin Yi's decision was essentially doing him a favor.
Because if no suitable replacement is found, he will have to continue carrying out the guard duties.
"Very well." Eternal Rock said no more. He took a step back and solemnly gave Lin Yi a standard farewell salute. "Lord Lin Yi, it has been my honor to serve as your guard all these years. I wish you a speedy breakthrough and to become a pillar of Human Race."
"Mr. Eternal Rock, I also wish you all your wishes come true." Lin Yi returned the greeting with equal solemnity.
Eternal Rock turned around and strode away from the living room.
The figure in dark blue armor quickly disappeared outside the manor's energy membrane.
The living room fell silent.
Lin Yi stood still for a long time.
Eternal Rock's departure is like a mirror, reflecting the cruel weight borne by every individual and every family under this cosmic war.
What about gods? What about eternity?
Faced with the impending doom of their community and the anxieties of losing loved ones, they too are powerless to make difficult choices.
"Xuanji," he called out.
"Master." A phantom image in palace attire appeared.
"Two things. First, in my name, I am submitting a formal application to the Human Race Special Talent Cultivation Roster Management Committee, stating the following: Given that I have returned to the Origin Star for long-term seclusion and my safety is absolutely guaranteed, and considering the preciousness of high-end combat power during wartime, I hereby request a temporary suspension of the dispatch of new Eternal Divinity Guardians, prioritizing the allocation of corresponding combat resources to the Frontline. This application shall take effect immediately."
"Yes."
"Secondly, we need to check the list of members still on Origin Star and filter out those who might be willing to be visited. I want to learn more about the current situation."
"Querying. Please wait."
A few seconds later, Xuanji replied, "Master, query complete. There are currently 47 members registered on Origin Star. Among them, 32 are marked as 'Deep Seclusion' or 'Out and Not Returning (War Mission)'. Of the remaining 15, 9 are in 'Healing and Resting' status and usually do not receive visitors. The last 6 are..."
She paused, then continued, "Three people have explicitly set their communication to 'deny external contact.' The other three, including Her Starweaver Weaver, are 'reachable,' but based on their strength, status, and the current war situation, they are most likely busy with other matters, so a direct visit might not be appropriate."
Lin Yi remained silent.
In other words, almost no one is taking a break.
The war has drawn everyone in.
Even the Origin Star, the most sacred and core land of the Human Race, is filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Lin Yi walked to the French windows and looked out at the still beautiful but excessively quiet manor scenery.
He actually had a quota for military achievements.
Each member on the roster has corresponding wartime contribution requirements based on their strength.
After all, the Human Race has never been inclined to have geniuses cultivate in seclusion.
However, since he is Star Vortex level, the target is set very low, which translates to roughly equivalent to accumulating 10,000 gold battle merits.
This number is astronomical for ordinary Star Vortex level, and it would take them a very long time to complete. But for him, the battle in which he controlled the Star Origin Divine General at the exit of the secret realm had already earned him more than this number.
Not only that, he also completed the 100,000 golden battle merit indicators for the Star Domain level, the 1 million golden battle merit indicators for the World Derivation level, and the 10 million golden battle merit indicators for the ordinary God level.
In theory, he could cultivate peacefully on Origin Star until his true cultivation level reached that of a powerful god.
It seems like it's still a long way off.
Lin Yi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the excessively quiet Star Source District outside.
The streets were deserted, and the energy streams still shone brightly, but they lacked their former vitality.
The information revealed by the Xuan Yan weighed heavily on his mind: the Overlord was seriously injured, the clan's resources were strained, the resurrection sequence was low, and those at the bottom were at risk. He also thought of Eternal Rock's resolute figure as he rushed to the Frontline for his daughter.
However, pressure can also be a driving force.
"Times create heroes. Could I be a little more radical?" A thought began to sprout in Lin Yi's mind.
He has the confidence to be radical.
Because in the Myriad Secret Realm, as early as 2,500 years ago, he had already reached the perfection of the Law of Time and successfully crossed the threshold of the Space Law.
The reason I didn't delve deeper into understanding the Space Law was mainly because I felt my combat power was sufficient in the secret realm at the time.
More importantly, in a secret realm, without additional treasures to assist, relying solely on the "Spiritual Enlightenment Qi" transformed from the Purple Mist Space to directly confront the Space Law is too inefficient and wasteful.
His Spiritual Enlightenment Qi is his most core and valuable strategic resource, and it must be used wisely and in conjunction with external amplification conditions to maximize its effectiveness.
And now.
Lin Yi's thoughts sank into the depths of his Soul Origin, into that mysterious Purple Mist Space.
The vast, boundless purple ocean of mist swirled slowly, but even he himself was somewhat "frightened" by the sheer amount of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi stored within it.
Two thousand five hundred years later, with his complete mastery of the laws of time, his efficiency in killing the Mist Beast of the White Mist Layer was absurdly high.
With his ability to freeze time and control a wide area, and his precise spatial cutting and harvesting, coupled with the continuous offerings from the members of the Star Source Society, the number of Source Essence Crystal he accumulated was astronomical.
Lin Yi roughly estimated that, apart from the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi of other geniuses that were temporarily stored with him, his own reserves of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, if used entirely for brute force, without considering any external assistance or bottlenecks in his comprehension, would be insufficient.
That should be enough for him to perfect both the Space Law and the laws of death!
This is an extremely alarming number.
It's important to understand that comprehending the laws becomes increasingly difficult. The total amount of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi required to master the two major laws from the beginner level to perfection is enough to drive anyone who knows their value crazy.
"But we can't waste it like this." Lin Yi quickly calmed down.
The Spiritual Enlightenment Qi is dwindling with each use, and opportunities like the Myriad Secret Realm that allow him to acquire Source Essence on a large scale are unlikely to come again.
This is our capital, so we must be very careful with it.
Therefore, he needs to ensure that the other amplification conditions are maximized.
Use external treasures and cultivation environment to reduce the consumption of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi and increase the efficiency of comprehension per unit of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi.
"Xuanji," Lin Yi called out.
A phantom figure in palace attire silently appeared. "Master."
"Two things." Lin Yi turned and walked towards the cultivation room, quickly instructing as he went, "First, select all cultivation sites on Origin Star that offer enhancements to one's understanding of Space Law. Selection criteria: within my remaining list points Points payment capacity, prioritize enhancement effects, while also considering duration; ideally, those with longer single-use periods."
"Second," Lin Yi continued, "I'll connect to the battlefield system and use my remaining golden battle merits to sift through all the treasures that can assist in comprehending the Space Law. Even if the effect is slightly weaker, as long as the duration is long, it'll be fine."
"Understood, Master. Synchronizing the roster resource database and the battlefield merit exchange system. Please wait."
Several light screens unfolded above the control panel. On the left was a list of cultivation sites that could be redeemed with roster Points, on the right was a list of treasures that could be redeemed with golden battle merits, and in the middle was a preliminary matching and recommendation made by Xuanji based on Lin Yi's requirements.
Lin Yi quickly browsed through the information.
[Selection Results of Training Sites (Sorted by Overall Recommendation)]:
Void Corridor: Simulates the environment of drastic spatial structure changes at the beginning of the universe, increasing comprehension efficiency by 2.5-3 times (depending on individual adaptability). Duration per use: 6 months. Redemption requires: 400,000 Directory Points /use. (Note: Available at any time)
Space-Stabilizing Hall: Stabilizes the spatial structure, assists in understanding the Space Law, and increases comprehension efficiency by 1.5 times. Duration per use: 2 years. Requires 500,000 List Points per use. (Note: Available anytime)
[Support Treasure Filtering Results (Golden Battle Merit Exchange)]:
Void Nether Stone (Standard Quantity): Continuously emits stable spatial fluctuations, assisting in establishing a spatial perception framework. Effect: Slightly improves the efficiency of Space Law comprehension (approximately 10%-15%). Duration: 3 years. Exchange Requires: 500,000 Gold Battle Points/Quantity.
Void Resonance Dust (Bottle): Periodically sprinkled, it can induce slight spatial resonance, deepening the understanding of spatial vibrations. Effect: Intermittently and slightly increases perception efficiency (peak value approximately 20%). Duration: 1 year (use once every ten days). Exchange required: 300,000 Gold Battle Points/bottle.
Dimensional Anchoring Chip: When worn, it slightly enhances the perception of spatial dimensional stability. Effect: Constant, slight increase (approximately 5%). No duration limit (until the chip's energy is depleted, estimated to last 15 years). Exchange required: 1.2 million Gold Battle Points/chip.
Lin Yi's gaze quickly locked onto it.
"Void Corridor, 400,000 Points, six months, up to 3x efficiency. This has the highest priority," he immediately judged.
With 3 times the efficiency and a duration of six months, it's perfect for synergizing with his first burst of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi.
It's expensive, but worth it.
"Space-Stabilizing Hall, 500,000 Points, 2 years, 1.5x efficiency. This can serve as a place for further consolidation and continuous enlightenment; it's cost-effective."
Regarding treasures
"Void Nether Stone, 500,000 battle merits, 3 years, slight improvement, acceptable. Void Resonance Dust, 300,000 battle merits, 1 year, intermittent improvement, also acceptable. Dimensional Anchoring Chip, 1,200,000 battle merits, constant slight increase, long duration. Although the single improvement is small, its advantage lies in its longevity, covering the entire cultivation cycle."
"It's settled then." Lin Yi made the decision. "Xuanji, reserve the Void Corridor for me, for fifteen days from now. Also, reserve the long-term access to the Space-Stabilizing Hall."
He paused, then continued, "Regarding the battle merit exchange, apply to exchange for one Void Nether Stone, one bottle of Void Resonance Dust, and one Dimensional Anchoring Chip. Deliver them directly to the manor upon arrival."
"Yes, Master," Xuanji replied, and began to operate.
A few seconds later, Xuanji replied, "Void Corridor reservation successful. Usage time: Starting at 8:00 AM in fifteen days, lasting for six months."
"Application to exchange battlefield merits has been submitted. The three items require a total of 2 million gold battle merits. Estimated delivery time: ten standard days."
All operations are completed seamlessly, making it extremely efficient.
Lin Yi nodded slightly.
"By the way, I noticed that all these training sites are marked as available at any time?" Lin Yi recalled the notes he had just seen.
"Yes, Master," Xuanji confirmed. "According to the publicly available reservation information, this training room is currently vacant. Your reservation was successful immediately after you made it; there's no need to wait."
Lin Yi paused for a moment, sighing inwardly.
In peacetime, it's normal for top-tier cultivation sites like the "Void Corridor" to have waiting lists that stretch for decades or even centuries.
But now, war has broken out, and most of the powerful beings on Origin Star have gone to the Frontline.
Many of those who remained on Origin Star were either still recovering from injuries or in charge of logistics, which greatly reduced their need for training facilities, to the point that even this top-tier resource became idle.
"Everyone's gone to fight," Lin Yi sighed silently to himself.
This kind of "convenience" is not what he wants, because behind it lies the grim situation faced by the community and the sacrifice of countless people.
He shook his head, suppressing his distracting thoughts.
Now is not the time for lamentation; the best response to the situation is to seize the time to use these resources to improve ourselves.
Lin Yi then walked to the side and retrieved his insights and understanding of the Space Law.
This was given to him by his senior brother before he even had a chance to speak, when he bid farewell to his senior brother before leaving the fortress.
This includes the macro framework of Space Law, common misconceptions, and their relationship with other laws. These insights can serve as theoretical preparation for his practice, helping him avoid detours.
Lin Yi quickly became immersed in it, rapidly absorbing and understanding the explanations about the essence of Space Law.
Time slips away quietly while you're focused.