A Fortune, News of Edith
Lin Yi handed over the crystal core in his hand, "Mother Locust Crystal Core, and a few wing fragments, the spatial runes on them are relatively intact."
Moon Abyss reached out and took it. The moment his fingertips touched the surface of the crystal core, subtle spatial fluctuations emanated from the naturally sculpted, intricate patterns.
She examined it carefully for a few seconds. "Good quality, the core Space Law imprint is basically intact. Based on the fortress's acquisition price, the basic valuation should be over ten million battle merits."
"As for these wing fragments," Moon Abyss lightly tapped his fingertip, his mind sweeping over the shimmering inscriptions on the fragments, "The spatial runes are very well preserved; each fragment should be worth at least 500,000."
Lin Yi nodded, then looked into the distance.
In the dark starry sky, Blade-Devouring Captain's divine body floated there. The dark red flames on his carapace had long since died out, leaving behind a charred and cracked shell, like a dried-up fossil of an ancient creature.
Not far away, the corpse of another giant moth spirit was broken in two, and the dark green bloodstains froze into tiny ice crystals in the vacuum.
The energy ripples from the battle were still slowly spreading, disrupting the spatial structure of this star field.
"All the small items around here have been cleared away, only these two large ones remain." Moon Abyss followed Lin Yi's gaze and looked over. "Lan will take inventory later."
Half a standard hour later.
Lan has completed the battlefield scan and preliminary data processing.
He brought up a virtual screen, and as he swiped his finger, a detailed list of data unfolded one by one.
"First, there's Blade-Devouring Captain's complete divine body," Lan's voice was clear and steady. "The key is his pair of bladed limbs. According to the scan results, they were forged with special materials, fusing two rare materials: 'Void Dark Gold' and 'Erosion Crystal.' The material value of these two pairs of bladed limbs alone is no less than eight million battle merits."
A microscopic cross-sectional view of the blade appeared on the screen, with dark gold metallic textures and purplish-black crystalline threads perfectly fused together, forming a composite material that possesses both spatial cutting characteristics and the fluctuations of the law of corrosion.
"Those Devouring Race insects are really willing to spend a lot of money to Incarnation," Ming Luo commented, stroking his chin. "But that's normal; god-level weapons require a lot of resources to forge. If these bladed limbs are disassembled and reforged by a blacksmith, they can at least be made into a powerful god-level weapon."
Moon Abyss nodded. "Go on."
Lan continued scrolling down the data, "Another god slain by Lin Yi had his divine body broken in two, but after repair, it still has considerable value. The material of his bladed limbs is mainly 'Star Iron Marrow,' estimated at around three million."
He paused, then added, "Furthermore, we found their personal storage devices at the hidden energy nodes of the two divine bodies."
The screen switched to display two fist-sized, dark purple, insect-shell-shaped containers. The surfaces of the containers were covered with naturally formed spiral patterns, and a faint light flowed inside.
"Storage equipment made from the shell of a space worm." Lin Yi recognized it at a glance.
"That's how it is," Moon Abyss continued, "But don't get your hopes up too high. God-level beings won't carry all their belongings with them when they're on combat missions."
Fearing Lin Yi might not understand, she tapped the screen with her fingertip, bringing up a set of historical data. "According to statistics from the battlefield logistics department over the years, more than 90% of the storage equipment captured from enemy deities consists only of regular combat supplies, such as divine power recovery potions and energy crystals. The remaining 10% contains some scattered resources, but their value is not very high."
"We'd be lucky to get anything good even if there's only a 10% chance," Ming Luo shrugged. "If it were me, I wouldn't carry all my valuable resources with me either."
Lin Yi expressed his understanding.
Battles at the god-level are ever-changing, and no one can guarantee they will return alive.
The truly valuable items are stored in a safe place, so that if you die and are resurrected, you won't go bankrupt immediately. Therefore, besides essential battle treasures, what you carry with you are consumables and emergency supplies.
"Keep them for now, we'll deal with them later," Moon Abyss decided. "Then there's the core materials and remains of the mother locust, initially valued at thirteen million battle merits."
The numbers on the screen began to jump.
Lan then announced the next item, "The base reward for the mission is 14 million. An additional 6 million will be awarded upon confirmation of destroying the Shadow-Skimming Locust's nest."
Moon Abyss added, "There's one thing I need to clarify: in order to request assistance, I issued an emergency request for aid, offering a reward of 20 million battle merits to find a deity skilled in Space Law to provide long-distance support."
The atmosphere paused slightly after the topic was brought up.
Lan and Ming Luo both looked at Moon Abyss, and then at Lin Yi.
Moon Abyss continued, "After I observed Lin Yi displaying powerful god-level combat strength and successfully severely injuring the mother locust, I immediately canceled the request for assistance and explained the reason to the Space Law god who accepted the mission."
She then explained, "Although the mission hasn't actually been executed yet, and it could be canceled directly, the person who accepted it has already begun spending time calculating the coordinates for the extremely long-distance journey, so I paid them 10% of the basic labor compensation. Therefore..."
"Two million battle merits." Lin Yi immediately understood. "This is also an essential expense to maintain our reputation; otherwise, no one will accept our request for assistance next time."
"Yes." Moon Abyss nodded. "This expense needs to be deducted from our total battle merits."
Lin Yi almost without hesitation. "I'll cover the 2 million."
He looked at his three teammates with a hint of apology. "If I hadn't wanted to surprise everyone, this wouldn't have happened. I meant to surprise them, but it almost turned into a fright. I should be the one to pay for this."
Moon Abyss looked at him, her pale purple eyes flickering slightly.
A few seconds later, she slowly spoke, "No need. My issuing the distress call was a matter of duty as the team leader, it has nothing to do with you."
"No," Lin Yi insisted, "Captain, let me do it. Otherwise, I'll feel guilty."
He spoke very sincerely.
Seeing this, Ming Luo chuckled and stepped in to smooth things over, "Captain, just agree. I've looked into the cultural customs of Lin Yi's hometown. If you don't let him pay for it, he'll feel uneasy. As the saying goes, 'His mind won't be at peace.'"
"Your thoughts aren't clear?" Moon Abyss glanced at Lin Yi thoughtfully.
Lin Yi nodded. "That's right. Brother Ming Luo is right. I'll feel more at ease if I cover this expense."
Moon Abyss was silent for a moment, then finally nodded slightly. "Alright, then it's your decision. It will come from your share of battle merits, and won't be included in the team's total expenditure."
"Okay." Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
Moon Abyss hummed in agreement, steer the conversation back on track. "Next, let's talk about the settlement of battle merits. According to the Pan-Spirit Alliance's battlefield regulations, killing a powerful god grants a base battle merit of 100 million. Killing an ordinary god grants a base battle merit of 35 million."
She tapped rapidly on the screen, bringing up another calculation interface.
The numbers scrolled by rapidly.
A few seconds later, the final result appeared.
[Total value of loot: 77.42 million battle merits]
[Total kill reward: 135 million battle points]
[Total mission reward: 20 million battle merits]
[Total battle merits: 232.42 million]
"Over 230 million battle merits," Lan repeated, the light on her wings trembling slightly. "This is the highest single-mission reward I've ever achieved since joining the Star Stillness Squad."
Moon Abyss looked at Lin Yi, a complex look flashing in her pale purple eyes. "This time, we owe a great debt to Lin Yi. Otherwise, let alone all the gains, we might have even had to pay the price of resurrection."
Lin Yi immediately shook his head and said, "If it weren't for you guys holding off the Edge-Devouring Squad, I wouldn't have had the chance to kill the Mother Locust. Besides, I couldn't even handle the Blade-Devouring Captain alone. This is all thanks to teamwork."
He spoke very sincerely.
In Lin Yi's view, although his strength has increased greatly, the decisive factor in the battle just now was that Moon Abyss, Lan, and Ming Luo held off the opponent in a three-on-five fight, including a powerful god.
"Alright, let's not talk about that for now." Moon Abyss steered the conversation back on track. "The preliminary distribution of battle merits is as follows: I get 35%, Lin Yi 30%, and Lan and Ming Luo each get 17.5%. What do you all think?"
Ming Luo immediately shook her head. "No objection!"
Lan nodded. "A very reasonable allocation."
Lin Yi naturally had no objections.
Although he turned the tide of the battle at a crucial moment, the core of the entire battle was Moon Abyss, and the strongest opponent was also Moon Abyss, who held the enemy back head-on.
Moreover, in the initial moments of the crisis, Moon Abyss was prepared to sacrifice himself to protect the three of them.
This sense of responsibility actually goes far beyond that 5% gap.
The numbers on the screen changed again, dividing into four parts proportionally.
"These are paid out." Ming Luo stared blankly at the more than 40 million battle merits under his name. "With so many battle merits, I can push the Second Law from 38% to over 50%, and maybe even exchange it for another auxiliary secret technique."
Lan also showed an expectant look. "My second law has been stuck at 33% for a long time. This time, the battle merits are enough to exchange for Holy Radiance Crystals, which should be able to break through to 50%."
Moon Abyss didn't say what she planned to improve, but judging from the glint in her eyes, she clearly had a specific plan.
Lin Yi quickly calculated in his mind.
He received 69 million battle merits, plus the remaining 4 million, bringing his total battle merits to around 73 million.
"Indeed, no one gets rich without unexpected wealth," he sighed inwardly.
The gains from this battle are equivalent to the sum of more than a dozen previous low-to-medium risk missions.
As for how to use these battle achievements?
That's obviously for increasing strength; keeping it around won't produce offspring.
The sooner he perfects the Space Law, the greater the power of spacetime fusion will be, and he can also begin to try to comprehend the third law. At that time, his efficiency in earning battle merits will only be higher.
"The battle merits will be distributed after the mission assessment is completed upon returning to the fortress." Moon Abyss completed the allocation settings on the screen and synchronized the data to everyone's battlefield terminal. "Among the spoils, the two Devouring Race God bodies will be uniformly collected and converted by the fortress logistics department. We can choose to handle the Mother Locust materials ourselves or exchange them for battle merits."
"I suggest we exchange them directly," Lan said. "We don't lack the difference in battle merits; what we lack is time. By handing over the material processing to the specialized departments, we can free up more energy to process this gain."
"Agreed," Ming Luo echoed. "This battle exposed quite a few of my weaknesses. My methods for dealing with multiple enemies attacking from the same direction were still lacking; I need to review them thoroughly."
Lin Yi nodded and said, "I also have a lot to summarize."
The first level of <Space-Time Rend> is not yet fully utilized in actual combat, and the coverage and stability of the Veil of Delusion also have room for improvement.
Most importantly, this was his first time engaging in a life-or-death battle with the strength of a powerful god, and he needed to rebuild many of his combat intuitions and instinctive reactions.
Seeing that everyone agreed, Moon Abyss put away the light screen and looked at the three of them. "This mission exceeded expectations, and our team's accumulated battle merits have reached the standard for applying for a rest period. According to the Pan-Spirit Alliance's battlefield rules, we can apply for a rest period of about a hundred years to digest our battle merits and improve our strength."
Ming Luo's eyes lit up. "I almost forgot about this. We still had quite a few battle merits before the rest period, but suddenly we have so many, so we definitely meet the requirements."
Lin Yi nodded slightly. This was a rule of the Pan-Spirit Alliance. After all, the war lasted a long time, and the battle merits gained needed time to be exchanged and converted into strength. Therefore, there were certain battle merit standards according to different levels. Once the standards were met, a period of rest could be obtained to improve strength.
Moon Abyss raised his hand, and the hatch of the Star Silence slid open silently. "Return to the ship first. We can discuss the rest and recuperation arrangements after we return to the fortress."
The four of them transformed into streaks of light and swept into the cabin.
The hatch closed, the engines started, and the silver-gray spaceship drew an elegant arc in the starry sky before disappearing into the ripples of the curvature channel.
Inside the ship's cabin.
Ming Luo and Lan were discussing their plans for exchanging battle merits in hushed tones, their voices filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Moon Abyss then walked to Lin Yi's side.
"I didn't have a chance to ask earlier." She looked at Lin Yi, her pale purple eyes calm, "What's your current level of understanding of the Space Law?"
Lin Yi answered truthfully, "Around 80%."
This number left Moon Abyss speechless for two seconds.
She remembered clearly that when Lin Yi first joined the team, his understanding of Space Law was only at the beginner level, and he needed her attention to take care of him when carrying out the Void-Eating Jellyfish mission.
Later, when Lin Yi returned to Origin Star to update his clone, although he seemed to have made considerable progress, she still thought that even if Lin Yi was a genius, in such a short time, he would at most be comparable to Ming Luo and the others. Considering the gap in practical experience, he would inevitably still be at the bottom of the team's combat strength.
Therefore, when carrying out the Shadow-Skimming Locust mission, she still arranged for Lin Yi to do auxiliary and interference work, which was also based on the consideration of stability.
And now.
It's incredible that they jumped directly from beginner to 80%.
Even to the well-informed Moon Abyss, this rate of improvement seemed somewhat unbelievable.
"80%," Moon Abyss uttered softly. "No wonder you can instantly kill ordinary gods and fight head-on against powerful gods who burn their divine power."
She paused, then looked at Lin Yi: "At this rate, you're not far from perfecting the Space Law. When you achieve perfection in both superior laws, you'll be among the top tier of powerful gods."
Lin Yi nodded. "That's what I was thinking too. I plan to use all the battle merits I receive this time to exchange for auxiliary treasures related to the Space Law, and reach 100% as soon as possible."
"A wise choice." A hint of approval flashed in Moon Abyss's eyes. "Keeping battle merits is useless; converting them into strength is the right path. The sooner you become a high-level deity, the stronger our team will be."
At this moment, Ming Luo came over, her face full of curiosity. "By the way, Brother Lin Yi, you just said 80% of the Laws you comprehended. That's an incredibly fast rate of improvement! Do you have any secrets?"
Lin Yi smiled and said, "Of course there's a secret. It's all about using resources. I spent almost all the clan merits and battle achievements I had previously earned, exchanging them all for treasures that aid in enlightenment and the right to use treasure lands."
"Everyone has used enlightenment-enhancing treasures, but to achieve this level of improvement can only be attributed to your exceptionally strong talent," Lan said with a smile. "You'd probably cultivate at about the same speed as us even without treasures."
Lin Yi smiled at Lan's comment but remained silent.
"Alright, this is Lin Yi's talent, something you can't envy." Moon Abyss gave Lin Yi a deep look and steered the conversation back on track. At the level of gods, everyone has their own secrets and opportunities; asking too many questions would only make one seem ignorant of the rules.
"Great, this is a good thing no matter what." Ming Luo slapped his thigh. "Our team now has a captain who's almost a high god, and a future high god who's about to perfect two superior laws. Tsk tsk, we'll have a much wider range of mission options from now on."
Lan also chimed in with a smile, "Indeed. Once Brother Lin Yi's Space Law are perfected, our team's tactical combinations will be much more diverse."
The four chatted for a while longer, shifting the topic from exchanging battle merits to the arrangements for the rest period, and then to some recent rumors and intelligence exchanges within the fortress.
The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.
Lin Yi could sense that after this battle, his position in the team was now completely secure.
They are no longer newcomers who need to be taken care of, but rather core combatants.
Approximately three standard hours later, the Star Silence smoothly entered the Frontline fortress airport.
The spacecraft docked in its designated berth, and the hatch opened.
As soon as the four stepped out of the cabin, they noticed the gazes of many deities around them.
Lin Yi's heart stirred slightly; after a moment's thought, he roughly guessed the reason.
"Our team's Lin Yi has just displayed formidable god-level strength; the crisis is over."
Captain Moon Abyss probably explained it this way to the Space Law deity who accepted the rescue mission, and it's likely already spreading among the deities in the fortress.
While powerful god-level strength isn't particularly rare, Lin Yi's rapid progress is truly remarkable.
Sure enough, after walking a few steps, a robust deity dressed in purplish-black armor and exuding a powerful aura came towards them.
He first nodded to Moon Abyss in greeting. "Captain Moon Abyss, congratulations on your triumphant return."
He then looked at Lin Yi and said, "Lord Lin Yi, I am Han, the captain of the Shen Yan Squad. I heard you took down the captain of the Edge-Devouring Squad this time? Impressive! Those Devouring Race insects are not easy to deal with."
Lin Yi politely replied, "You flatter me; it's the result of teamwork."
"Don't be modest," Han waved his hand. "We can cooperate in the future."
After a brief chat, Han took his leave.
Then, several more deities stepped forward to greet them.
Some were acquainted with Moon Abyss, while others simply wanted to get to know Lin Yi.
Lin Yi responded politely to each question, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.
Ming Luo secretly transmitted her thoughts via Soul Transmission: "Brother Lin Yi, you're famous now."
Lin Yi smiled but didn't say anything.
He had experienced this kind of thing many times before and was used to it. Although the target had changed from a prodigy of the Pan-Spirit Alliance to Eternal Divinity of the Pan-Spirit Alliance, it was essentially because he had demonstrated the corresponding strength.
After finally dealing with a wave of greetings from the gods, the four headed towards the battle merit settlement hall.
On the way, Moon Abyss said in a low voice, "In the next few days, there will probably be quite a few visits and invitations. You've just returned and need time to consolidate your achievements and improve your strength. If it's inconvenient, you can decline them."
"I understand." Lin Yi nodded.
He knows what's important and what's urgent.
Once you've earned your battle merits, your first priority is to exchange them for resources and go into seclusion, then send them to your Main Body.
As for other social engagements, there's no need to decline them.
After all, in the next hundred years, the other members of the Star Stillness Squad will need to rest and improve their strength, but he doesn't need to, yet he doesn't plan to switch squads.
Therefore, Lin Yi plans to be a loner for a while.
Of course, he wouldn't venture out alone. With his initial strength at the level of a powerful god, he was still a bit lacking for solo adventures. He planned to use his status as a half- Space Law god to take on some long-distance support missions in addition to cultivating secret techniques.
Therefore, it's somewhat necessary to get acquainted with some small teams and let them know that you can also take on support missions.
--
Origin Star, Lin Yi Manor, Cultivation Room.
Lin Yi was sitting cross-legged in meditation, slowly opened his eyes.
Xuanji just relayed the message sent by her clone.
With a slight thought, he accessed the specific task details.
A series of messages flashed by: being ambushed, counter-attacking, kill rewards, and estimated loot value.
More than 73 million military merits?
A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Yi's eyes.
This number certainly exceeded his expectations.
When he saw the "2 million yuan compensation for the rescue mission (Lin Yi personally bears the cost)" and Ming Luo's explanation of "clear-headedness", the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"I see." He understood.
Ming Luo actually had a good understanding of Xia Country culture, which was a lucky accident and saved him from any possible polite excuses later.
Skipping over these minor details, Lin Yi's attention returned to the more than 70 million battle merits.
This is the hard currency earned by my comrades fighting on the Frontline, and it's the "windfall" I most urgently need to convert into strength.
"Xuanji," he said.
A phantom figure in palace attire silently appeared. "Master."
"Reply to my clone: I agree with his idea of acting as a support-type lone traveler during the Star Stillness Squad's rest period, assuming the identity of 'half a Space Law.' However, I must remind him that lone travel is riskier, and he should focus on reconnaissance and support, avoiding venturing into high-risk areas. Safety must be the top priority."
"Yes, Master," Xuanji replied, then inquired, "Do you have any specific plans regarding the use of these 73 million battle merits?"
Lin Yi was already confident. "First priority: exchange for access to the cultivation grounds for sprinting to comprehend the Space Law, and auxiliary comprehending treasures. Requirements: maximize the effect, but avoid categories that I have already used and confirmed to be ineffective."
He paused, then continued, "Second priority: exchange for the subsequent levels of the <Space-Time Rend> and <Veil of Delusion> secret techniques. Payment will also be made using battle merits."
"Understood, Master. Based on your request, we are filtering top-tier cultivation sites and auxiliary treasures that meet the criteria across databases, and checking the subsequent exchange prices of secret techniques. Please wait. The filtering scope includes the Origin Star Directory Resource Database and the Clan Merit Treasury. According to the wartime resolution of the Human Race Supreme Council more than four thousand years ago, all resources within the race can be converted into war merits for payment." Data streams flashed rapidly in Xuanji's eyes.
A moment later, several solid light screens unfolded in the cultivation room.
[Option 1: Combination of Training Environment and Auxiliary Treasures]
"Myriad Return-to-Source Platform" Usage Rights (Five Standard Years): Located on the top floor of the "Hall of Myriad Laws Return to Source" in the Core Zone Origin Star. It can temporarily create and maintain the most favorable environment for comprehending specific laws according to the user's needs. Space Law adaptability increase: 1.5x-2x. Exchange Requires: 25 million Battle Points. (Note: Currently no reservation queue.)
"Void Dimension Anchor": A one-time use rare item. After use, it forms a stable "dimensional coordinate" deep within the soul, greatly enhancing the ability to perceive and understand Space Law by 50%-110%, with the effect lasting for two standard years. Exchange requires: 12 million battle merits.
"Primordial Space Breath" (Three Strands): Legend has it that these strands were collected and sealed from the faint primordial energy of space at the beginning of the universe. Each strand refined will greatly enhance the depth of resonance with the origin of Space Law for the next thirty standard days, with a certain probability of triggering the "Origin Whisper" state, with an amplification effect of 30%-180%. Exchange requires: 3.5 million Battle Points per strand, totaling 10.5 million.
[Total]: 47.5 million battle merits.
[Option Two: Further Exchange of Arcane Arts (Payment with Battle Merit)]
The second level of exchange privileges for <Space-Time Rend> requires 10 million battle merits.
The second level of exchange privileges for the "Veil of Delusion" requires 6 million battle merits.
[Total]: 16 million battle merits.
[Remaining Battle Merits]: 9.88 million battle merits.
Lin Yi's gaze swept quickly across the area, and he had already made up his mind.
Although the temporary environmental shaping feature of the Myriad Return-to-Source Platform has a slightly weaker amplification effect, its advantage lies in its long duration. Given that the effects of other training venues have already diminished, it is currently the optimal solution.
The Void Dimension Anchor points directly to the deeper essence of space, which is precisely the direction he urgently needs to break through.
The Primordial Space Breath is an extremely rare and sought-after treasure. Last time, it was out of stock, but now it's back in stock and is a must-buy item.
As for the secret techniques, these were part of a pre-planned replenishment of combat power.
"Execute this plan. Xuanji, immediately submit the exchange application and pay the full amount using battle merits." Lin Yi without hesitation. "After the exchange is successful, the contents of the second level of <Space-Time Rend> and <Veil of Delusion> will be simultaneously transmitted to the clone, allowing him to use the rest period to begin cultivating the basics."
"Application submitted, payment authorization complete," Xuanji confirmed. "The Myriad Return-to-Source Platform access is activated immediately; you can use it at the Hall of Myriad Laws Return to Source at any time. The Void Dimension Anchor and the Primordial Space Breath need to be transferred from the Human Race's core treasury via Divine Kingdom teleportation, and are expected to arrive at the manor within twenty standard days. The secret technique content has been synchronized to the clone."
"Very good." Lin Yi nodded. "Once the treasure arrives, I will immediately enter the Myriad Return-to-Source Platform for seclusion. These twenty days will be perfect for adjusting my condition."
Thirteen days later.
Lin Yi was methodically reviewing and organizing the Space Law cultivation tips given to him by his senior brother, preparing for his seclusion in seven days, when suddenly, Xuanji's figure appeared beside him.
"Master, a meeting request has been received from the virtual universe network. Requestor: Edith Lanxing."