Breakthrough, Star Domain level!
The next day.
The Sacred Tree Secret Realm.
Lin Yi's figure flickered silently among the gnarled branches.
He slightly raised his fingertips, and a highly condensed force of spacetime swept across like an invisible Sharp Blade, precisely slaying the tree spirit in front of him. Then, he raised his hand and grasped the Sacred Source Fruit it was guarding.
This set of movements was fluid and graceful.
After a moment, Lin Yi slowly stood up.
He silently sensed the growing power within his body and revealed a look of satisfaction.
At this moment, within his body's Source Sea, nine star vortices were rotating in an orderly fashion.
"In principle, it's time to attempt a breakthrough to the Star Domain level. However, for me, the Nine Star Vortex is just the beginning."
For Jiuxing Xuan to break through to the Star Domain level is just the most ordinary path.
For prodigies, at the Star Vortex level, if they can master the Law of Beginning, they can, like at the Star Core level, use the Law as their core and, with powerful control, continue to shape the Star Vortex within the Source Sea.
If one could fully master a single law, then theoretically, one could reach the perfect state of 99 Stars!
That's his goal.
Because with his perfect control over the two laws of space and time, he fully meets this requirement. At that time, with the foundation of the perfect star vortex, he will break through the star domain. At that time, his total source energy will be comparable to the most ordinary World Derivation level!
With this in mind, Lin Yi didn't hesitate for a moment. He spread his senses out like mercury, and all the points around him that contained special source energy fluctuations outlined a three-dimensional energy map in his consciousness.
He quickly locked onto his next target, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he headed straight for it.
Every move he made was precisely calculated, aiming to eliminate the guardian tree spirit with minimal consumption, immediately absorb the Sacred Source Fruit after seizing it, and then find a secluded place to circulate his cultivation technique to restore his source energy, ready to move as soon as it was fully restored.
--
Day 8 of the Secret Realm, afternoon.
Beside the core left behind after the tree spirit's death, Lin Yi was putting away the Sacred Source Fruit.
Within his body, the seventy-ninth star vortex had just condensed and taken shape, and boundless primal energy surged within the Source Sea energy.
At this moment, the energy fluctuations he naturally exuded with every move he made had already surpassed those of ordinary late-stage Star Domain level cultivators.
While searching for a point of energy fluctuation, Lin Yi sensed another Star Vortex level prodigy who had entered the secret realm from a distance of several kilometers.
The opponent's aura was very strong, and his comprehension of the laws was estimated to be around 50%, which was definitely top-tier among the Star Vortex level. He faintly exuded a battle-hardened aura, indicating that he was a combat-oriented individual who had earned his qualification through battle merits.
The man had clearly noticed Lin Yi as well.
Lin Yi could sense the other party's momentary vigilance and scrutiny, but the other party did not show any hostility or provocation. Instead, the other party slightly adjusted its direction and took the initiative to retreat to the side, quickly disappearing from his perception.
This is a very wise choice.
In secret realms, unless there is absolute certainty or the conflict of interest is irreconcilable, top geniuses rarely clash without cause, especially when both sides are in good condition.
Lin Yi naturally wouldn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble; his goal was to achieve perfection as soon as possible and then strive for a higher level.
However, just as he was about to absorb the newly acquired Sacred Source Fruit, his movements suddenly stopped.
From the southeast, violent energy collision fluctuations emanated, interspersed with clear rhythmic patterns of laws.
Lin Yi frowned.
In the past few days, he has frequently sensed the fluctuations of battle, but each time it is a battle between tree spirits. He also often activates the Veil of Delusion to wait in the back and reap the benefits.
This time, however, it was clearly not a battle between tree spirits.
Because one of the two auras in the battle clearly carried the rhythm of the law of time, while the tree spirit was entirely governed by the Life Law.
The other one emanated fluctuations of the Life Law, but it was extremely profound and powerful, its energy level clearly far exceeding that of Star Domain level.
"It is a realm of evolution."
Lin Yi instantly concealed his aura, then secretly sent a wisp of his Soul Power over.
Given the nature of his soul, as long as he doesn't swagger right up to you, he shouldn't be discovered by a Tree Spirit of the World Derivation level.
Soon, Lin Yi was able to see clearly which side was fighting.
A streak of silver light was fleeing at high speed in a rather disheveled manner, closely pursued by a huge, dark green shadow.
The silver light occasionally turned back, scattering patches of silver light in an attempt to slow it down, but the dark green shadow, surrounded by surging green light, easily broke free of its restraints and closed the distance once again.
Lin Yi's eyes narrowed, and he immediately recognized the silver streak of light.
It's Edith.
She was clearly not in good condition at the moment; her exquisite silver combat uniform was torn in several places, there were traces of blood at the corners of her mouth, and her long silver hair was slightly disheveled.
However, her movements remained swift and decisive. Each counterattack was timed precisely when the shadow was about to launch a fatal attack. She alternated between slowing down time and accelerating in specific areas, her tactics clear: to delay and buy herself space to escape.
That dark green shadow was indeed a tree spirit.
Blurry, distorted facial features vaguely emerge from its rough trunk, dancing wildly with dozens of vines, each strike carrying a heart-pounding surge of energy.
That was no longer ordinary energy, but rather possessed distinctly special properties.
"The power of the world. It truly is at the World Derivation level." Lin Yi sensed the intensity of the power's fluctuations and the essence of its laws, quickly judging in his mind, "Judging from the fluctuations, its comprehension of the Life Law definitely exceeds 20%. This is a tree spirit approaching the mid-Transcendent Realm level."
Upon advancing to the Star Domain level and condensing the Internal World, the source energy will be purified by the Internal World, increasing its power to a higher level and elevating it to the level of world power.
At this moment, Edith, who was fleeing for her life, also noticed Lin Yi's presence.
Her gaze swept briefly over Lin Yi's location, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Instead of calling for help, she suddenly changed direction and flew swiftly towards the flank opposite Lin Yi's position.
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.
That's just like Edith's personality.
However, just because Edith doesn't ask for help doesn't mean he doesn't need to.
After all, he was the president of the Star Source Society, and he naturally couldn't stand idly by while members of the Star Source Society were being hunted down, given the circumstances.
Moreover, Edith had previously revealed a lot of information to him, so he owed her a favor.
Of course, this is only if he has the ability to intervene. If going up there would be a waste of his time, he naturally wouldn't blindly rush in for a buy-one-get-one-free deal.
Lin Yi quickly conducted a mental assessment of the combat strength.
"I now possess seventy-nine star vortexes within my body, with a total source energy roughly equivalent to a typical seventh-tier Star Domain level, but my law realm far surpasses that of this tree spirit, which is only proficient in the Life Law. In actual combat, I can largely compensate for the difference in energy level by leveraging the advantage of my laws."
"Edith's comprehension of the laws of time is at least 70%, and her source energy fluctuations are at the sixth level of the Star Domain level. In other words, the number of star vortices within her body is approximately between sixty and seventy. This is the fundamental reason why she was able to withstand the attacks of the World Tree Spirit."
"Thus, if the two of them join forces, they are not without a fighting chance."
Thinking of this, Lin Yi immediately Soul Transmission.
"Join forces."
In the distance, Edith, who was fully activating the laws of time to accelerate her escape, felt a barely perceptible tremor in her body.
Without uttering a word, she suddenly twisted her body and pressed down with both hands in a feint during another dodge of the vines' lashes.
"Condense!"
A burst of brilliant silver light erupted, instantly enveloping the tree spirits that were closing in from behind.
The tree spirit's massive body suddenly sank, its movements visibly slowing and stiffening, its pursuit speed dropping by nearly half.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Edith changed direction again, transforming into a silver arrow that pierced the sky and shot straight towards Lin Yi's location.
"Roar!"
The tree spirit let out a deep, angry roar, its dark green world power surging violently around it, and the Life Law vibrating, forcibly counteracting the binding force of the time field. Although its speed had not fully recovered, it still stubbornly chased after it.
Edith was beside Lin Yi in the blink of an eye. Her breathing was slightly rapid from continuously using secret techniques. She quickly explained:
"To the southeast, there is a cluster of Sacred Source Fruit, with at least sixteen high-quality fruits. The guardian was originally just a Star Domain level Perfected Tree Spirit. I was about to make a move when this World Derivation level creature came down from the upper area, instantly killed the Star Domain-level Perfected Tree Spirit, and then set its sights on me."
Lin Yi nodded, indicating that he had received the message.
He looked at the pursuing tree spirit, the seventy-nine star vortexes within his body glowing faintly, and the power of spacetime subtly flowing over the azure battle armor on his body.
Because weapons made of Star Domain level materials can hardly withstand the infusion of law power multiple times, he simply fights empty-handed, relying on source energy and law power to fight his enemies.
As for the Star Domain level battle suit, he actually wore it as just ordinary clothing.
Because its defensive power is comparable to that of ordinary clothing, compared to the defense provided by his own laws.
Other prodigies, especially those at the Star Vortex level, such as Edith, were in the same situation.
"I'll take the lead, you support, disrupt its world power and vine attacks," Lin Yi quickly assigned tasks.
"Clear."
Edith responded briefly, her ten fingers moving rhythmically as if playing a piano. Silver chains of time appeared out of thin air, wrapping around the most ferocious main vines lashing out at the tree spirit. It wasn't a forceful control, but rather an application of distorted time flow to disrupt the synchronization of its attacks.
Lin Yi's figure suddenly vanished from the spot.
The fusion of space and time brings not only power, but also a deeper understanding and application of dimensions.
In the next instant, he appeared a hundred meters away from the tree spirit's left, his right hand clenched, and highly compressed spacetime power frantically gathered, forming an invisible force field that was constantly distorting and cutting through the surrounding light.
This is a technique he can only use after his Source Energy reaches the Star Domain level: "Spacetime Turbulence".
"Go!"
Lin Yi pressed his palm forward, and the invisible force field shot out silently. At first, its trajectory was clear, but it suddenly split when it approached the tree spirit, quietly eroding the tree spirit's body from different angles.
The tree spirit reacted quickly; green light surged across the surface of its trunk, instantly covering it with a layer of energy armor densely covered with wood grain.
"Hiss hiss hiss"
Most of the Spacetime Turbulence were blocked by the armor, causing ripples, but a few of them seemed to have a life of their own and found their way in, exploding at the weak points where the armor was not yet fully solidified. Although they did not cause any real damage, they successfully disrupted the tree spirit's energy flow rhythm.
Just as the tree spirit's vines retreated to defend its trunk and the power of the world fluctuated slightly, a flash of silver-gray light appeared in Lin Yi's eyes, and he pressed down with both hands!
Stagnate!
It's not about Time Stop on a large scale, that would consume too much energy.
He simply applied the power of spacetime precisely to the world core at the center of the tree spirit's body, causing an extremely brief pause in its energy flow.
Almost simultaneously, Edith shouted, her hands tracing mysterious paths, and a strange fluctuation of the laws of time enveloped the tree spirit.
Under the resonance and guidance of her time laws, the stagnation force that Lin Yi exerted suddenly increased in power by nearly 30%, and its duration was also subtly extended!
This is precisely the wondrous synergy that can arise from being fellow masters of the laws of time.
The tree spirit's massive body stiffened abruptly, the flow of world power became noticeably sluggish, and the waving vines slowed down a beat.
"Now!"
Lin Yi's seventy-nine star-shaped energy shone brightly at the same time, pouring a massive amount of pure source energy into his right fist without reservation.
His entire right arm was completely enveloped in silver-gray spacetime power, the power highly compressed and condensed, to the point that the space around his fist began to distort slightly.
Lin Yi flashed again, instantly appearing in front of the tree spirit. Then, he twisted his waist, thrust his shoulder, and threw a punch!
The highly restrained fist force, concentrated at the tip of the fist, transformed into an incredibly solid drill, which slammed in fiercely.
The tree spirit's trunk and the dark green World Power shield dented violently, followed by spiderweb-like cracks spreading wildly from the point of impact.
"Awooo!!!"
The tree spirit let out its most shrill and painful howl since the start of the battle. Its massive body arched backward, and all the waving vines stiffened for a moment, bringing the pursuit to a complete halt.
Its blurry, distorted features turned toward Lin Yi and Edith, its dark green eyes flashing with a fierce rage, but deeper still, a hint of apprehension surfaced.
Using the force of the recoil, Lin Yi gracefully retreated to Edith's side, his chest rising and falling slightly. That punch had consumed nearly 30% of his source energy, but the effect was significant.
The penetration of the power of spacetime is far more deadly than a simple energy impact. Although that attack just now did not shatter its core, it must have caused damage to its Internal World.
Edith's face paled further, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. She whispered, "This tree spirit's core is severely damaged; it needs to expend a large amount of its essence to repair itself. Continuing the fight won't do it any good either; it's weighing its options."
Lin Yi nodded, took half a step forward, and stood side by side with Edith.
He no longer adopted an offensive stance, but the spatial and temporal power around him was held back, subtly influencing the surrounding light and spatial structure, forming an invisible deterrent.
A silent threat can sometimes be more powerful than a roar.
The tree spirit remained frozen in place, the green light on the damaged parts of its trunk flickering and slowly healing. Its thick vines retracted slowly, assuming a defensive posture, clearly wary of Lin Yi's sudden attack.
Its dark green "eyes" scanned back and forth between Lin Yi and Edith, and finally let out a low, muffled roar filled with resentment and warning.
Then, it turned around and flew away into the distance, and the suffocating pressure of the World Derivation level gradually faded away and eventually disappeared completely.
Only after confirming that the tree spirit had truly retreated did the two secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
Edith quickly took out a diamond-shaped crystal with a Silverblue luster and held it in her hand. Pure source energy fluctuations emanated from it, and her pale face regained a rosy hue at a visible speed, and her disordered breathing gradually stabilized.
She looked at Lin Yi, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Thank you for your help. This is the location of that Sacred Source Fruit grove."
As he spoke, a mental imprint containing precise coordinates and information about the surrounding environment was transmitted to Lin Yi.
Lin Yi accepted it calmly.
It wasn't that he was particularly short of those dozen or so Sacred Source Fruit, but rather that he knew exactly what kind of person Edith was, which is why he didn't refuse.
He also took out a high-grade Source Energy Crystal to replenish his energy, and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony. By the way, after my Star Vortex reaches perfection in a couple of days, I'll be exploring higher-level areas. I imagine you're not in a rush to break through to the Star Domain level, are you? What are your plans next?"
Upon hearing this, Edith's silver eyes flashed with understanding, and she nodded slightly.
She really doesn't plan to rush into a breakthrough.
Before entering the secret realm, she planned to accumulate as many Sacred Source Fruit as possible at the Star Vortex level to take out, while also searching for other auxiliary treasures.
She also wanted to see if she could push the laws of time to a higher level at the Star Vortex level, or even touch the threshold of perfection, so as to lay a more solid foundation for the future.
Without breaking through to the Star Domain level, exploring the upper levels would obviously be a hindrance. Lin Yi pointed this out at this time, both to inform her of the plan and to subtly inquire about her future intentions.
At the same time, she understood Lin Yi's unspoken message: they could join forces to repel the enemy this time, and he would go on the subsequent exploration alone.
"As planned, continue searching for Sacred Source Fruit and other potentially useful resources, and bring out as much as possible," Edith answered decisively. "I also intend to attempt to break through to the Star Vortex Extreme Realm."
Lin Yi nodded; this choice suited Edith's personality very well.
In his view, Edith had reached the Extreme Realm at the Star Core level, and her understanding of the laws at the Star Vortex level had reached 70%. With a long lifespan ahead of her, it was impossible for her to easily break through to the Star Domain level.
"Okay, I'll go deal with that fruit bush first. Take care."
"Take care of yourself."
Edith nodded, said no more, and transformed into a silver streak of light, heading in a direction different from Lin Yi's and that coordinate, quickly disappearing from sight.
Lin Yi watched her leave, then, based on the coordinates in his mind, his figure transformed into a streak of light and sped towards the forest containing the sixteen Sacred Source Fruit.
About ten minutes later, he arrived at the coordinates, then calmed his breathing and looked down.
Below is a relatively open platform, in the center of which grows a small tree with a flowing golden-green luster.
Unlike the single-fruited trees I'd seen before, this Sacred Tree had sixteen Sacred Source Fruit hanging prominently among its branches!
Furthermore, the energy fluctuations emitted by each one were no less than those of the Sacred Source Fruit he had previously obtained.
In addition, scattered around the open space were some broken pieces of wood, and the air still held the lingering traces of the laws left by the battle, as well as a trace of the soul aura of a Star Domain level Perfected Tree Spirit that had begun to dissipate.
Clearly, Edith's words were true; the Starfield Perfection Tree Spirit had been killed.
Lin Yi used his Soul Power to scan the area carefully again, but found no other threats.
Then, he flashed and appeared next to the Sacred Source Fruit. He then swept his hand across the fruit, and the power of spacetime gently severed the thin stem connecting the fruit to the branch.
The sixteen Sacred Source Fruit fell one by one into a specially made storage box that he had prepared beforehand. The space inside the box was divided by a special force field to ensure that the energy of each fruit did not interfere with each other.
The moment the Sacred Source Fruit left the tree, the small Sacred Tree also quickly lost its luster, its branches and leaves withered, and it turned into ashes.
The harvest was enormous.
Lin Yi's heart stirred slightly, but he did not take it immediately.
Since there were quite a few, he needed to find a completely safe place to consume the fruit.
Lin Yi quickly left the open space and flew towards a hidden tree hole he had discovered earlier.
That was the backup rest point he had marked during his previous exploration. The entrance was hidden, the interior space was large enough to accommodate several people, and the energy aura was completely integrated with the surrounding environment, making it difficult to detect.
After entering the tree hollow and setting up a few simple Spacetime Turbulence as early warning barriers, Lin Yi sat down cross-legged.
He took out a Sacred Source Fruit he had just acquired and put it in his mouth.
The fruit melted in the mouth, and a torrent of pure and powerful energy erupted instantly. The Source Sea within the body trembled slightly, emitting a joyful hum, frantically devouring this power.
The number of star vortices has begun to increase steadily.
Eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two
Lin Yi proceeded methodically, absorbing one pill, taking a short breath to regulate his breathing, and once his condition stabilized, he took the next one.
When the energy of the sixteenth and final Sacred Source Fruit was completely absorbed, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes.
Within his body, the ninety-fifth star spiral had already taken shape and stabilized.
Only four more stars are needed to reach the Ninety-Nine Star Extreme Realm!
A surge of power filled my body, and the total amount of energy I had generated was a qualitative leap compared to before.
Lin Yi silently got up.
"Just a little bit more. The only goal now is to fill this final gap."
He completely let go of his inhibitions.
With the immense source energy brought by the ninety-five star vortexes and his absolute control over the perfect dual laws of space and time, he could roam almost unchecked in the areas where Star Domain level tree spirits were active.
Even a tree spirit at the peak of its cultivation in an ordinary star field couldn't withstand a single move from him.
The power of spacetime is unpredictable and difficult to defend against; often, before the tree spirit can even react, its core has already been breached.
The harvest was also extremely bountiful.
He achieved his goal in less than half a day.
At this moment, Lin Yi had just put away the core of a peak Star Domain level level tree spirit.
Beside it, a Sacred Source Fruit was growing.
Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief after picking the radiant Sacred Source Fruit.
"After taking this pill, you should be able to reach the perfection of the Ninety-Nine Stars!"
Lin Yi felt a surge of excitement.
The road to the Extreme Realm is nearing its end.
After confirming that there was no immediate threat in the surroundings, he sat down cross-legged and put the Sacred Source Fruit in his hand into his mouth.
Boom!
A tremendous amount of energy surged toward that final void.
Lin Yi's soul seemed to hear a call from the very source of life, and all ninety-eight existing star vortexes within his body simultaneously emitted a strong attraction and resonance.
"Now!"
Lin Yi's will was like a blade, drawing all the remaining energy towards the last predetermined location, Han, in the void of the Source Sea!
Buzz!!!
An indescribable, perfect tremor resounded from the depths of my soul, spreading to every corner of my body.
The ninety-ninth stellar spiral was born amidst a dazzling display of energy.
Its size, rotation frequency, and energy flow rhythm are perfectly synchronized with the previous ninety-eight star vortices.
The moment it completely stabilized, the entire network of ninety-nine star vortices suddenly lit up, and the energy connections between them reached an unprecedented level of tightness and harmony!
Ninety-nine Star Realm Extreme Realm, achieved!
"It's time."
Having achieved his goal, Lin Yi showed no lingering attachment or hesitation.
Staying at the Star Vortex level is meaningless; higher realms, greater power, and a wider upper area of the secret realm await him.
Breakthrough!
With a thought, all ninety-nine celestial bodies within his body simultaneously rotated in reverse, their speed suddenly increasing!
The advancement of Xingxuan to the Star Domain is essentially another qualitative change and sublimation of the energy structure within the body.
For Lin Yi, who is pursuing the path of limits, this step is not a simple condensation, but the fusion of ninety-nine independent star vortices that have reached their ultimate state into a star field that is as good as a whole!
This process is extremely dangerous even for ordinary nine-star Xuan cultivators, and for those at the Extreme Realm of the ninety-nine-star Xuan realm, it is like dancing on a knife's edge, requiring incredibly exquisite control.
However, Lin Yi possessed the perfect mastery of both the laws of space and time, and his control over energy had reached an extremely subtle level.
"Condense!"
The Soul Power transforms into an invisible forging hammer, and the laws of space and time become the most stable framework.
As the ninety-nine stellar spirals rotate in opposite directions at high speed, their boundaries begin to blur, and their energies intermingle and permeate each other.
It was as if a miniature cosmic collapse and rebirth was taking place within Lin Yi's body.
The energy was compressed to its limit, transforming into "source energy slurry" that shimmered with starlight.
A blurry, polyhedral crystalline phantom slowly emerged in the center of the Source Sea.
It continuously absorbs the surrounding energy crystals, its volume slowly increases, its structure becomes more and more complex, and mysterious patterns begin to appear on its surface.
The Singularity of the Starfield is taking shape!
The entire process lasted approximately one standard hour.
The moment the last trace of energy crystal merged in, and the stellar singularity was completely formed—
Boom!
Centered on this nascent stellar singularity, ninety-nine miniature star spirals began to slowly rotate in specific orbits.
The source energy flows endlessly within it, carrying a sense of perfect completeness.
An immense pressure, far exceeding that of Star Vortex level, uncontrollably emanated from Lin Yi, causing the surrounding vines to rustle and the space itself to ripple.
Star Domain level, achieved!
Lin Yi slowly stood up, feeling the earth-shattering changes within his body.
Strength!
An unprecedented sense of power filled my entire body.
The total amount of source energy has undergone a qualitative leap. If the previous ninety-nine star vortexes were a vast lake, then the current Star Domain level source energy is like an endless ocean!
He tried to mobilize a sliver of source energy, and a dazzling silver-gray light immediately shone from his fingertip. The energy intensity contained within it far exceeded the full-force attack he had delivered at the Star Vortex level.
"My current Source Energy Intensity should be comparable to that of someone who has just entered the Derivation Realm, although it's the most basic kind," Lin Yi assessed his condition.
This is the terrifying foundation that comes from advancing further after reaching the Star Core Extreme Realm, based on the Ninety-Nine Star Cyclone Extreme Realm.
Lin Yi took a short time to adjust to his newfound power and familiarize himself with the operation of the stellar singularity within his body.
A moment later, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he turned his gaze upwards to the higher area shrouded in pale green mist.
That is the true core of the Sacred Tree Secret Realm, where both opportunities and dangers will increase exponentially.
Lin Yi felt the even more powerful, and more dangerous, energy fluctuations coming from above, and a smile appeared on his face.
Then, with a light step, he transformed into a blurry streak of light, resolutely flying towards a higher level along the Sacred Tree's roots!