Ambitions Before Entering Secret Realm One

Under the cover of night, hundreds of brightly lit giant floating platforms above East Peak Military Academy resembled suspended star islands, illuminating this resting place of heroes as if it were daytime.

On the main platform, long tables were laid out in a crisscross pattern, laden with delicacies.

The aroma of wine mingled with the scent of food, drifting in the night breeze, creating a striking contrast with the solemn forest of steles below.

Nobody thought there was anything wrong with it.

Because those heroic souls who once slept in the Forest of Steles are now sitting beside them, raising their glasses in celebration and laughing heartily.

"Come on, Vice Principal, no, Lao Nie, this drink must be finished!" Chen Yu stood up, holding his glass. "I've reviewed our entire experience carefully, especially the last moment; I've watched it over and over again."

Nie Chang, sitting opposite him, picked up his wine glass upon hearing this, a helpless smile appearing on his face, "You kid, why did you watch it so many times?"

"Of course I miss it!" Chen Yu tilted his head back and downed his drink, wiping his mouth and grinning. "The destruction of our 83227 Fortress was spectacular! In the footage, the entire jump point area was wiped out by our self-destruct energy wave! Not even a speck of meteorite debris was left."

He slammed his hand on the table, laughing even louder, "Hahaha! I never thought my death would be so tragic! It was worth it, truly worth it!"

The Veteran Platform at the surrounding tables laughed along, and one of them jeered, "Deputy Regimental Commander Chen, your death was certainly spectacular! Back in the day, our regiment was ambushing in the ' Star Shatter Belt,' and the entire bridge was hit by three energy cannons simultaneously. We were blown to smithereens, ship and crew alike. There wasn't even a single intact body left in the records!"

"That's nothing!" A burly man with a full beard stood up at another table, his voice booming, "When our Yongyuan-class supercapital ship was under siege and about to fall, it directly detonated its source energy reactor. Records show that the explosion's energy was equivalent to the collapse of three stars."

Our team was on a covert mission back then, and we were surrounded in the "Dark Erosion Nebula".

"When I was repairing a warship on ' Thunder Star '..."

"Our transport fleet was ambushed, and I rammed my transport ship, fully loaded with high-explosive supplies, into the enemy naval formation."

Suddenly, the platform was filled with all sorts of boastful voices about how they died.

There was no sadness, no pain, only an almost absurd sense of grandeur.

These warriors, returning from thousands of years ago, are confirming each other's existence in this way, confirming that missing but real history.

They used the Virtual Network to access records, learn about the honors they were posthumously awarded, and understand the impact of that battle on the overall war effort.

Then, they use these as topics of conversation and say them out loud at the dinner table.

Sitting next to Lin Yi, Liu Yuan listened to these voices, and her eyes reddened again.

He whispered to Lin Yi, "Commander, look at these bastards, they're still bragging even in death."

Lin Yi smiled, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.

Li Zhenguo sat on the other side of Lin Yi. The chief administrator of the Silver Blue Civilization had now unloaded all his burdens and wore a rare relaxed smile.

He listened to the endless stream of boastful deaths around him, a complex expression in his eyes, which finally turned into a long sigh.

"It's finally over." Li Zhenguo raised his glass, his voice trembling slightly. "Five thousand years of war, finally over."

The words were spoken softly, yet they silenced the surrounding tables for a moment.

Everyone looked at the highest-ranking official who had toiled for civilization for thousands of years and now showed signs of aging.

Yes, the war is over.

The only reason these dead people can sit here drinking and boasting is because the war is over, isn't it?

Lin Yi paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass.

He was about to correct him that the war hadn't truly ended, but had only been paused for a hundred Epoch.

According to the agreement signed by the three dominant races, war will reignite one hundred Epoch later.

But he swallowed the words back.

He looked around.

The first batch of soldiers who sacrificed their lives lived nearly five thousand years ago.

Li Zhenguo and Zhou Donglai, these high-ranking officials of the civilized world, personally experienced the entire war process. They were exhausted and had to sacrifice their lives to survive until now. They yearn for peace more than anyone else.

Those soldiers who sacrificed their lives later and were just resurrected, although their memories were still stuck before they went to war, had already learned through the Virtual Network that the war had been suspended.

The 100th Epoch.

Although it's just a pause, for ordinary people, this pause feels almost eternal.

The lifespan of Star Core level is 10,000 years, that of Star Vortex level is 100,000 years, and the theoretical upper limit of the lifespan of an ordinary Star Domain level is about ten Epoch, or about one million years.

The Silver Blue Civilization, starting from the era of Blue Star, has only existed for a little over 10,000 years, which is approximately 0.1 Epoch.

A war restarting thirteen million years in the future?

For the vast majority of people present, that was indeed "the end."

They will never experience that war again in their limited lives.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi's expression softened.

He raised his glass and lightly clinked it against Li Zhenguo's. "Indeed. The war is over."

The crisp sound of the collision was particularly clear in the night breeze.

Li Zhenguo nodded heavily and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

The surrounding Veteran Platform also raised their glasses, and cheers once again echoed through the night sky.

"The war is over!"

"Cheers!"

"For peace!"

Lin Yi tilted his head back and drank the cold liquor, which slid down his throat.

He could sense that as soon as he uttered those words, the atmosphere of the entire banquet hall subtly shifted, and the returning warriors truly integrated into this "peace."

They began to proactively inquire about interesting stories from the past few thousand years from Veteran Platform like Liu Yuan and Elizabeth who had returned alive, to ask high-ranking officials like Li Zhenguo about the development of civilization, and to consult with younger officers about the latest tactics and equipment.

The Yue Family, numbering in the hundreds, gathered at one of the largest platforms, creating a lively scene.

The youngest, Yue Chengzhi, was surrounded by a group of "ancestors" who asked him all sorts of questions, making him blush with embarrassment.

Liyue and the two Spirit Race elders sat beside Aurelia, listening to Aurelia recount everything that had happened during this time, sometimes surprised, sometimes moved.

When Liyue heard that Lin Yi had fought his way out of the Myriad Secret Realm and was rampaging across the battlefield, her gaze towards Lin Yi became even more complicated.

Initially, the Xina Family pinned their last hope for survival on a wisp of "tiger's might" from the Eternal Divinity.

But now, in just five thousand years, Lin Yi has already become Eternal Divinity whom she must look up to.

The banquet lasted until late at night.

When the last round of toasts ended, many soldiers were already drunk and fell into a deep sleep, leaning on their comrades' shoulders.

They were exhausted.

Whether it's those warriors who have just been resurrected and whose spirits are still tense, or those Veteran Platform have returned alive and are burdened with five thousand years of heavy memories, or even high-ranking members of civilization like Li Zhenguo who have overdrawn their life essence.

Lin Yi did not use his power to dispel their drunkenness.

Go to sleep.

Get a good night's sleep.

He silently recited it in his heart.

For the next fifteen days, Lin Yi did not rush to leave Silver Blue Star.

He attended several smaller "family banquets," including those at his own home, his uncle's home, Nie Chang's home, Chen Yu's home, Liu Yuan's home, and Yue Family's home. Each time, he dressed simply and casually, suppressing all his imposing manner, and sat at the table eating and chatting like an ordinary friend.

Nie Chang's wife had long since passed away, but his grandchildren were all Star Core level powerhouses. When they saw that this legendary commander had actually come to their home for dinner, they were so excited that they didn't know what to do.

Lin Yi smiled and chatted with them about cultivation and life, even offering some pointers on the direction of Rule Comprehension.

The Yue Family's banquet was the largest ever, with over a hundred tables set up. There were more than three hundred direct male relatives who had been resurrected, plus female relatives, making the scene comparable to a wedding banquet.

Lin Yi was pulled to sit at the main table by Madam Yue Qinglan, and listened to the old woman, who had experienced four thousand years of separation and waiting, calmly recount the story of the Yue Family generation after generation.

"My father was the first to leave. I was still young then, and I only remember him patting my head before he passed away and saying, 'Qinglan, take good care of your mother.'"

"Later it was my husband; our son was only three years old when he left."

"Then came sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons."

The old man's voice was calm, and he didn't cry. His eyes were fixed on the Yue Family men at the table, who were wearing military uniforms from different eras and drinking enthusiastically.

"Now it's all right," she said with a smile, "They're all back."

Lin Yi nodded silently, picked up his teacup, and offered a toast to the old man.

Besides these family banquets, the most important thing Lin Yi did was to provide medical treatment for Li Zhenguo, Zhou Donglai, and other senior executives of Silverblue.

The core managers of these civilizations were under extreme pressure for a long time during the war, and their mental and physical strength was severely depleted. They even forcibly burned their life force to maintain high-intensity work.

Although their cultivation has reached the Star Core level and their theoretical lifespan is still several thousand years, if they continue like this, they will only last a few hundred more years before their lifespan is exhausted.

On this day, Lin Yi summoned Li Zhenguo, Zhou Donglai, and several other core high-ranking officials to a quiet room at the East Peak Military Academy.

"Everyone, relax," Lin Yi said. "Don't resist."

The group exchanged glances, unsure of Lin Yi's intentions, but knowing Lin Yi wouldn't harm them, they sat down cross-legged and closed their eyes as instructed.

Lin Yi raised his hand, and a soft, pale green halo appeared in his palm, enveloping the group.

Li Zhenguo felt a warm power permeate his limbs and bones, reaching deep into his very being.

It was an indescribable feeling of comfort, like land that had been parched for thousands of years finally receiving sweet rain, and every cell was cheering with joy.

His long-strained mind relaxed involuntarily under the soothing power of this force, and the fatigue accumulated deep in his soul melted away like ice and snow.

The others shared similar feelings.

The treatment didn't take long; soon, Lin Yi withdrew his hand, and the pale green halo in the quiet room slowly dissipated.

Li Zhenguo and the others opened their eyes one after another.

Their appearance didn't immediately become younger; the loss of their life essence needed time to slowly make up for it. However, the weariness in everyone's eyes had dissipated, their complexion had clearly improved, and even their breathing had become longer and stronger.

The most obvious change is in his eyes.

The lingering heaviness and sense of vicissitude that had been there before had lessened considerably, replaced by a long-lost clarity and vitality.

"Thank you, Commander!" Li Zhenguo was the first to stand up and bow solemnly.

"Thank you, Commander!" The others followed suit, their eyes filled with gratitude.

Lin Yi waved his hand. "This is what you deserve. You will need to rest and recuperate properly for the next period of time. Xuanji will formulate a detailed recovery and cultivation plan and supervise its implementation."

"Huh?" Li Zhenguo was taken aback.

Just then, the illusory figure of a woman in palace attire appeared in the quiet room, gracefully bowing. "Chief Li, everyone. The master has authorized me to take over the follow-up health management of you. Based on the recovery of your life essence, I have formulated a hundred-year recuperation plan, including all aspects such as rest, diet, and cultivation. The plan has been sent to your personal terminals."

The group looked at each other, then laughed.

With Xuanji supervising, there's no way to slack off.

"Furthermore," Lin Yi's tone shifted, his expression becoming more serious, "After I leave Silver Blue Star this time, I don't know when I'll be back. To avoid a repeat of the situation when I was trapped in the secret realm, I've decided to establish a ' Civilization Development Guarantee Fund '."

He looked at Li Zhenguo: "I sold a considerable amount of resources at the World Derivation level and Star Domain level this time. This fund will be managed entirely by Xuanji. The fund has only one objective: to ensure that the Silver Blue Civilization has sufficient resources to maintain normal operations and continue to develop in key areas, regardless of my presence."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhenguo and the others were taken aback at first, then their eyes lit up with excitement.

They all experienced the difficult five thousand years since Lin Yi disappeared.

Although Aurelia and the remnants of the East Peak Mercenary Group fought with all their might, many long-term plans still had to be put on hold.

"Xuanji," Lin Yi instructed Xuanji, "You will have full authority to oversee and operate this fund. Its principle is to ensure the emergency resource allocation and basic operation of the civilization in the event of a sudden major crisis. Furthermore, it will provide additional funding support for groundbreaking research projects and talent cultivation programs within the civilization."

"All operational records and fund flows of the fund must be completely transparent and subject to dual supervision by you and the Civilization Supervision Committee."

"Yes, Master." Xuanji's palace-clad phantom bowed slightly. "The 'Civilization Continuation and Emergency Development Guarantee Fund' has been established, and the regulatory agreement and operating charter have been generated simultaneously. I will ensure its healthy operation and provide long-term protection for the Silver Blue Civilization."

Having done all this, Lin Yi felt somewhat relieved.

With this fund and Xuanji's in-depth management, even if he encounters a similar situation of being trapped in a secret realm again in the future, the Silver Blue Civilization will have enough confidence and resources to maintain its operation and will not fall into a helpless predicament.

Fifteen days later.

Above the East Peak Military Academy Silver Blue Star, a dense, dark mass of people were seeing them off.

Nie Chang, Chen Yu, Liu Yuan, Elizabeth, Zhou Yuxuan, Andre— all the Veteran Platform of Eastern Edge— came.

Li Zhenguo, Zhou Donglai, and other high-ranking officials were all present, along with the resurrected soldiers and countless civilians who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

Lin Yi, along with his Fearless Avatar and Aurelia, stood at the forefront.

"That's enough for now," Lin Yi said with a smile, looking at everyone. "It's not like I'm not coming back."

Nie Chang stepped forward and saluted. "Commander, take care."

"Take care, Lao Nie." Lin Yi patted him on the shoulder. "Eastern Edge is still in your hands."

"Yes!"

After giving a few more instructions, Lin Yi didn't linger any longer.

He took one last look at those familiar faces, then raised his hand and tore open the space.

A flash of silver light, and the two disappeared.

Zi Chen Star, top floor of the Executive Committee Building.

Ming Luo stood in front of the huge viewing window, deep in thought.

Sensing the spatial fluctuations, he turned around, a smile spreading across his face, "Brother Lin Yi, you're back so soon? Why not stay home a few more days?"

Lin Yi and Aurelia emerged from the spatial ripples.

"Everything has been arranged," Lin Yi said. "Next, I plan to return to Origin Star to cultivate, and then come back after the selection process in Secret Realm One officially begins."

Ming Luo laughed upon hearing this, "Brother Lin Yi, there's really no need for you to come back. No matter how strict the selection criteria are, how could they possibly filter you out? As for the Purple Gold Star Union's selection process, don't worry, I'll be keeping an eye on it."

Lin Yi smiled and said, "Just in case. Here's what we'll do: I'll go back to Origin Star first, and you can let me know when the selection process begins."

"Okay," Ming Luo readily agreed.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Lin Yi got up to say goodbye.

After leaving the Executive Committee building, Lin Yi, along with his clone and Aurelia, headed directly to the ultra-distant stargate port on Zi Chen Star.

After all, Zi Chen Star is still too far from the Origin Star. Relying solely on long-distance teleportation would consume too much divine power. Unless it's particularly urgent, using a god-level spaceship for long-distance travel is more cost-effective.

--

Origin Star, Manor.

The Shadow Shuttle landed on the landing pad, the hatch opened, and Lin Yi and Aurelia stepped out.

The manor remains exactly as it was when they left it, with intelligent Mechanical Servants quietly going about their business, and exotic flowers and plants in the garden growing peacefully under the simulated lighting of the artificial Sky Curtain.

"Ellie." Lin Yi called out to Aurelia was preparing to return to her residence to cultivate.

Aurelia stopped and turned around, her icy blue eyes looking at him. "Commander?"

Lin Yi took out a crystal box from his storage space and handed it over.

"This is..." Aurelia took the crystal box, somewhat puzzled.

"Open it and take a look," Lin Yi said with a smile.

Aurelia opened the box as instructed.

An extremely rich life force instantly spread out, and inside the box lay a crystal that was entirely emerald green, with what appeared to be liquid flowing inside.

The crystal surface naturally exudes the meaning of the Life Law; just one glance is enough to make one feel refreshed and as if one has become a few years younger.

"Sacred Source Crystals?"

Aurelia immediately recognized the famous treasure and was startled.

She suddenly looked up at Lin Yi, "I can't accept this. You also cultivate the Life Law, and you need it more than I do."

Lin Yi laughed upon hearing this, "Is it possible that I no longer need it? Keep it, and use it to break through the Life Law in one go when you try to do so in the future?"

"No longer needed?"

Aurelia paused for a moment, then, as if realizing something, quickly said, "Could it be that your Life Law has already..."

Lin Yi winked at her and said, "Yes."

Upon hearing Lin Yi's words, Aurelia immediately smiled broadly, "Congratulations, Commander."

She wasn't too surprised that Lin Yi had mastered the Life Law so quickly; in her mind, it wasn't anything particularly surprising that it happened to Lin Yi.

However, after looking at the Sacred Source Crystals in the box, Aurelia still declined.

"But this is too precious, I can't accept it. Commander, you can sell it and exchange it for the resources you need for your cultivation."

She knew all too well the value of the Sacred Source Crystals; it was a top-tier strategic resource even within the Spirit Race, coveted by countless Star Domain level expert.

"Just accept it as I tell you to." Lin Yi interrupted her directly. "If it were any other resource, I would sell it as I see fit, and buy more when I need it. But this Sacred Source Crystals is different."

"Firstly, it is one of the few treasures that can be used to gain insights into laws at the Rule Stage, which is very beneficial for breaking through to the perfect rule stage."

"Secondly, this thing is in high demand. Even if you sell it and need it later, you might not be able to buy it."

Finally, Lin Yi slowly said, "Besides, with my current strength, the value of a Sacred Source Crystals won't increase much. And besides, you promised me something, you can't forget that."

Aurelia was stunned.

Looking into Lin Yi's deep and earnest eyes, then glancing down at the Sacred Source Crystals in her hand, which radiated a powerful Life Law, she finally didn't refuse again. She simply gripped the jade box tightly in her hand and nodded emphatically, "I... I understand."

Lin Yi immediately laughed, "Go on, cultivate diligently."

Aurelia nodded again, turned and left, her steps more determined than usual.

After watching Aurelia leave, Lin Yi returned to his training room.

With a slight thought, he summoned Xuanji.

"Xuanji, help me connect to the Human Race Special Talent Cultivation Roster System."

"Command confirmed, connecting. Connection successful."

An invisible access control interface unfolded in Lin Yi's mind.

"Open my personal status page and find the 'Rules Mastery Progress' submission and reward claim module."

"Already transferred out."

Lin Yi focused his attention on the "Life Law" section.

[Mastery of the Life Law: 100% (Complete Mastery)]

[Status: Not submitted for review, reward not claimed]

"Xuanji, submit the application for 'Complete Mastery of the Life Law ' using my own soul fluctuations and law imprints as proof, and simultaneously apply to receive the list Points and resource rewards for this stage," Lin Yi instructed.

Although he had just acted very extravagantly in front of Aurelia, seemingly not caring much about the Sacred Source Crystals, Lin Yi knew his own situation best.

Although he currently has some resources, considering the cultivation of the Law of Death, the purchase of upgrade treasures for the Eternal Armor, and the investment in arcane combat techniques, he is actually still quite poor.

The rewards one can claim from the list for fully mastering a high-level law are quite substantial.

"Application submitted for review. Approved!"

Xuanji said, "Master, the Directory System has confirmed that your Life Law has reached 100% mastery. The corresponding reward: 10 million Directory Points, has been credited to your account."

Ten million directory Points!

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lin Yi's eyes.

This Points is enough for him to redeem a lot of rare resources that he urgently needs.

Furthermore, according to Xuan Yan, the clan will also provide an additional clan merit subsidy to the geniuses who enter the Secret Realm One.

Lin Yi pondered to himself, "I wonder how much that clan merit subsidy will be. If the amount is decent, perhaps with these ten million rank Points, I might be able to fully master the Law of Death before entering the Secret Realm One!"