Conjectures and Surprises

Lin Yi stood silently in the pure white void, his mind churning like a storm in a starry sea.

Scenes from my rebirth flashed uncontrollably before my eyes.

The Blue Star Civilization Advancement Assessment resulted in an individual being rated level 7, exceptionally admitted to the highest-level "Special Talent Cultivation Roster" of the Human Race, causing a sensation.

In the Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle, he overpowered Edith, the strongest prodigy of the contemporary Spirit Race, and won the championship.

That was a stage that brought together the top geniuses of countless civilizations and billions of races under the Pan-Spirit Alliance, and his name resounded throughout the starry sea.

Having endured five thousand years in the Myriad Secret Realm, surviving against all odds, establishing the "Star Source Society," carving a bloody path through boundless blood mist, reversing the battlefield situation in the Two Realms Abyss, and now possessing perfect mastery of the four laws of time, space, life, and death.

Just now, he was in the gathering square of the Spirit Race fortress, surrounded by powerful gods and spirits from different races, exchanging greetings and Contact Mark.

The Abyss Race and the Devouring Race even listed him at the top of their "Pride List," regarding him as a threatening target that must be eliminated first.

The result of the examination at this mysterious "Secret Realm One," or rather, the "Origin Universe Tower," was a dismissive remark—"Slightly talented?"

These four words, like a cold steel needle, pierced through a long-standing bubble.

Lin Yi forced himself to calm down, eliminating meaningless emotional fluctuations, and began to conduct the most rational analysis.

He thought to himself that there were only two possibilities for such an evaluation.

The first possibility is that the white Light Sphere's probe can penetrate the deepest barrier of his soul, completely eliminating the influence of the Purple Mist Space, and directly assessing his original talent.

This thought sent a chill down Lin Yi's spine.

The Purple Mist Space, and the "Spiritual Enlightenment Qi" transformed from it, is his greatest secret and reliance since his rebirth.

This secret is hidden deep within his Soul Origin, and it had never been seen through when he faced the Spirit Race ruler before.

In his mind, the Purple Mist Space must be at an extremely high level, perhaps even beyond his current understanding.

If the detection Light Sphere of this "Origin Universe Tower" can easily see through the concealment of the Purple Mist Space, it can directly assess the true talent after removing the "cheat code".

Just how terrifying must the level of the Origin Universe Tower itself be?

It's terrifying to think about.

The second possibility is that the problem lies not in the detection accuracy, but in the evaluation criteria themselves.

Lin Yi actually preferred this option.

Thinking of this, his gaze returned to the other lines of text on the screen:

[Realm Assessment: Star Source Realm 3]

[Comprehension Assessment: Fifth Rank of the Star Source Realm]

Star Source Realm?

This is a completely unfamiliar term.

The Origin Universe Tower clearly uses a different evaluation system.

He recalled the information he had received earlier: the initial level for a god-level expert to enter the secret realm was roughly between level 40 and 47.

The "50th floor" that the Xuan Yan had vaguely mentioned clearly corresponds to the Venerable Lord Rank of strength.

Considering the immense importance the three races placed on the "Secret Realm One," even going so far as to sign a ceasefire agreement and strictly control internal information, this further underscores the immense importance they placed on it.

A bold deduction gradually took shape in Lin Yi's mind.

This Origin Universe Tower, or rather this secret realm itself, contains mysteries, and its level is probably higher than imagined.

After all, the Venerable Lord Rank is only at level 50. By extension, the Dominator level might correspond to around level 60, and the legendary "Supreme" level might only be around level 70?

So what realm do the 80th, 90th, and even theoretically possible 99th floors correspond to?

The idea itself is chilling.

Furthermore, we can deduce this from the correspondence between the title "Star Source Realm" and the number of levels.

Considering that only those at the Star Core level can enter the secret realm, let's assume that the Star Core level is equivalent to "Star Source Realm Level 1".

Therefore, the Star Domain level corresponds exactly to the "Star Source Realm, Stage Three".

The level of divine-level comprehension of laws corresponds exactly to the "fifth rank of the Star Source Realm".

If this hypothesis is true, what does that mean?

This means that the major realms considered insurmountable barriers in the Main Universe, from the Star Core to the star field, to the gods who create Divine Kingdom and wield the laws, and even higher, may all be classified under a major realm called "Star Origin" in the evaluation system of the Origin Universe Tower.

Could it be that, on a grander scale, the Star Core and the Eternal Divinity are merely different tiers within the same great realm?

As for Star Dust, he might even be directly expelled from the ranks of cultivators.

The impact of this realization was far more profound than the assessment of "having some talent" itself.

If that's the case, then the assessment of "having some talent" actually becomes "reasonable".

Within the broader framework of the "Star Source Realm," his comprehension level (fifth rank) is only two minor ranks higher than the Origin Energy Realm (third rank). This level of advancement, being considered as having some talent, seems plausible, doesn't it?

After all, assuming the source energy is at the third tier of the Star Core, and the Rule Comprehension is at the fifth tier of the Star Core, wouldn't that mean one has a slight talent?

But it is precisely this plausibility that makes it all the more alarming.

It overturned all known common sense about cultivation and unveiled the unfathomable corner beneath the iceberg of the cosmic power system.

"No wonder. No wonder all specific information about the interior of the secret realm is strictly sealed off and released uniformly by the Supreme Command. No wonder Xuan Yan was vague when he mentioned the 50th floor."

Lin Yi stood in the pure white void, silent for a long time.

Many vague doubts, the subtle attitude of the higher-ups, and the special nature of the secret realm itself all seemed to connect at this moment, pointing to a truth far beyond his current level of understanding.

The waters here are far deeper, far more complex than he had anticipated.

There were so many that even the most seasoned expert, with only a superficial understanding, would feel their own insignificance and experience an indescribable sense of dread.

After a long while, Lin Yi took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, as if to expel all the shock and chaotic thoughts from his chest.

His gaze hardened once more.

50 floors!

The number clearly appeared in Lin Yi's mind.

The Xuan Yan hinted at this, indicating the level of Venerable Lord Rank strength.

"There's no point in thinking about it now," Lin Yi told himself. "Insufficient intelligence, lack of depth—all our speculations are just castles in the air."

The truth may be shocking, but for him, the only meaningful thing at this moment is to make good use of this secret realm, seize every opportunity, and improve his strength!

He reaffirmed his core goal: to become stronger, constantly stronger, until he was qualified to touch and understand the truth hidden behind the fog.

"It seems that there are indeed too many things that are unclear until one reaches the level of a Venerable Lord." Lin Yi sighed inwardly, then completely cut off his unnecessary worries.

He then refocused his attention on the screen in front of him, especially on the last reminder about equipment.

[Reminder: You can choose to bring equipment to increase your initial entry level. Once the initial entry level is determined, it will not decrease on subsequent entries. Currently, considering the equipment you are carrying, your initial entry level in the Origin Universe Tower is 45.]

The meaning of this statement is very clear.

The Origin Universe Tower allows entrants to bring equipment below the Venerable Lord Rank, and the initial floor you enter will be determined based on the overall combat power boost from the equipment.

However, if you enter a higher level with a powerful treasure, but accidentally lose or damage the treasure in the secret realm, causing your strength to decrease, then the next time you enter the secret realm, you will still start from the initially confirmed higher level, and the level will not be lowered according to your reduced strength.

Risk at your own risk.

"Put it on me," Lin Yi thought quickly. "If I'm sure I'm carrying all the equipment, and with the high-level divine power enhanced by the Fearless War God and other treasures, I can enter the 45th floor. Even if something unexpected happens inside, and the Fearless War God Clone is destroyed, I'll still start from the 45th floor next time I enter."

That would undoubtedly be fatal.

On the 45th floor, where high-level deities gather, someone with strength that doesn't even reach the level of a deity would find it extremely difficult to move forward; they could very well be eliminated instantly.

However, Lin Yi hardly hesitated.

"Bring all your gear and head to floor 45!"

Risk and reward always go hand in hand.

Higher levels mean more Points, more valuable resources, and faster promotion speed.

Lin Yi had enough confidence in his ability to save his own life.

He believed that even if he were surrounded and attacked on the 45th floor, and couldn't win, he would still have a very high chance of escaping.

With opportunity before us, how can we back down out of fear of risk?

Having made up his mind, Lin Yi no longer hesitated and said directly to the pure white Light Sphere floating in the center of the void, "I choose to enter the 45th floor."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Light Sphere trembled slightly.

A soft yet strangely vibrant seven-colored light shot out from the Light Sphere and instantly entered Lin Yi's brow.

Lin Yi felt a chill between his brows, as if an invisible mark had been imprinted deep within his soul.

Immediately afterwards, information about the purpose of this mark naturally came to mind.

This mark is his identity certificate within the "Origin Universe Tower," as well as his life-saving charm and core function.

When he is near death, the mark will teleport him directly out of the secret realm, or he can actively activate the mark to return to this pure white initial space.

Although this will result in the loss of most of the loot from this secret realm, it will at least save one's life.

Lin Yi also understood why all three races had a giant fortress outside the secret realm. Obviously, this was not only to receive people entering the secret realm, but also to facilitate the rescue of those who were knocked out of the secret realm.

Furthermore, through this mark, he can check how many Points the treasures within the secret realm are worth.

All the treasures and resources obtained in the secret realm can only be taken out of the secret realm and returned to this white space by passing through the white vortexes that exist at specific locations on each level.

Here, he can exchange any unwanted treasures he brought out for "Origin Universe Tower Points".

At the same time, Points can be used to redeem various treasures offered by the Origin Universe Tower.

The higher the level, the higher the exchange privileges, and the more precious the treasures you can access.

The functions are clearly defined, and the rules are clear.

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively said, "I want to check the exchange list."

The next moment, a light screen with the same style as before unfolded before our eyes:

[Origin Universe Tower Points: 0]

[Exchange Permission: Floor 45]

Below, the list is clearly divided into five categories: Arcane Arts, Mysterious Treasures, Equipment, Resources, and Miscellaneous Items, with further subdivisions within each category.

For example, the arcane arts category is further subdivided into: attack arcane arts, defense arcane arts, support arcane arts, and special arcane arts.

Lin Yi quickly browsed through the information.

The list was overflowing with items, ranging from Star Core level to God level. Many of the treasures had names and effects that were unheard of, clearly containing rare inheritances that even the Pan-Spirit Alliance and the three top races might not possess.

He first clicked on the Arcane Arts category, and after a quick scan, he saw several profound Arcane Arts prefixed with "Time and Space," "Life and Death," and "Annihilation." The zeros after the prices dazzled him, clearly indicating that they were far beyond what he could hope for with his current zero Points.

Among the treasures, some one-time-use offensive treasures are also incredibly expensive.

In the equipment category, ordinary god-level weapons and armor are relatively cheap, but those with special effects have prices that rise sharply.

Lin Yi didn't linger and immediately clicked on the materials category.

This is the part that he is most likely to quickly utilize and convert into immediate combat power.

The Resources category is divided into four subcategories: Cultivation, Comprehension, Support, and Special.

He saw familiar source energy cultivation treasures, from low-level Star Core essence and star vortex crystals to Sacred Source Fruit, all of which were on the list and could directly help improve his source energy realm.

Next came the treasures containing insights into the laws of each element.

It includes almost all the treasures that can aid in comprehending the known laws.

Lin Yi saw treasures like the "Void Nether Stone" and "Time Abyss Source Marrow" that he had used or heard of before, but the list also contained many similar items with stronger or more obscure effects.

However, just as he finished quickly browsing through the treasures of the Law of Gold and clicked on the auxiliary category, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

[Low-order Source Essence Crystal (standard units)]

[Description: A low-level Source Essence condensate, containing the mysteries of the Cosmic Source Realm laws and evolutionary energy.]

[Redemption requires: 500,000 Origin Universe Tower Points per unit]

Source Essence Crystal?

Lin Yi's pupils suddenly contracted.

This is a strategic resource concerning the rise and fall of a race!

Here, in the Origin Universe Tower's redemption list, you can actually see prices clearly listed and redeemable with Points?

"That's right. Given the high level that the Origin Universe Tower has demonstrated, the appearance of Source Essence Crystal doesn't seem so incomprehensible."

A sudden realization dawned on Lin Yi.

The mystery and importance of this Secret Realm One, or the Origin Universe Tower, are clearly greater than those of the Myriad Secret Realm.

The three races signed a ceasefire agreement, Spirit Race ruler personally appeared to announce the ironclad rules, classifying all internal information as top secret.

It seems reasonable that such a place could provide a stable source of Source Essence.

After the initial relief came an overwhelming sense of excitement!

"My Spiritual Enlightenment Qi is almost depleted!"

Lin Yi immediately realized what this meant.

Whether among Human Race or Spirit Race, Source Essence is a strategic resource with extremely strict control. It is usually only available for limited exchange to Eternal Divinity who are about to break through to the Origin Law realm. With his current status, even with clan honors, he has no way of accessing it.

Previously, he had thought that he could only rely on time to slowly accumulate Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, and that the improvement of his understanding of the laws would inevitably enter a period of stagnation with extremely slow growth.

But I never expected that I could redeem it directly here!

"Although we don't know how much Source Essence is contained in one standard unit of low-level Source Essence Crystal, at least it's a stable source!"

Lin Yi took a deep breath, suppressing his craving for the Source Essence, and continued browsing the list.

When he saw the list of materials and their brief descriptions in the miscellaneous category, his emotions, which had just begun to calm down, surged violently again.

[Void Crystal (Top Grade) - Formed from deep within spatial rifts at the dawn of the universe.]

[Boundary Stone (Advanced) - Core remnants formed after the collapse of a small world.]

[Time Sand (Top Grade) - Strange grains of sand occasionally washed away from the edge of the river of time.]

The list was long, covering almost every material he knew, and the core materials needed for the "Growthable Eternal Artifact Armor" that he had commissioned Spirit Race master craftsman Astra to design were prominently featured!

"As expected. High risk, high reward. Level 45, corresponding resource access." Lin Yi's eyes gleamed. The slight gloom caused by the "slight talent" evaluation had been completely dispelled by his strong anticipation for the future.

This secret realm is far more than just a place to improve one's strength; it is a treasure trove where one can obtain high-level resources that are unimaginable or even nonexistent in the outside world!

It took Lin Yi several minutes to barely suppress his excitement and force himself to look away from the tempting names of the materials.

Thinking too much is pointless; with zero Points, all goals are castles in the air.

What you need to do now is get to the 45th floor, survive, and earn Points!

Lin Yi took a deep breath, checked his own condition, and then took a step forward, his figure instantly disappearing into the pure white vortex.

A familiar sense of time travel washed over me, but unlike the chaos when I entered the secret realm, this teleportation was smooth and brief.

The scene before my eyes suddenly changed.

The pure white nothingness vanished, replaced by a cold, deathly silence.

The void of the universe.

Lin Yi floated in the void, with deep, boundless darkness beneath his feet, dotted with distant and cold starlight.

Not far from him, a huge celestial body emitting a deep blue hue floated silently.

Its extreme gravity warps space, causing the surrounding starlight to be strangely deflected and focused, forming a blurry halo—that is a neutron star.

However, this meant nothing to Lin Yi.

He ignored the neutron star and, the instant his form solidified, immediately used his Soul Power to scan the surrounding void, meticulously sensing every energy fluctuation, spatial ripple, and even the possible presence of life.

At the same time, his mind raced. "Xuanji, perform a full scan of the surrounding environment! Activate all detection modes, analyze the energy spectrum, spatial structure, and matter distribution! Focus on detecting any signs of other life forms or identification signals from the Pan-Spirit Alliance!"

"Yes, Master. Comprehensive environmental scanning is initiating energy spectral analysis. Spatial curvature mapping is in progress. Trace material distribution detection is underway. Pan-Spirit Alliance universal frequency band signal detection is in progress."

Xuanji's response resounded directly in his consciousness.

A moment later, Xuanji's report came through, "Master, preliminary scan complete. No obvious signs of intelligent life energy were detected. The spatial structure is relatively stable, with periodic minor ripples due to the gravitational field of the neutron star ahead, but the amplitude is within the safe threshold. No Pan-Spirit Alliance identification signal was received."

Lin Yi nodded slightly, not surprised by the result.

It's normal if it's not there.

According to the information released, each level of this secret realm is so vast that it is almost boundless, approaching the size of the territory of a powerful clan.

In such a vast space, the probability of an entrant being randomly scattered and appearing directly next to another life form is extremely low.

After initially confirming that the environment was safe, Lin Yi immediately began the next step of the operation.

With a thought, the void around him rippled slightly.

Two figures appeared silently, identical in appearance to him, with calm demeanor; they were his Time-Tracing Clone.

Without any hesitation, Lin Yi took out the Fearless War God metal figurine from his storage bracelet and handed it to one of the Time-Tracing Clone.

The clone took the metal figure, held it up with both hands, and directly merged its soul into it.

Countless complex runes instantly lit up on the surface of the metal figure, rapidly expanding.

Within two short seconds, the silver-gray mechanical divine body was fully revealed, replacing the clone holding the metal figure.

The clone equipped with the Fearless War God's avatar shone with a silver-gray light in its eyes, then nodded to Lin Yi's Main Body, indicating that the fusion was complete and the avatar was in good condition.

Then, the Fearless Avatar stirred slightly, and a tiny silver vortex appeared on its chest.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yi's Main Body and ordinary clone flashed and transformed into two streams of light, disappearing into the silver vortex.

They entered the inner space of the Divine Kingdom of the Fearless War God Clone.

There, they can find relatively safe shelter, while also being able to observe the outside world through their clone's senses and appear instantly when necessary.

This was the initial strategy that Lin Yi formulated after careful consideration.

In a completely unfamiliar and perilous high-level secret realm, sending the Fearless Avatar out on missions is the safest option.

The Main Body and ordinary clones are hidden in the Divine Kingdom, which can ensure safety and provide support or evacuation at any time.

After all this was done, only the clone carrying the mechanical body of the Fearless War God remained in the outside world.

Then, a stream of light flew out from the Divine Kingdom and unfolded in the void.

It was a suit of armor that was dark silver in color, with a surface covered with a fine, scale-like structure. The edges of the scales flowed with a dark, spatial luster, as if they could absorb the surrounding light.

This was precisely the "Void Dragon Scale Armor" that Lin Yi had specifically exchanged before entering the secret realm.

With a thought, the Fearless Avatar sent the Void Dragon Scale Armor flying towards it, precisely fitting every part of its divine body and quickly completing the donning process.

The clone moved slightly, sensing the subtle resonance between the armor, the divine body, and its own understanding of the Space Law, confirming that its state was perfect.

Immediately afterwards, the body of the Fearless War God, covered in Void Dragon Scale Armor, along with his face, began to flow like mercury.

Within just two seconds, the divine body underwent significant changes.

The originally cold, hard, silver-gray mechanical facial structure was altered to resemble the face of a Human Race male.

This face has a few barely perceptible strands of gray hair mixed in with its black hair, and its brows and eyes show signs of hardship, with a sharp yet reserved gaze.

This is exactly what Lin Yi looked like in his previous life.

This appearance, along with that weathered air, was already etched deep into his soul, and now it was perfectly reproduced through the mimicry ability of the Fearless War God's divine body.

For thousands of years, this face has been his trademark in the starry sky for the Relyat Mercenary Group.

In this perilous and secret realm, using it as a disguise is perfectly appropriate.

Even if someone saw or recorded it, it would be almost impossible to connect it with his goal of being number one on the Pan-Spirit Alliance's Prodigy Ranking.

After the transformation was complete, Lin Yi issued commands through the soul connection.

"Xuanji, summon the spaceship."

The equipment on his wrist glowed slightly, and a silver-gray beam of light was projected into the void in front of him.

The space rippled like water, and a dark silver spaceship slowly emerged from the folded space.

The spacecraft hatch slid open silently.

Lin Yi glanced back at the dark blue neutron star one last time, then moved, transforming into an inconspicuous dark streak of light and darting into the spaceship.

The hatch closed swiftly behind him, completely isolating him from the cold, empty space outside.

Lin Yi stood directly in front of the control panel and instructed, "Xuanji, take control of the spaceship. Activate the maximum power 'Shadow' stealth mode to shield all conventional energy radiation and spatial fluctuations. Scan the neutron star ahead and its surrounding star region to create a star map model. Then, select a star region with relatively dense matter, where there may be hidden resources or clues, and proceed at full speed."

"Yes, Master. Shadow Mode activated. Spatial fluctuation camouflage layer applied. Scanning in progress. Star map modeling in progress."

The hidden runes on the spaceship's hull lit up one by one, and then the entire ship blended into the darkness of the background.

"Preliminary scan complete. Within the gravitational field of the neutron star ahead, three suspected high-density matter accumulation zones and seven spatial anomalies have been detected."

"The course has been selected to a dark nebula region exhibiting anomalous gravitational lensing effects. It is estimated that it will take 17 standard days to reach the edge."

"Set off."

Lin Yi gave a concise order, his voice echoing in the quiet control room, carrying the crisp and efficient quality characteristic of his mercenary career in his previous life.

Soon, the entire spaceship, like a ghost in the darkness, silently accelerated, quickly entering warp drive at the speed of light, and sped towards the dark nebula region where opportunities or dangers might exist.