Emergency Meeting, Awkward Ellis

At the same time, Lin Yi had a thought, and he took out the silver-gray "Time Source Law Vein Diagram" from his Divine Kingdom, which floated in front of him.

When the ultimate state of enlightenment brought about by the burning of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi combines with the special fluctuations continuously released in the meridian diagram, a wondrous qualitative change occurs.

The dark void that had previously rendered even the perfect laws of time helpless now seemed to have been infused with a faint but undeniably present ray of starlight.

The Time Origin Law are no longer untraceable!

Through the blazing purple flames and the resonant waves emanating from the network diagram, Lin Yi's consciousness finally "saw" it.

They are vague, abstract, and elusive, like viewing the outline of distant mountains through a constantly changing thick fog, yet they can indeed be perceived and touched.

That is the "Origin Law" of time, a more fundamental manifestation of the concept of "time" itself, transcending the level of laws.

"This is it. Grab it!"

Lin Yi roared inwardly, immersing himself completely in the process, like the most devout apprentice, trying to guide his soul to resonate and connect more deeply with these vague connections.

Cultivation knows no time, especially when one's consciousness is fully immersed in the exploration of the universe's highest mysteries.

Four hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye, a period of profound reflection.

In the quiet room, Lin Yi, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes.

In the depths of his eyes, it seemed as if countless tiny grains of time were slowly flowing, forming a profound rhythm that was difficult to describe.

His aura did not become stronger; instead, it became more restrained and harmonious. However, a faint sense of presence lingered around him, a subtle manifestation of a higher level of power.

"Finally, I touched it!"

Lin Yi murmured to himself, his voice carrying a hint of barely concealed joy.

After four hundred years of arduous cultivation, with the dual blessing of the Time Source Law Vein Diagram and the burning Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, he finally achieved a crucial breakthrough from nothing to something—truly comprehending and mastering a wisp of the Time Origin Law.

Although this glimmer of insight was so faint as to be almost negligible, according to his estimation, it amounted to only about 0.01% of the overall Time Origin Law.

But this was a qualitative change, from nothing to something!

With this 0.01% as a foundation and guide, subsequent insights will be like having road signs and directions, making the process far more efficient than the initial blind exploration.

"The hardest part is always the beginning, but we've finally taken that first difficult step."

Lin Yi a sigh of relief, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

He did not immediately continue to engage in contemplation.

The intense soul activity that had continued for four hundred years, even with the support of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, left him feeling somewhat fatigued.

He needs a short break to sort out his findings and get a feel for the situation outside.

Lin Yi's mind stirred slightly. "Xuanji, retrieve the brief records and resolution summaries of all core meetings of the Frost Eternal Base during my seclusion."

"Yes, Master." Xuanji's voice responded quickly, and several encrypted meeting Information Flow entered Lin Yi's consciousness.

Lin Yi quickly browsed through the pages.

Because he was in deep seclusion, he chose to be absent from several routine core meetings held over the past four hundred years.

According to base rules, absence from meetings with a valid reason is permitted, but the attendee is required to review the meeting minutes afterward to stay informed of the latest Dynamic.

The meeting minutes show that the base's daily operations and mission arrangements are proceeding normally.

However, one thing caught Lin Yi's attention: according to the summary of intelligence from the outer perimeter, the frequency of conflicts within the alien forces and between the alien races and the Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces showed a clear downward trend.

Conversely, small-scale skirmishes and reconnaissance/infiltration incidents have increased in the areas bordering the Pan-Spirit Alliance -controlled territories of these two forces.

Fortunately, Ellis's presence at Frost Eternal Base created a formidable deterrent effect.

Several provocations or conflicts that slightly crossed the line were forcefully repelled or suppressed. The Pan-Spirit Alliance did not suffer any losses; on the contrary, they gained some advantages.

Lin Yi was not surprised by this. He was not familiar with the situation of the alien races, but on the side of the Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces, although there were also powerful cultivators who cultivated both space and time, they had not been promoted to the level of high gods for long and were still hanging around on the 46th floor.

On the other hand, the Pan-Spirit Alliance has Ellis here. With his terrifying strength as he is about to master the Time Origin Law and his top-notch dual cultivation of time and space, he can indeed be called a local overlord, enough to deter the villains.

However, in the summary of the most recent meeting fifty years ago, Bota of the Machine Race raised a point that required serious attention:

[Analysis of conflict data from the past three centuries shows that the frequency of internal strife among various factions of different races has decreased by approximately 97%, while the frequency of medium- to large-scale conflicts between them and the Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces has decreased by approximately 82%. Simultaneously, reconnaissance, probing, and small-scale clashes between the two forces on the periphery of our controlled territory have increased by approximately 415%.]

Based on the above data changes, it is reasonable to infer that: a temporary tacit understanding or loose alliance may have been reached within the alien races; and after the last medium-scale conflict, an informal "ceasefire" or "restraint" agreement may have been formed between the alien races and the Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces. Currently, both sides are focusing more of their resources and attention on our sphere of influence.

[Recommendation: All patrol teams should raise their alert level and strengthen monitoring of known high-risk areas. This trend requires the high attention of all members, especially those at the decision-making level.]

Upon seeing this, Lin Yi felt a slight chill.

"The storm is coming is brewing," he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed slightly.

Bota's analysis is logically clear and supported by strong data.

The fact that the alien races and the Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces are simultaneously reducing their internal strife and increasing their pressure on the Pan-Spirit Alliance is definitely not a good sign.

This likely means that they are preparing for some larger-scale joint action, or at least have reached some kind of consensus against the Pan-Spirit Alliance.

Pressure is building at the Frost Eternal Base.

"Although it seems like a great battle is imminent," Lin Yi stood up, paced a few steps in the quiet room, his eyes flashing, "It is precisely at times like these that we must not lose our composure, nor should we allow potential threats to disrupt our cultivation rhythm."

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes hardening.

"Strength is the only true measure of success in any situation! Even if Frost Eternal Base faces temporary pressure, or even if it is temporarily lost in the worst-case scenario, as long as the core strength is preserved, once my understanding of the Time Origin Law reaches 1%, I can definitely lead everyone to take it back!"

Having figured out the key point, the sense of urgency in Lin Yi's heart did not make him anxious, but instead transformed into a stronger motivation for cultivation.

He sat down cross-legged again and instructed Xuanji:

"Xuanji, I'm going to continue my seclusion and cultivation. Don't disturb me unless there's an emergency."

After saying that, Lin Yi closed his eyes again.

Deep within his soul, the purple Spiritual Enlightenment Qi was once again stirred and burst into flames!

Before him, the "Time Source Law Vein Diagram" continued to emanate a gentle yet profound resonance.

With that 0.01% of the Origin Law insight as a seed and anchor point, entering the state of insight again feels completely different.

Lin Yi was no longer aimlessly touching that dark void, but was able to perceive the connection between his own faint Origin Law imprint and the larger Origin Law network in the network diagram with relative clarity.

The process of enlightenment becomes a continuous process of understanding, absorbing, and assimilating along this connection, allowing one's own seeds to slowly sprout and grow.

Time, in the midst of selfless meditation, once again accelerated its passage.

After one hundred standard years, Lin Yi's understanding of the Time Origin Law steadily increased to 0.23%.

In the 500th standard year, the level of understanding has exceeded 0.58%.

In the 800th standard year, the level of understanding reached 0.81%.

In the 1300th standard year, the perception level had been painstakingly raised to 0.93%.

Only 0.07% remain to reach that iconic 1% entry threshold.

At this moment, his understanding of the nature of time and his way of looking at the world underwent a subtle change. Many time phenomena that he had taken for granted in the past could now be seen to have their underlying principles revealed at a more fundamental level.

The mysteries of the Origin Law are like a bottomless abyss. The deeper one goes, the more one feels its vastness and one's own insignificance. However, the increase in understanding the essence of power that comes with deeper comprehension is intoxicating.

Lin Yi was completely immersed in the slow but determined climb, without any distractions.

Until this day.

"Owner."

Xuanji's voice carried a solemnity unlike her usual tone, resonating deep within Lin Yi's soul, gently yet firmly awakening him from his profound state of enlightenment.

"Frost Eternal Base issued an emergency notice: An emergency core meeting will be held in the decision-making hall one standard time later."

Lin Yi suddenly opened his eyes, and the illusion of time flowing in his eyes quickly settled.

"Emergency core meeting. Since this is such an important matter, we don't mind taking a little longer to prepare the catalogue effects."

Lin Yi made a decision in an instant.

Cultivation can continue, but if something goes wrong with the base and this stable stronghold is lost, everything else will be meaningless.

"Xuanji, immediately dispatch a commuter Flying Shuttle to the decision-making hall."

As Lin Yi gave the instructions, he put away the meridian diagram and then concealed his aura.

Three minutes later, Lin Yi boarded the Flying Shuttle.

The Flying Shuttle sped along the complex air routes within the base. The scenery outside the window seemed largely unchanged from over a thousand years ago, still bustling and orderly, filled with the chilling atmosphere of war.

But Lin Yi could vaguely sense that the atmosphere in the air seemed to be more somber than before.

Upon arriving at the decision-making hall, the heavy metal doors slid open silently.

More than thirty Origin Treasure Deities were already seated around the oval, dark gold table.

Prison Suppressor and Sijia had already arrived. When they saw Lin Yi enter, they both nodded slightly to him, their expressions more serious than usual. Most of the other deities also had solemn expressions and were talking in hushed tones. The atmosphere in the hall was noticeably more tense than in previous routine meetings.

Lin Yi walked to his seat to Ellis's left and sat down comfortably.

He could feel many eyes lingering on him briefly. After all, Ellis had already publicly stated that Lin Yi was the one who would "take charge of the base" in the future. Now that a powerful enemy might be approaching, the attitude and reaction of this newly promoted powerhouse on whom high hopes were placed were naturally attracting much attention.

Time passed second by second, Origin Treasure Deities gradually arrived.

Shortly after the last deity took his seat, the main doors of the conference hall reopened.

Ellis, dressed in a simple long robe, strode in, and all the gods, including Lin Yi, stood up at the same time.

"Your Excellency Ellis."

Ellis nodded slightly and walked straight to the head seat to sit down.

"I've summoned you all here temporarily because of an important matter that concerns the survival of the Frost Eternal Base."

Upon hearing this, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All eyes were on Ellis, waiting for what would happen next.

Ellis didn't go on with the details, but instead looked at Bota, who was sitting not far to his right. "Bota, tell everyone what's going on."

"Yes, Your Excellency Ellis." Bota stood up in response.

He raised his hand and waved it, and a huge three-dimensional virtual star map instantly unfolded in the center of the hall, clearly marking the boundaries of the Frost Eternal Base, the surrounding star fields, and the known control areas of the Pan-Spirit Alliance Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces.

The star map is still Dynamic adjusting, displaying the latest reconnaissance data.

"About three standard hours ago, multiple sets of concealed ultra-long-range detection nodes we deployed in the direction of the ' Dark Dust Sea ' and the boundary zone of the ' Star Shatter Abyss ' simultaneously transmitted high-energy alerts."

He pointed to two areas on the star map that were far from Frost Eternal Base and close to the sphere of influence of the alien races and the Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces.

"According to preliminary analysis, the alien race detected over 3,100 sources of large-scale gathering divine power fluctuations. The Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces Alliance detected over 3,300 sources of large-scale gathering divine power fluctuations."

"Moreover, these two forces are currently moving from their respective controlled areas, forming a pincer movement, and are making no attempt to conceal their approach towards the border region of our territory. Their trajectory is clear, and their target is the star system where our Frost Eternal Base is located."

He pulled up a set of Dynamic trajectory simulation diagrams, where two huge red arrows slowly converged from both sides of the map toward the green dot representing the Frost Eternal Base.

"Based on their current speed and course, they are expected to reach our outer perimeter within 800 to 850 standard years. This does not even take into account any additional forces that may be hidden within the Divine Kingdom."

Bota paused slightly before offering his assessment. "However, I personally believe they haven't engaged in large-scale power concealment. The reason is simple: if they truly intended to hide their strength and launch a surprise attack, they wouldn't have so directly exposed the power of over six thousand deities."

Over six thousand divine units are targeting Frost Eternal Base!

Even those present, seasoned holders of Yuanbao who had seen it all, became extremely solemn upon hearing this number.

One of the Spirit Race's Origin Treasure Deities couldn't help but speak up, "What are they trying to do? Are they working together to wipe out our Frost Eternal Base in one fell swoop? But why are they so blatantly displaying their power? Isn't this clearly telling us that they're coming and giving us time to prepare?"

Upon hearing this, a Holy Radiance Race Origin Treasure Holder looked at the two red arrows on the star map and analyzed, "I think their alliance is most likely out of necessity. The reason they chose to put their power out in the open is probably due to this extreme distrust between them."

"If one or both sides hide their main forces within their Divine Kingdom, who knows how much real strength the other side has actually deployed? What if they verbally agree to join forces but actually only send a small number of cannon fodder, waiting for us and the other side to fight to the death before coming out to reap the benefits?"

"Therefore, they would rather let us prepare in advance than not deploy their main forces openly. Only in this way can they convince the other party of their sincerity. This certainly gives us warning time, but it also means that their determination to unite is likely very firm, and they intend to crush us with overwhelming force."

This analysis is reasonable and logically sound.

Many of the deities in the hall nodded slightly upon hearing this, their faces showing thoughtful expressions.

"That makes sense." A Origin Treasure Deities of the Thunder Mist Race spoke with a crackling sound of electricity. "By revealing their cards, they've lost the advantage of a surprise attack, but they've avoided the risk of being stabbed in the back by their allies. It seems they're determined this time."

Lin Yi sat in his seat, listening quietly to everyone's analysis and discussion, but his gaze remained fixed on the huge star map in the center.

The fact that over six thousand divine units of alien races and the Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces could mobilize such a large force clearly indicates that it was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the result of a long period of preparation and mobilization.

Bota's earlier warnings about the tacit understanding reached within the alien races and the informal "ceasefire agreement" formed between the alien races and the Abyss were now being brutally proven true.

"Why did they suddenly join forces? They were fighting to the death before." A Spirit Race Origin Treasure Deities asked in bewilderment, "The three of us have been locked in a tug-of-war in this star field for so many years, and although we've had our share of victories and defeats, we've generally maintained a balance. This scale of alliance has never happened before."

Sitting not far from him, a Star Spirit Race pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, "I suspect it might be influenced by Lin Yi's major actions on the 45th floor."

Upon hearing this, many deities instinctively turned their gazes to Lin Yi, who was sitting to Ellis's left.

The Star Spirit Race continued, "Previously, Lord Lin Yi, as a high-level deity, severely injured the Abyssal Abyss-Devouring Allied Forces with a single blow using a Source Treasure. This battle not only demonstrated Lord Lin Yi's astonishing potential, but more importantly, it showcased the immense influence that a Transcendental expert can have on the overall situation."

He paused, his gaze shifting to Ellis in the main seat. "And Ellis is also a dual cultivator of space and time, and has long demonstrated a highly proficient control over Source Treasures. They may not have considered this possibility before, or made up their minds, but after Lin Yi's experience on the 45th floor, they must be worried that once Ellis successfully enters the realm of Time Origin Law, his combat power will undergo a qualitative change, thus influencing the battlefield situation."

"Their joining forces now is perhaps an attempt to concentrate their superior forces and drive us, especially Lord Ellis, out of the Frost Eternal Base before Lord Ellis truly breaks through and his combat power undergoes a fundamental leap, cutting off the channels for exchanging Origin Law auxiliary enlightenment treasures, and delaying or even interrupting Ellis's breakthrough process."

This conjecture was reasonable and logically sound, and many deities expressed their agreement upon hearing it.

"I see. They sensed a threat and wanted to nip the danger in the bud."

"They're getting restless because they fear Ellis might break through."

After finishing his analysis, the Star Spirit Race hesitated for a moment, but ultimately looked at Ellis and asked the question everyone was concerned about, "What is Ellis's current level of understanding of the Time Origin Law?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

Swish!

All eyes in the hall were focused on Ellis, even Lin Yi glanced at the strongest person in the base.

Facing the almost tangible expectant gazes of the crowd, Ellis's face, which seemed covered in ice, showed a rare hint of embarrassment.

He paused for two seconds before slowly speaking, his voice still calm, but lacking its usual absolute confidence and instead tinged with helplessness. "Reaching the level of Origin Law... it's not as easy as you imagine, uh... I'm still a bit short."

It's still a bit short.

These few simple words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the flame of hope that had just been ignited in everyone's hearts.

Disappointment was hard to suppress and appeared on the faces of many of the deities.

Although they all knew that the threshold of the Origin Law was extremely difficult to cross, they still held onto a sliver of hope that this supreme descendant, on whom so much expectation was placed, could create a miracle.

It now appears that the miracle did not occur.

Ellis pursed her lips, said nothing, but turned her gaze to Bota, signaling him to continue.

Bota nodded slightly and continued, "Since Lord Ellis has not yet achieved a crucial breakthrough, the feasible options before us in the face of an attack by more than six thousand enemy divine units are actually not many."

He raised his hand and outlined several arrows and areas on the star map.

"Our first option is to concentrate all our forces and launch a preemptive strike, targeting one of the enemy's two routes for a surprise attack, aiming to severely damage or even defeat one of them before they can converge."

"However, this plan is extremely risky. Since the other side has dared to reveal its strength, it must be prepared for a possible surprise attack. The side we have chosen as our target will most likely not engage us in a direct confrontation, but will instead adopt a containment tactic to tie us down."

"Meanwhile, another enemy force can advance unimpeded straight at our Frost Eternal Base, seize the evacuation point first, and then launch a combined attack on us."

The gods present were well aware of the advantages and disadvantages, but after a moment's thought, they all shook their heads and rejected the plan.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Bota proposed a second plan. "The second method is relatively safe. We should abandon the plan to hold out at Frost Eternal Base. Taking advantage of the 800-year window before the enemy arrives, we should exchange the resources stored in the base, as well as our personal Points, for readily usable treasures to enhance our strength. Then, we should gather all our forces, proactively retreat, preserve our strength, and carry out a strategic transfer."

He pulled up a star map and marked several possible retreat directions and backup rendezvous points.

"In this way, we can avoid a decisive battle with the enemy when we are at a disadvantage, and preserve our core strength. We can wait for Ellis to successfully master the Time Origin Law, or for the enemy alliance to develop cracks, before seizing the opportunity to counterattack and retake the base."

This plan seems to perfectly align with the military principle of "preserving people even if land is lost, thus preserving both people and land."

However, soon enough, some deities raised questions.

A deity of the Holy Radiance Race said, "Actively retreating and abandoning the base, while preserving our strength, also means we've lost our evacuation point and can no longer exchange for the treasures of the Origin Universe Tower. For those stuck at a certain point in their understanding of the Origin Law, their comprehension speed will plummet, and they may not make an inch of progress even in billions of years."

Bota nodded. "That's the crux of the problem. Either we fight them head-on with inferior forces, with little chance of victory, or we abandon the base and retreat to preserve our strength, but losing the exchange channel will bring our individual strength improvement to a near standstill, which would be a major blow to Lord Ellis's pursuit of the Origin Law."

"Whichever path we choose, the enemy will achieve their goal of weakening us and delaying Ellis's breakthrough."

Lin Yi listened to Bota's analysis and nodded in agreement.

This is actually an open strategy.

There are countless bottlenecks, both large and small, on Origin Law's path of cultivation.

For the gods present who are beginning to touch upon the Origin Law, they may be able to slowly persevere through hard work in normal times, but at crucial moments, they often need to rely on specific treasures of enlightenment to try to break through the barriers.

Losing access to the evacuation point to exchange for treasures will have a fatal impact on their future cultivation.

Of course, there are theoretically ways to break this open scheme.

A thought flashed through Lin Yi's mind: concentrate the resources held by all the Origin Treasure Deities present, and even the gods of the entire base, and allocate them uniformly, prioritizing the exchange of Time Origin Law aids for Ellis. This way, even if he leaves the base, he can still use these treasures to continue breaking through bottlenecks without being affected.

This method, though its chances are slim—after all, people usually don't keep many resources and treasures on hand, and Time Origin Law treasures are incredibly expensive, costing hundreds of billions of Points —even if you emptied your coffers, you probably wouldn't be able to gather many. Moreover, no one can guarantee how long or how many treasures Ellis will need to break through, but it's still a possible idea.

Lin Yi was puzzled for a moment.

Logically speaking, given the intelligence of the gods present and the fact that no one knew the progress of Ellis's comprehension of the Origin Law, as the strongest individual with the best chance of reaching the Venerable Lord Rank of comprehension, someone should have raised this suggestion for discussion. After all, given Ellis's status, it's not like he couldn't afford to repay it.

However, he found that after Bota finished analyzing the two difficult choices, an eerie silence fell over the hall.

Surprisingly, not a single deity suggested "concentrating resources to help Ellis".

Lin Yi pondered for a moment and quickly understood the key point, and couldn't help but smile wryly to himself.

Clearly, it's because Lord Ellis isn't exactly well-liked.

He has a strong personality, speaks bluntly and without reservation, and is arrogant, offending almost everyone present.

In this awkward atmosphere, who would dare to step forward and suggest pooling precious resources to help someone who usually ignores them or might even be sarcastic?

If this is brought up, and the other gods secretly think it's an attempt to curry favor with Ellis, then you'll be unjustly inferior and lose face.

That would be bad enough, but what's worse is if Ellis himself doesn't appreciate it, thinking it's pity or charity, and coldly refuses on the spot, or even makes sarcastic remarks about the person who made the suggestion. Then he would really become a laughing stock, probably die a social death, and lose face throughout the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance.

Those present are all prominent and long-established deities, the pride of their respective tribes.

They may not be afraid of death, but this kind of "social death" that occurs in full view of others makes them even more cautious.

You can be resurrected after dying, but resurrecting someone after they die doesn't work!

Ellis clearly understood the crux of the matter instantly.

His gaze swept over the group of gods below, each with a different expression but remaining silent. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, but he did not speak.

He didn't offer to ask for help; given his pride, he would never ask.

The situation seemed to have reached a stalemate.

Lin Yi watched coldly from the sidelines, his mind racing.

"I can make this suggestion that others can't or dare not make!"

"After all, Ellis had shown me some kindness before, and besides, I'll be able to master the Time Origin Law soon, my talent clearly surpassing Ellis's. If he doesn't appreciate it and mocks me, he'll only make a fool of himself."

"Besides, this is a good opportunity to see who will give me face and who is truly trustworthy. Otherwise, once I reveal my understanding that I'm about to reach the Venerable Lord Rank, everyone around me will be a bunch of good people, and I won't be able to distinguish between them."

In addition, there is one more crucial point.

The feeling of getting a huge loot drop on the 45th floor was so satisfying.

Therefore, he not only wanted to repel the enemy, but also hoped to take this opportunity to wipe out the invading enemy in one fell swoop.

If he were to attack one side first, the other side would surely escape, which would be a great pity. However, if he were to sit at the base and wait for the two sides to converge, directly confronting more than six thousand gods would be somewhat unstable, and he might end up losing.

Therefore, he hoped that Ellis could make use of the resources pooled together and, in one fell swoop, also master the Time Origin Law. In this way, they could split up and lead separate teams to wipe out the entire group in one fell swoop.

With that in mind, Lin Yi no longer hesitated.

He took a deep breath and, in the ensuing silence, slowly began to speak:

"Gentlemen, I have a proposal."

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