Venerable Lord Rank! Time Source Heartlink Codex

As the familiar pure white light enveloped his entire body, Lin Yi once again found himself in that eternally silent, pure white space.

A soft Light Sphere floated quietly in the center.

Without any delay, Lin Yi conjured up dozens of storage devices of various shapes and sizes in front of him and activated automatically.

In an instant, as if opening the pockets of several miniature galaxies, a massive amount of Points crystals and various native resource treasures poured out like a gushing torrent, forming a dazzling nebula in the pure white space.

This was the culmination of Xuanji's hard work selling his spoils, plus his remaining Points and the extra gains brought back by his two clones' explorations.

Lin Yi remained calm, pressing his hands down. His powerful divine sense, like an invisible hand, began to methodically convert these physical assets into pure Points.

The Points crystals burst open in large pieces, turning into points of light that disappeared into the secret mark between the eyebrows.

[Points +850,000]

[Points +1,230,000]

[Points +5,740,000]

Various rare native materials, mineral crystals, and energy cores from the secret realm were also guided, transforming into streams of light of different colors, which flowed into the secret realm's Light Sphere.

This process lasted approximately half a standard hour.

When the last resource vanished as a speck of light, the pure white space returned to its empty state.

Lin Yi calmed his mind, communicated with the secret realm's imprint, and checked the final balance.

30.5943 trillion Points!

An astronomical figure that would suffocate any venerable ruler.

A glint flashed in Lin Yi's eyes as he quickly calculated in his mind. "Leave 0.59 trillion as contingency funds and for possible future expenses. Exchange the remaining 30 trillion entirely for low-grade Source Essence Crystal!"

Without hesitation, he directly issued the command to the Light Sphere: "Exchange for low-grade Source Essence Crystal, 30 trillion Points."

The Light Sphere flickered slightly, as if confirming the amount.

[Exchangeable quantity: 6,000,000 units.]

[Confirm?]

"Confirm!"

The next moment, an unprecedented light erupted from the pure white space.

Six million units of low-order Source Essence Crystal!

This quantity is beyond description, it can no longer be described as a small mountain.

The moment they appeared, it was as if a miniature starry sea composed of gray chaotic crystals had descended out of thin air.

Each of the Source Essence Crystal was only the size of a fist, but when six million of them were piled together, the vast aura they exuded—a aura that seemed capable of nurturing all things and returning to chaos—made Lin Yi's soul tremble slightly.

This will be the most solid fuel for his future spiritual practice!

Lin Yi took a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions, and then methodically stored the "Source Essence Crystal Sea" in a specially designated storage area within his Internal World.

Thus, he had accomplished his primary objective in coming here.

"Leave and proceed to a higher level," Lin Yi communicated with the Light Sphere.

The Light Sphere immediately transmitted a response.

[The cultivator's accumulated Points meet the criteria for skipping levels. According to the rules, they will be directly promoted to level 50.]

layer.]

Lin Yi nodded; this was exactly what he had hoped for.

However, the Light Sphere immediately transmitted another message: [Strength assessment in progress... Assessment complete. The cultivator's overall combat strength assessment did not meet the standard for level 50, and therefore cannot directly enter level 50.]

[According to the rules, the cultivator will be teleported to the 49th floor. Once the cultivator reaches the 50th floor's strength on the 49th floor, the secret realm mark will automatically teleport the cultivator back to their original space.]

Lin Yi had anticipated this; he already knew this rule from Ellis.

Starting from the 50th floor, the Origin Universe Tower has set clear strength thresholds. Once a certain level of strength is reached, cultivators are automatically teleported to prevent those with exceptional strength from deliberately staying on lower floors to bully weaker cultivators and rack up points, thus disrupting the balance.

"Enter the 49th floor," Lin Yi said calmly.

[Command confirmed, transmission initiated.]

Enveloped in light, Lin Yi soon found himself under a completely new starry sky.

The backdrop remains the boundless universe, but the starlight seems dimmer and sparser, and the texture of the space feels heavier and more stagnant.

In the distance, one can see some huge and bizarre nebula structures, as well as scattered fragmented celestial bodies that emit dangerous energy fluctuations.

The overall environment gives a feeling of being more ancient, desolate, and also more dangerous.

"49th floor..."

Lin Yi quickly scanned the surroundings with his Soul Power, confirming that there was no danger, and then immediately took out the Machine Race's point-to-point long-range communicator given to him by Ellis.

The data stream on the instrument surface flickered a few times, then stabilized in a "search signal" state, but a connection could not be established for a long time.

"It seems to be beyond the effective communication range, or Ellis is still in the pure white space and hasn't entered yet."

Lin Yi was not surprised.

The 49th floor is vast and boundless, and very few gods can enter this place. Ellis didn't know which corner he was teleported to. It's normal that communication is impossible due to the great distance.

He put away the communicator and instead took out his "Azure Vast" spaceship.

The azure-blue spaceship hovered in the void, its streamlined hull reflecting a cold, eerie luster under the dim starlight.

This time, Lin Yi doesn't plan to hide away in a secluded corner like he did in the early stages of the 47th floor.

"With my current 4.21% comprehension of the Time Origin Law, even in a place like the 49th floor where Source Law level experts are present, my strength is definitely among the top tier."

Ordinary cultivators who have just entered the realm of Origin Law pose almost no threat to him. Even when encountering someone with a higher level of comprehension, he, along with his two clones, can easily defeat them in a three-on-one fight.

Even if I can't win a fight, I can definitely escape.

"If that's the case, why be so timid?" Lin Yi's lips curled into a smile. "If others run into me, consider it their own bad luck."

He quickly devised a new plan: his Main Body would go into seclusion to absorb the Source Essence Crystal and burn Spiritual Enlightenment Qi to reach a higher level of comprehension; at the same time, his two clones would pilot the "Azure Vast" to cultivate the combat techniques recorded in the <True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm> while exploring the 49th layer of starry sky, collecting resources, and gaining Points.

While exploring with clones carries risks, it is far safer than using the Main Body and can bring additional benefits. However, focusing on improving the Main Body through seclusion is the fundamental solution.

Upon entering the "Azure Vast", Lin Yi first arrived at the specially modified, most heavily protected core quiet room.

He sat cross-legged, his mind immersing in his Internal World, facing the colossal mountain of Source Essence Crystal reaching six million units, and began the tedious process of absorption and transformation.

Deep within the soul, the Purple Mist Space is like an insatiable abyss, operating efficiently to refine the massive influx of chaotic Source Essence energy into pure Spiritual Enlightenment Qi.

It took Lin Yi more than a year to finally absorb and convert all six million units of Source Essence Crystal.

At this moment, the vast purple mist nebula within the Purple Mist Space had reached its peak density.

Below the nebula, the most condensed purple mist had actually settled and gathered, forming a thin layer of liquid radiance, like a tranquil purple lake, flowing slowly and containing unimaginable power to comprehend the origin.

"Six hundred thousand years' Spiritual Enlightenment Qi reserves!"

A surge of unprecedented pride and confidence welled up in Lin Yi's heart, which was his greatest reliance in pushing the Time Origin Law to a higher level!

Let's begin!

Without pausing, Lin Yi immediately began a new round of seclusion.

"Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, ignite!"

A purple flame of enlightenment rises from the Soul Origin.

A massive amount of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi was extracted and transformed into the purest driving force, propelling his understanding of the Time Origin Law towards the depths guided by the <True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm>.

4.5%...5.1%...5.8%...6.7%...

The level of understanding of the Time Origin Law is steadily increasing at an unprecedented speed.

With each percentage point increase, his understanding of the essence of time deepened.

Meanwhile, outside...

Two Fearless War God Clone piloted the "Azure Vast, sailing like ghosts through the desolate and dangerous starry sky of the 49th floor.

Following Lin Yi 'Main Body instructions, they avoided areas suspected to be perilous and selectively explored star regions with relatively stable energy fluctuations, potentially containing resources, broken planetary belts, or ancient cosmic dust clouds.

The combat techniques recorded in "The True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm" were used by the two clones as part of their daily training.

During their voyage, they constantly pondered and simulated, and when they occasionally encountered strange creatures from the stars, they tested their skills in actual combat.

Exploration is not always smooth sailing.

They encountered hordes of bizarre star beasts that could spew corrosive acid that corroded spacetime, ventured into death starfields filled with invisible spatial rifts, and fought a long and arduous battle with a giant star sea beast that had comprehended the Origin Law darkness and was extremely difficult to deal with, finally managing to kill it through precise teamwork.

Gains and risks go hand in hand.

They discovered a small "Time Eternal Surge Crystal" vein, collected some rare "Void Amber Space Core," and killed several powerful interstellar beasts, obtaining their valuable materials.

In fact, during an exploration of a cosmic wonder, they found the prototype of a source treasure of the Fire Origin Law deep within the lair of a star-sea beast living in the wonder!

Time flew by as I focused on my training and exploration.

15,311 standard years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the core meditation room, Lin Yi, who had been sitting like a statue, suddenly had the silver time ripples flowing around his body freeze, and then, like rivers flowing into the sea, they all converged into his body.

He slowly opened his eyes, and two shimmering, illusory images of the River of Time flashed by in his pupils, deep and majestic.

Just now, his soul, which had been burning with countless Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, finally crossed a crucial threshold.

Time Origin Law Comprehension: 10%!

In other words, his combat power has now officially reached the Venerable Lord Rank!

"Venerable Lord Rank..."

A distant and profound memory uncontrollably surfaced in Lin Yi's mind: the scene when he first saw Dan Yue, Venerable Lord Rank powerhouse, in the Star Core level training camp of the Mercenary Alliance.

At that time, the Supreme Lord was a myth hanging high in the heavens, unattainable to him.

Even the faint, fleeting thought that appeared in the Virtual Network at that time made him afraid to look directly at it.

However, in the blink of an eye, time has passed and the stars have changed.

"Finally... I've reached this point too."

Lin Yi felt little ecstatic joy, but rather a sense of calm and acceptance after a long journey.

At this moment, a clear fluctuation emanated from the secret realm mark between his brows:

[The cultivator's overall combat strength has been detected and meets the entry requirements for level 50.]

[Teleportation is about to begin, please prepare.]

Lin Yi seemed to be deep in thought. He took out the long-range communicator again, but found that he still couldn't make a contact. He could only shake his head helplessly and put it away.

He had originally intended to greet Ellis, but now it seemed he'd have to let the guy guess where Lin Yi had gone...

Then, with a thought, Lin Yi's figure disappeared from inside the spaceship and appeared in the cold and lonely void of space.

Then he turned around, stretched out his palm, and made a light, almost imperceptible, press gesture towards the spaceship.

The next moment, the entire spaceship shrank rapidly, turning into a point of light that disappeared into Lin Yi's brow and landed steadily in the artifact area specially designated within his Internal World.

Having done all this, Lin Yi stood alone in the starry sky, no longer bound by anything external.

About a standard hour later, the familiar teleportation light enveloped him.

The scene before me changed, and I returned to that eternally pure white exchange space.

The Light Sphere immediately transmitted a message:

[The cultivator arrives at the 50th floor of the Origin Universe Tower.]

[According to the rules of the Origin Universe Tower, you are hereby granted One-Star Origin Universe Mark.]

As soon as he finished speaking, a complex, three-dimensional mark flew out from the Light Sphere and instantly disappeared into Lin Yi's brow.

Lin Yi felt a slight chill between his brows. He quickly examined his inner self, but was surprised to find that no matter how he scanned with his Soul Power, he could not find the exact location of the mark.

"Can't find it? This is all I can do for now." After trying for a while, Lin Yi gave up in despair.

It seems that the level of this mark is far beyond his current perception ability.

Next, he took out all the gains accumulated by his two clones over the past 15,000 years and piled them in the pure white space.

It mainly consists of various materials, minerals, and the prototype of that precious Fire Origin Law Treasure.

"Exchange," Lin Yi said to the Light Sphere.

The Light Sphere swept across, quickly assessing the situation.

[Redeem complete. Points earned: 41.1 billion.]

"41.1 billion, the efficiency is acceptable." Lin Yi was fairly satisfied.

After all, for the sake of caution, he hadn't let his two clones go out to explore on their own for over ten thousand years, but instead had kept them with his Main Body, which reduced their efficiency.

However, once they become stronger and their clones can act separately, the efficiency of accumulating Points will definitely increase significantly.

This can be considered a potential advantage for practitioners of the Time Origin Law in resource acquisition; their clones serve as additional Explorer.

Lin Yi looked at the Light Sphere and brought up the exchange list.

The items on the list have clearly reached a higher level, with many genuine Source Law level treasures and materials appearing, and their prices have naturally risen accordingly.

Lin Yi quickly browsed through the items, mainly looking for treasures that could directly enhance his comprehension.

Unfortunately, while the list contained many rare items that could aid in the cultivation of specific Origin Law, it lacked what he longed for—something like the "Star Soul Crystal" that could universally enhance soul comprehension.

"It seems that treasures that can enhance fundamental comprehension are indeed extremely rare." Lin Yi felt a little regretful, but it was also within his expectations.

Then he checked the treasures that aided in the cultivation of Origin Law and found that they were still too expensive. Overall, it was more cost-effective to exchange them directly for Source Essence Crystal, so he gave up on them.

Next, Lin Yi turned his attention to the classification of treasures.

He needs a faster spacecraft with a wider detection range to serve future exploration and Points acquisition at higher levels.

As the list unfolds, dozens of models of Source Law level spaceships appear in phantom form, with their prices and performance focuses indicated next to them.

Lin Yi carefully made his selection.

He knew very well that although the Human Race's higher-ups would most likely gift him resources like spaceships after he left the secret realm, spaceships from outside could not be brought in due to the secret realm's rules.

So even though it hurts, he has to prepare one himself inside.

"There are probably very few gods on the 50th floor, and the 51st and 52nd floors and above are probably more like single-player mode," Lin Yi thought to himself. "The probability of encountering other cultivators and clashing is low. Besides, even if I do encounter them, I'm not afraid. Therefore, defense and stealth can be sacrificed appropriately."

"Maximize speed and detection range!"

He quickly identified one of them.

Judging from the phantom in the exchange list, its main structure resembles an elongated water droplet, with extremely smooth and rounded lines, and its entire body is covered with a deep space silver-gray coating. The sides and back of the "water droplet" are covered with extremely precise crystal lattice patterns, within which faint blue energy veins flow slowly, alternating between light and dark like breathing.

The head of the spacecraft is a huge composite lens group composed of countless nested, slowly spinning transparent multifaceted crystals. Its interior refracts the light of distant galaxies and seems to be able to project a gaze into a level beyond the conventional dimensions of matter.

According to the description, this spaceship boasts extremely high speed and detection capabilities, but its defense, attack, and stealth configurations are quite average. It requires 150 billion Points to redeem.

"That's it!"

Lin Yi then checked several other spaceships with similar prices, and after comparing them, decided to buy this one.

Next, he spent another 1 billion Points to exchange for a batch of treasures that could quickly replenish and enhance the world's power.

Now that the Time Origin Law has reached 10%, his Internal World can double in size, requiring a massive amount of world power to support it.

After finishing these tasks, Lin Yi began browsing the "Secret Techniques and Texts" category.

He only intended to broaden his horizons, after all, the "True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm" was enough for him to study for a long time.

However, as he casually flipped through the pages, an introduction to a secret technique caught his full attention.

[The Time Source Heartlink Codex]

Type: Time Origin Law Exclusive Auxiliary Secret Technique Description: After cultivating this secret technique, the practitioner can establish a deep soul resonance with their own "Time-Trace Shadow Clone," allowing for real-time control and synchronized perception of the clone. Note: Ineffective against clones summoned by non-Time Laws.

112 billion Points are required for redemption.

"Synchronous perception? Real-time control?" Lin Yi's eyes lit up instantly.

Nice one!

Although the Time-Tracing Clone was created by his previous self, it could only guarantee that his thoughts and the Main Body were roughly the same for a period of time. Over time, it would need to be updated frequently. Although with his current soul realm, he could update the clone without damage once every hundred years, and could update it multiple times in a row if needed, it was still not that convenient.

Moreover, although the clone can execute commands and send back information, there is a delay. Sometimes the clone's decisions may differ from those of the Main Body, but he can't say anything about it.

You can't get angry at yourself, can you? That would only make you angrier.

But if he possessed this secret technique, he could truly multitask, as if he had two completely controlled...

Perceive and share your "self"!

This is such a good item, I'll exchange it!

It must be replaced!

But just as Lin Yi was about to make the exchange, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he realized something.

"The Overlord... his main cultivation is the Time Origin Law." Lin Yi thought to himself, "The Overlord must have reached the 50th floor as well. He would never miss such a top-tier secret manual that perfectly suits his path. Although I didn't have enough authority to see the exchange list for Source Law level and above before, the Overlord has most likely already mastered this secret manual."

Thinking of this, Lin Yi's gaze calmed down.

"112 billion Points... that's no small sum. I've just broken through, and while this secret manual is good, it's not something I urgently need right now. Rather than immediately spending a huge amount of money to exchange for a legacy that my clan might already possess, it's better to be patient for now. After leaving this place, I'll first check if it's on the exchange list for Source Law level secret manuals in the clan's treasury. Even if it's not there, I can privately ask the Overlord for advice."

"If it's ultimately confirmed that the clan doesn't actually possess this secret manual, then I can exchange for it later..."

"But if my clan already possesses this secret manual, I naturally wouldn't need to spend it again... I wouldn't even need to spend a large amount of clan merits to exchange for it. I could use these 112 billion Points to exchange for another top-tier secret manual of equal value that my clan has not yet mastered..."

"In this way, I can both learn the <Time Source Heartlink Codex> through clan channels and bring back a brand new legacy for the clan. It's a win-win situation."

Thinking about this, Lin Yi felt a subtle realization.

Unbeknownst to him, his way of thinking had quietly changed along with the leap in his level of life and combat power.

In the past, he was a genius nurtured by his race, a recipient and user of resources; now, he possesses the power of Venerable Lord Rank, and has entered the ranks of the truly high-level beings in the entire human race and even the broader alliance.

This power not only signifies greater freedom and authority, but also a heavy responsibility to the community.

He began to instinctively think about problems from a higher perspective. While using the resources of his community to strengthen himself, he also began to carefully consider how to give back to his community and enrich the foundation of the entire civilization.

Fortunately, his experience in civility assessments had already made him accustomed to switching between different roles and responsibilities.

From being assessed to becoming a leader, and then to becoming a defender and pioneer of civilization... at this moment, the perspective has shifted from considering the issue from the viewpoint of one civilization to considering it from the perspective of the entire Human Race.

These subtle adjustments in mindset were a natural progression for Lin Yi, without much stagnation or discomfort.

Lin Yi temporarily suppressed his desire to exchange for the <Time Source Heartlink Codex>, keeping it deep in his heart. After reviewing the situation and confirming that there was nothing he needed to exchange for, he no longer hesitated and turned his gaze to the pure white Light Sphere.

"Enter the 50th floor."