Returning Once More: It Was Time to Go Back (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Pipi Xuanxuan)

The "Little Water Drop" spacecraft sailed smoothly through the chaotic gray fog, and the atmosphere inside the cabin was calm.

A sense of crisis is the most primal and effective driving force that propels people forward.

Originally, Lin Yi's usual practice was to first thoroughly understand the first 20% of the theoretical content in "The True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm" to build a complete knowledge framework, and then burn his Spiritual Enlightenment Qi for an efficient sprint.

But now, he has changed his mind.

The Chaos Cosmic Sea was more dangerous than he had expected. He needed to improve his strength as soon as possible, at least to have the ability to explore these 50 levels with ease and even defeat most of the dangers, instead of having to leave in a sorry state like before.

"I've already grasped the first 15.5%, which is enough to support the initial sprint... Besides, the two can actually be done simultaneously."

With that in mind, Lin Yi directly transmitted a message to one of his clones, instructing it to stop studying combat techniques and instead focus all its energy on in-depth study and understanding of the content after 15.5% of the <True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm>.

As for the other clone, its focus remains on consolidating and improving practical combat skills.

In this way, the two time-consuming and mentally taxing tasks of "theoretical learning" and "combat skills research" are completely separated, with each of the two clones performing their respective duties. After a certain period of time, the clones are disbanded, and he can simultaneously gain both theoretical knowledge and feedback from combat experience.

After arranging his clones, Lin Yi took a deep breath, as if he wanted to inhale and crush the heavy pressure of the Chaos Cosmic Sea into his lungs.

He completely immersed himself in the deepest part of his soul.

A vast purple mist nebula slowly rotated, while below, a thin layer of purple liquid light, formed from the purest Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, flowed serenely, radiating a powerful and reassuring force.

This is the absolute source of his confidence in pushing the Time Origin Law to a higher level!

"Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, ignite!"

A silent roar exploded within the Soul Origin.

A purple flame of enlightenment suddenly rose, pure and intense.

The detailed cultivation path from 10% to 15.5% in "The True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm," the in-depth description of each key point, and the deeper explanation and revelation of the essence of the Time Origin Law, along with the scattered insights and sense of urgency gained from the recent battle with the Chaos Beast, are beginning to collide and merge at high speed!

Under the influence of this powerful force, the level of understanding of the Time Origin Law has once again begun a steady and firm ascent.

10.5%...11.2%...12.1%...

Every percentage increase signifies a deeper understanding of the nature of time, a profound and mysterious feeling, as if one is gradually merging into the vast and endless River of Time.

The spacecraft set its course and navigated autonomously through the chaotic gray fog, skillfully avoiding the high-risk energy reaction areas marked in real time by the "Eye of the Universe" detection array.

Lin Yi's Main Body was completely immersed in the profound realm of deep cultivation, while his two clones were busy with their own tasks inside the spaceship.

During this period, the "Little Water Drop" spacecraft, with its outstanding long-range detection and super-maneuverability, cautiously navigated the vast, oppressive, and perilous 50-layer Chaos Cosmic Sea, like a silver fish swimming in the deep sea mist.

They had detected and bypassed a vast "Spacetime Fold" spectacle from afar, which resembled a sleeping cosmic behemoth and continuously emitted distorted gravitational waves in all directions.

The surface of that spectacle was covered with wrinkles, and the light in the central area was completely distorted and disappeared, forming a black spot that devoured everything. The chaotic spacetime fluctuations emanating from its edges alone were enough to trap an ordinary Venerable Lord Rank within it.

They also managed to evade a group of unknown creatures that silently roamed the chaotic air currents like a school of ghost sharks.

Those creatures were translucent and could blend perfectly into the gray fog, making them extremely difficult to detect without the deep scanning of the "Eye of the Universe" array.

They did not attack proactively, but Lin Yi instinctively sensed danger and ordered them to move away.

They also carefully sped past the edge of a spectacle that continuously spewed out streams of seven-colored energy, with natural Origin Law inside flickering like swimming fish.

This spectacular fountain spews forth a rainbow of light, imbued with the aura of various Origin Law, accompanied by violent energy turbulence and spatial rifts, though it undoubtedly contains treasures.

However, after careful consideration, Lin Yi believed that his goal was to improve his strength steadily and efficiently, rather than taking unnecessary risks for unknown gains.

More than nine thousand standard years have flown by in this focused and efficient rhythm.

On this day, Lin Yi was in seclusion in the quiet room, let out a long breath and slowly got up.

Perception of the Time Origin Law: 15.5%!

This is an important milestone, signifying that he has fully digested the previously accumulated theories and laid a more solid foundation for his subsequent sprint.

"Stop."

With a thought, the purple flame of enlightenment that had been burning deep within Lin Yi's soul for over nine thousand years slowly subsided.

Then, he summoned his two clones to his front and reclaimed the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi that had been nurtured during this time.

Although from his current perspective, the quantity is not large, every little bit counts, and little by little, it becomes a resource.

After doing all this, Lin Yi had a thought and dispelled the two clones.

In an instant, a massive amount of information and insights surged into Lin Yi 'Main Body ocean of consciousness like a flood bursting its banks.

Lin Yi closed his eyes, quickly digesting and processing this massive Information Flow. It took him a full half day before he opened them again.

"Resummon."

Ripples spread across the silvery-gray space, and two new clones reappeared, standing solemnly to one side.

"The mission remains the same," Lin Yi instructed, "But... from this moment on, there's no need to specifically avoid lone Chaos Beasts. During the voyage, if you encounter a target that the ' Eye of the Universe ' detects and assesses as lone and whose strength is within a controllable range, you can proactively approach it for assessment, and even... hunt it if necessary."

With a 15.5% comprehension of the Time Origin Law, coupled with the tactical coordination and combat power synergy that could be achieved by his Main Body and clone working together, Lin Yi believed that in this 50th layer of the Chaos Cosmic Sea, as long as he didn't recklessly venture into the Core Zone of those large wonders or the lairs of Chaotic Beast clans, he would have the strength to fight even the top-tier Chaotic Beasts, and was even quite confident that he could defeat them!

The improvement in strength brings about a fundamental change in mindset and action strategy.

"Continue in seclusion."

Lin Yi didn't delay any longer. Now, thanks to absorbing the cultivation results of his clone, his theoretical knowledge of the Time Origin Law has reached 20.3%, which is more than enough to support him in making another sprint.

"Spiritual Enlightenment Qi, ignite!"

Deep within his soul, the purple flame of enlightenment reignited.

This time, closed-door training and active exploration were carried out simultaneously.

Two clones piloted the "Little Water Drop" spaceship, embarking on a more ambitious exploration.

Following instructions, while maintaining the highest level of alert and being ready to retreat at any time, they began selectively approaching the outer areas of the Cosmic Sea Wonder that might contain high-value resources.

In the 3100th standard year, the spaceship arrived at the outer edge of a wonder called the "Eye of Chaos".

It was a strange region that was constantly collapsing inward, forming a stable and enormous energy vortex.

The edge of the vortex was tearing everything apart, and its center was bottomless.

The clone dared not approach, but only patrolled the outermost perimeter. Unexpectedly, it captured several pieces of "Void Silver" ore containing pure spatial fluctuations from the material stream ejected by the vortex.

Based on the valuation by the Secret Realm Mark, these few pieces of ore are worth approximately 12 billion Points.

In the 5800th standard year, the "Eye of the Universe" array detected a medium-intensity chaotic energy source, acting alone and resembling a giant lizard.

After assessing the situation, Lin Yi decided to take action.

This Chaos Giant Lizard was enormous and adept at spewing concentrated gray-black chaotic energy blasts for ranged attacks. The battle unfolded under the interference of Lin Yi's Main Body's time delay. One of his two clones manipulated "Eternal Time Sands" to form silver quicksand chains, struggling to bind its limbs, while the other seized the opportunity to use the power of "Time Amber" to freeze the moment it launched its energy blast attack.

After a long day of exhaustion, Lin Yi seized the opportunity and used the Time Blade condensed from "Eternal Instant" to slash across its neck, finally killing the tough-skinned creature and obtaining a dark gray crystal with viscous gray-black energy slowly flowing and rotating inside—a Chaos Beast Source Core.

According to information previously provided by Ellis, this is a highly condensed crystal of the essence of a chaotic beast and chaotic energy, with multiple uses. The most valuable of these is that, through a complex refining process and combined with other auxiliary materials, it can be used to create a "Mixed Origin Elixir" that can slightly enhance the efficiency of all Origin Law perception.

However, after checking its exchange rate, Lin Yi immediately abandoned the idea of keeping it to make medicine.

A Chaos Beast Core of this quality can be exchanged for approximately 40 billion Points.

However, when it is made into a potion, only one potion can be obtained, which lasts for a thousand years and increases the effect of Origin Law Enlightenment by 20%.

"For me, it's not cost-effective at all," Lin Yi quickly concluded.

For him, it would be more practical to sell the source core, exchange it for Points, and then use those points to redeem more Source Essence Crystal.

In the 9300th Standard Year, they locked onto and besieged a bat-winged Chaos Beast that excelled at stealth and high-speed attacks.

This strange beast resembles a giant gray-black bat, can become almost invisible in chaotic air currents, and attacks with ghostly speed. Its emitted chaotic sound waves can interfere with the soul's judgment.

This time, Lin Yi and his clone worked together even better, setting up a time-delaying force field in advance to limit its speed advantage. Finally, the Main Body used the power of "Time Amber" to create a small stagnation zone, and the clone worked together to force it into it, successfully killing it and obtaining the second Chaos Beast Source Core.

Cultivation, exploration, battles, gains... time progresses steadily amidst fulfilling experiences and manageable risks.

Lin Yi's comprehension of the Time Origin Law steadily increased by 16%, 17%, 18%... driven by the continuous and efficient burning of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi. Each percentage point was more solid than before, and his application of the power of time became more exquisite and agile.

Finally, this deep retreat lasted for approximately 11,300 standard years.

Inside the core meditation room, Lin Yi, who had been sitting still like a statue, suddenly had the naturally flowing, almost instinctive silver-gray time ripples around his body converge inward, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, instantly gathering back into his body without leaking out in the slightest.

Perception of the Time Origin Law: 19.9%!

At this moment, his strength had approached the comprehension limit of the 50th floor of the Origin Universe Tower.

Lin Yi knew very well that if he broke through to 20% of his comprehension level, his strength would increase significantly again, which would force him to advance to a higher level.

Nearly 20%...

Lin Yi carefully sensed the Time Origin Law imprint deep within his soul, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

The difficulty curve for comprehending the Time Origin Law, although it increases with the percentage increase and consumes more and more comprehension and time, does not show a geometric increase from the 10% to 20% stage.

Moreover, he hasn't only spent money and never spent it over these past 20,000 years.

During this period, through exploring the periphery of various wonders, collecting rare chaotic minerals and special energy crystals, and obtaining materials from other chaotic creatures that were killed along the way, the total value of all these items is 219.3 billion Points.

"It seems that my current Spiritual Enlightenment Qi reserves are more than enough to reach 100%." Lin Yi quickly estimated in his mind, feeling even more confident.

"Xuanji, adjust the course and return to the location of the Ice and Fire Wonder that was initially discovered."

In the quiet room, Lin Yi's calm voice rang out.

Now that my understanding of the Time Origin Law has reached 19.9%, touching the upper limit of the current level, it's time to put the plan of leaving the secret realm and returning to the Main Universe to handle some matters on the agenda.

Before leaving, according to his earlier plan, he had to turn that Ice and Fire Wonder into his own "secret warehouse".

"Instruction confirmed, route replanned. Estimated return time: 478 standard years," Xuanji's voice responded quickly.

Since the explorations over the years have focused on that Ice and Fire Wonder, expanding outwards in a spiral shape, and have not actually gone far away, the return time is not long.

Lin Yi closed his eyes again, continuing to use his Spiritual Enlightenment Qi to refine his understanding and solidify his 19.9% level of cultivation while patiently waiting.

More than four hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The "Little Water Drop" spacecraft pierced through the hazy, chaotic airflow, and the familiar scenery ahead came into view once again.

On the left is a dark blue frost storm that freezes everything, and on the right is a dark Crimson Flame tide that incinerates everything.

That spectacle of ice and fire intertwining, of violent energy, remains as awe-inspiring as ever, radiating a chilling aura.

But this time, Lin Yi's state of mind was completely different.

He stood by the porthole, his gaze calmly fixed on the Core Zone the spectacle, his silver-gray eyes revealing absolute confidence and a sense of control.

My understanding of the Time Origin Law has increased to 19.9%, which is many times stronger than when I first entered this place!

"This time, it's my turn."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Lin Yi's lips.

"Walk!"

Without a word, Lin Yi's Main Body and two clones transformed into three streaks of light, rushing straight out of the spaceship, tearing through the chaotic airflow, and crashing into the outer edge of the spectacular scene of intense collision between ice and fire energies.

The biting cold and scorching heat struck again, but this time, the silver-gray time membrane on Lin Yi's body remained as steady as Rock, and only rippled slightly before dissolving it.

The three streaks of light continued their rapid advance towards the Core Zone the spectacle without slowing down.

"Roar!!"

The familiar, savage roar echoed once more from the depths of the wonder, carrying with it the fury of being disturbed once more.

The chaotic beast, covered in thick, dark gray scales, tore through the turbulent energy flow, its six murky giant eyes instantly locking onto Lin Yi. Besides its ferocity, there seemed to be a hint of... surprise?

It might still remember this "snack" that once escaped from its claws.

But Lin Yi had no intention of wasting words with it.

"Do it!"

Time Origin Law activated at full power!

The silver-gray time ripples, several times stronger than when they first met, suddenly spread out, like invisible chains, layer upon layer, instantly wrapping around the chaotic beast's massive body, limbs, and even the core of the chaotic energy flowing within it.

The chaotic beast's movements suddenly froze, as if it had fallen into an incredibly viscous Amber of time and space, making its struggle extremely difficult.

With a low shout, the clone unleashed a burst of light from the Eternal Instant Source Treasure in its hand, and an invisible acceleration field precisely covered Lin Yi's Main Body and the other clone.

"Time Amber, Condensed!"

Another clone directly activated the power of "Time Amber," creating a miniature time-freezing zone that precisely enveloped the area near the Chaos Beast's head, further interfering with its thinking and reactions.

The chaotic beast was enraged and struggled wildly. The gray-black chaotic energy on its body surged like a volcanic eruption, trying to break free of the shackles of time.

It opened its enormous maw, as if to spew out a destructive torrent of chaotic energy.

But Lin Yi was too fast.

The figures of the Main Body and the clone almost turned into two blurry silver lines in the acceleration field, passing each other to the left and right.

In their hands, each held a silver blade of light, condensed to its extreme, thin as a cicada's wing yet radiating a wave of energy that could cut through space and time, instantly unleashing nine streaks of silver light from each of them.

Eighteen "Blades of Time" cut precisely into several key energy nodes on the chaotic beast along the gaps in time.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

Dark gray blood mixed with shattered scales and fragments of chaotic energy splattered everywhere.

The chaotic beast let out a deafening roar of pain, its struggles becoming even more frantic, causing the shackles of time to creak and nearly break.

"Now!"

Lin Yi and his two clones instantly overlapped, and the three Time Origin Law merged into one, converging at a single point.

A dazzling silver light, seemingly capable of causing time itself to wither, bloomed at her fingertips, then transformed into a thin stream of light, as fine as a hair, silently disappearing into the tiny crack that the Blade of Time had previously torn open at the head of the Chaos Beast.

The massive body of the chaotic beast trembled violently.

A dark gray light emanated uncontrollably from its body, and energy surged wildly between the gaps in its scales.

"Roar..

A final, weak, and unwilling groan escaped its throat.

Immediately, the mountain-like body completely lost its power and, bound by the shackles of time, slowly sank into the turbulent flow of ice and fire energy below, the gray-black light on its surface rapidly dissipating.

Lin Yi dispelled the shackles of time, and floated with his two clones in the gradually calming ice and fire energy field.

He raised his hand and grasped at the location of the Chaos Beast's shattered head, retrieving a fist-sized Chaos Beast Source Core.

Then, his gaze fell upon the very core of the spectacle, the point of equilibrium where ice and fire energies clashed.

There, the halo that had previously glimpsed shifted between ice blue and crimson was now clearly visible.

It was an Amber- shaped crystal about the size of a palm, containing a wisp of frost and a wisp of flame, intertwined yet distinct, radiating a pure and stable Origin Law fluctuation.

"Frostfire Source Crystal..."

Lin Yi recognized the item as an extremely rare natural dual-attribute Origin Law artifact, suitable for both weapon crafting and other applications.

Whether used to aid in comprehending the Origin Law or as the core carrier of certain special secret techniques, it is priceless.

He put away the source core and source crystal, calculating the gains from this "return trip" with considerable satisfaction.

"Alright, let's get down to business first."

Lin Yi nodded to the two clones.

The two clones understood each other and raised their hands simultaneously.

One clone's palm revealed the Eternal Time Sands the other held the Time Amber. Lin Yi also took out the Eternal Instant.

According to the rules, these source treasures brought into the secret realm from the outside cannot be brought back in once he takes them out. His purpose in leaving this time is to return to the Main Universe.

Therefore, it is essential to find a safe "home" for these three treasures.

Lin Yi took out a specially made storage bracelet that he had prepared beforehand, and with a thought, he put all three source treasures into it.

Then, Lin Yi's Main Body and his two clones attacked simultaneously.

Silver-gray time-source energy surged from the three of them, and began to inscribe complex and profound time-source runes on the surface and internal structure of the bracelet.

"Time Source Concealment!"

"Time Displacement!"

"Eternal Silence!"

Layer upon layer of concealing, interfering with, and confusing seals and stabilizing techniques were applied to the bracelet.

These secret techniques all originate from the profound application skills in the <True Explanation of Time Source Rhythm>. With the combined efforts of three beings who have nearly 20% understanding of the Time Origin Law, the effect reached its peak.

A moment later, the aura of the three source treasures within the storage bracelet was completely concealed. Even a Venerable Master who was proficient in the Time Origin Law would find it extremely difficult to detect anything unless they conducted a very detailed scan.

Lin Yi carefully sensed it for a moment, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong, he raised his hand and tossed it.

The storage bracelet, now transparent, transformed into a barely perceptible streak of light, and shot precisely towards the edge of the Core Zone Ice and Fire Wonder, into a rift where frost and flames clashed violently, and where the energy was most chaotic and violent.

The bracelet was submerged and instantly swallowed up by the raging turbulent Origin Law ice and fire.

Lin Yi closed his eyes, and deep within his soul, an extremely faint but incredibly tenacious sensory connection to the core Time Source imprint on the bracelet clearly existed.

This was a backup plan he left behind, ensuring that when he returned to the 50th floor in the future, he could use this connection to locate the bracelet's position within the wonder.

"Very good."

Lin Yi opened his eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

The choice of this treasure location is absolutely perfect.

The extreme environment, chaotic energy, and natural shielding against detection, coupled with his meticulously arranged Time Source Concealment methods, make it extremely safe.

"It's time to go back."

Having done all this, Lin Yi had no more lingering feelings.

He summoned back his two clones, took one last look at the Cosmic Sea Wonder, and then focused his thoughts on the secret realm mark between his brows.

Once you reach the 50th floor, there's no need to search for an evacuation point. To return to the Pure White Exchange Space, simply communicate with the Secret Realm Mark; however, it will take about three standard hours for the response time to arrive.

Lin Yi guessed that the reason for the long delay was mainly to prevent cultivators Origin Universe Tower from using this mechanism to escape if they encountered danger.

"Requesting to return."

Lin Yi silently recited this in his heart.

The imprint immediately relayed the message: [Requesting reception. Receiving...]

Three standard hours passed quickly.

A familiar pure white light enveloped Lin Yi's entire body.

Then, his figure completely disappeared from the 50th floor.