Qing Yan's Reward, Heng Shi's Arrival

The three Venerable Lords, Xuan Yan, Tian Ge, Tian He, were all shaken at the same time.

Is the Overlord coming?

The Eternal Beginning Dominator is still recovering from serious injuries in a secluded place; why would he personally come to the fortress now?

Even if it's not the Main Body, but just an avatar, it still shows how important it is!

The three exchanged a quick glance, their eyes filled with barely concealed surprise.

But they asked nothing, only bowed slightly. "As you command, Lord."

Then, Xuan Yan slowly rose and looked at Tian He, "The Sovereign has his reasons for making this arrangement. We don't need to overthink it; we just need to convey the order. What happens next will become clear once the Sovereign arrives in person."

Tian He nodded and said, "That makes sense. Let's get on with the business first."

Tian Ge nodded and said, "I think so too."

The three of them said no more and quickly withdrew their consciousness from the Virtual Network.

In reality.

The Tian He had just exited the Virtual Network and was about to convey the command of the Eternal Beginning Dominator to Lin Yi.

Just then, the Lan Zhi was standing nearby, stepped forward and said to Ji Yi with a smile, "Venerable Lin Yi, the Qing Yan already knows about your return. The Sovereign would like to invite you to a meeting."

Invitation from the Qing Yan?

The Tian He felt a sudden tightness in his heart.

The invitation from the Spirit Race came far too quickly!

He dared not delay for the slightest and immediately conveyed the words of the Eternal Beginning Dominator to Lin Yi through Soul Transmission.

"Lord Lin Yi, the Eternal Beginning Dominator has learned that you have emerged from the secret realm and has instructed you to remain in the fortress and not go anywhere else."

He paused briefly, his voice growing even more somber. "The Lord specifically instructed that he will come in person."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's heart stirred slightly.

The Qing Yan invited me? The Eternal Beginning Dominator is even coming in person? And he told me not to leave the fortress?

His face remained calm, maintaining a composed and humble smile, but his mind was racing.

The Eternal Beginning Dominator left him at the fortress, presumably for safety reasons.

Although the Overlord had previously said that obtaining a one-star mark would make things much safer, it was only "much safer," not absolutely safe.

However, judging from the fact that the Eternal Beginning Dominator made him stay in the fortress, it can be seen that he believed that the Qing Dan, who was in charge of overseeing the fortress...

... He probably wouldn't harm himself.

Could it be that the Eternal Beginning Dominator and the Qing Yan have a very good relationship?

No... If they were close, the message just now should have mentioned something like "the Qing Dan is trustworthy," but it didn't. Obviously, that's not the case.

Hmm...

A thought flashed through Lin Yi's mind, and he thought to himself, "Could it be because the Eternal Beginning Dominator thinks..."

... Is the Qing Dan's strength just average?

He felt that this was most likely the reason.

Because of this three-race war, he had consulted a lot of previous records of inter-race wars and knew that apart from a very few top rulers, other rulers could kill ordinary lords instantly, but it was extremely difficult to seal or capture them alive in an instant - capturing was much, much more difficult than killing.

Therefore, Lin Yi speculated that the Eternal Beginning Dominator probably thought that even if the Qing Dan had a mental breakdown and harbored ill intentions towards him, he would not easily take action.

The reason is simple: if it's impossible to completely and instantly disable him, he has every opportunity to self-destruct.

Lin Yi pondered, "I guess in the mind of the Eternal Beginning Dominator, as long as I'm not sealed away and disappear, even if I die, it's not a big deal at all... After all, resurrecting a realm wouldn't take much effort for a Ruler..."

Thinking of this, Lin Yi couldn't help but smile bitterly.

The Eternal Beginning Dominator thought it wouldn't matter if he died once, but he himself didn't think so.

He wasn't sure if, given his unique characteristics, his Main Body could be resurrected normally after dying once.

Does the Purple Mist Space still exist after being resurrected?

These are all unknowns.

After figuring all this out, although Lin Yi felt that with Qing Dan's intelligence, he would definitely be able to figure this out as well, and therefore would most likely not make a move against him... he still didn't really want to see Qing Yan.

After all, a wise person avoids standing under a crumbling wall.

However, the Qing Dan had previously gifted him a Fearless War God, which had been of great help to him. Now that the other party had taken the initiative to invite him, it wouldn't be appropriate to refuse outright.

So... after a moment's thought, Lin Yi made his decision.

Use a clone to take a look.

After all, as long as one's mastery of the Time Origin Law is inferior to his, even someone as powerful as the Overlord would not be able to distinguish between his Main Body and his clone.

As far as he knew, the Qing Dan had never cultivated the Time Origin Law.

In the blink of an eye, these thoughts had all passed through their minds.

Lin Yi's smile remained unchanged as he addressed Lan Zhi, saying, "Lin Yi am deeply honored by the Lord's invitation."

As he spoke, a thought flickered in his mind, and he secretly gave a few instructions to his clone within his Internal World.

Then, the silver-gray space around him rippled, and a figure dressed in a silver-gray battle robe, radiating 11% of the Time Origin Law fluctuations, was released from his Internal World and appeared beside him.

After the clone appeared, it immediately turned to Lin Yi's Tian Ci Main Body and said in a serious tone, "You stay here and ask Venerable Lords Yao Chen for some common sense and experience at the Venerable Lord Rank. I will go with Lan Zhi to pay my respects to Qing Dan."

Lin Yi Main Body and said, "Yes."

Upon seeing this, Lan Zhi and Yao Chen were slightly taken aback, and then a look of realization appeared in their eyes.

Although they had some complaints in their hearts, they were not surprised.

Because in their minds, these guys who cultivate the Time Origin Law are basically all like this - they always habitually hide their Main Body and have their clones active outside.

Clearly, in their view, what Lin Yi had previously appeared at the entrance to the secret realm was an avatar.

Now, because I am going to see the ruler, I have specially summoned my Main Body as a sign of respect.

But the Tian He thought differently.

A slight thought crossed his mind, but his face revealed a similar expression to Lan Zhi and Yao Chen. He then chuckled and said, "Welcome. Although I'm not particularly strong, I've lived for so long, and I know quite a bit about the common knowledge, rules, and other miscellaneous tricks of the Venerable Lord Rank. Let's go back to the platform and talk. Don't just stand here and disrupt the order."

As he spoke, he gestured towards Lord Yao Kuang.

Yao Kuang understood, nodded slightly, and said, "You two talk; I'll oversee the emergency care during this time."

Tian He smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you."

Lin Yi also expressed his gratitude.

Then, Tian He and Yao Chen, carrying Lin Yi's Main Body, turned and flew towards the highest platform.

Lan Zhi watched the three leave without saying much, but gestured to Lin Yi's clone, "Lord Lin Yi, please follow me."

"Thank you for Lan Zhi." Lin Yi's clone nodded with a smile.

The two transformed into streaks of light and flew towards the giant Spirit Race fortress in the distance, which resembled a crystal tree and shimmered with Phantom Light.

The highest level platform.

In a quiet room with simple furnishings but exuding a calm and profound atmosphere, Tian He and Lin Yi sat facing each other. The room was isolated from the noise of the outside world, with only faint energy flowing slowly through the patterns on the walls.

Tian He personally poured Lin Yi a cup of refreshing tea and pushed it in front of him.

"Lin Yi, try this. It's a piece of Eternal Condensation Tea that a descendant of the clan sent me. It tastes quite good." The Tian He gently, like an approachable elder.

"Thank you." Lin Yi accepted it with both hands and took a sip.

As the tea enters the stomach, a refreshing coolness penetrates the soul, bringing a sense of tranquility.

He poured himself a cup, took a small sip, and then put down his teacup. He looked at Lin Yi Tian He undisguised admiration in his eyes. "To be honest, I've lived for so many years and seen many geniuses, but someone like you... who has risen from the Star Core level to the Venerable Lord Rank in less than an Epoch, and even reached the Time Venerable level... is truly a first."

Lin Yi humbly replied, "I was just lucky."

"Luck is also a part of strength." Tian He waved his hand, his expression becoming more serious. "However, now that you have become a Lord, there are some things I will discuss with you as an equal."

"Please speak." Lin Yi sat up straight.

"First, there's status and responsibilities," Tian He said slowly. "Venerable Lord Rank are truly high-ranking members of our Human Race, holding official seats in the Human Race Supreme Council and having the right to vote on major matters of the race. According to convention, upon becoming a new Venerable, the race will allocate a star region as your direct territory, providing corresponding initial resources and manpower, and you will also be responsible for certain tasks. The council will soon produce several preliminary plans, which will then be discussed with you."

Lin Yi nodded to indicate that he understood.

"Secondly, there are the rules here at the fortress," Tian He continued. "Although the Spirit Race's Qing Yan here, the lords of other races still enjoy considerable freedom. Generally speaking, as long as they don't violate the <Pan-Spirit Alliance War Regulations> or commit acts of betrayal, the actions of the lords of other races will not be interfered with by the Qing Dan. This is one of the reasons why the Overlord allowed you to stay at the fortress. Here, anyone who attacks you without cause is making an enemy of the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance."

Lin Yi understood. No wonder the Eternal Beginning Dominator only said "stay in the fortress" and didn't mention anything else.

"Of course." The Tian He's tone changed slightly, "When faced with an invitation from a Sovereign, basic etiquette is still necessary."

"Sending your clone there... is a very appropriate way to handle this." He glanced at Lin Yi, a knowing smile in his eyes.

Lin Yi smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

"Furthermore, regarding the Qing Yan..." Tian He pondered for a moment, "This Sovereign is renowned within the Spirit Race for his formidable combat prowess, but his temperament... is said to be fairly impartial. His previous bestowal of the title ' Fearless War God ' upon you was a recognition of your potential and your contributions in the secret realm. His meeting with you this time is likely primarily to offer congratulations, and perhaps he will bestow some further rewards to demonstrate the Spirit Race's high regard for our Human Race prodigy. You should respond normally, but... the necessary vigilance is still essential."

This is a very straightforward and honest statement.

Lin Yi solemnly replied, "Thank you for your guidance Tian He."

"We are both Lords of the Human Race, there's no need for such formalities." Tian He smiled, picked up his teacup, and said, "Come, have some tea. While we wait for the Overlord, let me tell you about this fortress, which places are worth visiting, which people are worth getting to know, and... which pitfalls are best avoided."

Spirit Race Fortress, Core Zone.

With Lin Yi 'Lan Zhi passed through energy corridors flowing with Phantom Light, finally arriving at a massive dark silver metal gate engraved with intricate spiritual patterns and radiating subtle spatial fluctuations.

"Lord Lin Yi, please wait here for a moment while I go in to inform him," Lan Zhi said, turning to Lin Yi.

"Thank you for your trouble." Lin Yi's clone nodded slightly.

Lan Zhi raised his hand and placed it on the giant door. The spiritual patterns glowed slightly, and the door slid open silently through a crack. He slipped inside.

Outside the door, Lin Yi's clone stood quietly waiting; this wasn't his first time here.

A moment later, the giant gate opened silently.

Lan Zhi stepped forward. "Lord Lin Yi, please come in."

Lin Yi's clone stepped inside.

The door closed silently behind me.

Before me was a quiet room with a simple, almost empty style.

There were no ornate decorations, no powerful energy fluctuations, only a jade table and the figure sitting behind it.

The Qing Yan.

He was still wearing a simple blue robe, his silver hair was casually tied up, and he was playing with an unknown white crystal in his hand. His aura was completely integrated with the surrounding space and time, and the harmony was perfect.

Upon seeing Lin Yi enter, the Qing Dan raised his eyes and fixed his gaze on him.

His gaze was gentle and peaceful, yet it seemed to pierce through all illusions.

Lin Yi's clone felt a slight chill, but his face remained impassive. He stepped forward and respectfully bowed, saying, "Lin Yi greets Qing Yan."

"No need for formalities, please sit." The voice of the Qing Dan was as gentle as ever. He raised his hand and gestured, and a jade stool of the same material as the table appeared out of thin air in front of Lin Yi's clone.

"Thank you, Master." Lin Yi's clone sat down as instructed.

The Qing Dan put down the white crystal in his hand, his gaze lingering on Lin Yi for a moment before he slowly spoke, "Lin Yi, congratulations. In just tens of thousands of years, you have achieved the combat power of Venerable Lord Rank and have even stepped into the 50th level of the Origin Universe Tower."

layer.

"Presumably... you have already obtained that one-star mark?"

Lin Yi's clone nodded slightly, readily admitting, "Yes, I broke through by chance and have already obtained the mark."

"Luck?" A faint smile played on the lips of the Qing Dan. "To reach the 50th floor and obtain the mark, there is no room for luck."

He didn't dwell on that point, instead asking, "How much do you know about this star mark and its meaning?"

Lin Yi's mind stirred slightly, and he carefully chose his words before replying, "Reporting to the Master, after I entered the Origin Law in the secret realm, I had an in-depth exchange with Ellis and learned some information about the Origin Universe Tower and the Mark from him. I have some knowledge of this."

"Oh? Ellis?" A hint of surprise flashed in the Qing Dan's eyes. "I didn't expect you to have such a good relationship with him. Given his personality, it's surprising that he would bring these things up with you on his own initiative."

"Ellis is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He fought alongside me in the secret realm and is an excellent comrade-in-arms," Lin Yi's clone said sincerely.

"Cold on the outside, warm on the inside?"

A slightly strange smile appeared on the Qing Yan's face. He chuckled softly, then shook his head. "Let's just say that's how it is."

He didn't press for details, instead saying, "Since you already know some of the relevant information, I won't say any more. Besides offering my congratulations in person, there's another matter I wanted to discuss with you today."

Lin Yi's clone said earnestly, "Please speak, Master."

"Your achievements within the secret realm, especially the two battles on levels 45 and 47, have had a profound impact and greatly boosted the morale of our Pan-Spirit Alliance," the Qing Dan said slowly. "According to the rules of the Pan-Spirit Alliance, battles fought against the Abyss Erosion Clan within the secret realm are considered Frontline combat and are calculated in the same way. You should be aware of this."

Lin Yi's clone nodded. "Yes, there were clear rules from the beginning."

This stirred a sense of anticipation within him.

In the secret realm, although knocking an enemy out of the realm only deprives them of one opportunity to explore, rather than truly killing them, and the battle merits gained each time are not much, his glorious record is still undeniable, with thousands of gods knocked out of the secret realm by him!

Added up, it's an absolutely considerable sum.

The Azure Talk Sovereign said, "According to the rules, all your achievements were against god-level targets, and should have been fully credited as golden battle merits. But..." He paused, then smiled and said, "Now that you have stepped into the Venerable Lord Rank, golden battle merits are no longer of much use to you."

"Therefore," the Qing Dan said slowly, "I hereby grant you special permission to directly convert your previous battle merits into Source Treasure Points."

A glint appeared in Lin Yi's clone's eyes; this was clearly special treatment.

After a moment's thought, the Qing Yan said, "In that case... I'll give you 3700 Source Points."

3700 Yuanbao Points!

Lin Yi felt a surge of joy in his split body.

Source Treasure Points are a common "currency" used by powerhouses at the Venerable Lord Rank and above, and their value far exceeds that of Golden Battle Merits.

Golden battle merits mainly correspond to the exchange authority for god-level resources. For lords who need to exchange for treasures of the Source Law level or above, their value is indeed greatly reduced. They often need to exchange them for higher-level "source treasure points" through complicated private channels at a discount. The process is troublesome and the losses are considerable.

He exchanged most of the resources he obtained from the secret realm for Spiritual Enlightenment Qi. To others, he might seem to be carrying a fortune, but he knew his own situation best. Among the Venerable Lord Rank, he was definitely one of the poorest. Now, having suddenly obtained 3,700 Source Treasure Points was an unexpected surprise.

"Thank you, Master!" Lin Yi's clone stood up and bowed solemnly in gratitude.

"No need for formalities." Qing Yan waved his hand, his expression returning to its previous gentle and calm tone. "This is what you deserve. Now that you are a Venerable Lord, you should communicate more with the Spirit Race and the other Venerable Lords of our faction."

"Alright, that's enough about that. You've just gotten back, you must have a lot to take care of. Go on."

"Yes, Lin Yi takes his leave." Lin Yi's clone bowed respectfully again, then slowly turned and left the quiet room.

The massive, dark silver metal door slid open silently, then quietly closed behind him.

Outside the door, Lan Zhi remained waiting quietly by her side.

Seeing Lin Yi emerge, he smiled gently, "Lord Lin Yi, are you finished talking?"

"Yes, thank you for waiting so long Lan Zhi." Lin Yi's clone replied with a smile.

"It's no trouble at all. I'll see you out." Lan Zhi gestured for them to leave, and the two of them once again walked out along the corridor where starlight seemed to solidify.

A short while later, the dark silver metal door opened silently once again.

The Lan Zhi returned and stood respectfully in the center of the quiet room. "Master, is there anything else you wish to command?"

The Qing Yan put down his teacup, looked up at Lan Zhi, and instead of answering, asked, "Lan Zhi, what do you think of Lin Yi...?"

. how?"

After a moment's thought, Lan Zhi replied earnestly, "His talent is unparalleled, rarely seen in the world. To become a Lord in just tens of thousands of years, and a Lord of Time at that, his potential is limitless. His temperament... is calm and reserved, and his actions are measured. Given time, he will surely become another pillar of the Human Race."

Qing Yan nodded slightly, a hint of emotion on his face. "Indeed, the Human Race... has produced a fine talent."

Upon hearing this Lan Zhi smiled and echoed, "You, Sovereign, recognized Lin Yi's extraordinary talent long ago and bestowed upon him the title of Fearless War God. Although Lin Yi possesses unparalleled talent, he still holds you in high esteem. Hearing of your invitation, he even transformed into his Main Body to pay his respects, which shows his sincerity."

"You deliberately changed into your Main Body to come here?" Qing Yan raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Lan Zhi. "Tell me, what's going on?"

Lan Zhi then briefly described how Lin Yi, having first created an avatar outside the entrance to the secret realm, then summoned his Main Body to pay his respects upon hearing the Sovereign's invitation. She concluded with a smile, "Those who cultivate the Time Origin Law all have this habit, keeping their Main Body well hidden. Lord Lin Yi's special request for his Main Body to appear this time is likely out of special respect for the Sovereign."

After listening, the Qing Yan remained silent for a moment.

Suddenly, he chuckled, "This kid... he's got some interesting qualities."

Lan Zhi was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.

The Qing Dan looked at Lan Zhi, a playful expression on his face. "You've been fooled. The one that first appeared at the entrance of the secret realm was his Main Body. The one that just arrived was probably an avatar."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, the gentle smile on Lan Zhi's face instantly froze. "This... this Lin Yi... he actually used an avatar to pay his respects to the Ruler? How dare he be so rude!"

She never expected to be tricked like this by a newly promoted Human Race sovereign, especially since she had been misjudged in front of the ruler, which made her very unhappy.

However, to Lan Zhi's surprise, the Qing Dan did not get angry. Instead, he waved his hand and said with a smile, "There's no need to get upset. You know how some of the clan's sovereigns behave. Caution is not a bad thing. He is of Human Race, and his vigilance, ability to conceal his abilities, and knowledge of self-protection are what allow him to go further on this path."

He paused, his gaze returning to the doorway, as if he could see that young figure there, and sighed again, "What a promising talent... a potential ruler indeed."

"Domination is within reach..."

Lan Zhi was startled and silently repeated those four words in her heart.

Although he also believed that Lin Yi was at least a top-tier Venerable Lord, and might even have glimpsed the realm of the Sovereign, the weight of those four words coming from the Sovereign's own mouth was completely different...

The Qing Yan withdrew his gaze and instructed Lan Zhi, "Pretend you know nothing about this matter, understand?"

Lan Zhi took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your subordinate understands."

"Alright, go then." Qing Yan picked up the white crystal core from the table again and said no more.

Lan Zhi One bowed respectfully and slowly withdrew from the meditation room.

The metal door closed, isolating the inside from the outside once again.

Walking along the starlight corridor, Lan Zhi's feelings remained complicated.

Back at the platform area at the entrance of the secret realm, one can see from afar that Lin Yi is standing with Lord Tianhe and Yao Chen at the highest point of the platform, seemingly chatting and laughing in a harmonious atmosphere.

The Lan Zhi's gaze fell on Lin Yi, and she looked at him with a slightly complicated expression, thinking to herself, "I wonder if this is... his true Main Body, or... an avatar?"

She couldn't help but think to herself with a touch of helplessness, "These guys who cultivate the Time Origin Law, if you really think about it, they even dare to use clones to meet with the Sovereign, so it doesn't seem like such a big deal for them to use clones to communicate with us Venerables."

Thinking of this, Lan Zhi quickly put on her usual gentle smile, and in a flash, she appeared beside the three of them, smiling and saying, "What are you all chatting about? It's so lively. Perhaps... I know a little about it too."

Tian He laughed heartily, "Lan Zhi, you've come at the perfect time. We were just chatting about some interesting things and intricacies of this fortress. Lin Yi is new here and needs to learn more about it."

Yao Sui nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Lin Yi turned to Lan Zhi and smiled, "I was just about to ask Lan Zhi for guidance. I just heard Tian He mention that there is an Origin Enlightenment Stele in this fortress. It is said that the Venerables who are stationed in the fortress will leave their own Origin Law imprint on this stele?"

"This place does indeed exist." Lan Zhi nodded with a smile, suppressing her thoughts from the quiet room and getting back to the topic. "The Origin Enlightenment Stele is located in the fortress's public area. Venerables often inscribe their new insights on it. Whether you encounter something useful depends entirely on fate."

"I see." Lin Yi nodded, making a mental note of it.

These kinds of places are exactly what he needs right now, as they can broaden his horizons and validate what he has learned.

The four venerable masters stood in the void at the edge of the platform, chatting casually.

The conversation gradually expanded from the special locations within the fortress to some unspoken rules on the Frontline, the ways in which the lords of different races interacted, and even some famous and dangerous places and wonders in the universe.

Tianhe and Lan Zhi are both veteran lords who have lived for a long time and have extensive knowledge. Yao Kuang is taciturn, when he does speak, he often hits the nail on the head. Lin Yi, on the other hand, listens quietly most of the time, asks questions when appropriate, and benefits greatly from it.

Time slipped away quietly during this high-level exchange.

Just as everyone was discussing a certain famous wonder, a buzzing sound rang out!

A mysterious yet powerful spatial fluctuation descended without warning, instantly enveloping the entire void where the fortress was located!

This fluctuation carried a sense of majesty and vastness that seemed to originate from the very source of the universe, but it was not directed at ordinary gods. The powerful gods of various races who were busy near the entrance to the secret realm were completely unaware of it.

However, the four Venerable Lords, Lin Yi, Tian He, Lan Zhi, and Yao Chen, who were talking, all changed their expressions at the same time, stopped talking, and stood up involuntarily!

Their spiritual perception was far more acute than that of the gods, allowing them to clearly sense the terrifying power contained within this fluctuation.

"This is..." Lan Zhi's expression turned solemn as she said gravely, "I wonder which ruler... has descended upon us?"

After his initial astonishment, Tian He quickly showed joy on his face.

Meeting the inquiring gazes of Lan Zhi and Yao Chen, and noticing the fleeting realization in Lin Yi's eyes, he chuckled, "They are our Human Race's... Eternal Beginning Dominator."