The Empire's Constant Guard

The command center was completely silent.

Commander Wen Qianfei's gaze fell on Lin Yi, as if she could see through all pretense and reach the depths of his soul.

Lin Yi maintained his bowing posture, but he already had a plan in mind.

"Reporting to the Commander," he said frankly, "I have only just heard of the so-called 'slow-burning genius' and am not sure if I belong to that type. I am simply building a solid foundation at my own pace and cultivating step by step, nothing more."

He spoke very sincerely.

Because he is not a true slow-burning genius.

The Spiritual Enlightenment Qi and the Purple Mist Space are the real reasons for his rapid cultivation speed, but this secret must never be revealed.

As for the label of "slow-burning genius," it was Li who told him about it, and Li had heard it from Commander Lainiadun, who had apparently only heard rumors about this type of genius.

Lin Yi had to be skeptical of these rumors about second-hand or third-hand goods.

What if these geniuses possess other, little-known qualities?

What if the military commander knew some characteristics that he was completely unaware of, and he rashly admitted it? Wouldn't that expose him on the spot?

Therefore, on the way here, Lin Yi had already made up his mind. "Neither admit nor deny."

You think I'm a slow-burning genius, and that's it.

Anyway, I don't understand it myself, and I've never admitted it to myself.

Upon hearing this, Wen Qianfei gave Lin Yi a deep look.

She didn't speak immediately, but simply looked at him quietly.

Li stood half a step behind Lin Yi, maintaining the same bowing posture, without moving.

He could sense the scrutinizing look in the military commander's eyes, and couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Lin Yi.

After a moment, Wen Qianfei finally looked away.

She neither agreed nor questioned Lin Yi's answer, but instead changed the subject.

"The Rui Family in Mist Sea City has recently encountered some trouble," she said slowly. "You probably don't know about it yet."

Rui Family?

Lin Yi was startled.

Has something happened to the Rui Family?

He truly hadn't heard a single word about it.

That's normal, though. He's on the Frontline, and he can only get updates on Mist Sea City by sending them from the supply fleet.

Although there are logistics personnel on the Black Rock Mothership who act as human communicators, they only periodically share military intelligence and certainly won't pay attention to the situations of some unimportant families.

It's likely that only the military lord, as the command center of the entire Mist Sea City Imperial Army, would pay comprehensive attention to all the major and minor Dynamic in Mist Sea City.

The Rui Family Rui Family had been kind to him, and he certainly couldn't stand idly by if they were in trouble.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi immediately said respectfully, "This subordinate truly does not know, and hopes that the military commander will inform me."

Wen Qianfei nodded.

She briefly recounted the conflict between the Huo Family and several other local families in Mist Sea City, including the Rui Family.

From the welcoming banquet held by various families when the Huo Family first arrived in Mist Sea City, to the Huo Family suddenly seizing clients, the mysterious disappearance of the Rui Family's transport fleet, and then the Rui Family patriarch Ruizhan personally visiting the Huo family, waiting outside the Huo Family's floating island for an entire Epoch, only to be sent back without even being allowed to enter.

"After Ruizhan returned, he joined forces with several other families that were being targeted by the Huo Family, preparing to fight against the Huo Family together," Wen Qianfei said calmly. "But based on my understanding of their respective strengths, even if the Rui Family and these other families join forces, they probably won't last more than ten thousand Epoch."

She paused, then added, "The Mist Sea Huo Family is a branch of the Jigong Cosmic Region Huo Family. The Jigong Huo Family is Constant Source Realm family, with two Constant Lord- level powerhouses."

Constant Source Realm.

In the Chaos Cosmic Sea, those at the Constant Source Realm are considered powerful figures, usually respectfully addressed as "Constant Lord".

A powerhouse of this level has already touched upon the Chaos Origin Law and can even perform resurrection techniques; their strength is completely different from that of the Eternal Source Realm.

After listening, Lin Yi quickly analyzed the situation in his mind.

He didn't naively ask, "Will the Imperial Army get involved in this kind of thing?"

Obviously not.

It's obvious that these family conflicts will be conducted behind the scenes, and the Imperial Army's main focus is currently on countering the outbreak of the Black Mist Sea.

As long as the Huo Family doesn't provoke the Imperial Army, pays their military taxes on time, and doesn't openly break the rules of Mist Sea City, why would the Imperial Army bother with these trivial internal disputes?

It won't last more than ten thousand Epoch.

Lin Yi mentally repeated the time.

He wasn't in a hurry.

Because ten thousand Epoch is enough for him to reach the Eternal Source Realm.

At that time, he will have the right to intervene.

Although his strength at the Eternal Source Realm might not be enough to compete with the Mist Sea Huo Family Eternal Source Family, his status as a genius might allow the Huo Family to give him face and protect the Rui Family first, so that they can slowly settle scores later.

Of course, he wouldn't stubbornly fight back if the Huo Family didn't give him face.

After all, even if the Rui Family loses in this struggle, he still has the confidence to back it up.

When we have enough strength in the future, we will resurrect those who should be resurrected, then help the Rui Family rebuild, and finally settle the score.

In the world of cultivators, strength is everything.

As long as you're alive, everything can start over.

Therefore, Lin Yi remained silent for a moment, his face ashen, and then said in a deep voice, "Thank you for informing me, Commander."

Seeing Lin Yi's behavior, Wen Qianfei's eyes flashed with surprise.

She had assumed that Lin Yi would show anxiety and anger, or at least ask for more details, after hearing the news of the Rui Family's troubles.

But Lin Yi's reaction was unexpectedly calm.

She could tell that this calmness was not indifference, but a composure born of careful consideration.

"It seems," Wen Qianfei couldn't help but say, "That you're quite composed."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi frankly replied, "I am confident that I can reach the Eternal Source Realm within ten thousand Epoch. At that time, I will naturally not stand idly by."

He said it so naturally, as if stating a given fact.

Upon hearing this, Li couldn't help but glance at Lin Yi.

Within ten thousand Epoch, it only reached the Eternal Source Realm.

He had a rant he wanted to vent, but he didn't know where to begin.

Because he realized that what Lin Yi said seemed to be true.

Given Lin Yi's current cultivation speed, it is indeed not impossible for him to progress from the seventh level of the True Source Realm to the Eternal Source Realm within ten thousand Epoch.

In fact, it's highly likely that it won't even take ten thousand Epoch.

Thinking of his arduous cultivation path, Li could only silently curse in his heart: These talented people are weird.

Wen Qianfei didn't find anything wrong with what Lin Yi said. In her opinion, as a slow-burning genius who started at the same time, this speed of advancement was normal.

Therefore, she simply smiled with a hint of amusement, "It's good that you have this confidence, but I'm afraid the Eternal Source Realm is still not enough in front of the Huo Family..."

"Although you are a genius, countless geniuses have perished in the Chaos Cosmic Sea, and the cultivation of the Chaos Law is fraught with peril at every step; a single misstep can lead to the destruction of one's very essence... Therefore, you must understand that only those geniuses who grow and mature are true geniuses."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's expression turned solemn.

He agreed with this statement, since he had roughly the same mindset when looking at those genius kids from the Origin Universe from his current perspective.

So he didn't refute anything, but thought to himself, as long as I play it safe and don't do anything reckless, I will naturally grow stronger, and then I will have plenty of ways to deal with it.

He simply nodded, then slowly uttered his thoughts, "I understand, but even so, I must do my best and leave the rest to fate, striving only to have a clear conscience."

Wen Qianfei was taken aback upon hearing this.

She had no idea that Lin Yi had a trump card he was absolutely confident in, so when she heard Lin Yi's words, she immediately misunderstood Lin Yi and thought he meant that he would intervene even if he knew he was no match for him.

Therefore, Wen Qianfei fell silent upon hearing this, sighing inwardly, "What a fine line, 'only seeking a clear conscience'... If only he had done it back then."

She thought of some old memories and for a moment couldn't help but drift off into a daze.

After a moment, Wen Qianfei came to her senses and said to Lin Yi, "Since you have this intention, I will give you this opportunity to truly have the ability to intervene in this matter... Presumably, you should know about the Imperial Constant Guard."

Constant Guard!

Lin Yi certainly knew the name of Constant Guard.

In those days, the Emperor was deeply concerned about the rampant lawlessness and disorder among cultivators in various Constant Domain, and the precarious existence of lower-level cultivators. He not only promulgated laws for all Constant Domain to enforce, but also established the Constant Guard to travel the world.

The Constant Guard were personally established by the Emperor. The selection criteria required candidates to be at least at the Eternal Source Realm. Furthermore, the primary consideration was not only talent but also character. The selection standards were extremely stringent, making them veritable "holy knights" among cultivators.

The reason for such strict requirements is quite simple: the Emperor granted the Constant Guard far too much authority.

The power of oversight, the power of investigation, the power of law enforcement, and so on.

Simply put, if the Constant Guard believe that a cultivator at the Eternal Source Realm is problematic and needs to be killed on the spot, they can even kill him first and report the evidence later.

Moreover, the Constant Guard even had the authority to mobilize the city guards and the Imperial Army to assist them.

However, despite their vast authority, the Constant Guard have an excellent reputation within the empire because they rarely abuse their Constant Guard, and Constant Guard targeted by them are generally not good people.

Furthermore, the Constant Guard were known for upholding justice, and in the public's narrative, they were always regarded as messengers of justice.

However, this would naturally make some of the Constant Guard a thorn in the side of some powerful families that had their eyes on them.

Of course, very few actually dared to take action against the Constant Guard.

Because the Constant Guard are extremely united, the sudden death of one of them will inevitably provoke a whole group, and may even lead to the Emperor taking action himself. In the current Black Mist Sea era, although the Emperor has disappeared, the Constant Guard stationed in various Constant Domain still adhere to their mission and are even more united.

Previously, a Path Source Realm family had silenced a Constant Guard at the Eternal Source Realm. As a result, after learning the news, three other Constant Domain Constant Guard Path Source Realm Commander the Heng Domain crossed the Black Mist Sea to arrive. The four Path Source Realm attacked together and wiped out this top family, which had two Path Source Realm, in one fell swoop.

This major case shocked the entire empire.

As far as he knew, the Seventh Constant Domain's Constant Guard were roughly divided into three tiers.

The Constant Guard Commander of the Path Source Realm, the Constant Guard Patrol Officer of the Constant Source Realm, and the Constant Guard of the Eternal Source Realm.

Although it appears to be divided into three levels, the hierarchical relationship among the Constant Guard is not particularly strong. Each Constant Guard generally acts independently, only deploying together or seeking assistance from superiors when necessary.

The main reason is that there are too many requests for help from the Constant Guard, so each Constant Guard can only make their own choice.

For example, the Jigong Cosmic Region currently has one Constant Guard Inspector and one hundred Constant Guard. The area of activity of a certain Constant Guard can be the entire Silent Quadrant or a few major cities, as long as he feels it is necessary.

Hearing Wen Qianfei suddenly and inexplicably mention the Constant Guard, Lin Yi's heart stirred. What did Wen Qianfei mean by bringing this up?

He immediately replied, "Your subordinate is naturally aware of the reputation of the Constant Guard."

Wen Qianfei nodded, looked at Lin Yi, and slowly said, "One of the Constant Guard in the Jigong Cosmic Region failed to break through to the Constant Source Realm and perished, leaving a temporary vacancy. After 6,700 Epoch, the assessment will be officially launched from the candidates to select official members."

And I... can recommend you as a candidate.

A moment of silence fell over the command center.

Li, standing slightly behind and to the side of Lin Yi, narrowed his eyes upon hearing those words.

Constant Guard Candidate!

Those are the Constant Guard!

Even if someone is just a candidate, it means they have already entered the field of vision of that special system.

Once you pass the assessment and become a full member, your status and position will be completely different.

It was not merely a position, but a symbol, a symbol representing imperial order and justice.

Lin Yi quickly understood Wen Qianfei's meaning.

Becoming Constant Guard means he will possess an identity and authority far exceeding that of an ordinary Eternal Source Realm.

At that time, his intervention in the conflict between the Rui Family and Huo Family would no longer be merely a personal act, but would represent a force of imperial order.

Especially a family like the Huo Family, whose methods are clearly not clean.

This was indeed an opportunity, an opportunity that would give him "real power to get involved in this matter."

But Lin Yi did not answer immediately.

He needs to weigh the pros and cons.

The selection criteria for the Constant Guard are stringent, and the assessments are inevitably extremely difficult.

Moreover, becoming Constant Guard means taking on corresponding responsibilities and obligations, dealing with various thorny issues, and inevitably offending many powerful forces.

More importantly, why did Commander Wen Qianfei give him this opportunity?

Is it merely because you admire his talent and character, and want to give him a way to help the Rui Family?

Or is there a deeper consideration?

To be honest, while the Constant Guard is a good team, it's not like he absolutely has to join.

But here's the problem: he refused when he was in trouble with Constant Island last time, and now that the Rui Family is in trouble, Commander Wen Qianfei has offered a solution. If he refuses again, aside from whether it's strange or not, his public image will be ruined.

Therefore, Lin Yi was already inclined to agree.

As for the hostility and dangers he would face after becoming Constant Guard, he wasn't too concerned. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. He could simply find a safe place for his Main Body and send out his clone to investigate cases. It was said that most Constant Guard did just that.

So he only intended to confirm one last thing.

That's what they call an assessment, whether there's any danger to life. If it requires the Main Body to participate in various trials like Constant Island, then he'll politely decline.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting Wen Qianfei's deep blue eyes. "My lord, if I may be so bold as to ask, what was the content and difficulty of the assessment?"

Wen Qianfei seemed unsurprised by Lin Yi's caution. She slowly said, "The content of the assessment has always been kept secret, but it's nothing more than a test of strength, character, and adherence to the laws and order of the empire. The difficulty... is naturally extremely high, but there's no danger to life."

She said seriously, "But you must remember, the primary principle of the Constant Guard is impartiality. If you neglect your duties for personal reasons and abuse your power, even if you become Constant Guard, you will be purged from within. I recommended you because I value your potential and character, hoping you can become a force for maintaining order, not a tool for revenge."

Lin Yi took a deep breath, clenched his right fist, and pounded it heavily on his left chest again, leaning his body slightly forward.

"Your subordinate understands. I am willing to give it a try, General Xie, for your guidance."

He didn't say anything grand, but the four words "willing to give it a try" already showed his determination and attitude.

Wen Qianfei nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"This might be the most suitable for you," she said slowly. "Becoming Constant Guard won't prevent you from helping Mist Sea City. The situation on the Frontline is tense right now, and many Constant Guard are also active on the Black Mist Sea line."

Lin Yi bowed again. "Thank you for your kindness, Commander."

Wen Qianfei didn't say anything more. She turned around, faced the void, and instructed, "Request to contact Inspector Wen Xiao."

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat.

Surname Wen?

The Constant Guard Inspector is at least a Constant Source Realm expert, and moreover, both the Inspector and the Commander share the same surname, Wen.

He stood there calmly, his gaze slightly lowered, maintaining the proper respectful posture.

Li stood half a step behind Lin Yi, also remaining silent, but a knowing glint flashed in his eyes.

He had long heard that Commander Wen Qianfei had an elder brother in the Constant Guard, and now it seemed that this Inspector Wen Xiao was very likely the Commander's elder brother.

The air inside the command room rippled slightly.

A moment later, a pale golden light condensed in the void, gradually outlining the figure of a man dressed in golden armor.

The golden armor was different from the Imperial Army's armor; it was simpler, with dark golden energy patterns flowing across its surface, and a special emblem on its chest.

It was a pattern of a long sword crossed with scales, the emblem of the Constant Guard.

The man had a heroic face, and his eyebrows bore some resemblance to Wen Qianfei's, but his temperament was Sharpness. He lacked some of Wen Qianfei's composure and had more of a ruthless and decisive air about him.

The man in golden armor swept his gaze across the command room, first landing on Li and Lin Yi, pausing briefly on them, before turning to Wen Qianfei.

Wen Qianfei raised an eyebrow slightly. "Brother, does your Constant Guard still need geniuses?"

Upon hearing this, the man in golden armor immediately became serious.

"Commander Wen Qianfei," he emphasized the words "Commander," "when you are at work, please address me by my title."

Wen Qianfei subtly curled her lip and continued, "I've found a slow-burning genius under my command, and more importantly, his character is extremely reliable and impeccable. I originally intended to recommend him to your Constant Guard, but now it seems that Constant Island is a more suitable place for him."

"Um?"

Inspector Wen Xiao was taken aback.

Slow-burning genius?

This kind of talent is extremely rare. Almost every slow-starting genius can reach the Constant Source Realm as long as they don't perish along the way.

Reliable and upright character is the most valued quality during the selection of guards.

While the Constant Guard value talent, they place even greater emphasis on character.

No matter how talented someone is, if they have a wicked heart, they will never be included in the Constant Guard system.

Because the Constant Guard wield too much power, the harm they could cause if abused would be even greater.

"Ha ha..

Inspector Wen Xiao suddenly laughed, his tone instantly becoming very friendly, "Little sister, I was just joking with you because I hadn't seen you in a long time, please don't mind."

As he spoke, he carefully examined the two people behind Wen Qianfei. His gaze lingered on Li for only a moment before moving on to Lin Yi.

At this moment, Lin Yi was just standing, but his back was straight and his posture was calm, with clear and firm eyes.

More importantly, Wen Xiao could sense that this young man possessed a special quality.

It is a composure forged through life-and-death trials and tempered in blood and fire, yet without losing the purity of one's true self.

"A slow-burning genius..." Wen Xiao repeated, looking at Wen Qianfei, "Are you sure?"

Wen Qianfei said calmly, "My subordinate is named Lin Yi. When he first started cultivating in the original Cosmic Clam, his talent was only average. At that time, the highest expectation for him was only to stop at the Star Source Realm. But later, his cultivation speed suddenly increased, and he quickly left everyone else behind. In the end, he became the first cultivator in the history of that Cosmic Clam to obtain the two-star mark."

"From the fourth to the seventh level of the True Source Realm, it took him less than five hundred Epoch in total. Of that, it only took sixty Epoch to go from the sixth to the seventh level. Moreover..." Wen Qianfei paused, "... his speed in condensing the Cosmic Universe Seal also increased with the advancement of his realm."

Wen Xiao's heart stirred slightly.

Seven Cosmic Universe Seal, seventh level of the True Source Realm.

This progress is enough to rank among the top in the True Source Realm of the entire Silent Quadrant.

More importantly, according to Wen Qianfei's description, this young man's cultivation speed is a typical characteristic of a slow-burning genius.

"What about his character?" Wen Xiao asked, his gaze returning to Lin Yi.

"With your intelligence network, you should have heard of Lin Three Favors." Wen Qianfei only said these three words.

Wen Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He had indeed heard of the name "Lin Three Favors".

The Constant Guard place the utmost importance on gathering intelligence on promising young talents with excellent reputations.

Not long ago, a story about a newly promoted centurion of the Seventy-First Fleet circulated in the Constant Guard's internal intelligence network.

However, because its strength is still low and its talent is only at the standard level of the Outer Island of Constant Island, it was only included in the database.

Unexpectedly, the protagonist of that story was this young man in front of me.

"So it was him... His character does seem to fit the bill." Wen Xiao silently confirmed this in his heart, then looked at Lin Yi and slowly said, "Young man, you must understand that although the training conditions for our Constant Guard are no less than those of Constant Island, the responsibilities and risks we bear are much greater. Within the Constant Guard, we may offend many powerful forces, and even those who can create clones will need to occupy at least one clone to handle various thorny issues... So, what are your thoughts?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency the Inspector," Lin Yi immediately gave an affirmative reply, "I am willing to become a Constant Guard."

"Why?"

Lin Yi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The Constant Guard allows me to do what I want. I can continue fighting on the Frontline, and I can also deal with those who abuse their power as a member of the Constant Guard. This is more in line with my true intentions than entering Constant Island for secluded cultivation."

Li stood behind Lin Yi, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

He was both pleased with Lin Yi's choice and somewhat worried. The path of the Constant Guard was not easy.

Upon hearing this, Wen Xiao laughed.

"Very good, very honest." He then looked at Wen Qianfei: "Sister, I want this young man."