Lavish, absolutely lavish

"First place again?"

On the stone platform to the south, the old man in the dark blue robe stared intently at the list. After a moment, he exclaimed, "First place in two categories! Even in the past assessments of the Constant Guard, this is a rare sight."

The beautiful woman in purple robes sitting beside him nodded slightly and said, "He crushed the competition in the first test by relying on a divine-grade seal, which can be said to be an advantage of the assessment method. However, the second test had nothing to do with seals, yet he still came in first. This is enough to explain the situation."

The beautiful woman paused, her gaze returning to the golden list, and slowly said, "Strictly speaking, the assessment can already be over. Lin Yi topped the list with two first-place scores, and by an overwhelming margin. The rest were just formalities."

On the stone platform to the south, the cultivators dressed in uniform white robes had already fallen silent.

The mature man who had just analyzed that the assessment method was favorable to Ji Yi was currently leaning on the back of the chair with his arms crossed, with an expression on his face that could not be told with emotion or a wry smile.

The young woman beside him stared intently at Lin Yi's name on the list, and after a long while, she managed to utter a sentence: "The second item doesn't even require the Chaos Source Seal Pact, so how come his willpower is so strong?"

The mature-looking man did not answer.

Because he didn't know how to answer.

His earlier speculation was that Lin Yi had an advantage in the assessment method, possessing a divine-grade seal upon entering the Eternal Source Realm, giving him a significant advantage over a phantom of the same level who only possessed a newly entered saint-grade seal.

But now, he silently refuted his earlier argument that "it's just that the assessment method is advantageous."

First place in both categories, no further explanation needed.

In contrast to them, the representatives from the various forces in Silent City had no time for discussion.

They are doing only one thing.

Message.

Subtle energy fluctuations quietly rippled across the War Zone; these were the aftershocks of various communication methods being activated simultaneously.

"The assessment results are in. Top spot: Lin Yi, from the Imperial Army of Mist Sea City, recommended by the Wen Family."

"Although it's not over yet, Lin Yi's results are overwhelming, with two first-place finishes; the outcome is already decided."

Similar messages flew through different channels to every corner of Silent City, and also to the hands of the higher-ups who were sitting in the central positions of various forces, waiting for the assessment results.

Among these messages, one type stands out as particularly special.

That was an internal announcement sent by the major powers to all members of their clans immediately.

"New Constant Guard: Lin Yi. Effective immediately, he must not be an enemy or provoke."

The wording varies, but the core meaning is the same.

No one wants one of their family members to accidentally offend a newly Constant Guard and become the target of the guard's attempt to establish authority.

This has happened more than once in history.

Every time, there would be an arrogant young man from the family who would commit a crime in front of the Constant Guard, thus becoming the first major case on the Constant Guard ' resume.

No one wants this kind of "happy acquisition," so everyone qualified to know the results of the Constant Guard assessment will send the news back immediately to ensure that everyone in the clan knows the face and name of the newly promoted Constant Guard, so as to avoid any misunderstandings.

Those strong individuals who haven't yet been recruited but failed to be chosen can be negotiated slowly and gradually won over.

But no power would willingly offend a member of the Constant Guard for no reason. After all, these are all large and powerful families, and who would dare to guarantee that they can withstand an investigation?

On the stone platform closest to the main stage in the War Zone, Wen Yong sat in the center.

He was the Wen Family's representative to observe the game.

As for Wen Xu, because of his insufficient status, he doesn't even have the right to come in and watch for the time being.

Wen Yong was dressed in a dark gray, wide-sleeved robe today, with fine Flowing Cloud embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs and collar. He wore a dark silver belt around his waist, making him look very dignified.

At this moment, he had a restrained smile on his face.

Around his stone platform, representatives of those forces that were on good terms with the Wen Family had already gathered around.

The He Family representative, seated to Wen Yong's left, clad in dark green armor, turned slightly towards Wen Yong and smiled, saying, "Congratulations! The Wen Family has recommended an exceptional talent to the Constant Guard this time."

Wen Yong still had that gentle smile, and he waved his hand unhurriedly.

"Hehe, you're too kind. Lord Lin Yi is Lord Lin Yi. Our Wen Family simply did what we should do. With Lord Lin Yi Yi's talent and character, even without our Wen Family, other families would have discovered and recommended him sooner or later. Our Wen Family just happened to be there and submitted a letter of recommendation in advance. There's nothing to congratulate him on."

The smile on the He Family representative's face froze instantly.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind.

"Are you pretending to be a ghost?"

When you say that, could you please stop wearing that "he's someone our Wen Family discovered and recommended" smile?

You said there was nothing to congratulate you on, but you were smiling so much your eyes almost disappeared.

They even said, "Other families would find out sooner or later." The problem is, other families didn't find out, only your Wen Family did, and you even handled the entire process from recommendation to accommodation to assessment. What do you call that just a stroke of luck?

However, he certainly wouldn't voice this complaint.

He paused for a moment, but quickly put on a smile again.

"Brother Wen is right, very right. However, even so, if it weren't for the Wen Family's discerning eye, we probably wouldn't have known that such a prodigy had emerged in Silent City. The Wen Family's recommendation is truly invaluable."

Upon hearing this, Wen Yong's smile deepened, but his words remained impeccably polite.

"I dare not accept such praise. As I said before, Lord Lin Yi's own strength and character are the foundation. Our Wen Family has merely done our duty and dares not take credit."

Everyone present rolled their eyes inwardly, but their smiles remained unchanged.

Just as the various factions in the War Zone were still exchanging information about the newly released assessment results and congratulating Wen Ke, the light array above the examination hall was slowly dissipating.

The pale golden threads were fading one by one, merging back into the ever-flowing patterns of light and law on the dome.

Because the last examinee has already woken up.

The scores in the second test were not significantly different, and the time taken by each person was very close. Clearly, they were all among the best in their class in terms of willpower, and no one was much worse than the other.

But these people had no interest in paying attention to the subtle differences between themselves and those in front and behind them. Their eyes were all fixed on the numbers at the very top of the list, then they would silently scroll down to their own names, glance at their total time, and then fall silent again.

Faced with overwhelming strength, any excuse is futile.

If Lin Yi's first-place finish in the first assessment could be attributed to the assessment method being advantageous to him, given that he was at the initial stage of the Eternal Source Realm realm against a phantom that also only possessed an initial Saint-grade seal, the advantage was naturally there in the battle between a Divine-grade and a Saint-grade.

If the second assessment is still number one, then there are no excuses left to make.

Disagree?

If you're not happy about it, just keep it to yourself.

On the main stage, Wen Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the final round on the golden list. After confirming that all the results were finalized, he gently pressed down on the void.

The golden list trembled slightly, then, like grains of sand scattered by the wind, it turned into a sky full of pale golden dust and vanished without a trace.

Then, he said in a deep voice, "The first and second assessments are now complete."

"Based on the ranking of the total time taken for both assessments, the top spot belongs to: Lin Yi."

"At the same time, I would also like to thank every cultivator who participated in this assessment. The fact that you were recommended here from among countless Eternal Source Realm in the Silent Cosmos Domain proves your strength and character. There is only one spot for the Constant Guard, and not getting this spot does not mean that you are not good enough."

Wen Xiao paused slightly at this point, her tone softening somewhat.

"I hope, and I believe, that we will see more of you in future assessments. The doors of Constant Guard are always open to those with ambition."

Finally, he turned his gaze to Lin Yi.

"Lin Yi, come with me."

Lin Yi bowed slightly and stepped down from the stone platform.

Only after the two figures disappeared did the atmosphere in the entire testing area suddenly relax.

Representatives from various factions, who had been waiting for a long time, rose from their seats. Their gazes swept over the unsuccessful candidates who remained in place, and then a flurry of telepathic messages flew over them.

"Young friend, may I speak with you in private? I am the head of the outer quarters of the Yanxi Family..."

"I am the Third Steward of the Resounding Sky Pavilion."

"I am the special representative of the Egang Family for this assessment. Our Ergang family has been established for a long time and has abundant resources. The family is in need of someone like you, young friend..."

The testing site was bustling with activity for a time.

Those who failed to make it this far are all top-notch in terms of strength, talent, and character. Even if they didn't become Constant Guard, they would still be invaluable backbone members in any family.

For the various forces, these people are not only real combat power at the Eternal Source Realm, but also potential links for dealing with the Constant Guard in the future.

After all, no one knows whether these people will pass the next assessment, so it's always a good thing to make connections now.

At this moment, Lin Yi had already followed Wen Xiao out of the assessment site and walked along a long corridor deeper into the camp.

The corridor was not wide, but it was very clean. The walls on both sides were made of dark gray stone, and at intervals there was a pale gold mark that flickered slowly at a fixed frequency.

Wen Xiao walked slowly ahead.

"Each Constant Guard has its own secondary crystal cluster at its base. The main crystal cluster at the base is the central hub of all Constant Guard in the Silent Cosmos Domain, so you don't usually need to go there. Your secondary crystal cluster is on the east side of the base; I've already arranged it."

Lin Yi followed half a step behind Wen Xiao, listening attentively.

"The secondary crystal cluster has complete living and cultivation facilities; you can look at the details yourself when you get back. I'll take you to collect your equipment first."

"Yes," Lin Yi replied without asking any further questions.

The two turned two corners along the corridor, and the passage ahead began to slope downwards. The density of the golden markings on the ground and walls increased significantly, and every now and then a ray of light swept across the markings.

Wen Xiao led Lin Yi down the corridor, passing through three layers of dark golden light screens, until a door appeared at the end of the corridor.

This door was unlike any other door in the camp.

It was cast from an unknown dark silver metal, with no patterns or energy lines on its surface, only a dark golden Light Sphere, which was floating above the lintel and slowly rotating.

Wen Xiao stopped in front of the door and then bowed slightly.

"Lord Yan, I've brought Lin Yi here to collect his rations."

Lin Yi's gaze sharpened slightly.

It's Lord Yan again.

Before the assessment began, Wen Xiao had asked Lord Dan for instructions regarding supervision in the void. At the time, Lin Yi thought it was a high-ranking member of the Constant Guard stationed at the garrison. He never expected that even something as small as receiving equipment required asking Lord Dan for instructions.

Just as he was pondering this, the heavy, dark silver door slid open silently.

Wen Xiao straightened up, glanced at Lin Yi, and then stepped inside.

Lin Yi followed closely behind.

Behind the door was an extremely spacious warehouse.

The dome is so high that its outline is almost invisible, and all sorts of items are displayed inside.

Wen Xiao didn't linger. As he walked inside, he glanced at Lin Yi and said slowly, "Are you wondering why we need to ask Lord Dongyan for help with something as trivial as retrieving equipment?"

Lin Yi nodded slightly, without denying it.

"Because Lord Dan is omnipresent," Wen Xiao said. "He is Intelligent Life personally placed by the Emperor when the Constant Guard was created, named Dan. Lord Constant Guard has been assisting in the management of the entire Constant Guard since its inception. He is involved in assessments,..."

Allocations, tasks, rewards and punishments, and even the files of every Constant Guard are all under the control of Lord Dan.

"Now that the four domains are separated, the Black Mist Sea blocks most inter-domain communication. For ordinary forces to send a message across the Constant Domain, the cost is extremely high. But Lord Dan can still maintain communication within the four domains. The assessment, allocation, missions, and rewards and punishments of the Constant Guard in the other three Constant Domain are also managed by Lord Dan simultaneously."

"It can be said that the Constant Guard has been able to maintain its integrity to this day entirely thanks to Lord Yan."

I see..

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi suddenly realized what was happening, and he quickly bowed to the empty space in front of him.

"Lin Yi greets Lord Yan."

Seeing Wen Xiao Lin Yi's solemn expression, Wen Xiao's lips curled slightly. He didn't say anything more and continued walking deeper into the warehouse.

A moment later, he stopped in front of a shelf deep inside, took down a dark gold metal box from it, and handed it to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi quickly reached out and caught it.

"Your equipment is all inside. Remember, you only have the right to use the items inside; you must return them whenever you leave the Constant Guard."

As Wen Xiao spoke, he walked out, "The instructions are inside. All the relevant matters, rules, and common knowledge about the Constant Guard are also included. You can study them at your own crystal cluster. If there's anything you don't understand, you can also ask Lord Yan."

Lin Yi stored the metal box into his Divine Kingdom, then quickly followed Wen Xiao.

After the two left the warehouse, Wen Xiao stopped and bowed slightly to the empty space in front of him.

"Please trouble Lord Yan to guide Lin Yi to the crystal cluster where he is located."

As soon as he finished speaking, a very thin, pale golden filament appeared out of thin air in the void in front of Lin Yi.

The filament of light swirled slightly in the air, then slowly extended eastward, forming a clear cursor path.

Wen Xiao glanced at the cursor, then said to Lin Yi, "Go ahead. There's a welcome party tonight; they'll send you a message then, remember to attend. You'll be assisting them a lot in the future, so it won't hurt to get to know them beforehand."

Lin Yi bowed slightly. "Thank you, Inspector."

"Hmm." Wen Xiao nodded and turned to leave.

Lin Yi straightened up and followed the virtual cursor toward the east side of the camp.

The cursor points to an energy bridge at the edge of the main crystal cluster. At the end of the bridge, a dark gray crystal pillar can be vaguely seen rising from the void.

The crystal pillar was slightly shorter than the Wen Family's secondary crystal cluster, but it occupied a larger area. The platform at the top of the entire crystal pillar was covered by a layer of pale golden energy shield, and the surface of the shield occasionally flashed with the unique longsword and balance emblem of the Constant Guard.

As Lin Yi crossed the energy bridge and stepped onto the platform atop the secondary crystal cluster, a tiny ripple spread across the surface of the pale golden protective shield, and then an archway silently opened.

He stepped through the archway, and a bright and open view opened up before him.

At the very center of the platform stands a main building that occupies a vast area.

The main building is made of dark gray crystal, with light gold patterns as decoration, and its overall style is consistent with that of the Constant Guard's residence.

Simple and austere, yet dignified.

Directly in front of the main building is a spacious training ground, which is larger than the Wen Family District training ground, with dozens of energy guide pillars standing along its edge.

Behind the main building, there is a quiet courtyard.

Lin Yi stood there for a moment, then pushed open the main building door.

Behind the door is a spacious living room, simply yet fully furnished.

In the very center is a table and chairs for receiving guests, and on the table is a pot of crystal flowers that emits a faint fragrance.

Lin Yi did not linger in the living room.

He went down the circular staircase at the back of the living room to the basement and found the cultivation room.

This cultivation room is more than three times the size of the one in the East Eastern Courtyard.

The central cultivation platform was cut from a single piece of pale golden crystal. The ground around the platform was engraved with extremely intricate energy guiding patterns, which were a whole level higher than those of the Wen Family. The edges of each pattern shimmered with a very subtle luster.

The walls are also made of the same pale gold crystal material, with intricate law nodes embedded in their surface. Each node connects to the energy hub deep within the secondary crystal cluster, providing energy support when a cultivator breaks through.

Lin Yi sat cross-legged on the cultivation platform, then focused his mind into his inner Divine Kingdom and took out the dark gold metal box that Wen Xiao had given him.

Although the box wasn't large, he knew that everything inside represented his current identity and the path he would take in the future.

From the Perfection of the True Source Realm to the Eternal Source Realm, from a hundred consecutive victories in the Ring Arena to the crushing power of the Nine Seals Combined into One, from the essence blood of the Eternal Silence Abyss Dragon to the condensation of a Divine-grade Seal, from being number one on both lists to now sitting in this secondary crystal cluster manor that belongs to him, looking at the assembly box that belongs to the Constant Guard in front of him.

Then he exhaled a long breath and slowly opened it.

Beneath the box lid, on a pale gold velvet lining, lay several items quietly.

Two miniature metal spheres, dark gold in color, with countless fine, almost invisible patterns flowing across their surfaces.

Even through the unactivated seal, Lin Yi could sense the terrifying power contained within.

Beside the two spheres, a miniature spaceship sat quietly.

The spaceship was no bigger than a thumb, spindle-shaped, and its outer shell was carved from a single piece of golden crystal that Lin Yi had never seen before.

Beside the spaceship lay a golden emblem.

The emblem is shaped like an upright longsword crossed with a balance scale, which is the symbol of the Constant Guard.

In addition, a translucent information crystal lay quietly in one corner of the velvet cloth.

Lin Yi's gaze swept over the items one by one, then he reached out and picked up the information crystal first.

He needs to figure out what these things actually are first.

With a slight pressure from his fingertips, the crystal shattered.

A torrent of Information Flow flooded into the depths of his consciousness.

The regulations, authority guidelines, equipment list, and user manual for the Constant Guard, as well as a new recruit handbook marked "Required Reading," etc.

Lin Yi closed his eyes, letting his consciousness travel rapidly through the flood of information.

He absorbed and digested the articles concerning the duties and authority of the Constant Guard one by one, and he also noted down the various facilities and usage rules of the garrison, as well as the equipment list and instructions for use.

A moment later, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes.

He lowered his head, looked again at the few items lying quietly in the box, remained silent for a long time, and then murmured something under his breath.

"The configuration of the Constant Guard... is incredibly luxurious! No wonder there weren't many records about it in the publicly available information I collected before, only some vague descriptions of extremely high benefits. Because... it's just too luxurious!"

He reached out and picked up one of the two dark gold metal spheres.

According to the description in the information crystal, this is the standard battle armor of the Constant Guard, named "Constant Guard".

It has three layers of law patterns engraved inside. The initial, intermediate and advanced stages of the Eternal Source Realm can activate one layer each. After all three layers are activated, it becomes a perfect-level battle armor.

Furthermore, there is an extremely complex linkage mechanism between the three layers of inscribed laws.

As long as the three layers of laws inscribed on it do not break at the same time, this armor will never completely lose its defensive capabilities.

Even if all three layers of law patterns are shattered, the structure of the armor itself is still sufficient to withstand attacks from those below the High Order of the Eternal Source Realm.

As for the other sphere, it is a weapon, Eternal Source Realm Completion combat weapon called "Constant Slash".

It can transform into any form under the user's will, and its interior is engraved with three layers of law patterns. Its operating principle is similar to that of battle armor.

Although these two items are already treasures worth millions of Eternal Cosmos Crystal, they are nothing compared to the third item.

This third item was what truly made Lin Yi gasp in astonishment.

The Constant Guard's exclusive spaceship, "Constant Ban"!

It was one of the standard supplies for the Constant Guard, established before the Emperor's disappearance, and could only be equipped by the Constant Guard. It had four major functions: high-speed flight, stealth, defense and protection, and mobile base.

In terms of defense, the outer shell of the Constant Ban Spaceship is cast from a single piece of a rare material called "Void Annihilation Crystal". The density of the laws in this crystal is ridiculously high, and attacks at the Eternal Source Realm level are completely unable to penetrate its defenses.

Even when pursued by a low-level Constant Source Realm expert, the Constant Ban Spaceship could withstand a few blows and then escape.

Furthermore, the Constant Ban Spaceship is equipped with a complete crew of Mechanical Servants.

One hundred black-armored Mechanical Servants at the peak of the True Source Realm, ten silver-armored Mechanical Servants at the initial stage of the Eternal Source Realm, and one Blue-Armored Machine Servant at the peak of the Eternal Source Realm Completion!