Genius's Fighting Style
"What kind of playing style is this? It's a genius playing style!"
On the east side of the square, a High Order of the Eternal Source Realm, dressed in a dark purple battle robe, suddenly slapped his thigh, his voice carrying a complex emotion that was hard to describe as either excitement or jealousy.
His battle robe was covered with countless fine star patterns, which flickered erratically due to the intense emotional fluctuations of its owner.
"More than twenty illusory contracts! Those are illusory contracts! Not just energy balls tossed around casually." A burly companion beside him shook his head with a wry smile, pinching his brow, seemingly still reeling from the lightning-fast battle. "My current limit is only thirteen illusory contracts, and he unleashed more than twenty in one go, without even blinking..."
"What do you have to compare with him?" someone nearby retorted mercilessly.
His burly companion opened his mouth, but in the end only sighed and did not refute.
Yes, what do we have to compare ourselves to?
Which one of them wasn't a top genius handpicked by their respective family and cosmic realm?
Which one of them wasn't labeled a "genius" from childhood and has come this far?
But once they arrived at the Inner Island of Constant Island, they discovered that there was such a huge gap between geniuses.
"When we see a prodigy like Lin Yi using a virtual contract, we probably feel the same helplessness as ordinary Eternal Source Realm cultivators who can't even master the virtual contract technique when we bully them with virtual contracts."
A sigh of emotion came from deep within the crowd.
The speaker was a mid-level student of the Eternal Source Realm who was sitting by a crystal pillar at the edge of the square. He was wearing a dark green scale armor battle robe, and several extremely thin and small dark blue scales grew on both sides of his forehead.
He crossed his arms over his chest, his vertical pupils reflecting the now-darkened gray-white light curtain above the square, his tone tinged with self-mockery.
His words caused a brief moment of silence.
Many people gave a wry smile.
Yes, in the eyes of ordinary Eternal Source Realm cultivators who can't even master the Void Contract technique, aren't these inner island students who can condense Void Contracts just as monstrous?
Now, Lin Yi used the same method to make them experience that feeling of being crushed again.
This feeling is very unpleasant.
But one has to admit it.
"You guys think..." someone suddenly asked, "Now that Lin Yi is ranked first in speed, will he become the first to clear the solo trial?"
This statement immediately sparked even more heated debate.
A woman wearing a light blue skirt armor spoke first.
This was a direct descendant of a powerful family in the Silent Gale Cosmic Domain. She raised her hand, and with a light tap of her slender fingers in the air, a semi-transparent light screen appeared in front of her, densely displaying detailed data on her solo performance in the first six trials of the Eternal Source Ring.
"I doubt it." She shook her head. "Although Lin Yi was indeed ridiculously fast in the first round, breaking the fastest record for the first round in the previous six trials by a large margin, the difficulty of the following two rounds is incomparable to the first."
She pointed to a set of data on the screen.
"You see, although the types of levels in the second and third stages are randomly selected, based on the statistics from the first six rounds, the probability of encountering high-difficulty variant levels increases as you progress. Especially the third stage, which almost always presents a complex level requiring comprehensive problem-solving skills."
As she said this, she looked up at the students around her.
"Lin Yi the first level quickly because he chose the most direct and violent speed-kill strategy. However, this strategy requires overwhelming firepower to kill the enemy in one hit. But if the opponents in the second and third levels are stronger, or if it's an environmental challenge, his firepower advantage will be greatly reduced, and he won't be able to clear it quickly using the same method."
"That makes sense." A middle-aged man in dark gray armor nodded in agreement.
"And don't forget, the higher the level of the trial participant, the more composed they are when facing complex challenges. Why? Because they have a greater reserve of secret techniques and a richer variety of Chaos Seal Pact. Even when encountering a type of challenge they are not good at, they can find a way to cope. Take E Lan for example, he is at the peak of the Eternal Source Realm, with a full nine Imprints, making him all-around capable in offense, defense, control, and escape. You Na has a similar setup. People at their level can handle even environmental challenges with ease."
"Although Lin Yi is strong, he is only at the fourth level of the Eternal Source Realm and only has four seals. No matter how strong he is, the range of seal types he can cover will always be somewhat limited. So, getting first place in the first round doesn't guarantee that he can easily get first place in the next two rounds."
His analysis was reasonable and well-founded, and many people around him nodded slightly in agreement.
But soon, some people raised different opinions.
"What you're saying makes sense. But haven't you forgotten something?"
A young man dressed in a dark blue robe strolled out from the crowd.
His robes were exquisitely crafted, with some kind of ancient runes embroidered in silver thread at the collar, and a palm-sized jade pendant hanging from his waist.
He was one of the top twenty students on the inner island, also at the Eternal Source Realm Completion. He came from a Dao Lord -level power that was famous throughout the entire Seventh Constant Domain, and he almost made it into the trial.
"Lin Yi has only been cultivating for less than 100,000 Epoch."
Upon hearing this, the students who were still discussing the matter immediately fell silent.
"He has a full hundred thousand Epoch to improve." The young man in blue shook his head and sighed, "A hundred thousand Epoch might just be the time it takes for others to cultivate in seclusion, or even enough to master a secret technique. But for a genius like Lin Yi... who knows how far he will progress?"
The chatter in the square suddenly quieted down a bit at that moment.
But soon someone disagreed and retorted.
"The further you progress in cultivation, the harder it gets. You're already at the advanced stage of the Eternal Source Realm, don't you know that?" A female student wearing dark red armor said with a frown. "We've all been there, who hasn't walked the path to the intermediate stage of the Eternal Source Realm? Especially when you reach the 40% or 50% mark, the difficulty increases exponentially."
As she said this, her tone became more wistful.
"I was one of them; I was stuck at the 40% mark for over a million Epoch. You guys were probably in similar situations, right?"
Even if someone has better talent than me, it would still take at least several hundred thousand Epoch. And even if Lin Yi has higher talent, he'll still encounter some obstacles, right? With our current level, if we get stuck even once, even if we overcome them smoothly later, it will still take at least tens or hundreds of thousands of Epoch to pass."
Her words immediately resonated with many people.
"Not bad." A man in a light gold battle robe nodded in agreement. "I had a smooth journey so far, but I didn't expect to be stuck for over ten million Epoch when breaking through to the advanced stage of the Eternal Source Realm. Although my talent isn't the best on Constant Island, I'm still considered a genius outside. That kind of barrier isn't something you can just break through whenever you want."
"You're all right, but..." someone suddenly interjected from the crowd, a hint of sarcasm in their voice, "Have you considered this?"
All eyes turned to the person who had spoken.
It was discovered that it was He Mingli.
He was still leaning against the edge of the slightly protruding crystal platform, toying with the jade folding fan in one hand and resting the other hand on the side of the betting screen, a meaningful smile on his lips.
"Have you ever thought about," he said slowly, "Why you're stuck at this level?"
The square fell silent for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
The female cadet in dark red armor frowned.
"What I mean is," He Mingyu snapped his folding fan shut and tapped his temple lightly with the fan rib, "That you're stuck because you've hit a bottleneck. But a bottleneck, in the end, is simply a lack of comprehension."
He Mingli's smile deepened.
He didn't say anything more, but simply reopened the folding fan and continued to idly fiddle with it.
Because he knew that saying so much was enough.
Sure enough, the students who had been discussing the matter fell silent.
They recalled Lin Yi's resume.
Breakthrough to the Eternal Source Realm, breakthrough to the third stage of the Eternal Source Realm, breakthrough to the fourth stage of the Eternal Source Realm.
All the seals he already possessed were of divine quality, and he could easily discard more than twenty illusory seals. What other geniuses would have to exert all their strength to achieve seemed effortless to him.
In addition, he recently completed the Law Inscriptions Repair Mission. That was a high-level research-type trial mission, a mission that even Eternal Source Realm Completion Inscription Expert would need millions of Epoch to complete, but he accomplished it in less than 30,000 Epoch.
The woman in the light blue, fitted battle robe gave a wry smile. "So our discussion just now was based on our own experience. But Lin Yi... we can't use common sense to deduce his situation."
"So, you've changed your mind?" someone asked from the side.
"It's changed halfway," the woman shook her head helplessly. "Although I still think it's unlikely he'll get first place, at least I no longer think it's completely impossible for him to break through to the fifth level of the Eternal Source Realm after 100,000 Epoch."
Similar discussions were taking place throughout the square.
Some people still insist that Lin Yi couldn't possibly be the first to clear all three levels solo, but others refute this by saying that opinions don't matter and facts speak for themselves.
Opinions were divided for a time.
In a corner on the west side of the square, several High Order of the Eternal Source Realm were gathered together, whispering about something.
"Did you guys notice? He Mingyu had a really sly smile when he said that just now."
The young man with his hair neatly combed spoke in a low voice.
"Of course I noticed."
His companion, a broad-shouldered, high-ranking student, shook his head with a wry smile. "That guy's always been cunning. He said Lin Yi was ranked thirteenth in the odds, but just now, when we weren't looking, he secretly changed his betting screen and moved Lin Yi to third."
"What do you mean by 'sneaking around'?" another person explained. "He's adjusting the odds because so many people are betting on Lin Yi; if he doesn't adjust the odds, he'll lose everything."
"Ha, I knew he'd pull this." The broad-shouldered, burly man tilted his head towards the betting screen. "I placed an additional bet."
"You re-voted for Lin Yi?" The meticulously combed man's eyes widened. "Didn't you just say you didn't think he had a good chance of getting first place?"
"I may not be optimistic, but that doesn't stop me from investing. What if I succeed?" He chuckled.
The man with his hair neatly combed paused for a moment, then chuckled and muttered a curse under his breath.
"Cunning, but I voted anyway."
On the other side of the square.
The student who had been the loudest earlier, saying that Lin Yi could never be the first to pass the three solo challenges, now had a stern face, his eyes fixed on the gray-white light screen above the square, without uttering a word.
But his right hand lightly touched a dark talisman inside his sleeve.
What are you doing?
A teasing voice suddenly sounded behind him.
The man whirled around like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, only to see a woman in a light green dress smiling at him.
"What, what did you say? I didn't..."
"Alright, stop pretending." The woman chuckled, bluntly exposing his thoughts. "So, do you always scold Lin Yi and then secretly place additional bets on him? Are you afraid the odds will be too low and it won't be worth it?"
"Ahem." The student coughed lightly, keeping a straight face and continuing to stare at the screen. "I didn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense."
"Yes, yes, you didn't..."
The woman drew out her words, then stopped trying to expose him. She simply turned around and walked towards the betting screen.
After walking a few steps, she turned back and glanced at the gray-white light screen again.
Meanwhile, in the Eternal Source Ring Trial Space, the rest area.
Lin Yi floated in this independent space enveloped by a pale golden light membrane, looking around.
This rest area isn't particularly large, roughly equivalent to the main courtyard of the manor at the Mist Sea City Imperial Army's garrison.
All around was a semi-transparent pale golden light membrane, on the surface of which flowed extremely complex Law Inscriptions, slowly flashing at a certain fixed frequency. Each flash would draw in pure chaotic energy from outside the light membrane.
Lin Yi sensed it and found that the chaotic energy here was at least 30% denser than the cultivation room in the Seventh Court of Inner Island of Constant Island.
"A 100,000- Epoch rest period will be enough for me to improve significantly..."
Lin Yi silently calculated in his mind.
Regarding these four clones...
Constant Island's clone continued studying the classic texts of law, but he couldn't neglect his social network either. The clone had just received a bunch of congratulatory messages and would probably be attending quite a few banquets.
As for the other two clones that remained in Mist Sea City...
Since there aren't any secret techniques for them to learn right now, it's better to let them Law Inscriptions in their spare time.
The Law Inscriptions are extremely versatile. In the process of learning, he also discovered that studying the inscriptions in detail could also help him understand the laws.
Although the promoting effect is very weak, even a mosquito's leg is meat.
Having made up his mind, Lin Yi refocused his consciousness into his body.
Spiritual Enlightenment Qi silently ignited within him, and he began to advance towards a higher level of understanding of the laws.
Time slips away quietly in deep meditation.
The Ten Thousandth Epoch.
The 20,000th Epoch.
Twenty-eight thousand Epoch later, a very subtle tremor suddenly came from the depths of Lin Yi's soul.
My understanding of the laws has steadily remained at 40%.
Fifth level of the Eternal Source Realm.
Things will fall into place naturally.
Lin Yi didn't feel anything special; it was like a runner at a steady pace naturally walking to the fifth-level boundary marker.
He slowly opened his eyes and sensed the changes in his Source Sea after the breakthrough.
The newly expanded void within the Chaos Source Sea is frantically absorbing the high-purity chaotic energy provided by the repair space, compressing and purifying it bit by bit, and then weaving it into a new framework of laws to embed into the Source Sea barrier.
He had gone through this process many times before and was already very familiar with it.
After completing the expansion of the Source Sea, Lin Yi did not delay for a moment and directly took out the deep purple crystal box from his Divine Kingdom.
The lid popped open silently.
Lin Yi directly took out one of the purple-silver essence bloodstains and then put the box away.
Radiant Nirvana Mantis ranks third on the list of mythical beasts.
Lin Yi held the drop of blood in his palm, the purplish-silver drop slowly rotating above his hand.
Unlike the restrained fluctuations of other essence blood, the aura emanating from this drop of Radiant Nirvana Mantis essence blood was extremely sharp, as if countless invisible blades were cutting through the void in all directions.
He could feel that the sharp energy emanating from his essence blood would create a tiny ripple of energy every time it came into contact with the Chaos Power in his palm.
Lin Yi's gaze lingered on the drop of blood for a moment, then he took a deep breath.
He had already made up his mind about which talent to choose from this blood essence.
"Awakening Radiance."
The reason why Radiant Nirvana Mantis ranks third is mainly due to two innate secret techniques.
Its first and most crucial attack talent is called "Awakening Radiance".
Entering the Awakening Radiance state increases one's ability to observe the flow of various energies and laws, allowing one to directly perceive and see through the weaknesses in the energy flow of various defenses and even treasures. Combined with its Sharpness sharp arm blade, its attack power is off the charts.
Basically, no one of the same level dares to be cut by the Radiant Nirvana Mantis. A fully-formed Radiant Nirvana Mantis can even destroy Dao Lord's Great Dao Treasure with a single strike.
Therefore, the strong fighters mainly relied on dodging when fighting against the Radiant Nirvana Mantis, and dared not take the blows head-on at all.
The remaining talent is called "Nirvana".
After the Radiant Nirvana Mantis dies, it will transform into a crystal egg and be randomly teleported to an unpredictable distance.
There is nearly a 50% chance that the egg will hatch and revive, but there is also a 50% chance that it will remain dormant, becoming a dead egg that is harder than a Void Crystal Cluster, drifting eternally in the Chaos Cosmic Sea, with no possibility of ever awakening again.
Lin Yi had absolutely no interest in this probability-based game.
He already has the Constant Union Seal Pact as a trump card for survival. Adding another means of resurrection based on probability is not entirely meaningless, but it is certainly not the optimal choice.
Moreover, this Nirvana Secret Method has a hidden pitfall.
Random teleportation?
Teleportation to the depths of the Black Silence Sea?
As for the other attack, defense, and flight techniques, although they can all be considered saintly or even divine, they are still a step below Awakening Radiance's.
Awakening Radiance's ability to "see through all weaknesses" is a divine skill that any cultivator would dream of.
Whether in battle or in learning inscriptions, this ability to see the essence is top-notch.
While the Light of Eternal Silence is powerful, it's not at its absolute peak. With the blessing of Awakening Radiance, it can directly attack weaknesses, which would be a form of enhancement.
So there's nothing to hesitate about.
Lin Yi took a deep breath, adjusted his mind to its best state, and then slowly closed his eyes.
Within the Purple Mist Space, Spiritual Enlightenment Qi suddenly ignited.
To create the initial form of Hengqi, remove the imprint of Awakening Radiance's secret method, and then connect and solidify it.
These steps were no longer a problem for Lin Yi, who had already successfully condensed four divine-grade seals.
Time flies.
Nine thousand one hundred Epoch later, the fifth Chaos Source Seal Pact officially took shape deep within the soul.
It was a vertical pupil-shaped seal of purplish-silver color. Around the silver-gray pupil were three constantly rotating purplish-gold patterns. With each rotation, a faint, semi-transparent ripple would spread outwards.
The moment the seal was formed, those purplish-gold patterns simultaneously emitted a dazzling circle of purplish-silver light from the depths of the soul.
At the same time, the other four seals in his Soul Origin also emitted a deep resonance. The five resonances intertwined, enveloping his entire Soul Origin in a colorful swirling light.
Amidst this dazzling radiance, Lin Yi could clearly feel his Soul Origin being expanded once again.
"The new brain really works well."
Lin Yi silently sighed in his heart, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.
Then, without stopping, he continued to delve deeper into comprehending the laws.
Within the Purple Mist Space, the Spiritual Enlightenment Qi ignited once more, and the five seals simultaneously emitted a resonance that amplified comprehension.
At the same time, the deeper understanding of the structure of laws he gained from studying the Law Inscriptions also subtly permeated his perception of laws.
Although the benefits brought by the inscriptions are negligible, for cultivation in the Eternal Source Realm, which is often measured in tens of thousands of years, every bit of efficiency improvement is invaluable.
This cultivation lasted for 52,000 Epoch.
On this day, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes.
Finally, his comprehension of the laws broke through 50%, and now he is at the sixth level of the Eternal Source Realm, reaching the peak of the middle level of the Eternal Source Realm.
He could feel that the Chaos Power within his Chaos Source Sea, after a new round of expansion, was much more powerful than before his breakthrough.
After stabilizing the Chaos Source Sea as usual, he took out the deep purple crystal box again.
He first reached out and took out the drop of dark purple essence blood that ranked fifth. The surface of the essence blood was filled with a terrifying light of tribulation; it was the original essence blood of the Calamity Abyss Soul-Devouring Python.
He knew all the secret techniques of his destiny contained in this essence blood.
Lin Yi pondered for a moment, then put the drop of blood from the Calamity Abyss Soul-Devouring Python back.
He then drew out the dark green essence blood from the side.
Ranked sixth, Nine Nether Qilin.
The drop of blood looked quite strange; in the center of its dark green background, a swirling mass of black mist floated, its rotation resembling the low growl of a living, ferocious beast.
Lin Yi looked at the mass of black mist and made up his mind.
His most powerful killing move, Light of Eternal Silence, is a divine-grade seal with immense power, but it has a limitation that cannot be ignored.
This beam of light can only be released through his own perception.
This means that when the Light of Eternal Silence attacks, he must look directly at the target, and the target can easily detect the signs of his attack.
Furthermore, relying on visual input means losing the ability to adapt, which further reduces the margin for error in direct combat.
He needs a method of attack that he can truly use at will.
And Nine Nether Qilin's core talent, "Nine Nether", is exactly what he urgently needs.
The Nine Nether Fire, this special jet-black flame, doesn't actually have particularly outstanding attack power. It's only barely enough to reach the threshold of a divine-grade seal. This is why the Nine Nether Qilin can only rank sixth and can't squeeze into the top five.
However, its true power does not lie in how sharp it is, but in the fact that the Nine Nether Fire can manipulate, devour, and seize all kinds of energy for its own use, and while retaining its original attack characteristics, it adds an extra layer of burning and assimilation effects from the Nine Nether Fire.
There are only two ways to kill Nine Nether Qilin.
Alternatively, they could rely on powerful flying bricks to suppress the opponent's cultivation level or have multiple powerful opponents of the same level surround and attack them, so that the Nine Nether Qilin would not have time to use the Nine Nether Fire to devour and assimilate the opponent's power, since controlling the Nine Nether Fire would also consume Soul Power.
Alternatively, it could involve using purely physical attacks.
Lin Yi chose this one first because he felt that the Nine Nether Seal could not only increase its power, but also greatly supplement and enrich his fighting style.
In his view, the only weakness of the Nine Nether is its own lack of offensive power, but he can use the powerful control granted by the Nine Nether to manipulate and enhance the Light of Eternal Silence. In this way, the Light of Eternal Silence will no longer be limited to visual attacks.
It can be shaped under the unparalleled control of the Nine Nether Netherworld, attached to weapons, and even remotely guided.
Furthermore, the Nine Nether Fire can be attached to the outside of the defense, forming a multi-layered defense consisting of the Nine Nether Fire, the Voidless, the Flowing, and the inscribed armor.
With the addition of Crimson Condensation's locking and control capabilities and Swift Thunder's high-speed movement, this is a truly all-around configuration that combines offense and defense.
Lin Yi looked at the drop of dark green blood in front of him, and without further hesitation, closed his eyes.
The Spiritual Enlightenment Qi is ignited.
Having gained experience in refining five divine-grade seals, his skill in controlling the prototype of seals had become consummate.
For him, the so-called construction of the imprint framework, the soul impact that was enough to make even a powerful expert at the Eternal Source Realm Completion shudder when peeling away the innate secret technique, and the final precise docking and condensation where every strand of law thread had to be aligned were all already his skilled work.
Although the pain and tedium remain, well...
I'm used to it.
In the blink of an eye, eight thousand three hundred Epoch had passed.
As the last wisp of inky black flame completely merged into the prototype of the Eternal Contract, the sixth Chaos Source Seal Pact, Nine Nether, finally solidified and took shape deep within the soul.
It was a jet-black, flame-shaped mark, with countless strands of dark green light slowly moving around its center.
This flame appeared to have no temperature, but the fluctuations it emitted were enough to send a chill down the spine of any cultivator who looked directly at it.
The six seals resonated and vibrated simultaneously. Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes, a tired but irresistible smile curving his lips.
He had experienced this feeling of his mind becoming increasingly clear and lucid many times before, but it still felt incredibly comforting, reaching deep into his soul.
He silently pondered for a moment.
I could easily beat my current Tier 4 self.
Thinking about this, he was even starting to look forward to the second challenge.
"I wonder what kind of challenge the second one will be... And, 100,000 Epoch have passed, I wonder what the outside world of the Eternal Ring is like... It must be surrounded by endless Black Silence Beast by now."
Lin Yi couldn't help but sigh.
Although the Dao Lord had previously wiped out all the Black Silence Beast that had been entrenched here, the fluctuations in their life force would be detected and transmitted by other Black Silence Beast in the vicinity, and soon, a continuous stream of Black Silence Beast would surge in.
Unless they quickly conceal their life force and move to another location, this place will become like a vortex, where they will face more and more Black Silence Beast, and the vortex's influence will only grow larger.
Clearly, the Dao Lord and Constant Lord outside cannot change their location.
Therefore, Lin Yi estimated that the outside area was probably teeming with Black Silence Beast.
"Sigh, but that's not something I can worry about. What I need to do now is prepare properly..."
Thinking of this, Lin Yi pondered for a moment.
There are less than two thousand Epoch left before the second stage of the solo trial begins; in such a short time, there won't be much progress.
However, there is one thing we could try to do.
<Soul-Maiming Source-Slaying>.
He had previously attempted to comprehend this secret technique for unleashing devastating power, which was said to have been created by the Emperor himself.
But I can't understand it at all.
Now that he has two more seals, his soul comprehension has improved significantly again, so he can give it another try.
With this in mind, Lin Yi ignited his Spiritual Enlightenment Qi and then once again immersed his mind in the secret structure of the <Soul-Maiming Source-Slaying> technique.
After a while, his face, which had been radiant with excitement due to his series of breakthroughs, turned serious again.
Several more Epoch passed.
Lin Yi slowly regained his composure, rubbed his temples, and shook his head with a wry smile.
"It seems I need at least one more seal before I can truly begin cultivating."
A sense of helplessness flashed through his mind.
It seems there's a reason why not many people practice the <Soul-Maiming Source-Slaying>.
This is fucking difficult.
Lin Yi had no choice but to temporarily put aside his cultivation of the <Soul-Maiming Source-Slaying> and instead focus on familiarizing himself with the application of the newly acquired Chaos Seal Pact.
One thousand two hundred Epoch later.
On this day, the surrounding space began to tremble violently.
The pale golden light membrane surrounding the rest area began to shimmer, and the Law Inscriptions flowing on its surface simultaneously emitted a dazzling light. Then, in front of him, a beam of pure white light descended from the sky, beginning to construct the entrance to the next trial ground.
At the same time, a grand yet indifferent voice echoed through the void.
"Solo Trial, Second Stage, is about to begin."
The Central Plaza the Inner Island of Constant Island.
A full 100,000 Epoch have passed since the end of the first Eternal Source Ring Trial.
For mortals, 100,000 Epoch is a terrifyingly long span of time, long enough for a civilization to go from its birth to its peak and then to its decline.
However, for the cultivators at the Eternal Source Realm Inner Island of Constant Island, 100,000 Epoch is merely a conventional seclusion, not even enough to master a profound law-based secret technique.
A few days after the first test ended, the students who had been watching in the square dispersed.
Those who need to go into seclusion should go into seclusion, those who need to do tasks should do tasks, and those who need to attend Constant Lord lectures should attend lectures.
After all, each stage of the individual trial lasts for a maximum of one hundred years, and all the trial participants have passed the first stage. Furthermore, during the 100,000 -Epoch rest period after the first stage, the events that occur inside the trial space will not be displayed on the light screen. The one hundred light screens in the square will only show an unchanging gray-white background.
Therefore, no one would be foolish enough to wait in this square for 100,000 Epoch.
But today is different.
Today marks the start of the second stage.
With the memory of the Eternal Source Realm, he naturally remembered that exactly 100,000 Epoch had passed since the last trial participant passed the first trial.
Therefore, early in the morning, students from all over the island began to gather at the Central Plaza.
Some walked in groups of three or five, while others strolled alone with their hands behind their backs, finding their spots near the crystal pillars at the edge of the square.
The huge Constant Island Emblem in the center of the square was still slowly rotating, and with each rotation, a faint purple energy ripple spread out from the center of the emblem, sweeping over the dark mass of people below.
He Mingli arrived early.
This senior disciple of the He Family, Eternal Source Realm, remained in that relaxed posture, leaning against the edge of the crystal platform. He played with his jade-shaped folding fan in his right hand and occasionally tapped the betting screen with his left hand to adjust the odds for the new round.
"He Mingyu! What are the odds this time?"
A familiar student in the crowd called out from afar.
He Mingyu replied without looking up, snapping his folding fan shut and tapping it lightly against his palm. "What's the rush? Let's wait until we've seen the level types for the second stage before we open it."
As soon as the words were spoken, the hundred light screens that had been silent for 100,000 Epoch above the square lit up simultaneously.
Ripples spread across the gray-white background, and then figures began to emerge in the light screen.
"They're here!"
An commotion immediately arose in the crowd.
Everyone's gaze swept quickly across the screens of light, lingering briefly on those familiar figures before continuing their search.
Lin Yi was the first to appear, followed by You Na, then Tai Huan, E Lan, and then the other Eternal Source Realm Perfection and High-level cultivators.
One after another, the figures of the corresponding trial participants quickly appeared on all one hundred light screens.
But the changes continue.
On each of the light screens, new afterimages began to appear beside the trial participants.
Those illusory figures appeared out of nowhere, from nothing to something, as if they were molded from the void by an invisible hand.
The noise in the square suddenly subsided a few degrees in that instant.
"They even have a trial subject as a teammate..." A High Order of the Eternal Source Realm student wearing gray-black armor narrowed his eyes. "This is a challenge level that requires you to fight someone of a higher level."
A challenge beyond one's level.
In the single-player trial levels of the Eternal Source Ring, this type of difficulty is second only to the complex level.
The trial participants not only have to face a trial subject whose strength far surpasses their own, but also have to command their trial subject teammates to execute coordinated attacks.
"Look over there, Lin Yi."
Someone shouted something.
All eyes turned to the light screen where Lin Yi was located.
On the light screen, Lin Yi was still wearing that light gold energy armor. The luster of the Law Inscriptions on the surface of the armor was a few degrees deeper than in the first level, and it shone with a warm dark gold luster against the gray-white void background.
Beside him, three illusory figures were coalescing into a form.
Those were three trial bodies in standard Constant Race forms, varying in height, and not far directly opposite him, a grayish-white phantom was rapidly solidifying.
"It should be the seventh level of the Eternal Source Realm."
The high-ranking student in the black and gray armor said in a deep voice.
The seventh level of the Eternal Source Realm is already the threshold for the High Order of the Eternal Source Realm.
"According to the conventions of the Eternal Source Ring, the strength of the test subjects in these cross-level challenge stages is relatively fixed."
At the front of the crowd, a woman dressed in a light blue, form-fitting battle robe raised her hand, conjuring a light screen in the air and quickly displaying the trial data she had collected. "Lin Yi entered the trial with a cultivation level of the Eternal Source Realm Stage 4. The trial body he faces is at the Eternal Source Realm Stage 7. The imprint configuration is most likely four red and three yellow."
"Four reds and three yellows..." A man in a cyan battle robe beside her frowned. "This configuration is quite good even among the high-ranking members of Inner Island of Constant Island."
Someone nearby chimed in, "Yes, a seventh-tier Eternal Source Realm cultivator has already crossed the threshold of the higher ranks. The application of the Chaos Law is completely different. Although Lin Yi was able to crush his opponent in the first round, that was because his opponent was at the same tier. He could have easily overwhelmed them with his Void Contract Firepower and Voidless Transformation. But against a seventh-tier Eternal Source Realm trial body, the opponent's application of the Laws is a level higher, and the reserves and amount of Chaos Power they can utilize are also on a completely different level. His advantage in Void Contract Firepower will be largely negated... Hehe, I'm afraid this time we'll be able to see just how many Void Contracts he actually has. I've always been quite curious about that."
"There's a major flaw in your analysis," another woman in a long dress shook her head. "How do you know Lin Yi is still at the fourth level of the Eternal Source Realm?"
These words immediately fell silent once again.
yes.
For others, ten thousand Epoch might mean nothing, but for Lin Yi, it might have already reached a new level.
"Sigh, there's no point in saying all this. We'll see soon enough." The student who spoke earlier couldn't help but shake his head and say, "Actually, if you ask me, with the number of virtual contracts Lin Yi has, he can pass the level even if he doesn't improve at all over these 100,000 Epoch. It's just a matter of how long it takes him and how much he exposes..."
He only said half of what he wanted to say.
On the light screen, Lin Yi's three trial teammates were still standing in the same spot, but Lin Yi himself had disappeared.
He was already standing in front of the seventh-level Eternal Source Realm Trial Body, almost face to face.
That's not the point.
The key point is that Lin Yi was engulfed in raging black flames.
The flames were a deep, almost inky black that seemed to devour all light. At the tip of each wisp of flame danced extremely fine, dark green light threads. As these threads streaked through the void, even the grayish-white space itself was scorched, creating distorted ripples.
He held in his hand a gray-blue longsword that was also burning with black flames.
The Silverblue patterns on the sword were completely enveloped by the inky black flames, with only the sharpest point of the blade retaining a sliver of extremely Sharpness Silverblue luster, resembling an aurora imprisoned in the depths of the Mo Yuan against the backdrop of the black flames.
And this sword was being slowly drawn from the chest of the trial subject.
A large, charred hole appeared in the chest of the seventh-tier Eternal Source Realm trial body, running from the front of the chest to the back, through which one could see directly into the grayish-white void behind it.
The edge of the cave entrance still held traces of inky black flames, which continued to slowly and steadily erode outwards. With each inch of erosion, the body of the trial subject disintegrated, and large pieces of grayish-white energy fragments peeled off its body, only to be swallowed up by the black flames before they could dissipate.
The entire room fell silent for a moment.
Then, an uproar ensued.