The Stage of Geniuses, The Sanctuary of Loved Ones

With the broad framework in place, the rest was merely a matter of implementation details.

Lin Yi rapidly constructed a method of disguise within his mind.

I currently retain only that tiny sliver of soul origin, but it is of the same source as my own. Besides, according to the information I gathered on the virtual network in my past life, I have never heard of any means capable of directly inspecting one's soul origin.

Therefore, while information on the methods of beings above Eternal Gods is scarce on the virtual network and remains inconclusive, as for Eternal Gods themselves, as long as I do not actively display any anomalies, even a standard retrospective investigation by a god should be unable to uncover my secret.

Based on this, as long as I frequently reference the memoirs of those cosmic geniuses I have seen and provide a reasonable explanatory framework for every extraordinary feat, I will not arouse the suspicions of that god toward anything abnormal.

After all, given the eternal lifespan of a god, they have seen more than enough geniuses; as long as one doesn't stand out like a two-headed ant, who would bother to scrutinize a slightly stronger ant?

Lin Yi pondered carefully in his heart while tidying up his desk.

Combat experience can be disguised as innate combat intuition and rapid learning through practical application.

Knowledge of Abyss Beasts can be passed off as keen observation and the ability to quickly summarize patterns.

As for cultivation speed and comprehension of laws, those can be attributed to astonishing aptitude and a tenacious will.

In this way, every step will appear as a miracle that naturally occurs to a genius under immense pressure.

As for the scale of talent to display...

At this thought, a trace of self-mockery welled up in Lin Yi's heart.

What kind of scale could be considered the normal range?

Actually, there was a ready-made reference.

That was the "Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Tournament," hosted by the Spirit Race and participated in by the star-core-level members of all affiliated civilizations.

The monstrous geniuses that emerged from it were the best objects for reference.

The Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Tournament was held every 5,000 years, and Lin Yi had experienced two of them since stepping into the universe.

During the first, he had only just entered the universe and was merely a second-stage star-core level; sticking to the principle of not wanting to waste the registration fee, he did not sign up.

However, for the sake of broadening his horizons, he watched the live broadcast on the virtual network, and at that time, he was deeply shocked by the monstrous level achievable at the star-core stage.

Everyone who made it into the top 1,000 of the finals possessed a domain.

The ultimate winner even displayed a domain of six-fold law fusion during the final battle.

What kind of concept was that?

A domain was the hallmark of the star-domain level, representing the complete mastery of a certain cosmic law.

In other words, those geniuses from various races who entered the top 1,000 of the tournament had all reached the star-domain level in terms of law comprehension.

The Spirit Race genius who took first place was even comparable to a sixth-stage star-domain level.

Of course, that was a competition among the geniuses of all races in the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance; over 600 of the top 1,000 spots were occupied by the Spirit Race, a peak cosmic civilization, while the human race only obtained about 40 spots, with only two people entering the top 100.

So, after watching the competition, Lin Yi didn't feel much beyond a sigh.

The gap was too large to compare.

Instead, it was the first-place winner of the Purple Gold Star Alliance regional qualifiers, who displayed law comprehension comparable to a fourth-stage star-vortex level while only at the ninth-stage star-core level, that made him yearn for such heights.

Therefore, when he experienced the second tournament, he signed up with full confidence after paying the fee.

At that time, he was already a ninth-stage star-core level, and having received guidance from Leilina, his blade techniques had improved, and he had mastered two killing moves that reached the star-vortex level of power.

Not long before, he had even fought one against two in a mission and killed an opponent of the same rank.

This gave him immense confidence.

The final result, however, was not exactly great.

Although he passed the preliminary rounds with a 79th-place finish in his group, he went 1-9 in the qualifiers, winning only one match before being eliminated in the second round.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly; although he had broken even on that registration fee and even earned ten times the amount back, it had made him feel the gap firsthand.

The ultimate champion of that tournament was still from the Spirit Race; although they were slightly inferior to the previous winner, their star-core-level law comprehension was still comparable to a fifth-stage star-domain level.

Referencing these true monstrous geniuses, Lin Yi derived a relatively reliable standard.

That was, spanning two major stages was considered monstrous but not unreasonable, so what he needed to pay most attention to was the initial stage—he had to be careful to hide himself and display his abilities reasonably and progressively.

He could not start by spanning three major levels and displaying star-vortex-level law comprehension right off the bat.

As long as his growth had a traceable path and he did not display the awkwardness of someone who knew the future, he would be fine.

Then, seven days later, when the projection of the illusory divine kingdom shrouded the earth and the roars of the Abyss Beasts tore through the facade of peace, he would be able to step onto that blood-stained path of assessment as a perfectly natural "ignorant genius."

Only in this way could he withstand the gaze that might be cast down in the future.

Lin Yi focused his thoughts for a moment, and a plan for his "rise as a genius" began to take shape rapidly.

He then carefully scrutinized the details again, and only after ensuring there were no flaws in any link did he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

I must protect my friends and family, charge toward the peak, and even more carefully hide my greatest secret beneath a dazzling light.

Preparation starts now.

Thinking this, Lin Yi returned to his bedside, picked up his old mobile phone, and opened his contact list.

He looked at the names that were merging with distant memories and slowly becoming vivid, and a smile finally appeared on his previously serious face.

The summer heat was intense, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, casting flickering patches of light onto the concrete ground of the old residential complex.

The days following the college entrance exam felt as if they had been set to slow motion, the air permeated with a sense of laziness and relief.

Lin Yi played the role of a "prospective university student" perfectly, like a drop of water reintegrating into this brief and fragile pond of tranquility.

He wore an apron, helping his mother, Zhou Jinghua, wash vegetables by the sink. The water splashed noisily, and his mother's chattering echoed through the cramped kitchen:

"The cucumbers at the east end market are two cents cheaper than at the supermarket, even if they look a bit uglier. Sigh, the price of eggs is enough to make one panic."

Lin Yi hummed in response, his eyes focused on rinsing the vegetable leaves as if it were the most important task in the world.

At the lunch table, the stir-fried seasonal vegetables steamed, and his father, Lin Ruiming, sipped the loose-leaf white liquor in his glass.

The atmosphere was warm and peaceful.

Lin Yi shoveled a few bites of rice into his mouth, then, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked up, his tone carrying a hint of hesitation, "Dad, Mom, you mentioned before that you wanted to host a celebration banquet for my admission?"

His mother, Zhou Jinghua, immediately set down her chopsticks, her face filled with undisguised anticipation and a touch of caution.

"That's right, Xiao Yi. Getting into Qingteng University is a joyous occasion that brings honor to our ancestors!"

"Although... things are a bit tight at home, your father and I were thinking that we should at least treat our relatives and friends to a meal, have a lively time, let everyone be happy, and celebrate for you."

Xiao Yi was Lin Yi's childhood nickname; his parents had chosen it because they hoped everything would come easily to him.

His father nodded from the side, his wrinkled eyes filled with simple pride as he chimed in:

"Yes, we should hold it! It's been years since our family had such a big happy event. Besides, according to custom, it's only right. Your cousin only got into an ordinary university, and they held one too."

Lin Yi remained silent for a few seconds, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of his bowl as if he were engaged in an intense internal struggle.

In Helu City, or rather, throughout Su Province, the custom for such admission banquets was that no gift money was collected; it was a pure expense. Because of this, Lin Yi had previously been unwilling to add to his family's burden.

But at this moment, after a brief period of contemplation, Lin Yi looked up, a smile of resolution appearing on his face.

"Hmm, I've thought about it, and you're right, Mom and Dad. This is a happy occasion; we really should make it lively and let everyone get together."

He paused, as if carefully deliberating.

"How about we set the time for next Saturday at noon? It's the weekend, so everyone should be free."

"As for the location, I've noticed that the new Hongfu Restaurant outside our complex has good reviews. The portions are large and affordable, the environment is bright and clean, and it's close to home, making it convenient for everyone to come and go."

The time he proposed pointed precisely to the moment the apocalypse would descend.

The location, "Hongfu Restaurant," was a stage he had carefully selected after meticulously combing through his memories.