Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 233 A Storm is Brewing, and Titles of Marquises and Kings Are Imminent! (5K)

"Level 2."

Lin Yi pondered for a moment.

Participation is a must, and this division suits his wishes perfectly.

In a Level 2 battlefield, the rules are the strongest shield, allowing him to maximize his understanding of the rules and combat experience far exceeding those of his peers, without having to constantly guard against Star-level or even stronger beings suppressing his realm. At most, he only needs to deal with other alien prodigies.

Lin Yi was thinking about something else right now.

That's not right.

Looking back now, this border skirmish with the Kunmo people seems very strange.

This conflict escalated far too quickly.

At this time in his previous life, he was a lowly mercenary struggling at the bottom of society, isolated from information, and only thinking about becoming stronger and saving the planet, with a vague understanding of the overall situation.

Lin Yi only vaguely remembered that a similar large-scale opening of tiered battlefields seemed to have occurred more than a thousand years later, shortly after the next Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle ended. Moreover, it skipped the usual gradual process and quickly opened a Level 4 battlefield, with frequent rumors of the fall of Star Domain level experts.

Now, with his access to information at the Transcendental level, he has been catching up on a wealth of previously inaccessible insider information about border history, race relations, and the evolution of conflicts.

Comparing the two, Lin Yi discovered a conclusion that made his heart sink slightly.

According to the practice of countless years in the past, border friction usually begins in the 1-3 level battlefields, limiting the upper limit of conflict to the star-vortex level. This is more like a test and a controllable consumption, belonging to the category of "pushing", which can often last for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years.

Starfield-level forces are already the backbone of various factions, and they are not easy to cultivate. They would never be easily thrown into such a meat grinder.

But he remembered very clearly that in his previous life, this border friction with the Kunmo tribe quickly escalated to a border conflict involving star-domain level forces. This meant that the two sides were no longer just pushing and shoving, but had truly begun to "use weapons," breaking a tacit understanding.

What made Lin Yi even more wary was another event that had not yet occurred.

About six thousand years later, shortly after the conclusion of the next Pan-Spirit Alliance Genius Battle, news came of a border conflict with the Rift Mantis Clan.

This conflict escalated directly to a Level 4 battlefield.

The territory of the Rift Mantis Clan and the Kunmo Clan is adjacent and not very far from here. At that time, he was already a senior mercenary at the Star Core level, and he had many more sources of information than before, so the information he received was much clearer.

It is said that the first battle in the opening of that Level 4 battlefield was exceptionally fierce.

"A storm is brewing."

Lin Yi sighed inwardly.

These consecutive anomalies are probably not isolated incidents; a larger storm may be brewing behind them.

There's no way to avoid it.

The Blue Star civilization has officially entered the sea of ​​stars and will inevitably be drawn into it.

The only thing we can do now is to race against time.

Before civilization is drawn into the conscription order, take advantage of every opportunity, especially this relatively "safe" Tier 2 battlefield, to make Dongfeng stronger as soon as possible and make civilization more powerful.

Only by possessing sufficient power can we secure a relatively autonomous battlefield in the future amidst potential wars, reduce unnecessary losses, and preserve the vitality of civilization.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi looked at Luger and asked a crucial question.

"Before making a decision, I would like to ask the general: When you invited Dongfeng to participate in these battles, was it done in your personal capacity, privately entrusting the mercenary group, or was it done through the Star Guardian Army's military merit system, synchronized with the Mercenary Alliance, and designated as an engagement?"

This is a crucial question because the two are very different.

A private commission is a regular employment relationship; doing things for Xingjing might involve a little personal favor.

The designated missions issued to the Mercenary Alliance through the military merit system mean that Dong Feng has been included in the "cooperative mercenary group" sequence recognized by the Star Realm Army. In addition to the basic mission rewards, he can also obtain valuable military merit points.

This is the real hard currency that can be exchanged for those scarce resources, technologies, and permissions that are simply unavailable from the outside world.

Given the vast resources accumulated by the Astronautical Army over the long years, the quality of the items on their exchange list is probably only slightly inferior to the internal purchasing privileges of the Human Merchant Guild.

As far as Lin Yi knew, there were rare cultivation resources such as 'Frost Ash Stardust' and 'Obsidian Abyss Crystal', certain restricted-level small and medium-sized starships, such as the exchange rights for the improved version of the Sharp-class, as well as the technical blueprints for many high-tech devices, and so on.

There are even some cultivation manuals and secret texts that are hard to find outside the world.

These are all things that are urgently needed to rapidly improve individual strength, enhance the overall combat power of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group, and even improve the technological level of the Silvermoon Blue Civilization!
Therefore, Lin Yi had already made up his mind.

He would refuse a private commission outright.

With his near-overwhelming strength in the Tier 2 battlefield, he has no shortage of partners and there is no need for him to help General Luger gain free battle points just for a few star crystals and favors.

What he needs is military merit, the resources for rapid advancement.

We must select a collaborator willing to endorse Dongfeng and be included in the military's list.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Luger's eyes.

This Commander Dongfeng is indeed a knowledgeable person.

However, Luger wasn't stupid. With so many border legions, it was rare for him to be lucky enough to encounter such a prodigy who could dominate the level 2 battlefield. Naturally, he was very sincere in his desire to cooperate.

Therefore, Luger said with a smile, "Commander Lin Yi, rest assured, the designated mission will naturally be issued through the military merit system. The performance of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group is evident to all, and they are fully qualified to be included in our department's priority cooperation list. The relevant military merit records, settlement and exchange channels will be specially opened for your group."

Having received this definite answer, Lin Yi felt reassured.

This is what constitutes a sincere collaboration.

"can."

Lin Yi reciprocated by immediately giving Luger an affirmative answer.

"Thanks to General Ruger's high regard, our East Peak Mercenary Group accepts the invitation."

“Excellent! This is a wise and mutually beneficial decision.” Ruger’s smile instantly spread. “As for the specific battlefield rules, the star map of the designated combat zone, the identification code for the dedicated encrypted communication channel, and the complete list of military merits for redemption and the required merit points, my adjutant will compile them into a standard information package and hand it over to you later.”

With the most important issues agreed upon, the atmosphere for the subsequent exchanges became noticeably more relaxed.

Ruger leaned back, his posture no longer as tense as before, and continued, "Now that the cooperation is clear, I can provide some more specific information."

With a wave of his hand, a virtual star map appeared on the conference table.

"The currently designated Level 2 battlefields are mainly located in two areas: one is the 'Fractured Star Belt,' where the environment is complex, filled with high-speed rock fragments and energy turbulence, making it suitable for small elite units to infiltrate and ambush."

"Second is the 'withered planet K-11-7'. That planet has a thin atmosphere, and its surface is covered with acidic swamps and active silicon-based plants. The environment itself is deadly, and the Kunmo tribe has established several outposts there."

Ruger looked at Lin Yi and reminded him, "The Kunmo tribe is particularly adept at utilizing the environment in low-level battlefields. Their 'stealer' units can change the color of their carapaces to match the environment and can also shield themselves from conventional energy detection methods, making them extremely difficult to detect."

"In addition, we need to pay special attention to their tearing beasts. Although they are not an intelligent race, they are enslaved by the Kunmo tribe. They are fierce, cunning, and fearless. When they charge, they are like a tidal wave. Since this is your first time entering, you must be careful."

Lin Yi listened attentively. Although he was already aware of this information, Luger meant well after all, so he patiently waited for him to finish before asking a question that he was more concerned about.

"Regarding the oversight mechanism, how can absolute fairness be ensured? If the other party uses methods that skirt the edges of the rules, such as faking their cultivation level or creating 'accidents' by exploiting the battlefield environment, will the overseers intervene?" In his previous life, Lin Yi was just an ordinary person in the Star Core, inconspicuous and therefore had never cared about such issues.

But this time was different. Lin Yi knew very well that once he made a move, he would be extremely conspicuous, so it was necessary to take precautions in advance.

Upon hearing this, Luger's expression turned serious.

"You can rest assured about that. As long as a star-vortex level or higher energy level is detected, the supervisors will immediately intervene and severely punish it."

"And those who conceal their cultivation are all powerful figures among those at the Transcendent Realm level. What kind of strength would it take to conceal one's cultivation and fool them? Once such a rule-breaking act is exposed, even His Majesty cannot bear the responsibility. Therefore, no one has dared to challenge this rule head-on so far."

Then, he paused and added, "As for utilizing the environment, that's part of the tactics, and that requires your own strength and vigilance. Military merit isn't easy to earn."

Lin Yi said he understood.

He then inquired about details such as military merit records, settlement cycles, and procedures for requesting assistance from the legion in emergencies, to which Ruger provided clear answers.

Half an hour later, Lin Yi and Irelia got up to say goodbye.

General Ruger personally escorted them to the heavy alloy doors of the command center, and only after their figures disappeared around the corner did he turn back, immediately summon his adjutant, and begin to deploy related work.

Upon returning to the North Wind, Lin Yi did not pause for a moment. He immediately used the Xuanji and the Pan-Spirit Alliance virtual network to connect with the Blue Star Community headquarters, which was located countless light-years away and was in the final preparation stage before planetary migration.

The figures of core executives such as Li Zhenguo and Zhou Donglai quickly materialized in the virtual conference room.

Lin Yi skipped any pointless pleasantries and went straight to the core of his meeting with Luger: the upcoming tiered battlefield in the "Ash Starfield," its rules and significance, and most importantly, the military merit exchange system and the restricted resources it could provide.

"This means," Lin Yi directly pointed out the importance of participating in the tiered battlefield. "In addition to limited commercial purchases and occasional opportunities, we now have another stable and potentially huge channel to obtain advanced resources, key technologies, and even enhance the overall strength of our civilization."

Then, Lin Yi's tone became heavy.

"But at the same time, the Dongfeng Mercenary Group will officially enter a period of high intensity and continuous attrition. Personnel, warships, equipment, and supplies, especially personnel losses and replenishment, must be guaranteed in a timely, high-quality and systematic manner. We cannot rely on this initial core group brought from Earth forever."

Li Zhenguo and the others immediately grasped the key information in Lin Yi's words.

Zhou Donglai frowned and said in a deep voice, "In other words, we need to immediately establish a stable and sustainable channel for replenishing new blood."

"Furthermore, we must provide frontline soldiers and all those in the rear who may be involved with strong and tangible incentives so that they are willing, even proactive and enthusiastic, to fight, take risks, and even sacrifice for this military achievement."

“That’s right.” Lin Yi nodded in agreement.

"Unlike the life-or-death struggle during the civilization assessment phase, we cannot rely solely on initial camaraderie and enthusiasm, nor can we rely on simple administrative orders."

"Today, we need a deeply ingrained and long-term system that unbreakably binds the glory, interests, and future of individuals and families to the exploration, survival, and development of our entire civilization in the starry sky."

A brief silence fell over the virtual conference room.

Every senior executive was rapidly processing this massive amount of intelligence.

Not long after, Li Zhenguo coughed lightly and said, "I think there are relatively mature solutions in the history of our Xia Kingdom, as well as in the history of some other countries, that can be learned from. That is the system of granting titles based on military merit!"

No one was surprised; instead, a murmur of approval rang out.

Because most people, including Lin Yi, immediately thought of this solution.

Li Zhenguo looked around and, seeing no one objecting, continued, "I think the time is ripe. It's time to formally draft and promulgate the 'Silver Blue Expedition Order,' and establish the 'military merit-based nobility' system as its core pillar in legal form."

Then, he looked at Lin Yi and asked, "Does the commander have any specific ideas about the nobility system?"

Lin Yi already had a plan in mind, and he directly proposed, "I think we can combine the ancient Qin and Han systems to establish a twenty-rank military merit title, starting from the lowest 'Gongshi' and 'Shangzao', up to 'Guanneihou' and 'Chehou', and above that, a royal title. Those who make meritorious contributions, regardless of their background, will be granted a title according to the magnitude of their merits. Those whose merits are outstanding and whose achievements are enough to convince the people can be enfeoffed as marquises, or even kings!"

At the same time, Lin Yi presented the most compelling temptation.

"Those who are granted a title will not only enjoy the corresponding honors, social status, and fixed resource quotas, but also, once our Silver Blue Civilization acquires new life-bearing planets or resource planets in the future, they will be granted corresponding fiefs based on their title and will enjoy a certain percentage of the tax revenue within the fief as their estate."

"In this way, the glory and benefits of those who have made meritorious contributions are truly tied to the territory expanded by civilization."

"To confer titles of nobility and kingships," Li Zhenguo took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and said in a deep voice, "...The twentieth rank of nobility, up to the highest rank of marquis and king, with fiefs and estates, is excellent! Its grand scale is enough to inspire hundreds of millions of soldiers and civilians to build an everlasting foundation for the Star Sea."

"We will work with the cultural, legal, and military departments to refine the system in this direction, and strive to release a detailed plan within three days."

Next, the meeting discussed specific matters regarding the replenishment of new blood.

Lin Yi proposed purchasing five Taurus-class medium-sized transport ships, establishing a ten-year rotation system, and suggested that the rear establish a complete system from selection and basic training to adaptive training.

The top management unanimously agreed and decided to make the procurement and conversion of the first batch of transport ships the top priority.

After the communication ended, the entire Blue Star leadership started operating efficiently, like a tightly wound machine.

A few days later, when the cooperation agreement between the Dongfeng Mercenary Group and the 93778th Legion of the Star Army on the border was officially finalized, and the plan for the "Twenty-Rank Military Merit System" was officially released within the Blue Star Community, these two major pieces of news immediately caused a huge reaction within the Silver Blue Civilization.

On the Sharp 3 assault ship.

"Twenty ranks of nobility?! Marquis, and even a king?! Fiefdoms and estates?!"

Chen Yu's eyes widened, and he slapped his thigh. "Brothers, did you hear that? It's not just resources, it's fiefdoms! It's a share of tax revenue that can be passed down through generations on a future planet! If I ever become a 'Marquis,' you'll all be my founding fathers... uh, no, I mean pioneers!"

"Chélù? You wish!"

A teammate next to him laughed and cursed, but his eyes were also incredibly fervent. "If I could just get a 'Bugeng' or 'Doctor' position, find a small place, cultivate peacefully, and raise my offspring, I would be completely satisfied."

"With this military merit title and all the good stuff in the military merit exchange system, I'll fight tooth and nail to kill as many bugs as possible in this level 2 battlefield and earn a 'superior' title first!" Another team member rubbed his hands together, his fighting spirit soaring.

The morale of the entire Dongfeng team was raised to an unprecedented level, and they were filled with anticipation for the upcoming tiered battlefield.

Inside the Silver Blue Star.

"The twentieth rank of military merit, with fiefdoms and estates—this is a revival of the ancient Qin and Han systems, to reward unparalleled achievements! Civilization is determined to explore the starry seas at all costs!"

An elderly professor of history was so excited that his beard trembled as he repeatedly stroked the data board in his hand, as if it were engraved with ancient laws.

"Opportunity. This is a tremendous opportunity for our family to rise to prominence."

Within a long-established family, the patriarch convened an emergency meeting, declaring, "Immediately select the most promising members of the family, concentrate all resources on their training, and ensure they stand out in the next selection process to go to Dongfeng."

"May you be granted a noble title amidst the stars, bringing glory to your family! This day is the day!"

This news ignited the passion of countless young people eager to change their destiny and make a name for themselves, and long queues immediately formed at the registration offices of Yuanwu Training Halls and Interstellar Survival Training Centers.

Meanwhile, the Hina family.

"The system of granting titles based on military merit and the twenty ranks of nobility is an ancient but highly expansive system."

An Eldar elder commented, a complex look flashing in her eyes, "The ally chosen by Lady Irelia seems to have ambition, decisiveness, and resources far exceeding our initial expectations. They seem very enthusiastic about this kind of pioneering endeavor."

"Perhaps, our Hina family can also find our new place and opportunities in this vigorous wave of pioneering."

(End of this chapter)