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

Chapter 298 First Battle in the Starfield, That List (6.2K views, please vote)
Thinking about this, Lin Yi wondered if he could find someone who had just entered the Star Domain level to test his skills.

Of course, not in reality, but in the virtual world.

But here is the problem.

The virtual universe network naturally has the authority to simulate star-level adversaries, but the cost is staggeringly high, far beyond what he is currently willing to bear.

The virtual battle arena in the Star Core-level training camp can meet this need, requiring only a small amount of points. However, the training camp is currently in a period of adjustment, and many high-level facilities, including the battle arena that can simulate Star Domain-level opponents, have been temporarily closed.

After much thought, Lin Yi came up with an excellent candidate.

Senior Sister Qianhuan.

Senior Sister Qianhuan must have had access to the virtual network rules simulation long ago. With her mastery of the illusory laws, simulating an opponent who has just entered the Star Domain level is a piece of cake for her.

Furthermore, Lin Yi also intends to listen to Senior Sister Qianhuan's advice regarding how to choose the next rule.

The remaining basic rules—earth, water, fire, and wood—are of similar difficulty in understanding, but the order in which one is understood will have different impacts on one's future path.

Furthermore, after a significant increase in strength, one might be able to obtain some combat manuals from senior sister that are more suitable for their current level.

With this in mind, Lin Yi no longer hesitated and sent a visit request to Qianhuan through the virtual network.

Shortly after the message was sent, a reply was received, concise and direct: "Come on."

Lin Yi's consciousness connected, and he once again descended into that ancient world of Xia Kingdom, where illusion and reality intertwined.

Distant mountains are like dark eyebrows, nearby waters are shrouded in mist, and pavilions and towers are hidden among the clouds and flowering trees.

Senior Sister Qianhuan was still dressed in a gorgeous rainbow-colored robe, as if she had never left this world. She was sitting by the waterside pavilion, her bare feet lightly touching the clear pool water, creating ripples.

Seeing Lin Yi's figure materialize, Qian Huan raised her eyes, a slightly mocking smile appearing on her face, and said, "Junior Brother, has it been a long time since you remembered your senior sister? Did you come to see me this time because you've finally grasped the rules of death again?"

She was just joking, after all, understanding the rules becomes more and more difficult as you progress, especially since the rules of death conflict with the rules of life.

Lin Yi's ability to comprehend and integrate the four rules of life, time, space, and gold in a short period of time is already astonishing. Even with exceptional talent, mastering the rules of death would normally require a long and painstaking process.

However, Lin Yi's answer instantly froze the smile on her face.

"Yes, senior sister."

Lin Yi spoke calmly, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

".???"

Qianhuan's beautiful eyes, which seemed to contain the endless cycle of birth and death of the universe, widened slightly, revealing a rare look of astonishment.

She looked Lin Yi up and down, trying to discern something from him.

The Lin Yi before them seemed to have a more restrained and profound aura than when they last met. It was a state in which all sharpness and power were perfectly contained within. Unless one deliberately probed, one could hardly sense any fluctuations in the rules, like an ancient pool with no bottom.

"Really?"

Qianhuan dropped her joking tone and became serious.

"real."

Lin Yi confirmed it again, his gaze calm.

After a brief silence, Qianhuan suddenly broke into a smile, and even the surrounding clouds, mist, flowers, and trees seemed to become more vivid and bright because of her joy.

"Good! Good! Good!"

She said "good" three times in a row, her tone full of joy, "The rules of death are perfected, the five rule domains are integrated, time and space are the foundation, life and death are in a cycle, and the Golden Edge is hidden. Junior Brother, you have truly made your senior sister feel gratified."

She stood up, her flowing robes billowing, and walked up to Lin Yi, her eyes sparkling with admiration: "With your current foundation in the rules, not only among humans, but also throughout the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance, you are more than capable of contending for the position of the new generation's number one."

Lin Yi smiled modestly, not becoming complacent because of the praise.

He said, "Senior Sister, you flatter me. I came here today for two reasons. First, my strength has improved, and I want to truly experience the difference between myself and a real Star Domain level expert. I wonder if Senior Sister could help me simulate an opponent and guide me through the battle. Second, I haven't decided how to choose the next rule yet, and I hope to hear Senior Sister's advice."

"Oh? You want to test your strength at the Star Domain level? And plan for the next stage?" Qianhuan's interest deepened upon hearing this. "It seems Junior Brother is quite confident. Very well, let Senior Sister see how talented you are in combat."

After speaking, Qianhuan waved her hand lightly, and the surrounding environment instantly changed.

The landscape and pavilions faded away like ink paintings, replaced by an endless dark void. In the distance, nebulae slowly rotated, and beneath one's feet lay a void that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

This is the perfect virtual scenario for a fight where you can go all out.

"The biggest difference between the star field level and the star core level lies in the rule domain and the qualitative change in the total amount of source energy brought about by the leap in the level of life."

As Qianhuan explained, he traced countless mysterious runes with his fingertips, which then merged into the void.

"The opponent I'm simulating for you is someone who has just entered the Star Domain level. His Source Sea Star Domain has already been formed, and his source energy is vast and boundless, far surpassing yours. However, his rule domain is only the most basic Fire Domain. He has not yet begun to integrate other rules, and his domain application is relatively crude. He is the most ordinary opponent who has just entered the Star Domain level."

As Qianhuan moved, countless crimson light spots converged in the void ahead, eventually coalescing into a figure three meters tall, engulfed in raging flames.

It had no distinct facial features, only a human-shaped outline, radiating a scorching, violent, and suffocating aura, like a walking star.

"Are you ready?" Qianhuan asked Lin Yi.

Lin Yi nodded, "Please give me your guidance, Senior Sister."

The words had barely left his mouth when the Flame Star Domain-level being, without even moving, merely moved his mind.

"boom!"

A scorching crimson domain, centered on him, instantly filled every corner of this virtual battlefield.

The entire void transformed into a sea of ​​flames, with temperatures soaring to a terrifying level sufficient to instantly vaporize ordinary star core-level powerhouses. The omnipresent power of the fire rules acted like invisible shackles, attempting to incinerate all the alien rules within the domain.

This is the most common method used by star-domain level experts to deal with those of lower realms, using absolute energy and domain to crush them.

Lin Yi's expression changed slightly.

He could sense that if he opened his fivefold fusion domain, he could suppress the flame domain in terms of quality. However, with the support of the opponent's vast and boundless source energy, the domain's range and stability far exceeded his own. Once they were locked in a battle of attrition, his own source energy would be depleted first.

"We cannot compete head-on in any field."

In a flash, Lin Yi made a decision.

His mind raced, and the radiance of the five domains that naturally appeared around him suddenly receded, surging back like a tide. Instead of forming opposing domains, they tightly covered the surface of his body.

In an instant, an ancient and mysterious suit of armor covered Lin Yi's entire body.

The armor has smooth lines, and the surface faintly shows the phantom of the river of time flowing and spatial ripples. The two energies of life and death rotate slowly on the chest like a Tai Chi diagram, and occasionally sharp golden patterns flash by on the joints and fingertips.

The power of the five-fold fusion rules was condensed to the extreme, forming this powerful defense.

Almost the instant the armor was completed, the terrifying pressure of the boundless fire domain descended upon it.

"chichichi"

The intense heat scorched the surface of the armor, producing a teeth-grinding sound.

The power of the flames was like billions of red-hot needles, relentlessly trying to penetrate the armor's defenses.

Although the armor, formed by the fusion of the five rules, possessed extremely high quality and greatly weakened these attacks, the immense power originating from the star domain level still pressed heavily on Lin Yi like a tangible mountain, making it difficult for him to breathe and severely restricting his movements.

Even more deadly is that maintaining this rule-based armor, which can resist the suppression of star-domain-level domains, consumes an astonishing amount of source energy.

Lin Yi could clearly feel that his own source energy was rapidly flowing away like a flood that had been released from its dam.

"We must act quickly. The difference in source energy is so great; if we delay any longer, defeat is inevitable." Alarm bells rang in Lin Yi's mind.

Despite the immense pressure from the domain, he suddenly looked up and locked onto the core of the fiery figure in the distance.

"The opponent's surrounding area and energy density are too great. If we suddenly teleport to their side, we'll inevitably be hit head-on. No, we need to create some distance and force them to reveal an opening."

Then, Lin Yi had a thought and focused the power of the time rules mainly on the inside of his armor and on his movement path.

This made him appear to move more slowly than usual, yet he was still able to move effectively under the pressure of the fire zone, as if he were struggling to move through viscous lava.

Seeing that Lin Yi did not engage in domain-based confrontation but instead adopted a defensive and advancing stance, the Flame Star Domain-level being let out a contemptuous snort.

He raised his hand and pointed, and the fiery energy within his domain instantly condensed into dozens of enormous fiery chains. As if they were alive, they coiled around Lin Yi from all directions, the runes on the chains flashing, carrying a strong binding force.

"Can't force it!"

Lin Yi's heart tightened, and his body swayed as he used the accelerated time to perform a delicate dodge within a small space.

Spatial rules were also used to their fullest extent, causing his figure to blur at times, undergoing short-distance spatial refraction, and narrowly avoiding the chains that were winding around him.

When he couldn't completely avoid them, he would use his fists or hand blades, encased in the armor of rules, to gather the sharpness of gold and the power of death and annihilation, and forcefully sever the chains.

But each collision increased the energy consumption of the armor.

He was like a small boat sailing against the current in a storm, seemingly about to capsize, yet steadfastly moving closer to his goal.

The Flame Star Domain expert seemed impatient. He clasped his hands together, and the energy of the entire Flame Domain frantically converged into his palms. A dark red energy ball, only the size of a fist, but exuding an aura that made one's soul tremble, quickly took shape.

That was highly compressed primordial fire power; once unleashed, its power was enough to instantly annihilate stars.

But at the same time, as he gathered his strength, a very subtle stagnation appeared in his control over the domain. "Now!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lin Yi's eyes as he unleashed the last of his source energy without reservation.

Time accelerated to its current limit, and the rules of space forcibly tore open a tiny crack in front of him. His body, like a ghost, pierced through the last distance and suddenly appeared in front of his opponent.

Faced with a formidable enemy at close range and the destructive energy sphere about to erupt, Lieyu was instantly activated. Dark golden rhomboid flying blades flashed and, in a fraction of a second, precisely combined in front of him.

"Qiang!"

With a soft yet incredibly clear ringing sound, a miniature short sword about 1.2 feet long floated above Lin Yi's palm.

The sword blade is perfectly fitted together with the Rifting Sky Flying Blade, forming a seamless and unified whole.

The blade of the short sword is not a physical object, but is composed of highly condensed spatial cutting power and the rules of extreme metal sharpness. With a slight tremor, fine black cracks appear in the surrounding space.

Within the sword, the flow of time is finely adjusted to a frequency favorable for attack. The two energies of life and death, like yin and yang fish, encircle the sword spine, deeply containing the connotation of "deathly silence" where all things end and return to stillness.

"break!"

Lin Yi pointed forward, and the miniature short sword containing terrifying power let out a sharp whistle that tore through the void, instantly transforming into a streak of light that was almost impossible to catch with the naked eye.

This strike transcends speed, containing a precise spatial and temporal positioning that guarantees a hit.

This strike transcends mere sharpness; it contains the true meaning of death: the "disintegration" of the rules and structures.

The Flame Star Domain-level creature clearly hadn't expected Lin Yi to be able to unleash such a refined and terrifying attack even under its domain's suppression.

He tried to dodge, but found the surrounding space like an iron plate; he tried to speed up, but found his movements became incredibly sluggish.

He could only hastily guide the still-forming dark red energy ball behind him in an attempt to intercept the deadly streak of light.

However, it was too late.

There was a soft "hiss" sound.

The short sword pierced through the opponent's hastily assembled fire shield as easily as if piercing through a phantom, and finally stabbed precisely into the center of his chest, at the location of the simulated star-field-level energy core.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The next moment, a dark ripple spread out rapidly from the point where the short sword pierced the opponent's body, instantly sweeping across the opponent's entire body.

The massive body of the Flame Starfield-level creature shuddered violently, its movements completely frozen.

The raging flames around him seemed to be frozen by an invisible, eternal cold, and quickly extinguished. The violent aura also disappeared rapidly like the receding tide. In the end, without even a trace of mental fluctuation, his entire body transformed from the inside out into the purest energy particles, and was completely annihilated in the void.

"whoosh"

The short sword completed its mission, instantly disintegrated, and transformed back into the slightly dimmed Rift Blade, which Lin Yi retrieved.

The virtual space returned to boundless darkness, leaving only Lin Yi kneeling in the void, the light of the rule armor covering his entire body dimming and eventually dissipating.

His face was as pale as paper, his breath was extremely weak, his source energy was completely depleted, and his spirit was almost overdrawn from controlling that attack.

But he propped himself up on his knees, forcing himself not to fall, and his eyes were unusually bright.

He won!
Qianhuan's figure quietly appeared, and when she looked at Lin Yi, who was almost exhausted but had a burning gaze, a look of amazement appeared on her beautiful face.

"Using the rule-based armor to withstand the domain, guiding the opponent to reveal a weakness, and then using the rule-enhanced blade to deliver a fatal blow. Junior brother, your combat intuition is truly remarkable."

Her tone was filled with undisguised admiration, "It seems that ordinary people who have just entered the Star Domain level are no match for you without good fortune or special means."

Lin Yi took several breaths to calm his churning blood and nearly exhausted spirit, and said with a wry smile, "Senior sister is too kind. It was just a trick. If the opponent's domain were a few points stronger, or the rules were more advanced, I would have been the one to lose."

"It's good that you know when to advance and when to retreat, and you understand gains and losses, but you don't need to underestimate yourself."

Qianhuan nodded in satisfaction. "So, do you have any ideas about the next rule?"

Lin Yi composed himself and earnestly inquired, "I was just about to ask you, Senior Sister. The basic rules of earth, water, fire, and wood seem to be of similar difficulty in terms of comprehension. I wonder which one you think I should start with to be more beneficial for my future path?"

Upon hearing this, Qianhuan lightly tapped her slender finger, and a simple diagram of rules appeared before her.

"The core you have constructed, with time and space as its framework, life and death as its cycle, and the Golden Edge hidden within, already shows its initial form of fierceness, speed, and the meaning of ending, and can be said to have revealed its full sharpness."

She spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice ethereal, "If one seeks to maximize immediate combat power, fire might be more effective. But if we're talking about what's most beneficial for breaking through realms..."

Her gaze fell on the blue mark representing the "rule of water," which was ever-changing, sometimes like a trickle of water, sometimes like a vast ocean, sometimes as solid as ice, and sometimes vaporized into nothingness.

"I suggest that you study the 'Rules of Water' next."

"water?"

Lin Yi seemed to be deep in thought.

"good."

Qianhuan affirmed, “The rules of water are the most gentle and benevolent, but also the most hard and fierce. Its characteristics of flexibility, penetration, nourishment, change, and inclusiveness are exactly the opposite of the sharpness, hardness, and immortality of metal that you have already mastered. In many ways, they can even be said to be the opposite in a certain sense.”

"Because of its opposition, it will be more difficult for you to understand other rules."

Qianhuan explained, "Therefore, comprehending first will take less time in total."

"Moreover, the rules of water can make the foundation of your rules more well-rounded and resilient. It's like forging a divine weapon; simply adding hard metal will make it sharp, but it will also break easily. Only by incorporating materials with excellent resilience can you achieve a balance of strength and flexibility, making it invincible."

"Furthermore, once you have mastered the rules of water and gained a deep understanding of gentleness, change, and inclusiveness, you can better comprehend the rules of fire, which are opposite to its characteristics but are more violent, intense, and sublime. This will allow you to better understand the mysteries of energy transformation and master the means of harmonizing water and fire."

"As for the earth's weight and its ability to bear weight, and the wood's vitality and vigor, these can be placed after water and fire."

"At that time, your rule system will encompass more dimensions of strength and gentleness, movement and stillness, life and death, creation and destruction, laying an unshakable and solid foundation for your future evolution of the inner world and even your ascent to the realm of eternity."

After listening, Lin Yi felt enlightened.

The guidance from the eternal deity was indeed insightful and went straight to the heart of the matter.

"I understand!"

Lin Yi was convinced and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. My next step will be to focus on understanding the rules of water."

Seeing that Lin Yi listened to her advice, Qian Huan nodded with a smile, and then waved her jade hand lightly, sending two streams of light emanating different Daoist charms flying towards Lin Yi.

"These two books, one of which records some techniques for applying the rules of death and a move called 'The Finger of Nirvana and Return to Nothingness,' may not be completely compatible with your five realms, but by analogy, they may give you some inspiration."

"The other book contains some of my reflections on the rules of water that I gained during my early travels, as well as several basic water-based techniques such as 'Thousand Streams Guide' and 'Water Transformation Technique,' which can be considered as a reference for your practice of the rules of water."

Lin Yi was overjoyed.

Although Senior Sister Qianhuan spoke lightly, he knew very well that, given her temperament, what she gave him was definitely something good.

He quickly thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, Senior Sister. I will definitely study diligently and live up to your expectations."

Upon hearing this, Qianhuan waved her hand, her beautiful eyes, which had seen through countless ages, fell on Lin Yi, and she shook her head gently with a hint of helplessness, both amused and exasperated, saying, "It's just a small token of my appreciation. Junior brother, I've misjudged you this time."

She paused, her tone tinged with emotion: "I originally thought that although you are exceptionally talented, the rules of death are profound and mysterious, and you would need a long time to hone them. I even specially reserved a 'Fallen Fruit' that was about to ripen for you in a secret realm."

"This fruit contains the pure essence of death, which will greatly benefit your understanding of the rules of death. I originally thought that this fruit would ripen in less than a hundred years, at which time it would be of great help to you."

As she spoke, she looked at Lin Yi with a meaningful gaze: "Who could have predicted that before my fruit was even ripe, you had already comprehended the rules of death and even completed the fusion of five domains? Your speed has truly caught me off guard."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi quickly replied, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister. I didn't expect that you would be so compatible with the rules of death."

Qianhuan chuckled and interrupted, "There's no need for that. This is your good fortune, and your senior sister can only be happy for you."

She changed the subject, her expression becoming more serious. "However, this matter has made me realize that conventional enlightenment treasures like the 'Fruit of Withering', which require a long wait or are extremely rare, are probably no longer suitable for you. Your growth rate exceeds the supply cycle of these treasures."

She gazed at Lin Yi and said, word by word, "Senior sister believes that with your current conditions—Star Core level cultivation, a five-fold superior rule fusion domain, and the foundation of time and space, life and death, and metal—you should have already met the threshold for entering that list."

"That list?"

Lin Yi was startled, keenly grasping the possible meaning behind this word.

The "list" that was mentioned so solemnly by Senior Sister Qianhuan was by no means ordinary.

"Ah."

Qianhuan nodded slightly. "This list is called the Special Genius Cultivation List. It is not made public, and even many beings at the Transcendent Realm level may not know its full details. Those who can be included on this list are all considered to be true seeds worthy of their clan's most core resources for cultivation."

"Furthermore, this list is linked to an independent resource library. It does not contain treasures that circulate in the market, but rather treasures accumulated by the human race over a long period of time. These treasures are either limited due to their extreme rarity, sealed due to their stringent usage conditions, or even unique treasures obtained from other races. Among them are many rare items that can directly and efficiently enhance one's understanding of the rules, which may be just right for your current situation."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's heart raced.

One can only imagine what kind of treasures would be contained in the core resource vault controlled by the highest levels of the human race.

"Senior sister, how can I get onto this list?"

Lin Yi suppressed his excitement and asked in a deep voice.

"How can we get in?" Qianhuan looked at Lin Yi, a smile playing on her lips. "Junior Brother, don't rush. Please wait here for a moment."

(End of this chapter)