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

Chapter 312 I'd risk my life for you, and go on a massive procurement spree.

The door to the training room slid open silently.

As Lin Yi walked out, the hushed conversation in the living room abruptly stopped, and everyone's eyes turned to him.

Chen Yu was the first to jump up from the sofa. "Captain, that's amazing! Ninefold Realm, reaching the summit of the Divine Mountain! I watched the replay three times, and that final close-up scene was absolutely incredible!"

"Ahem." Zhou Yuxuan quickly coughed lightly to interrupt him, "Commander, congratulations."

Kanlia stood a little distance away. This spirit girl, who was focused on cultivation and not good at speaking, simply nodded vigorously.

Lin Yao quickly stepped forward, a barely suppressed smile playing on her lips: "Brother."

Irelia smiled and said, "Congratulations, Captain, on reaching the summit of Mount Meru."

Looking at the familiar faces before him, Lin Yi felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

No matter how noisy the outside world is, there will always be a group of people here who will be genuinely happy for him and proud of his achievements.

He walked to the center of the living room, his gaze sweeping over everyone, a smile appearing on his face.

"Everyone sit down."

He gestured for everyone to sit down, and then sat down on a single sofa himself. "No need to be so serious, I haven't transformed."

This slightly teasing remark eased the tension a bit.

"I watched all the matches."

Lin Yi looked at Zhou Yuxuan, Kanlia, and Lin Yao.

Before leaving, he took a moment to check on the other players' performance.

"Yu Xuan, your move of turning water into a prison, trapping your opponent for seven seconds, was well-timed. Kanlia, your Life Purification was very effective against that Ghost Clan player. Yao Yao."

Lin Yi looked at his sister and said, "You used the Golden Rule well. It's not easy to make it into the top 70 in your group."

The three people whose names were mentioned all smiled.

"but."

Lin Yi changed the subject, "The preliminary rounds are just the beginning. The opponents will be stronger and the rules will be more brutal in the upcoming qualifiers."

"What you need to do now is to review each of your battles, identify your shortcomings, and train accordingly. As for resources, if you need anything, just tell Xuanji, and I will coordinate it."

"Yes, Commander." Zhou Yuxuan nodded solemnly.

Kanlia and Lin Yao quickly agreed.

Lin Yi turned his gaze to Chen Yu: "Yu, your match is in three days. Don't let the momentum of my match with Edith affect you. Play at your own pace. Your fire-type burst damage is sufficient, but there's still room for improvement in the smoothness of your fighter jet transitions. Focus on practicing that for the next three days."

Chen Yu quickly replied seriously, "Understood, Commander. I will practice diligently."

"Alright, everyone go back to your training." Lin Yi stood up. "Before the qualifiers, make the most of every minute."

Everyone rose, bowed, and left the living room one after another.

Lin Yao glanced back at her brother before leaving, but ultimately said nothing and gently closed the door.

Only Lin Yi and Irelia remained in the living room.

Lin Yi walked to her side and remained silent for a moment.

“Ellie,” he said.

“Something happened during my meeting with the Venerable Lords just now,” Lin Yi said, carefully choosing his words. “The Radiant Venerable Lord of the Spirit Clan gave me a gift.”

A hint of doubt flashed in Irelia's eyes, but she didn't interrupt.

Lin Yi continued, "It is the complete ownership certificate of the original territory of the Xina family in the Leliat Starfield."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Irelia's expression went blank for an extremely short time.

She didn't speak, but stared intently at Lin Yi, as if to confirm whether he was joking.

But Irelia knew very well that Lin Yi would never joke about something like that.

At that moment, countless images flashed through her mind.

She recalled the tears welling in her grandmother Liyue's eyes as she saw her off at the Starport when she left Eldar, the complex and unspoken expressions of the clan elders, and the helplessness of the surname "Xina" gradually becoming marginalized in Eldar social circles.

She also recalled the indifferent glance she received when she first met His Majesty Xu Chen, and the heavy burden that almost crushed her heart.

Then, Lin Yi appeared.

It displayed an astonishing presence all the way.

Irelia never doubted Lin Yi's ability to help the Sheena family return to their ancestral homeland.

As Lin Yi's status rises, this is almost inevitable.

But she thought that would be in the distant future, perhaps after Lin Yi advanced to the realm of evolution, or even to godhood, through some kind of transaction or agreement, and that she would gradually work towards it.

She never imagined that this day would come so quickly and so suddenly.

So dramatic.

Just after she witnessed Lin Yi ascend the sacred mountain and shake the starry sea, after she was still angry about the foul language on the virtual network, but also excited and proud because Lin Yi showed his true strength, after she thought the climax of today had passed and was ready to devote herself to the next stage of cultivation as usual.

Lin Yi casually told her: Oh, by the way, the Lord of Gangling Clan gave me the property certificate for your family's ancestral land.

This was not a planned move, not a well-thought-out strategic exchange, and probably not even something Lin Yi actively sought.

It just happened, like a sudden gift, yet so heavy that she could hardly breathe.

Irelia looked at the man she had known for over a thousand years.

He remained calm, as if he hadn't just spoken of the ownership of a star field, but rather about adding an extra dish to dinner.

But she is no longer the innocent little spirit girl she was when she left her family.

Having witnessed too much scheming and deceit during her time as the guardian of the Blue Star civilization, she knew very well that there must be a plot by the Elven race behind this "gift".

She knew that Lin Yi accepted the risks and pressures that came with it, and that beneath his seemingly relaxed expression, he must have already considered how to deal with any potential troubles that might follow.

But she also knew that he was never the kind of person who would use such things to claim credit or to stir up emotions.

He just said it like it was something perfectly natural.

Because he is Lin Yi.

And she is Irelia Sheena, the vice-captain of the East Peak Mercenary Group, his comrade-in-arms, and someone he can entrust his back to.

So he gave it to him.

It's that simple.

Complex emotions churned within Irelia.

She suddenly smiled.

Lin Yi had never seen such a smile on Irelia's face before, which made him slightly taken aback.

"Captain," Irelia smiled gently, "I have no way to repay you for such a precious gift."

She paused, looking into Lin Yi's eyes, "But, since it concerns the family, I have no choice but to accept it. Since I have no way to repay you, I can only give my life for you."

These words were spoken half-seriously and half-jokingly, but there was no hint of a joke in those eyes.

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat when he saw Irelia's gaze, a look he had never seen before.

He paused for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and looked away.

“Ellie, what are you saying? It’s not that you’re repaying me, but that I’m repaying the support the Sheena family gave me back then. Without the starships and resources initially provided by the Sheena family, the difficult period after the advancement of the Blue Star civilization would not have been so smooth.”

He meant it sincerely.

Back then, the Hina family invested almost all of their wealth in Blue Star, and Lin Yi has never forgotten that timely help.

"That's different."

Irelia gently shook her head. "The investment back then was a family decision, a political choice. But this one..."

She did not continue.

Lin Yi coughed lightly and waved his hand: "Alright, let's not talk about this. You and the Liyue Clan Chief should discuss how to handle this matter. The ownership certificate has been virtually registered. Your clan can decide on the subsequent receipt, management, and personnel arrangements."

He unconsciously quickened his pace: "Well, I still have a lot of gold-level contact requests to process, all of them at the Eternal God level, so I can't keep people waiting. I'll go take care of that now."

As he spoke, he turned around almost hastily and strode towards the cultivation room.

Irelia stood there, watching Lin Yi's retreating figure, which could almost be described as "fleeing in panic." The corners of her mouth curved up a little more, and a rare mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.

Only after Lin Yi's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor did she let out a soft breath and look down at her right hand.

My palms were already slightly sweaty without me even realizing it.

Instead of returning to her room, she went directly to the fixed communication console by the living room window, tapped her finger, and brought up the encrypted communication channel with the Sheena family.

After hesitating for a moment, she didn't answer the call immediately. Instead, she poured herself a glass of water, took a few sips, and let her heartbeat calm down completely.

Only then did she send a communication request.

A few seconds later, a holographic image of Liyue appeared in the living room.

The current patriarch of the Sheena family still maintains the elegant demeanor unique to the Spirit Clan nobles, but a hint of fatigue can be seen between her brows. Managing a family that has been wandering far from home is no easy task.

"Ellie?"

The Liyue clan chief asked with concern, "Why are you contacting me at this time? Has something happened? I was just watching the report on the Genius Battle, and Lord Lin Yi..."

“Grandmother,” Irelia interrupted Liyue, her voice calm, even unusually so, “there is something I need you to know immediately.”

Without pausing, she said directly, "The leader has just obtained the ownership of the family's original territory in the Leliat Starfield, including the home planet."

Li Yue's expression froze instantly.

The patriarch, who had never lost his composure despite experiencing the rise and fall of his family and their constant wanderings, opened his mouth but could not utter a sound.

A full ten seconds passed before Li Yue finally asked, "What did you say?"

"The Lord of Radiance bestowed complete ownership of that star field upon the Captain," Irelia repeated. "The Captain has already transferred it to me."

The Liyue clan chief closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, they were clear.

"What was the price?" she asked bluntly. "What did Lord Lin Yi give up? Or... what did he agree to?"

"I am not entirely clear on the specifics."

Irelia truthfully replied, "The commander only said that this was a gift from the Radiant Lord, and that there might be some schemes behind it by the Eldar, but he has already taken care of it and told us not to worry."

The Liyue clan chief remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"I understand."

Her voice regained its composure, but the next sentence she uttered stunned Irelia.

"Don't go."

Irelia paused, then instinctively asked, "What, aren't you going?"

Li Yue looked at Ellie and said, "We, to be precise, most of our Sheena family, do not return to our ancestral home in the Leliat Starfield."

She let out a long breath and continued, "The fact that the ancestral land can be returned to our hands can be considered as fulfilling our obligations to our ancestors. However, I intend to have an elder lead those clansmen who wish to return to the ancestral land back to the Leliat Starfield to rebuild the branch. As for the main body of the family, it will remain in the human territory."

Irelia looked at Liyue, first in surprise, then gradually understanding what was going on.

"Grandmother, who are you?"

The Liyue chieftain said softly, "Ellie, you should understand why I did this."

Irelia was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I understand."

Of course she understood.

The Leliat Starfield is the ancestral home of the Xena family; it is their root and the place where their soul resides.

Taking it back is the long-cherished wish of countless clansmen, a symbol of washing away the family's "exile" reputation. But what happens after it's taken back?
The Sheena family left in disgrace, and their influence in the area has long since declined.

Even with Lin Yi's influence and the backing of the Radiant Lord, the neighbors would at most resort to underhanded tactics, but wouldn't openly cause trouble, so safety was assured.

But does the future of the Sheena family truly still lie with the Elven race?
Irelia recalled the process by which her family had regained its foothold in the human realm over the past thousand years.

Despite the hardships and the initial disdain, as Lin Yi's status rose and the Silver Blue Civilization grew, the Xina family, as one of the earliest Spirit Race forces to invest in Blue Star, saw its status rise accordingly.

Today, the family owns businesses in multiple star systems of the human race, and many of its younger generation have entered the Dongfeng Military Academy, mercenary alliances, and even the human military system. Although it is far from being deeply rooted, this new path has already been paved.

But can the Eldar really go back?
Even if they return, they will be nothing more than ordinary members of countless spiritual clans.

But staying here, staying with the human race, staying beside Lin Yi's rapidly ascending behemoth, offers a much brighter future.

“Grandmother,” Irelia said softly, “I support your decision.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yue smiled with relief: "It's good that you understand. There will definitely be different opinions within the family about this matter. For those old-fashioned elders who want to go back, I will send a steady elder to lead them back to rebuild the branch."

“In this way, we will not lose our ancestral land, our roots will not be broken, and our family will have a way out and branches.” Li Yue paused and said meaningfully, “We will no longer be known as exiles, and we will have more confidence among the humans.”

Irelia nodded in agreement.

“I will handle this matter properly.” Li Yue resumed her decisive demeanor. “You don’t need to worry about the family’s internal affairs. Just do what you want to do. I will take care of the family matters.”

“Yes, Grandmother,” Irelia replied, a great weight lifted from her heart.

Communication ends.

Irelia stood in the living room, gazing at the eternal night sky of the Primal Star outside the window, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

The family has the best option.

And she
She turned around and looked in the direction of the training room, a resolute glint in her blue eyes.
-
In the training room.

After closing the door, Lin Yi subconsciously wiped his face and let out a long breath.

What just happened?

He murmured to himself, walked to the meditation platform in the center of the cultivation room, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he stared blankly at the void in front of him.

Irelia's final smile and the words "I've given my life for you" kept replaying in his mind.

He is certainly not emotionally naive.

Having lived together for a thousand years and fought side by side, some things have long transcended a simple superior-subordinate or ally relationship.

He simply never thought about it deeply, or rather, he deliberately avoided certain possibilities.

After all, there are many classic texts on emotions in the training camp and in the catalog, all of which advise prodigies to only devote themselves to matters of the heart after they have achieved eternity or after they have no hope of breaking through to become an eternal god in the realm of evolution.

Irelia has good talent, a strong will, and the foundation of the Eldar race. As long as she has enough resources, it is not a pipe dream for her to become an Eternal God in the future.

She should focus on her spiritual practice now, and it won't be too late to talk about love after she has eternal life.

Lin Yi believed that becoming an eternal god should not be a problem for him, but in his opinion, Ellie's talent was not a big problem at the level of the Derivation Realm, but the level of an eternal god was more uncertain, and he could not afford to delay.

"Owner."

Xuanji's palace-dress phantom quietly appeared beside her, a half-smile on her face. "According to my analysis, Vice-Captain Irelia's feelings for you are quite extraordinary."

Lin Yi glanced at her irritably: "I'm not blind, I can tell."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "Xuanji, I added the emotion simulation module to you so that you can better handle interpersonal relationships and information filtering, not to read gossip."

"Yes, yes, Master is right."

Xuanji responded with a grin, showing no sign of remorse, but quickly changed the subject, "However, Master, let's get down to business. Blue Star has sent an inquiry, hoping to hold a celebration event covering the entire civilization. They are asking for your opinion and arrangements."

Lin Yi frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"I appreciate your kind words, but there's no need for celebrations for now."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Tell them that we're only in first place in the preliminary rounds right now, so there's no need to rush."

"By the way, the wording can be more tactful, but the meaning must be clear. Also, issue a notice in my name to encourage all the Silver Blue Civilization contestants and Dongfeng Mercenary Group members to stay humble and focused on their preparations. The real celebration can wait until everything has settled down."

"Understood." Xuanji nodded and quickly took notes. "Opening champagne at halftime is indeed considered unlucky."

"That's exactly what I mean." Lin Yi sat cross-legged on the meditation platform. "Alright, let's move on to the next matter. How are those contact requests from those with gold and purple access privileges going?"

"All have passed and the initial classification has been completed."

Xuanji brought up several light screens.

"There are 279 golden permissions in total, of which about 70% are routine contact messages from the eternal gods of various races, mainly from the human race, with polite but formulaic wording."

"Twenty percent of them came with a clear intention to make friends, some of which included small gifts of resources or invitations to visit. The remaining ten percent were more complicated, some of which came from races with delicate relations with humans and needed to be treated with caution."

"There are 11773 purple-level permissions, and their sources are more diverse, including high-ranking officials from various civilizations, representatives of large forces, and leaders of merchant groups. Their purposes are mostly to make friends, cooperate, or simply express congratulations."

Lin Yi quickly scanned the summary information on the screen and understood.

"For the 70% of those you meet routinely, reply with something like, 'Thank you for your attention, I'm flattered, but with the competition at hand, I need to focus on preparing and can't attend. I'll find an opportunity to visit you after the Genius Battle.' Use humble words but be clear in your attitude."

"Yes."

"For the other 20% who are interested in making friends, we will handle them in three ways, depending on their race, power background, and the value of the gifts they bring. One is important allies or potential partners. You can draft a slightly more detailed reply for me, expressing your gratitude and hinting at future cooperation, but also politely declining an immediate meeting on the grounds of preparing for war."

"The second type is to make friends casually. A standard reply is sufficient, but the gifts must be registered and stored, and reciprocated as appropriate in the future."

"The third type is those with unclear motives or complicated backgrounds, in which the gifts are returned, with the reason being that one should not accept a gift without having done anything to deserve it."

"Understood." Xuanji quickly wrote down the instructions.

As for those that require careful handling...

Lin Yi tapped the screen with his finger, bringing up a few specially marked names. "Be especially careful when replying to these names. Don't be arrogant, but don't be too enthusiastic either."

"In that case, I'll say that I'm in a critical period of cultivation, and all external communications will be temporarily managed by the intelligent life form. I'll resume contact after I come out of seclusion. Let's put it off for now."

"Ok."

"The same principle applies to the purple-level permissions."

Lin Yi continued, "All gifts exceeding a certain standard will be registered and reciprocated at our discretion in the future. Gifts below the standard will be appreciated, but the gift will be politely declined."

"We don't lack these resources right now, so there's no need to owe too many favors."

"Yes, Master, it is being carried out."

Xuanji reported, "In addition, Master, while you were meeting with several Venerable Lords, seventeen more Eternal Gods sent new contact requests, which have been added to the processing queue according to the above principles."

"Ah."

Lin Yi rubbed his temples.

This kind of social interaction is sometimes more tiring than spiritual practice. "I'll leave these things to you. Remind me if there are any special circumstances."

"Yes."

Xuanji responded, then added, "Master, there is one more thing to report. Your directory points increased by 10 points 5 minutes ago. The note says 'Special Item Reward Points'."

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.

After breaking through to the ninth level and undergoing virtual verification, the directory system rewarded him with 5 points in one go; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the points to reserve the Time Rift.

These 10 points are clearly a reward for his ascent to the top of the sacred mountain, his temporary first place, and his winning of great honor for the human race.

"Just in time."

Lin Yi's eyes narrowed. "Xuanji, bring up the interfaces of the Clan Merit Treasury, the Star Core-level Training Camp Points Exchange System, and the Directory Resource Library."

"The selection criteria are: within my budget, all treasures and consumables that can significantly improve comprehension and reduce the difficulty of comprehending the laws of time in a short period of time, with the effect lasting for no more than two days, and the stronger the effect, the better."

"By the way, for functions that overlap, prioritize using training camp points, and use clan merits last."

The law of time is the law he chose to break through.

The reason is simple and practical: the depth of his understanding of the laws of time directly relates to the number of clones he can maintain and control simultaneously.

Based on the information he learned from Senior Sister Qianhuan and the fragments in the ancient texts, he confirmed one thing.

Once his comprehension of the laws of time reaches 100% and he completes the condensation of the laws, then theoretically, he can simultaneously possess two clones.

Each additional clone means an additional source of spiritual insight!
For him, this is a strategic upgrade.

Therefore, even though breaking through the laws of space could theoretically bring the greatest short-term increase in combat power, he still chose the laws of time as his breakthrough point without hesitation.

"Okay, master."

Xuanji gently waved her hand, and the light in the cultivation room dimmed softly, with several solid light screens unfolding in the void.

"Based on your request, we have selected suitable treasures for you. First, there are two rare items related to the laws of time from the Clan Treasury."

The first light screen lit up, revealing a strange crystal with a distorted stream of light in the center. At the center of the light, a bottomless darkness could be vaguely seen, as if even one's gaze would be swallowed up by it.

“【The Essence of Time】.” Xuanji pointed to the stream of light. “This is not a physical mineral, but a conceptual crystal that seals the echoes of the laws at the edge of the Time Abyss. Using it, your consciousness will be briefly projected to the edge of the Time Abyss, directly facing the primordial scene of the timeline being distorted, broken, and even regressed, lasting for about three hours.”

"During this period, your perception of the laws of time will be greatly enhanced, and you may even have the opportunity to glimpse the essential ripples caused by the source of time. Exchange requires 120 clan merits."

Within the second light curtain, five profound crystals, as if miniaturizing the entire starry sky, floated silently. Starlight flickered within them in a grand and ancient rhythm, as if they were breathing.

“This is the [Epoch Resonance Crystal Core],” Xuanji introduced. “It is said to have originated from the core of an ancient star whose time flow was eternally solidified. After countless epochs of sedimentation, its interior is engraved with the time rhythm of the star itself.”

“Crush one, and its core power will envelop your soul for eight hours, allowing you to resonate with the rhythm of the era and greatly weaken the barrier to comprehending the laws of time. You can exchange up to five, each worth 60 clan merits.”

Lin Yi's gaze swept over the two treasures, and he quickly calculated in his mind: "Including my clone, I now have 340 years of spiritual enlightenment. I only need 4 crystal cores, so the total is 360 points. It's a bit expensive, but I can afford it. I hope the effect is worth the price."

"Help me apply for the redemption."

“Yes, Master.” Xuanji then switched the light screen. “Next up are some highly effective short-term enhancement items from the resource library.”

A new light screen appeared, displaying three items of different shapes.

Inside a crystal bottle was a liquid that seemed to have solidified countless starlight while simultaneously containing endless twilight. Even its illusory form gave one a sense of being about to sink into the vast expanse of time.

"【Eternal Obsession Elixir】This is a spiritual dew extracted from the Eternal Secret Realm formed after a certain time cycle completely collapsed."

Xuanji said, "After drinking one serving, your consciousness will be in a state of super-time perception for six hours, and you will be able to clearly distinguish every subtle passage of time. Each serving is worth 5000 Registry Points."

Next, what was displayed was an unstable, multifaceted crystal that kept jumping between the two states of "order flowing" and "chaos and shattering". Even through the light screen, Lin Yi seemed to be able to feel the chaotic time fluctuations it emitted.

"【Core of Reversed Time】. This item originates from the source core of a time-based interstellar beast. Once activated, it can create a controllable time-reversed field around you that lasts for four consecutive days and then disappears. 15000 Registry Points are required to exchange for it."

Finally, there were three dazzling golden droplets suspended in the vacuum field.

"【Time Source Blood】. Despite its name, it is actually extracted from the primordial active essence of the conceptual tributary of the River of Time. Taking one drop will imbue your life force with a trace of Time Source characteristics within twelve hours, spontaneously attracting and appreciating the time law factors floating in the environment, forming a continuous tide of internal sensory perception. Each drop is worth 8000 Registry Points."

Lin Yi waved his hand and said arrogantly, "Six portions of Eternal Obsession Elixir, three drops of Time Source Blood, plus a Core of Reversed Time."

Xuanji nodded slightly and switched the light screen again.

"Finally, there are the treasures from the Star Core-level training camp."

The first thing that appears is a grayish-white mineral phantom with fine ripples naturally imprinted on its surface, as if it might emit a silent tremor at any moment.

"【Time-Tremor Stone】. Originating from the Tremor Belt, a region with exceptionally active time-regulating patterns, it naturally records the subtle pulsations of spacetime."

"While its resonance effect is not as grand as that of the Epoch Crystal Core, it is gentler and more lasting, like the background white noise of continuously listening to the laws of time, subtly adjusting your soul frequency. Requires 5 million training camp points."

Subsequently, a dynamic model composed of countless points of light and lines emerged. In the center of the model, a ball of light was being analyzed and reconstructed by countless deduction lines.

"【Dayan Kalachakra Deduction Model】. This is a one-time service that uses the virtual network access of the training camp to simulate and deduce the time law approach that best suits your personal path, helping to clear away cognitive fog in advance. Redemption requires 1 million points."

Finally, what appeared was a heritage crystal with a gray crack sealed inside.

"The 'Fleeting Eternity' Inheritance Crystal. It not only contains this incredibly powerful time-based attack technique, but more importantly, it contains a fragment of the creator's insight at the moment of inspiration. It is worth 4 million points."

Lin Yi estimated it and immediately said, "It only adds up to a billion points, not expensive, let's exchange them all."

He was generous and chose to have them all.

Because he didn't know how difficult it was to break through the rules, and there was no quantitative description in any of the classic texts.

Therefore, Lin Yi could only play it safe and try to maximize all the configurations first.

After all, points are meant to be spent once earned. He believed that as long as he could break through the rules before the finals, these investments would soon be doubled back.

(End of this chapter)