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

Chapter 317 Divine Guardians, Ranking Begins

"Huh? It went straight to the top of the list?"

Yongyan paused, his finger hovering in mid-air.

In the clan task system, only two types of tasks can be displayed at the top.

It is either an extremely urgent crisis that concerns the survival of the tribe, or a high-priority special mission directly issued by the tribe's leadership.

Given his current financial straits, he shouldn't be paying attention to tasks at this level, but out of habit, Yongyan subconsciously took another look.

[Mission ID: SS-00173]

[Type: Long-term Guard]

Location: Follow the mission objective.

[Mission: Serve as the protector of the target, ensuring their personal safety during the mission. The target must not be sealed, imprisoned, robbed, or otherwise endangered. Mission duration: Tentatively set for 100 epochs (subject to adjustment based on actual circumstances).]

[Guardian Requirements: Proficient in defensive techniques or possessing powerful defensive methods; calm and composed, able to handle unexpected crises.]

[Mission Compensation: During the mission, a fixed 80 clan merit points will be awarded per era. Upon completion of the mission, additional clan merit points will be awarded based on performance during the escort mission.]

[Note: At the start of the mission, one "Void Token" will be issued; if you perish during the mission while performing your duty as a protector, the clan will provide one free resurrection opportunity.]

Yongyan's eyes quickly scanned the mission description.

He was somewhat surprised when he saw "80 clan merits per era".

This is considered a fairly generous fixed reward for a long-term mission.

His pupils contracted slightly when he saw the "Void Symbol".

This one-time talisman contains spatial beacons left by several spatial system masters. Once activated, the masters will instantly sense it and tear through space to arrive. It is usually only issued when protecting the most important strategic objectives of the clan or when carrying out top-secret missions.

When his gaze fell on the words "free revival opportunity," Yongyan was stunned for a moment.

"A chance to revive? For free?"

As a deity who had once perished in the Ash Corridor and exhausted his life savings to gain a chance to be resurrected, Yongyan understood better than anyone what "one free resurrection" meant.

Now, this task directly promises: as long as you accept it, you'll be resurrected if you die.

what does this mean?
Yongyan's gaze returned to the sentence in the mission description: "Ensure the personal safety of the person being protected. The person being protected must not be sealed, imprisoned, robbed, or otherwise endanger their life."

Combine this with the Void Token and free resurrection.
He understood instantly.

The subtext of this mission couldn't be clearer: the person you're protecting must not be harmed. You can die, but you must delay until the Void Rune is activated and the Lord arrives.

Even if it costs us our lives, we must ensure the safety of our target.

"An opportunity. This is absolutely an opportunity!"

Yongyan's heart began to pound, and a long-lost light shone in his eyes.

Although the identity of the target being protected is unknown, the fact that the clan's leadership attaches such importance to the individual, even going so far as to promise "free resurrection" to recruit them as a protector, suggests that their significance is beyond imagination.

Being able to establish a connection with such a being, even if it's just as a guard, means entering the sights of the highest levels of the clan.

Moreover, there is a fixed income of 80 clan merit points per era.

As for the danger.
"High risk, high reward." Yongyan gritted his teeth secretly.

What's more, this time you can be resurrected for free if you die!
Without further hesitation, he immediately instructed the intelligent life form beside him, "Quick! Accept this mission, apply immediately!"

Good missions are in high demand. There are many gods who are good at defensive laws, and nobody is stupid. These missions are definitely first come, first served.

"Yes, Master." The virtual figure bowed in response and then began to operate.

A series of confirmation windows popped up on the screen, including a loyalty review consent form, a mission risk disclosure statement, and a confidentiality agreement. Yongyan didn't even look at the specific terms and simply checked all the boxes to agree.

After a while.

[Application submitted]

Loyalty verification passed (verifying body: Supreme Council direct system)

[Strength assessment passed (Assessor: Ethnic War Preparedness Database)]

[Task matching rate: 87% (Meets requirements)]

[Under final review]

【Approved.】

[Mission SS-00173 has been successfully accepted. Mission details and target information have been sent.]

A series of prompts flashed by, finally settling on the words "Acceptance successful".

Yongyan took a deep breath and opened the mission details.

There was only one short document inside.

[Target to be protected: Lin Yi]

[Current Status: Member of the Special Genius Training Program]

[Current Realm: Star Core Level]

Current location: Origin Star, Star Origin District (specific coordinates attached)

[Mission Start Time: Upon arrival at the coordinates and completion of the handover with the Royal Guard squad]

[Special Reminder: During the escort period, unless the target's life is in danger, their normal activities must not be interfered with.]

"Lin Yi."

Yongyan looked at the name and suddenly realized what it meant.

It turns out to be this newly rising prodigy.

He knew all this information: first place in the preliminaries, the Ninefold Time-Space Life and Death Domain, and his overwhelming power over the Spirit Race's Edith.

After all, the Genius Battle is a grand event for the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance, and even though he has been busy recovering during this time, he can't help but pay attention to it.

Logically speaking, a Star Core level genius, even at the ninth level of the realm, shouldn't need a God-level person as a personal bodyguard.

Offering a "God-level Long-Term Protection Mission" directly, along with Void Tokens and free resurrection opportunities, is a rare treat.
Yongyan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Obviously, there are special circumstances that I am unaware of, but in any case, I'm taking this mission."

Yongyan turned off the light screen and stood up.

The dark blue, ancient armor shimmered faintly on his body.

With a thought, he said to the intelligent life form beside him, "Notify Yongfeng, Yongqing, and Musto to come see me."

Not long after, the door to the quiet room slid open silently, and three men and women dressed in family attire quickly entered and bowed respectfully.

"Clan leader."

These three are the current core members of the Yongyan family: the eldest son, Yongfeng, who is at the mid-stage of the Transcendent Realm; the youngest daughter, Yongqing, who is at the early stage of the Transcendent Realm; and the family elder, Musto.

Musto is Yongyan's disciple, a peak-level cultivator at the Transcendent Realm, and the strongest member of the family besides Yongyan.

Yongyan looked at them and said directly, "I have just taken on a long-term mission for the clan and will be away for a long time. During this period, Yongfeng will temporarily take charge of clan affairs, and major decisions will need to be discussed with Musto and Yongqing. You can contact me through the virtual network if there is an emergency, but please do not disturb me unless it is a matter of life and death."

The three of them were somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

Yongfeng couldn't help but ask, "Father, you've only recently recovered. Don't you need to rest for a while longer? And what kind of mission requires you to go for so long in person?"

Yongyan waved his hand: "It's a mission for the tribe, no need to ask too much, it's a good thing in short."

As he said this, a rare look of ease appeared on his face.

For the past few months, Yongyan has been in a heavy mood because the clan's merits were exhausted and the divine kingdom was damaged after the resurrection. Everyone in the family could feel the oppressive atmosphere.

Yongqing and Musto exchanged a glance, secretly wondering: Could it be that they were going to follow a certain lord on an easy mission where they could "just show their face and intimidate others to earn clan merit"?

After all, the clan leader had just passed away, so it was only natural for the clan's higher-ups to take care of him.

They dared not ask any further questions and immediately bowed and accepted the order: "Yes."

"Go on down, I need to get ready to leave." Yongyan waved his hand.

The three of them left the quiet room.

Yongyan stood there, silent for a moment.

He placed his hand on his chest armor and muttered to himself, "Lin Yi, let me see what's so special about you that makes the clan value you so much."

Seven days later, the outer ring road of the Origin Star.

A silver-gray spaceship slowly detached from warp drive and glided into the Origin Star's defense identification zone.

Inside the spaceship's control room, Yongyan stood by the porthole, gazing at the primordial star that was gradually enlarging in his field of vision, a complex expression on his face.

"The last time the Origin Star came here was 137 epochs ago."

At that time, he had just obtained a treasure that suited him from the secret realm, and was then ordered to come to Origin Star to participate in an advanced tactical seminar. He was in high spirits and full of expectations for the future.

Now, having survived life-or-death experiences, lost their treasures, and are almost penniless, they have returned.

Life's encounters are truly unpredictable.

"Master, we have received the guidance signal from the Origin Star Orbit Control Center," the spaceship's intelligent system reported. "The verification code has been sent, and we are verifying your identity."

"Mm." Yongyan nodded.

A few seconds later, a system notification sounded: "Authentication successful. Your Majesty Yongyan, welcome to Origin Star. Your access level is 'Eternal (Temporary)'. The navigation route has been locked. Destination: Seventh Entrance of the Star Origin Zone. Please follow the navigation instructions and do not deviate from the course."

The spaceship began its descent, passing through the atmosphere and heading towards the area on the planet's surface shrouded in a pale golden energy membrane.

Xingyuan District, as the residence of the members on the list, has an extremely high level of protection.

Yongyan could sense at least thirteen different scanning waves sweeping across the surface of the spaceship. Several of them made him feel a slight unease, clearly indicating that they were defensive weapons powerful enough to threaten the eternal gods, confirming their identities.

The spacecraft eventually landed on a secluded landing pad.

As Yongyan stepped out of the cabin, a guide aircraft that had been waiting there stepped forward to salute him.

“Your Excellency Yongyan, please follow me. His Excellency Lin Yi’s manor is located in the southeast of Xingyuan District, about a ten-minute walk away.”

"lead the way."

Yongyan followed the servants, walking on the clean roads of Xingyuan District.

On both sides of the road are manors of different styles, each shrouded in its own protective field.

He could sense that many of the manors exuded powerful auras, at least at the level of the Derivation Realm, and occasionally he could even sense the subtle fluctuations belonging to eternal gods.

"No wonder it's the future home of our people," he thought to himself.

"The manor of Lord Lin Yi is just ahead."

The machine stopped in front of a manor shrouded in a pale blue energy membrane. "I have sent your visit request. Please wait."

The manor gates slid open silently.

A man dressed in a royal guard uniform strode out; it was Nagifumi.

He approached Yongyan, bowed respectfully, and then spoke: "Your Excellency Yongyan, I am Nagifeng, the current captain of Lin Yi's guard. May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

Yongyan could see the wariness and doubt in the captain's eyes.

He directly retrieved the mission verification code and projected it into the air between the two of them.

"By order of the Supreme Council, we have come to relieve Lord Lin Yi of his guard duties. This is the mission number and verification information."

Nagi's pupils suddenly contracted.

He quickly checked the verification code, and when he saw the number "SS-00173" and the "directly under the Supreme Council" label, he was immediately taken aback.

"Your Majesty, are you on a guard duty?" Nagi felt his throat go dry.

“Yes,” Yongyan said calmly. “From now on, I will be in charge of protecting Lord Lin Yi. Your and your team’s missions will be adjusted, and the specific arrangements should have already been sent to your system.”

Nagi subconsciously checked his tactical terminal.

Sure enough, an order from the "Supreme Command of the Guards Corps" had just arrived.

[Order: The Nagifeng Squad is hereby relieved of its escort duties for Lord Lin Yi and will proceed to the Silver Blue Starfield for garrison duty. Further mission details will be provided separately.]

Nagifumi was shocked when he read the order.

Garrisoning in the Silver Blue Starfield?

Silver Blue Starfield, isn't this Lord Lin Yi's hometown?
Their elite squad, originally responsible for close protection, was reassigned, and their replacement was none other than an eternal god!
"I understand."

Nagi took a deep breath, suppressing his shock. "I will organize the team to take over immediately."

"No need to rush."

Yongyan waved his hand, "I'll give you a day to say goodbye to Lord Lin Yi and tell me about the things you need to pay attention to. After all, you've protected him for so long, you're more familiar with the situation."

Nagi was taken aback for a moment, then gratitude appeared in his eyes: "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."

"Take me to see Lord Lin Yi."

"Yes, please follow me."

The two entered the manor.

Lin Yi, Irelia, Chen Yu, and others were all in the living room.

They had just received a notification from Xuanji that an eternal deity was visiting, carrying mission instructions from the Supreme Council. When they saw Nagfeng leading in a middle-aged man clad in dark blue armor, whose aura was as deep as the sea, everyone stood up.

"Your Mightiness."

Nagi stepped forward, his tone complex, "This is Lord Nagaiwa, who has come to take over the guard duties on the orders of the Supreme Council."

The living room was quiet.

Chen Yu opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Zhou Yuxuan and Kanlia exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

Lin Yao instinctively gripped the hem of her clothes.

Irelia's blue eyes narrowed slightly. Her gaze lingered on Yongyan for a moment before turning to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi himself was somewhat surprised.

He knew that after demonstrating his nine-fold domain and winning the preliminary rounds, the clan's leadership would definitely strengthen protective measures.

He thought that at most a few elite warriors at the Transcendent Realm level would be sent, but he didn't expect that an Eternal God would be sent as a long-term guard.
Isn't this specification a bit too high?

unless
Lin Yi's heart stirred as he thought of his recent breakthrough in the laws of time.

Could it be that Senior Sister Qianhuan told Lord Xuanyan about this?

But if that's the case, why didn't the Venerable Xuan Yan contact him directly?

Lin Yi immediately pictured Qianhuan's mischievous smile.

"Could it be that Senior Sister went to upset Venerable Xuan Yan, and the Venerable is busy dealing with his father-daughter relationship and doesn't have time to inform me personally?"

The somewhat absurd idea popped into his head, but the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Forget it, I shouldn't pry into the Lord's affairs.

Lin Yi composed himself, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully to Yongyan: "Lin Yi greets Your Majesty Yongyan. I am truly flattered that Your Majesty has come in person."

Yongyan sized up the young man in front of him.

Wearing a dark blue combat suit, standing tall and straight, with a calm face and clear yet profound eyes, he showed none of the restraint or fear that ordinary Star Core-level beings would have when meeting an Eternal God.

"He's definitely not simple," Yongyan thought to himself.

He smiled gently and returned the greeting: "Lord Lin Yi, you needn't be so polite. I've been ordered to come and protect you, and I'll be troubling you for quite some time to come."

"Your Majesty is too kind." Lin Yi stepped aside. "Please sit down. Captain Nagifeng, you may sit as well."

Everyone sat down again, but the atmosphere was much more somber than before.

After all, an eternal god was sitting right next to him, so even someone as impulsive as Chen Yu didn't dare to say anything out of line.

Yongyan noticed the awkwardness among the group and spoke up, "Since I've taken on the guard duty, I will do my best. But in daily life, please don't treat me like some important person. Just think of me as another guest in the manor. Otherwise, it will only attract attention."

Lin Yi nodded: "Your Majesty is right. Then, according to the customs of my hometown, I will address you as Mr. Yongyan from now on, shall I?"

“Sure.” Yongyan smiled.

"By the way, Captain Nagifumi will be leading his team away tomorrow to be stationed in the Silver Blue Starfield," Yongyan continued. "The handover should be completed today."

In the following time, Yongyan and Nagifeng had a detailed handover.

Nagi-feng shared with Yongyan the experience he had accumulated over the past few centuries of guarding work, as well as the things that needed to be noted.

Lin Yi and the others listened quietly.

After the handover was completed, Nagi Feng solemnly bid farewell to Lin Yi.

"Lord Lin Yi, it has been an honor for me and the entire team to serve as your bodyguard all these years." The captain of the Derivation Realm said with reluctance in his eyes, "I wish you continued success in the upcoming competitions and that you will bring glory to our human race."

"Thank you for protecting me all these years," Lin Yi said earnestly. "I'm also counting on you for the Silver Blue Star Region."

"I will definitely live up to my trust."

Nagi saluted, then turned and left.

Lin Yi and a few others, along with Yongyan, remained in the living room.

Yongyan stood up: "I'll go familiarize myself with the manor environment first and see if there are any security vulnerabilities."

With that, he nodded to Lin Yi, then walked out of the living room, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Only then did the atmosphere in the living room relax a little.

“Divine Guardian,” Chen Yu murmured, “I feel like I’m dreaming.”

Zhou Yuxuan also lowered his voice: "Commander, I don't think there's ever been a precedent like this among the geniuses of the Ninth Realm in history."

Lin Yi smiled but offered no explanation.

Irelia glanced at Lin Yi and said softly, "The clan's higher-ups have their own considerations. All we need to know is that this shows respect for and protection of the leader, and that's enough."

“Sister Ellie is right.” Lin Yao nodded. “Brother, you need to be even more careful in the upcoming matches. The fact that even the divine guards have been sent means that there might really be an enemy who wants to harm you.”

"I know." Lin Yi's smile faded. "I'll be careful. You all should also be prepared. Contestants can bring a few relatives to watch the competition. You can come with me."

Everyone perked up upon hearing this, especially Irelia, whose eyes flashed with a complex expression.

Soon, everyone left to make their own preparations.

Lin Yi stood alone by the living room window, gazing at the pale golden energy flow outside the manor.

The arrival of Yongyan is not only about the inhabitation of an eternal deity, but also about the signal it conveys.

Since the clan's leadership has specifically increased his defenses, it's clear that in addition to placing greater importance on him, it also means that the leadership believes he may face dangers that only gods can handle.

"The Law of Time," Lin Yi muttered to himself, "It seems I need to familiarize myself with this power as soon as possible."

He turned and walked towards the meditation room.
-
Meanwhile, on the virtual network, the Yongyan family's private channel.

Yongfeng, Yongqing, and Musto gathered in the encrypted space, all with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"What kind of mission did Father take on? Why haven't we heard anything about it these past few days?" Yongfeng frowned.

Yongqing guessed, "Perhaps they are accompanying a certain Venerable Lord on an inspection tour of a remote star system? Such missions usually require maintaining communication silence."

“It doesn’t seem like it.” Musto shook his head. “The way the chieftain left seemed more like he was expecting something. If it were just a regular patrol mission, he wouldn’t have acted that way.”

The three discussed it for a while, but still couldn't come up with a solution.

"Never mind, let's wait for the clan leader to contact us," Yongfeng said. "By the way, isn't the ranking competition for the Pan-Spirit Alliance's Genius Battle about to start?"

“Yes, it’s almost here.” Yongqing pulled up the schedule. “Should our family organize a group viewing? It would be good for the younger generation to witness the prowess of the top geniuses in the Star Sea.”

“Sure.” Musto nodded. “Especially that Lin Yi. Our human race has really made a name for itself this time. They beat the Spirit Race’s Edith in the preliminaries. Maybe we can really compete for the championship.”

"I've already told the younger generation in the family to take on fewer assignments these days and focus on watching the game," Yongfeng said with a smile. "This is an exciting event."

The three chatted for a few more minutes before logging off.

Five days later, at Origin Star Port.

A spaceship slowly descended.

The ship was marked with the ancient tree and star emblem of the Eldar, and it was a special vessel sent by the Eldar to guide the contestants.

After verifying their identities, Lin Yi and his group boarded the spaceship.

Yongyan followed behind Lin Yi the whole time, seemingly casually, but in reality, his spirit had already enveloped the entire scene, and no trace of malice could escape his perception.

Soon, the Spirit Clan spaceship that had received Lin Yi set sail again.

Lin Yi noticed that Yongyan was standing by the window, gazing at the Origin Star gradually receding into the distance outside the porthole.

"What is Mr. Yongyan thinking about?" Lin Yi asked.

"It brings back some memories."

Yongyan turned around and said, "The first time I went to the Spirit Clan's territory was more than four thousand years ago, as an attendant to a multi-race coalition meeting. At that time, I was still a Realm Transformation level cultivator, and everything I saw was awe-inspiring."

He paused for a moment, then said, "This time, my status is different, and my mindset is different too."

Lin Yi walked to the window and stood side by side with Yongyan.

Outside the window, the starry sky is like a waterfall.

"No matter your status, you still have to walk your own path," Lin Yi said softly.

Yongyan glanced at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Yes."
-
Twenty days later.

The outer airport of the Spirit Race's territory, the ultimate arena.

After twenty days of hyperspace travel, the homing spacecraft finally arrived at its destination.

It was a planet made entirely of metal and crystals, more than ten times the diameter of an ordinary planet.

The planet's surface has no land or ocean, only countless intricate giant structures and slowly rotating energy rings.

This is the "Ultimate Arena," a super arena built by the Eldar at great expense, specifically for the final stage of the Genius Battle.

The entire planet itself is a massive artifact, with its internal space that can be folded and expanded at will, simulating most of the environments in the universe.

The spacecraft slowly landed in the airport area.

As Lin Yi stepped out of the cabin, he immediately felt countless eyes focused on him.

He remained calm as he led the group of people behind him down the gangway.

Yongyan followed beside Lin Yi, seemingly casually glancing around.

But to those secretly observing, it was as if they were being pressed down by an invisible mountain, and they instantly withdrew their gaze.
-
The next day.

The day of the qualifying rounds.

Human territory, the main star of the Yongyan family.

In the family's main council hall, hundreds of core-level direct descendants of the Yongyan family gathered.

A huge circular light screen floated in the center of the hall, playing "Highlights of Players' Arrival" before the official start of the qualifying rounds.

This segment has always had extremely high viewership ratings.

Especially those high-profile prodigies, their every move will be captured by the camera and magnified in front of the entire audience of Xinghai.

"Look! That's a Crystal Spirit Clan team!"

"The Holy Light Clan contestant's Holy Light Armor is truly dazzling."

"The Li Clan is still as fierce as ever; you can feel their murderous aura even through the screen."

The younger generation discussed it excitedly.

Yongfeng, Yongqing, Musto, and other core executives sat in the front row, watching with great interest.

Yongqing said, "The rules for the ranking competition are different every time. I'm really curious about what the rules will be for this ranking competition. But no matter what the rules are, only the top 100 will be able to enter the finals, so the competition will definitely be fierce."

“Lin Yi will definitely make it into the top 100, the key is whether he can get first place.” Yongfeng laughed. “If he can get first place, our human race will really be able to hold its head high this time.”

"Hard to say"

Musto took over the conversation and said in a deep voice, "The Spirit Clan's Edith is already at the ninth level, and her combat skills and secret techniques are top-notch. If she makes up for her shortcomings during this period of time, Lin Yi will definitely face a tough battle."

As they were talking, the images on the screen changed.

The commentator's voice rang out: "Next up is the human race team. As a powerful race, nearly ten humans have qualified for the ranking matches, and the human prodigy even took first place in the qualifiers!"

As he spoke, a familiar figure appeared in the frame.

A cheer erupted in the spectator hall.

"Lin Yi! It's Lin Yi!"

"First place in the qualifiers! We'll definitely be first in the rankings too!"

Yongfeng and the others also smiled.

But the next second, their smiles froze.

Because among the people following Lin Yi out of the spaceship, there was a figure they recognized very well.

He wore dark blue, ancient-style armor, exuding a calm and composed aura, and his eyes warily scanned his surroundings.

It was Yongyan, the patriarch of their family.

"That's it"

Yongqing suddenly stood up.

The cup in Yongfeng's hand fell to the ground, making a crisp shattering sound.

Musto stood there, mouth agape, stunned.

The entire viewing hall fell silent instantly, and everyone stared blankly at the light screen.

In the scene, Yongyan closely followed behind Lin Yi, always keeping a half-step distance behind.

When the Spirit Clan staff tried to approach and guide him, Yongyan stepped forward half a step and whispered something. The staff member immediately stepped back respectfully.

That posture, that position, that wary look in his eyes.
Why does it look like he's acting as Lin Yi's bodyguard?

(End of this chapter)