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

Chapter 339 Star Origin Space, 100%!

The new era begins in 3615.

Within the myriad secret realms, the blood mist continues to surge.

However, the area around the camp, spanning over a hundred kilometers, has been cleared to resemble the eye of a storm, exhibiting an unusual cleanliness.

Only from extremely far away can one sense the energy ripples of the mist beast's activity.

In a quiet room.

Lin Yi sat cross-legged, with the Blood Mist Beast King Crystal Core, which he had initially obtained, floating in front of him.

Inside the crystal core, a viscous sea of ​​blood was slowly rotating, emitting a chilling fluctuation.

Beside it, there was a small mountain of ordinary blood mist beast crystal cores.

These are the lowest-tier spoils from daily hunting, and have almost no use other than as fodder for the Beast King's Crystal Core.

Lin Yi mechanically manipulated the Beast King Crystal Core, absorbing these ordinary crystal cores.

As these ordinary crystal cores merged into it, the aura of the Beast King Crystal Core became even deeper and more profound.

This process continued day after day, year after year, for countless years.

Lin Yi initially had the expectation that quantitative changes would lead to qualitative changes, but after so many years, apart from his aura becoming more profound, there had been no special changes, and he had long since given up hope.

These ordinary crystal cores are indeed of no other use, and it would be a waste to discard them, so they have persisted with them as a routine.

Today seems no different from any other day.

The Beast King Crystal Core absorbed the essence of another ordinary crystal core, which then turned into grayish-white dust and fell to the ground.

Just as Lin Yi was about to send in the next one, a sudden change occurred!
The Beast King Crystal Core, which had been steadily being absorbed, suddenly stopped being devoured.

The slowly rotating crimson ocean inside suddenly stopped, and then a dazzling golden light suddenly shone from its core.

That golden light was pure and gentle, completely different from the violent crimson color of the crystal core itself.

"Ok?"

Lin Yi's eyes narrowed, and he immediately stopped what he was doing, focusing all his attention on sensing.

The golden light spread rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it had infected most of the interior of the Beast King's crystal core.

As the sea of ​​blood and golden light gradually intertwined, the crystal core began to tremble violently, emitting an unprecedented and strange fluctuation.

This fluctuation was no longer chaotic and violent; instead, it carried a special charm, and even subtly stirred the time laws deep within Lin Yi's soul.

Lin Yi's heart stirred, and he grabbed the beast king crystal core that was undergoing a dramatic change. In a flash, he appeared on the open ground in the center of the camp.

His sudden appearance, along with the crystal core in his hand that was emitting a golden-red interwoven light, immediately attracted the attention of several nearby prodigies.

"Team leader?"

"That's... the Beast King's Crystal Core? How did it get like this?"

Lin Yi didn't bother to explain; he just stared intently at the crystal core in his hand.

The golden light grew stronger and stronger, gradually overshadowing the crimson color, until finally, the entire crystal core turned into a translucent pale golden amber.

Click.

With a soft crackling sound, fine golden cracks appeared on the surface of the crystal core.

The next moment, a bright light shone.

A beam of light, about three meters in diameter and composed entirely of soft, pale golden mist, shot into the sky from the crystal core.

As the beam of light stabilized and solidified, a golden passage appeared before Lin Yi.

The passageway was shrouded in a golden glow, obscuring the view.

"This golden passage?"

"Tianjiao murmured to himself."

"Everyone, immediately stop what you're doing and return to camp. All non-patrol and guard teams, recall." Lin Yi immediately notified all members through the camp's communication network.

Within fifteen minutes, apart from a few necessary perimeter guard squads, all the remaining prodigies in the camp had gathered in the central open space, their eyes fixed intently on the golden passage.

Lin Yi briefly explained the reason for the appearance of the passage, and then said to the clone beside him, "Go in and investigate first."

The clone that had been guarding him nodded, took a step forward, and plunged into the golden mist passage without hesitation. Its figure was instantly swallowed by the soft golden light.

Everyone's attention was focused on the clone, and they waited quietly.

About ten minutes passed.

The golden mist rippled slightly, and the clone took a step forward, returning to Lin Yi's side.

"How is it?" Lin Yi asked.

The clone pondered for a moment before saying, "Inside is an independent space, about a hundred kilometers in diameter. The ground is a smooth, pale golden crystal, and the sky is also a soft gold. The space is very stable, and most importantly, there is no suppression inside. Our source energy and soul perception can be fully unleashed."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

There are no rules to suppress it?

Everyone's had had enough of this godforsaken place.

But the clone continued, "However, it's completely empty inside. There's nothing there. No mist beasts, no resources, and no buildings or artifacts. But..."

He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "There's a strange feeling, I can't quite put my finger on it. It's not danger, it's just a... very peculiar atmosphere."

special?
Lin Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "As long as there's no danger, everyone, maintain your battle formation and follow me inside. Qingye, Huiyao, you two take men to cover our retreat."

"Yes!"

The team quickly adjusted, with Lin Yi taking the lead and stepping into the golden passage.

Edith, Liuyun, and others followed closely behind.

After a brief moment of surreal experience, the scene before me suddenly opened up.

Just as the clone said, a pale golden world with a radius of 100 kilometers.

The sky and earth were bathed in a soft golden light, bright yet not glaring.

Beneath your feet lies a warm, smooth, golden crystal surface, which feels like walking on the finest warm jade.

The moment Lin Yi stepped into this space, his soul was suddenly cleared.

It was as if a layer of dust that had long obscured one's wisdom had been quietly swept away, or as if a blocked spring had been suddenly cleared, giving rise to a feeling of "clear and bright mind".

Lin Yi felt that the obscure and difficult parts he usually understood when comprehending the laws of time had become much clearer at this moment, and his speed of thinking and sensitivity to the fluctuations of the laws had been greatly improved.

Not just him.

"This feeling"

Edith beside her sounded quite surprised.

"My comprehension of the laws is accelerating," Qingye exclaimed in surprise.

"Me too! The rules of space are so much clearer than they are outside!" a prodigy who had mastered the rules of space shouted excitedly.

The entire team instantly stirred, with everyone feeling a surge in their own comprehension speed.

Lin Yi quickly focused his mind and carefully comprehended the meaning.

With his precise control over his own cultivation progress, he estimated a rough increase multiple almost instantly.

"three times!"

Lin Yi opened his eyes, his silver-gray pupils gleaming with a sharp light. "Comprehending the laws here is at least three times more efficient than outside!"

At the same time, a message seemed to flow naturally from the rules of this golden space, reflecting in the depths of his soul, and also appearing simultaneously in the consciousness of every prodigy who entered this place.

[Anyone who sets foot in the Star Origin Space has their soul imprinted upon it. Every epoch, regardless of their location, they can enter the Star Origin Space for a year of cultivation.]

"An era enters a year? Regardless of where you are?" Lin Yi quickly processed this information, his heart trembling.

This means that even if they leave the myriad secret realms in the future, or even return to their respective distant hometowns, they can return to this space every epoch and enjoy a year of triple-accelerated cultivation.

Upon receiving this information, everyone immediately began to discuss it.

"Judging from the information, the myriad secret realms are indeed not natural products, just as the various races have guessed. It's just unknown what kind of power the being that created these secret realms possesses," Edith couldn't help but sigh.

"This is probably the core of the myriad secret realms. It feels a bit like the core space of our Spirit Clan's sacred tree!"

Qingye recovered from his shock and murmured, "However, the Tree Heart Space can enhance the understanding of specific attribute laws by up to ten times, but it can only accommodate a very small number of people each time it is opened, and the duration is only a few days."

"Although the threefold increase here is not as terrifying as the tenfold increase, it has the advantage of a wide range, which can accommodate all of us, and the duration is measured in years. Its value is immeasurable."

Kenx punched his palm excitedly, saying, "No matter what kind of powerful being created it, in short, one year of cultivation here is equivalent to three years outside, and our overall strength will take another leap forward."

"That's not all." Lin Yi suppressed his excitement, looked around at everyone, and said, "There are no rules to suppress us here. We can practice our secret techniques to the fullest, hone our battle formations, and completely digest the power we gained so quickly before. This will be our new base!"

After speaking, he looked at the entrance to the golden passage and decisively ordered: "Have the outer perimeter guard teams withdraw in shifts to take inventory of all important supplies in the camp. Except for necessary protective equipment, move everything else into the golden space. From now on, we will be stationed here, and when hunting Blood Mist Beasts, we will return to the Blood Mist Layer in teams."

"Yes, leader." Everyone responded in unison, and then returned to the Blood Mist Layer to prepare for the move.

However, as soon as everyone stepped out of the golden passage, a strange tremor rushed towards them.

The blood mist remained thick and crimson.

But everyone clearly felt that the sense of compression that permeated every inch of space suddenly intensified, as if the entire blood-red world itself was collapsing inward from all directions.

"The spatial contraction is accelerating!" Edith's expression changed slightly.

In the past, the rate of contraction was extremely slow, and it would take several years before a noticeable change in distance could be observed.

Now, this sense of compression is almost perceptible in real time.

"Xuanji! Immediately calculate the current rate of spatial contraction of the blood mist layer and predict the time of complete collapse."

Lin Yi said in a deep voice, while his soul power spread out with all its might.

“Yes, Master,” Xuanji said. “The rate of comparing historical models during data collection has increased by more than 500 percent and is still rising.”

Within just a few minutes, the contraction accelerated to an astonishing degree.

The several giant blood-red crystal mountains that were originally used as boundary markers for the camp in the distance are now approaching at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a moment, Xuanji gave the answer: "At the current rate of acceleration, the overall spatial structure of the Blood Mist Layer will completely collapse and be annihilated in five standard days."

Everyone received the answers calculated by their respective intelligent life forms, and their expressions changed drastically.

The recent discovery of the golden space has given everyone a solid foundation for long-term stability.

Unexpectedly, the collapse came so suddenly and so violently.

Lin Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart was also stirred, but he immediately suppressed it.

Fortunately, the golden space was a way out, so at least they didn't have to face a life-or-death crisis.

He immediately gave the order, "Start moving supplies immediately! Take what you can, and abandon what you can't. Then, everyone move out to hunt down mist beasts and collect their crystal cores. Harvest as quickly as possible! We only have four days at most!"

Clearly, the most urgent task now is to seize the last opportunity before the collapse and secure more resources for the future.

"Yes!"

After a brief moment of shock, everyone displayed astonishing efficiency. Each team sent several people to move supplies, while the rest rushed towards the blood mist beast horde, which had become unusually dense due to the compressed space. The battle instantly intensified.

Lin Yi hovered in mid-air, the fluctuations of the laws of time rippled silently around him.

He did not directly participate in the clearing out of ordinary areas, but instead raised his perception to the limit to specifically search for those beast kings.

After all these years, Lin Yi's comprehension of the laws of time has now reached an astonishing 93%!

He locked onto a peak-level Star Domain Mist Beast that was frantically attacking the hunting team, and lightly tapped his fingertip.

The flow of time around the mist beast was instantly sliced ​​into hundreds of chaotic fault lines.

Its energy flow went out of sync in an instant, and its solid, misty body began to disintegrate from the inside. Before it could even let out a wail, it completely collapsed, leaving behind a huge source crystal core.

The efficiency is frighteningly high.

The other prodigies also performed brilliantly; amidst the churning blood mist, the light from the collision of laws almost illuminated this rapidly collapsing world.

The crystal nuclei were collected like raindrops.

However, as time went on, everyone's mood grew increasingly somber.

The rate at which the mist beasts multiply seems to have become strangely fast due to the compression of space.

Often, as soon as an area is cleared, a thicker blood mist will gather and condense into the outline of the mist beast again.

More importantly, everyone knows that once the blood mist layer collapses, it means that this almost limitless "source crystal core" mine will be completely destroyed.

While the triple acceleration of enlightenment from the golden space is valuable, it is still much slower than the leapfrog improvement brought about by directly absorbing "purified source matter".

Without a continuous supply of source crystal cores, Lin Yi's "purified source essence" production will also dry up, and everyone's cultivation speed will plummet.

"Sigh, we can't kill them all, we simply can't kill them all. And even if we kill more, it'll only be these last few days."

A prodigy swung his sword, shattering a mist beast, picked up the crystal core, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Stop talking nonsense, kill as many as you can!" a teammate roared, and the attack became even more ferocious.

Worry, helplessness, and a lack of solutions—this is the reality facing everyone.

All they could do was wield their blades and carry out the final harvest.

Four days flew by in the high-speed battle.

The original campsite has long been emptied, and at the entrance of the Golden Passage, the mountain of supplies has been mostly transferred.

The area of ​​the blood mist layer has been compressed to a small region with a diameter of no more than two kilometers.

The blood mist was so dense it was suffocating, and the breeding and attacks of the mist beasts were almost insane.

The fifth day, at noon.

The entire blood mist layer trembled violently, the boundary between the sky and the ground began to blur, the spatial structure groaned under the strain, and fine black cracks began to spread within the blood mist.

This is a sign that space is about to completely collapse.

"All squads, immediately retreat to the Golden Space!"

Lin Yi dared not let everyone risk further delay, and immediately gave the order.

The last hunting squad fought and retreated, killing several mist beasts around them, grabbing the crystal cores, and rushing into the stable golden mist passage without looking back.

Lin Yi was the last to step into the passage. Before his figure was swallowed by the golden light, he looked back once.

Behind them lay a crimson world crumbling inch by inch.

Golden light flowed, and he returned to the calm and gentle golden space, or, according to the information he received in his consciousness, the Star Source Space.

The entrance to the passage, located directly above the center of the space, rotates steadily.

All team members had retreated and gathered on the golden crystal surface. Many of them were injured and their breathing was erratic, but their eyes were fixed on the golden passage, waiting for the expected outcome.

The passage disappeared as the blood mist layer collapsed.

However, one minute, two minutes
The golden channel remained stable, showing no signs of dissipating.

"What happened? The blood mist layer should have collapsed by now, right?" Qingye asked in confusion.

"Why is the passage still there?" Huiyao frowned.

Just then, a gentle enlightenment quietly emerged in everyone's soul.

[Remaining time for this activation: one standard year.]

[Time has run out, the space will temporarily close and enter a period of silence.]

Closing down in a year?

Everyone's hearts tightened suddenly.

The safe zone and sacred cultivation ground we just found will be gone in a year?

Where did they go?
Anxiety began to spread.

"Everyone, please be patient."

Lin Yi's voice rang out. He looked up at the golden passage, his eyes gleaming with silver-gray light. "The passage is still there, which means it doesn't connect to the collapsed blood mist layer. Perhaps... it connects to somewhere else."

With a thought, he sent his clone out, once again walking towards the golden passage.

A moment later, the clone returned.

He opened his hand, and in his palm lay a crystal core that emitted a soft, milky-white glow, with what appeared to be swirling clouds inside.

The energy fluctuations of this crystal core are quite different from those of the Blood Mist Crystal Core, but the levels are similar.

"That place is completely different."

The clone considered its words carefully before saying, "It was a space filled with white mist, and it seemed to be expanding outwards at an extremely rapid pace. The white mist had no suppressive effect on the rules, but the rules became extremely unstable. The power fluctuated wildly, making it very difficult to control. You might only achieve 30% of the effect with 100% power, or you might inexplicably unleash 150%."

"In addition, new mist beasts have begun to emerge in the white mist. I killed one that had just formed, and this is it."

He pointed to the white crystal core, "Its strength is roughly at the mid-stage of the Star Domain level."

White mist space? Expansion?
The rules are disordered, but the power remains undiminished?
Are there new mist beasts and crystal cores?
Edith's emerald eyes gleamed as she pondered, "The Myriad Secret Realms open every five thousand years. We've spent nearly two thousand five hundred years in the secret realm since we entered the Gray Mist Layer. If the normal lifespan of the Blood Mist Layer is around two thousand five hundred years, then will the secret realm enter a phase of expansion and rebirth in the next two thousand five hundred years?"

"Contraction and expansion, destruction and rebirth, are common cycles in the universe. This white mist space might be a new layer that emerged from the secret realm after the collapse of the blood mist layer, or perhaps it has returned to some more primordial state?"

Her conjecture based on time cycles was reasonable and instantly gained the approval of most people.

"So, the secret realm has started to reset? Does that mean we're safe?" Liu Yun asked thoughtfully.

"If the white fog layer continues to expand for 2,500 years, wouldn't the problem of resource scarcity also be solved?" Qingye's eyes lit up.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yi, considering the information brought back by his clone, concluded that Edith's words made sense.

He thought for a moment and concluded, "No matter what kind of rules this secret realm follows, at least we have clarified three points: First, the golden space can be maintained for another year. During this year, we will have three times the acceleration, which will allow us to fully digest what we have gained, stabilize our realm, and even try to break through."

"Secondly, a year from now, we will not be trapped, but will enter the white fog layer."

"Third, there is no interruption in the supply of source material crystal cores."

Lin Yi pointed to the white crystal core brought back by his clone: ​​"Although its form and energy properties have changed, it is still a crystal core containing source matter. As long as the mist beasts are still around, the hunting can continue, and the source of purifying source matter will not run out."

The biggest weight that had been pressing on everyone's hearts suddenly lifted.

Hope, far from being extinguished with the collapse of the blood mist layer, seemed to point to a wider world.

"Our task for the next year is to focus on cultivation! Make the most of the three-fold acceleration provided by the golden space!" Lin Yi gave the final order.

"Yes, leader!"

Hope was rekindled, and morale was greatly boosted.

Everyone quickly sprang into action, dividing the golden space into areas and setting up temporary residences and meditation rooms.

Despite the simple environment, everyone was full of enthusiasm.

There is no sun or moon in the golden space, but there is a precise sense of time.

Soon, more than half a year had passed.

Lin Yi's meditation room was very simple, with only a flat golden crystal as a cushion.

He slowly opened his eyes, and deep within his pupils, it seemed as if two silver-gray rivers of time were converging.

99.4%.

It is only 0.6% away from fully mastering the laws of time and reaching 100% perfection.

Lin Yi slowly exhaled, leaving a faint silver trail in the golden space.

After a year of arduous training, coupled with the vast reserves of "spiritual enlightenment" accumulated previously, he has finally reached this crucial moment.

"It's time," Lin Yi thought to himself.

He sank his mind into the deepest part of his soul, into that mysterious purple mist space, then directly anchored his spiritual energy, and then took a deep breath.

boom!
His entire consciousness was completely immersed in the ultimate torrent of this understanding of the laws.

He saw the more fundamental way the river of time flows, the patterns of countless tributaries, undercurrents, and hidden currents.

He heard the voice of time itself, an eternal rhythm of the growth, decay, and reincarnation of all things.

0.5% 0.3% 0.1%
For every step forward, the required insights and energy increase exponentially.

But Lin Yi's mind was like an ancient rock, firmly locked on that ultimate goal.

He discarded all distractions, his soul transforming into the most precise carving knife, meticulously dissecting and imprinting the final, obscure laws and mysteries along the essential veins of the river of time.

Time loses its meaning in this profound understanding.

I don’t know how long it took.

hum! !

Deep within Lin Yi's soul, the silver mark representing the laws of time suddenly erupted with indescribable brilliance.

The structure of the mark became incredibly complex, yet also incredibly perfect, with each line seemingly containing an epic tale of time.

Perfect! Flawless!
100%!

Just as Lin Yi achieved 100% mastery of the laws of time, an invisible wave emanated from him and quietly spread throughout the entire golden Dharma practice space.

All the prodigies who were cultivating, regardless of what laws they were comprehending, felt their souls inexplicably clear at this moment, as if they had been cleansed by a clear spring of time, and their understanding of their own laws became inexplicably deeper.

Edith, Aoba, Huiyao, and the others were all awakened and looked in horror toward Lin Yi's quiet room.

Although no unusual phenomena could be seen, the palpitations and oppressive aura at the soul level were crystal clear.

"This is... the fluctuation of perfect law?" Edith couldn't help but murmur.

In the quiet room, Lin Yi slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes had now turned a pure silver-gray, and wherever his gaze fell, the light subtly curved, and the flow of air seemed to freeze for a moment.

A powerful aura, as if he had mastered the entirety of time, naturally flowed out, only to be quickly suppressed by him.

　Since everyone is strongly requesting an extra chapter, I'll take a break today and add one more tomorrow before heading out to explore the secret realm!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)