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

Chapter 380 Cangming's Resurrection, Reunion

Lin Yi was about to ask Xuanji to devise a cultivation plan for the Law of Death for him, but before he could give the instructions, he heard Xuanji suddenly speak:

"Master, a high-priority visit invitation has been received from the virtual universe network."

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.

High-priority visit?

"who is it?"

Lin Yi asked.

"The contact person is Ninth Senior Brother, Cangming."

Ninth Senior Brother Cangming?
Lin Yi was taken aback upon hearing this.

Isn't Ninth Senior Brother waiting for the resurrection sequence?
The eldest brother clearly stated that although the ninth brother's resurrection application was approved, his ranking was very low, and he would probably have to wait a long time to be resurrected unless there was higher authority to intervene or a large amount of extra clan merits were invested to jump the queue for resurrection.

But now.
Lin Yi took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts.

In any case, this is a great thing. As for the reason, we'll find out when we meet Ninth Brother.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi immediately said, "Xuanji, accept the invitation and connect to the virtual network."

"Okay, master."

The next moment, the scene in the training room receded like the tide, and Lin Yi's consciousness was quickly drawn to a familiar scene.

That metal observation deck looked as if it had been through the ravages of war.

In the distance, there are broken stars and slowly rotating nebulae and dust, cold and desolate.

A figure stood with his back to him, gazing into the distance from the railing.

He wore a long black robe, his hair was as black as ink, and his figure was as upright as a pine tree.

It was none other than my ninth senior brother, Cangming.

Sensing Lin Yi's arrival, the figure slowly turned around.

It was still that handsome face with a touch of sunshine, and those eyes that seemed like an ancient well.

The same mocking smile still lingered on his face.

"Junior brother, you've arrived?"

Cangming's voice rang out, exactly as he remembered.

"Ninth Senior Brother, you..."

Lin Yi opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to start speaking.

Cangming laughed and waved his hand: "How am I alive? Isn't that right?"

Lin Yi composed himself and bowed respectfully: "Lin Yi greets Ninth Senior Brother. Welcome back, Ninth Senior Brother! However, I do have some questions."

He made no attempt to hide anything and directly voiced his doubts.

The best approach is to treat this senior who has always been very kind to him with sincerity.

Cangming pointed to the stone benches and tables that had suddenly appeared out of thin air on one side of the viewing platform, gesturing for Lin Yi to sit down.

A tea set had appeared on the table sometime earlier, with steam rising from the clear tea.

The two sat facing each other.

Cangming picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "I know you're wondering. According to the normal resurrection sequence, I would indeed have to wait in line for a long time. However, thankfully the war has stopped."

He looked at Lin Yi, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

“Now that the war has ended, the priorities of many things have changed.” Cangming put down his teacup. “During the war, the Time Masters of the Spirit Race and other races prioritized reviving their own fallen members. Our Human Race’s Time Master was also affected by the injuries of the Eternal Beginning Ruler.”

"But things are different now."

Cangming's tone was filled with emotion: "After the ceasefire agreement took effect, the Eternal Beginning Sovereign received treatment from the Supreme Being. This means that the Time Lords of the human race can finally extricate themselves from maintaining the Sovereign's injuries."

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat, "So..."

"Therefore, they immediately began working on reviving the Realm-level beings who sacrificed themselves in the war," Cangming added.

"And me," Cangming pointed to himself, "because I was among the first to fall, my application for resurrection was submitted early, plus..."

He paused, his gaze towards Lin Yi becoming more meaningful: "Because of your performance in the Abyss of Two Realms, Junior Brother, you have brought considerable honor to the human race. Our clan's Lord has heard of you quite a bit. As your senior brother, I have also benefited from this, and my resurrection sequence has been moved forward."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi suddenly understood.

It turned out to be the case.

The ceasefire brought about a shift in the power structure, allowing the Human Race's Time Lord to extricate himself and prioritize the resurrection of his own race's Transcendent Realm level powerhouses.

The Ninth Senior Brother was able to be resurrected ahead of time because he died early, waited in line for a long time, and had some other reasons of his own.

"Congratulations on your new life, senior brother!" Lin Yi said sincerely.

He was genuinely happy for his ninth senior brother.

This senior brother had taken good care of him from the first time they met, giving him treasures, protecting him in many ways, and offering guidance and instruction. He had always kept this kindness in his heart.

When he learned that his ninth senior brother had died in battle and there was no hope of him being resurrected in the short term, he was still thinking about becoming stronger as soon as possible so that he could use his influence to revive his senior brother.

Unexpectedly, the human race's Time Lords acted so quickly, immediately setting about reviving their own race's derivative realm as soon as the war ended.

"What's there to congratulate me on?" Cangming gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Although I'm alive, I'm also in debt, and I don't know when I'll be able to pay it off."

Lin Yi was taken aback: "A mountain of debt? Wasn't it said that the senior brother paid for the resurrected clan merit?"

He remembered clearly that his eldest brother, Zhenyu, had personally told him, "I applied for some clan honors and applied for the resurrection of the ninth brother."

Cangming sighed: "It is precisely because it was Senior Brother who paid for it that I need to find a way to repay him as soon as possible."

He looked at Lin Yi and explained, "Although Senior Brother is already an eternal god, clan honors don't come easily. He himself isn't well-off either. This time, paying for my resurrection probably emptied his family's coffers."

Lin Yi remained silent.

Indeed, the clan merit required to resurrect a Transcendent Realm expert would be a painful burden even for a god. The fact that Senior Brother Zhenyu was able to pay this fee for Ninth Senior Brother shows the weight of their sect bond.

"So," Cangming rubbed his temples, a helpless smile on his face, "I've just been resurrected, and I already have to figure out how to pay off my debts."

"But speaking of which, junior brother," Cangming's tone shifted, becoming subtle, "while I was gone, your rate of progress was a bit too frightening, wasn't it?"

"After I was resurrected, I immediately reviewed the information records from that period. The Two Realms Abyss shone brightly, I obtained the Fearless War God, and advanced to the level of a god, and a powerful god at that. It is said that I also gathered a group of geniuses and started the Star Origin Society. These things are dazzling to me."

Cangming shook his head and sighed, "If I hadn't confirmed that only a little over five thousand years had passed, I would have almost thought that I had been dead for over ten epochs."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh: "Senior brother, you flatter me. It was just a stroke of luck that I gained something in the myriad secret realms, which led to my subsequent breakthrough. The cultivation of laws becomes increasingly difficult as you progress, so it certainly won't be this fast later on."

"Don't be modest." Cangming waved his hand, his expression becoming serious. "Now you are the third Eternal God in the sect, after the eldest brother and the third sister. To be honest, we all originally thought it would be the second sister."

Lin Yi's heart stirred.

He knew he was making rapid progress, but he never imagined he had reached this level.

"Senior brother, you flatter me," Lin Yi said modestly. "I only relied on the special nature of the Fearless War God and the laws of spacetime. Senior brothers and sisters have cultivated for a long time and have profound foundations, which I cannot compare with."

Cangming laughed: "It's true that you have a deep foundation, but combat power is combat power. On the battlefield, no one will show mercy just because you haven't cultivated for long. You have god-level combat power, that's your skill."

"Seeing you grow so quickly, Junior Brother, I'm truly happy. However, I never imagined that in just six thousand years, I'd become the weakest in the sect again. This is truly..."

Lin Yi quickly replied, "Senior brother, you're too kind. No matter where I go, you'll always be my ninth senior brother. If it weren't for your guidance and care back then, I wouldn't be where I am today."

That's a sincere statement.

When he first joined the sect, Cangming gifted him the Fruit of Life, told him the truth about the graded battlefield, reminded him to be careful, and introduced him to a sect gathering. Lin Yi has always remembered these acts of kindness.

Upon hearing this, Cangming's smile deepened. "Hey, just kidding. I'm overjoyed that you've become stronger."

The two chatted for a while longer. Cangming asked Lin Yi about his experiences over the years, and Lin Yi briefly recounted his encounters in the secret realm, the battle in the Two Realms Abyss, and his arrangements after returning to the Silver Blue Civilization.

When Cangming heard that Lin Yi had established a "Civilization Development Guarantee Fund," he nodded repeatedly in approval.

"It's good to plan ahead. Civilization is a matter of fundamentals and cannot be entirely dependent on one person," Cangming commented.

After chatting for about fifteen minutes, Cangming's smile gradually faded, and his expression became serious.

"Alright, we've finished catching up." He looked at Lin Yi and said seriously, "Besides telling you about my resurrection, I have another important matter to discuss with you this time."

Lin Yi sat up straight: "Please speak, senior brother."

"Because the opening of the first secret realm is imminent," Cangming said slowly. "Our senior brother has decided to organize a sect gathering. Firstly, it's to let everyone get to know each other again. After all, I 'died' once, and you've grown a lot. Although the five-thousand-year war wasn't long, it had a significant impact on everyone."

"Secondly, it concerns the No. 1 Secret Realm. Senior Brother has some arrangements to make."

Lin Yi's heart stirred.

A gathering of fellow disciples.

The last gathering was not long after he joined the sect, in that strange space called "Star Banquet Platform".

At that gathering, he met his fellow disciples, received their gifts and guidance, and learned the secret of his master's breakthrough to the Source Law.

In the blink of an eye, more than five thousand years have passed.

I myself have progressed from the Star Core level to the Star Domain level, while my Ninth Senior Brother has gone from birth to death and back to life. Time has changed so much.

“Since no one is in seclusion,” Cangming continued, “the time will be set for tomorrow.”

He looked at Lin Yi: "Get ready, connect on time tomorrow. I'll send you the specific virtual coordinates and connection method later."

Lin Yi solemnly replied, "Yes, Senior Brother. Lin Yi will definitely attend the meeting on time." Cang Ming nodded, and his figure began to slowly fade away.

"See you tomorrow, junior brother."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure completely disappeared into the virtual space.

Lin Yi sat alone on the stone bench on the viewing platform, gazing at the shattered stars in the distance, his thoughts churning.

Since the sect gathering is tomorrow, there's no rush to decide on the exchange plan now.

The Law of Death, as a higher law, is a relatively common choice among the strong of the human race.

Leaving aside the eldest brother Zhenyu, who has fully mastered the laws of death, the other senior brothers and sisters have cultivated for a long time, and even if they did not major in this path, they must have known a lot of relevant information.

Although he is now stronger than some of his senior brothers and sisters in terms of understanding of the laws, their years of experience, the secrets they have mastered, and their knowledge of various auxiliary treasures are far beyond what he can compare to in his short few thousand years of cultivation.

This is a good opportunity to ask for everyone's suggestions at tomorrow's gathering.

The next day.

Lin Yi slowly emerged from his deep cultivation state, his eyes clear as water.

"Xuanji, connect to the virtual coordinates sent by Ninth Senior Brother yesterday."

"Okay, the master is connecting."

The next moment, the scene in the training room receded like the tide.

When his vision cleared, Lin Yi was slightly taken aback.

This time, the scene is not the vast starry sea backdrop of the previous Star Banquet Platform.

Instead, it is a landscape courtyard with a strong ancient Xia Dynasty style.

Underfoot is a path paved with bluestone slabs, with lush bamboo on both sides, and in the distance, there are artificial hills and flowing water, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner.

The air was filled with the faint scents of sandalwood and tea, and occasionally a few clear birdsongs could be heard.

The sky was a soft bluish-white, like the first light of dawn.

This style.
"Junior brother, you've arrived?"

A cheerful voice came from the pavilion ahead.

Lin Yi looked up and saw his ninth senior brother, Cangming, sitting on a stone bench in the pavilion, with a set of antique tea utensils in front of him.

He was still wearing a long black robe, but his hairstyle was styled in the ancient style of the Xia Kingdom, which complemented the surrounding environment.

"Ninth Senior Brother." Lin Yi stepped forward and entered the pavilion.

Cangming gestured for Lin Yi to sit down, then poured him a cup of tea: "Try it, Cloud Mist Star Tea. Although it's not even one ten-thousandth as good as the real thing, it's still quite satisfying."

Lin Yi sat down as instructed and took a sip of tea.

He seems to have a huge amount of this stuff; it was one of the gifts given to him by an eternal deity.

"Senior brother arrived early." Lin Yi put down his teacup.

"Anyway, I just revived and have a lot of things to sort out, so I might as well come over early and wait." Cangming smiled. "I didn't take a close look yesterday. Junior Brother, your aura is truly completely different now. Tsk tsk, it feels like yesterday when I first entered the sect."

Lin Yi humbly replied, "Senior brother, you flatter me. I was just lucky to have gained something."

"A fluke?" Cangming shook his head, his tone filled with sincere admiration. "Your fluke resulted in breaking through the entire surface battlefield of the Two Realms Abyss and reclaiming the long-lost glory for the human race. Even the Venerable Lord, at your age, did not have such prestige."

As the two were talking, the space in the courtyard rippled slightly.

A figure quietly materialized.

The newcomer was a burly man dressed in dark red armor, with fiery red hair and an invisible flame burning around him. He was none other than the fourth senior brother, Lieyang.

Lieyang's gaze was sharp and piercing, instantly locking onto Lin Yi.

"Junior Brother!" Lieyang's voice boomed as he strode into the pavilion. "You have truly brought honor to our sect and to our human race. When I heard the news, I immediately drank a whole jar of it."

"Fourth Senior Brother." Lin Yi quickly stood up.

"Sit down, sit down, sit down!"

Before Lin Yi could even bow, Lieyang pressed him back into his seat, then plopped down himself. He then looked at Cangming and grinned, "Ninth Brother, congratulations on your resurrection! Let's have a good drink together later."

Cangming laughed and said, "How could I dare refuse my fourth senior brother's invitation? But you'll have to pay for the drinks, as I'm currently heavily in debt."

"Stingy!" Lieyang laughed and scolded.

At this moment, spatial ripples once again appeared in the courtyard.

A gentle and composed figure materialized.

It is my sixth senior brother, Xuan Shu.

He was still dressed in a simple blue robe, with a peaceful face and wise eyes.

Upon seeing the three people in the pavilion, Xuan Shu smiled gently: "Fourth Senior Brother, Ninth Junior Brother, and Junior Brother. It seems I've arrived just in time."

Then, his gaze fell on Lin Yi.

“Junior Brother,” Xuan Shu’s voice remained calm, but with a touch more solemnity, “your growth trajectory is nothing short of a miracle. Our sect is truly fortunate to have you.”

This is extremely high praise, coming from the mouth of the usually calm and composed sixth senior brother who manages many affairs of the sect, so it carries great weight.

Lin Yi replied solemnly, "Sixth Senior Brother is too kind. I have been fortunate to receive guidance and support from all my senior brothers and sisters along the way."

“Those are just supplementary; the key is still to rely on yourself,” Xuan Shu said gently.

Immediately afterwards, a cool, refreshing aura spread out.

Tiny ice crystals condensed in the courtyard, coalescing into a figure dressed in a simple white robe.

Seventh Senior Sister Bingling.

Her appearance was exceptionally beautiful, and her aura of coldness was restrained yet pure.

She first nodded slightly to the people who had arrived, and then her clear, cold voice rang out: "Fourth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother, Ninth Junior Brother."

Then, her gaze turned to Lin Yi.

Those eyes, as cold as ancient ice, clearly reflected Lin Yi's figure.

Her eyes remained aloof, but they held less of the care she showed her younger brother and more of an acknowledgment of the strong.

"Junior Brother," she nodded to Lin Yi.

"Seventh Senior Sister." Lin Yi bowed respectfully.

Bingling said no more, quietly walked to the pavilion, leaned on the railing and looked into the distance, as if she had become one with the surrounding Xia Kingdom landscape.

Not long after, a figure appeared silently outside the pavilion.

She wore a simple, dark gold suit of armor, covered with countless tiny scratches and dark bloodstains, as if she had just returned from the battlefield.

His face has distinct features, with a resolute look that comes from weathering many storms, and his phoenix eyes seem to cut through all illusions with every blink.

Second Senior Sister Heng Huan.

Her appearance instantly added a touch of solemnity and heaviness to the originally relaxed atmosphere filled with reminiscence and emotion, a feeling unique to the battlefield.

Lieyang put away his smile, Cangming sat up straight, Xuanshu nodded slightly, and Bingling turned around.

"Second Senior Sister," everyone greeted in unison.

Heng Huan's gaze swept over everyone like a blade, pausing slightly on Cang Ming before he nodded, "Ninth Brother, it's good that you're back."

"Thank you, Second Senior Sister," Cangming replied respectfully, sensing the weight in her words.

Then, Heng Huan's gaze fell on Lin Yi.

"Junior brother, you have accomplished what many people cannot. The future of humanity needs a pillar like you."

"I will always remember my second senior sister's teachings."

Heng Huan nodded slightly, said no more, and walked to a corner of the pavilion to stand quietly.

Everyone waited for the last two to arrive.

The eldest brother guards the prison, and the third sister is Thousand Illusions.

A sense of anticipation rose in Lin Yi's heart.

Last time, the senior brother said that Senior Sister Qianhuan was attacked and seriously injured, and has been recuperating ever since.

The greeting I sent through the virtual network was indeed a reply from its intelligent life form: "The master is currently in seclusion healing his wounds."

But now that he can attend the sect gathering, his injuries must no longer be a problem.

Just as Lin Yi's thoughts were churning, the space in the courtyard rippled once again.

A dreamlike halo of light swirled around, and a stunningly beautiful figure quietly materialized.

She wore a flowing, ever-changing rainbow dress, exuding an ethereal and dreamlike aura. Her eyes seemed to hold the birth and death of countless worlds within them.

Third Senior Sister, Thousand Illusions!

Qianhuan smiled and swept her gaze over everyone present, her eyes lingering on Lin Yi for a moment longer, her beautiful eyes sparkling with undisguised surprise.

(End of this chapter)