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

Chapter 396 Leaving the Interception and Instant Slash! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Understood, thank you both for reminding us," Lin Yi said solemnly. "We will consider it carefully."

After finishing his conversation with Yan Long and Qing Ling, Lin Yi turned to look at the waiting team members.

"The situation is not good."

Lin Yi did not hide anything and relayed the information that Yan Long and Qing Ling had told everyone in detail: "In the past thirty years, more than one time, traces of Abyss Clan and Eclipse Clan teams have been discovered in the star field surrounding the evacuation point. It is possible that they were conducting purposeful reconnaissance and probing. Seventeen years ago and eleven years ago, there were two conflicts, and one of our gods was forced out of the secret realm."

"They suspect that the existence of the evacuation point may have been exposed, or that the other side has other plans in the vicinity and has intensified its activities. Although no large-scale gathering has been found, this may well be the calm before the storm."

Upon hearing Lin Yi's words, everyone's expressions immediately turned serious.

Hui Lie spoke first: "So, this area has become a danger zone. The evacuation point is like a whirlpool, attracting more and more hostile forces closer. Since Lord Yanlong and his men are also gathering surrounding squads to try to hold this place, the possibility of subsequent conflicts or even large-scale battles is extremely high."

Shi Feng nodded, his expression serious: "That's right. Once a strategic location like an evacuation point is discovered, it will inevitably become the focus of contention among all parties. We have rested and recuperated here for a century, and although our strength has improved, the risk of getting involved in a major war is too high."

He looked at Lin Yi and suggested, "Captain, I think we should leave as soon as possible before the conflict fully erupts, especially since you still have the nascent form of the Source Treasure on you. We absolutely cannot afford to get trapped here."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Serira's emerald eyes. She said softly, "Shi Feng is right; risk aversion is a wise move. However..."

She paused. "Lord Yanlong and Lord Qingling's team, along with other Pan-Spirit Alliance teams that might be gathering nearby, are all trying their best to hold this evacuation point that is advantageous to our Pan-Spirit Alliance. Now that we've arrived here, is it... somewhat inappropriate to simply flee now that we've sensed danger?"

"More importantly, if we leave now, we might run into enemy squads that are gathering here or roaming the outskirts, and we could become their targets. The risk is not small. But if we stay here, we might not necessarily lose."

Both viewpoints have merit.

One approach is to seek advantage and avoid harm, and withdraw as early as possible.

Another option is to consider the friendship with allies and potential risks, and stay behind to observe or assist in defense, but this would come at the risk of being drawn into a major war.

All eyes turned to Lin Yi.

Now that a team has been formed and a captain has been elected, Lin Yi naturally needs to make the decision at this crucial moment.

Lin Yi remained silent, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly against the inner wall of the spaceship.

He quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, taking into account his latest changes in strength and the nascent source treasure that was being nurtured.

Evacuation points can indeed become the eye of the storm.

Once a large-scale battle breaks out, even with his current strength, he cannot guarantee his safety, especially since the priceless nascent Origin Treasure must not be lost in the chaos.

But Serena's words also make sense. Leaving rashly at this time, with an unknown route, also carries the risk of being ambushed by an enemy team.

More importantly, he needs time.

The nurturing of a nascent Yuanbao requires a relatively safe and stable environment, as well as time.

After a long pause, Lin Yi slowly raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice clear and firm. “We need to get out of here first.”

Everyone's expressions shifted; it seemed the captain had chosen to avoid the risk.

But Lin Yi's next words surprised them.

“But, not a long escape.” Lin Yi’s gaze swept over the puzzled faces of the crowd. “We’re leaving the evacuation zone, but we won’t go too far.”

"Go, but not go far?" Hui Lie repeated, puzzled.

Lin Yi looked at everyone and knew that he needed to give a convincing reason to unify their thinking.

He took a deep breath and dropped a bombshell.

"Everyone, there is something I need to inform you of." Lin Yi said calmly, "During this century of secluded cultivation, thanks to the large amount of resources I exchanged at the evacuation point, I have made some progress. I have successfully mastered the fifth law, the law of water, and completed the initial integration."

"According to my estimation, my current overall strength should have barely reached the threshold of the upper god level."

"what?!"

"The threshold for becoming a high-ranking deity?!"

Everyone was startled upon hearing this, and even the aloof Liuna's emerald eyes were instantly stirred with emotion.

Hui Lie opened his mouth, and after a long while, he said, "Captain, you, you've mastered a new law in less than ten thousand years? And you've even touched the threshold of a high-level god?"

He knew that Lin Yi was the number one person in the Pan-Spirit Alliance in this generation, with unparalleled talent, and with the support of the resources obtained from exchanging a massive amount of points, his improvement would inevitably be huge.

But how could a new law be mastered in less than 10,000 years?

This speed is simply unbelievable!
It's important to know that the time they spend mastering a new law is measured in epochs!
Moreover, those who can cultivate to the level of high-level deities are all geniuses of their clans, having undergone countless trials and tribulations.

Lin Yi was not surprised by the reactions of the crowd. He nodded and confirmed, "By chance and with the accumulation of resources, we were fortunate to make a breakthrough."

Upon hearing this, Shi Feng smiled wryly and said, "I can only say that compared to you, even geniuses of our caliber pale in comparison."

The others nodded in agreement.

Lin Yi simply smiled modestly, offering no explanation. After everyone had processed the news and calmed down, he changed the subject, steering the conversation back to:
"Although my personal strength has barely reached the level of a high-level god, if a great war really breaks out here in the near future, there will definitely be a lot of high-level gods participating in the war, including gods who are proficient in the laws of space. Under such a chaotic siege, even a single high-level god may not be able to guarantee absolute safety."

"Of course, more importantly, the nascent Origin Treasure in our hands has not yet been fully formed. In a battle of this magnitude, once we are knocked out of the secret realm, this treasure will fall, which would be tantamount to aiding the enemy."

Everyone agrees with this point.

Indeed, anything can happen in the midst of chaos.

"Thanks to the information everyone provided, with my main body and my clone working together, the prototype of the Source Treasure can be formed in just over 10,000 standard years. At that time, everything will be completely different!"

Lin Yi looked at everyone, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "Everyone knows what a fully formed Source Treasure means in the secret realm. When I return to this area with the strength of a high-level god and wield the Source Treasure, the situation will be completely different!"

"Therefore," Lin Yi said solemnly, "I want to leave the evacuation point, which is a potential eye of the storm, and move around in the surrounding area not too far away to continue nurturing the nascent Yuanbao. Once it is fully formed and our strength reaches its peak, we can then decide whether to come back to fight! This is the best strategy, which allows us to both attack and defend."

Lin Yi paused, a slight smile playing on his lips: "As for everyone's concerns about potentially encountering enemy squads ambushing us along the way..."

As he spoke, a fierce glint flashed in Lin Yi's eyes: "Heh, I actually hope they come! It'll be a good opportunity to test my newly broken-through strength and also give us some more points and spoils."

None of the gods present were fools. After listening to Lin Yi's complete plan, they only hesitated for a moment before expressing their agreement.

"Brilliant!" Hui Lie was the first to clap his hands in praise. "First, we'll escape the potential danger vortex and use the time to complete the final incubation. Once we have the Source Treasure and our strength has reached its peak, we can come back! The initiative is entirely in our own hands!"

Shi Feng nodded excitedly: "The captain is right. Now that the captain has the strength of a high-level god, the risk of being ambushed along the way has been greatly reduced. We definitely can't just wait here like idiots. If a big battle really breaks out and we get caught up in it, wouldn't it be too unfair to lose the source treasure? The best thing to do is to jump out of here first, wait for the treasure to be formed, and then come back with overwhelming force."

Serena's eyes lit up, and she quickly added, "I agree. This avoids unnecessary risks, and with the captain's strength greatly improved, the overall safety of our team is also much better guaranteed."

Finally, Luna's cool voice rang out, with its usual conciseness: "Feasible."

The plan was thus finalized, and no one raised any further objections.

"Now that the decision has been made, there's no time to lose."

Lin Yi immediately ordered, "Board the ship and set sail! We will avoid the known conflict coordinates provided by Lord Yanlong, but we should not stray too far from the asteroid belt. We will explore within a range of about one hundred standard years from the evacuation point, while searching for a relatively secluded area with a stable energy environment to serve as our temporary base for the next step."

Soon, the emerald green "Azure Spirit" spaceship took off again, changed direction, and sped towards a star field that was at a certain angle to the evacuation point and those known danger zones.

Before leaving, Lin Yi sent a short farewell message to Yan Long and Qing Ling, which was roughly: Thank you for the intelligence. The team has decided to continue exploring and will be leaving now. Best wishes for the best.

He did not mention his breakthrough in strength or his detailed plans regarding the Source Treasure; he only stated his intention to leave.
-
Next to the vortex at the evacuation point, on a platform covered in rubble.

Yanlong and Qingling received Lin Yi's message almost simultaneously.

Yan Long's rocky face was expressionless, but a soft sigh came from his mental fluctuations: "Lin Yi has finally decided to leave. The defensive forces at the evacuation point have lost another vital force."

Qingling slightly folded her pale blue wings, her tone calm, as if she had expected this: "These things can't be forced. Over the years, haven't we seen enough of this kind of situation?"

Upon hearing this, Yanlong's laughter, sharp as the grinding of rocks, immediately rang out: "Haha, you're right! It's good that they're gone; one less thing to worry about. We'll kill one of those insects that come, and two if they come! We'll just guard this place!"

Afterward, the two veteran deities said no more and turned their attention back to monitoring and defending the surrounding star systems.
-
The starry sea stretches endlessly, and time slips away quietly during the voyage.

The "Qingling" has been flying along its planned route for more than a standard year.

During this time, they carefully avoided several areas with abnormal energy fluctuations or suspected spatial folds, and did not encounter any other teams along the way, whether friendly or hostile.

Inside the cabin, everyone was meditating.

Just as the spacecraft was about to enter a relatively quiet star belt composed of thin interstellar dust and cold debris.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

A piercing alarm suddenly blared inside the spaceship, shattering the tranquility that had prevailed since the start of the voyage.

Almost simultaneously, Luna's urgent voice came through: "My AI tells me that the ship's wide-area detection system has detected an anomaly! There are eight high-intensity sources of divine power rapidly approaching from our side and rear! They are moving at extremely high speeds, and their trajectories are clearly pointing towards us!"

Everyone instantly awoke from their respective states, their divine power surging, and they instantly entered a state of highest alert.

A flash of silver-gray light appeared in Lin Yi's eyes, and his figure appeared in front of the main control window.

His sharp gaze followed the direction indicated by the alarm, his soul perception and the laws of space and time spreading outwards simultaneously.

The eight sources of divine power are clearly hostile!
Clearly, the other party first used a secret technique to conceal their movements, silently closing in close enough before abandoning the attempt to hide and approaching at full speed.

After all, the long-range detection capabilities of a god-level spaceship are still insufficient against a god-level powerhouse who deliberately conceals himself. Therefore, the Azure Spirit only discovered its presence after the other side deliberately exposed itself.

"Let's go out first."

Lin Yi's calm voice rang out, "Luna, put the spaceship away to prevent it from being damaged in the battle."

“Okay.” With a thought, Luna’s emerald green “Azure Spirit” spaceship instantly transformed into a stream of light and was absorbed into her divine kingdom.

The five people then appeared in the cold starry sky and hovered in place.

The speed of a god-level being flying at full speed is much faster than that of a god-level spaceship. There would never be a ridiculous situation where a superior god cannot catch up with an ordinary god because his spaceship is not fast enough.

The reason why powerful individuals usually use spaceships during long-distance interstellar travel is simply to save energy, while also allowing them to comfortably cultivate, recover, discuss tactics, and even comprehend the laws within the cabin.

However, in actual skirmishes or pursuits, the true ultimate speed of a deity's physical form is what allows them to fly.

Therefore, there's no way to escape by running.

Of course, they never intended to run away.

Although the visitors seemed hostile, the crowd was not nervous at all; instead, they became excited.

Shi Feng chuckled, "I didn't expect there would actually be an ambush. I just don't know how they found out about us, whether it was by chance or through some special means. However, they must have known that we were only a five-person team, probably thinking that with eight against five, they could definitely take us down easily." He licked his lips, "But little did they know that they were in for a world of trouble this time."

Hui Lie's body shimmered with holy light, his fighting spirit soaring: "Perfect timing to test the results of a century of secluded cultivation. Captain, how should we fight this battle?"

Lin Yi stood at the very front, the power of spacetime rippling around him like water.

His soul perception and understanding of the laws of space and time had extended outwards, allowing him to clearly see the eight sources of divine power rapidly approaching.

Five Abyss Clan members and three Eclipse Clan members.

Of these eight divine power reactions, two were clearly superior, indicating they were likely at the peak of higher deities.

"Two peak-level players. Their lineup is not weak." Lin Yi quickly assessed in his mind. "It seems that the other party did come prepared. They may be a special team targeting the Pan-Spirit Alliance squad that left the evacuation point."

He quickly transmitted his instructions telepathically: "The enemy has a numerical advantage, but we have the advantage in top-tier combat strength. I will take care of one of them as soon as possible. Each of you just needs to hold off one of their gods, and leave the rest to me. Remember, prioritize your own survival and don't engage in direct combat."

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

After saying that, a cold glint flashed in Lin Yi's eyes, "It just so happens that everyone's points are running low, so their arrival is just in time, let's go!"

As Lin Yi finished speaking, the five of them transformed into streaks of light and charged straight towards their opponents.

At this moment, eight streaks of light, exuding a violent and chilling aura, tore through the starry sky and appeared in sight.

Leading them were a peak-level deity of the Abyss Clan, covered in dark gold scales and resembling a giant lizard, and a peak-level deity of the Giant Mantis Clan, whose carapace was dark purple.

Their cold gazes swept over Lin Yi and his group of five, finally settling on Lin Yi, who was clearly the leader.

The peak deity of the Abyss Clan saw that instead of fleeing, the five streams of light coming straight at him, and he vaguely felt something was wrong deep in his soul.

It transmitted its voice to the peak-level Eclipse Clan member and other team members beside it: "Something's not right. Be on high alert. Not only did those brats from the Pan-Spirit Alliance not run away, they actually came to meet us."

The mantis-shaped Eclipse Clan's peak compound eyes flickered as it responded, "Could it be that there are spatial law deities lying in ambush nearby, which is why they are so fearless?"

The Abyss Clan's peak-level giant lizard god's soul fluctuations deepened: "That makes sense! First, use treasures to seal off the space, don't let them..."

Before it could finish speaking, a vast and exquisite silver-gray spatial fluctuation, like an invisible tide, erupted from Lin Yi and swept across this star field in an instant.

Space lockdown!

With Lin Yi's current mastery of the laws of space and time, the spatial blockade he can cast is not only extremely wide in range, but also exceptionally stable in structure, far surpassing that of ordinary space deities.

"No! It's a spatial blockade! There's a spatial deity among them!" The peak-level mantis-eating race member was shocked, his soul hissing, "But not only did they not run away, they actively blocked the space?!"

The Abyss Giant Lizard God immediately roared, "Defend with all your might!"

However, it was too late.

Before it could finish speaking, the figure at the very front of the five streams of light that were coming towards it suddenly vanished!

In the next instant, Lin Yi's figure appeared without warning beside a beetle-like Devourer God who was slightly behind in their ranks.

These carapace-covered Eclipse Gods rely on their naturally thick shells for incredible defense. To conserve their divine power, they only unleash their defensive treasures and armor when necessary, preferring to use their divine power for offense.

At this moment, it was charging forward with the team, its attention focused on the enemy coming from the front. Since the battle had not yet begun, it naturally did not waste its divine power by activating all its defensive measures.

Lin Yi's appearance was too abrupt, too close, and the timing was perfect.

Time stands still!

The radiance of the Time Law spread instantly from Lin Yi as the center, enveloping the Devourer God and a small area around him.

Within this region, the flow of time has been forcibly slowed down to an extremely low level.

The movements, thoughts, and even the speed at which this Eclipse God mobilized his divine power all experienced an extremely brief stagnation.

This seemingly insignificant stagnation becomes an insurmountable barrier in a life-or-death struggle between gods!

At the same time, the Sky-Piercing Shuttle Spear in Lin Yi's hand had already transformed into a silver-gray blade of light that had been condensed to its extreme.

With this strike, he held nothing back, pouring all the power of the laws that had brought him to the threshold of a high-level god into the tip of his spear, combined with the most penetrating point-breaking techniques from the Void Annihilation Manual.

Void Annihilation - Severed Void!

The gun was fired, but silently.

That thick, naturally formed armor was easily pierced like paper by the spear tip, which was imbued with the power to annihilate time and space.

The divine shield beneath the carapace didn't even have time to fully rise before it was torn to shreds by the ensuing spacetime rift.

"Pfft!"

A slight piercing sound was heard.

The silver-gray spear light pierced through the back of the beetle god and emerged from its chest, leaving a terrifying wound the size of a bowl, with edges shimmering with a silver-gray annihilation aura.

At the wound, the power of time and space was frantically eroding its divine body structure and the origin of its soul.

"Ugh!"

The most piercing, soul-wrenching screams suddenly erupted, then abruptly ceased.

The light in the compound eyes of this beetle-like god dimmed instantly, and the life force of its divine body drained away at an alarming rate.

Before it could even fully muster the thought of defense, its injuries were already so severe that they triggered the automatic protection mechanism of the secret realm's rules.

hum!
A dazzling seven-colored light suddenly burst forth from its dying divine body, forming a thick light shield that enveloped it.

The next moment, a violent flash of light appeared, and the figure of the Devourer God, along with the seven-colored light shield, vanished without a trace.

In the starry sky, only its original floating position remains, now filled with numerous floating objects.

The broken shell fragments, the pair of giant bone blades it used, a shield, several insect-shell-shaped storage containers, and scattered materials.

Sold out instantly!

From Lin Yi's instantaneous appearance to the freezing of time and the fatal blow, the entire process was as fast as lightning.

By the time the other seven opposing gods realized what was happening, one of their companions had already been sent out of the secret realm, leaving behind only a pile of relics.

After doing all this, Lin Yi's figure became blurry again. He used the Void Annihilation Step and disappeared from the spot like a ghost. In the next instant, he was back beside Luna, Hui Lie and the others.

The five people hovered in the air, forming a semi-encirclement around the remaining seven Abyss Clan and Eclipse Clan gods.

The situation reversed instantly!

The seven enemy gods were both shocked and furious. Their divine power surged wildly, and various defensive techniques, divine shields, and treasures lit up one after another, protecting themselves thoroughly as if facing a formidable enemy.

Lin Yi looked at his opponent, who had activated layers of defenses and was staring at them with suspicion, and knew that the method of taking advantage of the opponent's carelessness to launch a sneak attack and kill them instantly was no longer possible.

The gods of the Eclipse Clan prefer to use their divine power for offense, and their reliance on and activation of defensive treasures are sometimes a beat slower. This allowed him to take advantage of the situation. Now that the enemy is on guard and has activated all their defenses, it will be difficult to replicate the previous victory.

Therefore, Lin Yi was not in a hurry to take action immediately.

In any case, the surrounding space has been firmly sealed by his spacetime power, so these gods are like turtles in a jar, unable to escape.

So he wanted to try and get some information out of them, to learn more about the area around the evacuation point, and how they were able to find his squad so precisely.

Lin Yi hovered in the air, his cold gaze sweeping over the seven tense and vigilant enemy gods. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips as he sneered:

"What, you all rushed over here so urgently because you know we're short on points and want to kindly send us some?"

His voice, amplified by divine power, resonated clearly throughout the star field, carrying a mocking tone reminiscent of a cat toying with a mouse.

(End of this chapter)