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

Chapter 405 My Beloved Clan, Why Are You Looking at Me?

The virtual meeting invitation from Venerable Tianhe was accepted almost instantly.

His virtual space stretched as far as the eye could see, with endless green fields, the distant shadows of towering ancient trees swaying in the breeze, and a gentle pulse of life flowing through the air.

In the center of the space, inside a tea pavilion naturally woven from green vines, Tianhe was already waiting quietly.

In less than three breaths, the two figures appeared almost simultaneously.

A man dressed in simple white robes, with a gentle face and eyes as deep as the starry sea, was none other than the Venerable Master Xuan Yan.

The other person was dressed in a black battle robe. He was not burly, but he had a mountain-like aura of composure. His gray hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and his eyes were sharp as knives. This was Lord Tiange.

The two appeared, their eyes scanning the surroundings before exchanging a glance. Xuan Yan spoke first, "Tian He, why are you in such a hurry to find us? What happened?"

Without exchanging pleasantries, Tianhe gestured for the two to sit down, his expression unusually grave: "To make a long story short, I have a question for you. Did you give Lin Yi the nascent form of the Source Treasure and have him take it into the secret realm?"

"A soon-to-be-formed Origin Treasure?" Xuan Yan frowned slightly and shook his head. "No. You should know how much the price of such a nascent Origin Treasure has skyrocketed recently. How could I possibly have one?"

Tian Ge also said in a deep voice, "Neither did I. What happened?"

Tianhe took a deep breath, said no more, and waved his right hand in front of him.

A clear screen of light suddenly unfolded above the verdant fields, the footage of the final battle recorded by Adele using her "All-Seeing Eyes".

The entire playback lasted only a little over ten seconds, but the information it contained made Xuan Yan and Tian Ge's gazes freeze instantly.

The video ended, and the light curtain disappeared.

Tianhe said, "Just now, seven hundred dying high-ranking deities of the Abyss Erosion Alliance appeared at the exit of the secret realm. This image was brought out by the high-ranking deity of the Spirit Race, Adele. According to her..."

Tianhe gave a brief introduction to the situation.

Xuan Yan was silent for a moment, then sighed, "It hasn't been that long. He has already mastered six laws. In addition to time, space, life and death, he has also mastered water and wood. This speed of progress is truly terrifying." But he immediately changed the subject, "However, I know what you want to ask. That source treasure was not given to me."

Tian Ge also uttered two words crisply: "No."

Upon hearing this, Tianhe frowned slightly, then said, "That's why I came to find you. Since it wasn't given by you two, where did this nascent Origin Treasure come from? We all know that there are no Origin Treasures or nascent forms available for exchange on the 45th level of the Secret Realm, nor will there be any treasures of this level, such as nascent Origin Treasures."

"If he acquired this by chance from the outside world and hid it until now before using it, then it's fine; at most, it's just a matter of luck and shrewdness on his part. But..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across Xuan Yan's face: "I'm afraid it's like what happened to you back then, the work of the Spirit Clan."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yan's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just pursed his lips and remained silent.

Tian Ge's eyes suddenly sharpened: "So that's what you're worried about. Indeed, although our human race has a few, they were all taken into the secret realm by the peak of the upper gods. But given the scale of the Spirit Race's bets, this possibility cannot be ruled out."

“That’s right.” Tianhe nodded. “We must be careful about this. You two are the recommenders for Lin Yi to be included in the special genius training list. It is both morally and logically that I must inform you as soon as I find out.”

Xuan Yan said softly, "Thank you."

Tian Ge nodded slightly, acknowledging the favor.

Xuan Yan pondered for a few seconds, then looked up at Tian He: "This matter does indeed require attention. However, there's no point in speculating here. Tian He, when you sent the message before, you said that this matter might even require the two of us to jointly apply for an audience with the Eternal Beginning Ruler?"

Tianhe revealed a helpless smile and said, "That's right. If it were in the past, each of us Venerable Lords could apply to pay homage to the Sovereign. I would just tell you this matter directly, and you could report it yourselves."

“But the situation is different now, as you all know. The Sovereign is seriously injured and recuperating, and he will not handle matters personally unless they are extremely important. The Sovereign’s true body is not recuperating on the Origin Star, and no one knows its exact location. Now, if you want to see the Sovereign, at least three Venerable Lords can jointly apply for a virtual space visit.”

As he spoke, his smile faded, and he said solemnly, "To be honest, I had no prior contact with Lin Yi, but this time he really helped me vent my anger. Now that I've come across this, I won't stand idly by, whether for personal or professional reasons."

Xuan Yan and Tian Ge exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination in each other's eyes.

“In that case,” Xuan Yan said, “let’s submit a joint application.”

“Alright.” Tianhe no longer hesitated. With a thought, he directly instructed his intelligent life form: “Immediately, in the names of myself, Venerable Xuanyan, and Venerable Tiange, we will jointly apply to pay our respects to the Eternal Beginning Ruler.”

The command was issued, and a brief silence fell over the virtual space.

The three of them remained silent and waited.

Soon, Tianhe's intelligent life form responded: "Application approved."

The three of them stood up at the same time.

The surrounding lush green fields began to fade rapidly, like a watercolor painting fading.

Instead, there was an endless expanse of pure white space.

In the pure white center, there was only a simple-looking little house made of gray-white stone.

In front of the cottage, there was a stone table and a stone bench made of the same material.

The wooden door of the stone house creaked open.

A figure slowly walked out.

He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. He wore a plain gray robe without any decoration, and his silver hair was casually tied up with a stone hairpin. His face was peaceful, even somewhat ordinary.

Only those eyes were warm and deep.

The three bowed simultaneously, respectfully saying, "Greetings, Lord."

The Lord of Eternal Beginning nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three. There was no excessive pressure, yet the three Venerable Lords subconsciously restrained their auras.

With a casual wave of his hand, three stone stools, an ancient stone pot, and four stone cups appeared out of thin air beside the stone table.

"Please sit down," said the Lord of Eternal Beginning, his voice gentle and calm, revealing no emotion. "Make yourselves at home."

After saying that, he sat down in the main seat, picked up the stone pot, and filled the stone cup in front of him to seven-tenths full.

The tea soup is clear and bright, with a faint amber hue, and no aroma is released.

Xuan Yan, Tian Ge, and Tian He were not meeting the Lord of Hengshi for the first time, and they knew the Lord's style, so they followed his instructions and sat down on the remaining three stone benches.

They each picked up a stone teapot and poured themselves a cup, but no one touched the tea; they simply placed the cup in front of them.

The three exchanged a glance.

Xuan Yan spoke first, "Your Majesty, we have come to see you today because we have an important matter to report to you. This matter concerns our clan's contemporary prodigy, Lin Yi."

"Lin Yi?"

The Lord of Eternal Beginning finished his amber-colored tea, then picked up the stone teapot and slowly filled it to about seven-tenths full. He then put the teapot down and looked at Xuan Yan. "I know him. A good little fellow. What's wrong?"

Xuan Yan respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Master, Lin Yi has just accomplished a major feat in the secret realm on the 45th floor of the Origin Tower. This matter is expected to spread throughout the Pan-Spirit Alliance and the Abyss Erosion Clan very soon, so we have urgently jointly requested an audience."

He paused, and seeing the Sovereign's calm expression, he continued, "A high-ranking deity of the Spirit Race, named Adele, recorded a crucial moment of the decisive battle with her Myriad Manifestations Star Eye. We noticed that Lin Yi used a Source Treasure during the decisive battle."

The Eternal Ruler paused almost imperceptibly in the teacup he was holding, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Source Treasure?"

“Yes,” Tianhe added from the side, “Lin Yi has comprehended six laws and reached the level of a high-level god. With the help of the Source Treasure, he crippled nearly 20% of the Abyss Erosion Alliance’s combat power with a single strike, directly turning the tide of the battle.”

The Lord of the Beginning nodded slightly, signaling Xuan Yan to continue.

"Lord Tianhe brought the recorded video." Xuan Yan said, raising his hand and pointing lightly above the stone table.

In the pure white space, the light naturally converged, and the scene of the decisive battle that Tianhe had shown earlier reappeared clearly.

A black-haired figure stood alone at the front of the battle, his azure fist piercing through the starry sea, seven-colored rays of light exploding one after another, the enemy army scattering, and treasures raining down.
The Lord of Eternal Beginning watched silently, without interrupting from beginning to end.

Only after the video ended and the light disappeared did he pick up his teacup and take a sip.

"Very good." He put down his teacup, his tone tinged with approval. "What's even more remarkable is that they know how to seize opportunities and strike decisively."

Then, he changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the three Venerables: "However, since you have come here jointly for this reason, presumably this Source Treasure has nothing to do with you?"

Xuan Yan solemnly replied, "It was indeed not a gift from us. Lord Tian Ge also confirmed that it was not his work."

Tian Ge added in a deep voice, "If Lin Yi obtained this nascent Origin Treasure by chance, that would naturally be a good thing. I'm just afraid it's the work of foreign races, intending to win him over."

A brief silence fell around the stone table, with only the faint steam rising from the stone kettle spout drifting away.

I am already aware of this matter.

After a moment of contemplation, the Eternal Beginning Sovereign slowly spoke. Then, he raised his head and calmly said to the void of this pure white space, "Invite the Sovereign of All Spirits and tell him I have something to discuss with him." Upon hearing this, Xuan Yan, Tian Ge, and Tian He quickly exchanged glances.

The Overlord of All Spirits is one of the three current Overlords of the Mechanical Race. It is rumored that he has a close personal relationship with the Overlord of Eternal Beginning and is also an important ally within the Pan-Spirit Alliance.

A few breaths later, not far from the pure white space, the light seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand and quickly condensed.

A figure appeared.

Its body is slender and elegant, made of a matte silver-white streamlined material, with a clear facial contour. Only the occasional subtle rune light flowing from its joints reveals its mechanical life form.

It is the ruler of all spirits.

As soon as he appeared, his gaze fell directly on the Eternal Beginning Ruler, and he said, "Eternal Beginning, weren't you hiding in a corner to recuperate? Why did you suddenly decide to come looking for me?"

Xuan Yan, Tian Ge, and Tian He dared not be negligent and immediately rose from the stone bench, bowing and saying, "Greetings, Lord of All Spirits."

The Lord of All Spirits waved his hand, then walked to the stone table, where a stone stool had appeared out of nowhere. He sat down casually, picked up the stone teapot, and poured himself a cup of tea.

He picked up his teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and then said, "Every time I come to this virtual space, I find it particularly boring, empty and tasteless. So, what's the matter? You called me here specifically, it can't just be to invite me for tea."

The Eternal Ruler smiled and, without beating around the bush, said directly, "Thirty Source Treasure Points, for a fearless war god at the peak of the Upper God level."

"cough"

Upon hearing this, the Sovereign of All Spirits immediately glared at the Sovereign of Eternal Beginning and shouted, "Eternal Beginning! What are you saying? What do you mean by buying or not buying? Those are my beloved clansmen! Can they be measured with Source Treasure Points?"

The Eternal Ruler still smiled, then slowly uttered two more words: "Fifty, I want two, a total of one hundred Source Treasure Points."

Upon hearing this, the Lord of All Spirits immediately said, "Deal."

The scene fell silent for a second.

The three of them, Xuan Yan, were simultaneously shocked.

100 Source Points! Even for a Venerable Lord, this is an astonishing sum of money.

The Lord of All Spirits then asked curiously, "What do you need this for? It costs fifty Source Points. That price is enough to buy ten ordinary Source Points or one advanced Source Point. To be honest, the Fearless War God item has a very narrow audience. Those who can afford it don't need it, and those who need it can't afford it. After all, even if a peak Upper God dies in battle, the cost of resurrecting him is less than three Source Points."

He stroked his chin, feigning thought: "Hmm, let me see. You're suddenly in such a hurry to ascend to the peak level of a deity, and you're even going to do it twice?"

As he spoke, the Sovereign of All Spirits paused for a moment, a flash of data light appearing in his eyes, then he chuckled:
"So that's how it is. That little guy named Lin Yi, right? Tsk, your human race has really struck gold. As long as he doesn't perish along the way, at this rate, he'll at least be a top-tier Venerable in the future."

He looked at the Eternal Beginning Ruler and said regretfully, "If I had known it was prepared for him, I should have sold it to you for 100 Source Points each. What a blunder!"

The Eternal Ruler smiled and shook his head: "Of course you can raise the price on the spot. But, Wanling, if you sell to me for a higher price, next time you ask me for help, I'll raise the price a bit, okay? Think about it, who's asking whom for more?"

"."

The Sovereign of All Spirits gave a wry smile, then waved his hand, "Alright, alright, I'm scared of you. Enough with the small talk, I'll arrange the things right away. Who will receive them?"

The Eternal Ruler looked at Xuan Yan: "Send it to the secret fortress and hand it over to Xuan Yan."

“Alright, Xuan Yan, right? I’ve got it.” The Sovereign of All Spirits said decisively, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

He stood up, looked at Hengshi again, hesitated for a moment, and then added, "Also, Hengshi, before your injuries are fully healed, try to use the virtual network as little as possible and focus more on your recovery."

The Lord of Eternal Beginning's eyes narrowed slightly, then he laughed and scolded, "You're so long-winded. I know, hurry up and go."

The Lord of All Spirits smiled, said no more, and his virtual figure rippled like water before completely disappearing into the pure white space.

Beside the stone table, only the Eternal Ruler and three human lords stood respectfully.

"Please sit down," the voice of the Eternal Beginning Ruler pulled the three of them back to reality.

"Yes." The three of them sat down again as instructed.

The gaze of the Eternal Beginning Ruler slowly swept over the three of them, finally landing on Xuan Yan. "Just now, you all heard it. In fact, no matter where the nascent source treasure in Lin Yi's hand came from, there is no need to delve into it."

He paused, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "Since he has gained your approval, you should give him your full trust. A few secrets are fine. Besides, even if it was a gift from the Spirit Clan, so what? Back then, Xuan Yan, you weren't won over, were you?"

“However, I haven’t been able to pay much attention to him due to his injury. Now you’ve really reminded me. Although I believe that little guy Lin Yi can withstand the test, but,” the Lord of the Beginning put down his teacup and smiled, “I do believe him, but there’s no need to subject him to extra temptations. He’s pursuing the ultimate realm, so his divine power will be a weakness in the short term. Since that’s the case, I’ll just make up for it for him!”

"In the video just now, he defeated the enemy army, and the resource points he gained must have been enormous. With his talent and resources, he will probably reach the perfection of nine laws soon. At that time, these two fearless war gods at the peak of the superior god level can be used by his clones."

“Xuan Yan”.

The Eternal Beginning Sovereign specifically asked, "You are responsible for receiving the things sent by the Myriad Spirits Sovereign. Then, find a way to get them into Lin Yi's possession."

Xuan Yan immediately stood up, bowed, and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty! I will personally arrange to ensure that the items are safely delivered to Lin Yi."

The Lord of Eternal Beginning nodded slightly, a faint trace of fatigue appearing on his face, but it quickly disappeared.

He waved his hand: "Go. Get it done quickly. Lin Yi caused such a commotion in the secret realm, which, while bringing glory to our clan, will inevitably make him a target of everyone's hatred. We must get him the item as soon as possible to improve his strength in order to deal with any potential risks that may follow."

"Yes!"

Xuan Yan, Tian Ge, and Tian He stood up at the same time and bowed respectfully.

The Lord of Eternal Beginnings did not speak again, but simply waved his hand lightly, watching the three disappear. He then finished the tea in his cup and turned back to the stone house.

On the other side, as the surrounding pure white space completely faded away, the verdant landscape of the life field stabilized again, and the figures of the three Venerable Lords, Xuan Yan, Tian Ge, and Tian He, became clear once more inside the Green Vine Tea Pavilion.

For a moment, the pavilion was silent, with only the gentle pulse of life flowing silently across the plains.

None of the three spoke, seemingly still immersed in the swift and decisive actions of the Dominator and the lingering shock of the 100 Source Treasure Points.

It should be noted that the total wealth of an ordinary Venerable Lord is usually only a little over 1000 Source Treasure Points, and their liquid assets are often less than 100 Source Treasure Points.

After a few breaths, Lord Tiange slowly exhaled, breaking the silence, and exclaimed, "Truly worthy of being the work of a Sovereign."

Xuan Yan Venerable also nodded, his tone complicated: "Indeed. I originally just wanted to ask the Sovereign to take this matter seriously, or to keep an eye on it secretly, but I didn't expect the Sovereign to handle it this way directly. I can only say that he is indeed worthy of being the Sovereign."

Upon hearing this, Lord Tianhe looked at Xuan Yan and asked, "Xuan Yan, the items should arrive soon. How do you plan to deliver them?"

Xuan Yan said, "Although sending things into the secret realm is quite troublesome, it's not impossible. I plan to send over a high-level deity of spatial laws who has not yet entered the secret realm."

"A high-level deity of spatial laws?" Tian Ge pondered. "Sufficient strength, extremely high mobility, and excellent survivability in secret realms—truly the best candidate. Do you have someone in mind?"

“Yes.” Xuan Yan nodded. “He is a veteran high-ranking deity under my lineage named Xing Liu. He has profound knowledge of spatial laws and always acts prudently and cautiously. He had not yet entered the secret realm because he had not finished his mission.”

“I plan to finish his mission early and have him take the two Fearless War Gods into the secret realm. With the amazing points Lin Yi gained in the final battle on the 45th floor, according to the rules of the Origin Tower, he should be able to directly enter the 47th floor.”

Tianhe's eyes lit up: "So that's your plan? According to recent reports, it seems that our Pan-Spirit Alliance has firmly occupied an evacuation point on the 47th floor and established a temporary safe zone."

“That’s right,” Xuan Yan affirmed. “After Xing Liu enters, he should also land on the 47th floor based on his strength. His mission is to go to the evacuation point occupied by our Pan-Spirit Alliance. As long as that evacuation point is not breached or naturally dissipated in the next period of time, Lin Yi will receive this news soon after he arrives on the 47th floor.”

Tianhe nodded slightly. "That's right. As long as the evacuation point is still there, Lin Yi will definitely go there to resupply, trade information, or find teammates. At that time, Xingliu can safely hand over the items to him at the evacuation point."

Xuan Yan nodded and said, "Even in the worst-case scenario, that evacuation point disappeared before Lin Yi arrived. With the strength of a high-level god of the Star Stream Space Law, as long as he plays it safe, he can definitely protect himself on the 47th floor. He can conceal his whereabouts and wait for news of the next evacuation point appearing. It will only take a little time, but his safety is guaranteed."

After listening, Tianhe showed an expression of agreement: "Yes, that is a safe method. Having a high-level deity of spatial laws as a messenger can ensure the safe delivery of supplies, and the risk to the messenger is relatively controllable."

As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something, a smile appeared on his face, and then he lightly tapped his finger.

A wisp of emerald light gathered at his fingertips, quickly transforming into a phantom image of a spaceship model carved from jade. The model's lines were smooth and elegant, with faint, vibrant patterns flowing across its hull.

"Since you're sending something over, I'll join in too."

Tianhe laughed, "This is a spaceship I used when I was a high-level god, named 'Qingcang'. Its performance was quite good for a high-level god, and it accompanied me through many dangerous situations. Later, when I advanced to the Venerable Lord level, I kept this thing as a memento."

Tianhe pushed the illusory figure in front of Xuan Yan and said, "You know, I only have a few worthless ordinary god-level descendants. Their temperament and talent are mediocre. Giving this thing to them would be a waste, as it wouldn't be able to bring out its true value. Since we're going to give something to that kid Lin Yi now, let's just give him the Qingcang Ship as well. Consider it a reward for him helping me vent my anger."

Xuan Yan looked at the emerald green spaceship phantom floating in front of him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, then he chuckled and shook his head, "This reward is not cheap, Tian He, I thank you on behalf of Lin Yi."

After speaking, he turned his head, his gaze naturally falling on Lord Tiange sitting to the side.

Tian Ge was holding a teacup, just bringing it to his lips, when Xuan Yan looked at him and he was slightly taken aback.

Then, he put down his teacup and asked in confusion, "Xuan Yan, why are you looking at me like that?"

(End of this chapter)