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

Chapter 338 Unscrupulous intermediaries take a huge cut
In the quiet room, Lin Yi sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, several contract clauses outlined by silver-white soul power floating in front of him.

Densely packed, layer upon layer.

This is the framework of the soul's origin imprint that he spent three whole days repeatedly deliberating and finally set out.

The core of the clause is simple: Edith shall not disclose Lin Yi’s secrets to any being in any form.

But Lin Yi's thoughts ran deeper and were more ruthless.

He not only blocked the possibility of active leaks, but also increased the prevention of passive leaks.

This includes, but is not limited to, soul self-destruction mechanisms in situations such as being detected by special treasures or revealing information unconsciously.

Furthermore, unless Lin Yi attacks her first, Edith must not do anything to harm Lin Yi in any way.

At the same time, Lin Yi promised to solve her problem of saturated source essence soul.

"almost."

Lin Yi opened his eyes and revealed a satisfied smile.

This contract protected his secrets to the greatest extent possible and laid a solid foundation for his future commitment to this team with unlimited potential.

With a thought, the complex contract terms in front of him quickly condensed, eventually transforming into a silver light imprint the size of a walnut, with a structure so precise it was dazzling.

The light imprint slowly rotated, radiating a profound vibration that touched the very essence of the soul.

"Xuanji, tell Edith that she can come over now."

"Yes, Master."

A moment later, the door to the quiet room was pushed open, and Edith walked in.

She was still wearing silver armor, but the gloom between her brows caused by her inability to absorb the source essence had dissipated considerably. Her emerald eyes looked solemnly at the silver light seal in front of Lin Yi.

"I've drafted the contract, take a look."

Without wasting words, Lin Yi flicked his finger, and the silver light seal slowly floated towards Edith.

Edith extended her right hand, and the light imprint fell into her palm.

She closed her eyes, her soul power cautiously probing in, carefully reading each clause.

Only the steady, faint light from the lighting crystals remained in the quiet room.

About fifteen minutes later, Edith opened her eyes, and her gaze toward Lin Yi held a more complicated expression.

"A very rigorous contract."

She commented that it plugged almost all the loopholes she could think of, including some she hadn't even considered.

In particular, the premise that "unless Lin Yi attacks first" made her realize how meticulous and guarded this team leader was.

However, the terms themselves are not excessive. The core is confidentiality and non-intentional harm to each other, and Lin Yi's promise to resolve the problem is a real reward.

"If there are no problems, let's sign it." Lin Yi said calmly.

Edith nodded without further hesitation.

Seeing that Edith agreed, Lin Yi's heart stirred slightly.

The light suddenly lit up, then split into two, transforming into two slightly smaller streams of light, but with the same structure.

One shot pierced Edith's brow, while another sank into Lin Yi's forehead.

boom!
Lin Yi felt a slight tremor deep within his soul.

He knew the contract was signed.

From then on, the secrets about the Purple Mist Space and the Spiritual Enlightenment were locked away with the utmost security by Edith.

Edith also sensed the change in her soul's essence; the strange feeling of being marked made her silent for a few seconds.

“The contract is complete,” Lin Yi said, his tone more relaxed. “Now, I can tell you why.”

Edith immediately listened intently.

Lin Yi looked into her eyes and slowly said, "The reason I haven't encountered the problem of soul saturation is entirely because of my special constitution."

“I can directly extract and purify the source essence in the source essence crystal core, and then store it in the soul's origin. I can then call it back when needed.”

Edith was jolted, her blue eyes widening instantly.

She knew about the direct extraction, and she anticipated the purification process, but storage? To use it only when needed?

Lin Yi promised to solve her problem.
She blurted out, "Is it possible for other people to use the source substance you transformed?"

When she asked that question, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Lin Yi smiled.

"Yes, that's right, it really works."

As he spoke, he subtly shifted his thoughts and separated an extremely subtle wisp of spiritual energy from the purple mist space.

On the fingertips, a wisp of pure, pale purple energy, seemingly untouched by any impurities, slowly emerged, like a tiny, living river of light, gently flowing and radiating a soothing ripple that calmed the soul.

With a gentle tap of his fingertip, Lin Yi guided the wisp of pale purple "spiritual enlightenment energy" as it slowly drifted toward Edith.

Edith instinctively reached out, and the moment the energy touched her fingertips, it naturally merged into her body, reaching the depths of her soul.

next second.

Edith's body trembled slightly, and her emerald eyes instantly lost focus, as if she had fallen into a crack in time.

Although it was only for a brief moment, she clearly felt that her understanding of certain subtle aspects of the laws of time swept through her mind with unprecedented clarity, and a glimmer of enlightenment quietly emerged.

She snapped back to her senses, looked at Lin Yi, and her eyes were filled with undisguised shock.

"This feeling," she took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions, "is so pure! It's so much purer than directly absorbing the source essence from the source essence crystal core! The soul can accept it so smoothly, and the efficiency of comprehension has increased by at least 50%."

"Moreover, there is absolutely no unsettling feeling of fullness."

Lin Yi smiled and gave the name he had already thought of.

“I call it Purification Source. However, this transformation is not without its costs.”

He then changed the subject and held up four fingers.

"First, in terms of quantity. After the source material crystal nucleus is purified and transformed by me, the total amount of purified source material will be reduced by 40%."

"Secondly, production capacity. There is a limit to the amount of source crystal cores I can absorb and purify per day. It is more than enough to supply my own cultivation, but if I want to supply multiple people," he paused, "then everyone needs to hand over their crystal cores to me. I will first absorb them and store them in my soul's origin, and then slowly transform them. This is a process that requires time to accumulate."

Edith quickly processed this information.

A 60% retention rate might seem like a huge loss, but considering the efficiency of enlightenment brought about by the qualitative change after purification, and the fact that the fatal bottleneck of soul saturation has been completely resolved, it is definitely a worthwhile deal.

It could even be described as an incredible stroke of luck!
As for the limited daily processing capacity, requiring people to wait in line for allocation, that's perfectly normal.

Such incredible power, if it could be supplied in unlimited quantities, would be truly unbelievable.

At the same time, with Edith's intelligence, she naturally thought of the possible deeper intentions involved.

The potential for commission and the inevitable right to distribute profits.

However, as the sole party that monopolizes the purification channels, Lin Yi only takes a maximum of 40% as processing fees, and can keep 60% for the raw material suppliers. In Edith's view, this ratio is absolutely conscientious.

Controlling the distribution rhythm means that Lin Yi has grasped the core valve for the team's future strength growth, and also ensures that for a considerable period of time, most of the source crystal cores obtained by everyone will be gathered in his hands, converted into "purified source matter" and then distributed.

What happens after we leave the secret realm?
Presumably, all the prodigies would choose to hide most of their source essence in Lin Yi's soul essence rather than hand it over to their clan.

As long as this dependency continues, this bond woven from shared secrets and practical interests will be unbreakable.

"What a far-sighted scheme."

Edith gave Lin Yi a deep look, feeling no resentment at being schemed against, but rather a sense of understanding and a touch of admiration.

Because this is an open conspiracy.

"fair enough."

Edith gave a succinct comment and then waved her hand dismissively.

In the quiet room, flashes of light appeared as a large number of source material crystal cores materialized out of thin air.

It mainly consists of large crystal nuclei and a small number of ordinary crystal nuclei, piled together, emitting a powerful yet slightly chaotic energy fluctuation.

This is most of her stockpile accumulated from centuries of hunting.

“These are for you to take first,” Edith said. “According to the contract, my share will be given to me after you’ve completed the conversion.”

Lin Yi looked at the pile of crystal cores; there were quite a few, enough to push his comprehension of the laws of time a little further.

He nodded and waved his hand to put it into a specially designed storage space.

"I need some time to absorb and transform it. Come and collect the first batch of purified source material in three days."

Lin Yi provided a specific timeframe.

"it is good."

Edith readily agreed and turned to leave the quiet room.

As she stepped out the door, her steps were a little lighter than when she came, and the heaviness in her eyes caused by the gloomy road ahead had largely dissipated.

A short while later, Edith returned to her training room.

She had just stopped at the door when the door to the stone chamber next to her opened.

Aoba poked her head out. "Your Highness Edith, just got back from the team leader? You seem much more relaxed. You asked me about the feeling of soul fullness earlier. Is there any progress?"

Edith paused slightly and looked at Aoba.

This prodigy of the Spirit Clan was meticulous and had keen senses.

She recalled the strict confidentiality clauses in the Soul Origin Seal, and a very faint smile curved her lips.

You'll find out eventually.

She smiled, then turned and went into her stone chamber, the stone door closing gently behind her.

Aoba stood at the door, blinked, stroked his chin and pondered the words "You'll know in time," then suddenly chuckled and closed the door.

The team leader and Princess Edith have apparently reached some kind of agreement, and it is likely a good one that can resolve the current predicament.

Clearly, all I need to do is wait patiently.
-
The river of time flows silently, carrying with it the flames of war and bloodshed. The new era begins in 2519.

The stalemate between the humans and the Kunmo continues, countless planets have been reduced to scorched earth, and the loss of life has become a common theme in the starry sky.

People have become accustomed to living amidst war reports and sirens.

Star News frequently reports that a certain planet was directly destroyed by powerful enemy infiltrators, resulting in the deaths of billions of lives.

Panic spread, yet numbness prevailed.

However, the Silver Blue Starfield, with the eternal god Yongyan personally overseeing it, is relatively much more peaceful.

Several small-scale enemy infiltrations and attacks were swiftly thwarted by Yongyan as soon as they began to emerge.

While the people of the Silver Blue Civilization are grateful for His Majesty Yongyan's protection, they also harbor a deep gratitude for another name.

Because they know why His Majesty Yongyan stayed here.

Lanxing, the main campus of Dongfeng Military Academy.

In the solemn and respectful memorial square, preparations are underway for the new year's memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers.

An official in charge of the ceremony, carrying a long list, strode up to Zhou Donglai, the current Chief of Defense of the Silver Blue Civilization, and asked hesitantly:

"Chief, should Commander Lin Yi's name be officially included in the list of heroes this year?"

The official's voice was low: "There is a strong public demand to commemorate Commander Lin Yi. People believe that our delay in holding memorial activities for the Commander is suspicious, and we are under great pressure from public opinion."

Zhou Donglai was reviewing the air defense array report when he heard this and suddenly looked up.

“Don’t ask that kind of question again next time.” Zhou Donglai’s voice was initially low, even kind. “Remember that, and pass it on.”

But at this point, his tone became stern.

"Until I have concrete evidence of Commander Lin Yi's death, he will remain, as far as our Silver Blue Civilization is concerned, merely someone who has gone out and not returned! No memorial list or official document may include the words 'dead' or 'heroic spirit' regarding the Commander!"

"This is an ironclad rule!"

"Did you hear that clearly?"

"Yes! Yes! I understand!"

The official broke out in a cold sweat, quickly bowed in response, and hurriedly retreated with the list in his hand.

Zhou Dong watched his departing figure, slowly exhaled, and gazed at the azure sky outside the window, remaining silent for a long time.
-
Within countless secret realms, blood mist surges.

In the center of the camp, in Lin Yi's private quiet room.

The final silvery-white soul essence imprint slowly entered Kenx's brow.

Kenx closed his eyes, feeling the strange sensation of his soul being branded. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and chuckled.

"Captain, all signed! Hehe, from now on, I'll be counting on you for all the crystal cores I hunt."

Lin Yi looked at Kenx in front of him and a smile appeared on his face.

"Don't worry, you'll get your share."

Because Kenx was the weakest, his soul was fully saturated last, making him the last member to sign the contract.

At this point, all 693 prodigies remaining in the camp, regardless of whether they were at the Star Core or Star Vortex level, had signed a Soul Origin Imprint with Lin Yi.

This includes the forty-odd prodigies who had already broken through to the Star-Spirit level and were forced to advance in order to fight against the combined forces of the two races.

These Star-level prodigies hadn't absorbed much source material crystal core before, so they didn't have the problem of soul saturation.

They originally intended to keep the crystal cores in their possession, in case any members of their clan survived and could bring them back to the clan to exchange for resources to compensate the family.

But when Lin Yi found them and clearly stated that "there is a certain hope that everyone can leave the secret realm alive, but this involves a secret that must never be revealed and requires signing a soul origin contract," everyone agreed without hesitation.

A sliver of hope is enough to make them risk everything.

With the complete establishment of the contract network, a massive amount of source crystal cores began to flow from the hands of various geniuses to Lin Yi.

Hunting, submitting, and waiting for the allocation of "purified source material" has become the new cycle in the camp.

Lin Yi himself, on the other hand, entered a period of rapid growth in strength.

51.1%!

After watching Kenx leave, Lin Yi slowly clenched his fist, feeling the surging power of the Time Law imprint deep in his soul, and his heart was filled with excitement.

Compared to before the contract was signed, in just two hundred years, his comprehension level has increased by a full 9 percentage points!

This is the terrifying accumulation that comes from monopolizing the vast majority of the source crystal cores produced by nearly seven hundred top geniuses.

Even if he only extracts 40% of it to convert into spiritual energy for his own use, the total amount still far exceeds the efficiency of his previous hunting.

After reaching the fifth level of the Transcendent Realm, his understanding of the laws of time also reached a new height.

Now, he can easily kill the Blood Mist Beast King, a peak Star Domain level beast, when facing him alone.

"Resource concentration maximizes efficiency"

Lin Yi thought to himself that he had chosen the right path.

The team overcame its bottleneck by purifying the source material, resulting in unprecedented cohesion. He also experienced a surge in strength due to abundant resources, giving him the capital to cope with even greater crises.
-
The new era begins in 3102.

The contraction continues, as if an invisible giant hand is slowly and firmly gripping this blood-red world.

The area around the camp, which was originally a safe zone for the activity of the mist beasts, has been pushed outward by nearly 100 kilometers.

It's not that the mist beasts retreated, but rather that the speed of cleanup exceeded the speed of space compression and the rate at which the mist beasts multiplied!

Even if each person only receives 60% of the total amount of purified source material submitted to the crystal core, and even if they have to wait in line for Lin Yi's purification cycle, this efficiency is still much faster than them slowly burning and purifying the impurities in the crystal core using the power of the rules!
Strength, through the efficient transformation of resources, is growing at an unprecedented rate.

The top 100 geniuses, through the dual tempering of continuously purifying source essence and life-and-death battles in the blood mist layer, have all already crossed that crucial threshold.

Now, the energy emanating from them is all the fluctuation of laws!
Most of the other prodigies have also entered the realm of the ninth level of fusion. The few who remain in the eighth level are mostly delayed because they have chosen higher rules.

The overall strength of the camp has undergone a dramatic transformation compared to hundreds of years ago.

However, beneath the dazzling light of rapid growth, shadows have also emerged.

In the quiet room, Edith stood in front of Lin Yi, her blue eyes filled with a hint of solemnity.

"Team leader, there's Qingman from the Ancient Vine Clan, Chenhui from the Star Spirit Clan, and Xuanyu from our Spirit Clan. Their natural lifespans are nearing their end. They must activate the Star Vortex within three months at the latest, or they will perish from soul depletion."

"Which batch is this?" Lin Yi asked slowly, his voice devoid of emotion.

“The fifth batch. That brings the total to 142 people,” Edith reported a precise number.

One hundred and forty-two.

Lin Yi remained silent for a moment. Among the geniuses who came in, many were participating in the Genius Battle for the second time. Now, nearly two thousand years had passed, and it was perfectly normal for their lifespans to be approaching the limit of the Star Core level.

He could even predict that more people would experience this situation in the future.

"They all agreed?"

Lin Yi sighed and looked at Edith.

Edith nodded, her tone somewhat complicated.

"There was no hesitation. Qingman even said that rather than lying down and waiting to die, it would be better to stand up and break through, so that she could kill more mist beasts and collect more crystal cores for future use."

She paused, then looked at Lin Yi, "They... all remember what you said a long time ago."

Lin Yi's gaze narrowed slightly.

That was about four hundred years ago, during a post-war rest period. When several veterans, who were also facing the pressure of aging, privately inquired about it, he gave a cautious hint.

"If, I mean if."

He carefully considered his words, thinking, "If I can fully master the laws of time in this secret realm, achieving 100% comprehension, and successfully elevate the laws of space to the level of laws themselves, then perhaps I will be able to attempt to revive a star core."

He offered no guarantees, nor did he specify any methods, but his words, like a spark, ignited in the hearts of those team members who were destined not to leave through conventional means.

Especially after the establishment of the purified source material system and the incredible speed at which Lin Yi's strength increased, this spark burned even more fiercely.

Completely master the laws of time!

The Law of Spatial Rule Advancement!

This might be an unattainable legend for others, but for Lin Yi, whose understanding of the laws of time has reached 73%, it seems to have become a real possibility.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yi finally spoke, "Tell them that the crystal cores should be handed over as usual, and I will record their share of purified source material separately. If they can be revived in the future, this reserve will still be valid."

"Of course, because I don't yet know what price they would have to pay to perform resurrection at the Star Core level, but they will have to bear that price themselves."

“Of course.” Edith nodded.

The order was conveyed swiftly.

In the days that followed, powerful energy vortexes would occasionally rise in a corner of the camp, causing the power of the rules to fluctuate violently before finally settling at the Star Swirl level of energy.

Every breakthrough was accompanied by a solemn blessing, but the somber atmosphere gradually diminished, replaced by an almost devout anticipation and a fierce determination.

After their breakthrough, Qingman, Chenhui, Xuanyu, and the others had almost no adjustment period before carrying their newly acquired Star-level power and charging into the hunting ground where the blood mist was thickest.

They fought with extraordinary ferocity and desperate intensity.

They knew that for every mist beast they hunted and every crystal core they handed over, Lin Yi would accumulate more "purified source matter," bringing them one step closer to his goal of "fully mastering the laws of time and space."

Their hopes, their faint glimmer of hope for resurrection and rebirth, all rested on Lin Yi alone.

In the center of the camp, Lin Yi slowly finished his practice, and the rhythm of time flowing around him became even longer and deeper.

The massive supply of crystal cores, coupled with his increasingly profound understanding of the laws of time, allowed him to maintain an astonishing pace of progress.

Lin Yi looked up at the quiet room outside.

He could almost see the eyes of those newly promoted Star-level members, filled with a mixture of determination and anticipation, as they hunted frantically in the blood mist.

The pressure weighed heavily on Lin Yi's shoulders, but at the same time, it transformed into the most powerful driving force.

time, space.

When both of them enter the Hall of Laws and reach a sufficient height, perhaps they can truly reverse the boundary between life and death in this secret realm.

He must become stronger as quickly as possible to fulfill the hope that rests on his shoulders.

(End of this chapter)