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

Chapter 350 You Must Become Eternal
The communication was established after three seconds.

A virtual screen unfolded in front of Irelia, and Lin Yi's figure appeared within it.

Irelia looked at Lin Yi on the screen without saying a word.

"Ellie, I need to see you," Lin Yi said.

Not asking.

It is a statement.

Irelia felt her heart skip another beat.

She paused for two seconds, then nodded: "Okay."

"Where are you?" Lin Yi asked.

“Commander’s Residence Area, Training Room E-47”

"wait for me."

Communications cut off.

The light screen disappeared, and the training room returned to silence.

Irelia stood there, staring into the empty air. The brief conversation of just a few seconds seemed to have exhausted her.

She took a deep breath, raised her hand to smooth her hair, and smoothed her collar.

Then she stopped moving.

What are you doing?
Having spent five thousand years on the battlefield, she had long since become accustomed to being unkempt.

When the armor is damaged, it is repaired; when the clothes are dirty, they are changed; when the hair is messy, it is simply tied up.

When have I ever cared about these trivial details?

But now.
Irelia lowered her hand and turned to walk towards the center of the training room.

She sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself down.

But the image of Lin Yi from the earlier communication kept flashing through his mind.

His eyes changed.

It's not about appearance; at their level, appearance can be easily maintained.

It's something deep in the eyes.

Five thousand years ago, Lin Yi's eyes were sharp and firm, carrying a sense of confidence.

That's the unique radiance of a genius—believing in their own path, believing in their own future.

And now.
There seemed to be something deeper hidden in the depths of his eyes.

Irelia opened her eyes and gently exhaled.

Five thousand years.

It may not be long for eternal life, but for two people who once fought side by side but were suddenly separated by time and space, it is enough to bring about too many changes.

On the other side of the fortress.

Lin Yi stood in the corridor, watching the screen go dark again after the communication was cut off.

He remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he said to Xuanji, "Plan the route to the commander's residential area E-47."

"Yes, Master," Xuanji's voice rang out. "Route planning complete. The target location is at the other end of the fortress. Due to the distance, flying within the fortress is strictly prohibited. We recommend using the internal transportation system."

Lin Yi nodded: "Okay."

"Please proceed to the transportation hub as instructed. A fortress shuttle has been called for you and is expected to arrive at your current location in three minutes. The journey will take approximately 30 minutes."

Lin Yi strode toward the nearest transportation hub.

Footsteps echoed in the empty corridor as he walked, sorting out his thoughts.

Go see Irelia.

The decision was made very naturally, almost without much thought.

But the moment the call connected and he saw her, Lin Yi felt a sense of nervousness.

This surprised him.

In his past life, he seemed to be just as nervous when Irelia first privately called him into the training room to give him pointers.

Lin Yi remembers it clearly: that day, he stood at the door of the cultivation room and took several deep breaths before daring to knock.

The door opened, and Irelia stood behind it, dressed in simple training clothes. Her icy blue eyes looked him up and down before she said, "Come in."

Now, five thousand years later, he is going to take the initiative to meet Irelia.

The roles have been reversed.

But that sense of tension was vaguely similar.

Lin Yi shook his head, suppressing his emotions.

He is now at the level of an eternal god, a being personally summoned by the ruler, and the leader who led more than 1,300 law-level geniuses out of the secret realm.

You shouldn't have this kind of emotion.

but.
Humans are, after all, just human beings.

Even if you become a god, some things will not change.
-
Thirty minutes later.

The shuttle stopped at the transportation hub in the corps commander's residential area.

Lin Yi stepped out of the flying shuttle and, following Xuanji's guidance, passed through several passages before finally stopping in front of the E-47 training room.

The metal door was tightly closed, and the identifier next to it glowed with a faint blue light.

Lin Yi stood in front of the door, pausing for a second.

The light swept across.

[Identification in progress]

[Verification passed. 】

[Requesting confirmation from those inside.]

[Confirmed.]

The metal door slid open silently to one side.

The meditation room was very simple, even rudimentary.

In the center was a suspended cultivation platform, surrounded by empty space, without even a chair.

Irelia stood beside the platform, having changed out of her tattered battle armor and into a plain white Eldar uniform, though the sleeve on her left arm was torn off.

The new skin is not fully healed yet and cannot withstand the friction of clothing.

Irelia stood in the center of the training room, with her back to the door.

She heard the door open and turned around.

The two looked at each other.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Lin Yi entered the cultivation room, and the door behind him closed automatically.

He looked around, then at Irelia: "It's very simple here."

Irelia smiled. "It is indeed quite simple, and there's not much to offer in terms of hospitality."

Lin Yi was taken aback.

When did Irelia and him become so distant?

In his memory, Irelia always spoke to him directly and bluntly.

but now.
Such polite words don't sound like something Irelia would say.

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously asked in his mind, "Xuanji, has Irelia been single all these years?"

“Retrieving relevant information.” Xuanji’s voice sounded in her mind. “Retrieval complete. According to public records and accessible communication records, there is no information indicating that Vice Captain Irelia has an intimate relationship with a man. Her time is mainly allocated to commanding the battle group, frontline combat, personal training, and taking care of the surviving members of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group.”

Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief, but then frowned again: "What did she mean by saying 'there's nothing to entertain you with'? Although I didn't know that such an accident would happen when entering the secret realm, the resources left for the Dongfeng Mercenary Group were not small, so she shouldn't be living in such poverty."

Xuanji paused for a moment before replying, "According to the records, apart from the basic resources needed for her own cultivation and combat, Vice Captain Irelia uses all her other accumulations—including battle merits, mission rewards, and personal savings—to subsidize the existing members of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group and their families. Therefore, she has no spare resources to purchase any luxuries or hospitality items."

Lin Yi remained silent.

He stood in the doorway, looking at Irelia.

She was thinner than she was five thousand years ago, her facial features were more defined, and her eyes held something he knew very well from his past life.

That's the kind of tranquility only someone who has carried too much on their shoulders can possess.

Somewhat like Lerina.

Lin Yi suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

He thought that with his appearance, Irelia wouldn't turn into Lelina, but unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, she was burdened with another kind of responsibility.

Lin Yi took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

“Ellie,” his voice lowered, “I have a general understanding of the situation. I’m so grateful to you all these years.”

Irelia smiled faintly, but it made Lin Yi's heart clench.

“After all, I’ve watched the Silver Blue Civilization and the East Peak Mercenary Group grow up,” she said. “They’re practically my hometown, so I naturally won’t sit idly by.”

This is not an exaggeration.

Lin Yi had already calculated it in his mind.

Irelia left the Leliate Starfield at the age of eleven thousand and came to Silverblue Star to become a guardian, a position she held for five thousand years.

Then civilization advanced, the Dongfeng Mercenary Group was formed, and they spent more than six thousand years together.

She spent more time in the human territory than in the Elven homeland.

It's quite fitting to call it half of my hometown.

Seeing that there wasn't even a chair for Irelia, Lin Yi didn't sit down and just stood in front of her.

His gaze swept over her left arm and then returned to her face.

“Ellie, over six thousand years, she has progressed from the first level of the Star Domain to the fourth level,” Lin Yi said. “This speed is no slower than that of ordinary geniuses.”

He means it.

In fact, Lin Yi had always thought that Irelia had good talent.

Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of resources and inheritance in her previous life, she still managed to advance three levels in over six thousand years.

In Lin Yi's opinion, the reason why Irelia did not stand out at the Star Core level was simply because she was living too comfortably.

She is a direct descendant of a star-level family, born into nobility, with abundant resources and a bright future.

Without pressure, there is naturally no motivation to strive for improvement.

Later, when her family underwent changes and she was burdened with the pressure of revitalization, and found that other paths were completely hopeless, her advancement speed was actually quite fast.

In this life, however, the points of reference around her are too abnormal.

The abundance of geniuses at the Law Realm made her seem "slow."

Lin Yi had no intention of beating around the bush.

“Ellie,” he looked into her eyes and said directly, “Now that I’m back, you don’t have to carry so much burden anymore. I’ll handle the matters of the East Peak Mercenary Group and the Silver Blue Civilization.”

Upon hearing this, Irelia felt a pang of sadness.

For the past five thousand years, what has sustained her has been less hope and more a sense of responsibility to "not fall down".

Now that Lin Yi is back, he took over the responsibility with just a few words, leaving her feeling somewhat empty. Hearing this, Irelia felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

Over the years, taking care of the survivors of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group has become a part of her life.

That was her responsibility, her promise, and her connection with her past self.

Now Lin Yi says he'll take over.

Although it means she can finally put down this burden.

But it also means that one less connection she has with the past has been lost.

But Irelia didn't say anything, she just nodded slightly.

"it is good."

However, she discovered that Lin Yi had no intention of leaving.

Instead, he took a step forward, getting even closer.

"As for you," Lin Yi's voice was steady, each word clear, "I hope you will retire after you have accumulated enough merits. What you need to do is cultivate and become stronger."

Irelia looked up at him.

“I will also give you full assistance,” Lin Yi continued, meeting her gaze. “I hope that the Realm of Derivation is not your final destination.”

"I hope you can become..."

Lin Yi stopped in front of Irelia, less than a meter away from her. He could even see his own reflection in her eyes.

"Eternal God".

???

Irelia was a little dumbfounded.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

I?
Eternal deities?

She had never even considered this idea.

It's not that I'm afraid to think about it, it's that I feel it's unrealistic.

She felt that if she could eventually advance to the Derivation Realm, she would already be the second strongest person in her family's history, second only to her grandfather.

As for eternal gods?

That was a level she never even dared to dream of.

She couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself.

Perhaps Lin Yi felt that becoming an eternal god was a matter of course because he was surrounded by geniuses at the Law Realm and had access to such high levels of knowledge.

But she didn't say "no".

Because becoming stronger is also her own hope.

Having fought on the front lines for years, she understands the importance of strength better than anyone else.

In a battle between star-level beings and god-level beings, they are truly just cannon fodder.

She struggled on the edge of life and death countless times, watched the people around her die countless times, and felt powerless countless times.

So she said, "I will try my best."

“It’s not about effort,” Lin Yi shook his head, his gaze fixed on her, “it’s about certainty.”

He walked up to Irelia, and the two were only half a step apart. He could even smell the faint scent of grass and trees on her.

Lin Yi looked at her and said slowly, "Absolutely. I don't want to lose your existence in my eternal life."

That's too direct.

They went straight to Irelia without any preparation.

She stared blankly at Lin Yi, a hint of surprise flashing in her icy blue eyes, followed by confusion, and finally a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

Lin Yi stared intently at her, his gaze unwavering.

He was waiting for her answer.

Irelia naturally understood the subtext of those words.

She fell silent.

The silence was actually very short, only about two or three seconds, but Lin Yi felt as if it had lasted a long time.

Actually, he regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Was he too direct? Would it put pressure on her?
The reason he put pressure on Irelia was because he discovered that Irelia's personality required a bit of pressure.

In her previous life, she was able to lead the Leliate Mercenary Group to rise to prominence because she carried the heavy responsibility of reviving her family.

In this life, she also made rapid progress under pressure. The reason Lin Yi dared to say this so directly was because he had the confidence to back it up.

Even if Irelia is stuck in the Dimension and cannot become an eternal god on her own, it's not a big problem.

Once he becomes a Venerable Lord, he can revive the Derivation Realm. At that time, by throwing resources at it, he can create something eternal.

Moreover, Lin Yi has already decided that the quota for bringing the Star Origin Space into the next era will be given to Irelia.

With her talent, the assistance of the golden space, and my help, there shouldn't be any problems.

Of course, this is because Irelia's talent is already at a very high level; an ordinary person definitely wouldn't be able to do it.

However, this is something we definitely can't tell Irelia right now, lest she lose motivation.

Just as Lin Yi was pondering these thoughts, Irelia spoke.

“Okay,” she said, her voice soft but clear, “definitely.”

There were no superfluous embellishments, no euphemistic wording.

Just like her usual style.

Lin Yi felt a sudden sense of relief.

For a moment just now, he really regretted it.

But upon hearing this answer, Lin Yi knew that Irelia was still the Irelia he knew.

That's who she is.

If you put pressure on her, she won't back down; instead, she'll meet it head-on.

If you give her a goal, she won't say "I'll try," but rather "I will definitely do it."

This is her.

Having achieved his goal, Lin Yi quickly said, "I still have some things to take care of, so I'll be going now."

After saying that, he almost turned and slipped away. The metal door sensed his approach and slid open automatically, then quickly closed behind him.

The meditation room fell silent again.

Irelia stared blankly at the closed metal door for a while.

Then, she suddenly smiled.

The smile was no longer faint as before; it radiated from the depths of her eyes, carrying a sense of relief and an almost imperceptible sweetness.

She raised her right hand and gently touched her left arm.

The newly formed skin there is still fragile, but it is becoming tough at a visible rate.

"Eternity?" she murmured to herself, something fiery burning in her icy blue eyes.
-
Lin Yi walked out of Sector E-47 with a smile on his lips.

After finishing this task, he felt much better.

Instead of returning to his own training room, he went straight to the fortress's S-level training ground.

That's a place specifically for god-level powerhouses to test their secret techniques and adapt to new equipment.

He had previously reserved access to three standard time slots through the battlefield system.

"Xuanji, activate the highest protection mode in the training ground to block all external detection."

Lin Yi stepped into the spherical space with a diameter of over fifty kilometers, and dark golden law patterns began to flow across the surrounding alloy walls.

"Protection is activated, shielding is in effect." Xuanji's voice echoed in the empty space.

Lin Yi had a sudden thought.

The void around him rippled, and a figure exactly like him stepped out—this was his time clone.

Now, both of his clones are carried in small personal spaces and can be used at any time.

"let's start."

Lin Yi's main body retreated to the edge of the training field, while his clone walked to the center of the field and took out the dark gold jade box from his storage space.

Upon opening the box, the palm-sized metal figure lay quietly inside.

Fearless War God (Number: T-714).

The clone extended its finger and touched the metal figure's forehead.

Buzz.
A strange suction force came from it.

The clone's body began to disintegrate from its fingertips, turning into countless points of light that were absorbed by the metal figure.

The process was quick; in less than three seconds, the clone completely dissipated into the air.

At the same time, dark gold patterns lit up on the surface of the metal figure.

It began to expand.

One inch, one foot, one meter, two meters, ten meters
Finally, a mechanical god-like body, hundreds of meters tall and covered in thick, dark gold armor, stood in the center of the training field.

Its face was exactly the same as Lin Yi's, except that its eyes were a pure crystalline structure, with silver-gray time law radiance flowing inside.

"Binding complete."

A massive influx of information instantly flooded into Lin Yi's mind.

He saw the internal structure of the Fearless War God, a mechanical divine kingdom with a diameter of about three thousand kilometers, suspended in an independent spatial interlayer.

The core of the divine kingdom is a polyhedral crystal with a diameter of over ten kilometers. It is completely transparent, with countless points of light flowing inside.

[Mechanical Source Crystal: Core for Law Conversion. Inputting any law's power can convert it into divine kingdom energy of the corresponding attribute, endowing all mechanical creations within the divine kingdom with the corresponding law's characteristics.]

With a slight thought, Lin Yi felt the laws of time flow into his soul connection.

Inside the mechanical source crystal, a silvery-gray radiance suddenly shone brightly.

The entire divine kingdom began to be "dyed".

The once cold, attribute-less metallic earth began to show ripples of time.

Countless mechanical constructs suspended in the sky, from palm-sized swarms of reconnaissance bees to warship skeletons over ten kilometers long, and even those grotesque war puppets, all began to have silver-gray patterns flowing across their surfaces.

Lin Yi understood.

The eternal god of the machine race, whose combat relies primarily on the various mechanical creations stored within their divine realm.

These creations themselves have limited power, but after being nurtured and empowered by the laws of the divine kingdom, they can unleash the terrifying power of the corresponding laws.

This is why you must master the rules to control it.

Without the influence of laws, relying solely on the machine itself, its power is extremely weak.

Of course, the machine race itself is also very powerful.

Lin Yi read the database built into the Fearless War God and discovered that the life form of the Mechanical Race was very special.

Their "bodies" are themselves the most sophisticated mechanical creations, which can be modified and upgraded at will.

In battle, they can either command mechanical legions to overwhelm the enemy or personally engage in combat, using their mechanical divine bodies, which have been strengthened countless times, to confront the laws of nature.

However, the mechanical legions of the mechanical race are very expensive to replenish once they are lost. The materials needed to manufacture those mechanical units that can withstand the blessing of the laws are all extremely expensive.

"Try the power."

Lin Yi raised his right hand.

Within the divine realm, ten thousand combat puppets were activated simultaneously.

They were all dark gold in color, each wielding a giant sword, and each radiated energy fluctuations at the peak of the star domain level.

This is the basic energy level. After being enhanced by the laws of time, a combined attack can reach the threshold of the god level.

"Attack."

Swish!
Ten thousand combat puppets appeared simultaneously in the training ground.

They made no sound, but stood in neat rows, their dark gold armor surfaces flowing with silver-gray time patterns.

Lin Yi could feel that he could control their every movement as if they were his own limbs, and even use them to perform derivative secret techniques of the law of time.

"Combined attack".

Ten thousand puppets raised their swords simultaneously.

The silver-gray laws of time converged at the tip of the sword, transforming into a massive ripple that blasted forward.

The training ground's space reinforcement devices were operating at full speed, barely managing to block the aftershocks of the attack.

"According to the synchronous data from the training ground, its power is equivalent to a full-force attack from an ordinary god," Xuanji's voice rang out. "It consumes 0.03% of the divine kingdom's energy reserves."

Lin Yi nodded.

He also tested other functions: spatial teleportation, divine kingdom projection, superposition of law domains, and coordinated combat by mechanical legions.
The testing time for the three standard times passed quickly.

Just as Lin Yi was about to end the test, Xuanji suddenly reminded him.

"Master, His Majesty Mingluo of the Purple Gold Star Alliance requests a visit."

Huh? Mingluo?

Lin Yi wasn't surprised by Mingluo's visit.

During his time back, he has received numerous requests to visit from the eternal gods residing in the fortress, but he has declined them all for the time being, saying he will return the visit later.

But Mingluo is different.

He is the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Purple Gold Star Alliance, a veteran eternal god of the human race, and he had previously taken care of the Silver Blue Civilization, although that was mainly because of his senior brother Zhenyu.

Lin Yi's heart stirred.

“Reply to His Majesty Mingluo,” he said, “I am at the training ground. If it is convenient for him, he may come here to see me.”

"Yes, Master."
-
Mingluo was overjoyed when she received Lin Yi's reply.

After all, Lin Yi is now a celebrity in the fortress, and it is said that many powerful and even high-level gods have tried to visit him but have been temporarily turned away.

No one thought it was a big deal, because everyone knew that Lin Yi and the others had been trapped in the secret realm for five thousand years, and there would definitely be a lot of things to deal with when they returned.

Therefore, Mingluo simply sent the request as a routine gesture, to express his stance.

But to my surprise, Lin Yi actually agreed!

But why is the meeting place the practice field?

Or is it a training ground for gods?

A hint of doubt flashed through Mingluo's mind.

But then he thought again, it must be his senior brother, Lord Zhenyu, giving him guidance.

Zhenyu is a high-ranking deity, and it just so happens that his junior brother's second law is the law of space, so it's perfectly reasonable for them to teach each other in the training ground.

Thinking of this, a hint of joy flashed in Mingluo's eyes.

Last time, giving Zhenyu Mian face and opening a back door for the Silver Blue Civilization was absolutely the right thing to do.

He received a lot of care from Lord Zhenyu during the war, and this trip would allow him to further strengthen his relationship with Lord Zhenyu.

So Minglu tidied himself up, summoned a flying shuttle, and quickly arrived at the S-level training ground.

However, after gaining access, Mingluo stopped at the entrance as soon as he stepped into the training ground.

But to his surprise, he didn't see Lord Zhenyu in the training field.

There are only two Lin Yis.

That's not the point; he knew Lin Yi could split himself into two.

But the crucial point is that one of them actually exudes an aura of god-level power!

He sensed it carefully.

That's right, it's a genuine god-level energy level, although it's only the most basic level, it is indeed the level of an eternal god!

"Your Majesty Mingluo," Lin Yi turned around and greeted him with a smile, "Please come in."

Mingluo walked into the training ground, but his gaze remained fixed on the god-like "Lin Yi".

"This is..." Although he already recognized what it was, he still asked instinctively.

"The Fearless War God," Lin Yi said casually. "I was summoned by the Azure Jade Sovereign and bestowed with a Fearless War God form. I just bound it for testing."

He truly is a fearless war god!
Mingluo's pupils constricted slightly.

He was a veteran deity, so he naturally knew what it was: the highest-level combat unit of the mechanical race, an eternal god-level mechanical divine body!
Lin Yi actually managed to get his hands on one?!

Minglu was shocked, but smiled and said, "Congratulations, Brother Lin Yi! This is a great opportunity. With it, you are now a true god-level fighter."

As he spoke, his mind raced with thoughts.

Originally, Lin Yi was a prodigy who had perfected the laws of time and was destined to become an eternal god, so he wanted to invest in him and build relationships in advance.

But now it seems he underestimated it.

A prodigy who has perfected the laws of the universe and a prodigy who already possesses god-level combat power are two completely different things.

The former is a potential stock, and it needs time to grow.

The latter is already a combat-ready force, capable of immediately influencing the course of the battle.

And
A thought flashed through Mingluo's mind.

Our team is short-handed!
The Star Silent Squad lost a member three months ago and hasn't found a suitable replacement. If Lin Yi could join...
This thought made Mingluo's heart pound.

The gift he had prepared now seemed completely inadequate.

They already have god-level avatars, what are those things compared to that?

Minglu quickly adjusted her mindset.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his shock, and smiled.

"Congratulations! This is truly a momentous occasion!" He stepped forward, carefully examining the Fearless War God, his eyes filled with admiration. "Bestowed by the Azure Sovereign himself, Brother Lin Yi, you have truly ascended to the heavens in one step!"

Lin Yi humbly replied, "It was just a coincidence."

“Opportunity is also part of strength.” Minglu shook his head, his tone serious. “However, Brother Lin Yi, there’s something I have to remind you. With this Fearless War God, your role on the battlefield is completely different. Before, you were a prodigy who needed protection. Now you are a combat unit and need to take responsibility.”

Lin Yi nodded: "I understand."

Minglu looked at Lin Yi, her mind racing.

Since the original gift is no longer suitable, let's try a different approach.

Since he wanted to befriend Lin Yi, he must have thoroughly researched the Silver Blue Civilization.

He knew everything about Lin Yi's background, experience, and interpersonal relationships.

At that moment, Mingluo had a sudden thought and immediately came up with a new plan.

"Brother Lin Yi," he sighed, "to tell you the truth, I've come to you for help!"

Lin Yi was immediately surprised.

He wouldn't be surprised if Mingluo gave him a gift.

Can I ask for help?

A god-level being is asking me for help?

We're not that close, are we?

Besides, it seems my combat power hasn't been upgraded to god-level yet. What could Mingluo possibly think he could help the eternal gods with?
Lin Yi was somewhat curious.

He said, "Your Majesty is too kind. I will do my best in all my ability."

Minglu was speechless upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "Good lad, quite shrewd."

This sounds nice, like someone is confidently offering to help, but it really just means: I'll do my best to help within my capabilities.

Whether it's within his capabilities or not is just a matter of Lin Yi's own word, isn't it?

However, Mingluo was not angry but pleased.

Having a brain is good; only those with brains are less likely to fall into pitfalls and perish.

After all, he didn't really ask Lin Yi for help.

“Brother Lin Yi,” Ming Luo’s expression became even more sincere, “to be honest, since the start of the great war, the workload of the Purple Gold Star Alliance has increased dramatically. I’ve been on the front lines most of the time, and I’m stretched thin. Brother Lin Yi, you’re a member of our Purple Gold Star Alliance, and you have such strength.”

He paused, looking into Lin Yi's eyes.

"That's why I couldn't help but ask you for help. I'd like to ask if you could condescend to serve as the vice chairman of the Executive Committee of the Purple Gold Star Alliance? Help me share the burden?"

(End of this chapter)