222: Real rules

As their gazes met, the scene in the passage changed again. Centered on the man’s figure, the world around him, which had nothing but illusory light, underwent a drastic evolution. In an instant, it was as if a sea of stars descended upon Tianhuang Star.

And that man’s figure stood alone in the sea of stars, captivating; the myriad stars were not as brilliant as he.

“What is this?”

Under Qin Jin’s gaze, the man looked him over twice, his expression unchanged, before closing his eyes again.

As he closed his eyes, the image of him displayed in the passage suddenly vanished, replaced by other magnificent and awe-inspiring scenes: a vast divine hall supported by pillars reaching to the sky, and an endless, majestic celestial body, resembling a star-ring or a Great Wall, constantly moving in the sea of stars.

“These scenes…”

Qin Jin already had a guess in his heart: “These are the illusory lives and illusory lands within Tianhuang Star, and they are already extremely high-level existences.”

“Is it because of some characteristic of Tianhuang Star that they are displayed in the passage?”

“That senior?”

His thoughts raced: “All the other scenes are continuously maintained, but only that man’s figure flashed by, as if he actively disconnected himself. Did he intentionally come to look at me?”

The scene of his initial appearance, combined with the other continuously increasing scenes, subtly revealed the man’s identity in Qin Jin’s mind.

The other party was very likely the Federation Martial God whom Lu Chuyun mentioned was cultivating here.

The sensation of rising continued, and after breaking through a certain height, the surrounding magnificent scenes, which had been constantly flashing, stilled and then disappeared one by one, leaving the passage surrounded by a black hole-like void.

Qin Jin did not ponder further.

That senior merely glanced at him casually, seemingly aware of his identity through some channels and giving him a slight amount of attention. It involved a supreme powerhouse of the Federation, and no one could fathom the thoughts in his heart.

As he ascended, a swirling portal appeared at the very top. Qin Jin did not hesitate, stepping into it. Amidst the rippling waves, he returned to the normal sea of stars.

His feet touched solid ground, and the moment he appeared, Qin Jin’s gaze swept around. The surroundings were somewhat familiar; it was precisely the platform he had left from. However, the situation on the platform was a bit unusual at this time. Besides him, there were more than a dozen figures on the platform, who also seemed to be personnel leaving Tianhuang Star during this window period.

There were men and women, but only one person was as young as Qin Jin. As Qin Jin observed, he noticed that many of their gazes lingered on him for a moment.

Around the platform, a defensive light barrier rose.

Within the predominantly azure defensive light barrier, intricate strands of brilliant flowing light could be seen interwoven above, making the entire defensive light barrier appear somewhat “eerie.”

The moment Qin Chi saw this scene, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Although there was no anomaly in his perception, he had been dealing with illusory light every day during this period. Now, seeing the patterns on the light barrier, his first thought was of illusory light.

“Everyone.”

Just then, a solemn broadcast voice sounded from the platform.

“Everyone present is entering Tianhuang Star for the first time and returning from Tianhuang Star’s window period for the first time. However, arriving here does not mean this journey is completely over.”

“You still have one final step to complete.”

“Please take out the contract books you obtained within Tianhuang Star.”

Qin Jin raised an eyebrow slightly and complied.

What he took out was precisely the book containing information about Tianhuang Star.

A glance revealed that everyone on the platform held the same item. After entering Tianhuang Star, they all needed to obtain this item to understand the information, and at the same time, an invisible contract was formed to ensure that the information about Tianhuang Star was not leaked.

“Next.”

“Prepare to experience the real world.”

In the broadcast, the speaker uttered the last sentence.

As his voice fell, under Qin Jin’s gaze, the defensive light barrier enveloping the platform collapsed.

As the light barrier dissipated, the information book held in his hand quietly ascended, instantly transforming into countless specks of light. The light specks, like grains of sand, reassembled in the air, forming a peculiar pattern.

The pattern looked like pictographs, and upon closer inspection, it vaguely resembled the character for [Jìng] ( net, pure/cleanse).

The light barrier dissipated, and the pattern formed.

In an instant, Qin Jin, though standing on solid ground, felt as if he were a lone boat on a vast ocean. He felt as if he were floating on the surface of the sea, with massive waves surging, and at the same time, immense pressure came from all directions of his physique, sweeping over his entire body.

His domain automatically activated!

That immense pressure bore down on his domain!

From the beginning of his domain, embedded within his physique, and delving deeper, his blood, bones, flesh, and even the primordial power surging within his physique, all clearly perceived this strange pressure.

Even—

As it continued, Qin Jin clearly perceived that at a certain moment, his Dao Foundation trembled slightly.

The unknown pressure from outside, as if finding a new outlet, entered through his Dao Foundation, delved into the Spirit Ruins, re-tempered his Cave Heaven, and pressed upon the wondrous land.

This was no longer something that mere power could accomplish.

At this moment, above the dozen or so figures on the platform, patterns emerged, seemingly forming an array, and the figures below all showed expressions of pain.

The immense pressure swept through their entire bodies.

Qin Jin clearly perceived that under the influence of this unknown pressure, his body activated its self-defense mechanisms. Primordial power continuously surged forth, and spiritual energy flowed within his Spirit Ruins, solidifying everything to jointly resist the external calamity.

The pressure lessened somewhat.

But in just an instant, the pressure further increased.

If described in terms of the Weapon Forging Manual, Qin Jin at this moment was like a rough blank, being hammered to remove impurities with each strike, each hammer blow stronger than the last.

“Is this the final step of Tianhuang Star’s process?”

“What exactly is this?”

Thoughts flashed through his mind. Qin Jin endured the pain, and after confirming that he was genuinely improving under this unknown pressure, he felt a bit relieved.

True returns for effort are the greatest motivation.

Pain came, and with a slight shift of thought, the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven, which stood firm under the immense pressure, underwent internal changes. Treasure Techniques were employed, and Qin Jin’s thoughts became clear. He began to actively engage and explore.

With his full attention and careful perception, he immediately gained some insights.

He possessed the Myriad Spirits Body, a physique bestowed by the Great Desolation, which was compatible with spiritual energy and also provided assistance in the sea of stars. Qin Jin was adept at controlling elemental power.

Now, under this immense pressure, Qin Jin perceived that this physique had improved.

This was an improvement independent of his life essence.

Following that, Qin Jin discovered more.

The unknown pattern suspended above his head seemed more like a protective array. The actual immense pressure seemed even more terrifying, but most of it was blocked by the array, with only a small portion acting on Qin Jin himself. The continuously increasing pressure was precisely the array gradually releasing its hold after determining that Qin Jin could withstand it!

■

Inside the Star Fortress.

In the conference room, the large screen at the front displayed a scene, which was precisely the platform. At a glance, several of the initial dozen or so returnees had already departed. As time passed, occasionally, after the pattern array above someone’s head stopped, the garrison personnel of the planet would take them away.

The number of people gradually decreased.

In the bottom right corner of the large screen, there was also a countdown timer.

As time passed, the countdown neared its end and quietly disappeared.

“Alright.”

The man in the military uniform, a middle-aged officer with the insignia of a Federation General Star on his shoulder, who was seated at the head of the conference table, said in a deep voice, “Those who have left can be notified.”

“They have lost the qualification to enter Tianhuang Star again.”

“Yes.”

A chorus of agreement sounded.

“It’s a pity. Among those who left, there was a promising talent I was optimistic about.”

Another person spoke.

“There’s nothing to regret.”

The middle-aged man at the head of the table, with a square face and a dignified expression, said, “Since he is a promising talent, there is more than one path he can take. Experiencing this final stage of the process only proves that he is not suited for Tianhuang Star.”

“Entering again would only put himself in danger, and he wouldn’t even know how he died.”

Speaking of this, his gaze once again turned to the large screen.

On the platform, only five people remained.

Above the five, real-time values were displayed, seemingly recording something. The man’s gaze swept across them, finally landing on one of the figures.

The value above that person was rising at a steady pace, and as time progressed, the rate of increase became even faster, as if he was gradually “adapting.”

“Who is this young man?”

The middle-aged general asked.

Upon hearing this, the staff seated at both ends of the table brought up the data, and a light screen appeared before the main seat.

“His name is Qin Jin.”

“He is a second-year student at Wu Yuan Academy, but he entered Tianhuang Star through a military recommendation channel.”

“Second year?”

The general raised an eyebrow, thoughtful, and said in a deep voice, “Keep a record.”

“Based on his current performance, he fully meets the qualifications for multiple entries into Tianhuang Star. Since he came through our military channel, there are some things in the future that he can join.”

“Yes!”

The baptism of immense pressure.

Through his own attempts and continuous contact and perception, the pain could no longer affect Qin Jin’s mind. In his heart, a clear understanding gradually emerged.

All the information after entering Tianhuang Star was strung together.

“This kind of immense pressure that truly permeates every part of the body, inside and out…”

“It seems to be the power of rules.”

Rules!

Rules exist everywhere in the world, involving the vast sea of stars and the cultivation side; these are two immensely grand words.

“To be precise, as I returned to the sea of stars, returning to a place of rules, my body was re-adapting to the [rules]. Under the evolution of this array, it manifested as immense pressure, progressing step by step.”

“In the past, when I first teleported into Tianhuang Star, there was a sense of distortion, precisely because my body was adapting to the change from a place of rules to a place without rules.”

“Now that I’m back, my body needs to re-adapt to the various rules in the sea of stars. Natural rules are just the most basic.”

“If it were an ordinary person, they would not be able to adapt to this change at all. However, those who can enter Tianhuang Star are not ordinary people to begin with. Coupled with the Federation’s arrangements, this step was finally completed.”

He thought of what Lu Chuyun had said: “This contract will be passively protected.”

Qin Jin had not expected that the so-called protection would take this form.

After analyzing and organizing everything in his mind, Qin Jin became even more proactive. [Rules]—this was undoubtedly something that only true supreme cultivators could touch, but now, manifested in another form and acting upon himself, it was a rare opportunity.

Time passed.

His mind immersed in it, and after an unknown period, a faint sound from above startled Qin Jin.

Above, the pattern array seemed to have completed its work. It dispersed and reassembled, transforming into its original book-like appearance before slowly descending into Qin Jin’s hand.

The surrounding immense pressure had completely disappeared.

Qin Jin could perceive his power constantly surging, his physique incredibly solid. This immense pressure, evolved from a grand concept, had significantly boosted his cultivation progress. If not for his stable foundation and astonishing reserves, with the primordial power he could bear increasing with each realm, he would probably already be undergoing his eighth transformation.

Even so, his eighth transformation was already close at hand.

Within the Eternal Cave Heaven, the Longevity Divine Tree had also taken this opportunity to grow robustly. Qin Jin saw that black fruits had already formed, and even more white fruits had appeared on the branches and leaves.

Moreover...

He could sense that the Eternal Cave Heaven had subtly undergone a different change, beginning to forge a new path.

The illusory words above the Divine Advent Cave Heaven and the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven had both solidified further.

Qin Chi could imagine that...

If one day, he truly reached the extraordinary level where he could touch the [essence of rules], then perhaps these two words, ‘Divine’ and ‘Dao,’ would become completely real.

These were merely improvements in cultivation.

In Qin Jin’s view, what was more important lay in other aspects.

When he opened his eyes and looked at the now empty platform, and then at the distant sea of stars, everything he saw with his naked eye remained unchanged. However, on a spiritual level, Qin Jin perceived that the entire world had become clearer.

The real world.

How precious the words “real world” were.

This feeling was particularly distinct. Qin Jin could confirm that now—if some naturally occurring wonder were placed before him, he should be able to quickly discern its function.

“It’s like the distance to the entire world has shortened.”

Qin Jin looked around: “Have the others already left?”

“The pattern array proceeds gradually. The longer one can experience it here, the greater the harvest should be.”

Just then.

Not far ahead, a voice called out.

“Mr. Qin.”

Qin Chi followed the sound.

Two soldiers in military uniforms approached, with kind smiles: “Our commander wishes to see you.”

“The commander of this Star Fortress? The one specifically in charge of Tianhuang Star for the military?”

Thoughts flashed through his mind, and Qin Jin nodded, following behind them.

He also wanted to learn more about Tianhuang Star and verify whether his conjectures were correct.

Leaving the platform, they proceeded forward.

As they walked, the personal terminal Qin Jin wore vibrated slightly, and a familiar voice emerged.

“Qin Jin!”

“I’m awake!”

Candle Kite.

She had entered a dormant state after entering Tianhuang Star and was now reappearing.

Ahead, the two soldiers leading the way heard the voice, glanced back, and did not say anything further to disturb them.

“You woke up at just the right time.”

Candle Kite did not project her image. Qin Jin looked at the terminal: “The second stop is over. Where is our next destination?”

Candle Kite did not respond verbally, as if she didn’t want others to hear.

The terminal flickered, and Federation characters appeared on the screen.

[Myriad Phenomena Galaxy]