In a pitch-black space, a large white sphere of light appeared above Lin Qianyi's head.
Although no one told him anything, he just knew—that was the Lord God.
> [Trialer No. 154059, your next trial mission will begin in sixty days. Until then, you may choose to return to the main world timeline at any time. Once you return, the countdown for the trial will begin. The time you spend here in the Lord God Space does not count.]
"I have points. Can I exchange them for anything?" Lin Qianyi asked after steadying his emotions.
> [Yes.]
"Is there an exchange menu?" Lin Qianyi asked, curious about what kind of things could be exchanged here.
Almost as soon as he asked, a blue-hued list of items appeared in the void before him.
> [Trialer No. 154059, the items shown here are only a portion of what's available. In theory, I can provide you with any item you request, so it's better if you ask directly.]
"Do you have anything that lets me instantly become a Realm Master?" Lin Qianyi asked tentatively.
Immediately, a series of exchange options appeared before him:
> [Perfect Realm Pattern: From the world 'Land of Taiyi,' constructed by a world-creating powerhouse. With it, you can open a new small world. (Price: ???)]
> [Fragmented Minor World Core: From the world 'Heavenly Azure Realm,' remnants of broken paradises. (Price: ???)]
> [High-Grade Inner World: From the 'Mystic Void Realm,' nurtured by a Martial Sovereign. Contains complete world laws. (Price: ???)]
…
"Wait, where are the prices? I can't see them," Lin Qianyi asked.
> [Prices in the Lord God Space vary based on the trialer's potential. Trialer No. 154059, your current potential does not qualify to view the prices.]
"So, if my potential were high enough, could you possibly give them to me for free?" Lin Qianyi mused.
> [That possibility exists in theory.]
Even though he couldn't see the prices, Lin Qianyi began to grasp the scope of the Lord God's power and authority.
Clearly, this place was on a much higher level than the 'Land of Taiyi.'
Items capable of creating Realm Masters were just casually offered.
Moreover, it seemed the Lord God differentiated between trialers—those with greater potential were favored.
Clearly, this wasn't a rigid AI.
"How is the time calculated when I exchange for re-entry into a trial world?" Lin Qianyi asked.
> [Ten days equals one point. Trialer No. 154059, would you like to exchange points for arrival time in the 'Wandering Deserted Island' world?]
"No, not yet. Also—can you stop calling me by my number? It sounds like I'm a prisoner," Lin Qianyi raised his hand.
> [Understood. Trialer Lin Qianyi, do you have any other requests?]
"After returning to the main world, can I come back here to the Lord God Space?" he asked.
> [You may return at any time.]
"Will the time in the main world be frozen while I'm here?"
> [To be precise, I only project your consciousness into this spatial node—it is not true time-freezing.]
"The effect is basically the same though, right? So doesn't that mean I can get extra time to think by coming here?" Lin Qianyi asked.
> [I must remind you: You currently exist here only as a consciousness. The Lord God Space does not grant additional time for cultivation. You are not encouraged to use this method for contemplation or study.]
Lin Qianyi seemed to understand something.
So this place was for exchanging materials only—not a loophole for training or studying.
Of course, that was just the principle. It didn't mean it was forbidden.
You could technically drag things out here to buy time and think.
But the Lord God clearly had autonomy. If it liked you, it might just give you things for free. If it didn't, it could erase you entirely.
So, that little exploit path? Closed.
Thinking further, Lin Qianyi wanted to test the upper limit of the Lord God.
"Do you have the Pangu Axe? Can the system give me one?"
Instantly, related exchange options appeared:
> [Pangu Axe: From the 'Chaos World,' formed from Pangu's tooth, possesses the power to split heaven and earth. (Price: ???)]
> [Point-Allocation System: From the fantasy world "I Became a God Through Points." Allows the host to convert absorbed energy into attribute points for self-enhancement. (Price: ???)]
…
The Pangu Axe literally described the ability to split the heavens. These systems resembled what Lin Qianyi had read in novels—the Lord God was pulling items from fiction into reality.
Again, prices were hidden.
Lin Qianyi wasn't sure if the Lord God truly had that level of power, but he had a feeling—it could.
If that were true, didn't that make the Lord God omnipotent?
And yet, it still wanted to cultivate a "Transcendent."
So being omnipotent… didn't equate to being Transcendent?
"How much for Xisui Grass seeds?" Lin Qianyi suddenly asked.
> [Xisui Grass Seeds: From the 'Land of Taiyi.' Grows into Xisui Grass, which refines the body and improves one's natural talents. (Price: 5 points.)]
"What about a fully grown Xisui Grass?"
> [Xisui Grass: From the 'Land of Taiyi.' When consumed, refines the body and enhances natural talent, useful before foundation-building. (Price: 500 points.)]
"What the hell? That expensive?!"
Lin Qianyi's eyes nearly popped out.
Lord God, your prices are outrageous!
He only earned 600 points in total from this trial world. Buying just one grass would leave him with only 100 points.
He might as well spend that on more land for his farming space.
"Lord God, are all trial missions entered through avatars?"
> [Yes.]
"So can trialers bring items into trials?"
> [You may purchase a Consciousness Storage Space. One cubic meter costs 1000 points.]
Lin Qianyi nodded.
So, trialers could bring items in?
That explains why his farming space hadn't been blocked—the Lord God probably considered it part of his own storage space.
"If I return to the main world, can I tell others about all this?"
> [You may. But for your own safety, it's not recommended unless you're absolutely sure.]
So, his identity as a trialer could be used to gain influence—but considering the situation in his main world, he'd better not reveal it.
"Oh right—am I the only trialer in the Land of Taiyi?"
> [No comment on other trialers.]
"Are there team trials with other trialers?"
> [Yes. But to minimize conflict, team trials are rare. The Transcendent must be individually strong—no reliance on teams.]
So the Lord God Space encouraged solo development?
That implied it wanted trialers to develop in all areas.
And considering that staying in trial worlds cost only 1 point per 10 days, it was clearly encouraging them to make the most of those worlds.
Trials didn't mean cutting ties afterward.
Lin Qianyi felt he was gaining deeper insight into the Lord God Space.
"If I pay for return time in a trial world, and my avatar dies—what happens?"
> [You permanently lose access to that trial world. Please handle your avatar with care and cultivation.]
"Why?"
> [No comment.]
Now Lin Qianyi was confused.
Wasn't the avatar just a safety shell?
Why the emphasis on cultivating it?
Cultivating?
Was the system encouraging players to train alt-accounts?
But how would that work in a resource-intensive solo system?
And it didn't seem like the avatar was just a backup body...
Information was too limited. Since the Lord God wouldn't explain, he had to give up on it for now.
"What's the price of a mission exemption token?"
> [Mission Exemption Token: Can be used to avoid the punishment for failing a trial. (Price: 100,000 points.) (Note: Each trialer can only purchase 3 of these.)]
"Three?! I can't even afford one!"
Clearly, these weren't meant for beginners. Only high-level trialers would even have the chance.
Lin Qianyi asked several more questions, spending nearly three hours in the Lord God Space before he finally ended his inquiries and prepared to leave.
He hadn't exchanged anything yet—but he did gain a clear idea of the pricing.
Directly exchanging for abilities or finished products was not cost-effective.
Knowledge was cheaper—much cheaper.
For example, the technique "Three Treasures Manipulation" cost only 80 points for the text, but to gain full mastery of it? 1,200 points.
So knowledge → self-study = most value.
Seeds were also cheap—compared to their full-grown forms.
Price difference between product and seed was often 100x.
For now, Lin Qianyi held off on any purchases and just browsed.
He'd decide what to get when the time came.
> "Lord God, please send me back."
---
Land of Taiyi.
Deep Sky Federation, Core Realm, District 7, Pisces Apartment Complex.
Lin Qianyi's consciousness returned to his body. Standing in the hallway, he still felt disoriented.
Everything around him looked both familiar and strange.
He had lived in this apartment for over two years—but it now felt like he hadn't seen it in ages.
A sense of temporal displacement washed over him.
Arriving at Room 506, he pressed his key fob. The door clicked open.
The layout was simple—table, chairs, sofa, fridge, water dispenser, wall-mounted TV. The apartment was small—just 60 square meters.
It was an old building. No elevator. No smart tech.
No one would even rent it anymore—hence why it was given as housing for "outstanding students" like Lin Qianyi.
Nowadays, rental places came fully smart-equipped—cooking, cleaning, laundry all handled by robots.
But here, he still had to tidy up himself.
Then again, this was a normal residential area.
Everyone here was ordinary. Basically a countryside zone.
All the cutting-edge tech went to districts for Evolvers.
And maybe that was for the best. Dragons don't live with snakes—putting ordinary people near superhumans only caused problems.
As a kid, Lin Qianyi had seen news of Evolvers fighting and killing thousands of regular civilians.
In such situations, normal people were no different from ants.
He closed the door, sank into the sofa, and stared blankly.
Then his phone buzzed—a message from Wang Xiaoyi.
> Xiaoxiao Yi: Senior, I'm home.
Seeing that smiling frog emoji, Lin Qianyi smiled and replied:
> Farming Bro: See you tomorrow.
> Xiaoxiao Yi: See you tomorrow, Senior.