The Radiance of That Finger

As soon as the words fell, Lin Yi picked up the remaining Spirit Shine Crystal on the table without a moment's hesitation.

He did not waver, his five fingers suddenly clenching with force.

Crack!

The crisp sound of shattering was jarringly loud in the quiet Banquet Hall.

This time, the fragments turned into a strange gray mist in Lin Yi's palm, yet they did not dissipate like the previous technique crystals.

This gray mist twisted, compressed, and condensed frantically in mid-air; in just a breath's time, it collapsed into a translucent, multi-faceted crystal the size of a pea!

Deep within the core of the crystal, a mercury-like luster flowed silently.

"Plop."

This multi-faceted Source Energy Crystal Core landed precisely in Lin Yi's slightly opened palm.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Yi slammed his hand shut!

"Urgh!!!"

Violent pain erupted instantly!

Everyone had been watching Lin Yi closely, and they saw hideous, spiderweb-like crimson marks begin at the wrist where he gripped the crystal, spreading frantically up his forearm like living things.

Soon after, the blood vessels on both sides of Lin Yi's neck began to bulge and knot, the veins on his forehead and temples throbbed violently like twisting earthworms, and his entire face flushed to a terrifying purplish-red.

Before long, even Lin Yi's body began to tremble uncontrollably like a sieve, and the chattering sound of him gritting his teeth was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

"Ruiming! ...Xiao Yi, he..."

Zhou Jinghua's face turned pale instantly, and she looked ready to rush over regardless of the consequences.

"Don't go over!"

Lin Ruiming was quick-witted; he lunged forward, spread his arms, and blocked his wife firmly, stopping her in her tracks.

He gripped his wife's trembling arms tightly, his eyes fixed on his convulsing son, his voice trembling but carrying an unquestionable trust:

"Calm down! Calm down, Jinghua! You have to trust Xiao Yi! He... he has never done anything... without being sure of it!"

Time crawled by for half an hour amidst the anxious waiting of the crowd and the agonizing torment of Lin Yi.

When the violent Source Energy Crystal Core in his palm was completely drained of energy, Lin Yi looked as if he had just been fished out of the water, gasping for air as he leaned against the corner of the wall on the floor, sweat soaking his bangs and dripping down his pale cheeks.

This time, aside from the gritting of his teeth and the feigned roar he had performed, the other physical reactions were incredibly real.

Since his rebirth, this was the first time in the true sense that he had used a mortal body to consume a crystal containing such violent source energy.

The pain that was meant to be there did not diminish by a single bit.

The only difference was that his current soul and will were sufficient to easily suppress pain of this magnitude.

Lin Yi caught his breath, met the concerned but hesitant gazes of the crowd, and slowly raised his hand, forming a sword-finger gesture.

Immediately, a grain-sized, pure blue light flickered into existence at his slightly trembling fingertips! Like a cold star suddenly appearing in the pitch-black night sky, it instantly tore through the oppressive atmosphere of the Banquet Hall.

"Ah!"

"Is this... source energy?"

"Xiao Yi... he... succeeded?!"

Exclamations rose one after another.

Although that speck of blue light was faint, it possessed an overwhelming presence, locking everyone's gaze firmly upon it.

"Xiao Yi! Xiao Yi! How are you?"

Zhou Jinghua, who had been on the verge of a breakdown, could no longer hold back; she broke free from her husband's restraint and stumbled toward Lin Yi.

Lin Ruiming followed closely behind, kneeling on one knee beside Lin Yi as he carefully supported his son's damp neck. "Xiao Yi... how do you feel? Is there anywhere you're in pain?"

"Mom, Dad, I... I'm fine..."

Lin Yi forced a reassuring smile. "I'm just tired... like I... ran twenty marathons... in one breath..."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes slightly, feeling the violent changes occurring within his body.

Although the energy contained in that Level 1 Source Energy Crystal was violent, it had been precisely absorbed and refined under the influence of the Guidance Technique.

At this moment, a brand-new, far more powerful vitality was spreading through his limbs and bones, rapidly repairing the minute damage caused by the impact while silently strengthening every inch of muscle, tendon, bone, and even deeper tissue structures.

"Uncle, Aunt, let Brother Yi catch his breath..."

Chen Yu hurriedly stepped forward, stopping the others who were still crowding around with their questions.

He looked at Lin Yi's pale face and then glanced at the finger that had already extinguished its blue light; he was both terrified and envious. Although he was full of questions, he understood that what Lin Yi needed most right now was rest.

The Banquet Hall fell into a strange silence, with only the sound of Lin Yi's heavy breathing remaining.

Everyone's eyes were focused on him; worry, tension, amazement, envy, and disbelief... all sorts of emotions intertwined in the air.

Time passed minute by minute, and after about ten minutes, Lin Yi's breathing finally steadied.

He braced himself against the wall and stood up slowly. Without rushing to speak, he first slowly raised his Right Hand, which had just condensed the source energy.

The spiderweb-like red marks that had appeared on his arm due to the forced energy absorption had faded without a trace, and what flowed beneath his skin was a sense of vitality like never before.

"Source Energy... has already begun to transform and strengthen my body."

After a moment of silence, Lin Yi spoke to the group, his voice still raspy but now carrying a sense of composure and unquestionable power.

"Perhaps, the key to resisting those monsters... is Source Energy."

"Because as long as you can get started, just one of those Source Energy Crystals is enough to bring about... a qualitative change."

The next moment, his gaze swept toward the heavy solid wood Desktop leaning against the wall, which had been rendered useless after its legs were removed.

It was the one Lin Ruiming and Zhou Jianjun had dismantled together earlier, and it was incredibly heavy.

The group watched as Lin Yi took a deep breath, raised his Right Hand index finger—the same one that had just condensed the blue light—and with a steady arm and no flashy movements, pointed sharply at the heavy wooden Desktop!

"Ssh!"

A strand of Azure Blue light, an inch long and condensed to the point of appearing solid, shot out from his fingertip!

The blue radiance was as fast as thunder, silent and precise, striking the center of the Desktop!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a dull "thud!"

The moment everyone's eyes followed the point of impact, that solid Desktop, which would have required two or three people to lift together, seemed to have its entire internal structure detonated from the point where the blue light struck!

Crash!

The entire Desktop suddenly collapsed inward and exploded.

It didn't just crack; it was as if it had been struck by an invisible giant hammer, instantly turning into a cloud of dust mixed with wood shavings and fine splinters, leaving not even a single large piece of wood behind.

"..."

In that instant, the entire Banquet Hall seemed to fall into a state of stillness, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.