Walking Into the Line of Fire

As he stepped into the hall, he was slightly taken aback by the scene before him.

Several candles had been lit inside the hall, their dim yet warm glow dispelling the deep darkness.

After being woken up by the sound of the helicopter, no one had gone back to sleep; they had already heard about Lin Yi's situation, and upon seeing him enter, they all swarmed toward him in a rush.

"Xiao Yi! No, Major... Major Lin!"

Uncle Zhou Jianjun was the first to speak, patting Lin Yi's shoulder firmly, his eyes even turning slightly red. "Good lad! You've truly brought honor to your grandfather's family, and you've brought honor to our country as well!"

"Brother Yi! That's so awesome, a Major!" Chen Yu rushed forward, eager to give Lin Yi a hug, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the box in his hands. "And the authorities gave you so many crystals all at once..."

His parents stood a little further away; his father, Lin Ruiming, held his wife's shoulders tightly. He looked at his son and nodded heavily, a thousand words contained within that profound gaze.

Ye Qingyu, Zhou Yuxuan, Zhang Haotian, Li Jie... every familiar face was filled with excitement.

Lin Yi was instantly submerged in a chorus of congratulations and inquiries.

Feeling the warmth of this fervent atmosphere, Lin Yi felt a gentle glow in his heart.

He raised his hand and pressed it downward, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

"Thank you, everyone." His voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "This honor does not belong to me alone. Without the armor and weapon A Yu gave me, and without everyone holding this place together and resolving our worries, none of this would be possible."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the eager and curious faces before finally landing on the Silver-white Box in his hands.

"I know what you all want to see. That's right, inside this box are the... research materials provided by the General Staff."

Lin Yi smiled slightly, and then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he opened the box in front of them all.

In an instant, a soft radiance burst forth, especially from the row of white and green crystals in the middle; their light almost eclipsed the candlelight, drawing an irrepressible gasp from the crowd.

"Wow!"

"So many!"

"Those white ones... and the green ones! They look so high-grade!"

Lin Yi did not explain the specific meaning of the colors; he simply reached out and, as if checking treasures, touched each crystal one by one with care.

His movements were calm and earnest, as if he were not counting Spoils of War, but performing a solemn ritual.

He first examined the gray crystals.

Just as expected, all 14 of them were Tier 1 Source Energy Crystals.

Then, under the burning gaze of the crowd, Lin Yi's fingers brushed across the six Spirit Shine Crystals that emitted a gentle white light.

Each time his fingertip touched one, a stream of Information Flow surged into his mind, and he clearly recited the contents accordingly.

"The first, movement technique, Flowing Star Step."

"The second, combat technique, Star Splitting Spear Art."

"The third, cultivation method, Nine Heavens Primordial Method."

"The fourth, cultivation manual, Mote Secret Art."

"The fifth, equipment, Flowing Cloud Type I Assault Light Armor."

"The sixth, weapon, Abyss Rift Type I Long Spear."

With every name he announced, the breathing of those around him grew more rapid, and their eyes grew brighter.

These names sounded far more advanced and powerful than the basic Source Energy Guidance Technique!

When all six crystals had been touched, Lin Yi understood everything in his heart.

Movement technique, attack technique, primary cultivation method, auxiliary manual, defensive armor, primary combat weapon...

How could this be a randomly dropped reward?

This was clearly a full set of low-tier Stardust level configurations, tailored specifically for him and ready for immediate use!

From cultivation to combat, from defense to movement, the General Staff had considered all his shortcomings and needs.

In his past life, he had struggled until he reached Stardust level Tier 3 to assemble such a set, yet now, the General Staff had provided it all at once.

Although these items were not particularly precious—Lin Yi reckoned that with his plan to reveal his strength, he could have gathered them all within half a year—this thoughtfulness and level of importance still made Lin Yi feel quite satisfied.

After all, in his past life, the authorities were too busy looking after themselves during his growth period to provide such treatment. By the time he became a Star Core level, although the authorities had grown stronger, it was already the turn of high-level figures like him to cultivate the younger generation.

He had truly never experienced being showered with resources for such intensive cultivation before.

This feeling... I have to say, it's really not bad...

While marveling at this brand-new experience, Lin Yi let his gaze linger for a moment longer on the crystals for the Star Splitting Spear Art and the Abyss Rift Type I Long Spear, a trace of doubt flashing through his mind.

However, it's a bit strange... I clearly used a staff in the video. Although staffs and spears share many similarities, specifically configuring a set of spear techniques and a long spear still seems a bit deliberate... The General Staff couldn't possibly make such a low-level mistake.

His gaze involuntarily drifted toward the Spirit Shine Crystal that lay quietly in the center, emitting a deep, emerald green light.

Could it be... the reason lies here?

Lin Yi reached out his finger and cautiously touched the green crystal.

In an instant, a torrent of information, far more vast and complex than that of the white crystals, surged into his sea of consciousness.

At the core of the information were three large characters filled with the aura of slaughter.

Meteor Strike!

In addition, there were the associated methods for channeling energy, the construction of Source Energy circuits, and various profound precautions.

This was an incredibly domineering, single-target spear technique that pursued the ultimate in destruction.

Its principle involved highly compressing the Source Energy of the entire body, focusing it at the tip of the spear, and detonating it the moment it pierced the target, creating a tearing and annihilation effect that approached the level of universal laws; its power was terrifying, far exceeding ordinary Stardust level methods.

However, the threshold for practicing and using it was also extremely high, requiring rigorous control over Source Energy.

Meteor Strike was divided into three layers; reaching the Stardust level was merely the minimum requirement for practice, and to unleash its power perfectly, one needed to reach the high-tier Stardust level.

Ugh... so it's a move that touches upon a sliver of universal laws, and if cultivated to the extreme, it can reach the pseudo-Star Core level...

Lin Yi ignored the flashy information in the Green Crystal and saw through to its essence at a glance.

It's nothing more than a crude imitation and utilization of the basic laws of the universe...

Although he could create techniques of this level himself if he spent a bit of time, having a ready-made one to practice would make creating similar ones later more logical, saving him quite a bit of effort in his charade.

Furthermore, it could lay the groundwork for him to comprehend the basic laws of the universe in advance.

Not bad at all.

At this point, Lin Yi's mind cleared, and all his doubts found answers.

The think tanks and analysts at the General Staff must have repeatedly studied his combat footage.

They likely noticed that although his staff techniques were heavy and powerful, they didn't seem very practiced, nor did he use any exquisite staff moves; it was more like an instinctive application based on his formidable physical constitution.

And this extremely precious Green Crystal they had obtained happened to record an incredibly powerful spear technique: Meteor Strike.

Thus, an optimal solution formed in their minds: rather than letting him continue using staff techniques that seemed to have low potential and limited ceilings, it would be better to simply make Meteor Strike the core, complete the entire system, and have him switch directly to a Long Spear that had greater potential and could perfectly complement this ultimate move.

Therefore, they sent the Star Splitting Spear Art and the Abyss Rift Type I Long Spear, paving the way for him.

Of course, there was another very important reason: crystals above white involved more profound knowledge of Source Energy, and if one could not understand and grasp it, the information could not be accurately expressed even if it were imprinted in the mind.

By giving him these, the authorities were not only letting him use them but also truly hoping he would study them.

What a thorough and far-sighted consideration.

Lin Yi sighed inwardly.

Because he also understood the hidden meaning behind the authorities' actions.

If he were unwilling to share after learning them, then these items would simply be his reward—a clean break.

However, Lin Yi felt no resistance toward this kind of "utilization."

After all, the benefits were tangible, and he was happy to synchronize them with the authorities.

Although the Basic Source Energy Guidance Technique he was currently focusing on had not yet reached the Stardust level, making it impossible to practice the strongest move, Meteor Strike, the other items—Flowing Star Step, Star Splitting Spear Art, Nine Heavens Primordial Method, Mote Secret Art, as well as the Flowing Cloud light armor and the Abyss Rift Long Spear—while all designed for the Stardust level, were not impossible to use in advance.

It was just that the effects would be discounted, the Source Energy consumption would be higher, and the duration would be shorter.

For instance, putting on the light armor now might only trigger a very weak defensive effect, and using spear moves would consume a lot of Source Energy, but they were ultimately usable, allowing him to familiarize himself and practice ahead of time.

However, who made the decision this time...

A flash of curiosity crossed Lin Yi's mind.

Li Zhenguo would at most set a broad reward range; he wouldn't bother with such minor details. This configuration was clearly decided within the General Staff.

"Xiao Yi..." the voice of his Uncle, Zhou Jianjun, pulled Lin Yi back from his thoughts.

Looking at the dazzling array of crystals in the box, the gloom on his face caused by the threat of the Abyssal Beasts had been largely dispelled, and his tone carried an irrepressible excitement and anticipation.

"With these things... tomorrow, if those beasts really dare to come, won't we be able to handle them much more easily?"

Hearing this, Lin Yi looked up, his gaze sweeping over the others around him who were also full of expectation.

This time, he did not maintain his usual composure and calmness; instead, like a youth who had received a good item and couldn't wait to show it off, a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"Uncle, you're right."

"I'm only afraid they won't come. If they dare to come tomorrow..."

"Then they'll truly be walking straight into the muzzle of a gun!"