Opening, Opening Boxes

Seeing Lin Yi joke around, everyone felt the tension ease.

Zhou Jianjun hadn't said anything, but everyone had noticed the worry on his face earlier. They'd all had a weight on their minds.

The joking helped dispel some of the oppressive atmosphere that had hung over the hall.

"Brother Yi, those crystals... Why don't you open them and broaden our horizons?"

Seeing everyone in good spirits, Chen Yu rubbed his hands together and made the suggestion.

He sometimes streamed unboxing videos of trendy collectibles, so he was naturally fascinated by things like these. Ever since he'd heard that two of the crystals contained equipment, he'd practically glued his eyes to them. His face was full of impatience.

The others had been curious for a while, too. They especially wanted to see the impressive-sounding Flowing Cloud Type I Swift Strike Light Armor and Abyss Rift Type I Long Spear for themselves. What did Source Energy Equipment used in combat actually look like?

"Brother Yi, let us have a look..."

"Yeah, Xiao Yi, show us. We're all worried about you heading out in that damaged armor. New equipment would put our minds at ease, too," Zhou Jianjun said with a smile. As a soldier, he was a weapons and equipment enthusiast as well.

Lin Yi saw the expectant looks on their faces and wasn't about to disappoint them.

He smiled and picked up the White Crystal that contained the Flowing Cloud Type I Swift Strike Light Armor.

"Sure. Let's take a look at the armor first."

He tightened his fingers. With a crisp crack, the crystal shattered.

But this time, unlike the Detector, the crystal didn't transform into lightning. Instead, it burst into a soft white glow, like a wisp of cloud.

The glow quickly gathered and took shape in the air, eventually forming a solid object that Lin Yi caught.

It wasn't the imposing suit of armor everyone had imagined, but a metallic belt that looked highly advanced.

The belt was silver-gray all over, with a slightly raised oval-shaped dark crystal at its center. It seemed to be the core.

"Huh? Isn't this supposed to be armor? Why is it a belt?"

Chen Yu stared, confused.

Lin Yi didn't explain. He fastened the belt around his waist, then gently pressed a fingertip against the dark crystal. At the same time, he focused his mind and infused it with a faint trace of Source Energy.

In the next instant, countless silver-gray beams, like liquid metal, shot out from the belt. They didn't spread at random, but followed a set of incredibly complex paths, quickly covering Lin Yi from head to toe.

His shoulders, chest, back, arms, and legs... In little more than a breath, a full suit of light armor had fitted seamlessly over his torso and limbs. Its smooth lines and simple design still conveyed a sense of strength.

Under the candlelight, ripples of light flowed across the armor's surface like water. That was the origin of the name "Flowing Cloud."

"Holy shit! Holy shit!" Chen Yu gaped, unable to keep from swearing.

The others also burst into excited chatter.

"T-this is incredible!"

"It just appeared on him?!"

Lin Yi moved his hands and feet, feeling the slight restriction of the armor and its almost negligible weight. Then he explained:

"According to the information in the crystal, this is portable Source Energy Equipment. The belt is its core and trigger. You just need to infuse it with a trace of your own Source Energy to activate it."

"Maintaining this basic armor form uses very little Source Energy. At my current level, I can keep it up for an entire battle. And even its most basic defensive capabilities should be comparable to the armor on a main battle tank..."

"As for its additional functions, there are Dynamic and Deflection modes. The subtle flowing effect on the armor isn't just for looks. Dynamic mode lets you spend Source Energy to increase the defense of a small area, at the cost of reducing the defense of the surrounding area. I'd guess it's mainly meant to counter attacks that rely on penetration."

"Deflection, on the other hand, uses the armor's flowing surface to disperse the force of an attack. It can deflect and dissipate low-intensity attacks quite effectively... Of course, activating its active defenses requires additional Source Energy."

With that, Lin Yi stopped infusing it with Source Energy.

The armor withdrew like a receding tide, quickly returning to its belt form.

Everyone stared in amazement, astonished by technology far beyond anything they'd imagined.

Next, Lin Yi picked up the crystal that contained the Abyss Rift Type I Long Spear.

After he crushed it, a tiny spear model, barely as long as his palm, appeared in his hand. It was meticulously crafted and dark all over, with the spearhead and shaft clearly defined. It looked like a miniature work of art.

"Could this... get bigger, too?" Li Jie muttered.

Lin Yi didn't answer. He drew on another trace of Source Energy and slowly infused it into the model.

Buzz!

The tiny model glowed, then lengthened, thickened, and hardened at a visible speed!

In the blink of an eye, a dark metal spear with a long, keen blade and a chilling aura of violence was firmly in his grasp.

Its lines were sharp, its weight moderate, and its balance perfect. A startling aura of sharpness seemed ready to burst from it.

"The spear's main effects are Sharpness and Armor Break. Its tip is made from some extremely hard alloy and permanently enhanced by a Source Energy circuit. Its physical sharpness has reached the peak of the low-tier Stardust level, so it can easily pierce the defenses of Abyssal Beasts of the same level without consuming any Source Energy."

"Armor Break works through the Source Energy circuit in the spearhead. It compresses Source Energy into a single point at the very tip, giving the next thrust an explosive boost in penetration. It's especially effective against hard shells and energy shields."

"It also takes very little Source Energy to maintain the spear's basic form. When you're not using it, you can return it to its miniature form."

Zhou Yuxuan, standing nearby, considered this. "Sounds like both pieces of equipment can be used with barely any Source Energy... They must have chosen them that way on purpose... This makes it clear how highly the Supreme Command Center thinks of Lin Yi... Source Energy... Source Energy!"

He sighed inwardly, then simply returned to the corner where he'd been lying down and closed his eyes. He focused on recalling the key points of the Source Energy Guidance Technique Lin Yi had explained, deciding not to join in the excitement.

Lin Yi didn't notice Zhou Yuxuan's inner turmoil. After showing everyone the spear, he focused his mind and stopped infusing it with Source Energy.

About a minute later, the spear began shrinking rapidly, returning to its miniature form.

As he spoke, he slid the model into a slot on the side of the belt. "There are several slots on the right side of this Flowing Cloud Light Armor Belt for storing items in miniature form. There are a few more on the left for Source Energy Crystals."

Once again, the sight drew gasps of admiration.

The combination of advanced technology and Source Energy completely overturned their understanding of "weapons and equipment."

Only Lin Yi knew that, as miraculous as these items seemed, they were merely standard-issue equipment for low-level civilizations in the vast universe.

After the demonstration, Lin Yi picked up the remaining Cultivation Technique Crystals one by one, crushed them, and absorbed the Information Flow inside into his mind.

But in front of everyone, he deliberately took several minutes to digest each one.

Once he'd learned all the techniques, Lin Yi closed the box and said, "All right, everyone's seen the equipment. It's getting late, and the crisis is still ongoing. Get some rest and save your strength. We may face another tough battle tomorrow."

He paused, then continued, "Since cultivating Source Energy has greatly reduced my need for sleep, you all rest. I'll head up to the rooftop and practice these new Cultivation Technique Combat Skills so I can get used to them as soon as possible."

Everyone was still excited, but they knew Lin Yi was right. They nodded and found places to lie down, trying to fall asleep.

Whether they could actually manage it was another matter.

Lin Yi crushed all the remaining Gray Crystals at once, turning them into Source Energy Crystals, then placed them in the slots on the left side of the belt. After that, he went up to the third floor and found the stairs leading to the hotel rooftop.

As he slowly pushed open the heavy fire door, the stuffy air of a summer night rushed into his lungs.

The rooftop was wide open and silent. In the distance, the city remained shrouded in lifeless darkness. Only the vast Abyss Beast Nest throbbed slowly like a heart, radiating an ominous purple-black glow.