"Such an old-fashioned design."
Lin Yi silently complained to himself.
But that didn't stop him from pretending to be fascinated, looking here and there.
"Whoa, my uncle's Source Energy reading is actually 5. No wonder he's a veteran. Chen Yu's only got a pitiful 3 points. There are a lot of Abyss Wolves outside, too. Their readings are hovering between 7 and 9."
Lin Yi watched for a while with the Detector on.
Any living thing, even one that had never cultivated Source Energy, would still have a faint Source Energy reading in its body from living in an environment suffused with it.
Abyss Beasts were literally made of Source Energy, so there was even less to say about them.
As for the communication function, they only had one Detector at the moment, so there was no way to use it to contact anyone.
After taking a quick look at the area, Lin Yi was about to turn off the Detector when he noticed the eager, fidgety looks on Chen Yu and the other young people's faces.
He paused and drew his finger back from the switch.
"Want to give it a try?" Lin Yi's lips curved slightly. "That's fine, but you can only use it for ten seconds each, taking turns. This thing runs on Source Energy, and its built-in micro energy cell has a limited supply. We can't waste it."
Chen Yu was the first to take the Detector and hook it over his ear. The next second, he cried out in surprise:
"Whoa, there's a little 5 next to Uncle Jianjun! Ah Xuan's got a 4, too!" He whipped around to look at Lin Yi, his voice cracking. "14?! The gap's three times as big? That's insane!"
The Detector soon passed to Zhou Yuxuan. The moment he took it, he turned toward the window and immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
"Those red dots around the perimeter must be the Abyss Wolves. Even the lowest reading is 7, and the highest is over 10!"
His words sent a chill down everyone's spines.
After all, aside from Lin Yi, even Zhou Jianjun—the one in the best shape—only had a reading of 5.
Zhou Jianjun was the last to take a turn.
The veteran scanned the area outside, then took off the device and handed it back to Lin Yi solemnly. "Keep it safe. This is even more important than a gun."
"Definitely. It'll save us a lot of trouble."
Lin Yi nodded. Then he turned his attention back to the six crystals left on the table.
Now he had to deal with these: three Guidance Technique crystals and three Source Energy Crystals.
Lin Yi cleared his throat. "Three Source Energy Guidance Technique crystals."
His gaze first fell on Chen Yu.
"Yu, the armor and weapons you gave me were crucial. Without them, I couldn't have killed the Abyss Wolf without getting a scratch, let alone brought these crystals back. And I relied on your influence to get the video out there. You deserve one of the three crystals."
Chen Yu froze for a moment. Lin Yi had hinted at it earlier, but hearing the final decision still filled him with excitement.
Usually quick with a quip, all he could do now was grin foolishly and thump his chest. "Don't worry. I'll definitely—uh—work my hardest to learn!"
"At least you know not to promise you'll definitely master it." Lin Yi couldn't help smiling at his friend's reaction.
He knew that with Chen Yu's learning ability and aptitude, there was little chance he'd figure it out on his own.
But given Chen Yu's contribution, he had to receive one of the first Guidance Technique crystals. It was a gesture of appreciation, and a way to unite everyone.
As for the others, they could be given crystals later, once they had more.
Ordinary people would find these things hard to come by, but for Lin Yi, they'd soon be within easy reach.
Next, Lin Yi turned to Zhou Jianjun.
"Uncle, you should take one of the Guidance Technique crystals, too."
"You have experience leading a squad in combat, and your tactical skills are excellent. Once you master Source Energy, your experience will multiply your combat strength. You'll quickly become one of our dependable core fighters and help keep everyone safe."
Zhou Jianjun studied Lin Yi for a moment. He didn't refuse, only nodded firmly and said, "All right. I understand."
Finally, Lin Yi looked at their class monitor, Zhou Yuxuan.
"Monitor, everyone knows you're a quick learner. I hope you can understand the technique as thoroughly as possible. You might not only master it yourself, but also help others work through the difficult parts later and become our team's support for Source Energy theory."
Zhou Yuxuan was taken aback.
He'd never expected the third crystal to go to him.
He'd always thought that, while he and Lin Yi got along well enough, they were only casual friends. He wasn't nearly as close to Lin Yi as the others in the room were.
But since Lin Yi had given it to him, and had openly said it was because of his learning ability, he wouldn't refuse just to be polite.
Zhou Yuxuan pushed up his glasses and tried to keep his composure. "Thank you for trusting me, Lin Yi. I'll do everything I can to master it as soon as possible!"
As he spoke, he felt a surge of anticipation. My college entrance exam score was even higher than Lin Yi's. With his explanation to build on, and my ability to understand things, maybe I can get the hang of it in under three hours!
After handing out the Guidance Technique crystals, Lin Yi noticed the disappointed looks on the others' faces and added, "For now, we're distributing resources based on what's best for the team. As long as we all work together, there'll be enough for everyone, whether it's Guidance Technique crystals or Source Energy Crystals."
Lin Yi didn't really care what the others thought. He was mainly concerned about how his parents might feel, so he'd made a point of explaining.
Besides, given how efficiently he could gather these resources, they wouldn't be all that scarce once they got past the early stages. Everyone in the room was a friend or relative he'd chosen to bring along; in time, no one would go without.
Lin Yi met his parents' eyes.
His mother, Zhou Jinghua, looked concerned and reluctant to part with him, but above all, understanding.
His father, Lin Ruiming, nodded firmly. "Xiaoyi's right! This is how it should be! We can't do much to help, and we certainly can't hold you back. Your strength is what keeps everyone safe!"
He said it both for Lin Yi and for everyone else in the room.
Lin Ruiming and his wife's show of support instantly dispelled the slightest hint of resentment anyone might have felt.
If even Lin Yi's parents hadn't gotten a Guidance Technique crystal, what could anyone else complain about?
After distributing the three Guidance Technique crystals, Lin Yi picked up the remaining three Level 1 Source Energy Crystals.
"I'm going to absorb these three Level 1 Source Energy Crystals myself."
"I nearly used up all my Source Energy in the fight just now. I need to recover as soon as possible and keep cultivating to improve my strength. That's the only way I can keep everyone safe and get more crystals efficiently."
No one objected. At the moment, nobody else could use Source Energy Crystals anyway. Lin Yi had to be the first to use them; there was no point in leaving them untouched.
After putting the three crystals away, Lin Yi looked at the people who'd received a Guidance Technique crystal.
"The Guidance Technique contains a huge amount of information. It can be imprinted directly into your mind, but it still takes time to absorb and understand. You can use your crystals now and see for yourselves."
Chen Yu, Zhou Jianjun, and Zhou Yuxuan had been itching to try. At once, they picked up their respective gray crystals and, full of excitement and reverence, crushed them in their hands!
Hiss.
Gray light sank into their foreheads.
Zhou Jianjun barely managed to hold back, but Chen Yu and Zhou Yuxuan both clutched their heads and let out a string of screams.
After a while, Chen Yu's face twisted as he clutched his head and groaned.
"Ow, man... How does it feel like someone crammed the entire Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Practice Tests and an Encyclopedia into my brain?"
He shook his head, trying to sort through the explosive torrent of information pouring into his mind, but it was like facing a tangled ball of thread. He had no idea where to begin.
Zhou Jianjun kept his eyes shut, his brow furrowed and the muscles in his face twitching slightly.
He was trying to make sense of the abstruse diagrams and text appearing in his mind. The abstract explanations of "Source Energy particles," "energy circuits," and "coordination of mental intent" felt like reading a book written in another language.
"Still, some of the descriptions of gathering and releasing strength seem to have something in common with the essentials of force generation in military combat techniques. I'll have to study it slowly. There's no need to rush."
Zhou Jianjun opened his eyes and let out a breath. His expression had grown more serious; he knew this path wouldn't be easy.
Zhou Yuxuan took the hardest hit.
Before crushing the crystal, he'd worn the focused, confident expression of a top student.
Now, however, his eyes were full of bewilderment.
"How... how is this possible?"
Zhou Yuxuan muttered, his voice dry.
"Three hours? No, at least ten days..."
His confidence vanished, leaving him with nothing but a sinking feeling.
"No, even ten days might only be enough to make sense of these basic concepts. Actually understanding them and trying to guide Source Energy will probably take even longer. Lin Yi... how did he do it?!"
The enormous gap left him dazed. For the first time, he deeply doubted his own ability to learn.
Could Lin Yi be one of those freakishly talented people? Maybe his talent is in Source Energy, and there just wasn't a subject for it before?
Zhou Yuxuan suddenly thought of a possible explanation and began comforting himself with it. Otherwise, he couldn't accept that the gap between him and Lin Yi could be so huge when they'd once been about on par.
Lin Yi took in all three reactions.
Chen Yu's frustration, his uncle's grave expression, and Zhou Yuxuan's defeat were all exactly what he'd expected.
He patted Zhou Yuxuan on the shoulder and spoke calmly.
"Monitor, the Guidance Technique is profound. I only got a lucky start and figured out a little of it. Take it step by step and start with the basics, like sensing Source Energy particles. It takes time and patience. Don't rush."
Zhou Yuxuan nodded and forced himself to calm down.
"All right. It'll take time to digest the Guidance Technique, and there's no point rushing. But we can't just sit around now. We have more important things to do."
Lin Yi's voice brought everyone's attention back to him.
"Hongfu Restaurant is relatively safe for now, but we need to reinforce our defenses and gather supplies, in case things get even worse."
Before you continue