Right Into the Line of Fire

As soon as Lin Yi entered the hall, he was taken aback by the sight before him.

Several candles had been lit inside. Their dim but warm glow pushed back the deep darkness.

The helicopter's noise had woken everyone, and none of them had gone back to sleep. They had already heard what had happened to Lin Yi, so the moment he walked in, they swarmed around him.

"Xiaoyi! No, Lin... Major Lin!"

His uncle, Zhou Jianjun, was the first to speak. He clapped Lin Yi hard on the shoulder, his eyes even turning red. "Attaboy! You've brought honor to your grandpa's family—and to our country!"

"Brother Yi! That's incredible. You're a major!" Chen Yu rushed over, practically ready to hug Lin Yi. His eyes lit up when he saw the case in Lin Yi's hand. "And the authorities gave you so many crystals, too!"

His parents stood a little farther away. Lin Ruiming held his wife tightly by the shoulder and looked at his son, nodding firmly. A thousand words were conveyed in his deep gaze.

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

Congratulations and questions instantly engulfed Lin Yi.

Feeling the warmth of the moment, Lin Yi felt a little warmth in his heart as well.

He raised a hand and pressed it downward, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

"Thank you, everyone." His voice wasn't loud, but it reached every ear clearly. "This honor doesn't belong to me alone. Without the armor and weapons Ah Yu gave me, and without all of you standing guard here and taking care of our worries, none of this would have happened."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over their eager, curious faces before settling on the silver-white case in his hand.

"I know what everyone wants to see. That's right—the case contains the research materials from the General Staff."

Lin Yi smiled faintly, then opened the case in front of everyone as they watched.

In an instant, a gentle light spilled out. The row of white and green crystals in the middle shone especially brightly, their glow nearly outshining the candles and drawing a burst of uncontrollable gasps from the crowd.

"Wow!"

"So many!"

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

Lin Yi didn't explain what the colors meant. He simply reached out and, as if inspecting precious treasures, carefully touched the crystals one by one.

His movements were composed and deliberate, as if he weren't counting spoils, but taking part in a solemn ritual.

He first checked the gray crystals.

Just as he'd expected, all fourteen were Tier 1 Source Energy Crystals.

Then, under everyone's fervent gaze, Lin Yi ran his fingers over the six Spirit Radiance Crystals that gave off a gentle white glow, one after another.

Each time his fingertip touched a crystal, a stream of information flowed into his mind, and he clearly recited what it contained.

"First: movement technique, Wandering Star Steps."

"Second: combat technique, Star-Splitting Spear Art."

"Third: cultivation method, Nine-Layer Source Origin Method."

"Fourth: cultivation manual, Micro-Dust Art."

"Fifth: equipment, Flowing Cloud Type I rapid-assault light armor."

"Sixth: weapon, Abyss-Splitting Type I spear."

With every name he announced, the people around him breathed a little faster and their eyes shone a little brighter.

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

Once he had touched all six crystals, Lin Yi understood everything.

A movement technique, an offensive technique, a primary cultivation method, a supplementary manual, defensive armor, and a primary weapon.

How could these be randomly assigned rewards?

They were clearly a complete set of equipment and techniques, handpicked for him—a comprehensive loadout for a low-tier Stardust Rank cultivator!

From cultivation to combat, from defense to mobility, the General Staff had considered nearly every weakness and need for him.

In his previous life, he hadn't assembled a set like this until he'd reached the third tier of the Stardust Rank. Now, the General Staff had provided him with everything right from the start.

The items weren't particularly valuable, and Lin Yi figured he could have gathered the whole set within six months with the plan he had for revealing his strength. Still, he appreciated the thoughtfulness and consideration.

After all, the authorities had been too overwhelmed to look after him while he was growing up in his previous life. He hadn't received this kind of treatment. By the time he reached the Star Core Level, the authorities had grown stronger, too, but by then, people like him had been the ones raising the next generation.

He'd never experienced this kind of all-out investment in his growth before.

"I have to say, this feeling's actually pretty nice."

As he marveled at this new experience, Lin Yi let his gaze linger a little longer on the crystals containing the Star-Splitting Spear Art and the Abyss-Splitting Type I spear. A hint of doubt crossed his mind.

"Still, something's strange. I clearly used a staff in the video. Staff and spear techniques share a lot of similarities, but giving me a whole set of spear techniques and a spear feels a little too deliberate. The General Staff wouldn't make such a basic mistake."

His gaze turned involuntarily to the Spirit Radiance Crystal lying quietly in the middle, its surface glowing a deep emerald green.

"Could the reason be in here?"

Lin Yi reached out and carefully touched the green crystal with his fingertip.

In an instant, a flood of information far more powerful and complex than what the white crystals had contained poured into his mind.

At its core were three characters brimming with murderous intent.

Annihilation Strike!

Along with it came the associated methods of channeling force, the structure of its Source Energy circuits, and various profound points to keep in mind.

It was an extremely domineering spear technique designed to unleash utter destruction on a single target.

Its principle was to compress the Source Energy in one's entire body and focus it at the tip of the spear, then release it the moment it struck its target. This created an effect akin to tearing and annihilation at the level of fundamental laws. Its power was terrifying, far beyond ordinary Stardust Rank techniques.

At the same time, the requirements for learning and using it were extremely high, demanding rigorous control over Source Energy.

Annihilation Strike had three levels. Reaching the Stardust Rank was the bare minimum to begin learning it, while fully unleashing its power required reaching the high tiers of the Stardust Rank.

"Uh... so it's a technique that touches on the laws of the universe. Mastered to its limit, it can reach the pseudo-Star Core Level."

Lin Yi ignored the crystal's flowery descriptions and saw its true nature at a glance.

"It's nothing more than the crudest imitation and use of the universe's fundamental laws."

He could create a technique of this level himself if he took the time, but having an existing one to learn would make it more reasonable for him to create similar techniques later, saving him a lot of effort pretending and putting on an act.

Besides, it would lay the groundwork for him to comprehend the universe's fundamental laws earlier.

Not bad at all.

At last, everything became clear to Lin Yi. All his questions had been answered.

The General Staff's strategists and analysts must have studied his combat footage over and over.

They might have noticed that while his staff strikes were powerful, he didn't seem very practiced with the weapon and had never used any particularly sophisticated staff techniques. His movements looked more like instinctive use of his formidable physique.

As it happened, the extremely precious green crystal they'd obtained contained an immensely powerful spear technique: Annihilation Strike.

So they had arrived at the optimal solution: rather than letting him continue using a staff technique that seemed to have limited potential, they could build his entire combat style around Annihilation Strike. They would fill out the rest of his arsenal and have him switch to the spear, a weapon with greater potential that would pair perfectly with the technique.

That was why they'd sent him the Star-Splitting Spear Art and the Abyss-Splitting Type I spear, clearing the way for him.

Of course, there was another important reason. The knowledge contained in crystals above the white grade was much more profound and involved Source Energy. If he couldn't understand and master it, he wouldn't be able to accurately explain the information even if it was engraved in his mind.

By giving him these things, the authorities not only hoped he would use them, but also wanted him to study them.

"What thorough, far-sighted planning."

Lin Yi marveled inwardly.

At the same time, he understood the deeper meaning behind the authorities' actions.

If he learned the techniques and refused to share them, then the items were simply his reward, and they'd be even.

But Lin Yi didn't mind this kind of "use" at all.

The benefits were real, and he was happy to share what he learned with the authorities.

Although his current primary cultivation method, the Basic Source Energy Guidance Technique, hadn't yet reached the Stardust Rank, meaning he couldn't practice the most powerful technique, Annihilation Strike, the other items—the Wandering Star Steps, Star-Splitting Spear Art, Nine-Layer Source Origin Method, Micro-Dust Art, and the Flowing Cloud light armor and Abyss-Splitting spear—had all been designed for the Stardust Rank, but that didn't mean he couldn't use them ahead of time.

They'd simply be less effective, consume more Source Energy, and last for a shorter time.

For example, if he put on the light armor now, it might only provide a very weak defensive effect. Using the spear techniques would also consume a lot of Source Energy. But he could still use them, and he could start familiarizing himself with them and practicing in advance.

"Still, I wonder who made this decision."

A hint of curiosity crossed Lin Yi's mind.

At most, Li Zhenguo would have set a broad range for the reward. He wouldn't have concerned himself with such minor details. This selection had clearly been made within the General Staff.

"Xiaoyi." His uncle Zhou Jianjun's voice pulled Lin Yi back from his thoughts.

Looking at the dazzling array of crystals in the case, the gloom caused by the Abyss Beasts' threat had lifted from his face. His voice was full of barely contained excitement and anticipation.

"With all this stuff... tomorrow—if those bastards really dare show up, things will be a lot easier for us, right?"

Hearing that, Lin Yi lifted his head and looked around at the equally hopeful faces.

This time, he didn't maintain his usual composure and calm. Instead, he looked like a boy who'd gotten his hands on something good and couldn't wait to show it off. A smile tugged at his lips.

"Uncle, you're right."

"I only hope they don't come. But if they dare show up tomorrow..."

"Then they'll be walking right into the line of fire!"