Chapter 97 - 95: Swallowing the Crystal
A day passed.
Lin Ye once again snuck into the ruined city.
He ignored the two Fusion Monsters that were still patrolling and hunting other mutated beasts.
He headed straight for the chemical plant.
The previous day’s test results had been a shot in the arm, dispelling Lin Ye’s worries and giving him a taste for more.
His fear of the Source Crystals had been replaced by a desire to test his own limits.
This time, he was even bolder than the night before.
Lin Ye bypassed the outskirts and stepped directly into the triangular area formed by three massive storage tanks, sitting down cross-legged.
The Source Energy concentration here was at the critical threshold his Spirit could currently withstand.
The *Five Qi Guiding Formulas* began to circulate.
[You have practiced the Five Qi Guiding Formulas and gained 3.5 EXP!]
[You have practiced the Five Qi Guiding Formulas and gained 3.5 EXP!]
The amount of EXP gained had jumped from 3 to 3.5.
Just by moving less than two meters inward, his cultivation efficiency had already begun to soar!
Lin Ye immersed his mind, frantically absorbing the almost tangible Source Energy from the air.
But soon, that familiar pressure, as if his brain was about to burst, descended once again.
Countless chaotic whispers echoed in his ears, and his Spiritual Power depleted rapidly, like air from a punctured balloon.
Lin Ye’s eyes snapped open, his eyeballs riddled with bloodshot veins.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he immediately shifted his body backward, retreating from the high-pressure area.
The instant he left, the clamor and pressure in his mind abruptly vanished.
A little over ten seconds later.
The "Healing out of combat" mechanism quietly activated.
In the time it took for a dozen or so breaths, the extreme mental fatigue was swept away, and his Energy and Physical Strength Values were fully restored.
Lin Ye marveled once again. ’Even though the Healing out of combat mechanism is basic, and the system only rated it as White-grade...’
’In my heart, it deserves at least a Purple grade, maybe even Gold!’
This mechanism had been too crucial on his journey so far.
Lin Ye re-entered the area and resumed his cultivation.
When his Spiritual Power was about to be depleted, he would immediately retreat, rely on the passive healing, and rest for about ten seconds.
Then, he would dive back in.
Again and again.
...
「Two days later.」
Lin Ye’s figure had officially stepped into the furnace workshop, which was scattered with fragments of eerie blue Source Crystals.
He no longer needed to hide in the outer corners.
The Source Energy concentration inside the workshop was several times denser than outside.
[You have practiced the Five Qi Guiding Formulas and gained 4 EXP!]
The efficiency of his EXP gain had increased once more.
In tandem with this, however, the mental assault grew exponentially.
Lin Ye’s cultivation rhythm was forced to change from "cultivate for half an hour, rest for ten seconds" to "cultivate for ten minutes, rest for ten seconds."
Although the duration of each cultivation session was shorter, the rate of EXP gain was higher.
However, the bottleneck of the Cultivation Technique itself limited the speed at which he could absorb Source Energy. Lin Ye discovered that even if he went deeper, the EXP he gained remained locked at 4 points per session, refusing to increase any further.
...
「Five days later.」
Lin Ye officially entered the true core area of the boiler room.
The ground here was covered with Source Crystal fragments of all sizes, resembling a river of blue stars.
In the air, Source Energy Particles, so dense they were visible to the naked eye, formed a light blue mist that hovered and swirled with Lin Ye’s every breath.
Lin Ye didn’t clear away the animal carcasses scattered about.
This was because Source Crystals had also formed inside these bodies, and their presence further increased the Source Energy concentration in the area.
The moment Lin Ye stepped into this area surrounded by countless Source Crystals, an unprecedented and terrifying pressure crushed him from all directions.
This time, it wasn’t just auditory hallucinations and whispers in his ears.
Strange, fragmented illusions began to appear before Lin Ye’s eyes.
They were bizarre scenes, disjointed and utterly illogical...
They didn’t belong to his life, yet they forced their way into his mind like real memory fragments.
Lin Ye hastily retreated from the area, returning to a safe zone.
He gasped for breath, his right hand pressed against his forehead.
’This is twisted!’
’This stuff is seriously twisted!’
The more contact he had with them, the more Lin Ye realized how bizarre the Source Crystals were.
Braving the dual psychological and physical pressure, Lin Ye entered the central area again.
Eventually, he figured out the pattern.
Here, he had to retreat to the workshop entrance after cultivating for less than three minutes and rest for a long time to completely eliminate the mental effects of the Source Crystals.
He no longer dared to chase efficiency as he had before.
Now, the moment he sensed the illusions sharpening and his consciousness about to break, he would retreat immediately.
He didn’t dare to gamble on whether his willpower could withstand this kind of mental contamination.
In the breaks between cultivation, Lin Ye was also seriously pondering a question.
’Why?’
’Why is it that I can safely use the Source Crystals—which are fatal to others on contact—for cultivation, suffering only some side effects?’
’Is it because of the system?’
’Just like when I took that forbidden drug, does the system help me filter out all the impurities and toxins, leaving only pure energy?’
’Or is my constitution really that special?’
...
Time passed, and it was now the eighth day since Lin Ye had started experimenting with Source Crystal cultivation.
The ruined city, in the core area of the chemical plant.
Lin Ye slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air tinged with a faint blue halo.
He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on a Source Crystal fragment at his feet, no bigger than a fingernail.
After this period of desensitization training, he could now stay in this area for up to fifteen minutes.
Lin Ye finally made up his mind. It was time for the final test!
Lin Ye crouched down, reached out, and gently touched the Source Crystal fragment with his fingertip.
It was cool to the touch, with the texture of the smoothest jade.
This was the first time he had made true physical contact with a Source Crystal.
Aside from the mental shock that shot straight into his mind, there was no other discomfort.
Lin Ye hesitated no longer. He carefully picked up the smallest Source Crystal fragment he could find in the entire factory area.
Then, he took a heavy, palm-sized lead box from his pocket and sealed the Source Crystal fragment inside.
The detail that Source Crystals constantly emitted poisonous radiation was a hint Lin Ye had picked up from the "Tiger Descending the Mountain" ornament in Mr. Wang’s office.
With it placed in a sealed lead box, Lin Ye wasn’t worried about harming anyone on his way.
Having done all this, Lin Ye hurriedly left the ruined city.
Tonight, he had his boldest and most insane idea yet.
To swallow a Source Crystal!
He needed to verify what effect swallowing a Source Crystal directly would have.
Would the system directly convert it into the purest energy and grant a massive amount of EXP, just like with other pills and supplements?
Or would he be unable to handle such a dose and truly enter a poisoned state?
Lin Ye didn’t dare to take this gamble in the ruined city.
He went to the largest central hospital in Dongjiang City.
In a dim, deserted back alley next to the emergency department, Lin Ye stopped.
Choosing this place was his final insurance policy.
Even if he really was poisoned and dying after swallowing the Source Crystal, he could be discovered and rescued in the shortest possible time.
It was better than dying alone and unknown in the ruined city, with no one even to collect his body.
Lin Ye raised his wrist and quickly typed a line of text into the emergency memo of his CR watch:
"I have accidentally ingested this unknown crystal. If I fall unconscious, please use this as a basis for treatment."
He also attached a picture of a Source Crystal to the note.
With this measure in place, Lin Ye felt that even if he lost consciousness, his rescuers would see this message and not be stuck playing a guessing game.
Finally, Lin Ye set a five-minute alarm on the memo. If he didn’t manually cancel the alarm after five minutes, it would automatically dial the emergency number.
It would also send his GPS coordinates.
Everything was ready.
Lin Ye leaned against the cold wall, regulating his breathing.
He opened the lead box and carefully took out the eerie blue Source Crystal fragment.
It glowed with a bewitching and magnificent luster, like a piece of candy from the abyss.
Lin Ye’s heart began to pound uncontrollably.
He placed the cold crystal in his mouth.
Lin Ye steeled his resolve, closed his eyes, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
He swallowed!