Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 20 The Radiance of That Finger
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yi picked up the last remaining Spirit Crystal on the table without hesitation.

Without any hesitation, he forcefully tightened his five fingers.

Click!

The crisp cracking sound was particularly jarring in the now quiet hall.

This time, the fragment turned into a strange gray mist in Lin Yi's palm, but it did not dissipate directly like the previous cultivation technique crystal.

The gray fog twisted, compressed, and condensed wildly in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed into a translucent, multifaceted crystal the size of a pea!

Deep within the crystal's core, a mercury-like luster flows silently.

"Clap."

The multifaceted energy crystal fell precisely into Lin Yi's slightly outstretched palm.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Yi clasped his hands together!
"Ugh!!!"

Intense pain erupted instantly!
Everyone had been watching Lin Yi closely. They saw a spiderweb-like, hideous crimson bloodstain, as if it were alive, starting from the wrist where Lin Yi gripped the crystal and spreading wildly upwards along his forearm.

Soon, the blood vessels on both sides of Lin Yi's neck began to bulge and jut out, and the veins on his forehead and temples throbbed violently like twisted earthworms, causing his entire face to turn a terrifying purplish-red.

Before long, even Lin Yi's body began to tremble uncontrollably, the sound of him clenching his teeth sending chills down one's spine.

"Ruiming! Xiao Yi, he..."

Zhou Jinghua's face turned pale instantly, and she was about to rush over without thinking.

"Don't go there!"

Lin Ruiming reacted quickly, stepping forward and spreading his arms to block his wife, stopping her in her tracks.

He gripped his wife's trembling arm tightly, his eyes fixed on his son, who was convulsing in pain. His voice trembled slightly, but carried an undeniable trust:

"Calm down! Calm down! Jinghua! Trust Xiaoyi! He would never do something he's not sure he can handle!"

Half an hour passed slowly amidst everyone's anxious waiting and Lin Yi's agonizing torment.

When the raging energy crystal core in his palm was completely depleted, Lin Yi was like someone who had just been pulled out of the water. He leaned against the corner of the wall and floor, panting heavily. Sweat soaked his hair and dripped down his pale cheeks.

This time, apart from clenching his teeth and suppressing a roar, which were feigned actions by Lin Yi, all other physical reactions were incredibly real.

This was the first time since his rebirth that he, in a true sense, had used his mortal body to devour a crystal containing violent source energy.

The pain that is due will not be less than what is expected.

The only difference is that his soul and will are now strong enough to easily suppress this level of pain.

Lin Yi took a few breaths, and facing the concerned but hesitant gazes of the crowd, he slowly raised his hand and made a sword-finger gesture.

Immediately, a tiny, pure blue light, the size of a grain of rice, suddenly shone from Lin Yi's trembling fingertip! Like a cold star suddenly flashing in the dark night sky, it instantly shattered the oppressive atmosphere in the banquet hall.

"what!"

"This is the source energy?"

"Xiao Yi...he...succeeded?!"

Exclamations came and went.

Although the blue light was faint, it possessed an overwhelming presence, firmly drawing everyone's attention.

"Xiao Yi! Xiao Yi! How are you?"

Zhou Jinghua, who had been on the verge of collapse, could no longer hold back. She forcefully broke free from her husband's restraint and stumbled to Lin Yi's side. Lin Ruiming followed closely behind, kneeling on one knee beside Lin Yi. He carefully cradled his son's wet neck, asking, "Xiao Yi, how are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"

"Mom, Dad, I'm okay."

Lin Yi forced a reassuring smile, "It's just exhausting. I ran twenty marathons in one go."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes slightly, sensing the dramatic changes taking place inside his body.

Although the energy contained in that Level 1 Source Energy Crystal was violent, it had been precisely absorbed and refined under the guidance of the spell.

At this moment, a brand new, far more powerful life force is spreading through my limbs and bones, rapidly repairing the minor damage caused by the impact, while also silently strengthening every muscle, tendon, and even deeper tissue structure.

"Uncle, Aunt, let Yi catch his breath."

Chen Yu quickly stepped forward and stopped the others who wanted to join in the chatter.

He looked at Lin Yi's pale face and then glanced at the fingers whose blue light had faded. He was both frightened and envious. Although he had a lot of questions to ask, he also understood that what Lin Yi needed most at this moment was rest.

An eerie silence fell over the banquet hall, broken only by Lin Yi's heavy breathing.

All eyes were on him, a mixture of worry, tension, surprise, envy, and disbelief filling the air.

Time passed by, and after about ten minutes, Lin Yi's breathing finally calmed down a bit.

He leaned against the wall and slowly steadied himself. He didn't rush to speak, but first slowly raised his right hand, which had just been condensed with source energy.

The spiderweb-like red marks that had appeared on my arms from forcibly absorbing energy had completely disappeared, and an unprecedented sense of vitality flowed beneath my skin.

"Source Energy has already begun to modify and strengthen my body."

After a moment of silence, Lin Yi began to explain to everyone. Although his voice was still hoarse, it had gained a sense of composure and undeniable power.

"Perhaps the key to resisting those monsters is source energy."

"Because once you get the hang of it, just one of those source energy crystals is enough to bring about a qualitative change."

The next moment, his gaze swept to the heavy solid wood tabletop next to him, which was placed against the wall and could not be used after its legs were removed.

It was something that Lin Ruiming and Zhou Jianjun had dismantled together, and it was extremely heavy.

All they saw was Lin Yi taking a deep breath, raising his right index finger which had just been condensed with blue light, his arm steady and without any frills, and pointing sharply at the heavy solid wood tabletop!
"laugh!"

A thin, almost solid, azure light thread, about an inch long, shot out from his fingertip!

The blue light was as fast as lightning, silent and incredibly precise, striking the center of the table!

There was no earth-shattering noise, only a muffled "thud"!
Just as everyone's gaze followed the point where the blue light landed, the solid tabletop, which required two or three people to lift together, seemed to have its entire structure instantly detonated from the point where it was struck by the blue light!

Wow!

The entire tabletop suddenly collapsed and exploded inward.

It didn't crack; rather, it was as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, turning directly into a cloud of dust mixed with sawdust and small pieces of wood, leaving not even a few larger pieces of wood behind.

"."

In that instant, the entire banquet hall seemed to fall into a state of stillness, so still that you could almost hear a pin drop.

　Thanks to "Update Quickly, Brother" and "Dajue Xiaomeng Weizengxing" for their donations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)