The temporary command center of Dragon Bone Village was constructed from several massive, abandoned shipping containers pieced together.
On the mottled metal walls, exposed cables intertwined like vines, connecting to several old-fashioned terminals flashing with faint green data streams.
The air was thick with the smell of machine oil, dust, and a faint, almost imperceptible tension.
Ian, Marc, and the people of Dragon Bone Village sat around a long metal conference table.
Bai Yuekui sat at the head of the table, her fingertips unconsciously gliding across the cold surface, her gaze calm.
Shanda and Sui Xing stood on either side behind her.
Ian, however, leaned back lazily in his chair.
With his legs crossed and a relaxed posture, he looked as if he were lounging in his own backyard.
The meeting was discussing the resettlement of the Lighthouse survivors and subsequent cooperation issues.
Shanda was using his muffled voice to explain Dragon Bone Village's resource and defense dilemmas.
"You must be Meiduo, right?"
A flat voice interrupted Shanda without any warning.
Ian's gaze bypassed everyone and landed precisely on an inconspicuous, cute girl in the corner of the command center.
There, a girl holding a fluffy falcon was curled up in the shadows, trying hard to minimize her presence.
In an instant, the noise and discussions in the entire command center came to a screeching halt.
Everyone's eyes followed Ian's, focusing on the girl.
Meiduo stiffened, her arms subconsciously tightening around the falcon as her small face instantly turned bright red.
She completely failed to understand why this god-like man would know an ordinary person like her.
She looked up, meeting those eyes that seemed capable of piercing through everything. Her lips parted, but she couldn't make a sound.
In the tense atmosphere, she could only give a barely perceptible nod.
"I heard you like using a long spear?" Ian's lips curled up slightly.
He didn't give Meiduo any time to react, casually flipping his wrist.
An ancient manual made of an unknown material appeared out of thin air in his palm.
The manual's cover was a dark, dull blood-red, yet a faint halo flowed across its surface.
On the cover, four flamboyant, ancient characters seemed to be branded with a burning iron, exuding a scorching, domineering aura capable of boiling the seas and burning the heavens.
"Hundred Prairie Slashes".
Yesterday, while healing Bai Yuekui, Ian had conveniently read the operational flow of the Source Essence within her body.
In his eyes, this method of application was somewhat crude, with a lot of unnecessary energy loss.
Thus, he spent a few minutes combining the ultimate martial principles from countless civilizations in his database to optimize and create this cultivation method.
A manual capable of directly elevating this world's energy application system to an entirely different dimension.
Meiduo stared blankly at the manual, completely at a loss.
She looked at Bai Yuekui for help, only to find Bai Yuekui silently watching her and giving a slight nod.
With Bai Yuekui's tacit approval, Meiduo finally mustered her courage, reaching out with a trembling hand to take the manual.
The moment her fingertips touched the cover.
Buzz—
Her vision suddenly went black, the entire world instantly swallowed by endless darkness.
The next second, heaven-shaking battle cries, the neighing of warhorses, and the clash of metal exploded in her mind like roaring thunder!
She found herself plunging into a vast, boundless ancient battlefield where corpses littered the ground and blood flowed like rivers.
An incomparably domineering figure wielding a giant halberd charged through the massive army, looking down upon the world with unparalleled arrogance.
That was the Overlord, Xiang Yu.
An armored figure with "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty" tattooed on his back brandished the Liquan Divine Spear, thrusting like a dragon, his loyal soul immortal.
That was the Martial Saint, Yue Fei.
A figure on a white horse with a silver spear charged in and out of the massive army seven times, his spear technique agile and elegant, unstoppable by anyone.
That was the Ever-Victorious General, Zhao Yun.
Then there was the modern Divine Spear, Li Shuwen, whose great spear was fiercely unmatched, forging a resounding reputation with just his Half-Step Burst Punch and Liuhe Great Spear...
Countless spear gods and star generals who only existed in ancient Huaxia legends appeared before her eyes one by one.
They spoke no words, silently demonstrating the absolute pinnacle of their respective spear paths to her over and over again.
Those profound moves and domineering intents were rapidly absorbed by her.
Finally, figures practicing transcendent spear techniques even appeared, among whom a girl wielding a red tassel spear left a deep impression on Meiduo.
Meanwhile, in the outside world.
The people in the command center only saw Meiduo freeze in place the moment she touched the manual, her eyes losing focus.
But immediately after, a visible energy cyclone suddenly formed with her at the center!
"Whoosh—!"
The terrifying energy vortex spun wildly, acting like a greedy black hole as it began to frantically plunder the free-floating Source Essence energy in the surrounding space.
The speed of the plundering grew faster and more domineering, even causing the surrounding air to distort.
"What's going on!" Shanda exclaimed. He could feel the Source Essence within his own body being pulled by that force.
The amount of Source Essence around Dragon Bone Village was already limited.
Soon, Meiduo's petite body began to tremble violently because she couldn't get enough energy to replenish herself.
Fine blood vessels surfaced beneath her fair skin, as if she would explode and die in the next second.
"Not good!"
Bai Yuekui's expression changed drastically. She raised her hand without hesitation, preparing to transfer the boundless Source Essence she had just recovered over to her.
However, a warm palm gently pressed down on her shoulder.
Ian shook his head at her and said, "No need to rush."
"She's undergoing a metamorphosis right now. Her appetite is just a bit bigger, that's all."
Before his voice faded, Ian raised his other hand, palm facing up.
The next second.
A blue-gold torrent of Source Essence, vaster than the ocean and more dazzling than the stars, surged out from his palm!
That Source Essence was pure to the extreme, without a single trace of impurity, as if it were the most fundamental form of life.
Yesterday, he had taken some time to cultivate this world's Source Essence energy to the supreme realm where it formed a self-sustaining, endlessly regenerating cycle within his body!
The blue-gold torrent of Source Essence poured into Meiduo's body.
That boundless energy not only instantly satisfied Meiduo's terrifying appetite, but a massive amount of excess energy also spilled outward, enveloping the entire command center like a warm tide.
Everyone present, including Bai Yuekui and Marc, felt themselves wrapped in this sacred and gentle energy.
Hidden injuries in their bodies were being repaired, depleted cells were cheering, and their strength was growing autonomously...
Under the nourishment of this energy, everyone felt they had gained an unimaginably massive enhancement.
And receiving Ian's special care was also the little falcon on Meiduo's shoulder, Chagai.
Under the direct infusion of the massive amount of Source Essence, it suddenly let out an incredibly crisp and resonant screech!
Screech!
Its body rapidly expanded against the wind, its feathers becoming glossier, and its bones emitting crisp cracking sounds.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed from a juvenile falcon into something taller than a human.
But bizarrely, its appearance remained that fluffy, cute look, and its large, black-bean-like eyes were now filled with a lively brilliance.
After absorbing this Source Essence, it gained the ability to freely change its size.
A moment later.
Meiduo, who had been standing frozen in place, suddenly opened her eyes.
Boom!
Two rays of golden-red divine light shot out from the depths of her eyes, and a fierce, domineering spear intent swept across the room!
The sharpness of that intent even made a battle-hardened expert like Shanda feel a scalp-tingling palpitation.
It was as if an invisible, peerless divine spear was pressed against his forehead.
At this moment, Meiduo was still that petite girl, but her aura had been completely reborn, making her seem like a different person.
She slowly retracted the aura surrounding her, and the golden-red divine light also faded back into her eyes.
She walked briskly up to Ian without the slightest hesitation or delay.
Dropping to one knee, she performed an incredibly ancient and solemn disciple-greeting ceremony.
"Meiduo thanks you for bestowing this technique, sir!"