Chapter 655: Hard and Soft, the Unparalleled Extension
Chapter 655: Hard and Soft, the Unparalleled Extension
Translator: flycrane01 Editor: Millman97
After much exposure, the two pieces of magical equipment were not only known by all the Cultivators but also highly expected by ordinary people.
With the chaos in the Flying Star Sector, many remote space towns had established their own militia or guard team. Their demand for magical equipment had soared.
The Combat Ability Detector had only just started being manufactured. Since the colossal order from Iron Plateau had to be finished first, it went out of stock on the official website very quickly.
The Aurora Chain Gun was still in the field test phase. It was a battle-related magical equipment that concerned the life and death of the user. Therefore, it could only be perfected and finalized with the data accumulated in the tests.
However, some of the prototypes were put on market through various channels.
The Cultivators who received the prototypes mostly recorded their own tests and uploaded them to the Spiritual Nexus.
Some of them were even publishing tutorial videos with titles like '24 Moves for the Chain Gun', 'True Knowledge of the Chain Gun', and such.
For the time being, the two pieces of magical equipment were both barely available on market. One could not buy them even if they had loads of money!
However, Li Yao did not have time to enjoy the fever.
All his attention was now focused on a different piece of magical equipment.
Inside the Ares Laboratory, more than twenty refiners, including Li Yao and Xue Yuanxin, were holding their breath and staring at a set of strengthening plugins on the test platform, which was bound by countless electric arcs.
The set of plugins were a light grey, bordering on transparent. It looked quite unattractive, like a frozen cloud.
On the other side of the test platform, ten pieces of aggressive magical equipment were being charged.
Dazzling, colorful light balls were continuously condensing at the dark heads of the barrels and the front ends of the rails with blood-freezing hissing sounds.
Suddenly—
Swoosh!
The balls of lightning restricted by three rails expanded to such an extent that they darted out with an earsplitting explosion and crashed in the Ares Explosion in a purple streak!
Hum!
The seeming unattractive Ares Extension hummed in a sound resembling a bell being tolled. Ripples were spreading out on the surface of the magical equipment even though it was solid, each of which were a different color but equally brilliant.
As the ripples spread out, the damage of the balls of lightning were evenly dispersed to every part of the extension.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Next to the test platform, the hundreds of light beams floating in the air were displaying different figures.
The changes in the tens of thousands of numbers reflected the performance of the Ares Extension precisely.
The hums gradually died down. The energy of the ball lightnings was fully released, and they perished without a sound.
The surface of the bright grey Ares Extension, on the other hand, had purplish electric arcs popping up that looked like lightning that was raging in the cloud silently!
Hiu!
Pa!
BOOM! CRACK!
A moment later, the other powerful aggressive magical equipment had finished charging. Thunderbolts, lightning, flames, acid, frigid rains… Attacks of spiritual energy in various forms stormed upon the Ares Extension!
The figures on the monitoring light beam were continuously changing. Cracks began to appear on the Ares Extension. However, most of the attacks were absorbed by the Ares Extension as the ripples spread out!
Every attack dyed the Ares Extension with a new color. At first, it was only enshrouded in several electric arcs. Then, a few bouncing flames were added, followed by clusters of deep blue that represented freezing coldness.
When all the attacks came to a stop, the originally unattractive Ares Extension was enveloped in a colorful and dazzling mist and couldn't have looked more splendid!
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
On the light beam, countless figures jumped crazily and assembled into various equations, which then calculated thousands of results. A translucent 3D human model appeared on some ten light beams, too, while the system analyzed every organ in great details.
Finally, all the blinking figures jerked hard. One of the light beams flew out in front of everyone and enlarged itself. The eventual conclusion was demonstrated on it.
"According to the calculation of the crystal processor, in the saturated bombardment over the past thirty seconds, the Ares Extension absorbed 74% of the attacks perfectly. The virtual user inside the Ares Extension broke three ribs, with his liver slightly injured. The overall combat ability of the user has been lowered by 7%. He has suffered 'minor injuries', which will not affect any subsequent combat!
"More importantly, the special material—Super Bendable Steel—employed by the Unparalleled Extension can absorb most of the damage. The user can unleash all of it and return the attacks to where they come from with a telepathic thought!"
"We've made it!"
It had been half a year since the major setback of the explosion of the No.1 furnace.
Over the past half year, every refiner in the Ares Laboratory had been dedicated to the research day and night.
Several deep sleep capsules lay in a corner of the laboratory. When they were too tired, they would crawl into the deep sleep capsules and rest for an hour or two, before they got back to work crazily again.
The craziest researchers had not been away from the Ares Laboratory for months. Their skin was even paler than paper.
Right now, the seed on which everybody poured their sweat and blood finally produced fruit!
Even the most solemn scholars were waving their fists and crying in joy like teenagers who had just won a bet.
Every refiner was holding back their tears and hugging their working partners passionately.
Li Yao was embraced by quite a few refiners.
"Master Sand, we've made it!"
"Master Sand, you are indeed the bringer of good fortune of the Ares Laboratory. Without you, our plan would have been delayed for another two to three years!"
"Master Sand, the insane ideas that we came up with have all been realized. Hahahaha. All realized!"
"Your skills in forging are indeed marvelous. Are they secret arts from Iron Plateau? If you hadn't tempered the materials in person time and time again, we wouldn't have been able to develop sixteen different models of the Super Bendable Steel so quickly!"
Although many people in the outside world were still questioning Li Yao's aptitude in refining, the refiners in the Ares Laboratory knew the formidability of the 'idiotic magnate from Iron Plateau' after working together for six months.
However, since everybody was devoted to the research work, they'd never had the time or the energy to explain to everyone.
Xue Yuanxin nodded his head in approval, too. He complimented sincerely, "Master Sand, it's been a rough journey. You are unquestionably the second refiner for the Unparalleled Extension!
"With the Unparalleled Extension as well as the three models of Super Bendable Steel that you invented yourself, you will definitely rise to fame shortly in the circle of refiners!"
"You are too kind." In the warm ambience, Li Yao felt his eyes well up. He replied honestly, "Both the Super Bendable Steel and the Unparalleled Extension were developed by everybody together after arduous efforts day and night. The credit goes to the entire Ares Laboratory!"
Li Yao meant what he said.
Six months ago, he had never expected that he would encounter so many obstacles in the development of the Super Bendable Steel and the Unparalleled Extension.
Every refiner in the Ares Extension was a genius, a weirdo, and a maniac.
Amazing ideas were popping up in their heads every day.
"Will the stealth ability be increased after we join the extractant of Night Light Chrysanthemum into the Super Bendable Steel?"
"Can we combine the nine-star chain distribution of power rune arrays with the triangular distribution of power rune arrays? If we succeed, the maximum acceleration of the Unparalleled Extension will be improved by more than 3%."
Li Yao was exactly the same. His brain was like a volcano that was hurling out burning-hot notions and creative ideas unstoppably every day.
After joining such a team, Li Yao felt that he was fish that had swum into an ocean. They never let go of any seemingly impossible thoughts but would confirm or overthrow the hypotheses with countless experiments. They never stopped pursing the perfectness by revising their original plan unceasingly. When everything was impeccable, they would break apart the impeccable plan and start all over again.
In the end, Li Yao had forgotten how many times they had tried before they got sixteen kinds of 'Super Bendable Steel' with slightly different attributes and finally crafted the Unparalleled Extension that could return the enemy's attack back at them!
While everybody was thinking highly of him and considered him to be a genius refiner, he respected the refiners from the bottom of his heart, too.
Over the past half year, he had learned many things from everybody.
It was needless to mention Xue Yuanxin, who was a real skilled Armadominus as well as a creation-type Cultivator in the Nascent Soul Stage. By learning from him, Li Yao had grasped a lot of tricks in developing Ares Extensions and precious skills in the refinement of crystal suits.
Other refiners were all the experts of their field. Material science, structural mechanics, operational research…
Even the Building Foundation Stage Cultivators often had several amazing skills themselves. Li Yao had benefited a lot from them by learning from them modestly.
After working for half a year in the most professional refining team in the Flying Star Sector, he was able to combine everyone's theories before he conducted the final practical operations. His level of refining made yet another shocking breakthrough!
Not only did he make progress in his refining, he also improved his combat skills a lot.
There were many experts in the Combat Department, the Flying Sword Department, and the Battlesuit Department. They were mostly in the Core Formation Stage and were seasoned warriors. Their matches with Li Yao often ended with handshaking in peace, and they'd all learned valuable lessons from each other.
There were also several Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators who were like boundless oceans. The few tutorial battles alone in which he was an assistant were enough to make Li Yao feel that his trip to Flying Star University was definitely worth it.
After half a year of polishing and training, although he hadn't formed his core yet, Li Yao estimated that his maximum combat ability was at least double his ability half a year ago.
He was no longer scared of Fengyu Zhong, a real Core Formation Stage Cultivator, even if they were wearing the same crystal suits, because he was very confident in his combat skills in any crystal suit now.
Besides, the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit was being deeply modified in the 'No.2 Laboratory of the Glorious Sunlight Refining Center'.
Li Yao was looking forward to a second head-on clash with Fengyu Zhong after the modifications of the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit were complete!
"Master Xue, now that the Super Bendable Steel and the Unparalleled Extension have been successfully refined, please don't forget our deal from the beginning," said Li Yao with a smile.
"I won't. Definitely won't." Xue Yuanxin was in a quite good mood. He waved his hands and said, "The Glorious Sunlight Group has invested so much money in my program and accelerated my research significantly. Besides, we've signed a contract a long time ago. We will absolutely supply the Super Bendable Steel and the Unparalleled Extension for you in advance later!"
After pausing briefly, the old man rubbed his fists, his eyes shining with joy. "We will have to run a field test now, won't we?"