Insect Swarms in the Eastern Suburbs

He walked up to the console in the center of the laboratory, where several items were laid out.

There was an irregularly shaped golden ore, a withered vine that faintly pulsed with green light, a rusted bronze compass covered in runes, and a holographic projection of the Black Iron Coffin.

"Today, we will start with the fundamental concepts of affinity and repulsion."

Situ Ming pointed at the golden ore. "This is Luminescent Gold Stone. It possesses an extremely strong affinity for light and fire-type spiritual energy, making it one of the primary materials for forging corresponding magical artifacts."

He then pointed to the withered vine. "This is an Active Ancient Vine. Although it is dead, spiritual energy still lingers within its fibrous structure. It can be used to study the decay and revival of life energy."

Next, he gestured toward the bronze compass. "This is a fragment of a Spirit Seeking Compass. Ancient superhumans used it to prospect ley lines and search for spiritual items. Its runic structure resonates with specific frequencies of spiritual energy fluctuations."

He explained the uses of the three items one by one. Finally, his gaze fell upon the projection of the Black Iron Coffin.

"As for your coffin, it is forged from ten-thousand-year black iron."

Situ Ming's tone was flat. "Its greatest characteristic is spiritual energy repulsion. Or rather, it possesses an extremely high barrier against the vast majority of conventional spiritual energy. This makes it almost impossible to be driven, strengthened, or eroded by spiritual energy, and it is exceedingly difficult for it to resonate with the external spiritual energy environment."

Chen Guan listened earnestly.

"However, all things in the universe mutually reinforce and counteract each other, and extremes breed reversals."

Situ Ming shifted his tone. "Extreme repulsion is in itself a form of extreme stability. It acts like an absolutely solid shell, completely isolating the inside from the outside. This characteristic makes it a top-tier sealing container, a defensive barrier, and so on."

Situ Ming continued, "Since you insist on carrying this coffin, you are naturally alienated from the surrounding spiritual energy environment. Your path of cultivation is destined to be different from that of others."

He walked up to Chen Guan, his gaze profound. "You cannot easily absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to strengthen yourself like others do. Your growth in power can only rely more heavily on the tempering of your own physical body, as well as... the non-spiritual connection that might exist between you and this coffin."

A non-spiritual connection!

This coincided perfectly with Chen Guan's own speculations.

"I have observed that your spiritual power trait also seems to be related to this coffin, presenting a rare gray mist state."

Situ Ming spoke slowly, "This kind of spiritual power does not seem to completely follow the traditional growth model. It behaves more like a symbiotic state."

Chen Guan held his breath, waiting for him to continue.

"My advice to you is," Situ Ming said in a deep voice, "First, continue to consolidate your basic physique and nurture your spiritual power. This is the foundation."

"Second, try to understand your coffin. Do not just treat it as a tool. Feel its weight, its coldness, its silence. Perhaps, you can comprehend a spiritual energy of your own from it."

"Third, regarding the gray mist of your spiritual power... try using the most basic cultivation methods. Let nature take its course, record its changes, and if you experience any abnormalities or progress, you can ask me for guidance at any time."

"Thank you, Teacher," Chen Guan replied respectfully. Situ Ming's words were tantamount to pointing out a clear direction for his cultivation.

"That concludes today's lesson." Situ Ming nodded. "Next week, I will explain some basic formation mapping and material property testing methods."

"Understood."

Leaving the Artifact Research Building, Chen Guan's mind was filled with new thoughts. Situ Ming's guidance had given him a few new ideas.

Tempering the physical body, nurturing spiritual power, understanding the coffin, observing the gray mist...

Although he still had no clue how to go about understanding the coffin, he could grasp the rest of it.

On Monday afternoon, after physical combat class, Chen Guan's personal terminal received a team invitation from An Changqing, along with the details of a shared team mission:

[Team Mission (D-Rank): Clear out the abnormal Rock Beetle swarm in the abandoned mine cave in the eastern suburbs]

[Description: Recently, a large number of mutated Rock Beetles have appeared in the old mine cave in the eastern suburbs, posing a threat to the surrounding environment and the scavengers who occasionally enter. Mission requirements: Clear the bug swarm in the main passages of the mine, evaluate the threat level, and collect a small number of bug shell samples.]

[Recommended number of participants: 3-5]

[Mission Reward: Base points of 50 per person, with additional points evaluated based on performance and the quality of the collected samples.]

[Team Members: An Changqing (Captain), Su Yuehe, Chen Guan (Pending Confirmation)]

A D-rank mission to clear out a bug swarm didn't look too difficult, making it suitable practice for freshmen.

An Changqing's choice of him and Su Yuehe was obviously well-considered. Su Yuehe's abilities leaned toward support, while he himself was a reliable melee and defense unit.

Chen Guan did not hesitate and tapped to confirm his participation.

Soon, An Changqing sent the gathering time and location: 8:00 AM tomorrow, meet at the academy's east gate.

...

Early the next morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Chen Guan got up early. After completing the daily care for his main body, he changed into a set of dark gray field combat uniform that allowed for easy movement. This was a standard uniform exchanged at the academy's equipment department using the initial points he received upon enrollment. It possessed decent wear-resistance, scratch-resistance, and weak spiritual energy buffering functions.

After communicating with Sys, the weight of the coffin was no longer as light as a feather. It had been adjusted to a weight that Chen Guan found acceptable. Feeling its heavy mass pressing down, Chen Guan felt much more at ease.

Storing his necessary items into his storage ring, Chen Guan pushed open the door to Room 304 and walked down the stairs.

The air on the early morning campus was crisp and clear, with few pedestrians on the roads. When he arrived at the east gate carrying the coffin on his back, An Changqing and Su Yuehe were already waiting there.

An Changqing was also wearing a well-fitting field combat uniform, with an unsheathed longsword hanging at his waist. The scabbard was quaint, with a faint light flowing within it.

His posture was straight and his demeanor calm. Even just standing there, he gave off a sense of reliability.

Su Yuehe, on the other hand, was dressed in a light, pale green martial outfit, with an emerald green short flute hanging from her waist. She was looking around somewhat nervously. Seeing Chen Guan approaching, her eyes immediately lit up and she waved her hand. "Student Chen Guan! Over here!"

"Student An, Student Su, sorry to keep you waiting." Chen Guan approached and nodded in greeting.

"We just arrived too." An Changqing smiled, his gaze lingering for a moment on the coffin on Chen Guan's back. "The goal of this mission is to clear out mutated Rock Beetles. They usually inhabit the depths of dark and damp mine caves. Their carapaces are hard, and they excel at burrowing and spitting acid. However, their movement speed is not too fast, and their intelligence is low. Our strategy is to advance steadily. Yuehe will handle support, while Student Chen Guan and I will be the main attackers."

He assigned the tasks concisely, obviously having done his homework beforehand.

"Alright," Chen Guan replied simply. Su Yuehe also nodded vigorously, tightly gripping the short flute in her hand.

"Let's move out."