"While it's heavy on physical enhancement, it also suppresses spiritual energy circulation. It acts like a dampener. For a high-level cultivator, wearing an armor set of a lower quality like this will be a shackle. But for us? This is a godsend."

He looked at the glaive that came with the set and picked it up. The weapon felt light in his armored grip but he set it aside and pulled out his high heaven-grade Starlight Dragon Spear instead.

"Now, for the combat test. Xiaoyu, stay back. I see a respawned patrol heading this way from the eastern ridge. Let's see what a combination of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator and a Decanus can really do."

"Boss, you're joking. That's a whole patrol. Even if it's you…"

"What? You think I don't value my life? My prodigious assistant. I have the Emergency Exit Talisman and you. If it's impossible, help me out or we can exit right away."

Lin Mo turned to face the approaching patrol. It was a standard squad: eight Legionaries and two Decanus.

They spotted him immediately as they're clearly heading for the stronghold. The two Decani whose faces could barely be seen from their helmets raised their glaives as the Aetheric Link formed around their whole squad.

"Ugh… No wonder you didn't even want to bring anyone else. You're really just testing that armor set. Fine. I'll watch over you, Boss. This prodigy will be your safety net. Just don't cry if you get dented."

Lin Mo chuckled, the sound echoing strangely metallic inside his helmet. "Dented? Xiaoyu, I'm not a tin can. This powersuit is quite strong, you know?"

He turned his attention back to the patrol. The Vindicators had locked shields, their formation tight and disciplined.

The silver hexagonal light of their Aetheric Link radiated and pulsed rhythmically as a wall of unified energy connecting them in a single formation and enhancing their prowess activated..

Normally, a cultivator would hang back, probing for the core link or weaknesses with ranged spells or sword qi.

Lin Mo did the opposite. He was going to test the armor set's capabilities, after all.

He bent his knees, feeling the Aether flow through his legs and greaves as it whined with potential energy. The [Aether Shard] in his chest plate flared, dumping raw power into the suit's external meridians.

"Engaging."

BOOM!

Lin Mo's figure shot out. The ground beneath him cracked as he exploded forward with the speed of a cannonball. The distance of fifty meters vanished in a heartbeat.

The Vindicator Decanus leading the squad barely had time to widen his eyes behind his visor. He roared a command, and the shield wall braced, reinforcing their Aetheric Link to maximum density.

They were expecting an impact, yes, but they were expecting the impact of a spell or a flying sword.

They were not expecting a human missile clad in their own superior alloy.

CLANG-CRUNCH!

Lin Mo slammed into the center of the shield wall shoulder-first.

It was like a sledgehammer hitting a pane of glass. The Aetheric Link, designed to disperse force and impact while distributing kinetic force to everyone within the formation, was overwhelmed by the concentrated mass and velocity of the impact.

The two Legionaries at the point of impact were launched into the air, their shields caved in as their link to the formation seemingly got disconnected after leaving the maximum distance the link could maintain.

Lin Mo skidded to a halt in the center of their broken ranks. He felt like the armor also had shock absorbers. Somehow, he initially thought that this was like medieval armor but after donning it, it turned more like a product of sci-fi with everything it has to offer. Except, the aesthetic remained old.

[Armor Integrity: 98%.]

"Not bad," Lin Mo mused, glancing at the HUD flashing at the corner of his eyes. He felt a dull thud in his shoulder, but no pain. The armor had taken it all.

"Physical enhancement is confirmed to be at least 300%. Or more? I can't be that strong even with a Perfect Foundation."

The remaining Vindicators, their formation broken, scrambled to react. The two Decani, realizing the threat was in their midst, swung their glaives in a coordinated pincer strike, their blades glowing with lethal, cold light.

Lin Mo's instincts as a cultivator kicked in. He tried to circulate his starlight qi to execute a [Crimson Flow Phantom Step].

However, the moment he tried to channel the energy through his meridians, he felt it. The suppressed spiritual energy encountered resistance. It was like trying to run through waist-deep water. His spiritual energy and starlight qi moved, but it was sluggish, fighting against the suppressive nature of the Aether-forged plating surrounding him.

The phantom step failed to materialize fully. Instead of a blur of afterimages, he simply… moved quickly to the side.

It was clumsy compared to its usual illusion effects.

The glaives slammed into his side and back.

CLANG! SPARK!

Lin Mo grunted, stumbling forward a step. The armor held, sparks flying as the blades skidded off the Argentum-III plating, leaving deep gouges but failing to penetrate.

"Boss!" Xiaoyu yelled, her hand already raised to intervene.

"I'm fine!" Lin Mo shouted back, regaining his balance.

[Armor Integrity: 92%. Breach Negative.]

[Spiritual Energy Resonance has yet to be fully adjusted. Please refrain from using it.]

Seeing that second line, Lin Mo couldn't help but be surprised. Spiritual Energy Resonance? Where was it written?

Then, as though hearing his thoughts, another line popped up.

[Spiritual Energy Resonance has been generated upon detection of the user's spiritual energy circulation.]

[Current Synchronization Rate: 40%]

"Okay, lesson learned," He wryly smiled underneath his helmet. "I should've waited until it finished."

"Boss! Need help?!" Liu Xiaoyu shouted from atop the stronghold wall. She's already cracking her knuckles with a ferocious grin as if she's a brute who just found her prey. Gone was the graceful yet mischievous young woman she often portrayed. The battle maniac side of her bloodline was leaking out.

"Not yet!" Lin Mo gritted his teeth, forcing his voice to remain calm despite the metallic reverberation inside the helmet. "Stay there, Xiaoyu."

He pushed back against the two Decani with two punches, meeting the tip of their glaives with his armored fists.

The Aether Shard in his chest hummed violently, burning through its energy reserves to compensate for the lack of spiritual reinforcement.

"Alright. Since it has come to this, let's continue with the physical test." Lin Mo muttered.

He abandoned the attempt to use the subtle, intricate footwork of the [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps]. Instead, he gripped his spear and began moving according to his self-created [Flowing Star Combat Style].

The [Starlit Dragon Spear] hummed in his hands. Usually, it felt like a feather, an extension of his will that danced on the wind. Now, without the guidance of his spiritual energy and starlight qi, it felt like a battering ram. The weight wasn't the issue. It just lacked the necessary qi to flow freely. In a way, he's just going to perform the style like he was practicing it.

"Alright. If I can't be a river yet, I'll be a landslide."

Lin Mo pivoted on his back foot, the metal greaves digging into the rocky ground for traction. He unleashed a horizontal sweep, putting the full strength provided by the armor set.

"Dragon Crescent Sweep!"

The two Decanus, seeing the telegraphed move, raised their shields to block, confident in their Aetheric Link.

WHAM!

The impact sound was sickeningly loud, like a bell being struck by a boulder.

The Decanus on the left buckled. His shield didn't shatter, but the force transferred through it was too much for his stance to handle. He slid backward, his boots carving deep furrows in the rock.

Even without Lin Mo specifically targeting the core, their Aetheric Link flickered as it struggled to redistribute the massive spike of physical force.

"It works," Lin Mo grinned. The armor set was truly showing its effectiveness in increasing one's physical capabilities. There wasn't that much strain in his body, as if everything was being provided by it.

The Legionaries, seeing their leaders pushed back, swarmed in. Six glaives stabbed towards him from multiple angles, a porcupine formation of death.

"Boss! Watch out!" Xiaoyu yelled, her legs tensing to jump down.

"Got it!" Lin Mo understood that he shouldn't get conceited even if he's testing the capabilities of this armor on live opponents who would truly skewer if given the chance.

"Let me use the attached skill! Aetheric Bulwark!"

[Ability Activated: Aetheric Bulwark.]

[Energy Cost: 5% of Shard Capacity.]

A sphere of solid, translucent silver light expanded from his chest plate.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

The six glaives bounced off the barrier harmlessly. The Legionaries stumbled, their rhythm broken. As for the Decani, they were utterly flabbergasted.

It was already absurd to find someone wearing their armor, but to also use their ability as though he came from the same realm as them? It was preposterous.

Lin Mo didn't have the time to check on their reactions. He used the opening before him.

Starcoil Thrust!

Gripping the spear tightly, he performed a powerful thrusting motion. Considering it lacked the necessary starlight qi, it appeared to be something normal.

But the augmentation of the armor set transformed that normal thrust of his spear into a devastating blow.