Master Wusheng had asked Lu Yin to contact him during his first lockbreaking attempt, and after some thought, Lu Yin decided to contact him.
But even after a while, Master Wusheng still couldn't be contacted through his gadget. Lu Yin closed his gadget, thinking that Master Wusheng must be busy. Lu Yin didn't wait any longer and decided to directly unlock the sourcebox. However, he needed to activate the camera function on his gadget before he could actually unlock the sourcebox. He wanted to record the entire process and upload it to his Sourcebox Catalog.
Every successful lockbreaking attempt was equivalent to unlocking the secrets of the universe. Sourceboxes were sealed by the universe, and Lockbreakers were the key to unlocking them. Thus, every successful lockbreaking attempt, regardless of whether it was done by someone paying a price or by one's own initiative, was a contribution to the Lockbreaker Society. This contribution was graded by stars. For example, although Lu Yin had officially become a Discerning Elementary Lockbreaker, his contribution was zero. There were many people like him in the society, and more accurately, they weren't true Lockbreakers.
Only Lockbreakers who successfully unlocked a sourcebox could be considered true Lockbreakers. One Star contribution would be awarded, and with this contribution, one would be considered a true Lockbreaker.
A Lockbreaker with contributions was completely different from a Lockbreaker without contributions.
One's contribution had to be proven by a lockbreaking video, which could be recorded by oneself or by someone else. In any case, no sourcebox was exactly the same, and there was no such thing as stealing the lockbreaking process. Thus, when someone paid a price to ask a Lockbreaker to unlock a sourcebox, the Lockbreaker had to allow that person to watch from the side. This made it easier to record, and it also helped to avoid suspicion.
If a Lockbreaker secretly hid something that had been unlocked, they would be hunted down by the Lockbreaker Society. This was the professional nature of a Lockbreaker.
After preparing everything, Lu Yin placed a hand on the sourcebox and closed his eyes. Star energy flowed out of his body and touched the sourcebox.
The moment he touched the sourcebox, Lu Yin was stunned. It was too complicated, and the layer of energy on the sourcebox's surface was rather chaotic and disorderly. It didn't seem very large, but from the perspective of star energy, it was as deep and unfathomable as the ocean. It could even be considered another world.
The star energy that roamed the universe was invisible to the naked eye, but once it became visible or even tangible, it meant that the concentration of star energy had reached a terrifying level. The surface of a sourcebox was like this, and it wasn't just star energy. There were other types of energy mixed within the sourcebox, and they were strangely balanced.
Bazeer was right, as this sourcebox was not dangerous. However, it was impossible for Lu Yin to unlock it without using the Sirius Art. It was like asking an illiterate person to decipher the principles behind a spacecraft's operation. It was so complicated that it gave him a headache.
This was the true face of the sourceboxes that Lockbreakers had to face. This sourcebox was of the lowest grade, but it was already so complex. Lu Yin could not even begin to imagine how complex the first sourcebox that he had seen in the Sourcebox Catalog had been. Amateurs were only here to watch the show, but only insiders could sense how powerful that Lockbreaker was.
Lu Yin had no choice but to use the Sirius Art. Eight stars revolved around his body and enveloped the sourcebox. The seal on the sourcebox's surface suddenly became clear, but it was still as messy and disorderly as before, like a randomly tangled string. If Lu Yin wanted to unlock this sourcebox, he would have to dissolve this complex energy bit by bit. He took a deep breath and began his attempt.
As long as he could see it clearly, it was not difficult to dissolve it, but it would take a long time. After all, the energy had already become tangible, and there was just too much of it.
Five hours quickly passed, and the sourcebox's surface became slightly smoother. This proved that Lu Yin's lockbreaking had been effective. He looked up and exhaled with a bitter smile. It would probably take him more than twenty hours to completely unlock the sourcebox. Whatever, he decided to continue.
Without the Sirius Art, Lu Yin would not have been able to succeed. Even with the Sirius Art, it still took him twenty-seven hours to finally unlock the sourcebox.
When the last thin layer of energy disappeared, a very inconspicuous piece of gray metal fell to the ground, making a clattering sound.
Lu Yin's body swayed, and he almost fell to the ground. He had already reached his limit after continuously using the Sirius Art for twenty-seven hours. He really could not hold on any longer. Fortunately, he had succeeded at the last moment.
He picked up the grey metal, which was probably a component of some sort. Because too much time had passed, most of the component had decayed, and only this piece of metal remained. It was a pity, but since this piece of metal could withstand the corrosion of time, it should not be simple.
Lu Yin put the metal away and activated his gadget. He uploaded his entire lockbreaking process to the Sourcebox Catalog and waited for it to be reviewed. He then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, his gadget beeped, and he opened his eyes. When he looked at it, his eyes lit up. His lockbreaking video had been reviewed, and a new star had appeared on his own page on the Lockbreaker Network. Lu Yin was delighted. From this moment onwards, he was a true Lockbreaker with contributions, a One Star Discerning Junior Lockbreaker.
The star was so bright that it almost dazzled Lu Yin. With this star, his status had risen once again.
Lockbreakers' status was not only because they were sought after by outsiders, but also because they were protected from within. Any Lockbreaker with contributions was a treasure to the Lockbreaker Society, and killing one would result in the retaliation of all Lockbreakers. It could be said that the Lockbreaker Society was very protective of its members.
Lu Yin liked this sort of protective organization. When he had become a One Star Lockbreaker, the Society had immediately sent him a congratulatory message and given him twenty Sourcebox Catalogs. These were all lockbreaking videos of Discerning Junior Lockbreakers, which were very suitable for him and were very precious.
At this moment, someone contacted him. Lu Yin took a look and saw that it was Master Wusheng.
He tapped on his screen, and Master Wusheng appeared with a serious expression. "Student Lu Yin, you were too rash."
Lu Yin smiled. "Sorry, Master. I couldn't help myself."
"Do you know that every lockbreaking process is a fight against the Grim Reaper? Lockbreaking is searching for the universe's treasures, and it's fighting against the universe for resources. It's very dangerous," Master Wusheng lectured sternly.
Lu Yin replied, "Master, that sourcebox isn't dangerous."
Master Wusheng snorted. "It's not dangerous?
Who told you that?
The person who gave you the sourcebox?
What do they know? The dangers of sourceboxes are not something they can imagine. The material on the surface of a dusty sourcebox is balanced, and the slightest carelessness can lead to a chain reaction. Take a look at the Sourcebox Catalog that the Society gave you, and remember my words — lockbreaking with the determination to brush past death. This is a lifelong motto for every Lockbreaker. "He then disconnected the call.
Lu Yin could feel Master Wusheng's seriousness, and he hurriedly opened the Sourcebox Catalog that the Society had given him.
In the dark night, a young woman held a fist-sized stone and closed her eyes as she began to lockbreak. This stone was the same as the sourcebox that Lu Yin had unlocked, and it was completely harmless. The woman spent more than ten hours trying to smooth out the surface of the sourcebox, and she rested for a while before continuing. Suddenly, the material on the surface of the sourcebox distorted and then exploded. The void distorted and nearly shattered, and the woman was swallowed up without leaving a trace behind.
Lu Yin's pupils shrank, and his scalp went numb. The woman had not been able to maintain the balance of the energy on the sourcebox's surface during the lockbreaking process, which had led to an accident. This was a classic case of failure.
This case was very similar to Lu Yin's lockbreaking, but the difference was that he had succeeded while the woman had failed. Thus, one had lived, while the other had died.
The energy on the surface of a sourcebox was like an ecosystem that had long since formed a balance. Once it was broken, the entire ecosystem would collapse. The consequences of the energy becoming tangible were terrifying, and even a Limiteer might not be able to withstand it.
Lu Yin felt a lingering fear. Fortunately, his Sirius's abilities allowed him to see everything clearly. Otherwise, he would have been in danger.
Lu Yin continued looking through the other Sourcebox Catalog records.
The second, third, and all the way up to the seventeenth were all failures, but the eighteenth image shocked Lu Yin once again.
He saw a pair of hands that were similarly unlocking a harmless sourcebox. But after dozens of hours, when there was only a thin layer left on the sourcebox's surface, a strangely shaped snake rushed out from within and burrowed into the Lockbreaker's body through the pair of hands. There was a blood-curdling scream before the image disappeared.
Lu Yin's scalp went numb once again. He finally remembered that the sealed sourcebox might not necessarily be an inanimate object, but rather a living creature. These creatures had sealed themselves away, and as time passed, they would gradually be covered in dust. The moment the sourcebox was opened, they would awaken. Just the thought of a creature from ancient times was terrifying.
There were a total of twenty Sourcebox Catalog records, and all of them were cases of failed lockbreaking. Furthermore, the Lockbreakers themselves had all died. Lu Yin felt a chill run down his spine. These cases had made him realize just how dangerous lockbreaking was. The Lockbreaker Society had sent him these records the moment he had become a One Star Lockbreaker as a warning, as well as to clearly show him what it meant to be a Lockbreaker.
Many times, those who opened sourceboxes did not have good endings. Lockbreakers bore this responsibility, and while they bore the glory, they also experienced death.
Lu Yin contacted Master Wusheng again.
"Are you done?" Master Wusheng stared at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin frowned and solemnly replied, "I'm done."
"What are your thoughts?" Master Wusheng's expression was serious.
Lu Yin muttered to himself for a moment before looking up. "It's very stressful, but it's also very interesting."
Master Wusheng's lips curled up. "Interesting?
Very few people find lockbreaking interesting. Although there are hundreds of thousands of Lockbreakers in the society, there aren't many who can actually lockbreak. Of these people, quite a few reject lockbreaking because they don't dare to. I hope that you won't become that kind of person. "
Lu Yin's brows rose, and he slowly bowed. "Thank you for the reminder, Master."
Master Wusheng nodded, and a trace of admiration appeared in his eyes. "Lockbreaking can sometimes rely on external objects. There are always mystical items in the universe that can help Lockbreakers, such as this." Master Wusheng then took out two dark green leaves and placed them on his head. Under Lu Yin's puzzled gaze, he calmly explained, "These leaves can clear my mind and increase my train of thought by several times. You've already lockbroken once, so you should understand how beneficial it is to lockbreaking."
Lu Yin's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded. He deeply understood. If his train of thought had increased by several times, then he wouldn't have needed to spend twenty-seven hours. This was a treasure that could increase his efficiency.
Master Wusheng saw Lu Yin's yearning gaze, smiled, and put away the leaves. "Don't look at me like that, I only have two of these leaves. If you want to obtain more, then come to the Society's headquarters when you're free. There are similar items that you can exchange for. Of course, the price is not cheap."
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Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and Windborne would like to thank everyone for their support over the past year. I also wish everyone a happy New Year. May you gain both fame and fortune, and may your wishes come true!
Both the 15th and 16th will be updated at midnight. Thank you for your support!