Chapter 132: The Essence of the Radiant Armor

"The thirteenth row, fifteenth from the left—that is the main body of the light armor. Fifth row, seventh from the left; eighth row, twenty-second from the left... these are all the components for the first configuration." Mu’s voice was steady and powerful.

Heizi’s eyes widened as he stared blankly at Ye Chong. Just moments ago, Ye Chong had been darting back and forth among these parts like a butterfly among flowers. The massive light armor components seemed as weightless as nothing in Ye Chong’s hands. This—this was simply absurd! Heizi rubbed his head vigorously, unable to believe his eyes. Even though these were made of relatively lightweight bone materials, they were still light armor components! Could this guy even be human, lifting them like that?

Ye Chong’s movements appeared entirely prepared. Heizi felt puzzled; hadn't he been listening to him the whole time? His eyes clearly hadn't been scanning these components at all!

What a bizarre fellow! Heizi muttered to himself.

Ye Chong looked at the three piles of components stacked before him; all the parts required for the three configurations mentioned by Mu were now fully assembled.

Ye Chong walked over to the first pile, furrowed his brows in thought for a moment, and then his hands began to move with lightning speed! One by one, the parts slid into place as if by magic. His movements were skillful and fluid, as if he were a professional light armor assembler. Before his eyes, the light armor began to rise from the legs, creating the illusion of rapid growth from the ground up.

Heizi’s brain had completely short-circuited.

Ye Chong stared at the three completed light armors, his brows slightly knitted.

Although he didn't know how these three light armors would perform, judging solely by their appearance, they were all masterpieces that would immediately catch anyone's eye. Heizi stood there, staring blankly at the three armors, unable to utter a word.

The designs of the three light armors were quite unique. They lacked the metallic luster typical of traditional light armors, possessing instead the distinct texture of bone material. Ye Chong trusted that Mu’s assembly diagrams were absolutely the most rational, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Strange, what exactly was wrong? Ye Chong frowned, carefully scrutinizing the three light armors.

Although the components of the three armors varied in color—since they were not from a matching set—the result was a mottled appearance. Nonetheless, there was no doubt these were the optimal combinations. Unlike his master, who knew nothing about light armor, Heizi possessed a deep understanding of the craft. To him, these components, through Ye Chong’s clever arrangement, were perfectly suited; from every perspective, their functions were maximized. It was simply perfect!

This guy was an out-and-out genius! Heizi couldn't help but feel immense respect for Ye Chong. In his eyes, Ye Chong had been improvising, yet he had achieved such perfection. He was intimately familiar with all these components and had tried to assemble them himself, but none of his own designs could compare to any one of these. And to think, in such a short time, Ye Chong had produced three of them!

Heizi was convinced that Ye Chong’s understanding of light armor was leagues ahead of his own.

Ye Chong remained deep in thought, his brow still furrowed.

Heizi, however, didn't notice Ye Chong’s distress. His eyes were entirely fixed on the three armors. If Shang were here and saw a burly, dark-faced man looking at these armors with such tenderness, he would surely have scoffed!

After a moment of hesitation, Ye Chong walked quickly toward the first light armor.

"Ye, is there a problem?" Mu also felt perplexed.

"Mu, don't you think these three light armors feel a bit off?" Ye Chong’s tone was hesitant and uncertain.

"Off? In what way?" Mu found it strange.

After a brief pause, Ye Chong replied, "I don't know what it is, but I just feel like something is wrong."

"How could that be? My calculations shouldn't have any deviations!" There was a hint of pride in Mu’s voice.

Ye Chong didn't answer. He walked directly to the first light armor and began to dismantle it. What was he doing? Watching Ye Chong suddenly start taking the armor apart, Heizi was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you taking it apart?"

"Reassembling," Ye Chong replied without looking up.

Reassembling? He was truly no ordinary person—to be so perfectionist even after reaching such a level! No wonder the gap between them was so vast! The honest Heizi felt his respect for Ye Chong grow even deeper.

Ye Chong’s dismantling speed was incredibly fast; at least, Heizi had never seen anyone faster.

Could it be that he had made a mistake during the assembly? Ye Chong’s first suspicion was himself; compared to Mu, he was more likely to err. Moreover, Ye Chong even suspected it might be an illusion, because he simply couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

In truth, Ye Chong had seen a great variety of light armors and was already highly proficient in the field. After gaining such extensive experience, he naturally developed a sort of "intuitive judgment." Sometimes, he would feel a subtle sense of danger or discord when looking at certain things. Just like a master’s intuition, he would sense that something was wrong even if he couldn't put it into words. At that moment, he wouldn't know why, but his judgment would hold true.

Only through constant learning and research can such intuition evolve from vague to precise.

This also signaled his entry into a deeper realm. These three light armors clearly followed the style of the Orbital Ring, while Mu’s calculations and optimizations were based entirely on physical performance. That method of combination was better suited for the more advanced, digitized light armor technologies found in places like the Light Armor Guild. The light armor style within the Orbital Ring tended to have a rich, natural flavor, so this mechanical approach based solely on performance felt slightly discordant with the overall aesthetic.

Mu was merely an intelligent machine, and emotional judgment was its weakness; therefore, non-data-based elements like "style" were naturally outside its considerations.

Ye Chong was different. Although rational analysis had always been his primary way of thinking, as a human, he inevitably possessed intuitive perception. His long history of dealing with various light armors had given him a unique instinct. Even though he couldn't grasp exactly where the problem lay, he felt a faint sense of disharmony in his heart.

Heizi’s level had not yet reached this stage, so naturally, he couldn't see it.

This vague feeling kept circling in Ye Chong’s mind. He had dismantled and reassembled the first light armor three times, yet he still couldn't find the issue. Ye Chong felt as if he were hitting a bottleneck—it was within reach, yet he couldn't quite grasp it.

Ye Chong felt quite frustrated, but he didn't know how to explain it to Mu.

If one day Ye Chong could clearly understand these things, it would mean he had reached a new level of understanding in light armor.

However, given Ye Chong’s current state, if he were to rely solely on his own contemplation, this did not seem like a short-term project!

An elderly voice suddenly interrupted his increasingly chaotic thoughts: "Oh, these three light armors look quite good, but it's a pity—the style is slightly uncoordinated!"

Style! A light flickered in Ye Chong’s eyes. It all suddenly became clear. Yes! Style! It was the style! Every light armor had its own unique style. While these three would likely be outstanding in performance, they were indeed lacking in stylistic harmony! No wonder he felt slightly uncomfortable.

Now that he knew it was a style issue, how should he change it? The excitement that had just begun to stir in Ye Chong’s heart quickly calmed down as his brain worked rapidly, though he soon became lost again. Even knowing it was a style issue, how was he supposed to fix it?

Ye Chong couldn't help but look up at the person whose voice had just brought him this realization. It was Nana’s grandfather. Ye Chong had been so focused on assembling the armor that he hadn't noticed the passage of time. The old man had woken from his rest and returned to the workshop, where he saw the three newly assembled armors. The old man was a bone sculptor by trade and naturally had a deep grasp of abstract concepts like style, so he had spoken his mind upon seeing them, inadvertently doing Ye Chong a great favor.

Seeing Ye Chong turn, the old man smiled: "I didn't expect you to have such deep attainments in light armor. It seems Heizi still has a lot to learn from you. This craft requires more than just carving skills to reach the realm of true mastery!" The second half of the old man's sentence sounded somewhat despondent, likely thinking of his own lifelong inability to reach his ideal level of mastery. His carving skills had already reached the peak of perfection, but unfortunately, his lack of understanding of light armor had become an increasing limitation.

Ye Chong kept his head down, lost in thought, his expression unreadable to others.

None of them knew that Ye Chong was engaged in an intense exchange with Mu.

"Mu, I want to learn how to craft these bone components!"

"Ye, our current priority is to treat your illness. Your current state is very dangerous! According to the information provided by Lu Caichi, our first step must be to leave the Orbital Ring and find his mentor. That is what we need to implement immediately!" Mu was extremely calm.

"Yes, you are right. But the incident at the Guardian was too big; I'm afraid they are already searching for us everywhere in the Orbital Ring. Leaving now is not a good choice. Moreover, all the starships in the Orbital Ring are under the control of the Sect of the Art-Bearers. Without a starship, it is impossible for us to leave!" Ye Chong was equally calm.

"Your assessment is correct! According to the information from Lu Caichi, to leave the Orbital Ring, one must pass the so-called Level Five Assessment of the Sect. It seems this is indeed not the right time for us to participate! However, Ye, your health is in great danger!" Mu was deeply concerned about Ye Chong’s condition.

"There is no other way! But as long as it isn't fatal, I will survive it!" Ye Chong’s flat tone carried a tenacity that surpassed any ordinary person!