Long Wu accepted the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.

He gathered the most valiant and skilled members of the "True Dragon Bloodline" and the elite explorers selected from within the alliance. Guided by the detailed route map provided by Chu Yao, they shot like an arrow from a bow towards those ancient secret realms sealed by time.

These secret realms are mostly located at the most chaotic points of spiritual energy and the weakest spatial density on Earth. Ordinary job changers who rashly venture into them face a near-certain death.

However, for Long Wu and his group, who possessed the "true dragon bloodline," the violent energy was more like a guide, allowing them to perceive the aura of the "Dragon Soul Crystal" and the "Titan Heart" more clearly.

The process was not smooth sailing.

The hidden guardians set up by advanced civilizations do indeed exist; some entrances to secret realms are inhabited by mutated behemoths corrupted by distorted energy, whose strength is comparable to the peak of the legendary level.

Even worse, the spatial laws in certain areas are extremely unstable, and a slight misstep can lead to a spatial trap and eternal damnation.

But Long Wu and his team, relying on their innate bravery and the accurate intelligence provided by Chu Yao, fought their way out.

The roar of the dragon tore through the tough scales of the guardian beast; the roar of the Titan shattered the invisible barrier of the turbulent space.

Several days later, when Long Wu returned to the temporary command center covered in blood and exhausted but with bright eyes, he was followed by rows of equally disheveled but imposing warriors. On their shoulders and in their hands were the "Dragon Soul Crystal" that shimmered with a strange light and the heavy "Titan Heart" that seemed to contain the power of mountains.

"Boss! I have not failed you!" Long Wu presented Lin Yi with the largest Dragon Soul Crystal and a Titan Heart that was pulsating with faint lightning, his voice hoarse with excitement.

Looking at these precious materials, Lin Yi felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He could feel the immense energy contained in these materials, as well as the hardships that Long Wu and others had endured for them.

"Well done, Long Wu! You've done a great job!" Lin Yi patted Long Wu's shoulder heavily.

However, the joy was short-lived. New problems soon presented themselves to everyone.

The energy contained in these "Dragon Soul Crystals" and "Titan Hearts" is too violent and pure to be controlled or shaped by ordinary means.

The original master craftsmen in the alliance were helpless in the face of these strange objects from the edge of the higher-dimensional universe. They could not even do the most basic smelting, let alone forge them into equipment that met the needs of combat.

“The energy level of these materials is too high. Our existing rune technology and forging process are simply unable to leave an effective imprint on them,” sighed an old craftsman with a white beard, his face full of helplessness and resentment.

The atmosphere became somewhat somber for a moment.

Having a treasure trove but being unable to tap into its value is undoubtedly frustrating.

Just when everyone was at a loss, a slightly aged but powerful voice came from outside the command center: "Hehe, if I am not mistaken, these should be soul crystals from the 'Dragon Bone Abyss' and heart cores from the 'Titan Remains Mountain Range', right? Ordinary methods are naturally insufficient to deal with them."

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man dressed in simple linen clothes, with white hair and beard, but full of vigor. He was standing at the door with his hands behind his back, looking intently at the rare materials. His eyes gleamed with the light of a craftsman seeing a peerless gem.

Lin Yi's heart stirred. This person's aura was restrained, yet he gave Lin Yi a feeling of unfathomable depth, indicating that he was no ordinary person.

He immediately stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Senior, do you recognize these materials?"

The old man nodded slightly and stroked his white beard that reached his chest: "I am Baihe, a few years older than you. When I was young, I also stumbled into some so-called 'forbidden areas' by accident, so I know a little about these things. To create cross-dimensional equipment, it is not only about the materials themselves, but also about the 'power of rules' that matches them to guide and solidify them. This is exactly what the craftsmen here lack."

"Senior White Crane!" an elder from the alliance exclaimed in surprise, "Could you be the legendary white-bearded master who can forge 'rule-based weapons'?"

The name of the Whitebeard Master is renowned among high-level players, especially those who pursue the ultimate equipment.

Legend has it that he was able to infuse the ethereal power of rules into equipment, giving it all sorts of incredible power.

This person's whereabouts are unpredictable, appearing and disappearing like a dragon; I never expected him to appear here today.

Whitebeard, also known as White Crane, waved his hand with a smile: "It's just an empty reputation. However, if it comes to dealing with these 'Dragon Soul Crystals' and 'Titan Hearts,' this old man can give it a try."

Lin Yi was overjoyed: "If you, senior, can lend a helping hand, I will be eternally grateful! The alliance will provide full support for any resources you need!"

"Of course, of course," said the white-bearded man.

Xuanmingzi watched quietly from the side.

The addition of Whitebeard undoubtedly gave a strong boost to equipment crafting.

He didn't act immediately. Instead, he carefully studied the energy properties of each Dragon Soul Crystal and Titan's Heart, and then obtained a large amount of data about the abilities of the interdimensional invaders from Chu Yao.

Several days later, in a specially prepared forge with highly concentrated energy, Whitebeard finally began his work.

He clenched his fists, and the energy in the surrounding space seemed to be drawn in by an invisible force, frantically converging towards his palms.

Those incredibly hard Titan Hearts were like docile clay in his hands, slowly kneaded and shaped; the raging Dragon Soul Crystals were extracted by him with a mysterious technique, strands of pure Dragon Soul power were extracted from them, and then skillfully woven into complex energy patterns.

Each hammer blow seemed to contain some profound truth of the universe, and each shaping was accompanied by a strange energy resonance.

Inside the forging workshop, dragon roars echoed intermittently, and illusory mountain shadows appeared at other times. The powerful energy fluctuations made the surrounding air thick and sticky.

Lin Yi, Long Wu, and the others watched from a distance, their hearts trembling with awe.

This goes beyond their understanding of "forging"; it's more like a perfect fusion of art and rules.

Seven days and seven nights passed. When the last ray of light faded in the forge, the white-bearded man walked out looking slightly tired. Behind him were a batch of cross-dimensional equipment with different shapes, all of which exuded a terrifying pressure.

There are heavy armors with the heart of Titan as their core, engraved with countless defensive runes; wearing them, one feels as if one can withstand the collapse of mountains and the cracking of the earth. There are spears and swords made primarily of dragon soul crystals, with the phantom of the dragon soul swirling around their blades; when wielded, it seems as if a real dragon roars along with them, tearing everything apart.

"I have lived up to your expectations." The white-bearded man's voice was a little hoarse, but his eyes were full of satisfaction.

The elite warriors in the alliance, after donning these brand-new cross-dimensional equipment, instantly saw their strength soar to a new level.

The warrior, who had previously struggled even against legendary high-level beasts, now felt he could even contend with epic-level enemies.

The morale of the entire alliance was greatly boosted!

During this tense and busy preparation period, Su Qing often appeared by Lin Yi's side.

She wasn't as skilled in data analysis and strategic planning as Chu Yao, nor was she as capable of charging into battle as Long Wu, but she could always offer Lin Yi a perfectly warm glass of water when he needed it most, or whisper a few comforting words when he frowned.

She took the initiative to handle many trivial but important tasks, such as checking the material lists and calming people down, silently sharing the pressure with Lin Yi.

Lin Yi also felt this delicate care.

On countless late nights when they discussed tactics and allocated resources, Su Qing quietly stayed by his side, tidying up his scattered documents or simply watching him quietly.

Her eyes were gentle yet firm, like a clear spring, always able to soothe his tense nerves for a moment.

Once, Lin Yi worked continuously for more than 30 hours. After completing a crucial defense plan, he finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell into a deep sleep on his desk.

After Su Qing noticed, she gently took a thin blanket from the corner of the command room and carefully covered him with it.

She gazed at Lin Yi's sleeping face, her usual sharpness and decisiveness replaced by exhaustion, making her appear somewhat vulnerable.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Su Qing's heart, a mixture of heartache and admiration.

She reached out, seemingly wanting to brush away a stray hair from his forehead, but just as her fingertips were about to touch his skin, she withdrew them shyly.

This scene was witnessed by Chu Yao, who had come to report on her work.

Chu Yao paused slightly, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, which were composed of data streams, as if she were disappointed, or perhaps relieved.

As an AI life form, her understanding of emotions may differ from that of humans, but she can clearly perceive Su Qing's pure and deep affection for Lin Yi, as well as Lin Yi's unintentional dependence on and trust in Su Qing.

She silently withdrew, placed the data report in her hand outside the door, then turned around and continued to optimize the entire alliance's resource allocation and defense system construction with her superb AI capabilities, as if nothing had happened.

However, in the massive flow and calculation of data, there is occasionally a barely perceptible pause, like a silent sigh.

The initial foray into equipment was a huge boost, and the entire alliance was immersed in the joy of increased strength.

However, this joy did not last long.

Just as batches of cross-dimensional equipment were being distributed and the soldiers began their adaptation training, the usually taciturn Xuan Mingzi approached Lin Yi once again.

His expression was more solemn than ever before.

“Lin Yi,” Xuan Mingzi’s voice was low and hoarse, like sand scraping against one’s heart, “the situation is not good. Just now, I sensed several unusually powerful high-dimensional energy fluctuations rapidly approaching the coordinates of Earth.”

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat: "Is it an advanced civilization?"

Xuanmingzi nodded slowly, a rare hint of apprehension in his eyes: "Their actions are faster than I anticipated. It seems that your collection of 'Dragon Soul Crystals' and 'Titan Hearts,' as well as your large-scale forging of interdimensional equipment, have thoroughly alarmed them. Among these fluctuations, at least three have an energy level that far surpasses any enemy we have encountered before, including Night Owl."

"They want to stop our supplies preparation?" Lin Yi's brows furrowed tightly. The slight relief he had just felt due to the equipment breakthrough was instantly replaced by a heavy weight.

“I’m afraid it’s not just about stopping them.” Xuan Mingzi looked up at the sky outside the command center, as if he could see through layers of barriers and into the depths of the universe. “Their goal is likely to be… to completely eliminate any unstable factors that might threaten their ‘screening mechanism’.”

A tense atmosphere once again enveloped the entire command center.

The newly ignited flame of hope seemed poised to be extinguished at any moment by this sudden storm.

Lin Yi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that it was precisely in times like these that he couldn't panic.

"Chu Yao, immediately calculate the enemy's possible arrival time and path!"

"Whitebeard, Long Wu, immediately organize manpower to seal and transfer the completed equipment and collected core materials!"

A series of instructions were issued clearly and swiftly from Lin Yi's mouth.

The preparation of supplies is nearing completion. The original plan was to begin strategic transportation and deployment, allocating these valuable resources to various key defense nodes.

However……