Section 152: Sky Blue Sand Shop
Upon learning from Vixi that the city did not restrict free movement, Ye Zhong planned to thoroughly explore this underground city, which he considered nothing short of a miracle. He declined Vixi's company and took to the streets alone. Under normal circumstances, he would never have had the leisure mood for sightseeing. However, on one hand, Jiukai Nightless City had genuinely piqued his curiosity—such a magnificent underground city was something Ye Zhong believed could never be built in the Five Major Star Domains. He had never even imagined that such a grand underground city could exist in the world. On the other hand, no matter the situation, familiarizing himself with his surroundings would always increase his chances of survival. This was Ye Zhong's experience.
Witnessing the miraculous Jiukai Nightless City, Ye Zhong began to doubt for the first time whether he could pass the so-called Level 5 assessment. The strength of the Zongsuo was truly unfathomable!
Every applicant was fitted with a silver electronic wristband upon disembarking from the starship. The frosted inner surface made it comfortable to wear, while the smooth, polished silver exterior was engraved with a pattern of entwining vines. Among the leaves and branches of these vines, Ye Zhong discovered several holographic imaging ports. Vixi explained that this was the pass for Jiukai Nightless City. Without it, not only would movement within the city be impossible, but his personal safety would also be unguaranteed. As for how exactly his safety would be compromised, Vixi smiled and changed the subject.
Ye Zhong found that once the wristband was put on, it couldn't be removed. Vixi's explanation was that it was to prevent the holder from accidentally losing it. However, Ye Zhong didn't believe this for a second. Vixi also warned Ye Zhong never to attempt removing the wristband, as it would be very dangerous. Similarly, she didn't elaborate on what kind of danger it posed.
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Of course, Ye Zhong wasn't foolish enough to believe it was merely a pass. The moment he saw the wristband, Mu, with its superior scanning capabilities, had already thoroughly scanned it inside and out. When Mu relayed the scan results to Ye Zhong, he had to force himself not to show too much displeasure while accepting this so-called pass.
It had a signal tracking function, allowing the Zongsuo to know the wearer's location at all times. It contained an unknown liquid, in which over three hundred extremely fine alloy needles were immersed. Connected to these was a highly explosive substance. Mu concluded that if these materials detonated, everything within a three-meter diameter would be obliterated. Moreover, Ye Zhong believed it was far more likely that this unknown liquid was a highly toxic substance rather than a sweet, delicious juice. According to Mu's estimates, propelled by the explosion, the alloy needles soaked in the liquid would radiate outwards in all directions, with an effective lethal range of thirty meters. The explosive device was also remotely controlled by the Zongsuo, meaning that as long as you wore this thing, your life was entirely in the hands of the Zongsuo.
As Ye Zhong accepted the seemingly exquisite wristband and listened to Mu analyze its various functions, a chill ran down his spine!
But seeing the vigilant gazes of the full standard combat team of pilots behind Vixi, Ye Zhong had no choice but to brace himself and put the terrifying device on his left wrist. If he didn't cooperate, he'd likely face an immediate围攻. Moreover, the number of Zongsuo pilots here was countless. Shortly after disembarking, the observant Ye Zhong had already seen over ten combat teams of Zongsuo combat mechas flying past in the sky! If he were besieged here, he'd probably be wiped out without a trace!
Vixi felt quite pleased. No matter what issues Ye Zhong might have, as long as he wore the pass wristband, everything about him would be under the Zongsuo's control, and there was no fear of him trying any tricks.
After Ye Zhong put on the silver wristband, the team of pilots behind Vixi immediately and silently departed.
Ye Zhong excused himself, saying he wanted to look around, and hurriedly slipped away from Vixi. Unworried about him causing any trouble, Vixi smilingly agreed.
As soon as he turned away, Ye Zhong urgently asked Mu, "Mu, can you do anything about this thing?" Ye Zhong deeply disliked the feeling of his fate being in someone else's hands.
Mu was silent for a moment before replying, "Yezi, their design is very sophisticated. I'll need time to crack it!"
Ye Zhong couldn't help but sigh in relief. He almost had a blind admiration for Mu's capabilities. As long as Mu didn't say it was impossible, Ye Zhong believed Mu could definitely do it. In fact, from the garbage planet until now, Mu had never let him down. However, the fact that the usually formidable Mu now said he needed time also showed the advanced technological strength of the Zongsuo.
Feeling much more at ease, Ye Zhong began to explore Jiukai Nightless City alone.
Only by truly walking into Jiukai Nightless City could one fully appreciate its grandeur. Strolling through the streets, Ye Zhong was surprised by the city's prosperity. He had initially thought it was an artificial city similar to a base, but walking the streets, he found all kinds of service facilities were very complete. Without a doubt, this was a real city.
Unlike the hurried pedestrians Ye Zhong had seen in other cities, the people here seemed very leisurely, their expressions somewhat lax. Ye Zhong also noticed an interesting phenomenon: most of the pedestrians he saw were middle-aged or elderly, with almost no young people like himself. Instead, the passersby looked at Ye Zhong with rather peculiar gazes. Ye Zhong didn't know why, but he didn't pay it much mind.
The sky was far busier than the ground, with countless mechas weaving between skyscrapers, performing breathtaking maneuvers. However, the mecha pilots all displayed extremely high driving skills. The scene of novices piloting mechas precariously, common in other cities, was absolutely absent in Jiukai Nightless City. Ye Zhong even wondered if some kind of mecha piloting competition was being held here.
By the roadside was a small shop. Through the transparent plexiglass, many mechas were on display, causing Ye Zhong to stop. The holographic advertisement at the door read: "Sky Blue Sand Mecha Shop: Custom-made mechas, also specializing in modifications, assembly, and repairs."
Ye Zhong was taken aback. Such bold claims! This was the first time he had seen an advertisement offering custom mecha services, along with modifications, assembly, and repairs. If this small shop could custom-make mechas, that meant it had complete mecha production capabilities. That sounded rather astounding. If it were a major mecha production conglomerate making such claims, Ye Zhong might have believed it somewhat. But for such an inconspicuous little shop, Ye Zhong found it hard to believe it possessed complete mecha production capabilities.
Even Ye Zhong himself couldn't produce a complete mecha. Taking his most successful work so far, the "Hanjia," although the vast majority of its components were independently completed by him, many crucial parts like the mecha engine and scanning system were beyond his ability. Moreover, without Mu's help, the Hanjia couldn't have been completed so smoothly. But who else had an assistant like Mu?
Almost involuntarily, Ye Zhong stepped into the small shop named Sky Blue Sand.
Although the shop looked very unremarkable from the outside, the interior was quite spacious, filled with various mechas. Ye Zhong carefully examined them. To his surprise, these mechas weren't the common ones in the Orbit Ring with its natural stylistic influences. Instead, they bore very distinct traces of the high-end mechas from the Five Major Star Domains. Ye Zhong was extremely familiar with the various models of high-end mechas from the Five Major Star Domains and could spot the differences at a glance.
Suddenly, a calm voice came from behind: "Young man, these things are far inferior to your configuration. There's no need for you to look." The tone carried a hint of unwelcome.
Ye Zhong turned around. A middle-aged man in work clothes, covered in oil stains, stood behind him, his expression rather unfriendly. Do I have some grudge with him? Ye Zhong wondered. Moreover, the man's words confused him. What did he mean by "your configuration"?
Not understanding, and not particularly inclined to probe further, Ye Zhong focused on the modified Tianlun-IV mecha before him. It seemed the modifications aimed to enhance its power performance; it had even been fitted with horizontal wings, and the originally sturdy limbs of the Tianlun had been streamlined.
Ye Zhong couldn't help but shake his head.
"This is just a small shop. We don't have anything good!" Seeing Ye Zhong shake his head, the middle-aged man's face darkened, his intention to see him out now obvious.
Ye Zhong looked up, surprised. Although he hadn't shopped much, this was the first time he'd encountered a shop owner like this.
"How much for this Tianlun?" Ye Zhong pointed at the Tianlun-IV before him. The Tianlun-IV had balanced performance. Although it was slightly lacking in power, its other configurations embodied the concept of equilibrium. Moreover, its main advantage was stability; it performed exceptionally steadily in any environment. Currently, besides the Hanjia, his "Guardian" couldn't be exposed. He felt it necessary to have a backup mecha. Otherwise, if the Hanjia were damaged, he wouldn't even have a means of transport. Besides, Ye Zhong already had a modification plan for this Tianlun model in mind.
"You want to buy it?" The middle-aged man's expression was full of doubt.
"Yes," Ye Zhong nodded.
"You really want to buy it?" The man looked utterly disbelieving.
"Yes," This time, Ye Zhong couldn't even be bothered to nod.
"Alright then, this mecha costs fifteen Jiukai Points." The man looked at him as if waiting for payment.
"Jiukai Points?" What were Jiukai Points? Was that the local currency? Ye Zhong suddenly remembered a crucial problem: he didn't seem to have any local currency.
The middle-aged man scrutinized Ye Zhong carefully, then suddenly noticed the silver wristband on Ye Zhong's left wrist. "Are you a new applicant?" he asked.