Section 187: Rising Winds and Surging Clouds (Part 3)
A shield from a mecha came whistling straight at the two of them! Although this shield wasn't particularly large for a mecha, it was still about two meters in diameter, made entirely of alloy, and extremely heavy! Just from the sharp sound of the wind, one could tell the ferocity of its approach. Even a slight graze would likely result in death or serious injury!
Judging by its trajectory, it was unmistakably aimed directly at the two who had just entered the residential area!
Hua Shangmei, true to his reputation as a martial arts expert, reacted with incredible speed. Almost instinctively, he pushed off with his feet and twisted his waist simultaneously, propelling himself sideways like an arrow! The shield brushed past him, dangerously close, the powerful airflow stinging his face! Before he could even feel relieved about dodging it, his heart sank mid-air. This is bad! he thought, his face instantly draining of color.
It's over! That was the only thought left in his mind. Even with just a peripheral glance, he had quickly estimated the shield's approximate weight. The thought of such a heavy object flying at such an astonishing speed... its momentum was absolutely impossible for human strength to stop! If this shield hit... oh heavens, it would be nothing but a pulp! Images of shattered bones and scattered limbs flashed in his mind, making Hua Shangmei's already pale face turn even more ghastly white.
If even he had only barely managed to dodge it, the chances of a new apprentice from the September Martial Hall—one who'd been mopping the floor—avoiding it were practically zero!
BOOM! A loud crash echoed, and dust flew!
Hua Shangmei's heart clenched, followed by a wave of despair. This matter is probably going to blow up in my face! How am I going to explain this to the September Martial Hall?
Even in such a critical situation, Hua Shangmei's movements remained graceful and fluid. Any expert witnessing it would surely have praised his skill!
But Hua Shangmei had no mind for such things now. The moment his toes touched the ground, he twisted his body, looking toward where Ye Zhong had just been standing!
The September Martial Hall disciple called Mo Fei was safe and sound! And not far from him, the shield was embedded firmly in the ground!
Hua Shangmei immediately let out a sigh of relief, the color returning slightly to his face. Though still noticeably pale, it wasn't the deathly white from before. Seeing Mo Fei unharmed, Hua Shangmei felt relieved but was suddenly struck by doubt. Impossible! I trust my own judgment; I couldn't have been mistaken about the situation just now. The shield's trajectory should have definitely hit the spot where Mo Fei was standing! It doesn't make sense. How could it have suddenly changed direction?
Could it be... him? Looking at the unharmed Mo Fei, an unbelievable thought arose in his mind: Did he make a move just now? But he immediately dismissed it. Impossible, absolutely impossible! Even if the most powerful among us, Third Brother, were here, he definitely couldn't forcibly change that shield's trajectory without getting injured himself!
Then what exactly happened?
This guy called Mo Fei now wore a panicked expression, which made Hua Shangmei feel even more that his earlier thought was utterly absurd!
No one had seen Ye Zhong's movement just now. Ye Zhong had tapped his toes, shifting slightly to one side. His movement was so fast it was nearly impossible to discern. A series of afterimages! Ye Zhong ended up facing the side of the shield. As the shield swept past him, Ye Zhong crossed his hands and abruptly exerted force, causing the shield to lose its original direction and veer off diagonally. Ye Zhong then used that instant to return to his original position! This was largely thanks to the force application techniques he had recently learned from Lan Yixing; otherwise, while he could have still pushed the shield away, he wouldn't have been able to do it so effortlessly.
As for the panicked expression on his face, it was Sang who had reminded Ye Zhong to put it on. Ye Zhong wasn't sure if his acting was convincing enough! But he couldn't worry about that now. His only concern was whether the loud noise would attract the attention of the Heijiao people!
Hua Shangmei didn't have time to figure out what had happened. The commotion had already drawn everyone from the residential area over!
He even heard the loud voice of his third brother, Deng Chong: "You two brats! We told you not to go to the mecha combat area, and you actually secretly practice here? Look at the trouble you've caused! If anything had happened, Master would have skinned you alive!"
So it was two youngsters practicing mecha combat here! Even with his good temper, Hua Shangmei felt like giving those two reckless kids a good lesson. After all, they had nearly cost him his life just now!
When Ye Zhong met the owner of the Tianhua Martial Hall, Hua Tiankai, the latter's face was dark and stern, clearly shaken by the recent incident. If a death had occurred within the martial hall, the impact on its reputation would be unimaginable. One could imagine the storm of reprimand awaiting the two rash youngsters!
Though angry, Hua Tiankai remained polite. He cupped his hands toward Ye Zhong and apologized, "I failed to discipline them properly. I apologize for startling you, young friend!"
Ye Zhong replied indifferently, "It's fine!" His quick return to normalcy earned him a look of respect from Hua Shangmei, who silently praised his composure.
Ye Zhong handed over the information chip Lan Yixing had given him. Hua Tiankai excused himself and returned to his room to review the contents of the chip.
Noticing that everyone was present except Rui Bing, Hua Shangmei asked curiously, "Where's Senior Sister Bing? Why hasn't she come out with all this noise?"
Zheng Zhongxing, nearby, explained, "Senior Sister Bing had matters to attend to; she's not here right now."
Ye Zhong had no idea that the "Senior Sister Bing" they referred to was the girl in the white training suit he knew!
Not long after, Hua Tiankai returned. Seeing that his so-called mission was complete, Ye Zhong declined Hua Tiankai's invitation to stay for lunch and headed back alone.
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"Xuelin... Xuelin..." Outside the room, Axiu's voice, usually as faint as a mosquito's buzz, was now unusually excited and high-pitched, greatly surprising Sun Xuelin.
A series of crashes from falling chairs and tables startled Sun Xuelin. What happened? Worried that Axiu might have fallen, Sun Xuelin quickly got up and opened the door to check.
As soon as she opened the door, Axiu was right in front of her, leaning against the doorframe, panting heavily. Two enticing blushes colored her cheeks from the strenuous activity. Seeing the usually calm and gentle Axiu in such a state left Sun Xuelin dumbfounded. It took her a long moment to recover before she stammered, "A... Axiu, wh-what's going on..."
Axiu was still catching her breath; the run had consumed too much of her energy.
"Is it... did Aunt and Uncle return?" Axiu's parents had been transferred to work far away, and she had been living with Sun Xuelin's family all these years.
"No!" Axiu stated decisively, a flicker of sadness in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a strange excitement.
"Then what is it?" Sun Xuelin scratched her head, unable to guess.
"Come here!" Axiu grabbed Sun Xuelin's hand and hurried to the computer in the room. Sun Xuelin was completely baffled now. What's gotten into Axiu today? Where did her usual ladylike demeanor go?
Axiu took out a chip from her hand.
"What's this?" Sun Xuelin pointed at the object in Axiu's hand, suspecting it was the reason for her excitement.
"You'll know when you see it!" Axiu turned her head and gave a mysterious, sweet smile.
The computer projected a segment of holographic footage. Suddenly, Sun Xuelin stood frozen in place, as if struck by something!
YC! This was a holographic recording of YC! This was a recording she had never seen before; it must be a new one from YC, because she and Axiu had already collected all of YC's other holographic recordings and were intimately familiar with them! Had YC appeared again?
Two years had passed! As she watched the mecha in the holographic recording suspended above the computer move, Sun Xuelin's heart wandered. After the initial moment of excitement, contrary to her expectations, she didn't feel particularly stirred inside.
Two years was not a short time! Long enough to change many things!
And what about me? Sun Xuelin's eyes grew dazed, lost in thought. An inexplicable, faint sigh seemed to echo in her heart! Remembering the fanaticism she and Axiu had once held for the mysterious YC, a bitter taste welled up within her.
The mysterious designation "YC," which she had recalled countless times, perhaps felt less real to her now than that Ye Zi from Grandpa Qian's place, whose whereabouts were unknown.
A wry smile, tinged with indescribable emotion, tugged at the corner of her mouth. She shook her head slightly and looked at Axiu, who was engrossed in watching the holographic recording. Axiu's large, delicate eyes, usually gentle and watery, now shone with a determined light!
Sigh! Does Axiu still not realize this is just a dream? Feeling that she had finally come to understand, Sun Xuelin, though her heart still felt bitter, seemed to lighten considerably.
Lost in thought, Sun Xuelin didn't notice the fleeting glance Axiu cast her way. Axiu blinked, and the determination in her eyes instantly grew even stronger.
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Rui Bing walked down the street. Her constant white training suit was particularly eye-catching, coupled with her stunning beauty and an aura of unapproachable dignity, ensuring a nearly 100% rate of people turning to look. However, Rui Bing paid little mind. The appreciative glances from passersby didn't make her uncomfortable, but Hua Shu's disciples were a real headache for her. She found their behavior deeply distasteful, but out of respect for Hua Shu, she couldn't openly reprimand them, so she simply let them be.
Today, she had used an excuse to leave the Tianhua Martial Hall and was strolling alone along the street. Blazing Wind Star was a tourist planet with beautiful scenery and unique landforms. The streets were also lined with small shops selling various exquisite trinkets. Rui Bing found the walk quite enjoyable.
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Wei Yuan piloted his mecha, hurrying to school. He had practiced too late last night and overslept this morning. His mecha was flying at low altitude. Its performance wasn't outstanding, quite average actually. Trying to compete for space at higher altitudes with other mechas would put him at a definite disadvantage. Reluctantly, he had to fly low. Due to the complex buildings and terrain, low-altitude flight was much more challenging, so there were far fewer mechas flying there.
However, Wei Yuan's piloting skills were exceptional, so flying low actually allowed him to travel faster. The upcoming stretch of road consisted of six consecutive turns, which was the most thrilling and exciting part of his daily route.
He didn't slow down at all, his mecha whistling forward.
Suddenly, he remembered the continuous arc maneuvers YC performed in the holographic recordings. Wouldn't those be perfect to use here? Wei Yuan's heart immediately surged with excitement! Those were actually the Heijiao's Continuous Arc Steps. Inspired by the four bodyguards around Robert, Ye Zhong had adapted them for mecha footwork, never imagining that Wei Yuan would secretly learn them. From this perspective, Wei Yuan was also a genius!
Wei Yuan had no idea what kind of change this whim of his would bring about!