Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 189
"It's 'Fiend Fire' Lu Feng and 'Battle Axe' Guan Dong, the two best professional super shuttle drivers and two rivals with a deep grudge for over ten years. They're going to challenge each other again on the Hell Storm Racetrack!"
Yuan Qi gasped.
"Fiend Fire and Battle Axe are both here?"
After a protracted, messy explanation while they danced waving their hands up and down, Li Yao finally understood everything.
Fiend Fire Lu Feng and Battle Axe Guan Dong were two first-class experts among the professional super shuttle drivers.
They were classmates when they were little, and their driving talent was discovered at the same time. When they grew up, they became both friends and rivals.
Not only did they compete in the professional championships of various levels, they also liked to travel in the federation together and find interesting amateur racetracks to ride on.
The Hell Storm Racetrack was their favorite amateur racetrack.
The lap record of the Hell Storm Racetrack was set by Fiend Fire Lu Feng three months ago.
That time, Battle Axe Guan Dong was one step slower. He was beaten by 1.7 seconds.
Today, he had come for revenge.
"Wait, you just said that 'four top experts contending on the Hell Storm Racetrack'. Who are the other two drivers besides Fiend Fire Lu Feng and Battle Axe Guan Dong, the two life-long rivals?"
Li Yao couldn't help but asked when he heard this part.
"That's why I said that this is not something that any super shuttle fan wants to miss."
Gao Rong slapped his legs and exclaimed, "What we're going to see is a dual competition. It is a match of both two best drivers and two best super shuttle modification masters. Well well well. I'm thrilled just thinking about it!"
The outcome of super shuttle racing was partly based on the driver's driving skills and on-the-spot performance, and partly dependent on the incredible modifications by the refiners according to the different conditions of different environments.
In the world of super shuttle racing, a super shuttle modification master often enjoyed higher fame and status than a professional driver. They were respected as people who could manipulate time.
Yuan Qi asked hurriedly, "Who are the two refiners?"
"One of them is 'Void Wing' Mei Ze, who has been hired by Fiend Fire Lu Feng as his personal modifier."
Gao Rong explained, "Mei Ze is one of the Novem Stellae of the Deep Sea University who specializes in super shuttle refinement and modification. It is said he was best at refining armed shuttles. Modifying super shuttles is just one of his hobbies.
"Even so, he has become one of the best super shuttle modification masters in the federation within several years.
"Fiend Fire Lu Feng's achievements couldn't have been accomplished without Mei Ze's modifications."
Li Yao felt his heart was beating fast when he heard what Gao Rong just said.
His eyes were filled with bloodthirst immediately. His hostility was so dense that it seemed be consolidating into burning waterdrops.
"Void Wing Mei Ze, one of the Novem Stellae?
"One of the best super shuttle modification masters?
"How interesting!"
"As for the last one—"
Gao Rong intentionally paused for a second before revealing the mystery.
"He is the 'Solar Eclispe'!"
"What?"
Yuan Qi shouted at the highest pitch he could uncontrollably, "Solar Eclipse? Solar Eclipse has come?"
Right then, the crowds were also enchanting the name 'Solar Eclipse', which made his hysteria less shameful than it should be.
However, Li Yao was dazed for a moment.
He knew the names of most of the renowned refiners in the federation, but 'Solar Eclipse' did not sound familiar.
It was not until he asked curiously that he learnt the story of 'Solar Eclipse', who had been one of the most popular and influential celebrities in Serpent City over the past three months.
Three months ago, when he entered Serpent City by himself empty-handed, no one knew his background, nor did anyone bother to.
He then visited the most respected refiners in Serpent City and challenged them in the fields where they were most adept at.
In the first month, he hardly secured any victories.
During his worst day, he was on an eight-match losing streak. Everybody thought of him as a joke or a lunatic.
But he didn't care. He simply challenged them time and time again, and he had been growing at an inconceivable speed.
In the second month, he was already able to draw with some refiners in competitions at their specialized fields.
In the third month, he started crushing the refiners of Serpent City one after another like a massacre.
'Solar Eclipse' rose to fame like a volcano eruption. He became one of the best refiners in the Serpent City after only three months.
Considering his challenging frequency, it was believed that the 'one of' could be dropped and he would become THE best refiner in the Serpent City within the next year.
His nickname 'Solar Eclipse' came from his insane declaration.
He claimed that he would become a burning star even brighter than the sun in the sky, and that when he showed up, his brilliance would be everything that could be seen. Even the sun would be overshadowed by him.
That was why he was called 'Solar Eclipse'.
Although many people questioned his mental health, no one ever doubted his capability.
On the contrary, the name 'Solar Eclipse', which carried a vibe of lunacy, couldn't be more fit for a wild, chaotic place such as Serpent City.
When his story was known, he quickly became of the idol of many young men in Serpent City.
"Wait a minute…"
Li Yao was deep in thought. "This guy 'Solar Eclipse', the best refiner of the Serpent City, doesn't happen to have a bald, shining head, does he?"
"How did you know?"
Gao Rong nodded his head, "Solar Eclipse is indeed bald. But his head does not shine. When the name 'Solar Eclipse' spread out, he asked a spiritual tattooist to tattoo a vivid picture of annular eclipse on his forehead, which looks like a collapsar that absorbs all the lights around."
That was the one!
Li Yao grinned. As it happened, old friends had met each other again.
"Yuan Qi, hadn't you been wondering where Solar Eclipse comes from? It's been revealed now!"
Gao Rong continued, "Solar Eclipse's true name is Jiang Shaoyang. He comes from the Refining Department of the Deep Sea University and is known as the 'Tenth Star', the top refiner apart from the Novem Stellae. He is also the nephew of Jiang Sheng, the Supernova."
"What?"
Yuan Qi was shocked and shook his head, "Solar Eclipse is not the kind of person willing to be below somebody. 'The top refiner apart from the Novem Stellae'? It's like slapping his face!"
"True that."
Gao Rong was grimacing, "Why do you think they are holding a match today? Jiang Shaoyang, the Solar Eclipse, is declaring war on the Novem Stellae with the Hell Storm Racetrack as the battlefield. He is going to take out Mei Ze, the super shuttle modification master of the Novem Stellae, in his first battle!"
"He is?"
Yuan Qi was so elated that he felt dizzy now, "It is indeed a dual competition! Fiend Fire Lu Feng versus Battle Axe Guan Dong, Void Wing Mei Ze versus Solar Eclipse Jiang Shaoyang. How marvelous it's going to be!"
Gao Rong and Li Yao tried to squeeze themselves through the crowd.
A moment later, he realized something. Then he walked a few steps back and said to Li Yao while scratching his hair, "Master Fang, it seems that today is not your lucky day.
"Jiang Shaoyang and Mei Ze, two experts in refining, must've racked their brains and modified two perfect super shuttles for this confrontation.
"Fiend Fire Lu Feng and Battle Axe Guan Dong, two ace drivers, will try their best in the upcoming game in their best state.
"Whoever wins will definitely set a whole new lap record for the Hell Storm Racetrack!
"You won't stand a chance to compete with these guys!"
Chapter 275: Brutal ALKAID |
"Lu Feng! Lu Feng!"
"Guan Dong! Guan Dong!"
With the desperate cheers of the crowds, two ace drivers walked out onto the truck, which immediately set the super shuttle fans on fire.
Fiend Fire Lu Feng was thin, with a pair of smart eyes. He looked like an unpredictable breeze.
Battle Axe Guan Dong, on the other hand, was tall and strong with a body size that was much bigger than ordinary professional super shuttle drivers. He had bushy eyebrows, scary eyes, and a square face, releasing an intimidating scent from him. He was truly like an unstoppable battle axe.
The match was about to begin. Yet the two of them were still chatting and laughing in comfort.
"Lu Dong, I didn't expect that you would challenge me again after only three months. Are you sure you're ready? If it turns out that you are slower than me by that much again, it will be quite shameful." Fiend Fire grinned.
"Neither did I."
Battle Axe Guan Dong smiled and said confidently, "Half a month ago, I was told that there was this super shuttle modifier in Serpent City that was super awesome. Therefore, I paid a visit to him hoping that he could help upgrade my shuttle, only to find that he was biting the ground in a match with Jiang Shaoyang, the 'Solar Eclipse'. I had the honor to invite Master Jiang to redesign a super shuttle specially for the Hell Storm Racetrack for me. That's why I decided to challenge you again. Be very careful when the match begins. Master Fang is far more skilled than you will have expected."
"Isn't Jiang Shaoyang, the 'Solar Eclipse', originally the 'Tenth Star' of Deep Sea University?"
Fiend Fire Lu Feng said very proudly, "My modifier is Master Mei Ze, the 'Void Wing' of the Novem Stellae. I believe he is sort of Jiang Shaoyang's senior brother, if we get to the bottom of it. This time, when he heard that Jiang Shaoyang was your modifier, he did a comprehensive upgrade to my super shuttle. You'll know what I mean a moment later."
While they were debating, Jiang Shaoyang and Mei Ze were also confronting each other behind them.
"Shaoyang, you have disappointed the entire Refining Department of the Deep Sea University!"
'Void Wing' Mei Ze was a serious man in his thirties. Although he was not very old, he had several deep wrinkles on his forehead that seemed to be carved by a knife.
Mei Ze had been a student of Jiang Sheng when Jiang Shaoyang was only seven or eight. He had witnessed Jiang Shaoyang's growth from a child to a young man, and he didn't hesitate to teach him a lesson when he thought a lesson should be taught, "Never have we thought that you would end up in a lawless, chaotic place such as Serpent City and be corrupted like this!"
Jiang Shaoyao was quiet.
He used to be a radiating man that was the center of attention wherever he went.
But right now, all his brilliance had been absorbed by the annular eclipse tattoo on his forehead, making him more eccentric than ever.
He was speechless for over half a minute after Mei Ze finished his sarcastic speech. Then he slowly said, "I've been thinking of a question lately.
"If the Refining Department of the Deep Sea University represents the peak of the elite refining ideology and the Refining Department of the Grand Desolate War Institution represents the peak of the grassroot refining ideology, what path and ideology should I pursue in order to beat them both?
"I had contemplated the question for a long time without any answer, until I accidentally came to Serpent City."
Mei Ze squinted.
"Did you find a third ideology in this place?"
Jiang Shaoyang smiled, his white teeth glaring.
"No.
"As you said, Serpent City is a lawless, chaotic place. Refiners here do not care for styles or ideologies. There is only one thing that they care about.
"Victory!
"Victory at any cost!
"I realized that Serpent City would be a very suitable place for me. So, I stayed.
"All the refiners in Serpent City are my teachers. You will see their 'tireless' teaching in a moment, Senior Brother Mei."
Mei Zei didn't say anything for a moment. Then he sighed.
"Shaoyang, there's still a chance for you to turn back. Let's make a deal. Come back with me if you fail today. How about it?"
Jiang Shaoyang's eyes bulged. He couldn't help but laughed.
"Senior Brother Mei, why are you academics always so childish?
"What is failure? Failure only means that victory has not come yet. That's all!
"I'm no longer the 'Tenth Star', the guy who had never failed a single time since childhood and therefore couldn't bear the thought of failure!
"I have failed thousands of times in the past three months. Many a time I was beaten like a stray dog!
"It was not until then that I discovered that failure could teach you so much more than success!
"It doesn't matter if you defeat me this time. In fact, it's quite possible. But I will rise up again and challenge you for another hundred, another thousand, another ten thousand times until I finally beat you!"
Mei Ze was rendered speechless for a while. He was shocked by Jiang Shaoyang's eyesight and starting to feel that the guy standing in front of him was not the junior brother that he knew at all.
Jiang Shaoyang smiled.
"That's about enough, Senior Brother Mei. Let's take the chance and see who's the better one between us."
Two super shuttles drove slowly out onto the track, catching all the attention of the field.
The super shuttle that Mei Ze modified for Fiend Fire Lu Feng had a weird name, which was a KALLIMA.
It was a super shuttle most distinguished for its lightness, which was extremely slim, like a dancing butterfly, or a leaf that was flowing with wind.
Lightness was Mei Ze's refining style.
His nickname 'Void Wing' was based on his masterpieces that were as light as the hollow feathers of birds.
As for the super shuttle that Jiang Shaoyang modified for Battle Axe Guan Dong, it was an…
"ALKAID!"
Li Yao lost control and screamed out. He didn't know what to feel.
Never had he expected that Jiang Shaoyang would design a vehicle based on an ALKAID, too. The universe must enjoy the show when Jiang Shaoyang and himself were put together.
Jiang Shaoyang's ALKAID was full of spirit, like an irritated fierce beast. Li Yao could smell the scent of the irresistible force from it even though it was almost a hundred meters away.
On the shell, besides the hundred or so air paths which could stabilize and thrust the vehicle in the wind, the super shuttle was also installed with more than a hundred auxiliary fins that resembled the fins of sharks.
The sharp-edged auxiliary fins added to the toughness of the ALKAID, making it look like an unstoppable battering ram.
The modification was almost exactly the same as Li Yao's first plan.
No, not exactly the same. It was much better than that!
In a fair distribution, the shark fins were embedded perfectly into the shell of the vehicle without the slightest trace of joints. The whole super shuttle seemed to be refined all at once in a large-scale furnace without any post-modification at all!
"Jiang Shaoyang is stronger than three months ago. No. He has undergone a qualitative change and has become a whole new person!"
His heart beating fast, Li Yao felt so thirsty that he couldn't wait to jump on Jiang Shaoyang's ALKAID and feel it with his own hands.
But before he was able to take action, the two super shuttles, as well as the drivers and the modifiers, were escorted out of the place under the protection of the staff of the Aurora Autos.
The time of ace drivers and top modifiers was very precious.
It was just a personal competition today and not a formal match which usually sold tickets.
Therefore, only a moment later, the two ace drivers, in their KALLIMA and ALKAID, appeared at the start line of the Hell Storm Racetrack.
The audience were instantly ignited. The site was already on fire before the super shuttles were launched.
Countless super shuttle fans were craning their head up outside of the Aurora Autos, trying to jostle into the stereoscopic light beams.
The Hell Storm Domain seemed to be even more furious than usual, with smoke blowing and wind growling like ghost.
Fiend Fire Lu Feng versus Battle Axe Guan Dong!
Void Wing Mei Ze versus Solar Eclipse Jiang Shaoyang!
As the last of the three red lights floating on the sky turned green, the dual competition officially began!
In a moment, the booming of the two super shuttles overwhelmed the passionate commentary and the enthusiastic exclamation of the audience, crushing all the other noises into pieces, while the two super shuttles turned into two thin light belts.
Half a second later, the light belt changed into a series of blurred shadows, which didn't disperse until another half a second later.
Right then, the roars of the super shuttles tearing the air apart finally reached the ears of the audience, indicating that the two super shuttles were already beyond the supersonic speed when they were just initiated.
Fiend Fire Lu Feng and Battle Axe Guan Dong were both among the best super shuttle drivers, yet their driving styles were completely different.
Steered by Lu Feng, the KALLIMA was like a small boat on a surging sea. Although it seemed to be sailing hopelessly and ready to be overturned at any moment, the super shuttle continued on the racetrack in strange curves and cut into the gap of wind from various oblique angles. Not only had it avoided the assault of the wind, it even managed to be boosted by them.
The ferocious wind seemed to have become a giant hand carrying the KALLIMA forward.
In the meantime, the ALKAID, steered by Battle Axe Guan Dong, directly slashed into the wind as if it were a heavy battle axe, not bothering the wind at all.
The ALKAID that had been fully strengthened by Jiang Shaoyang boasted brand new air paths and stabilizer fins, which transformed the blowing wind that supposed to be an interference into impetus that boosted the vehicle forward!
