Chapter Ninety-Eight: Equipment Explosion
Hangzhou City.
At the Master’s residence.
Song Yue was listening intently as the Master recounted the downfall of the Li family.
When he heard about Li Shouren’s various cunning maneuvers, Song Yue was utterly impressed, almost bowing in admiration.
“What an extraordinary figure!” he exclaimed sincerely.
First, Li Shouren staged a performance to convince everyone he was a desperate, doomed warlord. Facing such a figure, even his enemies typically showed respect, allowing him to retain some dignity in the end. After successfully deceiving them, he sealed the room, activated a magic formation, and attempted to escape. When intercepted, he still had a backup plan—pretending to be dead to fool the Master!
These little tricks, one after another, were played with such flair!
Unfortunately, he ultimately could not escape death. This was no mere case of fate’s justice; it was the Master’s keen insight akin to a blazing torch.
Had it been one of the higher-ups instead of the Master present, and they witnessed Li Shouren poison himself to death, they probably would not have disturbed his body, opting to bury him respectfully. In that case, Li Shouren would have truly escaped with his life!
But the Master had been through the Nine Trials battlefield.
By telling Song Yue this story, he was imparting a lesson on how to handle such matters in the future.
“Truly, my Master is the most formidable!” Song Yue thought to himself.
“How does it feel to have slain a Golden Core powerhouse?”
After recounting his experiences with the Li family in the capital, the Master asked Song Yue.
“Well,” Song Yue scratched his head, “that person was just very unlucky.”
This was Song Yue’s honest reflection after he had fully calmed down and reviewed the battle.
“He wanted my secret, so from the very start, he never intended to kill me.”
“That cost him the initiative in the fight.”
“Secondly, he was wounded from his previous battle with the Lin family’s ancestor, which laid the groundwork for his eventual defeat.”
“Thirdly, those who cultivate spiritual power do not emphasize physical enhancement as much; they rely on defensive magical artifacts and armor for protection. But external objects are still external—after my Towering Stele shattered one of his arms, his fate was sealed.”
“Most importantly, I cultivate spiritual methods, making it difficult for his trump card to kill me instantly.”
“Of course, Qian Qianxue’s accidental arrival also helped me a great deal…”
Song Yue analyzed the battle’s pros and cons in detail. The Master’s face showed relief and satisfaction.
Victory without arrogance, defeat without discouragement—being able to objectively assess both oneself and one’s opponent is the true mark of a cultivator.
Unfortunately, most people can’t even achieve one of those two.
“Master, are you... not going to stay in the mortal world much longer?” Song Yue asked cautiously, voicing his deepest doubt.
“Not so soon,” the Master smiled at him. “I want to see you take one more step forward in your growth.”
A warmth filled Song Yue’s heart, his nose tingling slightly.
Smiling, he lifted his head. “Actually, I’m already very strong now!”
“Since you’ve stepped into the Great Grandmaster realm, you should consider your path ahead,” the Master said seriously.
“My path ahead?” Song Yue frowned slightly. “Isn’t it just continuing to cultivate?”
The Master explained, “The Great Grandmaster is the initial stage of entering the Dao through martial arts. From here, you have two choices: first, follow the orthodox cultivation path, condensing the Golden Core and then transforming it into a Nascent Soul; second, continue down the martial path, but this path is far more difficult.”
He looked at Song Yue. “Since ancient times, few have persisted on the martial path. Those famous few are almost mythical figures.”
Song Yue was puzzled. “I can still take the Golden Core, Nascent Soul path?”
The Master smiled. “Of course.”
Without hesitation, Song Yue refused. “I don’t want that path! It doesn’t suit me. I want to continue down the martial path.”
The Master’s expression remained calm. “That’s fine, but from now on, you’ll have to walk that path alone. Even I won’t be able to help you much further.”
Song Yue smiled. “Master, though you’ve only been my teacher for less than a year, you have educated me for ten years. You taught me how to be a person, imparted all kinds of knowledge. That’s enough. From here on, I should be able to walk on my own.”
At last, a satisfied gleam appeared in the Master’s eyes.
If Song Yue had chosen the orthodox path, the Master could have assisted but would have felt disappointed deep down.
A peerless prodigy born with innate heavenly energy should forge his own path!
Yet he gave Song Yue the freedom to choose. Now that Song Yue had made his decision, the Master was truly pleased.
“Have you read the third volume of the Taiyi Body Refining Scripture?” the Master asked.
Song Yue nodded.
“The third volume focuses on blood. It’s somewhat obscure and difficult, but I can study it gradually.”
Just then, the Master’s wife came to call them for dinner.
They ate dragon-patterned leopard meat and seafood.
Song Yue savored the meal with delight.
Though the Master said he wouldn’t leave soon, Song Yue had a feeling that such warm dinners would grow fewer and fewer, each one becoming more precious than the last.
After the meal, Song Yue did not linger but returned home to cultivate quietly.
The downfall of the Li family indeed sent shockwaves through the entire cultivation world of Huaxia.
According to the news Xiao Meng sent him, many Western factions were beginning to stir, with some even entering Huaxia territory.
Their purpose was simple: to take advantage of the upheaval in the Huaxia cultivation world and snatch some gains.
Not to mention, the numerous secret realms scattered across Huaxia alone were enough to make these Westerners envious.
Moreover, the vast inheritance left behind by the Li family was a delicious cake—any slice taken was a gain, and they could eat as much as they wanted.
However, none of this concerned Song Yue much. In the days that followed, he lived a very regular life.
His daily routine was a straight line between the management bureau and home.
Besides work, it was cultivation.
The Hangzhou branch gradually returned to normal as Song Yue fully resumed his duties.
He also began preparing to recruit and train some newcomers. Although the six experts from the Lin family were already familiar and comfortable with the management bureau’s operations, they were on loan and would eventually have to be returned.
Lately, he hadn’t logged into the virtual world at all, almost forgetting that a massive starship was still parked beside the sun.
Until one day, he remembered, descended to the management bureau’s underground level, and accessed the interstellar network, only to find that Ling Xiaohan had left him many messages.
“Hey, I’m really strong now. Want to fight?”
“Why aren’t you replying? Are you scared?”
“It’s been so many days. Where are you? Dare to come out for a match?”
“You’re such a coward! I’m super powerful now!”
“Really ran away? Pathetic!”
A smile tugged at the corner of Song Yue’s lips as he read the messages. He then entered the virtual world and replied to the charming little enchantress: “Let’s fight!”
After sending the message, he went straight to the arena.
Still randomly matched, after leaving the newbie village, he often encountered genuine mech experts, which was exactly what he wanted.
Among these mech fighters, some were pure pilots, but most were cultivators from various paths!
These people either had impressive battle skills or strong spiritual power. During the fights, one could observe a variety of fighting styles from formidable opponents.
This was immensely beneficial for broadening one’s horizons.
This was one reason the virtual world was so popular—it allowed people to glimpse the vastness of the world.
Song Yue was first matched with an opponent whose equipment was quite advanced. If it were purely a contest of gear, the opponent could easily crush him.
But in mech combat, equipment accounts for only about thirty to forty percent of the outcome—the rest depends on personal skill.
He didn’t know who the opponent was, but immediately upon entering, he noticed many people in the stands seemed familiar with this opponent. Seeing him come in randomly, many expressed disappointment and openly mocked him:
“Huh? Is this guy just out of the newbie village? Why is he still wearing all basic gear?”
“Even the mech is entry-level. I almost feel sorry for him.”
“He’ll definitely be made to kneel and call our brother ‘Dad’!”
“His name is ‘Martial Saint Jun’? That’s hilarious. His mech’s probably going to be torn apart soon!”
Song Yue’s expression darkened. What nonsense was this?
He silently closed the public chat.
The mech opposite him was indeed visually imposing.
Over thirty meters tall, coated in silver, adorned with a variety of top-tier equipment—particle cannons, alloy guns, various small missile launchers, and a giant sword strapped on its back!
Flashy and extravagant!
With an electronic beep, the opponent charged at Song Yue’s mech empty-handed.
Inside the mech, Chen Musheng’s face was cold and indifferent. He had seen plenty of basic mechs like this and had dismantled countless of them.
As a mage, his favorite thing was piloting mechs in brutal combat!
This mech before him was about to become yet another helpless opponent he would dismantle with his bare hands.
The massive silver mech extended its shimmering metallic arm, five sharp curved blades extending from its mechanical fingers, like long nails, reaching to grab Song Yue’s mech.
Was he treating me like a joke?
The opponent’s move was like an eagle catching a chick—deadly accurate and determined!
Song Yue dodged with a flash and delivered a fierce punch to the opponent’s waist.
Boom!
Sparks burst forth as his steel fist struck the mech.
To Song Yue’s dismay, the opponent’s mech was sturdier than he expected. His punch failed to damage it, and instead, his own fist’s armor developed a slight crack!
Damn it!
My gear is really shabby!
He was annoyed but not disheartened and punched the same spot again.
A gasp rose from the stands.
This newbie with all basic gear… didn’t seem so weak after all!
Though Song Yue’s punch didn’t harm Chen Musheng much, it startled onlookers.
Chen Musheng on the arena was also sweating nervously.
He realized he had been careless, almost caught off guard by a sneak attack.
Had their mechs been on equal footing, that strike would likely have disabled his mech’s power!
Chen Musheng immediately adjusted his mindset and began to fight seriously.
But as he did, he realized this basic-gear opponent was incredibly agile!
Many moves were unexpected—hard to imagine such a gigantic metal mech performing so many difficult maneuvers.
Many were moves Chen Musheng had never seen before.
This was a true martial arts master!
He completely shed his contempt and drew the huge sword from his back, slashing toward Song Yue.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
“Brother drew his sword!”
“Who is this guy? All basic gear, yet he made Brother draw his sword?”
“He’s a martial arts master. Look at those moves—nothing like conventional mech combat…”
What was supposed to be a slaughter turned into a lively analysis session.
“Got a recording?”
“Yeah, recorded it. Gonna study it later!”
“This guy’s got skills!”
On the arena, the moment Chen Musheng drew his sword, Song Yue’s situation became precarious.
Though he could pilot the mech with complex maneuvers, his mech was too low-grade to break through the opponent’s defenses, and one solid hit from Chen Musheng would cause massive damage.
Song Yue had to search for flaws in the opponent’s defense while dodging attacks to avoid being hit.
This battle was even more exhausting than fighting a Golden Core powerhouse like Ou Shentong!
Song Yue felt tired, but Chen Musheng was even more exhausted!
He never dreamed he would face such a tenacious adversary today, skillfully using a basic mech to frustrate him completely.
Now, he was intensely curious about who was inside that mech opposite him!
Chen Musheng even sensed that if he couldn’t land a hit soon, he might suffer a rare defeat today!
Though he had lost before, it was always when he was new and inexperienced. He hadn’t tasted failure in a long time.
“No one can beat me!”
Chen Musheng roared inside the mech and activated automatic missile lock-on…
In truth, at this point, he had already lost.
Launching small mech missiles at a basic-gear opponent was like shooting a pistol at an unarmed person’s head.
A murmur of disappointment rose from the stands.
Many were Chen Musheng’s fans, but aside from a few blindly supportive girls, most wanted to see a thrilling battle.
When Chen Musheng fired the missiles, many shook their heads and sighed.
This fight was both a win and a loss.
They all seemed to envision the moment the opponent’s mech was utterly blasted apart.
No miracle would occur!
At the moment the missiles locked onto him, Song Yue’s spiritual sea suddenly gave a strong warning.
Just before the missiles were launched, Song Yue leapt high—unleashing the Great Grandmaster’s formidable power!
He soared a hundred meters into the air!
The missiles pursued him relentlessly.
The crowd rose, unable to contain their amazement.
This was breathtaking!
Few had ever witnessed a mech leap a hundred meters high—not flying, but jumping!
Without a Great Grandmaster’s foundation, such a terrifying leap was impossible in the virtual world.
But alas!
Jumping so high made him a sitting target!
Before anyone could react, Song Yue plummeted at incredible speed!
The missile narrowly missed his basic-gear mech as he brushed past it.
It made a sharp turn downward in midair.
Song Yue’s mech, descending at that speed, effortlessly dodged Chen Musheng’s wide, slashing sword swing and slipped beneath the armpit of the giant metallic arm.
Boom!
The missile exploded against Chen Musheng’s silver mech, which Song Yue had used as a shield by angling his movement.
The impact blasted a huge hole in the mech’s chest!
The razor-sharp metal sword clattered to the arena floor.
With the silver mech collapsing, Song Yue lightly leapt forward, bent down, and picked up the sword, marveling through the electronic voice synthesis, “Gear can still explode?”
If you enjoyed “The Ninth Trial,” please share the book’s URL [ /13_13302/ ] with your friends on QQ, WeChat, or Weibo. Thank you for your support!