Chapter 184: The Art of Flame Trails, New Abilities in the Mind, and a Fanatic Fangirl for Xue Jing

Chapter 184: The Art of Flame Trails, New Abilities in the Mind, and a Fanatic Fangirl for Xue Jing

Within the realm of consciousness, countless pixels twisted and converged to form the body of Xue Jing.

He clenched his fist, routinely checking his physical composition data, ensuring it matched his real body, before lifting his gaze to survey his surroundings.

Before him lay a barren wilderness, nothing but yellow earth as far as the eye could see.

Having accompanied Xue Wan to set off fireworks and welcome the new year, Xue Jing returned home, took a shower, and lay down on his bed, ready to engage in consciousness simulation.

There were a few things he wanted to test... It had also been a while since he last entered the consciousness space, so it was a perfect opportunity to explore the changes brought about by the upgrade of his [Observation Fantasy: True] skill to Level 7.

With a thought, wooden stakes sprouted from the ground before Xue Jing.

His pupils then turned to a divine silver, and after a slight pause, without any visible movement, his entire body vanished from its original spot with a 'boom'.

From a bird's-eye view, one would see Xue Jing zipping through the stakes with incredible agility and speed, leaving a trail of colorful flames in his wake that swayed gracefully.

In just a second or so, he had weaved his way through all the stakes, appearing nearly a hundred meters away, the twisting, colorful flame trail he left behind forming a stunning sight.

A while later, all the stakes suddenly split in two, the severed parts slowly sliding down along the cut, as if, in that instant, they had been sliced by an incredibly sharp blade.

"Flame Trails... This move is incredibly useful," Xue Jing nodded.

"To a certain extent, it defies physical laws, requiring no acceleration and instantly reaching maximum speed... The theory of spiritual force interfering with self-reality is manifesting in more and more ways within me."

"However, this move also has a drawback..." Xue Jing mused.

"As a killing move that mimics fireworks, it inherits both the advantages and flaws of fireworks."

"Just like how fireworks need different types of gunpowder, colorants, and specific arrangements of materials to create a desired display, this Flame Trails move also requires preparation."

"I need to plan out all the actions of this move before executing it... Once I initiate it, I cannot change it midway."

It was like a pre-set script, where the actions were decided beforehand, and his body would automatically execute them without his control.

The drawback was the inability to change the move midway... but it could also be considered an advantage.

Like just now, even at such high speeds, he was still able to maneuver agilely between the stakes.

This would be difficult to achieve under normal circumstances. To decelerate and make such flexible turns at those speeds would be extremely challenging. Perhaps a Limit-Breaking Master who could control their entire body with their consciousness could do it, but he certainly couldn't at his current level.

However, in the Flame Trails state, by interfering with his self-reality to a certain extent, he had truly achieved this feat.

After some thought, Xue Jing once again willed it, and with a 'boom', he pulled on the colorful flame trail, moving forward a certain distance before abruptly stopping.

"Not bad at all. This drawback seems to be a minor one... Although I can't change the move midway, I can forcibly stop it, and despite the momentary stagnation, it's still sufficient."

Xue Jing nodded in satisfaction.

"The remaining issue is that these killing moves and secret techniques of the Heavenly Blade consume spiritual force instead of the ample physical strength I possess... But that's my problem, not a flaw of the moves."

"My current spiritual force is sufficient for now, but it's not at a level where I can use these moves indiscriminately. I still need to be a bit more prudent... Thankfully, I have the [Observation Fantasy: True] skill to increase my spiritual force; otherwise, I'd be spent after just one [Full Moon Sakura] technique."

After testing the effects of his newly comprehended killing move, Xue Jing willed it again, and the pixels before him twisted to form a figure.

It was a short boy, only 1.6 meters tall—Du Mingluan, his final opponent from the Feng City elimination rounds.

With the [Observation Fantasy: True] skill at Level 7, the simulation in the consciousness space was even more realistic than before.

Du Mingluan's face bore a cold and aloof expression, and upon seeing Xue Jing, a hint of grave enmity flashed in his eyes, as if he were a real person with genuine emotions.

However, before Du Mingluan could even make a move or strike a pose, Xue Jing, trailed by the colorful flame trail, appeared behind him. With a swing of his right hand, which resembled a palm blade,

"Boom—"

A long gash appeared in the center of Du Mingluan's body, and his left and right sides slowly separated, splitting him in two as his blood and entrails spilled onto the ground.

"A little weak."

Xue Jing muttered to himself.

Du Mingluan's strength was not particularly impressive in his eyes. The only remarkable thing about him was his Ultimate Art, Night Cicada's Cry, which required Xue Jing to deploy his own Ultimate Art domain to crush him.

However, as long as he didn't give his opponent the chance to exhibit his Ultimate Art, Du Mingluan was just another ordinary opponent he could easily defeat, no different from Li Chengxuan and the likes.

"Right, let's try something else..."

Xue Jing suddenly had a brilliant idea.

With a thought, Du Mingluan reappeared in the field, accompanied by a—Cockroach Monster by his side.

Then, Xue Jing waved his right hand and declared:

"My turn! Draw!"

"Cast Magic Card—Fusion!"

As he spoke, Du Mingluan and the Cockroach Monster transformed into countless pixels, rotating and merging together before rearranging themselves.

Soon, 'Du Mingluan' took form.

He now had two sharp antennae on his head, his eyes had turned into large compound eyes, and his body was covered in dark brown exoskeletal armor. Sharp barbs protruded from his joint areas, and he wore a cockroach-like helmet that covered his face.

He looked like a modified human wearing cockroach armor.

Xue Jing blinked, "Huh? It worked?"

His expression turned peculiar.

"This design... which Kamen Rider is this from?"

Before he could make a move, Kamen Rider Du Mingluan bent his legs slightly and—Boom!!

The entire person shot forward like a cannonball at an absurd speed, rushing towards Xue Jing.

"Cockroach Dash?"

This familiar scene awakened Xue Jing's memory, and he raised his eyebrows, suddenly intrigued.

Xue Jing stood his ground without dodging or evading. His bones vibrated violently, emitting rumbling thunderous roars.

"Sealing Cloud Tail!"

"Boom—!"

Kamen Rider Du Mingluan's head collided with Xue Jing's chest, sending him tumbling backward. His feet dug two deep trenches in the ground that extended for nearly a hundred meters.

The intense impact of this powerful blow was gradually absorbed by Xue Jing's bones as he continued to retreat.

Xue Jing felt the intense pain in his chest and raised his eyebrows, "Strong... But still, it's lacking by a bit."

He channeled his might, halting his backward momentum. The sound of dragon roars resonated within his body.

Carrying the momentum of the Sealing Cloud Tail, Xue Jing forcibly synchronized the activation of the Whirlwind Thunder and Shaking Star Fire.

His body ruptured with wounds everywhere, his bones couldn't withstand the strain and developed fine cracks, and his muscles tore apart.

Channeling the power of the three killing moves, Xue Jing spun around and threw a heavy counterpunch.

"Sealing Cloud Tail: Thunderous Fiery Cauldron!"

"Boom—!"

Thunder roared, and the heavy punch landed on Kamen Rider Du Mingluan.

Xue Jing felt as if he had touched something and sensed a slight resistance, but Du Mingluan had already exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

The momentum of this punch remained unabated, and the might of the swing stirred the airflow, forming a whitish fan-shaped wave that spread out, extending dozens of meters away.

"The combination of the three killing moves was successful, but it still feels a bit forced..."

Xue Jing's body was now in tatters, and he clenched his palm, feeling his near-death state.

With a thought, the pixels in the air converged to heal his wounds, restoring him to his perfect condition. Then, he recreated Kamen Rider Du Mingluan.

The two of them then engaged in a ping-pong battle.

After about ten minutes, Xue Jing's clothes were torn, and his body bore some minor wounds, while 'Du Mingluan' had been chopped into four pieces, scattered on the ground.

"This 'Du Mingluan' combines the strengths of the Cockroach Monster and his own abilities. He has the explosive power of hydraulic structures, the toughness of an exoskeleton, and can also use might and martial arts killing moves. The combination is more than the sum of its parts... Interesting."

"The Level 7 Observation Fantasy: True is pretty impressive. Even with a prototype as a basis, it can simulate an enemy that doesn't exist. That's awesome."

"Now I won't have a shortage of sparring partners..."

In the following time, Xue Jing began experimenting with various fusion combinations.

For instance, he combined a Dragon Clan with a Yang Male Tiger, leading to a martial artist dragon-like figure... Unexpectedly, the power of this fusion turned out to be relatively substantial.

However, this fusion function seemed to require a lot of computational power, consuming a lot of spiritual energy. After playing for just over half an hour, Xue Jing felt a headache coming on.

He exited the consciousness simulation and checked the experience points on the panel before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

...

Three days passed slowly.

During these three days, Xue Jing spent his time either shopping with his mother, Nan Jiayu, and his sister, Xue Wan, or cultivating with the Dragon Thunder, or fighting various fused monsters in the consciousness space, leading a fulfilling life.

Three days later, the New Year's holiday came to an end, and Xue Wan reluctantly left Qing City, boarding the ship to Feng City... The next time she returned, it would be almost three weeks later for the winter break.

Mother Nan Jiayu also left on another business trip, leaving only Xue Jing and Ning Fengwan at home.

Ning Fengwan, who had not transformed into human form for a long time, lay on the sofa, watching anime. She wore a loose white t-shirt that exposed her pair of slender and fair-skinned long legs. Her phoenix eyes were lazy and drowsy.

"Teacher Wan, I'm going to attend Old Master Zong JinKui's birthday banquet at the Tiger Spirit Martial Arts Hall... Do you want to come along?"

Xue Jing asked casually as he changed his clothes.

"......No, I'm too sleepy."

Ning Fengwan mumbled, turning over and burying her head in the pillow on the sofa.

Xue Jing walked over to her, stroked her head, and said softly:

"Then sleep well, but don't go running around."

"Mmm..." Ning Fengwan responded softly.

Xue Jing smiled and walked into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror.

As he was attending a birthday banquet, he was dressed more formally today.

He wore black trousers, leather shoes, a white shirt, and a black vest.

In simple terms, he was dressed in a suit and tie... just without the jacket.

This outfit demanded a good figure, and those with narrow shoulders would look odd in it. However, Xue Jing had no such worries.

After admiring his handsome reflection in the mirror, he nodded in satisfaction and left the house, heading to the Dragon Concealment Martial Arts Hall to meet up with Meng Shijie.

...

On the other hand, at the Tiger Spirit Martial Arts Hall...

Countless guests came and went, with cars constantly arriving at the entrance. Inside the massive hall, people bustled about, coming and going.

Anyone with some knowledge of the martial arts world would immediately recognize that these guests were mostly famous and influential figures in the martial arts community, and some had even traveled great distances from other cities to attend.

This turnout spoke volumes about the prestige of the Tiger Spirit Martial Arts Hall.

To establish a foothold and make a name for oneself in the highly competitive Inner Ring was an impressive achievement.

Old Master Zong JinKui's retirement banquet, which should have been a somewhat melancholy occasion, was instead filled with joy and celebration, thanks to the achievements of his disciples.

In a corner of the banquet hall, a little girl, about 1.4 meters tall, stared intently at the guests coming and going through the entrance, her gaze fixed on their faces.

She wore a black training outfit that matched her height, with a single ponytail falling to her shoulders, framing her delicate and beautiful little face. A small beauty mark adorned the corner of her left eye, adding a touch of charm.

As her gaze wandered, her expression held a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

She had been staring at the entrance for over an hour, but she still hadn't seen the person she was expecting.

Sighing softly, she picked up her phone, which looked oversized compared to her slender hand, and tapped the screen to play a video.

Against a backdrop of silver cherry blossoms and a full moon, a boy showed only his handsome profile, his silver-white eyes cold and disdainful, like a god. Behind him, his opponent, drenched in blood, slowly fell to the ground.

This video had nearly a hundred million views, and this little girl alone had contributed nearly two thousand of those views.

Because the Ultimate Art domain couldn't be captured by cameras, the silver cherry blossoms and full moon in the background were special effects added by a fan who had been at the scene, and those who had witnessed it in person attested to its accuracy.

As the little girl watched the video, her eyes sparkled with enchantment.

"......So handsome."

Just thinking that she could get close to her idol, even become his disciple and spend time with him morning and night...

"Hehehe..."

Zong Shi Chan covered her face with her hands and let out a strange laugh.

What she didn't notice was a young man with dark circles under his eyes staring at her from across the banquet hall, his expression one of disbelief and fanaticism.

"It's you... It's really you! It has to be you!"

"It can't be... Am I dreaming, Yu Yan?"

He fumbled in his pocket and took out a box of ordinary-looking matches. He slid open the matchbox.

It was empty.

"It's real, it's really you..."

Tears fell from the corners of his eyes, and his expression was exaggerated, as if he were laughing and crying at the same time.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end