Chapter 242: Zhou Yinglin's Only Chance to Defeat Xue Jing, The Skyscraper's Center, The Thirteen Gi

Chapter 242: Zhou Yinglin's Only Chance to Defeat Xue Jing, The Skyscraper's Center, The Thirteen Giant Rooms (4K)



After agreeing on this matter with Ning Yuantai, he said that he would probably be able to get it done by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and then he took his leave.

After he left, Xue Jing went to the kitchen again and made another meal specially for Neko.

Otherwise, when she woke up and realized that Mr. Ning had taken advantage of her while she wasn't paying attention again, their next meeting would truly turn into a "Neko Murder Case."

After finishing the meal, Xue Jing glanced at the panel and noticed that his cooking skill had been rapidly advancing towards Level 8 over the past few days, needing just a few hundred more experience points to level up.

Upon waking up, Neko eyed the table full of dishes suspiciously, feeling that she had vaguely heard something she didn't want to hear while she was half-asleep.

However, with the delicious food before her, she didn't pay it any mind and immediately dug in, savoring a long-awaited solo feast of Xue Jing's cooking, eating until her stomach was round and full as if she were carrying twenty kittens.

Xue Jing, on the other hand, went up to the rooftop to begin his daily cultivation practice.

By the time he finished practicing the Coiling Dragon Technique, the Shaking Armor Technique, and the Yellow Woman Technique, several hours had passed.

During this time, the vital energy he had transmitted to Yin Mushu had completely recovered.

Thus, he continued with the consciousness simulation.

This time, as soon as he constructed the consciousness space and formed the Super Arena Grand Stage, Xue Jing felt something different.

"Hmm?"

With his body condensing in the center of the stage, Xue Jing looked up at the sky.

The clouds in the sky... were drifting.

"Is this... dynamic weather?"

Xue Jing was slightly taken aback.

In the past, whenever he simulated a scenario, the weather conditions were always something he subjectively set. Whether it was rain or sunshine, day or night, the weather would remain constant according to his initial settings.

But now, without his deliberate intervention, the weather seemed to be changing naturally.

"The consciousness simulation is becoming more and more realistic..."

Xue Jing shook his head and, with a thought, generated Zhou Yinglin, who was holding the nine-foot-long spear, in front of him.

After watching Zhou Yinglin's match in person for the second time, he had obtained supplementary and corrective data about this person, making the simulated Zhou Yinglin even closer to the real one.

As soon as he appeared, 'Zhou Yinglin' was slightly startled when he saw Xue Jing, and quickly assumed a spear stance, facing him.

"Shua Shua Shua Shua—!!!"

A torrent of spear strikes covered Xue Jing, aiming at his fatal points all over his body, followed by countless variations to block any resistance or evasion.

Xue Jing stood still, emptying his mind and using 'Return to Nothing' to withstand the attacks.

"Ding Ding Ding Ding—"

Crisp sounds rang out continuously as the spear tips landed on Xue Jing's body, creating ripples of energy but causing no harm.

However, after the sixteenth spear strike was blocked, 'Zhou Yinglin' seemed to sense something amiss and immediately changed his spear technique.

For the seventeenth strike, instead of following one of the over ten variations of 'Heavenly Seamless,' he broke free from the original routine and thrust his spear with deliberately chaotic force, creating an impromptu, original strike.

This was a completely random strike, lacking the lethality and skill of 'Heavenly Seamless.'

However, this strike exceeded Xue Jing's expectations.

It was like taking an advanced mathematics exam and suddenly encountering a primary school-level arithmetic question on the test paper.

Although he could solve it quickly, he still hesitated for a moment due to the unexpected situation.

This slight gap caused Xue Jing's 'Return to Nothing' to fail to react, leaving only his instinctive defensive maneuver, resulting in a bloody hole in his right shoulder.

And 'Zhou Yinglin,' having succeeded with this strike, smoothly transitioned the next spear strike back into 'Heavenly Seamless,' once again unleashing a torrent of spear strikes.

Xue Jing's body reappeared on the grand stage, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"My 'Return to Nothing' is still quite immature..."

"But it's not too bad. This method of sudden changes can only work against me once. With preparation, the surprise effect of this move will be useless."

Xue Jing glanced at 'Zhou Yinglin' beside him.

"What a pity. This might have been your only chance to defeat me in reality... and now I know about it in advance."

Hearing this, 'Zhou Yinglin's' expression changed, and he looked annoyed.

Xue Jing clicked his tongue in admiration.

"For a Level 9 [Contemplation·True] consciousness simulation to be this realistic is truly remarkable. Not only is there a dynamic weather system, but the simulated person also has self-thinking abilities, even pointing out the flaws in my 'Return to Nothing' and making impromptu changes..."

"Not bad, not bad at all."

Xue Jing patted 'Zhou Yinglin' on the shoulder and praised him.

The next day, at noon...

Xue Jing was sitting on the sofa in the living room, engaged in a consciousness simulation.

After another full day of simulated training, his 'Heavenly Seamless' had reached the level of thirty-seven spears, and his 'Return to Nothing' had improved to the point where it could block thirty-three spears.

It seemed as if his progress had slowed down, but in reality, it had been accelerating.

The difficulty of 'Heavenly Seamless' increased exponentially with each additional spear, making each new addition far more challenging than the last.

Therefore, the fact that Xue Jing had maintained a similar rate of improvement as the previous few days was actually quite remarkable, and his skills were snowballing.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Xue Jing, who was in the middle of a consciousness simulation, heard the sound and immediately exited, his consciousness returning to his body as he opened his eyes.

He stood up and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Ning Yuantai, as expected.

"Brother Xue, I've taken care of the matter you asked of me." Ning Yuantai said with a smile.

"Come in, Yuantai," Xue Jing said with a smile.

He stepped aside to let Ning Yuantai enter.

Neko, lazily lounging on the sofa, glanced at Ning Yuantai with a mix of disdain and pride, letting out a soft hum.

As she had expected, this freeloader had arrived right at mealtime...

However, it was truly unfortunate that she had urged Xue Jing to prepare lunch earlier that day, and they had finished eating by ten o'clock.

It was too bad, so very unfortunate, that Mr. Ning had arrived just after they had finished their meal!

"Hey, Brother Xue, have you eaten yet?"

Ning Yuantai glanced at the dishes on the table that hadn't been cleared away yet and felt his heart drop.

Xue Jing smiled and said, "I just finished. What about you? Haven't you eaten yet?"

Ning Yuantai awkwardly laughed and quickly waved his hand. "No, I've eaten too..."

He dared not admit that he hadn't eaten yet, lest Brother Xue think he was hinting for a free meal or trying to take advantage of their friendship.

Ning Yuantai would rather starve than put Xue Jing in such a position; he knew his place.

Neko glanced at Ning Yuantai out of the corner of her eye.

At least he knows better...

"Brother Xue, I've also taken care of the other matter. I know a high-level executive at Xu Biology, and they said we could visit between four and five o'clock this afternoon..." Ning Yuantai said.

"Thank you, Yuantai," Xue Jing said, patting him on the shoulder.

Ning Yuantai waved it off. "It's nothing. It's my honor to be able to help you..."

"However, we should leave soon. It's quite a distance from Yuan City to the Skyscraper Center, and that dragon core aircraft was recalled by the 'Raven' side. We'll have to take a much slower aircraft," Ning Yuantai explained.

Xue Jing nodded. "No problem. Let's go."

He paused and added with a smile, "Are you sure you don't want to eat something?"

Ning Yuantai scratched his head, knowing that his ploy to freeload a meal had been seen through. "I'll just buy some compressed food nutrition blocks on the way..."

Xue Jing asked curiously, "What's that?"

Ning Yuantai explained, "It's a product of the Inner Ring's technology, designed for people with high physical strength and nutritional needs who find eating troublesome. It's quite convenient, although the taste isn't that great..."

...

The aircraft, resembling a wheel-less RV or a large bread loaf, slowly ascended into the sky, its blue tail flame propelling it forward as it departed from Yuan City.

Xue Jing sat in the aircraft's seat, gazing out the transparent porthole window at the towering Skyscraper Center that seemed to touch the heavens.

"The aircraft is faster than driving, but it will still take about four to five hours to reach the Skyscraper Center," Ning Yuantai said as he took a glass bottle drink from the refrigerator.

"Won't we be stopped by the security company again?" Xue Jing asked with a smile.

Ning Yuantai popped the bottle cap off with a snap of his finger and replied, "No, last time we were stopped because the Chief Congressman of Yuan City had issued a city-wide alert, so any unregistered aircraft had to be inspected. This time, we're in a Stop War base aircraft that has already been registered."

Xue Jing nodded. "That's good."

He gently stroked Neko, who was curled up by his side, her soft fur a comfort.

"By the way, Brother Xue, there's one more thing," Ning Yuantai said, scratching his face with his finger.

Xue Jing looked at him, indicating for him to continue.

"When we arrive, the executive I know from Xu Biology will come to meet us... At that time, please don't speak to him, just leave everything to me."

"That's interesting," Xue Jing said, his curiosity piqued. "Why is that?"

Ning Yuantai hesitated, finding it difficult to broach the subject. "As you know, although I've never relied on my family connections and have gotten to where I am today through my own efforts... I am still a member of one of the Thirteen Giant Rooms."

"And among the Thirteen Giant Rooms, many individuals have... peculiar mindsets."

Ning Yuantai chose a more diplomatic phrasing.

"If you're not also a member of the Thirteen Giant Rooms, they may treat you with disrespect."

"In simple terms, in their eyes, there's a clear distinction between those within the Thirteen Giant Rooms and the 'commoners' outside of it."

Upon hearing this, Xue Jing narrowed his eyes and nodded. "I see."

Ning Yuantai sighed. "Not everyone in the Thirteen Giant Rooms is like that, but those with such mindsets are not in the minority. The high-level executive I know from Xu Biology is one of them."

"Leave all the communication to me later. I'm afraid that person might not show you respect..."

Xue Jing spoke softly. "I understand. After all, we're asking for a favor... I'll endure it for a bit."

...

Several hours later.

At 3:30 p.m.

Xue Jing gazed out the porthole window, marveling at the ever-growing 'Skyscraper Center' in his field of vision.

Even from a distance, it was already a stunningly massive structure, but as they drew closer, the true magnitude and oppressiveness of its size became apparent.

It seemed to stretch on forever... even Xue Jing's Level 10 aiming skills, far surpassing human limits, couldn't make out the full diameter of the Skyscraper Center's footprint.

Countless large and small, diverse flying vehicles were entering and exiting the area around the Skyscraper Center, hovering at various heights.

At a glance, Xue Jing could discern hundreds of distinct floors, each with a unique exterior design and decorative style, yet when combined, they seemed to harmonize beautifully.

Insignificance.

Xue Jing had never felt so insignificant in his life.

It was as if he were facing a towering titan, unable to even glimpse its knees—an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, and even... a sense of peace.

Yes, peace. It was a strange feeling, but it was what he truly felt.

"When a person faces an existence that can utterly dominate their life and death, controlling their destiny, any struggle becomes utterly futile, and one can't help but feel a sense of calm."

Ning Yuantai, standing beside him, mused aloud.

"...This was said by that commander from the Stop War faction."

"Most people spend their lives seeking 'peace of mind.' So, if such an existence truly exists, it might not be a bad thing... Perhaps the followers of the 'One God' religions are seeking this very sense of peace."

Xue Jing smiled. "That's an intriguing perspective..."

As their aircraft approached the Skyscraper Center, it began to ascend vertically.

"Xu Biology is on the 1,002nd floor of the Skyscraper Center, about six kilometers above the ground. We'll fly straight up there..."

Ning Yuantai explained.

During the ascent, Xue Jing peered out the porthole, taking in the myriad flying vehicles coming and going from the Skyscraper Center. He felt as if he had stepped into the future.

A few minutes later, the aircraft slowly came to a halt, hovering in mid-air.

The cabin door slid open, and Xue Jing looked up to see a technologically advanced floor ahead of him. A pair of alloy doors slid open to the left and right, emitting a soft 'hiss.'

Beyond the doors stood a tall young man with a big back-combed hairstyle. He was dressed in a light blue suit and leather shoes, his arms outstretched in welcome.

"Long time no see, Young Master Ning!"

He smiled and embraced Ning Yuantai, who had stepped out of the aircraft.

Ning Yuantai wriggled free and waved his hand dismissively. "Xu Mude, I told you not to call me Young Master Ning. I got to where I am today..."

As the two men chatted, Xue Jing, accompanied by Neko, also exited the aircraft. Following Ning Yuantai's instructions, he didn't join their conversation but instead strode past them into the interior of the floor.

The inside was adorned with high-tech, sophisticated decor, filled with gadgets and equipment that Xue Jing couldn't quite fathom the function of.

"Hmm? Is that the Xue Jing you mentioned?"

Xu Mude narrowed his eyes at Xue Jing's retreating back.

"How can he bring a cat here? My equipment here is very expensive."

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end