Chapter 241 – The Guide and the Electromagnetic Flying Sword

Lu Yuan had been to Xiabang twice in total.

The first time was when Zhou Ling brought him here. They hadn’t entered the city; they just gazed at the shadow of this magnificent giant city from a distance under the night sky.

The second time was after Yellow Bear’s new blood assessment had ended.

Although they had entered Xiabang, they didn’t stay at all.

After a brief meeting with Yuwen Tong above the clouds, he left again.

Before leaving, he took a bunch of photos, which are still stored in his mobile phone.

This is the third time.

And it’s the first time Lu Yuan has truly set foot on the land within the city of Xiabang.

He was standing at a crossroads, curiously observing everything around him.

Above his head was an iron canopy formed by countless shuttles and aircraft.

The dense iron canopy shielded the sky, but in fact, for the people living under this iron curtain, it didn’t feel dark or oppressive at all.

On the contrary, it was far brighter and more open than any city Lu Yuan had ever visited.

A particularly radiant flow of light streamed under the canopy. It was both the track for countless shuttles and the city’s sky curtain.

It functioned to adjust and filter light and air.

Under the flowing sky curtain was a giant, pulsating light blue character — “B29843.”

This number represented the area code for the district he was currently in.

From the scale and length of the number, it was imaginable how vast the entirety of Xiabang was.

Below the area code were buildings teeming with technology and futuristic style.

Large swarms of drones moved back and forth between the buildings like busy bees, taking over the role of city cleaners.

Everywhere, there were vibrant neon lights, flashing virtual images, and flowing electronic notes.

Most of the people coming and going on the streets were young and attractive, with an average attractiveness level reaching an astonishing height.

The young men and women wore all sorts of colorful clothes, with moving patterns printed on them that could even produce sounds.

They were just like the kind Lu Yuan had bought in Smokeless City No. 3.

From time to time, there were people swaggering by clad in exoskeletons.

Lu Yuan took a glance. The exoskeletons allowed to be worn in this urban area were generally ordinary in functionality, but their designs were increasingly exaggerated and flashy.

The decorative effect far outweighed the actual function.

“This isn’t much different from the old city circle…” Lu Yuan thought casually.

Scenes like this weren’t uncommon in the old city circle either, except that the exoskeletons were replaced with the latest models of mobile phones, computers, sports cars, and the like.

Lu Yuan stood calmly at the crossroads, under a prominent neon billboard.

Above his head were scrolling ads for “Tea Shou Technology Life Fountain No. 8 – Latest Health Supplement,” accompanied by long stretches of eye-catching virtual imagery.

It seemed that such ads might help slightly cover up the naturally out-of-place aura he exuded.

Lu Yuan stood at a regular height of 187cm, with fair skin, a result of adding two agility points on the way here.

After disembarking from the shuttle, his posture and appearance seemed to have elevated to another level.

He was dressed in a dark blue casual uniform provided by Yellow Bear, with neat and thick black short hair.

His eyes were slightly lowered, exuding an inexplicable air of tranquility and restraint.

This made people think of those noble young lords from prestigious families.

In fact, the innate nobleness he now possessed was a result of his life’s form transformation.

“The changes brought by those two agility points seem to be more than I imagined…”

Lu Yuan had been sensing his own changes, and up until now, the subtle transformations in his body had not ceased.

He even caught a hint of enlightenment toward advancing to the Grandmaster Realm, making his mind increasingly serene.

“Click, click-“

Someone stood opposite on the long street, holding something like a camera, continuously pressing the shutter at Lu Yuan under the billboard.

Lu Yuan didn’t stop it nor did he deliberately avoid it; he quietly watched the person for a while.

At this moment, the person he had been waiting for finally arrived.

“Lu Yuan!”

Zhou Ling jumped out of a shuttle that had just come to a sudden stop, still clad in his combat uniform, his hair slightly disheveled. He waved to Lu Yuan from afar.

“I got assigned a last-minute task, that’s why I’m late,” Zhou Ling explained quickly as he jogged over to Lu Yuan with an apologetic look.

Lu Yuan’s eyes sparkled and he gave a slight smile, then he opened his arms toward Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling was momentarily stunned, but then a bright and long-missed smile appeared on his face as well.

The two shared a light hug, and the sense of estrangement and distance that had accumulated over time seemed to dissolve away.

Five minutes later, they found themselves in a small dining room located on the street corner.

This was a rare traditional dining room in Xiabang, not staffed by robots but by real humans, both chefs and waitstaff.

“Labor in Xiabang is expensive. Don’t be fooled by the size of this place; the prices here are more than five times those of similarly tiered dining rooms…” Zhou Ling explained as he handed the menu back to the waiter after ordering.

Suddenly realizing something, Zhou Ling facepalmed in frustration and said, “I forgot, you’ve always lived in the old city circle. You’re used to eating food cooked by human chefs every day, which is totally different from Xiabang’s lifestyle… Let’s find another place.”

Saying that, Zhou Ling stood up immediately.

“Forget it,” Lu Yuan stopped him, shaking his head. “No need to bother. Let’s just eat something simple.”

“Okay… okay then,” Zhou Ling saw the determination in Lu Yuan’s eyes and didn’t press the matter further, although he still looked a bit frustrated.

The waiter brought over two glasses of lemonade, and the two started chatting casually.

“I think the best decision I’ve ever made in my life… was taking on that task to eliminate the Crow Deity Sect followers causing trouble in Jiaoyan…” Zhou Ling said with deep emotion.

Lu Yuan smiled without saying anything.

Zhou Ling seemed to have opened up a floodgate of words.

“You wouldn’t believe it. When I heard that you got a SSS+ rating in your new blood assessment’s final evaluation, I was completely stunned. The intense brainwave fluctuations fried a few circuit boards, and I ended up in the hospital for two days… Six Wings… Divine Blood Flying Bear!”

“The thing is, everyone who participated in or knew about the new blood assessment had to sign the highest-level confidentiality agreement afterward. Otherwise, if this news got out, it would shake the entire internal network of Yellow Bear…”

Lu Yuan listened to Zhou Ling’s reminiscences, and his mental power scanned Zhou Ling briefly. Blinking, he asked, “Your modifications… how were they removed?”

“You noticed, huh?” Zhou Ling took a sip of his lemonade and smiled. “I benefited from your influence and ended up under the command of Lord Song Cong, a Golden Bear. He values me greatly and is guiding me in the Legacy of the Uranium Light Blade. My previous modifications were unstructured and rather crude, so I had them all removed. Now, I only retain some basic physical enhancements, and I’m currently training in blade techniques under Lord Song…”

“Golden Bear… Uranium Light Blade…” Lu Yuan murmured to himself.

Although he hadn’t heard of this particular Golden Bear, reaching the Golden Bear Level undoubtedly marked someone as an expert in the New Martial Arts style. Zhou Ling gaining such favor was indeed a significant upgrade from his previous status.

“…Gao Qing also moved into the Supervisory Group because of your connection. She wanted to come see you since you’re in Xiabang, but she got tied up with something last minute and couldn’t make it. She asked me to pass on her regards to you…”

“Got it,” Lu Yuan nodded casually.

Zhou Ling was someone Lu Yuan valued, as he considered Zhou Ling his guide in Yellow Bear, but Gao Qing was more of an acquaintance. Her presence or absence didn’t matter much to him.

“By the way,” Zhou Ling said as he refilled Lu Yuan’s glass with lemonade from the teapot on the table, “what brings you to Xiabang this time? Weren’t you always roaming around the old city circle?”

Lu Yuan and Zhou Ling kept in touch sporadically, so Zhou Ling knew a bit about Lu Yuan’s whereabouts.

“I’m planning to enter an evil deity’s secret realm,” Lu Yuan replied without any intention of hiding his plans.

Zhou Ling raised an eyebrow and asked, “Which one?”

“Wailing Ruins.”

Zhou Ling lowered his head slightly, presumably checking the Yellow Bear network for information.

His face soon showed an expression of surprise. “I don’t have the access level for this. What level is this secret realm?”

“S-level.”

“No wonder.”

Zhou Ling gave Lu Yuan a complex look before asking, “Do you have anyone lined up to go in with you? I know you’re strong now, but for your first venture into an evil deity’s secret realm, it’s best to have a guide.”

As he spoke, Zhou Ling couldn’t help but add, “The Lord Song I’m following now specializes in secret realm exploration tasks with the mystic deity group.”

“I don’t have anyone,” Lu Yuan shook his head.

He had only a handful of acquaintances in Yellow Bear-Yuwen Tong, Lan Chen, and Xiao Rui. They were all quite capable, but none seemed suitable as guides for his first secret realm exploration.

“How about… I ask Lord Song Cong for you?” Zhou Ling probed.

“Lord Song knows many Golden Bear experts in the mystic deity group. He might be able to arrange something…”

Lu Yuan didn’t expect Zhou Ling to bring this up and initially thought it unnecessary. But seeing Zhou Ling’s good intentions, he thought for a moment before replying, “If it would trouble you or Lord Song Cong, just forget it.”

“What nonsense…” Zhou Ling laughed, leaned in closer, and lowered his voice. “You don’t know this, but Lord Song has already hinted to me several times that he wants to meet you. If I help you find a guide for this secret realm, I’m actually doing him a favor…”

Lu Yuan was taken aback, but then he laughed.

With Lu Yuan’s consent, Zhou Ling enthusiastically began fiddling with his communicator.

Meanwhile, their ordered dishes arrived.

As they ate and chatted, Zhou Ling frequently paused to send a few messages.

As their meal neared its end, Zhou Ling’s face lit up with a smile. He turned to Lu Yuan and said excitedly, “Lord Song Cong has replied.

He found out that a top-tier mystic deity team is preparing to enter the Wailing Ruins soon. It’s an ultra-luxurious formation, all at level S or higher, and every member has experienced at least five level S secret realm explorations.

Lord Song has already arranged for an extra spot for you on this team. But to iron out the specifics, you’ll need to discuss it with them directly…”

“Really?”

Lu Yuan put down his utensils and picked up his napkin to gently wipe his mouth, feeling a bit surprised.

He hadn’t expected Zhou Ling’s spontaneous suggestion to actually yield results so quickly.

To be honest, Lu Yuan didn’t have a strong desire for a “secret realm guide.” But if he could have one, it would make the exploration process much easier and save him a lot of trial and error.

So he asked, “What’s the team? Do you have any information on them?”

“Yes,” Zhou Ling responded quickly. “I already sent it to you.”

Lu Yuan received a message notification from Zhou Ling and looked down to check it.

A comprehensive dossier appeared before his eyes.

The first line of the dossier read: “Captain: Xie Jun. Strength: S+. Ability: Level S New Martial Arts-Electromagnetic Flying Sword…”