You're Really Amazing, Collision

Under the watching eyes of the crowd, Yeye leaped up through Black Bear No. 1's open hatch.

The hatch sealed shut. Black Bear No. 1 became a streak of light, punched through the sound barrier, and vanished.

The crowd stared at the spot where it had disappeared, unable to collect themselves for a long moment.

A beat passed. They exchanged glances, shock still written plainly across their faces.

"Something big is about to happen."

Aboard Black Bear No. 1.

Lu Yuan looked at Yeye and smiled. "Yeye, My Lord — it's been a few days."

Yeye gave a small nod, glanced at him, and said, "Just Yeye is fine."

Lu Yuan blinked, then nodded. "Yeye."

Yeye turned to look at Amy beside him.

"This is Amy," Lu Yuan said by way of introduction. "A friend of mine. Amy, this is Yeye."

Amy was wide-eyed, sneaking careful glances at Yeye from the corner of her eye. The moment their gazes met, she looked away immediately — for all the world like a rabbit on high alert. She gave a small nod. "Hello. I'm Amy."

Yeye nodded back. "Yeye."

Lu Yuan understood that Yeye was simply a woman of few words.

He smiled and said, "Let's head to the passenger cabin. We'll fly toward the Central Floating City and destroy any Lord Grade vessels we come across."

Neither Yeye nor Amy had any objections, and both nodded.

They filed into the cabin. Lu Yuan settled into a seat, Yeye sat down beside him, and Amy took the seat on his other side with Lu Yuan between them.

The corner of Lu Yuan's mouth twitched slightly.

*Amy's still a little scared of her.*

Well, once the two of them got used to each other, things would sort themselves out.

After sitting down, Yeye looked at Lu Yuan. "Can you two get into the Central Floating City?"

Lu Yuan paused. "We only arrived in the core zone not long ago and haven't made it to the Central Floating City yet. We're not sure."

Yeye gave a quiet nod. After a moment, she said, "In six hours, the central tower will open. If we can get in from the air before that, it would be a significant advantage for us."

Lu Yuan's eyes lit up. "We're heading that direction anyway, so we'll find out when we get there."

"Mm."

*Beep! Beep! High-energy target detected. Target Spirit Power level: Second-rank, high-tier Lord Grade.*

Lu Yuan's eyes sharpened. "A Lord Grade vessel. Black Bear No. 1, intercept and engage."

In the projected display, Black Bear No. 1 became a streak of light and shot toward the target.

Moments later, a triangular flying vessel in that direction began condensing violent Spirit Power luminance.

Then something shifted in Lu Yuan's eyes — a thread of Spirit Power moving beneath the surface, a ripple of peculiar mental energy spreading outward.

In the next instant, the Spirit Cannon charge building on the triangular vessel flickered and collapsed.

Simultaneously, Black Bear No. 1 fired a jet-black Spirit Cannon blast directly into the triangular vessel's Spirit Power shield.

**BOOM!!**

A thunderous roar rang out. The shield shuddered but held — it didn't break, though it thinned visibly.

As a Second-rank high-tier Lord Grade vessel, the defensive shield was formidable. Black Bear No. 1's Spirit Cannon output was itself only at that same tier. Breaking through was going to take time.

And so a rhythm established itself: every time the Lord Grade vessel attempted to attack or maneuver, Lu Yuan delivered a precisely timed burst of Mechanical Control to disrupt it. Between those moments, he was tied up suppressing the surrounding vessels, keeping any of them from targeting Black Bear No. 1.

The battle stretched on for over ten minutes. In the end, under Black Bear No. 1's sustained fire, the Second-rank high-tier Lord Grade vessel was punched through in several places, trailing crackling arcs of electricity as it tumbled toward the ground.

Lu Yuan exhaled slowly. Ten-plus minutes of Mechanical Control at that intensity — even his current Spirit Power reserves were feeling it. The mental toll was heavier still; Mechanical Control ran on focus, and focus was finite.

Even so, holding out against a Second-rank high-tier Lord Grade vessel with only three Lord Grade genes that hadn't fully tempered yet, coordinating with Black Bear No. 1 to bring it down — that was an impressive result by any measure.

As Lu Yuan let his concentration loosen, he became aware of a gaze resting on him.

He blinked, puzzled, and turned his head.

Yeye was watching him quietly, her deep black vertical-slit pupils like a pair of still, dark lakes.

Under that steady gaze, something warm crept up the back of his neck.

He smiled. "Yeye — what are you looking at?"

Yeye shook her head slightly. A faint note of surprise entered her voice. "You're really amazing."

*...?*

A wave of exasperation rolled through him. *Is she seriously humble-bragging at me right now?*

*You're a King Grade powerhouse. And you're calling me — a measly little Lord Grade — 'amazing'?*

"Yeye, aren't you the stronger one? You already have a King Grade gene. I'm nowhere close to your level."

Yeye shook her head. She met his eyes, and when she spoke, each word was deliberate.

"We're different. The first time we met, you were still an apprentice — Elite Grade aura. The second time, you'd reached First-rank, and your aura had already climbed to Chief Grade. Now you've advanced to Second-rank, and your aura is already Lord Grade..." She paused briefly. "You reached all of this through your own effort, one step at a time. I only inherited the glory and gifts of my ancestors. You'll definitely grow very powerful."

Lu Yuan sat there, completely thrown.

*She just set a new personal record for longest single statement.*

Amy, who had been keeping a nervous distance from Yeye throughout, heard the words and gave a small, genuine nod. "This big liar may be a bit... indecent, but he's definitely impressive."

Lu Yuan's expression went flat.

*Still not letting that go, hm.*

But he couldn't deny that the two of them had left him genuinely flustered.

*Wait — I'm actually that impressive? I didn't even realize.*

He smiled. "I suppose this is what you earn when you work hard enough."

His Transcendent Gene could be evolved, yes — but weren't the Spirit Crystals that funded every single evolution earned through his own effort? Saying this was the fruit of his work wasn't wrong at all.

Yeye gave a quiet, approving nod. "Mm."

"Let's head down and collect the drops from that Lord Grade vessel," Lu Yuan said, guiding Black Bear No. 1 toward the ground.

Several dozen minutes earlier.

Barton, the Green Demon King and one of the Three Kings, was leaping between rooftops at a furious pace.

He stopped abruptly and pulled out his Communication Crystal.

Corby's projection materialized inside it. His voice was urgent.

"Boss! Something's off — the vessel suddenly changed course. It's heading southeast."

"Hm?"

Barton's eyes narrowed slightly. A flicker of confusion passed through those brutish, volatile eyes.

"Suddenly changed direction? Any idea why?"

"None. No warning at all. Our spies who had eyes on them just watched it happen."

Barton bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "So they changed direction. Fine — I'll just go find them myself."

"B-but Boss, the southeast is the Night King's territory. If we just walk into her turf like that, won't we..."

Barton went still.

His expression shifted.

He knew the Night King well enough to be wary. Every enemy who had ever witnessed her fight was dead. She was said to be terrifyingly powerful. That reputation had left a knot of caution lodged somewhere in his chest.

But...

Barton's grin returned, colder than before, his eyes gleaming with icy violence.

"So what if it's the Night King? I'm only going for those two humans. If the Night King wants to get in my way — I'll cut her down along with them."

He changed direction without another word and vaulted toward the southeast.

As Black Bear No. 1 descended toward the ground, Yeye's eyes flicked briefly to two separate points in the distance. Her voice was calm.

"They're coming."

Lu Yuan's expression cooled.

"The two King Grade talents?"

Yeye nodded. "Mm. Your last battle lasted over ten minutes. We're not far from the tower. They had time."

Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed, and a faint smile touched his face. "They really look like wolves who've spotted prey."

A flicker of worry crossed Amy's face. "Will we be alright? There are two Second-rank King Grade opponents coming. We only have one."

Lu Yuan looked at Yeye.

"Keep Black Bear No. 1 in the air," Yeye said simply. "I'll go down and collect the items myself. It's easy."

Lu Yuan smiled. "If you say so, then that's the plan."

Black Bear No. 1 held position roughly a hundred meters above the ground.

On the street below lay the Lord Grade vessel's wreckage, above which floated one purple orb, six blue orbs, and more than a dozen teal orbs.

In a shadowed alley off the street, Barton watched Black Bear No. 1 hover and frowned, puzzled.

*Why aren't they landing?*

Then something flashed — less a figure and more an afterimage. Even with Barton's power, he could barely make it out.

The afterimage touched down and resolved into Yeye. She moved quickly, scooping up the orbs from the ground.

At the sight of her, blood-red luminance erupted across Barton's body, crimson light pulsing in his eyes.

A savage grin split his face.

*So it's true — the Night King is on that vessel.*

Before arriving, a subordinate had passed along a rumor that someone had spotted the Night King boarding a flying vessel. He'd half-disbelieved it.

Not anymore.

"Damned Night King."

Blood-red flames surged across his body. He crouched low, and his stubby legs drove into the ground with explosive force.

**BOOM!!**

A shallow crater caved into the ground, cracks spider-webbing outward in every direction.

Barton crossed a hundred meters in an instant and landed atop the wreckage. The battle axe in his hand was larger than he was tall, blood-red and gleaming. His face was a snarl. He swept the blade down in a brutal overhead cleave at the back of Yeye's head — who still had her back to him, collecting orbs.

Above in Black Bear No. 1, Lu Yuan and Amy both stiffened.

Then a wave of cold hit them.

White mist erupted from somewhere out in the streets below and surged upward. The killing chill drove through Lu Yuan like shards of ice.

Black Bear No. 1's shield snapped up, interposing itself.

*Crack... crack... crack...*

Frost condensed across the shield's surface. Hairline fractures began spreading through it like a web.

Lu Yuan's eyes snapped sharp.

Amy's breath caught. "That's insane — one hit nearly overwhelmed the shield?!"

A Second-rank high-tier Lord Grade shield, at that.

Lu Yuan looked toward where the mist had originated.

Down the street, a young man stood gazing up at them. White robes. White hair. Handsome face, expression utterly cold. Just his eyes on them was enough to raise every hair on Lu Yuan's body.

*That's Bai Lin. The White Frost King.*

*So this is what King Grade talent looks like.*

*Terrifying.*

Below, on the wreckage, Barton's axe was a heartbeat from connecting — and his lips split into a savage smile.

Then Yeye's body dissolved into black mist.

The axe, blazing with monstrous Spirit Power, sliced straight through the mist and came down with full force on the wreckage.

**BOOM!!**

A deafening roar. Blood-red Spirit Power erupted — and the entire wreck was split clean in two.

The shockwave tore outward in all directions.

When the mist cleared, Barton found that every single orb was gone. His eyes went wide, disbelief etched across his face.

"That Combat Technique — how is that even possible?!"

Aboard Black Bear No. 1.

Lu Yuan and Amy had both heard the explosion. They were just turning to look downward when a Shadow that had been resting quietly beside them since before the battle pulsed once. Yeye materialized from within it, her expression composed.

"Let's go."

Lu Yuan and Amy stared.

"That Combat Technique is incredible," Amy breathed.

Lu Yuan processed it a beat faster, though the awe was still there. He directed Black Bear No. 1 to seal its hatch and lift off, and glanced at Yeye.

*Before she jumped, she left a Shadow behind right here in the cabin. I thought it was just something nearby. I had no idea she could emerge from a Shadow she'd placed in advance.*

*That Combat Technique is something else. Perfect survivability. It's almost like the space-type gene I've always wanted — Flicker.*

Yeye registered neither of their reactions. Her gaze had already dropped to the street below.

"They're going to attack."

Lu Yuan looked down as well.

In Black Bear No. 1's projected display: Barton launched himself skyward, face twisted with fury, and swept his axe downward at Black Bear No. 1 — a blood-red axe slash screaming up toward them.

From further away, a massive spiraling ice lance came spinning through the air.

The force behind both was staggering. Ice shot down Lu Yuan's spine.

*Devastating power.*

Black Bear No. 1 accelerated to full thrust, broke the sound barrier, and vanished.

The blood-red axe slash and the spiral ice lance screamed past empty air and faded into the distance.

On the ground, Bai Lin's expression remained ice-cold. He watched Black Bear No. 1 disappear, cast a brief glance toward Barton, then turned and walked away.

Barton noticed him leaving. A cold killing intent settled over his face. He let out a sharp, humorless laugh — and turned away as well.