Training with the Lightning Shuttle

The Lightning Shuttle was a top-grade second-tier telekinetic weapon. Its overall shape was a flat, shuttle-like craft, one meter long and thirty centimeters wide. Its surface was densely patterned with white markings that conformed to the Law of Light. According to the Combat Secret Technique Luo Zhiyuan had bought, the Lightning Shuttle was actually better suited to flight and evasive maneuvers. Using it could double his flight speed, bringing it to three times his original speed!

Luo Zhiyuan was currently at Planetary Level Nine. An ordinary Planetary Level Nine practitioner could fly at up to ten kilometers per second. The special ability he had gained when his body broke through to Planetary Level increased his flight and evasion speeds by 1.5 times, giving him a maximum flight speed of fifteen kilometers per second. With the Lightning Shuttle, he could reach forty-five kilometers per second.

That was already faster than an ordinary Star Level Two practitioner. Such incredible speed would make him far more agile in battle, giving him greater freedom whether he was pursuing an enemy or fleeing.

The Lightning Shuttle consisted of 108 shuttle-shaped blades and had two forms: flight and attack. In its flight form, it retained its original shuttle shape. Standing on it while flying greatly increased his speed.

The attack form had three levels. The first was called the Light Shuttle and required an amplitude of 10 to activate. The second, the Rain Shuttle, required an amplitude of 15. The third, the Chain Shuttle, could be used with an amplitude of 18.

Luo Zhiyuan's Mental Power Amplitude far exceeded the Lightning Shuttle's requirements. And since his comprehension of the Law of Light had reached the Fourth-Level Domain, he had easily mastered the Lightning Shuttle's flight form and its first attack level.

Inside the Killing Space, Luo Zhiyuan stood on a one-meter-long white Light Shuttle. The Lightning Shuttle formed a transparent, drag-reducing shield around him as he darted back and forth against a backdrop of stars, flying, stopping abruptly, changing direction, and dodging randomly suspended meteorite fragments.

He had never experienced such high-speed flight before, so he spent a full eight hours getting used to controlling the Lightning Shuttle.

From time to time, he also used Godly Evasion, controlling ten figures standing on Lightning Shuttles as they worked together within a one-kilometer radius, forming attack or defensive formations. His real body darted swiftly among them.

After getting used to the Lightning Shuttle's flight form, Luo Zhiyuan took a short break. Then he controlled the white Lightning Shuttle beneath his feet, sending nine blades flying up to hover in front of his chest.

Using his Spiritual Force, he connected the Law markings on the nine blades and arranged them from front to back in a diamond formation of 1, 2, 3, 2, 1. The markings on the blades lit up white, forming a steady, one-meter-long Light Shuttle that blazed with dazzling light.

He sent the shuttle spearing toward a five-meter-wide meteorite fragment ahead. It streaked through the air with a white trail, flashing past like a bolt of lightning. With a soft sound, it pierced straight through the fragment, leaving a round hole about ten centimeters across at its center.

Luo Zhiyuan felt no strain at all controlling the shuttle, so he changed its angle and sent it back through the meteorite, then changed course again and continued attacking... After a series of rapid hisses, the five-meter-wide meteorite broke apart into a heap of fragments.

Nodding in satisfaction, Luo Zhiyuan had mastered the Light Shuttle, the first attack form of the Lightning Shuttle.

"Bulieni, set up a Planetary Level Nine Spirit Reader who can perfectly use the Lightning Shuttle's first attack form. I want to spar with him and see how well I've mastered the Lightning Shuttle."

"Oh? Feeling pretty confident, huh? Don't want to practice a little longer first?" Bulieni asked teasingly when he heard Luo Zhiyuan call out.

"No need. I want to try it in a real battle and see how the Lightning Shuttle controlled by a Virtual Warrior differs from the one I control."

"Fine. As you wish."

As soon as Bulieni finished speaking, the meteorite-fragment backdrop around Luo Zhiyuan changed into a vast wilderness. A Virtual Warrior standing on a Lightning Shuttle appeared five kilometers away.

Keeping his eyes fixed on the Virtual Warrior, Luo Zhiyuan activated the first attack form with the Lightning Shuttle beneath his feet and aimed the Light Shuttle at his opponent. Come on. Let's see how a Spirit Reader who can perfectly control the Lightning Shuttle's first form fights!

Seeing that Luo Zhiyuan was ready, Bulieni raised his right hand and swept it down. "Begin!"

The Virtual Warrior immediately flew off on his Lightning Shuttle, charging diagonally toward Luo Zhiyuan's front right. When they were about four kilometers apart, he stopped abruptly and sent a detached Light Shuttle hurtling toward Luo Zhiyuan, almost instantly reaching him.

At the start of the battle, Luo Zhiyuan had sent his Light Shuttle straight toward the Virtual Warrior's original position. But his opponent had moved preemptively, costing him the advantage of the first strike.

Facing the Light Shuttle in front of him, Luo Zhiyuan used his movement technique, producing ten figures, then sent his Lightning Shuttle charging toward the Virtual Warrior. With a flight speed that could reach Star Level Two speeds, he quickly surrounded his opponent within a one-kilometer radius.

The Virtual Warrior swept his Spiritual Force over the ten figures and found that each seemed both real and fake. Unable to tell which one he needed to attack to defeat his enemy, he expressionlessly controlled his Lightning Shuttle, darting upward, downward, left, and right in an attempt to break through the encirclement.

Luo Zhiyuan's ten figures had formed a triangular formation of three, three, and four. Four figures stood directly in front of the Virtual Warrior, while three each flanked him on the left and right. There were sizable gaps between the figures, maximizing Luo Zhiyuan's range of control and making sure the Virtual Warrior couldn't escape the encirclement.

Just as he sent his Light Shuttle charging ahead, preparing to seize the opportunity to attack, he saw the Virtual Warrior strike.

The Virtual Warrior suddenly sent his Light Shuttle slashing toward a figure behind Luo Zhiyuan on the right. Before Luo Zhiyuan could react, it had pierced through the figure's head, then instantly doubled back and pierced the head of another figure behind him on the left, before rushing toward a third figure directly ahead.

What? How did it turn back so quickly?

Luo Zhiyuan could only dart among his figures, shifting positions as he went, while splitting his attention to send his Light Shuttle hurtling toward the Virtual Warrior. The Virtual Warrior, meanwhile, kept flying to evade him while making his Light Shuttle double back at high speed.

Two white streaks of light flashed through the space like lightning, vanishing in an instant as they wove a web of white trails.

After ten seconds of intense combat, Luo Zhiyuan's Light Shuttle pierced the Virtual Warrior's head, killing him. But just as the Virtual Warrior died, Luo Zhiyuan's vision went black as the opponent's final attack killed him too.

After regaining consciousness, Luo Zhiyuan was still going over their exchange in his mind when Bulieni spoke. "So? Did you notice the difference between you?"

As he replayed the fight, Luo Zhiyuan replied, "I did. The Virtual Warrior controls the Light Shuttle very smoothly. It can double back and charge again incredibly fast, with almost no limit on the angle of its turns.

"Aside from my advantage in movement, I can only make my Light Shuttle turn back through a narrow angle. And when it turns, there's a slight hitch. It feels stiff."

"Right. That's because you haven't fully grasped how it works yet. The Lightning Shuttle is a telekinetic weapon that conforms to the Law of Light. Your Light Domain has already reached the Fourth-Level Domain. If you apply it to the Lightning Shuttle, you won't have to control it so stiffly.

"Also, your Mental Power Amplitude has long since surpassed the Lightning Shuttle's requirements. If you increase the strength of your Spiritual Force control, you'll be able to handle the Light Shuttle more smoothly."

"Oh? I'll give it a try."

Luo Zhiyuan took control of the Lightning Shuttle again. This time, he applied his Light Domain while controlling the Light Shuttle.

Sure enough, controlling the Light Shuttle felt different. Its turns were as controllable as the refraction of light. By applying greater Spiritual Force at the turning point, he could make it turn at almost any angle, and even increase its speed further.

Bulieni watched Luo Zhiyuan quickly master the perfect way to use the first-level Light Shuttle and nodded with a smile.

Next, Luo Zhiyuan began practicing the Lightning Shuttle's second Combat Secret Technique. The second level required a Mental Power Amplitude of 15 and activated 81 blades. Each blade's tip shone with dazzling light, while the Law markings stabilized them into a matrix of points of light. The matrix could expand or contract, and when it attacked, it fell on the enemy like rain—hence the name Rain Shuttle.

He applied his domain directly and controlled the matrix of light, sending a white downpour through the air in a coordinated attack before making it turn back toward another direction.

After practicing for a while, the light rain under Luo Zhiyuan's control began to change. Instead of advancing and turning back all at once, the points of light now attacked in sequence, forming an unending barrage. Even their turning angles varied, creating a chaotic storm of interweaving attacks.

Watching the display, Bulieni couldn't stop praising him. "Excellent, Luo! You really are talented. You came up with two variations of the Rain Shuttle so quickly. You've got a pretty nimble mind!"

Luo Zhiyuan stopped practicing and asked Bulieni, "Is my Rain Shuttle perfectly controlled now?"

"In my eyes, there's still room for improvement. But for young fellows like you, this already counts as perfect control. How about trying it against a Virtual Warrior again?"

"Sure. Let's do it."

"Then let's begin!" The moment Bulieni finished speaking, another Virtual Warrior appeared just one kilometer away from Luo Zhiyuan.

The Virtual Warrior stood on a Lightning Shuttle, waved his hand, and sent a bright rain of light streaming toward Luo Zhiyuan in unison.

"Bulieni, you caught me off guard!"

Luo Zhiyuan cried out as he used his movement technique, producing ten figures that instantly surrounded the Virtual Warrior. Once the Virtual Warrior's rain of light had covered three of the figures, Luo Zhiyuan unleashed his Rain Shuttle. A storm of light swept past the Virtual Warrior, and the chaotic, scattering raindrops of light cut him down on the spot.