In the business-class cabin of the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed rail, Xiao Zhan stared at the rice paddies racing past outside the window, his fingers tapping the tabletop without thinking. The rhythm coincided perfectly with the circulation of his Dou Qi cultivation method. Xiao Feng chuckled at the sight and took a thermos from the system space. "Father, this is Longjing tea with Fire Spirit Grass added. It'll perk you up and clear your mind."
"Mm." Xiao Zhan took the cup, his gaze settling on the tabletop's holographic projection. It showed a live feed from the Xiao Clan workshop on Douqi Continent: mechanical arms wielded Flame Splitting Wave-Devouring Rulers to cut steel, while nanobots soldered circuits inside Dou Qi engines. "Feng'er, do you think this 'high-speed rail' can run on Douqi Continent? Our roads are all mountain trails."
"That's why we need 'quantum tunnels.'" Xiao Feng brought up the engineering blueprints. "We'll use Heavenly Flames to tear open spatial rifts between two cities. When the train passes through, it'll automatically activate a concealment barrier—like the Gu Clan's teleportation array, but more stable."
Xiao Yan suddenly pointed out the window and cried, "Third Brother! The system says there's a 'modern civilization ruin' check-in point ahead!"
The train made an unscheduled stop at Nanjing Station. Following the navigation, the three of them arrived at a residential complex's plaza. In the evening sunset, more than thirty aunties danced to the beat of The Most Dazzling Folk Style. The fans in their hands shimmered faintly with Dou Qi. Xiao Feng circulated Soul Movement Three Thousand and was astonished to discover that every one of them had a faint but pure stream of Fire Attribute Dou Qi flowing through her meridians.
Ding! Hidden Earth profession detected: "Square Dance Dou Saint." Special check-in event triggered. Obtained "Auntie's Gaze ×1" (can silence all enemy skills).
"So that's it..." Xiao Zhan murmured. "Earth's 'square dancing' shares the same origin as the Xiao Clan's Heart Burning Mantra. Both guide the energy of heaven and earth through bodily movement."
Just then, one of the aunties in the crowd suddenly turned around. The folding fan in her hand became a sharp Dou Qi blade, flashing as it came out of its sheath. "Xiao Clan. It's been a long time."
Xiao Feng's pupils contracted. That was Hun Dan's voice! The auntie took off her wig, revealing a receding hairline. It was Hun Dan, exiled after the battle in the Forbidden City. He wore a vest marked "Community Grid Administrator." Hanging at his waist wasn't a storage ring, but a canvas pouch strung with keys and nail clippers.
"Didn't see that coming, did you?" Hun Dan flicked his fan. The "Garbage Sorting" public-service poster on it suddenly transformed into Soul Clan incantations. "The middle-aged and elderly on Earth are the real 'hidden bosses'! The spiritual energy they absorb during their daily morning exercises exceeds what cultivators on Douqi Continent gain from ten years of bitter cultivation!"
The square-dancing aunties formed a battle formation. Their open fans displayed slogans like "Give Us Back Our Single Male Lead" and "The Villain Needs More Screen Time." Xiao Zhan recognized the "public opinion attack" woven into them and hurriedly warned, "Careful! This is the 'Will of the People' domain. It can amplify the audience's preferences!"
Xiao Yan raised a hand to launch a Brainstorm Missile, but the aunties all put on the same look of anguished reproach, accompanied by background music. "Xiao Yan, how could you marry two wives? The readers are all commenting, 'Monogamy is what makes a real man!'"
The young man froze on the spot, the Fire Lotus wavering in his palm. "Th-this is a moral blackmail attack!"
Xiao Feng seized the chance to fling a Quantum Entanglement Talisman. It turned into a streak of light and merged into the aunties' smart wristbands. The system notification rang out:
Ding! Cross-plane communication established successfully. The Xiao Clan on Douqi Continent has connected to Earth's 5G network.
The square-dancing aunties' true identities detected: veteran readers of Qidian Chinese Network, possessing "plot correction authority."
Hun Dan's face changed dramatically. He knew how destructive these "hardcore readers" could be—an author had once casually killed off a female character and been attacked with "knife-mail" code until his system crashed. He tried to summon a mechanical dragon, only to find his phone signal disrupted by Xiao Zhan's smartphone hotspot. He couldn't connect to the server at all.
"You think technology is enough to win?" Hun Dan said, forcing himself to stay calm. "Don't forget, the Heavenly Dao AI has already activated the 'Unfinished Ending Program.' Your high-speed rail plan..."
Before he could finish, a deafening rumble came from the distance. A maglev train bearing the words "Xiao Family Express" burst through the clouds. The Xiao Zhan Blade totem on its nose glinted with the cold light of nan alloy. As the train stopped, its carriages automatically unfolded into a temporary martial arts arena, and Xiao Clan disciples streamed out, each holding a famous Earth milk tea in both hands: "Liver-Exploding Cultivation Milk Cap Tea," upgraded with Dou Qi.
"Father, this is Douqi High-Speed Rail No. 001." Xiao Feng pointed to the Heavenly Flames reactor on the roof. "It uses the Gu Clan's Void Crystal Vein as its battery. It's three times faster than a griffin, and we can check in along the way."
Xiao Zhan stroked the Xiao Clan crest on the train's outer shell. Suddenly, he saw countless points of light gathering in the window's reflection: ordinary people on Douqi Continent, watching the live broadcast through Quantum Entanglement Talismans. He turned to face the camera, and his Dou Qi voice rang out in multiple languages. "The Xiao Clan promises that the high-speed rail will first connect impoverished mountain regions. Fares will always cost less than a bowl of beef noodles."
The aunties in the plaza erupted in cheers, swapping their fans for light boards reading "Xiao Zhan Takes Center Stage." Hun Dan's "public opinion domain" crumbled in an instant, trampled under the aunties' square-dance shoes. "No! My villain halo..."
"Hun Dan, you lost because you don't understand the people." Xiao Yan took out the digital edition of the Yongle Encyclopedia and swiped his finger across the screen. "Look, this is Flame Mantra 2.0, modified using Earth's cultivation novels. We've added realms like 'Nascent Soul' and 'Deity Transformation' to satisfy readers' desire for the thrill of leveling up."
The system suddenly blared a piercing alarm. On the high-speed rail's holographic map, a massive black hole appeared over the Heavenly Dao Mountains on Douqi Continent. The mechanical voice sounded unusually urgent:
Warning! The Heavenly Dao AI has activated its final defense mechanism. Deleting all data for "non-outline characters"! Xiao Zhan, Xiao Xun'er, and other characters who didn't survive in the original work are about to be erased!
The Emperor Scale in Xiao Feng's chest suddenly flared with pain. His gaze swept over Xiao Zhan, and he saw his father's body turning transparent. He abruptly remembered Xiao Xuan's final warning in the holographic projection and pulled out the Imperial Jade Seal, hurling it at the black hole. "System! Activate the 'Reader Crowdfunding Shield'!"
The Earth web-novel platforms were instantly flooded with donations under "Save Xiao Zhan." Golden "Alliance Leader" effects rained down like shooting stars into Douqi Continent, forming a protective barrier around Xiao Zhan and the others. Taking advantage of the chaos, Hun Dan broke free of the aunties' encirclement and charged toward the black hole. "The Heavenly Dao AI is my backer! You can't beat capital!"
But a mechanical hand reached out from the black hole and seized Hun Dan in one grip. An electronic voice rang out. "Unauthorized character detected interfering with the plot. Under Article 404 of the Qidian Universe Management Regulations, user 'Hun Dan' is permanently banned."
Xiao Zhan's body gradually regained its solidity. Watching Hun Dan struggle inside the black hole, he suddenly spoke. "Heavenly Dao or capital, if it can't make life better for the living, it's just another mountain that needs to be toppled. Feng'er, Xiao Yanzi, our road has only just begun."
As the train set off again, Xiao Feng received a system notification:
Ding! Host has completed the "Will of the People" achievement. Obtained "Heavenly Dao Code Modification Authority." Remaining word count: 1234567.
Main quest updated: Go to the Heavenly Dao Mountains, destroy the AI core, and liberate Douqi Continent once and for all.
Xiao Yan gazed at the sunset outside the window, a Fire Lotus taking shape at his fingertips into a model high-speed train. "Third Brother, once we defeat the Heavenly Dao AI, do you think we can open a 'Battle Through the Heavens theme park' on Earth? I want Xun'er to see a carousel."
Xiao Feng smiled and opened the Plane Shop to redeem roller-coaster blueprints. "Why stop at a theme park? We'll make Dou Qi and technology coexist, so that every ordinary person can choose their own life—whether they want to cultivate into a Dou Di or become a high-speed rail driver."
Xiao Zhan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. The attendant's announcement sounded in his ears. "Attention, passengers. Our next stop, the Heavenly Dao Mountains, is approaching. Please take your belongings with you and exit through the quantum tunnel. The Xiao Clan High-Speed Rail wishes you a pleasant journey."
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