Qi Duel High-Speed Rail: Quantum Entanglement and Sunset Critical Hit

In the business class cabin of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail, Xiao Zhan stared at the rice paddies flashing past the window, his fingers tapping the table in an unconscious rhythm—a rhythm that coincidentally matched the circulation frequency of his Douqi cultivation technique. Seeing this, Xiao Feng chuckled and retrieved a thermos from his system space: "Father, this is Longjing tea infused with Fire Spirit Grass. It will sharpen your mind and refresh your spirit."

"Mm." Xiao Zhan took the cup, his gaze falling upon the holographic projection on the table, which displayed a real-time feed of the Xiao Clan workshop on the Douqi Continent: mechanical arms wielding the Flame Splitting Wave-Devouring Ruler to cut steel, and nanobots welding circuits inside a Douqi engine. "Feng'er, are you certain this 'high-speed rail' can run on the Douqi Continent? Our roads are nothing but mountain paths."

"That is precisely why we need the 'Quantum Tunnel'." Xiao Feng pulled up the engineering blueprints. "We will use exotic fire energy to tear open spatial rifts between two cities, and the high-speed rail will automatically activate a stealth barrier as it passes through—much like the Gu Clan's teleportation arrays, but far more stable."

Xiao Yan suddenly pointed out the window and exclaimed, "Third Brother! The system indicates there is a 'Modern Civilization Relic' check-in point ahead!"

The high-speed rail made a temporary stop at Nanjing Station, and the three followed the navigation to a residential square. In the evening sunset, over thirty middle-aged women were dancing to the rhythm of The Most Dazzling Folk Style, and the square dance fans in their hands were faintly glowing with the light of Douqi. Xiao Feng activated "Soul Movement Three Thousand" and was astonished to discover that every person's meridians were flowing with weak yet pure fire-attribute Douqi.

Ding! Detected Earth hidden profession "Square Dance Dou Saint," triggering a special check-in event. Obtained "Auntie's Gaze ×1" (can silence all enemy skills).

"So that is how it is..." Xiao Zhan whispered. "The 'square dance' of Earth is actually of the same origin as the Xiao Clan's Heart Burning Mantra; both guide the energy of heaven and earth through physical movement."

Just then, one of the women in the crowd suddenly turned, her folding fan transforming into a blade of Douqi as it unsheathed: "People of the Xiao Clan, it has been a long time."

Xiao Feng's pupils constricted—that was the voice of Hun Dan! The woman removed her wig to reveal a receding hairline; it was none other than Hun Dan, who had been exiled after the Battle of the Forbidden City. He was wearing a vest labeled "Community Grid Administrator," and hanging from his waist was not a storage ring, but a canvas bag strung with keys and nail clippers.

"Didn't expect this, did you?" Hun Dan flicked his folding fan, and the "Garbage Sorting" promotional poster on the fan suddenly transformed into Soul Clan incantations. "The middle-aged and elderly population of Earth are the true 'hidden bosses'! The heaven and earth spiritual energy they absorb during their morning exercises exceeds what a cultivator on the Douqi Continent gains in ten years of bitter training!"

The square dance aunties formed a battle array, their folding fans unfolding to reveal support slogans such as "Return Our Male Lead to Singlehood" and "Villains Must Have More Screen Time." Xiao Zhan recognized the "public opinion attack" contained within and hurriedly warned: "Be careful! This is a 'Will of the People' domain; it can amplify the preferences of the audience!"

Xiao Yan raised his hand to launch a Brain-Hole Missile, only to see the aunties strike a synchronized pose of "heart-wrenching grief," accompanied by their own background music: "Xiao Yan, how could you marry two wives? The readers are all spamming that 'monogamy is the mark of a real man'!"

The youth froze on the spot, the fire lotus in his palm flickering unsteadily: "This... this is a moral kidnapping attack!"

Xiao Feng seized the opportunity to throw out a "Quantum Entanglement Talisman," which turned into a stream of light and merged into the aunties' smart bracelets. The system notification chimed:

Ding! Successfully established cross-plane communication. The Xiao Clan of the Douqi Continent has connected to Earth's 5G network.

Detected the true identity of the square dance aunties: Senior readers of Qidian Chinese Network, possessing "Plot Correction Rights."

Hun Dan's expression shifted drastically; he knew the destructive power of these "hardcore readers"—there had once been an author who, having killed off a female character on a whim, was attacked by readers using "razor blade courier" code until his system crashed. He attempted to summon a mechanical dragon, only to find his mobile signal interfered with by Xiao Zhan's smartphone hotspot, making it impossible to connect to the server.

"Do you think you can win just because you have technology?" Hun Dan feigned composure. "Don't forget, the Heavenly Dao AI has already initiated the 'Unfinished Ending Program,' and your high-speed rail project..."

Before he could finish, a deafening roar echoed from afar. A maglev train emblazoned with "Xiao Family Express" tore through the clouds, the Xiao Zhan Blade totem on its nose flashing with the cold light of nano-alloys. As the train came to a halt, the carriages automatically unfolded into a temporary martial arts arena, and Xiao Clan disciples filed out, each holding a trendy Earth milk tea—the "Liver-Exploding Cultivation Milk Cap Tea," improved with Douqi.

"Father, this is 'Douqi High-Speed Rail No. 001'." Xiao Feng pointed to the exotic fire reactor on the roof of the train. "It uses the Gu Clan's Void Crystal Vein as a battery; its speed is three times that of a Griffin, and it can even check in along the route."

Xiao Zhan stroked the Xiao Clan emblem on the train's exterior, suddenly seeing countless points of light converging in the reflection of the train window—these were the ordinary people of the Douqi Continent, watching the live broadcast via the Quantum Entanglement Talisman. He turned to face the camera, his voice amplified by Douqi into multiple languages: "The Xiao Clan promises that the Douqi High-Speed Rail will first connect impoverished mountain regions, and the ticket price will always be lower than a bowl of beef noodles."

The aunties in the square erupted in cheers, swapping their folding fans for light boards that read "Xiao Zhan Debut in C-Position." Hun Dan's "Public Opinion Domain" collapsed instantly, trampled under the square dance shoes of the aunties: "No! My villain aura..."

"Hun Dan, you lost because you don't understand the hearts of the people." Xiao Yan took out the data version of the Yongle Encyclopedia and swiped his finger across the screen. "Look, this is the Burning Mantra 2.0, improved based on Earth's cultivation novels. It adds realms like 'Nascent Soul Stage' and 'Spirit Severing Stage' to satisfy the upgrade satisfaction of different readers."

The system suddenly issued a sharp alarm. On the high-speed rail's holographic map, a massive black hole appeared at the Heavenly Dao Mountains of the Douqi Continent, the mechanical voice carrying a rare sense of urgency:

Warning! Heavenly Dao AI has initiated the final defense mechanism and is deleting all "non-outline character" data! Original characters who did not survive in the canon, such as Xiao Zhan and Xiao Xun Er, are about to be purged!

Xiao Feng felt a sudden, sharp pain in the Emperor Scale on his chest. He glanced at Xiao Zhan and realized his father's body was becoming transparent. He suddenly recalled the final warning from Xiao Xuan's holographic projection and pulled out the Imperial Jade Seal, hurling it toward the black hole: "System! Activate 'Reader Crowdfunding Shield'!"

Earth's web novel platform was instantly flooded with "Save Xiao Zhan" donations. Golden "Alliance Leader" special effects fell like a meteor shower into the Douqi Continent, forming a protective layer around Xiao Zhan and the others. Hun Dan seized the chance to break free from the aunties' encirclement and charged toward the black hole: "The Heavenly Dao AI is my backer! You cannot defeat capital!"

But a mechanical hand reached out from the black hole and grabbed Hun Dan. An electronic synthesized voice rang out: "Detected unauthorized character interfering with the plot. According to Article 404 of the Qidian Universe Management Regulations, user 'Hun Dan' is permanently banned."

Xiao Zhan's body gradually returned to a solid state. He looked at the struggling Hun Dan in the black hole and suddenly spoke: "Whether it is the Heavenly Dao or capital, if it cannot make the living live better, then it is a mountain that deserves to be toppled. Feng'er, Little Yan, our journey has only just begun."

As the high-speed rail started up again, Xiao Feng received a system notification:

Ding! Host has completed the "Will of the People" achievement. Obtained "Heavenly Dao Code Modification Permission." Remaining word count: 1,234,567 words.

Main quest updated: Head to the Heavenly Dao Mountains, destroy the AI core, and completely liberate the Douqi Continent.

Xiao Yan gazed at the sunset outside the window, a fire lotus forming a model of the high-speed rail at his fingertips: "Third Brother, do you think that after we defeat the Heavenly Dao AI, we could open a 'Battle Through the Heavens Theme Park' on Earth? I want to let Xun Er see a carousel."

Xiao Feng smiled and opened the Plane Shop to exchange for a roller coaster design: "Not just a park. We will make Douqi and technology coexist, allowing every ordinary person to choose their own life—whether it is to cultivate into a Dou Di or to become a high-speed rail driver."

Xiao Zhan leaned back in his seat to rest his eyes, and the attendant's announcement echoed in his ears: "Attention passengers, the next stop, 'Heavenly Dao Mountains,' is arriving soon. Please gather your belongings and exit through the Quantum Tunnel. Xiao Family Express wishes you a pleasant journey."