Racing Start, Yellow Wind Ridge Approach

Racing Start, Yellow Wind Ridge Approach

Zhou Ping died quickly in this round.

When he sat down at the station, more than half the eyes in the cafe were still fixed on the new wooden sign on the wall.

Two-team Cooperative Advance racing reservations, rules pending.

Those few words were more eye-catching than the yellow wind swirling across the spectator screens. Shrek had just claimed first place for "Lantern Guardian," the Spirit Hall Golden Generation was seated in the cafe, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had yet to leave. Anyone could see that once this sign truly took effect, Grand Dao Internet Cafe would no longer be competing solely over individual progress.

Yet Lin Chuan was in no hurry at all.

As usual, he started Zhou Ping's machine, took his money, and reminded him to check his save file. Sandwiched between so many important figures, Zhou Ping did not even dare cough too loudly. Only when the screen lit up and the Little Demon before the ruined temple charged at him with a blade did he suddenly snap back to his senses and raise his staff to block.

Smack.

The staff failed to block it, and he hit the ground first.

Some people in the cafe laughed, while others did not. Grandmaster lowered his head and added two strokes to the paper. Chen Xin only glanced over, while Ning Fengzhi lightly tapped the tabletop, as though he had seen something else in that embarrassing display.

This was the strangest thing about Grand Dao Internet Cafe. One moment, it could put Shrek on the rankings and make even the Spirit Hall Golden Generation sit up straight; the next, it could leave a low-level Soul Master battered and filthy before the first Little Demon. The strong had to begin from the first step when they entered, and the weak did too. The screens in the cafe did not preserve anyone's dignity, nor did they go easy on anyone because they were weak.

Zhou Ping died three times in a row. On the fourth, he finally lasted a few more exchanges. When he removed the Synchronized Headband, his face was pale, but his eyes were bright.

"Boss Lin, did I take two more steps just now?"

Lin Chuan glanced at the record.

"Three."

Zhou Ping grinned.

The grin was not loud, yet it seemed to quietly press down the tension that had filled the cafe because of the top ranking. Lin Chuan waited for him to vacate the station, then removed the wooden sign and posted a new sheet of paper beside it.

[Trial Rules for Two-Team Cooperative Advance Racing.]

[1. Each side shall have four members. They will enter Yellow Wind Ridge Approach simultaneously by different routes, with their wind conditions linked.]

[2. Real-world threats, forced position swaps, and malicious interference with the other side's operation are prohibited.]

[3. Racing evaluations will be calculated from segment-clearing speed, lantern integrity, team casualties, and mechanism handling.]

[4. When a shared mechanism is triggered, brief communication is permitted. The entire cafe may hear the content of the communication.]

[5. Team records belong to the team. Public review requires the team's consent.]

The moment the paper went up, quiet discussions arose from every corner.

After reading it, Yue Guan's smile deepened.

"Boss Lin's rules have blocked off every route."

Lin Chuan set the brush back on the counter.

"Block the crooked paths, and the right path becomes easier to walk."

The words sounded casual, but they landed heavily in every faction's ears. Spirit Hall could not use its status to seize a position first; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could not use money to buy out others' records; and although Shrek had just taken first place, they could not treat that ranking as a shield from consequences. Anyone could sit at Grand Dao Internet Cafe's tables, but once seated, no one could flip them over.

Hu Liena was the first to rise.

"Spirit Hall's Cooperative Advance team is registering."

Xie Yue and Yan stepped up behind her almost at the same time. The Golden Generation's reputation was no empty show. Even with their Spirit Ring and Soul Power suppressed outside the game, the sharpness forged through training still quieted the cafe.

But a four-person team still needed one more member.

Yue Guan turned and glanced back.

The low-level Spirit Hall steward who had been recording rules with his head down immediately went pale. He had thought he was only here to write down the regulations. Who would have expected that he would be pushed before the spectator screen in the next moment? Yue Guan offered no further explanation, merely saying, "You carry the lantern."

The steward's throat bobbed.

"I fear I may hold the Holy Maiden back."

Hu Liena turned to look at him, her tone not harsh.

"The lantern bearer is not a burden. If you become one, it means we failed to protect you."

The steward froze where he stood, and the Shrek group all looked over as well. Ning Rongrong had carried the lantern before, so she understood the weight of that position better than most. Holding the lantern was not as simple as standing in the back and waiting for others to protect you. Which route to take, whether the team could retreat, whether the flame could keep burning—all of it rested in your hands. If you slowed by half a step, the team slowed; if you made one wrong move, the team scattered.

Tang San rose.

"Shrek Temporary Cooperative Advance Team is registering."

Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun rose with him. Ma Hongjun had originally wanted to throw out a few swaggering remarks, but when he saw Yan looking over, the corners of his mouth immediately curled up.

"Oh? You're coming to snatch first place already?"

Yan snorted.

"First place isn't safe just because it's hanging on the wall."

Ma Hongjun slapped his chest.

"Then bring it on."

Ning Rongrong lightly kicked him from the side.

"Don't bring it on yet. Listen to the rules first."

Ma Hongjun immediately shut up. Someone in the cafe could not help laughing. Yan had meant to fire back, but the image of Ma Hongjun suppressing his flames on the narrow path in the previous round flashed through his mind. The words reached his lips, then he swallowed them. Hu Liena shot him a glance. Yan turned his face away and pretended not to notice.

All eight devices lit up at once.

This was the first time since Grand Dao Internet Cafe had opened that two complete teams entered a round simultaneously. Lin Chuan split the spectator screen into left and right halves. Shrek was on the left, Spirit Hall on the right. Yellow wind swept across the ground on the screens, the setting sun worn old by dust and sand. Tattered banners leaned along both sides of the mountain road, their cloth covered in slash marks. Wind blew in from the valley mouth, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

\n[Yellow Wind Ridge Approach, activated.]

[Trial objective: Escort the Wind-Calming Lamp through the approach and reach the first Wind-Calming Stake.]

[Hint: Wind conditions are linked. Each lantern illuminates its own path.]

Ning Rongrong lowered her head. A half-worn bronze lantern had appeared in her arms. Its light was neither red nor gold, but a yellow thinned by the wind. On the other side, the Spirit Hall steward held an identical lantern, his fingers tense and stiff. Hu Liena stood half a step ahead of him. She did not rush forward, only tilted her head to listen to the wind first.

Tang San watched the ground.

"The wind will cover the footprints. Don't just watch your feet."

Xiao Wu pivoted on her toes and had already shifted to the flank.

"There's something on the left."

A flicker of fire jumped in Ma Hongjun's palm, then he forcibly suppressed it. This time, he did not shout about burning a path through. Instead, he looked at Ning Rongrong first. Ning Rongrong stood in the middle of the team with the lantern in her arms. After scanning the rubble and the wind direction, she said, "Fatty, keep the flames below your knees. The wind is chaotic here. If the fire rises too high, it'll block our view."

Ma Hongjun's mouth twitched.

"Got it."

He did not sound convinced, but the fire truly lowered. That wisp of Breath-Calming Pure Flame rolled forward along the ground like a thin line of fire, forcing the Little Demons hidden in the sand to reveal themselves. Tang San followed up with his wooden staff, Xiao Wu guarded the flank, and Shrek advanced slowly but steadily, pressing forward step by step.

Spirit Hall's side was far fiercer.

With twin blades in hand, Xie Yue made even the crude blades provided by the game flash with the ruthless force of crossing moons. Hu Liena did not rush to kill head-on. Each time she raised her hand, the charging Little Demons would pause for an instant. Yan was even more direct. Fire pressed out from his palm and rolled into a low wall of flame. The armored Little Demons staggered back the moment they emerged.

A few muffled gasps sounded through the cafe.

"They're under the same suppression, so how are they still so smooth?"

"The Golden Generation trains coordination every day."

Protected between the three of them, the steward had initially looked utterly nervous. After walking more than ten steps, delight slowly appeared in his eyes as well. Judging from the opening alone, Spirit Hall was indeed far faster than Shrek.

Ma Hongjun's teeth itched as he watched.

"They're running way too fast."

Ning Rongrong did not look up.

"Fast doesn't necessarily mean steady."

The moment she said it, trouble struck on Spirit Hall's side. Yan's wall of fire swept across a patch of sand pits. The black, oil-like sand and dust at the bottom flared when touched by the flames, producing a cloud of yellow mist that lunged toward the Wind-Calming Lamp. The lantern light dimmed by an inch on the spot.

"Holy Maiden, the lantern's dimming!"

The steward recoiled in fright.

Xie Yue turned and slashed at the mist, but the yellow fog had no substance. His blades scattered it, only for the wind to roll it back in the next instant. Yan's face darkened. He could feel that his fire had not gone out of control, but this terrain was borrowing his flames to feed the wind.

The people who had just been praising Spirit Hall fell silent at once.

"The fire can't be too strong?"

Chen Xin said blandly, "It's not that it can't be strong. It can't be reckless."

Yan clenched his teeth. Outside, he could have blasted this entire sand pit flat with one punch. But this was not outside. His Soul Power was gone, his Spirit Rings were gone, and even his fire had to be drawn back inch by inch. He saw Ma Hongjun's ground-hugging fireline on the left screen, then remembered the narrow gate on the old route. The unwillingness in his chest was instead compressed into stubborn resolve.

If he did not want to lose when it came to fire, he had to learn to rein it in first.

Yan raised his hand. The crimson flames in his palm contracted. Rather than spreading outward, they wound around the edge of the sand pit in a thin line. Like a red-hot wire, that line traced the outer rim of the pit bit by bit. Whenever the yellow mist tried to lunge at the lantern, it was cut off midway.

Hu Liena asked, "Can you hold it?"

The veins at Yan's temples throbbed.

"I can."

The word did not come easily, but his hand did not tremble. The steward holding the lantern behind him suddenly pointed beyond the banner pole.

"The wind is weaker ahead to the right!"

Xie Yue's gaze sharpened, and he immediately changed position. Hu Liena did not hesitate, leading the team around behind the banner pole. The lantern light finally steadied, and Spirit Hall picked up speed again. But this time, Yan no longer spread his flames across half the road.

Before the spectator screen, the smile on Ma Hongjun's face gradually faded.

He had wanted to see Yan make a fool of himself, but Yan had not. That guy had reined in his fire, and he had done it beautifully. Ma Hongjun felt somewhat sour inside, but it also stirred up his fighting spirit. The Breath-Calming Pure Flame in his palm lowered another inch, almost rolling directly over the sand grains.

Ning Rongrong gave him another look.

"Not bad, Fatty."

Ma Hongjun immediately perked up.

"Of course. Who do you think I am?"

Xiao Wu laughed from the front.

"One compliment and you're already floating."

One team was fast, the other steady, and the gap between them remained stretched. At last, a stone pillar leaning at the valley mouth appeared on the right screen. Chaotic patterns covered the pillar, and wind passed through its center with a low roar like that of a beast.

[First Wind-Calming Stake discovered.]

[Hint: Touching the Wind-Calming Stake will activate the Wind-Eye Suppression Formation.]

Yan looked at Hu Liena.

Hu Liena did not reach out immediately. She first looked back at the left screen. Shrek was still some distance away. If they touched it now, Spirit Hall would most likely gain the initiative. But the rules stated that the wind conditions were linked. No one knew whether activating the mechanism would drag the other team in as well.

Yue Guan watched her.

Ning Fengzhi watched her too.

Half a breath later, Hu Liena placed her hand on the stone pillar.

"Racing is racing."

Yellow wind erupted from the pillar's core.

Both halves of the spectator screen were swallowed by sand and dust at the same time.

[Shared mechanism triggered.]

[Wind-Eye Suppression Formation activated.]