Mecha Chapter 184: Goal

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Lhachril

 

Both of them were stunned, but because Li Suo was considered Yuan Xi’s master, Luo XiaoLou quickly answered, “Yes, we are going there.”

Li Suo’s eyes flashed and his lips moved for a while before he said, “Is it for that miracle?”

Luo XiaoLou and Yuan Xi both saw that there was something not quite right about Li Suo’s appearance, but Yuan Xi shook Luo XiaoLou’s hand and said firmly, “Yes.”

Li Suo suddenly fell silent. His hand was visibly trembling, and just as Luo XiaoLou tried to hold him, Li Suo suddenly looked up at Yuan Xi with obvious sadness in his eyes, “But, you’d better not go.”

Yuan Xi was stunned, then shook his head, “No, I have a reason why I must go.”

Luo XiaoLou, on the other hand, frowned and asked, “Why do you say that? If you know anything, can you tell us about it?”

“Come over to my house if you two aren’t in a hurry.” After saying that, Li Suo turned around and walked to his house, his back looking depressed and lonely.

Luo XiaoLou and Yuan Xi looked at each other and followed him. Although they didn’t know why Li Suo was stopping them, he definitely knew something about the temple.

After the three of them sat down, Li Suo looked at Luo XiaoLou and Yuan Xi and laughed bitterly, “I know, you are inevitably young and energetic, even compared to me and my companions two years ago. By the way, that temple, the road to the miracle, I’ve already been there.”

Luo XiaoLou immediately felt Yuan Xi’s body tense up. In fact he was shocked as well, and asked, “What was it like there? Did you- did you get hurt there?”

Li Suo shook his head and took a sip of hot tea, as if trying to cover the cold air that was rising from his body, “I was on a mission, a top secret mission of the royal family. At that time, I participated with some other people, more than twenty of them, including my best friend. These people, without exception, were all ancient martial arts experts.

“In fact, this mission has always existed and the remuneration offered by the royal family was very substantial, enough to make anyone squirm. However, the royal family has deliberately blocked information. That is, all the people who went in, none of them have returned.”

Luo XiaoLou stared at Li Suo. It was actually so dangerous? On the other hand, the miracle is in such a dangerous place. Do people really exist in places like that? He felt the coldness of Yuan Xi’s fingers and had to grip them back hard, “Then you-“

“You want to ask me how I’m standing here, don’t you? In fact, I didn’t really go in at all. I was at the end. I was just one leg in and I was suddenly pushed out by my friend who was walking in front of me. He knocked me out. By the time I woke up, that door had closed. I had to kill the temple guards and the royals to escape. They probably didn’t want the news to spread. Ever since, I’ve been wanting to go back there again, and I- I wanted to get someone out.”

Li Suo dropped his eyes and stared at his hands, and was silent for a moment before continuing, “But, I found that my health got worse and worse after that, and not only could I not get close to the temple, I couldn’t even begin to handle the pursuit. Moreover, my body was rapidly aging. If I hadn’t wanted to save my companions and kept buying potions to support it, it would probably have been worse. Then…I went downhill to the point where I met you guys. I thought those were the days I was going to die.” He paused, “Perhaps it would be a relief for me to die sooner.”

“Don’t be like that, the only way to save someone is to live. And it’s not like you don’t have a chance to get better now.” Luo XiaoLou advised.

Yuan Xi thought for a moment and asked, “If it was so dangerous, the first person to go in should have found out, why was no one else pushed out before you were?”

Li Suo nodded and looked at Yuan Xi with pleasure, the apprentice was extremely talented and had a calmness that was hard to see, “Yes, you are right, and the answer to that question may sound very odd to you, but it is true. I don’t remember all the memories behind the door, except for the moment when my friend pushed me out.” Saying that, Li Suo turned to Luo XiaoLou again, “So, I can’t answer your question, and I don’t know what’s there. I didn’t know anything from the moment we walked through the door, I only had one thought in my mind, that I had to go in.” 

Luo XiaoLou and Yuan Xi were both stunned, this was almost exactly the same as what they had experienced at Landa’s Sealed Island!

“Mind control,” Yuan Xi said coldly.

Luo XiaoLou cringed at the look Yuan Xi was giving him and whispered, “You know, there’s no way this has anything to do with me.”

Yuan Xi had only wanted to see what Luo XiaoLou meant, but seeing Luo XiaoLou’s guilty look made him remember his lineage, so he glared at him while feeling slightly sour in his heart. He didn’t really want to think deeply as to what it was about.

He’d take whatever Luo XiaoLou was anyway. But nothing had hit him harder than that since finding out about it.

“Mind control?” Li Suo tried to remember, “Indeed, much like that. But then the injuries I received were closer to radiation damage. It doesn’t even make sense how a high-risk zone for radiation could exist in the temple inside District A. I’ve never been able to figure it out, but one thing’s for sure, that place is very dangerous.”

“But your friend pushed you out, which means he was awake at that moment, so why didn’t he come out?” Luo XiaoLou asked again.

“That’s what I was wondering. Maybe he didn’t have any extra strength at that point. It’s what I owe him, so I was trying to figure out what to do before my body turned out like this.” Li Suo murmured, “But I don’t have a chance anymore. He was the best of us, and that’s probably why he was sober.”

“Thank you for telling us this, but I still want to check it out,” Yuan Xi said calmly. When he was stubborn, there was absolutely nothing anyone else could do.

Luo XiaoLou sighed in his heart and hesitated for two seconds before stating, “I’ll go with you. I might be able to help in some way.”

After all, his body was now very resistant to radiation, and he was very good at dealing with mind control.

“You don’t have to go either.” Yuan Xi said with a glance at Luo XiaoLou.

Luo XiaoLou easily sensed Yuan Xi’s insincerity and immediately said, “No, I’ll go with you. I won’t leave you.”

Yuan Xi’s ears moved and he didn’t say anything else, but Luo XiaoLou knew he was satisfied.

Li Suo looked at them in surprise, not expecting either of them to still want to go after knowing how dangerous it was.

Yuan Xi looked at Li Suo and said firmly, “I have to go there, and while I’m there, I’ll help you see if your friend is still there.”

Li Suo soared to his feet and looked at Yuan Xi with excitement and surprise. His eyes seemed to be slightly moist, and they could tell that that friend was very important to Li Suo.

But when he thought of the danger of that place, he quickly calmed down again. He looked at Yuan Xi for half a day and said, “Well, if I can’t persuade you, then I can at least give you some advice. If you go now, you’re not strong enough. I’m not discouraging you, in fact, you’re about the same as I was then. According to the standards here, that’s the peak of the seventh level of ancient martial arts. As a beginner, it’s already a remarkable achievement, but since I couldn’t and it’s equally dangerous for you to go, I suggest that you break through the eighth level before going. You’ve reached the tipping point of your breakthrough, you should have some awareness of this yourself, right?”

It was the first time Luo XiaoLou heard that Ancient Martial Arts actually had levels, but it was a relief to think that mecha and Spiritual Power both had grades. But, breaking through level eight in such a short time? This guy is actually more of a monster than he is!

Yuan Xi, on the other hand, thought about it seriously and said, “It just felt hard to improve further, so I stopped hunting by myself yesterday and went to the secondary area with others.”

“That’s right.” Li Suo nodded, “First of all, you have to find a way to break through. With your strength, you’ll have no problem entering the third level zone. Secondly, you need to get a permit to enter District A. Lastly, you need to get permission to enter the temple. Those three things seem difficult, but there’s a good chance right now,” he said, with memories and yearning in his eyes.

“What is it?” Luo XiaoLou immediately asked, knowing how eagerly Yuan Xi wanted to find Yuan Che, or any news about him.

“One month later, District A’s Ancient Martial Association will hold the Ancient Martial West Mountain Competition, and at that time, all the ancient martial families will participate, as well as many of those who practice on their own. The ancient martial families that progressed greatly have the opportunity to move to the Advanced District. Of course, the same is true for individuals, and the top twenty groups or individuals have the chance to enter District A. However, groups have a greater chance of advancing. And, what’s more, if you show a high enough level of strength, you’ll also be noticed by the royals or pantheon.

“I think that since we haven’t finished that mission back then, they will summon the ancient martial experts again.” Li Suo said with certainty.

What a great idea to kill three birds with one stone, Luo XiaoLou thought darkly while starting to worry. Yuan Xi could enter District A or the temple with his status as an Ancient Martial Expert, but what about him?

“Perhaps you could apply for attendant family treatment.” 125 hinted at him quietly, “There’s such a thing in the interstellar law. But of course, more importantly, you could apply to bring me along.”

“I don’t think that interstellar law is going to be popular here. Dragging your family with you with pets and all that…” Luo XiaoLou mused.

“Okay, I’ll attend. I’ll be researching ancient martial breakthroughs for a few days.” Yuan Xi said as he pulled Luo XiaoLou to stand up. It was getting late and Li Jay and Xiao Qiao would be waiting for them as well.

After saying goodbye to Li Suo, they went out of the courtyard.

There was a hint of nostalgia and sadness in Li Suo’s eyes as he watched the backs of Yuan Xi and Luo XiaoLou leave.

“Ancient Martial West Mountain Competition? Surely we’re going too, Brother Yuan?” Li Jay asked in surprise, “Registration is now open, and since you are ready to go, you can go and register.”

Li Jay purposely took Yuan Xi and Luo XiaoLou to the registration location, where they just needed to enter their ID card.

“What about me?” Luo XiaoLou asked quietly.

“Smuggling.” Yuan Xi swept a glance at him and signaled with his eyes, Just like you did when you entered District D.

Luo XiaoLou was shocked while Xiao Qiao laughed, “Brother Yuan, if you enter the top ten, you can make a small request to the Ancient Martial Arts Association.”

“Of course, it’s not like you have to get a ranking this time. The Ancient Martial Arts West Mountain Competition is held every year, so there’s always a chance to go to District A.” Li Jay said in a fighting spirit.

Luo XiaoLou thought about it and then asked, “So are there many participants?”

“Of course. Many of the people here, who need to support their families, know ancient martial arts. And by participating in this kind of tournament, one has the chance to enter the advanced area. Secondly, fighting against experts, you can train yourself and improve your abilities, that’s a rare opportunity. And last but not least, the most attractive point, while participating in the tournament, the prey you get in the Western Mountain Area will go to the participants themselves to own. That precious land is only open to the public during the tournament, because that mountain belongs to the royal family.”

Li Jay continued with great enthusiasm, “There are energy stones from Level 1 to Level 4 there, and if you are lucky, you can even get a Level 5 energy stone. You know, getting one is a treasure. Only a grade five energy stone is most suitable for energy swords. I’ve long wanted one of those swords, which are flexible and powerful.”

Luo XiaoLou’s eyes also lit up. While he wasn’t able to help in the competition, helping Yuan Xi get an energy sword was still possible.

The four of them went to the field, and again, those three went to the secondary area to start hunting. Luo XiaoLou had just taken out the day’s practice materials when the person who had asked him to upgrade his weapon yesterday arrived.

In fact, the two of them had been waiting at the entrance since early in the morning, afraid of the delay, and were in the process of killing Level 2 guardian beasts. The two of them first took out the materials they had prepared, which were all the ones they had gathered while hunting. Some were even the corpses of guardian beasts that had been treated.

Luo XiaoLou looked at them twice. He didn’t know much about the materials here and didn’t have any criteria for selecting them. In the end, he simply used the Source of Consciousness power to inspect the entire pile of materials on one side, picking out the ones with good textures.

During the selection process, Luo XiaoLou was surprised to find that there were actually materials that carried the gray energy he had seen, as well as other colors of energy, perhaps due to the influence of the energy stones here or the special environment.

Luo XiaoLou immediately changed his strategy to pick materials that carried energy.

The two brothers looked at each other and asked in surprise, “Are you planning to make an energy sword? How did you pick all the raw materials for an energy sword?”

Luo XiaoLou was dumbfounded, then he laughed, “Yes, I have plans to do that.” It was sort of a surprise. It seemed he could learn how to make an energy sword.

Seeing no more materials with energy, Luo XiaoLou began to upgrade the weapons for the two brothers. One was a sword and the other was a saber. Then the brothers took out their corresponding energy stones for their weapons.

At this time, there were quite a few people around again. After all, there were not many chances to meet a Weapon Repairer in the wilderness, and all warriors loved to see weapons upgraded.

Luo XiaoLou, in order to figure out the structure of the energy swords, used Spiritual Power to probe the two weapons before fusing the energy stones. After a long time, he looked at the two energy stones again.

“What? Can’t you upgrade?” The eldest of the two brothers asked worriedly. They couldn’t afford to buy good quality weapons and energy stones. And the energy stones they bought cheaply were extremely weak every time they asked District C’s repairmen to install them. The two of them couldn’t afford the advanced District C’s weapon repairmen, so they had to take a chance and come to Luo XiaoLou.

“No.” Luo XiaoLou quickly shook his head and looked at the relieved brothers, the corners of his mouth curled up and said, “I just found out that your energy stones should be swapped with each other, so that the effect might be better.” The material of the swords themselves were opposite to the properties of the energy stones, and he didn’t know how the two of them chose them.

“Huh?” The two brothers were stunned, and the eldest brother said quickly, “Little Master, just fix them. We brothers don’t really know much about this.”

Luo XiaoLou saw no objection from them and began to handle the weapon with no distractions. The last time he upgraded, he found that the Source of Consciousness power upgrade worked better.

This time, he hesitated and gave the older brother a Source of Consciousness Power upgrade, while giving the younger brother two power upgrades, the first with Spiritual Power and then using Source of Consciousness Power again.

The effect on the sword was very obvious, almost with a bang, the energy flames spread out, although not as energetic as the two men’s weapons from yesterday, since the energy stones and weapon quality were different, but it was already very good to reach this level.

The older brother was pleasantly surprised, because the energy flame used to be very small, and he almost thought he had bought the shop’s clearance substandard – although at that price you could only buy clearance items.

The younger brother saw his brother’s sword and rubbed his hands, but stood by honestly, not pressuring Luo XiaoLou.

There was good-natured laughter and applause from the people around when the younger brother’s sword emitted an even prettier light. There was no one who didn’t like the moment when the energy flames were drawn out, just like gambling stones to open up beautiful jade.

Luo XiaoLou wasn’t paying attention to the crowd. He was comparing the two weapons. The energy flames seemed to be of similar strength, though maybe a bit more intense with the Source of Consciousness force entirely.

However, his brother’s weapon, the one that was half Spiritual Power and half Source of Consciousness Power, had a much more beautiful and bright flame. Hmm, did it change the attributes?

Luo XiaoLou asked the two brothers to come back in a day to talk about the effects of the two weapons, and he would take care of one repair for free.

The two of them immediately agreed. In fact, they were already smiling from ear to ear. The materials Luo XiaoLou charged them weren’t much. Although they hadn’t experienced the handiwork of an Advanced Weapon Repairer, they felt that the results couldn’t be any better. They were satisfied!

When the people around saw the transaction between the two brothers and Luo XiaoLou, they couldn’t help but reveal thoughtful expressions, and began to think about their own weapons and the materials they had in reserve.

There were some who even came over to Luo XiaoLou right away. Of course, there were people who paid with energy stones.

On this day, Luo XiaoLou barely had time to do his own practice. But he felt there was little need for it anymore, as he was forced to use his Spiritual Power and Source of Consciousness power through the day. Whether it was picking materials or upgrading weapons, this was necessary.

Behind Luo XiaoLou, however, there were already many materials on display. Since there didn’t seem to be any space to store them here, Luo XiaoLou asked 125 to restrain some of them and not to move those materials.

When Luo XiaoLou’s last customer left with satisfaction, he planned to put away the materials.

A clear voice suddenly said, “Hey, even if you plan to make energy swords, you can’t sell them without a Weapon Management Authorization.”

Luo XiaoLou raised his eyes. A tall, thin, clear young man was standing in front of him, and if he remembered correctly, this person had been watching for a long time.

“No, I don’t mean to sell.” Luo XiaoLou said. He did want to make an energy sword, but even if he didn’t sell it, he could still give it away. It was for Yuan Xi anyway, and he would need some materials to practice with before he could become skilled at it.

That young man’s face turned cold, he grunted and went outside. After taking two steps, he couldn’t help but come back and asked, “You, how do you and Ling Xiao know each other?”

Luo XiaoLou thought of the scene where Ling Xiao saved their lives, that’s not easy to tell…

“Hey, Luo XiaoLou, we’re back, we got a good harvest today, especially Brother Yuan-” Li Jay’s voice came from far away.

Yuan Xi squinted at the young man who was staring at Luo XiaoLou intently, his face a little cold.

“That’s great! Come and help me with my things.” Luo XiaoLou warmly greeted the strong laborer who came over.

As they quickly packed up his things, Luo XiaoLou took a look at the young man who refused to leave and said, “I don’t really know him. I just helped him repair his weapon once.”

The young man was still raging, “Even if you’re friends, you should find someone with the right status.”

The people around Luo XiaoLou were stunned as Yuan Xi pulled Luo XiaoLou around and left.

On his way out of the cave, Yuan Xi handed six Level 2 Energy Stones to Luo XiaoLou. Luo XiaoLou accepted them with a smile, and then looked up at Yuan Xi twice more. He didn’t want to take his eyes back.

Yuan Xi looked at him with downcast eyes, and then pulled Luo XiaoLou over to him and kissed him, gently and passionately.

Li Jay and Xiao Qiao secretly smiled as they followed, while the young man behind them widened his eyes in surprise.

When the four entered the city, Li Jay handed Yuan Xi a picture of the creator god that he had been sent to bring over.

 

Yuan Xi and Luo XiaoLou immediately opened it and looked at it, and both of them were shocked.