·Push from Qiluo app·
(つд)The teachings of the Holy Scriptures are also conveyed to you today.
The weak fight for survival.
The strong fight for what they believe in.
Meditate before holding your weapon.
Remember why you choose to fight.
·
As night approached, the Morning Star sailed past the border of the Cold Steel State.
A blizzard roared by at night, and bits of flying snow disturbed people's vision. Looking around, the snowfield stretched like a white sea, occasionally dotted with silver-covered rocks and forests. The goose-feather heavy snow pressed down gloomily, and soon the ship was wrapped in a coat of the same color as the environment.
Rei Shigure shivered as soon as he went out: "Hey, it's so cold!"
It's really cold here. The temperature at the border has dropped to minus 10 degrees. If you throw water out, it will condense into ice mist in the air. Further down is the bitter cold land in the north where the temperature is below minus 40 degrees all year round. It takes literal courage to step out of the house there, because if you are not fully prepared, people will freeze in the snow. Miss Shigure, who was wearing sandals and shorts, clearly underestimated the temperature in the north. Her lips couldn't stop trembling, and her toes were all red from the cold.
Seeing this, Gongsun Ce quickly opened his clothes and said, "Come here quickly to warm yourself up."
Shigurei swooped into his arms, pressed against the warm body and refused to let go: "Oh my god, how do people in this place usually live?"
Gongsun Ce wrapped his girlfriend in his coat, and Qiluo on the side explained it thoughtfully. She had prepared a big cotton-padded jacket and cotton trousers in advance to wrap herself up like a fur ball.
"The uniqueness of the Cold Steel State lies in its metals. All local metals will normally lower the surrounding temperature. The Cold Steel State is located in the extremely cold Northland and is naturally rich in metal mineral resources. Both parties The action has created this ice sheet that never melts. It is said that the northernmost side of this land is a dead zone where humans cannot move. People who just take a few steps there will die suddenly due to hypothermia."
Shigure Rei couldn't help but shiver: "Hey, this is a metal ship, isn't it? Then won't we be frozen by the ship later?"
"The Venus is equipped with a protective force field, so it's no problem~" Qiluo said, "Only now do I realize how convenient it is to practice the Heaven Returning Technique..."
Alandia and Qin Qianbai stood side by side in the front. Miss Knight only added a small coat to her summer dress, while the eldest lady simply wore her usual shirt and long skirt. The two ladies looked brave and cool in the cold wind, making the three less skilled people deeply envious.
"Da da da... Aren't you cold, little girl?"
"She feels cold but does not actually get hurt. According to her, she has such a wonderful physique."
Gongsun Ce saw that the girl in his arms was freezing badly, so he hurried back to the warm cabin first. As soon as he returned indoors, Shi Yuling immediately became energetic, like a snake that had been frozen into a popsicle returning to its warm nest. She immediately occupied the couch and cushions, and then put her feet into Gongsun Ce's arms to keep them warm. Gongsun Ce helped her rub the soles of her feet, which were almost frozen, and the huntress made a comfortable hum.
"That's great, that's great... let's stop talking and find a warm place to hibernate..."
"You are still hibernating. You have already integrated well into the identity of a cold-blooded animal. All you have to do is find a shell and buckle to become a turtle." Gongsun Ce handed her a white blanket, "Isn't the champion a person who loves to enjoy himself? That kind of thing How could anyone set up their base camp in a miserable place like the Cold Steel State?"
"Because the Cold Steel State is the holy land for all warriors in the Northern Continent. Many well-known 'masters' in history have practiced here." Qin Qianbai came in and said, "There are frozen soils that are lifeless and there are cold mountains that have been frozen for thousands of years. , there is steel that can make weapons more effective by adding a little. The Cold Steel Arena is built underground in that city, and people who are hungry for fame and wealth come to fight one after another, just to win the name of the only 'champion'."
Gongsun Ce raised his eyebrows: "Champion is a title passed down from generation to generation?"
"The person who can win to the end in the Cold Steel Arena is the champion of Hezhong." Qin Qianbai nodded, "The champion of this generation is named Valens. He wears a mask all year round and no one knows his true identity. He was United's champion thirty years ago and remains so today."
That was such a long time. Thirty years ago, no one on this ship was born, superpowers did not yet exist, the global situation was at its most tense, and the cold smell of gunpowder smoke filled the world. At that time, there were frequent conflicts between the Empire and the United States over border issues. What were called small-scale frictions but were actually local wars, exchanges of fire broke out one after another. The entire Albenos Mountains became a battlefield for both sides. Everyone believes that war is bound to come, and if they want to avoid being killed, they must first win the victory.
Gongsun Ce had not personally experienced that era, but he could smell the extreme and madness of the past from the behavior of his elders and from the wartime plans of Shigure, Chikou, the Knights of the Holy Sword, etc. He originally thought that the champion was the uncle who had a close relationship with Qin Ming, but if Valens had been the champion thirty years ago, then he would be a middle-aged or even old man. Such people are still active on the front line of making troubles. They are really energetic. Perhaps this is a common characteristic of warriors.
"The peace date agreed by Gaius is still six days away. Logically speaking, we have plenty of time." Gongsun Ce scratched his head, "If you want to fight in the arena, just go. Don't worry about messy issues like leaking information. I will help you." Carry it around."
Qin Qianbai nodded happily: "Yes."
She happily ran out of the bridge to find winter clothes for herself. Gongsun Ce was thinking about whether he should make a special dueling uniform for his girl. When he lowered his head, he saw Ling's toes tapping his hand.
"What's wrong, Zero?"
"Are you saying that these martial arts practitioners have no brains?" Shigure Rei didn't understand. "They traveled all the way to this place to fight, so what if they can win a few games? Don't talk about the passionate passers-by. A, B, C and D, even if it were a little girl, she would definitely not be able to beat the champion, so wouldn’t that mean going all the way to get beaten?”
Gongsun Ce remembered Ninja Lei Ming's words and thought deeply: "There are always some people who don't know how high the sky is, while others want to see with their own eyes how high the sky is."
Rei Shigure raised his eyebrows: "Can you get there just by looking at it?"
"100 out of 100 people can't reach it. After seeing the gap, they may not be able to fly happily at the bottom. But for them, there is a difference between seeing it and not seeing it."
The wind and snow outside the window drowned out the moonlit night, and no human fire could be seen. The Morning Star flew in the silent night for a long time, until a wisp of white smoke drifted through the window.
"Look below!" Qiluo exclaimed.
The crew members walked to the windows one after another, and clearly visible lights, fire and smoke emerged from the endless monotonous snowfield. The thick white mist rising straight into the sky reminded Gongsun Ce of the hot springs in the middle of Ling Island. It was not just a mere pool of underground spring water that could bring heat. It was a flame, an orange-red color that was still trembling in the cold wind. The fire circled the snow, melting the ice and snow to create a city wall of steam. Behind the city wall, a rigid urban outline emerges. It is a steel city standing in the polar regions!
The surface of the steel-cast iron houses reflects the light of the sky. So much golden light flows on the outside of the building, like a long golden dragon circling in the snow. Outside the steel city, there is a silver pathway extending like a spider web. People holding torches walk on the steel. Although they are in the polar region, they are wearing thin clothes. Gongsun Ce was deeply surprised when he saw this: "Isn't it said that local steel will cause extreme cold?"
"The metal in the Cold Steel State has another characteristic." The Dawn Knight replied. "When the metal is located in a place where living creatures live, it will emit weak heat on its own. The local ancestors discovered that hitting the metal with their bodies can Its heating efficiency is greatly improved, so they have been beating cold steel for many years to make it a life-protecting heat source."
"It's really Hezhong style..."
Gongsun Ce looked at the Steel City in the snow and thought about the history thousands of years ago. Soldiers of the past braved the wind and snow to go to the polar regions to mine cold steel for building their homes. The path they took melted the ice and snow, and their boiling blood built a city of steel that would never dim.
This is Burning Steel City, the capital of the Cold Steel State, the hottest city in the North.
·
"Gongsun Ce, our winter clothes are in vain."
"Who would have thought that Burning Steel City would be so hot..."
The group of people who stepped off the airship grabbed small fans and kept fanning themselves. It was as warm as a room with floor heating in Burning Steel City. The city is brightly lit, and most of the residents on the road have resolute faces and strong bodies. Qiluo, who is 1.6 meters tall, looks like a dwarf in an environment full of macho men.
Gongsun Ce was flipping through local information on his mobile phone. After looking at it for a long time, he couldn't figure out why: "Is this the territory of the Siyuan family or the territory of the church?"
"The State of Cold Steel is a neutral zone." The Dawn Knight told him, "The local totem is governed by the Cold Steel Colosseum, so the management power has changed hands several times in history, and no one has been able to stabilize the power."
"Well it's still very ecumenical, but what about the local political leanings?"
"Gaius Optimis has extremely high local support."
This is a strange thing. Compared with Gaius's ideas of advocating advanced ideas and being touted by young people, the church's wildness and teachings are logically more in line with the temperament of this place. Gongsun Ce was interested in further discussion: "Why?"
"Because both Gaius Optimis and Klein Ayman were soldiers who participated in border conflicts. They have established military merits and been awarded medals. They are war heroes in the eyes of people. Many officers are from the North. This is the base camp of the radicals... I guess you have thought of this, after all, you are so smart, Mr. Demon."
The voice interjecting from the side sounded familiar to Gongsun Zhizhi. He turned around and saw a blond young man leaning next to the vending machine, holding a large iced Coke in one hand.
Gongsun Ce thought about it for a while before remembering the identity of this person: "Ed Folies? The equipment director of Optical Nuclear Force?"
This man was the superpower he fought against back then, a former team member of Orus. He seems to have grown up a lot now. He is wearing a casual shirt and medium trousers instead of the pretentious white coat.
Ed took a sip of Coke: "Oh my god, you really remember me. No wonder you are popular. Don't be nervous, it was just a chance encounter. Whoever wants to provoke you will not have to be a pioneer like me."
Gongsun Ce pushed up his glasses: "You left the Capital of the Sky. Did Aurus make any arrangements beforehand?"
"Are you really able to read minds?" Ed shrugged, "Let me guess, the eldest lady of the Qin family looks very interested, I guess you are going to the casino."
"You guessed it wrong, the destination is the Cold Steel Arena."
"That's the casino." Ed threw away the finished Coke bottle, "Do you want me to lead the way? You should apologize for four years ago."
·
The Dawn Knight took the girls to find a place to stay. Gongsun Ce and Qin Qianbai went with Ed to explore the way first. He led the two of them to an open-air parking lot. The open space in the parking lot was surrounded by circles of temporarily moved wires. Many young people poked their heads out of the car and shouted loudly, like an alternative drive-in theater. The bright car lights illuminated the figures walking around in the open space. A dark-skinned, bald, muscular man was boxing with a man with a prosthetic body. The prosthetic man hit the muscular man on the chin with an uppercut. After knocking down his opponent, he raised his arms and shouted.
"Okay!" "Stand up!" "Who told you not to use a prosthetic body?!" "Get out of here with your dead muscles!"
"10! 9! 8!" The robot referee counted down loudly. The muscular man wiped the blood and stood up, jumped like a cornered beast, threw the prosthetic man to the ground, and beat the enemy's face almost crazily. The bloodthirsty screams of the audience became louder and louder, and Ed led the two of them through the vehicle.
"Mr. Ed, is this black boxing?" Qin Qianbai asked.
"It can be regarded as a private amateur competition. Many people start here if they can't find a way out, hoping that after they stand out, they will be noticed by the people below and lead them into the main competition. You don't need to waste your time here, just follow me." Ed said. , "Also, please don't call me sir, I'm more than a year younger than you."
Gongsun Ce raised his eyebrows: "Good fellow, you were only in the second grade of junior high school when you fought with me?"
Ed smiled bitterly: "You have to do the stupidest things at your age. The oldest among us at that time were Aurus and Kreya, who were in their second year of high school..."
"No, Orus is the same age as me. He skipped a grade and entered high school early in order to establish himself as a good senior among young people."
The eldest lady snickered softly, and Ed slapped his forehead hard: "Thank you so much. Now I understand better how stupid he was back then."
Far away from the amateur ring, there was an open bar with a shiny neon sign. Vulgar programs were played on a holographic projection floating in the air. The loud rock music made people's ears buzz. The patrons in the bar wear colorful hair and dress up like the bosozokus of Zero Island. A burly man with dyed red hair was chatting up a cold female bartender at the bar, and his eyes lit up when he saw Ed coming.
"Good guy, Ed! The Cyclops plug-in last time was really powerful. What other goodies have you brought to your buddy?"
"Nothing new, Morimoto. I'm here to ask you for a spot this time." Ed waved, "There are experts who want to go to the casino, super experts."
"What the hell, are you bragging so much? Look what you brought..."
Morimoto followed Ed's gesture and hesitated for a moment on Gongsun Ce's face, then slowly lowered his head and looked at the black-haired girl. She quietly held the arm of the gray-haired young man, like a well-behaved doll.
All the men and women in the bar looked at this girl. Morimoto spoke on behalf of everyone: "...Seriously?"
The doll-like girl nodded.
The roar of laughter in the bar momentarily overshadowed the music, and even the cold female bartender covered her lips. The gangsters hammered the tables and the bar with their hands and laughed until they were out of breath. Morimoto laughed and asked: "What the hell is this new type of abduction method?!"
Ed's expression remained normal: "She is the same person as me."
Morimoto stopped laughing immediately, and cautiously stepped back: "I can give a peripheral spot to people with super powers."
"The peripheral game is the most basic gambling game. Only by making a name for yourself can you enter the main game. Only the best players in the main game are qualified to enter the higher-level arena." Ed turned around and explained, "Which one do you want to play?"
"The most advanced." Qin Qianbai said.
Ed smiled: "She wants to fight without limits."
The laughter in the bar turned into roars of annoyance, and the gangsters stood up as if insulted. Morimoto casually picked up a beer bottle and pointed the bottom of the bottle at the girl's head threateningly: "Why do you?"
Qin Qianbai stretched out his fingers, half-circled the bottom of the beer bottle with his thumb and index finger, and twisted it gently. The thick bottom of the wine bottle was "screwed" down silently, as easily as twisting off the cap of a beverage bottle. She placed the bottom of the bottle on the bar, the cut smooth as if she had used a water jet.
Morimoto's Adam's apple moved. He stared at the foundation for a long time without saying a word. A curious ruffian came over and grabbed the bottom of the bottle and said excitedly: "I'm so awesome at this! What model is it?"
Morimoto squeezed out the words through his teeth: "She didn't use a prosthetic body."
The ruffian's hand trembled, and the bottom of the bottle fell to the ground with a clang. The sound of swallowing could be heard from time to time, and everyone's eyes were filled with fire.
Morimoto had fought in a casino before, and he knew what it was like for the masters to fight. With the support of prosthetic bodies, weapons and impermanent laws, people's combat effectiveness has been greatly improved. People who can smash big holes are everywhere on the ground. Breaking buildings is no longer an outstanding performance. As long as they are willing to spend money and work hard, they can destroy There is no limit to the limit of power. But those who are truly powerful have their own "skills". They control power so well that they don't need to use destruction to show their strength.
Even if a well-known old man in the casino could guarantee that it would be possible to screw the bottom of a bottle, this girl could do it as easily as screwing the bottle cap!
Morimoto stood up from the bar and moved his shoulders. He was going to do the final test.
"I have an unlimited quota on hand." He said in a low voice, "I will give it to you if you win!"
There was no unnecessary nonsense. When he spoke, the man's giant fist had already hit Qin Qianbai's face. The girl took a step to the right to dodge, and Morimoto's attack came like a violent storm. The turbulent wind of fists knocked over the round table in the bar, and the sound of breaking wine bottles was heard one after another.
Morimoto had thrown hundreds of punches in three seconds. He showed his true ability and hit a speed that was comparable to that of his peak period. But none of the punches hit him. The more Morimoto attacked, the more frightened he became. The girl seemed to be just avoiding her, but in reality it was him who was really retreating. Every step she took was in a position that could kill her with one strike. Morimoto had to fly back to save his life!
Suddenly, the fist wind suddenly stopped, Morimoto's fist stopped in the air, and his fist bone was pressed against an index finger. Sweat poured down the man's face. Qin Qianbai retracted his fingers and spoke calmly.
"You started practicing Valpus fighting skills, and later switched to the wrestling skills of the natives of the Nanyang Islands and the kicking skills of Fuhumen in Cangwu Province. You have serious old injuries on your waist and legs that have not healed yet, so you had to quit. The front line is now behind the scenes.”
Morimoto forced a smile: "Master, you are mistaken. My injury has been healed long ago."
"You still dare not turn around quickly, and your right leg is still blocked when moving. This is a heart injury." Qin Qianbai said, "If the physical injury is healed and the heart injury is not treated, it is not healed."
Morimoto's eyes widened. He sat back at the bar and drank a large glass of wine to calm down his shock.
"You are a super master." Morimoto said, "The quota is yours! As long as it's your spot, I'll bet all my money on you!"
The bar erupted in cheers from the gangsters, and Mu Qiang's men shouted excitedly. Qin Qianbai thanked him and turned to leave, leaving Ed to clean up his hands. Gongsun Ce touched her head and asked, "How can you still see the sadness?"
The girl raised her face and said proudly: "Because I am a super expert."
(End of chapter)
