This is not how you drive a machine!

Chapter 278 Pandora’s Box

PS: In the previous chapter, I was confused and made a mistake in the setting code. It should have been a three-phase integrated stamp, not a cascading talent. It has now been corrected.

……

From a drone's perspective, the Hot Wheels racetrack resembles a winding, coiling dragon stretching across Kyoto.

As the camera zooms in, beneath the [14] on the track signal light, the dust and smoke from the sword light and the breeze dissipate, revealing two mecha girls safely parked on the track.

"Both sides actually fought to the point of exhaustion!"

"This is an extremely rare scene in the entire history of mecha girl racing!"

The engine noise gradually subsided, and the stands fell silent.

As the smoke and dust below thinned out, all the players in the Cainan region felt as if a death star was flashing above the S-series.

Although it was still very hot, Leng Xingyun felt goosebumps all over his body.

It’s cold!

Just now, Ye Qing and Jian Xue's firepower output almost overwhelmed their entire team, but Zhou Yun still managed to hold out for nearly a kilometer until both sides were exhausted.

There are technical solutions, but the fear stemming from his personal limitations is slowly crushing his nerves.

Recalling Zhou Yun's series of drifts and dodges on the track just now, his right eyelid twitched like an egg beater.

"They actually managed to kill both of them..."

Three seconds passed, and Jianxue was the first to regain power, quickly rushing into the repair bay of the light wheel. The staff immediately launched an emergency repair.

The lap number on the track signal lights has also changed to [15].

As soon as the traffic light changed, Thor's engine roared to life, and puffs of white smoke began to rise from the rear wheels.

Watching Zhou Yun build up his speed and launch himself into the air, Leng Xingyun's right eyelid twitched even more violently.

Yup!

So what if the engine stalls? Zhou Yun still has launch control!
He lowered his head, sighed, and patted Peng Hui on the shoulder.

Before he could even speak, Peng Hui slapped his hand away.

"If you dare say again that Zhou Yun is mine... I'll beat you with my fists the size of sandbags!"

Feeling embarrassed that his intentions had been seen through, Leng Xingyun lowered his hand.

"What I mean is, let's forget about strategy and just go find Zhou Yun to learn drifting. You go and take care of the women's clothes, and I'll take care of the mecha girl underwear..."

"..."

Peng Hui stared at Leng Xingyun speechlessly for a long time, wondering if Captain Number 1 had been beaten senseless.

"That's enough! I'll take care of the mecha girl underwear! You go and wear women's clothes..."

Listening to the two drivers in the front row who were completely bewildered by Zhou Yun, Liu Lingling coughed several times, speechless.

"Cough cough!"

"Leng Xingyun, don't come into my room lately... No, is it really necessary?"

"Doesn't this precisely illustrate the fatal weakness of drifting?"

With a thunderous roar from the track, Thor shot off like a cannonball, leaving only a faint rumble in its wake.

On the maintenance rack of the light wheel, Jianxue's engine roared as it sped out at the maintenance lane's maximum speed.

Hearing the engines of the two mecha girls that set off at the same time, Leng Xingyun turned his head to the side.

Sometimes, those involved are blinded, while bystanders see things clearly; he only noticed something so obvious at this moment.

"Manager Liu, you mean..."

Manager Liu looked up at the racetrack.

"Skill bombardment is still very effective. Wasn't Zhou Yun forced to stop?"

"Just now, Ye Qing used a lot of skills without any build-up in order to buy time at the repair station, and now, all he needs is one effective attack..."

Listening to Manager Liu's description, the drivers of the Yunnan-Yunnan Racing Team recalled the scene on the 12th lap.

The scene where Ye Qing sliced ​​through five car bodies with a single sword strike to overtake the vehicle.

Leng Xingyun's eyes suddenly lit up.

By utilizing pit stop strategies and coordinating with the team, they dragged the race into the very late stages...

Just like Ye Qing, he reversed the situation and seized the trump card that would guarantee victory.

"That's right, one effective strike is enough to completely eliminate Zhou Yun's advantage!"

As the engines roared on the track, Ning Yuan's voice rang out over the loudspeaker.

"Although Zhou Yun's catapult start gave Thor a speed advantage, it did not shake off Ye Qing."

"After Ye Qing used the [Dan Huo] to reverse the situation and convert the excess cooldown reduction into a speed advantage, Jian Xue gradually caught up with Zhou Yun's speed after leaving the repair station..."

"Right now, the two are less than four car lengths apart. Can Zhou Yun successfully shake off Ye Qing before the end of the race?"

In the audience of the Light-Year Project, Sun Chengcheng put down her binoculars, her brows slightly furrowed.

"With five laps left, Ye Qing will have enough time to create another absolute opportunity to strike."

"And given the distance now..."

Hearing Sun Chengcheng's words, Han Yu lowered his head, knowing that the slashing attack at turn 4 was about to happen again.

If Zhou Yun is hit again, not only will this race be lost... but all drift racers will be dragged into the mire.

His chance to win the World Championship is also going to be dashed...

Ning Yuan's voice rang out again.

"At Turn 1, Ye Qing chose to launch a slash attack. Although he failed to hit Zhou Yun, he disrupted Zhou Yun's movement."

"It seems the absolute slash at the No. 4 compound bend will be repeated!"

After glancing at the trajectory of both players on the big screen, Han Yu blinked and suddenly came up with a way to escape Ye Ge's slash.

"Coach Sun, why don't you make some canned orange juice and send it to the boss right now?"

"Will each member of the management team also receive a can?"

If the boss and management are all drunk and unconscious at this point, wouldn't they be unable to see the outcome of the game?

Ning Yuan's voice rang out again.

"Zhou Yun has already entered turn 3 ahead of schedule, and Ye Qing's sword aura has accumulated to level 6..."

The crisp sound of swords echoed across the track, shaking up the spiritual pressure powder and rubber particles on it.

Feeling the wind whistling past below, Thor's body swayed and trembled.

The continuous stimulation from the sword light and the drifting motion had left her brain still reeling; her eyes were darting around, and her speech was slurred.

"Zhou, Zhou Yun, watch out, ahead..."

"Why don't you take a break first? I know, it's turn number 4!"

He quickly pulled the handbrake on Thor and sped into the corner, adjusting the settings on the Heart Pact while the Heart Pact warning before Thor's engine stalled kept echoing in his mind.

Spiritual pressure, engine transformation, print kinetic energy stabilization system, vehicle body phantom, vehicle body print, three-in-one...

A voice from the depths of his being told him that the best defense against drifting was not the constantly refreshing car body phantoms, but the coordination of this complex system.

On the "Three-in-One" print, there is a Pandora's box waiting for him to open.

As he pondered, all the intense competition of the previous 15 laps flooded his mind in an instant, making his breathing gradually quicken.

This was the first time he had encountered such an opponent since he came into this world.

Just like the male protagonist in a shonen manga, he's impossible to kill no matter what you do, and if you're not careful, you'll get a bite taken out of you, making your scalp tingle.

Time and time again...

Looking at Jianxue, who was eager to try, in the rearview mirror, he turned on the Bluetooth channel.

"Feng, based on what I just said, I'm going to try it for the first time."

A moment later, Feng's voice came through the earphones.

“Zhou Yun, your idea is too radical. I have to remind you that rashly severing your innate spirit is far too risky…”

Zhou Yun laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't let the Thor engine shut down again."

"Zhou Yun..."

Manager Ye interrupted Feng's anxious voice.

"There's still a chance, so let Zhou Yun give it a try."

[Exclusive skill [Boundary-Breaking Wind] is ready...]

A gust of wind swept across the entire track, and Thor, carrying thunder, burst out of Turn 3.

In the center of the race group, Jiang Wuyang stood up, lit another cigarette, and stared intently at the track through the smoke.

Will this match really end up with the public opinion that 'drifting style is inferior to system style'?

[Wu Yang, given the current situation...]

Looking at the message Lin Qinglei sent on his phone, Jiang Wuyang pondered the future of the racing industry and took a deep drag on his cigarette.

【Qinglei, victory is never certain until the very last moment, so rest assured】

Before long, Ning Yuan's voice echoed once again in the audience.

"The strike hit!"

"Ye Qing has once again replicated the scene from the third lap, and has once again struck Zhou Yun!"

"Under the terrifying four-second continuous barrage of sword light from the Sword Snow, Thor's vehicle shattered once again... As the engine speed decreased, Zhou Yun's speed was severely slowed down!"

"With this sword strike, Zhou Yun was cut off a distance of one and a half car lengths, and now the two are less than 10 meters apart!"

"Ye Qing did not press his advantage, but began to gather his strength again, seemingly intending to use 'One Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate' on Zhou Yun once more..."

Bathed in Thor's wake, Jian Xue immediately felt a significant reduction in air resistance ahead.

This made her let out a satisfied snort.

"Cough cough!"

"The air smells like ionization... Holy crap! That mecha girl over there is drafty underneath!"

"Ye Qing, do you want the skill enhancement zone... Ye Qing?"

Looking at the Thor taillights that were moving like a red line ahead, Ye Qing's nerves, which had been stretched to the limit, relaxed slightly.

At this moment, he began to breathe heavily, like a baby who had just learned to breathe.

This was the first time he had encountered such an opponent.

Like an executioner, they hold a knife to your throat from the very beginning of the game; the slightest mistake will lead to utter defeat.

Time and again, it made him feel like a certain swift swordsman.

Death is like the wind, always by my side.

After going through so many rounds, he finally made it through!
All the slashes from the first 15 laps buzzed in his mind, turning into a smile on his lips.

Instead of adjusting his breathing and mindset, he took a long, unrestrained breath before answering Jianxue.

As Sun Tzu's Art of War states in the chapter on military strategy, "The momentum of a skilled warrior is like rolling a round stone down a thousand-foot mountain."

"We'll maintain our distance and build up our momentum so that he has nowhere to stop us."

"After the 18th turn, at the 11th turn... a single strike will decide the outcome."

A gust of wind blew, causing the flags of the Yunyi racing team to flutter.

Below the flag, Manager Ye took off his headset and looked at the drone's camera.

"Failed?"

Feng looked at the dense data symbols on the monitor, grabbed Thor's architectural blueprints, and shook his head.

"It's a little bit successful."

"We did manage to reduce the drop in engine speed and maintain the dynamics of the front of the car, but... it's still not enough. We'll need to check the parameters to determine the specific adjustments needed..."

Zhou Yun did indeed come up with a very creative idea.

The [Car Body Phantom] was originally designed to counteract the excessive spiritual pressure before Thor's drift; the refresh of the Phantom is an additional effect.

But now, the Phantom's defensive effect has been compromised, and it even has side effects.

Instead of doing that, it would be better to change the form of attack, focusing all efforts on protecting the interior of Thor and using excessive spiritual pressure to resist Ye Qing's skill, but...

Hearing this, Qingluan couldn't help but rub her head in frustration. "Where is there time for testing on this track?!"

"With so many output ports in the cascading fire system, where should we send the spiritual pressure to make it effective?"

"We can't go back..."

Upon hearing this, Feng raised an eyebrow, picked up a pen, and began to work out calculations on Thor's architecture diagram.

Manager Ye stood up and turned to look in the direction of the light wheel.

At that moment, Chen Shuo sat on the edge of the repair workshop, hidden in the shadow of the light wheel flag, holding a coffee cup, looking at him, and waving hello.

The wind gradually muffled the roaring sounds from the stands, and as his clothes billowed, Manager Ye took a deep breath.

In the current situation, Zhou Yun is accelerating his control of the pace, heading towards the final sword strike.

If you don't speed up, you'll fall directly into Ye Qing's match and lose.

There's nowhere left to hide.

With the track entering its final five laps, given the speed and skill of both competitors, escaping Ye Qing's skill range was no longer an option, meaning this sword strike was inevitable.

The narrator's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"After entering the boost zone, Thor's tires have also worn to their limit. Zhou Yun has started a drift, and his speed is increasing further..."

"But with the activation of drift, the interference of Ye Qing's slash also increases, because the speed loss during drift is greater..."

"At the roundabout, Ye Qing once again interfered with Zhou Yun's route, and now the distance between the two cars is about two car lengths..."

The restless wind blew stronger and stronger, bringing a sense of peace to the audience.

The intensity of the battles on the track gradually decreased, but unlike the quiet period in the middle of the race, the spectators in the stands were all on high alert.

The final battle is about to begin.

"The race is now on lap 16!"

"Zhou Yun crossed the finish line first, achieving a time of 1 minute and 18 seconds, followed closely by Ye Qing, who crossed the finish line in 1 minute and 19 seconds, with a difference of less than 1 second between them!"

"The competition between the two sides is becoming increasingly intense..."

Online, with the increasing number of professional drivers joining, viewers across the internet are gradually coming to understand the competition.

At this rate, Ye Qing's sword is bound to hit its mark...

Even with the modified stickers from Jiuyuan Company, the drift-style build still struggles to withstand burst-damage skill-based builds...

Yes, disrupting a drift isn't just about engine speed, braking point, G-force, or the car's orientation...

[Ye Qing of the Light Wheel truly gave everyone a real tutorial on how to counter drifting...]

Seeing the growing number of voices online, Thanos-level commentator Ning Yuan felt a splitting headache.

Although he gained a deeper understanding of what 'track rhythm' was all about.

But in this situation, how can he reverse public opinion?
As commentator number 0001, he came on stage with a mission!

"Zhou Yun's drifting maneuver showcased the absolute performance of the new type of stamping brake! So far, the brake disc wear is only 12.1%..."

"And the selection of prints is even more diverse..."

[Commentator, everyone's focused on the game, can you please shut up?]

Ning Yuan's face turned green upon seeing this comment.

The wind carries the clouds across mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, sweeping over cities and wilderness, and finally slowly approaches the Wind and Fire Wheel racetrack.

Amidst a mix of fear and pleasure, Thor trembled as she crossed the end of the track, feeling the faint glint of sword light behind her, her hair standing on end with tension.

The opponent is the national champion mecha girl, can we win...?

As the synchronization rate increased, Zhou Yun's voice grew stronger and stronger in her mental ocean.

There was a girl in the village named Xiao Fang! She was beautiful and kind! ...

Like Tengger singing throat singing, his voice, brimming with rock and roll and the flavor of the grasslands, invigorated Thor's spirits, and her fear gradually dissipated.

"Zhou Yun, you're right, I'm a born mecha girl, I'm going to win!"

"I shouldn't have been timid."

Zhou Yun decisively released the steering wheel: "Okay, then you take over the steering."

After he finished speaking, the question marks that filled his mental link eased his tense emotions considerably, and then he opened the team channel.

"Feng, how exactly should we adjust it?"

After a while, Feng's slightly anxious voice came through.

"I'm still thinking about the calculations... No, that's not right..."

“Zhou Yun, Thor doesn’t have a base. Under the Phantom Spirit Mechanism, excessive spiritual pressure will still blow Thor up…”

Ningyuan's announcement came over the loudspeaker.

"The race has now reached lap 17, and Zhou Yun is still leading the way..."

In the private box of the head coaches of various clubs, Yuan Kai picked up some peanut crumbs on the table and couldn't help but sigh.

"Kyoto Shinbun is still the same Shinbun. Is Chen Shuo going to pull off a miraculous comeback in this match?"

He thought that this season, Aurora would finally emerge from the shadow of the Aurora and regain its vitality.

As a result, the sky over Kyoto was still shrouded in a halo!
Head coach Sanshan pulled out some beef jerky from his pocket, chewing it as he said, "After all, they've won three national championships, so they have a solid foundation."

"In the end, drifting is still too immature."

"Yes, it relies too much on speed, making it difficult to combine multiple styles effectively..."

These words were met with unanimous agreement from the others in the room.

Just like a new mobile phone system only has a few apps in its app store, without an app ecosystem, no matter how powerful the system is, it won't work.

Yuan Kai pulled out some dried squid from his pocket, and then casually pulled out a can of beer.

"Looking at it this way, it's really not worthwhile to train a full-fledged drifting team... Sending a few young trainees to Jiang Wuyang as a token gesture will suffice."

Upon hearing this, everyone present burst into laughter.

The head coach of Sanshan beamed with delight at the thought that even Jiang Wuyang could make a mistake.

"This time, I finally don't have to suffer after Jiang Wuyang..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was hit in the face with a piece of squid. Yuan Kai angrily cursed, "Can't you talk less disgustingly?"

After a pointless exchange, the race situation smoothly progressed into lap 18.

"Lap 18! Zhou Yun is still the first to cross the finish line!"

"Despite the 37.4% wear on the embossed brake system, he still maintained a lap time of 1 minute and 17 seconds!"

"Ye Qing also crossed the finish line! Now there's a two and a half car lengths between them, and he's already accumulated 23 layers of sword intent..."

More and more clouds appeared at the horizon, and the gale-force winds swirled around the Grand Loop, blowing off the track.

Watching the two mecha girls speeding along the track, Han Yu clenched his fists tightly.

Sun Chengcheng climbed onto Han Yu's shoulder and gulped down a bellyful of canned orange juice.

"coming soon."

Not far away, Leng Xingyun crossed his arms and watched the two mecha girls rush into the bend one after the other, letting out a cold snort.

"Humph."

Peng Hui raised his head, his entire focus fixed on Thor as he burst out of Turn 8.

We're almost at Turn 11. Given the terrain of Turn 11, Ye Qing's sword strike will likely be even more terrifying than the one he used to catch up with Zhou Yun on Turn 12.

"Another one-man overtake..."

Ning Yuan's tense voice came through.

"Zhou Yun has already rushed into turn 10, and the acceleration effect of the Breaking Wind has already disappeared..."

In the stands of the event organizers, Lin Qinglei watched the showdown on the track, her breath gradually coming to a halt.

Zhou Yun couldn't escape it.

The wind stopped.

Sunlight streamed through the wheels of fire, casting dappled patterns on the racetrack.

"Ignore the turbulence from Thor's vortex. We're in a good position. Jianxue, get ready."

With the world seemingly upside down, Ye Qing's gaze was fixed on Zhou Yun as he rushed into turn 11, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Drifting has limited you; tire slippage prevents you from entering corners properly, and the significant drop in engine speed causes damage... You can't escape it.

He then held his breath.

[Sword Aura Level 26.]

【Loyal Heart】Nine Levels.

【Dawn Sword Heart】, 【Flowing Cloud Sword Spirit】, and 【Gentle Breeze Sword Aura】 have all reached their optimal state.

[Skill [A Sword That Freezes the Sky] is ready.]

"Sword Snow, cut."

At this moment, a gale filled the track, and the sword's edge shone brightly against the sunlight.

As the sword energy roared like a tiger and a dragon, the light on the track distorted.

A magnificent sword aura soared through the air above the Wind and Fire Wheels racetrack, hurtling down into all areas of Turn 11.

Just then, Zhou Yun heard Feng's voice.

"Connect the output port to the kinetic energy stabilizer..."

Before Feng could finish speaking, Zhou Yun understood what to do and his body moved before his mind could process it.

The sword light cascaded down like a waterfall, crashing into Thor's drifting car.

Immediately afterwards, the torrent of sword energy seemed to crash into a solid barrier, refracting violently into the sky along Thor's vehicle, like the aftershock of a comet hitting the earth, and was thrown away by Thor.

The point of impact scattered countless spiritual pressure particles like sparks from a hammer blow, shimmering in the sunlight.

As the particles flickered, blue light flashed on the Thor's vehicle body, drifting through the gale-force winds that pierced through the sword energy, and burst out of the bend.

This incredible scene silenced the audience once again.

Even Thanos-level commentators were speechless when they looked at the data on the telemetry platform.

"What the hell is this...?"

Ye Qing was stunned as he watched the sword energy being deflected, but his body reacted immediately.

He immediately rushed into turn 11 and shouted, "Sword Snow! Slash again!"

The flames spread across the track, and the cooldown reduction was slowed down to the extreme.

Jian Xue gathered her sword light once more and slashed at Lei Shen, but Lei Shen began to drift again, deflecting the sword light.

"This is……"

Ning Yuan's shouts suddenly rose from the audience.

"This is a hidden skill of the drifting style!"

"Drift Flow Invincibility!"

At this moment, he finally found his purpose in being here.

Although he didn't know how Zhou Yun did it, that didn't stop him from bragging about drifting!

0001, I guarantee the mission will be completed successfully!
"During the drift, the massive spiritual pressure generated by the kinetic energy was used... well, the print kinetic energy stabilization system to cover the vehicle body, achieving an effect similar to a 'super armor' type of mecha girl skill!"

"This is the ultimate secret of drifting: it grants absolute invincibility during the drifting process!"

"This is drift flow!"

"This is the decal modification, another miracle of track engineering!"

……

"Whoo~"

"call……"

Listening to Qingluan and Feng's excited voices on the team channel, Zhou Yun gripped the steering wheel again, panting heavily.

"Drift Flow Invincibility..."

It seems he really opened a Pandora's box.

(End of this chapter)