Era of Mist

Chapter 171: Chapter 170: Applied Mind Art and Driving Interface Activation

He floored it. The engine roared, and the tires screeched, kicking up smoke. The young man kept his middle finger up, laughing arrogantly as he sped off without even looking at the road.

Shi Tiexin was a bit stunned.

’What’s the deal with this world line? Do public officials command so little respect here?’

CRACK! A sharp, piercing sound echoed from the distant city. His mind identified it as the sound of a kinetic weapon being fired—a gun. A gunshot in broad daylight... It was clear the splendid metropolis couldn’t hide the chaos and decay beneath its surface.

’This world line seems a little messed up.’

’But—what’s it got to do with me?’

’Blend into my role, hide what makes me special, then bide my time and work on growing stronger. That’s the main objective when crossing world lines. And since I have to blend in... what was it that son of a bitch just said? That I should chase him if I’ve got the guts?’

CREAK. Shi Tiexin swung a leg over the motorcycle as the psychic energy in his mind surged.

’Perfect timing. Time to test out that ”Deja Vu” technique I just learned!’

In Shi Tiexin’s original world line, there were many categories of Heart Techniques.

The most common among them were the six major Heart Techniques popularized by the Student Union system. These six—including Mathematics and Rhetoric—were known as the Fundamental Heart Skills, as they formed the very foundation of psychic energy cultivation. Practicing these six skills could fundamentally increase one’s total psychic energy, improve its resilience, and grant many universal attributes.

It was like in generic cultivation novels, where practicing Internal Cultivation Methods like the Pure Yang Wuji Technique could raise the upper limit of one’s Inner Energy. The depth of one’s ”power” depended on what level of the Pure Yang Wuji Technique they had reached, and how solidly and purely they had mastered each level.

But besides the Fundamental Heart Skills, there were also other, application-focused Heart Techniques.

These Heart Techniques were equivalent to something like the Five Tigers Breaking Gate Saber technique; no matter how profoundly you mastered them, they couldn’t generate Inner Energy. But in a real fight, they could unleash tremendous power.

”Deja Vu”—the Basic Driving Technique, Jingtuan Special Edition—was just such an applied Heart Technique. To use it, one needed the support of psychic energy. However, as an applied technique, its cultivation was much less difficult than that of the Fundamental Heart Skills.

’I don’t know if there are more difficult ones, but this ”Deja Vu” technique is definitely much simpler to cultivate than Mathematics or Rhetoric.’

As he straddled the motorcycle and psychic energy surged through his mind, the visual interface before his eyes reacted.

[Loading Basic Driving Technique α4 Custom]

[Basic Driving Technique α4 Custom — A Universal Heart Technique, one of many custom versions of the Basic Driving Technique. Differences from the original: Speed Bonus +7%, Agility Bonus +14%. Quality: Fine]

’A Fine-quality custom Heart Technique? This ”Deja Vu” is pretty impressive. The two hundred and eighty Gang Contribution points were well spent.’

Then, a progress bar appeared on the system interface and shot to the end in a flash.

[Basic Driving Technique α4 Custom Loaded. Activating Driving Interface.]

[The Driving Interface will activate automatically when using a vehicle. The amount and accuracy of the displayed information are determined by your Driving Technique cultivation progress. This interface can be closed manually.]

[Current Progress: α4 Custom Level 1, Unqualified.]

[Note: Please operate two-wheeled ground vehicles frequently to advance your cultivation progress for Level 1 of the Driving Technique.]

Lines of text rapidly appeared on the visual interface, then vanished as soon as Shi Tiexin read them. It all happened in an instant. Shi Tiexin had only just straddled the motorcycle, his weight barely making the frame creak, and the loading process was already complete.

’Driving Interface? What’s that?’

His entire field of vision was clear, with nothing in it, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

This was the first time Shi Tiexin had encountered such a thing, and he was a bit dazed. He subconsciously glanced at the motorcycle he was straddling. The bike suddenly flashed in his vision, highlighted like an item in an old-school online game, and a line of information appeared beside it.

[High-speed motorcycle with a police paint job. Increases cultivation speed of Basic Driving Technique, Level 1, by 10%.]

’Huh?’

’So that’s how this Driving Interface works?’

Shi Tiexin quickly looked around for other functions. Unfortunately, perhaps because his Basic Driving Technique level was still too low, the Driving Interface offered no more information. ’Still, knowing this system’s usual tricks,’ he thought, ’there must be many more features waiting to be unlocked.’

’Speaking of which, how the hell do you even start this old-fashioned motorcycle?’

The core of his consciousness suddenly quivered, shaking loose a sliver of memory. In a daze, Shi Tiexin understood how to operate this two-wheeled contraption. He found the ignition and flipped it. PUTT-PUTT-PUTT. The motorcycle rumbled to life. He twisted the throttle with his right hand, and the engine roared. VROOOM. Shi Tiexin was surprised to find that he actually liked the sound.

’Is this a reaction from this body itself?’

’Or am I actually interested in this, too?’

’No time for that,’ he thought. The car from before was almost out of sight. He wasn’t sure if the impulse came from his own consciousness or the body’s instincts, but a single thought suddenly blazed through his mind: ’Like hell I’m letting you get away!’ He squeezed the clutch with his left hand, kicked the bike into gear with his right foot, released the clutch, and slammed the throttle. The tires screeched against the pavement, kicking up a cloud of smoke, and with a WHOOSH, the motorcycle shot forward.

”Ho-ho-holy shit—!”

’Too much throttle!’

A complete beginner on the road, he swerved left and right in wide S-curves, nearly slamming into a passing car.

The drivers of the other cars cursed loudly at him in some incomprehensible foreign language, swerving to get out of the way as he sped past. Shi Tiexin eased off the throttle, using all the strength in his arms to stabilize the bike. He kept propping himself up with his thick legs, first on one side, then the other, and finally managed to get the motorcycle moving in a straight line.

”Huff... Huff...”

In just a few short moments, Shi Tiexin was already panting, sweat beading on his skin. At the same time, however, he realized that his body in this world line was incredibly well-honed and strong. Forget about a bookworm like the Champion Scholar Stone persona; even the Iron Tyrant from the Orphanage couldn’t compete with this body’s level of Body Refining.

’Are all traffic cops in this world line this formidable?’

’Whatever. Now’s not the time to think about that.’ Focusing all his effort on taming his restless ride, Shi Tiexin steadied its direction and surged forward.

The engine thrummed. Cold wind rushed toward him, only to be deflected by his police helmet. The HISS of the wind against the helmet’s shell managed to seep into his ears. His police uniform flapped noisily, and thankfully, his pant legs were tucked into his tall boots; otherwise, they would have billowed like flags.

’Is... is this what it feels like to ride?’

Shi Tiexin’s heart began to beat a little faster.

’This feeling of control, this sense of being unrestrained, this sensation that I can go anywhere without a care... is this—freedom? Here, on the outskirts of this splendid yet decaying city, on this three-lane road in a foreign land, am I actually tasting freedom?’

’The taste of a freedom I’ve never known in my past decade of life?’

’No wonder. No wonder this body reacted so instinctively. This... is the allure of riding!’