My Apocalypse System Arrives 10 Years Early

Chapter 226: Chapter 175: Finally, It Can Be Described in Mach

Li Xiang started recording as he scattered sprouted rice seeds in the paddy field.

This seedbed was a small patch he had specially chosen and prepared. It was set higher than the other paddy fields, and the slurry was even and had the right consistency. If the slurry were too thin, he would have let it dry in the sun for another day.

After sowing the seeds, he covered the bed with an arched plastic film. This served two purposes: to retain heat at night and to prevent birds from pecking at the seeds.

However, if the temperature got too high during the day, he’d have to open both ends of the film to ventilate and cool it down.

Farming was a craft that required a great deal of effort. Unfortunately, the return on investment for farming alone was too low.

Once the seedlings grew to have 4-4.5 leaves, they would be ready for manual transplanting. If using a machine, the seedlings should be slightly smaller, ideally with 3-3.5 leaves.

With such a small plot, Li Xiang naturally transplanted them by hand. It also made for good video content. If a pastoral vlogger used machines for everything, it wouldn’t be very interesting.

After he finished sowing the rice, the film crew notified Li Xiang that he had scenes as Yin Zhiping the next day.

These would be his last few scenes. After all, Yin Zhiping didn’t have a large role.

The filming of this movie had started with Yin Zhiping and would end with his death, which brought a nice sense of symmetry to the production.

”Brother Xiang, we get to act together again tomorrow! I’m so excited.” When Luo Feifei returned that evening and saw Li Xiang, her face immediately bloomed into a radiant smile.

She was exquisitely beautiful and otherworldly, her skin plump with collagen, her loveliness beyond description.

”Then I’d better prepare well. I’m so nervous,” Li Xiang joked.

”Don’t worry, I’ll go over the scene with you. In this regard, I can be your teacher!” Luo Feifei thought to herself. ’When it comes to acting, your Little Aunt is a professional. Let Little Aunt show you how it’s done.’

And so, the two of them sat on the sofa in the second-floor living room, discussing the scene.

Luo Feifei glanced back and saw the ”Thousand-Mile River and Mountain Painting” she had gifted Li Xiang hanging on the wall. It was a piece of Su Embroidery, and the elegant name in the signature, ”Pan Yiwen,” had been embroidered by her own hand. She couldn’t help but smile radiantly.

Since they were seriously discussing the scene and studying the script, Luo Feifei’s mother naturally didn’t interfere.

”This is Yin Zhiping’s mindset. Although he made a huge mistake in a moment of impulse...” As Luo Feifei spoke, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at Li Xiang, recalling the ”romantic” moment from that day. It had been brief, but it was her first such experience, and it was unforgettable, both in the scene and in reality.

If anyone found out that Little Dragon Girl was so earnestly explaining the scene to Yin Zhiping, her heart fluttering with a hint of shyness, their jaws would probably hit the floor.

”...Yin Zhiping, wracked with guilt and unease, ultimately sacrifices himself to block a fatal blow for Little Dragon Girl. For him, it’s a form of release, a way to preserve his integrity in the end.”

”Amazing!” After Luo Feifei’s analysis, Li Xiang knew how he should play the part.

Luo Feifei stood up and crooked a finger. ”Come on, Brother Xiang, let’s rehearse a bit so you don’t mess up tomorrow!”

Li Xiang: ”...”

During the next day’s shoot, Li Xiang’s performance earned praise from the director and producer.

Since Little Dragon Girl had to follow Yin Zhiping all the way back to Zhongnan Mountain, this scene wasn’t shot in the Ancient Tomb but on location elsewhere in the county.

Li Xiang’s hometown was blessed with beautiful mountains and clear waters. Though remote, the scenery was truly exceptional, so finding a few suitable outdoor locations like hillsides was effortless.

The final location was a local Taoist temple. Its main hall was magnificent and fit the description of the Quanzhen Sect’s headquarters.

The Mongolian Army attacked Chongyang Palace, and Little Dragon Girl followed Yin Zhiping inside, where she was besieged by five great masters, including the Golden Wheel Dharma King.

Just as Little Dragon Girl was starting to lose ground, Yin Zhiping intervened. He single-handedly withstood the attacks of several masters, desperately protecting her. He achieved the martyrdom he sought, dying a brutal death.

’Big brother...’ Luo Feifei cried out in her heart as she watched Li Xiang’s character die horribly. She had gotten deep into her role and was inexplicably moved.

During lunch, while eating their boxed meals, Luo Feifei naturally sat with Li Xiang. Neither had removed their makeup, and they were photographed by numerous reporters and onlookers.

Meanwhile, the actor playing the other lead, Yang Guo, looked quite lonely off to the side.

Damn, when these photos got out, they kicked off another wave of heated discussion online.

”Yin Zhiping actually beat Yang Guo!”

”I have to say, the ’Daydream’ couple is a perfect match. I think Li Xiang should have played Yang Guo!”

”That’s probably impossible. Li Xiang is just a newcomer, not a professional actor.”

”I wonder if this pastoral vlogger will enter the entertainment industry in the future.”

”Looking forward to more collaborations between them.”

”He’s so lucky. He actually got to film an intimate scene with Luo Feifei.”

”According to a rumor—don’t know if it’s true—Li Xiang is going to be Luo Feifei’s dedicated actor for any future intimate scenes.”

”What does that mean?”

”It means if Luo Feifei takes a role with an intimate scene, she’ll insist on having Li Xiang as her partner.”

”Didn’t they say she wouldn’t be doing any more intimate scenes?”

”Who knows? Like I said, it’s just a rumor.”

...

In just over ten days, filming for the movie was complete. Luo Feifei and her mother had to leave, as she had a lot of other work to do, plus her studies in her spare time. She had debuted at fourteen, so her formal education had only reached a middle school level. Her mother had enrolled her in a private high school, but because she was always filming, she rarely attended. Instead, she had a private female tutor. Her class schedule wasn’t fixed, either.

Additionally, she loved to read in her spare time, always trying to improve her cultural knowledge.

”Brother Xiang, when will we see each other again?” Luo Feifei asked, reluctant to leave.

Li Xiang slipped her a few Spirit Fruits. ”There will be chances.”

”I forgot to tell you, my third Superpower is Water Escape. Anywhere with water, or even ice and snow, is my home turf,” Luo Feifei whispered, leaning in close.

Li Xiang replied, ”You really don’t have to tell me. Superpowers should be kept secret. They can give you the element of surprise at a critical moment. If an enemy finds out, they might set a trap for you in advance.”

”I have no secrets from Brother Xiang...” Luo Feifei murmured, giving Li Xiang a bewitching glance.

As the saying goes, true beauty lies in the bone structure, not the skin. But Luo Feifei possessed the best of both, a rarity in this world. Such a bewitching glance was rare for her and devastatingly potent. Even Li Xiang was momentarily stunned.

Seeing that she had finally managed to ”hard-stun” Li Xiang for three seconds, Luo Feifei’s heart swelled with delight and a sense of accomplishment. With a light wave, she ran toward her mother.

If she truly had a secret, it was the one about being a ”Little Aunt.”

For more than ten consecutive days, Li Xiang ventured out and swept the Mao Lan Karst Primeval Forest in Qian Province clean, concluding his operation. He had gathered an abundance of Spiritual Medicine—over ten thousand pieces—and nearly three hundred thousand Achievement Points, which would be enough for a while.

He redoubled his training efforts. ’I can’t let Luo Feifei surpass me, can I?’

Luo Feifei’s appearance had put more pressure on him. During his days sweeping the mountains, he had used various prey and terrains to practice his Martial Arts and Superpowers. His strength had increased significantly, and his foundation had become more solid. With a sufficient supply of Spiritual Medicine, he felt that he wasn’t far from the next Tier.

Furthermore, he found the Divine Movement Technique to be extremely practical. After spending one hundred thousand Achievement Points, he upgraded the Attributes of his two ”Divine Movement” Inscriptions, increasing his maximum speed to over two hundred and fifty meters per second.

With both stacked, his maximum speed was around five hundred and ten meters per second, exceeding the speed of sound.

One Mach is 340.3 m/s, which is equivalent to the speed of sound. Converting Li Xiang’s current speed into Mach gives a result of 1.5 Mach.

However, this was his maximum speed, meant for short bursts. After sprinting at full power for seven or eight minutes, he would have to stop and rest, or his body wouldn’t be able to take it.

After the upgrade, he tested it out on a secluded mountain road in the dead of night. At top speed, he could cover 30 kilometers in a minute. This meant he could travel 210-240 kilometers in seven or eight minutes.

If he jogged, keeping his heart rate down, he could maintain a speed of about 900 km/h. He should be able to run for five or six hours without resting, which meant he could easily cover around 5,000 kilometers in a single run.

If he ran for his life, traveling for a full 24 hours, he could cover twenty to thirty thousand kilometers in a day. But there was no need for that, unless he was fleeing for his life or rushing thousands of miles to save someone.

In this era of peace, such situations were basically nonexistent. The reason he had spent a ”fortune” upgrading his Divine Movement Technique was simply for the convenience of sweeping the mountains.

He had already swept through most of the nearby Primitive Forest Reserves, and he was eager to go ”plunder” other, more distant places without leaving a trace.

If he took a car or a plane, he would leave a travel record.

For example, if a large number of plants and animals suddenly died in a reserve thousands of miles away, and it was clear someone had caused the damage, could they trace it back to him?

Impossible. He was at home the night before and at home the next morning. He had a perfect ”alibi.”

’I can finally describe my speed in Mach,’ Li Xiang mused. Although 1.5 Mach was merely low supersonic speed—in modern military terms, only speeds above 5 Mach qualify as hypersonic—Li Xiang felt it was good enough for now.

He still had plenty of Achievement Points, but he wanted to keep some in reserve. The system still held many other good things.