Chapter 356: Chapter 356

After watching Winter leave, Xiang Shan sighed.

"He is a good Hero," he muttered to himself, "Overcome your obsession with me. By then, you will definitely see the scenery that humanity ought to see."

After blessing his friend, Xiang Shan turned in a different direction.

Although Zheng was a Martial Artist with decent external strength, he had never undergone training as a Hero. His self-taught counter-surveillance skills were simply inadequate in the face of surveillance technology that had evolved over three hundred years.

"Teacher Zheng, it’s rare to see you here. You actually came at this time?" Xiang Shan asked politely, just like that child from years ago.

Zheng stared blankly in the direction where Winter had disappeared: "Is this also Inner Strength?"

Xiang Shan nodded: "It’s Inner Strength cultivated to a very high level."

Xiang Shan was now certain that he had indeed surpassed "Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan" in Inner Strength, and could even keep up with the first tier today. Right now, only Hartman and Zhu Xinyu were definitely stronger than him. Perhaps their disciples, and the unseen Ingrid, Anatoly, and researchers within the Scientific Knight Order might be stronger, but they could not surpass the upper limit of Zhu Xinyu and Hartman.

He was definitely at the first-tier level now.

Moreover, producing a temporary AI set for instantaneous output training was also a specialized direction of his in the Soth Divine Realm.

This was indeed a rare skill.

——It seems Winter has changed a lot, Zheng didn’t even recognize him.

Although Zheng Lunnao didn’t understand Inner Strength, unlike masters of Internal, who could judge a person’s character through subtle body movements, Winter was once his proud student. During the era of the Martial Arts School, Spring and Winter both had good relationships with Zheng.

Now he hadn’t even recognized him.

——Should I lament that "people really change easily", or should I lament "I am one’s own person"...

Such thoughts actually flashed through Xiang Shan’s mind.

Zheng also came to persuade Xiang Shan to leave. Xiang Shan declined this kind gesture. He unleashed his Inner Strength, hacked into the Martial Artist’s system once again, and deleted his most recent records.

"Alright, Teacher Zheng. I just deleted the memory data from your hard drive from the past half hour. I hope you remembered our conversation using your Biological Brain. It’s okay if you forgot—if you suddenly can’t remember why you came here, just tell yourself ’I just did a good deed.’" Xiang Shan patted Zheng Lunnao on the shoulder: "You should consider fleeing for your life too. Once I’m exposed later, your situation won’t be too good. And the trace of that ’deletion’ is still quite evident. I don’t have time to falsify traces now."

Having said that, he started moving and walked towards the edge of the city.

Over there, Doctor Hu seemed to be having some conflict with government officials. It looked like King Aqini’s bombing declaration had triggered widespread fear, and then fear ignited the chaos.

Behind Xiang Shan, Zheng Lunnao murmured: "...Many years ago, I wasn’t able to teach you much, but instead, you taught me a lot. Now, I can’t say I’m capable of teaching you anything. It’s just a farewell."

Xiang Shan waved to Zheng Lunnao. He continued to run, while Zheng Lunnao seemed still unwilling to give up. The old man followed him.

But Xiang Shan no longer looked back at the old man. His consciousness roamed through the city, quickly locking onto his target.

He had already "seen" Doctor Hu knocked over, and a group of Protectors about to make their move.

Xiang Shan urged his Inner Strength again, remotely wrestling control from these networked Soldiers.

The Military Officer seemed to be elite, as he struggled for a moment.

But at this moment, the two sides were close enough. To avoid prolonging the inevitable, Xiang Shan picked up his personal weapon and threw it. The staff, like a spear, pierced through the Military Officer’s neck.

It wasn’t until after the Military Officer’s brain was shattered that Xiang Shan landed. He withdrew his weapon with a reverse motion.

Doctor Hu struggled and said, "Don’t do this... you are more valuable than they are... don’t do this..."

But there was no time for a proper farewell. Xiang Shan merely glanced at the person who had once raised him.

Then, he said to those around him, "Don’t panic, fellows. I am Xiang Shan. The real deal."

He pointed his staff towards the sky and said, "Well done, Hartman. But this is all meaningless. One day, another will inherit this legacy—I will come back."

A whiff of sand dust was swept by the wind, encircling it like tassels.

Xiang Shan stepped into the unknown within the dense mist of Metal Aerosol.

At that moment, the fear of "death" reached its peak.

Then, he crossed over.

He carried the lives of hundreds of villains, as well as the hopes of an equal number of Pseudo-personality Masks.

He had devoted his life to technology, committing evil for it, and placing his hopes in another.

He had achieved nothing in this life.

But only at this moment... Thɪs chapter is updated by novel(ꜰ)ire.net

Xiang Shan looked up at the sky.

Would this information reach her?

"I guess I died for you once," Xiang Shan said, "Teacher Jing said many years ago that public and private causes are not always clear, right? Then I shall consider this my death for you."

But having died eight times, only once for you... I really am a heartless man.

No, no, no, come to think of it, this current self—constructed of a female Biological Brain and female foundational coding as a male character—can it be traditionally regarded as a ’man’?

——Ah, it doesn’t matter anymore.

In these final moments, Xiang Shan actually thought of a very appropriate song.

"Standing in the fierce wind/I wish I could/Dispel all this lingering heartache."

"Looking at the sky where clouds move from all four directions/With a sword in hand/I ask who in the world is the hero."

"Standing in the fierce wind/I wish I could/Dispel all this lingering heartache."

"Looking at the sky where clouds move from all four directions/With a sword in hand/I ask who in the world is the hero..."

——I hope she can see this...

Xiang Shan sang "Farewell My Concubine" as he walked into the Metal Aerosol.

"In the world, there are hundreds of charms and thousands of beauties/I alone love only your type/Who doesn’t part ways with a broken heart at the crossroads of sorrow/Many years of love hastily buried..."

While singing this part, Xiang Shan picked up the sound of drones within the Aerosol. They seemed to be using a special type of sonar signal to communicate.

He didn’t know what they were doing.

Soon, Xiang Shan stepped out of the range of the Metal Aerosol.

No, something’s not right...

In just a moment, Xiang Shan realized something was off.

In front of him was still the metal aerosol. Only this area was devoid of it.

It was like the calm eye of a typhoon.

He felt like he had just passed through some kind of magnetic field. Hartman had deliberately used these specialized drones to outline an area that was free from metal aerosol.

A larger drone hovered in the center... no, that wasn’t a drone!

It was merely a machine in the "design style" continuous with Hartman’s usual drones. It was the Martial Artist’s prosthetic body!

The "drone" launched an Inner Strength attack at Xiang Shan!

Xiang Shan counterattacked in an instant. The drone was almost instantly taken over.

This guy’s Inner Strength was definitely not weak. It must be from the Mechanical Realm or Mathematical Realm. On Earth, he could at least dominate a city.

Yet, he had been sent here to die.

Xiang Shan launched his weapon once again. The long staff penetrated the external armor. Before the hovering body even fell, Xiang Shan had jumped up and forcibly removed the biological brain.

However, an electromagnetic signal had already been sent.

Xiang Shan looked up and saw a drone above him stretching out a data cable.

The cable connected deep into the aerosol.

Only then did Xiang Shan look around. Seeing the corpses on the ground, he immediately understood.

This was the method King Aqini had devised to "test Xiang Shan."

If this guy had failed to send out a "defeat" signal, it meant that the Martial Artist sent to die had very low Inner Strength.

The "supposed Xiang Shan Inner Strength master" who fought with him over the Solar System network couldn’t be hacked so easily.

"You really are ruthless, Hartman," Xiang Shan said with a smile.

This was the designated place.

What remained was just waiting for death.

Nothing else mattered now. Whether he was a man or a woman, whether he was Xiang Shan or Zhu Xinyu.

The "self-doubt" that had entangled him all his life seemed trivial in the face of death.

He only knew that this time he had stood up for Zhu Xinyu—at least it seemed so in result.

"Xiang Shan in the eyes of Zhu Xinyu" had finally succeeded.

Xiang Shan sang, "In my heart, you weigh the most/ sharing joy and sorrow, life and death together/ You etch your tenderness into my bones/ trading for my brazen passion that soars to the skies/ In my heart, you weigh the most/ My tears rush to the heavens/ may I still dominate in the next life/ as I return when the setting sun is thick..."

The light of the sun could not penetrate this dense metal aerosol.

But when the light of the ship’s cannon shone, Xiang Shan firmly believed that his "spirit" must be even more dazzling.

Unbeknownst to anyone else.

..........................................

Doctor Hu’s vision was once again filled with the brilliant light of the ship’s cannon piercing through heaven and earth.

"Sky Hermit." The voice within his consciousness appeared again, "Do you have any clues about the Martial God?"

Doctor Hu’s mind flashed with the image of the black-robed figure he had seen that day, but he shook his head and said, "No."

His Inner Strength had matured, and he could now evade various malicious surveillance for limited thinking.

"It seems he really hasn’t come to find you yet," the voice said somewhat regretfully.

Doctor Hu said, "But what about you, coming at this time? Is it safe? I am still being monitored by the disciples of King Aqini."

"They are all underground hunting the Burrow Dragon now; they won’t find out. I will erase some traces for you," the voice said, "Don’t worry about that. The Iron Heart Dharma King holds a position beside King Aqini well above those useless disciples."

Doctor Hu remained silent for a long time before asking, "Are you... truly worshippers of the Martial Ancestor?"

"We worship the Martial Ancestor as a seeker and creator of truth," the voice replied.

"And... are you really gathering to oppose King Aqini for the sake of the Eighth Martial God?"

The voice was laced with laughter, "At this point, what are you still talking about, Sky Hermit?"

Doctor Hu did not respond.

This mysterious power had approached him after King Aqini bombed the continent with an EMP. They claimed to be the Scientific Knights damaged in that event and planned to come together to retaliate against King Aqini. Doctor Hu, in a moment of enthusiasm, had actually believed them.

But upon careful consideration, this organization...

He sighed, stood up, and headed to his secret chamber.

However, he paused at the door of the chamber.

There was someone inside.

Doctor Hu’s expression turned grim. In silence, he opened the door, simultaneously drawing his firearm.

Someone was sitting cross-legged on his operating table, cradling a two-meter-long greatsword.

It was the man from that day... no, not precisely... the demeanor was slightly different... this... this was...

"Hey, Doctor Hu," Xiang Shan greeted him, "I’ve run into some trouble. I guess you must have some backing to have lived until today. King Aqini will be coming soon. Help me out."

Just like eighty years ago.

Doctor Hu fell to his knees. If he could cry, his vision would probably be blurred by now.

He nodded, "As usual..."

Doctor Hu’s time began to flow again.