Chapter 103: Already Meeting an Untimely End?

After mastering the two great sword techniques, Sikong Xu closed his eyes and slowly savored the feeling. The Ghost Valley Crosswise Sword Technique truly lived up to its reputation; Sikong Xu felt his strength had greatly improved.

Now, even if he were to face the Peerless Ghost or the Azure Wolf King again, he was confident he could duel them single-handedly and emerge victorious.

Sikong Xu opened the basic information embedded in his imprint, and a virtual projection visible only to him appeared before his eyes.

Name: Sikong Xu
Identity: First-year student
Rank: Brilliant Yellow, Initial Stage
Talents: Dimensional Summoning, Contract Summoning, Traveler
Evaluation: A first-year Brilliant Yellow student? You are unquestionably a top scholar!

Seeing the glaring words "Brilliant Yellow, Initial Stage," Sikong Xu couldn't help but grin. He was well aware of the power of the Brilliant Yellow rank; a beginner at this level could easily defeat a dozen or so high-level Black Ink warriors without breaking a sweat.

The likes of Peerless Ghost and Azure Wolf King were also at the Brilliant Yellow initial stage, yet their merciless slaughter of the Xiang clan disciples was as effortless as slicing through vegetables.

Even Sikong Xu, equipped with the "Infinite Martial Refinement" and top-notch gear at the time, could only barely hold his own against them.

Of course, such strength was not extraordinary at Dawn Academy, where the vast majority of second-year students were Brilliant Yellow rank, and some even more powerful than the top scholars.

Nonetheless, this level was more than enough for him to dominate his first-year peers. The once ridiculed "Class E Trash King" had transformed. Perhaps after this trial, his nickname would become the "Class E Academic King."

With this thought, Sikong Xu smiled even more happily.

Beside him, Tian Ming cast a puzzled glance his way. Why was Sikong Da-ge grinning so foolishly? Had his head been damaged by the villain just now?

"Since the enemies have left, let's continue on our journey," Duanmu Rong said, breathing a sigh of relief upon discovering Wei Zhuang and his group had fully retreated.

Without the three-move wager between Sikong Xu and Wei Zhuang earlier, she feared they might have been buried here.

"But the horses have been killed. How are we supposed to travel?" Just moments ago, in Wei Zhuang’s desperate attempt to catch up to Gai Nie and others fleeing with a carriage, a sword qi had cut down the horses. Now, they had no means of transportation.

"Let's leave this place first to avoid their return. I've sent a signal to Master Ban; he should come to pick us up soon," Duanmu Rong said calmly.

Following Duanmu Rong’s suggestion, the group quickly proceeded on foot. However, Gao Yue, still under the influence of the Scarlet Flame Charm, remained unconscious. It was uncertain if the charm had been lifted.

Shortly after the group departed, Old Ban arrived, flying a massive mechanical bird.

Seeing the enormous wooden bird soaring in the sky, entirely constructed from mechanisms, Sikong Xu felt a sudden wave of emotion. The Hundred Schools of Thought in "Qin’s Moon" seemed to have been mythologized, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

A flying apparatus like this, built purely from wood by the Mohists, was truly astonishing. Even Sikong Xu, a modern man, was momentarily stunned upon witnessing the mechanical bird.

Tian Ming’s curiosity peaked upon seeing Old Ban’s mechanical bird; he kept clamoring for Old Ban to land so he could board it.

Perhaps due to its many mechanisms and enormous size, it took several minutes for the mechanical bird to descend fully to the ground.

Once aboard, the surrounding beautiful scenery immediately came into view. Everyone visibly relaxed; anyone transitioning from a perilous environment to such comfort would instantly feel at ease.

Even Gai Nie closed his eyes and meditated for a while, while Tian Ming remained full of energy, eagerly asking Old Ban countless questions—so much so that Old Ban momentarily felt tempted to push the boy off.

After some time, Gao Yue slowly regained consciousness, appearing somewhat strange. It was unclear if the Scarlet Flame Charm had been lifted.

"Yue’er, come here," Sikong Xu called out with a smile.

"Sikong Da-ge, is something wrong?" Gao Yue asked, puzzled.

"Yue’er, do you feel any discomfort anywhere in your body?"

"No, Sikong Da-ge, why do you ask?"

"You were affected by the Scarlet Flame Charm."

"The Flame Charm... I wasn’t..." Suddenly, Gao Yue’s eyes filled with murderous intent. "I know clearly—he is the one who killed my father!"

Pointing at Gai Nie with hatred, Gao Yue accused him.

"No, Yue’er, you’re mistaken. The one who killed your father was Wei Zhuang, not Gai Nie," Duanmu Rong hurriedly defended Gai Nie.

Sikong Xu laughed softly and said, "Yue’er, actually, your father isn’t dead yet..."

Wasn’t Gao Yue’s father Yan Dan? That man was currently a magnate in the Mohist Mechanism City and would soon pass his skills to Tian Ming, though his days were numbered.

At that moment, Gao Yue suddenly clutched her head, crying out as vivid memories of her father’s murder flooded her mind. The figures of Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang overlapped repeatedly, tormenting her thoughts.

"It hurts... so much... ah..."

Duanmu Rong panicked upon seeing this. "Yue’er, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!"

"No, stay away! Nobody come near!" Gao Yue wailed, clutching her head in anguish. Suddenly, her foot slipped, and her body toppled backward, plummeting from the high altitude!

"Yue’er!" Duanmu Rong screamed desperately.

"Damn it!" Sikong Xu cursed inwardly. Gao Yue’s fall had already occurred in the original story. What he feared most was now happening.

This wasn’t the animated world of "Qin’s Moon" but the real world named "Qin’s Moon." Sikong Xu couldn’t be sure Gao Yue would be rescued by the mechanical bird as in the original.

"Damn!" Without hesitation, Sikong Xu kicked off and leapt down, catching Gao Yue in his arms.

"Sikong Da-ge... why... did you come down...?" Gao Yue’s teary eyes blurred. Whether from the earlier intense headache or touched by Sikong Xu’s act, she couldn’t say.

"Of course, I came to save you!" Sikong Xu smiled again.

The softness of Gao Yue in his arms, the pain from the rushing wind during the fall—all felt so real. Perhaps due to his former otaku sentiment, Sikong Xu didn’t want her to die here.

The fall was too fast; the huge mechanical bird wouldn’t be able to catch up.

Sikong Xu smiled wryly and whispered in Gao Yue’s ear, "Yue’er, get ready. I’m going to send you back up."

His eyes sharpened as he summoned every ounce of his true energy, channeling it into his arms. With a powerful push upward, he thrust Gao Yue skyward.

Whoosh!

They instantly gained considerable distance.

"No—"

At that moment, Gao Yue finally understood what this older brother she had known for only a few days was doing. He was choosing to sacrifice himself just to save her life!

"Nooo—" Gao Yue shouted frantically. Under Sikong Xu’s upward force, her descent slowed. Meanwhile, Gai Nie, perched atop the mechanical bird, seized her clothing to help.

"Sikong Da-ge, no—"

Sikong Xu’s falling speed accelerated, a certain death. Yet, not a trace of fear appeared on his face.

He hadn’t expected to meet his demise so soon—how disappointing. He had dreamed of commanding the world of "Qin’s Moon," flirting with Shao Siming and little Yue’er, making this mission perfect. But now... it was game over.

He thought silently.

He knew he wouldn’t truly die; only that this trial would be ruined.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped him, and Sikong Xu lost consciousness...