Chapter Seventy-six: The Cultivation Master

The little tail of a certain demon continued to sway temptingly. “This alloy not only boasts astonishing defenses against physical attacks but also excels at resisting energy-based weapons. What’s most remarkable, though, is its density—only a third that of the lightest known mecha alloy. Imagine, even with a standard engine, a mecha built from this alloy would achieve terrifying speeds.”

The light in Ye Chong’s eyes grew ever brighter.

Anything related to mecha machinery had an irresistible pull for Ye Chong.

“This alloy is truly a dream material for mecha. Leaf, just think—if you built a mecha from it, tsk tsk…” Shang’s electronic voice even imitated a gasp of awe, sounding oddly unnerving.

Ye Chong paid no heed to any of this. His mind raced with wild calculations. If everything Shang said was true, it would be incredible!

He quickly sobered. “Do you know the formula for this alloy?”

Shang replied smugly, “Of course. Though I don’t know the source, the formula has always been in the database.” Shang’s tone turned a bit perplexed. “Unfortunately, much of the data is damaged. Mu and I have tried every method we know to recover it, but nothing works!”

After a pause, Shang continued, “But this amount of Dokunite is far too little for a single mecha!”

Looking at the two fist-sized chunks of Dokunite, Ye Chong then thought of a mecha over ten meters tall, and couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Though he was an expert with mecha machinery, metallurgy was not his forte; if Shang said so, it must be true!

Ye Chong recalled what Shang had mentioned earlier. “Shang, didn’t you say it can be artificially stimulated to grow?”

Shang’s electronic eyes flickered. “That’s right, but I’m not sure about the specifics—those parts of the data are lost. I only know that Dokunite can be stimulated to grow using a method called pattern cultivation.”

“Pattern cultivation?” This was the first time Ye Chong had heard the term.

Shang, pleased at having piqued Ye Chong’s curiosity, sounded even more animated. “Pattern cultivation is a professional term for cultivators, so of course you wouldn’t know!”

“Cultivator?” Ye Chong was even more confused. This was clearly another unfamiliar profession.

“Leaf, there are many professions in the world besides mech pilots. There are so many fascinating things besides mecha. If you only care about mecha, you’ll miss out on a lot of fun!”

Ye Chong stared at Shang in surprise. “Shang, when did you become so long-winded? Wait, that used to be Mu. Shang, don’t tell me you’ve really caught this nagging habit? That’s not appealing at all. Maybe you’re right, but mecha are my joy!”

The difference between Shang and Mu was truly vast, Ye Chong thought.

Shang gave a simulated electronic cough, then decided to ignore Ye Chong’s words entirely, continuing as if nothing had happened. “A cultivator is someone who controls the conditions of biological growth to obtain specific products. The field covers biology, principles of biological growth, pharmacology, and more. For instance, there are specialist spice cultivators who, through precise adjustment of nutrient solutions, can cultivate spice plants with unique flavors. These spices are of excellent quality, have no side effects, and are far more valuable than artificial spices. There are also medicinal cultivators, culinary cultivators, and so on. Cultivators are highly sought after, not only because their products are in demand, but also because…” Suddenly, Shang fell silent.

Ye Chong asked curiously, “Because what?”

After a moment, Shang hesitantly added, “Because most cultivators are women!”

Ye Chong shrugged indifferently. Women? That had nothing to do with him.

Noticing Ye Chong’s unconcerned expression, Shang let out a relieved electronic sigh, though the sound was so artificial it was rather strange.

Ye Chong hesitated. “I still need time to adapt to Frost Aria. Otherwise, if I run into danger, I’ll be at a huge disadvantage!” The doctrine of survival above all else was etched deep into Ye Chong’s soul. No matter what happened, he had to maintain his ability to adapt! He trusted his own strength, but even so, he never let his guard down.

A single moment of carelessness could mean death. Years of harsh experience had taught him never to relax, no matter how peaceful life seemed now.

Fortunately, Shang hadn’t lost his mind, and nodded. “Of course, that’s most important. Let’s see, in about three days, you should be fairly familiar with this mecha. Although it’s hard to look at, you’ll have to make do for now. The only redeeming feature is that old-style gun. Right now, you can’t handle it, but Mu is already running simulations to figure out how to use it. He should be done before he emerges again. It would be a shame to waste such a powerful weapon!”

Ye Chong was delighted. He’d been pondering how to use that old-style gun, and hadn’t expected Mu to be working on it for him. He was a little moved.

North of the Jiesa District lay a desolate wasteland—barren, inhospitable, and harsh. The price of natural wood was exorbitant. The first wave of explorers who discovered Blue Sea Star had exploited it ruthlessly, felling trees for profit. This region was one of the worst affected.

For tens of thousands of kilometers, there was not a soul in sight. More than half the day, sand and wind blotted out the sky, casting everything into darkness. Even for mecha, traversing this area was dangerous; navigation systems failed easily in these conditions, and once they did, getting lost was inevitable. Here, getting lost meant dying when your energy cells ran dry.

This was a forbidden zone for mecha flight.

Yet within the swirling sands, the vague outline of a mecha appeared.

Ye Chong carefully operated Frost Aria. Once-glorious, the machine was now caked with dust and looked utterly wretched. Controlling a mecha in these conditions was even more challenging, but if he could master it here, his control would become precise beyond doubt—just as Shang had suggested. After evaluating Frost Aria, Shang had concluded it should perform well in this environment and had urged Ye Chong to train here.

Ye Chong found himself agreeing with Shang’s theory.

With a burst of speed, Frost Aria suddenly changed direction. The laser sword flared to maximum, and in the wind and sand, its once dazzling blade was now just a faint yellow glow. With a swift slash, the sand before Ye Chong split apart. The left arm ion shield blocked and redirected, while Frost Aria executed rapid, tiny footwork—zigzagging left and right with great speed. The laser sword flickered like a serpent’s tongue, flashing in and out, while the massive frame slid eerily to one side. At the same time, two self-locking double-bladed spinning darts shot out like twin bolts of lightning. Even in the swirling yellow haze, they dazzled the eye. The darts crossed paths in the air before returning joyfully to Frost Aria’s hands, as if they were swallows returning to their nest.

The entire sequence was smooth and fluid, with not a hint of hesitation, even in such terrible conditions.

Ye Chong was very satisfied with his performance. Even without the old-style gun, he now felt he could hold his own against experts like Johnson.

Shang, seeing his theory proved right, was also immensely proud.

By the time Ye Chong left the area, the once-glorious Frost Aria was unrecognizable, looking from afar like a giant lump of mud. When Ye Chong climbed out of the cockpit, he was dumbfounded, then laughed wryly. Cleaning up would be quite a project!

Still, the training had gone perfectly, and Ye Chong had achieved complete command over Frost Aria. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Biology? Principles of biological growth? Pharmacology? Ye Chong stared at the sea of information Shang had laid out for him, and even with his steely nerves, his scalp tingled.

He almost groaned aloud. Strange symbols, diagrams, formulas—there seemed to be no end to them. Ye Chong was getting dizzy just looking at it.

Just then, Grandpa Qian’s voice called from outside, “Leaf, you’ve got a visitor!”

Ye Chong scrambled out of Shang’s cockpit as fast as he could; not another second did he want to spend with those materials.

His visitors were Yang An and Ding Yining. They dispensed with pleasantries. Yang An explained their purpose: the Academy’s Mech Pilot Tournament would begin in a few days, and he hoped Ye Chong would prepare and practice with Ding Yining. As for compensation, that could be discussed.

Ye Chong, eager for an excuse to escape Shang’s cultivator training program, agreed right away. He and Ding Yining returned to Ding’s warehouse to begin working together. Yang An admired Ye Chong’s direct approach, though Ye Chong had little interest in Yang An himself.

Ding Yining was the type to lose himself in his work, and Ye Chong, passionate about mecha but lacking hands-on experience, now had free rein to experiment as he wished. It was pure joy, especially compared to the dreaded cultivator training plan.

One proposed theories while the other handled the practical work; Ye Chong frequently consulted Ding Yining about the equipment, while Ding Yining brought forth problems that had troubled him for some time. Their cooperation grew ever more seamless.

Three days later, the Blue Sea Academy Mech Pilot Tournament would begin.