“For a date, that would of course be… uh… this…”
Peony raised her left hand, supporting her right elbow, and pinched her cheek with her right hand, earnestly searching her database.
Then, she said quickly:
“According to the definition of dating in the database, it is generally divided into degrees.”
“Mild is when two people who have feelings for each other make an appointment and engage in appropriate interaction to enhance their feelings for each other.”
“Moderate, dating refers to a secret meeting, that is, lovers meeting, accompanied by the interweaving of desire.”
“Severe, it can refer to some behaviors prohibited by law. This information is prohibited from being disseminated by law, so Peony cannot tell you.”
“But Peony's machine soul can determine that your date with Commander Lingtong should be mild, and transition from mild to moderate.”
Wang Ji Xuan laughed and scolded: "Your answer is completely irrelevant. I'm asking what should we do? Go for a walk, or find a place to eat, or… read in the library, or sit under a tree to enjoy the cool, and discuss how to make ourselves stronger?"
Peony exclaimed with a hint of surprise: “Commander, is this your first date?”
“Before, there was, sort of, maybe.”
The image of playing the zither and drinking wine under the peach blossom forest flashed through Daoist Master’s mind, as did the image of sitting and discussing Dao behind the railing of the attic of the Scripture Pavilion, and then…
He smilingly rejected his senior sister's good intentions, avoided his junior sister's expectant eyes, and turned to look at the cold cave wall.
His heart for the Dao had never wavered.
However, the failure to face the Heavenly Tribulation last time also made Wang Ji Xuan have to examine himself. Was such a somewhat crazy pursuit of the Immortal Path violating the essence of cultivation?
A human life is but a season, like grass and trees in autumn.
Obsession is at play, failing to grasp the true nature.
“Then I roughly understand… I’ll rest for a while, and later help me send a message to Lingtong, asking her if she wants to have dinner together.”
“What specific time is ‘later’?”
“Within the range of two hours to one and a half hours before dinner, don’t be too deliberate, and try to keep your tone calm, don’t let people think I have any ulterior motives.”
“Understood!”
…
“Me, take the initiative to ask Wang Zheng on a date?”
Lingtong, who was inspecting the robotic arm, looked at Sister Wan with some confusion.
“Is this appropriate? So many things have happened recently, and there are still Spirit Ability users and Blade Beasts threatening us outside.”
“What’s inappropriate?”
Sister Wan was wearing a white coat, her long hair styled in a virtuous manner, and she casually responded while checking various data:
“Are you and Wang Zheng just going to continue being ambiguous like this?”
“If it were a peaceful era, it wouldn’t matter if you were ambiguous for a few years. This kind of youthful infatuation is a rare experience in a lifetime.”
“But please, this is the Fortress Era. Everyone doesn’t know if they will see the sun tomorrow. Not indulging in desires is already being a kind and orderly good child.”
“If you don’t enjoy love now, are you going to wait until you’re on your deathbed and regret it?”
Lingtong, who didn’t have arms, couldn’t do too much movement, so she could only turn her head away.
She whispered: “The situation is still too tense now, everyone is actively preparing for war and production.”
“Elite combat forces don’t need to participate in production.”
Sister Wan looked at Lingtong with a smile:
“Moreover, this is just a date, to enjoy a wonderful evening, and thus obtain spiritual comfort… As your chief mental health counselor, I’m giving this reasonable suggestion based on your current mental stress.”
Lingtong pursed her lips and pondered.
Even without makeup, her skin, which could be broken by a puff of air, was still incomparably alluring. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, carrying a kind of hesitant expression, and her usual determination and strength had turned into a pool of autumn water at this moment.
“Then how should I ask him out to make it seem appropriate?”
“Very good, my young and beautiful commander, you have finally taken this step.”
Sister Wan gently winked her left eye:
“Don’t worry, there are too many things you need to learn. I’ll finish my work first, and then give you a systematic training.”
Lingtong reminded: “I’ve read a lot of novels, romance novels.”
Sister Wan chuckled: “The more romance novels that resonate with readers, the less emotional experience the creators generally have, because the less experience they have, the more they can fantasize, and their hearts still have longing. Literary creators who have experienced long-term relationships mostly describe the troubles and complaints brought by firewood, rice, oil, and salt after the passion of love has faded.”
“Then, okay,” Lingtong shrugged, “I’ll rest first and recharge my energy.”
“See you in two hours, I’ll help you dress up nicely.”
Sister Wan took out a communicator and secretly sent Peony a heart-shaped emoji. Peony sent back a supportive emoji.
Wingman operation, a great success!
4:30 PM.
Wang Ji Xuan woke up from a nap and sat in front of the mirror to meditate. Peony was busy preparing the clothes that her exclusive commander would wear later.
She suggested directly putting on formal attire, such as a Zhongshan suit or a suit.
Wang Ji Xuan advocated something more casual and relaxed.
On the other side, Lingtong, who had reattached her robotic arm, was being pulled by Sister Wan to try on some clothes that she wouldn’t usually wear, such as suspender skirts and high heels, and was also trying some cuter hairstyles.
However, in Lingtong's opinion, pigtails were too lively, and an updo was too mature. Straight black hair was the most pleasing to the eye but the most difficult to match.
This was also a challenge for the combat-specialized battle maiden.
At the same time.
A small ground-traveling shuttle quietly arrived near Fortress 76 in the Middle Ancient Basin, following the path left by the Blade Beast activity.
…
Inside the narrow cabin of the shuttle.
Xing Dian looked at the monitoring screen in front of him. A 'failed' Spirit Ability user, whose whole body was bound by black bandages and was already on the verge of death, was lying in a nutrient pod and being carefully carried off the transport plane.
The location shown in the monitoring background was Xing Dian's Snow Mountain Base.
His most trusted old partners were testing this Spirit Ability user, and it was necessary to confirm that he was an S-level Spirit Ability user.
That was the only material Xing Dian currently lacked.
Xing Dian quietly waited for news from that side, and a few traces of thought flashed in his eyes.
This conversation with the Six Elders made Xing Dian intuitively feel… the weakness of these six old things.
The kind of weakness that was scared out of their wits by Fu Jian.
Thinking about it carefully, Xing Dian also found this matter quite magical.
[The six people with the highest status in the Spirit Ability Capital are extremely afraid of the D5 Comprehensive War Zone, but the younger generation in the Spirit Ability Capital with a slightly lower status disdain the D5 Comprehensive War Zone.
On the D5 War Zone side, almost everyone thinks that the Spirit Ability Capital is an extremely evil force. Most people in D5 think that the Spirit Ability Capital is persecuting D5.]
“Magical guys.”
Xing Dian curled his lips and chuckled, sitting on the chair, thinking about his next actions.
When the shuttle was still a few kilometers away from Fortress 76, its path was blocked by a collapse ahead.
Seeing this, Xing Dian just narrowed his eyes slightly, slowly putting on various equipment for himself, a holographic belt, a shielding bracelet, a breathing helmet, and a few smiles appeared on his old face.
In fact, he had never told anyone.
Within the entire sphere of influence of the Spirit Ability Capital, he was not among the strongest S-levels, nor was he among the best at combat, but he was actually one of the few with the most potential for growth.
What Xing Dian was truly proud of was his learning ability.
All of his students were his teachers. By meditating and training with these students, he could gradually discover the different ways in which the Spirit Ability within their bodies operated, and then master these methods himself.
Almost all of the abilities that Xing Dian's students awakened, Xing Dian also possessed.
Moreover, he had to be stronger.
On the screen of the shuttle's control panel, those few old partners gave a gesture, and the word 'S' appeared on the Spirit Ability detection instrument next to them.
Got it, finally got it!
S-level material!
The door to becoming an SS-level Spirit Ability user had already opened in front of him!
At this moment, Xing Dian was even a little afraid that his old brothers would betray him. He closed his eyes and breathed, wanting to say a few words to 'wake up' his old brothers, but he quickly chose not to do these extra things.
Too much is as bad as too little, only trust.
Buzz.
That mature female voice sounded in Xing Dian's headset: “Old squad leader, you should hurry up and start working after you inspect the goods. Don’t worry, I will keep ED secret for you. I definitely haven’t been talking nonsense in our old classmates’ group.”
“My mission is just reconnaissance,” Xing Dian said leisurely, “If you encounter problems attacking this fortress later, I will not rescue you.”
“Me, attack, encounter problems?”
The woman chuckled:
“Do you think this is the Devil General Commander’s lair? How ridiculous.
“At most, there are a few secret laboratories here, and at most a dozen or so semi-human mechs guarding the place.”
“According to the news we just received, two new King-level Blade Beast groups are moving from the periphery towards the D5 War Zone. The specific reason is unknown, but it is very likely related to the abnormality that occurred in Fortress 82 earlier, and the matter of their broken crystal cores.”
“Now the entire D5’s attention is on the outside.”
Xing Dian simply hummed, not talking much to this old woman.
He took out a photo, looked at the 'Demon-Breaking Dagger' on it, and his eyes showed a few traces of thought.
If there really are relics of the Spirit Cultivator civilization here, it may not be an opportunity…
Xing Dian narrowed his eyes slightly, and soon suppressed these chaotic thoughts.
That was something he could only consider after he truly entered the SS-level realm.
He admitted that when Mo Feng died, after Fu Jian tore off one of his arms, his mentality was indeed somewhat unbalanced, and he did some crazy things.
But that was not his normal level.
He liked conspiracies, and he also liked darkness, taking step by step to get everything he wanted, even if he suffered some humiliation for it.
"Alright, don't actively contact me afterward. Even weak electromagnetic waves could expose me."
Xing Dian put away the photo, tapped his headset, and checked the three cameras he was carrying, two of which were backups.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes, his body was covered in a layer of ochre light.
As he jumped out of the shuttle, his body felt as if it were sinking into a mud pit, gradually merging with the rocks.
Ji Xiao had no idea that his earth-burrowing ability had infinite possibilities.
But it didn't matter, Ji Xiao's teacher knew.
Xing Dian carefully avoided the various 'landmines' placed in the rock formations, gradually approaching Fortress 76.
No instrument could detect the figure of this S-class esper here, and Xing Dian had absolute confidence in this.
After all, the name he made for himself in the Esper City back then was…
[Dark Walker Venerable].
……
Six PM.
The desert outside Fortress 76 was experiencing the last heat of the day before sunset.
In the wheat fields on the seventh floor, unmanned machines were operating automatically, injecting new fertilizer and seeds into the soil, starting the next wheat harvest cycle.
The aroma of cooking starch wafted from inside the nursery's walls, and young men and women strolled along the cement paths in the fields.
Wang Ji Xuan ultimately chose a relatively ordinary outfit: camouflage combat pants, a pair of black military boots, and a dark green short-sleeved shirt, his refreshing short hair carrying the faint scent of shampoo.
Compared to him, the woman had put much more effort into her attire.
Ling Tong, for once, had changed into a denim dress instead of her favorite tight jeans.
She wore light makeup, her long hair half up and half down, the bangs on her forehead carefully combed, her straight nose tip with a hint of gloss.
Normally, the two of them chatted very naturally, but now, they were both a little unable to open their mouths.
The two instances of physical contact they had before seemed to have become a part of their amnesia play.
Ling Tong: "Shall we go…"
"Do you want to become stronger?"
Wang Ji Xuan brought up the topic he had prepared for a long time.
Battle Mechs can refuse to become more beautiful, but they can't refuse to become more powerful!
—That's how Wang Daochang understood it himself.
Ling Tong tilted her head and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"Just asking casually," Wang Ji Xuan shrugged, "You know, I inherited a certain civilization. I actually hold some keys, but I can't take these keys out for the time being."
"Yeah, I can understand. You're afraid that these technologies will fall into the hands of espers, thereby posing a fatal threat to you."
"That's indeed the case."
Wang Ji Xuan's spiritual sense naturally extended, able to cover a range of about three to four hundred meters, which was his usual comfortable state.
Extending his spiritual sense too far would receive too much information, quickly making him mentally exhausted.
Wang Ji Xuan sighed softly, put his hands behind his back, and his gaze became a little distant.
《Peony Love Method》, First Rule:
[If you can't find that kind of intimate topic, then don't talk about it. Just make sure the topic revolves around the other person, and don't mention yourself easily.]
Wang Ji Xuan smiled and said, "I've always felt that you have more potential. I've massaged you so many times, I can vouch for that."
《Sister Wan's Love Rules》, First Rule:
[Most men's compliments are out of desire for women. Don't reject this desire, but don't fall into sugar-coated bullets, lest the other party look down on you.]
"Thank you."
Ling Tong pursed her lips and showed a slight smile, looking down at her carefully selected sneakers:
"I'm actually not too sure whether I'll be able to handle the job of piloting a Terror Mech in the future."
"That shouldn't be a concern for you."
Wang Ji Xuan said gently:
"Even if you don't do anything from now on, I can make you pilot a Terror Mech. Terror Mechs are just incredibly demanding on the body, so they require 100% modification.
"Actually, I also don't quite understand why the technology of loyal wingmen like Peony is already so perfect, why can't they pilot them?"
"Because of mechanical awakening, and mechanical awakening is contagious."
Ling Tong explained simply:
"Single autonomous machines already have the risk of going out of control.
"If hundreds of thousands of autonomous machines are activated at the same time, if even one of them develops self-awareness, the entire machine race will quickly awaken.
"This is what we've verified in many ways, and during the experimental process, out-of-control events continue to occur.
"Therefore, semi-human mechs, which were originally just transitional technology, have now become the main support for human military development."
Wang Ji Xuan nodded, just about to start praising her courage and sacrifice, when his brow tingled slightly.
Danger?
At the edge of his spiritual sense, an extremely faint figure flashed past, rapidly approaching him.
Wang Ji Xuan barely captured a strong, mottled aura.
What's going on?
Wang Ji Xuan suddenly took a stride in front of Ling Tong, and when Ling Tong showed a trace of panic, he decisively approached Ling Tong, almost bumping into her, using her body as a shield, and rapidly forming hand seals with his fingers.
Things were different now than in the past, his spiritual sense, comparable to a Core Formation cultivator, spread rapidly.
Search the heavens! Reveal the trace!
Amitabha... This guy's aura is so strong, he seems to be…
Xing Dian?!
