As dawn approached, Gu Ya and his three companions returned to the school from the night market.
A day of rest had passed, and it was already Thursday, more than halfway through the week.
Class B was in its jungle training period this week, with no classes or scheduled exercises.
When they parted ways that night, Ye Ying had mentioned wanting a couple of days to rest properly.
Gu Ya understood what she meant; Ye Ying needed time to process what had been said that night.
It was alright, Gu Ya thought; taking things slowly was always the right approach.
Gu Ya was genuinely impressed by Ye Ying's composure. She had simply said, "We can talk more about it later."
When it came to matters of the heart, Ye Ying was indeed very patient.
"Classmate Gu Ya." A female voice interrupted Gu Ya's thoughts.
He looked up and saw Wei Ping looking at him. "What is it?" he asked.
Wei Ping said hurriedly, "Teacher Xie is looking for you." With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom.
On the way to Xie Fangbin's office, Gu Ya couldn't help but wonder why he was being summoned by Wei Ping instead of a direct communication via his comm-bracelet.
And why was Wei Ping accompanying him?
Upon arriving at Xie Fangbin's office, he was in the middle of a video conference. The principal's full holographic image was clearly visible.
Gu Ya and Wei Ping sat quietly to the side, waiting.
"Have you confirmed the second person for your Class A's special mission?" the principal asked.
Xie Fangbin nodded. "Yes, Gu Ya and Wei Ping."
The principal pondered for a moment. "Wasn't it decided that Fan Mengtian would go? He lived in Xianxia City and is familiar with the area. Why the change to Gu Ya?"
Xie Fangbin replied calmly, "Principal, student Fan has been selected as the academy representative to participate in this year's mecha maintenance competition and is currently in intense preparation."
The principal nodded and chuckled. "Ah, I'm getting old; my memory isn't what it used to be."
"Principal, you're simply too busy."
The principal gave Xie Fangbin a pleased smile. "Alright, have them prepare. They depart today."
After the video conference ended, Xie Fangbin turned to face them both and said gravely, "As you've heard, this is a special urgent mission assigned by the academy."
"We're short-handed lately, so the academy has decided to send you to Xianxia City to transport an important piece of cargo."
"I chose both of you after careful consideration. Wei Ping has been to Xianxia City a few times and is more familiar with it. Gu Ya has strong combat capabilities and can ensure the cargo's safety."
"I will send you the mission details. Prepare yourselves and depart immediately."
Gu Ya felt a twinge of reluctance. "How many days will it take?"
Xie Fangbin replied, "Three days and two nights. You'll be back by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow."
Gu Ya nodded. He didn't want to miss his birthday party on the weekend.
This timeline worked out perfectly.
Leaving Xie Fangbin's office, Gu Ya contacted Ye Ying. "Urgent mission to Xianxia City. I'll be back the day after tomorrow. Just letting you know."
Ye Ying chuckled softly. "Be careful on your journey."
Wei Ping walked ahead, feigning indifference, but she had noted everything down.
After parting ways with Gu Ya, she contacted Xuan Lang.
Xuan Lang smiled tenderly. "You need to be cautious, Gu Ya isn't a good person. Do you need me to send someone to protect you secretly?"
Wei Ping smiled sweetly. "No, I can handle it."
In the morning, Gu Ya and Wei Ping officially set off, flying towards Xianxia City.
Xianxia City, also known as "Xian Du" (Immortal Capital), was located northwest of Wu He City, approximately 2000 kilometers away in a straight line. It was situated in the heartland of Xianxia country, the nation's central city.
Across the vast expanse of Xianxia country, 23 important cities were built around Xianxia City, firmly protecting it at its core.
It was a war zone in itself.
The other four war zones were the Yong Gu Zhi Lan War Zone in the south, the Kuang Hai Zhi Feng War Zone in the east and maritime region, the Xian Zhi Bei Sai in the north, and the Huang Ji Zhi Ge in the west.
The aerial routes for mecha navigation connected these 24 cities.
Xianxia was located on a desert continent, with ancient pathways buried beneath sand and gobi.
Therefore, mecha transport was one of the primary means of maintaining connections between these cities.
Of course, amidst the desolate deserts and gobi, there were also villages and towns established by fugitives, exiles, bandits, and scavengers from abandoned cities.
However, most of these were small in scale and couldn't pose a significant threat.
Before their departure, Xie Fangbin had specifically instructed, "The journey is long. Try to stick to areas with wide visibility. It's okay to take a detour, but don't risk entering mountainous regions. Most importantly, be careful of bandits."
"On the lands of Xianxia, the bandits in the deserts and barren mountains are incredibly ferocious. They'll do anything for food and money."
Gu Ya took Xie Fangbin's words to heart. He wasn't particularly worried about bandits; his main concern was Wei Ping.
Although Wei Ping was capable, she had zero practical combat experience.
If they encountered bandits, Gu Ya would have to protect not only the cargo but also her.
This mission would have been better if I had gone alone, Gu Ya thought to himself.
But as it stood, there was nothing Gu Ya could do.
The mechas maintained a speed of 300 kilometers per hour, and with the need to detour around mountainous regions, they would have to travel an additional 2000 kilometers.
They had departed around 9 AM and were expected to arrive around 11 PM, which was considered very, very slow.
This was primarily due to the cargo's inability to withstand high-speed travel.
Otherwise, at the mecha's normal speed of 1200 kilometers per hour, even with detours around mountainous areas, they would have arrived in at most four hours.
Gu Ya was responsible for vigilance and protection, while Wei Ping handled the transport.
"Anything unusual?" Wei Ping asked via comms.
Gu Ya replied, "Nothing yet."
This was a routine inquiry, to be made every fifteen minutes.
As evening approached, the sky darkened, and visibility worsened.
A continuous range of mountain peaks lay to their right, appearing like undulating dark waves from high above.
This was Gu Ya's first time venturing beyond Wu He City, his first glimpse of the Xianxia landscape.
The sheer immensity of this territory left Gu Ya in awe.
It was also the first time he truly felt his own insignificance.
This planet was much larger than his original world.
Despite such a vast land, the population had drastically declined due to war.
Gu Ya harbored no desire for war, but to protect those he cared about, he had to pick up a weapon.
Rounding the majestic, continuous mountain range, a vast expanse opened up before them, and the sky grew even darker.
In this boundless darkness, the searchlights and tail flames of the two mechas carved out streaks of light as they flew steadily.
"Anything unusual?"
Wei Ping's voice clearly showed signs of fatigue.
The journey was not easy. Although the auto-pilot function was engaged, they had to constantly monitor their surroundings.
Gu Ya swallowed a mouthful of food. "Nothing yet," he replied.
Suddenly, a sharp cramp shot through his leg. Gu Ya gritted his teeth to endure it, emitting a faint groan of pain.
Wei Ping detected the abnormality in Gu Ya's voice and asked coldly, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm growing, just a leg cramp," Gu Ya replied through clenched teeth.
Wei Ping was greatly surprised. According to Xuan Lang, Gu Ya was supposed to be an adult who entered the academy through plastic surgery and identity modifications.
He was actually still growing?
Absolutely impossible, Wei Ping thought. He must be up to something unsavory, and this is just an excuse.
With that thought, Wei Ping's impression of Gu Ya worsened.
She hadn't expected Gu Ya to be this kind of person.
It was disgusting to even think about!
And Gu Ya's girlfriend too; they were truly in cahoots! She absolutely had to tell Xuan Lang about this.
The cramp gradually subsided. Gu Ya turned off the comms and took a few deep breaths.
After all, panting was a sensitive sound, and it wouldn't do to have Wei Ping misunderstand.
Just then, Gu Ya noticed over a dozen searchlights illuminating the ground directly below them.
The searchlights were tiny and would have been missed if not for careful observation.
"Anomaly detected," Gu Ya said, opening comms. "Direction South 60°, estimated distance around 800 meters."
Wei Ping glanced at the readings. "The lights aren't moving; it's probably an unnamed village."
Gu Ya remained uneasy. "Maintain speed and stay vigilant."
This feeling of unease was growing stronger. Could they really be encountering bandits?
Gu Ya stared intently at the lights, and suddenly, they disappeared.
At that very moment, thirteen white blips appeared on Gu Ya's radar, rapidly approaching them.
"It's mechas. Thirteen of them! Evade!" Gu Ya warned urgently.
As he spoke, Gu Ya adjusted his posture, shielding Wei Ping on his right side, ready to engage in combat at any moment.
However, the approaching mechas swooshed directly beneath them and flew rapidly north, their tail flames vanishing into the vast darkness.
Gu Ya let out a sigh of relief. "Alert level lowered."
Just then, on the radar, those same white blips executed a U-turn and were charging directly towards them.
This time, their speed was incredibly fast, more than double what it was before.
"Alert!" Gu Ya shouted, changing his posture to fly to Wei Ping's left.
As expected, their intentions were hostile!