Chapter 651: What Takes Flight Isn't a Hawk, but a Fighter Jet

...... Is that okay?

Yang Yixie stopped fiddling with his phone and lifted his head to look at Zhiruo, his eyes behind the Black-framed Glasses unusually calm.

A surprise? His mother would ask such a question.

Actually it was fine; as early as when his mother suggested moving the whole family back to Shoudu, he had already sensed a change in her attitude.

The world was changing far too quickly; once someone in the crowd wielded abilities beyond ordinary people, some hearts inevitably birthed restless thoughts.

And in the eyes of those people, the existence of ordinary folks grew increasingly insignificant.

Although someone would always step forward, disaster always arrived unannounced—perhaps tomorrow, perhaps today, perhaps even now.

Zhiruo knew her own selfishness; if it were still a peaceful era, she might have been able to keep the two children by her side.

But under the great wave of changing times, no one can escape hardship; without sufficient power and status in this era, the only fate awaiting them is one.

A slight redness tinged the edge of Zhiruo's eye sockets, and that touch of color softened her otherwise pale complexion considerably.

...... Yes, she whispered, her finger resting on Yang Yixie's crown, reluctant to actually rub hard, "I've kept you bound by my side for so long; I should let go now."

Yang Yixie didn't pull away her hand; he simply sat quietly, letting her massage his scalp.

"So, Mom, you want me to step in and save people, right? Even if that exposes my abilities, brings a lot of trouble, and might attract a bunch of lunatics to my doorstep."

Yang Yixie spoke again.

"Does Xiao Xie have the ability to handle those troubles?"

"Of course," Yang Yixie replied outright, clean and decisive, without any hesitation.

"Then go ahead and do it," Zhiruo said, smiling at him as she watched the flickering light and shadow outside the passage, stirred by the battle.

"I used to think you should just stay safe, not get involved in dangerous things, not end up like your father..."

As Zhiruo spoke, she recalled past events, and a trace of sorrow inevitably showed in her eyes.

Back when she let Yang Yixie go ahead, his finger swiped across his phone screen, casually cutting away the pixelated game interface.

Familiar Ying Guang Lu energy outlined a rough keyboard shape beside him; Zhiruo found it odd, but if it was only to this extent, it was actually fine.

"Mom, tell me about you and Dad's dog food later; cover your ears."

Zhiruo glanced up at him, obediently raised both hands, and pressed the palms against the sides of her ears.

Zhang Jie had been standing at the passage entrance, peeking out; upon hearing that, she turned back in surprise. Though she hadn't heard the mother‑son whisper, she saw a floating keyboard appear beside Yang Yixie.

"Aunt Zhang, cover your ears too."

Zhang Jie didn't grasp the situation, but instinctively complied.

Yang Yixie lowered his head, his gaze landing on the "Space" key at the bottom of the keyboard.

Zhiruo let her child spread its wings and soar, yet she didn't realize her child was not a little bird, nor a hawk, but a fighter jet.

fire.

————————————

On the battlefield against that monster, several people were discussing how to deal with it; confronting the monster wasn't hard, the difficulty lay in rescuing the Red Lotus.

There were too many ordinary people here; even those with lethal abilities dared not use them lightly.

They could only first try to shift the battle outside the mall before planning their next move.

Under Shen Zexi's command, Qi Hengyu was tasked with drawing the monster's hatred, inch by inch moving outward, the farther from the crowd the better.

...... What is that?

As a few people walked away, a gasp erupted from the crowd.

"Another new monster?"

"No, it looks like a weapon? Is it an official secret weapon!"

In fact, ever since they engaged the monster, there have always been a few reckless, overly trusting individuals who curiously surveyed the battle, causing occasional commotions in the crowd.

But that person didn't give up easily, even prompting those around to look up at the high sky above the monster's head.

It was still inside the mall, but now the highest area within it, as if someone were drawing with an invisible pen, sketching outlines stroke by stroke in the void.

First two parallel long lines, then a crossbeam, support frame, and Cannon Barrel; the edges of the lines bore pixel‑style serrated angles, bright and glaring—once noticed, you couldn't look away.

The lines Engraved intricate, ornate Rune patterns; Shen Zexi, seeming to sense something, turned his head and saw the weapon's true form already revealed in the sky.

Min Tianyou saw Shen Zexi freeze, also turned back, following Shen Zexi's gaze upward.

"That is—!"

Min Tianyou couldn't contain a gasp; the scene was all too familiar—long ago in Tianmian City... he had already witnessed the same sight.

But how could this be...!

It's one thing if ordinary people can't recognize it, but anyone somewhat familiar with the game's events should know what it signifies.

That energy color, that ability, is clearly—

He instinctively looked at Luo Jinyou; his tail straightened behind him, his gaze climbing along those Ying Guang Lu lines, the outline becoming clearer.

Ying Duo......

He thought he couldn't possibly act.

After all, this world is so beautiful; if his identity were exposed, one can imagine how many troubles Yang Yixie would face.

It was Luo Jinyou's first time learning that the Ying Duo could also be someone willing to blunt their edges for peace.

"Cannon?"

Chen Mo Zhi immediately guessed who the Cannon might belong to, even noticing the monster that Qi Hengyu had drawn attention to, and the change above its head.

It seemed to sense the threat before it, its body continuously retreating, emitting a low rumble from its throat.

Finally, the people saw the thing's true form.

A floating Cannon Barrel, composed entirely of Ying Guang Lu energy, hovered mid‑air, about the length of a human forearm, its muzzle aimed at the monster on the ground slowly retreating.

The Rune on the barrel's surface lit up one by one after forming, the surrounding air trembling with a hum, and a survivor hidden behind a distant pillar let out a brief gasp.

The muzzle lit up.

A beam of light shot out from the muzzle, entering the monster's head without the slightest deviation; the energy spread outward in all directions, rapidly covering the monster's head, shoulders, neck, and spine. Its body displayed countless Ying Guang Lu cracks, as if it would explode in the next second.