Chapter 1471: Chapter 1472: Racing Event Begins

The entrance to the racetrack did not match Feng Yuan’s expectation of a bustling crowd. Although many tourists gathered here, there were not nearly as many people as yesterday. Scratching his head in confusion, Feng Yuan asked,

“Could it be that they’re using a diversion strategy?”

“Most likely, those who can’t participate have little interest in this event. After all, one can experience it in Data City. Moreover, the treasure hunt hasn’t ended today and the delayed competitions are also happening today. With so many activities, it’s not surprising that the crowd gets naturally dispersed,”

Veronia said, looking at the flyer in her hand. Today, many events started at once, and the registration for the racing event was limited. Naturally, those who couldn’t register and had little interest in watching would go elsewhere.

Looking up at the nearby high walls, Veronia suspected that besides these factors, it might also be related to the course sprawling all over Tiraya City. The racetrack for this event covered almost the entire city, and those simply watching didn’t need to crowd at the starting point.

“Let’s go, it’s time to enter. Xiao Ji, what are you planning to do later?”

Smoothing Xiao Ji’s feathers, Feng Yuan asked. Xiao Ji glanced at Feng Yuan, transformed into its Eggshell Chicken form, and jumped into his arms. Xiao Ji knew that unless it flew high into the sky, its eagle form couldn’t keep up with Feng Yuan. However, staying in Feng Yuan’s arms in Eggshell Chicken form was more comfortable than flying high.

Seeing Xiao Ji’s response, Feng Yuan gently patted it and smiled at Qi Chen and the others, saying,

“Are you guys ready too?”

Unlike the experience in Data City, although the Tiraya City racing event was also conducted in batches, up to a thousand people raced together at once. Holding Xiao Ji in his arms, Feng Yuan whispered to it, while Yang Hongzhi, wanting to use Xiao Hui, ultimately chose to run with Xiao Hei.

The Flower Leaf Tree Three Spirit Beasts were temporarily entrusted to the staff by Qi Chen for care. As these three were difficult to approach other spirit beasts, perhaps out of gratitude, the organizers specially assigned people to take care of these troublesome little ones for Qi Chen.

The whistle blew and colorful fireworks erupted in the sky, signaling the start. Feng Yuan put Xiao Ji on his head and dashed forward. Long Boduo followed closely with Big Cat behind. Veronia and Belusir jogged leisurely with Veronia’s two spirit beasts. Although Feng Yuan and the others started together, they soon spread out.

Upon seeing the high wall ahead, Xiao Ji in Feng Yuan’s arms suddenly jumped out, reverting to its original form in mid-air, transferring its power to Feng Yuan before stabilizing. A small black shield floated in the air, and Feng Yuan quickly jumped up it to leap over the high wall. He dared not use destructive abilities to get over the wall.

He had been warned multiple times during registration — any damage would require compensation and restoration to its original state.

As soon as Feng Yuan landed, Xiao Ji, having flown up, turned back into Eggshell Chicken form and landed in his arms again. Holding Xiao Ji, Feng Yuan continued to sprint forward. By then, Veronia and her companions reached the high wall. With a light laugh, Veronia gently waved her parasol, conjuring a golden Crystal Rose staircase from the void, allowing them to quickly cross the wall.

Cotton activated Nether Cross to ascend with Dou Yanlan. As they passed Veronia, Cotton meowed at her. Watching the disappearing duo, Veronia smiled and said,

“What an interesting little kitty.”

Due to prior warnings, their methods to cross the high wall were relatively conservative, contrasting sharply with the explosive techniques used in Data City.

Racing down the trail with Xiao Ji in his arms, Feng Yuan didn’t exert his full effort, allowing several people to surpass him. Xiao Ji, a bit anxious, chirped from his embrace. Feng Yuan gently smoothed the feather tuft on Xiao Ji’s head, smiling,

“No need to worry about them. This racing event doesn’t have a practical ranking significance. What’s the rush? As long as we don’t exceed the time limit, it’s fine. Ahead seems to be the Horat District?”

Despite frequently running through towers or passing through corridors between two high towers, Feng Yuan easily identified his current location. After several twists and turns, they had clearly arrived in Horat District. However, this place would hardly be locked down solely for hosting the event.

As Feng Yuan was thinking this, he noticed changes ahead. Watching the contestants cautiously proceeding on the thick steel cables, Feng Yuan quickly deduced the correct path and smiled,

“I see, it’s tightrope walking.”

The Horat District lacked elevated corridors, and it was unrealistic to completely close off the area for the race. Hence, the organizers used the high towers there, stretching thick steel cables between them. Naturally, there were protective measures below.

At least Feng Yuan sensed safety measures such as anti-gravity fields, energy nets, and spatial transfers deployed below. Even if someone accidentally fell, they wouldn’t face danger. However, watching the slow-moving crowd ahead, Feng Yuan put Xiao Ji down, saying,

“I have no intention of waiting here for that long.”

Xiao Ji, reverting to its eagle form, lent its power to Feng Yuan. Once again, Feng Yuan leveraged his skill, composing a path of nine small shields floating continuously onward in the air, quickly sprinting towards the last high tower.

Observing Feng Yuan’s maneuver, some people attempted to mimic him. Meanwhile, others mocked, and some asked if their beasts could carry them over the gaps between towers.

With Feng Yuan’s unique crossing method demonstrated, not all contestants were content to wait in line to get across the tightrope.

When Veronia arrived, she gracefully walked through the air on her crystal staircase, waving her parasol elegantly. Witnessing this, many could no longer hold themselves back. When Dou Yanlan and the others arrived, various fancy crossing techniques emerged. Naturally, many overconfident individuals unintentionally triggered the safety measures upon falling.

Cotton nodded at Dou Yanlan and activated Nether Cross to propel them toward the last high tower. Although its Nether Cross couldn’t cover too much distance, it sufficed for Cotton to reach the destination.

As Qi Chen prepared to queue up after witnessing this, Ah Mu touched his shoulder with a call. Vines extended from the tower’s edge, wrapping around it several times before stretching toward the final high tower. After some time, Ah Mu gestured that Qi Chen could proceed, while Yang Hongzhi, with Xiao Hei, chose not to take advantage of the opportunity.

After all, the racing event did not allow team formations, and he did not want to rely on the strength of beasts not his own. Xiao Hei circled Yang Hongzhi restlessly, but even when Ah Mu retracted the vines, no one followed.

Yang Hongzhi rubbed Xiao Hei’s head, smiling as he explained, but Xiao Hei looked at the queuing crowd and barked discontentedly.

Below in Horat District, tourists naturally noticed anomalies in the sky. However, to avoid causing panic, vine canopies stretched over main streets, and those who wished to see what was happening above had to move to side streets.

Watching the participants above display their diverse skills, tourists below engaged in lively discussions. Feng Yuan, who had finished early, continued forward with Xiao Ji in his arms. However, gazing at the top of the tower towering above the clouds ahead, Feng Yuan was somewhat surprised, saying,

“Is there a flight restriction here?”

He sensed a special force enveloping the area. He naturally knew what lay beneath — a park, with these platforms above the clouds forming the tops of its giant pillars.

Considering his options, he didn’t let Xiao Ji revert to its original form. Instead, he jumped quickly onto a platform and proceeded to the next. Feng Yuan noticed someone behind attempting to mimic his strategy. However, their Wind Riding flight immediately failed upon entering the cloud level, causing both beast and person to fall.

A flash of light, and they reappeared at the start. Seeing this, Feng Yuan thought to himself that indeed, although his methods didn’t constitute flight, making the small shield float still required using similar power.

Perched on his shoulder, Xiao Ji chirped in surprise at what had happened behind Feng Yuan. Feng Yuan patted Xiao Ji, saying,

“No worries, the platforms here are large enough that, without needing to queue, following the route might not be so bad either.”

In truth, the main reason was that Feng Yuan wasn’t certain about the endpoint of this area, and rushing off might not be advisable.