Chapter Forty-Nine: Plans Can Never Keep Up with Change

The plane had been violently rocked back and forth as if caught in the invisible arms of a giant, and the people inside had already vomited up everything they could. Yet, all at once, the aircraft stabilized, as if gently cradled by unseen hands.

Inside the cockpit—

“What’s going on? Did the turbulence suddenly ease up?” The captain, his face slick with sweat, spoke in confusion.

“The onboard navigation still shows we’re in the turbulence zone,” replied the co-pilot, who had been closely monitoring the GPS.

The captain picked up the radio again. “KY730 calling command center, KY730 calling command center.”

The same voice responded, “This is ground command center, go ahead.”

“Our onboard navigation seems to be malfunctioning. Please locate our current position and advise how much farther we must go to clear the turbulence.”

On a central screen at command center headquarters, the cursor for KY730 sat squarely in the middle of a red-marked turbulence center.

“KY730, you are currently at the heart of a severe turbulence zone. Remaining distance to exit: 120 kilometers.”

The two men in the cockpit exchanged anxious glances.

…

In the cabin, the plane’s sudden stability gave every passenger the illusion of having escaped death. Tears of relief flowed freely as they shared their experiences with one another.

“I thought I was a goner just now…”

“Yes, thank heaven! I’m going to the temple as soon as I land.”

“I’ll go too…”

“Thank God for sparing my life, and thank you to the crew for their efforts!”

“I almost wet myself…”

“If the shaking hadn’t been so bad, I’d have written my will…”

“Thank goodness!”

“Yes, thank goodness…”

Though many around him cheered, high-fived, or quietly wiped away sweat in conversation, Xiang Biao felt no joy at all.

Wu You’s face was growing ever paler, sweat as large as peas beading on his forehead. Xiang Biao dared not help wipe it, afraid of distracting him.

“If I grab you in a moment, don’t fight it.” Wu You’s voice came, distant and tinged with pain.

At this moment, he could not only sense the wind, but also the growing fatigue and disharmony in the plane’s metal frame. Given the intensity of the turbulence at their position, if Wu You released his control even for an instant, the plane would most likely break apart.

Xiang Biao’s heart clenched. As he suspected, the aircraft’s stability was entirely due to Wu You’s efforts.

And now, it seemed Wu You was reaching his limit.

At least he was willing to bring Xiang Biao with him if they had to escape. Xiang Biao replied with a simple “Okay,” wisely refraining from asking about the colleagues in economy or the other passengers.

Still, he couldn’t help but glance around at the passengers basking in their newfound hope.

Some people in the cabin wanted to unfasten their seat belts, but without a safety announcement from the crew, they didn’t dare move. Others wondered why the captain hadn’t lifted the alert yet.

…

Wu You’s headache had intensified to the point of feeling like needles stabbing into his skull. He sighed inwardly.

Just as he was about to withdraw his control over the turbulence, the system prompted: Mental strength insufficient to maintain demon-god power. Consume alchemical energy as substitute?

What? Alchemical energy could be used as a substitute?

If he hadn’t found a way to replenish alchemical energy from biological sources, Wu You would have refused without hesitation, since back then, alchemical energy was an irreplaceable resource.

But now, that restriction was gone—he wasn’t cold-blooded, after all.

He chose to use alchemical energy as a substitute.

The pain in his head eased considerably, leaving only the aftereffects of mental exhaustion. Though the sharp mental pangs diminished, Wu You’s attention remained fixed outside the fuselage, not daring to relax his grip on the winds for a moment.

Unbeknownst to him, the alchemical energy was slowly being depleted.

After more than ten minutes, even the last faint tremors of the airplane finally vanished.

…

In the cockpit:

“KY730, this is command center. You have exited the turbulence zone. I repeat, you have exited the turbulence zone.”

“KY730, understood!”

With those words, the captain and co-pilot exchanged a triumphant high-five.

Although they didn’t know why the plane had suddenly stabilized while still, according to both the onboard navigation and ground command, in the midst of the turbulence, they’d dared not relax for a second.

Now, at last, the alert could be lifted.

The captain switched the radio to the cabin channel.

“Dear passengers, this is your captain speaking. We have exited the turbulence zone. The plane is now en route to Qiantang Xiaoshan International Airport. You may unfasten your seat belts and move about the cabin, but please remain at your seats.”

In both economy and first class, the captain’s announcement sparked an eruption of real, joyous cheers—as if the national soccer team had just scored in the World Cup.

Xiang Biao was just as elated and was about to celebrate with Wu You, only to notice the latter’s somber expression, and immediately held his tongue.

Wu You was deeply conflicted, the lingering pain in his mind already forgotten.

Damn it, things had happened so fast just now, he hadn’t had time to think it through and missed an important detail!

System prompt: 61 points of alchemical energy consumed. Remaining alchemical energy: 72.5 points.

Total consumed in current Stage II: 109 points.

System upgrade commencing.

Prompt: The system has reached Level 3. Congratulations on comprehending the true meaning of Creation Alchemy. Award: 100 alchemical energy points, one spin of the prize wheel.

Current alchemical energy total: 172.5 points.

Level 3 alchemy features unlocked: You may now use four types of materials for alchemy, each attempt consuming 100 alchemical energy points.

Once 1000 points have been consumed, the system will advance to Level 4.

Authority to summon creatures from Myriad Beast Mountain unlocked, up to Iron rank.

Boundary Mist One of Myriad Beast Mountain unlocked.

A cascade of prompts—none of them bad news, but Wu You wasn’t ready for them.

Sure enough, as if waiting for him to process the previous information, another system prompt soon appeared.

System task: The Four Realms (I)

Task: Enter Myriad Beast Mountain, cross Boundary Mist One, and establish a foothold.

Reward: Two slots in alchemical creature storage. Must be accepted within 24 hours.

After the system prompts faded, Wu You pondered. The energy rewards were getting smaller, but with the ability to absorb red and blue gemstones, he could manage for now.

But what about after reaching Level 5, or even Level 9 in the future? High-quality red and blue gems aren’t as abundant as sand in a quarry.

Yet compared to the energy issue, the task title was even stranger—The Four Realms? And this is (I)? So there will also be (II), (III), and (IV)? What does “establish a foothold” mean?

The last two tasks hadn’t let him leave until completed, but this time…

No use worrying about it now. Better to draw the prize first, rest well tonight, and then pack some gear for Myriad Beast Mountain.

He chose to spin the wheel.

The tantalizingly spinning question mark flashed on the screen, and in a second, it was replaced by a large mask.

Congratulations! You have obtained: Mask (Rarity: Silver).

Description: When worn, it can alter your appearance, physique, and overall image. You can save up to three appearances, which you must design yourself. Adding a fourth will overwrite one of the previous three.

This item seemed impressive, but for now, it wasn’t of much use.