Chapter 82: The Empyrean Spirit Ring

After turning three corners, a deep pit, half the height of a wheel, appeared on the left side of the road. Mo Shu had intended to drive over it, but unexpectedly, a crazed, fanatical racing enthusiast burst onto the scene. The man waved the Carbon Black Gold team flag high, gave Mo Shu the finger, and pulled down his shorts.

"Ah!" Wang Yining instinctively covered her face and screamed.

Startled by her reaction, Mo Shu thought he was about to crash into something, and reflexively jerked the steering wheel. The rear wheels of his car plunged hard into the pit on the road.

"Damn!" Mo Shu cursed inwardly, not blaming Wang Yining, but remembering what other drivers had said: in rally racing, because of its special nature, many stages are nearly open to the public, and it's inevitable to encounter reckless fans like this. A few years ago, there were even fatal accidents involving spectators. He had never expected to be harassed today.

Although the fright didn't shake Mo Shu's nerves much, the pit undeniably threw off his rhythm. The car's speed slowed down instantly, and Ai Chixiang certainly wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity to catch up.

When Mo Shu downshifted three gears and revved up, preparing to accelerate again, the rearview mirror already showed Ai Chixiang's car flashing into sight.

Things were about to get bad. Ai Chixiang, having gradually copied Mo Shu's system skills, had been unstoppable in recent stages, and now that the chance to overtake had finally arrived, he would seize it without hesitation.

Mo Shu, at heart an honest man, didn't deliberately try to block Ai Chixiang's path even though he was at a disadvantage. Instead, since his speed was reduced, he generously gave way to the other side of the track.

"Are you really just going to let him overtake so easily?!" Wang Yining was displeased.

"There's nothing I can do. Our speed dropped, and if I purposely block him, the race officials would definitely penalize us for obstruction." Mo Shu's actions were entirely correct, though many chose not to follow the rules.

Wang Yining pouted angrily, thinking, "Only you would be so magnanimous, willing to suffer yourself rather than make things difficult for others."

Of course, Wang Yining wasn't the only one upset; countless fans were watching on TV and online.

Many of Mo Shu's supporters were puzzled.

"How could he give way? This isn't a city road!"

"Oh my Mo God, you can't be soft-hearted at a crucial moment!"

On the other hand, fans of Black Gold were showing little appreciation, launching into mockery and derision.

"Looks like this guy can't handle the pressure and is about to surrender."

"Haha, I thought he was some powerful driver, but when faced with our mighty Black Gold Ai Chixiang, he bows his head just the same."

"Support our Black Gold!"

"Strong support—everyone, start building threads!"

Ai Chixiang himself was even less gracious. Not only did he fail to thank Mo Shu for giving way, but as he overtook, he deliberately performed a subtle drift on the straightaway.

The wheels kicked up a spray of stones, pelting Mo Shu's car and windshield in a rattle of impacts.

Mo Shu's fans were even more dissatisfied, and some comments began to turn against their idol.

"Stupid! Why let him overtake? Isn't that boosting his morale and killing your own?"

"Such a letdown—I've liked Mo Shu for so long."

"As the saying goes, 'When rivals meet on a narrow road, the brave win.' If Mo Shu loses the championship this round, he'll surely regret his current cowardice!"

But just as the online debate was reaching fever pitch, what happened on the scene silenced everyone.

The weeds and shrubs on both sides of the track suddenly swayed wildly, as if an invisible stream of air was spreading out from Mo Shu's car.

Crackling sounds echoed.

Many fans distinctly heard several electric zaps from unknown sources, and then saw blue lightning flickering and darting across Ai Chixiang's car.

"Is he about to use some new skill?" Mo Shu, unaware due to his obstructed view inside the car, wondered aloud in surprise.

But the development was the opposite of what he imagined. After a surge and split of blue lightning, Ai Chixiang's car overtook Mo Shu by less than a hundred meters before abruptly halting, engine dead, quietly blocking the already narrow track.

"Could he have had a change of heart, letting me retake the lead?" Mo Shu didn't believe Ai Chixiang would be so benevolent, and grew wary of his opponent.

However, as Mo Shu passed by, Ai Chixiang was beating his chest and stamping his feet inside his car, cursing bitterly, making Mo Shu dismiss any notion of Ai Chixiang showing mercy.

What on earth had happened? It seemed that the blue lightning had directly caused Ai Chixiang's car to stall.

Ai Chixiang couldn't find the cause, neither could any of the fans, and Mo Shu and Wang Yining were just as baffled.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in Mo Shu's mind, prompting him to recall carefully. After a moment, he realized.

It was "Crowned Supreme"!

"Senior, how did you get into my mind? Did you replace my system lady?" Mo Shu was far more interested in the system lady than this old predecessor.

"Heh heh, why would I crawl into your head? Absurd, absurd. The technique I used is akin to your ancient Chinese art of transmitting thoughts across a thousand miles," Crowned Supreme replied proudly.

"Oh? So impressive? That car seemed to have stalled—was that your handiwork?" Mo Shu inquired mentally as he drove.

"Of course not. I only appeared to help you activate the Supreme Spirit Ring in your possession," Crowned Supreme replied, always keeping things mysterious.

"Could you explain in detail, please?" Mo Shu wasn't an extraterrestrial and naturally didn't understand the wonders of the Spirit Ring.

"Kindness, order, and not easily making enemies—these are the keys to unlocking the ring's limitless potential, and you possess them all. As for its functions after activation, let me give you a simple explanation:

First level skill, Mechanical EMP
Second level skill, Biological EMP
Third level skill, Group EMP

In plain terms, EMP is an electromagnetic pulse, capable of temporarily disabling machines. The upgraded versions can even cause biological entities to faint for a short time. To put it even simpler, it's like the control skills in your world's online games," Crowned Supreme concluded, making Mo Shu fully understand.

He should have said so earlier—Mo Shu was well versed in online games, and now he realized it was his own doing that accidentally caused Ai Chixiang's car to stall.

"Alright then, goodbye. Use this skill wisely, and never harm the innocent, or I'll find a way to reclaim your Supreme Spirit Ring," Crowned Supreme warned, his voice fading away as Mo Shu's mind returned to its usual clarity.

What an awesome skill! Mo Shu couldn't help but rejoice. In his gaming years, he loved playing characters with control skills.

Especially in PVP battles between armies, if a player could master a character to perfection, control skills could be chained together to form combos, turning the opponent into nothing but a gravestone.

Mo Shu quickly opened the Mechanical EMP skill description. The cooldown time was ten minutes, which meant he could use it at least once in every ERC stage—this move was truly extraordinary!