Chapter 1706: Dingding Flower Town
The tornado came suddenly and violently. Even though 4250 was prepared, he was still swept up along with his defensive barrier. 6109, familiar with the tornado's path, threw a string of metal shards ahead toward the ground. Those metal pieces, linked together like a chain, automatically exploded upon touching the ground, then were instantly swept into the raging wind. With the wind's momentum, they became unpredictable sharp weapons, attacking 4250, who was trapped inside, from all directions.
This move drew continuous cheers from the audience outside the arena. To capture the process more clearly, the number of holographic instruments in the arena was doubled, rotating 360 degrees around the field and occasionally capturing the situation in the audience stands.
The Golden-Eyed Player caught a fleeting glimpse of Xu Huo cheering.
After knocking on the door, he knew Xu Huo had already left the Sixteenth Ring. But because the staff had arranged for other players to interfere, he didn't follow immediately. However, he knew the man was still in the Green Gem Building.
He had used a tracking item on Xu Huo, so he knew exactly how far apart they were. Of course, he wouldn't waste a hundred thousand on a seat up front. Whether Xu Huo was trying to shake him off this way or deliberately leading him in circles, it didn't matter.
Positioning items or tracking traits were hard to guard against. Sometimes, it was impossible to tell if someone had tampered with you. But Xu Huo had been as careful as possible since getting on the vehicle. The "Life Flashback" had long passed its twelve-hour cooldown, and he had been wearing it the whole time. Yet the item hadn't activated, and the Golden-Eyed Player was still following him. Either the distance wasn't far enough, or the other party had pulled out some tricky new item.
He had no intention of leaving Zone 019 and then coming back. So, after putting some distance between them and confirming that no holographic instrument was capturing him, he used "Doorstep Visit."
"Doorstep Visit" was one of the clearance rewards for the Midsummer Night Star River Instance. It was a B-grade item. Compared to the "End-to-End Ring," which could also cross regions, "Doorstep Visit" could reach twice the maximum distance of the "End-to-End Ring" while also pinpointing a specific location on the map.
Dingding Flower Town was a bit far away, so Xu Huo had to use it three times before finally arriving.
He waited outside the town for a while. Seeing no sign of the Golden-Eyed Player catching up, he casually took out a backpack and put it on. Then, he bought a sun hat from a roadside stall, put it on, and slowly walked into the town.
It was a small town, surrounded by gently rolling hills. Many places were planted with fruit trees, and there were large patches of natural bamboo groves. The road into town was paved with crushed stone, forming various artistic patterns that gave it a strong sense of artistry.
Unlike the tech-filled city outside the station, this town had a unique style from its construction. It was a retirement town. Most of the buildings were two-story structures, colorful but not chaotic. From a distance, it looked like a cluster of flowers nestled in green mountains, fresh and pleasant.
There were many tourists here, but flying cars could only stop at the town entrance. Visitors got off there, so many people set up handmade stalls nearby. Residents of Zone 019 enjoyed excellent welfare benefits. People living here weren't short of money either. Most set up stalls out of personal interest or to show hospitality to outsiders, so prices were very reasonable.
For example, the sun hat Xu Huo bought was very cheap. It was hand-woven, with a string of fresh flowers pinned to it, giving it a strong local flavor.
Just as he reached the town gate, a few medium-sized flying cars pulled up behind him. When the doors opened, a tour guide got off first. After all the tourists had disembarked, he announced enthusiastically, "Everyone, this is Dingding Flower Town, the second hometown of the famous master painter Solan. Master Solan moved here with her mother and lived here from her first steps until adulthood. Now, Master Solan's family has moved away from Dingding Flower Town, but her former residence remains. Everyone can visit it later."
"Besides Master Solan's former residence, there are many stories she left behind in the town. I'll introduce them to you one by one once we enter. For now, please check your positioning devices."
"Alright, once you've confirmed your positioning devices are working, you can enter the town. Those who want to learn more about Master Solan's stories can follow me. Those who prefer to explore freely can do so. We'll gather in three hours at Master Solan's favorite restaurant, which is also the most famous one in Dingding Flower Town."
"Now, let's set off."
A group of more than twenty people entered the town. Among them, besides ordinary tourists, there were a few players. Like some of the tourists, they scattered freely as soon as they entered.
Dingding Flower Town was originally a retirement city. Later, because of the painter Solan's fame, it became a check-in spot for admirers. With too many outsiders coming and going, the town gradually changed. However, the locals were also very proud of Solan. Many houses and shops in the town used Solan's name as a signboard. For example, her favorite flower shop, the bakery she visited daily, the must-pass path for her evening walks, and small items with her handwriting or casual sketches... In short, Solan's name could be seen everywhere in the town. The residents were also happy to tell tourists about Solan's life here, show off the card paintings Solan had given them, and then refuse the envious tourists' high-price offers to buy them.
Although it was still a while until mealtime, the town was already filled with the aroma of food—the sweetness of baked bread, the fragrance of grilled meat, and the fresh scent of fruits and vegetables, constantly stimulating everyone's taste buds.
Xu Huo pushed aside a door curtain made of fresh flowers strung together at the entrance of a bakery and walked in. The owner looked up with a smile. "What would you like to buy, guest? We have freshly baked flower bread and famous painting cakes."
There were no display samples in the counter, but when the automatic oven sent out the bread, the rich floral fragrance and the lifelike flower shapes truly lived up to the name "flower bread."
"Guest, try one. Buy it if it's good." The owner gestured for him to make himself at home. "I just brewed some tea. Would you like a cup?"
Xu Huo didn't refuse. He sat down in the shop, tasted the bread, and then praised the owner's skill.
"The flowers used to make the bread are personally grown and selected by me. They haven't been soaked in any potions, so the flavor is very fresh. That's a taste that flowers catalyzed by potions can never achieve." With few customers in the shop, the owner simply sat at the same table with his tea and explained the bread-making process in detail.
"Machines are very convenient, but if you want the best taste, you still need a human touch." The owner said with a smile. "Little Solan used to love eating my bread. Even after she moved away, she often sent people back to buy it."
The owner didn't look his age. He then asked Xu Huo, "Are you also here looking for paintings?"