Chapter 357: The Drifting Technique
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Looking right ahead, the divine chariots that were lagging behind the frontrunners were starting to decelerate!
The importance of slowing down before a bend in the road was common knowledge for drivers of both cars and divine chariots!
Otherwise, if one was careless, an accident could happen at any time. Even the Old Driver might accidentally overturn his car.
However, Xu Que did not slow down. Instead, he continued to let his AE86 consume fuel as he accelerated. The sound of his engine reverberated throughout the Imperial Tombs!
"This guy is absolutely crazy!"
"He's too impatient. At this rate, he will careen off the mountain path!"
All the spectators were frightened and exclaiming.
The Third Prince looked worried and murmured, "this is bad. Xu Que will certainly lose control of the divine chariot and will not be able to reduce his speed!"
"Young Master Xu, be careful!" the Seventh Princess could not help but shout. Her face was full of worry and anxiety.
The Metal Emperor sitting on his throne was slightly taken aback as well.
The Empress Dowager inside her divine chariot narrowed her eyes and continued to stare closely at Xu Que's car.
At the top of the mountain, the Second Prince commented in a mocking tone, "ultimately, you'll still lose!"
Zhang Lin, who had withdrawn from the race due to his damaged divine chariot, was standing beside the mountain path. With a face full of disdain, he shook his head. "He's too young to fully realise and grasp what it means to be a divine chariot master."
"Chariot King Zhang, why isn't he slowing down?" asked someone curiously.
"This is normal. That boy's a simpleton. He thinks that he can win with frenzied acceleration. But that will actually cause him to lose control of the divine chariot due to his high speed. In any case, it's too late now even if he realises his mistake!"
"So that's how it is!" Those who heard that were nodding their heads.
...
Everyone's sights were focused on the curve that Xu Que was about to reach!
At this point, Xu Que's AE86 had begun to overtake the other divine chariots due to his tremendous speed. Even as he was closing in towards the curve, he did not attempt to slow down.
Through the car windows, everyone could see the perseverance and brimming confidence in Xu Que's eyes.
"What's going on?"
"He seems to have so much self-confidence. I think he hasn't given up!"
"It can't be. Does he think that under such speed, he can still maneuver past the curve?"
Many people who had seen Xu Que's facial expression were loudly discussing their thoughts.
Under everyone's nervous gazes, Xu Que's car finally reached the curve!
Suddenly, Xu Que made his move.
His limbs worked amazingly fast; his hand quickly adjusted the gear, his right leg stepped on the brakes while the other leg stepped on the accelerator, kicking the pedals in and out interchangeably!
Just as the front of the car neared the curve, Xu Que's hand turned the steering wheel rapidly.
Scrreeech!
Suddenly, the sharp sound of the car braking resonated everywhere in the area.
Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Xu Que's car tires seemed to have lost control and under the inertial force, the whole car tilted and drifted through the bending curve.
Swoosh!
In the bat of an eyelid, the car drifted through the curve at a whopping speed. After drifting through the curve steadily and smoothly, Xu Que rapidly changed gear when the path straightened out and stepped on the accelerator. The car sped up once more and sprang forward like an arrow!
Drifting, it's just that simple!
Xu Que had completed the whole process smoothly and in one attempt, from entering the curve to leaving the curve. It was natural and smooth, like flowing water!
The entire audience fell silent!
Everyone looked at the beautiful skid marks left by the AE86, and was stumped for a long time.
These traces were indisputably the marks left by the tires during the drifting. The marks were very conspicuous and impactful!
"He… he passed through the curve?"
"He didn't lose control? How… how is that possible?"
"Heavens! How did he do it?"
"What happened just now? How did he pass through the curve in such a fantastic way?"
Many people's mouths were agape with disbelief. They didn't even know what had just happened!
Such a dramatic display of technique!
Such spectacular drifting!
This was a scene that none of the cultivators of the Metal Nation had ever seen!
All cultivators in the Metal Nation would automatically decelerate their divine chariots when they needed to maneuver through a curve. It was the most basic knowledge in their country for driving a divine chariot.
Nobody would have thought that one could pass through a curve like Xu Que!
Besides Xu Que, the rest of the contestants were completely incapable of performing such an eye-catching drift. Everyone had watched the scene incredulously, feeling that they must be dreaming…
The Metal Emperor was staring with his eye wide open as well. He was very surprised that Xu Que could maneuver through a curve like that!
In a divine chariot further away, a glimmer of surprise flashed past the Empress Dowager's face.
The Second Prince stood frozen in his position over at the top of the mountain.
"How is this possible? How did he do it?"
Zhang Lin, who was standing with the audience, went pale with horror. "No, this can't be true. How can anyone be able to control a divine chariot so well?"
The Third Prince, Seventh Princess and the rest of their group were startled and amazed at the same time.
"He's too good! I didn't expect that at such a high speed, he could tilt the car so strangely and drift through the curve so smoothly!"
"Heavens, his Soul Strength must be immensely strong for him to perform that technique!"
"Seems like we've underestimated Young Master Xu's ability right from the start! Seventh Sister really didn't misjudge him!"
"As long as he maintains such a speed, he can still get a position within the top ten. Our Third Brother still has hope!"
The princes were really thrilled as they expressed their thoughts to the Third Prince.
The Third Prince heaved a sigh of relief and nodded lightly. He looked towards the Seventh Princess. "Seventh Sister, it seems that you were right about Xu Que. He's really extraordinary!"
"Third Brother, you think too highly of me. Actually… I didn't expect him to be so strong in terms of driving a divine chariot!" smiled the Seventh Princess, with a hint of bitterness hidden beneath her veil.
Earlier on, she had been desperately trying to communicate privately with Xu Que via Soul Strength. She hadn't expected Xu Que to be so good with divine chariots…
Swoosh!
Meanwhile, Xu Que's AE86 was catching up from behind. As he didn't need to reduce his speed too much when he maneuvered through the curve, the time he saved enabled him to overtake more than half the divine chariots.
"Tsk, tsk, another harvest of Acting Tough Points! Everyone, hats off to my drifting technique right?"
Xu Que gripped the steering wheel with a jubilant face!
Obviously, this drifting technique had been executed so successfully that not only he was in the spotlight, but he had also earned a ton of Acting Tough Points!
In addition, seeing each and every one of the divine chariots that he overtook, Xu Que knew that first place was still within his grasp!
With that realisation, the smile on his face deepened!
The Empress Dowager inside her divine chariot caught his smile.
"This young man definitely did not come from simple origins," muttered the Empress Dowager to herself thoughtfully. "Having come here to participate in the Imperial Tombs Contest… I'm afraid his motives won't be simple either…"