The two mechs, one pure black and the other silver-white, simultaneously activated their start keys; one immediately soared onto the arena, while the other took a few slow steps before leaping up. Simply judging by the instantaneous acceleration, Mu Ran's modified mech far outstripped Qi Ze's by more than a mile.
Old Man Yan struggled with the urge to cover his face but managed to hold back. After all, his grandson was a 4S-level meta-human, and yet his massive mental power couldn't bridge the gap in speed. How terrible could that D4 be? The audience, who had long anticipated this scenario, were unsurprised; some laughed heartily, others urged Yan Junyu to get off the stage quickly to avoid further embarrassment with Qi Ze. Still, there were those who watched with cold eyes.
The academic underachiever who had previously berated Qi Ze gloated, "See? The difference between the two mechs is apparent right from the start. Qi Ze didn't make any modifications, he just slapped on a coat of paint! I feel sorry for Senior Yan; he could have bound to anyone, but he chose Qi Ze, a guy who's all show and no substance! Just wait, once this bout ends, Qi Ze's career is over. No one will hire a mecha engineer who's both incompetent and irresponsible!"
The nobleman sitting behind him remained silent, but his face was grim. Ouyang Ye was too engrossed in the match to bother with an idiot.
Seeing no response, the underachiever only grew more audacious, pointing at the black mech and laughing peculiarly, "My God! Look at what Qi Ze prepared for Senior Yan! Others are equipped with pulse guns, but he's holding on to a laser sword. How long has this thing been obsolete? A hundred, or two hundred years? I can't believe on such a crucial day as the graduation exams, Qi Ze has the nerve to take it out!"
The onlookers also jeered in derision. To them, a laser sword was a relic of the past, existing only in textbooks, not reality. Even a laser gun would be better than this!
Old Man Yan could no longer hold back. Using the teacup as cover, he made a pained expression. All he wanted was to crack open his grandson's skull and see what he was thinking, agreeing to pilot such a low-performing mech! Qi Ze was something else! Mu Ran had upgraded his D4 to a T4, but Qi Ze had somehow turned his D4 into a G4, with no performance boost, only a significant decline. What kind of trickery was this? A freshman could do better than him!
No, wait, he was a freshman! He hadn't so much as crafted a single screw! Reminded of this, the old man felt a deep pang of regret, blaming himself for allowing his grandson to get mixed up with Qi Ze in his efforts to compensate for the hard times he'd endured!
There was a saying in that ancient dictionaryâ'Close to vermilion, you turn red; near ink, you become black.' Qi Ze was a lump of coal, as black as it could be. What good could come from associating with him?
Under the old man's regret, the two mechs finally moved. The Fifth Prince put away his pulse gun, switching to close combat. He was clearly holding back, not using any lethal weapons, while Yan Junyu, with his rich combat experience and higher mental power, held his own at first.
Both were top-notch among the special forces, with exceptional combat skills. No matter how difficult the actions, they executed them with easeâspinning, dodging, side kicks, elbow strikes, they traded blows, one on the offensive, the other on the defensive, the scene was exhilarating. The spectators, who had been booing, finally quieted down, sincerely marveling: if not for Young Master Yan's strength supporting him, Qi Ze would have been utterly defeated!
"He only dares to do this because he's bound to Young Master Yan! Even if he doesn't modify anything, Young Master Yan can still secure a win for him!" Unquestionably, the underachiever was a die-hard fan of Yan Junyu. No wonder his tone was so sour when talking about Qi Ze.
The nobleman sneered, "Wake up, don't blindly trust meta-humans. Once they enter the cockpit, the deciding factor for victory isn't their individual rank but the mecha's performance. A D-type mecha before a T-type is only ever going to be crushed. The Fifth Prince is intentionally going easy on Yan Junyu right now; once he's done playing, he'll naturally blast him off the stage."
As if on cue, the Fifth Prince lost patience, transforming his hands into cannon barrels and firing at Yan Junyu. With his agile movements and powerful predictive skills, Yan Junyu dodged the cannon fire, performing several consecutive backflips to retreat to the edge of the arena. Feeling he still had energy to spare, he didn't press the black button but instead searched for an opportunity amidst the dense barrage.
The silver-white mech, eager to showcase Mu Ran's modifications, was now unleashing its full force, with heavy weapons extending from its shoulders and chest, the "rat-a-tat-tat" of gunfire echoing throughout the arena. The black mech was initially able to fend off a few shots with its laser sword, but soon it was only dodging.
Old Man Yan had closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight of his grandson being humiliated. The recording camera zoomed in on him, then flew down to the audience, only to discover Qi Ze chatting with the Li family head, his eyes and brows filled with bright smiles, not sparing a glance at the stage.
"You fucking shit! Young Master Yan is fighting for you on stage, and you're flirting with a man down here? Get down here, and I'll beat you to death!" Yan Junyu's fans were enraged. It was their first time seeing their idol in such a sorry state. What did it mean to have no defense? What did it mean to be pressed into a corner? This was it! A 4S-level meta-human, destined to be a star at the pinnacle of power, was in such an awkward position because he had trusted the wrong person. He didn't feel the pain, but those watching felt it for him.
"Please, just concede!" some fans shouted loudly.
"Young Master Yan never concedes voluntarily." someone sighed helplessly beside them.
The fans were furious, the onlookers watched with cold eyes, and the haters gloated. The people sitting in the audience each had their thoughts, but none believed Yan Junyu could win.
Mu Ran stood under the arena, his brows furrowed as he scrutinized Yan Junyu and Qi Ze's performances. One was terribly embarrassed, the other relaxed. This contrast only represented two possibilities: one, Qi Ze's trump card hadn't been played yet; two, this D4 was indeed just an ordinary D4.
Yet, no matter what, he had decided to take Qi Ze's life today. Thinking this, he closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair as if he were already the victor. The flying camera captured his cool and unruffled manner and deemed the footage good, immediately posting it to the public holo-screen.
The mecha engineering students could only concede, Mu Ran was still a god-like presence in the realm of mecha engineering, even though the Mu family had fallen. If there was someone who could catch up to or even surpass Master Mu Feixing, it was none other than Mu Ran.
On the stage, the black mech continued to struggle in vain, while below, several mechas in standby silently activated their scanning systems. At the same time, Qi Ze and Li Ziqian suddenly felt a chill down their spines.
"A'kui, there's danger here, quickly take us away," Li Ziqian reacted swiftly. Meng Kui was a 3S-level martial arts specialist, with strength far beyond the norm, immediately shouldering the BOSS, chair and all, and grabbing Master Qi under the armpit, he retreated hastily from the arena. The BOSS had been on the verge of 4S and tempered by the fires of war; his intuition would never be wrong.
Sure enough, as A'kui was about to step over the barrier, the mechas that had been set aside suddenly started up simultaneously, launching fierce attacks at them. Particle bullets, pulse cannons, laser cannons, neutron bombs, ultrasonic wavesâthis batch of graduates, shielded by privacy protections, had completely let loose, daring to equip their D4s with any lethal weapons.
A'kui, however mighty, was still a flesh and blood body, no match for these steel giants. After a few evasive maneuvers, he was soon riddled with wounds. This sudden turn of events stunned the school and the audience, but they were too far away, unable to offer immediate help. The graduates in the arena were a bunch of weaklings, with no other choice but to flee; their drivers, responsible for protecting their safety, were also preoccupied and couldn't respond.
"Hurry, notify the military! Quickly, quickly!" Headmaster Helian shouted anxiously. Old Man Yan had already contacted Xu Qi and dispatched his bodyguards to rescue them.
Chaos ensued in the arena. Soon, they discovered that the suddenly out-of-control mechas seemed to only target Qi Ze, Young Master Li, and Meng Kui, posing no threat to others. The drivers hadn't even logged in, so why could they activate automatically and how did they pinpoint their targets? A series of puzzles emerged, but no one had the time to ponder them deeply.
From sensing danger to fleeing and being pursued, the process seemed long but had actually only taken a few brief seconds. A'kui was ultimately no match for several mechas, his legs blasted off, Li Ziqian falling to the ground and exposed to the gunfire. Qi Ze rolled over beside them, seeing a crimson particle cannon heading their way, without thinking, he shielded them with his body. He was wearing a dharma robe, capable of withstanding the impact of hundreds of shells, but these two were mere mortals and would surely die.
Pressed beneath the youth, Li Ziqian's golden-brown vertical pupils narrowed into a thin line. He never imagined that in such a dire moment, the Master would rush over to protect him instead of fleeing.
Why? Strictly speaking, they only had the relationship of employer and engineer. But now wasn't the time to ponder the answer. Li Ziqian strained his arms, trying to push the youth out of the line of fire. He had been a cripple for twenty years, dead or alive, it didn't matter much, but the youth was different, young and exceptionally talented, deserving of a brighter future.
At this critical moment, a pure black mech appeared like a specter before the three, swinging its laser sword to split the particle cannon. The laser sword released a cold arc of light, its momentum unabated, and it sliced the mecha that had rushed up after it into two perfectly symmetrical halves.
After destroying this mecha, the black mech casually tore off its two chest plates, kneading them into a protective shield and placing it over the trio's heads, then continued to assault the other mechas. The laser sword in its hand had turned from red to icy blue, its sharpness was unimaginable. The hard D-alloy, upon encountering the sword light, was like tofu, instantly shattering into pieces.
And that wasn't all; its speed was also frighteningly fast, leaving only trails that could not be discerned with the naked eye. The reconnaissance detectors of the other mechas didn't have time to pinpoint its location before they were strangely beheaded.
Whether it was firepower or speed, the black mech had undergone a tremendous upgrade, while the Fifth Prince's silver mech had been blasted off its legs long ago, lying motionless on the arena. No one had actually seen how the victor was determined.
One mecha fell, two mechas fell, three mechas fell... The black mech didn't need to use thermal weapons; it cleanly dismantled them with just a laser sword and its eerie speed. It was a one-sided slaughter; if the mechas were replaced with humans, the scene would be filled with blood and severed limbs.
The black mech, which had been unable to defeat the silver mech in a battle that lasted dozens of minutes earlier, took down nine mechas, no less powerful than the silver mech, in just a few short seconds. Who was being modest, and who was holding back, the answer was clear.
In less than a minute, the gunfire had died down. The crowd hiding behind the barricades looked at the black mech standing quietly in the arena with various expressions of surprise, shock, or enthusiasm, finally understanding its terrifying power. However, the next second, sparks burst from the black mech's power compartment, and the icy blue laser sword in its hand suddenly vanished, leaving only a handle.
"Ah! Why did it break!" someone cried out in agony, his expression as if he himself had broken. Laments echoed one after another, forming a chorus; without a doubt, everyone in the arena was awed by the superlative performance of the mecha. If Mu Ran's modified mecha had reached the level of a T-type mecha, then this mecha was absolutely beyond S-level, it was a quasi-superpower mecha!
But how did Qi Ze manage to do it without any visible change in appearance? This question had only just entered the audience's minds when they belatedly understood why Qi Ze had appeared so relaxed, not even sparing a glance at the stage. Ask yourself, if you brought out a wild beast you'd raised to fight a pet dog, would you be interested in the outcome? The answer was clearly no.
Qi Ze, the eighteen-year-old level-nine mecha engineer, this halo that should have been dazzling under the label of carbon-based human, finally deeply imprinted on everyone's heart at this moment. His talent and ability were beyond doubt; he was a rising star with the potential to surpass Mu Ran, even Master Mu Feixing.
The deans and headmasters showed expressions of shame, blaming themselves for their misjudgment. Old Man Yan emerged from behind the barricade, stroking his bald head and laughing heartily. He saw his grandson jump out of the cockpit in a hurry, run to Qi Ze, pick him up, and hold him tightly. He buried his cheeks in the youth's shoulder, his expression unreadable, but his slightly trembling body betrayed his inner fear. He truly cared for the youth, regarding his safety as his own life.
The youth looked disdainful, but his actions were honest, tightly wrapping his arms around his waist and neck, messing up his black hair from behind.
These two looked more and more like a couple, even if they weren't now, they surely would be in the future. Old Man Yan laughed even louder, sighing heartily, "Good kid, to be able to snatch such a genius, I thought he'd end up alone!"
For the Yan family, Qi Ze, who was single and possessed extraordinary abilities, was undoubtedly the best choice for an alliance. Although Mu Ran was now also single, there were too many interests entangled behind him; if the Yan family took him in, they might bring disaster upon themselves. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it as inviting a wolf into the house.
"Are you okay?" Yan Junyu tried to keep his voice level.
"Of course I'm fine," Qi Ze ruffled his soft hair.
"I saw you blocking the shells for Li Ziqian," Yan Junyu gritted his teeth, "When we get back, I must punish you. The new dorm rules must includeâunder no circumstances put yourself in danger!"
"If you were there, I would have blocked the shells for you too," Qi Ze patted his arm like a steel vise, exasperated.
Yan Junyu's stern expression froze for a moment before slowly easing. He put the youth down, but due to his reluctance, he hugged him again and rubbed him for a few more times before requesting Li Ziqian's help in looking after him. It took him several minutes to shuffle off to deal with the aftermath. Ouyang Ye, Wang Xuan, and Mo Tianlei circled around the pile of broken parts, running over.
Li Ziqian chose his words carefully, asking, "Master, why did you run over to save me?"
"Yeah, that was too dangerous, you could have..." A'kui couldn't bear to say the "die" word, silently vowing: from now on, he, Meng Kui, would be at Master Qi's disposal.
"Your balance hasn't been settled, could I just watch you die?"
This answer surprised Li Ziqian slightly, but thinking about it, it was entirely in the Master's style. He pondered for a moment and couldn't help but laugh softly, his eyes rippling with a pleasant and bright light. From this moment, that part of his emotions, which had been missing for so long, seemed to have been awakened by the Master. He could try to trust the people around him and try to appreciate the beautiful aspects of life.
The world might be dark, but it was not devoid of hope and light.
"Thank you," this phrase was said so softly, but it came from the depths of his heart.
On the devastated arena, the few remaining recording devices were still dutifully working, faithfully recording everything that had happened and transmitting the footage to the star network. How Young Master Yan acted like a pig to eat a tiger, how he blasted the silver mech's legs off with a single cannon, how he took down nine modified mechasâthe exciting scenes were watched over and over again by his fans, licked and re-posted, and in no time, they stunned the entire Galaxy.
"Worship the god! This pair is simply perfect! Overpowered modification skills, overpowered driving skills, they created today's godly battle! I don't know why the other few mechas lost control or why they chased after Young Master Li so persistently, I only know that these nine mechas were absolutely the carefully selected killing tools of the mastermind behind the scenes. Judging from the scale of weapons and the level of the power compartments, they were undoubtedly the top performers among all the graduation projects. Even if their performance couldn't compare to Mu Ran's mecha, it definitely wasn't far off! In other words, Young Master Yan's mecha defeated nine, no, ten with the Fifth Prince's mecha included... ten quasi-T-type mechas, in just a few dozen seconds. What does that mean?" an experienced mecha enthusiast analyzed.
"This means that the mecha modified by Qi Ze has already far surpassed the T level, reaching the S level or even higher. As everyone knows, S-level mechas have another name, called super mechas. If they take a step forward and upgrade the power compartment and mental power control system, they can be transformed into super mechas in no time. And what's even more terrifying is that no one realized before what modifications he had made to the mecha. Is this terrifying? Tell me, is it?"
Someone replied below, "Indeed, it is terrifying, but upgrading the power compartment and mental power control system isn't as simple as you say. It involves many advanced and sophisticated technologies. Given Qi Ze's current level, without relevant data for reference, it might take him years, even decades, to study. Of course, I'm not belittling him by saying this. In ten to twenty years, he will still be young, with limitless prospects!"
Agreeing with this opinion, tens of thousands of comments piled up. One comment stood out: "Hey, when you're worshiping Qi Ze, won't you worry about your wallets? Did anyone bet big on the Fifth Prince winning? If so, step forward and make me feel better!"
"Line up! Lost my underwear!"
"Strongly line up! Quit gambling from now on!" Such comments began to flood in, and the topic quickly veered off course. But Young Master Yan's battle video remained at the top of the star network's trending topics, with its popularity unabated. When mentioning Qi Ze, titles such as "the strongest carbon-based human in history," "supernova," and "mecha youth" were bestowed upon him. The classmates from the Neptune Military Academy, who had once scoffed at him, now popped up one by one, describing Qi Ze's unknown side with vivid language, and claiming they had long known he would shock the world.
"Tsk! Asking me for Young Master Qi's contact information, I'd never tell you!" Ouyang Ye irritably turned off the communication channel.
Wang Xuan glanced at him, holding back a question that had been on his mind. He vaguely realized that the person who had repaired his G9 might have been Qi Ze. But now, G9 was still in the hands of the Yan family, so he couldn't possibly expose Qi Ze. But Qi Ze and Young Master Yan had a good relationship, what was going on?
After much deliberation, he decided to honor his previous commitment and remain silent about the G9 matter.
Mu Ran emerged from some corner, directing several rescuers to carry the Fifth Prince out of the cockpit. Because Yan Junyu had avoided vital points and only attacked the legs, the Fifth Prince wasn't injured, only exhausted from his mental power being drained.
His face was grim as he said word by word, "I thought Yan Junyu had gone crazy, but it turned out we were mistaken. That Qi Ze is very strong..." recalling the ghostly figure of the black mech, he gritted his teeth and emphasized, "Not just strong! I saw very clearly, from the level of an ordinary D4 to a quasi-superpower mecha, Yan Junyu spent only a few hundredths of a second, his equipment upgraded almost instantaneously. The icy blue laser sword can only be condensed by an ultra-high-energy emitter; for every second of condensation, the energy consumed is enough to drain the power compartments of three D4s simultaneously. So his power compartment has also been modified! But it looks no different in appearance, not even you could detect it! Where did he find this kid, Qi Ze!"
The Fifth Prince clenched his fists forcefully, his heart full of humiliation. A battle that was sure to win ended in his miserable defeat; the Emperor would surely be disappointed in him.
Mu Ran responded absentmindedly. On the one hand, he was stunned by Qi Ze's superior skills, and on the other hand, he was secretly worried about the revenge to come. From the few interactions he had with him, he understood that Qi Ze held grudges very much, almost to the point of paying back every slight, so this matter was definitely not over!