Chapter 1

Zhou Naiyi and the others felt a pang of nervousness. According to the data they had gathered before the match, Tai Chen's main mecha was the Phantom Fighter. The Dark Night Saber had a certain advantage against the Phantom Fighter, and Musashi specialized in dealing with flashy opponents. Why had he suddenly switched to Thunderfire?

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, two mobile suits descended into Kepler Jungle, with Fire Man and Crazy Warrior Daren roaring along!

Musashi and Tai Chen considered each other rivals, and it was now a question of who was better prepared. Both possessed wind abilities, one trained in ancient martial arts, the other in the Heavenly Heart Style. In terms of popularity, the Heavenly Heart Style far surpassed ancient martial arts. Tai Chen also had the edge in the Golden Zone realm. It could only be said that Musashi had a chance.

Tai Chen stared at his opponent, drawing his Thunder Blade. Red flames blazed along the blade, engulfing the entire Thunderfire mecha. On the other side, Musashi drew his Blood Moon from the Dark Night Saber, Wind Qi, and red flames ignited, turning Musashi's pupils crimson.

Boom.

The two mobile suits charged forward simultaneously, instantly meeting in the center of the arena. The Thunderfire mecha executed a Flash Strike, the Thunder Blade's killing intent soaring as it aimed directly at the Dark Night Saber. The Blood Moon fearlessly met the attack.

Boom.

The two titanium blades clashed violently, the immense force causing the Dark Night Fighter to reel back, but Musashi's center of gravity remained unshaken. In that split second of exchange, he had already prepared a defensive counterattack. The Blood Moon swept out with even greater force. Clang, clang, clang, clang.

The two mobile suits engaged in a furious exchange of blows within a small area, enveloped in a storm of blades, electric sparks, and explosive flames. The violent collisions reverberated through the arena.

Tai Chen and Musashi were the strongest gale ability users in this year's S-competition, but their styles were completely different. Musashi's wind was contained within, while Tai Chen's wind exuded a fierce killing aura.

"Tai Chen is using the orthodox Heavenly One Speed Slash of the Heavenly Heart Style, while Musashi is using the martial arts passed down from the Wu family. One pursues the ultimate in efficient and high-speed strikes, while the other seeks control of the sword's artistic essence. The former is easy to master quickly and produces noticeable results, while the latter takes a long time to show results and is difficult to cultivate."

"That's why there are so few descendants of the Wu family. He belongs to the smallest minority even among ancient martial arts families."

"The emergence of the Golden Zone, in a way, saved ancient martial arts. At this point, mental cultivation is somewhat useful, otherwise it would truly be eliminated."

Ancient martial arts were difficult to cultivate, produced results slowly, and in recent years, their upper limit was not high. They had gradually faded out or undergone changes. Only the Wu family persisted in preserving their heritage, but the results were increasingly declining. If not for the consecutive appearances of Wu Fa and Musashi, they would probably have been removed from the ranks. This time, Musashi had indeed given everyone a huge surprise.

Every move of Tai Chen had a clear pattern. Fast attack speed did not mean being unsound. Training in the Heavenly Heart Style was famously rigorous. Coupled with the speed advantage, he instantly suppressed the Dark Night Fighter. The laser eyes of the Thunderfire mecha also occasionally launched harassing attacks, suppressing the Dark Night Fighter's counterattacks.

In terms of mecha performance, the Thunderfire was still superior to the Dark Night. Tai Chen's titanium sword moved faster and faster. "Chaotic Gale!"

Heavenly Heart Mad Blade Slash.

The Thunderfire mecha instantly unleashed a gust of wind, and the Thunder Blade followed a faint trajectory, making the blade speed even more frenzied. Thunderfire completely suppressed all possible attacks from the Dark Night. Musashi relied on the Blood Moon and its scabbard, fully focused on defense. Of course, as long as he blocked this round of furious attacks, the next counterattack would be something the Thunderfire would have to endure.

The details lay in the footwork of both sides. They were both masters in this aspect. The preemptive move of every attack was actually footwork suppression. The Gale Trample Step of the Thunderfire mecha was quite sharp and imposing. Swoosh.

A sound of air being torn apart. The Thunder Blade missed. The Dark Night Fighter suddenly retreated, and in the next second, the Thunderfire mecha suddenly advanced. The Thunder Blade swayed, just a feint. The mecha instantly rotated, a low swing, a one-hundred-eighty-degree feint, once again forcing the defending Dark Night Fighter to yield position. The true killing move was a one-hundred-eighty-degree spinning upper kick!

Boom.

The Dark Night Fighter was hit, staggering. The Thunderfire mecha did not land at all, rising into the air, causing a rumble. Red flames exploded like needles.

Heavenly Heart Style—Thunder Strike!

Boom.

The Blood Moon and its scabbard blocked simultaneously. The Dark Night Fighter's body sank. The Thunderfire mecha paused, and a powerful strike was about to come down.

Bang.

The Dark Night Fighter performed a Swallow Flight Return in place, blocking the attack while creating distance. But this Swallow Flight Return did not fully connect. The Thunder Blade executed a very subtle graze, disrupting the attack. Instantly advancing, the Thunderfire mecha cut in, executing the fastest Mountain Crash!

Boom.

The Dark Night Fighter took off from the ground and flew more than twenty meters, crashing into the jungle. The Thunderfire mecha charged forward three steps and stopped the pursuit.

His force was obviously not that great. Musashi was using the force to create distance. If he recklessly plunged into the jungle, he would definitely be ambushed.

Sure enough, not long after, the Dark Night Fighter ejected from the jungle and landed with a bang.

After a round of exchanges, the Thunderfire mecha had a slight advantage, but the consumption was definitely greater.

Both sides knew that Tai Chen's mastery of Flowing Heart Martialism was more complete. If it was a stalemate, Tai Chen, even if he consumed more, should be able to endure it. But if Musashi delayed, it was unclear, and there was also his injury.

"If Tai Chen doesn't increase the intensity, Musashi is the kind of warrior who can create miracles. Then the outcome will be hard to say."

"Tai Chen wouldn't make such a stupid mistake, right? Musashi, on the whole, doesn't have any weaknesses. The only thing he lacks is the intensity of the Golden Zone. He needs to constantly apply pressure until the opponent collapses."

"The Martians have already pasted the tactics on their faces. If you can't even copy the homework well, Galaxy is too useless."

The people in the contestant area were very clear. Musashi's fundamentals were among the best in the entire S-competition. He couldn't be given a chance.

Tai Chen's Zone value increased again, directly maxing out. Musashi also had to passively keep up, otherwise he might be caught off guard by a mental attack during the exchange.

The people at Tianjing Mecha Martial Academy had actually considered this situation. Their Golden Zone grew quickly, but the solidity was definitely not enough. In other words, under the same intensity, they either had to reduce their own consumption or reduce the time. In fact, this was the most terrifying aspect of their opponent in the semi-finals.

The Thunderfire mecha attacked, completely different from the probing round just now. Tai Chen went all out, the mecha constantly seeking confrontation, but not necessarily the kind that would be fatal with a single blow. However, with each collision, Tai Chen would look for an opportunity to release a mental blast. The titanium blade crossed with mental blasts, constantly bombarding Musashi.

Musashi's Dark Night Saber was very stable, still steadily resisting the opponent's attacks in the face of this situation. The two mecha had their own strengths in terms of technology, but in the Golden Zone, Musashi was obviously at a disadvantage. Galaxy and Luna were much ahead in this aspect, but the previous teams did not have such a clear targeted tactic.

As expected, after a few minutes of continuous confrontation, accompanied by an ear-piercing alarm, the first wave of giant insects arrived, instantly engulfing both of them. However, with their combat power, these giant insects were quickly dealt with. The Thunderfire mecha immediately approached, not giving Musashi a chance to breathe. The Golden Zone confrontation was once again maxed out.

This was the first time Musashi had faced this level of targeting. In the past, he would look for flaws in mecha combat, but Galaxy chose to find flaws in the Golden Zone. This kind of cultivation was not a specialty of ancient martial arts.

The people of Tianjing Mecha Martial Academy were watching anxiously. Zhou Naiyi was also amazed. No one knew that before entering the World Competition, Tianjing Mecha Martial Academy had begun mental confrontation training. At first, they used giant insects, and later, Li Hao personally took the field to apply pressure, each time pushing them to the limit. After that, everyone complained incessantly, wondering if it was necessary to be so crazy. If it was in the early stages of awakening, it would be fine, but it was still like this after awakening. Li Hao's plan at the time was probably not to break through further, but to strengthen the resilience of their minds, the ability to withstand mental consumption.

Who would have thought that this training would actually be used in the semi-finals?

Tai Chen in the arena also noticed something was wrong. He was the attacking side, so his consumption was definitely more than Musashi's. But in the constant confrontation, he always found that he seemed to be showing weakness, passively defending. But after fighting for so long, the feeling his opponent gave him was exactly the same.

Boom.

The Thunder Blade flashed, suddenly becoming fierce, and forcibly created distance.

"Musashi, you're doing it on purpose!" Tai Chen didn't think this feeling was a fluke. There was no such thing as such a coincidence.

The Dark Night Saber's Blood Moon swayed. Musashi didn't have any mental exhaustion. "You think that things you all thought of, Hao-ge wouldn't have thought of?"

Tai Chen clicked his tongue. It was really disgusting. The Galaxy team had used great effort to investigate the situation of Musashi and others. Tianjing Mecha Martial Academy did not have the talent and equipment for Golden Zone training, so their breakthroughs should all be wild growth, with unstable foundations. Mental strength and the resilience of physical strength were two different things and could not be confused. In other words, not to mention levels like Cheng Konghai, Musashi and others were likely to be flashy on the outside but weak on the inside.

Damn Li Mo, back then, Tianjing Mecha Martial Academy was just a bunch of losers. How could they have thought so far ahead?

Ma Long and others also reacted, including Ma Long. Intensity and other things could not be forced, but endurance must be sufficient. Ma Long's healing ability after entering Flowing Heart Martialism was not the same as before. Coupled with Zhou Naiyi's assistance, it was enough for Musashi to recover. The attack power of Thunderous Movement Breathing Technique was comparable to Soul Origin, so there was a chance.

The only thing was that Musashi didn't know what Tai Chen's ultimate move was. The previous opponents were not strong enough. All he knew was that in addition to the Gale ability, he also had the ability to be invisible.

The whirlwind around the Thunderfire mecha became more and more violent. With a loud bang, the two mecha shook apart by more than ten meters, but then charged forward again at the same time. Swoosh.

"Don't look at me so intensely, people will misunderstand!" Li Hao quickly waved his hand.

Zhou Naiyi and others all laughed, their confidence greatly increased. The biggest weakness was actually something that Li Hao had grasped from the beginning.

"Don't be so complacent!" Tai Chen said in a deep voice, his Golden Zone increasing again, and a huge blood-red mantis appeared as a light and shadow.

Flowing Heart Martialism—Blood Mantis Soul Origin.

The level of the Golden Zone instantly suppressed Musashi. Reaching Soul Origin was the sign that the Golden Zone had completely matured. It had to be admitted that due to Musashi's foundation, his performance and growth potential were very high with the same Zone value. But at this time, he was facing Tai Chen, who was at the same level and also had a solid foundation.

Tai Chen originally wanted to exhaust Musashi. His strategy was seen through, and he was also prepared, especially by that person. Tai Chen immediately executed Plan B.

Musashi was not afraid at all. Although he was a little weaker in the Golden Zone, there were opportunities in mecha battles. All the way here, he had encountered only strong enemies.

With a loud roar, the flames of the Dark Night Fighter also burned fiercely.

Boom.

The two mecha attacked at the same time. Musashi was no longer defending. He was ultimately inferior to his opponent in terms of maximum consumption. He needed to find an opportunity in the collision, even if it was a one-for-one exchange.

Mu Style—Gale of No Return!

Accompanied by the roar of the hurricane, the red light of the Blood Moon cut through the sky and struck towards the Thunderfire mecha. Tai Chen's pupils also shrank instantly, changing from attack to defense, and the titanium shield suddenly came up.

With a loud bang, the two mobile suits crossed each other. Red light exploded, the mecha sizzled, and the titanium shield was torn apart by the blade light outside the defensive range, but it did not cause substantial damage to the mecha.

The two mobile suits pulled back at the same time, not wanting to give the opponent a chance. The Thunder Blade roared, and the Blood Moon screamed.

Boom.

Mu Style—Gale of Thousand Transformations!

Heavenly Heart Style—Gale Tornado Slash!

Clang, clang, clang, clang.

Both pilots were getting heated, the Blood Moon and Thunder Blade frantically clashing. The Dark Night's scabbard always unexpectedly pulled the Thunderfire mecha's movements, making it hard to defend against. But Tai Chen was not the previous opponent. The titanium shield always blocked at critical moments, and he was very adapted to Musashi's pseudo-dual blade mode. This was also the foundation of the Heavenly Heart Style.

Boom.

The Thunder Blade and Blood Moon were locked together, the two mecha frantically wrestling, the engines roaring, and the flames constantly colliding. Tai Chen's Thunderfire Zeus had just lit up its laser eyes when the Dark Night Fighter rammed into it, boom...

The mecha leaned back at the same time, the laser eyes shot off course, boom boom.

The Blood Moon and Thunder Blade flew out with the wind and suddenly exploded together, not giving each other any chance. The attack postures were all maxed out. As long as someone showed any flaw, they would be submerged by the opponent's tidal wave of attacks.

The two pilots who were good at attacking, and the two most popular mid-sized super mecha in the solar system, were likely to be decided in the next few minutes.

The crucial vanguard battle was one that neither Tianjing Mecha Martial Academy nor Galaxy Academy could afford to lose. This was a battle for rhythm, but also a battle for luck and momentum.

"Musashi looks like he's completely healed from his injuries!"

"Why doesn't Tai Chen use his ultimate move? Why bother wasting time like this? He should just end it with one move!"

"End what? Musashi has no flaws. A forced attack will lose half of the battle if it doesn't achieve the desired effect. Although Musashi doesn't have Soul Origin, he has a Wu family breathing technique that can achieve the same effect."

Both sides were waiting for an opportunity to reach this stage. The key point was Ma Long's improvement. Ma Long's healing ability after entering Flowing Heart Martialism was not the same as before. Coupled with Zhou Naiyi's assistance, it was enough for Musashi to recover. The attack power of the Thunderous Movement Breathing Technique was comparable to Soul Origin, so there was a chance.

The only thing was that Musashi didn't know what Tai Chen's ultimate move was. The previous opponents were not strong enough. All he knew was that in addition to the Gale ability, he also had the ability to be invisible.

The cyclone around the Thunderfire mecha became more and more violent. With a bang, the two mecha shook open by more than ten meters, but then they charged forward at the same time. Swoosh.