As Gu Ya pressed the starter into the recessed slot on the side of the driver's seat,
The large curved screen directly in front of the cockpit lit up, presenting Gu Ya with a more comprehensive field of vision.
Around the periphery of the screen, various mechanical parameter tables illuminated,
Data within the tables transformed in an orderly fashion, detecting the mecha's functions, components, and energy indicators.
Gu Ya had no control panel in front of him; instead, four small blue holographic light screens replaced it.
On either side of the driver's seat were the control sticks and energy input rods.
Numerous tiny buttons were distributed across the dual sticks, assisting the pilot in quickly accessing the mecha's actions.
This layout made the cockpit more streamlined and clear, with enhanced functionality, practicality, and aesthetics.
A crisp system voice announced, "Mecha system startup complete. Please name this mecha, pilot."
Gu Ya thought for a moment. The exterior armor was his favorite deep sea blue, profound and mysterious, giving one the feeling of being drawn in when staring at it.
"Let's call it 'Azure Shadow Drifter,' or 'Azure Drifter' for short."
Profound, majestic, sea-blue, a low-key powerhouse, always maintaining calm and reason, vast as the ocean, unshakeable, irreplaceable.
"Received. Writing 'Azure Drifter' related data. Writing complete. Mecha starter program imported."
"Pilot may now operate."
Gu Ya's eyes were steady as his fingers deftly tapped several buttons on the control sticks while his other hand rapidly typed on the holographic light screens.
Azure Drifter immediately emitted a pleasant yet sharp engine roar,
Its entire armor began to move in an orderly fashion, testing and adapting to various armor states, producing a crisp mechanical "clack."
The dorsal thrusters began to vent, and then, deep blue flames erupted.
Azure Drifter's hands slowly reached towards its waist, and suddenly, two narrow slits opened in the hip armor, from which two sword hilts were ejected.
The moment the hilts were drawn, beam swords of deep blue light shot out,
The blue beams along the swords surged like waves, and upon closer inspection, fine blue lightning bolts rapidly streaked across them.
"These are the two main weapons. Three more spare beam swords are located in the hip armor."
"Additionally, five close-combat daggers are distributed in the shoulder and leg armor."
The ancient mecha watched quietly and said, "Master, I can't wait to fight alongside you."
Gu Ya smiled slightly and said, "As you wish. Return now. We'll meet on the battlefield."
...
The roar of the mecha engines reached Ye Ying's ears,
The once familiar sound now seemed so jarring.
"I forgot my wristband in the cave," Ye Ying murmured softly. "It's all my fault for being so careless. Gu Ya must be very anxious if he can't find me."
Lan Jing, seated in the cockpit, replied coldly, "We are all people who live with our heads on our shoulders. There's no room for personal sentiment."
Ye Ying looked up, staring at the cockpit's ceiling panel, and asked, "What is the mission?"
Lan Jing gazed out at the vast sea and said coldly, "Return to the hangar first. Your 'Nightingale' has been salvaged and is undergoing repairs."
"After the repairs are complete, you will follow us to the Arid Frontier battle zone."
"The enemy has amassed heavy forces there, seemingly aiming to open a second front."
Ye Ying remained silent for a long moment before asking, "Are we not fighting the Louhai campaign anymore?"
Lan Jing continued to speak with an icy tone, "The enemy's offensive has shown signs of fatigue. The higher command is formulating a rapid clearance strategy."
"The Louhai defense battle..." Lan Jing sighed and said, "We likely won."
"But we paid a heavy price."
Ye Ying lowered her head again, a sense of confusion about the future resurfacing.
If only Gu Ya were by her side.
...
Azure Drifter's performance was undeniably the most advanced in the world.
From the first moment Gu Ya began controlling it, he could feel its immense power.
Whether it was [Flash Burst], [Blue Static], or the instantaneous burst after all skills were activated, it could be handled with ease.
Moreover, the wear and tear rate of the mecha's various parts remained within normal parameters, preventing any degradation of its performance.
Gu Ya's heart also settled.
The main battlefield lay ahead.
The eastern sky was already showing hints of dawn, with the morning glow like an army galloping across the heavens.
Suddenly, a communication came through: "Unknown mecha pilot, friend or foe, please evacuate the battlefield immediately."
It was a voice from a Xianxia.
Gu Ya replied coldly, "I am the pilot of the Brilliant Azure Swordsman, dispatched to eliminate the black mecha. I am here to assist the Xianxia army in the defensive battle."
"Received. Please hold your position and await further orders."
Await my foot.
Gu Ya directly pushed the energy input rod forward by one notch. With just that single increment, Azure Drifter erupted with even stronger exhaust, instantly charging into the battlefield.
Quantized mechas in front of him rapidly retreated.
These were not his targets.
His intention was to find and eliminate several high-threat enemy mechas, gain recognition, and then proceed directly to the command headquarters.
There, he was sure to find information about Ye Ying.
Just as he thought, five friendly mechas were surrounding an enemy mecha, and they appeared to be struggling.
Azure Drifter swept through like a gale, maneuvering, circling, dodging, and weaving past numerous mechas to reach the enemy mecha's flank. With a powerful swing of its dual beam swords, it sliced the enemy mecha into three pieces.
"What mecha is that? I've never seen it before?"
"My god, its speed is incredible! What unit are you from?"
"We've been fighting this high-threat enemy mecha for ten minutes, and he took it down in one move! Its performance is too strong!"
Gu Ya asked coldly, "Tell me, where are the enemy's high-threat mechas located."
A pilot quickly replied, "Most of them are at the front line! Some are deep in the enemy's rear. The enemy is retreating in an orderly fashion!"
Gu Ya looked south in silence. Intercepting from behind should draw more high-threat mechas back for defense.
Perhaps he would even encounter that detestable woman.
Azure Drifter erupted with even more powerful exhaust, like a silent, ferocious beast, flying directly towards the enemy's rear.
The Black Star command mecha, which was systematically organizing its retreat, suddenly received an unbelievable piece of intelligence.
[An unidentified mecha is flying from the center of the battlefield at extreme speed, seemingly attempting to block the retreat. Your unit is ordered to intercept.]
Before the Black Star commander could issue the order to intercept,
A sharp, deep blue sword edge cleaved open the cockpit.
By the time he reacted, his lower body had already been melted by the searing sword edge,
Only the calls echoing emptily in his communication device remained.
Gu Ya's face displayed only one expression: coldness. The killing did not shake his resolve.
Only more killing could procure information about Ye Ying.
Azure Drifter blazed through the enemy formations like lightning, leaving a trail of exploding enemy mechas in its wake.
The harassment drew the attention of the Black Star army, and enemy mechas on the front lines began to withdraw and fly towards the rear.
More and more enemy mechas gathered not far from Gu Ya,
And the battle began to grow difficult.
Gu Ya showed no fear. The more that came, the more he would kill!
[Flash Burst] [Death Spiral] [Blue Static]
He spared no effort in harvesting every enemy mecha that dared to attack him.
Finally, the all-black mecha charged from the rear of the Black Star formation, directly towards Gu Ya.
The enemy mechas surrounding him all dispersed to the sides, creating space for the confrontation between the two.
"Enemy Slayer!" Gu Ya said in a low voice.
Hong Lian Ziwu's distinctly feminine voice chimed in, "Which War God of Xianxia is this? State your name, so I can kill you."
"Bitch!" Gu Ya cursed coldly.
Hong Lian Ziwu paused for a moment before replying with a sinister chuckle, "So it's you. Miss me, darling?"
Gu Ya's face contorted with disdain. Without a word, his exhaust flared as he charged forward.
Enemy Slayer defended with its dual blades,
The icy blue and the dark brown violently collided, sending countless sparks flying into the sky!
Enemy Slayer rapidly retreated, and Hong Lian Ziwu commented, "What a powerful mecha."
As soon as her words fell, Enemy Slayer vanished into thin air.
Gu Ya had clearly seen its trajectory, and it was now flying up from below.
Azure Drifter began to rotate explosively, forming a blue vortex and diving downwards.
Enemy Slayer showed no fear, swinging its blade.
The dark brown beam clashed intensely with the blue vortex,
With a single thrust, the sword edge pierced the defense of the vortex's blade and stabbed into Azure Drifter's shoulder armor.
Azure Drifter was like a rapidly spinning gear suddenly jamming a wrench!
The explosive rotation halted abruptly, emitting crackling currents,
The immense recoil flung Enemy Slayer backward,
A drop of sweat trickled down Gu Ya's face. "This bitch is indeed strong."
Despite losing balance, Enemy Slayer immediately adjusted its posture and charged again.
Gu Ya showed no fear and met the charge head-on.
[Blue Static]!
Thick, bright blue currents were instantly dragged behind the mecha,
Azure Drifter shot forward like lightning striking the earth, moving at lightning speed.
Hong Lian Ziwu inwardly chuckled, "Heh heh~ Just a brute force charging little brat..."
In less than the blink of an eye, Enemy Slayer dodged the lightning that could cleave armor!
"Your mecha is very powerful, but your piloting skills are just average~" Hong Lian Ziwu mocked loudly.
"Average!?" Gu Ya's anger flared, veins bulging on his face. He instantly activated [Flash Burst] with his mecha.
[Flash Burst] combined with [Overclocked Piloting] and [Hyper-Awareness] allowed Gu Ya to perform quick slashing attacks during flight.
To outsiders, it appeared to happen in an instant.
Hong Lian Ziwu still smiled faintly and blocked with her blade!
Gu Ya was startled and forced Azure Drifter to change its posture.
The mecha's body emitted scorching steam, instantly evading the blade.
If not for the mecha's excellent performance, which allowed it to change posture in emergencies, Gu Ya would have been split in two!
She could actually perceive Azure Drifter's speed?
"Hmm~ I still have to compliment you. You've improved in the past six months."
"But just being fast doesn't mean you have good piloting skills!"
Gu Ya was enraged, his face flushed,
"Then let me show you the power when all skills are activated..."