After a round of instructions, Ye Zhenjun’s orange and black mecha rapidly ascended.
Liu Feng watched the mecha's retreating back and sighed deeply.
His future path was still long.
The opponent had subdued him with a single move; what a vast difference in strength!
Both were on the path of fleshly divinity, yet why could Ye Zhenjun achieve it while he could not?
"Is it truly related to talent?" Liu Feng thought dejectedly.
He indeed lacked talent for mecha piloting. From the preparatory mecha pilot academy to the Dongyong Gu Lan Academy,
Every bit of progress had been achieved through desperate effort.
Liu Feng believed he had put in more effort and sweat than any other mecha pilot!
Yet his strength seemed to have hit a bottleneck, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't achieve a qualitative leap.
Just now, Ye Zhenjun had said, "Utilize all mecha moves flexibly. Remember, flexibly."
He had also said, "In actual combat, counter each move, with both offense and defense existing."
Finally, he said, "Sweat alone isn't enough; you must bleed!"
These were all common sayings!
They were even less inspiring than what was written in textbooks!
"How exactly should I improve? Does bleeding lead to progress?"
Liu Feng glanced at the scar on his severed arm.
To this day, the bone at the junction of his severed arm still ached faintly.
"Bleeding..."
"Actually, what Master Ye said is the same as what my dad said."
"A man, after escaping death a few times, understands how to live."
"If that's the case, then to the battlefield!"
Liu Feng regained his confidence and quickly operated the control panel, only to find that his mecha was completely scrapped.
His renewed resolve was crushed by reality.
"Heavens, you always torment someone to the point of prostration before showing mercy."
Liu Feng took out his wristband, dialed the engineering rescue unit, explained the situation, and leaned back in the cockpit to wait for rescue.
In the deep hours of the night,
Liu Feng walked alone through the bustling streets of Xianxia City.
Looking at the various commoners around him, he suddenly felt like he didn't belong in this world.
They were all people, yet why could they enjoy happiness and peace, spending their days with loved ones.
While he had to be thousands of miles apart from Fu Yafang, worrying constantly, and striving to improve his skills with great effort.
Walking on the street, who would recognize him as a warrior who defended Xianxia?
Was this fair?
This was unfair.
Liu Feng thought angrily, "Why can't I enjoy a normal love life and life like ordinary people!"
"No matter how dazzling these glittering lights are, they don't belong to me!"
"I'm only fit to stay in a dark cockpit, striving for an unrealistic goal!"
"What is the purpose of doing all this!"
"What am I living for!"
The more Liu Feng thought, the more indignant he became, his body trembling. He wished he could pilot his mecha right now and destroy all this beauty!
At that moment, a ball rolled to Liu Feng's feet.
Liu Feng subconsciously picked it up.
A cute, toddling little one, about two or three years old, ran over, reaching out a tiny hand and saying in a childish voice, "Uncle, ball..."
A surge of anger rose in Liu Feng's chest. He wished he could crush the ball fiercely in front of this child!
The little one's father ran over.
He bent down, picked up the child, and smiled at Liu Feng, "Sorry, little brother, for blocking your way. Can we have the ball back?"
Suddenly, the father noticed the worn-out mecha pilot suit inside Liu Feng's jacket.
His expression instantly turned solemn and respectful.
He immediately stood straight, holding his child, and saluted Liu Feng!
"Brother, I was ignorant." The father's expression was grave, his eyes tearing up, "Thank you for the sacrifices you made to protect us!"
Liu Feng was stunned.
The father continued, "I was a preparatory mecha pilot, dreaming of piloting a mecha to protect our home and country one day."
"But my health wasn't good, so I transferred to ground forces. I was wounded during the Battle of Xianxia City and was discharged."
Liu Feng nodded blankly and returned the ball to the father.
After receiving the ball, the father looked at him with reverence and said, "I can understand the mission you carry."
"Your sacrifices are far greater than ours!"
"Every mecha pilot, behind their brilliance, carries so much blood and sweat!"
"Brother, you have suffered!"
With that, the father turned to his child, cooing and smiling, "Little Treasure, this uncle is our hero. Salute the hero!"
The little one smiled sweetly at Liu Feng, raised a small hand, and gave a less-than-perfect salute, saying in a childish voice, "Hero Uncle!"
Liu Feng didn't know how the father and son eventually left.
He stood frozen on the spot, watching them wave repeatedly before disappearing into the distance.
But a complex emotion welled up within Liu Feng.
He bolted, running into a dark alley.
"Slap!"
After fiercely slapping himself, Liu Feng felt much better.
His eyes were no longer clouded,
Gradually returning to their original clarity and resolve.
"So what if I failed? As long as the goal is clear, it doesn't matter if I fail ten thousand times!"
"The world is peaceful and beautiful precisely because we are its guardians!"
"Think of Gu Ya, your good brother. What did he fight for? Money, fame? Or the prosperity of this world?"
"None of those. He was striving for a grander, more noble goal!"
"With so many friends and seniors illuminating the path ahead, why do I still fall into darkness!!"
A fierce anger ignited in Liu Feng's chest.
But this fire was for himself,
Burning away the darkness and rekindling the blue sky in his heart!
The smile of the little one was forever etched in Liu Feng's heart.
It was precisely because of tens of thousands of people like him, enduring hardships in the shadows, that such innocent and beautiful smiles were preserved!
"I never regretted choosing this path. I don't regret it now, and I won't regret it in the future!"
Liu Feng clenched his right fist and punched his chest in anger, "Since I didn't die, I'll get up and continue!"
He strode out of the dark alley and into the bright street.
Within him, all the gloom had vanished,
Leaving only a brilliance more dazzling than the vibrant night view.
...
Ning Yu looked indifferently at the tall man standing before her and said calmly, "I told you, I entered the research institute through the formal test. Besides, my file and all my information contain detailed explanations."
The tall man stared at the holographic system. The image displayed Ning Yu's information. He said calmly,
"Your information is too perfect; it doesn't seem real."
"Can this be faked?" Ning Yu yelled impatiently, "Look closely, which part wasn't completed according to our research institute's standards!"
The man ignored her and continued to flip through the documents.
After a long pause, the man asked again, "Tell me, in the experiment of extracting consciousness life forms, if there's strong interference from delta harmonic waves, how should it be handled?"
Ning Yu shook her head, sighed, and very fluently provided the solution.
The man nodded after listening, his tone becoming much more amiable, "Hmm, it seems you are truly capable. I apologize. Strange things have been happening in the building recently, and we are just following orders."
Ning Yu knew what he was referring to by "strange things."
Her master had made the entire supervisory department disappear.
Such a serious paranormal incident happening in the Black Tower building meant that the higher echelons of Black Star would surely investigate thoroughly.
"Alright, you've passed. Let the next person in."
Ning Yu turned and walked out, nodding to Ye Ying who was waiting. At the same time, she activated the miniature communicator hidden in her mouth.
Ye Ying paused briefly. After her earpiece communicator connected, she pushed the door open and entered.
With Ning Yu's help, Ye Ying wasn't afraid of any professional questions the man might ask.
But who would have thought,
The man stared at Ye Ying and calmly said,
"I know you..."