Chapter Ten: The Astonishment Brought by the Mecha

Before Xuan Xuan could gather her thoughts, the entire hall suddenly fell silent. Two figures appeared, hovering slightly above the center of the arena—it seemed they were the hosts for this match.

“Greetings, everyone! After three long years, the Radiant Emperor returns! Are you all fired up for his duel with the Flame Emperor? No more words—let’s witness this epic battle. Please welcome our two Emperors: the Radiant Emperor and the Flame Emperor!”

The fervor of idol worship was truly astounding. With the mention of each name, the crowd erupted into waves of excitement.

Beside the Flame Emperor, a mech appeared quietly—its flamboyant crimson hue impossible to ignore. The machine stood about ten meters tall, its streamlined form exuding a sense of deadly beauty. Even without any movement, Xuan Xuan could sense a sharp and menacing aura emanating from the mech, its danger palpable.

On the right, beside the Radiant Emperor, a black mech materialized. The color didn’t diminish its presence; instead, it accentuated its grandeur and luxury. Compared to the Flame Emperor’s brashness, the Radiant Emperor’s mech seemed more composed, exuding a weighty power. Though it lacked the razor edge of the Flame Emperor’s, the threat it radiated was in no way lessened.

Xuan Xuan frowned. She realized how little she understood about this world. If these mechs alone were this dangerous, just how terrifying must those Zerg creatures be—the ones that could threaten such machines? Even with Wan Qi Lian Hao’s protection, she couldn’t afford to be defenseless. More importantly, without adequate strength, how could she hope to gather medicinal ingredients and refine elixirs?

“The match officially begins!”

Without a word of nonsense, the two hosts withdrew from the arena. No one present wanted to hear any more from them; all eyes were fixed on the stage.

“It’s been three years. I haven’t sparred with you in so long,” declared the Flame Emperor, his arrogance on full display. “I lost to you three years ago; this time, I intend to see for myself how things will turn out.”

A low, deep chuckle rumbled from the Radiant Emperor. He said nothing more, simply adopting his opening stance.

“Still as reserved as ever,” the Flame Emperor muttered under his breath, unheard by the crowd. Though three years had passed, his friend’s subdued temperament hadn’t changed. Controlling his mech, the Flame Emperor retreated swiftly—his ranged combat machine wouldn’t dare engage in close quarters with the Radiant Emperor.

The Radiant Emperor didn’t move. The Flame Emperor opened with a Frost Missile—a long-range attack requiring precise control. The Radiant Emperor’s feet slid, his movements too swift for the eye to follow, and the missile was neatly dodged.

The Flame Emperor hadn’t expected the first shot to land. As soon as the Radiant Emperor evaded, a rapid volley of Frost Missiles sealed off all escape. Just as the Radiant Emperor prepared to counter, the Flame Emperor unleashed a barrage of enraged pursuit shells. The tension in the hall mounted—the Flame Emperor’s control was formidable; he’d seized the match’s tempo right from the start.

Yet just as the crowd marveled at this display, the Radiant Emperor moved. With a slight shift of his feet, he slipped past the barrage with deceptive ease. A quick pivot, and he somersaulted backward midair, dodging the pursuit shells and landing with a light touch. In a blink, he was already upon the Flame Emperor.

The Flame Emperor instantly blinked away, leaving behind a faint afterimage. His reaction was so fast it stunned the onlookers. Xuan Xuan could almost imagine the arrogant tilt of his chin—such a show-off, she thought. The Radiant Emperor, not yet steady by the afterimage, stomped the ground and launched himself even higher.

In that fleeting moment, the Flame Emperor had already planted a series of high-explosive mines before retreating. He shook his head, disappointed the trap hadn’t caught his opponent. Instantly, he fired several precise interceptors, knowing that mobility in midair was at its lowest. For most, escape under such fire would be nearly impossible.

The Radiant Emperor let out a cold snort that sent a chill through the hall, the temperature dropping noticeably. With a deft tap of his toes, he spun 720 degrees midair. Such flexibility, Xuan Xuan marveled.

Barely dodging the interceptors, the Radiant Emperor was met by a barrage of intense flames. Rather than retreat, he advanced, sidestepping the fiercest part of the attack and closing in on the Flame Emperor. He unleashed a flurry of kicks, which the Flame Emperor met with equally swift maneuvers—sometimes, the best defense is a strong offense. A rapid succession of piercing shots followed.

The Radiant Emperor withdrew his leg, and before the Flame Emperor could react, delivered a front kick to his chest. The Flame Emperor’s chest caved in, but he used the force to launch himself backward, immediately unleashing another round of Frost Missiles. The Radiant Emperor’s movements faltered, the frost’s power constraining him. The Flame Emperor seized the opportunity and fired a Destructive Beam. Everyone in the audience held their breath—if it hit, even the Radiant Emperor’s S-class mech would be done for.

But in the next instant, every eye widened. When had the Radiant Emperor gotten behind the Flame Emperor? In a flash of light, only the low-key, luxurious black mech remained in the arena.

Xuan Xuan hadn’t seen it clearly, either. The black mech, frozen and immobilized, should have been annihilated by that Destructive Beam, yet it had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat—an astonishing turnaround. For a long moment, the mechs vanished from the arena, and the hall erupted like a detonation.

“Did the Flame Emperor just use Micro-shift?”

“Was that the legendary ‘Z’ step the Radiant Emperor used?”

“I can’t believe it! An aerial 720-degree spin—someone actually pulled it off, even in the virtual starnet!”

“The micro-control, the entire match’s tempo—it was incredible!”

“The Radiant Emperor truly deserves to be my idol—to reverse the outcome like that. Did anyone catch how he did it?”

“Did that Frost Missile volley actually hit him or not?” The hall was in an uproar.

Xuan Cha frowned, pressed a hand to the scarf on her face, and slipped out through a side door. Though she left quietly, her heart was as shaken as anyone’s—perhaps even more so. She had experienced, even attained, the power of a Saint in her past life. Only those reaching the ninth tier could truly stand against such mechs. Certainly, mechs boasted overwhelming strength, but individuals were more agile. Still, though she had once been a Saint, she was now little more than a novice—a mere apprentice, for whom the ninth-tiered continent was still a distant dream.