536-540

Chapter 536: Father And Son?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Because of Ling Lan's words, the 23rd Division underwent a strict reorganization. The people that had tried to harm the foundation of the 23rd Division were expelled, while those that had tried to harm their brother-in-arms were sent to military court.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the 23rd Division grew much better. The military soldiers who truly loved the 23rd Division became more loyal to the division as well as to Ling Xiao.

The timely reorganization also saved Li Lanfeng and company, and they immediately heaved a sigh of relief. They knew that someone on top had been targeting them, but they weren't able to do much despite being on their guard; they had ended up being targeted eventually. For instance, the escort mission that had seemed very safe on the surface was actually filled with danger. If they hadn't had the capabilities, Zhao Jun would not have been the only one to be seriously injured. All three of them, including their temporary team, would have been stranded to become food for star-level brutal beasts.

Of course, this did not mean that the 23rd Division was completely free of all outsiders. Ling Xiao knew that he couldn't be too extreme. As long as those people didn't hurt the 23rd Division's foundation and their brothers-in-arms, whether it be spies from other divisions or soldiers with their own agenda, Ling Xiao would let them stay and not touch them.

He needed to know how to compromise adequately in his position. If he truly took control of the 23rd Division like it were his own army, someone from the Federation would start to grow worried. As for him, he might become an eyesore in the military headquarters.

But if that was all, he would not be scared. After all, the military would always be guarded against their generals and god-class operators even as they gave them important roles and tasks. He didn't mind being guarded against more. However, he had two soft spots now: Lan Luofeng and Ling Lan. They were his dearest treasures and he didn't want them to be hurt in any way. That was why he had to lower his head and make some compromises.

As the 23rd Division was vigorously undergoing a reorganization, Ling Lan welcomed the next day peacefully.

In the afternoon, the entire military academy was empty; there was almost no one in the school. All the students were either in the mecha combat hall or watching the live broadcast of the upcoming mecha competition with their friends. Some had gone back to their accommodations and prepared to enter Mecha World so that they could experience the battle first-hand.

The administrators of the military academy hadn't freed a day this time for everyone to watch the battle. However, since this battle would affect the future progression of power in the school, most of the students, whether they had a mecha clan or not, took leave on the day to watch this future-determining ultimate battle.

As the number of people taking leave increased, the instructors decided to take leave too. There were not many people for them to teach that day and they were keenly interested in this match as well.

The instructors wanted to know if Ling Lan was able to take over the First Men's Military Academy. If he succeeded, it would be a first in the history of the First Men's Military Academy and they would be a witness of the event.

Similar to the other mecha tournaments, a VIP room in the military academy grew lively again as instructors and administrators appeared inside to watch the ultimate mecha battle; the room was filled up within a minute.

The moment Tang Yu entered the room, he saw numerous faces familiar and unfamiliar. They were all sitting with people they were close to and were in the middle of a furious discussion. They spoke about their opinions as well as the different possibilities of this match.

Tang Yu immediately spotted the principal; he was sitting right in front of the big screen, smiling as he sat there. For some reason, no one sat beside the principal even though many people went over to greet him.

Tang Yu smiled and walked over. He greeted the principal. "Principal, hello. Long time no see." Counting the time, he had not seen this mister for almost eight months.

The principal saw Tang Yu and his polite smile immediately became sincere. He patted the sofa beside him and said, "Come, come. Tang Yu, sit beside me. Tell me about the details of the competition later."

The principal's words caused jealousy and envy amidst the people who didn't leave. Tang Yu didn't act polite with the principal and immediately replied, "No problem!" He sat on the sofa that the principal indicated immediately after he finished his sentence. Even without raising his head, he could feel the intense glares shooting at him.

Tang Yu didn't care at all. Ever since he watched the battle between Lingtian and Leiting with the principal last year and they discovered Ling Lan's secret together, he had formed an alliance with him. This year, he had gained the title of the trusted subordinate of the principal so he was used to this treatment. By now, he was indifferent towards them.

Tang Yu sat down and started chatting with the principal. The time of the competition came closer and closer. Everyone in the VIP room had sat down and no one was walking around anymore. They patiently waited for the competition to start.

The principal leaned towards Tang Yu when he saw no one interrupting them and whispered, "Tang Yu, do you think that Lingtian has a chance of winning this time?"

Tang Yu replied in a low voice, "Principal, as long as Ling Lan maintains his standard, there should be no qualms about the result." Even he himself didn't have the confidence to win against Ling Lan. Hence, in this situation where Leiting didn't have a successor to Qiao Ting, Tang Yu felt that Ling Lan would not lose even if she decided to take a small nap.

Of course, Ling Lan would not make such a low-level mistake… as compared to Qiao Ting, Ling Lan was colder and more vicious. He couldn't think of a way in which Leiting would be able to defeat Ling Lan—the latter had almost no weak points. If they wanted to reenact the self-destruct plan Ling Lan had carried out the last time, they would be knocked down before they could even come near. There was no way they could harm her.

"Principal, Ling Lan's talent in mecha operation is the greatest I have seen in my life. It is the only one I have seen too," Tang Yu exclaimed.

During the one year that he spent teaching Ling Lan, he managed to learn many things. Although they had a teacher and student relationship, they were more like friends that understood each other and had the same position and status.

Tang Yu hadn't expected to make a breakthrough in his hand speed, which had been stagnant for a very long period of time, in the year he spent fighting against Ling Lan. This little breakthrough had made him elated. He had been stuck at elite ace status for over ten years. As he grew older, the chances of him advancing to the imperial level grew smaller. Tang Yu had given up a few years ago but luck just came to him so suddenly…

The principal's smile deepened as he listened to Tang Yu's words. He asked purposely, "How is he as compared to Ling Xiao?"

Tang Yu's heart dropped and there was an awkward expression on his face. His words just now had been ambiguous and might have given others the impression that even the god-class operator, General Ling Xiao, couldn't be compared to Ling Lan. Tang Yu knew that Ling Xiao was the principal's old friend.

He quickly tried to salvage the situation. "General Ling Xiao is an exception, exception."

The principal merely waved his hands and said, "Don't act polite in front of me. I am asking this sincerely. If he really has a greater talent than Ling Xiao, Ling Xiao would be elated to know it too." Then something occurred to the principal and he started laughing happily.

Tang Yu was stunned for a moment, following which something flashed across his mind: Ling Lan, Ling Xiao. They had the same surname. Are they father and son? Oh, no, no way. He had to be thinking too much. Tang Yu quickly denied this thought of his.

The descendants of a god-class operator would be truly normal people for the next few hundred years. This law had never been broken, so he had to have been thinking too much just now. Was he part of the Ling family then? Tang Yu thought of another possibility, but he denied it after a while too. Tang Yu remembered that 19 years ago when, General Ling Xiao was "sacrificed", his relatives attempted to take over the general's achievements, which had caused the general's family to become enraged and break all ties with the Ling family.

If there was indeed a prodigy in the Ling family, General Ling Xiao, no matter how big his heart was, would not be elated. Tang Yu felt that his thoughts made sense.

When he saw the confused expression on Tang Yu, the principal felt satisfied. He remembered how shocked he was when he found out that Ling Lan was Ling Xiao's son and saw his perfect operation skills. He had even called Ling Xiao to ask him if Ling Lan was really his son or if he picked him up from somewhere. But that was when the principal realized how scary Ling Xiao was when he went crazy… the principal shivered and felt lucky that he had only called him instead of going to ask in person. Otherwise, he might not have been able to sit here and watch the competition in one piece. This showed how much Ling Xiao treasured Ling Lan.

Commentary: Sulky Ling Xiao bit his little handkerchief and felt wronged. "I was suspected of being infertile. Shouldn't I be angry? Shouldn't I…"

The principal swept the image of Ling Xiao's eerie-looking face out of his mind and gave Tang Yu a reminder out of kindness. "Tang Yu, don't let theories bind your thoughts."

Tang Yu looked up in astonishment. He opened his mouth and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. "He, is he really, the father?" The sentence was not long, but the principal understood what Tang Yu wanted to say. He gave the latter a firm nod.

Tang Yu's body shook in excitement and his face turned red. Out of all the people over here, he respected General Ling Xiao the most. He didn't expect himself to have the honor of teaching General Ling Xiao's son. Moreover, his son was such a talented young man, too.

Tang Yu calmed down after being excited for a while, following which he looked at the principal curiously. He truly wanted to ask the principal: why was Ling Xiao's son able to break the law of nature?

Tang Yu and the principal didn't know that Ling Lan was a female and not a male. The research carried out by the Federation was only based on male descendants… so they shouldn't bring up this law on this weirdo Ling Lan.

The principal shook his head. "I am not sure either. Maybe a mutation occurred. However, it is a good thing." The principal smiled. They were on the same side as Ling Xiao, as it was a good thing that he had such a talented son. It was better than having a normal son, right?

Tang Yu agreed with the principal's words. This was a good thing, so why should he probe further?

At this moment, someone in the VIP room shouted, "The competition is starting."

Chapter 537: Chameleon System!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The two of them turned their heads to look at the big screen, on which countless big and tall trees appeared. This was the hardest map in the competition—the forest map.

"The best map to sneak attack and be sneak attacked." The corners of Tang Yu's mouth lifted up to form a smile. "Ling Lan's luck is not bad. He managed to get a map that suits her the most."

The principal immediately asked out of curiosity, "Why is it so?"

"Although Lingtian's special-class operators only advanced not long ago and have much less experience as compared to those in Leiting, Ling Lan always liked to torture them. He would assassinate them despite having the ability to overpower them in a normal fight." Tang Yu recalled the "one versus many" battle that he had previously witnessed and gave a silent laugh.

At the time, everyone had thought that the powerful and mighty Ling Lan, who always meant what he said, would fight them face to face. Hence, they had all gathered together and prepared to attack her together too. Unexpectedly, though, Ling Lan went into hiding and assassinated them using all kinds of methods when they were not prepared for it. Ling Lan's strange assassination methods made everyone go crazy… in the end, Ling Lan won easily. The people who fought with Ling Lan came out of their cockpits with pale faces. They didn't manage to regain their senses for the entire day.

Tang Yu also knew that this kind of battle didn't happen only once. The Lingtian Battle Clan was already used to Ling Lan's torture, so if Leiting wanted to ambush and assassinate them on this map, it would be really hard. The members of Lingtian had learned some techniques from Ling Lan and they were able to perform assassinations on their own as well… Tang Yu felt that Leiting would be the ones getting tortured, not Lingtian.

The principal's eyes lit up. "If what you say is true, this map is really advantageous for Lingtian. I anticipate the performance of those punks." Because of Ling Lan, the principal and Tang Yu supported Lingtian. Hence, Leiting was given up unknowingly.

At this moment, in the forest map, the mechas from the two clans appeared in different positions. When they entered the map, they would be transported to a location automatically. The name of the team was labeled in front of the mechas and then a series of numbers followed.

The people in the battle would not know who was in the mecha; only the audience would know. Both sides had to predict the person in the mecha by analyzing their strength and techniques. This tested the student's adaptive ability as well as their knowledge of their opponent.

"This time, the team leader of Lingtian is their captain, Ling Lan, and the team leader of Leiting is their most powerful special-class operator called Tian Jiajun. He is the dux of the fifth-years, but his hand speed has been stuck for a year. He has not found the opportunity to make a breakthrough, so he is not yet capable of advancing to ace operator. However, you cannot deny that he is one of the strongest among the special-class operators." At this moment, an instructor was introducing the teams to the person beside him in the VIP room. He sounded a little sad.

Tang Yu knew who this instructor was; he was called Qiao Yi. He was also an ace instructor and was taking the second-years this year. Tian Jiajun was his student from the last semester and was one of his prided pupils.

The person beside the instructor knew of the relationship between Tian Jiajun and Qiao Yi. He immediately consoled him, "It is just a matter of time. He will advance to ace operator in the future. Also, remaining as a special-class operator will allow him to gain a stronger foundation. Once he becomes an ace operator, he will be able to rise up the ranks quickly. Many people who managed to become imperial operators got stuck at special-class operator status for a long time too."

Qiao Yi nodded his head and gave a smile in response. Although his student was currently not as good as Qiao Ting, who was brought up by Tang Yu, this did not mean that his student would still be of a lower status than them in the future. Once Qiao Yi had this thought, he couldn't help himself and turned his head to look at Tang Yu.

Tang Yu nodded his head politely at him and Qiao Yi returned the greeting with a smile. Afterward, they shifted their gazes away in a natural manner, but the principal still noticed the hidden rivalry going on between them.

"Seems like Qiao Yi wants to win against you once," the principal said with a smile.

Tang Yu sighed lightly. "I don't mind if he wins once, but his luck is too bad." And how could it not be bad? After Qiao Ting left, he had accepted an even more capable individual, Ling Lan, as his student. He himself didn't have the confidence to win against her, so which person in this military academy could?

The principal was in total agreement. He said, "Yes, his luck is really bad." Otherwise, why would his students not be as talented as Tang Yu's?

However, the rivalry between Tang Yu and Qiao Yi did not gain anyone else's attention; everyone was focused on the screen in front of them.

"They are moving!" Compared to the hesitation of their opponents, the other clan moved with great swiftness; they began moving as soon as they entered the map. These individuals were from Lingtian.

"There's no pattern to Lingtian's movements at all," someone shouted in surprise.

The Lingtian Mecha Clan had a piece of equipment that could allow them to see the location of their team members. This information was revealed last year in the battle against Qiao Ting mecha clan and had become an open secret. Everyone thought that Lingtian would gather together first, or form teams of three with the mechas closest to them just like what they did last year. This was what Leiting was most afraid of.

"They are fighting their own battle. Lingtian has given up on formation tactics." The instructors with sharp eyes immediately understood Lingtian's intention.

"Why are they giving up on formation tactics? Wouldn't it give them more of an advantage?" The instructors were flabbergasted at Lingtian's actions. From their perspective, Lingtian had made a stupid decision. They had given up their advantage and opted to fight with their weakness, which was the same as seeking their own death.

"Ah, Leiting is moving too." Just as the instructors and administrators were feeling angry and disappointed at Lingtian's actions, Leiting started moving.

"Ah, look, the direction that the Leiting is heading to… are three locations closest to Lingtian. Their destinations are the same." Very soon, everyone realized the secret behind Leiting's movements.

"Leiting has the member locating device too. Seems like after losing last year, they have covered up their blindspots. Leiting has prepared sufficiently for this battle." Many of the instructors were starting to place their bets on Leiting.

"Strange, where are Lingtian's mechas?" Everyone's attention had been attracted by Leiting just then. When they looked back at Lingtian's mechas, they realized that they couldn't find some of them anymore.

"They are over there, hiding." Someone looked back just in time to see where Lingtian's mechas had gone to. He personally saw a mecha changing its color surreptitiously as it hid among a pile of leaves and branches at a stone hill; it started to merge with its surroundings.

"Chameleon system!" Everyone turned serious. Both teams had made ample preparations for this battle. Leiting had managed to obtain the member locating device, while Lingtian had gotten themselves chameleon systems which were known as the ultimate weapon for assassination.

The chameleon system was a top-class disguise system, which could only be used by special-class mecha and above. It was known as the ultimate weapon for assassination because the system could enable a mecha to integrate into its surroundings. A top-class chameleon system could even grant perfect camouflaging ability.

In order to see through the chameleon system, another top-class system was required—the hawkeye system. However, this system was unable to 100% see through the chameleon system. The chameleon system was almost invincible. No radar scanning would reveal the location of an opponent once they used the chameleon system; it had the ability to bluff radar scanning systems as well.

Of course, special-class mechas could only be equipped with the lowest-level chameleon system, but it was enough to fool one's opponents if they didn't have a hawkeye system.

Qiao Yi immediately frowned at this new information. "How did Lingtian obtain this system?"

Although such top-class systems were not restricted and sealed away by the military in Mecha World, that did not mean it was easy to ahold of them. The lucky ones could obtain the lowest-level chameleon system upon achieving the status of ace mecha master, yet all of Lingtian's mechas were equipped with this system. He could almost believe that Mecha World was opened by Lingtian themselves—otherwise, how would they have been able to obtain so many top-class systems and equip them on these low-level special-class mechas?

In reality, Qiao Yi's thoughts were nearly correct. With the king of Mecha World, Little Four, beside Ling Lan, it could be said that the virtual world was indeed opened by them. However, Ling Lan hadn't asked Little Four to open a backdoor. She had merely asked him to give her the mission that would allow her to obtain the chameleon systems. Afterward, Ling Lan had prompted all the special-class operators in the clan to go and carry out the insanely terrifying mission.

The task involved was a one-man mission. If a person wanted to obtain the chameleon system, he or she needed to pass the mission with his or her own ability; there was no easy way out. All the members of Lingtian had had no choice but to do it. They used their deaths to learn and gain the experiences needed to succeed. They didn't know how many times they had died because all the ways they had died in were different. They died every day, died until they went crazy, died until they wanted to vomit. However, after they calmed down, they wiped their lips and continued to die.

Not all of them had had the psychological endurance to handle such despair; almost half of the members weren't able to handle the sensation of death and started to go crazy. They became unable to differentiate reality from the virtual world and were forced out of there before they truly went crazy by Ling Lan, who had been observing them.

Luckily, Li Shiyu had already invented medication that could cure mental illnesses. Under his treatment, these people went back to being normal. A portion of them had still wanted to continue the mission, but Ling Lan had rejected them directly. She told them that before they reached ace mecha, they were not allowed to do this mission. Otherwise, if they developed any mental illness again, it would really interfere with their minds and affect their future advancements.

The people that failed heeded their captain's advice, as they knew that he would not lie to them. If this was what he said, this was what he meant. There were all smart people and knew what they should do.

In the end, their hard work paid off. 9 members of the clan managed to pass the mission. 5 of them were from Ling Lan's team, while the others were Wu Jiong, Li Yingjie, Wu Jiong's assistant team leader Ye Xu, and one of Lingtian Mecha Clan's leader Gao Jinyun.

Chapter 538: Selfishness?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Although Qiao Yi felt that Lingtian being in possession of the chameleon system would increase the difficulty for Leiting, he still believed that they had higher odds of winning. The reason he was mistaken, however, was that Ling Lan had kept herself too well hidden; from his impression of her, no matter how strong Ling Lan was, she couldn't be stronger than his own pupil, Tian Jiajun.

"It's okay. Not every one of Lingtian's members has the chameleon system. I saw that there were still three mechas going through the forest that haven't camouflaged yet." The instructors that were watching the battle finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief. After so many years, the number of cadets that these instructors had once nurtured were countless. There were finally some pupils that they were proud of. However, it was only these pupils who were able to get their hands on the chameleon system before graduation.

In the past, they could explain why the mission was perverted in nature. If the chameleon system became like corn in a field, like a piece of standard equipment for Lingtian, the instructors would definitely feel terrible about it. They might all become furious to the point of spitting blood.

"Oh yeah, did you guys see which one of the mechas belongs to Lingtian's commander, Ling Lan?" asked an instructor who was very interested in Ling Lan. He had originally thought the mecha operated by the commander would be different from the others. He remembered that one year ago, Ling Lan had operated a modified special-class mecha that was different from standard special-class mechas. This time, however, Lingtian's 12 mechas were roughly the same in appearance; he couldn't figure out who was who.

"Not sure."

"I can't make it out which mecha it is." The others around him also didn't know the answer and shook their heads at his question.

"Look at the serial numbers. Number one should be the commander's mecha," one person reminded everyone.

"I found it. Coordinates: (xx, xx). The mecha that is currently moving is Lingtian No. 1." One person had already found the mecha that had Lingtian No. 1 shown on its serial number.

Everyone's focus was on Lingtian No. 1. They saw the mecha fly quickly and move forward with finesse. Its movements were smooth and graceful. Many of the spectators praised the operator piloting Lingtian No. 1. "As expected of a mecha clan commander. This kind of piloting has already reached the level of a fully experienced pilot."

Seeing this, the principal asked, "Tang Yu, No. 1 is Ling Lan, isn't it?"

Tang Yu closely observed the movements of Lingtian No. 1, but three seconds later he shook his head and replied, "That's probably not Ling Lan."

The principal asked in surprise, "How can you tell that No.1 isn't Ling Lan?"

Tang Yu smiled slightly. "The movements of the mecha are too elegant."

"Doesn't elegance show that the pilot has good operating skills?" the principal continued to ask confusedly.

"Yes, it indeed does show that the pilot has good operating skills, but it's not limited to just that." After saying this, Tang Yu couldn't help but smile before continuing. "In fact, a cadet that is able to perform to this level can be considered to be quite outstanding already. Unfortunately, after having seen Ling Lan's operating skills, I actually don't think this cadet's skills are very good."

"Ling Lan's operating skills have already reached that high of a level?"

"Simple and one with nature!" Tang Yu's words shook the principal. This was the foundation for advancing to imperial level. Had Ling Lan already progressed so far?

"There is no longer the pursuit for elegance in Ling Lan's operating techniques; instead, it has become simpler," Tang Yu stated proudly. Thinking back to the past, Tang Yu's dazzling operating skills had begun to evolve into the simpler and more precise realm only after countless life-or-death battles. He began to understand it then, but Ling Lan had managed to gradually learn about it in the military academy. How monstrous was this type of mecha operating talent? It was as though there weren't any barriers for Ling Lan, as though he could easily find the correct direction to evolve in.

"His movements won't give you the impression of beauty or elegance. Instead, they will appear normal and uninteresting. However, each motion is even faster, stronger and more accurate while simultaneously not wasting any time," explained Tang Yu. "If no one pays attention to those movements, they would be overlooked. Only if you focus on observing operating skills would you able to discover this secret. I'm very confident when it comes to Ling Lan. All the other cadets that I have taught might die on the battlefield, but I believe that only Ling Lan would be able to come back alive, even if he were put in a bad situation."

At that moment, the principal was still focused on his statement that Ling Lan's operating skills was simple and one with nature. He quietly asked, "Tang Yu, tell me honestly. Can Ling Lan advance to imperial level before his fifth year?" If the First Men's Military Academy had a cadet that advanced to imperial level, which of the other schools would dare to meddle with the title of number one military academy? Thinking up to this point, the principal became jittery and excited.

"Not possible!" Tang Yu answered with confidence.

The principal was so disappointed that it was as though he had a bucket of ice water poured over him. He looked towards Tang Yu and discovered that his expression was stern. Surprised, the principal calmed himself down and said, "Sorry, Tang Yu. I got greedy." He had promised to protect Ling Lan, yet after finding out that Ling Lan was capable of advancing to imperial level, his greed took over his common sense and almost made him do something stupid.

"You are concerning yourself with too much. Ling Lan will advance to ace level in his fifth year and that's as far as he can go," Tang Yu said meaningfully.

The principal smiled with regret and didn't keep on going around in circles on the subject. He suggested, "Since you said Lingtian No.1 isn't Ling Lan, then let's see who is actually who."

The audience could search up the detailed list of the battle team members for both sides. The principal inputted Lingtian No.1 in his communicator and it displayed a list of simple details regarding Lingtian No.1.

"Lingtian No.1—Name: Xie Yi; Background: Descendant of an elite family; Age: 19; Physical Skills: Qi-Jin beginning level; Mecha Piloting: Special-class; Advancement Evaluation from Advanced to Special-class: Outstanding!"

"Xie Yi? I never heard of this name before. Tang Yu, do you know about him? Who knew Lingtian had this kind of expert in their clan." The principal wondered with marvel.

For most students, those who had good physical skills were weaker in terms of talent in mecha piloting. If their mecha piloting talent was good, they wouldn't focus on physical skills. Usually, those who had high levels in physical skills had lower levels in mecha piloting compared to others and vice versa. However, the information of Xie Yi that was on display, whether it be his physical skills or mecha piloting, showed that he had already reached the highest level for his age. He had truly managed to improve both at the same time. The only reason the principal marveled at Xie Yi was that only after reaching this level would an individual understand that those capable of becoming top mecha operating experts also had similarly strong physical skills.

For example, the Federation's 12 god-class mecha operators; their physical skills had reached the level of Domain. It could be seen that the two skills complemented each other. If an operator only focused on mecha operating and neglected their physical skills, they would have no chance of reaching the highest level of mecha operating in the end.

"Xie Yi is a member of Ling Lan's battle team. Currently, he is given the role of right-wing vice-captain. His mecha operating skills are ranked among the top 50 in the entire military academy." Tang Yu gave the principal some details about Xie Yi.

"He's still in his third year, isn't he? He's definitely a genius if he managed to get into the top 50 in only his third year. Who's his mecha instructor? Why didn't you take him as your pupil back then?" The principal's face was full of regret. Another genius had been held up by their circumstances.

Tang Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes. He could only take 5 students in one semester. His very own pupil, Lin Zhong-qing, was taken in through a backdoor because he enjoyed teaching geniuses. Afterward, he discovered that everyone in Ling Lan's battle team all had great potential. He also wanted to take them as his pupils.

However, the rules of the military academy weren't that easy to override. Since they already had instructors, no matter how much Tang Yu loved teaching geniuses, he wouldn't be able to break the rules and be their instructor. If that was to happen, the entire military academy would be in a mess. Not only would the other instructors have disagreements with him, but it would also make all the cadets in the military academy become discontent. They would think this—since Tang Yu could give pointers to cadets taught by other instructors, then why couldn't he give some pointers to them as well?

"Don't worry, Mr. Principal, his instructor is Luo Jinan. He is also an outstanding ace operator and is extremely attentive to Xie Yi. He has mentioned many times that Xie Yi is his most prized pupil and that he wouldn't hold him back." Even if Instructor Luo's teaching were not good, there was still Ling Lan looking out for Xie Yi. Tang Yu knew clearly that Ling Lan always held small training sessions for her teammates. Otherwise, could the instructors really have raised such outstanding cadets with their capabilities alone? Even Tang Yu himself didn't feel confident about that.

"So, someone as outstanding as him can only be the right-wing vice-captain? Does that punk Ling Lan have selfish motives?" Every battle team had their confidants and they would be usually given positions that didn't reflect their real potential due to the relationships and feelings between everyone. The principal was worried that Ling Lan was giving out positions based on her emotions.

Tang Yu's lip trembled for a second. Just Xie Yi alone had excited the principal this much. If he came to know that the rest of Ling Lan's battle team was entirely composed of monstrous individuals, perhaps the principal would be so excited that his heart wouldn't be able to take it and instantly faint.

He was very much inclined to see principal's reaction after telling him the truth. Tang Yu smiled slyly as he began, "Ling Lan's battle team's vanguard is called Qi Long. His physical skills level has reached the late stages of Qi-Jin in the beginning tier. His mecha operating level is special-class. Yes, he advanced in his second year, earlier than Xie Yi by 8 months or so. And the left-wing vice-captain, Luo Lang, possesses a physical skills level in the mid-stages of Qi-Jin in the higher tier. His mecha operating level is special-class and he also advanced during his second year, earlier than Xie Yi by around 4 months.

"There's also my star pupil, Lin Zhong-qing. His physical skills are at the beginner stage of Qi-Jin mid-tier. The time he took to advance was only later than Xie Yi by one day. However, because of that one day gap, he could only get a position as a backup guard," Tang Yu explained regrettably. "Even their battle team's strategist has similarly reached the beginner stage of Qi-Jin lower-tier. His mecha operating level is similarly special class. Of course, his time of advancement was later than Xie Yi by two months. However, even though it was that late, he still managed to advance into special-class in his third year. His talent in piloting isn't too far off from the others."

The principal took in a deep breath. Where had Ling Lan found these insanely strong individuals? Each one of them had the potential to become the valedictorian.

However, these details wouldn't be the only things he would be stunned by; Tang Yu's following words rendered the principal completely dumbfounded.

"These are the members that remain in the military academy. I previously mentioned that Xie Yi only managed to become the right-wing vice-captain at this stage. In the past, he wasn't even qualified because Ling Lan had three other members. They are now sixth-year cadets and have already joined the 23rd Division for their one-year internship. One of them advanced into an ace operator in their fifth year. He had the position as the main vanguard of the battle team at the time. Another one also advanced to ace level in his fifth year, but he couldn't fight for a long time, so he was given the title of Spurious Ace. At that time, he had the position of the left-wing captain of the battle team!"

The principal couldn't control himself and his jaws dropped in shock—Tang Yu finally saw the expression he wanted to see. He was satisfied but afraid that the principal might take revenge on him; thus, he contained himself and tried his best to keep a serious face, following which he tossed out one last strike. "Oh, right. Mr. Principal, do you remember the Flying Dragon medals that the military gave us last year to give out to the fifth-year military medicine major valedictorians in hopes of having them join the Flying Dragon Special Forces?"

Chapter 539: Bait?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The principal nodded. His face showed a hint of regret as he said, "I wasn't in the military academy at the time. By the time I learned about it, it was already too late for me to get back to the academy." With an expression of sadness, he continued, "The Flying Dragon Special Forces is a battle team that every cadet dreams of getting into. However, even a single Flying Dragon medal is rarely given out every decade. The medal represents the acknowledgement of the country that the awardee is the top in their field and possesses the most potential for growth. It is also what every student dreams about. The medal not only represents glory and status, but at the same time, it also means that you will instantly become a member of the Flying Dragon Special Forces. There would be no need for the cadets to go through a series of harsh evaluations and eliminations."

After saying all this, the principal couldn't help but hold onto his chest. "Such a rare chance. That punk. Li Shiyu, was it? He actually gave up on this chance. Every time I think about it, my heart aches." He recalled another Flying Dragon medal that could have been awarded many years ago—that punk Ling Xiao was also the same. The man hadn't even notified him and refused on his own accord.

"Actually, I really admire Li Shiyu. He wouldn't leave his comrades behind for a better future," Tang Yu said with admiration. Even if it were he himself who was faced with the invitation into the Flying Dragon Special Forces, the honor and glory that the Flying Dragon medal had to offer would have been enough to lure him in. However, Li Shiyu had actually outright refused the invitation given by the military's representative and hadn't hesitated even one bit. Tang Yu still remembered the stunned and disbelieving expression on the representative's face; perhaps the man had never imagined someone would reject their offer.

"I think that the First Men's Military Academy will become the Flying Dragon Special Forces' nightmare in the future," said Tang Yu with a laugh. The only two people who had ever rejected the invitation from the Flying Dragon Special Forces were both from the First Men's Military Academy.

The principal smiled bitterly at his words. "It's possible that the military will no longer invite the First Men's Military Academy for a chance to participate in the future evaluations to enter the Flying Dragon Special Forces."

Those folks all held grudges. After Ling Xiao's rejection, the First Men's Military Academy still had outstanding students in the following years. However, the military was angered to the point of being willing to choose average cadets from other military academies, not giving a chance to the cadets from the First Men's Military Academy to participate in the evaluations. Later on, the Federation finally managed to find another top cadet that made the military give up on their pride and offer that a cadet a Flying Dragon medal. Unfortunately, at that time, their graciousness was met with the cold shoulder from the First Men's Military Academy once again… Thinking up to this point, the principal felt even worse. It was possible that there was no hope for their military academy to receive an invitation to any evaluations for the Flying Dragon Special Forces in the future.

"Although the chance that slipped away is indeed very unfortunate, I still think our students don't really care about it," Tang Yu said positively.

"What do you mean by that?" the principal asked confusedly.

"There's General Ling Xiao! The 23rd Division is where our cadets want to go nowadays." The Flying Dragon Special Forces was indeed a great place to go and all their members were also indeed the top in their fields. However, all of this couldn't compare to General Ling Xiao, whom everyone looked up to. Ling Xiao's growth was like a legend and had created records one after the other. He had pressured the Flying Dragon Special Forces to the extent where they had to take a few steps back. This also made the Flying Dragon Special Forces unable to become a dream that Ling Xiao's generation chased after.

"That's true. Not even I understand what kind of godly existence that punk Ling Xiao is." The principal was very much in agreement with Tang Yu.

Tang Yu's words made the principal's mood instantly change for the better. Along with his improved mood, his logical thinking became clearer as well; he had now remembered some things that he had previously forgotten. He asked with surprise in his tone, "Tang Yu, do you mean that that Li Shiyu has joined a battle team? I remember he was in the medicinal research major. Aren't those guys neutral and never join battle teams?"

Even if the cadets of that major joined battle teams for different reasons, they would only sign temporary contracts. After entering a division, they would go their own separate ways. The principal had always believed that Li Shiyu was free to choose what he had wanted, but he couldn't understand why Li Shiyu would reject the invitation from the Flying Dragon Special Forces. It should be known that once he entered the Flying Dragon Special Forces, Li Shiyu would be nurtured by the country using all of their resources. With such a promising road ahead, even those who were lazy and dumb could become a top expert in the field of medicine in the Federation after years of this type of nurturing.

"That's what everyone says, but there are always outliers—Li Shiyu is one of them. In his fourth year, he joined Ling Lan's battle team and became the battle team's doctor."

Tang Yu's words stunned the already dumbfounded principal. If Ling Lan was with them, it was possible that the principal would hold onto her shoulders and yell at her, "Sh*t, did your small battle team really need to get the valedictorian of the military medicine major as your team doctor? Don't you know that this is a big waste and a huge crime?"

The principal took a deep breath and finally calmed himself down. He reluctantly rubbed his forehead and sighed as he said, "Tell me, do you think this Ling Lan is trying to create his own private Flying Dragon Special Forces?" The members that she had taken in all made him envious. Besides, what she had done by taking the ace military doctor that the Flying Dragon Special Forces had approved of was even more so like taking prey away from a predator.

Tang Yu thought deeply for a moment then said, "That's very possible." Based on Ling Lan's requirements of only taking in top tier geniuses into her team, it was definitely possible that she was trying to form a team that was of similar strength to the Flying Dragon Special Forces that the Federation had created. However, this also showed that Ling Lan's luck was insane; otherwise, how could she have so many monstrous individuals beside her?

While the principal and Tang Yu were having this conversation, the mecha that Xie Yi was operating, as well as a mecha from Leiting, had almost simultaneously discovered one another. The audience instantly focused their attention and stared at the big screen. The distance between the two mechas was getting closer and closer…

"Found one mecha from Lingtian, serial number: Lingtian No.1!" This mecha's serial number was Leiting No.9. When both sides were at the distance of being able to determine the other's serial number, this operator finally found the mecha that their captain had ordered him to search for when they split up at the beginning of the battle.

"Captain, we've discovered Lingtian No.1. Mecha Type: Balanced Mecha. Coordinates: (xx,xx)." The team member had decisively pressed down on the button to connect him to his captain.

"Alright, try your best to keep him busy." His captain's cold voice rang from the other side of the communicator. The operator received the order and decisively took out his beam saber from his back and flew towards the opponent. He still remembered the captain telling him that although the opponent was piloting a balanced mecha, his long-range abilities were stronger. Thus, he wanted to get as close as possible to the opponent captain and try his best to engage in close combat.

"Look, Lingtian No.1 is being surrounded by Leiting mechas hundreds of yards from its location." After Lingtian No.1 was discovered, the spectators saw that 4 mechas were all closing in on Lingtian No.1's location.

"Looks like Leiting wants to capture the king first and take care of Lingtian's captain." Leiting's goal was very clear, but those who knew the truth of the situation all frowned. Wasn't this falling into Lingtian's trap?

"Even if they don't take out Lingtian's captain, with four people surrounding him, this Lingtian No.1 won't be able to fight them. Taking out one opponent first is also good." There were still many people who favored Leiting. Compared to Lingtian, who were fighting by themselves, Leiting's members were now clearly in three-man groups. Once they successfully created a team, things wouldn't be that easy for Lingtian even if they attempted assassinations.

However, they couldn't deny that the battle against Lingtian No.1 was an important one. If Lingtian No.1 successfully escaped the encirclement, he would have drawn away four opponents, taking away pressure from his other teammates. If his teammates successfully took care of a few opponents, then the advantage would be Lingtian's side. If Lingtian No.1 couldn't endure the battle and was instantly knocked out of the competition, Leiting's newly formed team would be able to find their next target. This way, the advantage would tilt to Leiting's side.

Right now, however, the battle had not been decided yet. Both sides had their opportunities.

"They're here!" An audience member immediately shouted in excitement upon seeing Lingtian No.1 and Leiting No.9 finally enter the range for long-range fire.

Almost simultaneously, Lingtian No.1 and Leiting No.9 instantly aimed at each other and pulled their triggers; both beam guns shot out a beam of light towards their respective targets.

"Lingtian No.1 was a bit faster." Tang Yu's eyes were keen and immediately saw the difference between the two.

"This punk's long-range attack is strong, huh? He's piloting a balanced mecha. Now that I look, it should be a long-range and close combat type, isn't it?" the principal asked curiously.

Tang Yu nodded, but then shook his head afterward. The principal was confused and asked, "What do you mean?"

Tang Yu smiled bitterly. "I can only tell you that Lingtian No.1's long-range skills are strong, but as to whether he is capable of close combat or not, that I'm not sure." He didn't even know what the Lingtian members, who were taught by their own captain, had up their sleeves. It was also because Tang Yu himself didn't know whether Ling Lan's expertise lay in long range or close combat. Or was he an expert in both fields?

In the past year, Ling Lan had already played around with all five of the ace mechas in the military academy. Tang Yu had fought against her countless times but still couldn't find out what Ling Lan was best at. He felt that everything was around the same level. However, Tang Yu believed that that wasn't true. He thought that Ling Lan definitely had something that she was much more of an expert in; it was just that she never showed it.

While they were talking, Lingtian No.1 and Leiting No.9 had already shot at each other many times. At that moment, Leiting No.9 was clearly being pressured by Lingtian No.1. He was dodging left and right, trying to get close to his opponent. Following every step he took, however, one sharp beam of light would come towards him, making him step back to evade.

"Lingtian No.1's long-range abilities are strong. If we didn't know who he was, we might also have thought that Lingtian No.1 was that Ling Lan, who is also good at long range," one instructor murmured upon seeing this scene. He didn't expect Lingtian to have had another long-range expert other than Ling Lan. This individual that was called Xie Yi was about the same in terms of long-range abilities compared to their commander.

Right after he spoke, on the big screen, Lingtian No.1 suddenly changed his shooting motions; he was seen lifting up his mecha's right arm. Following that motion, his mecha's left hand held the bottom of his long-range beam sniper rifle as its barrel was aimed at Leiting No.9, who was moving at a rapid speed at that moment. Lingtian No.1 was also following Leiting No.9's movement patterns and changing his shooting stance to aim more accurately.

"This is Ling Lan's rifle technique—Select-Fire!" The audience all cried out in surprise. Everyone remembered what that stance signified; it was a standard posture for a fixed-point shot. In last year's Grand Mecha Tournament, Ling Lan had used this technique during the sports event and had it acknowledged by the Federation's headquarters. They named this attack Ling Lan's rifle technique—Select-Fire!

However, this rifle technique couldn't be used by just anyone; only those who could accurately hit their opponent would be considered to have completed this rifle technique. Everyone held in their breaths, waiting for Lingtian No.1's attack. Was it going to just be an imitation, or was it going to be an exciting Select-Fire shot like the one Ling Lan previously performed?

"Bang!" A powerful beam of light shot out of the rifle barrel.

"Boom!" Leiting No.9's mecha suddenly exploded. Perhaps it was too fast, or perhaps Ling Lan's rifle technique had made the opponent panic. No matter what the reason was, in the end, the opponent wasn't able to dodge this shot.

"It hit?"

"It really hit!" This meant that Ling Lan's rifle technique wasn't her own and was one that could possibly be learned by everyone. This undoubtedly made everyone who was interested in Ling Lan's rifle technique burn up with passion. As long as they worked hard, one day, they could also grasp this long-range sure-kill technique.

Xie Yi put down his beam rifle, wearing an alarmed expression as he cried out, "What, it worked?" In order to make sure he was in character, he had daringly attempted to use Select-Fire despite that his success rate with his boss' technique was only 10%; he hadn't expected his luck to be good enough that it would actually succeed on the first try.

"This way, no one will suspect that Lingtian No.1 isn't Ling Lan." Everyone who was watching Xie Yi's performance all knew that Lingtian's plan was to let Xie Yi pretend to be Ling Lan and attract Leiting's attention to protect the real Ling Lan.

"What's the reason behind Lingtian doing something like this?" one spectator asked those around him, not understanding the situation.

"Baiting! Using Lingtian No.1 as bait and drawing in Leiting's members one by one." One instructor pointed at the virtual image on the optical supercomputer. He clicked around Lingtian No.1 multiple times and said, "Here, here, here—and here. Lingtian's members have hidden at these locations. This place is a trap. If Leiting's members move past these points and don't have their guard up��� then it will be one body for each assassination.

"In the end, even if some of them get away and are successful in containing Lingtian No.1, Lingtian won't care. After all, Lingtian No.1 is merely bait and isn't Lingtian's real leader. Even if he is defeated and eliminated, it won't affect Lingtian's morale that much. No matter how you look at it, if they manage to take out many members of Leiting and only lose Lingtian No.1, it would be well worth the trade of one for many."

Hearing this instructor's explanation, those who didn't understand now understood and they couldn't help but take in a heavy breath. There were people that also said, "Lingtian's really ruthless. They are actually willing to let an outstanding member be bait. However, this bait was very successful. They won't have to worry about Leiting not biting."

At that moment, the Leiting members who did not know the situation moved towards the coordinates that their captain had given them, while the observing instructors all shook in their heads in silence. Before even mentioning piloting capabilities, Leiting had already lost to Lingtian in terms of strategy alone.

Upon hearing the instructors beside him marvel at the situation, Qiao Yi's face became pale and his expression turned slightly anxious. He hoped that his own disciples could look past Lingtian's trap and not be so easily fooled.

In contrast to the instructors who didn't really know about Ling Lan's capabilities, Tang Yu didn't agree with what the rest thought; he didn't believe that Lingtian's plan was to have Lingtian No.1 act as bait. Tang Yu believed that even if all 12 members of Leiting were to go up against Ling Lan together, as long as she was careful, they wouldn't have any chance of defeating her. Therefore, who was more suitable and safer than Ling Lan to be the bait?

"This punk Ling Lan has always been a remarkable one. What is he planning?" Tang Yu went into deep thought.

Chapter 540: Ambush?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

One member from Leiting had been eliminated. They didn't panic after receiving news of this, however; they knew that Ling Lan was the strongest in Lingtian. It was normal that their team members would not be able to fight him and natural that they would lose one or two of their members. Leiting had already known what was going to happen before they got to Xie Yi's location.

At that moment, a Leiting mecha was quickly flying past a rocky mountain formation towards Lingtian No.1's location. This pilot didn't know that a mecha was lying in wait just on top of the rocks.

"Who's the guy with the balls to actually walk over my head?" Qi Long looked up at the mecha that flew over him, following which he speedily shifted the beam gun on his mecha's right hand to lock on to the opponent. He naturally didn't forget to check the opponent's data and information beforehand.

"Beep, beep. Information received. ID: Leiting No.1!" The optical supercomputer responsibly relayed the information that it had searched and found.

"Leiting No.1?" Qi Long instantly became excited. He hadn't expected that he would finally have a huge fish take the bait after he had laid there for so long.

"Qi Long, let him pass." Right at that moment, Ling Lan's cold and sharp voice rang in the team commlink channel.

"Ah? Ugh… roger." Qi Long was immediately dumbfounded at hearing Ling Lan's words right when he was about to make a move; however, even if Qi Long didn't understand Ling Lan's orders, he would still follow them. He ceased locking on to the enemy and watched as Leiting No.1 flew out of his line of sight.

"Boss, I really want to fight that Leiting No.1," Qi Long said regrettably. After all, Leiting No.1 was the strongest individual in Leiting. Before the battle had begun, Qi Long actually hoped that he could fight with Leiting No.1. Unfortunately, his boss had other plans and didn't give him that opportunity.

"It wouldn't be meaningful if you fought him, but Xie Yi needs the experience," explained Ling Lan.

Qi Long's expression showed that he understood, "So, Boss, you mean that we're going to use this chance to let Leiting No.1 help us detonate the dark energy being held back by Xie Yi?"

"Yes. Because of the opponent, Xie Yi's guard won't be too strong. Once he has thoughts of becoming stronger or winning, there'll be an opportunity for that dark energy to seep out." Ling Lan didn't know what condition Xie Yi would end up in if he were controlled by the dark energy and she was very interested in knowing the outcome.

Not everyone was lucky like Leiting No.1, deliberately given a pass. Ling Lan's target had always been Leiting No.1. As for the others, she didn't meddle with her team members' decisions. The same situation was playing out at a different corner of the map.

When a few of Leiting's mechas passed by the hidden mechas of Lingtian that were using the chameleon system, the latter group bared their vicious fangs as one and made a move on these rapidly advancing opponents who did not have their guard up at all.

Bang! The sounds of explosions resulting from beams projectiles making their mark on mechas rang through the silent forest, which instantly alerted everyone around the area. One Leiting mecha's cockpit was instantly hit—he was eliminated without the chance to even say a word.

Unfortunately, the map was too large; the movements and sounds that had occurred at this location were not known to the others in different locations. The members of Leiting could only see that they had lost one member once again on the corner of their mecha's screen, but they could not figure out how that teammate was defeated. Thus, the second member from Leiting followed in his teammate's footsteps and was also hit while he wasn't paying attention.

Still, not every member from Lingtian was that lucky and not every member from Leiting was that unlucky. When a third mecha from Leiting moved past one of Lingtian's ambush points, its operator instinctively sensed the presence of danger when he was about to be attacked; he had actually managed to avoid suffering a fatal blow by coincidence. The beam shot had hit his thigh and he luckily got away.

"How unfortunate!" Luo Lang said depressedly, having missed his shot. Nevertheless, he didn't move and waited patiently for the next opportunity to come by.

"Enemies! Where exactly are they?" The Leiting member who had gotten away was having cold sweats. He turned his mecha's radar up to maximum range, but it showed no reaction at all as though that beam shot had just been an illusion.

It was quiet all around him, but at that moment, the silence made the Leiting member feel that he was grave danger. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, following which he decisively connected to his captain's commlink channel. "Captain, I was just attacked by Lingtian, but my radar can't find any traces of the attacker."

Tian Jiajun's expression changed at these words and the first thing he thought of was the chameleon system. Although this system was considered to be a piece of high-end equipment in the Mecha World and was hard to obtain, that didn't mean that it was impossible to acquire. He believed that the members of Lingtian had already gotten their hands on this system, but he just didn't know how many of them were actually equipped with it.

"I hope that there are only one or two mechas from Lingtian that has this perverted system. Otherwise, our circumstances in this competition will be disadvantageous." Tian Jiajun's expression became grave.

"Activate your reserve thermal radar. The instant the opponent uses their beam energy supply, the radar will be able to find them," Tian Jiajun ordered immediately. Although they didn't have the hawkeye system, special-class mechas could only be equipped with low-level chameleon systems; the thermal radar would still be able to find some heat signatures. It was only that these signatures would disappear within moments and detection of them was also dependent on whether his team members would be able to control the thermal radar well.

"Also, be wary of cold weapon ambushes by the opponents." Thermal radars could only detect beam gun energy signals. If the opponents used cold weapons to ambush them, then the radar would be useless.

After receiving Tian Jiajun's orders, the members of Leiting all began to be on guard for Lingtian's ambushes. As expected, the next time they came under beam fire by Lingtian, they were able to find the location of the heat source using their thermal radars. Those who reacted quickly simultaneously dodged the beam shots and pounced towards the location that the thermal radar had marked.

Of course, this portion of Leiting members had luck on their side. The Lingtian members who ambushed them only had beam gunners and no cold weapon users, as expected. Surprise attacks using cold weapons would make it hard for Leiting to defend, however, and they lost another team member from this type of ambush. For Leiting, the situation suddenly went from bad to worse. They had 12 people in the beginning, but were down to only 8 within fleeting moments of time. They had almost lost close to half their numbers.

Of course, Ling Lan didn't pay much attention to the Lingtian members who were ambushing or fighting the Leiting members. In truth, Ling Lan didn't waste too much time thinking about this challenge match compared to the one a year ago. Leiting no longer had a strong ace mecha master like Qiao Ting and Ling Lan believed that her team members wouldn't lose to their opponents. She knew very well that whether a mecha clan had a chance for long-term development was not based on how strong the commander was, but instead based on whether or not the clan itself had reliable strength.

Therefore, if Lingtian wanted to develop and become stronger, its members had to mature more quickly. They had to become a clan in the military academy that would not be easily defeated, and only then would Lingtian be able to continue developing in the future.

In the area of the challenge match, while Lingtian was preying on Leiting, the latter was also preying on the former's members. Three mechas from Lingtian had their locations exposed. Other than Xie Yi, who had his orders to pretend to be Ling Lan and draw the enemy's fire, the other two members could only be exposed in front of Leiting's members because they hadn't finished the mission for the chameleon system. This led to the Leiting members, who had already gathered up, mercilessly moving towards them to form an encirclement.

Although the chameleon system was very powerful when it came to camouflaging ability, the system would be as good as useless once the user's movements became exposed. Since the first assassination attempt by Lingtian was evaded by the opponent, they would no longer have the advantage they had in the beginning. If Lingtian wanted to defeat their opponent, they would have to rely on their own strength.

Two sides fighting each other would naturally result in one person winning and one losing. Many members of Lingtian were defeated at the end of fierce fighting against the members of Leiting. Afterwards, smoke filled the air as battles took place everywhere on the map. The numbers of both sides were slowly dwindling, and those who were able to stay alive until the end would definitely be the strongest out of both teams.

Tang Yu looked around and discovered that Ling Lan wasn't amidst the Lingtian members who had appeared in front of everyone. He frowned and suspected that perhaps Ling Lan wasn't even going to make a move. Was the only reason he had joined this match was to act as insurance to make sure Lingtian didn't lose?

Due to Ling Lan's arrangements, Tian Jiajun flew his mecha smoothly all the way towards Xie Yi's location.

Xie Yi saw Leiting No.1 coming towards him and he instantly grew excited, as Ling Lan had told him before the match that his mission was to keep Leiting No.1 busy and hold him back. Before his teammates could completely wipe out the rest of the members from Leiting, he had to keep Leiting No.1 occupied.

Tian Jiajun's goal was the same as Xie Yi's; the mission he had received was to first make sure Lingtian No.1 was held up. As for the others, he would act accordingly as the situation required him to.

The eyes of these two individuals met up, but they didn't stop to say anything and instead drew out their weapons to engage in battle. Both of them were piloting balanced mechas, which were good for both ranged and close quarters combat. Therefore, once they entered the range for long-range attacks, both of them raised the beam gun in their hand in unplanned unison and attacked their opponent.

Tian Jiajun had been stuck at special-class operator level for more than one year and only needed a catalyst to advance to become an ace operator. His piloting skills were naturally not like Xie Yi's, who had just advanced to special-class operator. After Xie Yi probed his opponent in the first few exchanges, he reigned in the impulse of wanting to defeat his opponent and began to carefully try to keep him busy instead.

At that moment, Xie Yi was performing just like normal. Ling Lan had been watching Xie Yi all this time and upon seeing that his performance was very normal, she knew that Tian Jiajun wasn't giving Xie Yi enough pressure.

"Leiting No.1's desire to win isn't very high, it seems." Ling Lan had discovered that Tian Jiajun's way of fighting was cautious, even a bit restrained. Could it be that he didn't dare to make a careless move due to thinking Lingtian No.1 was her?

She had to think of something to make Leiting No.1 become desperate.

Ling Lan fell into brief thought before connecting to Qi Long's commlink channel. "Qi Long, pretend to be losing and lure your opponent to the coordinates (xx, xx)."

Hearing this, Qi Long knew that his boss had some sort of plan. He didn't ask any questions and responded with a "roger".

Qi Long was secretly overjoyed. In order to avoid being bored after his fight, he had wanted to battle with his opponent for a longer period of time. Thus, he had concealed a portion of his strength and fought on even grounds with his opponent. If he had started with full strength from the start and pressured his opponent, it would have been difficult for him to feign that he was losing.

Qi Long continued to trade several more blows with his opponent before he pretended to show weakness and then drew back his cold weapon, following which he turned around and desperately flew towards the coordinates Ling Lan had indicated.

Seeing the opportunity to take down his opponent, the Leiting member naturally wouldn't let it pass by; he immediately piloted his mecha to follow Qi Long. Seeing this, Qi Long was relieved. He fought back for moments at a time, before running for another moment, then rinse and repeat. As this continued, they finally arrived at that location that Ling Lan had given him.