Chapter 149: The Mecha! (Part One)

Jing Xiaoyu followed the three elders—Yu Qian, Wang Chonggu, and Luo Feng—down to the third basement level of the Eastsea Mecha Association. This area housed a massive mecha assembly room, and his newly built mecha awaited him there.

"Feeling nervous, kid?" Wang Chonggu teased with a hearty laugh, noticing Jing Xiaoyu's subtly excited expression.

"A little," Jing Xiaoyu admitted with a small smile.

"Hahaha, nothing wrong with that!" Wang Chonggu chuckled. "When I got my first mecha, I was much older than you and still so excited that I was jumping around like a fool. Your Grandpa Luo over there even fainted from excitement!"

"Rubbish! When did I ever faint from excitement?" Luo Feng immediately retorted with a glare. "You're the one who passed out, and now you're trying to put that on me!"

"Oh? I don't remember that. Hahaha!" Wang Chonggu played dumb, laughing it off.

"Xiaoyu, come here!" Yu Qian, who was walking ahead, stopped and gestured to Jing Xiaoyu.

He hurried over to her side. Yu Qian pressed a button on the wall in front of them, and with a low mechanical hum, a massive wall began to rise slowly. Behind it was what appeared to be an empty space.

As the wall continued to rise, a sleek, imposing mecha came into view.

"This…" Jing Xiaoyu's eyes widened with shock and awe. His heart raced, and his usually calm demeanor cracked to reveal unrestrained joy. His bright eyes reflected the mecha before him as he took in every detail, unable to contain his excitement.

The three elders exchanged glances, pride and satisfaction gleaming in their eyes.

The mecha standing before Jing Xiaoyu was over seven meters tall—a humanoid machine of unparalleled craftsmanship. Its sleek, angular lines gave it a lethal elegance, and under the red assembly lights, it looked like a slumbering war god.

The primary color of the mecha was black—not an ordinary black but a deep, rich hue that gleamed with faint golden undertones, giving it a mysterious and regal air. It was the kind of black that seemed to blur the line between shadow and brilliance.

The proportions of the mecha were perfect, with its upper and lower halves balanced harmoniously. Its limbs were connected through circular joints that promised exceptional flexibility and control. The forearms housed specialized compartments designed to store weapons and ammunition, while similar compartments were positioned at its ankles, though for a different purpose.

The chest featured a diamond-shaped core, resembling a translucent blue crystal that glowed with an ethereal light. The mecha's head was sharp and sleek, its two eyes glowing with a menacing crimson light. At the center of its forehead, a smaller blue crystal matched the chest core.

On its shoulders, two outward-protruding metallic frames were clearly designed for mounting soul cannons.

Jing Xiaoyu hadn't yet seen the back of the mecha, but even from this angle, it far exceeded his original design. It was evident that the three elders had poured immense effort and resources into perfecting it.

"Well, Xiaoyu, what do you think? Do you like it?" Wang Chonggu asked with a grin, his tone full of anticipation.

"Yes!" Jing Xiaoyu nodded enthusiastically, his face beaming with excitement. "Grandma Yu, Grandpa Wang, Grandpa Luo, this mecha is perfect! It's even more incredible than I imagined!"

After all, what boy could resist the allure of a powerful, stylish mecha?

"Hahaha!" The three elders laughed heartily, clearly pleased with his reaction. Luo Feng chimed in proudly, "It's not just about its looks, kid. The performance and craftsmanship of this mecha are the best we've ever achieved in a purple-grade mecha!"

"That's right!" Wang Chonggu added, his voice brimming with pride. "Xiaoyu, this isn't just any purple-grade mecha—it's a seven-core purple mecha! We've installed two energy cores, two combat cores, one drive core, one armor core, and one regulation core. Plus, we've reserved slots for five additional cores."

"Seven cores?!" Jing Xiaoyu exclaimed, his surprise growing even greater.

The number and type of cores installed in a mecha were critical in determining its grade and overall strength. While factors like materials, inscriptions, and weapon systems all played a role, the mecha core was its heart and soul.

White-grade mechas typically only had a single energy core to keep them running. Yellow-grade mechas required at least two cores—an energy core and a combat core.

From the purple-grade level onward, mecha cores became a baseline requirement. A standard purple-grade mecha usually contained five cores: an energy core, a combat core, an armor core, a drive core, and a regulation core—essential components for a combat-oriented mecha.

Jing Xiaoyu's mecha, however, boasted seven cores, making it an elite among purple-grade mechas. In fact, it was just one core short of qualifying as a black-grade mecha.

Black-grade mechas typically required a minimum of eight cores, with most commercial models featuring ten to twelve. Any black-grade mecha with more than twelve cores was usually custom-made.

Red-grade mechas, the pinnacle of mecha technology, demanded a minimum of sixteen cores. Building a red-grade mecha was a monumental task, comparable to forging two sets of four-word battle armor.

Of course, red-grade mechas were far beyond Jing Xiaoyu's current level, so there was no point dwelling on them for now.

The fact that the elders had reserved slots for five additional cores meant that this mecha could one day be upgraded seamlessly to black-grade status. It was a gesture of care and foresight from the three elders.

Why not build it as a black-grade mecha right away? Simple: operating a black-grade mecha required a minimum of Soul King-level strength. If they had made it black-grade now, Jing Xiaoyu wouldn't have been able to use it for at least two more years.

"Xiaoyu, give it a touch," Yu Qian said kindly, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

Jing Xiaoyu, curious, reached out and ran his hand along the mecha's shin. Almost immediately, his expression shifted with surprise. "Is this… forged from thousand-refined metal?"

"Exactly!" Yu Qian confirmed with a nod. "Every part of this mecha is made from thousand-refined metal. The seven cores are crafted from spirit-forged metal. That means if you want to upgrade it to black-grade later, all you need to do is install five black-grade cores made of spirit-forged metal. The rest of the mecha is already strong enough as is."

"This is… incredible," Jing Xiaoyu muttered in awe, shaking his head. "You really went all out, Grandma Yu, Grandpa Wang, Grandpa Luo."

A full mecha made entirely from thousand-refined metal—such a creation was almost unheard of. The amount of metal used here could have made three full sets of one-word battle armor!

No wonder so few soul masters specialized in mechas. It was far too expensive.

As for red-grade mechas, their rarity was largely due to the materials involved. At that level, only soul-forged metals could meet the performance requirements.

"Haha, it's nothing!" Luo Feng said with a grin. "Your design was so impressive that we couldn't resist. If we didn't perfect it, we'd have regretted it for the rest of our lives."

"A purple-grade mecha crafted entirely from thousand-refined metal has amplification effects similar to one-word battle armor," Yu Qian added. "With your current strength as a Soul Ancestor, this mecha will allow you to compete with most ordinary Soul Emperors."

"Well, enough talk. Why don't you try it out?" Wang Chonggu suggested eagerly.

"Sure!" Jing Xiaoyu immediately agreed, his excitement bubbling over.

"Great! Go on, Xiaoyu. We'll watch and help you get used to it," Yu Qian and Luo Feng said in unison.

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