Chapter 150: The Mecha! (Part Two) 

Jing Xiaoyu entered the mecha from the back, stepping into the cockpit. Once inside, he couldn't help but be captivated by the design of the control chamber. He carefully observed the setup, his gaze sweeping over every detail. To his satisfaction, the cockpit closely adhered to his original design—Yu Qian had made only minor adjustments rather than overhauling it.

This was to be expected. Jing Xiaoyu's cockpit design, while not flawless, was undeniably groundbreaking—a work that redefined conventional cockpit layouts.

He settled into the pilot's seat, placing his palm on the central control screen to initiate the startup process and perform the first-time authentication for piloting.

A crisp hum followed by a deep, resonant whir filled the chamber. Outside, Yu Qian, Wang Chonggu, and Luo Feng watched intently as the dark-gold mecha came to life. Its eyes glowed crimson, and its cores began to pulse with soft light, filling the elders with joy and satisfaction.

The Zero God Mecha—that was the name they had given it. The meaning was clear: it was Jing Xiaoyu's very first mecha, though certainly not his last.

Inside, Jing Xiaoyu turned his attention to familiarizing himself with the Zero God Mecha's systems. Since he was its designer, many of its features were already second nature to him. Within ten short minutes, he was operating it smoothly.

The mecha's movements transformed before the elders' eyes—from the initial stiffness to a fluid grace. Jing Xiaoyu's rapid mastery of the controls was evident, and the three elders exchanged pleased glances.

"It seems Xiaoyu doesn't just have a gift for designing mechas—his piloting talent is equally impressive!" Yu Qian exclaimed with a smile.

"Indeed!" Wang Chonggu and Luo Feng both nodded in agreement, their pride unmistakable.

Inside the cockpit, Jing Xiaoyu was completely immersed in the thrill of piloting. The sensation of towering over the world, of gazing down from such height, was exhilarating. Under his command, the mecha's arms moved with remarkable agility, each gesture precise and controlled.

Both of his hands gripped the control levers tightly as his soul power flowed out, forming a faint protective aura around him. This aura not only shielded him from the strain of operating the mecha but also served as the link between him and the Zero God Mecha.

The soul power traveled from his palms into the control crystals at the tops of the levers, channeling through intricate circuits to connect with the mecha's energy cores. This created a feedback loop—a cycle of energy that allowed pilot and machine to reach a state of preliminary human-mecha unity.

At the purple-grade level, this form of operation still required significant manual control and soul power connection. For most pilots, achieving 80% efficiency was already a formidable feat. Very few could unlock the true synergy between pilot and machine to achieve a "one-plus-one-greater-than-two" combat boost.

In contrast, black-grade mechas removed much of this manual labor. Their systems were semi-automated, allowing pilots to control them almost as extensions of their own bodies with the help of their soul spirits. As for red-grade mechas, they were said to achieve full automation, developing rudimentary sentience that enabled a perfect human-mecha fusion.

For now, such advancements were far beyond Jing Xiaoyu's reach. At this moment, he focused on mastering the Zero God Mecha's combat systems.

The dark-gold mecha moved again, this time brandishing a twelve-meter-long silver spear in its right hand. This weapon was called the Primordial Spear—the Zero God Mecha's primary armament in close-quarters combat.

With a simple motion, the mecha twirled the spear elegantly before materializing another weapon in its left hand: a crescent-shaped energy blade. This five-meter-long short sword, named the Primordial Sword, was its auxiliary weapon.

Spear and sword—a perfect combination for melee combat.

Once Jing Xiaoyu had familiarized himself with the melee mode, he pressed a red button on the control panel's left side.

The mecha's combat mode instantly shifted. The spear and sword disappeared, replaced by two soul energy rifles in its hands. These rifles could convert pure soul power into high-impact energy projectiles, each shot equivalent to a full-strength strike from a powerful Soul Elder.

Simultaneously, two identical soul cannons emerged from its shoulders. These were Level 5 Energy Soul Cannons capable of firing devastating Destruction Energy Blasts. Each shot consumed one-third of the mecha's energy reserves but delivered an attack comparable to a full-power strike from a Soul Sage.

The switch between melee and ranged modes was an innovative design inspired by Jing Xiaoyu's previous life memories. Yu Qian's optimizations had made it even more seamless, far exceeding his initial expectations.

In melee mode, the Zero God Mecha's attack power and defensive capabilities were maximized for brutal, close-range combat. In ranged mode, its mobility, firing speed, and energy efficiency reached their peak, enabling strategic long-distance battles.

The mecha's dual energy cores gave it impressive stamina. Energy could be replenished in two ways:

1. Through its energy cores' built-in Soul Gathering Arrays, which absorbed ambient soul power and converted it into energy—slow but sustainable.

2. By having the pilot directly transmit their soul power—quick but taxing on the pilot. For Jing Xiaoyu, fully recharging both cores this way would completely drain his soul power three times over.

Having tested both combat modes, Jing Xiaoyu finally moved on to the Zero God Mecha's most unique feature. He pressed a yellow triangular button on the lower part of the control panel.

Outside, the mecha began to emit faint pops and hisses as white steam billowed from its joints. Its form distorted and shifted, eliciting gasps of anticipation from the three elders.

Yu Qian, Wang Chonggu, and Luo Feng weren't worried—they were thrilled. At last, it was time to witness the most revolutionary feature of the Zero God Mecha!

As the steam cleared, the towering dark-gold mecha had vanished. In its place sat a sleek, futuristic sports car—its dark-gold exterior gleaming under the assembly room's lights. The car retained subtle echoes of the mecha's form, hinting at its hidden power.

Yes, this car was the Zero God Mecha!

Transformation—this was the defining innovation of Jing Xiaoyu's design. By linking the drive core, armor core, and regulation core, the Zero God Mecha could seamlessly shift between mecha form and vehicle form. It was a revolutionary concept that had the potential to reshape the entire mecha industry.

After all, who could resist a mecha that could transform?

Jing Xiaoyu sat in the driver's seat of the transformed sports car, his face alight with joy. When he had designed this feature, he hadn't dared to hope it would actually work. Yet here it was—his dream of piloting a "Transformer" had come true!

"Hahaha! Xiaoyu, you look like you've forgotten where you are!" Wang Chonggu teased, knocking on the car window with a grin.

"Grandpa, Grandma—you're incredible!" Jing Xiaoyu lowered the window and praised them sincerely.

"Of course we are!" Luo Feng said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Xiaoyu, this is the mecha's rest pod and your official license," Yu Qian added, handing him two items. One was a dark-gold ring, set with a small blue crystal identical to the Zero God Mecha's energy core. This was a specialized space soul tool for storing the mecha. The other was a certificate bearing Jing Xiaoyu's photo and name—the official license for piloting mechas.

"Thank you, Grandma Yu!" Ji

ng Xiaoyu accepted both items with a wide smile, his excitement undiminished.