They discovered that the fierce battlefield aura in the sky was so intense they couldn't even get close.
Not until half an hour had passed did Ling Yulai finally stop attacking. With a wave of her left hand, something flew out of her grip. It was impossible to see what it was — it moved at a terrifying speed, slicing through the surrounding space as if it were nothing.
"You're strong."
That was the only sentence she left behind before departing.
Gu You reverted back to his human form, clutching his head. The other two Titled Douluo–level evil soul masters were both of the spiritual type. And since their spiritual power matched his, the damage they had inflicted on him was no small thing.
"Shame I didn't manage to keep even one." Gu You's body plummeted to the ground, smashing out a crater dozens of meters wide. The other two Titled Douluo evil soul masters escaped by exploiting the spatial rift.
As for the remaining small fry among the evil soul masters, they were all hunted down by the Heaven Dou powerhouses who had arrived.
Leng Yaozhu stared at the news in her hands, quietly lost in thought.
In the end, she still…
The incident had shaken the entire Douluo Federation. Super Douluo–level evil soul masters had now appeared more than once. This time, luckily, the damage wasn't too severe — but where there was a first and a second, there would certainly be a third.
Because of this, the Federation officially announced that the War God Temple was entering first-level alert status, while also calling upon all major forces to intensify their hunt for evil soul masters.
After this affair, Gu You became famous once again. The Heaven Dou City government awarded him the title of Honorary Citizen. Together with the badge that came with it, everything Gu You purchased in Heaven Dou City now had a 20% discount — no matter what it was, even battleships qualified.
This was Heaven Dou City's highest honor, reserved only for those who had made extraordinary contributions to the city — and it was non-hereditary.
With time still remaining before school resumed, Gu You enrolled in a few mecha classes in Heaven Dou City.
The mecha academy was one that Zhen Hua had found for him, said to be the best in all of Heaven Dou City.
"Today, I'll give you a basic overview of mecha operation," the teacher on the platform said with focus, and Gu You listened carefully.
What would the future journey with mechas be like?
"So-called soul-guided mecha operation is essentially a complete fusion of person and mecha. The mecha pilot is located in the center of the mecha — in the chest — fixed in place within a humanoid recess. This recess is made of special materials and is linked to every part of the mecha."
"When piloting the mecha, aside from a few functions that require manual and mental control, the main factor is the pilot's own movements. Whatever motion the pilot makes inside, the mecha will mirror."
"That's why mecha pilots need an extremely high level of physical ability. Of course, in non-combat situations, you can let the mecha operate via programmed commands. The more advanced the mecha, the less it relies on programmed control and the higher its autonomous response. Only in this way can the mecha execute more complex attacks."
The teacher explained with great care.
Mecha pilots held very high status — on par with battle armor masters, perhaps even rarer. For example, black-class mechas were already considered top-tier among soul-guided mechas. Across the Federation, the number of black-class mecha pilots was extremely limited. Not only were they resource-intensive, but mechas themselves were strategic national assets; since ordinary people could also pilot them, they were heavily restricted.
Battle armor, on the other hand, was different. As long as one could forge the required-grade metals, it could be crafted. Though also resource-heavy, the Federation didn't regulate it as tightly.
There was another matter as well: when manufacturing mechas above black class, the Federation would only provide the core magic array for the black-class mecha. The rest of the materials needed had to be provided by the pilot. This meant the mecha truly belonged to the pilot. Once they had served enough years, they could even take their merit-earned mecha with them when they retired.
This involved many complex issues, but simply put — apart from the soul-guidance array, every piece of metal in the mecha had to be acquired by the pilot themselves.
"All right, that's all for today. Tomorrow, you'll personally experience the mechas. Only through practical operation can we discover your true talent."
Class dismissed quickly.
Gu You calmly returned to the lodging he had rented in Heaven Dou City.
He took out two vials of liquid — one gold, one black.
Then he closed his eyes and entered his spiritual sea.
He gifted the Dark Holy Dragon blood to the Demon Lizard Dragon, and the Light Holy Dragon blood to the Flashing Little Serpent he had discovered by accident earlier.
The Flashing Little Serpent had now nearly reached a thousand-year cultivation; its entire body had undergone a qualitative change.
Gu You poured out both types of blood, condensed them into two droplets with his soul power, then, with a single thought, sent them flying — merging them into the soul beasts he intended.
"Their fusion will take time. I'll check again tomorrow." Gu You shook his head and exited his spiritual sea.
The next day,Morning mist shimmered.
There was a dedicated training ground for the mecha practical class.
Only about a dozen students had registered for the mecha practical class. At this moment, they were assembled, standing in a line.
The instructor for the practical session was a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man.
The man said in a deep voice: "Today we'll begin with basic control training for the mecha practical class. All right, board your mechas, activate your comms, and don't forget your individual IDs."
"Yes, sir."
Everyone turned and ran to their mechas.
The training mechas were all white — the most basic model, twelve meters tall, weighing ten tons, with no weapons and medium armor.
The chest plates of the mechas opened, revealing the cockpits inside, and Gu You climbed in.
Inside, Gu You curiously examined everything. The chest armor closed; a helmet descended over his head, and numerous metallic rings locked into place, fixing his limbs.
"In front of your hands is a small keyboard. You can use it for auxiliary control input," the instructor's voice came through the comm.
"Everyone boarded, right? Now pay close attention. The key to piloting a mecha is balance. First, you need to treat the mecha as yourself — as an extension of your body. How can you move the mecha nimbly? First, you must be nimble yourself. You have to feel as if you've become ten meters tall. Our mecha's assist systems are extremely sensitive — even the smallest movement will affect its actions. Thus, the first requirement in operation is balance and precision. Now, follow me. Lift your left leg…"
Modern mechas were still primarily controlled through the pilot's own movements, driving the mecha via the core array and linkage shafts.
Additional functions were activated through the keyboard under the pilot's palms.
Thus began the very first steps in learning mecha control…
(End of Chapter)