Yun Xingze’s twin cannon barrels were his secret weapons; something even Luo Wenchuan wasn’t aware of. They could be considered his hidden trump card for defeating He Haoming.
Luo Wenchuan stared at the oddly-shaped mech on the battlefield, his pupils contracting slightly. Now he understood why Yun Xingze’s modification blueprints had seemed so bizarre and even incomprehensible to him earlier.
Turns out Yun Xingze had made such radical modifications to the mechanical beast. Not only could it transform into an attack-resistant shield using phantom silver, but it could undergo a secondary transformation into large-caliber particle cannons.
Even the well-informed Luo Wenchuan was stunned by Yun Xingze’s bold modifications at this moment, while simultaneously feeling a surge of concern.
His worst fear overloaded modifications had materialized.
Inside his mech, He Haoming observed the transformation of Yun Xingze’s machine. Though shocked, he quickly composed himself.
He knew Yun Xingze’s mental energy was only B-rank at best, barely reaching B+. The difficulty of operating such massive particle cannons far exceeded Yun Xingze’s control capabilities.
Suppressing the flicker of surprise in his eyes, He Haoming curled his lips into a cold smirk. “Looking to die.”
The Tempest Mecha raised its electromagnetic axe and charged relentlessly toward Yun Xingze’s machine, seemingly unconcerned about the cannons activating.
Just then, brilliant light began gathering at the muzzles of the cannons mounted on Yun Xingze’s mech arms.
The dazzling glow drew astonished gazes from the entire audience.
Chi Yu clenched his fists, mouth slightly agape.
“What? Yun Xingze actually activated those twin cannons?!”
“That’s impossible! With cannons that large, plus his mech being modified from a light-sword model all these functions combined make this machine something no B-rank pilot should be able to operate!”
“Even those massive shields earlier were beyond what a B-rank pilot could handle!”
“Look, he’s firing!”
By the time He Haoming noticed the glowing muzzles, it was too late to brake. His eyes widened in an instant.
Though He Haoming’s reaction speed was inferior to the other three S-rank pilots, he still responded quickly, retracting his axe and raising his shield in defense.
If his shield deployed in time, it could block Yun Xingze’s cannon fire…
“BOOM—BOOM—”
Two massive high-energy particle beams shot from Yun Xingze’s cannons. At the last moment before firing, no one noticed Yun Xingze slightly adjusting the cannons’ angles.
He Haoming’s shield was moments away from full deployment.
Just as everyone thought the particle beams would be blocked, the unexpected happened.
Both beams simultaneously passed through gaps in He Haoming’s shield, piercing the edges before slamming squarely into the Tempest Mecha’s chest!
Under everyone’s stunned gazes, Yun Xingze’s cannon fire had struck despite the deployed shields.
Complete silence fell over the arena after the explosions.
Su Zinan’s eyes widened. As a Meteor Mecha operator, he fully understood the terrifying implications of those two shots. The cannon fire’s glow reflected in his pupils, stirring genuine fear within him.
After a brief pause, astonished exclamations erupted.
“What the hell? He Haoming got hit?!”
“Didn’t he just block with both shields?”
“How did Yun Xingze land those shots?!”
“That defies physics!”
Even He Haoming himself hadn’t anticipated being hit by Yun Xingze’s artillery fire. Intense pain surged through his chest as the miniature nuclear reactor powering his mech’s energy system suffered critical damage, immediately triggering emergency protocols to reduce energy output.
The warning lights on the Tempest Mech began flashing, signaling He Haoming’s precarious situation.
Aixili’s eyes widened slightly as she turned to Cole: “Cole, did you see that clearly? How did Yun Xingze’s artillery hit He Haoming’s mech? Didn’t He Haoming activate his shields?”
Cole, an S-class Meteor Mech pilot with exceptional observation skills for ranged combat, hadn’t yet recovered from his astonishment when he muttered blankly: “It seemed like Yun Xingze just ignored the shields?”
“That’s impossible!” Aixili frowned. “The Tempest Alloy Shield should have blocked.”
“What I mean is, Yun Xingze found an opening!” Cole suddenly became animated. “He discovered a split-second vulnerability when He Haoming raised his shields and exploited it to bypass both shield plates completely!”
Watching the mechs on the battlefield, Cole couldn’t help but marvel: “This is pure genius.”
Luo Wenchuan’s voice came from nearby: “It’s over.”
With He Haoming’s mech critically damaged by the particle cannon, Yun Xingze naturally didn’t give him any chance to counterattack. He ruthlessly targeted the Tempest Mech’s other joint components with several precise shots, completely dismantling the massive machine’s defensive capabilities.
It was clear He Haoming desperately wanted to raise his shields, but the pain made it impossible.
More debilitating than the physical pain was the shock and terror gripping He Haoming’s mind. How had Yun Xingze managed to hit him?!
Yun Xingze smirked slightly before delivering the final blow, a light saber strike across the Tempest Mech’s back. He Haoming tried to dodge, but with all systems critically damaged, he lost balance and crashed to the ground with an earth-shaking impact that sent dust flying.
The spectators fell into stunned silence, seemingly shocked by this dramatic reversal.
The referee took a moment before beginning the countdown.
No matter how hard He Haoming struggled, there was no way to make the heavily damaged behemoth stand again. When the ten-second count ended, the referee declared Yun Xingze the winner.
Emerging from his mech, He Haoming was drenched in sweat, his face ashen as he gasped for breath, his eyes burning with hostility toward Yun Xingze.
Yet he couldn’t help gritting his teeth to ask: “How… how did you do that?!”
“Which part?” Yun Xingze raised an eyebrow. “Blocking your attacks? Or knocking you down?”
He Haoming felt humiliated, his fingers trembling slightly. Despite the pain wracking his body, he forced himself to remain composed: “Your particle cannon, how did it hit me?”
“Oh, that.” Yun Xingze regarded He Haoming with calm amusement, casually mimicking a gunshot gesture. “Like this, I guess.” In truth, he had exploited a design flaw in He Haoming’s mech. The minuscule timing gap when raising the twin shields.
His tone dripped with disdain and mockery.
He Haoming was furious. He glared viciously at Yun Xingze and spat, “Don’t think you’re so great! I was just distracted earlier! Yun Xingze, I’ll remember this.”
“Why would an S-rank contestant bother remembering a B-rank like me?” Yun Xingze raised an eyebrow. “If I were you, I’d leave right now to save face. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
He Haoming’s lips trembled with rage at Yun Xingze’s words, his pale face twisting in disgust. “Yun Xingze, even if you beat me, no one will ever like a vicious Omega like you! If you hadn’t framed Su Zinan, his results would’ve been far better than yours!”
Yun Xingze thought He Haoming must be insane. “Why are you so obsessed with supporting Su Zinan? I genuinely don’t understand.”
“He’s kind and helpful, qualities you could never comprehend,” He Haoming sneered. “I know exactly what you are, just jealous that Su Zinan had more supporters than you. Too bad even after his withdrawal, none of that admiration will transfer to you.”
Before He Haoming could finish, a tsunami of cheers and applause erupted from the stands, drowning out his words.
Yun Xingze turned in surprise to see the referees officially announcing the match results. His ten consecutive victories had triggered this overwhelming response from the crowd.
“Incredible! Yun Xingze actually got ten straight wins!”
“You’re amazing, Yun Xingze! Keep it up!”
“The strongest first-year is actually an Omega—unbelievable!”
“Yun Xingze! Crush it at the national tournament!”
“You’re the pride of the Mecha Department.”
“Take your Divine Cat all the way to victory!”
Most shouts came from Class E of the first-year Mecha Combat Division and Omega students across all grades, along with fans who’d supported Yun Xingze since earlier matches.
Even the Alpha mecha students who’d previously doubted him now applauded, awestruck by his stunning comeback.
Cheers flooded Yun Xingze’s ears as flowers and confetti rained down onto the protective shield Stellar Naval Academy’s celebration for his hard-won victory. This reception far surpassed even Ke Lei’s earlier celebration.
“Wow, I’m so jealous of Junior Yun,” Ke Lei admitted, listening to the sustained cheers. “They’re way more enthusiastic for him than they were for me!”
“Of course,” Aixili said, smiling at the boy in the arena center. “These flowers and applause represent everyone’s admiration. After all, he’s now a record-breaking Omega.”
Historically, the academy’s mecha tournaments had always been dominated by Alphas. Last year, Su Zinan’s mere status as a reserve member had been excessively hyped.
But now, Yun Xingze had not only achieved ten consecutive victories but also secured a spot on the official team, a feat that left the entire school astonished.
Yun Xingze was swept up by the crowd’s passionate and energetic cheers. At that moment, he saw many Omegas in the audience looking at him with admiration or moved expressions, as if his victory had taken on an even more vibrant hue.
Beside him, He Haoming watched the scene with mixed emotions. Every round of applause felt like a slap to his face, clearly conveying one undeniable fact. Yun Xingze had far more supporters than Su Zinan.
Yun Xingze raised his hand in response to the cheers. Glittering snowflake confetti and colorful petals rained down onto the transparent protective shield, adding a dreamlike and dazzling touch to the cold mechanical glow of the arena.
Amid the colorful celebrations, Yun Xingze’s gaze was suddenly drawn to a figure in the stands.
Luo Wenchuan stood up and waved at him.
As if sharing a telepathic connection, their eyes met instantly.
The distance was too great for Yun Xingze to clearly see Luo Wenchuan’s expression, but he knew Luo could see his face on the broadcast screen.
So, he smiled and silently mouthed the words, “Senior Luo.”
Though Yun Xingze couldn’t see Luo Wenchuan’s face or hear his voice, he could almost feel the genuine happiness radiating from him.
The celebration lasted several minutes.
After it ended, Yun Xingze and He Haoming left the arena together.
Just before they departed, Luo Wenchuan suddenly remembered something and reached into his pocket, only to realize Yun Xingze had already left. A flicker of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
He Haoming, in a foul mood after his defeat and reminded of Su Zinan’s plight, harbored nothing but hostility toward Yun Xingze.
