The youngest mecha craftsman in the history of the Federation. And he had already successfully built a god-rank mecha for someone else. He was known as the Hand of God.
In terms of mecha control, the Hand of God had a talent that defied the heavens. No matter the type of mecha, once it was in his hands, it would undergo earth-shaking changes.
He also had an incredibly bizarre name—one that was mocked and ridiculed when he was younger, yet now was recognized across the entire continent.
His name was Wang Kulou. In this tournament, he was hailed as the God of Skulls. His martial soul—his own skeleton.
Precisely because of this, within a single day, all of the Federation was set ablaze with anticipation for the showdown between the Gun King and Skull King. Now, the battle was finally here.
Gu You sat silently in the resting chamber, recalling everything he knew about Wang Kulou.
This man's martial soul wasn't simply "skeleton," but Skull King. Using bones as his martial soul was in fact a form of body-based martial soul. But when Gu You had asked his teacher, he was told that Wang Kulou didn't belong to the Body Sect, but rather originated from a mysterious family.
He was a ninth-rank mecha craftsman—a god-rank mecha smith.
Within the Federation, top-tier figures in various professions far outnumbered those in forging. Even so, there were only thirteen ninth-rank mecha craftsmen in the entire Federation. And even among them, crafting a god-rank mecha was not easy.
Crafting such a mecha for someone else was even harder than for oneself. Moreover, Wang Kulou was only thirty-three. If his body could handle it, he likely would've already become a god-rank mecha pilot as well.
There was no doubt that Gu You was uneasy about this fight. If it were a soul master battle, he'd be confident of winning. But in a mecha match? It was far less certain.
The arena's atmosphere was even more intense than expected. The audience had already forgotten the previous "accidents." Before Gu You had even stepped into the arena, a thunderous cheer was already erupting from the stands.
…
In the Abyssal Passage.
Crack!
A faint sound of shattering emerged from the deepest part of the Abyssal Passage, too subtle even for the most sensitive detectors to perceive.
A tiny fracture appeared in the very core. A soft glow shimmered over the passage's seal—but it flashed once and vanished, not lasting long.
Wisp-like black fog silently seeped out of the crack. It was so faint that it didn't even trigger the seal's defenses. The black gas, needle-like in form, drifted while causing twisted light to shimmer around it.
The black stream began to coil. In the process, it seemed to wrap around an invisible hand. That unseen hand tugged once, pulling a faint shadow into the blood god army's side of the seal. Holding the thread formed by the black mist, it quickly drifted away from the seal, speeding toward a more distant location.
…
Buzz—!
A mecha stomped into the arena, its steps thundering across the stadium. Every spectator locked their eyes onto the two mechas entering the battlefield.
Gu You's was, as always, a close-combat mecha wielding a long spear.
Facing him, also stepping forward, was another close-combat mecha—but this one bore a sword and shield.
Gu You's mecha tilted the spear downward, his hands gripping it at the midpoint as he stared across at his opponent. Wang Kulou stared right back. It was as though an unseen thread connected them.
There was no doubt—Wang Kulou's familiarity with mechas far surpassed Gu You's. It was his profession, after all. In previous battles, Wang Kulou had demonstrated his masterful chain combos, combining speed and power into an unstoppable force.
He was hailed as the pinnacle of human mecha combat skill.
"Final match of the Federation-wide Challenge Tournament Mecha Division—prepare!"
"Five, four, three, two, one—begin!"
As always, the Star Battle Network's start command was brief and to the point.
With the start signal, both Gu You and Wang Kulou launched into action simultaneously, charging toward each other in great strides.
But from the first step, the difference was already clear.
Both were close-combat mechas with different weapons—Wang Kulou's were slightly heavier. Yet, even without using boosters, he was half a second faster than Gu You in acceleration.
That gap in operation skill was glaring. Half a second might seem small, but in mecha combat, it was the difference between life and death.
They closed the gap quickly. The collision point wasn't at the center of the arena but slightly closer to Gu You's side.
Wang Kulou's shield was raised in front. With a sliding step, he closed the distance, and the shield smashed toward Gu You's mecha.
Gu You raised his spear. A radiant spear light ignited at the tip, shining with infused soul power—brilliant and blazing.
Spear of Kings!
Knowing full well that his control was inferior, Gu You immediately opted to go all-out from the start.
Wang Kulou responded swiftly, showing no surprise at Gu You's move. His shield still came crashing forward, but his footwork subtly changed.
In that instant, the position where Gu You expected to land a blow… was empty.
That sliding step wasn't simple at all.
So fast!
In normal combat, mechas had speed limitations. Yet this man seemed to defy those limits. He didn't move like a mecha—but like a soul master in battle.
Gu You's spear strike missed.
But at that very moment, the spear in his mecha's hand burst with brilliant light. A deep explosion echoed.
Wang Kulou reacted instantly, shrinking his form and dodging to the side.
Gu You's spear vibrated, and with a resonant dragon's roar, a massive multicolored dragon surged from the spear tip, claws outstretched, lunging toward Wang Kulou.
"Zijin Wang?"
From the spectator stands, an uproar broke out.
Though many had guessed the Gun King's identity, seeing it confirmed shocked them all.
He was trying to win both championship titles?!
That's right—Gu You had no need to hide anymore. He unleashed his bloodline at the level of the Dragon God.
(End of Chapter)
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