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Cai Yue'er snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Xu Yuan, her gaze filled with complexity.
It had only been a few years since Xu Yuan's entrance exam, where he had already left a deep impression. Yet, she had never imagined that at just thirteen years old, he could unleash such a dazzling spear strike.
This single spear strike was enough to rival a Soul Sage.
If it were a Soul Emperor on the receiving end, this spear—if not dodged—would leave them either dead or severely injured!
Was this really a mecha?
Cai Yue'er was deeply moved, gaining a newfound understanding of the true potential of mechas for the first time.
Compared to One-Word Battle Armor, this was far more than just a slight improvement.
If a Yellow-Rank mecha could achieve this, what about a Purple-Rank mecha?
What kind of amplification would result from crafting one using fully Spirit-Forged materials and the core array technology of Two-Word Battle Armor?
And what about Black-Rank mechas?
What level of power could be achieved by crafting one entirely from Soul-Forged materials and using the core array technology of Three-Word Battle Armor?
Finally—what if a Red-Rank mecha were designed and built using fully Heaven-Forged metals, based on the core array technology of Four-Word Battle Armor? What kind of spectacle would that create?
Was this the true limit of mechas?
Cai Yue'er took a deep breath, her pupils trembling violently as her mind raced with excitement.
It wasn't just her—the students in the audience were even more stunned.
This was the first time they had witnessed such an overwhelming display of mecha power.
The sheer strength of it silenced even Li Qiankun, who had just boldly declared his intention to challenge Xu Yuan again after achieving One-Word Battle Armor mastery.
The key was how low the requirements were for piloting a mecha.
Xu Yuan was only a Soul Elder, yet he was already able to control this mecha, and from the looks of it, he was utilizing it to its full potential.
This was the essence of a mecha.
In the past, their understanding of mechas wasn't wrong—they knew that mechas allowed low-level soul masters to unleash terrifying destructive power—but they had never imagined such a vast leap in capability.
A Soul Elder controlling a Yellow-Rank mecha to unleash the power of a Soul Sage.
Even a Soul Master might be able to operate it, though they likely wouldn't be able to reach this level of strength.
But all these assumptions were irrelevant because this mecha was custom-built for Xu Yuan. It integrated his spear techniques, his spear intent, his martial soul, and even his soul rings and skills, enabling this ultimate burst of power.
Other soul masters, even if they tried to pilot this mecha, would likely fail to unleash its full potential.
It was undeniable—many of the resourceful outer court disciples began to feel a subtle shift in their aspirations.
However, looking at Xu Yuan's dazzling mecha on stage, they wisely suppressed their impulses and desires.
This was all about money.
Forging a set of Two-Word Battle Armor was still far more practical than building a mecha like this.
Moreover, by the time they accumulated enough resources to build a mecha, their soul power would have already reached the level required to wear battle armor, rendering the mecha's lower requirements irrelevant.
The exchange match ended with the first- and second-year teams securing victory, causing a sensation throughout the outer court.
The question of whether it was necessary to also train in mecha piloting was now on the minds of many students.
However, even with Xu Yuan's demonstration, mechas remained something many soul masters avoided.
They were simply too expensive.
Furthermore, they weren't as powerful as battle armor.
Most importantly, the majority of students, who already struggled to meet the basic graduation requirements, didn't have the extra energy to pursue mecha piloting.
The mecha craze gradually faded, but it was clear that many students began attending mecha piloting classes during their free time. The number of participants in these classes gradually increased.
Though they couldn't afford it, they were still envious.
Xu Yuan hadn't redirected them toward becoming mecha pilots, but he had planted a seed in their hearts—a seed that revealed the true allure of mechas.
That spear strike—no one in the entire outer court could currently withstand it.
"You've certainly made quite a splash."
On the Sea God Island, Yun Ming sighed helplessly.
The debate over whether mechas or battle armor were superior had left him deep in thought for a long time.
It had to be admitted—when pushed to the extreme, mechas were indeed formidable, surpassing battle armor.
But the cost of building a mecha…
"Teacher, in reality, a mecha is just a term. Take Teacher Mu Ye's mecha, for instance. Its greatest amplification state exists in the form of a long blade. So, a mecha isn't necessarily a hulking monster—it's an external tool that integrates with the user, just like battle armor can be any external object that fuses with the soul master."
The concept behind battle armor was fusion—true integration with the soul master, becoming a part of their martial soul.
Mecha, on the other hand, were external tools.
But that didn't mean mechas were less closely related to soul masters.
On the contrary, they could be very closely tied.
"Metals forged with Spirit Alloy or higher can integrate into a martial soul, providing amplification. Metals forged at the Spirit-Forging or Soul-Forging levels would only yield better results."
"I don't advocate for everyone to build a mecha like my extreme version, but I strongly recommend that soul masters use mechas to further enhance themselves."
Beyond battle armor, soul masters could arm themselves with mechas.
Even without introducing the concept of mechas, under the current structure of battle armor, adding a weapon component would suffice.
The development of battle armor technology in this era had already matured. From One-Word to Four-Word Battle Armor, the components were standardized—eleven parts in total: the skull, chest armor, battle skirt, and two pieces each for the legs and arms, forming an eleven-piece set.
Starting from Two-Word Battle Armor, the chest piece could extend into wings.
However, in orthodox battle armor crafting, there was no dedicated weapon component.
Yun Ming nodded in agreement.
"In that case, you can try exploring this path first."
Xu Yuan shook his head.
His path was already set. In the future, his weapons would take the form of mechas.
The suggestion was purely that—a suggestion. If no one adopted it, it didn't matter; there was no loss either way.
"Your martial soul split is happening in two months, right?"
"Yes. Uncle gave me a clear timeline. He'll arrive on the Douluo Continent in a month, bring me the paper spirit soul, and after I fuse with it and adapt for a month, I'll make the final adjustments and proceed with the split."
"Perform the martial soul split in the Sea God Pavilion. I'll stand guard for you," Yun Ming said after some thought.
Xu Yuan hesitated.
Splitting his martial soul in a place like the Sea God Pavilion would theoretically be safer. However, the Golden Ancient Tree represented by the Sea God Pavilion wasn't necessarily beneficial for him.
Seeing Xu Yuan hesitate, Yun Ming asked, "What's the matter? Any concerns?"
"No, Teacher. It's just different from my original plan."
After a brief moment of thought, Xu Yuan already had his answer.
Since he hadn't yet had any substantial conflict with a certain plane lord, the other party likely wouldn't interfere with his martial soul split.
Even if something unexpected happened, with Yun Ming present, Xu Yuan had nothing to worry about.
Time passed.
One month later.
"Uncle, who is this?"
Xu Yuan saw not only his uncle but also a stunningly beautiful woman standing beside him.
"This is your aunt," Xu Shengqun explained without hesitation, introducing the strikingly elegant beauty beside him. Then, turning to the woman, he said, "This is Xu Yuan, my eldest nephew."
"Aunt, nice to meet you."
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