Jing Hongchen: Ten Thousand Years Later, Why Is the Star Luo Empire's Soul Guidance Technology Still on Par with Our Mingde Hall?

The next day,

The All-Continent Young Advanced Soul Master Tournament was no longer being held at the Star Luo Empire's National Stadium. It had been moved to another stadium.

Even so, the enormous arena, which could accommodate a hundred thousand people, was still packed to capacity.

All because today marked the first match of the Five Gods' Duel! The mecha battle!

The dais was likewise fully occupied. His Majesty Dai Tianling, Emperor of the Star Luo Empire; En Ci, dean of Monster Academy; Laughing-Face Douluo Hu Jie, head of the Tang Sect on the Star Luo Continent; and Netherflame Douluo Zhang Geyang, head of the Spirit Pagoda on the Star Luo Continent, had all arrived.

The commentator's voice carried throughout the venue through the amplification system.

"The Five Gods' Duel is a tradition passed down from ancient times. In those days, when two nations clashed, they could propose a Five Gods' Duel if they wished to spare their people from devastation. Five battles decided the outcome, and the challenger had to win all five in succession to claim victory."

"A single defeat means total loss for the challenger. The Five Gods' Duel determines a nation's fate, and is therefore sacred. Not the slightest deception is permitted."

"Today, Luo Chen of the Douluo Federation's Diplomatic Mission has challenged our Star Luo Empire to a Five Gods' Duel."

"The first match is a mecha battle! The rules are as follows: both sides will use Divine Mecha. Soul Spirits may not be used during combat. All other soul guidance weapons and close-quarters combat are unrestricted."

"Representing the Star Luo Empire in the mecha battle is the commander of the Imperial Knights, the empire's foremost mecha pilot, Titled Douluo Huang Zhengyang! His machine is the Red-Grade Mecha, Silent Annihilation Death God!"

Even Luo Chen froze for a moment when he heard that name.

Wasn't Huang Zhengyang's Black Mecha called Despair Death God?

His Red Mecha is called Death God too? Why don't you just change your title to Death God Douluo?

Outside the Sky Screen, Ye Xishui was stunned when she heard that.

What? Could any stray cat or dog call themselves Death God now?

"Have my years away from the continent made the world forget the name of Death God Douluo?"

Ye Xishui slowly rose, her blood-red dress hugging her shapely, graceful figure.

Long Xiaoyao, standing behind her, was left staring in a daze.

After that brief lapse, Long Xiaoyao asked, "Xishui, is Yan Shaozhe from Shrek really our child?"

Yes, even after all this time, Ye Xishui has never given me a straight answer to that question.

Ye Xishui turned and stared straight at Long Xiaoyao. "Since you're so eager to know, come with me to Shrek sometime soon."

Within the Sky Screen,

Countless spectators began cheering as soon as Huang Zhengyang's Silent Annihilation Death God appeared.

This was currently the Star Luo Empire's finest mecha! They normally had no chance to see it.

Unlike the dull, pitch-black Despair Death God, the Silent Annihilation Death God had a subdued dark-red base, with interwoven gray-and-gold death-aspected soul guidance patterns flowing across its armor plates.

Instead of a single scythe mounted behind its shoulders, three twelve-meter-long divine-grade Silent Annihilation Scythe Blades hovered there. Annihilating gray mist swirled around the blades, and tiny pitch-black fissures split the air they cut through!

Outside the Sky Screen, Jing Hongchen examined the materials used in this mecha.

Sure enough, they were the products of the forging Luo Chen had demonstrated a few days earlier.

But one thing puzzled him deeply.

"Why do the Soul Guidance Arrays on this mecha look so similar to ours at Mingde Hall? Have ten thousand years passed, only for the Star Luo Empire's Soul Guidance Technology to reach this level?"

Meanwhile, within the Sky Screen, Luo Chen looked at the Silent Annihilation Death God and shook his head.

"It certainly looks intimidating. Whether it has the strength to match is another matter."

Though it was the Star Luo Empire's finest mecha, Huang Zhengyang's Silent Annihilation Death God was still an old-fashioned model that required manual piloting.

The Federation, however, had already integrated Red Mecha with Soul Spirits, allowing them to fight in tandem with the user's Battle Armor.

In this respect, the Star Luo Empire's technological level lagged far behind the Sun Moon Federation's.

Without the Tang Sect's covert assistance, the Star Luo Empire probably would not catch up with the Federation's technology even if given several more centuries.

"You'll know how strong it is once you try it. Where's your mecha?" Huang Zhengyang asked casually.

Luo Chen was simply too young. One glance suggested that he had spent all his time cultivating.

He must have devoted very little time to studying mecha. Even if the Federation produced better-quality machines, Huang Zhengyang was confident that his piloting skills could turn that disadvantage into an advantage.

"Then, as you wish. Little Red," Luo Chen called.

As Luo Chen's words fell, a Divine Mecha appeared, built entirely from heavenly forged metal. Its whole body was crimson, with dark-gold patterns flowing across it like molten lava.

Compared with Huang Zhengyang's Silent Annihilation Death God, Little Red was undoubtedly much simpler, without any extravagant ornamentation.

Its silhouette was slender and clean, its shoulder armor small and restrained, nothing like the ferocious appearance of Huang Zhengyang's Silent Annihilation Death God.

Nor was it equipped with any flashy weapons. It looked just like an ordinary mecha.

"This is your Divine Mecha? Where are your weapons? You haven't even equipped your mecha with any?" Huang Zhengyang asked in confusion.

Just as he had suspected, apart from the slightly better forged metal, the Federation's mecha were no different from those of the Star Luo Empire.

Moreover, that forged metal was only possible because the Federation had a Divine Craftsman. If the Star Luo Empire produced one too, its mecha army would surely surpass the Federation's!

Fortunately, Luo Chen could not read minds. Otherwise, Huang Zhengyang's thoughts would have made him laugh himself to death on the spot, and he might even have added, "Brother, have you had too much to drink?"

"That's right. This is my mecha. As for weapons, you'll see them," Luo Chen said.

"You're kidding. That mecha looks so weak."

"Why does it look just like my Yellow Mecha?"

"Entering the match with an ancient piece of junk like that-isn't he insulting our empire's foremost mecha pilot?"

In the stadium stands, Mu Ye listened to the mocking remarks.

An amused smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"They won't be laughing in a moment."

"Against an inferior Red Mecha like this, Little Red should be able to defeat it within ten moves."

As the two mecha took their positions at opposite ends of the arena, the hundred thousand spectators instantly fell silent, every gaze fixed firmly on the two machines.

"Both sides, take your positions!"

The referee was about to announce the start of the match.

After entering his mecha's cockpit, Huang Zhengyang suddenly realized that Luo Chen was still standing outside, with no intention of entering his own cockpit.

"Mecha battle, begin!"

The instant the referee's declaration rang out, Huang Zhengyang attacked without holding anything back.

"Watch out!" Huang Zhengyang said.

"Don't worry. Against you, I won't even need to use my hands," Luo Chen taunted.

"Arrogant!"

The Soul Tool Thrusters beneath the Silent Annihilation Death God's feet instantly erupted with gray-black jets of flame. The entire mecha became a black shadow, skimming across the ground at high speed.

The three Silent Annihilation Scythe Blades behind it suddenly sprang free. Dark-red patterns lit up in an instant, and the blades tore through the air with piercing shrieks, slashing down from above at Luo Chen's Little Red!

Just as the Despair Scythe was about to strike, Little Red finally moved!