The white spot of light grew larger and larger; it was the jet exhaust of the Kirin mecha.
In Gu Ya's hands, the Kirin's exhaust was a pale blue, but in Wang Shang Meng's, all its performance was perfectly showcased, even its exhaust turning a cold white. Gu Ya's current skill was not enough to fully display the mecha's capabilities. He still had room for improvement.
The Kirin slowly landed before Gu Ya. Wang Shang Meng, still buzzing with excitement, stepped out and exclaimed, "That was awesome! If only it were my exclusive ride! I'd definitely be able to satisfy it!"
Gu Ya smiled and said, "Your blue mecha is also very strong!"
"Haha! Just some private modifications, plus a few of my own ideas." Wang Shang Meng returned to the campfire, a piece of roasted dried meat now in his hand. Without any regard for Gu Ya, he popped it into his mouth and chewed heartily, completely unconcerned with his image.
Gu Ya watched the dried meat in his hand and swallowed. That's right, he was hungry again.
Wang Shang Meng burst into laughter and pulled a large piece of dried meat from his leather coat pocket, tossing it to Gu Ya. In the light of the campfire, they both chewed heartily.
After they had eaten their fill, Wang Shang Meng shouted, "Great! Life should be lived with joy and freedom! No difficulty is a true difficulty!"
Gu Ya swallowed the last bite and said, "Brother Wang, I've had my fun with the mecha, now it's time for you to teach me your techniques!"
"Hahaha!" Wang Shang Meng laughed heartily and said, "It's actually very simple!"
"Mecha piloting techniques are nothing more than calling up and executing programmed actions. For something more profound, you can write your own mecha movements based on your habits, like your ultimate moves."
"Anyone who understands mecha operation can do it, and as your piloting experience grows, you'll become more proficient!"
"Diligence can make up for lack of talent, but that's the most basic approach!"
"Lay a solid foundation! Then leave the rest to your brain!"
Wang Shang Meng stared at Gu Ya and continued, "I've already figured out your combat strategy! You always adapt to the battle situation, which is the approach of smart people! And it's your correct approach right now!"
"But, there's an even more useful method!"
Gu Ya quickly asked, "What method?"
Wang Shang Meng answered directly, without reservation, "Understand your opponent's tactics!"
"Understand others..." Gu Ya mused thoughtfully.
"Haha! Can you understand your opponent's tactics and piloting habits within a second?" Wang Shang Meng asked.
Gu Ya frowned and replied, "Sometimes I can, but most of the time I judge based on their emergency reactions."
"Right, right! Exactly," Wang Shang Meng said. "But this is just the prerequisite ability for you to become strong."
"To win against an opponent in a battle, knowing yourself and knowing your enemy is most important."
"To understand all of your opponent's tactics the moment you engage!"
"There's something even more profound, you might not believe me if I told you," Wang Shang Meng said mysteriously.
Gu Ya asked, puzzled, "What?"
"Actually, I've already guessed your personality, habits, preferences, and everything else, based on the movements you've made piloting your mecha, and I'm pretty close."
"You can know an opponent's background in an instant?" Gu Ya asked.
Wang Shang Meng burst into laughter, saying, "You're very perceptive!"
"What is my personality?" Gu Ya suddenly asked calmly.
"Hmph, if I could just say it, it wouldn't be personality-driven. Your personality has to be observed through your actions, and it can only be understood intuitively."
"Can you understand my personality through our conversation?" Wang Shang Meng asked.
"Yes!" Gu Ya said steadily.
Wang Shang Meng smiled slightly and said, "Then what if I'm good at disguising myself?"
"A cunning person won't give the enemy any opportunity. You need to learn to read between the lines, and those seemingly insignificant, meaningless behaviors are the key to understanding your opponent!"
Gu Ya kept staring into Wang Shang Meng's eyes, nodding earnestly, silently committing his words to memory.
At this moment, they seemed like a master and disciple. Wang Shang Meng was teaching wholeheartedly, and Gu Ya was learning with all his heart.
"Remember what I said! Understand your opponent the moment you engage! This is the first step," Wang Shang Meng said earnestly, looking back at Gu Ya.
"The second step is to change your tactics based on all of the opponent's characteristics during combat!"
"It sounds simple, but it's not easy to do."
"Some mecha pilots never achieve it in their lifetime."
"Some people grasp only a superficial understanding and think they've mastered the secrets of the universe, becoming arrogant and prideful, only to be defeated by their opponents!"
"Remember, Gu Ya! In mecha combat, regardless of the mecha's performance, it ultimately comes down to a battle between the pilots!"
Gu Ya's eyes widened instantly. That's right! All mechas are operated by humans. It's like stocks; even though they are operated by computers, the operators behind them are still humans! An excellent pilot can gain the upper hand from the first engagement.
"Of course, you have to be strong yourself! To achieve the above two points, you also need to forge yourself into something indestructible, with no weaknesses!" Wang Shang Meng continued.
"Whether it's the most basic mecha operation techniques, tactics, or everything about yourself. You need to achieve perfection!"
"If you leave no openings for your opponent, you've already won half the battle!"
No wonder Gu Ya hadn't seen any weaknesses in Wang Shang Meng's mecha earlier. It wasn't that his mecha had no weaknesses! It was that Wang Shang Meng had understood everything about Gu Ya, reacted accordingly, and concealed his own weaknesses! He was truly strong! Worthy of the title "God of War."
Gu Ya was secretly awestruck and nodded, "I understand, Teacher!"
"Hahahaha!" Wang Shang Meng laughed heartily and said, "It's not over yet!"
Wang Shang Meng continued, "After achieving the above points and mastering them perfectly, you then need to start considering and calculating lead times!"
"Calculating lead times?" Gu Ya frowned and said softly, "I understand!"
"Accurately predict your opponent's next move, or even their moves and strategies two or ten steps ahead."
"It's like playing chess; although there are set patterns, what's more important is using experience, intellect, and comprehensive ability to predict your opponent's next move, or even their moves ten steps ahead!"
"Hahahaha!" Wang Shang Meng laughed even more heartily and said, "I don't know what chess is, but your analogy is good!"
"Not only must you be flawless, but you must also make your opponent have nowhere to hide!"
"This is my method! Hahaha!" Wang Shang Meng said, laughing.
"Teacher!" Gu Ya excitedly knelt on one knee, cupping his hands in a bow, "Your student pays his respects!"
"Hahahaha!" Wang Shang Meng quickly helped Gu Ya up and said, "These are just the basics, and they are my experience. But that doesn't mean it's the strongest method."
"There must be stronger methods. It's just that I haven't realized them yet."
"Gu Ya, the reason I'm teaching you is that I see potential in you."
Wang Shang Meng looked at Gu Ya and smiled, saying, "You can't disappoint me."
"And don't disappoint everyone who cares about you."
"The strong are often lonely. To become the universally recognized strongest, even a genius must emerge through various setbacks, stumbling but unwavering."
"No success is achieved without sacrifice!"
Gu Ya nodded heavily and said, "I know, Teacher."
"I am a commoner. In the preparatory mecha pilot academy, I endured countless rumors and cold stares."
"But I refused to accept it. I wanted to prove to them that a commoner could succeed!"
"Since coming here, many people still look down on me, wanting to trample me underfoot and humiliate me, belittling me with their perceived innate noble status."
"But I will not yield!"
Wang Shang Meng looked at Gu Ya with admiration and said with satisfaction, "Gu Ya, we are very much alike."
"I also came from humble beginnings. Relying on a fiery spirit and pride, along with a thinking capacity several times that of ordinary people, I've climbed to this level step by step."
"Do you think I never thought of giving up? That's impossible."
"When I think about the things that happened in the past, I still feel a lingering pain."
"But when you stand on the peak and look back at the path you've taken, all those bad experiences will turn into stepping stones that help you climb higher."
"Never give up, at any time."
Gu Ya smiled and nodded.
Wang Shang Meng said with a smile, "Gu Ya, it's my honor to know you. Xian Xia has successors."
"You flatter me, Teacher! My path is still very long!"
Wang Shang Meng let out a loud laugh, stood up, and stretched his limbs, saying, "There's still some time before dawn. Why don't I teach you a few more of my ultimate moves? Consider it a meeting gift from your teacher!"
Gu Ya stood up excitedly and said, "Teacher!"
"Hahahaha!" Wang Shang Meng shouted with laughter, "Get in the mecha!"
"Let's have some fun!"