The Divine Weapon Mech suddenly erupted with surging, thick dust like a tidal wave.
Within the dust, several rugged blue flames were seen spewing out, each flame as thick as a mech.
The ground trembled, and the surrounding giant trees were scorched black by the scorching flames.
The Divine Weapon Mech rose from the ground and hovered slowly in mid-air.
The air around its body was heated by its scorching chassis. Viewed from a distance, it seemed as if space itself was distorted.
Everyone who saw it, including Gu Ya, was shocked to the point of numbness by its terrifyingly vast body.
The Divine Weapon Mech slowly turned its body, and then its rear thrusters fiercely ignited, flying directly towards Fan Mengtian.
"This is bad!" Chen Xingke quickly maneuvered his mech towards Fan Mengtian.
Mei Shanli also rapidly followed,
The two of them blocked Fan Mengtian's path, intending to shield him from the enemy.
Gu Ya looked back at the three, suddenly feeling envious.
He had once longed for someone to choose him for their team, to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with cherished comrades, to entrust his back to those he could trust.
But those bubble-like desires were ultimately just fantasies.
Suddenly, the Divine Weapon Mech swung its massive palm, enveloped in a powerful gust, and struck one of the mechs. That mech, like a swatted bee, crashed directly towards the ground.
"Mei Shanli!" Fan Mengtian cried out desperately.
Oh no, this blow would cripple him if it didn't kill him! Gu Ya was greatly alarmed. He quickly piloted his mech towards Mei Shanli, simultaneously directing the giant snake to crawl closer.
"Gu Ya?" Chen Xingke shouted in panic. "He's going to harm Mei Shanli!"
Fan Mengtian reacted swiftly and also charged towards Mei Shanli.
At this moment, the Divine Weapon Mech opened all its weapon bays.
Dozens of weapon bays were distributed across its shoulders, limbs, and chest.
Instantly, the Divine Weapon Mech erupted with a huge cloud of white smoke, and hundreds of missiles, trailing smoke, shot out.
Seen from the air, the Divine Weapon Mech resembled a giant rocket launcher firing fireworks.
...
Meanwhile, at the camp outside the jungle, Shi Heping and Xie Fangbin released over a dozen unmanned reconnaissance mechs to fly towards each team, preparing to monitor their progress.
Shi Heping watched the mechs fly away and said, "The battles on the second day will definitely be spectacular!"
Xie Fangbin nodded, staring thoughtfully at Gu Ya's name on the holographic display.
...
Gu Ya and Fan Mengtian arrived beside Mei Shanli almost simultaneously. Fan Mengtian picked up Mei Shanli, preparing to escape.
Gu Ya grabbed him, activated the loudspeaker, and calmly said, "Do you want to get your teammate killed? Those missiles are targeting you!"
Fan Mengtian coldly replied, "Rather than be defeated by you, we'd rather be defeated by the Divine Weapon! Let go!"
Gu Ya still held on and calmly replied, "I will not harm her."
"Why?" Fan Mengtian was somewhat surprised.
But the missile barrage wouldn't wait; they were already flying overhead. If they didn't leave, all three mechs would be destroyed by the missiles.
Gu Ya calmly said, "Please trust me, I won't take advantage of your misfortune."
Mei Shanli shouted, "Don't believe him! He's a scoundrel!"
The missile rain was still dozens of meters away. Choosing to trust Gu Ya offered a glimmer of hope!
Fan Mengtian grit his teeth, put Mei Shanli down, and accelerated away.
The trails of the missile barrage drew a perfect crescent moon pattern in the sky, tracking Fan Mengtian.
Mei Shanli looked at the departing Fan Mengtian, sighed sadly, and said to Gu Ya, "You win, cunning Gu Ya. Come on, defeat me."
"But remember, if you dare to do this, none of your classmates in Class A will consider you one of us from now on."
Gu Ya maneuvered his mech to the side, not wanting to pay her any mind.
"Don't pretend! Isn't this exactly your scheme!" Mei Shanli shouted. "Lure Fan Mengtian away to deal with me! Fan Mengtian really should have stayed and taken you down with him!"
Gu Ya disdainfully said, "You should shut your mouth and pray for your teammate."
"Ha! People from the slums actually have the gall to be noble! Aren't all you slum dwellers slimy, shifty, and greedy!"
"Do you think this will change our attitude towards you?"
"The classmates have been spreading it around! Slum dweller Gu Ya, who has nothing, got into Class A. It's either cheating or he's a laughable 'slum exam-taker'!"
Slum exam-taker? What a malicious nickname! Gu Ya was secretly shocked.
"The classmates also say that Gu Ya is an orphan, living by scavenging!"
Gu Ya was curious and asked, "Where did you hear all this?"
Mei Shanli sneered and said, "Your good roommate, Wang Zhanpeng."
So it was him. No wonder he'd been asking about my background lately.
Gu Ya had told him about his experiences working at the repair shop and building a two-wheeled motorcycle at the scrap yard.
But he had twisted it into scavenging.
Given Wang Zhanpeng's foul mouth, even if Gu Ya had revealed his experience building a motorcycle mech, he would have spun it into shameless bragging.
After all, Gu Ya had requested Ling to keep his information private, and besides Ling, no one knew Gu Ya's true identity.
He would have to warn Wang Zhanpeng later.
Mei Shanli was still rambling, "Gu Ya, you must be secretly delighted! Being classmates with us is a blessing you've earned in three lifetimes!"
"Gu Ya! Don't you dare act? Or have I hit the nail on the head and you're just enraged!"
Gu Ya's expression darkened. He quickly edited a program for the giant snake and gave it a command to come over.
Then, he opened his cockpit and slowly stepped out.
"Gu Ya, what are you doing? Don't think your feigned sincerity will make me believe you!"
"You must be thinking that by not piloting a mech, you can prove you have no ill intentions; actually, you want me to let my guard down so you can defeat me!"
"I've hit the nail on the head again!"
"Don't think that without a mech you can shake my opinion of you!"
Gu Ya looked at Mei Shanli's mech and said coldly, "Mei Shanli, all this you've said is actually a cover for your inner fear and unwillingness."
"Fear? You must be joking! I'm afraid of you?" Mei Shanli shouted.
"Then what will it take to make you shut up?" Gu Ya asked sinisterly.
"Is it this?"
Gu Ya suddenly summoned a military exoskeleton armor and attached it to himself.
Mei Shanli's eyes widened. What happened? Why was Gu Ya suddenly wearing such exquisitely crafted exoskeleton armor?
"Or this?" Gu Ya said, retracting his exoskeleton armor, revealing his somewhat youthful face.
Suddenly, a giant beast emerged from the jungle behind him!
Mei Shanli screamed in terror, "Gu! Gu Ya! Behind you, behind you!"
But Gu Ya stared at Mei Shanli motionlessly.
"Ha! Hahaha! Hahaha! Gu Ya, you're finished! You have no mech! You're dead!"
But what happened next shocked her even more.
The giant snake showed no intention of attacking Gu Ya. Instead, it lowered its head beside Gu Ya.
Gu Ya stood beside the giant snake's head, appearing so small.
But he looked as if he were leisurely strolling, completely unfazed!
What was going on? Why wasn't the snake attacking Gu Ya!
Why was Gu Ya acting like nothing had happened? Why wasn't he afraid!
Mei Shanli felt her mind struggling to comprehend it all.
The next scene completely blew Mei Shanli's mind!
The giant snake opened its terrifying mouth and extended its incredibly thick metal tongue.
And Gu Ya actually stepped onto its tongue!
"Gu, Gu Ya! You don't want to live!" Mei Shanli, terrified, curled up in the cockpit, covering her eyes with her hands, leaving a slit, as if watching an extremely horrifying movie.
The giant snake actually lifted Gu Ya with its tongue!
Gu Ya stood on the tongue, slowly rising to the same height as Mei Shanli's cockpit.
Mei Shanli's hands fell limply, her mind went blank, her body was unable to move, her mouth agape, staring blankly.
"Now, can you shut up?" Gu Ya asked calmly.
Huh?
Shut up?
What about shutting up?
I must be dreaming, right?
This isn't real! It's definitely not real! Mei Shanli argued desperately in her heart.
At that moment, an unmanned reconnaissance mech flew in from the sky, hovering above Mei Shanli's mech.
Shi Heping and Xie Fangbin's mouths dropped to the floor as they stared in horror at the image of Gu Ya standing on the giant snake's tongue, looking so composed.
"No, that's absolutely impossible!" Xie Fangbin stammered.
"My God! How did he do that? Ah?" Xie Fangbin clutched his head with both hands, his eyes wide with a shout.
Shi Heping, an old teacher who had been on the battlefield, quickly recovered from his surprise, smiled with disbelief and satisfaction.
"Fangbin! You're absolutely right."
"We've found a treasure!"
"Gu Ya is the treasure!"