The scene of the battle was different from what Lin Junjie had imagined. He didn't need to deliberately hold back or restrain himself; he could go all out.
After all, if he didn't give it his all, he might be the one getting taken out.
Sitting in the mech, Lin Junjie watched as Gu Yuena, who was on par with him, made his mouth twitch.
Huo Yuhao, with the strength of a two-word battle armor master, could withstand a red-level mech pilot, and now his little girlfriend also had such strength?
Is this some kind of cheat code from the Douluo Federation?
At this moment, Lin Junjie couldn't help but recall the words of the Spirit Ancestor.
"The Douluo Federation? That's a gathering place for monsters. Someone with your talent wouldn't even rank there. Do you think I'm so dedicated to turning you because I'm loyal to the Douluo Federation? Dead wrong. It's simply because, in my view, there's no future after the Star Luo Federation."
"The Ancestors didn't lie to me."
As Lin Junjie was lost in thought, he saw the figure charging at him again. Controlling the red-level mech, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, forcefully blocking Gu Yuena's spear strike. Ripples of energy surged across the mech's surface.
In the next moment, the thrusters on the back of the red-level mech erupted with blazing flames, and the massive mechanical body soared into the air. Two dark red energy blades extended from the mech's arms, slashing toward Gu Yuena with a piercing screech.
Gu Yuena narrowed her silver eyes, gracefully stepped back half a step, her silver spear drew a beautiful arc. The moment the spear tip collided with the energy blades, space itself distorted.
"Boom—"
A blinding energy storm swept out, shattering the surrounding rocks. The Star Luo soldiers watching from a distance had to erect protective barriers to barely stay on their feet.
Xu Lingfeng stood at the rear, his expression shifting between dark and light.
He had originally thought that the Star Luo army's strength would be enough to annihilate this Dawn Society base. He hadn't expected the enemy to not only possess a seventh-level fixed guidance soul shell but also have a red-level mech pilot stationed there.
What shocked him even more was that the two young people sent by the Douluo Federation had such unfathomable strength.
But... why isn't Huo Yuhao stepping in to support Gu Yuena now when he could change everything?
Lin Junjie was filled with doubt but didn't dare to voice it directly.
What the Douluo Federation delegation members wanted to do was not something he had the right to question, especially since the main force in this battle was from the Douluo Federation.
"Order the troops to retreat three kilometers and establish a defensive line!" he commanded gravely. "This is no longer a fight we can intervene in."
On the battlefield, the battle between Gu Yuena and the red-level mech had reached a fever pitch.
Silver spear rays and dark red energy blades clashed repeatedly in the air, each collision triggering violent energy explosions. Multilayered elemental fusion forces occasionally bombarded the red-level mech.
"Boom—"
The seventh elemental explosion lit up the entire canyon like daylight. Gu Yuena's silver hair danced wildly as her Silver Dragon Spear suddenly burst with seven-colored divine light. Where the spear tip pointed, space shattered like a mirror!
But compared to Gu Yuena's spatial spear techniques and the overwhelming elemental power, what Lin Junjie now feared most has another, more subtle force—
Spirit Domain-level spiritual power!
"A Soul Emperor... how could she possess such spiritual power?" Feeling the faint spiritual pressure, Lin Junjie's expression turned extremely grave.
Not just Lin Junjie, even the Spirit Ancestor within his spiritual sea was equally shocked.
Damn, is this generation of the Federation's new blood so ferocious? A Soul Emperor with Spirit Domain-level spiritual power... they're practically reaching for the heavens.
And yet, this girl isn't even the strongest among her peers in the Federation.
What kind of strength does that boy named Huo Yuhao possess?
Thinking this, the Spirit Ancestor realized a very important issue.
"Junjie, be careful. There's more than one Spirit Domain-level spiritual power around the mech!"
Lin Junjie's pupils contracted, quickly locking onto Huo Yuhao, who seemed motionless in the distance.
That's right. If this girl has Spirit Domain-level spiritual power, how could Huo Yuhao, a spiritual attribute soul master, fall behind?
Although he hadn't made a move, he had already invisibly joined the battle.
That restrained spiritual power was Huo Yuhao's hidden ace. If Lin Junjie didn't keep his promise, Huo Yuhao could deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
But seeing how Gu Yuena used her spiritual power to mask Huo Yuhao's spiritual anomalies, the two spiritual powers intertwined in a strange state, Lin Junjie felt less surprised and more... oddly full.
"Looks like it's over. Get ready to disengage. I'll take over the battle from here."
Seeing Gu Yuena's attacks grow increasingly fierce, the Spirit Ancestor reminded him.
Although Star Luo, due to its national circumstances, hadn't developed mechs specifically for spirits to control, at the red-level mech tier, spirits could fuse with the mech, even becoming a part of it. Naturally, a spirit could also take over the mech in the place of the soul master.
Lin Junjie nodded, not objecting to the suggestion.
This was the only "escape" opportunity at this stage. He just hoped the other side would go easy and leave his red-level mech intact.
Boom—
Gu Yuena's Silver Dragon Spear tore through the air once more, seven-colored elements converging into a destructive vortex at the spear tip. Lin Junjie gritted his teeth as the red-level mech suddenly made a physics-defying abrupt stop, its chest armor snapping open with a "click."
"Now!"
Time to make a break for it!
Lin Junjie slammed the ejection button, and the cockpit shot out like a cannonball. Almost simultaneously, his spirit appeared, a nine-tailed fox with a spiritual attribute, and took over the mech.
Spiritual attribute spirit beasts were generally more cunning, especially a fox. Even if it was just a ten-thousand-year spirit, its intelligence wasn't far from several hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts, which was why it could shoulder the "undercover" mission.
And now, it was time for it to do its duty.
Xu Lingfeng watched in disbelief as Lin Junjie fled, while Gu Yuena was blocked by the red-level mech and couldn't stop him, his face showing a look of confusion.
Are you serious? You're a Titled Douluo! Where's your backbone?
Running away from a Soul Emperor, aren't you ashamed?!
Xu Lingfeng instinctively scanned at Huo Yuhao beside him, who still showed no intention of making a move, and frowned slightly.
This... His Majesty must have paid you, right? Not putting in the effort after taking the reward isn't good, is it?
Reading this implicate in his gaze, Huo Yuhao smiled.
"I let him go on purpose, just like the Dawn Society remnants who left earlier. I've planted a spiritual marker on them without them noticing. Within a certain range, I can track their location."
"And what that means, I don't need to explain, do I? Captain Xu, don't you want to earn greater merits?"
Xu Lingfeng's eyes broadened, and he swallowed hard.
He certainly understood what it meant.
The bases His Majesty had given them were only part of the Dawn Society's operations. Among the Dawn Society members who had withdrawn earlier, there were still some talents who would likely be accepted by other Dawn Society members. But thanks to Huo Yuhao's move, they will all become unwitting guides.
After a moment of serious thought, he nodded solemnly. "Then we'll proceed according to your plan."
He was very eager to earn merits. As someone who had already reached the Soul Douluo level, he was confident he could advance to the red-level mech pilot tier. But the resources required to build a red-level mech were beyond his means.
If this operation against the Dawn Society brought him enough merits, he wouldn't have to worry about the future.
Huo Yuhao's lips curved into a smile.
Not putting in the effort?
Rest assured, having accepted the reward, he would certainly do his best to "suppress" the Dawn Society.
But as for which faction he'd be suppressing, that wasn't certain. After all, His Majesty of Star Luo hadn't specified.
...
In the Star Luo Imperial Palace, Xu Chengzhi sat behind his desk, sniffing slightly, his brows tightly knit.
He had a bad feeling.
"Your Majesty, good news, great news."
A soul master knocked and entered, reporting with a pleased expression, "In just two days, five Dawn Society bases have been destroyed."
"Good."
Hearing this, Xu Chengzhi put aside his unease, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
This way, the discordant voices in Star Luo would grow even fewer.
"Which Dawn Society bases were destroyed?"
"The Dawn Society bases in Heavenly Origin, Sparrow..."
Xu Chengzhi took out a Star Luo map, watching as the soul master pointed out the locations. The smile on his face gradually disappeared.