Chapter 45

The thing that annoyed him the most was that after seeing Ji Fu’s intimate actions with a certain man that day, he felt despondent for a long time.

When his friend finally saw him, he was shocked to see his gloomy face.

After learning the source of the matter, his friend hit the nail on the head, saying it wasn’t just a breakup, it was clearly unrequited love, and it had failed at that.

At that moment, Zhou Lu Hai even sneered, thinking to himself, who is he, Zhou Lu Hai, to indulge in unrequited love?

But now, looking at Ji Fu’s candid appearance, he couldn’t find the words to say.

Honestly speaking, she didn’t have anything special for him, not even close to how she treated Shi Xueying, Jiang Wei, and others.

Their interaction relied entirely on his one-sided efforts.

… Alright.

He was indeed lovesick.

But usually, even if he had feelings for someone and they didn’t reciprocate as he did, with his pride, he would have no hesitation in turning away.

Yet, the person in front of him not only didn’t reciprocate, but blatantly treated him as a tool.

Zhou Lu Hai looked at her with a dark expression, a storm brewing in his eyes.

Ji Fu raised an eyebrow, “What are you staring at?”

Zhou Lu Hai’s face was as cold as water as he said firmly, “It’s here.”

If Fang Duo were here, he’d probably laugh himself to death at Young Master Zhou’s expression.

Angry in his mind, obedient in his actions.

Whatever he was told to do, he did; wherever he was directed to strike, he struck.

Zhou Lu Hai unleashed Deep Sea, the majestic mech, and began traversing various areas… uprooting trees.

Li Yunyi found this scene astonishing when he arrived.

They had gathered enough materials on their end. Tan Xi asked him to come back and call for Ji Fu. Seeing Deep Sea carrying that pile of exotic plants, he couldn’t help but ask, “What are you collecting so many exotic plants for?”

These weren’t just ordinary exotic plants. Although most of the ones Ji Fu selected were still in their juvenile stage, their ranks were not low.

The worst among them was at C-level.

But because they were in their juvenile forms, their aggressiveness was not yet strong. Zhou Lu Hai’s abilities were exceptional enough to harvest such a large quantity of juvenile plants quickly.

Li Yunyi glanced at Deep Sea a few times. It was still S-class, but it seemed stronger than before.

Zhou Lu Hai must have upgraded the mech with someone’s help.

Currently, Deep Sea’s strength was at least S+.

While Zhou Lu Hai was uprooting trees, Ji Fu wasn’t idle either. She temporarily made a mechanical device and harvested large quantities of potion materials.

Upon hearing Li Yunyi’s question, she controlled the system panel while saying calmly, “Of course, it’s for cultivation.”

Li Yunyi: ?

Cultivate what? Exotic plants?

Planting exotic plants wasn’t uncommon; many potion materials came from them.

But…

He glanced at the A+ Man-Eating Flower sapling held by Deep Sea.

Isn’t planting things like Man-Eating Flowers a bit twisted?

Not to mention Man-Eating Flowers, there were also things like Mimic Devil Vines, Explosive Leaf Baskets, Tree-Piercing Vines, etc., all of which were aggressive and vicious varieties.

Seeing Deep Sea carrying such a pile of things back, the students of the Interstellar Academy were bewildered.

Tan Xi reacted quickly. Before Ji Fu left, she asked him for a piece of vacant land. At that time, he didn’t know what it was for. Now, it seemed that it was probably for raising these bizarre exotic plants.

With nearly a hundred people working together, efficiency was high.

After Ji Fu and her group were out for an afternoon, the mech base on their side had already been built.

The plot designated for Ji Fu, according to her request, was deliberately separated from the front area and shielded by an S-class Cloud Ghost Giant Shell.

After taking a walk around, Ji Fu was very satisfied. “Alright, this will do.”

After the training session, the members of Class S still trusted her. Seeing her serious about planting, they didn’t object, just asking if she needed any help.

Ji Fu shook her head, “No need.”

In this age of mechanization, there was no need for her to personally plant crops.

Everything was done by machinery.

With many students coming and going, to avoid accidents, Tan Xi specifically instructed everyone not to approach the planting area unless necessary.

Although everyone was curious, they complied.

As evening approached, the Interstellar Academy had already built at least three mech bases.

On the first day of the joint examination, the two military academies were quiet and didn’t make any moves against them.

When everyone gathered for a meeting in the evening, Tan Xi said frankly, “They probably won’t do anything these days.”

For the two military academies, dealing with the Interstellar Academy wasn’t difficult; the difficulty lay in guarding against a sudden attack from the other military academy.

After all, in this exam, there was only one first place.

Li Yunyi opened the drone panel and affirmed this, “Today’s news shows that both sides are paying close attention to each other’s movements.”

“In addition, drones spotted that the Imperial Military Academy has already set up a wide-area mech base.”

A wide-area mech base covered a larger range of mech factories.

Such bases could repair and produce mechs more efficiently.

And they also had a certain defensive capability, extremely efficient.

The people around all had slightly solemn expressions. Tan Xi said, “Among the three military academies, the Empire has the strongest power.”

“According to the current information, there are at least four star-level students in the elite class of the Imperial Military Academy.” He paused briefly before adding, “Or mech pilots above star level.”

The surroundings suddenly quieted down.

Without even mentioning the surface level of mech soldier strength, four star-level mech pilots… that’s almost at legion level.

The netizens gathered in the Interstellar Academy’s live broadcast room were also sweating for them.

【Hanhai has three as well】

【Just looking at it this way, the Interstellar Academy’s chances of winning are too slim】

【Does the Interstellar side have star-level mech pilots?】

Yes.

Zhou Mo is one.

Ji Fu sat down, seeing Zhou Mo’s nameplate change from S-class mech pilot to star-level mech pilot.

She lowered her eyes, silent.

During the advancement exam for Class S, Zhou Mo was still at the S level, which was normal. Families generally hide or intentionally blur the talent levels to protect these geniuses.

Just like Zhou Lu Hai’s nameplate, it had only shown S-class until today.

But after the talent extraction incident, no one knew whether this was a covert method or a cover-up.

In any case, on the surface, the Interstellar Academy hadn’t reached the end of its tether.

Just…

【Just one? Then it’s unnecessary to do much. If I were from the other two military academies, I’d target Zhou Mo directly. With Zhou Mo out, the Interstellar team would fall apart】

Though harsh, that’s the truth.

At the start of mech battles, losses are inevitable. If the main mech pilots are taken out, no matter how strong Li Yunyi and Tan Xi are, it’s difficult for them to achieve miracles.

Before the news could be fully conveyed, the atmosphere in the room became quite despondent.

In situations of huge power disparities, it’s hard for people to muster any interest, especially since the Interstellar Academy still had a large number of B-grade students.

They understood that once the three sides engaged, students at their level would be easy pickings for the two major military academies.

Li Yunyi cleared his throat, waiting until everyone’s attention shifted before saying, “In the afternoon, when the Empire and Hanhai were pursuing an S+ beast, because the Empire crossed the line, they shot down Hanhai’s scout, resulting in a brief skirmish between the two.”

At this news, many lifted their heads.

“The skirmish was minor, resulting in the elimination of an Empire A-grade mech soldier and the Hanhai scout. After the S-class mechs intervened, both sides ceased fire simultaneously.”

Today was only the first day, and materials on both sides hadn’t been fully collected yet. It wasn’t wise to start fighting now.

What’s more important is…

Li Yunyi raised his gaze, scanning over Zhou Lu Hai who was sitting there.

Drones were indeed handy, especially the stealth drones that were modified after the last training session, allowing him to gather quite a bit of crucial information.

He didn’t let the drones stray too far, just hovering around the intersection of the three factions.

Going deeper, those with star-level talents had strong perception abilities, and drones couldn’t hide under their noses.

But that was enough.

He was certain that neither of the two major military academies would take action these days, because students from the Empire and Hanhai claimed that Zhou Lu Hai was likely beyond star level.

The Empire and Hanhai had those beyond star level, both he and Tan Xi knew. They even suspected that Zhou Lu Hai was beyond star level, but they had never gotten confirmation.

Primarily, super-star-level talents were indeed a mismatch for the Interstellar Academy.

Not because of anything else, but because there wasn’t a single super-star-level teacher in the whole Interstellar Academy.

What he could learn was indeed limited.

This involved Zhou Lu Hai’s private matters, so they hadn’t specifically inquired. But for now, it was indeed good news.

Both major military academies were considering their super-star levels. Regardless of whether Zhou Lu Hai’s real strength had reached that level, or whether he had mech suits of the same level, at least for the time being, under unclear circumstances, neither side would act rashly.

Super-star-level mech soldiers were beyond common sense. If they truly acted, it would be a bloodbath for everyone.

Moreover, each military academy had quite a number of people, which became a restricting condition.

Especially since it’s not allowed to attack students from one’s own academy within the rules.

After discussing with Tan Xi, they both agreed that in this exam, the focus should be on the A to S level.

But the limited talent conditions still left the Interstellar Academy too passive.

Tan Xi said, “They won’t be wary and restrained for too long, so these days are also crucial for us. Here in Class S, several mech pilots are already considering building a defensive system. Apart from this, does anyone else have any suggestions?”

The surroundings were very quiet. Through Ji Fu’s earpiece, after a long time, Qin Chu Yue’s voice came through.

She said, “I’ve safely arrived.”

The Si and Han families had blocked off most of the area, and the starships they sent out had carried out a thorough search. But they had already considered these factors.

The battleship Qin Chu Yue was piloting could modify its appearance at any time.

She had even momentarily altered its appearance just now and infiltrated the fleet of the Alliance’s pursuit ships.

Finally, before being discovered, she successfully arrived at their asteroid.

With the main issue resolved, Ji Fu opened her eyes slightly and, under everyone’s gaze, said in a calm voice, “Just defense would keep us in a passive state.”

“My suggestion is to take the initiative.”

Actually, many netizens had already paid attention to her before.

But because her talent among this group of geniuses wasn’t very obvious, she hadn’t become the center of attention.

Now that she spoke up, everyone became interested.

Tan Xi also looked at her and asked, “What do you have in mind?”

Ji Fu smiled faintly but didn’t speak about the specific plan in the live broadcast.

But for some reason, the students at the Interstellar Academy had an inexplicable trust in her.

This remark sparked some discussion on the Star Network, but it was quickly dispersed in the fervent discussions about the geniuses from various schools.

So much so that by the second day of the joint examination, many people hadn’t even noticed the absence of students from the Interstellar Academy.

The live broadcast was divided into various-sized windows, each with its own level of attention.

The attention on the two major military academies far surpassed that on the Interstellar Academy.

It seemed that the live broadcast on the Star Network didn’t play a significant role in this joint examination, but in reality, it did.

The revenue generated by the live broadcast and the traffic it attracted amounted to a considerable sum.

The revenue from the live broadcast would be settled after the joint examination, with fifty percent of the proceeds going to the individuals who garnered the highest popularity during the exam.

The Alliance used live broadcasts to promote each year’s winning students; those involved in this had the potential to enter the upper echelons of the Alliance in the future, making it one of the fastest ways to build reputation.

But regardless, people were still most focused on the geniuses.

So by the second day of the joint examination, several individuals from the Imperial Military Academy had firmly secured the top positions.

Within Ji Fu’s live stream, there were only a few people present, and her popularity ranked among the lowest throughout the entire exam.

The few people remaining in her live stream were only there because of her exceptionally good looks, hoping to catch a glimpse of her face, with no expectations for any remarkable performance from her.

However, no one expected that this seemingly unremarkable newcomer among the group of revelers at the start of the exam would cause such a stir on the second day of the live broadcast.

It all started when viewers noticed that Ji Fu seemed to have not slept much the previous night.

She had been staying in the mecha base, doing who knows what with the S-class mecha pilot, Shi Xueying.

Because it was late at night, the viewers who were paying attention at the time only glanced at it before going to sleep.

The next day when they reopened the live stream, they found that Ji Fu was no longer at the Interstellar Academy’s campsite.

At that moment, she was sitting inside a mecha, with Zhou Lu Hai piloting it.

Strictly speaking, this was their second collaboration.

But it was the first time Ji Fu wasn’t running around on the ground. Instead, she was sitting in the cockpit of the mecha with Zhou Lu Hai, connecting to the deep sea and reviewing data.

Originally, because Ji Fu’s plan was rather risky, she had intended for Tan Xi and herself to come.

But Zhou Lu Hai intercepted them.

…If it’s unrequited love, so be it, he accepted it.

He really couldn’t stand by and watch Ji Fu’s affairs, especially since the joint examination was everyone’s affair. How could it be said to be Ji Fu’s alone?

He stepped forward, placing complete trust in Ji Fu.

Wherever she said to go, they went, without a single unnecessary question.

Ji Fu navigated, and upon hearing the prompt, she said calmly, “We’re here.”

Zhou Lu Hai was momentarily stunned. When he looked up, all he saw was swirling yellow sand.

On this large planet, there was a part of the region that hadn’t been designated within the boundaries of the three military academy campsites.

It was still a considerably large area.

Since it was only the second day of the joint examination, this area hadn’t been explored by anyone yet.

But many viewers watching the live stream still remembered one thing—

[“This large planet is heavily invaded by alien creatures. Although this place looks calm, could there be any high-level alien creatures?”]

[“Oh really? But if they’re looking for high-level alien creatures, why didn’t they call those two star-levels from their military academies? Why did only these two come?”]

[“Maybe they’re just scouting ahead?”]

Before they could think more, Zhou Lu Hai beside them suddenly acted.

The moment he stepped into this yellow sand, his whole demeanor changed. He activated the mecha’s defense and asked the person beside him, “What’s underneath?”

Ji Fu rubbed her chin and raised a finger, “A star-level alien creature.”

[“What???”]

The first few days of the joint examination were always the most boring.

No one expected that someone would immediately provoke a star-level alien creature.

Before they could figure out what an A and an S were thinking, they looked up to see that beautiful S+ mecha had already charged out.

The barrage was filled with question marks for a moment, but what they didn’t expect was that the even more incredible scene was yet to come.

At present, the Deep Sea was only S+, so dealing with a star-level alien creature would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.

Even though Zhou Lu Hai wasn’t a normal S-level talent, he was still limited by the mecha’s level.

So when he heard Ji Fu was going to act, Zhou Lu Hai didn’t hesitate and prepared to take out heavy weapons.

But the person beside him stopped him.

Ji Fu quickly activated the program and took out something she had made yesterday from her own light brain, then asked Zhou Lu Hai, “Can this be used?”

It was… a pitch-black S+ mechanical chain.

It was a style Zhou Lu Hai hadn’t seen much of, but he was indeed skilled in using all kinds of weapons, so he nodded when he saw it.

Ji Fu directly inserted the mechanical chain into the Deep Sea’s system.

[“New weapon connection, connection complete”]

The next moment, the Deep Sea, which had spread its wings in the sky, had a huge black chain in its hand.

What Ji Fu showed Zhou Lu Hai just now was an incomplete form, but what appeared in the Deep Sea’s hand now was the complete form.

It was about 90 meters long and weighed hundreds of tons, a huge chain.

As soon as the weapon was released, the Deep Sea began to plummet.

But in just a moment, Zhou Lu Hai was able to swing the chain smoothly.

Only when it was in his hands did he realize the wonder of this thing.

The complete information of the mechanical chain was transmitted to Ji Fu’s side.

The chain in hand is embedded with an intelligent system, possessing the ability of mechanical transformation and recombination, with up to 52 different forms.

It’s the best S+ weapon that Zhou Lu Hai has used up to this point.

…It’s hard to imagine that this was made by Ji Fu overnight.

Actually, it’s not entirely Ji Fu’s achievement. Ji Fu’s talent is currently only at A level. She couldn’t wait for her talent to recover slowly to make this, so she called for Shi Xueying.

It was only with their combined effort that they managed to make the finished product.

After finishing it, Shi Xueying was almost exhausted, looking at Ji Fu as if nothing happened, which surprised her even more.

As everyone knows, people with low talent levels generally dare not casually touch materials of higher talent levels, as there’s a risk of dementia, and in severe cases, it may even endanger their lives.

Shi Xueying’s talent is actually close to S+, but her state is unstable. She’s S+ when she’s good, and S- when she’s not.

She struggled through the latter half of the process of making it. As for Ji Fu…

What she doesn’t know is that Ji Fu isn’t touching S+ materials for the first time. One could even say that the first time she touched materials of S+ level was with the material that trapped her, the mechanical lock.

At that time, she was only F-level.

And now…

In Deep Sea’s hand, this chain is considered the first mechanical weapon made after her talent recovered.

She’s also very much looking forward to its effectiveness.

Boom!

A deafening roar shook the earth, and amidst the vast yellow sand, a seven-winged dragon suddenly emerged.

【Seven-winged Dragon, Star-grade Exotic Beast, Serpent Series, Characteristic: Seven Flame】

In the system inserted by Ji Fu, specific information about the exotic beast was provided immediately.

This thing isn’t a dragon, but a dragon, so it’s categorized as a serpent series.

Because it has seven incomplete wings on its back, it’s called the Seven-winged Dragon.

It’s also one of the advanced exotic beasts lurking on this large planet.

The overlord of this yellow sand.

After the Seven-winged Dragon appeared, the endless yellow sand underneath suddenly cleared, turning into surging muddy river water.

The river water was muddy yellow, and its quality was turbid.

【It’s actually Illusion Series】

Illusion Series refers to advanced exotic beasts that can create illusions. Like this Seven-winged Dragon, it originally lived in water but could transform its environment into sand.

【Aren’t they supposed to be scouting? How did they awaken this thing? The Seven-winged Dragon is cruel by nature, it loves to feed on human blood, run!!!】

Unfortunately, the people inside couldn’t see the barrage warnings.

Mei Mei noticed Zhou Lu Hai’s subtle surprise at this moment. Within seconds of the appearance of the Seven-winged Dragon, Ji Fu’s system had already provided the best combat plan and clearly marked the weaknesses of the Seven-winged Dragon.

The intelligence level of her system far surpassed any that Zhou Lu Hai had encountered.

When he came back to his senses, there was no hesitation.

Under the bright sunlight, the dark-colored mech swung the huge chain in his hand and stood up.

Zhou Lu Hai used the Wen Shu Fist technique, swinging the chain, tangible and intangible, delivering a heavy blow.

Boom!

The chain struck the Seven-winged Dragon with a tremendous resonance.

The Seven-winged Dragon screamed in pain, its dragon eyes distorted with agony.

【Did that chain… electrify it?】

The dragon was just coming out of the water when it was struck by the high-voltage chain.

You can imagine its state.

And the onlookers didn’t expect that, after the appearance of the Seven-winged Dragon, not only did it not cause trouble for these two people, but it was also immediately subdued.

But this was just the beginning.

Zhou Lu Hai’s explosiveness was terrifying. The chain in his hand was swung with such force that sparks flew.

Using the Wen Shu Fist technique, each strike was a critical hit.

He struck the Seven-winged Dragon twenty-one times, covering it in blood.

Using that huge chain, the mouth of which turned into a fierce dagger, he pierced the dragon’s teeth.

After its teeth were pierced, the Seven-winged Dragon’s lips bled, and its massive body fell heavily into the dirty river below.

That huge dragon tooth used to feast on human blood was the weak point of the Seven-winged Dragon.

Throughout the process, Zhou Lu Hai only breathed lightly.

Ji Fu sat beside, observing him, raising an eyebrow lightly.

Star-grade exotic beast, S+ mech, winning so effortlessly.

Zhou Lu Hai descended from the sky, the chain in his hand reshaped into a giant black sword, ready to cut off the Seven-winged Dragon’s head with one stroke.

But Ji Fu said, “Don’t kill it.”

She raised an eyebrow lightly, “It’s still useful.”

Zhou Lu Hai paused.

Over there, at the intersection of the Imperial Military Academy and the Hanhai Naval Academy.

Because of the minor conflict yesterday, there were more people defending this area today.

Each military academy sent a small team to guard here.

It’s both to guard against each other and to discern their movements.

Compared to the tense atmosphere of yesterday, the overall atmosphere today was much more relaxed.

Everyone looked at each other silently.

In the quiet atmosphere, suddenly a mechanical alert sounded.

【Beep, beep, beep】

【A high-level exotic beast is approaching! A high-level exotic beast is approaching!】

Before the people here could react, they looked up and saw a huge dragon, the size of a towering mountain, roaring as it rapidly approached.

Roar!

The roar of the dragon spread in all directions, and the violent sound waves overturned all the coverings around.

But the sudden appearance of the dragon wasn’t the focus.

The focus was…

The mech on the back of this Seven-winged Dragon.

It’s an S+ mech that doesn’t belong to the Empire or the Hanhai, a mech with a huge black chain, with sharp daggers at both ends, deeply embedded in the dragon’s teeth.

The pain that goes deep into the bone marrow makes the dragon rage uncontrollably.

That mech, taking advantage of the dragon’s frenzy, forcefully pulled the chain.

Clang clang!

The chain struck in the air, making a piercing sound.

[Clang…] The seven-winged dragon was stimulated, instantly spewing out scorching flames from its mouth, and with a boom, flames burst out, spraying onto everyone present.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Immediately, everyone’s minds were crazily shaken.

[Empire Li Hao, Empire Zhang Qin, Empire Fang Yuyu… eliminated!]

[Han Xu from the Starry Sea, Zhou Xiran from the Starry Sea, Summoner from the Starry Sea… eliminated!]