"Take this! Twin Star Slash!"

  The red mecha erupted with an unstoppable momentum, launching a fierce attack toward its opponent. The dark red mecha, having successfully dodged the first strike, was now unable to execute any further moves.

  Staring at the alloy longsword that had stopped just outside the cockpit of his mecha, the pilot of the dark red mecha let out a bitter laugh, shut down the engine, and stepped out.

  "Haha, Yun Yi is really amazing. Uncle lost again."

  The man who emerged from the dark red mecha was a handsome middle-aged man dressed in a sharp black military uniform, with a slender sword hanging at his waist. His attire and demeanor unmistakably revealed his noble upbringing.

  The cockpit of the red mecha also opened slowly, and Yun Yi jumped out, just in time to hear the man’s praise. Scratching his head sheepishly, Yun Yi smiled and said, "Uncle Solon, if I didn’t have Twin Star Slash, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to beat you."

  Solon, the handsome middle-aged man, gave a charming smile and patted Yun Yi’s shoulder. "Excessive modesty is just pride. If this were a real battle, I would’ve been taken out by you long ago. But since this is just training, you waited until the last moment to use your combat technique. You’ve already given me face."

  "So, Uncle Solon, do you think I’ve improved this time?"

  Solon nodded, his expression full of satisfaction. "Yun Yi, sometimes I really envy your ability to grasp things so quickly. I remember what I taught you last time. You mastered it in less than a week. Hmm... this won’t do. Maybe it won’t be long before I’ve got nothing left to teach you."

  Yun Yi quickly stepped forward, pleading, "Uncle Solon, please teach me a few more moves. Just tell me which technique you want to learn from me, and I’ll definitely teach you!"

  Hearing Yun Yi’s words, Solon laughed. "You think everyone is as freakish as you? Mastering any technique or combat skill in just a few days? The Whirlwind Slash you taught me last time—I’ve only mastered about 30% of it so far. How can I learn anything new?"

  Seeing Yun Yi’s somewhat unsatisfied expression, Solon shook his head with a smile. "Alright, it’s time to eat. Let’s go. After dinner, I’ll teach you a few defensive moves. I guarantee you’ve never seen them before."

  After the two left, a side door to the training hall opened, and two people slowly walked over to the mecha.

  The older man was Zhao Xuanxin, his face filled with a satisfied smile as he gazed at the two mecha in the center of the arena. "Young people sure have energy. But Yun Yi’s talent is truly remarkable. It seems he can easily grasp the intricacies of mecha combat."

  Beside him stood a young woman veiled in black. She didn’t speak, just stared intently at the two massive mecha.

  Zhao Xuanxin, familiar with her temperament, didn’t mind and continued speaking to himself. "Hmm, Yun Yi and Solon—both are level eight warriors. One is incredibly skilled in combat techniques and has a remarkable ability to learn, while the other is experienced and steady. Haha, two completely different personalities, yet they’ve become friends. Ah, if only we had more talents like them in the base, I wouldn’t have to worry so much..."

  The young woman remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward and touched Yun Yi’s Red Mane Charger mecha. After a while, she spoke, her voice melodious but filled with authority.

  "So, where should we place this Yun Yi?"

  Zhao Xuanxin thought for a moment and said, "Solon is steady and reliable, while Yun Yi, being young, is more suited for the battlefield. If it’s about taking care of you, I think Solon would be more appropriate. As for Yun Yi, I plan to have him select a group of mecha warriors from the base and train them personally, forming his own unit. What do you think?"

  The young woman didn’t ponder long, giving a slight nod.

  After another glance at the red mecha, she said, "Then it’s settled. I hope he can become a pillar of strength..."

  "What about his title of nobility..."

  The young woman fell silent for a moment, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the topic.

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  "Everything is left to you, Royal Uncle..."

  Watching the young woman’s retreating figure, Zhao Xuanxin felt both helpless and tender-hearted. If it hadn’t been for the sudden attack by the government forces all those years ago, the once-great royal family wouldn’t have been nearly wiped out, forcing this young girl to bear everything.

  "By the way..." The young woman turned back, her voice filled with hope. "That person... have there been any news of him..."

  "Well..." Zhao Xuanxin hesitated, then said, "Most of our intelligence network has been destroyed by the government forces, and the rest has been scaled back. For now, we haven’t been able to track down his whereabouts."

  "I see..." The young woman said nothing more and walked away with her head lowered.

  "Sigh, what a mess..." Zhao Xuanxin sighed, recalling the events of their escape ten years ago.

  It had been ten years since the emperor was assassinated. At the time, the government forces, who had been lying in wait in the capital, stormed the palace with lightning speed. A third of the palace guard’s commanders had been bribed by the government forces and mutinied. Under the protection of Zhao Xuanxin and others, only the princess managed to escape, but she was relentlessly pursued by the government forces.

  At their most desperate moment, even the resolute Zhao Xuanxin felt a sense of despair.

  It was then that the government forces’ mecha troops, who had surrounded them, were suddenly destroyed by a single person.

  That person, piloting a magnificent and incredibly powerful mecha, single-handedly annihilated thousands of government mecha troops, successfully rescuing Zhao Xuanxin and the princess. With his help, they managed to evade the government forces’ pursuit and eventually reached this secret royal base.

  As for that person, not only did he possess a formidable mecha, but Zhao Xuanxin estimated that his martial arts had likely reached the innate level. At the time, among the government forces besieging them was a mecha warrior who had also reached the innate level. Yet, none of them could withstand even a single blow from that person. The innate-level government expert was killed in less than a hundred moves by a dazzling combat technique.

  After that, the government forces’ mecha troops were utterly crippled and have yet to recover to this day.

  However, something unexpected happened.

  Although that person left after the base was stabilized, not long after, the newly crowned queen quietly told Zhao Xuanxin that she might be pregnant...

  "What a mess... what a mess..."

  Thinking of this, Zhao Xuanxin couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh.

  Later, they mobilized a large number of people to investigate that mysterious warrior, but after all these years, they hadn’t found a single clue about him. In Zhao Xuanxin’s view, that person was likely an important member of some powerful family in the universe, traveling through this star system at the time. His family couldn’t be a small one, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to nurture such an outstanding descendant and create such a powerful mecha. Moreover, they showed no interest in the benefits offered by a fallen royal family.

  "It’s tough..."

  Whenever Zhao Xuanxin thought of the queen’s heartbroken and helpless demeanor in private, his heart ached like it was being pricked by needles. But now, even he had no solution. In fact, to this day, he hadn’t even learned the name of that mecha warrior.

  "But that person’s achievements in martial arts are truly astonishing. Hmm, perhaps in less than twenty years, Yun Yi might also reach the innate level." Muttering to himself, Zhao Xuanxin couldn’t help but think of Yun Yi. In just a few months, his progress had been astounding. Pairing him with Solon for sparring had been a wise decision. Even Solon had privately told him that after sparring with Yun Yi, he could clearly feel his own martial arts progressing. If this continued, it was highly likely that Solon, whose martial arts had long been stagnant, might also break through.

  Imagining a few years from now, the Restoration Army would have two level nine experts leading their personally trained mecha troops, sweeping across the stars and reclaiming planet after planet for the empire, Zhao Xuanxin’s face lit up with an excited smile.

  "Your Highness, something strange has been happening with the government forces recently."

  As soon as Zhao Xuanxin returned to his office, an advisor hurried over.

  "According to the intelligence from our spies within the government forces, the Third and Eleventh Fleets recently experienced mysterious deaths of their commanding or deputy officers. Additionally, among the civilians and officials who are friendly to the empire, we’ve learned that some officers from the Fourth, Sixth, and Tenth Fleets have had family members kidnapped or gone missing in recent days. Also, a few days ago, news from the neighboring Tairxi Republic indicated that officers from the Eighth and Ninth Fleets were sent to the Tairxi Republic’s National Military University for advanced training. Moreover, in the past three months, there have been over a dozen mutinies within the government forces, though all were suppressed..."

  Zhao Xuanxin listened quietly to the advisor’s report, but his heart was in turmoil.

  Some of this information he already knew, but some was new.

  Previously, within the government forces’ armed forces, only the First, Second, Fifth, Seventh, and the newly formed Twelfth and Thirteenth Fleets were under President Zagu’s control. The other fleets were split between those who had risen with Zagu and the major families and former imperial forces who had surrendered.

  Connecting the dots from the earlier information, it was clear that Zagu had now gained absolute control over these fleets.

  "It seems... the government forces are about to make a big move..."

  After a moment’s thought, Zhao Xuanxin ordered, "Command all intelligence agencies to intensify their infiltration of the government forces. We must clearly understand their recent movements. Additionally, strictly control the frequency of entries and exits from the base, and carefully vet all new recruits. We cannot afford any mistakes at this time. Also, order all fleets to intensify their training and be prepared to mobilize at any moment..."