Chapter 1023: Real Power

Xu Yang walked forward calmly, replacing Lister and the two mermaid girls as the primary attackers. He stared calmly at Dr. Heding.

"Little guy," Xu Yang said, "if we're talking about piloting mechs, frankly, your contraption is quite outdated. How about you witness mine?"

Xu Yang's words indeed piqued Dr. Heding's keen interest. He hadn't expected anyone else in this place, besides himself, to be capable of piloting or even interested in such mech inventions. "Interesting," Heding mused. "If you really have something, why not bring it out for a good duel? Wouldn't that be exhilarating?"

Xu Yang revealed a slight smile. "Before I summon my exclusive mech, let's set some rules. First, once both parties have switched to the perfect human-mech integrated form, whoever exits their mech first automatically forfeits this battle. They must then yield completely to the other, obeying every command."

"Simply put, if you win, I'll become your loyal captive. If I win, then your life's fate will be decided by me. If either party defies these rules, anyone else has the right to strike them down without hesitation."

Xu Yang said this, glancing at the Glory Squad members nearby. "Each of you here can act as an arbiter. Even if I'm the one who breaks the rules, you should all attack me together without hesitation."

The Glory Squad members clearly understood why Xu Yang had set up these rules: he wanted to give Dr. Heding a greater opportunity. If Heding were to miraculously win, he would indeed gain a chance at freedom through this arrangement.

Without further hesitation, Xu Yang immediately released a mech. This mech was precisely the spoils he had obtained earlier from the ancestral territory.

A spirit charm, brimming with purple spiritual power, perfectly merged with the enormous mech before them. The moment Xu Yang integrated into the mech, his entire demeanor seemed to change dramatically. He looked like a powerful general presiding over a battlefield, exuding an astonishing aura that his opponent simply couldn't compare to.

As expected, once Xu Yang completed his integration with his exclusive mech, Dr. Heding was utterly stunned. It wasn't out of fear of Xu Yang's mech's power, but rather awe at the exquisite design of the mech Xu Yang was piloting. It was far superior to his own. Seeing Heding's utterly shocked expression, Xu Yang smirked inwardly.

"To be honest," Xu Yang began, "this mech of mine was acquired from the ancestral territory. To research and build this set, those clan members, isolated from the world for thousands of years, accumulated their wisdom and refined it to create only a few dozen such mechs. Of course, the mech I'm piloting, which can carry a purple-level spirit charm, represents the pinnacle of all their mech creations."

"The remaining numerous basic mechs also possess combat capabilities roughly on par with yours. Without a doubt, in terms of hardware strength, you've already lost this round to me. Now, it's just a matter of whose mech piloting skills are superior."

Dr. Heding scoffed. "My lifelong motivation has been the joy of invention and creation. I refuse to believe that something I've dedicated my entire life to researching can't surpass your amateur contraption!"

Dr. Heding then pressed a second button. In an instant, a hidden cannon barrel suddenly extended from the back of his powerful mech. After several successive form changes, this cannon finally locked onto the surface of Xu Yang's mech.

"Now, feel what it's like to be sealed by the power of lightning!"

*Boom!* In an instant, the cannon continuously unleashed an endless barrage of bluish-green energy projectiles. Each projectile emitted a unique lightning attribute aura, and all of them connected. The area within a hundred-mile radius around Xu Yang's mech was transformed into a terrifying trap where lightning ran rampant.

When Xu Yang attempted to pilot his mech to break free from the lightning-infested zone, he quickly discovered that the area seemed to cling to his legs. No matter how he maneuvered the massive mech afterward, he couldn't break free from this restricted zone in a short amount of time.

"Hahaha, don't waste your efforts," Heding laughed. "Anyone surrounded by my lightning system, be it a mech or your actual body, cannot break free quickly. Once your body is confined in place, you become a living target under countless bombardments. Even with strong defenses, you can only passively endure my barrages. Accept your fate, brother; you have no chance to struggle under my control."

Dr. Heding was brimming with confidence, and his unrestrained laughter drew snorts of disdain from the surrounding Glory Squad members. However, Xu Yang had set the rules in advance, so others had no right to intervene. The only one who could help Xu Yang break out of this situation was himself.

In the next moment, Xu Yang suddenly pressed a large blue button on his chest. In an instant, the mech he was piloting emitted an incredibly powerful battle aura. It was the purple spirit charm that released a continuous stream of primal power, further activating the massive mech's internal potential.

At that very moment, the mech itself gained immense primal power, activating its internal core ahead of schedule. The mech's power reserves unleashed without restraint, swiftly breaking through the lightning zone's sealing power limit. Dr. Heding could only watch as Xu Yang, piloting his massive mech, powerfully crushed the surrounding lightning currents and charged towards Heding's original position.

"Little guy," Xu Yang called out, "you might not fully understand the true power of my mech suit. Its greatest strength isn't its ability to wield immense power or unleash terrifying ammunition, but rather its ability to perform cultivation techniques just like a true cultivator!"

Upon hearing Xu Yang's words, Dr. Heding was utterly dumbfounded. A mech capable of performing cultivation techniques unique to human cultivators seemed to have completely surpassed Heding's mech in terms of precision and sophistication, as his could only blindly fire ammunition.

As expected, Xu Yang's mech immediately grasped the Jade Bone Divine Sword. The moment it cleaved down through the air, the unique purple-level spirit charm within him was unleashed once more.