Weapons and Mental Power in Tandem!

"Contestant Luo Feng," Mechanist 8’s voice was lower and more mechanical than before. "According to battle data analysis, you have a 4% chance of losing in the upcoming exchange. I recommend that you surrender."

Luo Feng did not reply. He took a deep breath and adjusted his grip on the blade. He wore a set of light combat armor, black with silver lines running across it, making him look strikingly heroic. Sweat slid down his forehead, dampening his slightly messy short hair. Though only in his early twenties, his eyes held a calmness and decisiveness far beyond his years.

Tens of thousands of spectators from different star systems held their breath in the stands around the arena. The second round of the Virtual Universe Company’s Challenge Tournament had reached its most intense stage. Every match determined whether a contestant could continue onward. The virtual screen displayed both sides’ status data in real time. Luo Feng’s stamina had dropped to 60%, while Mechanist 8, despite having just suffered a lethal attack, had activated its backup system and now possessed 120% of its original combat power.

Mechanist 8 stopped wasting words. Its back suddenly split open, revealing two thrusters. Amid the roar of engines, it shot toward Luo Feng like a cannonball, moving so quickly that it carved a blurred silver trail through the air.

Luo Feng twisted aside almost on instinct. Mechanist 8’s fist grazed his shoulder armor, producing a piercing screech of metal against metal. Taking advantage of the opening, Luo Feng swung his blade. The Dark-Veined Blade drew a graceful arc through the air, aiming directly for the Mechanist’s neck joint.

"Clang!"

To Luo Feng’s surprise, the collision between blade and metal did not produce the expected sound of slicing. Instead, there was a crisp metallic ring. Mechanist 8’s outer shell seemed to have changed materials in an instant, becoming even harder.

"Physical defense system upgrade complete," Mechanist 8 said, with a trace of mechanical smugness in its voice. "Your weapon can no longer inflict effective damage on me."

Luo Feng quickly pulled back, alarm bells ringing in his mind. He knew he had fallen into a disadvantageous position, but surrender had never been an option for him. He needed to find another way to break through.

Luo Wen suddenly rose from his seat in the stands, his eyes fixed on every movement in the arena. "Mechanist 8 has activated its adaptive defense system. It’s adjusting its own structure in real time based on Luo Feng’s attack patterns."

"Then what should Fengzi do?" Thor asked anxiously, his rugged face full of concern.

Luo Wen pondered for a moment. "Conventional attacks are already ineffective. He needs to change his approach." His gaze shifted to the young figure confronting the machine in the arena, and a hint of pride entered his voice. "Still, I believe he’ll find a way."

In the arena, Luo Feng and Mechanist 8 fell into a brief standoff. Luo Feng’s chest rose and fell with his rapid breathing, and sweat had soaked through his inner shirt, but his gaze remained firm.

"Analysis complete," Mechanist 8 suddenly said. "Your combat patterns have been fully deciphered. Next, I will end this battle."

The moment it finished speaking, more than a dozen small weapon bays opened across Mechanist 8’s body. All kinds of energy weapons and physical weapons simultaneously locked onto Luo Feng. Cries of shock erupted from the audience.

"This is ridiculous!" Thor could not help cursing. "What kind of ordinary Mechanist is this? It’s practically a miniature armory!"

Luo Wen’s expression also turned grave. "This has already exceeded the standard configuration for a Mechanist. It seems the company wants to give the contestants quite a surprise this time."

Just as Mechanist 8 was about to launch a full-scale attack, Luo Feng made a move that caught everyone off guard. He sheathed the Dark-Veined Blade, then closed his eyes and raised both hands level with his chest, forming a strange gesture.

Mechanist 8 seemed confused by this action as well. Its attack paused for an instant, as if it were reevaluating the situation.

That brief pause gave Luo Feng his chance. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with unprecedented focus and sharpness. He suddenly thrust both hands forward, and something invisible seemed to surge into the air.

No one could clearly see what had happened, but Mechanist 8’s movements suddenly slowed, as though it had fallen into an invisible field of resistance. Its weapon systems were still functioning, launching energy cannons and missiles one after another, but every attack veered off course in midair. Not a single one struck Luo Feng.

"Mental Power!" Surprise and delight flashed through Luo Wen’s eyes. "He’s finally using Mental Power in actual combat!"

Hong revealed a rare smile as well. "It seems your special training wasn’t wasted."

In the arena, pain flashed across Luo Feng’s face. Clearly, using Mental Power was still an enormous burden on him. But he did not give up. Instead, he increased the output of his Mental Power. Mechanist 8’s movements grew slower and slower, as though it were sinking into a swamp.

Seizing the opportunity, Luo Feng drew the Dark-Veined Blade again and charged at Mechanist 8 with lightning speed. This time, his target was not its indestructible outer shell, but the exposed thrusters on its back.

The Dark-Veined Blade pierced precisely into a gap in one of the thrusters. Luo Feng twisted it hard, and the sound of metal shattering came from inside. Then he swiftly pulled out the blade and stabbed several other critical interfaces on the Mechanist’s body in rapid succession.

Mechanist 8’s movements began to turn uncoordinated. It tried to break free from the control of Luo Feng’s Mental Power, but malfunctions erupted throughout its body one after another. Finally, after a violent spasm, the red bands of light gradually dimmed. Its massive mechanical body crashed to the ground, this time truly losing all function.

"Winner: Luo Feng!" The system’s voice sounded again, and this time there was no surprise.

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the stands. Luo Feng slowly sheathed his blade and let out a long breath. There was no joy of victory on his face, only deep thought. This battle had made him realize his shortcomings. If he had not used Mental Power at the final moment, the outcome might have been completely different.

Luo Wen, Hong, and Thor quickly got up and arrived at the arena’s rest area through the teleportation passage. The moment Luo Feng entered, Thor rushed forward and slapped him hard on the shoulder.

"That was incredible, Fengzi! You’re a complete monster! That final move was so damn cool!" Thor wore an excited grin, his voice so loud it nearly shook the roof.

Luo Feng forced a smile, but his brows remained tightly furrowed. He looked at Luo Wen. "Brother, I’m still not skilled enough with Mental Power. If the Mechanist hadn’t hesitated at that crucial moment, I might have already lost."

Luo Wen nodded slightly. There was both relief and contemplation in his eyes. "You already did very well. Being able to use Mental Power in actual combat is a huge improvement. But you’re right. Your use of Mental Power still needs to become more refined."

The rest area was a spacious, semi-enclosed room. The walls projected real-time footage from various arenas. Several comfortable lounge chairs surrounded a central holographic display platform, which showed the current rankings and match progress. A supply station stood in one corner, stocked neatly with all kinds of energy drinks and recovery potions.

Luo Feng walked over to the supply station, picked up a bottle of blue recovery fluid, and drained it in one gulp. The liquid carried a faint minty scent. It was icy cold when it entered his mouth, but quickly transformed into a warm current within his body, rapidly restoring the stamina and Mental Power he had expended in battle.

Hong walked over and handed Luo Feng a towel. "At the final moment, you thought of using Mental Power to control the Mechanist’s movements and then attack its weak points instead of blindly clashing with it head-on. That was the right way to think."

Luo Feng accepted the towel and wiped the sweat from his face. "Thanks, but I still think my reaction was too slow. If I’d thought of using Mental Power earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have been so passive."

Luo Wen walked to the holographic display platform and pulled up a replay of the battle. "Come on, let’s analyze this fight together." His finger slid lightly across the projection, freezing the image at the moment Mechanist 8 activated its backup system.

"Look here." Luo Wen pointed at a tiny interface on Mechanist 8’s back. "This is its emergency energy intake port. Ordinary attacks would rarely notice a detail like this. But if you had spotted it earlier, you could have attacked this position directly when it first went down and prevented it from restarting."

Luo Feng leaned closer and examined it carefully. Realization suddenly dawned on him. "So that’s it! I was too focused on its frontal attacks and overlooked these details."

"And there’s more." Luo Wen continued his analysis, sliding his finger to another scene. "Your timing when using Mental Power was indeed good, but your control over its intensity needs improvement. Look here. You spent too much Mental Power on unimportant areas, while your control over the key weapon systems was insufficient."

Thor leaned over as well, watching the analysis with great interest. Although he preferred direct contests of strength, he also understood the importance of technique and strategy.

"Then how should I improve?" Luo Feng asked earnestly.

Luo Wen fell silent for a moment. "The key to Mental Power lies in precision and control, not merely strength. You need to learn to use Mental Power as flexibly as your fingers, precisely controlling the distribution of every bit of force." He checked the time. "There are still two hours of rest left. We can find a training room and do some targeted practice."

Hong nodded. "I also have some suggestions about weapon use. You handle the Dark-Veined Blade well, but sometimes you rely too much on its sharpness and neglect the use of technique."

Luo Feng looked at the three of them gratefully. "Thank you. I know I still have many shortcomings. I hope I can do better in the next matches."

Thor patted Luo Feng on the shoulder. "Don’t be so serious. You already won! Shouldn’t we celebrate first?" He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "I saw some good juice at the supply station. We can have a drink first, then start training."

Luo Wen smiled faintly. "Thor is right. Proper relaxation is necessary too."

The group went to the supply station and each chose a drink. Thor picked a red energy drink, while Luo Wen and Hong chose lighter green fruit juice. Luo Feng took a blue recovery drink.

"Come on, a toast to Luo Feng’s victory!" Thor raised his cup and laughed heartily.

Everyone clinked cups, and Luo Feng finally showed a relaxed smile. The joy of victory and his anticipation for the future temporarily made him forget his exhaustion.

After resting for a while, Luo Wen checked the time. "All right, let’s go to the training room. Time is limited, so we need to focus on strengthening several key points."

The training room was located on the lower level of the rest area, a private space specially prepared for contestants. At its center was a spacious combat zone, surrounded by various training equipment and virtual simulation systems. Multiple holographic projectors were embedded in the walls, capable of simulating all kinds of combat environments and opponents.

Luo Wen walked to the control panel and entered a series of commands. The holographic projection activated, and a virtual opponent resembling Mechanist 8, though much simpler, appeared in the middle of the combat zone.

"First, let’s practice precise Mental Power control." Luo Wen pointed at several marked spots on the virtual opponent. "These are key weak points. You need to focus your Mental Power and control these areas accurately, instead of broadly covering the entire opponent."

Luo Feng nodded and walked to the center of the combat zone. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then slowly raised his hands. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze had become exceptionally focused.

At first, Luo Feng’s control over his Mental Power was still crude. Only one or two marked points on the virtual opponent changed color, indicating that they had been successfully controlled. But under Luo Wen’s guidance, he continuously adjusted his mindset and force. Gradually, more and more marked points came under his control.

"Very good," Luo Wen encouraged him. "Mental Power is like an extension of your body. You need to feel it and guide it, not force it. Imagine that you’re pressing those points lightly with your fingertips, rather than smashing them with your fists."

Thor, watching from the side, occasionally offered his own insights. Although he was not skilled with Mental Power, he had a unique understanding of combat. "Fengzi, I think you should try maintaining your own movement while controlling the opponent. In a real fight, you won’t have time to stand still and concentrate your Mental Power."

Luo Feng tried moving while maintaining control with his Mental Power. It was an enormous challenge for him. At first, he could barely manage both at once. But after repeated attempts, he gradually found the rhythm.

"It’s a bit like multithreaded thinking," Luo Feng said, sweat once again soaking through his clothes. "You need to split your attention into several parts and handle different tasks at the same time."

Hong nodded approvingly. "An accurate description. The ability to divide your attention in battle is extremely important, especially when facing multiple opponents or complex environments."

The training continued for nearly an hour, and Luo Feng’s improvement was obvious to the naked eye. He could now accurately control multiple marked points on the virtual opponent while moving at high speed. He could even perform simple attacks while maintaining that control.

"Next, we’ll practice coordinating your weapon with Mental Power." Luo Wen adjusted the virtual opponent’s settings, causing it to begin attacking actively. "Ideally, your Dark-Veined Blade and Mental Power should complement each other rather than fighting separately."