179: The Iron Fist of Real and Illusion

Security Starfield G-778, Fourth Standard Day, early morning.

When the first ray of gentle orange starlight pierced through the viewport, casting long shadows on the cold deck of the Hangar, Gu Zhixia was already standing at the foot of the “Thunder Dragon” mech.

She wasn't wearing her form-fitting combat suit, but had changed into a more loose and comfortable black sports vest and tactical trousers.

Sweat had already drenched her back, outlining her taut and fluid muscle lines.

She didn't perform any warm-up activities, just stood quietly, her eyes closed.

It was as if she was engaging in some silent soul resonance with the steel behemoth before her, which was currently undergoing a sorting of the World Tree’s power of law.

She had spent the last few days like this.

Every day she pushed her physical limits in the gravity chamber, then came here to feel the changes in the power within the “Thunder Dragon.”

Under the World Tree’s mediation, the three forces, which had initially clashed violently, gradually moved towards a subtle, dynamic balance.

She could clearly feel that the reins of will, which she had once strained with brute force, were being re-woven and reinforced by a gentle yet resilient power.

But this passive waiting was still an ordeal for her.

“You look like a leopard that’s been caged for too long and is about to go mad.”

Lin Mo’s voice came from behind her.

He had appeared there at some point, holding a cup of invigorating drink with a bitter, refreshing aroma.

Gu Zhixia didn’t turn around, only let out an noncommittal hum from her nose.

“One more day.”

Lin Mo walked over to her, his gaze falling on the core energy readings of the “Thunder Dragon” mech.

The curves representing the three powers of law, though still fluctuating violently, had begun to tend towards a strange, harmonious pattern, containing some kind of regularity.

It was like a symphony composed of furious thunder, electric snakes, and nirvana, about to be completed.

“The World Tree’s sorting is 90% complete.”

“The final, and most crucial, step requires your will as a guide to completely anchor the three laws to the new energy circulation nodes.”

Lin Mo’s tone was calm, as if he were stating a technical specification.

“And then?”

Gu Zhixia finally opened her eyes, a sharp glint flashing through her phoenix eyes.

“Then we can set off and wipe Leviathan’s dilapidated headquarters off the star map?”

“No.”

Lin Mo shook his head.

This decisive denial instantly extinguished the sliver of hope that Gu Zhixia had just ignited.

She spun around abruptly, her brows tightly furrowed, that impatient, irritable aura beginning to subtly rise again.

“What crooked logic do you want to spout now?”

Lin Mo ignored her questioning and simply turned, walking towards another area deeper in the Hangar.

There, two silver-white, full-immersion simulated cockpits, full of sci-fi aesthetics, were arranged side by side.

“Before you can truly master it, you need to first defeat an opponent who won’t be intimidated by your power, and won’t hold back because of your mistakes.”

Lin Mo stopped, turned back to look at her, his dark golden pupils reflecting her pretty face, which was filled with confusion and displeasure.

“This is the highest fidelity simulated battlefield constructed by the World Tree based on existing data.”

“It can 100% replicate the full performance of the ‘Thunder Dragon’ and ‘fire god,’ including confrontations at the law level.”

“The only difference is, here, even if you blow up the mech, you won’t actually die.”

Gu Zhixia’s breathing momentarily froze.

She looked at the two simulation pods, then at Lin Mo.

She finally understood what he meant.

Lin Mo was going to personally be her sparring partner.

An indescribable flame, mixed with excitement, thrill, and extreme competitiveness, instantly ignited from the deepest part of her heart!

Fighting the thunderous giant dragon in the Forbidden Zone of the Gods was about survival.

Slaughtering Leviathan’s fleet was about venting anger.

But fighting Lin Mo… this was the true, no-holds-barred duel she craved most deep down!

She wanted to know how strong she truly was.

She wanted even more to know the limits of this man who always wore an unruffled expression, as if everything was under his control!

“Hmph.”

The corner of Gu Zhixia’s mouth curved into an arc filled with endless provocation and ruthlessness.

It was the kind of smile a hunter only has when finally seeing prey that is his equal.

“I hope you don’t cry and beg me for mercy.”

She didn't utter another wasted word, striding with her long legs directly towards one of the simulation pods, her movements crisp and decisive, like a drawn sword.

Lin Mo watched her retreating figure, a barely perceptible arc also gracing the corner of his mouth.

He needed data.

Real data about the “Thunder Dragon” under extreme confrontation.

And he needed a whetstone that could thoroughly temper Gu Zhixia, this newly forged divine weapon, sharp but with hidden cracks, to perfection.

And he himself was the best whetstone… Buzz—

Accompanied by a faint hum, Gu Zhixia’s consciousness was instantly drawn from her body and plunged into an boundless virtual universe.

There were no warships, no stars, only an infinitely extending pure white space composed of pure, crisscrossing energy grids.

And she was sitting in the cockpit of the “Thunder Dragon” mech, which was as familiar as could be.

All the sensations, all the feedback, were identical to piloting in the real world.

She could even clearly feel the three forces of thunder law, which had just been initially harmonized within her, surging and roaring joyfully through the mech’s energy circuits.

More stable, smoother, and… more powerful than in reality!

This was a pre-visualization of the “Thunder Dragon” in its perfect state after its final harmonization by the simulator!

At the edge of her vision, in the grid-like white space, a ferocious mech, entirely crimson, as if forged from solidified magma and burning obsidian, slowly emerged.

fire god!

It floated silently there, without adopting any attacking posture, but the terrifying heat, as if from a stellar core, capable of igniting space itself, still surged towards her.

“Are you ready?” Lin Mo’s unruffled voice echoed in the communication channel.

“That’s what I should be asking you,” Gu Zhixia’s voice held a hint of bloodthirsty excitement.

The next second, before Lin Mo could answer, she moved!

Whoosh—!

The pair of dragon wings on the “Thunder Dragon’s” back, composed of gold, blue, and purple light crystals, suddenly vibrated, and the entire mech instantly transformed into a three-colored stream of light that tore through the pure white space, too fast for the naked eye to catch!

No probing, no maneuvering!

Her first move was her full power!

All the fighting intent that had been suppressed these past few days erupted completely at this moment!

“Too fast!”

This was the first thought that flashed through Lin Mo’s mind.

After fusing with the three laws of thunder, the speed of the “Thunder Dragon” had completely surpassed the traditional physical limits.

It was no longer simply “moving,” but performing a higher-dimensional “jump” based on spatial laws!

Almost the instant Gu Zhixia’s thought arose, the “Thunder Dragon,” radiating infinite divine power, had already traversed tens of thousands of meters and appeared before “fire god!”

The ferocious dragon claw, fused with the power of the three laws, its five fingers spread, carrying the aura of nirvana capable of tearing apart gods, fiercely clawed towards “fire god’s” cockpit!

Facing this earth-shattering blow, Lin Mo’s reaction was incredibly fast.

There was no panic in his eyes, only absolute calm.

The moment before the dragon claw was about to touch the armor.

“fire god” moved.

It didn’t retreat, but instead took a step forward!

This step, seemingly simple, contained a miraculously precise control of timing and distance.

In a posture almost like close-quarters combat, it used its incredibly heavy left shoulder to forcefully collide with the elbow joint of the “Thunder Dragon’s” outstretched right arm!

This was the most classic grappling technique of using a point to break a surface!

As long as the “Thunder Dragon’s” force generation structure could be destroyed here, Gu Zhixia’s certain-kill blow would collapse on its own!

However, he still underestimated Gu Zhixia’s combat instincts.

Just 0.01 seconds before “fire god’s” shoulder armor was about to hit its target.

The curve of Gu Zhixia’s mouth became even more mocking.

The dragon claw, which had originally been so powerful and heavy, instantly changed from a claw to a palm in a manner that completely defied the law of inertia!

Her wrist twisted strangely, her five fingers closed like a blade, scraping against “fire god’s” shoulder armor, and at an extremely tricky angle, she fiercely, from bottom to top, reverse-slashed towards “fire god’s” neck!

Sizzle—!

A fine, three-colored electric light burst open at “fire god’s” neck!

“fire god’s” massive body, for the first time, showed a violent, uncontrolled tremor!

Inside the cockpit, a piercing alarm instantly blared!

“Warning! Neck B-7 area containment field shield breached! Energy conduction lines 17% damaged! Unknown law power detected invading!”

Lin Mo’s pupils suddenly constricted.

He clearly felt a tyrannical, chilling, and destructive power of law, surging inward through the damaged part of the mech, eroding it madly!

That wasn't mere energy destruction.

That was… “Nirvana”!

That trace of power from the gods was attempting to conceptually erase “fire god’s” energy lines!

“Damn it!”

For the first time in combat, Lin Mo cursed.

Without hesitation, he instantly detonated part of the magma energy within “fire god,” using the most violent method to forcefully flush out and annihilate the invading alien power of law!

Boom—!

A small, crimson energy shockwave exploded at “fire god’s” neck.

The two mechs, propelled by this shockwave, instantly separated, confronting each other from thousands of meters away.

At “fire god’s” neck, a hideous, charred mark, as if burned by lightning, was clearly visible.

As for the “Thunder Dragon,” it was completely unharmed.

It floated silently in the pure white space, with golden, blue, and purple streams of light slowly flowing over its surface, exuding a sacred yet sinister supreme majesty.

Gu Zhixia’s laughter, with a hint of laziness and boundless pride, echoed in the communication channel.

“How was that?”

“This is just… an appetizer.”

“Do you want to continue, my… Captain?”