Flying out in a standard military mecha successfully averted any immediate suspicion from the patrolling garrison troops.

Wei Feng continued to steer their unit dead north, only to find their path barred by a localized garrison mecha squad.

“We’ve breached the patrol boundary,” Li Ji observed calmly from the back.

Every regular soldier had a strictly designated patrol sector. Exceeding those coordinates without explicit orders would inevitably trigger an investigation.

“Should we head back for now?” Yan Qing suggested. “Remaining within the previous perimeter should keep us temporarily secure.”

Li Ji carefully analyzed the tactical positioning of the garrison’s anti-air defenses through the primary monitor. “As long as they remain uncertain of my survival, the density of their patrols will only increase. The longer we delay, the more perilous our situation becomes.”

They couldn’t hide inside a hijacked cockpit forever. Whether they tried to sneak back into the arena base or abandon the machine mid-way, any suspicious movement would turn them into a target for a swarm of mechas. It was far wiser to break out early.

Hearing this, Yan Qing turned his gaze toward Wei Feng, testing the waters: “Do you have the confidence to take on thirty of them at once?”

“Naturally,” Wei Feng replied smoothly.

Saying this, he calmly manipulated the controls. The mecha raised its metallic hands, formed a crude circle in front of its chest, lifted it above its head to mimic a crown, and then emphatically pointed toward the southern sector.

With the public comms down, direct verbal communication was impossible.

The garrison mecha squad watched this trespassing pilot execute these bizarre pantomimes, and to everyone’s surprise, they actually managed to interpret it.

A crown meant the Emperor. Pointing south meant the Emperor was in the southern sector!

The garrison squad leader immediately gestured back, pointing southward in confirmation.

Wei Feng gave a mechanical ‘OK’ gesture and pointed toward the south again. Once the garrison squad leader confirmed the direction, he signaled for Wei Feng to take the lead.

Instead of moving, Wei Feng pointed toward another garrison mecha squad patrolling the northern horizon. He made a sweeping motion with his mecha’s arms, then pointed south once more.

The garrison squad leader: “…!”

Understood!

He wants us to loop in the other squads to mobilize a massive dragnet down south!

Wei Feng pointed to himself, gestured toward the north, and then pointed back to the squad leader, gesturing south. The garrison leader confidently flashed an ‘OK’ sign, waved his arm, and led his entire platoon charging off toward the southern sector.

“Piece of cake,” Wei Feng drawled, pushing the thrusters forward to continue their northern flight.

Behind him, Li Ji and Yan Qing stared at the visual monitors in utter silence, their expressions entirely beyond description.

_

High above the arena base, inside the Yi Army supply ship.

Switching into standard military mechas provided a massive upgrade in performance. Song Jin drew his blade, executing a series of rapid aerial spins to familiarize himself with the handling and weight of the new machine.

“Should we locate your brother first?” Song Jin asked over their private line.

“With Wei Feng handling things, it shouldn’t be an issue,” Li Xiao replied. “Let’s clean up the situation here first.”

Song Jin couldn’t help but ask, “Are you truly that comfortable leaving the reigning Emperor in the hands of an active star pirate?”

Unable to disclose the timeline of his past life, Li Xiao smoothly fabricated an excuse: “Isn’t he my father’s old friend?”

Song Jin: “…”

Li Xiao: “More fathers mean a broader network of connections.”

Song Jin: “…”

You certainly have a unique brand of optimism.

As the electromagnetic cannons continued their relentless barrage, all standard forms of electronic communication remained completely severed. The entire battlefield had devolved into an absolute cacophony of amplified voices roaring through external loudspeakers.

The extreme environmental interference meant that tactical directives couldn’t be instantly conveyed. The squad leaders on both sides were visibly losing their tempers, unleashing a constant stream of curses. From every direction, the cracked, straining voices of hyped-up soldiers echoed across the skies.

The Yi Army:

“Are the boys in Sector 101 asleep?! How the hell are you losing ground to those morons across from you? Shape up and push forward! Let me hear some life in those voices!”

“Awoooo—!”

“For the love of God, stop trying to be a hype man!”

The Invading Force:

“Charge! Get up there and tear these bastards apart! The higher-ups promised a free apartment for every man if we win this!”

“Awoooo—!”

“For the reward!”

Li Xiao: “…”

宋瑾: “…”

In the brief window it had taken them to swap mechas, the artistic direction of the entire war zone had completely collapsed. It looked less like a high-stakes military engagement and more like two rival factions of village thugs wielding farming tools for a turf war. It was incredibly cringeworthy, yet strangely exhilarating.

Finding the noise highly irritating, Song Jin executed a blinding aerial dash, cleanly decapitating the enemy pilot who was screaming the loudest into his megaphone.

“Noisy.”

Li Xiao swept his gaze across the broader engagement. The combat perimeter had expanded significantly. The enemy forces were dispersing outward in every direction, their intentions painfully obvious.

He then shifted his attention toward the observation tower. According to Yan Qing’s earlier plan, the academy instructors had mobilized an automated transport shuttle fleet to evacuate the spectators, depositing them directly onto the supply ships dispatched by Yi Lian. The civilian evacuation was virtually complete.

Currently, a heavy military rescue vehicle was stationed right outside the primary observation lounge, prepared to ferry the remaining high-ranking bureaucrats back to the flagship.

Li Xiao opened his terminal, bridging a connection through 09: “Stop screaming over the loudspeakers. Speak through the channel.”

A chorus of astonished voices immediately flooded his earpieces.

“When the hell did the radio channels come back online?”

“Damn it, I practically blew my vocal cords out for nothing.”

Li Xiao cut through the chatter: “Is Yi Lian on this frequency?”

A voice answered him instantly: “This is the Commander of the Vanguard Mecha Unit. The General is not on this channel, Your Highness.”

Li Xiao: “Patch him in. Now.”

“Right away!”

A moment later, Yi Lian’s voice crackled through the comms. “Your Highness?”

Li Xiao: “Allow them to continue expanding their perimeter. Your only priority is to ensure they don’t make contact with any civilian population centers.”

Without demanding an explanation, Yi Lian complied immediately. “Understood.”

_

Inside the command deck of the Third Legion’s flagship.

The adjutant waited for Yi Lian to finish issuing his adjustments before approaching with a report. “General, the technical department estimates that our primary orbital light-cannon array will be fully operational within three minutes.”

Yi Lian turned. “Can it withstand the ongoing EMP interference?”

“The Tech Chief assures us that once the system core comes back online entirely, the localized dampeners will hold.”

“Excellent!” Yi Lian monitored the external feed through a purely mechanical optical display. “In three minutes, our vanguard destroyers will have successfully herded the enemy forces to a safe altitude. Once the main cannons fire, the battle is effectively over.”

Standing near the secondary console, a soldier overheard their entire conversation. Noting that the high-ranking officers had walked away, he swiftly input a coded message into his personal terminal and hit send. The moment the transmission success indicator flashed, he wiped the logs and shut down the device.

Yi Lian hadn’t walked far when his personal terminal pinged with an encrypted alert from an ID labeled 09.

[Terminal ID: TJBM000653525534 transmitted the following intelligence five seconds ago to Terminal ID: NMLH000217421354.]

The content matched the exact tactical update he had just discussed with his adjutant, and the recipient’s coordinates mapped perfectly onto the enemy flagship’s command deck.

Yi Lian felt a wave of mild surprise—not because the presence of a mole was particularly shocking, but because reflecting on today’s chain of events made him realize the Second Highness held an incredible number of hidden cards.

Given the Yi family’s traditional stance, they would support the Crown regardless of Li Xiao’s personal involvement. But no military commander wanted to fight a war destined for defeat. The Second Highness was undeniably showing them a clear path to victory.

Is this the reason the old man suddenly shifted his attitude toward the prince?

_

Out on the battlefield, the expansion of the combat zone had successfully scattered a massive portion of the Yi Army across the sector.

Believing the perfect tactical window had arrived, the enemy fleet mobilized a massive detachment of mechas from twelve of their main battleships, directing them in a concentrated, frontal assault toward the arena base. The longer they delayed, the higher the probability that Li Ji would be successfully smuggled out.

Below them, the side bays of ten Yi Army destroyers slid open in unison, and countless Knight mechas poured out to intercept the charge.

Qin Le, Jiang Hao, and the other student pilots were still holding the line near the observation tower, covering the instructors during the final phase of the evacuation. The moment the last transport cleared the platform, they were about to request further instructions from Li Xiao when the enemy reinforced their vanguard.

The Knights held the frontline vanguard, while the student units formed a defensive line in the rear to mop up any Wushi units that managed to slip through the cracks.

Qin Le noticed that Jiang Hao’s movements were becoming exceptionally fluid, drawing his eye. Not long ago, this guy barely knew how to calibrate a mecha’s basic balance systems. Yet his rate of improvement was staggering. One could easily see that he had heavily modified standard techniques, even engineering a few customized combo chains that perfectly suited his high reaction time.

He remembered a lecture by Prince Rong during his childhood. The prince had mentioned that certain individuals were born warriors—possessing an innate combat intuition that allowed them to learn exponentially through the crucible of real combat, achieving a level of mastery in hours that took ordinary men years to grasp.

Qin Le had always considered himself one of those rare talents. But comparing himself to Jiang Hao now, he felt he fell slightly short. This journey to the Danse Empire was proving to be entirely worth it.

“Lele, there’s a gap opening in the defensive line over there. Want to plug it together?” Jiang Hao’s voice echoed over the squad channel.

Qin Le snapped out of his thoughts. “Let’s go!”

The moment they accelerated, a white mecha flanked them. Lin Shuo’s voice crackled through the radio: “Two units won’t be enough to hold that vector. Count me in!”

Lin Shuo quickly rattled off five other names over the frequency: “The rest of you, pull back slightly! Blocking the retreat path of the frontline Knights is far too dangerous!”

“Understood!”

In terms of sheer numbers, the invading Wushi held the advantage. However, their piloting mechanics were vastly inferior. Their numerical edge evaporated in minutes, and with it, their morale. The rear ranks of the invading force began to waver, pulling back in hesitation.

“This is bad! There’s a massive enemy force behind us!” a frantic voice screamed across the Wushi internal frequency.

Those who heard the warning looked back. A massive Yi Army dreadnought had silently drifted into position high above the arena base, and an endless stream of Knights was diving down upon them like a flock of birds of prey.

The two lead Knights tore through the cluster of Wushi at terrifying speeds, dismantling an entire squad in the blink of an eye.

“We’ve been flanked!”

“It’s a trap! Fall back!”

The rear guard of the invading force turned to flee, but before they could clear the sector, they were completely boxed in by the arriving reinforcements.

Having switched to a mecha that perfectly complemented his aggressive style, Song Jin’s lethality reached terrifying heights. He moved across the battlefield like an unstoppable force, tearing down any target that crossed his path.

Li Xiao made no move to restrain him, merely keeping a watchful eye from a distance to ensure his feral little lion remained out of harm’s way.

The heavy bronze bells ringing in the wind echoed across the terrain like deep war drums, raising the morale of the Yi Army and the students to a fever pitch as they fought with increasing ferocity.

The invading pilots completely broke down. With their combat rhythm thoroughly shattered, their formations dissolved into absolute chaos. Strategy was abandoned; their minds were consumed by a singular, desperate desire to escape.

Having cleared his immediate sector, Li Xiao brought his mecha to a halt in mid-air and opened the local channel. “Who among you has the loudest voice?”

A barrage of boisterous responses flooded the comms.

“Me! My shout can scare a rooster to death!”

“I don’t have much else, but my vocal cords are pure steel!”

“I minored in broadcasting and trained as an operatic tenor!”

“I can do it!”

Li Xiao: “Switch on your external megaphones. Inform the enemy forces: surrender, and your lives will be spared.”

“Understood!”

The surrounded Wushi pilots were virtually on the verge of tears. Their long-range comms were dead, their local frequencies were blocked, and even their radar tracking was completely blind. They were entirely isolated. By the time their main command deck realized what was happening down here, they would all be long dead!

“Attention all forces! Cease all resistance immediately! Land your units on the ground! Surrender, and your lives will be spared!”

A few moments later, a cluster of Wushi mechas, unable to bear the pressure any longer, began dropping out of the sky, landing inside the main arena grounds.

Seeing several targets slip away, Song Jin expressed clear dissatisfaction over the line: “It’s cleaner to just put them down. Why bother keeping them alive?”

Li Xiao replied dryly, “The pilots are expendable, but the mechas are entirely innocent.”

Song Jin: “…”

You’ve already got your eyes on their hardware, haven’t you?

A detachment of Knights descended to the ground, systematically detaining the enemy pilots as they stepped out of their cockpits.

Li Xiao raised his gaze toward the upper atmosphere. The Yi Army destroyers were relentlessly pressing against the main enemy fleet, forcing their capital ships into a steady retreat. Ever since the EMP cannons had maintained their continuous fire, the rate of their advance had increased significantly.

At this altitude, they are perfectly positioned.

_

Inside the enemy flagship, the command staff was utterly powerless. Seeing their second wave fail entirely, they gathered around the central map table, trading furious curses.

“Should we just initiate a full retreat?” a middle-aged Beta asked irritably.

The middle-aged Alpha threw a vicious punch, knocking the Beta flat onto the floor. “Our primary objective is unfulfilled, and we’ve sustained catastrophic losses in mobile suits. Do you honestly believe the high command will let us live if we crawl back now?!”

Wiping blood from his lip, the Beta roared back, “If we don’t pull back, we’ll all die here anyway!”

The Alpha grit his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. “We wait! Let’s see if their EMP batteries burn out first, or if we break first!”

Suddenly, a violent shudder ripped through the entire structure of the dreadnought. The sudden impact threw everyone off balance.

“What happened?!”

“A mere mecha skirmish couldn’t possibly generate a shockwave of this magnitude!”

“Did they authorize the deployment of orbital-class weaponry?!”

The technical crew at the primary console frantically scanned the diagnostic feeds, finally pinpointing the source of the tremor via a mechanical optical monitor.

A technician reported in absolute terror: “One of our rear escort battleships has been completely obliterated!”

“Impossible!” The middle-aged Alpha lunged across the console. “The Yi Army’s technological baseline in this sector is vastly inferior to ours! How could they possibly unlock their heavy battery array before us?!”

Before his words could settle, a second, even more violent tremor rocked the flagship.

The Alpha watched the optical display in horror as a blinding flash of white light erupted on screen. A second escort battleship was instantly swallowed by a massive, roiling fireball, dissolving into cosmic dust within seconds.

“How is this possible?!” The Alpha’s pupils dilated in sheer terror, his mind turning completely blank.

With two capital ships vaporized in rapid succession, the technician asked frantically, “We currently possess zero defensive screening capabilities. Shouldn’t we pull back beyond the EMP interference zone before reassessing?!”

The middle-aged Beta violently shoved the paralyzed Alpha aside, stared at the destruction on the monitor, and barked a direct order: “All fleets, initiate immediate retreat! Once we clear the dampening zone, open fire and vaporize the Yi Army destroyers!”

“Understood!”

_

Meanwhile, on the Imperial Capital Planet, Yi Yongning paced back and forth inside his office, his hands tightly clasped behind his back.

Ever since the blackout began, all external civilian and secure military communication channels with the sector had been completely severed. He couldn’t obtain a single scrap of reliable intelligence.

Noting that nearly fifteen minutes had elapsed, he could no longer sit still. He immediately summoned the other four Grand Generals for an emergency council. However, when the doors opened, the only attendees to show up were Zheng Kang’an and Gao Wanxin.

Yi Yongning’s expression was incredibly dark. “His Majesty’s signal has vanished entirely within Sector S1301, and the local planetary garrison claims absolute ignorance! We must mobilize an immediate intervention force!”

Zheng Kang’an offered a casual wave of his hand. “It is highly probable that it’s merely a localized network malfunction. Mobilizing an army so rashly will only invite unnecessary chaos.”

Yi Yongning glared at him. “So we are to simply disregard the Emperor’s physical safety?!”

“The unit responsible for His Majesty’s security during this trip happens to be your own Third Legion. Shouldn’t you be demanding answers from your own men regarding his safety?” Zheng Kang’an countered smoothly. “Protocol dictates that we allow the local garrison to conduct a thorough investigation on the ground first. Wouldn’t that be infinitely faster than marching an armada across the stars?”

“The garrison in the Hemin Sector has gone completely dark as well!” Yi Yongning snapped.

“Which only reinforces the probability of a massive signal failure,” Zheng Kang’an replied smoothly. “If you attempt to march your forces into the Xuyang Constellation under these pretexts, you will be violating imperial military law. Are you prepared to bear the consequences of that?”

While the two generals locked horns in a heated debate, Grand General Meng Jian was completely ignoring the emergency summons inside his own lavish office, casually watering a collection of potted orchids.

His adjutant stepped inside, bowing slightly. “General Yi appears to have noticed something amiss. He is currently attempting to rally the council to authorize an intervention.”

Meng Jian smiled faintly. “As long as our primary objective is achieved, it matters little how much he stomps his feet in frustration.”

Once the formal transfer documents were secured and both Li Ji and Li Xiao were removed from the equation, who else within the vast expanse of the Danse Empire would possess the leverage to challenge his authority? Who did Yi Yongning think he was? He would ensure that old fool was the very first to be purged.

Meng Jian set down the watering can. “What is the status on the ground?”

The adjutant shook his head. “We have received zero intelligence feedback. The strike team’s very first objective was the absolute destruction of the local communication infrastructure.”

“There is no rush.” Meng Jian smiled. “They won’t be able to hold out for long.”

Reflecting on the meticulous planning that had gone into the opening stages of the operation, the adjutant harbored no doubts. “However, with both the Emperor and the Third Legion cut off, Yi Yongning will almost certainly try to force a military deployment.”

Meng Jian let out a low, mocking chuckle. “According to imperial regulations, any emergency deployment within the Xuyang Constellation can only be authorized by General Qi Shoude. If Yi Yongning dares to send his personal forces across the border—well, that just gives us the perfect excuse to clean them all up at once.”

The adjutant’s gaze sharpened. “In that case, the cards will be laid completely face up.”

Meng Jian’s smile remained entirely pleasant. “This is clearly the work of a rogue star pirate group. What could it possibly have to do with me?”

_

Back on the battlefield, Li Xiao and Song Jin watched the massive fireworks erupting along the upper atmosphere before altering their course to locate Li Ji.

Under the continuous, booming propaganda delivered by the loud-mouthed mecha squad leaders, the invading Wushi pilots slowly realized that their main fleet had abandoned them to flee. One by one, they disarmed and surrendered. The few stubborn holdouts who refused to capitulate were swiftly surrounded by the Knights and dismantled on the spot.

Li Xiao and Song Jin headed dead north, passing numerous patrolling garrison squads along the way. Song Jin cast a brief glance toward them. He harbored no doubts that if these garrison units possessed any accurate concept of the actual battle data, they would have launched a full-scale assault against the Yi Army by now.

Halfway to their destination, three garrison mecha units accelerated toward them, cutting off their trajectory.

Li Xiao activated the external vocal modulator, projecting a disguised, authoritative tone: “Third Legion Mecha Unit, Squad 709, currently executing a secure patrol detail.”

Hearing an unfamiliar voice, combined with the fact that the duo was piloting standard Third Legion hardware rather than the flashy custom tournament mechas, the garrison pilots hesitated. If these two were acting as an escort for the Emperor, it was highly improbable they would be moving with a complement of only two units.

Taking advantage of their momentary hesitation, Li Xiao and Song Jin didn’t wait around for them to reach a conclusion, immediately rocketing past them.

As they neared the designated rendezvous coordinates, a lone garrison mecha suddenly lunged out from the shadow of a nearby structure. Song Jin’s blade was already halfway through a lethal arc before he recognized the incredibly flashy, erratic piloting style and barely managed to arrest the blow.

The hijacked garrison mecha raised its metallic hands and formed a clumsy heart shape toward them.

Song Jin: “…”

This absolute rogue.

_

Inside the Third Legion’s flagship, Old Liu, Daxi, and the evacuating officials were escorted to the medical wing for assessment. Old Liu was deeply anxious regarding the situation on the front lines, but with the flagship’s main displays restricted, he could only wait.

A Meng-aligned official flagged down a passing military doctor on rounds. “What is the status of the battle? Has the enemy initiated a retreat? Have we secured a victory?”

Old Liu quietly tracked the exchange from the corner of his eye.

“I am not entirely certain,” the doctor replied stiffly. “An official announcement will be broadcasted once a definitive outcome is reached.”

The official pressed further, “What about His Majesty? Where is the Emperor? I heard reports that the Second Highness is actively engaged on the front lines as well?”

“I am a medical practitioner, not an intelligence officer,” the doctor snapped, clearly losing his patience before turning on his heel.

Just as the doctor turned the corner, his personal terminal vibrated violently. “Third Medical Bay here… What?! His Majesty has arrived?! Is he wounded? Understood, I’ll be there immediately!”

Old Liu’s spirits surged. He immediately slipped out of the room to follow. The surrounding officials exchanged swift, uneasy glances before quickly falling into step behind him.

When they reached the primary hangar deck, they arrived just as the heavy blast doors of the main lift slid open. Li Ji stepped out, flanked closely by Li Xiao and Song Jin.

Though the Emperor’s ceremonial robes were stained with dried blood, he didn’t appear the least bit disheveled. His expression remained entirely composed, radiating a natural, regal authority.

Li Xiao and Song Jin walked half a step behind him. Having just stepped off a bloody battlefield, the residual killing intent radiating from their forms had not yet fully receded. The sharp, oppressive aura they projected made the hands of several officials sweat profusely, their hearts hammering against their ribs.

“Your Majesty!” Old Liu was the first to step forward, his voice trembling slightly. “It is wonderful to see you unharmed!”

Li Ji offered a faint grunt of acknowledgement. His gaze swept over Daxi before settling on the cluster of officials trailing behind. “The tactical situation remains critical. Follow me to the command deck immediately.”

The officials didn’t dare utter a single word of protest, quietly falling into line. A few of them intentionally slowed their pace, pulling out their terminals to swiftly compose encrypted messages.

The Emperor and the Prince are both alive! What the hell are the strike teams doing?!

Once everyone filed into the primary command center, the heavy armored blast doors sealed shut behind them with a deep, echoing thud. The sound sent a cold shiver down the spines of the corrupt officials. A creeping sense of dread told them that something was terribly wrong.

Yi Lian guided Li Ji toward the central tactical display, swiftly delivering a concise breakdown of the engagement. “Our primary orbital light-cannon array is on the verge of completing its system reboot. We will undoubtedly deliver a catastrophic blow to the enemy fleet.”

Li Ji asked, “How much time remains?”

“Two minutes at most,” Yi Lian reported confidently.

Hearing this, a portion of the Meng-aligned officials began to lose their composure. In a clash between two fleets, the outcome was entirely determined by whoever could bring their heavy weapons to bear first. If the Third Legion successfully brought their orbital cannons online, the invading force would have zero options left.

Shielding their actions behind the crowd, they rapidly typed out further updates:

“The terrorist organization behind this operation must be The Raven!”

“Is there even a need to guess?! They launched an assassination attempt against His Majesty just two days ago!”

“To think a mere star pirate syndicate could possess such an staggering level of military backing!”

“They are no ordinary syndicate; they are direct insurgents!”

The officials debated with performative fervor, fully determined to pin the entire blame onto The Raven.

Walking right beside Li Ji, Wei Feng had been in a relatively decent mood. But the more he listened to the conversation behind him, the more his expression soured.

So it’s this exact bunch of old bastards who have been slandering his name all this time?