Chapter 521: Divine Mecha! (I)

"Oh! You've brought a guest!" Zhen Hua said, a welcoming smile forming on his lips. "Wulin, why don't you introduce us?"

Tang Wulin bowed slightly. "Uncle-master, this is my classmate, Gu Yue." Then he turned to her and said, "Gu Yue, this is my uncle-master. That man is his friend."

Tang Wulin had already told Gu Yue about Zhen Hua's status as Divine Blacksmith, so he didn't bother mentioning it.

Gu Yue stepped forward and bowed. "Hello, Your Eminence."

Zhen Hua examined Gu Yue for a moment, then looked back at Tang Wulin, raising an eyebrow. "And here I thought all you knew how to do was blacksmith and cultivate! I didn't think you knew how to get a girl! Not bad! Well, take a seat, girl. Make yourself at home."

Gu Yue smiled at Zhen Hua and nodded.

"Uncle-master, I saw a red mecha when we got here! It was awesome! I didn't get a good look at it though. Whose mecha is it? Is it yours?" Tang Wulin asked. Knowing how pricy black-grade mechas were, he could only imagine how much a red-grade mecha costed. They probably sported a price that ordinary people would never encounter in their lives. It was an unthinkable sum for even Soul Douluos, but it wouldn't have been strange for a Divine Blacksmith to pilot such a mecha.

Zhen Hua shook his head. "It's not mine."

Tang Wulin hung his head in disappointment. He had hoped the red-grade mecha belonged to Zhen Hua so he could take a look at it.

"Oh, that reminds me. You flew here in a mecha, right?" Zhen Hua asked curiously. "How did you find the time for mecha training?"

"I've liked mechas since I was a kid!" Tang Wulin replied. "And Teacher Wu said I can use mechas and battle armors at the same time, so I wanted to try it. I commissioned a yellow-grade mecha to be made at school."

Zhen Hua chuckled and shook his head. "Your teacher isn't wrong, but remember! People don't have endless amounts of time and energy. It's easy to pilot yellow-grade mechas, but piloting higher-grade mechas is more difficult. You should be able to handle purple-grade, but black-grade will definitely be a challenge for you.

With that, Zhen Hua launched into a lecture. "Pilots need a high compatibility rate with top-tier mechas in order to demonstrate that mecha's full power. To do that, they need to have used said mecha for countless hours to grow familiar with it. They also need to be just as involved in the manufacturing and testing of that mecha. It takes just as much time to do that as it does to craft a set of battle armor. Many of the best battle armor masters also have mechas, but that's just because it's far too difficult for them to improve their battle armor any further. As a result, they spend their time on mechas instead. You shouldn't try to juggle so many things at your age. It's fine to have a yellow-grade mecha, but you shouldn't go any further than that. Mechas have their own charm, a charm I'm afraid you'll get addicted to. Just focus on becoming a battle armor master for now."

Zhen Hua's words hit Tang Wulin like a bolt of lightning. He's right! I've been able to manage mecha training with the extra time I get thanks to the Battle Hall, but twelve hours a week won't be enough if I want to continue!

"Uncle-master, I understand," he said. "I mainly planned on using my mecha for transportation, so I you don't have to worry. I won't waste anymore time on mecha training."

Zhen Hua smiled. "Having a good understanding of mechas doesn't hurt. At your current pace, you'll have no trouble finishing your battle armor once your cultivation increases. You can think about mechas again once you've reached your peak as a battle armor master. Ah, right! You want to take a look at that red-grade mecha, didn't you?"

Tang Wulin nodded excitedly.

"Great! I'll take you to see it on behalf of its owner." Zhen Hua stood from his desk. "It's always good to broaden your horizons. Let's go."

"Well aren't you generous!" the chef said, standing up as well.

Zhen Hua let out a barking laugh as he went to the door of his office and led the way out.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue followed close behind him. Just the thought of seeing the red-grade mecha made Tang Wulin's blood boil with anticipation. Even Gu Yue had an air of excitement about her. After all, red-grade mechas were existences that stood at the peak of the world!

When they got on the elevator, Tang Wulin asked, "Uncle-master, do you not have your own red-grade mecha?"

Zhen Hua shook his head. "My mecha is black-grade. You'll understand why that is when you reach a higher level. Getting a red-grade mecha is a troublesome thing. I can't spare any of my time because of the forging I need to do. That, and I'm afraid I'll get too absorbed in it. When a person gets a red-grade mecha, upgrading it to the limit becomes their life. Every pilot I know that has a one is like that."

"That's right!" the chef chimed in. Then he sighed. "Red mechas really are a poison!"

Tang Wulin glanced at the chef curiously. He couldn't fathom just how strange red mechas were. Even his uncle-master didn't dare make one. He had a feeling they were even greater than the legends made them out to be!

Once they arrived at the roof, Zhen Hua led them to the spot where the spatial gate had been earlier. As soon as they reached it, the gate automatically opened. Zhen Hua didn't so much as lift a finger, and the red-grade mecha materialized from the gate, feet first.

This time Tang Wulin got a more than just a good look at the mecha, and it was gorgeous. Its sleek frame shone spectacularly in the light. Gold lines ran along its scarlet armor, giving it an aura of magnificence. It was smaller than average mecha, the ankle joints seamlessly connecting its feet with the rest of its legs.

The gate grew bigger and bigger, revealing more and more of its form, and Tang Wulin's eyes went wide. The mecha looked more like a giant metal man than a robot. Its slender form matched the proportions of a human, and it had no equipment on it. What truly shocked Tang Wulin was that, despite all the experience he had accumulated in blacksmithing, he couldn't identify what metals the mecha was made from. This meant the metals were far beyond spirit refined. They had to be soul refined at the very least.

In just a few moments, the entirety of the mecha was revealed. It stood about six meters tall, several meters shorter than the usual mecha, but its body was much thinner too.

Tang Wulin was in absolute awe. Unarmed, its scarlet body held a striking grace. He could barely consider it a mecha. It was more like a giant suit of armor that legends would speak of. It lacked the rugged, powerful exterior that other mechas had. Instead, it seemed more like a sculpted piece of art. People with more specific aesthetic tastes would find themselves hard-pressed to identify a flaw in it. This was a divine red-grade mecha!

Zhen Hua walked over to Tang Wulin, amusement in his eyes. "Can you see what's so special about it?"

Tang Wulin nodded subconsciously.

"Ruby," the chef said as he stepped forward to stand beside them. The red mecha whirred to life, the golden lines running across its armor glowing brightly. The scarlet armor shone in the light.

Then the mecha spoke, its voice gentle and feminine. "Boss. What is your command?"

It can talk? Tang Wulin's eyes widened, his jaw dropping as he turned to the chef.

The chef walked forward, stopping to stand right in front of the mecha. "I don't have a command right now, but some kids here are interested in you. Show them just how different you are from other mechas."

The mecha replied in a sweet voice. "Roger that, Boss."