149: Chapter 149 Celebration Showcase, Stunning the Entire Audience

Morning light spilled onto the bluestone slabs of the Chen Family's central plaza, casting a golden-red glow.

Five mechs stood in the center of the Martial Arts Platform. Their shells were dark red with green patterns, making them look as if they were about to awaken.

The spectator seats were packed. There were Family stewards in fine robes, Loose Cultivator Elders draped in grey hemp, and frontier Sect Disciples with long blades on their backs and weathered faces.

They were all staring at the five mechs. Some whispered, while others sneered and shook their heads.

"I heard people at the Foundation Establishment Stage can pilot them? It wouldn't just be some flashy toy piled together with spirit crystals, would it?"

"Last night, I saw a scratch on one mech's arm heal itself, the green patterns crawling over it like they were alive... Can this thing really recognize its master?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a shout came from the platform: "Activate!"

Chen Xiaodao jumped into the cockpit with a crisp, decisive movement. The hatch closed, the energy core hummed, and the mech's eyes suddenly lit up, flashing with blue light.

But the next second, the propulsion System sounded an alarm—it was a beat slow.

The mech didn't fly; it just shuddered in place. Several people in the front row immediately laughed.

"Just as expected, it doesn't work."

"Problems right from the start. Let's just hope it doesn't explode on the platform later."

On the high platform, Chen Wuwang instinctively reached out to tap his dagger's hilt—click. But he stopped.

He did not move.

He knew that this moment of silence was heavier than anything else.

On the platform, Chen Xiaodao's eyes narrowed. He swiped his right hand across the control panel, pulling up a hidden menu.

"Manual override, max thrust."

"Vroom—!"

Flames erupted from the mech's feet, instantly cracking the tiles on the ground. The entire mech shot into the sky like an arrow, carving an arc in the air and turning the failed takeoff into a fierce charge!

The whole venue went silent.

Then, the green patterns on the mech flashed three times, like a heartbeat. The rune array on the ground also lit up, rising in rings of light. It vibrated in sync with the mech, and even the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi began to stir.

"Is this... Spiritual Energy synchronization?" A white-bearded old man suddenly stood up, not even caring that the teacup in his hand had dropped to the ground.

No one dared to underestimate it anymore.

Chen Xiaodao maneuvered the mech in a circle in the sky, his movements fluid. He let out a low shout, and the cannon on its shoulder opened. Two beams of flame shot out, accurately striking the base of a distant trial pillar.

Boom!

The stone pillar collapsed, and rocks flew everywhere.

It wasn't over yet.

He suddenly dove, descending to a height of one hundred meters, and raised his sword with one hand, the tip pointing straight at the broken pillar. The Spiritual Energy array below was activated in reverse, and golden currents of Qi surged into the sword like a river flowing backward.

Electric light coiled around it, crackling loudly.

"Watch closely—this is the power of the po xu type-2!"

The sword descended.

A thick bolt of lightning struck down. The trial pillar, along with its foundation three zhang deep, turned into smoke, leaving only a black crater where the edges of the stone had melted into glass.

The shockwave cracked the ground, and fissures extended all the way to the edge of the spectator stands.

The dust settled.

For a full two seconds, no one spoke.

Suddenly, an old man in purple robes in the northern seats stood up, his voice trembling: "This mech can not only move, but it also has lethal power! This single sword strike is equivalent to a full-force blow from a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator!"

Uproar broke out all around.

The grey-clad man who had mocked them earlier turned pale, lowered his head, and hid in the crowd, not daring to make another sound.

"Is this the Chen Family's new mech? It's too amazing!" A young Disciple blurted out, his face full of shock.

The person next to him muttered: "If my father saw this, he definitely wouldn't believe it was built by a small Family like ours..."

On the Martial Arts Platform, Chen Xiaodao slowly descended. The mech's feet touched the ground, landing steadily without the slightest vibration. The hatch opened, and he took off his helmet, revealing a cold and stern face. He scanned the plaza.

The clansmen looked up at him with shining eyes. The teenagers clenched their fists, little girls stood on tiptoe and screamed, and even a few children who were usually timid jumped up and shouted, "Big Brother Xiao Dao is awesome!"

He didn't smile, just raised his hand and cupped his fist to everyone.

Applause erupted.

Cheers came in waves.

On the high platform, Chen Wuwang finally smiled.

It wasn't a sneer or a mockery; it was a genuine smile. The corners of his mouth lifted, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out, and he looked as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from him.

He looked toward the edge of the plaza.

A group of children were squeezed at the very front, their necks stretched long, not even bothering to wipe the sweat and dirt from their faces. A little boy fell down but was immediately pulled up by his companions, and the two of them pointed at the lingering light trails in the sky, shouting.

He also saw several teenagers standing straight, not like they were here to watch a performance, but like soldiers waiting for inspection.

The events of the past three years flashed through his mind: insect swarms attacking, mine collapses, clansmen shivering in cellars, children crying and asking him: "Family Head, can we still survive?"

At that time, he could only grit his teeth and say "Yes," even though he didn't know if they would die tomorrow.

Now, they don't have to ask.

Because they have already stood up.

He raised his hand, intending to tap his dagger's hilt again, habitually confirming the rhythm—but this time, he stopped.

His fingers slowly relaxed.

His silver hair was blown by the wind, brushing across the three scars on his face. He no longer looked around, no longer calculating where the enemy was or where the retreat route lay. He just stood there, letting the sunlight shine on his face, calmly accepting this moment of glory.

Below the platform, a middle-aged man in a green shirt withdrew his gaze and whispered to the person beside him: "What do we report when we go back?"

"What else can we say?" The man gave a bitter smile. "Last night's secret letter told me to 'eliminate them immediately,' but look at that crater—was that done by a mech? That was a War God descending to earth!"

"Then should we report that 'the time is not yet ripe, and taking action would result in the loss of important assets'?"

"No." The man in the green shirt shook his head. "Just say... the Chen Family must not be provoked. Five words, that's enough."

On the other side, two brothers carrying blades exchanged looks. The older one said in a deep voice: "If our Sect Master knew this mech could pierce a Golden Core-level trial pillar with one strike, he'd probably revise the alliance treaty overnight."

"Indeed." The younger brother grinned. "I even brought a challenge letter, but now... I'd better put it away."

In the center of the plaza, Chen Xiaodao stepped down from the mech, and the clansmen crowded around, asking questions all at once.

"Big Brother Xiao Dao, can you perform that sword move again?"

"Is the inside of the mech full of buttons? Will it explode if you press the wrong one?"

"Can I touch it? Just once!"

He smiled, a rare occurrence, and nodded, saying: "Once training opens, everyone will be able to try."

The crowd cheered again.

At this moment, the sun was bright, the rune lanterns swayed gently, and the fragrance of spirit flowers drifted in the air. Colorful flags fluttered on both sides of the Jade Path, children ran back and forth, and the Elders applauded with tears in their eyes.

This was not a funeral, not a flight for survival, not a time for swallowing one's pride.

This was a celebration.

It was a declaration.

It was proof that the Chen Family had returned to this world with dignity.

Chen Wuwang stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping over the seething crowd, over the glowing array platform, and over those five mechs that still had their eyes open.

He knew that this event was a success.

The wind blew his robe hem and stirred a few strands of his untied silver hair.

He did not move.