173: Chapter 173 Charging into Battle, Little Knife Facing Death Without Fear

The thrusters of the po xu type-2 mech spewed deep blue flames, and Chen Xiaodao gripped the controls tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Alarms blared inside the cockpit, the shield energy bar had dropped to thirty percent, the left arm cooling System was continuously smoking, and scorching air vented from the heat sinks.

He ignored all of this.

The Zerg formation ahead was regrouping, runes flowed across the surface of the hexagonal fortress, and a large number of Worker Insects crawled out from the underground, their compound eyes locking onto his position in unison.

Aerial units pressed in, forming a fan shape, their mouthparts opening as they accumulated corrosive acid.

"Now is the time." He growled into the communication channel, his voice hoarse but filled with ferocity.

The mech lunged forward, releasing all its interference projectiles, and an electromagnetic fog exploded instantly, obscuring the enemy's System.

This was supposed to be the standard procedure for a feint—attracting fire, creating chaos, and then retreating.

But in the very next second, Chen Xiaodao slammed his foot on the propulsion pedal, and the mech shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring, plunging straight into the heart of the enemy formation.

"Wasn't the order for you to retreat?" someone exclaimed from the command ship in the rear.

No one answered.

In Chen Xiaodao's eyes, there was only that crack—a brief gap created when the swarm mobilized, like a torn wound exposed in the center of the battlefield. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

"I'm not retreating." He gritted his teeth, "I'm going to cleave it open."

The mech weaved at high speed through the gaps in the swarm, its Laser Sword already unsheathed. The blade hummed and vibrated, the high-frequency oscillation mode engaged, and a barely visible ripple shimmered along the edge.

The first armored warrior blocked his path, its shell reflecting cold light, thick and heavy as a mountain.

Chen Xiaodao didn't waste time entangling with it; he side-slid to approach its side joint, precisely embedded the blade into the seam, and twisted it with the momentum.

Crack!

The transmission structure broke, the warrior's body went limp and collapsed, and green bodily fluids sprayed out.

The second one lunged, pincer attacks from both sides.

He used the momentum to leap, the mech flipping 180 degrees in mid-air, and the moment he landed, he backhanded a slash. The sword light swept across, directly severing the opponent's head nerve bundle.

The third one was just about to close in when it was blown away by the blast wave—that was the recoil force he created by detonating his own leg trap device.

Three elite guards, wiped out in under ten breaths.

Mucus-type Worker Insects surged from the cracks in the ground, wrapping around the mech's legs like a quagmire.

Chen Xiaodao sneered: "Trying to drag me down?"

The thrusters activated at full power, the mech soared into the air, shedding the restraints with inertia, and upon landing, it dashed laterally. The Laser Sword flashed three arcs in succession, forcefully cutting an opening in the encirclement.

Dust flew, and blood mist filled the air.

The po xu type-2 charged deep into the enemy formation; wherever the sword shadows passed, the Zerg disintegrated.

Some were cut in half, some had their heads severed, and even more were blown into pieces by the aftermath of the Sword Qi.

He no longer cared about technique, nor did he use preset tactics, purely advancing on instinct and killing intent.

Every sword strike carried the hatred from the ruins when he was five years old.

That night, he was the only survivor in the whole village, clutching half a wooden sword in his arms, with the sound of the Zerg gnawing on flesh and bones in his ears.

It was Chen Wuwang who dug him out from the pile of corpses, brought him back to the Chen family, gave him a name, and gave him a place to belong.

Now, he fought for this home.

The sword light rose again, clearing the area once more.

The Breakthrough was achieved.

High on the cliff, Chen Wuwang stood quietly, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashing with blue light, capturing the battlefield dynamics in real-time.

He saw the moment Chen Xiaodao changed his moves to break in, his fingers subconsciously tapping on the tactical panel, bringing up the emergency support plan.

The logistics team was already on standby, with two repair mechs ready to move out and support at any time.

But he didn't give the order.

He knew that this charge wasn't just to tear open the defense line—it was to prove something.

Inside the cockpit, Chen Xiaodao panted heavily, sweat sliding down his forehead and dripping onto the control screen.

The alarm was still blaring, the body was damaged in many places, and the energy fluctuations were intense.

Yet, the corners of his mouth curled up.

"Family Head..." he whispered, as if speaking to the air, or perhaps to himself, "Watch closely."

Before the words faded, a large number of Zerg surged from afar; clearly, the central hub had sensed the threat and began mobilizing heavy troops to surround and annihilate him.

New armored warriors appeared, larger in size, with bone spur cannons growing on their backs, and the ground Worker Insects formed a wall, approaching step by step.

The pressure increased sharply.

But Chen Xiaodao did not slow down.

He pushed the joystick to the limit, the mech roared and charged again, the Laser Sword held high above his head, the tip pointing straight at the thickest part of the enemy formation.

"Come on!" he roared, "Who is afraid of you bugs!"

The sword light was like a rainbow, cutting through the smoke.

For that moment, the entire battlefield seemed to fall silent for a beat.

Chen Wuwang, high on the cliff, watched that lonely, brave figure forcefully carve a bloody path through thousands of troops, and suddenly smiled.

It wasn't a maniacal laugh, nor a sneer, but the kind of heartfelt gratification hidden in the corners of his eyes and brows.

He nodded slightly and murmured: "Good lad... this sword strike has my shadow."

The wind blew across the edge of the meteorite belt, stirring up scorched earth and metal debris.

The po xu type-2 was still advancing, its body covered in scars, yet it never stopped.

Chen Xiaodao's breathing grew heavier, his adrenaline surged to a critical value, and the edges of his vision began to darken, but his hands remained as steady as cast iron.

Ahead were more enemies.

Behind was the opened passage.

The allied team had begun to push forward, the support group followed closely, the Rune Cannon turrets were redeployed, and the firepower net gradually covered the area.

The originally deadlocked situation was completely reversed because of this desperate charge.

Chen Wuwang withdrew his gaze, his fingers tapping lightly on the tactical panel, marking three high-risk areas.

He still stood in place, not moving, and gave no new orders.

He knew that at this moment, no command was needed.

Only trust.

Inside the cockpit, Chen Xiaodao wiped his face and caught a glimpse of the communication indicator light flashing in the top right corner—it was Chen Wuwang's private channel.

He didn't answer.

He just pushed the Laser Sword's charge to the maximum, and the blade emitted a piercing hum.

The next second, he charged out again.

The sword light flashed again, and another armored warrior collapsed with a boom.

The mucus-type Worker Insects on the ground tried to entangle him, but were crushed by his foot, splashing foul-smelling liquid.

The flying insects in the air swooped down to attack, only to be burned into charcoal by the thruster's tail flames.

He was like a red-hot knife, stabbing into the enemy's flesh, scorching his way through.

The mech's left arm cooling System finally couldn't hold on, emitting a muffled sound, and completely stopped working.

The temperature warning flashed frantically, but he didn't care.

His right hand could still move, the sword could still swing, and that was enough.

"Don't think about stopping me." He gritted his teeth, "I'm determined to cleave this gap open today."

High on the cliff, Chen Wuwang looked at the figure rising and falling in the firelight, slowly raised his hand, and pressed it gently against his chest.

There, a piece of old cloth was attached—it was a corner of the rags wrapped around Chen Xiaodao when he was found in the ruins years ago.

The wind blew his long silver hair, and his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye reflected the firelight of the battlefield, like two clusters of blue flames burning.

He didn't speak.

But in his eyes, there was nothing but pride.

The po xu type-2 continued to push forward, and wherever the sword light pointed, no one could stop it.

The Zerg formation had been torn open with a wide gap, and the follow-up troops were passing through quickly. Chen Xiaodao did not look back, nor did he slow down, still charging at the very front.

The body was charred in many places, the left arm was smoking, and the right leg thruster was intermittently failing. Yet he was still moving.

One step, then another.

Sword raised, person advances.

The bloody path grew wider and wider.

Chen Wuwang on the high cliff finally spoke, his voice low but clear: "Pass the order down, all units, follow Xiao Dao."

After speaking, he remained standing, did not leave the high cliff, and did not approach the command console.

The wind blew, and he heard the familiar engine roar from afar; that was the unique propulsion rhythm of the po xu type-2.

He smiled.

Then, he continued to stare at that figure until it disappeared into the depths of the smoke and fire.