Mecha Era: Ascending to Godhood Alone

"Six people... no, there's one more trailing discreetly behind," Li Yi noticed, recognizing Tan Jiantong among them.

"They're heading straight here. Tsk, when did my location get compromised?"

Li Yi nimbly leapt like a monkey, landing on a neighboring tree. In a few swift, silent moves, he repositioned himself about ten meters away. His mastery of parkour, combined with exceptional body control, allowed him to maneuver without a sound.

"These people have a steady gait and solid builds. Their overall strength seems on par with Lin Qin's group of ten," he assessed. "The sneaky one is likely as strong as Lin Qin, but the genetic technique is the key. If it's one that boosts speed and power like Lin Qin's, I can handle it. But if it's a long-range assault like Shi Zijun's, it'll be tricky."

Thoughts raced through Li Yi's mind as he swiftly analyzed the situation, his brain much sharper after prolonged meditation. "I'll strike from the flank first..."

In the cover of night, a shadow silently descended from the treetops, then darted forward on all fours.

...

"Li Yi never fails to impress. He easily detected an ambush that others would miss."

"Today's youth are too comfortable. Even with a strong family background, they expose various weaknesses in life-and-death struggles."

"Indeed, it's far from time to relax."

"Stop acting all high and mighty. Who hasn't made mistakes in their youth?"

"Look at Li Yi—young, decisive, bold yet careful. He sets up his hiding spots meticulously and stays alert even while resting. This is the model of a high-quality mech pilot trainee."

As Liang Xing's nighttime ambush wiped out formerly top-ten teams, it exposed many issues. For instance, rotational duties—if only they'd assigned more people to patrol at different intervals, they wouldn't have been wiped out. Thus, while Liang Xing's tactics faced no criticism, the temporary teams were chastised for their lack of vigilance.

In contrast, Li Yi's careful planning and quick reactions earned him widespread praise. The focus shifted from who would win between titans, to the tactical acumen on display.

...

Tan Jiantong felt uneasy. Though he disliked Li Yi, seeing the leaderboard made him realize he had underestimated him. What he thought was mediocrity turned out to be brilliance.

Though he suspected Li Yi's current success was a fleeting moment of glory for a mere pauper, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of respect for his upcoming adversary. Despite his team's undefeated streak and significant point accumulation, Tan Jiantong sensed the impending challenge.

Someone approached Tan Jiantong, speaking in hushed tones, a conversation the livestream audience couldn't hear or lip-read.

"Old Tan, I heard Li Yi and Boss Liang are in the same squad?"

"Yes."

"I also heard you had some friction with Li Yi?"

"No, just rumors."

Tan Jiantong flatly denied it.

"Heh, I heard you talked trash about Li Yi after failing to recruit him for Boss Liang, putting him in a bad light, right?"

"That never happened."

Tan Jiantong denied it again.

"Someone overheard, just didn't mention it. But it won't stop someone from telling Boss Liang."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing much, just when Boss Liang takes out Li Yi, it'll be our turn to vie for the top ten. You have quite a few points, how about giving them to me? You're going to stick with Boss Liang anyway, you don't care about top ten, right?"

"Threatening me with baseless claims? Stop pretending!"

"Heh, what if I have proof?"

Just as Tan Jiantong was about to lose his temper, suddenly—

"Ah!"

The teammate who had been threatening him suddenly had his throat pierced, turning into light particles and vanishing. "Ambush!"

At that moment, Tan Jiantong was relieved that the one threatening him had left the virtual realm. But before he could react, he found himself unable to speak, his throat bleeding as he glimpsed a shadow darting past.

"Li Yi!?"

Another set of light particles drifted away.

Clearly, Li Yi's counterattack had already begun. In the face of true power, schemes were meaningless.

...

The scene quickly descended into chaos. Li Yi moved like lightning, gaining an advantage in the darkness over his opponents. Though they had prepared thoroughly for their previous ambushes on strong teams, they were now forced into a defensive position against Li Yi, a master of perfect combat and parkour.

Screams filled the air, and within minutes, several more light particles vanished.

Meanwhile, Liang Xing remained calm, standing at the back, observing Li Yi's performance. His eyes, a grayish hue, meticulously tracked Li Yi's every move.

"Impressive, to surpass Shaocong in strength. Even I'd need to use my second genetic technique to take him down."

A minute later, with the last of his opponents defeated, Li Yi paused.

The two stood about ten meters apart, tense in their standoff. Li Yi sensed that Liang Xing was preparing something, but having just exerted himself, he needed a moment to recover his breath.

Moreover, Liang Xing's genetic technique was likely almost ready, preparing for a powerful strike as soon as Li Yi finished off the second person. Charging recklessly would likely result in a devastating counterattack.

Thus, Li Yi opted to maintain distance, waiting for Liang Xing to make the first move.

"Li Yi, I admit I underestimated you at first," Liang Xing's smooth, eerie voice echoed among the tree shelters. "But you appeared so unremarkable."

He began to approach Li Yi slowly, step by step.

Li Yi retreated cautiously, keeping his distance. Some genetic techniques were deadly and required vigilance.

...

The audience was on edge, biting their nails in anticipation. The number of live viewers continued to climb, with the screen flooded with comments.

"Li Yi is incredible, he managed to avoid Liang Xing's lethal strike."

"Spectacular, absolutely spectacular."

"I really admire Li Yi now, his danger perception is top-notch."

"What a shame, Liang Xing prepared for so long, just waiting for Li Yi to close in."

Those familiar with Liang Xing's genetic technique were amazed. Had Li Yi rushed in after defeating the others, he wouldn't have escaped Liang Xing's well-prepared strike.

Many realized that Liang Xing was fully aware of Li Yi's capabilities and had sacrificed his teammates, focusing all his energy to ensure Li Yi's defeat with one decisive blow.

But with Li Yi keeping his distance, that certainty had now turned into a variable.