Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 1041 - 714: Complete Victory!

In the stands, many anticipated this duel of "spear and shield" or "fire and wind."

Gu Lan, yet another unfamiliar face on New Bauhinia's roster, had no notable achievements across the Milky Way.

Her Mecha "Swiftwind" appeared uniquely specialized for high-mobility reconnaissance or guerrilla warfare. It was painted in blue-grey with sleek lines, featuring a pair of foldable auxiliary gliding wings at the back, and armed with a weapon that could transform into a rifle or long knife, along with several suspended Spiritual Energy Darts.

"Frenzy Flame" had already issued provocative roars in the corridor, eager to crush his opponent beneath his flames.

At the moment the battle commenced, "Frenzy Flame" indeed wasted no time in launching a furious charge, with engines roaring and ground trembling, like a blazing war chariot charging directly at "Swiftwind"!

Yet, Gu Lan's "Swiftwind" did not choose to withstand the attack head-on or retreat to the maximum distance.

She demonstrated a combat style entirely different from Rose or Catherine—but equally dazzling: a mastery of extreme guerrilla tactics and rhythm.

"Swiftwind's" agility was utilized to its fullest potential.

Rather than moving away from "Frenzy Flame" in a straight line, it performed high-speed, irregular movements at the flanks of the charge path with astonishing flexibility, like a hummingbird fluttering around a giant bear.

Gu Lan utilized the plains' ravines and boulders as temporary cover and pivot points, maintaining a tantalizingly distant and frustratingly elusive distance from "Frenzy Flame"—

Just out of reach of its thermal battle axe and exhaust gauntlets' optimal damage range, yet within the threat radius of its charge.

"Frenzy Flame's" several furious charges and slashes ended up hitting empty air, while "Swiftwind's" nimble traction depleted a significant amount of its energy and stamina.

He attempted to throw Fiery Bombs for area lockdown, but Gu Lan's "Swiftwind" constantly anticipated the impact points, narrowly avoiding the core of the explosions, and even occasionally using the explosion's airflow to accelerate its direction change.

While dodging, "Swiftwind's" attacks never ceased.

The weapon mostly remained in rifle mode, firing not high-energy beams but custom armor-piercing rounds with a subtle Spiritual Energy disturbance.

These bullets had low power but a rapid firing rate, with tricky trajectories specifically targeting the Blast Flame Charger's joint gaps, sensor covers, and booster nozzles.

Though unable to cause decisive damage, the constant harassment and accumulation of minor damages agitated "Frenzy Flame," and its movements began to slightly deform.

What drove "Frenzy Flame" crazy was those elusive Spiritual Energy Darts.

Gu Lan released these darts at the most unexpected moments—such as when "Frenzy Flame's" old force was depleting and new force yet to generate, or at moments slightly constrained by terrain.

The darts didn't fly straight but traced strange arcs, even changing direction after colliding with one another, striking "Frenzy Flame's" visual sensors or booster control nodes from inexplicable angles.

Though most bounced off the thick armor, an occasional hit could always cause "Frenzy Flame's" system to experience brief chaos or warnings, further disrupting its attack rhythm.

This was the style Gu Lan had honed through rigorous practice—

Utilizing all the skills she once learned on the planet, plus top-notch reconnaissance, infiltration, and guerrilla tactics honed in the "Swiftwind" Reconnaissance Corps, seamlessly integrated into Mecha combat.

She didn't pursue one-hit-kill tactics but gradually wore down the opponent's defenses, drained their patience, and magnified their mistakes through extreme mobility, precise harassment, and absolute control over battle rhythm.

"Frenzy Flame" felt as though he was battling an unpredictable wind, possessing brute strength yet having nowhere to unleash it.

His roars, faintly audible through the public channel, became increasingly impatient, and mistakes increased.

Finally, in a moment when the ravine slightly tripped "Frenzy Flame," causing a minor delay in its charge, "Swiftwind" seized the opportunity!

Rather than retreating, it charged ahead even faster than before, its weapon transforming instantly into long-knifed mode, the blade flashing with a Spiritual Energy glow!

"Frenzy Flame," seeing this, wasn't worried but delighted, roaring and swinging its thermal battle axe downwards!

A direct clash? That was exactly what he wanted!

However, Gu Lan's thrust was merely a feint.

As "Swiftwind" approached the battle axe's range in a split second, the auxiliary gliding wings on its back abruptly unfolded, combined with reverse thrust from the leg boosters, causing the body to rise sharply at an almost vertical angle, narrowly dodging the forceful chop!

In the moment "Frenzy Flame" leaned forward due to the missed chop, "Swiftwind," already overhead, reversed its long knife downwards, like a falling meteor. The tip pierced precisely into the Blast Flame Charger's exposed weak spot—the neck and shoulder junction—because of its head-raised axe-swing!

"Whizz—Poof!"

This time, it wasn't mere harassment.

The sharp blade penetrated the armor, deeply reaching the hilt!

Spiritual Energy surged down the blade, instantly disrupting control circuitry and sensor integration systems in the neck.

"Frenzy Flame's" Mecha froze suddenly, dropping the battle axe, staggering forward a few steps, and collapsed to its knees. Sparks and coolant fluid sprayed from the neck area.

"Match is over! Winner: New Bauhinia Republic, Gu Lan!"

It was another seemingly "underdog victory," but actually from start to finish a victory of control.

Gu Lan demonstrated with her spectacular guerrilla tactics and precise lethal strike what it meant to be a "hunter of the wind."

Perhaps she lacked Rose's absolute sharpness at severing joints in one blow or Catherine's steady atmosphere of integrating remote prediction into close combat, but her dazzling mobility, omnipresent harassment, and ability to seize opportunities left opponents helpless.

The Flame Republic's observer looked at the fallen "Frenzy Flame" in the arena with a grim face.

Their prideful direct assault seemed clumsy and inefficient against Gu Lan's agile, wind-like guerrilla tactics.

This Gu Lan, along with her unique combat style, must be studied intensively and special counter-tactics be devised in upcoming team matches!

Four solo matches, four victories, four entirely different yet equally breathtaking combat styles.

Kuang Xin's wild acuteness and tactical wisdom.

Rose's extreme speed and precise strikes.

Catherine's stable predictions and integrated attack-defense.

Gu Lan's nimble guerrilla war and rhythm control.

"What is the origin of this New Bauhinia?!"

"They're not just winning! More importantly, look at who their opponents are!"

"God of a Thousand Machines selection, Shadow Kingdom, Flame Republic... They're all teams of the Seven Sons of the Empire!"

"That draw luck is unparalleled... For some ordinary nations, I'd even mourn them. But who'd have thought the Empire Seven Sons turned out to be the ones taking losses!"

Were it merely crushing some frontier little countries, it wouldn't be as explosive as now.

But look at the opponents of this New Bauhinia team... each possesses notable backgrounds.

Yet all their past glory now served as stepping stones for the New Bauhinia team.

A previously unknown small country in a border Stellar District... rumored to have recently undergone a state collapse and reorganized within a year, now dominating the Mech Pilot tournament gathering the elites from the Galaxy Human Realm, leading the charge.

Such performance, such strength, how could one not be astounded?

...

"I said it was unnecessary to deliberately arrange such a draw, causing damage to the Empire's honor!"

As the Seven Sons of the Empire, such point tournaments previously always advanced to the next round undefeated.

But this time? More because of targeting that damn New Bauhinia?!

"'Shadow Walker,' 'Anvil,' 'Frenzy Flame'... these were elite performers for us in the preliminaries! Now look, they've all become stepping stones for 'New Bauhinia's' fame! Not only failed to obstruct but also dragged down our own point rankings, letting them steal the limelight!"