Chapter 48: Department of Archaeology?

The selections for the Winston Tournament began half a year early, and the mecha training ground was packed with students eager to watch the spectacle.

Zhuang Yun stood with his three disciples in front of a rusted bronze mecha. Opposite them stood the senior elite team piloting the latest Shadow Blade mechas.

"The rules are very simple," the academy instructor's voice echoed from the broadcast system. "As long as your mecha can last for ten minutes, you will be permitted to enter the Winston Tournament qualifiers."

"This is bullying!" a freshman in the crowd pointed at the dilapidated training mecha and shouted, "This piece of junk doesn't even have an energy shield!"

Smiling broadly, Zhuang Yun flipped open the outer hull of the mecha to reveal brand-new talismanic circuits inside. "Senior brothers and sisters, let them witness Master Lin's modification techniques."

First Round

"Just this pile of scrap metal?"

Raymond, the pilot of the Shadow Blade team, kicked the turtle shell of the Xuanwu Heavy Mecha, sending a harsh metallic clang echoing through the space as his alloy combat boot struck the dragon-scale armor.

"Did your Archaeology Department dismantle the museum's coffins for parts?"

The Third Disciple's mechanical arm suddenly snapped out with a hydraulic clamp, latching onto Raymond's ankle. "I suggest you retreat to a safe distance."

Before his words faded, the turtle shell on the back of the Xuanwu Heavy Mecha split into 108 floating blade fragments, forming the sixty-four hexagram array in mid-air.

"Open fire!" Shadow Blade captain Jason roared over the comms channel.

Five mechas raised their particle oscillation rifles simultaneously, sending blue-white energy beams pouring down like a torrential storm.

"Kan Water Array, rise!" The Second Disciple's Azure Dragon Talisman Mecha flicked out thirty-six ice-blue talismans.

A ring-shaped water curtain suddenly rose from the floor of the training ground, refracting every energy beam into a rainbow the moment they touched the water membrane.

Raymond's Shadow Blade mecha suddenly staggered. "What the hell? My gyroscope..."

"Water level rising by three meters," the Third Disciple reported calmly.

The spectators only then realized that the floating blades of the Xuanwu Heavy Mecha were channeling the water flow, transforming the entire training ground into a vortex a hundred meters in diameter.

Cold sweat beaded on Jason's forehead. "Switch to aerial combat mode!"

Thrusters popped out from the backs of the five Shadow Blade mechas, but their propulsion units were instantly frozen by ice talismans the moment they attempted to lift off.

"Li Fire Position, shift!" The Second Disciple's fingertips danced rapidly.

The ice-blue talismans suddenly ignited with azure flames, vaporizing the mist in mid-air into high-pressure steam.

Alarms wailed frantically inside the Shadow Blade team's cockpits: [Overheating warning! Cooling system failure!]

"Yield," the Third Disciple's mechanical arm tapped against Raymond's cockpit. "Unless you want to become steamed buns."

Second Round

"That was just a warm-up!" Jason ripped open the sweat-soaked collar of his uniform. "Second round, one-on-one. Do you dare?"

The optical sensors on the White Tiger Mecha suddenly flashed with red light. "Zhuang Shangxiao of Yunyin Temple, requesting battle."

"Pretentious ghost," Lina, the fastest pilot in the Shadow Blade team, shoved her control stick forward, transforming her Silver Shuttle mecha into a streaking flash of light. "Let me teach you what..."

"Seven Stars Footwork, Yaoguang." The First Disciple's voice came from seven different directions simultaneously.

The White Tiger Mecha split into six afterimages, each illusion tracing the path of the Big Dipper with its tiger claws.

Lina's radar screen flickered frantically. "Damn it! Which one is real?"

"All of them." The First Disciple's true body suddenly materialized directly above her.

When the plasma tiger claws tore open the right arm of the Silver Shuttle Mecha, gasps erupted from the spectator stands—that was precisely the opening stance of Lina's proudest "Comet Thrust."

"How do you know my tactics?!" Lina's scream exploded across the public channel.

"Your left shoulder habitually drops." The White Tiger Mecha extended a laser pointer, sketching her movement trajectory on the holographic screen. "I suggest correcting this minor flaw."

The Silver Shuttle Mecha suddenly transformed into a spherical shape. "Don't get cocky too soon!"

Eight tracking missiles shot out from the cracks of the sphere.

"Greedy Wolf, Annihilator." Far from retreating, the White Tiger Mecha advanced directly, two of its illusions deliberately intercepting the missiles.

Amidst the billowing smoke of the explosions, real tiger claws had already locked onto the Silver Shuttle Mecha's energy core.

"Surrender, or turn into fireworks." The First Disciple's tiger claws tightened slightly.

Third Round

"Enough!" Jason punched the console, shattering it. "Third round, all-out melee! Initiate Plan B!"

Twenty anti-aircraft mechas surged out from the warehouse, their shoulder-mounted particle cannons simultaneously locking onto the Vermilion Bird Mecha hovering in the air.

Instead, Zhuang Yun turned on the external speakers, broadcasting the morning chant bells of Yunyin Temple.

"Isn't it a bit late to start chanting scriptures?" Raymond sneered as he pressed the launch button.

The Vermilion Bird Mecha suddenly dove downward, its azure tail flame painting the complete text of the *Zhuangzi* essay *Free and Easy Wandering* across the sky.

The moment every particle beam touched the calligraphic text, they deflected, piercing straight through the anti-aircraft mechas' own energy shields.

"In the Northern Darkness there is a fish, and its name is Kun—" Zhuang Yun's voice blended with the roar of the engines. "—transformed into a bird, and its name is Peng!"

A torrential downpour suddenly fell from the dome of the training ground, every droplet coated with cinnabar powder.

When the anti-aircraft mechas attempted to activate their drying systems, the Vermilion Bird Mecha spread its wings wide, its azure flames igniting the rain-filled sky.

"No!!" Jason shrieked as he stared at the energy monitor. "Shut down all..."

His voice was swallowed by the roar of explosions.

Twenty blue fire lotuses bloomed in the rain, the operating systems of all anti-aircraft mechas crashing simultaneously as white flags of surrender popped out from their cockpits.

"Well-fought," Zhuang Yun landed in front of the smoking Shadow Blade mecha, holding a freshly roasted sweet potato in the palm of the Vermilion Bird Mecha. "Care for some? Roasted with cinnabar."

"Boom!"

The floating blades of the Xuanwu Heavy Mecha pieced together a massive Taiji diagram above the training ground, and camera flashes suddenly erupted across the spectator stands.

The Journalism Department's drones nearly collided with one another, while students frantically filmed with their optical computers.

"This isn't a mecha battle at all!" The commentator's hand trembled as he gripped the microphone. "This is a Taoist performance art competition!"

"Shut up!" The technical consultant beside him suddenly snatched the microphone. "Look at that talisman mecha! It's a talisman launcher modified from an ancient text scanner, perfectly recreating the Tiangang Array from the *Seven Slips of the Cloud Codex*!"

In the front rows of the audience, professors from the Mecha Engineering Department collectively pulled out their analyzers.

The white-haired veteran dean's glasses slipped down to the bridge of his nose. "Did they seriously use methane tanks from the scrapyard to build a cold nuclear fusion reactor?"

In the principal's office, the holographic news was broadcasting the lively scene on the campus forum in real time.

[Trending Post] Archaeology Freshmen Violently Beat Up the Mecha Department's Ace Team! (Hot)

Uhm, quick question, when did our school get an Archaeology Department?

Original Poster: Live coverage! Ancient mechas rubbing the Shadow Blade into the ground!

Attached Image: The White Tiger Mecha's claw stepping on the Shadow Blade emblem.

This trending post spread like wildfire, attracting countless clicks and comments from students.

Beneath the post, various comments poured in like a tidal wave.

Some students marveled at the strength of the archaeology freshmen, leaving comments expressing sheer disbelief;

Others praised the modification skills of Zhuang Yun and his disciples, expressing curiosity about how they managed to make an outdated, dilapidated first-generation training mecha exert such formidable power.

[Pinned] Academic Affairs Office Announcement: Upon verification, the components used by the Yunyin Temple team all comply with Article 3, Section 5 of the "Recycling Regulations"...

The principal sat behind his spacious desk, staring intently at the holographic news, his expression shifting unpredictably.

"Those little bastards!" he muttered under his breath. Yet, the corners of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably, his eyes filled with gratification and praise.

At that moment, a deafening cheer suddenly erupted from outside the window.

Subconsciously, the principal turned his gaze outward to see Zhuang Yun piloting the Vermilion Bird Mecha, sweeping past the administration building in an exceptionally cool posture.

The tail flame of the Vermilion Bird Mecha traced a massive, dazzling Taiji pattern across the sky, lingering suspended in the air for a long time, becoming a unique and magnificent sight across the campus.

Meanwhile, the Black Factory Forum was boiling over once again tonight: "What! Old Man Watermelon has made his grand return!"