Feng Lu stared at Lieutenant Colonel Qin Fen before him, his heart filled with nothing but bitterness layered over sheer shock.

The other four soldiers exchanged wry smiles. They had intended to deliver a harsh welcome to this high-ranking captain, to make him understand the weight of their presence and quietly await their commendations, rather than relying on his authority from above to issue clumsy orders during the mission.

Who could have guessed that this Lieutenant Colonel, who by both age and rank seemed like someone who had relied on connections and background to join the team, would immediately unleash a suppressive power equivalent to Fifteen Stars upon his debut?

Intimacy? What could they possibly use to get close to this Lieutenant Colonel? The five special forces soldiers exchanged bitter smiles; even fighting together wouldn't be enough to beat him. They had been soldiers for so long, had practiced martial arts for years, yet they had never encountered such an anomaly: a Lieutenant Colonel under the age of twenty possessing the strength of a Fifteen-Star Martial Artist.

After a brief moment of stupefaction, Feng Lu began to understand why this late-arriving, high-profile captain held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at such a young age.

The mere fact of his Fifteen-Star rating was enough to justify the rank on his shoulders; it was likely that this military rank was far beneath his actual martial prowess.

A Fifteen-Star Ancient Martial Arts practitioner, one of the Stellar Level, had reached the realm where they could use their own Zhenqi to levitate and fly.

To soar using one's inherent ability was almost the dream of all humanity, yet very few could truly achieve flight through their own power.

The ability to fly, even in the world of martial arts, was the universally recognized benchmark for truly entering the ranks of the masters.

"Captain Qin," Feng Lu sighed deeply, letting go of his hostility, his expression becoming frank. "In the world of the Martial Dao, your strength is more than enough to make you a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Even if we all attacked you together, we wouldn't be your match."

Qin Fen did not retract his Zhenqi, quietly turning his gaze toward the others.

Jessica Weir exchanged glances with her three comrades, and they collectively offered wry smiles and shook their heads in concession. "You win."

In the military, strength! That was everything!

Whether it was your martial arts ability or any of your other military skills—if any one of them reached the peak, then absolutely no one would dare look down upon you.

After Qin Fen’s Zhenqi receded, Lü Chu and Lü Han stepped forward simultaneously, moving half a pace. "Captain, our martial arts skills are far inferior to yours. However, this military operation is not one that can be guaranteed successful solely based on raw martial power. We are attacking a modern base equipped with high technology. Mobile Armors and various missile defenses will undoubtedly be involved. Even if your martial strength is immense... facing missile barrages..."

Qin Fen strolled leisurely around the hall, observing the various pieces of equipment, occasionally reaching out to pat the war machines that made the blood boil just by touch, while glancing sideways at the two speakers.

As someone who had once defeated Africa's foremost Mobile Armor corps, Qin Fen could clearly discern the well-developed musculature of Lü Chu and Lü Han's arms. Though their fingertips showed calluses, they remained notably flexible and smooth, strongly suggesting they were Ace Pilot level operators.

Qin Fen stopped before a state-of-the-art Vast Star Mobile Armor. He fully understood the unspoken message of these two soldiers: they conceded in martial arts, but the frustration they had bottled up for three months burned even stronger. The pride and honor of a soldier compelled them to issue a new challenge.

Even if they acknowledged his status, recognized his strength and leadership, they still needed to defeat him once!

"You’re afraid I’ll drag you down while piloting a Mobile Armor?"

Lü Han and Lü Chu exchanged a look before gently shaking their heads. "Captain Qin, you misunderstand us. We know from the data that you are an Ace-level Mobile Armor pilot, so we wish to spar and learn from you."

Qin Fen lightly kicked the floor beneath him, secretly amused. These two spoke of sparring and learning, yet deep down, they still intended to win to assert their own specializations.

"Fine! Let me show you what a true Mobile Armor warrior is! How Mobile Armor operation can be elevated to an art form."

Qin Fen moved his shoulders in a broad fashion and strode powerfully toward a nearby Mobile Armor operation simulator. All the physical Mobile Armors here were property of the East Asian Military Region; damaging them could give hidden enemies leverage. Using a simulation was much safer.

Feng Lu watched Qin Fen’s imposing silhouette, utterly dumbfounded, confusion clouding his features. This young martial artist shouldn't be a fool. How could he fail to discern genuine praise from provocation? He opened his mouth with arrogant advice! And what was this talk of the art of Mobile Armor operation?

Lü Han and Lü Chu walked towards their respective simulator stations with confident smiles.

High martial arts prowess might only translate to faster reflexes and quicker strikes, but it didn't guarantee superior Mobile Armor handling.

To possess such unbelievable martial strength under the age of twenty, all his energy should have been poured into the Martial Dao; he shouldn't have had any extra time to deeply study Mobile Armor piloting.

Data could sometimes be deceiving! Lü Han settled confidently into the Mobile Armor simulator. As an Ace pilot, he understood better than anyone that piloting a Mobile Armor was an expansive combat skill, one that might not be fully grasped even if dedicated a lifetime to it.

Qin Fen placed his hands on the long-untouched control panel. Although it had been over half a year since he last touched such controls, he felt not a hint of awkwardness.

Those grueling, bizarre training sessions under the instructors at the basic recruit camp had long ago embedded these skills deep within his very being, fully absorbed and integrated.

With the advancement of his martial power, Qin Fen’s reactions were even faster than before, his speed and precision higher. Because his physical constitution continuously strengthened, even his boldness had grown significantly.

If previously, pushing the overdrive past a certain limit might have allowed him to execute an even more violent power core overclock, the insufficient physical strength meant that a single operational mistake would result in a 100% chance of explosion and death for the operator. This constraint had prevented him from going faster or harder. Now, that worry was gone.

Strengthening his abilities was less important than strengthening his mind! Having chosen the path of the Divine Dao in martial arts, Qin Fen's mental state and temperament were subtly shifting.

"Captain Qin!" Lü Chu said, donning his high-tech optical visor with a smile. "Since our mission is in the desert, let's simulate a desert scenario. I wonder, will you take the defensive side, or the offensive side? And with whom among us two would you like to spar first?"

Qin Fen leaned back against the cockpit seat, his posture looking more like he was relaxing on a sofa than sitting in a command chair. He moved his hands happily over the controls and said, "I said I was going to teach you Mobile Armor operation, so naturally, it will be me versus both of you. Is there any precedent for a teacher instructing only one student at a time?"

Lü Chu’s hands, resting on the controls, trembled slightly. A sidelong glance filled with doubt shot toward Qin Fen. That tone was truly too arrogant! Facing a challenge from Ace pilots, he didn't even suggest sparring, instead adopting an air of condescending instruction at every turn.

"Very well then," Lü Han chuckled, the muscles in his lips twitching. "Let us two individuals, certified by the Federation as Ace Mobile Armor Warriors, learn properly from Captain Qin."

Ace? Qin Fen lifted a hand to run through his long hair. If he remembered correctly, he was deemed qualified as an Ace Mobile Armor Warrior after only a short time training with his instructor. That title might scare off others, but to try and intimidate someone who had defeated Africa's number one top-tier Mobile Armor fighter? This thin veneer was too small, hardly a banner to rally under.

Feng Lu grew increasingly curious. Qin Fen's audacious words clearly aimed to crush everyone's defiance at once. Such a mindset was not wrong for a squad commander.

But! If such a bold challenge resulted in failure, he would completely lose control of the squad! Feng Lu shook his head repeatedly, unable to grasp why this young man, even if documented as an Ace Mobile Armor pilot, could be so confident when his opponents were also Ace-level or above. (This section was keyed in by Shao Feng, the following by Huan Luan Tianyang!)

"Since this mission is a surprise assault, as the instructor, I will naturally take the role of the attacker to allow you to learn and comprehend." Qin Fen turned to look at his two opponents. "Any objections?"

Assault? Attack? Lü Han and Lü Chu were greatly surprised. They had assumed Qin Fen would rely on the simulated base’s auxiliary combat equipment for defense. They never expected him to choose to challenge a base equipped with full simulated firepower, along with two Ace Mobile Armor warriors, all by himself.

"Then let us begin." Qin Fen didn't even bother closing his cockpit hatch, completely unconcerned that the bright light flooding the room might affect his combat performance.

Lü Han and Lü Chu exchanged a look, but still dutifully sealed their cockpit hatches. They knew they could not afford to lose, given the combined force of the base's full simulated firepower and themselves.

Local network system engaged! The projection around Qin Fen instantly morphed into a desolate, uninhabited wasteland. Golden sand billowed in the sweeping wind, and the base's location was easily pinpointed on the instruments.

"Now, keep your eyes wide open!" Qin Fen leisurely maneuvered the Mobile Armor forward slowly. "The most artistic Mobile Armor operation is about to appear before your eyes. Don't you dare blink, or you will regret it for the rest of your lives."

Arrogance! None of the five special forces soldiers present had ever seen such an overbearing young officer! Even knowing he was employing strategy to completely subdue them into obedience in the shortest time, they still felt a surge of irritation.

The confident smile on Qin Fen’s lips widened. This display was intended to deliberately provoke their annoyance. Only by defeating them under these circumstances could he secure their absolute submission.

The battlefield was no place for child's play. Since learning squad command from Sister Phoenix, Qin Fen understood combat coordination even better. If a commander couldn't treat his subordinates like an extension of his own arm, it was a perilous situation.

Bug Warriors, Bug Warriors controlling a base! Even without checking the files, Qin Fen knew there would be stringent security there, and while equipping heavy weaponry was easy, they would surely find ways to deploy some degree of armament that the Federation might not easily detect.

Qin Fen still chose the swift Red Lotus Phantom. This medium-sized Mobile Armor was relatively light, making desert movement much easier, and allowing him to execute combat maneuvers that would thoroughly convince everyone.

Lü Han and Lü Chu watched the movement speed of the Red Lotus Phantom on the radar; it was bizarrely slow! It was too slow even for a novice pilot! Was he strolling after a meal? Or was he being overly cautious? They hadn't even initiated the full missile protocols for the simulated base; why such timidity?

"Think my speed is too slow?" Qin Fen’s smile grew broader. "Very well, I shall accelerate. But after you are defeated, do not complain that I was too fast and didn't give you a chance."

The word 'chance' still echoed in the hall when Qin Fen's aura abruptly changed. Feng Lu, standing at a distance, felt his vision blur. The figure in the Mobile Armor cockpit was no longer one man, but twenty-one tigers descending from a mountain!

The Red Lotus Phantom moved simultaneously! A dazzling streak of red light cut through the sand, charging forward! Lü Han and Lü Chu’s hands trembled involuntarily as they saw the speed of advance displayed on the radar!

This speed... it was too fast! Was he piloting the real Red Lotus Phantom? Or was he the lightning of nature itself?

Fast! Lü Han had never witnessed anyone pilot the Red Lotus Phantom this rapidly! Such speed required the power core to be at several hundred percent capacity? Could someone truly achieve such precise judgment and control?

The Red Lotus Phantom on the radar instantly appeared within their visual range. They no longer needed the radar to locate the enemy unit.

"Speed is established," Qin Fen's voice sounded again in the hall. "Next comes even faster..."

The five special forces soldiers felt their hearts violently twitch. At such a high speed, he could still speak?

Jessica Weir’s elegant eyebrows shot up, her fingers rapidly tapping on the handheld game console she held! She had entered the fray! She had spent the boring days connecting this console to the mass of equipment in the room.

Now, the purely computational, unintelligent defensive simulation had suddenly gained the command of Jessica Weir, a computer genius!

Jessica, the computer genius, possessed formidable calculation capabilities. After instantly taking over the entire base defense system, she immediately began calculating based on Qin Fen's speed to determine if her missiles could bring him down.

"I suspect you. First, I will take out these defense systems, and then I'll finish you both."

Qin Fen's words sounded again, directly announcing his operational plan. His arrogance instantly peaked.

Attack my base... The thought flashed through Jessica’s mind, but in the screen, the Red Lotus Phantom suddenly accelerated again, a red beam streaking toward a G2 surface-to-ground anti-Mobile Armor missile!

Take him down! Jessica's fingers flew down, pressing buttons. Just as the missile's flame ignited at its base, the Red Lotus Phantom swept past the launch rack towards another missile. The G2 unit, the moment it began spraying fire, violently burst outward in a flash of red light, scattering countless fragments.

The G2... had been struck by Qin Fen before Jessica could even initiate the command...

Lü Han and Lü Chu frantically adjusted their targeting optics to lock onto Qin Fen, but he was too fast; he was a streak of red lightning, darting in and out of the base, completely ignoring the dense missile barrages Jessica launched, manipulating his massive machine to weave through the projectiles while systematically dismantling the base's various combat facilities.

F3 Volley Rockets, G2 Anti-Mobile Armor Missiles, Sky-Raining Rocket Barrages... Jessica watched the screen filled with crisscrossing rockets, still unable to intercept the Red Lotus Phantom. Sweat beaded unconsciously on her forehead.

"The battle is about to end..."

Qin Fen's voice echoed again in the hall. The hearts of the two frontal combatants and the one covertly participating soldier turned completely cold.

In the midst of such a fierce barrage of missiles, someone could still manage to speak separately? Was he even human? Wouldn't his power core explode?

Lü Han and Lü Chu watched in despair as their Mobile Armors were disabled. They leaned pale-faced against the cockpit doors, staggering out of the training units.

From start to finish, neither of them had fired a single shot or launched a single missile! It wasn't that they didn't want to attack; they simply could not lock onto that streak of red light.

Qin Fen's final statement completely shattered their spirits, confidence, and hope.

Feng Lu stared blankly at the two comrades whose faces were ashen. His inner voice wailed: These two were Ace Mobile Armor Warriors! They possessed glorious records and honors from counter-terrorism wars, true hardliners who would be fiercely contested for in any unit.

How? How was this possible? In front of this young Lieutenant Colonel, the very names that once made terrorist organizations tremble in their nightmares were now as fragile as beginners piloting Mobile Armors... No! Like infants! They didn't even have the strength to fight back a single inch!

Fragile as newborn infants, easily toyed with by this Lieutenant Colonel commander.

Jessica Weir stared at Qin Fen, her face the color of clay. She had just utilized her computer to execute a super-missile encirclement plan. Forget a massive Mobile Armor; even a tiny mosquito wouldn't escape that precise, network-wide missile strike!

Yet, even the super-missile network, which not even a mosquito could evade, had failed to hit this Lieutenant Colonel captain...

Qin Fen released his hands, gently flexing his fingers, and stepped out of the cockpit. He looked at the five special forces soldiers, whose complexions were significantly worse than cooked vegetables, and asked calmly, "Well? Does it qualify as art yet?"

...

The five of them collectively nodded silently. Although they desperately didn't want to admit it was art, regarding the operation they had just witnessed, whether one preferred Abstract, Surrealist, or Realist art, they had no choice but to concede—it truly was art! Regardless of the school, it was undeniable art.

"Did you learn anything? Was my speed too fast for you to see clearly? No matter, I can teach you again..."

Qin Fen's words had barely fallen before the faces of Lü Han, Lü Chu, and Jessica Weir turned instantly deathly pale! What had just happened was definitely a nightmare! Experiencing that nightmare once was enough for a lifetime.

If they had to endure it a second time, they might seriously consider retirement and a return to civilian life.

PA: The Climax approaches as fast as the Red Lotus Phantom's speed...