You said mechs were going to fight monsters, but instead you're destroying stars with your bare

Chapter 172 Moving Island
One hour of preparation time is undoubtedly extremely rushed for a newly formed team.

But for a veteran like Li Zhe, it was more than enough.

The three arrived at the designated hangar and summoned their respective mechs.

Xu Lei's "Hou Tu" still looks solid and reliable. The earthy yellow paint gleams with a heavy luster under the light, exuding a sense of power.

Izawa's "Sakura Warrior" underwent a complete upgrade. The original somewhat flashy decorations were all removed, replaced by sharper lines and a weapon loadout full of murderous intent. The pair of solid katanas that gleamed with cold light seemed to be thirsting for blood.

Li Zhe's "Platinum Star" still retains its sacred and majestic appearance. Golden flowing patterns slowly flow across its pure white body, making it look like a work of art from the heavens.

"Brother Li, what are your plans for this exercise?" Xu Lei asked while checking his ammunition.

His tone was full of trust in Li Zhe.

Ize stopped wiping the blade and turned his gaze over.

Although he didn't say it aloud, his eyes revealed a hint of inquiry.

Unbeknownst to him, Li Zhe had become the undisputed backbone of this "monster class".

"Plan?" Li Zhe smiled and turned his gaze to the boundless blue sea outside the hangar. "It's very simple."

He paused, then said in an unquestionable tone:

"Push straight ahead, crushing everything in our way."

This simple and direct declaration, yet brimming with absolute confidence, instantly ignited a fierce fighting spirit in Xu Lei and Yi Ze's eyes.

"Okay! Just do it!"

"I have no opinion."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

Just then, a deep and long alarm sounded throughout the entire moving island.

Attention all students! Attention all students!

[The island is about to enter "navigation mode." All personnel are requested to immediately return to their posts and secure all equipment!]

[Repeated! The island is about to enter "sailing mode"...]

"Flight mode?!"

Xu Lei and Yi Ze both showed expressions of astonishment.

Before they could react, the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently.

"Rumble, rumble—"

The entire island, like an ancient behemoth awakening from its slumber, let out a deafening roar.

A massive thruster slowly emerged from the bottom of the island, spewing out a fiery exhaust plume powerful enough to boil the seawater.

Amidst the utterly astonished gazes of the crowd, this massive mobile fortress slowly turned its course and, with unparalleled speed, broke through the waves towards the eastern sea!

"Holy crap! This...this school can still move?!" Xu Lei's mouth dropped open, feeling his worldview completely overturned at this moment.

Ize was also stunned, muttering to himself, "Mobile City Academy... So... the legend was true..."

Only Li Zhe maintained his calm and composed expression.

He already knew all this through Zero's intelligence network.

But this didn't stop him from enjoying the initial shock of seeing it for the first time with his companions.

The flight of the East China Joint Defense Mech University lasted for several hours.

As night fell, they arrived at the designated meeting point.

The scene before them once again made everyone gasp in shock.

On the distant horizon, huge beams of searchlight pierced the night like stars rising from the sea.

Accompanied by a series of deep rumbles, one after another, mobile islands, equally futuristic and technologically advanced, slowly sailed in from all directions.

There's the "Northern Heavy Industry Mecha Academy," entirely black and brimming with hardcore industrial aesthetics, resembling a steel fortress at sea. And then there's the "Nantianmen Aerospace Mecha University," with its futuristic design, like a giant aerospace mothership landing on the sea.

And then there's the "Wu Yue Mecha Art Academy," a place that blends classical charm with modern technology like a garden by the sea...

Eight "Mobile City Academies," representing the highest level of mecha education in Huazhou, are like eight Titans who answered the call, gathering here.

Centered on the rising super fortress of "Third New Tokyo City," they slowly converged, pieced together, and assembled...

Ultimately, this resulted in an unprecedented "maritime metropolitan area" of breathtaking scale!
The dazzling lights illuminated this sea area as bright as day.

Countless mechs patrolled the skies above the metropolitan area, forming an impenetrable aerial defense line.

In the heart of the metropolitan area, the already nascent "Third New Tokyo City" shines with an awe-inspiring brilliance, like stars surrounding the moon.

"My God..." Xu Lei was too excited to speak, looking at the miraculous scene before him.

An unprecedented light also shone in Ize's eyes.

He could clearly sense that a powerful force capable of changing the world order was gathering and taking shape here.

That's when.

An enormous holographic projection appeared above all the academies.

The supreme leader of the coalition government, a man with a calm face and deep, unfathomable eyes, appeared before everyone.

His voice, transmitted through the wide area communication channel, reached every corner of this maritime city, filled with unquestionable authority and expectation.

"Children, welcome to the future."

"What you see before you is the first and most solid line of defense that we have built for human civilization."

"From today onwards, you will be here to learn, fight, and grow..."

"You will witness the end of an old era and usher in a brand new one."

"Now……"

His gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, landing on each and every young student.

"I declare..."

"The joint live-fire exercise involving eight universities in East China has officially begun!"

The moment the words fell, the entire maritime metropolitan area seemed to awaken a giant beast from its slumber, instantly unleashing a deafening roar!

“Woooo ...!!!”

The piercing battle alarm blared through the sky, instantly shattering the previously peaceful atmosphere.

On the sea surface surrounding the metropolitan area, virtual barriers made of high-intensity energy rose up, completely covering the sea area within a radius of hundreds of kilometers, isolating it into an independent training battlefield.

Within the battlefield, the seawater began to surge violently in an unbelievable way, and simulated islands, composed of twisted metal and decaying flesh and filled with the abyss, slowly rose from the seabed, exuding an ominous aura.

The once clear night sky was instantly shrouded in thick, leaden-gray clouds.

Countless simulated "filthy" flying units, shimmering with crimson light, surged out of the dark clouds like locusts, emitting a sickening hiss.

Within minutes, the entire training ground was transformed into a highly realistic abyss battlefield filled with the aura of death and destruction!

"Attention all participating units! Attention all participating units!"

Zhu Xingtuan's voice, filled with a steely resolve, rang out through the public channel, marking the start of this brutal exercise.

"This exercise is codenamed 'Purification'! Your mission is to eliminate all 'Abyss' units within the exercise area and destroy its core hub located on the central island!"

"The exercise will use a point system. Killing enemies of different levels and completing special tactical objectives will earn corresponding points. The final ranking will be based on the total points of each squad!"

"Remember! This is not just an exercise, but a brutal elimination tournament! Here, there is no turning back, no mercy! Only victory and elimination!"

"Now, all units, take your combat positions!"

"The countdown begins!"

(End of this chapter)