Douluo Dragon King: I, Huo Linfei, the Mecha Illusionary Lin God

"You..." Mang Tian's voice was a little dry, "Want to learn forging?"

Tang Wulin nodded vigorously: "Yes! I want to help my family earn money, and I also want... I also want to become as powerful as my older brother!"

When he said his last sentence, his eyes looked at Huo Linfei, filled with admiration, resentment, and fighting spirit.

Huo Linfei walked over and put his arm around Tang Wulin's shoulder: "Second brother, you were already very powerful."

Mang Tian looked at the two children for a long time.

Finally, he let out a long breath.

"Alright," he said. "You stay as well. From today onward, you are also my disciple, Mangtian."

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up instantly: "Thank you, teacher!"

"Don't thank me too soon." Mang Tian said sternly, "Your elder brother is exceptionally talented, while you achieved your success through hard work. Neither path is easy. Especially for you."

He pointed at Tang Wulin: "The path you're walking is even harder than your older brother's. Without the talent for flames, without terrifying control, you'll have to make up for it with a hundred times the effort. Are you afraid?"

Tang Wulin puffed out his chest: "I'm not afraid!"

"Okay." Mang Tian nodded. "Starting tomorrow, the two of you will study together."

Huo Linfei and Tang Wulin exchanged a glance and both smiled.

But as he laughed, Huo Linfei suddenly remembered something. He raised his left hand, his special ability appearing on his wrist: "Teacher, what is this battle armor you mentioned earlier?"

Mang Tian was taken aback, only then remembering Huo Linfei's previous "armed" state.

He stared at the supernatural lock, his brows furrowing again: "Your martial soul... can transform into armor?"

"Yes, this is my first soul skill."

Huo Linfei said, "It's called 'Armed,' which can increase strength, speed, and defense, but it doesn't last long now, only about thirty minutes."

Huo Linfei didn't go into details, but in fact, the enhancement of his armor was not just a simple upgrade, but a comprehensive improvement in strength, almost giving him the strength of a second-ring cultivator.

A direct, major upgrade!

"Thirty minutes..." Mang Tian murmured, "Six years old, first soul ring is a hundred years old, soul skill is full-body armor..."

He looked up at Huo Linfei: "Kid, do you know what a Battle Armor Master is?"

Huo Linfei shook his head.

Tang Wulin also shook his head.

Mang Tian pulled over two stools for the two children to sit on, and then sat down himself. The crackling fire in the stove illuminated his rugged face.

"Battle armor is the most advanced equipment on this continent," Mang Tian said slowly.

"It's not ordinary armor, but a Soul Master's second life. A complete set of battle armor can perfectly fuse with a Soul Master's bloodline, martial soul, and soul power, increasing the Soul Master's strength several times or even dozens of times."

"Making battle armor requires the collaboration of top-tier blacksmiths, designers, and makers. Blacksmiths are responsible for crafting the metal base material, designers design the structure of the battle armor, and makers inscribe the soul guidance array. All three are indispensable."

"Soul Masters who can wear battle armor are called Battle Armor Masters. They are the most powerful and prestigious beings on the continent. A one-word Battle Armor Master can fight against a Soul Saint, a two-word Battle Armor Master can fight against a Soul Douluo, and a three-word Battle Armor Master is someone who can stand up to a Title Douluo."

Mang Tian's voice was filled with longing: "Every Soul Master's dream is to own a set of Battle Armor. But Battle Armor is too rare and too precious. The value of a single set of One-Word Battle Armor can buy half of Aolai City."

Huo Linfei listened intently: "Then... what does the battle armor look like?"

"It's ever-changing," Mang Tian said. "It's tailor-made according to the Soul Master's Martial Soul and Soul Power characteristics. Some are full-body heavy armor, some are light armor, and some even only have a few key parts. But what they have in common is—powerful, incomparably powerful."

He looked at Huo Linfei: "Your 'armored' state just now was very similar to the prototype of battle armor. That's why I was so surprised. A six-year-old child with a simplified version of battle armor? Nobody would believe it if you told them."

Huo Linfei seemed to be deep in thought.

Battle armor... that sounds impressive.

but.

"Teacher," Huo Linfei suddenly spoke up, "no matter how powerful the battle armor is, it's still worn by a person, right?"

Mang Tian nodded: "Of course."

"A person's physical strength, spiritual strength, and mental capacity all have their limits."

Huo Linfei's eyes lit up. "If there were a piece of equipment that didn't need to be worn, but could be driven like a carriage, but was a hundred or a thousand times more powerful, wouldn't that be even more powerful than battle armor?"

Mang Tian was stunned: "You mean... a soul-guided mecha?"

"Mecha," Huo Linfei corrected, "It doesn't need the word 'soul guide.' It's just a pure mechanical creation, piloted by humans and powered by energy. It can be very large, ten meters, twenty meters, or even a hundred meters. It can be equipped with weapons, armor, and everything imaginable."

He grew more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly: "Imagine an ordinary person, sitting inside a mecha, gaining the power of a Soul Master, Soul Grandmaster, or even a Soul King. A legion of a hundred such mechas—what enemy couldn't be defeated?"

Mang Tian frowned: "You're talking about the ideal situation. The reality is, even after thousands of years of development, soul-guided mechs are still just auxiliary tools. What's the biggest problem? Control!"

He stood up and paced around the workshop: "Mechs require mental energy to connect and control, which places a huge burden on the pilot. Moreover, mechs are bulky, inflexible, and consume terrifying amounts of energy. A single set of two-word battle armor can easily dismantle ten standard mechs. This is a well-known fact on the mainland."

"That's because the mechs aren't good enough!" Huo Linfei stood up, refusing to back down. "If the mechs could be as flexible as the human body, if the energy problem could be solved, if the weapon systems could be upgraded..."

"There are no 'ifs'," Mang Tian interrupted him.

"Child, I understand your thoughts. Every young person has wildly imaginative fantasies. But the reality is, battle armor is the mainstream, the strongest path. Look at the Spirit Pagoda, look at Shrek Academy, look at the Temple of War—aren't all the top experts battle armor masters?"

Huo Linfei wanted to argue, but seeing Mang Tian's serious expression, he swallowed his words.

But he was not convinced.

Even the strongest battle armor is still personal weaponry. But mechs... mechs are legions, steel torrents, a power that ordinary people can wield and that can change the world.

He thought of the Phantom God from the Super Beast World. That mech had accompanied him through parallel universes, fought against the army under Hades, and protected countless civilizations.

If we could bring the Phantom God to this world...

Huo Linfei clenched his fist.

Mang Tian looked at Huo Linfei's stubborn expression and sighed. He walked over and patted Huo Linfei on the shoulder:

"You're still young; you've never seen a real battle armor master fight. Once you do, you'll understand."

He then looked at Tang Wulin: "You're the same. The path of forging, in the end, is all about serving battle armor. Why are Saint-level craftsmen and God-level craftsmen so revered? Because they can forge the metal base material for battle armor. If one day you can become a Saint-level craftsman, or even a God-level craftsman..."

Mang Tian's eyes lit up: "Then you can create exclusive battle armor for yourself and for the people you care about. That's something countless Soul Masters dream of."

Tang Wulin listened with longing: "Can...can I become a Saint-level Craftsman?"

"Yes," Mang Tian said decisively. "As long as you're willing to endure hardship and work hard, even though your talent isn't as good as your older brother's, your perseverance is the best I've ever seen."

Huo Linfei pursed his lips, but did not refute further.

There's no point in arguing about differing ideologies. He will prove with facts that mechs are the future.