"Our little witch has also failed, huh, that's not surprising. Being praised by the Revenge Shadow Rider is somewhat a success, I think," said Vladimir with a smile as he walked, "Don't be disheartened, it's an honorable defeat. Keep it up."

For him, just having Mirami safely back in the competitor's area was a reason to be happy.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop—enough already..." Mirami, her cheeks flushed, repeated 'stop' several times and made a silencing gesture. Her idiot older brother couldn't read the room; one had to admit that his sisterly love had reached a point where even casual praise felt sensitive, amusing everyone around.

Cast raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down. As a high-ranking general of Hell's Gate and also in charge of managing the competition zone, he commanded great respect and said, "We currently have only three core contestants left. The battles ahead will be even tougher and perilous. Now is not the time to relax. On the pre-match popularity list, we were once seen as the second focus, apart from the Federation. However, just outside the top hundred, we have already lost two core fighters. Are you prepared for the coming battles?"

His voice dipped lower, pausing for several seconds before saying, "Go, continue training."

Cast pointed toward the distant training rooms, his voice calm yet his tone undeniably firm. In this Mecha Battle Tournament, Hell's Gate could no longer afford to lose—even if not considering the final outcome, they could not allow themselves to falter outside the top hundred in terms of dignity.

The group exchanged glances, helplessly shrugging or spreading their hands as Mirami made a face, turning away to disappear with the others into the competitor's zone, leaving Cast with a grim expression.

The battles continued the next day. In the morning, Rekart's "Pilot 7" competed against a top warrior from the Ghotanaja Kingdom, with the battle stretching from morning to 14:00. Pilot 7 advanced to the top 64.

At dusk, Jiu Ling from the Saudi Empire fought against Conwell, a top pilot from Pross Empire; Jiu Ling advanced to the top 64.

Due to timing constraints, there were only two battles that day, which also indirectly reflected that if the skill levels were not widely apart, fights could be prolonged. Mutual constraints and counters, along with fatigue, would eventually balance each other out over time.

In top-tier confrontations, even minor technical mistakes are magnified. Combatants typically minimize their openings to the smallest, with every detail and decision being crucial. This is why battles at the top or across significant skill disparities tend to be shorter in duration.

Such bouts were expected to continue for a while. Whether he would catch the next one was uncertain. At this stage, from 128 to 64, with 3 to 5 matches a day, it would take at least a couple of weeks to conclude, and for those unlucky ones meeting evenly matched opponents, a fight might last from dawn to dusk.

Of course, these were isolated cases; more typically, battles were resolved quickly. On average, it would still take about half a month...

Each time he faced such seemingly endless digits, Feng Yi could not help but sigh with a sense of helplessness.

During this period, which was neither long nor short, contenders continually emerged. Except for a few who were unlucky enough to meet top players like Kexiao and Sword Dragon from the start, most famed pilots concluded with rounds satisfactorily.

With less than a month to the chief battle at Jade Clear Sect, considering his current physical condition, he truly didn't expect to witness whether he would be the chief or not. However, Wu Tian had invited him repeatedly, indicating that this so-called chief battle might hold deeper meanings beyond the superficial.

Firstly, Wu Tian would likely bear him no ill will and was aware of his current physical state. If there truly were any malice, Wu Tian would have tried to detain him earlier rather than wait until now. Wu Tian could gain nothing from him, leading Feng Yi to deduce that this invitation, supposedly to observe the battle, might also carry a deeper implication.

During this time, Wu Tian had not stopped looking for him; he even made a special trip to Mardis to meet with John, revealing his identity, suggesting some reason or perhaps considering John's insufficient authority, thus keeping John in the dark but hinting to him instead.

As for the killing intent John mentioned shrouding Wu Tian, and the unresolved karmic ties between Jade Clear Sect, John, and even the Blazing Corps, that ventured into metaphysical issues.

Under the night skies, the lights of Dragon Gate remained dazzlingly alive, ceaselessly bustling. Few travelers immersed in the joyous stillness considered topics beyond the Mecha Battle Tournament. Now, the focal point of conversation had shifted from the 128 to the standout 64 contenders.

And yet, some lamented lightly for those warriors unlucky enough to face top competitors like Kexiao and Sword Dragon. They, both he and she, could have been the brightest new stars of their generation, radiant and promising, yet unfortunately, they met top-tier opponents too soon, failing to shine their own light and were suppressed in their paths of growth.

With the declaration of the 64 to 32 advancement completed, each country's pilots took a day for repairs, facing even tougher challenges ahead.

Getting from 64 to 32 might sound easy, yet the profiles displayed on the large screens continuously sparked the audience's imagination, wondering who could truly stand out in this brutal environment of survival.

On this battlefield, permeated with gunpowder and accompanied by death, the number of Red Robe Level pilots who had made it this far was dwindling. Those who could endure to this stage were almost assuredly nearing the limits of Red Robe, possessing X Ability, extraordinary sharpshooting skills, or other unknown capabilities.

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