LABMY CH86.2

He emphasized the two words “live stream” and “conspicuous,” and Fan Youjin interjected, “Does he even need to be cautious?”

“Among all the contestants in the Academy Grand Tournament, no one is as well-known as him.”

Jian Yuanbai, however, understood what he meant and said gently, “I understand.”

Both of them were aware of the situation. Jian Yuanbai’s strength was not suitable to be displayed in front of the public, let alone the royal family.

A slightly powerful nouveau riche mining boss who owns countless mining planets, and a mining boss who is essentially a humanoid weapon and filthy rich — between the two, the latter would no longer be seen as a mining boss in the eyes of the royal family.

Instead, he would be seen as an extremely dangerous threat that needed to be eliminated.

Winning in a one-on-one fight was acceptable, but winning against a group? Absolutely not. Even for the former, he would have to win with great effort.

In the live stream chat:

“I declare! This mechanic is officially my spokesperson.”

“Even though he’s my spokesperson, I still hope they lose miserably later.”

“He understands? What does he understand? Understand what expression to use when saying, ‘Sorry for being too rich’?”

“Understand how to beg for mercy from the Imperial First Academy, hoping they don’t lose too badly.”

“That’s unlikely. I’ve already prepared to see them kneel on the ground and beg for mercy.”

Although many people were shocked by the three of them charging directly toward the Imperial First Academy, they didn’t think it was because Jian Yuanbai and the others were confident.

Instead, it was pure mockery and disdain.

After all, the Imperial First Academy had secured victory for fifty consecutive years, firmly welding their authority into people’s hearts. No one believed the Imperial First Academy would lose this match.

All they did was ridicule the three representatives from this provocatively named academy.

Fifty years of trash trying to fight back? Ridiculous. Who do they think they are?

The monotonous and tedious journey didn’t reduce the number of viewers in the live stream. On the contrary, the viewership skyrocketed as people shared the stream with friends and family, eager to witness this ridiculous clown show get crushed by the absolute strength of the Imperial First Academy.

At that moment, Jian Yuanbai’s live stream channel had already reached the top in popularity.

Suddenly, after watching the endless desert journey, the audience heard Jian Yuanbai say, “There are people behind the sand dune ahead.”

Lu Qianyun asked, “Should we take a detour?”

Jian Yuanbai thought for a moment and replied, “No need. Let’s keep moving. They probably won’t act recklessly.”

“The teams in this position likely landed before us. They also know the Imperial First Academy is further ahead.”

“Everyone knew our goal from the opening ceremony. As long as we keep moving in this direction, they’ll know exactly who we’re targeting.”

“Rather than fighting us now, waiting for us to finish fighting the Imperial First Academy and then reaping the benefits would be the smarter choice.”

Fan Youjin widened his eyes and looked ahead but saw nothing, let alone anyone behind the sand dune. “Do you guys have satellites on your heads?”

“Or did your eyes mutate and evolve to some super level?”

Jian Yuanbai responded, “Use pheromones to sense them. Aren’t you an Alpha?”

Fan Youjin was in disbelief. “I already released my pheromones, and I sensed nothing. Are you two even human?”

“I’m an A-level Alpha!”

Lu Qianyun looked at Jian Yuanbai with some concern. “Uncle.”

Since this was a live stream, he didn’t know how to explain it, so he said, “Leave the sensing to me. My physique is better, and my pheromone detection range is wider.”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “Alright.”

After a pause, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Ten minutes later, as they maintained their current speed, a small sand dune finally appeared in the distance.

One viewer couldn’t help but post in the chat: “Can someone calculate the distance for me?”

“Being able to detect someone from such a distance with pheromones… I’m speechless.”

“Fan Youjin is truly my spokesperson. Are these two even human?”

“I won’t even mention Lu Qianyun. He’s an SSS-level Alpha who has undergone secondary differentiation. It’s understandable that he’s strong. But what’s with Jian Yuanbai?”

Only now did the audience bother to check the names in the live stream introduction.

Before they could recover from their shock, the live feed showed that when Jian Yuanbai and the others crossed the sand dune, there was no one behind it.

The live chat fell silent for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

“So he was just pretending to be mysterious because he knew the live stream camera was following him?”

“I’m dying of laughter. Did he forget the camera would capture everything?”

“Someone give the cameraman a bonus.”

“I can’t stop laughing. I actually thought he was amazing for a moment. But in the end…”

“From the camera angle, it was impossible to see behind the sand dune. But the camera operator deliberately turned the lens. I wonder if those three clowns noticed.”

“Probably not. They’re probably still smug about their little act.”

“There are many ways to become famous, but they chose the most embarrassing one.”

As they passed the sand dune, Fan Youjin asked doubtfully, “Weren’t there people here?”

Before Jian Yuanbai could speak, Lu Qianyun replied, “Maybe we made a mistake. It’s fine.”

“It’s better that no one is here.”

Both he and Jian Yuanbai knew the other party had quietly retreated, but for the sake of the live stream, Lu Qianyun would rather let people think they had made a mistake than reveal their vigilance.

Seeing that Lu Qianyun said so, Jian Yuanbai didn’t refute and kept moving forward. In the scorching desert heat, they sped across the landscape, causing the air to distort from the heatwaves.

“Honestly, at this speed, they’ll be exhausted before even reaching the Imperial First Academy.”

“Although it looks like the mecha is moving, operating it consumes a lot of mental energy. The machine won’t get tired, but the person inside will.”

“They don’t look like they’re going to fight. They look like they’re fleeing for their lives.”

Fan Youjin, feeling drained, complained, “Can we stop and rest for a bit?”

“Staying in this position for so long is killing me.”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “If you want to sit down, I can carry you while running.”

“But I think you’d better endure. Even if we’re not targeting the Imperial First Academy, we need to leave this desert as soon as possible.”

“The high temperature and sandstorms are not suitable for prolonged exposure.”

“F***,” Fan Youjin muttered. “Why didn’t they provide us with a vehicle? I don’t get it.”

“Do mechanics not deserve basic human rights?”

Lu Qianyun added, “There are vehicles at the supply station. I scanned it earlier when estimating the location. Once we take points from the Imperial First Academy, we can head to the supply station. It’s not far.”

Thirty minutes later, a rocky terrain appeared before them. Jian Yuanbai checked the map and said, “We’re here.”

“They must have deliberately concealed their pheromones and controlled their breathing.”

“So how did those idiots who released their pheromones even make it to the top fifty finals?” Jian Yuanbai sighed and said, “I’ll go check it out.”

In a terrain filled with towering rocks and limited visibility, getting ambushed was a real threat. But climbing to the highest point to scout was also a terrible choice.

Standing up there was basically asking to get shot.

Some viewers couldn’t take it anymore:

“How does he have the nerve to call others idiots? Wasn’t he the one releasing pheromones earlier?”

“Oh, sorry, I forgot he was just faking it.”

“Remove the ‘maybe’ part, please.”

“Climbing up to check? What a perfect target. How did this guy become the representative of the Mecha Department?”

“Upstairs, the reason he became the academy representative is probably because there are only three students in the entire academy. I checked the star network, and this academy was established less than two months ago.”

“The dean of the academy also has the surname Jian, you get it now?”

“So this is… the power of money.”

“So what if you’re rich? Didn’t you still embarrass yourself in the Academy Tournament? Humiliating yourself in front of the entire nation, and you’re the only one.”

None of the sarcastic spectators ever considered that there was a situation where one could release pheromones without restraint to perceive the surroundings.

That is, when you have absolute pheromone suppression, absolute confidence, and your sensing range is wider than others.

In this way, when you perceive your opponent, while they are at the limit of their perception, you can “see” them through pheromones, but they cannot sense you.

But no one believed that Jian Yuanbai could do this.

Just when everyone was eagerly waiting to see Jian Yuanbai become a living target, Lu Qianyun suddenly spoke up: “Wait.”

“It’s too dangerous to go up. Throw something in and fire a shot.”

Fan Youjin: “What thing?”

A moment later, an independent bomb-launching device dismantled from a mecha rolled into the strange rock forest.

Fan Youjin murmured, “I came here to repair your mechas, not to dismantle them.”

As his voice fell, a deafening explosion echoed through the air. Lu Qianyun’s eyes sharpened, “Twelve o’clock direction, three hundred meters.”

“Three o’clock direction, seven hundred meters.”

Jian Yuanbai said in a deep voice, “I’ll take three.”

Lu Qianyun: “I’ll take seven.”

Fan Youjin: “…I’ll… hide?”

With a light tap of his toes, the ground beneath Jian Yuanbai’s feet caved in. His figure, like a flash of light with afterimages, dashed into the strange rock forest. The massive boulder blocking his path was shattered with a single punch.

The boulder was crushed, but the punch didn’t lose its momentum and continued to strike the mecha hiding behind it.

Lu Qianyun broke into a cold sweat and quickly maneuvered his mecha to dodge. Just as he stabilized himself, he caught a glimpse of another punch coming his way.

In desperation, he tilted his head to dodge and raised his arm. The pitch-black muzzle of the gun pointed at the nearby mecha and fired a shot.

In the next second, his pupils shrank.

At such a close distance, the mecha before him actually leapt aside and dodged the shot. The ground beneath cracked, and the mecha that had leapt up aimed a kick at him.

“Boom—!” A cannon blast roared from afar. Jian Yuanbai was in mid-air, with his back turned, seemingly unable to dodge.

“He’s done for, he’s done for.”

“I thought he was impressive. Turns out he’s just a joke.”

“Forget three hundred, two hundred and fifty suits him better.”

The livestream chat scrolled rapidly with ridicule, but less than thirty seconds later, with a deafening explosion, all mockery was stuck in their throats.

In front of everyone, Jian Yuanbai, as if he had eyes on his back, fired a shot in reverse and accurately hit the incoming shell.

A mushroom cloud and thick smoke rose, distorting the air with its shockwave. Under the massive impact, Jian Yuanbai was sent flying.

However, despite the immense force, he stabilized himself after flying only ten meters. Looking at Lu Qianshan in front of him, Jian Yuanbai smiled, “Hand over your academy badge, and you can suffer less.”

Lu Qianshan sneered, “I’ll return those words to you exactly.”

Alva, who was aiming at Jian Yuanbai, was interrupted by a barrage of bullets. He swiftly moved, using the strange rocks as cover.

Lu Qianyun: “Sorry, your opponent is me.”

The battlefield was on the verge of erupting. Jian Yuanbai was the first to act. With a slight twist of his feet, he eerily flashed in front of Lu Qianshan and delivered a punch.

Even though Lu Qianshan tried his best to dodge, he was too slow. The punch directly cracked the sturdy mecha. He barely avoided a fatal hit.

The mecha’s shoulder was shattered, only breaking some outer armor, but Lu Qianshan’s expression was filled with shock and anger.

Too fast. This speed and reaction… Is this really the rumored C-rank alpha?

Impossible!

Why… Why is there always someone who can suppress him? Why?

He was the chosen one, the pride of the heavens. He should be the center of attention.

He wanted to defeat this man in front of everyone, along with Lu Qianyun.

With hatred and rage, Lu Qianshan lunged forward and swept his leg, trying to turn the tide. However, Jian Yuanbai was even faster.

Jian Yuanbai grabbed his sweeping leg, yanked it hard, and threw him with force.

With a deafening crash, the heavy rocks were pierced through one by one.

Until the remaining force was exhausted, Lu Qianshan’s mecha embedded itself in a giant rock, surrounded by cracks like a spiderweb.

Before he could catch his breath, he quickly raised his mecha’s arm and fired a dense barrage of bullets toward the dust cloud.

In the chaotic dust, a figure was rapidly approaching him.

Lu Qianshan gritted his teeth. When Jian Yuanbai emerged from the dust cloud and punched at him, he stood up and took the punch with his abdomen, using it as a trade-off to grab Jian Yuanbai’s arm and fire a shot.

Jian Yuanbai retreated swiftly, but with his arm grabbed, his range of movement was limited. His mecha’s leg was hit.

Smoke and dust filled the air. The harsh sound of metal echoed.

Jian Yuanbai clicked his tongue as he looked at the hole in his mecha’s leg. Then, without hesitation, he delivered another punch to Lu Qianshan.

The punch shattered the air, creating a sonic boom as it aimed directly at Lu Qianshan’s head hidden in the mecha.

“I… I’ll hand over the badge.”

Lu Qianshan spoke with fear and trembling.

Jian Yuanbai’s fist stopped just before hitting him.

Only those with years of combat experience could understand how terrifyingly precise this control was.

Most people couldn’t even stop their mecha’s punch at the last moment, let alone avoid the backlash.

Jian Yuanbai snatched the badge from Lu Qianshan’s mecha and walked away.

Two steps later, he ran into Lu Qianyun, who was also holding a badge.

In the lingering smoke, they bumped fists, silently celebrating their victory.

Lu Qianyun glanced at Jian Yuanbai’s mecha leg, “You’re injured?”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head, “The mecha got pierced, I’m fine.”

“You know… I can’t be too flashy.”

If not for the need to make it look like a fair fight, Jian Yuanbai wouldn’t have given Lu Qianshan a chance to fight back.

At this moment, the entire livestream fell silent.

No one could say a word.

On the first day of the Academy Tournament, the Imperial First Academy, which had dominated first place for fifty years, was utterly crushed.

With a score of negative two, they ranked dead last.

The livestream title “Fifty Years of Trash, Lie Down and Rot” still sat quietly at the top of the stream.

No one could laugh anymore.

After three minutes of silence, a comment finally appeared:

“Am I dreaming?”

“Funny, we’re all having the same dream.”

“So many people having the same dream in broad daylight… This is unreal.”

“I was mocking them a few hours ago, but turns out… they were here to dominate.”

“Two points earned. Yep, confirmed, they were here for business.”

“My face hurts… really hurts.”

“Stop it. My face is swollen already.”

“If he’s a clown, then I’m a cockroach.”

“I’m a silent passing toad.”

“The louder I mocked, the more painful my face is now.”

“So… naming their team this way wasn’t arrogance, but actual strength?”

“More than that… this is a monster in disguise.”

As the self-deprecating comments flooded the chat, Jian Yuanbai and Lu Qianyun turned and left.

At that moment, everyone remembered what Jian Yuanbai had said before:

“I’m here to make the Imperial First Academy obediently stay in second place and watch our academy’s name above theirs.”

Back then, the audience laughed like crazy, betting on how long they’d last.

But a few hours later, as they watched Jian Yuanbai and the others walk away…

This time, no one dared to laugh.