"Lin Fei, this… this is your armor?"
"Yeah."
Lin Fei planted one hand on his hip and pointed at himself with a big thumbs-up.
"So, how is it, Weiwei? My Illusory Scale battle armor—cool, right?"
Although his face was hidden behind a blue-tinted visor, just from the curve of Lin Fei's mouth that was visible, Weiwei could already imagine the smug, self-admiring expression he must be wearing under the helmet.
Even so, she couldn't help but nod.
"It really is very cool."
Lin Fei's Illusory Scale armor was predominantly fiery red, while the joint connectors and the outer edges of the shoulder plates were silver-white. The layers of the armor were clearly defined.
At the center of the chest plate was a blue crystalline circular emblem, branded with a dragon-scale pattern.
Above Lin Fei's head, the Illusory Scale helmet took the shape of a dragon's head, slanting downward and extending to the visor that covered his eyes—just like the head crest of a real dragon.
The visor itself wasn't curved, but angled straight, converging above the bridge of the nose into a sharp, horn-like form.
This design stripped away much of Lin Fei's usual frivolous air, replacing it with a sharper, more dangerous presence.
Of course, that was only how he looked from the outside.
The moment Lin Fei opened his mouth, his true nature was immediately revealed.
"Weiwei, I'm fully armed now."
"So next… let's continue."
Weiwei: "..."
Hearing the excitement in Lin Fei's voice, Weiwei didn't respond right away. Instead, a trace of awkwardness appeared on her face.
Since she herself had already put on the dark alloy armor that greatly enhanced her abilities, it was only fair that Lin Fei also used equipment or weapons that could make him stronger.
That way, it would be fair.
She wouldn't take advantage of Lin Fei in this kind of matter.
It was just that…
You never said that after putting on armor, you'd become this strong.
Just the flashy activation effects alone, along with the energy radiating outward, were already astonishing.
If they really fought, how bad would it get?
At that moment, Duka'ao, who had been standing at a distance, walked over with a hearty laugh.
"Haha, Mr. Lin Fei, we've already witnessed your strength. It's truly impressive."
"And this battle armor suits your temperament very well."
"But it's getting rather late now. How about we stop today's sparring here?"
For Weiwei, who was a soldier, minor bumps and bruises were nothing unusual. In the future, she would also be fighting against invading alien forces. Bloodshed and injuries were unavoidable.
If this were training, or a battle she absolutely had to fight, Duka'ao could accept it.
But this was just a spar.
Lin Fei's power was so astonishing, and it was still unclear whether he could fully control it.
For example, Lena—one of the three major super-engineering projects of the Space Academy, the "Light of the Sun"—possessed stellar-drive technology and could even crush nuclear weapons with her bare hands.
But because she couldn't yet fully control her power, Pan Zhen had sealed part of her abilities before she came to the Super Academy.
Lin Fei might well be in a similar situation.
Otherwise, why would there be such a drastic change in energy intensity before and after equipping the armor?
It was as if some kind of seal had been released.
In Duka'ao's eyes, Lin Fei's situation was very similar to Lena's.
Which meant that if Lin Fei attacked while fully armed, he might not be able to hold back.
Even though Weiwei's micro-wormhole transport technique became far more fluid after wearing the dark alloy armor, greatly increasing her evasion speed—
One careless moment, and she could still be seriously injured by Lin Fei.
There was simply no need for that, was there?
Besides, Duka'ao had already seen Lin Fei's strength. Once they returned to the Juxia, they could conduct a more precise analysis.
Of course, that was only what he thought. He definitely couldn't say it out loud.
So Duka'ao deliberately chose words Lin Fei liked to hear.
However—
Weiwei suddenly spoke up at that moment.
"No, Old Du. I want to continue."
"Huh?"
Duka'ao froze.
He could clearly see the shock in Weiwei's eyes at Lin Fei's strength, as well as a subtle, hidden hesitation.
He just hadn't expected that his own daughter would insist on continuing at this point.
Weiwei continued,
"I'm already wearing the black armor, and Lin Fei has also fully armed himself."
"If we don't continue, wouldn't I be wearing this armor for nothing?"
"And besides…"
Weiwei looked at Lin Fei, her eyes carrying a hint of fervor and anticipation.
"I also want to experience Lin Fei's true power."
It was true—after sensing Lin Fei's power, she had felt a moment of retreat. She didn't deny that.
But they had clearly agreed beforehand.
Now that Lin Fei had put on the Illusory Scale armor, backing out without fighting—what was that supposed to mean?
Just like how she refused to gain an advantage over Lin Fei with weapons and instead chose to let him arm himself as well, her pride couldn't accept ending things without a fight.
Besides, this was just a sparring match.
At the same time, she was genuinely curious about just how strong Lin Fei really was.
When he activated the Illusory Scale armor, it was merely the energy dispersing outward—not an actual attack from Lin Fei himself.
"Weiwei, has anyone ever told you this?"
"Huh? Told me what?"
Weiwei looked at Lin Fei in confusion, only to see him pointing at himself and grinning as he said,
"Your prideful side is really charming~"
"?!"
Weiwei's expression stiffened. She immediately widened her eyes, and a deep blush rapidly spread across her face.
"Y-you—what nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Don't suddenly say such weird things!"
"..."
Duka'ao said nothing.
But the friendly smile he'd had for Lin Fei instantly stiffened. His eye twitched violently, and two large imaginary "#" symbols seemed to pop up on his forehead.
Flirting with his daughter right in front of him—again?!
Did he really think Duka'ao was invisible?!
If Lin Fei weren't so strong, he definitely wouldn't be able to beat him. Otherwise, he'd have made this red-haired brat experience the righteous iron fist of a father long ago!
He took a moment to steady his emotions, then looked at Weiwei, still trying to persuade her.
"Weiwei, how about you reconsider—"
"No need, Old Du."
Weiwei's attitude was firm.
Lin Fei's helmet that covered his face split apart; the armor on both sides of the helmet slid backward, transforming from solid to illusion.
The dragon-scale crest and the lower facial plates also moved backward and faded into phantasmal shadows.
The helmet vanished, revealing Lin Fei's handsome face.
He raised a hand and waved at Duka'ao.
"Don't worry. I'm very confident in my control over my power."
"…Alright then."
Seeing that he couldn't stop them, Duka'ao sighed helplessly.
He walked off to a distance, clearing space once more for Lin Fei and Weiwei to fight.
Before leaving, he reminded them one last time,
"Remember—this is just a spar. Stop at the right moment."
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