Youyu was simply caught off guard, given that she had no experience facing fighters of the same rank, to say nothing of the fact that Zhang Xiaobo, who had entered his burst phase, was originally a whole major rank above Youyu.

Indeed, Zhang Xiaobo's strength during his burst phase ranged from the mid to the peak of the White Cloak period, where rank levels fluctuate somewhat, shifting with emotional changes and personal condition, but clearly, even at his minimum combat level, Zhang Xiaobo far exceeded Youyu by a major rank.

What exactly does a major rank represent? Anyone familiar with Mecha Battles would not find this strange, as the gap typically manifests amongst regular pilots.

In other words, if you're not even at the basic pilot level and can't meet the qualifying standards, it's the same principle as the gap between first-tier, second-tier, and third-tier experts in Galactic Warfare.

Take ordinary players for example, those with a hand speed below 120 actions per minute cannot even reach the standards of qualified pilots – no matter if your hand speed is 10, 30, 50, or 100 actions, the boundary isn't significantly different, akin to final exam scores, good or bad, high or low, with subjects varied, whether you get zero or 59, the result is the same, not qualifying as a pilot.

This raises another issue; some students don't pay attention in class or study hard, and it's the same with Mecha. If you don't give it your all in battle, if you can't maintain hand speed, or if your condition is poor, these will all affect your level of performance.

Of course, there is also the matter of the talent ceiling, where individuals more gifted in comprehension and reaction may often achieve better results than their peers without serious effort, much like with Mecha.

Therefore, to be in the running for a pilot's position, the bare minimum hand speed needs to reach 120 actions per minute.

And the initial level of an ordinary pilot is just the most basic driving rank.

Advancing one major rank above that, one would reach the baseline level of a Red Cloak.

A direct comparison makes it clear that not to mention ordinary pilots, even High Rank pilots have a slim chance of defeating a genuine Red Cloak fighter.

The disparity between them can't be compensated for by skill alone because what you know, your opponent also knows; you may foresee things your opponent can as well, but what the opponent foresees might not even occur to you.

Even if it does occur to you, the strain of gravity and the output of your hand speed will limit you within a certain range.

If the level of an ordinary Advanced pilot is positioned at the pinnacle of third-tier experts,

then a Red Cloak must certainly be at the pinnacle of second-tier experts – that's the real difference of a major rank, an insurmountable gap like heaven and earth.

As for the gap between White Cloaks and Red Cloaks, the practical difference isn't as vast as that between ordinary pilots and Red Cloaks.

Because the higher the stage you reach, the harder it becomes to advance, and those Red Cloaks built upon a foundation of experience often need more than just training to break through their current stage; they need opportunity.

Indeed, long-term training can condition muscle and nerve reflexes, but this solely indicates mastery of skills and is of no help in elevating one's own realm.

The real opportunities that enable a person to elevate their level mostly come from the battlefield, where facing true challenges and life-and-death situations can inspire those with potential to activate their talents.

There was once an example of this; an intermediate pilot of a certain country, when facing an enemy Red Cloak, managed to hold out for 3 minutes until the arrival of Support Troops.

It was a miracle, but ultimately the intermediate pilot still died. He had awaited the arrival of the Support Troops, but in doing so, had also let down his guard and was consequently split open by the enemy's blade.

We can say that this fortunate but unfortunate intermediate pilot possessed immense talent, being able to hold out for 3 minutes against an opponent of a higher rank. Had Support Troops not arrived, he might have broken through the intermediate stage and stepped into an advanced stage, or even leapfrogged ranks directly to Red Cloak. Although this approach might not have been stable, once he touched the edge of that realm, the distance to it would not be far off.

The battles between Red Cloaks and White Cloaks often lie in the details. Suffice to say, both sides possess equally rich experiences and their own understanding of tactical situations. The reason Red Cloaks cannot defeat White Cloaks is key to their handling and mastery of these details.

If a White Cloak pilot's marksmanship could score 100, then even if a Red Cloak pilot doesn't reach 100, they would certainly have a score of 90 – that's one of the details.

For instance, in terms of first-shot hit rate and multi-target firing accuracy, White Cloak pilots can almost always hit their first shot almost 100% of the time, with a very high rate of continuous hits to follow.

Whereas Red Cloak pilots clearly do not handle the specifics of multi-target firing as proficiently as the White Cloaks do.

There's also mental composure, insight into the overall situation on the battlefield, the concept of hand speed, as well as awareness of physical strength, endurance, and experience – in fact, these seemingly trivial details all can lead to changes in the outcome of battle.

If there is a major rank difference between the two sides, then these subtle differences will continue to widen, transitioning from quantitative to qualitative change.

Take for example Zhang Xiaobo's initial sword swing just now; it may have seemed like a reckless charge, but in the process of moving amidst his left and right lateral shifts, he was deliberately avoiding Youyu's long-range weapon's angle of entry. This created the illusion that he was moving wildly across the battlefield, constantly shifting positions, while in reality, the Assembly 9th Generation was relentlessly closing in on the enemy.

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