218. Lu Chen’s Time to Show Off [Two Chapters Combined—Please Subscribe!]

Dusky dust, and the decapitated Black Knight.

The pillar of blood that shot into the sky was blindingly bright.

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence. The clamor that had filled the stands moments ago vanished, replaced by an eerie stillness, quiet as a long night.

There was no doubt—that was Daxas’s blood. Even the commentator took off his glasses and leaned over the edge of the broadcast booth to peer with his naked eye into the Black Knight’s armor cockpit. It was true; Daxas had been gravely wounded by a single strike.

The question was: why had Daxas bled when it was the Black Knight’s head that had been cleaved off?

The cockpit door opened.

A tall figure, Daxas, stumbled out. From head to toe, every orifice—and even places where there should have been none—were spurting blood. It was as if his black suit had been draped in a crimson cloak. His internal organs had been ruptured, yet even so, he did not call for the medical team.

He reached out and grabbed Lu Chen’s shoulder, barely managing to stay upright.

"You..."

His bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at the young man before him.

He understood now. Whether it was the hacker’s suppression or the long-range laser cannon, they were merely ploys to hide his true strength, designed to drain his energy until he collapsed. Had he engaged in close-quarters combat from the start, he would have been defeated even more thoroughly; the Black Knight might have even been dismantled by the boy’s bare hands.

Although he did not know what technique the boy had employed, he was certain that had the other not shown mercy, his brain and Dantian would have been obliterated, leaving no hope for recovery.

"You win."

Having said this, Daxas’s eyes glazed over, and he collapsed.

Rescue ships descended immediately to administer emergency aid. The commentator forced a sense of calm to announce the results.

"The on-site inspection results are in. The Yellow-Faced Hag armor, the lightsaber, and the laser cannon were only rated at Level 40, and the final strike executed by the pilot, Lu Chen, was also only Level 35. The result is indisputable. It is a pity, but the Black Knight’s nine-match winning streak has ended. The winner of this match is: Yellow-Faced Hag!"

As soon as he finished, several spectators jumped from the stands, falling to their deaths. More began to scream and curse.

"Damn it, give me back my money!"

"Has match-fixing become this blatant?"

"Daxas, you running dog of the capitalists, you’ve betrayed your class!"

Lu Chen found it amusing. That was the nature of gamblers. He glanced toward the stands, and the cursing stopped instantly. No one dared to berate him, fearing he might suddenly lash out and kill them on the spot. After all, if Golia dared to hack the chief referee, who could guarantee her captain wouldn’t hack the audience?

Soon, someone pulled out a bracelet to take a photo and shouted, "Captain Lu, when is your next match?"

Lu Chen tossed aside the hilt of the lightsaber, which had lost its spirit power, and turned toward the underground passage without looking back. "When my new armor is ready to be scrapped."

The commentator froze, suddenly remembering something. "Wait, the name 'Yellow-Faced Hag'... are you... did you come here specifically to scrap your old armor?"

On the emergency operating table, Daxas’s heart rate curve, which had just begun to recover, suddenly flatlined.

"Quick! Use the rapid-acting Soul-Returning Pill!"

...

Lu Chen returned to the Lanshan Agency. In the basement, the excited Shan Pao and Ban Yue lifted Lu Chen up and tossed him toward the ceiling.

As it turned out, Lu Chen didn't come back down. And there was no one on the ceiling, either. The two were terrified out of their wits... until they took a closer look and saw Lu Chen sitting on the sofa, drinking tea.

Shan Pao and Ban Yue let out a sigh of relief and quickly sat down beside him. Shan Pao toasted Lu Chen. "As expected of the man who managed to tame Golia, Brother Lu, you really are full of hidden depths!"

Lu Chen raised his wine cup, smiling. "You’re calling me 'Brother Lu' now?"

Shan Pao flattered him quickly. "I made four hundred thousand this round, and that’s all my personal money. How could I not call you Brother Lu?"

Four hundred thousand spirit stones were no small sum. It made back what he had lost on Ban Yue and the money lost on the Twin Blades earlier. Moreover, the young man before him was a sturdy cash cow; he had to foster a brotherly bond!

Lu Chen sipped his red wine and said, "It’s a shame this was a one-time opportunity. And as you saw, the process was quite perilous. Without three or four times the return, there’s no need to fight again."

Ban Yue, who had made a small profit of forty thousand, wasn't overly excited. "The money doesn't matter. I just want to know, Brother Lu, that final move of yours—you clearly struck the head of the armor, so how did you injure Daxas’s actual body?"

Lu Chen thought for a moment and replied, "Nothing special, just practice."

"Is there a legendary name for the technique?"

"Striking the Ox Through the Mountain."

"Very evocative!"

Soon, the prize money and gambling winnings were distributed. Lu Chen received ten thousand spirit stones in prize money and one thousand in appearance fees. Afterward, Shan Pao transferred another forty thousand spirit stones to his bank account, saying somewhat apologetically, "This is our first collaboration, and since the Twin Blades' upset injury caused me massive losses, I’m only giving you ten percent for now. Next time, I’ll give you at least twenty percent!"

Lu Chen calculated his total assets; they already exceeded one hundred and sixty thousand, more than enough to buy a new spaceship.

"That will have to wait at least a few months."

With that, Lu Chen left the Lanshan Agency and went alone to the headquarters of the Cyber Tavern to find Aili and Golia. Ban Yue went to recover the remains of the Yellow-Faced Hag armor. He planned to weld it back together and keep it in the shipyard, enshrined alongside the Leonin, hoping it might attract some business in the future. He firmly believed that Lu Chen had the potential to become a massive star. He also believed that his new novel would definitely not flop!

...

The headquarters of the Cyber Tavern was in a building to the north of the crater. When Lu Chen arrived, before he could even call them, he saw Golia and Aili walking out of the building from a distance.

Golia was coaxing Aili, asking her to share some of the gambling winnings Aili had just earned.

"Good Aili, dear Aili, share some with me. You can't hoard all that ill-gotten wealth for yourself!"

Aili replied firmly, "Let the Captain decide. He needs the money to buy a new ship."

Golia analyzed seriously, "Don't I know him? The only reason he joined this fighting tournament was that he must have planned to earn enough for the ship in one go, preparing a surprise for us. The winnings were just distributed, and I guarantee he’ll call us to brag within five minutes!"

*Damn, are you a tapeworm in my stomach?*

If Lu Chen hadn't seen Golia and Aili walking out from a distance, he actually would have called them.

"Stop right there."

Aili saw Lu Chen and said excitedly, "Captain, you won! I made six thousand spirit stones!"

Lu Chen stepped forward and patted Aili’s head. He accidentally sensed her cultivation level—she had already risen to Level 45! Good heavens, Golia could be explained by the recovery of her previous cultivation, but this little girl had legitimately gained eight or nine levels in three days, including a difficult breakthrough.

*Madam August really has something up her sleeve,* he thought.

He glanced at Golia and nodded calmly. "Yes, thanks to someone not betting against me, I also made quite a bit. It’s almost enough to buy a new spaceship."

Golia, hearing this, felt no shame; instead, she looked proud. She put her hands on her waist, puffed out her chest, and declared, "See? I’m the biggest contributor."

Lu Chen sighed helplessly. "Yes, yes, you’re always the contributor. In the future, don't participate in any gambling-related activities, including fighting tournaments. With your luck, you couldn't even win the ten-thousand-stone prize... you might even get your appearance fee docked."

"That’s because the chief referee had a grudge against me. It was clearly the fault of the shoddy defensive array, so why blame me? I was afraid of killing the guy with the twin blades, so I specifically only cut off one of his hands, and yet he still ruled against me... I was originally planning to earn the ten-thousand prize to support you with five thousand for the ship."

"Fine, fine, Golia worked hard too."

Lu Chen patted Golia’s head as well. Golia was right; it really wasn't her fault this time. It was indeed a problem with the organizer’s long-neglected defensive array, and the chief referee deserved to be hacked. If not for Golia’s poor luck, he would have insisted on seeking justice and getting back that ten-thousand-stone prize.

Aili asked considerately, "Captain, you have enough for the ship, but what about the new armor?"

Lu Chen patted his chest. "My new armor is already assembled. No need to spend more money. Come, I’ll take you to see it."

"Okay!"

Aili then split half of her six-thousand-stone profit with Golia, receiving a kiss on the cheek from Golia as thanks. Feeling she hadn't earned it, Aili giggled and said, "The Captain told me to place the bet, so it’s all the Captain’s money."

Thus, adhering to the philosophy of sharing the wealth, Golia gave Lu Chen a kiss on his left cheek as well. She didn't bite him this time, but she ended up with a mouthful of dust. She wiped her mouth with disgust and asked, "Aren't you piloting armor for the matches? Why is your face covered in dust?"

"Actually, I went to the fighting tournament specifically to find a place to scrap my old armor. Who knew I’d make money, too!" Lu Chen said with a look of feigned nonchalance.

*Infuriating...* Golia endured Lu Chen’s bragging and asked curiously, "Tell me, how much did you actually make!"

Lu Chen said airily, "Not much, fifty or sixty thousand."

Golia’s eyes turned red with jealousy, and she pounced on Lu Chen like a tiger descending a mountain, nearly hanging off him like a koala. "You made fifty or sixty thousand and didn't share any with me? Are you even human!"

The group bickered all the way back to the Leonin. In the rear cabin, Ban Yue had already retrieved the two halves of the Yellow-Faced Hag armor and the lightsaber hilt Lu Chen had dropped.

"What are you doing?" Lu Chen demanded.

Ban Yue explained, "It’s not completely scrapped yet. I’m taking it back to tinker with."

Lu Chen said sternly, "Either scrap it completely or assemble it as a souvenir. Don't you dare sell it."

"This thing will be worth a fortune once you become famous. I have to keep it safe for you!"

"And the ship, too."

"Of course, the ship will eventually become a tourist attraction."

"..."

Golia thought she had misheard something and lunged over. "What? You spendthrift, you’re selling the ship, too?"

*Spendthrift...* Lu Chen was speechless.

"I’m assembling Level 50 combat armor, so the ship has to be sacrificed. It’s worth at least five thousand spirit stones, and the cost was less than three thousand."

Golia breathed a sigh of relief. "What about my clothes and cosmetics? I have so many clothes and cosmetics in the rest cabin!"

"All your and Aili’s personal belongings have been packed into my new armor."

"Your armor better be clean and impressive. Don't let it look like a piece of junk like the last one."

"..."

Ban Yue, who was completely left aside, looked at Lu Chen’s two young and beautiful teammates and felt as if he were looking at the two female protagonists in his novel. He gave Lu Chen a thumbs-up with envy. "Brother Lu, I have to say, your taste in choosing female leads... no, cough, cough, your taste in choosing teammates is top-tier!"

"Yes, they are all excellent teammates with unique skills." Lu Chen nodded proudly. Besides that, their figures and beauty were also top-tier, sexy and cute.

Afterward, he introduced this web-novelist, Ban Yue, to Golia and Aili. Golia blinked, frowning. "Writing web novels? Running a scrap yard? Aren't those the same career?"

Lu Chen: "..."

Ban Yue quickly covered his face with his hair to avoid anyone seeing the tears welling in his eyes.

"Brother Ban, don't be discouraged. This new book is destined to be a hit, I promise... once you become a master and hit platinum, what kind of woman won't you be able to find?"

Lu Chen returned to the cockpit to rest for a moment. Aili suddenly reminded him, "Captain, you’re on the Association news again."

Lu Chen quickly opened his bracelet to take a look. It was true! Although it was just a scrolling news feed for the Dawn Route: "The Primal Star-Dome Adventure Group arrives at White Dew; Golia and Lu Chen participate in the Cyber Tavern fighting tournament!"

Fighting two matches had actually earned the Primal Star-Dome ten thousand adventurer points. Their total score reached one hundred and thirty thousand, lifting them from eighteenth to seventeenth on the Annual New Star rankings.

However, because it was just scrolling news, the comment section wasn't particularly active. On the Adventurer Forum, someone had posted a live broadcast of the fighting arena. The twin streamers from the Mad Little Sheep Company, Chun Song and Xia Xian, had even paid to open a live streaming channel for the tournament, broadcasting the match in text form. Not only did they speak up for Golia, but they also posted Lu Chen’s majestic final blow.

"Without a doubt, the Primal Star-Dome trio is about to experience an epic boost here at White Dew. When they set sail again, they might create even greater miracles!"

This post appeared earlier than the Association news and had higher popularity. In the replies, many were asking where the Primal Star-Dome was staying and where they could take photos with the three of them.

Lu Chen thought to himself that it was a good thing he was replacing his armor and ship.

"Sigh, these star-chasers are really annoying!"

Saying this, Lu Chen secretly logged into the forum with a verified sub-account and left a comment: "You might be able to meet Captain Lu at Ban’s Treasure House at the end of White Dew."

However, the netizens didn't care about him; they were all asking where they could take photos with Dog Boy and Golia.

"Nowhere, you idiots!"

After leaving that comment, Lu Chen closed the light screen and picked up his tea cup, too angry to drink.

The Leonin soon returned to Ban’s Treasure House. Aili carefully inspected every part of the ship, cleaning every cabin until it was spotless, ensuring no personal traces were left before she stepped off.

Lu Chen led Golia and Aili to the workshop and grandly introduced his brand-new Level 50 combat and treasure-hunting armor—The Ghost Knight.

Golia looked it up and down. Although it was wide-bodied armor, it looked quite majestic.

"Hmm, the appearance is finally a bit more impressive this time."

Lu Chen said confidently, "Come on, let’s go up and see. My cockpit is quite spacious. Even if we have to abandon the ship in an emergency in the future, you won't have to squeeze into the cargo bay anymore!"

Thus, Golia and Aili both entered the cockpit. There were main and co-pilot seats, leather sofas, palm prints that supported dual manual control, gravity arrays, adaptive air conditioning, shock-absorbing airbags, and even a holographic theater and game room.

"Wow, this gaming equipment is great!" Golia was glued to the gaming console and couldn't move.

Lu Chen tested it; whether it was him and Aili, him and Golia, or Aili and Golia, they wouldn't feel crowded in pairs. Only when all three were in the cockpit at the same time was it slightly snug.

"Guess how much this armor cost me?"

Golia guessed, "It must have been at least eighty thousand!"

Aili was more cautious: "Fifty thousand."

Lu Chen smiled, shook his head, and held up two fingers, waving them triumphantly in front of them.

"A little over twenty thousand."

Both were too surprised to speak. Golia inexplicably recalled the scene of her first meeting with Lu Chen on Rusty Star and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your little hands are quite dexterous—you can just whip up a set of armor like that!"

Lu Chen thought to himself, *My hands can do more than just whip up armor!*

Afterward, he piloted the Ghost Knight and walked out of the Treasure House. He retracted the armor’s limbs, switched to flight mode, and transformed it into a small, five-meter-long short-range ship.

"Treat my old ship and old armor well. Good luck!"

After bidding farewell to Ban Yue, Lu Chen piloted the spaceship version of the Ghost Knight and slowly ascended from the shipyard. Merging into the ship traffic, he headed straight for the August Floating Island.

He was about to undergo an epic boost himself!