Battle!

"What exactly do you mean, kid?"

"Exactly what I said. There's no deception."

Zhang Xuqiang studied Li Yi's calm, composed expression and grew increasingly uncertain.

Could this kid really have some confidence in certain victory?

Or did he have some other trick waiting?

Or was he merely putting on a show?

No. No matter what schemes he had, all Zhang Xuqiang needed to do was crush him with overwhelming force, wasn't it?

After pondering for a long while, Zhang Xuqiang decided that Li Yi was trying to bluff him and sneered.

"Fine. Since you're so eager, I'll accept this wager on behalf of my brothers!"

Li Yi nodded.

"Then let's draw up a betting contract according to federal law. It will begin thirty minutes after today's intensive training ends. You'll act as guarantor for the others. No problem with that?"

"No problem, but I need to add supplementary terms."

"Such as?"

"There are eight of us betting against you alone. Your cost is too low. That wouldn't be fair to us."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to raise the stakes."

"Let's hear it."

"First, you must challenge every person you just mentioned. Even if you lose and your ranking doesn't rise, you still have to challenge the next one."

"Second, the exchange ratio for Divinity Radiation time: D-grade for E-grade, one to two; same grade for same grade, one to one. Each person's opening stake will be one minute of D-grade and two minutes of E-grade. That's the baseline. But if your total wins are fewer than four, the stakes will double. If your total wins are fewer than six, the stakes will triple!"

"Third, the contract must remain in effect until the corresponding Divinity Genes of the bettors are fully filled!"

Zhang Xuqiang was demanding an outrageous price.

He also intended to scare Li Yi and see whether Li Yi's earlier confidence was genuine or fake.

Li Yi considered it, then gave a slight nod.

"I accept the rules you proposed. Likewise, you must abide by the same rules. That is, if my total wins exceed four but are fewer than six, your stakes will double. If they exceed six, they will triple. Do you agree?"

Zhang Xuqiang readily agreed.

"Since I proposed them, of course there's no problem!"

"Good. Then it's settled!"

As they spoke, the two immediately used the built-in auxiliary AI in their personal communicators to draft the betting contract, signed it, and uploaded it to the starship intranet's designated betting website for notarization.

Only after finishing all that did they each hurry into a nutrition pod to rest and await the next round of gravity training.

Noon.

Cafeteria.

After Zhang Xuqiang gathered the other seven people involved in the wager and explained the situation,

the seven immediately erupted in an uproar.

"Brother Qiang, you wagered away our Divinity Radiation time without even informing us first. Isn't that inappropriate?"

"I object. Can the wager involving me be considered invalid?"

Their overlapping chatter made Zhang Xuqiang slam the table in dissatisfaction as he said coldly,

"What, do my words not count anymore? Besides, are you afraid of someone ranked over ten places below you? If you win, you'll be able to earn the opponent's extra one minute—or even two or three minutes—of Divinity Radiation time every day in the future!"

"Haha, Brother Xuqiang, if you give the word, I, Chen Liji, will follow without hesitation!"

"Someone ranked merely a dozen places lower? That's easy enough."

"Exactly, exactly. How could Brother Qiang's arrangements possibly make us lose out?"

Zhang Xuqiang's expression improved slightly.

"Then, Brother Qiang, who's the opponent?"

"Li Yi, ranked forty-second!"

"Huh?"

"Brother Qiang, Li Yi clearly has a promising future. Why are we betting against him?"

Someone asked in confusion.

"Brother Xuqiang, can I withdraw? I'm only ranked thirty-seventh, not much higher than Li Yi. The odds of losing are pretty high."

Someone said weakly. This person was Gu Tianyi, who had ranked fifth in the martial competition two years ago.

"No! The contract has already been finalized. If you withdraw now, you'll be slapping me in the face! Understand?"

"All right, I was just joking."

"Don't joke like that next time."

At that moment, Zhang Xuqiang's cousin Zhang Wuqiang sneered.

"The ones objecting just now are all idiots. So what if he's the strongest rookie fighter in history? His mech compatibility is so low, and his activation speed is so slow. Even if his combat power is exceptional, once he runs out of endurance on the battlefield in the future, he'll inevitably be cannon fodder!"

"Since he's blocking Brother Xuqiang's path and is just someone with a bleak future anyway, we should act decisively and make a good profit from his Pluto Divinity. That would at least make him worth the fleet's investment in cultivating him, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, yes, Wuqiang is right."

"The Special Selection Class already encourages fair internal competition. Now that he's taken the initiative to wager against us, even if he loses, no one can say anything."

"That's right. A genius who gets eliminated isn't any real genius."

"Indeed. The other side came to challenge us of his own accord. That's also a slap in the face to our Zhang family. Naturally, we can't let him off easily."

Although some of them did not agree with Zhang Wuqiang's views, they all joined in agreement under the circumstances.

A day of training quickly passed.

Chen Qiong Zhi had been invited by Li Yi to act as a witness and was now standing at one side of the fighting arena.

"Are both sides ready?"

"Ready."

Gu Tianyi and Li Yi answered respectively.

After the intensive training ended, Li Yi remained in the activated Pluto Mech. He stood at one side of the fighting arena, waiting quietly.

Opposite him stood the Divine Mech of the evolver Gu Tianyi.

Fire God Series, a D-grade Changrong Mech.

It stood thirty-nine meters tall, with the overall form of a snake's head atop a tiger's body. Its outer armor was a withered yellow, while its arms, thighs, and chest were covered in mottled cloud patterns. Its overall texture felt far more biological than metallic.

From afar, it looked like a gigantic upright monster.

Only the enormous hard metal armor covering its snake head with a cold gleam made one realize that it was a massive mech.

"Then begin."

The Pluto Mech strode forward and charged first.

Inside the Changrong Mech, Gu Tianyi sighed inwardly and thought,

It's too late now. There's no use regretting boarding this pirate ship. I'll settle Li Yi with overwhelming means and let him witness the Divinity Technique I've spent so long developing!

"Heh, I've held this move back for two years and never shown it off before everyone. Li Yi, you can consider yourself lucky."

He controlled the Changrong Mech to meet fist with fist, intending to force back the Pluto Mech in a direct clash. Once he gained effective distance, he would unleash his trump-card Divinity Technique, Fire Tiger Roar!

Boom!!!

The two fists collided. Airwaves churned violently, and the shockwave swept across the fighting arena.

The next instant, an intense burden surged through the sensory channels in his arm. Gu Tianyi felt searing pain shoot through it.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Wasn't this an enhanced version of the Pierce-Word Technique?

It didn't need to strike the cockpit? Hitting the arm could produce such an effect too?

Question marks flooded Gu Tianyi's mind.

Before he could react, a massive fist filled the panoramic view ahead of the Changrong Mech, growing larger and larger as it hurtled toward him.

Bang!!!

The violent shock passed through the Changrong Mech's hard head protection, and the remaining fraction of its force reached Gu Tianyi inside the cockpit.

Then,

the Changrong Mech swayed, lost its balance, and fell.

A deafening crash shook the fighting arena.

The spectators below fell silent.

He had directly knocked down Gu Tianyi, ranked thirty-seventh, with only two strikes of a mech technique?!

When he fought Zhang Qingjian the day before yesterday, he had needed so much setup. How had he finished this in a single opening exchange now?

Chen Qiong Zhi coughed lightly.

"Li Yi wins this wager!"

Li Yi's voice also came from within the Pluto Mech.

"Who's next? Let's finish quickly. Don't hold everyone up from eating."

Zhang Xuqiang's expression turned ugly.