Chapter 287 Interstellar Journey: He 'Escapes,' They Chase.
Inside a private room on the second floor of the spectator area in Zone 8 of the arena.
Several A-level mercenary group leaders sat casually on the sofa, holding snacks made from natural foods they had bought on the black market, their expressions clearly showing some annoyance.
"Still no news?" someone asked impatiently.
The others scoffed, "If we had any, would we be here taking turns keeping watch?"
If the other party hadn't started a live stream, they wouldn't even have known that the person had been to the black market.
"That's an eighth-level ability user, with over a dozen special abilities. He's deliberately hiding it, what can we do?"
"On the bright side, at least we've eliminated one option. Maybe we'll get lucky and just happen to run into him at the arena today?"
"Ha, even if they really come, we won't recognize them once they put on their bio-masks. We might not even know until they leave and start a live stream."
One impatient person said, "Forget it, I don't think I'm lucky enough to run into an eighth-level expert. I'd rather watch a gladiatorial match to change my mood. I heard that the people of Illusion Dream have discovered a special type of ability user on a remote planet who is going to make his appearance today."
The others glanced at the packed stands and remarked, "No wonder there are so many people today."
"I've heard about that special ability too, but I don't know exactly what kind of superpower it is. Has any of you heard anything about it?"
"I don't know. Huanmeng is deliberately keeping the news under wraps and piquing people's interest. She's probably even set up a betting pool to guess what the ability is. It's an old habit of hers. We'll know what the ability is once the person takes the stage."
While they were talking, a new round of battle had already begun inside the arena, with most of the participants being self-registered contestants.
Most of these fighters are regulars in the arena and are quite familiar to the audience, but today is a bit of an surprise, with a new face showing considerable strength.
The cadres in the private room, having nothing better to do, casually observed the other side and found that they were winning each game very easily.
The strength they've displayed appears to be at least level four, and might even reach level five.
Most of the cadres in these A-level regiments are only at this level.
The key point is that, despite having a fire-based ability that could easily attract attention, the opponent used very understated techniques.
Unlike other mercenaries who frequently unleash massive fireballs or fire dragons in a showy manner, this mercenary concentrates his power, using small, dense flames to send his opponents fleeing in terror.
When facing an offensive opponent, they strike first and their evasion speed is extremely fast.
Throughout the entire battle, his clothes remained perfectly in place, displaying a low-key yet pretentious demeanor that belied his exceptional skill. This drew mixed reactions from the group of officers and mercenaries, who either admired him or scoffed at him.
What a show!
However, they also have to admit that this kind of showing off is indeed particularly eye-catching.
Some people might say, "This guy is such a show-off," but secretly they're thinking about trying a similar fighting style next time to impress everyone else.
Seeing that the opponent had won several games in a row, the mercenaries in the private room also tacitly placed a lot of bets on the opponent, easily winning hundreds of thousands of star coins.
The mercenaries were in a good mood after making money. One of them even went so far as to ask a staff member at the arena, "Which mercenary group is this guy from? He looks unfamiliar, I've never seen him before."
If an ordinary audience member asked, the staff would definitely say, "The identity information of the registered contestants is confidential and cannot be disclosed." However, these A-level mercenary group leaders were regulars and had some connections with his boss, the Dream Mercenary Group, so they readily provided the other party's information.
"This person is called Xuanji. This is his first time in the arena. He is a level 5 fire-type ability user and a freelance mercenary."
"Xuanji? What a strange name." Someone muttered.
The others, however, were intrigued: "They're actually freelance mercenaries? That's quite unusual."
It's not uncommon for a high-level superhuman to not be recruited by any mercenary group.
For example, the other party might have originally been a member of a mercenary group, but left the group due to disagreements over the distribution of spoils or other reasons; an academic with superpowers who came to experience life; a reformed space pirate; or simply someone who dislikes being restrained and prefers to be alone... There are too many possibilities.
However, such examples are indeed not many.
Because once they appear, they will inevitably be hired or recruited by other mercenary groups at high prices to become their own people.
Just like now.
Several officers from different mercenary groups, who were also considering recruiting, exchanged glances, and an invisible spark sizzled among them.
Their idea was simple.
Even if they really can't find Lu Xuan in the end, at least they can recruit a level 5 ability user to improve their overall strength, so it won't be a complete waste of time.
The burly, bearded man sitting on the left said to the person opposite him, "Didn't your mercenary group suffer heavy losses last month when several mechs broke down? Do you still have money to recruit new people?"
The other party chuckled: "Don't worry about it, we can afford this amount of money. But your Captain Ryan, I heard that he spent tens of millions of star coins on his mistress on the capital star last week and even misappropriated the team's assets. There's been a lot of unpleasantness within your team lately, and you still have the mind to recruit new people? Don't end up using the new recruits' salaries to support your mistresses."
The burly man with the thick beard twitched his face, inwardly cursing the regimental commander, who had been so charmed by his lover that he was practically brain-dead.
Others also exposed each other's shortcomings in an attempt to suppress their competitors. One said that there was too much infighting in your group and the mortality rate was too high, while another said that there were too many water-type ability users in your group, which were incompatible with fire-type ability users and would easily lead to fights.
Finally, the person who had given up said impatiently, "That's enough. You guys are fighting over it, but you have to consider what the other party means. Maybe they don't even want any of them."
While the reputation of an A-level mercenary group is impressive, most of the people who become mercenaries are quite individualistic, and some may even harbor the idea of "better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond" and want to start their own business from scratch.
The others didn't think that just by introducing themselves, everyone would be scrambling to join them. They just scoffed at their competitors and said, "Then let's find them and ask them after today's duel."
After saying that, the group calmed down again and continued watching the game.
Upon closer inspection, it was quickly discovered that something was amiss.
Having won another match, Xuanji immediately began a new round of gladiatorial combat. This time, however, he was less fortunate, encountering a water-type ability user of the same level.
As is well known, water overcomes fire at the same level.
The mercenaries in the private room, as well as many other spectators in the audience, subconsciously felt that it was likely to be a tough battle.
Unexpectedly, Xuanji's fighting style changed. When the opponent released a majestic water dragon, countless seemingly tiny flames shot out from his fingertips.
Before the water dragon could extinguish the flames, a sudden gust of wind swept through the arena, blowing fiercely at the flames and turning dozens of small flames into a sea of fire that spread across most of the arena. In the blink of an eye, the water dragon opposite them was completely evaporated.
With the hissing sound of water evaporating, the venue was covered with a large amount of water vapor.
The audience members whose view was blocked cried out, "We can't see!"
"Where's the camera? Quick! Zoom in!"
"Why is there such a strong wind all of a sudden? Could it be that a wind-type ability user intervened? This is cheating!"
The mercenaries in the private room reacted quickly. They knew that no one would dare to cheat in Illusion Dream's arena. Moreover, they clearly saw Xuanji's finger move the moment the wind picked up.
Someone couldn't help but whistle, "A dual-elemental ability user of wind and fire? This guy named Xuanji has been holding back."
Although the others didn't speak, their gazes toward Xuanji were noticeably more enthusiastic than before.
Fire-type abilities, as offensive abilities, are practical but also quite common and not particularly rare.
However, if it's a dual-elemental system, especially a complementary wind and fire dual-elemental system, its value is quite different.
If recruiting a high-level fire-type ability user requires an annual salary of tens of millions, then recruiting someone with both wind and fire abilities would require at least two to three times that amount.
Simply making them a regular member isn't enough; it's best to directly promise them a leadership position, responsibilities, and extra bonuses.
But this was not a decision they could make easily. Several people quickly opened their personal computers to contact their boss and explain the situation.
At this point, they did not realize that the dual elements of wind and fire were only the beginning.
Because of Xuanji's formidable strength, the arena deliberately adjusted his opponent, choosing a star fighter of similar skill to increase the entertainment value, control the audience odds, and avoid a one-sided situation.
Xuanji lived up to expectations, using either wind-based abilities or a combination of wind and fire, bringing the audience quite exciting battle scenes.
But before long, the opponent got a little bored and started to change their fighting style.
He abandoned his wind and fire powers, and two water dragons rose from the ground behind him, shocking everyone.
Upon discovering the dazzling and captivating lightning flashing on the water dragon's body, the mercenaries in the various private rooms almost simultaneously stood up, their pupils dilating in shock, their faces filled with astonishment and excitement.
"It's him!"
"Lu Xuan! There's no mistake!"
Dual-elemental ability users are rare, but you can still find ten or eight on the entire Mercenary Star. However, this one showed at least four different abilities, plus his unusual speed when dodging attacks. If it weren't for the interdimensional streamer Lu Xuan, they would have ripped their own heads off and used them as footballs!
There were plenty of smart people at the scene, and many in the regular seats also realized what was happening.
Those who hadn't realized what was happening soon became aware of it after being reminded by others, and quickly joined in the commotion.
Xuan Ji, or rather Lu Xuan, didn't bother to hide it after hearing his name frequently appearing in the audience, so he simply clicked on the live stream.
Some people who were initially skeptical received a notification on their personal computers that said, "The streamer you follow is going live!" When they opened it, they found a familiar gladiator scene, from the perspective of the players, and they no longer had any doubts.
The streamer Lu Xuan has actually appeared in the arena!
The entire arena erupted in an instant, with countless high-ranking mercenaries rushing out of their private rooms, and many in the regular audience nearly rioting.
Fortunately, the arena has a protective shield that is always on to prevent interference with the battle. Once the battle begins, no matter how excited these people are, they cannot rush in.
Many people shouted anxiously and angrily to the staff around them, "Quickly open the protective shield and let us in!"
"Did you guys already know that this Xuanji is Lu Xuan? Damn, I should have realized that name sooner."
"No wonder they won so easily before. Level 8 ability users can easily defeat Level 4 or 5 ability users."
"Damn it! If I had known he was Lu Xuan, I would have been crazy to bet on anyone else to win! No matter how good a star player is, can he be better than a clone-type ability user?"
Despite the cheers from the audience, including some mercenaries from B-rank mercenary groups, the arena staff, though equally excited by the arrival of the Level 8 ability user, still kept their own rules in mind.
"A new round of battle has begun. No one is allowed to interfere with the fight for any reason. Anyone who dares to challenge the rules of the arena, don't blame the Dream Mercenary Group for being impolite!"
The calm yet cautionary words instantly brought everyone to a standstill.
The title of S-class mercenary group represents strength and authority on Mercenary Planet. No matter how free and unrestrained a person is, they dare not disregard them.
The audience could only remain in their seats, reluctant yet eager, their eyes glued to the scene, unwilling to look away for even a moment.
The viewers who had been waiting in the live stream were also somewhat confused by what they saw.
It was only after Lu Xuan concisely explained the current situation to them that they understood.
[Holy crap, why didn't the streamer wait until they left before starting the broadcast this time? They're going to get caught by the Mercenary Star people!?]
[So what if they're caught? How many mercenaries can rival a streamer? Streamers can stream whenever they want, who can stop them?]
[The arena! It used to be my domain.]
Is the person opposite the streamer his opponent for this match? How good is he?
Lu Xuan said, "Not bad. A level 5 special ability user. I heard that he was specially recruited by an S-class mercenary group as a potential star player. We don't know what his specific ability is yet. We'll have to try him out to find out."
【? Level 5 is considered good? That's incredibly weak.】
[Special type of superpower? Isn't this just someone rushing to offer help to the streamer? ???]
Oh right! How come I didn't think of that?
Is this young man's first appearance today? He's run into the streamer in his very first match, tsk tsk, I almost want to light a candle for him.
While Lu Xuan was chatting with the audience, Lin Nuo, a special type of superpowered individual, was still somewhat confused about the situation.
Receivers were installed in the audience area so the sound could be heard clearly.
However, to avoid interference, the protective shields used to prevent spectators from entering also muffled the sound, so Linno AI could hear what seemed like a lot of 'cheers' outside, but couldn't make out what they were saying.
Therefore, he naturally assumed that the audience was excited because they had heard about him in advance, which made him even more motivated and spirited, and determined to give a good performance in today's show.
He looked at Lu Xuan with a surge of fighting spirit.
I heard that this person won several games today, but unfortunately his winning streak will soon end with him, and he will soon become a stepping stone on his road to fame.
Thinking about it this way, she couldn't help but feel a little more pity when she looked at Lu Xuan.
[Wait, why is this guy looking at the streamer with such a strange expression? Does he naively think he can beat the streamer?]
[No way, how could a few dishes make him this drunk?]
[You guys don't know the dynamics of the arena; he probably doesn't even know his opponent is a streamer. Special-type ability users naturally have an advantage over regular-type users, so it's understandable that he'd think the streamer was bound to lose if he wasn't aware of the situation. x]
He's probably lost his mind; it won't be the streamer who's embarrassed later.
Soon, the referee announced the start of the battle.
Lin Nuo gave a low shout and made the first move.
He grabbed his arm, pulled hard, and twisted it. Everyone heard a clear sound of bones breaking. Almost simultaneously, Lu Xuan's arm opposite him also made a 'crack' sound.
Lu Xuan looked down at his broken arm and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Looking at Lin Nuo's face again, there was no sign of pain whatsoever, not even a drop of cold sweat. It seemed that he understood what the other party's superpower was.
Most of them are things like damage transfer.
Lu Xuan murmured, "Interesting."
While he wouldn't need to resort to such self-harming methods that, even without pain, would hinder his movements, it must be acknowledged that this ability could indeed turn the tide of battle in crucial moments.
However, using it on him would be a waste.
Healing powers wrapped around the severed arm, instantly healing the broken bones. When Lin Nuo thought he had caught him off guard and weakened his fighting power, he casually waved his hand.
Double the gravity crushing.
Before the person even got close, they were immediately pinned to the ground and rubbed against the ground.
Lin Nuo, who was lying heavily on the ground with his body prostrate on the ground, felt the heavy pressure on his body and was completely stunned.
In contrast, the audience in the live broadcast room and outside the venue erupted in thunderous cheers after a brief silence.
"good!!!"
"That's incredible! No wonder he's an eighth-level ability user!"
[The streamer is definitely the coolest!]
[Ha, this kid's trying to scam the streamer, he'd better just stay on the ground!]
[It's not even the New Year yet, it's such a waste to give such a big gift, hehehe.]
Lin Nuo was initially stunned by the pressure, but his familiar fighting style made him realize what was happening quickly. His pupils contracted sharply, and his breathing became noticeably rapid.
Gravity superpower!
His voice cracked with excitement, "You, you're Lu Xuan—!?"
Lin Nuo nearly vomited blood, not from the pressure of the gravity ability, but because he was only level five! How could he possibly defeat a level eight ability user!
Is he insane, or has the arena gone mad?!
Thinking back to how he had recently been planning to make a big splash and use people as stepping stones, Lin Nuo's face flushed bright red.
Just then, Lu Xuan bent down and gently patted him.
Lin Nuo was taken aback at first, but then, thinking of the other party's special ability, his expression changed.
"You—" He opened his mouth to say something, but then suddenly realized something was wrong. He looked down and found that his broken arm had somehow been completely restored.
The words that were about to come out were immediately swallowed back.
Lu Xuan then casually flicked out a spatial ring, which landed right on top of Lin Nuo's head, which was being flattened by the gravity-based ability.
"There are some supplies and an anonymous card inside, which can be considered a thank you gift for copying your superpowers."
After speaking, he looked at the robot referee, who, through intelligent judgment, determined that Lin Nuo had lost the ability to fight back and immediately announced that the 'Xuanji' contestant had won.
The cheers on the field immediately became even more enthusiastic, with countless people continuously shouting Lu Xuan's name.
Many people looked at Lin Nuo with envy as he stood up and picked up the spatial ring with a complicated expression, eager to know how many good things were inside.
At that time, more than 80% of the powerful mercenary leaders and their subordinates who had received the message from their subordinates, including the high-ranking members of the mercenary group who remained in Mercenary Star, rushed to District 8 at the fastest speed they had ever seen, and surrounded the entire arena.
Many space pirates also came to see if there was anything they could get their hands on.
As the battle ended, the protective shield in the arena quietly disappeared, and dozens of figures suddenly appeared in the circular arena that originally only contained Lu Xuan and Lin Nuo.
Each of these people exuded a powerful aura, and the audience members effortlessly recognized the names of most of them.
Undoubtedly, each of them is a renowned powerhouse from various A-level and B-level mercenary groups.
They formed a huge circle around Lu Xuan, their gazes fixed on him. Even the viewers in the live stream could feel the tense atmosphere through their screens.
What are they trying to do? Are they going to gang up on the streamer?
【Are they crazy? Ganging up on an eighth-level ability user? Are they out of their minds?】
[What are they doing? They've surrounded the streamer, aren't they going to fight?]
While I don't believe the mercenaries are hostile to the streamer for no reason, this situation is certainly quite misleading.
In fact, although these regimental commanders and cadres surrounded the area, none of them dared to, or even intended to, take action.
They had been chasing Lu Xuan for several days, and when they finally caught him, they instinctively didn't want him to escape.
But once you actually stop someone, you don't know what to do for a moment.
With so many people around, even if one wanted to win people over or do business by trading treasures, it wouldn't be appropriate to reveal one's bargaining chips in public.
Just as they were struggling with their inner turmoil and hesitation, Lu Xuan calmly glanced around, and a meaningful smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
A keen, subconscious thought arose: "Oh no, be careful he doesn't get away—"
Before they could finish speaking, Lu Xuan's figure vanished without a trace before their eyes.
The commander of a certain Class A regiment shouted, "Quickly open the protective shield!"
Someone nearby blurted out, "Seal off the arena!"
The Dream Team cadres present glanced at them but made no move.
Putting aside the fact that sealing off the arena would offend too many people and easily provoke the dissatisfaction of certain desperate individuals with special identities, the protective shield was already activated the moment the other party spoke.
But the Dream Clan's leader instinctively felt it was too late.
Sure enough, as soon as the protective shield was activated, an oppressive aura of supernatural power suddenly enveloped the entire arena, even spreading to a large surrounding area.
The expressions of everyone present immediately changed, and many of those with weaker abilities turned pale and fainted instantly.
—Level 8 Intimidation!
Most of the regimental leaders possessed abilities at levels five to six, and the oppressive force of being two major realms below them made them feel very uncomfortable.
They couldn't care less about surrounding or intercepting them at this moment; they focused all their strength on resisting the relentless, overwhelming pressure.
The arena was now packed with at least tens of thousands of people, not to mention the billions of viewers in Lu Xuan's live stream.
If they lose face in front of so many people, they'll be finished.
The mercenaries, who were completely absorbed in dealing with the pressure, had no idea how much time had passed.
Perhaps a minute? Ten minutes?
In short, when the oppressive force dissipated, the suppressed leaders were soaked in sweat, their faces covered in cold sweat.
"call--!"
Someone couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, but then realized something and quickly regained their composure, looking around, clearing their throat, and asking in a low voice, "Where is everyone?"
The others rolled their eyes. "They must have run away long ago."
Someone opened their personal computer to check the news on the StarNet, and as expected, the news that Lu Xuan had appeared in the arena had already spread online.
Furthermore, videos of Lu Xuan's previous battles, taken by audience members at the scene, were widely shared. In just a few minutes, the total number of shares had already reached tens of millions and was still increasing.
A group of team leaders quickly opened their personal computers and entered Lu Xuan's live stream, only to find that it was still running.
One of the team leaders, feeling resentful, sent a comment on the screen.
[Why are you running so fast, streamer? We just want to discuss a few transactions with you. Aren't you going to make any money from the Star Coins?]
After the first mercenary appeared in the live stream, several others, seemingly the leader of a mercenary group, followed suit.
[That's right, the streamer has so many supplies they can't possibly use them all, so why not sell them to us? Streamer, name your price, I promise I won't haggle!]
Before the streamer joined Star Alliance, winning a prize was difficult. Now that he's finally here, shouldn't we be given a chance to spend money to win something?
These mercenary group leaders didn't intend to get something for nothing; while speaking, they also generously showered the group with gifts.
They didn't expect Lu Xuan to agree to the deal immediately, but at least they should reply with a sentence or two to show their stance and let them know what he was planning.
They've already reserved some supplies at the auction, so they probably don't object to trading, right?
Lu Xuan, who had already returned to the hotel, curled his lips into a smile and said unhurriedly, "Want to make a deal? Sure, I'll consider it once you actually 'catch' me."
After that, the short but extremely exciting live broadcast of the day finally came to an end.
All the commanders: Damn it!
-
In the following days, Lu Xuan continued to travel all over the planet, but he did not reveal his identity on the spot like he did on the day of the arena.
The mercenary groups could only continue to camp out everywhere like headless flies, or wait for him to expose the places he had been in a live broadcast before chasing after him in vain.
After all that back and forth, many people ended up winning the fight.
The audience, still savoring the exciting scenes in the arena, sympathized with the mercenaries while laughing and shouting "Modo, Modo!"
They love watching the drama of 'he runs away and they chase'.
As for who is truly trapped and unable to escape? Hey, you can decide for yourself.
...
Many of the mercenaries who couldn't find Lu Xuan turned their attention to Lin Nuo.
They hadn't forgotten the supplies Lin Nuo had received from Lu Xuan.
Lin Nuo didn't expect that although he lost the show, he would become much more famous than he had anticipated by riding on the popularity of Lu Xuan, a top celebrity.
Now, at least billions of people across the entire Star Alliance know his name, and at the same time, dozens or even hundreds of high-level mercenary groups are eyeing the supplies in his possession.
Despite having Huanmeng backing him up, Lin Nuo knew in his heart that these people were seething with anger because they couldn't find Lu Xuan.
If he takes a hard line, he might become the target of the other man's anger.
Lin Nuo could only pretend to be generous and reveal the quantity and type of supplies in his spatial ring.
And the amount of Star Coins in that anonymous card.
A full 10 million Star Coins.
Upon learning the amount, many people gasped.
Admittedly, with Lu Xuan's wealth, tens of millions of star coins are not much.
However, an A-level mercenary group might only receive tens of millions in reward for a mission, which they then have to share with other members of the group. Even the group leader might not get ten million.
Ordinary members, or even members of B- or C-level mercenary groups, might need at least two or three years to earn that amount.
It's true that Lin Nuo was recruited by Huanmeng, but he was only recruited to the arena as a contestant, not officially joined Huanmeng. Earning tens of millions of star coins is not an easy task.
Moreover, the spatial ring also contained thousands of kilograms of mutated rice and flour, several hundred kilograms of mutated fruit, and other natural foods.
The mercenary groups certainly wouldn't covet the Star Coins, but these foods, especially the mutated fruits that can enhance physical fitness and increase the probability of gene evolution fluid awakening, would be something even Illusion couldn't remain indifferent to.
Lin Nuo knew he couldn't keep so much stuff, and he was quite open-minded about it. He only kept one-tenth of it, traded half of it to Huanmeng, and the rest was divided up at a high price by A-level mercenary groups. B-level groups... couldn't even get a scrap of it.
These supplies brought Lin Nuo another tens of millions in income.
Lin Nuo, who became rich overnight: ...Can he just lie down and relax?
-
Unbeknownst to him, Lu Xuan had been on the mercenary planet for seven days.
The first group of enthusiastic fans from habitable planets near Mercenary Star, along with mercenary groups that had turned back shortly after their mission, returned to Mercenary Star.
The already lively Mercenary Star became even more bustling.
In contrast, Lu Xuan, who had been very active before, suddenly became quiet.
Some people speculate that Lu Xuan might be afraid because there are more people around, increasing the risk of exposure.
This speculation was immediately met with ridicule.
Even if there are many of them, how could they scare an eighth-level superhuman? What a joke.
Many people on Mercenary Star have been following his live streams for years, and they know all too well that Lu Xuan is not like that at all.
They even doubted whether there was anything in this world that could frighten Lu Xuan.
Probably not.
Why did he suddenly become so quiet? Did he change his personality?
Or did their conscience finally awaken?
Nobody knows.
However, some mid-level mercenary groups with average strength gradually calmed down after joining in the fun for a few days.
-----------------------
Author's Note: After the main story ended, too many people bought the extra chapters with zero subscriptions. The extra chapters will be released as VIP chapters of the main story. I've also changed the anti-piracy settings (if the subscription rate is less than 50%, the latest chapter will only be unlocked after 10 days).
I think all my legitimate readers can meet this requirement! There shouldn't be any problem! [doge]
——
Reader "Yan" irrigated with nutrient solution +1 2025-08-19 19:55:27
Reader "Jenny Masto" watered with nutrient solution +2+2
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