Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

The direct challenge issued to Wang Chen by GR003889 was also known as a revenge challenge.

Anyone who had been defeated by Wang Chen could initiate this kind of challenge—"I want to win back!"

But here was the catch: Wang Chen could fully choose to decline. Refusing a revenge challenge would not affect his record in any way.

Unless there was extra money involved.

Wang Chen had requested the maximum bet limit of 1,000 Star Currency for the gambling challenge, and the opponent unexpectedly offered a bet ten times that amount, driven by a fiery desire for revenge.

To put it into perspective, if Wang Chen lost, his loss was capped at 1,000 Star Currency. But if the opponent lost, they'd have to pay ten times the amount!

Since GR003889 was so generous, Wang Chen readily accepted their direct challenge.

In the next instant, he was teleported into an entirely new scenario.

Endless yellow sands stretched across the terrain, with undulating dunes and toppled statues buried in the expanse, showcasing the merciless passage of time.

A few dozen meters away from Wang Chen, a graceful silhouette stood atop the head of a fallen statue, overlooking him with a piercing gaze that seemed intent on penetrating his very soul.

This stunning opponent turned out to be a young girl of delicate beauty!

Although Wang Chen couldn't recall when he had defeated her before, such trivial matters didn't weigh on his mind. Out of due respect for the 10,000 Star Currency wager, he raised his sword and performed a courteous salute.

The girl leapt down from the statue with pride and said coldly, "Last time I lost to you because I was weak. This time, I will use my sword to wipe away the shame. Are you ready?"

Wang Chen smiled calmly: "I'm ready."

"Then prepare to die!"

With a fierce shout, the girl suddenly surged forward, dashing straight toward Wang Chen.

As their distance narrowed to around ten meters, she abruptly propelled herself into the air, drawing the longsword from her back in a reverse grip, and delivering an overhead slash aimed directly at Wang Chen with tremendous force!

That slash was as swift as lightning—sharp, ferocious, and unstoppable—radiating an aura of absolute lethality.

Excellent!

Wang Chen nodded slightly. He didn't dodge or flinch as he unsheathed his own blade.

Clang!

His sword flashed like a rainbow, streaking upward with uncanny speed, sending an arc that instantly sliced across his opponent's form.

The girl's ultimate attack had some merit.

But only just a bit.

Her courage was admirable, and her swordsmanship wasn't bad either.

Yet in Wang Chen's eyes, her actions were still sluggish and rigid, riddled with openings.

Wang Chen merely had to lock onto one and send her crashing down!

Like a swan with broken wings, the girl fell heavily onto the ground, her body nearly split into two halves.

"ID: LY297483 wins."

Wang Chen sheathed his sword and saluted the opponent who had now dissipated into white light: "Thank you for the match!"

Opponents who willingly handed over money were the best kinds of opponents—they deserved utmost respect.

Wang Chen was nearly tempted to say, "Please come again next time."

Bear in mind that he had received direct challenges before, but none of those challengers had offered more than triple the bet.

This one, however, was at the maximum tenfold!

Wang Chen sincerely hoped she would continue her fearless and relentless spirit, and challenge him again with renewed determination.

Unfortunately, GR003889 chose not to.

Wang Chen could only proceed with other gambling matches.

Time marched on relentlessly, halting for no one. Amid daily training and earning money, Wang Chen soon came to the day when he would leave for the Imperial First Military Academy.

Packing light, he only filled a single backpack, bidding farewell to the academy dormitory where he had lived for four years without a shred of sentimentality. He boarded a transport ship and flew to Azure Star Spaceport.

No one came to see Wang Chen off when he left. He merely sent a message to Gao Jing, his only friend from his past self.

Half an hour later, Wang Chen boarded the Distant Star Space Cruise Liner at the spaceport.

The Distant Star Space Cruise Liner was a massive interstellar vessel that could transport 200,000 passengers at once, traversing Star Gates with a range that extended to every star cluster within the empire.

The Imperial First Military Academy was located on Taiwu Star, the principal planet of the Taiwu Star Cluster, separated from Azure Star Cluster by a great distance that required crossing five Star Gates to reach.

Wang Chen held a first-class ticket for the Distant Star.

This ticket wasn't purchased with his own money—it was provided by the Azure Star Cluster's Garrison Legion as part of their investment in him.

Otherwise, Wang Chen would have had to pay 38,000 Star Currency—a cost equivalent to an average Azure Star citizen's annual salary!

While interstellar tourism was undeniably romantic and captivating, it was a luxury few could afford. In fact, most planetary residents likely never boarded a space cruise in their lifetime.

Many preferred to explore the cosmos through Star Sea Networks, where the experience was similar and completely free.

An hour later, Distant Star's colossal engines emitted radiant blue flames, slowly disengaging from its berth at the spaceport and heading toward the Star Gate.

Through his cabin windows, Wang Chen gazed down at the blue planet below.

Though this sight was far from new to him, it still evoked an indescribable complexity of emotions.

The Distant Star quickly passed through the first Star Gate.

Compared to transport ships, the experience aboard this large space cruise liner during Star Gate jumps was noticeably smoother. Relaxing within the comfort of his first-class cabin, Wang Chen hardly felt any discomfort and reached the other side of the Star Gate in the blink of an eye.

But traveling to the next Star Gate would take considerably longer.

The total itinerary for this journey spanned half a month.

However, the 15-day voyage wouldn't be boring. As a luxury liner, Distant Star was equipped with outstanding facilities, including an opera house, amusement park, casino, restaurant, gym, and more.

There were dozens of restaurants onboard. In addition to free buffets, passengers could also pay for premium meals prepared with natural ingredients by master chefs.

After eating to their fill, they could enjoy live performances or roll the dice at the casino.

Almost anything available on a planet could be found aboard the Distant Star!

Most importantly, passengers could connect to the Star Sea Network from their cabins, with disruptions occurring only during Star Gate jumps.

For Wang Chen, traveling aboard the Distant Star was a hugely different experience compared to traveling on transport ships. He made the most of the perks provided by the Azure Star Garrison Legion and immersed himself in various entertainment activities onboard the liner.

Wang Chen even tried his luck at the casino.

Maybe it was beginner's luck—he actually managed to score several thousand Star Currency on his first visit.

Acting decisively, Wang Chen walked away and never returned to the gambling floors.

His favorite spot turned out to be a restaurant specializing in high-quality mutated creature meat, where the chef excelled at creating delectably grilled and roasted dishes.

The flavors were incredible, but the prices were steep. After indulging in two meals, Wang Chen restrained his appetite.

As the midpoint of the journey arrived, just as Wang Chen believed the remainder of the trip would proceed without incident, an unexpected situation unfolded.

On the ninth afternoon aboard the Distant Star, while Wang Chen was dominating Starry Seas Arena, his network connection suddenly cut out, forcing his consciousness to disconnect abruptly.

An alarming emergency alert popped up at the same time!

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Second chapter delivered.