Li Mo's mechanized armor lay on the ground, wisps of smoke curling from various points on its chassis, yet, just as he had claimed, the exterior casing remained utterly undamaged. Qin Fen knew it was impossible to smash the armor and drag the man out to kill him.

The onlookers chuckled, thinking that these thirty-six hours had merely been an extended opportunity for venting.

The moment that thought crossed their minds, they heard Qin Fen, who had walked up to the downed mech, state coldly, "You are already dead."

"Dead? Impossible! I'm alive!" Li Mo roared back undaunted, "Thirty-six hours, you are indeed formidable. But I have shattered your myth! Even if I couldn't kill you, you couldn't defeat or kill me either! We are at a draw! I am the first person to force you into accepting a draw."

"You?" Qin Fen laughed with utter disdain, lightly flicking his fingers. "I told you, you are already dead. Do you think the recent attacks were useless? Let me explain. The first time I fired, it wasn't to pierce your armor. That was always impossible. But you didn't know, did you? Your first-generation mech, completely unmodified, has many vulnerabilities. For example, the location I shot—any sufficiently powerful impact or vibration there causes the central control components to temporarily seize up for about twenty minutes. //\ Turning it into completely useless scrap metal that can't move for two decades…"

Cold sweat broke out on Li Mo’s back, and the surrounding spectators were left speechless. Who exactly was this Thirty-Six Hours? Under those circumstances, how could he maintain such a clear mind and execute such a plan? Then what about his cannon barrage just now?

"As for the second round of attacks," Qin Fen lifted his leg and kicked the mech lying on the ground, "I didn't expect to shatter this tough thing. My goal was simple: to break it! To completely incapacitate its mobility, and…"

Qin Fen hopped onto the mech, placing his foot on the cockpit area, and continued, "To destroy its opening mechanism."

Li Mo’s body stiffened involuntarily, while the others stared at Qin Fen as if he were a monster. They could only marvel: Thirty-Six Hours is too vicious.

"From now on, the moment you enter the Sky Combat Net, you will appear inside this metal shell, lying here, completely unable to move. Until…" Qin Fen chose to sit directly on the armor’s frame, "Until you can't bear it and choose to commit suicide inside."

Li Mo shook his head repeatedly upon hearing Qin Fen's words: "No! No! You're lying to me! You are trying to trick me! Thirty-Six Hours, you want me to open the cockpit. \/ It must be that!"

Qin Fen didn't spare the despicable wretch another glance. He jumped down from the mech and slowly surveyed the onlookers from the other factions lining the street. "I announce two things. First: The construction of Dragon Hall was purely to earn money, with no intention of further expansion, so I hope we can coexist peacefully. Second: Dragon Hall will, in principle, not initiate attacks against any faction. However, if attacked, we will absolutely counterattack with full force. Today’s fate for Li Mo of 'Beauty of the Rivers and Mountains' is the result of attacking my Dragon Hall. Anyone who dares to help him open his cockpit is declaring war on my Dragon Hall."

His resounding declaration caused many faction members to nod almost instinctively, naturally choosing not to provoke Thirty-Six Hours.

The other factions that didn't nod merely looked upon the downed Li Mo with the pity reserved for a clown. No one would cheer for such a person if he won, and if he lost, he was worse than a stray dog.

Qin Fen walked over to Zhang Xiangyang and pointed at the despairing Li Mo trapped in the armor: "After he commits suicide, find a vehicle and sell this thing; we can earn some money back."

"Got it." Zhang Xiangyang gestured toward the three M134 Miniguns and the Type 92 Infantry Gun lying on the ground, "What about these?"

Qin Fen pondered briefly. "Keep one cannon, sell the other. Keep two M134s, sell one. We recoup costs and make a small profit, while simultaneously boosting our defense. Perfect."

"Good! Good!"

Accompanied by a rush of hurried, chaotic footsteps, a middle-aged man stood near the mech, applauding loudly and smiling. "Thirty-Six Hours, I knew it! You truly are a future general for my Qitian Pagoda!"

"Qitian Pagoda?" Qin Fen found the name slightly familiar, thinking for a moment before recalling it was the organization that dominated a third of the territory on the next street over.

"I apologize, I am not interested in merging," Qin Fen waved him off. "You heard what I just said. I only want to make money, nothing more."

"Haha, you must be young?" The big man's laughter carried the flavor of a true martial hero. "Join Robert's Qitian Pagoda, and I can offer you extremely generous compensation. How about that?"

Qin Fen quietly observed Robert, surprised that the leader of an organization with such an Eastern-sounding name turned out to be a fair-haired, blue-eyed Westerner. He responded expressionlessly, "As an employee, to receive generous compensation, the profit they create must be dozens of times that amount. Do you think I’m an idiot? Offering such compensation as a bribe is a foolish move."

Before Robert could speak, Qin Fen continued, "Though my current strength isn't overwhelming, my fame is considerable. Joining Qitian Pagoda would be free advertising for you. Today's battle will only enhance my reputation; you simply cannot afford me."

Robert stared at Qin Fen, momentarily speechless. He even began to doubt whether this person, who kept his face hidden, was actually young. Contemplating so many profit-driven matters in such a short span was uncharacteristic for a youth focused purely on martial arts! Unless this person was a highly experienced adult whose focus was dispersed, allowing for such analysis. Robert became more convinced of his theory and chuckled slyly. Young people tended to be impulsive and passionate; once they made a decision, it was hard to reverse. An adult, however, could still be reasoned with by clearly outlining the benefits and risks.

"Thirty-Six Hours, don't be ungrateful! It is your fortune that Robert values you…"

One of the men accompanying Robert suddenly shouted loudly from the crowd, but before he could finish his sentence, his mouth snapped shut, afraid to utter another word.

In an instant, Qin Fen snatched the firearm from Zhang Xiangyang’s hand and locked onto the arrogant shouter. These people had all witnessed Qin Fen's feat of taking down over twenty opponents with a single burst of gunfire from the shadows, and they knew precisely how accurate his marksmanship was. No one dared provoke him further.

"Haha, Thirty-Six Hours, you are too rash," Robert said, stepping forward, his arm raised, fingers curled like a dragon's claw, reaching out to seize the barrel of the gun.

Qin Fen’s eyebrow twitched. Robert was being too domineering. Just as his palm reached the barrel, Qin Fen gave the gun a sharp shake, causing the entire weapon to instantly disassemble. Robert's Dragon Claw maneuver suddenly found no target, and he awkwardly snatched at empty air a few times before forcing a smile, laced with one part embarrassment and nine parts astonishment. He had disassembled the gun completely in a flash, giving his opponent no chance to grab it or retaliate. Zhang Xiangyang watched from the side, secretly admiring the decisiveness and courage.

Qin Fen looked calmly at Robert and drawled indifferently, "Do you believe I could have fired, completed the kill shot, and then disassembled the weapon?"

Robert retracted his Dragon Claw and again laughed heartily. "I believe you! You have shown me respect, so I shall return it. I came today fully intending to merge factions. But seeing as you gave me face by not killing my subordinate in front of me, I will offer you an opportunity. Endure three of my attacks. If you can withstand them, I will turn around without another word today. Otherwise… hmph hmph… my Qitian Pagoda is not as easy to deal with as 'Beauty of the Rivers and Mountains'."

"Three moves?"

Qin Fen smiled. His Vajra Dragon Dance was still in its nascent stages, with many imperfections. It desperately needed experience gained through fighting unfamiliar opponents to refine itself. This challenge was exactly what he needed.

"What? Are you scared?" Robert suddenly planted his feet wide in a low horse stance. "If you are afraid, you can crawl underneath me here, and I will count it as you having withstood my three moves."

Qin Fen's smile did not fade. Such a provocation was too low-brow, so rudimentary that he couldn't even be bothered to use Instructor Hao's trickery to deceive this martial-hero-in-appearance Robert.

"Three moves is fine; even thirty moves would be fine, but…" Qin Fen drew out his final syllable, continuously rubbing his index finger and thumb together, "You know my rules, don't you?"

Robert froze, and the men he brought with him were equally stunned. They had seen greedy people, but never someone who valued money over life to this extent. Facing a beginner-level Meteorite master, his first thought wasn't about victory or defeat, but about cash!

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Robert laughed too. He was genuinely afraid Thirty-Six Hours would crawl under his crotch. This man, capable of shamelessly facing the condemnation of thousands while promoting his title as the Money Vampire, clearly did not prioritize reputation.

The onlookers from the distant factions now began walking toward Qin Fen in groups.

Four-star challenging Five-star! Such battles that transcended levels were rare in the Sky Combat Net! And the Four-star martial artist was the currently most talked-about and powerful figure among his peers—Thirty-Six Hours, the Money Vampire—who had just dismantled fourteen factions today. Today might be the day his undefeated streak was broken.

The crowd automatically cleared a fighting ring. Qin Fen’s expression was placid, like an ancient pine; his eyes were as calm and deep as a well on a moonlit night.

Robert was also perplexed by Qin Fen's demeanor. Facing a Five-star master, why showed no excitement or nervousness? Did this person not realize this was not an equal match, but a leap in rank?