Chapter 491: Gao Tianzun's Entertainment Feast

The sky of Sakaar was glowing with a purple halo, full of exotic atmosphere. The spaceship of the Guardians of the Galaxy slowly landed on the tarmac, the hatch opened, and Peter Quill walked out lazily with his signature lazy expression. With his hands in his pockets, he whistled while admiring the "scenery" that could be seen everywhere on Sakaar - especially the local residents who were dressed coolly, which made him raise the corners of his mouth slightly and reveal a proud smile.

"Hey, this is a great place!" Quill's eyes followed a Saka woman passing by. "I say, how about we relax here and have a cold drink?"

Gamora looked at him helplessly and said coldly, "Peter, do you always stare at the 'scenery' of other planets every time you go to one?"

Peter shrugged playfully, "It's called appreciation culture, Gamora. You should relax too."

Rocket Raccoon jumped off the spaceship, looked around vigilantly, and then curled his lips, "Culture? I see you're looking for trouble every time you go to a planet."

Drax strode behind the team, his face still wearing that serious, almost funny expression. He clenched his fists, as if ready to fight at any time, "I don't understand why we should relax in a place like this. The real relaxation is to defeat the enemy and smash their heads."

Rocket rolled his eyes when he heard that and patted Drax on the shoulder, "Dude, not every place needs you to smash heads. We're on holiday today, understand?"

Groot stood aside and responded with his usual simple words: "I am Groot." He waved his short branch arms toward the scene outside the tarmac, as if to express his appreciation for the place.

When Quill heard Rocket's words, he seemed to suddenly remember something, and the smile on his face froze for a moment. He rubbed his arms vigorously, as if trying to dispel some kind of discomfort. "Anyway, the important thing is that we finally left the Infinite Spark and don't have to see that guy Darkseid anymore. To be honest, every time I see him, I feel like my soul has been hollowed out."

Rocket walked away, shrugging his shoulders and rubbing his arms as well, "Me too, every time I see him, my hair stands up unconsciously, like- uh- oh, anyway, it's terrible."

Groot nodded as well, uttering a deep "I am Groot" as if expressing his own feelings.

Mantis tilted her head, her eyes blinking, looking innocent. "Why are you all so scared of Mr. Darkseid? He looks... um... very calm?"

"Calm?!" Peter stopped immediately and looked at Mantis in shock. "He's like a talking walking rock. He looks like the kind of guy who spends all day thinking about how to rule the universe! How can he be calm?"

Rocket immediately took over the conversation and laughed, "Yeah, Mantis. If that guy is 'calm', then I'd be the greatest leader in the universe."

Mantis blinked and looked at them in confusion, clasping her hands gently over her chest as if she was thinking about what Peter and Rocket had said, "But… I think he's pretty calm."

"Okay," Gamora sighed helplessly, "Anyway, Darkseid is far away from us, and we can relax now. As for what you guys want to do, just try not to get yourself into trouble."

Peter immediately raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Trouble? We are the first-class Guardians of the Galaxy! No matter what trouble we encounter, we will get through it in the end."

Drax glanced at Peter and said calmly, "Trouble is fighting. If there is trouble, I will solve it myself."

Rocket immediately interrupted, "Hey, Drax, don't rush into a fight. If we really run into trouble today, why not let Quill use his 'cultural charm' to solve it first? Maybe the other party will be fascinated by him."

Hearing this, Peter patted his chest and smiled confidently, "Of course! I'm Peter Quill, the legendary Star-Lord, with boundless charm!"

Groot raised his head and uttered a cheerful "I am Groot", as if to cheer for Star-Lord's confidence.

The group was about to go to the famous bar on Saka to relax their tense nerves, have a few drinks and enjoy the rare leisure time. Just as they took a few steps, the giant display screen in the center of the building suddenly flashed, attracting everyone's attention.

On the screen, a man dressed in gorgeous and exotic clothes appeared in the center of the screen. He was tall and wore a colorful robe. The combination of gold and purple made him look both rich and arrogant. He had a confident and slightly ostentatious smile on his face and held a gorgeous scepter in his hand, as if the whole world was under his control.

"Ah, honorable residents of Sakaar, and my favorite gladiators!" The man's voice spread throughout the entire block through the loudspeaker, his tone full of complacency and boasting, "Welcome to my most glorious moment - the arena of Gao Tianzun! I am your unparalleled ruler, and the planner of today's wonderful fight - Gao Tianzun!"

Peter Quill stopped and looked up at the Lord of Heaven on the big screen, frowning slightly, "Hey, guys, who is this guy? He's dressed like a moving neon sign."

Gamora glanced at him coldly and crossed her arms. "God of War, he is the ruler of Sakaar. He is the one who planned all the entertainment activities here. Especially those gladiatorial contests. He has a morbid obsession with violence and power."

"Oh, gladiatorial contest?" Peter perked up instantly upon hearing this. He grinned and looked very excited. "So, this is not only a good place to drink and relax, but also a holy place to watch fights?"

"Are gladiatorial contests attractive to you?" Gamora asked coldly, obviously having no interest in such barbaric entertainment.

"Hey, Gamora, I don't like watching people fight." Peter immediately waved his hand, his expression slightly innocent, "I think this may be a way to understand the culture of this planet. It's purely academic research, academic."

Rocket Raccoon sneered when he heard this, with a look of disdain on his face, "Academic research? Come on, I bet you just want to find an excuse to watch others beat you to death on the stage."

"I'm Groot," Groot whispered back, as if echoing Rocket's taunt.

Gao Tianzun continued to introduce himself. On the screen, he proudly showed his gladiatorial arena. A huge arena came into view. It was full of people and the audience cheered one after another. In the center of the arena, several warriors were brandishing weapons and fighting each other. The blood-spattering scene caused the audience to scream wildly. It was obvious that they were extremely excited about this bloody entertainment.

"Today's gladiatorial contest will be the grandest in the history of Sakaar!" Gao Tianzun opened his arms exaggeratedly, as if embracing the entire universe. "Today's gladiators are the most powerful warriors from various galaxies. They will fight for survival and glory, and you, the distinguished audience, will witness all of this great moment!"

Drax's eyes gradually became excited. He looked at the battle scene on the screen, clenched his fists, and spoke in a low voice full of fighting spirit, "I like this kind of battle! Only a true warrior can show strength and glory in this kind of life-and-death battle!"

Rocket glanced at Drax with a sidelong glance, his tone full of teasing, "Oh, don't tell me you want to rush up and fight them right now? Listen buddy, we are here to relax today, not to get your head smashed."

Drax nodded seriously, "This is real relaxation. Fighting is the best way to relieve stress."

Peter spread his hands, a helpless expression on his face. "Well, it seems that we have two things to do today. Let's have a few drinks first, and then... maybe go watch the fight? Maybe it will help us understand the customs of this planet."

Gamora sighed, looking a little tired, "If this is your plan, then I will follow you, but you'd better not cause any trouble."

"Hey, don't worry," Peter patted Gamora's shoulder with a confident smile on his face, "We are the Guardians of the Galaxy. We have seen all kinds of storms. It's just a game. It's no big deal."

"Yeah," Rocket took over the conversation, looking up at Gao Tianzun on the display screen with a sly smile, "Besides, who knows, maybe we can find something interesting in this game."

Mantis looked at Peter and Rocket curiously, a puzzled look on her face, "What's interesting?"

Rocket winked at her and said smugly, "The interesting thing is, Mantis, among those gladiators there might be our future allies, or enemies. You never know what you might run into."

"I'm Groot," Groot agreed, seeming to be looking forward to the adventure ahead.

Gao Tianzun's speech reached its climax at this moment. On the screen, he opened his arms and declared proudly: "Get ready for the greatest fight in the history of Sakaar! I, Gao Tianzun, am with you!"

Peter looked at his companions beside him, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, "Well, it seems that today's break is not just about drinking."

Gamora looked at the eager expressions of Star-Lord and the other companions and sighed helplessly. Her hands were still folded in front of her chest, her eyes were calm and determined, and finally she shook her head gently, with a warning and determination in her tone: "Okay, but you'd better remember, no matter what happens next, don't be impulsive. We are here just to relax, not to cause trouble."