Chapter 114: Flying Mount
Chapter 114: Flying Mount
Every time Ji Xinghuo opened the interface of the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil, he would see those three arrows, whether he liked it or not.
The three arrows were just too eye-catching.
They were scattered on the outer side of the information interface, two small and one large.
At first, Ji Xinghuo often paid attention to the changes in the arrows, especially the largest one. Through the subtle movements of the arrow, he synchronized with the day and night changes in the Star Realm and judged that it was pointing to an intelligent race.
Later, he discovered that the arrow only moved within a certain range.
He could sense them, but they couldn't sense him.
There were also no signs of them moving towards him, so Ji Xinghuo ignored it. Nothing happened even after spending over a year in the Star Realm.
Until today.
Early in the morning, Ji Xinghuo had just returned to the Sword Valley Fortress after a hunt. After washing up, he was about to go to sleep when he habitually opened the interface of the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil. That was when he noticed that the largest arrow had noticeably increased in size! This immediately banished any thoughts of sleep.
He kept the interface open, observing the arrow's changes.
Two hours later, Ji Xinghuo confirmed that the arrow was indeed growing larger, and it seemed to be a sustained change. He could sense a vague connection with wherever the arrow was pointing, and as the arrow grew, this connection became increasingly clear.
"North!"
Ji Xinghuo stood up, facing the direction of the arrow, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact distance.
It could be just a few thousand kilometers, or perhaps tens of thousands.
"Is it coming for me?"
He couldn't be sure.
Over the past year, the "person" the arrow had been pointing to had always been active within a fixed area. If they could sense his existence, they should have come by now.
But one could never be too careful.
After considering this, Ji Xinghuo immediately checked out of his hotel room and boarded an airship back to Olympia.
If that person was indeed coming for him, and he had no way of gauging their strength, it would be best to lie low for a while.
And the best place to hide, without a doubt, was Earth.
Ji Xinghuo now had only one hope—that this person wouldn't be a terrifying existence like the Star Shepherd, capable of threatening an entire planet.
Compared to that, facing the Sword Bureau upon his return to Earth was a trivial matter.
More than four hours later, Ji Xinghuo returned to Olympia.
However, he did not immediately return to Earth through the stargate. Instead, he went back to the Qinghao Street villa to continue observing the arrow's changes.
Throughout the day, the arrow pointing north continued to grow larger, and the distance seemed to be getting closer.
It was only in the latter half of the night that the arrow's movement stopped.
"They must be resting," Ji Xinghuo breathed a slight sigh of relief. The fact that they still needed rest indicated that they were still within the conventional range of intelligent beings and not some transcendent, peerless powerhouse beyond the bounds of species.
He also took a nap.
The next morning, the arrow began to move again.
For the next three consecutive days, they were on the move, traveling for over 40 hours out of the 49.6-hour day in the Star Realm.
Ji Xinghuo did almost nothing but focus on the arrow during this time.
The connection became increasingly clear, and he no longer needed to concentrate to sense it. He could perceive the arrow's position at any time, and based on its movement route, he could confirm that their target wasn't him. Their direction of travel was southwest, and he wasn't in their path.
Only then did Ji Xinghuo feel relieved.
"As long as it's not coming for me," he secretly rejoiced, "it seems that they really can't sense my existence."
With that assurance, he didn't need to return to Earth.
Ji Xinghuo continued to observe.
However, at noon on the fourth day, the arrow's movement suddenly stopped.
For the next several hours, until the evening of the fifth day, the arrow remained stationary, moving only within a small range.
Ji Xinghuo was curious and gazed off in the direction of the arrow.
Previously, the arrow had been in the north, but now it had shifted to the northwest.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the direction of Yunxiao City," Ji Xinghuo said as he spread out a map of the Thousand Peaks Abyssal Forest on the table.
This map was quite simplistic. Apart from the Earth human forces' areas of influence, which were relatively detailed, there was scant information about other regions. The Northern Dipper Tribe's territory was marked in the east, along with the locations of several extraterrestrial races, leaving only the Sky Feather King's floating city.
The most eye-catching city was located northwest of Olympia and named Yunxiao City.
Yunxiao City was the largest city in the Thousand Peaks Abyssal Forest and also the most important city of the Sky Feather King's Court, as it was the location of the "Queen Ayaki's" king's court.
The name Yunxiao City was a translation from the Celestial Tribe's language.
It also had another name among the Celestials—the Sky City!
Quite a few Earthlings had visited Yunxiao City. It was about 12,000 kilometers from Olympia, a long journey that would take one through numerous cities and tribes of the Star Realm's exotic races.
Ji Xinghuo walked out of the room and looked toward the northwest.
He was over ninety percent certain that the arrow was pointing toward Yunxiao City.
"Should I go?"
Ji Xinghuo hesitated.
Based on his speculation, the thing that had established a distant connection with him was most likely a part of the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil. When he had fused with the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil, its internal core had been damaged, but it had still displayed mythical might. Even a fragment of it would be an invaluable treasure.
But the fact that they hadn't come yet indicated one thing: the other party was unaware of his existence. Or, there was also a small probability that, like himself, the other party lacked the strength and dared not come.
If it were the latter, then there was nothing to fear.
Ji Xinghuo clarified his logic and decided to take a chance.
This was the closest the other party had been to him, and such an opportunity was rare. Even if he couldn't get a fragment of the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil, gathering some information would still be useful.
If the situation turned sour, he would immediately return.
However, Yunxiao City was too far away.
He had to get there as quickly as possible. If he relied solely on running on the ground, it would take an entire Star Realm month, and by the time he arrived, the other party might have already left Yunxiao City.
Ji Xinghuo immediately left and entered a nearby horse shop. Without hesitation, he asked, "Store manager, do you sell flying mounts here?"
The horse shop was backed by a powerful beast-taming company. Besides rental services, they also sold various mounts.
The most expensive ones were the flying mounts.
These were equivalent to top-tier sports cars on Earth, with prices starting at tens of millions of Asia Dollars or even higher.
The store manager's face lit up at the mention of this, as this was a big business opportunity.
"Of course," he replied immediately. "Sir, what kind of flying mount are you looking for?"
"Something with good endurance and high speed," Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment before adding, "I don't need it to have combat power. It's purely for traveling, and it would be best if it could fly at a higher altitude for safety."
The store manager barely had to think before replying with a smile, "In that case, I suggest you purchase a Silver-winged Pegasus. It has an average flying speed of 80 kilometers per hour and can fly continuously for more than four hours. After resting for an hour to replenish food and water, it can take off again, allowing for a maximum of 32 hours of flight per day. Both endurance and speed are guaranteed."
Ji Xinghuo had seen Silver-winged Pegasi before.
This flying mount indeed met his requirements. They had a handsome appearance, a gentle temperament, were not picky eaters, and possessed superb and stable flying skills, making for a comfortable ride.
Their only drawback was their lack of combat prowess.
However, Ji Xinghuo didn't intend to use his mount for combat; he just needed something that would get him to Yunxiao City as soon as possible.
"How much for a Silver-winged Pegasus?"
"Six million Asia Dollars."
Ji Xinghuo didn't haggle over the price, as it was similar to what he had expected. He asked, "Can I get the mount today?"
"That might be a little difficult..."
The store manager could tell that this customer was in a hurry and didn't seem to mind the price. Just as he was about to pretend to be in a difficult situation to raise the price, he saw Ji Xinghuo's expression turn displeased, as if he were about to leave.
The manager quickly said, "Sir, please pay a deposit of one million Asia Dollars. Within two hours, you will be able to receive your Silver-winged Pegasus."
Without hesitation, Ji Xinghuo took out one million Asia Dollars in cash from his backpack and handed it to the store manager.
"Please hurry."
He left the horse shop and went around the nearby stores, purchasing various supplies, including arrows, dry food, potions, and other items that might come in handy. He put everything into his Dimensional Stomach Pouch.
Upon returning to the horse shop, the store manager greeted him warmly, "Sir, your Silver-winged Pegasus is here."
Ji Xinghuo followed him to the back stable and saw a tall and majestic winged horse. Its coat was a mix of gray and black, and its white wings, spanning over four meters, were folded at its sides. Its body was robust and powerful, its mane neatly trimmed and flowing, and its eyes shone with intelligence.
A saddle had already been fitted onto the horse's back, along with a well-fitting horse armor that covered its body and neck.
"Remove the horse armor," Ji Xinghuo instructed.
While the armor could enhance protection, it was also quite heavy and would increase the winged horse's stamina consumption, so there was no need to keep it on.
The store manager did as he was told.
Ji Xinghuo walked up and gently stroked the horse's head, displaying his goodwill.
This winged horse had undergone rigorous training and was already familiar with humans. Ji Xinghuo fed it a few handfuls of fodder, and soon, the horse became more amiable.
When Ji Xinghuo felt that the time was right, he swung himself onto the horse's back.
The riding techniques for the winged horse were similar to those for ordinary horses. He gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the winged horse understood his command and walked out of the stable. Then, it galloped a few steps on the ground before unfolding its wings, which had been tucked at its sides. With a mighty flap, it took off into the sky amidst the howling wind.
The powerful wings flapped up and down, and its four hooves trod on air as it climbed higher and higher into the sky, offering a panoramic view of the entire Olympia city.
Ji Xinghuo had a hook-and-lock mechanism around his waist that was connected to the saddle to prevent him from falling off.
However, he sat steadily on the horse's back, and although he was initially nervous, as this was his first time riding a flying mount, he soon became accustomed to it.
Even if he did fall off the horse's back, he had a parachute in his Dimensional Stomach Pouch to ensure his safety.
Ji Xinghuo guided the Silver-winged Pegasus to circle a few times above Olympia, familiarizing himself with the mount before landing back at the horse shop.
"Not bad."
He was quite satisfied with the Silver-winged Pegasus and promptly settled the remaining payment.
Then, he mounted the winged horse once more and took off into the sky.
This time, Ji Xinghuo didn't return to the villa but instead directed the Silver-winged Pegasus towards the northwest of Olympia, soon disappearing into the horizon.
(End of Chapter)
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