Chapter 128: Qinghong Levels Up

Chapter 128: Qinghong Levels Up

Ji Xinghuo stood up, and the surrounding etheric energy converged towards him, flowing into his body. Within the interface of the Myriad Astral Eyes, the holographic image of a human body began to flicker.

"This is the third time I've evolved," he thought, a sense of familiarity washing over him.

His stellar power began to rise.

Having merged with stellar might, he could sense the changes in his stellar power more clearly than before.

The numbers in the interface ticked up every few seconds, indicating an increase in stellar power. Synchronously, the number of light dots within the holographic figure increased, their density growing with each passing moment.

At the same time, Ji Xinghuo felt his body undergoing a transformation. Every organ that constituted his physique was being nourished and strengthened by the stellar power, and with each passing second, his strength, speed, and explosiveness improved as he ascended towards a higher level of existence.

Soon, his stellar power broke through the 600-point mark! And it continued to climb.

Ji Xinghuo shifted his attention to the exotic abilities information, and he noticed that several abilities had made significant progress during the evolution.

However, as most of his abilities had been recently upgraded using spiritual source energy, despite the growth, they were still far from reaching the next level.

The ability that had increased the most was Stellar Might.

Previously, it had reached Level 3, and with his diligent practice over the past few days, it had risen to (Level 3 128/1567). Now, in the blink of an eye, it had surged again, reaching (Level 3 303/1567).

His other abilities had also increased, some by as much as a few dozen points, while others had only gained a few.

This evolution lasted for nearly twenty minutes.

When the etheric energy returned to normal, Ji Xinghuo's stellar power stabilized at 653 points, over a hundred points higher than before his evolution! The interface information also updated.

【Master of Myriad Astral Eyes: Ji Xinghuo】

【Tier: Advanced Exotic】

"Finally, an Advanced Exotic!" Ji Xinghuo exclaimed with a sense of satisfaction.

It was December 2224, and it had been almost a year and a half since he became an Exotic in July of last year. It had been a challenging journey, and he was proud to have experienced three evolutions during this period, ascending from an ordinary person to an Advanced Exotic. His progress was something he was very pleased with.

Looking across the global human population, he doubted there were many Exotics who had progressed faster than him.

Ji Xinghuo moved his body, adapting to the enhanced physical qualities that came with his evolution.

Then he walked into the training room to begin a series of tests.

Moments later, he concluded his tests and obtained accurate data. His bench press weight was just over 3 tons, his 400-meter sprint time was 15 seconds, and he completed the 10,000-meter long-distance run in under 10 minutes.

Such physical prowess would be considered superhuman by ordinary standards.

And these were just his baseline statistics.

If he activated his Rotating Magnetic Field, all his metrics would double or even triple, especially his speed and explosive power. He could complete a 1,000-meter sprint in around 20 seconds.

Of course, such frenzied bursts of power were unsustainable, and his stellar power would be depleted within five minutes at most.

Ji Xinghuo gazed at his reflection in the wall mirror.

His physique was well-proportioned and graceful. His muscles were distinct and aesthetically pleasing, devoid of any hint of clumsiness or heaviness. Anyone with a discerning eye could instantly recognize the immense power contained within that body.

This was a level of physical perfection that ordinary people could never attain, no matter how hard they trained.

"Not bad, not bad at all!"

"If I were to enter a bodybuilding competition, I'd surely place well..."

Ji Xinghuo admired his physique with a hint of narcissism. However, beyond his physical appearance, he valued his actual strength even more.

For Exotics, from the Novice to the Advanced tier, the aspect that improved the fastest was physical qualities. With the increase in stellar power, strength, speed, and reflexes all enhanced in tandem.

However, upon reaching the pinnacle of the Advanced tier, this period of comprehensive enhancement would come to an end.

From then on, further improvements would require breakthroughs in specific exotic abilities to surpass the limitations of the human body and attain the monstrous strength associated with Exotics.

"With my current physical qualities, I should be on par with peak Super Exotics," Ji Xinghuo thought confidently.

The strength of a Giant, the defense of an Iron Guard, the speed of a Swiftstep, the agility of a Ranger, and the explosive power of a Flame Maniac.

He excelled in all aspects, even surpassing Super Exotics.

There were no weaknesses!

As Ji Xinghuo indulged in self-admiration, he suddenly sensed a pair of eyes on him. Turning his head, he spotted Qinghong, who had somehow crawled into the training room from the garden without him noticing. Qinghong's golden eyes blinked, staring at him intently, and he could feel the beast's envy radiating from its mind.

"You little rascal..."

Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but chuckle.

Qinghong's intellect was comparable to that of a six or seven-year-old child. It had sensed its own evolution and was curious to witness the changes in its master, as well as expressing its own desire to evolve further.

Indeed, it was about time for Qinghong to level up as well.

Ever since it became his battle companion, its strength had increased significantly. All of its exotic abilities had risen by one to two levels, and it had also acquired Ether Affinity and Thunderclap.

Compared to when they first met, Qinghong's strength had multiplied several times over.

However, it was still an Elite Spirit Beast and had not progressed to the Superb Spirit Beast tier.

The evolution process for monsters and spirit beasts was similar to that of Exotics. They gradually accumulated stellar power, enhancing themselves step by step, and when they reached a certain threshold, they would trigger an evolution. Unlike intelligent races that could target specific areas for cultivation, their evolution process was less efficient and took a longer time.

With Qinghong's Ether Affinity at Level 4, it should have been close to evolving long ago, in theory.

As a spirit beast, Qinghong's strength would undoubtedly surge if he evolved into a Superb Spirit Beast!

"Perhaps a trigger is needed to initiate the evolution?" Ji Xinghuo mused.

He opened the Myriad Astral Eyes interface and checked Qinghong's information. Dimensional Pouch and Miniaturization were both Level 2, Golden Scaled Iron Spine and Spirit Scent were Level 3, Thunderclap Hand and Ether Affinity were Level 4.

If he were to upgrade, Golden Scaled Iron Spine and Spirit Scent would require the least amount of spiritual source energy.

【Golden Scaled Iron Spine (Level 3, 72/1327)】

【Spirit Scent (Level 3, 5/503)】

Ji Xinghuo pondered for a moment, thinking it was worth a try, but he had already used up all his spiritual source energy.

"Let's go," he said. "We'll hunt down some enemies to help you level up." With a smile, he reached out, and Qinghong immediately scurried up, his tiny eyes gleaming with excitement.

Donning his ceramic steel armor and carrying his compound bow and swords, Ji Xinghuo set out. Not long after leaving, he boarded an airship bound for the Front Sword Valley Fortress.

His Dimensional Pouch was stocked with a large assortment of arrows, as well as a tent, sleeping bag, outdoor tools, food, change of clothes, medical kit, and other necessities. He made sure to always have an ample supply of anything that might come in handy, enough to last a year or two.

Qinghong's Dimensional Pouch was also well-stocked, ensuring they lacked nothing and could set off at a moment's notice.

The airship descended upon the Front Sword Valley Fortress.

Without bothering to meet with Yuan Chongzhen, Ji Xinghuo headed straight out of the fortress.

He had been hunting in this area along the defensive line for nearly two months, and he knew the terrain and the enemy like the back of his hand. Even in broad daylight, it didn't hinder his hunting prowess.

Before long, Ji Xinghuo spotted the perfect targets.

A small squad from Bei Lu Shimen, consisting of three Da Gun people. Judging from their weapons and equipment, they were also bounty hunters.

Bounty hunters who dared to hunt during the day were undoubtedly much stronger.

Among the three Da Gun people, one was a Fourth-Tier, and the other two were Third-Tier.

Their strength was not to be underestimated.

Ji Xinghuo hadn't planned to make a move, but as this squad was returning to Bei Lu Shimen from the human buffer zone, he spotted several human ears in one of the Da Gun man's backpacks. They were all right ears, belonging to Earthlings.

Just as Earthlings would take the scalp of a Da Gun person as a trophy, the Bei Lu Shimen tribe did the same, taking human ears as trophies.

The Da Gun people had a way of determining an alien's tier through their ears.

As always, whenever Ji Xinghuo encountered enemies who had hunted Earthlings, he made sure to take them out if given the chance, and today was no exception.

"Let me avenge them," he murmured to himself, quickly catching up with the three Da Gun men.

Activating his Stealth Ring to conceal his presence, he gradually quickened his pace, closing the distance between them. Soon, the three Da Gun men came into view.

They were in a low valley between two peaks.

The valley provided a spacious field of view, and there were watchtowers of the Bei Lu Shimen on the mountains on both sides, although they were quite far away, beyond three to four kilometers.

Being behind their tribe's defensive line, the three Da Gun men were relatively relaxed.

"This is the spot," Ji Xinghuo muttered. Climbing atop a boulder, he raised his Invisible Spike, nocked an Invisible Arrow to his bow, and took aim at the strongest of the three, the Fourth-Tier expert. He drew the bowstring.

The distance between them was about 330 meters, and the effective lethal range of the Invisible Spike was 420 meters.

He released the arrow, silent and unseen.

With an arrow speed of 350 meters per second, it would take less than a second for the Invisible Arrow to hit its mark.

However, something unexpected happened! Ji Xinghuo hadn't activated Myriad Astral Perception, so he didn't foresee this turn of events.

Almost as soon as he loosed the Invisible Arrow, the Fourth-Tier Da Gun man seemed to sense the impending attack. His body turned translucent, and the arrow pierced right through him without causing any harm, burying itself deep into the soil and kicking up a spray of dirt and stones.

The other two Da Gun men were startled.

They immediately reacted, seemingly having been alerted, and turned to look toward the rock where Ji Xinghuo was hiding, but they were a step too late.

Paying no heed to the vanished Fourth-Tier Da Gun man, Ji Xinghuo loosed two more Invisible Arrows in quick succession.

With the combined effects of Microscopic Perception, Level 4 Thousand Dexterity Hands, and the high-frequency thinking afforded by his Acceleration Ring, he could fire four arrows in a single second.

Puff! Puff!

Two Invisible Arrows struck the two Da Gun men almost simultaneously, not giving them any time to react as the arrows pierced their skulls, ending their lives instantly.

+8 Spiritual Source Energy

+10 Spiritual Source Energy

Having taken out two enemies, Ji Xinghuo lifted his right leg and took a step forward, vanishing from sight.

Swiftstep!

A shadowy, dark blade thrust out from the shadows just as he disappeared, followed by the appearance of a Da Gun man.

The Da Gun man once again melted into the shadows, reappearing behind Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo was surprised.

This Da Gun man was an extremely skilled Ghost Killer, an advanced profession of Evil Spirit and Shadow Blade, known as one of the two most powerful assassins alongside the Phantom Assassin.

A Level 3 or higher Shadow Escape ability allowed one to leap between shadows within a certain range, and when transformed into a "Phantom Body," the range of the Shadow Escape ability increased, making their movements unpredictable.

Moreover, this Da Gun man's reactions were lightning-quick, and he also seemed to possess a danger-sensing ability.

He was definitely not an unknown figure in the Bei Lu Shimen tribe, and with such abilities, he would surely rank high in the global tower rankings if he were on Earth.

In that brief moment of less than a tenth of a second, Ji Xinghuo's mind raced with these thoughts, yet he remained calm despite the Phantom Killer's proximity.

His right hand lifted, and electricity crackled.

Thunderclap Hand! A bolt of lightning erupted from his fingertip, instantly splitting into hundreds of electrical arcs that combined with the electromagnetic pulse to form a pulse arc.

Ji Xinghuo was surprised once again by the Da Gun man's reaction.

His opponent disappeared once more, narrowly dodging the pulse arc without being slowed down. Simultaneously, six afterimages appeared, surrounding Ji Xinghuo from all sides and launching their attacks.

These afterimages were different from ordinary Shadow Blade afterimages; they were transparent and carried the mental attack of the Evil Spirit's clone.

The afterimages opened their mouths, emitting a silent, piercing shriek.

Anyone with a weak will would have their head split with pain just from looking at them, and even those with strong willpower would be dazed and feel as if their brains were being pricked by needles.

However, Ji Xinghuo remained unaffected.

He ignored the evil spirit afterimages and turned on the spot.

The Da Gun man leaped out from the shadows, facing Ji Xinghuo just two steps away, their gazes locking.

Ji Xinghuo saw confidence and cruelty in the Da Gun man's eyes.

He guessed what his opponent was thinking.

He was an archer, while his opponent was a Phantom Killer skilled in close-quarters combat, and his martial arts level seemed to be quite high. The Da Gun man must have felt that he had the upper hand and perhaps even believed that victory was assured.

The Da Gun man's dusky blade stabbed towards Ji Xinghuo's throat.

As fast as lightning.

However, this sure-hit strike missed.

Ji Xinghuo vanished in an instant, and as the Da Gun man sensed his presence to the side, his body twisted at an incredible angle, and his dagger reversed direction for another stab.

Ding!

A soft chime rang out.

Ji Xinghuo's right hand had already gripped the Thunder Chase War Blade, and the blade of his sword struck the dagger, causing a violent and ferocious force to transmit into the Da Gun man's hand, along with a high-voltage electric current that made it impossible for him to maintain his grip. The dagger slipped from his hand.

The entire arm of the Da Gun man had been disabled, unable to exert any strength.

He was shocked and desperate, and his instinct was to escape into the shadows, but just after a few steps, a lightning bolt shot out from Ji Xinghuo's sword, hitting him directly.

The Da Gun man's figure fell out of the shadows.

He was just relieved that he had managed to escape by a distance of over ten meters, creating some space between himself and his enemy, when he saw Ji Xinghuo drawing his bowstring.

Pu!

The Da Gun man, his whole body paralyzed by electricity, was unable to transform into a phantom state, and his reactions had slowed. An invisible arrow pierced his eye and exited from the back of his head.

+28 Spiritual Source Energy

Ji Xinghuo was not surprised, but a slight smile appeared on his face.

This Da Gun man was powerful; on Earth, he would have ranked within the top 500 in the global tower rankings, stronger than the Da Gun man named Feibu whom he had killed before. If it were the Ji Xinghuo from before his evolution, killing this opponent would have been a challenging task, fraught with danger.

But now, he could easily take him down without even activating Myriad Astral Perception, a testament to his tremendous growth in strength.

He quickly skinned the scalp, collected his spoils, and left.

In the following days, Ji Xinghuo continued his hunting spree.

He did not return to the Sword Valley Fortress but instead headed east along the Stellar Defense Line, hunting and progressing along the way. Whenever he passed by human fortresses or strongholds, he would go in to exchange his spoils of war for bounty rewards and points. Since the numbers were not large each time, he did not attract much attention.

By the time Ji Xinghuo reached the easternmost city of the Stellar Defense Line, Yan Huang City, he had harvested nearly 2,000 points of Spiritual Source Energy.

First, he upgraded Qinghong's Spirit Scent by one level, bringing it to (Level 4 1/2273).

However, Qinghong still did not evolve.

In an inn in Yan Huang City, Ji Xinghuo invested all his remaining Spiritual Source Energy into Golden Scaled Iron Spine, directly raising it to Level 4.

This exotic ability was shared between him and Qinghong, and with the upgrade, both of them had golden scales appearing on their skin.

Half of the scales had turned golden.

The other half remained a bluish-green color.

Ji Xinghuo placed his hand on Qinghong's serpentine body, and as the Golden Scaled Iron Spine reached Level 4, he sensed a change.

Qinghong revealed his true form, over three meters in length, his scales shimmering with a faint light. Vast etheric energy surged from all directions, and Qinghong's body grew visibly larger and thicker, the scales becoming somewhat transparent, revealing a metallic, spine-like structure within.

Ji Xinghuo was overjoyed, for this was a sign of evolution.

Qinghong was about to advance to the Superb Spirit Beast tier!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end