Chapter 133: Blood of the Titanoboa
Chapter 133: Blood of the Titanoboa
Zhou Yishang's gaze shifted from the letter to Ji Xinghuo's face, then back to the letter in his hand, as if confirming that he hadn't misread it.
He repeated this action several times, unable to suppress the disbelief in his eyes.
There was also shock, mixed with bewilderment.
The swordsmen had never seen Director Zhou wear such an expression. The hand holding the letter was even trembling, and he changed from holding it with one hand to using both hands.
After a moment of silence, Zhou Yishang took a deep breath, carefully folded the letter, and put it away as if it were a treasured item.
"Xinghuo."
"Let's talk in my office."
His tone was unusually kind, and the usually stern look on his face softened into a smile, leaving the swordsmen present feeling astonished. They were extremely curious about what was written in the letter that could make the notoriously strict Director Zhou change his attitude towards Ji Xinghuo so drastically.
Ji Xinghuo was also surprised. He hadn't expected that a letter from Sister Ren would be so effective.
When Sister Ren had given him the letter, she had hinted that Zhou Yishang would listen to her, but he hadn't imagined that the effect would be so exaggerated.
He couldn't quite understand it.
Zhou Yishang was a high-ranking government official with great power and influence, and he was also a legendary powerhouse. There were probably fewer than ten people in the entire Asia-Pacific Collective who could make him bow his head after reading a letter.
Even the independent kings did not have such a formidable reputation.
Unless the person who wrote the letter had even greater power and a higher status than Zhou Yishang! Ji Xinghuo had never thought that Sister Ren was an official, she didn't seem like one at all, and he didn't recall her ever mentioning that she had written the letter herself.
"Alright, Director Zhou," he agreed with a nod.
"Everyone else, dismiss," Zhou Yishang waved his hand, signaling for the surrounding swordsmen to return to their posts.
Noticing that Yan Xiao was still being carried by the swordsmen, he said, "Quickly send him to the medical room. Yan Xiao, consider this an on-the-job injury. I'll have the finance department compensate you for your injury and give you three months of paid leave to recover. Come back when you're healed."
Yan Xiao opened his mouth, but ultimately accepted silently.
The swordsmen exchanged complicated glances.
Yan Xiao's injury wasn't severe, and he would likely recover within a few days. Yet, Director Zhou had granted him three months of leave, clearly aiming to calm the situation and indirectly "exile" him.
On the other hand, Ji Xinghuo, who had injured Yan Xiao, faced no punishment and was instead invited into the director's office.
The outcome of their conflict was clear to see.
Yan Xiao was the captain of the Sword Team in the Sharp Sword Bureau and had made contributions to both the bureau and the country. His loyalty to Director Zhou was unquestionable, yet Director Zhou had favored a newcomer over him, allowing the junior to lord it over a senior member. This turn of events left many swordsmen feeling disheartened.
Even Min Chongwu, who didn't get along with Yan Xiao, wore a displeased expression.
Zhou Yishang sensed the dissatisfaction among his subordinates but chose to ignore it. He personally led Ji Xinghuo into his office.
"Please take a seat."
Zhou Yishang acted like a warm and hospitable host, personally serving tea to Ji Xinghuo and asking about his tea preferences.
Ji Xinghuo was flattered by the treatment, "Lemon-flavored black tea would be great, thank you, Director Zhou."
Soon, Zhou Yishang placed a cup of lemon tea in front of Ji Xinghuo and sat down with a smile on his face. He studied Ji Xinghuo intently, as if seeing him for the first time.
Ji Xinghuo felt a bit intimidated by his gaze and couldn't help but ask, "Director Zhou, if you have something to say, please be direct."
"It's nothing, really," Zhou Yishang smiled and shook his head. Suddenly realizing that his sudden change in attitude might have startled Ji Xinghuo, he composed himself and asked seriously, "Xinghuo, do you intend to stay in the Sharp Sword Bureau?"
"Of course," Ji Xinghuo replied without hesitation, remembering what Sister Ren had told him.
"That's good," Zhou Yishang nodded, appearing pleased. "The Sharp Sword Bureau needs talented individuals like you. Xinghuo, if you have any requests, don't hesitate to let me know. As long as it's within my authority, I'll do my best to fulfill them. If it's beyond my control, I'll apply to the higher-ups."
Hearing these words, Ji Xinghuo was truly shocked.
Zhou Yishang, the deputy director of the Sharp Sword Bureau, was treating him, a junior, with the utmost respect, as if he were his subordinate.
Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but ask, "Director Zhou, what was written in that letter?"
"You don't know?"
Zhou Yishang looked astonished, then his expression changed to one of understanding as he laughed, "I see. Xinghuo, this was probably done with your best interests in mind. Knowing too early might not be beneficial for you. However, you can rest assured that the Sharp Sword Bureau will never harm you, and I have no personal agenda. You can trust me completely."
Ji Xinghuo was thoroughly confused. Why was Director Zhou speaking in riddles?
Was there some kind of misunderstanding here?
But for now, there didn't seem to be any negative consequences.
Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment and asked, "Director Zhou, can our Sharp Sword Bureau obtain ultra-limit species through official channels?"
He was about to advance to a high-level alien and could fuse with another species. However, he had been waiting to return to Earth to see if he could obtain a better species.
The fusion with Block and Counterattack was quite high, but it was still a basic ability.
If he had no other options, he would consider fusing with Block and Counterattack.
"Of course," Zhou Yishang replied, "The Sharp Sword Bureau is an official department, and we try to satisfy the needs of our swordsmen as much as possible. However, for extremely rare species, the swordsmen must make sufficient contributions and undergo qualification reviews. We can't just hand them out indiscriminately."
He looked at Ji Xinghuo, "What species are you looking for?"
"Blood of the Titanoboa, Spirit Energy, Superconducting Permanent Magnet, and Overload," Ji Xinghuo casually mentioned a few species. "If there are other species of the same level, I'm open to trying them."
Ji Xinghuo didn't seem too disappointed, as he had only asked out of curiosity.
If Spirit Energy were easily obtainable, Sister Ren wouldn't have needed to take him and his teammates on a risky adventure into the territory of the Beiluo Shimen Tribe.
If she could accomplish it with just a letter, there would be no need for her to get involved personally.
"However..."
Zhou Yishang paused in thought. "While we may not be able to get our hands on Spirit Energy, I'm fairly confident about the Blood of the Titanoboa. If you can accumulate enough contribution points and pass the Starry Realm Bureau's political review, it shouldn't be a problem."
Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up at the mention of the Blood of the Titanoboa.
This ultra-limit species was incredibly versatile, originating from a powerful dragon species in the Starry Realm called the Titanoboa. The blood of these dragons had condensed to form this extraordinary species.
By fusing with it, one could harness a portion of the Titanoboa's formidable power.
The dragon blood bestowed upon the host enhancements comparable to that of a true dragon, including a surge in strength, skin as tough as titanium alloy, inexhaustible stamina, rapid regeneration akin to instant healing, heightened explosive power, and high resistance to energy-based attacks.
This was an incredibly versatile species, with a single fusion potentially rivaling the power of three or four excellent species. Moreover, its potential was limitless.
The "Titanoboa Human," unique to the Asia-Pacific Collective, had its occupational template founded on the Blood of the Titanoboa!
Ji Xinghuo had trained for many years with the goal of becoming a Titanoboa Human.
However, there was only one channel to obtain the Blood of the Titanoboa on Earth, and that was through the official channels of the Asia-Pacific Collective.
To date, all Titanoboa Humans were members of the Da Xiatianjun, the most powerful legion of the Asia-Pacific Collective.
The Da Xiatianjun was widely recognized as Earth's foremost legion.
This legion was established by Ji Daosheng, the founding leader of the Asia-Pacific Collective, in the year 2122, exactly a century ago.
The occupational template of the Titanoboa Human was also proposed and refined by the founding leader, centering on the Blood of the Titanoboa and the Lightning Giant, resulting in an extraordinarily versatile and robust combat force. When coupled with powered armor, a single Titanoboa Human could overpower ten superhumans or more in direct combat! Adaptable to any environment, from the ground to space, the Titanoboa Humans held the advantage in every battle.
Since its inception, this legion had grown and thrived amidst bloodshed and warfare.
They had participated in the Fourth and Fifth "East Asian Wars," the Fourth World War, and all subsequent large-scale conflicts.
The Titanoboa Humans had etched their valor and sacrifice into the history of the Asia-Pacific Collective, playing an indispensable role in its founding.
Currently, the publicly disclosed data indicated that the Da Xiatianjun possessed three thousand Titanoboa Humans.
They represented the most formidable military might of the Asia-Pacific Collective.
While the Blood of the Titanoboa was a core species for the Titanoboa Humans, it was not entirely monopolized by the Da Xiatianjun. A small portion had found its way into the hands of others.
Of course, those who acquired the Blood of the Titanoboa were all citizens of the Asia-Pacific Collective.
And almost all of them were official Inhumans, even if they didn't seem to be on the surface. They undoubtedly had contributed to the nation in some way.
Ji Xinghuo's desire for the Blood of the Titanoboa stemmed partly from a desire to fulfill his previous aspiration.
However, the more critical reason was that the titanium-cobalt-based superconductor alloy exhibited superior performance, allowing the Blood of the Titanoboa to fuse with the Titanoboa Human's other core species, the Lightning Giant, resulting in a synergy that exceeded the power of two ultra-limit species combined, a true marvel.
He speculated that the Blood of the Titanoboa would also have a high compatibility rate with him.
At the very least, he wanted to obtain it and view its information.
"Director Zhou, what do I need to do to obtain the Blood of the Titanoboa?" Ji Xinghuo asked eagerly.
"It depends on the opportunity," Zhou Yishang replied. "The Starry Realm Bureau acquires approximately fifty samples of the Blood of the Titanoboa each year, most of which are handed over to the Da Xiatianjun for the cultivation of Titanoboa Humans. Among them, no more than three samples of the dragon blood are allocated to other departments upon request."
"It's been many years since the Sharp Sword Bureau last applied for the Blood of the Titanoboa."
"If we submit a request, our priority will definitely be higher than that of other departments. Of course, this is on the premise that you, Xinghuo, have already met the application standards."
Zhou Yishang could see how eager Ji Xinghuo was for the Blood of the Titanoboa, so he explained the process in detail.
"Please arrange missions for me, Director Zhou," Ji Xinghuo said, understanding his implication.
"Alright," Zhou Yishang agreed. "The Blood of the Titanoboa requires a substantial amount of contribution points, and it can't be rushed. If suitable missions come up, I'll notify you in time."
Ji Xinghuo nodded, then suddenly remembered something. He took out the second-class combat hero medal he had obtained from hunting the Beiluo Shimen Tribe.
"Will this medal be of any help?"
Zhou Yishang glanced at it; he had already known about Ji Xinghuo's accumulation of hero points in the Starry Realm. "The hero medal can offset some contribution points. I'll help you with the application."
"Then I'll trouble you, Director Zhou."
Zhou Yishang smiled and shook his head, then called over Min Chongwu and instructed him, "Chongwu, take Xinghuo to the Comprehensive Management Division to complete the formalities for the promotion to Chixiao Swordsman. Also, arrange for Xinghuo's special agent training, and bring him along on future missions to familiarize him with the Sharp Sword Bureau's operational procedures."
Min Chongwu stood there, stunned for a few seconds, before exclaiming in surprise, "Chixiao Swordsman? Director Zhou, are you joking?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
