Chapter 135: New Year's Gift

Chapter 135: New Year's Gift

Ji Xinghuo honestly replied, "I just advanced to a high-level alien a few days ago."

"Holy sht!"

A vulgarity slipped from Zhong Ming's mouth.

He was a year older than Ji Xinghuo and had become an alien at the age of nineteen. It had taken him three years to reach the intermediate level, and now, at twenty-five, he felt that he was still far from becoming a high-level alien. He estimated that it would take at least another two years of cultivation before he had a chance to advance, and that was with the full support of the club.

Yet, in just a year and a half, Ji Xinghuo had not only caught up but surpassed him by becoming a high-level alien!

Ye Dongyun and the others were equally stunned.

In this era, while the proportion of aliens was still low, everyone was aware of the challenges of their evolution.

Moreover, with two aliens in the family, they were constantly exposed to this knowledge and kept themselves updated.

Thus, they clearly understood how astonishing it was for Ji Xinghuo to have advanced to a high-level alien in such a short time, signifying an unparalleled talent on a global scale!

"Big brother, you're already a high-level alien!" exclaimed the youngest, Wang Zizheng. "Is cultivation really that easy?"

He had given up on the idea of becoming an alien due to his inability to endure the rigors of training.

Zhong Ming, upon hearing this, shook his head helplessly.

"It's not difficult," Ji Xinghuo laughed. "Zizheng, you're still young. It's not too late to start now. I'll provide you with cultivation resources if you need them."

In fact, the three brothers all had decent aptitudes.

It was just that the fifth brother lacked willpower. If he could overcome this issue, he would have a good chance of becoming an alien.

Wang Zizheng's eyes lit up with anticipation, but he also hesitated.

"What about me, third brother?" Liang Qiu Feiyan shook Ji Xinghuo's arm coquettishly. "I haven't even fused with an exotic species yet. Maybe I can become an alien too. Will you sponsor me?"

"If you can run a total of 500 kilometers this month, I'll help you get any exotic species you want," Ji Xinghuo replied.

"Really?" Liang Qiu Feiyan was filled with anticipation. "Can you even get a super-limit ability?"

"Yes!"

Ji Xinghuo promised without hesitation.

However, he knew that the probability of her achieving this was close to zero. Her personality was not suited for rigorous training, and she couldn't even run five kilometers. Her talents lay elsewhere, in entertainment rather than cultivation or combat.

"Forget it," Liang Qiu Feiyan shook her head, well aware of her limitations. "I won't trouble you, third brother."

"Hahaha..." The whole family laughed.

"Xinghuo, you're the most promising one in our family now. I never expected that someone from our family would ascend the global ladder. When I saw the news, I thought it was someone with the same name as you. It was only after reading the details that I was sure it was you," Ye Dongyun said.

"Yes," Zhong Ming also felt emotional. He was curious. "Did you really fight against the legendary Great Kunren?"

This was a question he had wanted to ask for the past three months.

The global ladder's alien archives and the news interview with Jing Ji both mentioned that Ji Xinghuo and three others had joined forces to defeat a legendary powerhouse, but they didn't describe the specifics.

Moreover, at that time, Ji Xinghuo was only an intermediate-level alien.

Zhong Ming, who had been in the B League for three years and had fought in hundreds of matches, mostly against high-level aliens, already felt immense pressure and had lost far more than he had won.

He was all too aware of the terrifying strength of legendary powerhouses.

He couldn't imagine how a mid-level alien like Ji Xinghuo could not only survive but emerge victorious in a battle against one!

"It's a long story, and it was quite a dangerous situation," Ji Xinghuo said, unsure how to explain.

Ye Dongyun seemed to sense his reluctance to elaborate and got up to usher everyone out. "Xinghuo hasn't even had a chance to sit down since he got home, and you're all bombarding him with questions. There's still plenty of time during the holidays. Third brother, have you eaten lunch? What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you now."

Ji Xinghuo rubbed his stomach and smiled. "I am a bit hungry. Anything will do."

"Then I'll make you the mutton pao mo you loved when you were young."

"Thank you, big sister."

Ye Dongyun went into the kitchen and started preparing the meal efficiently. She was the best cook in the family, and although she didn't cook often, she always cooked for her younger siblings during family gatherings.

Liang Qiu Feiyan also brought some snacks for Ji Xinghuo and asked him to rest on the sofa.

Ji Xinghuo removed his weapons and armor, tossing them aside casually. He then took off his ceramic steel armor and went into the bathroom to freshen up. When he came out, Zhong Ming had already prepared a set of new clothes for him, which fit well as they had similar builds.

"Ah..."

Ji Xinghuo let out a sigh of relief as he changed into the comfortable clothes and half-reclined on the sofa, "It's still better on Earth. Everything is more convenient here."

"Your experiences in the Star Realm must have been exciting," Zhong Ming said with a smile.

"Yes, and dangerous," Ji Xinghuo nodded.

"I can imagine," Zhong Ming sighed. "Aliens who truly want to go further on the path of evolution will eventually have to enter the Star Realm. You're a few steps ahead of me."

Ji Xinghuo found this understandable. "That's normal."

However, Zhong Ming disagreed. "My previous plan was to first build up my strength and wealth in the professional league, and then enter the Star Realm when I was confident enough. But after actually joining the league, I realized how difficult it is. Competitive aliens who perform well reap both fame and fortune. Why would they risk their lives in the Star Realm?"

"Just focus on the competitions, make a lot of money, and directly buy any exotic species you want."

"With enough money, you can buy anything you desire."

"Earth has the most convenient living conditions, the best coaching team, the most outstanding teammates, and a group of fans who idolize you and revolve around you."

"The stronger the competitive alien, the more afraid they are to enter the Star Realm, fearing the loss of everything they have and the erosion of their ambition."

Zhong Ming's face was filled with helplessness as he spoke.

Ji Xinghuo understood what he meant. The two brothers had grown up together, sharing the same ambition to bravely climb to the peak of evolutionary progress.

But now, Zhong Ming felt that he had taken the wrong path and seemed to regret entering the professional league.

However, they had no choice back then.

"If you want to enter the Star Realm, I can help you through the most difficult initial period," Ji Xinghuo said seriously.

Zhong Ming was quite tempted but still shook his head. "I haven't made up my mind yet. I still have three years left on my contract with the club, and it would be troublesome to terminate it."

"Let me know when you've made a decision."

"Okay."

Ji Xinghuo turned his head and saw Wang Zizheng standing next to his weapons and armor, his eyes brimming with curiosity.

But without his permission, they hadn't touched anything.

"Big brother, your equipment doesn't look cheap!" Wang Zizheng hadn't looked for a job after graduating. He spent his days playing virtual games, and often saw expensive weapons and equipment in the games, many of which were inspired by real-life designs, so he had a certain degree of discernment.

"You can try holding them, just be careful not to hurt yourself." Ji Xinghuo smiled. Aside from the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil, he didn't hide anything from his family.

Wang Zizheng immediately picked up the Lightning Chase War Blade. "So heavy!"

With the strength of an ordinary person, a ten-kilogram war blade was somewhat strenuous to hold with one hand.

He drew the blade from its sheath, and the sharp edge reflected a cold light. The silver-blue lightning patterns seemed like real lightning, just looking at it made one's eyes sting and evoked a chilling feeling.

"Nice blade!"

Zhong Ming was the best judge of quality, and he took the Lightning Chase and casually swung it, creating a dazzling display of blades of light. It felt incredibly handy and was definitely not an ordinary weapon.

"This blade is called Lightning Chase. A friend gave it to me." Ji Xinghuo thought of Ren Jie's gentle and beautiful face.

Zhong Ming was a little incredulous. "This blade is a Super Ability two-star, right? It's worth at least 15 million, your friend is really generous."

"What?" Liang Qiu Feiyan exclaimed in surprise, "15 million!"

"The exact selling price is 18 million." Ji Xinghuo smiled.

Liang Qiu Feiyan looked at him enviously. "Big brother, what kind of friend do you have? Can you introduce her to me? I want a friend who's this generous too!"

"Uh..." Ji Xinghuo didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Girlfriend?" Liang Qiu Feiyan sharply sensed something.

"No." Ji Xinghuo quickly denied it.

At this moment, Zhong Ming picked up the Magic Sound sword. As soon as he drew the longsword from its sheath, his expression changed. He gripped the hilt, feeling the vibrations and the attached abilities, and he knew that this was an extremely rare and powerful weapon.

It was at least a Super Ability three-star!

On Earth, any Super Ability three-star weapon was worth over 100 million, and it was common for them to reach 300 to 400 million.

The one in his hand was definitely not an ordinary Super Ability three-star. Its manufacturing process and design didn't resemble anything from Earth.

Zhong Ming gently swung the sword.

Vrrrr...

A low-frequency sound wave spread from the sword, causing the entire living room to vibrate. Wang Zizheng and Liang Qiu Feiyan were startled.

"This sword..."

Zhong Ming was astounded. What had Xinghuo experienced in the Star Realm to obtain such a powerful weapon?

"Big brother, what about this sword?" Wang Zizheng asked.

Zhong Ming glanced at Ji Xinghuo, who was sitting on the sofa, and smiled as he sheathed the longsword. "It's nothing."

Wang Zizheng didn't press further. He was currently examining the Invisible Sting and tried pulling it a few times, but the bowstring didn't budge. He ended up hurting his fingers and had to put it down, exclaiming in surprise, "Big brother, how many pounds is this compound bow?

"It's at least 250 kilograms or more!"

Such a heavy draw weight was too much for a mid-level alien, capable of drawing the string but impractical for actual combat. Moreover, this compound bow looked plain yet possessed multiple exotic abilities, and it was also a Super Ability two-star!

Zhong Ming was numb with shock.

Ji Xinghuo's strength and level had far surpassed his own; he couldn't even see his tail lights anymore.

"As expected of a top-ranked expert on the global ladder." Zhong Ming put down the sword and bow, looking at Ji Xinghuo with a smile. "When do you have time? Let's spar sometime so I can see how strong a global ladder alien is and gauge the gap between us."

"Anytime," Ji Xinghuo readily agreed.

"Meal's ready!"

Ye Dongyun brought out a large bowl of steaming hot mutton pao mo and placed it on the dining table. "Xinghuo, come and eat. Try my cooking and see if I've gotten rusty."

"Coming." Ji Xinghuo happily sat down at the table and began eating heartily.

"Delicious!"

"Big sister's mutton pao mo has always been my favorite."

As he ate, Qinghong, who had been hiding in Ji Xinghuo's hair, couldn't resist the aroma any longer and poked her head out.

Ji Xinghuo picked her up and introduced her to the family, "This is my battle pet. Her name is Qinghong."

The four family members stared at each other in surprise.

They knew that aliens could tame battle pets, but how much combat power could such a tiny snake possess?

"So cute!"

Liang Qiu Feiyan exclaimed in delight and immediately offered some snacks to Qinghong, thinking she wouldn't be able to eat much. But in the blink of an eye, the snack had disappeared.

Ji Xinghuo took a sip of the mutton soup. "Don't underestimate Qinghong. This is just her shrunken form. Her true body is actually massive, capable of swallowing all of us whole, nice and neat."

"Ah?"

Liang Qiu Feiyan dropped the snack in her hand and took a startled step back.

Ye Dongyun was a bit afraid of snakes. "Xinghuo, don't scare us."

"Hahaha..." Ji Xinghuo laughed, "Qinghong is very well-behaved. She can understand what you're saying and won't attack you. Just feed her some tasty treats, and she'll get used to you."

Qinghong raised her small body on the table, growing slightly larger to about ten centimeters in length, and gently nodded her little head a few times.

"She really understands human speech!"

"So magical!"

Liang Qiu Feiyan's eyes sparkled with excitement, and the others were equally astonished.

They offered various foods to Qinghong and discovered that no matter the size of the food, Qinghong could swallow it in one mouthful, yet her body didn't grow any larger. She was like a bottomless pit.

By the time Ji Xinghuo finished his mutton pao mo, the family had become comfortable with Qinghong. Even Ye Dongyun, who was afraid of snakes, allowed Qinghong to crawl onto her palm and fed her potato chips.

Only Zhong Ming still hesitated to get too close.

He vaguely sensed that this seemingly harmless little snake was actually quite terrifying.

His attention remained mostly on Ji Xinghuo. This brother, who had grown up with him, now seemed shrouded in a layer of mysterious mist since his return from the Star Realm, making it hard for Zhong Ming to see through him. He had a feeling that what Ji Xinghuo had shown them was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Burp..."

Ji Xinghuo burped contentedly, feeling satisfied.

The family returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, chatting leisurely. However, most of the time was spent with the family asking questions, and Ji Xinghuo answering, sharing his experiences in the Star Realm.

The four siblings listened in awe.

They now understood how thrilling and dangerous Ji Xinghuo's life in the Star Realm had been—how he had made powerful allies, infiltrated the territory of the Beiluoshimen Tribe, and hunted numerous monsters and enemies.

The experiences of the past year and a half had been ten times more exciting than their entire lives on Earth.

Of course, it had also been a hundred times more dangerous!

Just hearing that Ji Xinghuo had killed thousands of members of the Beiluoshimen Tribe on the Star Frontier was mind-boggling to them. It was hard to imagine that the young man sitting casually on the sofa in his home clothes had killed so many enemies, while they themselves couldn't bring themselves to slaughter a single chicken.

"Oh, right." Ji Xinghuo suddenly said, "I've prepared a New Year's gift for each of you this time."

He operated his phone for a moment.

Soon, all four of their phones rang simultaneously. They picked them up and immediately jumped up in surprise.

"Ten million!" Liang Qiu Feiyan exclaimed in shock.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end