Chapter 184: Heavenly Ladder Forty-Nine
Chapter 184: Heavenly Ladder Forty-Nine
When Ji Xinghuo woke up, it was already past seven in the morning. The warm spring sunshine bathed the room in a pleasant glow.
As he looked down, he saw Zhao Manying's head pillowed on his chest.
Her lustrous black hair fanned out, and her limbs were wrapped around him like an octopus, with one of her thighs resting on his waist. Her sleep skirt had ridden up, and her half-open top revealed a sight that he shouldn't have been looking at.
With such intimate contact, and at this early hour, Ji Xinghuo immediately reacted.
A mysterious voice echoed in his mind:
"Spring is here, and all things are awakening. It's the season for animals to procreate..."
Ji Xinghuo remained still, afraid of waking her. He admired the sleeping beauty in his arms, feeling her soft breath on his skin. She was beautiful and vibrant, with skin as white as snow and a face that could rival the most stunning of landscapes. He couldn't help but marvel at the greatness of the Creator, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.
Suddenly, Zhao Manying's eyelashes fluttered slightly, but she didn't open her eyes.
A faint blush crept onto her ears.
Pretending he didn't know she was awake, Ji Xinghuo boldly admired her, his arms tightening around her.
Zhao Manying had no choice but to open her eyes, and the two of them gazed at each other.
"Good morning," Ji Xinghuo said with a smile.
Zhao Manying's eyes clouded for a moment, and she said softly, "Your hand..."
"Oh!" Ji Xinghuo's face lit up with realization, and he quickly withdrew his hand, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't realize my hand had a mind of its own while I was sleeping."
Zhao Manying propped herself up, and in the process of untangling their limbs, she suddenly jumped up like a startled rabbit. She took a quick step to the side of the bed, glanced at a certain part of Ji Xinghuo's body, then quickly averted her gaze, pretending to adjust her sleep skirt.
"Ahem..."
Ji Xinghuo explained, "It's a natural phenomenon."
He was at the age where his blood was boiling, and after merging with the blood of the titanium cobalt dragon, he had just reached level three the night before. He had an abundance of energy, and it would have been strange if he hadn't reacted.
"I understand," Zhao Manying said, her expression calm once more. She reached out her hand and said with a smile, "Get up now. How long do you plan on lazing in bed?"
"I'm up!"
Ji Xinghuo took her hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. They entered the bathroom together and stood side by side in front of the mirror to wash up, stealing glances at each other's reflection from time to time and sharing a smile.
Although nothing had happened the night before, their relationship had progressed, and they had taken a step closer into each other's lives.
Ji Xinghuo was quite satisfied with this state of affairs.
After they had finished washing up and changed into fresh clothes, a drone delivered their breakfast.
Sitting at the table, Ji Xinghuo ate while casually opening a projection screen, which immediately displayed dozens of news headlines.
Last night's "Curtain-Raising Battle" was still the top headline, and the fervor surrounding it had not diminished. Every channel was running extensive coverage of the event.
The identity of the legendary eccentric genius, as well as the cause of the incident, had not been made public, and only the Security Bureau had held a press conference, but they had given little information away, citing case confidentiality. The various reports and analyses focused mainly on the battle itself and its impact on the Super League.
The Sword Bureau was notably absent from all the reports.
"The Sword Bureau intervened," Ji Xinghuo said.
He wasn't surprised, and it was even more imperative that his identity as a swordsman be kept secret. Although those with ulterior motives might see through it, at least in the public eye, there was no connection between him and the Sword Bureau.
Zhao Manying nodded, "The work of the Sword Bureau is not meant to be publicized. Exposing themselves to the public eye is detrimental to their secrecy."
"Yes," Ji Xinghuo agreed.
He didn't elaborate further on the Sword Bureau to Zhao Manying and continued browsing the news.
As expected.
Aside from the Curtain-Raising Battle incident, the hottest topic was himself.
Overnight, many journalists and bloggers had tracked down his classmates and friends, gathering a wealth of information.
Ji Xinghuo scanned through several articles and videos, and his life story, from childhood to the present, had largely been dug up.
Before the age of 22, he had been ordinary.
But after his 22nd birthday, he soared to extraordinary heights, shocking everyone with his rapid progress.
From becoming an Other to the present, it had been just over twenty months—less than two years. In that time, he had evolved three times, rising to the rank of Advanced Other, climbing the Heavenly Ladder, and slaying a legend with his sword!
And this was the second legend he had slain.
His adventurous experiences in the Star Realm were also revealed by those he had crossed paths with, especially the bounty hunters from the Midway Fortress, who provided a lot of useful information. The details they shared were even more elaborate and shocking than the previous interviews after he had slain the legendary Dagon.
Numerous experts and commentators unanimously concluded: An unparalleled genius is rising!
On the screen, a host was extolling his virtues with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Even Ji Xinghuo himself felt ashamed at the over-the-top praise.
"Am I that amazing?"
"Hahaha..." Zhao Manying couldn't help but laugh, "That's just the media trying to grab attention. You'll have to get used to it. When I first became famous, they also blew my achievements out of proportion, claiming I was unparalleled in history and the greatest martial arts genius of all time."
Ji Xinghuo maintained a rational outlook and sighed, "The higher they build you up now, the harder they'll tear you down if something goes wrong in the future."
"I still prefer the comments from netizens," he said with a smile.
Indeed, countless people online had shared their thoughts on the previous night's events, but the vast majority were more interested in the gossip surrounding him and Zhao Manying.
He could smell the sour grapes through the internet.
"Awesome!"
Ji Xinghuo laughed out loud.
However, Zhao Manying paid little attention to these comments. Instead, she exclaimed in surprise, "Your Heavenly Ladder ranking has gone up. You're now forty-ninth!"
"So soon?"
Ji Xinghuo opened the official Heavenly Ladder website and found that the ADC (Star Defense Council) had updated the rankings overnight. His name had soared from ten thousandth place to forty-ninth.
Such a massive jump in ranking was unprecedented in the history of the Heavenly Ladder.
He opened his Heavenly Ladder profile, and the ADC provided their reasoning for the sudden increase in his ranking.
"Directly Slaying the Unconventional Genius at the Second Legend Stage"
Additionally, [A few days ago, in the confrontation with "Ghost Wolf" Taylor Worthington, one managed to survive, showcasing formidable strength.]
[However, a weakness was evident in both battles: the lack of a decisive finishing move.]
[Moreover, as one is only an Advanced Other, with insufficient stellar power and poor battle endurance, ranking forty-ninth is more appropriate.]
[In the future, if more detailed information becomes available or one merges with a new exotic species to advance to the Super Other stage, the ADC will consider advancing one's ranking into the top ten of the Heavenly Ladder.]
"Only forty-ninth?" Zhao Manying frowned, clearly dissatisfied.
She was the one who knew Ji Xinghuo's strength better than anyone else. Having lost to him countless times, she felt that even if he hadn't revealed his full strength, he shouldn't be ranked merely at forty-ninth.
Although forty-ninth on the Heavenly Ladder was already the highest ranking ever achieved by an Advanced Other in history.
Ji Xinghuo, however, found the ranking reasonable and laughed, "The ADC expert team has a good eye. Indeed, I currently lack a powerful attacking move."
Regardless of one's profession.
The higher an Other's rank and the stronger their power, the further they progressed in evolution, the closer they would get to becoming a well-rounded six-sided warrior.
There must be no weaknesses, and if there were, they had to be addressed.
Ji Xinghuo himself had been considering this aspect.
It wasn't that the Thunderclap Hand, sword, or bow and arrow firearms were insufficiently powerful. Rather, he needed a more ferocious offensive ability.
But this wasn't something that could be found in a short time.
The two of them finished breakfast and then headed out.
"Where are you going?" Zhao Manying asked as she sat in the driver's seat of the maglev flying car. "I'm going home first, and then I'll take you to your destination."
"I'm going to the Sword Bureau. It's not convenient for you to drop me off there," Ji Xinghuo replied.
"You don't have a vehicle yet. Why don't you use my 'Night Walker'?" Zhao Manying suggested, referring to her light-wheel motorcycle.
"Okay," Ji Xinghuo agreed without any hesitation.
The maglev flying car departed from the Tianwu Center in Qindu and soon arrived at the basement of the Miyang Building. It entered a vehicle lift that took it directly to the higher floors. In no time, they reached Zhao Manying's home in the car garage on the 303rd floor, nearly 1,800 meters above the ground, amidst the clouds!
Ji Xinghuo got out of the car and found himself in a bright and spacious garage that housed several vehicles, including Zhao Manying's "Night Walker" light-wheel motorcycle.
He looked out the window, seeing nothing but a layer of white clouds.
A magnetic field scan revealed that the entire floor belonged to Zhao Manying, spanning an area of over a thousand square meters. The interior was elegantly and luxuriously decorated, with complete facilities, yet it was empty of any occupants.
"Would you like to come in and take a look?" Zhao Manying asked with a smile.
"Next time," Ji Xinghuo shook his head.
He climbed onto the light-wheel motorcycle, put on a helmet, activated the autonomous driving system, and rode into the garage elevator.
Once they returned to the ground, the two bid each other farewell and parted ways.
Amid the roar of the engine, Ji Xinghuo lay on the light-wheel motorcycle, and his speed soared. Soon, he left Chang'an and entered the Qinling Mountains to the south. He sped along the winding mountain road and quickly arrived at "Lijiawan Town."
From a secret passage in the food processing plant, he entered the base of the Sword Bureau.
The swordsmen of the Intelligence Division had worked through the night, and a group of swordsmen had also begun their training, arranging the duty squad for the day.
Ji Xinghuo took off his helmet and walked through the base. Everyone he encountered along the way looked at him with eyes full of curiosity and envy.
He knew what they were thinking.
"You little rascal!"
Min Chongwu popped out of his room, his flashing big head particularly eye-catching. He cried out, "You've only been back from the Star Realm for less than two months, and you've already hooked up with a Sword Immortal! I never expected that besides having good talent, you'd also be so skilled at wooing girls!"
Swordmasters from all around were drawn to the commotion.
Ji Xinghuo's scalp tingled as he asked, "Min Team Leader, what are you trying to say?"
"Big brother, teach me your ways!" Min Chongwu clasped his hands together, his face filled with sincerity and pleading. "I also want a girlfriend who's both beautiful and strong. There's only one Sword Immortal in the world, so I dare not dream that high, but someone like Yu Meiling would be perfect!"
(End of Chapter)
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