Chapter 189: Star Emperor Club

Chapter 189: Star Emperor Club

The next day, Ji Xinghuo did not return to the base of the Sword Bureau but stayed at home, spending the entire day in the cultivation chamber.

He dedicated half of his time to practicing the Electric Light Spiral Power and the other half to cultivation. Although practicing the Star Power could also help with his training, it did not deplete his physical energy and Star Power fast enough, resulting in a less efficient cultivation process. Due to the lack of cultivation in recent days, his Star Power growth had slowed down.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem to make any special preparations for tonight's battle.

After finishing his cultivation, he ordered a sumptuous feast from the restaurant in the building, ate his fill, and fed the leftovers to Qinghong.

While eating, he casually browsed through his phone.

Ji Xinghuo discovered that the news of tonight's battle had already spread online by noon.

"The Martial King challenges Ji Xinghuo!"

The post generated quite a buzz, attracting the attention of many.

However, most people were more interested in the gossip surrounding it. It was an open secret that Shi Renzhong had pursued Zhao Manying for years. Now that her official boyfriend had appeared, Shi Renzhong immediately issued a challenge, sparking everyone's curiosity as to whether this was a showdown between rivals in love.

There were also many discussions about the battle itself.

The majority of people supported Shi Renzhong. In an online poll, over 95% of the votes went to him.

The reason was simple. Someone had leaked that Ji Xinghuo would not be using his electric flying sword in the fight.

Due to the intervention of the Sword Bureau, the information about the Purple Lightning Sword had been suppressed, and it could not be spread online. Up until now, no one knew the name of the sword, and various media outlets, news channels, and bloggers remained tight-lipped about it.

However, anyone who had watched the video of the unveiling battle knew just how terrifying the power of the Purple Lightning Sword was.

Even though experts from various fields, including the ADC professional team, had pointed out that Ji Xinghuo's strength did not solely rely on the Purple Lightning Sword, the sword's impression on people was simply too profound.

On the contrary, "Martial King" Shi Renzhong was a renowned figure worldwide, often showcasing impressive performances on the battlefield.

His strength was evident and deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Despite his ladder ranking of only 148, which paled in comparison to Ji Xinghuo's ranking of 49, a difference of nearly a hundred places, people still subconsciously favored Shi Renzhong, believing he would emerge victorious.

More importantly, everyone "hated" Ji Xinghuo.

Even those who favored him did not want to see him win.

"You've already won Zhao Manying's heart. Aren't you content? Do you want to keep winning? Dream on!"

"I hope you lose, lose, lose!"

"Go, Martial King! Crush him!"

The online sentiment was almost overwhelmingly one-sided, with less than one-tenth of the supporters rooting for Ji Xinghuo.

"Hehe..."

Ji Xinghuo read through the venomous and sour comments, but instead of getting angry, he found them rather amusing and even ate a little more than usual.

Before setting off, he took out a pair of boxing gloves from his dimensional pocket.

These were the spoils he had obtained from Shen Yucheng's corpse. They were rated Superpower One-Star and came with two ability effects: "Strengthen" and "Rapid Recovery," which slightly enhanced his overall physical condition and accelerated his stamina recovery. They could be considered slightly better than nothing.

Moreover, the gloves were made of an extremely hard material. Previously, when Lei Chi's battle knife had struck them, it had only left a few scratches.

They also looked quite stylish.

The sleek silver-black gloves fit snugly from the palm to the wrist, resembling a lightweight, agile, and breathable fist gauntlet.

Ji Xinghuo tried a few punches with the Electric Light Spiral Power after putting them on and found no hindrance at all.

"Not bad!"

He changed into a crisp martial arts uniform, with a sword on his back and a pair of swords at his waist, while a hammer was hidden at his waist. Then he went downstairs to the garage.

Zhao Manying was already waiting for him in her super magnetic hovercar.

Ji Xinghuo noticed someone in the car next to them.

The person was sitting in the driver's seat with the window rolled down, revealing their upper body. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with an extraordinarily handsome face—so handsome, in fact, that one might mistake him for a beautiful woman at first glance. Only upon closer inspection could one confirm his gender.

Ji Xinghuo had always been confident in his looks, but even he had to admit that this person was superior in that regard.

He had already guessed who it was.

"Brother-in-law," the young man said.

Zhao Manying quickly reprimanded him, "Don't call him that!" Then she turned to Ji Xinghuo and explained, "He's Zhao Cangming. He heard you were going to face off against Shi Renzhong, and he insisted on coming along."

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

Today was the team's day off, and Zhao Manying spent every week's off-day with her mother and brother.

Zhao Cangming was still in university and would only graduate next year.

Ji Xinghuo had already figured as much.

Zhao Cangming was a mid-level alien with impressive strength, undoubtedly a standout among his peers.

However, this guy seemed a bit lazy and didn't seem like the type to persist in cultivation, similar to his sister Liang Qiu Feiyan. It was unlikely that he would progress far on the path of evolution.

"Cangming, nice to meet you. Your sister has mentioned you to me many times," Ji Xinghuo said as he walked over to shake his hand, smiling.

Zhao Cangming was flattered, "I begged my sister for a long time before she finally agreed to bring me to meet you."

"Feel free to come if you want. It's no big deal," Ji Xinghuo replied.

"You're the best, brother-in-law!" Zhao Cangming exclaimed.

Zhao Manying glared at him and said, "There you go again with the 'brother-in-law'."

"Hehe..." Zhao Cangming grinned mischievously, "But he is my brother-in-law. Mom told me that you two are living together now."

Zhao Manying's face turned red, and she glanced at Ji Xinghuo, who didn't seem to have any particular reaction. She quietly opened the car door and got in.

"Let's go," she said.

The magnetic hovercar started, with Zhao Cangming's car following closely behind.

A moment later, the two cars arrived at the private training ground of the Star Emperor Club. Although the Star Emperor Team's home ground was at the Tianqin Stadium, each club had its own headquarters for centralized training. The coaching team and staff also worked in these headquarters during regular days.

The Star Emperor Club was not far from the stadium, located in a cluster of buildings in the center of Chang'an City.

This place was an asset of the Shi Ying Group, with several skyscrapers huddled together. The club itself was located in the lower ten floors of one of the towers, luxuriously decorated and equipped with various facilities, ensuring privacy and tight security. It was surrounded by a park-like forest.

Ji Xinghuo noticed that Zhao Cangming was looking around curiously as they walked, and asked, "Cangming, is this your first time here?"

"Yes," Zhao Cangming replied.

Standing tall at almost 1.9 meters, Zhao Cangming had a well-proportioned build that wasn't overly exaggerated. Like his sister, he had long legs and a strikingly handsome face that could easily make women weak at the knees. He was the epitome of a male model, a heartthrob that could make women swoon.

However, Ji Xinghuo detected a hint of tension in his eyes.

"This is just a spar with an outcome that's already decided," Ji Xinghuo said casually with a smile. "You don't need to be nervous since you won't be fighting."

Zhao Cangming looked surprised. "Brother-in-law, you're so confident?"

"Ask your sister if you don't believe me," Ji Xinghuo replied.

Only then did Zhao Cangming realize something. His sister had never shown any worry or concern about Ji Xinghuo's upcoming match; in fact, she didn't seem to be taking it seriously at all.

Zhao Manying turned back and said, "Below the Legendary realm, no one can defeat Xinghuo."

"Can't you, sister?" Zhao Cangming asked, taken aback.

Zhao Manying didn't answer, but her silence spoke volumes.

"Then I'm relieved," Zhao Cangming said with a laugh, though he was actually calming his own nerves.

As the three of them made their way through the club, they attracted curious glances from everyone they passed.

"Captain," some greeted Zhao Manying.

"Captain Zhao," others acknowledged.

People's gazes then shifted to the two men accompanying her.

Zhao Cangming's appearance was similar to his sister's, and his aura was comparable as well. It was easy for people to guess that he was Zhao Manying's younger brother.

However, most of the attention was focused on the other man—Ji Xinghuo.

Due to privacy settings, this was the first time many of them were seeing Ji Xinghuo in person, and some couldn't hide their disappointment.

"Is that Ji Xinghuo?"

"He doesn't look that formidable. Carrying three weapons is quite a show-off, though."

"I wonder how Captain Zhao fell for him."

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

Ji Xinghuo could clearly hear the whispers behind him, but he didn't pay them any mind. These people were employees of Shi Renzhong, so it was natural for them to side with their boss. As for himself, he was the challenger today, so he didn't expect a warm welcome.

Soon, they arrived at the training ground of the Star Emperor Club.

Two guards stood outside the large training hall. As the trio approached, the guards saluted and opened the doors for them.

Stepping inside, they found themselves in a medium-sized martial arts arena that spanned over 2,000 square meters. The spotless floor was made of alloy and had been insulated. There were several rows of spectator seats around the perimeter, and large screens covered the walls, with cameras installed at various angles.

Ji Xinghuo's magnetic field senses also picked up on the presence of a superconducting shield array.

Quite a few people had already gathered in the arena, and their gazes turned towards the newcomers.

"Welcome!"

Shi Renzhong approached with a broad smile on his face. "Ji Xinghuo, welcome to the Star Emperor Club!" He reached out his hand in greeting.

Ji Xinghuo shook his hand briefly and replied, "Thanks for having me."

Shi Renzhong's gaze then landed on Zhao Cangming, and his eyes widened in surprise. "You must be Cangming, Manying's younger brother. I've heard a lot about you, and it's nice to finally meet you."

Zhao Cangming was clearly excited to be recognized by the Martial King. "It's an honor to meet you, Martial King."

"Make yourself at home. Don't be a stranger," Shi Renzhong said, patting him on the shoulder. He then turned his attention back to Ji Xinghuo. "Let me introduce you to everyone."

He pointed to the people beside him.

"This is my older brother, Shi Daoyuan."

Ji Xinghuo nodded at the man, a stern-looking middle-aged man who appeared much older than Shi Renzhong. Judging from his magnetic field strength, he was a Superpower Alien, and his etheric energy fluctuations were also quite powerful, indicating a deep cultivation.

Shi Renzhong's family background was not a secret.

He had two wives, and together they had four sons and two daughters.

All six children had been cultivated as Aliens, but only the eldest son, Shi Daoyuan, and the youngest, Shi Renzhong, displayed talent in cultivation. The other four were not well-known and held positions within the family's businesses.

Before Shi Renzhong rose to fame, Shi Daoyuan's position as the eldest son was unshakable, and he was considered the heir apparent to the Shi Ying Group. Currently, he served as the group's vice president.

There were rumors outside that the brothers did not get along and were in intense competition with each other.

Unexpectedly, Shi Daoyuan was present today.

"President Shi," Ji Xinghuo greeted him without any sign of disrespect or servility, quietly memorizing the man's magnetic field signature.

Shi Renzhong then introduced the second person.

She was a young woman in her twenties, with a beautiful and lively appearance. Her bold and fiery attire drew attention, and her eyes had been fixed on Zhao Cangming since he entered, shining with a light that suggested she had discovered a treasure.

"This is Shi Buzhi, my niece," Shi Renzhong said.

Shi Renzhong proceeded to introduce Ji Xinghuo to everyone else present, including the entire competition team of the Star Emperor, the head coach, assistant coaches, and the entire coaching staff—a total of over a dozen people, including a Legendary powerhouse who had contributed to the team's two consecutive championships.

These people were not only spectators but also acted as bodyguards to a certain extent.

Everyone was observing Ji Xinghuo, their gazes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even hostility. Some were simply there to enjoy the show.

Anyone else would have felt the pressure in such a situation.

However, Ji Xinghuo remained unperturbed, treating them as if they didn't exist. He just wanted to get the fight over with and give Zhao Manying a satisfying outcome.

"How do you want to fight, Shi Renzhong?" Ji Xinghuo asked, cutting straight to the point without any pleasantries. "Deathmatch? Sparring? Or just a light tap?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end