Chapter 225: A Complicated Love Triangle

Chapter 225: A Complicated Love Triangle

"Die!"

The female Highlander roared, her arm muscles visibly swelling, skin bronzing like metal casting. The massive wheel-sized heavy axe in her hand felt as light as a stick, and she swung it furiously, creating a violent airflow with a startling momentum.

This was no joke; she intended to split him in two.

"You've got the wrong person!" Qi Xinghuo's expression changed slightly, but there was no time to explain. A tri-colored sacred dragon scale armor appeared on his hand, like a glove, as he stepped forward to face her.

The Highlander woman was a skilled combatant.

Her frenzied chops, seemingly driven by rage, were entirely under her control. She adjusted the angle of her axe blade with her movements, displaying fluid control.

Qi Xinghuo had anticipated this, and as he took a step forward, he vanished before his foot touched the ground.

Instant Step!

At such close range, Qi Xinghuo seemed to teleport, appearing right before his opponent.

The two were almost face-to-face, about to collide.

The Highlander woman was caught off guard, never expecting Qi Xinghuo to advance instead of retreat. He passed through right under her axe blade, his timing and speed impeccable. She realized too late that she couldn't bring her axe down as the handle was firmly grasped by a scaly hand.

She tried to pull her axe back but couldn't budge it.

Qi Xinghuo was a head shorter than her, but the strength in his hand was unbelievably powerful.

"Let go!"

The Highlander woman shouted angrily, putting force into her feet as if to ram into Qi Xinghuo directly. But suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through her hands holding the axe, and a strong electric current spread throughout her body.

She yelled at him to let go, but her hands released the axe involuntarily.

Qi Xinghuo held the axe upside down, poking her abdomen with the handle. Bang! It was like hitting a metal block. The Highlander woman's face contorted in pain as she was knocked back, crashing into the ground in the courtyard, creating a dent. She tried to get up, but a thunderclap sounded above her head.

Boom!

A thick lightning bolt fell from the sky, striking her head precisely.

The Highlander woman felt dizzy and numb all over. When she regained clarity, she found a massive axe pressing down on her neck. The force on the axe was terrifying, preventing her from getting up.

"You've got the wrong person," Qi Xinghuo said, frowning.

"You're not Xia Qingyu!" The Highlander woman, Misha, finally realized her mistake, glaring at Qi Xinghuo with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Xia Qingyu isn't as strong as you. Who are you?"

"Ahem..."

Xia Qingyu's head poked out from the bedroom window on the second floor, his face slightly embarrassed. "He's my cousin. Misha, it's been a long time."

"You scum! You mongrel!"

Misha's anger exploded as soon as she saw Xia Qingyu, and she started cursing. "I left my husband for you, and I fell out with my tribe. You said you'd take me with you on your adventures and battles, that we'd be husband and wife for life, and you made so many promises. But after just half a month, you disappeared."

Xia Qingyu, unmoved, said, "Misha, let me explain."

"I won't believe a word you say!" Misha's anger blazed, venting her emotions. "I was too quick to trust you, and that's how you deceived me."

"Do you know how long I've been looking for you?"

"This time, when I came to Tianzui Cliff and inquired about your whereabouts, I decided not to listen to any of your explanations. I made up my mind to split you in two with my axe!"

As she spoke, Misha was about to jump up but then remembered that she was still being pinned down by Qi Xinghuo's axe. She glared at him and said, "Are you going to help this scumbag?"

Qi Xinghuo glanced at her and then looked up at Xia Qingyu on the second floor.

"Don't let her act recklessly!" Xia Qingyu quickly shouted.

"Get lost. This has nothing to do with you," Misha said, her pupils darkening, the black tattoo on her cheeks glowing, and a destructive aura spreading from her, her power surging. The bronze-colored metallic skin was tinged with a black glow.

Qi Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat.

He hesitated but ultimately decided to step back and be a bystander. He took a few steps back but didn't return the axe to her.

"Damn it!"

Xia Qingyu muttered, sensing the situation was turning sour. His figure flashed, and he disappeared from the window.

Misha immediately jumped up, bare-handed, onto the second floor, but she couldn't find Xia Qingyu. Turning her head, she saw a faint shadow flying from the balcony, vaulting over the wall, and disappearing from view in the blink of an eye.

"Scum! Come back here if you have the guts!" The Highlander woman shouted as she gave chase.

In an instant, the courtyard was left with only Qi Xinghuo, who picked up the axe in his hand and shook his head.

Xia Qingyu had intentionally exposed his shadow when escaping to lure Misha away, and she hadn't tried to retrieve her axe, indicating that she didn't truly intend to kill him.

The entanglement between these two was far from over.

He wasn't alone; Misha followed closely behind him.

"Sorry," Misha apologized to Qi Xinghuo as soon as she entered, spotting the giant axe leaning against the wall. She quickly went over to pick it up and left without another word.

"All settled then?" Qi Xinghuo asked, looking at Xia Qingyu.

"Of course," Xia Qingyu replied smugly. "With women, the more they curse at you, the deeper their love. I just had to sweet-talk her a little, and we're back on good terms."

Qi Xinghuo wasn't surprised. Recalling the red-haired woman from the tavern, he asked, "What about Ayatu?"

"As long as they don't meet, it'll be fine," Xia Qingyu said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Misha's strength far surpasses Ayatu's. When she's angry, even I dare not fight her. Ayatu, on the other hand, is easier to handle. So, I'll be spending more time with Misha these days. It's been a while since I've been with a woman like her, and I quite miss it."

Qi Xinghuo was at a loss for words.

However, as a man himself, he couldn't deny feeling a twinge of envy.

Xia Qingyu's skill in appeasing women was the most impressive he had ever seen. He wondered if he could learn a few tricks from him to try on Man Ying and Ren Jie; perhaps they would work wonders?

As Qi Xinghuo hesitated on how to broach the subject, Xia Qingyu suddenly changed the topic. "You've been keeping a secret, haven't you?"

"What do you mean?" Qi Xinghuo was momentarily confused.

"I know Misha's strength firsthand. In a direct fight, even I feel intimidated, especially when she's enraged. I can only try to avoid her attacks," Xia Qingyu said, sizing up Qi Xinghuo. "Yet, this afternoon, you managed to take her down in a single encounter!"

Qi Xinghuo spread his hands. "Maybe she didn't use her full strength."

"Do I look like a three-year-old to you?" Xia Qingyu clearly didn't believe it. "When women fight, they don't hold back, especially when they're angry."

Qi Xinghuo didn't know how to respond.

"I even asked Misha about it," Xia Qingyu continued. "She said you're incredibly strong, far more powerful than any other Fourth-Rank Transcender she's ever met. She said you were completely out of her league."

"You're stronger than her physically, but she has superior combat skills," Qi Xinghuo said.

"And you also have control over lightning!" Xia Qingyu exclaimed, his eyes widening with surprise. "The more I hear, the more astonished I am. Are you really just a High-Ranked Other? I'm starting to wonder if you're actually my son!"

Although he had previously suspected that Qi Xinghuo was no ordinary High-Ranked Other, having reached that rank in just two years and daring to venture to the Bloody Plateau alone, the fact that he could overpower the formidable Misha went beyond his imagination.

Qi Xinghuo suddenly laughed. "You said you could rank within the top thousand on the Tower?"

"Yes, what about it?" Xia Qingyu asked, perplexed.

"I'm ranked 49th on the Tower."

Xia Qingyu's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious? How can you be ranked so high when you're just a High-Ranked Other?" He hadn't returned to Earth in several years, but he was familiar with the Tower rankings. As far as he knew, no High-Ranked Other had ever made it into the top 50, let alone the top 500.

"I'm not the first," Qi Xinghuo said with a smile. "Before me, there was a High-Ranked Other who achieved the 23rd rank on the Tower. She's currently the top-ranked expert."

"Who is this person? That's just ridiculous!" Xia Qingyu exclaimed in disbelief.

"Zhao Manying," Qi Xinghuo replied. "You haven't been back to Earth for five years, so you probably don't know her. She's known as the 'Top Genius of This Era' and the 'Pride of the Century'. She obtained the title of Martial Arts Master at the age of 18, became a Super Other at 22, led her team to two consecutive championships in the Super League, and achieved a three-peat in the International Invitational. There are even predictions that she'll become a Legend before she turns 30."

He briefly recounted some of Zhao Manying's achievements and feats.

"There's such an incredible genius on Earth!" Xia Qingyu was flabbergasted. Then, it dawned on him, and he asked, "What does this have to do with you?"

"I defeated her," Qi Xinghuo replied nonchalantly.

"Pffft..."

Xia Qingyu had just taken a sip of water and ended up spitting it all out.

"Damn!"

He stared intently at Qi Xinghuo, a smile spreading across his face. "You little rascal! I thought you were an honest and straightforward person, but I never expected you to be a braggart, and a better one than me at that!"

"Hehe..." Qi Xinghuo chuckled but remained silent.

Xia Qingyu's smile gradually faded. "Are you telling the truth?" Qi Xinghuo didn't answer, but Xia Qingyu had already guessed the truth.

"Holy crap!" Xia Qingyu exclaimed, his eyes filled with shock and admiration. "Are you really my son?"

Qi Xinghuo nodded. He had intentionally displayed some of his strength to get Xia Qingyu to cooperate and help him.

Dropping the topic, Qi Xinghuo asked, "If I want to join the war on the side of the Blood Fury Tribe, what channels should I go through? Should I seek their employment?"

"Theoretically, yes," Xia Qingyu replied. "But you're just one person, a human at that, and you don't have any reputation here at Tianzui Cliff. It's unlikely the Blood Fury Tribe would hire you. Moreover, those followers of the Red Emperor are fanatics. They might seem friendly one moment, but they can turn on you in an instant, chopping you down to offer your blood as a sacrifice to the Red Emperor. It's dangerous for outsiders to deal with them."

Qi Xinghuo fell silent, deep in thought.

He didn't necessarily want to join one particular side in the war; he just needed to be on the battlefield.

Within a kilometer, he could absorb spiritual source energy.

However, there were definitely King-level powerhouses within the Blood Fury Tribe, and not just one or two. If he tried to sneak close to the battlefield, he would be in grave danger if discovered.

It would be safer to temporarily join one side, despite the risks, than to be treated as an enemy by both warring factions.

On the battlefield, he would also have a chance to obtain a Red Emperor Blood Crystal.

"Is there a good way to go about this?" Qi Xinghuo asked. "Ideally, I'd like to join the Blood Fury Tribe. Is there a way to get them to hire me?"

Xia Qingyu looked puzzled. "Are you sure you want to go?"

"Yes," Qi Xinghuo said. "I want to find an opportunity to obtain a Red Emperor Blood Crystal. After I fuse with another species, I plan to advance to the Super Transcender realm."

"So soon!"

Xia Qingyu was astonished. After a moment's thought, he said, "Actually, the solution is quite simple. Just find a Highlander to take you there."

Qi Xinghuo immediately thought of Misha. "What about that Misha from earlier? Isn't she a follower of the Red Emperor?"

"No," Xia Qingyu replied, his attitude noticeably different from before.

"Not all Highlanders worship the Red Emperor," he explained seriously. "Some worship other star gods. Misha is from the Black Pupil Tribe in the central region of the plateau. They worship the Doomsday Dragon."

Qi Xinghuo had heard of the Doomsday Dragon before.

It was a famous star god in the Star Realm, just a notch below the Four Great Divine Rulers. However, the Doomsday Dragon's fearsome reputation was no less impressive.

Legend had it that the Doomsday Dragon had been slumbering for tens of millions of years.

In the distant future, when it awakens, it will destroy the Star Realm with its power of annihilation, bringing an end to the entire galactic civilization.

The Doomsday Dragon also had a substantial number of followers, and in the True Dragon Empire, they were the mainstream.

They called themselves the Doomsday Sect, akin to a state religion!

Adjacent to the True Dragon Empire, the Blood Plateau had many wild dragons. Numerous dragon nests could be found in the high mountain lakes, and those True Dragon Clan members who couldn't inherit a dragon from their family often came to the Blood Plateau to try and tame wild dragons, aspiring to become Dragon Lords.

Thus, it wasn't unusual for there to be followers of the Doomsday Dragon on the plateau.

"Can Misha take me to join the Blood Fury Tribe?" Qi Xinghuo asked.

"If she's willing, it shouldn't be a problem," Xia Qingyu replied with a troubled expression. "But the issue is that I have to go and ask her for this favor."

Qi Xinghuo found this strange. "What's the problem with asking someone for help? I can offer compensation."

"You don't understand," Xia Qingyu shook his head. "Once you ask a favor of a woman, whether or not it gets done, she'll hold it over your head for the rest of your life. She'll bring it up when she's angry, happy, or even in bed. She'll nag you endlessly. Unless it's absolutely necessary, never ask a woman for a favor."

What nonsense!

"Then I'll talk to Misha myself," Qi Xinghuo said, not wanting to trouble him further. "Just give me her address."

"Alright, alright, for your sake, I'll reluctantly ask her this time," Xia Qingyu said as he stood up. "I'll go find her."

With that, he left the house.

Not long after, Xia Qingyu returned with Misha in tow.

Qi Xinghuo gave him a questioning look, to which Xia Qingyu nodded and then shook his head, leaving Qi Xinghuo confused.

The towering Misha entered the house, her curious gaze fixed on Qi Xinghuo as she said, "The dog man has already told me about it. I can take you to join the Blood Fury Tribe, but there's one condition."

"Name it," Qi Xinghuo replied.

"I also want a Red Emperor Blood Crystal," Misha said. "If we get one, you have to give it to me first."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end