Chapter 227: A Chance Encounter with a Saint

Chapter 227: A Chance Encounter with a Saint

Ji Xinghuo observed the group of Highlanders.

The evolved beings of the Starry Realm's alien race also had a profession system. Due to their racial talents, "Giant Force" and "Iron Lungs," the vast majority of Highlanders chose power-type professions similar to giants, iron guards, or flame fanatics.

These dozen or so Highlanders were all fourth-rank.

Judging from their weapons and equipment, most of them were Berserkers, Iron Men, and Wild Hunters. Among them were two Blood Priests, the prototypes for the "Black-Robed Bishops." They possessed powerful healing abilities.

Highlander Priests not only had healing capabilities but also possessed greater strength than ordinary warriors.

They held a higher status within the tribe.

"Equal numbers will enter the field."

"Remember, you are to defeat my warriors, but you must not kill them," He Yan reminded them grimly.

The faces of the evolved beings from several teams changed at his words.

He Yan only constrained them from killing, but he did not say that his Highlander warriors couldn't. This made winning the battle much more difficult, and they might even lose their lives.

"Lord He Yan, that's not fair, is it?" A Dan person objected.

Bang!

As the Dan person's words fell, his body suddenly trembled, and then he fell to the ground in multiple segments, blood gushing out. It was only then that He Yan's figure appeared beside him, a bloody blade in his hand. Expressionless, he said, "If you want fairness, then don't come to the Blood Fury Tribe."

The slain Dan person had three teammates, and they were so terrified that they lost all color in their faces, not daring to make a sound.

Ji Xinghuo's pupils constricted slightly.

Even with his eyesight, he could barely make out the process of He Yan's killing.

If he had been He Yan's target just now, it would have been difficult to dodge.

"You three, get out there."

He Yan pointed his bloody blade at the three teammates.

The three were red-skinned Dan people, two of the fourth rank and one of the third, with no small amount of skill. At this moment, they deeply regretted coming here, but under He Yan's threat, they could only grit their teeth and enter the field.

On the other side of the field, three Highlanders were sent out: two Berserkers and one Wild Hunter.

"Begin!"

He Yan casually gave the order.

The six people on the field immediately started fighting.

The two Berserkers' bodies swelled, their armor bulking them up as they held a heavy shield in front of them to block their vitals. They charged at their opponents.

The Wild Hunter threw a spear from behind, and his battle pet, a giant spider wolf, leaped into the sky on its eight spider legs. It spat out a large amount of spider silk at the three targets below before crashing down. Its sharp, iron-like spider legs were like spears, piercing its enemies.

One of the three Dan people was a Shadow Blade and disappeared from view, while the other two stayed in place and formed a defensive formation to counter the enemy's charge.

"Ah!"

A miserable scream, and the Shadow Blade's figure fell from the air.

A spear was piercing his abdomen, having penetrated his body. Before he could react further, a charging Berserker casually swung his axe, severing his neck.

The remaining two Dan people were entangled in spider silk, their formation in disarray. The Berserker in front of them suppressed them, and one of them, being careless, was pierced in the head by the giant wolf spider's leg, the iron-like leg penetrating from the top of his head to the ground, pinning him there.

The last Dan person soon followed in his teammates' footsteps, and within seconds, he was also dead from the encirclement.

The whole battle lasted less than a minute.

The other teams watching from the sidelines had unsightly expressions.

These three Highlanders were elites among the fourth-rank evolved beings, and the three Dan people were also quite skilled. However, intimidated by He Yan, they had fought with restraint and had not displayed even half of their true abilities. Their deaths were unjust.

"Weaklings!"

He Yan sneered in contempt.

The several corpses on the ground were immediately cleaned up by the Highlander guards, leaving only a few bloodstains.

"It's your turn." He Yan pointed to another team of five people, but they hesitated and didn't immediately enter the field. He Yan snorted, "The Blood Fury Tribe has no cowards. Either fight or die."

The five had no choice but to enter the field.

Their team composition was quite complex: a Winged person, an Antlered humanoid, two other Highlanders from different tribes, and a Forest Ranger, each with different professions. This was obviously a hunting team that had worked together for a long time. After entering the field, the female Winged person, who seemed to be the leader, said a few words, and soon they calmed down.

He Yan also sent out five Highlanders.

The battle began soon after.

A few minutes later.

This team of five managed to eke out a difficult victory, but everyone was injured, one of them severely. On the other hand, their five Highlander opponents had all been knocked down and injured, but their wounds were not fatal.

"Not bad!"

He Yan clapped his hands, a rare smile on his face. "You've passed the test and are qualified to fight side by side with the warriors of the Blood Fury Tribe."

The five people breathed a sigh of relief, and the female Winged person cautiously said, "Thank you, Lord He Yan."

"You may leave now and wait for further instructions.

"Oh?"

He Yan nodded, glancing at Ji Xinghuo and Xia Qingyu but not paying them much mind. He casually said, "You three, get into the field."

Misha, with her giant axe in hand, walked at the front, followed by Xia Qingyu, with Ji Xinghuo bringing up the rear.

"I'll take the lead," Misha said in a low voice.

"Just go all out, no need to worry about ranged attacks," Ji Xinghuo said, Invisible Sting in hand, looking at the three Highlanders opposite them. The previous Wilderness Hunter with the giant spider wolf had also entered the field, along with a Berserker and an Iron Man.

Berserkers were similar to Giants, and Iron Men were like Iron Guards, with only slight differences in a few abilities, but the effects were largely the same.

And Wilderness Hunters were essentially Pursuers with more refined marksmanship.

"I'll take care of the Wilderness Hunter," Xia Qingyu said, two short swords in hand.

His profession was a combination of Shadow Blade and the advanced stage of Martial Artist, the "Shadow Warrior," which allowed him to excel in both stealth assassinations and head-on battles. He was fast, agile, and had mastered multiple Star Techniques.

However, he had not fully grasped all the abilities of both professions, so his form as a Shadow Warrior was not yet complete.

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

Before entering, he had put Qinghong away, not wanting to expose it to outsiders.

But this battle didn't require Qinghong, nor did it need him to showcase too much of his strength; what he had already showed was more than enough.

"Begin!"

He Yan gave the order.

Misha's body turned a deep bronze, and she charged at her opponents with her giant axe in hand.

At the same time, Xia Qingyu disappeared into the shadows.

Ji Xinghuo locked his gaze on the Wilderness Hunter. As expected, his opponent threw a spear once more, possessing a vision ability that could see through shadow stealth. The spear was aimed at Xia Qingyu, who was leaping through the shadows, and predicted his movement direction.

Xia Qingyu was prepared and about to dodge the spear.

Snap!

The flying spear was struck by an invisible arrow mid-flight, causing it to veer off course and stab into the ground.

Ji Xinghuo stood in place, his hands moving swiftly as if they were shadows, shooting out invisible arrows. The first arrow saved Xia Qingyu, and the second flew into the sky.

The giant spider wolf had just leaped into the air when it was hit in the abdomen, letting out a miserable cry as it fell back down.

The third arrow was aimed at the Wilderness Hunter.

Just as he raised his second spear, an arrow pierced his wrist, causing him to lose his grip. The spear fell from his hand, and another arrow whizzed by, grazing the charging Berserker and striking the Wilderness Hunter's ankle, nailing him to the ground.

The Wilderness Hunter let out a pained cry; though the arrows weren't fatal, he had temporarily lost his combat ability.

At this moment, Misha and the Berserker clashed head-on.

The giant axe slammed into the large shield, creating a loud, clear ring, and both fighters stepped back. The Berserker was about to charge again when an arrow flew with pinpoint accuracy and struck his knee, causing him to fall to his knees.

Misha seized the opportunity and furiously chopped down with her axe, felling the Berserker.

On the other side, Xia Qingyu tangled with the Iron Man, his speed far surpassing his opponent's. His short swords left multiple wounds, but he couldn't find an opening for a finishing blow.

As he considered his next move, Misha stepped in to engage the Iron Man head-on, allowing Xia Qingyu to circle around to the back. His short sword pierced the Iron Man's back, as hard as metal, and Xia Qingyu unleashed the "Thorn Spike Technique", causing the sword tip to sink deep into the Iron Man's body, avoiding the heart and other vital areas but still inflicting intense pain.

Misha brought the flat side of her axe down on the Iron Man's head with a clang, and he fell unconscious.

The three of them won with crisp efficiency, their teamwork seamless. Not only were they unharmed, but the three Highlanders had also only sustained minor injuries.

Instantly, the watching teams shot them surprised looks, sizing up Ji Xinghuo's group, now realizing they had misjudged them before.

"Well done!"

Admiration showed on He Yan's face as he applauded.

Ignoring Misha and Xia Qingyu, his gaze rested on Ji Xinghuo, and he nodded slightly. With his discerning eye, he could tell that the key to this battle was Ji Xinghuo, whose exquisite marksmanship single-handedly controlled the battle situation on both sides.

From start to finish, Ji Xinghuo hadn't moved his feet, standing in the same spot the entire time.

The bow in his hand was also extraordinary.

If he had wanted to, he could have easily taken out all three opponents without sustaining any damage himself.

Precise, swift, deadly!

"It's been a long time since I've seen such a formidable archer," He Yan said, his eyes full of interest as he sized up Ji Xinghuo. "What's your name?"

"Xing Tian, Lord He Yan," Ji Xinghuo replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Are you a True Dragon?" He Yan asked.

"Yes," Ji Xinghuo replied, a hint of pride in his voice. The True Dragon Dynasty, as the absolute ruler of the "True Dragon Star Domain," placed the True Dragons far above all other races in status.

Posing as a True Dragon had its benefits.

The Blood Fury Tribe dared to treat others however they pleased, attacking or killing at will, but they would never dare to harm a True Dragon easily. They would definitely have their reservations.

Indeed, He Yan's attitude immediately softened.

"So it's a distinguished guest from the True Dragon clan," he nodded, addressing Ji Xinghuo. "All three of you have passed the test, and the Blood Fury Tribe welcomes you. We are honored."

"Lord He Yan is too kind," Ji Xinghuo replied, using the distinctive mannerisms of the True Dragons. He exchanged a few more words with He Yan before leaving with Misha and Xia Qingyu.

Riding their six-legged horned horses at a slow pace through the streets of Skyfall Cliff, Misha kept glancing at Xia Qingyu and Ji Xinghuo.

She finally asked, "Are you both True Dragons?"

Since Ji Xinghuo claimed to be a True Dragon, and he was Xia Qingyu's cousin, it stood to reason that Xia Qingyu was also a True Dragon.

Before Xia Qingyu could respond, Ji Xinghuo nodded, "Yes."

"You jerk! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Misha accused Xia Qingyu, her voice filled with anger. "You lied to me about being an alien from Earth, and now I find out that was a lie too. How many of the things you've told me were even true?"

Xia Qingyu opened his mouth, at a loss for words.

Haha!

Ji Xinghuo almost laughed out loud. As the three of them made their way toward Xia Qingyu's home, circling around the edge of Skyfall Cliff, Ji Xinghuo suddenly turned his head to look across the street.

On the other side of the street, there was a tent with various weapons and armor on display, and the owner of the stall was a highlander.

The items on display were quite ordinary.

Ji Xinghuo's attention, however, wasn't on the stall owner or the goods, but rather on a man standing in front of the stall.

He was a young-looking male with a tall and slender build. His skin was pale and smooth, but his features were odd. He had a high forehead, narrow eyes, a flat nose that was almost non-existent, slit-like nostrils, and thin lips that resembled a closed line. His purple hair was braided into thin strands as thin as fingers and hung loosely behind him.

These features seemed like they had been pieced together, and one could only describe him with one word: ugly.

There were many branches of the human race in the Starry Realm.

Ji Xinghuo knew quite a few, but he had never seen a human with these particular facial characteristics before.

The man wore a blue robe, with intricate patterns embroidered on the chest and collar, and his hands were empty, with no weapons in sight.

However, Ji Xinghuo did not dare to underestimate him.

Because, according to his electromagnetic perception, this man's magnetic field strength and energy fluctuations were like a blazing sun! Everyone else on this street combined couldn't match this man's power.

A Star Shepherd! Ji Xinghuo immediately identified him as a terrifying Star Shepherd. At that moment, the man was chatting with the highlander stall owner, occasionally picking up a weapon to examine it closely, as if he had a great interest in these items.

Unconsciously, Ji Xinghuo slowed down Qinghong's pace.

"What's wrong?" Xia Qingyu noticed Ji Xinghuo's unusual behavior and followed his gaze, spotting the peculiar-looking man.

"Can you recognize his race?" Ji Xinghuo asked in a low voice.

Xia Qingyu took a closer look and shook his head, "I don't recognize him."

"Neither do I," added Misha.

Neither of them paid it much mind, as there were simply too many branches of the human race in the Starry Realm. Due to convergent evolution, there were many similar-looking humans in the Milky Way Galaxy, and there was even a "Pan-Human Interstellar Alliance." It was perfectly normal not to recognize a race with such unusual features.

Ji Xinghuo nodded, not revealing the truth about the Star Shepherd.

Just as he was about to look away, the Star Shepherd seemed to sense Ji Xinghuo's gaze and suddenly turned his head. Their eyes met.

Boom! Ji Xinghuo's mind felt like it had been struck by a thunderbolt, and his consciousness went blank.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally came back to his senses and found himself still riding on the street, with Misha and Xia Qingyu by his side. People were passing by as if nothing had happened. It seemed like his previous experience had just been an illusion.

Looking across the street again, the Star Shepherd had disappeared.

Ji Xinghuo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hmm?" A voice suddenly sounded in his mind, seemingly coming from nowhere. "Young human, you have quite a few secrets, don't you?"

Ji Xinghuo's expression turned ghostly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end