Chapter 250: A Change of Appearance
Chapter 250: A Change of Appearance
In the evening, Xia Qingyu and Misha returned.
"What's that smell?"
Xia Qingyu sniffed in the courtyard and followed the scent of burning into the cultivation room. He found the room in disarray, with black marks scorching the walls and floor, and the training equipment damaged to varying degrees.
Ji Xinghuo remained in the cultivation room, seemingly unaffected by the chaos.
"What happened here?"
Xia Qingyu asked, confusion furrowing his brow. As their eyes met, he felt a jolt, as if his spirit had been pricked by a bolt of lightning. He had experienced this sensation a few times before, and it always occurred when he encountered a formidable foe.
Xia Qingyu's heart skipped a beat.
Ji Xinghuo, who had been experimenting with spirit energy and the magnetic spirit star core, finally reined in his power and calmly replied, "It's nothing. I just advanced, and my powers were a bit out of control."
"Advanced!" Xia Qingyu exclaimed, "To Superpower?"
Ji Xinghuo nodded.
"It's only been two years since you became a Power, and now you're already a Superpower?!” Xia Qingyu exclaimed in disbelief. Suddenly, he felt a sense of urgency. It had only taken Ji Xinghuo two years to catch up with him, and he felt a sense of despondency knowing that even without the advancement, Ji Xinghuo was still far stronger than him.
"You're insane!" Xia Qingyu shook his head. "This is no fun..."
Misha, unable to understand their conversation, could still guess what was going on. She kept glancing at Ji Xinghuo, this young man shrouded in too much mystery in her eyes.
"What are your plans for the near future?" Ji Xinghuo asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm leaving Tianzhuai Cliff," Ji Xinghuo said. "I'll definitely come back, but I'm not sure when that will be."
Xia Qingyu's face fell, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, but he quickly masked it. "Where are you going?"
"I'll probably stay on the Bloody Highland and travel around, hoping to get lucky and find the Gale Beast," Ji Xinghuo replied. He then asked, "What about you? Aren't you preparing to break through to the Legendary realm?"
"Yes, and the next time you see me, I'll definitely be a Legendary Power." Xia Qingyu replied confidently, with a carefree laugh. "I'll most likely be staying in Tianzhuai Cliff for the next few years. You can find me here anytime, or leave a message at the tavern on the corner if I'm not around."
"Alright." Ji Xinghuo nodded.
"Good luck!" Xia Qingyu said, then headed upstairs with Misha.
Ji Xinghuo continued his cultivation.
Through electromagnetic induction, he noticed that after Xia Qingyu went upstairs, he didn't engage in his usual activities with Misha. Instead, he sat alone on the balcony, uncharacteristically silent, clearly in low spirits.
It wasn't until nightfall that Xia Qingyu's mood improved, and loud tremors could once again be heard from upstairs.
Ji Xinghuo smiled wryly, his emotions complex.
He continued cultivating for two more days until the effects of the Refined Aether Solvent wore off, bringing an end to this period of secluded cultivation.
His stellar power had increased to 3253 points.
Ji Xinghuo estimated that if he continued to advance in the Superpower stage, fusing with two or three more exotic species and raising his upper limit, he might reach 12,000 points of stellar power when he approached the bottleneck for breaking into the Legendary realm! This would be four times the amount of stellar power of other Superpowers.
The reason for this high number was twofold: firstly, he had fused with an extraordinarily large number of exotic species, already possessing 13 exotic powers upon reaching the Superpower stage; and secondly, both the etheric resonance and the magnetic spirit star core could greatly increase his stellar power limit, far surpassing those of the same level.
At his current cultivation efficiency, using Refined Aether Solvent throughout, he could increase his stellar power by an average of 12 points per day.
To reach the Superpower upper limit, he would need 20 starry months.
Or exactly two Earth years.
By then, he would be around 26 years old and would have the opportunity to break through to the Legendary realm. In terms of evolutionary speed, he would be absolutely astonishing on a global scale.
"I have less than two years left of the three-year agreement with Ren Jie..."
Ji Xinghuo mused to himself.
He donned his ceramic steel armor, slung a bow, and sheathed his sword before leaving Xia Qingyu's home. After wandering around Tianzhuai Cliff for a while, a plan gradually formed in his mind.
In the following days, Ji Xinghuo sold both of He Yan's weapons. Together, they fetched a price of slightly more than 100,000 True Dragon Coins, which was equivalent to 45 million Earth yuan. Although both weapons were Superpower two-star rated, their quality was not particularly remarkable, so this price was about right.
With the 100,000 True Dragon Coins, he purchased a batch of items.
During this time, he visited Han Qiu, the chief of the Snow Ape Tribe, several times. He bought two pieces of equipment from him at a premium price, further improving their relationship.
When Han Qiu saw how generous Ji Xinghuo was, he asked him the reason for his spending spree. Upon learning that Ji Xinghuo wanted an information channel to keep track of the wars on the Bloody Highland, Han Qiu readily agreed to help.
However, it wouldn't come free.
Ji Xinghuo would need to pay one etheric crystal per quarter. There were two seasons in a year on the Starry Realm—cold and hot—so the annual fee would be two etheric crystals.
If the payment wasn't made by the end of the quarter, the information would stop flowing.
This price was steep.
For Han Qiu, who controlled numerous resources and information channels in the eastern part of the Highland, providing this service was a simple task that required no additional cost.
Nevertheless, Ji Xinghuo didn't hesitate and immediately agreed.
He paid two etheric crystals in advance, and Han Qiu gave him a high-grade resonating crystal communicator. This device could transmit sound over a much greater distance than ordinary resonating crystals, reaching up to about 10,000 kilometers. It could cover half of the Bloody Highland, ensuring that Ji Xinghuo could receive messages at any time.
Holding the communicator, Ji Xinghuo felt that it was well worth the price. This device could very well be his lifeline in the future.
If he ever found himself in a dire situation, he could contact Han Qiu and pay him to lend assistance.
"I'm leaving.
Ji Xinghuo waved farewell and departed.
He could sense that Xia Qingyu, who was entangled with Misha in bed, suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if jolted awake. Yet, he didn't get up, instead turning over and lying still.
Qinghong strode out of the courtyard, carrying Ji Xinghuo away from the streets in no time.
They descended from Tianzhuai Cliff via the elevator.
Ji Xinghuo headed west, toward a region about 300 kilometers away that spanned several thousand square kilometers and had a relatively high probability of encountering the Gale Beast.
If he continued further west, there were multiple Highland and fierce tribes along the 6,000-kilometer journey, all the way to the central plateau, where friction and wars were frequent.
Onward to the west.
It took Ji Xinghuo only half a day to reach the area.
However, he didn't start searching immediately. Instead, he entered a desolate valley, jumped off Qinghong's back, and stored away his Invisible Stinger, Thunder Rush, and Devil Sound in the Dimensional Stomach. He also took off his ceramic steel armor and thermal underwear, storing them away as well, leaving himself stark naked.
Then, he took out a can of blood-red paint and began to paint his body.
With the fifth-level Spirit Dexterity, Ji Xinghuo's hands were as agile and steady as mechanical arms.
Soon, he adorned his body with red marks and symbols. On his right chest was a fierce emblem of the Red Emperor, a bleeding skull surrounded by blazing flames.
A thick red line, like a belt, started from his waist, went up through his left chest and shoulder, and coiled around his left arm to the forearm. On the other side, the line started from his back, went up along his neck to the top of his head, where his hair had been shaved off. The mark continued from his forehead, across his left eye, and finally reached his cheek.
There were also various other symbols and marks on his skin, and the paint quickly dried, looking like genuine tattoos.
Ji Xinghuo strode naked to a pool in the valley and looked at his reflection in the water.
Bald, muscular, and adorned with blood-red marks, he looked just like a Highland believer of the Red Emperor!
However, his height was still a bit shorter than that of a typical Highlander, so he took out a pair of armguards from his Dimensional Stomach and put them on, causing a surge of blood energy to course through his body.
In just a few seconds, his height increased by over ten centimeters.
His muscles also swelled slightly, making him look even more robust.
These armguards were one of the items he had purchased from Han Qiu. Called "Feral Armguards," they were made of incredibly hard metal and covered the wearer's arms from the wrists to the elbows. The left armguard granted the power "Brute Strength," while the right armguard bestowed "Blood of Fury," and wearing them together amplified his strength and increased his size.
Both armguards were Superpower one-star equipment, but they commanded a price befitting Superpower two-star items.
The Feral Armguards required no activation or starforce consumption, and their abilities were passive effects, making them extremely convenient.
While they were a bit overpriced, they were well worth it.
"Now this looks more like it!"
Ji Xinghuo nodded in satisfaction. He donned a Highlander's animal skin undergarment and then put on a set of rugged, dark-colored armor in the Highlander style, exposing his sculpted abs. He also took out a bearskin cloak and tied it over his shoulders, fastening it to the side pauldrons for warmth.
Finally, he summoned a double-handed battle axe.
This axe was about 1.6 meters long, with one side of the blade three times larger than the other. Its curved handle appeared to be made of wood but was actually also forged from an alloy, making the entire axe weigh over 100 kilograms! The wide axe face was etched with intricate and mysterious patterns resembling a star map, emanating a chilling aura.
"Axe of the Icemeld!"
This was another item he had acquired from Han Qiu, a top-tier Superpower two-star weapon. It possessed four abilities: "Heavy Strike," "Icy Bloodline," "Frostburst," and "Ice Roar." Each "Heavy Strike" could induce a drop in temperature, slowing down enemies in the vicinity, and the axe's blades were incredibly sharp, delivering devastating damage.
The most valuable ability was Icy Bloodline, a passive effect that could suppress the user's rage, maintaining calm without diminishing their strength.
Many Highlander warriors who entered a state of frenzy or bloodlust would eventually lose their sanity over time.
The Axe of the Icemeld could, to some extent, prevent madness and mitigate the aftermath of rampages.
For Highlanders and believers of the Red Emperor, the axe not only enhanced their strength but also protected their sanity, delaying the descent into insanity.
The Axe of the Icemeld was one of the specially crafted weapons of the Snow Ape Giant tribe, with very low production numbers. Only three to five axes were forged each Starry Realm year.
Ji Xinghuo had paid a hefty price of two etheric crystals and an additional 30,000 True Dragon Coins for this axe.
He hung the axe on a hook on his back.
In addition to the axe, he also had five custom-made steel spears, each weighing 20 kilograms, lined up and bound to his back.
Within his Dimensional Stomach, there were also over a dozen heavier and longer spears for backup.
Ji Xinghuo examined his reflection in the water.
With this getup, there was nothing that linked him to Earth. He looked every bit like a Highlander berserker.
"It seems like something's still missing..."
He stroked his chin and immediately realized what it was. With a thought, he activated the rotating magnetic field to stimulate his chin, and soon, thick facial hair sprouted. After a quick trim, he sported a bushy beard that covered his chin and hung down on both sides, giving him a rugged and fierce appearance.
Even his family wouldn't be able to recognize him with this new look.
He checked his reflection several times to ensure there were no flaws, then mounted Qinghong and left the valley, galloping westward.
(End of Chapter)
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