Chapter 296: The Rise of Dual Stars

Chapter 296: The Rise of Dual Stars

Upon returning to the surface, it was daytime outside.

Ren Mian anxiously scanned the surrounding forest, her eyes darting warily. Everything seemed calm. She lowered her voice and asked, "Do you sense anything unusual?"

"No," replied Ji Xinghuo, shaking his head. His electromagnetic perception only picked up the presence of some monsters, which had been there before.

"That's good," Ren Mian sighed in relief.

Ji Xinghuo understood her concerns. Planet Abyss was an ultra-large-scale exotic breeding ground, possibly controlled by a formidable hidden force or a powerful faction. Its creators would periodically reap the fruits of their labor.

The Plant Originator was undoubtedly one of the most remarkable achievements of this breeding ground.

If they were discovered, the orchestrators behind this operation might reveal themselves.

"They probably haven't found out yet, and they may not even be aware of the existence of the Plant Originator," Ren Mian speculated. "The Crystal Elves have also been on guard, searching for their enemies, and dare not appear recklessly. We must take advantage of this window of opportunity to get away from the underground city."

Ji Xinghuo's understanding of Planet Abyss paled in comparison to hers, so he remained silent.

"Let's go," Ren Mian said, and she proceeded to disguise herself and Ji Xinghuo. They headed in a different direction from their original path and continuously traveled for three days and nights, successfully exiting the Level 6 region.

Upon entering the Level 5 region, Ji Xinghuo embraced Ren Mian and flew at a low altitude, speeding up their journey.

In just one day, the two returned to the Level 4 region.

Here, they found an underground shelter and a train station, which they used to get back to the Sentinel City. However, they did not immediately return to the Star Realm through the stargate.

"Let's stay in Sentinel City for a day," Ren Mian said cautiously. "With the Plant Originator in my possession, entering the Star Realm might trigger the Day Eclipse phenomenon."

"Are you going to fuse with the exotic immediately, Sister Ren?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Yes, the night is long and full of dreams," Ren Mian replied, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I still have one more chance. I'll fuse with the Plant Originator first, and when I advance to the Legendary realm, I'll fuse with the Rejuvenation exotic."

The two checked into a suite in a Sentinel City hotel. Ren Mian instructed Ji Xinghuo to keep watch over her while she entered the cultivation room.

Ji Xinghuo stood guard outside, his electromagnetic perception covering the entire hotel and the surrounding area. He took out the "Acceleration" exotic, a peculiar-looking natural burl that resembled a glass marble with enigmatic geometric patterns within.

Acceleration was a concept-type ability and belonged to the Mystery category. It defied the rules and was incomprehensible.

As a Starfall-grade Mystery-type ability, its rarity was comparable to the Day Eclipse grade, and its potential was immense!

The Myriad Star Pupils gave a 98% fusion success rate, indicating an extremely high compatibility with Ji Xinghuo.

"I need to find a capacity-expanding wonder," Ji Xinghuo thought to himself. The two fusion opportunities granted by the Paradise Treasure Diamond had already been used.

For now, he couldn't fuse with Acceleration and could only wait for another opportunity.

Among the capacity-expanding wonders produced by the Bloody Highlands, the Blood Emperor Crystal and the Paradise Treasure Diamond had already been used. Only the "Windstorm Beast" heart remained unused.

However, despite their lengthy search, the Windstorm Beast was still nowhere to be found.

As Xia Qingyu had said, it all came down to luck.

Ji Xinghuo checked the interface and saw that he had a little over 20,000 spiritual source energy points remaining. He decided that he couldn't return to Planet Abyss in the short term to avoid further bad luck. If he were to be discovered by the master behind the Gene Mother Tree, it would spell disaster.

Therefore, for the time being, if he wanted to obtain a large amount of spiritual source energy, he would have to rely on the wars between the Blood Emperor's followers.

It would also be a good opportunity to search for the Windstorm Beast.

If they couldn't find it or any other capacity-expanding wonders, he would have to quickly cultivate and advance to the Legendary realm, gaining an additional fusion opportunity through evolution.

He would also need to plan for using another Star of Tears in the future.

A moment later, Ji Xinghuo put away the Acceleration exotic. The door to the cultivation room opened, and Ren Mian stepped out, her exquisite face radiating joy.

"Congratulations, Sister Ren!" Ji Xinghuo exclaimed.

Ren Mian smiled happily. Anyone who had just fused with a Day Eclipse-grade exotic would find it challenging to remain calm.

"This time, I really have to thank you, Xinghuo," Ren Mian said softly. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to kill the Ficus Complex by myself. Finding someone else to cooperate with would have been even more dangerous, and it certainly wouldn't have gone as smoothly as it did. Thank you!"

Ji Xinghuo laughed, "Sister Ren, you're still so polite to me. This trip has been very beneficial for me as well."

Ren Mian stared at him, her eyes brimming with emotion.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, she stepped forward and hugged Ji Xinghuo, rising on her toes to offer him a sweet kiss. Ji Xinghuo wrapped his arms around her slender waist, intending to take things further, but Ren Mian suddenly escaped from his embrace, giggling. "You scoundrel, it's not time yet."

"Alright," Ji Xinghuo said, not wanting to rush things.

After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

The two rested in the hotel for a day before entering the stargate with a group of Eternal Day Sentinels.

They emerged beneath the Illuminated Peak, the bright Eternal Day City spread out before them.

Ji Xinghuo looked up at the night sky and noticed that his and Ren Mian's bodies were emanating a Starfall phenomenon, as they each carried a Starfall-grade exotic.

They exchanged glances, both maintaining their composure.

The city of Eternal Day was a bustling hub, boasting an abundance of resources from the central region of the Bloody Highlands, as well as the etheric technological creations of the Crystal Elves, all of which facilitated safe trading.

One could find and purchase a myriad of rare items here, including exotic beasts, weapons, and battle companions. Ji Xinghuo hoped to stumble upon a capacity-expanding wonder that he could use, but unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side.

He frequently checked the Exotic Beast Auction House as well, but the elusive Twin Births exotic continued to elude him, and none of the other beasts seemed like a suitable match. However, he didn't leave empty-handed; he purchased numerous items that would benefit his family and friends back on Earth, spending over thirty etheric crystals and more than two hundred thousand True Dragon coins in the process.

After five days in the city, Ji Xinghuo and Ren Mian finally left.

They flew continuously for over thirty hours, eventually returning to Peach Blossom Gully, where the snow-covered landscape remained as breathtakingly beautiful as ever.

Passing through the spatial ripple, they entered the secret realm.

"Sister!"

A beam of light shot out from the garden, revealing Xiaokui's figure. Her petite face lit up with joy as she exclaimed, "You're back! And Brother Xinghuo, Qinghong, I missed you so much!"

Ren Mian affectionately ruffled her hair and asked with a smile, "Is everything alright at home?"

"I took care of the flowers and plants, just like you told me to..." Little Sunflower danced around Ren Mian as she excitedly reported on her activities during their absence.

Ren Mian listened quietly as they walked into the wooden house.

Before long, Little Sunflower jumped onto Green Rainbow and started playing with her.

"Xinghuo, what are your plans now?" Ren Mian asked softly as she brought out a pot of floral tea and poured a cup for Ji Xinghuo.

"Aren't you going back to Olympus?" Ji Xinghuo inquired.

Their team had split up a year and a half ago, and according to their previous agreement, Ren Mian was supposed to return to Olympus, where Chi Zhonglin and Jiang Nancai were waiting for her.

"Not for now," Ren Mian sighed. "Because of you, our plans have changed. Not only have your abilities improved by leaps and bounds, but you've also helped me obtain the Plant Originator ahead of schedule. For the next few years, I'll need to focus on studying plants and choosing the most suitable ones to graft onto my body, re-planning my evolutionary path."

Ji Xinghuo understood what she meant.

He had long suspected that Ren Mian was cultivating him and the other two teammates to help her in the future.

However, now that both he and Ren Mian had far surpassed Chi Zhonglin and Jiang Nancai in strength, it no longer made sense for them to adventure together as a team.

Ren Mian's new allies would need to be at least at the Legendary or Catastrophe levels.

The other two simply couldn't participate in battles of that caliber.

For anything below the Legendary or Catastrophe level, Ji Xinghuo could easily handle it on his own, without the need for additional teammates.

"What about Zhonglin and Caiyi then?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"If Caiyy is willing, you can bring her to Peach Blossom Gully." Ren Mian added, her affection for Jiang Nancai evident.

"No problem." Ji Xinghuo readily agreed. As for Chi Zhonglin, that guy would probably be thrilled, free from any constraints.

Ren Mian looked at him, her eyes probing. "What about you?"

"I haven't decided yet." Ji Xinghuo replied honestly, "I want to stay in the Bloody Highlands for a few more months to cultivate. Occasionally, I'll go out and try my luck in finding the Windstorm Beast. Sister Ren, you won't kick me out, will you?"

Ren Mian's face turned slightly pink as she replied, "You can stay as long as you want. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking, you little rascal."

"I'm innocent! I didn't think about that at all." Ji Xinghuo protested, feigning innocence.

"Hmph..." Ren Mian huffed and headed upstairs.

Ji Xinghuo watched her retreating figure, a soft smile playing on his lips. He then called out to Qinghong, who appeared with Xiaokui on her back.

"Eat this." He handed over the 'Life Revival' exotic.

After Qinghong's previous evolution, she had gained an additional opportunity to fuse with an exotic, which she hadn't used yet. Fusing with 'Life Revival', with its 85% success rate, was a no-brainer.

In fact, Ji Xinghuo had considered giving 'Life Revival' to his second brother, Zhong Ming.

As a 'Flame Maniac', Zhong Ming would eventually advance to become a 'Fiery Maniac', entering a burning state during battles and wildly unleashing his star power and vitality, often flirting with danger. 'Life Revival' would be the perfect match for such a profession.

However, Ji Xinghuo wasn't planning to return to Earth anytime soon.

So, for now, he decided to give it to Qinghong.

The Virtual Spirit Trader's list also included 'Life Revival' for sale. Ji Xinghuo planned to buy one with ether crystals on his way back to Earth.

Qinghong swallowed the exotic whole and began the fusion process.

"Brother Xinghuo, what's this yummy thing?" Xiaokui looked at Ji Xinghuo with eager eyes, "I want to eat it too!"

Ji Xinghuo pacified her, "This is an exotic. If you eat it, your tummy will hurt."

"Oh, then never mind." Xiaokui quickly changed her mind.

Qinghong lay on the ground as Ji Xinghuo observed her. A few minutes later, the Myriad Star Pupils interface refreshed, displaying Qinghong's new ability.

[Ability: Life Revival (1/199)]



Ji Xinghuo placed his hand on Qinghong's head and injected over 4,000 points of spiritual source energy, quickly raising it to (Level 4 1/13099).

Life Revival came with the additional effect of rapid wound recovery.

The higher the level, the faster the recovery.

Moreover, the critical point for triggering revival also increased. Originally, it would take about half a minute to recover to peak condition, but after reaching Level 4, it could be achieved in just ten seconds, with reduced consumption, allowing for multiple revivals.

Qinghong felt her enhanced powers and happily licked Ji Xinghuo's hand, her tail wagging vigorously.

Ji Xinghuo couldn't resist and used the rest of his spiritual source energy on her, raising both "Vacuum Sense" and "Blink" by one level each, reaching Level 4.

He was now left with less than 3,000 points of spiritual source energy.

"That's it." Ji Xinghuo spread his hands, "Next time. You and Xiaokui go play now."

After sending Qinghong away, he walked into the Qingkong Woods, took out a bottle of etheric refining solvent, and drank it before beginning his cultivation for the day.

With two etheric resonators and the additional one from the Photosynthesis Ring, he now had a total of three.

Ji Xinghuo immediately felt the change.

He could now preliminarily control the etheric energy within a 100-meter radius, compressing it to further increase energy density and accelerate his absorption efficiency.

When one cultivation cycle was completed, Ji Xinghuo opened the interface and was delighted to see the new values.

In just three hours, his star power had increased by 7 points! If a Star Realm cultivator trained for 40 hours, they could gain 90 points per day, more than double the previous rate.

"The Legendary realm is within reach!"

Ji Xinghuo was filled with enthusiasm and immediately continued his cultivation.

In the following days, he immersed himself in cultivation, leaving the grotto a few times. Twice, he received messages from Han Qiu, but only once did he manage to catch a war, reaping over 20,000 points of spiritual source energy.

On other occasions, he went to the City of Eternal Day to check on the Exotic Beast Auction House.

Unfortunately, there were still no capacity-expanding wonders or the desired exotics.

Nevertheless, his star power progressed by leaps and bounds.

In the latter half of the first month of 'Star Moon' in the warm season, Ji Xinghuo's star power broke through 8,000 points! The weather in the Star Realm was also warming up, and spring had arrived.

On this day, Ji Xinghuo finished his cultivation, took a dip in the lake, and returned to the wooden house, only to find a sumptuous dinner prepared, along with a bottle of brewed fruit wine. Ren Mian had also changed into a beautiful new dress and was sitting at the table.

"Is there something to celebrate, Sister Ren?" Ji Xinghuo asked as he sat down across from her.

Ren Mian, with a radiant smile, replied, "Today is my birthday."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end