Chapter 304: The Frenzy of Life and Death

Chapter 304: The Frenzy of Life and Death

Out of the 49 Heavenly Kings worldwide, most maintained a well-known public profile, with only a handful choosing to remain low-key.

Ji Xinghuo instantly recognized the man before him as "Elephant Master" Naraji Singh.

Among the three Heavenly Kings of the South Asian Union, the Elephant Master ranked the lowest at 46th place, nearly at the bottom of all the Heavenly Kings.

However, even the weakest of the Heavenly Kings were extremely dangerous.

Boom!

In an instant, Naraji Singh thrust his spear, piercing the air and creating a massive tubular blast with a diameter of over two meters. Without even touching Ji Xinghuo, the force of the attack was akin to a cannon strike, inflicting terrifying damage.

The Myriad Astro Pupils automatically activated, entering the Myriad Forest State.

The world slowed down and quietened!

Even so, Naraji Singh appeared lightning-fast in Ji Xinghuo's eyes. If that spear strike landed, it would have caused serious injury, if not death.

Electromagnetic induction spread out, instantly scanning the surroundings.

This place was the Bhopal Stargate.

The seven nations of the South Asian Union jointly used this stargate, just like the others on Earth. Outside the stargate stood a massive fortress, layer upon layer of protection, bristling with weaponry.

It was also guarded by the most elite New Human armies, with a Heavenly King always present.

"Retreat back through the stargate?"

"Or should I just charge out and fly back to the Asia-Pacific Commune from the border?"

Ji Xinghuo's thoughts raced.

When he had charged into the stargate in space, his plan had been to get back to Earth as quickly as possible. He couldn't afford to linger in the stargate square, or he would have to face off against the six Heavenly Kings guarding it, as well as being surrounded by dozens of Legend powerhouses.

It was unlikely that all six Heavenly Kings were under the control of the Qian Yuan Association, and perhaps not even one of them was a traitor.

They were simply fulfilling their duties, maintaining order and protecting the stargate.

Back in the 21st century, when the various nations joined forces to reclaim the stargates, they had jointly signed the "Stargate Security Convention", strictly prohibiting anyone from fighting near the stargates, especially the Olympus Stargate, which was crucial to the safety of all humanity and Earth.

No matter the conflict, it had to be resolved away from the stargates.

The Qian Yuan Association was exploiting this convention, secretly inciting the Asia-Pacific Commune's stargate forces to try and contain him.

Ji Xinghuo didn't want to just sit and wait for his doom, nor did he wish to engage in conflict.

With so many Heavenly Kings and Legends present, it would be difficult to escape from Olympus, and fighting might result in casualties, giving credence to the baseless accusations against him.

Charging through the stargate back to Earth was the fastest and safest option.

But he couldn't return through any of the three Asia-Pacific Commune's stargates.

Ji Xinghuo wasn't sure if the Qian Yuan Association had set up ambushes and traps at all three stargates to target him.

So he had chosen the Bhopal Stargate.

Firstly, the Bhopal Stargate's sector was adjacent to the Chaka Stargate, making it the closest and quickest to charge into.

Secondly, the South Asian Union and the Asia-Pacific Commune had always had extremely poor diplomatic relations. While they weren't enemy nations, due to geopolitical reasons, the South Asian Union, from its leadership to its citizens, held great animosity towards the Asia-Pacific Commune.

Therefore, the likelihood of the Qian Yuan Association setting an ambush at the Bhopal Stargate was lower.

Unexpectedly, the defenses at the Bhopal Stargate reacted so swiftly, with their firepower targeting him from the outset.

As if they had been lying in wait.

One of the Heavenly Kings had attacked without hesitation.

Ji Xinghuo had a feeling that his actions had been anticipated, that everything was going according to someone's plan, and his arrival at the Bhopal Stargate seemed like walking into a trap.

"If I retreat back through the stargate, it will be the second time I walk into their trap. I might not even be able to escape from Olympus."

"I must charge out!"

"I need to contact the Sword Bureau. Once I'm back in my own country, I'll be safe."

In an instant, Ji Xinghuo made his decision.

Boom...

Naraji Singh's massive spear thrust through the air, and the surrounding firepower lost its target. He swept his spear sideways and took a large step forward, crossing over a dozen meters to stab at the air to the side. Amidst the violent blast of air, a figure appeared.

It was Ji Xinghuo.

He had used his Flash Step to cover ten meters, but the Elephant Master's spear followed like a shadow.

The firepower mounted on the surrounding walls unleashed again, as dense as raindrops. Although they couldn't penetrate Ji Xinghuo's flowing shape barrier, the immense force still caused his body to sway, disrupting his Flash Step.

Boom!

Amidst the sonic boom, Ji Xinghuo disappeared once more, leaving only an afterimage for the Elephant Master's spear to sweep through.

Naraji Singh spun around, only catching a glimpse of Ji Xinghuo's retreating back.

Ji Xinghuo had already flown into the passageway.

"Activate the defense net!"

He shouted out the order and gave chase with long strides, but in that brief moment of conversation, Ji Xinghuo had already vanished from sight.

The guards blocking the path only felt their vision blur, a gust of wind brushing past their faces, and they didn't even catch a glimpse of the enemy.

Ji Xinghuo had reached his cruising speed in an instant.

220 meters per second!

And he was still accelerating.

The defensive fortress of the Bhopal Stargate was similar to that of the Chaka Stargate, with seven layers from the inside out. Each layer consisted of alloy walls dozens of meters thick, with multiple passageways leading out. However, the gates on the walls were not aligned but staggered.

Even the fastest enemy, attempting to burst out of the stargate fortress, would be subjected to overwhelming firepower, inevitably forcing them to slow down.

However, Ji Xinghuo was an exception.

He flew at full speed, and each time he was about to hit a wall, he turned 90 degrees in an instant, not only maintaining but increasing his velocity!

With electromagnetic induction, he grasped the layout of the entire stargate fortress and the movements of his enemies.

After several consecutive turns, the gate ahead began to lower.

Bang, bang, bang...

A dozen machine guns on both sides of the gate spewed flames, and two small laser turrets were charging up, their muzzles glowing red.

Ji Xinghuo's body twisted left and right in an unpredictable pattern, tracing an odd flight path.

Most of the bullets and lasers missed, and the few that hit him were deflected by the flowing shape barrier.

Electric sparks danced in his eyes.

An invisible yet powerful electromagnetic pulse erupted, sweeping through a kilometer, causing the machine guns and turrets to spark and malfunction, and even the closing gate froze in place.

Ji Xinghuo smoothly passed through the gate and turned again, only to have a figure suddenly leap up and block his path.

This was a Legend powerhouse!

However, Ji Xinghuo didn't even spare him a glance, instantly turning twice to leave his opponent behind.

In less than ten seconds, he reached the main gate of the stargate fortress.

A large number of New Human guards were on standby, and as soon as Ji Xinghuo appeared, countless attacks and firepower were unleashed, saturating the area. Several Legend powerhouses also charged forward, brandishing their weapons.

The fortress gate was closing, with only two or three meters left, about to shut completely.

"Roar!"

Ji Xinghuo charged forward, unfazed by the onslaught, his speed unwavering. A thunderous roar escaped his lips.

Dragon's Roar!

The sonic attack struck the minds of dozens of New Humans, causing half of the guards to falter, their attacks momentarily halted.

Even two of the Legends rushing towards him were affected.

Ji Xinghuo entered the Myriad Astro Pupils again, his eyes gleaming with flowing light. With two strange turns, he skillfully dodged his enemies' attacks and flew through the Legends, grazing the tops of the New Human guards' heads.

Half a second before the fortress gate closed, Ji Xinghuo slipped through the remaining half-meter gap and flew out of the stargate fortress.

The outside world opened up before him.

It was daytime, and he found himself above a massive city.

Ji Xinghuo continued to accelerate but did not fly into the sky to avoid being targeted by anti-air fire.

In just a few breaths, he left the open space outside the stargate fortress and entered the city.

This place was Bhopal.

The largest city in the South Asian Union, located in the center of the subcontinent, with a permanent population of over 200 million. However, the city was divided into three sections, each belonging to the "Hindi Kingdom", the "Dravida Republic", and the "Bengal Federation". The three nations jointly owned the Bhopal Stargate.

Bhopal was a city of skyscrapers, stretching as far as the eye could see, but there was a clear class divide.

The upper levels of the skyscrapers were bright and tidy, but the lower levels became increasingly dilapidated. The ground level was in poor condition, with garbage strewn about, and a large population bustling through crowded streets.

Within the same city, it was as if there were two different worlds.

Ji Xinghuo maintained an altitude of about 100 meters, keeping a steady height as he flew at high speed between the buildings, the scenery on both sides whizzing by in reverse.

The howling wind buffeted his face, and the sound of his speed roared in his ears.

His super-frequency thinking had been activated to 500%, and Ji Xinghuo's reactions were at their peak, his mind incredibly clear.

There were superconducting highways at this altitude, and occasionally, there would be flying cars.

Ji Xinghuo always managed to dodge them in advance, and a layer of white water vapor appeared around his body, formed by the compression of air due to his high speed, creating a sonic boom.

"Boom..."

Ji Xinghuo's speed exceeded 340 meters per second, breaking the sound barrier, and his velocity surged.

The pedestrians below heard the sonic boom and looked up, only to see a black lightning bolt disappear into the distance. Then, the powerful sound wave reached the ground, like a thunderclap, piercing eardrums and shattering windows.

People were filled with panic, unsure of what had just happened.

Some New Humans who had seen clearly were left stunned.

Ji Xinghuo continued to accelerate, not concerned about his star power consumption, and he had already set his direction: north, towards the border of the Asia-Pacific Commune.

The distance from Bhopal to the border was about a thousand kilometers, and the entire journey would be within the territory of the Hindi Kingdom.

Soon, Ji Xinghuo flew out of Bhopal.

At this moment, the South Asian Union's military had undoubtedly triggered alarms, especially their air defense systems!

In the present day, major powers on Earth had constructed nationwide air defense systems to defend against nuclear strikes, trading space for time. They employed near-Earth orbit satellites, ground monitoring stations, and anti-missile air defense bases.

The earth below blurred like shadows and light, streaks of light trailing across his field of vision.

Ji Xinghuo remained calm.

As he flew, he took out his phone, and as soon as he turned it on, it started buzzing with a flood of incoming messages from his family and friends, sent during the past year while he had been in the Star Realm.

He didn't have time to go through them, so he opened the Sword Bureau's app and called Zhou Yishang.

The phone was answered on the first ring.

"Xinghuo?" Zhou Yishang's voice was filled with surprise.

"It's me," Ji Xinghuo replied, briefly describing his current situation. "I was ambushed by the Qian Yuan Association at the Olympus Stargate, so I entered the Bhopal Stargate. I'm currently flying from the Hindi Kingdom towards our country's border and should arrive in about 22 minutes."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line as Zhou Yishang processed this information.

"My suggestion is to stop flying and find a place to hide," Zhou Yishang said immediately. "Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to safely get through the air defense systems."

"No," Ji Xinghuo replied, having already considered this option.

"I suspect they were prepared for me in Bhopal, and if I linger in the South Asian Union, their Heavenly Kings will be on my trail."

Although the South Asian Union only had three Heavenly Kings, and their strength rankings weren't particularly high, and they might not all be associated with the Qian Yuan Association, the association could influence other Heavenly Kings. If he stopped, he would risk being entangled by them, which would be troublesome.

It was better to take a chance and use his speed to rush into their country's border before the enemies could react.

While flying at 2 Mach speed made it challenging to evade the air defense systems, these systems were typically designed to target missiles. By flying extremely low, he significantly reduced the probability of being locked onto by the systems.

Zhou Yishang didn't hesitate anymore. "I'll send someone to meet you right away."

"Okay." Ji Xinghuo hung up.

Making a satellite phone call while in another country's territory could lead to signal capture and possibly pinpoint his location for an attack.

After ending the call, he turned off his phone to focus on his flight, descending to an altitude of less than ten meters above the ground.

At such a low altitude, any slight mishap, even colliding with a tree branch, could have severe consequences. If he lost balance and crashed into the ground, even with his exceptional physical condition, he would suffer serious injuries.

Boom...

As Ji Xinghuo flew by, his passage was like a thunderous explosion, the violent air currents whipping up dust, dirt, and grass from the ground, creating a cloud of dust in his wake.

Five minutes later, he was over 200 kilometers away from Bhopal.

Suddenly, Ji Xinghuo sensed an immense danger looming overhead.

He flipped his body to face upward, activating the Myriad Astro Pupils to zoom in on his surroundings, and saw three anti-ground missiles descending from a distant low Earth orbit, trailing hundreds of meters of fiery tail as they fell like shooting stars across the sky.

The combination of gravitational acceleration and rocket propulsion sent the missiles hurtling at speeds easily surpassing 5 Mach, and they were still accelerating.

"Hypersonic missiles!" Ji Xinghuo's heart sank.

These hypersonic missiles, launched from orbit, could easily reach speeds exceeding 20 Mach when targeting ground objects.

Based on the missiles' trajectories, he determined that they were aimed at him, and in about a minute, they would strike right on his flight path.

Ji Xinghuo immediately changed his flight direction.

However, the missiles also performed vector maneuvers, synchronously adjusting their attack direction to match his movements, getting faster and closer.

"Can't shake them off."

"And it will be difficult for me to dodge the blast," Ji Xinghuo said grimly.

With his defensive capabilities, as long as he wasn't at the explosion's center, he should be able to withstand it, though he might suffer severe injuries.

But with three consecutive missiles, if he was caught in the blast radius of the first one, the subsequent two would strike him while he was still vulnerable, which would be too dangerous.

"Since I can't dodge it, I'll destroy them!"

Ji Xinghuo took out the Black Eternal Crystal War Bow from his back and grabbed three tungsten-cored heavy arrows from his quiver, nocking one as he continued flying.

His gaze remained fixed on the sky.

About 50 seconds later, the missiles were about 20 kilometers above the ground, their speed breaking through 15 Mach, and in just a few more seconds, they would hit him and explode.

Ji Xinghuo entered the Myriad Forest State.

Countless lights and shadows danced before his eyes, as if he could see into the future, and finally, everything froze.

In an instant, his hands moved like phantoms, drawing and releasing the bowstring three times in quick succession. The sound of the vibrating string merged into one as he shot three tungsten-cored heavy arrows into the sky.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end