Chapter 311: A Treasured Sword for a Beauty

Chapter 311: A Treasured Sword for a Beauty

Zhao Manying approached with joy and a smile in her eyes as she softly spoke, "Xinghuo, you're back."

Her tone was cheerful, and one couldn't discern any underlying emotions. It was as if Ji Xinghuo had just stepped out for a moment and returned home promptly.

However, Ji Xinghuo sensed the depth of her feelings at that moment.

After more than a year apart, Zhao Manying's affections for him had not diminished in the slightest. Instead, like a fine aged brew, they had grown stronger over time, becoming deeper and more enduring.

A smile appeared on Ji Xinghuo's face as he stepped forward, took Zhao Manying's hand, and pulled her into his embrace.

He inhaled her scent and felt the steady beat of her heart, feeling both guilty and touched.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Manying," Ji Xinghuo said softly.

"It's fine," Zhao Manying replied. "I believe in your strength, and I knew you would be alright and return eventually."

Ji Xinghuo released her and proudly said, "Of course, I would never let anything happen to me." He looked her up and down and smiled, "It's been over a year, and you've become even more beautiful, Manying. I thought about you all the time when I was in the Star Realm..."

"And what were your thoughts?" Zhao Manying asked suddenly.

She was referring to the 100-day dating agreement, which had long since passed its deadline, and whether they should continue to confirm their relationship.

Ji Xinghuo could tell that Zhao Manying's question, though casually asked, was filled with anxiety and anticipation.

Without hesitation, he loudly declared, "How could I ever let go of you, Manying? A girlfriend as wonderful as you is someone I could only have in my life after saving the galaxy in my past life. There's no way I'd let you go in this life!"

Zhao Manying's expression changed from nervousness to delight, but she still humphed proudly, "Flatterer, who even wants you..."

"I want you!" Ji Xinghuo hugged his girlfriend again.

He felt the curves of Zhao Manying's body, and his desire ignited. During the days he spent with Ren Mian, he had been in a constant state of arousal, and his body had become extremely sensitive. The slightest provocation would set him ablaze.

Zhao Manying jumped away like a startled deer, her face reddening as she chided, "You just got back, and you're already thinking of mischief."

"I can't help it. You're just too alluring," Ji Xinghuo said shamelessly.

"Hmph..."

Zhao Manying's outward reaction was one of surprise, but inwardly, she was filled with sweetness.

However, it was clear that she wasn't quite ready yet, and she sat down on the sofa, her curiosity getting the better of her. "What happened yesterday? Why did you force your way through the Star Gate?"

Ji Xinghuo sat down next to her and explained, "Someone was lying in wait for me at the Star Gate."

"What?!" Zhao Manying exclaimed in shock.

Of course, she understood the significance of the Star Gate, and any force capable of ambushing someone there, whether an official or private organization, would undoubtedly be extremely formidable.

"Is this related to the previous two attacks on you?" Zhao Manying immediately guessed.

"Yes," Ji Xinghuo nodded. "This time, they wanted to make sure I was dead. Fortunately, my reaction was quick, and my strength was sufficient, so I managed to escape unscathed."

He sighed, "You have no idea. In the past 24 hours since I returned from the Star Realm, so much has happened. I personally killed and captured three Legends, and even the Head of State was alarmed. Today, countless people will lose their heads. On the Star Ladder, Legend, and Heavenly King rankings, I expect many names will disappear."

"You even alarmed the Head of State and killed Legends..." Zhao Manying's eyes widened in astonishment.

Ji Xinghuo briefly recounted the events that had transpired.

Previously, he had shared some information with Zhao Manying, and while the Qian Yuan Society dealt with confidential matters, the situation would soon become public knowledge.

After hearing his story, Zhao Manying realized how eventful and perilous the past 24 hours had been for Ji Xinghuo.

If it weren't for his significant increase in strength, he might not have survived.

"Thankfully, you made it back safely," she said, her worry and fear evident. "The Sword Saints of the Sword Bureau are so ruthless. If something had happened to you, I don't know how I would have coped..."

"Hehe, if I didn't have the confidence, I wouldn't have returned," Ji Xinghuo said casually, not wanting to worry her further.

Zhao Manying tightly held his hand, "I know you're strong, but sometimes, you shouldn't be too confident. There's always someone stronger out there. When the time calls for it, you should still hide. Your life is always the top priority."

"Okay, I understand," Ji Xinghuo said softly, touched by her concern. Their eyes met for a few seconds before he leaned in and kissed her.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the two of them sat closely together on the sofa.

Ji Xinghuo was about to lose control when Zhao Manying's words doused the flames of his passion, "My relatives are here."

"Uh..."

He sat up, his expression awkward, "Hahaha, what a coincidence. Take care and get plenty of rest and warm drinks."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Zhao Manying was amused by his words, and the embarrassment on her face faded considerably.

The evolution of an Other would enhance their bodies, and any inconveniences or shortcomings would gradually disappear. This was especially true for female Others, as their physiological periods would lengthen with evolution, occurring only once every few months or even years, and the impact on their bodies would be minimal.

Upon reaching the Legend realm, the physiological period would disappear entirely, but they could still control ovulation freely.

Ji Xinghuo candidly shared his experiences on the Bloody Highlands, his encounter with Xia Qingyu, the war with the followers of the Red Emperor, and his journey into the Earth Abyss Star.

Of course, he completely left out anything related to Ren Mian.

"Your strength has increased so quickly!" Zhao Manying's eyes sparkled with excitement. "In just over a year, you've surpassed me by more than just one level. The Star Realm truly is the place for anomalies like us, filled with both danger and opportunity. I want to go there too."

Ji Xinghuo's heart tightened at her words.

If Manying were to accompany him to the Star Realm, he wouldn't be able to visit Ren Jie. If the two of them were to meet, his secret would surely be exposed.

Damn it! Why must the success rate of clone-fusion be so low? If only there were two of me, all my problems would be solved.

His mind raced, but his expression remained calm as he asked, "What about you? What achievements did you accomplish on Earth this year? How many championships did you win?"

"All of them," Zhao Manying replied nonchalantly.

"That's amazing!" Ji Xinghuo exclaimed, a hint of surprise in his voice. He pulled out his phone to search for information and saw that the Dising Club had won the championship in the Asia-Pacific Community Super League at the end of last year, becoming the third team in history to achieve the "three-peat" feat.

Zhao Manying had also won her third golden crown.

Additionally, she had led her team to victory in the Global International Invitational twice in a row, in July and December of last year.

With these achievements, Zhao Manying had claimed five International Invitational championships and three league titles within three years, dominating all the major competitions during this period.

Zhao Manying had earned herself a new nickname, the "Octa-Crown King"!

"Octa-Crown King!" Ji Xinghuo laughed, "Even if you retired now, you'd still be among the top three players in the history of professional leagues, a close second to the best."

Throughout the history of global professional leagues, only a handful of players had won more championships, but even their peak performances couldn't compare to Zhao Manying's.

There was only one competitor in the American Super League whose number of championships and career peak surpassed Zhao Manying's—the legendary "Pathfinder."

"Give me two more years, and I'll definitely surpass 'Pathfinder,'" Zhao Manying said confidently, her face radiating with self-assurance and a captivating charm.

Pathfinder was indeed the most successful competitor in the history of Earth.

Before Zhao Manying's emergence, Pathfinder's status as the undisputed number one was unshakeable. Currently, he held the position of Heavenly King and ranked 13th globally!

"I can't wait to see that," Ji Xinghuo said, having no doubt that Zhao Manying would accomplish this feat.

Even without having fought her, he could sense that Zhao Manying's strength had significantly improved over the past year, although not as dramatically as his own. Her etheric energy fluctuations suggested that her stellar power had surpassed 4,500 points.

Zhao Manying had not achieved etheric resonance and relied solely on her own cultivation, aided by the "Quantum Mind" technique, which resulted in an astonishingly efficient cultivation process.

"Are you close to reaching the Super Anomaly bottleneck?" Ji Xinghuo asked with concern.

"Not yet," Zhao Manying replied, gently shaking her head. "I have a clear grasp of my evolutionary progress, and I estimate that it will take me around 15 more months to reach the Legend realm."

"That's still incredibly fast," Ji Xinghuo marveled.

With her own cultivation, the support of the club's best team, and access to various medicinal resources, Zhao Manying was on the verge of reaching the Super Anomaly bottleneck in just four years. By then, she would only be 26 years old.

If it weren't for his own fortuitous circumstances, she would undoubtedly be the greatest genius in human history!

However, Zhao Manying didn't seem entirely satisfied. "Compared to you, I'm still lagging behind. If I don't work harder, I'll never be able to catch up to you."

That's because I have an advantage, Ji Xinghuo thought to himself.

After a moment's consideration, he smiled and said, "I have something good for you."

Before returning to the Star Realm, he had prepared several items for Zhao Manying, partly out of a sense of compensation and partly because he genuinely wanted to share valuable resources with her, even without the factor of Ren Jie.

It was like offering a treasured sword to a worthy hero. In Ji Xinghuo's eyes, Zhao Manying was a heroic figure who deserved the very best.

She was also a teammate he could trust absolutely.

In the future, as they ventured into the more vast and dangerous regions of the Star Realm, Zhao Manying would be one of his best partners.

Yes, along with Ren Jie.

"What is it?" Zhao Manying asked, intrigued.

Ji Xinghuo reached into his waist pouch and pulled out a small bag, no larger than half a palm, light as a feather.

"Go ahead and open it," he said.

"Okay," Zhao Manying replied eagerly, taking the bag from him. She opened it and found five items inside, none of which were particularly large. Two were gem-like, one a bright and translucent diamond radiating a white light, and the other a blood-red crystal.

The other two items were clearly exotic creatures.

The last item was a syringe filled with a bluish liquid, clearly something extraordinary.

"This is..." Zhao Manying picked up the beautiful diamond and immediately sensed its uniqueness. "An expansion wonder!" she exclaimed in surprise.

However, she did not recognize the Paradise Diamond.

Ji Xinghuo explained, "This is a Paradise Diamond. It grants you two chances to fuse with exotic species."

"Twice!" Zhao Manying exclaimed in surprise.

She was well aware of how rare expansion wonders were, and the higher the rank of the exotic species, the more valuable these items became.

Moreover, the Paradise Diamond offered the opportunity for two additional fusions.

If this item were to appear in an auction on Earth, it would undoubtedly spark frenzied bidding, with a final price exceeding billions.

Zhao Manying stared at Ji Xinghuo, astonished.

"I've already used it," Ji Xinghuo said. "I got this Paradise Diamond from someone else, so don't be polite with me."

"Okay," Zhao Manying nodded gently.

She then picked up the Blood Emperor Blood Crystal and examined it, asking, "Is this the Blood Emperor Blood Crystal?"

"Yes," Ji Xinghuo replied, somewhat admiring her knowledge. He himself had not known about the Blood Emperor Blood Crystal before Xia Qingyu told him about it prior to his trip to the Bloody Highlands.

"What about this one?" Zhao Manying pointed to the syringe, "Is it also an expansion wonder?"

"That's right. It's the True Marrow Injection Fluid from the Eternal Empire, which can provide one additional fusion opportunity, as well as faster stamina recovery and toxin resistance." Ji Xinghuo elaborated on the effects of the True Marrow Injection Fluid.

"Feel free to use it, I've already used all of these." He still had the Changlei Egg and the Qingkong Fruit, and while Zhao Manying had used the Qingkong Fruit, he intended to give the Changlei Egg to his second brother.

Zhao Manying nodded silently.

She picked up the two exotic species and immediately recognized one of them as "Fluid Form Barrier," an excellent exotic species that was one of the core abilities of a Spiritual Stringmaster. She had been seeking to purchase it on Earth for a long time but had never found any information or channels to acquire it.

However, the other exotic species remained a mystery to her, no matter how long she observed it.

Its shape resembled an eye.

But unlike the eyeball of a living being, this one was harder than metal, as black as ink, and lacked a pupil.

Zhao Manying sensed the vast activity within it, and just by looking at the exotic species, she felt as if she were gazing into the eyes of a mysterious creature, her secrets laid bare. A powerful attraction grew within her.

"A Starfall Exotic Species!"

A wave rose in her heart, and she looked at Ji Xinghuo, her exquisite face reflecting nothing but shock and emotion.

Ji Xinghuo spoke softly, "This is the Eye of Truth."

"Why didn't you fuse with it?" Zhao Manying asked, astonished. She didn't know where Ji Xinghuo had obtained this Starfall Exotic Species, but she was sure there was only one, and she didn't believe that he could obtain two Starfall Exotic Species at once.

"Because you're a better fit for it than I am," Ji Xinghuo said firmly. "The Eye of Truth is a perfect match for the Quantum Mind technique. If you fuse with it, your exotic ability system will undergo a qualitative leap, and I'm sure you understand that."

"Of course, I do, but..."

Zhao Manying's expression was complex. She had long ago memorized the database of exotic species on Earth and had performed countless matching analyses.

And each time, the optimal result was the fusion of the Eye of Truth.

She dreamed of possessing the Eye of Truth!

However, she never imagined that she would obtain this Starfall Exotic Species in such a way, with someone presenting it directly to her as a gift, without any effort on her part.

Even if that person was her boyfriend, the value of the Starfall Exotic Species far exceeded everything she had put into the relationship.

Not to mention the value of the other treasures, which was no less than that of the Eye of Truth.

"Xinghuo!"

Zhao Manying's chest rose and fell, at a loss for words.

"Hehe, don't be too moved. These are all worldly possessions. I'm glad that you like them." Ji Xinghuo saw the sparkle in Zhao Manying's eyes and suddenly felt a bit guilty. He had exchanged the Ether Crystal used to purchase the Eye of Truth for Ren Jie's Qingkong Fruit.

Although the thousand Qingkong Fruits were rightfully his, having given up the Korong Regeneration trade, such an arrangement would be devastating if Zhao Manying were to find out in the future.

The greater the happiness now, the greater the pain later.

So he tried to downplay the matter.

However, the more casual Ji Xinghuo seemed, the more touched Zhao Manying felt, thinking that he was doing this so that she could accept these gifts without feeling indebted. Her heart swelled with gratitude, much to Ji Xinghuo's dismay.

"Go ahead and take them." He laughed casually, "We're family, so there's no need for thanks."

"By the way, this is for you too."

The Lingjian Bracelet slipped off Ji Xinghuo's wrist and onto Zhao Manying's. He explained its power and said, "The Lingjian Bracelet is a better fit for you as a Sword Immortal, and I don't use it much anyway."

"Mmm." Zhao Manying nodded, her heart filled with sweetness and joy.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end