Chapter 325: Sky-High Prices

Chapter 325: Sky-High Prices

"What's the rush, Xinghuo?" Ming Zhong opened the door and welcomed Ji Xinghuo in.

He didn't have any matches today, nor did he go to the club for training. Instead, he stayed at home to utilize the expansion curios, integrating exotic species.

Ji Xinghuo sized him up and asked directly, "What items did Second Brother use?"

"I've already used the Qingkong Guo, Hongchong Su, and Chanling Eggs," replied Zhong Ming. "Since you mentioned that the Chi Emperor Blood Crystal might have side effects, I plan to evolve to a higher-level exotic before using it. As for exotic species, I've fused Fresh Blood Burning and Flight."

"Was the fusion successful?" Ji Xinghuo asked with concern.

While he hardly needed to worry about exotic species fusion himself, failure was common for other exotics.

Moreover, these two exotic species were not even part of Zhong Ming's professional template.

"Of course," Zhong Ming smiled confidently. "Although I'm far behind you now, it's just a matter of two exotic species. It shouldn't lead to a fusion failure."

"That's good," Ji Xinghuo said happily. "It's perfect that you still have one more fusion opportunity. Go ahead and merge it."

He took out the ether-friendly exotic species.

"Ether Affinity?" Zhong Ming was overjoyed. He had just heard about it from Ji Xinghuo on the phone, and seeing the exotic species in person still excited him.

He was the "Flame Maniac," and one of his six exotic abilities in his professional template was "Ether Sensitivity," which he had already fused.

Ether Affinity was an "upper-level exotic ability," and its effects were even better!

The effects of the two abilities could also be superimposed.

Ji Xinghuo handed the exotic species to Zhong Ming and said, "I got this Ether Affinity specifically for you when I was in the Star Realm. But I had too many exotic species on hand, and I forgot about it until now."

Zhong Ming was speechless.

How could he forget about such an important super-limit exotic species?

"I'll fuse it right now," Zhong Ming said, immediately entering the cultivation room with the exotic species in hand.

Ji Xinghuo sat alone in the living room, waiting. The high-end apartment that Zhong Ming rented had an area of over a hundred square meters and was located in a good neighborhood. His family used to gather there often for dinners, so he was very familiar with the place.

Suddenly, he thought of something.

Since he now had a lot of spare money, should he buy a bigger house for his family to live together more comfortably?

"I'll have my sister keep an eye out."

Ji Xinghuo was about to contact Yedu Yun when his phone vibrated with a string of messages from the family group chat.

"I did it!" Yedu Yun sent a happy emoji and continued with several more messages: "I've already fused the Qingluo Heart Root and become a Plant Witch."

"From now on, I'm also an exotic!"

"Thank you, Third Brother!"

She was obviously very excited.

"Congratulations, Sister!" Ji Xinghuo replied, and Wang Zizen and Liang Qiufeiyan also sent non-stop messages, both happy for their sister and extremely envious.

At this moment, Yedu Yun initiated a video call and connected the other two as well. Her projection appeared, and she couldn't hide the joy on her face. After the others congratulated her, she said, "Among the five of us siblings, three are already exotics."

"I'll strive to be the fourth!" Wang Zizen exclaimed.

"Hmph, I won't hold you guys back either," Liang Qiufeiyan clenched her fist, her expression determined to get serious this time.

However, Ji Xinghuo wasn't very optimistic about her.

In fact, aside from Second Brother Zhong Ming, he wasn't very hopeful about the prospects of the other three family members.

His sister's talent was too lacking, and her physical fitness was average. She also dreaded head-on combat.

Although she had a strong will and was self-disciplined, once she set a goal, she would work hard towards it. However, compared to hard work, talent was more important, and she was destined to not go far.

Ji Xinghuo predicted that even if he provided his sister with ample resources, her limit would likely be a Super Exotic.

Liang Qiufeiyan had a bit of talent, but she dreaded hard work and was lively and playful, aspiring only to become an internet celebrity and star.

She might never pass the physical fitness test.

Only Wang Zizen might have a glimmer of hope, and he also had the most significant potential.

He had displayed extremely high combat talent in the game, with quick reactions and a meticulous mind. Under pressure, his operations not only remained unchanged but became even calmer, resulting in exceptional performance. This was a rare ability typically seen in tournament-level players.

Unfortunately, Wang Zizen lacked perseverance and self-discipline. In the past, he had given up on the path of evolution because he couldn't withstand the hardships of training and had become addicted to virtual games.

Even in the game, he disliked boring processes and couldn't stick to things.

As a result, he hadn't achieved much in gaming either.

If Wang Zizen could change these defects, he might accomplish something on the path of exotic evolution.

However, Wang Zizen was already 24 years old, and his personality was set in stone. How could he change so easily? Unless he encountered a significant life-changing event.

"What about Xiao Ming?" Yedu Yun just realized that Zhong Ming hadn't joined the video call.

"I'm at Second Brother's place. He's in the middle of fusing an exotic species," Ji Xinghuo explained. "Sister, now that you've become an exotic, don't use the expansion curios to fuse with other exotic species right away. Take some time to cultivate and adapt first, then use them in several separate sessions."

"Okay," Yedu Yun nodded repeatedly and asked, "Can I use the ether refining solvent you gave me right away?"

"Yes, you can," replied Ji Xinghuo.

Then, based on his own experience, he helped Ye Dongyun plan out the order of fusion and the details to pay attention to during cultivation.

The Plant Witch profession template had six exotic abilities.

No matter the profession, the first one was always the most difficult. As long as the core exotic ability was fused, the success rate of the others would not be low.

This was the advantage of a profession template. By choosing the correct exotics according to the experiences of predecessors, not only would the fusion success rate be high, but it would also bring out stronger effects, allowing the abilities to form a systematic whole.

Right as they were talking, Zhong Ming emerged with a beaming smile.

"Ether Affinity is so awesome!" He had just fused the exotic and immediately felt its powerful effects, being able to directly sense the existence of ether energy. His cultivation effects would definitely increase, and he couldn't wait to start.

Ji Xinghuo was not surprised at all.

Ether Sensitivity and Ether Affinity, these two exotics were almost universally compatible with all exotics, and the probability of fusion failure was extremely low.

"Big sister." Zhong Ming saw the video projection and realized that she had also become an exotic, so he quickly congratulated her.

Ji Xinghuo said, "There's something I need to tell you all."

The attention of the whole family turned to him.

"You may have heard of the Ether Institute, a direct affiliate of the Star Realm Department..." Ji Xinghuo recounted what had happened that day.

As Zhong Ming and the others listened, their eyes widened in surprise.

They had indeed heard of the "Ether Institute," but it was a legendary institution, and ordinary people didn't know where it was located. There was only a simple introduction on the Star Realm Department's official website, with no information on how to apply.

If Ji Xinghuo hadn't mentioned it, they would never have known the inside story, as if it belonged to another world.

"Xinghuo, you've truly changed," Zhong Ming sighed. "You can now easily get in touch with high-ranking officials like Minister Yan."

"Yeah..."

Ye Dongyun felt it even more deeply.

She used to be a civil servant, and in the two to three years she worked, the highest-ranking official she had ever met was a district leader. To her, that was already a high-ranking official, and she would be thrilled for days just to leave an impression on such a person.

The Minister of the Star Realm Department was a high-ranking official she could only see in the official news, a distant figure akin to an immortal.

Ji Xinghuo smiled faintly, "In this era, exotic evolution is the fastest way to transcend social classes."

"That's so true." Ye Dongyun deeply resonated with this statement.

Zhong Ming had already understood this point, and Wang Zizen and Liang Qiufeiyan were also deep in thought.

Ji Xinghuo said, "Second brother, go to the Star Realm Department's website now and apply for access to the Ether Institute."

"Huh?"

Zhong Ming looked stunned, "Me?"

Just now, his third brother had clearly mentioned that one had to be in the top 300 of the Tower or the top 100 of the Legends to qualify to apply for the use of the Ether Concentrating Room, and even then, the Star Realm Department might not approve.

"I've talked it over with Minister Yan, and he will approve your application." Ji Xinghuo smiled, "Not just you, Man Ying will also be granted access."

He immediately turned to Ye Dongyun.

"Big sister, you've just become an exotic, and the cost-effectiveness of a junior exotic using the Ether Concentrating Room is very low. With the ether refining solvent, your cultivation efficiency will be fast enough." Ji Xinghuo patiently explained.

Aside from this reason, the more important issue was the approval process.

Although Minister Yan would approve Man Ying and Second Brother's applications because of him, there would still be suspicions of abuse of power.

With Man Ying's unparalleled talent, no one would question her application.

However, Second Brother fell short in comparison.

Even though he was a competition exotic, he hadn't made much of a name for himself, and he was only a mid-level exotic, far from reaching the Tower.

It was only because Ji Xinghuo had intentionally exaggerated Second Brother's talent in front of Minister Yan that he had agreed.

If Big Sister, who had just become an exotic, were to apply as well, that would be too much.

It would completely break the rules.

Even if they paid with ether crystals, if someone with ill intentions were to find out and leak the information, Ji Xinghuo wouldn't care, but Minister Yan and Director Ke, the two main persons in charge, would likely face no small amount of trouble.

"It's fine, let's just have Xiao Ming do it." Ye Dongyun was very considerate and could vaguely guess what was going on, so she gently said, "Don't make things difficult for Minister Yan."

Ji Xinghuo heaved a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Zhong Ming finally reacted and asked anxiously, "Xinghuo, didn't you say that the Ether Concentrating Room was very expensive?"

"It is a bit pricey, but I can afford it." Ji Xinghuo was relaxed.

Zhong Ming pressed further, "Then how much does it cost?"

Ji Xinghuo hadn't revealed the price earlier, but since Zhong Ming would find out eventually, he replied, "If you cultivate for 12 hours a day, and spend 4 of those hours in the Ether Concentrating Room, as a mid-level exotic, the best cost-effectiveness would be achieved in a Level 2 Ether Concentrating Room, and the daily cost would be 4 million Asian dollars."

This was the price when paying with ether crystals, which was half the regular price.

If one were to pay in cash, a Level 2 Ether Concentrating Room would cost 2 million Asian dollars per hour, totaling 8 million Asian dollars per day.

Liang Qiufeiyan quickly calculated, "400 million a day, that's 1.2 billion a month. If you cultivate for a whole year, it would cost 14.4 billion!"

As she calculated, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Xinghuo, let's forget about it," Zhong Ming exclaimed, startled by the amount. He was a competitive exotic in the B League, earning a high income, but he only made a little over 10 million a year after taxes.

Now, a single day of cultivation at the Ether Institute would cost almost his entire annual income, which was beyond imagination.

"I told you, I can afford it. You don't have to worry about the money, Second Brother," Ji Xinghuo reassured him.

He had already calculated the costs.

Six ether crystals a month were truly insignificant.

It was equivalent to only two Qingkong Guo.

Once he ran out of the ether crystals in his possession, he could always return to his sister's secret realm to pluck more fruits and exchange them with Xu Lingke.

He was making preparations for the future, as he anticipated that he might not always be on Earth and wanted a reliable pillar of support for his family. By investing resources into Second Brother's cultivation, he would have one less worry.

"But 14.4 billion a year is a bit hard on my heart," Zhong Ming said with a bitter smile as he shook his head. "I only earn a few million a year..."

"Hahaha..."

Ji Xinghuo laughed, "Now you're only using a Level 2 Ether Concentrating Room. Once you become a Super Exotic, you'll need to use a Level 3 Ether Concentrating Room, and with longer usage time, it will cost around 70 billion a year."

"Oh my god!" Zhong Ming's hands were trembling.

Ye Dongyun and the others were equally stunned. Seventy billion Asian dollars were an amount they couldn't even dare to imagine, let alone earn, in their lifetimes.

Ji Xinghuo's expression turned serious as he said, "Exotic evolution is not only the fastest way to transcend social classes but also the fastest way to earn money."

"Second Brother, once your strength stabilizes, I'll take you to the Star Realm," Ji Xinghuo promised.

"Perhaps it's difficult for other exotics to earn money, but I'm different," Ji Xinghuo smiled confidently. "At that time, you'll realize that money on Earth isn't as valuable as you think. Tens of billions or even hundreds of billions are just numbers."

The family exchanged bewildered glances.

Zhong Ming nodded firmly, "Then I'll look forward to you taking me to new heights."

He immediately logged into the Star Realm Department's official website and indeed found something different from before.

Under the "Personal Center" section, there was now an option to apply for the Ether Concentrating Room.

After filling in the necessary information, Zhong Ming submitted his application.

"Now we just wait for the approval," Ji Xinghuo said as he turned on the large screen in the living room. "Man Ying has a match tonight. Do you guys want to watch together?"

"I want to watch!"

"Come over now then."

Soon, the five siblings gathered at Zhong Ming's house, sharing a meal before settling in to watch the match.

It was just a regular match, yet it attracted several times the usual number of viewers, with over a billion people watching online globally.

The chat boxes of various channels showing the match were filled with dense bullet comments.

As they listened to the hosts chatting before the match began, they heard Ji Xinghuo's name being mentioned frequently, even becoming the main topic. From his previous position as the last on the Tower to his current status as the first, the initial doubts had long disappeared, replaced by curiosity.

The match started soon after.

During the opening ceremony, amidst the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators at the venue, Zhao Manying, as the core of the team, was the last to appear. The screen presented a close-up of her, her exquisite beauty occupying most of the screen, eliciting countless admiring comments from online viewers.

The host did not skimp on praise for her strength and beauty.

"Sword Fairy seems a little different from usual today..." a keen-eyed female host observed.

"How so?" the co-host asked.

The female host immediately replied, "She's radiant and alluring. Even if I'm not a lesbian, seeing Sword Fairy's beauty would still make my heart flutter. Sword Fairy must be nourished by love, making others envious."

The male host on the commentary stage fell silent.

However, the internet and the live chat room were abuzz with discussions, and the topic quickly climbed the hot search lists on social media.

"The grudge of a stolen wife is unforgivable!" Someone immediately started spamming the chat with this comment.

"Kill Ji with a knife."

"Spamming online won't help, Ji Xinghuo is now the first on the Tower!"

"Exactly."

"Even if you bring your knife to Ji Xinghuo, he'll just stand there and let you chop at him, and not a single hair will be harmed."

"This is the strength of the first below the Heavenly Kings."

"Come on, Heavenly Kings, show yourselves! Send a thunderbolt to strike Ji Xinghuo dead! Damn, I'm so envious of him, wuuuu..."

The online world was in an uproar, but unlike before, when most of the comments were insults directed at Ji Xinghuo, now there were many supporters as well, with the two sides evenly matched in numbers, leading to heated arguments everywhere.

However, most people were just spectators enjoying the drama.

"This is so interesting, haha!" Liang Qiufeiyan laughed mischievously, "Ever since I got to know Sister Manying, my favorite thing is to watch people argue over her and Third Brother. It's so entertaining."

She leaned closer and curiously asked, "Third Brother, was last night a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

Zhong Ming gave him a thumbs up.

Wang Zizen shook his head, "In the past, we only watched people argue online, but now the person involved is sitting right next to us. It feels so surreal."

"Since our third brother has a girlfriend, when will the two of you start dating?" Out of the blue, eldest sister Ye Dongyun asked.

Zhong Ming spread his hands, "We're still young, there's no rush. If anyone should date, it should be Eldest Sister first."

"Yeah, dating is so boring." Liang Qiufeiyan chimed in.

Among the five siblings, aside from Ji Xinghuo, only Zhong Ming had dated a girl in university, but they had since broken up.

In this era, there were many who chose to remain single.

Many people never dated or married, devoting themselves entirely to pursuing freedom and avoiding the constraints of a relationship.

The number of nuclear families decreased significantly, and even with the presence of communal families, the Asia-Pacific Community had irreversibly become an atomized society.

"I just haven't met anyone who moves my heart." Ye Dongyun sighed, "Otherwise, I would be happy to date a few people. If the time is right in the future, I'm also willing to get married and have children, adding a few more members to our family."

"You will meet someone, Eldest Sister," Ji Xinghuo consoled.

"Thanks for the encouragement." Ye Dongyun nodded, her expression turning solemn, "But I want to remind you all that because of Xinghuo, if you start dating someone, you must tell us immediately so that we can discern whether they are genuinely interested or just trying to get close to Xinghuo."

Hearing this, Ji Xinghuo glanced at her, thinking that it would have been better if he had said it himself.

As the eldest sister, it was more appropriate for Ye Dongyun to give this warning.

"Got it."

"We're not fools, we won't be easily deceived."

Zhong Ming and Liang Qiufeiyan quickly agreed, while Wang Zizen added, "I don't even want a girlfriend. Women will only distract me from my training and hinder my path to becoming an exotic. They are a stumbling block on my evolutionary journey."

"Hahahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter.

Amidst the laughter and conversation, the family finished watching the match. As expected, Zhao Manying led her team to victory.

"I'll go pick up Manying."

Ji Xinghuo bid farewell to his family and drove his magnetic levitation car to the Tianqin Stadium to pick up Zhao Manying for a late-night snack.

By the way, he also told her about the Ether Institute.

"The Ether Concentrating Room!"

Zhao Manying was delighted, "I've heard about it before, but there's no application channel, and even when the Imperial Star Club tried to pull some strings, there was no response. I heard that only official and military exotics are usually allowed access."

"You definitely have the qualifications to enter the Ether Institute." Ji Xinghuo realized, "The Shi family must have been deliberately obstructing you."

With Zhao Manying's talent and fame, her application would surely be approved.

Moreover, she didn't lack money either.

Ji Xinghuo had been wondering why Zhao Manying, who met all the conditions, had not used the Ether Concentrating Room.

Now it seemed that the Shi family had been secretly causing trouble.

"Hmph..." Zhao Manying's eyes turned cold, "Shi Renzhong kept saying that he was trying to pull some strings, but there was no result. This must be Shi Hongyi's doing."

Ji Xinghuo analyzed, "Your father was killed by him, and now that you've joined the Imperial Star Club, he's clearly aware of your talent and strength, so he's bound to be wary of you."

"You can't threaten the Shi family yet, but you can make money for them. Shi Hongyi won't harm you directly, but he won't allow your strength to grow too quickly, hence preventing you from entering the Ether Institute."

Zhao Manying put down her chopsticks, "I'll settle the score with Shi Hongyi for this."

"What was Shi Renzhong's reaction today?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

He had already told Zhao Manying about the Qian Yuan Association last night, which involved Shi Daoyuan, but the official announcement had not been made yet.

"Nothing, everything was as usual." Zhao Manying shook her head lightly.

"He should be happy," Ji Xinghuo said.

Shi Hongyi had five children, but only Shi Daoyuan and Shi Renzhong were truly outstanding and competitive. Now that Shi Daoyuan had been arrested and would likely be sentenced to death, Shi Renzhong had become the sole heir.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Shi Hongyi would have more children.

For a Heavenly King like him, who was just over 90 years old, it was still too early to talk about succession.

However, Shi Renzhong's position in the family would definitely soar, along with his resources and power.

"Let's not talk about him."

Zhao Manying had no interest in discussing her enemy's family matters.

The two of them finished their late-night snack and returned to Zhao Manying's home in the Miyang Tower. As soon as they entered, she looked at him with sultry eyes, her cheeks flushed.

With the physical fitness of a Super Exotic, she had already recovered.

Ji Xinghuo was equally eager.

He felt the unique allure of Zhao Manying, distinct from Ren Jie, and he alone knew the myriad pleasures they shared.

In the early hours of the morning, the two finally fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day.

Ji Xinghuo, dressed neatly, left with Zhao Manying and brought his second brother, Zhong Ming, to the Ether Institute.

6000 characters for two chapters.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end