Chapter 330: Stellar Force Shatters the Myriad
Chapter 330: Stellar Force Shatters the Myriad
In a bridal chamber adorned with festive red decorations, Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying paid a visit to Lu Yunhai and his wife, a customary part of the wedding ceremony. The couple would be spending the night there.
When they entered, Lu Yunhai and his wife were browsing on their phones.
"Xinghuo," Lu Yunhai greeted them warmly, a hint of awe in his voice. "You've done it again—another earth-shattering feat that's making headlines worldwide. 150 billion! Ordinary people couldn't earn that much in a hundred lifetimes. You could buy a Dragon-class battleship with that money!"
"I saw online that including the live stream revenue, it's likely to exceed 200 billion," added Fang Yiping excitedly from beside him.
They were both visibly thrilled. Thanks to Ji Xinghuo and Li Xuan, their wedding had also gained some attention, with their names appearing in the headlines, giving them a taste of celebrity.
"Let's not talk about me," Ji Xinghuo said with a smile. "Congratulations on your wedding!"
Zhao Manying echoed his sentiments, offering her well-wishes.
"Thank you," Lu Yunhai said gratefully. "You've really made today the happiest day of my life."
He didn't elaborate, but his meaning was clear.
Ji Xinghuo's presence as his groomsman had brought him immense face, and the wedding had been a resounding success. Although his position in the Fang family had been somewhat awkward, with people considering him an outsider despite not being a son-in-law by marriage, after today, no one in the Fang family would dare look down on him again.
"It was nothing," Ji Xinghuo said modestly, producing a delicate box. "This is a small wedding gift for the both of you."
Lu Yunhai shook his head. "Your presence here is gift enough. Please, no more."
"In the past, people would give money during weddings. I promised you a surprise, so please accept it. Don't be polite," Ji Xinghuo insisted with a smile. "Once you see what it is, you won't be able to refuse."
Lu Yunhai and Fang Yiping exchanged glances.
"Alright," he said, his curiosity piqued. He opened the box and found two items inside. One was a green fruit. "A Green Sky Fruit!"
Lu Yunhai recognized it instantly, having eaten one before.
The other item was a blood-red crystal the size of a fingertip. It looked like solidified blood, emanating a strong energy fluctuation. Just by looking at it, one could sense the terrifying yet alluring power it contained.
"What is this?" Lu Yunhai asked, his eyes glued to the crystal.
"Red Emperor Blood Crystal, a very rare expansion treasure," Ji Xinghuo explained briefly. "Use it after you've advanced to a high-level Beyond."
"So this is the Red Emperor Blood Crystal!" Fang Yiping exclaimed, her hand covering her mouth in shock. "I saw someone offering to buy one on a trading platform. The asking price was 500 million, and its value is comparable to the Tear of Stars..."
Lu Yunhai's eyes widened in astonishment.
He shook his head vigorously. "No, this is too precious. I can't accept it."
"I told you not to be polite. There's no taking back a gift once it's given," Ji Xinghuo said with a laugh. "Please, take it."
Lu Yunhai hesitated.
"Yunhai?" Fang Yiping, standing beside him, sounded a little anxious. The value of this single Red Emperor Blood Crystal was almost equivalent to their entire family's assets.
Lu Yunhai glanced at his wife, her eyes sparkling with delight, then at Ji Xinghuo, who wore a sincere smile. He thought about the trillion-dollar contract Ji Xinghuo had just signed, and he realized that this treasure, worth hundreds of millions, was probably not that precious to him.
Finally, Lu Yunhai nodded. "Alright, thank you for the gift."
Ji Xinghuo patted him on the shoulder and said seriously, "Whether you choose to use or sell this Red Emperor Blood Crystal is up to you. As for the Green Sky Fruit, it's for Yiping. I suggest she consumes it soon."
Lu Yunhai's heart was touched. He understood that Ji Xinghuo was deliberately saying this in front of his wife to prevent any ulterior motives from other family members.
"I should be going now," Ji Xinghuo said, taking his leave.
"What about the gathering with classmates later tonight?" Lu Yunhai asked.
Ji Xinghuo shook his head. "I'm currently at the center of attention, so I won't be attending. Everyone can enjoy themselves more without me there."
At this moment, countless people were probably searching for him.
Through electromagnetic induction, he could sense that hundreds of people had already swarmed outside the hotel—independent journalists, reporters, fans, sensation-seekers, and many more who had come to witness the spectacle. Among them were several legendary powerhouses who seemed to have the same idea as Li Xuan—to ride on this wave of popularity.
If he stayed any longer, the wedding would be disrupted.
Ji Xinghuo returned to the lobby, where most of the guests were still present. After bidding farewell to his classmates and teachers, he wrapped his arms around Zhao Manying's slender waist and took off, accelerating instantly with a thunderous boom.
Amid the deafening sonic boom, the crowd watched as Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying disappeared into the distant horizon.
The classmates were left with a sense of loss.
Some realized that this might be the last time they would see Ji Xinghuo in person, and from now on, they could only catch glimpses of him in the news and online.
Wu Qifeng, however, was unbothered. He shouted, "Come, come, let's continue drinking!"
After flying at supersonic speeds for a few minutes, Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying returned home. Ji Xinghuo logged onto the internet and saw that his duel wager with Li Xuan had already sparked intense discussions.
Countless netizens were engaged in heated debates, analyzing every aspect of their strengths and providing predictions. Almost every blogger related to Beyonds or combat was trying to ride this wave of popularity.
There were also polls predicting the outcome of the duel.
Ji Xinghuo found the poll with the most participants and voted for himself. Then he checked the results.
"Only 3% of people think I'll win?" Ji Xinghuo was a little surprised.
It was lower than he had expected, a complete one-sided prediction.
"Is that so?"
Ji Xinghuo hadn't considered this point before.
As an insider, he had once killed a Monarch-level Banyan Composite, and subconsciously placed himself on the same level as Monarchs. However, others were unaware of this.
He opened several of the most-viewed analysis videos and found that it was indeed as Zhao Manying had said.
These bloggers believed that their strength was already comparable to the top ten Beyonders on the Legendary Ranking, and perhaps even stronger.
However, the vast majority of them believed that the probability of him creating history was very low.
Just like the voting results, the bloggers' predictions were also one-sided.
Out of twenty, only one favored him to win.
Many Beyonders on the Heavenly Ladder and Legendary Ranking, as well as combat experts, martial arts masters, and Beyonder theory scholars, had publicly expressed their views, but less than one-tenth of them thought he could win.
Almost everyone mentioned one point.
The tier gap between Super Beyonder and Monarch was too large, and even those who were most optimistic about Ji Xinghuo were merely hoping for a fluke.
"So, is this why Li Xuan dared to raise the stakes to 150 billion?" Ji Xinghuo smiled.
Zhao Manying was worried, "He probably still has something up his sleeve."
"It's probably just that he has obtained or borrowed even stronger weapons and equipment." Ji Xinghuo had already guessed, "Li Xuan became a Monarch five or six years ago, and his ranking on the Monarch Ranking hasn't changed at all. His ability system won't change in a short time, and he won't have much improvement in just a few months."
Monarchs are extremely powerful, but their evolution speed also slows down. It's normal for them to go several years or even more than a decade without any increase in strength.
Since Li Xuan has been on Earth all this time, no matter how much he enhances himself, there's a limit to his growth.
"After all, he's a Monarch, we must not be careless." Zhao Manying reminded him.
"I understand."
Ji Xinghuo nodded.
As he refreshed the news and comments online, he suddenly came across a screenshot of overseas betting odds. All gambling companies had opened their odds, and the odds for him were just as one-sided. Putting real money on the line reflected people's thoughts even more than any vote.
Gambling was prohibited in the APC, so most people could only watch the spectacle without being able to place bets themselves.
Looking at the lopsided odds, Ji Xinghuo had an idea.
"Should we go abroad to place a bet?"
Zhao Manying also saw the odds of more than ten times the payout, and her heart was tempted.
She fully believed that Ji Xinghuo could create history and win this duel. If they dared to bet a few billion, it would be equivalent to her income for many years.
Even though Ji Xinghuo often said that money on Earth didn't matter much.
But no one would complain about having too much money.
Zhao Manying thought for a moment and suggested, "Next month, the International Invitational will be held in Ivangrad. Our team will be going there, so we can prepare the funds in advance and place a bet when we're in Ivangrad."
Ivangrad was the capital of the New Roman Empire.
This historic city had several more resounding names in the past, such as Byzantium, Constantinople, and Istanbul.
Now it bears the name of the founder of the New Roman Empire, "Iron Emperor" Ivan Zhugashvili.
"I haven't been to Ivangrad yet, I'll go with you too." Ji Xinghuo smiled.
He was already thinking about how much to bet.
"Okay!" Zhao Manying readily agreed. In the past, when she went abroad to compete, although she always had her team and teammates with her, it would feel different to have her boyfriend by her side. They could also tour the city together.
Suddenly, Li Xuan's livestream popped up on the screen, and he was talking non-stop.
The current number of viewers exceeded 300 million, ranking first globally, and it was still rising rapidly.
Ji Xinghuo watched for a few minutes.
"This guy..." He snorted coldly. In Li Xuan's description, although he didn't belittle Ji Xinghuo, his tone was strange, implying that Ji Xinghuo was arrogant and disrespectful to his seniors, and that he had initially invited Ji Xinghuo to a duel out of a desire to guide his junior.
Zhao Manying was also unhappy, "He's riding on this wave of popularity again, and the huge exposure will bring him a lot of benefits."
"It doesn't matter." Ji Xinghuo didn't care, "The more he earns, the more will become mine if I win."
150 billion was also a huge sum for Li Xuan, enough to bankrupt him.
Ji Xinghuo closed the livestream.
Looking at the time, it was only a little past three in the afternoon.
"It's still early..." He threw a suggestive glance at his girlfriend, and Zhao Manying immediately understood, extending her long legs towards him.
Just as they were warming up on the sofa, Zhao Manying suddenly said softly, "I bought a few pairs of silk stockings..."
Ji Xinghuo's head immediately filled with blood, "Put them on quickly!"
It wasn't until the sun set and darkness fell that the two of them finally satisfied their desires and went out together for a romantic dinner after freshening up.
Time flew by.
Ji Xinghuo spent his days immersed in cultivation at the Ether Cultivation Institute. In early July, his Stellar Force broke through the 10,000-point threshold. The online hype had mostly died down by then, and people were waiting for the duel between the two in a few months' time.
In early July, as Ji Xinghuo was immersed in his cultivation, a shocking event occurred that stunned the entire world.
The strongest man on Earth, the first-ranked Monarch on the Monarch Ranking, the Sun King, was dead!
(End of Chapter)
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