Chapter 336: The Princess' Invitation

Chapter 336: The Princess' Invitation

(Chapter 333 is out)



Ji Xinghuo raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.

With Princess Sophia's influence, finding someone in Ivankov was child's play. While their disguises could fool the average person, they were no match for the ubiquitous facial recognition systems.

Neither he nor Man Ying knew the language of the New Roman Empire, and they relied on the real-time translation function of their sunglasses during their sightseeing in Ivankov.

However, the Princess Sophia before them was speaking in the common language of Asia, albeit with a slight accent. It was clear that she had put in considerable effort to master this language.

In the New Roman Empire, it was quite rare to find someone who spoke the common tongue.

As Sophia spoke, she also displayed the graceful manners of a lady.

It was hard to refuse a smiling face, and Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying shared a glance before removing their sunglasses and standing up to reply, "Your Highness."

"Do you mind if I sit down?" Sophia asked politely.

"Please, be my guest."

Ji Xinghuo gestured for her to take a seat.

"Thank you." Immediately, one of the legendary bodyguards pulled out a chair for her, and she gracefully thanked him before sitting down.

The princess' every move exuded elegance, and her impeccable manners reflected her noble upbringing.

It was only then that the surrounding guests realized that the couple sitting next to them were none other than the first and second ranked players on the Tower, and they couldn't help but stare, their eyes filled with curiosity. They whispered among themselves, and some even took out their phones to snap photos.

Sophia, too, was sizing up Ji Xinghuo.

She glanced at one of her bodyguards, who snapped his fingers, releasing an invisible barrier that blocked out the noise from the surrounding tables.

"Mr. Ji, you're even more handsome than I expected," Sophia remarked, a hint of appreciation in her eyes. "No wonder you're worthy of the beautiful Sword Immortal."

"I like the sound of that," Ji Xinghuo laughed. "And you, Princess, are even more beautiful than you appear in videos." Sophia took good care of herself, and despite being in her fifties, she looked to be in her twenties.

His casual attitude, devoid of any deference towards the imperial princess, caused one of the bodyguards to frown slightly.

The New Roman Empire was a feudal monarchy, with the emperor at the top, followed by various levels of nobility. Class distinctions were deeply ingrained in the minds of the people, and social interactions were heavily influenced by one's social status, with intricate rules of etiquette to follow.

Ji Xinghuo was well aware of this.

As a citizen of the Asia-Pacific Community, he had no need to adhere to such formalities and asked directly, "Your Highness, what brings you here?

"I'm here because of 'Absolute Hit,'" Sophia replied without beating around the bush.

Ji Xinghuo shook his head. "I'm sure you're aware of my duel wager with Li Xuan. Please forgive me, but I cannot back out of it."

After its exposure, "Absolute Hit" had attracted the attention of numerous powerful beings from both within China and abroad—legendary and divine beings alike.

Some even had connections that reached the very top, with messages conveyed through Li Hui to the leader himself. However, all attempts were blocked.

Li Xuan, feeling the pressure, had quickly upped the ante to 150 billion, eager to finalize the duel contract.

Once the contract was signed and made public, those seeking "Absolute Hit" temporarily backed off.

They were all waiting for the outcome of the duel.

"Of course," Sophia nodded gently, her icy blue eyes fixed on Ji Xinghuo. "I'm not asking you to break your promise. What I wish to discuss is whether you would be willing to sell 'Absolute Hit' to me after the duel, regardless of its outcome."

"Oh?" Ji Xinghuo laughed. "So, Princess, you're betting on me?"

In fact, he had heard rumors.

Many legends and divine beings had been trying to communicate with Li Xuan, hoping that he would transfer the star-falling alien species after winning the duel, but Li Xuan had refused them all.

Because of this, Li Xuan had even released an announcement stating that he would not entertain any transactions involving "Absolute Hit."

The corners of Sophia's mouth curved up slightly, as if she were smiling.

Ji Xinghuo understood.

"Hmph," Zhao Manying, who had been silent until now, let out a soft hum, her face showing displeasure.

"Please forgive my rudeness, Mr. Ji," Sophia quickly apologized. "But I don't want to deceive either of you."

Ji Xinghuo scoffed, "Then why approach me?"

"While I believe the probability of your victory is very low, less than 1%, I am willing to take a chance on that 1%, " Sophia said sincerely. "If you win the duel, may I ask what you plan to do with 'Absolute Hit'?"

"That's none of your business," Ji Xinghuo replied bluntly.

Sophia paused for a moment before continuing in a soft voice, "I can pay for the alien species with ether crystals. I assure you, it will be an offer that satisfies you."

"Oh? And how much are you offering?" Ji Xinghuo's interest was piqued, and he straightened up in his seat.

Money on Earth wasn't particularly useful, but ether crystals were a different story. If the offer was high enough, he wouldn't mind playing the middleman.

Sophia's eyes sparkled, "1,500 crystals."

"Then I must decline, Princess," Ji Xinghuo shook his head.

He had purchased "Absolute Hit" from the Virtual Spirit Guest for 1,300 ether crystals, and a difference of 200 crystals wasn't enough to sway him.

Whether it was Earth's currency or ether crystals, they would eventually be converted into power. Since Absolute Hit was not compatible with his abilities, he could give it to Manying.

Unless, of course, the princess could offer a price so high that even he couldn't refuse.

"2,000 crystals!" Sophia offered again. "Earth cannot produce ether crystals, and they are difficult to gather even in the Star Realm. This is the best I can do."

Ji Xinghuo looked at Zhao Manying, who gave him a slight wink.

The two were in sync.

Through her True Sight, Zhao Manying could tell that Princess Sophia was not lying, and she conveyed this to Ji Xinghuo through her eyes.

Ji Xinghuo's heart stirred. With 2,000 ether crystals, he could sell some Qingkong Fruit and just barely afford to buy the Heaven's Key weapon "Lingsheng's Song" from the Virtual Spirit Guest. It was a bow specially designed for spiritual abilities, with immense destructive power and range.

However, if he bought Lingsheng's Song, he wouldn't have much left in ether crystals for Manying and his second brother to continue their training at the Ether Research Institute for even two years.

Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment before saying, "Give me some time to consider."

He neither agreed nor refused, keeping the initiative in his hands. Perhaps this Imperial Princess would go back and coax the Iron Emperor, and she might be able to offer even more ether crystals.

"Please let me know once you've made up your mind," Sophia said, her face showing disappointment, but she didn't raise her offer again.

She was eager for Absolute Hit but wasn't going to be a pushover.

The princess didn't leave immediately. Instead, she asked, "I heard that your first class template is a Ranger, Mr. Ji?"

"That's right," Ji Xinghuo nodded.

His experiences on Earth had long been exposed, and his choice of the "Thousand Spirit Dexterity" template after the physical ability test, as well as his later practice at the archery range, were all easily searchable online and were no secret.

"I'm also a Ranger." Princess Sophia revealed the gun at her waist, an "Iron Hammer". Rangers on Earth usually switched from bows to firearms. "But unlike you, I later took up the 'Ice Blade' and advanced to become an 'Ice Shooter'."

Ji Xinghuo understood, "No wonder the Princess wants Absolute Hit so badly."

The Ice Shooter class combined close-quarters combat with long-range attacks and had strong crowd control abilities.

Earlier, Sophia had also displayed "Frost Wings", a variant ability of "Wings of the Winged".

Based on the etheric energy fluctuations, she was only at the Legendary First Stage.

Yet she was ranked 235th on the Legendary Ranking, indicating that her ability system was far more complex than just an Ice Shooter, and her strength far exceeded her stage.

But this was not surprising.

As the Imperial Princess, Sophia had the full support of the Iron Emperor, which was akin to having the backing of the entire New Roman Empire. She would have no shortage of cultivation resources and exotic species.

"I've loved shooting since I was little," Sophia said. "Whether it's archery, firearms, or throwing, I'm obsessed with all forms of marksmanship and practice diligently."

"With the Emperor's permission, I invite renowned marksmen from around the world to the Royal Hunting Grounds for a shooting exchange every year. Many of them are globally renowned Rangers and Hunters, young talents from various countries."

"With the International Invitational and the Global Marathon underway, I'm taking this opportunity to invite esteemed guests to the Royal Hunt on the 23rd."

She looked at Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying, "If Mr. Ji and the Sword Immortal would grace us with their presence, it would be my greatest honor."

Ji Xinghuo didn't immediately agree.

The International Invitational would decide the champion on the 22nd, and the Global Marathon would begin on the 25th.

Princess Sophia certainly knew how to pick her timing.

"Just an exchange of marksmanship?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Of course," Sophia replied. "You can consider it a leisure trip and an opportunity to mingle with talented individuals from various countries. Many of them are eager to meet you, Mr. Ji."

Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying exchanged glances, and he said, "We can't refuse such a gracious invitation from the Princess."

"Not at all," Sophia beamed. "Having you two there would be our greatest honor."

She stood up and presented two invitations to Ji Xinghuo with great solemnity.

"I won't disturb your romantic dinner any further." With that, Sophia and her bodyguards took their leave.

After the princess left, the surrounding guests continued to stare.

Having finished their meal, Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying left the restaurant and took a stroll by the sea.

They spent the rest of the evening exploring Ivankov's night scenery and returned to their hotel room around 9 pm.

After a brief moment of intimacy in the bedroom, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

Ji Xinghuo, with Zhao Manying in his arms, scanned the area with his electromagnetic induction, and finding Shi Renzhong outside, he wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the door, "What is it, Shi?"

Shi Renzhong saw Ji Xinghuo's bare chest and the kiss marks on his neck, immediately understanding the situation within the room.

"In the afternoon." Ji Xinghuo replied irritably, "Director Shi, you didn't know I was here? Why are you looking for Manying at this hour?"

"No one told me." Shi Renzhong quickly explained, "The match is tomorrow, and I just thought of a tactic I wanted to discuss with Manying. I couldn't reach her on the phone, so I came over. Sorry for disturbing you."

Ji Xinghuo didn't want to hear such a lame excuse, nor did he care if it was intentional. "We're busy. If there's something, we can talk about it tomorrow."

With that, he shut the door.

Bang!

Shi Renzhong stared at the closed door, his expression turning grim as anger flared in his eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, the joints cracking, as if he wanted to smash through the door and storm inside.

However, the thought of the man inside being Ji Xinghuo made him hesitate.

He stood outside the door for a few seconds before calming down and turning to leave.

Inside the room.

Ji Xinghuo was well aware of Shi Renzhong's actions and coldly smiled, asking, "Manying, when you went to away games with the team, did he also come knocking on your door in the middle of the night?"

"A few times." Zhao Manying's face turned slightly red, "But in the past, he always came with his teammates. I don't know what he's thinking today."

"This guy is asking for trouble." Ji Xinghuo couldn't understand, "Now that Shi Daoyuan is dead, does he think he can smoothly inherit the group? Shi Hongyi is still young; it would be easy for him to have a dozen more sons."

Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered something.

"After Shi Daoyuan's death, has there been any change in Shi Renzhong's behavior?" Ji Xinghuo asked, "What was his reaction to you entering the Ether Research Institute?"

"No reaction." Zhao Manying thought carefully, "But there are rumors within the club that Shi Renzhong intends to retire at the end of this season and take over as vice president of the group, gaining more power and resources to strive for the legendary realm."

"Hehe..." Ji Xinghuo scoffed contemptuously.

Shi Renzhong's strength was built upon the vast resources of the Shi family; his talent wasn't considered top-notch.

In the past two years, the Emperor Star team had won several championships, and while they were covered in glory, Shi Renzhong's ranking on the ladder had dropped instead of improved.

He used to be ranked 145th, but now he had fallen outside the top 180.

Even when Ji Xinghuo was just an advanced alien species, he could defeat Shi Renzhong. Now that he was ranked first on the ladder and about to break into the legendary realm, Shi Renzhong posed no threat at all.

He wouldn't even need to lift a finger himself.

With Manying's fusion of True Sight, ten Shi Renzhongs combined wouldn't be her match.

"I have a feeling." Zhao Manying furrowed her brows in thought, "Shi Hongyi will probably no longer be able to hold himself back when it comes to me."

Ji Xinghuo's voice deepened, "What do you mean?"

Zhao Manying put on her sleepwear and said seriously, "You gave me True Sight, and I didn't tell anyone, but my strength has increased too much. Even though I've been holding back in the arena and not using my full strength, my coaches and teammates can still sense it during training."

"This is a good thing for the team and the club, as we can win more championships. Shi Renzhong also pretended to be happy about it, but it was obvious that he was just putting on an act."

Ji Xinghuo's eyes narrowed.

He still remembered Manying mentioning that Shi Renzhong had a performative personality.

In the past, it was difficult to discern Shi Renzhong's true emotions, but after Manying gained True Sight, Shi Renzhong's pretenses were completely transparent to her.

"Do you think Shi Renzhong knew about your father's situation before?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"He probably didn't know." Zhao Manying recalled, "Do you mean that Shi Hongyi recently told him about it?"

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "So he deliberately came knocking just now."

Such a mindset was complex and twisted.

He still held a sliver of fantasy towards Zhao Manying, and the higher his expectations, the more vicious he would become if he couldn't get what he wanted. He would seek to destroy what he couldn't possess.

"Is this what men are like?" Zhao Manying paused, taken aback.

"You have to be careful." Ji Xinghuo warned, "In the past, he still had fantasies about you, and the higher his expectations, the more vicious he will become in the future. If he can't get what he wants, he will want to destroy it."

"I understand." Zhao Manying took a deep breath.

Ji Xinghuo was decisive, "Why don't you just break the contract and not fulfill the remaining two seasons? You can just pay the compensation to the Emperor Star Club."

If the bet goes well, the compensation would be a small amount.

"It's not about the money. I want to surpass 'Walker' and become the most successful competition alien species in history. This is a promise to my fans." Zhao Manying hesitated, "Let me think about it some more."

"Okay, it's your decision."

Ji Xinghuo never wanted to force her to do anything, "Let's not talk about this anymore. We should continue what we were doing, hehehe..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end