Chapter 34: Lightning-Fast Battle Blade

Chapter 34: Lightning-Fast Battle Blade

Ren Mian tossed over two pieces of equipment—a blade and a pair of shoes.

Ji Xinghuo caught the blade with his left hand and gripped the edges of the shoes with his right, holding them up. With just a glance at the blade in his hand, his eyes lit up.

"Nice blade!" he exclaimed.

The blade was a modern, one-piece battle sword, forged as a single entity. Its design was inspired by the "Tang horizontal sword," with the originally straight blade now featuring a slight arc and increased width by half. The thicker spine and sharp geometric tip exuded a sense of sharpness, and the entire sword, measuring about 85 centimeters long, felt extremely substantial in the hand, definitely weighing over 10 kilograms.

These characteristics were specifically designed with the extraordinary strength of the mutants in mind.

Wider, heavier, and sharper, it was ideal for slashing and capable of inflicting greater damage!

Ji Xinghuo gripped the hilt and brought the blade closer to his eyes.

The silvery blade carried a faint hint of azure, and when magnified by the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil, he could see that the blade was composed of countless tiny metal crystals, shimmering with a faint blue light.

"Indium-based superconductor alloy?" Ji Xinghuo recognized it instantly.

This was a high-temperature superconductor originating from the Starry Realm. When combined with magnesium-boron-chromium-iron and other materials, it produced an extremely hard and highly resilient superconductor alloy with extremely efficient star power conduction.

Indium-based superconductors were incredibly expensive, traded by the gram.

Just the material used for this blade was worth several million!

However, the most striking feature of the blade was the three lightning-shaped patterns near the spine, extending from the hilt to the tip. When the blade moved, the patterns seemed to dance like three bolts of lightning.

"These are three 'Arc Ring Cut' abilities," Ren Mian explained.

"Three?" Ji Xinghuo was astonished.

Arc Ring Cut was a quality ability that condensed a semi-circular arc of electricity in the user's hand, capable of cutting through substances. However, due to its short attack range, its potential was limited.

Incorporating just one exotic ability into a weapon already qualified it as a super-ability weapon.

"Sister Ren, what grade is this blade?" Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but ask.

"Super-ability two-star," Ren Mian replied nonchalantly.

"What?" Chi Zhonglin, standing beside him, widened his eyes in shock. "Then isn't it better than my Lava Gun? A super-ability two-star weapon should be worth at least 10 million Asian dollars, right?"

Ren Mian waved her hand dismissively. "This blade is called 'Lightning Chaser.' I got it for 18 million."

This time, it was Ji Xinghuo's turn to be stunned. Holding the blade, he felt a bit overwhelmed by its value—it was a thousand times more expensive than the Gooseneck Blade!

"Sister Ren, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Ji Xinghuo didn't know what to do.

A sudden thought popped into his mind—could Sister Ren have taken a liking to me? He immediately laughed at his own foolishness.

"I couldn't find any other suitable weapons for you, but this Lightning Chaser is excellent, even if it's a bit pricey. It's not overpriced, so I bought it," Ren Mian explained with a smile on her flawless face. "Don't overthink it, Xinghuo. I'm just lending you the blade."

"And these Gale Battle Boots cost me over 3 million," she added, gesturing to the shoes.

"I'll count both items as 20 million for you. Remember to pay me back later," she said, making it clear that she had already thought it through.

Ji Xinghuo felt a mix of emotions—touched, resigned, and a little pressured. He had only joined the team for a day and hadn't contributed anything yet, but he now owed them 20 million. It felt like he had boarded a pirate ship.

However, he also knew that Ren Mian's intentions were purely benevolent.

The total value of the Lightning Chaser and the Gale Battle Boots exceeded 21 million, but Ren Mian was only counting it as 20 million and hadn't even specified a repayment date. It was obvious that she didn't actually intend to take them back, and her words were meant to ease his psychological burden so that he could accept these two pieces of equipment without hesitation.

"Thank you, Sister Ren," Ji Xinghuo said sincerely, deeply grateful for her kindness.

He vowed to repay her someday if he had the chance.

"Don't overthink it," Ren Mian said, offering another explanation. "I did this for the team. Your growth in strength means growth in our team's overall strength."

Chi Zhonglin's eyes were filled with envy. "Sister Ren, help me improve, too! That way, our team will be even stronger!"

"In the past three years, have I helped you any less?" Ren Mian retorted.

Chi Zhonglin scratched his head, at a loss for words.

A hint of displeasure flashed in Ren Mian's eyes as she asked, "Zhonglin, I don't interfere in your personal life, but your progress has slowed down noticeably these past few months. I don't know the reason, but as your captain, I must remind you not to let a woman distract you. I don't want to have to pick up the pieces."

Chi Zhonglin lowered his head, ashamed. "Sister Ren, I know I was wrong. Starting tomorrow, I'll train diligently."

"We'll see," Ren Mian said, leaving the matter open-ended.

She turned to Ji Xinghuo and continued, "Xinghuo, your task for the next few days is to familiarize yourself with your new equipment and train with Zhonglin and Caiyi to improve your teamwork.

Next, he put on the Gale Battle Boots.

These Super-Ability One-Star boots were well-known to Ji Xinghuo; they were suitable for almost all mutants and were the most common type of acceleration boots.

The camouflage-colored boots were lightweight and made of resilient materials, and they came with two abilities: 'Gale Step' and 'Balance.' The former was a quality ability that created gusts of wind under the user's feet, increasing their running speed and providing a cushioning effect when falling from heights to reduce the impact force.

Meanwhile, 'Balance' was a basic ability that helped maintain balance and prevented one from falling, even on rough and complex terrain, by keeping the body's center of gravity stable.

The Ranger profession template included the 'Balance' ability.

After donning the Gale Battle Boots, Ji Xinghuo could feel their effects, and his heart was filled with delight.

Even though 'Balance' was just a basic ability, its effects were remarkable. Footwork was the most important fundamental skill for both close-quarters combat and martial arts rankings, and it greatly enhanced one's strength.

Ji Xinghuo estimated that with 'Balance,' his martial arts ranking should reach Professional Seventh Level!

With that, he would have four out of the five abilities of a Ranger: Agile Hands, Flash Step, Intuitive Reflex, Precision, and Balance, missing only 'Flash Step.'

He recalled seeing 'Flash Step' in the Exotic Store when he had bought the Life Spirit Seed.

The Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil had given it a 95% fusion success rate, the highest among all the exotics, indicating an extremely high compatibility with Ji Xinghuo.

"Should I fuse with 'Flash Step' in the future?"

Ji Xinghuo hesitated.

'Flash Step' allowed for an explosive burst of speed, quick as lightning, but the movement distance was extremely short, and it consumed a significant amount of stamina and star power.

Aside from Rangers, 'Flash Step' was also included in the profession templates of Swordmasters, Gravitons, and Striders. Martial Artists could also replace one of their template abilities with 'Flash Step.'

This showcased the ability's prowess.

While 'Flash Step' was just a basic ability and quite common, its potential was the highest among all basic abilities.

Many exotic experts and mutants believed that after multiple upgrades, 'Flash Step' could rival Transcendent Abilities, and the higher its level, the more exaggerated its effects became.

If he were a conventional Ranger, Ji Xinghuo would definitely fuse with 'Flash Step.'

But now, as a Magnetic Maniac, he had to consider differently.

'Flash Step' was not included in the Magnetic Maniac's profession template, and all mutants had a limited number of fusions, which were extremely precious. The Magnetic Maniac already had seven abilities, so he couldn't afford to waste them.

Unless he could obtain other expansion artifacts.

"Never mind, I'll think about it later," Ji Xinghuo pushed aside these distracting thoughts and focused on his training.

In the following days,

Ji Xinghuo spent almost the entire day in the training ground, filling his time with physical exercises, star power cultivation, martial arts sparring, and equipment familiarization. His schedule was packed.

A day in the Star Realm had nearly 50 hours, and he only slept for eight hours each day.

The rest of the time was dedicated to training.

The ether tea prepared by Ren Mian worked wonders, helping Ji Xinghuo's star power value break through to 100, and the progress of his Spinning Magnetic Field ability increased by 1 point.

However, the most significant improvement was in his martial arts ranking.

In just a few days, Ji Xinghuo's martial arts prowess improved by leaps and bounds. Even without the Gale Battle Boots, he could defeat Jiang Nan Caiyi, a Professional Seventh Level, with a win rate of around 70%.

When facing Chi Zhonglin, a Professional Ninth Level, Ji Xinghuo, armed with the Lightning Chaser and wearing the Gale Battle Boots, could hold his own in battle.

Of course, Chi Zhonglin was also holding back.

Even so, Ji Xinghuo's rapid progress in martial arts startled Chi Zhonglin, who stopped going out to bars and instead dedicated himself to diligent cultivation every day, as if he had become a changed man.

Sometimes, Ren Mian would join the sparring sessions.

Her weapon of choice was a pair of fist gauntlets.

Although it was evident that Ren Mian wasn't wholeheartedly devoted to martial arts, treating it more like a casual pastime in her free time, according to her, she had never participated in a ranking assessment. Nonetheless, her martial arts ranking was solid at the Master level and might even surpass it!

While Ji Xinghuo could put up a fight against Chi Zhonglin, he was almost powerless against Ren Mian.

He spent the entire session on the receiving end of her attacks, like a punching bag.

After dinner in the evening,

Ren Mian had just announced at the dinner table that they would be going on a hunting expedition tomorrow, so she instructed everyone to refrain from training that night to conserve their energy and rest up.

Thus, Ji Xinghuo took a rare break from his cultivation and sat in the garden, admiring the night view.

It was a starlit night, and the sky was covered by the Milky Way's reflection.

Ji Xinghuo had experienced over a dozen "day-star-night" cycles since arriving in the Star Realm, equivalent to a little over a month on Earth. Every time he beheld the brilliant and dazzling galaxy in the night sky, he was awestruck and filled with longing.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Chi Zhonglin gazed up at the Milky Way, the starlight reflecting off his face, revealing an expression that was vastly different from his usual carefree demeanor. It seemed like something was on his mind.

After a long while, Ji Xinghuo broke the silence.

"Have you ever been to other planets?"

The Starry Realm was, so far, the only way to leave the Solar System, and this was true for other extraterrestrial races as well.

From the Starry Realm, one could travel to any planet in the Milky Way. There were rumors online that many powerful mutants had passed through other stargates and reached planets beyond Earth.

"No," Chi Zhonglin shook his head. "There are eight extraterrestrial races under the rule of the Tianyu Kingdom, including Earth. But apart from the Beiluosimen people, the other seven races rarely interact with us and generally don't allow outsiders access to their stargates."

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

He had only asked out of casual curiosity and didn't expect an unexpected answer.

The Tianyu Kingdom was the starry realm nation where Olympia was located, established by a branch of the Celestial Clan. It ruled over the entire "Thousand Peak Abyssal Forest," with an estimated area of over two hundred million square kilometers!

This was larger than the land area of Earth.

And the range of activities for Earth mutants rarely extended beyond a two-thousand-kilometer radius from Olympia City.

Only a very small number of Earth mutants had ever ventured beyond the bounds of the Thousand Peak Abyssal Forest.

This vast land was covered with boundless primeval forests, and the ground was riddled with ravines and abyss-like crevasses. The environment was complex and profound, the climate ever-changing, and the most notable feature was the presence of over a thousand colossal "floating mountains" that hung in the sky.

Hence the name, Thousand Peak Abyssal Forest.

The Celestial Clan, born with the innate ability to fly, built their cities on these floating mountains, making them their homes, and gradually developed into the Tianyu Kingdom.

The Tianyu Kingdom ruled over the Thousand Peak Abyssal Forest, but they didn't pay much attention to the land below the floating mountains. They merely used it as a hunting ground.

The land was home to countless Starry Realm tribes, as well as innumerable powerful beasts, creatures, and monsters.

Earth humans had to compete with these tribes for territory.

However, Earth's greatest enemy was not the Celestial Clan, nor any other Starry Realm tribe, but an extraterrestrial race from Beiluosimen! Beiluosimen was 25 light-years away from Earth, an impossibly distant reach in the Milky Way. But in the Starry Realm, the distance between their stargates was a mere 548 kilometers!

They were practically next-door neighbors.

Unfortunately, Beiluosimen's stargate had opened more than a thousand years before Earth's.

In 2033, when Earth's stargate opened, the Beiluosimen people quickly discovered Earth and launched a large-scale invasion.

In the first year alone, more than two billion humans perished, and in the following decade, Earth nations paid a heavy price, with much of their efforts focused on repelling the Beiluosimen.

Although Earth successfully drove back the Beiluosimen and, with the support of the Tianyu Kingdom, regained control of their stargate, a deep-seated enmity had been forged.

For these two centuries, the Beiluosimen continued to attack humans and cities, causing countless casualties.

Earth nations were plagued by disputes and mutual slaughter.

However, when faced with the Beiluosimen, humans always managed to set aside their grievances and unite to fight against their common foe, the number one enemy that had almost caused the extinction of humanity! Ji Xinghuo had never seen a Beiluosimen person with his own eyes, but he knew that eventually, he would have to face these extraterrestrials.

He sought Chi Zhonglin's advice on how to deal with them.

The two talked for a long time.

As the reflection of the Milky Way gradually faded, the starry night was coming to an end. Ji Xinghuo suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Do you know about Sister Ren's background?"

Chi Zhonglin gave him a strange look. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Ji Xinghuo replied, following a prepared script. "Sister Ren is so powerful and beautiful. Logically, she should have become famous long ago. But I've never heard of her before, and her name isn't on the 'Heavenly Ladder' either. It's a bit unbelievable and too mysterious."

Chi Zhonglin laughed. "A few years ago, I asked the same question, but Sister Ren didn't answer. I've never seen her on Earth either."

"So you don't know either," Ji Xinghuo said, his face revealing his realization. "'Ren Mian' is probably a pseudonym."

"So what if I knew?" Chi Zhonglin asked nonchalantly, but his expression turned serious as he continued, "I only know that Sister Ren has been good to us. Without her, I wouldn't have the strength I have now. Someday, Sister Ren will tell us about her past. Whoever dares to harm her will be our enemy!"

Ji Xinghuo nodded in agreement.

"Get some rest. We're leaving tomorrow," Chi Zhonglin said as he stood up and patted Ji Xinghuo's shoulder. "I'm looking forward to seeing your performance."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end