Chapter 343: Supersonic Sprint

Chapter 343: Supersonic Sprint

Ji Xinghuo waved to the crowd around him, eliciting a chorus of cheers. However, in the live broadcast, his face remained blurred.

The viewers could only see his silhouette and gestures and hear his voice.

Just as a reporter was about to approach him for an interview, Ji Xinghuo turned and walked into the preparation hall where the race would commence.

The marathon was divided into four levels, and each level would take place on the same day, with staggered starts.

The Global Marathon had the fewest participants, with a total of less than 300 people, mostly Legends, a small number of Celestial Kings, and a handful of Superhumans. Although the Global Marathon had no entry restrictions, participants still had to undergo a review by the organizing committee.

As Ji Xinghuo entered, most of the Global-level runners had already arrived and were in the final stages of their preparations.

He scanned the room and spotted several familiar faces.

Due to the participation of the Sun King, this year's Global Marathon was especially competitive, with a higher number of entrants than previous years.

However, most runners were there just to take part; none truly believed they could outrun the Sun King.

"He's here," said An Yitian, waving at Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo nodded, and the runners in the preparation hall turned to look at him. They had already changed into the running suits provided by the organizing committee.

The suit was a special one-piece outfit made from a flexible, lightweight material that conformed to the body's contours, reducing air resistance. It was also breathable and insulated, with a stylish design featuring the race logo on the front, back, and chest.

In addition to the running suit, the committee provided professional running shoes, but wearing them was optional, left to the discretion of the runners.

Just as Ji Xinghuo was about to enter the changing room, a deafening roar erupted from outside.

Everyone turned to look at the live screens in the hall.

A figure descended slowly from the sky, clad in a blue and red battle dress with a cape bearing the stripes of the United League's flag. His golden hair was meticulously styled, and he wore a smile as he hovered in mid-air, waving to the people below.

The Sun King had arrived!

In the preparation hall, all eyes were fixed on the man on the screen.

John Anthony greeted the crowd before landing on the ground and beginning his interview with the reporters.

"Mr. Anthony!" a reporter called out, "How confident are you about winning today's Global Marathon?"

"One hundred percent," the Sun King replied without hesitation.

He spoke casually, his face relaxed as he addressed the camera: "My participation in today's Global Marathon is not about proving anything. With my abilities, there is nothing left for me to prove. My purpose here is to raise global awareness about the importance of sports and exercise. Marathon running is an excellent form of physical activity that strengthens our bodies and sharpens our minds. If we persist, we will undoubtedly reap the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle..."

On the live broadcast, John Anthony spoke eloquently and patiently answered several questions from the reporters, presenting himself in a gracious and humble manner that endeared him to many viewers.

The crowd's cheers grew louder with each passing moment.

It wasn't until over ten minutes later that John Anthony concluded the interview and, followed by the camera, entered the preparation hall.

The runners rose to their feet.

Their expressions varied—curiosity, admiration, and tension—but none dared show any hint of disrespect toward the strongest man on Earth.

The chairman of the Marathon Organizing Committee had been waiting and now led the Sun King into the hall with reverence.

"Good morning, everyone," the Sun King greeted them amicably, and the runners responded enthusiastically, their fervor rivaling that of the crowd outside.

His gaze swept across the room, acknowledging the Celestial Kings present with a nod before settling on a black man in the corner.

"Jeffrey," the Sun King smiled, "Let's see who's faster today."

All eyes turned to the black man sitting in the corner.

He had been meditating with his eyes closed but opened them now to glance at the Sun King. Standing up, he said, "You're just here to compete for second place."

Upon hearing this, the runners' expressions shifted slightly, though they were not surprised.

The black man was Jeffrey Ayjordan, also known as "Divine Walker," ranked 13th on the Celestial King Ranking. He was a United Leaguer, a professional Divine Walker, and the most successful competitor in history—the very predecessor Zhao Manying aspired to surpass.

Jeffrey stood tall and well-proportioned, nearing two meters in height. His bald head and dark skin exuded a powerful aura, giving him an air of steadiness and dominance. His sharp, piercing gaze left a lasting impression.

At 80 years old, he had dominated an entire era before retiring from the competitive scene.

In his prime, the Divine Walker knew no equal.

Just like Zhao Manying today, his brilliance had overshadowed all his contemporaries, making him the undisputed number one competitor.

Jeffrey had retired upon reaching the Legend realm and immediately ventured into the Star Realm, quickly ascending to the top of the Legend Ranking and remaining there for fifteen years until he became a Celestial King at 49.

The Sun King turned his attention to the others. Aside from himself and the Divine Walker, there were four other Celestial Kings participating today.

First was the 10th-ranked Celestial King, Luo Yimeng, known as the "Master of Morning Phoenix." Then, there was a Celestial King from the New Roman Empire, ranked 24th, whose profession was "Edge Walker." The 35th-ranked "Flight Artist," a "Sky Surveyor" who had advanced from "Stride with Evil Wind," was exceptionally skilled in flight and often showcased his techniques online. He originated from South America but claimed to be stateless. Lastly, there was Li Xuan, ranked 45th, who was merely there to attract attention and gain exposure.

All six Celestial Kings present were renowned for their speed.

In addition, there were many Legends, including several "Marathon Freaks" who specialized in running and possessed incredible speed. However, none of them posed a threat to the Sun King.

"Mr. Ji," the Sun King acknowledged Ji Xinghuo. "We meet again."

Ji Xinghuo nodded slightly, choosing to remain silent. He preferred to avoid unnecessary interaction with the Sun King until he had the strength to stand against him.

John Anthony smiled meaningfully, not adding anything further.

Ji Xinghuo entered the changing room and put on the running suit—a snug, lightweight outfit that conformed to his body, reducing air resistance. It was also equipped with a sensing chip that could track his location and monitor him for any rule violations during the race, accruing penalty time if necessary.

In addition to the suit, Ji Xinghuo wore a pair of "Sky-Riding Shoes" and two rings on his fingers.

One was his "Photosynthesis Ring," which utilized ether resonance and photosynthetic reactions to accelerate star power recovery. All it needed was sunlight to replenish his energy and restore his stamina.

The other was the "Star-Traveling Ring" borrowed temporarily from the Star Realm Department—a Superpower Three-Star artifact that increased his movement speed, enhanced star power recovery, and improved his endurance.

With these shoes and rings, he had the best equipment in the world.

After getting geared up, Ji Xinghuo consumed a vial of ether refining solvent and three vials of potions provided by the Star Realm Department, all of which had effects like speed enhancement, faster recovery, and energy conservation. Everything was aimed at making him run faster and last longer.

The Global Marathon had no restrictions on drugs, equipment, or doping checks, leaving the participants free to use whatever they wanted.

"Hu..."

Ji Xinghuo exhaled slowly, feeling a surge of power and endless stamina within him, ready to be unleashed.

"It's time to go," he said to himself.

As he stepped out of the changing room, almost everyone else had already geared up and was ready to begin.

However, the Sun King was still wearing his battle attire, seemingly uninterested in changing or making any special preparations.

In the preparation hall, the screens were already counting down to the start of the race.

The four levels of the marathon shared the same starting point but had different routes.

The first to begin was the Classic Marathon, with over a hundred thousand participants who were all ordinary people. The streets at the starting point were packed, and the entire 42.195-kilometer course took place within the city of Ivangrad.

This ancient sport commemorated a victorious battle over two thousand seven hundred years ago.

Nowadays, with the significant enhancement in the physical fitness of ordinary people, the world record had reached under one hour and forty minutes, and it continued to improve gradually each year.

With the sound of a gunshot, the tens of thousands of participants began their race in batches. It took half an hour for all the runners to pass through the starting point and embark on their journey.

Next was the Thousand-Mile Marathon, where participants were not allowed to be above the Advanced Mutant level. There were over fifty thousand contestants for this race.

Running a thousand miles non-stop was achievable for many Advanced Mutants due to their similar speed capabilities. Often, the race involved continuous duels from start to finish, making it extremely intense and exciting from an athletic perspective.

The Thousand-Mile Marathon was the most captivating in terms of competition.

Following that was the Ten-Thousand-Mile Marathon, which was the course for Super Mutants and Legends. There were nearly ten thousand participants, most of whom were Super Mutants, and among them were "Marathon Freaks" who specialized in running, making this race the most technically demanding and professionally competitive.

Before noon, all the participants of the Global Marathon had gathered at the starting point.

However, the Global Marathon boasted the most viewers as the runners, in the eyes of ordinary people, were nothing short of superheroes.

They ran the fastest and lasted the longest.

Each participant was a notable figure; there were six Celestial Kings, not to mention the Sun King himself.

At this moment, the number of viewers watching the live broadcast had surpassed three billion and continued to surge.

Ji Xinghuo stood behind the starting line, gazing up at the massive projection screens in the sky that displayed the route of this marathon.

The starting point of this year's Global Marathon was Ivangrad, from where the runners would head east, crossing the Lesser Asia Peninsula into the Middle East, traversing the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, and then through Central Asia into the borders of the Asia-Pacific Collective. They would follow the Silk Road into Chang'an, head north to the Bohai Bay, turn back along the coastline through several major cities of the Asia-Pacific Collective, reach Southeast Asia, and then head west along the South Asian Alliance's coastline back to the Middle East. They would circle the Arabian Peninsula, cross the Suez Canal, run south along the Nile River to Lake Victoria, and finally, along the east coast of Africa, return to Ivangrad.

The entire course was 40,075 kilometers, roughly equivalent to circling the Earth's equator.

Each runner had their own dedicated live broadcast channel, with at least two supersonic drones tracking them at all times during the race.

Additionally, high-resolution satellites in the sky captured their every move.

For the star runners who were the focus of attention, even more drones and satellites followed, providing multiple-angle views of their progress.

As the countdown began, hundreds of drones flew in and locked onto the ground below, focusing on the runners.

"10, 9, 8..."

With the sound of a gunshot and the enthusiastic shouts of tens of thousands of spectators, the once-every-four-years Global Marathon finally commenced!

Bang!

As the gunshot rang out, more than three hundred runners sprang forward like arrows, creating a fierce gale at the starting line.

Boom, boom, boom...

The deafening sonic booms reverberated through the sky, and the audience, standing hundreds of meters away, was knocked off-balance by the powerful winds.

By the time they regained their footing, the runners had already vanished from the starting line.

Ji Xinghuo leaned forward, his body poised. The instant the gun went off, he shot forward like a bullet, instantly breaking the sound barrier and reaching a speed of 350 meters per second.

The advantage of his "Acceleration" was evident.

He left everyone behind, standing out prominently in the live broadcast.

His legs alternated in a rapid, ground-skimming stride, with a frequency of over 10 steps per second. Each step covered more than thirty meters, yet he maintained a steady run, ensuring that both feet were never off the ground for more than 0.1 seconds. His core remained stable, with minimal undulation, and he maintained a forward lean, keeping a 50-degree angle with the ground.

The roaring gale beside his ears sounded like thunder.

The streets on both sides flashed by in a blur of light, creating a distorted, fuzzy image in his peripheral vision.

However, none of this affected Ji Xinghuo, as his mind remained clear. His electromagnetic sense mapped out the surroundings, giving him a precise mental image.

He maintained his supersonic speed.

In the sky above, four drones locked onto Ji Xinghuo, tracking him in sync.

The main channel of the live broadcast also switched to Ji Xinghuo's perspective, showing him in the lead among the current runners.

The host commented rapidly, expressing astonishment at Ji Xinghuo's performance.

However, in the footage, two figures were swiftly closing in, one ahead of the other, with only a distance of a few dozen meters between them. One was the Sun King, and the other was the Divine Walker.

After a few seconds of acceleration, the Sun King's speed had reached approximately 450 meters per second.

The Divine Walker was equally impressive, trailing just behind the Sun King.

Ji Xinghuo's lead lasted for less than 10 seconds.

Whoosh!

A sonic boom sounded as the Sun King surged forward, his cape fluttering behind him, and quickly pulled away from Ji Xinghuo, gradually increasing the distance between them.

The Sun King's cape, bearing the stripes of the United League's flag, was a striking sight.

A few seconds later, a tall, dark figure also caught up, his running posture relaxed and free, like a black lightning bolt as he overtook Ji Xinghuo. It was none other than the Divine Walker.

Ji Xinghuo remained calm and unhurried, maintaining his cruising speed of just over Mach 1.

In just three minutes, he had left Ivangrad behind.

At this moment, Luo Yimeng also caught up. Colorful lights rippled across her skin, and a pair of dazzling wings appeared on her back. Her stride frequency wasn't exceptionally high, but each step covered a hundred meters, and yet she seemed to be floating, all without breaking the rules.

"Can you go faster?" Luo Yimeng asked as she ran alongside Ji Xinghuo. "At this rate, we'll lose."

Ji Xinghuo's expression remained composed. "Don't worry, let them run the first 10,000 kilometers."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end