Chapter 346: Electric Combat Blade

Chapter 346: Electric Combat Blade

Ji Xinghuo took one step past the finish line and stopped.

The timer on the large screen froze at 23 hours, 22 minutes, and 45 seconds, and displayed a large line of text: New Record!

At the moment Ji Xinghuo crossed the line, Sun King was less than 300 meters from the finish line, but he did not slow down. His gaze locked onto Ji Xinghuo as he rapidly approached, his eyes cold and unblinking as if he intended to crash right into him.

The audience gasped in surprise.

However, Ji Xinghuo showed no signs of dodging. He stood his ground, facing the Sun King as he charged towards him.

Whoosh!

A deafening gale blasted the surrounding spectators, knocking many of them off balance and causing them to shut their eyes.

When they opened their eyes again, they saw that the Sun King had stopped.

He stood just a few steps away from Ji Xinghuo, his face unreadable. Yet, everyone present felt an overwhelming sense of oppression, and the entire square fell silent. Even the host was momentarily lost for words.

Ji Xinghuo and the Sun King stared at each other.

In that moment, Ji Xinghuo clearly sensed the formidable strength of the strongest man on Earth, but he felt no fear.

Speed may not represent one's entire prowess, but it reveals a lot.

Since the Sun King couldn't outrun him, it meant that his speed was temporarily inferior to Ji Xinghuo's, and that gave him confidence.

Even if he couldn't win in a head-on fight, he could always escape.

Moreover, as Ji Xinghuo crossed the finish line, his electromagnetic senses detected two Kings. One was Luo Yimeng. Knowing that she could win, she had immediately withdrawn from the race and flown back to Ivanograd from the Persian Gulf to wait for him.

The other was "Gun Saint" Xing Lie, who had somehow also arrived and was currently standing by a window in a hotel not far from the square, watching the scene unfold.

There was no need to say that this must have been the Fuhrer's arrangement.

The tenth-ranked King and the sixth-ranked King, one in the open and one in the shadows, ensured that the Sun King would not dare to act rashly.

The silent Sun King remained expressionless, and up close, Ji Xinghuo noticed that the man's lips were thin, appearing as a straight line when he wasn't speaking, twitching slightly. This was quite different from his online image, which must have been beautified.

The Sun King turned his head to glance at Xing Lie's location before returning his gaze to Ji Xinghuo.

Finally, a smile appeared on his face.

"Congratulations."

The Sun King took a few steps forward and extended his hand for a handshake.

His hand crossed the finish line, signifying the completion of the race, ten seconds slower than Ji Xinghuo. His final time would be further penalized by the three violations, resulting in a time of 22 hours, 25 minutes, and 55 seconds.

"This race was made possible by the inspiration of Your Highness Sun King," Ji Xinghuo said humbly.

"Hehe..."

John Anthony's eye twitched.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten that during the International Invitational, he had told Ji Xinghuo that he enjoyed challenges and looked forward to his performance, hoping for some surprises.

Today, there were challenges and surprises, but they had gone too far.

Moreover, the way Ji Xinghuo had crossed the finish line backward was a blatant provocation. Even if his opponent hadn't been the Sun King, this manner of crossing the line would still be controversial. It wasn't against the rules, but it went against the spirit of competition and would surely displease many viewers.

Of course, there would also be many who supported him, arguing that he had every right to be arrogant after winning with his strength.

"I admit that you won this time."

The Sun King stared at Ji Xinghuo, once again wearing that inscrutable smile, and said softly, "I said that I wouldn't make a move against you until you become a King. You'd better hurry up and ascend to the rank of King; I'm getting impatient."

"I will," Ji Xinghuo replied seriously.

"Good."

The Sun King nodded, then noticed several race reporters approaching, intending to interview him. However, despite usually being amenable to such requests, he suddenly lost interest and, with a boom, flew away.

"Mr. Ji!"

Ji Xinghuo stayed where he was and was immediately surrounded by reporters.

All around, dozens of drones, floating cameras, and various lenses aimed at Ji Xinghuo, enclosing him from all sides.

A reporter from the New Roman Empire pushed forward, holding a microphone close and asking loudly, "Mr. Ji, you've set a new record for the Global Marathon and defeated the Sun King. How do you feel about that?"

"I'm very happy," Ji Xinghuo replied.

The reporters thought he would continue, so they waited a few seconds, only to realize that he had finished his response.

"Just very happy?" the reporter immediately asked.

"Yes."

Whether it was the reporters or the viewers watching the live broadcast, they all felt that something was amiss. This was a momentous occasion worthy of grand words, with hundreds of millions of people around the world paying attention. How could he have nothing more to say?

For example, he could have expressed gratitude for the support of his family and friends, as well as his country.

Or he could have talked about the hard work and sweat he had put into achieving today's victory and how difficult it had been.

There was no particular reason; he simply didn't want to. As simple as that.

Fortunately, the reporters were quick on their feet, and another one immediately asked, "Mr. Ji, do you have anything you'd like to say to the Sun King?"

"He's a formidable opponent," Ji Xinghuo replied.

The reporters were used to his direct manner of answering and immediately followed up with another question. "May I ask how you managed to achieve such a feat? Superhumans run at incredible speeds, with top speeds exceeding 4 Mach. Many viewers are curious to know your secret."

"That's my secret," Ji Xinghuo responded with a smile.

"What did His Highness, the Sun King, say to you just now?" asked a reporter from the United League.

"Sorry, that's confidential," Ji Xinghuo replied.

The persistent reporter from the United League pressed further, "Mr. Ji, some viewers believe that your backward finish was disrespectful to the Sun King and violated the spirit of competition. Why did you choose to finish in such a controversial manner?"

"No particular reason," Ji Xinghuo said, looking at the reporter. "I just thought it would be cool, so I did it. Please don't read too much into it."

"Will Mr. Ji be participating in the next Global Marathon?"

"It depends."

"Mr. Ji, many viewers are eager to see your true appearance. Do you have any plans to lift your privacy protection?" The question came from a beautiful female reporter whose eyes lit up as she looked at Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at her and smiled. "Not at the moment."

"Why not?" The female reporter probed further.

"I don't want my life to be disturbed," Ji Xinghuo said, pausing briefly before continuing. "However, I want to make one thing clear. To those who spread rumors online about me being ugly and that's why I don't dare to show my face, you can give up on that thought."

"I can vouch for Mr. Ji on that," the female reporter said, unable to hold back a smile.

The surrounding reporters burst into laughter.

Suddenly, a male reporter from the Asia-Pacific Community asked, "Mr. Ji, there are rumors online that you and Ms. Jianxian fell in love at first sight. Is that true?"

"Yes," Ji Xinghuo nodded.

When it came to gossip, the reporters were all ears, and so were the viewers watching the live broadcast. The male reporter quickly followed up with another question, "Can you give us some details?"

Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment and said, "Manying and I confirmed our relationship when we first met."

"Wow..."

The reporters and viewers alike exclaimed in amazement.

"Mr. Ji, what's it like to be in a relationship with the global goddess?"

"It's wonderful and joyful!"

"When you and Ms. Jianxian confirmed your relationship, you were still at the bottom of the Heaven-ranking ladder, right?" One of the reporters seemed to be well-informed about the couple's history.

"Yes."

"Ms. Jianxian certainly has good vision!" The male reporter's tone was a mixture of envy and a hint of sourness. He wanted to ask more gossip-related questions, but Ji Xinghuo politely declined, citing personal privacy. The reporter had no choice but to move on to other topics.

Ji Xinghuo's responses were consistently brief, sometimes consisting of just one or two words—a simple yes or no.

Initially, the reporters struggled to adapt to his style.

However, they soon realized that Ji Xinghuo's direct and straightforward answers, devoid of any fluff or pretension, came across as sincere and genuine. His unique personality was surprisingly likable, and it captivated the viewers watching the live broadcast.

Unconsciously, everyone recalled the Sun King's pre-race interview, filled with formalities and platitudes, which now seemed even more starkly contrasted with Ji Xinghuo's candidness.

The two men's personalities were like opposites.

Ji Xinghuo patiently answered several dozen questions before concluding the interview.

He returned to the resting area for the contestants, where only the organizing committee staff remained. The Classic Marathon and the Thousand-Mile Marathon had already concluded, and while the Ten-Thousand Mile Marathon was still ongoing, the champion had yet to emerge, with the fastest runner still hours away from the finish line.

The chairman and high-ranking officials of the organizing committee eagerly congratulated Ji Xinghuo.

They were all in high spirits.

Although the Sun King had not won the championship as expected, the race had set a new record for viewer numbers, doubling the previous record. The event had been a massive financial success for the organizers.

Half an hour after Ji Xinghuo's finish, "Pathfinder" Geoffrey also reached the finish line.

His timing, within 24 hours, was also a new record. In any other year, he would have been the champion, but today he had to settle for third place.

Luo Yimeng, who had been in fourth place, had withdrawn from the race.

The fifth and sixth-place runners were still over 10,000 kilometers away from the finish line, and it would take them another six to seven hours to complete the race.

Following the usual practice, the organizing committee did not make the winners wait and held an early awards ceremony for the top three finishers.

A stage had been set up in the city square, right at the finish line.

However, only Ji Xinghuo and Geoffrey were present to receive their awards, much to the disappointment of the millions of viewers who had been eagerly awaiting the Sun King's appearance.

Ji Xinghuo remained unfazed.

After all, the embarrassment was someone else's, and he was the champion; he only needed to bask in the audience's cheers of victory.

Amidst the enthusiastic voice of the host, Ji Xinghuo stepped onto the champion's podium.

Instantly, the hundreds of thousands of spectators in the venue and the billions of viewers worldwide burst into applause and admiration. Especially the citizens of the Asia-Pacific Community, many of whom were more excited than Ji Xinghuo himself. This championship held a special significance.

For two centuries, the Sun King had been undefeated, like a dark cloud hanging over all of humanity. Finally, he had been defeated!

Even though this Sun King was only the third generation, having just inherited his power.

This was not his peak strength.

But a victory was a victory, and a defeat was a defeat; there were no excuses in the otherworlder world. Today, the Sun King had lost, breaking his undefeated myth and dispelling his psychological aura. The next time he faced the Sun King, he wouldn't feel as much pressure.

Ji Xinghuo's appearance had given the citizens of the Asia-Pacific Community a glimmer of hope.

Currently, Ji Xinghuo was only a Super Otherworlder.

But once he ascended to the rank of King, everyone believed that with his displayed talent and evolution speed, he would undoubtedly become the Sun King's strongest opponent in the future!

Amidst everyone's attention, Ji Xinghuo received the championship trophy, and thunderous applause erupted from all around the square.

Then, the national anthem was played.

After the awards ceremony, Ji Xinghuo shook hands with "Pathfinder" Geoffrey beside him and congratulated each other.

"Congratulations to you." Geoffrey's expression was calm, and his dark eyes were filled with seriousness and fighting spirit. "I haven't tasted the flavor of defeat in a long time. I hope you will participate again next term so we can compete again."

Ji Xinghuo felt respect for this black-skinned king.

When Geoffrey was still a competing otherworlder, he had said a famous saying: "I can accept defeat, but I will never accept giving up."

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "The next term will be in four years. If I have the time, I will definitely come back to accept your challenge."

"Challenge..."

Geoffrey chewed on the word, "It's a promise."

He didn't say anything else and turned to fly away.

Ji Xinghuo watched as the other man's figure disappeared from view. Given their opposing stances and the current international situation, it was only a matter of time before they clashed on the battlefield, not just in competitions. No matter what was said, it wouldn't be appropriate.

"Mr. Ji."

The chairman of the organizing committee, who had just presented the award to Ji Xinghuo, said eagerly, "The champion's bonus will be transferred to your account today. Now you can choose the other prizes."

"Okay." Ji Xinghuo readily agreed.

The prizes were the most important reason for his participation in the Global Marathon.

Those prizes provided by the Starry Sky Department of the New Roman Empire had been delivered to the venue before the race and were kept in a vault in the basement of a building next to the square, guarded by the Roman Praetorian Guard.

Ji Xinghuo followed the chairman of the organizing committee into the building and arrived at the outer door of the vault.

Luo Yimeng also followed.

"Please ask Mr. Ji to choose three prizes." The chairman of the organizing committee opened a projection screen, displaying dozens of prizes.

Ji Xinghuo had already seen them all.

The champion could choose three prizes first, and he immediately spotted the most critical one, "Starflame Pulse," and quickly selected the three prizes he wanted, including the Otherworldly Starflame Pulse.

The other two he chose were the "Tear of the Stars" and the "Electric Combat Blade."

The market value of the Tear of the Stars was around 500 million Asia Dollars, but it was rare and hard to come by. Even with money, it would be challenging to obtain immediately, often requiring connections and consuming relationships.

It was much more convenient to obtain it as a competition prize.

The last item, the "Electric Combat Blade," was a super-trident weapon, and it was the most valuable item among all the prizes this time.

This weapon was the pride and joy of the New Roman Empire's Technology Department, crafted with extremely precious and rare materials, with only one piece available globally. It was powerful and ranked among the top weapons for Super-Trident.

The "Master Workshop" that created the Electric Combat Blade was initially reluctant to give it away.

But to attract enough otherworlders to participate in the competition and to enhance Ivanograd's city image, the Iron Emperor personally approved putting the "Electric Combat Blade" into the prize pool.

Previously, when Ji Xinghuo saw it, he had wanted it.

This super-trident weapon was just the right weight and size, and its attached abilities suited his needs perfectly.

"Please wait a moment."

The chairman of the organizing committee ordered the Praetorian Guard to open the vault.

Soon, the three prizes were placed on a cart and pushed in front of Ji Xinghuo.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end