Chapter 369: The Methods of the Ethereal Spirit

Chapter 369: The Methods of the Ethereal Spirit

"Yes, Senior," Ji Xinghuo replied as he stood up, marveling inwardly at the Ethereal Spirit's perceptiveness. He didn't beat around the bush with Chief Hanqiu and said directly, "I wish to ask Senior to locate someone from my tribe in the Star Realm. He has been abducted."

"Everything has a price," the Ethereal Spirit said with a laugh. "And my assistance does not come cheap."

"I understand," Ji Xinghuo said, feeling relieved that the Ethereal Spirit was willing to help. This indicated that the latter possessed the capability to do so. "Please name your price."

"One thousand ether crystals," the Ethereal Spirit stated.

Without hesitation, Ji Xinghuo took out one thousand ether crystals from his dimensional pouch.

Given the urgency of the situation, he didn't bother hiding the secret of his dimensional space, which wasn't uncommon among Saint Star Masters anyway.

A vortex of nothingness formed in the hall, sucking in all the ether crystals.

Then, a figure suddenly appeared.

"Your Excellency!"

Chief Hanqiu immediately bowed respectfully, his tall frame kneeling halfway to the ground, pounding his fist to his chest in a show of deference.

Ji Xinghuo also greeted with a respectful tone, "Senior Ethereal Spirit."

The Ethereal Spirit's appearance was just as Ji Xinghuo had seen him on the streets of Cliffsky—tall, almost two meters in height, but very thin. His ashen-white skin was smooth like fish scales, and his features, though similar to a human's, were peculiar. He had a high forehead, slender eyes, and a flat nose bridge with two slit-like nostrils. His lips were thin.

The Ethereal Spirit's head was adorned with pale purple braids that seemed randomly arranged. However, when they moved, the ends of the braids left faint, traceless trajectories in the air, as if embedding themselves into the void.

Back on the streets, Ji Xinghuo had only caught a fleeting glimpse.

Now, up close, Ji Xinghuo clearly sensed the terrifying power of the Ethereal Spirit. It felt less like he was standing before a person and more like he was facing a burning sun. Even the slightest leak of residual energy would be enough to reduce him to ashes!

Ji Xinghuo then noticed the Ethereal Spirit's peculiar iris color—a mix of blue, purple, gray, and silver, giving off a muddy appearance, yet his gaze was piercingly clear.

The Ethereal Spirit nodded slightly.

"Speak. Who are you looking for?" he asked. "It would be best if you have this person's distinctive features, and even better if you have a genetic sample."

Ji Xinghuo had come prepared. He immediately took out a photo of Zhao Cangming, along with the severed finger.

The Ethereal Spirit glanced at the photo and took the severed finger.

Ji Xinghuo added, "He entered the Star Realm through the Earth Star Gate. It's been 15 hours since then."

"I understand," the Ethereal Spirit said.

He examined the severed finger, using his pale fingers to dab a bit of blood from the cut surface. His expression remained unchanged as he said, "Let's go."

A strange wave emanated from the Ethereal Spirit, instantly enveloping both him and Ji Xinghuo. Ji Xinghuo found himself unable to move, and the scenery before his eyes shifted as the void turned upside down. When he regained his freedom of movement, he found himself in the sky.

Below was a familiar city—Olympia!

Ji Xinghuo was left dumbfounded.

The distance from Olympia to Cliffsky was over 25,000 kilometers, yet the Ethereal Spirit had brought him back in an instant.

Such was the power to traverse the heavens and earth!

However, upon recalling that the Ethereal Spirit was a "Star Realm Traveler" and a Saint Star Master, Ji Xinghuo realized that such capabilities weren't surprising.

The core ability of Star Realm Travelers was "Star Realm Leap," but being able to leap over 20,000 kilometers in a single bound still shocked Ji Xinghuo. If he possessed this ability, he could move freely throughout the Star Realm.

The two of them hung in the air at a height of over 3,000 meters, concealed from those on the ground by an invisible force field.

Just as Ji Xinghuo was about to speak, the scene before his eyes shifted once more!

The surroundings flickered.

Ji Xinghuo was moved by the Ethereal Spirit again, this time shifting several kilometers to hover above Olympia's Star Gate Plaza. Below them was the pitch-black, spherical star gate.

Still, no one detected their presence.

The Ethereal Spirit's gaze was focused, scanning the area as if searching for a specific target. His irises sparkled with flowing light, and the smear of Zhao Cangming's blood on his fingertip spread, dissipating into the surrounding void and vanishing from sight.

Ji Xinghuo didn't interrupt him.

A few seconds later, the Ethereal Spirit's gaze paused, as if he had found something.

Then, the world spun once more, and Ji Xinghuo found himself transported to a desolate wilderness surrounded by boundless primeval forests. In the far distance, he could vaguely make out floating mountains on the horizon.

Ji Xinghuo couldn't pinpoint their location immediately but knew they were still within the Thousand Peaks Forest.

"Senior?"

"Don't worry, we're almost there," the Ethereal Spirit replied.

His slender eyes seemed to see through the void, glowing with a faint light. Then, he leaped again, but this time, the distance covered was much shorter.

As the words left his mouth, Ji Xinghuo's surroundings shifted, and he found himself in the sky, still within the vast forest of the Thousand Peaks Forest. Without needing to activate his electromagnetic senses, he spotted a massive dragon eagle just a few kilometers ahead.

Dragon eagles were a type of flying dragon, renowned for their incredible speed.

This particular dragon eagle was a "Cangfeng Dragon Eagle," adorned with bluish-gray feathers and a wingspan exceeding twenty meters. It was one of the fastest subspecies of dragon eagles, capable of manipulating airflow and wind direction, making it an excellent choice for long-distance travel.

Seated on the dragon eagle's back were four individuals.

At the very front was a legendary figure, evidently the owner and master of the dragon eagle.

Behind him was a strikingly handsome man, his hands bound and restrained to the dragon eagle's back by semi-transparent airflows, rendering him immobile.

This man was none other than Zhao Cangming.

At that moment, Zhao Cangming looked dejected, his right hand missing a finger, the wound having stopped bleeding. His expression was a mix of numbness and gloom.

On either side of Zhao Cangming sat Shi Buzhi and another legendary figure.

Accompanying the dragon eagle were six silver-winged horses, each mounted by a fully armed super-being.

The group of ten was flying north.

Ji Xinghuo immediately guessed their destination.

Heading north from the Thousand Peaks Forest, they would pass through two vassal states before entering the True Dragon Dynasty's territory.

The coordinates left by Zhao Manying's father, Zhao Ke, indicated that the spaceship was located in the "Xu Ye Province," about 200,000 kilometers from the southern border of the True Dragon Dynasty. They were taking Zhao Cangming to that spaceship.

Ji Xinghuo turned back but couldn't spot the Ethereal Spirit.

Without hesitation, he took action.

A loud rumble echoed.

Ji Xinghuo accelerated, his Black Hengjing War Bow in hand. Drawing the bowstring, he closed the distance with the dragon eagle within seconds.

The commotion immediately caught the attention of those in front, and they turned back.

"Ji Xinghuo!"

The people on the dragon eagle and the silver-winged horses were shocked and terrified. They didn't know what Ji Xinghuo looked like, but they recognized the Black Hengjing War Bow and the Electric War Blade. Anyone who had witnessed Ji Xinghuo's duel with Li Xuan would remember him vividly.

Just one glance was enough to identify him.

Zhao Cangming's eyes lit up with excitement and joy.

"Faster!"

"Shake him off, or we're all dead!" The legendary figure beside Zhao Cangming shouted.

The legendary controlling the dragon eagle immediately urged it to fly faster, creating violent airflow to push its wings, resulting in a burst of speed. The six silver-winged horses beside them also flapped their wings desperately but gradually fell behind.

The group kept looking back and realized that not only had they failed to shake off Ji Xinghuo, but he was also gaining on them.

At this moment, Ji Xinghuo closed in to within two kilometers and released the bowstring.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Ji Xinghuo fired continuously, the first three arrows being tungsten-core heavy arrows, followed by regular titanium alloy arrows from the fourth shot onwards.

With the Ethereal Spirit nearby, he dared not use the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupils and relied solely on his archery skills. Even so, the eight arrows released in two seconds flew like meteors, each one striking its target with pinpoint accuracy.

"Dodge!"

The legendary figure on the dragon eagle shouted.

A wide transparent air wall appeared, shielding the dragon eagle. Its bluish-gray feathers glowed, and its massive body surged forward like a whirlwind, its speed increasing even further, becoming somewhat blurry.

The six silver-winged horses behind also scattered and fled, each rider deploying their abilities to try and evade or block the incoming arrows.

Before they could finish their words, the arrows arrived!

A tungsten-core heavy arrow pierced through the air wall as if it were paper, tearing a hole and penetrating the dragon eagle's abdomen.

The other two tungsten-core heavy arrows struck simultaneously, targeting the two legends on the dragon eagle's back. The dragon eagle's owner was a Chaser, and despite his frantic evasion, the arrow grazed his arm, causing his entire left arm and half his shoulder to vanish.

The other legendary figure was a Steel Knight, relying on his robust defense to attempt a direct block. Clad in heavy armor, his skin reflected a metallic sheen.

A deafening explosion rang out.

The upper half of the Steel Knight's body exploded, spraying blood and flesh in all directions. The remaining half of his corpse fell from the sky.

Severely wounded, the dragon eagle let out a mournful cry and tumbled downward, falling toward the ground.

Zhao Cangming and Shi Buzhi were thrown off the dragon eagle's back.

As they fell, they shouted in surprise, flailing their limbs. They saw the six silver-winged horses behind them scattering in different directions, the super-beings on their backs either having their heads blown apart or their chests pierced, all of them dead.

However, after flying less than a hundred meters, a titanium alloy arrow shot through the air and pierced his body. He cried out in pain as he fell.

"Brother-in-law!"

Zhao Cangming cried out in panic, "Help!"

Ji Xinghuo's figure quickly approached, and he slowed down slightly, reaching out to grab Zhao Cangming by the collar of his shirt. He hovered in mid-air and casually removed the metal shackles from Zhao Cangming's hands and feet, restoring his freedom.

Zhao Cangming was still dazed and looked towards the ground. Shi Buzhi and the dragon eagle had fallen into the forest together, and he wanted to say something but didn't have the chance.

The dragon eagle knocked down a large patch of trees.

Shi Buzhi used its body to cushion the fall, and a force field appeared around her just as they hit the ground, protecting her and saving her life.

On the other side, the legendary pursuer had also landed and was desperately running away, his body camouflaged like a chameleon, using the forest and terrain to try and escape Ji Xinghuo's line of sight.

Ji Xinghuo's eyes flashed with electric light.

Boom!

The sky darkened, and a thick lightning bolt struck down, hitting the legendary pursuer and knocking him to the ground.

Ji Xinghuo did not deliver the killing blow, sparing the man's life.

He landed with Zhao Cangming and, as soon as he touched the ground, a figure jumped out from the shadows, brandishing a blade and stabbing towards his back.

Ji Xinghuo turned and swung his hand.

A slapping sound rang out.

Shi Buzhi was slapped and flew, crashing into a tree trunk and falling to the ground. Her cheek was already swollen, and electricity coursed through her body, causing her to twitch uncontrollably.

"Watch her," Ji Xinghuo said to Zhao Cangming before disappearing into the shadows.

A few seconds later, Ji Xinghuo reappeared, dragging the legendary pursuer by his legs. Both of the man's legs were broken, his left arm and shoulder were gone, and his right arm was twisted like a braided dough stick. His body was charred black from the lightning, a pitiful sight.

If this had been an ordinary person, they would have died from such severe injuries.

However, legendary beings were resilient, and he was only temporarily incapacitated, still conscious.

Zhao Cangming looked at his tragic state, still feeling like he was in a dream.

In his eyes, these legendary beings and a whole team of super-beings were terrifyingly powerful, yet they were so easily defeated by Ji Xinghuo, perishing in an instant.

Ji Xinghuo casually threw the captive to the ground.

The legendary pursuer glared at him, his eyes filled with resentment and disbelief. "How could you possibly find us?"

Ji Xinghuo ignored the question and asked, "Cangming, how is your body holding up?"

"I'm fine," Zhao Cangming replied, his expression complex and confused. Even now, he didn't know the full reason behind his abduction, only that he had been kidnapped. He held up his right palm to Ji Xinghuo and said bitterly, "They cut off one of my fingers."

"I have your finger," Ji Xinghuo said. "I'll reattach it when we get back."

"What?"

Zhao Cangming was overjoyed. He guessed that after his finger was cut off, it would be used to threaten his sister. He looked at the legendary pursuer on the ground and asked, "Brother-in-law, who are these people working for?"

"Can't you guess?" Ji Xinghuo countered.

Zhao Cangming fell silent for a moment, then turned his head to look at Shi Buzhi. The electricity in her body had dissipated, but she still couldn't move.

"Cangming, I really didn't mean you any harm," Shi Buzhi said with a sorrowful expression. "I was also kept in the dark by Grandpa. I only found out about his plan today. Please, forgive me for the sake of our relationship."

The two of them had been in a secret relationship for over half a year.

Shi Buzhi had made the first move, and after they confirmed their relationship, she had used various excuses to get Zhao Cangming to hide it.

Until today...

Zhao Cangming's eyes wavered.

"Manying told me that Shi Hongyi was the one who killed your father," Ji Xinghuo said softly. "Over the years, she has been looking for an opportunity to take revenge. This time, Shi Hongyi kidnapped you to blackmail your sister."

Zhao Cangming's body swayed, the sheer amount of information overwhelming him. His expression fluctuated between cloudy and clear, and it took a long time for him to recover.

"I had my suspicions..." he said with a bitter smile. "I thought I was just overthinking, but it turns out it was true."

Zhao Cangming's gaze gradually became firm.

He picked up the fallen blade and walked towards Shi Buzhi. Despite her terrified gaze and screams, he pierced her heart.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end