Chapter 373: Song of the Spirit Strings

Chapter 373: Song of the Spirit Strings

February 2227.

Ji Xinghuo returned to Olympia from the Yanlin Lake District and was back on Earth.

Zhao Manying had completely immersed herself in her cultivation, preparing to break through to the Legendary realm. Ji Xinghuo did not disturb her and only left after confirming that the An siblings' bodyguard team was functioning smoothly.

The day before his departure, Ji Xinghuo met with the leader of Olympia and had a private conversation that lasted a long time.

After spending a few days on Earth, Ji Xinghuo finally set off on his journey once more.

Passing through the stargate,

Ji Xinghuo did not linger in Olympia. He took off directly from the Stargate Square, heading west towards the Bloody Highlands. This time, he did not wear the Sky-soaring Shoes and was in no rush to get to his destination. He maintained a regular cruising speed.

Even so, his speed still approached a thousand kilometers per hour.

He flew swiftly, the wind howling in his wake.

It took just over an hour for Ji Xinghuo to reach the air above the Valley of the Lonely Peak. It had taken him six or seven days to travel from Olympia to this place back when he first started his journey.

As he flew overhead, his electromagnetic induction senses picked up on the presence of numerous Stonecutter Demons.

"They breed so quickly!"

The Stonecutter Demon population had clearly rebounded significantly after two years of recovery from the slaughter inflicted upon them by Ji Xinghuo in the past.

Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up, and he unconsciously slowed down his flight.

These creatures were all sources of spiritual energy.

It had been a long time since he had obtained spiritual energy. During his time on Earth, aside from the gains brought about by his advancement to the Legendary realm, his abilities had not improved much.

Qinghong also poked her head out of her pocket, spotting the familiar environment and letting out a few chirps.

The Valley of the Lonely Peak was her birthplace.

"Never mind."

Ji Xinghuo changed his mind. The Stonecutter Demons had contributed to his spiritual energy when he was just starting. Now that he was a Legend, there was no need to harm them further for such a small amount of spiritual energy.

Besides, he had something more important to do.

He flew non-stop for six hours, and while he maintained a cruising speed, his star power had not been significantly depleted. Nevertheless, Ji Xinghuo decided to land and take a rest.

He landed on a towering boulder, crossed his legs, and sat down. Activating his Stealth Ring, he made his figure translucent.

He had given the Acceleration Ring to his second brother, so now he only had the Stealth Ring and the Photosynthesis Ring left.

All around him was an endless expanse of forests and mountains, with floating mountains drifting in the wind in the distance. Such scenery was commonplace in the Thousand Peaks Forest, nothing out of the ordinary.

Ji Xinghuo remained motionless.

The world was quiet, with only the occasional roars of monsters and beasts breaking the silence.

Suddenly, he raised his head to look back in the direction he had come from.

A faint circle of light flickered in his pupil, and Ji Xinghuo's gaze penetrated the distance, bringing his vision closer and locking onto a gust of wind in the distant sky. A shadow, shrouded by the wind, came into view.

It was a man wearing a tight-fitting battle suit, with long brown hair and eyes as green as the sea. A cape trailed behind him, measuring three or four meters in length.

His flying speed was incredibly fast, yet he made no sound.

If not for the Myriad Images Star Pupil, Ji Xinghuo would have had a hard time detecting the man. Moreover, the man was extremely cautious, constantly scanning the area with his eyes as he rode the wind, as if searching for something. His ears seemed to be receiving a vast amount of sound wave information.

"Hurricane Earl!"

Ji Xinghuo's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man.

Ranked 17th on the Global Power Rankings, "Hurricane Earl" McFarland Lawrence, one of the top powerhouses of the American Federation, with the profession of "Storm Lord."

Hurricane Earl was a well-known figure, having followed the first Solar King since the early 22nd century. He had become the Solar King's most capable assistant and held a high position in the American Federation. However, in the eyes of the citizens of the Asia-Pacific Collective, he was an unforgivable enemy.

Over the past hundred years, countless individuals from the Asia-Pacific Collective had perished at the hands of Hurricane Earl, and among those known, there were at least three to four dozen.

This included several top geniuses who had their lives cut short before they could even reach their full potential.

Today was just a test.

Ji Xinghuo had not concealed his tracks in Olympia, and he never expected that it would actually lure out Hurricane Earl.

Hurricane Earl continued to approach at high speed and soon entered the range of electromagnetic induction.

He suddenly came to a halt.

Ji Xinghuo had been prepared to take action, but the man stopped six kilometers away, leaving him no choice but to temporarily hold his horses.

"He's not alone."

Ji Xinghuo's electromagnetic induction scanned the surroundings repeatedly, but he did not detect anyone else. However, a strong sense of danger loomed in his mind, a warning from the Myriad Images Star Pupil that danger was imminent.

The world seemed to slow down, and everything became quiet.

Ji Xinghuo decisively entered the Myriad Images Forest, and countless streams of light appeared before his eyes, evolving future scenes and possibilities.

Soon, he saw two other individuals besides Hurricane Earl, both of whom were top powerhouses of the American Federation.

His real name was Martin Pierce, and he served as the Director of the "American Federal Guard Bureau", leading all Omnipotent Warguards and answering only to the President. He was also the most powerful Omnipotent Warguard.

The Sheriff's appearance was not unexpected.

However, Ji Xinghuo paid more attention to the other person. Even with the future vision granted by the Myriad Images Star Pupil, there was only a faint and elusive shadow, lurking in the shadows and void for most of the time, as if it didn't exist.

Only in a fleeting glance could one discern the vague outline of a female figure.

"Shadow of Death!"

Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat.

Among the nine kings of the American Federation, the most powerful was the Solar King, but the one who instilled the most fear was the "Shadow of Death".

Up till now, this king was only known by her nickname, and the only other information available was that she was a woman, possibly with the profession of "Phantom Assassin". Nothing more had been revealed to the public, and her real name remained a mystery.

Ranked 7th on the Global Power Rankings, the Shadow of Death was a master of stealth and assassination. She never engaged in direct combat, always lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and rarely missing her mark.

Wherever her shadow appeared, death soon followed.

The deployment of these three kings by the American Federation was certainly not a hasty decision but a plan long in the making.

Ji Xinghuo exited the Myriad Images Forest.

Before him stood only Hurricane Earl, and the other two kings remained hidden.

He was not alarmed, for he was not alone either.

This was a bait-and-switch operation.

As the bait, he certainly wasn't alone, and although they had hooked three big fish, each more formidable than the last, Ji Xinghuo remained unfazed. If they could take down these three kings, it would be a severe blow to the high-end combat strength of the American Federation.

However, Hurricane Earl hovered in the sky, hesitating to approach further.

His gaze fell upon the boulder, and he spotted Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo stood up, facing off against Hurricane Earl from a distance of over six thousand meters. The latter's face was filled with vigilance as he constantly scanned the surroundings, seemingly trying to confirm if Ji Xinghuo was alone, but he found no clues.

Hurricane Earl stared at Ji Xinghuo from afar and spoke, his voice carrying on the wind.

"Giriguru..."

Ji Xinghuo understood several star languages but just couldn't grasp English, and the translator was useless in the star realm.

So, he could only stare blankly.

"What bird language are you speaking? I can't understand you," Ji Xinghuo finally replied after the other party had spoken several sentences.

Hurricane Earl's face turned gloomy, and he switched to the common language of the Asia-Pacific Collective, speaking with a stutter, "Ji Xinghuo, where are you going? If it's just you alone, I would beat you to death today. You're very unlucky."

Ji Xinghuo now understood that the other party was testing him.

"Who knows who will die?"

Before the words had faded, Ji Xinghuo stomped on the boulder beneath his feet, causing a loud explosion. In an instant, he entered hyperspeed, his body flashing with electric lights as he shot forward like a bolt of lightning, straight towards Hurricane Earl.

As he sped forward, he raised the Black Star Crystal Warbow in his hand and pulled the bowstring.

"You..."

Hurricane Earl's expression changed, and he immediately turned around.

Boom!

There was a loud blast as Hurricane Earl's body dispersed into a gust of wind, blending into the air and fleeing into the distance. He unleashed his maximum speed, but he could only maintain the distance between them and couldn't pull away.

Ji Xinghuo pursued from behind while Hurricane Earl flew ahead.

The distance between the two remained at around five kilometers, which was beyond the range of the Black Eternal Crystal Warbow.

Moreover, even if he hit his mark, he wouldn't be able to inflict a fatal wound on Hurricane Earl.

The profession of Storm Lord was an advancement from the Magnetic Field Maniac and the Evil Wind User, possessing magnetic field perception and excelling in flight and control. While their offensive power might not match that of the Electromagnetic Overlord, their survival abilities were exceptionally formidable, rarely exposing their weaknesses.

In a flash of wind and lightning, the two chased each other for over ten kilometers.

Hoo!

Ji Xinghuo suddenly stopped.

The Myriad Images Star Pupil in his brain produced a needle-pricking pain, and even without this warning, he knew he must not give chase any further, or he would fall into the enemy's trap.

He spread his electromagnetic induction to scan every inch of space around him but still failed to detect the Sheriff or the Shadow of Death.

Seeing that Ji Xinghuo had stopped chasing, Hurricane Earl also reappeared from the wind, coming to a halt and looking back.

The two men stared at each other for a few seconds.

Soon, both parties realized the other's intention and refused to take the bait.

"Today is your lucky day. You get to live, Ji Xinghuo. Remember to pray to God that you never cross paths with me again..." Hurricane Earl left behind a few harsh words before turning around and flying away, soon disappearing from sight.

However, his helpers would be left behind, leaving him alone to face the three Kings.

A few minutes after Hurricane Earl's departure,

Two figures appeared from behind. One was a middle-aged man holding a spear, the "Spear Saint" Xing Lie;

The other was a delicate-looking female with a pair of colorful feathered wings behind her. She was none other than "Morning Phoenix Master" Luo Yimeng. They had arrived at the ambush site a day early and were lying in wait.

"What a pity."

Xing Lie looked in the direction of Hurricane Earl's departure, a hint of regret in his voice as he said, "If we had seized this opportunity, even if we couldn't annihilate them all, taking down one or two of the American Federation's Kings would have been great."

"It's not that easy," Luo Yimeng shook her head.

Ji Xinghuo also felt a bit of regret.

If he had known that they could lure out three big fish, the Head of State would definitely have mobilized more Kings. Of course, with so many Kings in motion, it would be difficult to keep it from the enemy's eyes, and the American Federation would most likely abandon their plan and back down.

"Master Xing, Sister Luo." Ji Xinghuo didn't dwell on it and said, "Thank you both for coming all this way."

Xing Lie waved his hand dismissively, "It's a minor matter."

"Xinghuo, are you heading to the Bloody Highlands?" Luo Yimeng asked.

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

"I also spent quite a few years in the Bloody Highlands in the past and made quite a few gains. I won't hold you up any longer, so be on your way." Luo Yimeng's eyes held a hint of nostalgia. After her promotion to King, she had mostly stayed on Earth to nurture her battle pets and rarely ventured into the star realm.

Ji Xinghuo waved to the two of them, "Then I won't see the two of you off. Please be careful on your journey back."

With two Kings traveling together, they wouldn't face any danger in the Thousand Peaks Forest.

After bidding farewell, Ji Xinghuo continued his westward journey.

This time, he didn't stop along the way and flew straight for over a dozen hours into the Bloody Highlands, arriving at Cliff of the Fallen Stars by nightfall.

In the Snow Ape Tribe, Ji Xinghuo met with Chieftain Han Qiu once again.

"Welcome, honored guest."

A smile appeared on Chieftain Han Qiu's aged face, and he asked with concern, "Was the matter from last time resolved?"

"Thank you, Chieftain. It's been taken care of." Ji Xinghuo inferred from the other party's words that after the Ethereal Spirit helped him find Zhao Cangming, he had left directly without even informing Chieftain Han Qiu.

He got straight to the point and said, "I would like to trouble the Chieftain to contact the Ethereal Spirit. I wish to make a purchase."

"Of course!"

Chieftain Han Qiu was delighted. After each transaction on the list was completed, he would also receive a small commission. Although Ji Xinghuo's strength wasn't the most formidable among his customers, he could only be considered middling at best, but his transaction volumes were always substantial.

The Ethereal Spirit soon arrived, and only his voice was heard, without revealing his person, "What do you wish to buy?"

"Senior, I wish to purchase the Song of the Spirit Strings." Ji Xinghuo replied respectfully.

"Oh?"

Ji Xinghuo sensed a wave of fluctuation sweep over him, and the Ethereal Spirit's voice held a hint of smile, "You've had quite a harvest recently. Last time, you gave me a thousand ether crystals, and now you're able to afford the Song of the Spirit Strings."

"Indeed, I've come into a windfall." Ji Xinghuo didn't hide it, "With the ether crystals in hand, the first person I thought of was Senior Ethereal Spirit."

"Good, good."

The Ethereal Spirit sounded pleased.

Ji Xinghuo's mind conjured up an image of a crafty merchant's face, and he quickly stopped his train of thought. It wouldn't do to have such thoughts with a Star Saint present, or else he might be found out.

"The Song of the Spirit Strings is a weapon of the Awakening Star. The selling price is 4,000 ether crystals, and I happen to have one in my possession." The Ethereal Spirit said.

"Please check, Senior."

Ji Xinghuo directly took out the prepared ether crystals from his dimensional pocket.

A full four thousand crystals!

This included the sale of the Absolute Hit ether crystals, as well as the subsequent collection by Princess Sophia, and the additional ones acquired through the domestic ecommerce platform, after giving a portion to Zhao Manying, he had used up another thousand crystals last time.

It had almost emptied Ji Xinghuo out, leaving him with just over two hundred ether crystals, not enough for any other purchases.

The four thousand ether crystals stacked up, shining brilliantly.

Even Chieftain Han Qiu's eyes widened at the sight.

A vortex of void sucked in the ether crystals, and immediately, a unique longbow and a ring accessory fell out.

"This is the Song of the Spirit Strings. Take a look for yourself." The Ethereal Spirit's voice sounded.

Ji Xinghuo reached out and took the longbow and the ring. As soon as he held them, he immediately sensed the extraordinary and powerful nature of this Awakening Star weapon!

Volume 5: Heaven's Mandate True Dragon! Happy Lantern Festival to everyone!

(End of Chapter)

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