Chapter 379: The Leap and Tsuigetsu

Chapter 379: The Leap and Tsuigetsu

Ji Xinghuo approached Huyu, who waved his six arms, touching them in pairs. The starlight flowing from their fingertips burst into a radiant glow, enveloping both of them.

In the blink of an eye, they instantaneously arrived in a massive crystal palace.

Ji Xinghuo was astonished.

As he surveyed his surroundings, he secretly compared Huyu to the Ethereal Wanderer. Both possessed the ability to teleport, but the Wanderer could do so almost instantaneously and over a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers.

In contrast, Huyu had only teleported them a few thousand kilometers, and the preparation time had been around two seconds.

If one were cautious, it would be easy to break free.

Of course, Huyu was merely a Sixth-stage Heavenly King, and it wouldn't be fair to compare him to the Star Shepherd. Moreover, the Ethereal Wanderer was exceptionally skilled in ultra-long-distance teleportation, known as a "Star Realm Traveler."

Ji Xinghuo extended his electromagnetic sensing.

They were deep within the Light Illuminating Peak of the Eternal Day City. In his sensing range, many areas were shielded, appearing as blank spaces.

The palace was spacious, covering an area of over 100,000 square meters. At its center stood a massive crystal array, with crystal pillars of various sizes arranged in a specific pattern. Some pillars were firmly planted on the ground, while others hovered in mid-air, forming a stereoscopic arch with a diameter of about twenty meters. The space within the arch rippled, distorting the surrounding air.

"This is the Leap Array!" Ji Xinghuo exclaimed in curiosity as he observed the array.

The Leap Array reminded him of the Star Gate, as both involved spatial transportation yet differed greatly.

He used his Omniscient Star Eyes to scan the array, immediately revealing many details invisible to the average person.

The scope of the Leap Array extended far beyond its apparent size. Within this palace, from the sky to the ground, more artificial structures were hidden—hundreds of enormous rings, each nested within the other.

The chaotic and disordered void energy was streamlined by these ring-shaped structures, becoming as clear as flowing rivers, all directed towards the center of the array.

Ji Xinghuo was amazed by the intricate design.

The spatial structure of the Star Realm was vastly different from that of the universe.

Although the Leap Array could only be used within the Star Realm, any technology involving space manipulation was considered the most advanced ether technology.

Earth's technological level was still far from achieving this.

One of the hallmarks of a Level-6 civilization was the mastery of Leap Array technology, and Earth's civilization had not even reached Level 5.

Ji Xinghuo's gaze swept over the area surrounding the array, and he noticed five more Heavenly King-level Crystalians in addition to Huyu. Their appearances varied, but their strengths were formidable, each having reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly King stage!

Six Heavenly Kings at the third stage!

If placed on Earth, the strength of these six Crystalians would be comparable to a Sun King, or perhaps even stronger.

Ji Xinghuo was secretly shocked, but also puzzled.

The Crystalians had demonstrated their individual prowess and ether technology for tens of thousands of years in the Star Realm, yet they remained confined to the Bloody Highlands.

There had to be another reason besides the invasion of the Abyssal Star by plants.

The arrival of Huyu and Ji Xinghuo did not startle the five Sixth-stage Crystalians; they merely turned their heads to glance at them without uttering a word.

"Give me the ether crystals, and then step into the array," Huyu instructed, pointing at the center of the Leap Array.

Ji Xinghuo took out the prepared 120 ether crystals.

Huyu casually flicked his finger, and the ether crystals floated up as if scattered by a celestial maiden. The crystal pillars had grooves of matching size and shape, perfectly accommodating the ether crystals.

"Sixty crystals," Ji Xinghuo counted the number of ether crystals Huyu used, noting that only half of them were utilized while the remaining half was kept by Huyu.

However, he had no objections.

The Leap Array was built by the Crystalians, and it was reasonable for Huyu to charge a fee for its use. Doubling the ether crystals was already very considerate.

Ji Xinghuo stepped into the Leap Array as instructed.

Huyu gently pointed, and the surrounding crystal pillars began to vibrate slightly. The energy from the ether crystals was extracted, causing the void within the array to ripple like water waves.

A transparent screen appeared before Huyu, and he swiftly manipulated it, causing an image to appear.

Ji Xinghuo could see it clearly.

This screen was not the control center of the array but rather a communication mechanism. Huyu was establishing a connection with the other side of the teleportation destination.

At the same time, Ji Xinghuo felt a wave pass through his entire body.

"You have another creature hidden within you," Huyu suddenly said. "It won't affect the teleportation, but the public array in 'Cangdu' requires it to be revealed, in accordance with their entry management regulations."

Ji Xinghuo was taken aback.

The True Dragon Dynasty had strict management over their Leap Arrays and naturally wouldn't allow anyone to teleport in at will, especially those leaping in from outside their borders. Any such attempts would be subject to rigorous checks and tight security measures.

The 'other creature' that Huyu mentioned referred to Qinghong.

Ji Xinghuo took out Qinghong from his pocket, allowing it to return to its original form—a nearly ten-meter-long creature with golden, silver, and azure scales covering its body. It stood on four limbs, its body elongated, and a pair of sharp horns protruded from its head. A circle of dark golden mane spread out from its neck, giving it a majestic appearance.

The appearance of Qinghong's massive body caused ripples in the void, creating a significant reaction.

As a vacuum kirin, it curiously observed the Leap Array.

However, the one who was even more curious was Huyu, along with the several Heavenly King-level Crystalians outside the Leap Array.

Huyu's eyes widened in surprise, and despite his extensive knowledge, he couldn't identify Qinghong's species. It was evident that it was no ordinary monster but a powerful and formidable spiritual creature with tremendous potential!

"Is this your battle pet?" Huyu asked.

"Yes," Ji Xinghuo replied.

"Once you're in Cangdu, you must keep a low profile and refrain from exposing it easily," Huyu advised kindly.

Ji Xinghuo nodded in understanding.

Even without Huyu's warning, he knew what to do. Qinghong's unique appearance meant that he usually dared not let it appear in front of other powerful beings, and he would also avoid letting it join battles casually.

"So it's a Flood-level spiritual creature. That will do," Huyu said after scanning Qinghong. He then conveyed the information to the other side of the Leap Array, finally obtaining permission to teleport.

A buzzing sound filled the air.

The Leap Array activated fully, and Ji Xinghuo felt the surrounding space press against his body like seawater.

Ripples spread outwards.

He looked up and saw the ring-shaped structures hidden in the void begin to rotate. The smallest had a diameter of over 20 meters, while the largest was nearly 300 meters. At first, their rotational speeds and angles differed, but as they moved, they gradually synchronized.

A passage appeared in the void, pointing towards a distant location, becoming clearer and clearer, like a celestial road.

"If you want to return to the True Dragon Dynasty from here, you can do so through any of the designated three public arrays," Huyu said from outside. "However, there will be a fee for that as well."

"Thank you, sir," Ji Xinghuo replied.

The moment his reply ended, Ji Xinghuo felt as if he had been launched forward, entering the void passage.

Qinghong followed closely by his side.

The process of leaping was very brief, and Ji Xinghuo could see everything clearly, as if the entire world had warped.

Beyond the passage was an endless sea of energy, surging and tumultuous, held back by an invisible force that protected his body from harm. Even so, his body still felt a tugging force.

If it had been an ordinary person with average physical attributes, they might have been torn to pieces.

"One second, two seconds, three seconds..."

Ji Xinghuo counted silently.

When he reached five seconds, the warped world before his eyes returned to normal, and the tugging forces disappeared.

He immediately extended his electromagnetic sensing, scanning his surroundings.

He found himself inside another grand structure, even more magnificent than the Great Hall on Light Illuminating Peak, with an area more than ten times larger. Pillars with diameters exceeding five meters supported a hundred-meter-high dome, and the floor resembled a vast plaza.

The sheer size of the building made Ji Xinghuo feel minuscule, as if he had entered a giant's world.

He stood in the middle of a Leap Array.

Looking around, he noticed over twenty other Leap Arrays nearby, and the spot where he stood was just a part of this supersized Leap Array.

The void trembled, and the ripples were visible to the naked eye, almost incessant yet entirely constrained by the ring-shaped structures hidden in space. Within the chaos, order was established, controlled by a complex system.

Ji Xinghuo realized that this was the "public array" that Huyu had mentioned.

"Sir!"

A respectful voice echoed.

Ji Xinghuo looked outside the Leap Array and saw a humanoid race with light cyan skin.

The being's limbs were similar in shape to those of humans, but it had thick scales on its neck, joints, and half of its face. Its facial features were normal, and its cat-like eyes stood upright. A pair of white horns adorned its forehead.

This was a Pseudodragon.

It was a melting pot of diverse races and cultures.

Among them was a race called the Pseudodragons, who also possessed True Dragon blood, but after generations of dilution and mixing with other genes, their bloodline had become very thin, retaining only some dragon-like features.

The Pseudodragons outnumbered the True Dragons a hundredfold and were their most loyal servants, holding many positions of power in the middle and lower levels of the Dynasty.

As such, the Pseudodragons held a high status.

They held themselves above the other races, but when faced with True Dragons, they were naturally inferior, their attitudes immediately deferential.

Ji Xinghuo merely glanced at the Pseudodragon, and it shuddered, lowering its head.

Obviously, it mistook Ji Xinghuo for a True Dragon.

This was the exact reaction Ji Xinghuo wanted, and he wore an arrogant expression as he strode out of the Leap Array with Qinghong by his side.

"Sir," the Pseudodragon mustered the courage to stop Ji Xinghuo and said cautiously, "According to the regulations, you and your battle pet need to undergo a power assessment, pay the fees, and register before you can leave."

"I know," Ji Xinghuo replied impatiently. "What a hassle."

Though he was impatient, he dared not act rashly.

This exit of the public array was guarded by Heavenly King-level sentries leading a large group of Dragon Warriors. Most of those who had teleported over were also powerful beings.

Any misstep could lead to trouble.

"Yes, yes, I'll get right on it," the Pseudodragon said as he waved a detection device in front of Ji Xinghuo.

Information appeared on a nearby screen.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at it and saw that it was similar to the Star Power Index from the Ether Research Institute, but in the True Dragon Dynasty, it was called "Dragon Power." The screen displayed a reading of 27,000+ for Ji Xinghuo, indicating that he had undergone five evolutions.

Qinghong was also scanned, and its Dragon Power was recorded at over 18,000, with four evolutions.

Seeing the scan results, the Pseudodragon's expression became even more respectful. A five-evolution Dragon Warrior and a True Dragon, no less—this person had an immeasurable future ahead of them.

He could sense the rich True Dragon aura emanating from Ji Xinghuo.

"May I ask your family name and given name, sir?" the Pseudodragon inquired.

"Yuan Ci," Ji Xinghuo replied. "Tai Co Lie Yuan."

In the True Dragon Dynasty, the surnames indicated their family and bloodline, with the True Dragon name coming first. If there were multiple families belonging to the same True Dragon bloodline, they would add their family's fief as the 'surname.'

The place they were headed to was the Yuan Ci fief, a territory belonging to the Tai Co family, one of the over two hundred Dragon King families in the True Dragon Dynasty, known for their noble bloodline and exalted status.

However, there were multiple Tai Co families in the Dynasty.

To distinguish themselves, the Dragon King family of Yuan Ci used 'Yuan Ci' as their 'surname,' still keeping Tai Co as their surname, but when introducing themselves, they would add 'Yuan Ci' before their name.

Sometimes, they could also be directly addressed as 'Yuan Ci Lie Yuan.'

This was the fake identity Ji Xinghuo had assumed, and before coming here, he had communicated with the President and learned some inside information.

He had a wealth of knowledge about the True Dragon Dynasty and was confident he wouldn't be exposed.

"The Yuan Ci family!"

The Pseudodragon's expression changed as he looked at Ji Xinghuo, for even among True Dragons, there were differences in status. True Dragon families also had their own rankings.

The Yuan Ci family was one of the most noble families in the Dynasty, second only to the five Dragon Emperors!

The Pseudodragon immediately knelt halfway, showing his respect.

"That's enough," Ji Xinghuo brushed off the Pseudodragon's reverence. "I've just returned from the Bloody Highlands, and I'm in a hurry. How much is the fee?"

"For a member of the Dragon King family, there's a discounted price of just 100,000 True Dragon coins," the Pseudodragon replied respectfully.

Ji Xinghuo took out ten gold dragon coins, each worth 10,000, and tossed them to the Pseudodragon. Then, he climbed onto Qinghong's back and made his way toward the exit of the public array.

In such a public place, he dared not shrink Qinghong down to hide him.

Even so, as Qinghong walked between the public arrays, he still attracted a lot of attention. Many people turned to look, their eyes filled with curiosity, and some could sense the True Dragon aura emanating from him.

It was the aura of a Tai Co Dragon!

In the True Dragon Dynasty, the aura of any True Dragon would attract attention.

Moreover, the Tai Co Dragon was no ordinary dragon.

Ji Xinghuo's heart was filled with worry, but his face remained calm as he rode Qinghong out of the public array plaza.

Suddenly, a unique and magnificent city came into view, its expanse stunning Ji Xinghuo.

"This is Cangdu!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end