Chapter 444: Boundless Skies

Chapter 444: Boundless Skies

Clang!

Ji Xinghuo took a step forward, and the spear in his hand, ordinary in appearance, pierced out with a spiral of electricity at its tip. With pinpoint accuracy, it struck the spear in Taiku Qingwei's hand.

As metal clashed, Qingwei's hand trembled violently, and her spear was knocked out of her grip.

The tip of the spear hovered inches from her chest, motionless.

"Huff, huff..." Qingwei panted, her ample chest heaving as sweat dripped from her forehead. With a playful shake of her head, she said, "Oh dear! I'm still far inferior to you, Brother Jin. Even with all my might, this is all I can do."

Though she spoke lightly, her eyes shone with joy.

Just half a Stellar Moon ago, she couldn't even block a single attack from Ji Xinghuo. Now, she was able to hold her own in a back-and-forth spar that had lasted for over two minutes.

"Qingwei, you've made remarkable progress," acknowledged Ji Xinghuo. "These past two weeks of training have been fruitful."

"That's only because you're an excellent teacher," Qingwei said, her face alight with joy.

Ji Xinghuo smiled gently.

In truth, even though he had held back, entering a state of hyper-frequency thinking and keeping his strength below 20% without using any burst abilities, focusing purely on spear technique, the fact that Qingwei could hold on for three minutes was a testament to her extraordinary talent.

At least in the martial path, Qingwei had surpassed 99% of legendary anomalies.

Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but think of Manying.

When it came to innate martial talent, Manying was the strongest anomaly he had ever encountered, and Qingwei still fell short in comparison.

Of course, Qingwei's family background and resources far exceeded Manying's.

"What are you thinking about, Brother Jin?"

Qingwei picked up her spear and noticed that Ji Xinghuo seemed a bit distracted. Curious, she asked, "Are you planning to go somewhere?"

"I think it's time for me to venture out on a hunt," Ji Xinghuo said, his expression unchanged.

Qingwei's eyes flickered, "Is something wrong with Titanium City? You can still cultivate here and improve your strength. Why not stay until you reach a bottleneck and then go out in search of opportunities?"

"Titanium City is wonderful, safe, and worry-free," Ji Xinghuo said softly, his eyes warm as he looked at her. "And having you here makes me very happy."

However, his determination was unwavering, and he continued, "But I prefer the thrill of adventure, the hunt, the travel, the battles, the challenges of powerful foes and dangerous situations. Only then can I progress further on the path of evolution and make my life more exciting, allowing me to experience the boundless wonders of this world!"

Ji Xinghuo gazed at Qingwei, "Qingwei, I don't know if you can understand me."

"I..."

Qingwei bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Will you come back?"

"Of course!"

Ji Xinghuo laughed and pulled the young girl into his embrace. "With you here, Titanium City has become my second home. I will definitely come back often. Don't forget, I'm also a member of the Titanium family."

The dullness in Qingwei's eyes faded, and they shone brightly once more as she rested her head on Ji Xinghuo's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

After spending more than half a month together, she had grown accustomed to having this man by her side.

"Where do you plan to go first, Jin?"

Ji Xinghuo already had a plan in mind. "I'll start by hunting in Black Ring Star to relive the feeling of adventuring alone. Then, I'll head to Chaoge Territory in the Eastern Imperial Sea of the Bibo Dragon Realm."

"Chaoge Territory?" Qingwei immediately guessed his intention. "Are you going to the Chaoge Clan's whale dragon family?"

Ji Xinghuo was a little surprised, "How did you guess that?"

"The whale dragon family of the Chaoge Clan is well-known to us, the Titanium family," Qingwei shook her head and smiled. "They are the only true dragon family in the Dynasty that can stably provide 'Magnetic Pole Energy Slash', but they do so in very limited quantities. Because of this, they often coerce us, creating a tense relationship that has nearly turned us into enemies."

"What's the situation exactly?" Ji Xinghuo had not expected such a development.

"I don't know much either," Qingwei admitted.

"All I know is that the Chaoge Clan's whale dragon family guards the source of the Magnetic Pole Energy Slash as their highest secret, defending it with their lives," she continued. "They aim to exert influence over the three Titanium families and all electromagnetic anomalies in the Dynasty."

"Naturally, the Titanium families wouldn't let them have their way."

"The last time, about 350 seasons ago, the three Titanium families joined forces to pressure the Chaoge Clan's whale dragon family. They didn't demand that they reveal the source of the Magnetic Pole Energy Slash, only that they provide a fair transaction with a portion of the exotic species."

"But the Chaoge Clan's whale dragon family disagreed, and several battles ensued. Eventually, the Bibo Dragon Emperor intervened, and the matter was dropped."

"Thus, a grudge was formed between the families."

"Since then, the whale dragon family has forbidden the sale of Magnetic Pole Energy Slash to the dragon masters of the three Titanium families. We can only seek exotic species elsewhere, but they are extremely rare. They appear once in a blue moon, and when they do, we either have to fight tooth and nail for them or pay an astronomical price."

Qingwei looked at Ji Xinghuo, "As a member of the Titanium family, it will be very difficult for you to obtain the Magnetic Pole Energy Slash from the whale dragon family."

"It's worth a try," Ji Xinghuo said, unwilling to give up.

At worst, he could change his identity when he reached Chaoge Territory so that the whale dragon family wouldn't know who he was.

He continued to inquire about the whale dragon family, and Qingwei shared everything she knew.

In the following days, the pair spent day and night together.

They did everything but take the final step, and on several occasions when Qingwei was overcome with emotion and wanted to cross that line, Ji Xinghuo restrained himself.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he felt that the time wasn't right.

This departure from Titanium City was also a test—impulsive decisions made in the heat of passion were often regretted. It was better to take some time apart to cool down, and if Qingwei's feelings remained unchanged when they next met, then the time would be ripe.

Ji Xinghuo made an appointment with him that if Guangu obtained the "Power of the Stars," they would meet at this place.

The agreed-upon time was one stellar year; at the earliest, it would be before the end of this hot season.

Now, it was the "Wind and Moon" month.

There were still the "Calling Moon," "Blazing Moon," and "Vibrant Moon" to go through before entering the cold season. One month in the Starry Realm was equivalent to 75 Earth days, so the appointed time was still quite a ways off.

In the courtyard of the manor, Ji Xinghuo waved goodbye to Tacobalt Blue and Tacobalt Qingwei before taking off into the sky and disappearing into the horizon alone.

Tacobalt Qingwei stared in the direction of Ji Xinghuo's departure, her eyes unfocused, and remained silent for a long while.

"Why didn't you go with him?" Tacobalt Blue asked.

"I wanted to," Tacobalt Qingwei sighed. "But I'm afraid I'll only hold him back. Also, he's so mysterious; he probably doesn't like having someone by his side all the time. It might make him unhappy and even dislike me."

"It won't come to that; Xinghuo isn't that kind of person..." Tacobalt Blue offered some comfort, though she wasn't entirely sure herself.

"Do you know him well, Aunt Blue?" Tacobalt Qingwei looked at her.

Tacobalt Blue shook her head. "Not especially well."

"Jue said he's from Earth. Aunt Blue, you should know where Earth is, right?" Tacobalt Qingwei seemed to have wanted to ask this for a while, and now that Ji Xinghuo had left, she finally had the chance. "Aunt Blue, tell me about Earth."

Tacobalt Blue hesitated for a few seconds before eventually nodding. "Alright."

Outside Titanium City.

Ji Xinghuo sped through the sky, not slowing down until he was more than 300 kilometers away from Titanium City. Only then did he feel relieved.

He hadn't felt at ease during his stay in Titanium City.

The oppressive might of the Tacobalt Dragon King was too overwhelming. That constant feeling of possibly being spied on without one's knowledge, like a heavy stone weighing on his heart, made Ji Xinghuo cautious and even caused him to sleep restlessly.

He was accustomed to being in control and having all information at his disposal. This sense of being at the mercy of others was truly uncomfortable.

"The power gap is just too huge!"

Ji Xinghuo sighed inwardly, wishing he could at least sense when he was being perceived.

Unfortunately, he had no such perception at all.

Now, far away from Titanium City by hundreds of kilometers, he finally felt much more relaxed, as if the gloom in his heart had dissipated, and he didn't feel as stifled.

A white light swept over him.

More than 20 seconds later, Ji Xinghuo entered the Starry Realm transition and leaped three times in a row to arrive at the City of Dark Serpents. Approaching the stargate, the aliens queuing up there recognized his appearance and aura and quickly made way for him.

Someone identified Ji Xinghuo and whispered, "Extinction Inferno!"

Ji Xinghuo paid it no mind.

In the Magneto Domain, the name Extinction Inferno had become known to all after the Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony. Despite his altered appearance, some people could still recognize him.

Passing through the stargate to Black Ring Star.

Ji Xinghuo, now familiar with the process, took the space elevator down to the North Pole transfer station and then boarded a transport ship, disembarking near the equator of Black Ring Star. From there, he flew at full speed, crossing the equator and finally arriving at the Silent Wasteland in the southern hemisphere.

In the sky, Ji Xinghuo looked down at the boundless wasteland.

His electromagnetic perception had already scanned the earth-devouring worms lurking underground, and he felt his spirits lift.

"Bugs, your nemesis is back!"

Ji Xinghuo shouted with glee.

However, there was something even more important to do first.

His left eye shone with a dark, inky light, and the Darkest Sphere, which he hadn't utilized in a long time, was activated. A shadowy aura spread from Ji Xinghuo's body as Nine Shadows employed the "Shadow Concealment" technique, causing Ji Xinghuo to suddenly disappear into thin air.

He swiftly moved through the shadows and soon entered the ruins of a city of the Dark Serpent race in the wasteland.

In the ruins was a hall that had collapsed by more than half.

Ji Xinghuo's figure reappeared, and a dark golden light flew out from his chest, transforming into Extinction, who gracefully flapped his dragon wings and coiled atop Ji Xinghuo's head, curiously observing their surroundings.

Qinghong also jumped out, frolicking and prancing about in the hall.

"Come!"

Ji Xinghuo beckoned to Extinction, signaling for him to come closer, as he already held two exotic species in his hand.

One was the Tacobalt Dragon Body, and the other was the Aether Dragon Heart.

These were the four dragon-type exotic species he had collected in Titanium City, but Extinction had only fused with two of them. After some consideration, Ji Xinghuo had chosen these two.

The Tacobalt Dragon Body was a Starfall exotic species, a unique ability of the Divine Dragon species, and it would definitely be prioritized for fusion. It could greatly enhance Extinction's defense and strength, which could then be conducted to Ji Xinghuo through the Primordial Dragon Vein, doubling the effect.

As for the remaining Flashing Sky Wings, Crystal Scales, and Aether Dragon Heart, they were all excellent as well.

However, after fusing with the first two exotic species, their features would be too conspicuous. If he used them, others would be able to identify them with a careful inspection.

On the other hand, the Aether Dragon Heart was very covert.

Its effects were internal, and there would be no external changes, making it impossible to discern.

The Tacobalt Dragon Body was similar in that it mainly altered the body's interior and skin, and it would be further concealed by Extinction's dragon scales, making it less likely to be exposed.

As for the future, what would he do after fusing with even more dragon-type exotic species? Ji Xinghuo's plan was to keep Extinction's Primordial Dragon Vein a secret for as long as possible. He would bide his time and never reveal it lightly, and when he did, he would have to kill to keep it hidden. Ideally, he would wait until he advanced to become a Star Shepherd before exposing it.

Otherwise, neither he nor Extinction would have any hope of survival in the True Dragon Dynasty!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end