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Chapter 451: Illusions and Reality
Chapter 451: Illusions and Reality
Five days later.
In a vast forest located in the high-latitude region of the northern hemisphere of Hei Huan Star, Ji Xinghuo sat under a large tree, his body concealed in the shadows and his aura hidden.
The sky was overcast, with the sun about to set, and the temperature was dropping.
Over the past few days, Ji Xinghuo had been moving stealthily, avoiding popular hunting grounds, outposts, and bases on Hei Huan Star. He had finally arrived at this location, about 2,000 kilometers away from the North Pole Transit Station.
Although he had made no contact with anyone and had not encountered any hunters.
However, Ji Xinghuo clearly sensed something amiss on Hei Huan Star. Many of the shuttles and transport aircraft that passed overhead carried unknown individuals who were obviously not regular hunters on the planet.
The outposts and bases showed no outward signs of disturbance, but the guards of the Yan Wang family had secretly heightened their vigilance.
There was definitely something wrong with the Yan Wang family! Ji Xinghuo was glad that his judgment had been correct; otherwise, he would have walked straight into an elaborate trap, with unpredictable consequences.
At that moment, another shuttle flew overhead.
"That's the sixth one today," Ji Xinghuo murmured as his gaze penetrated the dim shade of the trees, looking up at the shuttle thousands of meters above, disappearing into the horizon.
This was the sixth shuttle to pass overhead today.
Such a high frequency indicated that the Yan Wang family had intensified their search efforts.
Although he couldn't see the satellites in the lower orbit with his naked eye, Ji Xinghuo could guess that the surveillance satellites in outer space must have been operating at maximum capacity these days, scanning the surface of Hei Huan Star around the clock.
"They must be anxious if they can't find me," Ji Xinghuo thought silently. The Yan Wang family's operations couldn't last too long.
The key was that further delays might alert the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King.
"Let's add fuel to the fire."
"Let's also probe the reality of the stargate."
Ji Xinghuo stood up from under the tree. His appearance and physique began to transform, and after a few seconds, he took on the form of a Dan practitioner with reddish skin. He changed into ordinary weapons and equipment and then infused 1,000 stellar force to create a shadow clone.
He transformed again, changing his equipment and creating a second shadow clone.
He repeated this process four times.
Using the functions of the Fraudulent Mask, Ji Xinghuo, along with his shadow clones, formed a four-person hunting team.
This hunting team actually existed; they had appeared in the Silent Wasteland some time ago but unfortunately encountered a Hong-level Earth Devouring Worm, which devoured them all. Ji Xinghuo had killed the Earth Devouring Worm, avenging them in a way.
He had conveniently taken their weapons and equipment, which would now come in handy.
The four shadow clones set off.
At daybreak.
They arrived at an outpost over a thousand kilometers to the south, looking weary from their journey. They called for a transport aircraft through their personal terminals and boarded it.
At the same time, Ji Xinghuo created a fifth shadow clone, disguising himself as a wild man from a distant outpost and boarding the transport aircraft.
The two groups of shadow clones arrived at the North Pole Transit Station, one after the other.
Everything at the transit station seemed normal.
People came and went, hunters entered and exited bars, hotels, and shops, and the space elevator was operating as usual.
However, through the eyes of his shadow clones, Ji Xinghuo immediately noticed the underlying currents beneath the calm surface.
The inspections at the entrance of the space elevator were stricter and more thorough.
Almost every hunter was questioned, their identities verified, and they were scanned by detection instruments. Dragon Guards skilled in recognizing disguises and illusions were also present, their eyes sweeping over the hunters, discerning and distinguishing.
The entire North Pole Transit Station was within the range of several different perception methods, secretly scanning everyone.
None of the five shadow clones made any rash moves, each acting independently within the transit station.
The lone wild man checked into a hotel.
The group of four, on the other hand, brought a batch of exotic beasts to a shop to sell. Afterward, they purchased supplies, maintained their weapons and equipment, and checked into another hotel. After freshening up, they gathered to eat and drink, appearing just like a genuine hunting team.
It wasn't until several hours later, after they had rested, that they made their way toward the entrance of the space elevator.
There was already a line of other hunters waiting.
The queue moved slowly.
The people ahead of them had passed the checks, and once there were enough people, the space elevator cabin door was about to close.
It was just the turn of the four shadow clones to have their identities checked.
"Take them down!"
A voice suddenly rang out from the fortress next to the checkpoint, shouting, "There's something wrong with their identities!"
But as the voice sounded, the four shadow clones took the initiative.
Darkness Engulf!
The entire space elevator landing pad and half of the transit station were plunged into complete darkness, as if all the light had been devoured. Even many of the exotic beings who did not rely on vision could sense the presence of enemies and movement in the darkness, causing chaos.
Fierce sounds echoed in the darkness—electric currents, explosions, the clashing of weapons, and the anguished cries of the guards.
The auras of several peak Sixth-Stage powerhouses erupted.
When the darkness was dispelled and the brightness returned, the entrance of the space elevator was in disarray. The ground was pitted and scarred, and dozens of guards lay on the ground, their armor shattered and their bodies charred by electric currents. Many were severely injured and on the brink of death.
Fortunately, the space elevator itself was undamaged and still functioning normally. The elevator cabin that had just departed had risen high into the sky before the chaos erupted.
The three Sixth-Stage powerhouses looked at each other.
The attackers who had assaulted the guards were nowhere to be seen, and with their eyesight, they could naturally tell that those four individuals had been shadow clones.
After unleashing their full power, the shadow clones had dissipated.
"Report this incident," said the leading Yan Wang Dragon Lord.
The other two Dragon Lords were bewildered. They had thought that the sudden tightening of the checkpoint inspections was just a routine check, but now it seemed that something was truly amiss.
"Yes," they replied.
The two Sixth-Stage powerhouses exchanged a glance, realizing that something more intricate was happening behind the scenes.
Unbeknownst to them, a shadow, fluid like water, had slipped into the elevator amidst the chaos and darkness, just as the doors were about to close, attaching itself to the underside of one of the passengers' seats.
The strongest among this batch of passengers was only a Legend, and none noticed the uninvited guest aboard the elevator.
The elevator ascended through the atmosphere like a rocket.
After a little over two hours, the elevator reached the outer space above the North Pole and slowed to a stop at the ring-shaped space station.
The passengers disembarked, only to find a large group of guards waiting for them. Informed that they had to undergo another round of identity verification, the passengers grumbled but dared not protest, meekly submitting to the checks.
Suddenly, a shadow on the ground seemed to come alive.
Everyone felt a terrifying aura and stepped back in fear. Then they saw the shadow rapidly expand, radiating a dark golden light.
A dragon shadow appeared.
This dragon was not particularly large, only about thirty feet long, with an elegant and slender body, narrow and agile wings, and dark golden scales covering its body. Its eyes were majestic, and on its back sat a stern-faced Dragon Lord. His skin shimmered with a silver light, his eyes danced with electricity, and he exuded an unparalleled dominance.
"Annihilator Dragon!"
"It's Annihilator Jin!"
The surrounding hunters recognized who it was and cried out in surprise.
During the recent World-Ending Dragon Ceremony, the strongest Ender in the history of the Primordial Magnetism Domain was born. Not only was he bestowed the dragon meridian by the Dragon King, transforming him from a Wastelander into a true Dragonman, but he was also given an Annihilator Dragon, causing countless others to envy his fortune.
The sudden appearance of this legendary figure excited and delighted the hunters, who eagerly watched the Annihilator Dragon, curious to see what it looked like.
However, some among them sensed that something was amiss.
Why had Annihilator Jin chosen to enter the space elevator in such a manner? Even the guards had not anticipated this turn of events and stood there, unsure of how to react.
"Make way," Ji Xinghuo said in a low voice.
The guards of the Yan Wang family instinctively stepped aside, not daring to block the path of a Dragon Lord.
The Annihilator Dragon flapped its wings and flew into the corridor, gracefully navigating the zero-gravity environment. The guards along the way moved aside, and the gates automatically opened, granting it unobstructed passage. The Annihilator Dragon drew near the stargate, its head disappearing into the portal.
The world before their eyes warped and twisted.
When their vision returned to normal, Ji Xinghuo had reappeared at the stargate outside You Gui City in the Star Domain.
"Annihilator Dragon!"
"End of the World, it's an Annihilator Dragon..."
"How is Annihilator Jin here?"
Exclamations of surprise erupted around the stargate, and the appearance of the Annihilator Dragon caused a stir. They gazed at the dark golden divine dragon, and despite its small size, even smaller than the younglings of other dragon species, they felt a profound sense of reverence due to its aura of destruction.
This was the most mysterious and rare of all dragon species!
It existed only in legends, and perhaps this was the only chance most of them would ever get to see one in their lifetime.
However, just as the Annihilator Dragon appeared, an unexpected change occurred.
A ray of light, brighter than the golden glow, shot out from an unknown direction within You Gui City. The Annihilator Dragon sensed the danger and desperately flapped its wings to dodge, but a gravitational vortex suddenly appeared, warping space and pulling the dragon and its rider back.
The ray struck the Annihilator Dragon in its chest.
Boom!
The formidable Dragon Lord instantly vaporized, leaving behind no trace of his existence.
The Annihilator Dragon let out an angry roar.
It was pulled towards the gravitational vortex and struggled frantically to no avail. A hundred-meter-large hand reached out from the vortex's center and grabbed the dragon.
This scene was like an adult capturing a butterfly in a net, leaving the onlookers in You Gui City stunned.
"Star Shepherd!" They exclaimed in their minds, eyes wide with shock. Someone among the Star Shepherds had made a move, intending to seize the Annihilator Dragon!
Rumor had it that the Annihilator Dragon Lord was only at the Fifth-Stage and stood no chance against a Star Shepherd.
However, the situation took another turn.
As the Annihilator Dragon struggled, a dusky light emanated from its body, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed from its dragon form into a black torrent. Within the massive shadow, a pair of eerie eyes appeared, releasing a black vortex.
This vortex was much smaller than the gravitational vortex, but the suction force it generated was no less powerful, overlapping and counteracting each other.
The black torrent took advantage of this and detached itself from the giant hand, quickly fading into the shadows.
"Fake!"
A voice, laden with anger and frustration, rang out in the sky above You Gui City. Everyone could hear the anger and irritation in the voice, a clear sign of someone losing their composure after realizing they had been deceived.
Then came the thunderous wrath.
The giant hand reached out and grabbed a dark mist-like object from the shadows, preventing it from transforming or breaking free. The palm closed, and the dusky light was crushed.
The giant hand quickly dissipated, and the terrifying presence of the Star Shepherd also vanished, as if nothing had happened.
The people in You Gui City were left bewildered.
It wasn't until much later that they regained their senses and guessed what had transpired.
(End of Chapter)
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