Chapter 532: The Assassin

Chapter 532: The Assassin

In the New Balate Palace, the portion that was destroyed by Ji Xinghuo two months ago had been restored and renamed the People's Palace.

Today, the People's Palace would welcome its most distinguished guest.

The streets from the airport to the People's Palace were packed with onlookers, creating a bustling atmosphere. As the Head of State's motorcade passed by, the crowd erupted in deafening cheers and enthusiastic applause, their faces filled with anticipation and hope.

Amidst the expectant gazes, the grand convoy drove into the People's Palace, but the crowd showed no signs of dispersing.

Soon after, more motorcades arrived one after another.

Most of them belonged to the leaders of South Asian countries, as well as delegations and media reporters from other parts of the world.

The People's Palace was heavily guarded, with an entire battalion of Titanium-Cobalt Dragonmen standing guard from the ground to the sky, forming an impenetrable web of protection. In the skies above, orbital satellites kept watch, accompanied by a space fleet on standby.

The signing ceremony for South Asia's accession to the Asia-Pacific Community was yet to commence.

Before that, the Head of State was scheduled to meet with the leaders of South Asian countries, offering reassurance and communicating various matters.

Ji Daosheng entered a lounge, accompanied by a squad of Titanium-Cobalt Dragonmen in powered armor who had inspected the room and its surroundings thrice and now stood guard at the door.

Robo, the Gun Saint Xing Lie, and Zhaofeng Master Luo Yimeng had all come along as well. In addition, there were four close-in bodyguards.

"Xinghuo," Ji Daosheng suddenly spoke to one of the bodyguards. "How is the situation in New Balate?"

"No abnormalities so far," the bodyguard replied.

He was a shadow clone of Ji Xinghuo, accompanying the Head of State on this trip despite Ji Xinghuo's initial disagreement. Unable to persuade his original, he now dedicated himself to ensuring the Head of State's safety, with one of his shadow clones disguised as a bodyguard.

"That's good," Ji Daosheng nodded slightly.

He then instructed for the accompanying ministers and ambassadors from South Asian countries to be summoned so he could hear their reports.

Even for someone like Ji Daosheng, a Heart Hacker, it was impossible to micromanage every detail personally. Knowing how to delegate tasks and make the best use of one's subordinates was also a formidable ability, and he had mastered it well.

The shadow clone, disguised as a bodyguard, stood at the side of the room, listening. However, after just a few minutes, he found the discussion dull.

Perhaps many would revel in the power to decide the fates of countless people with a single word.

But he only felt bored.

"If I had to do this job, I'd probably get impatient within a few days."

"Even if I took it seriously, I could do it well."

Ji Xinghuo shook his head inwardly and tasked the shadow clone with keeping an eye on the Head of State's surroundings, while his main body, invisible, glided through the skies at a moderate speed, cruising over New Balate without creating a sonic boom.

His electromagnetic senses scanned the entire city repeatedly, like a 300-kilometer-radius radar with a sensing frequency of tens of thousands of hertz.

However, New Balate was just too vast!

With a population of over fifty million packed into an area of over ten thousand square kilometers, the city was a maze of high-rise buildings and sprawling slums, forming a complex, three-dimensional hive. The sheer complexity of the environment was mind-boggling.

Countless electrical appliances, electronic devices, and superconducting transportation systems filled the city, flooding Ji Xinghuo's mind with electromagnetic wave signals.

Without specific targets, it was challenging to identify anomalies.

Thus, he could only focus on those extraordinary beings at the legendary level and above, paying close attention to them. But today, there were just too many legendary beings in New Balate.

And each of them had unique characteristics.

"Looks like I'll have to do it the hard way."

Ji Xinghuo approached each of the legendary beings one by one, observing them discreetly, ruling out potential threats, and memorizing their characteristics.

This method was much slower.

It wasn't until the Head of State finished meeting with the leaders of the seven countries that Ji Xinghuo completed half of his task.

The signing ceremony began.

Ji Xinghuo returned to the People's Palace, hovering a kilometer high in the sky while remaining invisible. His gaze penetrated the grandest palace within the complex, once the throne of the Brahma King, now transformed into a majestic and solemn hall.

To the rousing music, the delegations and journalists from various countries entered the hall in an orderly manner and took their seats below the stage.

The leaders of the seven countries sat in the first three rows.

"Everyone, please stand!"

"Welcome, Head of State of the Asia-Pacific People's United Community, Mr. Ji Daosheng!" The emcee's voice was clear and resonant, echoing throughout the hall.

The entire audience rose to their feet and applauded vigorously.

Ji Daosheng walked into the hall amidst the applause, a faint smile on his face, which wasn't particularly handsome. His strides were firm, and his posture erect as he made his way to the center seat in the front row, waving to the people along the way.

Despite the majority of the audience being South Asians, almost everyone displayed genuine reverence upon seeing Ji Daosheng.

Their emotions ranged from excitement and respect to outright adoration.

In the future, even if he became a Saint of Beast Taming, he knew he couldn't replace the Head of State's position in the hearts of the people.

However, that wasn't something he aspired to.

There was no conflict of interest between him and the Head of State; instead, they complemented each other, and their collaboration would lead to mutual success.

Ji Daosheng walked up to the podium, and the applause continued unabated.

It was only after he gestured several times that the applause gradually subsided, and he took his seat.

"Everyone."

Ji Daosheng's gaze swept across the audience, and he spoke in his familiar voice, "This isn't my first time in South Asia, nor is it my first time in New Balate, or even my first time in this People's Palace."

"But it's the first time I've seen hope in South Asia, and I've seen the people!"

As soon as he began, the applause erupted again.

After half a minute, Ji Daosheng continued his speech, never needing a teleprompter. Much of it was improvised, devoid of ornate rhetoric, with simple vocabulary and a natural, slightly bland tone. His body language wasn't overly expressive, yet his words carried an extraordinary power of persuasion.

This had nothing to do with his Heart Hacker abilities.

It was because he spoke the truth, often cutting straight to the fundamental logic of things.

Each listener could sense his sincerity and his genuine desire to bring welfare to the people.

Unknowingly, they would listen intently and reflect deeply.

And then, they would have their epiphanies.

No one found Ji Daosheng's speech dull. Even citizens of hostile nations were captivated, wanting to hear what he had to say. At that moment, over four billion people were watching the live broadcast worldwide.

One out of every ten people globally was listening to his speech.

The opening lasted for over ten minutes.

Ji Daosheng's speech gradually reached its climax as he first reviewed the past of the South Asian subcontinent and then looked towards the future.

"After South Asia joins the Asia-Pacific Community, our preliminary plan is to divide it into twelve provincial administrative regions."

"Each province will strive for a balance in terms of area and population."

"Moreover, we will fully consider the cultural traditions and characteristics of each province. While encouraging them to join the big family of the Asia-Pacific Community, we will also actively promote the excellence of their unique cultures, taking the essence and discarding the dross, to be passed down from generation to generation."

As Ji Daosheng made the announcement, a map of the South Asian subcontinent appeared on the projection behind him, delineating the boundaries of the twelve provinces.

"Wow..."

Instantly, everyone was drawn in.

Although the seven South Asian countries had voted to join the Asia-Pacific Community through a referendum, most of their people had no say in the future plans. Instead, everything was decided by the Head of State and his administrative planning group.

So, this was the first time they were seeing this map, and the wealth of information it conveyed was captivating, prompting everyone to crane their necks for a better view.

Media reporters snapped photos frenziedly and rushed to publish the news to gain the most traction.

Ji Xinghuo had seen this map before.

When it came to the administrative division of the South Asian subcontinent, the Head of State had put in a lot of thought, adhering to the principle of "following the natural contours of the land and creating a checkerboard pattern."

The boundaries were largely drawn based on geographical features such as rivers and mountains, but with a twist: crucial areas within a region would be assigned to a neighboring province. Similarly, culturally similar areas would be divided to prevent the formation of culturally independent territories.

These two boundary-drawing principles had been practiced in the Asia-Pacific Community for over a thousand years.

In the previous century, when the Asia-Pacific Community acquired Central Asia, Siberia, Southeast Asia, and Australia, the same division principles were applied.

Thus, some seemingly odd and illogical geographical and administrative boundaries had deeper underlying reasons.

However, not many people in South Asia were aware of this.

Some of the leaders of the seven countries quickly caught on, their expressions complicated, but they had no choice but to accept it.

On the podium, Ji Daosheng continued his speech.

In addition to administrative planning, he also announced the arrangements for institutions, the military, and officials at various levels—matters that affected the careers and power of many in the audience. They listened with utmost attention, each person calculating their gains and losses.

Suddenly, Ji Daosheng's expression changed slightly.

Although he managed to control his reaction, Ji Xinghuo immediately noticed.

At almost the same moment, he received the news in his ear.

"The Sun King has appeared in Asuncion and attacked the Latin Revolutionary Army controlling the Stargate!"

A commotion broke out in the hall.

Some people also received the news online and turned to look at Ji Daosheng on the podium, only to see him remain calm and continue his speech.

The Latin Revolutionary Army was South America's largest resistance organization. They had fought against the American Federation for decades, enduring countless sacrifices and bloodshed with the sole aim of expelling the American Federation's influence and liberating South America from its status as an economic colony.

This resistance organization was secretly supported by the Asia-Pacific Community.

South America had two stargates, one in the Immortal City controlled by the American Consortium, and the other in Asuncion, firmly in the hands of the Latin Revolutionary Army.

Both stargates were of paramount importance.

Controlling these stargates meant controlling the passage to the Star Realm, and the Asia-Pacific Community could not afford to let the Asuncion stargate fall back into the hands of the American Federation.

Moreover, the Latin Revolutionary Army had lost millions of lives in their struggle to seize control of this stargate.

Asuncion was also a critical pivot in the Head of State's plan for South America.

And now, the Sun King had appeared and launched an attack...

A diversion!

Ji Xinghuo's first thought was confirmed as he received the news, and he immediately pulled out his phone and went online, accessing the live situation in Asuncion.

In the sky, a blue figure moved like lightning, effortlessly dodging the firepower from the stargate fortress. Countless bullets, lasers, and shells exploded all around, always missing by a hair's breadth, only to be obliterated by a casual punch from that figure.

Each punch unleashed terrifying power.

Extreme power!

And extreme heat and flames, accompanied by relentless laser beams that pierced through everything!

Innocent beings in the stargate fortress were caught in the crossfire, resulting in heavy casualties. Explosions rocked the area, and chaos reigned.

"The Sun King!"

Ji Xinghuo paused the video, and even though the figure was blurry, he could confirm that it was indeed the Sun King.

There was no other being on Earth that possessed similar powers.

"I know this is a diversion," Ji Daosheng said, realizing that Ji Xinghuo hadn't immediately left. He guessed his apprentice's thoughts and quickly added, "Go there at once, turn the tables on them, and take the opportunity to kill the Sun King while he's still there. I'll proceed with the original plan here."

"Yes," Ji Xinghuo replied.

He activated his ability, 'Shift.'

The distance from New Balate to the Bhopal stargate was only about 500 kilometers, and with a single use of his ability, Ji Xinghuo's physical body arrived at the Bhopal stargate.

A flash of electric light, and Ji Xinghuo rushed into the stargate.

The next second, he reappeared in the stargate square of Olympia, and before the beings there could react, he had already circled back to the area corresponding to the Asuncion stargate and returned to Earth through it.

His electromagnetic senses swept the area within a 300-kilometer radius, instantly locking onto the Sun King outside the stargate fortress.

"It's a fake!"

Ji Xinghuo's gaze penetrated the fortress, focusing on the figure in the sky.

It was indeed the Sun King.

This person had blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a blue battle suit and draped in an American Federation flag cape. He exuded immense power, and all his characteristics matched those of the Sun King. However, Ji Xinghuo instantly realized that this was not the Sun King's true body.

Although he couldn't immediately identify what type of clone it was, this fake Sun King possessed only about half the strength of the real one.

Nevertheless, even this strength was enough to make him invincible against most beings.

Ji Xinghuo decisively turned back.

He returned to South Asia as quickly as possible and used 'Shift' again, sending a shadow clone through the stargate to Asuncion.

Even if it was a fake Sun King, he couldn't be allowed to wreak havoc there.

At the same time.

Ji Xinghuo's physical body had returned to New Balate and swapped places with his shadow clone guarding the People's Palace hall.

From his departure to his return, only five or six seconds had passed.

The beings in the stargate square of Olympia were left bewildered. To them, Ji Xinghuo had mysteriously entered and exited the stargate, and some didn't even realize who it was, as everything happened too fast for them to process.

Ji Daosheng's speech continued.

Ji Xinghuo's electromagnetic senses scanned the People's Palace and the area within a 100-kilometer radius, but he found nothing unusual.

"Strange!"

He frowned inwardly, "The Sun King's diversion must have another purpose. Could it be that my reaction was too quick, and the Sun King didn't anticipate that I could use 'Shift' within a 500-kilometer range, so he's still waiting for the right moment?"

"Xinghuo, what's going on?" Ji Daosheng's mental voice inquired.

Ji Xinghuo was about to answer when the hall suddenly fell silent.

Half of the hall was covered in a faint shadow, as if time had slowed down, trapping everyone in place. In an instant, a gray shadow appeared out of thin air behind Ji Daosheng on the podium!

"Assassin!"

The audience in the hall and those watching the live broadcast couldn't help but reveal looks of shock.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end