Chapter 66: Revenge Without Delay

Chapter 66: Revenge Without Delay

"Brother Hong suspects he's up to something?" Liu Yusu, who had not noticed any rangers, immediately became alert at the super-conductor's words. She synced her senses with a red-eyed mountain eagle soaring above, her vision switching to a bird's-eye view of the land below. In an instant, she spotted Ji Xinghuo making his way through the forest.

"It's just a guess, and a slim possibility at that," Pei Hong said, stroking his chin. "After all, the Etherial fluctuations of the Star's Tears are quite intense..."

"We'll know once we catch up to him," Liu Yusu said as she leaped onto a Silverwing Pegasus.

"Hold on, don't rush!" Pei Hong exclaimed, his face portraying his helplessness. He had only been voicing his thoughts, and he really had no solid evidence.

Given Liu Yusu's domineering style, there was bound to be conflict. Although the lone ranger seemed to have average surface abilities, in the Star Realm, any lone wanderer was bound to be skilled. There was a chance that things could go awry.

"I'm the leader, and I make the calls for the seventh team. If you don't come along, and I get the Star's Tears, then you miss out," Liu Yusu said, looking down from atop her mount.

Pei Hong had no choice but to mount another Silverwing Pegasus.

"You guys wait here, no need to follow," Liu Yusu commanded the rest of the team. A lone ranger was no big deal, and she and Pei Hong were more than enough to handle the situation. There was no need to make a fuss.

The Silverwing Pegasi sprinted across the ground, their white, broad wings flapping as they took to the sky.

Over a dozen Ironback Bears, Shadow Wolves, and Thousand Peak Retrievers, who had been drinking by the water, received their master's command and rushed into the forest.

On the other side.

Ji Xinghuo had intended to continue his search for a few more hours before leaving quietly.

However, he had not gone far when he sensed something amiss. Looking up, he saw the eyes of the circling falcons locked onto him.

"Are they tracking me?"

Ji Xinghuo quickly averted his gaze, pretending he hadn't noticed, but his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't understand how he had given himself away.

He continued walking for a few dozen meters, entering the shade of the trees.

Taking advantage of the falcons' blind spot, Ji Xinghuo quickly retrieved the Star's Tears, still wrapped in cloth, from his backpack. He patted his waist pocket, and Little Green Snake poked its head out.

"Quick, eat this and hide it in your belly," Ji Xinghuo instructed.

Little Green Snake understood immediately upon seeing the object before it. It opened its mouth, and the Star's Tears vanished in an instant.

"And these too..."

Ji Xinghuo had prepared for this when he finished eating the grilled fish. Just in case, he had packed most of the exotic species, including the Black Tortoise Ore, as well as the illegal cash, the Ice Twin Blades, and other questionable items, into a separate bag.

Little Green Snake opened its mouth wide and swallowed the bag as well.

"Good!"

Ji Xinghuo was overjoyed. Now, his backpack only contained a dozen or so exotic species, nothing that would raise suspicions.

"Go now, remember to hide well, and don't let anyone find you," Ji Xinghuo said as he placed Little Green Snake on the ground. The little snake slithered into the grass and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ji Xinghuo continued walking slowly.

In less than ten seconds after he had finished hiding the items, the sound of flapping wings above made him look up. He saw two Silverwing Pegasi flying through the gaps in the trees and hovering a few dozen meters away. They were the two super-beings from the Beast Garden Hunting Team.

"Stop right there!"

Liu Yusu's voice rang out.

Ji Xinghuo had already halted, his Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow in hand. "What do you mean by blocking my path?" he asked, his voice deep and calm.

Liu Yusu had no intention of responding. At that moment, over a dozen battle pets arrived, surrounding Ji Xinghuo.

She turned to Pei Hong. "Brother Hong?"

Pei Hong examined Ji Xinghuo closely but couldn't discern anything unusual. He scratched his head and said, "I must have been mistaken."

He felt a twinge of curiosity. The etheric fluctuations of this ranger seemed normal. Could he have really misjudged? It wasn't impossible.

Moreover, the distance from the lake to their current location was only a few hundred meters. Even if this ranger had something to hide, there wouldn't have been enough time to deal with it, and the Star's Tears couldn't have been hidden so quickly.

Liu Yusu's expression turned stern.

She was the type to always follow her instincts, and she never let go of any suspicious details. "Take off the face mask, and hand over your backpack for inspection," she said coldly.

"Yusu!"

Pei Hong quickly interjected, shaking his head at her.

Such an action would thoroughly offend the ranger before them, and it was completely unnecessary.

However, Liu Yusu merely glanced at Pei Hong and remained silent. Her meaning was clear—a lone ranger was not worth sparing, and what could he do anyway?

Ji Xinghuo's face darkened. Although he had expected the Beast Garden members to be unfriendly, he hadn't anticipated that they would insist on a search.

This was a grave insult to anyone.

The iris of his right eye flickered slightly.

In an instant, the Myriad Phenomenon Array was activated, and Ji Xinghuo saw several possible outcomes for the next few seconds.

However, no matter which future he saw, his death was certain.

The abilities of these two super-beings far surpassed those of Ji Zongbang. The Controller and Super-Conductor were top-tier profession templates, far more powerful than the Shadow Edge. Moreover, they were among the best of the super-beings, in peak condition. Ji Xinghuo, as a mere initial-stage being, had zero chance of victory, given the proximity between them.

The most he could do was take one of them down with him.

Ji Xinghuo only kept the Myriad Phenomenon Array open for a second before closing it.

Although there was no chance of winning, by predicting the future, he had learned about their methods and combat styles.

"The Beast Garden sure puts on a show of force," Ji Xinghuo mocked.

"You don't like it?" Liu Yusu replied with a cold laugh. "In the Star Realm, might makes right. If you don't like it, you can try to take us on."

Ji Xinghuo remained silent for a few seconds before tossing his backpack to the ground.

He would remember today's grudge.

"Brother Hong, inspect his backpack," Liu Yusu ordered. Although Pei Hong disagreed with her actions, he dismounted and approached Ji Xinghuo.

"Sorry, brother," Pei Hong said as he opened the backpack and gave it a perfunctory check. He knew the Star's Tears wouldn't be in there. He then circled Ji Xinghuo, recognizing the bow and battle knife as super-weapons. A sense of foreboding filled his heart.

Any being who could afford such high-quality weapons, even if they were a lone wanderer, either had the backing of a powerful force or possessed abilities far beyond their peers.

This man was definitely not simple!

Pei Hong regretted his earlier words. He shouldn't have spoken up.

Now, they had thoroughly offended this ranger, and there was no going back. It was a case of going all in or backing off... He glanced around and noticed other hunting teams stealthily approaching, keeping an eye on the situation. If they made a move now, they wouldn't be able to hide it from the others.

"He doesn't have the Star's Tears on him, Yusu. Don't go too far," Pei Hong said firmly. "Always leave a way out for others, and they'll do the same for you."

Liu Yusu was about to insist, but suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

She noticed that Pei Hong had backed away, and it was rare for a super-conductor like him, skilled in long-range attacks, to feel wary of someone.

If they truly angered this person, and he decided to strike back with a surprise arrow, her proximity to him could be dangerous.

"Alright," Liu Yusu finally relented, giving Ji Xinghuo a sharp glance before lightly patting her mount. The Silverwing Pegasus flapped its wings and soared through the tree canopy into the sky.

Pei Hong nodded at Ji Xinghuo and then followed after Liu Yusu.

Once the two of them had flown away, the dozen or so battle pets surrounding Ji Xinghuo quickly retreated back to the lake.

Ji Xinghuo silently picked up his backpack and continued on his way. Through his magnetic field sensing, he detected several unusual people nearby, some observing him from the shadows, and others seemingly approaching.

He didn't want to be entangled by these people, so he quickened his pace.

After walking a few hundred meters, Little Green Snake quietly slithered out from under the fallen leaves and returned to Ji Xinghuo's waist pocket.

"Well done!"

Ji Xinghuo gently patted his pocket. If it weren't for Little Green Snake, he wouldn't have been able to hide so successfully.

He guessed why he had been targeted—the etheric fluctuations of the Star's Tears were too intense. If someone else had also merged with etheric sensitivity, they would likely be able to sense its presence as well.

Among the two super-beings from the Beast Garden Hunting Team, one of them must also possess etheric sensitivity.

As expected, it was probably Pei Hong.

As Ji Xinghuo walked briskly, he looked back at the sky from time to time. The falcons were still occasionally looking in his direction, indicating that the female beastmaster hadn't completely given up yet.

"Hmph..."

"He who takes revenge after a long time is a real man."

A cold light flashed in Ji Xinghuo's eyes. Although there was a saying, "A real man takes his revenge after ten years," he couldn't wait that long. A real man takes his revenge from morning till night.

He glanced at his mechanical watch.

There were ten hours until starlight, and twenty-six hours until nightfall.

Ji Xinghuo quickened his pace. In the afternoon, he left the area where the meteor had fallen and set up camp about several dozen kilometers away, in a concealed location. After feeding Little Green Snake, he entered the tent to rest. When he woke up, it was already starlight, and the mental fatigue from two consecutive days of searching had completely dissipated.

Stepping out of the tent, he looked up at the sky. Under the starlight, all was quiet.

Ji Xinghuo ate the leftover grilled fish from noon, packed up his tent and backpack, and called out to Little Green Snake, asking, "Can you eat all of these things?"

Little Green Snake nodded.

It crawled onto the backpack and opened its mouth. In the next moment, the massive backpack, weighing over eighty kilograms, disappeared.

Ji Xinghuo felt much lighter now.

At this moment, he only carried the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow, the Thunderstrike Battle Knife, and a tactical knife. The magnetic arrow pouch on his back also only held a hundred arrows, making him extremely agile.

Just the ability to store items in its body made Little Green Snake priceless.

If not for the fact that it was a spiritual beast with infinite potential, and that there would be other ways to share its abilities once they returned to Olympia, Ji Xinghuo would have been tempted to slaughter it and harvest its exotic species.

Taking advantage of the starlight, Ji Xinghuo swiftly navigated through the deep valleys and dense forests.

Several hours later...

He returned to the area where the meteor had fallen, and there were even more hunting teams searching. Through his magnetic field sensing, he detected several groups of people.

Ji Xinghuo also began his search, but he wasn't looking for the Star's Tears. He was looking for the Beast Garden hunting team.

Finding the Star's Tears was difficult, but finding a large group of people and their battle pets was easy. Less than two hours later, Ji Xinghuo spotted several falcons circling in the night sky. Under the starlight, their vision had decreased, so he stealthily approached them in his stealth state.

The Beast Garden team was still searching for the Star's Tears.

Their search efficiency was much higher than that of the other teams. Dozens of battle pets spread out, searching inch by inch, leaving no corner unchecked—the ground, the trees, and the valleys.

Ji Xinghuo lay in wait from a distance, extremely patient.

Until nightfall...

In the pitch-black environment, the Beast Garden hunting team could only rest. They found a clearing and set up camp, pitching several tents. Dozens of battle pets surrounded the campsite, while falcons and blood crows perched on nearby trees, forming a tight defensive layer.

The darkness of night did not hinder Ji Xinghuo's vision.

He circled the Beast Garden camp from a distance several times and finally found a cliff about 450 meters away from the campsite, about a hundred meters high, offering a perfect view of the entire camp.

This distance was usually considered safe.

However, in Ji Xinghuo's eyes, it was an excellent sniping position.

He stood at the edge of the cliff, facing the campsite, and drew three capacitive arrows. He nocked one arrow to his bow and held the other two in his palm. Then, he pulled back the string of the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow.

The effective killing range of the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow was 300 meters. In reality, its range far exceeded 300 meters. If fired at an upward angle, the maximum distance could reach nearly 1,000 meters. The reason it was labeled with an effective killing range was that beyond 300 meters, the arrow's lethality would rapidly decrease.

Specialty arrows could increase the killing distance, of course, provided one could shoot accurately.

This was not a problem for Ji Xinghuo at all.

He activated the Rotating Magnetic Field Stimulation.

Currents of electricity appeared on his skin, flowing along his arms and converging onto the capacitive arrows. Not only the arrow already nocked to his bow, but also the two arrows in his palm were activated.

The arrows glowed with strands of electric light, but thanks to the stealth ring, the light didn't leak out.

Ji Xinghuo's right eye flickered with a glowing circle.

Myriad Phenomenon Array!

Countless illusory lights and shadows appeared before his eyes, with lines intertwining to form the future, instantly presenting various outcomes in his mind, and then freezing them.

Ji Xinghuo raised the angle of the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow and shot the first capacitive arrow into the sky.

A lightning bolt split the night sky.

Before the first arrow even reached its target, he quickly nocked the second arrow, which had also been amplified by the rotating magnetic field to near overload, and fired it.

Then, he fired the third arrow.

He fired all three arrows in less than two seconds, and the first arrow hadn't even reached its target yet.

The three lightning bolts followed almost identical trajectories, shooting up from the 450-meter-distant cliff into the sky. Under the night sky, they resembled falling stars as they landed in the Beast Garden hunting team's campsite one after the other.

After firing the three arrows, Ji Xinghuo didn't even bother to check the results. He turned around and ran.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end