After Zhao Manying’s consolation, Zhuo Yanran, although still fraught with worry, gradually cald down and accepted the situation.
"Xinghuo, it’s embarrassing to make such an impression on our first eting," she said.
It was only then that Zhuo Yanran found the composure to scrutinize her daughter’s boyfriend. With a discerning eye — having seen photos from her daughter before, she found him now in person to be impeccable.
Ji Xinghuo respectfully called out, "Auntie Zhuo."
"You’re very good," Zhuo Yanran was highly satisfied and smiled. "The whole world couldn’t find a man more suited for Manying than you."
She cared deeply for her daughter, but never interfered in her children’s personal relationships, respecting their choices.
Now, seeing that her daughter had found such an outstanding boyfriend, she was delighted.
"Let’s have lunch together," Zhuo Yanran suggested enthusiastically, standing up. "I know a great restaurant, just perfect for celebrating Manying’s championship victory."
"Of course, thank you, Auntie Zhuo," Ji Xinghuo would naturally not refuse.
The three of them imdiately left the house.
The lunch was sumptuous and delicious.
Zhuo Yanran, although over fifty, took great care of herself and maintained a youthful mindset. She had no generation gap with her daughter’s generation and interacted with them like friends. Moreover, she had high emotional intelligence, making everyone feel comfortable around her.
Ji Xinghuo behaved as usual, not trying to ingratiate himself with his girlfriend’s mother, which impressed Zhuo Yanran even more.
During the al, Ji Xinghuo attentively watched over Zhao Manying, who seed normal at a glance.
But he knew his girlfriend was rely putting on a brave face in front of her mother.
After the al.
Zhuo Yanran suggested going shopping, and Zhao Manying agreed.
As Ji Xinghuo accompanied the mother and daughter, watching Zhao Manying’s smiling face, he felt a sudden pang of discomfort, worrying for her.
Taking advantage of the mont Zhuo Yanran went into the fitting room, Ji Xinghuo asked in a low voice, "Manying, are you okay?"
"I’m fine," Zhao Manying’s smile vanished as she spoke in a subdued tone, "There are 10 hours left."
Ji Xinghuo understood her aning.
The enemy had given a deadline of 12 hours, forcing her to go to the True Dragon Dynasty. If she did not, the enemy would undoubtedly resort to harsher threats.
The first ti, they had sent a finger. The next ti, it might be an entire arm.
Even though the leader had said that the more she resisted going, the less likely the enemy would be to seriously harm Zhao Cangming, her brother would still be subjected to inhuman torture.
And if the enemy, in a fit of rage, decided to kill...
Even with advanced dical technology that could heal severe injuries and reattach limbs as long as death hadn’t occurred, excessively grave injuries could block the path of evolution, and the trauma could lead to psychological disorders.
"Maybe I have a way to save Cangming," Ji Xinghuo said after long contemplation and finally spoke up.
Zhao Manying’s eyes widened with urgency, "What way?"
"I can’t tell you the specifics; it involves an unusual experience I had in the Star Realm," Ji Xinghuo spoke of the Void Spirit Guest. "I can’t guarantee success, and it will cost a considerable amount of Ether Crystals."
He didn’t know whether the Void Spirit Guest was willing to help, nor if they had the ability to find a person in the Star Realm.
Still, it was surely more promising than aimlessly searching on his own.
Ji Xinghuo estimated a fifty percent chance.
Without any hesitation, Zhao Manying said, "No matter how many Ether Crystals it takes, as long as Cangming can safely return, I’m willing to pay. I have stored over a thousand Ether Crystals at the Ether Research Institute and have more than two hundred at ho. You can take them all."
"No need, I’ll handle it," Ji Xinghuo shook his head.
Over the past two or three months, Princess Sofia had sent another batch of Ether Crystals, and the e-comrce platform had settled paynts twice.
With over four thousand Ether Crystals in hand, Ji Xinghuo should have more than enough.
"I will et the leader first and then head straight into the Star Realm," he said. "When Auntie Zhuo cos out, please apologize to her on my behalf."
"Alright!"
Zhao Manying nodded solemnly, grasping Ji Xinghuo’s hand tightly, she whispered, "If it proves too dangerous, your safety cos first, make sure to co back. I can’t bear losing both a brother and you."
"Don’t worry, take good care of Auntie Zhuo," Ji Xinghuo reassured her.
After finishing, Ji Xinghuo left the clothing store and took off amid the astonished gazes of passersby, disappearing into the sky.
In just a few minutes, Ji Xinghuo once again faced Ji Daosheng.
"Leader, I need to enter the Star Realm now to et with a senior, who might be able to locate Zhao Cangming," he stated his intention straightforwardly. "To et with that senior as quickly as possible, I’d like to borrow your Sky-controlling Flying Shoes."
"What senior?" Ji Daosheng was sowhat puzzled.
Ji Xinghuo shook his head, "I can’t say."
The Void Spirit Guest had warned him not to reveal his identity to anyone, and Chieftain Han Qiu had also advised him to keep the secrets of the Sky Falling Cliff confidential.
Despite not knowing how the mysterious Shepherd Saint could ensure his silence, Ji Xinghuo did not dare to try.
"Not even through mind communication?" Ji Daosheng asked again.
Ji Xinghuo still shook his head.
Ji Daosheng’s face showed contemplation, and upon realizing the person Ji Xinghuo was so wary of, he imdiately had a guess, causing his spirits to lift, "Shepherd Star Saint?"
This ti, Ji Xinghuo neither spoke nor shook his head.
However, Ji Daosheng had already understood.
He couldn’t help but stand up and pace back and forth twice in the office. His face was excited and uncertain, not because he might find Zhao Cangming, but because Ji Xinghuo actually beca acquainted with a Shepherd Star Saint in the Star Realm!
This was earth-shattering news with global implications.
If Ji Xinghuo was close enough to the Shepherd Star Saint... Of course, this could also bring about a catastrophic disaster for Earth, and one could never be too cautious.
"How confident are you that the elder would lend a hand?" Ji Daosheng wanted to gauge more information through his question.
Ji Xinghuo thought for a mont before responding, "Fifty-fifty, I’d say."
"I understand!"
Joy flashed in Ji Daosheng’s eyes as he imdiately took out a pair of Sky-controlling Flying Shoes from the drawer, "Ti is of the essence. You must leave now. I’ll keep an eye on things here on Earth. You don’t have to worry. When you arrive at Olympia, I’ll have Huo Keji cover for you."
"Yes, leader."
Ji Xinghuo boarded a Sky Fighter and shortly arrived at the Chaka Star Gate. He was already wearing the Sky-controlling Flying Shoes and used a special passage to enter the Star Gate.
The world before him twisted.
When Ji Xinghuo’s vision returned to normal, he was standing in Star Gate Square in Olympia, "Champion Marquis" Huo Keji stood in front of him, and beside him was a team of elite Star Realm Army, forming a human wall with their bodies to block the view of passersby.
"Co with ," Huo Keji said.
The Earth Star Gate was always guarded by a Heavenly King, with the major powers taking turns to send Heavenly Kings for duty. For these two months, it had been Huo Keji’s turn.
Ji Xinghuo had t him several tis, and although they were not friends, they were familiar with each other.
Electromagnetic induction scanned the surroundings.
However, Ji Xinghuo did not notice anything unusual. Mutants were coming and going through the Star Gate, traveling between Earth and the Star Realm as usual.
He followed Huo Keji into the military camp outside the square. After the Qianyuan Association incident, the Asia-Pacific Community’s Star Realm Army was thoroughly purged from top to bottom, every officer at Sergeant Level and above had undergone Mind Interrogation to ensure there were no issues.
In a room in the military camp.
After sending out the soldiers, Huo Keji handed over a strange crystal stone to Ji Xinghuo, which he had seen before.
"Jump Crystal!"
Huo Keji nodded, "This Jump Crystal can be used three more tis. Choose your own location to jump and leave Olympia directly. This way, you won’t be tracked and it will ensure your safety."
"Thank you," Ji Xinghuo took the crystal stone, infusing it with Star Power to activate it.
The Jump Crystal emitted a glow.
At the sa ti, Ji Xinghuo received information from the crystal in his mind. He could choose any direction to jump with a maximum distance of about 50 kiloters.
With a thought, he chose the direction northeast by east and the maximum jumping distance.
The crystal’s light enveloped his entire body.
With a flash before his eyes, Ji Xinghuo felt montarily weightless before returning to normal. He found himself in an uninhabited forest, and imdiately took flight, soaring into the sky. Looking to the southwest, he could vaguely see the outline of Olympia 50 kiloters away.
He was headed for Sky Falling Cliff on the Bloody Plateau, located to the west of the Thousand Peak Abyss Forest.
He specifically took a detour, just in case.
Boom!
With a loud noise, Ji Xinghuo’s speed instantly reached 350 ters per second. On Earth, this would have exceeded the speed of sound, but in the Star Realm, the speed of sound was 1024 ters per second, so he hadn’t even reached subsonic speed.
Ji Xinghuo continued to accelerate. The air resistance in the Star Realm was greater, making acceleration not as easy as on Earth.
However, his Star Power had now surpassed 26,000 points, his magnetic flight speed rose with the tide, and with the enhancent of the Sky-controlling Flying Shoes, he quickly broke through his own cruising speed limit, becoming faster and faster until he broke through 1024 ters per second.
With a rumble,
Ji Xinghuo finally entered supersonic flight in the Star Realm, streaking a huge arc across the sky. After flying out of the Earth-controlled territories, he turned westwards.
Star Power rapidly depleted while simultaneously stabilizing and recovering.
Pushing himself almost to the limit, Ji Xinghuo maintained supersonic speed and entered the Bloody Plateau in just over six hours.
Then, he continued to fly for nearly two more hours.
As his Star Power was about to run out, Ji Xinghuo saw a massive table-shaped mountain on the horizon ahead, with a magnificent city built atop it.
Sky Falling Cliff had arrived!
Ji Xinghuo checked the ti, rested for half an hour near Sky Falling Cliff to recover most of his Star Power, and then calmly flew up. Upon arriving, he revealed the Sky Fall Order to the Snow Ape Tribe.
Moving with familiar ease, Ji Xinghuo entered the tribe and t with Chieftain Han Qiu.
"Honored guest, long ti no see,"
The over six-ter-tall Han Qiu greeted him with a smile, his long white fur making him resemble a mound as he stood there, unchanged.
"Chieftain Han Qiu, I wish to see the Void Spirit elder," Ji Xinghuo said respectfully.
"Please wait,"
Han Qiu imdiately took out a Star Connection Device and sent a ssage.
As the two exchanged pleasantries for a mont, Ji Xinghuo suddenly felt a vast will descend upon him, sweeping through his body, and then a benevolent voice spoke in his mind, "It seems you have an urgent matter today?"
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