Chapter 327: Divine Technique and Alliance

Starlight shifted, and Xu Jin and Ji Hongli clasped hands as they fell into the Spring Thunder Star Domain; during the descent, they felt an irresistible spatial force trying to tear them apart.

But the Passage Jade Tablet clutched in both their hands simultaneously emitted spatial ripples that enveloped them, resisting this spatial force and keeping them together.

This filled Xu Jin with great astonishment.

This was another major advantage of the Numinous Palace.

Because the space-attuned Passage Jade Tablet was also produced by the Numinous Palace.

Unfortunately, its price was too high to be widely issued to the army; otherwise, thousands holding space-passage jade tablets could storm a target star domain and gain strategic superiority.

After landing, they saw a range of emerald mountains, while the sky above was thick with dark clouds.

This was characteristic of the Spring Thunder Star Domain—thunderclouds blanketed it year-round.

Almost simultaneously, Xu Jin's Lei Yuanxing Pattern and the Lei Ling Heart within the Zhongxing Palace both became active.

Within the fifth-rank Spring Thunder Star Domain, there were primarily three forces: Wood, Water, and Thunder; Thunder dominated, and of the three known sovereigns, two excelled in Thunder energy.

They were the Lei Ling Clan and the Lei Ying Clan; the third was the Shui Ling Clan.

The instant they landed, the Thunder celestial-star will Xu Jin had previously refined from the Spring Thunder Star Domain stirred to life; in an instant, he felt utterly fused with this realm, while Ji Hongli's aura became distinctly clear in his perception.

Activating the five Mingji Star Patterns in rotation, he sensed no alien life within three hundred and fifty meters, yet boundless vitality surged—especially abundant Water-star force.

Xu Jin wondered if they had landed within the territory of the Shui Ling Clan.

Beside him, Ji Hongli in a crimson battle skirt held a spear in one hand, her face tense, eyes alert, slightly nervous.

Though Ji Hongli spoke confidently before Xu Jin, this was her first time entering a fifth-rank star domain—she had never even entered a fourth-rank one; to claim she wasn't nervous would be false.

But when Xu Jin looked at her, she immediately forced a casual demeanor.

This look made Xu Jin smile.

His Mingji Star Patterns had long sensed Ji Hongli's inner and outer tension.

Yet now she pretended to be relaxed.

It was rather endearing.

Keeping her by his side wasn't bad.

Xu Jin directly handed her seven Star Emblems. "Keep these for your survival."

"I have my own!"

Ji Hongli stubbornly said, "I even have sixth-rank ones!"

Xu Jin firmly seized her hand and forcefully pressed the seven emblems into it. "If you refuse to follow my orders during combat, go back home—to Wan Yi!"

His tone was harsh.

Ji Hongli was startled by Xu Jin's sudden ferocity, eyes wide, lips bitten, nodding slightly.

Xu Jin realized he'd been too harsh and felt a pang of guilt. "When you fought alongside your legendary hero, did you obey every word he said?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then fine—I won't interfere otherwise. But when fighting with me, treat me as your legendary hero. Do exactly as I say. Understood?"

"But you're not him!" Ji Hongli stubbornly replied.

"During combat, you do exactly as I command. That's my only requirement. If you can't, I'll send you back to Wan Yi right now," Xu Jin said seriously.

"Understood."

"This emblem has slightly greater destructive power than a sixth-rank one. If you face a late-stage sixth-rank opponent and I'm not there, use it to survive. This one has sixth-rank power; these five are roughly equivalent to a mid-stage sixth-rank's full strike—use them when needed, don't hoard them.

Survival comes first. Understood?" Xu Jin instructed.

"Got it!" Ji Hongli bit her lip and nodded firmly.

Xu Jin gave Ji Hongli one sixth-rank upper-tier, one fifth-rank upper-tier, and five fifth-rank mid-tier emblems—all infused.

Combined with her own emblems, they should be sufficient.

As they walked through the forest, less than half an hour passed before Ji Hongli's value became evident: over a dozen fourth-rank Shui Ling, led by a fifth-rank Shui Ling, attacked.

Human decoy!

Xu Jin wanted to test Ji Hongli's true combat strength, so he held back, eliminating a few fourth-ranks before engaging in prolonged combat, observing her struggle against the fifth-rank and four fourth-ranks.

Yes, it was a struggle.

Facing a real mid-stage fifth-rank alien for the first time, Ji Hongli was flustered.

She merely relied on her sixth-rank upper-tier defensive star-armor, Golden Scale Armor, to endure.

But after brief disarray, Ji Hongli settled into her rhythm.

Enduring the mid-stage fifth-rank Shui Ling's assaults, she slew two fourth-rank aliens in succession.

From Xu Jin's perspective, with her current fourth-rank third-layer cultivation base, without that sixth-rank star-armor, she could at best match or slay a fourth-rank ninth-layer alien, barely withstand a fifth-rank early-stage alien.

But with that sixth-rank star-armor, she gained the power to slay fifth-rank aliens.

Against sixth-rank opponents, merely surviving was a stretch.

Still, it was impressive—the effect of a genius paired with wealth.

Moments later, Xu Jin struck—a single Po Sha technique—captured the mid-stage fifth-rank Shui Ling alive.

Wen Meng interrogated it.

Beside him, Ji Hongli stared, eyes wide, astonished at how Xu Jin effortlessly captured the fifth-rank Shui Ling who had battled her for half a quarter-hour.

That look, with its acute sensitivity, pleased Xu Jin deeply.

Though silent, it delivered maximum emotional value.

Soon, Xu Jin gained further intelligence.

Within the fifth-rank Spring Thunder Star Domain, there were three sovereigns: the Ice King, the Lei Ling King, and the Lei Ying King.

This surprised Xu Jin—where was the Wood sovereign?

Currently, they were within the Ice King's territory, just over sixteen hundred li away.

Xu Jin planned to strike directly at the Ice King's capital, using Ji Hongli as a super signal beacon to draw enemy fire away from the city while he infiltrated, concealed, assassinated the Ice King, then fled swiftly.

During flight, Xu Jin witnessed again Ji Hongli's wealth-powered gear—or rather, what the Ji family had lavished upon her.

Her boots were a sixth-rank star-armor, the Wind-Piercing Boots, a multi-directional speed-enhancing sixth-rank item that doubled her speed, plus a fifth-rank auxiliary star-armor, the Listening Wind Wings.

While flying swiftly, she could manifest a pair of Listening Wind Wings, boosting her speed another fifty percent.

"My grandfather said your combat prowess was extraordinary, feared I'd hold you back, so he prepared several rare star-artifacts for me. These Listening Wind Wings were taken from my eldest uncle.

These Wind-Piercing Boots were my grandfather's own—he gave them to me."

Ji Hongli's endless array of star-artifacts made Xu Jin glance at her several times; embarrassed, she offered this explanation.

Xu Jin sighed inwardly.

The Ji family had truly invested heavily in sending Ji Hongli to him—half her star-artifacts were taken straight from her elders.

Old Master Ji was ruthless in his decisiveness.

This bet was enormous.

With the two speed-enhancing star-artifacts, Ji Hongli could barely match Xu Jin's normal pace.

Along the way, they encountered several alien patrols; Xu Jin didn't rush to kill, instead letting Ji Hongli practice.

Her battlefield skills improved rapidly through trial.

One and a half hours later, Xu Jin and Ji Hongli reached just a hundred li from the Ice King's capital when suddenly two sixth-rank Shui Ling and one sixth-rank Mu Ling, accompanied by dozens of fifth-ranks, charged toward them.

This force made Xu Jin pause in surprise.

Both Mu Ling and Shui Ling present—had the Shui Ling Clan swallowed the Mu Ling Clan?

Then the Ice King might possess three celestial-star wills?

Could he have gained a measure of divine power?

That changed everything.

Extreme caution required.

The instant Xu Jin vanished, Ji Hongli turned pale with shock.

"Focus on defense and draw enemy attention. If you have spare capacity, assist me," Xu Jin's voice echoed in her mind, easing her nerves.

"One alien? A fourth-rank? Not two?" asked the lead Shui Ling, puzzled, but waved his hand, sending his twenty-plus fifth-ranks toward Ji Hongli.

Shhh!

A piercing sonic scream erupted.

But before the scream sounded, the head of a sixth-rank alien had already been shattered by a streak of fire.

Precisely: the sixth-rank alien's head was obliterated before the sonic boom occurred.

Liushuo!

A single strike of Star Liushuo at twentyfold star-force consumption—success!

Xu Jin had tested this tactic during his Gold Star Challenge and the Training Realm—it was perfect for ambushes.

Infiltrating within fifty meters, few could resist.

At twentyfold star-force consumption, twice his maximum speed, Xu Jin's velocity neared seven hundred meters per second—over twice the speed of sound.

Due to the sound barrier, he hadn't quite exceeded seven hundred meters per second as expected, but he was close.

Of course, he used the Moon Shadow Sword, a sixth-rank lower-tier star-weapon, as his blade. Had he used his bare body, he'd have shattered his own five-meter third-layer body.

The other two sixth-ranks and the twenty-plus fifth-ranks reacted swiftly.

After the sixth-rank Shui Ling fell, they instantly converged on Xu Jin, blasting him out of the void where he'd been vanishing.

Then they charged him.

In an instant, Xu Jin was surrounded.

Several hundred meters away, Ji Hongli moved at once.

Startling Dream!

Without hesitation, Xu Jin activated the Divine Soul Star Art: Startling Dream.

In the fourth-rank Training Realm, one must limit oneself to hone one's skills.

But here, Xu Jin had no need to restrain himself.

In an instant, the second sixth-rank enemy fell into brief paralysis, completely immobilized.

The Great Sun Star Art, built upon the foundation of Brilliant Purple Heavenly Fire, instantly concentrated into a single point and erupted repeatedly; blazing light exploded outward, and the sixth-rank alien, now immobilized, visibly crumbled into ash inch by inch.

But at the same moment, the third sixth-rank mid-stage alien and over a dozen fifth-rank aliens had already surrounded Xu Jin, many of them beginning to launch ranged attacks upon him.

Xu Jin was about to be engulfed in a desperate battle.

Suddenly, the grass on the ground surged wildly upward, while emerald-green light spiraled frenziedly skyward, instantly disrupting the dozen fifth-rank aliens and the sixth-rank alien.

Especially the concentrated fire from the dozen fifth-rank aliens was all abruptly interrupted by Ji Hongli.

Xu Jin had already raised the Fish Veil Golden Bell and activated his sixth-rank star artifact, Golden Scale Armor, preparing to endure the barrage—yet Ji Hongli delivered an unexpected surprise.

Do not miss the opportunity.

With a single beat of his wings, Xu Jin instantly surged within fifty meters of the third sixth-rank alien, unleashed Break Evil, and detonated the Great Sun Star Art once more; purple lightning followed suit, slamming directly down and blasting the sixth-rank mid-stage Water Spirit to the ground.

The Earth's Primordial Magnetism surged instantly into its body and exploded!

Primordial Magnetism Earth Burst!

In an instant, the third sixth-rank alien was shattered into fragments.

On the other side, Ji Hongli, surrounded by ten fifth-rank aliens, was already locked in a desperate battle.

Yet now that the three strongest sixth-rank aliens were eliminated, the remaining fifth-rank aliens posed no real threat to Xu Jin.

With Brilliant Purple Heavenly Fire at eighth-rank paired with the sixth-rank Star Art: Great Sun, he eliminated them one by one.

One-hit kills!

Less than three breaths, the battle ended.

Of course, Xu Jin left one alive.

Xu Jin interrogated the captive while Ji Hongli swiftly cleared the battlefield, gathering valuable loot—especially star cores.

But only two breaths later, Xu Jin frowned.

The Water Spirits had not devoured the Wood Spirits; rather, the Wood Spirits had willingly merged into the Water Spirits.

The exact reason, the captive did not know.

But the current Water Spirit clan was immensely powerful, boasting fourteen sixth-rank experts.

Just within Hanying Wangcheng, there were eight, and including the Hanying King, nine.

Currently, six sixth-rank aliens remained inside the city.

Even if Xu Jin attempted stealthy ambushes, the difficulty would be considerable—and extremely perilous.

Then, only the Seal could clear the way.

The two moved forward cautiously once more; when they neared Hanying Wangcheng within twenty li, Ji Hongli suddenly halted, listening intently.

Xu Jin was stunned.

Under the Mingji Star Pattern's sensing, he felt Ji Hongli's Wood Star Force surging wildly; within a radius of several meters centered on her, the flowers and grass swayed wildly, as if truly listening to something.

After several breaths, Ji Hongli returned to normal and looked at Xu Jin. "Senior Brother Qi, I just overheard something strange."

"What? Overheard?"

Ji Hongli hesitated, then said, "Senior Brother Qi, this ability comes from my Ji clan's unique Blood Star Patterns: Hundred Blossoms and Hundred Herbs. It allows me to hear sounds around plants and trees by borrowing their spirits. My grandfather warned me never to reveal it to others—but you are an exception."

"The more lush the vegetation, the more I hear; without plants or trees nearby, I hear very little."

Blood Star Pattern.

Xu Jin was stunned.

He had heard of it.

Among modern human cultivators, Blood Star Patterns are inherited, like the Star Tribes; once cultivation reaches a certain level, one awakens one to several Blood Star Patterns.

But they are exceedingly rare.

It is said those who awaken Blood Star Patterns possess ancient bloodlines.

He never imagined Ji Hongli possessed a Blood Star Pattern—and that the Ji clan carried an ancient bloodline.

"How far can you hear, at maximum?" Xu Jin asked.

"In lush vegetation, up to about forty li; in sparse areas, about twenty li," Ji Hongli replied.

"Does this ability remain constant, or can it be improved?" Xu Jin asked.

"It can be improved. The higher my cultivation base, the stronger the effect; the stronger my Divine Soul, the greater the effect. In the future, I can engrave more of this Blood Star Pattern to strengthen it," Ji Hongli said.

Xu Jin now understood why the Grand Preceptor had insisted he take Ji Hongli along—perhaps it was tied to this ability.

The Hundred Blossoms and Hundred Herbs Star Patterns—ignoring all else—just this ability to hear movements forty li away was a divine technique.

A divine reconnaissance and early-warning technique!

If further enhanced, expanding the listening range to sixty or even a hundred li, it would become a divine technique among divine techniques!

As Xu Jin knew, even eighth-rank cultivators had limited movement speed.

A hundred li required at least ten breaths at maximum speed, and few ever flew at such extremes routinely.

If deployed within a team, she would be the ultimate scout.

Moreover, Xu Jin had just witnessed Ji Hongli's combat support ability.

Her combat awareness was exceptional, and her support role was formidable.

All she needed to do was create a tiny opening—distract the target for a single instant—and Xu Jin could execute his ambush.

Crucially, she could multiply Xu Jin's kill efficiency.

In the future, if Ji Hongli learned Star Healing,

she would become an ultra-powerful scout-healer.

If so, Ji Hongli must be nurtured properly.

If cultivated well, one plus one could yield three or even four.

For a moment, countless thoughts surged through Xu Jin's mind.

"Senior Brother Qi, what are you thinking?" Ji Hongli asked, surprised.

"By the way, what strange thing did you hear?" Xu Jin asked.

"An alliance!"

"I just heard someone inside Hanying Wangcheng say the King would attend the alliance, and we two insignificant pests would be dealt with," Ji Hongli said.

"An alliance?"

Xu Jin's expression turned utterly astonished.

Alien tribes forming an alliance within the Star Domain?

How could that be possible!

All the alien tribes Xu Jin knew—including those he had encountered and those recorded in the Chen Guo Dao Academy's histories—had never spoken of alliances.

Each sought to crush the others' brains out, unify the Star Domain, and claim the title of Star Domain King—or even Star Domain God.

And now, an alliance had appeared?

This made Xu Jin instinctively sense something deeply suspicious.

"Listen again. Probe further!" Xu Jin ordered.

Ji Hongli nodded gently; the flowers and grass around her began to glow emerald green, each shimmering lush and vibrant, making her red robes appear even more delicate and charming. "Senior Brother Qi, I'm listening now."

Three breaths later, Ji Hongli's expression suddenly changed. "Senior Brother Qi, it's bad! The Hanying King inside just said he'll deal with us rats first before attending the alliance!"

"He says we humans are the most detestable, and if they fight, they'll use full force to kill us all at once!"

"He's already coming!"

The moment Ji Hongli and Xu Jin looked up, hundreds of streaks of light erupted from within Hanying Wangcheng.

Leading them were six sixth-rank cultivators!

The rest were all fifth-rank.

Xu Jin and Ji Hongli both paled.

(End of Chapter)