Each time he opened the Wanxiang Star Pupil interface, Ji Xinghuo would see those three arrows, whether he wished to or not.
Because the three arrows were too conspicuous.
They were scattered around the outer edge of the information interface, two small and one large.
At first, Ji Xinghuo often paid attention to the movement of the arrows, especially the largest one. By tracking the subtle movements of the arrow, which synchronized with the day and night cycle of the Star Realm, he deduced that it pointed to a race with intelligence.
Latter, he found that the arrows only moved within a certain range.
He could sense the presence of the other party, but the other party could not.
There was also no sign of the other party moving towards him, so Ji Xinghuo stopped paying attention, and more than a year passed in the Star Realm without any issues.
When dawn broke, Ji Xinghuo had just returned to the Sword Valley Fortress after a hunt, and after washing up and just about to sleep, he habitually opened the Wanxiang Star Pupil interface and noticed that the largest arrow had clearly grown a bit larger!
He immediately lost all desire to sleep.
He kept the interface open, observing the changes in the arrows.
Two hours later, Ji Xinghuo confirmed that the arrows were indeed increasing in size, and it was continuous. He could feel a faint connection to the location the arrow pointed to, and as the arrow grew larger, this connection gradually became clearer.
Ji Xinghuo stood up, facing in the direction of the arrow, but he couldn’t determine the exact distance.
It might be just a few thousand kilometers away, or perhaps tens of thousands.
"Is it coming for me?"
Over the past year or more, the "person" the arrow pointed towards had always been active within a fixed area. If they could sense his existence, they would have come by now.
But one must always fear the unexpected.
After considering the situation, Ji Xinghuo immediately checked out of his hotel room and took an airship back to Olympia.
If the other party was indeed coming for him and he couldn’t assess the strength of the stranger, it was better to hide.
And Earth was undoubtedly the safest haven.
The only hope Ji Xinghuo had now was that the other party was not a terrifying existence like the Shepherd Star Saint that could threaten an entire planet.
Compared to that, facing the Sword Bureau back on Earth was a trivial matter.
More than four hours later, Ji Xinghuo returned to Olympia.
But he didn’t return to Earth through the Star Gate right away. Instead, he went back to his villa on Qinghao Street and continued to monitor the arrow’s movements.
For the entire day, the arrow pointing north kept growing larger and getting closer.
Not until late into the night did the other party stop moving.
"They must be resting."
Ji Xinghuo breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that the other party needed to rest indicated that they were still within the range of conventional intelligent beings, not one of those extraordinary powerhouses from a transcendent species.
The next day at dawn, the arrow started moving again.
For the next three days, the other party kept moving, with one Star Realm Day lasting 49.6 hours, and they traveled for more than 40 of those hours.
Ji Xinghuo almost didn’t do anything, his entire day spent watching the arrow.
The connection became clearer and clearer. Without concentrating, he could sense the position indicated by the arrow at any time, and based on its trajectory, he could now confirm that the target was not him—the direction of movement was southwest, and he was not on their path.
Only then did Ji Xinghuo start feeling relieved.
"As long as it’s not heading for me, that’s good," he thought to himself in relief, "It seems that the other party indeed can’t sense my existence."
That meant he didn’t have to go back to Earth.
Ji Xinghuo continued to observe.
However, by noon on the fourth day, the arrow’s movement suddenly stopped.
For the next few hours, all through the evening and the fifth day, the arrow did not move from its spot, only shifting within a very small area.
Ji Xinghuo peered with some curiosity in the direction of the arrow.
It used to be in the north, but now it had changed to west-northwest.
"If I remember correctly, that seems to be the direction of Yunxiao City," Ji Xinghuo said, spreading out a map of the Thousand Peak Abyss Forest on the table.
The map was very simple. Aside from the detailed territories of Earth’s human forces, there was little information about other areas. The territory of the Beiluo Shimen Clan lay to the east, some alien species were marked in select locations, and the remainder was the Sky Feather Royal Court’s Floating City.
The most striking feature was the city northwest of Olympia, named Yunxiao City.
Yunxiao City is the largest city in the Thousand Peak Abyss Forest and the most important city of the Sky Feather Royal Court, as it is where the "Queen Ayu" resides.
The name Yunxiao City is translated from the language of the Sky Clan.
Within the Sky Clan, it has another name: Sky City!
Many mutants from Earth had visited Yunxiao City, about twelve thousand kilometers from Olympia, along a long journey passing through many cities and tribes of the Star Realm alien races.
Ji Xinghuo stepped out of the room and looked toward the northwest.
He was more than ninety percent sure that the direction of the arrow was pointing directly at Yunxiao City.
Ji Xinghuo hesitated.
From his estimation, the thing with which he had formed a distant connection was very likely a part of the Wanxiang Star Pupil. When he fused with the Wanxiang Star Pupil initially, its core was incomplete, yet it had already displayed mythic powers. Even a fragment of it would be an supreme treasure.
If the other party also had a fragment of the Wanxiang Star Pupil and could sense his Wanxiang Star Pupil, they should have come to him by now.
The stronger the other party’s strength, the quicker they would arrive.
But no one had come yet, which indicated one thing, that the other party didn’t know about his existence. Alternatively, there was a very small chance that, like him, the other party lacked the strength and didn’t dare to come.
If it was the latter, then there was nothing to fear.
Having clarified his logic, Ji Xinghuo decided to give it a try.
This was the closest the other party had ever been to him, a rare opportunity. Even if he couldn’t obtain a fragment of the Wanxiang Star Pupil, gathering some information would still be useful.
If the situation didn’t feel right, he would immediately return.
However, Yunxiao City was too far away.
He had to get there as quickly as possible. If he relied solely on running over land, it would take an entire Star Realm Month. By the time he got there, the other party might have already left Yunxiao City.
Ji Xinghuo immediately left home and entered a nearby horse shop, asking bluntly, "Manager, do you sell flying mounts here?"
The horse shop was backed by the powerful Beast Taming Company. In addition to their rental services, they also sold various mounts.
The most expensive of these were the flying mounts.
They were akin to top-of-the-line sports cars on Earth, with prices often reaching several million Ya Yuan, or even higher.
The manager’s face lit up with joy at the question, sensing a big sale.
"Of course, we do," he replied at once. "Sir, may I ask which kind of flying mount you are interested in?"
"One with good endurance and fast speed," Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment then added, "I don’t need it to be combat-capable. I just need it purely for traveling, preferably one that can fly high for safety."
The manager, almost without thinking, suggested with a smile, "Then I recommend you purchase a Silver Winged Pegasus. It has an average flying speed of 80 kilometers per hour and can fly continuously for over four hours. After resting for an hour and replenishing food and water, it can take off again. It can fly for up to thirty-two hours in a single day, ensuring both endurance and speed."
Ji Xinghuo had seen Silver Winged Pegasi before.
This type of flying mount indeed met his requirements, with an elegant appearance, docile nature, non-fussy eating habits, and superior flying skills that made for comfortable riding.
The only drawback was its weak combat capabilities.
However, Ji Xinghuo didn’t want the mount for combat; it was only to get him to Yunxiao City as fast as possible.
"How much for a Silver Winged Pegasus?"
"Six million Ya Yuan."
Ji Xinghuo didn’t haggle. The price was about what he expected. He asked, "Can I get the mount today?"
"That’s a bit difficult..."
The manager could see the customer was in a hurry and didn’t care about the price. He was about to feign difficulty to justify a higher price when he noticed Ji Xinghuo’s displeasure, suggesting he might leave without a purchase.
Hurriedly, the manager said, "Sir, please pay a deposit of one million Ya Yuan, and you can have your Silver Winged Pegasus in two hours."
Without another word, Ji Xinghuo took out one million Ya Yuan in cash from his backpack and handed it to the manager.
"Please expedite it."
He left the horse shop, toured the nearby stores, bought many supplies including arrows, dry food, and potions, among other potentially necessary items, and placed them all in his Dimension Stomach.
Upon his return to the horse shop, the manager greeted him cordially, "Sir, your Silver Winged Pegasus has arrived."
Ji Xinghuo followed him to the stable at the back and saw a majestic and handsome Pegasus. It had a greyish-black coat and white wings that spanned over four meters when unfurled, a strong and robust body, a neatly trimmed and flowing mane, and bright, spirited eyes that seemed almost intelligent.
The saddle was already fitted on the horse’s back, and there was a set of form-fitting horse armor covering its body and neck.
"Remove the horse armor," Ji Xinghuo said.
Although the armor offered extra protection, it was not light and would increase the Pegasus’s fatigue, so it was unnecessary.
The manager did as instructed.
Ji Xinghuo approached and gently stroked the Pegasus’s head to show his goodwill.
The Pegasus, having been rigorously trained, was already familiar with humans. Ji Xinghuo fed it a few handfuls of feed, and it quickly grew more affectionate towards him.
Seeing that they were sufficiently acquainted, Ji Xinghuo mounted it.
Riding the Pegasus wasn’t much different from riding a regular horse. With a light squeeze of its flanks, the Pegasus understood his command and left the stable. Then, after a few running steps on the ground, it spread its wings by its sides, gave a powerful flap, and soared into the sky amid the gusting wind.
Its large and powerful wings flapped up and down, its hooves treading on air as it rose higher and higher from the ground, revealing the entirety of Olympia below.
A hook lock on Ji Xinghuo’s waist was fastened to the saddle to prevent falling.
However, he sat steadily in the saddle. He was a bit nervous at first, as it was his first time on a flying mount, but he swiftly grew accustomed to it.
Even if he did fall from the saddle, he was prepared with a parachute in his Dimension Stomach, so he wouldn’t die from the fall.
Ji Xinghuo steered the Silver Winged Pegasus in loops above Olympia until he was completely comfortable with it, then descended back to the horse shop.
He was quite pleased with the Silver Winged Pegasus and promptly paid the remaining amount.
Then he mounted the Pegasus again and took off into the air.
This time, Ji Xinghuo didn’t return to his villa but directed the Silver Winged Pegasus northwest from Olympia, soon disappearing into the horizon.