Fang Songhe first explained and then started Ji Xinghuo on practicing.
This was also one of the basics of Spiral Force, and for Ji Xinghuo, it posed no difficulty. Microscopic Perception and Third Level Star Force allowed him to control his Star Power to an unimaginably high degree. As long as he understood the principle, he could master it instantly.
In less than two hours, Ji Xinghuo had mastered the operation of Fermat’s spiral.
Next came the Fibonacci spiral, the equal-angle spiral, the hyperbolic spiral, the chain helix, and so on. From morning till evening, Ji Xinghuo learned faster and faster. Initially, it took two hours, but later he could master a type of spiral line in just over half an hour.
"Let’s stop here for today."
Fang Songhe was numb with surprise; it was his first time realizing that someone could master ten kinds of spiral lines in a single day.
It was something he wouldn’t even dare to dream of.
Yet his demeanor remained calm as he said, "What you learned today were two-dimensional spiral lines, which are basic and have the lowest difficulty. Once you have completely mastered them and are proficient, you will learn the three-dimensional helix, which will be several times more complex. You need to practice more when you go back."
"Yes, Senior Fang." Ji Xinghuo replied humbly.
Although they did not have a master-disciple relationship, Ji Xinghuo knew it was essential to show enough respect to someone willing to impart skills.
"We’ll continue tomorrow."
After saying this, Fang Songhe began to leave the Martial Arts Arena.
"Senior Fang." Ji Xinghuo called out to him, asking, "May I teach Spiral Force to others?"
"The master always disliked hoarding knowledge for oneself; as long as you have permission, you can teach whoever you like. However, if Spiral Force were so easy to learn, there wouldn’t be only a handful of martial artists who have mastered it." Fang Songhe smiled, casually asking, "Who do you want to teach?"
As he asked, he guessed the answer.
Although Fang Songhe was over a hundred years old, he was not an old fogey. He kept up with news and current events every day, having been online for over a hundred years; few people in the world had a longer internet history than him.
"If you want to teach Zhao Manying, then I agree."
"Thank you, Senior Fang."
Ji Xinghuo quickly expressed his gratitude.
When he started learning Spiral Force in the morning and understood its mathematical principles, he immediately thought of Zhao Manying. With her Quantum Mind, she was even more suitable for mastering Spiral Force than himself!
Fang Songhe nodded and then left.
Ji Xinghuo went to Zhou Yishang’s office and, sure enough, he hadn’t left work yet. Ji Xinghuo entered to express his gratitude.
Zhou Yishi waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "You are a Chi Xiao Knight, and the bureau will certainly take care of you, nurturing your growth. It just so happens that Senior Fang has been free recently, so I asked him to teach you Spiral Force to cover your weakness in offensive techniques. Study well."
"Yes, Director Zhou."
Ji Xinghuo felt grateful in his heart and made a mental note of the favor.
Riding his Light Wheel Motorbike away from the base, he sped off to Tianqin Sports Arena, picked up Zhao Manying, and took her to the restaurant they had reserved for dinner.
In the private room, the two of them enjoyed their sweet world for two.
"Xinghuo." Zhao Manying remembered something and said, "Today a general manager of a Class A club came to see me; she has a good relationship with me and asked me to invite you to join their club. Are you interested?"
"Which club is it?" Ji Xinghuo asked.
"Tianfu Panda People."
Ji Xinghuo had heard about this club; it was an old team in the national circuit and had been a member of the Super League for many years, but its performance had severely declined in recent years, demoting it to the Class A League.
In the Asia-Pacific Community Country, the professional leagues are divided into three levels: Super, Class A, and Class B.
Of course, the Super League is the hottest and has the strongest players.
The Class A League is significantly weaker because league rules stipulate that of the five competing mutants, only three can be Super Mutants, and the remaining two must be Advanced Mutants. The Class B League has even lower restrictions, with a five-person team composed of three Advanced Mutants and two Intermediate Mutants.
This rule was designed to give young talented mutants a chance to emerge.
Otherwise, no matter the league, the fields would be full of Super Mutants, and many talented individuals would have to wait many years before getting to play.
Most talents would be buried before getting a chance to shine.
That’s why Ji Xinghuo’s second older brother, Zhong Ming, who is an Intermediate Mutant, could join the Class B League.
He knew what the club was thinking.
As an advanced mutant, his strength far surpassed that of a super mutant, ranked forty-ninth on the ladder, and by participating, he would only occupy the spot for an advanced mutant, making him an unbeatable deal in terms of cost-effectiveness.
"Do you have any thoughts?" Zhao Manying asked with a smile, "Panda Club, in their drive to rise back to the Super League, is willing to go all out and is very sincere."
"What kind of sincerity?"
"They’ve offered you an annual salary of five hundred million, and you can sign for up to ten years," Zhao Manying answered, "Plus, there are additional terms for cooperation, all negotiable, as long as you’re willing."
Ji Xinghuo was momentarily stunned, then sighed, "They are indeed very sincere!"
Just this salary contract was staggering.
With Zhao Manying’s fame and strength, her current annual salary was also about five billion. The total of fifty billion Ya Yuan in salary could rank in the top five in the global professional leagues when it comes to the amount.
Plus, with other earnings like competition mutants’ income, championship bonuses, endorsements, and so on, it wouldn’t be hard to earn twenty to thirty billion in the next ten years.
Ji Xinghuo indeed felt a little tempted for a moment and seriously considered it.
Zhao Manying really hoped Ji Xinghuo would also become a competition mutant.
With his strength, he could quickly help the Panda Club return to the Super League, and then the two of them could have a fair and square bout on the field.
"Forget it." After giving it some thought, Ji Xinghuo finally shook his head and said, "Thank them for their kindness for me, but I don’t want to be a competition mutant."
Even though it meant a lot of money, which was more than most people could earn in ten lifetimes, in this era dominated by supernatural powers, money was just an added bonus to power.
The stronger one’s strength, the less valuable money became.
If at the beginning, he had nothing and needed money to aid him on the path of life’s evolution, becoming a competition mutant would be a good method.
But now, he no longer needed it.
Moreover, all competition mutants eventually have to venture into the Star Realm, unless one is content with stagnation, indulging in the pleasures of life and basking in the adoration of fans, foregoing greater possibilities on the evolutionary path.
If Ji Xinghuo were to go and become a competition mutant now, that would be backtracking.
"I knew you wouldn’t agree."
Zhao Manying shook her head with a sense of regret.
In fact, she had anticipated this outcome, so she wasn’t especially disappointed.
With a thoughtful expression on her face, she suddenly said, "In three years, when my contract expires, I’ll retire and join you on an adventure in the Star Realm."
"Isn’t that a bit hasty?" Ji Xinghuo was somewhat surprised.
Zhao Manying said, "It’s been almost two years since I advanced to super mutant. Three years from now, I will probably have reached my bottleneck for ascending to a legendary rank, without much room for improvement in strength. Continuing to fight in the club would only be a waste of time."
"What about your vendetta?" Ji Xinghuo asked in a low voice.
"If I can’t settle it in these three years, I’ll just find another path," Zhao Manying said somberly, "My priority is to ascend to legendary status, and if luck should have it, to become a Heavenly King and then seek vengeance against Shi Hongyi openly and honorably. After all, he will live for many more years; he won’t die anytime soon."
Ji Xinghuo nodded slightly.
Actually, he always thought this to be the most sensible path to revenge.
"I wish you an early ascension to legendary!" Ji Xinghuo raised his glass and smiled, "That way, I’ll have another powerful teammate."
Zhao Manying clinked glasses with him and drank it all in one gulp, her face slightly flushed, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she said, "Maybe you’ll advance to legendary before I do."
Ji Xinghuo laughed, reminded of the promise he had made with Ren Mian.
After dinner, the two strolled around the famous Sky Street in Chang’an, playing on the hanging corridor hundreds of meters above ground, connecting one skyscraper to another, appreciating the dazzling nightscape of Chang’an.
Back at the Weiyang Building, Ji Xinghuo visited Zhao Manying’s home.
In her home was a spacious cultivation room. Ji Xinghuo asked with a smile, "Are you interested in learning Spiral Force?"