Ji Xinghuo was speechless.
But as a man himself, to say he wasn’t envious at all would be a lie.
Xia Qingyu’s skill in sweet-talking women was the most impressive he had ever seen. If he could learn a few tricks from him and try them out with Man Ying and Sister Ren, perhaps it might work wonders?
As Ji Xinghuo hesitated about how to broach the subject, Xia Qingyu suddenly changed the topic, "You little rascal, you’ve been holding back a trick or two!"
"What?" Ji Xinghuo didn’t understand at first.
"I’ve seen Misha’s strength. In a head-on fight, even I would be slightly intimidated, especially when she gets angry—I could only temporarily dodge her sharp edge." Xia Qingyu sized up Ji Xinghuo as if trying to see through him. "And yet this afternoon, when she came looking for you, you knocked her down in one encounter!"
Ji Xinghuo spread his hands, "Maybe she didn’t use her full strength."
"Do you think I’m a three-year-old?" Xia Qingyu obviously didn’t buy it. "Angry women fight with no restraint or measure, how could she have held back?"
Ji Xinghuo didn’t know what to say.
"I even asked Misha specifically. She said you were very strong, much more powerful than any Fourth Rank transcendent she has ever met, and she was not your match at all."
"Your strength is larger than hers; your combat skills are better than hers.
"And you’ve mastered Lightning!"
The more Xia Qingyu spoke, the more astonished he became, suddenly furrowing his brow, "Are you really just an Advanced Mutant? I’m beginning to doubt whether you’re even my son."
Although he had already realized that Ji Xinghuo’s achievement of reaching the Advanced Mutant level in just two years and coming alone to the Bloody Plateau was no simple feat, knocking down the formidable Misha in a single hit was entirely beyond his imagination.
Ji Xinghuo suddenly laughed, "You said your power could be ranked within the top thousand of the ladder?"
"Yes, what about it?" Xia Qingyu didn’t understand.
"My ladder ranking is forty-nine."
Xia Qingyu’s eyes bulged, "Really? Aren’t you just an Advanced Mutant, how can you rank so high?" He hadn’t returned to Earth for a few years but was familiar with the ladder; he remembered that it was very rare for Advanced Mutants to be within the top fifty, let alone the top five hundred.
"I’m not the first." Ji Xinghuo smiled, "Before me, there was already an Advanced Mutant at rank twenty-three on the ladder, and now she is ranked first."
"Who is so incredible?" Xia Qingyu found it hard to believe.
"Zhao Manying." Ji Xinghuo answered, "You haven’t been back to Earth in five years, so you definitely don’t know her. She is known as ’the greatest prodigy of our time,’ ’the pride of the century.’ She received the title of Martial Arts Grandmaster at 18, advanced to Super Mutant at 22, led her team to two consecutive championships in the Super League, and three consecutive international tournament victories, with the prospect of advancing to Legendary before the age of 30."
He briefly summarized Zhao Manying’s achievements and stories.
"There’s such an incredible talent on Earth!" Xia Qingyu was astonished, but then he came to his senses, "What does that have to do with you?"
Ji Xinghuo replied, "I defeated her."
Xia Qingyu had just taken a sip of water and immediately sprayed it out.
He stared intensely at Ji Xinghuo, then suddenly laughed, "You little guy! I thought you were an honest man, a bit old-fashioned, but it turns out you also like to brag, and you do it better than I do."
"Heh heh..." Ji Xinghuo laughed and remained silent.
Xia Qingyu’s smile gradually faded, "Is everything you said true?" Ji Xinghuo didn’t answer, but Xia Qingyu had guessed the answer.
"Damn!" Xia Qingyu let out another exclamation, full of shock and awe, unable to help himself from confirming, "Are you really my son?"
"No." Ji Xinghuo was getting annoyed by the question.
"Hey hey hey, don’t be angry, haha, I’m just joking." Xia Qingyu quickly explained, "I really didn’t expect that the accidental son I had could be a peerless genius! I’m not trying to bask in your glory, just finding it miraculous and hard to believe."
Ji Xinghuo nodded. He had intentionally displayed some of his abilities in order to get Xia Qingyu to cooperate and help him.
He didn’t continue on this topic and asked, "If I want to join the Blood Fury Tribe’s war, what channel should I go through, to accept their employment?"
Xia Qingyu said, "But you’re just one person, and a human at that. With no reputation at Sky Falling Cliff, it’s unlikely that the Blood Fury Tribe would hire you. Besides, those followers of the Red Emperor are madmen; they could turn on you in an instant. They might speak nicely to you on the surface, but all of a sudden they can swing an axe at you, using your blood as a sacrifice to the Red Emperor. It’s very dangerous for aliens to interact with them."
Ji Xinghuo pondered in his heart.
He didn’t necessarily have to join a specific side in the war, as long as he was on the battlefield.
Within a kilometer, he could obtain Spiritual Origin Ability.
However, within the Blood Fury Tribe there were definitely Heavenly King Level powerhouses, and not just a few. If he approached the battlefield stealthily and was discovered, it would be dangerous.
Joining a side temporarily, even if it was dangerous, was safer than being considered an enemy by both sides on the battlefield.
Entering the battlefield, he also had the chance to obtain a Red Emperor Blood Crystal.
"Do you have any good suggestions?" Ji Xinghuo asked, "It would be best if I could join the Blood Fury Tribe and be employed by them."
Xia Qingyu seemed puzzled, "Do you really have to go?"
"Yes, I want to take a chance to acquire a Red Emperor Blood Crystal," Ji Xinghuo said half-truthfully, "After fusing with another Alien Species, I’m preparing to advance to a Super Mutant."
Xia Qingyu was amazed and thought for a moment before saying, "The method is actually quite simple, just find a Highlander to take you there."
Ji Xinghuo immediately thought of Misha, "What’s the deal with Misha today, isn’t she a follower of the Red Emperor?"
Xia Qingyu’s attitude was noticeably different from before.
He replied earnestly, "Not all Highlanders worship the Red Emperor; some venerate other Star Gods. Misha comes from the Black Eyes Tribe in the central part of the Bloody Plateau, this branch of Highlanders worships the Dragon of the End."
Ji Xinghuo had previously heard of the Dragon of the End.
This was a Star God with a formidable reputation in the Star Realm, and although not among the four supreme Star Gods and a notch below them, the terrifying renown of the Dragon of the End was no less.
Legend has it that the Dragon of the End had been in slumber for tens of millions of years.
In the distant future, when it would awake, it would use its destructive power to lay waste to the Star Realm and end the civilization of the entire Milky Way.
The followers of the Dragon of the End were also numerous, particularly mainstream in the True Dragon Dynasty.
They called themselves the Destruction Sect, akin to a state religion!
The Bloody Plateau neighbored the True Dragon Dynasty, and the plateau was home to many wild dragons. Many peak lakes housed Dragon Nests, and those who failed to inherit a dragon from their family among the True Dragon people, many would come to the Bloody Plateau to try to tame a wild dragon and ascend to a Dragon Lord.
Therefore, it wasn’t strange to find followers of the Dragon of the End on the plateau.
Ji Xinghuo asked, "Can Misha take me into the Blood Fury Tribe?"
"If she’s willing, there shouldn’t be a problem," Xia Qingyu said with a troubled look, "but the problem is I have to ask her."
Ji Xinghuo was somewhat puzzled, "Asking for a favor in exchange for a reward is very normal, isn’t it? I can pay."
"You don’t understand."
Xia Qingyu shook his head, "Once you ask a woman for a favor, whether she does it or not, she’ll hold it over you for a lifetime. When she’s angry, she’ll bring it up; when she’s happy, she’ll bring it up; in bed, she’ll bring it up, annoying you constantly. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, never ask a woman for a favor."
"Then I’ll go talk to Misha myself," Ji Xinghuo didn’t want to trouble him, "Just tell me her address."
"Nevermind, for your sake, I’ll go through the trouble just this once," Xia Qingyu stood up, "I’ll go find her."
With that, he went out the door.
Before long, Xia Qingyu returned, bringing Misha with him.
Ji Xinghuo cast an inquiring look, and Xia Qingyu nodded and then shook his head, leaving Ji Xinghuo confused about what he meant.
The tall and robust Misha entered, curiously observing Ji Xinghuo and said, "Dog man has already told me, I can take you to join the Blood Fury Tribe, but there’s one condition."
Misha replied, "I also want a Red Emperor Blood Crystal, if we get one, you must give it to me first."