Chapter 96: Climbing the Ranks

The Dragon Falcon Bow’s arrow speed can reach 275 meters per second. With silent arrows and the bow’s wind-breaking effect, it can go even faster, breaking 300 meters per second.

Five arrows made no sound.

Like five ghostly flashes of lightning, they quietly zipped across the sky.

Ji Xinghuo’s first arrow didn’t aim directly at the Fish Bat Dragon or the Da Guan people. Instead, he calculated the lead time and shot ahead of their flight path.

By the time he shot the third arrow, the first had already hit the target.

The last Fish Bat Dragon in the flight squad was oblivious to the danger approaching. The silent arrow entered its cloaca, penetrating its body.

The skin of the Fish Bat Dragon is very tough. The Da Guan people even crafted lightweight armor for them, which regular arrows can’t damage. There aren’t many weak spots.

Only the eyes and the cloaca.

These spots are not very large, and it’s rare to hit them during high-altitude flight. However, in Ji Xinghuo’s eyes, as long as they’re exposed, the hit rate is 100%.

The eyes of the Fish Bat Dragon widened instantly, it opened its mouth to roar but no sound came out.

Agonizing pain caused it to roll wildly in the air, throwing off the Da Guan and Golo Krak on its back, then plummeting towards the ground.

The Da Guan screamed in silence, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Then, he saw the Fish Bat Dragon ahead of him, one after another going mad, throwing their riders off, writhing and rolling in mid-air, spewing blood from their mouths, their wings and claws flailing as if grasping for life, but they just kept falling.

“Enemy attack!”

The Da Guan people shouted, yet failed to spot the enemy.

They too spun in mid-air, unable to control their bodies. Their training kept them from panicking as they found opportunities to regain balance and deployed their parachutes.

Ten Golo Krak also spread their membranous wings, gliding around the Da Guan people, trying to locate the enemy.

They didn’t realize that being so high up made them targets.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh…

Sounds of arrows piercing the air arose.

This time, it wasn’t silent arrows but regular titanium-aluminum alloy arrows that shot like lightning, precisely striking the North Luo Master Clan members under the dark starlit sky.

The last Da Guan heard the sound but didn’t react in time, struck through the head.

The next second it was another.

Every second, an arrow flew, taking the life of a Da Guan.

The furthest Da Guan finally spotted Ji Xinghuo in the great tree. However, being in the air without the ability to fly and with parachutes hindering their movement, they could do nothing.

Five third-tier Da Guan were gone in a blink.

The remaining Golo Krak desperately fled, but they are only skilled at low-altitude flying. Buffeted by strong winds at high altitudes, they struggled to control their flight attitude and couldn’t speed up.

After a series of screams, ten Golo Krak also became falling corpses.

Only then did the Fish Bat Dragon reach the ground, its massive body crashing into the forest with a dull thud.

Ji Xinghuo leapt_from the treetop and rushed to the crash site.

He didn’t bother with the crushed Fish Bat Dragon but quickly harvested the corpses of the Da Guan and Golo Krak, seizing their loot before fleeing.

Less than five minutes after Ji Xinghuo left, two Fish Bat Dragon patrol teams arrived, led by a very tall Legendary Da Guan. Seeing the dead Fish Bat Dragon and their scalped tribesmen, rage nearly burst from the eyes of this legendary powerhouse.

However, it was already dark, impossible to find the perpetrator.

“Chop down that tree!”

The Legendary Da Guan, guessing the course of the attack, angrily ordered to cut down the tree Ji Xinghuo had used to conceal himself, having no other recourse.

Several kilometers away.

Ji Xinghuo looked at the Wanxiang Star Pupils interface, noting that hunting this patrol squadron garnered more spiritual source energy than expected.

Killing Fish Bat Dragons also yielded spiritual source energy, averaging three points each.

The Da Guan and Golo Krak of the flying patrol team, being third or second tier, provided 60 points altogether when wiped out—double what a regular patrol team would give!

Ji Xinghuo invested it all into the Rotating Magnetic Field.

【Ability: Rotating Magnetic Field (Level 2: 342/1699)】

The sensing range of the magnetic field has now passed 900 meters, stretching towards one kilometer. His strength, speed, burst power, and healing rate have all improved significantly with the progress of the Rotating Magnetic Field.

Getting stronger every day!

Ji Xinghuo reveled in this sensation.

But he didn’t act recklessly, instead sneaking back to the human defense line where he rested for over an hour before continuing his hunt.

The heat of the star realm’s season was drawing to a close, nights growing ever longer.

Now, the starlit night lasted over twenty hours while the darkness spanned just over four hours.

Next month, with the transition from the “Flame Moon” to “Abundant Moon,” the duration of night would shrink further until reaching zero with no darkness, then moving into the cold season the next day.

Ji Xinghuo made full use of the extended starlit nights, taking down two more patrol teams that evening, though with reduced efficiency.

He acted out of caution.

Each patrol was now on guard, and Ji Xinghuo learned that some teams harbored masters, clearly aiming to catch him.

Before striking, he conducted thorough reconnaissance.

After a successful hunt, he would immediately change locations, never hunting in the same spot within an expansive 2,000-kilometer wide and a few hundred kilometers wide defense line; finding one person was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

Ji Xinghuo didn’t limit his targets to patrol teams.

While looking for prey, he sometimes came across small sentry groups or lone enemy bounty hunters, which he would also kill on the spot.

Among these lone enemies, some were traps—disguised as legendary powerhouses.

However, their true nature was revealed under the magnetic field’s sensing.

Ji Xinghuo would retreat immediately upon sensing something amiss, never engaging with those of high magnetic field intensity.

Several times, he noticed someone tracking him and decisively retreated back to the human defensive line.

By dawn, Ji Xinghuo returned to the Midpoint Fortress.

Due to his extensive hunting area and distance, he missed the first city gate opening upon arrival and had to wait half an hour to enter. When he reached the bounty hall, only a handful of bounty hunters remained to collect their rewards.

The bounty hunters eyed Ji Xinghuo as he approached.

“I knew he wouldn’t die that easily,” one hunter whispered to a teammate.

Others wore unusual expressions.

Ji Xinghuo guessed right away—probably many bounty hunters thought he’d met with mishap since he didn’t return on time earlier that day.

“You first.”

The bounty hunter queuing graciously made way.

“Thank you.” Ji Xinghuo stepped_up to the counter, pulling a black bag from his backpack.

The staff took the bag, immediately feeling it was heavier than the day prior. After emptying it, over a hundred blood-soaked trophies piled into a small mountain on the counter.

The bounty hunters were stunned.

“Mr. Ji, your total bounty this time is 4.17 million, with 156 points,” the staff quickly accounted and respectfully announced.

“Okay,” nodded Ji Xinghuo.

Soon, more than four million in cash was handed to him, and he once more marveled at how easy earning money had become.

The envious eyes of the other bounty hunters followed him, but none dared to harbor any ill intentions. Dealing daily with a hunter who could take down over a hundred members of the North Luo Master Clan, his strength was likely enough to climb the Heavenly Ladder, on par with Jing Ji and Red Demon Aleksey.

With the money secured, Ji Xinghuo didn’t leave the bounty hall immediately.

Recognizing the situation, a staff member came over with a ladder, climbed up to the score board, erased the last dozen lines and rewrote them.

“35th place, Ji Xinghuo, 288 points.”

He made it to the list!

Ji Xinghuo, seeing his name up there, felt quite pleased.

Although just 35th place and only for this month at Midpoint Fortress, it was still an achievement. Just two days and he’d proven his strength.

And his ranking would continue to rise quickly.

Satisfied, Ji Xinghuo nodded before leaving the bounty hall.

After a few hours of sleep in a random inn, well-fed and having fed Qinghong a few roasted chickens, he once more set out on his hunting journey.

In the following days, Ji Xinghuo started climbing the ranks.

Although the defenses of the North Luo Master Clan reduced his hunting efficiency, he still managed to consistently turn in a batch of trophies daily.

Sometimes over a hundred, sometimes just sixty or seventy.

Never did his bounty fall below two million.

His points steadily increased.

Day by day, Ji Xinghuo’s rank on the monthly scoreboard climbed—28th, 23rd, 14th… Within five days, he rose to third place, only behind Jing Ji and Red Demon Aleksey.

However, this ranking didn’t last long.

Just a few days later, Ji Xinghuo’s points surpassed the other two, bringing him to first place!

Ji Xinghuo’s name spread throughout Midpoint Fortress; bounty hunters and military personnel knew a formidable new figure had arrived, hunting the North Luo Master Clan daily.

Generals from various countries at the fortress also heard of him.

Early morning.

As usual, Ji Xinghuo returned to Midpoint Fortress, waiting for the city gate to open as surrounding bounty hunters cast admiring glances his way.

Just like the day he first arrived, the way bounty hunters looked at “Red Demon” Aleksey, he became the center of attention wherever he went.

When he first became famous, some approached to chat.

Now, other bounty hunters mostly showed fear and other emotions, keeping their distance.

Ji Xinghuo was used to it by now.

After entering, he went to the bounty hall to turn in his trophies. Today’s haul was modest with just over eighty, both the bounty and points less than usual. Hunting was becoming increasingly difficult; he had to be cautious all the time, facing traps at every turn.

Ji Xinghuo was unharmed, skillfully avoiding every threat, but other bounty hunters suffered.

This was why they distanced themselves from him.

Already, many bounty hunters had died, and when the enemy’s powerhouses couldn’t find him, they took out their frustrations on them. Many bounty hunters now feared venturing out.

Ji Xinghuo felt no guilt.

After receiving his bounty, he lingered in the bounty hall for a moment. The most prominent spot on the score board read: “First place, Ji Xinghuo, 1245 points.”

Second place, Jing Ji, 890 points.

Third place, Aleksey, 876 points.

These were yesterday’s scores; today hadn’t been updated yet. With the points just earned, Ji Xinghuo’s lead would widen even more.

Leaving the bounty hall, many recognized him on the street, turning heads as he passed.

Back in his room at the inn, Ji Xinghuo opened the interface.

【Ability: Rotating Magnetic Field (Level 2: 1658/1699)】

【Spiritual Source Energy: 72】

Ji Xinghuo invested all the spiritual source energy he’d accumulated into the Rotating Magnetic Field. Finally, his most vital core ability was about to upgrade!