Going South to Jiangnan

After staying a few days in Kyoto Base City and meeting with old friends, Ji Yun flew directly out of the base city.

Ji Yun first went to the Jinmen War Base to see Lu Xiangsheng. When they met again, the young general's hair had already lost its gray, and he looked quite robust. Over the past six months, the Jinnan Military Region had not encountered any major beast tides, at most a few Lord Rank monsters leading attacks, none of which were high-level Lords.

As a high-ranking military figure, Lu Xiangsheng naturally knew that Ji Yun was already a Councilor-level powerhouse. After notifying the commander, he dared not show any neglect.

Taking this opportunity, Ji Yun also wanted to spar with the King Rank monster in Bohai Bay. That King Rank monster in Bohai Bay corresponded to a Planetary Level second-stage human warrior, with strength at the level of a decent Councilor. However, if it were in the sea, it could easily contend with a Planetary Level third-stage warrior.

"Councilor, you mean you want to go after that King Rank monster?" Hearing Ji Yun's intention, the military region commander was greatly alarmed.

"Years ago, that King Rank monster attacked the War Base and retreated after a fierce battle with Councilor Jia Yi. Although the King Rank monster was suppressed by Councilor Jia Yi, you've just broken through—isn't this too dangerous?"

His concern was not unfounded. Every Councilor was a pinnacle force in humanity's fight against monsters, and losing even one would be a tremendous loss.

"No matter. I am confident I can retreat unscathed."

Among Planetary Level warriors with a Domain, they were hailed as invincible at that stage. Although Ji Yun was only Planetary Level first-stage, even ordinary Planetary Level fourth- or fifth-stage warriors were no match for him. Only Thor and Hong could suppress Ji Yun.

Hong and Thor's strength actually surpassed that of the two Beast Emperors, but they simply couldn't kill them in the water.

"This..." The commander wanted to persist.

"Just an ordinary King Rank monster." Ji Yun said, then flew straight out of the War Base. His dark cyan robe transformed into a black Combat Suit, and he held a dark cyan spear with a hint of blood red at its tip.

"Flying in the air—truly a Councilor-level powerhouse."

The senior officers in the military region let out sighs of awe. Though they had already heard the news, seeing it with their own eyes was different. A Councilor-level powerhouse at just nineteen years old was still too shocking to believe.

Over the vast sea, the waves shimmered. The morning sun's rays dispelled the mist, offering a fairly clear view.

The wind flowed through both water and air, guiding Ji Yun toward the direction of this King Rank monster.

Flying monsters continuously attacked Ji Yun, but before they could get close, they were torn to shreds by the wind. Their corpses fell onto the sea surface, attracting a swarm of other monsters.

"According to the military region's data, this is a King Rank Mountain-Quaking Whale, a major overlord in the coastal waters." After a few minutes of reckless flight, Ji Yun arrived near the monster.

"This should be the place." Ji Yun slowly descended in the air until he was only a few dozen meters above the sea surface. At this height, he wouldn't be caught off guard by a sudden attack from the Mountain-Quaking Whale, yet he could still observe its appearance in time.

Before long, "Roar!"

A roar that seemed to tear at the eardrums came from the sea. The surface suddenly churned violently, and in an instant, a whale with sharp horns on its head burst upward from beneath Ji Yun, as if trying to swallow him whole.

"Whoosh!"

Ji Yun was already on guard. The moment the whale was still in the water, he instantly pulled up his altitude and flew into the sky.

The whale's attack failed. Its hundred-meter-long body floated on the surface, its massive eyes fixed on Ji Yun with murderous intent. It couldn't forget that years ago, it had led monsters to attack the land, only to be severely wounded by a human powerhouse. It had been forced to flee to the depths of the ocean to recover, which had delayed its advancement.

This human, though young in appearance, could also fly, and his strength seemed considerable.

But being so young, his power couldn't be that great. King Rank monsters already had intelligence on par with humans. In fact, once they stepped into the Planetary Level, as long as they weren't plant-type lifeforms, animals would develop considerable intelligence.

The whale stared at Ji Yun for a moment, then suddenly shot out a water spout and dove back into the sea.

Ji Yun's eyes turned cold. "Then I'll go down."

He plummeted rapidly, releasing his Domain. With his spear tip pointing downward, a spinning tornado-like vortex formed within a hundred meters around him, stabbing straight into the water. The seawater swirled along with it, quickly forming an oceanic cyclone that churned the waters for kilometers around.

As expected, this cyclone would reach Kyoto Base City within a few hours.

"Boom!"

Ji Yun's Domain enveloped the whale.

"A monster barely at Planetary Level third-stage!" Ji Yun's gaze was fierce as he engaged the whale in direct combat!

Hours later, a figure burst out from the seawater. The black Combat Suit transformed back into a dark cyan robe.

Seawater indeed imposed great restrictions on human warriors. Coupled with Ji Yun's lack of proficiency in using his Domain, he had actually let the Mountain-Quaking Whale escape.

"The Wind Domain should excel at speed, yet I was blindly pursuing cutting lethality." Ji Yun was frustrated. If he had used the Domain to restrain the whale, he could have killed it. But he had overlooked this, and combined with the whale's special abilities, it had gotten away.

"Still, although I didn't gain any materials this time, my understanding of the Domain has deepened." Previously, Ji Yun only knew how to use the Domain for collision. Now, he could skillfully employ it in battle, including fine control within the Domain.

"It's getting late. Time to head to Jiangnan Base City." Ji Yun glanced at his electronic watch, then turned and flew inland.

A day to take in all the sights of Jiangnan, half a moment to surpass many hours.

Even modern trains could cover this distance in just over a day, let alone a Councilor-level Ji Yun.

Along the way, he passed many desolate cities, witnessing much.

These ruined, barren cities had become what warriors called the Wilderness Zone. But Ji Yun knew that decades ago, these places were bustling with life.

If you find this book enjoyable, to avoid losing it next time, please remember to add it to your bookshelf.

As his permissions increased, he could access many audio and video records, even things from before the Great Nirvana. Ji Yun could easily see the thriving splendor of pre-Great Nirvana China—nothing compared to humanity's current state, huddled inside base cities.

Moreover, the greatest threat now wasn't even these monsters, but rather the mysterious and powerful cosmic humans. No one knew when this beautiful yet weak native planet would be discovered. Perhaps it would be found by some cosmic nation, allowing Earth to smoothly connect with the universe. But more likely, it would be some kind of raiders.

Ji Yun moved like the wind, streaking across the sky, watching slowly, traveling slowly, following the river that ran north to south.

From ancient history, this was a man-made canal.

Walking further, some cities were larger, with towering buildings still standing, and through the windows, human remains could be seen—though the flesh had long become food for monsters, leaving only incomplete bones.

A journey of over a thousand kilometers would take Ji Yun only twenty-plus minutes at full speed to reach Jiangnan Base City, but with his deliberate pauses along the way, it took a full two to three hours.

Although Jiangnan Base City had its own information network, flying in rashly would trigger the defense system, and he might end up being shot down.

Ji Yun found a Supply Base and took a train into Jiangnan Base City.

At that Supply Base, tales still circulated of Luo Feng's month of insane training—killing over a hundred thousand high-level Beast Soldiers in a single month. The value wasn't huge, but the sheer number was terrifying.

***

Jiangnan Base City.

Ji Yun first went to the HR Alliance and the nearby shopping district to look around. He hadn't noticed before that the HR Alliance actually sold some decorative items.

From a nearby mall, Ji Yun bought an expensive jade bracelet. Most decorations were produced before the Great Nirvana, and this kind of out-of-production goods required Ji Yun to contact the HR Alliance's manager to get his hands on them.

It was already late August, and universities were starting their semesters one after another. Naturally, Luo Yue had to prepare for classes.

Inside a high-end residential complex near Jiangnan University.

Each floor in this complex was two to three hundred square meters, with one elevator per household, and the building was only four stories tall. Because of its proximity to the university, the price was even higher than some villas.

Ji Yun jumped directly into the complex from the back, found the apartment registered under his name, and approached the door.

"Ding-dong!"

Ji Yun gently pressed the doorbell, tucking the box into his pocket.

"Who is it? Who is it?"

Hearing the familiar voice from inside, Ji Yun couldn't help but smile.

"Who else could it be?" Ji Yun said with a grin.

Luo Yue pulled open the door, her face lighting up with surprise at the sight of Ji Yun.

"Yun-ge!"

She threw her arms around him, clinging to him as if she had no intention of letting go.

"Alright, alright, let's go inside." Ji Yun laughed, holding Luo Yue as he closed the door and stepped into the house.

"Xiao Yue, you've been living here alone all this time? Doesn't it feel lonely? Didn't you find anyone to keep you company?" Ji Yun looked around the apartment curiously—it did feel a bit empty.

"Remember that Senior Xu I told you about? She stayed with me for a few days, but then she went off to help her family with business. I've been living alone for this past month." Luo Yue said cheerfully, "But that's a good thing too—I've learned a lot this month, especially cooking. I'm really good at it now."

"Oh, really?" Ji Yun sat down on the sofa with Luo Yue in his arms, their eyes meeting.

After a moment, Luo Yue burst out laughing.

"Would I lie to you?"

"Haha."

Ji Yun suddenly pulled out a box from his pocket—a sandalwood box that gave off a faint fragrance.

"Xiao Yue, open it and take a look." Ji Yun gestured with his chin.

"What is this?" Luo Yue took the box curiously and gently opened it. Inside, fluorescent paper cradled a string of beads.

A jade bracelet with a smooth, lustrous sheen.

"Pretty, right?" Ji Yun took Luo Yue's hand and personally put it on her.

"This was the work of a top master from before the Great Nirvana. I had to find a collector to get my hands on it."

"It really is beautiful."

After chatting for a while, Luo Yue suddenly asked seriously, "Yun-ge, how long are you planning to stay?"

"Probably until you graduate." Ji Yun tilted his head, thinking, then said, "Unless there's some special adventure, I won't leave much. Besides, this Earth is so small—no matter where I am, I can come back quickly."

"That's wonderful." Luo Yue suddenly kissed him. "Ever since you first went into the Wilderness Zone, I've been so worried about you."

"The Wilderness Zone can't threaten me anymore." Ji Yun smiled faintly, giving Luo Yue a reassurance.

"So amazing!"

"Yun-ge, let me teach you how to cook!"

"Sure." Ji Yun stroked Luo Yue's hair and replied with a smile.

"Then let's go! Time to buy ingredients!" Luo Yue waved her hand.