Chapter 119 - 115: Let’s Date

Chapter 119: Chapter 115: Let’s Date

Ji Zhixing and Xiao Mingyue swam rapidly through Shi Lake. Both were equipped with underwater Genetic Equipment, allowing them to move through the water like fish in their natural element.

Although Ji Zhixing’s breaststroke wasn’t the most elegant, it was highly efficient; a single kick of his legs propelled him a great distance.

Xiao Mingyue, on the other hand, glided forward several meters with just a slight movement. Her posture was graceful, resembling a true mermaid.

One after the other, they quickly reached the opposite shore of Shi Lake.

Upon reaching the bank, Xiao Mingyue shook the water droplets from her hair and immediately took out the drone’s controller. Her fingers swiped rapidly across the screen, changing the direction of the drone that had flown far away. At the same time, she pulled up its live video feed.

The footage was slightly shaky but still clear. The drone was flying over a wasteland, the landscape below flashing by in a blur. Soon, the two spotted the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale on the screen.

"This thing... came ashore?" Ji Zhixing asked in surprise, his eyes fixed on the screen.

In the video feed, the massive Land-Traveling Ancient Whale was trailing right behind the drone, chasing it all the way onto dry land. Its flippers were thick and powerful; though its running speed on land couldn’t match its swimming speed, it was still incredibly fast. Clearly, it was genuinely lured by the Earth Spirit Pearl.

"It’s even better that it came ashore," Xiao Mingyue chuckled. "On land, it has even less of a chance of catching the drone."

As she spoke, she turned the drone around and accelerated it back toward their location.

The drone carved a rapid arc through the sky. The Land-Traveling Ancient Whale chased after it, but the distance between them kept growing. Its massive form shrank smaller and smaller on the screen until it was nothing more than a tiny dot.

"Let’s get in the car." After estimating the distance between the drone and their current spot, Xiao Mingyue called out to Ji Zhixing, stowed the controller, and turned toward where they had parked.

They walked briskly to the off-road vehicle and climbed inside. Xiao Mingyue started the engine, turned the car around, and headed toward Shihu Town. As the vehicle bumped along the uneven road, the wasteland outside the windows sped backward.

Ji Zhixing glanced at the drone’s feed. The Land-Traveling Ancient Whale was no longer visible on the screen.

"We should have shaken it off," he said with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah." Xiao Mingyue nodded, her focus on driving. "It can’t catch the drone."

Before long, they drove the off-road vehicle into Shihu Town. The town was much quieter than it had been earlier.

Xiao Mingyue parked in an empty clearing, took out the controller, and commanded the drone to return.

The BUZZZZ of the rotors drew near as the drone slowly descended from the sky, landing steadily in front of them. Ji Zhixing and Xiao Mingyue immediately approached it.

Xiao Mingyue crouched down and unhooked the Earth Spirit Pearl suspended beneath the drone. After confirming it was intact, she placed it back into its jade box and stored it away in her Genetic Furnace.

"The Earth Spirit Pearl is back, and we’ve got the Earth Spirit Liquid." Xiao Mingyue stood up and dusted off her hands. "Which means our plan this time was a total success."

"Indeed," Ji Zhixing nodded, feeling somewhat amazed.

From planning to execution, everything had gone unimaginably smoothly. He had expected to run into quite a bit of trouble during this operation—such as the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale not taking the bait, or some unexpected accident occurring while harvesting the Earth Spirit Liquid. In the end, nothing went wrong. It was completed just like that, nice and easy.

"Let’s go. It’s getting late, so we should head back to the Base City." Xiao Mingyue looked up at the sky.

"Alright," Ji Zhixing agreed.

The two got back into the car. Xiao Mingyue started the engine, turned the vehicle around, and drove off in the direction of Yu City Base City.

Meanwhile.

In the distance, behind a half-collapsed house in Shihu Town, a five-person squad was watching Ji Zhixing and Xiao Mingyue from afar. Hiding behind a broken wall with only the upper halves of their heads exposed, their eyes were glued to Xiao Mingyue’s off-road vehicle.

"Boss, should we make a move?" A young man licked his lips, a flash of greed in his eyes. "That thing they just took off the drone is definitely high-grade loot.

"I could sense it; even the genes in my body reacted to it."

"Make what move?" Hearing this, the bald, burly man he had addressed struck out with a loud SMACK, slapping the back of the young man’s head. The blow packed quite a punch, causing the young man to stumble forward.

"Are you stupid?" the bald man scolded, lowering his voice. "There’s only two of them. Just two people dared to come here, and they’re both so young.

"What’s more, they didn’t show a hint of fear after arriving. Can’t you guess who they might be?"

The young man rubbed the back of his head, stunned for a moment before his expression changed drastically.

"Yu City University?"

"Definitely." The bald man nodded, withdrawing his gaze from the off-road vehicle. "Only students from Yu City University have that kind of confidence.

"To dare run around the wilderness with just two people, completely disregarding the danger..."

This squad made their living in the wilderness, risking their lives to hunt Genetic Beasts. If an opportunity presented itself, they never minded killing other Adventurers for a profit. However, over the years, they had honed a remarkable sense of judgment. At a single glance, they could tell that Ji Zhixing and Xiao Mingyue were not to be trifled with.

"Stop thinking about it. Let’s go." The bald man turned and led his squad in a different direction. "Those prodigies from Yu City University aren’t people we can afford to provoke."

A few hours later.

On the other side, Ji Zhixing and Xiao Mingyue sped along the highway in their car, quickly returning to the Base City.

"I thought we’d run into some danger on this trip, like highwaymen," Xiao Mingyue said to Ji Zhixing with a smile after they entered the city, her tone relaxed. "But nothing happened at all."

Ji Zhixing shook his head; he had thought the exact same thing. Before leaving the city, he had made ample preparations, even strategizing how to respond if they encountered danger.

He never expected them to complete their plan so simply, retrieve their items, and return to the Base City without a hitch. Everything had gone smoother than he could have ever imagined.

The car wove through the streets of Yu City Base City and drove all the way to Yu City University.

Instead of stopping at the school gates, Xiao Mingyue drove right through. Ji Zhixing wasn’t too surprised by this. Over the past two days, he had seen more than one car parked in front of other villas. He guessed that this was a privilege reserved for students who were authorized to live in the villa district at Yu City University.

The car drove along the narrow roads of the villa district and soon parked in front of Xiao Mingyue’s villa.

Xiao Mingyue turned off the engine and pushed the door open to step out. Ji Zhixing followed suit.

After getting out, Xiao Mingyue was about to head inside when she suddenly realized Ji Zhixing had paused, standing motionless in place.

She turned back to look at him, her face instantly adopting a pitiful expression. "What’s wrong? You aren’t planning to just use me and then ditch me here, running off on your own, are you?"

Ji Zhixing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "So, I’m staying here again tonight?"

"Well, if you dare to run, you’ll pay for it," Xiao Mingyue huffed. She turned and walked toward the villa’s entrance, tossing the words over her shoulder without looking back.

Left with no choice, Ji Zhixing could only follow her inside. Seeing him trail in after her, Xiao Mingyue immediately beamed with joy.

"That’s more like it," she said while changing her shoes. "What’s the point of going back to your dorm all by yourself? If you stay here, you get your own private bathroom.

"If you want to develop your Super Gigantification ability, you can use the gravity room downstairs—the training effects will be much better there. If you’re bored, I can chat with you, and if you’re hungry, I have food.

"Would you have any of that if you went back to your own dorm?"

"If you put it that way, I might just stay here forever," Ji Zhixing looked at her with a smile. "I won’t leave even if you try to kick me out. I’ll gladly live off you."

"I’m just worried you don’t have the guts," Xiao Mingyue scoffed playfully, waving him off. "We’ve been busy all day. I’m going up to wash up first. You go do the same."

With that, she turned and headed upstairs, her steps light and brisk.

Ji Zhixing watched her retreating back and shook his head before entering his own bathroom to clean up. The warm water cascaded over his body, washing away the day’s sweat and fatigue.

"Next up is to develop the Super Gigantification ability as quickly as possible, and then raise my cultivation to the third tier," Ji Zhixing thought to himself as he washed. "I have all the necessary resources now. There won’t be any further obstacles in my upcoming training."

After finishing his shower, he changed into clean clothes and stepped out of the bathroom.

The moment he emerged, he heard footsteps coming from upstairs. Ji Zhixing looked up to see Xiao Mingyue walking down.

She had changed into a white dress—a different one from before, but equally stunning. The cut was simpler, with a slightly open neckline that revealed her fair collarbones. The hem fell just to her knees, and a thin belt cinched her waist, highlighting her slender figure. Her long hair, not yet completely blow-dried, was slightly damp and draped casually over her shoulders.

As she descended the stairs with light steps, her skirt fluttered gently, giving her a graceful, elegant aura.

"Done washing up?" she asked, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly when she saw him.

"Yeah," Ji Zhixing nodded.

"Let’s go, then. We should get something to eat."

Xiao Mingyue reached the bottom of the stairs and brushed past him, leaving behind a faint, refreshing fragrance. "When we get back, you need to focus entirely on your training. I’ve placed all my hopes on you. I’m just waiting for you to carry me to the top."

Ji Zhixing smiled and followed her outside.

The night breeze blew past, bringing a hint of coolness. The streetlights along the campus’s tree-lined avenues were already lit, casting an orange-yellow glow that stretched their shadows long across the ground.

They walked side by side in silence, but the atmosphere was completely natural. After walking for a while, Xiao Mingyue suddenly turned her head to look at him.

"Earlier, back by the Underground Blood Ginseng, did you really not hear what I said?"

Ji Zhixing paused slightly, surprised she would suddenly bring this up.

"I really didn’t hear it," he answered truthfully. "That’s why I asked you."

"If you didn’t hear it, then take a guess." Xiao Mingyue blinked, a hint of mischief on her lips. "Say what you guessed out loud right now, and I’ll tell you if it’s right."

Ji Zhixing hesitated for a moment before turning to look at her. "Six words: How about we start dating now?"

Xiao Mingyue was stunned for a second.

Then, she smiled. It was a beautiful smile—her eyes curved into two little crescents, and shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks.

"Okay."

She agreed crisply and decisively, then reached out and took Ji Zhixing’s hand.

Her hand was very soft—warm in the palm, yet slightly cool at the fingertips.

Ji Zhixing looked down at their clasped hands, then looked back up at her. Xiao Mingyue was already looking at him, her eyes smiling and her cheeks slightly flushed, but she didn’t avert her gaze.

"What are you staring at? Let’s go." She tugged his hand and turned, leading him toward the cafeteria.