Chapter 46: Going Home

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Going Home

"ROAR!"

A massive roar echoed from the lake as the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale breached the surface. A gray stone sphere, wrapped in lake water, spun and shot through the air toward the two figures.

"Watch out!" Ji Zhixing had kept his eyes glued to the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale. Seeing the stone sphere it spat out hurtling toward them, he quickly yelled a warning.

The officer’s expression remained unchanged. With a beat of his wings, he dragged Ji Zhixing through a graceful arc in the air, narrowly dodging the attack.

The stone sphere whistled past them and crashed into the distant lake surface. With a resounding BOOM, a massive column of water erupted, sending a splash over a dozen meters high.

"We dodged it!" Ji Zhixing thought, feeling a wave of relief.

As he was carried by the officer, the wind howled in his ears, and the lake waters blurred past rapidly beneath his feet.

"The ability to fly..." A strong sense of envy surged in Ji Zhixing’s heart. "If only I could fly too. Unfortunately, my first Gene Node has already integrated the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene, and my second Gene Node isn’t compatible with avian genes either."

At the thought of his second Gene Node, his eyes flickered as he secretly calculated, "Soon. Once I get back and upgrade the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene into the tier-two Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene, I’ll start integrating my second gene."

The officer flew him all the way, crossing over Shi Lake and the ruins, finally landing in the temporary camp at Shihu Town.

Steadying himself, Ji Zhixing turned to the officer and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you! Thank you so much for coming to save me!"

The officer waved his hand dismissively and retracted his wings formed by gene source power. "It’s our duty," he smiled. "Are you Ji Zhixing from Yu City Third Middle School? Did you leave the message on the beach at Lake Heart Island?"

"I did," he nodded, then asked, "Sir, how long has it been since the Otherworldly Secret Realm appeared? I was stuck in that underground water cave the whole time and completely lost track of the days."

"It’s been eighteen days." The officer glanced at Ji Zhixing, amazed by his sheer luck.

Ji Zhixing froze. Eighteen days. He had been trapped in that underground water cave for a full eighteen days.

"Eighteen days..." he murmured. "Does that mean I’ve already officially graduated from Yu City Third Middle School?"

The students in his year at Yu City Third Middle School should have graduated a few days ago. Ultimately, he had missed the enrollment period for Yu City University.

Yu City University controlled numerous resources, including various resource-type secret realms, as well as high-quality Universal Cultivation Techniques and Universal Staff Techniques. All of these were exactly what he needed.

If he had made it back earlier, he could have sold the Red Iron Ore and bought a Giantification Gene Potion. With that, he might have actually evolved his Three-inch Stone Monkey gene into the tier-two Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene before the university’s enrollment.

"Just be glad you’re alive." The officer patted his shoulder comfortingly. "To have survived this long right next to a Land-Traveling Ancient Whale, you’re incredibly lucky."

Ji Zhixing nodded, forcing a smile. "You’re right. I am incredibly lucky."

He recalled the classmate who was snatched by the black eagle that day, and the horrifying scene of Li Qiang being swallowed whole by the Two-Winged Thousand Steel Python. He sighed inwardly. Compared to them, he truly was fortunate.

"Are you heading to school or going home? I can have someone drive you," the officer offered.

"I’d like to go home, please. Sorry for the trouble." Ji Zhixing glanced at the sky. The sun had already sunk below the horizon, leaving only a streak of dark crimson in the distance.

"Sure thing." The officer nodded, turning to call over a soldier and arranging a military vehicle.

"Here, little brother, take your clothes off. I’ll help you dry them." A soldier noticed how drenched he was and walked over.

Ji Zhixing didn’t refuse, stripping off his wet clothes and handing them over. The soldier took the garments and stretched out his hands. Warm firelight surged from between his palms, enveloping the clothes.

Steam rose into the air, and in just a few moments, the clothes were perfectly dry and slightly warm to the touch.

"Thank you," Ji Zhixing said hastily as he took the clothes back.

"Don’t mention it," the soldier smiled before turning and walking away.

"Let’s go." Another soldier approached and led him to a vehicle. The engine roared to life, and they drove out of Shihu Town.

The Land-Traveling Ancient Whale had surfaced late today, and after all the commotion, dusk had already fallen. By the time the military vehicle drove into Yu City Base City, the sky was completely dark.

The vehicle pulled up to the entrance of Tingyu Garden. Ji Zhixing once again thanked the soldier who drove him, pushed the door open, and stepped out.

He quickened his pace toward Building Three, desperate to see his parents and to let his sister know he was safe.

He jogged up the stairs. But just as he reached his front door on the fifth floor and was about to take out his keys, he heard an argument breaking out upstairs.

The voices were loud, easily piercing through the floorboards. Among them, he could make out his mother’s voice. Frowning, he turned and headed up to the next floor.

The door to the sixth-floor apartment was wide open, spilling light onto the hallway floor. As Ji Zhixing climbed the steps, he immediately spotted his parents standing at that family’s doorstep.

Zhang Yulan’s face was flushed red with anger. "Your family has been making a racket in the middle of the night for days! How are we supposed to rest downstairs? We’ve already spoken to you about this multiple times!"

A middle-aged woman in pajamas stood in the doorway, shouting at the top of her lungs, "We’re in our own home! We can do whatever we want! What does it have to do with you?

"Besides, our son awakened a second-tier Gene Node and is going to Yu City Middle School! We’re happy! What’s wrong with celebrating?"

"You don’t need to celebrate every single night in the middle of the night!" Ji Guodong retorted angrily.

This family had moved in a few years ago. They had always been like this, frequently making loud noises late into the night. Complaining to them had proven useless on multiple occasions.

It wasn’t until word got out that Ji Zhixing had awakened a second-tier Gene Node that they had finally restrained themselves. But now that Ji Zhixing was missing, and their own son had awakened a second-tier Gene Node and was about to attend Yu City Middle School, they had reverted to their old ways.

"Mom, don’t waste your breath on them!" An arrogant young man sauntered out from inside the apartment, pointing a finger at Ji Guodong. "And you people—you really have too much time on your hands.

"I’ll do whatever I want in my own home. What? Are you just mad because you lost your trash son who only fused a tier-one gene, so you decided to take it out on us?

"Let me tell you, not a chance!"

"You..." Ji Guodong clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with fury.

"What, you want to hit someone?" The male owner of the apartment, a burly middle-aged man, let out a cold snort and stepped forward to block his son.

In the past, with Ji Zhixing around, he didn’t dare provoke the Ji family. But that kid had been missing for over half a month—he was definitely dead out there somewhere. And with his own son having awakened a second-tier Gene Node, what did he have to fear?

"If you’re looking for a beating, I don’t mind helping you out." However, just at that moment, accompanied by a youthful voice, a figure walked up the stairs, coming to stand beside Ji Guodong and Zhang Yulan.

"Zhixing?"