Starforce Warriors

Chapter 382: Supreme Sword Body

Liuhe Base City remained calm and peaceful. There was no new information from Xiao Hongye's side. Whether it was the fifth-generation pure Starforce Reagents or the university recruitment matters in Xiajing, there had been no feedback at all.

Old Chen was still missing. Tan Qingying was also out of contact. Most of Li Xiaofei's focus was placed on the light-network virtual world.

That afternoon, a new round of the online Martial God Tournament reignited fierce competition. Li Xiaofei arrived at the plaza of the Longya Group in the Light-Network virtual world perfectly on time. The place was as lively as ever, packed with people.

“Patriarch.” Zhang Zhihong always had a way of immediately spotting Li Xiaofei in the crowd.

He grinned at him. “The match-ups are out. Your opponent today is quite notable. He’s one of the top 50 favorites this time, Sword Qi as a Rainbow. He’s Ren Woyou, a disciple of the Ren family, one of Xiajing’s top ten martial arts families. He’s at the Golden Body Realm and ended all his previous matches with just one sword strike. This one might be tricky.”

“What are the odds?” Li Xiaofei asked.

“Heh, I knew you'd care about that,” Zhang Zhihong replied. “The odds of you winning are twelve to one. How much should we bet?”

Li Xiaofei was surprised. “You seem to have a lot of confidence in me.”

Zhang Zhihong grinned and said, “What kind of relationship do we have? Even if I wasn’t confident, I’d still bet on you, Patriarch. Even if it's just to hear the sound of money dropping.”

"Are you really rich?" Li Xiaofei had been meaning to ask for a while.

He always thought this guy was broke, which was why he gambled everywhere and worked as a middleman to collect various service fees. But now, it seemed like that wasn’t the case.

"I'm not rich," Zhang Zhihong replied. "But my dad is."

Li Xiaofei was speechless.

"Gambling is bad. It ruins people. We shouldn't get addicted to it." Li Xiaofei said earnestly, before adding, "So let's just bet 3 million star coins this time."

Zhang Zhihong was speechless, but he took the money and happily ran off to place the bet.

Soon, the match was about to begin. Beams of white light descended from the sky, enveloping countless participants in the plaza, transporting them to their respective battlefields.

They were now in the middle stages of the Martial God Tournament. Everyone who had passed the preliminary rounds was a skilled fighter. Thus, each competitor prepared thoroughly before the battle.

This included Li Xiaofei. To stay in top form and improve his strength, he had trained relentlessly with Principal Hu before the match, not holding back in the slightest. Every clash was at full force.

***

The battlefield. Blazing Chang’an Street.

This was one of the battlefields Li Xiaofei knew best. However, compared to the Blazing Chang’an Street from the high school tournaments, the current map had been massively enhanced. This battlefield wouldn't be destroyed even if a Golden Body Realm expert went all out.

Opposite him stood a young man in white, with long black hair. He held a sword in his arms. Simply standing there, sharp sword qi quietly swirled around him, gradually spreading out and forming a terrifying sword field.

A burning dead leaf drifted down near him and accidentally triggered the sword's force.

Swish.

The leaf was silently sliced in half by the sword qi.

“Should I call you Your Grandpa or Grandmaster of Heaven?” The young man’s lips curved slightly.

Li Xiaofei replied, "Call me whatever you like. A name is just a label after all."

"Well said." The young man smiled faintly, "I’ve watched your live recordings. You’re very strong. Originally, you had a great chance of making it into the top 100 of this Martial God Tournament, but unfortunately, your luck ran out. You’ve encountered me in this round."

Li Xiaofei also smiled.

"You're Sword Qi as a Rainbow, Ren Woyou, right?" He pulled out a rusted sword lodged in a nearby corpse, flicking his wrist to shake off the blood from the blade. "I’ve heard your swordsmanship is unmatched. Then I’ll defeat you using swordsmanship."

It was the perfect chance to test out the Fifteen Swords of Death, which he had just begun cultivating yesterday using the Sword Harnessing Technique. Any unfamiliar sword felt comfortable in his hand, as if he had been wielding it for decades. Li Xiaofei knew that he had a natural affinity with swords.

Ren Woyou clapped his hands and said, "Impressive spirit. In light of your bravery, I’ll give you the first move. Go ahead, draw your sword."

Li Xiaofei smiled slightly. He didn’t hesitate.

Swish!

He thrust his sword forward in seemingly a casual strike. But Ren Woyou’s expression changed in an instant. His eyelids twitched wildly as he sensed an overwhelming killing intent and danger.

What a powerful sword. What terrifying swordsmanship.

The moment the sword was thrust, it unleashed an indescribable murderous aura, as if it intended to consume his opponent’s soul and life force entirely.

Ren Woyou quickly activated his footwork technique, dodging rapidly. He didn’t dare show even a trace of arrogance.

Swish.

The sword qi grazed past him. A bead of cold sweat trickled down Ren Woyou's temple. Opposite him, Li Xiaofei didn’t attack again. He simply stood there, smiling.

"What sword technique is that?" Ren Woyou asked gravely.

Li Xiaofei replied, "Want to learn? I'll teach you."

An enraged Ren Woyou shouted, "That move was precise, I’ll give you that. But if you think one strike will defeat me, you're too naïve! You, with your obsession of taking disciples, you're dreaming if you think I’ll submit so easily."

Li Xiaofei wasn’t angry.

"This sword technique has fifteen moves in total. That was the first." He said, pointing his sword slightly downward. "You don’t need to become my disciple. If you can block ten of my moves, I’ll teach you all fifteen. How about it?"

"Really?" Ren Woyou’s eyes lit up.

From the moment he was born, he had been identified as possessing the rare Supreme Sword Body. Swordsmanship flowed in his veins. During the traditional hundred-day grasping ceremony as a baby, he had chosen a sword.

Since then, he had lived with the sword as his constant companion. He had been born with a passion for swords. Any sword technique he saw, he could instantly understand, and with a bit of practice, he would master it.

His speed of mastering swordsmanship far surpassed his peers. He was hailed as a once-in-a-century sword genius. Supported by his family, he had access to countless rare sword techniques that others his age could only dream of.

But that single sword strike from Li Xiaofei had both amazed and unsettled him. He wanted this sword technique.

"Really." As soon as Li Xiaofei finished speaking, he struck again.

Swish.

The sword qi swept through the air as Li Xiaofei's rusted sword struck again. It was still the same move as before: Fifteen Swords of Death, First Sword.

Ren Woyou, now on guard, quickly drew the long sword from his embrace and swung it to parry the attack. He used a sword technique of legendary renown, the Zhonggong Lightning-Chasing Sword. Each swing of the sword whistled through the air like a rainbow streaking through the sky. The strikes came in rapid succession as if they were flashes of lightning.

The technique was designed to seize upon any flaw in the opponent’s moves, no matter how small. Once it found an opening, it would relentlessly exploit it, overpowering and obliterating the enemy in a devastating strike.

In all of Ren Woyou’s previous sword duels, his storm-like offensive would quickly secure him the advantage and within ten moves, utterly crush his opponent. But this time, it was different. Instead of gaining the upper hand, he found himself being pushed back. Li Xiaofei, wielding the rusted long sword, calmly thrust forward with deliberate precision. Each Sword pierced toward him with measured yet unyielding force.

Swish, swish, swish.

The sword qi roared through the air. Each strike carried a murderous intent, brimming with destructive power.

Ren Woyou’s Supreme Sword Body instincts screamed warnings at him, telling him over and over that no matter how he attacked, every exchange would end in his own death. He was forced to continuously shift to defense time and time again.

After three moves, he was already overwhelmed, struggling to keep up. He had never been in such a miserable state.

"The Fourth Sword....

"The Fifth Sword!"

"The Sixth Sword!"

"The Seventh...”

"The Eighth Sword... you've lost."

Li Xiaofei’s sword tip effortlessly broke through Ren Woyou's defense like a fleeting glimmer of light and stopped just short of his forehead.

Ren Woyou was frozen in place. Cold sweat poured down his face. His expression was one of complete bewilderment.

"Yes, I lost." He withdrew his sword, speaking bitterly.

He had indeed lost. If this had been a life-and-death battle with his Golden Body Realm cultivation, even a pierced forehead wouldn’t have killed him. He would still have had a chance to continue fighting.

But this was a sword duel. In all his nineteen years of training since birth, this was the first time he had lost to someone in a contest of swordsmanship. The first defeat in 7,000 days!

"You didn’t last until the tenth sword," Li Xiaofei said, casually tossing the rusted sword back to where he found it. "What will you do now?"

Ren Woyou's expression was one of dejection and defeat. This loss had shaken him deeply.

"If... if I were to become your disciple, would you teach me this sword technique?" He asked suddenly, lifting his head.

Li Xiaofei brought his hands behind his back as he replied, "Even if you don’t become my disciple, I can still teach you."

Ren Woyou was stunned and asked, "Why?"

Li Xiaofei spoke calmly, "You’ve watched my livestreams, so you should know my grand aspiration. I want to revive the ancient martial lineage of Great Xia, so that every warrior in Great Xia can train in true martial arts, inherit true legacies, and achieve enlightenment. I want every person to be as mighty as a dragon!"

Everyone trained in martial arts! Everyone like a dragon!

Ren Woyou was deeply shaken. These words, coming from anyone else, would have sounded like nonsense, something he would have scoffed at. But after watching Li Xiaofei’s livestreams...Ren Woyou found himself starting to believe.

"I don’t take disciples because I enjoy being a teacher," Li Xiaofei added. "It’s just my way of spreading ancient martial arts. You are a genius in swordsmanship, and this Fifteen Swords of Death will truly reveal its potential in your hands. Why would I withhold a mere sword technique from you?"

Ren Woyou's body trembled. Suddenly, he realized how laughable his previous arrogance was compared to the young man in front of him. He was far inferior.

"Important people are targeting you," Ren Woyou suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Li Xiaofei looked at him.

Ren Woyou continued, "You’ve been showcasing true legacies of ancient martial arts in your livestreams and even teaching them for free. This has caught the attention of several families associated with Saints. They're investigating you, and some are even threatening to put you in your place and force you out of the streaming world."

"I understand," Li Xiaofei nodded calmly. "Thank you for the warning."

Ren Woyou breathed a sigh of relief. He hesitated a few times but ultimately said nothing more. He simply conceded defeat to the system and teleported away. In the next moment, Li Xiaofei also left the battlefield.

***

In the virtual world, at the Longya Group plaza.

"Boss, you’re out!" Zhang Zhihong, unsurprisingly, was the first to rush over to Li Xiaofei’s side. "I can’t believe you beat that arrogant Ren Woyou... Tsk, tsk, tsk, we’ve hit the jackpot again!"

Li Xiaofei smirked and asked, "How did you get out so early? Did you win or lose?"

Zhang Zhihong smiled shyly.

A ridiculous thought crossed Li Xiaofei’s mind. "Damn, don’t tell me... your opponent got an upset stomach again?"

Zhang Zhihong sighed helplessly. "I didn’t want it to be like this, but it’s strange. As soon as I showed up and said a couple of words, the guy grabbed his stomach, started howling in pain, and quit the match to run to the bathroom."

Li Xiaofei was left speechless.

"Something’s off." Li Xiaofei gave Zhang Zhihong a once-over. "There’s something suspicious about you."

Zhang Zhihong groaned, "Boss, I swear I didn’t—"

Li Xiaofei cut him off. "Save your breath. I won’t ask, and you don’t need to make up excuses. Just carry on as usual. We’re adults now; having secrets is normal."

Zhang Zhihong exhaled in relief.

"Boss, are you streaming tonight?" he asked.

Li Xiaofei responded, "Of course, I’m streaming... Why do you ask?"

Zhang Zhihong cautiously said, "Boss, I’ve heard some rumors. Some powerful people are unhappy with you giving away the true legacies of ancient martial arts for free, and they’re planning to deal with you."

Li Xiaofei shrugged, "If soldiers come, we’ll fight them; if water comes, we’ll block it."

This time, he had no intention of backing down. @@novelbin@@

Zhang Zhihong nodded. "Alright then, as your brother, I’ll stand by your side, no matter what. I’ve got your back."

Li Xiaofei nodded in acknowledgment and said, "Transfer the winnings to my account. You know the drill... I’ve got things to do, so I’m heading out."

With that, he teleported away from the plaza. Zhang Zhihong stood there, hesitating, before finally letting out a deep breath.

"Screw it! For once, I’m going to act on impulse."

He, too, teleported away.

***

In the light-network virtual world. At Li Xiaofei’s personal base.

Li Xiaofei spent half an hour organizing the cultivation notes for the Fifteen Swords of Death in an encrypted file. He located Ren Woyou's virtual world ID and sent it to him directly.

He then checked his account. The 36 million star coins he had won from betting, after taxes, had all been deposited. Without a second thought, he anonymously donated all of it, splitting the funds between Red Flag High School and the Cloudy Sky Youth Academy.

After that, he logged off. He went to Red Flag High School like any other day and attended classes as usual. That afternoon marked the opening of the High School War God League. Red Flag High School was hosting the match as they faced off against the city government youth school.

There was no suspense in this match as Red Flag High School won decisively. Red Flag High School was now an unbeatable force within Liuhe Base City's high school scene. Not only were the main players dominating, but even the substitute players were crushing their opponents. This phenomenon drew attention from all corners.

If in the past Red Flag High School’s success could be attributed to Li Xiaofei’s heroic efforts and Yan Chiyu’s determined support, the rapid growth of the substitute players’ strength seemed almost unbelievable. It was clear that it couldn’t be explained by simply having abundant resources. Principal Qin seized this opportunity to tirelessly promote the Red Flag High School model.

This model was not just about class schedules or cultivation methods. It was a comprehensive system that included teaching materials, cultivation techniques, schedules for training, resource allocation, and a combination of herbal medicinal baths, among many other elements.

The key components were the textbooks and the medicinal baths. Of course, the critical moment was the choice at the end of the Qi Refining Realm, where one must unite the ten vortices into one. The first two components were Li Xiaofei’s contributions while the latter was the result of years of accumulated experience from Old Chen and Principal Qin.

Li Xiaofei was pleased with how things had turned out. His livestream lessons in the light-network had opened a new front of using the Red Flag High School model. However, Red Flag High School remained the true role model in the real world. Li Xiaofei firmly believed that one day, Old Chen and Principal Qin’s decades of dedication and hard work would bear unmatched and brilliant fruit on the ancient land of Shenzhou. Papers could be suppressed, but their efforts would not be in vain.

After the match, Li Xiaofei didn’t attend the celebration party. Before starting his livestream, he received two phone calls. One was from his old mentor, Teacher Li, whom he hadn’t heard from in a long time.

“You’ve stirred up quite a commotion, kid,” Teacher Li sighed. “Openly teaching the true legacy of ancient martial arts for free on the light-network caused an uproar. Many people are digging around and using all sorts of methods to find out more about you.”

Li Xiaofei replied, “I figured this would happen from the start. Let them investigate. What of it? I have a clear conscience.”

Teacher Li responded, “Do you realize that what you’re doing is infringing on the interests of the Saint families? A lot of people are already gearing up to take you down.”

Li Xiaofei sighed. “If it benefits the nation, I shall live and die by it. Why should I avoid it out of fear of personal gain or loss?”

"Well said!" On the other end of the line, Teacher Li slapped the table in excitement. "I knew I wasn’t wrong about you back then. Haha, taking you in as a student was the best decision I made in Liuhe Base City! Don’t worry, the country won’t turn its back on patriots like you. A high-ranking official with significant influence has already stepped in and raised the confidentiality level of your account, Your Grandpa, to the highest tier. The Saint families won’t be able to trace anything."

Li Xiaofei was overjoyed at the news and replied, "That’s great!"

Now he no longer had to worry about being personally targeted.

Teacher Li continued, "Go ahead with your work. The country is very pleased with your livestreams. If you ever run into trouble, come to me. I may not have much authority, but I can still act as a messenger."

After hanging up, Li Xiaofei felt a sudden wave of happiness. Not because of the support he had received, but because he finally saw the will of the nation. It was a will that remained dedicated to serving the people, unlike the corruption and decay that plagued many martial arts families.

He wasn’t fighting alone. This country was still worth dedicating himself to and worth sacrificing everything for. That, for him, was enough.

Before long, another call came in, this time from Xiao Hongye.

"Things have changed a bit. The fifth-generation pure Starforce Reagent has become impossible to obtain. It’s now a priceless commodity," Xiao Hongye informed him. "I suggest you switch to using star cores directly. Absorbing the energy from star cores can also improve your cultivation, but you'll need to purchase a high-quality star core absorption device. Though it’s not as direct or as fast-acting as Starforce Reagents, at least star cores are still available for purchase."

Xiao Hongye offered her advice.

"Alright," Li Xiaofei agreed.

Xiao Hongye added, "As for the university matter, there’s still no news. I’ll keep looking around for you. If any university is willing to accept you, I’ll let you know right away."

"Thank you, Sister Xiao," Li Xiaofei replied. "No rush, I’ll wait for your update."

"Little brother, I’ve really put in a lot of effort and energy this time. If you truly want to thank me, you better show some real appreciation," Xiao Hongye teased, her voice carrying a hint of fatigue, but sounding even more magnetic and seductive.

After hanging up, Li Xiaofei was still in a good mood.

If no university was willing to accept him, so be it. He wouldn’t go to university. As long as he had the dog box, he was confident that sooner or later he’d be able to draw a cultivation method from the immortal path.

All he needed was patience to continue his training. Those universities who didn’t accept him? It would be their loss. Not his. They would regret it one day.

But regardless of how things unfolded, he was determined to go to Xiajing because one of the most important people in his life was waiting for him there. The promise between a boy and a girl was more eternal than a diamond.

With such a beautiful thought in his heart, Li Xiaofei entered the Light Core Virtual World to start his fourth livestream. But as soon as he entered the streaming room, he was startled.