Starforce Warriors-Chapter 373: Tickles

"Challenge me? Sure." Li Xiaofei's expression remained calm. He said, "But as I said before, if you lose, you’ll have to become my disciple."

Zhou Yidao sneered and replied, "What if I win?"

Li Xiaofei responded, "If you win, I'll give you a million star coins."

Zhou Yidao was stunned. He had been planning to suggest things like sending gifts or military-style training. He hadn’t expected the other party to throw out the rules and go straight to offering money. Moreover, it was an enormous sum of one million star coins right from the start.

"Alright." Zhou Yidao couldn’t resist the temptation of money and said, "However... I use a sword, so we won’t compare fists, but swordsmanship."

"Damn." Zhang Zhihong couldn’t hold back anymore. He pointed angrily and shouted, "Are you shameless? You know my boss teaches martial techniques, and now you want to challenge him in swordsmanship?"

Zhou Yidao crossed his arms and coldly sneered, "What’s wrong? Afraid? If you’re scared, don’t act tough. Just hand over the money."

He didn’t care about his reputation, which was already filled with countless haters. He was notorious for being shameless.

Li Xiaofei’s face remained as calm as a still lake as he said, "Fine, swordsmanship it is."

As he spoke, he extended his hand. His senior disciple, Guo Zong'ao, immediately and respectfully handed him a yanling blade[1].

"Boss, are you sure about this?" Zhang Zhihong whispered nervously. "I heard that though this Zhou guy is a scoundrel of a streamer, he has unique swordsmanship skills. He once held an unbeaten streak of twenty-five matches in streamer PK battles."

Li Xiaofei said, "We’ll find out soon enough whether it’s fine or not."

Zhang Zhihong gritted his teeth and replied, "Alright, boss, don’t feel too much pressure. Just go for it. If you lose, I’ll cover the million."

Li Xiaofei was momentarily surprised.

This guy’s always been stingy, and now he’s suddenly so generous. What an unexpected show of loyalty.

But in reality, Li Xiaofei wasn’t entering this fight unprepared. Although he couldn’t reveal his strongest sword technique, the Eight Secrets of the Heavenly Blade, he certainly had more than one sword style in his arsenal.

Over the past few weeks, he had drawn every three days from a pool of martial arts manuals from the martial arts worlds of Jin Yong, Gu Long, and Liang Yusheng. Many of those were swordsmanship manuals. As someone who was determined to master the three great weapons, namely the sword, spear, and blade, Li Xiaofei had devoted far more time to these weapons than to martial techniques.

The reason he had chosen to teach the Great Strength Vajra Fist in his first livestream wasn’t because it was the only skill he had, but because it was personal to him. It was the first technique he had cultivated after his transmigration, and it served as a great beginner’s martial art.

It was easy to learn, was strong, and didn’t require much in terms of aptitude or comprehension. He had chosen it because it would be widely accessible, not because he lacked other skills.

Li Xiaofei casually stepped forward with the yanling blade in hand, his posture relaxed and unhurried. The fans around him instinctively backed away, creating a clearing for the fight.

Li Xiaofei gestured toward Zhou Yidao and said, "I’ll give you the first move. You have three strikes."

"Haha, you're arrogant beyond belief. You're digging your own grave."

Zhou Yidao laughed loudly as he drew the massive Gold-Ringed Mountain-Splitting Sword from his back.

With a single slash, twelve golden rings on the back of the sword clashed together, producing an ear-piercing clamor like the roar of a ferocious tiger as golden light filled the air.

This strike was none other than Zhou Yidao's proud technique from his sword cultivation, Roaring Tiger Wind Slash. The countless sword shadows blurred the line between real and illusion, completely enveloping Li Xiaofei.

"So it's actually the Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade." Li Xiaofei chuckled softly as he gracefully sidestepped the attack as if taking a casual stroll.

As luck would have it, he had already drawn the manual for this sword technique from the box and had even practiced it. He only needed a single glance to tell that Zhou Yidao's Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade was incomplete. He was missing the core essence of the technique.

"You know this sword technique?" Zhou Yidao was slightly shocked and shouted the question aloud.

However, before Li Xiaofei could answer, Zhou Yidao lunged forward. He raised his sword high and slashed down again, unleashing his second strike as fast as lightning.

White Tiger Leaping Across the Gorge.

Li Xiaofei turned sideways, easily dodging the second strike once again.

"How is this possible?" Zhou Yidao was even more stunned.

Gritting his teeth, he unleashed his third technique, Ruler of the Mountains.

But Li Xiaofei evaded with even greater ease. He didn’t even move his feet this time, simply swaying his upper body to avoid every single sword shadow and letting them fall harmlessly around him.

Zhou Yidao stopped, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. After the third strike, he realized that he was no match for the man before him. This newcomer was truly a dragon that had crossed the river.

But Zhou Yidao's eyes darted around quickly, and he immediately found an excuse. He sneered, "What’s this? We agreed to compare swordsmanship, and all you do is dodge?"

Li Xiaofei remained calm and unfazed as he replied, "Then open your eyes and watch closely. This is what the real Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade looks like."

He raised the yanling blade in his hand and brought it down. The first strike was the same Roaring Tiger Wind Slash that Zhou Yidao had used earlier.

Zhou Yidao's vision blurred as countless layers of sword light cascaded toward him like a snowstorm in the sky. He had no way to avoid it. It was clearly the same technique. Yet its power had been amplified many times over. He couldn't dodge at all. The sword light merely brushed him, splitting harmlessly upon contact. It was worse than being killed.

"The second strike, White Tiger Leaping Across the Gorge, and the third strike, Ruler of the Mountains..."

Li Xiaofei continued, executing one technique after the other. Tigers roared in succession, and the entire area filled with the shadows of the Heavenly Blade.

The fans and spectators on the sidelines could only see an overwhelming surge of sword light. It sounded like a ferocious tiger were roaring as its terrifying and murderous aura washed over them.

Guo Zong'ao, in particular, was so shocked that every hair on his body stood on end. He realized that his master on the light network, Li Xiaofei, not only had astonishing martial techniques, but his swordsmanship was equally unparalleled.

Even someone completely ignorant of swordsmanship could see that although Li Xiaofei was using the same technique as Zhou Yidao, the force, the subtle intricacies, and the sheer momentum of his sword surpassed Zhou Yidao dozens of times over.

If what Li Xiaofei displayed was the Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade, then what Zhou Yidao had shown could only be called the Five Kitten Soul-Splitting Sword.

Whoosh!

The sword aura whistled through the air. Li Xiaofei sheathed his sword and stood still. Across from him, Zhou Yidao’s clothes were torn in thirty-six distinct places by sword marks.

He stood frozen as cold sweat streamed down his face. In his mind, only one phrase echoed.

Showing off one's skills before a master.

Challenging Li Xiaofei in a sword duel had been nothing more than a fool’s errand.

Thud.

Zhou Yidao dropped to his knees and said, "Master, I admit defeat. Please teach me your swordsmanship."

"Boss, this guy's no good. You can’t take him in," Zhang Zhihong quickly interrupted.

He knew Zhou Yidao well and had heard of his many misdeeds.

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly and asked, "Do you know why I changed my name to Grandmaster of Heaven?"

Zhang Zhihong responded, "Are you implying that you have the power to reach the heavens? That sounds pretty arrogant, boss."

"No," Li Xiaofei replied calmly. "Grandmaster of Heaven, as in one who teaches without discrimination."

Zhang Zhihong was speechless.

That’s even more arrogant.

"Boss, what if this guy learns your swordsmanship and betrays you? What do we do then?" Zhang Zhihong warned.

Zhou Yidao panicked as he quickly explained, "I truly want to be your disciple! If I can learn the complete Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade, I will honor you as my master. Everyone in this livestream is a witness. If I go back on my word, how could I continue in the streaming world?"

Li Xiaofei, however, seemed completely unconcerned.

"The Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade is the most basic of my techniques. It’s insignificant. Besides, not just anyone can take advantage of me. If someone dares to betray their master, there’s always a price to pay."

His words radiated immense confidence. Zhou Yidao shuddered inwardly as all his schemes and deceit melted away. The thought of betrayal vanished from his mind. All he wanted now was to learn the true legacy of the Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade.

Only someone like him, who had immersed himself in the Five Tigers Door Cutting Blade for over a decade, could understand how profound and powerful the technique Li Xiaofei had just displayed truly was. It was the true legacy of the swordsmanship he had desperately sought but never found.

"I can teach you." With a casual wave of his hand, Li Xiaofei sent the yanling blade back to its place on the weapon rack. He continued, "But if you become my disciple, you must obey my words. Do good deeds; never bully the weak or commit wrongdoings. Once you’ve mastered the true legacy of this sword technique, you must not keep it to yourself. You should spread and promote your swordsmanship."

"I will obey, Master," Zhou Yidao replied, overjoyed. He immediately performed the disciple’s salute.

Li Xiaofei resumed his livestream lesson, continuing his instruction on the Great Strength Vajra Fist. This time, he taught the second technique, Vajra Earth-Shaking Blow.

Zhou Yidao, not daring to interrupt, stood quietly to the side, attentively listening and absorbing everything. Learning an additional ancient martial art’s true legacy was certainly a benefit.

"Stand firm," Li Xiaofei instructed as he used Zhang Zhihong as a human punching bag to demonstrate the intricacies of the martial technique.

Bang, bang, bang.

Each punch landed heavily on Zhang Zhihong, who let out screams like a pig being slaughtered. At that moment, he finally understood why Li Xiaofei had asked him earlier if he could take a beating. This job wasn’t for just anyone.

But there was an upside: experiencing the strength of the martial technique firsthand was beneficial for his own cultivation. With Li Xiaofei's detailed explanations and guidance, Zhang Zhihong could grasp the essence of the martial technique much faster.

Time and again, Zhang Zhihong was sent flying as his virtual form disintegrated into a stream of data. Then, he would revive and return to take more hits. After a while, Zhang Zhihong felt that his ability to withstand punishment had improved. Before they knew it, five hours had flown by.

At this point, the number of live viewers had already surpassed 80,000. The stream's popularity had reached a staggering 1.6 million. It had catapulted into the top 5,000 streams on the Longya Group website. Fan subscriptions had risen to 74,500.

Among them, 80% were VIP fans who had subscribed with special badges, showing an incredible level of loyalty. This was higher than even some of the platform’s top streamers.

Moreover, the growth of these numbers was directly proportional to the passage of time. This indicated that there had been no drop-off during the stream, and the content was keeping viewers remarkably engaged.

Liao Qixing, who had been closely monitoring the live data throughout the stream, let out a long sigh of relief. The excitement in his and his team's eyes was palpable. They had done it! The second stream was even more explosive than the debut.

With these numbers, Li Xiaofei could already be considered a second-tier streamer across the entire platform. Moreover, this was only his second day of streaming. It was as if they were witnessing the rise of a new star streamer. Yang Hui let out a quiet sigh. Now, even Su Qianni had no grounds for complaints.

Yang Hui sent a message to Su Qianni. It didn’t contain anything special. Just a screenshot of the backend statistics from Li Xiaofei’s livestream. She knew that Su Qianni would understand everything once she saw the numbers.

Soon, Li Xiaofei's livestream came to an end. Just like last time, he didn’t linger. Ignoring the fans who were furiously showering him with gifts, he ended the stream without hesitation.

The real victim, Zhang Zhihong, who had been beaten within an inch of his virtual life, had to stay behind to manage the stream and replay the broadcast for the viewers.

Guo Zong'ao and Zhou Yidao, after leaving Li Xiaofei’s stream, returned to their own channels and started streaming again. To their surprise, they quickly discovered that their live viewer counts had not only surpassed their previous averages but were steadily rising.

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

Greetings, Senior Brother!

Greetings, Second Senior Brother!

These types of messages flooded their chat rooms. The viewers had obviously migrated from Li Xiaofei’s stream.

What the heck?

Not only had they learned the true legacy of ancient martial arts, but they also gained popularity in the process! Neither of them had anticipated this kind of benefit.

They were both experienced streamers, so they immediately connected their streams and began referring to each other as Senior Brother and Second Brother. This playful banter created excellent entertainment value. Many of Li Xiaofei’s fans flocked over to watch the spectacle.

At the same time, word of all this quickly spread to the Longya Group Martial Arts Streamer Group on LightChat.

@Zhou Yidao.

You bastard, get out here!

Are you treating Brother Dao like a joke?

Brother Dao explicitly said not to kiss up to that new streamer, and yet you turned around and betrayed us. You even became his disciple...

Stop pretending you're dead. Get out here and explain yourself.

Martial Arts You Ba exploded in the group chat, angrily calling Zhou Yidao out for his betrayal.

Zhou Yidao wasn’t intimidated at all and jumped right into the confrontation.

I went there to cause trouble and disrupt the stream, but who knew that Teacher Grandmaster of Heaven actually had real skills and was willing to teach me genuine stuff? So what if I became his disciple? At least he treated me sincerely, unlike certain people who act all high and mighty in the group but can't be bothered to help when you ask.

Martial Arts You Ba was furious.

Zhou Yidao, are you talking about me, you traitor?

Whoever responds is who I’m talking about.

Martial Arts You Ba grew even more enraged.

You really don’t want to survive in this circle, do you?

Heh, whether I survive or not isn't up to you. You spend all day sucking up to Brother Dao, but in his eyes, you’re worth less than a dog. I’m embarrassed for you. Keep kissing up if you like, but I’m done with you guys.

Zhou Yidao was unusually defiant today. After saying his piece, he immediately left the group. The chat fell silent. Thirty seconds later, the group owner, Invincible Below the Dao, appeared.

Anyone else? If you want to leave, do it yourself.

His tone was still as domineering as ever.

Spread the word: tell this newcomer Grandmaster of Heaven to learn some respect. He’d better come and bow down to me. If he doesn’t acknowledge me as the leader, don’t say I didn’t warn him.

Martial Arts You Ba was quick to respond,

Don’t worry, Brother Dao. I’ll deliver the message.

Invincible Below the Dao continued

As for that dog Zhou Yidao, he’s grown bold enough to throw shade at me in the group. Looks like I’ve been too lenient lately, and some people have forgotten the fear of being under the rule of the Dao Army. Tomorrow, we’ll make an example of him.

The other streamers in the group fell silent. As the top dog in the ancient martial arts section, Invincible Below the Dao had always been ruthless. Over a hundred streamers had been forced out of the industry by him.

Now, it seemed that Grandmaster of Heaven was now in some serious trouble. As for Zhou Yidao? He was just a mantis standing in front of the wheel, destined to be crushed tomorrow.

Word quickly spread through the Longya Group Martial Arts Streamer Group. Soon, many in the circle knew that tomorrow was going to be eventful.

***

Xiajing.

In a lavishly decorated apartment, a beautiful woman wearing a white nightgown stared at her stunning reflection in the mirror and sighed softly.

"The second day's stream didn’t do as well as the first. If this keeps up, when the loan matures, I’ll be in serious debt. It’s all because of this Grandmaster of Heaven, who stole my resources and recommendations."

When she thought back to the screenshot Yang Hui had sent her, Su Qianni felt a deep sense of helplessness. The numbers on that chart were terrifying; they were far beyond anything she could hope to achieve.

She had thought that with her natural beauty, fiery figure, and considerable skill, she was bound to stand out in this year's online Martial God Tournament and become the next Best New Streamer.

Fame and fortune would follow. She’d earn enough to pay off the enormous loan she had taken out to buy cultivation resources. But who could have guessed...

"We’re both newcomers, so why is Grandmaster of Heaven's numbers so ridiculously high?" Su Qianni was unwilling to accept defeat, so she logged into her alternate account and clicked into Li Xiaofei’s livestream.

She wanted to learn from him and see if she could pick up any of his techniques. After spending several hours watching the recording of Li Xiaofei’s second day of streaming, Su Qianni was left speechless. There was no way to steal his techniques. There was no way to imitate him. This Grandmaster of Heaven had a livestream that was simply too hardcore.

As she reflected on those insane statistics, Su Qianni fell into deep thought.

If I can’t beat him, why not join him?

A thought struck her, and she used her alternate account to check out the streams of Guo Zong'ao, also known as Three Fists Shaking the Heavens, and Zhou Yidao.

She found the two of them interacting in a live stream, exchanging insights about cultivating the Great Strength Vajra Fist. Their chatrooms were buzzing with activity that far surpassed their usual viewership. Clearly, they had benefited from their association with Li Xiaofei.

Just then, her light core vibrated.

Little Su, have you made up your mind yet? If you agree to my terms, I can make you famous without even trying.

The message came from none other than Invincible Below the Dao, the top streamer in the martial arts section.

Not interested. Go away.

Su Qianni shot back without hesitation. She didn’t know Invincible Below the Dao personally. He had been the one to approach her, claiming he could make her a star.

Su Qianni didn’t doubt his ability. As the king of the martial arts section with millions of followers, Brother Dao could easily make any newcomer famous with a single word. Many female streamers were desperate to get close to him.

But she knew his reputation well. Brother Dao was petty and greedy. He was notorious for exploiting newcomers. Anyone he helped to rise had to pay tribute to him indefinitely. Once someone was caught in his web, there was no escape.

Working with him was no different than drinking poison to quench thirst.

Stupid bitch, you’ve made your choice. Just wait, there will come a time when you’ll be on your knees begging for mercy.

Brother Dao sent back an enraged message.

***

At the Cloudy Sky Gang headquarters. Inside the president’s training room.

Knock, knock, knock.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

“Boss, please help me, I’m dying!”

Li Junjie burst through the door, his face filled with terror.

Li Xiaofei was taken aback, asking, “What happened to you... huh?”

He was shocked to realize that his top henchman had undergone a complete transformation in just a few days.

Li Junjie now stood over two meters tall, with muscles bulging like solid iron. An overwhelming aura radiated from him as his strength had clearly increased hundreds of times over. It was as if he had become an entirely different person.

Li Xiaofei paused for a moment, then quickly understood what had happened. It was the heart of the Bull Demon that Little Aunt had transplanted into him. Something extraordinary had occurred.

The Bull Demon was a Grade 5 star beast. Its heart contained immense, life-giving energy. After being modified by Little Aunt, the heart now carried energy far beyond its original Grade 5 threshold, granting Li Junjie a strength that exceeded even that of a star beast.

Li Xiaofei hadn’t expected the enhancements to come so quickly and intensely. It had only been a few days, but now Li Junjie’s physical strength had skyrocketed to the level of the Golden Body Realm.

This is definitely a good thing.

Li Xiaofei smiled.

But Li Junjie, who had lost his memory, had no idea what was happening. Over the past few days, every time he woke up, his height had inexplicably shot up, and his skin had begun shedding. The sudden surge in strength left him feeling completely out of place.

He would accidentally knock down walls, send cars flying, or crush his underlings' bones with a simple squeeze. Even just sitting down lightly would break beds beneath him.

Several of his girlfriends had even suffered broken bones from his unintended force. Then there was the insatiable hunger. He could devour enough food for twenty people and still only feel barely full.

Since Li Junjie didn’t understand what was happening, he assumed he was sick. When he secretly searched online, the results terrified him. According to his search results on Qiandu, Li Junjie discovered that his symptoms matched those of radiation sickness. The fatal prognosis scared him to the core. He felt like he was on the brink of death. He spent every day in fear, convinced he didn’t have long to live.

“Boss, please help me, I’m still young, I don’t want to die!” Li Junjie pleaded miserably.

Li Xiaofei thought for a moment, realizing that Li Junjie had worked himself to the point of delusion. A simple explanation wouldn’t calm him down.

To cure the mind, you need a cure for the heart.

Li Xiaofei took out a bottle of kidney-strengthening pills his aunt had prepared and said, "This is a miraculous medicine I stumbled upon. Take one pill in the morning and one at night. In ten days, your illness will be gone. As for the changes in your body, they’re a good thing; you’ll adapt to them over time."

"Thank you for saving my life, Boss!" said Li Junjie as he happily took the small bottle and left with a spring in his step.

Li Xiaofei hadn’t even had a moment to catch his breath before there was another knock at the door. A sweet fragrance filled the air. He didn’t need to look up to know that Principal Hu had arrived.

“What’s up?” asked Li Xiaofei.

Hu Yuer was dressed in a pale professional suit, paired with black stockings and high heels. She wore gold-rimmed glasses and light makeup with a cool, aloof style, giving off a powerful, professional woman’s aura. Her appearance made it easy for men to feel an urge to dominate her.

"I’m here to give a report on the school," she said, her tone icy and composed.

But the way her foot slipped under the desk and started gently rubbing Li Xiaofei’s thigh told a different story.

Li Xiaofei casually grabbed her foot, softly massaging it as he asked, "What’s going on at the school?"

Hu Yuer, still maintaining her composed facade, gave a formal report on the progress of the Cloudy Sky Youth Academy. However, by the time she reached the end of her report, her breathing had become slightly heavier.

Finally, she couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into a soft giggle, "It tickles..."

Li Xiaofei firmly slapped the desk in front of him and commanded, "Come here, and bend over."

1. a kind of saber with shape similar to wild goose's feather ☜