Starforce Warriors-Chapter 894: The Secret Of Immortal Dao (7)

At dusk, Li Xiaofei’s group set up camp beside a natural lake. The scent of wine wafted gently through the air. Chicken Bro and his two newly accepted female disciples sang and danced around the fire in high spirits.

Li Yiyun brought out food he had prepared in advance and offered a portion to Li Xiaofei with utmost respect. Seated calmly by the campfire, Li Xiaofei ate roasted chicken while continuing to explain the challenges of cultivation the others had encountered.

By now, Lu Jiansheng and his fellow disciples had completely cast aside their pride. They stood respectfully to one side, absorbing every word, and had even developed the habit of raising their hands when they had a question.

No matter what problem they posed, Li Xiaofei could always provide an answer in just a few concise yet profound sentences, clearing up their confusion and illuminating their path forward. It was an experience unlike anything they had known in the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. There were simply too many disciples back at the sect, so cultivation was taught in large groups by one’s master.

The old saying went, “The teacher leads you through the door, but cultivation is your own affair.”

After explaining cultivation methods several times, the master would leave the disciples to their own comprehension. How much they could grasp and in what direction they advanced all depended on personal aptitude.

There was some peer discussion, of course. But expecting a master to spend time offering such detailed, one-on-one guidance was virtually impossible.

The sect was rife with competition. Even the teachers needed time to cultivate. So even when a disciple earned merit and received personal instruction from the elders of the Transmission Hall, it was never as thorough, or as brilliant as the way Li Xiaofei explained things.

They had only been traveling with Li Xiaofei for a few short days, yet Lu Jiansheng and the others felt they had gained more than what they had understood from years of instruction in the Transmission Hall of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. It was so much so that their eagerness to be rescued by their sect’s experts had started to wane.

In fact, they now quietly hoped that their junior sisters, who had gone to report the matter, would encounter some delays on the way, perhaps three to five days... no, better yet, three to five months!

That way, they could stay by Master Li’s side even longer; learning more, gaining deeper insight, and unlocking even greater understanding.

Indeed, by now, all of them had begun referring to Li Xiaofei as Master Li. He was, in a sense, half a teacher to them. A true teacher was one who passed on the Dao, imparted knowledge, and resolved confusion. Over the past few days, Li Xiaofei’s instruction had undoubtedly lived up to that sacred title.

Were it not for the fact that they already belonged to another sect, they would have knelt without hesitation and formally taken him as their master. That was why, when they watched Kou Zhengyang, Yang Zhao, and Li Yiyun openly and naturally call Li Xiaofei master, Lu Jiansheng and his companions couldn’t help but feel a touch of quiet envy.

As night fell, Li Xiaofei stood alone by the lakeshore. He could feel the abundant vitality of this world surging all around him. If everything here had truly been created by the Reapers, then their level of technology and mastery over formation arts must have reached an unimaginable realm.

The realization made Li Xiaofei feel a newfound wariness toward humanity’s ancient enemy. The road ahead is long and winding.

I shall seek the Dao above and below.

His Dao heart became even more resolute. He had not gone on a killing spree in this world because the people who lived here were human. They were his kin and comrades in spirit. Though they might not understand the true nature of the world they lived in, they were still a part of the galactic human race.

In Li Xiaofei’s heart, they were far closer to him than the foreign races from Earth, like the Jiepeng or the Yiggs. Just as he had once sought to change Earth No. 1818, he now hoped to change this world as well.

Even if it was merely a Reaper testing ground, to him, it was home. Never abandon, never give up. These five words had once been the core spirit of a military drama popular on his original Earth. Li Xiaofei now felt they suited this green continent just as perfectly.

In the blink of an eye, morning arrived. Li Xiaofei could clearly sense the presence of martial experts within several kilometers of the lake. They were watching from a distance, but none dared to come closer.

Li Xiaofei’s divine sense instantly grasped the exact locations and cultivation levels of the people hiding nearby. He could even hear their covert conversations as if they were whispering in his ear.

They were agents from the Song Dynasty court. Specifically, they were from an organization known as the Secret Guard. Li Xiaofei surmised that this was likely the Song Empire’s equivalent of the Ming Dynasty’s Jinyiwei, an imperial intelligence agency directly under royal command.

After a moment’s thought, Li Xiaofei beckoned Kou Zhengyang over and gave him a few instructions in a low voice. Kou Zhengyang nodded and left.

He returned shortly, accompanied by two men. Both of them were cultivators at the Golden Body Realm. They were formidable experts by mortal standards, fully capable of dominating an entire region.

Yet at this moment, both men approached with visible caution and deep respect in their eyes. They held their breath and cupped their fists in salute, not daring to show the slightest arrogance.

“No need to sneak around,” Li Xiaofei said gently. “Have your people come out. I know you were sent to monitor my movements. I’m not offended. In fact, having you all nearby is convenient, it means you can observe me thoroughly and report back accurately.”

“This...” The two Secret Guard commanders were momentarily stunned.

This was the first time they had encountered a surveillance target who was so cooperative and so willing to engage directly.

Kou Zhengyang chuckled and said, “Since master has spoken, you two should comply. My master is a man of noble spirit and true immortal grace. He won’t make things difficult for you.”

“In that case... how could we dare disobey?” The two Grand Commanders were both seasoned veterans of the martial world, so they were sharp and adaptable. They immediately recognized that someone like Li Xiaofei, who was extraordinary and unpredictable, must be treated differently from any ordinary figure. The best course of action was to follow his lead, no questions asked.

Thus, when the caravan set out once more, it had gained twenty-six additional riders. They were all Secret Guard agents dispatched by the royal court. Yet now, they rode as if they were true escorts. They were positioned at the front, back, and flanks of the convoy, performing their duties with discipline and loyalty.

Though Li Xiaofei spoke calmly when teaching, never raising his voice and often addressing people at a distance, every mounted guard could hear him clearly.

At first, they had paid little attention. But soon, shock crept across their faces as they became more and more deeply moved. Eventually, these elite martial experts were utterly engrossed in the lessons. By the end, when they looked at Li Xiaofei, their eyes held not just reverence, but genuine admiration.

Lu Jiansheng and his companions had long since grown used to this. They had already seen for themselves that Master Li harbored no prejudice toward background or status. He truly did not care who followed him, and taught the supreme path of martial arts with absolute sincerity, without keeping anything back.

Why would someone like this exist in the world? They couldn’t understand it. Eventually, they stopped trying to.

By my estimate, the sect’s reinforcements will arrive in at most a day and a half. When that happens... sigh. I need to discuss with the others how we might stop a battle from breaking out, Lu Jiansheng turned the thought over in his heart.

Finding a quiet moment, he anxiously pulled aside Xue Qing and two other junior brothers. Lowering his voice, he began to discuss the matter in secret.