Starforce Warriors-Chapter 895: Immortal (1)

That afternoon, Li Xiaofei and his group were still camping out in the wilderness. He rather enjoyed the feeling of being outdoors in the countryside. A team of secret guards bustled about, setting up the camp, pitching tents, chopping firewood, lighting fires, and preparing food. Their actions were exceptionally professional.

Meanwhile, Chicken Bro remained lost in debauchery with the two courtesan disciples as they indulged in wine and dancing. He fully embodied the image of a decadent and feeble nobleman, completely unconcerned with how others viewed him.

However, many in the group had begun to sense something unusual. Over the past few days, the two courtesans, named Baisu and Qingye, had somehow begun to manifest Immortal Force through cultivation. Their realms progressed at a shocking pace, to the point that they could now rightly be called masters in their own right.

This startling development greatly deepened the group's awe and reverence toward both Li Xiaofei and Liu Shaji. As night fell, the sky became adorned with countless stars, forming a magnificent celestial tapestry. When one gazed up at the heavens, it felt as though they held mysteries within them that had existed since time immemorial.

Li Xiaofei had just finished a teaching session. Many of those present had already entered a state of enlightenment and meditation.

One of the secret guard commanders, Zhou Wufeng, stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“Master Li,” he said, “my lord wishes to request an audience with you. May he have the honor of meeting you?”

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly. “Very well.”

He followed Zhou Wufeng out of the camp. Roughly a kilometer away, atop a small mountain peak, Li Xiaofei came face to face with the current Son of Heaven of the Great Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhao Kuangren.

The emperor was dressed in plain clothes. He was of modest height and slightly plump, with a round face and fair skin. His demeanor bore the noble grace and commanding presence of someone long accustomed to power. He also possessed a kind of Fate Qi that no commoner could ever hope to attain.

“Zhao Kuangren pays his respects to the Immortal Master,” the emperor said.

He already had a respectful smile, and even clasped his hands together in a salute. Despite his imperial status, he offered a formal greeting to Li Xiaofei with utmost sincerity.

"The Emperor need not be so courteous," replied Li Xiaofei, who immediately saw that the Song Emperor was also a cultivator. There was a faint, though impure, flow of Immortal Force circulating within his body. It was evidence that he had been cultivating in secret.

The emperor turned to his guards and said, "All of you, withdraw. I have pressing matters to consult with the Immortal Master."

"This..." Zhou Wufeng and the other elite secret guards hesitated.

Placing the monarch alone in an unknown environment with a stranger was the height of negligence on their part.

However, the emperor’s tone grew firm as he said again, "Withdraw."

Left with no choice, Zhou Wufeng and the others could only step back and give them some space.

Once they were alone, the emperor suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud before Li Xiaofei and pleaded, "Immortal Master, I beg you, please extend your mercy and save the people of Great Song."

"Emperor, there is no need for this," Li Xiaofei said, raising a hand. A formless force lifted Zhao Kuangren to his feet. "You are the sovereign of the mortal realm, endowed with your own Fate Qi. There is no need to offer such formalities to a mere passerby like me."

Zhao Kuangren’s face was filled with desperation as he said, "The immortal sects bleed us dry. Every year, we must offer living sacrifices. The people of Great Song suffer the pain of separation and death. As their emperor, I cannot protect them. I am tormented day and night. Immortal Master, I ask nothing else of you, only that you help us abolish this cruel practice. In return, I am willing to abdicate the throne and pass it to you."

Li Xiaofei replied, "I am already aware of the situation regarding the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. Even if the emperor had not come, I would have paid their mountain gate a personal visit. As for the throne... heh, I am but a fleeting traveler. The throne means nothing to me."

Zhao Kuangren’s face lit up with joy at those words. It was true that part of his plea had been theatrical. Yet in truth, he had taken a tremendous gamble. He had abandoned the imperial court and its high ministers, slipped out of the palace in secret, and rushed over before the envoys from the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect could arrive. It was all to meet this mysterious Immortal Master.

He had wagered his life and his dynasty’s fate on this man. If Li Xiaofei were to lose to the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect, then Zhao Kuangren’s reign would end in disgrace. He would have no choice but to take his own life to answer for the failure.

The Zhao imperial family, too, would likely have to pay a heavy price just to calm the sect’s wrath. But Zhao Kuangren understood that he had to come. His ministers had been right; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Perhaps it would be the only one he would ever see.

He refused to remain shackled by the will of immortal sects. He refused to be a sovereign forever denied access to cultivation, unable to extend his lifespan or reach for immortality. So, when the secret guards reported that Li Xiaofei had been preaching the immortal path freely to all, regardless of status, he made his final decision.

Of course, as emperor, Zhao Kuangren did genuinely care for his people. He could not bear to see the citizens of Great Song forced to part from their families each year, offering up their loved ones as sacrifices to the sects.

For all these reasons, he had come through the night and knelt before Li Xiaofei. When he heard that the Immortal Master intended to personally visit the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect, Zhao Kuangren finally felt three-quarters of the weight on his heart fall away. He quietly let out a breath of relief. If such a figure had said as much, it meant he had confidence that he could either persuade the sect, or defeat them outright.

"Such nobility and righteousness from the Immortal Master, I am full of admiration." Zhao Kuangren spoke with great emotion. "I wish to offer you the position of Imperial Preceptor as a token of my gratitude. Please do not decline it. I would be honored to rule Great Song alongside you."

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly. Looking directly at the emperor, he said slowly, "If I refuse, I fear you won’t be able to sleep at night. Very well, I shall accept the title of Imperial Preceptor. But let me be clear, I have no interest in governance. You will remain the emperor. I will deal with the immortal sects. As long as you rule diligently for the people and do not become a tyrant who brings harm to the nation, I will not interfere in the affairs of Great Song."

"Wonderful!" The emperor was overjoyed, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.

He was as delighted as a child. That night, Emperor Zhao Kuangren remained at the camp. He understood that his secret meeting with Li Xiaofei could not be concealed from the immortal sects.

Now that an agreement had been reached, there was no point in pretending anymore. This, too, was his way of demonstrating sincerity toward Li Xiaofei.

Li Xiaofei made no particular comment on it. However, he had noticed that the emperor’s Immortal Force was unstable and impure, doing more harm than good to his body. So, he lent a hand, using his sword qi to regulate and harmonize the emperor’s energy, resolving the internal hazard completely.

"A true immortal’s touch indeed!" Zhao Kuangren was ecstatic.

He had once recklessly absorbed energy from a jade leaf in an attempt to cultivate a fragmented immortal art, which left behind a severe hidden affliction. It had plagued him ever since. Despite seeking the finest doctors across the realm, none could truly cure it.

Yet Li Xiaofei had resolved it with the mere wave of a hand. This only deepened Zhao Kuangren’s confidence in Li Xiaofei.

The next morning, the group continued their journey. Li Xiaofei resumed preaching the Dao. The emperor followed closely, listening intently. Just like the others when they first heard the teachings, he quickly grew wide-eyed, as though hearing the music of the heavens.

As the emperor, Zhao Kuangren had access to the royal archives. He had read the theories of martial and immortal cultivation extensively, far more than the average practitioner. Thus, his comprehension was deeper as well.

Thus, much of what Li Xiaofei taught made perfect sense to him. Many of the confusing questions and unsolved mysteries from his own cultivation efforts were instantly clarified.

“To hear the Dao in the morning, one could die content by evening.” For a brief moment, Zhao Kuangren even felt a sudden urge to forsake his throne entirely.

Following Li Xiaofei to hear the Dao and cultivate... might just be the most beautiful thing in the world. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

At noon, the three suns hung high in the sky, and the scorching heat bore down relentlessly. Suddenly, Li Xiaofei reined in his horse. A faint smile appeared on his face as he turned his gaze toward the northwestern sky. Everyone around him looked puzzled, unable to grasp what he had sensed.

Twenty seconds later, brilliant streaks of light began to flash in the distance. Twenty-three rays of light, crackling like thunderbolts, streaked across the heavens and arrived in an instant.

They hovered in midair, and then transformed into twenty-three figures. They were suspended in the void, their presence radiating a crushing pressure.

Immortals!

Everyone's heart skipped a beat. They immediately realized that the elite troops from the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect had finally arrived. The atmosphere grew tense.

The leader of the twenty-three figures appeared to be around fifty years old. He wore a violet-red dual-toned Daoist robe and a golden coronet upon his head, secured with golden hairpins. His face resembled a ripe jujube, and his eyes held a commanding majesty. A tremendous aura exuded from his entire body.

This was none other than An Wanshan, head of the Discipline Hall of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. When he saw his master arrive in person, Lu Jiansheng’s heart sank. He dared not delay, and immediately stepped forward with three junior disciples. Together, they bowed deeply and respectfully.

"Your disciple greets you, Master."

"Senior Brother, you’re alright. That’s wonderful..."

A graceful figure suddenly descended from the sky. Seeing that Lu Jiansheng was safe and unharmed, Jianling was overwhelmed with joy and began to cry, unable to hold back her emotions. Ignoring the fact that others were watching, she rushed straight into his arms.

Lu Jiansheng’s face flushed red on the spot, completely flustered.

From above, An Wanshan looked down, hovering in the sky. When he saw that his disciples were safe and sound, he let out a silent breath of relief. As for the youngest disciple, Xue Qing, he had already been informed through Jianling’s earlier report that the boy had been crippled, so he was mentally prepared for that.

“Hm?” An Wanshan suddenly let out a surprised exclamation.

To his astonishment, in just a matter of several dozen days, Lu Jiansheng and the others had actually broken through a realm, surpassing their previous bottlenecks in the immortal path.

Even more surprising, the supposedly crippled Xue Qing didn’t look the least bit dejected. On the contrary, his complexion was glowing with health, and his demeanor was calm and spirited.

"Master, there was a... small misunderstanding between us and Immortal Master Li. But it has already been resolved," Lu Jiansheng quickly spoke up, fearful that a fight might break out. "Immortal Master Li is, in truth, a member of the immortal path himself. He..."

Before Lu Jiansheng could finish speaking—

"Step back for now." An Wanshan waved his hand, cutting him off and indicating that there was no need for his disciple to say any more.

Lu Jiansheng still wanted to explain, but Jianling and Jianxuan, his two junior martial sisters, immediately pulled him back, frantically signaling for him to stop talking, lest he make things worse.

Knowing his master’s temperament all too well, Lu Jiansheng had no choice but to quietly step aside.

"I did not expect," An Wanshan said with a booming laugh, "that someone would actually dare to stand against my Myriad Saints Immortal Sect within this Great Song Empire."

"What surprises me even more," he continued, "is that His Majesty the Song Emperor seems to share a rather close relationship with this individual. Heh... could it be that the royal house of Song intends to oppose my sect as well?"

On the ground below, Zhao Kuangren, surrounded by his secret guards, felt his heart tighten. Of course he recognized An Wanshan.

As one of the top authorities in the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect, An Wanshan had always been a key figure who was monitored and courted by the imperial family. He held true power within the sect, especially as the head of the Discipline Hall.

"Chief An, it has been a long time," said Zhao Kuangren, offering a slight bow as he maintained a courteous tone.

An Wanshan responded with a cold snort and didn’t bother to say more. To a towering figure like him within the immortal world, mortal emperors were, at best, fortunate commoners cloaked in Fate Qi. It was hardly worth his concern.

His gaze shifted and locked onto Li Xiaofei. A glint of surprise flickered in his eyes. To his astonishment, he couldn’t gauge the depth of Li Xiaofei’s cultivation.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of an immortal energy fluctuation coming from the young man. Yet everything that had occurred thus far made it clear that Li Xiaofei was far from ordinary.

Could it be that his strength surpasses mine?

The thought flashed across An Wanshan’s mind, but he dismissed it just as quickly. That couldn’t be the answer. This man had to possess some kind of treasure that concealed his aura, or perhaps he cultivated a secret art to mask his presence. That was the only logical explanation.

"And who exactly might you be?" An Wanshan asked coldly.

Li Xiaofei sat calmly atop his horse, gently stroking the mane of the old steed as he soothed it.

He replied with a faint smile, "You're Lu Jiansheng’s master? The Head of the Discipline Hall of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect? Your strength isn’t bad. Unfortunately, you're still far from being my match. Go back. Wait for me at the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect."

"Insolent!"

"Arrogant fool!"

The Sword Hall guards behind An Wanshan couldn’t help but shout in fury.

"I’ll deal with you myself." The Grand Commander of the outer guards, Xiao Shenghai, sneered as he suddenly dove from the sky.