Starforce Warriors-Chapter 896: Immortal (2)

He opened his mouth and spat out two sword pellets. The black sword pellet and the white sword pellet shot forth like lightning, cutting through the void with a roar of sword qi.

Emperor Zhao Kuangren and the others paled in alarm. When an immortal acted in anger, the power unleashed was truly terrifying. It was like divine wrath wrapped in thunder.

But Li Xiaofei merely smiled. He raised a hand, and with the grace of plucking a flower, effortlessly caught both streaks of sword light. The sword lights instantly reverted to their original pellet form, and started to lazily spin in his palm.

This scene made Xue Qing’s eyelids twitch uncontrollably. Sword pellets were one of the six great divine abilities of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. Nourished by one’s own immortal essence and linked to the soul, they wielded terrifying power far beyond that of ordinary sword cultivators. Yet if they were countered, the backlash could be severe.

His own sword pellet had been broken by Li Xiaofei in a similar manner. Now that even Xiao Shenghai’s Yin-Yang Sword Pellets proved just as vulnerable, Xue Qing no longer felt wronged by his defeat.

As for Xiao Shenghai himself, he was utterly stunned. "What? My swords... come back to me!"

He shouted and poured all his energy into summoning them. But there was no response. The two soul-bound treasures had been completely severed from him, as if they had vanished into the sea. They were no longer responding to his call. Even more bizarre was the fact that he felt no backlash whatsoever.

"You're far too weak." Li Xiaofei studied him for a few seconds, then slowly opened his palm.

The black and white sword pellets gently flew back and returned to Xiao Shenghai’s side.

"People only ever believe what their eyes can see," Li Xiaofei said with a calm smile. "Chief An, since you’re Lu Jiansheng’s master, I won’t make things difficult for you. If you can withstand a single sword strike from me, I will surrender myself and follow you back to the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. How about it?"

At this point, An Wanshan no longer dared underestimate Li Xiaofei in the slightest. As the saying went, when a true expert made a move, one could tell instantly. When he witnessed Li Xiaofei effortlessly seize control of Xiao Shenghai’s sword pellets, he understood immediately that he had encountered the most unfathomable opponent of his life.

Even he, with a thorough understanding of Xiao Shenghai’s cultivation methods, could never have stripped away someone’s sword pellets so casually and easily.

"Very well," An Wanshan said in a low, steady voice.

He formed a sword seal with his fingers.

Shua, shua, shua.

Sixteen crimson longswords burst into the air, unfolding before him like the brilliant fan of a peacock. They hovered neatly in formation, forming what looked like a blazing wall of fire.

Sword qi surged around him as if slicing apart the very fabric of the world itself. An Wanshan had chosen to adopt a defensive stance. Li Xiaofei remained seated casually on his horse. Moving with effortless grace, he merely raised one finger, and tapped it gently in the air.

A single streak of silver sword light shot forth from his fingertip. It didn’t appear dazzling, and there was no overwhelming burst of energy nor earth-shattering pressure.

And yet, that single, unassuming beam of sword light sliced cleanly through the wall formed by the sixteen immortal swords. Then it pierced straight through the protective immortal aura that An Wanshan had cultivated for one hundred and sixty years. Finally, it drove directly through his physical body.

Pfft.

Blood spurted into the air. An Wanshan lowered his head in disbelief. There, on the right side of his chest, was a hole that was a finger wide. The gaping wound gushed fresh blood that soaked into the violet-red hues of his Daoist robe.

His face was filled with utter shock as he stared blankly at the injury. Then, slowly, he lifted his gaze. He looked up at Li Xiaofei and saw that the young man in white was still seated leisurely on his horse.

The image of that single finger raising and releasing the sword light played over and over in An Wanshan’s mind. The more he recalled it, the more horrified he felt. It had been such a light, casual gesture. There was no sign of a secret technique. No prior buildup of energy. Nothing that indicated a killing move. It was as if the young man had been playing with him.

With that casual strike, he had shattered the fruit of one hundred and sixty years of cultivation. He had pierced through the divine sword with which An Wanshan’s very life was bound.

What kind of cultivation level is this? thought An Wanshan. Even his own senior brother, the sect master himself, surely did not possess such power.

"Master!" Lu Jiansheng and the others cried out in alarm upon seeing their master wounded. They rushed through the air toward him.

"It's nothing," replied An Wanshan, raising a hand. A wave of force swept out, holding Lu Jiansheng and the rest at bay.

"I admit defeat." An Wanshan turned to Li Xiaofei, cupped his hands, and respectfully acknowledged his loss. "Your swordsmanship is truly divine, and something I have never seen or even heard of. I am no match for you."

Cultivators of the immortal sects had long grown accustomed to treating ordinary mortals as ants or livestock that were barely worth a glance. But when it came to peers of equal or greater strength, they were exceedingly courteous.

An Wanshan had been cultivating immortal arts for nearly two centuries and was well-versed in this unspoken code of the immortal path. What’s more, he could clearly tell that Li Xiaofei had shown mercy. He had not aimed to kill. The injury he sustained was superficial, affecting only flesh and blood. There was no grievous wound, nor had any hidden affliction been inflicted. Because of this, An Wanshan showed him the utmost respect.

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly and said, "Since you’ve lost, then return. Wait for me at your sect’s mountain gate. Deliver a message to your sect master for me. Tell him I will come personally to ask why he would sacrifice the citizens of Great Song in blood rituals. I want to know whether the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect is still a proper immortal sect, or a demonic lair."

A trace of shame flickered across An Wanshan’s face. Yet he could not refute the words. He simply replied, "Understood. I shall return at once and await your arrival within the sect."

With that, he turned to Lu Jiansheng and the others. "Come, return with me."

"Master..." Lu Jiansheng hesitated, his expression conflicted.

He was reluctant to return to the sect just yet. He had been able to hear the Dao firsthand, at any moment by following Li Xiaofei. He longed to remain at Li Xiaofei’s side for just a few more days.

"Master, perhaps you could allow us disciples to stay a while longer, and act as guides for Master Li. Should any new developments arise, we could report back to the sect immediately." Xue Qing’s eyes sparkled as he swiftly came up with an excuse.

"Master Li?" An Wanshan’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought.

He glanced at his chief disciple, Lu Jiansheng, then at Xue Qing. With his seasoned insight, how could he not see that these disciples had little desire to return?

Why? An Wanshan was both surprised and bewildered.

Does Li Xiaofei hold something over them? Have they been coerced or threatened, and thus are unwilling to return?

No. That couldn’t be right.

He had just experienced that sword strike from Li Xiaofei. He had felt the man’s sword intent. It was righteous, bright, and noble. It was the unmistakable mark of a practitioner of the true path. Someone capable of cultivating such sword intent would never stoop to manipulation or coercion.

"Senior Brother, you..." Even the female disciple Jianling couldn’t understand her beloved’s decision.

They had just barely escaped the tiger’s maw, and now he didn’t want to leave? Why?

An Wanshan cast a deep, penetrating look at Lu Jiansheng. The latter’s face flushed slightly with shame, but he still answered honestly, "Master, we have received many pointers from Master Li these past few days. Our cultivation has improved rapidly, and our understanding of the immortal path has grown by leaps and bounds. Therefore... we wish to remain a little longer."

What? An Wanshan was utterly shocked by the reply. So that was it.

No wonder, when he saw his disciples earlier, he had found that their cultivation realms had advanced significantly and their strength greatly improved. He had assumed they had been driven to desperate diligence after suffering defeat. But now...

He looked at Li Xiaofei again, this time with a mix of awe and disbelief. He had already confirmed that this young man’s cultivation was unfathomably deep, and his comprehension of the Dao far surpassed his own. But to think that someone of such caliber was actually willing to guide disciples from the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect?

There had been conflict between them not long ago. This man, if he was not a great saint, then surely was a great schemer. An Wanshan pondered for a moment, then finally agreed to Lu Jiansheng and the others’ request. He also allowed Jianling and Jianxuan, the two female disciples, to remain behind.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Streaks of light tore through the sky as An Wanshan, along with the outer guards of the Sword Hall, departed swiftly. He knew now that something monumental had happened.

For just a brief moment, even he had felt a strong urge to stay and experience Li Xiaofei’s Dao teachings himself. But he resisted the temptation. He knew he had to return immediately. He had to report this to the sect master and the senior brothers.

An Wanshan had a strong premonition that the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect was standing at the brink of a fateful turning point.