Starforce Warriors-Chapter 907: Spirit Summoning

"Arrogant."

"You really think you’re the supreme immortal of the mortal world? Truly invincible under heaven?"

"The cultivators of the entire world are gathered here, and you still dare to be so brazen?"

Rebukes rang out from all around. Sixteen figures stood up one after another and stepped into the center of the arena. Each one emanated the powerful energy fluctuations of the Transcendence Realm.

They were people of exalted status, and it had been far too long since anyone had dared to speak to them in such a tone. It was like slapping an emperor across the face. No matter how refined his character, the insult would inevitably ignite fury.

Sixteen great immortal sects. Sixteen grandmasters. Sixteen towering peaks of power. The disciples of the various sects erupted with excitement. When had there ever been a moment in history where these sixteen leaders of the immortal world stood unified in the same place? It was a scene destined to be remembered.

One had to understand that harmony was rarely genuine even among the immortal sects. Though open warfare between the sects had not occurred for many years, their proxy battles had never ceased. The wars between mortal empires often reflected the hidden wills of the immortal sects behind them.

Disciples of the immortal sects would even sometimes take part in these seemingly mundane wars. Grudges and feuds had lasted thousands of years. Many sects had long since become bitter enemies beyond reconciliation.

Yet now, when faced with a demonic threat from the mortal world, and the menace of Evil Gods from beyond the heavens, had they truly set aside their differences to unite?

Some of the younger disciples felt their blood surge with passion.

Is this not proof that the immortal world can indeed stand as one? There is hope for the Way of Immortality.

Perhaps, after this event, the fractured sects could once again come together and forge a golden age of prosperity that would last for generations.

"We do not wish to bully with numbers." A middle-aged Daoist in deep purple robes stepped onto the high platform and spoke slowly, "This matter began with the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. I am Xue Bulong, the current sect master of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. I am here to request guidance from you, the so-called great demon of the mortal world."

The elderly man with the long purple beard hesitated briefly, then stepped down from the platform. Xue Bulong stamped his foot lightly. The originally raised platform, floating nine meters in the air, suddenly sank downward.

In the blink of an eye, a massive circular dueling arena, spanning nearly a kilometer in diameter, appeared in the very center of Heaven Drum Mountain's drumhead.

The surrounding crowd remained where they stood. By simply lowering their gaze, they could see every detail within the dueling ground.

Xue Bulong extended a hand toward Li Xiaofei, gesturing with calm formality and said, "Come. There’s no need for further words, let strength speak for itself."

The sect master of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect radiated confidence, his powerful aura pressing out in all directions. Cheers erupted from the disciples of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect. He was clearly popular.

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly and took a single step forward. To the audience, it felt as if their vision blurred for an instant. A moment later, Li Xiaofei was standing inside the arena. The elderly man with the purple beard quickly formed a seal with his hands.

A strange drumming sound echoed through the heavens and earth. All of Heaven Drum Mountain seemed to resonate in response. Pale green threads of light began to emerge around the dueling ground. They extended outward, weaving through the air, linking together, and winding around until they formed a light barrier that covered the sunken arena.

At the same time, similar light threads climbed up the surrounding stone walls like ivy, twisting rapidly. These light threads interlocked tightly, forming an unbreakable wall of radiance.

Upon closer inspection, one would see that these pale green threads were actually composed of countless tiny, intricate runes. This was an advanced immortal formation of extraordinary refinement.

Li Xiaofei observed it carefully for a moment. He had to admit that the understanding of cultivators on this continent far surpassed that of the Saints of Earth when it came to the Dao of formations. Soon, the entire arena had been fortified by the formation.

"This formation is called the Heaven and Earth Sealing Immortal Formation. It was jointly constructed by the sixteen great immortal sects. Once activated, it can block any degree of attack and prevent the dueling ground from being destroyed," said Xue Bulong, introducing it with a demeanor befitting a grandmaster.

Li Xiaofei withdrew his gaze and asked coldly, "I once asked your Discipline Hall’s head, An Wanshan, to deliver a message. Sect Master Xue, I’d like to know, do you now have answers to the questions I posed that day?"

Xue Bulong replied indifferently, "The answers hold no meaning."

Li Xiaofei’s expression began to turn cold as he asked, "No meaning?"

Xue Bulong nodded, his expression unchanged. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"That is truly a pity." Li Xiaofei shook his head in disappointment and said, "You will pay the appropriate price for that answer."

Xue Bulong burst into hearty laughter. "Enough talk. I will never answer those questions of yours, because you're not worthy of asking them... Li Xiaofei, no more nonsense, make your move. Let me see how powerful you truly are, and whether you're as formidable as the legends claim."

He formed a sword seal with his fingers. Two longswords, one black and one white, ignited with a clang from behind his back. The swords immediately began to multiply. They appeared in rapid succession one after another.

Within a few seconds, countless black and white longswords had emerged, densely packed and suspended behind Xue Bulong like a rain of arrows drawn and held by an army of hundreds of thousands.

Each sword radiated a terrifying, overwhelming aura. The sheer might of it all, the spectacle, and the oppressive energy elicited waves of cheering from the surrounding disciples of the immortal sects.

Li Xiaofei spoke calmly, "I'll give you the first move."

"Heh... then you're dead. Kill!" As Xue Bulong completed the final hand seal for his sword technique—

Whoosh whoosh whoosh.

Ten thousand swords tore through the air. The storm of black and white swords came crashing down like a torrential downpour, an unstoppable force bearing straight toward Li Xiaofei. No two sword beams followed the same path. Each one carried deadly force of the highest caliber.

Li Xiaofei shook his head slightly. In that moment, he felt a brief pang of sorrow for An Wanshan. During the first challenge in the gauntlet, An Wanshan had fought with everything he had to block his advance, displaying the full scope of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect’s sword techniques.

He had given his all, fulfilling his duty to the sect. At the same time, he had demonstrated those techniques to repay Li Xiaofei for the guidance he had once offered to Lu Jiansheng and others.

But An Wanshan had never realized that the so-called core sword techniques of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect, what he believed to be the pinnacle of their martial heritage, were nothing more than surface-level scraps.

Thus, the sword technique Xue Bulong was displaying now was the sect’s true secret art. An Wanshan, despite being the head of the Discipline Hall of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect, had spent his entire life diligently upholding the sect’s order and authority. Yet, he hadn’t even known about the sect’s true sword arts, let alone cultivated them.

In fact, the fact that he had been assigned to the very first platform of the ten-stage gauntlet... perhaps even Sect Master Xue Bulong had intended to use Li Xiaofei’s hand to get rid of him.

After all, An Wanshan’s disciples, Lu Jiansheng and the others, had chosen to follow Li Xiaofei’s teachings. Who could guarantee they wouldn’t one day betray their own sect?

These thoughts flickered through Li Xiaofei’s mind as he casually parted his lips and exhaled.

Whoosh.

A single breath escaped him. In the next instant, it transformed into a sky full of flames. The storm of black and white swords, as fierce as a hurricane, was instantly consumed and reduced to ashes.

"What?!"

"What kind of divine ability is this?"

"One breath... destroyed ten thousand swords?!"

The spectators from the immortal sects, who had been cheering just moments earlier, were now struck dumb. Those black and white swords hadn’t been physical weapons. They were refined manifestations of a great divine ability. They were blades of light infused with terrifying destructive power.

How could they have been burned away so easily? Xue Bulong’s expression shifted slightly, and his heart sank.

He had known from the beginning that his opening technique might not be enough to kill Li Xiaofei. But he was shaken when it was countered by nothing more than a single breath.

Still, he had not played all his cards yet. Xue Bulong reached out with both hands, seizing the true forms of his black and white swords.

His body transformed into a streak of light and shot toward Li Xiaofei in an instant, unleashing a barrage of stabs in rapid succession. He was trying to find Li Xiaofei’s weakness.

In all the ten stages of the gauntlet so far, Li Xiaofei had overcome each challenge with mysterious, almost divine ease. But every time, it had been through the overwhelming application of the Great Dao’s laws.

He had never shown any skill in close-quarters combat. In fact, if one observed carefully, it became clear that since his sudden appearance, Li Xiaofei had never once used any form of melee technique.

Confident in his mastery of the sword and his path into immortality through it, Xue Bulong chose to abandon ranged tactics entirely and pressed in for a direct assault. He sought to use his strength to strike at the enemy’s weakness.

But how could Li Xiaofei not see through his intent? He didn’t even move his feet. His figure flickered in place, constantly shifting and changing.

Xue Bulong, confident in the unparalleled finesse of his swordsmanship, unleashed five hundred and twenty-one strikes in a single breath. These close-combat sword techniques were exceptionally refined.

Empowered by Immortal Force, they could be said to represent the peak of swordplay and martial artistry in this world, dazzling the eyes of the surrounding spectators and sending chills down their spines.

And yet, they failed to touch even a strand of Li Xiaofei’s hair. They did not even graze the corner of his robe. Realizing that his plan had failed, Xue Bulong shot backward, retreating like a streak of light as he instantly widened the gap between them.

"So this demon is not weak in close combat after all." He stabilized himself, his eyes flashing with sharp light as he stared at Li Xiaofei. Countless thoughts raced through his mind in an instant.

This realization brought both disappointment and dismay. Li Xiaofei’s mystifying body techniques spoke for themselves. From beginning to end, he had moved with the ease of a man strolling through a garden, yet he had already dismantled two of Xue Bulong’s full-strength attacks.

The gulf between them was truly impossibly vast. Xue Bulong now knew that he was no match for Li Xiaofei even in a contest of sword techniques.

It seems... I’ll have to use that final move, as the thought solidified in his heart, his gaze grew firm and resolute.

A faint black mist began swirling around his body, thickening with frightening speed. It gathered behind him, twisting upward until it formed a ten-meter-tall pillar of dense black fog.

"Summon the spirit!" Xue Bulong roared furiously, then suddenly severed his own left arm with a single sword strike. Blood sprayed into the air. Without hesitation, he tossed his severed arm into the swirling black mist behind him.

Crunch, crunch.

The chilling sound of sharp teeth gnawing on bone came from within the dense fog. It was as if some terrifying beast had devoured the severed arm, chewing it slowly before swallowing it whole.

Then, the black mist began to twist and shift in shape. It was as though an invisible and wicked brush had dipped into the fog like ink, and was now painting with it. It was spreading outward in dark, ominous strokes.

Within just a few seconds, a towering black monster, ten meters tall, took form. It resembled a demonic bull, with gnarled, coiled horns. It stood upright like a man, its limbs thick and muscular and its body bulging with raw strength. Its eyes faintly glowed with a blood-red gleam, and the aura it gave off was violent, savage, and cruel. It was like a demon that had clawed its way out from the depths of the Nine Hells.

"What is that thing?"

"A spirit summoning technique?"

"Yes! The Sect Master has summoned a god from the chaos to destroy Li Xiaofei, the great demon of the mortal world!"

"The Sect Master sacrificed a part of himself to summon this spirit, such selflessness and courage!"

Some disciples from other immortal sects couldn't help but voice their doubts. To them, the black, blurry bull-demon didn’t resemble any proper or righteous spirit. But high-ranking members of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect immediately stepped in to explain, defending Xue Bulong’s actions.

"That thing looks more like a demon than anything else." Li Yiyun couldn’t hold back and shouted, “It reeks of demonic energy!”

The old monster beside him wore a grave expression and muttered, “It’s here... that aura... it’s unmistakable...”

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Cries erupted from countless disciples of the immortal sects, their roars echoing across the mountaintop as they rallied behind Xue Bulong. The killing shouts shook the very clouds above.

Inside the dueling arena, the black bull-demon suddenly charged toward Li Xiaofei. As it thundered forward, its massive jaws opened wide. A swirling vortex of blood-red energy began to form in its mouth.

It looked like a gateway leading directly into the depths of the Nine Hells. A twisted, savage grin spread across Xue Bulong’s face. This was the reason he had insisted on being the first to step forward, the reason he had challenged Li Xiaofei alone.

He intended to ascend by stepping over Li Xiaofei’s corpse. He wanted the entire immortal world to witness the terrifying might of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect’s true strength.

This technique had been passed down by the sect’s founding sect master. Though it required the sacrifice of one’s own flesh and blood, it allowed the summoning of a divine spirit from the chaotic void beyond the heavens.

A god-spirit. A being born to slay immortals. Its power was beyond anything this world’s cultivators could resist. It belonged to a higher realm of existence.

Xue Bulong had once seen the ancestral sect master use this forbidden technique to devour a peak-stage immortal in an instant, not even leaving behind a strand of hair. So even if Li Xiaofei was known as the supreme demon of the mortal world, he was still mortal. How could he possibly stand against a god-spirit?

The black demon bull roared, closing the distance in a flash. Its gaping, crimson maw opened wide, and in the next instant, it devoured Li Xiaofei whole.

"Hahahahaha...!" Xue Bulong laughed wildly toward the heavens. "Haha... Huh?"

His laughter abruptly turned into stunned confusion. After the demon bull completed its devouring, it didn’t grind Li Xiaofei into bloody pulp as he had imagined.

Instead, like mist or wind crashing against a boulder, the bull simply... dispersed. It vanished. Li Xiaofei still stood exactly where he had been, completely unharmed. Not even a strand of hair had been touched.