Starforce Warriors-Chapter 943: Scheming Against Each Other (1)

“Hm? Tell them to leave immediately.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Hunting in high-stage danger zones meant peril could strike at any moment. Beyond the threat of Void Beasts, ambushes and betrayals between Reapers were all too common.

One couldn’t always trust members of their own clan, let alone those from other King-ranked families.

As a result, an unwritten rule had long been followed. Hunting parties from different King-ranked clans would avoid each other as much as possible to prevent misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict. Soon, the Hui Yao clan warrior who had delivered the message returned.

“Reporting, Princess. Zhou Shisan of the Yeniao Clan has sworn upon his clan’s origin source. He claims they are not here to hunt Void Beasts, but to guard your flanks.”

The two elders and many of the Hui Yao clan warriors chuckled. Zhou Shisan, the infamous bootlicker, had been shamelessly trying to curry favor with the Grand Princess this entire journey. Everyone was already used to it.

Now he was swearing on the Yeniao clan’s origin? He really was here to grovel for the Princess’s attention again.

‘Guarding the flanks’ meant acting as scouts and outer sentries, monitoring for threats and taking the brunt of any first attacks. Should a swarm of Void Beasts approach, they would be the first line of defense.

For someone like Zhou Shisan, a scion of a King-ranked clan, to lead such a squad personally... he was clearly being driven by love rather than logic.

“Your Highness, since Prince Zhou seems so sincere, why not allow him to guard the flanks?” Elder Qi suggested.

The Grand Princess frowned slightly and, almost reflexively, glanced at Li Xiaofei.

She was worried that letting Zhou Shisan stay would upset him. But Li Xiaofei’s mind lit up with a sudden idea. Without hesitation, he said, “Letting the Yeniao Clan remain isn’t a bad idea.”

The Grand Princess finally nodded. This was free protection delivered to their doorstep; there was no reason to turn it away.

But she followed up sternly, “Do not recall our scouts. Maintain full vigilance at all times, especially toward the Yeniao Clan. Do not let your guard down.”

See? When it came to serious matters, her intelligence returned right on cue. The hunt continued. Li Xiaofei struck several times, but he consistently displayed the power of a peak level six cultivator.

Wielding a long blade, he relied on speed and brute strength to slay several Void Hounds. A smile gradually surfaced on the Grand Princess’s face. She never made a move the entire time. Her attention remained fixed on Li Xiaofei, ready to act at a moment’s notice should he fall into danger.

This routine continued for roughly a full day. The Hui Yao clan’s hunting party harvested a generous bounty, so smiles lit up every face. After a brief rest, the group pressed deeper into the Frost Plains. They had only hunted appetizers so far. The true objective was the Void Fox.

The Grand Princess’s planned evolution to a higher level was a matter of utmost importance for the entire Hui Yao clan. No matter the cost, they had to acquire the most critical evolutionary materials, a Void Fox’s tail feathers and heart.

Another half day passed and the group finally reached the Void Fox’s territory. An experienced guide from the Wind Ruins clan located traces beneath the snow-covered ice fields; they were white droppings left by the Void Fox.

He picked up a piece, placed it carefully in his mouth, and tasted it with practiced delicacy. After a moment, his face lit up. “It’s an adult female, currently in postpartum lactation... Princess, your fate qi is unparalleled.”

Smiles appeared on the faces of the two elders as well. A lactating Void Fox would be in a weakened state. That would greatly reduce the difficulty of taking it down. The Wind Ruins scout guided the group carefully along the icy ravines, They suppressed their presence completely to avoid alerting the Void Fox.

An hour later, the hunt reached its climax inside an icy cavern nestled within the peaks. There, the group successfully brought down a towering white fox that was about thirty-three meters tall.

At the moment of death, the creature's massive body began to rapidly crystallize into ice. Its outer layer of fur turned into translucent frost crystals. But the Grand Princess reacted swiftly.

With a swing of her wide-bladed sword glowing with white energy, she cleaved open the Void Fox’s outer shell, slicing through its bones and flesh in one fluid motion, and extracted the heart in a single motion.

“Seal it!” Elder Long immediately activated a pre-prepared mystic artifact, enclosing the cold, energy-emitting heart in a sealed vessel. The Grand Princess struck again with another clean slash.

Shhkk.

Before it could fully ice over, the Void Fox’s tail was severed. Its tail was unique; it was not only covered in snow-white fur but also adorned with several radiant, multi-colored plumes. The feathers shimmered with an ethereal glow, as if the creature’s spiritual essence had gathered in them, emanating a gentle wave of energy.

These tail feathers were precisely the evolutionary material the Grand Princess needed for her next advancement. Elder Qi, equally prepared, used another mystic artifact to seal and store the feathers securely.

The mission had been accomplished. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their luck had been extraordinarily good. Normally, the Void Fox was one of the apex predators of the Frost Plains; it was extremely powerful and notoriously elusive.

Even if it was found, it was difficult to kill, as it could vanish into snow and ice like a fish slipping into water.

The Grand Princess turned to Li Xiaofei, a smile in her eyes as she said, “This time, we owe it to you.”

Li Xiaofei shook his head and replied, “I didn’t do anything.”

The Grand Princess simply smiled, accepting the sealed relics from the two elders and storing them away.

At that moment, a thought suddenly struck Elder Long. He looked at the Grand Princess, and a realization bloomed in his mind like sunlight breaking through clouds.

Could it be... the reason Her Highness has treated this man so well, even bringing him along even for such a dangerous hunt, is because of that matter?

Enlightenment dawned in Elder Long’s heart. He felt as if he had finally grasped the deeper intention behind the Grand Princess’s actions.

“Your Highness, how should we deal with these two Void Fox pups?” one of the royal guards asked, walking over with two fox kits, each about the size of a rooster.

The two Void Fox cubs were pure white, crystal-like, and irresistibly adorable, with flawless fur and silver eyes full of curiosity. Strangely, they did not seem saddened by their mother’s death. Instead, they tilted their heads and gazed at the crowd in wonder.

"Kill them," the Grand Princess said flatly.

Void Beast cubs were notoriously difficult to tame. Moreover, once removed from their native environment, they often couldn’t survive long before dying. The Reapers had once tried to domesticate Void Beasts for combat use, but the vast majority of those efforts had ended in failure.

Especially for creatures like the Void Fox, which required extreme cold to survive, there was no way to raise them properly. Keeping them would serve no purpose, it was better to eliminate them.

"As you command," the guard replied, stepping forward.

"Wait," Li Xiaofei suddenly spoke up. "Princess, I find these two little foxes quite charming. Would you allow me to take care of them instead?"

The Grand Princess looked at him with a touch of surprise and replied, "They can’t be raised. Their flesh and bones hold no value, their feathers haven’t formed, and their hearts are underdeveloped. Keeping them would only be a burden."

Li Xiaofei said, "Then I’ll take care of them for as long as I can."

"This is the first time you’ve asked me for something," the Grand Princess said softly. "Naturally, I won’t refuse. They’re yours now."

The guard quickly handed the two Void Fox cubs to Li Xiaofei. Li Xiaofei took them gently into his arms, stroking their fur. A biting chill radiated from their bodies, as though fine needles were stabbing into his palms. Such creatures were both strange and beautiful.

Beside him, the Grand Princess used her white energy blade to dissect the mother Void Fox’s corpse. She carefully removed one of the internal organs and sections of flesh that hadn’t yet frozen, packing them away for later use.

The group rested briefly in the ice cavern. In a rare display of lightheartedness, the Grand Princess said, "Since we’ve completed the hunt ahead of schedule, you are all free to act as you wish. Any resources you collect from now on will belong to you."

"Long live the Princess!"

"Many thanks, Your Highness!"

"Long live the Princess!"

Excitement rippled through the group as they cheered with genuine enthusiasm.

After all, any gain, no matter how small, in a high-resource region like this could represent a significant fortune. With a bit of luck, they might even acquire rare evolutionary materials that could directly enhance their strength.

Ordinarily, the resources they harvested were subject to mandatory contribution. But now, they were allowed to keep everything for themselves. It was like moving from a communal economy to individual ownership.

Morale instantly surged and Loyalty to the Grand Princess deepened across the board. Li Xiaofei knew his opportunity had arrived.

He seized the moment and said, “Your Highness, I’d like to try hunting on my own for a bit.”

“I’ll go with you,” the Grand Princess offered, her voice filled with concern.

Li Xiaofei shook his head and said, “I want to explore independently for a while. Besides, we’ve already scouted this area thoroughly. The Yeniao Clan is guarding the perimeter. Nothing will happen.”

The Grand Princess hesitated briefly, then nodded. “Very well.”

She handed him several high-grade pieces of cold-resistant equipment, along with a weapon.

“Be careful,” she said, her face full of worry and tenderness, like a young wife seeing her husband off to hunt.

Li Xiaofei nodded and left the ice cave alone. After briefly orienting himself, he moved in the direction of the rear-right quadrant. At the same time, Zhou Shisan received the news.

“So, that guy is finally moving alone?” His face lit up with excitement.

The net had been cast wide. Now, the prey was taking the bait.

“Go. Give him the gift,” Zhou Shisan ordered one of his most trusted men.

***

Whoosh.

A flash of the blade sliced through the air. A Void Hound collapsed into the snow. Li Xiaofei stepped forward, collected its corpse, and stored it in his spatial container.

In the distance, three more Void Hounds were fleeing in panic. Li Xiaofei followed at a calm, steady pace. From time to time, he flicked his blade, applying just enough pressure to herd the beasts in the direction he wanted them to go. He drew closer. Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out ahead.

Whoosh.

A single streak of light shot toward him. Li Xiaofei raised his hand and caught it. It was a thin slab of ice. On its surface, a single line was carved:

“150 kilometers ahead. Second peak on the left.”

As soon as he finished reading the inscription, the ice slab quickly melted, vanishing without a trace in the icy winds.

“How interesting,” Li Xiaofei chuckled.

Another flash of his blade and the three Void Hounds fell instantly. After storing the corpses, he shot off in the direction indicated by the ice slab. A hundred and fifty kilometers was nothing, so he arrived in no time.

Standing still, Li Xiaofei surveyed the terrain. Ahead of him stood a row of towering ice peaks, each soaring ten thousand meters high, jagged and massive, spaced about a kilometer apart. They pierced the blackened sky like blades of divine judgment.

There were eleven peaks in total. Facing them, Li Xiaofei located the second peak on the left. He flickered and appeared at its base. There, standing atop a ledge of frost-covered rock, was a figure clad in black armor who was impossible to miss.

“You were the one who called me here?” Li Xiaofei walked forward slowly as he asked.

The figure was entirely encased in black armor, and his head was covered by a strange helmet adorned with six glowing green eyes. Each eye flickered faintly, giving off an eerie and unsettling aura.

“My master requests your presence.” The man’s voice, processed through the six-eyed helmet, sounded flat and mechanical, like an emotionless electronic tone.

“Who is your master?” Li Xiaofei asked.

“You will know once you arrive.” The man was cautious, refusing to reveal anything in advance.

“And if you’re all being this secretive, why should I even bother going?” Li Xiaofei said.

“You have no choice.” The voice beneath the six-eyed helmet replied calmly.

“Oh?” A faint smile appeared on Li Xiaofei’s face and he asked, “And what if I refuse?”

The armored man raised his hand. He threw something toward Li Xiaofei, who caught it instinctively.

Suddenly, his body stiffened. It was an arm. A white, elegant, feminine arm. Li Xiaofei instantly recognized the small black mole near the elbow and the faint, familiar scent still lingering on it.

It was the arm of Xue, the female succubus. After tossing the severed limb, the man said nothing more. With a flicker of movement, he vanished into the shadows, leaving Li Xiaofei alone.

Li Xiaofei narrowed his eyes, a cold light flashing within his pupils. He didn’t ask any further questions. Without hesitation, he followed in pursuit.

Two thousand, five hundred kilometers away, deep within a fissure in an icy valley, Zhou Shisan’s smug and violent face appeared in front of Li Xiaofei. Behind him stood twenty elite warriors of the Yeniao Clan, silent and unmoving.