Starforce Warriors-Chapter 945: Sword Immortal Lin Beichen

Zhu Zhixun, Xiong Gang, and the others began to grow tense.

“Senior, should we slow down a bit?” Zhu Zhixun whispered cautiously.

Diving so recklessly could prove fatal. If they encountered a higher level Void Beast or accidentally triggered a natural formation embedded in the terrain, it could easily lead to a deadly trap with little chance of survival.

“It’s fine,” Li Xiaofei replied calmly.

He couldn’t be certain whether there were any traps left behind by the Reapers. Logically speaking, if someone like Zhu Zhixun could trace the possibility of Sword Immortal Lin Beichen being trapped here, then the Reaper Ancestor Court would undoubtedly be aware of it too.

That meant the Reapers might have indeed left behind some sort of trap. If someone trespassed, it could trigger a reaction. Therefore, this had to be settled quickly and decisively.

A roar suddenly echoed as a bat-like creature with wings spanning nearly a thousand meters surged upward, lunging straight toward Li Xiaofei and his group.

The Void Beasts, which inhabited the rising cliffs of the abyss, were at least at level seven. But to Li Xiaofei, such a threat was negligible. He had already been able to fight cultivators of the Seven Transformation Realm back when he was still in the Six Gods Realm. Now that he had reached the Seven Transformation Realm himself, his strength had increased dramatically.

A blade flashed through the air and the Void Beast was slain instantly. However, bats were social creatures by nature. Sure enough, the very next moment, more flying Void Beasts burst forth from the darkness. They swarmed toward Li Xiaofei and the others like a tidal wave.

Shrill, piercing cries erupted from their mouths. The sound was incredibly powerful, capable of shattering the icy cliffs around them in an instant. Yet the flying sword beneath Li Xiaofei’s feet generated a pale red barrier in a flash, isolating them from all the incoming sound waves.

This scene left Zhu Zhixun and the others even more shaken and excited. Time and again, Li Xiaofei shattered their understanding of what was possible. Relentless flashes of his blade slew all the bat-like Void Beasts. Their corpses plummeted into the depths of the abyss like dumplings dropping into boiling water.

“What a pity. The corpses of so many level seven Void Beasts could have been a fortune if we managed to collect them,” Xiong Gang murmured.

His eyes were filled with regret as he watched the bodies fall into the darkness.

“It’s useless. Even if we retrieved them, we wouldn’t be able to sell any of it,” Zhu Zhixun replied calmly, his mind staying clear amid the chaos. “The news of us breaking through the Burial Ice Cliff will spread before long. By then, anyone trying to sell materials harvested from bat-type Void Beasts will be exposed. The Commander once said, never underestimate the Reapers.”

As they spoke, the swarm of bat-like Void Beasts was finally scattered and destroyed. But soon after, they encountered more types of Void Beasts. These creatures that dwelled along the cliffs of the abyss were mostly level seven and even level eight. Their terrifying strength far surpassed what Zhu Zhixun and the others had imagined.

Even Li Xiaofei no longer found it easy to deal with them. The level eight Void Beasts were far too powerful for him to face in direct combat. Thus, he borrowed the silver, shattered blade fragment from Zhu Zhixun. With this fragment of an Emperor’s weapon in hand, Li Xiaofei’s power surged dramatically.

Activating the silver fragment, he unleashed a sharp beam of silver light through the void, cutting down the level eight Void Beasts with a single, unstoppable slash. Just like before, Li Xiaofei made no attempt to collect the corpses of these high level creatures. But in places where Zhu Zhixun and the others couldn’t see, a dark red longsword was silently devouring the blood and flesh energy of the fallen beasts.

Naturally, Li Xiaofei wasn’t about to miss such a perfect opportunity for slaughter and feeding the Blood-Drinking Sword. This Emperor-grade weapon was his strongest trump card. It needed to be constantly fed with blood, as it absorbed the flesh and life energy of living beings to grow stronger. Not only that, it could purify the absorbed energy and return it to Li Xiaofei in the form of usable energy.

In the Holy Ruins plane, every time Li Xiaofei used his Immortal Force, his internal reserves would diminish without any way to replenish them through ordinary cultivation. The Blood-Drinking Sword conveniently solved this dilemma.

As they descended deeper, the number and strength of Void Beasts continued to increase. The deeper they went, the more formidable the creatures became. Cold sweat beaded on the foreheads of Zhu Zhixun and the others.

Looking back at their original plan, they realized that if not for Li Xiaofei’s presence, they wouldn’t have survived long enough to reach the Immortal Trapping Ground, even if they had somehow obtained a treasure like the Time Jade.

Whoosh.

Suddenly, it felt as if they had pierced through some kind of barrier. The darkness ahead abruptly vanished as a bright, radiant space suddenly unfolded around them without any warning.

The abyssal cliff walls that had once been pitch black now shimmered with a soft, translucent white glow. They emitted a gentle light. The previous aura of death, evil, and gloom was entirely gone.

In its place was a sense of divinity and brilliance. This new atmosphere made Zhu Zhixun and the others feel incredibly at ease. All their exhaustion and tension were instantly swept away. Li Xiaofei scanned the surroundings.

“Look over there!” Xiong Gang suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the front left.

Everyone turned toward where he was pointing. There, on the smooth, glowing white ice wall of the cliff, was a massive statue. It appeared to be a beast-headed, human-bodied creature, carved with lifelike detail.

Li Xiaofei’s heart stirred. Controlling his sword, he flew closer. Only when he approached did he realize that it wasn’t a statue at all. It was a massive indentation.

It seemed that some beast-headed, humanoid monster had been struck with such force that it had slammed into the white cliff wall, carving out the deep recess with the impact of its body.

From a distance, it seemed like a sculpture. But a hundred meters away, the scale of the dent became clear. It stretched nearly a kilometer wide.

“What kind of monster was this?”

“If you look closely, doesn’t the shape of the head resemble a lion?”

Xiong Gang and the others whispered among themselves, awe in their voices.

Li Xiaofei’s expression sharpened with realization. With a sharp whistling sound, the silver fragment of the shattered blade shot forward, striking the shimmering white cliff wall.

Ding.

A soft chime rang out. The silver fragment of the shattered blade was deflected and sent flying backward.

“How is that possible?” Zhu Zhixun cried out in shock.

That strike had failed to leave even the slightest mark on the white abyssal cliff wall. One had to understand that this silver fragment was a remnant of an Emperor’s weapon. Even the body of a level eight peak Void Beast couldn’t withstand a casual strike from it.

Li Xiaofei remained silent. He carefully observed the area around him. The white cliff walls radiated a holy glow that made him feel comfortable and at ease. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced since his time at Doushuai Palace. His instincts told him there was no danger within this space.

Even so, he remained cautious. He continued descending on his sword. Suddenly, a formless resistance appeared. Layer upon layer of translucent ripples spread out like water in the void below, completely blocking the way forward. It was a formation.

Zhu Zhixun spoke up, “Old Jin.”

A tall, thin man who had remained silent until now nodded when he heard his name. He pulled out a white object from his robes. The Time Jade. It was the very treasure the Grand Princess had lost.

This bamboo-like man clearly had long since mastered the method of activating the Time Jade. After forming a sequence of special hand seals, he injected a stream of energy into the artifact. The invisible formation below began to dissolve quickly.

Li Xiaofei descended further on his sword. At the same time, a question rose in his mind, and he couldn’t help but ask, “You’re that Master Jin?”

The tall, thin man respectfully nodded and said, “Indeed, I am that humble one. Greetings, Senior.”

Li Xiaofei immediately understood. In that instant, he realized the full scope of Zhu Zhixun and the others’ plan to seize the Time Jade.

Back at the banquet, after the explosion, Zhu Zhixun and his companions had taken possession of the Time Jade. But instead of fleeing the scene with it, they had handed it to their associate, Master Jin, for safekeeping.

Zhu Zhixun had then pretended to flee with the treasure, luring the various factions into a frenzied pursuit. Even the Grand Princess had personally intervened to seize it. But the real Time Jade had never left the premises, it had been hidden on Master Jin all along. The most dangerous place had indeed turned out to be the safest.

Afterward, Master Jin had simply followed his obese master openly out of the banquet hall without arousing any suspicion. Just like that, the Time Jade had been safely smuggled out.

As for this Master Jin, he was far from ordinary. He looked completely different from his previous appearance. He was thin as a bamboo pole when before, he had looked as round as a hill.

More impressively, he had full command of the method to activate the Time Jade. He didn’t even need two people to hold hands as the princess had described. His solo technique was far simpler and more direct.

Wait. Hold on a second.

A sudden thought flashed through Li Xiaofei’s mind.

Damn it. Could the Grand Princess have made up that ridiculous synchronized move on purpose just to take advantage of me?

The realization hit him a little too late. As Master Jin continued to expertly manipulate the Time Jade, the formation barrier continued to dissolve, and the group descended another several thousand meters. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Then, they spotted a distinct sword mark on the shifting cliff wall. Sword scars of various sizes covered the surface of the cliff. A look of joy immediately appeared on Li Xiaofei’s face.

“These are the sword marks left behind by the Sword Immortal, the senior himself.”

He instantly confirmed it. This had to be the work of Lin Beichen. The white cliff was so unbelievably hard that even a fragment of an Emperor’s weapon couldn’t leave the slightest mark on it. Who else but Lin Beichen could carve sword scars into such a surface?

Moreover, the most telling sign was the resonance. Some of the techniques Li Xiaofei had cultivated were originally created by Lin Beichen himself. Their shared lineage allowed him to sense the aura lingering within those sword marks.

“This is incredible.”

“Is Sword Immortal Senior really here?”

“We’re in the right place!”

Zhu Zhixun and the others were overwhelmed with excitement.

Li Xiaofei, too, was filled with anticipation. He approached the cliff wall. He could clearly feel the sword intent radiating from those scars. Closing his eyes, Li Xiaofei immersed himself in the sensation.

He immediately felt as though he had gained tremendous insight. These sword marks contained the residual will of Lin Beichen’s sword path, and each one was infused with the profound truths of his swordsmanship.

As he meditated on them carefully, he realized how much they enriched his own understanding of the way of the sword.

“You all can study them too,” Li Xiaofei said, pointing to the sword marks etched into the cliff. “These were left behind by a senior of the human race. They carry his will but are harmless to us. You may absorb them without worry.”

Zhu Zhixun and the others were overjoyed. To them, these sword marks were equivalent to priceless treasures. They were cultivation manuals of the highest tier. An entire cliff covered in such sword marks was like a vault of martial wealth.

Zhu Zhixun sighed, “What a shame. If we could somehow remove this treasure trove and bring it back, it would nurture countless human cultivators.”

“Make the most of this moment,” Li Xiaofei urged. “Plant the will within your hearts.”

Zhu Zhixun and the others calmed their minds and focused with deep reverence. They knew that an opportunity like this was something people could search for across entire lifetimes without success.

In ordinary times, they would have secluded themselves here for centuries to absorb every ounce of this fortune. But the present demanded urgency. They had to seize every moment.

***

Twenty minutes later.

Li Xiaofei continued leading them deeper down. Then, all six of them felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.

“Sword Immortal Senior!” Zhu Zhixun couldn’t help but cry out loud.

It was true. There, standing on the white cliff ahead, was a man so impossibly handsome it defied logic.

He was dressed in white, pure and spotless as freshly fallen snow. His long black hair cascaded like a waterfall, each strand glowing faintly with divine radiance. He casually held a sword in his right hand. He looked like a celestial being banished to the mortal world, wearing a serene smile as he gazed at them.

It was Sword Immortal Lin Beichen. It was truly him. Lin Beichen, the legendary Sword Immortal. Li Xiaofei was stunned. He had never expected to meet the man himself so easily.