Starforce Warriors-Chapter 994: Azure

Tie Ling and the others were instantly overjoyed. The hearts that had been lodged in their throats were finally about to settle. But at that very moment—

"You... what sword technique was that?" Tie Qinlong suddenly spoke.

His tone was extremely strange. The pitch was stiff and awkward, as if he had only just learned how to speak.

Li Xiaofei did not respond. In fact, he completely ignored the question. Instead, he reached out and plucked at the air. The white bone fang gripped in Tie Qinlong’s hand was forcefully pulled into his own. It was heavy in his grasp, as if he were holding a star.

A good item, Li Xiaofei’s eyes lit up.

He could clearly feel that the density and toughness of this thick, long bone fang were far beyond that of ordinary metal. It was a rare and priceless treasure.

This scene was reflected in the eyes of Tie Ling and the others, causing their hearts to sink in unison. The clan’s ancestral treasure had actually been taken so easily.

The patriarch...

Just as that thought arose, a dull thud echoed around the room. Tie Qinlong, who had been standing tall just a moment ago, swayed and then collapsed heavily to the ground. Blood gushed out in streams. He was dead. Dead.

"Patriarch?"

"The patriarch is dead... killed."

"This..."

The people who had just been wearing smiles were instantly stunned, thrown into immense shock and confusion.

The patriarch had clearly already won. Why had things suddenly taken such a turn?

Li Xiaofei gently stroked the over-two-meter-long bone fang in his hand and said calmly, "If not for this treasured artifact, that useless patriarch wouldn’t have survived even three of my moves."

Buzz.

The bone fang vibrated. Its tip was now pointed straight at the crowd.

"State your choice," Li Xiaofei said, his tone lofty and judgmental, brooking no argument. "Submit, or die."

Everyone felt as if an iron hand had gripped their hearts, suffocating them. Before the others could react, Tie Ling was the first to fall to his knees with a thud.

"This junior, Tie Ling, welcomes the Ancestor’s return!" He pressed his forehead to the ground and spoke loudly.

His posture, the reverence in his expression, and the submissiveness in his tone were even more fervent than when he had flattered Patriarch Tie Qinlong earlier.

Everyone else was stunned. Then they snapped out of it. One by one, they knelt.

"Greetings, Ancestor."

"The Ancestor is invincible!"

"Welcome home, Ancestor!"

It wasn’t that the Ruò Iron Clan had no men of iron. But the rules of this glory challenge had been set from the start. Winner takes all.

Moreover, Li Xiaofei also held an exalted identity at the moment. He was the Grand Priest of the ancient Ruò Iron Clan. Even after all these years, the reverence he commanded had not diminished.

As he looked at the clan elites kneeling before him, Li Xiaofei revealed a satisfied expression and gave a slight nod. Everything was going according to plan.

***

Ten days later.

Li Xiaofei became the new patriarch of the Ruò Iron Clan. At the same time, he also assumed the role of Grand Priest. He reestablished the clan’s faith. However, he did not erect any divine statue within the newly constructed temple.

The deity that had been erased from all the Reaper fortress ruins in the Evolution Temple remained mysterious and eerie. Li Xiaofei still had no idea what it actually was, so for now, he chose not to touch anything related to that deity.

Li Xiaofei suspected that this matter was likely connected to the Ancestor of Wisdom. The Ancestor of Wisdom now held absolute authority over the entire Reaper world. Li Xiaofei had no intention of drawing too much attention from such a formidable enemy.

Everything that had happened within the Ruò Iron Clan was kept strictly confidential and never announced to the outside world. Outsiders only knew that the Ruò Iron Clan had changed leaders. As a result, a few weaker King-ranked clans and subordinate minor tribes came to offer congratulations, hoping to curry favor in advance.

This matter became a hot topic of discussion among many Reaper nobles in a short time. However, the truly top-tier Reaper clans did not respond immediately and made no clear move to acknowledge Li Xiaofei as the new patriarch of the Ruò Iron Clan.

According to current tradition, the succession of leadership within a King-ranked clan was no longer merely an internal affair. It now required recognition and formal investiture from the Ancestor Court. So far, the Ancestor Court had yet to give any indication or response.

As time passed and the Ruò Iron Clan took no particularly significant actions under its new leadership, external interest gradually faded. Li Xiaofei suppressed his impatience and began to study the current state of the Ruò Iron Clan in detail.

Following the advice of his new trusted aide Tie Ling, he selected the clan’s talented members and filtered them based on their loyalty, then began passing down the ancient Vital Qi cultivation method established by the Ruò Iron Clan’s founding ancestor.

This was an experiment. Li Xiaofei himself wanted to know whether an old boarding pass could still get him aboard the new era’s ship.

Time flowed on and Li Xiaofei’s control over the Ruò Iron Clan grew stronger by the day. During this period, a small group of clansmen loyal to the former patriarch Tie Qinlong attempted a rebellion, but Li Xiaofei suppressed it effortlessly with a mere wave of his hand.

Then, one day, news arrived. The Ancestor Court had issued a summons for investiture. At last, it had come. Li Xiaofei’s spirits soared upon receiving the message. He would finally have the chance to step into the Reaper Ancestor Court. And with it, a chance to learn the truth about Si Kongxue and the Evolution Temple.

Setting out from Ruò Iron Star, Li Xiaofei brought his trusted followers with him in a grand procession that drew attention from all sides, until they finally arrived on the Ancestor Court’s planet.

The planet of the Ancestor Court was called Azure. It lay at the very center of the star system. It was not the largest planet, nor was it the one with the most concentrated spiritual energy tides. In fact, there wasn’t the slightest trace of cultivation energy on this planet.

What it was famous for was its breathtaking natural scenery and the finest climate conditions. From a distance, Azure looked like a dazzling, flawless sapphire, quietly floating in the void of space.

It remained still and utterly unique. It did not participate in the planetary rotation system of the Ancestor Court’s star system. Yet it still experienced the alternation of the four seasons.

This was because one star and three planets revolved around Azure like the most loyal of servants, eternally 'serving' it. Even the coldest Reapers could not help but marvel at and become immersed in the planet’s stunning beauty.

There were no stationed troops around Azure. Nor were there any protective formations in place. It was an undefended planet. The reason for that was simple; its ruler wielded a strength that reigned supreme over this star region and perhaps even the entire universe.

The Ancestor of Wisdom. Among the two Reaper Ancestors, the Ancestor of Wisdom was the one currently in rotation and wielding absolute authority.

The skies were clear and a gentle breeze blew on Azure. A round airship marked with the Ruò Iron Clan’s insignia pierced through the atmosphere and slowly descended onto a fantastical and resplendent grassland.

A tide of pink flowers bent low in the wind vortex stirred by the ship’s landing, resembling an abstract masterpiece. Li Xiaofei stepped out from the hatch. Damp, fresh air swept against his face. He stretched out his fingers, and gently brushed the wind flowing across the grasslands. A trace of intrigue flickered deep in his eyes. No one had come to receive them.

Tie Ling quickly stepped forward to explain, "There are only ascetics on Azure, no service personnel. The only permanent residents are the sixteen disciples under the Ancestor of Wisdom. Our airship can only remain in this zone to avoid damaging the natural environment. From here, we must travel on horseback to reach the Temple of Wisdom."

Li Xiaofei nodded. He hadn’t expected the Ancestor of Wisdom to be an environmentalist.