Starforce Warriors-Chapter 998: Finally Meeting

It was a feline creature resembling a snow leopard. Its fur was covered in white spots, and it possessed a graceful figure tinged with a dangerous allure. It poked its head out from behind a crumbling wall and stared intently at Li Xiaofei.

"An Oblivion?" he muttered.

Li Xiaofei studied it closely. He noticed that this 'snow leopard' indeed radiated a strong aura of Oblivion, as if it had been formed from the purest killing intent. However, unlike the Oblivions he had encountered within the ruins and fortresses, this one clearly possessed the breath of life.

It let out a low growl, its gaze fierce and menacing. It seemed to be warning Li Xiaofei not to step any closer into its territory.

“It’s not attacking recklessly?” Li Xiaofei became even more intrigued.

This ‘snow leopard’ was clearly intelligent. It was unlike the usual Oblivions, which only existed for slaughter and death. Li Xiaofei circled around the area. From the side, he was surprised to discover two fluffy white cubs behind the snow leopard.

It had given birth?

Could it truly be a natural-born creature?

Li Xiaofei was tempted to steal one of the cubs for research. But the snow leopard was extremely vigilant, able to pierce through his concealment techniques, launch several aggressive counterattacks. It was very irritable.

After a moment of thought, Li Xiaofei chose to leave. He could feel a trace of danger from the snow leopard. Its attacks were capable of inflicting real harm upon him. What a strange and fascinating creature. This discovery made Li Xiaofei feel a faint glimmer of optimism regarding the situation of Si Kongxue and her daughter in this Realm.

First of all, there was life surviving here. This proved that Oblivion had not completely annihilated everything. Secondly, the snow leopard had not attacked on sight, nor had it shown a savage or reckless nature.

This suggested that even if there were other living creatures here, they might still retain their own independent consciousness and were not purely ferocious.

Li Xiaofei continued on his way. Gradually, he realized that it felt as though he had entered a massive zoo. Along the path, he encountered many animals; some normal, others far from it.

These creatures, like the snow leopard, were enveloped in the aura of Oblivion. Their bodies surged with the essence of destruction, and yet they possessed their own rationality and were not inherently brutal.

Of course, they still fought each other over territory and food. It was a simple animal world. The law of the jungle prevailed. But Li Xiaofei had no time for detailed observation. He quickened his pace, searching for Si Kongxue and her daughter.

In the blink of an eye, another half a month had passed. Li Xiaofei was growing increasingly anxious. On this particular day, he arrived at the foot of a stretch of uniquely beautiful mountain ranges.

These mountains were not towering, but the scenery was serene and elegant. The waters wound like jade sashes, and the hills resembled gentle maidens full of grace. It was a rare and stunning natural landscape that brought peace and delight to the soul at first glance.

Li Xiaofei halted at the base of the mountains. He had not been entranced by the scenery but rather because of a massive beast horde of various shapes and species before him.

They numbered in the thousands at the very least. They stood in formation like an army. At their head was a two-headed white lion. It was an enormous and majestic creature, over six meters tall, with fur as white as snow and a gentle silvery glow radiating from its body.

However, what truly captured Li Xiaofei’s attention was not the lion itself. It was the girl standing on the lion’s back.

A living human. The girl appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. She had short, light brown hair that was slightly messy, as if it had been randomly cut with a blade. There was no sense of style to it, yet it possessed a certain disheveled beauty.

Her features were small and delicate. Her face was shaped like an oval, with finely carved facial features. Her skin was smooth with a slight wheatish tone, looking healthy and beautiful.

What stood out the most were her eyes. They shone like dazzling black gems, filled with a wild and primal light. She wore a patchwork dress made of beast hides, her feet bare, and held a white bone spear in one hand.

She sat quietly atop the giant lion, one hand gripping its silvery mane, like a small sprite fallen into the mortal world. Or perhaps a young but dangerous warrior girl.

She tilted her head slightly, staring at Li Xiaofei. The once-restless beast horde around her grew quiet with just a wave of her hand. Even the dozens of massive blood pythons, each tasting the air with scarlet tongues and measuring tens of meters in length, obediently coiled up and lifted their heads, clustering around her like kindergarten children waiting for candy from their teacher.

Li Xiaofei’s heart pounded violently in his chest. In truth, from the very first moment he laid eyes on the girl's face, a strange sense of familiarity struck him, and he had already begun to suspect something.

At that moment, Li Xiaofei could no longer contain the surge of emotion in his heart. He opened his mouth slightly, but not a single sound came out. It was as if he had lost the ability to speak.

“Daddy,” the girl suddenly spoke in a crisp, clear voice.

Her wild yet delicate little face broke into a bright smile. She looked at Li Xiaofei, her mischievous, untamed eyes brimming with undeniable affection.

“You... know me?” Li Xiaofei’s voice was stiff and strained.

When his wife and daughter had been taken, the child had still been too young to understand anything. He never imagined she would recognize him.

“Mom said the first man to arrive here would definitely be Daddy.” The girl stood up on the silver-white lion, pride and love written all over her delicate face as she said, “Mom told me what you look like. I remembered it a long time ago... Daddy, why did you only come now?”

Li Xiaofei’s tears fell suddenly and uncontrollably. That feeling of a bond through blood was something no force or cultivation technique in the world could ever suppress. He had searched for so long. He had nearly traversed the entirety of the Holy Ruins, endured countless hardships, and finally, he had found his daughter.

He walked forward slowly and opened his arms. The girl leapt down from the silver-white lion and ran straight into his embrace. Her small head nuzzled and rubbed against his chest.

"I'm sorry I came so late," said Li Xiaofei, holding his daughter tightly, as if trying to imprint her scent into his memory forever.

“Daddy, Daddy.” The girl wrapped her arms affectionately around Li Xiaofei’s neck.

Before this moment, Li Xiaofei had imagined many scenarios. After so many years, would his grown-up daughter see him as a stranger? Would she be angry with him? Would she refuse to recognize him?

There was a saying, The closer one gets to home, the more timid the heart becomes. Was it not the same between people? But the crisp, enthusiastic cries of 'Daddy' instantly swept away all his doubts and unease. Yes. How could there be blame between family?

“Where’s your mother?” Li Xiaofei asked.

The girl jumped back onto the silver-white lion’s back and waved cheerfully. “Come on, Daddy, I’ll take you to see Mom!”

Li Xiaofei leaped swiftly onto the lion’s back as well. The girl waved and followed up with a sharp whistle. The mighty beast horde immediately turned in unison and surged toward the distant, graceful mountain range.