Chapter 218: Intensify

The members of Red Flag High School's battle team experienced a profound transformation in their mental outlook. They expended more effort in cultivation, and their beliefs grew even stronger. Li Xiaofei, after entering the Secret Time Pavilion once again, finally reached the pinnacle of the Qi Refining Realm at the ninety-ninth stage.

He heeded his aunt's advice. Instead of opening up new vortices, he chose not to rush into breaking through his limitations. Instead, he decided to merge the ninety-nine vortices into one.

He delved deeply into the Five Qi Origin Technique: Introductory Chapter as he prepared to refine the ninety-nine golden dragon qi vortices in his dantian into a single vortex and simplify complexity.

His starforce qi did not increase during this process. However, Li Xiaofei clearly felt that his physical body was strengthening, as if his body was being tempered and forged every day. The starforce qi surged through and nourished his entire body. It felt as though his cells were being reinforced with each qi vortex he refined.

The most direct manifestation of this was the increase in the density of his muscles and bones. As his body weight skyrocketed, his raw physical strength began to surge upward as if propelled by a rocket. A typical martial artist who reached the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm would have a minimum physical strength equivalent to five ding[1]. One ding was equal to one ton.

However, Li Xiaofei, with the added benefits of his aunt's massages and the strengthening effects of starforce qi from his ninety-nine stages, had already far surpassed the strength of five ding when he was at the ninety-ninth stage.

Now, Li Xiaofei noticed that with each qi vortex he refined and merged, his physical strength seemed to increase by one ding. When he had merged eighty of the ninety-nine qi vortices within him, testing in the light core revealed that his raw physical strength had reached twenty-nine ding.

This level of strength was equivalent to the full force of a martial artist at the fifth stage of the Limit Breaking Realm. What did this mean? It meant that even without using starforce qi or employing any martial techniques, Li Xiaofei could overpower a master at the fifth stage of the Limit Breaking Realm with sheer physical strength.

As his physical strength increased, so too did the density of his muscles, bones, and internal organs. Li Xiaofei's body had become impervious to blades and bullets. He had entered the realm of those legendary figures with copper skin and iron bones. He was now comparable, if not superior, to masters who specialized in ancient martial arts techniques like the Golden Bell Shield, Iron Shirt, and Thirteen Grand Guardians Iron Body Technique.

This was undoubtedly a special effect brought about by starforce qi nourishing the body. All signs indicated that Li Xiaofei's choice to cultivate the Five Qi Origin Technique: Introductory Chapter and merging his ninety-nine qi vortices into one was indeed the right path.

The only thing that troubled him was that as his body density increased, so did his weight, which had now reached a staggering one ton. This meant he had to constantly circulate starforce qi and use lightness techniques just to keep his weight within a normal range. Otherwise, he risked accidentally crushing floor tiles, collapsing staircases, breaking chairs, or even flattening motorcycles.

At the same time, he had to quickly adapt to his rapidly increasing strength to avoid unintentionally causing serious harm. Lightly tapping someone might leave them feeling like they’d been hit by a speeding truck. Fortunately, such mishaps hadn’t occurred yet.

Li Xiaofei also spared the time to lead the experts of the Cloudy Sky Gang to the city walls to support the garrison between his cultivation sessions. The endless harassment and attacks from the star beast hordes had left the city’s garrison stretched thin.

Various gangs, martial arts families, associations, and companies within the city also sent personnel to assist in defending the city. It was an obligation every citizen was expected to fulfill. Li Xiaofei distinguished himself in these battles with outstanding performance. He became one of the few with the qualifications and strength to venture beyond the city walls to hunt star beasts.

Life suddenly became much more intense. Everyone could clearly feel the tense and anxious atmosphere that hung heavily in the air. The prices within the city had surged once again. Food and water prices, in particular, had more than doubled compared to the period before the star beast attacks. The supply of synthetic nutritional porridge was also becoming increasingly scarce.

City Leader Tan Zhenwei had repeatedly sent requests for aid to Lanfu Base City, but reports indicated that Lanfu Base City was also under siege by star beasts and couldn’t dispatch strong reinforcements in the near future. Everyone was gritting their teeth and holding on.

Amidst the backdrop, more and more people were heading to Duxing Hospital to undergo the Jiepeng New Martial Arts surgery. Everyone was eager to quickly get stronger to better protect themselves. The majority of those seeking the surgery were young and middle-aged martial artists, as well as middle and high school students. They were squarely in the demographics highly favored by the New Martial Surgery Center at Duxing Hospital.

This group had the highest surgery success rates and the shortest recovery periods, allowing them to become combat-ready in no time. Moreover, Ye Guanzhen, the eldest son of the Ye family, publicly announced on the family-controlled television station that the Ye family would subsidize each New Martial Arts surgery with 10,000 star coins, with no strings attached, to support Liuhe Base City in its fight against the star beasts.

The announcement led to a sharp increase in the Ye family’s prestige and reputation. Public support for Ye Guanzhen also soared immediately. More and more citizens began to hope that the government would provide similar subsidies for New Martial Arts surgery, so that those who were physically capable but unable to afford the procedure could successfully undergo surgery and contribute to the defense of Liuhe Base City.

However, City Leader Tan Zhenwei remained silent in the face of overwhelming public opinion. The government had yet to introduce any policies to subsidize the New Martial Arts surgery. Controversy surrounding this issue continued to intensify on the light-network. The conflict between New Martial Arts and Ancient Martial Arts had been a persistent issue across the Great Xia Republic for several decades.

Everyone knew that Tan Zhenwei was a staunch supporter of Great Xia’s ancient martial lineage. Two months ago, when the Jiepeng medical exchange delegation had first proposed a partnership with the Liuhe Base City government, the city government had ultimately rejected the proposal despite numerous favorable conditions.

The decision wasn’t a secret. At the time, Liuhe Base City was not yet in a crisis due to the star beast siege, and the Jiepeng people were not well-regarded by the citizens of Great Xia, so the general public wasn’t particularly sensitive to this issue.

But now, times had changed. The crisis had made everyone desperate to grow stronger and New Martial Arts surgery became the most sought-after shortcut. Public opinion regarding the New Martial Surgery Center improved rapidly.

In this situation, the government's continued rejection of New Martial Arts was seen by many as prioritizing political battles over the survival of the city and the lives of ordinary people. When some influential voices started fanning the flames, public opinion increasingly turned against the authorities.

Fortunately, Tan Zhenwei’s reputation in the city was exceptionally good. His years of dedicated service and governance gave him a level of influence that few ambitious figures could rival.

Two consecutive televised addresses, along with official media responses, managed to keep the public sentiment within a controllable range.

However, many high-ranking individuals and elite members of society had begun to notice a rapidly widening rift between the government and the five great families, especially with the Ye family. It was at this critical moment that a sensational event occurred in Liuhe Base City.

1. ancient cooking vessel with two loop handles and three or four legs ☜