Chapter 221: Qi Locking Stage

Li Xiaofei looked in the mirror. Even though he knew that he was the “monster” in the mirror, he still felt an overwhelming and terrifying pressure. He gently stepped to the side.

Thud, thud.

His large and heavy body left deep footprints on the titanium floor of the specially designed training room. He casually threw a punch and a piercing sound of air being torn apart followed.

He approached the strength-testing machine for the Acupoint Opening Realm and struck with a powerful punch.

Bang!

The machine, which was specifically purchased to withstand the full-force strike of an Acupoint Opening Realm expert, exploded instantly. It was like it was made of paper. His physical strength alone had already reached the level of the Acupoint Opening Realm.

If he were to face Little Martial God Ye Liushuang again, he wouldn’t even need to use his starforce qi or employ any combat techniques; he could crush him with just one hand.

When it came to facing Elder Ye Changlin of the Ye family... Li Xiaofei carefully recalled the pressure Ye Changlin had exerted on him that day and came to a conclusion. He could fight him as well.

If he were to unleash his starforce qi... he activated the starforce qi within his body. The low rumble of dragon roars filled the air. But unlike before, there were no golden dragon shadows circling around him.

Instead, dark golden patterns began to form on the surface of his skin like the veins on a leaf. The dark golden patterns appeared and disappeared intermittently; they were natural yet chaotic, eerie and peculiar.

Has my physical body become so powerful that it locks my starforce qi in?

Invincible Qin had once mentioned in martial arts class that there was a stage called Qi Restraining Stage within the Qi Refining Realm.

The Qi Restraining Stage was characterized by the ability to completely lock one’s starforce qi within the body. This allowed for a hundred percent energy conversion when executing combat techniques. One could execute their strongest possible strike.

But the body had to be trained to a high degree to achieve the Qi Restraining Stage. It was only when the physical body was refined to the point of having muscles tough as iron and tightly closed pores, that no energy leaked out when performing techniques.

"It seems that through a process of trial and error in my cultivation, I've inadvertently entered the Qi Restraining Stage."

Li Xiaofei felt his strength surging as his starforce qi circulated through his body. This was already beyond what the Acupoint Opening Realm could contend with and maybe even the Meridian Expanding Realm...

Li Xiaofei recalled the descriptions and the corresponding data of the Meridian Expanding Realm that he had researched in the light core. After carefully comparing his strength to the data he had, he realized he could fight on par with experts in that stage.

Li Xiaofei prepared to fully unleash his strength on the spot and give it a try, but as soon as he exerted some force, the all-metal training room immediately started groaning. The titanium walls began to bulge outward as if they were about to burst apart.

He quickly stopped.

Good grief. Even this specially constructed titanium training room can’t withstand my strength?

Li Xiaofei thought for a moment, then activated the Five Qi Origin Technique: Introductory Chapter, retracted his starforce qi, restrained his physical strength, and ended his transformation state.

When he was back in his normal form, he put on his clothes and walked over to the adjacent light core room. This was a light core control room that Li Xiaofei had specifically built for himself. Ever since he had gotten money, although he didn’t indulge in extravagant pleasures, he spared no expense in equipping himself with cultivation facilities.

This light core control room was strictly for his use alone. The installed light core was the highest-end MATE.50 series model by Xiawei. It was equipped with the most advanced products available on the market.

Li Xiaofei entered the light core cockpit and inserted the key for his account, Your Grandpa.

Successfully logged in.

The first thing he did was scan his body and read over the data. Compared to older measuring instruments, the data from scanning within the light core virtual world was the most accurate. The results came quickly. They were categorized into three major forms.

The first form could be called the Disguised Normal Human Form. This was when Li Xiaofei used the introductory chapter of the Five Qi Origin Technique to restrain his physical strength while circulating his starforce qi. In this form, his pure physical strength was equivalent to 50 ding, with a basic combat power of 540,311 points. When using combat techniques like the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms, his combat power could surge to 1,032,877 points.

This was equivalent to the combat power of a mid to high-level practitioner in the 70th acupoint of the Acupoint Opening Realm. In the theoretical system of the Great Xia martial lineage, the human body had a total of 120 acupoints. Reaching the 70th acupoint was already considered mid to high-level within the Acupoint Opening Realm.

The second form could be called the Transformed Muscle Overlord Form. This was the form Li Xiaofei entered after fully releasing his physical strength. In this form, his physical strength reached 100 ding, with a basic combat power of 1,674,444 points. When using techniques like the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms and Six Meridian Divine Sword, his combat power could reach 3,890,008 points, equivalent to the strength of a practitioner in the sixth meridian of the Meridian Expanding Realm.

The third form could be called the Ultimate Demon King Form. In this form, where he fully unleashed his physical power and activated his starforce qi in the Qi Restraining stage, his physical strength reached 200 ding, with a basic combat power of 4,008,000 points. In this form, when executing the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms, his combat power could soar to 8,010,009 points.

It was a terrifying number. It meant that Li Xiaofei, in the Ultimate Demon King Form, could easily overpower Meridian Expanding Realm experts.

I never expected that using the introductory chapter of the Five Qi Origin Technique to reverse cultivate the hidden realm of the Qi Refining Realm would lead to such a transformation. It seems that my current combat power has completely surpassed the limits of any hidden realm officially recognized by Great Xia.

Li Xiaofei pondered this in the light core virtual world. If he were to refine all the qi vortices within his body and condense the ninety-nine into one, then the power of his three forms would become even more terrifying.

At that point, he might even be able to exchange a few moves with someone in the Five Spirits Realm. Just thinking about it was insane. A Qi Refining Realm practitioner going up against a Five Spirits Realm practitioner?

He continued to practice and familiarize himself with his three forms in the light core virtual world. He did this until he fully mastered his new strength.

By the time he was done, it was already the next morning. It was Friday, the day the High School War God League was set to begin again. Red Flag High School was hosting a match against the New Ridge High School team.

New Ridge High School had ranked in the lower middle tier in last season's league. Their two star players, Wu Long and Yu Feng, were second-rate stars in the league and posed no real threat to Red Flag High School.

The final outcome of the match went as expected as Red Flag High School won all five of the solo mode matches and all three of the team mode matches. The result came as no surprise to anyone. After all, Red Flag High School had openly declared their intention to win the championship.

After the match, the members of the New Ridge High School team didn’t seem too disheartened by their defeat.

When night descended, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky. It was the first snow of the year 2522.

Li Xiaofei stood at the school gate, feeling as though something was missing. After thinking it over carefully, he suddenly realized that it had been about a week since he had last seen the young lady.

Usually, he would see her once or twice every week. It was always the young lady who initiated the invitations. Li Xiaofei had unknowingly grown accustomed to the rhythm of meeting her after each league match.

But today, the young lady hadn’t called. Li Xiaofei took out his light core and dialed Tan Qingying's number, but the call didn’t go through.

He put away the micro light core, feeling a slight pang of melancholy. He pushed his modified motorcycle down the street as he walked. The snow on the streets was getting thicker and thicker. The snowflakes now were larger than those of 500 years before.

"Snowflakes on Yan Mountain as large as a mat, drifting down piece by piece on Xuanyuan Terrace..."

Li Xiaofei recited softly as he walked.

As he continued, a disheveled woman suddenly appeared in front of him, covered in blood. She collapsed right in front of Li Xiaofei with a heavy thud.