Chapter 254: Five Unparalleled Figures

"The heart blood essence of the Bull Demon is indeed a powerful substance," Little Aunt said as she examined his body. "But the way you've absorbed it is quite rare."

Her soft, delicate hands moved over Li Xiaofei's firm muscles, searching for any abnormalities.

"Are there any side effects?" Li Xiaofei asked nervously. "Like growing horns or sprouting bull hair?"

Little Aunt chuckled and replied, "That's highly unlikely."

After carefully observing him for a moment, she asked, "Can you sense any traces of the Bull Demon's blood within you?"

Li Xiaofei closed his eyes and focused on sensing his body. He noticed a faint layer of warm energy gathered just beneath his skin, between the muscles and bones. It was different from his usual energy, yet there was no severe rejection or discomfort. It was the blood essence of the Purple Thunder Sky-Crashing Unihorn Bull Demon.

Li Xiaofei shared his findings with Little Aunt.

"That makes sense," she said. "Foreign blood isn’t naturally compatible with your own energy. If you don't actively refine it, it won’t integrate with your body, and it will remain lodged between your skin and shallow blood vessels for the time being."

"How do I refine it?" Li Xiaofei asked.

"Just use the True Dragon Breathing Technique you've been cultivating to guide the process," Little Aunt replied.

"What will happen once I refine it?" Li Xiaofei inquired further.

"The Purple Thunder Sky-Crashing Unihorn Bull Demon is renowned for its physical strength and innate lightning energy. Its physical resilience comes from the blood essence in its heart, while its innate lightning is derived from the energy within its Inscribed Treasure Bone. You can refine this blood to enhance your own strength and physical durability," Little Aunt explained.

Li Xiaofei pondered for a moment and said, "The Bull Demon's physical strength and power aren’t even on par with mine right now. Even if I refine its blood, it might not boost my strength significantly. Little Aunt, are there any side effects?"

"If your current strength can suppress the Bull Demon's strength, then there should be minimal side effects," Little Aunt replied. "At most, you might be able to transform into a form resembling the Bull Demon during battle."

Transform into the Bull Demon?

The Bull Demon’s ugly appearance flashed through Li Xiaofei’s mind, and he instinctively rejected the idea.

Little Aunt continued, "Actually, transforming into a star beast during combat isn’t unprecedented. There's a legendary technique called the Human King Transformation. It allows one to hide the blood essence of high-grade star beasts within their body’s acupoints. When it’s activated, it can then transform the user into a beast, significantly enhancing their combat power. It’s an extraordinary ability."

"There's a technique like that?" Li Xiaofei was surprised.

Little Aunt nodded and said, "This technique originated from a mysterious figure named Ding Hao. It’s said that the Human King Transformation could unleash unparalleled power in his hands as he could harness the blood essence of ninth grade star beasts. He also mentioned that there are even more powerful techniques like the Divine King Transformation and the Divine Emperor Transformation above the Human King Transformation, though these techniques are not widely known or shared."

Li Xiaofei's curiosity was piqued. "Ding Hao? Is he one of the Saints of Great Xia?"

Little Aunt shook her head and said, "No, but some say Ding Hao is beyond even the Saints, a being akin to the legendary Sword Immortal, Lin Beichen, who is also a mysterious figure said to have extraordinary abilities."

Sword Immortal Lin Beichen!

This was the second time Li Xiaofei had heard that name.

Could it be true? Was there really a mythical Heavenly Court, a Secret Kunlun Realm, and Sword Immortals?

"Little Aunt, have you ever met Senior Ding Hao?" he asked, curious to know more.

As the saying goes, seeing is believing.

"I only caught a fleeting glimpse from afar; it might not have even been his true form..." she replied, her voice tinged with a distant memory as a trace of melancholy crossed her face.

After a brief pause, Little Aunt continued, "During the era when Great Xia was still known as Huaxia, there were five unparalleled figures whose names are rarely spoken. They were Ding Hao, the Blade and Sword Supreme; Lin Beichen, the Sword Immortal; Sun Fei, the Northern God Emperor; Ye Qingyu, the Heavenly Emperor; and Li Mu, the Saint Martial Battle Emperor."

Li Xiaofei listened, stunned by the revelation.

"Five unparalleled figures?"

This was the first time Li Xiaofei had heard of such a concept. If Lin Beichen was a celestial being, then the other four must have been equally extraordinary.

He couldn’t help but ask the pressing question, "If there were such five unparalleled figures, then why was Earth still overrun by star beasts? Are they... still alive?"

Little Aunt responded, "Perhaps they were burdened with greater responsibilities."

It was clear she didn’t want to delve further into the topic.

Li Xiaofei didn’t push the matter and returned to the issue at hand. "If I don’t want to refine the foreign blood in my body, is there another way to deal with it?"

Little Aunt asked, "Why don't you want to refine it?"

Li Xiaofei smiled and replied, "Maybe it’s a naive and foolish thought, but it’s truly what I feel deep down. I don’t want to taint my Great Xia bloodline. I want to remain a pure descendant of Great Xia’s martial traditions."

This was his conviction. Little Aunt neither agreed nor disagreed with his sentiment.

She thought for a moment before saying, "I just remembered a technique that suits your current situation. It doesn't require you to refine the foreign blood, won't taint your own bloodline, and can still help enhance your combat strength."

Li Xiaofei's eyes lit up. "Little Aunt, please teach me."

Little Aunt continued, "This technique is called Armor Harnessing Technique. The principle is simple: you channel the foreign blood to the surface of your body, forming a hardened layer of armor that can enhance your defense."

Li Xiaofei instinctively said, "But my physical defense is already very strong."

Little Aunt's expression grew serious. "That's precisely what I want to warn you about: never become arrogant or complacent, no matter how strong you think you are. Your current physical defense is based on the tempering of your flesh, bones, and blood, which gives you decent resistance against physical attacks. But if you encounter mental or spiritual attacks, your defenses might not be as effective."

Li Xiaofei was startled by her words. She was right. He had fallen prey to the charm technique of the Yinji Moon Fox in a single moment. Mental attacks seemed to be his Achilles' heel.

Little Aunt continued, "Also, while your physical body is tough and can withstand physical weapons, you’re still vulnerable to powered weapons. You could still be injured, or even bleed."

"Powered weapons?" Li Xiaofei asked. "Are you talking about the weapons developed by the Star Council that are powered by starforce qi?"

Little Aunt nodded. "Yes, powered weapons may look similar to ordinary cold weapons on the outside, but they are forged using a mysterious form of alchemy. Inside, they contain a diagram known as the Heaven Array, powered by the crystal nuclei of star beasts and a warrior's starforce qi. These weapons are virtually indestructible and are capable of slicing through high-grade star beasts like cutting through tofu."

Li Xiaofei pondered her words. He had learned about powered weapons during his cultural studies at Red Flag High School. They were specialized weapons for high-stage warriors and were rather expensive to produce.

He realized he had indeed underestimated the strength of the warriors around him and the endless journey of cultivation. Even beyond the Five Spirits Realm, there were higher realms like the Golden Body Realm and the Dao Union Realm.

Right now, his combat strength might rival someone at the Five Spirits Realm, but he hadn't truly reached that level of cultivation yet. He needed to guard against complacency.

"The Star Council is truly great and remarkable," Li Xiaofei remarked. "Inventing power armor, mechs, and powered weapons—they are indeed the saviors of humanity on Earth."

"There are many things that aren’t exactly as they’re taught in textbooks," Little Aunt said. "For instance, powered weapons weren’t actually invented by the Star Council. They originated from the Heaven Array Technique passed down by the Sword Immortal, Lin Beichen."

What?

Li Xiaofei glanced at Little Aunt in surprise.

What is going on? Little Aunt, are you not entirely loyal to the Star Council?