Chapter 268: Extermination Of The Ye Family

"Great Xia warrior, let me test your strength," Senjo Takauchi stepped forward, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Jiepeng dog?" Li Xiaofei’s contemptuous gaze landed on him as he sneered.

"Such lack of manners," Senjo Takauchi replied. "As a martial expert in the Five Spirits Realm, you lack the dignity of a true master."

"Bah!" Li Xiaofei spat back, "Screw you, little Jiepeng dog."

Senjo Takauchi's face contorted with rage.

Clang, clang!

Both the long and short katana at his waist were unsheathed in an instant.

"Disrespectful Great Xia warrior, I will kill you!" Senjo Takauchi unleashed his starforce qi with a furious shout as his entire body started radiating energy.

Ten spiritual shackles on his body glowed brightly, bursting with divine light. A hundred and twenty acupoints shimmered like stars in the cosmos, while twelve meridians materialized like twelve heavenly rivers flowing through his body.

At the same time, two more points within Senjo Takauchi’s chest blazed with radiant divine light. He had fully mastered Qi Refining, Limit Breaking, Acupoint Opening, and Meridian Expanding. He had truly reached the peak of his cultivation.

He was at the second stage of the Five Spirits Realm! This was the source of his confidence. He made no effort to conceal his strength, proudly displaying his realm’s might. The five great realms' phenomena flowed and revolved around him like a brilliant, surging river of stars.

"Let me show you the supreme swordsmanship of Jiepeng... Whirlwind Slash!"

With the short sword in his left hand and the long sword in his right, Senjo Takauchi spun rapidly, unleashing a deadly slash. It was a signature Jiepeng martial technique. Li Xiaofei, wielding the massive broadblade with ease, responded by executing the first form of the Eight Secrets of the Heavenly Blade—a single, decisive slash.

Clang, clang!

The two blades collided. Senjo Takauchi felt a titanic impact surge toward him. He was sent flying backward, crying out in shock.

"Pathetic," Li Xiaofei sneered coldly.

"Great Xia warrior, you're only relying on brute strength!" Senjo Takauchi shouted defiantly. "Do you dare test your skill in blade technique against me?"

"Frog in a well, unable to see the sky," Li Xiaofei mocked. "I'll let you, a mere worm from that tiny land, witness the true art of Great Xia's swordsmanship."

Li Xiaofei unleashed the Eight Secrets of the Heavenly Blade. He moved like an ethereal figure, surrounded by clouds and mist as the courtyard erupted with blinding flashes of blade light. In an instant, energy crisscrossed in all directions. His blade techniques were boundless in form, utterly exquisite, and unparalleled in precision.

"What kind of blade technique is this!?" exclaimed Senjo Takauchi.

He desperately drew the third katana at his waist. Three-Sword Style! This was his most powerful form.

"Great Xia’s Heavenly Blade," Li Xiaofei replied.

He wasted no time as he unleashed the full force of the Eight Secrets of the Heavenly Blade, transforming the battlefield into a storm of dazzling blade light. The Ghost Slayer blade streaked through the air like a flowing beam of light, cutting through everything in its path.

When he came to a stop, time seemed to freeze. Senjo Takauchi stood still, gripping his long sword in his left hand, the short sword in his right, while the third katana remained clamped between his teeth.

Li Xiaofei passed by him without a second glance, heading straight for Ye Guanzhen.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed from countless wounds on Senjo Takauchi's body.

Clang, clang!

The swords dropped to the ground one after another as his body collapsed.

Boom!

Senjo Takauchi's body erupted, blood spraying in crisscrossing streams that filled the air like a red mist. He collapsed instantly as he was split into irregular pieces of flesh and bone. Blood flowed freely, staining the ground in a thick crimson pool.

"Who... who are you really?" Ye Guanzhen's voice trembled in terror. He was utterly shocked.

This man, who called himself Zhong Kui, possessed blade skills and strength beyond imagination. When had Liuhe Base City ever seen such a formidable warrior?

Li Xiaofei paused slightly. Then, without a word, he struck.

Swish!

Ye Guanzhen's head was severed cleanly, and Li Xiaofei held it aloft.

"You don’t need to know who I am," Li Xiaofei said coldly, "You just need to know—you deserved to die."

He swept his gaze over the remaining hundreds of warriors, who trembled as they staggered backward in fear.

"All of you deserve to die," said Li Xiaofei as he swung his blade.

Thirty seconds later, corpses littered the ground as blood pooled in every direction. Ye Guanzhen's head in hand, Li Xiaofei swiftly searched the Ye family’s ancestral estate, killing any hidden elders or masters he found.

He used the tip of his long blade to carve bloodied words on the massive courtyard wall.

With blade I rid the world of evil, slaying all demons and monsters. The Ghost Slayer, Zhong Kui.

Then, he sheathed his blade and set the place ablaze. The Ye family’s ancestral estate, a classic old-style complex made of wood and stone, was highly flammable.

Flames surged into the sky. The sound of alarms filled the air as the distant hum of approaching aircraft echoed overhead.

Boom!

The ground trembled. Dozens of power armor units stormed into the area.

"Dog Box, teleport me back," Li Xiaofei whispered.

The ancient parchment scroll appeared once again and a faint light flashed. In the blink of an eye, both Li Xiaofei and the scroll vanished from the scene.

The forces that rushed into the burning Ye estate searched every corner of the fiery ruins but found no trace of the mysterious figure responsible for the massacre. Even the semi-military warriors stationed around the perimeter of the estate could offer no useful information.

No one knew how this Five Spirits Realm expert had suddenly appeared in the heart of the Ye estate and no one knew how he had left. The only thing they could confirm was that the Ye family had been destroyed.

All three hundred and sixty-seven members of the Ye family, save for innocent servants, were dead. Liuhe Base City was shaken to its core.

***

A faint light flickered as Li Xiaofei returned to his training room. The smell of blood lingered in the air. He dismissed his armor and the Ghost Slayer transformed back into the Bull Blade.

He still held the severed heads of Ye Guanzhen and Ye Changlin. He carefully placed the heads in containers he had prepared in advance and sealed them tightly. Next to them, another container already held the head of Shangguan Tianyu. Three heads. For one purpose. Li Xiaofei glanced at the time. It was exactly 8:00 p.m.

Li Xiaofei rested his blade horizontally on his knees, closed his eyes, and began to meditate. He was trying to calm the raging killing intent boiling within him. Though the Ye family had been wiped out, his battle spirit had not waned, and his thirst for blood was far from sated. There were still the Jiepeng warriors outside the city controlling the star beasts and the Gu family.

Twenty minutes passed as Li Xiaofei successfully quelled the murderous aura within him. Yet, he did not stand up. Eyes still closed, he continued to reflect, delving into the depths of the Eight Secrets of the Heavenly Blade in his mind. A true killing blade could only be fully understood and mastered through combat.

He had gained valuable insights from the several skilled fighters of the Ye family, especially the second enforcer and the Jiepeng warrior, both of whom were in the Five Spirits Realm.

Fighting them had greatly enhanced his understanding of the blade. Li Xiaofei was now reflecting on and absorbing the lessons from these battles.

“Dog Box.”

“Woof.”

“You've worked hard this time.”

“Woof? If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don’t beat around the bush, I’m not used to that.”

“Can the Secret Time Pavilion store things while it's in cooldown?”

“Uh...”

“Consider it a favor. I promise I’ll repay you generously in the future.”

“I’m a dog with principles, but since it’s you asking... I suppose I can make an exception.”

At this point in the conversation, Li Xiaofei had already come to understand that the Moonlight Treasure Box was most certainly that talking husky in disguise. He knew he had to take a soft approach and stroke its ego to deal with this dog.

He glanced at the three containers beside him, each holding a severed head. In the next instant, all three containers vanished. Immediately, the image of them neatly placed on the ground inside the Secret Time Pavilion appeared in Li Xiaofei's mind.

Perfect! Others might carry a wise old man with them. I carry a dog. At least they’re both cheat codes.

Just as this thought crossed his mind...

Bang, bang, bang!

Violent pounding echoed from outside. Then, the specially reinforced door of the training room was forcefully blown open with a thunderous crash.