Chapter 275: Cloudy Sky Gang Youth Academy

The Tian Sheng Xiao family was renowned throughout the land. It was one of the top ten martial arts families in Great Xia, a true and prestigious Saint family. While the Gu family of Jiangnan was also well-known, it paled in comparison to the might of the ten great families.

The Ten Saint Families had earned their reputation through their great contributions during the wars to defend Great Xia. They had become the nation's ten pillars, and their status was correspondingly high. These families were even famed across the world.

But the Tian Sheng Xiao family stood out as especially legendary among them. It was said that during the infamous Night of Blood, the Xiao family ancestor had acquired an exceptionally powerful bloodline that allowed them to create objects from thin air. The drawback? They required a constant intake of meat to replenish their energy, as the ability was highly taxing.

The concept of creating objects from thin air was rather abstract and difficult for ordinary people to understand. But it was through this bloodline ability that the Xiao family had risen to prominence so swiftly.

Li Xiaofei hadn’t expected that the grand enforcer was actually a member of the Tian Sheng Xiao family. When he glanced at the piles of sunflower seed shells and food crumbs on the floor, Li Xiaofei confirmed that this guy indeed had quite the appetite.

"So, if you're from the Xiao family, why are you wandering around in Liuhe Base City?" Li Xiaofei asked curiously.

"Like a kid without a mother—it's a long story," Xiao Bidao sighed, looking a bit melancholic before adding, "Everyone has their secrets."

Li Xiaofei was left speechless for a moment.

"Alright, alright, I won’t ask anymore. But since you're staying with the Cloudy Sky Gang, you can’t just eat and live here for free. You’ll need to take on some responsibility. You should train the elite warriors and serve as their chief instructor," Li Xiaofei added.

"Deal," Xiao Bidao agreed nonchalantly. "But let’s get one thing straight. I need plenty of food, and I won’t settle for anything less than a steady supply of meat."

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Li Xiaofei casually agreed.

How much can one person eat, anyway?

However, as he looked at Xiao Bidao, Li Xiaofei suddenly felt something was off. He had a nagging feeling that he was overlooking something important. He called Li Junjie into the office, instructing him to arrange housing for Xiao Bidao and to oversee the martial training.

Once the office quieted down, Li Xiaofei pulled out his light core phone and called Tan Qingying.

"What are you busy with?"

"People from the Tan family headquarters are here. I’ve been dealing with them all day. It’s been so annoying."

"Uncle Tan mentioned it to me."

"I’ve been swamped these last few days, so I’ll only be able to come see you on Sunday."

"Alright, see you then."

"See you."

"Quick, tell me, have you missed me these past few days?"

"Yes, I have."

"How much?"

"Very, very much."

"Hehe, then..."

The sweet and playful air of romance lingered in the conversation, filling the space with the unmistakable scent of new love. New couples, it seemed, always had an endless stream of affectionate and silly topics to discuss.

After a good half-hour of lighthearted chat, they finally hung up. Li Xiaofei then made his way to the newly repaired and reinforced special training room to begin his cultivation. Cultivation was, and always would be, a lifelong pursuit. There could never be room for complacency.

Li Xiaofei chose his next area for breaking the shackle: his feet. This was in line with the advice given by Principal Chen Fei in his Shackles Breaking Guide. Li Xiaofei opted to follow the recommendation, rather than trying something unconventional.

As he progressed through the shackle breaking process, Li Xiaofei began to feel a familiar surge of energy coursing through him. It was the same impulse he had felt before, where his body stirred with an almost primal urge. Li Xiaofei had to suppress those rising desires, forcing himself to maintain control.

My cultivation techniques, palm strikes, martial techniques, blade techniques, are all yang-based martial arts. It seems I really need to balance the yin and yang. Suppressing desires too strongly might lead to qi deviation if I'm not careful.

Li Xiaofei pondered, wondering if others experienced the same issue during cultivation. It felt strange to him. The afternoon passed quickly as he dedicated himself to his cultivation. He successfully broke through the shackle on his right foot. He now had broken through three shackles.

Each time he broke through a shackle, the strength of that body part surged explosively. It wasn't just an increase in physical strength; the flow and intensity of starforce qi in the affected area was also multiplied several times over. The locations of the shackles almost became amplifiers for his qi.

He was also starting to notice the effects on his senses. For example, after breaking the shackles on his hands, his sense of touch had become far more refined. He could not perceive the texture of objects at a level of detail that was previously imperceptible.

After breaking through the shackles on his feet, Li Xiaofei felt a profound change. Standing on the ground felt as though his feet had rooted into the earth itself. Each part of the body that shed its shackles came with distinct advantages.

The greatest benefit of the Limit Breaking Realm was that once all ten internal shackles were broken, one’s cultivation speed would drastically improve, and the practitioner's understanding of their realm would deepen. It was akin to the “cleansing of the marrow and rebirth” often depicted in martial arts novels.

After his training, Li Xiaofei left the practice room and went home for dinner. No matter what happened during the day, going home for a meal with his family was a fixed part of his routine.

In this apocalyptic era, sitting around the dinner table with loved ones and sharing laughter and conversation was a rare and precious happiness. Li Xiaofei cherished these moments even more especially after noticing some changes in Little Aunt. He couldn't shake the feeling that his aunt might leave one day.

During dinner, Little Jie always chattered excitedly about her day at school. The new school being built in the slums was progressing well. The location and construction of the school building had been completed, and now they were publicly recruiting teachers.

The school project had garnered strong support from both the city government and the Education Department. Although it was a private school, the benefits and resources provided were quite impressive. Li Xiaofei had already decided on the name for the new school: Cloudy Sky Youth Academy. It would offer elementary and middle school education but not high school, as high school education was more complex and couldn’t be established overnight.

In response to repeated suggestions from Principal Chen Fei and to make better use of educational resources, Red Flag High School was designated as the feeder school for graduates from the Cloudy Sky Youth Academy.

With Li Xiaofei, a Five Spirits Realm expert, as a backer, and Red Flag High School’s rising rankings in the leagues, the new academy had already drawn considerable attention even before officially opening.

Now that the school buildings and facilities were in place, it was time to recruit teachers.

"Brother, once the school opens, I’m going to transfer there," Little Jie said excitedly. "I want to study at our own school."

"Alright, you have the final say," Li Xiaofei replied, doting on his younger sister as always.

Zhong Ling blinked as she chimed in, "Xiaofei, I also have something I want to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Li Xiaofei asked.

"I want to transfer schools," Zhong Ling said.

"Hmm?"

"To Red Flag High School."

"But you’re nearly finished with school. Why transfer now?"

"I want to spend my last year of high school as your classmate."

Li Xiaofei was left speechless.

Teasing me might be fun now, but chasing me will only lead you to regret.

Women are truly strange creatures.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have no objections. As long as both schools approve, it can be done. But you need to think it through carefully; Qishen Academy is a top-tier prestigious school. Although Red Flag High School has been gaining momentum lately, its foundation still doesn't compare to that of Qishen Academy."

"I've already thought it through," Zhong Ling replied happily.

"Very well then."

Li Xiaofei nodded and said nothing more.

After dinner, Li Xiaofei returned to his bedroom and, out of habit, began undressing. Little Aunt’s massages had been getting increasingly powerful. Li Xiaofei could even hear his bones crackling and popping under the pressure of her hands.

But he was used to it by now. After all, Little Aunt was no ordinary person. Her cold hands had more strength than even a Five Spirits Realm expert's.

"Ahh..." Li Xiaofei let out a satisfied moan.

But then, the fire within him started to rise again, even more intensely than before.

Damn. It’s stronger than last time. If this continued, it wouldn’t be long before... Last time, I didn’t even know who it was. Fortunately, this time I have a girlfriend.