Chapter 348: Seven-Star Begonia

Should I hire an assassin to take out Su Yuncao? A hefty reward would surely attract someone bold enough to do it.

But after reconsidering, Li Xiaofei dismissed the thought.

Hiring an assassin to take down someone at the Dao Union Realm—how much would that even cost?

It was clear he couldn’t afford the price with his current fortune. However, as he continued to follow this line of thinking, Li Xiaofei realized that if Su Yuncao could be discreetly eliminated, the rest of his problems would be much easier to handle.

But how can I kill him?

Li Xiaofei pondered this question for a long time, but no clear solution emerged. In the end, he decided to calm his mind and continue his cultivation. According to the Detailed Explanation of Acupoint Impact for the Dual Sacred Bodies of Blade and Sword, the first meridian among the twelve primary channels was the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian.

In his last cultivation session, Li Xiaofei had already practiced this technique once and had become thoroughly familiar with it. This time, he was ready to formally begin the process of acupoint opening.

There were ten acupoints along the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, namely the Zhongfu, Yunmen, Tianfu, Xiabai, Chize, Lieque, Jingqu, Taiyuan, Yuji, and Shaoshang acupoints .

Li Xiaofei began channeling his starforce qi, directing it toward the Zhongfu acupoint. If meridians were like rivers, then acupoints would be the reservoirs along these rivers. They were like lakes through which the river would flow. Acupoints, in essence, were like mini-universes within the body. They contained immense energy.

The shackles of the Limit Breaking Realm came from acquired impurities. However, the acupoints in the human body were innate restrictions. One had to flush out the silt within the acupoints to expand them. This allowed for more starforce qi to be stored and enabled the starforce to flow more swiftly through the body, like a series of accelerators.

The faster the starforce qi flowed, the more powerful it would become. Under Li Xiaofei’s control, the energy in his body relentlessly surged through the Zhongfu acupoint. Normally, a martial artist with above-average aptitude would take about a month to break open a single acupoint. It’s a slow, painstaking process.

It would typically take around ten years to progress from the entry level of the Acupoint Opening Realm to mastery. Only a few rare geniuses could reach complete mastery of the Acupoint Opening Realm within five years. But Li Xiaofei’s starforce, forged from the unification of ninety-nine qi vortices, was exceptionally potent. His breakthrough speed was remarkable.

After just an hour, the Zhongfu acupoint had been thoroughly cleansed. Stage 1 Acupoint, accomplished!

Li Xiaofei carefully sensed the transformation, studying how the starforce qi flowed into the Zhongfu acupoint, spinning and creating a micro-circular pathway that accelerated the flow of energy.

Not only did his starforce qi accelerate, but it also continually reinforced the acupoint through constant micro-cycles, making it stronger with each pass. While the amplification effect of a single acupoint was limited, the combined effect of all one hundred and twenty acupoints in the body would be overwhelming.

Not to mention that the Dual Sacred Body of Blade and Sword contained an additional eight extraordinary meridians and eighty more acupoints, far beyond what an ordinary person possessed.

According to the Detailed Explanation, mastering the twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary channels through this method would give him a high chance of achieving the Dual Sacred Body of Blade and Sword. Although he didn’t know the exact special nature of this physique, Li Xiaofei knew it would be extraordinary. Suppressing his impatience, Li Xiaofei continued his cultivation steadily.

By the time the night had passed, he had successfully cleared all ten acupoints in the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and completed the refinement of the entire meridian. He did not push himself further. Such speed was already terrifying. Haste makes waste!

When he exited the cultivation chamber, he felt vast, surging energy within him, as if a cold blade’s sharpness cut through the air around him.

The eastern sky was already tinged with the pale light of dawn. Li Xiaofei walked back to the Guang'an neighborhood on foot. Li Jie, who had risen early, had already prepared breakfast. Zhong Ling was washing up. Little Aunt had just returned from tending to her herb garden.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Li Jie and Zhong Ling left for school.

“Have you been dealing with some trouble lately?” Little Aunt asked.

"It's nothing, I can handle it." Li Xiaofei didn’t want his messy affairs to worry Little Aunt, so he said, “You don’t need to worry. Who in Liuhe Base City would dare mess with me now?”

Little Aunt smiled softly. As Li Xiaofei looked at the blind woman, a sudden thought came to him.

“Little Aunt, didn’t you mention wanting to cultivate the Seven-Star Begonia? Have you made any progress?”

Little Aunt replied, “Yes, it’s been successfully cultivated. If all goes well, it should bloom tomorrow.”

“Oh, that fast?” Li Xiaofei was surprised. “How toxic is it?”

Little Aunt thought for a moment and said, “It's more dangerous than what’s recorded in the Medicine King Divine Manual. A fully matured plant could threaten even someone at the Dao Union Realm.”

What?!

Li Xiaofei was stunned, then overjoyed. The breakthrough he’d been seeking had arrived. He had been struggling to figure out how to deal with Su Yuncao, and now, the solution was right in front of him.

If he could discreetly slip the Seven-Star Begonia into Su Yuncao’s food or drink, his goal could be achieved. Stealthy operations like that were Li Xiaofei’s specialty. He had already been to Su Yuncao’s suite before, and it would be easy to slip the poison into his meal undetected using his ability, Spatial Point Theft.

Li Xiaofei felt as if the clouds had parted, revealing a bright path forward. Of course, he needed to plan the details carefully.

“Little Aunt, can I have one of the Seven-Star Begonias?” he asked with anticipation.

“Of course.” She replied without hesitation. She would never refuse him.

“That’s great!” Li Xiaofei couldn’t hide his excitement, clenching his fists in joy.

Little Aunt turned her head in his direction and suddenly asked, “Be honest with me, are you in some kind of trouble? Zhong Ling mentioned that something happened at Red Flag High School. Maybe I can help.”

“Little Aunt, as long as you give me a fully matured Seven-Star Begonia tomorrow, that will be the biggest help,” Li Xiaofei said, standing up. “I’m off to school now.”

As she ‘watched’ him leave, Little Aunt gently shook her head.

“It’s time to go. But before I leave, I’ll help him one last time.” She sighed softly.

***

Red Flag High School was shut down. The news spread through the city like a hurricane.

The official reason was severe corruption in the school leadership, particularly regarding the use of funds and resources from the previous semester, with the accusations aimed directly at Principal Chen Fei. The announcement caused an uproar.

When Li Xiaofei, filled with anger, went to demand answers, he was told that his admission procedures were deemed improper, and as a result, his status as a student at Red Flag High School was revoked. In other words, he was expelled.

At the same time, more bad news arrived from the gang world. After interrogating Wei Kun and Fan Tong, the Police Department had extracted a substantial amount of incriminating information. They followed the trail and arrested many people.

Most of those arrested were former members from the four major gangs that had merged into the Cloudy Sky Gang. Some were old members of Cloudy Sky Gang itself. Even Yang Cheng was arrested and thrown into the Police Department’s prison.

At 10 a.m., the Liuhe Base City Education Department, the Police Department, and Starry Sky Hotel held a joint press conference. It was confirmed that Li Xiaofei’s eligibility for the high school league had been revoked, and he was ordered to return the league member's key.

Li Xiaofei did not resist.

In the afternoon, an officer from the military outpost arrived at the Cloudy Sky Gang.

“Student Li, based on a re-evaluation by the military, it has been determined that the issuance of the Qinling Badge by former commander Ding Longao was in violation of military regulations. We now request that you return the badge.” The officer spoke with no courtesy.

Li Xiaofei did not resist and handed over the badge. Now that the walls were collapsing, everyone was beginning to push. Many hidden enemies emerged, taking this opportunity to strike. Even within the Martial Alliance, factions quickly formed and split. Everyone believed that this was the end for Li Xiaofei.

Li Xiaofei himself came to realize that this storm wasn’t just the result of Su Yuncao’s schemes. This was the culmination of the wrath from various Saint families, which had been simmering ever since he wiped out the Ye family. They were now seizing this moment to unleash their fury.

These Saint families wanted him dead.

But just as everything seemed to be closing in, one piece of news arrived. Chen Fei, the peach-eyed principal, had finally returned to Liuhe Base City.