Chapter 363: Gentleman Wind

At the Starry Sky Hotel, Inspector Wu Fohai gazed gloomily out of the enormous floor-to-ceiling window at the brightly lit base city below.

When he had arrived full of ambition and pride a year ago, he never imagined that this small frontier town would become the epicenter of such terrifying and unimaginable turmoil. He had been forced from his initial arrogance to endure with gritted teeth and now he was full of fear.

"Maybe it's time I find a way to transfer out of here?" Wu Fohai muttered to himself.

Once he reflected on everything he had done during his time in the base city, he arrived at one undeniable conclusion. He should never have provoked Li Xiaofei. Every single person who had crossed Li Xiaofei was now dead. Even Su Yuncao, a Dao Union Realm powerhouse, had failed to leave Liuhe Base City alive.

Although Su Yuncao had technically committed suicide, decapitating himself in his study, Wu Fohai still felt that there was an unknown truth lurking behind it all. Someone as crafty as Su Yuncao, who feared death more than anything, especially after climbing to such heights, wouldn’t have been driven to suicide over the mere disgrace of being caught plagiarizing papers. It simply wasn’t enough to shame him to that point.

And yet, he had died in his own study. So, the question now haunted Wu Fohai. Would he be the next one to die? The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.

No. I need to find a way to transfer out of here immediately.

Just as Wu Fohai was deep in thought, he sensed something behind him.

"Who's there?" Wu Fohai spun around abruptly, and his pupils contracted in fear.

A grotesque giant was standing before him, glowing with a blood-red aura. The massive figure wielded a crimson Ghost Slayer Blade.

Zhong Kui, the Ghost Slayer! He’s really here!

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

A wave of uncontrollable terror swept through Wu Fohai, freezing him in place.

Seven seconds later. Wu Fohai's lifeless body lay in a pool of blood on the floor. Half an hour later, the alarms of the Starry Sky Hotel blared urgently, piercing through the night. The entire hotel plunged into chaos.

***

At the Cloudy Sky Gang headquarters, Li Xiaofei reverted to his normal appearance. The Ghost Slayer Blade transformed back into the Bull Blade. Sitting cross-legged, he contemplated his next steps.

He had reached the Acupoint Opening Realm and had successfully opened forty acupoints. He had completed the cultivation of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian, and Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian. All forty acupoints had been activated.

His physical strength was steadily improving, while his inner energy was growing explosively. Now, someone like Wu Fohai, at the Golden Body Realm, was no match for him. The battle had only taken seven seconds to resolve.

Lin Tanzhi and the rest of the Beixia University recruitment team were also in the Starry Sky Tower. But Li Xiaofei hadn’t acted against them. Killing them just because they didn’t accept him into their university would be far too cruel.

Wu Fohai, on the other hand, was a different story. His scheming and underhanded tactics, his collusion with the powerful Saint families, and his repeated attempts to destroy Li Xiaofei’s life made him a dangerous threat. Eliminating him was not just for personal reasons; it was a benefit to the city, the nation, and himself.

As for the recruitment team... Their crime didn’t warrant death. Li Xiaofei had already dismissed the idea of attending Beixia University in his heart. He could do without a so-called prestigious school like that.

But there was still one more person on Li Xiaofei's must-kill list, Mai Zixiong. Three days from now, after eliminating Mai Zixiong, his mission would finally be complete.

In the past, Li Xiaofei would have never dared to target one of the three major powerhouses of the base city. But ever since learning that Little Aunt had once slaughtered Saints, something within him had changed. His courage had swelled.

He couldn't disgrace Little Aunt. The fear he once held for the Star Council had also begun to fade. Just then, his light core device vibrated. It was a notification for the second stage of Longya Group’s online Martial God Tournament, which was about to begin.

Li Xiaofei approached his light core terminal, entered the pod, and pressed the activation button. In the blink of an eye, he was transported into the virtual realm and arrived at his personal base.

In front of him, a teleportation link from Longya Group appeared. When he clicked the link, he felt as if he was stepping through a portal as he was instantly transported to Longya Group’s virtual plaza.

The plaza was already packed with people. The opening ceremony for the second stage of the tournament had already ended. The light core displayed the matchup brackets on the massive screen . The list of competitors was so dense that it was overwhelming to look at. Even though it was just the second stage, there was still an incredible number of participants.

"Hey, man, you finally made it," Zhang Zhihong greeted Li Xiaofei with an enthusiastic smack on the shoulder. "You sure know how to keep calm under pressure. Any later, and they'd have counted you as a no-show!"

Li Xiaofei calmly replied, "In important matters, you must remain composed."

Zhang Zhihong grinned and said, "Your opponent this time is Gentleman Wind from F Division. He ranked third in his division and is said to have reached the eighth stage of the Meridian Expanding Realm. He's pretty formidable... So, how confident are you?"

Li Xiaofei asked, "What are the betting odds?"

Zhang Zhihong responded, "Since you're the number one seed in H Division, the odds are pretty low."

"Bet 10,000 star coins," Li Xiaofei said casually.

Even with low odds, a win was still a win. Every little bit counted.

He then asked, "Who’s your opponent?"

Zhang Zhihong sighed helplessly, "I’ve got the number one seed from F Division—How Are You in Another Land. He’s the favorite to win. My Martial God Tournament journey is probably going to end after this match."

Li Xiaofei patted his shoulder and said, "Better luck next life."

Zhang Zhihong rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Is that how you comfort people?"

Li Xiaofei chuckled but said nothing more.

So far, no opponent in the Great Xia Online Martial God Tournament had posed any real threat to him. He could only hope that he’d face stronger opponents to sharpen his skills as the elimination rounds continued.

Besides, Longya Group was very generous with its rewards. Each victory came with substantial prizes in not only star coins but also physical rewards. These rewards could even be exchanged for Longya Group points of equal value.

It was important to note that Longya Group wasn’t just a live-streaming company. It was a leader in cutting-edge technology, specializing in the development, production, and sale of strategic weapons like power armor, mechs, power weapons, combat suits, and armor.

Longya Group points were like Dragon Group points; they were exchangeable for various high-end weapons and equipment. It was even easier to trade points for cultivation resources such as secret manuals, Starforce Reagents, or star cores. The prizes offered by Longya Group were incredibly lucrative, and each victory only brought larger rewards.

If someone made it into the top ten or even won the championship, the wealth and resources they’d receive would be enough to make any martial arts expert drool with envy.

Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but feel a bit tempted by the rewards.

Soon, the match began. Once his competition wristband was confirmed, countless beams of light descended from the sky, teleporting the contestants into the battlefield.

On platform number 338821, Li Xiaofei met his opponent: the third-ranked contestant from F Division, known as Gentleman Wind.

He was a small giant, clad in ancient armor that didn’t match his elegant codename at all. His entire body was covered in pale green, shining armor, with six neck-guard banners fluttering behind him. He had a sword at his waist and a massive battle-axe in his hand. The air around him bristled with killing intent.

Li Xiaofei could tell at a glance that this person practiced an ancient martial arts lineage. He was a devout follower of Great Xia's ancient martial style. Moreover, his path was that of a martial general. Such individuals might not be the strongest in single combat, but they were absolute war machines capable of cutting through enemies in the star beast battlefield like a one-person army.

"Heh, so you’re H Division’s number one, Your Grandpa?" Gentleman Wind sized up Li Xiaofei with a hearty laugh. "H Division isn’t much, huh? Look at you, black as charcoal. If you can withstand three swings of my axe, I’ll call it your win."