Chapter 384: I Truly Am A Genius Full Of Wisdom And Cunning.

Ren Woyou slowly stood up.

"I hope Master will grant me one of the small floating mountains," he said earnestly. "I wish to practice my swordsmanship there."

Li Xiaofei replied calmly, "You may choose whichever one you like."

Ren Woyou nodded, transforming into a flash of sword light.

Whoosh!

He landed on a small floating mountain in the southeast.

"I will teach swordsmanship for one hour every day. Those who wish to learn may come to this mountain," his voice echoed across the distance.

Instantly, countless fans in the livestream room went wild as they rushed to request connections. Anyone with half a brain could see that the swordsmanship Ren Woyou had displayed earlier was nothing short of mythical-level battle technique. Who wouldn’t want to learn such sword skills?

Anyone even slightly interested in swordsmanship, especially those with some talent in the art, was eager to become his disciple. After all, opportunities to encounter a master of Ren Woyou’s caliber were exceedingly rare in real life.

Most so-called masters online charged exorbitant fees for their lessons, and many turned out to be frauds. Even those who did teach often withheld critical knowledge, promising to teach but rarely guaranteeing mastery.

Li Xiaofei smiled.

This was a good thing. Ren Woyou’s swordsmanship talent was truly terrifying. The Fifteen Swords of Death, a technique Li Xiaofei had only spent about ten hours teaching him, had already been mastered up to the sixth sword. Such speed was nearly one-tenth of his own.

Incredible.

“Master, you even managed to recruit him?” Brother Dao approached, still in disbelief. “Ren Woyou, the famously unruly genius of Xiajing’s second-generation Saints circle, known for his natural sword physique and considered one of the top three sword prodigies in Xiajing. Many believe he’s destined to become a Saint in the future.”

Li Xiaofei simply smiled without responding. Brother Dao’s sense of superiority shattered even faster.

If even Ren Woyou had become a disciple, what is there left for me to hold onto? The rumors circulating outside about Master being a "disciple-collecting maniac" seemed to be true.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaofei’s first disciple, Guo Zong'ao, second disciple, Zhou Yidao, and Su Qianni, all felt a growing sense of urgency. They were starting to feel inadequate compared to the prodigies who had joined after them.

If not for the fact that they had been accepted early, they might not have had any chance of staying close to Li Xiaofei. Now they needed to think carefully about how to remain firmly united around their master. Especially Su Qianni.

I wonder if Master likes teacher-student relationships... or playing with disciples.

After all, as a woman, especially a beautiful woman, she had certain inherent advantages in this area. She decided to find a chance to test it.

However, when the time came, Li Xiaofei ended the livestream without hesitation, logging off at lightning speed. This time, the livestream room remained open.

Each disciple had chosen their own small floating mountain as a livestream venue, continuing their individual streams.

On the main peak, recordings of Li Xiaofei’s previous teachings continued to play on repeat. All completely free of charge.

***

"Dammit..."

"That brat from the Ren family actually attacked us and killed us."

"Isn’t he afraid of retaliation from the other families?"

"That kid’s been spoiled, thinks he's above everyone."

"But how is his strength so overwhelming? Even if he’s a sword prodigy, there’s no way he should’ve cut down the six of us, all at the early stage of the Golden Body Realm, with a strike each like we were mere turnips."

"Exactly, the gap wasn’t this big before."

In the real world, the bald man and his five companions climbed out of their light core pods inside a luxurious penthouse, looking both furious and shocked.

A bespectacled man muttered, “I’ll have my men check what’s going on.”

A moment later, the bespectacled man was stunned after receiving news from his underlings.

"Ren Woyou knelt."

"What?"

"Ren Woyou, he became a disciple. He bowed to the Grandmaster of Heaven as his master."

"What the hell, are you serious? That stone-faced guy, always cold and full of pride like he’s invincible, actually became a disciple of some livestreaming host?"

"Ah, I get it now."

"Get what, damn it? You almost gave me a heart attack with that outburst."

"Didn't we just wonder why that Ren family brat suddenly became so strong? It must have been the Grandmaster of Heaven who taught him a new sword technique."

"Now that you mention it... that’s entirely possible."

"What else could make Ren Woyou kneel and accept a master besides some unparalleled swordsmanship?"

"That has to be it."

"So, this Grandmaster of Heaven is really that powerful? Who is this guy? I’m starting to feel like we’ve seriously underestimated him."

"He can't be someone too significant, right? Otherwise, the Tan family wouldn’t have dared to target him."

"But what if this guy’s status is even higher and more mysterious than the Tan family?"

"Then what do we do?"

When they heard the latest developments from the livestream, the bald man and his companions were at a loss. They were all second-generation elites from Xiajing, and none of them were weak. They were all part of their respective families’ direct bloodline and held core positions.

However, they weren’t at the level of future heirs, so they had banded together to form the Xiajing Troubleshooting Company, taking jobs and handling issues in exchange for money. Thanks to their strength, family connections, and a reputation for getting things done reliably, they had gained some popularity within the second-generation Saints' circle.

This time, they were causing trouble in Li Xiaofei’s livestream room because they had been hired by a member of the once-powerful but now-declining Tan family, one of Xiajing's former top ten families. But things had gone horribly wrong, leaving them empty-handed and defeated.

"Boss, I suddenly have an idea, though it's a bit immature." The blond-haired man with earrings said, hesitating.

The bald man snapped, "Spit it out and quit acting like a girl!"

The blond-haired man muttered in a low voice, "Well, there’s a saying: if you can’t beat them, join them."

"What?" The bespectacled man’s voice shot up several octaves.

Everyone else also stared intently at the blond-haired man.

"Uh, if you all disagree, just pretend I didn’t say anything." The blond man added nervously.

Smack!

The bald man slapped the back of his head and said, "Damn it, you really are a genius!"

Grinning widely, he continued, "Why didn’t I think of such a good idea? The Grandmaster of Heaven is known for being a disciple-collecting maniac, right? Let’s go become his disciples and see if he dares turn us down!"

A pale, delicate-looking boy who almost resembled a girl chimed in, "Boss, are we really going to suck up to him? If we do, we’ll have to refund the Tan family’s money."

“Refund my ass.” The bald man declared confidently. “We’re going undercover and infiltrating to cause chaos from the inside. In the end, we’re still completing his request, aren’t we?”

The blond man looked skeptical. “Boss, is that really what you're thinking?”

“Of course.” The bald man replied. “Great Xia people don’t deceive other Great Xia people.”

He added, “We’re about to humble ourselves, kneel down, and bow to complete this mission for the Tan family. With such a big sacrifice, go tell that guy from the Tan family he needs to pay us more.”

The bespectacled man quickly responded, “Got it, boss.”

The delicate-looking boy hesitated before speaking, “Boss, won’t this tarnish the company’s reputation?”

The bald man grinned smugly. “As long as we get the job done, people will just say we’re adaptable heroes. Didn’t the Grandmaster of Heaven call us idiots? This time, I’ll show him who the real fool is! He claims he wants to make everyone strong, for all people to become as powerful as dragons. If we go to him and he refuses to take us as disciples, he’ll be going back on his own word. But if he accepts us, we’ll quietly destroy him from within and ruin his entire livestreaming empire. Oh ho ho, I’m such a genius.”

“Boss, you’ve gotten smarter!”

“Wow, boss, that plan is pretty ruthless.”

“Boss, you really used your brain this time!”

“This era really does belong to those who use their brains.”

The six quickly reached a consensus, solidifying their new plan.

***

Xiajing.

A light drizzle fell steadily, tapping against the city streets. The city's rainwater collection systems were working at full capacity.

The invasion of star beasts had severely damaged the ecosystem, impacting humanity on all levels. Most seasonal rainfall could no longer be consumed by humans without processing. Once rainwater was collected in the city, it underwent repeated purification before it could meet the standards for drinking water. People with weak constitutions couldn’t expose themselves directly to the rain either. Otherwise, they risked contracting radiation sickness. As a result, the city’s streets became eerily quiet whenever it rained.

In the northern outskirts of Xiajing, a large estate was nestled against the hills. Its design was ancient and elegant, with green bricks and dark tiles that spoke of the weight of history.

Soldiers clad in power armor patrolled vigilantly both inside and outside the estate. This was the ancestral land of the Tan family. Once upon a time, the Tan family had extensive holdings and headquarters in the central core of Xiajing.

But after the death of the old patriarch and the disappearance of the designated heir, Tan Zhenwei, the family had plunged into internal strife. Severely weakened, they had lost their foothold in the city’s core and were forced to retreat to their ancestral estate.

The situation for the Tan family was dire. Before his death, the old patriarch had twice designated Tan Qingying as the head of the family, but she had been in seclusion within the ancestral temple, refining her sacred bloodline and unable to manage the family’s affairs.

In her absence, acting family head Tan Shengwei had been consolidating power by fostering loyal followers and sidelining those who remained faithful to the young family leader. This internal strife had left the family on the brink of collapse, with unrest spreading and factions growing.

In the family’s office building, Tan Shenwei stood by the window, gazing out at the gloomy sky and the steady drizzle. He remained silent for a long time.

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking broke the quiet.

“Master, the Troubleshooting Company sent word. They said that the Grandmaster of Heaven is too powerful and difficult to deal with. They want more money.” The old butler, Tan He, said respectfully as he entered.

He then went on to explain the situation in detail. The Tan family had planted spies in the Grandmaster of Heaven’s livestream, so they were aware of what had transpired.

“Tell them we can increase the payment,” Tan Shenwei replied without turning from the window, his posture straight as ever. “But if they fail, they’ll have to refund four times the amount.”

“Understood.” The butler responded and quietly exited.

Tan Shenwei continued staring at the dreary rain outside.

“Li Xiaofei... Li Xiaofei. I never imagined that you would already be stirring up such a commotion on the light-network even before you arrived in Xiajing. You truly are a man of dangerous talent. If you actually set foot in Xiajing City, what kind of storm would you bring?” He muttered to himself.

While most were unaware of the true identity of the Grandmaster of Heaven, Tan Shenwei knew thanks to the detailed reports sent back by the Tan family members who had gone to Liuhe Base City to retrieve Tan Qingying. Those reports had focused heavily on one particular individual: Li Xiaofei.

At first, Tan Shenwei hadn’t paid much attention to Li Xiaofei. After all, he thought, Li Xiaofei was just a wild boy from a rural town. How could someone like him hope to lay claim to the Tan family’s prized jewel, Tan Qingying?

Tan Qingying was a crucial piece in his ascent to power, an asset he couldn’t afford to let a country bumpkin possess. He had long intended to eliminate Li Xiaofei. But with so many other matters recently occupying his attention, he hadn’t yet made his move.

Now, as he began to take Li Xiaofei seriously, he realized that the boy’s growth had been far faster than anticipated, making him more difficult to deal with than expected.

Where on earth did this wild boy get his true legacy of ancient martial arts?

But he had no answer. If only he could seize those ancient martial arts secrets for himself, the Tan family’s rise would be unstoppable in another decade.

But the current Tan family didn’t have that kind of time. Ancient martial arts manuals wouldn’t save the Tan family. What the family needed was a powerful ally; someone with overwhelming strength to intervene on their behalf.

Tan Shenwei's mind began to race as he considered his next move.

At the same time, a middle-aged man in a black suit and a tall hat stood outside the Tan family's ancestral hall in the rain. He resembled someone about to attend a grand ball in Victorian London from centuries past. He held a delicate oil-paper umbrella and stood as straight as a spear outside the ancestral hall.

His frame was thin, and his skin pale. When the servants brought meals, he meticulously checked every detail, ensuring there were no issues before personally delivering the food into the hall.

“Miss, it’s the tenth day now. You should eat.” He said, knocking gently on the door of the training room.

There was no response. He turned and began to walk away.

But just then, a young woman’s voice echoed from inside the room, “How is he?”

“He’s doing well.” The man answered as he stopped.

The voice from the training room fell silent once more.

After waiting a moment, the man added, “Miss, please, let me take you away from here.”

Still, there was no response from inside. The man hesitated for a long time before finally turning to leave.

***

Cloudy Sky Gang.

Li Xiaofei found himself once again feeling like a dispensable showerhead. The strength of the fox demon had grown to the point where even the Nine Yang Divine Art couldn’t defeat her.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he glanced at Principal Hu, who lay weak and limp on the bed. A sense of disillusionment washed over him. Life felt somewhat meaningless, especially matters between men and women. It all seemed so... ordinary.

However, each time he connected with the Bridge of Heaven and Earth after these encounters, Li Xiaofei noticed that his cultivation of the Nine Yang Divine Art progressed significantly faster, almost as if he were unlocking new levels with each session.

A specially crafted metal box sat on the table in the room. He opened the box to reveal six crystalline chunks, each the size of a goose egg.

Star cores. These were the energy sources extracted from the bodies of star beasts. Research from the scientific academy suggested that Earth’s current environment, which allowed for human cultivation, was closely linked to the presence of these star cores within the star beasts.

These diamond-like crystals were typically found within the brains or hearts of star beasts. From a modern medical perspective, it didn’t make sense. Brain stones and heart stones shouldn’t exist, and if they did, they would surely cause catastrophic damage to the organism. Yet, inexplicably, these cores formed in star beasts.

Unlike the rarer Inscribed Treasure Bones, star cores were found in nearly every high-grade star beast, since they served as the source of the beast's power. More importantly, they could be absorbed and utilized by humans, transforming into personal energy.

“Let’s see what kind of energy is really hidden inside these things,” Li Xiaofei muttered.

He gripped a star core in each hand as he activated his Nine Yang Divine Art and began absorbing the energy within.

“Huh? What’s happening?”

Suddenly, a look of shock appeared on Li Xiaofei’s face.