Chapter 456: A Time Without Heroes

Outside the apartment, about a hundred meters away, a beautifully decorated dragonfly-wing hovercraft was hovering in mid-air, its delicate wings fluttering.

Two figures stood on its back. On the left was a short, stocky middle-aged man. His appearance was peculiar. He had a shaved chonmage hairstyle, while he wore a loose-fitting kimono and bright yellow clogs. Three finely crafted swords, two long and one short, hung at his waist. In the dim light, his eyes gleamed with a feral intensity akin to that of a wild beast.

A burly man with a broad, purplish face stood in a suit on the right. He was impressively muscular, but what stood out most were his arms. They were three to four times thicker than a normal person's, and his hands were as large as giant fans.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Not only were they abnormally disproportionate, but they also seemed jarringly out of sync with the proportions of his own body. At first glance, he resembled a gorilla in human form as he radiated an aura of overwhelming strength and aggression. This was none other than Hai Tiankuo, leader of the Haisha Gang.

"Hai Tiankuo, is the murderer who killed Qin Xiaotian inside?" The short, stocky Jiepeng man licked his lips. "I hear he’s in Nan Hua, the White Cloud Dancer’s, apartment?"

Hai Tiankuo smiled faintly. He already understood the thoughts of this so-called Jiepeng swordsman, Yokoyama Chizang.

"That’s correct," He smiled cruelly. "Yokoyama, you’ve always been interested in the White Cloud Dancer, haven’t you? Why don’t we let the Haisha Gang handle this? We’ll detain her in the process as well. I doubt Long Zhengfei of the Qiujin Boxing Gym would have much to say about it."

"Indeed, this is an excellent opportunity," Yokoyama Chizang grinned widely. "I'll leave this matter to you, Hai Tiankuo."

As one of the prominent figures representing the Jiepeng faction in the slums, Yokoyama Chizang had a particular penchant for tormenting the people of Great Xia, especially its beautiful women. Nan Hua, the White Cloud Dancer and one of the ten famed dancers, had always been a target he yearned to conquer and trample.

Unfortunately, this celebrated dancer, known for frequenting the entertainment scene, had consistently shown disdain for Jiepeng people. She refused to entertain any of them and was backed by prominent factions in the slums, including the Qiujin Boxing Gym and the Justice Academy.

Most notably, Long Zhengfei, the owner of the Qiujin Boxing Gym and widely hailed as the greatest boxer of the slums, was said to be a protective uncle to Nan Hua, often shielding her from harm. So as much as Yokoyama Chizang burned with impatience, he had to suppress his desires to ensure the Empire's plans in Haijing City proceeded smoothly.

He had bided his time, waiting for the right moment, and now, the opportunity had finally come. Nan Hua, the White Cloud Dancer, had been implicated with the fugitive who had killed the deputy leader of the Haisha Gang. This connection provided the Haisha Gang with a perfect excuse to act against her.

The justification was clear and irrefutable. No one could protest. Yokoyama Chizang licked his lips eagerly.

"Hai Tiankuo, have your men act quickly." He urged.

He could no longer wait to capture that exquisitely alluring dancer. She was like a ripe apple, sweet and intoxicating, and he couldn’t wait to strip her bare and crush her under his will. As for the fugitive? He was as good as dead.

Hai Tiankuo shared the same thought. He signaled his men into action. The well-trained Haisha Gang power armor unit moved swiftly into action. In less than three minutes, they had completed a 4D structural scan and model of the apartment, sealed off all possible escape routes, set up communication jammers, and activated an energy interference field to prevent any escape via hovercraft.

Just as the lead combat squad prepared to strike, the sliding door to the balcony of the target room slid open. Li Xiaofei stepped out, calm and composed. The spirited young man, even when faced with the knowledge that he was surrounded, showed no signs of panic or fear. His gaze was steady as he surveyed the scene.

He took in the sight of the power-armored combat teams, as well as the heavily equipped Haisha Gang tactical division. Sixteen elite squads, all composed of Acupoint Opening Realm martial artists, stood ready. They had practitioners of both ancient and modern martial arts, totaling over a thousand fighters, among their number.

Their coordination was precise, disciplined, and methodical. This was far from the chaotic rabble typical of gang warfare. The Haisha Gang had evolved into a local paramilitary force that was almost indistinguishable from an army.

Li Xiaofei sighed inwardly.

The garrison of Liuhe Base City, which fights star beasts year-round to protect civilians, spends two-thirds of the year locked in bloody battles. Even they don’t boast equipment as advanced as this. Yet here in Haijing, a mere slum gang, an organization that exists solely to oppress and exploit its own people, is armed to the teeth.

His thoughts were a mix of frustration and helplessness. Even though this was Great Xia, the disparity in resource distribution had reached an appalling level.

Standing on the balcony, Li Xiaofei raised his head to look at the winged hovercraft hovering in the distant night sky. There, he saw Hai Tiankuo and Yokoyama Chizang, looming like malevolent demons against the darkness of the night.

At the same time, Hai Tiankuo, standing with his hands clasped behind his back atop the hovercraft, spotted Li Xiaofei as well. The boy’s excessively youthful and handsome face stirred a sudden new thought in Hai Tiankuo’s mind. He raised his hand, signaling a halt.

In an instant, the power armor combat squad, which had been preparing for a breach, stopped their advance. They stepped back slowly, repositioning into a spread-out formation to seal off the surrounding void.

“You must be the one who killed Qin Xiaotian with seven palm strikes?” Hai Tiankuo said from above. His tone was condescending, as though he was bestowing a favor. “It is rare for someone so young to be so strong. Since I admire talent, I’ll make an exception and give you a chance. Kneel and acknowledge me as your adoptive father. Join the Haisha Gang and serve under me. Not only will I spare your life, but I’ll also grant you the chance to make a name for yourself in the slums.”

To Hai Tiankuo, young people who acted recklessly only sought fame. Subjugating this boy would bring far more value and prestige than simply killing him. It was a display of influence and vision.

“Hah? Hahaha!” Li Xiaofei threw his head back and laughed wildly. “Old dog, won’t I gain fame faster and higher if I just kill you outright?”

His laughter was filled with disdain and contempt, openly mocking Hai Tiankuo. The sound waves rolled like a tide, shaking the air around him. Li Xiaofei was crafting an image for himself in the slums as a ruthless and wild madman. It was the persona of an ambitious, fame-hungry lunatic.

“Kill me?” Hai Tiankuo chuckled, his voice dripping with condescension. “It seems this young man doesn’t know the limits of the sky and earth. Ambition and courting death are two different things... This is your last chance, kneel and submit.”

“Ptui! A spineless mongrel dares to spew such delusions to a divine dragon in the heavens?” Li Xiaofei leaned casually against the balcony railing as he stopped laughing. “I was planning to come for your head, but since you’re so eager to deliver it yourself, that works just fine. Saves me the trouble.”

With that, he made his move. In an instant, his figure blurred and shot forward. He crossed a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. The onlookers barely registered his movement; their vision seemed to falter as Li Xiaofei appeared atop the winged hovercraft.

He raised his palm, striking with speed like lightning and fury like thunder. A deafening roar, reminiscent of a dragon’s cry, tore through the night as Li Xiaofei’s palm strike exploded forth.

The blazing imprint of a Golden Dragon Palm surged toward Hai Tiankuo at point-blank range.

“Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms, is it?” Hai Tiankuo burst into mocking laughter. “Challenging this gang leader in a contest of palm strength? Foolish boy, you’re digging your own grave!”

He lifted his massive and thick arms and struck out, meeting the attack head-on. His unnaturally thick and strong arms and oversized hands were a result of his near Dao Union Realm cultivation. All his combat ability was concentrated in his upper limbs.

He unleashed the Tiangang Monument-Smashing Palm combined with Titanic Strength Vajra Arms, two rare and true legacies of ancient martial arts. He had long cultivated them to the realm of perfection, fusing them into a single, unparalleled force of destruction.

Hai Tiankuo was renowned as an unmatched master of palm strikes in the slums of Haijing City. Even the top-ranked Mr. Chi on the slums' strength rankings dared not clash with him directly.

This boy was dead.

Hai Tiankuo’s murderous intent was resolute, and his palm strike surged forward like a breaking dam.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosive shockwaves from their clashing strikes shattered the night sky. Waves of black energy rippled outward in violent arcs, wreaking havoc on the surrounding void.

Amidst the chaos, glimpses of the two combatants could be seen locked in a furious exchange. Li Xiaofei’s inner qi was surging as he radiated an intense aura. His body shimmered with dual-colored flames of ice and fire, making him appear like a demon god descending upon the mortal plane.

He struck with relentless ferocity, each palm strike roaring with unstoppable force. Hai Tiankuo braced himself against the incoming strikes, but his body trembled as he staggered back.

His face betrayed his shock as he was forced back by a strike, and another, and a third. Each palm blow resounded like thunderclaps tearing through the sky. The combatants' figures split apart as the final blow landed.

Li Xiaofei now stood where Hai Tiankuo had previously been, lowering his palm as his inner qi condensed. His posture was firm, unyielding, and as deep as an abyss. He radiated an aura of controlled power, calm yet boundless.

He arrives like thunder, quelling his fury; he departs like rivers, calm and radiant.

Ten meters away, Hai Tiankuo hovered in mid-air, forced off the winged hovercraft. His trembling arms were still raised in a defensive stance. The fight was over but the victor had yet to be officially declared.

A suffocating tension filled the air, freezing time itself. Countless eyes locked onto the two figures, their fates hanging in suspense.

“You couldn’t even take three of my strikes,” Li Xiaofei said disdainfully, shaking his head slightly. “How disappointing. You’re even weaker than Qin Xiaotian.”

He sighed and added coldly, “Pathetic. Yet, someone like you could climb the rankings and rule the slums? Truly, it’s a time without heroes, where scum rise to fame.”

Hai Tiankuo’s face twitched. Suddenly, a surge of crimson light erupted from his body as the injuries he had been suppressing exploded outward, overwhelming his defenses.

He burst apart, his flesh, blood, and bones scattering into the night like a firework. The world fell silent as a tidal wave of shock swept over everyone present.