Chapter 528: The Rising Queen (2)

When Dragon Slayer looked up, he found a figure standing atop the wall in the distance. The man was wearing a crude monkey mask and holding a blade in his hand. Blood dripped from the blade and instantly transformed into ice as they hit the ground.

The frozen ground spread rapidly, as if freezing not only the courtyard but also the hearts of Dragon Slayer and Hankasa Mitsu. A wave of fear surged through them. Then came the flash of the blade.

Moments later, two lifeless bodies lay on the ground in the rain-soaked courtyard of the rock garden. Li Xiaofei sheathed his Crescent Moon blade.

"The biggest flaw of cyborgs is that when their opponent’s strength exceeds the calculation ability of their engines and light core processors, they collapse instantly and completely. This Dragon Slayer was even stronger than Huangshi. He was likely a quasi-Saint. But still not my match."

Li Xiaofei carefully examined the remains. He discovered that Dragon Slayer’s body was almost entirely composed of mechanical components. Only the head retained a fully intact brain. The brain served as the control center, transmitting consciousness to the body and commanding its movements. Simply put, the brain was like a driver piloting the steel body. The technology was truly extraordinary.

It appeared that the Redshirt Group's mechanical modification technology was not only the pinnacle of the Jiepeng Empire but likely among the most advanced internationally. This steel body was invaluable.

Li Xiaofei stored it inside the Secret Time Pavilion without hesitation. He also took the head. He quickly found the so-called Orochi-01 mechanical body within the secret vault of the courtyard.

This was the latest product from the Redshirt Group’s Distillation Research Institute. Orochi-01 was the next generation after Dragon Slayer’s body. Although its strength had not increased significantly, it featured more advanced integrity and adaptability. In simple terms, it allowed for a semi-automated interface with a human head.

After studying the manual, Li Xiaofei felt a surge of urgency. If the Orochi series of steel bodies were to reach mass production, it would mean that the Jiepeng people could manufacture strong warriors en masse. This would be nothing short of a catastrophe for Great Xia. But now, everything had changed.

"The Jiepeng people’s research is excellent," Li Xiaofei remarked, feeling quite pleased as he stored the Orochi-01 into the Secret Time Pavilion. "But now, it belongs to Great Xia."

After finishing this task, he prepared to leave. Suddenly, something occurred to him. He pulled out a small black dog and let it urinate all over the courtyard. In an instant, an indescribable, unbearable stench filled the air, even causing Li Xiaofei himself to feel an overwhelming urge to flee.

All traces at the scene were completely destroyed. No divine ability, no matter how miraculous, nor any nose, no matter how sensitive, could recover a single useful clue from the site.

***

When the news reached Tsukiha Yaiba, she showed no sign of surprise. As the only person fully aware of Li Xiaofei's combat prowess, she would have been shocked only if he had failed to swiftly deal with both Dragon Slayer and Huangshi.

Everything had gone according to plan. From the very beginning, Li Xiaofei and Tsukiha Yaiba had no intention of relying on the martial arts tournament to secure eligibility for the national conference. Or more accurately, Li Xiaofei had no interest in doing so.

It was simply too troublesome. Why should he agree to a duel just because the opposition proposed it? There was no need to adhere to their rules. Crushing them outright was much more efficient. Tsukiha Yaiba planned to immediately report the situation to the Imperial Royal Family and the Star Council. She intended to distance herself from the mysterious expert.

Simultaneously, she seized the moment to act decisively. First, she led her forces to rapidly occupy the territories of the Asura Dragon Gang and Urawa Dojo. Then, she carried out a thorough purge. Finally, using the Three Corpses Brain God Pill and the Life and Death Talisman, she took complete control of the mid-to-high-ranking members of the two elite factions. Thus, she gained full command over Urawa Base City in three clean and precise steps. Reversing the situation was that simple.

The Asura Dragon Gang and Urawa Dojo had been backed by the Daikuu Family and the Hankasa Family, who had been secretly plotting for years. They had long dreamed of dominating Urawa Base City. This time, with the support of the Redshirt Group and the Yiggs Union, they had taken advantage of the Tsukiha Family's Saint's death and internal strife to overthrow the city’s leaders.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Their success seemed inevitable. But they had been utterly wiped out in a single autumn rain before they could even stir up a storm. By the time the Imperial Royal Family, the Redshirt Group, and the Inquisition learned of the events, Urawa Base City had already fallen completely into the hands of Tsukiha Yaiba.

The die was cast. Any further attempts to alter the outcome were too late. It was said that Akasaka Chinron, the master of the Redshirt Group had been playing a game of chess with an old friend when he heard the news. He had then used the news as an excuse to sweep the chess pieces off the board, blatantly reversing a losing game under the guise of distraction.

The Inquisition, however, reacted with remarkable speed. They immediately dispatched their most elite investigative team, the Realm of Traces, to uncover the truth behind the events. But according to reports, one of the Realm of Traces’ top investigators fell ill after surveying the Urawa Dojo. The culprit? Toxic gases lingering at the site. The investigator was hospitalized, and their recovery was proving ineffective.

None of this changed the reality in Urawa Base City. Tsukiha Yaiba, now hailed as the new queen of Urawa Base City, was on an unstoppable path to power. Her rapid rise made her a rising star in the Jiepeng Empire's power structure. She became an object of admiration and envy for countless individuals.

However, such power and influence held no meaning for Li Xiaofei. It was only when this newly crowned queen knelt naked before him that he would feel the fleeting sense of accomplishment that an ordinary man might cherish.

Li Xiaofei had further enhanced his abilities by spending two stints in the Secret Time Pavilion. He had consumed ten vials of eighth-generation Starforce Reagents, depleting his entire stock.

His heart’s Spirit Core was now nearing perfection and his strength was growing at an astonishing rate. Li Xiaofei felt like he now possessed the capability to face ordinary Saints without relying on external aids. Quasi-Saint opponents like Dragon Slayer or Huangshi would be instantly obliterated if they crossed paths again.

On the fifth day, Li Xiaofei’s private light core received a contact request. The message bore no identifying information. But Li Xiaofei quickly deduced that it had to be someone from Great Xia's Dragon Group.

Li Xiaofei arrived at the designated location at the time specified in the message. It was another filthy and chaotic slave camp that reeked unbearably. When Li Xiaofei arrived as instructed, he indeed encountered Doctor and Poison Wolf.

"Meeting again," Li Xiaofei had his mask on. "What do you need my help with this time?"

The Doctor hesitated for a moment before speaking directly. "I ran a check through the organization’s channels and found no record of anyone in Great Xia’s Dragon Group with the codename Pangu."

"Of course there isn’t," Li Xiaofei replied candidly. "Because I made it up."

The excessive honesty left Doctor and Poison Wolf speechless.

"Let’s get to the point. Why did you call me here now?" Li Xiaofei asked. He turned to Poison Wolf as he added, "Before we discuss business, I have a gift for you."

He reached into the Secret Time Pavilion and retrieved the Orochi-01 mechanical body.

"What is this?" Poison Wolf asked, visibly stunned. He stared at Li Xiaofei in disbelief.