Chapter 534: The Number One Pretty Face In History? (1)

To put it simply, when Li Xiaofei was on the verge of being beaten to death, he could activate the Time Reversal feature. In an instant, he would revert to his state from half an hour earlier. If the battle hadn’t even started half an hour ago, this meant Li Xiaofei could instantly recover from near-death to peak condition.

At the same time, activating the skill would unleash a temporal disruption that would injure all nearby enemies. It was essentially a time bomb. Its exact strength was unknown, but any martial skill that touched upon the lofty concept of ‘time’ was guaranteed to be immensely powerful.

“Dog Bro, you are truly the best brother I’ve ever had in my life,” Li Xiaofei said, moved to tears.

Unfortunately, Dog Bro already left. Dog Bro, how am I supposed to survive without you... Wait. Stop getting melodramatic.

Li Xiaofei shook off his nonexistent tears and focused on exploring the newfound connection between himself and the Secret Time Pavilion. After a while, he realized another glaring issue. He couldn’t draw prizes anymore! The mechanism for drawing martial arts manuals was gone.

“What the hell!”

That deadbeat dog! As expected, it wasn’t reliable at all. It didn’t even bother to sort out something this important before leaving.

Li Xiaofei cursed under his breath, “I hope you never find a lady dog in your life!”

Currently, the flow of time between the Secret Time Pavilion and the outside world is at a ratio of 1:10

Li Xiaofei calculated.

That means ten days inside equals just one day outside. It’s not as exhilarating as the earlier ratio where I could spend months inside in the blink of an eye, but it’s still pretty good.

At least now I can control when I enter the pavilion for cultivation, without being bound by cooldown periods.

Li Xiaofei began cultivating within the grand hall of the pavilion. In the blink of an eye, sixty hours passed. He consumed multiple eighth-generation pure Starforce Reagents to rapidly advance his Innate Art.

This session was focused on nurturing the second organ of his Five Spirits, the liver. As the saying goes, “The heart houses the spirit, and the liver houses the soul.”

Nurturing the spirit of the Five Spirits in the heart produced innate fire-elemental qi. In contrast, nurturing the liver produces innate wood-elemental qi. For most martial artists, this stage would require finding Starforce Reagents or star cores with specific elemental properties to properly nourish the spirit of their organs.

But Li Xiaofei’s cultivation method, the Innate Art, was unique. Its innate qi encompassed all elements. It naturally converted external energy into the required attributes, eliminating the need for specific elemental resources. This was the advantage of a high-level cultivation technique. It not only sped up progress but also removed many limitations.

When Li Xiaofei emerged from the Secret Time Pavilion, his second spirit, the liver, had been nurtured to over 50 percent. This enhancement greatly amplified his already formidable regenerative abilities. His strength had surged once again.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

As expected, only six hours had passed in the outside world. It was now dawn. The entire Tsukiha estate was bustling with nervous energy and activity. The annual imperial conference, hosted by the royal family, was the empire’s most significant event.

The conference determined how much of the empire’s ‘cake’ major conglomerates and aristocrats would receive in the coming year, i.e how much business they could secure and the degree of policy support they could expect.

One right step in such a high-stakes event could lead to glory, while a single misstep could result in ruin. The future prosperity of the entire Tsukiha family hinged on this pivotal conference. The entire family had been meticulously preparing for this moment ever since Tsukiha Yaiba arrived in Tokyo.

At 6 a.m., after a high-protein breakfast, Tsukiha Yaiba led her team from the Tsukiha estate to the royal Kanzaki Palace. Li Xiaofei accompanied her in his role as Tsukiha Yaiba’s personal bodyguard.

A luxurious motorcade glided along the wide streets. Police sirens blared as motorcycle escorts cleared the way. Crowds of Jiepeng citizens flooded the sidewalks, cheering loudly, eager to catch a glimpse of the dazzling Flower of Jiepeng.

They cheered, clapped, and called out Tsukiha Yaiba’s name in unison. There was no denying that the intense media frenzy and relentless coverage over the past few weeks had left a lasting impression of Tsukiha Yaiba in the hearts of the public.

Her image was that of a radiant star, untouchable yet alluring. It had captured the imagination of the masses. Countless Jiepeng experts regarded her as their dream woman. To many, only a woman as strong, beautiful, and talented as Tsukiha Yaiba could truly represent the Jiepeng Empire in its golden age of dominance.

Her flawless beauty and unparalleled charm seemed to symbolize the bright and prosperous future of the empire. For many Jiepeng citizens, Tsukiha Yaiba had become the embodiment of their hopes and dreams for a better life.

Unfortunately for the adoring crowds along the route, Tsukiha Yaiba’s car windows remained firmly shut. Unlike her usual appearances at public events, where she would smile and wave at her supporters, she did nothing of the sort this time. She simply didn’t have the time.

Inside the sealed and private cabin of the luxury vehicle, Tsukiha Yaiba was perched on Li Xiaofei’s lap, her body moving with fervent intensity. The grand evening gown she had meticulously chosen for the consortium’s annual conference had slipped to her waist, revealing skin as smooth and radiant as white jade.

Her stockings were rolled down to her ankles, forgotten in the moment. Her head tilted slightly back as long ebony hair cascaded like ink over her shoulders. The strands danced with each motion, highlighting her snow-white shoulders and the elegance of her body. Her graceful shoulders and delicate collarbone seemed like they had been sculpted by a master craftsman.

The jubilant crowds outside were clearly visible through the one-way glass. They held flowers and signs, screaming her name in a frenzy of admiration. Every ecstatic face symbolized the Jiepeng people’s view of her as the pinnacle of perfection.

Tsukiha Yaiba had unequivocally become the goddess of their era, the unattainable ideal for countless individuals.

The drive took only forty minutes, but when they arrived at the designated parking spot, the car door did not open immediately. The guards and attendants of the Tsukiha family stood outside the vehicle, puzzled by the delay. They exchanged confused glances as they waited.

Inside the car, ten minutes later, a trembling Tsukiha Yaiba collapsed onto Li Xiaofei. A long, drawn-out sigh escaped her lips before an indescribable surge of wild energy erupted from within her.

If not for Li Xiaofei’s immediate reaction, the energy might have shattered the entire vehicle. A strange crimson light flickered in Tsukiha Yaiba’s eyes as her pale skin began to change. Her veins suddenly bulged, glowing with an eerie red hue. Simultaneously, faint golden scales emerged across her snow-white skin, shimmering faintly. The scales gave off a uniquely feral aura. But it was not chaotic or violent, but instead, imbued with a divine and regal quality.

The Golden Lizard King bloodline! It finally reached 100 percent!

An expression of ecstasy spread across Tsukiha Yaiba’s face. This level of bloodline purification and atavism was considered a forbidden frontier in the new genetic and martial technologies of the Jiepeng Empire.

No family or research institute had ever been able to achieve 100 percent purity in their bloodline bearers. Even the fabled Yiggs Union, with their advanced technologies, had failed to accomplish it. But she had succeeded.

From start to finish, it had only taken a little over a month. Tsukiha Yaiba could now clearly feel a mysterious energy steadily springing forth from within her body.

The Primordial Bloodline! There had never been a completely pure bloodline bearer ever since the divine blood fell from the heavens over four centuries ago, creating countless bloodline bearers.

She would be the first. As she carefully sensed the energy coursing through her veins, Tsukiha Yaiba’s ambitions soared to unprecedented heights. Her gaze shifted to the man before her, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

“What are you smiling at?” Li Xiaofei retracted his long spear and said flatly, “Stop bothering me in the future. Honestly, this is getting boring. I’m tired. You can go ahead and get out first.”

He lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before exhaling a puff of smoke directly into Tsukiha Yaiba’s face. Tsukiha Yaiba covered her mouth, giggling softly, as she adjusted both her own and Li Xiaofei’s disheveled clothing.

Moments later, the Flower of Jiepeng stepped gracefully out of the vehicle with her perfectly arranged dress. Her elegant posture and composed demeanor betrayed none of the chaos that had transpired within the car just moments earlier.

In an instant...

Click, click, click!

Countless flashes lit up the scene as the sound of cameras echoed loudly. The journalists went into a frenzy as they started snapping photos nonstop.

Every camera lens zoomed in on the woman who embodied beauty, power, and talent, Tsukiha Yaiba. Even seasoned reporters, who were accustomed to covering events featuring nearly flawless AI companions, had to admit that, in this moment, Tsukiha Yaiba radiated an unmatched brilliance.

Her noble elegance, combined with her stunning natural beauty, was enhanced by an indescribable aura of transcendence. She truly looked like a goddess descended from the heavens.

All eyes were fixed on her. However, a few sharp-eyed, disciplined special operatives, focused on their missions, noticed the man still sitting in the car.

Li Xiaofei, seemingly oblivious to the world outside, deliberately crushed the butt of a cigarette into the ashtray.

This man had been smoking in the goddess’ car? Unforgivable! How dare he subject the lungs of our revered goddess to that acrid smoke?

What right did a mere bodyguard have to be so close to our exalted goddess?

Unforgivable! A crime worthy of death a thousand times over!

These onlookers cursed Li Xiaofei furiously in their hearts. Unbothered by their silent outrage, Li Xiaofei casually adjusted his suit and stepped out of the car. When he extended his hand, Tsukiha Yaiba placed hers lightly on his wrist. Smiling and waving at the surrounding reporters and crowd, she walked briskly toward Kanzaki Palace.

It was 7:20 a.m. Li Xiaofei glanced at the gathered crowd in the outer plaza of Kanzaki Palace. According to the royal announcement, Tan Zhenwei and another Great Xia official named Zhou Rulong would be brought to this location at 7:45 a.m. They would then be publicly executed through the ancient method of beheading.

The execution platform had already been constructed. Royal Iron Guards patrolled the area, maintaining order and keeping the excited masses at bay.

I wonder where Old Tan is being held right now

.

He would have to act the moment the prisoners arrived. No matter the cost, he had to save Old Tan first. However, there were reports that powerful figures from the Temple would personally oversee the execution.

The royal family was the highest authority in the secular part of the Jiepeng Empire. But the Temple, which represented divine power, stood above the secular monarchy. The so-called demigods and deities residing in the Temple were regarded as beings of absolute authority and power. Even the royal family's rule depended on the Temple's support.

In truth, the Temple was the true supreme ruler of Jiepeng. Details about the Temple’s inner workings were shrouded in mystery. Some believed it served as a portal to realms beyond Earth and housed gods from the stars.

Others speculated it was a station set up by the Star Council, designed to keep the monarchy of Jiepeng under tight control. Regardless of the truth, the Temple had stood in Kyoto for centuries, maintaining its enigmatic and awe-inspiring presence. The people of Jiepeng continued to revere the Temple as the dwelling of the ancient gods who protected their land.

However, Li Xiaofei was eager to confront these so-called Jiepeng deities. After all, when Li Lan, his benefactor, had given him the three life-saving hairs, she had confidently declared that he would be invincible within this world.