Chapter 54: Let Me Try

Li Xiaofei was still making his way through the trials. He had reached the level nine trial, the Scorching Island. He endured wave after wave of frenzied attacks from a multitude of ocean star beasts. Various bizarre star beasts kept crawling out of the sea to fight Li Xiaofei. Each time, he could last no more than an hour before being overwhelmed.

My combat skills have been honed to a high level of proficiency, and my combat experience has improved significantly, but I still can't break through this level. The only factor limiting my combat ability is my starforce level. It is insufficient.

Now that I’ve reached the eighth stage, the rate of starforce qi improvement has slowed down. The higher the cultivation, the slower the progress. This is a fundamental principle of martial arts. I must not be impatient.

I’ll use Starforce Reagents to fully enhance my starforce level. The goal is to reach the ninth stage of the Qi Refining Realm before the War God League begins.

Li Xiaofei decided to set a goal for himself as he exited the trial.

As usual, Li Xiaofei took a stroll through the ranking points forum. But he was quickly shocked by what he saw. He learned that Red Flag High School had been humiliated at the opening ceremony and then further insulted by Deputy Director Luo Changhe of the Education Department.

Now, Red Flag High School had become a public enemy who was condemned by everyone. Then he saw the news about the live challenge.

Jiepeng? Based on geography, weren't they the same people who were doing well five hundred years ago? The star beast outbreak had hit the oceans the hardest. Could such an island nation still exist?

Li Xiaofei quickly found the link to the livestream and clicked in. He was instantly gripped by a sensation of weightlessness. In the next moment, he found himself in a gigantic stadium.

The livestream set by Mizutani Hikaru was configured like a stadium, with stands capable of seating a hundred thousand people. The central arena was a circular platform with a diameter of a hundred meters, illuminated by white beams of light.

Everything appeared as realistic as the real world. The stands were already packed with a dense crowd. But the arena was utterly silent.

On the stage, Mizutani Hikaru, clad in a white samurai outfit, stood proudly. She had just defeated Peak Clouds, who ranked fifth in last year's High School War God League. It had only taken her five moves.

This marked Mizutani Hikaru's twenty-first victory. No one had been able to pose a threat to her. The crowd in the stands, who had been cheering wildly, fell into a prolonged silence.

Everyone felt stifled and angry but powerless. The star students had been defeated too miserably.

Who can defeat her? Who can restore the honor of Liuhe Base City's high school students?

On the stage, the young Mizutani Hikaru, though small in stature, seemed like an invincible demon king, bringing immense despair to all the spectators. This was a huge disgrace for the people of the Great Xia Republic. If no one could defeat Mizutani Hikaru, the reputation of Liuhe Base City's high schools would be utterly tarnished.

Where are the top geniuses from the noble high schools? Why are they not here yet?

Everyone was getting anxious.

"Is there no one left to challenge me?" Mizutani Hikaru's voice was clear but incredibly arrogant. "Not one of you can put up a fight. It's bad enough that Great Xia's high school students are so weak, but you don’t even have the guts to step up?"

The audience was about to explode with anger but no one dared to step forward. Without the certainty of victory, losing would only add to Mizutani Hikaru's streak and fame.

Mizutani Hikaru shook her head disdainfully. Her expression was cold and arrogant as she sneered at the 100,000 viewers in the livestream. "Heh... Who would have thought that there isn't a single high school student in the vast Liuhe Base City who can make me exert myself? The Great Xia Republic... is truly without anyone worthy."

Before Mizutani Hikaru could keep going, a voice interrupted.

"I'll give it a try."

Someone had issued a challenge. Mizutani Hikaru's eyes flashed coldly as she unhesitatingly accepted.

A glimmer of light flickered and a figure appeared on the stage. It was a tall warrior in black combat attire, wearing a silver cicada mask.

Who is this person?

The audience in the livestream were puzzled, exchanging bewildered looks. Every powerful high school student was well-known and familiar to the public. Even the students ranked in the twenties or thirties were recognizable.

Yet, no one knew this black-clad, silver-masked warrior or his background.

"What's your name?" Mizutani Hikaru asked, a hint of caution flashing across her expression. She felt a vague sense of danger from this black-clad, silver-masked warrior.

"You don't deserve to know." The black-clad, silver-masked warrior responded domineeringly.

He was, of course, Li Xiaofei. This was his avatar in the light network virtual world. He chose to remain anonymous for this challenge.

"Arrogant." Mizutani Hikaru sneered. "So, the high school students of Great Xia are only skilled in talking... Draw your weapon."

"I don't need a weapon to kill you," replied Li Xiaofei.

Li Xiaofei placed his left hand behind his back and raised his right hand, beckoning with his fingers. "Great Xia is a land of courtesy and hospitality. We don't hold grudges against barbarians from small countries. As the saying goes, a guest from afar is to be treated with respect. I'll let you have the first three moves."

The livestream audience erupted in an uproar.

How arrogant!

This black-clad, silver-masked warrior had the most brazen attitude among all the high school challengers. It felt exhilarating. But they hoped he truly had the strength to back it up. Otherwise, he would just make a fool of himself and bring disgrace to them all. For the moment, no one dared to cheer recklessly.

On the stage, Mizutani Hikaru frowned slightly. She gripped her straight blade in a reverse grip and advanced with small steps. When the distance between them closed to within five meters, she suddenly drew her blade.

Clang.

The straight blade flashed out of its sheath. She used one of her three ultimate moves, the Iaido Break Slash [1].

The dazzling strike shot toward him like a streak of lightning. The spectators only saw a blinding flash. Many were instantly alarmed and their hearts raced. Bronze Arhat Zhang Chao, one of the top three tanks, had been defeated instantly by this move.

When the blade light reached him, the black-clad, silver-masked warrior shifted his feet slightly. He seemed to move like a phantom, gracefully dodging the slash as if he were a startled swan.

Whoosh!

Mizutani Hikaru immediately followed with her second strike. She raised her hand, and the straight blade slashed upwards. It was another of her three ultimate moves, the Demon Wheel Slash.

Three crescent-shaped arcs of blade light flew out from her blade. The white blade light spun like a demon's wheel, tracing unpredictable arcs in the air as they slashed toward Li Xiaofei from different angles in a deadly encirclement.

Li Xiaofei countered by using Graceful Step of the Waves. He left a series of afterimages in his wake, casually and elegantly evading the slashes as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.

"Good!"

A shout echoed from the stands, and a large

Good

word floated across the screen in the form of a comment. That single word was like a boulder crashing into a calm lake, stirring up waves of excitement.

The spectators in the stands finally saw a glimmer of hope and immediately erupted into wild cheers and encouragement.

"Defend our nation's honor!"

"Defend our nation's honor!"

"Defend our nation's honor!"

The unified chants reverberated through every inch of the arena, transforming into a flood of comments that swept across the livestream screen. The atmosphere reached an unprecedented high.

Mizutani Hikaru was astonished when her first two strikes missed. These were her ultimate moves, yet her opponent had effortlessly evaded them with mere footwork. She understood that she was facing a truly formidable adversary. Without hesitation, her expression turned serious as she fully activated her starforce. She unleashed her third ultimate technique, the Falling Star Slash, with all her might.

Mizutani Hikaru leaped into the sky like a bird, reaching an astonishing height. Her starforce spread out like wings, resembling countless stars scattered across the heavens. At the apex of her flight, she slashed down with a single blade.

The scene was like a thousand stars shattering. Every falling star was a deadly blade. The arena was almost entirely covered. It was like a meteor shower as the blade slashed downward.

The technique made the spectators inside and outside the livestream shudder.

How can anyone dodge this?

Countless eyes focused on Li Xiaofei.

Li Xiaofei moved gracefully and quickly using Graceful Step of the Waves. He was like a celestial being, gliding like a swan and twisting like a dragon. He left a trail of afterimages as he effortlessly danced through the falling blade lights. He resembled a mysterious dancer moving freely among the flowers.

The blade lights fell, carving deep gouges into the arena's surface. Li Xiaofei's figure suddenly came to a stop, standing amidst the wreckage. Not a single scratch marked his body. The countless blade lights hadn't even torn his clothing.

"How is this possible?" Mizutani Hikaru landed and fell to one knee. She looked up, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"Three moves have passed," Li Xiaofei said calmly as he looked at her. "Now, watch as I kill you with one move."

1. Laidō, abbreviated iai, is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks. ☜