Chapter 583: The Disciples Of Grandmaster Of Heaven

Ding Rong shook her head and said, “The government has locked down all information about them. It’s said that many foreign spies have infiltrated Xiajing City and are aiming to assassinate them. Any information about them is now classified as top secret.”

Li Xiaofei fell into deep thought. He hadn't expected that he would still gain nothing even after coming to the school. It seemed he needed to contact others. Unfortunately, the light core network was unavailable. He couldn’t even make standard light core calls. Xiajing City was now relying on its own internally constructed network, prioritized for military and administrative purposes.

If someone wanted to make a call, it appeared they would have to use wired telephones, a technology from hundreds of years ago.

“Senior Sister Ding, do you know how to contact Senior Sister Su Wanqing?” Li Xiaofei asked.

The light core number left behind by Dragon Group’s deputy leader, Xiao Bieli, was no longer functional.

Ding Rong sighed and said, “Senior Sister Su also died in battle.”

Li Xiaofei was stunned. He asked for the contact information of a few others, but Ding Rong didn’t know any of them either.

Xiajing City was in chaos. Without the light network, it seemed that companies like Longya Group, which relied heavily on light core live streaming as their primary business, would likely have to shut down. Many assets tied to the light core world in Great Xia were effectively frozen. The Star Council was clearly taking sides.

Forget it.

He decided to head for the city walls to take a look.

Li Xiaofei extended his hand and said, “Senior Sister Ding, give me your hand.”

Ding Rong was startled. Without offering any further explanation, Li Xiaofei took hold of Ding Rong’s pale, delicate hand.

Her hand was cold as ice. Before she could struggle, Li Xiaofei activated the fire energy of the Dual Sacred Body of Blade and Sword. The heat coursed through her palm, cleansing the residual star beast energy within her body that had lingered like a toxin.

He then infused her with the gentle energy of the Ice Sword. The icy energy gradually and softly began repairing Ding Rong’s damaged dantian and meridians. For Li Xiaofei, who had mastered the Twelve Regular Meridians, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and had carved out more than nine hundred qi meridians within his body, the complex and chaotic meridians that others found challenging were of little difficulty.

Ding Rong felt the changes within her body and her eyes gradually lit up with newfound hope.

A moment later, Li Xiaofei spoke. “Although I can’t help you recover your cultivation right away, you’ll be able to start cultivating again. It won’t take long before you can return to your former realm.”

Ding Rong stared at him in stunned silence. It wasn’t as simple as just being able to start cultivating again. She clearly knew that this was a blessing in disguise. The previously ordinary meridians in her body had become stronger and wider after being remodeled by Li Xiaofei. This transformation was akin to the legendary process of cleansing one’s marrow and shedding impurities. She was now a prodigy.

With her past cultivation experience and understanding of martial arts, regaining her former strength wouldn’t be difficult. She might even reach realms she had never thought possible before.

"Thank you," Ding Rong said as she looked at Li Xiaofei. "Now I finally understand... Perhaps Junior Brother Junjie was telling the truth after all."

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

In the past, Li Junjie had repeatedly emphasized that his senior, Li Xiaofei, was not only a more talented genius but also far more powerful than himself. Many had doubted him. But now, it seemed clear that Li Junjie’s admiration wasn’t blind reverence.

"Goodbye," Li Xiaofei said as he turned away. "I’m heading to the city walls to take a look."

Ding Rong wanted to say something to dissuade him, perhaps a word of caution or concern. But in the end, she held back. The rise and fall of a nation rests on the shoulders of its people.

In times like these, anyone capable of fighting would undoubtedly head to the city walls to defend their country.

***

The sounds of battle cries and slaughter never ceased. The energy reserves for firearms in Xiajing City had been completely depleted three months ago. Now, the battles were fought with cold weaponry.

The people of Great Xia relied on the city’s towering alloy walls to repeatedly repel the relentless star beast hordes attacking the city. At the same time, they had to remain vigilant against high-altitude bombings and assault teams from the Yiggs coalition forces.

Xiajing City was under immense pressure. Fortunately, the city was densely populated, and the people stood united, their determination unshaken. It was this collective will that had allowed them to hold out until now.

This war, which had lasted almost a year, had seen too many sons of Great Xia shed their blood on the city walls as they offered their lives and souls to their homeland. The once metallic walls had now turned crimson red.

Zhou Yidao stood with his blade in hand at a damaged section of the city wall. Hundreds of Grade Four and Five star beasts prowled menacingly around him. Behind him was a beautiful woman clad in silver armor. She was gravely injured and on the verge of death as she leaned weakly against the stone parapet. A knight’s lance, as thick as a bowl’s mouth, had pierced through her abdomen.

"You actually managed to cut through my Archimedes Lance." A tall white man clad in full medieval knight armor across from them lifted his visor, revealing a bearded face. His expression carried a trace of surprise but was dominated by disdain and mockery.

Zhou Yidao remained silent, but the arm holding his blade trembled slightly. Old wounds had reopened, and fresh blood trickled down. That last strike had been the culmination of his lifetime mastery of blade techniques.

If not for the sight of his junior sister, Su Qianni, being impaled by a lance, he wouldn’t have been able to muster the strength for that strike. But, regrettably, even that blow only managed to sever the enemy's knight lance. It hadn’t harmed the man himself.

"Senior Brother Zhou, don’t worry about me. Just go. I... I won’t survive this," Su Qianni said weakly.

Her life was nearing its end. Looking back on her life, the first half had been filled with aimlessness as she chased fame and fortune. It wasn’t until she apprenticed under the Grandmaster of Heaven and became part of his martial lineage that she felt like she had found the true meaning of life.

When the defense of Xiajing City began, she had joined the conscription effort on the very first day. She fought fiercely on the city walls and had never taken a step back. The Grandmaster of Heaven had once said the only true purpose of cultivating martial arts for those in the Great Xia martial lineage can be summed up in eight words.

To uphold justice. To protect home and country.

As a disciple of the Grandmaster of Heaven, Su Qianni had always adhered to the teachings her master left behind before his departure. Now, as death approached, her resolve remained unbroken. Her only regret was not being able to see her master one last time.

Master, oh Master, where have you gone?

Su Qianni felt her consciousness begin to fade.

"There are no cowards among the disciples of the Grandmaster of Heaven," Zhou Yidao exhaled deeply, channeling his qi as he gripped his blade tighter.

The blade was his second life. It embodied his spirit, his essence, and the very purpose of his existence.

"The disciples of the Grandmaster of Heaven’s martial lineage have already sacrificed countless lives," Zhou Yidao said. "Why should I, Zhou Yidao, fear death? To protect home and country. An inch of land for an inch of blood."

"Junior Sister, if the city walls beneath our feet and the city behind us need to be watered with blood to make them stronger... Then let it start with me."

Zhou Yidao spoke slowly, his tone solemn and resolute.

He had never imagined that he would ever sacrifice his life for righteousness. He used to be a selfish and self-centered person. Since he had endured extreme poverty and suffering in his childhood, he grew up chasing fame and fortune.

Unfortunately, since he lacked connections and a proper lineage, his path had been full of hardships and setbacks. That was why he had thrown himself so desperately into the chaotic world of live streaming.

But now, things were different. He had a master’s lineage. He had senior and junior disciples. He had followers and students who admired and respected him. He was no longer the stray dog struggling in the mud. He loved this land, this nation and its people.

At this moment, faced with the threat of death, he remained utterly calm. It was only death, after all. Everyone had to face death eventually. Some deaths are as light as a feather, while others are as heavy as Mount Tai. Today, he would die a meaningful death.

Across from him, the enemy loomed.

"Two yellow-skinned monkeys, and yet so much nonsense," the bearded white man sneered, his face filled with mockery and disdain. "Weak and insignificant, yet you insist on adding so much drama to your lives. Truly pitiful clowns."

He raised his hand. The shattered knight’s lance in his grip suddenly restored itself to its full form.

"Prepare to die," he said coldly, lifting the lance and then thrusting down with tremendous force.

"To lay down one’s life for the nation, to embrace death as if returning home," Zhou Yidao murmured softly.

Though he wasn’t officially part of the Dragon Group, he had learned of the secret technique known as Heart of the Pure Child shortly after the great war began. The Dragon Group had made the technique that allowed its user to unleash one final burst of power at the brink of death publicly available.

Zhou Yidao activated the Heart of the Pure Child technique. Behind him, Su Qianni did the same. Their lives burned like flames as their blood boiled like molten lava.

"Such a pity... I won’t get to see Master again." Burning her life force, the gravely injured Su Qianni managed to stand once more.

Both she and Zhou Yidao prepared to face death, determined to take their enemy down with them. But just as they were about to make their move...

"Foolishness." A familiar voice rang out.

Both Su Qianni and Zhou Yidao suddenly felt a hand rest firmly on their shoulders. The blazing inner qi and boiling blood coursing through their bodies were instantly suppressed and forced back under control.

"Master?"

"Master?"

Both of them trembled simultaneously. That voice was unmistakably the voice of their master, the Grandmaster of Heaven Patriarch. An indescribable wave of joy and relief washed over them, overwhelming their hearts.

Across from them, the white knight felt an overwhelming, irresistible pressure burst forth like a raging tide. The lance he had thrust forward suddenly recoiled backward, smashing back into his own helmet with immense force.

Crash!

The massive helmet was crushed instantly, and red and white fluids spurted grotesquely from the twisted metal. The formidable European powerhouse, a being of the Divine Realm, was dead in an instant. At almost the exact same moment...

Swish, swish, swish.

The strange sound was like a hot knife slicing through butter. The hundreds of Grade Four and Five star beasts around them dissolved into wisps of green smoke, vanishing into the air as if they had never existed.

Su Qianni and Zhou Yidao turned around simultaneously. Behind them stood a tall and imposing young man who radiated an aura of strength and confidence. He smiled faintly, the mere pressure of his presence leaving no doubt about his strength. The youthful and handsome face caught them both off guard.

Our Master is this young?

He was nothing like what they had imagined. But neither of them hesitated for long. They both dropped to their knees in unison.

"Disciple greets Master!"

Li Xiaofei accepted their bow. Then, with a gentle gesture, an invisible force lifted them effortlessly to their feet.

"You’ve done well," Li Xiaofei said, clearly satisfied with their earlier display of resolve.

The live streaming attempt on the Longya Group platform had been just an experiment. He hadn’t held back in sharing and spreading numerous ancient martial arts techniques. He had little to no investigation or evaluation on the disciples he had taken in. Most of them had simply been accepted by chance.

But the life-and-death choices Su Qianni and Zhou Yidao had just made filled Li Xiaofei with a deep sense of pride and relief.

"Master, where have you been these past two years?" Su Qianni asked, her eyes red and brimming with tears. "I thought I’d never see you again."

"I was in seclusion," Li Xiaofei replied casually, brushing off the question. Then he asked, "What about the other disciples?"

At this, both Su Qianni and Zhou Yidao’s eyes reddened even further.