Chapter 587: Anyone Else?

In the meeting room, a brief silence was followed by an uncontrollable eruption of cheers.

"The Flame Emperor has been slain!"

"How... how could this happen in such a short time?"

"Who is that young man? Investigate immediately!"

The usually solemn and sacred atmosphere of the meeting room dissolved into chaos, sounding more like a bustling marketplace than a war council.

But it couldn’t be helped. They had just witnessed something unbelievable. The Flame Emperor, Jared Kush, ranked third on the global Saints leaderboard, a pinnacle Great Saint, had been slain in less than thirty breaths. A Great Saint! And not just any Great Saint—a peak-level one.

The severed, blood-dripping head could not possibly be fake. They could feel the lingering oppressive aura of the world’s mightiest flame wielder even through the screen. The blood dripping from the severed head burned like fire as it fell through the air. When it hit the ground, the earth charred instantly. Nearby high-grade star beasts writhed in agony as they were incinerated by the heat radiating from the blood.

Phil Johnson’s single eye narrowed slightly. Li Xiaofei's unwavering gaze sent a deep chill through his heart, as if Death itself had pressed a scythe against his chest. When his eyes fell on Jared Kush’s head, his heartbeat raced uncontrollably as a mixture of fear and disbelief surging through him.

Jared Kush was ranked third in the world, while Phil Johnson was ranked fourth. When one reached the realm of Great Saints, actual combat ability was often difficult to rank definitively, so rankings were largely based on past achievements and battle records.

Even so, Phil Johnson could not imagine himself being able to decapitate Jared Kush in such a short time. Moreover, at the Saint level, fighters could regenerate severed limbs and even survive decapitation by boiling their blood and restoring their bodies.

Killing a Great Saint outright was an arduous task. Yet somehow, this young man had completely annihilated Jared Kush in mere moments. What technique or method had he used to accomplish such a feat?

Countless thoughts flashed through Phil Johnson's mind. For the first time, he hesitated in the face of an enemy.

Li Xiaofei sneered. "When I stormed the camp earlier, I came across someone posturing on the top floor of the European encampment. He could manipulate lightning too. I took off his head with a single sword stroke."

His sharp gaze seemed to scrape against Phil Johnson’s bones like a blade. His mocking tone was laced with venom as he added, "That pathetic mutt... he was your son, wasn’t he? So much for your so-called noble bloodline of white-skinned pigs."

Phil Johnson’s face instantly turned crimson as his blood boiled with rage. Western powerhouses drew their strength from bloodlines, unlike the martial traditions of Great Xia, which emphasized cultivating the heart and mind.

Even among Great Saints, Western fighters often lacked deep composure and restraint. For someone like Phil Johnson, whose strength was tied to the volatile and destructive nature of lightning, his temper was notoriously short, and his inclination to kill was especially strong. So it was only natural that he completely lost control at the provocation.

"Today, I will deliver divine retribution," Phil Johnson declared, gripping his lightning scepter tightly. His eyes blazed with searing lightning as he launched an attack at Li Xiaofei.

Chu Yuncheng and Li Donglou immediately prepared to intervene.

After all, Li Xiaofei had already killed the Flame Emperor, Jared Kush. Who knew if he had used a secret technique that drained his inner qi, leaving him unable to fight further? The two Grand Commanders had already resolved to pay whatever cost they needed to in order to ensure this young Great Saint of Great Xia survived.

But Li Xiaofei laughed boldly and confidently.

"Why use a bull blade to slaughter a chicken?" He casually tossed Jared Kush’s severed head behind him and said, "Esteemed seniors, stand aside and watch as this nameless soldier of Great Xia slays a white-skinned pig."

A massive spear appeared in his hand. The spear surged forward like a dragon, and Li Xiaofei, merging as one with his weapon, charged directly at Phil Johnson.

Chu Yuncheng and Li Donglou moved to stop him, but it was already too late. Li Donglou’s gaze lingered briefly on the head of Jared Kush, now lying on the ground. This long-standing enemy of Great Xia, who had brought so much destruction over the years, was finally dead. But he had died so suddenly.

The two Grand Commanders exchanged a glance, understanding passed between them. They decided not to intervene further and instead focused on guarding Li Xiaofei’s battle.

Chu Yuncheng discreetly activated his recording equipment, capturing every moment of the clash. No matter how this battle ended, as long as Li Xiaofei survived, it would be enough.

Facing the third- and fourth-ranked Great Saints in the world, this newly-emerged young Great Saint had already slain one and now dared to face another. His unprecedented feats would undoubtedly inspire and uplift the people of Xiajing City.

Boom!

A massive shockwave of energy rippled outward from the battlefield. Li Xiaofei and Phil Johnson clashed fiercely, their exchanges creating terrifying energy aftershocks that instantly killed countless star beasts below.

Thousands of star beasts were obliterated as they exploded into a slurry of flesh and blood. The rolling hills and terrain beneath their battle were flattened in an instant, as grass and trees were reduced to ashes. The earth itself was transformed into a barren desert.

Even the strongest of the observers looked on with pale faces, retreating instinctively from the devastating power of the fight. All eyes were fixed on this battle. It was the first publicly witnessed Great Saint-level duel in the past six months.

On the city walls, General Hua Zhongyue, Grand Commander Hua Qinglian, and other leaders who had previously been in the meeting room could no longer sit still. They arrived at the walls, their gazes filled with concern and tension as they watched the heart of the battlefield.

They had learned Li Xiaofei's identity. With Great Xia's top-level resources, and given that Li Xiaofei had not hidden his face, identifying him had taken mere minutes.

A grassroots hero who had risen from a small northwestern city. One of the founders of the Red Flag High School model. The Jade Emperor of Great Xia's Dragon Group. A hidden Saint of White Deer Academy. The dragon son-in-law of the Tan family. The Widow Maker of Haijing City. The Doomsday Harbinger of Jiepeng.

A string of titles, each more dazzling than the last, left the onlookers awestruck and overwhelmed.

"No matter the cost, we must ensure Li Xiaofei's survival."

"He is the hope of Great Xia."

"A Great Saint this young. If he lives, Great Xia has a real chance to rise again."

The senior leaders, watching from the city walls, were visibly excited, some even slapping their thighs in exhilaration.

Grand Commander Hua Qinglian's eyes gleamed with barely contained emotion. The Great Xia bloodline that had been passed down unbroken for thousands of years had endured precisely because heroes had emerged to turn the tide at every life-and-death crisis.

Five hundred years ago, there was Taiyi. And now...

Hua Qinglian’s gaze turned to the young man fighting at the center of the battlefield.

Now, this youth. He is the hero of Great Xia.

On the battlefield, Li Xiaofei grew increasingly exhilarated as the fight progressed. This was the first time he had unleashed his full strength since returning from Subspace. And it was no ordinary battle—it was one fought before the countless eyes of his compatriots in Xiajing City.

He knew that, at this moment, countless people were watching and rooting for him. He could feel countless hearts beating in unison with his. Sharing his breath. Sharing his fate. He had to win this battle no matter what.

Li Xiaofei's battle intent surged uncontrollably, growing fiercer by the second. The massive energy coursing through his body was too much for the powered spear in his hands, which shattered into fragments.

“Not enough! This isn’t enough!” He roared, “Demon God Form—Transform!”

In an instant, his body expanded until he was a hundred meters tall. Unlike before, where such transformations would result in grotesque, over-exaggerated muscles, his new form was streamlined, with elegant curves that embodied strength and grace.

This was the result of his continued refining of his cultivation. Even in his Demon God Form, he no longer seemed to be the overly dramatic brute of the past.

Boom!

Li Xiaofei threw a punch. The force he unleashed was like a heavenly river cascading downward as it obliterated everything in its path and created a massive vacuum in the air. The sea of lightning was torn apart as though it were mere fabric.

“This is bad!”

Phil Johnson barely managed to brace himself as the titanic force surged toward him. He raised his lightning scepter to defend, but the impact sent him hurtling six or seven miles away.

“You’re too weak! Far too weak!”

Li Xiaofei had entered a berserk state. He appeared above Phil Johnson in the blink of an eye and his massive foot came crashing down from the heavens.

Boom!

Phil Johnson was stomped into the Earth's crust.

"Ahhhhhh!" He roared in rage, clawing his way out of the hundred-meter-deep crater. "You Great Xia monkey, you—"

"I’m your nightmare, you pathetic fool! Now explode for me!" shouted Li Xiaofei. In his fully released God-Demon Mode, he had not only gained an unparalleled defensive ability that rendered him immune to lightning, but his speed and agility had increased dozens of times over.

He slammed Phil Johnson back down and unleashed a devastating assault. The sight was electrifying. Countless Great Xia citizens watching from the walls trembled with excitement.

The young Great Saint who had slain the Flame Emperor Jared Kush, the third-ranked global powerhouse, was still fighting. No, he wasn’t just fighting. He was pummeling the fourth-ranked global powerhouse into submission. It was a completely one-sided beatdown.

Phil Johnson, the once-mighty Thunder Lord, had lost all his composure. He desperately clung to his lightning scepter as he was sent flying into the sky one moment and smashed into the ground the next.

The dignified, fourth-strongest Great Saint in the world now looked like a helpless toddler, utterly incapable of mounting any resistance. The scene was overwhelmingly satisfying.

"A genius—an unparalleled genius!"

"Haha! Great Xia will rise again!"

On the city walls, a group of elderly generals with gray hair and weathered faces were moved to tears, their voices trembling with emotion.

Boom!

A final explosion shook the battlefield.

"Ahhh! Divine Thunder of Retribution—Annihilation!"

Phil Johnson, maddened beyond reason, unleashed his forbidden technique. The sky filled with a storm of lightning, as a black ocean of destructive energy surged downward in a maddened torrent. It consumed Li Xiaofei’s towering form, burying him beneath its apocalyptic power.

The sheer force of the attack made the heavens tremble and the earth quiver. This was the strength of the fourth-ranked Great Saint in the world. Everyone watching felt an icy chill of despair, as if the end of days had arrived. Countless people held their breath, their once-eased hearts now gripped tightly by fear and uncertainty.

And then, in the next instant—

"Child’s play," said Li Xiaofei.

A pair of massive hands, as mighty as those of a Demon God, tore through the storm of lightning. Li Xiaofei strode unscathed out of the shattered sea of thunder. The blinding flashes of lightning dissipated like submissive servants groveling at his feet. The scene only made his mountain-like figure appear even more awe-inspiring. He felt like a godlike presence that could only be worshipped from afar.

"The Lightning Scepter?" He sneered, holding the divine weapon between two fingers. "Pathetic."

Li Xiaofei effortlessly twirled the once-dreaded artifact, now reduced to a mere toothpick in his hands. And then, with a casual squeeze—

Crack.

The divine weapon that was coveted by countless people in the Western world shattered into fragments. It was as if it were nothing more than a used toothpick. Only one fate awaited the invaders of Great Xia, whether they were people or artifacts—to be crushed into oblivion.

In Li Xiaofei's other colossal hand, Phil Johnson, the fourth-ranked Great Saint in the world, dangled like a pitiful insect.

"Is that it?" asked Li Xiaofei. His eyes shone brilliantly, like suns and moons suspended in the heavens.

He stared at the so-called strongest expert of the European Independent Nations Alliance, now hanging limply in his hand, and shook his head in disappointment.

"With strength this feeble, where did you get the audacity to invade the sacred lands of Great Xia? Hmm?"

Phil Johnson felt as if every bone in his body was on the verge of shattering. Overwhelming fear and humiliation rendered him almost speechless.

He struggled desperately, thrashing against the grip of Li Xiaofei’s godlike hand, but it was futile. The more he fought, the more hopeless it became. As Li Xiaofei’s grip tightened, inch by inch, the crushing pressure grew unbearable.

Crack... Crack...

The sound of Phil Johnson’s bones shattering echoed across the city. Countless fractures rippled through his body as blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth, nose, and every orifice.

Li Xiaofei snuffed out the life of the fourth-ranked powerhouse in the world with the ease of crushing an insect. The combined energies of fire and ice completely drained Phil Johnson of vitality, leaving him lifeless.

At the same time, Li Xiaofei’s Northern Darkness Divine Skill absorbed every ounce of his cultivation, storing it within his body. Standing high in the heavens, Li Xiaofei’s massive figure loomed like an unassailable Demon God.

"Anyone else?" His voice was calm yet thunderous as it reverberated across the battlefield with the weight of an unyielding challenge.

His towering form radiated overwhelming pressure as his eyes fell on the distant Yiggs encampment.

"Who dares to fight me?"