Chapter 596: Through The Ages, No Regrets Despite Nine Deaths

“Ahhh!” Li Xiaofei let out a thunderous roar.

Blood gushed from his nose and mouth as his face twisted in ferocious agony. In that split second between life and death, Li Xiaofei disregarded everything. He allowed the chainsaw sword to pierce through his body as he surged forward with reckless abandon.

The Feng family ancestor never expected that someone whose body had been pierced by a chainsaw sword could still continue charging forward. His brief hesitation cost him dearly.

Puff! Puff!

A rusty sword and a long blade simultaneously stabbed into his body. Li Xiaofei immediately released the two weapons and wrapped his arms around the Feng family ancestor in a crushing embrace.

Crack! Crack!

A series of sharp, popping sounds echoed in the air. The bones in the Feng family ancestor's entire body were crushed into fragments by Li Xiaofei’s terrifying physical strength. Fragments of his internal organs spewed from his nose and mouth.

While such physical injuries were not life-threatening for a Great Saint, the icy blade energy and fiery sword energy surging wildly from Li Xiaofei's body wreaked further havoc in the Feng family ancestor’s body. The terrifying destructive power of the Dual Sacred Body of Blade and Sword against Great Saints revealed itself in full at that moment.

Blood, along with golden flames and silvery ice, erupted from his mouth and nose. The two energies, which coexisted harmoniously within Li Xiaofei, unleashed unimaginable destruction as they collided inside the Feng family ancestor.

In the blink of an eye, the ancestor, a monstrous being who had lived for over four hundred years and served as an expert of Eden, lost all ability to fight back. His physical body perished, and his soul was extinguished.

It had happened so quickly that the Xie family ancestor and others were unable to intervene in time.

Li Xiaofei finally ran out of strength as he slowly stiffened. The chainsaw sword remained embedded in his chest. It had shredded his internal organs. Starforce had also spread through his body in an instant, silencing all traces of life. Li Xiaofei's pupils dilated, as his vision faded away.

The four ancestors of the Xie family stood frozen in place. A trace of sorrow appeared on their faces. They could clearly sense that both Li Xiaofei and the Feng family ancestor were dead.

What had started as an ordinary mission had ended with the loss of a brother who they had known for centuries. Li Xiaofei, the young prodigy of Great Xia’s ancient martial lineage, a once-in-a-generation genius, had accomplished an unbelievable feat in this martial battle. However, this miracle had come at the cost of his life.

“What a pity,” the Xie family ancestor said, his tone filled with regret.

After a moment, he added, “We should take his body back. Flesh that can withstand the chainsaw sword will fetch a good price in Eden...”

But before he could finish, an unexpected phenomenon occurred. A strange, inexplicable wave of energy suddenly surged from Li Xiaofei's body. It was as if the merciless tide of time had momentarily reversed for a fleeting instant.

Li Xiaofei suddenly opened his eyes. It seemed as though stars and moons were dancing within his eyes. The injuries on his body vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed. The chainsaw sword from Eden that had been embedded in his chest also disappeared.

What just happened?

The four ancestors of the Xie family were utterly stunned.

They could scarcely believe their own eyes. Had it not been for the overwhelming and seemingly boundless energy surging uncontrollably from the young man before them, they might have thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Li Xiaofei clenched his fists. A faint look of excitement appeared on his face. Time reversal. This was one of the ultimate abilities granted to him by the Secret Time Pavilion before Husky’s departure.

When it was activated, it could instantly rewind his personal timeline, restoring him to the state he was in thirty minutes prior to its activation. Thus, even if his chest had been pierced by the terrifying chainsaw sword from Eden, as long as he activated the Time Reversal skill a moment before his death, he would be restored to his state thirty minutes earlier.

Thirty minutes ago, Li Xiaofei had been completely uninjured and in peak condition. This skill was absurdly overpowered. It was practically invincible. This was the trump card that gave Li Xiaofei the confidence to gamble his life in exchange for taking down the Feng family ancestor.

However, Li Xiaofei was surprised to discover that the tiny nine-tailed figure formed from absorbing Principal Hu’s Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline in his dantian had lost another of its remaining eight tails.

One life for one tail. But each severed tail brought a divine opportunity. A mysterious and powerful energy surged madly into Li Xiaofei’s body, flooding every organ and filling every cell.

It felt as though he had been plugged into a fast charger. The energy was so overwhelming that it felt like he might explode. His entire body burned with heat.

“Let’s fight again!” Li Xiaofei leaped forward like a crazed dog.

The battle reignited as Li Xiaofei snatched up the rusty sword.

The four ancestors of the Xie family, still reeling from shock, joined forces once again. This time, they were far more vigilant. They didn’t dare be even a little careless as they unleashed Eden’s divine arts.

Li Xiaofei, now prepared, managed to avoid being immediately forced into desperate straits. However, the terrifying nature of Eden’s divine arts lay in their ability to bypass the constraints of realms. These targeted abilities guaranteed results the moment they were cast.

Two of the ancestors invoked Gravity Marsh, severely hindering Li Xiaofei's movements. It took only minutes for Li Xiaofei’s body to be covered in wounds once again. Yet, the intensity of this high-level battle refined and integrated the severed tail’s energy at an unprecedented rate.

Such a shame. I haven’t chosen a Golden Body Realm cultivation method that suits me.

Otherwise, I could use this fight against four Great Saint-level monsters like them to temper my golden body!

Li Xiaofei constantly searched for an opportunity to turn the tide as he fought. The four ancient monsters from Eden were terrifyingly powerful. Not only did they possess overwhelming combat abilities, but they were also thoroughly familiar with the martial techniques of Great Xia's lineage. Even with one of their number defeated, the remaining four were still far too formidable. Defeating them seemed almost impossible.

Boom!

A relentless barrage of fiery dragons slammed into Li Xiaofei as he struggled under the dual Gravity Marsh. His movements were sluggish, making him an easy target. Before long, his skin was scorched black. The blazing heat and venomous energy seeped into his body, slowly but steadily causing irreversible damage.

The Zheng family ancestor continued his assault with his swift and precise body techniques. One hand scattered poisonous mists, while the other wielded an ultra-powered vibrational dagger that shimmered with an eerie blue light. Slash after slash left fresh wounds across Li Xiaofei’s body.

Blood sprayed everywhere. The combination of venom and heat accelerated the breakdown of Li Xiaofei’s body. Li Xiaofei's situation grew increasingly dire.

If this keeps up, I’m really going to die. The Time Reversal skill is still on cooldown. I can’t hold out much longer against these four monsters.

Anxiety brewed in Li Xiaofei's heart. The surge of inner qi he had gained from the severed tail had yet to be fully converted into combat ability. Without a Golden Body to rely on, he remained vulnerable to Eden’s divine arts. He was still no match for them.

Frustration simmered within him, but he refused to retreat. He continued to fight to the death. Just then, a chilling turn of events occurred.

The corpse of one of the ancient monsters who had fallen to Li Xiaofei’s blade at the beginning began to stir. Its stiff fingers twitched faintly. Moments later, its emotionless eyes snapped open. A faint, almost imperceptible corpse aura began to spread. It was undergoing corpse transformation. Li Xiaofei's face turned pale.

"Don't!" Li Xiaofei shouted, "Stop it now!"

He immediately realized what was happening. The young lady, seeing how dire the situation had become, had begun to manipulate the Great Saint-level corpse to help him escape. But forcibly invoking a bloodline secret technique to corpse-transform a Great Saint’s body in her current state would inflict a backlash that was beyond her body’s capacity.

Deep within the Corpse Emperor’s Abyssal Tower, in the cavernous space at the base of the tower, an eerie stillness hung over the central stone island. Tan Zhenwei lay unconscious, a large swollen bump visible on the back of his head.

Tan Qingying let her hand fall after striking her father with a swift knife hand. As the mistress of this domain, she was keenly aware of everything that was happening. She had made her choice.

Tan Qingying hesitated no longer. Her entire body began to emit an overwhelming aura of dark, inky corpse energy that spread in waves around her. Half of her body turned pitch black as it started to exude an aura of death and corruption.

"Luckily, you came to see me one last time," she murmured softly. "My dear Xiaofei. But how could I let you die for me?"

Her voice trembled with sorrow, yet it carried an unshakable resolve.

"Seeing you one last time before I die... I’m already satisfied. I’ll leave my father in your care."

"My dear Xiaofei. Don’t come looking for me in the underworld. I’m willing to remain here, forever guarding the Yellow Springs, so I’ll never have to meet you again in a place like that."

The young lady wore a smile on her face, yet tears streamed silently from the corners of her eyes. She knew that if she acted again, it would mean certain death. She would fall into the eternal depths of the underworld, a place of unending torment and darkness, with no hope of reincarnation or rebirth. But how could she stand by and watch the boy she loved most perish in the suffocating darkness of this abyssal tower?

For love, even death held no regret.

She unleashed the full force of her bloodline energy, no longer confining the corpse energy to half of her body. Darkness enveloped everything.

An instant of night for an instant of annihilation. The darkness consumed her, saturating her entire being. Even her tears turned black. She crossed the boundaries of time and space in order to save him.

But in that moment, in the depths of the Corpse Emperor’s Abyssal Tower, a pale, delicate hand reached out from the void. The impossibly soft and flawless hand gently pressed against Li Xiaofei's shoulder.