Chapter 652: Dead Again

Huang Dinggou became a little anxious as soon as he heard Li Xiaofei’s intentions.

“Brother Chen, you mustn’t act recklessly. That Demon-Breaking Hand, Han Zhen, is at the Planet level. Right now... you... Don’t worry. I have a way to avenge Brother Li and Brother Ou.” His tone was firm and resolute.

Li Xiaofei looked at him, puzzled. Huang Dinggou smiled smugly.

He had an expression of wisdom on his face as he leaned in and whispered, “During this time, I pooled together fifty kilograms of celestial jade with the brothers in the gang. We are planning to ask Hall Master Gou of Wind and Thunder Hall to take action and avenge Brother Li and the others.”

Li Xiaofei was taken aback.

Oh?

That was indeed a good idea.

“What is Hall Master Gou’s cultivation level?” Li Xiaofei asked.

Huang Dinggou grinned and said, “Hall Master Gou reached the Planet Tier sixty years ago and mastered both the laws of thunder and electricity. He is one of the top experts in our Exploding Star Gang, second only to the Gang Leader, the Left and Right Guardians, and the two Grand Elders. He is far stronger than Han Zhen.”

Li Xiaofei asked, “Would an expert like him be willing to act for just 50 kgs of celestial jade?”

Huang Dinggou replied, “If it were someone from outside, fifty kilograms of celestial jade naturally wouldn’t be enough. But Hall Master Gou is one of our own in the Exploding Star Gang. Avenging our brothers is only right and proper. Killing Han Zhen would not only accumulate merit within the gang but also earn some money. Why wouldn’t he be willing?”

That made sense!

Li Xiaofei nodded. He had begun to understand a little about how things worked in the Outer World.

"You just wait and see," said Huang Dinggou as he left confidently.

Li Xiaofei thought for a moment, then took his identity token and headed to the Exploding Star Gang's arsenal. He intended to select a few Outer World cultivation techniques to practice.

Disciples from the Transmission Hall were stationed outside the arsenal as guards.

After verifying Li Xiaofei’s identity token, a young disciple standing guard spoke politely, “Brother, you’ve just joined the gang and haven’t accumulated any contribution points yet. So, you can only select from the public arsenal on the first and second floors. You can’t go up to the third floor. Also, you can only borrow two books at a time. Don’t take more than you need.”

“Thank you, I understand,” Li Xiaofei said.

That was quite reasonable. The gang’s arsenal was essentially a library. The first floor mostly contained physical books.

They included paper books, wooden books, metal books, and others made of various materials. These were relatively common and ancient martial techniques, with a focus on combat manuals. It looked somewhat like a black-market thrift store.

The second floor, on the other hand, was entirely filled with e-books. These contained mainstream combat techniques from the past sixty years, with clearly marked levels, suitable for warriors ranging from the Meteor level to the Asteroid level.

Li Xiaofei went up to the second floor, scanned the directory using a light core, and selected all the spear techniques. Then, he put on a light core virtual helmet and entered a virtual training room.

The light core technology in the Outer World was far more advanced than anything on Earth. There was no more need for large mainframe cabins. A single helmet was enough to enter a virtual world with an even higher degree of realism.

After downloading all the spear techniques he had chosen, an AI assistant demonstrated and explained each one. The level of detail and patience it had far surpassed that of any human mentor.

“Blazing Fire Spear Technique, suitable for warriors who have mastered the Dao of Fire for cultivation. Wind and Thunder Spear Technique, suitable for warriors who have mastered the Dao of Wind and Thunder for cultivation. Star-Piercing Wind Spear Technique, suitable for warriors who have mastered the Dao of Wind and Metal for cultivation. Star-Shattering Spear Technique, suitable for warriors who have comprehended the Dao of Force for cultivation.”

As Li Xiaofei examined these spear techniques and their requirements, a sense of clarity gradually formed in his heart.

So, this was what they meant by Three Thousand Great Daos. The division of the Three Thousand Daos came from this system. Wind, thunder, electricity, metal, wood, water, fire, earth, force, speed—every form of universal energy can be called a law.

In that case, haven’t I already touched the edge of the laws?

Li Xiaofei thought to himself. The twin powers of ice and fire he wielded with his mastery over both sword and saber were quite similar to the laws of water and fire. Additionally, his immense physical strength closely aligned with the law of force.

Suddenly, his thoughts became crystal clear. After obtaining a preliminary understanding of roughly forty-one Outer World spear techniques, Li Xiaofei exited the light core virtual world.

Half a day had passed. He returned to the first floor. At first, he didn’t find anything particularly special in the pile of those ancient manuals. However, a damaged metal plate, titled Zhao Clan Spear Technique, caught his attention.

The engravings on the metal panel depicted a golden-armored warrior wielding a long spear, performing a spear technique. There were only two moves recorded, Triple Overlapping Strike and Windflash Lightning Thrust.

Li Xiaofei had mastered various spear techniques from martial arts worlds, so he was considered a spear expert himself. A brief glance told him that the spear technique recorded on the metal panel seemed far sharper than all the techniques he had seen on the second floor.

His heart stirred. He picked up the incomplete Zhao Clan Spear Technique, intending to borrow it for further study.

“Hm? You’re only borrowing this one?” The Transmission Hall disciple named Sun Chengfei noticed Li Xiaofei emerging with that manual and said, “I know that Zhao Clan Spear Technique. It’s considered quite decent among the manuals on the first floor. Unfortunately, it’s incomplete, and few have successfully cultivated it. It lacks strength in the later stages. Brother, why don’t you think it over again?”

“Thank you for your kindness. I’ll take this one.” Li Xiaofei responded with a smile when he saw the other party’s goodwill.

Li Xiaofei was just about to return to his dormitory to begin cultivation when he suddenly saw Huang Dinggou running back in a panic, looking as if he had lost his parents.

“What happened?” asked Li Xiaofei, grabbing him.

Huang Dinggou’s face was grim, as if he had swallowed a dead rat. He said, “Hall Master Gou is dead.”

“Huh?” exclaimed Li Xiaofei.

“Hall Master Gou took the fifty kilograms of celestial jade and went to avenge Brother Li and Hall Master Ou. But he ended up being killed by Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen at Jiuyang Tower.”

“Damn.”

Li Xiaofei was rendered speechless.

Another one dead. The Hall Masters of the Exploding Star Gang sure don’t seem very reliable. Han Zhen has not killed three in a row.

“Brother Chen, don’t worry.” Huang Dinggou gritted his teeth. “This matter can’t be left as it is anymore. I’ve already made up my mind. I’ll take out all my savings, find a way to borrow some high-interest loans, and gather a hundred kilograms of celestial jade. I’ll hire Elder Huang to take action. We’ll definitely kill that Demon-Breaking Hand.”

“Uh...” Li Xiaofei didn’t know what to say.

Although Huang Dinggou’s persistent fighting spirit was admirable, he couldn’t help but wonder if this Elder Huang was reliable. What if he ended up being killed as well?

“Don’t rush.” Li Xiaofei quickly stopped him and said, “Give me all the information you have on Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen. I want to study it too.”

Huang Dinggou handed him a light core storage disk without hesitation and said, “This has all his fight records and an analysis of Han Zhen’s strength. Brother Chen, just take a look. But you’re no match for that bastard right now, so don’t act rashly. Once I gather enough money and invite Divine Fist Golden Whip Elder Huang, we will definitely kill him...”

The man with the slicked-back hair had a look of unwavering determination, as if he would not rest until vengeance was achieved. He then went to borrow money from his trusted brothers in the gang.

Li Xiaofei took the light core storage card and returned to his dormitory. He had to admit, the Exploding Star Gang was indeed worthy of being one of the top five factions in Chongque City. The employee dormitories were well-furnished and comfortable.

Each member had a private room, which came with a bathroom and shower. They also had their own training room. Additionally, the rooms were reinforced with guarding and aura-concealing formations set up by Meteor level formation masters.

After settling into his room, Li Xiaofei adjusted to the environment. He activated the formations and, combining the insights he had gained from observing the spear techniques in the arsenal earlier, began his breakthrough to the Dao Union Realm.

This time, the breakthrough process was exceptionally smooth. In less than a day, three star-like light dots appeared within his dantian, flickering and drifting like embers.

Ice. Fire. Force. These were the three Great Daos he was most familiar with. The Ice Sword. The Flame Saber. The Spear of Force.

“Comprehending the laws was far easier than I imagined. Could it be because I’m a one-in-a-million genius?” muttered an overjoyed Li Xiaofei.

Dao Union referred to the unity between man and the natural world. One would meditate to fuse their most powerful strengths with the corresponding natural law of heaven and earth. Thus, when they executed their techniques, they could draw upon the energy of the universe.

At this moment, Li Xiaofei could clearly feel that any one of the law sparks within his dantian could spread throughout his body, merging with the heavens and earth with just a thought. Every strike and movement would see its power skyrocket. This was the Dao Union Realm!

According to Old Chen, I’ve finally become a Meteor level cosmic lifeform. Back when I was in the Golden Body Realm, I was already capable of easily defeating Great Saints. I was practically skipping four whole realms.

Now that I’ve reached the Meteor level, could I possibly leap across the Asteroid level and Planet level to fight against a Star level warrior?

Li Xiaofei carefully pondered. He then put on the light core virtual helmet once again and entered the virtual training space. He opened the light core file that Huang Dinggou had given him. Several selectable video playbacks immediately popped up. All of them featured Han Zhen. They were recordings of his battles against Ou Youge and Gou Chengwen.

He clicked play. After spending more than ten minutes watching the videos, Li Xiaofei gained a clear understanding of Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen’s strength. All of this man’s lethality lay in hands.

He had comprehended the Dao of Metal, allowing his entire body to metalize, making his defense nearly invincible. In addition, he had cultivated the Quasi-Star level martial art Demon-Breaking Hand. His strikes were swift and sharp, boasting the power to shatter meteors. His style was overwhelmingly fierce.

Both Gou Chengwen and Ou Youge had been killed in the ring at Jiuyang Tower. Han Zhen had broken their defenses with his Demon-Breaking Hand technique, splitting them open at the chest and beating them to death on the spot.

Han Zhen, male, 245 years old. Hall Master of Twin Shadow Tower’s Feiliu Hall. Planet level—Great Perfection (latest update). Master of the Dao of Metal, suspected mastery of the Dao of Force, and the Dao of Wind...

Weapons: Bare hands, Cloud-Forged Armor, Star Silkworm Gloves.

Techniques: Demon-Breaking Hand, Star-Stepping Steps.

All the detailed information about Han Zhen was laid bare.

Planet level—Great Perfection!

Li Xiaofei wondered to himself.

Can I kill this man right now?

He thought for a moment, and took out the Zhao Clan Spear Technique. He began his cultivation as he examined the illustrations on the metal panel depicting the two spear moves.

The next day.

“Bad news! Elder Huang is dead!”

A piece of shocking news spread within the Exploding Star Gang.

Elder Huang had been killed at Jiuyang Tower. Han Zhen had crushed his head and heart on the spot with a single blow, leaving him completely lifeless.