Chapter 957: Blade Ruins (1)

“Huh? You’re all awake, and your strength has improved so much?” Li Xiaofei swept his gaze over the five and immediately grasped the situation. “I didn’t expect the Enlightenment Tea to have such astonishing effects on you all. Come, come, have another cup.”

With that, he poured another round of tea. Faced with such a blessing, Zhu Zhixun and the others had no will to resist. After drinking their second cup, the five showed different reactions.

The most notable difference was that none of them became drunk or collapsed afterward. They smacked their lips thoughtfully, trying to savor the experience.

Zhu Zhixun finally said, “It feels like... the effect isn’t as obvious as the first time. Don’t tell me this tea only works once?”

“I feel the same,” Xiong Gang added. “What about you guys?”

The two of them turned in unison to look at Luo Ying, Zhang Chang, and Xiao Xiao. Their reactions were exactly the same.

“Looks like everyone’s fate and opportunities are limited,” Li Xiaofei concluded. “Once all the Dao resonance has been drawn out, a second use won’t be as effective as the first.”

With that, he led the five of them out of the Secret Time Pavilion. Moments later, they arrived just outside the Endless Flame domain. A terrifying wave of heat surged toward them, but thanks to their recent advances in cultivation, it no longer felt as unbearable as before.

Each of them held a mouthful of aged Enlightenment Tea water, which helped counter the effects of the scorching flames. It was better than any magical item or piece of equipment.

“Where’s Liu Shaji?” Zhu Zhixun asked curiously.

“He obtained a supreme treasure and his strength soared,” Li Xiaofei replied. “He’s out hunting down high-level Reapers. Taking a bit of early interest, so to speak.”

“Liu Shaji is truly a hero of the human race.”

“That’s right. If I had even a third of his courage and strength, I too would roam the Fire Domain, slaying Reapers left and right.”

“From today on, Liu Shaji is our role model.”

The five little tough guys all sang his praises with admiration.

Just as they were speaking, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared in the sky ahead. A silver-white streak of light shot toward them like lightning, so fast and fierce it looked as though it was tearing through the very fabric of space. The momentum was terrifying. It was Liu Shaji.

“What a coincidence,” Li Xiaofei said. “We were just about to go meet him... Wait, something’s not right.”

Liu Shaji was riding the White Lotus Killing Sword, diving rapidly toward them.

“Help me!” he shouted from afar.

He looked absolutely miserable. Over a dozen streaks of light were chasing him at breakneck speed. The auras they gave off were terrifying, every one of them rivaled peak level eight Reapers.

One figure among them radiated an energy far beyond level eight. That one was definitely at level nine. Liu Shaji was being hunted down. The smiles on the five’s faces instantly froze.

Liu Shaji was cursed. They had just been singing his praises moments ago and now, their so-called hero was fleeing in panic, chased by a horde of Reapers and looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

“Let’s go. It’ll be a good chance to test your combat strength,” Li Xiaofei said calmly.

The five had already been itching for action, and immediately summoned their treasures. A black cauldron shot into the sky. A massive iron skewer pierced the air. Lord Jin pulled out his fire-starting stick and blew gently on its crimson tip.

Flames filled the sky in an instant. The already blistering heat of the Fire Domain surged dramatically. A roaring fire dragon swept through the air, charging straight at the pursuing enemies in the distance.

Zhu Zhixun activated his silver broken sword. A barbecue grill was hurled high into the sky. The five little tough guys had finally begun to tap into the true power of their barbecue equipment combo. It was their first real battle.

Li Xiaofei, meanwhile, drew the Darkblade and charged into the swarm of high-stage Reapers. He did not use the Blood-Drinking Sword. He wanted to test his current combat strength.

“Wahahaha! Didn’t expect this, did you, you bastards? This lord has backup!”

Liu Shaji skidded to a halt and suddenly turned to launch a counterattack at the pursuing Reapers. Half an hour later, the group of eighth-stage Reapers had been completely wiped out.

Li Xiaofei looked down at the Darkblade in his hand, a look of excitement on his face. He muttered, “Just as I thought, after reaching the peak of the Seven Transformation Realm, my combat strength is already comparable to a peak level eight Reaper. I can basically walk unhindered in this Fire Domain.”

As for the five little tough guys, though they were panting heavily, covered in injuries, and utterly exhausted, their faces were glowing with joy. They had genuinely used the black cauldron and grill combo to slay two peak level eight Reapers. That was a feat they had never even dared to dream of before.

“We won! Damn, that felt good!”

Battle maniac Liu Shaji was bent over, catching his breath, one hand on his waist. He looked utterly worn out, but his eyes were sharp and full of vitality. The constant brutal battles of the past days had once again raised his strength.

Just now, if it hadn’t been for the level nine Reaper among the pursuers, he could have taken out the entire group on his own.

“I told you not to overdo it,” Li Xiaofei said. “How the hell did you manage to provoke a level nine Reaper?”

“I was being totally low-key,” Liu Shaji said indignantly. “That level nine Reaper was obviously after you!”

“Hm?” Li Xiaofei raised a brow. “Don’t try to pin this on me. I’ve been in seclusion the whole time, cultivating quietly and not stepping foot outside.”

Liu Shaji scoffed, “Do you even know who those Reapers were?”

“Who?”

“They were the Heavenly Eye Guards of the Reaper Ancestor Court.”

“What the hell?! The Yeniao clan must be insane! All I did was kill one of their family’s heirs, and they’ve gone so mad that they actually sent the Heavenly Eye Guards after me?!” exclaimed Li Xiaofei, instantly growing indignant.

He knew what the Heavenly Eye Guards were. They were the enforcers of the Reaper Ancestor Court. They were rumored to act under direct orders from the Court’s temple, and were originally established by the Ancestor of Wisdom himself.

Liu Shaji gave him a scornful look and said, “How did your skin get this thick through cultivation? You killed their son, and you think they’re the ones in the wrong for hunting you down?”

Li Xiaofei shot him a glance but couldn’t be bothered to argue. He thought,

Damn it, whose side are you even on?

“And there’s something else,” Liu Shaji added. “The matter of the Burial Ice Cliff has been exposed.”

Li Xiaofei blinked with confusion.

“The Reapers noticed something unusual at the Burial Ice Cliff?” he asked.

“Exactly,” Liu Shaji replied. “I took out a few Heavenly Eye Guards, and after interrogating and searching them, I found out that the Ancestor Court has already launched an investigation. They may have realized that this whole thing is connected to Lin Beichen. Looks like they’ve begun formal procedures to investigate and track him down.”

Li Xiaofei nodded. That outcome had already been expected. Even covertly probing the five grand formation sites would eventually catch the attention of the Ancestor Court.

Not to mention they had killed a major figure like Yao in the Endless Flame Domain; that alone would be enough to attract the Court’s full attention. From this point forward, every step they took would have to be taken with even greater caution.

“We need to leave this place first,” Li Xiaofei said. “Where’s the third formation site?”

“It’s in the Blade Ruins,” Zhu Zhixun replied. “A stage eight danger zone.”

Blade Ruins?

According to rumors, it was nothing more than a massive junkyard. The Reaper Ancestor Court had designated the area as a dumping ground for the remnants of battles against humanity. There were fragments of human warships, broken weaponry, and all sorts of destructive refuse.

No one remembered what the Blade Ruins had originally looked like. Over the years, the place had grown increasingly treacherous, mutating under the weight of its accumulated waste. Strange phenomena had taken root, and even the Reapers themselves dared not venture too deep inside.

It was the only zone where the Reapers had neither stationed troops nor constructed any fortresses.