Chapter 970: Bone Dragon (3)

Thunderclouds stretched endlessly into the distance, coupled with lightning writhing like silver serpents. Meteorites rained down from the high heavens, slamming into the earth and upheaving the very crust.

The power of space itself twisted violently, tearing at everything in its path. Chaotic energies clashed and exploded with relentless fury. Even though they were still dozens of kilometers away in what was deemed a 'safe zone,' Li Xiaofei could already feel the suffocating, deathly pressure creeping toward them.

It was like standing before Hell itself. The five young warriors turned pale. They had made it through all the previous danger zones by sheer luck and courage, but now, facing the insanity of the Land of Sacred Fall, their knees were beginning to shake. This wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. Liu Shaji wore a grim expression as well.

A stage nine danger zone truly wasn’t a place ordinary people could survive. Even with his recent surge in strength and having reached the Great Luo True Immortal Realm, Liu Shaji still felt a strong urge to back off. This wasn’t a rescue mission anymore. It was a suicide mission.

“Seriously, what the hell is Old Lin doing in a place this dangerous? He’s just making life hard for the rest of us,” Liu Shaji couldn’t help but start complaining.

Li Xiaofei took a deep breath and said, “You all should go back.”

“Huh?” Liu Shaji froze, then flared up. “What do you mean by that? What do you take me for? Huh? A real brother puts loyalty above everything else. If you’re going in, I’ll follow you, even if it means getting torn to pieces.”

Li Xiaofei glanced at him and said, “I have a way to shield myself from the chaotic and deadly forces inside, but I can only protect myself. If you’re not afraid, you’re welcome to come.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?” Liu Shaji snapped, “Do I look like the kind of guy who’s scared of danger? I’d take a blade to the ribs for a brother. I, Liu Shaji, will never retreat... but, since you’ve got a way in, I won’t hold you back. I’ll cover you from the outside.”

Li Xiaofei was speechless and thought,

You really are all talk and no shame. What an ability to twist anything into a heroic excuse.

“You can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous,” Li Xiaofei said seriously. “Our earlier exploration of the other formations has already drawn the attention of the Reaper Ancestor Court. Now that all ten Heavenly Eye Guards are dead, they’ll take things even more seriously and send stronger Reapers after us. If you stay here, you’ll be trapped like fish in a barrel.”

Liu Shaji bristled, “You’re the fish in a barrel.”

But even as he said it, he had to admit that Li Xiaofei made sense. Though his strength had surged and his cultivation partially recovered through battle, that didn’t mean he should charge into a hopeless fight unprepared.

“Senior, then what do you mean to do?” Zhu Zhixun asked cautiously.

Li Xiaofei answered, “I want you all to return.”

“Go back? Go back where?” Xiong Gang asked blankly.

Sometimes, Li Xiaofei really had to wonder how a blunt, steel-headed blockhead like Xiong Gang managed to successfully act as an undercover agent among high-ranking Reapers? Shouldn’t he have been exposed within three to five days, tops?

“Return to the Ancestor Court star system and reorganize the resistance.” Li Xiaofei said, “A single spark can ignite a prairie fire. All of you have gained tremendous opportunities in the Holy Ruins and grown much stronger. You can go back and take charge of the resistance once more. Support the Star Battlefield from the shadows, and establish a base behind enemy lines. With that, the human race will have a much greater chance of winning on the main front.”

Zhu Zhixun and the others kept nodding as they listened. It made perfect sense. Now that their strength had increased, what better thing to do than carry on the will of the old commander and the many fallen heroes by reviving the resistance army?

“As for finding Sword Immortal Lin Beichen, leave that to me. I’ll definitely locate him.” Li Xiaofei continued, “We’ll act separately. There will be a day when we reunite.”

As he spoke, he looked at Liu Shaji. “The resistance needs a new commanding general. Someone to hold up the sky. Liu Shaji, this task can only fall to you. After all, you’re known for your courage and wisdom,” Li Xiaofei said earnestly.

Liu Shaji beamed the moment he heard that and replied, “Alright then. Didn’t expect you to be so sharp-eyed. Don’t worry, I’ll take full responsibility for the resistance.”

“Then it’s settled.” Li Xiaofei slapped palms with him.

After that, he took out the various cultivation resources he had on him, including Jade Dao Fruits, the hide of the Mother of All Beasts, and other Void Beast corpses, and handed them over to the five young warriors.

These were all rare treasures. Out in the wider world, they could be exchanged for a vast amount of resources. It was perfect for funding the resistance. Once everything had been discussed and settled, Liu Shaji departed swiftly with the five young warriors. Li Xiaofei, accompanied by the undead ancient dragon, made his way to the edge of the Land of Sacred Fall.

“You up for this?” asked Li Xiaofei, looking at Ao Ying.

The undead bone dragon let out a low growl in response.

Li Xiaofei laughed and said, “In that case... let’s move out.”

He leaped onto the dragon’s skull. With a powerful flap of its wings, the undead bone dragon soared into the air like a streak of lightning, diving straight into the Land of Sacred Fall.

In an instant, blinding lightning and crashing thunder surged toward them. But Ao Ying responded with a deep roar, the sonic wave scattering the chaotic energies. It carved a swift and steady path forward within the twisted space.

Ao Ying’s speed only increased as it adapted to the environment. It dodged the spatial traps and shockwaves with ease, and scattered thunderclouds and rainstorms. None of it managed to slow it down in the slightest.

No wonder Priestess Qin chose this as the gift,

Li Xiaofei thought to himself.

My speed has increased dramatically with this crown prince of the Pure Sea Dragon Clan.

Before long, a wave of spiritual energy flowed from the dragon’s head.

Li Xiaofei sensed it and nodded. “Just take care of yourself. Don’t worry about me.”

The undead bone dragon responded with a low growl. Its speed surged once again. Above them, streaks of lightning rained down from the sky. Each bolt struck the dragon’s body, sending out showers of sparks like a storm of wild rain.

The lightning left scattered ripples of energy across the white dragon bones, resembling the pitter-patter of rain on banana leaves. Each flash of lightning seemed to sear faint marks into the bones, branding them with fleeting traces.

The scene looked exactly like a forge hammer tempering fine steel, as it refined the dragon’s skeletal frame. As for Li Xiaofei, he summoned the Heart of Guardianship, forming it into the shape of an umbrella above his head, allowing lightning to strike its surface without resistance.

Sparks scattered chaotically. The imprints of lightning laws appeared one after another. The undead bone dragon Ao Ying was using the tribulation lightning to temper its body. Meanwhile, Li Xiaofei was refining and forging the Heart of Guardianship, his future emperor-level weapon.

As they advanced further, the lightning grew more intense and the rain began to pour heavily from the skies. But this was no ordinary rain, this was a rain of destruction. Each drop contained terrifying lethal energy. Even a level eight Reaper would likely be reduced to a puddle of sludge if caught unprotected in its downpour.

The undead bone dragon made no attempt to resist, letting the deadly rain hammer its body. Li Xiaofei, too, continued to hold his umbrella aloft. The power of lightning and the force of the murderous rain traveled down the handle and into his body.

He circulated his cultivation technique to withstand and convert the forces. At this point, Li Xiaofei had already surpassed the peak of the Seven Transformation Realm and had reached the threshold of the Half-Step Golden Immortal Realm.

In Reaper terms, that was equivalent to level eight. He had already become a top-tier powerhouse in his own right. Li Xiaofei used the destructive energies of the Land of Sacred Fall to temper his body and refine the Immortal Force that had been fed back into him by the Blood-Drinking Sword.

Man and weapon cultivated as one. This was the fundamental method for forging an Emperor-level artifact. The Heart of Guardianship, currently shaped into an umbrella, resonated with a subtle hum.

Each weapon fragment that made up the umbrella immersed itself in the ceaseless trial, and under the nourishment of Li Xiaofei’s Immortal Force, they quietly underwent assimilation and enhancement.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed. The undead bone dragon Ao Ying began to slow down and its massive body trembled slightly.

Li Xiaofei opened his eyes, golden and silver rays bursting from within his pupils as he looked around. Thunderclouds loomed as rain mist blanketed the air. The world around them was vast and desolate. Killing intent pervaded every inch of space.

Suddenly, deafening thunder exploded from what had seemed like a calm void. A series of chain detonations followed, each one comparable to a half-step level nine Reaper self-destructing, causing the very void to churn like boiling water.

Shattered spatial barriers turned into the deadliest blades, spinning and tearing chaotically in all directions, slicing through everything they touched. At times, a single bolt of golden lightning would crash down with unmatched fury. Man and dragon moved forward, weaving through the realm of death.