Starforce Warriors

Tōan Ritsu's heart tightened. Although he hadn't felt anything unusual, his instincts screamed that something had gone terribly wrong.

Plop.

The two Jiepeng experts who had attacked slowly collapsed to the ground, lifeless. There was no blood spilled. But their breaths had ceased.

Tōan Ritsu immediately went on high alert as he scanned the surroundings. But he saw no one and sensed nothing. There was no high-energy presence and no fluctuations of power.

"Who's there?" He spoke in perfect Great Xia dialect.

Then, there was a sound, like the whisper of wind through a bamboo forest.

Shhh... shhh... shhh...

It was the rustling rhythm of footsteps, light as dancing leaves. And then, a girl emerged from the darkness. She wore a simple and unassuming white sports tracksuit from Hongxing Erke.

Yet, the moment she stepped into the dim light, all eyes fell on her. It wasn't just her presence. It was the fact that, just seconds ago, no one had even sensed she was there.

"Sister Ah Qing!" shouted Li Guorui as his eyes lit up with joy.

Li Guorui knew the girl who was holding a single bamboo twig in her hand standing before him. From the very first time he met Li Xiaofei, this elegant and ethereal young woman had always been by his side.

He still remembered their first encounter. On the bus, he had been utterly stunned when he first laid eyes on Ah Qing. It was as if the creator of the universe had gathered all the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and concentrated it into this one girl.

"Mm." Ah Qing gave Li Guorui a small nod.

Then, her eyes shifted to Tōan Ritsu and the two remaining Jiepeng superhumans. At this moment, even if Tōan Ritsu had been a fool, he would have understood. This mysterious girl had clearly been assigned to secretly protect Li Guorui.

His mind rewound the scene of his two subordinates being instantly killed. He quickly reached a conclusion.

She is not an opponent I can fight.

"Retreat." Tōan Ritsu ordered his two subordinates to fall back with a sharp gesture.

But he himself stayed behind and positioned himself in a defensive stance. Ah Qing did not hesitate. She lifted the bamboo twig in her hand and thrust. It was a simple, textbook-perfect thrust. There were no frills and no unnecessary movements. Yet—

Tōan Ritsu's pupils contracted.

Fast!

His palm flashed, summoning a short sword that he raised to block.

Shhkk!

The bamboo twig pierced effortlessly through Tōan Ritsu's throat.

"Guh... guh..." A strangled, guttural sound, like the dying growl of a wounded beast escaped from his throat.

His mind reeled.

How...?

It was just a simple thrust. A textbook-perfect stab with no variations, no feints and no complexities at all. He should have blocked it one hundred out of one hundred times. So how had it still pierced through?

He couldn't understand. But even as his consciousness dimmed, his instincts took over. Before his vision faded entirely, he spat a mouthful of foul, blackened blood toward Ah Qing, attempting to disrupt her movements.

At the same time, he lunged toward her in a desperate attempt to grab her. Even in death, he was determined to buy time for his subordinates to escape. As a leader, he did not fear death and he was willing to sacrifice himself for his comrades.

But the girl with the bamboo twig was not someone Tōan Ritsu could comprehend. His arms closed around nothing but air. She had vanished.

Behind him, two agonized cries rang out. Then, he heard the dull thuds of two more bodies falling. Despair filled Tōan Ritsu's eyes. His body, like a suffocating, dying fish, slowly toppled over.

Hao Qiao, the senior standing beside Li Guorui, was completely stunned. She clutched his hand tightly, her fingers deathly white from the pressure. She couldn't utter a single word. All she could do was hold on for dear life.

"Don't worry," Li Guorui reassured her softly. Then, stepping forward, he said, "Thank you, Sister Ah Qing."

Ah Qing nodded slightly again and said, "There will be people coming to clean up the scene. You should leave."

Li Guorui hesitated briefly before gently pulling Hao Qiao along. Without another word, they turned and left.

After walking past a few buildings, Hao Qiao finally found her voice. She whispered, "They were killed... Shouldn't we call the police?"

Li Guorui replied calmly, "Those people were Jiepeng spies. Sister Ah Qing is from the National Security Bureau. There's nothing to worry about."

Hao Qiao's beautiful eyes widened with shock and curiosity. She couldn't help but ask, "Then... what about you? You knew that national security officer... Does that mean...?"

Li Guorui paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's right. It's exactly what you're thinking. But... it's a secret. You must never tell anyone. I'm here on an important mission."

Hao Qiao nodded repeatedly, her eyes shining with excitement and intrigue.

***

Meilin Mansion.

A thick gray mist of unknown origin spread in utter silence. It engulfed the entire mansion within moments. A tall, solitary figure moved soundlessly through the dark mist. He was ghostly and imperceptible.

Whether it was the security cameras or the guards at the gates, none of them noticed his presence. Even when he walked right past a patrolling guard, the man remained utterly invisible to them.

A moment later, he arrived at his target's villa and he looked up. A young man stood on the second-floor terrace with one hand resting on the railing, casually eating French fries. He looked completely at ease. The gray mist that had overtaken the area? He acted as though it didn't exist.

"You're here?" The young man glanced down, locking eyes with the tall figure below. He asked, "Eden?"

A flicker of surprise crossed the shadowy figure's face. "You can see me?"

Then, the figure's expression relaxed. "I seem to have underestimated you. Looks like you weren't just an ordinary person even in Chongque City."

Li Xiaofei smiled slightly. "You flatter me... I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Is that so?" asked the figure. He shifted, his form flickering between solid and intangible. "I've been observing you for a long time as well. Chongque City sent you to 1818, so they must have high hopes for you. If you die here, I imagine both the City Lord's Office and the Council will have quite the headache."

Li Xiaofei wiped the ketchup from the corner of his mouth with a napkin. He said, "Well... that depends on whether you actually have the strength to kill me. To be honest, I've been looking forward to this day for a while now. I've wasted too much time in this low-level world. If you had taken any longer to show up, I might not have been able to resist returning to Chongque City myself."

The towering figure let out a deep, amused chuckle. "Then allow me to send you back, right now."

Li Xiaofei casually crumpled the napkin in his hand and flicked it away. It traced a perfect arc through the air and landed neatly inside a distant trash bin.

Then, he smirked. "Before we start, tell me your name. At least let me know the name of the Eden pest I'm about to kill."

The figure stood still for a moment before responding, "Eden's God General, Angrus."

Li Xiaofei's heart skipped a beat.

Angrus! It's him.

This was truly a case of searching the world in vain, only to have what he wanted delivered right to his doorstep. A cold light flickered in Li Xiaofei's eyes. He raised his hand, fingers grasping at empty air. A spear materialized in his palm.

"This world is too fragile," Li Xiaofei said calmly. "If we fight here, we'll cause too much destruction. It'd be... a little inconvenient. How about we change locations?"

Angrus chuckled. A tendril separated from the dense gray mist and solidified into an oversized greatsword that was two meters long and half a meter wide. The blade was pointed directly at Li Xiaofei.

"In this Boundless Netherworld." Angrus said, his voice cold, "Nothing will interfere with our fight. No one will see or hear what happens here. Now, will you submit or will you die?"

Li Xiaofei's answer was simple. He executed the first move of the Three Spears of Storm and Cloud. His spear flashed like a rainbow and his body soared like a dragon.

Before Angrus could react, the tip of the spear was already at his throat. But Angrus wasn't slow himself. He twisted his body and his waist pivoted like an axle. His hands spun the greatsword and his entire form moved like a spinning top. He accelerated and closed in. Then, a sudden diagonal slash was aimed at Li Xiaofei's right flank. Man and sword became one with that strike. The force was overwhelming.

Li Xiaofei's eyes gleamed. He wanted to test this man's strength. So, rather than dodging, he angled his spear sideways and chose to take the blow head-on.

Boom!

A thunderous impact erupted as their weapons clashed. The sheer force of the collision sent visible shockwaves rippling outward. The gray mist churned violently, surging like a tempest in all directions, radiating toward the surrounding buildings and trees.

Yet, despite the sheer destructive power of the shockwave, it did not harm the buildings, the trees or the ground. It simply passed through them and left no trace behind.

This... is the Boundless Netherworld? A domain? Or a barrier?

A flicker of curiosity crossed Li Xiaofei's mind. But more importantly, Angrus' strength had made him cautious. This was a cosmic lifeform at the Neutron Star level.

Angrus is not weak at all. As expected of Eden's God General.

Li Xiaofei's eyes sharpened. He steadied his grip on the spear and adjusted his stance. This battle was going to be brutal.