Starforce Warriors

"I remember this was supposed to be a one-on-one meeting." Li Xiaofei said calmly, "You've broken your word."

Song Jinglun smiled faintly and said, "There's no need to keep promises to a vicious criminal like you."

But Li Xiaofei's expression did not show the panic Song Jinglun had expected. He merely shook his head lightly and said, "What a terrible and cliché villain line."

Having revealed all his preparations, Song Jinglun no longer wished to waste time. He pressed coldly, "Give me the method to break the concealment formations on Earth No. 1818 and Earth No. 89876. Then tell me where Chang'e is. I'll make your death quick."

Earth No. 89876 was the Earth where Li Xiaofei had originally come from. A spark ignited in Li Xiaofei's mind. He had long suspected that City Lord Song Jinglun had an intimate relationship with Lin Yi, the wife of the Commerce Division's Head and an Eden spy.

As for the matter regarding Chang'e... only Lin Yi had known about it. Which meant... Li Xiaofei's heart sank.

Lin Yi is still alive. Damn it. Are all these Eden leaders used to being hunted like rats? Are they so adept at hiding that they'd long mastered the art of deception. They're always layered in disguises; are they truly impossible to kill?

"You want to become a god too?" Li Xiaofei asked, "And you're willing to destroy an entire base planet for that? Kill all the humans living on it?"

Now that victory seemed certain, Song Jinglun no longer bothered to hide. He said indifferently, "Of course. It's all worth it. Anyone who can serve as a stepping stone or a sacrifice for me to become a god should feel honored."

Li Xiaofei's fury ignited at those words. Such shameless righteousness.

"No wonder Chongque City is so rotten. It turns out the filth starts with you." Li Xiaofei shouted angrily, "You do all this, and you're not afraid of Heaven coming after you for judgment?"

"Hahaha!" Song Jinglun burst into mocking laughter.

He looked at Li Xiaofei and sneered, "Heaven? I have held the position of Chongque City Lord for hundreds of years because I've been acting according to Heaven's will. What do you think I've been doing all this time?"

Li Xiaofei's heart stirred.

According to Heaven's will? Impossible.

He remembered what his aunt had told him about Heaven. Ye Qingyu, Lin Beichen, and the others had rebuilt Heaven to protect humanity on Earth and defend the human race across the starry seas.

When his aunt spoke of it, she had nothing but admiration for those peerless figures and wholeheartedly agreed with their ideals. And based on his understanding of her, she would never support sacrificing an entire base planet just to elevate one person to godhood.

If she wouldn't, then those who led her, the ones who bore the torch of noble ideals, certainly wouldn't either. Which meant Li Xiaofei couldn't believe that Heaven would ever condone someone like Song Jinglun.

"Then I'll kill you first," said Li Xiaofei as he lunged toward Song Jinglun.

The latter laughed wildly and formed a sword seal with his right hand. Two long swords, one green, one red, instantly flew from his back. The green sword bloomed with countless sword shadows before him, spreading in a circular formation like a shield, guarding him completely. The red sword transformed into an endless stream of sword light, striking toward Li Xiaofei like a storm.

One red, one green. One attacking, one defending. A perfect balance of offense and defense. Song Jinglun had unleashed his signature technique, Heartless Yin-Yang Sword Ode, summoning the twin immortal swords that were bound to his very life force.

His goal was clear. He wanted to crush Li Xiaofei in the shortest time possible. Yet what followed shocked him deeply.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A great spear danced in Li Xiaofei's hands, Flying Snow releasing a storm of icy brilliance. Sheer spear force shattered the incoming sword light. Every strike and ray of crimson energy was blocked. At the same time—

Whoosh!

A flash of blade light burst from Li Xiaofei's right hand. It was brilliant, sudden, and fleeting. The spinning green sword disk abruptly halted. Its brilliance dimmed in an instant before a crack split it cleanly from upper right to lower left.

Song Jinglun's figure flickered at the critical moment. He dodged the dazzling strike by a hair's breadth as he teleported.

"Heartbeat Girl." Li Xiaofei shouted, his voice echoing with force.

Without hesitation, he dragged Song Jinglun into the Realm of Eternal Samsara. Li Xiaofei dared not hold back when faced with an overwhelming powerhouse who could evade even his ultimate blade technique, Naihe Bridge.

Song Jinglun appeared visibly surprised when he appeared inside the Realm of Eternal Samsara. He immediately sensed that the energy and laws within his body were being extracted and suppressed. In that moment, he realized just how dire the situation was.

A ball of white light suddenly rose from his body. An instant later, he tore through the spatial barrier and escaped from the Realm of Eternal Samsara, returning effortlessly to the real world.

"What?!" Li Xiaofei was truly stunned.

This was the first time someone had broken free from his ultimate move, the Realm of Eternal Samsara, so quickly.

That ball of white light just now... what was it?

But even in his shock, Li Xiaofei's offensive never wavered. The long blade in his left hand slashed out with Naihe Bridge. Meanwhile, his right hand, which held the great spear, suddenly paused. Then, gripping the spear's end, he thrust it forward. But this strike was not a spear thrust.

It was a sword thrust. A sword move. It was a sword technique of his own creation, an ultimate fusion born of countless styles he had mastered.

Fate Breaker!

The sword intent erupted in an instant. The continuous changes left Song Jinglun completely off guard. And in that moment when his guard wasn't fast enough, a 'sword' pierced straight through his chest.

Pfft.

Song Jinglun spat out a mouthful of blood. His body shot backward like a streak of lightning. At that same moment, the black-armored, ghost-masked powerhouses around him moved in unison.

Countless beams of radiant energy shot out, sealing off any escape and enveloping Li Xiaofei. Yet Li Xiaofei made no attempt to confront them head-on. His figure flickered, and hundreds of illusionary clones scattered in every direction.

Light clashed with shadow. Death loomed thick in the air. The clones were destroyed and cut down by the incoming strikes one by one. But no blood stained the void. Clearly, Li Xiaofei had broken through the encirclement and escaped unscathed.

Song Jinglun, now off to the side, could not accept this outcome.

"Pursue him!" He shouted sharply, "The Spiderweb Formation hasn't been triggered. He hasn't gotten farther than fifty meters!"

No matter what happened today, Li Qingchen must not be allowed to escape. At the same time, he opened his mouth and inhaled deeply. The blood he had spat into the air moments ago reversed course, flowing back into his mouth. As it re-entered his body, his cultivation instantly surged back to its peak state.

Blood-Swallowing Essence-Grinding Technique! It was one of City Lord Song's ultimate life-preserving trump cards.

As long as he had enough time to activate the Blood-Swallowing Essence-Grinding Technique, he could almost achieve true immortality. No matter how severe the injury, he could recover fully.

Around him, the black-armored, ghost-masked warriors immediately formed into tactical units. The three-man squads were optimized for efficiency and stability. They fanned out swiftly in all directions to hunt down the target.

Two of them, emanating the aura of Black Hole level lifeforms, remained perfectly still behind Song Jinglun, standing guard. Their only task was to prevent any possible counterattack against their commander. Their reactions were precise and professional. But in the very next moment—

A scream rang out from the distance. Then a roar. Two voices became one. Then, there was only silence. Song Jinglun's expression darkened at once. He knew that three of his elite Death Warriors, who had been carefully selected and personally trained, had just died instantly.

Thinking back on their brief clash, Song Jinglun found it hard to believe just how terrifying Li Xiaofei's combat strength truly was. His mastery of saber, sword, and spear techniques was nothing short of exceptional, each one devastating in its own right.

This man was no idle talent nor a mere ripple in the pond. No matter the cost, he had to die today. Or the consequences would be catastrophic. At the same time—

Li Xiaofei was clinging to the recessed groove of a pitch-black meteorite like a chameleon. He stared into the void, his heart still stirred from the battle. He had just slain three black-armored ghost-masked elites, but the shock in his chest hadn't subsided.

That exchange with Song Jinglun had lasted no more than a few dozen seconds, yet it had been one of the most harrowing fights of his life. Song Jinglun's strength, reflexes, and number of trump cards had far exceeded his expectations.

It was now clear why the man who had held the seat of Chongque City Lord for centuries was not someone to underestimate. From here on out... Every step must be taken with absolute caution.