Starforce Warriors
Chapter 650: This Is Falling Into A Pit, Right?

Chapter 650: This Is Falling Into A Pit, Right?

“So, you’re saying that I’m despised by both humans and dogs?” asked Li Xiaofei. His forehead was lined with frustration.

“Not entirely correct.” Old Chen corrected him with a serious expression, “The part about the dogs is true, they do despise you. But humans don’t just dislike you. Some people don’t merely find you annoying; they genuinely want you dead.”

“Damn, did I steal their rice or something?” Li Xiaofei said indignantly.

“You harassed, seduced, and tempted their wives, fiancées, and daughters,” Old Chen stated firmly. “According to incomplete statistics, you didn’t just harass Si Kongxue. You also flirted with Song Yichen, the daughter of the president of Lingluo Merchant Guild, which is one of the four major merchant guilds. You got involved with Zhou Yuyu, the fiancée of the young master of Yuelai Merchant Guild. You even stalked Luo Yongna, the daughter of Speaker Luo Yi. And if that wasn’t enough, you openly expressed your admiration for Qian Duoduo, the only daughter of High Chancellor Qian Kun, multiple times online. As for the daughters of other councilors, wealthy tycoons, and even popular courtesans, female warriors, and goddesses—your list of targets was practically endless.”

Li Xiaofei was utterly dumbfounded.

Damn! This character setting is downright twisted. It isn’t just sleazy. It is outright suicidal.

Old Chen, clearly enjoying the moment, gloated, “The families, friends, supporters, and fans of these women have already made multiple declarations to eliminate you and rid Chongque City of this scourge.”

Li Xiaofei thought for a moment before asking, “Then why am I still alive?”

Old Chen patted his chest confidently and said, “Because you have me, your dear cousin. As the Hall Master of the Red Shield Hall under the Exploding Star Gang, one of Chongque City’s five major factions, I still carry some weight. I’ve covered for you more times than I can count.”

“Wait a minute.” Li Xiaofei was puzzled as he asked, “Aren’t you working as the head manager at the Shenyin Pavilion? How did you suddenly become a Hall Master of the Exploding Star Gang?”

“You just don’t get it.” Old Chen chuckled as he explained, “The Shenyin Pavilion is one of the city’s top three pleasure houses, with countless stunning beauties. Naturally, they need protection. This industry has become fiercely competitive, and if the Pavilion wants to run its business smoothly, it has to hire top-tier bodyguards. However, keeping in-house experts is too expensive, so they opted for external security services. Our Exploding Star Gang fought hard and won the contract. The gang leader assigned me to oversee security at the Pavilion. Isn’t that perfectly logical?”

It was logical and well-reasoned; there was no way to argue against it. Li Xiaofei was feeling immense pressure. This didn’t feel like ascending; it felt like falling into a pit. Regardless, he had to seize the time and strengthen himself. He could only protect himself with strength.

"Old Chen, tell me about cultivation. I haven’t reached the Dao Union Realm yet. Do you have any techniques that can help me advance quickly?" Li Xiaofei asked.

Old Chen nodded and tossed him a book. "I prepared this for you. Train diligently. It’s the most stable method to reach Dao Union."

Li Xiaofei caught the book and took a closer look.

"Sky People Unifying Meditation?"

The Dao Union Realm was focused on merging oneself with the Dao. It was the method by which one could begin to comprehend the power of Dao principles, and eventually, borrow the power of those principles.

This meditation technique was named Sky People Unifying Meditation, which aligned well with the concept of Dao Union.

What was the Dao? It was the heavens. As the saying went, humans followed the earth, the earth followed the heavens, the heavens followed nature. And nature was the Dao.

Li Xiaofei carefully flipped through the book and found that the technique was not particularly difficult. Its core philosophy centered around aligning the human body with the natural world, emphasizing that the human body was a microcosm of the universe. By achieving harmony between human existence and natural existence, one could reach unity with the Dao.

The process revolved around meditation. It was through meditation that one could comprehend the principles of the Dao.

"The cultivation of the Outer World not only relies on naturally absorbing Xuanzhen energy from the universe but also on utilizing the energy stored within celestial jade. If one supplements this with various spiritual herbs, elixirs, and potions, one can rapidly enhance their cultivation level.

"What you need to do now is to transform all of the starforce qi in your body into Xuanzhen energy. That is the first step. Then, using Xuanzhen energy, you must nourish yourself from within and employ the Sky People Unifying Meditation technique to achieve Dao Union.

"Dao Union means choosing one path among the countless Great Daos and merging with it. As long as you can accomplish this, you will have succeeded. Once the Dao is formed, you will ascend to the level of a cosmic lifeform."

Old Chen offered some advice from his own cultivation experience.

Li Xiaofei asked, "Huh? Isn’t there still the Divine Realm and the Transcendent Realm after the Dao Union Realm?"

Old Chen replied, "That’s the advantage of cultivating in the Outer World. As long as you reach the Dao Union Realm, you can ascend to become a cosmic lifeform."

"I see now," replied Li Xiaofei.

"Now, let’s talk about something serious." Old Chen continued, "Eden’s infiltration of Chongque City is extremely severe. They lurk in the shadows as they prey on the hundred thousand minor worlds, sabotage the Star Council's activities, and disrupt Heaven’s plans. Their alliance with the Reapers makes them the ultimate traitors to humanity.

"These people operate in the dark, like shadow demons. But one thing is certain, there are members of Eden hidden within the Four Divisions, the Sixteen Bureaus, the Council, and even the upper ranks of major factions. That so-called God General, Angrus, is likely among them. The major powers you’ve offended while flirting with women are all worthy of suspicion. On the surface, you were just recklessly chasing after women, but in reality, you were looking for clues about Eden. They will definitely take action soon, so how you investigate them is up to you."

Li Xiaofei nodded. "I figured that out long ago. Don’t worry, I understand."

"Then focus on your cultivation." Old Chen said, "I can hold out for a while longer. Once you grow strong enough, I’ll publicly announce that you’ve disappointed me and are no longer under my protection. At that point, you’ll have to weather the storm on your own."

With that, Old Chen turned and left the apartment. The apartment was a rental owned by Li Qingchen. As the headquarters of the Star Council, Chongque City had well-planned infrastructure. In addition to privately owned properties, it also provided public housing for its staff, merchants, and martial artists.

The monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment like this was 2.5 kg of celestial jade. Due to its immense value in cultivation, artifact forging, formation setting, and other irreplaceable applications, as well as its rarity, celestial jade served as the currency of the Outer World. It was measured by weight.

Li Xiaofei activated the formation within the apartment and began examining his physical condition. Despite his obesity, his physical strength had not declined. His layers of fat were merely camouflage, while his blood, bones, and skin remained just as resilient as they had been on Earth.

However, due to the change in the environment’s laws, his inner qi had been forced into dormancy, and had only one-fifth of the vitality it possessed on Earth. This was why Old Chen had advised him to convert his starforce qi into Xuanzhen energy as soon as possible. Xuanzhen energy was the dominant form of energy in the Outer World and the key to unleashing true combat strength.

This task was not difficult for Li Xiaofei. Back on Earth, the ancestors of the cemetery, including Li Lan, had already assisted Li Junjie and others in converting their energy into Xuanzhen energy. Li Xiaofei understood the key principles behind this transformation.

If the conversion had been possible on Earth, then performing it in the true Outer World would be effortless. Li Xiaofei immediately sat cross-legged and began channeling his energy.

In the blink of an eye, an entire day and night passed as he converted all the starforce qi within his body into Xuanzhen energy. The conversion from a lower-tier power to a higher-tier power had indeed come at the cost of quantity.

At this moment, his Xuanzhen energy had condensed into two thread-thin strands, as fine as a single hair—one silver, one gold. The two strands intertwined, weaving through every qi meridian in his body.

No. To be precise, they should now be called true qi channels. The two strands of gold and silver true qi, as fine as a single hair, were the embodiment of the Dual Sacred Body of Blade and Sword, one representing the power of ice, the other the power of flame.

Li Xiaofei’s vast reserves of starforce qi had ultimately condensed into these two delicate strands of Xuanzhen energy. But he was satisfied. It was like he had exchanged a cartload of dirt for a piece of gold. What mattered was quality, not quantity. He could clearly sense that these two strands of Xuanzhen true qi possessed far greater destructive power and lethality.

Li Xiaofei then used these energies to nourish and strengthen every muscle in his body. This process lasted for an entire day. Once the refinement was complete, he felt as if his very existence had been elevated, as though he had been reborn. The vague discomfort he had felt upon first arriving in the Outer World had vanished, leaving him with an unprecedented sense of clarity and refreshment. He was now a pseudo-cosmic lifeform!

With everything settled, Li Xiaofei took a brief rest before testing out the various functions of the Moonlight Treasure Box.

Secret Time Pavilion? He could enter without any issues. Spatial Point Theft? It worked just as smoothly. Time Reversal? It seemed to be unaffected as well. He let out a long sigh of relief.

The cheat was still intact and there were no renewal or upgrades required. That was the best news. Li Xiaofei immediately entered the Secret Time Pavilion and began cultivating the Sky People Unifying Meditation Technique. He wanted to quickly grasp the sensation of the Dao and merge with one of the countless Great Daos. He had to reach the cosmic life stage as soon as possible.

Time passed. In the blink of an eye, a full month had gone by. During this period, Old Chen visited several times, bringing five kilograms of celestial jade, a bottle of Dao Asking Pills, ten packs of Marrow Elevation Powder wrapped like traditional herbal medicine, as well as some clothing, food, and other daily necessities.

Li Xiaofei remained indoors, completely immersed in cultivation. His thoughts were now crystal clear. Rejuvenating the Li family, investigating Eden's members, none of that was urgent right now.

Strength was the priority. Otherwise, he might die before uncovering anything useful. And sure enough, trouble came knocking while he was in seclusion. Someone had dumped medicinal residue and paint at his doorstep, thrown beast dung, and even spray-painted threats, warning him to watch out or he’d trip and die.

Damn it. People in the Outer World really lacked manners. Black fame was still fame. Li Qingchen, for better or worse, was a known figure in Chongque City. News of the incident quickly spread across the light-network.

That lecherous dog is finally scared.

Hiding at home, too afraid to come out.

Now you know fear? Too late.

We won’t stop until he’s dead.

Fans and supporters of the noblewomen, socialites, and beauties he had provoked were raging across the light-network.

And so, a month later, Li Xiaofei was finally forced out of seclusion. He had yet to reach Dao Union. But he had received an unbelievable piece of news—one that had forced him out.