Fear stemmed from the unknown, but even more so from witnessing the collapse of the iron laws one had always believed in.
Song Jinglun simply could not comprehend why Li Xiaofei, whom he had spent countless black-armored lives trying to wear down, a man clearly burning his life force to continue fighting, was now radiating with even greater vitality.
And so, an uncontrollable fear began to rise from deep within. But he forcibly suppressed it.
“Kill him,” Song Jinglun commanded with a sharp gesture.
He realized that capturing Li Xiaofei alive was no longer realistic. This dangerous and mysterious opponent had to be eliminated, swiftly and completely. The two Black Hole level experts at his side immediately took action.
At the same time, Song Jinglun invoked his sword art again, summoning his twin swords. Then, a single strand of golden light rose behind him with a shout.
It materialized into a golden, nine-tiered, five-sided tower that spun rapidly as it expanded. In the blink of an eye, it had grown tens of thousands of meters tall, hovering in the sky and unleashing endless golden radiance that enveloped the entire battlefield.
Li Xiaofei felt a strange sense of familiarity. He could feel his strength being suppressed once he was bathed in the golden light. This was unmistakably a power of laws, and similar to that of the Realm of Eternal Samsara. He hadn’t expected that he would experience it from the other side one day.
What is this? Is this the so-called karmic cycle of the heavens?
Li Xiaofei forced his blood and energy to surge, sealed all the pores across his body, and unleashed his raw physical power. He endured the suppression of the golden tower head-on as he engaged in a brutal battle against Song Jinglun and his two companions.
The clash tore the void asunder, shattering entire planets. Song Jinglun was not adept at close combat, but with the support of the two Black Hole level black-armored warriors, he continuously unleashed one magical treasure after another. He refined the nearby planetoids into weapons, bombarding Li Xiaofei relentlessly.
The trio fought with impeccable coordination. Yet Li Xiaofei erupted with a combat strength that far exceeded Song Jinglun’s expectations. As the battle dragged on, Li Xiaofei grew fiercer with each exchange.
The might of his Dual Sacred Body of Blade and Sword intensified as the fight progressed. After paying a certain price, his saber cleaved and his sword pierced, ultimately slaying the two Black Hole level black-armored warriors.
The Nine-Five Golden Tower came crashing down. Song Jinglun seized the moment and finally managed to suppress Li Xiaofei beneath the tower.
Delighted, he activated his spiritual imprint and urged the golden tower to rapidly shrink. He intended to trap Li Xiaofei within the miniature dimension inside the tower.
If he could trap Li Xiaofei inside, he would become little more than a puppet after the laws of the tower were fully etched into Li Xiaofei’s body. He would become something Song Jinglun could manipulate at will. Soon, the Nine-Five Golden Tower had shrunk and landed in Song Jinglun’s palm.
“Haha! No matter how heaven-defying you are, in the end, you were still subdued by me.” Holding the miniature golden tower, Song Jinglun laughed heartily. “This tower is a treasure of Heaven. Anyone suppressed within it can forget about ever—”
The tip of a sword pierced his heart, emerging clean through his chest.
“Too bad I never went in,” said Li Xiaofei as his figure materialized behind Song Jinglun amidst shimmering waves of light.
A torrent of sword intent flooded Song Jinglun’s body and tore apart his organs and meridians.
“How... can this be?” Song Jinglun’s eyes widened as blood spilled from his mouth and nose.
The overwhelming sword intent erupting within him left no time for any secret techniques to activate. His Black Hole Core was like sand in the wind; it was on the verge of collapse at any moment.
“You're truly foolish. Did you really think I wouldn’t prepare for the golden tower when you revealed it so early?” Li Xiaofei sneered coldly.
He didn’t waste any time as he blasted Song Jinglun apart. Blood mist billowed and white bones shattered as the mighty Lord of Chongque City met an abrupt and unforeseen end. His life was brought to a sudden, final conclusion.
“Hm?” Li Xiaofei’s eyes lit up.
A surprising amount of equipment had burst forth from the explosion. Aside from the treasured Nine-Five Golden Tower, there was also a purple-gold token, as well as various other weapons such as sabers, spears, swords, halberds, along with suits of armor, jade bottles, and several pale-gold metal plates. Each plate was densely engraved with script; they appeared to be cultivation manuals or secret techniques.
Song Jinglun had followed an ancient cultivation path. He practiced a traditional cultivation style, dressed in long robes and favoring cold weaponry. All of these items had been stored within his inner world, and upon his destruction, they had been expelled along with the remains of his body.
Li Xiaofei carefully inspected everything, confirming that there were no traps or hidden mechanisms before collecting them all. The Nine-Five Golden Tower was particularly appealing to him.
“It looks like the legendary Exquisite Treasure Pagoda, though this one likely isn’t the original version owned by Li Heavenly King. At most, it’s a replica.”
He examined it closely, reluctant to put it away. After all, who wouldn’t want a freestanding treasure tower of their own?
Among the metal plates retrieved from Song Jinglun’s remains, one in particular contained the method for controlling the Nine-Five Golden Tower. Li Xiaofei’s extraordinary comprehension allowed him to grasp it instantly. After a brief attempt, he was already able to command the tower with ease.
He then looked around. The central region of the planetary sea had been utterly ravaged, and the area had been transformed into a vacuum zone. Countless meteorites had been reduced to dust. All nearby planets, large and small, had vanished without a trace.
Li Xiaofei did not rush to leave. He sat cross-legged in the black vacuum and began inspecting his condition. He also started to heal his wounds.
In the early stages of the battle against the ordinary black-armored warriors, Li Xiaofei had relied on the Immortal Seal Technique with ease. He had acted out the occasional injuries and bleeding. But later, when facing the combined might of Song Jinglun and the two other Black Hole level powerhouses, he had truly felt the pressure and had sustained no small amount of damage.
Fortunately, Li Xiaofei had plenty of combat experience. In the end, he had held back one final trump card. He used a phantom projection of the Immortal Seal Technique to take the blow from the Nine-Five Golden Tower, while his real body launched the killing counterattack.
Poor Song Jinglun, with such mastery of his eye technique, capable of perceiving all things, had been ultimately killed by such a simple reversal. It had to be said perhaps retribution truly did exist in this vast universe.
Li Xiaofei circulated his cultivation technique, gradually healing the wounds of his physical body while also calming the turbulent energies raging within him.
His Black Hole energy slowly began to stabilize within his body. Only when his condition had fully recovered did Li Xiaofei slowly open his eyes. There was a trace of surprise on his face.
“You arrived early. Why didn’t you intervene?” He looked into the distance, toward the shattered remains of the planetary sea.
A tall woman clad in crimson armor emerged from the void. She crossed hundreds of kilometers with just a few steps and appeared before him.
Her features were striking and noble, radiating a heroic spirit. Her ponytail swayed gently, and the red armor clung perfectly to her form, highlighting elegant curves. An aura of strength and unshakable confidence emanated from her entire being. She was clearly a Black Hole level cosmic lifeform.
The look she gave Li Xiaofei was a strange one. There was no hostility in her eyes but they were filled with fighting intent.
“I didn’t expect it,” she said, her tone tinged with the melancholy of fate’s cruelty. “Song Jinglun had reigned over Chongque City for five centuries without faltering once. In the end, he died at your hands over a single moment of carelessness.”
“You’re the first person in five hundred years,” she continued, “to dare kill the Lord of Chongque City.”
Li Xiaofei asked, “And who might you be, miss?”
“Me? Just an orphan who’s been away from home too long. I’m trying to return, but I have not been able to find the way back.” The woman spoke calmly.
“Oh? So you’re not from Chongque City?” asked Li Xiaofei, raising a brow.
“I’ve lived in this city for hundreds of years,” she replied, “but every moment, I’ve longed to leave, to set foot on the road back home.”
“Then your homeland must be very far away.”
“As distant as a dream. Perhaps I’ll never return in this lifetime... but your appearance has given me hope.”
“Yes. You are the map and the key. Within you lies the answer.”
“Oh... I see. You’re after the Primordial God’s divinity, too.”
“I just want to find the truth.”
“What’s your name, miss?”
“Good name. So... are you here to capture me, or kill me?”
“I’m here to invite you. I want you to come with me to meet someone and answer a single question.”
“Who?” Li Xiaofei asked curiously.
It seemed that all the monsters and devils of Chongque City were suddenly crawling out of the shadows.