Starforce Warriors-Chapter 653: His Life Is Mine

“Damn it.”

Li Xiaofei felt like he was about to break down.

What the hell is this? Brother Dinggou, are you the god of death? Everyone you’ve mentioned by name has ended up dead.

“What now?” Huang Dinggou wore a grief-stricken expression as he said, “I sold my house and even took out a high-interest loan of two hundred and fifty kilograms of celestial jade just to hire Elder Huang...”

Li Xiaofei patted him on the shoulder, unsure of what to say.

Although his loyalty was admirable... But damn, those celestial jades really seemed cursed. Anyone who took it ended up dead.

“Didn’t you say Elder Huang was very strong?” He couldn’t help but ask.

Huang Dinggou gritted his teeth in anger. “That old bastard actually suffered a hidden injury three years ago while hunting in the Dark Abyss. He had been concealing it all this time. He took my money this time with the intention to just put on a show and swindle me. Who knew that Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen would be so ruthless and kill him on the spot.”

Li Xiaofei didn’t know what to say.

“How did you find out?” He pressed further.

Huang Dinggou said, “The old bastard cried and begged for his life while getting beaten half to death in the ring. He confessed everything then.”

Li Xiaofei was speechless.

"After killing so many experts in a row, what about our gang leader and the elders? Aren't they going to step in and do something?" Li Xiaofei asked.

Huang Dinggou replied, "The gang leader and the two grand elders are attending the Chongque City Representative Assembly. The meeting is being held behind closed doors, so no news can get in."

"Then who’s in charge of the gang right now?" Li Xiaofei asked again.

Huang Dinggou said, "Left Guardian Lord Ma Tuo and Right Guardian Lord Liu Junqing are jointly managing the situation."

Li Xiaofei remembered Ma Tuo. The current Hall Master of Red Shield Hall, Nie Yuntao, was Ma Tuo’s disciple.

"Forget it, let’s not bother with that." Li Xiaofei said, "Huang Dinggou, you should focus on figuring out how to pay back that high-interest loan. Leave the rest alone."

Huang Dinggou gritted his teeth and said, "No way. I’ve invested too much into this. If I don’t kill Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen, even listening to songs at Shenyin Pavilion won’t bring me any joy. I’ve got an idea. I’ll bring a few brothers and kneel at the doors of the two Guardians. Let’s see if they’ll step in and avenge Brother Li and the others."

His fighting spirit had ignited once again. He strode off with the energy of a dragon and the steps of a tiger. Li Xiaofei watched him storm off, speechless. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little worried for the two Guardians.

Once Li Xiaofei returned to his room, he resumed his cultivation. He started to grow stronger quickly as he went inside the Secret Time Pavilion. His compatibility with the three Daos increased, and his physical body grew ever stronger.

At the same time, he continued practicing in the light core virtual training room, adjusting his sparring opponent’s combat power to 120 percent of Han Zhen’s level as he fought repeatedly.

The next day.

Knock, knock, knock.

There was a knock at the door.

Huang Dinggou ran over, brimming with excitement. "Good news! Great news, Brother Chen! The two Guardians agreed to take action!"

Li Xiaofei didn’t say anything.

"This time, Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen is dead for sure." Huang Dinggou said enthusiastically, "We’re settling this with Twin Shadow Tower tonight. The meeting will be at Jiuyang Tower. It’s going to be a final showdown. Brother Chen, come with me. We’ll watch that bastard Han die with our own eyes. What do you think?"

Li Xiaofei hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. After setting the time, he returned to his room and shut the door to continue his cultivation. Outside the door, Huang Dinggou watched the closed room, deep in thought.

"Brother Chen is finally getting serious. It’s a bit late, but better late than never. No matter what, I’ll do my best to protect you..."

This low-level gang member with his slicked-back cool guy haircut, who doubled as a regular host at Shenyin Pavilion, didn’t know why, but a powerful desire to protect his friend had welled up from the depths of his heart.

***

Night fell quickly. Li Xiaofei, Huang Dinggou, and thirty other disciples from Red Shield Hall followed their new Hall Master, Nie Yuntao, to Jiuyang Tower.

Jiuyang Tower was an establishment under the Sky-Pillar Guild, one of the four great merchant associations. It combined dining, leisure, entertainment, and martial duels into a single venue.

The eighth floor of Jiuyang Tower contained the renowned Jiuyang Martial Arena, famous in Chongque City for its large audience seating capacity, its incredibly sturdy arena platform, and its formation-enhanced defensive barriers. Many factions held their public martial duels there.

8 p.m. was the tower’s busiest time. One could see people dressed in suits, traditional robes, light armor, or even casual shorts and flip-flops going in and out. Most of them held some degree of status within the city. However, all staff members of Jiuyang Tower wore traditional attire.

A waiter led the group directly to the eighth floor. The entire floor was roughly the size of a football field, decorated in a modern industrial style. A hundred-meter-wide circular metal arena was in the center, surrounded by seats.

The news of the showdown between the Exploding Star Gang and Twin Shadow Tower had already spread throughout the city. If one wasn’t a disciple from either side, they had to purchase a ticket in order to watch.

These deathmatches between top factions drew massive interest, and the ticket prices were exorbitant. Depending on the distance from the ring and VIP seating level, the minimum price started at five hundred grams of celestial jade. Additionally, the duel would be livestreamed. Jiuyang Tower had even set up a betting pool with odds.

“Greetings, Left Guardian, Right Guardian.”

“Respects to the Lords.”

Nie Yuntao led his subordinates to the designated seating area and respectfully saluted two middle-aged men.

Left Guardian Ma Tuo had fair skin, wore black-framed glasses, and was dressed in a long black robe. He was thin and of average height, exuding an aura of sternness and silence.

Right Guardian Liu Junqing had shoulder-length, slightly wavy hair. His features were proper and upright, and he stood about 1.8 meters tall. His arms extended past his knees and were noticeably thicker than the average person’s. He always wore a faint smile, which made him appear far more approachable than Ma Tuo.

There were also other high-ranking figures present. Hall Master Luo Fawei of the Law Hall, and Hall Master Jin Xi of the Finance Hall, both standing on equal footing with Nie Yuntao, were also present.

Additionally, three expert enforcers of the Exploding Star Gang had arrived—Elder Qu, Elder Wang, and Elder Cui. They had brought about fifty elite disciples from the gang along with them.

As one of the five great factions in Chongque City, the Exploding Star Gang’s presence was formidable, and their aura was imposing.

Across the circular arena sat their longtime rival—the members of Twin Shadow Tower. They were led by Deputy Tower Master Jiang Sansheng. He was followed by Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen, Heavenly Star Swordsman Zheng Yiyu, and Limitless Blade King Zhao Wuji—the three Hall Masters of Twin Shadow Tower’s upper ranks. They also had another fifty elite core disciples accompanying them.

The seating area had a capacity of two thousand people. However, both factions had demanded that the arena be closed to the public for this duel. The event was being broadcasted live instead.

The atmosphere in the arena had grown tense, with an undercurrent of hostility. Jiuyang Tower’s Vice Manager, Zou Xiankun, also made an appearance to oversee the duel personally. They were clearly treating the event with great importance.

Both factions selected five elite disciples each to engage in five preliminary battles before the main showdown. Although they were called warm-up matches, they were as much about determining superiority as they were about life and death.

When the five battles concluded, the Exploding Star Gang had won only two while losing three. Four skilled Asteroid level warriors had died in the process.

“Haha, trash will always remain trash.” Twin Shadow Tower’s Deputy Tower Master Jiang Sansheng clapped his hands and laughed loudly. “Your Hall Masters can’t win, and even your warm-up fights ended in disaster. What’s the point of fighting? Go home and suck on your mother’s milk!”

“Hahaha!”

“So weak!”

The disciples of Twin Shadow Tower erupted into laughter. Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen then leaped directly onto the arena.

“Didn’t you want to challenge me?” Standing boldly at the center of the arena, Han Zhen stood tall and said, “Come on, I’ll let you challenge me as much as you want tonight. Exploding Star Gang’s weaklings—who’s first?”

Li Xiaofei slowly stood up and he gripped his spear.

But just as he took a step forward, Huang Dinggou hurriedly grabbed him by the arm. “Brother Chen, don’t be rash!”

“I...”

Li Xiaofei was about to speak.

“Stand down.” Hall Master Nie Yuntao suddenly turned around and barked.

“Hall Master, let me fight,” Li Xiaofei said. “I want to personally avenge my brothers.”

“Get lost.” Nie Yuntao’s expression was sharp and authoritative, leaving no room for argument. “You’re nothing but a newcomer—a small fry. This is no place for you to speak.”

A cold glint flashed in Li Xiaofei’s eyes.

“Brother Chen, listen to Hall Master. Step back!” Huang Dinggou quickly tugged at him, frantically giving him meaningful glances.

Li Xiaofei thought for a moment before slowly stepping back. His plan still required the support of the Exploding Star Gang. it was not the time to kill that man named Nie in front of everyone.

“Elder Cui, please take the stage.” Nie Yuntao turned with a polite smile and said, “Kill Han Zhen, and it will be counted as a first-class merit. You will be rewarded with five hundred kilograms of celestial jade.”

“Haha, rest assured, Hall Master,” replied Elder Cui. He was brimming with confidence as he stepped onto the arena without hesitation.

The arena’s formations activated and a transparent wind barrier enveloped the entire platform. The two experts immediately began their battle.

The strength of Planet level lifeforms was not to be underestimated. Each of them unleashed their respective Daos, clashing with dazzling bursts of light. Their figures shifted rapidly as they exchanged blows, each collision erupting with thunderous roars.

Li Xiaofei observed closely from the side. It was his first time witnessing a real battle between Outer World powerhouses.

How should one describe it? There was a certain sense of returning to simplicity in this kind of battle. Outer World powerhouses possessed greater strength, faster speed, sharper reflexes, and their mastery of the Daos resulted in far more destructive power. As a result, their fighting style was streamlined and efficient.

However, the laws of the Outer World were also more complete and stable. If this duel had taken place on Earth, the ground would likely have been pierced through in an instant, and mountains would have been shattered. But here, their battle barely left any noticeable damage to the surrounding environment.

The more Li Xiaofei watched, the more confident he became.

“Ah—!”

A miserable scream interrupted his musing. Elder Cui’s head had been crushed by Han Zhen. Then, a palm strike to his chest caused a sickening crunch to echo as his ribs snapped and pierced backward through his body. His internal organs were utterly shattered. He was dead beyond any doubt.

The cheers from Twin Shadow Tower and the horrified cries from Exploding Star Gang disciples echoed through the arena. Li Xiaofei was not surprised. He merely found it strange.

Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen had already killed several high-ranking experts from the Exploding Star Gang. It was clear that he was on another level. Where had Elder Cui found the confidence to step onto the arena against him?

“Who’s next?” Han Zhen stood on the platform, wildly issuing his challenge.

Nie Yuntao glanced at the other two enforcers, asking, “Who will fight?”

Elder Qu and Elder Wang remained silent. Their strength was comparable to Elder Cui’s. Stepping up would only mean certain death.

Nie Yuntao’s expression turned cold. “We raised you for a moment like this. You two have enjoyed the endless resources and celestial jade of the Exploding Star Gang all these years. Now that it’s time to contribute, are you going to shrink back in fear?”

The faces of the two enforcers grew even more troubled upon hearing this.

Elder Qu abruptly stood up and strode onto the arena. But he lasted less than five minutes before his corpse lay cold on the platform. Afterward, Elder Wang had no choice but to fight. He died even faster. In less than twenty minutes, all three of the Exploding Star Gang’s enforcer experts had fallen at the hands of Demon-Breaking Hand Han Zhen.

The disciples of the Exploding Star Gang turned pale one after another.

How did things come to this?

Nie Yuntao’s face remained expressionless as he shifted his gaze to Hall Master Luo Fawei of the Law Hall. freewebnσvel.cøm

“What do you mean by this?” Luo Fawei’s heart sank.

Nie Yuntao said indifferently, “Hall Master Luo, please take the stage and restore the dignity of the Exploding Star Gang.”

“Why don’t you go up yourself?” Luo Fawei knew he was no match for Han Zhen. Stepping onto the arena now would be nothing short of suicide.

Nie Yuntao’s tone remained flat. “My experience is insufficient, and my cultivation is average. I would only bring shame upon the gang. Hall Master Luo, you are a senior member of the Exploding Star Gang. You should take this responsibility.”

"You..." Luo Fawei was about to say more.

“Old Luo, I’ll have to trouble you this time.” The previously silent Left Guardian, Ma Tuo, suddenly spoke.

Luo Fawei's body trembled. He looked at Ma Tuo in shock. The latter said nothing more, but the commanding pressure in his gaze made it clear that his words were an order—one that allowed no defiance.

“You... You all... Haha, good. Very good.” Luo Fawei seemed to realize something. He burst into laughter, “I see it now. You’re using this as a knife to force us to our deaths... Right Guardian, don’t you have anything to say?”

He turned to Liu Junqing. But the Right Guardian’s face was blank. He acted as though he had gone deaf. Li Xiaofei also sensed that something was wrong.

Luo Fawei let out a bitter laugh and said, “Fine. We all walk our own paths. I was blind and chose the wrong side. If I get beaten to death, I deserve it. As a Hall Master of the Exploding Star Gang, there’s no reason for me to cower in fear. If I die, so be it. But... heh... we’ll see how you explain all this when the gang leader returns from the Representative Assembly.”

He was about to step onto the arena when he was interrupted.

“Hold it,” Li Xiaofei rose to his feet. “His life is mine.”

Gripping his spear tightly, he strode toward the arena with large, determined steps.

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