Starforce Warriors

This Takano Kumagawa was indeed problematic. Li Xiaofei could now confirm that, following the car accident that killed his lover, Takano Kumagawa had already made contact with Eden.

Takano Kumagawa had been working for Eden during his entire journey across Europe, the Bayer Federation, and the Yiggs Union. The factions he visited in various countries were likely puppet collaborators handpicked by Eden. Those who accepted the conditions received ample support. Those who refused were completely wiped out.

Li Xiaofei investigated the Blood Banner Organization in the Bayer Federation. It was a faction that had risen to prominence immediately after being visited by Takano Kumagawa. Prior to that, it had been nothing more than a regional gang within Bayer.

Now, it was the most powerful superhuman organization within the Bayer Federation. Its three leaders were ranked among the top three most powerful Awakened in the entire nation. It stood in stark contrast with another group called Star Lantern. Once the top martial arts hall in the Bayer Federation, it had been annihilated in a single night. The culprit was undoubtedly Takano Kumagawa.

In other words, Takano Kumagawa had already received divine power granted by Eden's God General, Angrus, before entering the Bayer Federation. Otherwise, he would not have possessed the strength to accomplish all of this.

Similar incidents had occurred in other continents and countries as well. However, what surprised Li Xiaofei was that, upon investigating those martial organizations that had risen afterward, he did not detect the presence of any extraterrestrial energy within their core members.

The rise of these organizations seemed more closely tied to the global surge of the Awakened, and their founders or key leaders had displayed remarkable natural talent during this wave which allowed them to swiftly climb to the top tiers of their respective nations' power pyramids.

***

Jiepeng. Hokkaido.

Li Xiaofei arrived at a seaside fishing village on Rebun Island. Late autumn had already passed and the first chills of early winter were setting in. Though the temperature wasn't particularly low, the salty, damp sea breeze carried a bone-piercing chill.

After traveling across various nations, Takano Kumagawa's final stop had been this fishing village called Autumn Fall on Rebun Island. Autumn Fall sounded quite poetic, but the scenery of the village itself was rather ordinary.

Li Xiaofei stood in front of a simple row of three wooden houses. Eroded for years by wind and rain, the wood had blackened like charcoal and was severely decayed.

There were a few basic living supplies inside. From the looks of it, someone had been living here not too long ago. This was where Takano Kumagawa had gone into seclusion for the last time.

The moment Li Xiaofei arrived, he sensed a faint trace of extraterrestrial energy lingering in the air. Though it had been left behind long ago and had nearly dissolved into the surrounding mountains and sea, Li Xiaofei's sharp senses still picked up on it.

Just as he had suspected, this was once the place where Takano Kumagawa refined the extraterrestrial power within his body. It was even possible that this was where he had met with the powerful figures of Eden.

Li Xiaofei stood at the door of the small wooden house. Looking out, the wintry, overcast sea was as dark as ink, carrying a heavy, gloomy stillness. Li Xiaofei left a marker here, then with a thought, teleported back to his home country.

He returned to teach every day at the special school. The content he passed on was the complete system that Chen Fei and Qin Dewei from Red Flag High School had developed.

Li Xiaofei had slightly modified and streamlined the material for children, who took to it with great seriousness. They had all been carefully selected by the Dragon Group. Each one was a top-tier prospect among their peers in terms of maturity, comprehension and diligence.

What they didn't yet know was just how fortunate they were to be personally instructed by Li Xiaofei in the face of the great era that was soon to unfold.

Daoist Sanjue, Li Baoguo, Qi Honglei, the young celestial master, and several other experts who had participated in the exchange conference also arrived punctually to attend the lessons.

Word quickly spread. With Li Xiaofei's permission, several ancient martial arts masters and Awakened also registered for admission. They wore audit badges and listened intently to the lectures like well-behaved primary school students.

Unlike the children's youthful ignorance, these established experts and powerhouses found themselves in awe the more they listened. They were utterly shocked. Li Xiaofei was like a living encyclopedia of martial and supernatural knowledge. He seemed to know everything, and was capable of demonstrating anything as if there was nothing he could not do.

Outside of teaching, Li Xiaofei also made time to personally carry out several Dragon Group missions. He eliminated a few top-tier ancient martial artists who had broken the law, as well as powerful Awakened who abused their abilities to commit crimes.

His thunderous actions sent shockwaves through the nation's community of experts. No one knew who had started it, but soon, a new title began to spread and was attributed to Li Xiaofei, 'The Dragon King.'

Li Xiaofei couldn't help but laugh when he heard. He was, after all, one of the leaders of the Dragon Group, so being called the Dragon King didn't seem inappropriate. The good news was that he hadn't developed a crooked smile... yet.

The presence of Dragon King Li Xiaofei quickly stabilized the world of martial arts and superpowers within the country, allowing order to prevail. The government's recruitment of powerful individuals had also become much easier. On the third day, Li Xiaofei sensed a disturbance in the marker he had left behind in Rebun Island, Jiepeng.

He vanished from his office with a single thought. An instant later, he reappeared on a cliff by the sea, in front of the row of blackened wooden houses on Rebun Island. Sounds of clashing weapons, gunfire and furious shouts of battle echoed from a distance.

Li Xiaofei narrowed his eyes.

"Hmm?"

He was a little surprised to find a familiar face. It was Ishihara Masami, the charming and beautiful girl who was the latest heir to the Sword Sect's leadership.

She was being hunted down. Her enemies were numerous. There were warriors proficient with firearms, Awakened wielding different elemental abilities and Jiepeng samurai dressed like traditional ninjas.

Her opponents coordinated skillfully, surrounding her from all sides as they steadily wore away at her. The girl's long black hair was disheveled with blood staining her body. It was unclear if the blood was her own or her enemies.

She held a katana in her hand, barefoot as she stood among rocks and wild grass. Her eyes were icy cold. Dressed in a short pleated skirt that didn't reach her knees and a cropped white T-shirt that exposed her waist, her snow-white midriff and long legs carried explosive power beyond ordinary understanding. Each time she narrowly dodged the attacks of distant gunmen, she still managed to strike down nearby samurai with deadly precision.

What puzzled Li Xiaofei was that the Jiepeng samurai chasing Ishihara Masami wore uniforms marked clearly with the emblem of the Sword Sect.

Sword Sect warriors... attacking one of their own? What on earth happened?

Li Xiaofei carefully extended his senses. Neither side of the battle had any traces of extraterrestrial energy. He stood calmly in front of the wooden huts, watching patiently.

The battle raged on for about twenty minutes. All the gunmen, Awakened, and Sword Sect warriors, each and every one of them, fell beneath Ishihara Masami's blade. This girl, who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, truly possessed extraordinary talent. Despite her youth, her strength was formidable. She had turned the tables on the ambush and annihilated every pursuer all by herself.

But she wasn't unscathed, as blood streamed down her body. She stood like a wounded leopardess, furious and feral. She held her sword and walked barefoot toward Li Xiaofei.

She looked up at him. Her eyes were filled with confusion, sorrow and rage. Her gaze locked firmly on Li Xiaofei's face. But she didn't say a single word. She simply looked at him. Then, suddenly, she dropped to her knees with a thud.

Her snow-white knees sank into the brown, damp earth, where patches of wild grass mingled. She let go of the blade in her hand and lowered her head.

"Save me," she said.