Chapter 1395: Chapter 1396: I, Li Xiaobai, Have Returned
“Silence! No talking, no speaking!”
A few cultivators gestured for silence, not daring to say more.
The complexities within were beyond their understanding, likely involving some hidden secret. Knowing too much might actually be harmful to them.
“Take him down!”
Ma Niubi didn’t bother with explanations. The Five-colored Divine Light materialized, sweeping forth unstoppably, directly striking Li Xiaobai’s chest.
[Attribute Points + Two Billion…]
Figures on the System panel shifted. Li Xiaobai neither dodged nor flinched, allowing the opponent’s attack to land squarely on him.
Seeing the sudden attribute points appear on his System panel, Li Xiaobai nodded in satisfaction. This “little brat” had grown up; when hitting someone, he finally knew how to use some strength.
“Nothing happened?”
“My attack was ineffective?”
Ma Niubi stared at Li Xiaobai’s unscathed appearance, deeply shaken inside.
Was his strength truly useless against this man standing before him?
To think that he, Ma Niubi—having lived for five hundred years as a supremely skilled expert, one of the apex figures even within Saint Realm cultivation—could launch an attack with the Money Tree, only for it to have no effect on this person.
The scene was eerily reminiscent of “that individual” from back then: the same hands clasped behind the back, the same disdain for all things, pushing through the world invincible.
Such defensive power left him utterly bewildered.
“Who are you?”
Ma Niubi furrowed his brows, his instincts telling him the person before him was anything but ordinary. His cultivation level was no less than Ma’s—possibly even higher. Such a person arriving at this critical juncture clearly carried a specific purpose.
“I already told you, I’m Li Xiaobai. My dear disciple, five hundred years have passed, and you’ve indeed grown much stronger. I am very pleased!”
Li Xiaobai stood with his hands clasped behind him, speaking faintly.
The defensive power had already explained everything. Nobody in the world today could equal his defenses, let alone surpass them. His current defensive power had long exceeded that of anyone in the Central Origin Realm, reaching an unprecedented height.
If he wished, he could break through the void at any moment and ascend to the Upper Realm.
“Impossible! How could such a cultivation level exist?!”
“Who are you?!”
“Why are you pretending to be my master? Who sent you? Does the shattered statue atop the mountain have anything to do with you?”
He didn’t believe a single word Li Xiaobai had said. How could someone possibly return from the dead?
The man before him was clearly an imposter—his cultivation was high and unfathomable, impossible to discern.
“Forcing me to use my true skills!”
“Tree within a Tree—Immortal Suppression!”
Ma Niubi swiped his Golden Divine Tree horizontally, sending a branch surging skyward. It transformed into an enormous cage that trapped Li Xiaobai tightly. From the cage emanated an aura that made hearts tremble, and Li Xiaobai could unmistakably feel the source of this aura was not Immortal Spirit Qi, but an even higher-level force.
“Impressive! You’ve indeed mastered something remarkable!”
Li Xiaobai nodded, golden talismans swirling in his hand. With one step, he directly walked out of the massive wooden cage.
In a flash, his figure appeared before Ma Niubi, causing the latter’s scalp to tingle with alarm.
“I…”
Ma Niubi felt his hair stand on end; this was the first time he had ever encountered such a scenario. This was a technique derived from the Golden Tree, yet someone had so effortlessly walked through it. Was this even humanly possible?
“Let’s go.”
“Escort me to meet my old friends.”
Li Xiaobai extended his hand, and a jet-black flame appeared in his palm, burning intensely.
Seeing this flame, Ma Niubi trembled all over, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“It really is Master!”
“Master has returned?!”
…
Half an hour later.
The news of Li Xiaobai’s triumphant return spread through the entire Sword Sect, leaving everyone stunned.
The death-defying resurrection of a figure who had died five centuries ago, suddenly appearing before them, was hard for anyone to accept.
Earlier, they had heard rumors that the mountaintop statue had shattered. Now, combined with the tale of Li Xiaobai’s revival, could there be some sort of connection between the two?
In the Villain’s Guild, inside the Peak Master’s hall.
Li Xiaobai was seated in the high chair.
More and more cultivators gathered outside the hall, most of them young, and almost unrecognizable to Li Xiaobai. These were the younger generation of sect elites.
This was the backbone of the sect, though the passage of time had created such a distance that Li Xiaobai did not recognize a single one of them.
Still, every individual stood obediently to the side, bowing respectfully, occasionally sneaking glances at Li Xiaobai to catch a glimpse of the legendary hero of the Central Origin Realm.
Curiosity ran high among them all; the existence of this myth-like figure intrigued them all immensely!
“Do you think the person up there is really him?”
A cultivator murmured quietly.
“Who knows? But if Senior Ma brought him back, it’s probably true. Also, his appearance is indeed identical to that legendary figure!”
“Shh! The Gang Leader and Steward Chen have arrived. They’ll be able to confirm whether it’s true or not!”
Within the hall, two figures approached slowly. As the crowd noticed their presence, the murmurs ceased immediately.
“Tap, tap, tap!”
Two elderly figures entered the hall from the outside.
Both were aged, their hair silver-white. One of them, a frail old man, supported an even frailer elderly woman as they walked toward Li Xiaobai sitting atop the high platform.
“Greetings, Gang Leader!”
“Greetings, Chief Steward!”
The people in the hall bent low, bowing deeply with folded hands. Before them stood the two highest authorities of the Villain’s Guild.
The cultivators of the Villain’s Guild operated differently than those of other sects. In most sects, figures of Long Xue or Chen Yuan’s level would retreat to the background while disciples were pushed to the forefront to lead.
However, the Villain’s Guild was an exception; for hundreds of years, these two remained actively engaged on the frontlines, directly overseeing and participating in every matter.
It was precisely this hands-on approach that had kept the List of Villains firmly at the summit of the Central Origin Realm’s power structure, even after five centuries.
“All right, rise.”
“Child, which Li Xiaobai were you speaking of, the one who’s come back to life?”
Long Xue’s face remained calm, her gaze sweeping lightly across the hall before instantly landing on the young man seated high above.
In that instant, her frail body trembled violently, as if frozen in place. Even Chen Yuan showed similar shock, his expression resembling someone who had seen a ghost.
“Y-you… Who are you?!”
“Who dared impersonate Brother Li?!”
Chen Yuan snapped back to his senses, furiously shouting while the dense Immortal Yuan Power around him flickered, seemingly ready to suppress the intruder at any moment.
“Chen Yuan, you were just a child back then. If you don’t recognize me, fine. But how could you of all people fail to know me?”
“After all these years, can’t you tell if the person standing before you is real or fake?”
Li Xiaobai chuckled lightly, descending from the high platform to stand in front of them.
“I, Li Xiaobai, have returned!”
“After five hundred years, I remain invincible!”