Chapter 124: Sword Immortal of Green Ears

"Yes."

Jiang Yunu replied obediently, not daring to say anything more. Li Xuanfeng fastened her sash, looked at her carefully, and said:

"Wait for me."

Having said that, he held his bow, squinted his eyes to scan the sky for a moment, and pulled the string to its full length. Without even nocking an arrow, he suddenly released it, and a buzzing sound of the string instantly filled the courtyard.

Just like that, he fired an empty shot. Li Xuanfeng waited for a few breaths, took the wild goose that fell from the sky, handed it to Jiang Yunu, and smiled:

"Taste this wild goose! We have no formal betrothal, so let this wild goose stand in for now; we can make up for it when there is an opportunity."

Having performed this incredible feat, Li Xuanfeng slung his longbow over his back and rose into the air on the wind, leaving Jiang Yunu standing blankly in the courtyard. Still clutching her sleeve as if immersed in a dream, she gripped the unconscious wild goose and slowly walked into the house.

Li Xuanfeng flew on the clouds for a while and landed at the foot of Guanyun Peak. He saw Xiao Ruyu wearing a bamboo hat, holding a broom, and sweeping the stone steps. The seventeen-year-old youth looked handsome, and he wore his disheveled outfit with a certain air of a young nobleman.

"Brother Ruyu!"

Li Xuanfeng cupped his hands, somewhat surprised, and asked:

"What are you doing?"

"Hah."

Xiao Ruyu shook his head, his expression somewhat embarrassed, and muttered:

"Brother Xuanfeng, you may not know, but my Xiao family has a very peculiar rule. Every time it comes to paying tribute, I, the young family head, must sweep at the foot of Guanyun Peak. If I encounter talented disciples from various families, I must ask for a pointer or two, and the families are usually willing to give me face and spar."

Li Xuanfeng suddenly realized and smiled, thinking to himself:

"This Xiao family has some tricks. Now, the strengths and weaknesses of every family are known to them, and they still have to swallow it and accept it. Could they possibly refuse to come to Guanyun Peak to pay tribute? The Xiao family is powerful; if they come, who could refuse?"

Glancing at Xiao Ruyu, Li Xuanfeng smiled:

"Brother Ruyu, do you want to test my mettle?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. It is merely a friendly exchange."

Xiao Ruyu hurriedly shook his head and hesitated:

"It's just... Brother Li's archery style is too bullying in close-quarters combat. Why don't I retreat a mile, and then we shall engage?"

"No need!"

Li Xuanfeng laughed heartily. He had not fought with full strength since advancing to Qi Refining, and for a moment, his hands were itching. He held his man-tall longbow horizontally, gripped the string, and without needing to nock an arrow, a sharp beam of golden Gang Qi surged from the string, pointing directly at Xiao Ruyu.

Xiao Ruyu lightly lifted the broom in his hand, a pale white protective true essence surrounding his body. However, the center of his brow still throbbed with pain, and a sense of danger lingered in his heart. He was greatly alarmed, knowing he had underestimated Li Xuanfeng, and thought to himself:

"This is bad! This person's cultivation in string control is by no means comparable to an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator. This path is always silent until it erupts; I shouldn't have waited for him to draw his bow, I should have closed in earlier. I was too arrogant!"

While thinking this, he had already taken several steps. Li Xuanfeng released the string, and the golden Gang Qi surged out. Stepping back two paces, another beam of Gang Qi condensed.

Xiao Ruyu wrapped his broom in true essence, not daring to be distracted for a moment, knowing that if this Gang Qi landed on him, it would leave a hole. He shattered the golden Gang Qi head-on, turned, and shattered the next. As the successive beams of Gang Qi arrived, he saw he was getting closer and closer to Li Xuanfeng, yet he felt as if a cold wind was blowing against his face, and his movements became increasingly sluggish.

"What is happening?"

Xiao Ruyu was greatly alarmed. With his spiritual sense surrounding his body, he discovered that the shattered Gang Qi had turned into several golden air currents like maggots on a bone, flowing over his protective true essence and constantly gnawing at it.

Xiao Ruyu had practiced his family's movement techniques, and his speed should have been much faster than Li Xuanfeng's, but he was slowing down step by step. Seeing Li Xuanfeng using the recoil to quickly open the distance, Xiao Ruyu had no choice but to pinch a seal and cast spells, summoning several techniques to attack, attempting to interfere with Li Xuanfeng.

Who would have thought that Li Xuanfeng would sweep his pitch-black longbow, shattering those spells, stop, and wave his hand:

"Brother Xiao's cultivation is profound. Let's stop, let's stop!"

Xiao Ruyu looked at him deeply, dispersed the true essence on his body, cupped his hands, and smiled:

"Brother Xuanfeng, please go up."

Li Xuanfeng nodded in farewell, thinking to himself:

"If it were a life-and-death battle, if I were more than five miles away from him, he would surely die. If I were within a mile, the outcome would be hard to predict. If we met head-on, I fear I would not be his match."

Although Li Xuanfeng had gained the upper hand just now, he was exhausted in both Qi and spirit from drawing the bow repeatedly. If he continued to fight, he would likely suffer, so he hurriedly called a halt.

Xiao Ruyu watched Li Xuanfeng go up the mountain, his heart secretly alarmed, knowing Li Xuanfeng was not easy to deal with. He was still pondering in his heart when a young man walked over from below. Xiao Ruyu asked:

"Who are you?"

"Lu Yuanlu of the Lu family! What kind of thing are you! How dare you block this young master's path!"

Xiao Ruyu looked at the arrogant man before him, stunned for a moment, his expression somewhat strange.

————

Li Xuanfeng reached the top of the mountain and saw a small courtyard. He didn't recognize any of these people, so he sat in a corner to watch. Seeing a man with a bruised and swollen nose walk up, he was very curious and puzzled:

"What grudge does this person have with Xiao Ruyu to be beaten into such a state?"

After waiting for a while, the cloud ship of rosy light had crossed the sea of clouds and slowly landed on the mountaintop. A middle-aged man wearing Daoist robes walked down. His cultivation was also at the peak of Qi Refining, and he wore a jade crown on his head, possessing quite a bit of bearing.

The middle-aged man first bowed to Xiao Chuting and then closed his eyes to rest. The sect servants below began to call names one by one. Li Xuanfeng waited for a while, and when it was the turn of the Li family of Lijing, he stepped forward to pay the tribute. He saw the middle-aged man with the jade crown twitch his ears, open his eyes, nod politely at him, and say:

"I have long admired the great name of the Li family of Lijing. Indeed, the reputation is well-deserved. A fifteen-year-old Qi Refining cultivator is rarely seen even within the sect!"

Li Xuanfeng paused slightly, not knowing when his family's reputation had spread within the sect, so he had to cup his hands and say:

"Senior, you flatter me. This junior is merely lucky. It is just that we are a tiny family in a border region; I didn't expect it could reach your ears!"

The middle-aged man shook his head, insisted on interrupting the roll call, and just like that, began to chat with him, smiling:

Once these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked. Li Xuanfeng's expression turned joyful. He was young, and when he was born, Li Chi had long since returned to the sect. Although he had no memory of what this uncle looked like, he was still pleasantly surprised and felt honored, thanking him repeatedly.

Xiao Chuting, standing to the side, opened his eyes slightly, but he knew the weight of this Sword Immortal better than all the people below. He thought to himself:

"Sword Immortal of Green Ears... This Li Chi has truly comprehended sword intent. He is truly a heaven-sent genius. I heard Yuansi say long ago that this person's talent was high, but I didn't expect it to be to this extent!"

Upon second thought, he sighed slightly and thought to himself:

"It is a pity he fell into the hands of the Qingchi Demon Sect and practiced such a miraculous Dao foundation. How could he have a good end? It is only a matter of time before he becomes nourishment for that old demon. What a pity..."

The middle-aged man became more excited as he spoke, saying repeatedly:

"We are also people who use swords. We thought of going to the Southern Border to see the Immortal's face and ask for pointers, only to learn that the Senior had been sent deep into the Southern Border to search for medicine for the sect and wouldn't be back for decades. We had no choice but to return in disappointment!"

The middle-aged man sighed with regret, looked at Li Xuanfeng quite affectionately, and said repeatedly:

"Before I left the sect, I specifically checked the roster. The Li family is still listed among the small Great Breath clans. It shows that these people are truly not diligent! You also have Qi Refining cultivation; why not change it here?"

Li Xuanfeng nodded repeatedly. The middle-aged man took out pen and ink and actually did the work of a servant, crossing out the entry on the jade book and changing it to a great clan, then sighed with regret:

"If it weren't for the sect's regulations that non-sect disciples must reach Foundation Establishment to be listed as a noble family, it would be most convenient to correct it in one go!"

Li Xuanfeng took the new spirit seed and salary requirements, chatted with the middle-aged man for a few words, and hurriedly stepped back. The roll call ceremony, which had been abruptly interrupted, then continued. He stood at the very front, feeling honored, enjoying the surprised and envious gazes cast from all around. In his heart, the image of his uncle was infinitely elevated, as if he had already seen a graceful and elegant Sword Immortal.

"When I reach Foundation Establishment, I must have a good duel with my uncle. Let's see if my string is faster, or his sword is faster!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 125 =====