Chapter 149: Jin Geng

Li Xuanfeng returned to the mountain and discussed various matters concerning the crafting of magical artifacts with Li Tongya and others. After cultivating for more than half a year, someone finally knocked on his stone door at the cave dwelling. Li Xuanfeng opened the door and saw that all the snow on the mountain had melted, and the lush green forest was once again vibrant under the scorching sun. He excitedly took to the wind, flying along the Ancient Li Road towards the county.

He landed in the market, finding a spot to touch down. Li Xuanfeng strode into Chu Minglian's small shop with his head held high. The Fetal Breath cultivator, seeing him, greeted him with a smile, offered tea, and invited him to sit for a moment before turning to summon Chu Minglian.

Chu Minglian still had his usual bustling demeanor; the clanging of metal tools on his person arrived before he did. Seeing Li Xuanfeng, he laughed and said, "Little brother Xuanfeng, you've come to collect your bow, haven't you!"

"Precisely," Li Xuanfeng replied. He saw two Fetal Breath realm apprentices following Chu Minglian, together carrying a long, thick, dark-golden longbow, shimmering with brilliance, into the front of the shop. Both apprentices were panting and sweating profusely. When they reached the stone table, they placed the bow down, and it landed with a loud thud.

Chu Minglian quickly placed his hand on the tabletop; the jade surface emitted a white light, neutralizing the force, preventing the stone table from collapsing. He glared reproachfully at the two apprentices, frowning, "What are you doing?!"

The two apprentices bowed their heads submissively. Only then did Chu Minglian turn to Li Xuanfeng, smiling as he introduced the bow: "This bow is crafted from Golden Square Screen Stone for its body and Azure Crow Gold Essence for its string. It was forged in Profound Fire for a full one hundred and twenty-six days, and its body is inscribed with spirit-gathering and spirit-condensing runes. The bow measures seven feet and six inches long, with horns two feet and five inches long. The Golden Square Screen Stone gives it a dark-golden hue, and it shimmers throughout. Its quality can be considered high-grade even among Qi Cultivation artifacts, though it is incredibly heavy and difficult to draw."

"Good! Excellent!" Li Xuanfeng's face lit up with joy. With a single grab, he picked up the dark-golden longbow. Holding the bow with his right hand and the string with his left, he took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, his beard bristling and eyes wide. A powerful aura of vital energy surged from him. Li Xuanfeng grinned menacingly and exclaimed, "Draw—"

The dark-golden greatbow instantly became taut, forcefully drawn to a full moon shape. A loud hum resonated through the air. The two apprentices, who had been watching in amusement, dropped their jaws in astonishment. The sharp buzzing in their ears became unbearable, and they painfully squatted down to the ground.

Chu Minglian also felt as if his face was being cut by blades. He took a slight step back, greatly alarmed, and secretly exclaimed, "How is this possible! Is this person a transformed demon beast?! How can he possess such immense strength? I had assumed this bow was so heavy that an ordinary person could only draw it a mere twenty or thirty percent to use it. Who knew Li Xuanfeng could draw it to a full moon in one go!"

Seeing the many items in the hall vibrating, Chu Minglian quickly stepped forward, enduring the sharp pressure that felt like blades cutting his face, and urged, "Fellow cultivator! Fellow cultivator! Many items in my shop are incredibly fragile. If you release the string here, you might shatter fifty or sixty percent of them!"

Hearing this, Li Xuanfeng felt as if his already empty storage bag had become subtly emptier still. He quickly and slowly released the bowstring, apologizing repeatedly, "I was simply too excited! My apologies... Thank you for the reminder."

"Fellow cultivator, have you thought of a name for this bow?" Chu Minglian asked with a smile. Li Xuanfeng nodded, pondered for a few breaths, and replied, "Then let's call it 'Jingeng'!"

Chu Minglian chuckled, then waved his hand proudly and asked, "Are you satisfied?"

"Extremely satisfied! Brother Chu, your craftsmanship is excellent!"

So, Li Xuanfeng happily slung the bow over his back. He then went with Chu Minglian into the market to dissolve their contract and spiritual oath, confirming the transaction was complete. He then took to the wind, leaving the market, eager to return home.

After flying with the wind for a while, he landed within the Sun Dial Profound Light Formation on the mountain. He heard a crack under his foot; a stone brick had already been shattered by the Jingeng longbow. He gave an awkward smile, lifted the bow slightly, and walked towards the courtyard.

Li Tongya was demonstrating swordsmanship to Li Xuanling. The two were practicing swords in the courtyard. Beside them, the tiny Li Yuanxiu sat on a stone stool, watching wide-eyed. It was a very heartwarming scene.

Li Tongya saw Li Xuanfeng, smiled faintly, sheathed his sword, and asked, "You've retrieved the bow?"

"Haha," Li Xuanfeng replied. He lifted the dark-golden longbow in his hand, walked over, and explained everything in detail to the two. Then, he pulled Li Xuanxuan, who was reluctantly drawing talismans, out of the courtyard, insisting on finding a place for the three of them to test the bow's power.

So the four of them found an open area in the mountains. Li Xuanfeng took a step, drew the bowstring, and concentrated his power. The dark-golden Jingeng longbow immediately lit up with bright golden runes, and the bowstring emanated a strong glow, condensing a dazzling golden spiritual energy arrow onto the string.

"Release!"

The distant forest immediately roared, the ground shook violently, and a thick cloud of smoke and dust rose. Five or six large trees were blasted down with a thud, leaving a large crater in the ground, sending yellow earth splashing. Furthermore, a faint golden qi aura rose, knocking down the leaves of the surrounding trees. For a moment, there was a rustling sound, and the ground was covered in emerald green leaves.

The three onlookers were speechless for a moment. Li Xuanling looked at the deep pit on the ground and murmured, "This power... even a Foundation Establishment cultivator caught off guard would likely suffer..."

Li Xuanfeng himself, however, shook his head thoughtfully, speaking only after a long pause, "I haven't yet managed to truly harmonize with this bow; this was merely the power of my spiritual essence and magical energy..."

He cupped his hands towards Li Tongya and said in a deep voice, "Son intends to go into seclusion for five years to consolidate his knowledge, innovate, and on one hand, harmonize with this magical artifact, and on the other, compile a book on bow techniques as you suggested."

"Good," Li Tongya nodded with satisfaction.

Li Tongya nodded with satisfaction, lifting the Green Edge sword in his hand. Li Xuanfeng cupped his fists towards his two brothers, then with a thoughtful expression, he took to the wind and flew towards his cave dwelling on Meichi Mountain.

Li Tongya and the other two walked together up the mountain. Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling praised the demonstration, and Li Tongya said with a smile, "Among the Xuanjing generation, Xuanfeng's talent is the best. The two of you must not grow complacent. Xuanxuan, you are almost thirty, yet you are still at the fifth layer of Fetal Breath, the Jade Capital Wheel. Our family's cultivation methods are much better than those of other families; do not let them go to waste. It would naturally be excellent if Xuanling could break through to the Jade Capital at seventeen. Both of you should break through to the Qi Cultivation realm within the next ten years, adding two major combat strengths to our family."

The two younger ones quickly assented. After walking for a while, they encountered a clan soldier who, with some trepidation, said, "Lord Chen Donghe requests an audience... Patriarch!"

"To see me?" Li Tongya paused slightly. Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling on either side were also stunned. Then Li Tongya suddenly understood and laughed, "Good news! We were just talking about adding combat strength to our family... Donghe is here!"

Chen Donghe had waited for a long time outside the courtyard before someone came to call him. He stepped into the courtyard, where Li Tongya was seated at the head, drinking tea, while Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling on either side smiled as they watched him.

"Junior Chen Donghe, my cultivation has reached the peak of Fetal Breath. I have come to seek a cultivation method!"

Li Tongya nodded with a smile, took a sip of tea, and said in a low voice, "How old is Donghe this year?"

"This year, twenty-eight by traditional reckoning!"

"Good!" Li Tongya praised him and then laughed to the two on his sides, "That Yu Mufeng reached Qi Cultivation at thirty, and the Yu family still praised his talent. It seems Donghe is no worse than him!"

"I merely cultivate diligently... far inferior to Xuanfeng!" Chen Donghe replied humbly.

After Chen Donghe humbly spoke a few words, Li Tongya said with a serious expression, "It's good that you know this: the few third-grade Qi Cultivation techniques currently possessed by the Li family are all legitimate and proper methods. I've watched you grow up since you were little, and Xiang Ping treats you like his own son. We naturally wouldn't hide anything from you. Currently, there are two methods that include places for gathering qi: the first is the 'River and Qi Unification Art,' and the other is the 'Cave Spring Clear Spirit Art.'"

After detailing the qi-gathering locations and the advantages and disadvantages of both cultivation methods, Li Tongya finally asked, "Do you have a preference for either of them?"

"It is entirely up to Senior!" Chen Donghe replied respectfully.

Li Tongya chuckled softly and replied, "Then let it be the 'River and Qi Unification Art'! I also have a portion of pure river qi here. You can use it first for your Qi cultivation. Once you achieve Qi Cultivation, go to the river and collect a portion of pure river qi to bring back and return to the family, to offset this favor!"

"Many thanks, Senior!"