73. The True Dragon of the Li Family

Chapter 73: The True Dragon of the Li Family

A soldier from the Yuan unit glanced at the young monk, recognized him, and nodded before turning to enter the Vajra Heart Temple to announce the visitor. Not long after, a youth in a cyan robe with a half-yellow-and-black kasaya draped over his shoulders emerged from the temple.

He had a tall stature, sword-like brows, and starry eyes, with a pair of cold, determined eyes beneath his sharp brow ridges. A sword hung at his waist, giving him an imposing presence, like a proud dragon.

"Brother Song."

Seeing the young monk, Li Qianfeng nodded slightly.

"Li Qianfeng, do you remember me?"

The beautiful woman beside him spoke up, her eyes lighting up as she gazed at the young man.

Li Qianfeng glanced at her, frowning. "And you are?"

"A year ago, at Qingfeng Ridge!"

The woman's eyes shone with hope. "Do you remember?"

"Qingfeng Ridge..." Li Qianfeng showed a hint of recollection, thinking. "I believe the demons there have been eradicated."

"It's me, Murong Qiulan. You saved me from that Yin Wind Serpent demon's attack back then. Without you, I would have died!" Murong Qiulan quickly said.

Li Qianfeng frowned slightly, giving her a glance. "What brings you here?"

"I said I would repay your kindness. I, Murong Qiulan, will marry no one but you in this life!"

A hint of red flashed across Murong Qiulan's face, but she mustered the courage to bite the bullet and say it.

"So, you're here to repay kindness with ingratitude?"

Li Qianfeng raised an eyebrow.

Murong Qiulan: "..."

The young monk beside them looked at Li Qianfeng with amazement. Facing such a beautiful woman, he could say such harsh words. This junior brother was indeed worthy of being a direct disciple of the Buddha.

"I just want to repay you..." Murong Qiulan bit her lip, feeling wronged.

She had traveled a long way and pulled strings to get up the mountain, only to meet such a cold reception.

"What is your family background?"

Li Qianfeng was unmoved by the woman's pitiful demeanor, asking calmly.

Murong Qiulan was slightly stunned but quickly replied, "My Murong family is the leading family in Baifeng City. My father is the patriarch, and he was already in the Fifteen Li Realm when he was young, traveling freely and making many connections. Now, he has long reached the Heavenly Human Realm. If fate allows, he may even have the hope to challenge the Three Immortals in this lifetime."

"How old is your father?"

"He just turned fifty-four this year."

"He is already old."

Li Qianfeng shook his head slightly. "With such qualifications, challenging the Three Immortals is difficult. Even if he does reach the Three Immortals Realm, he is nothing before my Li family. Your family background is too lowly!"

Murong Qiulan's mouth opened slightly, speechless.

How could she not know? In terms of family background, how many in the Dayu could compare with the young man before her?

She bit her lip, saying, "But my mother said, if two people truly love each other, why care about family background? I don't mind. I don't want a dowry or anything. I just want you!"

"That statement itself is very greedy!"

Li Qianfeng said coldly, "I alone am worth countless dowries. Marrying me is like gaining half a state! My marriage will be decided by my mother. I will only marry someone of equal status, like a royal princess or a duke's daughter. Your family is probably not good enough for my mother to consider."

Murong Qiulan's face turned pale, speechless.

She hadn't expected this. She, a woman, had proactively confessed, even willing to marry without dowry, only to be despised.

The young monk beside them was already astounded by Li Qianfeng's words. This junior brother was extraordinary!

"But what if you don't like the person you marry in the future?" Murong Qiulan bit her lip, feeling her heart bleed.

Li Qianfeng said indifferently, "Marriage is a transaction, not about liking. My life is devoted to the sword, everything else is trivial."

These words left both of them stunned, then silent.

The stunning young man, like a proud dragon, was dedicated entirely to his sword.

Love and affection between men and women were irrelevant to such a person.

Murong Qiulan remained silent for a long time before saying, "I understand. If... if I am willing to be your concubine?"

She looked up at the extraordinary young man again.

The young monk beside them looked at the woman, inexplicably turning his head slightly, feeling a hint of pity.

This must be what his master referred to as worldly infatuation.

"To be a concubine..." Li Qianfeng considered it for a moment, saying, "A daughter of a grandmaster is barely qualified, but you'll have to wait until I'm married first."

"I can wait!" Murong Qiulan immediately said.

"Very well."

Li Qianfeng nodded and turned to the young monk, "Brother Song, did you bring the registry? I plan to go down the mountain for some time."

The young monk snapped out of it, nodding, and took out a registry and ink from his kasaya.

"Junior Brother Qianfeng, you've been on the mountain for over ten years. Are you going home this time?"

"I should visit home, but before that, I need to earn some merits."

Li Qianfeng took the ink and registered himself while speaking.

The young monk asked in surprise, "Oh? Does Junior Brother Qianfeng still need merits?"

"Brother Song is joking. All Li family descendants must establish their own merits. Moreover, this trip home is to compete for the True Dragon position. Having merits is advantageous."

Li Qianfeng appeared very amiable, registering with a few strokes, and handed the ink back to Brother Song.

The young monk dried the registry, put away the ink, and smiled, "Junior Brother Qianfeng is too cautious. Who can compete with you for the True Dragon position with your cultivation?"

Li Qianfeng smiled faintly, his gaze distant.

He recalled a figure mentioned by his mother when she visited him on the mountain.

Li Wushuang.

A year ago, during his demon-slaying trip, he heard about this person, who had already made it to the Qian list on the Qian Kun list!

With a nine-star war body, apprenticed to a famous teacher, and a year and a half younger than him, this person had already made a name in the world.

This trip, he considered her his greatest competitor.

Though they hadn't met, Li Qianfeng felt a connection, sensing her presence on his heels.

Thinking of this, a slight smile appeared. He would show his cousin that not everyone could keep up with his pace.

He believed in himself and his sword.

"Can I go with you?" Murong Qiulan seized the opportunity, asking cautiously.

She looked at Li Qianfeng pitifully, still remembering the figure that saved her from the Yin Wind Serpent demon.

"If you can keep up, then come."

Li Qianfeng said indifferently, unconcerned with her timid demeanor.

...

...

In Cang Yu City.

After resolving the demon crisis, Li Hao and others prepared to return home.

The affairs of the Demon Suppression Division calmed down. Apart from cleaning up the demon corpses outside the city, there was no other work.

No demons dared invade Cang Yu City for the time being, except for foolish little demons lacking intelligence.

Li Hao collected paintings and books throughout the city, gaining substantial harvests.

[Name: Li Hao]

[Age: 14]

[Cultivation: Peak Fifteen Li Realm]

[Sword Dao: Level 6 (Fei Duan) (Hidden Bow)]

[Sword Techniques: Endless Sea (True State), Falling Snow Sword Technique: Avalanche (True State)...]

[Body Dao: Level 6 (Myriad Forms) (Tiger Suppression)]

[Body Techniques: Golden Skin Hundred Refinements: Vajra (True State), Thousand Jiao Sacred Body: Transform Jiao (True State), Primal Fifth Layer (Primal Body True State), Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body: Dragon Leap (True State)...]

[Dao of Manipulation: Level 6]

[Manipulation Techniques: Tian Gang Zhou Tian Art: Tian Gang (True State), Hundred Battle Zhou Tian Art: Wushuang (True State), Dragon River Divine Vein: Dragon Breath (True State), Nine Revolutions Star Technique: Nine Revolutions (True State)...]

[Fist Dao: Level 6]

[Fist Techniques: Half-Step Invincible Fist Sixth Level (Ultimate), Heaven and Earth Connecting Fist (Ultimate)]

[Body Techniques: Level 2]

[Body Techniques: White Phoenix Movement (Ultimate)]

[Chess Dao: Level 5 (18322/50000)]

[Painting Dao: Level 5 (8273/50000)]

[Poetry and Books: Level 3 (4999/5000)]

[Music: Level 3 (4999/5000)]

[Fishing Dao: Level 5 (21827/50000)]

[Cooking Dao: Level 6 (99999/100000)]

[Collected Chess Manuals: Boundless Forms, Tiger's Pressure, Flying Sections, Concealed Bow, Hide One's Light, Seven Phoenixes Lighting Lanterns]

[Collected Paintings: Thousands of Birds Flying, Snow Mountain Spirit Fox, Qilin Stallion, Blood Sea Fierce Jiao, Coiling Mountain, Ferocious Mountain of Qiongqi]

[Collected Poetry Books: Zhao Xinhuan's Poetry Collection, Song Yuan's Poetry Collection]

[Collected Musical Scores: Phoenix Seeking Phoenix, Quiet Orchid, Moon Chirping, Little Hu Jia]

[Collected Fishing Manuals: None]

[Collected Culinary Recipes: None]

[States of Mind: Chess Heart (Used), Painting Heart (Used), Fishing Heart (Used), Cooking Heart (Used)]

[Skill Points: 1]

On this trip, he obtained two chess manuals, "Hide One's Light" and "Seven Phoenixes Lighting Lanterns."

Li Hao chose to embed "Hide One's Light" into his body cultivation path, and its effect attributes quickly revealed themselves.

Hide One's Light: Rapid body regeneration in a relaxed state, allowing for slow regrowth of severed limbs.

This effect was good, though he hadn't really been injured before.

As for "Seven Phoenixes Lighting Lanterns," it was a tactical chess manual for trapping and killing.

Li Hao considered using it in his sword path, then in his Dao path. After some thought, he finally chose the Dao path.

Upon embedding it, its effect attributes were also revealed.

Seven Phoenixes Lighting Lanterns: After seven cycles of energy operation, temporarily doubles power.

Seeing this effect, Li Hao was a bit dumbfounded.

This effect was too strong!

The energy operation referred to vein-clearing and Qi circulation methods. Repeated seven times, it doubled the enhancement?

It should be noted that as his Dao path advanced to the sixth level, most of his techniques reached their true state.

Some lower-level techniques, under his insight into the Great Dao, even evolved into high-grade techniques.

And with the improvement of various techniques, Li Hao's vein-clearing quantity had also significantly increased, from 69 veins to 98 veins!

His Qi circulation cycles increased from 248 cycles to 369 cycles.

Just the force from his own Qi circulation amounted to over 8 million jin.

With the instant double boost from the Yin-Yang dual veins, it could reach more than 17 million jin!

Even the royal family only had 2 million jin, close to nine times more, and now, with this effect, it would be eighteen times more!

The gap was like heaven and earth.

But Li Hao knew this kind of enhancement was taxing on the body, a short burst type of attack.

Moreover, he had not yet opened all 108 major veins in his body, reaching the limit, so there was still room for improvement.

The only thing that had reached the limit was probably his soul, which had refined a heaven and earth avatar.

The harvest from this trip was immense. Besides the two chess manuals, there were three paintings, two poetry books, and four musical scores.

Li Hao had not yet chosen to embed them.

He thought that, with his current strength, probably only someone at the Heaven-Man level could push him to his full potential.

At that time, he would know where his weaknesses lay and make adjustments accordingly.