Chapter Seven: Cultivating the Sword with One's Own Body

"The most suitable for me? Stop joking." Mu Feng said, feeling annoyed.

It was one thing for his parents to try and hoodwink him, but he couldn't believe this fairy was doing the same.

"You know nothing. You haven't even stepped into the first stage of body tempering; dreaming of refining those powerful weapons is pure insanity."

"Not to mention whether you'd even succeed, the more powerful the weapon, the greater the burden it places on you. The backlash alone could kill you instantly!"

With that, the fairy waved her small fists menacingly. Her language was crude, lacking any of the grace one would expect from an immortal.

"I see. So, the sword my parents left behind was accidentally the perfect fit for me."

Mu Feng smiled faintly and carried the long sword to the backyard of the alchemy hall. Since it was already late, he decided that instead of dwelling on other matters, he might as well start practicing.

The backyard was a spacious garden that had become overgrown with weeds due to long neglect. Mu Feng sat on the ground, placed the sword in front of him, and began to circulate his internal energy.

Two streams of sword qi quietly emerged, spiraling and floating around the blade. Waves of spiritual energy flowed through the surroundings, bringing a hint of vitality to the desolate courtyard.

*Hum—*

The long sword floated, seemingly awakening its consciousness as it swirled and danced around Mu Feng. The two streams of sword qi calmed down, using the blade as a foundation and gradually merging into it.

As countless rays of light erupted, the once ordinary iron sword suddenly burst forth with a brilliant, dazzling radiance. A sharp, icy glint illuminated the area, and the palpable sword intent was enough to strike fear into anyone's heart. The flickering glow bathed the desolate backyard in a brilliant light.

A figure was hiding in the shadows, observing everything closely.

"Holy cow, this is incredible! Who said the Young Master was a good-for-nothing?"

Watching the sharp aura surging around Mu Feng, Jia Zhuangxian was stunned into silence.

Suddenly, Mu Feng opened his eyes and gripped the long sword tightly.

"Not only was the third stream of sword qi successfully condensed, but my cultivation has also advanced to the third stage of the Qi Condensation Realm."

"This sword technique is truly profound."

Mu Feng’s eyes were filled with pleasant surprise. After refining this sword, it felt like an extension of his own arm, moving with ease and without the slightest obstruction.

"Of course. Anything I give you is top-tier stuff," the fairy said, laughing smugly.

"It's a pity, though; the spiritual energy here is appallingly thin. Otherwise, you could have broken through to the fifth stage of Qi Condensation tonight. Relying on hard work without pills is still too much of a stretch."

Hearing this, Mu Feng nodded in agreement. He had once been at the peak of the Spirit Entry Realm; the mere Qi Condensation Realm held no bottlenecks for him. The only obstacle was the lack of available spiritual energy in the heavens and earth.

"Fairy, do you know how to refine pills?" Mu Feng asked curiously.

Since there was no hope of relying on the alchemy hall for training now, he might as well become an alchemist himself.

"No."

"Aren't you a fairy? You don't even know how to do that?"

"I used to practice swordsmanship. When would I have ever refined pills?" The fairy said, resting her chin on her hand and shaking her head.

"Then what do I do?"

Mu Feng felt a bit frustrated. If he wanted to participate in the assessment for the Taichu Martial Academy in three months, his current speed was definitely not enough.

*Hehe—*

"Although I don't know how, I have watched others do it. I can teach you the basics of refining Qi Gathering Pills and Body Tempering Pills," the fairy chuckled.

With a single tap of her finger, a vast amount of alchemical knowledge flooded into Mu Feng’s mind, including the formulas for Qi Gathering Pills and Body Tempering Pills.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Alchemy isn't as simple as you think. Thank me when you’ve actually managed to refine one," the fairy said with a smile before her form dissipated, returning to the jade pendant.

As soon as she vanished, Xiao Yu’s voice appeared in Mu Feng’s ear.

"Young Master, it’s time for breakfast."

Looking at the horizon, he realized dawn had arrived before he knew it. In the first-floor hall, five people were seated at the table, sharing their meal. Breakfast was simple, consisting only of porridge and steamed buns.

"Young Master, please don't mind this humble fare. Business has been poor lately, so this is all we have to eat," Jia Qian said with some embarrassment. He felt bad that the first meal Mu Feng had after arriving was so meager.

Mu Feng didn't mind. He was only concerned about Xiao Yutong. The fairy had instructed him to make sure she was well-nourished, and eating only this wouldn't do.

"Uncle Qian, here is some silver. Take it and buy more meat and vegetables. Also, get me some medicinal herbs," Mu Feng said, handing over a money pouch and two pill formulas.

Looking at the formulas in his hand, Jia Qian was surprised. "Young Master, are you planning to refine pills?"

"I want to give it a try. Use as much of the silver as you need," Mu Feng smiled.

"Very well, I'll go now." Jia Qian took the pouch, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and headed for the door.

"Uncle Qian, take us with you! The Young Mistress and I aren't familiar with the area yet, so it’s a good chance to learn the way," Xiao Yu said with a grin. Xiao Yutong reached out and grabbed Mu Feng's hand, seeming to seek his permission.

"Go ahead, it's good to get out more."

Seeing everyone preparing to leave, Jia Zhuangxian grew excited. "I'm going too! I'm going too!"

"You're not going anywhere, you little coward!" Xiao Yu scolded him as she left the hall. Jia Zhuangxian didn't take offense and just followed along with a grin.

Once everyone had left, the alchemy hall fell silent. Mu Feng sat cross-legged and began to circulate his sword technique.

It was unclear how much time had passed when loud shouting suddenly erupted from outside the gate.

"Young Master! Young Master!"

Xiao Yu rushed back, panting, her hair disheveled and her clothes covered in dust.

"What happened?"

"The Xiao Family Alchemy Hall! They accused the Young Mistress of stealing pills and have detained her..."

At the same time, outside the Xiao Family Alchemy Hall, a dozen shop assistants armed with sticks had surrounded Xiao Yutong and her two companions.

"Holy cow, whoever has the guts to come over, I'll crack your skull open!" Jia Zhuangxian held a brick in one hand and a dagger in the other. Beside him, Jia Qian held a long staff, shielding Xiao Yutong tightly behind him. Behind them, Xiao Yutong was trembling with fear, curled up on the ground in a state of utter panic.

"Xiao Li, even though our Mu Family Alchemy Hall has fallen on hard times, we aren't thieves. What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to force a confession?"

Among the crowd, a middle-aged man in a long robe holding a folding fan sneered coldly.

"Heh heh, if you didn't steal, did the pills missing from my Xiao family just grow wings and fly away?"

"If you didn't steal them, let me search you, and we'll see."

With that, Xiao Li’s sinister gaze locked onto Xiao Yutong, revealing a hint of greed. His subordinates began to jeer.

"If you didn't steal them, just strip off your clothes, and we'll know for sure."

"The Family Head has ordered that anyone stealing family property must be punished, regardless of status. Don't think that just because you used to be the Second Young Lady of the Xiao family, we'll let you off easily!"

The onlookers watching the scene couldn't help but look on with pity. A fallen young master is worse than a dog, let alone Xiao Yutong, who was already unwelcome in the Xiao family. It seemed this humiliation was unavoidable today.

"Search her? Who do you think you are to search the Young Mistress? I advise you to let us go, or you'll regret it when the Young Master gets here!" Jia Zhuangxian was furious. For a servant of the Xiao family to search the Mu family's young mistress—if word got out, how would Mu Feng ever hold his head up?

*Bang!*

A heavy kick landed squarely in Jia Zhuangxian’s chest. Blood sprayed from his mouth, his weapons fell, and he collapsed to the ground.

Xiao Li retracted his foot, gently waved his folding fan, and looked at him with mockery in his eyes.

"What kind of stray dog dares to bark at my Xiao Family Alchemy Hall?"

"Damn you, I'll fight you to the death!" Jia Zhuangxian, fueled by rage, grabbed his dagger and charged recklessly at Xiao Li.

*He dares to come again?* Xiao Li hadn't expected Jia Zhuangxian to be so brave. Unfortunately, no matter how brave one was, without cultivation, they were nothing but trash.

"If you want to die, I'll grant your wish."

Closing his fan, Xiao Li swung it toward Jia Zhuangxian and delivered a powerful, heavy punch straight at his head.

"Zhuangxian! Run! You're no match for him!" Jia Qian shouted in alarm.

"Run now? Is it too late?" A ruthless glint flashed in Xiao Li’s eyes. He was determined to make Jia Zhuangxian suffer for this blow.

As the iron fist descended and everyone thought Jia Zhuangxian was about to meet his end—

*Ah—*

A shrill scream pierced the air.

Xiao Li’s hand had been severed, and blood was gushing out uncontrollably.

"My hand! My hand!"

The sudden turn of events left everyone frozen in place. A graceful figure had appeared before them out of nowhere.

It was Mu Feng!