Chapter 1765: Chapter 1765: A Far Cry from the Past
"What’s this kid’s strength?"
Jin Manlou looked at Li Feng. The kid hadn’t shown his cultivation level, but earlier, under the imposing aura of him and Liu Qinghou, he remained calm, which suggested he had some skills.
Of course, it was also possible that this kid had some treasure on him to resist their aura. After all, he was generous enough to spend a hundred thousand Golden Spirit Stones, enough to purchase many spiritual treasures forged by masters.
"If he’s the kid Ling’er mentioned before, he should have condensed his Golden Core by now. It’s only been just over a month since then, so his strength should still be at the early stage."
Liu Qinghou raised his eyebrows. The duel between Tong Ling’er and him was on the eighty-something floor of the Heaven Tower, and at that time, he hadn’t yet formed his Golden Core. However, passing the hundredth floor of the Heaven Tower would earn him the tower’s reward, and ascending the Heavenly Ascension Stairs might bring some opportunities.
Many Perfect Foundation Establishment cultivators would challenge the hundred floors of the Heaven Tower and then use its mechanism to seize the opportunity to form a Golden Core. Anyone able to pass the tower’s test would generally emerge having achieved this, and it was a widely accepted consensus.
"If he’s at the Golden Core Early Stage, then there’s nothing much to worry about. Although our Little Shopkeeper has also just achieved the Golden Core, she used some resourceful secret treasures to enhance her Golden Core. Now, her Golden Core has advanced to the Ice Soul Golden Core, inherently imbued with Ice Soul Coldness."
"Moreover, her Sword Box was custom-made by a master craftsman at the request of our shopkeeper, perfectly fitting her Sword Control Technique."
"Not to mention that after her advancement, her master also taught her a set of the Hundred Sword Manual. Although she hasn’t mastered it for long, she’s pretty much got the hang of it."
"With these three combined, our Little Shopkeeper may not be entirely certain to win, but I’d say she’s quite close to a sure victory."
Jin Manlou was confident in Tong Ling’er. Although she was somewhat spoiled by them and had a stubborn and willful personality, her innate talent and intelligence were undeniable. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have caught the eye of an Elder from the Sword Control Pavilion, one of the top ten sects, and been taken as a personal disciple.
Beside her, Jin Furong nodded, "Let the Little Shopkeeper give it a try. It’s best if she wins, and even if she doesn’t, we’re here. We can’t let the Little Shopkeeper suffer."
Liu Qinghou, hearing their words, was not entirely at ease. They made valid points. The Little Shopkeeper, Tong Ling’er, was indeed the apple of everyone’s eye. To assist her advancement, the shopkeeper didn’t hesitate to seek out the precious Millennium Ice Silkworm Soul.
Tong Ling’er lived up to expectations, successfully integrating the Millennium Ice Silkworm Soul and transforming her Golden Core into an Ice Soul Golden Core, naturally containing Innate Cold Qi.
Combined with her newly acquired Hundred Sword Manual and this Hundred Sword Box, theoretically, she had no reason to lose. Yet, this kid who dared to show up at the notorious Tongfu Inn was no ordinary character.
Last time, when he went after him, the kid had managed to escape, leaving Liu Qinghou somewhat resentful. Knowing full well that Tongfu Inn was like Dragon Pond and Tiger Cave, he still appeared fearlessly.
This kid certainly had some guts.
Would he challenge Tong Ling’er without a certain level of confidence?
However, his understanding of Li Feng was limited, all based on what Tong Ling’er had mentioned.
Li Feng’s background was unknown to the Tongfu Inn. After all, Li Feng had managed to slip away under Liu Qinghou’s nose to the Sixth Ring, and Tongfu Inn wasn’t aware of it. Even if they were, they’d have stayed guarded.
Tong Ling’er didn’t even know Li Feng’s name.
As such, the deeds Li Feng performed at the Sixth Ring and the events that transpired in West City’s Underground Palace City were unknown to those at Tongfu Inn. Even if they heard of something happening there, they couldn’t connect it to Li Feng.
"Hmm, dare to ignore me,"
Tong Ling’er glared at Li Feng, who acted nonchalant and even took a swig from his wine jug, practically dismissing her presence.
Tong Ling’er grabbed her Sword Box, opened its top cover, and with a thought, a short sword was summoned from the box with a dragon’s roar, breaking through.
Tong Ling’er extended her finger like a sword, pointing at Li Feng.
In an instant, the short sword shot out, covering the seven or eight meters to him in a flash, shattering the wine jug Li Feng held.
The coldness emanating from the sword’s blade instantly froze the jug’s wine into countless ice beads, cascading down as an icy sword towards Li Feng’s mouth.
However, as soon as the icy sword transformed from the wine into Sword Qi reached Li Feng’s mouth, he chomped down upon it.
Crack.
The instantaneously frozen wine shattered, and Li Feng looked down at the small shopkeeper, Tong Ling’er, standing opposite him.
"Humph, that’s just a warning. It’s still not too late to kneel and beg for mercy."
Li Feng smiled slightly, throwing aside the broken wine jug in his hand, "That doesn’t scare me."
"And as for getting me to kneel,"
"Are you dreaming too much? And it’s not even daytime now..."
"You... don’t believe you’ll shed tears until you see the coffin, do you?"
Tong Ling’er, slightly angry, bit her lip, slapping her palm on the Sword Box, "Sword Ten."
This Sword Box was a Spiritual Weapon, moreover, an upper Xuan Rank item, inscribed with numerous arrays, and its internal structure was marvelous. Tong Ling’er activated the Sword Box mechanism with her palm, and its triggers were immediately engaged.
The next second.
Swish, swish, swish...
The Sword Box, like a Taotie, spewed out ten identical silvery-white sharp swords, each as long as a chopstick, resembling saury.
Under Tong Ling’er’s Sword Control Technique, the ten swords revolved around her.
"Hundred Sword Manual·Sword Ten, Wandering Dragon Dance."
Tong Ling’er’s eyes flickered with a cold glint. Instantly, the ten swords were covered in frost exuding a chilling air, transforming into a dragon, with the Sword Light gleaming like dragon scales, surging toward Li Feng seated on the couch.
Li Feng’s eyes were sharp. Seeing the neatly arranged ten swords shooting towards him, he acknowledged there was something to them. Compared to last time at the Heaven Tower, the Little Shopkeeper’s strength had vastly improved.
Indeed, last time Tong Ling’er was only at Perfect Foundation Establishment; now she should have advanced to Golden Core, and her Sword Qi seemed to carry a trace of Ice Soul Coldness, reminiscent of the Innate Cold Qi Li Feng encountered on the Heavenly Ascension Stairs.
This chilling air not only lowered the surrounding temperature but was insidious. If it penetrated the body, one couldn’t avoid its influence.
Li Feng smirked, then let’s play.
Seeing the Sword Light Swinging Dragon approaching him in a split second, Li Feng rolled to avoid it at the crucial moment, elegantly dodging this Sword Dragon.
"Heh, can’t you aim properly? It seems you missed."
"Humph, don’t get cocky over there."
Tong Ling’er’s eyes shone with coldness. Did he really think her Sword Skill was limited to this? Then he underestimated her too much.
Tong Ling’er calmed herself, directing her mind.
The image of the ten small swords seemed to rise in her mind. Yes, now that she’s achieved Golden Core, things were different.
In the past, using Sword Control Technique required her to use a sword finger to manipulate, but now she had advanced to a higher level. By refining, she had integrated a trace of her Sword Intent into these swords, making them respond as if in sync with her thoughts.
She could control them at will.
Dare to underestimate me, just wait until you cry, Tong Ling’er thought, as the ten small swords traced a graceful arc in mid-air, stealthily attacking Li Feng from behind.
