49: The hidden junior brother

Inside Qingyun Hall, Xuan Yangzi stared at Li Xuanfeng and Shen Jinghong, his fingertip tapping lightly on the table.

“Xuan Feng, your current Middle Stage Purple Mansion Realm is quite good.”

He suddenly spoke, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s.

“But during the Grand Competition, at most, only reveal the strength of the Late Stage Core Formation Realm.”

Li Xuanfeng was startled: “Master, why?”

Xuan Yangzi tapped the table.

“You only need to get first place; there’s no need to expose all your trump cards.”

Li Xuanfeng understood, bowed, and said: “Disciple understands, and will not disappoint Master’s trust.”

Xuan Yangzi turned to Shen Jinghong, his tone even more serious: “Jinghong, you must hide even more.”

The young girl was puzzled: “Disciple is currently at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, do I also need to…”

“You only need to let them see Body Tempering Realm ninth level.”

Xuan Yangzi interrupted her.

“You just joined the Sect not long ago; there’s no need to astonish everyone right away. Keep your strength hidden; there will be plenty of opportunities to use it in the future.”

Shen Jinghong gripped her sword hilt and responded softly: “Disciple will remember.”

Xuan Yangzi looked at the two and suddenly smiled: “By the way, you two should also go to Zizhu Peak and tell Xiao Ruobai that I invite him to participate in the Grand Competition as well.”

The Spiritual Qi on Zizhu Peak was as thick as unmelting honey. As soon as Li Xuanfeng and Shen Jinghong stepped onto the stone stairs, they felt the spiritual power in their Dantian cheering.

Xiao Ruobai was practicing boxing in the bamboo forest. Each punch and kick carried fierce War Qi, but on the surface, it only showed fluctuations of Body Tempering Realm third level.

“Junior Brother Xiao Ruobai.”

Li Xuanfeng cupped his hands and smiled, “The Sect Master sent us to invite you to participate in the Sect’s Grand Competition.”

Xiao Ruobai stopped, wiped his sweat: “Me? With my cultivation level…”

“Junior Brother, there’s no need to belittle yourself.” Shen Jinghong was uncharacteristically gentle, “The Grand Competition emphasizes participation; just consider it an opportunity to interact more with fellow Disciples.”

The two exchanged glances, both seeing understanding in each other’s eyes.

Martial Uncle Gu’s methods were extraordinary; how could Xiao Ruobai only be at Body Tempering third level? He had probably already reached the Late Stage Body Tempering Realm, or even the Foundation Establishment Realm.

“Thank you, two Senior Brother and Senior Sister.”

Xiao Ruobai scratched his head, “I’ll go give it a try.”

Li Xuanfeng patted his shoulder: “That’s right! Who knows, you might even cause an upset?”

Then he suddenly rubbed his hands, his gaze subtly glancing towards the depths of the bamboo forest.

“Junior Brother Xiao Ruobai,”

He smiled gently, but his eyes secretly swept towards the direction of the bamboo house.

“Last time I came here, I was so focused on Cultivating that I forgot we Senior and Junior Brothers should be closer. How about… we spar a bit?”

Shen Jinghong nodded from the side, her fingers on the sword hilt moving slightly.

“I also wish to exchange a few Moves with Junior Brother.”

After they finished speaking, both tacitly held their breath, secretly peeking at Gu Changge at the entrance of the bamboo house.

Sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, falling on his plain white Daoist robe. He was leisurely peeling a spiritual fruit, as if he hadn’t heard them.

Xiao Ruobai was startled, instinctively looking at his Master.

Gu Changge lay on the long chair, the corner of his mouth curving into a half-smile.

These two youngsters, under the guise of sparring, clearly wanted to linger on Zizhu Peak to absorb more Spiritual Qi.

Xuan Yangzi had just visited yesterday, and today he sent his Disciples. They truly treated this place as a treasure land for cultivation.

“If you want to spar, then spar.”

He spoke unhurriedly, a purple crystal grape twirling between his fingertips.

“However, since you’ll be staying here, you two are responsible for lunch.”

Li Xuanfeng’s eyes lit up, and he quickly cupped his hands: “No problem! Although Disciple’s cooking skills aren’t superb, roasting a spiritual deer is my specialty!”

Both of them secretly breathed a sigh of relief — as long as they could stay in this Spiritual Qi-rich place, let alone cooking, they would gladly chop wood and carry water.

“Junior Brother Xiao, I observe that you are currently only at Body Tempering Realm third level. I won’t take advantage of you. I will suppress my cultivation to be the same as yours. How about we have a match?”

Li Xuanfeng’s spiritual power instantly converged around him, his aura steadily suppressed to Body Tempering third level, even the flow of his Qi and blood deliberately slowed, making him look no different from Xiao Ruobai.

“Then I will trouble Senior Brother for your guidance.”

In the clearing of the bamboo forest, Xiao Ruobai cupped his hands.

“Junior Brother, be careful.”

Li Xuanfeng let out a low shout, and a fist wind, carrying faint golden spiritual power, swept towards him.

He deliberately used the most basic “Mountain Splitting Fist,” but the Move contained the profound skill of the Purple Mansion Realm. It appeared fierce, but in reality, he held back three parts of his strength.

After all, the opponent only displayed the aura of Body Tempering third level; he couldn’t really strike hard.

Xiao Ruobai lightly tapped his feet, deploying Shadow Step, his figure evading the fist wind like willow catkins.

He didn’t draw his sword but clenched his fist, a faint golden glow appearing on his knuckles — this was precisely the basic Body Tempering fist from the opening of the War God’s Stratagem.

This fist technique seemed simple, yet each stance precisely corresponded to the meridian nodes of the War God Body.

The fist Moves were fierce yet contained agility, and as soon as he struck, he precisely seized the interval during Li Xuanfeng’s change of fist stance.

Li Xuanfeng was slightly surprised.

He had intended to go easy on his “Body Tempering third level” Junior Brother, but he hadn’t expected the opponent’s footwork to be so exquisite, not to mention his fist technique, which exuded a seasoned skill unbefitting his age.

His fist seemed slow, yet it always managed to preemptively block his space for changing Moves, as if he could predict his every action.

He quickly changed his Move, his fist grazing Xiao Ruobai’s knuckles, the strong wind it generated rustling the bamboo leaves.

Shen Jinghong stood by, observing the fight, her brows slightly furrowed.

Xiao Ruobai’s fist technique seemed unpolished, but the angles of his punches revealed a fierce determination, especially the shifts in his center of gravity during evasion, which were so steady, unlike a newcomer who had only practiced for a few months.

This kind of grasp of combat opportunities clearly came from the keenness honed through countless real battles — Martial Uncle Gu had indeed given him a lot of guidance.

In front of the bamboo house, Gu Changge held a teacup, watching the two entangled in battle.

Li Xuanfeng grew more and more astonished as he fought. He had deliberately suppressed his cultivation, yet Xiao Ruobai’s reaction speed and timing were even better than many Core Formation Realm Cultivators.

Within those seemingly ordinary fists, there was a force that could be retracted and released at will. He could clearly meet force with force, yet he chose to evade the substantial and strike the weak. This level of combat awareness was by no means something an ordinary Body Tempering Realm Cultivator could possess.

“Senior Brother, I can’t go on.”

After thirty Moves, Xiao Ruobai parried Li Xuanfeng’s fist with a punch, then retreated two steps, fine sweat beading on his forehead, displaying a perfectly timed look of exhaustion.

Li Xuanfeng gasped for breath and waved his hand, but a storm raged in his heart.

When their fists met for the last time, he distinctly felt a subtle War Qi emanating from the opponent’s fist. Although it was fleeting, it carried a sharp force that seemed to tear through the air — that was definitely not a power that a Body Tempering Realm Cultivator could possess.

It seems that being able to follow Junior Martial Uncle Gu is indeed not simple. This Junior Brother Xiao hides deeper than anyone else.

Especially that calm demeanor of “adapting to every Move,” which, rather than being a talent, was an instinct forged through countless struggles on the brink of life and death. This kind of foundation was likely superior to many older Disciples.

“Junior Brother is formidable.”

Li Xuanfeng praised him sincerely. Catching a glimpse of Shen Jinghong’s eager gaze, he smiled again, “How about Junior Sister also exchanges a few Moves?”

Shen Jinghong drew her sword, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground: “Please enlighten me, Junior Brother.”

She deliberately suppressed her spiritual power even lower, only revealing the aura of Body Tempering fifth level.

But after ten Moves, she also noticed something was amiss.

Xiao Ruobai’s footwork always managed to avoid the trajectory of her Sword Qi, and his occasional counter-attacks, though seemingly slow, carried a certain rhythm that forced her to divide her attention to respond.

Gu Changge looked at Shen Jinghong’s increasingly grave expression and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Did this girl think she could go easy by suppressing her cultivation?

Little did she know, Xiao Ruobai’s War God Body was inherently adept at fighting above its level. Even if he only displayed the Body Tempering Realm, his combat ability far surpassed others at the same stage.

Half an hour later, the sparring stopped.

Xiao Ruobai “tiredly” panted. Li Xuanfeng and Shen Jinghong exchanged glances, both seeing shock in each other’s eyes.

This trip to Zizhu Peak was not in vain; not only did they absorb Spiritual Qi, but they also discovered a deeply hidden Junior Brother.