"I... I just wanted to see your carp leaping through the dragon gate! Hahaha! You train, I won't disturb you..." The scruffy old Taoist leaped away.
"Old fellow! You're a rotten old scoundrel!" Lu Fan stomped his foot in anger, realizing the old man seemed to have schemed against him quite a bit.
However, it was the first time he'd heard that practicing the Falling Blossom Swordplay required the Yan family's Breath Concealment Art. Could this swordplay also be a legacy of the Yan family?
Following the scruffy old Taoist's instructions, Lu Fan channeled his internal energy into the precious sword. *Swish...* The Falling Blossom Sword truly bloomed with a radiant light. *Swish...* The sword body emitted a piercing sword energy.
*Swish...* The sword moved with his will, and the energy surged with the momentum, leaving a feeling of cleansing the dust wherever it passed.
*Swish...* The twelve stone statues seemed to sense something and advanced towards Lu Fan, wielding their wooden swords.
*Swish... swish... swish...!* Twelve wooden swords attacked Lu Fan from different angles. m..oΓg
*Clang clang clang...* Lu Fan's precious sword danced, instantly engaging the twelve stone figures. *Swish swish swish...* Instantly, wood chips flew everywhere. In a moment, the wooden swords in the hands of the twelve stone figures all turned into wood shavings scattered on the ground.
*Swish swish swish...* The twelve stone figures returned to their original positions. Lu Fan smiled proudly, thinking how formidable his swordsmanship was. The force of each strike was just right, and the thickness of the wood shavings was almost uniform. Haha!
"Kid! You didn't use the Breath Concealment Art! Your training isn't about shaving all the wooden swords into shavings, but about not letting any wooden sword sustain damage! Also, I used residual碎玉石 (suìyùshí - crushed jade) to set up a spirit gathering array. Although it's not as good as the Yan family's spirit gathering array, the spiritual energy here will be much denser than elsewhere. Practicing here will be very beneficial for you." A voice suddenly came from an unknown direction. It was the scruffy old Taoist's voice.
"Not damaging the wooden swords? How is that possible?" Lu Fan was astonished. The precious sword in his hand could cut through iron as if it were mud.
"Silly boy! Any sword can cut a wooden sword in half, let alone the precious sword in your hand that can cut iron like mud. What's the point of your training then? Hmph! I want the wooden swords to remain completely intact. From now on, you must come here to train every day until you can keep the wooden swords perfectly unharmed." The scruffy old Taoist shouted in exasperation.
"Oh! Alright then!" Lu Fan shrugged, a slight smile on his lips. The old fellow was watching him from a stone cave next door. Humph! He thought he hadn't noticed! But the spirit gathering array was indeed a good thing. With the spirit gathering array, would it be easier for his spirit gathering bottle to collect spirit liquid!
*Swish...* Suddenly, another twelve wooden swords were thrown in. Lu Fan placed each wooden sword into the hands of the twelve stone figures, then used the Breath Concealment Art, channeling a surge of energy into the precious sword. The Falling Blossom Sword did not emit any radiance; instead, it seemed to grow dimmer.
*Crack crack crack...* The twelve stone figures attacked again. Lu Fan's precious sword met them, *crack...* a notch was cut into the wooden sword. However, the wooden sword did not break, which was a miracle given the precious sword's ability to cut iron like mud.
"It's working! Again!" Lu Fan and the twelve stone figures clashed once more.
...
By the time Lu Fan emerged from the stone cave, dawn was just breaking. Looking at the twelve wooden swords, all chipped and nicked, Lu Fan shrugged helplessly. It seemed this skill truly couldn't be mastered in a single day.
He calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and sensed. The scruffy old Taoist was no longer nearby. Lu Fan willed it, and the spirit gathering bottle appeared.
*Whoosh...* Streams of spiritual energy from all around formed a small whirlwind, converging into the spirit gathering bottle. Lu Fan rejoiced, placed the spirit gathering bottle beside him, and began to cultivate the Shennong Valley Longevity Art.
After completing one grand circulation, Lu Fan glanced at the spirit gathering bottle. It had already condensed a bottle of spirit liquid. This speed filled Lu Fan with immense joy. Hahaha! The scruffy old Taoist's spirit gathering array was truly set up perfectly.
Seeing that it was still early, Lu Fan remained still and continued practicing the Breath Concealment Art. After practicing the Breath Concealment Art for one grand circulation, Lu Fan slowly opened his eyes. He could now feel as if he were no different from an ordinary person. The power that had been surging within his body seemed to have vanished.
However, as long as he willed it, the power within his body would instantly surge like waves in a calm lake.
*Bang...* Suddenly, a muffled sound came from beside him. Lu Fan was startled. He turned to see that the spirit gathering bottle beside him had suddenly changed. What was once an ordinary-sized bottle had now grown three to four times larger.
Damn... This thing could even change like this? Lu Fan jumped up happily. Damn it! He wouldn't have to worry about a lack of spirit liquid anymore. Li Mantang wanted him to lead the villagers to prosperity, and now it was entirely possible.
The Bufan Group had already taken initial shape, and Lu Fan rarely inquired about its affairs. Village matters were mostly handled by Wang Yan and Taohua. The farm was managed by Old Man Wang. Old Man Wang was no longer the crooked fellow he once was; he had become a prominent figure in the village. Lu Fan had not only increased his salary but also put him in charge of recruiting farm workers. He was now equivalent to a farm director.
"Brother Fan! You've shattered my dream of raising pigs. What should I do now? You have to arrange something for me! Otherwise, I won't even have an excuse to eat fruit." Li Jingjing mumbled, following behind Lu Fan.
Having gone through many experiences with Lu Fan, Li Jingjing had truly grown up. Seeing others find work, she also wanted to do something. She couldn't keep relying on her father's money and Lu Fan's fruit to get by.
"Do you really want to do something?" Lu Fan asked, his eyes darting around.
"Of course, I do!" Li Jingjing said excitedly.
"Then... how about you go to the provincial capital to help Sister Ruyan manage the teahouse? You're so smart, it would be good for you to gain some experience in a big city," Lu Fan suggested.
"You want me to leave you... Ah!" Li Jingjing looked somewhat unwilling.
"It's not like that! I'll visit the teahouse when I have time! If you're willing to go, I can teach you some martial arts! You need to know how to protect yourself when you're out," Lu Fan quickly added.
"Okay! Brother Fan, then I'll listen to you!" Li Jingjing suddenly nodded.
"Then starting tomorrow morning, you'll come with me to practice every morning!" Lu Fan said.
"Okay!" Li Jingjing said joyfully.
With the construction of villas in Twelve Ravine Village, villagers from surrounding villages came to work there. The village had become much livelier.
"Manager Lu! You're here! Take this, I'll take you to see the construction site." Upon seeing Lu Fan arrive, Chu Xiangwei hurried over, holding a safety helmet.
"Chu Xiangwei! Who let him take away that sand, gravel, and steel bars?" Suddenly, Lu Fan frowned as he saw Zhang San from the village loading a four-wheeled cart with sand, gravel, and some steel bars from the construction site. He asked.