This Clone isn’t your Golden Finger 24
This Clone isn’t your Golden Finger 24
Having been injured by Leng Junfeng’s Fist Qi, the leader of the black-robed men was at an utter disadvantage against the inheritor of Ancestor Allfist’s Heartfist Mantra.
It was true that the black-robed man was a mid acupoint opening master, but Leng Junfeng’s foundation was simply superior. Even compared to the disciples of first-rate sects in the Huang Realm, he is completely comparable. Coupled with his Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, mastery of fist arts, and Fist Qi, Leng Junfeng eclipsed the assassin’s leader in all aspects.
“Thank you, Senior, for intervening. Had it not been for you, I might have had a little trouble.” Leng Junfeng cupped his fist towards Fistslave. He had tried to extract information from the assassin’s leader, but he decisively committed suicide, leaving Leng Junfeng with nothing.
“I’m afraid I made a laughing stock of myself,” Fistslave said as he shook his head.
“How could Senior Fistslave be a laughing stock? Among Ancestor Allfist’s ten disciples, no one can claim more loyalty than Fistslave,” Leng Junfeng said.
Fistslave wasn’t just a name, but a title passed down since the time of Ancestor Allfist. As a descendant of one of the ten great clans, Leng Junfeng naturally heard of Fistslave. He just never expected that there was still a living descendant, one at the Acupoint Opening Realm at that.
“Senior, what do you plan to do now?” Leng Junfeng asked.
Fistslave looked around and then at Leng Junfeng. “If you don’t mind, how about allowing these old bones to follow you as a subordinate?”
“What, how could I allow Senior to lower himself like this?! Impossible!”
“Don’t be too quick to reject me.” Fistslave gazed towards Luoyan, where the Allfist Temple had existed for numerous years. “My clan has been dedicating our entire life, waiting for Lord Allfist’s successor. As the last one remaining, I’d thought I would die before fulfilling my clan’s last command, but you appeared. Truth be told, I don’t have much longer to live. At the very least, in my last years, I want to see what height Lord Allfist’s successor will reach. Can you not fulfill an old man’s last request?”
“This…” Leng Junfeng stayed silent and began to consider Fistslave’s proposal. Although both he and Li Qiu’ai were in the Acupoint Opening Realm, they were still far outmatched by the Teng Family and the current Li Dynasty. A third acupoint opening master would greatly boost their chances.
After discussing it with Li Qiu’ai, Leng Junfeng agreed. With a new follower, Leng Junfeng returned to base and began to consolidate and train. He was confident in defeating mid acupoint opening masters, but he dared not underestimate the Teng Family after the last clash.
Six months later, Leng Junfeng returned to Chang’an, towards the Teng Family again.
Unknown to Leng Junfeng, Fenghua was actually several hundred kilometers away, observing what happened using her spiritual sense. Although Leng Junfeng was able to use spiritual sense as soon as he entered the Acupoint Opening Realm thanks to being a foundation establishment disciple, it was still feeble compared to a core formation master like Fenghua.
Fenghua had regained her human form, and it appeared older by two or three years. It wasn’t just her appearance that changed but her injuries. Compared to before, she was actually around ninety percent healed, and once she fully healed, she would be able to step into the mid Core Formation Realm after undergoing the Minor Wind Tribulation.
‘Still, compared to when I just recovered enough to heal, the past five years were the fastest I have ever made. Is it because I wasn’t with that youngster?’ Fenghua thought. She smiled as she made a sinister laugh. “Oh Junfeng, oh Junfeng. This debt, I’ll make sure you repay it after you become an immortal, hehe.”
With Leng Junfeng in the Acupoint Opening Realm, Fenghua no longer had any scruples. She didn’t need to protect him in the dark constantly. Even while she was in Chang’an, she was secretly monitoring the acupoint opening masters of the Teng Family. As long as they had movements, she would send word.
It wasn’t difficult for Fenghua to do. She was primarily a spiritual cultivator, but the Primogenitor Flame Scripture had aspects of soul cultivation, primarily in the aspect of human will. It was a cinch for her to temporarily control a martial master to send a message.
Turning away, Fenghua returned to her hotel room in Luoyan. Compared to living in the wilderness, she still preferred living in a city with luxury and convenience. Sitting on her bed, she took out her lifebound artifact, and creases appeared on her forehead.
The dress that was likened to flames, the Heavenly Flame Garment, appeared to have been restored to its original appearance. However, that was only on the surface; Fenghua’s eyes could still see the numerous tears and holes throughout the dress.
She sighed. Even if she wanted to and had the required materials, it would take far too long to repair the Heavenly Flame Garment. More importantly, she didn’t possess the required strength.
Fenghua stared at her lifebound artifact for seven days and seven nights and continuously injected her qi into it. Finally, she sighed again. No matter how much true qi she injected into the artifact, there would be no more changes.
A decisive light flashed in Fenghua’s eyes. She shifted in a lotus position as three tails formed from her true qi of burning will materialized. Simultaneously, the temperature of the room dramatically increased but did not leak out thanks to the formation Fenghua erected.
Under Fenghua’s flames, the Heavenly Flame Garment began to change. The scarlet color began to recede and slowly took on a snowy tone. The burning red flames also turned colorless and invisible, but that didn’t mean they were gone. All around the garment, space seemed to twist and turn, and this was the result of the mirage created by heat.
Finally, the long trailing tail of the dress shortened, while the dress itself also shrunk until it perfectly fitted Fenghua’s current body. With a wave of her hand, Fenghua wore the new snow-white dress. Compared to before, although it lost much of its power, the Heavenly Flame Garment was no longer damaged, and its origin still remained. As long as Fenghua gathered enough material and had the strength, she could restore her lifebound artifact to its original rank.
“I didn’t expect to comprehend the Concept of Mirage while I was refining the Heavenly Flame Garment,” Fenghua said. It was a happy accident. She glanced down at the pure white dress. “It can no longer be called the Heavenly Flame Garment. It should be the Mortal Flame Garment now.”
The newly renamed Mortal Flame Garment used human will as its source and foundation. This was the first refinement, the second refinement would be to use the earthly will, and the third would be to use the heavenly will to refine it. Once all three were completed, it would become an immortal artifact.
Fenghua smiled and left her room. Outside, she raised an eyebrow when she saw the flood of people all squeezed inside the halls of the inn.
Despite Fenghua’s best efforts, the formation she set up was not anchored by anything, so the heat and qi occasionally leaked, alarming martial practitioners. Many people had gathered during the three months Fenghua was altering the Mortal Flame Garment.
When they saw Fenghua exit the room, they were shocked by her youthfulness. At the same time, they felt a sense of inferiority to the young girl and a certain intimacy that couldn’t be explained.
“Dare to ask, are you a celestial?”
In the Allfist Realm, when Ancestor Allfist propagated martial cultivation, information about spiritual cultivation also became known. As time passed, people eventually forgot about the spiritual path, and those that stepped onto spiritual cultivation became known as legendary celestials from heaven. The reason people thought Fenghua was a celestial was both in part due to her unique aura that seemed to above mortals, even martial practitioners, and the magical flames that leaked out.
For a moment, Fenghua had the thought of acting like an immortal descending, hoodwinking these country bumpkins. Just as quickly as the thought came, the thought disappeared. Although it would be fun to act like that, why did she need to pretend? She can completely use her strength to force these people to submit. Plus, it would raise unnecessary attention to her. Although Fenghua was mostly healed, the last ten percent was the most crucial. If she weren’t careful, her five years of hard work would be wasted.
Fenghua only scanned the room and disappeared in a flash of fire, disappointing the people who wanted to create a relationship with her. Especially those who had no talent in martial arts but still wanted to cultivate.
When Fenghua reappeared outside of Luoyan, she was over a kilometer away, but she turned around and waited. Not even five minutes later, an old man with burn scars all over his face appeared and glared at her.
“Yo, long time no see. How’ve you been?” Fenghua said as she wriggled her fingers in greeting.
“Come back with me to see His Majesty, or else face punishment.” The old martial grandmaster Fenghua had defeated in the Li and Gu Dynasty War said.
“Oh, His Majesty? You mean that the prince became the emperor. Tsk, tsk, quite lucky,” Fenghua said as she shook her head.
“Enough disrespect,” Gu Dulong’s orders already made him displeased, but because of his loyalty, he obeyed orders. However, Gu Dulong did say to take Fenghua back by any means necessary. If Fenghua didn’t comply, it was okay to be a bit rough.
The Gu Dynasty’s martial grandmaster took out two artifacts, a pair of gauntlets, one filled with a water aura and the other filled with earthly qi. Water restrained fire, and although earth couldn’t douse fire like water, it was also highly resistant. Obviously, he came prepared.
Fenghua’s lips quirked up. Even before she refined the Mortal Heavenly Garment, she was not afraid, much less now. Controlling her lifebound artifact, she floated into the air and out of reach.
The core formation master stood still as she watched with her the corner of her lips curve upward as the martial grandmaster charged forward. The gauntlet-shaped artifact of water stopped a centimeter away from Fenghua’s face as the martial grandmaster had a dazed look in his eyes.
Five minutes passed, and the old grandmaster regained clarity in his eyes. The first thing that he did was not reel in horror or continue his assault on Fenghua but prostrate himself.
“This one is guilty. Please punish me for daring to attack Master.”
“Mama!” A little boy about three to four years old ran and crashed into his mother’s legs.
The young mother wore her hair in a tight bun and a lilac dress. There was not a trace of a smile on her face as she picked up the boy, but love could be clearly in her eyes. The mother’s name was Wang Meilin.
“Jun’er, how many times do I have to tell you, don’t recklessly run around. You’ll hurt yourself.” The boy, Teng Jun, only covered his mouth and giggled and didn’t take Wang Meilin’s words to heart.
The door to the courtyard opened, and any trace of love in Wang Meilin’s eyes turned into cold hard hatred. In contrast, Teng Jun giggled happily and turned toward the door. “Papa!”
“Haha, has Jun’er been a good boy?” Teng Wuba laughed, his smile softening the stern features on his face. He walked forward and hugged Teng Jun, who scrambled out of Wang Meilin’s arms and ran into his father’s arms.
After talking with his son a bit, Teng Wuba told Teng Jun to leave and play with the servants. Afterward, he glanced at Wang Meilin and smiled kindly. “The Li Dynasty is already surnamed Teng in all but name. You better give up. Don’t even mention a little Leng Junfeng, even the Du Dynasty will fall soon enough.”
Wang Meilin’s body shivered. For the past five years after her forced marriage to Teng Wuba, she had been confined to this courtyard. Even birthing Teng Jun was against her wishes as she was drugged in order to conceive her child.
Wang Meilin glared at Teng Wuba. Not only was she trapped in this enclosure, but she was not allowed to meet anyone except Teng Wuba, Teng Jun, and the servants of the courtyard she lived in.
Teng Wuba took out a small pill bottle in his hand and said, “Do you want to ingest these yourself, or should I help you?”
Wang Meilin’s gaze snapped towards the pill bottle, and her face paled. She began to tremble as she backpedaled with undisguised fear and horror. Seeing this, Teng Wuba’s eyes turned frosty. His body disappeared.
When Teng Wuba reappeared, he was already in front of Wang Meilin, and a pill was forced into her mouth. Not long after, Wang Meilin’s eyes became cloudy, and her body became limp. If it weren’t for Teng Wuba holding her, she would have collapsed onto the floor.
Picking his wife up in a princess cradle, Teng Wuba brought her into the room, and as he did so, Wang Meilin’s face became incredibly flushed as if she had a fever.