Since she had already been recognized, Xiaolongnü saw no need to deny it. She peeled the disguise from her face, revealing a jade-like countenance of pure, otherworldly beauty. Shen Biqun, standing nearby, was instantly struck dumb. She had always been proud of her beauty, but now she realized that every one of Song Qingshu's women was more beautiful than the last, and the pressure on her was growing greater and greater.
"Didn't you teach me the Ageless Spring Skill last time? And the Muscle-Tendon and Bone-Forging chapter from the Nine Yin Manual? I've practiced them for some time, and I feel that my inner strength has improved considerably." Xiaolongnü spoke as though she were discussing something unrelated to herself, her voice as cool and detached as ever.
Song Qingshu finally remembered. No wonder her qinggong is so good. The Ancient Tomb Sect's qinggong had always been peerless in the martial world. In the original tale, Xiaolongnü had been able to compete with Iron Palm on Water in qinggong without falling behind. Her only limitation had been her somewhat shallow inner strength, which left her weaker over long distances. Now that her inner strength had improved, her qinggong no longer had any weaknesses.
Combined with her elusive Jade Maiden Heart Swordplay, even if she fought one of the Five Greats head-on with real blades, the outcome would still be uncertain. She would no longer end up as she had in the original tale, battering the Golden Wheel Monk and the Mongol Three Heroes into a miserable state, only to be targeted in the end because her inner strength was inferior.
"By the way, who was that Daoist with you?" Song Qingshu recalled how intimate she had seemed with another Daoist earlier. Though he knew that person was most likely disguised as