"That's certainly true."
Zheng Pandao, standing to the side, nodded in agreement, his expression filled with emotion.
As Li Chengfeng's sworn brother, he had been working alongside him during this time and had also gained considerable success.
Now, not only has he brought his nephew back and settled him in a stronghold, but his Lineage has also expanded as a result, with their profits increasing several times over.
It is to be expected that several more martial artists at the Channel-Opening Realm or even the Mud Pill Realm will emerge in the future.
This was all decided on a whim when he wanted to become sworn brothers with Li Chengfeng. How could he not lament the impermanence and unpredictability of life?
"As long as we can get past the next hurdle, everything will be fine, so it's really important for us to go back and cultivate."
Zhao Lie also spoke quietly, his face full of smiles.
He came from a humble background, Lineage was not very powerful. He was once known as the leader of the Black River Gang.
However, since these events, the Black River Gang has not only grown steadily, but has now become one of the branches of the Qinghe Gang.
Even his hometown has prospered again. Like Li Chengfeng, he built a house and rebuilt his home.
Although he didn't have many children, he had two sons, and with the help of some relatives, supporting the family wasn't a problem.
Furthermore, with the improvement of one's cultivation and the rise in status, one's mood naturally becomes pleasant.
However, he was different from Sun Qing and Zheng Pandao, who did not have to directly face the Third Prince's forces. As the second-ranked figure on the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, and one of the two prodigies of Green Mountain City cultivated by Li Chengfeng.
Although Jian Wuchen's appearance snatched away his chance to become one of the two prodigies, his influence was still considerable. He would inevitably have to face the forces under the Third Prince's command alongside Li Chengfeng and get involved in this major event.
He wasn't sure what would happen, so his smile concealed a heavy heart.
Li Chengfeng smiled when he heard what the three said.
After chatting with them for a bit, they didn't linger and returned together to the fortress the Qinghe Gang had built by the lake.
The fortress was built on a very large site, covering an area of about 100 acres.
The outer city wall was one zhang thick and five zhang high, all built of brick and stone.
The foundation is incredibly solid, and after two months of construction by a group of martial arts cultivators operating machinery, it is now more than half complete.
The numerous tunnels inside have been excavated, and many arrow towers, watchtowers, and houses and pavilions have been almost completed.
After entering the fortress, they each returned to their respective residences within the fortress to engage in secluded cultivation.
Although all four were in seclusion for cultivation, they each had their own differences.
Now that Sun Qing has reached the half-step innate realm, there is no need for him to continue ordinary cultivation. Therefore, he now mainly focuses on the practice of Visualization Method.
As for Visualization Method practice, half an hour of practice per day is already the limit.
Therefore, he handles most of the external affairs that he cannot manage.
Zheng Pandao and Zhao Lie both had low cultivation levels. Unlike Li Chengfeng, Zhao Lie did not have resources like the Aperture-Nourishing Elixir, so he could only rely on the resources of the Qinghe Gang to cultivate.
Even with the help of these resources, progress in cultivation is not particularly fast.
After two months, he's only at the early stage of the Aperture-Condensing Realm.
Therefore, he practiced diligently every day. In addition to accumulating internal True Qi by gathering energy in his acupoints, he also practiced martial arts and meditation techniques.
Most of the day is spent on cultivation, with only a small portion devoted to adjusting one's mind and body.
Zheng Pandao did the same. Unlike Zhao Lie, he did not directly become sworn brothers with Sun Qing. He only became sworn brothers with Li Chengfeng and Zhao Lie, and there was still a gap between him and Sun Qing.
So although he received some subsidies, he was still different from Zhao Lie. He had only barely reached the early stage of the Aperture-Condensing Realm, and he was even more diligent in his cultivation.
Moreover, he did not have the martial arts inheritance of the half-step Innate Realm like Zhao Lie, but only the martial arts of the Qi Aperture-Condensing Realm down in his family. However, it was still a rare item, and he studied and practiced it every day.
I only have a small portion of free time each day, as I also have to deal with miscellaneous matters related to my Lineage and fish farming business, so I can say that I am quite busy.
Only Li Chengfeng was relatively free.
He spends half an hour every day practicing meditation, Three Peaks Visualization Diagram.
Because of the unique nature of the Visualization Diagram, people of all levels can only practice for one hour. Beyond that time, they will feel their soul freeze and be unable to continue practicing.
Therefore, one hour is the limit, at least that's how it was before reaching the Innate Realm.
After completing an hour of mental cultivation, he swallowed a Aperture-Nourishing Elixir. After digesting it, he waited for the medicinal power to nourish his acupoints before practicing martial arts. The time was perfectly aligned.
Furthermore, because he digests pills extremely quickly, he can devote more time to practicing martial arts.
Once he has completed the tasks of raising the Treasure Fish, recruiting iron guards, and training sentries, and the framework is in place, these tasks will no longer require him to devote his energy to them, allowing him more time for cultivation.
Therefore, even though the Brocade Sword Art was a martial art at the half-step innate level, it progressed rapidly in his hands.
And so it went on until a month later...
[Skill: Brocade Sword Art ]
[Level: Perfect]
[Effect: Splendor of Heaven and Earth (The sword strikes like thunder, its brilliance like a tapestry of blooming flowers)]
[Skill: Sky-Piercing Sword Art ]
[Level: Perfect]
[Effect: Sword Aura (Unleashes Sword Qi, sharp as a gale)]
[Skill: Swift Rain Swordsmanship ]
[Level: Perfect]
[Effect: Sword Rain (Swords move with the speed of a torrential downpour, penetrating everywhere)]
[Skill: Thousand-Mile-a-Day Step ]
[Level: Perfect]
[Effect: A Thousand Miles a Day (long-distance raids, swift as the wind)]
[Skill: Falcon Step ]
[Level: Perfect]
[Effect: Flash (Close-range dodge, as fast as lightning)]
"Phew~"
In the courtyard, Li Chengfeng looked at the skill information in front of him, let out a long breath, and smiled.
I've finally maxed out the Brocade Sword Art!
As for the meaning of the "sword strikes like thunder, resembling a tapestry of flowers and brocade" in the Brocade Sword Technique...
Li Chengfeng's eyes flickered slightly, and the precious sword he had obtained from the Embroidered Uniform Guard was drawn from its sheath and slowly slashed open in front of him.
"Splash..."
In an instant, the true essence within his body, driven by his spiritual power, intensely mobilized the surrounding Heaven and Earth Essence Qi), and a dreamlike sword light, like the sunset, was born and swept past his eyes.
After the sword light disappeared, an invisible Sword Qi silently appeared in the air, capable of injuring anyone who touched it, and killing the weak.
This dazzling sword light, as brilliant as the sunset, is the essence of the Brocade Sword Technique.
It has a nice-sounding name, but in reality it is a top-level sword technique that kills without shedding blood.
As for the remaining Sword Qi in the air, that is the drawback of a half-step Innate Realm sword technique.
Unlike Innate Realm sword techniques, which allow for free manipulation of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, sword techniques inevitably leave traces of Sword Qi in the air after a sword move is used.
It seems mysterious, but in reality, it is a defect caused by insufficient level of understanding.
However, its destructive power is immense.