Ji Xiaoxiao neither confirmed nor denied it, but simply put on a stern face.
Li Fei didn't reveal his purpose; the last syllable disappeared, and he shut his mouth.
The two walked through a long tunnel and arrived at a large training ground. The training ground was paved with square bluestone slabs of the same size. Inside, a group of young boys and middle-aged men were sparring, humming and shouting with great enthusiasm.
"The patriarch has arrived!" someone shouted.
"Master of the family." Everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully.
After praising the group of young lads for their hard work and study, Li Fei said, "Masters, today I have brought a master with me. Who would like to test his skills?"
Give it a try?
I really want to give it a try.
Ji Xiaoxiao smiled slightly, glanced around, and immediately understood why Li Jia had been fighting and losing. The strong men in the training ground were skilled in martial arts, but compared to the Gu family experts who were surrounding her, they were far inferior, and this was without even considering that Elder Tian had intervened.
Comparing goods will only lead to discarding them; comparing people will only lead to ruin.
"Master, I petition."
The person had barely been on the field for a short while when Ji Xiaoxiao kicked him away.
Once there was one, there was another; the martial arts instructors teaching martial arts in the training ground suffered one defeat after another.
"A Xuanwu Master." Li Fei's eyes sparkled, too excited to speak. Limited by his aptitude and innate talent, his martial arts and internal energy were mediocre, but he had developed a pair of discerning eyes. He had personally witnessed Ji Xiaoxiao's fluid movements, memorizing each strike; her profound internal energy far surpassed that of others. If… well, if they had her help, defeating the Gu family's Elder Tian would not be a pipe dream.
"I've made a fool of myself," Ji Xiaoxiao said modestly.
The defeated martial artists bowed to Ji Xiaoxiao and stepped aside.
On the other hand, three different rhythms of footsteps could be heard at the entrance of the underground training ground.
"Uncle Yuan, did you manage to beat her?" The person who asked the question was handsome with delicate features, long hair standing on end, and wearing a white robe, looking very much like an ancient scholar.
Uncle Yuan shook his head. "I'm no match for her."
"How could this be?" The scholar exclaimed in shock, his eyes bulging slightly.
"She moves with incredible speed and possesses profound internal strength, allowing her to fight for an extended period. Moreover, her martial arts techniques are unlike anything we've ever seen before. To defeat her, one would need either an unfathomable mastery to strike with absolute speed, as swift as lightning, to decide the outcome, or one to decipher her martial arts techniques and then fight to the death with unwavering resolve, only then would there be a slight chance."
Uncle Yuan's face was serious, his eyes gleaming with determination. "This young woman is truly formidable. If she joins the Li family, how could they possibly be without a chance of victory in the grand competition three years from now?"
The scholar had worked with Yuan Shu for many years and naturally understood Yuan Shu's feelings at this moment.
"Ah Yuan, calm down. Whether she is the one or not still needs to be verified by us."
Suddenly, the voice of an extremely aged goddess entered their ears. Uncle Yuan and the scholar trembled, their eyes wide with horror. They had forgotten their great-aunt again; damn it.
“Auntie, you’re right,” the two said in unison.
My great-aunt, the guardian spirit of the Li family. The Li family has been able to stand firm in the capital for so many years, thanks to her intimidating presence. No one knows how long she has lived; even the Old Man Tian is a generation younger than her.
"Let's go. We've been watching for a while now, it's time we gave her a try."
After Auntie finished speaking, the three of them appeared in front of everyone in the training ground in an instant.
"Grandma, Uncle Yuan, Brother Wen," Li Fei called out in turn.
The three bowed slightly to Li Fei, then turned and their gazes fell on Ji Xiaoxiao. Ji Xiaoxiao felt as if she were carrying a thousand pounds of weight, and her legs buckled slightly.
"The final boss."
Ji Xiaoxiao remained unfazed, straightened her back, and said, "Do you seniors wish to offer some guidance?"
The scholar went first and was defeated. Uncle Yuan replaced him, exchanged blows once or twice, and decisively conceded defeat. Only when the elderly aunt stepped forward was Ji Xiaoxiao forced back three steps, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, looking somewhat disheveled.
"I concede." It's wise to know one's own limitations. Her aunt's strength is superior, and stubbornness is not the solution. If Ji Xiaoxiao were to resort to a self-destructive tactic that would inflict heavy damage on both sides, she might achieve victory, but injuring someone of such high seniority would not be a glorious win.
"Young man, give me some more time, and even this old woman won't be a match for you." Auntie encouraged Ji Xiaoxiao, then slowly walked along, leaning on her cane. When she passed Li Fei, she paused, her mouth opening and closing, as if saying something to him.
Thus, the refining of true gold by fire officially came to an end.
Three days later, Ji Xiaoxiao received a formal invitation from Li Fei.
"Master." Ji Xiaoxiao put on the ring that belonged to the martial arts master who had left the family, signifying that she was now a person who had left the family in life and would be a ghost who had left the family in death.
Li Fei hummed in agreement and asked, "The Xuanwu Master, has he perhaps left?"
Ji Xiaoxiao looked ashamed and said, "Please wait a moment."
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