One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 18 Showcase

Nie Lingfeng said no more, his eyes slightly closed, and he slowly adjusted his breathing. The Ice Heart Technique circulated naturally, his mind was clear, and the pure Xuanqing True Qi (which manifests as a special "Qi" in this world) cultivated from the Xuanwu True Scripture surged like a river in his meridians, yet he controlled it smoothly and effortlessly.

He moved!

Wind God Leg - Catching the Wind and Shadows!

He didn't use his full strength, only about thirty percent of his true energy and speed. Even so, his figure blurred instantly! It wasn't a simple straight-line dash, but rather he left several indistinguishable pale blue afterimages in the arena, like willow catkins scattered by the wind, their trajectories erratic and unpredictable. In a mere two breaths, he seemed to appear simultaneously in seven different locations on the arena, each appearance lasting only a fleeting moment. Before the last afterimage had completely dissipated, the real person had already silently returned to their original position. Only then did the powerful airflow generated by his movement spread out with a "whoosh," causing Xu Si's polo shirt to cling tightly to his body, his hair to fly backward, and the sandbags in the corner to sway gently.

Xu Si's eyes widened instantly, his previous nonchalant expression softening considerably. He blurted out, "Impressive footwork! That speed, that change of direction—absolutely incredible! It's on par with those speed-specialized superhumans in the company!"

Immediately afterwards, Nie Lingfeng planted his feet firmly on the ground, focused his energy in his dantian, and slowly raised his right palm.

Cloud-Dispelling Palm – Flowing Water and Drifting Clouds!

The palm strike began like a gentle spring breeze caressing willows, soft and yielding, utterly devoid of any harshness. But halfway through, the palm strike abruptly changed! The air in front of the palm seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, violently twisting and compressing, forming visible, solid, pale white air waves! These air waves piled up layer upon layer, surging forward with a roar, not scattered and dissipating, but highly concentrated, like cannonballs fired from a gun!

"Bang--!!!"

With a muffled thud, the shockwave slammed solidly into the specially made energy-absorbing wall ten meters away. A clearly visible palm print, about half a meter in diameter and several inches deep, dented into the dark gray energy-absorbing material on the wall's surface. The edges were perfectly aligned, the force controlled with exquisite precision. A subtle ripple rippled around the dent, slowly absorbing and dissipating the impact.

Xu San, who had been observing silently, adjusted his glasses, revealing a sharp gaze behind the lenses: "His palm strike is condensed to the point of being tangible, controlled at will, demonstrating exceptional skill. This is not merely a matter of great strength, but also a masterful command of 'Qi'."

Xu Si had now abandoned all his arrogance, crossed his arms, and stared intently at Nie Lingfeng, as if trying to see right through him.

Nie Lingfeng continued his movements, retracting his right palm and turning it into a fist, which he then held loosely at his waist.

Heavenly Frost Fist – Covered in Frost Marks!

This time, there was no grand display. Only a wisp of extremely pure, icy energy burst forth from his fist, not spreading outwards, but condensing into a thin, yet incredibly sharp, pale blue frost-like line of energy, shooting out like a sword! Wherever the energy line passed, the moisture in the air was instantly frozen, condensing into a fleeting frost trail composed of fine ice crystals, the "rustling" sound of the ice crystals falling to the ground clearly audible. The frost trail grazed the training dummy, instantly covering its surface with a thick layer of white frost, as hard as iron; it left a three-meter-long mark covered with a layer of crystalline ice on the specially made material, radiating a chilling aura.

Xu Si paused slightly.

Finally, Nie Lingfeng removed the Snow Drinking Blade from his back, which was wrapped in cloth. The cloth slipped off, revealing the ancient, heavy scabbard covered with frost patterns. He did not draw the blade, but instead held the scabbard with his left hand and firmly gripped the sharkskin-wrapped hilt with his right. He closed his eyes and slowly poured his Xuanqing True Qi into it, attempting to achieve a deeper resonance with the ancient, frigid spirit within the blade.

The Six Secrets of Frostbite—A Glimpse of Startling Cold!

The sword remained unsheathed.

But a chilling sword intent, seemingly emanating from the depths of the netherworld, erupted like a tidal wave centered on Nie Lingfeng! The temperature in the training ground plummeted in an instant; breath turned to mist, and thick, shimmering white frost rapidly condensed on the walls, floor, and equipment surfaces. Even the metal weapon racks in the corner emitted a faint crackling sound. Nie Lingfeng's eyes snapped open, a flash of icy blue lightning appearing in them. He made a feinting slash forward with his right hand, gripping the sword—

"Stop!" Xu Si's pupils shrank sharply as he sensed something was wrong and shouted loudly!

However, it was still too late.

An invisible, intangible, yet terrifyingly cold and sharp blade of energy shot forth from the unsheathed tip of the Snow Drinking Blade! Wherever the energy passed, the air froze and tore apart, emitting a piercing shriek! The specially crafted energy-absorbing ground was plowed with a grimace, creating a terrifying trench about ten meters long and half a foot deep, its edges smooth as a mirror and covered with thick, solid ice, as if a hot knife through butter! The energy, its momentum undiminished, slammed violently into the distant energy-absorbing wall!

"boom--!!!"

A deafening roar, several times more muffled than the previous Cloud-Dispelling Palm strike, exploded! The entire wall trembled violently, and the energy-absorbing material on its surface caved inward, creating a terrifying crater over a meter in diameter and nearly a foot deep! At the center of the crater, even tiny cracks appeared in the energy-absorbing material! Centered on the crater, a thick layer of ice spread rapidly across the surrounding walls like a spider web, instantly transforming one side of the training ground into an ice cave! The biting cold made Xu San, standing at the entrance, shiver involuntarily.

The training ground was in complete disarray.

The sandbags were shaken so violently they tilted to one side, the wooden dummy leaned precariously, and weapons clattered and fell to the ground. The shocking icy trench in the ground and the huge icy crater in the wall silently testified to the terrifying power of the attack. The air was still filled with a lingering chill and a faint dust of ice crystals.

A deathly silence.

Xu San and Xu Si stood rooted to the spot, their gazes fixed on the icy ditch and the crater in the wall, remaining silent for a long time. Only the hum of the air conditioning system working diligently and the occasional soft sound of ice crystals peeling away could be heard.

Nie Lingfeng slowly exhaled a breath of white air, looked at the "masterpiece" in front of him, scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, and said with a sincere apology in his tone: "Um... Fourth Brother, Third Brother... I'm sorry, I... I've tried my best to hold back. Really."

Xu Si seemed to be startled by these words, turning his head stiffly to look at Nie Lingfeng. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was a little dry: "You... call that last move... 'trying to hold back'?"

"Yes." Nie Lingfeng nodded, his expression serious but also a little apprehensive, like a child worried about causing trouble. "I was afraid... afraid of collapsing the house, so I only used about... 50 or 60% of my power? Maybe even less."

In reality, he didn't even use half of his full power. He didn't even employ the force of "Strong Grass in the Wind" with his Wind God Leg, nor did he unleash the overwhelming power of "Overwhelming Force" with his Cloud Dispelling Palm. His "Frosty Snowfall" of the Heavenly Frost Fist only revealed a small part of its freezing range. As for the Six Secrets of Arrogant Cold… the first secret, "A Glimpse of Startling Cold," is known for its simplicity, speed, and single-target damage. The later techniques, such as "Three Feet of Ice," "Snowy Cellar," "Peach Blossoms," and even the final "Cold Blade, Icy Heart," have a wider range, more varied forms, and a deeper chill. If combined with the full power of the Snow Drinking Saber, it wouldn't be impossible to completely freeze this training ground or even destroy its structure.

But he absolutely could not say these words now. That would no longer be a display of strength, but pure boasting and intimidation.

Xu Si stared at Nie Lingfeng's young face, which was filled with "innocence" and "apology," for a good ten seconds. Suddenly, he threw his head back and let out a loud, even exaggerated, laugh:

"Hahahaha! Old Hao, oh Old Hao! Hao Yi! You old fox! I, Xu Si, will take this favor! I'll take it big!"

He walked forward laughing, slapping Nie Lingfeng's shoulder hard this time, making Nie Lingfeng stagger. "Good lad! You're really something! Your combat strength is definitely above the temporary worker level in any region! No! I think it's tougher than many veteran temporary workers! That sword intent and chilling aura, tsk tsk, amazing!"

Xu San appeared more calm and meticulous. He walked to the icy ditch, squatted down, and gently touched the crystal-clear, hard ice layer at the edge of the ditch with his white-gloved fingers. He then looked up and carefully examined the terrifying pit and the spreading frost on the wall. Finally, his gaze returned to Nie Lingfeng, his eyes behind his glasses filled with inquiry.

"Xiao Feng," Xu San spoke slowly, his tone calm yet incisive, "your 'Qi,' or rather, the energy you've cultivated, has a very special attribute—extreme 'cold.' This matches the characteristics of the technique you're using. But…"

He paused, his gaze sharp: "When you were circulating your cultivation technique just now, especially when you activated your sword intent at the end, I vaguely sensed that there seemed to be another 'Qi' of completely opposite nature dormant within your body—extremely hot and explosive, like magma. Can you explain that?"

Nie Lingfeng's heart skipped a beat. As expected of Xu San, his mind was meticulous and his perception was so sharp! He actually managed to detect a trace of the fire attribute aura brought by the Qilin marrow amidst that complex energy burst.

Before he could decide how to phrase it, Xu Si suddenly stepped sideways, blocking him and Xu San. Although he still had a smile on his face, his eyes clearly conveyed a sense of restraint: "Third Brother!"

He interrupted Xu San's question, his tone casual yet authoritative: "Xiao Feng just arrived, he must be tired from the journey, and after demonstrating for so long, his Qi must have been depleted considerably. There are some minor details we can learn about later, no need to rush."

Nie Lingfeng was taken aback. Was Xu Si... protecting him? Was he worried that revealing too many of his trump cards would attract unnecessary attention or trouble? But Xu San was his own brother and a core member of the branch's leadership; what was there to hide?

Immediately, he recalled Xu Si's almost obsessive protection of Feng Baobao in the original work, as well as his seemingly rough but actually meticulous and extremely loyal personality. He immediately understood that once Xu Si recognized someone as one of his own, his protectiveness and loyalty would even extend to interfering with his own brothers' "official business."

This genuine and unpretentious protection warmed Nie Lingfeng's heart. He decided to be at least partially honest with himself.

"Third Brother's perception is correct." Nie Lingfeng stepped out from behind Xu Si, calmly meeting Xu San's probing gaze. "There is indeed another power within me, leaning towards the fire attribute. This is... well, an additional effect brought about by a rather special innate physique, similar to an innate superpower, but not exactly the same. However, I mainly cultivate the cold-type martial arts passed down in my family, so I rarely use this fire attribute ability actively, and I can't say I'm proficient in it. Usually... I just use it to start a fire, grill fish, heat up dry rations, etc., for convenience." He tried to downplay it, simplifying the extraordinary nature of the Qilin Marrow into an ordinary "physique".

Xu San and Xu Si exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised surprise in each other's eyes.

He was born with powerful fire-attribute energy (superpower), but he didn't use it. Instead, he cultivated the completely opposite cold-attribute martial arts to such an astonishing level? And judging from this, the fire-attribute ability is just a "portable lighter" in his eyes?

What kind of talent and temperament does this kid have?

Several seconds passed before Xu Si processed the information. He then wrapped his arms around Nie Lingfeng's neck again, shook him vigorously, and burst into laughter: "Impressive! Truly impressive! You've been hiding your true strength, and you have a lot of cards up your sleeve! But that's good! The more cards you have up your sleeve, the wider your options, and the longer you can survive in this business!"

He paused, then, remembering the important matter, asked, "By the way, Xiao Feng, what are your specific plans for the future? Are you going to first familiarize yourself with the company headquarters and get some basic tasks, or...?"

Nie Lingfeng had already prepared his answer. Upon hearing this, he showed a thoughtful expression, then said with a hint of reminiscence and longing, "Fourth Brother, Third Brother, I really want to go back to Shandong first and take a look. Although Master said that there is no one left in the family, and I don't know which city or county they are in, Shandong is, after all, my 'ancestral home' on the forms I filled in. I thought that since I've come down the mountain, I should at least go to that land, take a look, even if it's just to smell the local customs, it would be... it would be like truly returning to my 'hometown,' giving Master and any relatives who might still exist an explanation."