Chapter 39: Peak Preparation
Time: Six Months Later.
Location: The Green Willow Courtyard.
Spring had come and gone, and the heat of early summer now baked the stone tiles of Green Willow City. The cicadas buzzed loudly in the trees, but inside Luo Feng's courtyard, a different rhythmic sound dominated the afternoon.
Scrape. Thump. Scrape. Thump.
Luo Feng sat on the porch, a cup of tea in his hand, watching the "training ground" he had set up in the garden.
His son, Luo Tian, was now nine months old.
A normal nine-month-old would be crawling, perhaps wobbling on unsteady legs, babbling for milk.
Luo Tian was not normal.
He was wearing a small pair of tiger-skin shorts (made from a beast Luo Feng hunted in the mountains) and a red bellyband. His limbs were chubby but firm, looking like lotus roots carved from white jade.
He wasn't crawling. He was stalking.
In his right hand, he dragged the Black Iron-Wood Saber.
The toy weighed five pounds. To an adult, it was a light club. To a baby, it should have been an immovable anchor. But Luo Tian dragged it behind him, the wood scraping against the stone path, leaving a white trail.
Scrape.
He wobbled forward on two legs, his balance aided by his unnaturally dense Iron Bones.
He stopped in front of a wooden dummy—a simple post wrapped in hemp rope that Luo Feng had planted in the ground.
Luo Tian looked at the dummy. His dark eyes narrowed. There was no childish curiosity. There was only focus.
He mimicked what he had seen his father do a thousand times.
He planted his feet. He twisted his tiny waist.
"Hah!"
It was a baby's shout, high-pitched and squeaky, but the intent was pure violence.
He swung the saber.
It wasn't a perfect arc—it was clumsy and horizontal—but the momentum was terrifying.
THWACK.
The iron-wood blade slammed into the hemp rope.
Crack.
The wooden post inside the rope fractured. The dummy shuddered violently, leaning to the side.
Luo Tian didn't smile. He frowned, looking at his weapon, seemingly annoyed that he hadn't chopped it in half. He adjusted his grip and dragged the saber back for another go.
"He's a monster," Luo Xia sighed, stepping out onto the porch with a tray of sliced fruit. She looked at her son with a mix of pride and maternal worry. "Most babies play with rattles. Our son plays with training dummies."
"He is preparing," Luo Feng sipped his tea. "Look at his stance. He naturally lowers his center of gravity. The Earth Spirit Root gives him stability. The Metal Spirit Root gives him the instinct to strike."
Luo Feng stood up and walked over to the boy.
Luo Tian looked up, his eyes lighting up. "Pa!"
"Good swing," Luo Feng praised, patting the boy's head. "But don't just use your arm. Use your hips."
Luo Feng demonstrated a slow-motion swing. Luo Tian watched, his eyes wide, absorbing the movement like a sponge.
The Peak of Layer 6.
While the son grew, the father did not stand still.
Six months of peace had been a blessing. With the Phoenix Spirit Pavilion acting as a cash cow, Luo Feng had unlimited resources.
He had consumed:
300 Flasks of Flame Blood Wine.
200 Flasks of Frost Spirit Wine.
Countless Spirit Rice meals.
His body was a furnace.
Luo Feng walked to the center of the courtyard. He handed the baby off to Luo Xia and stood alone.
"System. Status."
[Host: Luo Feng]
[Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer 6 (Peak)]
[Spirit Sense: 40 Meters]
[Physique: Sun & Moon Body (Tier 1 Complete)]
He was at the absolute limit of the Mid-Stages.
The Qi in his Dantian was no longer a mist or a liquid; it was a thick, viscous slurry of gold (Yang) and silver (Yin). It swirled heavily, pressing against the walls of his meridians.
"I tried to break through to Layer 7 last night," Luo Feng murmured to himself. "But the wall is solid."
Layer 7 (Late Stage) was a major bottleneck. It was the difference between a "skilled fighter" and a "Master." In Green Willow City, the Clan Elders and the Guild Masters were all in the Late Stages.
To cross it, he didn't just need energy. He needed a catalyst. Or... a battle.
He clenched his fist. The air popped.
Even without Layer 7, his Sun & Moon Body made him physically stronger than most cultivators. His skin was tough enough to deflect normal steel. His blood was rich with vitality.
"I am strong enough to protect this yard," Luo Feng assessed. "But the city..."
The Whispers.
Later that evening, Fatty Wang arrived.
He didn't come through the front door. He used the secret alley entrance, looking over his shoulder.
He looked richer than ever—his rings were now Spirit Jade—but his face was pale.
"Brother Luo," Wang sat down heavily, wiping sweat from his forehead. "The tea is hot."
"Speak," Luo Feng said, feeding Luo Tian a spoon of Iron Mush.
"The Alchemy Guild," Wang lowered his voice. "They have stopped attacking us. They have stopped sending spies."
"That sounds like good news," Luo Xia said from the side.
"It is terrible news," Luo Feng and Wang said in unison.
Wang nodded grimly. "When a wolf stops circling, it means it is crouching to spring. I have contacts in the supply chain. The Guild has been buying Spirit Explosives and hiring Wandering Cultivators from the capital."
"They are done with small raids," Luo Feng concluded. "They realize the 'Masked Brewer' is too strong for thugs."
"There is more," Wang hesitated. "The City Lord is organizing the Grand Auction next month. It happens once every three years. All the major powers will be there. The Wang Clan, the Alchemy Guild, the Black Wind Bandits (in disguise)... everyone."
Wang looked at Luo Feng seriously.
"The Guild Master, Alchemist Liu, has been telling people he has a 'surprise' for the auction. Rumor is... he plans to unveil a new pill that will make our wine obsolete. Or... he plans to unmask us publicly."
Luo Feng fed the last spoon of mush to his son. Luo Tian chewed aggressively, then banged his spoon on the table, demanding more.
"The Grand Auction," Luo Feng mused.
It was a trap. Or an opportunity.
If the Guild tried to destroy the Phoenix Spirit Pavilion's reputation, they would lose their income. If they tried to kill Fatty Wang, they would lose their shield.
"We cannot hide forever," Luo Feng said calmly. "I am stuck at the Peak of Layer 6. I need a push. Maybe this auction has something I need."
He looked at Wang.
"Get us an invitation. A private box."
"You want to go?" Wang gasped. "It's a den of vipers!"
"I am a snake charmer," Luo Feng stood up. His aura leaked out for a split second—heavy, suffocating, and cold.
Fatty Wang flinched. He felt it. Luo Feng was stronger than six months ago. Much stronger.
"Fine," Wang gulped. "I will get the tickets. But prepare yourself. Alchemist Liu is Layer 8. And he has the backing of the main sect."
The Sunset.
Fatty Wang left.
Luo Feng stood in the courtyard as the sun went down.
Luo Tian was crawling on the grass, chasing Little Gold (who was hopping around, taunting the baby). The massive Fire Crow would hop just out of reach, then nudge the baby with his beak, treating the future "General" like a clumsy puppy.
Luo Xia stood beside Luo Feng.
"It's coming, isn't it?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Luo Feng put his arm around her. "The quiet days are ending. The farm is full. The boy is strong. The preparations are done."
He looked at his hand. He summoned a ball of Sun Qi. It burned brightly, illuminating the courtyard.
"I have reached the peak of what I can do in hiding," Luo Feng whispered. "To protect you, to build a future for him... I have to step into the light."
Luo Tian finally managed to grab Little Gold's tail feather. The bird squawked in mock indignation but didn't fly away. The baby laughed—a rare, deep belly laugh.
Luo Feng smiled, but his eyes were cold as ice.
"Let them hold their auction. Let them plot."
He touched the hilt of his saber.
"I have an Iron Toddler, a Fire Spirit, and infinite resources. If they want war... I will buy their lives."
[End of Chapter 39]