I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

Just then, a clear, cold voice came from behind.

"Young Master Lin."

Lin Xuanjing turned around.

Li Jin stood before him, dressed in a light purple dress, graceful and elegant.

Her gaze was calm, her expression serene, yet she possessed the air of a well-bred lady.

"Miss Li," Lin Xuanjing said with a slight bow.

"I've already witnessed Young Master Lin's marksmanship," Li Jin said calmly. "While I'm not skilled with the spear, I do have some knowledge of swordsmanship. I wonder if Young Master Lin would be willing to teach me a few moves?"

As soon as he said this, the surroundings fell silent.

The girls stared wide-eyed at Li Jin, then at Lin Xuanjing, their eyes filled with astonishment.

Lin Xuanjing was also taken aback.

He never expected that this seemingly gentle and quiet eldest daughter of the Li family would make such a request.

"I dare not presume to offer my guidance." He quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, "Sparring a few moves would be no problem."

Li Jin nodded and drew a soft sword from his waist.

The sword was as thin as a cicada's wing, and it gleamed with a faint silver light in the sunlight.

The people in the park quickly made way for an open space.

Lin Xuanjing did not take out his spear, but instead broke off a branch from a nearby tree and flicked it, making the branch taut and straight.

"please."

Li Jin didn't hold back either. With a flick of his sword tip, it transformed into a streak of silver light, aiming straight for Lin Xuanjing's shoulder.

Her swordsmanship was light and agile, like a butterfly flitting among flowers; seemingly gentle, but actually concealing deadly intent.

Lin Xuanjing shifted his feet slightly, dodging to the side, and lightly tapped the branch towards Li Jin's wrist.

Li Jin twisted his wrist, causing the sword to flip and deflect the tree branch, then thrust it towards Lin Xuanjing's chest.

The two exchanged blows, their swords flashing and spears clashing, dazzling the onlookers.

In just a few breaths, they had exchanged more than a dozen blows.

Lin Xuanjing nodded inwardly.

Li Jin's swordsmanship is indeed excellent, with a solid foundation and exquisite moves, making him a top-tier swordsman among his peers.

However, he did not use any power beyond the late stage of Qi Refining; he simply used tree branches to maneuver around her.

After a few more moves, Li Jin suddenly withdrew his sword and retreated.

"Young Master Lin truly lives up to his reputation."

Her breathing was slightly rapid, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes: "I admit defeat."

Lin Xuanjing laughed and tossed the branch aside: "Miss Li's swordsmanship is also quite good. If I hadn't had the advantage of speed, the outcome would have been uncertain."

Li Jin didn't reply, but simply nodded slightly, didn't press the matter, and turned back into the crowd.

The girls' gazes toward Lin Xuanjing became even more ardent.

In the central pavilion, Lin Xuanfeng remained seated, motionless, like a statue.

"Third brother," Lin Xuanqi said in a low voice, "would you like to go down for a walk too?"

"I'm not going." Lin Xuanfeng's voice remained stiff.

Why?

"...No reason."

Lin Xuanqi sighed.

Just then, a cheerful voice came from the garden gate.

"Young Master Lin! I heard you're a sword cultivator?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Sun Yun strode in, the short sword at her waist swaying gently with her steps.

Her gaze swept over everyone else and landed on Lin Xuanfeng.

"My name is Sun Yun, and I am Sun Zhiyuan's granddaughter."

She walked to the pavilion and looked up at Lin Xuanfeng:

"I've heard you're skilled in swordsmanship and have some knowledge of it, but I don't know any of those fancy sword techniques. The most straightforward and direct approach is to use brute force to overcome all methods. Do you dare to have a match with me?"

The entire room fell silent.

Lin Xuanfeng looked down at the girl standing in front of him.

She wasn't tall, but she stood ramrod straight, her eyes filled with fighting spirit.

He was silent for a moment, then stood up.

"Compare what?"

Sun Yun's eyes lit up: "Let's have a strength contest! You take one of my sword strikes without using any Foundation Establishment level power. If you can withstand it, you win!"

Lin Xuanfeng thought for a moment and nodded.

Sun Yun took a deep breath, raised her sword, and her spiritual energy surged around her.

The sword strike appeared effortless, but the sound of it cutting through the air was unmistakable.

The sword, imbued with immense force, slammed towards Lin Xuanfeng's chest!

"Thump!"

A muffled thud.

Lin Xuanfeng remained completely still.

Sun Yun's sword stopped three inches from his chest.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the thin layer of golden sword energy in front of her.

That wasn't the protective aura that only appeared in the late Foundation Establishment stage, but rather a barrier formed by the natural outward release of Lin Xuanfeng's sword intent.

"You..." She opened her mouth, "You didn't even use any force?"

Lin Xuanfeng looked down at her, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth: "You are indeed quite strong, but a sword cultivator cannot rely solely on strength; strength alone is not enough."

With that, he swung his sword, aiming directly at Lin Xuanjing, who was chatting animatedly with a girl in the crowd.

The opponent reacted quickly, dissipating the attack with a wave of their hand and easily catching the move.

Sun Yun paused for a moment, then suddenly grinned: "Interesting! I've decided to be your friend!"

Looking at her bright smile, Lin Xuanfeng's stiff expression finally relaxed a little.

Laughter gradually rose in the garden.

They all started discussing the moves they had just used.

……

On the other side of the pavilion, Lin Xuanqi was sipping tea alone, his gaze casually sweeping over the crowd.

He noticed a figure.

Unlike the other girls who surrounded Lin Xuanjing, Zhou Wanqing didn't join in Sun Yun's fun. Instead, she stood alone beside a cluster of spirit flowers, her head slightly bowed, seemingly studying the dewdrops on the petals.

She was dressed simply today, her moon-white dress making her skin look like jade, and her long black hair was tied up with a single jade hairpin, simple yet dignified.

Her profile was soft, and a faint smile always lingered at the corners of her mouth—just right, neither too strong nor too weak.

Is that Zhou Wanqing from the Zhou family?

Recalling his mother's instructions, Lin Xuanqi put down his teacup, got up, and walked over.

"Miss Zhou." He stopped a few steps away from her, cupped his hands slightly, and spoke in a gentle voice.

Zhou Wanqing raised her head, her calm eyes looking at him, and then gave a slight bow: "Young Master Lin."

"No need for such formalities."

Lin Xuanqi smiled and his gaze fell on the cluster of spiritual flowers.

"This is a Bixin orchid, which prefers shade and dislikes direct sunlight. It's suitable for planting here. Is Miss Zhou interested in it?"

Zhou Wanqing shook her head, then nodded: "I just thought they were pretty, so I took a few more glances. Does Young Master Lin also know a lot about flowers and plants?"

"It's not really research."

Lin Xuanqi truthfully replied, "It's just that we often cook spiritual dishes at home, which frequently require various spiritual plants, so over time I've come to recognize some of them."

The petals of this Jade Orchid, once dried and ground into powder, can be added to desserts to impart a delicate orchid fragrance and also to balance the greasiness of the spirit beast meat.

Zhou Wanqing was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Young Master Lin actually prepared the spiritual meal himself?"

"Occasionally."

Lin Xuanqi smiled and said, "My family loves to eat it, so I learned to make it. I just tried a new dish a few days ago, which is soup made with Yunmeng Spirit Duck, with some Bixin Orchid petals and a few slices of spirit ginger. The taste is not bad."

As Zhou Wanqing listened, the smile on her lips deepened: "Yunmeng Spirit Duck... is that the kind your guild sells? It's said that its meat has the effect of nourishing the internal organs and calming the heart fire."

"Exactly."

Lin Xuanqi nodded: "If Miss Zhou is interested, you can come and try it another day. However, I did make some pastries for myself today. Would Miss Zhou like to try some?"

Zhou Wanqing lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "I didn't expect Wanqing to be so lucky today."

Lin Xuanqi smiled and took out a small food box from his sleeve.

Inside, several pieces of emerald green pastries were neatly arranged, shaped like lotus leaves, as thin as cicada wings, and faintly exuding a delicate fragrance.

"This is a 'Jade Lotus Cake' that I made myself. It's made by steaming spirit rice with lotus leaf juice from Broken Star Lake, and it's filled with a thin layer of lotus paste. Please try it, young lady."

Zhou Wanqing looked at the exquisite pastries in the food box, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

Without hesitation, she stretched out two slender fingers, gently picked up a piece, brought it to her lips, and took a small bite.

The pastry melts in your mouth. First, the fragrance of lotus leaves spreads on the tip of your tongue, followed by the sweetness of lotus seed paste. The two flavors intertwine, neither bland nor cloying, just right.

She widened her eyes slightly and looked up at Lin Xuanqi: "This smell..."

"How is it?" Lin Xuanqi asked.

"It's very refreshing." Zhou Wanqing nodded seriously.

"It's not like an ordinary dessert; it's more like... eating the entire morning of Shattered Star Lake."

Lin Xuanqi was slightly taken aback, then burst out laughing.

The laughter wasn't loud, but it revealed a genuine sense of joy.

"Ms. Zhou's evaluation is better than what my family members say."

A faint blush rose on Zhou Wanqing's face. She lowered her eyes, took another bite of the pastry, and said nothing more.

Lin Xuanqi said nothing more, but simply stood beside her, looking at the cluster of Jade Heart Orchids with her.

A gentle breeze wafted by, causing the petals to sway softly. The delicate fragrance mingled with the lotus leaf aroma from the pastries, creating a harmonious blend.

Zhang Yizhi watched this scene from afar, fanning himself with a folding fan, and clicked his tongue in admiration:

"The eldest son of the Lin family certainly has good taste. The Zhou family's daughter is a renowned talented woman, proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy, painting, spiritual plants, and elixirs."

If it weren't for some past grievances between the Zhou and Lin families, someone would probably have already come to propose marriage.

Li Chengxi stood with his arms crossed, expressionless: "You seem to be well-informed."

"That's natural."

Zhang Yizhi closed his folding fan and turned his gaze back to the figure in blue in the garden:

"But I'd rather see the Second Young Master Lin make a scene than the Eldest Young Master Lin. Look at all those girls, they've practically surrounded him."

Li Chengxi didn't reply, but looked at Lin Xuanfeng, who was talking to Sun Yun in the distance, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

Clearly, the two were quite pragmatic, understanding who was in charge here, and had no intention of joining in the fun.

……

In the distance, Lin Xuanjing was surrounded by a group of girls chatting and laughing. He would occasionally glance at his eldest brother and third brother, his eyes full of mischief.

Lin Xuanfeng remained seated in the central pavilion, his hand resting on his sword hilt, but he had already begun chatting with Sun Yun.

Lin Xuanqi and Zhou Wanqing stood quietly by the flowers, one eating pastries and the other admiring the blossoms.

No one spoke.

Yet it felt more natural than any words.

Laughter still echoed in the garden.

……