Chapter 259: Bull Blade

"Catch it." Ning Wuwo's voice rang out from the underground workshop.

Li Xiaofei was momentarily stunned, but then he saw a purple light shoot out of the ground. Li Xiaofei quickly executed the Graceful Step of the Waves, flashing through the air several times before seizing the purple light.

The broad blade, faintly silver in color, had strands of purple electric currents flickering across its surface. It could feel its incredible weight in his grasp; in fact, several times heavier than the original bull horn it was forged from. Yet, to Li Xiaofei, it felt as light as a feather.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

The thick blade trembled violently.

Sizzle, sizzle.

Purple electricity started to spark at Li Xiaofei's right hand.

Damn it! I’ve already killed your original owner, and you still dare to resist me?

Li Xiaofei unleashed a surge of starforce qi.

The more you resist, the more excited I get.

An overwhelming amount of energy surged from him, instantly dispersing the purple lightning. He tightened his grip on the hilt and swung it casually.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Invisible blade energy sliced through the air. The small wooden building in the Xuanku Gang’s courtyard trembled briefly before collapsing like a stack of blocks.

Covered in dust, Ning Wuwo rushed out of the underground workshop and felt a wave of despair wash over him.

"My medicine room..."

He was speechless as he felt tears well up.

At the same time, Li Xiaofei subdued the rebellious bull-horn blade with brute strength. When it sensed his immense strength, the blade’s resistance faded, and it became completely docile.

Li Xiaofei finally took a closer look at the blade. The blade was exactly two meters in length, with a half-meter-long hilt. It was about forty centimeters wide and had a spine thickness of eight centimeters at its thickest point.

Since it was carved and polished from a single bull-horn of the Bull Demon star beast, it retained absolute integrity, with no visible joints or welds.

The guard of the blade was shaped like a bull demon’s open mouth with the long, broad blade extending from the mouth. The blade began narrow, like a goose feather and widened slightly toward the tip. Each side had three blood grooves running down its length.

What stood out the most were the five vortex-like, storm-eye engravings along the blade’s body. They were where the Inscribed Treasure Bones, the Thunder-Lightning Tempered Bones were embedded. Since the treasure bones were from the same source as the bull horn, they seamlessly merged into the blade’s structure thanks to Ning Wuwo's masterful craftsmanship. There were no visible marks of engraving or embedding.

The overall design was heavy and ancient, yet carried a hint of wild elegance.

“A fine blade!” Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but praise it as he held it aloft.

As a martial arts enthusiast with a love for blades and swords, this was the first weapon he could call entirely his own since arriving five hundred years into the future.

Li Xiaofei was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of confidence as he held it, like no obstacle was too much for him. Moreover, perhaps due to the resonance with the Bull Demon’s blood within him, the blade seemed to attune even further with him. It now felt like an extension of his body.

"Old Ning truly lives up to his reputation as a master of both medicine and weapon forging," Li Xiaofei praised. "This blade has no equal in Liuhe Base City."

Ning Wuwo’s face was still covered in dust, but a look of pride and satisfaction crossed his face. "After twenty years of not forging weapons, I’ve finally crafted the finest one of my life. It was worth it, worth it! Hahaha!"

Li Xiaofei then said, "Please, Old Ning, grant this blade a name."

Ning Wuwo waved his hand, "The owner of this blade is you, Brother Li. You should be the one to name it."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Li Xiaofei said, "This blade was forged from the Bull Demon’s horn and embedded with its Inscribed Treasure Bones. I’ll call it... Bull Blade."

Bull Blade?

Ning Wuwo almost stumbled at the simplicity of the name.

So casual?

However, upon further reflection, he found that the name had a certain depth, and an understated yet profound charm. It was uniquely fitting.

"Brother Li’s new blade is like adding wings to a tiger," Ning Wuwo remarked, seizing the moment to add, "The plan to unify the martial gang factions of the base city and claim the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader should be put into motion now."

Li Xiaofei responded decisively, "Set it for three days from now."

Ning Wuwo was overjoyed, "Then it’s settled. I’ll immediately reach out to my allies and start preparing the momentum."

"Good, I’ll leave everything in Old Ning’s capable hands," Li Xiaofei agreed readily.

Li Xiaofei had come to realize that Ning Wuwo was trustworthy, and he had already considered him a close friend, despite their age difference. Li Xiaofei was the kind of person who had no doubts about people once he trusted them. If he recognized someone as a friend, he would remain loyal to the end.

Li Xiaofei rode off on his motorcycle. Ning Wuwo stood in the courtyard, gazing at the collapsed medicine room with a small smile on his face. He knew that the person he had been waiting for had finally arrived. And that person was even more exceptional than he had imagined.

***

Li Xiaofei returned to the slums and, after some careful study, ordered a scabbard and iron case to be made for his new blade.

Just then, his phone rang. The young lady was calling.

"Hey, hero, where are you?"

"Just got home."

"Come pick me up, I need something."

"Sure, send me the address."

"I'm at the City Government Compound."

"Twenty minutes."

After hanging up the phone, Li Xiaofei first sent a copy of the Skyward Staff Technique to Chen Fei. Then he wasted no time and headed out. The way of both civil and martial arts requires balance between tension and relaxation. Taking some time to relax with his girlfriend was indeed a joyful event.

Soon, Li Xiaofei arrived outside the City Government Compound. The security measures had clearly been upgraded by several levels.

"Here, over here!"

Tan Qingying’s face lit up with a bright smile as she waved from afar. She wore a black pleated skirt, paired with a crisp white shirt and a small necktie. She exuded the youthful energy of a high school girl from five hundred years ago.

She ran up to Li Xiaofei and threw her arms around him in a big hug.

The young secretary from the city leader's office was already waiting by the door. When he saw this scene, he politely turned his head and pretended not to notice.

"Li... classmate, please follow me," said the young secretary, with a demeanor that was noticeably more respectful than before.

Li Xiaofei immediately understood that this meeting wasn’t just a casual date with his girlfriend. It was likely that he would be facing some questions from the city leader, or rather, his girlfriend’s father.

Holding Tan Qingying’s hand, he whispered playful remarks in her ear as they followed the secretary. The secretary remained silent as he courteously led them to the city leader’s office.

Just like last time, the waiting area was filled with officials and businessmen who were all clearly either rich or powerful. As soon as Li Xiaofei appeared, the entire room stood up in recognition.

"President Li!"

"Young and promising!"

"Do you remember? We attended the banquet together last time..."

One after another, faces filled with flattery greeted him.

These important figures, who were typically treated with the utmost respect, now bowed deferentially before Li Xiaofei. Li Xiaofei simply nodded in acknowledgment, not engaging in conversation, and walked straight to Tan Zhenwei's office.

The last time he was here with Chen Fei, he had waited outside the door for hours. But this time, he was ushered straight in. Tan Zhenwei stood up with a smile and personally came to the door to welcome him. This was the proof of his change in status.

After slaying the Bull Demon, Li Xiaofei had become the city's most prestigious new figure. Even the city's three top powers could not afford to show the slightest disrespect toward him now.

"Have a seat," Tan Zhenwei gestured toward the sofa, then personally picked up the kettle to brew some tea.

Tan Qingying, still holding onto Li Xiaofei’s arm, also sat down beside him.

"And why are you here? Didn’t you just say you had something to do?" Tan Zhenwei asked, looking at his daughter.

Tan Qingying, surprised, replied, "I didn’t say that."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn’t."

"Well, you can find something to do."

Tan Qingying was left silent. After thinking it over, she stood up and left the office, giving them some privacy.

Tan Zhenwei placed a cup of tea in front of Li Xiaofei, smiling warmly as he asked, "So, what do you think of my daughter?"