In just half a month, Ah Qing's practice sessions had gained widespread attention. More and more elderly enthusiasts came to watch and join in.
By the end, every morning from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and every evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., over three hundred elderly practitioners gathered at Shuishang Park’s exercise square to follow the young girl’s sword training.
Ah Qing thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
"Is this really happening?" Li Xiaofei was somewhat astonished.
Even now, he still couldn’t fully comprehend Ah Qing’s swordsmanship. It looked incredibly simple. There were no overwhelming bursts of energy. Yet, it had one unbelievable trait, it could kill.
No matter who the opponent was, be it an ordinary person or a top-tier expert, they would never survive more than the second strike of her bamboo sword. Perhaps this had something to do with Natural Art?
Ah Qing’s swordsmanship had originated from this profound technique, emphasizing following nature’s flow and gradual accumulation before an explosive release. Maybe the mundane, human atmosphere of Earth No. 1818 was actually an essential factor in her cultivation. Li Xiaofei felt at ease seeing Ah Qing immersed in her training.
On that day, he suddenly received a call from police officer Zhang Hongjing.
"Team Leader, we’ve encountered a bit of trouble. The organization is hoping you can step in."
"Sure. What’s the situation?"
"The Jiepeng Nation's Superhuman Exchange Delegation has arrived in Great Xia for a diplomatic visit. The leadership wants you to attend the exchange event."
"Jiepeng? That tiny island country? Do they actually have any experts?"
"Jiepeng’s Sword Saint Oniba Henzō is leading the delegation. The man is a Sky Level powerhouse. His exact abilities are unknown, but his swordsmanship is said to be peerless. Even before the era of superpowers, he was hailed as the greatest swordsman of the East."
"Oh? The swordsmanship of Jiepeng? Fine, I’ll attend. Give me the time and location?"
"Three days from now. Jinshi City Olympic Stadium, 8 p.m."
"Good. Send a car to pick me up."
After hanging up, Li Xiaofei began to ponder.
On his original Earth, the first nation to ally with Eden was the Jiepeng Empire. Could it be that in Earth No. 1818, Eden was also starting its infiltration through Jiepeng?
That nation had a strange innate servility, making it particularly easy to manipulate. This exchange event would be an opportunity to see if Jiepeng was truly involved with Eden.
That night, Miss Fan hosted a pool party at her mansion, inviting many famous actresses as guests. Li Xiaofei recognized several instantly. There were Li Bing, Lin Xun, Zhao Yan, Zhang Yi, and Wang Fei.
This puzzled him. Miss Fan had previously mentioned that she didn’t get along with these actresses. Their competition over resources and celebrity rankings had sparked multiple online feuds, with some of them being outright sworn enemies. Yet tonight, they were all here, attending the party.
"Master, do you want to join us in the pool?" Miss Fan, wearing a skimpy bikini and holding a water gun, called out to him from the first floor.
"No thanks." Li Xiaofei's voice came from upstairs.
Miss Fan giggled and said, "Don't be shy! Everyone wants to meet you. At least come down and say hello."
She then went upstairs and personally prepared swimwear for him. She tugged at his arm. "They're all top-tier beauties and famous national celebrities. Millions of fans dream of meeting them and you have a front-row seat to see them in swimsuits! This is a special treat just for you, Master. Give me some face, okay?"
Since she was insistent, Li Xiaofei finally relented. He changed into a pair of yellow-and-blue swimming trunks and followed Miss Fan outside to the pool.
As expected, the actresses were already in revealing bikinis, exposing their fair arms and long legs. The scene was quite visually appealing. Then—
"Who the hell are you?" A sharp, cold voice broke the moment.
Wang Fei, the short-haired, icy beauty, turned to look at Li Xiaofei. The instant she laid eyes on him, her expression darkened.
She snapped angrily, saying, "Who invited you here? Get lost!"
Miss Fan rushed to explain, "Sister Fei, don’t misunderstand! Mr. Li is my friend and the distinguished guest I wanted to introduce tonight—"
"I don’t care who he is or what his status is." Wang Fei cut her off sharply. "Little Fan, make him leave immediately. If he doesn’t go, I will."
She was unwilling to hear even one more word.
"Yeah, didn't you say this was a private girls-only party with no outsiders? Why bring a man in without even giving us a heads-up?"
Zhang Yi frowned, looking visibly displeased.
An expressionless Zhao Yan simply said, "This is boring. I'm leaving."
Meanwhile, Lin Xun, sitting by the pool with her feet kicking up small splashes, remained indifferent, not even sparing a glance for the commotion.
Miss Fan tried to explain further, but before she could, Li Xiaofei calmly said, "Enjoy your party. I'm heading back."
He immediately turned and left. He wasn’t particularly angry. Celebrities were extremely private, especially female stars. It was only natural for them to react defensively if a random chubby, pale man showed up at their bikini party. If there was anyone to blame, it was Miss Fan for not informing them in advance.
When she saw him walk away, Miss Fan panicked. She quickly chased after him, whispering, "Master, don’t be mad. I have a way to make them obediently crawl into your bed and apologize properly. That’ll surely make you feel better, right?"
Li Xiaofei was speechless. He didn’t bother responding, and simply went upstairs. Only then did Miss Fan retreat. She continued apologizing and calming down the others. She ensured that they stayed and eventually resumed their fun in the pool, laughing and playing under the villa’s night lights.
Huang Xu was among them, but she was like a completely different person compared to a few weeks ago. Her skin was radiantly fair, glowing like the most flawless porcelain, without a single blemish. Her figure had transformed entirely. She was now far more voluptuous and curvaceous, her cup size increasing from a B to a full C+, yet still perfectly firm and perky.
Dressed in a bikini, her body was near perfection. There was no excess fat and her abs were defined. She had a lifted, round backside and flawlessly proportioned legs with elegant muscle tone.
Even her aura had shifted. She became ethereal and otherworldly, giving off the impression of a fairy who had descended into the mortal world.
As a heiress of a wealthy corporate empire, Huang Xu had many connections in the entertainment industry and was well-acquainted with celebrities. The actresses present had all met her before. But before, while she had been undeniably beautiful, she had never looked this stunning.
This isn't something medical aesthetics could ever achieve. Zhang Yi secretly observed her and quickly reached a conclusion in her heart.
As a top-tier actress, she had far surpassed Miss Fan in both quantity and quality of film projects. Her international recognition was also leagues beyond Miss Fan’s. However, a woman’s greatest and most eternal enemy was always the same: time. No matter how breathtaking or peerlessly beautiful one was, no one could escape the blade of time’s erosion.
When Zhang Yi had first risen to fame, she had been praised for her delicate and ethereal beauty. She was hailed as the epitome of eastern elegance. But in the past two years, she had felt it creeping in. Fine lines had appeared on her face and her skin lost some of its youthful elasticity.
Anxiety had begun to creep into her heart. Youth fades quickly and beauty withers too soon. Having spent years navigating the ruthless world of fame and fortune, she knew this simple truth. To maintain beauty is to maintain one’s career. To maintain beauty is to maintain status and wealth.
Only by preserving her looks could she continue thriving in the industry, raking in massive profits and holding her position in the world of fame.
Recently, there had been a quiet rumor spreading within the industry. It was said that Miss Fan had, by sheer luck, discovered a reclusive master of traditional Great Xia medicine. This reclusive master was rumored to be able to enhance a woman's natural beauty and restore her youthful glow.