"Let's try it out first."
Activating [Swordsman] effect.
Li Mugui muttered to himself.
In an instant.
He felt an invisible aura emanating from his body.
He stood up and walked to the glass mirror in the room.
His aura had undergone a complete transformation in the mirror.
His entire body was filled with a stern and formidable sword intent.
Like an unsheathed sword,
His sharpness was unmistakable.
Anyone who saw him would exclaim:
What an unparalleled swordsman!
"This effect is truly convincing!"
Li Mugui had to admit it, and then a hint of anticipation arose in his heart:
"Let's try this [Universal] effect."
BOOM!
In a flash!
A terrifying aura suddenly surged out of his body!
A mysterious and profound imagery began to coalesce.
The next moment.
A three-foot-long green sword appeared, hanging in mid-air behind Li Mugui.
The sword concealed its sharpness, storing power without releasing it.
This was the manifestation of imagery possessed by martial artists at the Universal realm.
"Impressive."
Feeling the oppressive aura that made him feel alarmed, Li Mugui praised.
The martial arts in this world were divided into seven realms:
First realm - Foundation Building, Second realm - Furnace Cleansing, Third realm - Universal Manifestation;
Fourth realm - Harmonious Union, Fifth realm - Divine Body, Sixth realm - Dharma Manifestation;
And the Seventh realm, known as the Heavenly realm.
Previously, in the territory of Feiying City, Li Mugui's father was the undisputed master, suppressing all the powerful families and demons in the city with his sole power!
How did he do it?
It was because of his martial power at the third realm, the Universal Manifestation realm!
With this effect, combined with his acting skills, it was not impossible to intimidate those powerful families...
However, what if they became desperate and attacked?
Li Mugui pondered in his heart, glancing at the panel, and suddenly noticed something he had overlooked before,
The Real Effect function?
He frowned slightly, somewhat confused about the function of this effect.
The next second, a stream of information flowed into his mind.
"So that's how it is!"
Li Mugui was shocked by the information he received in his mind.
The so-called Real Effect function could transform virtual effects into reality!
But he only had one trial opportunity right now.
Still, it was enough!
Thinking about the power of the Universal realm, Li Mugui became excited.
Even if the powerful families became desperate and attacked in the end, he now had a means to protect himself.
Having witnessed Li Tai's battles, Li Mugui deeply understood how terrifying the combat power of a Universal realm martial artist was.
The gap between the second and third realms was like a chasm.
Li Tai could defeat three or four second realm martial artists with a single punch.
With this, he temporarily didn't have to worry about the threat from the powerful families.
With the identity of the Feiying City's lord, the resources he could mobilize were extremely abundant.
Combined with the extraordinary talents of this body, Li Mugui felt that he might even pursue the legendary Heavenly realm, where one could live for a thousand years.
TAP TAP TAP!
Just as Li Mugui's thoughts were wandering, a series of urgent footsteps suddenly sounded outside the room.
"Lord, Liu Yu has gathered a large group of powerful family members and is now surrounding the lord's mansion, saying they want to pay their respects to the late lord."
The panicked voice of Zhang Ji, the head of the lord's mansion, sounded outside the door.
"What?"
Li Mugui was taken aback at the news.
He didn't expect the powerful families to act so quickly.
It had only been a few days since Li Tai's passing, yet they had already made their move.
A cold smile appeared on the corners of Li Mugui's mouth.
If it were the previous Li Mugui facing the current situation, he would surely be at a loss.
But now...
He just wanted to say that their timing was perfect!
He had been waiting for the powerful families to come knocking on his door.
This time, he intended to show them a thing or two!
With that thought, Li Mugui prepared to leave.
But just as he was about to open the door, he suddenly noticed something.
He was only wearing a simple black robe.
This wouldn't do!
His instinct as a social media personality drove him to change his clothes.
He needed to wear something suitable for the upcoming performance.
Something dazzling and extravagant.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be enough to intimidate the evil spirits and demons in the city!
So he stopped in his tracks and said, "I see."
"However, I have just finished my closed-door training and need to bathe and change."
"Let them wait."
Zhang Ji looked troubled at this: "This... it might not be appropriate. Some of the powerful families have come to pay their respects. If we keep them waiting, it might aggravate the situation."
Zhang Ji, who was still willing to stay in the lord's mansion, had no doubt about his loyalty to Li Mugui.
Because of this, he was well aware of how dire the situation in the lord's mansion was.
Li Mugui's current attitude would only serve to provoke Liu Yu and the powerful families.
And that would make the situation even worse.
"What's inappropriate about it? Let them wait," Li Mugui said firmly.
As the lord of the city, he had to maintain some dignity. How could he hurry to receive the powerful families when they came to visit?
When Li Tai was still alive, keeping the powerful families waiting was a common occurrence.
"Yes," Zhang Ji reluctantly agreed, although he couldn't understand Li Mugui's reasoning.
...
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the lord's mansion.
"Do you mean to say that Li Mugui, my nephew, wants us to wait for him here?" asked a middle-aged man with a burly figure and dressed in a luxurious robe. He frowned as he looked at Zhang Ji.
This was Liu Yu, the leader of the powerful family alliance in Feiying City.
"Yes, the lord has been deeply grieved by the late lord's passing in recent days. He hasn't fully recovered yet. Now that you distinguished guests have arrived, he is hurriedly bathing and changing," Zhang Ji bowed and explained, choosing his words carefully.
"Hmph, what a grandiose display! Making his elders wait like this," sneered one of the powerful family heads who had come with Liu Yu.
"Indeed!"
"He's only just become the lord and he's already acting this way. What will he be like in the future?" the other powerful families also chimed in.
Zhang Ji looked at the commotion with a sullen expression.
When Li Tai was critically injured, they didn't come to visit.
When Li Tai passed away, they didn't come to pay their respects.
And now, they had come.
To divide up the lord's mansion.
On the other side, Liu Yu merely narrowed his eyes and silently observed the commotion.
He had heard rumors a few days ago that Li Mugui had mortgaged quite a few things to exchange for a Tongmai Pill from the Qianzhu Chamber of Commerce.
With this Tongmai Pill, it wouldn't be a problem for him to break through to the mid-stage of Furnace Cleansing realm.
But that was it; it wouldn't change the overall situation.
So what was he trying to achieve with this attitude?
Could it be that he had some other dealings with the Qianzhu Chamber of Commerce?
Thinking of this, Liu Yu turned his gaze to the elegant woman seated not far away, dressed in a fiery red dress.
She had fair skin, clean and translucent, delicate features, arched eyebrows, and almond-shaped eyes that glimmered charmingly.
She was Shen Bing, the head of the Qianzhu Chamber of Commerce in Liang'an Prefecture.
If that were the case, then things would be troublesome.
The Qianzhu Chamber of Commerce's business spanned across several prefectures, and its power was not comparable to that of the powerful families in Feiying City.
However...
Liu Yu thought of the one backing him and felt relieved.
With that person's support, no matter who came to help Li Mugui, it wouldn't make a difference.
A hint of chill flashed through his eyes.
He tapped the armrest of his chair, signaling for everyone to be quiet:
"Li Mugui asked us to wait, so let's wait for him," said Liu Yu.
"We have plenty of time, no need to rush."
Seeing Liu Yu speak, the other heads of the powerful families stopped putting on airs.
Shen Bing, who had been keeping a low profile, smiled wryly at the scene.
It seemed that this leader of the powerful families had complete control over the powerful families of Feiying City.
This was good, as it would push Li Mugui into a corner where he had no choice but to accept help.
Only then would the assistance of the Qianzhu Chamber of Commerce be truly invaluable.
Just as the people in the council chamber were scheming, a young man slowly appeared outside the door.
The young man wore a beautiful embroidered green robe, with a white jade pendant hanging from his waist. He had a three-foot-long sword on his left and a brocaded sachet on his right. His feet were shod in a pair of black boots with golden patterns, and his handsome and unrestrained face made him look like a god!
Li Mugui had arrived.