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Chapter 373: So Close yet So Far

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock

Under the heap of soil, Ling Tian's mouth was placed on the other end of the reed pipe, and he gently shut his eyes, sinking into deep rest. He had almost dried up his body, with his internal energy trickling in drops, and his inner core akin to a dried piece of sponge, as clean as a newborn baby. It was only after a while that his inner core began to heat up, with thin streams of energy slowly coalescing there and leisurely flowing out to his meridians. The energy began to heal Ling Tian's damaged meridians from the constant overdrive he was in, and slowly, the rivulets turned into a small stream in his dantian.

The meridians in his body jumped slightly, and the acupoints on his feet also warmed up and responded, as they began to take in the surrounding energy into his body to merge with his internal energy. It was akin to meeting a long lost friend, as both energies merged together and began to spread through his entire body.

The mortal shell connects to the heaven and earth, taking one's body as the Universe!

Under the relentless pursuit of Justice, it finally spurred Ling Tian to successfully stimulate his potential! Right now, Ling Tian's thoughts and spirit seemed to have reached a miraculous state of being one with the heavens themselves! This was akin to the Buddha himself achieving enlightenment on the spot, an opportunity that arose by accident because of his insistence in pushing forward!

While he was still underground, Ling Tian felt the changes in his own thoughts and senses. Upon revolving his internal energy, any and all movements within a few hundred feet were captured in his eyes, without a single detail being missed. The cry of birds and crickets seemed to sound directly beside him, and the meridians in his body all began to jump energetically as energy ceaselessly flooded his body. Like rivers flowing to the sea, all the energy poured into his dry dantian bit by bit. The irrigating XianTian energy in his body met with the energy from heaven and earth that he absorbed through his feet and split up, one moving down and the other going up towards the rest of his body. This formed a perfect cycle, that continued to revolve unceasingly...

While his mouth was still clasped around the reed pipe, Ling Tian had long lost the need to continue taking in the foul HouTian air, but rather had reached the XianTian stage of being back in his fetal state, where he only required energy. His entire mind was partly unconscious, and right now, he had completely and utterly merged with the heavens and earth, without any difference between them.

Time slowly slipped by...

Justice's figure appeared just like a passing cloud, floating by the patch of grass and forest.

Along this journey of pursuit, Justice had felt something strange in the last few days. He had long grasped all of Ling Tian's abilities, as well as his speed, but it seemed like that brat had not even stopped once the entire way!

As the saying went, 'A man's strength is finite, for he is not god after all'. Once a man had drained his energy, he would fall unconscious due to the lack of strength. This was especially so for a martial artist, for if he were to exhaust all the energy in his body he would enter a dangerous situation, as even a kid would be able to beat him up! This was similar to a billionaire who did not bring along any spare cash, and was unable to purchase anything on the streets!

Furthermore, since martial artists put more emphasis on burst strength, the moment they drained all their energy, this would mean that all the muscles in their body would not have even the slightest bit of energy left to move!

Ordinary people would meet a scenario known as 'energy depletion', but a martial artist's scenario was known as 'devoid of energy'! Both could not be explained in the same breadth, as an ordinary person's energy depletion could be recovered in two or three days, but once the martial artist became devoid of energy, if not handled properly, he might end up crippled forever!

If Ling Tian was really risking this sort of exertion to push himself along the way, then that was a definite death trap! But if he didn't use such a tactic, then how he could escape from Justice's grasp so many times?

Justice's eagle sharp eyesight scanned his surroundings once, and immediately could tell that Ling Tian had passed by here, and even stopped for a long time!

The problem was, why did he stop here, and what was his motive? More importantly, where was he now?

Justice's figure flashed through the forest, speeding through at an insane speed that would leave a person who saw it dazed, before slowly returning and standing at his original spot! Standing on top of a piece of rock, he started to frown.

If Ling Tian was at the side staring at him, he would have opened his mouth in shock! Justice's speed, direction, as well as route were exactly the same as what Ling Tian had taken into the forest before, without any deviation! It was as though he was repeating history by walking the same route again! As for the final position he stopped, it was exactly where Ling Tian had buried himself, with the rock above!

To think that such a miraculous pursuit technique actually existed in this world! No wonder Justice had scoffed at Ling Tian's bet to last for half a year! He was actually keeping such a skill as his trump card!

However, Justice right now was at a loss! Ling Tian's traces at come to a halt at this point, and Justice was thinking about whether Ling Tian had stopped here for a moment before choosing another place to escape.

However, pausing to utilize his senses, Justice found out that this was not the case! Justice could feel that Ling Tian had paced around this area for a few times, which resulted in a slightly stronger aura of his permeating this spot, but had somehow started to dissipate in all directions later on! This left Justice unbelievably puzzled.

Ling Tian had mysteriously vanished! Could it be that Ling Tian actually had an epiphany and comprehended the great martial path, allowing him to shatter the void and travel through space? Or else, why would such a situation occur? Even if he were to burrow into the ground or fly into the heavens, there would be some indication!

Along this pursuit, while Ling Tian appeared to have suffered a lot, the same went without saying for Justice! Being the pursued, Ling Tian had the advantage of pioneering the route, which would allow him to create feints and diversions, and give him the chance to slip from Justice's grasp. However, Justice had to recognize and overcome all the ambushes in order to get a clue as to where Ling Tian was headed! These few days, Justice felt as though Ling Tian had transformed into some sort of headless fly, leading him on wild goose chase round and round like a merry-go-round. They had circled the forests close to the Celestial Gathering City for a good five or six times before running into this particular forest!

Based on Justice's predictions, Ling Tian should be close to exhaustion, and should not have any resistance left. However, how did such an unreasonable scene happen?!

While the truth was not far away from Justice's predictions, that Ling Tian was already bereft of strength, the prerequisite was for him to first be found!

Justice's body swayed as he cast his gaze out over a hundred feet. This time, he strained his movement technique to the pinnacle and collapsed into a green haze as he breezed past the entire forest, scrutinizing every single tree and leaf as he did so. He then leaped up onto the canopy, and a purple aura surfaced around him as he began to activate his secret law, Heavenly Vision, Boundless Hearing!

In that instant, with a circumference of over a hundred feet, each and every movement was magnified and transferred into his ears!

Justice closed his eyes, and his senses extended to his maximum, making every single tree, every stalk of grass a part of his eyes and senses!

Ling Tian was in for another shock!

Just based on his previous hiding method, he would definitely be completely exposed in front of Justice under this supreme skill! If not for the fact that he had an enlightenment and had managed to enter the state of merging with the heavens as one, he would have long ago fallen into Justice's hands! Right now, Ling Tian had no way to retaliate!

The god of luck seemed to be following Ling Tian everywhere he went!

If Ling Tian had done more research and found out the nickname of Justice, even with his arrogance and confidence, he would never have set this bet with Justice! The nickname of 'Heaven's Way is fair, none shall escape the web of Justice' was not given for nothing! This supreme skill was one that even his bosom buddy Ye QingChen was unaware of!

So long as Justice locked onto a target, no one would be able to escape his clutches, everyone would be sentenced to justice in the end!

However, at this instant, the first anomaly appeared!

The Heavenly Vision, Boundless Hearing that had never failed him before was ineffective this time! For this matter, even if he were to mention it to his predecessors, probably none of them would believe him!

After a long while, with a 'kacha' sound, the clear sound of a branch snapping could be heard as Justice swooped down like a bird and landed on a rock.

His face was pale, and breathing ragged as an unnatural flush could be seen on his face. This supreme skill, while omnipotent, was not something that could be used willfully! Justice was still mortal after all, and even he would feel fatigue!

If it wasn't for the fact that he was sure Ling Tian had already fully exhausted his strength, he would not have activated such a skill if he knew he had to engage in a fight later on!

Justice could only sit down glumly and frown as he slowly pondered.

Never in his dreams would he dare to imagine that the target he was painfully searching for, Ling Tian, was actually comfortably nestled beneath the rock he was sitting on! If Justice were to find out, he would not even need to use much strength to finish him off. Simply applying some pressure on his butt would make this place Ling Tian's permanent resting grounds, never to show his face in this world ever again!

Chapter 374: XiMen Family

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

If Ling Tian knew that Justice was meditating just above his head, it would be impossible for him to concentrate and enter into the 'man and heavens as one' state no matter how calm he was! At that time, he would definitely be discovered, and death would be certain!

However, the matters of the world were just that mystical at times! Such a coincidence made one not know whether to laugh or cry!

A long while later, Justice finished his meditation and stood up, loosening up his muscles a little. Looking towards the distance, he let out a long sigh!

From the few days of chasing after Ling Tian, Justice could always feel Ling Tian's presence in his heart. No matter how Ling Tian escaped or used his puny tricks, Justice had always felt that victory was within his grasp and it was impossible for him to lose! But right now, it was the first time in his life where Justice felt that he didn't have a target!

To think that he would lose the target that he was chasing after! In Justice's eyes, this was completely unacceptable and shameful!

Justice paced around the rock for a moment as a thought flashed past his head. Ling Tian had been trying to enter the city for the past few days but was blocked by him. There were only two reasons for Ling Tian to want to go into the city; either Ling Tian had friends in the city to help him, or Ling Tian had something to do in the city. Regardless of which, Ling Tian would surely enter the city. Since that was the case, why couldn't he wait in the city for Ling Tian?

Having this idea in his mind, Justice did not delay any longer and shot into the air, disappearing like a gust of wind. His expression was calm and casual, as though the loss he had just suffered didn't affect him at all.

At this moment, Ling Tian was still immersed in the fresh martial arts realm and did not notice Justice's departure at all. At the same time, he was completely unaware that someone had been sitting on top of his head for such a long time.

***

In the Celestial Gathering City, the meeting hall of the XiMen Family.

The current Family Head of the family, XiMen WuYi was seated at the head of the table with his expression calm as his hand tapped on his kneecap in a rhythmic fashion. By his side was the number one general of Western Han, Marshal XiMen ChongTian! His face was filled with a curly beard, and he was obviously an uncultured individual.

Beside XiMen ChongTian were another three individuals. Two of them were white-bearded elders and were the only remaining Elders in the XiMen Family, XiMen Sheng and XiMen Kuang. The youngest individual was the adopted son of the Family Head, the only younger generation figure who had the right to enter this meeting: XiMen Sa.

Apart from these few individuals, there were seven to eight empty seats and no one else in the XiMen Family had the qualifications to enter this meeting!

XiMen WuYi let out a cough as he sadly lamented, "With second brother and the rest in the past, the meeting room would be extremely crowded and lively. However, who would have thought that there would only be the few of us left today and the others have already…" As he said that, he suddenly paused and turned his head away.

XiMen ChongTian let out a long sigh and comforted, "Big brother, they have already left us and you don't have to let the matter weigh on your heart any longer! The mastermind of all this is that little thief Ling Tian, and we must definitely capture him one day and tear him to shreds! We must definitely take our revenge for second brother and Qing'er!"

XiMen Sa also said carefully, "That's right, foster father, what third uncle said makes sense. You have to take good care of your body. If you were to fall, our XiMen Family would truly collapse."

XiMen WuYi turned his head around and let out a gratified smile, "Sa'er, rest assured. I will not fall so easily. However, my mood hasn't been good recently, and I haven't been tending to the family matters. All the small and large matters of the family have been on your shoulders, and it must have been tough for you." As he said that, even XiMen ChongTian looked at XiMen Sa and acknowledged him with a smile and a nod.

XiMen Sa's face turned red as he said uncomfortably, "Helping foster father to carry your burdens is this child's duty. How can there be any sense of fatigue? This child feels ashamed to receive such praises from foster father and uncle. If not for brother Qing meeting with an unfortunate incident, there wouldn't be a need for such a foolish individual like myself!"

XiMen WuYi let out a chuckle, "This child, everything about you is good except for being so shy. This old man and your third uncle are both your elders and there isn't anything wrong for us to praise you. Do you want us to beat you up with a stick instead for you to feel good?" As XiMen WuYi said that, everyone burst out into giggles and XiMen Sa's face turned even redder. At the same time, he also let out an awkward chuckle and seemed to be even more embarrassed…

XiMen WuYi then took up two strips of paper from the side and said with a solemn gaze, "The reason why I have summoned all of you here today is because of two important pieces of news. First, Northern Wei has used their Martial Order Medallion to request Beyond Heavens to kill Ling Tian! Ling Tian is now in the midst of escaping with his whereabouts unknown! Second, the little princess of the Yu Family and Ling Tian are officially engaged. Presently, the First and Third Elders of the Yu Family have led close to a thousand experts to send their dowry!"

"Con...piracy! This is definitely a conpiracy! The Yu Family is definitely cheming something!" On the one side, XiMen Sheng began to roar in anger. Over the years, he had fought the Third Elder of the Yu Family many times and had always ended up losing with a few of his teeth being knocked out. Thus, his hatred towards the Yu Family was already deeply rooted in his heart. The moment he heard the name of the Yu Family, he instantly flew into a rage! However, due to him losing a few front teeth, his pronunciation wasn't clear and he said 'conspiracy' as 'conpiracy'.

"Pu" XiMen ChongTian choked on the tea he was drinking on and began coughing. Only after a long while did he recover and say, "I say, First Elder, not just the Yu Family, who doesn't have a few strands of those? 1 I recommend you to say 'trick' instead."

XiMen WuYi let out a few heavy coughs and spat out a mouthful of phlegm with his face contorting. At the same time, XiMen Sa's face turned pale and he began to take in deep breaths. By the side, 'puchi puchi' sounds could be heard and XiMen Kuang was trying his best to hold in his laughter but with little effect.

XiMen Sheng's face turned red from anger as he pointed at XiMen ChongTian with his finger trembling, "This old (m)an isn't as dir(t)y as you. The Yu Family definitely has a (s)cheme and we must (g)uard against them!

XiMen WuYi began to cough again as he said, "Err, if First Elder has anything to say, you can add on after the meeting. Let me gather the opinions of the rest first, alright?"

XiMen Sheng seemed as though he wanted to say something else but eventually depressedly sat down on his seat.

XiMen ChongTian's chimpanzee-like face broke out in a wide smile as he added on, "Err, big brother, why (d)on't we (h)ear what First Elder has to say about the Yu Family's con(s)piracy? It would definitely be a good thing." He curled his lips up and mimicked the way XiMen Sheng would speak. By the side, XiMen Kuang could no longer hold in his laughter and burst out laughing. Even XiMen Sa could not help but lower his head giggling.

"Preposterous!" XiMen WuYi wanted to let out a roar to stop the laughing. But after shouting, he realized that even he could not stop himself from giggling and was slightly embarrassed.

Seeing how XiMen Sheng's mustache curled up in anger and was about to blow up, XiMen Sa quickly stopped laughing and said, "What does foster father think we should do? If the ambitions of the Yu Family are so huge and we ignore them now, even if the Yu Family cannot reach us now, it will only be a matter of time before we are in trouble. This is an extremely serious matter."

The moment he said that the awkward atmosphere in the room was dissolved and everyone's attention was brought back to the original topic. At the same time, everyone could not help but feel goodwill towards XiMen Sa for his good timing.

"No! The matters of the Yu Family can be delayed slightly." XiMen WuYi looked at XiMen Sa with praise. Then, a menacing glare shot out from his eyes as he clenched his teeth with hatred, "The most important thing would be for us to ensure Ling Tian's death in the hands of Beyond Heavens! Two of this old man's younger brothers, two of my biological sons, and the death troops that I nurtured for years were all destroyed in his hands! How can we not take revenge for such a hatred?! The opportunity in front of us is given by the heavens and even if I can't kill him personally, I have to seize his corpse at all costs and rip his body to shreds! I will make sure he can never enter the cycle of reincarnation!"

"That's right! No matter what, we should kill Ling Tian first to take our revenge before considering all other things!" XiMen Kuang said in agreement. Because of Ling Tian, more than half of their XiMen Family's strength was destroyed and the XiMen Family was in a dire state. If not for the military authority that XiMen ChongTian had and the miraculous merit XiMen Sa brought back from the battlefield, there would definitely be many other families within Western Han trying to hit them when they were down! As for how XiMen Sa managed to bring back such a huge merit, XiMen WuYi completely couldn't be bothered.

"Ling Tian's martial arts are top-notch and his thinking meticulous. Without Beyond Heavens taking action personally, it would be difficult for anyone else to deal with him." XiMen ChongTian said with a frown, "Even catching up to their speed would be an extremely difficult thing to do. How will we be able to determine his death and snatch his corpse?"

"That is easy," XiMen WuYi said, "there are many who have seen Ling Tian before and I have a drawing of him as well. We can split up our forces and search in all directions. As long as we can determine that Ling Tian appeared near our Western Han territory, Beyond Heavens won't be too far away! At that time, we would only need to delay Ling Tian for a while and give the Martial Order Medallion owner time to catch up. At that time, it will be impossible for Ling Tian to escape!"

"This old man is willing to lead the team." XiMen Sheng stood up and requested with his fists cupped. At the same time, both XiMen Kuang and XiMen Sa didn't back down either and stood up to make the same request.

Chapter 375: Storm in All Directions

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

"There's no rush." XiMen WuYi chuckled, "ChongTian, you have your military duties and there isn't a need for you to move out personally. This old man will have to stay in the family…Mmm… how about this, First Elder will lead twenty people from our family to search toward the north. Second Elder will lead twenty people to search toward the east. Sa'er, you will search toward the west. Your third uncle's military camp is near the western gate and you must maintain contact with your third uncle. Don't make any rash moves."

The four of them stood up and bowed, "We hear and obey the Family Head's orders!"

XiMen WuYi's face turned chilly as his gaze swept past the three of them, "The moment you find Ling Tian, block him at all cost! I don't need any of you to kill him, and you only need to delay for time! Even if all of our men were to die in Ling Tian's hands, we must ensure that Ling Tian will die in the hands of the Martial Order Medallion owner!"

Just when the XiMen Family was having their secret meeting and arranging their plans to deal with Ling Tian, all the other families that received news of this matter were also in the midst of planning.

After all, the Ling Family without Ling Tian was akin to a huge piece of fresh meat without any ability to defend itself. At the same time, it was also certain that the rumors of Ling Tian being a disciple of Beyond Heavens were definitely false!

A while ago, a large battle between Northern Wei, Sky Bearing, and Western Han broke out without any signs at all. While the battle was indeed a miserable one, it was extremely short and lasted a few days only. Before the various families had a chance to react and plan the insertion of their troops, the miserable battle had ended.

In just a short few days, there were tens of thousands of casualities and over 200,000 captured soldiers! While this battle lasted for only a short while, it had a huge impact on the situation in the whole world!

The Northern Wei army had launched 400,000 soldiers to face the 70,000 Sky Bearing troops but suffered a huge loss under the coalition of Sky Bearing and Western Han. Currently, it was impossible for Northern Wei to pick themselves up again! Regardless of whether or not someone was intelligent, it was obvious to see that Northern Wei was in a state where anyone could bully them!

As for the Sky Bearing Empire, while they were the victors, the unlucky emperor Long Xiang had failed in his scheme to uproot the Ling Family and was uprooted instead. At this moment, the Sky Bearing Imperial Family was there in name only and had lost all authority! All the authority of Sky Bearing was in the grasp of the Ling Family. Despite them retaining the name of Sky Bearing and even supporting Long Xiang's unborn child to become the emperor, everyone knew that this was no more than a stop-gap measure. It was only a matter of time before the Emperor's surname in Sky Bearing changed!

With the fall of the two empires, the biggest victor was the very target the three empires wanted to get rid of: the Ling Family! The unpredictable changes of the world were just so amazing!

However, the very thing that shocked all the Great Families was not the sudden rise of the Ling Family but Ling Tian's display in that battle! Rushing over from a thousand miles away and charging into the enemy's 400,000 army with five men to save his father! At the same time, he was able to grasp the perfect opportunity and use his less than 50,000 troops to score a victory against the 400,000 Northern Wei army and capture almost 200,000 soldiers! This battle had successfully created a god of death on the battlefield: Ling Tian!

If Ling Tian had revealed his outstanding talent when wiping out the XiMen Family in Sky Bearing, then this battle had caused his name to truly shock the whole world! He had become the individual that every family and empire felt wary toward! An expert like himself coupled with his talents in leadership was the talent that every empire sought to have. But if he was their enemy, he would be the number one target to get rid of! Apart from Beyond Heavens, what other sect or family in the world would be able to nurture such a well-rounded talent? Thus the rumor of Ling Tian being the disciple of Beyond Heaven.

Almost everyone was certain that the Ling Family and Ling Tian would definitely rise up in fame all over the world! Everyone could not help but curse Long Xiang for being foolish. If not for Long Xiang plotting against the Ling Family, the past 'silkpants' Ling Tian would never have risen up in revolt! Every power in the continent had been preparing for that very moment, to do everything in their power to prevent the rising of Ling Tian! The moment Ling Tian's foundations were set, it would be the demise of every other power. However, in everyone's heart, Ling Tian was a disciple of Beyond Heavens, and none of them wanted to be the first to stand out against Ling Tian. This was also the reason why no other powers entered Sky Bearing!

However, just when everyone was making their plans silently, a huge storm broke out in Sky Bearing and the shocking news of Ling Tian being pursued by the Martial Order Medallion owner had spread. Apart from letting the major powers heave a sigh of relief, all the major powers had the same thought: Since you are not a disciple of Beyond Heavens, there is no need for us to be wary of anything!

While they didn't have to consider the fact that Ling Tian had a special background, the authority Ling Tian wielded, the wealth of his family, the strength of his martial arts, and his intellect made Ling Tian a huge threat to all the major powers! Especially the fact that he didn't have the rules of Beyond Heavens to rein him in, this would only turn Ling Tian into an even more frightening character!

Thus, none of the major powers would allow Ling Tian to exist in the world! While the Martial Order Medallion owner had already appeared to chase after Ling Tian, and Ling Tian's death was almost certain, Ling Tian was still only being chased after with his death presently uncertain. As long as Ling Tian lived for another day, he would definitely pose a threat to the major powers and they had no choice but to… thus, all the major powers began to stir.

***

The Xiao Family.

In the chilly night sky with the vast skies filled with stars, the Family Head of the number one financial magnate, Xiao FengHan, was standing in the Windblown Pavilion of the Green Ripple Immortal Park with his head facing the starry night sky and a look of worry on his face. He had suddenly remembered the bet Old Madam Ling had with him when he annulled the marriage with the Ling Family ten years ago. Then, he thought about Ling Tian's frightening talent and could not help but let out a desolate sigh as he thought, I have already lost this bet since ten years ago! While I didn't want to admit the fact that I have lost, it was only a matter of facing the facts. No matter how I choose to hide the matter, it is a fact that I have lost! Thinking about the decision of the family in the meeting, he could not help but let out another sigh.

As the saying goes, an ambitious individual should not be concerned with the little details. However, could he really perform such ungrateful and treacherous acts? Xiao FengHan looked at the night sky with his heart in a complete mess.

Footsteps sounded from behind him and the number two character of the Xiao Family, Xiao FengYang walked over, "Big brother, are you still worrying about the matter of Ling Tian?"

"That's right," Xiao FengHan frowned, "in the meeting, almost everyone who had authority requested for this old man to issue a kill order for Ling Tian and Xue'er was the only one who strongly disagreed. Haiz, how would any of you understand the bond I shared with older brother Ling back then?! If I were to issue the kill order today, how could I ever face my brother and sister-in-law? I am really in a dilemma!"

Xiao FengYang went silent for a while before saying, "Big brother, if I were to put it crudely, what is important to you is your own personal affair but the matter we are discussing about is the affair of the family. The only reason why our Xiao Family has been living in seclusion for so many years is to fight for hegemony with the world. We are different from other pugilistic families and are definitely not an ordinary merchant family. We have to heartlessly get rid of anything that stands in our way and we should not be affected by personal emotions, even if you are the Family Head. These two matters should not even be talked about in the same breath! Currently, there are two huge barriers to our final goal: the Yu Family and Ling Tian. The Yu Family has the same idea as us, wanting to wait until the final moment before turning the whole situation around to their favor, and they have been waiting for the opportunity as they remain hidden. Despite his young age, Ling Tian already revealed his ambitions to rule over the world and had many advantages such as wealth, strength, and authority. Regardless of the reason behind Northern Wei using their Martial Order Medallion to kill Ling Tian, it is a one in a lifetime opportunity for us. If we do not make use of this opportunity to get rid of Ling Tian with the aid of the Martial Order Medallion, Ling Tian will eventually become a huge tumor in our side! Furthermore, the Martial Order Medallion has never failed in its task and we are only speeding up the process."

Xiao FengYang then took a step forward and whispered, "Big brother, not to mention Ling Tian, even if we are only talking about the Martial Order Medallion owner… we can also kill two birds with a single stone." his last phrase was said with a profound tone.

Xiao FengHan's eyes lit up as he nodded in agreement, "That's right, this is a good opportunity indeed! If not for second brother's reminder, I may have really missed this opportunity because of my personal affairs! If that's the case, let us not delay matters. Let brother Guo send out news tonight to carry out this plan. Nothing can go wrong!"

Xiao FengYang laughed out loud, "Rest assured big brother, brother Guo's martial arts have already achieved great heights, and together with the aid of his sect, no one will be able to stop him. This matter would definitely be successfully accomplished! Big brother just needs to wait for the good news patiently."

Seeing that Xiao FengYang didn't have the intention to leave but was in deep consideration as though he was hesitating about something, Xiao FengHan could not help but be puzzled. With his second brother's steadiness and firm attitude, could there be something that he didn't know what to do? Thus, he could not help but ask, "Second brother, is there anything else? Even you are hesitating?"

After a moment of delay, Xiao FengYang said, "Big brother, have you noticed that Xue'er's mood has been extremely erratic recently? In today's meeting, wasn't her reaction a little extreme as well?"

Thinking about Xiao YanXue's actions in the meeting, Xiao FengHan nodded his head in agreement, "Xue'er is indeed acting strangely recently and I am also in a dilemma because of this. If not for second brother's reminder, I would have forgotten about it."

Xiao FengYang said with worry, "Big brother, when this little brother brought Xue'er to Sky Bearing, not only was Ling Tian suave and elegant, his literary talents were stunning and he is a martial arts expert. Furthermore, he originally had a marriage agreement with Xue'er and even saved her life once. I'm afraid that Xue'er may be infatuated with him. With Ling Tian's talents and looks, what lady wouldn't fall in love with him?"

Xiao FengHan felt his heart skip a beat as he remembered the bet from back then and laughed bitterly. Could it be that he really lost so bitterly? He then said with a mellow tone, "Xue'er isn't young anymore, should we…"

Chapter 376: Breakthrough

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock

Xiao FengYang replied, "That's right, this younger brother has the same thought. We have to cut the emotional longing inside Xue'er, or else this will result in irreparable consequences! Now that Ling Tian is being pursued by the Martial Order Medallion owner, there is more than a ninety percent chance that he can't live on! From what I discovered, experts have been sent by the secretly plotting Yu Family as well as the XiMen Family who have a grudge against the Ling Family. They're watching over the entire Sky Bearing Empire for the sole purpose of not allowing Ling Tian to return to Sky Bearing alive! In addition, the DongFang Family has also sent their people to observe the situation, just like us. Thus, it is guaranteed that Ling Tian can't walk out of this alive! If Xue'er can't get rid of her lovelorn thoughts, then I'm afraid…"

Xiao FengHan had a grave expression as he paced around, before asking, "How did you find out about these matters? The Yu and XiMen Family are within my plans, but how did you find out about the DongFang Family's matters?"

Xiao FengYang laughed in satisfaction as he replied, "Hehe, a few days ago, some of the DongFang Family members came over, proposing on behalf of their prince, DongFang XingChen. But I knew that elder brother was planning to leave Xue'er by your side for a few more years, and thus I pushed the matter down for you. It was precisely from their mouths that I found out about the matter of Ling Tian being hunted."

"This matter can't be rushed." Xiao FengHan frowned, and unhappily said, "If we are too hasty, we will only end up causing Xue'er unhappiness."

"Big brother, I, on the other hand, feel that if this matter were to succeed, it would be killing many birds with one stone." Xiao FengYang grinned. "Firstly, we can use this to cut off Xue'er's thoughts about Ling Tian. Secondly, we can win over an ally in Eastern Zhao, which can serve as a restriction for the Yu Family. Lastly, with Eastern Zhao allying with us, when we set off on conquest we do not have to worry about our backyard being set on fire!"

Xiao FengHan lowered his head, pondering about this matter. He ended up sighing, "Let me think about it for awhile."

A hint of a smile rose on the corners of Xiao FengYang's lips. He knew that his elder brother was already partly convinced, and didn't say anything else, bowing and leaving the room.

Xiao FengHan sat at the Windblown Pavilion alone after Xiao FengYang left, sighing every now and then. Eventually, as the night grew deeper, he too retired to his room.

It was only a long time later that a petite figure slowly stood up from the thick forests surrounding the Windblown Pavilion. Only when the faint moonlight shone could that figure be seen clearly. With peerless beauty, a delicate body, tottering on the spot, it was the little princess, Xiao YanXue!

Her purpose of coming over was actually to ask Xiao FengHan to help Ling Tian on behalf of their friendship, but to think that she overheard such a news instead! Her heart felt as if it was being twisted. From hatred and disgust, her opinion of Ling Tian had slowly turned positive, but it was far from being madly in love with him; she just wanted to help someone she admired. She definitely didn't want such a figure to die under various plots and schemes!

However, Xiao YanXue never expected that her two grandfathers, who had always treated her like an absolute treasure, would choose to sell her out this time! In the end, they still chose to betray her! Even after working her heart out for the family these few years, she only amounted to this much! At this point, her heart felt totally shattered...

On the second day, while the entire Xiao Family was discussing a marriage alliance with the DongFang family, Xiao FengHan received a report that Xiao YanXue had left behind a letter and disappeared, her whereabouts unknown...

At the same time, Ling Tian felt as though he was in a dream.

An earth-shatteringly huge dream!

Inside his dream, he seemed to have experienced both his lifetimes, staining himself with years upon years of mortal dust!

The endless misery in his past life, sorrowful and bitter; a thousand struggles, ten thousand types of torture!

Then he experienced the frivolity of this life, looking down on the world; surrounded by beauties and passion, domineeringly flying upward!

The excess melancholy and low-spiritedness of his past life slowly drifted further and further away from him, and inside the dream, his experiences of both lifetimes slowly merged into a single whole, no longer separate from each other, as though he had gone through both experiences at the same time. Pain and pleasure, love and hatred, success and failure, each opposing force met without any gaps, and the resulting feeling was as though one had successfully detached himself from the mortal world, detached from the cycle of samsara.

Zhuangzi dreams of a butterfly, but who is Zhuangzi? And who is the butterfly? Who is in whose dreams? Or is it the butterfly that is dreaming of Zhuangzi?! 1

However, this didn't matter anymore. So long as one has experienced it, lived through it, be it dreaming or awake, fantasy or reality, what difference was there? Be it in dreams or in reality, it was good enough to have seen it!

No regrets!

In the darkness below the boulder, Ling Tian slowly opened his eyes, giving out a large grin, his entire being radiated indifference to the world! A carefree smile! If any woman in the world were to come across this smile, most likely, she would immediately fall in love and be lost forever!

The only problem with this wonderful smile was that there was nobody to witness it!

Ling Tian was greeted with stillness all around him, and the only sounds he could hear were the chirping of the cicadas coming from above the ground. They sounded so loud, as though they were right beside him!

Ling Tian suddenly felt comfortably warm, an unspeakable sense of comfort, as though he was soaked in a perfectly calibrated hot spring! His spirit now seemed like a piece of exquisitely made jade, reflecting the goodness of the world, tangible and intangible!

He flicked his sleeve, and enormous internal energy shot forth, blasting the boulder above him high up into the air. In that instant, the entire area was coated with a new layer of soil!

Amid the flying debris, Ling Tian flashed out of his hiding spot, landing on the top of a tree. He immersed himself in the scorching sunlight as he cast his eyes toward the horizon, suddenly entertaining the thought of how it seemed like the world was underneath his feet!

The monarch overlooks all below the heavens! Commanding the rain and winds! That is me, Ling Tian!

Ling Tian was unaware of how many days he had spent trapped in his hiding place, but he was definitely sure that it was no short break! The internal energy in his body had been replenished, and with a breakthrough in his cultivation as well as his mental state, he could estimate that it was not something that could have been done in just a day and night! The grumbling of his stomach made him even more sure of this fact. Based on his previous realm, his body wouldn't feel hunger even after one or two days, let alone make such a grumbling noise.

It seemed like he had buried himself for at least three days. Was he trying to bury himself alive? Ling Tian laughed out. Even with the increase in his cultivation, he probably still wasn't a match for Justice, but he should at least have some chance of withstanding him.

The so-called martial way could only be considered having started when a person has reached the XianTian stage. In the XianTian stage, it can also be roughly divided into 4 categories, namely: Cultivating essence into energy, smelting energy into spirit, refining the spirit back to Void, and melding the void into the Way itself. Right now, Ling Tian had successfully broken through the stage of cultivating essence into energy and had stepped into smelting energy into spirit. However, Justice was most likely at the later stages of refining the spirit back to Void, and he probably was even half a step into melding the void into the Way! Thus, the distance between the two of them was still quite far, and while Ling Tian could clash head-on with Justice now, he still wouldn't be able to defeat him!

While he had currently improved his martial arts by a huge step, Ling Tian had always done things in a cautious way. Without an 80% chance of success, he wouldn't go and invite trouble. The most important thing now was for him to find something to eat. The other matters could wait, his stomach couldn't!

Squinting his eyes, Ling Tian took his bearings before moving quickly towards the Celestial Gathering City of Western Han.

Hmm, Justice probably flew off to some random location already, right? He would probably be like a headless fly searching everywhere for traces of himself, and Ling Tian took joy in his misfortune. Justice, oh Justice, you've chased me for so long and made me this disheveled for the first time in my life. How can I not give you some punishment in return? I'll let you play around for a while longer!

Ling Tian happily thought this as he sprinted towards the Celestial Gathering City. What he was unaware was the fact that Justice was also in that very same city, and had already been there for three days! Right now, this scary person had already once more recovered to his optimum level!

In the time taken to pour a cup of tea, Ling Tian had arrived at the edge of the city. Casting his gaze around, it landed on a tavern, with the label, "One jar will get you drunk three days, the fragrance when a jar is opened spreads out ten feet!"

Ling Tian chuckled at this, he didn't even dare claim that the Hero's Blood and Luna Fragrance that he himself brewed could live up to such an expectation, but this little tavern actually dared to do so! He slowly approached the place.

Right now, the sun shone down brightly, the time approaching afternoon. The tiny tavern was deserted, and the waiter was snoozing off at the counter, a trail of saliva hanging out of his mouth. Seeing how he was still smiling so widely in his dreams, Ling Tian assumed that he was having a happy dream.

Even when Ling Tian approached him, there was no reaction, so Ling Tian lightly rapped the table before saying, "Oh, who dropped their silver?"

"Silver? Where? Where?! I dropped it! I dropped the silver!" The moment he heard the magical word, the snoozing waiter immediately perked up in attention, and his eyes searched left and right, scanning the area around him.

"Bring this young noble a few good dishes and some wine, and as for the silver, I'll definitely not be stingy." Ling Tian patted him on his shoulder as he smiled.

"Sure, young noble, please hold on for a moment." The waiter scratched his head and laughed, running to the kitchens.

In a moment, four dishes and a bowl of soup were served up, and just as the waiter turned to leave he recalled that the impeccably dressed young noble had not yet placed an order for wine. He turned back and began, "This young noble, would you like to…" The following words, however, got stuck in his throat as his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets!

This seemingly rich and well mannered young noble had one hand scooping up pieces of beef, and the other scooping up the soup, gorging himself like an animal! Looking at the dishes on the table, every dish had already been reduced by half, and that huge plate of beef was even close to being picked clean. The young noble's hands, mouth, and even his clothes were full of oil, and he was even ignoring whatever the waiter just said, enjoying himself in his own world!

Chapter 377: A Lesson

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

The waiter couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. Such unsightly table manners were such that even a starving beggar couldn't match up to them. The waiter had only noticed how this young noble's bearing was extraordinary but never noticed the fact that his clothes had not been changed for a couple of days and were filled with dust and mud. The waiter couldn't help but wonder whether or not the young noble's wallet was full.

Just when the waiter was considering whether or not he should make Ling Tian pay his bill before continuing his meal, he heard the sound of galloping horses stopping outside the tavern. Following that, he noticed a large group of over twenty people walking in, and the old man leading the pack said, "Waiter, give us some good (w)ine and (d)ishes. (Q)uickly (s)erve them up."

The pronunciation of this old man was far too unclear, and the waiter didn't understand a single word so he asked, "Sir, what did you say?"

Pa! A burly man behind the old man stepped forward and gave the waiter a slap before saying fiercely, "Good wine and dishes! Dammit, do you not understand human language? Quickly! If you dare delay any longer, this daddy here will smash your head apart!"

Being slapped off guard, the waiter's body spun a full round before landing on the floor with stars in his eyes. Holding onto his cheeks as he stood up, tears filled his eyes and resentment filled his heart. However, he had no choice but to acknowledge the orders of the burly man and quickly run into the kitchen. As he ran away, he cursed in his heart, Is it really me not understanding human language? Your master's words are obviously not human language! You darn turtle b*st*rd who dares to slap me! I will curse you to lead a slave's life for all eternity!

After the burly man had slapped the waiter, he turned around and said with a humble attitude and an apologetic smile, "First Elder, this wicked civilian does not know his worth and dares to offend the prestige of First Elder. He really deserves to die."

That old man looked towards the sky and responded with a muffled 'Mmm' and sat on a table opposite Ling Tian.

The restaurant was originally cramped, and with the addition of over twenty men, it was crowded to the point that one would face difficulty turning around. When all of the tables were filled up, there were still six to seven of them without a seat. One of the burly men then looked towards Ling Tian and began winking.

The others immediately understood what he meant and all crowded over to Ling Tian's table. One arrogant individual then slammed Ling Tian's table and shouted, "You penniless beggar, are you not going to pay the bill and scram after you are finished with your meal? Are you still not giving up your seat after seeing this daddy come here? Are your eyes meant for you to pee?" As he said that, he felt his words extremely amusing and began to laugh.

The others laughed alongside him and one of them said, "Why are you still wasting time with him? Just throw him out." At the same time, the old man leading the group sat on his own solemnly and completely ignored whatever was happening. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time the bunch of them did something like this.

However, it was a pity that they had met with a tiger this time, a ferocious tiger who was capable of biting off their head!

Ling Tian was completely calm as he lifted up his chopsticks and placed the last piece of beef into his mouth and drank two mouthfuls of soup. Then, he took out a clean handkerchief from his bosom and wiped his mouth. Only after that did he raise his head and look towards the four burly man standing in front of him with a smile that wasn't really a smile.

As the arrogant man saw that Ling Tian was still able to keep his cool while ignoring him completely, he couldn't help but fly into a rage. In this world, it wasn't anything big to injure someone if they had the strength and numbers to do so. Thus, his hand flew towards Ling Tian as he scolded, "Continue acting…" Before he could even finish his sentence, he suddenly let out a mournful wail as though he was a pig being slaughtered! As he looked again, his right hand was already pinned to the table by a chopstick!

At the other end of the chopstick were two fair fingers lightly tapping on the ends of the chopstick. At the same time, the fingers swayed the chopstick slowly and rhythmically as the burly man let out a heart-wrenching groan with huge beads of sweat rolling down his face.

Fresh blood began to spew out from his wound as it covered the whole table and dripped onto the floor drop by drop.

The companions of that burly man never expected the teen in front of them to be so fierce, crippling the hand of the burly man before even saying a word. All of them were already used to being the local tyrants in the city and had almost never faced such a scenario before. In that moment, all of them were stunned silly without any reaction.

The moans of the burly man echoed in the restaurant and he had almost run out of strength. With a few clanging sounds, the other burly men had finally reacted as they unsheathed their swords and pounced forward. A sword swung towards his neck, one pierced towards his chest and three more slashed down from above his head. All the blades let out sounds of metal slicing through the air and were all truly fatal strikes.

Ling Tian's hand was still on the chopstick as he imbued a trace of his inner qi into it, smashing it into the bones of the burly man. At the same time, his other hand held onto the other chopstick and lifted it up indifferently.

Ling Tian was still seated on the bench calmly with his satisfied expression looking as though he was still thinking about the delicacies he just had. The only thing that didn't fit into the picture was his hands, or perhaps the chopsticks in his hands. With a simple poke of his chopstick, it precisely landed on the incoming lightning-fast sword!

With a soft 'ding', the tip of the chopstick landed right on the tip of the incoming sword and a strange wave of force was sent out. The burly man felt his arms go numb as he lost control of the sword in his hands and directed it towards the sword of his companion. His companion then felt his hand turn numb as well and the trajectory of his sword was altered, blocking the three blades slashing towards Ling Tian's head!

Five of their attacks were blocked in an instant, but the method their opponent used was completely incredulous as though it was a miracle! All of their faces were filled with bewilderment, and their hearts were thrown into confusion. They were completely puzzled about why their companion's sword would suddenly swing towards their own. While they were uncultured individuals, they knew that such a character was not one they could afford to offend. Thus, they quickly retreated towards the rear and looked towards the old man leading the group to await his decision.

With a single poke of his chopstick, Ling Tian had nullified the attacks of five of them! At the same time, he didn't use much strength and didn't harm a single one of them. However, the accuracy of his actions and control of his strength left all of them dumbfounded!

All of their jaws dropped as they gasped in shock! Just who was this young man in front of them?

Even if he was filled with dust and mud all over, his elegant and noble demeanor couldn't be hidden. In that gentle smile of his, a biting chill could be felt from it as well. This made the First Elder of the XiMen Family gape with shock as fear crept into his heart and a name appeared in his head: Ling Tian! This name which made all their XiMen Family members gnash their teeth in hatred drenched the First Elder in cold sweat at this moment!

The First Elder was well aware of the profoundness and difficulty of Ling Tian's action. It was a feat impossible for him to accomplish! If that's the case, could it be that Ling Tian's martial arts were far above his own? Not to mention killing him, it would be impossible for them to even hold him back!

Just when the First Elder was pondering over how he should deal with the situation, Ling Tian lifted his head up and looked towards him with a cold pair of eyes and a smile which didn't seem like a smile. Exerting force with his palm, the right hand of the burly man pinned to the table gave out a few cracking sounds and the burly man's face turned pale, letting out white foam from his mouth and collapsing from the pain.

"Brother team leader, this cracking sound really sounds like soybeans being fried. Doesn't it sound good?" Ling Tian said with a chuckle, "Look at how you are so carefree and relaxed, it must definitely be the first time you have heard such a beautiful sound. Does it feel good? Do you want to hear it again?"

"Are you young noble Ling Tian?" XiMen Sheng said with a solemn expression and asked carefully. Despite his teeth still leaking out air, he actually didn't mispronounce a single word! If it was during an ordinary time, this old man would probably be overjoyed. But during such a moment, he only felt like crying.

"Oh? Good knowledge! Good eyesight!" Ling Tian praised, "You were actually able to see through this young noble's identity instantly. It seems like this young noble is truly famous. Mmm, what is your position in the XiMen Family?"

XiMen Sheng was completely stunned, How did he know that I was from the XiMen Family?

Seeing the look of doubt on XiMen Sheng's face, Ling Tian let out a sigh, "Around the Celestial Gathering City, apart from your XiMen Family, who else would dare to act in such an unbridled manner? Is it very difficult to guess? I don't really think there is anything difficult about that!"

XiMen Sheng felt his face turn red as he thought to himself with anger, Even if you have top-notch martial arts and both our families are enemies, it still isn't right for you to scold me in the face! Don't you see the fact that this old man already has a huge beard? Don't you know how to respect your elders?! In anger, his words began to be high-pitched, "This old (m)an is the First Elder of the XiMen Family, XiMen Sheng. I wonder, why is young noble Ling here in the Celestial Gathering City?"

An interesting expression appeared on Ling Tian's face as he mocked, "I only knew that your XiMen Family weren't capable of performing human acts in the past. Today, my views were broadened again and it turns out that your XiMen Family doesn't even know how to speak the human language! Who knows what you are talking about?"

"B*st*rd! Ling Tian, don't go too far! This old man isn't someone you can easily provoke!" XiMen Sheng began shouting in anger.

Chapter 378: Leave No One Alive

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

"You had better learn to speak the human language before talking to me." Ling Tian said with disdain.

"Ling Tian! You b*st*rd!" XiMen Sheng's words were imbued with his inner qi and sounded like thunder on a clear day. The moment he roared, the twenty-plus burly man in the restaurant felt themselves turn dizzy.

XiMen Sheng's plan was that since Ling Tian had appeared here, the Martial Order Medallion owner must definitely be nearby. Thus, he bore with the humiliation he felt and projected his voice over a few miles. With Justice's hearing, it was impossible for Justice to miss his voice and would thus rush over shortly. As long as he could block Ling Tian for a short while, his plan would be accomplished!

Killing intent flashed past Ling Tian's eyes, "You are calling for helpers, right?"

XiMen Sheng sneered, "Why? Do you have the guts to wait for my helpers to arrive?"

Ling Tian snickered with disdain, "XiMen Sheng, after being alive for so many years, you are becoming more and more like a dog! Do you think this young noble will give you such a chance?" His voice then turned chilly, "Besides, I really do not like your name, XiMen Sheng. The XiMen Family should be exterminated with nothing left behind! " 1

Ling Tian's wrist suddenly twitched and the chopstick in his hands was split into three segments. Following which, three grunts could be heard and three burly men collapsed onto the floor with a broken segment of a chopstick in their throat!

Everyone present could not even see Ling Tian's action! This included the First Elder of the XiMen Family, XiMen Sheng!

XiMen Sheng felt his heart turn cold and shouted, "Attack together! Kill him!" The next moment, the twenty-plus burly men pounced at Ling Tian from all directions. Ling Tian let out a cold smile and sent the table in front of him flying with a kick, smashing it into three people. Then, he lifted up the bench which he was sitting on and smashed it on the head of another man, crushing it like it was a watermelon!

The gleaming blades slashed down together and Ling Tian's body swerved around like a fish in water and narrowly avoided the blades via a small opening. Using his left hand as a blade, six fountains of blood shot into the air as the six burly men collapsed while gasping for air.

XiMen Sheng let out a roar and pounced forward as well. How could he not know that he wasn't a match for Ling Tian at all? But if he were to cower in fear at such a moment, the morale of his troops would definitely be lost and it would be impossible for them to hold Ling Tian back. Thus, he clenched his teeth and charged forward with his life on the line. A cruel smile could then be seen on Ling Tian's lips as he jumped up and kicked the chin of a guard attempting to slash him.

With his powerful inner qi being sent out, a crisp cracking sound could be heard and a decapitated head was sent flying towards XiMen Sheng! Just when the head flew past XiMen Sheng's head, a crisp 'Kill!!' was suddenly let out from the decapitated head's mouth!

XiMen Sheng was, after all, trying to force himself to keep his cool and was already fearful in his heart. Seeing such a scene in front of him, all of his hair could not help but stand up on end! At the same time, he also felt his heart pause for a moment. After being alive for such a long time, he had participated in many battles with at least hundreds of individuals dying under his hands. However, this was the first time in his life he had seen such a cruel method to kill someone!

From the start of the fight, a mere two to three breaths had passed, and fourteen out of the twenty burly men had fallen under Ling Tian's hands! The remaining six blades were still hoisted up in the air with the owner of the blades gasping with shock.

A long while later, the sound of water dripping could be heard and everyone turned to the direction where it came from, only to see the pants of a burly man drenched wet with steam rising from his crotch…

Ling Tian frowned as his body weaved past six burly men and his palm smashed towards XiMen Sheng's head! Behind him, the six burly men let out an inaudible choking sound as they collapsed lifelessly on the floor.

XiMen Sheng's eyes turned red as well as he avoided Ling Tian's palm strike and took a step back swiftly. He then pounced forward again, and a bright flash shone onto Ling Tian's eyes. XiMen Sheng had already drawn his sword and launched his strongest attack!

Ling Tian sneered as he bent his knees slightly. The next instant, he launched forward and was already in the light screen formed by the dense sword light! XiMen Sheng's sword light rained down like a thunderstorm but Ling Tian's body moved around nimbly with even the corner of his clothes completely unharmed! Instead, XiMen Sheng was the one forced into dire circumstances as Ling Tian sent out his lethal palm strikes.

XiMen Sheng was startled as his sword danced around and he slowly retreated towards the door.

"XiMen Sheng, after meeting this young noble, do you expect to leave here alive?" Ling Tian's mocking voice sounded as the strength of his palm strikes was increased. With a sudden 'weng', Ling Tian's finger tapped onto XiMen Sheng's sword and XiMen Sheng lost control of his sword, sending it flying towards the roof of the restaurant!

After XiMen Sheng let out an 'aiyah', he could not be bothered with anything else and sent out a few desperate palm strikes. Without bothering if his palm strikes had hit the target, he turned around and left. But right when he had left the restaurant, a white shadow flashed past his eyes and Ling Tian stood in front of him with a face full of killing intent!

XiMen Sheng let out a roar of despair and attempted to turn around. But before he could turn around completely, Ling Tian's right foot kicked his crotch and he let out a miserable groan with blood spewing out from all the orifices on his face and his body sent flying.

Ling Tian was already waiting for his arrival in midair and sent a foot towards his forehead, spinning his body like a top as he landed. When the both of them had touched the ground again, XiMen Sheng's head was already completely embedded into the ground!

Ling Tian clasped his hand as his expression turned back to normal, walking back into the restaurant again. At this moment, the only survivor from the XiMen Family was the burly man who had fainted from being pinned to the table previously. He had just regained his consciousness as he looked at Ling Tian with fear and despair in his eyes.

Ling Tian's gaze swept past calmly as though he did not see anyone alive. Right when the burly man let out a heave of relief, he suddenly felt a foot stepping on his head.

The only survivor could not survive.

As though he was crushing a bad egg, a 'pa' sound sounded from underneath Ling Tian's foot and Ling Tian walked out without turning back. At the same time, he threw out an ingot of silver casually and the silver landed accurately in the bosom of the waiter who was unconscious from shock. The force from the landing silver had woken up the unconscious waiter, and the hell-like scenario was presented before his very eyes. Before he even had a chance to look at what was in his bosom, he had fainted again from fear!

A short few minutes after Ling Tian had left, a faint figure entered the restaurant and looked around for a short while before vanishing again.

The waiter had just woken up at this moment and saw the disappearing figure. With his eyes opened up wide, he let out a scream, "Ghost! Demon!" He then fainted again.

What a generation to be living in! An elegant young man killed as though he was dicing vegetables and after that, I actually saw a ghost! I think it is best for me to return to the countryside and grow crops instead! I will never come to this ghost town again. This was the only thought the waiter had before he fainted!

Ling Tian calmly strolled into the Celestial Gathering City; this was one of his targets! No matter what, he must get rid of the important personnel of the XiMen Family to aid XiMen Sa in controlling the XiMen Family!

Who knows where that Justice is right now? By the time he comes to the Celestial Gathering City, my task will already have been completed. Let him feel anxiousness since this young noble isn't anxious at all! Ling Tian thought to himself.

However, he didn't know that XiMen Sheng's roar did indeed achieve the desired effect. Just when Ling Tian was killing in the restaurant outside the city, Justice had already heard XiMen Sheng's loud roar and rushed there at full speed. When Ling Tian had left the place, Justice had arrived shortly after. Right after Ling Tian entered the city, Justice had also entered shortly after. The both of them were only a thousand feet apart!

The deity of luck was indeed by Ling Tian's side, causing the death reaper to pass him by again!

However, a mountain will never be able to hold two tigers and it was impossible for Ling Tian and Justice not to meet each other in the Celestial Gathering City. The battle between them was already inevitable! At that time, just how would Ling Tian face Justice's unparalleled martial arts?!

***

In an inn of Sky Bearing, Shui QianRou and Shui QianHuan were seated opposite each other.

"Rou'er, why did we lose contact with you completely for a short while? I was anxious to death!" Shui QianHuan looked at his sister with a doting gaze and realized that her complexion was pale with her eyes red and puffy as though she had just cried, "Are you injured? What happened? Is it serious? Who was the one who attacked you? Tell me, your brother will take revenge for you!"

The moment she saw her brother, Shui QianHuan thought about the grievances she had suffered over the past few days and almost burst out into tears. However, she had a stubborn personality and forcefully withheld her tears, biting on her lips until a row of teeth mark could be seen. As Shui QianHuan saw how her sister was acting, he was startled as a ball of anger rose up in his heart, Did Rou'er… was she bullied in this period of time?

The more Shui QianHuan thought about it, the more he felt it was likely. Thinking about how his parents let his sister come out with him and such a thing actually happened to her, how was he supposed to answer to them? Thus, he could not help but bellow with anger, "Who did it?!"

"What do you mean by who did it?" Shui QianRou looked at her brother with a look of bewilderment. She was still thinking about how she should answer Shui QianHuan's question and whether or not she should tell him about Ling Tian capturing her.

However, Die'er who was by Shui QianRou's side understood what Shui QianHuan meant and said, "Rest assured young noble, the little princess was not bullied."

"Oh," Shui QianHuan nodded his head with a tinge of embarrassment. His tone was much gentler as he asked, "Then how did you get injured? How are your injuries? How about the rest? Where are the two Zheng elders?"

Chapter 379: A Strange Poison

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

"This little sister's body is of no concern anymore and my experience this time was extremely embarrassing. After entering Sky Bearing for a few days, I was ambushed by the Yu Family." Shui QianRou considered for a moment and for some reason, she lied to her brother. "The two Yu Elders, Yu ZhanFeng and Yu ZhanYun, led the elites of their Yu Family in an ambush against me. This little sister was caught off guard and suffered a huge loss. All of my troops were wiped out and this little sister is still injured at the moment. Both the Zheng Elders also died in battle in order to save my life. This little sister and Die'er managed to escape at the very end and were recuperating."

"The Yu Family again! Yu ZhanFeng! Yu ZhanYun!" Shui QianHuan gnashed his teeth as his face turned red, "These two old fogeys actually dared to harm my sister! I will definitely rip them to shreds and ensure that they die a miserable death!" Thinking about how his loss was caused by the Yu Family who controlled Han TieXuan, Shui QianHuan was overwhelmed by hatred as he cursed vehemently!

All of their plans were ruined in the hands of the Yu Family! Unforgivable!

"They are also already dead. Even though the two Zheng Elders passed on, they dragged the two Yu Elders alongside them into death. This was also how Die'er and I managed to escape." Shui QianRou lowered her head and did not dare to match her brother's gaze, "Brother, what should we do now? I heard that your affairs weren't successful either and this little sister was extremely worried about you."

"It wasn't just unsuccessful!" Shui QianHuan sighed, "The eight elders following me all perished at the hands of Ling Tian and of the thirty-five experts under me, only twenty-one of them are left. The 400,000 soldiers of Northern Wei were all lost in the battle as well! This loss was far too miserable and there isn't a chance for us to turn the situation around anymore!"

"Ah?!" Shui QianRou gasped in shock. While she knew that Ling Tian's side was victorious, she never imagined the victory to be such a thorough one! Seeing her brother's despondent appearance, she could not help but feel her heart ache as she comforted, "Brother, losing and winning are common in war and you do not have to brood over your loss. As for not being able to turn the situation around, Northern Wei is only a chess piece of ours and their sacrifice will not affect the general situation."

Upon hearing that, Shui QianHuan was jolted awake from his depression as he laughed, "I was only lamenting my loss but I will never be caught up in it! If not for the sudden interference of the Yu Family in this battle, no matter how amazing Ling Tian is, he would only be able to retreat in defeat! However, Ling Tian is indeed the greatest opponent of my life!" As he said that, Shui QianHuan showed traces of gloating, "What a pity, what a pity."

"What a pity?" Shui QianRou asked with doubt, "Brother, why are you smiling in such an odd manner?"

"It is a pity that Ling Tian is dead for sure. Or perhaps, he may already be dead right now!" As Shui QianHuan said that, he didn't know how to feel. It was as though he felt a trace of pity, a trace of joy and even a trace of sadness and regret, "If not, we could have joined hands with Ling Tian to deal with the Yu Family."

"Ling Tian's death is certain? Ling Tian may already be dead?!" Shui QianRou stood up with her lips trembling from the shock as her face turned pale, "Why? How can this be possible?!"

"Rou'er, you are still unaware of it?" Shui QianHuan looked at his sister with bewilderment, "That Wei ChengPing went crazy and actually used the Martial Order Medallion to kill Ling Tian! Ling Tian already escaped for his life but I believe that in the face of the Martial Order Medallion owner, he will not be able to escape for long regardless of how capable he is! Perhaps, he may be dead already, but the news hasn't spread yet!"

Shui QianRou fell back into her chair as she stared blankly into space with bitterness in her heart! Wei ChengPing, Martial Order Medallion! The Martial Order Medallion owner was an existence that even their Shui Family wouldn't dare provoke! Why would things turn out like that? Ling Tian, can he actually escape? Would Ling Tian have any chance to survive in front of the publicly acknowledged number one expert?

"Darn Wei ChengPing!" A long while later, Shui QianRou clenched her teeth and scolded, "A b*st*rd who doesn't know how to accomplish anything and only know how to screw things up!"

"That's right! Wei ChengPing does indeed deserve to die. Rou'er, you are indeed right to say that he is incapable of accomplishing anything!" Shui QianHuan nodded in agreement, "If he had used the Martial Order Medallion a few days earlier, even with the interference of the Yu Family, my plan would have been accomplished as well! However, he had to use the Martial Order Medallion right when I have changed my mind and wanted to join hands with Ling Tian! What a b*st*rd! Even if he wanted to use it, he should have used it on Yu ManLou instead!"

Shui QianHuan cursed with frustration as he followed along with his sister's anger. However, he would never know the true reason for Shui QianRou's anger at Wei ChengPing!

Shui QianRou hated the fact that she could not cut Wei ChengPing into a thousand pieces! Her heart, which was already focused on the escaping Ling Tian, suddenly jolted awake and she felt her face turn red. D*mmit! I am not being worried about that irksome fellow! I am only worried about the poison he fed to me! Shui QianRou explained to herself in her heart.

Thinking about how Ling Tian fed her poison, Shui QianRou could not help but boil with anger and say, "Serves you right!" However, when she said those words, she felt her heart was empty with her thoughts in a complete mess.

"Rou'er, Rou'er? Sister?" Shui QianHuan cried out a few times and seeing that his sister was in a trance-like state as though she was thinking about something, he could not help but be worried as he waved his hand in front of her face, "What is wrong with you today? What are you thinking about? Why are you so distracted?"

Being awoken by her brother, Shui QianRou's face reddened and she felt as though her thoughts were being seen through. Thus, she could not help but lower her head in embarrassment.

From the time that she was young until now, Shui QianHuan had never seen his intellectual sister behave like this before and could not help but think that something was definitely amiss. Thus, he stretched out his hand and place it on her forehead and with concern asked, "Rou'er, are you alright? Are your injuries acting up?!"

"Oh, I am alright! I am really alright!" Shui QianRou swatted his hand aside anxiously and muttered, "I was thinking about the poison…" As she said that, she realized that she actually wasn't thinking about how Ling Tian had fed her poison, but reminiscing about her final meeting with Ling Tian. She could not help but lament about her feelings and had no choice but to admit that it was impossible for her to not think about Ling Tian. The more she thought about him, the more she felt like her heart didn't belong to her any longer. It was as though Ling Tian was an incurable poison and she had already been inflicted with that incurable poison. The tender feelings of a young lady in love were not something that she would ever talk about to another person, even if that person was her biological brother!

Just when was she inflicted with this incurable poison? Shui QianRou, who was already certain that she had been inflicted with this love poison, felt a sense of helplessness. Was it when I first met him in the rain? Was it when he displayed his stunning talent during the scholarly meet? Just what is wrong with me?

"What?! You were poisoned?!" Shui QianHuan shouted anxiously, "When? How long has it been? What kind of poison? Have you found the antidote yet?! Haiz! Silly lass, why are you always so unruly like a guy? When can you act like a gentle and virtuous lady? I have already told you to not follow me here and insisted that you listen to me if you wanted to come. Look at you, look at you! You just had to go to Sky Bearing and now…"

As Shui QianHuan nagged, he grabbed Shui QianRou's wrist and injected his inner qi to check on her. He truly felt heartache towards his sister, "Mmm, it seems rather special…" All of a sudden, his face turned solemn, "What a strange poison! When did this happen?"

After probing for the poison, Shui QianHuan felt extremely anxious. The poison within his sister's body could be easily detected with his inner qi, but when he tried to wrap it up with his inner qi, it would dissipate into nothingness and become impossible to detect! Just how did his sister come into contact with such a strange poison?!

"What an odd poison! Who poisoned you?!"

As he asked that, Shui QianHuan shut his eyes and carefully probed the poison, attempting to use his inner qi to remove it. At the same time, his ears were perked up and waiting for a reply from his sister but he heard nothing after a long while. Opening his eyes to see why he didn't get a reply, he was greeted with Shui QianRou covering her ears with both her hands and a miserable expression. When he turned to the side, he saw Die'er covering her mouth and giggling.

"What's wrong? I am asking you a question!" Shui QianHuan grew angry.

Shui QianRou rolled her eyes helplessly and said in a weak voice, "Sometimes, I really wonder if you are my older brother or you are a lady in disguise! When can you stop being so naggy? My goodness, mother always nags at me when I am home and now that I am out, you nag even more than her!"

"You! I was only worried… forget it…" Shui QianHuan let out a sigh of defeat, "Do you know what kind of poison this is? Who was the one who poisoned you?"

"The name of the poison is called the 'Spring Autumn Soul Locking Pill'. I believe brother has already realized that this poison is extremely strange and almost without trace. Furthermore, the effects of the poison are also extremely overbearing and apart from a special antidote, there is no other way to treat it. However, this poison has another characteristic and will only break out after a year, thus the name 'spring autumn'. I have already suppressed the poison with other medicine, and we have a year to slowly investigate it." Shui QianRou was extremely unwilling to continue on this topic and said with a frown, "Brother, this isn't the time to talk about my body. We should be planning our next move! Do you have any ideas yet?"

Chapter 380: Do You Dare Fight?

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

Shui QianHuan let out a sigh, "I only have a rough idea and had already sent a message back to the family requesting reinforcements. However, the situation is extremely challenging at the present moment. The Yu Family has sent out a few hundred White and Purple Jade experts to Sky Bearing and is covetously eyeing the Ling Family. However, our ally the Northern Wei has already been crippled by Ling Tian and it is impossible for them to recover from their defeat! I originally wanted to make use of the Yu Family's ambitions to join hands with the Ling Family, but Ling Tian is already being chased by the Martial Order Medallion owner right now… With all our problems coming at the same time, we are in an extremely awkward predicament!"

"We cannot make any rash moves now and the strength the Yu Family has gathered in Sky Bearing is too frightening. They had shifted almost half of their Yu Family over to Sky Bearing and the battle prowess stationed in Sky Bearing currently has already exceeded what they have in their headquarters! Perhaps, it can be said that Sky Bearing is like a second base for the Yu Family in the Heavenly Star Continent! If we were careless and let them pick up our trace, the consequences would be unimaginable! The things we can do right now are just far too little! As for interfering with the Martial Order Medallion owner chasing Ling Tian, we do not have enough manpower and it is impossible for us to influence a battle of that level. Also, Beyond Heavens is not a power that we can afford to provoke at this time…" Shui QianHuan said with worry, frustration and even a trace of helplessness. The situation in front of him was far too messy, and it was no surprise for him to be at a loss.

"At the same time, the Xiao Family is too far away. Even if the strength of the Xiao Family isn't any weaker than the Yu Family, our family reminded us before we came that the Xiao Family isn't too simple either! It is best that we do not provoke the Xiao Family! According to our informants, the Xiao Family has been acting extremely mysterious in recent years and before we receive any instructions from the family, it is best for us to avoid them. As for the other Great Families, the XiMen Family have already been half crippled by Ling Tian and the elites of the NanGong Family were wiped out by Ling Tian's scheme! The only two more complete families are the DongFang and BeiMing Families. However, they are too far away and wouldn't be able to solve our problem!"

As he made his calculations, Shui QianHuan became shocked, "This Ling Tian is amazing indeed. Have you realized that the few families that have fallen are all due to this brat's schemes! Causing wind and storms at the flip of his palm, he is truly tyrannical and difficult to deal with."

"The Yu Family sent a huge number of troops to Sky Bearing? Why? Does the Yu Family want to throw the world into chaos and unite Heavenly Star?" Shui QianRou asked with doubt. Apart from recuperating in the past few days, she rarely left her room. With only Die'er by her side, it was impossible for her to find out what had happened on the outside recently. However, it seemed as though the Yu Family had actually sent out a huge number of troops under the guise of sending their dowry. Thus, she could not help but be startled as she began to think about the various possibilities.

We must not let the Yu Family do as they wish! It would be the best if we can drive a wedge between them and cause the marriage to be annulled… as she thought about that, Shui QianRou could not help but turn slightly pinkish as she asked herself, Am I thinking about my family or do I only want to ruin their wedding? No! I am definitely thinking about my family, why would I care about that b*st*rd?!

After thinking for a long while, Shui QianRou finally said, "However, our strength in Sky Bearing is too weak, and the Ling Family does not have Ling Tian to make decisions within the family. The Yu Family would definitely think that the Ling Family was already at their mercy, and we can make use of this point to turn the situation around! If we are able to turn this situation around and grasp the Ling Family is our hands, we would receive the greatest benefit!"

As Shui QianHuan heard that, his eyes lit up and just when he was about to say something, a white light flashed in front of his eyes and a dagger was shot through the window, landing on the table between the both of them. Shui QianHuan immediately blew out the oil lamp in front of them and they both immediately ducked into the corner of the room without hesitation. The next moment, the room was filled with darkness with only the moonlight shining into the room.

Being in the darkness, not knowing who their opponent was and how many people they were facing, it would be a rash move for the both of them to leave the room! The best option would be for them to remain calm and observe the situation first. Both the siblings had the same thought as they held their breath and hid in the shadows. Even Die'er by their side also knew what to do and hid behind a clothes rack.

A while later, a cold mocking tone sounded, "In the middle of the night with both of you seated beside the window, if I really wanted to kill you, at least one of you would be dead by now! To think that you are not coming out to welcome us now. Water of Heavenly Wind, hehehe, you are indeed the number one family in the Heavenly Wind Continent! Your courage makes me gasp in admiration."

Hearing this, the faces of both the siblings were flushed red! Shui QianRou then responded with a cold grunt, "In the middle of the night, hiding on top the roof and acting in such a sneaky manner! You only know how to catch us with our guard down! However, brother's movement technique does make me gasp in admiration."

A chilly laugh sounded from the outside and the sound of fluttering clothes could be heard. Following that, a soft knocking sound could be heard on the door and the voice asked, "I hope that you will forgive this uninvited guest for his sudden visit." As he said that, he did not wait for a response and the doors were swung open. A white figure could be seen standing outside with his frosty eyes looking like the stars in the night sky, gleaming in the darkness. Since Shui QianRou said that he was acting sneakily, he walked right out into the open!

A small flame was lit, and then Shui QianRou lit the oil lamp. "A noble guest has come to visit and I hope you will forgive us for not going out to welcome you."

The guy chuckled and walked right into the room without a trace of fear on his face. It was as though he was walking into his own house and was extremely carefree.

The three of them in the room looked over to see a refined young man who looked like he was only eighteen to nineteen years old. While he had an elegant appearance, a chilly aura emanated from his body.

"It's you!" Shui QianHuan stood up warily as he recognized the intruder. Taking a step forward, he stood in front of his sister, using his body as a shield. The young man in front of them was someone who he had seen on the battlefield! At that time, he was right behind Ling Tian and when his Shui Family elder tried to block this young man, the elder was killed in just a few moves. How could Shui QianHuan ever forget who this young man was? The martial arts of this young man were something that shouldn't be underestimated!

"I am Ling Chi, and everyone calls me the Ling Chi who slices an opponent into a thousand pieces." Ling Chi said calmly with a trace of pride in his eyes. Back then, his young noble had once said that the cruelest punishment on earth would be to slice up the offender into a thousand pieces!

From then on, everyone had been teasing him about his name but Ling Chi 1 was not angry at all but enjoyed it instead! It was only because that was the name his young noble had given to him. At the same time, his young noble had also said that if anyone were to provoke him, it would be his job to slice that person into a thousand pieces!

What a majestic name! Of course, it was also a name that disgusted many others!

"Ling Chi? You are one of Ling Tian's underling?" Shui QianRou had also seen Ling Chi before. Back at the Smoky Thea Tower, it was Ling Chi who had barged into their chamber and fell onto their table. Shui QianRou's memory was extremely good, and she obviously knew that Ling Chi's appearance was Ling Tian's doing. At the same time, she had also taken note of this individual who had created trouble back then. However, Ling Chi acted like a clown back then and definitely didn't have the elegance he displayed today. Although she knew that Ling Chi was related to Ling Tian, she didn't know what their relationship was. Shui QianRou didn't suspect Ling Chi's identity and she pushed aside her brother in front of her.

"I am naturally my young noble's servant." Ling Chi said with respect in his eyes and pride on his face.

"Hmph hmph, to think that you can be so proud of being a servant! You were really born to be a servant." Off to the side, Die'er popped out and looked at Ling Chi with anger. Back then, when Ling Chi had slammed onto the table, he had sent all the dishes and soup flying in all directions. While the other martial arts experts were able to avoid the mess, Die'er wasn't able to do so and was completely soiled. Thus, she naturally hated Ling Chi and had not put down her grudge even up to now!

However, Ling Chi ignored her completely and asked the two Shui siblings, "My big sister sent me here to ask young noble Shui and miss Shui a question: The Yu Family is in Sky Bearing now; does the Shui Family dare to fight them?"

"Who is your big sister? How can we believe you?!" Shui QianRou frowned as she thought about the white-dressed lady who was always behind Ling Tian, "Is your big sister Ling Chen?"

Ling Chi smiled and said calmly, "My big sister said that if the both of you are sincere, we will await your arrival at the Ling Family Courtyard at noon tomorrow! I will be taking my leave!"

Ling Chi cupped his fists and walked out.

"Oi! Stop there!" Die'er jumped in exasperation.

The moment she said that, Ling Chi's originally slow pace sped up and he disappeared completely.

Should they go or not?

This was definitely an important choice! Especially during such a sensitive period!

However, both the Shui siblings were extremely wise individuals and made their decision after a short discussion. While this was an important choice, there wasn't much of a point for them to discuss too much about it. Or perhaps, there wasn't even a need for them to have any discussion as they did not have any other choices. If they could join hands with the Ling Family to ruin the Yu Family's plans and perhaps injure them along the way, both Shui QianHuan and Shui QianRou would be extremely glad to make that choice. Without a doubt, there wasn't a more suitable partner for them to form an alliance with.

Even if Shui QianHuan were to ignore the thousand-year-old grudge between their families, he felt that all of his failures in Heavenly Star was due to the Yu Family controlling the scenes from behind! He already wanted to give the Yu Family a good blow to vent his pent-up anger! As for Shui QianRou's thoughts, they were even more complicated than her brother's…

The only thing the both of them couldn't be certain about was just which family should take the lead in the alliance.