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Chapter 429: The First Pavilion Head
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
Yu ManLou replied with a smile, "Second brother's words do indeed make sense but you are too short-sighted. The Lei Family was the party who requested us to aid them to build up their foundations here, and we are only satisfying their request. We are merely inviting the Lei Family here to form an alliance with us, and by offering them a bountiful piece of land, we have already displayed our full sincerity! The moment our crisis is resolved, we will be able to both retreat and attack. With the thousand years of foundation of our Yu Family, we would definitely not allow the Lei Family to take advantage of us! Furthermore, I am certain that the continent will break out into chaos within two years and the chess pieces on the continent will definitely be reshuffled again. The continent being united is already a fixed outcome with the only variable being the leader of the continent. At that time, whether or not our Yu Family is the one ruling over the continent, the problem of the Lei Family would definitely be resolved for sure. Why do we have to worry about nothing?"
Yu ManTang thought for a moment before letting out a sigh, "This little brother is indeed in admiration of big brother's foresight. I wonder when big brother wants me to set off?"
"This matter must not be delayed and you should set off as quickly as possible!" A fierce glare shone in Yu ManLou's eyes as he said solemnly, "The storms are stirring and your journey will definitely be filled with danger. You must be sure to take care of yourself!" As he said that, he intentionally glanced at Yu ManTian.
Just as Yu ManLou expected, Yu ManTian couldn't help but grow restless when he heard that the journey would be filled with danger. "Big brother, we can only rely on brothers in times of war. Your cultivation is extremely profound and there isn't a need for me to worry about you. However, second brother does not have exceptional means. Why don't you allow me to accompany second brother on his trip and we will be able to take care of each other along the way. Hearing what you have just said, I just can't be at ease!"
"This…" Yu ManLou began to frown as though he was in difficulty. As he stroked his beard, he looked at Yu ManTian. "It isn't that I won't allow you to go. However, I just can't be at ease with that rash temper of yours. If you were to lose control of yourself, you would only be creating trouble for your second brother. If that's the case…"
Yu ManTian's boorish face turned bright red, "Rest assured big brother, we are all scholarly individuals who are definitely able to control our emotions. I will definitely listen to second brother during the journey and not create any trouble."
Yu ManLou snorted, "If you promise me that you won't touch wine throughout the whole journey, I will allow you to go with your second brother. If not, you can give up on that idea."
"What's so good about drinking wine? I have long kicked that habit! After drinking the fragrant wine of Ling Tian, those inferior wines no longer interest me!" Yu ManTian said with excitement, "Does that mean that you have agreed?"
Yu ManLou seemingly reluctantly nodded his head and then shouted, "If any goes wrong along the way, I will hold you responsible for it! Do you understand?!"
Yu ManTian muttered under his breath and looked as though he wanted to say something but remained silent.
"You must both take care of each other along the way. Return as soon as possible lest you make me worried. Go and make your preparations." Yu ManLou let out a soft sigh and turned around with a depressed look. However, no one noticed a slight trace of joy flashing in his eyes.
Yu ManTang didn't notice anything wrong and couldn't spot any flaws in Yu ManLou's plans. Right when he was about to take his leave, he suddenly turned back and asked, "Big brother, there is one more matter."
"What's the matter?" An untraceable light flashed in Yu ManLou's eyes.
"What should we do about XiMen Sa from the XiMen Family spreading rumors about our alliance?" Yu ManTang asked.
"He is no more than a dancing clown trying to borrow the prestige of our Yu Family to stabilize the situation of his XiMen Family. I have my ideas on the matter and you don't need to worry about it!" Yu ManLou frowned and said in a relaxed manner, but a cold glare flashed in his eyes!
"If that's the case, I will be taking my leave. Big brother, you are going to be stationed in Bright Jade City alone where the core of our family lies and will definitely be bogged down by loads of work. Furthermore, there are hidden spears and arrows all around at the present moment. May big brother take care of yourself." Yu ManTang said with sincerity.
Yu ManLou felt a sense of warmth in his heart and he turned around. After a short moment later, he said calmly, "Alright. You may leave."
Seeing his two brothers disappear from his sight, a bitter look surfaced on his face and he said with a long sigh, "Why do I have to scheme against my closest brothers? If not for that brat Ling Tian, how would things have turned out like this?!"
Calming himself down, Yu ManLou let out a command, "Men!"
A black-dressed figure then appeared without a trace, "Does the Family Head have any instructions?"
A thick killing intent rose from Yu ManLou's eyes and he growled, "Send my orders, everyone from the Soul Pavilion is to be deployed and assist the Soul Brothers in killing Ling Tian! The Shadow Pavilion is to assist them in the dark and pass this message to the Blood Slaughter Pavilion: 'the debt from before is wiped clean'. Order them to ensure that Ling Tian will never return to Sky Bearing!"
...
The night was dark, and a small flickering flame was lit.
The young noble of the Shui Family, Shui QianHuan, was seated silently in the room with a tranquil expression on his face. However, his heart was actually filled with turmoil at this moment.
He never imagined that with the aid of the First Pavilion, everything would proceed so smoothly! The matter proceeded so smoothly to the point that Shui QianHuan found it to be unbelievable! Those who still wielded authority in the Bright Jade City were all assassinated in a couple of days and almost half of his Shui Family members had already successfully risen into positions of power. The way everything proceeded without a hitch made Shui QianHuan feel a sense of fear! If the Ling Family didn't purchase the destruction of the Yu Family but his Shui Family instead, would their Shui Family be able to survive the ordeal?!
Now that the city was almost within his complete grasp, Shui QianHuan couldn't help but feel that he was in a dream.
With the plan proceeding so smoothly, could all of this be a scheme of the Yu Family? Shui QianHuan would never dare to underestimate the Family Head of the Yu Family, Yu ManLou. Be it Yu ManLou's wits or strength, it was impossible for Shui QianHuan to be a match for him. However…
Shui QianHuan couldn't believe that he was actually able to gain the upper hand against Yu ManLou in Yu ManLou's very own territory!
The door of the room suddenly opened silently and a chilly aura flooded into the room. A black-masked man then drifted into the room like a bat descending from the night sky.
Shui QianHuan hurriedly stood up. When facing this infamous Pavilion Head of the First Pavilion, Shui QianHuan himself couldn't decipher the feelings he currently had. There was fear, admiration, respect, horror, and a few other feelings that he couldn't describe! For some reason, Shui QianHuan couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort whenever this Pavilion Head stared at him, despite knowing that they were currently on the same team. Shui QianHuan felt as though there was a venomous snake eyeing him and getting ready to pounce on him and rip him to shreds at any time!
"I wonder why the Pavilion Head has suddenly come to seek me? I am extremely satisfied with your efficiency!" Shui QianHuan asked carefully. After a few days of interaction, despite using every possible mean he had, Shui QianHuan couldn't change the attitude the First Pavilion Head had towards him. Furthermore, Shui QianHuan could clearly feel that the only reason why the First Pavilion was willing to work with him was that it was a mission from the Ling Family. Perhaps it was due to a frightening amount of gold or perhaps it was because the First Pavilion owed the Ling Family a great favor. But towards his Shui Family, the First Pavilion Head didn't even display a single shred of goodwill.
This was something that frustrated Shui QianHuan greatly. No matter how powerful the Ling Family was, the Ling Family was only one of the eight Great Families and was once a 'counterfeit' Great Family. If not for Ling Tian's strength, the Ling Family would have probably submitted to another Great Family by now or been completely eradicated by the roots. However, his Shui Family was one of the biggest families in the three continents with only the Yu Family being a match for them.
Just why did the First Pavilion dare to disregard them completely?
"Oh, the matters in the Bright Jade City have been completed and this seat is here to bid my farewell to young noble Shui. The First Pavilion will pull out from the city completely, and our deal will end at daybreak tomorrow." The chilly voice of the black-masked man sounded, and Shui QianHuan felt his hair stand up on edge.
"End of the deal? All of you are going to retreat? Why the rush?" Shui QianHuan was startled, "The members of our Shui Family are still on the way here and have not arrived yet. It probably isn't appropriate for you to leave the city tomorrow. If the Yu Family and dregs of Northern Wei retaliate, our manpower will be insufficient and we will definitely suffer huge losses."
Suffer huge losses? Isn't that for the best? The black-masked man thought to himself but replied in an indifferent manner, "That is not something that I have to consider. Furthermore, I have said that the deal has already come to an end! To be honest, even if we were to stay behind, we wouldn't make a move if the Yu Family or Northern Wei dregs retaliate." The black-masked man said with an undisguised irritation, "Regardless of how much silver you offer us, we must first have the life to spend it. Our First Pavilion doesn't owe your Shui Family anything and your life and death are not of our concern!"
Shui QianHuan fell silent for a moment before saying with a smile, "If it is an issue of silver, Pavilion Head can be at ease and we can definitely discuss the matter. If it the Ling Family alone can't satisfy you, the thousand year foundation of my Shui Family will definitely not disappoint you. This young noble thinks that we can consider a plan for long-term cooperation. We will provide the money, and Pavilion Head can provide the manpower. With the both of us benefiting from that process, wouldn't it be a wonderful matter?"
With the First Pavilion's strength and efficiency, it would naturally be the best if he could recruit them into his camp. If not, having a long-term cooperative relationship wouldn't be a bad thing either! As long as the First Pavilion Head gave a price, Shui QianHuan would agree to it first before making future plans.
"Long-term cooperation?" The black-masked man sneered, "It is best for young noble Shui to talk about this after you have become the family head. Does young noble Shui think that you have the qualifications to talk to this seat about this?!"
Chapter 430: A Perfect Scheme
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
"Err!" The words immediately got stuck in Shui QianHuan's mouth. Making such a promise at this time was really overstepping his boundaries. While he had confidence that his family would agree to him, but from an outsider's point of view, it was hard to merely trust in his words. An endorsement of sorts was still needed.
Seeing the black-robed man turning to leave, Shui QianHuan hurriedly replied, "Pavilion Head, please wait. I still have something to say."
The black-robed man lightly huffed as he stopped, and spoke impatiently, "What is it? I don't have all day!"
"Since Pavilion Head wishes to pull out, then I have a presumptuous favor to ask, would Pavilion Head please consider it?" Shui QianHuan said and smiled.
"Since you already mentioned that it is a presumptuous favor, then why bother to ask?" The masked man coldly replied, "The First Pavilion kills for money, plunders those who plunder, but has never once talked about giving favors."
"Hehe," Shui QianHuan laughed drily, then replied, "The Yu Family has deep roots, and the family head Yu ManLou has three sons, each more outstanding than the other. Since Pavilion Head has already done in one of them, then why stop there? You could actually eliminate the other two! Once the Yu Family is out of successors, then..."
"Eh?" The man in black seemed to have his interest piqued. "Yu ManLou still has two other children? But the mission given to us by the Ling Family didn't include these other two, and outside of my mission, I would have to charge extra."
Shui QianHuan originally thought that he would reject the request, but hearing the change in tone, he couldn't help but rejoice. He spoke in an earnest tone, "If Pavilion Head has the intention, then we can definitely discuss the price further. The excess fees will be borne by my Shui Family. How could the Ling Family be allowed to take on such an excessive price? So long as Pavilion Head can offer a price, this subject here will definitely not bargain!"
"This seat will consider whether or not this plan is feasible first. Wait for my reply, however, bear in mind that our current contract ends when the sun rises." The moment he finished his sentence, the masked man didn't wait another moment. No movements were seen from him, but the shut door of the room suddenly opened and his shadow vanished without a sound.
Not long after, in the midst of the deep darkness, a pure black messenger falcon shot up into the sky like a black arrow, circling once around the area before flying towards the south...
In the early morning, the rays of dawn shone down on Mount Victory, south of Sky Bearing. The mass of flowers present looked like a silk brocade piece, with the jade-like grasses beckoning the wind. A light mist hung around the mountain, making it look at first glance like an immortal's dwelling, a garden in the heavens!
Ever since the construction of the Ling Family Courtyard at the foot of this mountain, where they had almost excavated half the original mountain, the shrubbery on the mountain had received untold benefits. Every now and then, there would be professional gardeners that would come over to care for them, and under the foresight of the transmigrator Ling Tian, a large scale and unique landscape garden was constructed on Mount Victory, with stones of all shapes, as well as little rivers and bridges. Even the hedges were pruned to different shapes, creating a pleasant and refreshing atmosphere much like a summer resort.
At this point, one could see over a dozen warriors with a hand on their swords, standing majestic and tall at every entrance into the area, all with stern and cold expressions.
At the top of the mountain, among the mattress of jade-green grasses, a few strips of snow-white cloth fluttered with the wind as it moved. They looked like fairies or immortals that had descended upon the mortal world.
If someone were to be able to zoom in, they wouldn't believe their eyes! This was because standing there were three heaven toppling beauties, the likes of which could probably be counted on a hand even if one scoured the entire continent. But three of them actually appeared right at this very place!
The lady in the middle had a cold and indifferent expression, slightly knitted brows, with a face carrying some sort of worry. Around her body, one could practically see wisps of cold air emanating from her, as though she was cast out of a block of Nine Mysterious Serene Ice. However, the other two ladies walking by her side seemed to not feel it; obviously, her ability to control her strength had already reached one with her mind. This person was the current presiding head of the Ling Family Courtyard, Ling Chen.
On her left was a lady whose voluminous black hair draped beautifully over her shoulder, with an expression of calm and contentedness on her face. A mischievous smile occasionally surfaced at the corners of her mouth, causing people to involuntarily feel close to her. She was the little princess of the Yu Family, Yu BingYan.
And on the right was a lady with a somewhat desolate expression, with brows that slanted slightly upward, as though showing her obstinacy. While she was a lady, her aura was unyielding like that of a hardened man! The Shui Family's little princess, Shui QianRou.
"... I'm afraid that no one would have imagined at this time, that the three of us would be walking side by side. This is even more so for the two of you. Furthermore, you two being the representatives for the millennia-long feud between the two great families. I heard that it would always be a battle to the death, and you two could thus be said to be mortal enemies from birth! However, looking at the two of you talking and laughing together, all I can say is that the world is really miraculous!" Ling Chen smiled as she addressed the two.
Shui QianRou cast a complicated look at Yu BingYan and remained silent.
Yu BingYan on the other hand smiled and replied, "Nothing is ever too bizarre in this world, so how could anything be impossible? While the two of us were born as enemies, we don't have any hatred between us. It is just that we were born too late and can't change the grudges from a millennium ago! However, we can still be good friends and good sisters, after all, it is not our choice, just our fate."
An emotional expression appeared on the face of Shui QianRou, and she suddenly turned to face Yu BingYan, smiling as she replied, "Miss Yu is indeed open-minded. It is instead QianRou that has neglected this point, and in this I have embarrassed myself."
Yu BingYan tittered as she replied, "That might not be the case. Miss Shui has been regarded as a heaven-sent genius since young, and the family would definitely have great expectations for you. However, BingYan has been a cripple since young and is a mere pawn for the upcoming battle, hence I saw the bigger picture.
Ling Chen also interjected with a smile, "Seeing the two of you so genteel and polite with each other is really a little unbearable. It's not even the time of the battle, so rather than just simply exploring and having fun together, how about the two of you become sworn sisters? Who says that a life or death battle means that both parties can't be friends before that? Or even sisters?"
As the words fell, Yu BingYan and Shui QianRou seemed to have been struck, and immediately looked at the other party to see their intentions.
Both were peerless beauties and afflicted with the same fate since they were born, as good as sisters in spirit. Today, having met each other, they were both left in awe at the other party's bearing and demeanor. Both had feelings of pity and could feel that if they really fell to the other during the battle, it would become a story that would be spread far and wide.
Yu BingYan let out a lovable laugh and gushed, "I do want that, but it's just that Sister Shui might not take too kindly to befriending a sick girl like me, so I don't dare ask."
Shui QianRou broke into laughter at this, exclaiming, "This sister has but a small ailment, furthermore still looks like an immortal amongst the mortals, really making those who gaze at you pity you unconditionally. How could I have the intention of ignoring you? Furthermore, Miss Chen is correct in saying that even though our families have a feud, and that our fate has long been decided for us, which will end with the demise of one of us. Since that's the case, then if we can be sisters for a good three years, when the time comes there would be nothing better than to die under a sister's hands!"
Yu BingYan exulted in joy, while Ling Chen rolled her eyes and replied, "What's up with you two? Am I too ugly to be seen? Since today has such perfect weather, how about the three of us become sworn sisters? If this spreads out, when people find out that the three feuding families actually have us three sisters, then this will definitely become a source of news that will shock the entire pugilistic community, hahaha…"
The three girls laughed together, with Yu BingYan and Shui QianRou continuously giving thumbs up. Each of them picked up a pinch of soil to serve as the incense and bowed to the heavens. Ling Chen was already past seventeen, thus she became the eldest sister; Shui QianRou having just passed her seventeenth birthday became the second sister, and the youngest fell to Yu BingYan who was only sixteen.
After the ceremony ended, the trio were unable to contain their joy. However, each of their minds was full of their own calculations. In Shui QianRou's heart, this thing would only last for two to three years at most. Once the battle between the Families began, they wouldn't be able to accommodate all sides, and the feelings of sisterhood between them would also slowly fade. Furthermore, Yu BingYan's character was lovable and cute, invoking feelings of pity in her own inner heart, thus she didn't loathe the thought of becoming sisters for a few years with her.
As for Yu BingYan, her thought process was different. The same fate that awaited both her and Shui QianRou made her understand the burden faced by QianRou, but Yu BingYan's didn't have many expectations in her heart. For her to be able to obtain Ling Tian's recognition was already more than enough for her, just like the saying, 'Other than the heavens itself, there was nothing more one needed'. Her joining the sworn sisters was actually just riding the waves and agreeing to what Ling Chen suggested. While she didn't disagree with this notion, she also didn't find it pressing. She didn't understand the true meaning behind why Ling Chen would suggest such a thing.
Finally, how could Ling Chen not have any thoughts? In her heart, Ling Tian's plans of hegemony had just begun. If things didn't go well, naturally they need not talk about anything else, as she would just slit her throat and join her loved one! However, if things worked out, then Ling Tian would become the owner of all under heavens, a respected monarch! When the time came, how could he only have a few close female confidantes?
Based on Ling Tian, the saying of 'Three palaces, 72 concubines, and a harem of 3,000 beauties' would never come to pass, but he couldn't have just one or two women around him! Furthermore, if Ling Tian wanted to pacify the rest of the world when he ascended the throne, he would need to ensure that the behemoths of the millennium-old families, the Yu and Shui Families, didn't feel wronged by allowing them some benefits to their descendants! As such, a battle for benefits was sure to take place and take up a lot of time in the process.
However, with Yu BingYan becoming Ling Tian's woman, at least in name, and even the so-called 'first wife' and with Shui QianRou obviously showing much affection to Ling Tian, Ling Chen started to come out with a little scheme. If she could ensure that these two little princesses became Ling Tian's women… not only would everyone become more friendly due to familial ties, but would also not 'randomly shoot at the mice for fear of breaking the vases'. The Ling Family would then stand to profit, in fact even having an unfair advantage!
Furthermore, Ling Chen had an even deeper scheme hiding within, which was that if she were to facilitate this sisterhood, then send the First Pavilion to get rid of all the potential successors of the Shui Family one by one… to that end, if Yu BingYan and Shui QianRou both became the only successors left in their families...
Chapter 431: Ling Jian Sends Word
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
When that happens, then the two thousand-year-old families would become the dowry for their family heads when they marry! If that happened, combining the influences of the three strongest families currently, then who would be able to withstand the spearhead of Ling Tian's forces?
Of course, before that could happen, the amount of planning needed had a long way to go. Right now, these two objectives were still too far-fetched to be considered! But for the sake of Ling Tian and his goal of hegemony, there wasn't anything that Ling Chen wouldn't do, thus she had already begun orchestrating this in the dark! Ling Chen's ideology was that while things might not come to fruition, the two families would still break apart due to her meddling. Furthermore, with their grudges from the past millennium still hounding them, at that time they could leisurely tackle this problem. To that point, Ling Chen's goal had even stretched as far as the Xiao Family's little princess, Xiao YanXue...
Since she was already destined not to be able to monopolize him, and since Ling Tian had already chosen to walk this road, then why not extrapolate and attempt to squeeze out the most benefit?! This was Ling Chen's thought process. For Ling Tian, Ling Chen had already thought of a way to assist him in quickly becoming the master in every single path!
To become the master of all under heavens as a mere teenager, only then is there meaning. If one waited until he was graying at the temples before conquering everything, then where was the meaning in it?
After the ceremony ended, all three ladies had their own thoughts, but none of them felt any happiness or any sense of victory. Yu BingYan pretended to be unhappy, pouting as she groaned, "I was actually the eldest daughter, and now, great, I've become the youngest third sister. In one move I fell by two grades, I've really been taken advantage of…"
Both Ling Chen and Shui QianRou immediately burst out into laughter. Shui QianRou patted her on the shoulder as she smiled, "Third Sister, from the intelligence report that I received from the family, it said that you had an incurable problem since you were born, causing you to be unable to cultivate in the first-class sutras of your family. You could only get by through practicing shallow martial skills, with scant effectiveness. However, it seems to me like you're perfectly normal. Not only do your internals seem healthy, but your skin is also glowing and your breaths are long and deep, which is the trademark of a pugilist with some attainments in cultivation! Your sister here doesn't understand, could it be that my family's report was wrong? But even so, there couldn't have been such a huge slip-up, unless you met with some sort of miracle these last few years?!"
A sweet and blissful expression appeared on Yu BingYan's face as she replied, "Actually, before this little sister came over to Sky Bearing, I was exactly as described in your family's report. I lived in fear that one day I might close my eyes to sleep and never open them again! However, the heavens have eyes and take pity on the unfortunate. After I met Tian'ge, he passed an extremely mystical inner energy cultivation sutra to me that was perfectly suited for women possessing pure yin bodies. From then on my body got better day after day, and while my illness has not been eradicated, compared to before, my current self can't be mentioned in the same breath as my old self. This is really a case of bidding farewell to karma, saying goodbye to my past as if it was a lifetime ago."
Yu BingYan might be naive, and not well versed in people relations, but she was deeply aware how mystical the pills were that Ling Tian had concocted. Just a single pill could give someone a decade's worth of internal energy that could only be obtained through cultivation! Just this point alone already made this pill into a priceless and unique treasure! If word spread out, no one knew how many covetous eyes would land on him, and how much trouble would come after him. While Shui QianRou had already become sisters with her, this sort of secret was still unsuitable for her to know.
"So it turns out that it's like this. Sister really went through many twists and turns before having such a fortuitous encounter. This is really the case of heaven having eyes and blessing the good!" Shui QianRou absentmindedly spoke a sentence of congratulations before falling silent. The moment Yu BingYan mentioned Ling Tian, it immediately brought up the greatest burden on her mind. Thinking about this Ling Tian who was constantly on her mind yet made her clench her teeth in irritation, Shui QianRou's heart was thrown into disorder. She suddenly remembered, weren't these two ladies in front of her technically Ling Tian's women? How did she not take any precautions against them, and even went so far as to become sworn sisters with them?! She began to suspect her own sanity.
Feelings should remain as feelings, while one's position should remain under official affairs, never to be lumped together. In the end, I'm still a member of the Shui Family. Shui QianRou attempted to ease her own anxiety, yet her thoughts were getting more messed up.
Looking at Shui QianRou's facial expressions, Ling Chen suddenly developed a thought. She slid up to her before whispering, "Second Sister should rest easy. Before he left, the young noble specially indicated to me that if he didn't make it back, then I should help you to dissolve the poison in your body. He has already told me the methods to do so. Rest assured, from the start, young noble never had any intention whatsoever to actually harm second sister's life."
Shiu QianRou's body trembled at these words before some sort of complicated look was revealed within her eyes. She bit lightly on her lower lip, and it was unknown what she was thinking as her calming heart was suddenly scrambled up once more.
He… this time escaping from the pursuit of the Martial Head Justice, he is literally dancing with death! His time was already so precious, yet he didn't forget about me before leaving and even specifically left the instructions on how to dissolve the poison! Was he afraid of harming me if he happened to unluckily fall under the hands of the Martial Order Medallion owner?
Ling Tian, why did you do this? Since you had already insulted me, why did you still bother to think about me? Letting me die and ending it, wouldn't that be better? Why the need to leave the antidote? You… are really evil! I really hate you! Shui QianRou screamed internally in her heart, as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Ling Chen sighed faintly before standing silent off to one side. She didn't bother to go up to console her, as Shui QianRou now had her heartstrings tugged into disarray, and it would be better if she settled it down on her own. If Ling Chen were to step forward to console her, she might achieve the opposite effect of increasing her suspicions.
Below the mountain, a white shadow shot directly up like a high-speed bullet train, his feet almost not touching on the ground below him at all as he approached. The grasses surrounding him all parted to two sides as he ran, giving off the impression much like a boat moving along a calm lake. In an instant, he had already come in front of the three ladies. He had a young and slightly innocent countenance, but his whole body slightly exuded a faint cold killing intent. That was Ling Chi! However, under his deadpan expression, there was a faint tinge of anxiety that couldn't be seen by normal people.
Soaring on grass! Shui QianRou's misty pupils suddenly contracted, as she exclaimed to herself. As a descendant from a millennium-old family, Shui QianRou definitely knew her stuff, and one look was enough to tell the realm that Ling Chi's movement techniques were at. While Shui QianRou and Ling Chi had met a few times before, and while she knew that his martial arts were extraordinary, she didn't expect him to be at such an extreme level!
It wasn't that Shui QianRou had never seen anybody at such a realm before. In fact, she had seen many people at that realm, but for someone of Ling Chi's age, not only was he unique among all those she knew, but there couldn't possibly be more than five people of this level in the entire world. Just this point would require her to reevaluate Ling Tian as well as his subordinates in the Ling Family Courtyard. How could Shui QianRou not be surprised?
Ling Chen's heart also sank upon seeing the situation. She immediately knew that there was something wrong the moment she saw Ling Chi's expression. Because she had been in close contact with Ling Chi over the past few years, thus she was the most familiar with Ling Chi after Ling Jian. Seeing such a heavy and anxious look in his expression, she could immediately tell that this matter wasn't a small one.
"What is it? Why are you in such a panic? How unruly!" Ling Chen's eyes grew cold as she lightly snapped. While things might be urgent or bad, the young noble always emphasized that, since things had already happened, panicking was of no use and would only get in the way! One had to have a calm mind to deal with the matters, and this point had always been etched very clearly in Ling Chen's heart. Now that she was the overseer for the Ling Family Courtyard, if she allowed herself to panic as well, then everything would just sink into chaos. Thus, she couldn't allow anything to happen to herself, as she was living right now for the person she loved the most. Thus, she couldn't panic.
As such, even though Ling Chen was nervous in her heart, there was not a single expression shown on her face.
Seeing the calm and steady expression on Ling Chen's face, Ling Chi had a sort of feeling as though he was once again standing in front of his young noble and nothing seemed impossible to him. There was a certain sense and security emanating from her, and this caused his emotions to quickly settle back down to normal. He replied, "Elder Sister, Nineteen has delivered news and requires Sister to make a decision."
"Oh." Ling Chen's face remained impassive, but inside her heart she was greatly shocked. Ling Nineteen had followed Ling Jian to Northern Wei this time around, so if he passed down news, it naturally had something to do with Ling Jian. This was no small matter. What sort of problem was it that Ling Jian, with his status, couldn't settle it and needed her to make a decision?
Could it be that the young noble...
Glancing at Yu BingYan and Shui QianRou, Ling Chen quietly spoke, "Is the matter very important? To the point that you needed to interrupt me like this?"
Ling Chi only respectfully bowed as he replied, "It's not very important. I merely wanted to give you a heads up."
Yu BingYan tugged on Ling Chen's sleeve as she whispered, "Since Sister Chen has matters to settle, then we can head back first. When you have time, us sisters can meet up again."
Shui QianRou also nodded in assent, as she spoke in a low voice, "Big Sister's matters are more important. Us sisters still have a long time ahead of us, so why rush it?"
Ling Chen could only sigh in resignation and murmur, "Since that's the case, then I'll bid farewell first. Sis Rou, once your people arrive, please inform me. Because your brother is doing a solo mission in Northern Wei, we lack influence there and need more time to prepare in advance." Shui QianRou nodded before bringing Yu BingYan away.
Seeing the two walk far, Ling Chi finally brought out a piece of paper from his bosom and passed it over, while speaking in an urgent tone, "Big Sis, Brother Jian's decision is very dangerous. Even after so many years, we still are unable to truly measure the depths of the Yu Family. If we were to go into the Yu Family's Residence and perform an assassination, I'm afraid…" Ling Chi didn't continue, but the palpitations that could be heard from his voice were obvious.
Ling Chen's face sank as she speedily read through the contents of the letter. Her hands were clenched tight, knuckles white as she exclaimed, "That Ling Jian! I knew he would definitely create problems, but I didn't expect that he would actually… ehhh?"
Ling Chen broke her own sentence with a surprised 'eh', before sinking into deep thought once again. She read through Ling Jian's letter closely, before suddenly taking in a deep breath. As the contents of the letter flowed through her head again and again, she found it harder and harder to decide.
Ling Jian's words might actually make sense!
Chapter 433: A Small Bet
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
About thirty to forty feet away, dozens of individuals sudden swarmed out from the sides of the road and completely blocked the way. They were all in prime condition and it was obvious that they weren't too weak.
However, Ling Tian felt a sense of depression in his heart. Could it be that these people thought that they could stop him with so few people? They are overestimating themselves and underestimating him! Thinking about that, Ling Tian circulated his inner qi and sent his spiritual sense out to his surroundings.
The person in the lead shouted out, "Ling Tian, you are truly gutsy! You actually dare to walk into our territory so openly! Do you truly think that you are invincible?"
Li Xue chuckled and said softly, "Young noble Ling, you have to grasp this opportunity to have some fun."
Ling Tian glared at her and replied, "I suddenly remembered an appropriate saying for this occasion: The Yu Family, truly demonic. A turtle appearing right when we were talking about a tortoise. Mmm, speak of the devil. Li Xue couldn't help but hold onto her sides as she giggled. At the same time, Ling Tian let out a hearty laugh, "There are definitely many people in the world who are capable of taking care of me. However, it would definitely not be you. Report your name to this young noble, this young noble will never kill a nameless individual!"
Hearing Ling Tian say the classic 'this young noble will never kill a nameless individual' from her past life, Li Xue couldn't rein in her laughter as she squatted down and clutched her tummy while laughing uncontrollably. With a smile from a beauty, countries and cities would definitely topple. But for a beauty to laugh so uncontrollably like that, it would be impossible for the cities and countries to topple!
While these men didn't mention their origins, Ling Tian was certain that they were from the Yu Family! In truth, in the Northern Wei Empire, only the Yu Family would be capable of arranging manpower to kill him the moment they received news about him. No one else would have the strength or guts to do so!
The person leading the crowd took a step forward and when his feet landed on the ground, a loud 'bang' sounded as a huge dust of cloud rose into the air. Facing the powerful Ling Tian, he was nervous to the point he had unknowingly circulated his inner qi all around his body and every action carried all of his strength! He then roared, "Ling Tian, come out and meet your death!" A powerful inner qi was imbued within the roar and it sounded like thunder, echoing far and wide. His imposing manner was truly rather frightening!
"Do you want to do it? Or do you want me to do it?" Ling Tian smiled and looked at Li Xue, "Look at how nervous he is, with his body all tensed up. I dare to bet that his stomach definitely has six-packs. If you don't believe me, I will strip him naked for you to take a look. Let us gamble on a title. If you lose, you will be called little doggy from now on. How about that?"
Li Xue chuckled as her face turned red. Rolling her eyes, she pursed her lips, "They are here to find Ling Tian and not me. What has this got to do with me? You still want to gamble with me? I have never seen anyone so senseless like you! Who cares if he has six or eight packs, is it very rare?"
"Do you have the guts to make the bet?" Ling Tian teased, "Do you remember that you have never won a bet with me before. Poor lass."
"Alright, let's have a bet! Would I be afraid of you?" Li Xue replied, "You can fight him if you want, I am too lazy to make a move. Dealing with a bunch of men like them would only dirty my hands. You are also a man yourself and would you require the help of a lady?!"
"Even if you want to distance yourself from the matter, there will probably be people looking for you." Ling Tian chuckled and whispered into Li Xue's ears, "Do you see that? Every one of them looks like they are s*xually deprived. There were even many of them who swallowed a mouthful of saliva when looking at you. I wonder what they were thinking about, can you make a guess? Hehe…"
Li Xue's face turned red as she grabbed onto Ling Tian's ears and scolded fiercely, "Do you dare to say it again?"
Ling Tian cried out in pain and said softly, "How would this few of them dare to block my way? There is definitely an ambush elsewhere. There are a few dangerous auras approaching us from the forest on the side, and a few experts are also in ambush behind us. The two of us can't take action together. If one of us were to take action, the other should stay behind as support. The one watching the fight is more important than the one fighting. It is best for you to consider the matter carefully. I am afraid that with your feeble martial arts, you may be captured by the enemy and things would be bad. If you were truly captured, should I surrender myself or escape immediately?!"
Li Xue's immediate response was to send a kick to Ling Tian's ass as she scolded, "You are the one who is going to be captured! If you were to be captured, this Miss here will definitely not bother saving you!" She was originally listening to what Ling Tian had to say attentively, nodding her head in agreement. However, she never imagined Ling Tian to suddenly change the topic to her being captured! This made Li Xue feel as though she was toyed with as a ball of frustration rose in her heart.
Wary of Ling Tian's martial arts, the forty plus experts didn't dare to take the initiative to attack as they saw Ling Tian discussing something with Li Xue. However, they suddenly saw how a squabble broke out and the lady kicked Ling Tian in the ass, sending Ling Tian flying towards them! They couldn't help but be filled with joy as they brandished their blades and wanted to slash Ling Tian's descending figure!
Right when they were about to dice Ling Tian into pieces, the situation took another turn and Ling Tian's pathetic figure suddenly paused in mid-air before descending rapidly to the ground. Before he could land onto the ground, he suddenly flew laterally along the ground like a leaf drifting around in the wind, charging straight into the formation of people in front of him!
Before they could do anything, Ling Tian's palms had cleaved out like two gigantic axes and miserable groans sounded. Four burly men collapsed onto the ground and could no longer get up. The bones below their knees were fractured as though they had been cleaved by a sharp blade, with their calves dangling from their knees only being held on by a small piece of skin. Blood was spurting everywhere and it was an extremely gory sight.
The ground surrounding the four burly men was completely dyed in blood! The four of them rolled on the ground moaning and groaning in pain. None of them could believe that they had turned into cripples in just an instant!
A look of fear could be seen in the eyes of everyone present as they stood rooted to the ground. Seeing the miserable appearance of their comrades, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spine. There were a few of them who couldn't control themselves and began puking their guts out.
Behind them, Ling Tian stood with his hands behind his back nonchalantly without a single drop of blood on his white robes! Seeing the scene in front of him, Ling Tian clapped his hands and chuckled, "I already came out to accept my death but all of you should display some sincerity. With some of you collapsing, others puking, and the rest in a daze, how do you expect this young noble to accept my death? Err, are you guys thinking of disgusting this young noble to death? Well, I can't say that it is a bad idea!"
The burly man in the lead let out a roar with his eyes turning red. With a forceful stamp of his feet, he charged towards Ling Tian and the sword in his hand was brandished, unleashing a brilliant flower made from sword qi.
Ling Tian laughed heartily as he dashed straight into the sword qi with his bare hands! It was as though he was a butterfly flying into a bed of roses!
That burly man was appalled! Despite the fact that he should have the upper hand with his weapon, he could feel that Ling Tian was the one with the upper hand! Ling Tian stuck himself within a foot of his chest and the three foot long nimble sword suddenly felt as though it was far too long! The burly man felt as though he had a body full of strength but just couldn't use it at all! He could feel his opponent's palms weaving around his sword qi, occasionally grabbing onto the tip of his sword with two fingers, occasionally slapping the back of his sword with a palm, occasionally touching the body of his sword…
If he tried to take a step forward, Ling Tian would take a step back and remain close beside him. If he were to take a step back, Ling Tian would also follow closely! This… just what kind of a tactic was this? The burly man was crying out bitterly in his heart. He had always been a vicious character for all his life but felt that his hands and feet were completely tied today!
Could it be that I am going to die here today? The burly man couldn't help but think to himself.
After a short few minutes, the burly man was already drenched in sweat and panting like a bull! He could feel that Ling Tian had countless opportunities to kill him but chose not to do so! From the view of an outsider, it was as though the both of them were having an extremely close fight. However, he was very clear that he had long lost the fight and he should have died many times already!
While they were all here to hold Ling Tian back and create opportunities, wasn't Ling Tian also making use of them to lure out the experts who were in hiding? Both parties had their own schemes and plan in mind.
By the side, the other burly men couldn't understand what was going on and upon witnessing the intense battle between the two began to cheer, "Big brother, good swordplay!"
"You can do it!"
"Kill this little thief and take revenge for our brothers!"
Hearing those cheers, the burly man had the urge to bury his head in the ground and never reveal his face again! How embarrassing… to think that they are usually pretty witty… can't they tell that I am about to be bullied to death?
A bright laugh suddenly sounded and Ling Tian spun around and retreated from the battle. With a bright smile on his face, Ling Tian held onto a complete set of robes on his left hand and a pair of pants on his right…
Opposite him, the burly man held onto his long sword and spun around on the spot foolishly. Feeling the sudden chill on his body, the burly man looked down and fell into a daze.
The only thing left on his body was a pair of boxer shorts. His upper body muscles were well developed with a thick forest of chest hair fluttering gently in the winds… His hairy legs were also exposed in the air, and the burly man was like an underwear model, displaying his glory in broad daylight and on the streets!
Chapter 434: A Sudden Ambush
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
His figure was definitely in tip-top condition!
After falling into a daze for a while, the burly man quickly regained his senses. According to the culture of Ling Tian's present world, even a married couple would only see each other naked in the bedroom and no one would dare to be completely naked in front of others. The burly man felt his whole face flush red as he gasped in shock and quickly reacted to cover his key areas. However, he forgot about the sword that was in his hand and the sword pierced right into his own thigh. With the pain assaulting him, he let out another long roar towards the heavens… it was like the cry of a wolf on a full moon night, with his groan of defeat sounding far and wide…
What a long breath! Ling Tian praised in his heart.
"Hahaha, lass, open up your eyes and see his six packs! Who am I? The number one god of gambling! How would I lose to you?" Ling Tian laughed heartily, "Since when have you won any of our bets? Haha…"
If it was Ling Chen, Yu BingYan or any other ladies of this world, they would have probably turned their head around in embarrassment or covered their eyes with their hands. However, Li Xue wasn't an ordinary individual and instead looked at the burly man with amusement as she counted under her breath, "Tian'ge! You have lost! It is obviously seven packs."
"Eh? It can't be! How can it be seven packs?" Ling Tian looked over doubtfully, "It is obviously six packs with three on each side. How can it be seven packs? Even if there are more, it should be considered eight packs!"
Li Xue grunted for a while before raising her head up and saying proudly, "Both his hands are covering the final pack."
"Hahaha…" Ling Tian burst into laughter, "That doesn't count!"
"I don't care, it is considered your loss." Li Xue began to act shamelessly before frowning with disgust, "Quickly make him put on his clothes! How disgusting!"
"It is indeed pretty disgusting! Even though he is full of muscles, he isn't the least bit attractive." Ling Tian agreed with a smile before shouting, "Go!"
With a shake of his right hand, the long pants sliced through the air with a swoosh and shot towards the burly man!
That burly man was currently clenching his teeth and trying to pull the sword out of his thigh. However, his muscles were all tensed up and the sword that was embedded within his muscles was completely trapped! Blood flowed down along his thigh and the burly man bent down in pain with large beads of sweat rolling down his face!
Right at this moment, the pair of pants that was imbued with Ling Tian's inner qi shot towards the burly man's neck. Without slowing down for a single bit, the burly man's head was sheared off neatly by the flying pair of pants! With Ling Tian's inner qi imbued within it, the pair of pants was as sharp as a blade and had cleanly decapitated the burly man!
What a frightening inner qi cultivation! What a frightening method to kill someone!
"Pu!" A thick arrow of blood shot up towards the sky and rose a full twenty feet into the air! The strange scene in front of them made everyone feel a chill run down their spine as they shivered in fear!
However, this was not the end yet. The burly man was still trying to pull out his sword and upon losing his head, the muscles of the burly man eased up and the bloody sword was suddenly pulled out cleanly. With the remaining force from pulling the sword out, the burly man's arms were both lifted up in the sky before he collapsed on the ground.
The remaining dozens of burly men left behind were scared silly by the scene in front of them. They stood rooted to the ground trembling with cold sweat all over their backs and perspiration flowing down from their cheeks like a waterfall. The four burly men who had lost their calves forgot to groan in pain as they witnessed this scene unfolding before them. Their mouths were agape like a large hippopotamus and their muscles began to twitch…
"My goodness…" Li Xue patted herself on the chest gently and grumbled, "Are you a pervert? Why did you have to kill him in such a gruesome manner? My hair is all standing up on edge and I will definitely have a nightmare tonight!"
"Good martial arts indeed! No wonder you are able to stir the Heavenly Star Continent up into chaos! Hearing the name 'Ling Tian' is like seeing a ghost!" A crisp voice sounded with a trace of shock. While the words were fast, a brilliant sword light was even faster! The sword light descended from a tree by the side with the target being Ling Tian's chest!
There was nothing special about this sword strike but it was unbelievably fast! Its speed could not even be described with words! Of all the martial arts in the world, only speed cannot be defeated! What a fast sword!
After Ling Tian caught a glimpse of the sword, it was in front of his chest the next moment! The sword was lightning fast! This strike did not pursue looks or splendor but only had a single motive: to kill!
A sword that was unleashed would not look back!
Furthermore, not a single trace of killing intent could be detected on the sword! Or perhaps it would be accurate to say that the killing intent could not be felt in time! However, the aura of 'it's either your death or mine' suddenly exploded forth and filled the surroundings!
It was a pity that Ling Tian wasn't someone ordinary!
Ling Tian felt a trace of familiarity in his heart! In his memory, there were many others who could unleash such an attack: Ling Jian, Ling Chi, Ye BaiFei… and Ling Tian himself!
An assassin! A top-notch assassin!
How could Ling Tian deal with such a fast sword?!
Ling Tian's upper body remained motionless, but his feet made a criss-cross and he turned his body sideways. The life-severing strike then passed by Ling Tian's chest and a chilly aura brushed past Ling Tian's chest…
Life and death in an instant!
Following that, a slim figure suddenly appeared by Ling Tian's side with a short dagger in his hand plunging towards Ling Tian's abdomen!
From the trees on both sides, nine rays of sword light shot out towards nine different directions and descended from the skies like demons. At the same moment where the sword lights descended, the surrounding air seemed to have been sucked dry by the nine descending swords. While it was still noon with the sun shining brightly, the dozens of burly men by the side felt as though the space where Ling Tian was standing at had been enveloped with a black ball of haze, making it impossible to see what was happening within!
At the same time, another six rays of sword light appeared and formed a dense sword net, covering Li Xue who was rushing to aid Ling Tian! They were actually ambushed at the same time! Ambushed by top-notch assassins at the same moment!
The fifteen assassins who had appeared afterward were actually no weaker than the first assassin who ambushed Ling Tian! Each of them had their teeth clenched tight as they tried to exchange their lives with Ling Tian's!
A full sixteen top-notch assassins were actually sent out for a single ambush mission! Such a lineup could fully display the determination to kill Ling Tian!
As though his dagger had already plunged into Ling Tian's abdomen, the assassin burst out into a smile. But the next moment, the assassin felt as though his dagger plunged into thin air and he did not even hit anything. His dagger was launched when his body was right in front of Ling Tian and by the time the assassin realized that something was wrong, his figure had already passed by Ling Tian's side and it was too late to send out a second attack!
Right at this moment, the assassin suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen with his innards rupturing. A spurt of blood shot out from his mouth as he witnessed Ling Tian's knees returning to their original position!
I was obviously the one attacking Ling Tian with him using all he had to avoid my attack! Why was I the one to get injured?!
Why?!
Right when the both of them brushed past each other, Ling Tian swiftly circulated his inner qi and sucked in his abdomen, forming a small crater to avoid the dagger. At the same time, he lifted up his knees and smashed the assassin's abdomen. By making use of the force generated from the assassin's speed, the might of his knee strike was doubled and the assassin's innards were completely destroyed!
As for why the assassin's ambush turned into himself being attacked, that was no longer important. After the assassin charged forward for another fifty feet, he collapsed motionless on the ground and took his final breath. With his final willpower, he looked towards Ling Tian and saw Ling Tian brandishing a sword to receive the nine attacks launched towards him.
The sword in his hands looks so familiar… that was originally my sword, and it was in my hands a moment ago… The assassin's consciousness came to the very end as his life dwindled away with his eyes wide open in shock and doubt…
Everyone could clearly see that the assassin's hand was empty with his sword missing… Just when did Ling Tian take the assassin's sword?!
Only speed cannot be defeated! To deal with a swift attack, one needs to be even faster!
In this world, there wasn't the fastest, but only faster!
A crisp phoenix's cry sounded, and Li Xue's slim figure began spinning on the spot. Her snow white palms struck out in all directions and after a few palm strikes, 'xiu xiu' sounds could be heard and the space around her seemed to have been frozen! As the chilly inner qi met the scorching daylight, a 'chi chi' sound could be heard and a white mist covered the whole battlefield!
The Divine Ice Formula was activated fully!
Chapter 435: Complete Annihilation
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
"What a good Divine Ice Formula! What exquisite inner strength!" Ling Tian cheered, "Li Xue, you did not let down the name of ' Xue 1 ' indeed! You are indeed a lass who has come out from the mountains!" Amid the laughter, a loud metallic clang sounded, and Ling Tian parried another one of his opponent's strikes!
Li Xue was angered to the point she wanted to quarrel with Ling Tian again. The first half of Ling Tian's sentence was still reasonable. But what did he mean by 'indeed a lass who has come out from the mountains'? In what way is the strength of my Divine Ice Formula related to this? How infuriating! A leopard will never change its spots even after reincarnating into a second life! A casual remark from him is enough to drive me insane! Just wait for me to grab hold of that belly of yours and yank it a full 180 degrees!
However, being trapped in an intense battle, how would Li Xue have the time to find trouble with Ling Tian? Li Xue clenched her teeth and a chilly glow shot out from her eyes as she vented her frustrations on the six assassins in front of her! Her inner qi shot up to an unprecedented height and her petite figure weaved around the sharp sword lights nimbly like a bolt of lightning. The fog surrounding her became thicker and thicker and the ground beneath her slowly froze into a thick layer of ice!
With a 'peng' sound, a green-dressed assassin fell flat on his face and a thick layer of ice formed on his head, dying without a single grunt! Due to the thick fog in front of him, another assassin could not see clearly and ended up tripping on the dead assassin's head. He then felt a cracking feeling underneath his feet and as he looked down, he could not help but despair!
After receiving a palm strike from Li Xue, the dead assassin's head was frozen into a block of ice and became extremely brittle. Upon being stepped on by his fellow assassin, his head was shattered but not a single droplet of blood could be seen. Instead, the only things that could be seen were solid blocks of brain matter and flesh clumped together in the ice, scattered all around like an exploded watermelon.
An assassin should have been extremely used to such a gory sight, and nothing should disturb him. However…
This assassin let out an angry roar and just when he was about to charge forward, a silhouette flashed in front of him and he felt his shoulder turn cold as a dainty hand left his shoulder. The next moment, he felt as though the right side of his body began to turn completely numb and he could not take a single step!
A sword charged straight to his chest and just when he was about to shout out, "It's me!", he realized that his mouth couldn't move an inch. He then witnessed his own brother stabbing a sword right through his chest…
At this moment, he could clearly feel that his heart was punctured before swiftly losing all feeling as he closed his eyes and took his final breath.
Ling Tian's sword danced around and a vigorous bout of sword qi shot towards the skies, forcefully breaking through the lockdown of the nine swords above his head. With the opening above his head, Ling Tian then shot up fifty feet into the air! The nine people below him then spread out in retreat and tilted their swords towards the sky facing Ling Tian. At the same time, their eagle-like gazes were locked onto Ling Tian's figure emotionlessly as though they did not even see the deaths of their comrades! They did not even blink a single time!
They were truly top-notch assassins, capable of viewing their life and death with contempt!
Ling Tian finally rose up to a height of sixty feet, and the force of his jump was spent. The sword in his hand began to spin around and his figure formed a spinning top, "Blood Slaughter Pavilion?"
The nine people below continued staring at Ling Tian without a single one giving a response!
Ling Tian then gave out a sinister laugh, "I wonder how many assassins the Blood Slaughter Pavilion has to serve as training for my sword?!" All of a sudden, a loud whistle sounded, and Ling Tian began spinning faster as he began his descent. When he descended to 30 feet above ground, a realistic looking sword net had condensed around his body and Ling Tian looked like a bright silver top descending from the skies!
If Li Xue saw the scene in front of her, she would definitely shout out in surprise, "Flying saucer? UFO?"
However, it was a pity that Li Xue was currently tied up with the other assassins and did not witness the scene. Furthermore, the scene only persisted for a short instant before a brilliant sword qi lit up the sky as though there was an angel descending from the heavens!
Ling Tian's figure was already concealed in the brilliant light and the river of light majestically descended as though it wanted to destroy the earth!
The assassin who was at the very front charged forward with his sword and upon coming into contact with the brilliant light was shot out 30 feet away. His body was covered all over with slashes, with the depth of every wound reaching his bones! While his eyes were still opened wide, his eyes no longer had any spirit!
Eyes like these would only appear on the dead! Ling Tian was used to calling it 'fish eyes'! Everyone knew that only the eyes of a fish would not be able to spin around, just like the eyes of a dead man…
Ling Tian's sword charged right into the camp of the other eight assassins like a cyclone filled with destruction, death, and killing intent! All of his pent-up frustrations could finally be vented in this moment!
Unrestrained and uninhibited! At this moment, Ling Tian had such a feeling!
Kill! KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL!!!!
Man and sword as one! This was the true man and sword as one!
The eyes of the eight individuals were filled with despair and determination. Like a moth flying into the flames, they valiantly received Ling Tian's attack! Their eight swords stabbed into the brilliant sword light in unison!
Facing such an attack, retreat was not an option and fighting was the only option! However, there wasn't a chance for them to survive if they were to fight! Could the might of such an attack be blocked by a human? Even the combined force of the nine assassins was completely insignificant! As an assassin, their failure would mean death! Furthermore, they were facing the god of massacre, Ling Tian!
How was it possible for Ling Tian to let them leave alive?
"Ding ding ding ding ding…" the sounds of metal clashing sounded and the sky was lit up brightly as though the sky was filled with fireworks!
Bits of swords shot out in all directions and towers of blood sprayed out in the surroundings! Pieces of dismembered limbs, still carrying with them the warmth of a human body, began to fly out in all directions! In just a single exchange, not a single one of the eight assassins was left with a complete corpse! They were only left with pieces of flesh with the largest piece not exceeding the size of a palm!
The assassin who died the first was the luckiest! After all, he was at the very least left with a complete corpse!
Not too far away, the dozens of burly men began puking! What kind of swordplay was this? Even if you wanted to dice them up into a thousand pieces, you should at least leave their skeleton behind right? Currently, even their skin and bones were sent flying alongside their flesh! Only a single phrase could describe the scene in front of them: Bones crushed and ashes scattered!
The brilliant sword light then vanished and Ling Tian reappeared panting heavily. His hair was messy, face pale and he had countless thin scratches on his body with every wound bleeding slightly. Combined together, it was as though Ling Tian was drenched in blood!
However, Ling Tian's posture was still upright with a dense killing intent shooting out from his eyes! His sword was pointed towards the ground diagonally with a stream of blood flowing down the body of the sword…
Not too far away in the dense fog, the sounds of punches continuously sounded with a miserable groan accompanying each one. Following that, the fog began to disperse as though being faced with a violent wind and the battlefield was displayed before everyone's eyes.
Li Xue stood in the center of the battlefield silently with her left shoulder and chest dyed red with blood. Her expression was tranquil and there were six frozen corpses lying by her feet…
The sixteen elite assassins of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion were wiped out in a single battle!
This was also because of their ill luck. According to the report they had received, Ling Tian was the only one they had to be concerned with. All of their plans were made to deal with Ling Tian alone! This resulted in them making an unforgivable mistake!
If the sixteen of them were to ambush Ling Tian alone, they definitely wouldn't have been wiped out and would have a fairly good chance of emerging victorious. However, none of them could predict that a Li Xue would appear by Ling Tian's side. Furthermore, Li Xue's martial arts also stood at the peak of the continent and her ruthlessness was no less than Ling Tian's!
Thus, while the annihilation of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion wasn't within their expectations, it was fully reasonable!
Looking at the remains around him, Ling Tian let out a sinister smirk! No matter how powerful the Blood Slaughter Pavilion was, after their loss in Sky Bearing and losing sixteen top-notch assassins here, it would be impossible for them to make a comeback! This would also eliminate a source of worry for Ling Tian in the future!
Ling Tian let out a cruel smile and raised his elegant hands up, pointing his bloodied sword at the dozens of burly men. This action of his immediately stirred a huge commotion as all the burly men thought that Ling Tian was about to attack them and began to escape in all directions. There were even a few who were previously shocked by the bloody scene in front of them, and after being further frightened by Ling Tian further, they collapsed on the ground and died from fear…
Ling Tian then let out a chilly, disdainful smile of pity and said calmly, "Go back and inform Yu ManLou that he should be more careful when choosing his men in future! He should send out men who are more useful and make sure to plan carefully. At the very least, he should not send out trash to disgrace themselves!"
After pausing for a moment, he bellowed, "Scram!"
Chapter 436: Treating Injuries
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Just this word, this extremely humiliating and shameful word, was spat out carelessly from Ling Tian's mouth softly, as though he didn't even use any strength. He didn't purposefully increase his volume, but this soft reply was heard clearly by the 40 to 50 odd men around. It was as though they had received an imperial pardon. All their faces immediately showed traces of joy, and in fact, gratitude instead of anger as they picked up their injured comrades and sped off.
Upon leaving some of them even bowed towards him, saying, "Thank you young noble Ling for sparing our lives, your magnanimity will be repaid!"
Looking at the group disappearing over the horizon, Ling Tian quietly stood there with a sarcastic smile on his lips as he enunciated, "This is human character!"
"Why so?" Li Xue furrowed her pretty brows as she walked to stand beside him. Looking at the scene of blood and gore, she couldn't help but feel a little nauseous, her face turning pale. While her hands were bloodied with the lives of many, such a scene was something she had never seen even in her past life.
Seeing Li Xue's condition, Ling Tian smiled as he replied, "Why don't we walk as we talk. Let's find a place to recuperate first." As he spoke, he moved forward, throwing the sword he snatched from one of the ten experts carelessly on the ground. As it landed, the sword shattered into a multitude of pieces, totally unrecognizable. This sword had no special properties imbued within it during its making, and it was sustained purely by Ling Tian's strong internal energy. Now that Ling Tian had withdrawn his energy, the sword naturally reached the end of its life, totally disintegrating!
Li Xue shot Ling Tian a look that seemed to indicate that she had other thoughts, before moving to catch up to him.
"You mentioned just now that this was human character. What do you mean by that?"
"We were originally enemies and couldn't share the same sky. But because I spared their lives, not only did they not have the dignity of a martial artist and feel humiliated, they were even thankful that they could leave and expressed their gratitude towards me. This, I find extremely interesting." Ling Tian slowly began. "I don't term this sort of warrior as a martial artist, but rather trash! This is because they don't even possess the hot-bloodedness of a farmer who tends to his fields day after day! Thus, I let them go. To have such people in the Yu Family is a good thing for us." Ling Tian let out a meaningful smile.
"What if they would rather die than retreat? What if they were those sort of strong and determined men, would you really be willing to cut them down? Or would you be in admiration of them and let them go?"
Ling Tian suddenly stopped short and turned back to stare into her eyes as he snapped, "Li Xue, you must drill this into your head. I said before that I'm no gentlemen, nor am I some great hero! These are my heartfelt thoughts! An enemy will forever be an enemy! No matter if he's some great hero or some valiant warrior, ultimately they will be people that can threaten my life! I can admire and respect them, but when it's time to kill, I will not have any intention to let them off! Doing so is akin to leaving a tumor unchecked, letting them plot against you and your loved ones! Such an enemy can be said to be the most frightening one you can find! For a bunch of cowards, you can ignore, but for a warrior, so long as you leave him with a breath of life, there's always the possibility he will inflict tremendous damage towards you one day, which will leave you with irrevocable regret!"
"Heroes pitying heroes will only ever appear in stories. If they become reality, then that would be a tragedy." Ling Tian concluded.
"Just like your past? A cripple exploding a great portion of the elites of the two biggest clans? Are you that kind of valiant warrior?!" Li Xue stuck out her tongue as she jested. During this period of time together, following the release of their heart's burdens, their topic about the past lives was not as taboo as before, and thus Li Xue dared to bring up this matter to tease him.
Ling Tian gave a meaningful smile in return. "That differs to some extent. I wasn't killed because I was meant to be used as a form of humiliation, as well as to form a bait of sorts. This was to allow those who helped me to be punished as well."
Li Xue silently thought about it, before smiling to herself.
"I was merely lamenting just now. If we had never experienced hardships and suffered, we would probably be like those people just now, running with our tails tucked between our legs." Ling Tian mused out loud. "As the saying goes, 'A portion of hard work will reap a consequent portion of benefits'. This is very reasonable, and the ancient sayings have never lied to me!"
"That's right. In this world, if you don't work hard, then you only can let others step on your pride, forever remaining at the bottom rung of the ladder." Li Xue lamented as she sighed.
"Wrong!" Ling Tian laughingly scolded. "It's not just this world, even our old Earth also had the same principles! There's no difference anywhere we go!"
"Even if you are living on the bottommost rung, you still can use effort to succeed." Ling Tian resolutely spoke. "A person's life has always been about starting from the very bottom and fighting their way up for their entire lives. While one might not always succeed, but they at least can achieve something! And that is by allowing his or her descendants to borrow from his strengths, to stand on his shoulders to reach greater heights so that one day they might extricate themselves from the bottom. So long as they work as hard, there will be a place higher up for them. Even if their children can't, grandchildren, great-grandchildren… there will be one generation which will succeed, and that's the essence of 'where there's a will, there's a way'!"
"You're trying to say that if every generation works as hard as the one before," Li Xue laughed out, "that one day, someone will stand at the top of the ladder. So long as one doesn't stop working, their future is limitless! Is that the meaning?"
"Precisely!" Ling Tian solemnly replied. "There will always be people that tell their children, 'my life is gone, all my hopes are pinned on you'. For parents like that, they have basically given up on themselves and thus are destined not to progress further. If you wish for your children to seek out a good future, you have to first start from yourself!" Ling Tian let out a sarcastic smile.
Li Xue, however, retorted, "But in every society, there will definitely be people on the lower rung."
Ling Tian assented as he laughed out, "As such, only those who succeed through putting in the effort can enjoy the fruits of their labor! For example, you and me!"
As they conversed, the two of them had long left the mountainous regions, and in front of them came the gushing of water, which revealed to be a small creek. Ling Tian nodded his head in approval as he spoke, "Here will do. I'll help you to treat your injuries."
Li Xue suddenly turned bashful, as her cheeks flamed up. "I can handle my injuries by myself!"
Ling Tian's face sank, "You might be able to treat those at your chest, but those in your left shoulder and on your back? Don't make so much noise! I still have to rely on you to treat mine later. I really dislike having scars on my body. They'll spoil this perfect body of mine that I've built up!"
Li Xue's eyes lit up as she grabbed the chance to say, "How about I'll help you treat your wounds first? After all, your injuries are more serious than mine! I… I don't really mind having scars on my body!"
"Bullsh*t!" Ling Tian scolded. "How would I not know that your injuries are more severe than mine? How long would it have to take for you to finish treating me? Can you injuries even wait that long?"
Seeing Li Xue still being stubborn, Ling Tian could only sigh and say, "Xue'er, I'm your brother!" And adding on a fierce tone, he continued, "Don't tell me you need to be so polite about me treating your injuries? Don't forget, I saw you in your birthday suit when you were young!"
Li Xue blustered with a totally red face, "That was the past! I don't have any relations with you now, I'm called Li Xue, not Xue'er!"
Ling Tian really flared up at this point. He snapped, "Stop giving me rubbish, past and present, there's no difference!" As he spoke, he unceremoniously pulled Li Xue over to him, stretching his hands out to undress her.
Li Xue let out a lovable moan, as she snapped her eyelids shut out of embarrassment.
To think that she didn't even put up a token resistance, this was totally out of Ling Tian's expectation. However, following that he started to feel as though something was seriously wrong about this!
In front of him was a girl who resembled a flower in full bloom! The moment Ling Tian saw the spotlessly white corset and faintly observed the proud and unyielding lines and peaks underneath it that would cause a person's imagination to shoot towards the high heavens, as well as touched the snow white skin, carrying a tinge of heat, passing through from his fingertips straight to his heart, his face immediately turned red as well. It was then he realized the problem.
Seeing Li Xue still with her eyes shut, and her face completely red with her body slightly trembling, Ling Tian only felt an unbearable heat slowly rise up inside his body. Blaming his own lack of self-control, he angrily gave himself a tight slap on his face, the sound echoing crisply around.
Li Xue couldn't help but open her eyes and ask, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, just a mosquito." Ling Tian could only raggedly turn his face away and dunk a piece of clean cloth in the mountain stream. Injecting his internal energy, the surrounding water in the stream started to bubble as steam rose, and as he pulled the cloth from the water, he used his other hand to unravel the final chest wrap on Li Xue's body, causing her snow white flesh to jump and bob out!
Ling Tian swallowed his saliva with difficulty, before focusing his eyes on the bloodied wound. He forcibly restrained his emotion as he slowly dabbed on it.
With her eyes closed, Li Xue let out a comfortable sigh from her nose, and suddenly started giggling as she asked, "Tian'ge, is my body good to look at? Is it better than my previous life?!"
The calm inner mental state that Ling Tian spent so long to achieve was quickly thrown into chaos once again. A womanly scent could be smelled with every breath he took, and all of his raging desires were hooked up with a single sentence from Li Xue, almost making him unable to hold back.
Ling Tian didn't know whether he should be angry, amused, or uncomfortable, and in the end settled by slapping her pert buttocks as he exclaimed, "Behave! Don't speak nonsense!"
"So crude! Oh, I almost forgot, you've never seen my grown-up body before!" Li Xue pouted before reluctantly shutting her mouth. It was only after Ling Tian had finished treating her three slash wounds that she suddenly laughed out, snorting as she spoke, "Tian'ge, you're so cute when your face is red! It's even cuter than your past life!"
Chapter 437: Thirteenth Stage
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
Ling Tian helped Li Xue bandage her wounds with his face bright red as he scolded, "Nonsense!" Just when Ling Tian was doubtful about why the three sword wounds on Li Xue's body were of the exact same depth but not harming her tendons and bones, he was distracted by Li Xue's words.
Standing up slowly, a crafty gleem could be seen in Li Xue's eyes, "Tian'ge, my body has been completely seen by you already. Will you take responsibility for me?!" As she said that, she gave a lazy stretch as though she had just completed an arduous task.
Ling Tian almost collapsed on the ground as he heard that. Li Xue's words were far too potent! Ling Tian never expected Li Xue to say such a thing suddenly and regardless of how thick his skin was, he was still caught off guard, "Nonsense! You are my sister!"
"That was in the previous life! Let me emphasize that again!" Li Xue snorted, "Besides, even in our previous life, we were separated by at least five generations despite being so-called cousins. Are we going to forget about how you have just taken advantage of me? To think that you want to deny everything and leave after having your fun! Being irresponsible isn't the action of a gentleman."
"Since when am I being irresponsible? I have not even touched you at all!" Ling Tian jumped up exasperatedly, "You, you you you you… unreasonable!"
"Since when would a woman speak reason? You still dare to say that you didn't touch me?!" Li Xue snorted, "Anyway, my sixteen years of purity has been fully witnessed and touched by you. Tell me what you want to do!" She then began to fold her arms and act like an unreasonable spoiled brat.
This little demoness! Although he had the feeling that he would eventually fall into Li Xue's tricks, he never expected to fall like this. Thus, Ling Tian decided to employ the tactic of delaying the matter, "We shall talk about this matter again in the future."
"So be it." Li Xue said delightedly, "Would I be afraid of you running away? Let me tell you, you better not try to be shameless!"
Who is the one being shameless here? Ling Tian let out a bitter sigh as a flash of enlightenment came to his mind, "You already intended to hang onto me without letting go? How did you suffer from those three wounds? Your martial arts should have been more than sufficient to take care of those six assassins without being injured!"
With her plan being seen through, Li Xue began frowning as she groaned pitifully, "How painful… my wound hurts…" as she moaned that, tears began to well up in her eyes.
Although Ling Tian knew that she was only faking it, he still felt his heart twitching with heartache as he thought to himself, This little demoness!
"I will take care of you in the future! It is now time for you to take care of my wounds." Ling Tian said with a straight face.
Li Xue immediately burst out into smiles as she approached Ling Tian, "Okay, you can take care of me in any way you see fit in the future! Now, it is time for me to see your perfect body. Hehehe…"
Ling Tian let out a sigh of defeat.
As Li Xue meticulously tended to Ling Tian's wounds, the both of them didn't stop chatting.
"Li Xue, what level is your Divine Ice Formula at?"
"The upper eighth stage and approaching the ninth stage soon. Why?"
"How did you cultivate so quickly? I remember that you have to absorb pure Yang energy in order to progress past the seventh stage. Since you have never left the mountains, how did you get to the eighth stage?" Ling Tian asked doubtfully.
"You fool! Does not exiting the mountain mean that I can't collect anything with Yang energy? Let me tell you, it would be possible for me to collect Yang energy items even on a snow-capped mountain!" Li Xue said proudly.
"How did you do it?" Ling Tian was extremely concerned about this matter. Recently, he had been worried about how Ling Chen could achieve a breakthrough in her Divine Ice Formula. However, as an outer branch disciple in his previous life, he didn't have any experience for reference. Despite racking his brains for a solution, he just couldn't think of an idea. Now that he heard that Li Xue had a plan, he couldn't help but be elated.
"You fool! I still thought that you were extremely intelligent. There is something called a convex lens." Li Xue snorted, "While there isn't glass in this world, we can use something else to replace it such as…"
Ling Tian came to a realization, "Like jade! Haha, I got it!"
"Your IQ is only sufficient for you to think of jade." Li Xue mocked, "You are asking me because of your little beauty right? Don't worry, I will definitely help you arrange it properly when the time comes, lest you end up scarring your little beauty because of your ignorance and it would become my fault!"
Ling Tian broke out into a cold sweat!
"One two three…" Li Xue counted carefully, "Fifteen wounds! Why so many? It shouldn't be possible for those few fellows to injure you so badly!" As she said that, tears almost rolled down her eyes from heartache.
Ling Tian let out a bitter laugh, "I have been tidying up my meridians according to your proper cultivation formula and have only reached the sixth stage currently. I will need another day at least to reach the ninth stage. Thus, my man and sword as one was unleashed with the sixth stage and is lacking as compared to my peak form. However, they are only superficial wounds and will heal up quickly."
Li Xue replied with an 'oh' before grumbling, "With your movement techniques, it should have been an easy matter for you to stall for time until I finished off those six fellows. You only know how to act strong! I know, it is probably your male chauvinist pride acting up right? Hmph, only heroes are allowed to save beauties but you heroes will have your pride wounded when being saved by a beauty. Thus, you risked being injured in order to finish off those assassins before my arrival! Afraid that you will owe me a favor?"
Ling Tian let out an embarrassed smile as Li Xue's words were spot on. Seeing Li Xue wanting to continue, Ling Tian quickly changed the topic, "Talking about that, despite it being slightly more than a day only, I could feel that my meridians are far more tough and flexible than before. If this situation can persist, breaking through to the tenth stage shouldn't be too far away."
"You still think that it is extremely simple?" Li Xue's attention was indeed directed away, "When you cultivate up to the twelfth stage, you will know what is considered difficult! The unbreakable thirteenth stage will probably drive you insane."
"Thirteenth stage of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula?" Ling Tian suddenly stood up, "Weren't there only twelve stages in the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula? Where did this thirteenth stage come from?"
Li Xue let out a mysterious smile, "Actually, the so-called thirteenth stage is as good as non-existent, so we are used to saying that there are only twelve stages. While the thirteenth stage does exist, not a single person has managed to cultivate it for the past thousand years. It's best you give up on it!"
"Why?"
"The thirteenth stage of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula is an extremely mystical one! There aren't any mnemonic chants, meridian pathways or any cultivation experience. How can one cultivate it? Back then, our Ling Family's ancestor only managed to create the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula by combining various cultivation formulas from the Shaolin monastery, Wudang Mountain, and other famous heritages. Ever since our ancestor passed on, not to mention the thirteenth stage, there weren't many who were even able to cultivate up to the tenth stage! An outer branch disciple like you breaking into the tenth stage is already extremely rare and its best that you don't think about anything more." Li Xue chuckled and said in an indifferent manner, "In any case, you would already be the number one expert of the world if you can achieve the twelfth stage and you would definitely be able to win against that Justice. Why do you have to pursue that non-existent thirteenth stage?"
Ling Tian shook his head in disagreement, "How can that be the same? Since I know that there is a thirteenth stage, how can I not cultivate it?"
After pondering for a moment, Li Xue said, "Let me tell it to you then. There is only a single word in the thirteenth stage: Emptiness! Let me ask you, how do you cultivate it? The manual doesn't even say what can be considered successfully cultivating it. If you were to enter into cultivation deviation, who in the world would be able to save you with your inner qi of the twelfth stage? Furthermore, it is still far too early to talk about that. After all, there probably isn't much hope for you to get to the twelfth stage in this life of yours. Hehe…"
Ling Tian muttered to himself as he lowered his head, "Thirteenth stage!" A resolute gaze suddenly shone out from his eyes and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. However, Li Xue didn't see it because his head was lowered.
After a short while, Ling Tian raised his head up and said, "Do you still remember the fact that the family sent me to the Shaolin monastery?"
Li Xue immediately knew what Ling Tian was referring to and exclaimed, "You have the recipe for the Great Cyclic Pellet?"
Ling Tian let out a delighted smirk, "Not just the recipe! I have successfully concocted a cauldron of it. Each pellet would raise one's cultivation by twenty years! When your injuries are better, I will protect you and you can consume a pellet!"
Li Xue let out a depressed sigh and shook her head, "What a pity. No wonder your cultivation rose so quickly! However, I already can't consume that item."
Ling Tian was startled, "Why?"
"Weren't you puzzled about the progress of my Divine Ice Formula?" Li Xue forced a smile, "When I was eight, I coincidentally found a Purple Ginseng Fruit. Haiz… I have already consumed something similar, and with the origin of the herb being similar to the Great Cyclic Pellet, my body wouldn't be able to endure the consumption of the pellet."
While Ling Tian remained silent, he secretly sighed in his heart. While the Purple Ginseng Fruit had a miraculous effect, its effect definitely couldn't be compared to the Great Cyclic Pellet. Thus, Li Xue had missed out on a great opportunity to raise her cultivation.
However, if he were to place himself in her shoes, he would have definitely consumed the ginseng fruit if he were to find it when he was eight! It can only be said that they each had their own fortune! Furthermore, Li Xue's present cultivation was definitely a result of consuming the ginseng. In any case, the Purple Ginseng Fruit was still an extremely rare herb and only a tad bit worse than the Great Cyclic Pellet!
Li Xue then broke out into a smile and said, "However, if there is that legendary item…"