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Chapter 601: Unlimited Will of Heaven
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
With a 'pu' sound, not unlike a burlap sack breaking open the moment it hit the ground, that elder hit the ground and rolled twice before coming to a standstill, as dead as he could be…
In such an intense battle, for Lei ZhenTian to suddenly be distracted, how would Ling Tian not take such an opportunity? He unleashed a flurry of blows, forcing the two elders into a dire situation before using two successive fist strikes to finish one off.
A sudden "AHHHHH" sounded, as the eyes of Lei ZhenTian turned completely crimson! His eyes blazed as he stared at Ling Tian and his headscarf suddenly burst apart as he exploded with all his true energy! Even his clothes seemed to turn into scrap instantaneously and shot around in all directions.
Waves of fury radiated from around him like the waves of the ocean, and everyone in all directions around him stumbled and were pushed away, forcibly creating an empty space of around a hundred feet!
Lei ZhenTian stared at Ling Tian, his snow-white hair flying around him not unlike flames, as he pressured towards Ling Tian. A look of despair hung on his face, as he slowly enunciated, "Ling Tian, follow me down!"
Lei ZhenTian, this Family head of the Lei Family, had finally been forced by Ling Tian to the point where he destroyed indiscriminately!
A wisp of a voice suddenly traveled into Ling Tian's ears, "Careful, this is the highest level of the Lei Family's Heavenly Penta Lightning Sutra, the "Unlimited Will of Heaven"! It can instantly burn off all the life force together with the energy within their muscles, to transform it to their greatest strength. It can increase one's strength to more than five times their original if utilized to the maximum, but the weakness is that after that one punch, their bodies turn to ash. However, the might behind that one blow is undeniable." This was the voice of Justice!
Ling Tian sucked in a breath of cold air! To think that there actually existed such a tyrannical and domineering martial skill! If it was not for the information from Justice, he would have gone head-on against Lei ZhenTian, fully confident in his deeper reserves of internal energy. At that time…
Lei ZhenTian's capabilities were actually not weak, and even if they were considered to be a notch lower than Yu ManLou, he was definitely not as weak as he appeared to be. To have such a person's strength multiplied by five times, how could anyone fight with him? Even if it was Justice himself, he would not be able to go head-on!
While this Unlimited Will of Heaven skill only existed for a single attack, and after the attack the person would disintegrate, this attack was enough to drag someone down to hell along with the attacker!
No wonder that although the Lei Family was weaker than the Yu Family, they did not have any scruples about Justice, unlike how they felt against the Yu Family. As it turned out, they had such a final trump card on hand that could even send the top expert Justice to the grave with them!
An abrupt increase of five times their original strength!
For a XianTian realm expert to abruptly have an increase of five times their strength, what sort of realm would they have reached? Ling Tian never ever thought of that, and neither could he even imagine!
He hatefully glared at Justice after hearing his advice. My brother, why did you not say this earlier? At this point, where everyone was engaged in battle all around them, this one strike would cause countless people to go to their graves together with the Lei Family head! Since there were not many Lei Family members remaining, those who accompanied him down would be those of the Ling Family!
However, Ling Tian did not have the time to ponder this matter anymore, for he acutely felt that Lei ZhenTian had fully locked the space around him! The sudden realization of impending death loomed over him, causing his hair to stand on end!
The imposing aura of Lei ZhenTian descended like the sky, causing Ling Tian to even have trouble breathing. This made him recall his past where he was bitten by a venomous snake when he was young, plunging him into the throes of death. In this lifetime, for Ling Tian, that was the first time he felt this!
The surrounding air became viscous, and Ling Tian had the feeling as though he was wading through a swamp, with every step needing herculean strength. Droplets of cold sweat had already begun to form on his forehead.
His originally peerless and intricate movement techniques now looked sluggish beyond compare, even worse when compared to someone in the elementary stage of learning. As he gradually felt the weight in his body increasing, this thought flashed past his mind, "Could it be that I, Ling Tian, am destined to lose my life in my own base today?"
Lei ZhenTian cruelly smiled as he closed on Ling Tian. Inside his eyes, one could see his endless hatred and deep despair. Just like what Justice said, this was his final attack, and it combined all the cultivation of his entire life. This was literally going out with a bang! All of his energy was fused into his punch, including the vitality from his lifespan and every inch of muscle from his body!
Only such a blow would qualify to kill Ling Tian, and would be able to kill him!
Lei ZhenTian was confident of this attack, but the hatred he felt towards Ling Tian was not something that could be solved even with his death. Before he killed Ling Tian he wanted to play with him, using the cruelest way to deal with him! Even so, he still found it difficult to resolve the hatred in his heart! A pity, he only had this strength for one attack, and could not waste it however he wished.
As such, Lei ZhenTian could only grasp the chance properly, savoring the feeling of controlling the world at this moment, and the beautiful feeling of murdering his enemy. Seeing Ling Tian having difficulty even moving, an immense feeling of satisfaction appeared in his heart.
A grave aura hung stagnant in the surrounding air, and when Ling Jian, Li Xue and the rest discovered this danger, they used their utmost efforts to kill their way over to Ling Tian.
The surrounding warriors of the Ling Family all drew their bows and shot out countless arrows towards Lei ZhenTian. However, he did not even bother to dodge, a ghastly smile on his face as he continued to slowly walk forwards. The arrows that landed on him looked like arrows landing on a rock, merely striking and dropping on the ground without leaving a single mark on his body.
Everyone felt a wave of shock from this! What sort of martial skill was this, for it to be so domineering? He could be considered totally impervious to weapons! Let's not talk about seeing such a skill, nobody had even heard of such a skill existing. This was practically the stuff of legends!
Ling Tian's imposing figure started to sway as Lei ZhenTian closed in. The latter's aura was just like a towering mountain, pressuring and pressing down on him, as though trying to suffocate him. A sense of burning anxiety appeared in Ling Tian's heart, and he knew that if he continued along this line, the matter of him accompanying Lei ZhenTian down to his grave would become a sure thing. He had to think of a method to break away from his deadlock!
The corners of his eyes glanced towards Justice, and he could not help but start cursing inwardly, This brother, if you're going to help, then help to the end! How am I going to deal with this attack?!
However, Justice continued standing there like a statue, his expression as though watching a good show. Seeing Ling Tian look in his direction, his mouth curled up into a smile, and his right hand actually formed a fist punching the air as though he was cheering him on, before keeping it and going over to treat the others, completely ignoring him.
What's the use in cheering me on?! Ling Tian was exasperated beyond belief. This was just like seeing your house on fire, yet having the attitude to continue watching your drama! Even if my words or expression offended you previously, how could you not be magnanimous and save me when my life is in danger?!! So much for being a lofty senior! But he suddenly came to his senses as he thought of an important point: Why did Justice not bother to assist him?
How could Justice not bother to assist him? If he was willing to stand up in order to protect the Ling Family Courtyard, then all the more he would not wish for me to die! This… Ling Tian began to furiously ponder about this.
Right now, Justice would not want Ling Tian to die. To put it in another way, Justice was the person who most did not want Ling Tian to die in this world! But if that was the case, since he was in such anger, how would he not choose to interfere? Why would he have the mentality of someone watching a show?
There was only one conclusion that could be derived from this, and that was Justice was filled with confidence that Ling Tian would not fall here, that he had the strength to receive this particular strike! Furthermore, this was also the best chance for him to challenge his limits!
But why would he be so confident towards him? What part of him would make Justice so confident in him?
Ling Tian speedily ran through his repertoire of skills and abilities, but to his dismay, he realized that no matter what skill he had, they could not perform the job of reversing his current situation. So long as Lei ZhenTian's energy was still locked on him, then the moment he unleashed his Unlimited Will of Heaven, he would be able to cause mutual destruction!
While Ling Tian was still absorbed in his memories, Lei ZhenTian had already walked to a distance of five steps away from him. As his cruel gaze fixed on Ling Tian's face, Lei ZhenTian had a satisfied expression amid his own despair.
Engrossed in his memories, Ling Tian suddenly felt someone close in towards him, and the size of the person was close to his own. This close proximity made him a little uncomfortable, and while his brain continued to spin, his feet automatically moved and brought himself backward by two steps, and to the side by a step.
Suddenly…
Ling Tian seemed to have felt his body lighten up, and before his mind could process what was happening, he realized that he had regained his mobility. His actions of stepping back twice and once to the side had successfully allowed him to escape the lock Lei ZhenTian had imposed on him, and a comfortable sensation assaulted his whole body at this moment!
Ling Tian exclaimed jubilantly in his heart, following which he immediately detected a wave of killing intent rushing towards him. Lei ZhenTian, upon seeing how easily Ling Tian had escaped his lock on the surrounding space, let out an inconsolable look of despair, before immediately rushing towards him for his final attack!
An attack that was sure to spell death!
Meanwhile, Ling Tian was still searching through his mind, Just what exactly happened? How did I break out of his lock in my muddleheaded state? How was this even achieved?…
Lei ZhenTian's figure flashed forward like a cruel death reaper under the five times increase in his strength. As he speedily drew near, Ling Tian's subconscious mind immediately made a decision to shift, and Lei ZhenTian's palm landed heavily on his shoulder instead. A gargantuan force that was similar to an imperial might that could not be resisted passed through and Ling Tian was struck flying, shooting out over seventy feet in an instant before slamming onto the ground.
While Ling Tian was struck flying, his mental state was not in the least panicked. The moment he landed, he utilized the momentum to flash out another thirty feet, narrowly avoiding the successive nine palm strikes from Lei ZhenTian. The ground quaked as his palms went wide, causing the dust in the surroundings to fill the skies!
Ling Tian felt his body become sluggish all of a sudden once again. He had been trapped once again by the suffocating space lock!
His shoulder felt like it was about to shatter. Even with Ling Tian's ingenious movement technique, which even included a divine skill on relieving pressure and diverting force, he was still injured. Bear in mind that this skill had still worked to a certain extent even when he had faced off against Justice!
This clearly showed just how tyrannical his "Unlimited Will of Heaven" skill of Lei ZhenTian was!
Chapter 602: High Pressure Breakthrough
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The intense pain in his shoulder created a gap in Ling Tian's mental state. The immense pain caused Ling Tian's body to contort for a moment before it subsided. After that, a sharp pain could also be felt from his left leg. It turned out that his left leg was also injured. Ling Tian's attention was then diverted to his left leg and as he took a look at the injuries of his left leg, the pain on his left shoulder seemed to have decreased…
Ling Tian was stunned for a moment before quickly coming to a realization. Because his attention was focused on his left leg, he naturally ignored his left shoulder. It did not mean that the pain in his left shoulder was no longer there but because his attention was diverted the pain felt less.
Ling Tian felt as though he had received sudden enlightenment. Because I placed all of my attention on Lei ZhenTian, I was pressured by the sudden explosion of his aura. As long as I shift my attention away from him, I won't be feeling that miserable. However, how should I avoid his attacks after shifting my attention away? It is already difficult for me to avoid his attacks while being fully focused on him, how would I be able to do so if I shifted my focus? Wouldn't I be opening myself up to all his attacks?
Lei ZhenTian looked at Ling Tian with a malevolent grin and mocked, "Ling Tian, what are you thinking about? Are you thinking about which layer of hell you will be in after your death? Hahaha…" Under the lock of his aura, Lei ZhenTian could clearly feel every movement of Ling Tian's muscles. Under such circumstances, Lei ZhenTian was extremely certain that he would be able to kill Ling Tian. He even felt that Justice wouldn't be a match for him.
All of a sudden, a figure flew past his eyes and a loud laugh could be heard. Ling Tian who was in front of him had escaped from the lock of his aura! Furthermore, Lei ZhenTian's aura did not follow Ling Tian's trace!
However, his eyes told him that Ling Tian was obviously thirty feet away from him! Just what was going on?
Just when Lei ZhenTian mentioned the word 'hell', inspiration was born in Ling Tian's mind. When a human's soul entered hell, it would be reduced to primal chaos before being restructured into a new soul for reincarnation.
Primal chaos was a method to meld his body into the surroundings. What was primal chaos? Being one with the world? Or perhaps…
Ling Tian felt a knot untie in his heart and was immediately enlightened. He then let out a hearty laugh before easily escaping from the lock of Lei ZhenTian's aura. His figure was extremely carefree and unrestrained! Since Ling Tian had already been enlightened, while Lei ZhenTian's aura would still be a huge threat to him, it wouldn't be enough to kill him.
Justice who was watching secretly from the side also laughed with satisfaction. Based on his judgment, he was certain that Ling Tian would definitely be able to survive Lei ZhenTian's 'Unlimited Will of Heaven' with the agility of his movement techniques, ever-changing Divine Shocking Dragon Formula, and his body full of hidden weapons. While Ling Tian would be severely wounded after that, he definitely wouldn't die. At the same time, it would also be a positive form of pressure for Ling Tian to consider how to break out of such a situation. If Justice took action to kill Lei ZhenTian, Ling Tian would never be able to walk out of the shadow of this incident! Instead, Ling Tian had actually unexpectedly experienced a breakthrough at this moment!
Every technique definitely had a way of being broken. While Lei ZhenTian's inner qi increased five times after using his Unlimited Will of Heaven technique, his realm had not changed the slightest. If Justice was the one fighting Lei ZhenTian, he would still be able to easily take care of Lei ZhenTian. This was a difference between one's realm. While Ling Tian's martial arts were indeed above Lei ZhenTian, both of their martial arts realm were of similar levels. Thus, Ling Tian could be trapped in such a sticky situation!
There was a huge difference between experiencing a breakthrough after a long accumulation of experience and suddenly experiencing enlightenment during battle. Even Justice who was the number one expert in the world had never seen or even heard of such an event. Justice could even feel that Ling Tian had already reached his realm when he was chasing after Ling Tian back then. What a good brat who truly knew how to give him surprises.
Ling Tian's body seemed to have turned into a formless green smoke, weaving around Lei ZhenTian at an extremely high speed. With Lei ZhenTian's eyesight, he was actually unable to lock on to Ling Tian's exact location!
However, Ling Tian was also crying out bitterly in his heart. While he had just experienced a breakthrough in his martial arts realm and would not exhaust much inner qi when displaying his movement techniques, he did not dare to go too far from Lei ZhenTian. The might of Lei ZhenTian's Unlimited Will of Heaven technique was truly terrifying and he may be caught by Lei ZhenTian at any time. Regardless of where Ling Tian tried to hide, the place would definitely be destroyed. Under such circumstances, Lei ZhenTian was like an atomic missile and Ling Tian was like the trigger.
If the atomic missile must be ignited no matter what, Ling Tian wouldn't want any of his subordinates to be harmed. However, he who was the trigger would definitely have to pay a price because he was just too near.
As compared to Ling Tian, Lei ZhenTian was even more anxious. He had already unleashed all of his inner qi and the surging inner qi had already accumulated in his body to the point it was about to explode. If he didn't unleash it in soon, he would probably end up exploding on the spot. But at this moment, Ling Tian had suddenly escaped from the lock of his aura. Under Ling Tian's swift and agile movement techniques, Lei ZhenTian's eyes were filled with countless figures of Ling Tian. He just did not know which direction to attack in.
However, he did not dare to launch a probing strike. The accumulation of his inner qi had been complete and his lifetime's worth of inner qi was already on the verge of explosion. As soon as he made a move, his whole body would definitely explode! There wasn't a chance for him to launch a probing strike at all.
If he unleashed his Unlimited Will of Heaven recklessly, with Ling Tian's movement techniques, Ling Tian would only be severely injured but not killed. Lei ZhenTian's eyes were completely red from anger but he was completely helpless.
With one of them rapidly sprinting around while the other staying still, their battle fell into a stalemate.
While Ling Tian seemed to have gained an upper hand by leaving behind thousands of after images to surround Lei ZhenTian, it would be impossible for him to keep this up for long periods of time. As soon as Ling Tian couldn't keep up his speed and Lei ZhenTian managed to find Ling Tian's true body, Lei ZhenTian had complete confidence in killing Ling Tian with a single blow.
On the other hand, Lei ZhenTian had recklessly unleashed his Unlimited Will of Heaven technique and his inner qi was already on the verge of explosion. If Ling Tian wasn't able to keep up his agile movement techniques, he would be the first to enter the afterlife. But if Lei ZhenTian couldn't control his raging inner qi, Ling Tian would be the one to emerge victorious!
While it wouldn't be difficult for Ling Tian to escape from Lei ZhenTian with his current realm and movement techniques, Lei ZhenTian would definitely vent his frustrations on the members of the Ling Family if Ling Tian were to escape at this moment. If Ling Chen, Yu BingYan or anyone else were to perish because of this, Ling Tian would definitely regret it for the rest of his life.
It was a pity that not many people on the battlefield could tell that while Ling Tian seemed to have the upper hand, he actually had his hands tied.
Of course, there were still some who had keen eyesight such as Li Xue and Ling Jian. Seeing Ling Tian's difficult situation, they immediately took action!
The only one who could truly identify the crucial point of victory was Justice! Apart from him, there wasn't anyone else who understood that Ling Tian didn't want anybody to interfere in the battle!
Ling Jian first let out a loud roar before making a somersault in mid-air. A brilliant sword ray then appeared in mid-air and formed a ball of light that shone even brighter than the sun! As Ling Jian sword let out a loud shrill, he suddenly shot down towards Lei ZhenTian in a beautiful arc like a flaming arrow! It was as though a dragon had descended from the sky!
Justice who was still treating the casualties had witnessed this scene. Looking at the splendor in the sky, a look of praise could be seen in his eyes.
Good moves!
What a good 'man and sword as one'!
Feeling the danger that Ling Tian was in, Ling Jian circulated all of his inner qi to unleash the most perfect 'man and sword as one' technique that he could muster! The strength of this strike had even shocked the number one expert, Justice!
From this moment on, the number one assassin in the world, Ling Jian, had also entered the sights of Justice!
At the same time…
Li Xue also let out a battle cry and her sword was brandished with a bloody light. Amid the spraying blood, more than ten Lei Family warriors collapsed onto the ground with their innards flying in all directions. Li Xue then charged up to the sky riding on her sword ray and shot down towards Lei ZhenTian like a comet. When she was halfway towards Lei ZhenTian, her whole body had already turned into a creamy white sword light!
She had also unleashed the same 'man and sword as one' technique but she was obviously superior to Ling Jian.
Justice looked at Li Xue with a trace of surprise in his face before shaking his head with regret. While her martial arts were superb, it was a pity that she as a lady. Justice was filled with regret in his heart as he shook his head.
In the eyes of this expert, a lady was a lady. Even if her comprehension and talent were top-notch, she was destined to go through childbearing and raise her children. Justice was a male chauvinist and had a deeply rooted prejudice towards ladies. He had never taken a lady to be an opponent. While Li Xue's martial arts were above Ling Jian and enough to draw his interest, he still disdained to fight her.
If only she was a man, Justice grumbled in his heart.
At the same time…
As Ling Tian saw that both Ling Jian and Li Xue wanted to save him, he became extremely anxious. Their timing truly couldn't be worse. He had just made a breakthrough and was at his aura was at its peak. While he was currently in a precarious situation, Ling Tian had the confidence of turning the tide around. If Lei ZhenTian were to unleash the Unlimited Will of Heaven technique at any one of them right now, the person would be dead for sure!
They wanted to attack Lei ZhenTian so that they could exchange their life for Ling Tian's survival! However, they did not know that this would disturb Ling Tian's mental state. The moment Ling Tian's mental state was disturbed, the one who would die would definitely be Ling Tian!
After all, Ling Tian was Lei ZhenTian's true target!
Chapter 603: Averting Crisis
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
But following Ling Jian and Li Xue's speed, the moment they came into contact with the true energy cloak around Lei ZhenTian they would undoubtedly suffer a full-on assault by him! No one could easily brush off an extreme killing technique such as Sword and Body as One. Let alone Lei ZhenTian, not even Justice would dare to look down on the skill!
Even if Lei ZhenTian had already increased his strength by five times, he still had to admit the ferocity of such a technique. If he were to forcibly receive it, then even he would turn into a pile of minced meat! However, the moment he chose to retaliate, it could only end in mutual destruction!
While this could allow Ling Tian to escape danger, this sort of price was something he could not accept! This was because the price of doing so involved the lives of Ling Jian and Li Xue!
Be it Ling Jian or Li Xue, Ling Tian could not allow them to suffer such misfortune!
Ling Tian was originally speeding along at a high speed, running dizzily in circles around Lei ZhenTian, but at this moment he let out a light shout, and the countless afterimages integrated into one whole at this instant. The divine weapon, Heaven Splitter, also let out countless rays of sword light from within itself, shooting straight towards Lei ZhenTian. These countless sword lights gradually converged to form a piercingly huge beam of light, like countless tributaries converging into the great ocean. From afar, it looked as though the heavens and earth had converged to form a gigantic sword, piercing straight forward!
This was also the similar skill of Sword and Body as One! But Ling Tian actually did not store up any power before combining the scattered sword lights together as one, employing and completing his skill in one assault! This even gave Justice who was watching by the side a scare!
From the ancient times till now, this was still the first time he had heard of Sword and Body as One being executed this way. Even Justice himself had no confidence in executing this sort of move!
The three strongest experts of the Ling Family triangulated their target as they executed their most penetrative attack. All of them were actually proficient in the ultimate killing move of Sword and Body as One!
In the air, one could only see the three resplendent glows of sword light, the bodies of the three experts already being integrated into the light itself! No one could tell that there was actually a human residing within these sword lights!
Lei ZhenTian let out an agonized scream as though he was a beast approaching death, and his entire body suddenly started exuding black strands of energy. A gale mysteriously started to blow around him, circling him with rustling sounds as it grew more and more urgent with every passing second. In a few moments, it had turned into a violent eddy. The black energy strands clumped together in the eddy, and it looked as though the Ling Family Courtyard had given birth to a black hole! The surrounding space started to warp and tear with sizzling sounds, causing the entire atmosphere to take on a devilish look.
Three undaunting swords, carrying similar undaunting people simultaneously collided with the black whirlwind!
The howl of Lei ZhenTian reached a crescendo at this very moment!
With the sound of a volcano erupting, a huge crater was forcibly carved out in the surface of the Ling Family Courtyard, with a circumference in excess of sixty feet. A mushroom cloud of dust rose up and enveloped the whole area, while the armies of the two families all around the impact were knocked out like dominoes, with a few even bleeding from their ears due to the sound!
Those who were nearer to the source had it even worse. Not a single one of them were without injuries, and some even had holes piercing through their bodies…
This was the final attack from Lei ZhenTian. It contained all the essence of his muscular strength, bursting out ferociously in this one attack. If this were to impact a person's body, it would be akin to being hit by an acruballista, without a single chance for them to escape!
If those surrounding the source of impact could be injured to such an extent, then what would be the extent of those three who bore the brunt of the impact?
When the dust settled, three silhouettes shakily stood up. They were precisely the experts from the Ling Family Courtyard! Ling Tian himself only had a few strips of clothing remaining, his entire body painted red with his blood. While he was the last to make a move, his movements were the quickest, and the distance between him and Lei ZhenTian was the shortest. Furthermore, with him being the main target of Lei ZhenTian's revenge, he had to bear more than half of Lei ZhenTian's assault! While the injuries were insufficient to claim his life, he was inflicted with severe internal injuries, with his internal organs all having shifted…
Ling Jian tottered up fifty feet away, a pale expression on his face, and his eyes devoid of spirit, as though he would be blown back down by a gust of wind…
Li Xue held on to her sword, stubbornly standing up, the corners of her mouth leaking out blood continuously…
As for Lei ZhenTian in the center, he had long disappeared, his body of flesh and blood,… even his bones could not be seen!
Ling Tian breathed out a long breath as he rolled his eyes and thought, "What a perverse fellow! Three people taking action together, even Justice would have to dodge it. This guy actually ignored everything and used self-detonation, all to inflict serious injuries on us!
Ling Tian actually didn't know that it was Lei ZhenTian being too greedy. At the final moment, he wanted to drag all three of them down to the grave with him! This assault by Ling Tian and the others could be said to have been flawlessly coordinated. They did not even discuss it beforehand and were not in the same area at all. They even attacked with different timings, but the teamwork forged long ago allowed Ling Tian to pay attention to their attack and arrange himself in such a manner.
This seamless attack could have been said to allow the three of them to reach Lei ZhenTian at the exact same time, reaching the lethal zone of Lei ZhenTian! This made him confident that if he were to go all out, he would be able to kill the three of them in one go! As such, he activated his Unlimited Will of Heaven the moment the swords pierced into him!
If he wasn't so greedy and only aimed to pull Ling Tian down with him or at most two of them, then with his current strength, other than Ling Tian, Li Xue and Ling Jian could not possibly endure even half of his full strength! If he chose to ignore Ling Jian and Li Xue, only choosing to wholeheartedly deal with Ling Tian, then he could ensure that even if the latter did not die, he would likely be crippled for life!
But because of his greed, and because of his overconfidence, the three of them luckily survived. After all, even with an increase of fivefold in strength, three experts were still not something Lei ZhenTian could take head-on!
Naturally, the nuances within could only be seen by Justice, and even he sighed in praise at their good luck.
Lei ZhenTian was undoubtedly a smart, scheming, and cautious person, neither overconfident nor arrogant. From all sides, he could be considered a great opponent of Ling Tian's, with a difficulty not below that of Yu ManLou!
But, he was lacking on something compared to Ling Tian: Luck! Originally, his luck could be considered pretty good, as he chose the moment when the Ling Family Courtyard was at its weakest to assault it, a rare opportunity. However, Justice had unexpectedly appeared, resulting in the despairing conditions of the Ling Family taking a turn for the better. While Justice's strength was not enough for him to deal with everyone even if he were to have another breakthrough, the subsequent delay allowed for Ling Tian and the others to rush back! Without the interference from Justice, even if Ling Tian and the rest had managed to rush back to the courtyard, the situation would likely already be too late to salvage. From this, it could be concluded that Ling Tian could be said to possess heaven-defying luck, while Lei ZhenTian did not!
As such, Lei ZhenTian died!
Since Lei ZhenTian perished, the seven elders would not be so lucky as to survive. The three great deacons had lost their lives earlier, and now that the other inner court experts had been cleared off by Ling Jian and Li Xue, the stragglers were not worth talking about. Right now, their emotions were in disarray. After being surrounded and repeatedly slaughtered by the Ling Family's reinforcements, the remaining 300 finally could not hold out any longer and dropped their weapons to surrender.
Ling Tian did not even blink an eye, sending down the order that they were not taking any prisoners of war, and to kill to the last man!
With this, the greatest danger the Ling Family Courtyard had ever faced finally settled down peacefully.
In this war, the biggest casualties were without a doubt Ling Feng, Yun, Chi, and Feng Mo. All four of them were covered in wounds, with Ling Feng and Ling Yun not even having a complete patch of skin on their bodies. If Justice did not make a move to help them staunch their bleeding, they would have already kicked the bucket! Ling Tian also conveniently handed over the whole bunch of injured people for Justice to take care of. After all, having such a medical saint present here, to not utilize him would be an absolute waste of resources. Justice could hardly contain his anger!
Knowing this, Ling Tian did not even try to talk to Justice, only inviting him to the medical warehouse, telling him to use as he deemed fit, before quickly disappearing in a whirlwind to treat his own injuries…
This move caused the number one expert to even be unable to endure any longer, scolding and cursing towards Ling Tian without a single care for his bearings. How difficult was it to actually get Justice to act on one's behalf? It had always been the case of 'one token in exchange for one life', and even the respected monarch of a country was insignificant in Justice's eyes. Right now, not only did the Ling Family not possess a Martial Order Medallion, but Justice was practically doing this as a form of community service, with no recompense whatsoever…
He himself had come to look for Ling Tian to settle scores, but ended up saving his wife, his subordinates, and protecting his foundations instead! This was already bad enough, but now he even had to become their family physician?!
Justice's heart was naturally immensely unsatisfied. That little brat Ling Tian! What does he take this seat for? How repulsive! If you want to do it this way, then I can naturally continue to play along with you. Just you wait and see! This medical warehouse is really nicely stocked, with quite a few rare and precious herbs even categorized properly. Not bad, really not bad!
After this matter, all those in the know understood that all the injured under Ling Tian's command were fully healed, without even the slightest sequelae, and even not suffering any drop in cultivation level. However, any moment they heard a phrase similar to Justice, then they would immediately stiffen up and lose all feeling in their hands and legs. Even the generous Ling Tian, after checking his fully stocked warehouse, wanted to cry yet no tears could come out. He could only scream out the injustice in his heart. Meanwhile, the moment the miserly Xiao YanXue found out about this matter, she immediately pointed her finger at his nose and gave him a good scolding. This was really the case of if one is not in someone else's situation one cannot understand that person's troubles. How could Ling Tian let an outsider into his own personal storage? Stupid!
However, all this would be in the future. Ling Tian naturally did not think of all this at the current moment. Right now, he had already brought Ling Jian, Ling Chen, Li Xue, Yu BingYan, and Lei, Dian, as well as Ling Six into the secret chamber, going into closed-door cultivation to treat his injuries…
Chapter 604: Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
A good half a month passed, and the wounds of Ling Tian and company finally recovered. During this time Justice had thoroughly enjoyed himself. He treated people however he wanted to, practiced whichever medical skill he deemed fit, and his words were akin to law. Ling Feng and Ling Yun had long recovered from their wounds. Before this, they had only respected Ling Jian, but now his position was gone, replaced by Justice! Other than helping the group to treat their injuries, Justice had taken the opportunity to develop them further on the pretext of healing. Not just the duo, but also the other group of soldiers that were previously injured had to suffer through Justice's 'treatment'. While they screamed in misery, their overall capabilities seemed to have undergone an improvement.
However, in the minds of all those in the Ling Family Courtyard, the word Justice was now synonymous with unreasonable. What did they mean? Simply put, Justice was an abuser. Whatever grudges he had against Ling Tian were immediately vented out on these people, and who exactly would be able to handle the rage of the top expert in the world?
As such, for a long period of time afterward, every time the name Justice was mentioned a certain group of people would have expressions as though they had seen a ghost…
On a particular day, following a high-pitched squealing, the door of the secret chamber of the Ling Family Courtyard finally yawned open. Ling Tian finally revealed his head, and it was to naturally understand the situation around the area for the past few days. However, the moment he heard the reports, he nearly lost his head and ran off to find Justice!
In one of the empty courtyards, Justice was currently 'checking on' Ling Feng and Ling Yun's physique!
Ling Tian strode over, and the moment the duo saw Ling Tian, they replied with aggrieved voices as though they were kids that had seen their parents, "Young Noble!!" These two words were filled with a lot of grief, and it made one wonder just how much torture they had been through!
When Ling Tian focused, he stared in shock. It had only been a few days, but Ling Feng and Ling Yun's martial skills seemed to have had risen in strength! Furthermore, this increase seemed to have been natural. While it was a cause for happiness, by looking at their aggrieved faces Ling Tian immediately understood that it was because Justice could not find him and used them in his place to vent his frustrations, leading to this situation.
Seeing Ling Tian's flustered and discomfited look, Justice laughed to himself, "Kid, how dare you take this old man as your worker? I'll definitely show you the repercussions, and this is just the beginning!"
Justice suddenly stepped forward to hold onto the lapels of Ling Tian's shirt, before speaking in an exaggerated manner, "Ling Tian! You bastard! What do you take this man as?! Are your buttocks feeling itchy once more?"
"What do I take you as? What, what did you say you did?" Ling Tian was completely dumbfounded by Justice, not knowing what was going on.
Justice huffed and panted in anger, "I did your mom! You merely dusted off your butt before running into the secret chamber, while this man was left out here to work to the bone for you! I had to practice medicine, save people, and even help you to train them. This is the first time I've taken such a great loss since I came onto the martial scene! Ling Tian, you better give this man an answer. If I'm not satisfied, then this man will take care of you! And this time, it won't be as simple as slapping you on the buttocks twice!"
Upon hearing this, Ling Feng and Ling Yun were stunned silly. "Ah?! This old man had even dared to 'train' the young noble? Then we have no need to feel aggrieved!"
Ling Tian could feel a headache coming on, and he scratched his head fiercely, before his expression turned fierce as well, "Boss, I only invited you to help heal those injured and dying! Do you have to be so emotional? You've depleted close to a decade's worth of my accumulation of herbs, who am I supposed to go to for recompense?"
"Bullsh*t, this daddy is damn good to help you help your subordinates. Isn't it just using a few herbs?" Justice angrily stared at him. "This daddy here did not even stop working once during these past two weeks!" In his 'anger', Justice even changed his self reference from 'this man' to 'daddy'.
However, during the last two weeks Justice really had not stopped working once. Not just the original injured were treated, as with Meng LiGe's 'assistance', he had gathered every mother, father, and child of the Ling Family Courtyard. They were then passed to Justice with only a respectful sentence of, "My young noble mentioned that since Martial Owner plans to use his magical hands to bring these injured and dying back to life, that he should take the chance and help to treat all these people as well. My house's young noble will forever remember your kindness, and will not allow Martial Owner to walk alone in the front any longer."
To tell the truth, Meng LiGe was sweating profusely when he spoke this sentence. He knew just how frightening his Martial Order Medallion owner could be, and in addition, Ling Tian's words were just too outrageous, especially the last sentence. What did he even mean?! However, Ling Tian had insisted before entering seclusion that he had to repeat word after word of whatever he said to Justice…
This sentence made Justice not know whether to laugh or cry, and he was extremely depressed in his heart. He originally intended to just treat the wounds of Ling Feng and Ling Yun, but now that Meng LiGe had lumped all the injured together, be it one or all, he would still have to make a move, thus he might as well do it. Besides, he had been pretty bored recently…
As such…
With only five days of work, under Justice's miraculous hands and the use of expensive herbs, everyone could have said to have recovered fully from their wounds. As for Ling Feng and Ling Yun, the seriously injured few under the relentless care of Justice, they were more than halfway recovered. This was truly a heaven-defying skill of treatment. The famed physician of the Ling Family who had rushed over could only sigh ceaselessly in praise, lamenting about how he had lived his life in vain, only being able to see the true essence of a fine doctor just now!
Of course, while Justice's skill in medicine could be said to be peerless among those of his generation, the result could also be attributed to the great stock of herbs present in the warehouse of the Ling Family Courtyard! It was to the point that even a peerless medical saint such as Justice felt as though he had walked into a treasure trove! In the past, in order to refine the Great Cyclic Pellet, Ling Tian had literally activated all of his forces to search for all kinds of precious medicines. This was especially so for the bandits, who had robbed and pillaged on more than one occasion, sending cart after cart into the Ling Family Courtyard. After a long period of accumulation, this resulted in the beautiful scenario inside the warehouse of the Ling Family Courtyard. If one were to use Ling Tian's words, it would be: Any random kick in there would be able to unearth a ginseng or lingzhi…
With his second identity as a medical practitioner, Justice was of course thrilled to discover such a medicinal warehouse. This was also the root cause as to why Justice had worked so tirelessly. The end result was obvious. More than half of the stock inside the medicinal warehouse was depleted, with the rare and precious herbs totally wiped clean. This was also the reason why Ling Tian wanted to cry yet had no tears coming out…
Seeing how Justice, in order to take revenge, had willfully plundered and used all the precious herbs of heaven and earth and yet was still acting so haughty, to say that Ling Tian did not feel some heartache would be a lie. However, this very person was the one who had saved his family and his relatives, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Furthermore, the reason why he gathered so many herbs was also to save his own brothers, was it not? Ling Tian's eyes rolled as he suddenly changed his tone, "Aiya, we're all good friends, so why are we even harping on such trivialities? I'll remember this favor from you! Besides, I seem to see something different about you now, have you broken through recently? It seems like I really need to find some more people for you to practice on, and everyone can take this chance to discuss and debate further. This should be enough, right?!"
This sentence perfectly scratched Justice's itch. His eyes immediately lit up as the anger in his heart faded. He had already had a pleasant surprise when he entered the Ling Family Courtyard this time around. First was this lady Ling Chen who actually could rely on her own strength to resist Lei ZhenTian. This already earned praise from him. Then Ling Jian's penetrating Sword and Body as One which was akin to severing the heavens and earth caused his eyes to light up even more. In addition, the unrestrained manner and ice-cold killing intent that Li Xue exuded when she performed her Sword and Body as One skill already caused him to exclaim endlessly. Finally, it was the fact that Ling Tian actually forcefully broke through under the heavy pressure exerted by the Unlimited Will of Heaven…
Right now, inside the Ling Family Courtyard, those people that could catch his eyes were only these four! Add in the still-developing Ling Chi, as well as Ling Feng and Ling Yun whom he was personally training now, and Justice could imagine that if he continued to spar with these people it would be a great help to his own cultivation!
Within this group, Justice was most interested in Ling Jian and Ling Tian! The killing intent exuded by these two was no less than his own, and Ling Jian's killing intent was actually sharper than him!
"It's just that Ling Jian and Ah'Xue still have to recuperate for a few more days to heal their wounds. If we act now, I'm afraid it would cause irreparable damage to their bodies. I'm sure you're aware that if your killing intent polluted their spiritual consciousness, it will not be something that can be removed in a short period of time…" Ling Tian put out an embarrassed look.
"That's alright!" Justice heartily agreed. "It's no big deal to wait a few more days. Let them heal to the best of their abilities! Oh right, this is for you." As he spoke, he tossed a jade bottle over to Ling Tian.
"What's this?" Ling Tian asked as he opened the stopper. In an instant, a wondrous medicinal fragrance assailed his senses!
"This is…. this should be the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill?" Ling Tian sniffed a little, before suddenly opening his eyes wide and becoming speechless. If this was truly that pill, then his debt would really be too heavy. This was the ultimate panacea for healing and was said to even be able to save a man on his last breath, as well as regrow flesh on bare bones. Consuming this pill would aid a person in attaining 10 years worth of cultivation time, and this was a divine pill that could not be sought or found just because one wanted to!
"Young Noble, you recognize this pill? What is this Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill? Both Ah'Yun and I have eaten one already!" By the side, Ling Feng interjected.
"It is indeed the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill. Otherwise, how do you think that these two kids would recover from their wounds so quickly? With their injuries, it probably had already reached deep into their bones and tendons. Other than using the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill, how else would I be able to restore their bodies without their cultivations decreasing?!"
Ling Tian suddenly executed a deep bow, almost touching the floor as he exclaimed, "I'll thank Senior on behalf of those two kids!"
Justice stared in shock. He naturally did not expect Ling Tian to be so touched just by helping him. What was this about?
But Justice was not aware that Ling Tian had always treated these kids like his own brothers. While Justice had saved the entire Ling Family Courtyard, it was not necessarily the issue that weighed on Ling Tian's heart. Instead, by saving Ling Chen, Ling Feng, Ling Yun and the rest, it was enough to earn the eternal gratitude of Ling Tian instead!
"Don't pull this stunt with me. Suddenly being so polite to this old man here, I'm really not used to it. Okay, take the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill and give it to the two brats as well as the lass!" Justice replied.
"En, now that there's this miraculous panacea, this is the best time to use it. They'll definitely recover quicker than expected." Ling Tian breathed in deeply. Once their injuries have fully healed, I'll make the arrangements, be it one on one or as a group, and we'll have a good battle. Say, older brother, do you still have any more Heaven Reversing Restoration Pills? It would be good if I could get a few more…"
"You think these are candy?! Get lost!" Justice's blood was actually boiling when he heard that there would be a group battle, but after hearing Ling Tian's avaricious request, his expression immediately soured.
Chapter 605: Before Purging the Poison
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Tian touched his nose and tried to suppress the joy in his heart. Things would become much easier with these elixirs in his possession. "If there isn't anything else, I won't disturb older brother and will treat their injuries first."
"Alright, go ahead. There isn't a need for you to be too anxious either. It will only be considered a perfect treatment if they can absorb all of the effects of the medicine." Justice waved his hands to send Ling Tian off.
Ling Tian turned around and sped away quickly.
Justice stood on the spot laughing as he saw how Ling Tian escaped from him as though he was the death reaper. Even if you are a crafty little brat, you will still have to drink my leftover bath water. You would never imagine that those pills in your hand were refined from the herbs of your warehouse. My rewards this time were truly great. Even if I still cannot treat them like rice, I can still enjoy them as snacks. This brat has finally reached my expectations but he still seems to be wary of me finding trouble with him. Hehe, this is also good… In fact, why should I be concerned about those rumors? Compared to the longing of a martial arts expert, those rumors are completely worthless. Who would have imagined that this little brat would actually be so nervous? This daddy's martial arts just experienced a breakthrough and I have not been able to find an appropriate opponent to help stabilize my breakthrough. In the past, that brat Ling Tian wasn't powerful enough but he has so many comrades who can enter my sight now. Without satisfying this daddy, how could I bear to leave?
Ling Tian hurriedly ran into the secret chamber while panting to catch his breath. He wasn't afraid of Justice finding trouble with him because of the rumors, but rather he was afraid of Justice disappearing at this very moment. Justice was truly like a human treasure chest and he was even able to take out bottles of such heaven-defying pills! How extravagant!
Li Xue, Ling Jian, Ling Chen, and Yu BingYan's injuries would be recovered in half a month and Ling Tian wanted to make use of the time when Justice was present to uproot Yu BingYan's Divine Black Negative Meridians. Purging the Divine Black Negative Meridians would definitely require the combined effort of himself, Ling Chen and Li Xue to ensure that everything went smoothly. But with the three of them occupied, the only expert left in the Courtyard would be Ling Jian.
After the ambush of the Lei Family, the alarm bells in Ling Tian's heart had all sounded. Ling Tian would never allow the Yu Family to launch a sneak attack when he was purging the Divine Black Negative Meridians. Furthermore, the three of them couldn't be disturbed in the slightest when purging the Divine Black Negative Meridians. If just one of them was distracted, all four of them would probably enter into cultivation deviation together!
With Justice present, he was definitely the number one choice to watch the Courtyard. Thus, Ling Tian wanted to settle this matter as quickly as possible. With Justice guarding the Courtyard, who would dare to disturb him? Nothing would go wrong for sure! Furthermore, arranging a fight with Justice, be it for himself, Ling Chen, Li Xue or Ling Jian, it was definitely a good chance to increase their strength. How would Ling Tian be willing to let go of such a chance?
Thus, not only was Justice looking forward to this battle, even Ling Tian was hoping for this battle to happen. In fact, Ling Tian even wanted to allow Ling Chi and the others to fight Justice as well. However, their realms were just too far away from Justice's and after being treated by Justice, they were like mice whenever they saw him…
Shaking his head joyfully, Ling Tian entered the secret chamber. There were three beautiful ladies, Ling Chen, Yu BingYan, and Li Xue, seated cross-legged in the secret chamber. They looked like they were brimming with energy with their faces red. No one would think that they had just recovered from their injuries.
Noticing Ling Tian's arrival, the three of them opened their eyes together and all of their tender gazes were fixed on Ling Tian. Ling Chen then asked, "Young Noble, did senior Justice agree?" Ling Chen was extremely grateful to Justice for protecting the Courtyard and would not address Justice with a 'him' like how Ling Tian did. Thus, she decided to call him 'senior'!
Ling Tian chuckled, "With this young noble taking action personally, how would I fail? Haha… That fellow is still delighted because he thinks that everything has gone according to his little plan."
As Ling Tian said those words, all three of the ladies had a different expression. Ling Chen was filled with joy and together with her unconditional trust in Ling Tian, she felt as though it was only right for Ling Tian to be so successful. Yu BingYan had a look of worship on her face. As for Li Xue, she rolled her eyes in disdain and looked as though she was about to retch.
Ling Chen let out a smile and said softly, "Young Noble, Justice is the savior of our Ling Residence. How can you address senior as such!"
Ling Tian was stunned for a moment before laughing out loud, "Chen'er, you are the one in the wrong. Your 'senior Justice' is not one to bother about such pleasantries. If you were to address him as senior and yourself as a junior, he would probably leave by tomorrow. That old brat is just far too good at destroying things and has almost emptied out our whole warehouse. However, we also did not lose out at all. Look at what this is!"
Li Xue was the most knowledgeable one and gasped, "It is actually the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill? And more than one?!"
Ling Tian nodded his head, "That's right, it is the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill. This old brat is truly generous. Hearing that all of your wounds have not recovered, he gave me a bottle with more than ten pills inside. With these pills in our hands, it will be able to make up for the weakness of our bodies from the injuries that we had suffered. It truly came at the right time!"
Li Xue immediately cursed, "Spoiled brat! You are actually using this rare treasure to recover your strength?!"
Ling Tian looked at Li Xue and coughed awkwardly before saying, "There isn't any point in talking about that. That old brat definitely has more of it and I will just ask for a few more from him afterward. We will make use of today to adjust all of our conditions to the peak. Starting tomorrow the three of us will work together to purge BingYan's Divine Black Negative Meridians!"
Li Xue was taken aback for a moment. "Won't that be too hasty? BingYan was severely wounded recently and while she has already recovered from her injuries, she still has a reduced vitality and her body needs to be nourished back to its peak. Why don't you give BingYan a Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill to help her regain her vitality?"
Ling Tian shook his head and said, "We must definitely not do so. BingYan consumed two Great Cyclic Pellets during the battle and the effects of the Great Cyclic Pellet are currently at its peak. Furthermore, BingYan had already taken a pill this month. While her vitality was harmed during the battle, the Divine Black Negative Meridians have also been weakened. With the Great Cyclic Pellet still in effect, this is the best period to purge her Divine Black Negative Meridians! If we recklessly allow her to take the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill, the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill would only strengthen her Divine Black Negative Meridians. After all the three of us adjust our condition to our peaks, we will let BingYan take another Great Cyclic Pellet. I will then circulate my pure Yang inner qi to stimulate the Divine Black Negative Meridians. Ling Chen will then use her Divine Ice Formula to suck out all the frost toxins slowly. Li Xue, you will be behind Ling Chen to absorb all the frost toxins from Ling Chen's body and purge it from your body with your own inner qi. At that time, BingYan's Divine Black Negative Meridians will be completely purged and it will be the best time for her to consume the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill.
"I see." The three ladies were enlightened and could not help but look at each other. Yu BingYan pitifully looked at the three others in the room and couldn't help but worry, "Would Tian'ge or my older sisters be in danger?"
Ling Tian smiled warmly, "As long as we are not distracted by anything, there won't be any danger. Xue'er and Chen'er's body are of the same element as yours. The frost toxins in your body are of the same element as their inner qi and it would only be a matter of time for them to expel it. There wouldn't be any form of danger. However, we will require two days at the very least and we can't be hasty for success. With Justice currently helping us to guard the Courtyard, our only source of danger has been removed!"
Li Xue muttered in a low voice, "If that's the case, with Justice and Ling Jian guarding us outside, nothing will go wrong for sure. Can both little sister Chen and I transform the frost toxins into our own inner qi? It would be a waste to miss such a good opportunity. After all, the Divine Black Negative Meridians sits at the forefront of all frost toxins. Furthermore, it rests in the meridians of the human body naturally and is also of the extreme Yin element. It should be extremely helpful to our Divine Ice Formula. If we can assimilate the frost toxins into our bodies…"
Ling Tian frowned and replied, "I had such intentions originally but there are great risks involved. With every advantage there would also be a disadvantage. The moment the frost toxins are stimulated, it will definitely be difficult to control them. It will already be a challenge to purge the frost toxins out and if your inner qi is unable to assimilate them…" After pausing for a moment, Ling Tian shook his head and said in frustration, "It is best to reconsider this matter."
Li Xue nodded her head, "This was originally a huge problem. I will act according to the circumstances. The moment we begin purging the frost toxins, we will be able to determine the strength of the toxins. If we are able to, I will preserve the frost toxins after sucking them out from BingYan's body. Then, Ling Chen and I will try to refine it together. If not, I will give it up on the spot. With the Heaven Reversing Restoration Pill to aid us, the dangers will be greatly reduced."
Ling Tian thought for a moment before agreeing. However, he still warned with a heavy tone, "You must not take any risks." He was truly afraid of Li Xue's fearless personality. If she were to forcefully preserve the toxins beyond her abilities, things would truly be disastrous. He knew that while the frost toxins were extremely frightening. If the two ladies were able to refine them, it would be a powerful source of pure XianTian energy. Ling Tian was afraid that Li Xue wouldn't be able to resist the allure of such a powerful energy and forcefully attempt to refine it.
Li Xue chuckled, "After purging the frost toxins, you can help BingYan cut off her connection to us and aid her to recover her vitality to prevent her from suffering a backlash from the frost toxins. As for Ling Chen and I, don't worry. Both of us cultivate the Divine Ice Formula and are more familiar with frost toxins than you. You do not have to worry about us."
The moment she said that, Ling Tian became even more anxious and said bitterly, "Big sister, you better not joke about such a thing."
Li Xue broke out into a wide grin, "Big brother, don't worry. Everything will be fine." Hearing Ling Tian calling her big sister, she mimicked his words by calling him big brother.
Yu BingYan and Ling Chen could not help but burst out into laughter as well.
Chapter 606: If I Make the Decision
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Tian walked out of the secret chamber and visited Shui QianRou's room next.
After her previous injuries, Shui QianRou used this as an excuse to stay in the Ling Family Courtyard. She was sworn sisters with Ling Chen and Yu BingYan after all, and Ling Chen would naturally prepare a personal room that belonged to her. After the battle with the Lei Family, she had also suffered severe injuries and naturally stayed over here.
First, Shui QianRou was extremely fatigued and did not have the mood to face the few Elders from her Shui Family or those Shui Family young nobles. She was afraid that she would end up retching if she saw them and it definitely wasn't healthy for her recovery. Second, Shui QianRou naturally had her own reasons for staying back at the Courtyard.
Shui QianRou's decision was one that her maid Die'er supported greatly. However, Shui QianRou hadn't seen her personal maid for a couple of days already. During this period of time, Die'er did not do anything else but take care of the casualties. However, the only casualty that she took care of was Ling Chi alone! All of Ling Chi's brothers were all completely filled with jealousy!
At that time, Ling Feng teased Die'er, "Miss Die, men and women should not have such physical contact with each other. With you taking such good care of dog egg, changing his clothes and tending to his injuries, his pure body had been completely seen by you. You have to take responsibility for this!"
Die'er replied without a care in the world, "So be it! Why would I be afraid of taking responsibility for him? I just like taking care of brother Chi'ge, so what?!"
As Ling Yun saw Ling Feng being stumped for words, he quickly came to Ling Feng's aid, "Miss Die, if you are here to take care of dog egg, who will take care of your young miss?"
Who would have thought that Die'er's reply would be, "Young miss? What young miss?! AHHHH… I forgot…"
This was not the worst!
Ever since Ling Chi was injured, Die'er's heart ached badly and she guarded next to Ling Chi's bed each day. Even when Justice commanded that no one was to watch by the side when he was treating the injuries of the wounded, that lass completely ignored Justice's commands. After knowing about this, Shui QianRou broke out in cold sweat for her personal maid. Who was Justice? How would he allow anyone to watch him display his medicinal skills? What if he killed Die'er in a fit of rage?! How unlucky!
In fact, it wasn't because of Justice's magnanimity that he didn't fly into a rage. It was only because Die'er had nothing else in her eyes apart from Ling Chi. With her mind and soul fully occupied with Ling Chi, how would she have the mood to secretly learn Justice's medicinal skills? Although Ling Chi was severely wounded in battle, he also profited from his injuries. During this period of time, his relationship with Die'er took a great step forward. His injured comrades were all completely filled with jealousy as they cursed Ling Chi for making use of his injuries to pick up girls. Even Justice who originally had the intention to train Ling Chi could only helplessly give up on the idea!
Seeing Ling Tian coming into the room, Shui QianRou went into a daze for a moment before asking, "You're here?"
"I am here." Ling Tian rubbed his nose and felt as though he was spouting unnecessary garbage. I am standing right in front of you already, can I possibly say that I am not here? What kind of a question is that? Why would this usually bright lady ask such a silly question?!
With this silly question and answer, an awkward atmosphere filled the room…
Shui QianRou lowered her head as she sat on the chair and twiddled with the corners of her shirt like she was a frightened quail. She had actually shrunk back with nervousness and her breathing also became ragged.
After Ling Tian replied to Shui QianRou, he fell silent and actually did not know what to say. Seeing Shui QianRou's reaction, Ling Tian also felt a tinge of embarrassment. Such a heavy atmosphere was not what which he had imagined.
"You…" Shui QianRou said.
"You…" Ling Tian said.
The two of them said at the same time.
"You first…"
"You first…"
They said at the same time again!
They actually had such chemistry!
"Puchi…" Shui QianRou burst out into giggles and Ling Tian also broke out into a smile. The two of them truly felt that such an awkward atmosphere was truly amusing. The awkwardness in the room was also swept out with both of their laughter.
"Ladies first. What would you like to say?" Ling Tian asked with a smile.
Shui QianRou smiled, "I wanted to ask. You can't possibly be coming over just so you can fall into a daze with me, right?"
"Haha," Ling Tian smiled and cleared his throat before saying, "I heard that the Shui Family base in the Heavenly Wind Continent is beneath Mount Vacant?"
Shui QianRou replied with an 'Mmm' before continuing, "This isn't a secret. Three hundred years ago, our Shui Family shifted our family from Gold Water City to Mount Vacant, which is the current Mount Hateless. From then on, there had been eight family heads and after generations of hard work, our base is pretty impressive!"
"Pretty impressive? Miss Shui is too humble…" Ling Tian said with a thoughtful expression, "Has your family made any actions recently?"
A look of bitterness could be seen on Shui QianRou's face. "Previously, I hid the news of my brother's death and while our family was thrown into chaos because of this matter a while back, we were still able to hang in there. But after this matter, the standing of our faction within the Shui Family had already become shaky. If not for my merits of setting up the Shui Family Courtyard in Sky Bearing to allow my Shui Family to stabilize our standing in Heavenly Star, my father's position of family head would probably have been…" Shui QianRou said with a dim expression before looking at Ling Tian with gratitude, "In fact, I have to thank you for this matter."
Ling Tian smiled, "Miss Shui does not need to thank me as such. Since we are in an alliance with each other, it is only right for us to aid each other. Besides that, if I did not have a motive, I would not have helped you either. After all, we all have our own motives. There isn't a need to thank me."
With regards to Ling Tian's completely frank reply, Shui QianRou was stumped for a moment before lowering her head with a tinge of depression. Could it be that Ling Tian's heart wasn't made from flesh? Why are all of his words so heartless?!
Ling Tian paced around the room for a while before saying with a solemn tone, "With the current strength of your Shui Family, if you guys were to face the Yu Family who is at their peak during the generational battle, what are your chances of victory?"
"Generational battle? Ah ah…" Shui QianRou let out a self-mocking laugh, "In truth, the generational battle has already lost its initial meaning. What's left is just two families killing each other out of hatred. For so many years, both the families have given birth to countless peerless geniuses who led the elites of their family to face off in battle. However, as the ambitions of both families grew over the years, the battle between the families also changed…"
"Our Shui Family is only holding on with our gigantic outer shell. After all, our Shui Family holds the ultimate authority on the Heavenly Wind Continent, and Outside Heaven has already fallen from its glory and is no longer a threat. Furthermore, the Heavenly Wind Continent only has three empires, and they all have to follow the orders of our Shui Family. This is also the reason for the arrogance of our Shui Family members. Consider the arrogance that my Shui Family elders displayed when they first came to Heavenly Star and their intention to swallow the Ling Family. Our situation in Heavenly Wind is truly far superior to the situation of the Yu Family on Heavenly Star. While our Shui Family may not be superior to the Yu Family in terms of absolute experts, the manpower of our Shui Family is far superior to the Yu Family! Especially when the leader of the Yu Family's women's team, little sister BingYan, has a strange ailment that could kill her at any moment. Our family no longer treats the generational battle with any importance! Even if our men's team were to lose, our woman's team would definitely emerge victorious. However, little sister BingYan's martial arts are no longer like before. Who knows what will happen a year later? I may no longer have a chance for victory."
Shui QianRou sighed as she continued, "Historically, the generational battle would be located in Heavenly Star. After all, both Heavenly Wind and Heavenly Sun are far smaller than Heavenly Star. They are only safe because of the large ocean that separates the continents. The Yu Family has already begun their expansion, and they have already occupied half the continent. As compared to the Shui Family, the Yu Family is far superior in wealth, soldiers and martial strength. In addition, our Shui Family has actually broken out in internal conflict at this moment. What is the point of talking about the generational battle? The meaning of this battle is truly… You should be extremely clear that I am not worried about the generational battle. I am more worried about whether or not our Shui Family will be around to take part in the generational battle!"
Ling Tian replied in a low voice, "You don't have to be so worried. Yu ManLou would not dare to touch the Shui Family before he destroys me. In fact, he may not even dare to provoke the Shui Family. After all, it would only result in them suffering heavy losses, and his Yu Family would be swallowed up whole by me. While the Shui Family is currently in an awkward situation, it is still not facing the threat of destruction. However, I just do not understand why you guys must have a foothold in Heavenly Star. Wouldn't it be enough to rule over the Heavenly Wind Continent? Isn't such a move unnecessary?"
Shui QianRou replied with a bitter laugh, "The battle of factions within the Shui Family has already been going on for a couple of generations and our Shui Family did have wise individuals over the years as well. They knew that if the battle between the factions continued very long, destruction would be the only fate of the Shui Family. Thus, our ancestors commanded that if we could destroy the Yu Family, we should split up the direct descendants and side branch of the family. One faction will develop in Heavenly Wind while the other develops in Heavenly Star. With both factions being separated by the ocean, there wouldn't be the risk of the family's destruction. Even if one faction is successful in its development, they wouldn't be able to harm the whole Shui Family. At the same time, both the factions can also be at ease. However, how could the Yu Family be destroyed so easily? If both families were to engage in an all-out battle, our Shui Family would definitely be the one to be destroyed! It would be a pipe dream to even win a Pyrrhic victory!"
"Besides that, a new force had also risen up in the Heavenly Wind Continent over the past five years called the Sky Alliance. When this force first appeared, they only had a few dozen people and were only capable of creating some minor disturbances. However, after just a couple of years, they had turned into the largest bandit group on the continent. Their organization was a tightly knit one and it was impossible to penetrate their ranks. There were a couple of times when the empires tried to surround them but they were an extremely slippery bunch. As soon as something was amiss, they would swiftly integrate themselves back into the civilian ranks. Once the danger was over, they would gather their forces together to take their revenge, creating a great deal of trouble for the empires that attempted to surround them. However, the empires were completely helpless against them because they did not have a fixed residence and would come and go like the wind. On top of that, their leaders are extremely skilled in martial arts and no one was capable of dealing with them. As time went on, they gradually became a large organization."
"Sky Alliance…" Ling Tian let out a strange laugh and said with a solemn expression, "Could it be that your Shui Family allowed this Sky Alliance to do as they wish?"
Shui QianRou laughed bitterly. "Three years ago, some of the empires requested for us to take action to wipe out the Sky Alliance. However, my second uncle said that we should attempt to pull the Sky Alliance over to our side and personally went to carry out negotiations. My father was not supportive of this idea, but my second uncle was extremely insistent about it and the elders also pressured my father greatly. However, the negotiations went exceptionally well and the Sky Alliance actually agreed to our Shui Family demands and did not give us any conditions of their own. From then on, they gave us 30% of their monthly plunder. Just this alone was a huge benefit to our Shui Family and my second uncle also gained the support of the family's elders because of this. The internal struggle within the family also intensified because of this…"
"However, how could such benefits last for long? A year ago, the wings of the Sky Alliance were fully grown and they suddenly ceased handing over a portion of their plunder to the Shui Family. The family was thoroughly enraged and my second uncle sent out the experts of the family to surround them but was unable to find them. However, the experts of our Shui Family were ambushed by the Sky Alliance on their way back and were almost completely wiped out."
"After that incident, the Shui Family launched a couple of operations against the Sky Alliance, but they all ended in failure. They weren't even willing to fight us in battle and would never be greedy for success. They did not even fall into a single one of our traps! Even with the allure of treasures, they would not fall for our tricks. At the same time, their style changed completely. They stopped plundering and diverted all of their attention toward our Shui Family. If our Shui Family appeared, they would kill if there weren't many of us and hide if they were outnumbered. They would haunt us like a ghost and as a result, our whole family was fatigued by their actions. At the same time, my father's shaky family head position was also preserved. Of course, the fractures within our family were also the reason for our inability to wipe out the Sky Alliance. Not a single faction was willing to allow their forces to be harmed by the Sky Alliance. Thus, the Sky Alliance grew stronger day by day."
Ling Tian nodded his head and said with a questioning tone, "Could it be that a thousand-year-old family like your Shui Family is unable to wipe out a bunch of bandits? Did your dad have a hand in that?"
Shui QianRou's face turned red and she said with helplessness, "He didn't. In truth, my dad did indeed have such intentions at the start but he was unable to contact a single one of the bandit's leaders! A bunch of bandits? Perhaps your words would be true five years ago, but the Sky Alliance had already developed to a frightening size three years ago. Together with the fact that they would rob the rich to aid the poor, they won the hearts of the commoners. When they hide among the commoners, unless we kill all of the commoners mercilessly, it would be impossible to capture them. Today, it is already a sizable force that even both the Shui and Yu Families have to treat seriously."
A mysterious look of praise could be seen on Ling Tian's lips as he said, "If that's the case, these bandits are truly pretty capable."
"They aren't just 'pretty capable'," Shui QianRou had her head lowered in frustration and she did not see Ling Tian's expression, "the leaders of these bandits are truly geniuses! I heard that the leader of the bandits is called Tian ZhiYi, the second leader Tian ZhiEr, and third leader Tian ZhiSi. They are a trio of biological triplets. While their names sound a little strange, they are all extremely valiant in battle and skilled in martial arts. Furthermore, their schemes are extremely brilliant, and they are a huge threat to our Shui Family. Our Shui Family attracts all the attention with our size while the Sky Alliance is always in hiding. As time went on, our family grew extremely frustrated… Thus, my father suggested to put them aside first and look into expanding in Heavenly Star. However, who would have imagined that things are a hundred times more troublesome in Heavenly Star?" Shui QianRou let out a long sigh of depression.
Ling Tian smiled but did not say a thing. What could he say? All of the frustration that the Shui Family faced was a result of his orders. Ling One, Ling Two and the rest traveled to Heavenly Wind with Ling Tian's handwritten guerrilla warfare tactics. It truly wasn't easy for them to develop to such a size in less than five years.
Thinking for a moment, Ling Tian then asked with doubt again, "Then why don't you guys expand towards Heavenly Sun? There shouldn't be any obstructions there, right? Why Heavenly Star?"
Shui QianRou rolled her eyes and said, "Heavenly Sun is far inferior to Heavenly Wind and they are lacking in basic commodities. So what if we conquer the continent? Wouldn't it be equivalent to being banished? Neither factions would be willing to expand towards Heavenly Sun, and our ancestor's command was for us to destroy the Yu Family and occupy Heavenly Star. First, this is so that both the factions would be united in the face of a common enemy. Second, this is because of our enmity with the Yu Family. Third, regardless of which faction occupies Heavenly Star, it would be a huge victory for our Shui Family. However, it seems like this is no more than a pipe dream. How lamentable, our family has actually broken out in conflict over this…"
Ling Tian chuckled before saying solemnly, "Your Shui Family shouldn't be in such desperate straits right? It is just that I do not agree with the actions of your Shui Family. If I acknowledge your Shui Family, I believe that you guys would be able to replace the Yu Family. After all, you have already witnessed the strength of me and my Ling Family. I definitely have the strength to achieve that. However, there is only a single possibility to make me acknowledge your Shui Family. That is for your Shui Family to become my strength. At the very least, your Shui Family must aid my Ling Family. If not, I could not be bothered to be involved with your affairs. After all, it isn't a happy affair to have an alliance partner that may stab me in the back at any moment!"
The matters of the world are always changing and the Ling Family was originally a small grassroots family in the eyes of the Shui Family. However, Ling Tian had actually said that the Shui Family needed to receive his acknowledgment. Furthermore, Shui QianRou, who was in front of him, did not have the intention of disagreeing with him. In Shui QianRou's heart, the strength of the Ling Family had obviously exceeded her Shui Family.
This was an undeniable fact!
Shui QianRou had a frustrated look on her face as she said, "I know that you have such an ambition but our family would never agree to it. It would be impossible for even my dad to agree, not to mention the others!"
"Your dad wouldn't agree? That's right, your dad is the current family head and his agreement is truly important. But… what if you agree and you are the family head? What about that?!" Ling Tian said patiently, "I will promise you a complete Shui Family, and I only need the three continents to be united under my rule. As for your Shui Family, regardless of whether the world is united as one or the various empires are at war, your Shui Family would still be the Shui Family. What's the difference? Do you understand what I mean?"
"If I was the family head…" Shui QianRou let out a fuzzy smile and her eyes were locked on Ling Tian's face, "If I was the head of the Shui Family, whatever you want and whatever your request, I will agree to it!"
Shui QianRou's burning gaze was fixed onto Ling Tian's face for a long while before she added, "At that time, even if you want me to disband the Shui Family, I will agree to it without hesitation!" As she said that, she seemed to be a volcano that was on the verge of erupting!
Ling Tian suddenly felt an immense pressure. Shui QianRou was trying to force him to reveal his cards. With Shui QianRou's personality, for her to say these words, it meant that she had already made a choice between Ling Tian and her family!
Letting out a long breath, Ling Tian suppressed the agitation in his heart and said, "You have to be clear about something. I want to unite the world, and what I want is not just the Shui Family. Even if we are able to be together someday, it shouldn't be because the Shui Family helped me or because I helped the Shui Family. I do not want it to become an exchange of conditions. If we are together in the future, the only possibility is because both of us are willing parties! Regardless of who you choose to marry, the Shui Family will not be your dowry."
"I understand! I truly understand!" Tears began to well up in Shui QianRou's eyes and she looked as though a burden was lifted off from her shoulders, "I really understand what you mean. I wouldn't mind… are you willing to trust me?!"
Ling Tian let out a bitter laugh, "Because I trust you, you have to be clear that regardless of the negotiations or dealings with your Shui Family, it would only be a matter between our families and not us. You must not have any sense of guilt."
Shui QianRou wiped off her tears and huffed angrily, "You are obviously trying to force me. How can you still say such things after what I just said?!"
She was obviously trying to whine to Ling Tian. From this moment, on, the relationship between the two of them had also been completely transformed.
Ling Tian made an exaggerated expression in response, "What did I do? What did you do? I am only speaking the truth. You sound as though I am trying to force a lady into prostitution! As though I am trying to force you into a marriage with me."
Shui QianRou burst out into laughter, "Aren't you someone like that? A playboy who would resort to unscrupulous means to achieve your objectives whenever you see a pretty lady? Don't think that I don't know! Hmph!"
"Achieve my objectives? What objectives? What unscrupulous means did I resort to?" Ling Tian asked with an innocent smile.
"Scram!" Shui QianRou's face turned red and she threw her pillow at Ling Tian.
Ling Tian chuckled and caught the pillow before taking a sniff on it. "How fragrant. The true fragrance of a virgin."
Shui QianRou was both embarrassed and enraged, but she also felt her body was light and fluffy as though she was in the clouds. She had an inexplicable shyness in her heart and felt an immense sense of satisfaction. In all of her life, this was the first time she felt such sweetness in her heart.