610 - 616
Chapter 610: Changeable Situation
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Tian started to scrutinize the Divine Black Negative Meridians within Yu BingYan's body. Shockingly, he found out that even though Ling Chen had performed one round of absorption, there was practically no sign of the thickness of the frost energy being reduced! While the peripheral layers of the frost energy were quickly siphoned off, the core piece of the Divine Black Negative Meridians in her heart meridians still remained as though it was not affected. After the peripheral layers were removed, it would immediately release another burst of cold air, refreezing the meridians in Yu BingYan's entire body.
Ling Chen was frantically siphoning, but from the looks of it, it was merely like attempting to put out a fire using a single cup of water!
Ling Tian's heart sank and he immediately shouted, "Li Xue, immediately assist Ling Chen in removing the frost energy in her body! However much she absorbs, you have to remove it totally and expel it! Let me warn you in advance, if you still plan to absorb the powers of the Divine Black Negative Meridians to improve your own strength, then most likely the end result would only be the four of us turning into frozen corpses! Leave all your plans to when the Divine Black Negative Meridians reaches its last legs. Right now, its strength is not something that we can withstand! The strength of it is too great!"
Li Xue shuddered in shock. She never expected the strength of the Divine Black Negative Meridians inside Yu BingYan to be so domineering! She had nothing but absolute trust in Ling Tian's warning and hurriedly circulated her strength, imitating Ling Chen and beginning the absorption as well.
This action allowed Li Xue to truly understand the anomaly that Ling Tian had spoken about. The frost energy within Ling Chen's body had already reached the maximum of her acceptable tolerance, but the frost poison was still continuously being absorbed from Yu BingYan's body. No, it could not be considered as absorbed any more and was more like it was automatically flowing into Ling Chen. If not for the presence of Li Xue to aid in expelling, then Ling Tian, Ling Chen, and Yu BingYan would be cursing themselves right now!
Li Xue siphoned off the frost energy within Ling Chen with all her attention, even as her heart grew solemn. She knew that this time, the four of them were connected on the same line of life and death, and the person who held the ability to free them from this thread was herself!
The only way was for her to utilize her Divine Ice Formula which was a whole two layers higher than Ling Chen, to absorb the frost poison within herself and expel it out of her body.
This frost poison would first undergo one round of conversion within Ling Chen's body before it could be expelled by Li Xue who was using a cultivation formula of the same source. If it was directly expelled from her after absorbing it from Yu BingYan's body, then both of them would turn into icy corpses immediately!
With her right hand stuck tightly to Ling Chen's smooth back, Li Xue had her left hand was propped up chest level, palm outward and fingers pointing up like a pagoda, pointing straight at an air vent. Threads of cold air were siphoned from Ling Chen and after one round of cycling inside Li Xue's own body, a stream of thick white energy was spat out from her left palm, flowing into the air vent and disappearing.
This was thanks to the intelligence of Li Xue. Right now, the temperature of the stone chamber had already been lowered to a frightening point. If they continued to release the purged frost energy within the chamber, by the time Yu BingYan was rid of her Divine Black Negative Meridians, this place would have long become a meat locker! By that time, the four of them would also be akin to a dying flame within a lamp, and it was extremely likely that problems might occur. Realizing this point, Li Xue just decided to purge the frost energy directly to the outside instead. Although this would consume a little more energy on her part, it would ensure their safety.
Ling Tian also comfortably breathed out in relief, and finally began to operate based on his original plan. His senses sank deep in once again.
Within the stone chamber, all four of them sat without even moving in the slightest. Yu BingYan had long fallen unconscious, and the other three had sunk deep into their own respective jobs, not daring to let go of even the slightest bit of attention.
Ling Tian started to display his pure Yang inner energy, rousing the attention of the frost energy created by the Divine Black Negative Meridians inside Yu BingYan's body. He forced them to slowly dissipate outward drop by drop, flowing to the other meridians on Yu BingYan. He was clear that throughout this process, not the slightest bit of anxiety was allowed. The moment he pushed too far, the frost energy would rush out like a waterfall. If Ling Chen wasn't able to process it in time, allowing Li Xue to be able to expel it, then they would all be ruined. Most likely all four of them would end up as icy corpses, and even if someone outside realized something was wrong and came over to save them, it would be all too late.
However, he could not sit there and not take action. Now that Ling Tian's true Yang energy had already reached the core of the Divine Black Negative Meridians, if he did not take action then the frost energy would regather back at this same spot, causing all their efforts to go to waste. The frost energy had already fully covered Yu BingYan's body. The moment his Yang energy disappeared, she would be akin to a broken jade, perishing instantly, whereas the chain would also affect Ling Chen and Li Xue who were tied to Yu BingYan…
Ling Tian felt like he was a tightrope walker walking on a gossamer thin rope high up the air, with the worst part being that he had no safety gear with him…
Thus, while the force applied by him was gentle, his attention was drawn taut like a strung bowstring.
Ling Tian was confident that he had prepared properly in every aspect before purging the poison, but the process was so dangerous that it was totally out of his expectations. While his previous confidence wasn't completely gone, there wasn't much left of it!
The circumstances in front of him were really too dangerous!
Ling Chen inserted her pure true Yin energy through the meridians of Yu BingYan, forming a small whirlpool within her body to allow a portion of the frost poison to be sucked inside, converting the incurable disease to something beneficial to herself. The entire process had gone on for 4 hours, yet from what Ling Tian saw through his senses, the Divine Black Negative Meridians inside Yu BingYan's body seemed to only have gone down by a little…
Li Xue had a solemn expression as her left palm continued to release stream after stream of white fog, which floated towards the air vent and was sucked to the outside…
Ling Tian finally concluded that this operation of purging poison was just like the case of an old man moving a mountain — where there's a will, there's a way!
If they wished to completely rid Yu BingYan of her Divine Black Negative Meridians, then based on the situation, most likely at least three days of time was needed! The most pressing issue was that during the three days all four of them could not even move an inch from where they were seated, and had to maintain this posture. If anything happened to either one of them, then the entire operation would end in failure!
And the consequence of failure was eternal damnation!
If he had not cared about hiding the existence of the flood dragon's inner pellet and invited Justice to help, would it have been easier? Ling Tian even questioned himself for the first time in his life!
The only possible redeeming factor was that he had arranged for Ling Chen to take the most relaxed spot which was in the middle position. If he had put her in his or Li Xue's spot, where one's internal energy had to constantly be circulated around their meridians, one not only needed to have exceedingly thick reserves of energy as well as stamina, but also the ability to maintain focus for long periods of time!
Three days and nights of walking on a tightrope… how could an ordinary person withstand this mental pressure?
It was lucky then that both Ling Tian and Li Xue were not ordinary people. With the mentality of a transmigrator, if it was just talking about mental toughness, even Li Xue would surpass Justice! This was because they were people who had walked through the actual yellow springs, and to be able to forcibly pierce out of the netherworld, experiencing the process of life and death, their mental psyches were long above that of an ordinary person's.
If one were to compare a martial arts expert's mental state to be akin like a fine thread, then Ling Tian and Li Xue's would be like steel threads, and furthermore… two or more threads twisted together.
So while he and Li Xue could handle the stress, could Ling Chen? Could she handle it? Right now, all they could do was to hope that the training Li Xue had given to Ling Chen had improved her mental state somewhat, allowing her to persevere!
Time slowly slipped by…..
Gradually, a day passed…..
Another day and night passed…..
The warriors outside at the surface level of the Ling Family Courtyard suddenly felt as though the weather had turned chilly, and it was demonic in a sense that the further one walked away from the Ling Family Courtyard, the warmer it would be! However, once they entered into the Ling Family Courtyard, then they would feel a bone-piercing cold traveling over! Even the martial experts who had control over their own body temperature would be caught unawares by the chill and start to shiver!
When a few of the warriors unwittingly ascended up to the peak, they received a huge shock! The core area of the courtyard, the garden, had all its flowers and trees withered and there was even a layer of frost on the ground…
A thick fog hung around the trees, and even the pine trees were decorated with a thick layer of icy mist. Under the rays of sunlight, the fog sparkled with a myriad of colors, a splendid sight!
This news was quickly spread out and attracted quite a few people who wished to bear witness to this rare scene. However, all this was stopped with a command from Ling Jian: Whoever dared to disobey the order and approach the peak of the mountain would all be killed, without any exceptions!
Once the command was passed out, everyone immediately quaked with fear.
A second order closely followed the first: Which was to have Ling Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian to guard the four sides of the mountain. They were told not to even allow a housefly to get past them onto the mountain!
As such, the rear mountain in the Ling Family Courtyard suddenly had four other first-rate experts holding down the fort!
However, this point was a little superfluous. Because of the extreme cold, anything that could move, run, or fly had long ago ran as far as they could from this place. So while there was a chance for people to come up, there was no way a housefly would want to fly by here!
At this moment, within the secret chamber deep inside the mountains, the place could already be compared to an icehouse. However, Ling Jian sat here in solitude, with his black iron sword laid across his knees. His expression was cold and hard, without any emotions being revealed.
Young noble and Lass Chen had already been inside for two days and nights!
Even though Ling Jian's internal energy was deep enough such that he would not be easily affected by the frosty air, he could still feel a trace of the cold. Not only was it uncomfortable, but it also served to make him even more anxious. He had long developed the intention to rush into the secret chamber, but upon recalling the instructions Ling Tian had passed to him, he knew that he had to endure it for now. Especially on the surface, he had to put on an expression that was as steady as Mount Tai, giving the impression of supreme confidence. Or else… the Family Courtyard would dissolve into chaos!
The cave door lightly opened, and Ling Chi walked in on tiptoe with a lunch box. He lightly placed it in front of Ling Jian, and lingered for a while, as though having something to way. But he ultimately did not speak, only choosing to bow before retreating.
"What is it?" Ling Jian's eyes suddenly snapped open, and two sharp rays of light shone out.
"Senior Justice's methods are indeed remarkable, improving the ailments of so many people, allowing them to regain their mobility. Our fighting strength has recovered to about 80% of our peak, and all of the brothers hold a grudge towards the Lei Family, wanting me to ask Brother Jian when we can start the operation." Ling Chi tentatively asked.
"Oh." Ling Jian closed his eyes, before indifferently replying, "Now is not the time, you go out first." Ling Jian did not mention how he was going to carry it out, but Ling Chi did not dare to ask anymore, only nodding in acknowledgment and retreating. As he walked out, a worried expression suffused his face.
Hearing Ling Chi's footsteps fade in the distance, Ling Jian opened his eyes and stared at the long sword in front of him. It was only after a long while did he speak to himself, "Taking revenge on the Lei Family… how would I not want to? It's just that… the young noble has not exited yet so we can only wait."
An intense wave of killing intent rose up, and Ling Jian knocked onto the body of his sword with his knuckles, producing a clear ring. It was as though one was teleported to the battlefield, where it lusted for slaughter, and for the blood of its enemies to douse and nurture it…
Within the courtyard, Justice stood atop one of the trees with his hands behind his back. As he felt the unusual weather, his pair of hawk-eyes opened, looking at the frost filled rear mountain with a rare heavy expression on his face.
If anyone knew what was going on inside the secret chamber, then it had to be this person here!
After a long while, Justice slowly sighed, muttering to himself, "Divine Black Negative Meridians… Ling Tian, you indeed still carried out the operation. I only hope that you can endure it fully" After another sigh, his figure flashed and Justice disappeared from his spot.
The unusual occurrences within the Ling Family Courtyard, while strange, were not enough to affect the entire world. On the Southern battlefield, the 300,000 strong army that Ling Xiao commanded were packing up their spoils of war within the former Southern Zheng. The post-war cleaning up was getting more and more orderly by the day…
As for the inside of the DongFang area, Shen RuHu and DongFang JingLei were becoming more and more in sync. The two of them were akin to two huge cleavers, carrying out a bloodbath in the inner and outer sections of Eastern Zhao. All voices of dissent were wiped clean, and they were currently in the midst of restructuring as well as rebuilding the entire place. From creating a new court to dispatching officials and handling the post-war appeasements, it was akin to using the carrot and stick method.
As for the Southeast, the Ling Family army under the command of Yu YanHai surged towards the area for war. The orders from Commander Yu were that even if they had to suffer a total defeat with all dying on the scene, they had to fight to secure the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass the moment the water level dropped!
At the same time, the family head of the Xiao Family, Xiao FengHan almost went mad in anger! He repeatedly cursed and scolded at the various higher-ups who were put in charge of unblocking the Blue Jade River, and commanded strictly that if the Blue Jade River could not be opened up by them, then they did not bother to return. Even if they had to use their heads to ram the blockage, they had to unblock the river at all costs! There were 400,000 soldiers of the Xiao Family on the other side, after all!
Actually, the news of their Xiao Family army being routed had already been flown into the Southeastern region, but because he had in the end never received a single piece of news from Xiao FengYang, Xiao FengHan ended up holding on to this last bit of hope.
Furthermore, the secret troops of 500 Above Heavens members who had infiltrated Sky Bearing was also one of the reasons Xiao FengHan still had hope. He believed that as long as they were able to unblock Blue Jade River, resuming the logistics route, they would be able to retain their status quo by sending out their soldiers. Right now, his second brother was likely to be hiding in some place and biding his time. When they attacked again, his brother would be sure to coordinate with them. There was still a chance to rise up once again!
The three thousand miles of mountains and rivers around the Southeast all belonged to the Xiao Family, with a population of more than 10 million! Even another 500,000, or even a million strong army, they were naturally able to pull them out and properly equip them! Could this type of strength not be able to shake the earth? What good was just being known for their business and money? If they were able to become the monarchs of all under the heavens, then these riches would not even be worth talking about!
As such, during this period of time, the Xiao Family activated 200,000 of their elite soldiers as well as equipping them with 400,000 horses. At the same time, they began to ferociously recruit. One out of every three persons would be chosen! To scrape up a million strong army, it could not be done just through words!
Xiao FengHan actually intended that within the next few months, to gather up another 200,000 troops, and once Blue Jade River was unblocked, to use the surging river water as a driving force to slaughter out of the Southeast, staking all on this battle!
The few officials that were in charge of the Blue Jade River already felt like crying.
It was two whole mountains! Even if they were to really use their heads to smash on that, even when their heads exploded, the mountain would still be perfectly fine!
When they had drained out and diverted all the water, revealing the river bed, what they saw caused everyone to open their mouths in shock. The river dike that Ling Tian had created caused fear in all of them, for that was a good half of the mountain over a thousand feet in height! Even if you took any of the loose rocks present, they easily weighed over a few thousand kilograms. Furthermore, all of them were pressed together, as though they had belonged to this place since time immemorial…
Ling Tian, Great Master Ling, Grandpa Ling, just how in the world did you manage this?!
One had to admit that Ling Tian's move this time was too venomous, too vicious!
The Xiao Family's construction had already gone on for more than a month, and yet they were not even close to being half-way done…
Everyone was on tenterhooks, having to work directly under the foot of such a colossus, and even needing to move such a huge beast in a short time… Who wouldn't feel fear in their heart?
Just clearing the surrounding rocks was already bad enough, but if the entire river dike were to be moved, then even those in charge of unblocking the river wouldn't be spared! This was because behind the huge mountain was millions of tons of water…
Even if one's life was not worth anything, no one would take their lives as a joke, just to exchange for a few extra pieces of silver! However much money one earned, they still had to have their life to be able to spend it! Quite a few people had already been crushed by falling rocks the past few days…
As such, no matter how high a compensation fee the Xiao Family gave, the progress of work crawled forward at the pace of a snail. In the end, Xiao FengHan was so pissed off that he sent down an order, "For those artisans and soldiers who get crushed by the rocks in Blue Jade River, their families will be compensated with a thousand taels of silver. However, if anyone would be found slacking off, then their families will all be executed, for all nine generations!
Under such severe punishments and great rewards, the progress finally sped up. During this time, Yu YanHai's army had long ago arrived at one of the mountain peaks overlooking the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass. They were preserving their strength for the big event, waiting for the time after the Xiao Family had bitterly toiled to unblock the river to rush in, allowing them to reap the benefits!
Due to Xiao FengHan's temper, the moment he received word of Yu YanHai's whereabouts, he nearly died due to anger…
You people used some unknown method to barricade the entire Blue Jade River, massacring my soldiers on the other side and sinking my territory into a patch of panic, but you're still not satisfied?! You actually want to take advantage of the situation at this time, snatching the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass that my Xiao Family occupies?!
Xiao FengHan's brush flourished, and the newly formed army of the Xiao Family in the Southeast immediately marched forward, standing in direct opposition with Yu YanHai and pressuring them!
No matter what, he had to ensure that Yu YanHai's boundless arrogance, together with him and his 200,000 soldiers would be buried forever in the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass!
After huge numbers of deaths from the various artisans and soldiers, they finally had a proper structure up, and following the increased speed of unblocking the river, the clouds of war once again gathered, heralding the rain of chaos that was going to fall on the continent!
A faint stench of blood pervaded the entire continent.
Meng LiGe had taken over command of Sky Bearing, and he repeatedly fired out command after command, summoning the reinforcements of the Ling Family, at the same time sending orders to Grand Marshall Ling Xiao's army on the Southern lines to split off 100,000 strong and rush day and night to support Yu YanHai. He also sent a command to Shen RuHu, urging them to end the situation within the Eastern Zhao before assisting Yu YanHai as well.
As the blockage on Blue Jade River was being cleared, so was the storm of bloodshed brewing in that half of the continent.
During this time, the Northern Wei's Yu Family troops had made triumphant progress. They had cut into the entire Western Han like a hot knife through butter, commanding their troops to invade through Wu County, winning victory after victory as they occupied all the cities. Their achievements did not pale to the Ling Family in the slightest.
This lasted all the way until they reached Bright Moon City. No one knew why, but they actually fell for an ambush in the valley outside the city, and the commander of the combined armed Yu forces, Yu LiuQing, was actually mysteriously assassinated on the battlefield. If not for the fact that the current head of the XiMen Family, XiMen Sa, had stepped up to calm the troops, fighting hard to save this desperate crisis, most likely the entire Yu Family army would have suffered a complete defeat!
XiMen Sa immediately became a person who could command the winds and rains in the Yu Family army, with Yu ManLou even praising him and sending down a personal order to appoint him as the Vice Commander of the army. At the same time, Yu ManTang stepped up to take the reins of Commander for the combined forces, continuing to invade Wu County.
Yu ManLou also sent down a severe order that they had to finish the invasion of Wu County within this half month, before returning back to the North!
The entire Heavenly Star continent was enveloped in the flames of war, with the color of crimson spreading over thousands of miles. The blood flowed like rivers, and corpses were heaped up like mountains!
The reason why Yu ManLou had to reward XiMen Sa was that he was left with no choice. Even his own brother holding the reins as commander was not the ideal person in Yu ManLou's heart. XiMen Sa's ability to manage troops was out of the ordinary. Even though he had surrendered to the Yu Family, the XiMen aristocratic family was still an elite strength, and because they had surrendered they actually fully retained their strength! The higher the prestige of XiMen Sa in the army, the more Yu ManLou had the feeling that he could end up stabbing him in the back. If there was a chance, Yu ManLou would rather silence XiMen Sa right here and then rather than to continue using him. This person was young, but he definitely could not be overlooked. Yu ManLou would never do such a foolish thing as to raise a blight that would turn around to bite him later.
As for Yu ManTang, he had always been the ideal commander for the Yu Family's army. If one were to compare the abilities of a general to not only prevent defeats in war but to even turn the situation around, then other than Yu ManLou himself in the Yu Family, there would only be Yu ManTang! What worried Yu ManLou was that his brother's daughter, Yu BingYan, had actually rejected the family order to return to the clan on the basis that she had already married over to the Ling Family! No matter what, Yu BingYan was still Yu ManTang's flesh and blood and even the apple of his eye. He would definitely have lingering feelings for that brat Ling Tian. Even if it was because he liked whatever his daughter loved, if Yu ManTang were to face off against Ling Tian, the ending would be one that was difficult to determine. Yu ManLou would naturally not take such a risk.
Chapter 611: Three Days and Nights
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yu ManLou was in need of a victory! A speedy and absolute victory! Thus after Yu LiuQing died, Yu ManLou had no choice but to use his younger brother, Yu ManTang. Only Yu ManTang would be able to accomplish such a feat. After all, Yu ManLou needed to stay back in the headquarters of the Yu Family to maintain the morale of his family.
Yu ManLou was pretty confident that he could obtain a victory. He had already given the orders for all his troops to retreat back to Bright Jade City after exterminating the Wu Empire. At that time, Yu ManTang would be fully in charge of the battle with the Moon Deity Empire and Yu ManLou was also intentionally sending Yu ManTang out. As for the final battle with Ling Tian, Yu ManLou would not trust anyone else but himself! It would be the safest if he personally made a move!
Another reason was also because Yu ManLou received the news that the 3000 soldiers that Lei ZhenTian led to ambush the Ling Family Courtyard were completely wiped out without a single survivor!
After receiving this piece of news, Yu ManLou was completely dumbfounded! He had almost fallen from his chair as well!
Yu ManLou was extremely clear about the strength of the Lei Family's experts led by Lei ZhenTian. Especially the martial arts of the three deacons and Lei ZhenTian himself were something that even he needed to treat with respect. Furthermore, the Lei Family still had another six elders and dozens of other experts. Not a single one of them was a character that could be dealt with easily.
This strength was already the absolute peak which the Lei Family could muster. However, they were all wiped out in a single battle with the Ling Family Courtyard without a single person leaving alive! On top of that, Ling Tian was absent from the Courtyard during that period of time but such a baffling event had still occurred.
Yu ManLou knew that if his Yu Family were to face the elites of Lei ZhenTian, while he would be able to achieve victory in the end, the price which he would have to pay would be extremely heavy and his victory would be a Pyrrhic one. It would be impossible for him to wipe out all of the Lei Family elites without leaving a single person alive!
However, the Ling Family Courtyard was actually able to achieve such a feat! Just what kind of strength was Ling Tian hiding? How many more trump cards did Ling Tian still have hidden?
Hearing this piece of news, even someone with Yu ManLou's composure could not help but be startled. Furthermore, he could not deny that he was feeling a tinge of fear! Such a feeling was something that Yu ManLou had never felt before in his life!
Thus, Yu ManLou resolutely decided to make good use of XiMen Sa and Yu ManTang. At this time, he needed to gather all of the strength that he could. Regardless of what kind of ambitions XiMen Sa had, at the very least, XiMen Sa had value to Yu ManLou presently.
As for the future… who would be able to foretell the future?
After settling this matter, Yu ManLou sent out another order: All the commoners were to be conscripted! Regardless of whether or not they belonged to Northern Wei or Western Han, as long as they were part of the Yu Family's territory, all the healthy young men were to join the army and be trained properly.
These soldiers would become the backup force for the Yu Family in the future.
When facing Ling Tian, Yu ManLou would never dream of defeating him in a single battle. This would definitely be a long battle! Thus, it was necessary to ensure that he had a constant supply of soldiers.
The thing which angered Yu ManLou the most was his third brother Yu ManTian. When that b*stard was feeling bored, he actually had the cheek to find Yu ManLou and say that since he had nothing better to do, he wanted to go to Sky Bearing to have some fun…
Yu ManLou flew into a rage on the spot! He ferociously beat up the boorish Yu ManTian before locking him up! Go to Sky Bearing? Do you think that I don't know why you want to go to Sky Bearing? You have obviously taken a liking to that brat Ling Tian and want to go and play with him. But do you think that the present circumstances would permit you to enter Sky Bearing?
Besides that, who was Ling Tian? He was the biggest enemy of our Yu Family! As the Third Master of the Yu Family, you actually want to go to Sky Bearing? Are you going to find him for fun or for your death?!
Besides that, for the Lei Family to launch an ambush at Sky Bearing, any wise individual would be able to deduce that our Yu Family had a hand behind the matter. It would be great if Ling Tian doesn't seek trouble with us but you actually want to go and find him at his doorstep? What am I going to do if war breaks out with Ling Tian when you are in Sky Bearing?
Yu ManLou was angered by his third brother to the point he lost his appetite.
In the secret chamber.
The charcoals at the edge of the room were indeed premium products and were still burning. However, they seemed to be incapable of raising the temperature in the chamber. The secret chamber had already been transformed into a freezer! Furthermore, it was ten times colder than an ordinary freezer!
The four water tubs at the corners of the room were placed there so that they could wash up after the purging of the poison was complete. However, they were now four frozen tubs and each had turned into a solid slab of ice. With the increase in volume, the four water tubs had also cracked open with ice protruding from the cracks.
The paleness on Yu BingYan's face had disappeared and her face was now slightly pinkish. While she was currently still unconscious, it was obvious that she was no longer in danger. After the large majority of the frost toxins were purged, the medicinal effects of the Great Cyclic Pellet and flood dragon inner pellet were gradually being released. As long as she passed through this final challenge, Yu BingYan would definitely receive a large number of benefits.
Above Ling Tian's head, smoke could be seen rising from the top of his head and it was an indication of his over-exhaustion. After channeling his inner qi for a full three days and nights, even with Ling Tian's tenth level of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula, he was already at his limit. Currently, Ling Tian was only hanging in there with his willpower and was almost exhausting his vitality just so he could hang in there!
Both Ling Chen and Li Xue also looked fatigued but it wasn't a big effect on their mind. After all, they cultivated the Divine Ice Formula and as long as they circulated their inner qi in this frosty environment, they would only gain benefits and would not be harmed. They were fatigued because of the exhaustion of their spiritual qi and also because they had not slept for a full three days and nights. This was especially true for Li Xue who was always in an extremely tensed-up state. The pressure that she endured wasn't any less than Ling Tian. For her to be able to hold up until now was already considered a miracle!
Ling Tian used his spiritual sense to scan Yu BingYan's body and realized that more than 90% of Yu BingYan's Divine Black Negative Meridians had been purged already. The remaining small portion was in her meridians but the Divine Black Negative Meridians beside her heart had completely disappeared. Replacing it was a bright red color.
This was a sign of good health!
Ling Tian heaved a sigh of relief and could finally be at ease. He directed the inner qi in Yu BingYan's body to circulate around her meridians again and transformed his pure Yang inner qi into an extremely gentle force to slowly repair Yu BingYan's damaged meridians. After a full 36 cycles, Ling Tian retracted his inner qi back into his body to adjust his own body. During any ordinary time, Ling Tian would have definitely given this inner qi to Yu BingYan instead of taking it back. It can be imagined just how exhausted Ling Tian currently was.
After retracting his inner qi, Ling Tian flicked his left hand and a ball of wind was shot towards Li Xue's left hand.
Li Xue's body shook and she woke up from her daze. She then looked at Ling Tian only to see him nodding his head. Li Xue immediately understood what Ling Tian meant and the white gas that was being emanated out from her left hand had disappeared. From this moment on, all of the frosty qi that had been absorbed by Ling Chen and Li Xue would be the greatest supplement for them.
Ling Tian let out a sigh of regret. Despite the large amount of frosty qi, both Li Xue and Ling Chen were only able to receive such a small amount that was even less than the tip of the iceberg. It was truly a pity!
Ling Tian looked at the situation of his body and was certain that it wasn't a big deal. At the same time, some of his inner qi was also recovered. However, after not moving for a full three days and nights, his whole body was truly stiff. After trying to loosen up his body, he could hear cracking sounds all over his body and Ling Tian felt as though he had turned into a zombie.
Behind Yu BingYan, Ling Chen let out a long breath and removed her hand from Yu BingYan's back. After removing her hand from Yu BingYan's back, she placed it on her inner core and adjusted her own condition. This action of hers signified that the last bit of frosty qi within Yu BingYan's body had been absorbed!
Yu BingYan's skin had already turned back to its original color and the purplish frosty qi which covered it previously had disappeared completely.
Ling Tian's spiritual sense swept through Yu BingYan's body and he felt that the inner qi in Yu BingYan's body was like a boundless river that had no end. Her inner qi nourished the previously damaged meridians and went a cycle through her meridians before returning to her inner core.
Yu BingYan's body no longer had a hidden danger. In the process of treating her Divine Black Negative Meridians, her Conception and Governing Vessels were opened up and the large remaining medicinal energy transformed into a large source of inner qi. Yu BingYan had completely rid herself of her ailment and had taken a step into the ranks of the experts.
Ling Tian was elated. Perhaps this was the reward for her many years of suffering?
With a soft moan, Yu BingYan gradually regained her consciousness and opened her eyes slowly. She felt as though everything before her was extremely clear and her body was warm and comfortable. The bone-chilling feeling at her chest was no longer present! Yu BingYan immediately knew that the Divine Black Negative Meridians that had plagued her for all her life had been completely purged!
Chapter 612: Success
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
All of a sudden, Yu BingYan broke out in tears of joy! Looking at the fatigued appearance of her beloved man before her, Yu BingYan was filled with heartache, happiness, and pride in her heart. She could not help but dive into Ling Tian's almost naked embrace and her tears began to wet Ling Tian's naked chest.
Ling Tian hugged the delicate figure in his embrace and was filled with joy. BingYan was finally healed!
A short while later, Yu BingYan finally calmed herself down from her agitation and could immediately feel the intense cold in the chamber. She could not help but shiver slightly as she looked around with shock. Seeing the mist all around the chamber, ice on the ground and four gigantic slabs of ice in the corners of the chamber, her eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped. "Tian'ge… all… all of this is a result of the frost toxins in my body? Isn't it too…"
Ling Tian nodded his head with a smile. Yu BingYan's eyes widened even further and she almost fainted from the shock. She had never imagined that the frost toxins in her body would be so terrifying! Furthermore, it laid dormant in her body for so many years!
Seeing Yu BingYan's eyes widen, Ling Tian knew that Yu BingYan must have suffered from quite a bit of shock and could not help but laugh.
Yu BingYan turned around and looked at the fatigued Ling Chen and Li Xue. She could not help but say with guilt, "It is truly all thanks to these two elder sisters. Because of me, the two of them were actually exhausted to such a point. I… I really do not know how to thank them."
Ling Tian smiled and said, "We are one big family and there is no need to say thanks. If you were in their shoes, I believe that you would also help them unconditionally as well. Am I right?"
After thinking for a moment, Yu BingYan nodded her head heavily.
As he was talking, Ling Tian's attention was focused on Li Xue. With the whole poison purging process nearing its end, he, Ling Chen, and Yu BingYan were already safe but the only one who wasn't completely in the clear was Li Xue.
Li Xue was truly the number one contributor to purge the Divine Black Negative Meridians. With her weak female physique, it was truly a difficult matter for her to hold on until now.
Looking at her carefully, Ling Tian frowned at a strange scene. Ling Tian had previously reminded Li Xue to put down her left hand but her left hand was currently still placed out in front of her chest and had not moved an inch. After Ling Tian looked at her for a while more, he finally understood what was going on and could not help but feel respect for Li Xue.
Li Xue's left hand was not like his or Ling Chen's hands. Their hands had rested on another individual and while this was tiring, they weren't suspended in mid-air. However, Li Xue's palm was suspended in mid-air and she had to keep it there for a full three days and nights! Just what kind of a mental strength did she need?!
Thus, Ling Tian immediately knew that it wasn't that Li Xue didn't want to put her hand down but that it was frozen there. If not for the fact that Li Xue cultivated the pure Yin Divine Ice Formula, she would have to keep her arm in that position for life! But even so, it would take a period of time before Li Xue would be back at her peak condition.
Ling Tian felt a sense of warmth in his heart. He then circulated his remaining pure Yang inner qi in his palm and rubbed his palms together in order to generate warmth. After his palms were warmed up properly, Ling Tian then walked over and held onto Li Xue's left arm. While he had already prepared himself mentally, he was still shocked. Li Xue's arm was even colder than a slab of ice! With the familiarity he had with the Divine Ice Formula, he massaged Li Xue starting with her shoulder and slowly making his way into her arm. His warm inner qi was injected into Li Xue's body and her frozen muscles and meridians were slowly nourished. After her skin finally regained its softness, Ling Tian placed Li Xue's left hand back on her knees.
A look of comfort could be obviously seen on Li Xue's face.
Ling Tian's actions were extremely gentle and his inner qi was only limited to Li Xue's shoulder and arm. He did not affect Li Xue in the slightest or disturb her from circulating her qi, but used the best way to ease her fatigue.
Just like what Ling Tian had guessed, Li Xue's left arm had maintained this position for a full three days and nights and was already in a frozen state. In fact, her arm was beginning to cramp up already. However, Li Xue was currently refining the last bit of frosty qi in her body and despite being in discomfort, she had no choice but to leave her arm suspended. If she tried to forcefully lower her arm, it would only damage her bones and tendons. If Ling Tian didn't help her resolve this issue, she would probably have to wait until the whole event was completed before she could tend to it.
Li Xue's arm was alright but Ling Tian had used his last bit of pure Yang inner qi to massage Li Xue's arm and his vitality was truly harmed. After today, he would probably require a few days to adjust his condition back to normal.
After making sure that Li Xue didn't have any hidden injuries, Ling Tian smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. He then picked Yu BingYan's petite figure up and said, "It's best we go out first and allow the two of them to absorb the frosty qi in this place. Let us go and have a meal and put on some clothes. It has been a full three days and nights and I am starving."
Yu BingYan let out a gasp of shock and realized that she was completely naked. Her face flushed completely red and she covered her proud twin peaks with her hands while saying shyly, "You… we… we should wait for the two elder sisters first… and… and go out with them…"
Ling Tian chuckled, "There really isn't a need to do so. Who knows how long they will take to absorb all of the frosty qi in this place? This environment is a cultivation heaven for them but isn't good for us, especially since you just recovered from your injuries. Besides that, we also have to prepare something to eat for the two of them, otherwise your two elder sisters will be starved to the point they become mummies."
Yu BingYan leaned in Ling Tian's embrace and allowed him to carry her out while asking, "What are mummies?"
…
After guarding the place bitterly for a full three days and nights, Ling Jian finally heard Ling Tian's voice again. Ling Jian who was extremely tempted to charge into the chamber was elated! After hearing what Ling Tian needed, he quickly ran out to instruct his subordinates to prepare it.
Mmm, clothes, blankets, undergarments, shoes, and most importantly, food. Ling Tian especially ordered for porridge to be sent over and Ling Jian could understand why.
After not eating for three days and nights, if he didn't eat some porridge to warm up his stomach and started off with meat instead, his stomach would definitely be extremely uncomfortable. This was true even though Ling Tian's stomach was far stronger than an ordinary individual after the many years of inner qi training.
Ling Jian was extremely efficient, and everything Ling Tian wanted was sent over in less than 15 minutes.
Even after finishing her meal, Yu BingYan, who was wrapped in a thick fur coat, still did not dare to raise her head. She still had not forgotten that Ling Tian had carried a completely naked her out from the chamber and she was still extremely embarrassed. While the one who saw her body was her beloved man and her husband, Yu BingYan still felt an extremely strange feeling. She was filled with a sense of sweetness and shyness at the same time…
After having their meal, Ling Tian first instructed Ling Jian to take Yu BingYan to rest before he headed back into the chamber with a lunch box in his hands.
Thinking about how Yu BingYan was shy to the point she did not even dare look at him and looked as though her head was about to be retracted into her body, Ling Tian could not help but giggle. This lass… mmm, she has finally grown up…
Pick the flowers when they are on the branch, don't wait until the branches are empty before attempting to pick the flowers. Ling Tian suddenly thought about a poem from his previous life and a bright smile could be seen on his face.
After not eating for three days and night, even a normal bowl of porridge was extremely fragrant.
When Ling Tian walked into the secret chamber again, Ling Chen and Li Xue were both anxiously in cultivation. The layers of cloth that were hung up around them were already frozen into rigid slabs. However, the mist in the chamber was already far thinner. Ling Tian could visibly see the mist being absorbed into Ling Chen's body before being sent to Li Xue's body. After Li Xue refined it once, it would be sent back into Ling Chen's body and this pattern continued.
"The two of them are truly cultivation freaks." Ling Tian rubbed his chin and admired the two exquisite figures before him. His abdomen immediately began burning up and little young noble Ling was about to lift its head…
Even after three days and nights of purging poison, the two of them still had the strength to cultivate! Did they not want to continue living? Aren't they a little too crazy! Ling Tian grumbled in his heart. He naturally knew that there wouldn't be any issue if the two of them were to stop now but the frosty qi in the chamber would disperse after a while. This frosty qi was a pure XianTian qi and it was no wonder that the two ladies couldn't bear to let it go to waste. They would rather starve themselves and force their fatigued bodies to continue absorbing the frosty qi.
While their bodies would be able to hold up, Ling Tian felt his heart aching. While raising their strength was important, it shouldn't be done in such a manner right? They still had the Great Cyclic Pellet and flood dragon inner pellet. Was there really a need to strive so hard for this little bit of frosty XianTian qi?
Walking back into the chamber, Ling Tian first brought out the piping hot dishes. He then placed it under Ling Chen's nose before placing it under Li Xue's nose for her to sniff the fragrance of the meal. The expression of the two cultivation maniacs changed slightly as their noses twitched. Following which, their tummies began grumbling…
A naughty smile could be seen on Ling Tian's face. This is probably the best way for him to disrupt the two ladies cultivation right?
The next moment, Ling Chen and Li Xue opened their eyes together and the same look could be seen in both of their eyes: Frustration and helplessness.
Following which, the two ladies were woken up by their rumbling tummies and their hunger assaulted them like a raging tsunami. Looking around, they immediately noticed the delicacies before their eyes and their eyes lit up brightly. They no longer had the ability to resist their hunger and could not be bothered to reprimand Ling Tian either. Their palms which were joined together separated as they wolfed down their meal.
Chapter 613: Rapid Improvement
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"My two young misses, after the two of you are done with your meals, follow me out quickly." Ling Tian grunted, "I truly admire your attitudes to increase your strength but there must be a limit to everything. If you two overdo things, it will only backfire and your loses will far exceed your gains. The two of you should understand the meaning of more haste less speed!"
Ling Chen ate her porridge silently and looked at Ling Tian silently like a child who had just been reprimanded.
Li Xue held onto a large bowl of porridge and drank a big mouthful of porridge. Feeling the warmth in her tummy, she rolled her eyes and said, "Who doesn't know how to spout nice logic like this. Where are we going to find such a good opportunity? Besides that, you should let us absorb all of the frosty qi in this place at least right? The whole mountain is already covered in frost and if we don't get rid of the frost in the mountain, how are we going to use this place in the future? An ordinary person would not even be able to last two minutes in this place."
This lass still doesn't want to give up. Ling Tian felt amused in his heart but put on a stern appearance, "Your bodies are already filled with the XianTian qi of the Divine Black Negative Meridians. Even if you refine it all, it is only a ball of energy in your body and still wouldn't be your strength completely. Under such circumstances, what is the point of absorbing all of the frosty qi?"
The two of them fell into deep thought and Li Xue who had a deep understanding of the Divine Ice Formula seemed to have understood something.
Ling Tian was right. The frosty XianTian in their body was only a ball of energy but was not something which belonged to them completely. It had not merged with the inner qi of their own Divine Ice Formula yet. They needed to absorb it fully and merge it into their own bodies. While the situation before them was rare, they would still have such a chance again in the future. As long as they found an ice peak that would never melt, the environment would probably be extremely similar. If that's the case, what was the point of being reluctant today?
Furthermore, the purest XianTian qi of the Divine Black Negative Meridians had already been absorbed from Yu BingYan's body into their own. For them to absorb the external frosty qi, it wouldn't be of much use to them and might even create chaos in their meridians.
As for the issue about this place being unusable in future, that was completely ridiculous. Without a source, all of the frosty qi in this place would be dispersed after lighting up piles of charcoal in the room for three to five days!
However… seeing such a pure frosty qi before their eyes but being unable to absorb it truly left them with reluctance.
Ling Tian chuckled, "After today, it is time for the two of you to be the guards. I will be going into seclusion together with Ling Jian and the rest soon and we will need two days at the very least. At that time, with our pure Yang inner qi, even if this place doesn't turn into a volcano, it shouldn't be too far off…"
"Seclusion? Why are you guys going into seclusion?" Li Xue grabbed a piece of meat and enjoyed it with delight. The three of them had truly been starved badly over the past few days.
"What for? After you punctured a few holes into the flood dragon inner pellet, it would be impossible for us to keep it for a long period of time. Besides that, the two of you cultivate the Divine Ice Formula and will not be able to absorb the pure Yang qi of the inner pellet. If not the two of you being on guard duty, who should be the one?"
"Oh." Li Xue agreed lazily. At this moment, both Ling Chen and Li Xue realized that Ling Tian's expression seemed a little funny, as though he was sneakily looking at something on their bodies. What was there to see?
"What's there to see?" Ling Chen looked at Ling Tian doubtfully. She then looked at Li Xue and… "AHHHH!!!" Ling Chen let out a loud shriek and the chopsticks in her hand fell onto the floor. She quickly covered her chest with her hands and her body shrunk up with her face completely red…
"You're still looking?!!!! AHHH… scram scram scram!! You scoundrel! You lecher! You b*stard!!" Following that, Li Xue also noticed it and stood up while sending a flurry of fists to Ling Tian.
Young noble Ling Tian was currently looking at the two ladies with a lecherous smile and just when he was still in his fantasies, he received a series of attacks. He was currently at his weakest state and even if he wasn't at his weakest, would he dare to retaliate? He could only let out a miserable shriek and escape pitifully.
Over the next few days, after Li Xue and Ling Chen consolidated their cultivation, they started to train Yu BingYan. Yu BingYan had a sudden surge of inner qi in her body and she was like a three-year-old child who suddenly had the strength of an adult. She did not know how to control it properly and was naturally teased by the other two ladies.
Naturally, all of this was accomplished within the mountain and anyone on the outside was clueless.
As for Ling Jian and the others, they were summoned by Ling Tian for training…
Over the next few days, the members of the Ling Family Courtyard felt as though the seasons had cycled through the year and they had experienced all four seasons. From the cooling weather at the start to the bitter cold. The temperature then increased rapidly again and after half a day of spring, it seemed to be the blazing summer…
The temperature was still increasing and everyone was crying out bitterly!
They just changed out of their thin clothes into their fur coats and were shivering before the fireplace. However, they quickly felt the temperature going back up and they had to take off all of their fur coats and change back to their thin clothes. However, that wasn't enough and even if they stripped down to their birthday suit, it still wasn't enough!
Just what was going on?!
Almost everyone was filled with doubt as they grumbled.
The reason why it was 'almost' was that there were exceptions. Like…
Justice stood under the tree leisurely and looked at the three ladies who were sparring with interest. He was definitely an exception.
Ling Chen and Li Xue took turns to spar with Yu BingYan, hoping that she would be able to swiftly increase her combat ability. What surprised Justice the most was Yu BingYan's speed of improvement. Even describing it as traveling a thousand miles in a day wasn't enough to describe her speed. Of course, he was only surprised. As a medical saint, he naturally understood that after uprooting her Divine Black Negative Meridians, unblocking her Conception and Governing Vessels, and being taught by two experts, it would be strange if her improvement was slow. Although her current rate of improvement was indeed a little absurd.
If Ling Tian were to describe it with an analogy, he would say: She was still in kindergarten two days ago and she was in primary school yesterday. As for today, she is already studying for her bachelors, and maybe tomorrow she will be studying for her masters. Perhaps she would be going for her doctorate after that…
That's right, this was her speed. In the eyes of an ordinary individual, it was definitely frightening. While both Ling Chen and Li Xue had just achieved a breakthrough in their martial arts realm and their speed of improvement could be said to be extremely swift, their speed was completely incomparable to Yu BingYan.
While this was because Yu BingYan's starting point was low and she had the fortune of consuming a few precious herbs together with her Conception and Governing Vessels being unblocked, Yu BingYan herself was a huge reason as well!
After so many years of struggling with her Divine Black Negative Meridians, Yu BingYan was unable to cultivate any high-level techniques. She was the only martial arts cripple in the gigantic Yu Family but had never given up on herself. She felt that even if she couldn't cultivate a high-level technique, she could still seek another path. Thus, Yu BingYan immersed herself in various books. Yu BingYan could memorize various martial arts theories and cultivation methods forward and backward. She had even taken martial arts manuals apart word by word and tried piecing them together in a different manner, hoping to find an unexpected method to treat her illness.
However, she had never managed to find any solution to treat her illness. On the contrary, she had already memorized the various martial arts theories completely. She was like a living library or perhaps she was like a botany professor. However, she was a botany professor who did not have any experience with planting plants. As long as she had the chance to grasp, understand, and apply all of these theories, it would be an extremely easy matter for her to apply her knowledge. She only needed to practice at the moment.
What interested Justice the most was the fact that every casual move which Yu BingYan used would be completely flawless as though it was naturally formed by the heavens and earth. Furthermore, her moves had the elegance of a noble and the slight fragrance of the books. It was as though she wasn't fighting but writing a poem or painting. All of her actions were filled with the charm of poetry and painting. What was undeniable was the fact that all of her moves were extremely powerful. When it was unleashed with Yu BingYan's powerful inner qi, it wasn't something to be underestimated.
What an interesting lady!
Even with Justice's knowledge, he was entranced by the scene before him. While Yu BingYan's level of martial arts wasn't worth much to him, it was a completely new and elegant martial art that greatly attracted Justice's interest. In this instant, it was as though there was a new door being opened to him!
Surprise, a great surprise!
Justice shut his eyes slowly and replayed all of Yu BingYan's moves again in his mind. The moves that Yu BingYan wasn't fully familiar with were automatically refined within Justice's mind. All of her moves were connected from the start to the end without looking as though it was being forcefully connected. It naturally formed a full set of complete martial arts and there were naturally a lot of moves which originated from Justice's boundless martial arts knowledge. However, the foundations of those moves were still based off Yu BingYan's original creativity.
Every move of hers seemed to carry with it the natural laws of the heaven and earth!
Becoming one with the world!
Justice gasped in his heart. While the moves of this lass weren't fully developed yet, it already had the foundation of a martial arts grandmaster. It was only a matter of time before she became a peerless expert! Someone who no one could ignore! With her talent, her accomplishments wouldn't be below Ling Chen or Li Xue!
Chapter 614: Training
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Even when Yu BingYan was forced into a pathetic state by the attacks of the other two ladies, she was still able to maintain her natural elegance. Justice was certain that this elegance was already a part of Yu BingYan, every inch of skin and every drop of blood was deeply rooted with this elegance!
Justice believed that even if Yu BingYan died a tragic death right now, she would be able to maintain her high-class disposition! Such an elegance was something that she was born with and it was impossible for someone to erase. Even the heavens wouldn't be able to take it away!
Li Xue launched a few attacks and forced Yu BingYan into retreat. Yu BingYan quickly retracted her moves expressionlessly.
Ling Chen and Li Xue's education methods were extremely different. This was something that Yu BingYan could clearly feel.
When Ling Chen unleashed a few moves that Yu BingYan wasn't able to deal with, she would stop to give an explanation. As she analyzed the moves one by one, she would have a smile on her face and would never show any impatience. She would only stop when Yu BingYan fully understood her teachings.
As for Li Xue… it was no different from torture.
She would usually send out a couple of moves that Yu BingYan was completely unable to block and could only retreat. Then, Li Xue would stop and allow Yu BingYan to reflect on the moves on her own but she would never provide Yu BingYan with any pointers. After a short moment of reflection, Li Xue would take action again and she would use the same three moves again. If Yu BingYan still couldn't block the moves, Yu BingYan would end up suffering for sure. She would then allow Yu BingYan to take a short break to ponder over the weaknesses of her move. After which, it would be the same three moves again. If Yu BingYan still couldn't block the moves, Yu BingYan would suffer greatly.
Li Xue didn't intend to show Yu BingYan any mercy at all. Only when Yu BingYan was able to block the three moves of hers completely would the torture end. However, a new round of training would follow closely…
With such a training method, Yu BingYan's improvement was undoubtedly huge. She would always be in a tense mental state and her understanding of the various martial arts moves also deepened. At the same time, she also became more and more familiar with the usage of her inner qi.
Ling Chen was aggrieved.
She tried her best to use a gentle method to teach Yu BingYan and wouldn't be frustrated at the need to repeat her explanations. However, whenever Yu BingYan used the moves she taught to deal with Li Xue, it would be completely useless. On the contrary, the moves that Yu BingYan conceived under Li Xue's pressure would be extremely effective when dealing with her. This made Ling Chen feel a huge sense of defeat.
She had already tried dozens of different methods to educate Yu BingYan. Before she taught Yu BingYan, she would have to first prepare the lesson carefully and plan out what she wanted to do in detail. Yu BingYan wasn't the only person who was fatigued, even Ling Chen who was the teacher was also extremely exhausted.
As for Li Xue, she would always have a stern expression on her face and only used the simplest and most violent method to force Yu BingYan to learn. In spite of that, Li Xue produced more results than her! Why was this so? Why would this happen?!
During the training, Ling Chen could clearly feel that Yu BingYan enjoyed her teaching method and rejected Li Xue's teaching method. However, the effect of this method which she rejected was even more effective than one which she enjoyed!
It was truly strange!
Ling Chen was completely puzzled.
As though she could tell what Ling Chen was puzzled about it, Li Xue asked with a smile, "Do you think that it is extremely strange?"
Ling Chen laughed bitterly and said weakly, "It isn't just strange! It is bewildering! Why would this happen?"
Li Xue chuckled, "There is a saying that goes 'a tune taught by others shouldn't be sung'. In the martial arts world, this logic is extremely important!"
"A tune taught by others shouldn't be sung?" Ling Chen muttered under her breath, "What do you mean?"
"What a good 'a tune taught by others shouldn't be sung'! What a good logic!" Justice walked over with a look of praise on his face, "This phrase divides the grandmasters from the ordinary martial arts practitioners in the world!" Justice shook his head with a sigh and looked at Li Xue, "Lass, you aren't simple!"
Li Xue replied with a smile, "Senior is over-praising me."
"Ling Chen knows that senior's martial arts are unfathomable. May senior guide me." Ling Chen seemed to have understood something but yet the thin veil in front of her was still present. She gave a respectful bow towards Justice. Ling Chen knew that Justice's martial arts were peerless in the world and with an otherworldly expert in front of her, she would be a fool if she doesn't seek guidance from him!
"The logic in those words are simple. While your teachings are extremely detailed and comprehensive, your brilliant teachings are also the reason for her inability to learn. Even if she learns everything you teach, all of these come from you and do not belong to her. Do you understand what I mean?"
Justice chuckled, "On the contrary, this lass does not bother explaining anything and allowed that Yu Family lass to ponder over the mysteries of each move on her own and seek a method to defeat them. This would allow her to find her own path. This path would be one that belongs to her completely. On this path, she would be the founding grandmaster and she would be far clearer on what she should do than anyone else. In fact, she would be able to walk freely on this path. Although it was forced out of her, it still belongs to her. Thus, the effect far exceeds your teachings. If you really want this Yu Family lass to accomplish much on her martial path, it is best for you to let this lass grind on her alone!"
"Senior is indeed wise. This junior has received your teachings!" Ling Chen came to a realization.
"That's right, this is indeed the case!" A clear voice sounded and a suave figure appeared before all of their eyes. He was dressed in snow white robes and had a golden crown on his black hair. On his waist, a light green belt was fluttering in the wind. Ling Tian had finally finished his seclusion.
"This is akin to an author writing a novel but being stuck halfway with no ideas. At this moment, he can only rely on himself. If he seeks help from his friends and his friends give him another idea, while he would be able to continue the story, he would face a bigger barrier when he reaches the end of that idea. In fact, his book may become trash halfway through because of that. Why is this so?"
Ling Tian looked at the others with a smile, "Because that idea wasn't his own but belonged to someone else. It is impossible for everyone's thinking to be the same. If I am able to think of this idea, I would be able to continue it. But if you want to continue on my idea, you would realize that it is an extremely difficult task. When it is joint together with what your idea at the start, it would be an even bigger mess. That would then be the beginning of a tragedy."
Everyone nodded their heads and fell into deep thought.
Ling Tian then turned to look at Ling Chen and said with a doting smile, "In fact, Chen'er's education method isn't entirely wrong. It is probably the best method for educating anyone else. However, it is completely useless today. Do you know why?"
Ling Chen looked at Ling Tian and shook her head in confusion. Why did Ling Tian say that it was useless then said that it was useful? Just what does he mean?
"Because you chose the wrong target. BingYan is a brilliant lady and has a wealth of martial arts knowledge. Your teachings are far too detailed and you obstructed BingYan from displaying her own wisdom. The more detailed your teachings, the more BingYan would learn, but the more you would restrict her. Li Xue, on the other hand, is able to dig all up all of BingYan's hidden potential and allow her to think about how she should solve the problem on her own. With BingYan's wisdom and knowledge, she definitely has the ability to do so. Thus, Li Xue is helping BingYan to break through her limits and increase her strength!"
"Of course, if BingYan was an idiot who would never be enlightened, then even if Li Xue forces her to become crazy, she wouldn't be able to understand anything." Ling Tian smiled gently, "Thus, while Li Xue's education method seems simple, it is the best method to educate BingYan. While Ling Chen's education method is meticulous, it isn't meaningful to BingYan."
Ling Tian paced around twice then said, "This is the meaning of adapting your education philosophy."
"If a teacher isn't able to adjust his education method based on his disciple's strengths, his disciples would never be able to shine. Even if his disciple was a genius, the teacher would only be able to educate another copy of himself! Of course, Li Xue's method won't be useful to everyone. For example, if Li Xue tried to use this method on four simple-minded boorish men, even if she tired the four of them to death, they might not be able to gain any insights. Similarly, if you used your current method to educate a bunch of talents like BingYan, these talents would only become ordinary."
Ling Tian then concluded, "There isn't a method that is flawless and a method that is useful for one individual may not be useful to another. This is something that all of you must remember. Regardless of whether or not you are teaching disciples or any other things, you have to always consider different methods and use the most effective method to achieve your goal."
As he said those words, everyone fell into deep thought.
Justice was by the side with a solemn expression on his face as he looked at the sky silently. He understood what Ling Tian had said and when he understood this logic, Ling Tian wasn't even born yet. However, how could a young teen who wasn't even 20 analyze this matter so deeply? Justice saw Ling Tian in a different light again. This brat is indeed my strongest opponent!
Chapter 615: True Attitude
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Tian suddenly changed his target and turned to look at Justice, "In truth, the same holds true for the number one hidden sect in the world, Beyond Heavens! A thousand years ago, Beyond Heavens experienced boundless glory and chose to hide from the world. While Beyond Heavens is still capable of awing the world, its prestige is no longer the same as before. How does the Beyond Heavens of today compare to Beyond Heavens from a thousand years ago? It is probably worlds apart right!"
"While Beyond Heavens still has the number one expert and medical saint, and may perhaps be the leading force in the world, how many people in the world have heard of the name Beyond Heavens? The glory of a thousand years ago does not mean your present glory! If this continues for a long period of time, I am certain that Beyond Heavens will not be able to escape the fate of being wiped from the world."
Ling Tian's words were extremely direct but Justice was not angry in the slightest. He also did not attempt to retort what Ling Tian had said but fell into thought instead,
"Brother Justice, what do you think about what I just said?" Ling Tian asked with a smile that was obviously trying to force Justice into a response.
Justice fixed his gaze afar and after a long while, he suddenly let out a carefree laugh, "Perhaps Beyond Heavens will disappear from the world after a few generations, but what has that got to do with me?"
"I am not a moralist and do not have the ambition to save the world from their suffering either. Even in the sect, I am also someone who would never manage anything. The only thing under my management is to exchange a talisman for a life! In this life of mine, I have my own targets and I only seek to pursue the peak of the martial path. My life has been exciting enough and I only seek to live up to my conscience and do as I wish. Why do I have to worry about something that could happen a few decades or centuries later? That shouldn't be my concern! Furthermore, the Martial Order Medallion has already been trashed!"
"Hahaha…" Ling Tian burst out into laughter and clapped his hands, "You are Justice indeed and do not disappoint me. You are truly carefree!"
His tone then changed, "That's right, there isn't a need for us to concern ourselves with the future generations. Even if we can leave a legacy for our future generations and have the confidence that our future generations will follow in our footsteps and creating an everlasting legacy, so what?"
"All the founding Emperors of history who fought for their territories hoped for their legacy to be continued on forever. However, despite the efforts that they put in, how many empires were able to survive for more than a thousand years?"
"If the future generation is useless, even if you hand him an army of celestial beings, he wouldn't be able to escape the outcome of defeat. If the future generation is capable, even if you don't leave anything to him, he would be able to use his empty hands to create his own legacy!"
"Is everyone in the world born with the riches in their hands?"
Ling Tian's hearty laughter sounded, "If you are still concerned about the legacy of Beyond Heavens, then there wouldn't be any hope for you to reach the peak of the martial arts world! Having something to tie you down in your heart is the biggest taboo for someone to pursue the limits! I only wish for my life to be full of excitement and without regrets! So what if the floodwaters cover the entire world after my death?!"
"Hahaha…"
Ling Tian's bright laughter pierced through the clouds. He then flicked his sleeves and said, "Three days from now, Ling Chen, Li Xue, BingYan, Ling Jian, Ling Chi, Feng Yun, and Lei Dian will be here to fight Justice! This battle will definitely create peerless world experts and will be a legendary battle!"
Ling Tian's figure had disappeared but everyone remained motionless. Ling Tian's words had truly shocked them all!
Justice looked at the leaving Ling Tian with a glow in his eyes. Ever since he met Ling Tian, Ling Tian had given him countless surprises. Both of them had their fair shares of going on offense and defense. With Justice's peerless martial arts and wisdom, he usually had the upper hand. However, he felt a sense of weakness today for some reason.
He didn't lose out in terms of martial arts but truly saw Ling Tian in a different light because of his words.
At this moment, Justice truly felt that he could understand Ling Tian's true feelings!
Ling Tian's objective wasn't just to rule over the entire world! Ruling over the entire world was no more than a huge game in Ling Tian's life. Thus, Ling Tian was never afraid of loss and always had a calm disposition!
He only hoped that he didn't have any regrets in this life of his! He wanted to lead an exciting life and do as he wished! Regardless of life or death, victory or defeat, it wasn't much!
Everything else wasn't important!
The only important thing was to lead an exciting life!
"If I cannot play with the world in my palms, what else is worthy for me to play with in this life?" In the mountains, Ling Tian's tyrannical and carefree laughter could be heard.
Loneliness!
At this moment, only three individuals could feel the endless loneliness that Ling Tian felt in his heart!
"If I cannot accompany young noble, what is there for me to do in this world?" Ling Chen's eyes were hazy as she looked in the direction that Ling Tian had disappeared.
"If I do not have you, so what if I am able to tour the celestial palace?" Li Xue's eyes turned sour and a myriad of emotions filled her heart.
"If I cannot pursue the peak of the martial arts, there really doesn't seem to be any other goals in my life." Justice was filled with stubbornness in his heart.
"I do not wish to wield authority within my hands or the peak of the martial arts. I only wish to be your woman and accompany you by your side, watching you every day. Currently, my wish is already fulfilled and I no longer have any other wishes." Yu BingYan was filled with satisfaction and happiness in her heart. She did not raise her head but Ling Tian's carefree figure was already imprinted in his heart.
***
Ling Family Courtyard was bustling with activity!
Orders were given out one after another that determined the fate of half the continent. At any time and place, there would be rivers of blood and mountain of corpses because of a command given out from the Courtyard.
Eastern Zhao and Southern Zheng were both stabilized and the management plan for both the empires was carried out orderly. All of the officials who were sent out from Sky Bearing had begun their new jobs and the various departments in the empire began to function normally again. The aftermath of war was slowly being cleared up and the various empires gradually looked as though they were on their way to prosperity.
Ling Xiao and Shen RuHu's army began to march towards the east.
Old Master Ling Zhan who was the nominal monarch of Sky Bearing led a leisure life at home. He took care of his plants, reared some fish, and ignored everything else. He left everything else to the Ling Family Courtyard and the Ling Family Courtyard did not fail his expectations either. They settled everything in an orderly and neat fashion.
The Yu Family's control of Western Han was also on track and their battle with the Wu Empire was at its peak.
As compared to the intense battles on the west of the continent, the commoners in Ling Tian's half of the continent were already walking out from the shadows of war.
With regards to the borders of Northern Wei, Western Han, and the Wu Empire, Ling Tian sent his army to guard the borders in order to ensure that nothing would go wrong. At this moment, the accumulated wealth of the Ling Family Courtyard had finally shown its might.
Ling Tian's mother, Chu Ting'er, was also invited to the Ling Family Courtyard by Ling Tian to assist Xiao YanXue. With the two fortune deities working together, every single tael of silver was being utilized to its fullest potential. The immense assets of the Ling Family were completely taken out to make plans for the future! They had to ensure that the army would be able to function normally and ensure that future battles would go smoothly.
All of this was carried out swiftly and efficiently.
The information net which Ling Tian had laid out in all directions together with the elites of the Crystal Pavilion was deployed by Ling Tian towards the northwest. They had to make ample preparations to deal with the Yu Family!
To the two parties who were vying for hegemony in Heavenly Star, every second was extremely precious and the situation was extremely tense. Right at this moment, everyone in the Ling Family Courtyard was training their martial arts to improve the strength. They seemed to be even more relaxed than usual…
"Good!" Seeing the battle in the plaza, Ling Tian cheered.
Ling Jian, Ling Chi, and the rest had ended their seclusion and walked out of the secret chamber.
Just as Ling Tian had expected, Ling Jian's Divine Shocking Dragon Formula had been cultivated to the eighth level and he was the one who improved the quickest. Of course, the pain and tempering that he went through were also the most.
The powerful energy of the flood dragon inner pellet was indeed extraordinary. It would probably be impossible for anyone in the world to endure the immense energy contained within the inner pellet alone. With Ling Tian's and Li Xue's analysis and breakdown, the inner pellet was split into ten parts of different sizes for Ling Tian, Ling Jian, Ling Chi, Ling Feng, Ling Yun, Ling Lei, Ling Dian, Ling Nineteen, Ling Twenty, and Ling Twenty-two.
With the injection of this immense medicinal effect, Ling Chi had also broken through into the seventh level of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula. As for the rest, they broke through into the sixth level. The strength of the Ling Family Courtyard had risen by two whole levels at the very least. Such a rapid improvement was enough to shock any martial arts practitioner!
When Ling Tian appeared from his seclusion, both Li Xue and Justice could immediately feel the change that Ling Tian had gone through. Justice could originally see through Ling Tian's cultivation level easily but Justice felt as though he could no longer see through Ling Tian any longer. It was as though Ling Tian had transformed into a bewildering fog and there was something blocking his senses.
Following that, Justice had also noticed the changes in Ling Chi and the rest and could not help but be shocked. Ling Chi and the rest were beaming with a divine light in their eyes and it was obvious that they had recently achieved a breakthrough in their cultivation levels. It was only because they weren't able to retract their inner qi fully that such a situation would happen. Just what was going on here?!
Chapter 616: Ling Jian's Challenge
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In just a short few days, if Ling Tian was the only one who experienced a breakthrough, while Justice would find it strange he wouldn't be too shocked. After all, it was still acceptable for Ling Tian to have a sudden enlightenment.
However, for ten people to have a sudden enlightenment together… wasn't this too puzzling? Unless the ten of them consumed a large amount of heavenly treasure at the same time. However, could such a large amount of heavenly treasure possibly exist? Could they have enough to provide for a full ten people? This was too unbelievable!
While Justice was extremely knowledgeable and had guessed the truth, this truth was far too astounding. Even in Justice's experience, it was unbelievable! After all, Ling Tian's luck truly went against the heavens. For him to casually take out the inner pellet of the legendary flood dragon, was this something that an ordinary person could do?
"Tian'ge, you… you successfully broke through into the twelfth level?" Li Xue's voice trembled and she was filled with disbelief.
"The twelfth level? Are you mad?" Ling Tian originally wanted to show off to her and was immediately choked by Li Xue's words. He coughed twice awkwardly and said, "I only broke through a bottleneck that I faced in the eleventh level. This is already a huge blessing. Don't you know that from the seventh level onward, every additional level would grant me twice the energy? From the tenth level onward, the difference between the two levels can't even be measured! How would it be possible for someone to fly from the eleventh to twelfth level so easily? Do you think that this is a fairytale? Do you want to anger me to death?"
"Cheh! How useless, you are still at the eleventh level." Li Xue snorted as though she looked down on Ling Tian with disdain.
"You… this lass!" In a fit of rage, Ling Tian grabbed Li Xue over and gave her a good spanking on her round ass.
"AHH!" Li Xue was caught off guard and suddenly felt a powerful force dragging her over before a burning feeling on her ass. She could not help but grab onto her ass as she jumped away with her face completely red.
Everyone burst out laughing and Ling Chi and his others actually dared to let out a wolf-whistle and wink at Ling Tian. They definitely looked even worse than lechers.
If the two of them were alone, Li Xue wouldn't really mind if Ling Tian performed such actions. However, they were currently in front of everybody! Li Xue was both embarrassed and angry as she pounced towards Ling Tian while brandishing her 'claws'.
"Keep quiet…. look, the crucial time is here." Ling Tian pointed towards the plaza.
Ling Feng, Ling Yun, Ling Lei, and Ling Dian were currently sparring with each other so that they could stabilize their foundations.
Ever since they left their seclusion they sparred against each other without stopping.
Under the guidance of Ling Tian, Ling Jian, Ling Chen, and Li Xue, the martial arts of the little brats had increased quickly. In just a short period of time, they were able to regain control of the rapid increase in their inner qi. With the four of them engaging in an intense sparring match, everyone else could only see their figures flashing around in the plaza.
"Stop!" Ling Tian shouted out before looking at Ling Tian with a smile, "Brother Justice, what do you think about my little brothers?"
Justice sat on an armchair and said, "These little ones have a good foundation but they are still lacking practice." The moment Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian heard that they all shrunk back in fear. The one who they respected the most was Ling Tian, and relied on the most was Ling Jian, but the one who they feared the most was Justice who was before them!
This fellow was really a little too perverse. Despite being the number one expert in the world, he was also the number one medical saint in the world. After treating the injuries of the four little brats, he began to train them up. However, his training method wasn't an orthodox one and his actions were extremely vicious. He would always spank them on the ass which was the place where it would hurt martial arts practitioners the most. Every time the four of them saw Justice, they would want to faint on the spot. Of course, the four of their martial arts did improve greatly as well, especially their movement techniques. If their previous movement technique was breaking through from the realm of the mortals to the deities, their current movement technique was like the deities painting! However, even with their improved movement technique, Justice could toy with them as he wished. While they did want to put their life on the line to fight Justice, Justice's martial arts was just too far above theirs and it was no different from them seeking abuse.
Thus, whenever these brats saw Justice, they would want to turn tail and run. If not for their strength making a huge advancement and Ling Tian giving them strict orders, they would definitely not appear today!
Justice continued, "As for the other two brats, they are naturally better. Of course, there is still room for improvement." Justice then pointed at Ling Jian and Ling Chi, looking as though he was full of regret that Ling Chi escaped from his palms because of his little girlfriend Die'er.
While Justice seemed as though he was filled with disdain in his words, he was actually extremely shaken on the inside. Of the ten men and three ladies before him, they were all either suave young gentlemen or peerless beauties! Their talents were impressive and their foundation was strong. However, this wasn't enough to shake Justice. What made him the most shocked was the fact that apart from Li Xue and Ling Tian, the other eleven had their own strong suite and something unique about themselves! Furthermore, all eleven of them were singlehandedly trained by Ling Tian!
A single master was able to teach eleven disciples with different styles! Furthermore, they were all experts!
Based on Justice's experience, this was definitely extremely rare!
If a master had tens or hundreds of disciples who were all experts, Justice wouldn't be surprised. But if a master was able to teach ten disciples who had completely different styles, this was something that was extremely challenging.
Even if Justice tried to nurture a bunch of disciples, with his vast martial arts knowledge he would naturally be able to train them all differently. However, it was inevitable for all of his disciples to have a shadow of his martial arts and it would be impossible for them to be so different.
However, Ling Tian had actually accomplished such a feat. Such a feat was right before Justice's eyes!
Ling Tian was a teen who was less than 20 years old!
Ling Tian smiled, "Lacking practice? Ah ah, may Brother Justice train them for a while?"
Justice's eyes glowed and as he looked at the four brats, they felt as though they were completely naked and were completely seen through by Justice. Justice then shook his head and said, "No. Even if the four of them had some breakthroughs, they wouldn't be my match even if they joined hands. Besides that, the four of them fear me as though I was a tiger and they no longer have the confidence to challenge me. There wouldn't be any meaning for them to challenge me. You should also know that I had just made a breakthrough recently and I am not able to control my strength to perfection yet. The moment I take action, their lives may be at stake. It's best that we forget about it…"
The recent breakthrough that Justice was talking about was him being inspired by Yu BingYan's martial arts. These past few days, Justice had already merged this new martial arts knowledge together with his own martial arts.
Ling Tian frowned. After Ling Tian experienced his recent breakthrough, he was confident that he wouldn't be defeated by Justice. However, he was shocked to realize that Justice had also achieved a breakthrough as well. While Ling Tian did want to borrow Justice's strength to raise the strength of Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian, he definitely didn't want their lives to be harmed.
Justice was a martial arts maniac and had his own pride. While he was willing to train the four of them, he wouldn't feed them moves for sure. If he was willing to do so, he wouldn't be Justice. Looking at how the four of them was so full of fear when facing Justice, Ling Tian knew that Justice must have tortured the four of them badly when training them previously. As such, Ling Tian had no choice but to give up the thought.
Right at this moment, Ling Jian suddenly stood forward and with a cold glare in his eyes, he looked at Justice. At the same time, a boundless sword qi and killing intent also shot out from his body and he said expressionlessly, "Martial Order Medallion owner, let me fight you!"
Ling Tian felt his heart clench up. While Ling Jian had indeed made huge improvements from a month ago, he definitely wasn't a match for Justice. It was truly a little too early and unwise for Ling Jian to issue Justice a challenge. If Ling Jian lost today, even if Justice showed him mercy and didn't harm his life, the notion of Justice being undefeatable would still be planted in his heart and it wouldn't be good for his future progress.
Looking at Ling Jian's resolute appearance, Ling Tian hesitated for a moment but did not stop Ling Jian.
Ling Jian didn't want to spar with Justice but wanted to challenge Justice! He wanted to challenge Justice with his life as the price! The moment Ling Jian stood forward, he unleashed his boundless aura, chilly killing intent, and unbreakable sword qi!
Transforming his body into a sword!
When Ling Jian broke through into the eighth stage of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula, he also comprehended another technique: transforming his body into a sword! This was also the reason why he had the confidence to challenge Justice!
Justice's eyes narrowed and as he looked at Ling Jian, he didn't make a single move but he seemed to have been transformed into a gigantic mountain crushing down towards Ling Jian!
He didn't say anything and didn't make a move. However, he unleashed his boundless aura to retaliate against Ling Jian's aura!
Ling Tian waved his sleeves and drifted back eighty feet. He did not wish to and could not interfere in the battle between the two of them. This was also where Ling Tian was wise. If he didn't interfere, with Justice's strength being far above Ling Jian, Justice would be able to show mercy. If he interfered in their battle at this moment, Justice would definitely have to use his full strength to deal with them and while he would be fine, Ling Jian would face certain death!
If that's the case, Ling Tian wouldn't be helping Ling Jian but killing him!
The instant Ling Tian backed away, a strange transformation happened between Ling Jian and Justice. Both of them did not make a single move but in the eyes of the others, it was as though the space between the both of them had been warped.
A short while later, Ling Jian took a step back and his eagle eyes were locked onto Justice. "Admiration! Thank you!"
Justice turned around and seemed to be pondering for a moment before saying, "You're welcome. While your strength can't be compared to the Ling Tian of half a year ago, you already have the rights to challenge me. Of course, I mean in the future! I am truly willing to wait for such an opponent. I will be waiting for you!"
A smile could be seen on Ling Jian's frosty face and he did not say another word. He turned around and stood behind Ling Tian without saying a thing.
Ling Tian frowned and roared, "Spit it out!" He used a commanding tone that did not allow Ling Jian to defy him.
Ling Jian's face turned red and the moment he opened his mouth, an arrow of blood was shot onto the ground. The arrow of blood was actually able to create a deep hole in the ground! After panting for a short moment, Ling Jian returned to normal.