Ling Xiao had already shown great generosity by halving the cultivation fees on Turtle Island.
Upon hearing his announcement, every warrior present cheered and leaped with joy.
None of them had dared hope that entry and cultivation on Turtle Island could ever be free. A fifty-per-cent reduction was already more than they could have wished for.
“Very well, let everything proceed according to the new rules. No need to crowd here any longer.”
Ling Xiao waved his hand.
“Thank you, Heavenly Dragon Prince!”
The warriors immediately formed orderly queues again.
Lin Qian stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, “Lord City Governor, I cannot thank you enough for what happened today. Had you not intervened, I would almost certainly have lost my life.”
“It is only right. I greatly admire warriors like you who dare to resist. Therefore, your entry fee to Turtle Island this time is waived, and you may cultivate here free of charge for one full month. I can see you have potential. Work hard.”
Ling Xiao nodded with a smile.
Lin Qian was stunned. She had only done what she believed was right, yet she was being rewarded so handsomely.
Gratitude, excitement, and a touch of nervousness all surged through her at once.
“Off you go, then. Start cultivating. I have only just arrived in East County and still have much to learn. I need to visit other places.”
Ling Xiao smiled again.
“Yes, my lord!”
Lin Qian’s heart raced with exhilaration, though a faint trace of disappointment flickered within her. She had noticed the two women who had arrived with Ling Xiao.
Either one of them far outshone her in beauty. At best, she could only be a lucky girl among the countless people this young hero had helped.
Even so, that tiny disappointment soon vanished. She was fortunate enough already.
Catching the envious glances of those around her, an inexplicable sweetness welled up inside.
Even if she could never become his woman, it would still be worthwhile to ease some of his burdens.
Watching the scene, the middle-aged woman felt waves of shame and regret.
She truly had not expected Ling Xiao to be even more formidable than the rumours suggested.
The only son of the mighty Earl of East County, yet Ling Xiao severed his arm without so much as batting an eyelid.
The surrounding warriors each harboured their own thoughts.
Compared with all the previous prefects who had come to East County, Ling Xiao was by far the youngest, yet his methods were the most radical and the boldest anyone had ever seen.
This time, the Earl of East County had finally met a truly tough opponent.
“My lord, the Earl is not at home. According to our investigation, he has travelled to the Heavenly Dragon Continent.”
By the time Ling Xiao left Turtle Island and returned to East County City, Ji Ning had already brought the entire city under complete control.
The report came from Ji Mingkong.
All who had resisted from the Earl’s faction were killed. Those willing to stay were incorporated and placed under Qin Huo for re-education.
After all, these people had once been the Earl’s lackeys; no one could be sure of their true loyalty. They needed thorough retraining, and Qin Huo was the best person for that task.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Ming was put in charge of rebuilding the city’s defences.
The current defences of East County City were far too weak. Should pirates attack, the consequences would be disastrous. Large numbers of formations, arrays, and mechanical weapons had to be installed; anything less would be unacceptable.
Naturally, Ling Xiao contributed several innovative formation diagrams and mechanical designs of his own.
As for Xin, Zhang Yufei, and Li Ruguang, those three generals were tasked with sweeping the nearby pirate forces.
Ling Xiao would soon return to the Heavenly Dragon Continent for a time. Before leaving, he had to ensure East County City was peaceful, stable, and tightly defended.
The Earl’s absence from East County actually gave him plenty of time to prepare.
Ling Xiao suspected the Earl had gone to attend the Heavenly Dragon Continent’s Assembly of Heroes hosted by the True Demon Empire.
They might even cross paths there.
Once everything was settled, Ling Xiao handed full authority over East County affairs to Ji Ning and headed to Turtle Island to cultivate.
Back at the Scorpion Tribe, he had obtained the Primordial Spirit Fragment, but he had not yet had the chance to study it.
This was the perfect opportunity to train properly.
Who knew what new gains he might achieve?
Moreover, progress in cultivation could never be paused. Training in martial arts was like rowing against the current: stop, and you drift backwards. His own cultivation was still far too low; he had to seize every moment to improve.
The Primordial Spirit Fragment was utterly different from any martial study Ling Xiao had practised before. It felt as though he had stepped into an entirely new realm of cultivation.
All previous martial studies, even soul-based techniques, ultimately aimed to strengthen the physical body. The soul was merely a means to that end.
But the Primordial Spirit Fragment was different. Its ultimate goal appeared to be forging the soul into an existence independent of, yet equal to, the body.
It did not affect the body directly, yet it could make the soul incomparably powerful.
Of course, Ling Xiao knew better than to reach for what was beyond his grasp. Many martial manuals boasted grand ultimate objectives that sounded impressive but often proved illusory.
The only reliable path was to proceed step by step, starting from the beginning.
The cultivation method of the Primordial Spirit Fragment was “visualisation”.
Ling Xiao did not fully understand what visualisation truly entailed.
Fortunately, the fragment contained detailed instructions, complete with specific hand seals and incantations.
Every step was clear and precise. By following them exactly, one could solidify the soul into a primordial spirit, and eventually achieve soul detachment.
“This fragment was forcibly stripped from the soul of the old Lizard Ancestor. It should be authentic. As for its actual effects, I’ll only know once I cultivate it.”
Ling Xiao maintained a sceptical attitude towards everything.
Yet scepticism did not mean refusal to try. Without trying, one could never distinguish truth from falsehood.
With that thought, he sat cross-legged.
Condensing the soul into a primordial spirit proved relatively simple. In fact, Ling Xiao had unintentionally achieved something similar in the past.
This time, it took him less than half an hour to complete the Primordial Spirit stage of the fragment.
During the process, he clearly felt his soul become far more condensed.
His former spiritual sea had completely fused into a single golden pearl that now shone with brilliant light inside his otherwise empty body.
Condensing the primordial spirit was easy, but detaching the soul from the body was not.
Not only was it difficult, it also carried considerable risk.
Even so, Ling Xiao had no intention of giving up.
No martial study was ever completely safe. If he shrank from even this much danger, he might as well abandon the path of the warrior altogether.
The detachment stage involved “visualisation”. After reading through the process, Ling Xiao gained some understanding of what it meant.
He formed the hand seals with his fingers and quietly recited the incantations.
Keeping his mind calm and tranquil, he imagined his soul advancing through a pitch-black cavern. If he could traverse the entire cavern and reach the moment when light appeared, his soul would successfully detach.
At that point, the detachment stage would be considered complete.
Ling Xiao privately named this cultivation method the “Visualisation of Light”.
After all, was the entire purpose of this visualisation not to reach that instant when light finally broke through the darkness?
