“No way. The Great Sun Realm Lord is a highly respected elder on the Tianlong Continent, and Fengming Wuliang is the Divine Phoenix Emperor. How could they team up to bully a young girl?”
“I find it suspicious too.”
“Suspicious my foot! Just a pair of old bastards!”
The crowd buzzed with discussion. Some refused to believe it, while others hurled abuse.
“Old scoundrel, you are quite a figure. Yet in your old age, for the sake of one disciple, you actually ruin your own reputation. It truly fills one with regret.”
Ling Xiao glanced faintly at the Great Sun Realm Lord and said, “Now will you still not admit that you used an illusion technique to control Fengming Lian?”
“Humph!”
The Great Sun Realm Lord snorted coldly, offering no explanation, which amounted to tacit admission.
He had no way to explain.
The facts were plain to see. Any attempt would only make it worse.
After all, many martial artists present were no fools.
“Fine, as long as you admit it. By the way, Fengming Lian, what did you mean just now when you said Ji Mingxing is ungrateful?”
Ling Xiao asked.
“I overheard a conversation between the Great Sun Realm Lord and him by chance. It turns out it was not Ji Mingkong who harmed him. In fact, the person who saved him from the executioner’s hands back then was Ji Mingkong’s birth mother.
Yet Ji Mingxing said that now, to make a name for himself, he could only treat Ji Mingkong as an enemy.
If that is not ingratitude, what is? He is utterly shameless!”
Although Fengming Lian had always been unwilling to marry Ji Mingxing, she had considered obeying her mother’s wishes and going through with it.
As long as Ji Mingxing was a decent person, that would have been enough.
But after hearing such a conversation, she was thoroughly disgusted by him. She despaired completely of his character.
She had never imagined a person could be so shameless.
“Heh heh. Who would have thought there was such a story behind it? Ji Mingxing, oh Ji Mingxing, you really are something.”
Ling Xiao let out a cold laugh.
From his initial simple desire to avenge his friend, he now felt complete revulsion towards this fellow.
“Ridiculous. Do you think anyone will believe your words? I think you simply do not want to marry me, so you invented this excuse on purpose.”
Ji Mingxing sneered, directing his attack straight at Fengming Lian. “Do not think I am eager to marry you. The lowly blood flowing in your veins disgusts me.”
“You! You are talking nonsense!”
Fengming Lian’s pretty face flushed red with anger.
After all, she was not as shameless as Ji Mingxing.
“Miss Lian’er, no need to argue with such a shameless wretch. This sort of person has no face left. Whatever you say to him is meaningless. If you trust me, leave the rest to me.”
Ling Xiao smiled gently.
“Alright.”
Fengming Lian had heard the name Ling Xiao more than once.
Of course, in her mind, there were two Ling Xiaos.
One was the Ling Xiao spoken of by her mother and the Emperor: arrogant and overbearing, wilful and mad, ignorant and conceited, bloodthirsty by nature.
The other was the Ling Xiao described by Feng Yanran: gentle and kind, one who repaid grudges without fail, loyal to his brothers even at the cost of his life, an unrivalled hero.
She preferred to merge these two impressions into one.
And today, the Ling Xiao in her heart was gradually becoming real.
She was willing to trust this person.
“Mingxing Phoenix Son, why waste words with this trash? Allow me to teach him a lesson on your behalf. You are the illustrious Mingxing Phoenix Son, bearer of the Holy Emperor’s bloodline. Speaking to a beggar-born fellow like him is beneath your dignity.”
At that moment, a figure leapt out from the crowd.
This person was clearly one of Ji Mingxing’s cronies. He appeared to be in his twenties, with considerable cultivation at the Eighth Wilderness Heaven of the Heavenly Human Realm.
Half a year ago, such cultivation would indeed have been formidable to Ling Xiao.
But today, in his eyes, it was nothing more than a clown.
Without waiting for Ji Mingxing to speak, the man had already jumped onto the platform, his sword drawn.
Ji Mingxing did not stop him.
He did not yet fully understand Ling Xiao’s strength. If someone was willing to test the waters for him, that was fine.
“What is your name?”
Ling Xiao asked calmly.
“You are not worthy of knowing my name. When you are about to die, I will tell you.”
The man sneered, showing no regard for Ling Xiao whatsoever. No one knew where he got such courage.
“Is that so? Then I will not ask.”
Ling Xiao smiled faintly, showing no intention of drawing his sword. Against such trash, he did not even need to lift a hand.
“Good! If you will not act, I will!”
The man roared, his long sword flashing. Clear sword light shot through the air, stabbing directly towards Ling Xiao’s vital point.
The flickering sword carried a hint of icy chill.
“Talented, yes. If he cultivated diligently for ten or twenty years, he might become a Cave Heaven Realm expert in his own right. What a pity he is too stupid.”
Ling Xiao shook his head lightly, still not moving.
The opponent’s sword finally struck his body.
The blooming sword light froze in that instant.
On the blade, a black shadow coiled upwards like a maggot on bone, from the sword to the arm, then to the entire body.
“No! What evil technique is this?”
No one saw Ling Xiao make a move.
Because Ling Xiao had not moved at all.
Shadow Profound Meaning, Ninth Meaning: Child of Shadow!
This was the ability to control shadows.
Though Ling Xiao appeared motionless, his shadow had already acted.
At this moment, the martial artist was completely entwined in pitch-black shadows. Shadowy hands gripped his neck.
He could not move at all.
Even his face was gradually turning pale.
Ling Xiao had not secluded himself all this time for nothing. His Light and Shadow Profound Meaning had already reached the Tenth Meaning.
Moreover, he could now integrate them seamlessly.
Yet each meaning had countless applications.
For instance, with the Ninth Meaning of Shadow, he could employ various methods to eliminate an opponent without resorting to other martial arts.
This was the terror of the Light and Shadow Profound Meaning.
The further one progressed, the more each meaning resembled a complete, systematic martial art, continually growing stronger with the martial artist’s cultivation and comprehension.
This use of Child of Shadow was merely a small test, yet it already left this Eighth Wilderness Heaven martial artist utterly helpless.
“Please, spare me. I spoke out of turn. I failed to recognise a great man.”
Only now did this martial artist truly understand why, in the face of Ling Xiao’s arrogant actions, so many experts had chosen silence.
Clearly, they were not fools. They knew how terrifying Ling Xiao was.
Only he was an idiot, daring to provoke Ling Xiao.
“You should have heard of my reputation. Those who dare speak of killing me, I generally do not spare. But you are far too pathetic. I cannot even muster the slightest desire to kill you. I will simply cripple your cultivation as a lesson.”
Ling Xiao looked coldly at the martial artist, then, in front of everyone, destroyed his heavenly meridians.
“No!”
This scream came from both pain and regret.
Why had he acted on Ji Mingxing’s behalf? Simply to curry favour.
He had chosen the wrong person to flatter, and now he paid the price.
