“Ling Xiao is willing to go!”
Truth be told, there was little to hesitate about. In Baiyun Prefecture, the only force capable of standing up to the Heavenly Ninja Academy was the Border Town General’s Mansion.
Besides, he had always respected Lin Ze. To follow Lin Ze to Baiyun Prefecture would, in a way, fulfil a childhood dream.
What’s more, Baiyun Prefecture was his next destination anyway. Though he wouldn’t need to cross the Fulong Mountain Range, the journey was still long and arduous. With Lin Ze by his side, any trouble along the way should be easily dealt with.
“Excellent, Brother Ling Xiao, on this trip to the Border Town General’s Mansion, you’ll encounter many martial artists whose talents rival yours. But I still believe that in terms of mental resilience and comprehension of martial arts, you outshine them all,” Lin Ze said with a smile, “As long as you work hard enough, one day you’ll surely step onto the peak path of the Ninth Level of Martial Veins. And once there, you’ll be guided by martial artists of the Martial Master realm, a world apart from staying with the Ling family.”
Guidance from experts at the Martial Master realm?
That did catch Ling Xiao off guard.
In all his time with the Ling family, no one had ever mentored him in cultivation; he’d taught himself everything.
With a Martial Master’s guidance, grasping concepts would surely become much easier.
Though a flicker of excitement stirred within him, he kept his emotions in check.
The crowd around him, however, was green with envy.
You see, Border Town General Lin Ze was on par with Baiyun Governor Wan Ben in rank.
Even their authority was comparable.
The difference lay in this: Lin Ze was a military general, commanding far more martial experts under him than Wan Ben.
Across Baiyun Province, and even the entire Northern Han Kingdom, Lin Ze was a legendary war god among martial artists.
To train under such a figure—what a dazzling future that promised.
It was like stepping onto a brand-new, elevated stage.
You could even call it a carp leaping over the dragon gate; with luck, he’d soon soar to the heavens.
How could anyone not be jealous?
But envy aside, most martial artists understood that Ling Xiao had earned this.
If the Tianfeng Festival left some in the dark about his strength, today’s battle against Wanren Wang had laid bare the gap.
They didn’t even know how Ling Xiao had defeated Wanren Wang.
Of course, some were far from pleased—jealousy burning into madness.
That someone was Ling Feifan.
Ling Feifan was livid. Ling Xiao had not only snatched his title as the Ling family’s top disciple but also, in his mind, stolen the woman he loved most.
Though, in truth, that was just his own delusion.
In reality, he’d never even outshone Ling Chen.
And Ling Yixue had never once given him a kind look.
Ling Feifan was merely full of himself, convinced Ling Yixue belonged to him, unable to stomach her closeness with Ling Xiao.
Clutching the Dream Pill in his hand, he leapt onto the arena.
“General Lin, this man stole my love, took my woman—he’s despicable and shameless!” Ling Feifan declared loudly.
“So you’ve finally decided to show yourself?” Ling Xiao glanced at him coolly, “When the Ling family faced disaster, you hid away, carefree. And now you dare appear before me and Yixue? That’s real shamelessness.”
“Hmph, I wasn’t in Tianfeng City that day, I didn’t know what was happening,” Ling Feifan retorted.
“You’re lying!”
Wang Zui stepped forward from the crowd, shouting, “Ling Feifan, others might not know, but I do. You were in Tianfeng City that day. When the Ling family was surrounded, you ran faster than I did! I’m ashamed, but you’re even more shameless!”
“Wang Zui! Spouting nonsense comes at a price!” Ling Feifan glared at him.
“Don’t try to scare me. My Wang family’s nearly wiped out by the Ninja Clan, and I’m too weak to avenge them. But Ling Xiao and Ling Yixue did it for me. I may be a coward, but I’m not low enough to slander like you, you utter disgrace!” Wang Zui was all in today, facing off against Ling Feifan.
“Ling Feifan, you claim my junior brother stole your love? Laughable. When did I, Ling Yixue, ever say I was your woman? Talk about arrogance!” Ling Yixue spoke up now.
Her words left Ling Feifan red-faced with embarrassment.
“You shameless wretch!”
Ling Feifan roared.
“Looking for death!”
Ling Yixue was no longer the girl she once was.
Back at the Ling family, when Ling Feifan insulted her, she’d been furious but powerless.
But today, for him to dare this again was a death wish.
A white blur flashed, and Ling Yixue grabbed Ling Feifan, her delicate hand radiating a chilling frost.
“Senior sister, leave him to me,” Ling Xiao said calmly.
He didn’t want Ling Yixue to act, knowing each move strained her body—a side effect of the foreign soul force in her mind.
“Fine.”
Ling Yixue understood his concern. She didn’t want to burden him, so she tossed Ling Feifan onto the arena and stepped aside.
Ling Feifan said nothing more. His goal was to fight Ling Xiao, using the Dream Pill’s power to defeat him and humiliate him.
Since Ling Xiao had agreed to fight, further words were pointless.
But just then, Wanren Wang leapt onto the arena too, “Ling Xiao, earlier I was injured by Ling Yixue, that’s why I spat blood. Don’t think your technique’s anything special. Before you fight him, face me again!”
“Heh, you’re truly shameless. Forgot you promised to apologise to Tianfeng City’s martial artists?” Ling Xiao looked at Wanren Wang, seeing through him a glimpse of what Baiyun Governor Wan Ben must be like.
If his subordinate was this shameless, Wan Ben likely wasn’t much better.
“Apologise? You didn’t beat me, why should I apologise?” Wanren Wang laughed.
“So your injuries are healed now?”
Ling Xiao asked with a smile.
“Exactly!”
“And if you lose again this time, no more excuses?”
“None whatsoever!”
Wanren Wang had a trump card, which was why he dared challenge Ling Xiao again—a partially formed, twenty-percent-complete broken martial soul.
It was indeed strong, assuming his opponent lacked a martial soul.
Sadly, he didn’t know Ling Xiao possessed not one, but three martial souls: the Mountain River Soul, the Cherry Tree Soul, and the Dark Cloud Soul.
“Fine, since that’s the case, both of you come at me together!” Ling Xiao took a calm breath, feeling he’d been too lenient before. This time, he’d crush them beyond recovery.
“Both at once?”
“This Ling Xiao’s getting cocky.”
“Yeah, Wanren Wang and Ling Feifan are both peak Sixth Level Martial Vein fighters, he’s just peak Fifth Level. How’s he going to win?”
“Not necessarily. Ling Xiao doesn’t strike me as reckless. Let’s watch, he’s probably got something up his sleeve.”
Many below the stage thought Ling Xiao was overreaching, taking on both Ling Feifan and Wanren Wang alone.
But some still had faith in him.
Like Wang Zui.
Wang Zui believed Ling Xiao and Ling Yixue had killed Feimu, meaning Ling Xiao was at least a Sixth Level Martial Vein fighter. Otherwise, against a Martial Master like Feimu, he’d have died in an instant.
