Though Yin Ran smiled outwardly, his heart was reeling with shock. He hadn’t expected his painstakingly concealed strength to be seen through.
And by a newcomer, no less.
He denied it to keep others in the dark, but he knew he couldn’t fool Ling Xiao.
Fortunately, they weren’t enemies.
That was the one thing Yin Ran could take comfort in.
“Senior Sister, Tian Guang’s room is done up like a refined lady’s boudoir. You should stay here. Beating him would be a breeze for you anyway.”
After the fight, Ling Xiao inspected Tian Guang’s and Yin Ran’s rooms.
Yin Ran’s was indeed steeped in eerie gloom, hardly suitable for a girl.
Tian Guang’s, on the other hand, was much better—decorated like a young lady’s chamber, complete with plenty of pretty ornaments.
Tian Guang had only taken the valuables when he left.
“Alright.”
Ling Yixue didn’t refuse Ling Xiao’s kindness.
And so, Ling Xiao claimed the title of Tenth Captain, while Ling Yixue took Ninth Captain. Both secured spacious, well-lit private rooms.
Along with that came not just comfort, but also the awe of the dorm disciples.
Even Zhang Yuan, who’d previously looked down on him, and the martial artists who’d mocked him, promptly shut their mouths.
Qianlong Camp was a place where strength reigned supreme.
The strong earned respect and reverence.
“Captain Ling, I was truly blind earlier, spouting nonsense. Please don’t hold it against me!”
Zhang Yuan came over, head bowed, to apologise to Ling Xiao.
Though the weak could refuse fights and avoid being bullied within Qianlong Camp, that only applied inside. You couldn’t stay cooped up forever.
So, building good ties with the strong at least ensured you wouldn’t be picked on casually.
“We’re all from the General’s Mansion—why stand on ceremony?”
Ling Xiao hardly cared about that ignorant sarcasm now.
After Zhang Yuan left, Ling Xiao planned to start cultivating, but then he noticed a graceful maid standing nearby.
He gave a quiet, wry smile.
Back at the Ling Clan, he’d never been tended to like this. The main issue was he wasn’t used to it.
“What’s your name?”
Ling Xiao asked.
“This servant is Leng Mei.”
“Alright, Leng Mei, stand guard outside. Don’t let anyone disturb my cultivation. I’ll call if I need you.”
He didn’t want anyone seeing the secrets of his practice.
“This servant obeys.”
Leng Mei gave a polite curtsy, then stepped out, closing the door behind her.
She might just be a maid, but her cultivation had reached the early fifth stage of martial veins.
Qianlong Camp really was a den of hidden tigers and crouching dragons.
Closing his eyes, Ling Xiao began cultivating.
No matter the time, raising his realm was the top priority.
Even if all your martial techniques reached perfection, a peak sixth-stage martial artist facing a seventh-stage martial master would still be insignificant.
Sure, Ling Xiao had beaten Tian Guang and become the Tenth Captain, but without advancing to martial master, he’d still be surrounded by peril.
Running the “Snow Lotus Qi Formula,” Ling Xiao held two low-grade spirit stones, swallowed ten Gang Qi pills, and started cultivating.
Such lavish cultivation wasn’t something even a handful in Baiyun Mansion would dare attempt.
Ling Xiao could afford it because he’d wiped out the Black Scarf Bandits, gaining plenty of spirit stones and Gang Qi pills. A little extravagance wouldn’t hurt.
As long as his realm rose, those resources could always be regained.
He saw that clearly.
Strength meant survival.
Lost wealth could be reclaimed with power.
Soon, an hour passed. Ling Xiao opened his eyes and found his sixth martial vein nearing full saturation.
This meant he was close to breaking through to the peak of the sixth stage.
Cultivation slowed the higher you went, but Ling Xiao wasn’t in a rush.
Continuous use of spirit stones and Gang Qi pills would diminish their effects significantly.
Though eager to break through, he’d have to wait a day or two. He reckoned another two low-grade spirit stones and ten Gang Qi pills would push him to the peak of the sixth stage.
With his realm stalled for now, he turned to studying martial techniques.
Having derived the killing move “Shadow King Strike” from “Heavy Shadow Sword Technique,” he realised these techniques held untapped potential.
So, he spent the night and gleaned a new killing move from “Barbarian Bull Strength”—“Barbarian Bull Roar.”
Unlike Shadow King Strike, this wasn’t an attack skill but an auxiliary one.
When Barbarian Bull Roar was unleashed, his defence would drop considerably, but his attack power would double.
He also extracted another killing move from “Meteor Fist”—“Meteor Strike!”
Unlike Shadow King Strike’s devastating single-target damage, Meteor Strike focused on wide-ranging, terrifying destruction.
Though his realm hadn’t advanced, mastering two new killing moves put Ling Xiao in high spirits.
Glancing out the window, he saw daylight had broken.
Just as he prepared to find Ling Yixue for a meal, sounds of fighting erupted outside.
Ling Xiao frowned, stood, and pushed the door open.
Stepping outside, he saw a leg sweeping toward him.
With a cold snort, Ling Xiao threw a punch, smashing into the attacker’s sole. The sheer force made him stagger back a step.
That surprised him. Having trained the “Nine Turns Golden Body Technique” and absorbed dragon blood essence in the Fulong Mountains’ dragon temple, each cell transformed into a nascent dragon, boosting his strength by a hundred jin.
He now had ten nascent dragon cells in his body.
That meant a thousand jin of added strength.
Plus, after the seventh turn of “Nine Turns Golden Body Technique,” his strength had risen by another thousand jin.
Combined, he outmuscled peers of the same realm by over two thousand jin.
Normally, he crushed opponents in raw power, yet today he’d been pushed back a step. This foe’s strength was no joke.
He was surprised.
But the attacker was even more so.
In Qianlong Camp, each of the ten captain-level martial artists had a specialty. Just as former Ninth Captain Tian Guang excelled in speed, today’s troublemaker at Ling Xiao’s door, Murong Shao, the Eighth Captain, was feared for his monstrous strength.
Arrogant and only fifteen—younger than Yin Ran and Tian Guang—Murong Shao’s power outshone them, especially his terrifying might, which gave others headaches.
Yet today, he’d lost to Ling Xiao in strength, sent reeling over ten metres by a single punch before steadying himself.
Ling Xiao glanced at Leng Mei, lying on the ground, and his brows furrowed.
Leng Mei’s face was ashen, blood trickling from her mouth. Several ribs were clearly broken, and her arms hung limp, obviously fractured.
Though he had no deep bond with Leng Mei, she was his maid now.
You don’t hit a dog without checking its master. For this person to injure Leng Mei so badly—if he didn’t teach them a lesson, he’d lose face and feel rotten inside.
But before dealing with the culprit, he planned to get Leng Mei treated.
“Don’t move. I’ll take you to heal. Where’s the medicine hall?”
Ling Xiao lifted Leng Mei gently and asked.
“Hahaha, didn’t expect you to be such a softie for the ladies.”
Before Leng Mei could reply, Murong Shao burst into mocking laughter, “In Qianlong Camp, servants don’t get treatment. Even if they’re beaten to death, it’s for nothing—rules don’t cover them.”
