Assessing his overall strength, Ling Xiao felt he had surpassed his peers by a wide margin.
Yet, thinking of figures like General September and Dai Yuling, he knew he couldn’t afford to slack off.
That said, when cultivation hit a bottleneck, taking a break to clear the mind wasn’t a bad idea.
As he stepped out of the training room, Leng Mei approached.
“Young Master, Miss Yixue is still in seclusion. Also, there’s a rumour circulating in Qianlong Camp you might want to hear.”
“Oh? What’s that?” Ling Xiao asked.
Leng Mei replied, “They say Master Baiyun, the top expert in Baiyun Province, is holding his triennial disciple recruitment. It’s open to all of Baiyun Province, held in Yunkong City. But in the end, only disciples from Tianren Academy or Qianlong Camp are likely to be chosen.”
“Is this Master Baiyun stronger than Wan Ben or Marshal Lin?” Ling Xiao asked, surprised.
“It’s said he might be a mortal martial artist!” Leng Mei answered.
“A mortal martial artist! If that’s true, I have to try.”
Being a mortal martial artist’s disciple would surely boost his cultivation.
“Young Master, don’t take it lightly. Master Baiyun only accepts youths under sixteen, and he judges solely on talent and potential—not cultivation or strength. The Twelve Tiger Guards are formidable, yet none were chosen,” Leng Mei explained.
“Has anyone ever been selected?” Ling Xiao asked curiously.
“Yes, two from Tianren Academy and once a genius from the Governor’s Mansion. Master Baiyun’s tradition has lasted over a century, but he’s only taken five disciples,” Leng Mei nodded.
From her words, it was clear Master Baiyun was extremely selective.
“No matter what, I’ve got to give it a shot. If you don’t try, there’s zero chance. Trying gives you at least some possibility. Thanks for telling me,” Ling Xiao said with a smile. “Enough about that—come, spar with me. There are some things I want to explore through combat.”
The next three days, Ling Xiao spent cultivating and sparring, improving his cultivation, strength, and practical combat skills.
On the third afternoon, General September gathered all Qianlong Camp disciples to announce: “Tomorrow, Master Baiyun returns to Yunkong City to recruit disciples at Baiyun Temple! All disciples under sixteen can try, regardless of cultivation level.”
The news exploded in Qianlong Camp like a volcanic eruption, igniting everyone’s excitement.
Especially those under sixteen, who were gearing up, eager to seize this chance to soar.
Their enthusiasm had a reason.
Rumour had it that no matter how weak, anyone chosen by Master Baiyun would reach the eighth or even ninth stage of the martial vein within a year.
For disciples struggling to keep up, this was a life-changing opportunity.
Master Baiyun commanded such respect that even Governor Wan Ben and Marshal Lin treated him with deference. Becoming his disciple would be an immense honour.
The news spread, thrilling young martial artists under sixteen across Qianlong Camp, Tianren Academy, and all of Baiyun Province, many unable to sleep.
From across the province, young geniuses flocked to Yunkong City.
The city overflowed, with many unable to enter. Only aspiring genius martial artists were allowed in, while others camped outside.
After his initial excitement, Ling Xiao calmed down.
He disliked entrusting his fate to others.
Becoming Master Baiyun’s disciple would be ideal, but if it didn’t happen, he wasn’t fazed. With his Mountain and River Martial Soul, he believed he could outshine anyone.
Meanwhile, several Qianlong Camp disciples broke through under the pressure.
The most notable was Yin Ran.
Yin Ran reached the seventh stage of the martial vein, advancing to martial master.
From martial apprentice to martial master was just one realm, but the status difference in the martial world was vast.
As a martial master, one earned widespread respect.
Ling Xiao personally congratulated Yin Ran, gifting him a rare top-tier martial art manual.
Such manuals held little value for Ling Xiao now, but for Yin Ran, they were crucial for boosting his strength.
After the visit, Ling Xiao returned to his courtyard to train.
Even with just one day left, he refused to waste time.
Snow Lotus True Solution, his main internal technique, demanded persistent cultivation.
His main body focused on it, despite his true essence already rivalling peak seventh-stage martial masters. No one ever complained about being too strong.
As a quasi-mortal internal technique, reaching full mastery or even transcendence early would benefit him greatly.
Of his two clones, one trained Tianlong Golden Body, his only mortal martial art, which he couldn’t neglect.
The other honed and refined Heavy Shadow Sword Technique.
Heavy Shadow Sword Technique’s power exceeded expectations. Ling Xiao had only reached full mastery, not transcendence, yet its attack power matched quasi-mortal martial arts.
The next afternoon, he gained a sudden insight into Heavy Shadow Sword Technique, stepping into transcendence and comprehending the second ultimate move—Giant Spirit Kill!
This technique, used with the Giant Sword Fragment, grew stronger with the fragment’s power.
Compared to Shadow King Kill, its power was superior.
When unleashing Giant Spirit Kill, the skies seemed to shift, the earth trembled, and a colossal shadow sword struck, faintly carrying a mortal martial art’s essence.
Its power could overwhelm even eighth-stage martial masters.
This assumed the Giant Sword Fragment wasn’t a complete soul and without Tianlong Golden Body’s aid.
With Giant Spirit Kill, Shadow King Kill seemed lacklustre.
But Ling Xiao reworked Shadow King Kill, pairing it with the Blood Blade Fragment to create Blood Blade Shadow King Kill.
Though less powerful than Giant Spirit Kill, it was far more unpredictable.
Previously, Shadow King Kill relied on speed.
Now, Blood Blade Shadow King Kill left opponents clueless about its angle or the number of blood blade shadows.
The day passed quickly.
General September announced, “Rest well today. Tomorrow, we head to Baiyun Temple together!”
By then, Ling Yixue had emerged from seclusion.
Though still at mid-seventh stage, Ling Xiao sensed she could fearlessly face peak seventh-stage martial artists.
She gave off an inscrutable air.
The soul clan was indeed mysterious.
