“Ling Xiao!”
Ming Tian was seething with rage.
Originally, he could have faced all eleven geniuses single-handedly, completely dominating the others.
He could have achieved a flawless victory!
But Ling Xiao, this anomaly, ruined it.
Not only was he not defeated, but he injured Ming Tian, leaving a bloody mark on his neck.
That wasn’t just a wound—it was humiliation!
Since he began practicing martial arts, Ming Tian had never lost to a peer of the same realm. Even cross-realm challenges were routine for him.
After becoming Master Baiyun’s true disciple, he soared to become a standout among the younger generation, a true prodigy.
He thought Zuo Leng would be his only rival. As long as he could suppress Zuo Leng, he’d be the top of the young generation.
But Ling Xiao’s appearance drove him to madness.
First, Ling Xiao, with late seventh-stage cultivation, defeated him when he suppressed his cultivation to early eighth-stage.
Then, in this chaotic battle, Ling Xiao’s sword sliced his neck.
Though the injury was negligible, the blow to his pride was far more painful than any physical wound.
In the True Spirit Hall.
Wan Ben seemed even angrier and more agitated than Ming Tian.
“Despicable sneak attacker!”
Lin Ze chuckled, “Ming Tian was the one who demanded all eleven attack him. Why blame Ling Xiao now? That’s not despicable—it’s strategy.”
Master Baiyun’s lips twitched, but he said nothing.
His figure gradually faded from the spot, as if vanishing into thin air.
After a long pause, Lin Ze heard Master Baiyun’s voice in his ear, “You’ve raised a fine disciple, not bad at all. Rest assured, I lost the bet. I won’t meddle in your affairs with Wan Ben anymore, and if that kid gets into trouble, I’ll save him.”
This time, Master Baiyun didn’t refer to himself as “your master.”
It was clear he was displeased.
Ling Xiao injuring Ming Tian was, in essence, a slap to his face.
After leaving the True Spirit Hall, Master Baiyun appeared in the martial arts hall.
“The assessment is over. Honestly, your performance disappointed me, so the rewards are canceled.”
“Canceled?”
Master Baiyun’s deputy, still in his true form, was stunned and couldn’t help saying, “Master, Ling Xiao’s performance was exceptionally impressive. How can you say it’s disappointing?”
“I want true strength and talent, not schemes and tricks!”
Master Baiyun said calmly, “In the face of overwhelming strength, all strategies are meaningless. You’ll understand this when you reach the extraordinary realm. So, Ling Xiao, remember this: stop playing clever games and focus on improving your cultivation.”
He then turned to Ming Tian, “Ming Tian, don’t be too discouraged. Losing to tricks is no big deal. But since you were injured, there won’t be any rewards either.”
On the surface, he said this, but secretly, he transmitted to Ming Tian, “Come to me later with Zuo Leng. I’ll teach you stronger techniques. Don’t worry about the rewards—I’ll always prioritize you two.”
Master Baiyun thought no one heard his words.
But he was wrong. Though Ling Xiao couldn’t hear, his Mountain River Martial Soul could analyze his words through the fluctuations of true essence.
“Hmph, to think an extraordinary martial artist would be so biased.”
Ling Xiao snorted inwardly but kept silent.
After all, the opponent was far too strong. A single palm could kill him without any chance of survival.
There was no point in doing something meaningless.
The assessment ended hastily.
Though Ling Xiao didn’t receive Master Baiyun’s rewards, he earned a fine treasure sword, “Drifting Snow Sword,” from the bet.
One top-grade true essence pill.
Ten low-grade true essence pills.
Additionally, Lin Ze compensated him, granting him one hundred low-grade spirit stones and ten more low-grade true essence pills.
Lin Ze’s words were simple, “Don’t mind Master’s words. He’s old and confused. He doesn’t see things as clearly as you young people.”
Ling Xiao, of course, didn’t care about Master Baiyun’s words.
He believed cultivation was crucial, but combat techniques were equally important.
At any time, if you could control your opponent’s every move, use strategies to weaken their strength, and create advantageous conditions for yourself, that was absolutely beneficial.
Techniques and cultivation were complementary.
The kind of martial artist trained under Master Baiyun’s philosophy, no matter how strong, would be a simple-minded brute.
When facing a clever opponent, even with superior strength, they’d be played like a fiddle.
On his way back to his residence, Ling Xiao put the matter aside. Since Master Baiyun was clearly biased, he couldn’t pin his hopes on the old man.
In truth, he never had.
Through today’s fight with Ming Tian, he realized something: ordinary martial arts, like top-tier martial arts, also had tiers.
Entry, Rare, Superior.
But beyond Superior, there was another tier—Supreme!
His Heavenly Dragon Golden Body and Snow Lotus Sword Art were of relatively high tiers.
But he wasn’t sure exactly which tier, as his understanding of ordinary martial arts was still limited.
As for Cloud Dragon Divine Travel, it was likely an entry-level ordinary martial art. Based on the evolution pattern of Soaring Cloud Steps, techniques generally progressed tier by tier without skipping too far ahead.
…
Back at his residence, Ling Xiao resumed his cultivation.
The battle with Ming Tian had been immensely rewarding.
He consumed ten true essence pills, and his main body began pushing toward peak seventh-stage cultivation.
Of his two clones, one started practicing Shadow Transformation Thirteen Swords.
At this stage, quasi-ordinary martial arts were easier to cultivate and offered a wider range of techniques.
The other focused on consolidating the first form of Snow Lotus Sword Art, “Flying Snow.”
Comprehending Snow Lotus Sword Art was painfully difficult. This time, he’d finally grasped some ordinary mysteries from the fight, giving him a chance to refine “Flying Snow.”
For the next ten days, Ling Xiao didn’t emerge, fully immersed in secluded cultivation.
Ten days later, in the training room, Ling Xiao thrust his sword, conjuring thirteen clones. The scene was grander, and more crucially, the power had increased several-fold.
The ultimate techniques, Giant Spirit Kill and Blood Blade Shadow King Kill, also saw significant power boosts.
Previously, they were at the level of superior top-tier martial arts.
Now, they matched quasi-ordinary martial arts, a world of difference.
Moreover, the thirteen clones weren’t just about numbers. Each clone added roughly seventy percent to the power of Ling Xiao’s sword techniques.
With ten additional clones, his attack power was now seven times stronger than before!
How terrifying.
If he had mastered Shadow Transformation Thirteen Swords before facing Ming Tian, dealing with Ming Tian at suppressed early eighth-stage cultivation would have been far easier.
Achieving the ninth layer of great perfection in just ten days was largely due to his foundation in Heavy Shadow Sword Technique and the deeper understanding of ordinary mysteries gained from the earlier fight.
