Ling Xiao’s words finally brought a glimmer of light to Master Baiyun’s previously dull eyes.
His daughter was still alive—perhaps this was his last hope to keep living.
“Ling Xiao!”
After a long silence, Master Baiyun suddenly grasped Ling Xiao’s shoulders with both hands and said, “Help me!”
“Help me save my daughter. I’m willing to exchange everything I have for it!”
His voice carried a sense of resolute determination.
He was done for, forever unable to reclaim his sacred bone or save his daughter.
His potential had reached its limit, and his heart was no longer as strong as it once was.
He needed someone younger, more talented, and smarter to help him.
“Master, my potential isn’t that great. Let alone Demon Flame Heavenly Sovereign, I might not even be able to defeat Ming Tian.”
Ling Xiao said calmly.
“No, even if there’s just a sliver of hope, I’m willing to bet on it! My daughter must not fall into the hands of that despicable beast, never!”
Master Baiyun knew Ling Xiao’s potential wasn’t as high as Ming Tian’s, and he didn’t expect this to definitely succeed.
But in his view, Ling Xiao was an extremely cunning person who had already created many unbelievable miracles.
There might still be a chance!
Ling Xiao listened to Master Baiyun’s words but chuckled inwardly.
A sliver of hope?
Does that mean not even a ten percent chance?
Master, Master, you’re underestimating me, Ling Xiao, aren’t you?
Not to mention that my potential is in no way inferior to his—even if it were truly less than five stars, as you think, killing him would be more than a mere sliver of hope!
As for Demon Flame Heavenly Sovereign.
The Celestial Realm does sound terrifying, too daunting to even look up to.
But from Martial Vein First Layer to now, the late stage of Martial Vein Eighth Layer, Ling Xiao had been through too much.
He believed that one day, he too could ascend to the Celestial Realm!
What was there to fear from Demon Flame Heavenly Sovereign?
“Have you been cultivating it?”
Master Baiyun suddenly asked.
Ling Xiao knew he couldn’t hide this from a Mortal Realm martial artist, so he didn’t lie and nodded. “Yes, I just broke through to the third layer!”
“To have cultivated to the third layer already, out of six layers—you truly astonish me.”
Master Baiyun exclaimed.
“You’re too kind, Master.”
“No, no, no, I’m not exaggerating. You know, even in the Yuehua Sect, no disciple has ever cultivated it beyond the third layer.”
Master Baiyun shook his head. “Only by cultivating it to the sixth layer can you access the stronger techniques in the same series! This defensive martial art—nobody in the Yuehua Sect has ever mastered it! You might be the first!”
At this, even Master Baiyun’s face lit up with a trace of wild joy.
Though he had never seen it, he knew how formidable this defensive martial art was. Once mastered, even Celestial Realm experts would be helpless against Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao was inwardly shocked.
He had thought it was already a high-tier Mortal martial art, but there was an even stronger technique in the same series?
Could that be the ultimate form of this defensive martial art?
What level of martial art could it be?
Could there be martial art secrets even above Mortal techniques?
“Of course, to obtain it, you must become one of the top inner disciples of the Yuehua Sect. Otherwise, you’ll have no chance to comprehend this technique.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem.”
Ling Xiao shrugged. “If Ming Tian can become an inner disciple of the Yuehua Sect, I’ll only be stronger than him!”
“Where does this confidence come from?”
Master Baiyun was utterly puzzled.
Ling Xiao paused for a moment before saying, “Master, has your Seven Star Flower fully bloomed?”
He had thought it over—before entering the Yuehua Sect, he needed to make Master Baiyun have expectations for him, to shift the effort he put into Ming Tian onto him. That way, his progress would likely be even faster.
And to achieve this, the best approach was to let Master Baiyun see his true potential.
Master Baiyun was stunned but nodded. “It’s bloomed into seven flowers. Why ask? Do you want to test again?”
“That’s exactly my intention.”
Ling Xiao thought to himself, last time, you old man didn’t properly test my potential and just vaguely said I wasn’t good enough. If I don’t test again, you’ll probably never have any hope in me and won’t give me the best resources, will you?
Master Baiyun looked at Ling Xiao. Though he didn’t know what the kid was thinking, since their relationship had now eased, and his hopes for revenge and saving his daughter rested on this boy, a test was just a test.
With that, he took out the Seven Star Flower.
Ling Xiao cut his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto it.
Buzz!
In that instant, the Seven Star Flower burst into radiant light!
One flower lit up with three colors!
Two flowers lit up with three colors!
Then three, four… five flowers!
Last time, because the Seven Star Flower shattered after four flowers, they couldn’t see the rest.
Back then, Master Baiyun’s assessment was that Ling Xiao’s three potentials each reached four stars and ninety percent, the same as Dai Yuling’s.
But today, five flowers lit up at once, all in three colors.
Master Baiyun was utterly shocked.
“Your potential is three-color five-star! I truly misjudged you. It seems you’ve broken free from the Mortal Body and advanced to the Treasure Body qualification!”
Master Baiyun said excitedly.
Though this potential still lagged behind Ming Tian and Zuo Leng, it was, after all, an absolute qualification for advancing to the Mortal Realm.
At this moment, his previously despair-filled eyes sparkled with even more light, more excited than when he heard his daughter was alive.
“Why rush, Master?”
Ling Xiao smiled. The colors of the Seven Star Flower were still changing.
Six flowers!
Seven flowers!
“Seven stars! And fully maxed out! This is unbelievable. Your potential surpasses even Ming Tian and Zuo Leng. I was truly blind—why didn’t I listen to Lin Ze back then? I regret it so much.”
Master Baiyun’s entire body trembled.
A fully maxed seven-star potential—he had never seen anything like it, not even from Demon Flame Heavenly Sovereign.
“No need to talk about regrets, Master.”
Ling Xiao smiled. “Let the past stay in the past. I chose to retest today to show you, Master, that there’s a good chance I can accomplish what you’ve entrusted to me. I just wonder what benefits you can offer me?”
“Rest assured, anything I can give you, I’ll give!”
Master Baiyun had never been so eager. He wished he could turn back time to pass all his knowledge to Ling Xiao.
But it was too late now—time was short. All he could do was provide Ling Xiao with enough resources and guidance!
