Bai Feifei and Shen Tianlin moved quickly, while Ling Xiao, with two others in tow, was naturally much slower and was soon overtaken by them.
“Senior Brother Ling, don’t worry about us, that Black-Winged Roc is catching up!” Zhao Zhi exclaimed.
Ling Xiao set Zhao Zhi and Dai Yuling down on the ground, then suddenly stopped.
Glancing at the disciples who had rushed past him and were now far ahead, he revealed a faint smile.
“Senior Brother Ling, you’re not planning to fight that Black-Winged Roc, are you?” Zhao Zhi asked, startled.
Dai Yuling also looked puzzled.
“Junior Brother Zhao, your martial spirit is too weak. With your strength, you probably won’t get far in the tower-climbing ceremony, so how about I help you claim the Black-Winged Roc’s martial spirit inheritance?” Ling Xiao said with a smile.
“Senior Brother Ling, don’t jest. Even Bai Feifei failed, can you really do it?” Zhao Zhi replied with a wry smile.
“Just tell me if you’re willing or not.”
“Willing, of course I’m willing! If Senior Brother Ling can help me with this, I’ll be deeply grateful!” Zhao Zhi nodded.
“Good, then. What that foolish woman Bai Feifei couldn’t do, I might just manage.”
Ling Xiao smiled.
In fact, while escaping, he had already begun analysing the Black-Winged Roc.
He believed the tower-climbing ceremony was held to create opportunities for Moonlight Sect disciples to grow stronger, so it wouldn’t simply be a deadly chase.
In other words, while the Black-Winged Roc seemed dangerous, it was also an opportunity.
Through the analysis of his Mountain and River Martial Spirit, he confirmed that the Black-Winged Roc carried its martial spirit inheritance.
If given to Zhao Zhi, his cultivation potential would rival Leng Hao and Ming Tian, making him a significant ally in the future, rather than a burden as he was now.
Ling Xiao couldn’t always face numerous enemies alone; he needed allies.
And to seize the Black-Winged Roc’s opportunity, one needed knowledge of formations.
Fortunately, Ling Xiao possessed that knowledge.
No wonder even the strongest warriors who entered the Moonlight Treasure Pagoda for trials failed; it wasn’t just about strength, but about being a versatile talent.
“Stay here and don’t move. I’ll be back soon!”
Having grasped the key, Ling Xiao didn’t confront the Black-Winged Roc head-on. He leapt up, using his speed to land on its back.
The bird tried to shake him off, but to no avail.
Instead, Ling Xiao easily located a mechanism and injected his true essence into it.
Snap!
With a soft sound, the once ferocious Black-Winged Roc turned into a shadowy mass, trapped within a glowing orb.
“Junior Brother Zhao, catch!”
Ling Xiao landed and directly infused the orb into Zhao Zhi’s body, then extracted Zhao Zhi’s original martial spirit, using it as nourishment for his Mountain and River Martial Spirit.
His Mountain and River Martial Spirit, already close to advancing, finally levelled up, reaching the second stage of the Complete Soul: Transparent Body.
It wasn’t that Zhao Zhi’s martial spirit was particularly powerful; it was just the final bit of martial spirit energy needed.
Feeling the surging energy of the Black-Winged Roc martial spirit within him, Zhao Zhi was both thrilled and astonished.
He grew increasingly admiring of this younger boy beside him, whose abilities surpassed even his father, the king, and his master.
Ling Xiao not only possessed calm analytical skills but also a daring spirit for adventure.
The combination of these seemingly contradictory traits in one person was truly astonishing.
What shocked Zhao Zhi most was that Ling Xiao never seemed to fail at anything he set out to do, as if every move was meticulously calculated.
“I reckon there’ll be plenty more dangers ahead. Let’s take it slow. Along the way, you can focus on mastering the Black-Winged Roc martial spirit. With me here, no one will harm you,” Ling Xiao said with a smile.
“Your great kindness, I’ll never forget!” Zhao Zhi declared.
He had already made up his mind. Obtaining the Black-Winged Roc martial spirit was more than enough for him. Though continuing might yield more treasures, he knew he could achieve nothing without Ling Xiao.
So, he planned that if Ling Xiao needed it later, he would repay this debt by sacrificing himself.
Since dying here wasn’t real death, giving up his chance to help Ling Xiao seemed perfectly reasonable.
About an hour later, Ling Xiao, Zhao Zhi, and Dai Yuling encountered Leng Hao and Dantai Lingzi along the way.
The two looked at them with strange expressions, clearly full of questions.
“Brother Ling, what happened to the Black-Winged Roc? Why’s it gone quiet?” Leng Hao asked.
After the qualification contest, Leng Hao held great respect for Ling Xiao, addressing him as “Brother Ling” at every turn.
“I killed it,” Ling Xiao said casually.
“Killed it!” Leng Hao and Dantai Lingzi both showed shock.
But they didn’t doubt him in the slightest.
Ling Xiao indeed had that capability.
“With your strength, Brother Ling, you couldn’t be a match for the Black-Winged Roc. You must have used some special method to win, right?” Leng Hao asked.
This kid’s no fool either, Ling Xiao thought.
Glancing at Dantai Lingzi, he smiled, “Senior Sister Dantai, aren’t you continuing on your way?”
He was willing to explain to Leng Hao but not to Dantai Lingzi.
Dantai Lingzi glanced at Ling Xiao, gave a faint smile, clearly displeased, but since Ling Xiao wouldn’t help her, it was her own fault for harbouring inexplicable hostility toward him.
She turned and left reluctantly.
For now, she didn’t want to confront Ling Xiao. She wouldn’t take risks until she got what she wanted.
“Leng Hao, the Moonlight Treasure Pagoda isn’t a death trap. Everything that appears here, though seemingly dangerous, holds special significance,” Ling Xiao advised. “Don’t be fooled by appearances. The Black-Winged Roc seemed dangerous, but it was an opportunity. Its weakness lies with those who understand formations and arrays. Know your strengths and use them in the time ahead to gain rewards.”
He helped Leng Hao for two reasons: first, Leng Hao was the sole disciple of Golden Light Venerable, who had been kind to him.
Second, Leng Hao wasn’t stubborn, and his attitude toward Ling Xiao had fundamentally changed, making him a potential ally.
“Thank you for the guidance, Brother Ling,” Leng Hao said, clasping his hands.
“No need for formalities!” Ling Xiao smiled. “Your master has helped me plenty, so it’s only right I help you.”
“Remaining participants: thirty-three!”
As they walked and chatted, the cold voice rang out again.
“Four more eliminated?” Leng Hao frowned.
“That’s normal. Let’s be careful too. There’s likely more danger ahead,” Ling Xiao cautioned, then continued forward.
Leng Hao, Zhao Zhi, and Dai Yuling took out high-grade true essence pills to replenish their energy.
Ling Xiao, however, didn’t need to. His true essence was barely depleted, still abundant.
Seeing this, Leng Hao’s respect for Ling Xiao grew even deeper.
