After breaking through to the ninth level of the Mortal Realm, Ling Xiao did not continue cultivating. His principle was always to consolidate after a breakthrough, which required combat to hone his skills. Rushing to the next stage without mastering the current one would lead to many flaws, and he would not allow that.
By absorbing and digesting the inheritance of the Ancient Hell Dragon Martial Soul, Ling Xiao’s Mountain and River Martial Soul seemed to have grown stronger, revealing new information about cultivation in the Mysterious Realm.
In the Mysterious Realm, martial arts were the foundation, but cultivation methods were incredibly diverse, largely tied to martial souls. Different martial souls led to entirely different cultivation and attack methods.
For example, the Soul Clan specialised in mental attacks. Ling Xiao used such techniques as a supplement, but the Soul Clan relied entirely on soul-based attacks, with almost no true essence. Some focused on secret techniques, not cultivating martial skills but instead inner techniques or soul methods to enhance their true essence and soul power, using secret techniques in combat, similar to secret technique scrolls. Others, like the Beast King Palace, specialised in beast taming, using their martial souls to control beasts for attack. Then there were the Golden Clan, who focused on physical strength, possessing no true essence or soul power but having incredibly tough and powerful bodies.
In short, while martial souls and martial arts were the foundation in the Mysterious Realm, cultivation and attack methods were endlessly varied. What Ling Xiao had seen was merely a drop in the ocean.
Beyond these cultivation methods, some warriors’ practices were closely tied to their martial soul’s inheritance. An inheritance was a comprehensive system of attack, defence, movement, secret techniques, and cultivation. Ling Xiao’s current cultivation was too low to fully comprehend the Ancient Hell Dragon’s inheritance, so he persisted in training. Otherwise, relying solely on that inheritance would make him unbeatable against any Jade-grade martial arts.
Though he obtained Jade-grade martial arts from the Moonlight Pagoda, he saw no need to cultivate them. He could let his martial soul clone practice them for sparring purposes, saving him the effort. With his current martial arts, advancing to the Heavenly Human Realm should be no issue. Then, he could deeply explore the Ancient Hell Dragon’s inheritance, adapting and refining it. He wouldn’t blindly follow others’ methods, as the strongest wasn’t always the most suitable. Even when inheriting, he would choose selectively and adapt it to suit himself.
Ling Xiao stood and left his cave dwelling when a majestic ancient aura came from afar. His face lit up with joy. Dai Yuling had come out of seclusion and seemed to have made great progress with the Ancient Gourd Vine inheritance. Her strength now easily qualified her for the top ten core disciples.
He leapt forward, his figure vanishing instantly. His speed would have left onlookers stunned.
Dai Yuling’s emergence from seclusion, with her cultivation advanced, martial soul strengthened, and overall power greatly increased, was a big event. Her close friendship with Ling Xiao and her helpful nature made her well-liked among peers, so many came to congratulate her—dozens of inner and outer sect disciples, including Zhao Zhi, Leng Hao, Shangguan Lei, and Lan Yuer.
Ling Xiao was delighted by this. He couldn’t stay in the Moonlight Sect forever, so after he left, Dai Yuling, Leng Hao, Shangguan Lei, and Zhao Zhi would need to stand on their own. Her breakthrough reassured him greatly.
Outside her cave was a spacious clearing with neatly arranged flowers and trees, and over a dozen tables where many inner and outer sect disciples sat.
“Congratulations, Senior Sister Yuling! You’re now a star in the inner sect. With your strength, becoming a core disciple is just a matter of time. Don’t forget us outer sect sisters!” one said.
“Junior Sister Yuling, you ranked second in the Pagoda Climbing Ceremony, just behind Brother Ling, stealing the spotlight. Please look out for us in the future!” another added.
Whether flattery or sincere, the words were pleasant. When Dai Yuling emerged from the Moonlight Pagoda, few had supported her. Now, with Wu Xiang in power, Ling Xiao’s immense influence, and her own strength, many came to congratulate her—classic fair-weather friends.
“Disgusting!” Leng Hao snorted under his breath, irritated by their hypocrisy.
“Come on, Brother Leng, most people are like that, seeking benefits and avoiding harm. It’s human nature,” Shangguan Lei said with a smile.
“If it’s human nature, why did you risk imprisonment to defend Brother Ling?” Leng Hao asked, grinning.
“That’s different,” Shangguan Lei replied seriously, shaking his head. “You’ve seen what happened. Brother Ling is a true friend who’d risk everything for us. I supported him because I believed in him!”
“Well said! Great minds think alike!” Leng Hao nodded.
Zhao Zhi and Lan Yuer, seated with them, shared the sentiment. However, a few at another table were far less cheerful. These former core or top inner sect disciples had once dismissed Dai Yuling and Ling Xiao. Now, not only did Ling Xiao surpass them, but even Dai Yuling had outdone them, leaving a bitter taste.
Dai Yuling, overwhelmed by the flattery, just wanted to share her joy with Ling Xiao. She admired and respected him deeply. When Ling Xiao joined the Moonlight Sect, he was a nobody, ignored by all. Yet, in less than a year, he rose from an obscure outer sect disciple to someone with the status of an inner sect elder.
Most disciples in the sect both revered and feared him, largely because he focused on cultivation and neglected socialising. Whenever he emerged from seclusion, he caused a stir. From the outer sect, he defeated numerous disciples, even killing Wang Feng, Xu Ying, and Hei Suo, disciples of Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable, implicating the venerable himself.
