Ling Xiao felt a bit strange. Why had Ling Yihang and Ling Yixue suddenly come to find him together?
“Oh, I almost forgot, we came to ask if you’ve gone to the Library Pavilion to collect your martial arts techniques,” Ling Yihang said quickly.
“Oh, that matter. Thanks for the reminder, you two. Speaking of which, I was just about to head there,” Ling Xiao replied with a smile, cupping his hands in a gesture of gratitude.
“Sigh, a top-tier martial arts technique, truly enviable. I was just one rank short,” Ling Yihang sighed. It was impossible not to feel jealous. He had come in fourth in this grand competition, while only the top three could claim top-tier martial arts techniques.
“Junior Brother, hurry up and choose. Top-tier martial arts are a serious matter, so pick carefully. We won’t disturb you any longer,” Ling Yixue said with a smile.
“Thanks for the reminder, Senior Sister. I’ll head off then,” Ling Xiao bid farewell to Ling Yihang and Ling Yixue before setting off for the Library Pavilion.
However, on the way, he heard some shocking news.
Ling Feifan had lost again.
Not only had he lost, but this time it was even more humiliating, he had been defeated in a single move.
“Who did Ling Feifan lose to?” Ling Xiao had always thought that Ling Feifan was the only disciple in the Ling family who could pose a threat to him. Now that Ling Feifan had been beaten in one move, it was impossible for him not to care.
“Senior Brother Ling Xiao!” The two disciples, seeing it was Ling Xiao, hurriedly cupped their hands in respect.
“No need to be so formal. Who exactly did Ling Feifan lose to?” He didn’t act arrogantly. After all, he had once been a low-ranking disciple himself and understood the bitterness and frustration of being looked down upon.
“It was Senior Brother Ling Chen!”
“Ling Chen? Who’s Ling Chen?” Ling Xiao was puzzled. He hadn’t been with the Ling family for long and genuinely hadn’t heard of this name.
“No wonder Senior Brother Ling Xiao doesn’t know. Four years ago, Senior Brother Ling Chen defeated Ling Feifan and took first place in that year’s grand competition. He was only thirteen at the time. Afterwards, he left to travel the martial world with a wandering hero and only returned today.”
“I see. Thank you both,” Ling Xiao took a deep breath. No wonder he didn’t know him, Ling Chen was a genius who had once outshone even Ling Feifan.
But it didn’t matter. Whoever it was, it had little to do with him. His priority now was to keep getting stronger.
After some thought, he continued on his way to the Library Pavilion.
“Senior Brother Ling Xiao really is different. The top disciple of the Genius Hall, yet he’s so polite to us low-ranking disciples.”
“Yeah, he’s much better than that Ling Feifan.”
Ling Xiao didn’t hear their discussion, though even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered. He had always done things his own way, never swayed by others’ opinions.
Before long, he arrived at the Library Pavilion.
The one guarding the Library Pavilion today wasn’t Ling Jiu or Ling Shisan, but Second Master Ling.
When the two met, they exchanged smiles.
If Second Master Ling had previously intended to win Ling Xiao over as a tool for power struggles, his mindset had since shifted. Now, he simply wanted to build a good relationship with Ling Xiao. He could see that Ling Xiao’s future was limitless, making him a person worth befriending.
“Ling Xiao, you’re here today to claim your three top-tier martial arts techniques, right?” Second Master Ling asked.
“Yes.”
“Come with me to the third floor. Most of the techniques there are advanced martial arts, though there are also a few top-tier ones,” Second Master Ling said warmly as he led the way, explaining things to Ling Xiao.
“Second Master Ling, does the Ling family only have so few top-tier martial arts?” Ling Xiao asked, puzzled.
“In Tianfeng City, the Ling family is considered one of the four great families, but in the entire Northern Han Kingdom, we’re merely a seventh-rank family. Naturally, we don’t have too many top-tier martial arts, though there are about twenty or so,” Second Master Ling explained. “On this third floor, there are six types, while the rest are stored on the fourth floor.”
“If they’re all top-tier martial arts, why the division?” Ling Xiao asked, still confused.
“Although top-tier martial arts don’t have a clear hierarchy, their power and rarity still divide them into three levels: entry-level top-tier martial arts, rare top-tier martial arts, and superior top-tier martial arts,” Second Master Ling replied.
“There’s such a distinction? Hmm?” Ling Xiao noticed that after hearing Second Master Ling’s words, new information appeared on his Mountain and River Diagram.
His Nine-Turn Golden Body Technique was classified as a superior top-tier martial art.
The Snow Lotus Qi Technique was a rare top-tier martial art.
Meanwhile, the Soaring Cloud Steps: Dragon Transformation and Bull Demon Technique: Condensed Evil were entry-level top-tier martial arts.
No wonder he’d always felt something odd. Despite all being top-tier martial arts, the Nine-Turn Golden Body Technique was clearly far more powerful, and much harder to master.
“This is the third floor. Go ahead and choose. With me here today, you won’t be restricted by time. Take your time and make sure to pick three top-tier martial arts that suit you,” Second Master Ling said with a smile.
It was nice having someone helpful. If it had been Ling Jiu or Ling Shisan guarding the pavilion, they’d probably have made things difficult for him again.
“Thank you, Second Master Ling,” Ling Xiao didn’t stand on ceremony. The third floor was different from the second. The six top-tier martial arts were clearly marked, making them easier to choose.
Although advanced martial arts no longer caught his eye, they could still be useful for verifying certain techniques. So, he first skimmed through all the advanced martial arts on the third floor, directly copying them into the library of his Mountain and River World.
He also copied the six top-tier martial arts.
To avoid suspicion, though, he pretended to carefully select from them.
Of the six top-tier martial arts, three caught his interest.
The first was Phantom Shadow Swordsmanship. Ling Xiao had always preferred the elegance and freedom of swordsmanship, so he planned to try cultivating sword techniques as his weapon of choice. This Phantom Shadow Swordsmanship was an entry-level top-tier sword technique. Its advantage lay in creating three shadow clones during an attack.
These shadow clones were identical to the user, and at their strongest, they could reach fifty percent of the user’s power. While their attack strength wasn’t exceptional, they excelled at confusing opponents, allowing Ling Xiao to deliver his true killing blow.
Combined with his Martial Soul Clone, that made four clones in total, an ideal match for him, making this technique twice as effective in his hands.
The second top-tier martial art he fancied was Sword Mastery Technique: Black Iron Scroll. He wasn’t sure what the “Black Iron Scroll” meant, but it was confirmed as an entry-level top-tier martial art. Its effects were similar to the Hundred-Step Flying Sword Technique, but this one was of a higher grade, with significantly greater attack power and speed.
Most importantly, the Sword Mastery Technique: Black Iron Scroll could generate a sword shadow, allowing two sword strikes in a single attack, making it even harder for enemies to defend against.
The third top-tier martial art he chose was Soul Condensation Technique, another entry-level top-tier martial art. It was a secret method for cultivating the soul, with no other benefits beyond enhancing soul power and strengthening the soul itself.
But for Ling Xiao, this was especially crucial.
As for the remaining three top-tier martial arts, he decided not to bother with them for now. He understood the principle of biting off more than one could chew. He’d wait until he’d mastered these three to the point of no further improvement before considering the others.
The only pity was that all the top-tier martial arts on the third floor were entry-level ones.
But that made sense. The Ling family only had around twenty top-tier martial arts in total, and placing six on the third floor was already generous. The rest were likely stored on the fourth floor, though he had no chance of going up there now.
