Martial World

The Seven Profound Martial House

Prologue – Magic Cube

In the vast and limitless expanse of mist and snow, endless ice shards swirled in the wind and collided in a violent maelstrom. Subzero temperatures chilled one’s bones to a freezing cold temperature, as if it would turn even one’s very soul into nothing but ice.

Here was the Snowfall Realm, within the myriad dimensions of the Realm of the Gods. It was a bleak and hopeless land of endless, blinding white tundra. From one year to the next, there was nothing but desolate snow, and bitter cold.

Within these bleak fields of ice, the wind picked up, and dozens of ice shards whistled through the air, revolving and condensing in a vast eddy. Within this current, a shimmering mercurial veil bloomed into existence, and in the next second, a woman in a sapphire blue dress emerged.

The woman’s aura was like that of a regal queen. Her raven-black hair flowed like a river of the purest ink. Every inch of her body exuded an aura of holiness. In this desolate wasteland, it was as if the most beautiful pure ice lotus had fully bloomed. The only flaw on her otherwise perfect features was a thin stream of bright red blood that dripped down from the corners of her red lips.

That mercurial veil began to fade, and the woman spat out a mouthful of blood – it was as if this beautiful ice lotus was wilting.

“Big sister!”

A girl’s voice resounded clearly in the crisp air, and a shining white light flew from the woman’s body and condensed into the shape of a frantic young girl. “Sister, are you alright?”

“Do not worry.” The blue-clothed woman beckoned with her hand. She had already suffered a grievous wound, and had forcefully shattered the barriers of space and time in order to pass through the limitless void and the infinite night to arrive at a different dimension within the Realm of the Gods. This had caused her previously serious injuries to compound even further.

“Where is this?” The sapphire blue-clothed woman asked.

The young girl pulled out a jade slip and probed it with her divine sense. “Sister, we’ve arrived at the Snowfall Realm.”

“…Snowfall?” The sapphire blue-clothed female said with a trace of shock, before she sighed. “Of the three thousand worlds within the Realm of the Gods, I’ve travelled through the infinite void to countless lands. I fled, but to think that I would end up in the one place that I didn’t wish to go….”

She laughed bitterly. “My name is Mo Eversnow… snowfall, snowfall… here, I too will fall…”

“Big sister, we…” The young girl began, but the air trembled, and a massive amount of energy poured into the air. In the next moment, space began to be ripped open, as if it was being torn asunder by a pair of cruel hands, and a black clothed man walked out from the void.

The young girl saw this man, and her complexion greatly changed as her words fell silent.

Mo Eversnow was eminently calm and resolute. Although she’d expected her enemies to be pursuing her, she hadn’t expected them to catch up so quickly.

The man continued, “Saintess, Your Highness, I apologize for the events having come this far. It’s truly regrettable that your Verdant Feather Holy Lands was destroyed. As for that, I had no choice, as I was helplessly forced to do so. For existences such as you and I, with our cultivations, there’s nothing in this world that is beyond our reach; the only thing that you and I desire is to reach the pinnacle of power, and to be eternal existences. I would like to request Saintess to kindly hand over the Divine Magic Cube. We can cultivate together, and study the secrets of the Magic Cube until the end of time. How about it?”

Mo Eversnow began to revolve the supernatural divine power within herself. She coldly said, “Cease your meaningless words. Tian Mingzi, you may have destroyed my Verdant Feather Holy Lands, but if you want to kill me, then you’ll have to pay the blood price.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll have to give it a try.” The man called Tian Mingzi seemed disinterested. He casually waved his right hand, and an ancient pagoda appeared in his palm. This was the catastrophic spirit treasure, the God Sealing Pagoda. It was capable of sealing gods and binding demons, as well as being a vessel that could hold tens of thousands of warriors. Just half a month ago, this man had used this God Sealing Pagoda to transport over 10,000 powerhouses from the Realm of the Gods, and had suddenly appeared within the Verdant Feather Holy Lands, leading to its ultimate destruction.

Tian Mingzi threw the God Sealing Pagoda into the air. Golden light sparkled outwards, and 10,000 powerhouses appeared in the world of snow. The entire sky was completely covered with ominous shadows.

Over 10,000 people stood in the void, casually staring with indifference at the two women that were isolated and helpless within the endless expanse of ice.

Mo Eversnow saw this, and the corners up her lips panned upwards in a condescending sneer. She had been waiting for this moment.

Netherworld Holy Land, Primordial Universe Holy Lands, Ancient Laguna Palace, Crimson Blood Demon Island… since you plotted together to destroy my Verdant Feather Holy Lands, then today, even at the cost of my own soul, I’ll bury you all here!

Tian Mingzi said, “Mo Eversnow, I respect you, and admire your strength and talent that defies the will of the heavens. But now you’ve been seriously wounded. In the face of these 10,000 powerhouses from the Realm of the Gods, you’ve no chance of winning. I will leave you one path: surrender the Divine Crystal Magic Cube here, and I will let you and your sister leave alive.”

Mo Eversnow ignored him. Her mind stirred, and a one inch gray cube slowly appeared in her hand. The gray cube was entirely covered with black inscriptions. This was the object that had caused such turmoil throughout the entire Realm of the Gods — the Divine Crystal Magic Cube.

Mo Eversnow poured all of her supernatural divine power into the Divine Crystal Magic Cube. Although she’d been in possession of the Divine Crystal Magic Cube for less than a year, she’d still been able to perceive some of the esoteric secrets contained within. Perhaps the legends were true, and this was a crystallized soul left behind by a fabled True God that had fallen from the heavens. It had the terrifying power to crush the soul of any existence. However, with Mo Eversnow’s strength, she was still unable to control this power. If she tried to, even her own soul would be devoured by this Divine Crystal Magic Cube.

“Yue’er, don’t resist.”

“Big sister?” The young girl didn’t know what Mo Eversnow was planning on doing, but at this moment, her entire body became covered in a layer of light. This light broke through the void, and sent her away.

First, Mo Eversnow had to send off her little sister. This was because once the forbidden power of the Magic Cube was unleashed, every single soul around would be sucked in and shattered apart. This was also the reason that she hadn’t used this forbidden power within the Verdant Feather Holy Lands.

“Haha, you want to send off your little sister? How could I let you do as you please?” Tian Mingzi’s hands twisted together, forming countless seals that would freeze the void within a 10 mile radius. But at this moment, his expression changed. A terrifying power seemed to be condensing within the Divine Crystal Magic Cube in Mo Eversnow’s palm, causing him to feel a soul-trembling fear from the core of his very being.

This is…..

Tian Mingzi’s heart raced, and his seal-forming patterns changed. He sensed a life or death crisis heading towards him.

Heaven Earth Yuan Qi went wild in that instant. A massive vortex of energy appeared above the Divine Crystal Magic Cube.

“With my soul as a guide, let me borrow the power of a True Divinity! Soul Extinction!”

Mo Eversnow calmly and coldly spoke these words. In the next moment, her body was transformed into dazzling specks of starlight. Her soul and consciousness were turned into streams of light that were completely absorbed into the Divine Crystal Magic Cube.

Seeing this, Tian Mingzi’s expression changed. Without any hesitation, he hastily ripped open the space around himself, attempting to escape. But at this moment, the terrifying energies within the Divine Crystal Magic Cube erupted outwards.

It was as if a star itself had exploded, and all of the space around was like a thin slip of paper that was being torn apart. The 10,000 powerhouses of the Realm of the Gods had just arrived in this snowy world, only to come face to face with a life or death crisis. Those that had the ability to pass through worlds tried to escape through the endless void. But it was too late. All of the surrounding space was instantly dismantled, and the resulting massive storm sucked them all in like scraps of paper. Their bodies were turned into dust that vanished, and their souls were shattered into fragments within that storm before being absorbed into the Magic Cube.

An enormous swath of space of the Snowfall Realm had been twisted into an utter dead zone. This zone was flooded with space storms that were capable of destroying anything and everything.

As for the Divine Crystal Magic Cube, it swallowed all of the soul fragments, before it was sucked into these space storms and thrown into the endless void……

Chapter 1 – Lin Ming

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Within the Sky Fortune City, the capital of Sky Fortune Kingdom, the Seven Profound Martial House stands before the greater Zhou Mountains.  The Seven Profound Martial House – it is the martial house set up by the Seven Profound Valley, a martial arts sect with over six hundred years of heritage. It was also the only martial house set up by them in the Sky Fortune Kingdom.

As largest martial house, the Seven Profound Martial House possessed a great number of legacy martial skills and martial arts masters as tutors. It was only natural that it would become a holy land for many young aspiring martial artists. Correspondingly, the entrance qualifications for new recruits in the Seven Profound Martial House was set at an exceedingly high threshold. It would not be an exaggeration to say that only one in a million were able to qualify.

Under the scorching heat of summer, a young boy stood within a forest of the great Zhou Mountains. Both his fists were wrapped up with strips of cloth as he stood bare chested before a rough looking big tree. He threw punch after punch, striking heavily against the tree trunk.

Peng!

Peng!

Heavy sounds echoed out around the forest. The layer of thick bark on the large tree that were struck had sunk downwards noticeably, exposing its grayish wooden texture. On its surface, traces of blood could be seen.

This young boy’s name is Lin Ming. He possessed a third grade martial talent.

In the Sky Fortune Kingdom, half of its citizens have no martial talent to speak of and weren’t suited to walk the road of martial arts. As for the other half, at least eighty percent of them have a first grade martial talent. Even if these people were to practice martial arts, they would not be able to reach anywhere. One in ten of the remaining people have a ninety per cent chance of having second grade martial talent. If these people were to be diligent in their practice of martial arts, they would have a chance to accomplish something in life. However, becoming a master of the martial arts would be near hopeless for them.

Lin Ming’s third grade martial talent could be considered as a high-class existence. If one were to be boastful, one could claim that he is the cream of the crop. However, even with his martial talent, it would still be difficult for him to enter the Seven Profound Martial House!

Lin Ming was well aware of this. Together with his childhood friend, the beautiful Lan Yunyue who also has a third grade martial talent, they had agreed to take the entrance examination for the Sky Fortune Martial House even though it was nowhere near as good as the Seven Profound Martial House.

The Sky Fortune Martial House was part of the Sky Fortune Kingdom. Since the day of its inception, it has only eighty years’ worth of martial skills, legacy and foundation, a limited number indeed. Legacy martial skills were something of great importance to martial artists. Without a good set of martial skills, the goal of completing the final Body Training realm, the Pulse Condensation realm, or higher would be near impossible.

The Pulse Condensation realm was a realm that most martial artists vied for and dreamed of. It was also the first turning point for cultivators of the martial path. Once the Pulse Condensation realm was successfully attained, a martial artist’s lifespan would be greatly increased. Additionally, they would also be granted the title of nobility, allowing them to live a life of prosperity, bringing a blessing to their descendants.

It was in this Pulse Condensation realm training that the Sky Fortune Martial House fell precipitously behind the Seven Profound Martial House.

Lin Ming’s heart pulsed for the sake of the road of martial arts. It was only natural that he too desired to enter the Seven Profound Martial House. If his talent was insufficient, then he could only rely on his own diligence and perseverance to impress the examiners. However, the prospect of him entering was very low. Moreover, once he failed, he would have to waste half a year’s time to wait for another opportunity. For martial artists, this amount of time is highly precious.

Placing all this into consideration, in addition to the fact that he had promised Lan Yunyue, Lin Ming decided instead to enter the Sky Fortune Martial House.

Lin Ming and Lan Yunyue had trained and played together for many years. Even though the both of them were still young and the topic of marriage never came up, those emotions have already begun budding. Lin Ming’s parents on the other hand, had shown their approval and love towards Lan Yunyue. They would always invite Lan Yunyue to their house for dinner.

A mutual feeling of goodwill existed between Lin Ming and Lan Yunyue, leaving only a thin piece of paper between the two. Once they grow just a bit older, this piece of paper would certainly be torn apart.

Lin Ming viewed the agreement between them both seriously. He had determined to charge towards the Pulse Condensation realm even if he could only train within the Sky Fortune Martial House!

However, on the day that Sky Fortune Martial House held its entrance assessment, Lan Yunyue failed to show up.

At first, Lin Ming assumed that Lan Yunyue was unable to arrive due to some matters. It was only later that he learnt of Lan Yunyue entering the Seven Profound Martial House. Additionally, the one who had ensured her success in becoming a disciple of Seven Profound Martial House was Zhu Yan, the genius Young Master of Green Mulberry City’s number one family.

Although Lin Ming was only fifteen years old, he had accompanied his parents outside the city before. Thus, he has a greater level of maturity compared to others. He understood the meaning behind Zhu Yan’s act of ensuring that the Seven Profound Martial House accepted Lan Yunyue.

For a great family such as the Zhu Family, their prerequisite in selecting future wives lied not in terms of appearances, but rather their martial talent. A highly talented wife would have a higher chance of giving birth to a martial genius. Although though Lan Yunyue’s family was only average, her third grade martial talent was very good considering her gender. In addition, Lan Yunyue herself was a beauty with an outstanding temperament. It was only natural that Zhu Yan would fall for her.

For Lan Yunyue, the difference between the Sky Fortune Martial House and Seven Profound Martial House was simply too great. The opportunities, honor, glory, and potential accomplishments that both could able to provide were simply incomparable. This was especially true regarding the extension of life that could be gained after one successfully reached the Pulse Condensation realm. Such a temptation was simply irresistible for girls.

Faced with such appealing prospects, most females would have chosen to go with Zhu Yan as well. After all, Zhu Yan himself possessed handsome features and his family background and future were both far better compared to Lin Ming’s.

Although he was able to understand this, to say that this matter did not greatly affect Lin Ming would be a lie. He shut himself within his room for three days. After that, he walked out and proceeded to eat, sleep and train. Moreover, the intensity of his training had become much higher than before.

Before Lan Yunyue had left him, Lin Ming had already made the decision to break through into the Pulse Condensation realm and pursue an even higher realm of martial cultivation. The current Lin Ming was no different. If he still had any doubts before, then Lan Yunyue’s act of leaving him had hardened his resolve towards the road of martial arts.

He made the decision to enter the entrance assessment for the Seven Profound Martial House, no matter how difficult the process would be.

Peng!

Peng!

The heavy sounds of fists striking against the tree trunk echoed continuously throughout the forest. The name of this tree was an ironwood tree. Not only does it possess an extremely tough layer of bark, it also had strong regenerative properties. Many beginners of the martial path would choose this ironbark tree to train themselves.

After throwing out who innumerable punches, Lin Ming finally exhausted himself. Leaning upon a tree trunk, he sat down on a piece of rock and removed some herbs from a backpack placed on the ground. He smeared them onto the surface of his fists and kneaded. For those who pursued martial arts, frequent usage of body treatment herbs were necessary. Not doing so would cause internal injuries to build up. Once these internal injuries accumulated, there was a possibility of becoming a cripple or even death.

This herb is called iron thread grass It was given this name because the green juice produced from squeezing iron thread grass could help heal wounds but would cause a terribly painful sensation akin to having iron threads brushing upon the wounds.

Lin Ming grit his teeth as he endured the pain. He retrieved a white cloth from within the backpack and rolled it around his fists, bandaging it.

Truth be told, there were many other herbs that are more effective compared to the iron thread grass. These herbs also has a milder side effect, but came at a much higher price. Lin Ming’s circumstances made it impossible for him to afford such herbs.

Lin Ming’s parents ran a restaurant within Green Mulberry City. However, this restaurant did not belong to them; it actually belonged to the Lin Family of Green Mulberry City.

Although Lin Ming’s surname is also Lin, his family line had been separated from the Lin Family by several generations. The Lin Family placed some off their less important assets into the hands of their distant relatives for management. Lin Ming’s parents livelihood were dependent on their management of this restaurant. Every year they would be given a fixed amount of income and some commission. This money was naturally enough for them to subsist on, however, it would be a stretch to use it to fund Lin Ming’s pursuit of martial arts.

Lin Ming’s parents had originally wanted Lin Ming to continue the family business and become a manager for the restaurant. However, seeing Lin Ming’s ardent devotion towards the martial path, they instead chose to take out all their savings for Lin Ming to purchase healing herbs.

Since then, Lin Ming’s family savings had decreased bit by bit. But Lin Ming on the other hand had remained at the first stage of Body Training.

The Body Training Stage was the first realm for those who pursued the road of martial arts. It involves the tempering of their bodies and was separated into six stages. The first stage was Strength Training, second was Flesh Training, third was Viscera Training, fourth was Altering Muscle, fifth was Bone Forging and sixth was Pulse Condensing. After that, one would be able to step into the Houtian realm.

After applying the iron thread grass juice onto his wounds, Lin Ming rested for one hour to allow his wounds to absorb the medicinal properties of the herb. He then straightened himself and was about to continue training his fists when a fat youth walked into view. This fat youth was carrying a long sword with him. Seeing Lin Ming, he grinned and spoke. “Brother Lin, today is the registration day for the entrance examination of the Seven Profound Martial House. Did you happen to forget about it? Why are you still training your fists here?”

This youth’s name was Lin Xiaodong, he was slightly younger than Lin Ming. Growing up together, the two of them had a very strong bond of brotherhood.

Lin Xiaodong was a direct descendant of the Lin Family. However, even for direct descendants, there existed a ranking system. As it happened, Lin Xiaodong was part of the lowest ranked one. As for Lin Xiaodong’s parents, they too were engaged in business and had a close relationship with Lin Ming’s parents.

After seeing Lin Xiaodong, Lin Ming turned his attention back to the tree trunk and said. “The beginning part of the registration will have too many people. The queue would take up 2-4 hours. Going there now would be a waste of time.”

“Damn it, you won’t even let go of this small amount of time. Do you really have to go that far?” Lin Xiaodong exaggeratedly said and walked up to the tree trunk. Looking at the hollows caused by the fists and the traces of blood that stained the wood, he turned to see Lin Ming’s bandaged fists. He then let out a sigh of disappointment. “You really are crazy, to be able to damage Iironbark wood to such an extent. However, with your current training methods, iron thread grass alone won’t be enough. If you keep this up, your hands will become crippled!”

Lin Ming didn’t respond. The road of martial arts was a constant struggle against the heavens. Considering his third grade martial talent, reaching the sixth stage of Pulse Condensation would be incredibly dificult. If he did not give it his all while he was still young, then he would have no hope at achieving his goal. Once he had given his all, there would certainly be the possibility of him becoming a cripple due to the accumulation of internal injuries. However, there was also the possibility of him attaining success before that happened. And once he could successfully enter the Pulse Condensation realm, he could attain true primal tempering of the body and the internal injuries would vanish.

For Lin Ming, this was a battle with his back against the raging river

This was also a gamble with his life on the line.

Lin Xiaodong sighed and pulled out a bundle from his bosom. He unfurled the bundle layer by layer and said. “Brother Lin, take this.”

Lin Ming turned around and was shocked to find a bloody crimson colored ginseng lying upon the cloth bundle. Judging from its appearance, this strain of blood ginseng was at least a hundred years old. It was a high-grade medicine used for mending wounds and nourishing blood. A thin slice was enough for each use. In addition, the powerful healing properties of this blood ginseng were very gentle. This blood ginseng should be worth at least a hundred and fifty gold taels, the equivalent of Lin Ming’s family’s annual income.

Lin Ming froze and he shook his head. “I cannot accept this Blood Ginseng.”

Even though they were close brothers, this Blood Ginseng was simply too expensive. Lin Xiaodong’s position within the Lin Family was very low. Even though his family situation was much better when compared to Lin Ming’s it would still be far from comfortable if their income were used to supplement Lin Xiaodong’s martial training.

Lin Xiaodong forcibly pushed the Blood Ginseng into Lin Ming’s hands and said. “I bought this Blood Ginseng for you. You know how I train; I fish every three days and dry the fishing nets every two days

“My body’s injuries are no more than a fart’s worth. Using this would be a waste. If you refuse then I would have bought this for nothing. I do not have much ambitions in life. I just want to continue holding on to my position as a direct descendant of the Lin Family. As long as I do not end up losing this position and my next generation could also successfully maintain their place in the Lin Family, that is enough for me.”

Lin Ming remained silent for a moment before receiving the Blood Ginseng. He then said. “Very well, I will accept this Blood Ginseng. For the sake of this ginseng, I willbreak through to the Pulse Condensation realm.”

“Haha, now that is more like it. Not only should you break through into the Pulse Condensation realm, you must also turn that son of a bitch Zhu Yan upside down. That bastard has been an eyesore for a long time!”

Zhu Yan, huh… Lin Ming sighed lightly. Zhu Yan had already been admitted into the Seven Profound Martial House. In addition, Zhu Yan was currently one of the high ranked disciples within the inner Heavenly Abode, his strength having reached the pinnacle of the Third Stage of Body Training. Even so, Lin Ming had set defeating Zhu Yan as his objective. This decision was not due to Lan Yunyue but rather due to his pursuit of the martial path. This path required him breaking through one threshold after another; conquering one mountain after another. As for Zhu Yan, he had the honorable spot of being the first to be conquered.

At the base of the great Zhou Mountains lied a stretch of buildings extending up to twenty miles in length. This was the area of operations for the Seven Profound Martial House and today was the day of registration for those who wishes to take the Seven Profound Martial House’s entrance assessment. A crowd was gathered on the field before the Seven Profound Martial House.

Even though Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong had deliberately chosen to arrive late, they came to realize that they had underestimated the number of applicants. The applicants were all lined up in three lines, with each line extending up to several meters in length. Judging by the current queue, one hour would be needed before registration could be completed.

“We will have to wait,” Lin Xiaodong gave a sigh and stood helplessly in line.

“Mm,” Lin Ming nodded his head.

“Hey, there are very few people there,” Lin Xiaodong pointed towards a small gate nearby. There were only a few people there. Furthermore, the ground was also paved with red carpet.

“That place is reserved for nobles…” Lin Ming noticed the writings on the sign.

Since the Seven Profound Martial House was built upon the grounds, buildings and resources of Sky Fortune Kingdom, it was only natural for them to give some face to the elite classes of the kingdom. In fact, many of the martial house’s affairs would be handed over to the elites to manage. One such example was today’s registration for entrance examination.

“Damn it,” Lin Xiaodong muttered in discontent. Nobility was something that only the Imperial Family could grant and could be inherited. Even though the Lin Family is a wealthy family, it was not a noble family.

Lin Xiaodong was cursing off at the nobles while consoling himself when the doors of the gate opened. Two young men strode out from the gate; one of them was wearing blue clothes with a long sword attached to his waist. His hair was tied up into a gold colored head piece and he had a handsome appearance.

Seeing the appearance of this man caused Lin Ming to frown. This was none other than Zhu Yan.

The Zhu Family’s daughter had married into the Imperial Family and had become the Emperors’s favored concubine. With this advantage in the royal family, the Zhu Family soared to become the number one family within Green Mulberry City. Moreover, they were also granted the rank of nobility, thus allowing Zhu Yan to ensure Lan Yunyue’s admittance into the Seven Profound Martial House.

“Damn, we end up meeting a detestable person,” Lin Xiaodong muttered unhappily.

Zhu Yan was walking side by side with the other young man. A few other nobles waiting outside then chose to follow the two of them. It would appear that Zhu Yan was bringing the other young man to register. The two of them continued walking forward. At this rate, it was inevitable that Lin Ming and Zhu Yan bump into one another.

With his current position and strength, it was possible that he would end up suffering badly if they were to bump into one another. But, Lin Ming chose not to run and instead looked forward in a calm manner as Zhu Yan approached.

Zhu Yan’s pace was disrupted after catching sight of Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong. His first reaction was that of shock. After that, he frowned. Seeing Lin Ming made him feel uncomfortable. Although he had snatched away Lan Yunyue, she had refused to engage in any acts of intimacy before their wedding. Clearly, Lin Ming still existed within Lan Yunyue’s heart, not to mention her feelings of guilt. The only reason she had chosen Zhu Yan was due to the Seven Profound Martial House. As a man, Zhu Yan was unable to tolerate the fact that his future wife’s heart remained within the grasp of another man.

“You are called Lin Ming, am I right? How unexpected, you would actually follow us all the way here. You, with a mere cultivation level of First Stage in Physical Training want to take the test to enter the Seven Profound Martial House?”

The meaning behind Zhu Yan’s words was obvious. He would never allow Lin Ming to enter the Seven Profound Martial House. Even though Lin Ming’s strength was of no threat to him, Lin Ming’s existence within the Seven Profound Martial House would make it impossible for Lan Yunyue to forget Lin Ming.

“Whether or not I manage to pass the assessment is my own problem. I am not here as a result of following anyone. I am here due to my pursuit of the road of martial arts.”

“The road of martial arts? A mere above average talent like you dared to utter the words of pursuing the martial path? Insolence!” Having said that, Zhu Yan’s finger released a light sound; after that, his long sword shot out from its sheath! Zhu Yan grasped onto the sword and slashed the air, releasing an intense sword energy, which created an air splitting sound. A barely visible wave flew outwards, directly cutting down half the canopy of a nearby tree.

The sounds of “pususu” could be heard as a large number of branches and leaves fell to the ground. The people around all stared with bulging eyes. Most of them were of roughly the same age as Zhu Yan and were not that much younger. However, Zhu Yan’s accomplishment in the Martial Way had already left them far behind.

The reason Zhu Yan unleashed this sword slash was to give Lin Ming a mental blow, and show him the disparity between the two of them. “I am a fourth grade martial talent. I began training in martial arts since I was twelve, consuming countless medicinal pills in the process and have now entered the Heavenly Abode’s Sword Sect within the Seven Profound Martial House. I am currently at the pinnacle of the Third Stage of Body Training. Even so, I am barely at the start of the road of martial arts. And yet, someone like you with a mere First Stage in Physical Training dared to talk about the road of martial arts?”

Zhu Yan’s manner of speech was so arrogant, it caused Lin Xiaodong to become enraged. “Surnamed Zhu! You are simply someone born two years earlier than us! What are you boasting about? If our age were reversed, this senior would use just one hand to toss you away!”

Zhu Yan frowned and turned to look at Lin Xiaodong. He took a step forward, the primal energies within his body exploded outwards as he asked. “Who are you?”

“I…” Due to the oppressive pressure sent out by Zhu Yan, Lin Xiaodong’s words were stuck in his throat. He took a step backwards, swallowed his own saliva and patted his chest before speaking. “This Young Master is called Lin Xiaodong, you better remember it!”

“Lin Xiaodong? Heng, those from the Lin Family that has the qualifications to talk with me can be counted with one hand. What makes you think that a clown like you have the qualifications to speak to me? That includes even you, Lin Ming! If not for Lan Yunyue, you have no qualifications to talk to me at all! I will give you this advice, a man must know his own limits. Someone like Lan Yunyue is not someone that you could match up to.”

A female with Grade Three Martial Talent with good looks and bearing is rare within Green Mulberry City. Most of them would only appear in great families. However, considering the conflicts of interest between the great families, they would never allow their talented females to be married off into other families, leading to the strengthening of their rivals’ bloodline. Thus, most great families would request that the male side marry into their family. This was the reason why Zhu Yan had said that.

“A thousand gold taels! From today onwards, I do not want to see you face again!” Zhu Yan said as he pulled out a stack of gold bills from his sleeves.

The people around were rendered speechless. A thousand gold liangs was a very high sum of money, enough for a martial artist in the Physical Training Stage to buy up necessary high-grade herbs for training usage for up to three years.

“A thousand gold taels? Do you take us for beggars?” Lin Xiaodong pushed back the stack of gold bills. Truth be told, he was simply putting on a brave façade. Even for him, a thousand gold taels was a huge sum of wealth.

Zhu Yan flicked his hands and a powerful repelling force knocked Lin Xiaodong away. Zhu Yan coldly stared at Lin Ming, awaiting his answer.

Lin Ming took a deep breath before speaking out in a slow yet powerful tone. “Zhu Yan, I am not your match in terms of talent, I am even less so in terms of family background. However, the cultivation of martial arts does not depend only on talent and financial support; there is an even more important factor… the heart of a martial artist!”

“Your cultivation of martial arts is done for the sake of wealth, status and vanity. However, my cultivation of martial arts is done for the sake of pursuing the road of martial arts. The road of martial arts does not exist for those with talent, it does not exist for those with authority and it does not exist for those with money. It exists for those whose heart beats for the sake of martial arts! There will come a day when I will surpass you!” As he reached the end of his sentence, Lin Ming spoke out each word with emphasis and in a clear voice. Everyone who were standing nearby could clearly make out what he had said.

A third grade martial talent wanted to chase after a fourth grade martial talent. In addition, there was an enormous gap in terms of background between them both. This brat had gone mad!

Hearing Lin Ming’s words, Zhu Yan became momentarily stunned before laughing out. “Good! Very good indeed! I will be waiting for you!” After saying that, Zhu Yan kept the stack of gold bills. With a “weng” sound, the long sword returned to its sheath. Zhu Yan then gave Lin Ming a long look before turning away.

Chapter 2 Peculiar Stone

 

“Brother Ming, you were truly domineering back then!” Lin Xiaodong said with gusto as they walked down the road.

Lin Ming remained quiet. The things that he had said back then had sounded grand and impressive, however, it would be extremely difficult for him to surpass Zhu Yan. The amount of effort that he would be required to pay would be colossal.

He has no fear of hard work or bitterness. But the same could not be said for internal injuries. Medicinal herbs were needed to heal those injuries and those medicines were undoubtedly expensive.

Lin Xiaodong was able to guess what Lin Ming was thinking and said. “Brother Ming, all you need to do is train hard. As for the financial side of things, I will figure it out for you. Just be rest assured, even though my grandfather’s position in the family is not high, it is still nothing to scoff at. Taking out a few hundred gold liangs is not impossible for me.”

Lin Ming stopped walking and turned around to face Lin Xiaodong. In life, there are many fair weather friends, but those who would offer help in times of need are rare. Between brothers, saying thanks would be hypocritical. Yet, Lin Ming still stopped and said in a serious tone. “Xiaodong, thank you”.

“Enough, stop this. This is too much for me. I am not someone who pursues much in life. Taking the entrance assessment for the Seven Profound Martial House is simply a way to protect my father’s reputation. Brother Ming, I will bet on you. After you become a master in the future, you must help cover my ass a bit, hahaha.”

Lin Ming gave a hearty smile and laughed. “En! With a brother like you, I will definitely persevere onwards onto the Martial Way.”

By the time Lin Ming returned to his dwelling place, it was already evening. This room was one that he had rented. During this period of time, from the day that Seven Profound Martial House began its registration for entrance assessment until the day of its assessment, all the dwelling places within Sky Fortune City would be packed and inns full. The rental rates would undoubtedly increase by half. Thus, many applicants would choose to rent a room. Naturally, that in itself was not a cheap option.

Lin Ming had rented a single room of only ten square meters in area with a very simple set up. Just as he was about to begin his meditation upon the bed, someone knocked on the door.

Lin Ming opened the door to see the landlady standing there. The landlady is a roughly fifty years old woman with a somewhat obese body. The landlady’s face was usually fierce and harsh, but today she was sporting a pleasant looking smile, causing Lin Ming to feel that something was off.

“Landlady, is there anything?”

“This… little fellow, I am sorry, but can you please vacate this room.”

“En?” Lin Ming frowned. “Why?”

“Hehe, sorry, but I have rented this room,” A harsh sounding male voice interrupted. Lin Ming turned around and found a man with huge monkey like ears walking in from the hallway. The man was smiling in a seemingly playful manner.

Looking at him for a moment, Lin Ming recognized him as one of the underlings that had followed along behind Zhu Yan and the other young man. It appeared that he is the underling of the other young man. Back then, the other young man had remained silent and only looked at Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong with an expression of contempt.

No doubt, the young man was currently trying to get in the good books of Zhu Yan by sending his own underling to cause problems for Lin Ming. All he needed to do was offer a rental fee several times higher than what he had and the landlady would naturally be willing to force him out.

Presently, the Seven Profound Martial House is holding its registration event, leading to difficulty in searching for a dwelling place. Finding another place to rent was easier said than done. But even if he did, there was no guarantee that this underling would not appear to cause problems for him again.

Lin Ming’s face turned heavy and he gazed coldly at the landlady. “Back then we had agreed that I will be renting for five months. I have also paid you the five months’ rent in advance. Currently, there is still three more months until the deadline. But, you want me to leave now?”

The landlady smiled apologetically. “This… Naturally, I am aware of this. How about this? I will return the rent for the three months back to you. How about that?”

“Ah! Return me the three months’ rent? You have quite the calculative mind!” Lin Ming’s anger had begun boiling. If this landlady had been forced to evict him due to the pressure of the other person, then Lin Ming would simply have left. However, her current actions and words have made him furious.

“Hey, what are you talking about. Back then, we had only talked about it and not signed off on anything. This room is mine. Who I choose to rent it to is up to me!” Considering Sky Fortune City’s status as the capital city of Sky Fortune Kingdom, all the property owners here have a subconscious sense of superiority. To them, all those who came from the outside are but country bumpkins; they would look down upon them while speaking in tones of disdain towards them. Furthermore, this man beside her was obviously someone sent by a rich and powerful family. With someone like this backing her up, the landlady became more courageous.

At this moment, the man with monkey like ears laughed out arrogantly. “If you are sensible, then just get out immediately. I will tell you something else. This Young Master has my eyes on you. Even if you manage to find another place to rent, I will still be able to throw you out. Within this three months before the entrance assessment for the Seven Profound Martial House begins, you should just resign yourself to sleeping in the streets, haha!”

The man laughed.

For those who were born within the circle of elites, it was only natural for them to form an arrogant sense of superiority. However, even when they were expressing their arrogance, they would still maintain a certain bearing of grace and speech, just like Zhu Yan. This person standing before him on the other hand was revealing a naked form of arrogance, one befitting those of bullies who could only depend on others.

Lin Ming stared at the man with monkey like ears, his eyes turning colder with each passing moment.

“What are you looking at? Are you thinking about hitting me? Let me tell you, my Young Master is the second son of the lord of the Defence Army for Sky Fortune City. If you dare beat this Young Master, then this Young Master will…”

“Scram!” Lin Ming shouted and threw out a punch, striking the man squarely in this nose. With a “peng”, the man flew out followed by a series of crashing sounds. After which, the man lied on a pile of debris amidst broken furnitures and pots, his hair dishevelled and his face dripping with blood.

A fist capable of indenting Iron Tree struck the man squarely in the face. The result could be imagined, the man’s nose had totally sunk inwards.

The landlady became shocked, her eyes bulged out for several moments before suddenly shouted out miserably. “Help! Murder!”

The landlady rushed out, but her fat legs were unable to work properly and she fell on the floor with a plop.

Lin Ming stepped towards the man with monkey like ears. Even though his First Stage of Physical Training was only the beginner territory of the martial way, it was by no means worthless. After all, many people within Sky Fortune Kingdom were unable to train in martial arts. Lin Ming on the other hand was a good talent to begin with. In addition, he was very hard working. Amongst one thousand peers of the same talent, it may be difficult to find even one with the same level of strength as him. As for this man, he was simply an underling and did not take much effort for Lin Ming to deal with him.

The man kept moaning, he had never imagined that Lin Ming would actually beat him. He raised a blood-stained finger and pointed at Lin Ming. “You… you dare hit me, you… you are finished.”

“I do not know what would happen to me, but I do know that you are finished,” Lin Ming delivered a kick at the man’s abdomen, causing him to cry out miserably. Once again, he flew out. Only this time, he broke through the door and ended up being kicked all the way outside the house.

Lin Ming did not say anything. He returned to his room and packed up his belongings and began to leave. The entire house had been reduced to a state of mess, causing blood to drip out of the landlady’s heart. She timidly said. “You… you cannot leave like that, you… must… must compensate.”

Lin Ming stopped walking, he turned around to face the landlady who was slumped on the floor like a human meatball. He asked. “Compensate?”

“Compensate… compensate…” The landlady’s voice began losing its strength. She felt as though the gaze of the young man before her was just like a window into the nine infernal abysses, causing her to shudder.

Without saying anything, Lin Ming punched the walls, his fist penetrating through the brick walls of the house, causing the entire house to shudder and dust to fall off the ceiling. The landlady screamed out and fainted.

Lin Ming carried his luggage and walked out of the house without even glancing at the fainted man.

Lin Ming was well aware that after beating up this man, the person behind him would never let this go and would certainly bring upon Lin Ming no small amount of trouble. However, Lin Ming had no regrets.

As a man, there was a need to endure. If the person who had come today was a martial artist, Lin Ming would not have acted as he did and would have chosen to endure. This loss was one that must be endured. However, the one who appeared before him was a worthless underling, one who could only depend on the backing of his master. If Lin Ming had to endure what this kind of person had to say, then what was the point of him learning martial arts?

That was simply incompatible with the Martial Way within Lin Ming’s heart.

Thus, Lin Ming left the neighbourhood. After a while, he put down his backpack and started considering how to solve his dwelling problem. As of now, all the inns were full; in addition, the prices were also far too expensive for him. Even though he has no objections to sleeping in the wilds, Lin Xiaodong would probably throw a fuss and insist on bringing him to his own abode.

If Lin Ming were to do so and the second son of the Army Lord sends his men there, Lin Xiaodong himself can forget about sleeping in his house. He will have to accompany Lin Ming and sleep on the streets.

Moreover, Lin Ming had just provoked a dangerous trouble. There was no guarantee that the Army Lord’s second son would not send some thugs over. In these people’s eyes, causing others to become crippled was no big matter. Lin Ming did not want to bring such a kind of problem to Lin Xiaodong.

If that is the case, then where could I go?

After contemplating about it, Lin Ming finally thought of a place – the most luxurious dining establishment in Sky Fortune City – Grand Clarity Pavilion.

The Grand Clarity Pavilion’s consumer base are all of the highest class. In addition, they themselves possess a strong background. With such a strong base of power, a mere second son of an Army Lord could no nothing against it.

The reason Lin Ming wanted to go to Grand Clarity Pavilion was obviously not to spend money to rent a place. He was headed there to find work. Lin Ming’s parents operate a restaurant, it was a given that Lin Ming would be able to cook, the taste of his cooking was quite good as well. However, he was not conceited enough to think that he could compete with those cooks in Sky Fortune City. After all, his forte did not lie in the area of cooking…

…

Grand Clarity Pavilion remained brightly lit even as Lin Ming arrived. It is the establishment with the best business in Sky Fortune City.

Lin Ming’s clothes were too ordinary, causing all who saw him entering the establishment to look at him with a strange expression. A person with such a kind of clothes would usually be unable to eat within this Grand Clarity Pavilion. Furthermore, there was also the fact that Lin Ming is only a fifteen-year-old teenager.

However, the waiter maintained a favourable manner as he walked over and asked. “Little brother, are you here with your parents?”

Lin Ming shook his head and replied. “I am here for a job.”

Hearing that, the waiter frowned. What kind of job could a mere fifteen-year-old kid do? Here, waiting requires beauties who are at least eighteen years old or handsome males who are at least twenty years old. As for cooking, what kind of cooking could a fifteen-year-old kid produce?

“Go away, don’t cause a disturbance here,” The waiter waved his hand impatiently.

“I can really work, just let me into the kitchen to try.”

The waiter asked in an unhappy voice. “What can you do?”

Lin Ming smiled and replied. “Deboning.”

“What?” The waiter became stunned.

…

Deboning is a biased line of work and not every restaurant would set up such a job. This job requires the meat dresser to cut up the quarry or hunted animals into pieces while removing its bones.

A master level meat dresser could cut up a cow with ease and skill, a good meat dresser could also cut up a cow, but would require a change of knife every year. Some meat dressers even need to change their knives once a month. In addition, the efficiency involved was low and they would need half a day to cut up a cow.

As for Grand Clarity Pavilion, their ingredients are not cow meat but Ferocious Beasts meat. The meat of Ferocious Beasts is delicious but their scales, skin, bones and tendons are exceptionally tough. Ordinary people would have to struggle to great lengths just to cut out a small part of it. Martial arts masters on the other hand would not be willing to lower themselves to do such a kind of job. Even if they were willing, someone who does not understand how the muscles, bone and tendons come together would not be able to do it. Using pure strength alone in the cutting up process would cause it to lose its delicious taste.

Deboning was how Lin Ming had first come into contact with the Martial Way. Within his parents restaurant, he trained himself in the deboning process every day for the past ten years.

It was a very tiring job! Lin Ming had never considered himself a genius in the martial way. All he could depend on was his own hard work, and continue training over and over again. That was how he managed to form his solid martial foundation, by slashing down the knife, slash after slash within the kitchen.

The waiter was unable to chase Lin Ming away and could only bring him over to the kitchen…

“Sister Lan, this little brother wants to apply work as a deboning worker.”

“Deboning worker?” Within the Grand Clarity Pavilion kitchen, a beautiful woman in her twenties wearing a gorgeous dress appraised Lin Ming. Observing the plain clothes on his body and the backpack he was carrying which made him appear like a refugee, she frowned. She then spoke in a dissatisfied manner towards the waiter who brought Lin Ming in. “What are you doing, bringing just anybody into the kitchen. Dong Zi, give him some silver and send him away.”

Obviously, this beautiful woman considered Lin Ming as a distressed child. As for the rebuked waiter, his face was bitter. Truthfully, he had tried to push Lin Ming out, but had discovered that Lin Ming’s legs seemed to have grown roots and was immovable.

A young man had moved over to drive Lin Ming away. However, at this moment, he suddenly felt his hands becoming lighter. He stared in confusion as Lin Ming had somehow taken away the boning knife that he was holding.

Before the man named Dong Zi could understand what had happened, Lin Ming said. “I am not here to beg for money. Sister, it won’t be too late for you to drive me away after seeing my craftsmanship.”

The beautiful woman was slightly surprised; it appeared that this little kid has some experience in the craft. She shot a look at Dong Zi and said. “How useless, you cannot even handle a little kid. Go to the storehouse and bring over a pig.” After that, she turned to Lin Ming and said. “If you can complete it in half a long hour (1 hour), then I will allow you to stay in Grand Clarity Pavilion.”

Dong Zi knew that he had lost face and turned shamefully to go bring the pig over. However, Lin Ming interrupted him. “No need, I will do that one.”

Lin Ming said as he pointed towards a Scaled Draconic Beast.

The beautiful woman became surprised. A Scaled Drconic Beast is a Level Two Ferocious Beast whose body is brimming with muscles. These muscles are extremely tough and could resist even normal sword attacks. However, using certain herbs and simmering it for three days and nights would produce a thick soup with delicious taste.

For such a kind of Ferocious Beast, even a deboning master would have a difficult time cutting it up. This kid is crazy.

“Are you joking? This Scaled Draconic Beast is worth over a hundred gold liangs. How do you plan to pay us if you end up ruining it?” Dong Zi spoke out in discontent. He was still unhappy at Lin Ming for taking away his knife.

The beautiful woman gave Dong Zi a glance and snapped. “If I let you ruin it, do you think you have what it takes to ruin it?”

Dong Zi suddenly found himself becoming speechless. The Scaled Draconic Beast is not the same as pigs, cows or sheep. Ordinary people would not be able to break its scales even with a knife. Ruining it was not something that normal people could manage to accomplish.

The woman turned to face Lin Ming and said. “I will let you cut!”

Lin Ming nodded his head and picked the best boning knife in the kitchen. He had only cut Scaled Draconic Beasts twice; both times were during the birthday some important figures in the Lin Family. After all, Ferocious Beasts was not something that an average person could afford to buy.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming carefully stroked the scales of the Scaled Draconic Beast, feeling the whereabouts of its veins. This process took up the time of an incense’s stick. In his mind, he formed a diagram of the veins. Comparing it with the diagram of his previous Scaled Draconic Beast, he confirmed it to be correct.

While waiting, some people became impatient and finally asked. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you cutting?”

“Stop trying to be mysterious and just cut it.”

It was only natural that these people would become impatient. A fifteen-year-old teenager claiming to be able to debone a Level Two Ferocious Beast, it could only appear to be a prank to them.

Lin Ming turned a deaf ear to these questions. He picked up the knife, his eyes becoming extremely focused. For him, the deboning process was the equivalent of a practice session.

After having confirmed the diagram of the veins, Lin Ming finally began. He did not use an axe or a slaughtering blade; he only used the hard to wield boning knife.

In the hands of Lin Ming, this ordinary knife turned into an exceptionally sharp weapon. The knife descended and the Scaled Draconic Beast’s scales were cut apart!

Observing this occurrence, the person who had been asking questions immediately shut his mouth. This feat alone would have required wrist strength of at least three hundred jin (181.4 kg). For them, the feat of dismembering a Scaled Draconic Beast would normally require either axes or saws.

The edge of the knife moved through the gap in the veins, cutting through it smoothly as though he was cutting through paper. Everyone could only hear the sounds of “shua shua” before the Scaled Draconic Beast’s white muscles were revealed.

Looking at how easily Lin Ming was cutting away, the man called Dong Zi rubbed his eyes. He suspected that there was something wrong with his eyes. Is this little kid really cutting apart a Scaled Draconic Beast?

Lin Ming moved gracefully. Occasionally, a few unavoidable tendons would interrupt his work. When that happened, he would use brute strength to pull it out. Thus, he ended up using about less than half a long hour to cut the Scaled Draconic Beast into pieces. Beside the pieces of meat, rows of ribs were laid down in order. These were the most valuable part of the Scaled Draconic Beast. The lengths of these ribs were all consistent, showing almost no loss during work.

This scene caused everyone to become astounded. What Lin Ming had done may seem easy, but everyone here knew that the dismembering of a Scaled Draconic Beast is a huge project, requiring around five strong men to work in tandem for around half a day. However, that teenager only has a slightly reddish face after completing the task. Judging by his looks, cutting up a few more would not be a problem!

As it was already night, the Grand Clarity Pavilion was no longer that busy, allowing many of its kitchen members to quietly watch the scene unfold. Then, Lin Ming placed down the knife and asked. “Can I work here now? My working hours must not exceed two long hours (4 hours) and my asking monthly salary is at five gold liangs. One more thing, you need to provide food and accommodation for me.”

The beautiful woman pondered this for a moment before nodding. “Deal!”

Lin Ming’s condition was not low; however, it was worth it. Judging by the speed Lin Ming had shown earlier, many things could be done within two long hours. Most importantly, his work was highly efficient, causing very little loss in key ingredients.

Thus, Lin Ming began working for Grand Clarity Pavilion. The two long hours he spent there was not a loss because it was also a form of training for him. Punching tree trunks was a form of training in brute strength, while deboning was a form of precision training.

On that very night, Lin Ming remained in the storehouse and cut apart three Level One Ferocious Beasts. After having done so, his entire body was drenched in sweat and his arms were feeling sore. He prepared to cut apart the last one before heading to his lodge to rest.

For the last one, he chose another Level Two Ferocious Beast – Goldback Pangolin, this Ferocious Beast has teeth that could crush stones and could drill through a mountain as though it was tofu.

Due to having consumed too much primal energies earlier, Lin Ming had to exert a great deal of strength in order to cut open the Goldback Pangolin’s scaled abdomen. The reason he had chosen this Goldback Pangolin was to force himself to surpass his limits.

After cutting open the scales, his work became much easier. The knife-edge slid through the gap between the muscles of the Goldback Pangolin abdomen. However, it was at this moment that Lin Ming felt the knife being blocked. It felt as though the knife had run into something hard.

Bones? No, the central abdomen area should not have any bones.

If that is not it, then could it be rocks? No, the Goldback Pangolin may occasionally swallow rocks, but those rocks would have been crushed to smithereens. Even if it were not crushed to smithereens, the powerful acid within its stomach would erode it. Such a big rock could not possibly continue to exist inside, could it be…

Inner Core?

Thinking of this possibility, Lin Ming became excited. An Inner Core from a Level Two Ferocious Beast is a valuable item. Even if he does not sell it, he could consume it, bringing a considerable amount of benefit to his body.

Lin Ming slipped on a pair of gloves and carefully retrieved the hard item while avoiding the stomach acid. Looking at it, Lin Ming became disappointed. It was a square shaped object, which meant that it was not an Inner Core, because Inner Cores are all spherical in shape.

It really does look like a stone, but there is something peculiar about this stone…

The grey coloured cube seemed to have been neatly cut, with precise corners. In addition, the six surface areas of the cube were engraved with black coloured inscriptions, giving it a mysterious aura.

Metal?

Lin Ming carefully observed it. It did not seem to be metal, nor does it appear to be stone. Perhaps it is a form of jade?

Chapter 3 – Soul With No Master

…

Lin Ming washed the stone with some water from the river. After hesitating for a bit, he raised an axe placed on the ground and used its blunt end to lightly strike down on the cube shaped stone. The stone remained intact without a single scratch on it.

This was to be expected. The fact that this stone was able to remain intact after being swallowed by a Goldback Pangolin was proof of its incredible durability. Lin Ming gradually increased the strength behind his strikes. Eventually, he struck down with all his might resulting in a dent being formed on the axe and the hammering anvil. However, not a single deformity appeared on the cube.

The hell!?

Lin Ming was stunned. He had expected the stone to be tough, but he could never have expected it to be this tough. How was this item created?

Lin Ming could not come up with an answer. This stone and its shape is too peculiar. Perhaps some refining master created this stone using some highly durable materials. Considering such a possibility, Lin Ming decided to pocket the cube. Even if he could not figure out what it is, he could still use it as a form of decoration.

After tidying up the tools, Lin Ming headed towards the room that Grand Clarity Pavilion had prepared for him and proceeded to rest.

After practicing his punches, he had engaged in deboning for four hours. Lin Ming was currently feeling quite tired.

After meditating and adjusting his breath for a while, Lin Ming slumped on the bed without taking off his clothes and fell asleep. The bed that Grand Clarity Pavilion had prepared for its staff was very comfortable. In addition, the second son of the Army Lord could not create any problems for him here.

Having reached this conclusion, Lin Ming was able to sleep soundly. In his sleep, he had a strange dream. He dreamt of a resplendent palace made of jade. Each pavilion was made of jade, its level of artisanship staggeringly high.

Wearing elegant dresses, a group of beautiful and seemingly good-natured beauties shuttled around the palace. Auspicious looking animals roamed the skies, creating the imagery of a world of immortals.

Lin Ming had never seen such a beautiful palace, not even in paintings. At this moment, the scenery suddenly transformed and the resplendent palace collapsed. Countless figures had appeared in the skies above. From amongst the countless figures, streams of light shot out. The streams of light were beautiful to behold; however, when it descended upon the lands, it caused the lands and mountains to be decimated!

The lands were split apart while the skies were covered with demonic flames. A huge spell array covering a surface area of hundreds of li (0.5 km) appeared out of thin air and multitudinous number of mysterious symbols covered the entire sky.

A war on this scale was something that Lin Ming could never have imagined! Masters! These are masters of an unimaginable realm of strength! This level of strength is something that those at the Physical Training Stage and Primal Assemblage Stage could not hope to compete against!

Everyone within this imagery are beings that Lin Ming would never have any chance of even glimpsing upon. However, how is it that so many God-like beings would appear here?

After that, the scene changed and turned into a world of snow and ice. A frightened looking woman held onto a one cubic inch cube, facing off against ten thousand figures standing on the skies.

This woman was actually standing just less than three feet from Lin Ming. Even though he understood that this was all an illusion, Lin Ming was able to feel an extremely powerful yet gentle and holy aura radiating from the woman’s body!

What surprised Lin Ming most was that the cube that the woman was holding was the stone that Lin Ming had found within the Goldback Pangolin’s abdomen!

The woman spoke out a series of words, but the words spoken were vague. Lin Ming could only make out two words – Magic Cube!

Magic Cube?

For some unknown reason, once he heard those words, Lin Ming’s mind thought of the stone. Could it be that the stone’s name is Magic Cube?

“Hong!”

An explosion! The space itself was rent apart, the skies were twisted into a raging whirlpool with seemingly infinite power, sweeping up all of the heavens and earth. Everywhere it reached, mountains would collapse and skies would crumble. The icy glacier was instantly transformed into nothingness and the ten thousand figures were reduced into dust. Their souls were fragmented and absorbed into the cube!

As for Lin Ming, he found himself standing in the middle of the whirlpool, witnessing with his own eyes as everything were absorbed into the whirlpool. Everything around him was reduced to ashes while he himself remained unaffected. This feeling was simply indescribable and would likely be an unforgettable experience for Lin Ming!

Lin Ming felt himself drenched in cold sweat. At this moment, he suddenly found that he had arrived at an incredibly large and dark space. Here, various specks of light hovered in suspension, resembling pieces of broken mirror. The various specks were of varying sizes, some big and some small. The bigger ones were as big as a palm, while the smaller ones were only as big as a grain of rice. In the middle of all those specks of light, there was a sphere of light, which emitted a soft glow, a gentle and sacred glow.

Inexplicably, Lin Ming felt that the atmosphere around this sphere of light was very similar to that of the woman he had seen earlier. No, it was exactly the same!

Could it be that this sphere of light is the form left by that woman?

Lin Ming recalled that the woman had turned into a stream of white light and was absorbed into the Magic Cube right after the explosion happened…

A stream of white light… could it have transformed into this sphere of light? If that were the case, then this would be the space within the Magic Cube. That would mean that these specks of light…

Lin Ming gasped. Could it be that these specks of light were all the fragments of the countless figures that were absorbed by the Magic Cube after they have been crushed by that spatial storm?

Lin Ming was immensely shocked!

As of now, he clearly understood that the vivid scene he had just seen were true. Although he had told himself that he was simply dreaming, he was unable to believe that it was just a dream. Everything he had seen in this dream was too realistic and the image of the spatial whirlpool fragmenting the world was deeply engraved into Lin Ming’s mind. As a mere ignorant teenager who had yet to achieve the Pulse Condensation Stage, how could he have a dream that involved such a great level of power?

Then, all those visions were true? This one stone cube had actually swallowed countless masters whose strength was at a level where he would have no chance of ever laying eyes upon?

Lin Ming could not imagine which kingdom could possess such a high number of masters whose strength could suffocate him to such an extent. He focused his eyes and peered into the dark space that was littered with countless specks of light. After hesitating for a long period of time, he extended his hand and gently touched a speck of light which was both the smallest and closest to him.

Upon contact, the speck of light instantly flowed into Lin Ming’s fingertip. Lin Ming had no time to respond at all, as his head felt as though a heavy hammer had suddenly struck down on it viciously. He let out a cry and fell to the ground.

“Aaah!”

Lin Ming tightly gripped his head; he felt as though there was something desperately invading his mind. The piercing pain caused Lin Ming to wish he could crack open his skull and remove whatever was causing the pain!

He could not resist! Lin Ming felt as though he was about to be swallowed up!

Swallowed?

That is it! This must be the soul fragment’s instinctive nature; it is trying to devour my sea of consciousness!

“Damn you!”

Realizing this fact, Lin Ming briefly panicked but immediately calmed himself. The thing threatening him was only a small fragment of a soul. In addition, its master had already perished. How could he lose to a minor consciousness that has no master?

Lin Ming suddenly shouted out, clenching his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh and blood: Preserve my heart and mind! My heart that beats for the Martial Way!

I have sworn to pursue the extremities of the Martial Way, how could I allow my road to end here?

Lin Ming had no clue on how to get rid of that fragmented consciousness that had no owner. All he could do was grit his teeth and hold on with everything he had. Various disorderly images flowed into his sea of consciousness, causing him to undergo an inhuman amount of pain, threatening to render him unconscious. However, he kept gritting his teeth, maintaining his hold onto the vestiges of his consciousness and holding on to his unwavering Martial heart!

After who knew how long, this inhuman torture slowly faded. At last, Lin Ming woke up from his dream. He opened his eyes to see that it was already dawn and that he was drenched in cold sweat; his bed sheets were soaked and his palms were dripping with blood from being gripped too tightly!

Observing all this, Lin Ming was a hundred per cent certain that what had happened was no dream. No nightmare could produce such a kind of effect.

He calmly contemplated and could not help but feel scared. A person’s soul consists of two parts: an imprinted consciousness and memories. Once the imprinted consciousness is erased, the soul would become ownerless. An ownerless soul could only act on instinct. Back then, the soul he had touched was only at half the size of a rice grain, its light dim. And yet, he had nearly been swallowed up by it, how horrifying! If he had touched an even bigger speck, it was likely that he would have turned into a basket case by now!

The cube is too dangerous!

As Lin Ming was contemplating about the matter, his face suddenly changed: Eh… my sea of consciousness…

There are a lot more things inside!

Arrays… inscriptions… engravings… various bizarre symbols, mysterious characters, plain looking and powerful weapon techniques…

What is all this?

Could this be the memories carried by the ownerless soul?

This thought cause Lin Ming to become startled. He was vaguely aware that this set of memories could prove to be an unimaginable mountain of wealth…

Although it had entered Lin Ming’s sea of consciousness, the memories were complex. They were not something that Lin Ming could recall as and how he liked. Those memories needed to be further consolidated and integrated.

While doing so, Lin Ming ignored the memories regarding arrays and inscriptions. These memories were a little fragmented and disorderly. The memories appeared to be about a profession that engraves inscriptions onto weapons.

Lin Ming held no interest towards this profession. There was something else that he needed, something he desired for. He kept searching through his sea of consciousness and finally held his breath as he found it: Physical Training Stage Formula – Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians!

A Legacy skill!

Chapter 4 – Legacy Skill

…

Sky Fortune Martial House has only eighty years of history. The Seven Profound Martial House on the other hand was founded by the third-grade sect, the Seven Profound Valleys. They possessed six hundred years’ worth of heritage and numerous Legacy skills!

Those who practice the Legacy skills from Sky Fortune Martial House have little hope of achieving Pulse Condensation Stage. However, the same cannot be said about the Seven Profound Martial House’s Legacy skills. As long as one has a Grade Four Martial Talent, breaking through into the Pulse Condensation Stage using Seven Profound Martial House’s manuals is not difficult at all!

As for Lin Ming, he has not even a decent training manual. All he had was a ‘Beginners’ Martial Arts’ manual. Every day, he would train by punching tree trunks and debone animals. This was Lin Ming’s martial way!

For the past few years, the only thing he could depend on was himself. He explored the aspects of martial arts himself through hard work and carved his way, step by step, until he reached the First Stage of Physical Training!

For him, legacies were an important existence!

Lin Ming was incomparably excited and he voraciously sorted out the knowledge regarding this Legacy skill. Not long after, this ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ surprised him yet again!

‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ is a pinnacle level Physical Training Manual from the Divine Domain. However, even though it is of the pinnacle level, it is only about Physical Training and thus was not that valuable within the Divine Domain. The reason Lin Ming became surprised was because he had finally understood what the Divine Domain is.

The Divine Domain is a higher realm that possesses hundreds of millions of years’ worth of Legacies. Physical training, martial arts, swordsmanship techniques, technical skills, arrays, all of it have been developed and honed to the extreme. It is a world reserved for the strongest of the Martial Way! Their abilities and might are not something that the current Lin Ming could hope to imagine!

Thus, this ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ is simply invaluable! Additionally, there are even more soul fragments stored within the Magic Cube. Once his strength had reached the sufficient level, he would be able to incorporate even more of them!

Considering all of this, Lin Ming’s heart was incredibly excited.

Presently, what Lin Ming fear most would be for the skill manual to be incomplete. After all the soul fragment that he had absorbed was only a small speck. It would be an absolute pity if that was the case. Thankfully, as he continued incorporating the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’, he saw that it was intact. Everything from Strength Training, Flesh Training, Viscera Training, Altering Muscle, Bone Forging and Pulse Condensation were there.

This fact was surprising enough for Lin Ming. In Sky Spill Continent, Physical Training Manuals were generally for one stage only. For example, the ‘Genuine Altering Muscle Channels’ manual is specifically meant for the Altering Muscle Stage, the ‘Golden Bone Forging Divine Formula’ manual for Bone Forging Stage, the ‘Divine Nine Pulse Skill’ manual for the Pulse Condensation Stage and so on. However, this ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ is capable of propelling one from the Strength Training Stage to the Pulse Condensation Stage. But what Lin Ming found after this shocked him even more.

Within Sky Spill Continent, Pulse Condensation marks the end of the Physical Training Stage. After which, one will step upon the Primal Assemblage Stage. The Primal Assemblage Stage is divided into Post-Celestial Stage and Pre-Celestial Stage. For most people, Pulse Condensation is a bottleneck, which they could not break through. These people would be forever stuck in the Bone Forging Stage.

Pulse Condensation is the limit for the veins within the human body. That is a commonly accepted knowledge. However, according to the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’, there exists another stage beyond Pulse Condensation – Tempering Marrow!

Above the Tempering Marrow Stage, there are actually others! Eight Hidden Inner Gates! Using the Eight Trigrams to correspond with the movement of the Nine Celestial Bodies, one could open up eight gates within their bodies. Then, Nine Stars of the Dao Palace! With it, one could break through the limits of the body and reach an even higher level of strength!

Regardless of Tempering Marrow or the Eight Gates, neither one of them would affect a martial artist when entering the Post-Celestial or Pre-Celestial Stage. This gives one a far higher degree of martial achievement compared to others. The benefits are self-evident!

Realizing this, Lin Ming was rendered speechless from shock. This ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ is a timeless treasure!

Lin Ming was fervently excited to start practicing. However, before he began, he checked his pocket within his bosom for the Magic Cube. To his surprise, the cube had disappeared!

Lin Ming became fearful and cold sweat started coming out of him. His hand probed around and felt something strange on his chest. He took off his clothes and found a strange symbol on the skin of his left chest. The symbol is exactly the same as the mysterious symbol of the surface of the Magic Cube.

The Magic Cube entered my body? Lin Ming recalled that the holy woman had summoned out the Magic Cube from her palm. It was no wonder that she could do that. However, Lin Ming had no clue as to how to summon it.

Lin Ming tried to summon the Magic Cube, but to no avail. Lin Ming felt somewhat disappointed. After all, there were so many soul fragments within the Magic Cube. Back then, he had only touched the smallest and dimmest of fragment and had such a great harvest. If he could incorporate more of those soul fragments, then the amount of treasure that he could unlock would be simply unimaginable.

Thinking about that, Lin Ming suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile. He was being ignorant. If the smallest ownerless soul fragment had nearly swallowed his consciousness, then the bigger ones would likely be able to instantly exterminate him!

Stop dreaming, Lin Ming!

It appeared that the secrets of the Magic Cube and the knowledge within the soul fragments would have to be left for when his cultivation had reached an even higher level. What he needed to do right now was to practice the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ as soon as possible.

Lin Ming stopped trying to summon the Magic Cube and began to explore the Legacy skill from the Divine Domain.

The essence of ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ is to transform the body into a divine weapon with amazing strength.

Additionally, the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ also emphasizes on techniques that utilizes strength. Its first layer of Strength Training is already far different from the norm.

Normally, once a person is capable of a force of a thousand jin (604 kg), that person would have achieved minor comprehension and could smash an Iron Tree with a punch. The Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians however, requires not only the training of strength, but also the training of precision, the control over the amount of strength used. Once major comprehension is achieved, one would be able to use their palm to turn a tree trunk into fine fibres!

Reading this part gave birth to a great sense of longing within Lin Ming. There was no doubt that training this ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ would make him far stronger than the average master!

…

Three days later

At the foot of Great Mountain Zhou, with the full moon suspended in the skies, Lin Ming stood upon a plain of grass with his eyes closed. He breathed following a specific rhythm, standing there for who knew how long. His entire being was still like a sculpture, illuminated by the moonlight.

He was practising the ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’, a special method of circulating true primal energies derived from the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ manual. This formula is much better at utilizing the true primal energies to temper the body and forge the bones. Once major comprehension of this formula is attained, the resulting strength and durability would be greatly improved to a level surpassing those of the same realm!

Under the night’s blowing winds, numerous fine grasses came together to form undulating waves which danced about. Lin Ming’s breathing seemed to be in accordance with these undulating waves, as though he had become one with the surrounding environment.

A drop of dew rolled upon a leaf just above Lin Ming’s head. Condensing quietly, it eventually dropped down.

Lin Ming who was originally motionless suddenly opened his eyes. He stretched out his right hand, allowing the drop of dew to fall upon his fingertip. The drop of dew rolled down the finger onto his palms. Grasping the drop of dew, Lin Ming’s right hand suddenly formed a fist, his shoulder and thigh moved to position, and he threw out a punch.

“Boom!”

With a muffled bang, the thick tree trunk before Lin Ming was shaken, traces of a fist appearing amidst the swirling tree dust!

Lin Ming exhaled and let go of his fist, allowing the drop of dew to drop down. With a “pa da” sound, it fell upon the grass and was scattered.

A smile emerged on Lin Ming’s face.

When ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ reaches a state of perfection, then the drop of dew would have shot out together without being splintered ^[2]. Although his current state of comprehension has yet to reach that far, he had still made some success.

In addition, the earlier punch had left a fist mark of roughly half a foot in depth upon the Iron Tree. Three days ago, his punch could at best only leave half an inch. His current achievement was all due to the ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’.

In these three days, Lin Ming had been practicing this ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’ non-stop and had finally succeeded in reaching the beginning stage. Truthfully, Lin Ming was only able to train so well thanks to the memories of the senior.

The senior’s experience and comprehension had greatly benefited Lin Ming’s training. Even the circulating method of the skill had been deeply ingrained into the senior’s soul. All Lin Ming needed to do was use his body to recollect them.

Due to how crazy his training schedule was, Lin Ming’s consumption rate of medicinal herbs was also much faster. He had used up three slices of the Blood Ginseng. At this rate, the Blood Ginseng would be used up within less than half a month’s time.

He now has the solution to training manuals, but still faced the problem of insufficient medicinal herbs…

Thus, two days went by and Lin Ming’s strength kept growing. The current Lin Ming was able to debone Level One Ferocious Beasts effortlessly. For him, even dismembering five Level Two Ferocious Beasts was considered easy.

…

One morning, Lin Xiaodong came to the Grand Clarity Pavilion to find Lin Ming. Lin Ming had earlier informed Lin Xiaodong that he was working in the Grand Clarity Pavilion, although he omitted telling him the reason behind it.

“The Annual Martial Arts Fair?” Lin Ming felt shocked, hearing Lin Xiaodong’s proposal to go there.

“That is right, many martial arts masters and nobles will be there. As for the items that will appear there, there are no rare items, only extremely rare items!”

Lin Ming shrugged and replied. “How could we afford those items? As of now, I only have less than twenty gold liangs on me.”

“So what if we cannot buy it? We can just go look around. Just take this as an act of gaining experience. Besides, we will be entering the martial house soon. We must at least buy a good weapon before that. Even if I cannot afford the high grade weapons, I should be able to get our hands on some middle grade weapons.”

Not wanting to disappoint Lin Xiaodong, Lin Ming chose to go out with him. After all, it would be a beneficial experience.

As they were headed there, Lin Xiaodong kept talking non-stop about the fair. He was very familiar with the details of the fair, its distance from the Seven Profound Martial House, the areas that are considered sub urban and so on. As they were walking down an alley way, Lin Ming suddenly stopped and placed his hand on Lin Xiaodong’s shoulders.

“What is wrong, Brother Ming?” Lin Xiaodong asked.

“Someone is blocking the way,” Lin Ming touched his waist where his boning knife was strapped onto. Thanks to his training of the ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’, Lin Ming’s perception abilities have greatly increased.

He could guess who it was.  A few days ago, he had beaten the man with monkey like ears. Now, the man’s master has decided to show himself. This moment was something that Lin Ming had been preparing for.

Chapter 5 – Wager

Just as Lin Ming stopped moving, a slightly sharp voice sounded out in the alley. “Hehe, how unexpected, you have quite a high level of vigilance. You are called Lin Ming, right?” A teenager wearing silk clothing slowly walked out from the back of a residence, a contemptuous smile was etched on his face. Behind him, five eighteen-year-old teenagers followed. Most of them were all at the First Stage of Physical Training, only one of them was at the Second Stage. As for the teenager with silk clothing, he too was at the Second Stage of Physical Training.

Observing this situation, Lin Xiaodong suddenly panicked. He had recognized this teenager in silk clothing. He was the one beside Zhu Yan during the Seven Profound Martial House registration incident. Anyone could tell that this bastard was here to cause trouble.

They have a total of six people, two at the Second Stage of Physical Training and four at the First Stage of Physical Training. As for him and Lin Ming, they were both only at the First Stage of Physical Training. If things were to escalate into a fight, then they would certainly ended up being abused. The teenager in silk clothing must be a young master from one of Sky Fortune City’s great families. These people possess both authority and power. While they were not the type to kill indiscriminately, they were certainly capable of crippling others on a regular basis.

“What are you people trying to do?” Lin Xiaodong shouted out, traces of anger evident within his words.

“You will have to ask him,” The teenager in silk clothing pointed towards Lin Ming. “You are quite the impressive one, to beat up my underling until he was bleeding all over; two of his ribs were broken.”

For these young masters of great families, the lives of their underlings were of no consequence. However, their reputation was another matter. Moreover, the underling had reported that he had already spoken out the teenager in silk clothing’s name, but ended up being beaten all the same. This was what caused the teenager in silk clothing to become enraged.

“You are quite the capable one, to claim to one day trample upon me, Wang Yigao! Today, I would like to witness with my own eyes how you plan to do just that!” The teenager in silk clothing said, his face turning savage.

Lin Ming had never heard of the name Wang Yigao before, nor have he ever said anything about trampling on him. The underling most likely fabricated this in order to provoke Wang Yigao. However, Lin Ming did not feel like explaining himself. No matter what he says, this was bound to end in a fight.

The ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ is indeed powerful, however, Lin Ming had only started practicing it for a few days. It would be simply too much to fight off so many people at the same time, especially when two of them are at the Second Stage of Physical Training. Not to mention, if Lin Xiaodong were to be taken hostage, then he would be in trouble all the same.

Considering the bigger picture, winning here would also bring him trouble. Once matters escalated and he was forced to beat up Wang Yigao, then the next source of trouble would come from Wang Yigao’s father. This person is the Army Lord of Sky Fortune City. Lin Ming highly doubt that such a kind of individual would be interested in sitting down and engaging in a civilized discussion with him. For the current Lin Ming, this sort of person is an existence he could not afford to provoke.

What a pain in the rear…

Lin Ming pondered. Suddenly, a spark lighted up within his mind, he had thought of a way to resolve this problem. Facing Wang Yigao, he spoke. “Then, what do you want to do?”

“What do I want to do?” Wang Yigao was slightly stunned and instantly laughed out. “You actually asked me what do I want to do?”

The rogues he brought with him all laughed out in unison. In their eyes, Lin Ming was no different from an idiot. For him to be asking them what they wanted to do now was certainly the height of idiocy.

After laughing for a good while, Wang Yigao finally stopped and said. “I really am uncertain as to whether I should call you an idiotic pig or a pig like idiot. However, since you came forth with the question, then this Young Master will give you a chance. Don’t you go around saying that this Young Master is being ruthless. Just get down on your knees and lick my soles clean. After that, break off one of your arm tendons and one leg tendon. If you do that, I will forget about it.”

Hearing Wang Yigao’s conditions, Lin Xiaodong became infuriated. “Damn it! Brother Ming, there is no need for us to talk nonsense with them. Let us fight them to the bitter end. Our Green Mulberry City’s Lin Family is no pushover; let us see if they actually dare do anything!”

Lin Xiaodong knew that they would have to suffer miserably today. All he could do was bring out his family name and hope that the other side would show some fear. Some physical pain was not a problem, but if they ended up being crippled, that would be a huge blow to a martial artist. They may never be able to recover their original body state even with the help of rare herbs.

“Green Mulberry City’s Lin Family? Heng, did you think I would be afraid of your Lin Family? Lin Ming, are you going to do it yourself, or do you want me to do it for you?”

“I dare you! Come, did you think this Young Master is afraid of you!” Lin Xiaodong stepped forward, one hand firmly gripping onto his sword hilt. Truth be told, he was currently feeling extremely flustered. However, he just happened to be the type who would rather die than lose face!

Lin Ming pulled Lin Xiaodong back and spoke to Wang Yigao. “So, what you wanted were those things you said earlier? Very well, as long as you can beat me in a martial arts duel, I will accept your conditions.”

“Brother Ming, you…” Lin Xiaodong became anxious. Even though he believe that Lin Ming would become a highly accomplished person in the future, the current Lin Ming is only at the First Stage of Physical Training. How could he defeat Wang Yigao who is at the Second Stage of Physical Training? Lin Xiaodong feared that Lin Ming would end up with broken tendons after he loses.

Lin Ming said. “Do not worry, I know what I am doing.”

“A martial arts duel? You think you are qualified to duel with me?” Wang Yigao had never expected Lin Ming to suggest something like this. Within Sky Fortune Kingdom, government officials would not intervene in the fight between martial artists because they simply lack the capacity to do so. Thus, the conflicts between martial artists would end up being settled in a martial arts duel. As long as both sides agree, they would place down the terms of victory and defeat. After the duel, the conflict would be settled between both parties and neither one of them would pursue the other anymore. After all, credibility was something important to martial artists.

Considering Wang Yigao’s level of strength, which was one stage above Lin Ming, he did not believe that he would lose. He simply felt that the act of engaging in a martial arts duel with Lin Ming was inappropriate.

Lin Ming replied. “There is no such thing as qualified or not. There is only the question of whether you dare or not.”

“Are you trying to say that I do not dare? That has to be the funniest thing I have heard this year. Very well, since you are going to be so reckless, then I will satisfy you!”

Lin Ming said. “Very well, let us proceed to the square.”

The alley they were at was too remote, with no one to bear witness. Lin Ming feared that Wang Yigao would go back on his words. However, if they were to duel before the many people of Sky Fortune City, even a thick faced Wang Yigao would have no way of denying the results. Unless, he no longer wants to live in Sky Fortune City.

A duel between martial artists is always a remarkable sight and the square would never be lacking in observers. In just moments, many people have started gathering there; even some martial artists were mixed in amongst the observers. Seeing the two contestants, the crowd started talking.

“Isn’t that Army Lord Wang’s son?”

“Indeed, this bastard is about to start bullying others again. I wonder which family’s child it is, to be so unlucky.”

“A First Stage in Physical Training going up against a Second Stage in Physical Training. That child is obviously going to lose.”

“It seems that this child is just a commoner. For a commoner to be able to attain First Stage in Physical Training is quite the accomplishment. A pity! It appears that he is going to become crippled…”

…

Wang Yigao’s reputation within Sky Fortune City was not good and most of the people held sympathy for those who are weaker. In their eyes, compassion towards Lin Ming could be seen.

The more people came, the more unhappy Wang Yigao felt. After all, a Physical Training Second Stager beating a First Stager was nothing to be proud of. In addition, there was the fact that his opponent’s identity was far below him. Thus, Wang Yigao did not want this scene to be witnessed by many!

Wang Yigao said impatiently. “What are you waiting for? Let us duel. After that, go break your own tendons. I will let you understand the gap between us.”

Seeing the high number of people gathering around, Lin Ming faced Wang Yigao and replied. “Naturally, we will start the duel. However, if I lose, I would be at your mercy. Then, what happens if I win?”

Win? This bastard thinks he can win?

Edited and proofread by audiowuxia.

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