Chapter 5: Menace of the Inner Eyes
Editor: Tennesh, Rainystars
The short man’s face drooped in dissatisfaction. He stared at Ling Xian coldly, "I may have ignored your existence until now. But with a qi level of three, how dare you anger us? Are you tired of living?"
"You two alone aren’t enough to kill me," Ling Xian said confidently. He truly believed that he could easily slaughter these two using merely a fraction of the power his Eyes of Execution could offer.
"You don’t have a lot of training under your belt, yet you are so arrogant," the tall man peeked at Ling Xian through his peripheral vision, "it isn’t easy being a hero. You need actual skills and experience."
"I am well-aware that it isn’t easy being a hero. I am someone who doesn’t like getting involved in things. If you didn’t trap me with these pillars and threatened to kill the lady over here, I wouldn’t be having thoughts of killing you right now," Ling Xian chuckled ruthlessly.
"Young man, you sure are conceited," a murderous expression loomed onto the tall man’s face. Qi from the sixth level began to pour out of his body. He looked at Ling Xian and said, "don’t blame me when you enter the underworld. If you want to blame something, blame your miserable fate."
"Don’t waste so much time talking to someone so worthless, big brother. Watch me kill him with one move," the short man grinned atrociously. His fingers moved rhythmically, commanding a spell. This time, seven fireballs in the size of fists appeared out of thin air. At the speed of light, they moved toward Ling Xian.
The Seven Star Electric Fire Technique.
This technique was considered to be a strong technique due to its fast speed and the extent of the damage it could cause. However, because the short man was obviously not properly trained yet, the fireballs he summoned had no electric current running through them. Therefore, its speed and damage were nowhere near what it could be if they were perfectly cast.
Ling Xian’s expression turned serious. Simultaneously, one of his eyes turned black; the other turned white. He has unreleased the fourth ranked Inner Eyes, the Eyes of Execution!
Suddenly, the seven fireballs seemed to have slowed down. Their flight paths became clear and predictable to Ling Xian.
This was the Eyes of Execution’s first ability. They could slow down the attack formed by the opponent, allowing the user to pinpoint the opponent’s weakness.
Ling Xian began to move his feet, dodging from left to right. His movement was graceful, like a butterfly flying through a flower bed. Just like that, all seven fireballs missed him.
"What…" The short man’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe it, "how is it possible… dodging my Seven Star Electric Fire Technique?"
Ever since he learned this technique, there hasn’t been a single monk who dodged them. Even the high leveled monks could only cast other spells to try and counterattack. Seeing someone successfully dodge the attack was fascinating for him. He shook with nervousness.
Ling Tian Xiang was also in awe. Unlike the two brothers who were shocked at Ling Xian’s ability to avoid the attack, she was captivated by the pair of black and white eyes he had. After all, she was the eldest daughter of the Ling Clan and has witnessed and experienced much more than the two brothers had. But his eyes still caught her off guard. Though unsure of the specifics, she was certain that they were one of the legendary Inner Eyes!
The Inner Eyes that could only be awakened by those with true talent!
Ling Tian Xiang’s mind was blown. When did the City of Qing acquire an extraordinarily talented, yet spiteful young boy?
"The Seven Star Electric Fire Technique, not as good as I thought it would be," Ling Xian placed his hands behind his back. His body language alone made the brothers feel threatened.
"Dammit, young man, don’t be so cocky. You were simply lucky. Try avoiding me again if you dare!" the short man squinted his eyes. Using all his strength this time, he again summoned seven fireballs and directed them towards Ling Xian’s direction.
Dong! There was a loud rumble. Almost immediately, a heavy gust of dust filled the air. Ling Xian walked out of the thick cloud of dust nonchalantly. His white robe not at all dirtied from the attack.
The short man’s face whitened as if he had seen a ghost. All the blood drained from his face as he realized that successfully dodging the fireballs might be luck the first time, but succeeding a second time meant he has definite skills!
"My turn now," the corners of Ling Xian’s lips curved up. In his eyes, you could see the sunrise, the sunset, the earth splitting, and the sky crackling. Waves of dust and fog started to rise and form around him. Slowly, the dust gathered and solidified into a blood-stained and majestic looking sword.
The Sword of Extinction!
The sword was one of the nine transformed forms of the Eyes of Execution. Formed out of fog and dust, it could slice through the heavens and pierce the underworld. It was known to be indestructible. The legends had it that it was a valuable treasure of the gods.
It had been 12,000 years since the Sword of Extinction has appeared. As if grumpy to be woken up from a deep sleep, the sword emitted surges of ice cold killing aura. It displayed violence and blood to its audiences, forcing them to watch murderous and destructive scenes one after another. In one scene, there was a man with red hair dressed in red. He held the sword as he stood on top of a mountain and heartlessly stared at a pile of blood drenched dead bodies. It was an image of what hell would look like.
The brothers shook with fear. Their organs were bursting with terror. They were overwhelmed by the strong killer presence of the sword. Their hands and feet turned cold, and they’ve forgotten how to move.
"When the sword holder has the will, he could lead the battle in any direction he wants," holding tightly onto the sword, Ling Xian felt a gush of emotions, and he believed then that he could take over the world.
His qi level was also rising fast, escalating from the third level to the fourth, the fifth, and then finally stopping. It was another ability the Eyes of Execution brought him – an instant increase in qi levels. Though he has too undertrained to unlock the eyes’ potential fully, his current state was enough to raise his qi by two whole levels!
This came to show how truly frightening the Eyes of Execution were!
The short man had lost all his will to live. He was arrogant over the fact that his qi was at level five. But how in hell did the third level, the young boy he looked down upon, suddenly reach his level?
"I can’t just sit and wait for death!" the tall man clenched his teeth together and spat out some blood. Abruptly, the ground cracked open, and a 30-meter-tall giant emerged from the ground and dashed toward Ling Xian.
Bang!
A giant foot stepped down and shook the entire ground. The stone giant raised its arms and formed two fists. Aimed towards Ling Xian’s head, it smashed!
The whoosh of wind messed up Ling Xian’s hair. Without any changes in his expression, Ling Xian lifted the sword above his head to block the fists. Streams of blood-red spirits ascended out of the sword and stabbed into the giant’s body. The next thing they heard was a bang! Ling Xian bounced backward from the force while the giant cracked from the sword’s impact.
"Explode!" Ling Xian said coldly. He held the sword with his left hand as his right hand drew out a hand seal. Abruptly, the giant’s body cracked more and more until there was nothing left but dust.
"Is that all you’ve got? Then let me send you on your journey to the dead," Ling Xian’s expression was unforgiving. Fog seemed to be twirling in each of his black and white eyes. The Sword of Extinction emitted a thousand rays of red light. He pointed the tip of the sword to the sky, and the sky turned blood red. The threatening and violent atmosphere scared off many birds and animals, as countless trees withered.
The handsome face, the mythical blade, the suffocating atmosphere… At this moment, Ling Xian felt like he was a master of the sword, an Immortal, the ruler of all beings.
Lian Tian Xiang felt faint. Staring at the outline of his striking frame, a strange emotion flashed across her eyes.
This moment, this scene, deeply imprinted in her brain never faded for the rest of her life.
As for the other two, they were petrified. Their bodies uncontrollably shuddered and their minds filled with horror.
"Monster! You are a monster!" the short man screamed.
"Goddammit, how did we piss off such an evil being!" the tall one didn’t understand what regret was until now. He suppressed his apprehension and cast the strongest technique he knew. An enormous yellow door surfaced from cracks on the ground and stood before the brothers, blocking them from Ling Xian.
"Die," Ling Xian pointed to the sky. Thousands of rays in the sky converged and solidified into a thick and heavy red sword. The blade it formed was simply divine.
Whoosh!
The sword flew by and slid through the stone door with ease. It then split into thousands of bloody knives, stabbed through the brothers and left their dead bodies unrecognizable.
They would never have guessed that their lives would end in the hands of a young boy who had a qi level of merely three. Compared to their fifth and sixth qi levels, how could they have known?
"This is my first time killing someone. It makes me a bit uncomfortable," Ling Xian thought to himself as he walked forward. He took the brothers’ personal pouches, then looked towards Ling Tian Xian. The woman must know about his Inner Eyes now. But him having the Inner Eyes was not something he should expose, at least not until he’s trained enough to protect himself.
The tallest tree was always the first to be destroyed by the wind. It was a simple concept to him.
"You actually won…" Ling Tian Xiang said cheerfully. She was shaken and impressed by the fact that Ling Xian had the Inner Eyes. She did not expect, however, that he would win the battle so easily, so crisply.
"Thank-"Ling Tian Xiang smiled happily. Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a shiver up her spine, "you want to kill me?"
Ling Xian had placed the sword against her white neck. He whispered, "as the eldest daughter of the Ling Clan, you must’ve seen a lot. You know that I have awakened a pair of Inner Eyes, don’t you?"
Ling Tian Xiang was planning on denying it. But under the stare of those mysterious yet mortifying eyes, her heart shivered with fear, "you are scared that I would tell the world that you have the Inner Eyes. If that is the case, then you can kill me, slice me, whatever you want. I rather die in your hands than in the other bastards’ hands."
Ling Xian frowned. In all honesty, he did not want to kill the woman. Though she was a high up and was respected in the Clan and he was born insignificant with thin Clan blood flowing through his veins, the two of them were still collateral relatives. Strictly speaking, he should call her Aunt Ling Tian Xiang.
"Swear on your soul that you will not disclose what you saw today to anyone. What happened today will stay here, and that is the end," Ling Xian said softly.
Ling Tian Xiang’s eyes brightened. She swore on her soul as he had requested, then she carefully asked, "Can you tell me your name? And release the seal they set on me?"
"Xian Ling is the name," Ling Xian said, switching around the two characters in his name. He swung the sword to unleash her from the inhibition spells. He then shut his eyes. When he opened them again, they were back to normal. The sword had also evaporated into a thick fog.
"The bans have been lifted. I assume you can get out of this jungle yourself," Ling Xian glanced at Ling Tian Xiang, "take care of yourself."
He turned and disappeared among the trees.
Ling Tian Xiang’s face darkened. She watched as Ling Xian left and stared after him for a long while even after he was gone. When her mind returned to reality, she dusted the white robe he left her, and coincidentally, a piece of black medal fell from the robe to the ground.
It was the identification medal that every member of the Ling Clan carried.
"Xian Ling… Ling Xian… You are a member of my Ling Clan," she giggled, "Ha, I would like to watch you try running away from my palm," a trace of joy and excitement flashed across her glistening eyes. She then smiled brightly, causing the whole city to succumb to her beauty.
Chapter 6: Fragments of the Sixth Samsara
Editor: Tennesh, Rainystars
These days, there was a rumor going around the Ling Clan.
The Clan leader’s little sister and the bright pearl in everyone’s palm, Ling Tian Xiang, has fallen in love with Ling Xian. She has even sworn never to marry unless the groom was him.
In the beginning, the rumor spread within a small circle. The first reaction from many people was disbelief. What? The number one goddess from the City of Qing was interested in the number one handicap of the Ling Clan? How did feelings even develop between two people who have never had any interactions? It must have been a story fabricated out of thin air!
Within an hour, the rumor spread further and further and became more realistic each time the tale was retold. Some people even claimed they saw Lady Ling pacing around wearing a man’s white robe. This observation made people suspicious. Before long, most people from the Ling Clan started to believe the rumor.
Ling Xian was somewhat famous within the collateral family due to his inability to practice Taoism. People have laughed at him for years. Therefore, when the Ling apprentices, who were also secret admirers of Lady Ling heard about the rumor, they were dumbfounded and angry. They all swore to find Ling Xian, the handicap, and teach him a lesson.
The actual words Ling Tian Xiang said were, "find the person named Ling Xian. He is outstanding. Definitely fetch him for me." But of course, this message was interpreted in many different ways and was passed on in many different versions. And of course, the version people chose to believe was the ridiculous version with the most nonsense.
When the rumor circled back to Ling Tian Xiang, she didn’t know if she should cry or laugh. She felt 70 percent anger and 30 percent embarrassment.
Right now, she was sitting in her bedroom, tenderly stroking the long white robe. She recalled the moment when Ling Xian swung the sword. She blushed as a giggle escaped her lips.
"Lady Ling, I have found information on Ling Xian," her servant Bi He announced softly.
Ling Tian Xiang snapped back into reality. She took the files and studied them, her brows lifted in confusion, "Bi He, are you sure you found the right person? How could he be born without the ability to practice Taoism?"
"I am certain this is the right person, Lady Ling. In the entire Ling Clan, there is only one person with his name," Bi He answered.
A person who was born disabled can awaken the Inner Eyes?
Ling Tian Xiang laughed. It seems like the entire Ling Clan has been tricked by this young boy. No wonder he made her swear not to tell anyone about his Inner Eyes. He seemed comfortable with being low key, and he didn’t want people to know he was actually a genius.
Now that she thinks about it, he should have called her aunt.
Ling Tian Xiang cupped her cheek with her hand. She didn’t know what she was thinking or what to think.
"Lady…" staring at Ling Tian Xiang’s amorous expression, Bi He bit her lips.
"Say what you want to say, don’t stutter," Ling Tian Xiang frowned.
"Lady, even though the Ling Clan does not inhibit marriage within the clan, as long as it’s not between direct relatives,… But between an aunt and a nephew… No matter how distant the blood relation, it’s not allowed," Bi He disclosed her worry.
"This isn’t something for you to think about," Ling Tian Xiang was a bit annoyed, though she didn’t know why. She gestured for Bi He to leave.
Gazing at the blooming peach blossoms outside her window, the beauty sighed. A sound filled with complex emotions and meanings.
...
The male lead from the rumor was hiding inside a mountain cave. He sat in the lotus position, his breath steady and thoughts scarce. He was absorbing the spirits from the heaven and the earth.
The side effects of unleashing the Eyes of Execution was starting to kick in. After his qi fell by three levels, he became extremely weak. Even a shift of his fingers took all of his strength.
However, the positive benefits the eyes brought him were also very obvious. He now had a general idea of the power of the eyes, and from that last use, he also noticed his own weaknesses. He had little training, no knowledge regarding any techniques, and he only won the battle so cleanly because of the natural power of the Inner Eyes.
Because of all that, Ling Xian formed a new plan. He needed to train his qi, fast. Then he must find a few techniques to master before he exercises his battlefield awareness and gain some experience. He needed to organically grow in order to not overly rely on the Inner Eyes. After all, he had no plans to show off the Eyes of Execution to anyone. To him, it was too dangerous.
If people found out he had the fourth-ranked Eye of Execution, then the entire City of Qing… No, the entire Qin Dynasty would craze over him. The pro was that numerous successful cultivators would beg for him to consider them as his new Master and he would have all the resources he needed to become strong and to become a hero in the Qin Dynasty.
On the other hand, the consequences of announcing his Inner Eyes outweighed the pros. Ling Xian has heard more than once about the story of how those with Inner Eyes had their eyes gouged out by those who want them for themselves. Many people have taken those eyes and transplanted them onto their own bodies or their apprentices’ bodies. Because, even if the ability of the Inner Eyes acquired is not meant for battles, they were still more powerful than any technique a monk could train for. Not to mention what Ling Xian had were the majestic Eyes of Execution.
He was not willing to risk it.
After a long time, Ling Xian opened his eyes. A bright ray of light flashed across his eyes and then immediately dimmed to nothing.
"Whew, I finally recovered a little mana. Time to check out my war trophies," Ling Xian’s lips curved up as he took out the dead brothers’ pouches, ready to raid.
These storage pouches were the most basic instruments in the Taoism community. They were cheap, easy to get, and everyone had at least one. A small room could fit inside the pouch, so it was usually protected by a spell. However, once the owner of the pouch dies, the spell that banned thieves is lifted. This saved Ling Xian some time.
He first ripped open the short man’s pouch and found only ten stones and a few potions. Nothing else valuable.
"So poor. Hopefully, the tall guy’s pouch is worth my time," Ling Xian said disappointedly. When he opened the next pouch, his eyes brightened.
Inside the pouch, there were five cubic meters of space. A pile of 500-600 stones that were emitting rich spiritual energy sat there. More importantly, there was a red fan. The rivet of the fan was black, and three characters, Fan of Fire, were carved onto the guard of the fan. On the fan leaf, giant flames were sewed onto it, making it appear mystique and ancient.
A spiritual instrument!
Only the monks who passed fundamental training can use this type of offensive weapon.
"What a good find. I cannot believe I acquired my own instrument when I’m still in the qi-training stage," Ling Xian was very pleased. He examined the fan in detail and the more he looked at it, the more he liked it.
In the entire Taoism community, spiritual instruments were a highly popular attacking method. To have an instrument that was both powerful and suitable for the user was the dream of every monk. Ling Xian was not an exception. Before he even started on the path of Taoism, he was most jealous of those who could use their instruments to call for wind and call for rain whenever they wanted. In his books, those were the truly successful monks.
"It’s a shame that with my level of training I cannot use this Fan of Fire. I wonder how strong it is," Ling Xian said pitifully. He continued to look through the man’s pouch and discovered that in the pile of stones, a palm-sized fragment of something was hidden. The material of the fragment appeared very special; gold but not gold, metal but not metal. It looked like the remains of an ordinary spiritual instrument, but it was emitting six different types of light and was flowing with mysteriousness and desolation.
"This feeling…" Liao Cang Qiong’s illusory body began to appear. He stared at the fragment in Ling Xian’s hand, paused, realized something and spoke in shock, "a fragment from The Wheel of the Sixth Samsara, you are one lucky fella!"
"Master, you have awoken?!" Ling Xian said in surprise.
"I have recovered a little. No need to continue my deep sleep," Liao Cang Qiong grinned, "but you, you acquired a fragment of The Wheel of the Sixth Samsara, that is such good luck."
"The Wheel of the Sixth Samsara? This fragment?" Ling Xian looked at the colorful fragment in his hand.
"Yes, even though that is only one piece of it, if you can collect all of them and rebuild the entire wheel, then it will become a divine instrument. It possesses the power to set one of the strong rules between heaven and earth. You must treasure it," Liao Cang Qiong said seriously.
"Then… how many pieces are there in total?" Ling Xian asked sounding ambitious. To set a rule between the heaven and the earth… if he could get his hands on it, then who would dare be his opponent?
"According to records, the wheel was broken in the last century. There was no clear record of how many pieces, but I suspect there are no more than 100. Because nobody can break the Wheel of the Sixth Samsara to more than a hundred pieces," Liao Cang Qiong gave a number that made Ling Xian speechless.
"A hundred pieces…" he laughed bitterly.
"Don’t be discouraged. When you become an Immortal, you will have a view of the entire world, like it’s your backyard. Moreover, though the wheel is broken, each piece has spiritual remains. If the pieces are near each other, they will call out to each other," Liao Cang Qiong comforted.
"If that’s the case then there is a possibility," Ling Xian became hopeful.
"To have even acquired this one piece has proven your luck and your fate. Back in the years, Master, I have thought about collecting the pieces to complete the wheel. But sadly, I just didn’t have the luck. Even after I surpassed the First Realm with alchemy, I never found a piece," Liao Cang Qiong exclaimed.
"Master… This piece was not mine, to begin with. It was a monk’s. He was planning on killing me but ended up being killed instead. I acquired his pouch, and found this fragment as a result," Ling Xian touched his nose and chuckled.
Liao Cang Qiong paused, then laughed while holding his belly, "that’s why I smelled a hint of blood on your body! Don’t mind that. In the Taoism community, it’s a survival of the fittest. Though he had the ability to get a fragment of the wheel, he didn’t have the ability to keep it, and you snatched it as a result. That is fate."
"It doesn’t matter if it’s stolen, snatched, or found. What’s in your hands is yours. If what’s yours gets stolen, then blame yourself or blame the cruelness of the world. If you blame yourself, you will become more motivated and transfer your anger into training. However, if you choose to blame the world, you will have no will to improve yourself. As a result, you will waste your life."
Ling Xian’s heart felt heavy. He was silent for a long time before he said sincerely, "yes Master. I, the Apprentice, understand."
Liao Cang Qiong smiled mysteriously, "Master I went into a deep sleep in haste last time. I forgot to give you a gift. Now, as your Master, I will gift you with three things; with each thing being a treasure that countless monks go crazy over."
"Three gifts?"
Ling Xian was full of hope and excitement. To be gifted by the legendary alchemist, these presents must be rare and extraordinary.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
stone 
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