Chapter 45: The Three-Day Battle
Editor: Rainystars
The Hidden Territory is an enchanted Cosmo where threats and opportunities coexist.
One may come face-to-face with their greatest fears but also capture their greatest victories. In this magical universe, their lives countless beasts of the ninth-realm as well as a handful of creatures of the eighth-realm whose names send shivers down the spine of every cultivator.
This is a terrifying universe for any being that dares to venture into it.
After leaving the peak where he battled the great Xuan Ming Snake, Ling Xian, accompanied by his new pet, headed straight towards the location the defeated snake had revealed to him. The first day was rather uneventful. Most beasts scattered in fear at the sight of the great snake.
However, Ling Xian knew that in the days that followed, his will and skills would be tested like never before.
On the path between them and their destination, three horrendous beasts of the ninth-realm awaited them. All three both loathed the snake and were immune to its venom.
Backed by the snake, Ling Xian nearly defeated the Golden Tiger before the beast escaped, heavily wounded. However, the tiger returned, seeking revenge, with two more beasts of the ninth-realm.
Leaving the snake to battle the injured tiger, Ling Xian faced the two new threats himself.
With his sword in one hand, and summoning the Flames of Purity with the other, Ling Xian defeated the beasts after a bloodbath from which he emerged wounded.
A sixth level cultivator slaughtering two beasts of the ninth-realm, a stunning triumph!
Unfortunately for Ling Xian, he was unaware of what was coming for him.
The beasts of the Hidden Territory enjoyed a close camaraderie, especially when confronted with outside intruders. The news of the beasts’ death began to spread like wildfire, sending shockwaves throughout the area. It stirred up a passionate thirst for revenge amongst the beastly occupants of the Territory. A terrifying beastly army had been raised to hunt down and slay Ling Xian and his companion.
More importantly, a powerful beast of the eighth-realm was amongst them!
To make matters worse, Ling Xian was not wounded lightly. His only chance for survival was to hide for the time being. Fortunately for him, the Hidden Territory was a massive area of intricate ecosystems and complex geographical ranges. He easily disappeared inside an empty cave.
If he was discovered, there was nothing else to do but to battle the beasts to the death. Using all of his magical weapons, creatures of the ninth-realm were not of an immediate concern. However, the one beast of the eighth-realm remained a real threat to Ling Xian's life.
Despite his injuries and the imminent threat on his life, Ling Xian hoped to find opportunities from this seemingly hopeless situation.
Where there were threats, there were opportunities.
First, Ling Xian had slaughtered many beasts in the past few days. He had also inhaled their souls and powers as nurtured by the magical Qi of the Hidden Territory. Breaking through to the eighth level of cultivation was only a matter of time.
Second, the constant battle had awakened the untapped potential inside Ling Xian. His sense grew keener, and his skills sharper. He had become a veteran.
Throughout his cultivation journey, Ling Xian has engaged in several battles. However, never once did he achieve victory through combat. Through the experiences of the past few days, he has become a warrior.
The moon shone brightly over the corpse-infested waters of the magical Cosmo.
Ling Xian stood underneath his bloodied cloak, surrounded by a deathly aura.
Around him, the rivers have turned into the color of blood and corpses were scattered everywhere. It was hell on earth.
A vicious battle had apparently taken place here.
"Ooooohhh, hhooooo…"
Ling Xian breathed heavily, body bent, clutching a bloodied chest covered in open wounds.
Moments ago, he was confronted by a dozen revenge-seeking beasts.
Following a brutal battle, he managed to slaughter all of them. However, he did not escape unscathed. He had consumed nearly all of his powers, broken at least five ribs, and suffered what felt like significant nerve damage.
"Adding fuel to fire." Ling Xian shooked his head. "Look at me, any beast could finish me off." Looking up at the Xuan Ming Snake, wrapped around a wooden branch of an ancient oak tree, he felt a hint of uneasiness. "Little snake, this is your chance, finish me off." He chuckled.
The snake looked down, shocked and confused.
It didn’t wish to submit to a human. It chose submission because the alternative was death. Now, there was nothing left for the human. Its inner demons began to hijack its thoughts.
However, seeing the soft smile on Ling Xian’s face, and the dismembered corpses scattered all around them, it remembered how the human had fought all those beasts at once. The snake knew how strong and special this human is.
The snake thought back to the earth-shattering battles of the past few days.
15 minutes!
He used only 15 minutes to slaughter a dozen beasts of the ninth-realm!
The snake could never forget the bright silvery flames, the determined glares that shot out of his eyes, and the sword that constantly replaced old blood stains with fresh ones.
Nor could it erase the image of a warrior holding his sword, a hero, and a story for the ages.
A divine figure, the pride of nations, and a myth feared by gods and devils alike.
For the Xuan Ming Snake, these memories brought him unrelinquishable fear, but it has also ignited within it uncontrollable adoration. The snake could not decide.
However, it had a choice to make.
Kill him, regain freedom, return home, and continue to rule its land and subjects. However, even by doing so, it would never become more powerful than it already was.
Follow him, lose freedom, and do his biddings until death. This human had displayed powers beyond what anyone would have imagined possible. One day he will become great, and perhaps rule the known world. It could be a part of that.
Seeing the indecisive snake, Ling Xian lowered his voice. "Still thinking about whether you should follow me or kill me? Don’t trouble yourself. Just swing that tail and kill me. However…"
"...even if you try, I am not sure you can actually kill me." Ling Xian continued with a warm and inviting smile.
However, his smile was darkened by his sad state. His dark hair danced in the wind, and he was drenched in blood from head to toe.
The snake couldn’t help but recount the images of Ling Xian mercilessly slaughtering one beast after another, layering their pitiful bodies on top of the shattered corpses of their dead comrades. Still sweating ice buckets, the snake slithered down the tree towards Ling Xian. "Master, you are speaking nonsense. I would never hurt you when you’re in this state."
"Oh? Is that so? Then why were you hesitating just now?" Ling Xian continued to smile, but the snake could swear it saw a killer's intentions behind that smile.
"That… this…" the snake muttered. "Oh yes! I was lost in the depth of my thoughts. I was recalling your warrior-like skills and bravery and… a dozen beasts! Perhaps not all of them have reached the ninth-realm, but you slaughtered so many of them! And you, master, slaughtered them all without breaking a sweat! My admiration for you is like… the waves of the ocean that never stops crashing down on top of…"
The snake paused, suddenly noticing the deadly glare it was getting from Ling Xian. The creature swallowed its words and began to fidget uncomfortably. I couldn’t help but wonder how Ling Xian would punish it this time.
The Xuan Ming Snake understood perfectly that Ling Xian saw right through its thought process and erected a wall of distrust. However, since it had made its choice, there was no going back now.
No matter what the human wanted, the snake would oblige.
"To tell you the truth, that is rather regretful. If you had chosen a different path, I would be having some delicious snake stew by now." Ling Xian feigned a sigh.
Deep down, he was relieved. Three days of bloody battles, and although he was victorious, the victories came neither easily nor swiftly. In the process of slaying all those powerful beasts, Ling Xian had been forced to use every last drop of his spiritual energy. Not to mention a beast, in his current state, any human could easily finish him off.
However, he had no choice but to continue pretending as if he was only exhausted, and that he could still summon his powers if he so wished. He could not show even the faintest hint of weakness in front of the snake.
Hearing this, the snake became petrified. It whispered a little prayer, thanking the heavens for the smart choice it had just made. Had it chosen poorly, it would be a skinless meat stew by now.
The Xuan Ming Snake was indeed quite stupid. Even though in the creature’s early days, it had gained some human wisdom, its current level of intelligence was equivalent to that of a ten-year-old child. Hence he believed, wholeheartedly, what Ling Xian had just said. To kill it, Ling Xian would only need to raise one finger.
"Get up! Stop lying there like a useless toolbox. Find me a cave. If more beasts smell blood and come this way, I’ll kill you first," Ling Xian demanded impatiently.
"Yes, yes Master. I know a hiding place not far from here. You stay and wait right there." The snake then moved quickly towards Ling Xian and secured him on its back. Then it morphed into a flash of light and disappeared under a cloud of dust.
The snake was taking him to a place it had once called home.
Chapter 46: The Great Riot
Editor: Rainystars
The evening sky was bright and calm, the moon peeking through billions of stars.
Inside a hidden away cave, Ling Xian sat cross-legged with his eyes shut. Streams of earthly aura suspended around him, disappearing into his body through his mouth and nostrils.
Meditating, recovering.
Ling Xian did not purchase injury medication before coming here. Nor did he prepare a healing furnace, so he was stuck with the slowly and least effective method of healing. However, on this occasion, the effects exceeded his expectations. At least he was no longer bleeding profusely, and other injuries were beginning to improve as well.
He had the partially awakened Majestic Bloodline to thank.
The Bloodline not only gifted him with remarkable talent, but it also gave his body the incredible strength and ability to heal itself.
Thus, he was able to stabilize his injuries with such a limited amount of time, and he was becoming stronger with each passing hour.
The darkness of night laid in utter silence.
Suddenly, a terrifying roar ended the precious moment of peace and quiet. Immediately following the cry, waves of beastly screams and howls reverberated across the land.
The cries exuded anger, hatred, and vengeance.
They were rallying an army to seek out and kill the man who had slaughtered so many of their comrades.
“It seems they have found the corpses of their friends.” Ling Xian opened his eyes. This movement broke his concentration, causing him to cough.
“Don’t be alarmed, Master, those idiots won’t find us in here,” the snake said confidently. It was curled up in a corner of the cave enjoying a midnight snack – a Huo Yun Rabbit.
“Let’s hope so. If I knew I’d be injured this badly, I would have brought a Dan brewing furnace. This self-healing technique I’ve had to resort to is too time-consuming,” Ling Xian reflected with a hint of regret. However, there was nothing to be done now. He cracked his neck, expelled all earthly thoughts from his mind, and returned to focusing on his wounds.
In his current state, battered and bruised, traveling anywhere was out of the question. He could only rest his fate in the hands of the Divine and pray that the beasts would not find them there.
Eyes tight shut, mind wholly focused, Ling Xian breathed deeply. The spiritual energy he inhaled through his nose traveled throughout his body, fusing with the boiling Bloodline his body generated.
This force gently massaged his wounds, both inside and out.
“Hhoooooooo…”
After a few moments, his breathing began to stabilize. His muscles relaxed, and the broken bones in his body steadily realigned under the powers of the Qi and the Bloodline. His battered arteries gradually expanded and returned to their original, free-flowing state.
Time was ticking.
Unbeknownst to Ling Xian, the Hidden Territory had descended into turmoil.
From waters to forecasts and mountains to valleys, a countless number of beasts emerged from their resting places. Under the darkness of night, chaos reigned over the Hidden Territory.
An order had been issued from the highest governing authority about a human in hiding. The human was to be found and killed.
Unsurprisingly, they were speaking of Ling Xian.
Ling Xian had slaughtered no less than hundreds of beasts over the past few days, inviting a rapidly growing resentment amongst the remaining population. In the beginning, the hunt for Ling Xian was primarily localized. However, with more and more beasts slain by his sword, the supreme ruler of the beasts had taken notice. He summoned his privy council, and the decision was swift and unanimous: the human must be stopped. He must die for what he has done.”
In the past, since only cultivators with no more than foundational training had been allowed to compete inside the Hidden Territory, the mass killing of the Territory’s beastly occupants had never occurred. However, Ling Xian was amongst the participants this year. In the eyes of the supreme ruler and his privy council, the crimes this human committed in the Territory must be avenged.
They never considered, however, that Ling Xian was acting in self-defense.
Thinking from a different perspective, for Ling Xian, this was a great honor.
Since conception, no human had ever succeeded in inviting a Kill Order from the supreme leader and his privy council.
The beasts inhabiting the Hidden Territory numbered in the tens of the thousands. Every last one had been mobilized for this mission. What an honor!
A hawk does not bother with the likes of ants.
Ling Xian’s measly training had invited this type of chaos. How impressive!
Sweeping across the land, nothing was an obstacle to him.
Tragedy quickly befell the other participants who had entered the Hidden Territory. Beasts emerged from their resting places and extended their presence into every corner of the land. They were looking for the kill. Ling Xian had with him the Xuan Ming Snake who, as a creature of the land, was able to quietly lead him from one hiding place to another without being detected.
After two days of fruitless search, the beasts were losing their patients. Sadly, their fast-brewing anger was redirected towards other humans. Any human that crossed their paths was slaughtered without mercy.
As a result of this relentless hunt for Ling Xian, other cultivators that had entered the Hidden Territory were forced to remain in hiding for as long as they could. All the while cursing the culprit that brought on this plague.
Fang Yun was one of them.
He was a talented student of the Fang Clan. However, when he entered the Hidden Territory, he had unfortunately been transported far away from the rest of his clan. He had since been unable to track them down and reunite with them.
Worse yet, a day ago, he was confronted by a Lion of purple fur who, without warning, pounced on him for the kill. Fang Yun summons all the powers he had to fight off the beast, barely escaping with his life. By now, beasts like this were everywhere.
Hiding was his only option.
At this moment, Fang Yun was sprinting across the forest, broken and exhausted.
“Damn this bastard! How did you manage to start this massacre? Don’t let me find you or I’ll quarter you myself!” Fang Yun cursed under his breath.
Suddenly, a wooden red-crowned crane appeared in the distance, and in a flash of time, landed next to Fang Yun.
Thousand Mile Crane!
A mechanical avian messenger that was meticulously crafted as a method of communication. It was favored by those in the Cultivation Community because it can safely deliver messages to anyone whose scent it was familiar with.
[The Clan Leader sent the Thousand Mile Crane! Something big must have happened.] Fang Yun closed his eyes and muttered the spell that unlocked the message.
A bright aura appeared around the crane. It opened its beak, and a deep voice spoke.
“We found the hiding place of the Lings. Everyone is there except for that bastard Ling Xian. We can’t waste this opportunity. Come now, following the crane, and we’ll destroy them.”
This was the voice of the Fang Clan’s most gifted protégé.
This voice exuded arrogance, deception, and unparalleled hatred for Ling Xian.
“Haha! Finally, we can rid of them. I hear that the pretty little miss from that Clan also made it here. We’ll have some fun.” Fang Yun chuckled, licking his grotesque lips.
The two Clans had been arch enemies for ages. The thought of living in peace had never been entertained. There was nothing better than exterminating the entire clan at once.
Fang Yun was a lusty man who found great joy in abusing and killing women. He had heard rumors of the Ling girl’s beauty. This opportunity was heaven-sent.
Even the simple thought of killing the gorgeous and untouchable Ling Tian Xiang made him unable to contain his excitement.
Summoning the crane, he quickened his pace.
Motivated by his thirst for blood, Fang Yun was no longer exhausted. As if floating on clouds, man and crane raced towards the soon-to-be graveyard of the Ling family.
Suddenly, Fang Yun came to a full stop. He frowned, spotting a blood trail.
“Is this blood of a beast, or a human?” He pondered. His eyes followed the trail of blood. Far into the distance, a man was sitting inside a cave.
[What incredibly luck I have, a wounded alchemist. Kill him and take his treasure.]
Quietly, he inched closer. When he arrived at the entrance of the cave, his eyes sparkled.
Ling Xian!
It’s him!
As one of the most accomplished of all the students from the Fang Clan, Fang Yun had certainly heard of Ling Xian. The genius protégé who had been a hot topic of conversation amongst all of City of Qing's residents. He had seen Ling Xian’s portrait. This was undoubtedly him. The prize for killing the protégé of the rival clan – 3,000 spiritual stones, two beautiful servant girls and one residential complex!
However, these rewards paled in comparison to the ultimate prize – any student of the Fang Clan who managed to kill Ling Xian would immediately become a Core Member of the Clan, and forever a head above the rest.
This reward was enough to tempt the heart of any student of the Fang Clan.
Fang Yun had long placed Ling Xian on his Black List. A list that contained the names of everyone he must kill. Now, he had a visual on his target!
“Haha! What a coincidence! Looks like he’s been injured, not too lightly I must add. This opportunity must be heaven-sent!"
Kill him!
He only needed to kill him!
Wealth, women, fame, status… were all within his grasp!
Focusing his glare upon the unsuspecting Ling Xian, Fang Yun swallowed quietly, lifted his right hand, summoned a fist-sized fireball and suspended it above the surface of his palm.
“Hhoooo……” Fang Yun took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his excitement. Images flashed across his mind.
First, Ling Xian burns to death under the crushing forces of the fireball. Then, he chops the head off his corpse and presents it to the leader of the Fang Clan. Finally, he is welcomed to the Core and forever leads a life of lust and luxury.
“Don’t blame me, there are just too many rewards riding on that head of yours.” Fang Yun revealed a dark smile. The man sitting silently in front him suddenly morphed into a bright, sparkling mountain of spiritual stones. Then he morphed again into the shape of a long winded road paved with gold.
However, at the exact moment when Fang Yun was about to toss his fireball, the man in the cave opened his eyes.
Immediately, Fang Yun felt a cold sensation on the back of his neck.
Pushing against it was a bloodstained sword.
A freezing blade. A cold-blooded killer.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
stone 
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