A year had slipped away before anyone took notice.
During this period, two major events shocked the residents of the City of Qing.
First, near a dozen top warriors from the Fang Clan, including Fang Han, the Clan’s most gifted leader of the next generation, a mighty cultivator of the seventh realm, all perished inside the Hidden Territory. Not one person left the Territory alive. But nobody knew who the killer was.
However, the Elders of the Fang Clan knew clearly that only the Lings dared to, and were capable of committing such a massacre.
The Lings, of course, denied any involvement in this tragedy. Lacking evidence and still grieving from the loss, the Fangs decided against a direct confrontation. Instead, they shut their doors to the world as if brewing up a larger storm.
The second event that shocked the City was the death of the City’s youth protégé Ling Xian inside the Hidden Territory.
This belief was indeed shared by every resident of the City. The Ling Clan could not deny it.
Any external entity could only survive inside the Hidden Territory for a month at most. This was an undisputable fact. Passed this time, the laws of the Territory dictate certain death.
Ling Xian had not been seen for a year. In the mind of the every member of the Ling Clan, death was the only plausible explanation.
In addition, the members who escaped the Territory had related every detail of their encounters on the inside, including the Kill Order issued on Ling Xian.
As a result, the Elders of the Ling Clan had no more doubts about his fate.
Hundreds of thousands of terrifying beasts plus four supreme leaders of the eighth realm, how could Ling Xian defend himself against all of them?
Nobody believed he could escape the pursuits of the beasts, nor that he could survive the terrifying forces of the Hidden Territory.
Nobody, except Ling Tian Xiang. Perhaps she did not wish to accept the truth, but she alone believed in Ling Xian. Every day she would return to the Forest of Mount Qian and wait for him to appear and recapture her soul.
Sadly, she waited in vain for a year.
On the last day, as she turned to walk away, tears flooded down her cheeks. Turning to look behind her every few steps, she felt hope fading away.
“Ling Xian… you promised me I will be in the front row when you rise to the top. That moment has yet to come, you cannot die!”
Ling Tian Xiang let out a long, hopeless sigh, turned and walked away without looking back.
Inside the Great Hall of the Ling Clan, Ling Tian Qing and the other Elders sat together and appeared worried and anxious about something.
Soon after, Ling Tian Xiang arrived. She sat down without a word, appearing equally somber.
“You went to the Forest again?” Ling Tian Qing inquired, his heart aching at the sight of her shattered state. “Why do you do this to yourself? It’s a year. Every beast in the realm was after him. He could not have survived.”
“I know, but I just can’t accept that he’s gone,” Ling Tian Xiang responded miserably. She knew very well that his chances of survival were slim, but she simply didn’t want to believe.
“You…” Ling Tian Qing continued helplessly, “must try to forget him. Even if he was still alive, you and him could never be together.”
“Brother, stop. I understand all of that.” Ling Tian Xiang shook her head, not wanting to continue this topic. “Let’s talk about actual business. I hear the Fangs are mobilizing.”
Ling Tian Qing’s expression stiffened instantly. In a serious voice, he continued, “This is what I’ve called you all here for. According to our spy, just yesterday, that old fart Fang Yun Sheng took audience with the Leader of the Qi Clan. They appeared to have reached an agreement. Of course, we don’t know what the topic of discussion was, but it’s not difficult to guess they plan to join forces.”
“Join forces to launch an attack on us!” Ling Tian Jiao shouted without reservation. He was no doubt the brains of the Clan.
“Indeed.” Ling Tian Qing nodded. “We are the strongest amongst the three noble Clans of this City, followed by the Fangs, then the Qis. But if they joined forces, our chances of defeating them are slim to none. We need to come up with a plan.”
The Elders eyed each other in search of an agreement.
Ling Tian Jiao broke the silence, “Brother, we can’t just sit by and let this alliance happen. Perhaps they have already reached an agreement, but we can still reach out to the Qis. We can’t let them create such an alliance.”
“I have thought of this,” Ling Tian Qing responded sternly then asked an impossible question, “If we fail, what then?
“Then we reach out Master Ye of the City. Even though the Qin Dynasty forbids outside interference on domestic disputes, we would only ask that he makes an appearance on our behalf,” Ling Tian Jiao suggested.
“That may be a temporary solution. Master Ye has an unpredictable character. He won’t be so easily convinced.” Ling Tian Qing let out a bitter, hapless smile and turned to Ling Tian Xiang. “Sister, what do you think?”
Ling Tian Xiang shook her head, “if that fails, we fight for it.”
“We’ll never win. Their alliance would be too strong for us to defend.” Ling Tian Qing turned to Ling Tian Ao, “Brother, what do you think?”
“What more can I possibly add?” Ling Tian Ao was a spoilt, merry youth who frequented brothels and gambling dens. He was the joke amongst the four siblings.
The third oldest son in name only, he was in reality utterly useless.
“How did I know you’d have nothing to add.” Ling Tian Qing had no expectations whatsoever but seeing his brother’s sluggish state, he was suddenly overcome with fury. “Our Clan is in grave danger. Look at your attitude! Are you thinking up different curses to exterminate the Lings even faster?” He barked.
Ling Tian Ao’s whole body shrank in an instant. He explained in a hurry, “Of course not! Don’t you know me? Never done anything exceptional but love this family to death!”
“Hmmm!”
Ling Tian Qing bothered with him no more and returned his attention to his clever brother, “Can you think of anything else at all?”
“Well…” Ling Tian Jiao was suddenly inspired by a memory. He recalled events from the Auction a year ago and quickly suggested, “Do you remember there was a mysterious man at the Auction here last year who invited you into his trailer. You can try to find him. Perhaps he will be able to help us.”
“My thought as well, but we simply acquainted at the Auction. I had never seen him here before, and our encounter then was brief. I still do not recall how we ended up in his trailer.” Ling Tian Qing let out a confused smile as he recounted the details of their meeting. However, he was certain they had never met prior to that event.
“I see.” Ling Tian Jiao could not conceal his disappointment. Pondering a moment, he insisted one more time, “Regardless how well acquainted you are, you can pay him a visit offering him exclusive gifts. He is our last hope. If you can’t find him, we’re doomed.”
“No one has seen the mystery man for a year. I have no idea where to begin the search. Perhaps he has already left the City of Qing.” Ling Tian Qing sighed heavily. “Who knows, perhaps the Fangs waited until he’s long gone to initiate this attack on us.”
Ling Tian Jiao’s eyes darkened in disappointment. He shook his head and kept quiet.
The air suddenly died.
The three of them all understood the direness of the situation. However, none were able to come up with a suitable solution.
“Regardless, we can’t simply sit around. Do what he says. We will negotiate with the Qis first.” Ling Tian Qing stood slowly and shifted his gaze onto the useless sibling while addressing the clever one. “This will be an important meeting. I can’t trust anyone but you. I believe even if you can’t break the alliance, you will be able to create some distance between them. During the battle, if the Qis have any reservation towards the Fangs, we’ll have a chance.”
“Rest assured Clan Leader, I won’t disappoint you.” Ling Tian Jiao nodded heavily. By referring to his brother as ‘Leader’, he was acknowledging the importance of this task as well as his determination to succeed.
Ling Tian Qing patted him on the back and directed his gaze onto Ling Tian Xiang. “Sister, I know you are acquainted with the daughter of Master Ye. I’ll leave this task to you. Remember, do not push for it. If he rejects, it is not your fault.”
“Rest assured Clan Leader, I will do my best.” Ling Tian Xiang followed suit.
“You, the third one, I’ll leave you to complete the last task.”
Ling Tian Qing’s gaze finally rested on Ling Tian Ao. “You are incompetent and dimwitted, so I'll give you the easiest task. Use those good-for-nothing friends of yours to gather any information you can on the mystery man from the Auction. I don’t hold much hope. But if you do succeed, you’ll be the savior of our Clan. Can you do that for me? For us?”
“Yes, Clan Leader, I won’t disappoint you. I will extend my reach and dig up the earth to find this man!” Ling Tian Ao responded confidently.
“Good, now go get it done.” Ling Tian Qing nodded to all of them. After their departure, Ling Tian Qing took a long, hard look into the distant sky and recounted to himself, “The prophecy given to me by that mysterious man is about to be fulfilled. The Ling Clan will be pushed to the edge of destruction, and a gifted youth will arrive to save us from ruin. But Ling Xian is dead. Who else could this be?”
His gaze exuded helplessness, confusion, and sorrow.
The storm is coming. The prophecy will soon come true. Where is the savior?
Inside the Painting of the Nine Immortals.
Ling Xian appeared slenderer and scruffier compared to his usual self. His hair danced wildly in the bellowing wind, a splendid luminosity radiated from his body and lit up the mountains and valleys around him.
Gripping his hands tightly and feeling an enormous strength intensify inside his body, Ling Xian let out a satisfying grin.
From a useless young man to the most idolized cultivator of his generation, the process only took 13 months, an inconceivable achievement.
It is not unusual for an average cultivator to need a full decade to reach the ninth realm. For those with foresight and ambition to reach the Perfect Realm, most would not attempt anything out of order, such as consuming Dans, but opt for an authentic growth instead.
However, it only took Ling Xian one year to conquer the Perfect Realm. What an unthinkable feat.
Mainly because the time required to break through to the Perfect Realm was normally longer than the time required to progress through all nine realms before it.
"From today onwards, I, Ling Xian, will hide no more. I am invincible in the City of Qing." Ling Xian gazed far into the horizon, his eyes beaming with excitement and determination.
He had always tried to hide the true extent of his powers, such as the Eyes of Execution.
He had been too weak. If his powers had become known, he would have attracted challengers whom he was not certain he could defeat.
But today, he was half a step away from reaching the foundational level. Within three miles of the City of Qing, no one would be foolish enough to take on his challenge.
"One day, I’ll conquer the Nine Heavens and rule them all."
A gentle breeze tussled against his hair. A proud, almost animalistic smile lit up his face.
"Having ambitions is a good thing. But conquering the Nine Heavens, that’s easier said than done." The voice of the Keeper of Land and Sea echoed in his ear as her figure glided through the shadows.
Her face was as flawless as a painting, her dress virgin white, her expression icy as usual.
Her beauty could conquer kings and nations. Silently, Ling Xian exclaimed…
[The Untainted is truly untainted.]
"Your natural talent truly amazes me." The Untainted praised him. In her praise, Ling Xian detected a hint of shock. He amazed her.
"Not at all. Fortune has favored me. If I hadn’t encountered my Master, I would have lived an unexceptional life until the end," Ling Xian responded humbly.
"You are too humble. Fortune is a part of it," The Untainted continued, "but the journey of a cultivator cannot be written with only born talent. Can you guess what people had said to me when I began my journey?"
"I cannot," Ling Xian responded honestly.
"They told me that it would be a miracle if I ever broke through to the foundational level." The Keeper reminisced with a sense of sadness.
"What?"
Ling Xian was flabbergasted. This woman was the Keeper of Land and Sea, the savior of humanity. How could she have been judged so wrongly?
"You heard correctly. That is what they said," The Untainted said peacefully. "I was not born exceptionally talented. Actually, I showed less talent than most. It would have been difficult."
"And then?" Ling Xian was beyond curious.
"I refused to resign myself to fate. My dream was to conquer the Nine Heavens, just like yours. So I gave my all. But when I tried breaking through the ninth realm, I found that I couldn’t, regardless of how hard I tried." Her voice began to tremble, but ever so faintly.
"Until one day, I stumbled upon a book of spells. It changed my life." The Keeper sighed softly. "This book was magical. Although it couldn’t alter my nature or talent, it did help me rise to the top. But the cost to me was hefty. It began splitting my character piece by piece. I lived in pain and agony day after day. The type of pain I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy."
"But for my dream, I persisted. And I became the Keeper of Land and Sea." The Untainted shifted her attention back to Ling Xian and continued, "I tell you these so you could understand, talent is a blessing, but persistence is a necessity. Your success depends on it."
"That was not an inspirational story, that was a cruel story." Ling Xian smiled gently. "You owe your success to that book. Without it, your persistence alone would not have been enough to propel you through the Nine Heavens and to become ruler of the earth."
"Well…" The Untainted was taken aback by this slightly twisted but honest judgment.
She had intended well. Ling Xian’s born talent was extraordinary, and he knew it. But arrogance was a quality of a villain. She needed to teach him what truly made a hero.
She had not expected to be challenged by him so honestly.
However, after some consideration, she decided his response wasn’t entirely unjustified.
Iron will, resilience, none of that would have mattered if she never chanced upon the book.
"Please forgive me," Ling Xian apologized chivalrously. Maturity developed over a century had made him perceive everything in a different light.
"No trouble, pretend like I didn’t say anything." The Untainted returned his gesture. She continued, "I only wished to warn you, you are undoubtedly gifted. But relying purely on what you’ve been given is not enough. When you fail, it’ll be a long way to fall."
"Rest assured, Ling Xian understands." Ling Xian fell into a memory of his own and continued with his story, "Ling Xian is not the name I was given at birth. At the age of three, I discovered that there is journey called Cultivation, there is a pursuit called Everlasting Life, and there is a conqueror called the True Immortal. So I changed my name to Xian – Immortal and I became Ling Xian."
"Oh?"
The Untainted was amused. She asked, "Ling Xian – Conquering Immortality?"
"Correct." Ling Xian grinned. "Ling Xian – Since the Time of Ling Xian."
A whisper, soft and gentle, no hint of arrogance or contempt, but filled with confidence.
"Not bad. I wait for that day to come." Showing no emotion, the Untainted vanished, leaving behind a fading trail of bright light.
"I should leave here as well. I wonder what’s happened to the Ling Clan during my absence," Ling Xian mumbled to himself and disappeared out of the Painting.
...
A black figure sprinted effortlessly across the boundless field.
This was Ling Xian.
After exiting the Painting of the Nine Immortals, he headed straight in the direction of the exit gate of the Hidden Territory.
According to the laws of the Hidden Territory, without the protection of the Painting, Ling Xian would immediately be subjected to attacks from the Territory itself. However, he had the support of the Keeper of Land and Sea, and as such, the Spirit of the Hidden Territory couldn’t wait another moment for him to leave. How could the Spirit think to attack him?
Thus Ling Xian’s journey so far had been smooth sailing. Neither bound by the laws of the Territory nor encountering any beast that could harm him.
He was puzzled by this. There were hundreds of thousands of beasts living in the Hidden Territory, spread across the entire realm. But rather suspicious, he had yet to see one.
He would not remain puzzled for long.
Directly in front of the gate, hundreds of thousands of beasts gathered in a murderous rage, blocking his way.
In front were the four supreme rulers of the eighth realm.
A flaming red Bare Winged Crane, a glittering Golden-Mooned Wolf, a black-blue Double-Winged Basilisk, and a magnificent Snow Tiger with the purest coat of fur.
The supreme rulers of the realm and their massive army had been waiting for him.
The Bare Winged Crane patrolled the area from the sky. At the first sighting of Ling Xian, the Crane let out a terrifying call to his comrades, "You wicked human, you finally dared to come out, we’ve waited a long time for you!"
Confronted with the dark army of hideous beasts, Ling Xian did not feel an ounce of fear. He sneered, "Old friends here, is this really necessary? You’re too generous, all four supreme rulers and all you little beasts have come to see me off!"
Roarrrrrrrrrr!
The Snow Tiger let out a petrifying scream and shouted, "A witty human! He must be tasty!"
"Wittiness gives me flavor?" Ling Xian mocked the beast, "Certainly not the brightest kitty!"
"You dare insult me?" The Snow Tiger roared again, a violent windstorm ensued.
"Tiger, don’t waste your words. This is a strange human, kill him first," The Golden-Mooned Wolf grunted, exposing his sharp, deadly teeth.
"Kill me? Let’s see if you can." Ling Xian’s face darkened. "If I’m not mistaken, the Spirit of the Hidden Territory must have revealed my whereabouts to you. I don’t believe for a second you all waited here for a whole year."
"You guessed correctly. Thank your friend," the Wolf snickered. "All four supreme rulers, all beasts of the Territory, are you happy with this grand reception?"
"The happiest! You flatter me." Ling Xian felt a killer instinct stir on the inside. He knew very well this was no coincidence. If no one tipped them off, all the beasts of the realm would not be gathered in one place.
And there was only one person who could track him through his energy, and that was the Spirit of the Hidden Territory. He controlled the laws of the Territory. He knew the whereabouts of any living being at any moment in time inside his Territory.
He did it for the petty reason of not wanting Ling Xian to leave his Territory with ease. Still mourning the loss of part of his precious Essence, he did not want to see Ling Xian get out of here completely unscathed.
"As long as you are happy," the Wolf snickered again. His savage nature laid bare.
"You humans are keen on etiquette. We’ve shown you such favor, shouldn’t you return a gesture or two?"
A return gesture?
Ling Xian laughed out loud then immediately turned to anger. His voice was cold and serious, seemingly deprived of any humanity. "You are absolutely right. My return favor to you then will be to show you the path to hell."
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