Chapter 44: Gathering Storm
Editor: Caron_
Time slipped like water through the cracks of cupped hands.
The quiet night soon gave way to the bright and bustling day, golden beams falling through Ye Tian's window and resting on his face.
The warmth woke Ye Tian from his meditation, his eyes opening to the comfortable heat and beams of fierce light gleaming from his gaze.
"Hu!"
Ye Tian exhaled deeply, breathing out the last cycle of his cultivation, thick Qi still filling his meridians and powerful True Qi flowing like a mighty river through his wide channels.
Incredible. A single night and my cultivation has improved greatly. It'll take even less time than I thought to advance to Level Ten, Ye Tian thought, his face filled with happiness.
Ye Tian finally understood how immensely powerful his Green Martial Spirit was. The great strength it promised was truly terrifying.
Ye Tian was absolutely confident now that he would break through within a month's time, and in half a year, he would advance to the Martial Master Realm.
The White Cloud Town was now truly a small backwater incapable of containing him.
After hurriedly finishing his breakfast, Ye Tian returned to his room to cultivate. A time of crisis was upon them and he needed to break through as soon as possible. A breakthrough to Level Ten would keep his family and village that much safer, so he couldn't waste time.
Outside Ye Tian's house, the Ye Family Village was filled with activity. Groups stood waiting for the scout's news as others prepared for the inevitable attack.
Ye Ba and Ye Meng were in charge of defensive fortification for the hunters while the less powerful villagers prepared arrows and throwing spears and other weapons of war. Unleashed in the hundreds and thousands, these small weapons would force even Martial Masters to exert Qi to protect themselves.
When noon fell, the scouting team returned with a young girl.
Everyone was astonished.
"Lin Xue, what happened? Didn't your village ally with the Wang Family? Why did they attack?" Ye Shi asked, having rushed out to meet the scouting team.
The girl was Lin Xiong's second daughter, Lin Xue.
Lin Xue was dazed, her pale, pretty face filled with terror. The experts could only sigh, clearly identifying the signs of shock.
"Second Sister, where's Mom and Dad?" The recently married Lin Jiao rushed forward, hugging her sister tight as tears fell from her face.
Lin Xue's heart jolted as she relaxed into the embrace of her prickly sister, finally regaining her voice.
"They're dead. They're all dead. I saw them kill Mother. Uncle Shan took me and Little Sister away."
"They chased us and Uncle Shan died trying to stop them. They captured us."
…
Lin Xue spoke haltingly, still half sunk in her fear and shock.
Lin Jiao wept as the pair of sisters grieved, grappling with tragedy.
The Ye Family Villagers had all fallen silent. The Lin Family had always been their equal, but they'd been destroyed in a single night.
"Village Chief, we took out a trio of Wang Villagers to rescue her," the Level Seven leader of the scouting team explained.
Ye Shi nodded, gesturing for Ye Wei to take the two sisters away.
"I didn't think the Wang Family would be so cruel, even attacking their own ally." Ye Feng frowned at the unexpected tragedy.
Ye Ba sneered in reply, "They climbed onto the tiger. Lin Xiong's really lost his wits."
"It can't be that simple. If they were already planning to destroy the Lin Family Village, why bother with an alliance the first place? What's Wang Xu thinking?" Ye Meng voiced his confusion.
The others could only shake their heads, none of them able to figure out the Wang Family's plan.
"Whatever the reason, we must prepare for their attack. Ready yourselves, prepare for the battle!" Ye Shi commanded.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Village Chief, should we let Ye Tian know?" Ye Meng asked. He knew his son still had affection for Lin Tingting, and only trouble would come with the news of her capture.
"En…"
Ye Shi frowned, falling into silent thought. Finally, he shook his head, saying: "We cannot put Ye Tian at risk right now; we cannot let him know. Even if he blames me for this, we must keep it from him."
Ye Meng nodded in agreement. With his son's personality, he would definitely head out immediately to save Lin Tingting and rush straight into a trap.
"Keep your eyes on the Wang Family Village's activity. When they start heading our way, report back immediately!" Ye Shi turned to the scouting team leader.
The leader nodded, bringing the group of scouts and heading back into the woods.
Ye Shi, Ye Feng, and the Martial Instruction Elder exchanged heavy looks. This was now the biggest crisis to befall the village in the last several hundred years and if they failed, their village would be destroyed.
A heavy heart filled every chest as humbled spirits gathered courage for the upcoming struggle.
Time slipped by and several tens of days passed without any movement from the Wang Family.
Everyone was surprised by the strange pause. They had expected the Wang Family Village to strike forward in a continuous vigorous attack; why were they taking so long?
Meanwhile, all of White Cloud Town had been stirred by the news.
Dozens of little villages had allied in a defensive pact against the Wang Family Village.
Though the powerful alliance didn't have a single Level Ten expert, they had dozens of Level Nine experts and hundreds of Level Eight warriors.
With that strength, they were more powerful than either the Wang Family Village or the Ye Family Village.
But without a supreme expert, no one was willing to listen and no one could give commands. The alliance was utterly defenseless.
Neither the Wang Family nor the Ye Family took the league of villages seriously.
…
While the rest of White Cloud Town was filled with panic and apprehension, Ye Tian sat in his room cultivating.
Ye Tian had left his house a couple times during the past twenty days, but Ye Meng and Ye Feng had kept close watch and kept the news from him so the young expert had no idea what was happening outside the village. He didn't even know the Lin Family Village had been destroyed.
Ye Tian never imagined his father and mentor would deceive him, so all he knew was that the Ye Family Village was safe and that he should keep cultivating to increase his strength.
After days of calm cultivation, his cultivation had grown by leaps and bounds. Everyday, his Green Martial Spirit seemed to exceed his expectations.
Ye Tian was now a Late Stage Level Nine expert and a half-step away from the Peak Stage. In the next few days, he would break through.
Ye Tian breathed slowly and steadily as he sat crosslegged on his bed, his heart beating calmly as he breathed in and out.
Thick Spiritual Qi had filled the room and was entering Ye Tian from every direction.
A Spiritual Qi vortex whirled with Ye Tian at its center as Spiritual Qi rushed forward and was transformed into True Qi.
Within the young expert, frothing True Qi rushed in a galloping flood, circulating through Ye Tian's nine Principal Meridians and even broaching the gate to the tenth.
As the True Qi circulated again and again, each of Ye Tian's meridians grew wider and stronger as more and more corruption was swept away. Progress was being made even in opening the final Principal Meridian.
A huge chasm stretched between Level Nine and Level Ten Martial Artist, but it was only by developing all ten Principal Meridians and entering the Level Ten stage that the circle of perfection would be complete. Only then could Ye Tian cultivate the Inner Heart Arts.
With the Inner Heart Arts, a Martial Warrior's cultivation rate would improve greatly.
A small place like White Cloud Town lacked these precious Inner Heart Arts, so every Martial Warrior was doomed to incredibly slow progress.
If Ye Shi had access to even the lowest ranking Inner Heart Art, he would immediately break through to the Martial Master realm.
Very few people had a high grade Martial Spirit, but ingenious experts had created methods for even people with low grade Martial Spirits to advance their cultivation.
And for those who did have high grade Martial Spirits, once they acquired Inner Heart Arts, their cultivation speed would reach terrifying levels and their future fates as continental powerhouses would be cast in stone.
Ye Tian planned to join the Scarlet Guard in Blood Jade City after he broke through to Level Ten. As part of the Scarlet Guard, he would gain access to Inner Heart arts and his advancement rate would rise to another level.
…
A Mansion within the Wang Family Village.
Wang Xu opened his eyes as Wang Tian walked into the room, his deep voice filling the air as he said, "How is your injury?"
"Recovered!" Wang Tian patted his chest, a cold sliver of a smile on his face. "Lin Xiong, that geezer, tried to cripple me, but he only helped me take another step forward…"
As he spoke, Wang Tian extended two fingers, a faint trace of white Qi forming a blade that extended from the tips of the fingers. Even though the Qi only lasted for an instant, its incredible sharpness filled Wang Xu's face with joy.
"Congratulations! You have one step in the Martial Master realm. With you and I together, the Ye Family Village stands no chance. The day Wang Family Village unifies all of White Cloud Town is upon us, hahaha!" Wang Xu laughed.
The Wang Village had stayed silent while Wang Tian recovered from Lin Xiong's attacks.
Now, not only had Wang Tian recovered, but he had made progress in his cultivation. With his half-step in the Martial Master realm, only Wang Xu was more powerful than him.
The day after, Wang Xu renewed the war effort, personally leading every Wang Family Martial Warrior on their march towards the Ye Family Village.
Such a large movement was obviously seen by the Ye Family scouts, and news was immediately sent back to the village.
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