《Awakening of the Ancient: Rise of the Fallen》 1 Prologue 0: End of the Beginning Part 1 In a vast emptiness of space, Two celestial bodies could be seen floating in the air as they faced each other. Their whole beings were covered in mist which made it difficult to look at their faces and their body shapes. It was difficult to judge their size either as there was nothing in this vast emptiness to compare them to. They floated in front of each other before a voice sounded. "Why did you do it?" A voice sounded which felt like it came from everywhere. It was difficult to judge which of the two said it. The voice sounded neutral. It was difficult to judge whether this was a male voice or a female. "I had to... I wanted to... I felt like it was something that I must do to make this world a better place. " Another voice sounded. Similar to the first voice, it was difficult to judge which existence said it as well. It was a voice that was difficult to distinguish as well. There was only one difference between the second and the first voice. While the first voice sounded neutral, the second voice sounded like it contained some emotion that could be felt from its tone. "You didn''t make the world better. You ruined everything... You played with the natural order. You created something unnecessary" The first voice sounded again in its emotionless tone. " I played with no natural order. I modified the natural order to make it what it should be" The Second voice sounded. It was filled with determination. The whole space began looking unsteady as spatial cracks began developing in the empty space. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "This decision of yours created suffering. You created sickness... a world that shouldn''t be..." The first voice again sounded. " I created meaning in life. I made every life important. I created true happiness" The Second voice replied which echoed in the atmosphere. " You created something unnecessary that this universe didn''t need. You made the wrong decision which someone like us shouldn''t have made. We are the perfect beings... we should create perfections, not imperfection! " The first voice said in a heavy voice. " What I created was happiness, safety, and prosperity. What you created was completely opposite!!! It was chaos and mayhem. " The first voice sounded again. "You created immortals while I created mortals. You gave your creation immense strength while I gave my Creation immense potential. You gave your creation a long life, while I gave my creation a shorter and limited lifespan with the chance to increase their lifespan if it was what they desired." The Second voice sounded with a little bit of emotion distinguishable. "We have both been in existence since the beginning of this universe. We both know the meaning of a long life span better than the so-called immortals you created. Immortality is not what I want for myself similarly Immortality is not what I wanted for my creation. I didn''t have a choice but I''m giving my creation a choice." The second voice insisted. "Only when life becomes precious, can one learn to truly value it. I want them to live every moment they have to their fullest, as life is limited. I could have given them only happiness and strength, but I didn''t! I gave them sadness, disease, loss of the loved ones as that creates the value in life... value in happiness... true happiness!!! " The second voice further continued. There was a moment of silence as no one said anything. It was as if the whole universe was halted in time. "Your thoughts have gone awry. You can''t differentiate right from wrong." The first voice sighed as it broke the silence. "You can''t be allowed to do as you please anymore. You will one day destroy the whole natural order if you are left alone! I can''t let that happen... You need to be stopped from using your powers like this in the future...Even if that means that I have to go against you, I will not think twice!" The First voice resounded again. Although the voice felt light, it contained an immense amount of determination that made the whole world tremble. "We both came into existence at the same time and hold similar strength, but I will still do what I have to! Even if that means destroying everything that I have worked so hard for... It must be done for the future of the World! " The first voice continued as it echoed in the vast emptiness of space. 2 Prologue 1: End of the Beginning Part 2 "We both came into existence at the same time and hold similar strength, but I will still do what I have to! Even if that means destroying everything that I have worked so hard for... It must be done for the future of the World! " The first voice continued as it echoed in the vast emptiness of space. "Nothing will be destroyed as I won''t oppose you or fight with you as if I do... everything I created.... everything We created... will be destroyed in the process. I will take every punishment you have, without resisting in the slightest. I have already lived for so long, even if I could somehow be killed, I would be much happier..." The second voice resounded. It somehow contained a tired feeling like it was tired of carrying the burden of true immortality for ages. "Good... It looks like you still have some knowledge of your wrongdoings! I will deal with you and then destroy the abominations that you created! Natural order will soon return to this world!" The first voice sounded in a relaxed manner but soon after, a heavy aura spread in the atmosphere. It looked like the whole world was freezing as a chilly aura spread in the empty space. The whole universe began trembling as nearby stars immediately disintegrated. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Don''t think that if I''m not fighting you, then I''m giving you the authority to do anything you please!!! I''m doing this so that worlds don''t get destroyed in our collision. If you ever thought about hurting my creations...I will come back from whatever prison you hold me into, and destroy every existence in this world without caring for the natural order. I will fight you till eternity and make you regret such a decision! " The second voice said in a heavy tone. The white mist surrounding the second existence became blood-red as it continued hiding its figure. There was again silence in the space as the first voice didn''t respond for a while. "I won''t hurt your creation... In fact, I will let them grow like you wanted them to... but only if you agree to not resist in the slightest..." The first voice finally sounded again, breaking the silence that seemed to last for years. The Second Existence didn''t say anything as it stayed silent. It looked like it was looking towards the far corner of the universe with a gentle look. Suddenly, the universe started shaking as the space got even more unstable. More spatial cracks began developing as it seemed like the first figure moved. It looked like the first figure was floating towards the second figure at a snail-like speed, but in actuality, the second figure was moving at the speed which was even faster than light. It was crossing multiple space dimensions to get to the first figure, as they were both in alternate space dimensions. After what seemed like a long time, the first figure could be seen standing right in front of the second figure with only a short distance between them. They both gazed at each other in silence. "You made some great decisions throughout our existence which made the world a better place but your last decision... it changed everything." The first figure said as it floated in front of the second figure. The second figure didn''t reply and only sighed. It felt like it was tired of explaining. "You are just like me... we have both been in existence since the beginning of time... we have created various worlds, nature, and civilizations. We are both real Immortals and you are just as strong as me, if not stronger. So it''s impossible to kill you, but I can stop you if you don''t resist. I will stop you forever even if I have to put all my strengths in line! " The first figure continued as a strong aura began spreading from it. "I will make it so that you never see the light of day ever again!!! You won''t be able to use any of your powers either unless..." The first voice continued as it said something but it stopped amidst its sentence. The whole space was filled with spatial cracks as not even an inch of space was free. All the remaining stars were tuned to dust as the space became even more unstable... It lasted for a long time before everything returned to normal. The vast empty space was clear of all the special cracks as stardust floated in the empty space. No clue of either figure could be seen there. It was as if they had both disappeared. ______________________________________________ Civilization blossomed as years passed, but no one knew about the beings that created them. They never appeared again in the universe until... 3 Chapter 1: Xu Liang "The rain looks so beautiful" A young man was lying in bed as he gazed outside the window watching Raindrops fall as he listened to the sound of the rain. To him, it sounded like a beautiful medley of nature. He looked to be in his early twenties and had deep blue eyes from which he calmly gazed at the rain through the window. He had short brown hair that covered his forehead and a sharp chiseled nose. He had a slight smile on his face which although looked charming, somehow looked melancholic. He had a fine athletic build and a height of around one hundred and eighty centimeters but no one could see it as he was lying in bed inside a white blanket. He kept gazing at the rain outside until a knock was heard on the door. "Come in" He turned his head towards the door as he said lightly. A beautiful girl, wearing a white T-shirt, black coat and a tight-fitting black pencil skirt walked inside holding a folder in her hands. She had long black hair and a beautiful face. She looked like she was twenty-five but the man knew that she was in her early thirties. "You called for me sir?" The girl said with a slight smile on her face as she stood near the bed. "Yea, how''s my sister doing?" He asked with a gentle smile. "Miss Lan is doing really good Sir. She''s doing great in athletics while still achieving the best grades in university. Every teacher in the university praises her and likes her" The girl replied softly. " That girl, she''s always been the pride of me. When father and mother were alive, she was so naughty, but I can see that she''s changed after their death. She always tries to give her best in everything now. I guess it had become her adrenaline" The guy said as a beautiful smile appeared on his face. The girl couldn''t help but fell into a daze as she saw the man smile. "I wonder how much my leaving her would impact her" The man muttered to himself. " Lia... " He said looking at the girl who came out of her daze. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Yes, sir!" She immediately replied. "Do you think I should tell her? " He asked as he looked down. "It''s not my place to step in, but I think you should inform her Sir" Lia replied to him. " I can understand sir. Instead of making her suffer for two months as she sees it happen, you want to face all of it yourself. But... " She said but stopped herself as she thought it would be inappropriate to say more. " I don''t want her to go through it. If it''s sudden, I''m sure she''ll be able to overcome the sadness just like with father and mother. But if... " He said as he looked down. " Anyways, Are the papers ready?" He asked Lia as he gazed at her with his deep blue eyes and a slight smile which was failing its purpose of hiding all his sadness. "Y... yes sir. I have prepared everything. Here''s the power of attorney and other documents as you asked. You can put all your property and shares of the company on her name"She said to the guy who took the papers and started reading them. After he finished reading it, he signed and gave the papers back. "Everything is ready. Now she owns everything and no one can steal it from her because of the clause you added on my orders" He said lightly with a gentle smile. " Yes, Sir. Even if your sister later decides to, she can''t give this property away. This property can''t be given to someone who doesn''t have the bloodline of you or your sister. Also In case, something unexpected happens to her, all this property will go to various charities and used to make and maintain orphanages throughout the country" Lia said softly. "It''s all for her protection. I don''t want her to be used because of our money" He said as he again turned his attention towards the windows. "You''re right sir" Lia replied immediately. " Lia... She doesn''t know anything about me being here right?" he asked again without looking back. " Exactly sir. She still thinks that you went to America to set up a branch of Xu Corporation and that it will be a long time before you come back" Lia replied to him as she gazed at the window. " There are only a few trusted ones I have that have stayed with me for so long. I hope you''ll stay with my little sister and help her as you all helped me. She''ll be new to this world. You will need to guide her properly" He said as he finally turned back and gazed into her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as both their eyes met. "I...I...I will make sure of it sir" She stuttered as she replied. " I believe you. You can go now" He replied before turning his head back again as he started looking at the rainfall and hearing its sound. Lia gazed at him for a moment with sadness filling her eyes as she turned back and exited. After exiting the room, she walked through the large corridor as she left the building. "Miss Su, That girl was so beautiful and looked rich. Who was she here to visit? Who is in this room? " A nurse asked another nurse she was walking with after she saw Lia exit the room. "Little Nian, You are new here, so you don''t know yet. But other than you, everyone else in this hospital knows who stays in this room" The second nurse, Miss Su replied. " Who? " Nian asked Su with curiosity on her face. " He''s the youngest billionaire in the history of this world. The President of Xu Corporation. His company is in the top ten multinational conglomerates in the world and ranked at 5th worldwide" Su explained as she looked at her. "He is Mr. Xu Lian. He inherited the company after his father and mother died in an accident five years ago. He was only 17 at that time. Many people expected Xu Corp to fall. But under his leadership, Instead of falling, it rose from the eighth biggest corporation in the world to the fifth-biggest corporation in the world. He had been dubbed as a genius businessman throughout the world. " Su continued further as she gazed at the door of his room no. 001 where Xu Liang stayed. " Wha... " Nian couldn''t help but open her mouth wide as she heard Su. "Mr. Xu is in that room?? Why is he in the hospital? Also, why isn''t there any news about him being hospitalized? He''s such a giant existence in this country. This news should have been on every news channel!!" Nian said as she gazed at Su. " Hush... Everyone here signed a document, that no information about him being here can be disclosed by the hospital or the hospital will be closed and we will all be jailed and fined millions of dollars. Also, I''m sure the Xu Corp will take their own revenge on us" Su hurriedly closed her mouth with her hand as she said. ---------- "Mmm. mmm," Nian kept saying something incomprehensible as Su had her hand on her mouth. Su took her hands off slowly. "Elder Sister Su, Why is he in the hospital though? What sickness does he have?"Nian asked looking at Su. " I don''t know... In fact, I don''t think many people know. Only the highest level of doctors know about his condition. But I''ve heard a rumor... " Su said softly. 4 Chapter 2: Take care " I don''t know... In fact, I don''t think many people know. Only the highest level of doctors know about his condition. But I''ve heard a rumor... "Su said softly. " What rumor?" Nian brought her face closer to Su''s and asked lightly. " I have heard that he has some kind of terminal illness and only has a few months to live. I even heard that his whole lower body is paralyzed now" Su told Nian with a whisper. " Is there nothing the hospital could do to cure him? " Nian asked with a shocked look on her face. " I don''t know much about that as everything is highly confidential and handled by the greatest of our doctors," Su said lightly as they walked past the doors of his room. "Which nurse is taking care of him? Can''t she tell us?" Nian couldn''t help but ask. " I don''t think she can. Nurse Lina is taking care of him and she''s keeping everything a secret as well. I heard that Xu Corp had made her his personal nurse. She handles no other patient. " Su replied. "Nurse Lina... I had heard about her when I joined this hospital. She''s the most educated nurse in the hospital and also considered the prettiest nurse. By the way, since everything is a secret, how do you know that he has an incurable disease? " Nian inquired with a confused look on her face. " I had accidentally heard doctor Yu talk about it with other doctors. Although they didn''t use exact words, I could infer what they meant" Su replied in a low voice. "Anyways, the less you get involved in this matter, the better for you it will be! The waters of Xu Corp are really deep and poor people like us can''t afford to offend them" Su said as she walked away with Nian. ----------- "Doctor Yu. President Lian''s whole lower body is Paralyzed and soon his upper body will be paralyzed as well before his heart completely stops. We have tried every possible treatment but there''s no solution, what can we do!! "A doctor having shiny black hair said to the doctor in front of him in a serious tone. "I understand your worries doctor Wen. It can be the biggest opportunity for us to prove why we''re called the best doctor in this nation while winning the favor of President of Xu corp. I have been giving this case all my focus since the moment President Lian was first brought to this hospital but I can''t seem to get a breakthrough in this case. Although the symptoms match the diseases we have seen before, the treatment is completely ineffective." Doctor Yu who looked to be near sixty years of age said as he grabbed his head. --------------- Two months soon passed, as the season changed. Winter arrived as beautiful snow covered the land. ''Where is he!! He hasn''t even picked up my phone for the last few weeks. Is work that important to him? He didn''t even attend my graduation ceremony yesterday and today when it''s my birthday, Big Brother is still not here. He hasn''t even wished me. Let him come back home. I won''t talk to him for a whole month!! '' A girl who looked to be around twenty years muttered to herself as she walked in a crowded hall. "You shouldn''t say such things about your brother Miss Lan, You know your brother loves you the most in this world. He would be really hurt if he heard you say it" A girl wearing a pencil skirt and a black coat was walking beside her as she said. "Elder sister Lia. You work for Elder Brother! I am sure you will take his side. But if he really loved me, why isn''t he here today to celebrate my birthday? All my friends are here but only my brother isn''t here. I''m sure he will be in some American resort enjoying life with beautiful girls while forgetting all about me" Lan said as anger filled her face. " That''s not it. He..." Lia wanted to say something but stopped herself. "See, you know I am right that''s why you can''t give an excuse for him. Hmph... Since he doesn''t care for his sister, I won''t care for him either. I am going to cut the cake" Lan said as she walked towards the center of the room leaving Lia behind who gazed at her back with a sad expression ''If only you knew how much your brother cares for you and what he is going through'' Lia thought as she looked towards the exit Soon Lan was standing in front of a cake as all of her friends surrounded her waiting for her to cut the cake. ----------- Inside the emergency room in the hospital, a completely different scene was taking place. "Doctor his heartbeat is dropping rapidly!! " Xu Lian was Lying on the bed as doctors and nurses surrounded her. His eyes were closed as his heartbeat kept dropping The doctors kept trying their best but they couldn''t improve the condition of Xu Lian While his sister was about to cut her cake, Xu Lian was fighting for his life like he had been doing for the last few months. Back at the mansion, Xu Lan cut her cake as everyone started singing ''Happy Birthday''. Xu Lan smiled as she thanked everyone for coming "Beeeeeep...." A sound came as the heart rate monitor showed a straight line. Xu Lian''s heartbeat dropped to zero Doctors used AEDs trying to jump-start a heart that has stopped beating but they received no success. After trying everything they could, they finally gave up as they noted the time of death and left the room. ------------------------- Everyone gave Xu Lan her birthday present which she thanked them for. After the present giving ceremony, The party started which continued until late at night when finally everyone left. Xu Lan sat on the sofa tired after everyone left. Only Lia stayed behind "There is one more gift for you," Lia said as she walked towards her. She placed a briefcase on the table in front of her. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Since you have already given me your gift, I can only assume that it is from my brother? " Xu Lan asked as she gazed at Lia. " Yes" Lia replied " Do you think that he can buy my forgiveness by gifting me a few expensive things" Xu Lan snorted as she walked away from that briefcase. "Young Miss Lan, You can walk away from what''s inside but you will receive it even if you don''t want to. The password is your birth date if you ever want to open the gift. " Lia said as she left the briefcase there and left the mansion. Xu Lan heard her words but ignored her as she walked into her bedroom. Early morning, When Xu Lan came out of her room, she saw the briefcase still on the table. She walked towards it and opened it out of curiosity but found no gifts, only documents inside. She picked up the documents and started reading. Her expressions kept changing the more she read. She was stunned and confused as she finished reading. She couldn''t understand what was happening She saw a letter that was placed in the briefcase at the bottom of all the documents. She put the documents back and opened that letter "Little Lan, I have told you many times that anger isn''t good for your health but I''m sure you will still be angry since I didn''t show up for your birthday. Sorry, little sister, I wanted to be there for you but an emergency arrived and I couldn''t be there. Also, I know you and I''m sure you''ll say that I can''t buy your forgiveness with a few expressive things. That''s why I''m not giving you a few expensive things. Instead, I''m giving you everything I have. Now you are the president of Xu Corp. I am sure you''ll take care of our father''s company really well. Take care little Lan. Your awful brother" Xu Lan kept staring at the letter blankly as she started having a bad feeling. She immediately picked up her phone and started calling Xu Lian''s number but no one picked up. She kept calling again and again but the phone was never picked up. 5 Chapter 3: Darkness Bright Red sun was rising in the sky as beautiful white snow was falling on the ground. A city existed surrounded by clouds, in which even the streets were covered by snow. Special Carriages could be seen being driven on the roads which surprisingly weren''t slipping in the slightest on the ground covered with snow. This city which covered hundreds of kilometers in the area looked really beautiful as many beautiful structures could be seen throughout the city. All the residences were at least a hundred meters wide. Shiny golden color could be seen in areas of the houses not covered by snow. In the centermost portion of the city, A large palace was standing tall, having over five hundred meters of width and length. Inside a luxurious room of the palace, A beautiful young man could be seen sleeping soundly. This young man looked to be around 24 years of age. His head was full of shiny black hairs that came down to his shoulders. His perfectly chiseled face made him look like he was a heavenly prince with every contour being the definition of perfection. This man slowly opened his eyes. His bright blue eyes finally gained focus after the initial blurriness. "Hmm...?" He looked at the roof as a confused expression clouded his face. "Wha.... hmm? I... I can speak?" He muttered with a shocked expression. " I... I can feel my hands and my legs again?? What is happening? " He muttered as he tried moving his hands. His expressions became excited as his hands moved the way he wanted them to move. "Have I recovered? The doctors finally succeeded? " He muttered with a smile. "Little sister, your brother can finally come back. You won''t have to be sad anymore" He muttered with a smile filled with melancholy. " But first where am I? Doctor? Nurse!?" He called out. " Master, You woke up!!" Came a voice as two beautiful maids stood up from their seats with a shocked and excited look on their faces. "I''ll go inform His majesty," One of the maids said as she hurriedly exited the room. Xu Liang heard the voice and tried sitting up. After some effort, he succeeded. As Xu Liang got up from his lying position, the bed sheet covering his body slid down from his chest, showing his well-toned body. The maid couldn''t help but blush as her face turned red, but she didn''t remove her eyes from Xu Liang''s uncovered chest. "Mengchan?" Xu Liang muttered as he saw the maid but he became shocked as soon as the name came out of his mouth. Xu Liang didn''t know why he said this name as he felt like he had never seen this girl before. "Yes, your highness. I''m Mengchan. You still remember me!" The maid happily exclaimed. Xu Liang couldn''t understand what was happening and what was going through his mind. He knew the girl but he didn''t know her. He felt like he was drunk and having hallucinations. He felt like his mind was playing tricks on him. Xu Liang wanted to reply, but his head suddenly started aching as new memories kept appearing in his mind. A memory appeared in his mind. He could see himself sitting in the darkness. He was a five-year-old kid, sitting alone in a dark place with no speck of light visible anywhere. He stayed in this darkness for what seemed like an eternity. Until one day, Light finally appeared. A portal opened right in front of him. He gazed at the portal with a blank look in his eyes but didn''t move. He stayed sitting. Soon, A man donned in Golden armor, with shiny golden hair, carrying a red ax in his hand came out of the portal. Bright lights were shining from this man''s golden armor, but Xu Liang didn''t move. He didn''t even blink as if he was not alive and couldn''t be affected by anything happening in the world. "Hmm? is there a boy in this ancient ruin? How did it happen? The formations outside weren''t broken, and the defenses of this ruin are the strongest I had ever seen. I had to work so hard just to get inside, and a boy is already here. Is there another easier path that I didn''t know about?" The man muttered as he looked at him. Xu Liang didn''t respond. "How did you get here, little kid? " The man asked as he looked at him. Xu Liang heard this man''s words and tried remembering, but he couldn''t. His memories were blank. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Can you speak? How did you get here?" The man asked him again. " I... don''t... remember" Xu Liang looked at the man with his deep blue eyes for a brief moment and replied to him in an emotionless voice. "Do you know where you''re from? What about your parents?" The man asked Xu Liang again. " I... don''t... remember" Xu Liang replied again. " Do you at least know your name?" The man inquired again. " I... don''t... know...I... can''t ... remember... anything" Xu Liang said as he again tried remembering but he received no success. It was like his life was a blank slate. "Oh, it looks like you lost all your memories. It''s good that you still remember how to speak at least" The man said with a smile. " How long have you been here?" The man asked again. "Since... forever" Xu Liang replied in an emotionless voice as he gazed at the man. "Your forever probably means the last few years. Looks like you somehow found the opening of a portal in your world and entered this place without knowing. It''s an ancient ruin that even I didn''t know about. Its workings are mysterious, so anything is possible. I think you might have lost your memories during the spatial travel. '' The man muttered as he looked at him. "How are you still alive in this place? What did you eat?" The man asked again. Xu Liang moved his hand and pointed towards a specific direction. The man gazed in the direction he pointed at and was shocked to find a small tree nearby. Its branches were black, while it''s fruit was golden. There was only one fruit hanging on the small tree. "That... that ...? " The man stood there with a shocked look on his face. 6 Chapter 4: Weakening "That... that ...? " The man stood there with a shocked look on his face. "Isn''t that the Golden life tree? How does it still exist?" The man exclaimed with a shocked look on his face as he gazed at the tree. He Hurriedly ran towards the tree and started observing the tree carefully. "I''m right!! There''s no doubt about it. It''s the golden life tree! Amazing! It was written in our books that these trees went extinct hundreds of millions of years ago from existence. Do you know why it''s so special, kid?" The man asked as he looked at the boy. Xu Liang gazed at the man with his deep blue eyes and shook his head. "This tree only bears one fruit every year. And one of its fruits is enough to satisfy your hunger for more than a year. And that''s not all it can do! After eating a fruit, the lifespan of a person can be extended by fifty years and any injury can be healed. It would be so amazing if I could take this tree with me, but too bad, this tree dies when it''s taken out from the place it grows in" The man said as he stared at the tree. " You are a really lucky kid! Coincidentally, such a rare tree grew near you. According to the legends, this tree only used to grow in the demon world and in our Heaven realm during ancient times but it became extinct with time. I''m amazed one still exists, that too in such a dark place" The man said with a smile. "Let me look around the ruins first. I''ll take you out with me when I''m done. " The man said as he turned back and started looking around in the ruins. The man returned to the boy after half an hour. "Such an ancient ruin, with such strong formations yet nothing is inside. How strange. " The man muttered as he looked towards the darkness. The man walked towards the golden life tree and took the only remaining fruit on it and kept it in his storage ring. "Let''s go kid. Come with me" The man said as he gazed at the boy. Xu Liang Stood up and followed the man. The man held his hand which was cold to the touch as they both entered the portal. The portal closed as the darkness returned to the world. No one saw the golden life tree disintegrate into thin air inside this empty dark world like it had served its only purpose. ___________________ The Memory ended as another memory appeared inside Xu Liang''s mind. He exited the portal with the man who brought light to his dark world and bright him out of there. As he took his first step outside, he couldn''t help but be astonished at the light that existed in this world. He had stayed in a dark world never imagining that there existed such a bright place as well. He noticed that everyone was looking at him. No, they were looking at the one walking ahead. The strange man who pulled him out of darkness. The ones flying in the air noticed the man as well. They Immediately came down to the ground with the strange creatures they were flying on. "Your majesty, the Ruler of heaven! " Everyone greeted in a loud voice as they got down to one knee and bowed their heads slightly. The boy couldn''t understand what they were doing, but he said nothing. He just kept looking at things happening. "Rise! " The man said in a heavy voice as he walked towards the palace. "You see kid? This is the heavenly realm that I rule. Isn''t it beautiful?" The man said with a smile as he walked together with him. " Yes, it is." He replied in his cold as usual voice. "You don''t need to be so serious, kid. I know your life must have been tough, being alone in the ancient ruins in darkness for years with no one to talk to. I can imagine the horror you must''ve gone through. But you are in a good place now. You''re still young, you need to enjoy life." The man in golden said with a bright smile on his face as he gazed at the boy. "Enjoy ... Life? " He said in a questioning tone as he looked back at the man. "You will learn how to do that with time" The man smiled as he continued striding ahead. The memories continued. Xu Liang saw himself entering the large Castle with that man. "Your Majesty, I was looking for you! " A young man donned in a red robe, wearing luxurious clothes asked as he reached near the man in golden armor. He got on one of his knees as he bowed his head slightly in front of the man. "Oh, Zhen... Rise! Why are you looking for me? Didn''t I say that the royal court won''t be commenced today? How come you''re here? " The man asked the red-robed person in front of him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. " Your Majesty, You know I''m a general of the heavenly city. I can''t sit idle. I''m either in the heavenly court, in the battlefield fighting demons trying to protect our heavenly realm or collecting intelligence." The red-robed man said. "Hahaha¡­ You''re right. You aren''t called the god of war for no reason. So you were looking for me because you can''t sit idle?" The Golden armored man started laughing as he asked. "No, I was looking for you because there is a matter of deep concern," The red-robed man said in a serious tone. "What happened?" The man also turned serious as he inquired. "The guards deployed on the ancient battlefield to keep an eye on the barrier of that forbidden place informed me of an unusual activity. I went there and it''s just as they said¡­ The barrier has begun weakening." The red-robed man said. "So after millions of years, it''s finally happening. That too... in my reign. Should I call it my good luck or bad? The time for sacrifice is near. At Least there''s still fifty years to watch her grow" The man in golden muttered with a smile. 7 Chapter 5: Introduction "So after millions of years... it''s finally the time. That too... in my reign. Should I call it my good luck or bad? The time for sacrifice is drawing near. At Least there''s still fifty years to watch her grow" The man in golden muttered with a smile as he gazed towards the sky with a melancholy in his eyes. "Time for what your majesty? Our armies have been keeping a watch on that place for millions of years. Why is that... All I know is that it''s been like that since anyone can remember. All the previous Emperors kept the armies there as well to keep an eye on that barrier. What''s behind it?" The red-robed man asked with a serious expression. "I will tell you when there''s the right time. Oh, By the way, let me introduce this little guy here'' The golden armored man said with a smile as he looked at Xu Liang while changing the topic. "Ah, right... I was curious about who he is" The red-robed man said with a smile as he didn''t ask more about the barrier and the sacrifice the golden armored man was talking about. He felt like it was not his place to ask since he didn''t want to answer. "He is the little friend I found in the ancient ruins I uncovered today." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu told the red-robed man standing in front of him. "What??? How is it possible for a kid to get there? Aren''t ancient ruins near impossible to enter without the necessary strength and knowledge? " War god Zhen let out with a curious look on his face. "They are difficult to get inside! Especially the one I visited today. It had the Strongest defense I had ever seen in all the years of my existence. I had entered hundreds of ruins and this one was the toughest to enter even for me. I myself barely escaped getting trapped on several occasions... but I feel like there might be some secret portal or entry through which this kid somehow ended up inside. Who knows what those old geezers who made this ancient ruin were thinking "Heavenly King Tian Zhu said with a smile. "I was thinking that there must be something really world-shaking inside the ruins since it had so many ancient formations and killer traps, but the only thing of value I found inside was a golden life tree," Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gazed war god Zhen. "Golden life tree? Didn''t that go extinct? Does it still exist in this universe? Amazing! Too bad that it can''t be taken out from the place it grows in or it could be a really good thing for our Heavenly City" War God Zhen exclaimed with a stunned expression before saying in a disappointed tone. "Hahaha...I felt the same way after seeing that Golden life tree" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu couldn''t help but laugh as he saw War God Zhen''s expressions. "You don''t need to be so cautious Zhen, I checked him when I held his hands. He had never been in contact with demonic Qi. In fact, he had never even come in contact with Qi. He is a human and a mortal. His name is... " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile before he found himself stumped for words as he remembered something. " Oh right, I forgot to introduce us" He let out suddenly. "I am the Ruler of the Heavenly Realm! The Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu and this here is my trusted general and the protector of heaven city, War God Su Zhen." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu gazed at Xu Liang as he said before pointing towards the red Robed man as he introduced themselves. "And this little guy here is... well, he doesn''t have a name as he has lost all his memories. Would you mind if I give you a name?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked as he gazed at Xu Liang. The boy shook his head with an expressionless face as he looked at that man with his deep blue eyes. "From today onwards, you will be known as Xu Liang!" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said in a caring tone as he looked at Xu Liang. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "But Your majesty...Isn''t that the..." War God Zhen muttered but he stopped midway as he saw Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu continue his statement. "We had just met today and I don''t know why I trust you so much as to give you this name but this will be your name. It was the name of the First Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Realm. I hope you won''t destroy the dignity of this name little guy" The man in golden armor, Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile. "Nice to meet you Xu Liang " Zhen greeted Xu Liang but Xu Liang didn''t respond. "It''s his first time coming in contact with the outside world, he''ll adapt to it," Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said to War God Zhen with a smile. "It''s alright, I can understand. I will be going now, your majesty. The demons are becoming active again, I''ll be keeping an eye on the situation" War God Zhen said to Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. " Alright, I am sure you''ll handle those pesky demons. Show them how you earned the title of a War God" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said. Getting the permission, War God Zhen left without even looking back once. "Let''s go, I need to introduce you to the others as well since you are going to be a part of our little family from now on" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he held Xu Liang''s hand and walked ahead with him. ______________________________________ The memory ended but other memories continued coming into his head as Xu Liang kept staring blankly ahead. He felt like he was living an alternate life. Although he was inside those memories, he had no control over his actions. Inside these memories, he was only able to say and do what actually happened in reality as per those memories. The maid grew increasingly worried as she called out for Xu Liang again and again. She kept looking back and forth from Xu Liang to the door as she waited for people to arrive. _________________________________ Xu Liang was standing inside a room as a little girl who looked to be 3-4 years old was sitting in front of him in a bed as she gazed at him with a curious look on her face. "Little Xue, this here is the big brother I got for you to spend time with. Why don''t you say hello to big brother Liang?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a gentle smile as he gazed at the little girl in front of him. " Hello, big brother, " The girl said in her cute little voice as she innocently looked at Xu Liang with a slightly tilted head. Xu Liang didn''t know how to react in this situation but he felt somewhat happy at being called affectionately. He was unable to understand what this feeling was. He had always been alone in a dark world since he can remember. Other than knowing how to speak, he didn''t know much about things, especially how to interact with the outside world... what expressions to show and other basic things. 8 Chapter 6: Knowledge Xu Liang didn''t know how to react in this situation but he felt somewhat happy at being called affectionately. He was unable to understand what this feeling was. He had always been alone in a dark world since he can remember. Other than knowing how to speak, he didn''t know much about things, especially how to interact with the outside world... what expressions to show and other basic things. "Hello" Xu Liang replied to the girl in a low tone as he gazed at her. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was stunned as for the first time he saw a glimpse of happiness on this boy''s face. Although he knew that Xu Liang wasn''t actually smiling, he could feel that he Xu Liang was happy. "Little Liang... This little girl in front of you is my cute little daughter Yue. I hope that both of you will get along well. Treat her well" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile as he gazed at Xu Liang. " I Will..." Xu Liang had just let out when something unexpected happened. "Ahh.... father it hurts..." Yue started wailing in pain as her expressions distorted. In a short second, She fell unconscious. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu hurriedly ran towards Yue as he took her in his arms. "Damn this Cursed Physique!!! Why did my daughter have to be the one who received this curse of a physique? What crimes had I committed to having my daughter suffer such pain!!! " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu roared loudly with a sad look on his face. Xu Liang gazed at everything but he just kept standing there without saying anything. ________________________________ That memory ended as well but further memories kept invading his mind. He saw the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu getting the greatest of tutors in the Heavenly Realm for him. Xu Liang was taught about worldly matters and the knowledge of this world. Xu Liang was taught that this universe contained four realms. The Heavenly Realm where they resided and the Demon Realm were counted as the strongest realms. There was also an Immortal Realm where mortals who became immortals resided. Below that realm was the Mortal Realm which contained thousands of civilizations and planets. He was taught about the various civilizations, especially the stronger and the dangerous ones were given priority. He was taught about politics, about warfare and strategies, literature and more. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu heard all about Xu Liang''s achievements and even he himself couldn''t help but feel amazed at the talents of a mortal. Xu Liang had opened up more towards the Heavenly Emperor and Yue. After their increased interactions and constant care, he had slowly started treating them like family. Although he still didn''t gain back the memories of his initial years of existence before meeting Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu, Xu Liang started feeling like he didn''t need those memories anyways. He was happy at the family he had received. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu treated the date he met Xu Liang for the first time as his birthday and assumed his age at that time to be five years old. ___________________________________________ Xu Liang was still stuck in the cycle of memories. It was his 8th birthday as per the date decided by the emperor. "I want to learn cultivation" Xu Liang said in a soft voice as he stood in front of the man. It had been 3 years and Xu Liang had grown much taller than before, but the man still looked the same. He was wearing a golden robe instead of the golden armor he wore at the time he met Xu Liang in the ancient ruins. "Are you sure you want to walk on the path of immortality?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Shu smiled as he asked while looking at Xu Liang. " I am... " Xu Liang said with determination. Although Xu Liang was much closer to this man and the little girl who called him brother, he still had a difficult time showing his real feelings towards them. He always talked in a neutral tone making others feel distant but Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu understood this and knew Xu Liang''s real feelings. He knew that Xu Liang had started considering them as a family too. "Hahaha, you don''t need to be so serious little Liang, I wanted to teach you for a long time but I was waiting for you to gain since knowledge first. Although I had decided to teach you when you turn 8 years old even if you turned out to be bad in studies but you shocked me with your performance"Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a gentle smile as he looked at Xu Liang. "You will... teach me?... personally? " Xu Liang asked with a doubtful look on his face. "Of course I will teach you personally!! How else can you become the best cultivator in the world if the strongest person himself doesn''t teach you" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu laughed loudly as he let out with a proud look on his face. "Father, Are you being shameless again? " A cute female voice sounded from behind. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu couldn''t help but cough a few times as he heard that voice. With a wry smile on his face, he turned around. He looked towards the gate only to see a seven-year-old girl standing there as she looked at him with a curious look on her face. "My little darling Yue. Who taught you words like this?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked as he gazed at his daughter Yue who was now seven years old. She had a doll-like face with cute blonde hair and was wearing a cute skirt that made her look even prettier. "Uncle Zhen told me," Yue told Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with an innocent expression on her face. As soon as her words escaped her mouth, a light noise of sudden coughing came from outside. 9 Chapter 7: Heavenly Court Meeting "Uncle Zhen told me," Yue told Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with an innocent expression on her face. As soon as her words escaped her mouth, a light noise of sudden coughing came from outside. "Zhen you idiot!!! Come inside" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu let out loudly as he gazed towards the door. "Your majesty, " A man''s voice came as he entered with a glass half-filled with alcohol in his hand. There were some wet stains on the chest area of his robes and on his chin, which made it look like he had just coughed out alcohol. "Were you the one who brought my daughter here?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked War God Zhen as he stared at him. "Yes, your majesty. I saw the princess in the hall looking for you. I brought her here and stayed outside to give all of you privacy" War God Zhen said innocently. "Tell me one thing. Am I shameless in your eyes? '' Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked with a slight smile on his face as he gazed at War God Zhen. "Not at all, your majesty?" War God Zhen replied with an honest look on his face. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Then why did you tell my cute little angel that I''m shameless? She just blew up your cover, you idiot" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said to War God Zhen in a slightly louder tone. " I didn''t tell the little princess that your majesty is shameless. I just told her the definition of shameless sometime ago. Maybe the princess was talking about that. Isn''t that right princess?" War God Zhen said with a wry smile on his face as he gazed towards the Princess. "Uncle Zhen is always right! " Yue said in her cute little voice. " Oh, Did uncle Zhen also teach you that?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked Yue as he looked at her with a smile. "Yup," Yue innocently nodded her head twice. War God Zhen''s face turned red as Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu gazed at him with an amused look on his face. "What was the definition of ''shameless'' that Uncle Zhen told you?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked his daughter Yue. "It is when someone praises themselves through their own mouth, they are shameless" Yue replied honestly. " Oh, is that it? " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a clever smile on his face. " Oh right! Uncle Zhen is shameless as well!" Yue exclaimed as if suddenly struck with a realization. "I...I should be going, I have things to do. By the way, happy birthday little guy. I''ll bring your gift later in the evening." War God Zhen decided that things weren''t looking good for him. He hurriedly wished Xu Liang for his birthday as he left with an embarrassed look on his face. "What did he tell you about father? Is father always right as well?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked Yue with a loving smile on his face. "Uncle Zhen told me that father still acts like he is a young teenager in front of beautiful women," Yue said innocently. "Huh¡­." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu felt at a loss of words as he heard Yue''s words. "Why did Uncle Zhen leave?" Yue further asked as she looked at her father. "Well, he was embarrassed because you caught his shamelessness. He hurriedly left. " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he looked at Yue. " Why didn''t you leave as well, father? Is it because you''re thick-skinned just as uncle Zhen said?" Yue asked innocently. "Zhen you bastard!!! Come back!!! " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu roared loudly as he cursed Zhen with a red face. It was unknown whether his face was red because of anger or because of embarrassment after hearing her daughter''s words. _______________________________ That memory ended as well but the incoming memories didn''t stop. Other memories kept arriving. Xu Liang lived through those memories. He learned cultivation under Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu for years. He learned Body Cultivation as well as spiritual cultivation. He was taught to use all the weapons in existence. Other than cultivation with Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu, most of Xu Liang''s time was spent with Yue and sometimes with War God Zhen who also taught him on occasions. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu always praised Xu Liang''s talents whenever he taught Xu Liang. His Cultivation was so fast that even Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was amazed. By the time Xu Liang was sixteen, he had already broken through to the peak of the saint realm. He was just a single sleep away from becoming immortal. After spending so much time with Xu Liang and seeing the hard work he put in his Cultivation, Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu took a decision that was enough to change the history of the Heavenly Realm. On Xu Liang''s sixteenth birthday, a special Heavenly Court meeting was held. All the Gods and Ministers of the Heavenly Realm were present in the meeting. The Heavenly Emperor sat on the highest throne at the front of the court while others sat on lower seats in front of him. Amongst the seated ones, were all the big names of the Heavenly Realm. Xu Liang and Yue also were in the court. Although they only stood behind Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. "Heavenly Emperor Zhu. Why did you call everyone here today?" The man who was sitting in the front seat said. He looked to be in his early thirties, but just like everyone else in this Heavenly Court, he was also thousands of years old. He was called the Xuan Di, Also known as Illustrious Emperor. He was said to be the Strongest Person in the Heavenly Realm after the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu who ruled the Heavenly Realm. 10 Chapter 8: I am the ruler "Heavenly Emperor Zhu... Why did you call everyone here today?" The man who was sitting in the front seat said. He appeared to be in his early thirties, but just like everyone else present in the Heavenly Court, he was also thousands of years old. He was known as Xuan DI, Also known as Illustrious Emperor. He was said to be the Strongest Person in the Heavenly Realm after the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu who ruled the Heavenly Realm. "I''m curious as well" A lavishly dressed woman let out with a charming smile on her face. She was wearing a green dress that highlighted her cleavage. Her short skirt was only enough to cover her essentials but was showing her milky while legs to their full glory. She seemed like she was in her early twenties and had a devilish figure. She was known as the goddess of medicine, another important personality in the Heavenly Realm. Her strength and talent were considered at the peak. Just like the Illustrious Emperor and goddess of medicine, many strong people were present in the court. War God Zhen was also sitting amidst them. He was sitting right beside the Goddess of Medicine. "I have something important to announce! I''m certain that everyone here knows that I don''t have a son, but I have someone who has always been like a son to me. I had thought about it for a long time and I have finally come to a decision. Today, I have decided to make it official... " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gazed at the crowd. The Illustrious Emperor had a frown on his face as he heard Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu''s words while War God Zhen was smiling and appeared as if he knew exactly what Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was talking about. War God Zhen had a grin on his face. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "I am adopting Xu Liang as my son!! He will possess the same rights as my rightful heir. His talent is the best that I have ever seen throughout my years of existence. Even in the whole Heavenly Realm, I don''t think we can find anyone as talented as him. I truly believe he can make me proud as a son and take on the responsibilities that he will get in the future. " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile as he gazed at everyone. There was utter silence in the court as the words that Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu had said, shocked everyone. The man called Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu had given him so many things that he never envisaged. That man got him out to the world, away from darkness and into the light. He gave him a family. And now he was making the family real. While Xu Liang was happy, Yue looked somewhat depressed. She gazed at Xu Liang with a slightly sad look on her face. "Preposterous!! How can you declare someone with unknown origins and unknown bloodline as your hair? He''s a mortal and has no relation to our Heavenly Realm or the Royal blood. I never said anything when you took the decision to keep a mortal in the Heavenly Realm and treat him like a son, but I won''t let the royal lineage end in your rule brother!!! You can''t make him your heir!!! " Illustrious Emperor let out aloud as he stood up. "That''s right! How can a mortal become a member of the Heavenly Royal family? You need to reconsider, your majesty" Other people followed Illustrious Emperor''s lead as they kept standing up and urging Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu to reconsider, but Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu remained unfazed. "Silence!!! As the Heavenly Emperor of this domain, it is my decision who I want to take on as my family. My decision is final! " Heavenly Emperor let out loud as he gazed at the Illustrious Emperor. " Your family isn''t just your family! It''s the family related to the purest bloodline of the Heavenly Realm! You can''t take him as your rightful son as that would change the bloodline and make his unknown bloodline as the Royal bloodline! You''re bending the rules for your convenience" Illustrious Emperor let out. "I''m not changing my mind! As I stated before, I''m the Ruler of this realm! I can bend the rules, however I desire. I am the Rules and the Rules are me!!! I won''t alter my decision. It is not a suggestion I was discussing with you, it is my decree. Are all of you opposing my decree" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said loudly as his fierce aura spread in the heavenly courtroom. "That wasn''t our intention, your majesty, " Almost all the gods said simultaneously. " Good, then it''s final! From today, Xu Liang is my adopted son" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile as he gazed at Xu Liang standing behind him. Illustrious Emperor gazed at the Heavenly Emperor and Xu Liang before he walked out of the hall with an angry look on his face. ________________________________ That part of memories ended as well, but more kept arriving. One more year''s worth of memories arrived before everything stopped. The last thing Xu Liang saw was that he was eating with Heavenly Emperor and Yue when his head started hurting and everything turned black. There were no memories after that. ''The memories... I am... Xu Liang, President of the Xu corporation on Earth..... I am Xu Liang, adopted son of Heavenly Emperor... I am both yet I am none... Both are me yet none are me. '' Xu Liang thought as he grabbed his head. Suddenly, the door opened and a beautiful young lady who looked to be in her early twenties walked inside. 11 Chapter 9: Offending Illustrious Emperor Abruptly, the door was opened as a beautiful girl hurriedly walked inside. She was wearing a beautiful blue gown that came down to her ankles, not demonstrating even the slightest bit of her jade-like legs. Her clear blue eyes matched quite well with Xu Liang''s deep blue eyes. She possessed a small nose and slender eyebrows. Her hair was sunrise gold, which fell over her shoulders. Her perfectly sculpted figure dressed in her beautiful gown made her appear even more beautiful. As soon as her eyes fell on Xu Liang, they couldn''t help but tear up. She hurriedly ran towards Xu Liang and jumped into his arms and embraced him tightly before she started weeping. "Brother Liang...." She kept saying again and again as the tears kept falling from her eyes. As she wept, she kept hugging him tightly like her life depended on it. Xu Liang moved his hands as he brought them to her delicate back and hugged her back. He could feel her pain of losing something dear to them as unlike Xu Liang of the heavenly realm, he had suffered an actual loss of loved ones and knew what it meant to lose somebody. Although Xu Liang of this place had probably also lost all his family, that couldn''t be considered a loss in his opinion as he had never even known about them. He didn''t hold any memories of his life before he met Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. He had no familial bonds that he felt like he had lost when he met Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu and there was no sensation of loss or feelings for any family. Since the moment he met Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu, his life had changed for the better and was filled with familial love but Xu Liang from Earth was different. Xu Liang from earth was like a normal teenager who cared about his parents, but destiny took a cruel decision for him. He lost both his parents at the same time when he was merely 17. He understood the pain of losing a loved one and understood what it signified. He, who lived the life of an orphan, remembered the sense of heartbreak. All he had was money and responsibilities. He recalled the initial days when he wept secretly in his room as he missed his parents just like the girl was doing in front of him right now. He lived through the pain by himself and learned from it. He stopped crying as he buried his weakness deep in his heart so that he could comfort his sister who needed his support. "Don''t cry little Yue. Everything should be alright now. I''m still here for you and I will forever be" Xu Liang said in a gentle tone as he hugged Yue. "About time you woke up, little guy" A man in a golden robe entered the room as he said in his heavy voice with a smile. A big relief was clearly distinguishable in his eyes which gazed at Xu Liang gently. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu had spent over ten years with Xu Liang but he had never once seen him smile so brightly. Although Xu Liang used to smile once in a while, that was only minor and couldn''t be considered more than a smirk. Tian Zhu knew that Xu Liang was not adept at showing his real emotions. Throughout his life, Xu Liang had never smiled so brightly but not a single person minded as they all knew that it was just Xu Liang''s nature. It was just like that. "Ah... Liang, are you alright? " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu couldn''t help but ask. "Of course I am. What could possibly be wrong with me? In reality, I feel even better than ever. " Xu Liang said with a smile as he gazed at Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with his inscrutable blue eyes. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu couldn''t help but gaze at him with a suspicious expression. "I sent somebody to tell Yin that you woke up. She will soon be here to check on you. She will be so astonished to see you up. You know when you went to sleep 7 years ago, She said that she couldn''t do anything to get you to wake up and that it was impossible. She stated that it was something she had never seen before. Your soul was trapped in a void unable to be accessed by anyone from outside. She stated that even though she is known as the goddess of medicine, she can''t cure you and that the chances of you waking up are zero. I have never been so happy at her being wrong in my life" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gazed at Xu Liang. "Young Prince Liang! So their news was right, you woke up!!! Such a good day it is" A red-robed man walked in the room as he said with a smile. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. " Uncle Zhen, Thanks for your wishes," Xu Liang said with a smile. "Little guy, you really are lucky that you have such a good father as his majesty. I had never witnessed him as worried as I discovered him on the day you went into the coma. He went forth to bring the goddess of medicine but found out that she went to the palace of the Illustrious Emperor in the North to treat his concubine. He entered the palace and took the goddess of medicine with him in between her treatment of the concubine of Illustrious Emperor. Although he offended the Illustrious Emperor, he didn''t care because he was worried about you. " War God Zhen said with a soft smile as he gazed at Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. "As for the princess, she was just as worried for you. She passed most of her day here holding your hand and gazing at your face and the remaining part of her day in the library, looking for cures. " War God Zhen chuckled as he said to Xu Liang. Yue''s face turned crimson as she thought about Xu Liang hearing all about her. 12 Chapter 10: Trapped Soul As for the princess, she was just as worried for you. She passed most of her day here holding your hand and gazing at your face while the remaining part of her day was spent in the library, looking for cures. " War God Zhen chuckled as he said to Xu Liang. Yue''s face turned crimson as she thought about Xu Liang hearing all about her. "Oh? Are you really talking about me? What about you Zhen? Invading Demon Realm because of a rumor about a potential medicine that could help little Liang? " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with an amused smile on his face. " hahaha... Are you all seriously talking about who missed him the most? And who cares the most? I swear you guys are such little kids" A beautiful woman lavishly dressed in green entered the room while laughing. She looked to be in her late twenties. She was wearing a light green dress that looked like the gown from behind and was covering her legs, while it looked like a short skirt from the front, which exposed her milky white legs. Her dress wrapped her curvaceous body tightly making her look even more charming. It looked like her big chest could jump out of such tight clothing at any moment. "Yin! You''re finally here! Go check on him. He is finally up after so long. You need to make sure he stays up and doesn''t fall into another coma!!!" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said in a serious tone as he gazed at the goddess of medicine. ''Wen Yin, Goddess of medicine'' Xu Liang thought as he gazed at the woman. "Your majesty, you''re in such a hurry as always. Don''t you know that a lady will be tired after doing those extensive exercises all night long with you" Wen Yin said she gazed at the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with a seductive smile. "Your majesty? You ... and Wen Yin.... all night long.... exercise? I never knew that your heart was still so young from the inside." War God Zhen exclaimed as if he had gotten the biggest shock of his life. "What nonsense are you talking about!!! " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said loudly as he gazed at War God Zhen with an annoyed expression on his face. He was about to scold War God Zhen when a small pearl of laughter became audible. He was stunned as he looked at the person who was laughing. His expressions couldn''t help but turn serious. Xu Liang, who was nearby, was listening to their conversations carefully. He couldn''t help but chuckle as he heard War God Zhen''s dramatic comments. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu, War God Zhen, Princess Yue and goddess of medicine, Wen Yin, all looked like they had just seen a ghost. They gazed at Xu Liang with their mouth wide open. It was the first time anyone had ever heard the laughter of Xu Liang. In fact, most people had started considering Xu Liang as a person who was unable to laugh. Xu Liang saw everyone looking at him which made him stop laughing. A wry smile appeared on his face as he wondered why everyone was behaving so strangely. "Do I even need to check on him? He is already looking better than ever." Goddess of medicine, Wen Yin laughed. Although Wen Yin said it, she still walked towards Xu Liang. "Ahh... Princess? Aren''t you too close to Prince Liang? Do you want to make him lose control and devour you? You know all guys are beasts who can''t control themselves in front of their desires. Just look at the two men standing behind me as an example" Goddess of medicine, Wen Yin chuckled as she said to Princess Yue. Princess Yue hurriedly left Xu Liang''s embrace as she separated herself with a crimson look in her face and stood aside. "Can you stop with your lies? It''s getting annoying. You might be right about his Majesty but don''t destroy my reputation along with his. I am a pure soul and a proper gentleman" War God Zhen said as he stood tall with an honest look on his face. He talked before Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu could say anything, but both their words made Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu stunned as he gazed at both of them blankly. "Both of you!!! Enough with your jokes!!!" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu let out loudly with an annoyed look on his face. "Can you both stop talking nonsense? I''m trying to work here! Don''t disturb me" Goddess of Medicine, Wen Yin let out with a smile on her face as she looked at Long Chen. She took a step forward as she placed her finger on his forehead. She closed her eyes and she used her powers. She stayed like that for over five minutes but it looked like she was struggling with something. Sweat started appearing on her forehead as she struggled to stand still. After a short time, she hurriedly removed her finger as she took a step backward. She gazed at Xu Liang with a strange look on her face as she breathed heavily. "What is happening... Why do you look so serious? Is he alright? " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked with a worried look on his face. "I can''t say as I''m not sure what just happened. Although his physical body looks good, the problem is with his soul... " Goddess of Medicine, Wen Yin said with a grave look on her face. " What do you mean?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked in a serious tone as he gazed at Wen Yin. "You know what I told you when I first checked on him after he went unconscious years ago? " Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin asked as she looked at Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with full seriousness. "I said that his soul is trapped. His soul was inside a void which I wasn''t able to access" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said to Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu without waiting for his reply. " I remember. What about that?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked as he failed to understand her meaning. "It''s still the same! Xu Liang''s soul is still inside that void" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin commented as she looked at Xu Liang. Xu Liang couldn''t help but become worried as he heard her words. ''Did she find out about everything? '' He thought with a worried look on his face. 13 Chapter 11: Ancient Physique? ''Did she find out about everything?'' Xu Liang thought with a worried look on his face as he looked at Wen Yin. "What do you mean his soul is still trapped inside that void? How could he be sitting and talking to us without his soul? "Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked as he gazed at Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin with a doubtful look on his face. "I''m not kidding! His soul is still inside that void! " Wen Yin said in a grave tone as she once again emphasized her opinion. " Tell me how it could be possible? You must be mistaken" War God Zhen said as he shook his head. "I think I know how it could be possible! When I checked Xu Liang for the first time after he fell into a coma, I noticed that his soul was trapped inside that void. I thought that he was plotted against and was given a special kind of poison by someone, which trapped his soul. I considered that being the reason for his coma, but now that he is up and the same situation still persists, I realized that my initial assumption was wrong "Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said with full seriousness as she glanced at Heavenly Emperor Tian Xu. "What do you think about it now then?" War God Zhen inquired with a curious look on his face. " I believe that Prince Liang possesses an Ancient Special Physique. A physique that had never been seen in this world! A spiritual type special physique" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin continued. " What? Aren''t special physiques the rarest that are only possessed by the rare chosen ones? And for us to see a special physique that had never been seen before? " War God Zhen asked while Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu stood there silently, lost in deep thoughts. "It is exactly as you said... It''s a never before seen Special Physique. It is indeed amazing, but we don''t know if this physique is good for him or not. There are many negative special physique in this world as well. " Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said but she couldn''t help but glance at Princess Yue at the end of her sentence. "So we don''t know how it will affect him in the future?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked with a disappointed look on his face. "Do you have any guesses about how his special physique might affect him in the future? As every special physique comes with something special, either a strength or a weakness. As you said, his soul is trapped... What does that mean?" War God Zhen asked with a grave look on his face. "It is exactly as you said... sadly I don''t have the answer to your questions. Is that void protecting his spirit or tormenting it... Will it provide him with some special ability or the pain of a lifetime... we know nothing... We can only know more about it when it becomes more active with time. " Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said as she looked at Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. "Alright, enough talking. You should let him rest. Although he was in deep slumber for many years, it was his body that was resting, not his mind. It''s the first day he woke up... you should give him some space to think things through. As for us, we can talk about all this stuff in some other place. " Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin commented as she glanced at the worried look on Xu Liang''s face. It was as if she had just realized that she shouldn''t be talking about such things in front of him as it might stress him out. "But..." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu wanted to say something but his hand was grabbed by Wen Yin who pulled him as she walked towards the door. "As I said!!! He is totally fine now!! Let him have some rest!" Wen Yin let out loudly as she left the room with Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. "She could get quite scary when she is serious" War God Zhen muttered as he followed them with a wry smile on his face. As everyone left, only Xu Liang and Princess Yue was left behind. "Should I leave as well?" She asked lightly as she looked at Long Chen with an expectant look. "I would love it if you stay here for longer" Xu Liang smiled as he gazed at Yue with an affectionate look on his face. Yue looked somewhat nervous as she walked towards Xu Liang with soft steps and sat beside him on the bed. "It had been so long since I last saw you. I used to think that you were as beautiful as a girl can get, but you proved me wrong. I must say that you have grown even more beautiful. " Xu Liang smiled as he touched Yue''s cheeks softly with affection. "Really?" Yue let out meekly as a bright smile blossomed on her face. "I''m not lying. Everything I said is my honest thoughts." Xu Liang said as he smiled lightly. " Brother Liang has gotten more handsome as well." She let out as her face turned red. " Hahaha.... me? I will believe your words" Xu Liang said with a gentle smile on his face. " Can... Can I spend more time with you? I still feel like it all might be just a dream. " Yue suddenly asked Xu Liang. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. " Hmm? Alright, " Xu Liang was stunned as he heard her words but he felt like there was nothing wrong in her words. Yue smiled as she climbed on the bed and entered the blanket of Xu Liang. Yue brought her body closer to Xu Liang''s as she rested her head near his chest. She stayed like that as she heard Xu Liang''s steady heartbeat. Xu Liang was stunned but he didn''t find it weird. From this world''s memories, he knew that Yue and Xu Liang were close as brother and sister, and Yue often shared the bed with him as she talked about her day. "Don''t you need something to rest your head on?" Xu Liang asked with a gentle smile as he looked at Yue. Yue looked towards Long Chen''s face as she nodded. "Come upwards" Xu Liang chuckled as he rested his left-hand flat on the bed. Yue slid upwards as she rested her head on Long Chen''s upper arm. Yue stayed like that for quite some time as Xu Liang closed his eyes. Soon he felt something wet dripping on his arms. He opened his eyes as he looked to his left. Xu Liang was shocked as he saw tears in Yue''s eyes which were falling to his arms. 14 Chapter 12: Love Confession "I missed you so much. I thought that I had lost you forever" Yue said as tears kept falling from her eyes. Xu Liang could feel the suffering from her voice. Without saying much, he folded his arm somewhat as he brought Yue closer. There was no distance left between Yue and Xu Liang. "You''ll never lose me! I''ll be with you forever and ever... I promise" Xu Liang let out emotionally as he wiped the tears off her face with another hand before he hugged her with both her arms. Xu Liang and Yue both stayed in that position for a long time as they silently felt each other''s emotions. "I love you..." Yue suddenly broke the silence as she said three words. "I love you too, little girl" Xu Liang let out with a smile. " Not at a brother or as a family...I love you like a girl loves a boy she wants to spend the rest of her life with." Yue further said in a soft voice. "Hmm?" Xu Liang looked at her with a confused look on her face. "I have been in love with you for a long time. For years I wanted to tell you but I couldn''t gather the courage to tell you. I further lost the courage when I saw father adopt you as his son, as that made us brother and sister. I tried to bury my love deep inside my heart after that, but I didn''t succeed. My strong feelings for you never disappeared. I thought that I would spend the rest of my life alone without telling you. I thought that I would love you silently, even if I don''t receive the love in return but when you went into that coma, I... I... " She tried staying further but tears again began falling from her eyes as her sobbing continued. "I don''t want to feel like I lost you ever again! I don''t want to lose even a minute of our lives! I don''t want to regret not telling you, every second of my existence... I want your love for me... even if that makes me the bad person in front of the world... " She continued but her tears didn''t stop. " I want to spend my life with you! I want to be your wife! I have given you my heart and I''m asking you if you feel the same... If you don''t... I won''t annoy you... but my love will always be here for you, even if I don''t get your love in return" She said as she finished. Her eyes were red by now from all the crying. "I... I don''t know what to say...I never looked at you like that... " Xu Liang didn''t know what to say as he kept gazing at her blankly. "It''s alright... I think I got my answer." Yue said in a downcast voice as she closed her eyes. Time passed silently as no one said nothing. After three hours, Xu Liang and Yue both had fallen asleep by now. Soon, Yue finally moved as she separated herself from his embrace. She lightly kissed him on his lips before she got off the bed and left. As she left, Xu Liang opened his eyes lightly as he touched his lips. "This can''t happen... It doesn''t matter if I like you or not... it is impossible... Even if we are not blood-related... we are still technically brother and sister now...How can I..." Xu Liang muttered lightly as he looked towards the door as sadness filled his eyes. _________________________________ The sun went down at the moon hanging high in the sky. It was night time. Goddess of Medicine, Wen Yin and God of War, Zhen left after having a lengthy conversation with Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. It was unknown how it happened, but the same night, everyone in the Heavenly City found out of Xu Liang''s Recovery. Young Prince Xu Liang, who had disappeared from people''s minds after his coma, was now once again the talk of the whole city. "Did you hear that Prince Xu Liang had recovered?" "I heard about it... but I don''t know if it is true. It might just be a rumor" " I heard that it is absolutely true. The genius of Heavenly City had woken up one again." "Hahaha¡­ Looks like the title of No.1 won''t be with Young Master Qin anymore. " " Right. Although Young Master Qin is a genius, his talent is quite lacking when compared to Young Master Liang''s talent. He was named the number one genius in the city as no one knew if Young Master Liang would ever wake up. Now is the time to give back the title" "He had so many years to pass Young Master Liang in Cultivation but he still couldn''t do it. That shows the level of talent that Young Master Liang had. He hadn''t cultivated for years but still, his Cultivation is still higher than the top genius of Heavenly City. "Exactly... Young Master Liang is a never before seen genius... No wonder his majesty went against his court and adopted Young Master Liang". People of the city kept talking about Xu Liang as it became the hot topic of the city. ____________________ " He woke up? How? Even Wen Yin wasn''t able to heal him so many years ago... how could he recover now?" A man was sitting on the throne. His heavy aura made the atmosphere around him much more intense. Although his aura was not as strong as the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu, it was still much stronger than War God Zhen. He was the second strongest man in the whole Heavenly Realm, known as the Illustrious Emperor A beautiful woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties sat on his lap as she fed him fruits while the man''s hands roamed on her bountiful chest. "Ahmmm... It was said that he woke up suddenly... There was no treatment or anything" The woman moaned lightly as she informed the man. She was wearing a tight-fitting dress which highlighted her hot curves even further. She was the concubine of the Illustrious Emperor. Her name was Mu Qing. "How could this be possible! He should have just died!!! " Illustrious Emperor let out loudly with an angry expression on his face. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "We don''t have much information about his recovery... So how about we go to the Heavenly Emperor''s Palace? We should congratulate them as well as understand the real situation. Also, we will look quite petty, if we don''t go even after hearing about his recovery" The woman said as she looked at Illustrious Emperor with an intoxicated face. "Ahh Mmm..." She moaned much louder as the Illustrious Emperor grabbed her bountiful chest with slightly more force. "I still haven''t forgotten the day when my brother, Tian Zhu, entered my palace and took the Wen Yin amidst her treatment of you. Why should I go to congratulate the recovery of that mortal, he found from unknown trash? " The Illustrious Emperor sneered as he let out. 15 Chapter 13: War God Zhen "I still haven''t forgotten the day when my brother, Tian Zhu, entered my castle and took Wen Yin when she was treating you. Why should I go to congratulate the recovery of that mortal that he found from some unknown trash? " The Illustrious Emperor sneered as he let out. "Aren''t you curious about how he woke up? Don''t you want to go check yourself? " Mu Qing asked the Illustrious Emperor while she relished the touch of his warm hands. "Hmm... I''ll go... I want to ascertain what this was all about? Even Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin couldn''t heal him, how did he heal then? What is the secret that he''s hiding... I will witness it all for myself! " The Illustrious Emperor said with a grin on his face. "We can go later... Let''s have some fun for now" Mu Qing said with a seductive grin on her face. She held a grape by her lips as she brought her face closer to his face. The Illustrious Emperor also brought his face closer to her as his lips met hers. He took the grape and swallowed it before he passionately kissed Mu Qing. ________________________________ There was utter silence in the room. Not even the slightest of sound could be heard. Xu Liang stayed alone in his room as he thought about everything that had transpired. "So I actually died because of my sickness..." He muttered with a depressed smile on his face. "Little Lan is left all alone back on Earth. I''m such an awful brother... Leaving her just like father and mother, " He shut his eyes as he felt them getting wet. He thought about the days he spent with his sister. "Lia... I hope you will take care of Little Lan just like you promised. I gave her all the property of the Xu family and at present, she is the sole owner, but with all the money, new enemies will appear who will try to take advantage of my sister. I am not there to hold her safe, but I hope that you will help her when such a situation arrives. My sister is a little stubborn at times, but she is the kindest girl I''ve known" He continued talking to himself. He remained awake for hours, as he tried to calm his mind and control his emotional turmoil. He still couldn''t come to terms with reality. Passing away on Earth alone was too much for him, let alone waking up in a different body and in a different world. Having someone else''s memories merge with his own memories... living two lives... it was all surreal. ''And then there''s Yue. Daughter of the man who adopted me... the one who brought me out of the darkness. She opened her heart out to me... but how can I...? She''s family!!! Even thinking about something like that would have grossed me out back on Earth. I would never do such a thing yet, why do I feel like I have feelings for her as well? What has this merging of memories done to me??? '' He thought as his head started aching. Xu Liang was grabbing his forehead, which had started aching when suddenly, the door of his room opened. A maid walked inside the room. The maid looked to be quite short as she was only 5 feet in height but she seemed cute. She had her pitch-black hair tied to a ponytail. She wore a black skirt that came down to her knees and exposed her milky white legs below her knees. "Mengchan? What are you doing here?" Xu Liang asked again as he looked at the maid. She was the same maid who was in the room when he first woke up. "Young Master... I came to check on you. Are you in pain?" She said with a distressed look on her face as she saw Xu Liang grabbing his head. "Only some light headache... you don''t need to worry about it," Xu Liang said as he acted calmly. He brought his hands down. "Should I tell his majesty to call Madam Wen Yin?" She inquired as she shifted her gaze between the door and Xu Liang. She appeared as if she was readying herself to run to tell Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu if Xu Liang needed help. "There is no need for that. I will be fine after a good night''s sleep. You can go and rest as well." Xu Liang replied as he noticed the worried look on her face. "I can''t leave. I have been ordered to stay here to take care of the young master." Mengchan said with a smile as she sat on a chair nearby. "Did my Royal Father order you?" Xu Liang asked with a wry smile on his face. Mengchan nodded her head as she sat straight. "Huh, I can''t make you go against his wishes." Xu Liang shook his head lightly as he lay down on the bed. He covered his body with a blanket. Although he was a strong cultivator and couldn''t feel the cold, he relished the comfort that the soft blanket provided. "Mengchan?" Xu Liang let out on the spur of the moment. "Yes, master!" Mengchan said as she became alert. "Can I ask you something?" Xu Liang inquired as he gazed at her. "Master can ask me anything" She responded as she wondered about what he wanted to ask. "What do you think about War God Zhen?" Xu Liang inquired as he sat up. "Master War God? He''s absolutely amazing!!! He''s the idol of most of the people of this realm. It had been said that throughout the years of fighting with the demon realm, he had never been defeated in a battle. He''s the master of war strategy. As an added bonus, he is an astonishing musician. In fact, he is considered the best musician in this realm, but for some strange reason, he rarely plays his music. " Mengchan said as she stood up excitedly. It was as if she was talking about someone she absolutely adored. 16 Chapter 14: Unfamiliar "Master War God? He''s absolutely amazing!!! He''s the idol of most of the people of this realm. It had been said that throughout the years of fighting with the demon realm, he had never been defeated in a battle. He''s the master of war strategy. As an added bonus, he is an astonishing musician. In fact, he is considered the best musician in this realm, but for some strange reason, he rarely plays his music. " Mengchan said as she stood up excitedly. It was as if she was talking about someone she absolutely adored. "Really? So you''re a fan of his?" Xu Liang said with an amused smile on his face. "Has he married in recent years when I was sleeping?" Xu Liang asked as he remembered that War God Zhen was single when Xu Liang went into a coma. People had always wondered as to why War God Zhen never chose a girl to marry. There were many heavenly beauties in the heavenly realm that liked him, but he never expressed any interest in having a relationship. Xu Liang wanted to know what had happened to people he cared about throughout the years of his coma. Xu Liang wondered if War God Zhen''s single status had changed somehow throughout the years. He considered War God Zhen as a family. War God Zhen had taught Xu Liang whenever he got an opportunity. He happily shared his knowledge and skills. Xu Liang had learned many war strategies from War God Zhen. Before going into the coma, Xu Liang has already considered War God Zhen as a loving uncle, though he never shared his feelings "Master War God is still single, but there''s a rumor going around the city that he''s seeing someone," Mengchan said in a whisper. "Oh, interesting. I will ask him about it" Xu Liang said as he smiled. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Xu Liang talked more with Mengchan as he asked her about the people that he had known about from his memories. Mengchan answered honestly as she told him all she knew. "Thanks for all the information." Xu Liang said with a smile. "Goodnight now. If you get tired at night, you can go to your room and sleep. I''ll talk with Father even if he finds out about it." Xu Liang said softly as he lay on the bed and closed his eyes. He turned sideways as he covered his head with a blanket. Soon he too fell asleep. __________________________________ Xu Liang slowly opened his eyes as he woke up from his sleep. He looked around the room as a disappointed expression appeared on his face. "So I was dreaming about being home." Xu Liang shook his head lightly. He took the cover off his body as he sat up. He moved to the corner of the bed and placed his feet on the ground that was cold to the touch. He was bare-chested and only wore pants. He stood up and walked to the mirror that was located in the corner of the room. Xu Liang hesitated for a moment as he reached near the mirror. After a brief second, he finally took a step forward and stood in front of the mirror. "So unfamiliar yet I can see the similarities." Xu Liang muttered as he looked at his face in the mirror. He had no idea what he looked like in this new world as although there was a mirror in this room, the previous Xu Liang had never seen his reflection in the mirror as he never cared for such things. This was Xu Liang''s first time seeing himself in this world. Xu Liang knew that he was 24 years old in this world as it had been 19 years since he was taken out of that dark World by Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. He was supposed to be 5 years old at that time by Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu''s assumption. As he caught his reflection in the mirror, he couldn''t believe that he was 24. He seemed like he was barely 20 years old right now. Previously, he considered War God Zhen as the most handsome man that he had witnessed, but as he saw his reflection, he realized that he looked somewhat better. His jade-like complexion, paired with his long and shiny black hair made him have a unique charm of his own. Although Xu Liang looked younger than his assumed age, he didn''t look immature at all. He was rather tall with a height of nearly 6 feet. He had an athletic build with well-toned muscles. He had the same deep blue eyes that he possessed in his previous world. Xu Liang lightly shook his head as he turned back. "Huh, so she decided to take my advice. Good for her." A smile appeared on his face as he saw the empty seat where Mengchan was sitting last night. Xu Liang was about to walk back to the bed when the door opened. "I brought food," Mengchan said as she opened the door and barged inside. Xu Liang turned back to face her with slight shock. "You know Mengchan, You should really knock when you enter someone''s room. What would''ve happened if I was changing clothes right now." Xu Liang said with a wry smile on his face. "I... I apologize master. It was just that you were in a coma for so long, I developed a habit of entering without knocking. I''ll reflect on my mistakes and won''t repeat them in the future." Mengchan said with an earnest expression on her face. ''Though I wouldn''t mind seeing the young master naked'' She secretly thought as a grin appeared on her face. "Why did you bring my breakfast here? If I remember correctly, I used to eat with the Royal Father and Yue. Do we not do that anymore?" Xu Liang sat on the edge of his bed as he asked. "Young Princess and His Majesty continued the tradition of eating together. It''s just that Princess Yue said that she won''t eat today as she is not hungry. His Majesty also had to go out to handle some important affair. "Oh, bring my breakfast to her room. I''ll go talk to her." Xu Liang said as he stood up and walked towards the door. He suddenly remembered something as he felt the cold air on his bare chest. He abruptly turned back. "You take the food there first, I''ll be there after getting dressed." Xu Liang walked to his wardrobe. "Oh, by the way, she still stays in the same room right?" Xu Liang stopped as he asked Mengchan who was walking towards the door. "Yes, master." Mengchan nodded her head. "Alright, you can go now." 17 Chapter 15: Mysterious bindings broken As Xu Liang got dressed, he left his room. He walked through the long hallway as he tried to get to Yue''s room. Fortunately, his room wasn''t too far away from Yue''s room and he soon got there. "Yue? Can I come inside?" Xu Liang asked as he knocked on the door. He waited there for over a minute but there was no response, he began wondering if Yue wasn''t inside. He was about to knock again when the door suddenly opened. He immediately stopped his hand that was about to strike Yue''s forehead. "Brother, please come inside," Yue said with a smile as she invited Xu Liang inside. "Thank you." Xu Liang said as he took his first step inside her room. He looked around her room and noticed that it looked the same as it looked years ago. Nothing had changed throughout the years. Xu Liang noticed the plate placed on the bed. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Did Mengchan leave after delivering the breakfast?" He asked Yue as he walked towards the bed. "Yes... I told her to take the food back, but she said that it was your order." Yue followed behind Xu Liang as she said. "Yea, I told her to bring my plate here. I wanted to eat with you like we used to do before." Xu Liang said as a smile appeared on his face. "Th...a..." Yue was stunned as she found it hard to find words to respond. "You don''t hate me, do you?" She asked Xu Liang as she looked down. She found it difficult to look into his eyes. "Why are you looking down? Is there a reason I''m supposed to hate you?" Xu Liang asked as he looked totally oblivious. "Because... because of yesterday... You don''t detest me, right?" She asked with uncertainty as her eyes evaded Xu Liang''s gaze. "Are you talking about your proposal? No, I don''t hate you, silly. You did nothing wrong. You just expressed what you were feeling. Although those feelings might make things complicated because of our relationship, it is not a reason that I would detest you for. " Xu Liang found it difficult to address such a topic but he tried his best. "Hmm..." Yue softly nodded her head as she walked towards Xu Liang. "You were not eating because you were worried?" Xu Liang asked as he saw Yue walking towards him. "Hmmm..." Yue again nodded her head as she sat on the bed near Xu Liang. There was a bowl of soup on the plate along with a single spoon. The soup looked like a normal soup that Xu Liang had seen on earth but it was said to contain heavenly vitality leaves that were only found in the heavenly realm. It was said to be really tasty and healthy. Xu Liang used the spoon as he took some of the soup on it. He moved the spoon towards Yue''s lips. Yue slowly opened her mouth and allowed Xu Liang to feed her. Although she enjoyed being fed by Xu Liang, there was a part of her that felt embarrassed as well. Xu Liang kept feeding her as he gazed at her. Half of the bowl was already empty by now "You won''t eat?" Yue asked as she realized that Xu Liang was only feeding her and not eating himself. Without waiting for his response, she took the spoon off his hands. This time she immersed the spoon in the soup and tried to feed him. Xu Liang hesitated for a moment before he opened his lips and allowed her to feed him. Although Xu Liang found it strange, the situation had somehow turned to them taking turns and feeding each other. Yue couldn''t help but think about how she was eating from the same spoon that had touched Xu Liang''s lips, but she secretly relished this feeling. Soon, the soup was finished and the spoon finally went back to its original position on the plate. "Do you want more? I''ll call Mengchan if you are still hungry." Xu Liang said as he looked at Yue, who for some unknown reason had somewhat of a crimson face by now. "I''m fine." She said in a low voice as she shook her head. "Airtight. I should go now."Xu Liang said as he stood up. "Can we talk for..." Yue abruptly stood up as well and tried to tell him something. "Ahhhhhhh!!!" A scream suddenly escaped from her mouth as she grabbed her head tightly. Her body was flaming hot right now as she weakly cried in pain and immediately went unconscious. She began to fall down as she lost all her strength, but Xu Liang hurriedly reacted and grabbed onto her. As soon as he grabbed onto her, Something changed inside his body. Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin had previously said that Xu Liang''s soul was inside a void that she couldn''t gain access to. Thus she only saw his soul trapped inside that void, but what she couldn''t see were the hundreds of chains that were binding the soul. Each chain seemed to contain the power of the universal laws that held onto Xu Liang''s soul tightly. The chains were binding his soul like it was a prisoner that was not allowed to move. As soon as Xu Liang touched Yue, one of the chains began cracking. The chain that looked like it would be unbreakable even if God himself tried to break them, strangely cracked by itself. As the chain broke, Xu Liang also went unconscious. They both fell on top of each other on the bed that was right behind them. While Yue was at the bottom, Xu Liang was lying on top of her. Xu Liang opened his eyes as he found himself in a strange place. It was an empty space. He found that he was floating in the empty space that spread out for infinity. There was a large mirror in front of him but it didn''t show his reflection. It seemed to show a whole different place. It was like a mystical treasure that could gaze into the farthest of worlds. He saw a strange scene in the mirror. 18 Chapter 16: This world should burn He saw a strange scene in the mirror. He could see a woman. She had clear blue eyes that matched quite well with Xu Liang''s deep blue eyes. She possessed a small nose and slender eyebrows. Her hair was sunrise gold, which fell over her shoulders. She looked almost identical to Yue, but she looked to be somewhat older. She looked like she was in her late twenties. She was wearing a white dress that looked pretty substandard quality. The dress looked somewhat worn out. The girl stood in front of a blackboard. There were some characters written on the board but Xu Liang couldn''t understand their meaning. All these characters looked completely foreign to him. There were some kids sitting in front of her. It seemed like she was teaching those kids as she occasionally pointed towards the characters on the board. Everything was going smoothly until the direction of the wind suddenly changed. A large ball of fire came out of nowhere and landed where the kids were seated while a large blast occurred. The whole area was filled with smoke and Xu Liang found it hard to see clearly. As the smoke cleared, Xu Liang was finally able to see things clearly, but what he saw shocked him to his core. The whole place was left in carnage and the burnt bodies of the kids were all over the place, lying lifelessly. Xu Liang was finding it hard to watch such a gruesome scene, but he held on. He looked through the place and finally saw the blonde girl. The girl was lying at some distance from the area of impact. It looked like she was thrown off by the impact of the blast, but other than a few burn marks on her hands and shoulders, she looked fine. She just sat there as she looked at everything with a blank expression on her face. She couldn''t understand if she was awake or having a terrible nightmare. As she stayed there, tears began appearing in her eyes. Suddenly someone''s laughter resounded in the area. "Hahaha... You have really grown stronger brother Min. Your ''Burning Meteorite'' attack was pretty good. No wonder this skill is considered so strong, but I''m still stronger." "Oh man, I missed you by a little. I wanted to see if your Iron Giant Body was actually indestructible like I had heard. Hehehe, Brother Wen, why don''t you stay there and let me hit you?" The girl looked towards the voices as she shifted her gaze upwards. There she saw two men who were floating high in the air. One of them had short pitch-black hair while the other one had long red hair that came down to his shoulders. Both these men looked to be in their early twenties. Both of them were wearing similar yellow clothes with bright red robes as they floated in the sky. "Hmm?" The black-haired man heard her voice as he looked down. "Oops... Brother Min, Looks like your attack killed some people down there" The black-haired man chuckled as he gazed at the red-haired man. "Hahaha... So what if a few insects are killed? It''s not like they were of any use to this world." The Red-haired boy known as Min started laughing loudly as he said. "So... Their lives held no importance???" The girl asked with a blank look on her face. She couldn''t believe that there were people in this world who had such thoughts. "Exactly... They were worthless insects. Even if hundreds of them died, nothing would change. But you, on the other hand, are different. You are useful to this world. I can''t believe there was such a beautiful girl in this world. We should''ve come here long ago!!!" Min said as a grin appeared on his face. He couldn''t help but lick his lips as he gazed at the girl from top to bottom. "Brother Wen, How about we take some rest here... Flying for so long was quite tiring," Min said to Wen as a grin appeared on his face. "Hmm... I''m suddenly feeling tired as well. I feel like this is a good place to rest for the night." Wen chuckled as he glanced at the girl on the ground. "Brother Wen, Can I have her first? I will give her to you after enjoying her for a few hours" Min smiled as he said to Wen. "Hey...I saw her first! I will have her first! You can have her second." Wen shook his head as he denied Min''s request. " We found her because of my attack. If my ''Burning Meteorite'' hadn''t fallen here, we wouldn''t have stopped here. Alright, how about it? I''ll give you two divine crystals if you let me have her first." Min said suddenly as glanced at Wen with a serious gaze. "Hmmm... But she is so beautiful. She is like the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Fine, I''ll have her second, but only if you give me 5 divine crystals." "Five divine crystals??? Have you gone mad??? Have you forgotten the worth of one divine crystal? " "Hey, it''s a deal or no deal. I wouldn''t mind fighting you to have her first." Min shifted his gaze between Wen and the girl as he finally made a decision. "Alright! I''ll give you five divine crystals!" He finally let out with clenched teeth. "Sweet... Go take your prize. I will collect the crystals when we are back. Also, don''t make me wait for long. You have three hours to have your fun with her." Wen said with a smirk. Min and Wen both slowly came down from the sky and finally landed on the ground near her. The girl was sitting there with an expressionless face. She heard everything they said but the only thing that was floating through her mind was their statement about the kid''s life being worthless. "I heard from the villagers that this world was cruel but I never believed such things... The villagers were so sweet, how could such a world be evil? How could such a world be cruel where the people are so nice. But was I too naive? Is this the reality of humanity? The reality of this world? People like you get to decide who lives and who dies? If this world is as such, then this world should die ... It should burn!!!" The blonde hair girl said as tears fell from her eyes, but her tears weren''t normal. These were tears of blood. "Huh... If she is already this broken, I wonder what she will be like after we have our fun with her the whole night." Min chuckled as he glanced at Wen with a grin. He turned back and began walking towards her. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!" The girl suddenly began screaming as she grabbed her head. It was as if she was going through intense pain. Xu Liang was shocked as he recognized this scene. It looked similar to what happened to Yue. Yue also screamed as she grabbed her head before going unconscious. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Suddenly a large burst of wave emerged from her and moved away with her at the center. 19 Chapter 17: Destruction,Ice Phoenix Suddenly a large burst of wave emerged from the girl and moved away with her at the center. Xu Liang''s eyes opened wide as he saw what happened next. Everything around the girl disintegrated as the wave extended outwards. Both the men noticed the scary strength of that wave. Their eyes opened wide as they saw that everything that came into its path disintegrated into nothingness. Even the bodies of kids disappeared as they came in contact with that threatening wave. "Defend yourself!!!" Min let out loudly as he brought a 7 feet tall and 2 feet wide shield out of his storage ring. "This is the shield that master gifted me! Nothing can break it. He placed the shield in front of him as he hid behind the shield. The shield started shining with bright yellow light as a powerful aura spread from it. "Iron Giant body! My body is indestructible!!!" Wen let out loudly as his body started shining brightly. His skin changed color to silvery grey while his size increased by twice. Wen looked confident in his Iron Giant Body thus he covered it with no extra layer of protection. The wave continued forth and left nothing behind as it finally reached Min. As the wave touched Min''s shield, the shield that previously looked unbreakable disintegrated into nothingness. Min screamed loudly as the wave touched him. He felt excruciating pain as his body was destroyed bit by bit. In his last moments, he couldn''t help but regret coming here. Wen saw Min die and his eyes opened wide as his fear increased. His face distorted as he began doubting his Iron Giant Body. He took out a shield as well and used it as an added protection as he prayed to gods for protection. The wave reached him and just like Min, his shield was immediately destroyed. His indestructible body began disintegrating like it was nothing in front of the massive wave. Soon, he was turned into nothingness as well, but the wave didn''t stop as it continued ahead. As far as the eyes could see, nothing was there. Everything had disappeared into nothingness. Even the blood that was left on the ground had disappeared. Only one person was left there. The girl in blonde hair. Before Xu Liang could see more, everything disappeared. The mirror disappeared along with the vast space as everything turned dark. "Young Master!!! Princess!!! What the..." A shocked voice sounded in his ears. Xu Liang softly opened his eyes as he recognized that voice. As he opened his eyes, what came into his views were bedsheets. He could feel that his body was resting on something soft, especially his chest that felt like it was on pillows. "He got off her body as he stood up. He turned back only to find Mengchan standing behind him. "Did you send anyone to inform father?" He asked as he gazed at Mengchan with a serious look on his face. "Ah...ah... Not yet. I just entered this room. I promise I didn''t see anything inappropriate." Mengchan hurriedly replied as a shade of crimson covered her face. "What nonsense are you talking about? Go immediately inform father that Yue went unconscious." Xu Liang told Mengchan with a serious expression on his face. "But... but his majesty is not in the palace. As I mentioned before, he went out for some important business." Mengchan replied with a worried look on her face. "Is Uncle Zhen or Goddess of Medicine here?" Long Chen inquired. "None of them are here." Mengchan shook her head lightly. "Goddess of Medicine hasn''t changed her residence, has she?" Xu Liang asked her as he glanced at the unconscious Yue with a worried look on his face. "Madam Wen Yin still lives in her old palace." She replied. "Alright, I''m leaving the palace. I''ll come back with the Goddess of Medicine. Take care of Yue till then." Xu Liang said as he walked towards the exit. "Oh right, Where is my Lexi?" He asked her before exiting. "She is in the same old hall. Her personal place that you gave her." Mengchan replied immediately. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Alright..." Xu Liang said as he left. He couldn''t help but take one last glance at Yue before leaving though. Xu Liang walked through the long hallways of the palace. Many guards and servants saw him and greeted him with much respect as they all got down on their knees. Xu Liang climbed the stairs as he reached the top floor of the palace. The stairs stopped in front of a long hallway of the top floor. There was only one door on each side of the hallway. Xu Liang walked forth and stood in front of the door on the right. "Although I have changed, I hope you haven''t. It had been a really long time Lexi." Xu Liang muttered as he remembered the memories related to Lexi in this world. With a smile, he opened the door and entered the room. The room looked less like a room and more like a giant ice field. There was snow everywhere in the hall that looked like it spread for hundreds of meters. There was Ice as far as his eyes could see and it looked as clear as the purest of ice. Before he could even take his second step inside, a sound was heard. It sounded like a Phoenix''s cry. It was a beautiful sound much like a beautiful song. Soon, a beautiful creature came into his view. It looked much like a phoenix, but instead of the flaming red color, it was icy blue. It looked to be even taller than Xu Liang with a height of 2 meters. As its wings weren''t open, it was difficult to judge their actual size, but Xu Liang knew that each of her wings was around 4 meters long. The Ice phoenix stopped in front of Xu Liang as it gazed at him with its shiny eyes and gave a happy cry. "I know Lexi, I missed you as well." Xu Liang said as he patted its head. "Let''s go, Finally it''s time for us to fly high again." Xu Liang said with a smile. 20 Chapter 18: Forceful "Let''s go, Finally it''s time for us to fly high again." Xu Liang said with a smile as he gazed at the Ice Phoenix. "Eeeeee" The Ice Phoenix gave a happy cry as it looked excited. Xu Liang walked towards the large windows in the hall and opened them. The Ice Phoenix walked to the window and jumped outside excitedly. As it got out of the Palace, It happily spread its majestic wings as it flew high in the sky. "You look like you are having fun. Looks like father didn''t let you out much, did he? " Xu Liang muttered with a smile as he jumped out the window. Xu Liang was in a state of freefall as he felt the wind rushing against his body but his expression remained as normal as possible. The Ice Phoenix gave a sharp cry as it came down. Xu Liang landed on the back of Ice Phoenix as it again flew towards the sky. __________________________________ "Wai... isn''t that the Heavenly Ice Phoenix? " "Yes... that''s... that''s the Royal Clan''s Ice Phoenix... the only living phoenix in the heavenly realm!" "Mother, look! It''s so beautiful and so Majestic..." "It is said that the Heavenly Ice Phoenix has a real attitude problem. It doesn''t let anyone but His Highness, Prince Liang sit on its back." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Yea...I heard that there was once a time when War God Zhen tried to ride on it, but even he was unable to control the legendary best. It was when the Ice Phoenix first appeared in our heavenly realm." "It''s not called a legendary beast for no reason. I heard that because of anger, it froze the whole palace of War God Zhen. No one was able to get it under control. Finally, His Majesty arrived and calmed it down. Even he never tried to ride on its back though." "Yea...It can be really frightening when it is angry. I still remember the horror of that day. War God Zhen, who had defeated so many strong foes, looked completely helpless in front of the Heavenly Ice Phoenix." "I''ve always wondered how Prince Liang managed to do it." "Well...I personally feel like nothing is impossible for Prince Liang. Despite being born a mortal, he was able to become the number one genius of the heavenly realm. Even the Legendary Ice Phoenix acknowledged him. He is amazing." "Well. He hasn''t gone out in a long time. I''m sure he must be going out for some fresh air." People kept talking amongst themselves as they saw the Ice Phoenix flying above their heads. Xu Liang flew over the city for around two hours before he finally reached a beautiful looking palace. There was a large tree that stood tall at the center of the palace and reached a height that was even taller than the palace itself. It looked more like the palace was built around the tree than the other way around. "As amazing as always," Xu Liang let out in amazement. As the Heavenly City was covered in snow, the view looked even better as the stark white snow rested on the lush green leaves of the tree. "Lexi, Let''s get down." Xu Liang said as he glanced at the Ice Phoenix. "Eeeee" The phoenix gave a beautiful cry as it slowly came down. It landed right in front of the entrance of the palace. Two guards dressed in green stood at the entrance of the Palace. "You must be His highness, Prince Liang. The guards said as they bowed in front of Xu Liang. It was a custom in the heavenly realm to bow down in front of the Royal family member unless the person had a high position that exempted them from bowing down in front of anyone but the Heavenly Emperor himself. They immediately recognized Xu Liang mainly because of the Heavenly Ice Phoenix that he was riding. Everyone in the Heavenly Realm knew that only Prince Liang could ride the legendary Ice Phoenix of the Heavenly Realm. "I''m looking for Goddess of Medicine. I have important business with her." Xu Liang said to the guards in a serious tone. "Your highness! Mistress is indeed inside but we can''t allow you entry without her permission. Please wait while we go inform her of your arrival." The guard replied in a worried tone. He didn''t want to offend Prince Liang but he couldn''t let him enter without the Palace Master''s permission either. "Do you think I have time to wait here??? Move aside immediately!!!" Xu Liang let out loudly as he stared at the guards. If these were any other times, he definitely would have agreed to wait without minding it much, but things were different right now. His worry for Yue had made him impatient. "We ... We..." The guards began shivering as they saw Xu Liang in anger. They stuttered to respond but they didn''t move from their position. "I am going inside! If you don''t want to die, then don''t try to stop me." Xu Liang said in a serious tone. "Lexi...I don''t want to kill anyone, But if they try to stop me, you can freeze them to death." Xu Liang said as he turned back to look at Lexi. It was his old world''s reflexes that were at play here. As the CEO and owner of one of the biggest organizations in the world, he had to be forceful at times to get things done. Xu Liang finally started walking towards the door. The guards initially had the thought to stop him, but when they looked at the sharp eyes of the Ice Phoenix, they didn''t dare to move towards Xu Liang. In fact, they stepped aside and cleared a path for him. Xu Liang opened the door and entered the palace. "Ara Ara...I never knew Prince Liang would be so forceful." Came a voice as soon as he took his first step inside the palace. 21 Chapter 19: Saintly Desolation Physique "Ara Ara...I never knew Prince Liang would be so forceful." Came a voice as soon as he took his first step inside the palace. "Aunt Yin! I urgently need your help." Xu Liang said loudly as he gazed at the woman standing in front of him. "Hmm? You sound really serious. What in the world happened to make you so worried?" The woman asked him with a grave look on her face. She was the Goddess of Medicine, Wen Yin. "It''s Yue. She suddenly went unconscious... and her temperature is really high as well." Xu Liang hurriedly explained to her. "Hmm? Did she scream as if she was going through extreme agony before she lost her consciousness?" Wen Yin asked him. "Yes. How did you...?" Xu Liang was stunned as he heard her words. He couldn''t understand how she knew such details. "Are you wondering how I knew it?" She asked with a smile. Xu Liang nodded in full seriousness. "It''s not the first time she is going through such suffering. Let''s go. I''ll tell you about it when we are there" Wen Yin said as she began walking towards the exit. She passed by Xu Liang and opened the doors. Xu Liang followed behind and left as well. As she left the palace, the guards outside noticed her. They hurriedly got down on their knees with a guilty look on their faces. "We... We are extremely sorry Mistress. We deserve punishment!" The guards shouted in unison as they looked at Wen Yin. "Hey, You guys don''t have to be so serious. We are talking about Prince Liang here. Even if I was standing at your place, I wouldn''t be able to stop him. He''s the son of Heavenly Emperor after all." Wen Yin chuckled as she gazed at the guards. "Though I don''t expect the same mistake in front of someone else." She continued as she abruptly turned serious. "Y...yes Mistress!" The guards replied hurriedly. Wen Yin nodded her head as she continued ahead. "Wow... I''m seeing that Ice Phoenix after so long. It somehow looks even more beautiful." Wen Yin let out as she gazed at the Ice Phoenix. "Can I come with you on it?" Wen Yin said as she began walking towards the Ice Phoenix. The Ice Phoenix gave a sharp cry as a chilling aura spread from it. The place that was already pretty cold, turned even colder. "Hey Hey... I was only kidding. You don''t have to be so serious." Wen Yin stopped in her tracks as she smiled. "I have a ride of my own." She let out as she whistled. Immediately after her whistle resounded in the atmosphere, a sharp cry came as a beautiful looking creature escaped from the palace. It looked a lot like a swan but it was much larger. From the tip of the bill to the end of its tail, it measured at about 3 meters. It had a wingspan of around 6 meters. It soon landed in front of Wen Yin. "She''s Xueyi, my old partner. She might not be as strong as the Legendary Ice Phoenix, but she has quite a reputation of her own when it comes to causing mayhem." Wen Yin said with a smile as she glanced at Xu Liang. Xu Liang didn''t say much as he walked towards Lexi and climbed on her back. The Heavenly Ice Phoenix and the Melodious Frost Swan began flying as they advanced towards the center of the Heavenly City. Although the Frost Swan was fast, it couldn''t compete with the speed of the Legendary Ice Phoenix. The distance between both of them kept increasing. Interestingly enough, it was the situation when the Ice Phoenix was moving slower than usual as per Xu Liang''s instructions. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Soon, they both reached his palace. Xu Liang hurriedly got off the phoenix as he walked towards Yue''s room with Wen Yin. Xu Liang entered the room as he opened the door but his eyes opened wide at what he saw. Yue was lying on the bed while Mengchan sat beside him, but what shocked him was the fact that Yue wasn''t wearing her dress that she had previously been wearing. Her dress was lying on a chair nearby while she laid in the bed in her underclothes. "What are you doing!!!" He let out loudly as he glared at Mengchan. "Master! Princess was burning hot. I was trying to get her temperature down." Mengchan replied as she looked down. "Oh My... You should close your eyes little guy, It''s not something you should watch." Wen Yin entered the room as she said to Xu Liang. Xu Liang turned back and stood at the door with his back facing the room. Wen Yin walked towards Yue and placed her hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes. "Hmm.As I guessed. It''s the same as the previous times. Don''t worry about it, it''s normal. She will wake up in a few hours." Wen Yin said as she opened her eyes. She took off her hands from her forehead. "What do you mean it''s normal? You are saying that she goes through the same agony constantly? Am I to think of it as normal? " Xu Liang let out as if he was angry at her statement. "It''s good that you are angry, but there is nothing that anyone of us can do about it. It''s all because of the special physique that she possesses." Wen Yin let out with a thoughtful look on her face. "Special Physique? Again?"He let out with a stunned look on his face. "Yea, she also has a special physique. Do you remember what we said about special physiques? They could be a gift or a curse. Her physique seems to be of the second kind" Wen Yin continued as she shook her head. "What is her special physique? Is there a way to help her?" Xu Liang asked her. "Her special physique is known as the ''Saintly Desolation Physique''. We know a little bit about it as this physique had previously appeared in this world. It first appeared in a normal woman of the Mortal Realm. The woman later became known as the "Desolation Empress''. She was a frightening woman I must say." Wen Yin continued. 22 Chapter 20: Desolation Empress "Her special physique is known as the ''Saintly Desolation Physique''. We know a little bit about it as this physique had previously appeared in this world." "It first appeared in a mortal woman of the Mortal Realm. The woman later became known as the "Desolation Empress''. She was a frightening woman I must say." Wen Yin continued. "Is there a way to help her?" Xu Liang asked her in full seriousness. "Not that I know of. We don''t even know that much about this physique as of yet. The only person who could help us understand it was the Desolation Empress ... but she hasn''t been seen in over a hundred years. Even Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu tried to find her when we discovered that Yue had this physique, but she was never found. " Wen Yin shook her head as she said to Xu Liang. "I''ll say the same thing again. Worrying won''t solve anything. Leave all the worrying to your elders. I''m sure that we will soon find a possible way to help her." Wen Yin continued. "Oh, I forgot to ask. Where is your father? How come you were the one to come looking for me instead of him? " Wen Yin asked as if she suddenly thought about something. "Father? I don''t know much about his whereabouts. I was only told that he went out for some important work." Xu Liang replied to her. "Important work? Oh.. he must''ve gone to check on the barrier. That thing is still weakening. Looks like it won''t be long." Wen Yin said with a serious look on her face. "Barrier?" Xu Liang asked as confusion appeared on his face. "Oh, it''s nothing. Anyways, she will wake up in a few hours. I''ll be going now." Wen Yin said with a smile as she walked towards the exit. Xu Liang went ahead and sat near Yue. He couldn''t care less about her lack of proper clothing as he was more worried about her waking up. "Master, are you going to be staying here?" Mengchan inquired as she looked at Xu Liang. "Yea... Anyways, do you know where my royal father actually went?" Xu Liang asked her with a thoughtful look on his face. "No" Mengchan shook her head. "Go out there and try to find out. Tell me once you find out." Xu Liang said to her before shifting his focus back to Yue. "Alright, young master," Mengchan nodded her head as she left. She didn''t forget to close the door before leaving. __________________________________ "Saintly Desolation Physique huh... It sounds so amazing, but who would have known that it would be something like this." Xu Liang muttered as he looked at the calm face of Yue. "What was that dream though... And the strange feeling I got when I touched you... it was as if a heavy burden was off my shoulders... Everything is so confusing. Nothing makes sense anymore." Xu Liang shook his head with a distressed look on his face. Far away from the Heavenly Realm, there existed a small planet. The planet had no water. As far as one could see, there was nothing but rocks in sight. The rocks and the ground all looked greyish. There was neither plantation nor any signs of wildlife on the whole planet. There existed something strange on this planet. It was not distinguishable from the space but when one got closer to the planet, they could see a barrier in one of the sections of the planet. The barrier was in the shape of a semisphere with a diameter of only 2 kilometers. Outside the northern portion of the barrier, a few people could be seen standing there as they surveyed the barrier. "It is weakening at a must faster pace. If it keeps weakening at this rate, We might only have 1 or 2 years before the barrier is ineffective." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gazed at the barrier. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Indeed...I don''t know why, but it started weakening at a much faster rate yesterday. It felt like something affected the weakening of the barrier and intensified it" War God Zhen let out with a thoughtful look on his face. "There''s not much time left. There are so many things that need to be done... So much preparation is needed..." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a grave look on his face. __________________________________ "Ahmmm...." Yue suddenly let out a voice as she moved her hand. Her hand now rested on Xu Liang''s thighs who were sitting on the bed. "Yue? Are you up?" Xu Liang said as she felt her movement. "Hmm?" Yue slowly opened her eyes. She looked to her right and found Xu Liang sitting there. "Ah... Brother Liang... Did I lose consciousness again?" Yue asked with a confused look on her face. "Yea... Are you alright now?" Xu Liang asked with a concerned look on his face. "I feel fine. I feel better than I did the previous times this happened." Yue let out with a calm smile on her face. She tried to move her hands when she noticed that her right hand was resting in an unusual place. Her face couldn''t help but turn crimson as she realized that her hands were on Xu Liang''s thighs. She pretended to be unaware of it as she let her hand stay there. Xu Liang didn''t think much about it as he continued to look at her with a concerned gaze. Yue sat up straight after some effort, though she still didn''t remove her right hand from his thighs. As she sat up, The blanket that was covering her body slid down, revealing her body that was only covered by her innerwear. "Eeeek.." A sharp scream escaped her mouth as she realized that she was barely wearing any clothes. Most of her skin was exposed and only her breasts were covered by her innerwear. "Ahh... What happened was that...Mengchan was taking care of you when I went out to bring the Goddess of Medicine. She was worried about your high temperature, she thought that removing your clothes might be a good idea. You were already like this by the time I came back." Xu Liang tried to explain as he struggled to find proper words so as to not create a misunderstanding. "It... it''s alright. I don''t mind if Brother Liang sees me like this." Yue let out with a red face, though in her mind she was screaming as she couldn''t believe that she said such bold words. 23 Chapter 21: I will make you mine NOTE: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME ADULT CONTENT! IF YOU ARE YOUNGER THAN 16 OR HATE SUCH CONTENT, DON''T READ THE CONTENT IN BETWEEN THE FIRST BREAK LIKE AND THE SECOND. STORY WILL CONTINUE AS NORMAL. ____________________________________ "It... it''s alright. I don''t mind if Brother Liang sees me like this." Yue let out with a red face, but in her mind, she was screaming as she couldn''t believe that she said such bold words. Xu Liang couldn''t help but gulp as he heard her words. His eyes couldn''t help but look down in a moment of weakness but he quickly recovered and shifted his gaze upwards. "You can take a longer look." Yue noticed his quick glance at her chest and gathered her courage as she got closer. "I...I should go now." Xu Liang said as he felt good willpower weakening. He couldn''t understand why his willpower was so weak whenever he was in front of Yue. What was this sudden weakening of emotions that he never felt in his previous world? What was influencing him? These were some of the questions that were floating in his mind. He was about to turn back to leave when Yue suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to hers. Xu Liang was unprepared for this and her sudden strength shocked him as he was pulled towards Yue. He fell on the bed on top of Yue. While his left hand rested on the bed near Yue, his right hand was resting on something different altogether. His right hand was resting on something that was even softer than the mattress of the bed. As Xu Liang gazed down, his expressions changed as he raised his right hand that was resting on Yue''s breast. His mind went blank as he tried getting up in a hurry. "Ahmmm..."As a weak pressure was applied on his hands, a slight moan escaped from Yue''s mouth. She placed her hand on the back of his neck and prevented him from moving back. "Brother..." Yue gazed deep in his eyes with her misty eyes as she brought Xu Liang''s face closer to hers. As his face was a few inches away from her face, Xu Liang came to his senses as he finally began using a little bit of his cultivation. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Yue tried but she couldn''t pull his face closer. It was her first time kissing so she didn''t know what to do, she was going with what she heard about kissing as she kissed Xu Liang. Xu Liang''s mind went blank as a sudden urge took over him. He replied to her kissing passionately as he kissed her back. His hand that was resting on her bountiful chest couldn''t help but squeeze it a little. "ahh..."Yue moaned lightly as she opened her lips that were busy in kissing Xu Liang. Xu Liang who had lost his sense of reasoning took advantage of this opening as he slid his slippery tongue inside her wet mouth. Xu Liang''s tongue soon found Yue''s sweet tongue and began playing hide and seek with each other. His hand that was playing with her chest moved as it slid inside her innerwear. Now there was no clothing between his warm hands and her soft mountain peaks. Xu Liang squeezed and pinched her peaks while he kissed her passionately. He brought his tongue out of her mouth that was filled with her sweet saliva by now. He separated his lips from hers as he gazed in her deep eyes with a drunk look on his face. He gazed down at her bountiful breasts. He moved down until his face was right in front of her chest. Xu Liang used his hand as he folded her innerwear up to her shoulders and exposed her soft mountain peaks. "Beautiful..." He muttered as he gazed at her summits that looked slightly pink with his clear blue eyes. He brought his face closer to her breast and kissed on her peaks gently. "Ahh... Brother Liang." A loud moan escaped her mouth. Xu Liang began kissing and sucking on her chest as he played with her other peak with his hand. The room was filled with moans that only got louder and louder as time passed. ____________________________________ Two hours passed as the door to Yue''s room opened. Someone entered inside. "Master, I found some information," Mengchan said with an excited look on her face as she entered the room. "Huh?" Her eyes opened wide in shock as she saw the scene ahead. Xu Liang and Yue were both lying in bed. A blanket was covering both of them. Although Mengchan couldn''t see it, she was sure that Xu Liang''s hand was resting on Yue''s chest inside the blanket. ''What the...'' She couldn''t help but stand there shocked as she rubbed her eyes as if she was daydreaming. She left silently as she closed the door behind her. "I can''t let anyone else see master in this condition. I must stop anyone from entering." She muttered as she stood in front of the door. Two more hours passed and finally, she heard voices from inside. "Looks like they''re up. I should wait a little before I enter" She muttered as she looked back. __________________________________ Xu Liang opened his eyes. The first thing that appeared in his view was Yue''s beautiful face. "So it happened..."Xu Liang muttered as he gazed at her calm face with a gentle smile on his face. "I don''t know why I have such feelings for her, neither do I know if these are actually my feelings. All I know is that after today, she is my woman. I know our relationship will get complicated, but I won''t leave her alone. I''ll deal with everything." Xu Liang muttered as he brought his face closer to hers and gently kissed on her lips before he sat up. He picked his clothes up from the ground and wore them. "Master! I found out about what you wanted to know." Meghan''s voice sounded as she knocked on the door. "Enter." Xu Liang sat on the corner of the bed as he replied. "It''s good that you finally learned to knock before entering. You really learned from your mistake."Xu Liang said with a smile. "Yeah, I did master" Mengchan let out with a shameless smile on her face as she nodded her head. "So where is father?" He asked with a curious look on his face. "His majesty went to the Red Planet with War God Zhen," Mengchan answered him. 24 Chapter 22 :Red Plane "So where is father?" He asked with a curious look on his face. "His majesty went to the Red Planet with War God Zhen," Mengchan answered him. "The Red Planet? What''s there? I don''t think that there was any mention of that planet in any of the books I was allowed to read..." Xu Liang let out with a questioning gaze. "Really? How can Master not know about the Red Planet? It''s something that every person knows about. Red Planet is a Restricted Planet. Only the members of the Royal Army and people with exclusive permission from His Majesty are allowed to go there." Mengchan replied to Xu Liang. "Why is that place so special?" Xu Liang asked with a stunned look on his face. "No one knows exactly why that place is so special, but there''s a rumor that the place is the prison of a scary demon. A demon that can destroy the Heavenly Realm if he gets out. Thankfully there is a barrier that''s keeping that demon trapped forever!" Mengchan said with a serious look on her face. "A barrier that''s keeping a scary demon trapped? What is this all about? How come I was never told about this?" Xu Liang muttered as he fell in deep thought. "So you know why father went there?" Xu Liang inquired. "I apologize but I don''t know that. Thought I can guess that something really serious must be going on there. In the last few years, many important people have been going there regularly. Goddess of Medicine and Illustrious Emperor went to the planet twice in the last two years while War God Zhen often goes there. Even his majesty had gone there quite a few times." Mengchan further continued. "Hmm... Looks like things are actually bad. What can be happening there..." Xu Liang let out as he fell in deep thoughts. ''Wait a minute! Didn''t Goddess of Medicine say something about a barrier weakening? Barrier... Red Planet... Demon... Oh, fu**!!! So that''s what''s happening. It would truly be a disaster if that trapped demon is really that strong and escapes.'' Xu Liang''s expressions kept changing as he kept figuring out more and more. ''But is there something I can do? If father is unable to stop it, then what can I do?'' He walked back and forth with a perplexed look on his face. "Alright, you can go now. Tell me when father comes back." Xu Liang told Mengchan. "Yes, master." Mengchan nodded her head as she left. "All I can do for the moment is to try to increase my strength!" Xu Liang muttered as he sat on the ground. He began his first cultivation after waking up from his coma. This world had many cultivation realms that one had to go through to reach immortality. Each Realm had 9 stages. The next realm was Spirit Establishment Realm. It provided a cultivator with much more strength and a lifespan of 150 years. The Gold Core Realm came next which was followed by Earth Realm, Sky Realm, Heaven Realm, Saint Realm and so on... While the Earth Realm Cultivators could live up to 300 years, a Saint Realm Cultivator was able to live up to 2000 years. The Realm that came after the Saint Realm was said to be the realm that provided a person with immortality! Although it was called immortality, it was actually only 5000 years of lifespan. It was said that to gain true immortality, a person had to reach the true peak of cultivation. While a mortal was born without any cultivation and had to start their cultivation from the Body Refining Realm, the kids from Heavenly Realm and Demon Realm were born with the cultivation of Earth Realm since the moment they were born. As Xu Liang was a mortal, he had to begin his cultivation from the first stage of Body Refining Realm. Even after starting from the beginning, Xu Liang had managed to shock everyone as he was the youngest person in the heavenly realm to break through to the saint realm. Despite being born with Earth Realm cultivation, no heavenly realm kid was able to break through to the Saint Realm before they turned 25, but Xu Liang had not only done that, he had, in fact, reached the 6th Stage of Saint Realm. Even after a long coma, Xu Liang was still only 24. This was why he was considered as the no. 1 genius of the Heavenly Realm. Citizens of the Heavenly City liked him despite him being an outsider. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. ________________________ Xu Liang began his cultivation as he focused his mind. He was cultivating using the ''Myriad God'' Cultivation Technique. It was a skill that Heavenly Emperor himself made after modifying his own cultivation technique so that it could be Suitable for a mortal to cultivate. _______________________________ The night passed as morning arrived. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu finally returned to his palace with War God Zhen. "Your Majesty, you are back!" Mengchan let out as she noticed then. "Hmm...? What are you doing here so early?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu inquired with a doubtful look on his face. "Hmm? What''s he doing here as well?" Before she could reply, Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu let out as he looked back. "What are you doing here little brother? " Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile. "Of Course I''m here to check on nephew Liang. I heard that he woke up." Illustrious Emperor stepped towards Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. His beautiful concubine Walked with him, hand in hand. "Really? I would never have expected you to come here for him." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a doubtful look on his face. "Well, he may be a dirty mortal of unknown origins, but since you care for him so much, I couldn''t help but worry about him as well." Illustrious Emperor said as he smiled. "Where is Nephew Liang, Your Majesty?" The woman walking with Illustrious Emperor said with a caring smile on her face. "Well, since you guys are so worried about him, I''ll let you see him. He should probably be in his room." Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he began walking in a certain direction. War God Zhen, Illustrious Emperor, and his concubine followed Tian Zhu. Tian Zhu stopped in front of a room. "Liang? " Heavenly Emperor let out softly as he opened the door but he was stunned as he found the room empty. "Mengchan? Where''s Liang?" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked as he looked at Mengchan. "His highness... He is in Princess Yue''s room. " Mengchan replied as she looked down. "Her room? Is everything alright?" Tian Zhu let out as he hurriedly began walking towards Yue''s room. 25 Chapter 23: Spy of the Demon Realm \"Her room? Is everything alright?\"Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu let out as he hurriedly walked towards Yue''s room. \"Ah...yes \" Mengchan replied to him though she herself wasn''t sure after watching what she saw before. \"Yue?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu called out before he opened the door and entered inside. \"What the?\" He couldn''t help but exclaim as soon as he opened the door. The first thing his eyes fell on was Xu Liang who was sitting in a meditative pose. Xu Liang had his eyes closed and he looked like he was lost in his cultivation. Unbeknownst to him, there was a powerful vortex around him. The vortex was made of the purest Qi present in the Heavenly Realm. The strange thing was that the vortex was only 1 meter wide and didn''t affect anything in the room. Most of the room looked completely unaffected as if this phenomenon was taking place only for Xu Liang. Yue was still sleeping peacefully in her room covered in a blanket, unaware of anything. \"That''s!!! Origin Energy!!!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu let out with a shocked look on his face. \"Impossible! Only people with the purest bloodline of the Heavenly Realm or Demon Realm can use Origin Energy without reaching that Cultivation Realm! He hasn''t even broken through to the immortal realm, let alone that realm! How can a mortal use Origin Energy to cultivate!\" War God Zhen let out with a disbelieving look on his face. A heavy killing intent filled the room as the Illustrious Emperor brought his sword out. \"There''s no doubt about it! He is the spawn of the demons! A spy from the demon realm sent here to infiltrate and weaken us!!! I will kill that bastard!\" Illustrious Emperor let out loudly as he raised his sword high in the sky. A scary sword intent appeared. Just as he was about to strike down, a hand appeared and grabbed his sword midway. The sword that looked like it could cut the whole world in half, couldn''t do anything to the hand that grabbed its sharp blade making it unable to move forward. \"You dare try to hurt my son!!!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as his aura spread in the room. The aura was clearly stronger than the aura of the Illustrious Emperor. \"What the hell are you doing! He is a demon! We can''t let him live!\" Illustrious Emperor roared in anger as he stared at the Heavenly Emperor. \"Mu Qing! My brother has been charmed by that demon! I''ll stop him, you go and kill that demon.\" Illustrious Emperor said to his concubine in a serious tone. \"Yes dear,\" She said as she walked forward. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu didn''t divert his attention as to him, Illustrious Emperor was the real concern. As for Mu Qing, there was no need to worry about her. \"You!!! Why are you trying to save a demon? I''ve never seen you being so stubborn when it comes to the safety of the Heavenly Realm!\" Illustrious Emperor again said in an effort to convince Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. \"I''ve told everyone that I checked him! He is not a demon. He doesn''t have any demonic qi or demonic blood! Are you calling me a liar?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with an angry look on his face. \"Maybe they used some special artifact or skill to hide his cultivation! Him being able to use Origin Energy is the biggest proof that he is a demon!\" Illustrious Emperor responded hurriedly. \"I AM HEAVENLY EMPEROR TIAN ZHU! DO YOU REALLY THINK I WOULDN''T BE ABLE TO TELL SUCH A THING!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as a little bit of killing intent appeared in his eyes. \"Then give me a reason!!! How can he use Origin Energy? Don''t tell me that he is your illegitimate son and have a Heavenly Bloodline.\" Even the Illustrious Emperor lost control of his anger as he said in a mocking tone. \"If you weren''t my brother, I would have cut your neck off right here right now! He can use Origin Energy because of his ancient special physique!\" The Heavenly Emperor replied as he tried to control his anger. \"Special Physique? What special physique?\" Illustrious Emperor let out a shocked look on his face. \"Go and ask Wen Yin! You won''t believe me either way! Leave my palace this instant!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhe said to the Illustrious Emperor as he freed his sword. \"Mu Qing! We''re going back! \" Illustrious Emperor said to his concubine with an ugly expression on his face. \"Ah...yes.\" Mu Qing, who hadn''t moved a single step forward in fear of War God Zhen, turned back and hurriedly walked towards the Illustrious Emperor. They both left the palace. \"Ancient Special Physique? A Physique that can allow a human to use the Origin Energy to cultivate? Why didn''t I hear anything about it?\" Illustrious Emperor muttered as he flew in his Heavenly Jade Eagle. The Heavenly Jade Eagle flew not towards the palace of the Illustrious Emperor, but towards the palace of the Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin. _________________________________ \"Your Majesty, do you really think his physique can allow him to use Origin Energy?\" War God Zhen inquired as soon as the Illustrious Emperor left. \"I''m not sure... but that''s the only possible explanation I could think of. The only thing I''m sure of is that he doesn''t have any link to the demon realm!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said in a calm manner as he gazed at the vortex of pure energy around Tian Zhu. \"I hope that it''s really the case.\" War God Zhen muttered as he gazed at Xu Liang. ____________________________ Illustrious Emperor landed in front of the palace of the Goddess of Medicine as he walked towards the door. \"Please stop your highness. I will go inform Mistress first.\" A guard at the door said as he stopped the Illustrious Emperor. Without saying much, Illustrious Emperor brought his sword out and swung it with immense strength. All the guards were cut in half as he continued ahead. He opened the gate and entered the palace. 26 Chapter 24:Demon Emperor Without saying much, Illustrious Emperor brought his sword out and swung it with immense strength. All the guards were cut in half as he continued ahead. He opened the gate and entered the palace. \"Wen Yin! Where are you?\" Illustrious Emperor let out loudly. His voice echoed in the whole palace. \"I''ve never seen you so irritated. Did something happen?\" Wen Yin said as she came down the stairs. She was wearing a green dress that looked much like a gown. The dresses tightly wrapped around her heavenly body. \"Does Xu Liang have a special physique?\"Illustrious Emperor asked with a straight tone. \"Yea... he does. Why?\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin responded with a smile. \"What Special Physique? What can that physique do?\" Illustrious Emperor asked again. \"It''s not certain. It is a Spiritual Type Special Physique that hasn''t appeared before. I''m not certain what it can do, we will only know once his physique awakens.\" Wen Yin said with a thoughtful expression on her face. \"Ahmm... Is it possible that this physique can allow a mortal to use Origin Energy while only being at the Saint Realm?\" Illustrious Emperor inquired again. \"Origin Energy? Do you mean Prince Liang...?\" Wen Yin became shocked as she deduced the meaning hidden inside the Illustrious Emperor''s question. \"He can use Origin Energy! Tell me if this is possible because of his physique! It''s either that or he''s a spy of the Demonic Realm!\" Illustrious Emperor said in a heavy tone. \"He can use Origin Energy? That...that shouldn''t be possible but... there''s still a lot that is unknown about special physiques. Why do they appear randomly, how many abilities can they give, what are their limits, we have no idea. So I can''t say for sure. There might be a possibility that his physique can give him such abilities. It''s a never before seen ancient physique after all.\" Wen Yin said with a thoughtful look on her face. Even she couldn''t believe that a physique could provide such abilities, but she knew that anything was possible. \"Hmm... so even you''re unsure! There''s no proof that it''s the reason, still, my brother said it so convincingly! That''s no doubt that he''s thinking more about that boy than about our realm! My brother would have killed him if it was another person who showed off such abilities! He had changed.\" Illustrious Emperor said to Wen Yin. Wen Yin didn''t respond to his comments. \"Let''s go! We are leaving.\" Illustrious Emperor said as he turned back. He left the palace just as haughtily as he came. \"Sigh... His anger is really scary... My poor guards.\" Wen Yin muttered as she saw the bodies of her guards at the door. Wen Yin snapped her fingers. As soon as the bodies reached near the tree, the tree absorbed the bodies. Not even the bones were left. Soon after the tree absorbed the bodies, four more branches extended from the tree. \"Thanks for serving me.\" The Goddess of Medicine muttered as she entered her palace. \"Select new guards for the entrance!\" She ordered her butler as she climbed the stairs again. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu waited for quite some time in Yue''s room, but Xu Liang didn''t wake up, instead, it was Yue who woke up first. Her eyes opened wide as she saw her father standing in front of her. She tightly clenched the blanket that was covering her body as she wasn''t wearing anything underneath. \"F... father... What are you doing here?\" Yue asked as she initially stuttered. \"Oh, you''re up. I was looking for Liang''er. Surprisingly he was cultivating inside your room.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he looked at Yue with a gentle smile. \"Why is your face so red? Are you having a fever?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu noticed her crimson face as he walked towards her. He placed his hand on her forehead. \"Hmm... there''s no fever.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said loudly. \"I''m fine, father,\" Yue said as she tried to act calm. ''I can''t let father know that I and brother Liang already... It''s not the right time'' Yue thought as she wished she could hide someplace right now. \"If you say so. Anyways, looks like your brother is going to cultivate for quite a while. I should leave now.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he looked at Xu Liang. He turned back to leave. \"You stay here and take care of Liang''er. Send someone to inform me when he wakes up. I have some things to ask him.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said in a serious tone as he looked at Mengchan. \"Y...yes master.\" Mengchan nodded her head hurriedly. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu and War God Zhen left the room. \"Miss Yue, How was your night?\" Mengchan asked with a teasing smile as she glanced at Yue. \"It was the best night I ever had,\" Yue responded without thinking for even a second. \"Hmmm...I never knew Master Liang could be so amazing.\" Mengchan chuckled lightly as she glanced at Yue. \"Hmm? What do you mean?\" Yue asked as she felt something strange in her words. \"Oh, nothing. I was only talking about the master''s physique that allows him to use Origin Energy. He must''ve spent quite a lot of energy last night that he is needing so long.\" Mengchan chuckled as she walked at the corner and sat on a chair. \"Origin Energy?\" Yue finally noticed the vortex of origin energy around Xu Liang. _________________________________________ Back inside the demon realm, a secret meeting was taking place. There was a large hall. Inside the hall sat the Demon Emperor. The ruler of Demonic Realm.No one knew his actual name. Even if someone knew his name, they wouldn''t dare speak of it as it would be the biggest taboo of the Demonic Realm. 27 Chapter 25: Whats inside the barrier? There was a large hall. Inside the hall sat the Demon Emperor on his throne. He was the ruler of the Demonic Realm. No one knew what the actual name of the Demon Emperor was. Even if someone knew his name, they wouldn''t dare speak of it as it would be the biggest taboo of the Demonic Realm. The Demon Emperor looked less like a demon and more like a human, but the scary aura coming from him was enough to make everyone realize who that person was. The aura of the Demon Emperor didn''t look even a bit weaker than the aura of the Heavenly Emperor. His Flaming Red hair matched quite well with his blood-red eyes. He looked like he was in his early thirties but his actual age was much much more. The Demon Emperor had a golden ring in his hand. There were some Ancient characters carved on the ring. There were around 20 Demons that stood in front of him. Some had horns coming out of their heads while others had fur on their body. There was even a giant that stood amongst them. \"My Lord, We already know that the barrier of the Red Planet is weakening. How about we attack with our full force and take control of that place. Those brats from the heavenly realm have kept that place for quite a while.\" One of the demons said. The demon had dark green skin. The demon had sharp claws instead of normal hands. His sharp eyes didn''t dare to look at the Demon Emperor as he talked in front of him. \"Why should we?\" The Demon Emperor asked in a heavy tone. \"We¡­ Of Course, so that we can welcome the being trapped in that barrier.\" The demon responded. \"Do you even know who''s inside that barrier?\" The Demon Emperor said as a demonic smile appeared in his face. \"I don''t, my lord. Only the ruler of the Demon Realm is allowed to know the secret.\" The demon said as he looked down. \"The Ruler of the Heavenly Realm, Tian Zhu knows of it as well.\" The Demon Emperor said in a heavy tone. \"My lord, can we know what''s inside that barrier?\" The giant in the room couldn''t help but ask as his curiosity finally reached its peak. \"Do you really want to know what''s inside?\" The Demon Emperor asked with a smile. \"Yes, My Lord\" All of them replied at the same time. \"You''re not worthy to know about it.\" The Demon Emperor said softly as he closed his eyes. An image of a man couldn''t help but flash before his eyes. The man sat on a throne like a Demon God that ruled over the entire universe as his blood-red sword floated in front of him. The man had bright golden eyes and pitch-black hair. ''It''s been so long since you were sealed ... Will you ever wake up? '' The Demon Emperor thought as he slowly opened his eyes. \"Let nature take its course... Do not interfere in the matter of that barrier.\" Demon Emperor said in a heavy voice. His voice sounded like an order that no one dared to raise a voice against. \"We...we didn''t.\" One of the demon generals said in an anxious tone. \"My lord, maybe she had already died. It''s impossible for her to survive.\" The demon general continued, but just as he finished speaking, he gazed towards the Demon Emperor and saw his blood-red eyes. He coughed out a mouthful of blood as he grabbed his chest. In less than a second, his body was blasted into pieces that spread in every direction. The pieces that flew towards the Demon Emperor turned to dust before they could even reach near him. \"Keep looking for her.\" The Demon Emperor stood up as he ignored the shivering demons and left the throne room. He walked in the corridors as he moved towards the core of his palace. _____________________________ It was afternoon when Xu Liang woke up from his Cultivation. He opened his eyes slowly and stood up. ''I feel much more refreshed now. Although it''s the first time that I''m actually cultivating in this world, it feels like I have cultivated almost every single day of my life. Such a mysterious feeling.'' Xu Liang thought as he smiled. \"Master! You''re up! His Majesty came back and he said that you should meet him when you wake up.\" Meghan''s voice came as she informed him. \"Oh, you''re here. Alright, I''ll go meet him.\" Xu Liang responded to her in a gentle manner. He turned back to look towards the bed. \"Hmm? What happened? Why are you lying like that? You look wide awake. \" Xu Liang muttered as he gazed towards Yue who was still inside the bed covered in her blanket. She gestured to Xu Liang to come towards her. He walked towards her and sat on the bed beside her. *Come closer, I want to say something.\" She said as she gazed at Xu Liang. Xu Liang brought his face closer to hers with a confused look on his face. \"She has been here since the moment I woke up. I''m not wearing anything underneath...\" She whispered in Xu Liang''s ears. \"Mengchan? Can you bring my breakfast here? I feel quite hungry.\" Xu Liang said as he turned to look at Mengchan. \"Yes, master! I''ll be right back. Oh right, I won''t forget to knock before I enter.\" Mengchan said with an amused smile on her face. She left the room and didn''t forget to close the door. \"You know you could''ve sent her on your own as well.\" Xu Liang chuckled lightly as he said to her. \"I couldn''t. Father ordered her to inform you as soon as you wake up. She wouldn''t leave as she said that you might wake up at any moment.\" Yue said with a wry smile on her face. She sat up as the blanked covering her body slid down. 28 Chapter 26: Keep it a secret? \"I couldn''t. Father ordered her to inform you as soon as you wake up. She wouldn''t leave as she said that you might wake up at any moment.\" Yue said with a wry smile on her face. She sat up as the blanket covering her body slid down. Xu Liang''s eyes couldn''t help but look down but she hurriedly covered her chest with a crimson face before he could get a clear view. \"Can... can you close your eyes for a moment?\" Yue said in a low voice. \"Well, we''ve already done it. Is there something that I haven''t seen yet?\" Xu Liang let out with a wry smile on his face, though he still closed his eyes. Yue stood up on the bed and wore the clothes that were hidden by her blanket. In about a few minutes, she got dressed properly. She opened her mouth to say something but she closed her lips and didn''t say anything. A mischievous smile appeared on her face. She walked closer to Xu Liang with soft steps. She reached near him and kissed him lightly. As soon as her lips touched his, Xu Liang moved his arms and wrapped it around her waist as he responded to her kiss passionately. After a long kiss, Yue separated from him as she breathed heavily. Her drunk eyes still looked deep in Xu Liang''s eyes as she licked her lips. \"Brother Liang... The thing that happened yesterday...\" Yue seemed like she wanted to say something. \"Do you love me as well?\" She asked as she finally gathered her courage. \"I do. I don''t know why, but there''s an urge inside me that keeps attracting me towards you. I want to take care of you! I want to protect you! I could do all that as your brother, but there''s something inside me that wants more. I''m not sure why, but I have fallen for you...\" Xu Liang gazed in her eyes as he shared his feelings. Even he himself couldn''t understand what he was feeling, all he knew was that he desired Yue. Yue came forward as she hugged Xu Liang tightly. \"What about father? Should I tell him or keep it a secret? I''m willing to do both as long as I can spend my life with you.\" She said with a concerned tone. \"I don''t want to keep it secret. I will tell father when the time is right. What happens next will depend on him\" Xu Liang replied in a gentle tone. They stayed like that for quite some time. They separated as someone knocked on the door. \"Come in!\" Xu Liang said in a loud tone. \"Master! I brought breakfast!\" Mengchan said as she opened the door and walked inside. \"Give it to Yue. I''ll go talk to Father.\" Xu Liang said as he passed by her and left the room. \"Hmm? If he wasn''t hungry, then why did he ask for breakfast? Oh...\" Mengchan muttered with a doubtful look before she smiled as if she realized the reason. She walked towards Yue and placed the plate in front of her. ____________________________ \"Liang''er! Since when can you use Origin Energy to cultivate?\" Heavenly Emperor asked in a serious tone. \"Hmm? Origin Energy? What are you talking about father? Isn''t origin energy something that people with the purest of bloodlines from the Demon or Heavenly Realm can use? \" Xu Liang responded with a confused look on his face. \"So you have no idea about it, do you?\" Heavenly Emperor said as he shook his head. \"About what?\" Xu Liang still couldn''t understand what he was talking about. \"Today, I was able to see you use the origin energy to cultivate!\" Heavenly Emperor said in a heavy tone. \"Me? Origin Energy? How can I use the origin energy? \" Xu Liang asked loudly with a disbelieving look on his face. \"Isn''t that a question that I should ask?\" The Heavenly Emperor had a wry smile on his face as he looked at Xu Liang. \"Have you recovered your memories of the time before we met?\" The Heavenly Emperor asked another question. Xu Liang shook his head in denial. \"If only you could recover your memories, we might be able to get some of the answers.\" Heavenly Emperor said with a thoughtful look on his face. \"You don''t have to worry though, you being able to use the Origin Energy is really advantageous to you. Tomorrow I''ll begin teaching you how to properly utilize the origin energy for cultivation.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he looked at Xu Liang. \"Thank you, Father.\" Xu Liang replied with a smile. \"Oh right! Why were you cultivating inside Yue''s room that early in the morning.'''' The Heavenly Emperor asked him as he thought about something. \"Yea, that''s something I wish to talk to you about. I came up to her room for something yesterday. In the middle of our conversation, Yue started screaming in pain and lost consciousness. Aunt Wen Yin checked her and said that it was normal for her. She said that it''s because of her physique. Is there really nothing that we could do?\" Xu Liang asked as his expressions became serious. \"It happened again?\" Heavenly Emperor asked with a sad look on his face. \"I am the ruler of the heavenly realm, yet I can''t help my own daughter! \" Heavenly Emperor out as he looked upwards. \"If only I could find the Desolation Empress, I would be able to discover something! Where in the hell did she disappear to? \" He muttered as he remembered the stories he heard about the Desolation Empress. \"You can go now! You don''t need to worry about it. I''ll do anything to find a cure for her.\" Heavenly Emperor said as he gazed at Xu Liang. \"Ah...alright,\" Xu Liang Said as he left. He wished to talk more, but he realized that it was not an appropriate time to do that. \"Desolation Empress...\" Xu Liang muttered a name as he left the room of the Heavenly Emperor. After leaving, he went straight to the Royal Library. 29 Chapter 27: Marriage Proposal Xu Liang entered the Royal Library. \"What brings you here, my Prince?\" A young man who looked like he was in his early thirties spotted Xu Liang and walked towards him. He was wearing circular glasses and had black hair that was tied to a ponytail. \"Uncle Mu, Can I spend some time here? I wish to read some books.\" \"Sure, what books do you want to read? Tell me the topic and I''ll select some decent books for you.\" \"Ah...I have two things I want to read about. Firstly about the Red Planet, and secondly about the Desolation Empress.\" Xu Liang looked around the empty library as he said to the Guardian of the Library. \"Hmm... That''s an interesting selection of topics you have there. I have a few books that contain some information about the Desolation Empress. The details in those books are somewhat lacking, but that''s all we have.\" The man named Mu Ying replied. He walked towards a certain direction \"It''s fine. I''ll read whatever information I can find. What about the Red Planet?\" Xu Liang inquired as he followed Mu Ying. \"We don''t have any books on the Red Planet. I heard that there is one book that contains all the information that is to be known about the Red Planet, but that book is with His Majesty. It is said that the book is passed by one king to another king.\" Mu Ying answered Xu Liang as he picked one book on a shelf and continued walking ahead. \"That book is with Father? Is there really such a big mystery behind the Red Plane?\" Xu Liang asked with a confused look on his face. \"I don''t know the details, but that does seem like the most realistic assumption. There''s something on that planet that we''re not supposed to know about. I heard that the Demon Emperor also has a similar book about the Red Planet. A book that he keeps with himself.\" Mu Ying said to Long Chen as he picked another book. \"Here... these two books contain information about the Desolation Empress. As for the Red Planet, I apologize but I can''t help you.\" Mu Ying said as he shook his head with a helpless look on his face. \"It''s alright uncle Mu. Thanks for the help.\" Xu Liang said as he walked towards one of the tables and sat down on a chair nearby. Xu Liang began reading the book with great interest. Time kept trickling away slowly as Xu Liang immersed himself in reading. The books contained information about the Immortal World. \"Humans are born in the Mortal World. Most of them are able to cultivate, but only a few of them could reach greater heights in cultivation. Those who manage to break through the saint realm and reach the next stage of cultivation are able to break the restrictions of the Mortal World and enter the immortal realm.\" \"Thousands of years ago, a woman stood at the peak of Immortal World. Although she wasn''t the ruler, she was considered to be the strongest person in the Immortal Realm. Even the true ruler of the Immortal Realm was afraid of her.\" \"It was said that the woman possessed a special physique that gave her immense power and potential. No one knew the real name of that woman. They all called her the ''Desolation Empress''. As pretty as an angel and as dangerous as a demon is what people used to describe her.\" \"There was no clear information about her origin, but it was said that she was born in one of the hundreds of Mortal Worlds. The world that was farthest to the immortal realm, ''Erryth''. There was no proof about that theory, but if that was true, then she would have been the first person to get to the immortal realm from Erryth.\" Xu Liang took a book and started writing the important bits of information that he found in the two books combined. There were a lot of things written about the Immortal Realm in the books but he was only concerned about the things related to the ''Desolation Empress''. \"Erryth...I would like to go there to look for the Desolation Empress. She is the key to helping Yue.\" Xu Liang muttered as he closed the book. He folded the paper and kept it in his pocket as he stood up. \"Thank you for the help, Uncle Mu\" Xu Liang said to Mu Ying as he turned back and left. Xu Lang walked in the long corridors of the Royal Palace as he thought about the things he read. \"I should break through to the next stage as soon as possible so that I could go to Erryth and the Immortal World to look for the Desolation Empress.\" ______________________________ Xu Liang walked back to his room and began cultivating. He felt like he was in a real hurry to break through which made his mind unstable. He could not calm down to focus on his Cultivation. \"I need to calm down. Only a calm mind can help me with my future endeavors.\" He collected himself as he closed his eyes. He didn''t think about anything for over half an hour as he sat still. He began his cultivation again after his mind was fully calm. _______________________________ Night passed away and the morning arrived. \"Master!!! There''s bad news!!!\" A worried voice sounded as Xu Liang was cultivating. Xu Liang slowly opened his eyes as he gazed towards the direction of the door. \"What happened? What bad news?\" Xu Liang asked with a confused look on his face. \"It''s Princess Yue!!! Someone came to propose marriage between their son and Princess Yue!!! It''s Minister Wang!\" Mengchan said without wasting a second on breathing. \"What?\" Xu Liang hurriedly stood up with a shocked look on his face. \"Where is father? \"He hurriedly asked. \"The Royal Hall! Minister Wang is still there. Their talks are still ongoing!\" Mengchan replied, but before she finished her sentence, Xu Liang had already ran out of the room towards the direction of the Royal hall. 30 Chapter 28: I want to marry Yue! \"The Royal Hall! Minister Wang is still there. Their talks are still ongoing!\" Mengchan replied, but before she finished her sentence, Xu Liang had already ran out of the room towards the direction of the Royal hall. Xu Liang ran in the corridor as fast as he could before he finally reached the Royal Hall. \"Your Majesty, My son is a talented young man. In fact, he can be considered as the most talented in the younger generation of the Heavenly Realm after Prince Liang. I believe that he is worthy of marrying Princess Yue. He likes her as well.\" Minister Wang said with a bright smile on his face. \"Your son is indeed a good kid, but I''m not too sure about it. I need to talk to Yue about it as well.\" The Heavenly Emperor replied in an uncertain tone. \"There''s no better man for Princess Yue, Your Majesty! They will be a Heavenly couple.\" Minister Wang said again with full seriousness in an effort to convince the Heavenly Emperor. Right at that moment, the door of the Royal Hall abruptly opened and Xu Liang entered inside. \"Liang''er? What are you doing here?\"Heavenly Emperor asked as he gazed at Xu Liang. \"I need to talk to you right now father \" Xu Liang responded in full seriousness. \"Minister Wang, As I said, I can''t take decisions on behalf of my daughter. The final decision will depend on her. I will tell you after talking to her.\" Heavenly Emperor said to Minister Wang in hopes of getting him to leave. \"Alright. I shall take my leave for the moment then. I''ll wait for the good news, Your Majesty,\" Minister Wang said as he passed by Xu Liang and left. \"Sigh...I never expected that marriage proposals for Yue would start coming so soon. It''s true though that she is an adult now, so it''s normal that people will come here to ask for her hand in marriage. It will all depend on her wishes, as I can''t force my kids to do what they don''t want to.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu sighed as he gazed at Long Chen. \"Oh right, What did you want to talk about?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked Xu Liang. \"Father I..I want to marry Yue!\" Xu Liang stuttered initially before he gathered all the courage he had and spoke the words that would have been considered taboo in his previous world. \"Y..ahu ahu...\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu coughed out the wine he was drinking as he stood up in shock. \"Am I hallucinating or did you actually say that you wanted to marry Yue?\" He asked again just to be sure. \"I and Yue have fallen in love with each other and I wish to marry her.\" Xu Liang said again as he took a few steps forward and stood in front of Heavenly Emperor Xu Liang. He couldn''t help but be afraid of the violent reaction he would receive from Tian Zhu, but it was something that needed to be said. ''I can''t let Yue be forced to marry someone. It''s for her happiness and mine.'' He raised his eyes as he turned to look at Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu''s reaction but it was something that he never expected. Instead of frowning or getting angry, Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was smiling. \"Father, you... are you smiling? Aren''t you angry?\" Xu Liang asked in an uncertain tone. \"Why should I be angry? My two little angels want to marry! I don''t think there is any need to be angry! You just said that Yue loves you too! If you both like each other, then why should I be upset? '''' Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu chuckled as he gazed at Xu Liang. \"But...but... it''s a taboo relationship! She is my sister!!! I''m talking about marrying my sister!\" Xu Liang let out loudly as his mind turned blank after seeing Tian Zhu''s reaction. It would be one thing if he had agreed after scolding or punishing him for a bit, but the reaction was completely out of his expectation. \"It''s alright! You aren''t related to her by blood, so there''s no need to worry about it. Also, if you both get married, then our family can stay just the way we are. Also, You are the best boy in this whole realm! I can''t find a single person more suited for Yue than you. You can protect her if I''m not around.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu explained what his thoughts were. \"Oh right, how long had this been going on?\" Heavenly Emperor asked with an interested look on his face. \"Two days...\" Xu Liang replied. \"What? You both fell in love with each other only two days ago? Well...love is really strange...\" The Heavenly Emperor shook his head as he said. \"Right, just to be sure, let me ask Yue if she wishes to marry you or not. Go stand behind the curtains, I''ll call for her.\" Heavenly Emperor said as a smile always on his face. He called out for a servant and ordered him to invite Yue to the Royal Hall. Ten minutes had passed when Yue finally entered the Royal Hall. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was sitting on his throne with a grave look on his face while Xu Liang stood behind a curtain according to Heavenly Emperor''s wishes. \"Yue! I had found out that Xu Liang had misbehaved with you? He behaved with you inappropriately! Is it true? I even heard that he was trying to force you to marry him! Such an evil boy!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said in a serious tone. \"Ah... no father that''s not true at all!!! Brother Liang is nothing like that!!! He would never force me to do anything!!! \" Yue grew worried as she hurriedly said to the Heavenly Emperor. \"You mean that I received wrong information? That might be the case. Anyways, I called you here for an important matter.\" \"What''s the matter, father?\" Yue sighed in relief as the topic shifted from Xu Liang. \"Minister Wang came here just a few minutes ago. He wished for you to be married to his son. What do you think about it? You are an adult now, so you can get married...\" \"Definitely not!!! I will not marry anyone other than brother Liang...\" She said in an impulse but hurriedly closed her mouth. 31 Chapter 29: Important thing \"Definitely not!!! I will not marry anyone other than brother Liang...\" She said in an impulse but hurriedly closed her mouth. \"Hmm? Xu Liang? You want to marry him? Or was I correct when I said that he was forcing you?\" Heavenly Emperor said in a serious tone. \"It''s nothing like that father! It''s...I have loved him since as far as I could remember! He had always been gentle and kind to me! Although he never used to smile, I knew that he was happy when we spent time together! All the interactions I had with brother Liang made me realize how much I love him. I...I want to be his wife and stay together with him forever.\" Yue said in a quavering tone. \"What about him?\"Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu inquired. \"He... You won''t punish him, right? I was the one that proposed to him first. He even rejected me the first time, but I managed to make brother Liang fall in love with me. You... please father! Let us be together! I will marry no one else\" Yue said as she looked deep in Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu''s eyes. \"Sigh...I remember the days I fell in love with your mother. She wasn''t from the Heavenly Realm, but a mortal from the lower planets. I begged father to let us get married. I understand how you feel, little girl. You will be married to Xu Liang in 7 days'' time. That''s my promise!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu reminisced about his past as he said. \"This... really? Thank you, Father!\" Yue jumped in the air excitedly as she heard the promise of her father. \"I must tell brother Liang the good news.\" Yue turned back towards the door to leave. \"Hey... He''s right here. You don''t have to go look for him.\" Heavenly Emperor chuckled as he called out Yue. \"What?\" With a stunned look on her face, Yue turned back only to find Xu Liang standing near the Heavenly Emperor. \"T...this...\" Yue''s face turned crimson as she wondered about what to do next. \"Alright, I''ll take my leave now. There are many preparations to be done.\" The Heavenly Emperor smiled as he stood up and left the hall. Yue ran towards Xu Liang and hugged him as tightly as she could. He hugged her back. None of them said any words. _____________________________ \"It''s good that they decided to marry each other, I was wondering how I should bring this topic up with them. I won''t be here much longer and I can''t trust Yue with anyone else.\" \"If my guess is correct, then the barrier will reach its limit in 15-20 years'' time. That''s all the time I have to make Xu Liang stronger so that he could protect himself and Yue in my absence. I need to make further preparations for what happens after...\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu talked to himself as he walked in the corridor. __________________________________ This was the topic of conversation in almost every household. \"Hey? Prince Liang and Princess Yue are brother and sister, aren''t they? How can they marry each other?\" \"Isn''t that too immoral? Letting his son marry his daughter? What is his Majesty thinking?\" \"I think I can understand what His Majesty wants. Princess Yue is the most talented girl in the younger generation while Prince Liang is even more outstanding! If they get married, just imagine how amazing their son would be?\" \"But...but... they are related! That...eww\" \"Hey, don''t you remember? Prince Liang is not His Majesty''s real son. His majesty found him in one of his adventures and brought him to the Heavenly Realm! So he and Princess Yue aren''t related by blood at all. I see no problem with this marriage.\" \"Even if they aren''t blood-related, they became brother and sister the moment His Majesty adopted him! It''s....weird!\" Two friends kept arguing about the topic as they sat in a bar. A third person sat on the same table but he hadn''t said anything. It looked like he was lost in deep thought. \"Hey, Ron! Why don''t you say something? What are you thinking about?\" One of the guys asked as he looked at the third guy. \"I was thinking about something really important! This Realm''s future depends on it!\" Ron replied in a serious tone. \"What? Tell us as well!!! \" His friends asked as they sat straight. The atmosphere suddenly turned serious. \"When Prince Liang and Princess Yue get married... who will call His Majesty father in law? Will Prince Liang become the Prince Consort or will he still be the Crown Prince? Ahhh....so many questions!!!\" Ron let out as he grabbed his head. \"That was the important thing?\" The other two people couldn''t help but facepalm themselves. ____________________________ Minister Wang sat on a chair in his throne as he crushed a letter that he received from Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. The letter said that Yue can''t marry his son and instead she will marry Xu Liang. Heavenly Emperor also invited him for the marriage. \"Xu Liang!!!\" He let out in anger as he threw the crushed letter at the wall. \"Father? So I can''t marry Yue? Can''t you talk to His Majesty again?\" \"He won''t listen! It''s over. I can''t do anything about it. I''ll find you another beautiful girl son\" Minister Wang said as he patted his son''s head. ________________________ \"What are you doing here? \" Heavenly Emperor sat on his throne as he gazed at the Illustrious Emperor. \"I came to talk to you.\" \"If you want me to change my decision about the marriage between Xu Liang and Yue, then you can give up right now. I''m not changing my mind\" \"I''m not here to talk about that. Although I don''t agree with your decision, she''s your daughter after all. You have the right to do whatever you desire. It''s not like that mortal will gain anything from marrying her that he already doesn''t have. He''s the Crown Prince after all.\" \"Then what are you here for?\" \"I came here to apologize. I acted on the impulse that day and after finding out about his special physique, I felt guilty. I came here to apologize to you, Brother\" Illustrious Emperor said with a smile as he gazed at Heavenly Emperor. 32 Chapter 30: Another monster \"I came here to apologize. I acted on an impulse that day and afterward finding out about his special physique, I felt guilty. I came here to apologize to you, Brother\" Illustrious Emperor said with a smile as he gazed at Heavenly Emperor. \"Really?\" The Heavenly Emperor frowned as a doubtful look appeared on his face. \"Yes. I said what I wanted to say, I''ll take my leave now.\" Illustrious Emperor turned back as he left. ''Strange... I''ve never seen him this well behaved. Has he really changed?'' Heavenly Emperor thought as he gazed at the back of Illustrious Emperor. _________________________________ Time kept trickling away slowly as the day of the marriage drew near. Five days have passed and only two days were left before the special event. In the Heavenly Realm, the excitement only seemed to be increasing with each passing day. People are excited as they would get to see a royal wedding after so long. _________________ The Demon Realm also received the news about the marriage. The spies of the Demon Realm have sent a message with the information about the marriage. The Demon Emperor sat on his throne as he read the letter. He was the only one in the room at the moment. \"Hmm... Xu Liang. A mysterious boy from unknown origins... I wonder where Tian Zhu found such a boy. His talent is said to be above everyone else in the Heavenly Realm.\" \"Another mortal with an immense potential... The mortals are a really interesting species, aren''t they? Is this boy going to be another monster like that boy from the time forgotten? Or will he fall before he could even have a chance to shine? It would be interesting to see what the future holds.\" Demon Emperor muttered as he gazed at the letter. The letter started burning and soon turned to ashes. \"Should I attend the marriage? I''m eager to see that boy? Ah... it''s fine. That Tian Zhu will think of it as an attack. It''s not the time for that yet.\" The Demon Emperor fell in a deep thought. The day was almost over as the Heavenly Realm began to be shrouded by the night. Xu Liang had just come out of the shower and was only wearing a towel. He walked towards the cupboard and selected the clothes to wear. He had chosen a bright Red shirt and a stark white lower along with a golden robe. He took off his towel and picked up the clothes to wear them when suddenly the door opened. \"Master! Are you here?\" Mengchan said loudly as she entered his room abruptly. In shock, Xu Liang turned back without covering his essentials. Mengchan''s eyes opened wide as she saw Xu Liang''s sword. Her face turned crimson, but she didn''t take her eyes off of his little Liang. Xu Liang hurriedly covered his lower one as he picked a towel and wrapped it around his waist. \"You idiot, how many times have I told you to knock on the door before entering! If you had knocked, I would have the time to properly dress before you entered.\" Xu Liang scolded Mengchan as he walked towards her. \"What would you do if I entered your room without knocking when you were completely naked? You should always knock!\" Xu Liang said in full seriousness. \"It''s not like I would mind if the Master sees me without my clothes on. If you want, I can take my clothes off right now.\" Mengchan chuckled as she picked up her skirt slightly and showed off her fair thighs. \"You...\" Xu Liang was stunned at her response and turned back immediately. \"Behave properly. Anyways, What are you here for?\" He asked as he turned back after a while. \"There was no reason. I just came to check if the Master needed anything. I''m your personal servant after all and it''s my duty to take care of you.\" Mengchan responded with an earnest smile. \"Master, don''t you wish to see Miss Yue? It had been 5 days since you last saw Princess. \" \"I wish to see her, but as Father said, people getting married can''t meet in the 7 days before their marriage. It''s a tradition in the Heavenly Realm.\" Xu Liang responded in a carefree tone. \"You know rules are meant to be broken,\" Mengchan said as she winked at Xu Liang. \"It''s fine. I can wait 2 more days\" Xu Liang shook his head as he smiled. \"If that''s what the Master desires. Anyway, if the master feels the need to vent his desires in these two days, I''m always available. I''m here to take care of you in any way I can.\" Mengchan said with a smile as she gazed at the lips of Xu Liang. \"You know, you have become a lot more candid since you found out about me and Yue. What is going on with you?\" \"Nothing. It''s just that previously I used to think that Master was not interested in the opposite gender as you never gazed at me in any inappropriate manner before your coma. Even when I teased you, you didn''t even react. But after waking up from the coma, I realized that my master had become more manly. You being with the Princess was another proof that master was interested in the opposite sex as well.\" Mengchan replied to Xu Liang as she licked her lips. \"Well, You should give up on your thoughts. I''m not going to do anything. Anyways, can you leave now? I need to get dressed.\" Xu Luang walked forward as he placed his hand on her back and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to make her go out the door, she placed her hands on his butt and gave a light squeeze. \"What the... Are you not afraid that I will punish you? I can even have you executed!\" Xu Liang said in a serious tone. \"I know master won''t do such a thing. You are not that kind of person. You may act strict, but you are really kind.\" Mengchan said as she left while smiling. Xu Liang closed the door. \"Geez, She''s not normal, is she?\" He muttered as he walked back. 33 Chapter 31: Am I that irrelevant? It was finally the day of the Royal Marriage. All preparations have been completed. The Royal Palace was completely decorated for the wedding. It looked even better than before. Guests started arriving as soon as the sun rose in the sky. All the important people have been invited to the wedding. The Heavenly Emperor even took his Royal Artifact out of storage and placed it at the center of the Heavenly Realm. It was a mirror that had the ability to broadcast the marriage. It could alter its size based on the desires of the owner. At the moment, the mirror was floating in the middle of the Heavenly Realm. It was approximately 30 meters wide and ten meters tall. Although many of the guests didn''t agree to marry the Crown Prince Liang to his sister, they kept their silence as they didn''t want to oppose the Heavenly Emperor. \"You are here as well. I didn''t expect that.\" War God Zhen arrived at the entrance of the palace and noticed that the Illustrious Emperor had just arrived with his concubine as well. \"Of Course I would come. It''s the wedding of my niece.\" Illustrious Emperor said in an annoyed tone as he ignored the War God and entered inside the palace. \"Hah, he''s just as easily irritated as always.\" War God Zhen chuckled as he entered the palace. \"Good Decorations. I wonder who took care of the decorations. Heavenly Emperor is as smart as a brick when it comes to decorations. He couldn''t have handled it at all.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin chuckled as she gazed at the palace. She entered inside. Soon, everyone was inside the palace and it was time for the marriage. The marriage was to be held in the throne room of the Heavenly Emperor. Proper seating arrangements for everyone had been done there. ''Tap, tap, tap'' The sound of shoes hitting the ground was heard as Xu Liang entered the room along with War God Zhen. They both walked to the front. While Xu Liang stood in front of the God of Matrimony Lu Shang, War God Zhen stood to the side. The whole room was silent at the moment. The door opened once more as a blonde-haired girl dressed in a beautiful silver gown entered the room. The person holding her hand was the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu himself. Xu Liang stood there starstruck as his eyes stayed on Yue. Xu Liang was seeing her after 7 days, and to him, she still looked as pretty as before¡­ no... She looked even better today with that beautiful smile on her face. Yue stood in front of the God of Matrimony and right beside Xu Liang. The Heavenly Emperor stood behind the God of Matrimony as he gazed at both his kids and tried to save the beautiful memory. \"Prince Liang! Today you are going to marry Princess Yue. Do you promise to take care of her all your life? To never let her get hurt and to never betray her trust?\" God of Matrimony asked Xu Liang first as he stared deep in his eyes. \"Princess Yue! Today you are going to marry Prince Liang. Do you promise to take care of him all your life? To never let him get hurt and to never betray his trust?\" God of Matrimony asked Yue as he looked in her eyes. He wasn''t just looking at her eyes but making sure that she was telling the truth. \"Good! Both of you can exchange your rings.\" Lu Shang told them both after they completed their vows. Xu Liang smiled as he extended his hand and held the left hand of Yue. \"Thank you for choosing me.\" Xu Liang said in a low voice as he put on the ring on her ring finger. Yue did the same and placed her ring on Xu Liang''s ring finger. \"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You both may kiss each other.\" Lu Shang said in a gentle tone. Xu Liang took a step forward and kissed Yue, though it was only a light peck on the lips and nothing too intimate. \"Hahaha... Finally! Today is the day of happiness for me. No one will go home without being drunk to their heart''s content!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu laughed loudly as he joined the guests. He ordered the servants to bring the alcohol for all his guests. Suddenly his smile turned to a friend as he looked towards the door. \"Demonic Qi!\" He let out in a serious tone as he looked towards the door. \"Come inside! I know you are already here.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he stared at the door. Illustrious Emperor, War God Zhen, and some other strong cultivators stood up as well as they sensed the Qi as well. \"Pretty Good. I would have been disappointed if you had failed to sense me.\" The door was pushed open as a person entered inside. The person looked like a human. He wore all black clothes along with a black robe that came down to his knees. While the door was opened, Tian Zhu saw that the guards outside were lying on the ground. \"Don''t worry, they''re just sleeping.\" The new guest smiled as he noticed the gaze of Tian Zhu. \"You Demon! How dare you enter our Heavenly Realm!\" War God Zhen roared loudly as he flew towards the black-robed man. He struck down with his sword. The black-robed man didn''t even move an inch as a shield appeared around him. The sword of war God Zhen wasn''t even able to move forward an inch. \"You must be the one they call War God. You''re rather strong. It''s quite unfortunate that we didn''t have a chance to meet before.\" The black-robed man gazed at War God Zhen as he said. \"You!!! Who the hell are you?\" War God Zhen moved back and landed on the ground. \"What? You guys don''t even have my portrait? Tian Zhu? Am I that irrelevant?\" The black-robed man chuckled as he stared at the Heavenly Emperor. 34 Chapter 32: Two goals \"What? You guys don''t even have my portrait? Tian Zhu? Am I that irrelevant?\" The black-robed man chuckled as he stared at the Heavenly Emperor. \"Demon Emperor! How dare you infiltrate our Heavenly Realm! Don''t even think about going back!\" Illustrious Emperor said as a fierce killing intent spread from it. \"Illustrious... it had been so long since I last saw you. How''s your hand now?\" The Demon Emperor replied to the Illustrious Emperor. \"What are you doing here?\" The Heavenly Emperor disappeared from his position and stood in between the Illustrious Emperor and the Demon Emperor as he faced him. \"Don''t worry, I didn''t come here to slaughter.\" Demon Emperor said. His smile never left his face. \"I just came here to attend the wedding and have a little talk with your ''son''.\" He continued Demon Emperor said as a grin formed on his face. \"I don''t remember inviting you!\" Heavenly Emperor released his aura that collided with the Demonic aura of the Demon Emperor. \"Yeah, but I still felt like coming. Anyways, I don''t have much time. Let me have some talk with the little guy.\" The Demon Emperor responded to the Heavenly Emperor. He didn''t wait for Heavenly Emperor''s response before he shifted his attention to Xu Liang. \"You there... You are special... Despite being a mortal, you can reach such great heights... but you don''t belong to the Heavenly Realm. I''m sure many people in the Heavenly Realm have the same thought. If you''re ever disappointed by the dark hearts of the people of the Heavenly Realm, you can come to the Demon Realm. You will always be treated with respect.\" Demon Emperor said with a serious look on his face as he stared deep in Xu Liang''s eyes. \"I''ll take my leave now. Always remember my words.\" Demon Emperor said as he turned back to leave. \"You think you can leave!\" War God Zhen stood in front of the Demon Emperor with a weapon in his hand. \"Little Guy... don''t extend your reach.\" The Demon Emperor said as he stared at War God Zhen. War God Zhen felt like he was paralyzed just from that scary gaze. He couldn''t even move his finger. His heart began beating faster and faster. \"You should realize there you are! \" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said. Although Heavenly Emperor said in a normal tone, there was something magical in his choice that countered the gaze of the Demon Emperor. The pressure on War God Zhen suddenly disappeared. War God Zhen was heavily sweating as he looked at the Demon Emperor with a wary look. The Demon Emperor smiled and continued walking towards the exit. \"You!!!\" The Illustrious Emperor pointed his sword towards the Demon Emperor, but he was stopped by the Heavenly Emperor. He followed the Demon Emperor outside his palace. \"You must have a spy inside the Heavenly Realm, don''t you? Although the barrier outside the Heavenly Realm does not stop anyone from leaving, it definitely stops the cultivators with Demonic Qi from entering. The spy must have helped you teleport directly inside.\" The Heavenly Emperor stood at the door of the palace and said to the Demon Emperor. The Demon Emperor just smiled as he flew away. ''I had two goals of coming here and both my goals seem to be completed successfully...'' The Demon Emperor thought as he crossed the barrier of the Heavenly Realm at the speed faster than light. \"I wanted to check on Tian Zhu and check what he was about to do for the Red Planet. He did not attack me which proved it... he is definitely saving his strength for the Red Planet...\" Demon Emperor muttered as he continued flying through space. \"As for that boy¡­ I could feel the hate people in that room had towards that boy... his life isn''t going to be easy. It would be good if he takes my advice and joins the Demon Realm.\" He let out as he remembered the boy''s face. Back in the Heavenly Realm, people had started leaving after wishing Xu Liang and Tian Zhu. Soon, everyone had left, but War God Zhen, Illustrious Emperor, and Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin. \"I didn''t expect you to hold back against the Demon Emperor... you have really changed.\" Illustrious Emperor said to Tian Zhu with a disappointed gaze. \"I have a reason for it and I don''t need to explain it to you.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu responded. \"Zhen... There''s a Demon Realm spy in our Realm. I''m putting you in charge. You need to find out who his spy is and capture that traitor.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu shifted his focus to War God Zhen and told him. \"Yes, Your Majesty.\" War God Zhen nodded his head as he accepted the mission. \"Enough talk about the bad things. It''s a happy occasion. You guys go and have some drinks. I''ll go have a talk with the bride.\" Wen Yin chuckled as she left the group. Yue was standing at a corner with Xu Liang when Wen Yin walked up to them. \"Prince Liang, can I steal your wife for a moment?\" Wen Yin held Yue''s hands and took her to a different corner. \"Oh my, I was about to give you some first night-time advice, but you guys are even faster. You''ve already done that!\" Wen Yin said in a low voice as she freed Yue''s hand. \"Don''t look at me with such a shocked look. I''m not called Goddess of Medicine for no reason. I realized it when I held your hand.\" Wen Yin chuckled as she looked at the shocked face of Yue. \"Alright, I won''t tell you about that, but I''ll still tell you some great techniques you can use on your husband in bed. I promise he''ll be addicted to you.\" Wen Yin said to Yue with a smirk on her face. Yue''s face turned red as she heard her words, but Wen Yin didn''t stop. She brought her face closer to Yue''s ears and whispered some things which made her face turn even redder. \"Alright, Let''s go. Your hubby should be waiting.\" She told Yue as she began walking towards Xu Liang. Yue followed her. Some more time passed and Xu Liang finally left the place with Yue. They both walked towards his room. It would be their new home now. 35 Chapter 33: Origin Energy Some more time passed and Xu Liang finally left the place with Yue. They both walked towards his room. It would be their new home now. _______________________ The night passed away and the warmth of the day engulfed the beautiful Heavenly Realm. Xu Liang was sleeping peacefully on his bed, Yue was sleeping right beside him and had her hand on his chest. He made a movement after some time and slowly opened his eyes as he woke up from his sleep. A smile appeared on his face as the first thing he saw was Yue''s sleeping face. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Xu Liang gently removed Yue''s hand from his chest as he got out of the blanket. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked towards the door. He opened the door only to find Mengchan standing there with a tray in her hands. The tray contained food. \"I brought you breakfast, Master. Is Princess still sleeping? \" Mengchan said as she stepped to the side and looked past Xu Liang. \"Yeah, Give me the tray. I''ll give it to her after she wakes up.\" Xu Liang said as she took the tray from her hand. \"Oh? Is the master in such a hurry to take me out of his lovey-dovey life? You''re breaking my heart, Master\" Mengchan said in a hurt voice as she gazed into Xu Liang''s eyes. \"Stop being overdramatic! I''ll talk to you later.\" A wry smile appeared on his face as he saw her overacting. He closed the door and walked back to Yue. \"Hmph.\" Mengchan puffed up her cheeks and left. \"Is it already morning?\" As Xu Liang was walking back towards the bed, Yue opened her eyes. \"Yeah. Good Morning Yue''er. Breakfast is here.\" Xu Liang said as he placed the tray on the table nearby. \"Thank you.\" Yue had a bright smile on her face as she saw the kind gesture of Xu Liang. She sat up and they both ate breakfast together. They even fed each other occasionally. Another hour passed and Xu Liang and Yue had gotten properly dressed after they showered. \"Liang''er? Yue? Open the door.\" There was another knock on the door, but this time it was a man''s voice that came. \"Father?\" Xu Liang called out as he hurriedly walked towards the door and opened it. \"Oh? You''re already ready? Good! Come with me.\" He said with a smile as he walked forward and placed his hands on Xu Liang''s shoulders. \"What''s happening, father?\" Yue called out. \"Oh? It''s nothing. It''s about time I teach Liang''er to control Origin Energy. We can''t let such a gold mine go to waste, he must utilize the Origin Energy properly.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile before he left with Xu Liang. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu took Zhu Liang in a certain direction. It was the part of the palace Xu Liang had never entered. After waiting for a whole, Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu stopped in front of a wall. The wall that looked like the ending, moved to the side and created an opening. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu entered and Xu Liang followed him. They were led to the stairs. They went down the stairs and finally landed in a room. The room... It was surprisingly empty. Xu Liang waited for Tian Zhu to do the same he did with the wall and open another entry, but Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu instead gave a shocking response. \"We''re here!\" He said with a smile. \"But father... there''s nothing in this room... and isn''t the room too small for battle practice?\" Xu Lang asked with a confused look on his face. \"We''re not here for battle practice! We''re here to teach you how to utilize the Origin Energy properly.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu responded with a smile. \"I... I''m confused, father. Why did we come all the way here to learn to use Origin Energy? There were empty rooms back there as well. Unless... Is there something special about this room?\" Xu Liang looked around the room but couldn''t find anything special about it, but he still thought that his father wouldn''t bring him here for no reason. \"You''re absolutely right. This room is special. In Fact, it''s one of the most special rooms in this palace.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu nodded his head as he heard Xu Liang''s answer. ''As expected, Liang''er is pretty smart.'' He thought. \"What''s special about this room father?\" Xu Liang inquired. \"Try and feel it! The energy in this room... This place has the densest Origin Energy. It is a perfect place to learn about Origin Energy and how to properly utilize it.\" Heavenly Emperor said as he spread his arms wide and breathed in the air of the room. \"Normally, a human isn''t able to use Origin Energy and they just use Qi to cultivate... but you... you are special. Despite being a human, you can use Origin Energy. I thought that a place filled with Origin Energy would be the best place to teach you about Origin Energy.\" The Heavenly Emperor continued as he looked deep into Xu Liang''s eyes. \"Really?\" Xu Liang closed his eyes and tried sensing... and it was just as the Heavenly Emperor had said... the room had the mysterious energy. Xu Liang has been able to cultivate using that mysterious energy from the moment he began cultivation, whenever he would be most in cultivation, his body would start using the Origin Energy on its own. Although Xu Liang knew that he was able to use it, he didn''t express it to anyone. Xu Liang didn''t know that the mysterious energy that he could use was Origin Energy and even if he knew, he wouldn''t have cared about it, as to him, it was nothing special. \"Alright, Let''s begin.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as a bright smile bloomed on his face. 36 Chapter 34: Breaking the barrier \"Alright, we should begin.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as a bright smile bloomed on his face. \"You have been cultivating, using the simplified version of my cultivation technique that I made for you considering that you were a mortal. I had to modify my cultivation technique so that it could be used by a mortal who can''t cultivate using Origin Energy, so I made it more suitable for Qi.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu told Xu Liang. \"Now that I know that you can use Origin Energy, I''ll give you my cultivation technique.\" He stepped closer to Xu Liang and placed his finger on Xu Liang''s head. Thousands of cultivation mantras appeared in his head. These words were mostly similar to the ones of his current cultivation technique, there were only slight differences. Although the differences were low, Those little differences were enough to change the whole technique and increase its strength by a massive amount as the cultivation technique was now able to deal with Origin Energy. \"The Origin Energy isn''t much different from the Qi that the humans cultivate, it''s just a more potent version of the Qi. That''s the only reason humans can''t use it or even sense it before they break through to the legendary realm unless they possess a Heavenly or demonic bloodline.\" Heavenly Emperor said to Long Chen. \"That''s the reason Illustrious doubted you of being a demon when he found out that you could use the Origin Qi.\" He continued. \"Stay in this room and cultivate using the cultivation technique I passed on to you. You should be able to break through to the next realm much faster.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu told Xu Liang. \"Alright.\" Xu Liang said as he sat down on the ground in a meditative position. He started speaking the chants that appeared in his head, word by word, while he guided the Original Energy throughout his specific meridian points as described in the technique. \"Good... You learn fast.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as a smile bloomed on his face. Xu Liang sat there as he cultivated for hours. He got up after cultivating for around 5 hours. \"You did good. So how do you feel now?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked Xu Liang. \"I feel way better and lighter. I feel a significant increase in my cultivation as well.\" Xu Liang said with a thoughtful look on his face. ''Good. Now let me tell you about using the Origin Energy in offensive attacks.\" Heavenly Emperor said. \"As the Origin Energy is similar to the natural Qi, You can use it with all the martial skills that you have learned so far. Since it is your first time, use it with caution, so that you don''t harm yourself. Use it on the weakest Martial Skill you know.\" He continued. \"The weakest? That would be ''Blazing Palm''.\" Xu Liang let out as he looked towards the Heavenly Emperor. \"But father...\" Xu Liang hesitated. \"But what? Do you think you will hurt me? Don''t worry! Go ahead.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said to convince him. \"Alright.\" Xu Liang nodded his head as he got on an attacking stance. \"Blazing palm!\" Xu Liang said as he attacked towards the Heavenly Emperor. All the Origin Energy rushed towards his palm, which looked like it was burning at the time. \"Good. It looks better than I thought.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he moved his hand slightly upwards. A bluish barrier appeared in front of him. ''I can see that he is able to use Origin Qi in his attacks. When he breaks through to the immortal realm, he might be able to create a crack on my shield with his attack.\" The Heavenly Emperor smiled as he saw the palm coming towards him. He felt no threat from that palm whatsoever and stood casually behind that barrier. ''Crack,'' Xu Liang''s palm landed on an impenetrable barrier, but surprisingly it didn''t even obstruct Xu Liang in the slightest. As soon as the Palm touched the barrier, the barrier disappeared. Even Xu Liang didn''t expect it. He couldn''t even react as his palm landed on the chest of Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was stunned as the barrier broke and the attack landed on his chest. He was pushed back ten steps before he managed to steady himself. He looked at Xu Liang with an impossible look on his face. \"H¡­ how...\" Even he couldn''t understand what had just happened. How was Xu Liang and to break his barrier so easily? \"I... I''m sorry father! I didn''t mean to!\" Xu Liang apologized repeatedly as he got down to both his knees in front of the Heavenly Emperor. \"It''s fine. It''s not your fault. Stand up\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu told Xu Liang as he placed his hand on his shoulders. ''Is it because of his special physique? I should check once more.'' The Heavenly Emperor looked towards Xu Liang as he thought about it. \"Liang''er! Try attacking once more. I want to check something.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said to Xu Liang. \"But¡­ I don''t want to hurt you again.\" Xu Liang said with hesitation. \"Don''t work, you don''t have to attack me this time.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he pointed towards a certain direction. A red barrier appeared at the place he pointed towards. \"Attack that barrier. I won''t be hurt now.\" He told Xu Liang. \"Alright.\" Xu Liang said as he got on an attacking stance again. \"Blazing Palm!\" He said loudly as he attacked the barrier. The Origin Energy again got restless and moved towards his palm. ''This is my strongest barrier! Even the strongest attack of Illustrious won''t be able to break it! Liang''er shouldn''t be able to break it.'' Heavenly Emperor thought with a serious look on his face, but he was again proven wrong. Xu Liang''s palm touched the barrier, the barrier broke apart like it was made of the weakest material known to mankind. \"So that''s the case...\" Heavenly Emperor thought as he looked towards Xu Liang in full seriousness. 37 Chapter 35: Good news ''So that''s the case...'' The Heavenly Emperor thought as he looked towards Xu Liang in full seriousness. Xu Liang looked towards Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with a confused look on his face. \"That was good. I think we found another specialty of your special physique. Your physique provides you special powers that make any shield or defense useless in front of you. Other than actual physical defense of the body, a cultivator can''t use any defense to protect themselves from your attack.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he looked at Xu Liang. \"I want to check things once more. If this ability is only applied to your physical attacks or if this will be applied to your long-range attacks as well.\" \"Liang''er! Try hitting that barrier again. This time use the weakest long-range attack that you know.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he made another barrier at the same location. \"The weakest long-range attack? Alright.\" Xu Liang nodded his head. Xu Liang stood still as he got into an attacking stance. He collected his Origin Energy to the tip of his finger and pointed it towards the barrier. \"Flame of Chaos!\" Xu Liang said as an orb of fire came into existence in front of him. The flame was dark red in color that looked much like the molten lava. The blazing orb of fire moved towards the shield created by the Heavenly Emperor. As soon as the orb of fire touched the shield, the shield offered no resistance to the orb and disappeared. The orb of fire landed on the wall of the room. The fire spread everywhere where it landed and disappeared soon after. Even the wall looked somewhat burnt after the fire disappeared. \"So it works on the ranged attacks as well. You''re going to be really strong when you grow up. Since you can already turn their defenses useless, when you gain more strength, no one will be able to stand up to you. The Heavenly Realm will enter the Golden Age with you as its ruler.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile. Xu Liang heard his praise, but didn''t reply. \"I must say, your physique is really overpowered. If a mortal of the lower realm had such physique, with the ability to cultivate origin energy and to disintegrate other''s defenses, he would be able to become the biggest threat to the Heavenly and the Demonic Realm if he desired.\" \"Previously I used to consider the physique of the Desolation Empress as the scary one, but looks like yours is way scarier.\" The Heavenly Emperor laughed heartily as he patted Xu Liang''s shoulders. \"Alright. You are a natural. You already know how to use Origin energy to attack. I thought it would take longer to teach you. It''s good though. Stay here and cultivate for the rest of the day. Since you''re here, use this room to the fullest. I''ll be leaving now, \" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu told Xu Liang. The Heavenly Emperor turned back and left the room. Xu Liang stayed in the room as he sat down in a meditative position. He closed his eyes and began circulating the origin of energy through his body as he chanted the mantras. Time kept passing slowly and soon it was night, but since the room was already so dark and there were no windows, Xu Liang didn''t realize that it was already night. He cultivated for 4 more hours before he woke up. He felt like it was enough. Xu Liang walked towards the exit and left. After walking for some time, Xu Liang finally reached his room. He had already realized by now that he was too late. It was midnight by now. He stood in front of the door and pushed it open. As he entered the room, he noticed that Yue was sitting on the bed waiting for him. \"You didn''t sleep?\" Xu Liang asked Yue as he closed the door behind him. \"I was waiting for you. I couldn''t sleep.\" Yue replied as she stood up. She walked forward and hugged Xu Liang. \"Welcome Back.\" She said as she embraced Xu Liang. ___________________________ Years passed away. It had already been 3 years since Xu Liang and Yue had gotten married. During those 3 years, Xu Liang continued his research as he tried to learn everything about the lower worlds. He was trying to learn everything there was to know about the lower realms and the immortal world so that he could immediately leave in search of the Desolation Empress after he broke through to the realm that came after the 10th strange of the Saint Realm, the Immortal Realm. Xu Liang had decided long ago that he would go to the lower world after he broke through to the Immortal Realm and he was working towards his goal. In those 3 years, he had broken through to the 7th stage of the Saint Realm. In fact, he was at the peak of the 7th stage of the saint realm by now. Quite a lot of his time was spent with Yue during the last few years. They were known as the Heavenly couple of the Heaven Realm by the citizens. At the moment, Yue was lying on the bed and the Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin was checking up on him. Xu Liang was holding her hand as he sat near her. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu and War God Zhen also stood nearby. They all had a concerned look on their faces. \"So...? What was the reason for her vomiting? Is she sick?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked Wen Yin. \"Nope. She''s not sick. It was good news instead.\" Wen Yin chuckled as he replied to him. \"Good news? Do you mean...\" The Heavenly Emperor was suddenly struck with the realization as he asked her. \"Yup. You are about to become a grandfather and Xu Liang is about to become a father. Little Yue is pregnant.\" Wen Yin said with a bright smile. 38 Chapter 36: Ligh \"Yup. You are about to become a grandfather and Xu Liang is about to become a father. Little Yue is pregnant.\" Wen Yin said with a bright smile. \"Does that¡­ Yue is pregnant?\" Xu Liang asked with an excited look on his face as he looked at Wen Yin. \"Yup. You''re going to become a father.\" Wen Yin said as she patted Xu Liang''s shoulders. \"My... kid.\" Xu Liang''s eyes got wet as he gazed at Yue. \"Zhen! I''m going to become a grandfather! \" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu let out in excitement as he hugged War God Zhen. \"Congratulations, Your Majesty!\" War God Zhen responded with a happy smile on his face. \"Congratulations to you all. It''s really a happy occasion.\" Wen Yin said to Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. \"I gave you such good news. Where''s my reward?\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin chuckled as she looked towards the Heavenly Emperor. \"Of Course! You gave me the best news of my life! I''m going to have a grandchild. Here, take this storage ring!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he threw a storage ring towards Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin. Wen Yin caught the ring and looked inside. \"Origin crystals... nice. Since I''m done here, I''ll take my leave.\" Wen Yin said as she passed by the Heavenly Emperor and left. Another day passed. The news of the pregnancy of the Princess spread like fire, everywhere in the Heavenly Realm. There was a wave of happiness amongst the general populace. There was another piece of news going around at the same time. The news mentioned that all the citizens would be given an origin crystal when the Royal Baby would be born. Days kept passing slowly. Xu Liang didn''t leave Yue for more than a minute as he spent most of his day taking care of her. \"Open your mouth.\" Xu Liang said as he fed Yue by his own hands. \"You don''t need to make the effort. I can eat myself. You should be resting instead, you have been working so hard for me.\" Yue told Xu Liang with a concerned gaze. \"Hey, your husband isn''t that weak. Now open your mouth.\" Xu Liang chuckled as he gazed at Yue. He took care of her as best as he could. They went on walks together so that she could get some fresh air. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was pretty impressed with Xu Liang as he saw how well Xu Liang was taking care of Yue. Soon, it had been 8 months since the news of her pregnancy had come out. Xu Liang, War God Zhen, and Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu were standing outside the room with a worried look on their faces. While Xu Liang and Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu were walking back and forth with worry, War God Zhen stood still by the support of the wall. \"Everything will be right... Everything will be right...\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu kept muttering with worry as he kept pacing. \"Thank you, Liang''er. Wen Yin is inside, there shouldn''t be anything wrong with her, but I still can''t help but worry.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he patted Xu Liang''s shoulder. Another hour passed away as Yue''s pained screams finally stopped. A child''s crying was heard. All three of them stood near the door as they waited for the doors to be opened with concern. The door was finally opened... Xu Liang was the first one to enter the room. He hurriedly ran to Yue. Yue was holding a cute chubby baby in her embrace. \"It''s a boy.\" She said as tears of happiness fell from her eyes. \"It''s our boy \" Xu Liang''s eyes got wet as well. He took the baby boy from Yue''s embrace into his own and gazed at the boy with care. \"Welcome to the world, sweetheart.\" Xu Liang said as a smile bloomed on his face. \"Both the baby and the mother are fine. You have become the grandfather of a baby boy. Congratulations, Your Majesty, \" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said to Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with a bright smile. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu stepped towards Xu Liang slowly with a blank look on his face. His heart was beating faster as he stood beside Xu Liang and gazed at the baby boy in Xu Liang''s arms. \"Father, the baby...\" Xu Liang smiled as he handed the baby to the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu took the baby with care. It looked like he was taking the world''s most precious thing in his arms and was worried that his single mistake might harm the baby. \"The baby''s eyes... looks like Xu Liang while his nose looks like His Majesty. He''s going to be the biggest Casanova once he grows up.\" War God Zhen chuckled as he walked near Heavenly Emperor and gazed at the boy. \"Of Course he''s going to be handsome! He''s the grandson of the world''s most handsome man after all.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a grin on his face. \"Congratulations Xu Liang.\" War God Zhen said as he congratulated Xu Liang. \"Well, enough looking around. So, who''s going to name him?\" Goddess Of Medicine let out as she looked at them. \"Of Course he''ll be named by the parents of the baby.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gave the baby back to Xu Liang. Xu Liang nodded his head as he walked towards Yue. \"What do you want to name him, Yue?\" Xu Liang asked you as he sat on the bed near her. \"I''ll leave it to you,\" Yue replied in a gentle tone. Everyone in the room was looking at Xu Liang and waiting for him to come up with a name. \"I was used to staying in the darkness until father came to me and brought me to the light...\" Xu Liang said as he glanced at Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. \"All I want for my baby is for him to never face the darkness. He should be the light instead¡­ the light that shines upon the world¡­ Light¡­ Ming¡­ My baby shall be called Ming¡­ Xu Ming.\" Xu Liang said as he looked at his baby with care. It somehow looked like the baby was smiling as Xu Liang named him. 39 Chapter 37: Nothing to say \"All I want for my baby is for him to never face the darkness. He should be the light instead¡­ the light that shines upon the world¡­ Light¡­ Ming¡­ My baby shall be called Ming¡­ Xu Ming.\" Xu Liang said as he looked at his baby with care. It somehow looked like the baby was smiling as Xu Liang named him. \"Xu Ming... Nice name! I like it!\" War God Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied look on his face. \"My Grandson shall be called Xu Ming! A befitting name for the future ruler of the Heavenly Realm.\" War God Zhen said with a bright smile on his face. \"Zhen! There will be a large banquet held in the palace after two days in celebration of my grandson''s birth. You''re invited! Wen Yin, you''re invited as well.\" \"Oh, right, I heard a rumor going around in the city that I''ll give every citizen an origin crystal after my grandson''s birth? That rumor shall be made the truth! Every citizen will get an Origin Crystal!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a happy look on his face. \"Are you sure, your majesty?\" War God Zhen asked with a concerned look on his face. \"Of course! It''s a happy occasion after all!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu laughed. \"I have nothing to say then.\" War God Zhen said with a wry smile on his face. ''I can''t change your mind, even if I try.'' War God Zhen thought. \"Alright. You two can discuss outside. Little Yue needs rest.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin pushed Heavenly Emperor and War God outside as she closed the door. \"Ah, Do I need to leave as well?\" Xu Liang asked with a worried look on his face. \"Stay,\" Yue gripped his hand tightly as she said lightly. \"You don''t need to leave. You can stay.\" Wen Yin walked closer as she said with a smile. \"I''ve cleaned the baby and checked him. He is perfectly healthy, but I''ll still stay with Yue, just as a precaution.\" Wen Yin informed the married couple. \"Thank you for everything.\" Xu Liang said as he bowed down in front of Wen Yin. \"Hey, I did nothing out of the ordinary. You don''t need to do that.\" Wen Yin walked forward and patted Xu Liang''s shoulders lightly. _______________________ There was a citywide announcement that the royal baby was born. There was a wave of excitement amongst the people. Most of the people liked Xu Liang quite a bit, because of his talent, thus they were naturally happy about the baby being born. Though there were quite a lot of people that were upset as well. In a dark room, a man was lying on the bed while a girl sat beside him. She had her hand on the man''s sword as she moved her hand up and down. \"Did you hear? The royal baby is born.\" The woman said lightly. \"The power gap between our Heaven Realm and the Demon Realm will keep increasing if nothing is don''t about it. We will get weaker while the Demon Realm will grow stronger\" The man continued. \"Why don''t you do something about it?\" The woman asked with a confused look on her face. \"What can I do? We can do nothing as long as Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu is alive and it''s impossible to kill him as well. He is the strongest after all. We can do nothing but watch our heavenly realm being weakened from the inside.\" The man said as he shook his head. \"Do we really have no choice?\" The woman asked with a disappointed look on her face. \"There is... When the time comes... \" The man said with a thoughtful look on his face. He grabbed the woman by her shoulders and shifted his position. The woman was now below him while the man was on top. He kissed her lips as he began playing with her breasts. ______________________________ There was another announcement during the evening that made the citizens even happier. \"All the citizens will be given one Origin Crystal each on the auspicious occasion of his highness'' birth.\" The announcement said. Ministers of the heavenly court were assigned the duty of sharing the origin crystals. \"See! I told you that it was not a rumor! His majesty is actually giving away the origin crystals\" \"Wow, His majesty is really magnanimous!\" \"Hurry up! We need to get in the line to get the crystals! The line will only get bigger with time.\" The giveaway was the talk of the whole realm as people started moving towards the assigned places in order to get their crystals. The day and the night passed away and everyone received their Origin Crystals. ____________________________ It was the day of the banquet. Everything was prepared by the servants. There were tens of tables placed in the royal hall. The tables were covered with a clean white tablecloth. Only the most important people of the Heavenly Realm were invited to this banquet. Xu Liang was dressed in luxurious white clothes and wore a similar color robe while Yue was wearing a beautiful blue gown. Xu Ming was in Xu Liang''s hand and was peacefully sleeping at the moment. Minister Wang was the first to arrive. He was alone and didn''t bring his wife or son. Other guests kept arriving at regular intervals. Illustrious Emperor came with a good concubine, and Wen Yin came alone. Almost everyone had arrived, but there was still one important person missing. \"Why is Zheng still not here? He is always on time, Isn''t he?\" Heavenly Emperor muttered with a frown as he looked around. Suddenly there were shocked gasps from the guests. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu and Xu Liang... the expressions on both their faces changed. 40 Chapter 38: Earth Suddenly, there were shocked gasps from the guests. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu and Xu Liang... the expressions on both their faces changed. They stared at the gate with wide eyes as they saw something they never imagined would be possible. \"Uncle Zhen... He... He... \" Xu Liang stuttered as he found it hard to speak. \"He is... with a... \" Even Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was having a hard time as he saw War God Zhen entering the hall. He was holding the hand of a girl as he walked together with her. The girl looked like she was in her early 20s. Her dark green gown looked like it was sparkling. The girl had long black hair that was tied in a ponytail. \"Your Majesty,\" War God Zhen said as he bowed slightly. The girl followed him and bowed as well. \"Rise. Who is this girl, Zhen?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu asked with a curious gaze. \"She''s Shin... the girl I''m in love with.\" War God Zhen replied to the Heavenly Emperor. \"Oh? I never knew you were in love. It all feels so sudden.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a smile. \"It started not too long ago. I brought Shin here to introduce her to Your Majesty and to meet His Highness.\" War God Zhen said with a bright smile. \"Oh, nice. It''s good that you have finally found love as well. I was starting to get worried about your future.\" Heavenly Emperor said with a smile. \"Congratulations Uncle Zhen.\" Xu Liang said with a smile. \"Thanks, little guy.\" War God Zhen smiled as he patted on Xu Liang''s shoulders. \"Everyone''s here. Let the celebrations begin!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said loudly. The servants started arriving in proper lines as they served food on the tables. Different servants were in charge of serving wine to the guests. The number of servants in the hall was just as much as the number of guests so that there wouldn''t be any problem. \"I would like to say something.\" The Goddess of Medicine stood up from her table with the glass of wine in her hand. \"Sure. Go ahead.\" Heavenly Emperor said with a laughter. He was sitting on a table with Xu Liang and Yue. \"I saw Prince Liang for the first time when he was just 5 years old. I have watched him grow into a fine young man... it wouldn''t be wrong to call him the best man in the heavenly realm. He is kind and generous, just like His Majesty. Now my sweet little Prince has become a father. I''m sure that his son would be even more amazing than him. May Prince Ming have a long life and get all the happiness in the world. Our Heavenly Realm will depend on him in the future. Thank you.\" She finished what she wanted to say and sat down. There was a silence for a few seconds before clapping started. No one knew who was the first person to clap, but almost every person was clapping at the moment. Xu Liang had a wry smile on his face as he heard some of the wishes. \"Little guy, so many people like you. Oh, right, Don''t have a harem when you grow up! Ignore those evil ideas. Alright?\" Xu Liang gazed at the sleeping Xu Ming and said in a gentle tone. Xu Liang would never have known that the little guy in his hand was actually going to have a harem when he grows up. Not a small harem either. None of them had any idea that their lives were soon about to be changed forever. The day passed away and the banquet was over. The guests left and Xu Liang walked back to his room with his wife and Xu Ming. 5 Years passed away in the blink of an eye. Xu Ming had grown up to be a 5-year-old kid. He has long since learned to talk and understand things. In fact, it was said that Xu Ming was a little too smart for the kids his age. Most of the people considered it a normal thing since his father Xu Liang was the scariest talent anyone had ever seen. So it was normal for them. The Heavenly Emperor had decided to teach Xu Ming cultivation personally when he grew up to be a 7-year-old boy. He thought that 5 years was too soon for Xu Ming. Xu Liang, on the other hand, was at the peak of the saint realm and he felt like he would finally achieve a breakthrough in a few weeks. After this, he will leave for the lower worlds to search for the Desolation Empress. These 5 years weren''t easy for him as the duration of Yue''s physique going berserk had shortened and now it used to happen twice a month. Yue would feel extreme pain before finally going unconscious. Xu Liang was hurt to see her like that, but there was nothing he could do to help her. Only Desolation Empress might have been able to help her, that''s why he was in a hurry to find her. At the moment, Xu Liang was lying beside Xu Ming in the bed while Yue was in the shower. \"Dad, Can you again tell me the stories about that Strange world?\" Xu Ming asked Xu Liang as he gazed at him with his innocent eyes. \"Alright. Well, there''s an amazing world far far away. The place is named Earth. It''s a place that has no magic nor immortality. None of the people cultivate in that place. In fact, there is no such thing as cultivation and origin energy there. There are no immortals in that world.\" Xu Liang smiled as he began telling his son about Earth. The place he was from. To Little Ming, all these stories sounded like fantasy which he quite enjoyed. \"There are humans, animals, birds and some other species like insects but only humans are considered smart species. They rule the land.\" He continued \"Just like the lower worlds have kingdoms, they have nations. There are nations like America, Russia, China, India, England, Philippines and many more.\" Xu Liang said with a reminiscing look on his face \"Which kingdom...I mean the nation is the strongest father? \" Xu Ming asked with a curious gaze. 41 Chapter 39: King Arthur \"Which kingdom...I mean the nation is the strongest father? \" Xu Ming asked with a curious gaze. \"America was said to be the strongest at that time, but Russia and China were also considered quite strong. It''s difficult to know someone''s actual strength though. Although there are skirmishes, the countries try to keep peace and not go to an all-out war,\" Xu Liang closed his eyes as he said to Ming. \"They don''t have cultivators, then how do they fight and decide who is stronger? Xu Ming gazed at his father with a curious gaze as he asked. \"They use weapons. Their weapons are nothing like our swords and shields. Although their weapons don''t have any magic, that can easily kill a mortal. In fact, they have many weapons that can kill millions of mortals at once.\" Xu Liang responded. \"Really?What about immortals? Can their weapons kill uncle Zhen?\" Xu Ming asked again with a shocked look on his little face. \"Hahaha, You brat. Do you really want to get your uncle killed? Anyways, your uncle can''t be killed by their weapons. If Uncle Zhen wanted, he could destroy the Earth at once, but as I said, there are no Immortals there.\" Xu Liang couldn''t help but laugh as he heard his son''s questions. He replied to him after laughing for a while. Although he knew the strength of Earth''s weapons, he also knew the strength of the cultivators from the Heavenly Realm. Let alone War God Zhu, who was one of the strongest warriors of the heavenly realm, even weaker immortals would be difficult to control if they were on earth. \"Anyways, the story I''m about to tell you is about the legend of King Arthur.\" Xu Liang said as he gazed at Ming. \"King Arthur? But father said that Earth doesn''t have kingdoms? Do they still have kings?\" Xu Ming asked with a confused look on his face. \"Well, Earth doesn''t have kingdoms now, but hundreds of years ago, they used to have kingdoms.\"Xu Liang explained. \"Anyways, The story goes like this. In medieval times, there was a little boy. His name was Arthur...\" He began telling the story. \"... As his knights rode back to Camelot, they threw Excalibur into the lake so that it could return to where it came from. \" Xu Liang finished the story. \"Hey, Why are you crying... Don''t worry about Arthur, the truth is that he is still alive and living happily in a secret place. So don''t be sad for him!\" Xu Liang grew worried as he saw the sad eyes of Xu Ming. ''I should probably tell him stories with happy endings the next time'' Xu Liang thought. \"Really? He didn''t die?\" Xu Ming stood up in excitement as he gazed at his father. \"Yeah. He is still alive.\" Xu Liang responded with a wry smile on his face. \"Anyways, one day, you will become a king as well. You know kings shouldn''t cry. What would Arthur think if he saw the tears in your eyes.\" Xu Liang tapped on his nose as he said. \"Father, another story!\" Xu Ming again requested as he smiled. \"Hey, It''s already pretty late. Sleep little guy or mommy will scold you when she comes out. I''ll tell you more stories tomorrow\" Xu Liang responded with a smile as he placed his hand on Xu Ming''s chest. \"Promise?\" Xu Ming asked innocently. \"I promise.\" Xu Liang replied. \"Goodnight father.\" Xu Ming said as he kissed Xu Liang''s cheeks before falling back on the bed and closing his eyes. The night passed away and it was early morning when Xu Liang woke up. Xu Liang got off the bed and was about to go for a shower when there was a knock on the door. He changed his destination and walked towards the door. Opening the door, he noticed Mengchan standing there. \"Good morning Master. His Majesty has called for you. He said there''s something he wants to talk to you about.\" Mengchan said with a smile. \"Oh, Okay. I''ll be right there.\" Xu Liang looked back towards Yue and noticed that she was still sleeping. ''I better not disturb Yue.'' He thought as he left the room and closed the door. He followed Mengchan through the corridor. \"Master, I''m pregnant with your baby.\" Mengchan abruptly said out of nowhere. \"Your jokes aren''t funny. Firstly, you aren''t pregnant. Secondly, Even if you were pregnant, I haven''t even touched you in an improper manner, so the baby can''t be mine.\" Xu Liang replied with a wry smile on his face. \"Then why don''t you touch me in an improper manner? Am I not attractive?\" Yue chuckled as she gazed at Xu Liang. \"That''s not true. You''re quite attractive.\" Xu Liang responded. \"Then why aren''t you interested in me? You''ve never looked at me with an interested gaze\" She asked with an upset look on her face. \"What can I say? I already have a beautiful wife. I don''t want a harem either, so I''m not sure if there''s anything I can do. Don''t get me wrong, you''re quite attractive and I do feel attracted when you play your tricks, but you and I are impossible.\" Xu Liang shook his head as he said. \"Oh, we''re already there. I''ll see you later then.\" Xu Liang smiled as he noticed that he was outside Tian Zhu''s throne room. He opened the door and entered the room. \"Father, You wanted to talk to me?\" Xu Liang asked as he entered the room. \"Oh, it''s nothing. I just heard that you wanted to go to the lower realms after you break through to immortality? Is that right?\" Heavenly Emperor gazed towards Xu Liang as he asked with a thoughtful look on his face. \"That''s right. I''m going to find the Desolation Empress. Yue has been suffering because of her physique for so long. I can''t let her go through it all her life.\" Xu Liang nodded his head as he said. \"Well, I won''t stop you in that case, but I have a gift for you that might come in handy in the future.\" The Heavenly Emperor nodded his head in praise as he said. A crystal appeared in his hand that he threw towards Xu Liang. Xu Liang caught the crystal and started observing it. He could feel space fluctuations coming from the stone. \"What is it, father?\" He asked with a curious look on his face. \"It''s a gift I received from an old friend of mine when I went to the Immortal World once.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu replied. 42 Chapter 40: Beginning of the Downfall \"It''s a gift an old friend of mine that I received when I went to the Immortal World previously.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu replied. \"What is it, father?\" Xu Liang asked with a confused look on his face. \"It''s a ''Space Relocation Crystal''. You can use it to go to the mortal world. You know there are hundreds of Mortal Worlds and this crystal will open a portal that will be able to take you to one of those hundreds of mortal worlds. Even in not sure which world it will be.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu informed Xu Liang. \"Oh, thanks, father. This will be really helpful.\" Xu Liang bowed down as he thanked the Heavenly Emperor. \"There''s one more thing. Take this Crystal as well.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gave Xu Liang another crystal. The crystal was red in color. \"This is ''Heavenly Transfer Crystal''. When you''re in danger in the lower worlds, you can use this Crystal to come back to the Heavenly Realm. It''s a one-time use item, so make sure to use it yourself and don''t give it to anyone else. If a mortal used it, he would die before even reaching here.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he warned Xu Liang. \"Thank you, Father. I''ll keep this in mind.\" Xu Liang said in full seriousness as he placed both the crystals in his storage ring. \"Good. You can leave now. That''s all I wanted to say. Don''t forget to inform me when you break through... I want to be there when you leave for the Lower Realms.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu further said. \"Yes, father.\" Xu Liang nodded his head as he left. A few minutes after Xu Liang left, a person came running in the hall with a grave look on his face. \"What happened Zhen? What are you in such a hurry?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gazed at the man. It was none other than the greatest general of the Heavenly Realm, War God Zhen. \"Your Majesty! There''s some real trouble! You need to come with me to the Red Planet! The barrier... it has become too unstable. I don''t know what''s happening with it, but it''s acting really strange.\" War God Zhen said with a worried look on his face. \"The Red Planet? Alright, let''s go.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu turned serious. He made a strange movement with his finger as a portal opened in front of him. Another portal appeared on the red Planet and linked with the portal in the heavenly palace. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu entered the portal followed behind by War God Zhen. They both exited from the portal on the Red Planet. He couldn''t help but frown as soon as he stepped on the Red Planet. The whole planet was covered in the Demonic Qi that were being released from inside the barrier. The Demonic Qi was so strong that it was giving dread to War God Zhen. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu walked closer to the barrier and began observing it. \"The time is not right... It is so sudden. Previously I thought that I had another year before we reached this state, but looks like I overestimated the barrier... or underestimated the thing that''s inside.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he looked towards the sky. \"What is inside, Your Majesty? Is it really a demon? \" War God Zhen asked with a grave look on his face. \"The one inside... It is a destruction... It is death... It is chaos. The worst nightmare of the entire universe. We can''t let the barrier break.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu replied in full seriousness. \"Do we really need to be scared of it? We hand our army... We have, Your Majesty... Illustrious Emperor is quite strong as well and if it''s a threat to the universe... I''m sure even Demon Emperor won''t sit idle!\" War God Zhen let out with a disbelieving look on his face. \"Hah... Me? Illustrious? Demon Emperor? If this barrier breaks... no one would be able to do anything. Do you know how this barrier was made? How strong was it? If hundreds of Heavenly Emperor attacked this barrier at the same time, it wouldn''t be affected in the slightest. This barrier is made from the Universal Laws... I can neither create such a barrier nor destroy it. Just imagine how strong the this which brought it to this situation can be!\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said with a self-deprecating smile on his face. \"Is there nothing that can be done to stop it?\" War God Zhen inquired with a worried look on his face. \"There is only one thing that can be done.\"Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said slowly. \"Zhen... you have been like a child to me... Throughout the years, you have been there for me. I have one request for you. Can you do it for me?\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he gazed at War God Zhen with a weak smile on his face. \"What are you talking about, Your Majesty? I''m having a bad feeling.\" War God Zhen said as he looked at Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with a confused gaze. \"Zhen... thank you for being with me throughout the years. I only request you one thing. Please take care of Liang''er, Yue and little Ming for me. Oh man, Liang''er was about to become an immortal... It''s so unfortunate that I won''t be here to see him break through immortality.\" \"I promised Little Ming that I will teach him cultivation when he turns 17... Too bad that I''d have to break my promise. Yue, my precious girl... I''m sorry that I wasn''t able to help you with your physique... I hope Liang''er will achieve what I couldn''t.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said as he looked down. 43 Chapter 41: Death \"I promised Little Ming that I will teach him cultivation when he turns 17... Too bad that I''d have to break my promise. Yue, my precious girl... I''m sorry that I wasn''t able to help you with your physique... I hope Liang''er will achieve what I couldn''t.\" \"Zhen... here is my storage ring. Give it to Little Ming... This is a gift for him from his grandfather. An apology for breaking my promise. It can only be opened by someone from the royal bloodline... Liang''er won''t be able to do it either. It will be useful for little Ming in his future endeavors.\" \"And most importantly... Please keep what happens here a secret. Don''t even tell my brother about what will happen here in a few moments. Keep it a secret until Xu Liang becomes an immortal.\" \"What is going to happen? What are you going to do, Your Majesty? You''re worrying me.\" War God Zhen asked with a concerned look on his face. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu looked at him with a calming smile before he placed his hand on the barrier. The whole Qi on the red planet started getting restless as the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu''s eyes turned blazing red. The sky that was clear until a few moments ago was suddenly covered with dark clouds. It started thundering heavily as the world began shaking. A powerful aura expanded from Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. From his expressions, it seemed like Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was going through extreme pain. \"Ahh... \" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu coughed out a mouthful of blood that struck the barrier and immediately disintegrated. \"This... Your Majesty! Stop it! You''re using your life force! If you keep doing it, you will... you will die!\" War God Zhen let out loud as he gazed at the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu with a worried look on his face. Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu didn''t respond. In fact, it seemed like he couldn''t respond as he focused on the barrier. \"I... I''m sorry, but I can''t let you see the light of the day... It... it''s my duty... to stop you... and I will do it till my last breath.\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu said after much struggle. After the initial moments, it started to look like the barrier was absorbing the life force and the Origin Qi of Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. His condition kept deteriorating while the barrier started becoming more and more stable. After half an hour, it looked like the barrier was completely stable. As the barrier absorbed all of the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu''s life force, he fell to the ground. \"Your Majesty!\" War God Zhen let out loudly as he ran towards Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu. He supported the shoulders of the Heavenly Emperor as he gazed at him with tears in his eyes. Just before Heavenly Emperor closed his eyes, a scene of the past flashed before his eyes. ________________________ \"Dear Zhu, You are about to become the Emperor of the Heavenly Realm. There''s one thing that you must know before you agree to take on the responsibility.\" A bad dressed in shining golden armor said as he gazed at a man in front of him that looked like 25-26 years old. The man looked like the younger version of Tian Zhu. \"Yes, Father.\" Tian Zhu replied to his father. \"It''s about the Red Planet and the barrier. I''ve been guarding the barrier throughout my reign. It had been thousands of years. Although it hasn''t happened yet, there will come a time when the barrier will start to weaken and get unstable. If the barrier breaks, the whole world will suffer. When that time comes, as the Emperor, it will be your duty to heal the barrier.\" His father said in a serious tone. \"How can I heal it, father?\" Tian Zhu inquired. \"It''s a secret only known by the Emperor''s but to heal the barrier, the Ruler must give away his life and soul to the barrier... It''s a sacrifice that''s a must for the world.\" His father answered. \"I''m not sure when it will happen and it might not even happen during your reign, but you just need to be aware.\" He continued. _____________________ \"I did it, father...\" Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu muttered before he lost all his strength. His breathing stopped and his eyes closed. The body of Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu started shining brightly as it turned into a blue orb of light. This orb of light started floating in the air and soon it was absorbed by the barrier. The barrier grew even stronger and looked like it had finally recovered to its peak. War God Zhen kept sitting there for hours without moving in the slightest as he stared at the barrier with a blank look on his face. The sky that was covered with dark clouds had suddenly become clear. The thundering had stopped as well. The Demonic Qi that covered the planet disappeared like it was never there. Back in the Demonic Realm, the Demon Emperor was sitting on his throne in the darkroom. His eyes were closed and his arms were folded. \"So you decided to give away your life to stop the calamity. I can''t say that I didn''t expect this from you, but did you really think that this would be the end?\" The Demon Emperor said. It seemed like he was talking to himself \"You gave your life for your home, but that home will be the one that destroys the dreams and hopes that you left behind.\"He continued. \"You can stop the destruction on the outside, but what about the darkness hiding in your home?\" Demon Emperor muttered to himself with an expressionless look on his face. 44 Chapter 42: Rebirth by fire \"You can stop the destruction on the outside, but what about the darkness hiding in your home?\" Demon Emperor muttered to himself with an expressionless look on his face. _____________________ Back at the Royal Castle in the Heavenly Realm, Xu Liang pacing back and forth. He didn''t know why, but his heart was having a bad feeling. Looks like something horrible is about to happen. \"You look worried? Is something the matter?\" Yue walked closer to him as she said with concern. \"It''s nothing. I don''t know why, but I''m getting a little restless. Maybe it''s because I''m about to break through to immortality in a few days. There''s nothing to be concerned about.\" Xu Liang replied to Yue as he smiled. He stopped thinking about his bad feeling as though that it was just anxiety before the big breakthrough. \"Where''s Ming?\" He asked Yue. \"That Little Guy? He''s sleeping.\" Yue replied to Xu Liang. \" Oh, alright. I wanted to take him to meet Lexi, but it''s fine. I''ll go alone. I''ll be back in an hour\" Xu Liang told Yue before he left the room. Xu Liang walked for a short while before he reached the large Hall that was assigned to Lexi. Lexi was the name of Xu Liang''s Ice Phoenix that he used to go to Wen Yin''s palace when Yue had lost consciousness. \"Lexi? \" Xu Liang called out as he entered the hall, but he didn''t get any response. \"Strange... Lexi should have come running to me by now. What''s happening? Is she not here?\" Xu Liang muttered as he entered deeper into the hall but the hall was empty. He walked to the attached hall through the corridor and finally saw Lexi, but his eyes opened wide in shock as he saw Lexi lying on the ground. \"Lexi! Are you alright?\" Xu Liang ran to Lexi as he called out to her, but she didn''t open her eyes. Before he could even reach closer to her, something unexpected happened. The body of Lexi started burning in blue fire. Lexi didn''t open her eyes and Xu Liang didn''t understand what was happening. \"Lexi! Are you hurt?\" Xu Liang called out as he stepped towards the Ice Phoenix but he wasn''t able to get closer to her. There was a flame barrier around her that prevented Xu Liang getting closer to Ice Phoenix. \"Is this the Rebirth by fire? Why now? Lexi was completely healthy the last time I saw her. What happened here?\" Xu Liang let out with a concerned look on his face. \" Will she succeed? Please please please succeed.\" Xu Liang started praying for Lexi''s safe Rebirth by fire. The fire started getting darker and it was difficult to even see by now. The fire lasted for hours, during which Xu Liang didn''t even sit down. He just kept staring at the fire with a concerned look on his face. After 3 hours, the flame finally disappeared and Xu Liang saw the result. A relieved smile appeared on Xu Liang''s face as he saw Lexi standing there safely. \"Lexi! You''re fine!\" Xu Liang ran towards the Ice Phoenix and hugged her. Since the Ice Phoenix was so large, he wasn''t able to big her properly, but he tried. \"Let''s try it this way.\" A female voice came out of nowhere. Xu Liang was stunned as he looked around, but he couldn''t see any girl. \"Was I hallucinating?\" Xu Liang thought as he looked back towards Lexi but his eyes opened wide in shock. He couldn''t help but take a step back. \"You... you are...?\" Xu Liang was stunned as he saw a girl in front of him. The girl looked to be 16-17 years old. She had dark blue hair and light blue eyes. Her skin was fair like the purest of snow and smooth like the Heavenly quality Jade. She was dressed in a shiny blue gown that covered her fair legs. \"Hey? Is there really a need to be so shocked? I''m Lexi! Do I really look that much different?\" The girl smiled as she answered Xu Liang. Xu Liang couldn''t help but be dazed as he saw the girls smile. \"Y... you''re Lexi? How?\" Xu Liang let out with a stunned look on his face. \"I broke through to the Beast God Realm. Now I am able to take the human form.\" Lexi replied to Xu Liang with a smile. She stepped towards Xu Liang and hugged the man while he was still confused. \"Now we can hug properly,\" Lexi said with a smile. \"I guess that does make sense. I heard that the legendary beasts can only take human forms after breaking through to the Beast God Realm.\"Xu Liang let out as he thought about it. \" Yup.\" Lexi nodded her head while still in his embrace. \"What about your Rebirth by fire? Were you harmed by someone?\" Xu Liang inquired with a serious look on his face. \"Nope, It was because of my breakthrough. You don''t need to worry about it.\" Lexi said with a smile. \"Nice! So how strong are you now?\" Xu Liang chuckled as he asked. \"I should be as strong as your old man now,\" Lexi said with a grin on her face. \"As strong as father? Amazing!\" Xu Liang was stunned as he heard her answer, but he was happy for Lexi. \"Hey, there''s one thing I need to talk to you about,\" Lexi said abruptly. \" What? You can talk to me about anything.\" Xu Liang said with a smile. \"I''ll be leaving for my home now. It''s a rule in our family that the heirs must come back to home after breaking through to the Beast God Realm. I can''t break the rules. After I leave, I won''t be able to come back for a year, to say the least.\" Lexi said in a worried tone. \" What''s there to worry about? You should go to your home without any worries. Spend some time with your family. I''ll be going to the Mortal Realm after breaking through to immortality as well. You can come back after you''re done with your family, or I''ll come to find you. Either way, we''ll definitely meet again.\" Xu Liang replied to Lexi as he placed his hands on her back. \" Thank you. I''m leaving then.\" Lexi said as a beautiful smile formed on her face. She separated herself from Xu Liang as she turned back. There was a sad expression on her face, but she didn''t let Xu Liang see it. She walked towards the window and jumped outside. \"Take care of yourself, Lexi,\" Xu Liang said right before Lexi jumped out the window. That day, Everyone in the Heavenly Realm saw a beautiful Ice Phoenix flying in the sky. 45 Chapter 43: Giving the ring That day, Everyone in the Heavenly Realm saw a beautiful Ice Phoenix flying in the sky. Xu Liang walked back to his room and spent the day normally with his family. The next day arrived and Xu Liang went to talk to the Heavenly Emperor. \"Mengchan, Is Father in his room?\" Xu Liang was walking in the corridor when he noticed Mengchan. \"His Majesty? Nope, he''s not in the palace since yesterday. I think he left.\" Mengchan replied to him as she stopped in front of Xu Liang. \"Not here? Did he go out for some work again? It''s alright. I''ll talk to him later then. Don''t forget to tell me when he''s back.\" Xu Liang responded to her as he turned back to leave. \"Sure,\" Mengchan told him with a slight smile on her face. \"Anyways, Master. I think His Majesty left the palace with Senior War God, So he must know about it in great detail.\" Mengchan further said as she remembered that she saw War God Zhen going towards Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu''s throne room yesterday. \"War God Zhen? Alright, I''ll ask him when I see him. Thanks for the information.\" Xu Liang replied to Mengchan before he turned back to leave. Xu Liang was walking back towards his room when he noticed War God Zhen coming towards him. \"Uncle Zhen, You''re here. What happened? You''re looking somewhat sad?\" Xu Liang asked as he gazed at War God Zhen. Although the War God had no expression on his face, Xu Liang could feel that he was sad from his eyes. \"Oh, Little Liang. It''s nothing. Just some work stress. Anyways, how''s everything going? I heard from some people that the Ice Phoenix left the Heavenly Realm? Is that true?\" War God Zhen smiled as he asked Xu Liang. \"Everything''s perfectly fine and yes, Lexi left this place. She had something important to do.\" Xu Liang answered War God Zhen. \" What an unfortunate timing.\" War God Zhen muttered softly as he shook his head. \" Oh, right, I came here to tell you about His Majesty. His Majesty won''t be coming back for quite some time. He has gone to the Immortal Realm to investigate the appearance of a New Ruin. It might take him as short as a week or as long a year to come back. He asked me to inform you so that you aren''t worried.\" War God Zhen smiled as he told Xu Liang. He followed Tian Zhu''s words and didn''t tell Xu Liang about his death. Instead, he made up a lie about going for some investigation. \"Oh, I was about to ask you about father. No wonder I didn''t see him today. So I won''t be able to see him when I leave the Heavenly Realm after breaking through to immortality.\" Xu Liang sighed in disappointment. War God Zhen didn''t say anything and just kept looking at Xu Liang. \"Anyways, thank you for telling me.\" Xu Liang smiled as he thanked War God Zhen. \" Oh, not at all. This place is quite big and has so many rooms. You can choose any room you desire.\" Xu Liang replied to War God Zhen. \"Thanks. I''ll go find Mengchan and choose a room then.\" War God Zhen smiled as he informed Xu Liang before leaving. Xu Liang left as well and entered his room. He walked towards Yue, who was lying in bed with Little Ming. \"Yue, There''s something you should know as well.\" Xu Liang said as he sat beside her on the bed. \" What is it?\" Yue asked with a confused look on her face. \"It''s about, father. He left the Heavenly Realm. I was told that he is currently in the Immortal Realm and it might take him a year before he can come back. Apparently, an Ancient Ruin has appeared in the Heavenly Realm.\" Xu Liang explained everything he had just found out to Yue. \"That sounds just like father. He has always been interested in Ancient Ruins. It''s too bad that he didn''t tell me before leaving. I won''t talk to him for a month when he comes back.\" Yue let out with puffed cheeks. \" Hahaha, Yeah. That will teach him a lesson.\" Xu Liang couldn''t help but burst into laughter when he heard Yue''s reply. \"Little Ming is still sleeping? This guy can sleep quite well, can''t he?\" Xu Liang said with a smile as he pinched Xu Ming''s cheeks. \"I''m not sleeping, father! I''m just giving the rest to my eyes.\" Xu Ming spoke in a low voice as he slowly opened his eyes. \" Oh? Looks like I misunderstood my little guy. Come on here.\" Xu Liang smiled as he picked up Ming in his arms and kissed on Ming''s cheeks. \"You know, your Uncle Zhen is going to stay with us from now on. You like him quite a lot, don''t you?\" Xu Liang told Ming as he chuckled. \" Uncle Zhen? Awesome! He gives me so many gifts! Father never gives me gifts!\" Xu Ming said as he puffed his cheeks. \" Hahaha... You little boy, Are you calling your father a cheapskate? Here... I''ll give you everything that I have.\" Xu Liang started laughing when he heard Ming''s answer. He took his storage ring off his finger and placed it on Ming''s finger. The ring automatically adjusted in size to fit the little fingers of Xu Ming. \"A ring?\" Xu Ming let out with a surprised look on his face. \"Not just any ring! It''s my storage ring. It contains everything that I own and it can only be opened by someone from my bloodline. Only you and I can open it. Not even mother can.\" Xu Liang said with a smile as he gazed at Xu Ming. \"Wow, Really? Can I keep it? What about, father?\" Xu Ming asked with a surprised look on his face. \"You can keep it for a few days. I''m going to need it after some time. I''ll give you a different ring at that time though. The second ring will be filled with even more treasures that are more suited for you.\" Xu Liang informed Xu Ming. 46 Chapter 44:Under attack \"You can keep it for a few days. I''m going to need it after some time. I''ll give you a different ring at that time though. The second ring will be filled with even more treasures that are more suited for you.\" Xu Liang informed Xu Ming. \" Thank you, father. You''re the best!\" Ming let out with a bright smile on his face as he hugged Xu Liang. \"Hahaha¡­ Of course, your father is the best. Do you want to see something special? \"Xu Liang asked with an amused smile on his face. \"Yes.\" Xu Ming nodded his head repeatedly. \"Try focusing your mind on the ring and ask it to disappear. \" Xu Liang told Ming. Xu Ming couldn''t help but look at Xu Liang with a confused look on his face. \"Disappear!\" He followed Xu Liang''s advice and asked the ring to disappear. His eyes opened wide in shock as he saw the ring on his finger disappear. He knew that the ring was still on his finger as he could still feel it, but it had turned invisible. \"See? This ring can turn invisible as well. To again make it visible, you just have to do the same and ask it to appear. The other ring that I''ll give you will have the same ability as well. It''s good, isn''t it?\" Xu Liang chuckled as he informed little Ming. \"Aren''t I better than Uncle Ming??\" Xu Liang asked with a proud look on his face. \"Yes, Father is the best.\" Xu Ming said as he smiled brightly. \"Hah, it looks like little Ming hurt your ego by calling someone else good. You''re trying to bribe him now. Aren''t you?\" Yue couldn''t help but burst into laughter as she watched everything from the sidelines. \"I''m doing no such thing. Just giving my dear son a few gifts.\" Xu Liang immediately declined all such accusations as he let out with an innocent look on his face. He placed Ming back on the bed. \"You know Yue, there was a time in my life when I thought that I couldn''t survive. I was scared of leaving my only family behind, but I wasn''t able to do anything except wait for my eventual demise. The happiness that I have today, I couldn''t have thought of it even in my wildest dreams. I''m so thankful that I was able to meet you.\" Xu Liang told Yue as he reminisced about the past. He couldn''t help but think about his past life and remember that feeling. Yue sat up and moved closer to Xu Liang as she embraced him tightly. \"I''m so grateful that I met you as well.\" Yue let out softly as she hugged. \" I''ll definitely find a cure to your physique. I promise you.\" Xu Liang whispered in her ears. \" I believe you.\" She replied in a caring tone. \"I''m going to the Original Energy room of Father to cultivate. I''ll try to break through to the Immortal Realm in one try, so I might be there for a few days.\" Xu Liang further told Yue. \"Thank you. I''ll be back as fast as I can.\" Xu Liang let out with a smile as he gave a light kiss on her lips before he turned back and left. Xu Liang again had a bad feeling in his heart, but he again ignored it. He considered it as the anxiety before breakthrough. Xu Liang walked deeper into the palace until he finally reached the room that the Heavenly Emperor showed him when he brought him here to teach him about using Origin Energy. The room had the densest Origin Energy available in the entire Heavenly Realm. Xu Liang sat down in the center of the room in a meditative position and closed his eyes. After calming down his restless heart, he began his cultivation. The densest Origin Energy in the room formed a vortex around Xu Liang. Xu Liang kept absorbing the energy from the vortex and nourished his body and the martial space inside his dantian. Time kept passing away slowly as Xu Liang was lost in his cultivation. He wanted to break through to the Immortal Realm on a single try, no matter how long it took. Although the room, he was inside was completely silent, the outside world has started becoming noisy. Various powers had started gathering their forces for reasons unknown. The people of the Heavenly Realm had also realized that something bad was about to happen. The biggest probability was that the Demon Army was about to attack the Heavenly Realm. There was an atmosphere of worry in the whole Heavenly Realm. The day passed away and so did the dark night. It was around 5 in the morning. The Sun was providing the Heavenly City with the necessary warmth, but most of the citizens were sleeping inside their houses at the moment. \"Master!!! Master!!!\" A loud voice shocked Xu Liang, who was cultivating in peace. He opened his eyes and looked at the person who disturbed him in annoyance. \"Mengchan! Why are you disturbing me? What the heck do you need? Can''t you see that I''m cultivating?\" Xu Liang screamed loudly as he gazed at the girl standing at the entrance. He was pretty annoyed as his cultivating was interrupted. \"Wait a minute? How did you find this place?\" Xu Liang suddenly realized something unusual. This room was the place that only he and the Heavenly Emperor were supposed to know about. How could Mengchan know about it? He couldn''t understand. \"We don''t have time to talk about that! We... We''re under attack! Princess is in danger!\" Mengchan let out hurriedly as she gazed at Xu Liang with an anxious look on her face. Xu Liang''s face lost all its color as soon as he heard about Yue being in danger. His mind went blank as he ran towards his room like his life depended on it. He ran with all his might until he finally reached his room. He opened the door as he entered inside but his eyes opened wide in shock as soon as he entered. 47 Chapter 45:Immortal Soul Entrapment Poison He ran with all his might until he reached his room. He opened the door as he entered inside but his eyes opened wide in shock as soon as he saw inside. His whole world turned upside down as he saw Yue lying on the bed. A knife was stabbed in her heart. There were only two people in the room and through their clothes, Xu Liang was able to recognize them as the personal guards of the Illustrious Emperor. \"Father!\" Xu Ming called out with tears in his eyes as soon as he saw Xu Liang. He was being grabbed by his throat by one of the two people. The man who was holding Ming was stunned as soon as he heard Xu Ming call out for someone. Before he could react, His head was separated from his body and fell to the ground. Xu Ming was freed from his grip and was about to fall to the ground, but Xu Liang caught him. Xu Liang stood there like a death god. He had his son in one hand and a sword made of Infernal Flame in his other hand. Without wasting even a second, he disappeared from his spot and appeared in front of the second man. The Infernal Sword swung again and another head fell to the ground. Xu Liang''s Infernal sword disappeared as he ran towards Yue. \"Yue! Don''t worry! Everything is going to be alright. We''ll go to see the Goddess of Medicine and she''ll heal you. I promise! Just stay strong.\" Xu Liang let out anxiously as he gazed at Yue with wet eyes. Yue''s eyes were closed but she was still breathing. Her breathing was extremely weak though and it looked like her breathing could stop at any moment. \"Liang! Yue! Are you alright?\" A loud voice came from the door as two people entered the room hurriedly. One of them was a man who was wearing red armor and had a sword in his hand. The other person was an unarmed woman. The man was the person known as War God Zhen while the woman was the Goddess of Medicine, Wen Yin. Xu Liang looked back and noticed Wen Yin. \"Please save Yue! I''ll do anything you say, just save her.\" Xu Liang let out a pleading look on his face as he looked towards Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin. \"Prince Liang! You don''t need to do that! Of course, I''ll help Princess to the best of my abilities.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin hurriedly ran towards Yue and checked on her. \"I''m sorry that I wasn''t here in time to save little Yue. I came here as soon as I found out, but I''m still too late.\" War God Zhen said as he stood beside Xu Liang and looked at Yue with a concerned gaze. Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin took the knife out from her chest and began using her healing magic on Yue. Xu Liang was able to see Yue''s wounds rapidly healing in front of his eyes but his worries didn''t stop. He knew that his heart won''t be calm until Yue opened her eyes. Xu Liang was waiting with eager breath as he stared at Wen Yin healing Yue. \" Although I knew it as well, I never thought that he would stoop to such a low level.\" War God Zhen further continued as he sighed in disappointment. \"Why... why would he do it after all this time?\" Xu Liang let out with a look of disbelief on his face. War God Zhen''s expressions changed as if he realized something, but he didn''t tell Xu Liang. \"I have healed her.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin let out suddenly and attracted Xu Liang''s attention. Xu Liang observed Yue and realized that her breathing had stabilized and the color returned to her face. \"Why isn''t she waking up?\" Xu Liang asked as he gazed at Yue. He tried calling out her name but there was no reaction. \"She won''t wake up. Although I''ve healed her physical wounds, the knife she was attacked with seems to be poisoned. It''s a poison that I''ve only read about... The ''Immortal Soul Entrapment Poison''. It''s an ancient poison that harms the soul of the person it has been used upon.\"Goddess of Medicine said. \" Since little Yue''s soul has been harmed, she can''t wake up.\"Goddess Of Medicine Wen Yin let out with a serious look on her face. Even she was shocked to find out that a poison like that has been used. \"There must be a way to heal her! Please don''t leave her like that!\" Xu Liang''s heart stopped beating for a moment as soon as he heard about Yue''s condition. \"There is one thing that can heal her but finding it is almost impossible.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin let out as she shook her head. \"Just tell me! I''ll find it even if I have to go to the depths of the Demon Realm to get it!\" Xu Liang hurriedly replied. \" Immortal Healing Spiritual Herb! It''s the only thing that can counter the effects of the ''Immortality Soul Entrapment Poison'', but that herb has gone extinct. It''s impossible to find them in the Heavenly Realm. I think even the Demon Realm won''t have such a herb.\" Wen Yin replied. \"The herb that is used to make the Immortal Soul Entrapment Poison... the Immortal Soul Poison Herb is also extinct. Since someone was able to find that herb and make the poison, I think there might be a small chance that the Immortal Healing Spiritual Herb exists somewhere as well, but even if that''s the case, it''s going to be really difficult to find it.\" She further continued. \" Immortal Healing Spiritual Herb... I''ll find it.\" Xu Liang let out as he gazed at Yue''s face. He stepped forward as he sat in front of Yue. \"I''m sorry that I wasn''t here when you were hurt, but I promise! I will find the herb and heal you.\" Xu Liang let out in a soft tone. 48 Chapter 46: Death at the door \"I''m sorry that I wasn''t here when you were hurt, but I promise! I will find the herb and heal you.\" Xu Liang let out gently as he touched her cheeks. Xu Ming, on the other hand, was just standing there with tears in his eyes. He didn''t say a single word throughout and just stood there. \"Her soul would keep deteriorating until she is cured and if it''s too late, she would be too far gone to heal.\" The Goddess of Medicine said another thing that made the situation even worse for Xu Liang who was still optimistic. \"Here, This thing will protect her soul from deteriorating further and help you in taking Yue with you. \" Without waiting for Xu Liang''s response, Wen Yin further said. She placed her hands on the necklace that she was wearing and took it off her neck. She placed the necklace on the ground nearby. There was a small coffin-shaped thing that acted as the trinket of the necklace. It didn''t take even three minutes from the moment she placed that necklace on the ground before the necklace started getting bigger. It kept getting enlarged until the coffin was two meters long and one meter wide. \"This is...?\" Xu Liang was confused as he gazed at the large coffin. The coffin was giving off an ancient aura that Xu Liang found somewhat familiar. \"It''s our family''s heirloom. It is the oldest artifact I possess. I was told that this is called the ''Sealing Coffin of the Gods''. It is said that it can seal anything... even the time itself.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said as she gazed at the coffin. \"If we place Yue inside the coffin, time will stop for her as well and her Soul will not deteriorate further. When you find the Immortal Soul Spiritual Herb, you can take her out of the coffin and heal her.\" She further explained to Long Chen. \" This¡­ I am not sure how I can thank you... You have helped me so much today.\" Long Chen said as he emotionally looked at Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin with a grateful gaze. \" It''s nothing, my sweet prince. You''re like a little brother to me... Of course, I''ll do as much for you.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin let out with a cute smile on her face. \"Now hurry up and place her inside the coffin. Her soul is deteriorating every second she''s out in the open!\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin hurriedly said with great concern. It looked like she didn''t want Yue''s condition to get any worse. \"Right!\" Xu Liang let out as he hurriedly picked Yue up in his arms and walked towards the coffin. As he walked towards the coffin, he couldn''t help but gaze at Yue''s peaceful face. \"I''ll wake you up really soon, love. There''s nothing to worry about. I''m here for you after all. I promise that I won''t let anything happen to you as long as I''m alive.\" Xu Liang said in a gentle tone as he placed Yue inside the coffin. Xu Liang held the necklace tightly in his hand as he walked towards Ming. Xu Liang wore the necklace on his neck and tugged the coffin inside his clothes. Yue was closest to his heart at the moment... literally and figuratively. \"There they are! Die!\" Another loud scream came as 5 people came running inside the room and attacked Xu Liang, but before they could even get near him, War God Zhen made his move. All five of them lost their lives in a single stroke and their lifeless bodies fell to the ground. The whole floor of the room got bloodied in an instant. \"They will keep coming. We really should leave before the Illustrious Emperor himself shows up. If that happens, we''ll all die before anything.\" War God Zhen said in a concerned tone as he gazed at Xu Liang with a grave look on his face. \"Yes! We should leave. My flying beast is outside the palace. As soon as we leave the palace, We can leave this troublesome place. I think the Illustrious Emperor is still not here. We should really move fast.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said to Xu Liang. \" Follow me! We''ll leave through the back of the palace.\" War God Zhen said to Long Chen as he placed his hands on Xu Liang''s shoulders. \"Let''s go little guy. We''ll soon be out of this place, there''s no need to worry.\" Xu Liang said with a smile as he picked up Xu Ming in his arms and started following War God Zhen. He knew how tough it must be for a 5-year-old kid watching so much happen. He tried to maintain his smile so that he could provide little Ming with much-needed comfort. They walked through the long corridors of the palace as they tried to leave. Amidst their journey, they met a lot of cultivators that attacked them as soon as they caught sight of them. Every single one of them was killed by War God Zhen each time before they could even get near him. After around 20 minutes and the death of over 50 assassins, they finally left the palace through the back door. \"I''ll call my Xueyi.\" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin took a step forward and whistled loudly. Xueyi was the name of her flying beast, Frost Swan. A beautiful creature came into their view. It looked a lot like a swan, but it was much larger. From the tip of the bill to the end of its tail, it measured at about 3 meters. It had a wingspan of around 6 meters. It''s stark white feathers stood out amidst the wintery sky as it circled around. It soon landed in front of Wen Yin and the others. Xu Liang and the others were about to step toward the Frost Swan when someone appeared between them and the Frost Swan. That person came from the sky and landed in front of them. It was a man who looked to be around 30 years old, but his actual age was unknown. He was called the Xuan Di, Also known as the Illustrious Emperor. He was said to be the Strongest Person in the Heavenly Realm, after the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu who ruled the Heavenly Realm. 49 Chapter 47: The Awakening? He was called the Xuan Di, Also known as Illustrious Emperor. He was said to be the Strongest Person in the Heavenly Realm, after the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu who ruled the Heavenly Realm. \"Are you going somewhere, little nephew? Shouldn''t you tell your dear uncle before leaving? \" The Illustrious Emperor let out with a grin on his face as he gazed at Xu Liang. \"Illustrious Emperor! Why are you doing it?\" Xu Liang couldn''t help but ask the Illustrious Emperor. Normally he used to call the Illustrious Emperor as Uncle Illustrious, but this time he didn''t call him uncle for obvious reasons. \"Hmm? Is that a tone you should adopt when talking to your uncle? Well, Since it is your first offense I''ll forgive you. \" The Illustrious Emperor let out in an irritated tone. \"I don''t think we''ll need you here.\" He turned back and gazed at the Frost Swan. The Frost Swan was scared as it saw the chilling gaze of the Illustrious Emperor and flew away. Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin frowned, but she didn''t say anything about it. \" As for the answer to your question... Everything I''m doing is for the good of our Heavenly Realm. To maintain the purity of our Royal bloodline. I won''t let it get dirty because of a mortal like my brother did. \" The Illustrious Emperor said with a smile. \"Aren''t you afraid of my father? Do you think you can survive his wrath if you do anything? Don''t do anything that you''ll regret! \" Xu Liang let out loudly as he glared at the Illustrious Emperor. He tried to scare the Illustrious Emperor by talking about the Heavenly Emperor. \"Hmm? My brother? Hahahaha... Didn''t Zhen tell you?\" The Illustrious Emperor started laughing like crazy as he heard Xu Liang''s threat. \"Didn''t tell me what? Isn''t Father in the Immortal Realm?\" Xu Liang let out as he gazed at War God Zhen. He was starting to have a bad feeling. \"The... His Majesty...\" With no other option, War God Zhen decided to tell Xu Liang about it, but he was interrupted by the Illustrious Emperor. \"Let me tell you instead. My dear brother... Is dead! He died to protect the world from an unknown danger. Although I don''t know what that danger was, it''s the truth that he is dead. Even his soul is gone!\" The Illustrious Emperor let out in a serious tone. \"In a sense, we are similar. He gave a life for the sake of the world, and I''ll take a life for the sake of our world! Finally, the impurity will be removed from our bloodline.\" A brutal smile appeared on the Illustrious Emperor''s gaze as he looked at Xu Liang. \"We have no option but to fight. Wen Yin, Move to the side. You can''t fight.\" War God Zhen let out a grave expression on his face as he stood in front of Wen Yin. Wen Yin followed his orders and stepped back. War God Zhen brought out his sword and ran towards the Illustrious Emperor. War God Zhen was struck and coughed out a mouthful of blood as he flew away like a broken kite. \"Uncle Zhen!\" Xu Liang let out as he ran towards War God Zhen. \"I... I think my chest bone is broken. I can''t run or fight. You guys run away. He is too strong.\" War God Zhen let out in a pained tone. \" I... \" Xu Liang gazed at War God Zhen''s face then at Ming''s face before he took a decision. He stood up as he gazed at Xu Ming. \"We''re leaving,\" He said as he held Xu Ming''s hands. To be more precise, he touched his ring that was in Xu Ming''s hands and brought out a red orb. Xu Liang remembered the description of the orb that was given to him by his father. It was called the Space Relocation Crystal. This orb could open a portal to take someone to a random lower world. Xu Liang threw the orb at a few meters distance from him. The orb started shining brightly until it took the form of a Spatial Portal that was 2 meters in diameter. \"Little Guy, go to that portal and leave. Father will come with Uncle Zhen.\" Xu Liang said with a smile as he placed Xu Ming on the ground and gave him a slight push towards the portal. Xu Ming walked towards the portal and stood at the entrance as he waited for Xu Liang. \"Let''s go. We''re leaving as well.\" Xu Liang said as he was about to pick up War God Zhen when a loud laughter came. \" Aren''t you forgetting someone? Although I don''t know what that orb was and where that portal will take you, do you really think that I will let you leave so easily! I would kill you... and not only you... but that Little Kid behind you as well.\" \"I will dismember him to small pieces before throwing those pieces to the lower words. A place where all the mortal trash lives. It would be interesting to watch his pieces be eaten by the Mortal World''s animals. \" Illustrious Emperor let out as he appeared in front of Xu Liang and grabbed him by his neck. \"M... my son...\" Xu Liang muttered as the scene of Xu Ming being killed flashed before his eyes. His eyes turned completely white. At that moment the whole world turned silent. Xu Liang''s soul was chained by a hundred universal laws. One of the chains was already broken, but another 5 broke at the moment. All 5 broke at the same time. The sky that was clear until a moment ago turned dark. It was even darker than it had been at the time when the Heavenly Emperor used all his strength to stabilize the barrier. It began thundering heavily. The wind started moving faster. The citizens of the Heavenly Realm were scared out of their minds. It was the first time such a scene occurred in the Heavenly Realm. The citizens who were outside hurriedly entered their houses and closed the doors and windows. A frown appeared on the face of the Illustrious Emperor. He couldn''t understand what was happening. 50 Chapter 48: Beginning of the End A frown appeared on the face of the Illustrious Emperor. He couldn''t understand what was happening, but he had a bad feeling in his heart. He ignored the bad feeling along with the strange weather and tried to pick up Xu Liang, but he couldn''t move him in the slightest. It felt like Xu Liang had become an Immortal Mountain that was impossible to move. His bad feeling was getting even more intense. He felt like he was in danger. He freed Xu Liang''s neck and brought his sword out as he stabbed at Xu Liang, but Xu Liang caught the sword with his bare hands. Illustrious Emperor tried freeing his sword, but he wasn''t able to move his sword in the slightest. He shifted his gaze upwards and stared into the eyes of Xu Liang but he felt a chill run down his spine as he saw the emotionless eyes of Xu Liang. He left the sword as he started flying back, but it was at that moment, an energy wave came out of Xu Liang''s body and hit him. He was thrown back like a broken kite as soon as the wave hit him. He fell to the ground hundreds of meters away from Xu Liang. Xu Liang didn''t move from his position, he didn''t even move a single finger as ten big swords made of some unknown energy appeared above the Illustrious Emperor. Illustrious Emperor noticed the swords and was shocked out of his mind. He tried sitting up, but he realized that the energy wave that struck him had harmed him even more heavily than he thought. He could barely move. \"Shield of Osiris!\" He looked at the swords above his head and formed a shield to protect himself. This was the strongest defensive skill that he could form. It was said that even the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu was unable to break his shield in the first try. The swords started falling down and finally the sword and the shield collided. As soon as the swords came in contact with the Shield, the shield disappeared. In fact, it looked like the shield was scared of the sword. The swords fell on the Illustrious Emperor''s body and impaled him. The sword hit his arms and his legs, but not his heart or any vital part of his body. \"Y... you''re a monster!\" Illustrious Emperor let out a scared look on his face as he roared in anger, but there was no reaction on Xu Liang''s face. It was not certain if he actually wasn''t able to hear Illustrious Emperor''s words or he simply didn''t care. Xu Liang still didn''t make any movement, but another sword appeared above Illustrious Emperor''s head. The sword looked to be much larger than the previous sword and felt like the sword of Judgement that was floating above the Illustrious Emperor''s head, ready to make its judgment. It was at that moment, something unexpected happened. Xu Liang abruptly coughed out a mouthful of blood as he looked down. He could see a sword coming out from his heart. Xu Liang swung his hand which struck War God Zhen. War God Zhen flew away and crashed on the ground. Xu Liang fell to his knees while the sword stayed in his chest. The dark sky again became clear and the scary aura that was coming out from Xu Liang disappeared. It seemed like Xu Liang gained back control over his body. \"Father!\" Xu Ming called out loudly with tears in his eyes. He was about to come towards Xu Liang but Xu Liang stopped him. \"Don''t come here! Little Ming... Please don''t come here. I''ll come to you.\" Xu Liang let out as he tried standing up, but his feet didn''t move. \"Huh... My body has started dying. I won''t live for long.\" He muttered with a disappointed gaze as he gazed at the coffin shaped necklace on his neck. He could feel his strength drowning and his vision darkening. Xu Liang grabbed the necklace and removed it from his neck. \"I''m sorry Yue, but I don''t think that I can fulfill my promise. I''m leaving this world before I can achieve my goals, but I won''t let you or Little Ming die.\" Xu Liang let out softly as he gripped the necklace tightly. Blood came out of his mouth as he was speaking. \" Catch it!\" Xu Liang let out loudly as he threw the necklace towards Ming. Xu Ming caught the coffin shaped necklace. Tears kept falling from his eyes constantly. \"Leave! \" \"But father...\" \"I said leave! Do you want your mother to die? You know what''s in that necklace! You must find the cure and wake your mother up. As for me, unfortunately, I''m not able to come with you. I need to stay here for something important. Don''t worry, I''ll be fine. Just lea...urgh\" Xu Liang was saying when War God Zhen appeared behind his back. He took the sword out and again stabbed his heart. \"Don''t you dare leave!\" War God Zhen said as he gazed at Xu Ming. Xu Ming gazed at Xu Liang who looked like he would die at any moment, but his eyes didn''t look scared. Xu Ming felt like his father''s eyes were telling him to be strong and leave.\" Xu Ming gripped the necklace tightly as he turned his back on everything and walked towards the portal. He couldn''t help but turn back as he stood a few centimeters away from the portal. \"Nooo...\" War God Zhen let out as he ran towards the portal but his legs were caught by Xu Liang. \"You!!!\" War God Zhen fumed in anger as he again took his sword out from Xu Liang''s back and swung it. Xu Liang''s head was separated from his body. Xu Ming watched his father being decapitated and couldn''t help but take a step back in shock. Before he realized it, he had already entered the portal. War God Zhen looked towards the portal and noticed that the portal had closed. He had no idea when the portal took Xu Ming or what the crystal was. He couldn''t ask Xu Liang either as he had just killed him. \"It''s all because of you.\" War God Zhen gazed at the dead body of Xu Liang in contempt. He was about to kick the lifeless body of Xu Liang, but his expressions changed as he found Xu Liang''s body disintegrating into nothingness right before his eyes. 51 Chapter 49: Curse of Eternity \"It''s all because of you.\" War God Zhen gazed at the dead body of Xu Liang in contempt. He was about to kick the lifeless body of Xu Liang, but his expressions changed as he found Xu Liang''s body disintegrating into nothingness right before his eyes. ___________________________ There was a place that was shrouded in eternal darkness. Nothing but darkness could be seen as far as the eyes could see. No signs of life were present in the place, in fact, it looked like no one could even survive at a place like that. There were no plants nor any beasts. Suddenly, The still air started getting restless and the Origin Energy in the atmosphere became unstable. This place was the Ancient Ruin where Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu found Xu Liang years ago. The place was still just as scary as before. Out of nowhere, a small speck of light appeared in the darkness which started taking a humanoid form. The whole process lasted half an hour. The speck of light had transformed into a human. The human looked like a young kid. He looked not much older than a 5-year-old boy. The boy had pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes, but those eyes looked blank at the moment. There was no focus on those eyes. The golden life tree that had disintegrated into the thin air inside this empty dark world many years ago, came into existence once again. It appeared near the boy. The 5-year-old boy was sitting in the darkness as he looked around with a confused expression on his face. He tried remembering, but he couldn''t remember anything in the slightest. He couldn''t remember his name or who he was. He couldn''t even remember what he was doing here. It was like he had no memory as all. The strangest thing about that boy was his soul. The soul of the boy looked like it was trapped by many chains. If one were too could, he would see around 94 chains that were holding his soul like a trapped prisoner. The chains looked like they were made of the universal laws that contained a terrifying power. The boy had no idea about the chains. In fact, he had no idea even about himself, let alone the chains. He didn''t know why, but there was a sense of grief in his heart. Tears appeared in his eyes, but he didn''t know why. He felt like he had lost something really important. He didn''t know how, but he only remembered a few sentences. He didn''t know who said it, or when it was said, but that was all he had. This was everything he remembered. Other than this, he knew nothing. He felt like there was something more important that he had to do. Something much more important, but he couldn''t remember. The ancient ruins, that even the Heavenly Emperor barely entered years ago, had again turned into a prison for a young boy. __________________________ In another peaceful place, a portal opened out of nowhere and a person fell out of the portal. The person looked like a young kid who had a beautiful ring in his hand but no one could see that ring as it was invisible. The boy was lying on the ground unconscious. It seemed like the Spatial Travel took quite a heavy toll on the weak body of the kid because of which he had lost consciousness. There was a small coffin-shaped necklace lying on the ground near the young boy. The boy was lying on the grass while the sun was shining high in the sky. The plane looked like an empty grass field. Only lush grass could be seen as far as the eyes could see. About an hour passed when the first signs of life sprayed in that place. A flying beast was passing through that place, but it seemed to have noticed the young boy lying on the ground. The flying beast looked like an eagle but it was much bigger. The flying eagle looked like it could easily carry two people on its back. The eagle came down to the ground and stopped near the young boy. A person got off the eagle and walked towards the young boy. It was a woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She had shiny silver hair that was long enough to reach her waist. Her fair skin, hazel eyes, and round face made her look beautiful, but her serious expressions made her look like a completely opposite person. The girl stopped on her tracks as she noticed a coffin-shaped necklace. She picked up the necklace and started observing it carefully. \"What is this thing? It looks like an ordinary pendant, but there seems to be something odd about it? \" She muttered as she stared at the necklace. She placed the necklace around her neck and continued walking towards the boy. \"Such a young boy... What is he doing in a deserted place like this?\" She observed the unconscious boy. \" Is this a trap set up by those righteous sects? They think they can fool me?\" She let out as she glared at the boy. She looked all around, but couldn''t see even a glimpse of another person. \"You must be a spy sent here in hopes of infiltrating the evil sects. They know that us devil cultivators pass through this path quite often, but since they can''t defeat us, they sent a weak boy here. Did you really think that he would gain our sympathy and be taken to our Sect?\" She let out as a cruel smile appeared on her face. She raised her sword high in the sky and swung it down towards the boy. 52 Chapter 50: Battle fairy Mia \"You must be a spy sent here in hopes of infiltrating the evil sects. They know that us devil cultivators pass through this path quite often, but since they can''t defeat us, they sent a weak boy here. Did you really think that he would gain our sympathy and be taken to our Sect?\" She let out as a cruel smile appeared on her face. She raised her sword high in the sky and swung it down towards the boy. The sword looked like it was sharp enough to slash the boy in two parts. Just as the sword was about to touch the body of the boy, it was stopped. \"Hmm... No one came out to save you. Either you''re not a spy or they don''t care for your lives. I think the first one is the most probable. Whatever, I''ll take you with me. \" She muttered as she kept the sword back in its sheath. She asked towards the boy and checked on him. She noticed that his breathing was stable and there was no wound on his body. \"It''s quite strange for you to be here though, I guess I''ll ask you when you wake up. \" She muttered softly as she picked the boy up in her arms and walked towards the flying eagle. The flying eagle flew high in the sky as it carried the mysterious girl and an even more mysterious boy that was unconscious. They flew for over half an hour before they reached a majestic looking place. \"We''re finally back to our Sect. Sigh, I can''t wait to get my reward for completing the mission. \" The girl let out with an excited expression on her face. The place had many buildings and arenas. There was a long boundary that covered the whole Sect. The walls of the boundary were over ten meters tall. The whole Sect looked like it covered an area of more than a hundred square kilometers. In simpler terms, the area of the Sect was equal to the area of around 19000 football fields. Although the massive structures and courtyards had used quite a lot of this area, there were also massive fighting arenas and a big field that was used to grow herbs on a daily basis. The flying eagle of the girl entered the boundary of the sect without being stopped. The guards did notice the flying eagle, but they ignored it. Probably because they knew who the girl was. The eagle flew for quite some time before it landed in a certain place after its master ordered it. It was a beautiful looking building that covered an area of around 50 square meters. The door was over 3 meters tall and 6 meters wide. Many people could be seen entering and leaving the building. She got off the flying eagle and wallet towards the building while carrying the young boy in her arms. Many people stared at her, to be exact they stared at the young boy in her arms and wondered what she was doing here with a boy. The girl didn''t mind their gazes and entered the building. There were more than a hundred people in the large hall. The girl walked towards the counter. \"Hey, Mia. Who''s that kid you''re carrying? Is that your son? Who''s the father?\" A mocking voice was heard in the hall. Mia stopped in her tracks as she looked back towards the person who had just talked to her like that. \"Situ Mu! Don''t think that just because you''re the Elder''s disciple, I won''t beat the shit out of you.\" Mia said with her usual icy expression. \" Hahaha, do you really think that you can attack me? Don''t forget the rules. The core disciples aren''t allowed to fight each other.\" A wide grin appeared on the man''s face as he replied. \"You know that the rules are only made as guidelines. We aren''t in a righteous Sect! I don''t feel the need to follow the rules. I don''t think that sect will punish me too badly for breaking half of your teeth.\" A heavy aura came out of Mia and it felt like she was ready to attack. \" You can''t be serious.\" Situ Mu let out with a stunned look on his face. He couldn''t believe that Mia actually wanted to fight inside the mission hall. '' If you want to test me, just try saying that one more time and you''ll see how serious I am.\" Mia let out in full seriousness as he looked in Situ Mu''s uncertain eyes. \" Hmm... I don''t have time to waste on you. I''m quite busy today. I''ll take you up on your offer some other day.\" The boy called Situ Mu shook his head as he passed by her and left. \" Hmph... coward.\" Mia snorted as she continued towards the counter. There was only one line, in which 10 people were waiting for their turn. As soon as they noticed Mia walking towards them, they started sweating. All the people left the line and cleared the path for the girl to reach the Elder that was behind the counter. The line had disappeared. There was not much change in the girl''s expression as she noticed all this. She just stepped forward and stood in front of the Elder. \"Oh, Mia. I was wondering when you would be back from the mission. Just like always, you completed an A-rank mission in less than a month. No wonder you''re called the strongest core disciple of the sect.\" \" Elder jests. I''m not the strongest. Anyways, how did you know that I completed the mission? I haven''t said anything?\" She asked with a confused look on her face. \" Hah, Just call it faith. I have full belief that you completed the mission. Only a fool will think that the battle fairy of the Mighty Demon Sect can fail her mission.\" The Elder couldn''t help but laughed as he replied. \"Elder is right. I have completed the mission. The target has been eliminated. Here is the badge of that core disciple of the Earthly Thunder Sect.\" The woman said in an expressionless tone as she placed a token on the top of the counter in front of the Elder. 53 Chapter 51: Potential Measuring The Elder picked up the badge and kept it after observing it briefly. \"Good work. Give me your disciple token. I''ll credit 10000 contribution points in your token.\" The Elder smiled as he extended his hands towards the girl. Mia placed her token in his hands and waited for the transfer to be completed. \"Here you go. The contribution points have been added to your token.\" The Elder said as he gave back the token. \" Oh, right. Who''s the boy with you?\" After finishing the official work, the Elder asked Mia about the boy in her hands. \"He''s someone I found when I was coming back. He was unconscious. I was in a good mood, so I brought him with me.\" \" You know that you can''t keep strangers in the place for the core disciples, right?\" \" I know. I am hoping to send him to the outer area of our Sect. If he has talent, he can become the outer sect disciple. If he doesn''t have the talent, he can become the servant. \" She replied to the Elder. \" It''s good that you know what to do. \" The Elder said with a smile. Mia turned back and left the large hall. She again climbed on her flying eagle before it flew towards another direction. The place she was going to was the outer section of the sect. That was the place that was known as the outer branch of the sect. Although it was still a part of the sect since the outer disciples had separate buildings, skill halls, and Elders. It was called the outer sect. Similarly, the sect had an inner sect and a core sect. Together, these 3 made up the Mighty Demon Sect. The flying eagle came down to the ground and landed in front of another beautiful building, the only difference was that the building looked smaller and less majestic. There was a board that hung on the top of the building. A few beautiful characters on the board that said \" Testing Hall\". The girl carried the young boy in her arms while he was still unconscious. She kicked the door open and entered the building. The Elder in the hall was sitting on a chair comfortably as he read a book. The man looked to be quite old and had wrinkles on his face. He had white hair and a white beard that came down to his chest. As soon as the door was forced open, a frown appeared on his face, but as soon as he saw the person who had opened the door, the book he was reading fell to the floor as he stood up with a shocked look on his face. \"M... Miss Mia. I feel so lucky that I got to see you. I had a feeling that I would meet someone special today since the morning. Always, what can I do for you.\" He said with a fawning smile on his face as he walked towards Mia. \"Oh, that''s so nice of you. Let''s test him first. Is he unconscious or sleeping?\" He asked as he glanced at the boy in her arms. \" He''s unconscious,\" Mia answered him. \"Oh, No worries. Thankfully, he can still be tested.\" The Elder said with a smile as he walked deeper inside the hall and stopped before a shelf. He came back with an orb in his hand and planned that crystal orb on the table \"This is a potential measuring orb. I''m sure Miss Mia must have seen it in the Core sect as well. When someone hands touch the orb, it will show the number from 1 to 9. A talent of one signifies trash while a talent of 9 if a once in a millennia genius. If I''m not wrong, Miss Mia has a grade 9 talent, right? I was so shocked when he was told about it. I''m the whole sect, only the sect master and the head disciple have a grade 9 talent other than Miss Mia. \" The Elder couldn''t help but fawn more on her. Mia was more like a legend in the sect. One of the strongest cultivators in the sect. \"Bring that boy here. As soon as his hands are placed on the orb, we will know his cultivation talent.\" The Elder further said as he noticed the annoyed expression on Mia''s face. He understood that she wasn''t liking his flattery. Mia stepped forward and placed the boy on the table near the orb. She picked his left hand and placed it over the orb. Only 5 seconds had passed when the orb finally showed a number. The number it showed shocked both the Elder and the girl. They never expected that it could be possible. Even Mia''s mouth opened in shock. The number shown in the orb was... a zero. \"A zero? Doesn''t that mean that this guy can''t even cultivate? Even the servants of our sect have a grade 1 talent.\"The Elder let out with a frown. \" Since I brought him here, send him to the servants quarters. He''ll be a servant from now on.\" The girl said as she turned back and started walking towards the exit without even looking back. The Elder also followed behind her as he escorted her. Unbeknownst to them, as soon as they both turned their back on Xu Ming, The numbers in the orb started changing. From a zero, it became a 1. Than a 2... 3... 4... 5. In less than 5 seconds, the orb was showing a shining nine, but it didn''t stop there. The 9 turned into a 10 but that was still not enough as The orb started shining brightly. 54 Chapter 52: Kill them Unfortunately, it was at this moment, Xu Liang subconsciously made a movement of his hand and the orb started rolling towards the edge. As the orb was rolling, it''s shine didn''t decrease, instead, it was only shining even brighter. The orb fell down from the edge of the table. As it was falling down, it seemed like it was having difficulty as the energy it scanned was trying to break through its limitations. Finally, the orb couldn''t bear and broke apart before it even hit the ground. Its broken pieces fell to the ground. \"Hmm...?\" Mia had left the hall and the Elder was just about to turn back when he heard a sharp sound. He hurriedly turned back only to see the pieces of the orb on the ground. His face turned red in anger as he walked towards the boy. He wanted to kill the boy for destroying such a precious artifact but he controlled his anger. \"I can''t hurt the boy. He was brought here by Miss Mia. Even though she acted like she didn''t care for the boy, it''s still possible that she might change her mind and come back to see the boy in the future.\" \"I can''t take the risk of offending her even if the chance of that happening is too low. She is known as a brutal girl who isn''t afraid to kill anyone. She is also the candidate to become the next Sect Master along with the head disciple. I can''t take any chances.\" He clenched his fist as he thought about it seriously. He brought out a transmission talisman as he sent a message to someone. It didn''t take long before an anxious-looking boy came running inside the hall. The boy looked like he was 17 years old. The clothes he wore looked quite worn off and not the least bit luxurious. \"Yes Elder!\" He stopped before Elder Jim and bowed his head as he greeted him. \"Hmm... Yao. Take this boy with you. He is to be a servant from now on. Teach him the things related to his work and keep an eye on him. Just make sure that he isn''t killed.\" The Elder said as he walked back to his chair and picked up the book that was lying on the ground and started reading the book. The boy didn''t say anything and just picked the 5 year old boy and left the luxurious hall. _______________________ The boy called Yao walked for quite some time before he reached his destination. There were some huts in close proximity to each other. The huts looked old and worn out. Yao walked towards one of the huts and entered inside. Although it looked worn out as well, if one were to observe carefully, they would notice that it was still the best of the bunch. The hut was quite big. There were 5 beds already placed inside the hut. Yao walked towards the bed on the corner and placed Xu Ming on the bed and sat beside him. \"Well, I better do as I say if I don''t want to be killed. Elder Jim can be really scary when he is angry.\" Yao let out with a wry smile on his face. \"Why did I hand to be the one chosen to babysit a kid? I know I''m the Head Servant and all, but still. \" His head was aching at the moment. \" Boss Yao, You''re back.\" Another boy entered the hut. He looked to be slightly older then Yao, but he still called Yao the boss. \"Oh, Dong Zhen. Yes, I am back.\" Yao replied. \"Who''s that boy, boss?\" Dong Zhen asked with a curious look on his face as he noticed the boy lying on the bed. \"He? He''s my little brother and he will be working with us from now on. Make sure to treat him nicely. \" Yao replied with a carefree look on his face. \"Oh? I never knew my boss had a brother. It''s so awesome. What''s the little guy''s name boss? \" He asked with a bright smile on his face. \" His name? Why don''t you ask him yourself when he wakes up? \" Yao let out in an annoyed tone. ''Even I don''t know his name. It''s not like Elder Jim told me anything.'' He thought as he looked towards the boy. \"Stay here with the boy. I''m going outside. Take care of him until I come back and don''t let him leave the room.\" Yao said as he stood up and walked towards the door. \" Father!\" He had just taken a step forward when the boy on the bed opened his eyes as he screamed loudly and extended his hands to reach towards something. Yao hurriedly turned back and looked towards the boy with a frown. Xu Ming sat up as he remembered the last thing he saw. His father was murdered. The tears didn''t stop falling from his eyes as he sat there blankly. \"Good thing that you woke up. Now tell me what your name is.\" Yao gazed at the boy and asked him, but the boy didn''t react as he kept sitting there expressionless. \"Boy... I don''t know what happened to you, but from the initial word that you said, I can only guess that something bad happened to your father?\" Yao didn''t get angry at Xu Ming Xu Ming finally had some reaction as he clenched his fist and looked towards Yao. \"Looks like I''m right. Who did it?\" Yao asked, but Xu Ming didn''t reply. A face appeared in Xu Ming''s thoughts. It was none other than the face of War God Zhen. Xu Ming clenched his fist so tightly that it had started bleeding. \"You know that sitting here silently won''t do anything for you. I can understand that you went through something bad, but there is only one thing that you can do.\" \" You can only kill the one who took things from you. That''s the core lesson we are taught in the sect. Kill the ones who offend you! Kill the one who hurt you! Kill the ones who take from you! And you can''t do that just by sitting there like a dead person\" Yao let out in a caring tone as he gazed at Xu Ming. 55 Chapter 53: Missing Necklace \" You can only kill the one who took things from you. That''s the core lesson we are taught in the sect. Kill the ones who offend you! Kill the one who hurt you! Kill the ones who take from you! And you can''t do that just by sitting there like a dead person\" Yao let out in a caring tone as he gazed at Xu Ming. It was unclear if he was talking like that out of sympathy, pity or because he had personally gone through a similar thing. \"Kill the one... \" Xu Ming muttered as his blank eyes gained focus. He looked towards the sky as he visualized War God Zhen''s face as he clenched his teeth. \"I see the flames of revenge in your eyes. That''s much better than the sea of sorrow from before.\" Yao said with a smile as he patted Xu Ming''s head. \"Who are you?\" Xu Ming asked as he looked at Yao. He had finally started to care about his surroundings. \"I''m kinda like your boss. Think of me as in charge of this place. From today, you will be working at the servant in the Mighty Demon Sect. \" Yao replied to Xu Ming. \"Mighty Demon Sect? Am I in the Demon Realm? \" Xu Ming exclaimed with a shocked look on his face. \"Demon Realm? What''s that? We are in the Spirit Continent. Our sect is on the outskirts of the kingdom of Hongxi.\" Yao couldn''t understand what he was talking about. He just assumed that the boy didn''t know anything about the world. \"Anyways, I should probably explain about the sect and your work. \" \" Our sect is one of the strongest sects in the land. We are proud to call ourselves an evil sect. The righteous sects have been wanting to destroy us for a long time, but then haven''t been able to do anything.\" \" The sect has 3 parts. The outer sect, the inner sect, and the core sect. The core sect is where the real elites of the sect stay. We are currently in the outer sect.\" \"We are the Servant of the outer sect. Our duty is to serve the sect and the outer disciples. Since the Elder has made you, a servant, you will have the same job. You are too young though. So you don''t have to do the heavy work.\" Yao started explaining everything to Xu Ming. \" I''ll give you simple jobs and teach you the work. \" Yao further said. \" That''s enough for today. You can rest for today, your work will start from tomorrow. As a servant, you are entitled to 2 bronze coins and the basic cultivation manual of the sect along with 2 spiritual pills.\" \" You will get that tomorrow as well. I''ll be leaving now, you can rest. If you have any doubts, then you can talk to this guy over there. He''s Dong Zhen. He''s our room partner and he will stay here.\" Yao said as he stood up. Xu Ming didn''t reply and looked towards his hand. The others didn''t know, but he had an invisible ring on his finger. As he looked at the ring, he remembered another thing. A worry appeared on his face as he started looking all around anxiously. \"The necklace! Where is it?\" He let out loud as he didn''t find the coffin containing his mother anywhere. \"Your necklace? When I brought you here, you didn''t have any necklace. I didn''t see any necklace when I picked you up from Elder Jim''s place either. Maybe he has a necklace? You can ask him when he comes tomorrow to distribute the coins and pills to the servants. \" Yao let out with a thoughtful look on his face. \"Elder Jim? I need to go see him now.\" Xu Ming stood up as he got off the bed. \" Hey hey... It''s not the time to go there. You don''t know Elder Jim, but he is a brutal human. If you annoy him, he might even kill you in anger. You can''t fulfill your desires if you die. Keep patience and wait. Wait for the proper opportunity. \" Yao stopped Xu Ming. Xu Ming fell in deep thoughts and understood his words, but he still couldn''t calm down the anxiousness in his heart. \"Don''t worry little bro, Even if Elder Jim has your necklace, he won''t eat it. You can ask him tomorrow. '''' Dong Zhen also walked closer and told Xu Ming. Xu Ming still felt anxious, but he decided to wait. Without Yao''s help, he wasn''t sure if he would even find the person called Elder Jim. He nodded his head and walked back to the bed. \"It''s good that you understand. Rest for today, and I will personally talk with Elder Jim about your necklace when he comes here tomorrow. \" Yao smiled as he turned back again and left the hut. Xu Ming didn''t say anything and just lay on the bed. He stayed like that and didn''t even move as he kept looking at the ceiling. At the moment he was even afraid of closing his eyes. Every time Xu Ming closed his eyes, his father''s dying face appeared before his eyes as he told him to run. His eyes were wet, but he was staying strong and didn''t let the tears fall. \"Why... Why...\" That was the only question in his mind as he thought about the betrayal of War God Zhen. He has never expected War God Zhen to kill his father. In a single day, he had become an orphan. How grandfather was dead, his father was dead and his mother was lying in a thin line between Life arms death inside the Sealing Coffin of the gods. He didn''t know when, but after a long time, he finally fell asleep. That night he dreamt something completely different. 56 Chapter 54: Dream He didn''t know when, but after a long time, he finally fell asleep. That night he dreamt something completely different. He dreamt of a boy. The boy looked like he had a similar age. He looked mostly similar too. The only difference between them was their hair. While Xu Ming had blonde hair, the boy in his dream had pitch-black hair. Xu Ming couldn''t help but find the boy''s hair similar to his father. The young boy in his dreams had blue eyes just like him. Xu Ming found that boy to be somewhat melancholic... somewhat lost. Nothing much happened in his dream. All he saw was that boy sitting in darkness. He looked at that boy for hours, but somehow he never got bored. In fact, he felt a sense of closeness and a sense of relief as he saw that boy. Time kept passing and soon, everything turned white. He woke up and opened his eyes. Even though nothing happened in this dream, he still felt bad as the dream got over. It was already morning as he saw the sunlight entering their hut. He sat up and looked around. Surprisingly the others were still asleep at the moment. Yao was sleeping in the nearest bed to him. Other than Yao, there were 3 not people inside the plane. He only recognized one of the three, which was Dong Zhen. The other two were unknown to him. Xu Ming got off the bed and walked towards the door with his small steps. He opened the door and looked outside. The rays of the sun fell onto his body as he looked around. It looked like it was 4-5 in the morning. \"Hey, boy. Where are you going?\" Yao was the second person to wake up. As soon as he saw that Xu Ming wasn''t in his bed, he grew increasingly worried. He looked around anxiously and fortunately found Xu Ming standing at the door. His voice was enough to wake the other up as well. Yao got off the bed and walked towards Xu Ming. He placed his hands on Xu Ming''s shoulders. \"Let me introduce you to our roommates.\" \"You''ve already met Dong Zhen. He''s Mu Chan and that''s Gong Min.\" Yao pointed towards everyone as he introduced them. Mu Chan had the same age as Yao while Gong Min was somewhat older and looked as if he was around 30 years old. \"Introduce yourself as well.\" He said to Xu Ming. \"I am Xu Ming.\" Xu Ming simply replied and didn''t say anything else. \"Well guys, you heard him. He is Xu Ming. He is a new servant and will learn with us. He is like my little brother, so no one can bully him, alright?\" Yao continued from where Xu Ming left off and informed the others. \"Nice to meet you little Ming.\" Mu Chan greeted Long Chen. \"Hey there little guy\" Gong Min \" It''ll be fun working together. We might even attract some girls with such a cute kid hanging around us. \" Dong Zhen let out with a grin on his face. \"Hey! Stop calling me Pervy Zhen. I Pervy Zhen... ahem... I mean I Dong Zhen am not someone you can make fun of!\" Dong Zhen let out as anger clouded his face. \" You guys always fight like kids.\" Gong Min said amidst their banter. \"Are you all forgetting? It''s that day of the month. Get ready\" Yao told them all. It worked like magic as they turned silent... but it only lasted for a brief moment before they became even louder. \"Right! It''s the end of the month!\" \"Money time finally.\" \"I''m gonna get rich. Finally, I can go to the brothel and see sister Miao.\" The last voice belonged to Dong Zhen which caused everyone to look at him with a frown. \"You''ll never learn.\" Mu Chan chuckled as he gazed at Dong Zhen. They all got off the bed and got ready in less than half an hour. \"Oh, right, I noticed that you don''t have any clothes other than the ones you''re wearing. I''ll give you some of my old clothes. You wouldn''t believe it, but I was even younger than you when I was brought here.\" Yao told Xu Ming as he got ready. He realized that Xu Ming was wearing his old clothes. Although Xu Ming''s clothes looked ordinary, it was true that he has no other pair. What he didn''t know was that although his clothes looked ordinary to mortal eyes, an Immortal would be able to see its specialty in a glimpse. The clothes were made by the most skilled dressmaker of the Heavenly Realm. The clothes had many specialties. It could decrease the impact of an attack on the wearer. The clothes never got dirty and it could adjust and increase in size along as the weather grew older. Xu Ming didn''t tell him anything. Although he liked the kind nature of Yao, He had decided that he would never trust anyone with his secrets after the betrayal of War God Zhen. All 5 of them left the hut together. They walked for around 20 minutes before they reached a large open field. There were already thousands of people present there. They were all the servants of the outer sect and came here to collect their monthly allowances. The servants of the outer sect had a complicated structure. The servants were divided on various wards and each ward had a chief servant. There were around 20 wards of servants in the outer sect. Thus, there were 20 chief servants. Yao was one of the 20 chief servants and the youngest one amongst them. He brought Xu Ming and the others with him to the front of the field. The servants saw who he was and didn''t block his path and gave him the way. At last, he stood in the front. His four roommates were right behind him and the other 19 chief servants were standing beside him with their followers behind them. 57 Chapter 55: He cant cultivate At last, he stood in the front. His four roommates were right behind him and the other 19 chief servants were standing beside him with their followers behind them. \"Brother Yao, Is that a new servant?\" \"Hahaha, Are you given the responsibility to babysit? \" The nearby chief servants started talking to Yao as he noticed a 5-year-old boy with him. \" He''s my little brother. You don''t need to worry about him.\" Yao replied in annoyance. \" He was sent here as a servant at such a young age... What happened? Did his parents hate him? Or were they murdered just like your parents? \" A voice came from nearby. It belonged to a man in his early thirties. Who stood farthest from Yao. He was the chief servant of Ward 1. Known as the strongest servant in the outer sect. He was already in the 7th stage of Body Refining Realm. Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to become an outer sect disciple. Only those who had broken through to the 8th stage of the Body Refining Realm before the age of 15 were allowed to become the outer sect disciples. \"Are you looking for a fight, Zhang? I might be younger than you, but don''t forget who won last time.\" Yao snorted as he glared at the man. \" Huh, It was an equal fight and I barely lost by half a move. I''ve grown much stronger since then. If you want to fight, then let''s go to the arena and I''ll show you my real Strength.\" \" Silence!\" A voice filled with Qi echoed in the arena. People realized that it was the voice belonging to Elder Jim. They all turned silent. They noticed a man walking towards them. The man looked to be quite old and had wrinkles on his face. He had white hair and a white beard that came down to his chest. He was followed by 5 outer sect cultivators. Each of those cultivators was carrying a sack filled with some unknown materials. The elder stopped in front of all the servants at a distance of 10 meters from them. It''s time for your monthly allowances. This month, all of you will be given 5 bronze coins and a spiritual enhancement pill. The new servants who joined us this month shall be given the basic cultivation manual of the sect. Your name will be called by him. Come accordingly to collect your allowance. An outer sect disciple walked forth with the list and kept calling them one by one. The other outer sect disciples kept distributing the pills and coins to the servants. Surprisingly, it took only 4 hours and most of the people got their monthly allowances and left. Only Yao and Xu Ming were standing in the arena at the moment. Yao was also given his portion, but he was waiting for Xu Ming. \"Let''s go. The work is done for today.\" Elder Jim said. He turned back to leave. \"He? He''s not getting any allowance. He broke something important of mine. Its cost shall be recovered from his monthly allowances. As for the cultivation manual, he''s a grade 0 talent. He can''t cultivate and won''t need it\" Elder Jim responded. He didn''t even look back as he talked. \"Wait a minute, Elder.\" As soon as he took his first step to leave, he was stopped by Xu Ming. \"Oh, so good name is Xu Ming. Anyways, Don''t bother. No matter what you say, you won''t be given any allowance. Do you know how expensive that orb was? Leave now.\" The Elder finally turned back, but only to scold Xu Ming harshly. \"Elder, I''m fine with not getting anything. Just give me my necklace back. \" Xu Ming said loudly. \" What necklace? What the hell are you talking about? \" Elder Jim looked confused as he heard about the necklace. \" It was a coffin-shaped necklace that I had. \" Xu Ming explained. \" A coffin-shaped necklace? I remember the battle fairy wearing a coffin-shaped necklace when she brought you to me. So that was your necklace?\" Elder Jim was suddenly struck with the realization. He remembered seeing a necklace on Battle Fairy Mia''s neck last time. \"Yes! That must be my necklace. It''s... it''s really important for me. \" Xu Ming was somewhat excited as he finally found the clue of his necklace. \" Forget that necklace. Now that the battle fairy has it, you won''t be able to get it back.\" Elder Jim said. \" Let alone getting it back, you won''t even be able to get near her. It''s impossible to get inside the core sect even for an outer sect elder like me, let alone a weakling like you.\" He further continued. \" This... \" Xu Ming wasn''t even sure what he should say. He just stood there stunned as the elder left. He was already told about the outer, inner and the core sect of the Mighty Demon Sect. He realized that the Elder was most probably not lying. But he still didn''t want to give up. ''I somehow feel bad for the kid. He lost his parents, became a servant, lost his allowance and even his necklace that he cares about.'' Yao sighed as he watched everything. \" Let''s go back.\" He said. He placed his hands on Xu Ming''s shoulders and comforted him. Xu Ming didn''t say much and simply walked back with him. During the remaining part of the day, he was given the information about the work that they had to do. He stayed with Yao as Yao did the work of cleaning the sect and delivering the food for the disciples. The day soon passed away just like this and it was already night time. Xu Ming was lying on his bed, but he wasn''t sleeping. All the others were already deep asleep. Xu Ming stood up and got off the bed. He silently left the hut as he walked towards a certain direction. The direction he was walking, was the one that led to the inner sect. 58 Chapter 56: Caugh It was the darkest night Xu Ming had ever seen. During the day, he had subtly inquired about the inner sect and the core sect. Dong Zhen was quite naive and didn''t wonder why Xu Ming was asking and simply told him everything he knew. Xu Ming now knew the direction towards the inner sect, from there he wanted to go to the core sect. Although he understood that it was risky for him, he didn''t want to leave the necklace that contained his mother with someone else. His mother was the last person of his family that was alive at the moment. He didn''t want to risk her, even if it cost him his life. He didn''t have any special movement skill, thus he could only walk at his slow speed. Xu Ming was quite lucky as he had managed to travel half the journey without being caught by a guard. Just a little more and he would be at the entrance of the inner sect. ______________ Yao was sleeping peacefully when he felt the need to go pee. He opened his eyes and sat up. He was still half asleep, thus he didn''t notice that Xu Ming was missing. He left the hut and after being done with his work, he walked back inside and fell down on his bed. He had just closed his eyes again when he felt like something was missing. He opened his eyes again as he sat up. He looked towards Xu Ming''s bed. His eyes opened wide as he found the bed empty. \"Get up!\" He got off the bed and woke up the other three who were still sleeping. \"Uhmm. What happened boss. Why are you creating such a commotion?\" Dong Zhen woke up and asked as he struggled to keep his eyes open. \"Xu Ming is missing!\" Yao let out loud. \"Get off your ass and help me look for him.\" He said to all three of them. All of them were shocked and instantly got off the bed and followed Yao as they left the hut. \"Brother Yao, Now that I think about it, I think Xu Ming might have gone to the inner sect or the core sect? \" Dong Zhen remembered Xu Ming''s question this morning and informed Yao \"That... How do you know about that?\" Yao inquired with curiosity. Although he knew that the words made sense, as he knew how eager Xu Ming was about his necklace, he wondered how Dong Zhen knew. \"He was asking about the direction in the morning. I didn''t think it through and told him about it.\" Dong Zhen said in an apologetic tone. \"You idiot!\" Yao let out loudly as he started running towards the inner sect. The others followed him. __________________________ Xu Ming was still treading ahead, but his luck didn''t help him anymore. \"Who''s there? Stop!\" A guard noticed Xu Ming and called out. He brought out a transmission talisman and informed the other guards. Soon, Xu Ming was surrounded by guards who were pointing their sword towards Xu Ming. \" Hah, If it isn''t the bastard that was following Yao? Did that bastard send you alone to steal from our ward?\" Before Xu Ming could answer, he heard another voice. He saw a man walking towards him. The man looked like he was in his late twenties. Xu Ming recognized that person. He had seen him in the morning. He was Zhang, the chief servant of Ward 1. He was a 7th stage Body Refining Realm Cultivator \"I''m going towards the inner sect. It''s not my intent to stop at your ward.\" Xu Ming softly replied. \" Hah, do you think that we would believe you? Catch him and take him to the cell. We''ll take our sweet time beating him and getting him to accept his crimes. Let us see how long he can keep lying\" Zhang said with a grin on his face as he ordered his subordinates. The subordinates walked towards Xu Ming. \"You dare!\" Just as they were about to catch him, a powerful voice stopped them. They looked in that direction and saw 4 people running towards them. \"Yao! What do you think you are doing in our ward? Do you want to attack our ward?\" Zhang called out as he glared at Yao. \" I have no such intention. I just came to take Xu Ming back with me.\" Yao said as he continued walking towards Xu Ming without stopping. \"Let''s go, little guy. Don''t create trouble.\" Yao looked at Xu Ming as he said in an annoyed tone. \"Do you think you can take him? That guy was sneaking in our ward. It was clear what he wanted to do. Do you think you can take him without any punishment?\" Zhang said with an amused smile on his face. \" He will be in our cell. We caught him and it''s our right to punish him.\" He further said. Yao was starting to get angry. \"Don''t annoy me, Zhang! Do you really think that we would send someone who can''t even cultivate to steal here and come here after him? Stop with this Idiocracy!\" He yelled. \" If he wasn''t here to steal, then why was he here? Do you have an answer?\" Zhang asked with a smile. \" Yes! He snuck out of our ward. He wants to meet battle fairy Mia to take back his necklace. If you don''t believe it, you can talk to Elder Jin about it. He knows about it. I told him against it, but he ignored me and left.\" Yao explained in short. \" Now move aside, and let me leave with him.\" He further said as he walked ahead. \" If you want to fight, then I''ll oblige you, but in any condition, I''m not leaving without him tonight.\" He warned Zhang as he saw him not moving to the area. \" Let him go,\" Zhang said in an upset tone as he moved. He didn''t want to fight right now. Yao walked forth and grabbed the hand of Xu Ming and left. 59 Chapter 57: First Job Xu Ming was sitting on his bed with his head down while Yao was standing in front of him. He was scolding him. "Do you understand how dangerous it was? Even if you weren''t caught by Zhang and his men, the inner sect guards would have caught you without the least bit of trouble." "They wouldn''t stop you like Zhang did. They would simply strike you down before you could even have the chance to speak." "Do you really think you would be able to get back that necklace once you''re dead? " Yao kept yelling at him as he let out all his frustration. "I... I''m sorry."Xu Ming apologized. He understood that he made a mistake. He should have thought things through, but his eagerness to get his mother back got the best of him. " Geez, you''re so troublesome." He sighed at the end and simply sat down on his bed. " Calm down boss. Little bro Ming is safe and I think he understands his mistake. Don''t let your anger affect your health." Dong Zhen said in a concerned tone. " Will you do something like this again?" Yao asked as he lived at Xu Ming. "I won''t." Xu Ming said. "That''s good. Go to sleep now." Yao said to him as he lay down on his bed. Xu Ming lay down on his bed. After quite some time, he finally fell asleep. He again had that strange dream. He saw a 5-year-old black-haired kid sitting in the darkness. The kid sat there for hours before he finally made a move. He stood up and walked towards a small plant that was nearby. There was only one plant in this whole place and there we only one fruit on it. The small boy picked up the fruit and ate it after some initial hesitation. He felt like his hunger was immediately satiated. He walked back and sat on his original position. Just like that, the dream was over as Xu Ming''s eyes opened. ''Again the same dream. Who is that boy? " Xu Ming was perplexed as he thought about the dream. "Good morning, little guy" Dong Zhen greeted him as Xu Ming woke up. "Good Morning" Xu Ming responded. He looked around, but he couldn''t find anyone else other than Dong Zhen. "Are you wondering about Boss Yao and others?" He asked. Xu Ming nodded his head. " Boss Yao went out for some work. The others had something to do as well. I will be the one taking care of you and showing you the ropes. Get ready. " He said with a smile. Xu Ming nodded his head as he got off the bed. They left the place together. Dong Zhen brought Xu Ming to a classroom in the outer sect. It was a classroom where lectures about the basics of cultivation were held by the elders of the outer sect. There were many such classrooms in the sect. "This will be your domain. From now on you will be working here. I''ll be with you today to help you out, but from tomorrow, you''ll have to handle it alone. " The class was empty at the moment. "Your job is to clean the classroom in the morning and after the class ends. You also need to complete the orders given by the elders or disciples during the class." He further said. He and Xu Ming began cleaning up the classroom together. It took them an hour to clean the dust off the thousand tables in the class. After being finished with their work, they stood in the corner of the class. It was around 9 am in the morning as the disciples started entering. Soon, almost all the seats were filled. "Hey, Dogg Zhen. Who''s that kid with you?" A mocking voice came as a boy walked towards Ding Zhen and Xu Ming. " Oh, Master Mu. This here is the new servant assigned to the class. He''ll be taking care of the cleaning from tomorrow. " Dong Zhen said with a fawning smile on his face. " Oh? You brought a little puppy to take care of our class? I don''t mind in any case, though. Just like always, if I find even a small speck of dust on my table, you''ll be the first person I find. You haven''t forgotten the beating right?" The man said with a smirk on his face. He didn''t wait for Dong Zhen''s response as he walked back to his seat. Most of the girls kept glancing back at Xu Ming as they found him quite cute. Xu Ming didn''t understand why every girl was looking at him though. He just thought that he did something wrong. Not much tone passed as the door once again opened. A bearded man entered the classroom with a small book in his hand. The man looked like he was in his late 50s. He stood in front of the class and started giving a lecture about cultivation. Xu Ming was quite mesmerized by the lecture. He knew that these men were nothing in front of his father and grandfather when it came to knowledge and strength, but Xu Ming himself was just a blank book at the moment. All the tragedy happened before he could even begin his cultivation and now everyone who could teach him was simply dead. Xu Ming listened to the lecture that lasted for hours, but he didn''t lose focus for even a second. He wanted to begin cultivation and reach the peak of cultivation so that he could get revenge. Although his starting point had gotten worse, he didn''t lose hope. It was afternoon when the Elder finished the lecture and left the room. All the disciples left the classroom as well, leaving Xu Ming and Dong Zhen behind. After cleaning the classroom once more, they left as well. "Alright, that''s all you need to do grin tomorrow since you''re quite young. Go back now, I have more things to do." Dong Zhen said. Xu Ming left, but he couldn''t help but wonder about how he could begin cultivation. He wasn''t given the basic cultivation manual. He was lost in thoughts when he remembered something. He had his father''s ring. 60 Chapter 58: Items in the ring Xu Ming hurriedly walked towards his hut as he ignored everything else. He entered his hut. Just as he had expected, the place was completely empty. Others were most probably still working at the moment. He closed the door from the inside and walked back to his bed. He sat his need as he gazed at the ring in his hand. The ring was invisible in his hand, but he could feel that the ring was still there. He couldn''t help but remember something he read in a book in the heavenly realm. It was about the storage rings. The book said that there were two types of storage rings in existence. The first type of the rings were the ones that could be bound to one''s bloodline. Only the person who had the same bloodline could use the ring, but that was picky possible by binding the ring first. The second type of rings were the ones that could be bound to one by using Qi. These types of rings could only be used by others when the original owner of the book was dead. Xu Ming remembered the words of his father when he said that the ring could only be used by him and Xu Ming. Not even their mother could open the ring. Xu Ming understood that the ring was the first type. The ring was in his right hand. He brought the thumb of his left hand closer to his mouth and bit it lightly. Although it was painful, he didn''t groan in pain even once. His thumb was bleeding. He bright hour bleeding thumb closer to the ring as he rubbed his thumb gently on the ring. His ring was covered by his blood. Xu Ming could feel a link meeting established between himself and the ring. A sweet sensation coursed through his body as the link was established. He could feel the immense power of the ring and felt like it contained some amazing strength. He was able to see inside the ring. Tears appeared in his eyes as he saw the things that were inside the ring. The first thing he was was a portrait inside the ring. The portrait was their family portrait. His mother was sitting on a throne while his father was standing beside her. Xu Ming was only 3 years old at that time. He was in Yue''s embracing. He brought the portrait out of his storage ring and held it in his hands as he stared at it. Tears kept falling from his eyes as he saw the smiling face of his father and mother. Xu Ming hugged the portrait for quite some time before he gently placed it back inside his storage ring. Xu Ming started looking at other things and there were quite a lot of things that he noticed. There was a small box. He brought out the box and looked inside. There were three pills inside the box. He couldn''t help but wonder what these pills were. He has no knowledge about the pills or alchemy. He had never even seen these pills before. He put the small box back in his storage ring. The next thing was a booklet. He brought out the booklet and read the name on the book. "Heavenly Origin Cultivation." He read the name of the book out loud. He wondered if it was the same cultivation manual that his father used to cultivate. He decided to cultivate using this cultivation manual so that he could reach the higher cultivation realm faster. He kept the book back for the moment and looked for other things inside the storage space, but unfortunately, these were the only things he could find. "Where are the weapons and treasures? Father said that the ring contains all his artifacts." He muttered with a doubtful look on his face as he wondered what was happening. He suddenly remembered something he had heard long ago. It was a story told by her mother. His mother said that this was a true story. She said that there was a time when there was a boy. The boy was from a rich family of the Immortal Realm. The boy found a ring of a strong cultivator, but since he didn''t find anything worthy inside the storage ring, he threw it away. The discarded ring was found by another kid. The kid was from a poor family and he was quite happy as he found the ring. He checked inside the ring, but there was nothing inside the ring. Still, he didn''t throw away the ring and wore it. More years passed away and the boy found a master. The master gave him a cultivation manual and taught him how to cultivate. The man didn''t have a great cultivating talent, but he didn''t have a bad talent either. It took him a few years and he became an Earth Realm cultivator. As soon as he broke through to the Earth Realm, the boy felt a strange sensation. He checked the ring once more out of curiosity and he was surprised to find that the storage space inside the ring was much broader than it had been before. The ring was filled with many treasures. Apparently, the ring was from a supreme cultivator that had all his inheritance. The ring apparently had a different space that was only accessible by one with appropriate strength. That man used the inheritance items and became quite strong and rich. He became a well-known personality in the Immortal Realm. Xu Ming wondered if this ring worked on a similar principle. 61 Chapter 59: Back in Heavenly Realm Xu Ming wondered if this ring worked on a similar principle. He decided to wait to see if there was something in the future. He brought out the cultivation manual again and started reading it. ____________________________ Back in the Heavenly Realm, everything was in chaos. The royal family was destroyed in one night. When citizens realized what had happened, it was already too late. There was no explanation for quite some time. No one knew what had happened and everything was waiting to know. Last night, War God Zhen had the guards announce amongst the public that everyone will need to come to the royal palace tomorrow. The citizens finally felt like they would be given an explanation. ''Was there really a coup as per the rumors? Or was it something else?'' That''s the thought going on in almost everyone''s mind. It was early morning when everyone left their house and stood in front of the Royal palace as they waited for some announcement. A crowd could be seen as far as the eyes could see. The Royal guards were assigned to keep everyone in control. Finally, after hours of waiting, they finally saw someone on the balcony of the palace. It was a man who looked like he was in his early thirties. He was wearing golden armor and had a red robe. People were able to recognize him as War God Zhen. The bravest General in the history of the Heavenly Realm. "Everyone! Calm down!" He said in a tone that was not too loud. His voice was covered in Origin Energy that made his voice travel farther. Even the farthest person was able to hear his voice. The crowd instantly turned silent as soon as they heard War God Zhen''s words. "I am sure that you must have a lot of questions. I can understand your concern. That''s why I''m here to tell you everything." War God Zhen said. " I heard that there was a rumor about the coup attempt on the Royal family. I want to tell everyone that the rumor is true." He continued. "A few days ago, Illustrious Emperor did attack the Royal Palace in hopes of annihilating the Royal family. In that attack, The Princess and the Prince were killed." He spoke without much emotion in his voice. As soon as the words left his mouth, a loud commotion started. There was not a single person in the crowd that wasn''t shocked at this sad news. "Silence! There''s more!" War God Zhen said in order to silence the crowd. The crowd did turn silent, but the whispers didn''t stop. More than half of the population was crying at the moment. "Even the little Prince Ming had died. I... I was not able to save them in time." War God Zhen said as he lowered his head. " What? War God killed the Illustrious Emperor? " " Wasn''t Illustrious Emperor the second strongest person in the Heavenly Realm? How did this happen? " " Doesn''t it mean that War God Zhen is stronger than the Illustrious Emperor? That must be it! " A few people started whispering amongst themselves as they were shocked at the War God''s strength. War God Zhen raised his hand as he gestured to them to remain silent. "There''s more that I need to say. You must be wondering as to why the Illustrious Emperor dared to attack the Royal Palace? Wasn''t he afraid of His Majesty? " He further said. " The truth is that His Majesty had sacrificed his life a week ago. He gave up his life to save us all from an invincible enemy. He did manage to save us, but in exchange, he died." "He didn''t want me to tell anyone. Most probably he was worried about the stability of the Heavenly Realm or for his family. Maybe he predicted the snake-like nature of Illustrious Emperor." " I followed his orders and kept it a secret. I don''t know how, but the Illustrious Emperor most probably found out about His Majesty''s death. This might be what motivated him to finally attack." War God Zhen began explaining. " So, As much as I wish for it to be false. It is the undeniable truth that the Royal family has been completely annihilated. " " We have no King and no Prince, but we can''t stay that way for the safety of the realm. We need a king! For our Heavenly Realm and for our future, I have decided to take up the responsibility and be the King." He let out in a tone that was louder than before. "I shall be your king!"He raised his sword high in the air as he said loudly. He lowered his sword as he walked back inside the palace, leaving the stunned crowd outside. War God Zhen stepped inside the hall. "Why are you looking at me like that?" War God Zhen said softly as he looked to his left. "Do you think that my decision was wrong?" He said. A beautiful woman was standing near him. The woman was none other than the goddess of medicine Wen Yin. " What do you think? Do you consider your action just?" She said with a slight smile on her face. "I did what I had to do. You saw it yourself, right? The strength that Xu Liang showed when he defeated the Illustrious Emperor?" " A normal person can''t possess that much strength. He was like a completely different person... Like a demon. Although I didn''t want to believe it, the Illustrious Emperor was right. Xu Liang was a demon in disguise. The royal bloodline was corrupted. Too bad I wasn''t able to kill Ming."He said in a heavy tone. " Do you really believe that? You have seen him grow up. If you still think that he was a demon in disguise, then I don''t know what to say. What about Xu Ming though?" " He is the son of the most talented man in the Heavenly Realm, Xu Liang and Princess Yue. Do you think he won''t return for revenge? I have a feeling that the Heavenly Realm won''t be able to bear the result of his anger when he grows up. The future looks dark." The Goddess of Medicine sighed as she shook her head. " He''s just a single human, He won''t be able to do anything. I shall find that demon spawn before he has a chance to grow and kill him." He said with a smile as he looked at the ring in his hand. It was the same ring that Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu had given him to pass onto Xu Liang before he died. 62 Chapter 60: 2 promise War God Zhen looked at the ring in his hand. It was the same ring that Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu had given him to pass onto Xu Liang before he died. He hadn''t passed the ring onto Xu Liang. "Too bad I can''t open the ring yet. I tried every possible way I could think of, but it''s impossible. Only someone from his bloodline can open it. Xu Ming or Yue are the only ones. Too bad that Xu Ming escaped with Yue." He said as he looked at the ring. " This ring could have come in so handy to strengthen the realm. " He sighed in disappointment. " Don''t you mean to strengthen you? " Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said in a sarcastic tone. "Aren''t they both the same thing? Don''t you know Wen Yin? I am the ruler of the Heavenly Realm from now on. My strength is my kingdom''s strength." He said as a smile formed on his face. " You might call yourself the ruler, but you aren''t one yet. The heir to the throne is still out there. The last survivor of the Royal Bloodline. " " What royal bloodline? His bloodline has been contaminated by that demon. Xu Ming is now a demon spawn, not a member of the Royal Bloodline. He is a demon and he shall be treated as a demon. " " Why didn''t you tell everyone that he was a demon then? Why did you lie that they were all dead? " " Lying was much simpler and this lie helped in maintaining the royal dignity. Even if His Majesty adopted a demon, I can''t let his legacy be destroyed. " " Are you sure that it''s the only thing you were worried about?" Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin said with a smirk. War God Zhen didn''t reply and simply left. He walked through the long corridors of the Royal palace and stopped in front of a heavily guarded room. A barrier was clearly visible in front of the door that was closed. There were more than 20 guards standing there guarding the room. "Your Majesty!" The guards bowed down in respect as soon as they saw War God Zhen. War God Zhen simply nodded his head in affirmation. He passed the barrier without any trouble and entered the room. He closed the door behind him. "How are you feeling?" He said in a casual tone. There was a person sitting in front of him. It was a man who looked like he was in his 40s. He looked quite haggard at the moment, but the glimpse of his previous glory was still visible in his worn-out face. His hands were tied in magical chains that prevented him from being able to use his cultivation. Although he was known as one of the strongest warriors, he was not much stronger than an ordinary mortal at the moment. The man heard the footsteps and raised his eyes to see who had come to see this " You bastard, what are you planning! Why have you trapped me? Have a fair fight with me and then you''ll see how I kill you! " The man reacted wildly as his tired eyes turned red in anger. " Even if Xu Liang was a demon, I must thank him for leaving you half dead. Without his help, I never would have captured you...The criminal of the throne. "He continued. " Stop pretending to be so big! You''re nothing but a dog! You were a dog of my brother. Do you really think that I would beg you for forgiveness? Just kill me!" The Illustrious Emperor said in a heavy tone. " Oh, Don''t worry. I will fulfill your death wish, but not before using you to the fullest. You tried to destroy the order and the peace of the Heavenly realm. Your sins will only be atoned when you sacrifice your everything for the Heavenly Realm!" " I will make sure you do that." War God Zhen smirked as he looked at the Illustrious Emperor. The illustrious Emperor didn''t understand what War God was talking about, but he had a feeling that it wasn''t good for him. War God Zhen turned back and left the room, leaving the Illustrious Emperor behind in the painful silence. War God Zhen got to the throne room and gazed at the majestic empty throne that had lost its ruler. He was feeling somewhat sad as a memory of Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu sitting on the throne flashed before his eyes. "I''m sorry, Your Majesty. I wish things could be different, but that''s how it''s supposed to be. I will do anything for our Heavenly Realm and its safety. Even if it means killing the ones I was supposed to protect. " He muttered as he stepped towards the throne. He stopped just before it... turned back and sat on the throne, like the ruler. "I promise you two things, Your Majesty. First, I will make our Heavenly Realm prosper under my lead. And second, I will find your only grandson... and I will kill him... with my own sword. His blood shall be the foundation of our great Heavenly Realm''s future glory." War God Zhen closed his eyes and said as if he was talking to himself. ___________________________ Back in the Mighty Demon Sect, a boy was sitting inside his small hut. The boy who was born to rule the heavens had become a servant of the mortals. The one who used to live in places was forced to live in a small hut, but Xu Ming didn''t care. He only wanted to do one thing. To increase his strength so that he could take his necklace back from the girl known as Battle fairy and help his mother recover from the poison. Xu Ming had read the Heavenly Origin Cultivation manual completely and now he had already begun cultivating. He had begun his journey towards the path of cultivation. A journey that would take him to countless unknown worlds and make him face vicious foes. The journey of a boy who was the son of the Ancestral God and a Heavenly Immortal. 63 Chapter 61: Becoming a cultivator Xu Ming was sitting on the bed in a meditative position. He had read the Cultivation Manual completely and knew what he had to do. The first and the most basic realm in the path of the cultivation was the Body Refining Realm. It was the first step that every cultivator had to take on their journey towards immortality. The first stage of Body Refining Realm is what separates mortals from cultivators. To become a Body Refining Realm cultivator, a person had to be able to absorb the Qi from nature. The Qi would pass through various meridian points and nourish the body of a human. The QI would help a person break the shackles of mortality and pass his limits, but only in terms of strength. The Body Refining Realm was purely about physical cultivation. The cultivation related to the human body and its strength. Xu Ming had already begun his cultivation, but he felt like something was missing. What he didn''t know was that the Heavenly Origin Cultivation Manual was the cultivation manual that the Heavenly Emperor Tian Zhu had used. He gave this manual to Xu Liang when he found out about Xu Liang''s ability to absorb Origin Energy. Since this cultivation skill was made for Origin Energy, it wasn''t much effective in places that lacked Origin Energy. The mortal world was one of the places that lacked the Origin Energy. Fortunately, the mortal world wasn''t completely void of Origin Energy. Origin Energy was the purest energy in the whole universe. It was known as the purest form of energy. The mortal world also had the Energy, but the quantity was quite low. While the Natural Qi was like the Sea that surrounded the Mortal Realm, the Origin Energy was like a small lake. It was completely opposite in higher realms. The Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm had higher quality of Origin Energy and less natural Qi. Xu Ming was using the cultivation skill made for the gods, thus he couldn''t absorb the Natural Qi. Fortunately, he was able to absorb a little bit of Origin Energy every time. Even though the quantity of Origin Energy was small, its quality was immeasurable. If a cultivator absorbed Origin Energy for 10 years, and a different cultivator absorbed 10 times the Natural Qi for 10 years, the first cultivator would always come out on top. Xu Ming absorbed a small bit of Origin Energy inside his body and made it pass through his important meridians. His whole body felt so refreshed as soon as the Origin Energy entered his body. He felt so good, it felt like he was back in the Heavenly Realm, in his comfortable bed. His body was nourished. Even if he found the sensation to be amazing, he didn''t lose his focus and kept cultivating. The small bit of Origin Energy kept entering his body with every breath as he cultivated. Xu Ming kept absorbing the Origin Energy and after three hours, he felt like his surroundings had changed. His senses were much sharper than before and he was brimming with energy. Xu Ming had realized that he had finally taken his first step in the path of cultivation. He was finally a first stage Body Refining Realm cultivator. He didn''t stop as he kept cultivating, but suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Xu Ming? Open the door. Why have you closed it?" Someone called out from outside. Xu Ming recognized that as the voice of Yao. He hurriedly opened his eyes as he got off the bed. He made sure that his ring was invisible as he walked towards the door. He opened the door and just as he had expected. Yao was standing outside. Dong Zheng and the other roommates were with him as well. Xu Ming stepped to the side and allowed them to enter. "Why did you close the door?" Yao asked as he entered. "I fell asleep and didn''t want anyone to enter and steal anything" Xu Ming lied. He closed the door after everyone entered and walked back to his bed. "Alright. Anyways, how was your work? Zheng told you everything, right?" Yao asked Xu Ming. " It was good, boss. I think little Ming can handle it easily tomorrow." Dong Zheng replied. " I''m asking him, aren''t I?" Yao let out in an annoyed tone. " It was good." Xu Ming tomorrow. "That''s good. Go to sleep now. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for you. You''ll be working alone." Yao said as he laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. He looked somewhat tired. Xu Ming couldn''t help but wonder why he was so tired today. He didn''t ask anything. He also fell into his bed and closed his eyes. He had decided that he would never cultivate in front of Yao and others. Even though he didn''t explicitly doubt them, he still kept his wariness. After what happened with War God Zhen, he couldn''t trust anyone else. Fortunately, no one was able to see his cultivation. He had heard his father talk about it. Although it was quite strange, not a single person was able to see his father''s cultivation. Even his father didn''t know why it was like that. Xu Ming wondered if he had the same ability as his father. If it was similar, his life would be much simpler. Fortunately, even if he didn''t have the ability, not many people would bother to check the cultivation of a servant. Xu Ming fell asleep. He had the same dream as always. A young boy was sitting in darkness with a blank expression on his face. The night passed away just like that. It was early morning as Xu Ming woke up. The others were still sleeping. He hurriedly got ready and left the hut. He walked to the class that he was assigned and began cleaning. It was his first day after all. 64 Chapter 62: Lecture by a Ranker Xu Ming walked into the class and cleaned up everything before the time of the class. He knew that it would take him much longer since he was alone, thus he woke up much earlier and got to work. Xu Ming stood in the corner as he walked for others to arrive. The students started arriving one after another as they took their seats. Xu Ming silently kept standing in the back. A few girls straight-up walked up to him as they started talking to him. "Little Guy, you''re so young. Are you a new servant of our sect?" "You''re so cute. Where are you from?" " How old are you?" One after another, they kept asking questions. Xu Ming was kinda stunned at being asked all this. He tried to remain calm as he answered the question he could. He told his age, but not the place he was from. "Hey, Why aren''t you answering me? Where are you from? Are you showing attitude just because I praised you?" The girl who asked about his place felt offended as Xu Ming didn''t answer. "It''s...I don''t know where I''m from. The last thing I remember is waking up in the sect." Xu Ming lied as he made up a story. " Really? You don''t remember your parents and your home? Poor guy." Although it was not his intention, he did manage to gain some sympathy from beautiful girls. The guys were looking at him with annoyance as they saw all the girls fawn over him. "What are you all doing there?" A manly voice arrived that attracted everyone''s attention. They all looked back only to find a man standing at the front. The man was wearing a beautiful black robe that had the sect''s symbol on his clothes. Everyone recognized that at the Elder of the Outer Sect. "Get back to your seats." The Elder said sharply. Everyone listened to his orders and walked back to their seats. They all sat down. Xu Ming was the only one standing, but he had no other option. Also, The Elder completely ignored him like he was not worth his attention. "Today, I have something to announce. We have been planning it for quite some time and today is finally the day. We got a guest to teach you today. " " Miss Ye Ning shall be the one giving you a special lecture today. " The Elder said as a smile appeared on his face. He looked towards the door and asked someone to enter. A beautiful woman in a clean white gown, entered the room with a gentle smile on her face. The girl looked like she was 18-19 years old. In fact, quite a lot of people in the class were older than her. Before she even took her first step inside the room, she was able to hear the whispers of the kids. "Miss Ye Ning? Isn''t she the 7th ranked Inner Disciple in the Inner Disciple Ranking? " Quite a lot of outer sect disciples were shocked as they saw Ye Ning enter the room. " She''s so beautiful. " Not only the boys in the class, but the girls were mesmerized by her looks as well. "Alright guys, Behave yourself. I''ll be leaving now." The Elder said as he looked towards the class. "Miss Ye Ning. If one of them misbehaves, I give you full freedom to beat the hell out of them. " He said to Ye Ning before he left. Ye Ming gazed at the class and her attention was attracted by Xu Ming. A thoughtful look appeared on her face, which instantly disappeared as she shifted her focus. "Alright, everyone. Since I agreed to be the special teacher for a day, I''d do it properly. Is there something you would like to ask about? Or any topic you''re interested in learning? " She asked the class. " Senior Ye, I want to know something." A boy raised his hand as he stood up. " Sure. Ask your question." She replied. "How can we increase our strength faster? I mean there are many cultivators in the sect who are able to fight cultivators with stronger cultivation than them. I heard Senior Ye is one of them. I want to know how we can achieve that as well? Get out strengths to their peak and take a step forward." The boy asked. " Hahaha, That''s an interesting question. Well, I did defeat quite a few cultivators who had higher cultivating than me, but I was defeated by some who had weaker cultivation as well." " The top three ranked inner sect disciples have a weaker cultivation than me, but they are quite stronger than me. That''s why I don''t think I''m the right person to answer that. If I have to say anything, then you should focus on your comprehension and your skill." " Your skills and your comprehension are what''s important. If your skills are weaker than the opponent, then you''ll be at a disadvantage." She responded as she tried to explain the things. Xu Ming was hearing her words and couldn''t help but be disappointed. He had the cultivation manual of his father, but no skill. He wondered if there was a way for him to get a strong skill. "Senior Ye. Is it true that the more a person battles, the stronger he gets?" Another boy asked. " I personally don''t believe it, but there might be some truth to it. It is said that Battle Fairy Mia is a person like that. I don''t know for sure though." She replied. " Senior Ye. If a cultivator is stuck at a bottleneck in cultivation, how can he break through?" A girl stood up and asked. " Good question. I remember the time a was stuck in a similar situation. I asked an elder and I will repeat what he told me." Ye Ning said. " No one can guide you through your bottleneck. Only you can break it. Most of the time, a bottleneck is nothing but a hesitation in your heart that is preventing you from taking a step forward. As long as it''s not because of your limited potential, you can easily break through if you loosen up your tense heart" She said. 65 Chapter 63: Three Years later The class continued for a little longer as Ye Ning answered everyone''s questions. Xu Ming felt like he was benefitting a lot from this knowledge since he had just taken his first step in the path of cultivation. Ye Ning further answered some questions before she looked towards the class. "Does anyone else have any questions related to cultivation?" She asked as she didn''t get any questions. No One asked any questions, but strangely enough, someone in the background raised their hand. Even Ye Ning was shocked as she saw the servant boy who was standing in the back raise his hand. It looked like he was asking for permission to ask a question. She couldn''t help but wonder, ''What question would a servant have?'' Before she could speak anything, the whole class started moving him. Mostly the boys were doing it, but there were some girls involved as well. "Hahaha... Are my eyes working properly? I think I''m seeing the beggar raising his hand to ask a question." "How embarrassing. Now even a trash servant thinks that he is a part of the class. Is he trying to compare himself to us?" "Hahaha, what question do you think he can ask? Can a servant really have a worthy question?" The class started speaking in a sarcastic tone as they made fun of Xu Ming. "Silence!" Ye Ning let out loud with an annoyed expression on her face. The whole class turned silent in an instant. "Ask your question." She told Xu Ming. She was quite curious as to what he would ask. "Ahh..." Xu Ming was somewhat hesitant now that he finally got the opportunity. "Don''t worry. Ask your question." She said as she saw him hesitating. Xu Ming gazed at her as he gathered his courage and asked. "Ah, When a person cultivates and he finds it difficult to absorb sufficient energy, Is there a way to solve it?" Xu Ming asked finally. "Energy? Is he talking about Qi? Such a stupid guy!" Someone mocked him as they heard his question. The person who had spoken turned silent as he saw Ye Ning glaring at him. "I might have an answer to your question, but I don''t think it''s the kind of answer you''re looking for. Since you feel like you can''t absorb Qi, that can only meet one thing. Your potential is reaching its limit and it''s going to be impossible for you to achieve further breakthrough." She replied. "Also, there is no solution for it. I don''t think there is anyone who can increase someone''s potential." "It''s the reality that everyone must face. Everyone has a limited potential gifted by the heavens. While some have high limits, the others have low limits. I would suggest you keep your hopes low." She replied to Long Chen. "Oh, thank you for explaining." Xu Ming replied. Although he didn''t believe her words in the least, he didn''t let it show on his face. Ye Ning changed the topic and started talking to the disciples of the outer sect. After an hour, she left. All the disciples and Xu Ming were left behind. One of the boys stood up and walked towards Xu Ming. He stopped right beside him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Hey trash, I used to think that you are someone decent, but it looks like you''re worse trash than I thought. You haven''t even started cultivation and you already reached your limits. I don''t even feel like bullying you as that would only be me dirtying my hands." The man gazed at him like he was looking at a trash can. He turned back and left. There were quite a lot of people waiting to see a good show, but they were left disappointed. They all left after some time and only Xu Ming was left. "The heavens have limited my potential? I''m the son of my invincible Father and the grandson of the Heavenly Emperor. Even if heaven is against me, they can''t stop me." Xu Ming muttered with a determined look on his face. He cleaned the class once more before he left. He walked back to his hut. Entering his hut, he again closed the door and sat down on his bed. He again began his cultivation as he started absorbing the Original Energy at whatever slow pace he could. From that day onwards, his daily routine was decided. He would go to class. He would clean it. He would listen to the class. He would clean the class again and came back home to cultivate. Just like this, days kept passing slowly. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. In these three years, Xu Ming never stopped cultivation for even a day. He kept his patience as he kept strengthening himself in hopes of entering the core sect and taking back the necklace. It was Xu Ming''s 8th birthday, but he didn''t even remember it. He was only focused on getting stronger. Xu Ming was slightly taller now, but he still looked like an innocent kid. He was sitting on his bed and cultivating. In these three years, he had managed to break through to the 8th stage of the Body Refining Realm. Although he wasn''t satisfied with this progress, he couldn''t do anything as the place had a really low quantity of Origin Energy. He couldn''t help but wonder if all of the mortal world had such a low Origin Energy or just the place he was in had it. He had a doubt that although this place was a heaven for Qi Cultivators, it was a literal backwater place for Origin Energy cultivators. He had also verified another assumption of his. It was true that none of the cultivators were able to see his cultivation. He had stood in front of Elder Jin, but even he couldn''t see it. It seemed like Elder Jin had forgiven him since he was getting his allowance of 5 bronze coins per month. Though he still wasn''t given the basic cultivation manual. It''s not like he needed it though. 66 Chapter 64: The difference In the last 4 years, Xu Ming didn''t focus on anything other than cultivation. Although the servants were allowed one day of leave in a month when they could leave the sect and go to the nearby town or market to have fun, Xu Ming didn''t do it. Even after being called so many times by the others, he didn''t leave the sect. He only stayed inside the hut whenever he was free. Most people only thought that he was an introvert who didn''t like interacting with the outside world. It was evening and the other servants had come back to their rooms. They looked quite excited today, much more than usual as they talked about something that interested Xu Ming as well. "Boss, The date of the Outer Disciple selection exams have been declared. It will be held in a few days. Do you think anyone from the servants can enter this year?" Dong Zhen looked at Yao who was 20 years old now. Yao was a 9th stage Body Refining Realm Cultivator at the time. "I personally don''t think that anyone amongst our ward can enter the sect. The restrictions are hard." Yao replied. "That''s true. The Outer sect will only let the ones who have broken through to the 8th stage of Body Refining Realm, before the age of 14 participate in the selection this time. The restrictions are much harder than in previous years." Dong Zhen replied. "You know, I heard that the First Ward and the Second Ward...both have a person who achieved such things. They''ll be participating. Unfortunately, none amongst us can. We''re too old." Yao said with a thoughtful look on his face. They kept talking. Xu Ming was listening carefully as he planned to participate in the selection as well. No matter what he had to do, he wanted to get to the core sect as soon as possible. The safest way was through promotions. "Do you think that they can get selected? If they get selected, the first and the second Ward will get quite a lot of rewards. Their value will increase in the eyes of Elder Jin as well." Dong Zhen further said. "It''s not going to be that easy for them. They have been the servants in the sect since they remembered. They don''t have the backing and the skills. If we are to judge by last year''s standards, the skills and the cultivation realm play high importance." "The other ones who will be taking part will be the ones from the cultivation families in the mortal world. Some might even be from the ancient cultivation families. Even though the cultivation families are nothing in front of our sect, they do have better skills than what the First and the Second Ward servants of our Outer Sect can possess." Yao shook his head and he sighed. "We''ll see. It''s going to be fun though." Dong Zhen smiled as he laid down on his bed. ____________________________ It was midnight and everyone was sleeping. Everyone except Xu Ming. He sneakily left the place, though he was much more careful this time. He left the 4th Ward and entered the vicinity of the 6th Ward. The moon was shining brightly. Xu Ming walked under the light of the moon and stopped in front of a small lake. The lake was under the vicinity of the 6th Ward. 3 months ago, Xu Ming came here in the middle of the night. Even he didn''t know the reason, but he felt like there was an instinct inside his body that was asking him to come here. He stood in front of the lake and took his clothes off as he entered the lake. The first time he came here, he found out that cultivating inside the lake in the night increased his cultivation speed a little. He didn''t know who, but he felt like the lake had somewhat more Origin Energy compared to the outside. Fortunately, no one in the Mortal Realm knew about the origin energy, thus they didn''t pay any attention to this lake. Since that day, Xu Ming had been coming here every night to cultivate. He was quite happy as he found such an amazing location to cultivate. Xu Ming was inside the water and only his head was outside as he began cultivation. He cultivated safely for an hour, but he abruptly opened his eyes as he heard the sound of footsteps. He hurriedly came out of the water and grabbed his clothes as he hid in the nearby bushes. A few seconds after he hid, he was about to see the person that came. It was a girl. The girl was wearing a servant''s robe. She looked to be 17-18 years old. Because of the moonlight and his own strong senses, Xu Ming clearly saw the girl. The girl was much taller than Xu Ming. In fact, she was only a head smaller than Ye Ning. She had a fair skin that was even more highlighted under the light of the moon. The girl stopped in front of the lake. In fact, she was only about 20 meters away from Xu Ming. Fortunately, the tall grass had managed to hide Xu Ming properly. The girl looked around carefully, but she breathed in relief after finding the whole place empty. Next she did something that Xu Ming never imagined. She took off her robe and her remaining clothes one after another. Soon, there was nothing covering her previous body. Xu Ming looked at her but he didn''t close his eyes. He didn''t know if what he was going was right or wrong, but it was what he felt like doing. He observed her from top to bottom as he thought about the difference between her and him. There were quite a lot of differences he found. Although he knew that the girls and boys were different, he didn''t know how much. After all, he had to leave the Heavenly Realm before his education could begin. 67 Chapter 65: Registering to become disciple The girl entered the lake and submerged her body inside the water. Only her head was outside the water. Xu Ming silently tried to leave while the girl was busy swimming in the water, but there was no way out. He was in the middle of the bushes and he was sure that there would be a sound if he tried to leave. He has no choice but to wait for the girl to leave. In the meantime, he could just sit there. He sat and with nothing else to do, he watched. He watched the girl wash her body with the water off the lake. She even swam in the water. As she backstrokes in the water, he was somewhat able to see her breasts above the water. He didn''t understand what was happening, but he felt like he wanted to sit here and watch the girl. Her every movement had a charm in them. He didn''t know who the girl was, but he felt like she was somewhat special. She stayed in the water for around half an hour before she started swimming towards the shore. She came out of the lake. Small water droplets were still coming down her body as she wore back her clothes and left the place. Xu Ming breathed in relief as he saw the girl leave the place, but he still didn''t come out. He waited for ten more minutes and when he was sure that the girl won''t come back, he came out of the bushes. He again entered the lake as he resumed his cultivation. He closed his eyes and cultivated. He was already in the 9th stage of Body Refining Realm and there was only a short distance between him and the Spirit Establishment Realm. His cultivation plan was quite simple. Breaking through to the 10th stage of Body Refining Realm and then becoming a Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator. Body Refining Realm only focused on the refinement of the body, so cultivators weren''t able to get their Qi out of their bodies. Thus a Body Refining Realm cultivator could only use physical skills. On the other hand, The Spirit Establishment Realm was the realm where the actual cultivation began. A cultivator could form their Martial Soul and their Martial space as they raised their cultivation further and could use a myriad of skills. Xu Ming wanted to become a Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator because he believed that it''s when he would be able to unlock more spaces inside his special ring. Xu Ming cultivated the whole night long. The night was about to be over when he left the lake and got dressed. Instead of going back to the hut, he straight away went to the class like always and got to his work. Xu Ming cleaned the room and waited in the back for the class to begin, like always. Xu Ming spent most of the day in the class and after it was over, he left and began cultivation. Although Yao had a martial skill, he didn''t share that with Xu Ming since it was a rule in the sect that sharing a cultivation skill wasn''t allowed in the sect. It was the last day for registration and most of the people had already registered for the outer sect entrance exams. Xu Ming had found out about the place he could register. He had also heard about the Elder who was In-Charge of the registration. It was Elder Wu. Everyone knew that Elder Wu was blind, but his senses were sharp and his cultivation was high. No one dared to underestimate him in the outer sect. Xu Ming got done with his duty for the day and walked towards the place of registration. He entered the hall where the registration was going on. Since others had already registered for the entrance exams, the place was mostly empty. Only the elder was there. He was sitting at a table. Xu Ming entered the hall and stopped in front of Elder Wu. "Are you here to register, young man?" Elder Wu asked with a smile. Xu Ming was stunned at Elder Wu''s judgment, but it was fair. Others didn''t consider Elder Wu special for no reason after all. "Yes Elder," Xu Ming said with a smile. " Interesting. As far as I can guess, you aren''t older than 10? Are you sure you''re an 8th stage Body Refining Realm cultivator? Strangely enough, for the first time in my life, I''m unable to judge someone''s cultivation." Elder Wu asked. " Yes Elder." Xu Ming replied. He didn''t mention that he was a 9th stage Body Refining Realm cultivator. "Alright. You see the room behind me? Go inside and take a participation badge out. Let out absorb a drop of your blood so that it can be bound to you. Only then can you bring that badge out. Also, you can''t give that badge to anyone else since, at the time of exams, only the one recognized by the badge will be allowed to enter." "Oh right, One more thing. There''s a barrier outside the room. Only those who have cultivation higher than 7th stage Body Refining Realm can enter." Elder Wu told the man. " If you have a weaker cultivation, don''t try entering, or you will get shocked." Elder Wu further said as he warned Xu Ming. "Alright." Xu Ming said as he walked towards the door. He gazed at the barrier and stepped forward. He felt the barrier, but the barrier didn''t obstruct him in the slightest. He easily passed through the barrier and entered the room. He picked a badge. He bit his finger slightly. His finger started bleeding. He made a drop off blood fall on the badge. Xu Ming felt a link being established between him and the badge. He left the room and walked back to Elder Wu. 68 Chapter 66: Can you stay away from me? He left the room and walked back to Elder Wu. "Looks like you weren''t lying." Elder Wu said with a smile. "Thank you, Elder. Can you tell me more about the exams? " Xu Ming asked as he stood in front of Elder Wu. " Of Course. The exams will be quite simple. Although I can''t talk much about it, I think that you will be able to pass as long as your fighting prowess is good. The exams will be held in the martial hall. That''s all you need to know. " Elder Wu responded. " Thank you, Elder. I should take my leave now." Xu Ming said as he turned back. He left the hall. " Interesting.Looks like there are some promising ones this year. So young and in a realm like this. It would be interesting to see his performance tomorrow." Elder Wu said as he closed his eyes. Xu Ming walked back inside the hut as he prepared for tomorrow. He cultivated the whole day as he tried to increase his cultivation. His cultivation was the only thing he had as he didn''t have any skill. All he knew were some basic martial arts that were taught to him by Yao. Xu Ming hadn''t told Yao and the others that he was participating in the promotion exams for the outer sect. The day passed again as night arrived. Xu Ming only slept for 4 hours and woke up at midnight as he again left his place silently. He walked up to the 6th ward and again stripped naked as he entered the lake. He closed his eyes as he began his cultivation. Xu Ming cultivated for around 2 hours before he felt something strange. The Origin Energy absorption had suddenly decreased. He opened his eyes and surprisingly enough, he was able to see the thin lines of Origin Energy with his own eyes. He was never able to see it before, but now he could. Since he was able to see it, he also saw something strange. He could see that his ring was absorbing some of the Origin Energy as well. He didn''t understand why it was, but he thought that it wouldn''t be too bad. It was his father''s ring after all. Suddenly he heard footsteps again. "Not again!" He cursed. He wanted to come out of the water, but he didn''t want the process of his ring to stop. He couldn''t take the risk of going out of the water and screwing up the process. He didn''t know what to do, He ultimately decided to do nothing. There was no reason to hide. He was here first and he could just say that he was taking a path. Most probably it was that girl again. She''ll leave if she saw him here, he thought. The footsteps came closer as Xu Ming finally saw the girl. It was just as he thought. It was the same girl. The girl walked towards the lake. The night was somewhat darker compared to last night, so she wasn''t able to see Xu Ming in the middle of the lake. "W... what?" Xu Ming was stunned and wasn''t sure what to do now. What he didn''t know was that although he was able to see in the dark night clearly, it was mostly because of him being special. Mostly, Body Refining Realm cultivators had a vision similar to a mortal. Only when they broke through to the Spirit Establishment Realm, did their vision improve. The girl was clearly not a Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator. The girl started washing her body. There were only 50 meters of distance between them. Xu Ming just stayed in the same position he was as he let his ring absorb the Origin Energy. He wanted the process to end as fast as it could so that he could leave. The situation changed, but for the worse as the girl started swimming in the water. She again backstroked as she started swimming towards Xu Ming. She was facing towards the sky as she backstroked and got closer to Xu Ming. The distance between them decreased from 50 meters to 20 meters to 10 meters. Xu Ming was able to see her breasts being amidst the water that occasionally passed above them. Soon, she was right in front of Xu Ming. Xu Ming realized that if she didn''t change her direction, she would collide with him. Xu Ming finally couldn''t bear it anymore as he spoke. "Ah, Miss! Can you stay away from me?" Xu Ming let out. _____________________________ The girl was swimming through the water as she gazed at the sky, but she suddenly heard a boy''s voice. She was scared as she hurriedly turned back and faced towards the voice. "Aa..." A shocked scream escaped from her mouth, but she hurriedly covered her mouth. She didn''t want others to come here. Most of her body was drowned in water and only her head was outside. "How dare you peak at me! You''re so young! Don''t you have shame?" She said as she glared at him. It was like she would have killed him if he wasn''t a kid. Though she didn''t consider it a big problem since Xu Ming was only a kid. She was still upset though. "I was here first. You jumped in the water out of nowhere. It''s your fault when I think about it." Xu Ming replied without being scared. " You!!! Don''t you know that no one is allowed to come here at night? How can you come here?" She further said as she tried to make a sensible argument since she couldn''t prove that Xu Ming was lying about being here before her. "If no one is allowed to come here, then what are you doing here?" He asked her with an innocent look on his face. "I...I... That''s right! I came here to check the water of the lake. It''s my duty to come here every month to check if the quality and purity of the lake is good to take a shower or not." She was initially stunned, but she made up an excuse. " Why were you here yesterday, then?" Xu Ming said, without thinking about it. 69 Chapter 67: Im not leaving "Why were you here yesterday, then?" Xu Ming said, without thinking about it. Suddenly there was pin-drop silence. The girl had her mouth open as she looked at Xu Ming in shock. "Y-you watched me last night?" She asked with an impossible look on her face. Her face was getting red and it looked like she was about to lose control. "I... I saw you leaving when I was coming here to take a bath. " Xu Ming hurriedly thought of an excuse and lied. Although he didn''t understand why she was so mad, he still felt like that was the right thing to do at the moment. The girl''s anger somewhat calmed down as she heard his explanation. "I''m willing to forgive you for what happened today. Get out right now." She said to him. " I can''t leave." Xu Ming replied as he shook his head. " Leave right now, I''m telling you! Don''t make me use force." She said with an annoyed expression on her face. "I..." Xu Ming fell into deep thought. His ring was still going through the process, thus he couldn''t leave. "I can''t leave. I haven''t finished my bath." He said. " Your bath is over. Leave right now or I''ll throw you out of the water." The girl said as she looked at him. Xu Ming didn''t move in the slightest. He completely ignored her. He has decided that he wouldn''t leave, no matter what. Letting his ring complete the process was the most important thing for him. "Y-you! You''re forcing my hand." The girl was angry and began using his cultivation. She extended her hand and caught Xu Ming''s hands as he pulled him. She wanted to throw him toward the edge of the lake. Xu Ming felt the force and realized what she wanted to do. He also used his 9th stage Body Refining Realm strength as he opposed the girl and pulled her towards him. "Huh, "The girl let out a surprised noise as she was pulled towards the boy she was trying to throw out. Her body collided with Xu Ming. Her breasts stuck to his chest while her hands wrapped around his back in surprise. "Y-You bastard!" She raised her hand in an effort to slap Xu Ming, but Xu Ming caught her hand as he glared at her. "I don''t understand why you''re so angry, but I''m not leaving before I''m done here. If you want to, then get out yourself. " He said as he slightly pushed her backward. The girl just gazed at him with a stunned look on her face. After their initial exchange, she was clear about the one. The boy that was in front of her, was definitely stronger than her. What she didn''t know was that Xu Ming only had the strength, but no skills. She understood that she wouldn''t be able to take him out. She also couldn''t call for the guards as she herself wasn''t allowed to be here. She wondered if she should leave, but immediately gave up on this thought. Although she knew that Xu Ming had most probably already seen her nude, she still couldn''t let him see her again. Even if he was a kid, she didn''t want to leave. She stayed in her original position and didn''t leave. Her body was covered in water up to her neck. Only her head was outside water. Xu Ming stayed still as he let his ring absorb the Origin Energy. The time was spent in pure silence as no one said anything. They both just kept looking at each other. Half an hour later, Xu Ming finally noticed that his ring had stopped absorbing. He waited for ten more minutes, just to be sure that there was no change. Nothing happened and Xu Ming was sure that whatever his ring was doing, was completed. "I''m done. I''m leaving." Xu Ming said to the silent girl. He started swimming towards the shore. He came out of the water and got dressed before he left. Finally, the girl started moving. She was relieved as she saw Xu Ming leave. "That bastard. Finally, he left." The girl said as she also swam towards the shore. " Fortunately, the water wasn''t cold, or I would be having a really hard time right now. " She muttered as she came out of the water. She dried her body and wore her clothes as she left. Xu Ming entered his hut and fell asleep. He slept for a few hours and at 6 am in the morning. Since today was the Outer Sect disciple exam, There were no classes. Xu Ming didn''t have to go clean. In fact, he had a more important thing to do. That was to participate in the exams. The Exams were supposed to begin at 8 am in the morning. He got dressed and left his place as he walked towards the outer arena. This was the place where the exams were supposed to begin. He walked towards the place with his participation badge in his pocket. When he got there, he was stopped by an outer sect disciple. "Wait. You can''t enter. Only the ones participating in the exams are allowed to leave." The guard informed him. " I''m a participant." Xu Ming said as he showed him his badge. The disciples couldn''t help but be surprised as he saw the badge. Surprisingly, Xu Ming was the youngest participant they had seen so far. "You can enter." They told him. Xu Ming entered the place and saw that there were already a few people there. Most of them were older than 10 years of age. Surprisingly, the girl was there as well. "You!!!" The girl let out in shock as she noticed Xu Ming. Her words attracted the attention of others as well. A Murmur started in the place as everyone looked at Xu Ming with shock. Xu Ming was confused as to why they were looking at him like that. ''Did the girl tell others about last night?'' He thought. 70 Chapter 68: Kill yourself Everyone was looking at Xu Ming with a stunned look. Xu Ming decided to ignore them. He stepped forward and stood in a corner as he waited like everyone else. Soon, there were around 500 people in the Martial Arena. Two Elders came flying inside the martial arena on their flying beasts and landed at the center. Xu Ming recognized one of them. It was Elder Wu. The blind man that was in charge of registration. He didn''t know the second person, though. The second person was an old man. The man had white hair and a long white beard. There was a scar on the man''s face. He probably received it during a fight. "Alright. Looks like everyone''s here. I''m Elder Gin and he''s Elder Wu. This entire selection is under our jurisdiction. Let me explain the rules about the participation exam. " The Old man said. "The Exams for this year are much simpler. In fact, It''s going to be faster and easier... as long as you have the strength. If you don''t have the strength, then this year''s exams are going to be a deadly journey for you." Elder Gin said. Everyone in the place started talking amongst themselves as they heard it. Most of them didn''t even believe it. Although the exams have been difficult in the past, there was never a danger of life in the selection exams. "Don''t take our words lightly. If you''re not careful, you will die. And we won''t step in to save you. Our sect follows the rule of strength. Trash is not worth saving for us. So if you''re trash, you''ll die." The man said with a grin on his face. Elder Wu took a step forward as he started speaking. "Strength is the law of nature. Without strength, you''re nothing. So our test this year will focus on strength. Specifically, your strength compared to your cultivation realm." Elder Wu said. "Most of you must have already heard it, but I''ll repeat it for the ones who haven''t. Three days ago, Our Mighty Demon Sect destroyed a righteous Sect." He continued. "During the attack, we managed to kill all their Elders and Sect Master. We also took quite a few hostages for your exams specifically." " During the exams, you will have to face a cultivator from that sect. You will be matched with a cultivator who has a higher cultivation than you. As long as you kill your opponent, you pass. If you surrender, you will not only fail, but die." Elder Wu said as he gazed at the crowd. If one didn''t know better, they would never be and to guess that Elder Wu was going. " Why? Simply because we promised those cultivators that as long as they managed to kill you, they''ll be free. There''s no surrender." Elder Gin let out with a smile. "It''s either win or die. Those who are uncertain, they can leave right now. If you stay here, you won''t be allowed to leave without winning."He continued. Xu Ming stayed there as well. He was determined to get promoted. If he couldn''t even defeat one opponent, how will he kill the War God? The only thing he was uncertain about was that he would have to kill an innocent person. He finally understood that the sect wasn''t called Mighty Demon Sect for nothing. They did justice to their name. "Alright. There are 500 rooms in this arena. We knew your cultivation, so we already arranged your opponents. See the room number in your participation badge and enter the room. As long as you kill your opponent, your badge will change color." Elder Wu informed everyone. Just as he said, there were 500 rooms. Each room had a number on it. Xu Ming checked the number on his badge. "301," He muttered. "Can I get a weapon?" He asked Elder Wu. "You didn''t even bring your own sword? Go fight with your bare hands then." Elder Gin said in an annoyed tone. "It''s fine. There are practice swords in room no. 0. You can choose one of them. Also, Don''t forget, your opponent will have a similar sword." Elder Wu said. " Thank you Elder." He said as he nodded his head. He started walking towards the rooms as he tried to find the one that had 0 on it. He found the room and entered it. There were quite a lot of weapons there, but he only picked a sword. He left the room and walked towards room 301. After some time he did find it. As Xu Ming entered the room, the first thing he saw was a girl. The girl was standing on the opposite corner of the room. I''m fact, this room was less like a room and more like a big hall. It was about the size of a baseball ground. The girl stood up as she saw Xu Ming enter the room. The girl looked to be 14-15 years old, but she had a cultivation of 10 stage Body Refining Realm. Her cultivation stage was a realm higher than Xu Ming, who was at the 9th stage of the Body Refining Realm. Surprisingly, the girl had a spear in his hand. The spear was almost twice her size. "You evil cultivators destroyed our peaceful sect. You''re demons who need to be wiped off the face of this planet. I''ll never forgive you." The girl said as she glared at him. Xu Ming could see the determination on her face. "I don''t want to kill an innocent, but I get what I want without you dying. Can you kill yourself? " He asked politely. His words stunned the girl who was ready to attack him. "Are you saying that I can''t win? Even if I have to die today, I won''t let you leave alive." The girl said as she gripped her spear with all her strength. She ran towards Xu Ming as she thrust her spear at him. 71 Chapter 69: Stabbed in the back The girl thrust his spear at Xu Ming with all her strength. Xu Ming had not expected that she would attack instead of taking her kind suggestions, but he still managed to dodge his thrust. The girl was stunned as she saw Xu Ming dodge his attack. It was her fastest attack and she even used the famous footwork of her sect, but Xu Ming easily dodged that. She didn''t know that although Xu Ming didn''t have any skills, what he had was the talent and impossibly sharp senses and reflection. He could easily see the complications of her footwork. Her speed was nothing in front of him. Xu Ming kept dodging her attacks as he tried to find an opportunity to attack back. Unfortunately, her spear was much larger than his sword. He was having a hard time attacking. Every time he tried to get near her, she would use her spear to attack him. Xu Ming and the girl, they both were starting to get irritated as the fight dragged on for an hour with no side being victorious. The girl had a good offense, while Xu Ming had a good defense. This fight had become a fight between both their specialties. The girl attacked once more, but Xu Ming again countered her attack with his sword. Surprisingly, this time his sword had managed to cut off the wooden stick of the spear. The main half of the spear flew away as it landed on the ground. Only a stick remained in the girl''s hands. "W... how? You Evil spawns have me a defective spear! Is this the fair fight, they talked about? I should''ve expected it. You''re the demons after all!" The girl roared in anger as she glared at Xu Ming as if she was looking at a disgusting piece of trash. "It''s not the fault of your spear." That''s all Xu Ming said. He didn''t explain to her that it was because of him that her spear broke. In the last hour, every time his sword clashed with the spear, he had managed to strike the same spot in the spear. After an hour-long assault, the spear finally broke. Now the girl only had the bottom half of the spear, that was nothing more than a stick. The problem of her weapon''s long reach was solved by Xu Ming. Now it was time for Xu Ming to attack. The positions changed as the attacker became the defender and the defender became the attacker. Finally, Xu Ming had managed to make a dent in her defense. Her clothes were torn off in many places, but surprisingly, she wasn''t bleeding. It wasn''t clear if it was because she managed to dodge his sword at the last moment or because Xu Ming was hesitating in actually harming her. "It kept going on for around 10 minutes and her clothes were torn off quite a lot, mostly in the arms and the shoulder area. Quite a lot of her fair skin was exposed in front of Xu Ming, but he wasn''t focusing on that. His only focus was on his attacks. The girl was weaponless with nothing to protect. She fell on the ground, but her eyes never left Xu Ming. Xu Ming stepped towards her as he pointed his sword towards her chest. He raised his sword slightly upwards and thrust it down. The girl closed her eyes in fear she saw the death flash below her eyes. She was waiting for the pain of her chest being stabbed through, but the pain never came. She opened her eyes as she saw the situation. Xu Ming''s sword had stopped only a few inches away from her chest. She raised her eyes and looked at him, but the only thing she saw was uncertainty. Xu Ming thought that he could kill the girl, but he wasn''t able to. When the c time came, he was hesitating. He hadn''t liked anyone before, let alone an innocent. She realized that this girl was a prisoner taken by the sect from a righteous sect. She was most probably innocent. His heart wasn''t allowing him to kill innocent people. He remembered the scene when his innocent father was killed by War God Zhen. He didn''t want to be like the War God. He wanted to be the person his father and mother wanted him to. He couldn''t help but wonder what he should do. The only option to get promoted was to kill her. There was no other option out. ''I have defeated her already. I''ll go talk to Elder Wu to see if there is any other option.'' He thought as he turned back and started walking toward the exit. "I won''t kill you." He said without looking back. The girl stood up with a surprised look on her face as he watched his small back. She couldn''t understand what was happening. She looked around and finally, something caught her eyes. She stepped forward and picked the spear. She picked up the metallic half of her spear as she glared at him back. She started running towards him. "You need to die, you demon spawn!" She said as she thrust the spear towards him. Xu Ming was surprised as he moved to the side immediately. Even though he managed to dodge the attack, the spear managed to graze through his shoulder. His shoulder started bleeding. Xu Ming ignored the pain as he twisted his body skillfully and swung his sword towards her. His sword managed to slice her neck. Her eyes were still open wide as her head fell off her body and to the ground. The rest of the body soon followed and fell to the ground. That day, Xu Ming learned an important lesson. Leaving an enemy alive will only harm you in the future. No one is completely innocent as they would all stab you in the back if it benefits them. 72 Chapter 70: Father and mother Xu Ming glanced at the dead body of the girl one last time as he made a promise to himself that he would never make the same mistake again. He left the room. He has the participation badge in his pocket. Although he didn''t notice it, his participation badge had changed color from its original color to a bright red color. As soon as he came out, he noticed that there were quite a lot of people that were already outside. Around 20 guys and girls were standing in front of the Elders. They all held a proud expression on their faces. Xu Ming realized that they must be the ones who passed this test before him. As for the others, they had either died or were still involved in a fight. Xu Ming glanced at all of them. The girl he saw last night near the lake wasn''t there yet. She was the only person that he knew in the promotion exams, thus he noticed it immediately. But there was nothing that he could do about it. He stopped in front of the elders and joined the crowd. He still held the practice sword in his hand that was covered in blood. "Did you kill your opponent?" Elder Gin asked. "Yes. Her body is in the room." Xu Ming responded. "Show me your badge." Elder Gin further said. Xu Ming took his badge out of his pocket and showed it to the Elder. The Elder gazed at the red color of the badge and nodded his head. "Good. You shall be an Outer Disciple of the Mighty Demon Sect from today." Elder Gin said without any change in good expression, though internally he was surprised. He had already realized from Xu Ming''s clothes that he was a servant of the sect. Despite the disadvantage, he managed to defeat a disciple of a righteous sect. He felt like this boy indeed had the potential. Elder Wu, on the other hand, was simply smiling. Although he couldn''t see Xu Ming, he already had a feeling that the boy wasn''t going to be a nobody. The first time Xu Ming came to him, he already noticed that there was a strange power inside Xu Ming. But since he himself was not that strong as he couldn''t see what it was. "Good work, Kid. I should welcome you to the outer sect." Elder Wu also smiled as he said. The others were quite stunned as they heard Elder Wu appreciate someone. They couldn''t understand why the Elder, who was said to be the strictest, was praising the kid. They were all from good families in the Mortal world. Before leaving, most of their families had told them a few things about the Elders. The most they talked about being Elder Wu. They waited more for the others to come out. The more hours passed away and 50 more people had come out. They all joined their group. Just when Xu Ming was thinking that the girl had most probably died, the door of Room no. 178 opened and a 16-17-year-old girl came out. It was clear from her condition that she had fought a hard battle and survived. She also joined the group as she stood near Xu Ming. Xu Ming noticed that her breathing was uneven. That was normal for what she went through, but he still asked. "Are you alright?" "I''m fine." She replied to him. She was somewhat happy that someone asked her though. Elder Gin longer towards a talisman in his hand. "Alright, All who survived are here. Everyone who hasn''t here yet has died." Elder Gin said as he looked at them all. "Come with me. I''ll give you your clothes and outer disciple badge." Elder Gin told everyone. "Elder Gin, I''ll be taking that little guy with me. I have something to talk to him about. You can take the others. I''ll give him the badge and other things." Elder Wu said abruptly as he looked to his left with his blank looking eyes. "Of Course. You can take him." Elder Gin smiled as he told Elder Wu. "Alright. Everyone except that kid came with him." He said to the kids that had succeeded. Everyone nodded their head as they left with Elder Wu. Though there wasn''t a single person who didn''t glance back at Xu Ming with jealousy. Elder Wu whistled lightly as he faced the sky. A Profound Eagle came flying and landed in front of him. The eagle was much larger than the eagles on Earth, but Xu Ming didn''t know that since he didn''t have the memories of his father. But he did remember how father talked about a creature that was similar to the beast he was looking at. It was said to be one of the fiercest birds. "Come with me, little Ming." Elder Wu said as he climbed on the back of the Profound Eagle. Xu Ming followed his command and stepped on the back of the Eagle. The Profound Eagle began flying as it rose high in the sky. The Eagle flew in the same direction and after some time, Xu Ming noticed the boundary of the sect. In no time, they had left the sect as they flew above the beautiful mountains. "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Elder Wu said with a smile. "It''s pretty." Xu Ming said. Although this place wasn''t as good as the Heavenly Realm, it was quite beautiful indeed. "Wish I could see it as well. I''ve only heard that the view is beautiful. I like the air up here the most though." Elder Wu chuckled as he said. "Anyways, can I ask you something? I hope you won''t lie." He further said. "What do you want to know?" Xu Ming inquired. "Where are you from? Who is your father? Your mother?" He said with a smile. Xu Ming was stunned as he heard the question. Had the man noticed something? He thought. 73 Chapter 71: Take it off Xu Ming was stunned as he heard the questions of the man. Had the man noticed something? He thought. "I''m from nowhere and my parents are dead." Xu Ming replied. "Oh? I expected that to be the case since you were a servant in the sect, but how can you be from nowhere?" A smile appeared on Elder Wu''s face as he asked. "Well, It is what it sounds like. My home has been destroyed and my parents are killed. Thus, I''m from nowhere now." Xu Ming replied. "Your parents were human right?" The man asked Xu Ming. "What else can they be? Are you joking with me, Elder?" Xu Ming acted ignorant. "Oh, it''s nothing." Elder Wu smiled as he shook his head. "Let''s go back." He further said. The Profound Eagle turned back and started flying towards the sect. It didn''t take much time for them to be back in the sect. The Profound Eagle got down in front of a beautiful looking residence. "That''s my place. You can come to me in the future if you need someone to talk to." Elder Wu smilingly said to Xu Ming. "Here is the badge. Always wear it with pride since it signifies that you''re an outer sect disciple." Elder Wu took out a small badge from his Spatial Ring and gave it to Xu Ming. He also gave him a yellow disciple''s robe. "He should be here soon." Elder Wu let out as if he was waiting for someone. "Elder, You called for me?" A boy came up to him and asked. The boy was wearing a yellow disciple''s robe and a badge. The badge was similar to the one that Xu Ming had just received. He looked to be 16 years old. "Little Ming, this is Wu Tian. He''s an outer sect disciple, but he is quite senior compared to you." "Wu Tian, this little guy here is Xu Ming. He just became an outer sect disciple. I''m making you responsible for showing him around. Treat him as a little brother alright." Elder Wu said as he faced the 16-year-old boy. "Of course, Elder Wu. Come, little brother. I''ll show you around." Wu Tian said with a kind smile on his face. Since Elder Wu himself gave him the task, how can he deny? "Alright, I will take my leave now." Elder Wu let out and started walking towards his residence. The strangest thing was that Elder Wu had no stick and he couldn''t see, still, he was walking straight towards the door without any problem. Xu Ming left with Wu Tian. Wu Tian showed him around the Outer Sect, but since Xu Ming had been a servant here, he had already seen most of the place. Wu Tian only showed him around the places but didn''t take him inside. Since it was getting quite late, he just wanted to give Xu Ming a short introduction and show him in detail tomorrow. After taking a round of the outer sect, Wu Tian took him to the residences of the outer sect disciple. That was one of the biggest advantages of being an outer sect disciple. The second advantage was that they could go to the skill hall and choose one skill and one cultivation manual to study. The Outer Sect disciples were also given 10 Qi crystals every month that they could use up to cultivate. Those advantages were what most people cared for. That''s why the old cultivation families sent their brightest members to the Mighty Demon Sect. The sheer quantity of the resources that the mighty demon sect possessed was incredible. The growth one could achieve inside the sect could never have been achieved outside the sect. At Least that''s what the others thought. There were also quite a few unorthodox cultivators that had never stayed inside any sect, but they were still frightening cultivators. "Can you show me your disciple badge?" Wu Tian said. "Sure." Xu Ming replied as he showed his badge to Wu Tian. Wu Tian looked at the badge carefully and noticed a small number carved on the badge. "So you got Courtyard no.2595. Not bad." Wu Tian said as he started walking in a certain direction. Xu Ming kept the badge back in his pocket and followed him. After walking for around 5 minutes, Wu Tian finally stopped. He turned to his right and faced a beautiful looking courtyard. "That is your place. You can go and rest for now. I''ll meet you outside the Skill Hall tomorrow morning. I''ll help you select a skill." Wu Tian informed Xu Ming. "Thank you." Xu Ming thanked Wu Tian. "Alright, I''ll take my leave." Wu Tian turned back and left. Xu Ming was left behind. Xu Ming turned back and started walking as well, but he didn''t walk towards his courtyard. The direction he was walking towards was the place where the servants quarters were located. It took him 25 minutes to get to ward no. 4. He stood outside his old hut as he observed it. It wasn''t like he wanted to stay here since what he needed the most was his privacy, but he wanted to inform the others at least. He stepped forward and pushed the door open. The door wasn''t closed. The others must have left it open for him, he thought. "There you are! We were starting to get worried about where you were... Wait a minute... why are you wearing that yellow robe?" Yao noticed Xu Ming as he breathed in relief, but he suddenly noticed the clothes that he was wearing. "Little brother, did you find that robe somewhere? Don''t wear it. If an outer sect disciple saw a servant wearing the tone, it''ll be bad." Dong Zheng said in a hurry. He hurriedly stood up and closed the door behind Xu Ming. "Come on... what are you waiting for?" He said as he glared at him. 74 Chapter 72: Bright future "What are you waiting for? Take the robe off." Dong Zhen said as he glared at him. "I...I don''t need to take it off. It''s mine." Xu Ming responded. "Can you stop lying? Only outer sect disciples are given the robe!" Dong Zhen replied to Xu Ming. He still thought that Xu Ming found it somewhere. "I''m not lying. I''m an Outer Sect disciple now. It''s my robe." Xu Ming insisted as he took out his disciple badge and showed it to Dong Zhen. Everyone present in the room was shocked as they saw the badge in Xu Ming''s hand. "Little brother, H-how did you get that badge? Did you steal it? You might not know it, but the names of the disciples are on their badges. Anyone can prove that you''re lying. Let me see who it belongs to.." Dong Zhen still didn''t believe him as he took the badge from Xu Ming''s hands. He observed the badge carefully and finally found the name. "There it is. It belongs to someone called Xu M... H-how is that possible?" His eyes opened wide as he shifted his focus between Xu Ming and the badge. Yao noticed the shock on Dong Zheng''s face and stood up as he walked towards him. He took off the badge from Dong Zheng and read the name. "Xu Ming," He read the name out loud. "How did you become an Outer Sect disciple?" Yao asked Xu Ming. "I participated in the exams that were held today. I passed and now I''m an outer sect disciple." Xu Ming replied without any change in his expression. "B-but don''t you need cultivation to participate. How could you participate, unless you..." Yao was surprised, but he suddenly understood something. "You had been cultivating secretly, haven''t you? That''s the only possible explanation." Yao gazed at Xu Ming and asked. Xu Ming simply nodded his head. "What is your cultivation now?" He further asked. Dong Zheng and the others were shocked as well. They waited eagerly for his answer. "I''m at the 9th stage Body Refining Realm." Xu Ming let out. "T-that should be impossible. Didn''t Elder Jun say that you have no talent and that you can''t cultivate? How is your speed so fast, then?" Dong Zhen let out with a surprised look on his face. "I don''t know. He must be mistaken." Xu Ming exclaimed. "You weren''t given a cultivation manual either. How did you begin cultivation?" Yao further asked with a suspicious look on his face. Xu Ming heard the question, but he didn''t answer. Yao noticed the hesitation on Xu Ming''s face and didn''t ask further. "You don''t need to tell me. I''m just happy that you achieved such great success in life. You did what we couldn''t do." Yao placed his hand on Xu Ming''s shoulders as he said with a smile. "You must''ve come to take your stuff. It''s going to be quite different once you leave." Yao turned back and walked back to his bed. It was already night, thus Xu Ming decided to go to the lake once more, before going back to his new courtyard. "The strange thing was that, even after his ring absorbed the Origin Energy last time, there was no difference in it. The space and the items inside were still the same. He was quite confused, unfortunately, he couldn''t do anything about it. He reached the lake and took off his robe and other clothes and he jumped inside the lake. He swam to the center and began cultivating. He was sure that the girl wouldn''t come today after her experience last time. Also, she should be in her new courtyard that has a personal bathroom. Unfortunately, what he didn''t expect, did end up happening as he once heard some more footsteps. He saw the person who was coming and couldn''t help but facepalm himself. It was the same girl as last night. The girl stopped at the shore of the lake, but she didn''t take her clothes off. "You''re inside, aren''t you?" She called out as she faced the lake. "What do you need? Why don''t you leave me alone?" Xu Ming replied to her. "Don''t worry. I didn''t come here for anything. I just wanted to see if you were telling the truth about daily coming here, or if that was an excuse. Good to see that it was the truth." She said with a smile on her face. Xu Ming''s face twitched as he heard her stupid explanation. "If you don''t want to come inside and take a bath with me, then leave. Stop being shameless and don''t watch me bath!" Xu Ming said in an effort to make her leave. "Hah, are you scaring me? I''m not the weak-willed. Of course, I''ll come inside. You''re a kid, after all, there''s no need to worry." She said with a brave look on her face as she jumped inside and started swimming. "This girl is crazy." That was the only thing that escaped his mouth. He ignored her and kept absorbing the Origin Energy in the surrounding area. "Hey, How old are you actually? 8 or 9?" She asked while swimming in the water. Xu Ming heard her question, but didn''t answer her. She didn''t like his attitude and decided to get an answer out of him at whatever cost. She kept repeating the same question in his ear. "I''m 8 now. I''ll be 9 in a few months. Can you please shut up now?" Xu Ming finally replied. "It''s quite amazing that you''re so strong at such a young age. You''re quite lucky that you ended up in the Sect. Your field should be really bright." She said with a smile. "I don''t see any light in my future except one." Xu Ming said in a melancholic tone as he remembered his father and grandfather. All he had now was his mother. 75 Chapter 73: Ice Phoenix "I don''t see any light in my future except one." Xu Ming said in a melancholic tone as he remembered his father and grandfather. All he had now was his mother. "Hah, You can''t fool me. You are indeed special. You even managed to attract Elder Wu towards you." She said with a smile. "Whatever." Xu Ming simply replied. He didn''t want the conversation to keep going on. He closed his eyes and started ignoring her. She tried getting him to talk, but he didn''t give any attention to her this time. He stayed there for 2 hours before he finally opened his eyes. He started swimming towards the shore. The girl was still enjoying her time inside the water when she noticed Xu Ming leave. She also started going after him. Xu Ming got out of the water and got dressed before he left. The girl came out after she noticed that he had left. She wore her clothes and ran after him. He got to his new residence. "Hey, why are you still following me?" He asked. "I''m not following you. That''s my courtyard." She said as she pointed towards a courtyard. Surprisingly, her courtyard was right beside his. Xu Ming didn''t reply, and simply entered his courtyard and closed the door. "Hahaha... it''s so fun to tease him." The girl chuckled as she left and entered her courtyard. Xu Ming was seeing an Outer Disciple''s courtyard for the first time and he was quite surprised at how beautiful it was. It was so much bigger than the hut inside which he spent his year. And it was all for him. He found the bedroom after looking around for a bit and fell onto his bed. He immediately fell asleep. Although he had a different place to live, his dream was still the same. A young boy, sitting in darkness with no expression on his face. The boy had a small stone in his hand and he was drawing something in the ground. Xu Ming was quite curious as to what this man would draw. He placed all good focus on the drawing. At first, it was just random lives, but with time, the lines changed into a proper drawing. It seemed like he had drawn a beautiful Phoenix. Xu Ming was somewhat surprised as he saw the carving of the Phoenix. Although it was just a carving made on the stone using a stone, it looked so life-like. What actually shocked him was that the phoenix resembled someone he had seen before. It looked a little like Lexi, his father''s Ice Phoenix. He could feel some light shine through the blank eyes of the man as he finished the carving. A tear fell from his eyes on top of the carving of the phoenix. As the tear of the boy fell on top of the carving he made, it started shining in bright light. The brightly shining carving came out of the stone and took the form of the real phoenix, though the phoenix that appeared was only the size of his palm. The Phoenix had a skin that seemed similar to a beautiful Ice crystal. It started circling around the boy in excitement as if it was thanking the boy for bringing her into existence. The boy''s blank eyes gained a clear focus as he finally saw another living being. He didn''t think about how it came to existence, all he cared about was that he wasn''t alone anymore. He raised his hand and the small Ice Phoenix came to his hand and sat on it. A smile appeared on the boy''s face as he saw the cute ice phoenix. Xu Ming didn''t know why, but as he saw the smile on the man''s face, there was a sense of relief in his heart. He was feeling happy himself, as he saw the happiness of the boy. "Are you... alone as... well?" The boy asked as he stuttered. The ice phoenix probably didn''t understand what he was saying as it looked at him confused. "You... can''t talk?" He asked further. The ice phoenix just let out a few strange noises. "It''s... alright. You''re... not... alone." The boy smiled as he said. ____________________________ Far away from Xu Ming and the Mortal world, there existed a beautiful land. The land was covered in snow and surrounded by water. There were beautiful ancient buildings in the place. All these buildings seemed like they were made from the purest of ice. A 50 meters long Ice Phoenix came flying and landed in front of an Ice Palace. The Phoenix turned smaller and took a humanoid form. She entered the Ice Palace. As she entered a Hall inside the palace, she was greeted by quite a few women. They all had beautiful skin and none of them looked older than 30. A woman was sitting on the throne. "Estel, you''re here," The woman on the throne said with a smile as she noticed the girl. "Mother, I''ve told you before, my name is Lexi now." The girl bowed down to the woman on the throne as she said. The woman on the throne was the Queen of all the Ice Phoenix. "Hmm, If you like Lexi more, then you can keep that name. Come take a seat." The Queen said with a smile. Lexi walked closer to the Queen and sat on the seat that was near her. "Alright. Let''s be..." Before the queen could finish her words, a frown appeared on her face as she stopped. "What is happening mother?" Lexi asked with concern. "Something strange is happening. You know that all the Ice Phoenix have a link to the Queen, right?" The Queen said in a serious tone. "Yup. What about it?" Lexi asked. "A new link was established just now." "Oh? Is a new Ice Phoenix born in our land?" Lexi said with a smile. "Not here. Although the link is established with me, there seems to be some force that is stopping me from tracking its location. I''m pretty sure that it''s not here though." The Queen exclaimed. There were shocked gasps all around. What the queen stood wasn''t a normal matter. "How can an Ice Phoenix be born someplace else? That''s impossible!" Someone in the hall said. "It has happened. Even I''m not sure how it can happen." The Queen said with a frown. 76 Chapter 74:New Queen "I''m not sure what''s happening. It''s quite unordinary. It shouldn''t have happened because all the Ice Phoenixes are here," The Queen said. "What should we do, mother? Without finding out the location, we can''t do anything as far as I can think," Lexi responded to her mother. "Yeah. We have no hint at the moment, but maybe in the future, I''ll be able to track its location. That force can''t keep her hidden for long," The Queen said with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Anyways, Mother. It has been a few days since I came here. Am I not even allowed to roam outside?" Lexi said with a wry smile on her face. "My dear daughter. You know that it''s about to be the time for you to become the Queen and for me to step down. I can''t let you go outside. There are some that will especially target you since you''re the future Queen. Before I transfer all my power to you, you''ll have to stay here," The Queen shook her head as she said. "As you wish, mother," Lexi nodded her head. When she was with Xu Liang, she had achieved a Nirvana breakthrough and became able to take a humanoid form. As soon as she changed her form, she got a spiritual call from the Queen who had found out about her breakthrough. Lexi left Xu Liang for a while in order to fulfill her duties as a daughter, but she was sure that she would meet him quite soon. Though her ''quite soon'' might be a little different than the term used by a mortal. Xu Liang had a life expectancy of more than 5000 years when she left him and she herself had even longer to live. Although she didn''t enjoy the feeling of separating from her friend, she had to do it. The Ice Phoenixes began talking about another topic since there was nothing they could do about the newly born phoenix. _________________________ Xu Ming was still sleeping and dreaming of the young boy. In his dream, the young boy was still playing with the little phoenix, just like a kid that had discovered a new pet. After a few hours, the dream broke and Xu Ming woke up. He was a little sad to find himself back in an empty room. He wished to stay on that dream and just keep watching that young boy play with the Ice Phoenix. There was something charming about it after all. He stretched his arms and got off the bed as he went to the bathroom and took a shower. He had once again woken up at 6 am. Although he didn''t have to go clean the classroom today, his sleep still ended early. Probably because he had developed a habit of waking up so early. He still had 2 hours before he needed to go see Wu Tian outside the Skill Hall. He decided to utilize the time and cultivate. He sat down on the ground in a meditative position as he began utilizing the Heavenly Origin Cultivation. Two hours passed by in the blink of an eye, in the silence of the room. Xu Ming stood up and breathed in the fresh air. He left the room and his courtyard as he began walking towards the Skill Hall. A lot of old disciples noticed Xu Ming in his yellow robes and the disciple badge on his chest and were surprised. "Hey kid, Who did you steal that robe from?" A few Outer Sect disciples stopped Xu Ming as they stood in front of him. "What are you talking about?" Xu Ming asked. "That robe and that badge! Who did you steal that orb from?" They asked again. "It''s my own. Why would I steal it?" Xu Ming inquired. "Hahaha. You dare lie to us? Do you really think we live in an imaginary world where trash like you can become a disciple like us?" They started laughing. "Come with us to the classroom. If the tables are not clean, then we''ll have some fun with you." One of them placed his arm around Xu Ming as he grinned and pulled Xu Ming with him. "S..." Xu Ming was about to say something, but before he could speak, another voice came. "What do you think you''re doing with Xu Ming?" "Who the hell dares to intervene in our business?" The boy turned back with an annoyed look on his face, but his eyes opened wide in shock as he saw the person that was speaking. "S-senior Wu Tian?" The boy let out in shock. "Does the Senior know this servant?" The boy asked with an innocent smile on his face. "Servant? Are you calling my friend a servant? You must be looking to die, aren''t you?" Wu Tian said with a grin on his face as he released his aura. The cultivators, who had the cultivation of Spirit Establishment Realm or higher had the ability to release their aura that could intimidate the ones who had weaker cultivation. "Please forgive me, Senior. We didn''t know that the little brother was your friend. We were just trying to have some fun. Please forgive us." The men all apologized as they released Xu Ming and got down on their knees. "Little friend Ming, Are you happy with their apology, or do you need me to have some fun with them as well?" Wu Tian chuckled as she looked at Xu Ming. "It''s fine. They''re not worth the attention." Xu Ming replied. "Well said. Let''s go. I was waiting for you in front of the skill hall for so long." Wu Tian said as he started walking with Xu Ming. "That trash! How does he know Senior Wu Tian?" One of the boys said as he stood up and dusted his knees. "Is there a possibility that the trash really did become an Outer Sect disciple? He''s so young if he did manage to do that, there''s a possibility that Senior Wu Tian would pay interest to him." Another person replied. "That''s not possible. Did you forget that he can''t even cultivate? It must be Senior Wu Tian who is misusing his position. He gave that trash the robe and a fake badge. We should complain to the elder." He said. 77 Chapter 75: Choosing a skill Xu Ming and Wu Tian walked together to the skill hall while ignoring the weird gazes of the disciples along the way, which were mostly targeted at Xu Ming Wu Tian led Xu Ming inside the beautiful Skill Hall. An Elder was sitting behind a table reading a book. He noticed Wu Tian and closed the book gently and placed it over the table in front of him. "Wu Tian? What brings you here?" He asked Wu Tian. "Elder Min, This guy here became a new disciple of the outer branch. I brought him here to get a skill for himself," Wu Tian brought his fist close to his palm and bowed slightly as he greeted the elder and informed him about Long Chen. "You look quite young. How old are you?" Elder Min asked Xu Liang. Xu Ming also greeted the Elder before he answered him. "I''m 9 years old," Xu Ming rounded off his age. Actually, he still wasn''t 9 years old yet. "Only 9 years old? Wow, You must be the youngest addition to the outer sect." Elder Min was amazed as he heard Xu Ming''s answer. "Anyways, You can select any 2 skills from the skill hall. It depends on you if you wish to choose a cultivation skill, an offensive skill, or a movement skill. Come back with the manuals when you''re done selecting them," Elder Min told him. "Let''s go, little friend. I''ll show you the sections of the hall where you can get the skill that you want," Wu Tian gestured Xu Ming to follow him. Wu Tian took Xu Ming to the first floor of the skill hall. "The first floor is where the cultivation skills are kept. Come with me, I''ll show you some great cultivation skills that you could use to boost your cultivation," Wu Tian said. He stepped towards the shelves and started going through the manuals. "You must be using basic cultivation skill that is given to the servants, haven''t you?" He asked. "Why?" Xu Ming didn''t answer and instead asked a question of his own. "Well, it''s because there''s a rule of changing cultivation skills. You can only upgrade, and not downgrade your cultivation skill or your cultivation might be harmed," He answered Xu Ming. "What do you mean?" Xu Ming asked. He didn''t understand what he was talking about. It was the first time he was hearing such things after all. "You don''t know? Weren''t you taught the basic rule when you were given the basic cultivation manual?" Wu Tian asked in surprise. Xu Ming simply shook his head. He didn''t bother to explain that he hasn''t even gotten the basic manual since the Elder who was distributing it, thought that he had no potential for cultivation. He was using the cultivation skill of his father. "Alright, I''ll explain to you," Wu Tian said. "Basically, Every skill has a grade. The grades are Mortal Grade, Spirit Grade, Gold Grade, Earth Grade, and so on." "The Basic Cultivation Manual is the Low-level Mortal Grade Skill. Thus you can upgrade to any of the skills that are higher than that Grade," "On the other hand, If a cultivator, who has been using a spirit grade skill to cultivate, uses a mortal grade skill to cultivate, then his cultivation will be adversely affected." Wu Tian patiently explained. He was feeling quite surprised that Xu Ming didn''t know it, but he knew that it wasn''t his fault. "You don''t have to worry about it though. The cultivation skill that is given to the servants is the lowest grade possible. You can choose any skill here." Wu Tian comforted Xu Ming. ''If I''m not wrong, Father''s skill should be the highest grade skill possible. Although I don''t have enough Origin Energy on this planet to use the skill to its fullest strength, I can''t downgrade either,'' Xu Ming thought as he looked towards Wu Tian with a blank look on his face. "I don''t wish to select any cultivation skill. I like the Cultivation Skill I already have. I want to select an offensive skill and a movement skill instead," He told Wu Tian. "Think carefully, little Ming. Don''t be impulsive. Although the battle-related skills are good and more attractive, a good cultivation skill is more important. You need better cultivation so that you could use those skills to their fullest," Wu Tian said as he tried to persuade Xu Ming. "I understand that. But as I said, I still wish to select other skills. I don''t need a cultivation skill," Xu Ming insisted. "Well, I won''t force you. It''s your life after all. Since you were able to get this far on a basic skill, there might be something good in it after all," Wu Tian sighed as he gave up on insisting. He turned back and walked back to the stairs. They got to the second floor that was filled with the battle-related skills that involved Offensive Martial Skills, Defensive Martial Skills, and Movement Skills. "You said that you needed offensive and movement skills, right? The first section has offensive skills, the second one has movement skills and the third one has defensive skills that you don''t need. Let''s go to the offensive first," Wu Tian started walking towards the shelves that were in front of him as he roamed through the manuals. "See this, It''s called Fist of Qiu. You might not know it, but Qiu was a really famous cultivator in the past. He made this attack skill. Using this skill, he managed to defeat quite a lot of his enemies." "Then there''s a Lightning Kick as well. Something that was developed by an unknown cultivator. Although no one knew the cultivator''s name, his skill is still one of the strongest skills in this hall." "This one here is a sword skill called ''3 Strikes of Heaven''. It is said that when one master this skill to its peak, each strike of his sword will be equal to the Heavenly Punishment for his enemies." Wu Tian kept introducing skills to Xu Ming and Xu Ming kept reading their brief introduction with great interest. 78 Chapter 76: Origin Movemen One after another, Wu Tian introduced many amazing offensive skills to Xu Ming. There were sword skills, blade skills, elemental attacks, physical attacks, etc. "Those are all the good skills that you can get. So, which one do you like the most?" Wu Tian inquired. Xu Ming had 2 booklets in his hand. He was having a hard time deciding between the two skills. One of the skills was the sword skill called 3 Strikes of Heaven while the other skill was the Fist of Flame. The fist of flame was a fire elemental skill. It was also one of the most well-known skills of the sect. "Looks like you like those two. Let me explain more about the skills to you so that you could decide between the two of them," "Although the 3 Strikes of Heaven is more lethal, it is difficult to learn as well. There have been hundreds of people who chose this skill, but there was not a single person who managed to master the second strike of the skill," "So, Although it''s called 3 Strikes of Heaven, it would be better to call it one Strike of Heaven because comprehending the second one and the 3rd one seems almost impossible," Wu Tian explained. "Fist of Flame on the other hand is quite effective as well. Although it''s tough to comprehend, it''s not as tough as comprehending 3 Strikes of Heaven." "The advantage of the skill is that if you managed to master it, and in the future, you managed to comprehend the essence of fire, the power of attack will increase multiple folds," Wu Tian further said. Xu Ming heard the explanation for both the skills, but instead of making it easier, his choice had become even more difficult. ''One is stronger yet harder to learn, while the other one has good potential for the future, but lacking at the moment,'' Xu Ming thought. "It''ll choose the 3 Strikes of Heaven," Xu Ming said. He kept the booklet of the Fist of Flame back in its original position. "Alright. It''s your choice, so I won''t say anything," Wu Tian said. "Let''s go to the movement skill section," Wu Tian suggested as he started walking. Xu Ming followed him. "This is a good skill here. It''s called Lightning Dash. Out of all the skills present in this room, this skill increases the speed much more," " No one knows it''s real limit, but the best people have been able to achieve is a 3 times increase in their speed," Wu Tian said as he gave a thin booklet to Xu Ming. Wu Tian moved forward as he continued looking through the skills. "This is another great skill. It''s called Instant Movement. In a way, it''s the complete opposite of the Lightning Dash," "While the lightning dash can increase the speed for a longer period of time, the Instant Movement on the other hand can give an instant boost. Your speed would be ten times your original speed, but only for 20 seconds," Wu Tian explained. "This is the Heavenly Elephant Strike. I''ve heard that this skill is a mix of offensive skill and movement skill, but the elders decided that it was better as a movement skill," "When you use it, You can be like a massive Heavenly Elephant as you thrash everything in your path. The only limitation of the skill is that you can''t change your direction. You can only move straight," He said as he chose another good skill and gave it to Xu Ming. He went through hundreds of movement skills one after another and kept describing the important skills to Xu Ming. In the end, only one skill was left, but he ignored it. "What''s that skill?" Xu Ming noticed that Wu Tian didn''t explain about the last skill that was there. "That''s something useless. It''s a skill called Origin Movement. It''s a weird skill that talks about having a speed as fast as light and being able to pass through objects. Many people tried cultivating it, but not a single person was able to gain even the smallest of success," Wu Tian explained. Xu Ming was quite surprised as he heard the name of the skill. He couldn''t help but wonder if this skill worked on Origin Energy. He stepped forth and picked the last booklet as he began reading it. "The Origin of all is the Origin. Without Origin, none could exist. Successfully pass the Origin through your meridians to get the blessings of the Origin," He muttered what he read on the first page. Below those lines, there was another thing written. It was something that described the advantages of the skill like being able to pass through the walls etc. "Stupid right? Even the first paragraph doesn''t make any sense. I myself wasted my time on this skill. I wish I had used that time on something more productive," Wu Tian sighed as he remembered his young days. "I''ll take this skill as well. I want 3 Strikes of Heaven and Origin Movement," Xu Ming told Wu Tian and kept the other movement skills back. "Are you sure?" Wu Tian asked. "I''m sure," Xu Ming nodded his head. "Alright. Let''s go then," Wu Tian said. He didn''t want to influence Xu Ming''s choice too much. He had said all he needed to. Wu Tian and Xu Ming came down through the stairs and stood in front of Elder Min. "Did you choose the skills you wanted?" Elder Min asked Xu Ming smilingly. "Yes Elder," Xu Ming said. He placed both the skill booklets in front of Elder Min. "3 Strikes of Heaven and Origin Movement? 3 Strikes of Heaven is a decent skill, but are you sure about the Origin Movement?" Elder Min asked. He looked towards Wu Tian in surprise. "Don''t look at me like that, Elder. I told him about how useless this skill is, but he still wants to give it a try," Wu Tian explained with a wry smile on his face. 79 Chapter 78: Fight with me "Of course not. Why would I dare to call you a liar? It''s just that it''s too unbelievable. When he was first brought here, I personally checked his talent using our artifact. It was a level zero," Elder Jin replied. "Hah, It''s clear that you made a mistake then. Apologize to him," Elder Wu said. "But..." "No but! As I said, he''s innocent, isn''t he? Apologize to him for your misunderstanding!" Elder Wu insisted. "How can I, an Elder of the outer sect apologize to a disciple!" Elder Jin let out. It was about his self-respect and he wasn''t willing to apologize to a kid. There were so many disciples watching him which made him even more reluctant. "It doesn''t matter if you''re an Elder or not! You almost destroyed that kid. Today, either you will apologize, or you will apologize. That''s final!" Elder Wu said. Elder Jin could feel Elder Wu''s grip tightening on his wrist and he was starting to feel the pain. Elder Wu was trying to intimidate him and he realized it. Even after all that, he didn''t dare to attack since he knew that he wasn''t a match of Elder Wu. He glared at Xu Ming with hate in his heart. "I..." He opened his mouth to say something, but Xu Ming spoke before. "Elder Wu, there''s no need for an apology. I realize that it was an honest misunderstanding," Xu Ming said. Although he would have been pleased to see Elder Jin apologize to him, he realized that that might lead to some problems directly or indirectly. "Since you say so," Elder Wu said as he smiled. He freed the hands of Elder Jin and turned to him. "Elder Jin, please be careful in the future. You''re an Elder. You can''t be too biased. The kids are the future of the sect. Especially the special ones like Xu Ming," Elder Wu said. "I''ll keep that in mind," Elder Jin let out in a heavy tone as he turned back and left. He didn''t forget to take the ones that complained to him, with him. The boys that wanted him to punish Xu Ming and Wu Tian were quite scared since they knew that they were in deep trouble now. If it wasn''t for them, Elder Jin wouldn''t have been disrespected like that. After Elder Jin left, Elder Wu shifted his focus back to Xu Ming. "Did Wu Tian show you everything?" He asked. "Yes Elder. Also, I would like to thank you for the help that you provided," Xu Ming thanked Elder Wu as he bowed down slightly. "It was nothing. Anyways, you must have selected the skills by now, right?" Elder Wu asked as he placed his hands on Xu Ming''s shoulders. "Yes Elder," Xu Ming nodded his head. "Nice. Which skills did you get?" Elder Wu inquired. "3 Strikes of Heaven and Origin Movement," Xu Ming answered. "Hmm? Origin Movement? Quite a nice choice. I think only you can do justice to that skill," Elder Wu chuckled as he said. Elder Wu''s reaction was completely different from the reaction of the Elder in the Skill Hall. "Well, It is only difficult for the ones who are only dependent on Qi," Elder Wu said. A frown formed on Xu Ming''s face. ''What does he mean it''s difficult for the ones that are dependent on Qi? Does he know something about me and Origin Energy?'' He thought. "Difficult for the ones who only depend on Qi? What else should one depend on Elder?" Xu Ming asked. "Hahaha, I''m sure you don''t need me to answer that. I''ll see you later, little Ming," Elder Wu ruffled up Xu Ming''s hairs before he left. "He definitely knows something," Xu Ming muttered as he left as well. He entered his courtyard and closed the door. After sitting on a sofa, he opened the manual for the 3 Strikes of Heaven''s first. Since it was an offensive skill, he wanted to learn it as fast as he could. He knew that his life might not be easy as an Outer Sect disciple. Also, he needed to progress as well. His target was not the outer sect, but the core sect. He opened the book and began reading it. _______________________________ While Xu Ming was inside his courtyard and trying to learn the first strike of heaven, War God Zhen in the Heavenly Realm was also doing something he considered important. Illustrious Emperor was tied using the cultivation restricting chains and he was being pulled by the guards like a normal prisoner. The guards brought him to the main hall. There were 2 circular formations carved near each other. The guards threw Illustrious Emperor over one of these formations. "Welcome Lord Illustrious. It''s finally the day I had been waiting for," A voice came from the front. Illustrious Emperor raised his head only to see War God Zhen sitting on the throne in front of him. "You can leave. Don''t enter before I call you," War God Zhen ordered the guards. "Yes, Your Majesty," All the guards left the room, leaving only War God Zhen and Illustrious Emperor inside. "What do you intend to do?" The Illustrious Emperor stood up as he tried to leave the formation, but he was unable to since there was a barrier surrounding him that was preventing him from leaving the formation. "Me? I just wish to protect my land. I brought you here to help me," War God Zhen said with an amused smile on his face. "You coward! You still don''t dare to fight with me? All you know is to hide!" Illustrious Emperor cursed War God Zhen. "You can say that. I won''t refute you since I actually don''t dare to fight you. But after today, you won''t dare to fight me either," War God Zhen said with a grin on his face as he stepped towards the Illustrious Emperor. _______________________________________ 80 Chapter 78: Fight with me "Of course not. Why would I dare to call you a liar? It''s just that it''s too unbelievable. When he was first brought here, I personally checked his talent using our artifact. It was a level zero," Elder Jin replied. "Hah, It''s clear that you made a mistake then. Apologize to him," Elder Wu said. "But..." "No but! As I said, he''s innocent, isn''t he? Apologize to him for your misunderstanding!" Elder Wu insisted. "How can I, an Elder of the outer sect apologize to a disciple!" Elder Jin let out. It was about his self-respect and he wasn''t willing to apologize to a kid. There were so many disciples watching him which made him even more reluctant. "It doesn''t matter if you''re an Elder or not! You almost destroyed that kid. Today, either you will apologize, or you will apologize. That''s final!" Elder Wu said. Elder Jin could feel Elder Wu''s grip tightening on his wrist and he was starting to feel the pain. Elder Wu was trying to intimidate him and he realized it. Even after all that, he didn''t dare to attack since he knew that he wasn''t a match of Elder Wu. He glared at Xu Ming with hate in his heart. "I..." He opened his mouth to say something, but Xu Ming spoke before. "Elder Wu, there''s no need for an apology. I realize that it was an honest misunderstanding," Xu Ming said. Although he would have been pleased to see Elder Jin apologize to him, he realized that that might lead to some problems directly or indirectly. "Since you say so," Elder Wu said as he smiled. He freed the hands of Elder Jin and turned to him. "Elder Jin, please be careful in the future. You''re an Elder. You can''t be too biased. The kids are the future of the sect. Especially the special ones like Xu Ming," Elder Wu said. "I''ll keep that in mind," Elder Jin let out in a heavy tone as he turned back and left. He didn''t forget to take the ones that complained to him, with him. The boys that wanted him to punish Xu Ming and Wu Tian were quite scared since they knew that they were in deep trouble now. If it wasn''t for them, Elder Jin wouldn''t have been disrespected like that. After Elder Jin left, Elder Wu shifted his focus back to Xu Ming. "Did Wu Tian show you everything?" He asked. "Yes Elder. Also, I would like to thank you for the help that you provided," Xu Ming thanked Elder Wu as he bowed down slightly. "It was nothing. Anyways, you must have selected the skills by now, right?" Elder Wu asked as he placed his hands on Xu Ming''s shoulders. "Yes Elder," Xu Ming nodded his head. "Nice. Which skills did you get?" Elder Wu inquired. "3 Strikes of Heaven and Origin Movement," Xu Ming answered. "Hmm? Origin Movement? Quite a nice choice. I think only you can do justice to that skill," Elder Wu chuckled as he said. Elder Wu''s reaction was completely different from the reaction of the Elder in the Skill Hall. "Well, It is only difficult for the ones who are only dependent on Qi," Elder Wu said. A frown formed on Xu Ming''s face. ''What does he mean it''s difficult for the ones that are dependent on Qi? Does he know something about me and Origin Energy?'' He thought. "Difficult for the ones who only depend on Qi? What else should one depend on Elder?" Xu Ming asked. "Hahaha, I''m sure you don''t need me to answer that. I''ll see you later, little Ming," Elder Wu ruffled up Xu Ming''s hairs before he left. "He definitely knows something," Xu Ming muttered as he left as well. He entered his courtyard and closed the door. After sitting on a sofa, he opened the manual for the 3 Strikes of Heaven''s first. Since it was an offensive skill, he wanted to learn it as fast as he could. He knew that his life might not be easy as an Outer Sect disciple. Also, he needed to progress as well. His target was not the outer sect, but the core sect. He opened the book and began reading it. _______________________________ While Xu Ming was inside his courtyard and trying to learn the first strike of heaven, War God Zhen in the Heavenly Realm was also doing something he considered important. Illustrious Emperor was tied using the cultivation restricting chains and he was being pulled by the guards like a normal prisoner. The guards brought him to the main hall. There were 2 circular formations carved near each other. The guards threw Illustrious Emperor over one of these formations. "Welcome Lord Illustrious. It''s finally the day I had been waiting for," A voice came from the front. Illustrious Emperor raised his head only to see War God Zhen sitting on the throne in front of him. "You can leave. Don''t enter before I call you," War God Zhen ordered the guards. "Yes, Your Majesty," All the guards left the room, leaving only War God Zhen and Illustrious Emperor inside. "What do you intend to do?" The Illustrious Emperor stood up as he tried to leave the formation, but he was unable to since there was a barrier surrounding him that was preventing him from leaving the formation. "Me? I just wish to protect my land. I brought you here to help me," War God Zhen said with an amused smile on his face. "You coward! You still don''t dare to fight with me? All you know is to hide!" Illustrious Emperor cursed War God Zhen. "You can say that. I won''t refute you since I actually don''t dare to fight you. But after today, you won''t dare to fight me either," War God Zhen said with a grin on his face as he stepped towards the Illustrious Emperor. 81 Chapter 77: Are you calling me a Liar? Elder Min further shifted his focus to Xu Ming who simply nodded his head. "Since you want to give it a try then alright. But you must remember, You can never share the skills that you chose here with someone else. If you do and you''re discovered, You will be punished,'' Elder Min said as he handed the booklets back to Xu Ming. "I will keep that in mind," Xu Ming nodded his head before he turned back and left with Wu Tian. "What''s your plan for now? Do you want to go to class or go back to learn the skills?" Wu Tian asked. "I''ll go back and increase my strength first. As for the class, I''ll go later when I''m ready," Xu Ming said. "Alright. If there''s any problem, just inform me, alright?" Wu Tian patted the shoulders of Xu Ming before he turned back and left. Xu Ming also walked back to his courtyard and ignored the curious gazes of the others. As he was walking back, he saw someone that made him stop in his tracks. The same people who tried to mess with him in the morning were standing there blocking his path. What was more shocking was the fact that an Elder was standing behind them. It was the same Elder that had tested Xu Ming''s potential before and had said that he had no potential. That''s why he didn''t give Xu Ming the basic cultivation skill that was given to the servants. "I guess what they said was indeed the truth! I never would have expected that someone like Wu Tian would do such a thing and give a fake badge and robe to a servant," "He''s kinda stupid. It would have been less suspicious if he had done this for another servant, but he chose a servant with 0 potential for cultivation? He''s looking to be punished," Elder Jin said with an angry look on his face. A lot of Outer Sect disciples were already there and they were watching the drama with great interest. In fact, some were even laughing at Xu Ming''s misfortune. "Kid, You know how big of a crime it is to pretend to be a disciple of the sect? The punishment is being crippled!" Elder Jin said as he glared at Xu Ming. "But since that person brought you here, I''ll give them face and only dispel you. Get out of this sect right this instant!" He further said. "You''re making a mistake Elder. I''m not pretending to be anyone. The robe and the badge were given to me by Elder Wu," Xu Ming said without taking a step back. "Hmm? You dare lie and even name Elder Wu? Hahaha, Do you think I can''t ask him straight away? Accept your crimes right now and leave the sect this instant boy! If you don''t leave now, then I''ll be forced to cripple you for your crimes!" Elder Jin said. He didn''t believe Xu Ming in the slightest. In fact, he was sure of the fact that Xu Ming was lying and saying the name of an intimidating Elder to scare him. "I''m telling you the truth! You can ask Elder Wu," Xu Ming insisted. Although he attacked, he kept his power in control so that he wouldn''t kill Xu Ming by accident. Xu Ming couldn''t believe that the Elder would attack him instead of asking Elder Wu. He was surprised when he was attacked. He wanted to dodge, but Elder Jin was just too fast. At the last moment, Xu Ming just braced himself for the impact as he closed his eyes. The heavy impact he was waiting for, didn''t come through. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the event that made his eyes open wide. Elder Jin''s fist was right before his chest, but there was another hand that had caught his wrist and stopped him. Xu Ming looked to his left and a smile appeared on his face as he saw the person that had saved him. "Elder Jin, right? Is that how you behave with the disciples of the sect? We are in a demon sect, but even we have some rules!" Elder Wu said in a strict tone. "Elder Wu! It''s great to see you here. You''re misunderstanding the situation. This boy isn''t a disciple of the sect. He''s just a servant pretending to be a disciple. I caught him and told him to leave, but instead of acknowledging his mistakes, he began lying to me!" Elder Jin exclaimed. "Oh? What kind of lie?" Elder Wu asked back. "He said that he is a disciple and that you gave him the badge and the robes!" Elder Jin said. "Hmm? And what made you think that it was a lie? I did give him the robe and the badge. He''s a real disciple of the Outer Sect that had passed the recent trials to get his position," Elder Wu explained. "Do you know that your prejudice and limited thinking would have crippled a promising disciple? What do you have to explain for yourself?" He further said. "A promising disciple? Elder Wu, that boy is just talentless trash!" Elder Jin responded. "Oh? A disciple who managed to become a 9th stage Body Refining Realm cultivator at the young age of 9 is trash?" "Someone who was able to kill a 10th stage Body Refining Realm cultivator in the trials is trash? Please enlighten me. What is your definition of trash, Elder Jin?" The more Elder Wu spoke, the louder his tone got. "N-ninth stage Body Refining Realm? That''s impossible!" Elder Jin said with a look of disbelief on his face. "Oh? So you''re calling me a liar as well? You''re quite interesting I must say," Elder Wu said with an amused smile on his face. 82 Chapter 79: Taking "What do you intend to do? " Illustrious Emperor straight away asked. "Before I tell you what I intend to do, let me tell you something else," War God Zhen said. He stopped in front of the Illustrious Emperor and brought out a small booklet from his storage ring. "Do you know what this is?" He asked. Illustrious Emperor shook his head since he had no idea. "This is something that His Majesty had found from an old ruin. Let me give you a hint, it''s something that belongs to the demons," War God Zhen said. The Illustrious Emperor was surprised as he heard the words. He was starting to feel a sense of danger. "You still can''t guess? Alright. I''ll tell you. This small book gives a detailed explanation of how to make a simple formation. The formation might be simple, but its use is not, " Illustrious Emperor said. "It''s called Demonic Steal Formation. I''m sure you would have realized from its name that this formation helps a person steal. You must be wondering what it steals, right?" War God Zhen said with a grin on his face. Illustrious Emperor just looked at War God Zhen with hatred in his eyes, but he didn''t say anything. "It steals your cultivation! Every ounce of your hard hard-earned cultivation will be stolen from you." War God Zhen explained. " And that''s not all, the next part is even more interesting. All that stolen cultivating will be sent to the person that will be standing on that second formation i.e. me. I gotta say, the demons made something quite amazing," War God Zhen continued. "It''s too bad that it can only be used once by a person. It''s good though. I''m taking the strength of the strongest person in the Heavenly Realm after all. I don''t think I''ll need to do it again," War God Zhen chuckled lightly. "You dare use something that belongs to the demons! Have you lost your sanity?" The Illustrious Emperor roared in anger. "It''s not the artifacts or the skills that are bad, but the users. Since I''m not a demon, of course it''s fine," War God Zhen chuckled as he stepped into the second formation. A barrier surrounded him as well. The formation started shining as it sucked the cultivation of Illustrious Emperor and gave it to War God Zhen. The Illustrious Emperor could feel his cultivation decreasing, but he could do nothing but watch. He didn''t even try resisting since he realized that no matter what he said, War God Zhen won''t listen. The Illustrious Emperor sighed. "You know Zhen, you can take my cultivation, but I don''t think you''ll be able to save anything. With my cultivation, you might be able to match the Demon Emperor in Strength, but we all know he''s not the real problem that will cause the destruction of our beautiful realm," The Illustrious Emperor said in a normal tone as he glared at War God Zhen. "Xu Liang! He''s the reason you managed to catch me. He''s the one who defeated me. I''ll be honest, when he went crazy, I could feel more fear from him than I felt from the Demon Emperor." "I used to think that he was a demon, but I think he was something way more dangerous. You managed to kill him by backstabbing him, but his son is still living," "He has the same bloodline as Xu Liang and if he managed to grow up, I don''t think anyone would be able to face his wrath. Especially you! Since you killed his family in front of him." The Illustrious Emperor kept talking, but he was visibly becoming weaker and his breathing was getting faster. "I''m not saying it because I''m afraid of dying. I never cared for my life. All I wanted was the safety of our realm. That''s why I opposed Xu Liang and did something extreme like attacking the royal family. It was all for our future. Since I''m dying, everything that was built by our ancestors will need your protection. I just hope that you''ll be able to protect what you wish to protect," Illustrious Emperor said. Just as his words ended, his life ended as well since even his life force was sucked by the formation. Only his lifeless body was left in the formation. The formation stopped working and the barriers disappeared. War God Zhen stepped out of the formation and stepped closer to War God Zhen. He pointed his finger towards the Illustrious Emperor and a ball of fire appeared out of thin air and landed on the lifeless body of the Illustrious Emperor. The body of the Illustrious Emperor started burning in flames. "That small kid? Why should I be afraid of him? I''ll kill that demon spawn as well. Not because I''m afraid of him, but because I can''t bear the thought of a living demon spawn that has the holy bloodline of the Heavenly Realm. That kid... He will never grow up!" War God Zhen said in a determined tone as he watching the intense flames. He turned his back on the fire and left the hall. ________________________________ Everything in the Heavenly Realm was changing, but Xu Ming had no idea about any of this. He had just finished reading the 3 Strikes of Heaven and he felt like he had a general idea about it. Now all he needed was to practice. Unfortunately, He couldn''t go it in his courtyard. It was already night time and he decided to go to the lake and practice there. That place was big and empty. Also, the impact on the water of the lake would be a good indicator of the strength of the skill. He stood up and left the courtyard. He also took the basic sword with him that he had received during the outer sect entrance exams. It didn''t take him long to get to the lake near the 6th ward. Just like always, the place was empty. 83 Chapter 80: Plo Xu Ming stood in front of the lake and brought out his sword from his storage ring after making sure that no one was nearby. He raised his sword high in the sky as he got into the sword stance that he had found out in the skill book. He made his Origin Energy pass through the specific path that was described. After around ten seconds, he felt like he was ready. "3 Strikes of Heaven: First Strike!" He called out softly as he swung his sword in full force. Although he gave it his best, nothing happened. He had failed. "Did I make a mistake somewhere?" He muttered with a thoughtful look on his face. He again got into the sword stance and followed the same steps. He once more swung his sword, but it was still the same. Nothing happened. "Am I missing something?" He thought with a frown on his face. He repeated the same thing again and again. Each time he tried to change something that he felt like he was doing wrong, but nothing worked. The whole night passed away just like that. It was already early morning and he was already pretty tired. He went back. He entered his courtyard and closed the doors. Entering his bedroom, he dropped to his bed and fell asleep instantly. He had been circulating his Origin Energy all night long to learn the skill, but even after all that, he didn''t achieve success, but his cultivation had increased slightly. Since that day, Xu Ming has gone to the lake every night. He spent half the time in the lake and cultivated, while he tried to master the skill in what little remained of the night. He attended classes 3 days a week. The rest of the days, he just slept since he wasn''t getting sleep during the night. Slowly, everyone in the Outer Sect had got to know who Xu Ming was and no one offended him since he had the backing of Wu Tian and Elder Wu. Just like that, 3 months passed. Elder Jin never appeared in front of Xu Ming in those 3 months. Xu Ming had managed to learn the Origin Movement Skill during those 3 months. Surprisingly, it wasn''t as tough as everyone was talking about. He just used his Origin Energy when trying to use that skill, and it worked. When he observed carefully, he realized that this skill was probably the simplest skill as there were no complicated steps when learning it. The main problem was the 3 Strikes of Heaven. Despite spending close to 90 nights practicing the skill, he still hadn''t been able to use even the first strike itself. But he had a feeling that he got closer to mastering its essence with every strike he performed. He just had a feeling that he would soon master the first strike. ________________________________ "Please Please Please work!" Xu Ming said with a pleading look on his face as he raised the sword once more. It was already his 2000th strike of the night and his clothes were covered in sweat. Fortunately, this strike of Xu Ming did work. As his sword came slashing down, a bright arc of light escaped from his sword and advanced ahead at a lightning-fast speed. The arc of light was filled with frightening amounts of destructive power. It struck the calm water. A straight deep crater appeared in the still water as huge waves started rising in the calm lake. For a brief moment, Xu Ming had even felt like he was able to see the bottom of the lake right after the impact of his attack on the water, but it only lasted for a brief Instant. His mouth was opened wide in surprise as he saw the power of his attack. The shocked look on his face had changed into an excited one as he realized that he had managed to successfully use the first strike of heaven. Although it took him 3 months, it was worth it. The massive waves on the lake still hadn''t subsided when he decided to leave. It had already started to brighten as the sun started rising in the distant horizon. He left that place and walked back to his courtyard. As Xu Ming left, he didn''t see that an Elder was flying in the sky, watching him. "3 months to learn the strike of heaven? Not bad kid," A smile appeared on the face of the man. The man disappeared like he was never there. Xu Ming entered his courtyard and fell asleep. As Xu Ming was sleeping, in another courtyard, a special meeting was taking place. Two old men were drinking wine as they talked. "Are you sure about this? I heard that the kid has the backing of Elder Wu. I most certainly wouldn''t want to be involved if you weren''t the one talking to me," One of the men said. "Don''t worry. You won''t get the blame. We''ll do everything according to rules. What happens after that won''t fall on your shoulders," The second person replied. "Come on. We have been friends for so long. Can''t you do this little thing for me?" The second person further insisted. "Alright, alright. I''ll do it. I gotta say though, You really hate that kid," The first person nodded his head as he said. "That kid dared to pity me! Every time I think about that, I start hating myself more. I can''t rest in peace as long as that kid is not dead. I have become a joke in the entire sect because of him!" The second man said with clenched teeth. _______________________________ Xu Ming woke up in the evening and left his bedroom, but just as he came out, he heard a knock on the door. He walked towards the door with a confused look on his face. ''In the last 3 months, not a single person had come here. Why would a person be here suddenly?'' He couldn''t help but wonder. He opened the door and found 2 boys standing in front of him. Both the boys looked like they were in their early 20s. "Do you need something?" Xu Ming asked. "Yes! We''re here for you! Do you know what you have done?" They said as they glared at him. "What did I do? I don''t think that I did anything wrong?" Xu Ming said with a wry smile on his face. "Hah? You did nothing wrong? Come with us! We''ll show you what you did!" Both the man said with a smile on their faces. "I don''t think I did anything wrong! What the hell are you talking about? And why should I come with you!" Xu Ming let out in a loud tone as he glared at the men. "We are from the punishment hall! You should come with us without making it difficult for us, out we might be forced to use other methods! The Punishment Elder wants to meet you!" The men said in a heavy tone. "The punishment elder?" Xu Ming gazed down and it was indeed the truth. They did have have badges of the Punishment department. "Alright. I''ll come with you. I haven''t find anything wrong anyways!" Xu Ming said with a confident look on his face as he came outside. The boys caught his hands each as they walked with him like they were carrying a criminal to jail. "Can you leave me? I know how to walk!" Xu Ming said, but they didn''t listen. "Hey? Aren''t they the punishment hall members? What are they doing with Xu Ming?" "It''s clear. They''re taking him for their Punishment. He must have done something wrong and broke the rules. I pity the poor kid," "Do you think Elder Wu would get involved? I heard that he cares for the kid," "He most probably wouldn''t. The punishment elder wouldn''t do anything against the rules, so I don''t think Elder Wu can do anything. It''s all that kid''s fault," Many of the disciples saw Xu Ming being taken by the disciples of the punishment hall and they couldn''t help but talk amongst themselves about what was actually happening. After walking for over 30 minutes, Xu Ming finally reached the Punishment Hall. It was a building that was just as big as the skill hall. The boys brought him inside the building and presented him in front of an old man that was sitting in comfort in his chair. 84 Chapter 81: Mission "Are you Xu Ming?" The elder glared at Xu Ming and asked. "Yes Elder. What did I do wrong?" Xu Ming asked straight away. "Do you really not know? Or are you acting ignorant?" The Elder inquired. "I seriously don''t know Elder. I had been keeping to myself since I became an Outer Sect disciple. I didn''t even fight with anyone in the sect, nor did I break any rules as far as I know!" Xu Ming said. "Are you sure? Do you know the main duty of an outer sect disciple?" The Elder said as he looked down at a paper. "It''s clearly mentioned in the rules that each outer sect disciple must complete a mission from the mission hall every 3 months. Now tell me, Did you complete a mission since you became? How long has it been since you became an outer sect disciple?" The Elder asked as he glared at Xu Ming. "T-that... " Xu Ming was stunned as he was told about this. He had no idea that there was something like that as well. "No excuses. Just answer my question!" The Punishment Elder let out loudly as he looked at Xu Ming. "It has been slightly more than 3 months, Elder," Xu Ming said straight away. "And in these 3 months, you haven''t completed any mission. Now tell me yourself if you broke the rules or not?" The Punishment Elder said. "Ah Elder, I didn''t know about this. If I had known, I would have accepted a mission and completed it," Xu Ming tried to explain. "As I said, I don''t need excuses. For this punishment, I would have broken the legs of the person if there was someone else in your place," The Punishment Elder said. "But since you''re new and you know Elder Wu, I''ll give you another opportunity. Go to the mission hall, Choose a mission that is at least level 2 or higher and leave the sect to complete the mission!" He further continued. "A-alright Elder. I''ll do it," Xu Ming said as he nodded his head. He had no other choice after all. If he was dispelled from the sect, he would lose his opportunity to meet the core disciple that has his locket. "Good. At Least you still have some brain. Lu, Take this boy to the mission hall and help him select a mission, "The Punishment Elder said as he looked towards one of the disciples that had brought Xu Ming here. "Yes Master," The boy called Lu nodded his head. He held the hand of Xu Ming and left the place. "Hah, Jin. You owe me a drink. I did your work. Now I just hope that Elder Wu wouldn''t find out about this," He thought. Normally, The mission hall would send a letter to the disciples when it was near their deadline, to inform them. But Elder Jin had obstructed that procedure as well. Because of that, Xu Ming didn''t get any information about it. Also, The Punishment Elder intentionally told Xu Ming to choose a level 2 mission. Otherwise, choosing a 1st rank mission was allowed as well. The second and the higher level missions required for a person to go out of the sect. He told Xu Ming to choose the level 2 mission since his intention was to send Xu Ming outside the sect. As soon as Xu Ming left, He would be taken care of. Elder Wu wouldn''t know that the Punishment Elder intentionally made him choose the 2nd level mission. They could just say that it was his own intention to choose a stronger mission. Everything would be taken care of. _______________________________ "Can you at least free my hand now? I''ve even talked to the Elder. I don''t think you can treat me as a criminal," Xu Ming said with a frown on his face. "Hmm? Whatever. It''s not like you can run from me anyways," Wu said casually as he freed the hands of Xu Ming. "I need to choose a level 2 mission. Are they tough? Can I talk to Senior Wu Tian first? I''d like his help on the mission selection." Xu Ming asked. "You can''t. It''s your Punishment, so you can''t be given more time. Take the mission and leave right now. Don''t misuse the good intentions of the Punishment Elder," Wu said in an annoyed tone. "Alright," Xu Ming replied. They walked through the long pathway and got to a large building. Many people could be seen entering and leaving the place through the main gate. The ones leaving had a paper in their hand. Xu Ming followed Wu and entered the place. They were greeted with a big hall that had around a hundred people. There were 5 doors in the hall that probably led to different locations. "Each form is for a specific mission. There are 5 levels of missions that a person can choose. Since you''re going to be choosing a level 2 mission, we''ll enter the second door," Wu informed Xu Ming. They entered the second door and entered a room that was just at big. There were around 10 people already inside. All the wars were covered with papers that probably described the missions. All ten people were looking at the missions. Wu walked through the room as he looked at the missions. Xu Ming also started looking at the missions one after another. "Mission: Kill the bandit in the Wali village." "Mission: Steal the ring of storage from the son of Marquis Welton" "Mission: Search the newly discovered tomb in the Malia Kingdom." He kept reading the missions, but he realized that all these missions were not easy. For someone like him, all these missions were filled with dangers. "Here, I found a mission for you," Wu came to him as he showed him the paper. Xu Ming read the paper. "The outer sect disciples of the Glorious Sword Sect had killed an Outer Disciple of our Mighty Demon Sect. Go to the capital city of Xiayi Kingdom where the sect is situated and kill at least 2 outer sect disciples of theirs. Bring their badges as proof. A reward of 5000 contribution points shall be given," "Uhm... Senior Wu, Isn''t this mission too complicated for me?" Xu Ming asked. "It looks tough, but it''s not that tough. Also, it''s your punishment. It''s supposed to be tough. The elder had told me that you can''t choose a mission with lower rewards than 5000 contribution points. You should be thankful that he didn''t give you the punishment to choose a level 3 mission," Wu said as he glared at Xu Ming. "Now take this mission form, and register yourself at the counter," He further said. "Alright," Xu Ming nodded his head as he took the form from Wu. He walked towards the counter and showed the form to the man at the counter. The man was visibly surprised as he saw the young kid allowing him this form. "Give me your disciple badge," He asked with a doubtful look on his face. "Here," Xu Ming showed his badge to the man. The man read the name in the badge. "Are you sure you want to choose this mission?" He asked. "Yes," Xu Ming nodded his head. "Alright," He replied. The formalities were completed and the mission was issued to Xu Ming. "Good. Let me escort you to the exit," Wu said as soon as Xu Ming came back. "Alright," Xu Ming nodded his head. He was regretting the fact that he didn''t read the rules before. If he had, he wouldn''t be punished like that. 85 Chapter 82: Caugh "Wait a minute? I''ve never been outside the sect. How can I get to the Xiayi Kingdom? I have no idea where it even is? Also, I have no money for the mission. Where will I stay?" Xu Ming said with a frown. "Don''t worry, the Elder has already thought of this. Take this. It''s the map of this region. The Elder has also decided to give you his flying beast. Using that, you can go to the Xiayi Kingdom. You can go further on your own using the map. As for the money, you''ll be given 3 gold coins," Wu said. "Come with me," He further said as he caught the hands of Xu Ming and pulled him. They both left the Punishment hall. Wu wasn''t giving Xu Ming the slightest freedom as if he was worried that he would lose Xu Ming. Wu came to an empty place with Xu Ming. There was a small pouch tied to his waist. He tapped it three times and a smash speck of light came out of the bag. It took the form of an eagle type flying beast. "This is a mortal grade flying beast. Although it''s the lowest quality beast, it will be quite useful in escorting you to the Xiayi Kingdom." Wu said as he pointed towards the beast that came out of his pocket. Xu Ming couldn''t help but be surprised since it was the first time he was seeing a Spatial Bag that was used to store beasts. He had only heard about it before. Wu gave the Beast Bag to Xu Ming as well. "Here''s a Beast Bag. It''s a special bag that is something similar to a storage ring. You can keep this beast in the bag when you don''t need it," Wu said. "The dot on the map is our sect. You can guess the directions based on that when you want to come back. The Xiayi Kingdom would be south of us. So you need to go in that direction," Wu said as he pointed towards the south. "Go now. If the guards stop you, you can show them the mission document. They''ll let you leave," He further informed Xu Ming. "This is all so fast," Xu Ming sighed in confusion as he climbed on top of the flying beast. Handling mortal grade flying beasts was the easiest. Xu Ming was taught about that in one of the classes, thus he didn''t have any difficulty in handling it. The Wild Eagle started flying and carried Xu Ming along with it. "Hah, I did everything as the Master said. Finally, I can go back to my cultivation," Wu said as he breathed in relief. He left the place. _______________________________ Xu Ming was flying in the Wild Eagle Beast, but just as he reached near the border of the sect, two guards came flying on their own beasts. "Where are you going? Do you have permission from the sect to leave?" The guards asked. Normally they wouldn''t stop disciples like this, but since Xu Ming was going on a flying beast, and he looked so young, they decided to ask him. "Hmm, Alright," The guards went back as they saw it. Since the boy had permission, they didn''t need to care about what happened next. Xu Ming left the sect and flew towards the south. ________________________________ Wu came to the Punishment Elder''s office. He found that Elder Jin and the Punishment Elder were both having a drink there. "Did he leave? Is everything done?" Punishment Elder asked. "Yes Elder. He left. I have him the beast that you told me to give him as well," Wu nodded his head as he said. "Good work. You can leave now," The Punishment Elder said with a smile. Wu left the place and closed the door. "See? Everything''s done. Now he left the sect. That too on a beast that is carrying the special tracking scent that you gave me. Now you can send the people and when he''s far away from the sect, they can finish him. As long as he doesn''t survive, it''ll be all good," The Punishment Elder said. "Though I took another precaution for the unfortunate situation in which he survives. Even if he did survive, he ain''t be able to come back," He further said with a grin on his face. "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Elder Jin asked in surprise. "You know that our sect is a hidden sect. Without the actual map, someone who hasn''t traveled to the sect before, won''t be able to find it," The Punishment Elder replied. "To make the situation worse, I gave him a fake map. He''ll never find the sect even if he survives, though I''d hope that he is killed. That would be safer," He further said. "Don''t worry! He will die. I''m sending my personal disciple to kill him. He''ll leave tonight with the excuse of a mission as well. I gave him my personal flying beast, which is multiple times faster than that wild beast of Xu Ming. Also, with the tracking scent on him, Xu Ming won''t be able to escape," Elder Jin said with a smirk. "Hah, That''s good. Anyways, you owe me a favor since I helped you with this. Although you''re my friend, I won''t let you go cheap. I need a party from you!" The Punishment Elder said with a chuckle. "Hahahaha, Of Course, my friend," Elder Jin couldn''t help but laugh as he heard the statement of the Punishment Elder. ________________________________ 2 hours later, another person left the sect on a Profound Crane. The Profound Crane was a beast that was known for its fast speed and its sense of smell. The beast wasn''t weak either. It was a 5th Stage Spirit Grade flying beast. The Profound Crane flew like a wind towards the south. A person was sitting on the Profound Crane. It was a boy who looked like he was 15-16 years old. He had long black hair that came down to his shoulders. He had a black cloth tied in his forehead like a headband. _____________________________ It had been 4 hours since Xu Ming left the Mighty Demon Sect. He didn''t stop for a minute and kept advancing towards the south. He also used his tone to cultivate. He was already at the peak of the 9th stage Body Refining Realm. He just needed a slight push and he would become a 10th stage Body Refining Realm Cultivator. He had been cultivating in hopes of breaking through. After one more hour, he did manage to achieve a breakthrough. He was a 10th stage Body Refining Realm cultivator now. "Good. Just one more step and I''ll be a Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator. I''ll be able to forth my Martial Soul," Xu Ming muttered with a smile. He was just lost in thought when he noticed something. He looked to his back and saw a flying beast coming towards him. It looked like a crane that was carrying a person. The Profound Crane kept coming closer to the Wild Eagle of Xu Ming. "Hmm?" Xu Ming frowned as he saw the person. The person was wearing the clothes of the Mighty Demon Sect as well. He was also an Outer Sect Disciple like him. The strange thing was that Xu Ming didn''t remember seeing that person in the sect before. After some more time, the white Profound Crane got near Xu Ming. The Profound Crane slowed down as it flew right beasts Xu Ming''s eagle. The boy that was sitting on the Profound Crane looked towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming could see a smirk on the boy''s face that was giving him a bad feeling. He didn''t know why, but he was getting a feeling of danger. 86 Chapter 83: Facing the enemy Just as Xu Ming was wondering the reason for his strange feeling, the boy flying on the Snow White Profound Swan stopped looking at him and advanced ahead. After some time, Xu Ming was left so far behind that the boy disappeared from view. "Was I overthinking things?" Xu Ming wondered as a frown appeared on his face. He opened the map once more and decided to change his path just to be safe. He didn''t want to ignore the dangerous feeling he was having. Xu Ming decided that he would take a roundabout way to get to his destination. Although it would take him twice as much time, he didn''t worry about it. He had all the time he needed in the world. ______________________________ As Xu Ming changed his direction, the boy and the Profound Crane were already too far away from him. He didn''t stop either. The boy continued advancing ahead on his Profound Crane and only stopped when he was too far from the sect''s range. "This should be far enough from the Sect. Here, I''ll kill and bury that boy. That boy dared to insult my master? I''ll give him a painful death," He muttered with a grin on his face as he got down on the ground. He was sure that Xu Ming would take half a day to get here, thus he decided to give rest to his Profound Crane while he kept an eye on the sky. He was being quite careful since it was a serious matter. That''s why he didn''t kill Xu Ming when he caught up to him. He was Xiang Feng. He was the personal disciple of Elder Jin, but he didn''t go out much, thus not many people had seen him. He spent most of his day inside his courtyard, cultivating under the guidance of his master. He was only 16 at the time, but he had already broken through to the 2nd Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm. He continued working hard since he and his master both wanted him to become an Inner Sect Disciple. He didn''t want to be caught by the sect and punished, thus he took all the precautions he could. Xiang Feng waited for half a day, but Xu Ming didn''t come. It was already dark by now. "What the heck? Why isn''t he here yet? Did he start resting Midway?" Xiang Feng let out with a confused look on his face. He still didn''t lose patience though and waited longer. Just like that, another day had passed, but he still didn''t see even a glimpse of Xu Ming. "Something is wrong!" He finally couldn''t wait as he felt like there was a problem with Xu Ming. He climbed back on the Profound Eagle and started flying back, but he didn''t see Xu Ming anywhere. Apparently, Even the Profound Crane wasn''t able to get the scent of the beast Xu Ming was carrying. Xu Ming was outside the limit of the Profound Crane''s range. He stopped in the place where he last saw Xu Ming. "He either went to the right or the left. I can only take a guess. Hopefully, I am right and we are able to catch his beast''s event," He muttered as he chose the left direction. __________________________________ Xu Ming had reached a small town in his path and he decided to get down and give some rest to his beast. He had also placed his disciple robe and badge inside his storage ring so that the others don''t recognize the sect he''s from. He sent the Wild Eagle Beast inside his storage ring and entered the town. After asking around, he found out that the town indeed had a place like a hotel. He decided to spend the night there and leave tomorrow. He followed the directions he was told by the town''s people and found the small hotel. Although it was small, it was still not bad. Xu Ming entered the hotel and met up with the old woman that was in charge of the hotel. "Do you have a room available?" He asked the elderly women. "Ah, Yes we do," The woman answered. "Only 1 bronze coin for one night," She further added. "Ah, Can I get change for a gold coin?" Long Chen asked just to be sure. "A gold coin? Sorry young man, but this hotel is too small. I can''t give you the change for a gold coin when you spend 1 bronze coin," She replied. "Ah, Sorry. But I don''t have a bronze coin. Can''t we do anything? Is there any place I can get change?" Long Chen further asked. "There''s not a single person in this town that has so much money. If you go around asking, I''m sure someone will just steal your money," the elderly woman explained. "Ah, I''m sorry for wasting your time then. I guess I can''t stay here," Long Chen sighed as he turned back to leave. He only got 3 gold coins for his entire expenses. He couldn''t just give a gold coin for a night. "Hey, Don''t go outside, the town is not safe for you. You can just stay here for the night. In the future if you have money, you can come here and pay me," She told him as she brought out a key from behind the counter and gave it to Xu Ming. "Thank you so much. I''ll definitely pay you back soon," Xu Ming thanked her as he took the keys. "You can take room no.2 on the first floor," She told him. Xu Ming thanked her once more before he left for his room. ______________________________ Xiang Feng had traveled as fast as he could and coincidentally, he was just above the town in which Xu Ming was staying. "Cheh, I traveled so far and we still can''t get his scent. It must mean that I chose the wrong direction. I should''ve chosen the right direction," Xiang Feng let out in an annoyed tone. "Whatever, he can''t run anywhere. I know his destination after all. No matter how long he takes, he''ll definitely get to his destination one day or another. That''s where I''ll be waiting for him," He said as a ruthless look shrouded his face. He left the place. What he didn''t know was that Xu Ming was right below him. The only reason the Profound Crane wasn''t getting the scent was because the Wild Eagle Beast was inside the Beast Bag at the moment. ________________________________ It was morning time when Xu Ming woke up from his slumber and left his room. Despite sleeping in a different bed this time, his dream still remained the same. All he saw was that unknown yet familiar boy and the small Ice Phoenix playing with the boy. Xu Ming left his room and saw the elderly women once again. "Are you going?" She asked. "Yeah. I should thank you for everything that you did for me. Thank you so much," Xu Ming thanked her. He had no idea that he indeed escaped a clash because he wasn''t outside last night and wasn''t caught by Xiang Feng. He bid his farewells and left the hotel. He again brought out his Wild Eagle Beast from the beast bag and resumed his journey. He kept cultivating throughout the journey when he was flying as well as when he was on the ground and giving some rest to the Wild Eagle Beast. After a few days of travel, he was finally near his destination, but things didn''t go great. He saw the boy that he saw at the beginning of his journey once more. Xiang Feng was waiting between him and his destination. 87 Chapter 84: Killed Xiang Feng was waiting around 1-2 kilometers away from the Xiayi Kingdom. He decided to rest under a tree. This time he didn''t send his Profound Crane inside the Beast Bag and kept it outside just so he could know when Xu Ming got near him. Since the Flying Beast of Xu Ming had the Tracking Scent on it, as soon as he would get within the range of the Xiang Feng, the Profound Crane would notify him. It happened just like he had thought, he found out when Xu Ming was near him. He climbed on top of the Profound Crane and rose high in the sky. Xu Ming noticed him when he got near the Xiayi Kingdom, similarly, Xiang Feng saw him as well. Xu Ming saw Xiang Feng waiting for him along the way, and he realized something. He was quite sure that Xiang Feng didn''t have any good intentions towards him. The first thing he did was that instead of running away, he ordered the Wild Eagle Beast to get down. Xu Ming had seen the speed of the Profound Crane last time, so he knew that he wouldn''t be able to run away. Thus his first reaction was to get down to the ground. He knew that if they fought in the air, Xiang Feng wouldn''t even be able to take an attack properly. As soon as the weak flying eagle of Xu Ming was hurt, he would fall to his death. He didn''t want to take the risk and die without having a fighting chance. He came down to the ground and sent the Eagle back in the Beast Bag as he waited for Xiang Feng to come to him. He had already brought his sword out and he was ready to fight. ''He shouldn''t be weak from the feeling I''m getting,'' He thought, but he knew that he couldn''t run. "Hahahaha, Gotta say, you are indeed clever. Now I can''t watch you fall to your death. Oh well, I can at least have a more fulfilling battle," Xiang Feng laughed as he landed on the ground near him. "How did you know that I wanted to attack you though? I might just be waiting here to say hi to a fellow sect member?" Xiang Feng said with an amused smile. "Well, I have seen a snake similar to you. I just noticed the similarities," Xu Ming replied. "Hah, You got a nice sense of humor. That should come handy in hell," Xiang Feng said as he brought out his own sword as well. Without waiting for Xu Ming''s reply, he started running towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming was initially stunned as the boy was able to cover 30 meters of distance between them in a short second. Xiang Feng swung his sword towards Xu Ming''s neck. Xu Ming reacted fast as he raised his sword and blocked Xiang Feng''s sword. If his speed was just a second slower, He would have been decapitated. Xu Ming understood how difficult the situation was as he moved back to create some distance between him and Xiang Feng. Even after all that, he was still almost equally matched with Xiang Feng when it came to strength. All because of his special bloodline. But since he wasn''t in the Spirit Establishment Realm, he wasn''t able to send his Origin Energy out of his body. In fact, he shouldn''t have been able to master the First Strike of 3 Strikes of Heaven since it required him to send his Energy out of his body through his sword, but surprisingly he was able to achieve that impossible-looking feat in 3 months. Even he himself didn''t think about this. Xiang Feng, on the other hand, was proficient in using Qi related attacks. He didn''t use them though since he didn''t think that Xu Ming was worth it. He kept chasing after Xu Ming and striking with his sword. Even after all that effort, he wasn''t able to harm Xu Ming in the least. ''Why is that bastard so fast!!!'' He thought as he got angrier. He couldn''t understand why Xu Ming was just as fast as him. He had a way higher cultivating then Xu Ming and his Movement Skill was personally selected by his master and said to be the best an Outer Sect Disciple could possess, still, Xu Ming was matching his speed. "You bastard! I''ll show you the real difference between us!" He finally couldn''t bear with it as he said out loud. Just as Xu Ming''s sword clashed with his sword, Xiang Feng utilized the situation and used another skill with his free hand. "Flaming Fist!" He let out as he punched Xu Ming''s chest. His Flaming Fist was so powerful that it made Xu Ming fly back like a broken kite. He crashed on the ground 100 meters away from Xiang Feng. The small portion of his clothes was burned off because of the first. He could even feel like some of his bones were broken. He felt pain when he tried to stand up, but he didn''t let it show on his face. He still had his sword in his hand that he hadn''t left even when he was suddenly attacked. He didn''t let the sword leave his hand since that would mean his death in this situation. Without giving an opportunity to Xiang Feng, he stood up. "Hah, I guess that''s all you have. Well, I can''t expect much from a Body Refining Realm cultivator. It''s not like you can use skills like me. That''s where your limit lies," Xiang Feng said with a proud look on his face as he slowly walked towards Xu Ming. He was suddenly surprised as he saw Xu Ming getting into a sword stance. He couldn''t help but start laughing madly. "What are you doing? Are you trying to use a sword skill? Little idiot, only Spirit Establishment Realm cultivators can use that. Do you consider me an idiot?" He said with an amused look on his face. He didn''t stop or increase his speed. He walked just as comfortably as before. He felt like Xu Ming was bluffing to make him scared. There was no way someone like him could use a sword skill. All his notions were turned upside down as he saw Xu Ming swing his Sword. He was only 10 meters away from Xu Ming when he swung his sword. His laughing face lost all his color as he saw a bright arc of light escape from Xu Ming''s sword and come towards him at a lightning speed. He hadn''t expected that and before he could even raise his sword, the arc of light, purely made of Xu Ming''s Origin Energy, passed through his body. He managed to raise his sword, but it was already too late. His body was sliced in half. He couldn''t even scream as he died. Both halves of his body fell to the ground separately. "You know what I learned in my life? Never underestimate anyone. Even a friend can betray you and even a weak Insect can kill you," Xu Ming said softly as he looked at the dead body of Xiang Feng. Before Xu Ming could even take a step forward, he fell down to the ground as he coughed out a mouthful of blood. Xiang Feng''s Flaming Fist had seriously injured him, but he was resisting his internal injuries to continue the fight. As soon as the fight was over, he fell down as well. His heartbeats were irregular and some of his chest bones were broken. He had lost his consciousness from the pain. Xu Ming lay unconscious 10 meters away from Xiang Feng''s dead body. Fortunately, they were away from the entrance of the Xiayi Kingdom and no one saw them. 88 Chapter 85: Interaction in Dream? A carriage was slowly moving towards the Xiayi Kingdom. Two people were sitting inside the carriage. One of them was a 15-16-year-old boy, while the other one was an 18-19-year-old girl. While the boy was looking outside the window, the girl was busy reading a book. The carriage kept moving at a constant pace until it stopped abruptly. The girl frowned as she put the book down and looked outside. When the carriage still didn''t move, she opened the door and stepped outside. "Why did we stop?"She asked as soon as she stepped outside, but she didn''t get an answer. She looked to the driver''s seat but found it empty. With a confused look on her face, she looked to the front and saw that the carriage driver was walking away from them. "Where are you going?" She called out loudly. The Carriage Driver stopped and looked back. "There are two bodies lying ahead of us, Miss. I thought that I should go check them out," The carriage driver looked back and answered. "Two bodies?" The girl exclaimed in surprise as she shifted her focus from the carriage drive and she indeed saw two bodies lying ahead. Before she could react, the boy came out of the carriage as well. "Whoa? There are bodies here? Let me see as well," The boy excitedly ran towards the bodies. "Jay! Stop! It can be dangerous if you go there!" She called out as she ran after the young boy, but the boy didn''t stop. "There''s nothing dangerous about it, Sister," The boy replied, but he didn''t stop. In a few minutes, he and the carriage driver were standing right beside the dead bodies. The girl got there as well. "Such a cruel death. Even his body isn''t left intact," The boy said softly as he saw the body of Xiang Feng. "Those clothes? I think I saw them before. Oh right! These are the clothes of the Devil Cultivators!" The girl exclaimed in surprise as she grabbed the hand of the boy and stepped back. "Devil Cultivators? Cool! Why are you taking me back, sister! This guy can''t be more dead than he is now," The boy started laughing as he freed his hands from his sister''s hands and again stepped forward. The girl also realized that, but she still couldn''t help but worry. "If I''m not wrong, this devil cultivator fought with this kid since I can see a sword near both of them. I''m quite surprised that this little kid was able to kill a Devil Cultivator," The boy further said in surprise as he glanced at Xu Ming. Fortunately, Xu Ming had removed his disciple badge and clothes and he was wearing normal clothes. They didn''t know that he was a devil cultivator as well. "They both harmed each other. This boy must be a strong cultivator since he was able to kill a Devil Cultivator. Unfortunately, he died as well. Such a pity," The girl sighed. He moved towards Xu Ming first. Xu Ming was lying in the ground and his back was facing the sky. The boy called Jay walked up to him and rolled him over so that his chest was facing the sky as he began checking his clothes. The only thing of worth he found was the Beast Bag though. He couldn''t see the ring that Xu Ming was wearing. "This bag must be the thing they call a beast bag. It would be so worth it if it had beasts inside. We could sell it to some sects," The boy excitedly stood up as he turned to look towards the body of Xiang Feng. He walked towards him and left Xu Ming behind. The girl was still observing Xu Ming as she pitied that such an innocent-looking kid had died when fighting the devil. She hated the Devil Cultivators, so she quite liked all those who opposed the demons. She was just looking at Xu Ming when she noticed something that made her mouth open wide. Xu Ming''s chest rose slightly as if he was breathing. She hurriedly ran towards him and checked on his nerves and breathing. "He''s alive!" She let out excitedly. "He must have lost his consciousness because of his injuries," She let out as she saw the brunt clothes of Xu Ming. "Zhen, Help me take this boy to the carriage. We should help him and take him to our clan. Also, take the body of that devil cultivator as proof as well," She let out. "He''s alive?" Jay said in surprise as he turned back. "Cheh, I guess we can''t take their belongings. Since that kid is alive, these are all his things. It''s fine though. Since he killed the Devil Cultivators, he must be from some big sect as well. Our small clan will definitely get profited by associating with him," Jay said with a thoughtful look on his face. They all carried Xu Ming inside the carriage while they placed Xiang Feng''s body on top of the carriage since they had no other place to keep it. They did wrap it in clothes so that people won''t be able to see that it was a body. After being finished with everything, they started moving once more. The girl was sitting near Xu Ming and she had her hands on his chest so that Xu Ming won''t fall. Jay was sitting on the opposite side of them. "Do you think he''s from the Xiayi Kingdom?" The girl asked as she looked at Jay. "I don''t think so. If he was from here, he would be wearing his sect uniform when leaving the sect. He must be from some other kingdom that has sects that don''t have a dress code for their disciples. I heard that there are a few sects in some other kingdoms," Jay replied as he observed Xu Ming''s clothes. "That does seem possible. His sect must be quite good though. Despite being so young, he was able to take on a Devil Cultivator that was way older. If I''m not wrong, the boy that was killed must be from the Mighty Demon Sect. That''s one of the biggest Evil Sects in this continent," She said softly. Their carriage entered the Xiayi Kingdom without much trouble and continued ahead. ______________________________________ While Xu Ming lost consciousness because of pain, he found himself inside the same dream that he had been seeing since the moment he came to this planet. The boy and the Ice Phoenix were still there and he was watching them, but something strange happened this time. The boy inside his dream suddenly shifted his gaze towards Xu Ming and stared at him with a curious look on his face. "You... look hurt," The boy said as he looked at Xu Ming. "You can see me?" Xu Ming asked in surprise. "Are you saying something?" The boy asked. He wasn''t able to hear Xu Ming''s words. Xu Ming just watched him with a frown since he realized that the boy probably wasn''t able to hear his words. "You look hurt. Are you in pain like me?" The boy further asked. Xu Ming just nodded his head. "Do you hear voices in your head as well?" The boy again asked. Xu Ming shook his head this time. "Have we met before?" The boy again asked. He found Xu Ming somewhat familiar. This time, Xu Ming didn''t know how to react. He had seen the boy in his dreams, but he hadn''t met him. He just shook his head again. "Oh," The boy let out in disappointment. The boy stood up softly as he walked towards Xu Ming with his slow shaky steps. The Ice Phoenix stayed behind. 89 Chapter 86: Beggar Xu Ming saw the boy extend his fingers towards him. He didn''t know why, but he felt like something happened, though he wasn''t sure what. He again looked up and found the boy sitting back on his original position. "Will you be my friend like Icy?" The boy asked with a smile. Xu Ming wanted to reply, but before he could do anything, the dream broke. ______________________________ Xu Ming slowly opened his eyes and noticed that he was inside a moving vehicle. The first thing he saw was the boy that was sitting in front of him. He also realized that there was a person right beside him. "Who are you?" He let out softly. "You''re already up? Amazing, I thought that you were seriously injured. Looks like it was nothing major" Jay said. The girl was visibly surprised as she saw Xu Ming speak "Injured?" Xu Ming muttered as he touched his chest and to his surprise, he found out that he was somehow healed. He couldn''t feel the least bit of pain on his chest. ''H-how is this possible?'' he thought with a frown on his face. ''Is this something related to the dream? Or did these people give me some medicine?'' He wondered. Since the girl looked older, He decided to talk to her instead. "Did you give me any medicine or something?" He asked straightforwardly. "No, We don''t have any medicine that can cure internal injuries. That''s why we were taking you with us. Fortunately, it looks like we were wrong. You don''t have an internal injury," She replied with a slight smile. "Oh," Xu Ming gave a dull reaction. Now he was sure that it was because of that dream, but he couldn''t understand how. Just who was that kid in his dream? How could he do all this? "Hey, little brother. Did you kill that evil cultivator yourself?" The boy inquired. Xu Ming realized that they must be talking about Xiang Feng. He simply nodded his head. "Amazing. Just as I had expected. Here, I think these things belong to you," Jay said as he gave Xu Ming both the beast bags and the swords. Xu Ming kept those things with him but he didn''t place any of that in his storage ring since he didn''t want to disclose the existence of his storage ring. "Where am I right now?" Xu Ming inquired. "We''re inside the Xiayi Kingdom. We''re going to our clan. If you don''t mind, we would appreciate it if you could be our guest for a few days," The girl said. "Anyways, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Ling Xin and he''s my brother Ling Jay. We''re the members of the Ling Clan in the capital city of Xiayi. Although our clan is not that big, it''s not poor either. Our Father really likes the brave warriors that fight against evil cultivators. He would be really happy to meet you," The girl said as she introduced herself and her clan. Since his destination was also the capital city of Xiayi Kingdom, he decided to utilize this opportunity. He thought that he might even be able to find some information about the Glorious Sword Sect from them. "Also, My name is Xu Ming. You can call me that," he said. "That''s a nice name. Which kingdom are you from and where were you going?" Jay asked. "I am sorry, but I can''t answer either of those questions," Xu Ming shook his head as he said. "Stop asking such stupid questions, Jay. We just got to know him. Don''t get so personal. Also, it''s not like he''s an evil cultivator. There''s no need to interrogate him like that," Xin scolded Jay. "But I was just trying to get to know him," Jay insisted. "No excuses. Apologize to him. Don''t make our guest uncomfortable," Xun replied to him in full seriousness. "Sorry. I shouldn''t have asked personal questions," Jay apologized. He thought that Xu Ming didn''t want to talk about his personal life and he didn''t want to be rude. "It''s alright. It''s just that my master told me to not disclose too much about myself to people I don''t know properly," Xu Ming replied and made an excuse. "Do you know that the biggest sect of our Xiayi Kingdom is in the capital as well. It''s called the Glorious Sword Sect. The sect rewards those who manage to kill evil cultivators. Since you killed one, would you like to go there? We brought the body of that evil cultivator as well. You can use that as proof," Xin suggested. Xu Ming couldn''t help but wonder about her suggestion. His mission was to kill 2 disciples of the Glorious Sword Sect after all. ''If I could get close to the sect, it would be easier to select a target, but I''d come under their watch as well. They would definitely ask me about my sect. I better keep myself hidden for the moment,'' Xu Ming decided after thinking for a while. "I''d prefer to burn the body and take the badge of that evil cultivator to my sect. That would be more beneficial for me,'' Xu Ming said. "Oh right. You''d get quite a lot of contribution points for this I guess," Jay responded. "Also, I would very much appreciate it if you don''t tell people about me. Don''t tell anyone that I killed an evil cultivator. I don''t like too much attention. I can stay at your place, but only if you don''t tell anyone that I killed an evil cultivator," Xu Ming said as he gazed at the girl in full seriousness. "Can we at least tell our father? He''s the patriarch of our sect and he would be really happy to meet a hero like you. I promise you that he would respect your wishes and not disclose any information about you," Xin said. "Alright. But no one else," Xu Ming responded. "I promise," Xin said as she looked in Xu Ming''s eyes. After traveling for half a day, the carriage finally reached its destination. Sun City was the place where the royal palace was situated. This city had quite a few sects and clans. It was said that the city had only two major clans, the Ming Clan and the Lu Clan. Ling Clan wasn''t one of the top clans of the Sun City, but it wasn''t weak either. If all the clans were to be ranked, the Ling Clan would be considered a 6th rank clan. The clan had many properties in the kingdom. Their main mansion was also quite big. A long stone wall surrounded the clan mansion. There was a single door for entrance in the boundary wall. If one were to walk, it would take them 20 minutes to get from the main gate to the mansion. The carriage entered the place and stopped right before the mansion. They all got out of the carriage. "Leave the carriage here. I''ll send a servant to bring that body to father," Xin told the carriage driver. "Come with me," she respectfully told Xu Ming as she entered the mansion. Xu Ming walked with her and entered the place. The first thing he saw after entering was a big hall. There were various hallways that led to different locations of the mansion and a beautiful designer staircase at the end of the hall. Xin brought Xu Ming to the second floor. They led him towards the study room of his father. They knew that other than his bedroom, their father mostly spent their time in the Study Room. As they were walking, a mature woman came from the opposite side. The woman looked like she was in her 40s. Her face was heavily covered by makeup. "Xin? Why did you bring a beggar here?" The woman stopped before them and asked as she looked at Xu Ming. 90 Chapter 87: Lie "Aunt Xi, He''s not a beggar. Please be respectful. He''s someone really important!" Jay replied to the woman before Xin could speak. "Someone important? If you wanted to pretend that, you should''ve given him some decent clothes," The woman said sarcastically as she pointed towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming looked down and realized that he was still wearing the same clothes that were burnt around the chest area after the fight. He didn''t get the opportunity to change clothes since Jay and Xin had been with him from the moment he woke up. All his spare clothes were in his storage as well. "Aunt Xi, He''s our friend. His clothes got in a situation like this because of a fight," Xin said but she noticed the look on Xu Ming''s face and didn''t disclose that he was a cultivator or who he was fighting. "Sigh. You''re the young miss of the Ling clan. At Least think before you make any random beggar your friend. Keeping that aside, What is he doing here? Why did you bring him inside our clan?" The woman further asked. "We''re taking him to meet our father," Xin replied. The Woman was visibly surprised as she heard her words. "Haa? Have you lost your intelligence? You''re taking him to meet my brother? Don''t you know that he''s the master of this clan? What would happen to his reputation if any random kid was allowed to meet him?" She asked. " Take him back. Give him a few copper coins and let him go. Don''t make the things complicated for our clan," She further said. "Ahh Aunt, Actually it was my father who asked us to bring him. Otherwise, why would I bring him here? I''d go now. Father must be waiting," Xin said. She decided to lie since she didn''t want to stretch things too much as she couldn''t expose his identity, but her plan made things even worse. "Hmm? Do you think I''m stupid? You would lie to my face and I would believe it? Why would my brother ask to meet him!" The woman didn''t believe her in the slightest and her tone turned even louder. Quite a few servants of the clan, that were nearby, heard the commotion, and started looking at them. "I''m not lying, Aunt," Xin insisted. "Oh really? Come with me. Let''s ask your father then," Xi said with a smile as she gestured to them to follow her. She turned back and started walking. She stopped and looked back, but noticed that the kids hadn''t moved an inch. "Why are you not coming? Is it because you are lying? There''s nothing to be ashamed of," She said with a grin. "Come-on sister! Let''s go as well. We''re not lying after all," Jay couldn''t bear the sarcastic tone and looked at Xin as he said. He had an idea in his mind. "Ok," Xin agreed. She looked back at Xu Ming and gestured to him to come with her with a pleading look on her face. They went to the Study of their father with their Aunt Xi. "Brother? Can I come inside?" She let out. "Come in. The door is open," A man''s voice came from the inside. Xi pushed the door open and entered the room with the others. A man was sitting on a chair and reading a book. There were many shelves in the room that were filled with books. The Man looked to be quite young. There are no wrinkles on his face, though his hair was white. "Hmm? You all came together? Xin? Jay? When did you come back to the city?"The man let out in surprise as he saw them. "We just came back, father," Xin replied with a smile. "That''s great. I''ll talk to you later. Let me hear your aunt first," He said with a smile and shifted his focus back to the older woman in the room. "You don''t generally come to me like this. Did you need something?" The man looked at Xi and asked. "It''s nothing big. I just saw niece Xin bringing that beggar inside our clan. When I asked her about it, she told me that you invited him. I couldn''t help but be curious as to why you would invite someone like him?" Xi asked him with a smirk on her face. She was quite clear that he didn''t invite that boy, but she couldn''t tell him that she thought that his kids were liars. So she changed the form of her questions, while still conveying it. "I called him?" The man looked visibly confused as he looked at his kids standing behind his sister. He could see Jay''s pleading expressions. "Hahaha, Yeah right. I called that kid to meet him. I had some personal reasons, but I can''t talk about them. I''m really sorry Xi," The man started laughing as he lied to save the reputation of his kids. He didn''t want to expose his kids in front of others. "Oh? It''s fine. I''ll take my leave then," Xi looked visibly shocked as she heard her brother. She was now feeling glad that she didn''t accuse the kids in front of her brother as she was wrong. She hurriedly left the room. "So kids, Can you tell me who that kid is? And why did you lie to your aunt?" He asked with an amused smile on his face. He didn''t look the least bit angry, he was just curious. "I''m sorry father. We had to lie to Aunt since we couldn''t expose his identity," Xin said as she pointed towards Xu Ming. The man was visibly stunned as he tried to understand the hidden meaning behind her words. "You didn''t want to expose his identity? Who is he? What is his real identity?" He asked with a frown. "You''d be amazed when you know about it, father," Jay let out excitedly. "He''s an amazing cultivator! We found him when we were coming back to our kingdom. He is a brave warrior who bravely fought against a cultivator of an even sect and managed to kill him. I think he was harmed in the battle as well. That''s why he was unconscious when we found him," Xin was the one who explained. "Hmm? Do you have the clothes that the evil cultivator was wearing?" He asked. He didn''t doubt what he heard since he believed his kids. "We brought the body as well. It''s on the top of our carriage. We can send a servant to bring that here?" Xin informed him. "Mu Gu should be standing outside. Tell him to bring it here," Their father told them. Jay went outside and told the person about it before he came back. Their father didn''t say anything in the meanwhile though. Although he believed their kids, he felt like there might be a possibility that they mistakenly considered a random person to be an evil cultivator. Real evil Cultivators weren''t someone a kid who looked to be 9-10 years old could defeat after all. In a few minutes, their servant came with something that was tied crudely in cloth. He placed that in front of the clan master before he left. The man stood up from his seat as he stepped towards the thing their servant brought. He opened the knot and uncovered it. There were two halves of a body there that was cleanly cut in the middle. "T-that''s the dress of the Mighty Demon Sect!" The man exclaimed in shock as he took a step back. "I can''t believe you managed to kill a disciple of one of the strongest demonic sects, despite being so young!" The man said as he forgot about his dignity and hurriedly walked towards Xu Ming. He held his hands as he looked at him with a fawning look on his face. 91 Chapter 88: Targe "Thank you," Xu Ming simply thanked him since he didn''t know how to react to someone praising him like this. The Sect Master suddenly realized that his son talked about his sister calling him a beggar. His face couldn''t help but turn red. "I would like to apologize for my naive sister who unknowingly called you names. I''m really sorry about that," He apologized to Xu Ming. "He''s such a special person. Why did you not tell her about it? How can you let a guest get insulted! You should''ve told her," He turned to look at Xin and Jay as he scolded them. "I-it''s..." They were about to explain, but Xu Ming spoke first. "I told them to keep it a secret. I don''t want anyone to know that I killed an Evil Cultivator. I''m out on a mission and if this news got to the Mighty Demon Sect, they might affect my mission. I don''t want the news to be out before I get back to my sect after completing my mission and inform my elders," Xu Ming said. He had been thinking for a long time about the excuse he could use since the moment he left the carriage, and after thinking for a whole, he thought about the reason he could give, to not make them doubt him. "Oh right. It might be problematic for you. I can understand your conundrum," The Clan Master turned serious as he replied to Xu Ming. "Oh right. Where are my manners? I didn''t even introduce myself. I''m Ling Kun. The Clan Master of the Ling Clan," The Clan Master said. "I''m Xu Ming. It''s nice to meet you. Anyways, Miss Xin invited me to stay here for a few days. It''s not going to be a problem, is it? I can leave if you don''t want that," Xu Ming replied. "What are you talking about? Of Course, I''d love to host you. It''s not every day that I get to meet someone as talented as you. You can stay here for as long as you want!" Ling Kun said with a bright smile on his face. "Thanks," Xu Ming politely thanked them. Ling Kun fell in a daze as he saw Xu Ming being so polite. He had met quite a lot of talented cultivators, and they all had one thing in common. They were all arrogant. ''He''s such a talented kid, but he doesn''t have the least bit of arrogance. Such a nice kid. If only he was 7-8 years older, I wouldn''t mind marrying Xin to him. Well, he will become an adult after some years, maybe then?'' Ling Kun thought. "Ah, Sir?" Xu Ming called out as he saw him in a daze. "Oh, Sorry. I was thinking about something. Anyways, I heard that you were in a fight. Seeing the condition of your clothes, I can safely assume that to be true. Should I call a physician? You might be injured," Ling Kun asked in concern. "I''m perfectly fine. There''s no need for a physician. I''m only a little tired," Xu Ming responded. "Also Jay, Your Master has been waiting for you. Go to his room. Since you''re back, it''s time that you start your training," He looked at Jay and told him. "Yes father," Both Jay and Xin replied at the same time. They both left the room with Xu Ming. "This is where we will separate. I''ll see you later," Jay said to Xu Ming as he started walking towards the left. Xin, on the other hand, walked towards the right. Xu Ming followed her. After walking for over 10 minutes, she stopped before a room. She pushed the door open and entered. Xu Ming entered as well and saw that the room was already fully furnished and looked quite good as well. "You can rest here. Do you want to rest now? Should I leave?" She asked in uncertainty. "Can you just stay with me for a little longer. I want to talk a little," Xu Ming said as he sat on a sofa. "Of Course I can. What do you want to ask? I''ll answer if it''s something I know about," She said as she sat beside him. "Nothing serious. It''s just that it''s my first time in the Xiayi Kingdom and I was quite curious about it. Also, I haven''t known about many sects, So I couldn''t help but become curious when you talked about Glorious Sword Sect. I just want to know more so as to quench my curiosity," Xu Ming said to her. "Oh, I can tell you all about the sect and the Kingdom. Which one do you want to know about first?" She inquired. "I''d prefer to know about the sect," Xu Ming said. "The sect? Alright. The Glorious Sword Sect is one of the strongest sects in the Kingdom. Also, it is said that the Glorious Sword Sect has an even bigger backing. But I don''t know about that," She replied. " Their Cultivators mostly try to comprehend the way of the Sword. There are a few rare talents as well who don''t use swords, but their number is quite low. The sect is famous for its sword techniques that are said to be best," She further said. "The way of the sword? Interesting. Do their disciples stay inside the sect all the time, or do they come out?" He further asked. "Of Course they come out. The Sect isn''t that strict with them. If you go out in the city, you''d see a lot of them," She said with a smile. "Really? How can I recognize one when I see them?" Xu Ming asked. "Hah, It''s the easiest to recognize them. Firstly, through their clothes. You can see a sword symbol on their chest. Secondly, you can always see them carrying a sword," She answered him. "That''s good to know. I''d love to see a few when I go out. Anyways, how strong are their cultivators? And Is there a way to differentiate between them?" He asked. "Most of the cultivators that come outside are either in the Body Refining Realm or the initial stages of the Spirit Establishment Realm since the ones that have a higher cultivating spend all their time inside the sect," She said. "As for differentiating between them, it''s simple as well. You can see it through their clothes. If the Sword Symbol on their Chest is light Blue, they are in the Body Refining Realm. If it''s Dark Blue, they are in the early stages of the Spirit Establishment Realm," "The Light Green Sword Symbol is for the mid-stages of the Spirit Establishment Realm. Similarly, the Dark Green sword symbol means that the disciple is in the late stages of the Spirit Establishment Realm," She explained. "Oh, Thanks for the information. I feel like I have gained a lot of knowledge," Xu Ming thanked her. "Is there something else you want to ask as well?" She asked as she looked at him. "Not at the moment. You cleared everything for me," Xu Ming responded. "Alright. I''ll take my leave then. If you need anything, my room is right beside yours. Just knock on the door," She said as she stood up and left. Xu Ming walked up to the door and locked it after she left. He walked to the bedroom and lay on the bed as he fell in deep thought. He brought the mission document out of his storage ring and started reading it once more. ''I should go after the Body Refining Realm Disciples. I can''t take the risk as I''m in their territory and the mission didn''t specify the cultivation of the disciples that I need to kill. I better play it safe,'' He thought. 92 Chapter 89: Meeting Glorious Sword disciples It was already evening and Xu Ming decided to stay inside for the night and get to work tomorrow. He didn''t want to screw up in his hurry. "I''d do some reconnaissance from tomorrow and see how I can achieve the target successfully," He muttered. He started looking at the Beast Bag and the Sword of Xiang Feng that he had received. "The sword is indeed one with better quality than the one I''m using. If I''m not wrong, it should be a Peak Mortal Grade sword. This guy was definitely someone special from the sect. I can''t understand though. Why would someone like him target me? I haven''t fought with anyone since I''ve been to the sect. What would make someone like him come after me?" He thought with a frown on his face. "I can''t think of anyone that would hate me so much. Wait a minute, he was waiting for me near the Xiayi Kingdom. How did they even know that I was coming to the Xiayi Kingdom? There are only 2 people who know about it. The Punishment Elder and Wu! They must be involved. Now that I think about it, all this seems like a well thought out planned to get me out of the Sect," Xu Ming muttered to himself. "Even though I know that, will anyone believe me? I don''t think anyone would believe that the Punishment Elder or his disciple schemed against me. We haven''t even interacted with each other before this after all. I''d just be punished if I go back without completing a mission," He said with a wry smile on his face. "Sigh, Everything just got so much more complicated. I need to complete the mission and go back. My necklace is still inside the sect," He let out as he clenched his fist. He only had this one clue and he decided that he would talk to Wu Tian about it when he goes back. As of this moment, he didn''t have the strength to get answers from a Punishment Hall member Wu, but Wu Tian was stronger, so he might be able to. Xu Ming thought about a lot of things and fell asleep unknowingly. He slept for hours and woke up when it was morning. He slowly opened his eyes. He abruptly sat up as if he was shocked to his core. "H-how is that possible?" He exclaimed in shock. He was quite shocked since the thing that has been happening to him for a long time, didn''t happen last time. Every time he slept, he dreamt of the boy. But this time, he didn''t. In fact, there was no dream. He just found himself in a void as he fell asleep and in the next second, he found himself up. He was wondering about it when he heard a knock on the door. "Are you up?" A girl''s voice came from outside. "Yeah, I''ll be right there," Xu Ming replied as he recognized that voice. It belonged to Xin. He got off the bed and walked to the door and unlocked it. "Want to go outside with me? Father suggested that I should show you the city since you''re new here," She told him. "Oh right. You came at just the right time. I''ve been wanting to see the city as well. Do you have some clothes that a guy like me can wear though? As you can see, my clothes are destroyed," Xu Ming said. Although he had clothes in his storage ring, if he wore those, he wouldn''t be able to explain to her where he got the clothes from. So he asked her instead. Xin looked to her left and gestured to a maid that way standing there with clothes in her hand. Since Xu Ming was inside the room, he wasn''t able to see her. "I knew about that. That''s why I brought a set for you. You can take these clothes," She said with a smile as she took the clothes off the hands of the maid and gave them to Xu Ming. "Thanks. Just give me a minute, I''ll be right back," Xu Ming said as he closed the door and changed his clothes. He placed the old set of clothes back in his storage ring and opened the door. Xin was still standing there, waiting for him. He walked out of the door and closed it. "Let''s go," Xu Ming told her. "Sure. Come with me. We''ll travel through most of the city in my carriage. We can stop and walk through the important places of the city on foot since we can get a better view of things," Xin said as she turned back. Xu Ming followed her and they soon reached the exit of the clan. Unfortunately, they again met their Aunt Xi along the way. "Xin, I would like to apologize to you for doubting you. I hope you can forgive this aunt of yours," Xi told Xin. "Also, you. My brother told me that you''re the son of his friend. I''m sorry for calling you a beggar yesterday. I misunderstood everything," She said as she looked at Xu Ming. ''Interesting. She''s not arrogant enough to not accept her mistake and apologize. So far, I have a nice impression of their Clan, but it''s impossible to see the true face of a person,'' Xu Ming thought as she looked at the woman. "It''s alright. You don''t need to apologize to me. It was just a misunderstanding. I can understand," Xu Ming said. "Great. Are you guys going outside?" She inquired. "Yes Aunt Xi," Xin replied. "Alright. Be careful when you''re outside," Xi said before she walked past them. Xu Ming and Xin left the mansion of the Ling Clan. They got inside Xin''s carriage which left the mansion. As the carriage traveled, Xu Ming kept looking outside through the window. He saw a lot of people, but no disable of the Glorious Sword Sect. The carriage traveled for around 10 minutes before it stopped. "This will be our first stop. It''s called the Fragrance Court. It''s more like a cafe where people come and have a drink with their friends. The Spirit Wines of this place is said to be the best in the whole kingdom. Let''s enter, you''ll get a better understanding," She told Xu Ming before she got out of the carriage. Xu Ming also got out and followed her inside the place. The fragrance court looked like a normal 1-floor building from the outside, but as he entered, he saw that the inside was just like a big garden. The whole ground was covered in some special grass that was giving out a beautiful fragrance. There were around a hundred round tables in that place at a proper distance from each other. Each table had 3 chairs around it. Around 70-80 tables were already filled. He followed Xin and sat on a table selected by her. Xu Ming looked through all the tables and he saw that amongst those 70-80 chairs, more than 50 were occupied by the people that matched the description of the Glorious Sword Sect disciples. Xu Ming could see the light blue sword symbol on their clothes. It was his first time seeing the disciples and he couldn''t help but compare them with the disciples of the Mighty Demon Sect. ''They don''t look as threatening as the outer sect disciples of the Mighty Demon Sect. Most of them look older than 20 and they''re still in the Body Refining Realm, so their talent is mediocre as well,'' He thought as he looked at them. 93 Chapter 90: Trouble arrives "Two glasses of your best Spirit Wine please," Xin told the person that came to take their order. She looked back at Xu Ming as soon as the person left. "Hey, Don''t stare at them. They might get offended," She said in a low voice as she noticed that Xu Ming was glaring at the disciples of the Glorious Sword Sect. "Sorry, I was just curious about them," Xu Ming stopped looking at other tables and glanced back at Xin. "It''s alright. I just don''t wish for a commotion. I do agree that you might be able to take care of yourself against one, but there are so many. It would be troublesome if a fight is started because of you staring at them," She said softly. "Really? Will they start a fight over such a small matter?" Xu Ming asked in curiosity. "I believe that they would. This won''t be the first time either. I''ve heard about many incidents like that happening here. I guess it must be different in your city since you don''t know about it. I just thought that all the cultivators acted like that," She said with a thoughtful look on her face. "I would believe you. There are different kinds of people in this world. The existence of a few arrogant guys like that is quite possible," Xu Ming replied. He was keeping his voice low as well. A man came up to them with two glasses of Spirit Wine and placed them on the table. "Thank you," Xin told the waiter before he left. "Try it. You''d like it a lot. It''s the best wine in this land. It''s pretty useful for the ones that drink it for the first time as well. It can help your cultivation slightly by stimulating the Qi inside your body," She said to Xu Ming as she slightly pushed the glass of wine towards him. ''I don''t have the least bit of Qi inside my body. I don''t believe this wine would do anything like that to me. Whatever, I can still drink it,'' Xu Ming thought as he picked up the glass and took his first sip. "It''s nice," He complimented as he placed the glass down "Do you feel something?" Xin asked as she looked at Xu Ming. "Nothing at all. I guess it''s not effective on me," Xu Ming replied. It was just as he had expected. This was not useful for him in the least "That''s weird. Although it''s my first time here, I''ve heard so many people talk about it," Xin let out with a confused look on her face. "Don''t think about it too much. It''s fine," Xu Ming told her as he picked up the glass once more and took another sip. Xin also started drinking the wine from her glass. They were drinking their Wine and talking when a few guys entered the Fragrance Court. There were 3 boys and they were all carrying a sword on their back while wearing the clothes that highlighted their cultivator status with the sky blue sword symbol on their chest. "Brother Chu, finally you decided to visit the Fragrance Court with us after denying us for so long. I can''t describe how happy I am," One of the boys said to the crimson-haired boy. "Ruu, You know that it wasn''t me who didn''t want to go out and have fun, it was all because of my Elder brother who said that I can''t leave the sect before I reach the 10th Stage of Body Refining Realm. He was so strict and I had no choice but to follow his orders," The Crimson haired boy called Chu said to the boy. "After all these years, I finally got to the 10th stage of the Body Refining Realm and gained my freedom from that stupid prison-like place. Now I can have all the fun I want," Chu said with a grin on his face. He stepped inside the place and soon after, his eyes fell on a girl sitting at the distant table. He couldn''t help but appreciate Xin who had a beautiful smile on her face as she talked to Xu Ming. "Who''s that girl?" Chu asked the guys that were around him. "I have no idea. I haven''t seen her here before. Has brother Chu taken a liking to her? She is indeed pretty," Ruu said as he smiled. "Indeed, She''s beautiful. I can''t believe my luck. The first time I came here and I found a girl like that. I want her for myself," Chu said. "I think I recognize her. She''s a member of the Ling Clan," The other boy replied to him. "The Ling Clan? As long as she''s not from the two major clans, there''s no need to worry," Chu said with a grin on his face. "There''s a room facility in Fragrance Court as well right? Ruu, I''ll go take a room. I''ll send Mai to inform you of the room number. You go invite the girl to my room. Don''t screw this up alright? Chu said as he walked towards the reception of the Fragrance Court with Mai. Only Ruu was left behind He booked a room without much trouble and sent Mai to inform the Room number to Ruu. "Brother Chu is in room 3. Let''s go and invite the girl. It''s brother Chu''s first time outside the sect and if we can make things fun for him, we might even get closer to him," Mai said with a grin on his face. "Yeah. Chu is his little brother after all. His rise in the sect is already decided. If we can stick closer to Chu, we might be able to gain a few benefits as well. Let''s get the girl," Ruu said with a smile as he stepped towards the table of Xu Ming and Xin. "Hey beauty," Ruu said with a smirk on his face as he looked at Xin. Xin noticed the clothes they were wearing. "Yes, Is there something you need?" She politely asked. "Not for us, but you can definitely do a lot of things for our brother. He''s waiting in Room 3 for you. He wishes to have a talk with you," Ruu said to her. "Ahh, I''m sorry but I don''t feel like going into a guy''s room. Anyways, we''re already done here. We should be leaving," She said as she stood up. "Are you trying to disrespect our brother? He only wishes to have a talk with you and you''re doubting his pure intentions?" Rui said in annoyance. Xin couldn''t help but feel scared at the moment. "Ruu, Calm down. Don''t make a scene here," Mai said as he looked at Ruu. "I''m sorry about my friend. He just doesn''t like it when someone doubts someone innocent like our brother Chu. I can promise you that he only wishes to talk with you. If you don''t believe us, you can even bring your friend with you," Mai said in a calm tone. Ruu just looked at Mai with a weird look as he tried to understand what he was trying to do. "If you still don''t give us face and come with us, That would indeed be like insulting us and our brother. I hope you can consider carefully, or things might get troublesome," Mai said. Xin noticed that his tone had turned slightly serious. "You won''t let us go if we don''t agree, will you?" Xu Ming asked as he looked at Mai. "Yup. Be smart and give our brother an opportunity to talk with you and get to know you," Mai said, but he didn''t look at Xu Ming. His focus never left Xin. "Alright. We''ll come with you. It''s only going to be a simple chat after all," Xu Ming replied. 94 Chapter 91: Going overboard "Hahaha, Good Kid. You seem like a sensible person," Mai smilingly said to Xu Ming. "Girl, you should listen to your little brother. Come with us. Let''s go," He said smilingly. Xin just looked at Xu Ming with a confused look on her face, but she nodded her head as she saw the carefree look on his face. "I''d come with you," She said. "Good! Walk ahead. We''ll tell you the directions from behind if you''re confused," Mai told her. She and Xu Ming started walking towards the rooms. Mai and Ruu followed behind them and kept an eye on them. "Hey, Why did you have to bring that guy with us as well! All we needed was that girl. You know that our boss won''t actually be talking right?" Ruu stepped closer to Mai and whispered in his ears. "Hahaha, Of course, I know that he isn''t needed, but I didn''t want the girl to create a commotion. To make her believe about the chat thing and inviting her friend might have given her some faith," Mai replied smilingly. "As for the boy, we can just kill him when we''re inside the room. It wouldn''t matter how much commotion she creates when we''re inside," He said with a grin on his face. "Indeed, That seems to be true. I guess you really did use your brain. Everything was handled so brilliantly," Ruu complimented Mai. "Hahaha, Yeah. I realized that it would be easier to use the brain than using strength here," Mai replied. "Turn left from here," Mai informed Xin as they got near an intersection. Xin turned left and continued walking. "Stop there. That''s the room," Mai again said just as Xin and Xu Ming got near the room no. 3. Mai walked ahead and knocked on the door. "It''s open. You can come inside," A voice came from inside. Mai opened the door and looked at Xin. "Get inside," He said. Xin was still somewhat hesitating. Xu Ming held her hand. Xin felt more comfortable as she took her first step inside the room. Xu Ming entered with her. Mai and Ruu enter after them. "You''ve finally come to me," Chu said with a smirk as he looked at Xin, but immediately after that, he noticed Xu Ming. A frown appeared on his face. "What the fuck is that boy doing here? Didn''t you guys understand what I said? Or are you thinking that I don''t differentiate between guys and girls!" Chu stood up furiously as he scolded Mai and Ruu. "Calm down brother Chu. Let us explain. This kid is the little brother of the girl. To bring the girl here without causing a commotion, we had to bring her brother as well," Mai explained. Xin heard his words and all color disappeared from her face as she looked at Xu Ming. Xu Ming could see the worried on her face, he held her hand even tightly as he gave her a soothing smile. "You don''t need to do that. He''s her brother after all," Chu responded. "Kid, just get out of my room. Let me have some fun with your sister and I''ll release her as well. There''s no need to make things more difficult for yourself," He said to Xu Ming. "I''ve seen evil of different types, but it''s the first time I''m seeing something like this. You do deserve to die," Xu Ming said softly. "What the hell did you just say?" Chu asked with anger clear on his face. "Looks like you want to die here. Fine, let''s fulfill your wish. Mai, Ruu kill that kid and take care of his body," The crimson-haired boy ordered. "We would love to, brother Chu," Ruu smilingly said as he moved his hand towards his sword, but before he could touch his sword, everything turned dark below his eyes. He didn''t even realize what happened as his head war separated from his body and fell to the ground. Even Mai couldn''t react fast enough. All he saw was a sword appearing in Xu Ming''s hands out of nowhere, using which he killed Ruu. "You bastard!" Ruu raised his sword and attacked Xu Ming without wasting any time. His sword clashed with the sword of Xu Ming and instead of pushing Xu mind backward, he was the one that was pushed back 5 steps. Xu Ming didn''t stop as another sword appeared in his left hand which he stabbed in the chest of Mai. "Urghh" Mai''s eyes opened wide as the sword penetrated his heart. He coughed out a mouthful of blood as his body started shaking. Xu Ming pulled the sword back and Mai fell down to the ground. His vision turned dark as his breathing stopped. "Hmm? Interesting. I didn''t expect that a cultivator like you would be inside a small clan like the Ling Clan. You even have a Spatial storage item. I guess the Ling Clan was really hiding their strength," Chu said smiling. "I killed the 2 I needed, but I wouldn''t mind going overboard this one time," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at Chu. "Hahaha,Kid. Don''t act arrogant. I''m not a weakling like those two. I''m a peak Body Refining Realm expert. I can kill you in an instant. Also, do you think you can harm me? If my body got even a single scratch, my brother will destroy your whole clan," Chu replied to Xu Ming. He didn''t look the least bit worried as if he didn''t consider Xu Ming to be a threat. "Should I really care? No one would even find out," Xu Ming said to him. "Don''t make me pick up my sword, kid. Be a good boy and cut your hands off yourself. I''d let you live. I''ll only count to 3," Chu said as he glared at Xu Ming. "Huh," "1... 2... " Chu started counting, but Xu Ming didn''t even wait for the count to get to 3 as he used his Origin Movement and ran towards Chu. "You bastard!" Chu hurriedly picked up his sword and sliced towards Xu Ming. Both their swords met as sparks flew off everywhere, but Xu Ming had another sword that he used to attack Chu. Chu caught the sword with his bare hands. His hands were bleeding, but he didn''t let the pain show on his face. "It won''t work on me. I''ve already seen your tricks!" Chu said as he kicked Xu Ming''s chest. Xu Ming was hit as he flew back and crashed on the ground. Chu used his movement skill as he instantly appeared near Xu Ming and thrust his sword towards Xu Ming''s chest. 95 Chapter 92: She was killed Xu Ming was about to be struck by the sword, but he caught the sword with his bare hands. His hands had started bleeding, but he didn''t leave the sword of Chu. He picked up his sword that was lying nearby and slashed at Chu. Chu was trying to free his sword when he saw Xu Ming attack him. He released his sword as he moved back and dodged the attack. Xu Ming threw Chu''s sword behind him as he stepped towards him with his sword in his hand. "Do you think that you have won just because you took my weapon? How naive," Chu said smilingly as he looked at Xu Ming. "Let me show you the real difference between us," He said smilingly as he used his movement skill. In an instant, he disappeared from his initial position and appeared behind Xu Ming. He punched towards Xu Ming''s head, but his hand passed through Xu Ming. To be precise, his hand passed through Xu Ming''s shadow as Xu Ming used his movement skill and appeared behind him. Everything changed so suddenly that Chu didn''t even know how to react as Xu Ming caught the back of his neck and raised him in the air. Xu Ming thrashed him on the ground. The floor was cracked and Chu''s nose was broken. His head started bleeding. He couldn''t help but let out a pained noise, but Xu Ming simply picked him up again and crashed him on the ground. He did it 4-5 times until the floor was covered in his blood. He had even stopped moving. Xu Ming released him. He raised his sword and stabbed the chest of Chu and finished him off forever. He placed all three bodies in his storage ring before he turned back to look at Xu Ming. "Y-you killed them all," Xin stuttered. "Yeah, and I saved our lives. Don''t mention it to anyone. Just think of it like we never met them," Xu Ming said to her in a calm tone. "Let''s leave before someone else comes here," He further said as he walked towards the door. He opened the door as he looked outside. Seeing that no one was there, he stepped out of the room. Xin followed after him but she still couldn''t control her shaking. They left the place and entered the carriage silently. "I think it''s enough sightseeing for the day. Let''s go back," Xu Ming said as he looked at Xin, sitting to his left. "Alright," Xin nodded her head and informed the driver of the carriage about the change of plans. The Carriage Driver changed the direction and started taking the carriage back. In no time, the carriage was back inside the Ling Clan. They got out of the Carriage and entered the clan. As they were going towards the door, the clan master of the Ling Clan, Ling Kun was coming out of the clan. He stopped before Xu Ming and Xin as he glanced at them with a confused look on his face. "It''s because of me. I wasn''t feeling like seeing the city anymore, so I asked her to bring me back," Xu Ming answered as he wasn''t sure what Xin would say. "Oh, Are you feeling alright? It''s not because of your injuries, is it?" Ling Kun asked in concern. "It''s not that. I''m perfectly healed, so please don''t worry," Xu Ming replied. "Oh, alright. You guys can go back and rest. I''m going out for a meeting, so I won''t be back before late at night," Ling Kun said. "Alright. Thanks," Xu Ming responded. Ling Kun left, and Xu Ming entered the mansion. "Go to your room and have a sleep. You''ll feel better," Xu Ming told Xin as he entered his room. Xin nodded her head and walked to her room. Xu Ming fell down to his bed and closed his eyes as he breathed in relief. "Thanks to those guys, the quest was completed much easily," He muttered as he gazed at the disciples'' badges of the 3 of them. "Since I''m done with the quest, I can leave and go back. I''d leave at midnight," He decided. He got up and again began his cultivation. He had realized the importance of cultivation. Without strength, he would be dead twice after leaving the sect. He was able to survive only because he had Strength. He had the strength to survive and he didn''t want to slack off. Although he had survived till now, surviving was not his original target. It was revenge. He wanted to kill War God Zhen and he wanted to kill the person who schemed against him in the sect. He cultivated for hours with the same determination and stopped only when he felt like it was the time to get ready to leave. He stood up and left his room. He walked towards the room that was right beside his and knocked on the door. "Are you awake?" He called out. Xin opened the door in less than 10 seconds and just stood there blankly. "I''m leaving. I''d be going back to my sect," Xu Ming informed her. "When will you be leaving?" She asked softly. "Right now," Xu Ming replied. "I-is it because of what happened today?" She asked in concern. "Nope, It''s not that. It''s something else. I need to get back to my sect for a different reason. So I''d be thankful if you could tell your father when he comes back. Also, please convey my thanks to him," He said as he turned back. "Wait. I''ll get the driver to ready the carriage to take you," She called out. "There''s no need for that. Thanks for the concern though. I''d see you when I come back to the kingdom," He said smilingly as he left. Xu Ming walked out of the mansion and brought out the Wild Eagle Beast and climbed on top of it as he began flying back. He didn''t use the Profound Crane of Xiang Feng as he guessed that the beast didn''t belong to him. There was no way someone like him could get a beast like that. He guessed that It must be a tamed beast of someone else. Flying on someone else''s beast could be really dangerous, thus he used his own. He flew for a long time and he was about to reach the town in which he had stayed. "Last time I was worried about the money and couldn''t pay you. Since no money was spent on this mission, I''d give you a gold coin for helping me before I leave," He thought as he looked towards the small town with a smile on his face as he remembered the face of the kind old woman who was the owner of the inn where he stayed. The Wild Eagle beast kept flying and soon reached above the town. The smile on Xu Ming''s face changed into a horrified look as he looked forward. "W-wh..." He couldn''t even find words to speak as he looked at the inn. Or the place where the inn used to be. There was nothing in that place but ash. He hurriedly ordered the Wild Eagle Beast to get down in front of the place. He got off the beast as he gazed at the remains of the Inn. Not a single thing had survived. Everything was destroyed. He ran to the nearest place as he knocked on the door. A woman opened the door. "Yes kid. Do you need anything?" The woman asked. "What happened to that inn? And the owner of the inn?" He asked in concern. "She? That poor woman. She was killed and the hotel was destroyed," The woman replied. Xu Ming couldn''t help but clench his fist tightly as he heard the news. 96 Chapter 93: Seed of destruction Xu Ming clenched his fist tightly as he gazed at the woman. "How did this happen? I was just here a few days back?" He asked the woman. "Sigh, What can I say. The old lady made some bad choices," The woman replied. "What choices?" Xu Ming inquired. "She asked for money from a cultivator," The woman sighed as she looked down. "Some men stopped at her inn and asked her to give them a room for the night. She asked for money. The men apparently didn''t like this one bit. They started getting angry as they thought that the old lady was intentionally trying to annoy them," "They came out of the Inn and burned it down before they left. The old lady was burnt alive inside her own place," The woman replied. Xu Ming didn''t say anything for close to a minute and just stayed there in silence. "No one tried to stop them?" He asked after a long time. "Are you crazy? Those people were cultivators! How could anyone in this village compare to them." The woman said in a self-depreciation tone. "Do you know who those guys were?" Xu Ming asked again. The woman could see the pain on his face. "I hadn''t seen those men before, but I did see a few people in similar uniforms pass through the town on various occasions. They were carrying a sword on their back. There was also a Blue sword symbol on their chest," The woman described what she remembered. "Sword on the back? Blue sword symbol? Spirit Establishment Realm cultivators from the Glorious Sword Sect?" Xu Ming muttered as he turned back. He didn''t ask anything else from the woman as he silently walked towards the destroyed place. He sat in front of the remains of the hotel. "Why is the world so complicated? Everyone is evil. Those who claim to be evil are evil and those who claim to detest evil are the bigger evil. They should all be wiped out of the face of the universe," Xu Ming let out softly as he stood up. "I''m sorry I couldn''t give it to you in time," He muttered as he threw a gold coin in the ash and walked back to his Wild Eagle beast. He didn''t know it at the time, but a seed of destruction was planted in his heart at the time. He had seen so many bad things in life. He had seen so many betrayals that he had lost faith in everything. The sect that called them righteous, their people killed an innocent and kind lady for a silver coin. He wanted to destroy the sect. He wanted to destroy all such people who acted to be righteous but hid darkness in their hearts. He sat on the Wild Eagle Beast as it flew freely in the boundless sky. Xu Ming traveled without a map for as far as he could remember before taking out the map. He followed the map and traveled the journey ahead as shown in the map. As he flew, he had a feeling that he hadn''t traveled using this path before, but it was just a feeling. He just stayed there blankly as he looked at the ground. The place was in the middle of nowhere. There was no sect there but sand. There was only sand for as far as his eyes could see. "This map is false," He muttered as he glanced at the Map. He hadn''t even seen a desert when he left the sect. There was no way that the sect would be here. "I should''ve expected that. The Map was given to me by the Punishment Elder''s disciple after all. It was all their plan. They wanted to kill me and hoped that even if I survived, I wouldn''t be able to come back. Sigh, I can''t understand anything. Why would they do this," He muttered as he looked at the map. He turned the Wild Eagle Beast back and started flying back towards the last town he had seen along the way. He had been running out of food and he didn''t restock in the last town as he thought that he would get back in time. Along the way, he realized that the Wild Eagle beast was getting tired. He came down and sent the Wild Eagle beast back to rest while he also began resting near a tree. It was afternoon and the sun was high in the sky, but the shade of the tree protected him from the sun. He stayed below the tree for over 4 hours doing nothing. He didn''t feel like cultivating and he couldn''t even sleep either. It was like his head couldn''t stop thinking. He stood up when he felt like it was enough rest for the Wild Eagle Beast. He brought the beast out of his storage ring and continued their journey. He stopped at a town and bought things to eat. He was walking through the crowded streets of the town when he noticed a commotion at some distance. He walked up to that place and noticed that a person was beating up a man brutally. Xu Ming wasn''t upset though. He was somewhat relieved as he saw the uniform of the man that was beating the other person. The man was wearing the uniform of the Mighty Demon Sect. He walked up to the man while he was still torturing the man and asked. "You''re from the Mighty Demon Sect right?" He asked. "Yeah. Who the heck are you kid?" The man asked. Xu Ming didn''t reply and just showed him his disciple badge. "Oh, so you''re a fellow disciple. Do you need anything?" The man further asked. "Well, it might sound funny, but I''m actually lost. I came outside to complete a mission and now I can''t find my way back," Xu Ming replied. "Geez, such a newbie mistake. You should''ve brought a map with you," The blonde-haired man said as he chuckled. "I did bring a map. The map was wrong," Xu Ming replied. "Hah, alright. I''ll believe you. Just wait for me to finish my mission and we can go back together," The blonde hair man said as he shifted his focus towards the man that was lying on the ground. He kicked the man and made him fly away. He stepped towards the man that was groaning in pain. "Sorry man, it''s nothing personal," The blonde-haired man said as he raised his sword and stabbed down. 97 Chapter 94: Battle Xu Ming watched everything and hesitated. He wondered if he should stop it. He realized how hurtful it could be when someone you liked was killed. The man that was lying on the ground must have a family as well. Xu Ming didn''t want to see someone die right before his eyes, but he had a decision to make. It was a conflict of choice that he was facing. If he didn''t stop the guy from killing that man, he would be a part of the evil as well. But if he stopped him, his own life would be in danger. He realized that the man in front of him was way stronger than Xiang Feng. He didn''t have the strength to do anything. And even if he managed to protect the man by offending his fellow Disciple, he would be left behind. There was no way that the disciple would bring Xu Ming to the sect after that. He would not be able to go back and that was something that held the highest importance for him as his necklace was inside the sect. Ultimately, he just stood there as the guy was killed. Watching everything as it happened. ''I can not save everyone in the world. I myself have blood on my hand after all,'' Xu Ming thought as he remembered the face of the girl he had to kill inside the Mighty Demon Sect in self-protection. He had already killed 5 people so far. ''All I can do is try to protect the ones that are closer to me and avenge the ones that I have lost,'' Xu Ming thought as he clenched his fist. The blonde-haired man was finished with Killing the person and he walked back to Xu Ming who was standing behind. "I''m done with my mission. We can go back. Anyways, I''m Zi Zhenfeng. What''s your name?" The Blonde Haired Man inquired. "I''m Xu Ming," Xu Ming answered. "Well, Xu Ming, you''re lucky that you met me. There are a lot of disciples who would have killed you at first sight if you had disturbed them in between their mission. Just keep that in mind in the future. Let''s go back," Zi Zhenfeng said smiling "I''d keep that in mind," Xu Ming replied. "Wait right there! What the heck are you devil spawns doing there? Did you kill that person?" A group of 3 men walked towards them as they asked. Xu Ming couldn''t help but clench his fist as he saw those men. They were carrying a sword on their backs. Two of them had Dark Green Sword Symbol on their chest that signified that they were the Initial Spirit Establishment Realm Disciples, while the 3rd person had a Light Green Symbol that proved that he was still in the Body Refining Realm. "Hah, I see some chumps of the Glorious Sword Sect," Zi Zhenfeng couldn''t help but chuckle as he saw the 3 of them. "Looks like there''s going to be a fight. Hey kid, would you like to have some fun and take care of the weakest guy amongst them or should I take care of them all?" Zi Zhenfeng asked as he glanced towards Xu Ming. He completely forgot about right or wrong and just wanted to destroy the Glorious Sword Sect entirely. Unfortunately, he didn''t have the strength that he needed. He couldn''t destroy the Sect yet, but when he got the opportunity to hunt their disciples, he didn''t think twice. He didn''t answer Zi Zhenfeng and took his sword out. "Hah, I''ll take that as your yes. I like you kid. You didn''t hesitate for even a second at the thought of fighting. Exactly how the disciples of our Sect needs to be!" Zi Zhenfeng laughed out loud as he saw the sword in Xu Ming''s hands. Just like Xu Ming and Zi Zhenfeng had decided, the Disciples of the Glorious Sword Sect had decided as well. They had decided that the Spirit Establishment Realm Cultivators would fight Zi Zhenfeng who looked like the leader, while the Body Refining Realm cultivator would kill the kid that was with Zi Zhenfeng before coming to join them. Just like that, the battle began, and shockingly, it ended just as fast as it started. The Body Refining Realm was underestimating Xu Ming and he casually walked towards him without even bringing his sword out. He soon started regretting his choice as Xu Ming used the 1st Strike of Heaven. The crowd that was standing far away was expecting a fierce battle between the righteous and the evil disciples, but they couldn''t help but be shocked as the battle ended in less than a minute. The battle of Zi Zhenfeng took slightly longer, but even he had managed to kill his opponents in 3 strikes without even breaking out a sweat. "Cheh, I was expecting better from them. They were so weak, I am not the least bit satisfied with this battle," Zi Zhenfeng sighed as he walked back to Xu Ming. "Anyways, was that the 1st strike from the 3 strikes of Heavens? Did you manage to learn it at such a young age? You must be a hidden genius from the sect, aren''t you? That''s why I haven''t seen you before?" He smilingly said. He couldn''t help but feel amazed as he saw a 9-10-year-old kid using something that was said to be one of the toughest skills to use. "I was lucky and managed to comprehend the skill," Xu Ming replied without sounding the least bit arrogant. "Hahaha, Yeah. Let''s go back," He said as he brought out his beast from his storage ring. It was also a flying beast that looked like an Eagle, but it looked snow white and it was much larger than the Wild Eagle Beast of Xu Ming. Xu Ming also brought the Wild Eagle Beast out of his beast bag. Zi Zhenfeng saw the Wild Eagle Beast and couldn''t help but shake his head. "Send that back. You''re coming on my Snow Eagle. Your beast is like half as fast as mine. You''ll be left behind if I go at maximum speed, and I don''t wish to go slower. It would be better if you come on my beast. It can easily carry two people," He said as he glanced at Xu Ming. "Alright," Xu Ming nodded his head as he sent the Wild Eagle Beast back in his Beast Bag and climbed on top of the Snow Eagle after Zi Zhenfeng. The Snow Eagle began flying and Xu Ming was indeed able to feel the difference in speed. Just as Zi Zhenfeng had said, it was twice as fast compared to his own Wild Eagle Beast. "So which elder took you in as his personal disciple?" Zi Zhenfeng inquired midway. "No One. I don''t have a master," Xu Ming answered him. "Really? Someone as talented as you don''t have a master? Oh, I understand. You must have just learned the1st Strikes of Heavens and no one in the sect knows. If they knew, they would be lining up outside your courtyard to take you in as their disciples," Zi Zhenfeng said in surprise. "If you don''t mind, I can talk to my master about it. He can take you as his disciple?" Zi Zhenfeng asked. "It''s alright. I don''t wish to have a master yet," Xu Ming responded. "Hah, as you wish. You''re missing out on a lot though," Zi Zhenfeng said smiling. "Can I ask you a question?" Xu Ming changed the topic as he asked. "Sure. Don''t be shy," Zi Zhenfeng replied. "Why did it kill that man? What did he do wrong?" Xu Ming inquired. 98 Chapter 95: Oldest Rule "Well, I did it because it was the mission I had received. As for why the sect released a mission like this, that''s a whole different story," Zi Zhenfeng said as he glanced at Xu Ming. "It''s related to the oldest rules of the Sect," He further said. "Oldest rules? Which rule is that?" Xu Ming inquired with a frown. "The rule of love. No disciple of the Sect is allowed to fall in love and elope with someone from outside. Apparently, a girl of our sect ignored the rule and had an affair with the man that you just saw," Zi Zhenfeng explained. "She was caught and she was killed. The elders didn''t feel like they personally needed to go out to kill the man. They issued a mission in the mission hall. I took the mission and finished the job," He further said. "Oh," Xu Ming didn''t even know what to feel about it anymore. In a way, Zi Zhenfeng wasn''t in the wrong as he was just following the orders from the Sect. Things were not always right or wrong. There was a grey area a lot of the time and he realized that. Still, he didn''t care. He had decided that he would destroy the Glorious Sword Sect only then will his heart feel better. Throughout the journey, Xu Ming didn''t say anything else and just sat there in silence. **** Back in the Glorious Sword Sect, a man was walking back and forth with a frown on his face. "That bastard Chu! Where the hell is he? I told him that he could go out after he attained the Peak Body Refining Realm, but I didn''t tell him that he could stay out for so long," He let out in an annoyed tone as he looked towards the door. He was the brother of the boy that Xu Ming had killed. His name was Win Gu. He was starting to get worried after Chu didn''t come back for over 20 hours. "Screw it! I''d find him myself and teach him the meaning of discipline!" He finally couldn''t wait any longer and decided to search for him himself. After asking around inside the sect, he found out that his brother was last seen with 2 outer disciples of the sect whose names are Mai and Ruu. After more questions, he was told that Ruu and Mai often went to two places. They either went to the Enchanting Hall that was technically a Brothel, or the Drunken Pavilion. "That bastard! Did he really go to the brothel! That must be the reason he''s not back yet!" Win Gu couldn''t help but curse out loud as he heard about the potential places his brothers could have visited. He fully believed that his brother went to the brothel. He furiously left the sect on his flying beast and flew for just over 10 minutes before he realized that he didn''t even know where the Enchanting Hall was located. He got his beast to get down and he got off of it. He stopped a person that was walking on the streets. "Y-yes sir," The man said as he stopped before Win Gu. "I want to go to the Enchanting Hall. Where is it?" Win Gu asked straight away. The man just looked at him with a stunned look on his face. Win Gu felt like the man''s gaze was quite weird. He realized that the man misunderstood him and thought that he was going there to have fun with a girl. "I want to go there to look for someone. Just tell me the directions," Win Gu said. "Ah, Right. Of course, you need to look for someone. I did hear that Si Ziyi is really beautiful. If you go there, you should definitely look for her," The man told Win Gu in an effort to win favor for his suggestion. "Just shut up before I break all the bones in your body. Tell me the directions!" Win Gu said. "O-of course. Go straight in this direction and then take the first left and walk for over 20 minutes. You''ll see the sign of Winxu restaurant. Just take the left from there and walk for the same distance. After 20 or so minutes, you should be able to see the sign of the Enchanting Hall," The man told him the directions. Win Gu didn''t even thank the man as he climbed on top of his flying beast and flew away, following the directions that the man said. In just 5 minutes, he reached the Enchanting Hall. He sent his flying beast back to the beast bag and stepped towards the door. 2 Cultivators were hired by the Enchanting Hall to guard the gates and check the customers to make sure that no one brings any weapon inside, but as soon as they saw Win Gu, they stepped back. They didn''t even dare to talk to him, let alone take the big sword that he was carrying on his back. Win Gu entered the place without any trouble. He was standing in a big hall where girls were sitting on sofas. A person could generally go to the reception, pay, and take any girl they liked to the room for some fun time. The hall was filled with chatters of the girls, but as soon as they saw Win Gu and the color of the sword symbol on his chest, they all turned silent. It was pin-drop silent and even the sound of Win Gu''s footsteps could be heard by everyone as he walked towards the receptionist. "M-master, you don''t need to pay. Consider this your own place. You can choose any and as many girls, as you like," The receptionist said with a fawning smile on her face as if she didn''t wish to offend Win Gu even by mistake. "I''m not here for that. Tell me where my brother is. He must have come here in the last 24 hours," Win Gu said. "Ah, Is he also a disciple of the Glorious Sword Sect?" The girl asked. "Yes," Win Gu nodded. "Well, Only a single disciple came here in the last 24 hours. He''s still inside with a girl," The receptionist said. "That must be him. Where is he?" Win Gu inquired impatiently. "That room right there," The girl pointed towards a room towards the corner. Win Gu walked towards the room. It was clear from his face that he wasn''t happy. 99 Chapter 96: Trouble in Xiayi Win Gu didn''t even knock on the door and simply kicked the door open as he barged inside. A couple was spending some time together on the bed. The boy was on top of the girl and his back was facing the door. It seemed as if Win Gu used his super-speed as he instantly appeared behind the man. Before the boy could even react, Win Gu caught him by his neck and threw him back towards the wall. The girl was completely exposed, but she didn''t care at the moment and just ran out of the room without even taking her clothes. "How dare you to not return to the sect and spend your time here?" Win Gu said as he turned back and looked towards the boy behind him that was groaning in pain. "Who the heck are you?" He let out in surprise as he saw the face of the boy for the first time. "Ah, Senior Forgive me! I was a bastard to come here. I''ll never come here in the future, I promise," The boy replied with tears in his eyes. He thought that the sect had sent someone to punish him for his behavior. "Cheh, Looks like he''s not here," Win Gu muttered as he left the room. He left the place without even waiting for a second. He climbed on his flying beast and straight away flew to the Fragrance Court and landed in front of the gates and entered the place. He walked to the reception as he observed all the people that were sitting there. He didn''t find his little brother there. Before Win Gu could talk to the receptionist, a man walked up to him. "Senior Gu? What are you doing here? I thought that you never left the sect," The man asked. "Situ Min, Do I need to talk to you whenever I have to leave the sect?" Win Gu glared at the man and asked. "Not at all. I''m not worthy to even hold a candle to Senior Gu. It''s just that my Situ Family owns this place. I was just surprised to see you here," Situ Min said with a fawning smile. He looked towards the receptionist and ordered her. "You, everything in this place is free for Senior. You understand?" He commanded the girl. "Yes, Young Master," The receptionist nodded her head. "There''s no need. I''m here to look for my brother," Win Gu said as he brought a portrait of his brother out. "Have you seen this kid? He must have come here," Win Gu inquired as he intimidatingly glared at the receptionist. "He? Yes. He did come here. In fact, he booked a room here. I don''t think I''ve seen him leave yet," The girl replied. "Take me to the room," Win Gu said. The girl glanced at Situ Min for further orders. "It''s alright. Just tell me the room number. I''ll take Senior Gu there myself," Situ Min told her. "It''s Room no. 3," She told him. "Come with me, Senior. I''ll take you to the room," He said as he glanced at Win Gu. Win Gu followed him and soon, they reached the room. "Just wait here. I''ll be right back with the master key," He said after he knocked three more times, but to no avail. Win Gu''s face twitched as he placed his hand on Situ Ming''s shoulders and moved him to the side. He kicked the door open and entered inside. "Wha..." Win Gu''s face lost all its color as he saw blood on the ground after entering the room. He started getting worried about the safety of his brother and started looking everywhere, but not a single hint of his brother was found. He walked back to Situ Min who was also standing there in a daze. He grabbed Situ Min by his neck and raised him in the air. "Where is my brother!" He bellowed as he tightened his grip around the neck of Situ Min. "I... urgh... Can''t... breathe," Situ Min let out after much struggle. Win Gu threw Situ Min away who crashed on a wall. "I need answers! Tell me where my brother is!" He roared again as he glared at Situ Min. "I''ll get you your answers. Give me just 10 minutes," Situ Min said as he stood up. He walked towards the reception and Win Gu followed him. "Mimi, Tell me. Did you really not see the guy in the painting leave?" He asked the receptionist. "Yes, Master. I did see him enter the room though. A few moments later, Mr. Mai and Mr. Ruu entered the room with a girl and a boy as well. The girl and the boy came out and left whereas the other 3 didn''t," She replied. The girl knew Mai and Ruu''s names as they were regulars here. "Senior Gu, I''m 100 percent sure that the boy and the girl are involved in your brother going missing," Situ Min looked back at Win Gu and told him in full confidence. "Do you know who that boy and the girl were?" Win Gu asked the girl. "I''m sorry, but it was my first time seeing them," The receptionist said apologetically. "You''re coming with me to the sect. I need you to help in the portrait making of those 2! Once I get the portraits of those 2, I''ll find them even if they''re hiding in the depths of hell and get my brother back from them!" Win Gu let out as he walked up to the girl and picked her up in his arms before he left the place with her. **** While the Xiayi Kingdom was about to be thrown into turmoil because of him, Xu Ming had no idea about it. He was sitting behind Zi Zhenfeng waiting to get to the sect. "Oh right, I forgot to ask. What was your mission?" Zi Zhenfeng inquired abruptly. "It was to kill 2 disciples of the Glorious Sword Sect in the Xiayi Kingdom," Xu Ming inquired. "Isn''t that their turf? Such a fun mission. So did you complete the mission?" He asked again. "Yeah, I went a little overboard and killed 3," Xu Ming replied. "Oh, Nice! Looks like you enjoy fighting as well," Zi Zhenfeng said smiling. Some more time passed and Xu Ming was finally able to see the Sect. He couldn''t help but breathe in relief as he saw the sect. He didn''t know what he would have done if he wasn''t able to find the sect. They entered the sect and landed in front of the mission hall. They both entered the Mission Hall together, though their mission was separated by their levels, so they had to enter separate rooms to register their results. 100 Chapter 97: Arrested for Slandering The mission hall was just as crowded as Xu Ming entered the place. He had to stand in a line to even get to the elder. After around 20 minutes, it was finally his turn. "Alright. Show me the mission form," The elder said. Xu Ming took out the form and gave it to the elder. "Hmm? A level 2 assassination mission? You finished that?" The elder let out in surprise. He brought out the disciple badge of the ones he killed and placed that in front of the elder. "Ah, yeah. I did. Here are the badges of the disciples that I killed," Xu Ming said. "3 badges? I''m quite surprised that you killed 3, but you won''t get any extra contribution points for it. Give me your badge. I''ll transfer the contribution points to your badge. I''m sure that I don''t need to explain where you can use them," The Elder said. Xu Ming gave his disciple badge to the elder. The Elder transferred the contribution points before giving it back. "You can leave now," The Elder let out as he gave the badge back to Xu Ming. Xu Ming took the badge and left the room. Surprisingly, he and Zi Zhenfeng came out of their rooms at the same time. "Did you submit the mission?" Zi Zhenfeng said. "Yeah," "Nice. Anyhow, it was really nice meeting you. You can come to me for help at any time. Just ask where Zi Zhenfeng lives and everyone will tell you my address. Alright, bye now," Zi Zhenfeng bid his farewell. "Wait," he was about to leave when Xu Ming stopped him. "I do need some help. Can you take me to Elder Wu''s house?" Xu Ming asked. "Elder Wu? I don''t think he likes visitors. It would be bad if we anger him," Zi Zhenfeng said. "He knows me. I have something to talk to him about. I do know his address, but I can''t just walk there as there is someone in the sect who wishes to harm me. I would have asked Senior Wu Tian if he was here, but I don''t even know where to find him," Xu Ming explained. "Hmm? Do you know Elder Wu? And you even know Wu Tian?" Zi Zhenfeng said. " Interesting. I''ll escort you. I''ll see who wishes to harm you in the sect," He let out as an amused smile appeared on his face. "Thank you," Xu Ming thanked him for agreeing to help. "Don''t worry about it. Let''s go. You walk in the front while I''ll be 20 meters behind you. Let''s see who dares to mess with you," Zi Zhenfeng responded. Xu Ming left the hall and walked towards the residence of the blind Elder Wu. The sect was just as lively as ever and people could be seen everywhere. Xu Ming was midway when a person came out of a nearby skill hall. The person noticed Xu Ming and hurriedly ran towards him. It was none other than Wu, the disciple of Punishment Elder that chose the letter for Wu. Wu stopped before Xu Ming and pointed his finger at him. "Was I not supposed to come back?" Xu Ming asked a question in return. As soon as he asked the question, he noticed that Wu grew worried. "Of Course you can come back. Did you complete the mission?" Wu asked. "Yes. I completed the mission and got the contribution points as well. Now can you step aside? I have somewhere I need to be," Xu Ming said as he tried to leave, but Wu again obstructed his path. "What''s the hurry, little friend. Let''s go to the Punishment Elder. He would like to have a talk with you," Wu said smiling as he tried to catch the hand of Xu Ming, but Xu Ming dodged and created distance between them. "As I said, I don''t have time to go there, I''m busy at the moment. Also, I have finished the mission. The Punishment Elder can''t get involved in my matters anymore," He said smiling. "Hmm? Do you dare slander the Punishment Elder? Come with me this instant!" Wu let out as he brought his sword out and pointed towards Xu Ming. Right at that moment, a hand landed in his shoulders. It was Zi Zhenfeng that had appeared beside him. "Hmm? Isn''t that little Wu? Have you started bullying people now?" He called out. Wu turned back and was visibly surprised to see Zi Zhenfeng there. "Zi Zhenfeng! Don''t get involved in my matters. I''m on the official duty of the Punishment Hall! I need to capture this guy for slandering the Punishment Elder! Step aside if you don''t want to get in trouble" He called out. "What slander? I''ve been standing here since the beginning and I haven''t heard a single word of slander," Zi Zhenfeng said. "Also? Are you trying to threaten me with the name of Punishment Hall? You can try getting me in trouble if you like. I''m not worried as long as I have my master," He further said. "Cheh, I''m not going to get into a fight with it. I just want the boy," Wu said. "I''m taking him with me. You can try stopping me if you dare. But I''ll warn you, I''m not worried about breaking every bone in your body even if you''re the Disciple of the Punishment Elder," Zi Zhenfeng asserted as he walked towards Xu Ming. "Let''s go. He won''t try anything," Zi Zhenfeng placed his hands on Xu Ming''s shoulders and told him. Xu Ming and Zi Zhenfeng left that place together and Wu indeed didn''t try to stop them, though he constantly looked as if he was going to eat them. "Zi Zhenfeng you bastard!" Wu cursed out as he started following them stealthily to see where they were going. "So Wu was the one you were worried about. That guy is indeed a scum. I''ve heard that he abused the authority of Punishment Hall a lot just because he''s the disciple of the Punishment Elder. He''s not the only Disciple of an elder in the sect though," Zi Zhenfeng said smiling. It didn''t take them much tone to get to the courtyard of Elder Wu. "Here you go buddy, you can go. I''ll start here and leave after I see you enter," Zi Zhenfeng said. Xu Ming nodded his head and walked towards the courtyard, leaving Zi Zhenfeng behind. *Knock* *knock* He knocked on the door and immediately got the response as a servant opened the door. "Yes?" The servant asked. "I''m here to meet Elder Wu. He should be inside," Xu Ming said. "I''m sorry, but he doesn''t meet anyone. You can leave," The servant replied. "No wait, Just tell him that Xu Ming is here to talk to him. He knows me!" Xu Ming said. "Alright. Wait here," The servant closed the door and went inside to ask. After 10 minutes, he came back and opened the door. "Alright. You can come inside," She said. Xu Ming entered the place though he didn''t forget to look back at Zi Zhenfeng once before entering. As Xu Ming entered the place, Zi Zhenfeng departed as well. Xu Ming was brought to a room where Elder Wu was sitting in a chair. "Little friend, what brings you here today?" Elder Wu said in a gentle tone. "I have a problem and I didn''t know who to go to. You''re the only one here that I could come to," Xu Ming replied. "Hmm? What problem?" Elder Wu asked. "Last week, the disciples of punishment hall came to my courtyard and took me to the punishment elder. Which is fine as I had missed the deadline for completing a mission. He told me to go complete a mission. His disciple Wu chose a level 2 mission for me saying that it was my Punishment," Xu Ming said. "Level 2 mission? There shouldn''t be a Punishment like this for the first time? Is Mingxu going crazy with old age?" Elder Wu muttered. "That''s not the main problem. I believe that they wanted to kill me. Only Wu knew that my mission was to go to Xiayi Kingdom. And when I got there, a disciple from our sect was waiting for me and instantly attacked me. He was in the 1st stage of Spirit Establishment Realm if I''m not wrong, so he must have a special standing," "Also, he had a snow-white crane with him that a normal Disciple shouldn''t possess. I killed him and brought his disciple badge back. Also, when I was coming back, I realized that the map that had given me was a fake one as well. If I hadn''t met Zi Zhenfeng, I would have been lost. I need your help to find out why Punishment Elder wanted to kill me!" Xu Ming said. "That does sound like you were targeted, but the Punishment Elder doesn''t have a white Profound Crane. But I know someone who does and that person might have a reason to go it as well. Come with me," Elder Wu said with a frown as he stood up. 101 Chapter 98: Soul Seed "Come with me. We''re going to the Punishment Elder. I''ll get you the explanation you need," Elder Wu stood up and walked towards the exit while Xu Ming followed him. They both got out of the courtyard and Elder Wu called out his Flying Beast. "Come over," Elder Wu told Xu Ming after he climbed back on the flying beast. Xu Ming listened to him and climbed over the beast. As per Elder Wu''s command, the flying beast began flying. It took them to the Punishment Hall. Elder Wu got down from the beast alone with Xu Ming and entered the Mission Hall. "Greetings Elder!" All the disciples that met him along the way, greeted Elder Wu as they joined their fists together. Elder Wu didn''t greet anyone back and just kept walking straight. ''I never really thought about it, but Elder Wu is blind. How can he navigate places so easily?" Xu Ming wondered as he followed Elder Wu. They soon got to the hall of the Punishment Elder. The Punishment Elder was sitting in his chair and his disciple was standing beside him. He had followed Xu Ming and found out that he entered Elder Wu''s place right after coming back. He straight away went to the Punishment Elder to inform him. Elder Wu entered the room with Xu Ming, but the Punishment Elder wasn''t shocked. "Elder Wu, what a pleasant surprise. Please have a seat," Punishment Elder calmly said to him. "Punishment Elder, I hope you wouldn''t mind me barging inside. I do have a few questions that I think only you can answer," Elder Wu said as he walked forth and sat on a chair close to Punishment Elder. "Sure. I''ll answer all your questions. What do you wish to know?" Punishment Elder said. "I was told that you forced a new disciple to choose a level 2 mission just because he hadn''t completed a mission in 3 months? I wonder why You did such a thing," Elder Wu inquired. "Me? Are you joking with me Elder Wu? Why would I do something like that? My mission is to get disciples to follow orders. Whichever disciple was brought to me for missing the mission deadline, I just sent them to mission halls to select a mission. I never tell anyone what to choose. Who''s the disciple that told you such a thing in order to slander me?" He further asked. "Xu Ming, Inform Punishment Elder what happened," Elder Wu said. Xu Ming stepped forth and told everything that happened and how Wu selected a mission for him and told him that it was Punishment Elder''s orders. Elder Wu observed the heartbeat of Punishment Elder to see irregularities. "You Unfilial Disciple! Did you actually do such a thing when I sent you to show the mission hall''s directions to this kid?" Punishment Elder furiously glared at Wu that was standing beside him. ''There''s no irregular heartbeat. I can understand if Punishment Elder can control his heart, his disciple shouldn''t be able to,'' Elder Wu thought. "Elder Wu, from his eyes, I can clearly say that he isn''t lying. It must be Xu Ming that chose this mission for himself," The Punishment Elder asserted. "I''m not lying either. He gave me this beast as well. Everyone knows that I had no beast and I left the sect the same day I selected the mission on the beast," Xu Ming said. "I indeed gave him a flying eagle and a map to help him in his mission," Wu didn''t deny the accusations this time and agreed. "Giving you a flying beast and a map doesn''t sound like a crime? In fact, I''m quite glad that he was so helpful!" The Punishment Elder said with an amused smile on his face. "Does this map look like it can be helpful to me? He gave me a false map. If I hadn''t been lucky, I wouldn''t even be able to come back!" Xu Ming opened the map and showed the Punishment Elder. "This map is indeed wrong, but it''s not the one I gave him. He is showing a different map in order to frame me, Master," Wu lied again. "Indeed. That doesn''t prove anything. He might have exchanged the map if he wished to frame him?" The Punishment Elder said. "Why would he frame your disciple?" Elder Wu said. "No offense, but I can ask the same question. Why would my disciple frame him? He didn''t even know him, let alone have any problem with him," The Punishment Elder replied in full seriousness. "Look, I know that you wouldn''t accept anything, but I didn''t come to you to get you to accept any crimes. But I just want to tell you. I know why you did what you did, even though I can''t prove it. So you can take it as a suggestion or as a warning. If any of you try something like that again, I''ll come for answers. And it won''t be as peaceful as today. You can convey my message to the person behind you as well. Xu Ming is under my protection," Elder Wu said to the Punishment Elder before he stood up and left with Xu Ming. *** "You must be wondering why I didn''t talk about the assassination attempt on you, right?" Elder Wu asked. "It''s because there were no benefits in that. Even if we could prove the master of that Profound Crane and the Disciple that tried to kill you, it wouldn''t be beneficial. There''s no way for you to prove that he tried to kill and it wasn''t the other way around. That person will just claim that his disciple was not after you, but on a different mission and you killed him," He said. "This whole thing will get more complicated and dangerous for you that way. That''s why I didn''t talk about you killing that person. Now that I have personally warned them, they wouldn''t try to target you. Also, you killed that person and harmed the mastermind behind it. If that person still tries to harm you, you can use this to call me. I''ll instantly be there," He further added as he gave Xu Ming a transmission Talisman. "Do you know who that person is?" Xu Ming asked. "I do. It should be the Elder that you saved from my hands last time," Elder Wu said with a smile on his face. "He? Why would he?" Xu Ming asked. "If I had to make a guess, I''d say that he was too proud and that he didn''t like the fact that you saved him from the situation that started because of you," Elder Wu said. Xu Ming didn''t reply, but he remembered this. The flying beast came down and landed before the courtyards of the disciples. "Thank you for everything," Xu Ming said as he came down from the beast. "Don''t forget to use the Talisman if you''re in trouble," Elder Wu reminded Xu Ming before he left. _____________________________ Xu Ming walked back to his courtyard and entered his bedroom. As soon as he fell on to the bed, he fell asleep. He was quite tired. It has been happening to him for quite some time as well. He had begun feeling extremely tired as if something was pressing down into his soul. He had a long and comfortable 16-hour nap before he woke up. It was night outside and just the right time for cultivation. He had reached the peak of the body Refining realm and he was now just one step away from the Spirit Establishment Realm. The Spirit Establishment Realm was said to be the Realm from where the cultivation journey actually began. It was a realm that separated a cultivator from a mortal. In Spirit Establishment Realm, a Cultivator formed his martial soul that he used to control the natural energy around himself. Xu Ming had faith that he would be a whole different person after he broke through. He stood up and left the courtyard as he walked towards the lake. Although the lake was not a good place to cultivate for the Qi cultivators, it was the best place for him as an Origin Energy cultivator. It didn''t take him long to get to the lake near the 6th ward and it was empty as always. He took his clothes off and got inside the lake as he began his cultivation. As the Spirit Establishment Realm focused on the Establishment and perfection of the spirit of a person, to break into the 1st stage of Spirit Establishment Realm, a person needed to form a soul seed. That soul seed would later go on to become the martial soul of the Cultivator. 102 Chapter 99: Breakthrough and Rewards Xu Ming was inside the water, trying to form his soul seed so that he could step into the real cultivation. He kept absorbing the Origin Energy inside his body and sent all of that inside his body. He kept his focus on cultivation and followed every step mentioned in the Heavenly Origin cultivation technique. The surrounding Origin Energy kept entering inside his body and collecting inside his body and getting compressed as much as it could. He was already at the breakthrough point, but it still took him 4 hours as a small soul seed started taking shape inside his body. It slowly got bigger and denser with time. After a while, he felt like a barrier was broken, and a complete soul seed came into existence in his dantian. At that moment, Xu Ming knew that he had broken through and he was now a Spirit Establishment cultivator. He smiled, but he didn''t open his eyes. "Finally, I have broken through to the Spirit Establishment Realm, I have my own soul seed now!" He tried to use his consciousness to look inside his dantian. Xu Ming could use his consciousness now as he had broken through to the Spirit Establishment Realm. As his consciousness entered his dantian, he saw a small soul seed floating there. Although it was called a soul seed, it looked less like a seed and more like an eggshell. Xu Ming was clearly amazed as he saw a soul seed that was shining as bright as the sun, but he didn''t find it strange. He would have realized how strange it was if he had that much knowledge about cultivation and someone to talk to. Normally, soul seeds didn''t shine, but his soul seed was actually shining. Another strange thing was that the Soul Seed was 5 times bigger than the soul seed of a normal person. Xu Ming thought it was normal and left his Martial Space. He opened his eyes and he was amazed. He was able to see the waves of Origin Energy in the atmosphere that had collected around him. ''Was there really so much Origin Energy here?'' He thought. He also noticed that his vision was much sharper and there was a mysterious force coursing through his body, but he wasn''t and to control that force yet. His body felt much stronger as well. It was still not the morning, so he didn''t waste any time and began cultivation once more, and surprisingly, his cultivation was much faster as well. In fact, he felt like he was able to absorb the Origin Energy 20 times faster than last time. He realized that it must be because of a breakthrough and couldn''t help but feel excited. With this speed, his journey would be much faster. If he was able to absorb Origin Energy like this previously, he wouldn''t have needed 3 years to get to the peak of Body Refining Realm. It would have only taken him a few months at best. As he was cultivating, he felt the warmth of the sun. The sun was starting to rise. He opened his eyes and stopped his cultivation as he got out of the water and got dressed. He walked back to his courtyard and closed the door before he stepped into his bedroom. As he has broken through to the Spirit Establishment Realm, he wanted to see if a new space was unlocked inside his storage ring or not. He sat on his bed as he looked at his storage ring. "Please have something good inside. I really need to get Stronger as fast as I can. Don''t disappoint me," He muttered as he sent his consciousness inside the ring. As he looked inside the ring, he did see that space was bigger than it had been last time. And there were more things inside that previously weren''t there. He saw a sword inside that he realized belonged to his father. He had seen his father carrying the sword on a few occasions. The sword was the strongest grade of weapon that existed in this world. He brought the switch out of his storage ring to check, but as soon as it came out, a heavenly sword aura spread inside the room. Xu Ming sensed the aura and immediately sent the sword back as he remembered that he was in the sect. Others could sense the sword aura was well. If anyone found out about this sword, everyone would come after it. It was one of the strongest treasures of the Heavenly Realm that was given to his father by his grandfather. The weapon that was said to be one of the 5 strongest weapons in the universe. The sword was called the Sword of Judgement. The other 4 God Grade weapons belonged to the Demon Emperor, his Grandfather, Illustrious Emperor, and War God Zhen. Even the people of the Heavenly Realm or Demon Realm will go crazy over it, let alone the people of the Immortal and the mortal world. He realized that he could only use this weapon when absolutely necessary, but one thing was for certain. As soon as the sword will come out, his opponent will die no matter their cultivation. Even with the sword, he still wasn''t invincible. People could still attack him in groups and if he was not careful, he might even lose the sword. Although Xu Ming placed the sword back in his storage ring, there were still a few people who managed to sense the sword aura. Inside a dark room, a beautiful woman was cultivating, but she abruptly opened her eyes. "Such a powerful sword aura? It disappeared as well. Is a heavenly sword cultivator achieving enlightenment nearby?" She muttered as she looked towards the door and wondered if she should leave. Most of the Elders that had sensed the aura left their courtyards. They couldn''t help but worry about the safety of the sect. They all assumed that a Heavenly Sword Cultivator was nearby and he might try to target the sect. All the elders except the blind Elder Wu had gone out. Elder Wu was sitting on his chair and comfortably sipping tea. "That was unexpected," He muttered as a smile formed on his face. Xu Ming was quite careful and only when he didn''t see anyone barge inside his room for over half an hour, did he believe that he was safe. He again started looking inside the ring and brought 3 skill books out. These skill books contained the strongest God Grade Skills as these were all given to Xu Liang by the Heavenly Emperor himself. Even though Xu Ming didn''t know that, he realized that they must be quite strong. He was quite happy at seeing these skill books. "Heavenly Vajra Finger, Thunder Storm and Sword Art of Destruction," he read the names of the skill and each skill gave him a strong sensation. "These skills might take some time to be learned. These are not the ordinary skills, but these will definitely help me in my journey," He muttered as he looked at the book. There was one more thing he found inside the Storage ring. It was an Origin Crystal. It worked like Qi crystals and stored the Pure Origin Energy that could easily be absorbed by a cultivator. Generally, an Origin Crystal didn''t contain much energy and thousands of Origin Crystal would be used to give a Cultivator only a slight boost in their cultivation. Even though a single Origin Energy crystal didn''t give much energy, for someone like him, that was just starting his cultivation energy, one Origin Crystal was enough to make him jump 5 Minor Realms. He was sure that his father must have had millions of Origin Crystal. He wasn''t sure if his father used most of those and forgot to put more in his storage ring. There was also a possibility that the ring had even more hidden spaces and he wasn''t just strong enough to open them yet. If it was true, then there might be thousands of Origin Energy Crystals in the ring, to say the least. That would be enough to make him jump a lot of realms and make him get a higher cultivating much faster. He stopped daydreaming and brought the Origin Energy Crystal out of his storage ring. He was planning to use them right now and finally form his Martial Soul. He held the Origin Energy Crystal in his hand as he sat in a meditative position. He could feel the Origin Energy Crystal pulsating with energy. He closed his eyes and began absorbing the Origin Energy. The Origin Energy directly went to his Soul Seed. Slowly time kept passing, and his Soul Seed started getting bigger and changing shape. 103 Chapter 100: Instant Breakthrough and Growth Xu Ming''s soul seed started changing shape. It kept getting more and more human-like until it started looking exactly like Xu Ming, there was only a small difference between its appearance and Xu Ming''s appearance. The Martial Soul of a person always looked like them. In the Spirit Establishment Realm, the first stage was about forming the Soul Seed. The Second Stage was about making the soul seed become their Martial Soul. The 3rd to 10th stage focused on improving the Martial Soul so that it could be the best it possibly could. In the Second Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm, although the Martial Soul looked like the cultivator it belonged to, there were still a few differences left. In the 3rd stage, the differences decrease and the similarities start increasing until the 10th Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm where the Martial Soul looks exactly like the cultivation with no difference. Xu Ming had broken through the 2nd Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm and he had sent his consciousness inside his Martial Space to look at his Martial Soul. Xu Ming''s Martial Soul looked mostly like him. It was wearing king-like clothes with a Black Armor on top and a red robe on the back. Its eyes were close, so Xu Ming wasn''t able to see the eyes, but if the eyes were open, he would be shocked to see deep pitch black eyes of his Martial Soul that looked as if they contained an infinitely vast galaxy inside them. Although he couldn''t see the eyes of his Martial Soul, he did see the wings behind it''s back. His Martial Soul had 6 beautiful angel-like wings. 3 on the right and 3 on the left. The right wings were white in color, while the left wings were black. Xu Ming was just surprised as he saw the wings of his Martial Soul. He found the Wings to be beautiful. He didn''t find it strange as he hadn''t known that the Martial Soul of a cultivator never had wings. If someone saw his Martial Soul, they would have been shocked silly. This was not something normal. Even in the Heavenly Realm, no one had a Martial Soul like this. Even Xu Liang''s martial skill wasn''t like this. Xu Liang''s Martial Skill was even more bizarre though. Xu Liang''s Martial Soul was nothing. It was a void. Even though Xu Liang didn''t have a Martial Soul, his cultivation was never affected. Even though Xu Ming didn''t know about it, he was the only person in the world with a 6 winged Martial Soul. As Xu Ming didn''t find anything strange, he brought his consciousness out of his Martial Space. "Something''s strange," As soon as Xu Ming brought his consciousness out of his Martial Space, he found something strange. He didn''t know what it was, but he felt like his body was different. He looked at his hands and saw that they were longer. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall and looked like he was 18-19 years old already. His face looked even better now. The face that previously looked cute now looked mature and charming. Xu Ming realized that he looked a lot like his father, with only a slight difference between them. While his father had dark hair, he had blonde hair. "What just happened? I became older?" He muttered with a frown as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He didn''t know if he had actually gotten older or if it was just his body that had grown up. "This makes things so difficult. What will I say to others? No one will think that I''m the same, Xu Ming. Things just got a lot troublesome," He stepped back with a thoughtful look on his face. "What can I do? Should I go to Elder Wu? He seems to be the most trustworthy at the moment, but should I really trust him? He might betray me if he finds an opportunity as well," Xu Ming thought. He could feel his head starting to ache. "I will go to him. I do have this to save myself if I find him suspicious," Xu Ming thought as he brought out a Talisman from his storage ring. It was a Talisman that he found when the new space was unlocked. It also belonged to his father. The Talisman was called 200 Miles Instant Teleportation Talisman. When it was activated, the user would instantly be teleported 200 miles away He didn''t know why his father had it though. In reality, Xu Liang had received this Talisman from a Talisman Master of the Heavenly Realm as a wedding gift. "I''ll go to him later. For now, I should cultivate and use the Origin Crystal. They can''t see my cultivation after all, so it''s better that I go there the strongest I can. I''ll be able to react faster if things go south," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at the Origin Energy Crystal. Fortunately, he had been wearing his special clothes that he had brought from the Heavenly Realm. The clothes had a quality that they could get bigger or smaller accordingly. These clothes also never got dirty. Furthermore, they even had a defensive property against elemental attacks. That''s why he has been able to use the same clothes for the last 3 years. Xu Ming sat down on a meditative position with the Origin Energy Crystal in his hand as he started sucking the energy. He realized that his cultivation speed was even faster now that he had formed his Martial Soul. It would have taken him 7 days to fully use the energy inside the Original Crystal, but now he was sure that he would fully absorb it in less than 3 days. Time kept passing and just like that, 3 days had passed. Xu Ming had broken through to the 5th stage of Spirit Establishment Realm just before the Origin Energy inside the Crystal was fully depleted. The crystal had lost its shine and was now useless. Xu Ming sent the Origin Energy Crystal back in his storage ring before he stood up and stretched his arms. He had been sitting in the same position for 3 days straight and he was quite tired, but he didn''t care. The first thing he did was to go to the mirror to see if there was any other change in his body or not. Fortunately, he still looked the same. Like an 18-year-old boy. Instead of taking a test, he started walking towards the exit. Xu Ming did not forget to wear a cloak as he left his courtyard so that he could hide his face. He placed his disciple badge on his chest and walked towards Elder Wu''s courtyard. It was early morning and not many people were outside at the moment. Those that were outside, didn''t wonder who the cloaked man was. There were many strange people like this and most people didn''t find it strange. Without any trouble, Xu Ming got to the courtyard of Elder Wu. He knocked on the door. A person opened the door. It was the same person as last time. "Who are you? If you''re here to meet the Master, you can go back. Master don''t meet strangers," The servant said. "I''m not a stranger. I''m Xu Ming. Tell Elder Wu that Xu Ming is here. He knows me," Xu Ming said. "Xu Ming? Isn''t that the kid that came a few days ago? You think you can fool me?" The Servant glared at Xu Ming. "I''m not lying. Please let me in. If I''m lying, I''ll accept any punishment," Xu Ming said in full honestly. The servant looked at him for a moment, before he stepped aside and allowed Xu Ming to enter. "If you''re lying, you''ll regret it," He warned Xu Ming before he brought him to Elder Wu. Elder Wu was sitting in the same room as last time. *Who is it?" He asked as he looked towards the door. "Elder, it''s me. Xu Ming," Xu Ming replied. "Xu Ming? Why is your voice so different?" Elder Wu inquired. The Servant saw that Elder Wu seemed to recognize him, thus he walked back and didn''t wait for Xu Ming''s answers. "I don''t know what happened Elder, but when I broke through I found out that my body started growing until I started looking like an 18-19-year-old boy," Xu Ming replied. "Oh, so that''s what it was," Elder Wu said smilingly. "Don''t worry about it. I''ve heard of something like that. There are a few special people whose bodies react differently to breakthroughs. You might just be one of them," Elder Wu told Xu Ming. "I''m concerned about the sect and the others that they won''t believe that I''m Xu Ming if they saw me," Xu Ming replied. "Don''t worry about that. It''s not possible. There''s a special mechanism in your disciple badge. When you drop a blood drop on it, as long as the blood belongs to the owner, the badge will start shining. That should be enough to prove that you''re Xu Ming," Elder Wu said. 104 Chapter 101: Fall of the God Beast Clans "So this is perfectly normal?" Xu Ming inquired as he glanced at Elder Wu. "It''s rare, but it''s nothing special. It doesn''t mean anything," Elder Wu told Xu Ming. "Oh, thank you for explaining. I''ll go back then," Xu Ming replied as he turned back. "Congrats for breaking through. I have high hopes for you," Elder Wu told Xu Ming who thanked him before leaving. Xu Ming removed the cloak as he left since he didn''t need to hide it anymore. "Hey, who is that guy? Doesn''t he look like that kid?" "He sure does. Is he the brother of that kid?" The other disciples found Xu Ming''s face familiar and they thought that the boy was Xu Ming''s brother. Xu Ming''s senses were even sharper than before and he could hear them, but he didn''t bother explaining and simply walked back. Xu Ming walked back to his room and fell down to his bed as he breathed in relief. "Fortunately, this wasn''t anything strange. I''m glad that I don''t need to worry about it. I can cultivate and grow strong in peace," He muttered softly. Soon, he fell asleep. It had been around 4 days since he slept. He slept soundly and after so long, he finally found himself back in the same dream. He was in a dark place with that same 5-year-old boy and the small Ice Phoenix. The boy looked towards Xu Ming as if he was able to see him. "You''re back. You seem better," The boy said to Xu Ming. "Yeah, you helped me last time and I wasn''t in pain anymore," Xu Ming replied even though he realized that the boy couldn''t hear him. "That''s good," The young boy replied. "You can hear me?" Xu Ming asked in shock. "Yes," The boy answered without any expressions on his face. "Nice. How did you recognize me? Don''t I look older?" Xu Ming inquired. "I don''t know," The boy replied. "Is this really just a dream? How did you heal me if this is a dream?" Xu Ming asked the boy. "Dream?" The young boy looked at Xu Ming curiously. "Dream means something that you see after you sleep. Something that''s not real," Xu Ming explained as he felt like the boy didn''t know the concept. "I''m not real?" The boy asked innocently. "Ah, that''s not what I mean. I don''t believe that this is just a dream. Where is this place?" Xu Ming further inquired. "I don''t know," The boy answered. "You made that ice phoenix, how were you able to?" Xu Ming changed his question. "I don''t know," The boy repeated. Xu Ming just looked at that boy in confusion. He wondered if the boy knew anything or not. "You seem so strong, can''t you leave this place?" Xu Ming tried changing the approach. "Leave?" The boy inquired. "Yes, Leave. Leave this place. Leave this darkness. The world outside is so pretty. Why don''t you go outside?" Xu Ming asked. A face flashed before the boy''s eyes. He didn''t know the person who that face belonged to, and he just sat there in confusion. The face that had flashed before his eyes for an instant was the face of Yue, Xu Ming''s mother, and his wife who was in a coma. He didn''t have any memories and didn''t recognize her. "Outside is pretty?" He asked Xu Ming. "Yes. Outside is so pretty. There are so many people outside. There are beautiful trees and nature. There''s also light outside, unlike this dark place," Xu Ming said. "Light?" the boy muttered. A voice echoed in his ears. "All I want for my baby is for him to never face the darkness. He should be the light instead. The light that shines upon the world. Light¡­ Ming¡­ My baby shall be called Ming¡­ Xu Ming," The boy looked everywhere in confusion as he wondered why he was hearing these words. Who was whispering in his head? "Light? Ming?" the boy said in confusion. "Ah, right. Light also means Ming. That is my name as well. I''m Xu Ming. I am sorry, I forgot to ask your name. What is your name?" Xu Ming inquired. He didn''t find it strange that the boy had spoken his name as his name was also a word for light. "My name?" The young boy fell in deep thought as he tried to remember. "I don''t know," He ultimately said. "Have you lost your memory? Where are your parents? What are you doing in this dark place?" Xu Ming kept asking questions. The boy kept trying to remember and his head was starting to ache. "I can''t remember," He screamed loudly as his headache got worse. Before Xu Ming could even apologize, the dream broke. He woke up and found himself on his bed. "That shouldn''t be a dream. I must find out why I see the boy when I sleep. Who is he? How is he related to me?" Xu Ming muttered as he looked towards the door. ***** As Xu Ming was thrown out of the place, that young boy still kept holding his head. It took half an hour for his headache to calm down. His blue eyes looked lost as he looked at the ice phoenix. "Did he leave?" the boy said as he didn''t see Xu Ming. The Ice Phoenix just looked confused. It was unclear if she could understand him or not. "Outside... Light?" The young boy muttered as he looked into the dark distant horizon. He stood up and started walking. He walked away from the darkness and towards the darkness. He didn''t know where outside was, but he hoped to find it. The Ice Phoenix flew after him. ***** Back in the Ice Phoenix Clan, it was the Coronation Ceremony of Lexi. Every Ice Phoenix was there inside the Royal Palace. In fact, some people from the Royal Clan of other God Beast Race were there as well. The Second Young Master of the Black Tortoise Clan was here with some of his followers. The Crown Prince didn''t come. The First Princess of the White Tiger Clan was also here. Although she was the first princess, she didn''t hold any power in the Royal Clan. It was decided that the next King of the White Tiger Clan would be her elder brother, the Crown Prince. Only the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan sent the next in line to be the ruler. The Crown Princess of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan herself was here. There were many clans that didn''t send anyone. Azure Dragon Clan and the Qilin Clan were the ones amongst them. Even the Phoenix Clan didn''t send anyone. The Azure Dragon Clan was said to be the strongest God Beast Clan, closely followed by the White Tiger Clan. All the other clans were strong on their own, but none of them could compare to the Azure Dragon Clan or the White Tiger Clan. It had always been that way, but there was a time when the Azure Dragon Clan and the White Tiger Clan had fallen and lost a lot of their strength. They fell down in rankings and became the weakest clans amongst the God Beast Clans. There was a time when the White Tiger Clan and the Azure Dragon Clan were the strongest, but it was said that a single cultivator had caused their downfall. No one remembered what exactly happened, but the little bit of information that was passed down from generation to about talked about how these clans had offended a fierce existence. They had underestimated the person and offended him, but that turned out to be the biggest mistake of their lives. That person came like a demon god and caused massive destruction. No one could face him. Fortunately, he didn''t kill everyone in the clan. Some weak members managed to survive. It took them thousands of years to regain their former glory, but they managed to recover after such a long time. Even after all this happened, there were still a few in the leadership of these clans that still had arrogance. It was said that the person that caused the destruction had died, thus they stopped being humble and returned to their old practices. They didn''t believe that another person like that man could appear. The White Tiger Clan was still somewhat humble despite their arrogance as they did the minimum they could to maintain relationships with the other clans, but the Azure Dragon Clan thought of them as the king amongst the God Beasts. That''s why they didn''t even send anyone here. "Everyone! Thanks for coming here! I would like to welcome you to the Coronation of my daughter. She will be the new Queen of the Ice Phoenix Clan," The Queen said as she welcomed everyone. The members of the Ice Phoenix clan cheered. The royal members of the other clans simply nodded their heads to her words as if they were giving her acknowledgment. The Queen looked towards her daughter as she smiled. She removed the Crown from her head and placed it over the head of her daughter. Everyone started clapping and congratulating.The Queen looked towards her daughter as she smiled. She removed the Crown from her head and placed it over the head of her daughter. Everyone started clapping and congratulating. 105 Chapter 102: A finger to destroy all sins The coronation ceremony ended and everyone was served the Immortal Spirit Drink. While everyone was drinking and talking amongst themselves, the royals from the other clans were standing on the side. Lexi walked up to them with her mother one after another to get to know the guests. "Congratulations on your coronation, Queen Lexi," The Crown Princess of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan congratulated Lexi as she walked up to him. "Thank you. I''ll wait for your coronation so that I can congratulate you as well. I hope that our clans will be able to get along together as they have always been," Lexi said. "Same here," The girl replied. Lexi walked up to the First Princess of the White Tiger Clan. "Thank you for coming," Lexi told her. "It''s fine. We''re not arrogant like the Azure Dragon Clan. Of Course, our clan had to come to congratulate the new Queen of the Ice Phoenix Clan," The First Princess replied. "I appreciate it. Enjoy the drink," Lexi said smilingly as she walked ahead. She walked up to the Second Young Master of the Black Tortoise Clan. Although he was the Second Young Master, he was older than most of the people present here. The Black Tortoise Clan was known for their great defense and long life. The Clan Master was still in his prime despite being older than the other clan masters. "The Second Prince from the Black Tortoise Clan. Thank you for coming here. I hope our clans can get together," Lexi said to the Second Prince. "Our Black Tortoise Clan is a neutral clan that never involves ourselves in the others'' affairs. That''s why we will always maintain our good relationships with every clan. You can rest assured Queen Lexi. The Ice Phoenix Clan or the Phoenix Clan, they are both equal to us, even though you two are against each other," The Second Prince of the Black Tortoise Clan replied. "I appreciate it. Enjoy the drink," Lexi said as she continued going to the other Clan''s and greeted them. Another hour passed before the other clan departed. Only the members of the Ice Phoenix clan remained inside the Royal Palace. They left soon after as well. "Geez, that was tiring," Lexi said as she walked back to her room with her mother. "I understand how you must be feeling. I was just as tired when it was my coronation all those years ago, but it is necessary to introduce the world to the new Queen. Also, you got to meet the young talents of the other clans," Her mother said smilingly. "Don''t even talk about that. Except for the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, none of them sent their next in line heir. I feel like they don''t respect us!" Lexi said in annoyance. " The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan is the closest to us location wise and friendly relationship-wise, so they sent their Crown Princess, but the others didn''t find that it was worth the risk as our relationship has never been that close with the others. The Qilin Clan is the farthest from us, and their king only has one daughter, so they didn''t send anyone either. It''s better to not send anyone than sending any random person that''s not from their Royal Clan," She further said. "What about the Azure Dragon Clan? They have so many heirs. Why didn''t they send anyone then?" Lexi inquired suspiciously. "Well, they? They truly look down on others, so they didn''t send anyone," Her mother replied as she chuckled. "Sigh, they didn''t learn from the destruction their clan suffered all those years ago," Lexi said. "That was just a one-time thing. The one that caused that destruction is already dead. I don''t think there can be anyone in this world who will be able to become strong enough to force the Azure Dragon Clan in that condition again," Her mother replied. **** *Achoo* Xu Ming was sitting on his bed when he abruptly sneezed. "I need to find a location to learn and practice the skills of my father. I can''t let anyone discover that I have these martial skills unless absolutely necessary," Xu Ming muttered as he fell in deep thought. He was still thinking when he heard a knock on the door. He stood up and walked up to the door and opened it. "Brother Tian," Xu Ming called out as he saw Wu Tian standing in front of him. "Hmm? Elder Wu was right. You did become older," Wu Tian said, smilingly. "Anyways, congratulations on breaking through to the Spirit Establishment Realm. Breaking through to the 1st stage of the Spirit Establishment Realm so fast, you''re really talented," He further said. "Thank you," Xu Ming thanked him. "Oh right, you must be wondering why I''m here. I just came here to inform you about the Inner Sect Selection Exam. Everyone from the Outer Sect that has broken through to the 2nd stage of the Spirit Establishment Realm before she of 20 can take part in it. It will be held in 15 days," "As you had broken through to the 1st Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm, I thought that I should inform you so that you could try your best and breakthrough to the 2nd stage. If you manage to do it in time, you will be able to take part in it. We can both participate together and maybe we''ll both be selected," Wu Tian said. "I thought the Inner Sect only selected the ones that have the cultivation of the 5th stage of Spirit Establishment Realm or higher?" Xu Ming inquired. "That was the case last time, but I guess this time they have changed that rule. I don''t know what the test will be about, but they have most probably adjusted that accordingly as well," Wu Tian said. "Oh, thanks for the information. I''ll try my best to achieve a breakthrough," Xu Ming said. Although he was already at the 5th stage of Spirit Establishment Realm, he didn''t feel like disclosing the information to anyone. Fortunately, no one was able to see his cultivation either. "Alright. I hope you can succeed," Wu Tian said before he left. Xu Ming closed the door and walked back to his room. "The Inner Sect, the next step towards my goal of getting mother and that necklace back," Xu Ming muttered. "I''m strong, but I need to get even stronger. I''ll comprehend the skill inside the house and practice near the lake when no one is there. Fortunately, I can use spiritual sense now to see if someone is near me," Xu Ming let out as he spread his spiritual sense to test it. His Spiritual Sense was able to cover up to 100 meters with him at the center. He did know that it was unusual as a Spiritual Establishment Realm cultivator''s spiritual sense can only cover up to 5 meters, but he was able to cover 20 times more. He attributed that to his bloodline of the heavenly realm. He didn''t know that it was because of his Unique Martial Spirit. "Heavenly Vajra Finger, Sword Art of Destruction and Thunder Storm. These are the skills I can learn. Thunder Storm is out of the question at the moment as I can''t practice it in the sect without attracting attention. As for the Sword Art of Destruction, I can learn that later as I already have a Sword Skill at the moment, the 3 Strikes of Heaven," "I should learn Heavenly Vajra Finger first. I don''t need any weapon to use it, also it doesn''t cause a strange phenomenon like the Thunder Storm. It will increase my strength multiple folds," He muttered as he brought out the skill book of the Heavenly Vajra Finger. "Heavenly Vajra Finger, a finger to destroy all sins," Xu Ming started reading. Although the book was small and only had 4 pages, it took Xu Ming 4 days to finish reading it as he contemplated every word for a long time. The Concept was complicated, and he didn''t feel like he understood anything, but it all changed as soon as he finished reading the skill. It was as if the skill had suddenly become a lot easier to understand. The complicated concepts never looked as easy as they did now. He was confused as to what actually happened? Did he have a moment of epiphany? The truth was that it was his Martial Soul at play here. As soon as Xu Ming finished reading the skill, the skill was imprinted into his mind and his martial soul helped him in understanding the concept. As Xu Ming understood the skill, he left the house to practice it. 106 Chapter 103: Success Xu Ming walked back to the lake that was as empty as always as he began to practice the Heavenly Vajra Finger. Although he understood the concept behind the skill, it was still difficult to perform it. It was just like how an Alchemist would be unable to make a pill even if he knew all the steps. The practice was absolutely necessary. Xu Ming practiced the whole night and he was able to use the attack, but it didn''t go as he had expected. Heavenly Vajra Finger was a skill that didn''t need any weapon. When someone used the skill, a finger made entirely from the energy of the user was supposed to appear and attack the enemy, but Xu Ming wasn''t able to achieve it. As soon as the Original Energy came out of his fingers, it disappeared before taking the shape of the finger, let alone attacking someone. Xu Ming practiced throughout the night, but he wasn''t able to perform the skill successfully. He had also guessed the reason he was failing. Although he knew the concept and the skill, it was his Origin Energy control that was the problem. He had just broken through to the Spirit Establishment Realm a few days ago and he had straight-up gone to the 5th stage of Spirit Establishment Realm. His cultivation did increase, but his control over his Origin Energy was still like before. As he couldn''t bring Origin Energy out of his body when he was a Body Refining Realm cultivator due to the limitation of that realm, he was just a newbie that was told to use the Origin Energy with precise control. He was just like a kid that was given a gun for the first time and told to aim at an object 20 meters away. Even the practiced ones would have difficulty achieving it, whereas, he was just a newbie. Although Xu Ming realized it, he also knew that there was no other way but to keep practicing until his control was sufficient. He noticed that the Sun had begun to rise. He walked back to his courtyard. As he entered the courtyard, he began his cultivation as he didn''t wish to destroy his courtyard. From that day, Xu Ming walked to the lake to practice Heavenly Vajra Finger every night. He spent most of the day cultivating and only slept when he seriously hit his limit. Since the moment he broke through and formed a Martial Soul, his cultivation had become much faster and smoother. He felt like he would achieve another breakthrough in 5 more days. It was the 12th night since he had begun practicing the Heavenly Vajra Finger and his control over his Origin Energy was much better than before. "Haven''t Vajra Finger!" Xu Ming called out as he pointed his finger towards the lake. Xu Ming hadn''t expected this phenomenon, but the heavy wind started flowing suddenly as if the world was welcoming the finger of Heavenly Vajra with open arms. As Xu Ming had selected the lake as the target, the Heavenly Vajra Finger struck it. Huge amounts of water splashed out of the lake and even more of the water was evaporated from the power of the Heavenly Vajra Finger. When everything returned back to normal, Xu Ming noticed that there was less water in the land. The lake possessed half the water it originally had and the rest was evaporated by the Heavenly Vajra Finger. "Powerful. It''s many times more powerful than the 3 Strikes of Heavens and that too when I can''t even use a fraction of its full power because of my limited cultivation," Xu Ming muttered as he gazed at the lake. The wind had calmed down by now, but Xu Ming decided to wait back and not outside anymore. The Heavenly Vajra Finger was successfully learned and he didn''t wish to learn Thunder Storm inside the sect. The Sword Art of Destruction was what he planned to learn next, but he didn''t comprehend next, but he pushed that back to when he will be finished with the Inner Sect Entrance Exams. He had decided to put what little time he had in cultivation for the next 3 days and breakthrough once more. He wanted to pass the exams and he didn''t wish to take a risk. He already had the skills that would make him almost invincible in his Cultivation Realm, all he was worried about was his Origin Energy Reserves that he wanted to increase by increasing his cultivation so that he could use his skills more effectively. Xu Ming walked back and spent the rest of his days in cultivation. During the day, many people noticed how the lake had lost most of its reserves. Even the Elders came here to see it, but they couldn''t understand what may have caused it. They decided to increase the protection around the sect just to be sure. They increased the guards and told them to keep a strict watch during the night. All this happened in the sect, but Xu Ming had no idea about it. He was greedily absorbing the Origin Energy energy from the air in an effort to break through before the day of the trial. It was the 14th day and Xu Ming succeeded as he broke through to the 6th stage of the Spirit Establishment Realm. "Right on time," He muttered as he stood up and left the courtyard. He was already informed by Wu Tian that there was no registration. The test would be held in the Martial Arena of the Inner Sect. They would place a barrier outside the martial arena and only people that are in the 2nd Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm or higher will be able to enter. Xu Ming had told Wu Tian he didn''t know where the Martial Arena of the Inner Sect was. Wu Tian told him that he would be waiting for him near the Skill Hall on the day of the test and they would go together. As Xu Ming got near the Skill Hall, he saw Wu Tian waiting there for him. "You''re finally here. If you hadn''t been here for 20 more minutes, both of us would be late," Wu Tian said to Xu Ming as he saw him. "Did you get to the 2nd stage of the Spirit Establishment Realm?" Wu Tian inquired. "I did," Xu Ming replied to him. "Nice. We can both participate now. Let''s go. We wouldn''t be late," Wu Tian said as he started walking towards the Inner Sect. Xu Ming simply followed him. They walked for half an hour as they entered the Inner Part of the Sect. Generally, it wouldn''t have been allowed for the Outer Sect disciples to enter the Inner Sect, but today was a special day and it was allowed. As Xu Ming entered the Inner Sect, he noticed that the place was much fancier than the outer sect. The buildings were bigger and taller. The roads were even more premium. Although Xu Ming couldn''t feel it, the Inner Sect also had another big improvement over the outer sect. The Qi density and the Qi Quality, both were higher in the Inner Sect compared to the Outer Sect. Xu Ming on the other hand was more sensitive towards Origin Energy, thus he didn''t notice the change in the Qi compared to the outside. Only Origin Energy mattered to him and it was the same in the outer sect and on the inner. "It''s good, isn''t it!" Wu Tian asked Xu Ming. "It looks better than the outer sect," Xu Ming replied. "Indeed and the Qi here is so amazing. The growth here would be much faster than in the outer sect," Wu Tian said smilingly. "Yeah," Xu Ming simply nodded. They got to the martial arena. There were 2 Inner Sect Disciples standing outside that were there to check the badges of the ones that entered. "Show us your badges!" They said as Wu Tian and Xu Ming got close to the entrance. They both showed their disciple badge. "You can enter," They said after checking the badge. "Remember! Only those that are a 2nd stage Spirit Establishment Realm Cultivators or higher can enter! If your cultivation is lower, don''t even try or you might be harmed by the barrier," The guards warned them. Wu Tian and Xu Ming stepped forward and passed through the barrier without any trouble. As they entered the Martial Arena, they found themselves in a huge hall There were over 500 outer sect disciples already inside, but no Elder was there yet. "Looks like we''re on time," Wu Tian said smilingly. "You!" A person noticed Xu Ming as he called out. 107 Chapter 104: Survive "You look awfully similar to someone I know. Are you Xu Ming''s brother?" A man saw Xu Ming and walked up to him. "I''m Xu Ming, brother Zi Zhenfeng," Xu Ming replied. "Hmm? Have you been drinking milk? Your growth is so fast," Zi Zhenfeng said to Xu Ming in surprise. "Yeah, I had some growth. I was told that it''s because of my sudden breakthrough to the Spirit Establishment Realm that I grew up," Xu Ming answered him. "Hmm? Is that really possible? I thought these were just rumors?" Zi Zhenfeng asked with a frown. "Of Course it''s possible. Can''t you see yourself? The proof is right before your eyes," Wu Tian said as he entered their conversation. "Hmm? Wu Tian, you''re here as well? Sorry, I didn''t see you," Zi Zhenfeng said as he shifted his focus to Wu Tian. "How''s your health now? I heard that you were sick? I was worried about your life, you know" He continued. "Of Course I''m fine. And don''t act ignorant. I know that it was you that spread that rumor about me. Even my master believed that rumor and came to check up on me!" Wu Tian said. He looked quite irritated as he thought about it. "Isn''t that a good thing? It shows that your master cares for you," Zi Zhenfeng said smilingly. "There''s no benefit in talking to you. You''re just a person that loves chaos. You''ll never accept it," Wu Tian said. "Oh, right, I just realized. How are you inside the arena? Did you break through to the 2nd Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm already? Are you a monster in disguise?" Zi Zhenfeng asked Xu Ming. Xu Ming just looked at him awkwardly. All he could reply was that he was lucky. "When is the test going to start?" Xu Ming asked as he looked around. Only outer sect disciples could be seen inside. "I don''t know, There''s no information yet. We don''t even know what the test will be about. It should be quite different this time. There are many more participants since they decreased the participation criteria," Zi Zhenfeng let out. He had just finished saying when they saw 3 people walking inside. They seemed like they were all in their early 20s. They were wearing a uniform of the inner sect disciples. Xu Ming could see that they had a way higher cultivation than him. ''Gold Realm Cultivators,'' He thought as he looked at them. "Everyone Silence! My name is Silus and I will be overseeing the selection exams this time," The man standing at the center announced. The disciples turned silent before he continued speaking. "The exams this time will be quite simple, but most of you won''t be able to pass. There are around 1000 of you, but only 60 amongst you will pass the exams. That''s the criteria set by the exams and that''s what will happen. Now it depends on you if you''re one of those 60 or not," Silus further said. "I guess I''ll let you join my team," Zi Zhenfeng said to Wu Tian and Xu Ming. "What made you think that I''ll let you be the leader? I''ll be the leader. You can join my team," Wu Tian said. "There''s no need for a leader, right? If there ever comes a need, we can select a leader?" Xu Ming told them. He could feel that Wu Tian and Zi Zhenfeng were like friends. Zi Zhenfeng was an annoying friend while Wu Tian was a serious friend. "Sigh, Let it be that way then. If worse comes to worst, I and Xu Ming can just vote you out of the team," Zi Zhenfeng said to Wu Tian. "Hey Brother Zi, Brother Wu, how about the 3 of us form a team?" A beautiful girl walked up to them and asked. "Sorry, but we already have a team," Wu Tian and Zi Zhenfeng both said at the same time. "Oh," the girl disappointed walked away. It didn''t end with her, though. Many people came to them to ask them to form a team together, but Zi Zhenfeng and Wu Tian kept denying everyone. "Time''s up! Everyone, stand together with your team members. Keep a distance of at least 5 meters with other teams so that I can see," Silus said. Everyone followed his orders and separated accordingly. Fortunately, there was not a single person that was without a team. "Alright. Come forward one after another and write your names team-wise so that we can know who was in which team," Silus told everyone. One after another, people kept coming forward and writing their names. It took another half an hour before everyone was ready. "Good. Now let me explain the test. It''s survival!" Silus said as a smirk formed on his face "There''s a vast forest behind the Martial Arena. It''s spread for many miles. It contains many beasts inside it that would kill you on sight, fortunately, for this year, the High Spirit Grade Beast and higher have been removed from the forest, but the Lower Spirit Grade Beasts are also during and they can tear you to pieces," He continued. "So we have to survive in the forest?" Xu Ming muttered as he tried to guess. "You will all enter the forest. You can all stick together or go randomly, but after a few hours, we will drop 20 Enlightening balls inside randomly. The balls have a specialty that they shine so brightly at night that one can see a bright pillar of light on the location of the ball. They can''t be hidden inside clothes or placed in storage rings," "Your mission is to stay 7 nights in the forest. The people that came out on the 8th day with that ball will pass the test along with their team," Silus finished explaining. "So it''s about surviving with the ball. That''s quite an interesting concept. The ball will be a bright beacon of light that will attract the other teams towards the holder during the night. The holder would be targeted by everyone for the ball. So to pass the test, one might have to go against all the teams. Many people might die in this," Wu Tian said with a thoughtful look on his face. "Indeed. The ones that have the ball will have a chance to win, but they will be targeted as well. It seems like a double-edged sword that might give you victory, but it can even cut your own hand," Zi Zhenfeng replied. "The real problem is the numbers. There are only 20 teams that will have the ball and there are 334 teams in total. In the best situation, A team will only fight 1 team, but in the worst situation, the team might have to save 314 teams," Wu Tian said as he frowned. "That best plan will be to stay away from the ball until the 7th night," Xu Ming told his suggestion. "Indeed, We can get the ball on the last night. That will be easier than protecting it for 7 nights and there will be fewer teams left as well," Zi Zhenfeng said as he nodded his head. "We should follow that strategy. Don''t pick up the ball if you find it," Wu Tian said. "Oh right, If you come across the enlightening ball, you must pick it up or you will be disqualified," Silus announced. "That''s alright. It''s not like the ball will land right beside us," Zi Zhenfeng said with a wry smile on his face. "Alright. Everyone, time to enter the forest. Follow behind me," Silus let out as he started walking towards the end of the hall. Everyone followed him and they were brought to a door that was locked. Silus opened the door and finally, everyone was able to see the forest. "Enter. The balls will be dropped in the evening. You can check the location if you wish," Silus said as he stepped aside. The outer disciples started entering the forest. None of them seemed like they were in a hurry to enter at the moment and everything finished smoothly. Silus locked the door after everyone entered. "I knew that the inner sect had an entire forest inside, but I didn''t expect it to be so magnificent. The air feels so nice," Zi Zhenfeng said as he stepped through the forest. "The inner sect has many more amazing places. That''s why the outer sect disciples try to enter the inner sect. I personally like the practice hall where we can practice our skills at their full strength without causing destruction. The outer sect should have a place like that as well," Wu Tian said. Slowly, the teams spread out in the forest. 108 Chapter 105: Battle with Wu "This forest is so dense. It might be troublesome to fight here," Zi Zhenfeng exclaimed as he walked through the forest. He was in the lead while Wu Tian and Xu Ming were walking behind. "We should look for a place to stay the night as we will not try to get the enlightening ball. Just rest and save our strength for 6 days before we attack the holder," Xu Ming said. "I pity the people that will come across the enlightening ball. Their life is going to get so troublesome," Zi Zhenfeng said, smilingly. "Don''t Jinx us!" Wu Tian said in an annoyed tone. Zi Zhenfeng laughed out loud as he replied, "Hahaha, why are you so worried. It''s not like the enlightening ball is going to drop right in front of u..." but he stopped midway as a ball came from the sky and landed right before him. The ball was semi-transparent and it had a diameter of 20 centimeters only. "Awesome. Should I thank you for that?" Wu Tian said sarcastically. "Go ahead. Pick it up now, it''s not like we can leave it behind," He further said. "Hey, why should I be the one to take it! You take it!" Zi Zhenfeng retorted. "It landed in front of you so you pick it up. Isn''t that right, Xu Ming?" Wu Tian asked as he looked towards Xu Ming who nodded his head. "If you''re scared, I''ll pick it up," He further said as he stepped forward, but Zi Zhenfeng picked it up before he could. "What''s there to be scared of? See? I picked it up," Zi Zhenfeng said as he held the ball in his hand. "Anyway, what should we do now that we have the ball? Should we go to an open place so that we could fight better?" He inquired. "That''s no need for that. I think we should stay here. I have a plan," Xu Ming said as he glanced at the orb. "Let people come after the orb. We can''t leave the orb in the ground, but it didn''t say that we can''t give it away. When there are a lot of teams after us, we can just throw the ball towards one of them. We can let them fight for the orb, while we leave. On the 7th night, we can take back the orb," He told them his idea that brought a smile to both their faces. "Alright. Let''s do it," Wu Tian said. The time kept passing slowly and soon it was night. The orbs started shining brightly during the night and 20 pillars of light appeared high in the sky. The ones that didn''t have the ball started running towards the nearest pillars. "Hmm? Why is no one here yet?" Wu Tian muttered as he waited for over 20 minutes. "Someone coming," Xu Ming muttered as he looked to his left, and soon, 3 people arrived there. "Ah, It''s you. Senior Wu, Senior Zi, ah, have you seen a rabbit? we were chasing after it, maybe it went there. We''ll see you later," The leader of the team was surprised as he saw Wu Tian and Zi Zhenfeng. He made up an excuse as he escaped. "Indeed. There are still a few that are in the same realm as us though. Let''s see if they happen to be near," Wu Tian let out as he sat down and rested his back against the tree. Zi Zhenfeng and Xu Ming also sat down as they rested. Throughout the night, many people came to them, but as soon as they saw the person that was holding the orb, they turned back and left as fast as they came. "Geez, I''m getting bored just sitting here," Zi Zhenfeng let out as he yawned. "No one is that desperate yet. They won''t attack strong teams," Wu Tian said. The night passed away and they didn''t have to take part in a single fight. It wasn''t the same on the other side of the forest. Massive battles were taking place for the balls. It was so chaotic everywhere. No team was able to keep the ball with them for over 10 minutes. In fact, there were already a few deaths by now. Out of 1002 people, 87 were already dead. The fight was getting brutal, which was completely opposite to what Xu Ming''s team was going through. The night passed away just like that, and the day arrived, but the fighting still hadn''t stopped. Even though the balls weren''t shining anymore, the people that had seen the balls didn''t want to leave empty-handed. "If it keeps going on like this, it might be too easy to win this. We might not even have to fight after all," Zi Zhenfeng said. "We will have to fight. It was just the first day. People don''t fight the strong opponents as they think that they can find weaker people with the enlightening balls, but I believe that as the days pass, they would keep getting more and more desperate. They will attack anyone that has the orb without caring for the strength of the opponent. That''s when the numbers game will come to play," Wu Tian explained, he still didn''t open his eyes. They spent 3 more days, yet they didn''t move from their position. People kept coming and leaving, but no one attacked them. They had even begun cultivating in the meantime just to not get bored. While others cultivated, one was left to keep an eye on the surroundings so that no one attacks them from nowhere. All 3 of them cultivated 8 hours each. It was afternoon and it was Xu Ming''s turn to keep an eye on surroundings while Wu Tian and Zi Zhenfeng cultivated. It was at that moment when he heard the footsteps. He used his divine sense to see his surroundings, only to see 3 people coming towards him. "Wu?" Xu Ming exclaimed as he saw the person in the lead. It was the disciple of the Punishment Elder that had forced him to take the mission and gave him the false map. He quite hated the guy. If he had been weak, he would have been killed and if he hadn''t met Zi Zhenfeng, he would have remained lost, unable to find the way to the sect. "About time," Xu Ming muttered as he stood up. He had already seen that there was no one other than his team and Wu''s Team. It was the perfect opportunity for him to get his revenge. A few more minutes passed before Wu and his 2 friends appeared near him. "Hmm? You guys? You have an enlightening ball as well? Awesome," A grin appeared on Wu''s face as he looked at the enlightening ball that was lying on Zi Zhenfeng''s lap. "Kid, give me that orb and I won''t kill you all. Think carefully. Even if you try waking them up, it would still take a few moments before they''re up. That would be enough time for me to kill all of you 10 times. If you don''t want to die, give me that orb," Wu said to Xu Ming. "You will kill us for the ball? Aren''t you worried about the retaliation from the elders?" Xu Ming asked with a curious look on his face. "Of Course, I would be worried. Especially Elder Wu and their masters, but do you think they''ll know who killed you? It''s a battlefield for the selection. People will die here and no one could be blamed. It''s not like anyone will ever know that I was the one that killed you all? We''re the only ones here," Wu said with a smirk. "True, No one will know if someone is killed," Xu Ming muttered with a thoughtful look on his face. "It''s good that you understand. Now bring that ball to me and we will leave you alive," Wu said. Xu Ming nodded as he walked back to Zi Zhenfeng and picked the ball up. He walked back to the others and extended his hands towards them. He was holding the ball in his left hand while his right hand was completely empty. "Good, give it," Wu said as he extended his hand to take the ball, but a sword appeared in Xu Ming''s hands which he swung and cut off the hand of Wu. "Aaaaaa, I''ll kill you!" Wu screamed like a pig being slaughtered as he attacked with his sword. Xu Ming''s sword clashed with his sword and he was able to see that his strength was weaker than Xu Ming. "H-how are you so strong! What are you looking at! Kill this guy with me!" Wu told his teammates that were still in a daze. They also pulled their swords out as they attacked Xu Ming. Xu Ming dodged the attack as he appeared behind them and struck with his sword. In less than 2 Seconds, he had killed one of them as he sliced off the head of Wu''s teammate. 109 Chapter 106: Creator of Darkness The man reacted as he thrust the sword towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming was standing in front of a tree. He used the Origin Movement as he passed through the tree and appeared on the other side of the tree. The sword stabbed the tree, but it couldn''t reach Xu Ming. "What are you doing? Kill him right now!" Wu scolded the guy whose sword was stuck in the tree. His arm was bleeding, but Wu didn''t care as he chased after Xu Ming. Xu Ming''s sword again collided with Wu''s sword making Wu move back 5 steps because of the heavy impact. Xu Ming didn''t let the opportunity go to waste. Before Wu could balance himself, Xu Ming appeared right in front of Wu and thrust his sword. His sword penetrated the heart Wu who coughed out a mouthful of blood as he let out a pained groan. His bloody eyes kept looking at Xu Ming even as he died. The last remaining team member had finally pulled his sword out of the tree and attacked Xu Ming. Xu Ming used the origin movement as he appeared behind the man and sliced his head off. The man couldn''t even see Xu Ming move before he died. Xu Ming looked back at Zi Zhenfeng and Wu Tian. He noticed that they were both still lost in cultivation. He kept the bodies of Wu and his teammates in his storage ring as he walked to some distance and threw those bodies before walking back to his original position. He sat down and placed the enlightening ball back in Zi Zhenfeng''s lap. ''I only killed the ones that tried to get me killed, but why does it feel good? It feels satisfying. Is this what I truly needed? To kill? Or is it because I know that I am capable of taking revenge?'' Xu Ming wondered as he looked at the bloodied sword in his hand. Xu Ming used the common grade sword in this fight and not the sword of his father as he didn''t want to attract unnecessary attention. That sword was only for life and death situations. He didn''t want to show it off before he was strong enough to wield it proudly, just like his father did. 5 hours passed away and Wu Tian stopped his cultivation as he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the bloodstains on the ground. He turned to his left in worry and saw Xu Ming sitting there. He breathed out in relief. "Was there a fight here?" He asked Xu Ming. "Yeah, Some people tried to attack us to take the ball," Xu Ming replied. "Why didn''t you wake us up? You''re not hurt, are you?" Wu Tian inquired. "I''m perfectly fine. Don''t worry about that. I didn''t wake you up because there was no need for that. There were some weaklings that wanted to utilize the opportunity and take the orb. They were even weaker than me," Xu Ming said without much explaining. "Oh, I''ll keep that in mind," Xu Ming replied. What Wu Tian didn''t know was that Xu Ming had just taken care of one of the strong teams that he was talking about. "You can cultivate now. I''ll take care of things," Wu Tian told Xu Ming. Xu Ming heard the words and nodded his head before he sat on a meditative position as he closed his eyes and began cultivating. *** In a dark place, a boy was walking alone. A small Ice Phoenix was sitting on the boy''s shoulders. Not even a speck of light was visible in the scary darkness, but still, the boy wasn''t having any difficulty in seeing through the darkness. The strange thing was that no matter how far he gazed, there was nothing but emptiness for him. A voice kept echoing in his mind as if this voice was something that he wasn''t allowed to forget. It was as if it belonged to someone really special. "You created pain to create happiness and as a result, you gave birth to the darkness. Now you shall spend eternity in the darkness that you created," the voice said. The boy muttered, "I created darkness?" "Who am I?" He let out blankly as he kept walking through the darkness. There were many times when random visions appeared in his mind. The boy couldn''t help but wonder if he was starting to remember his past or was this something else? The visions didn''t make sense if it was past. In one of those visions, he was in a place where he saw tall buildings and moving vehicles whereas in other visions he saw a man who wore a crown calling him son. In one vision, a girl called him brother, whereas, in another vision, a different girl called him brother Liang. He had around 6-7 visions like this that he could remember. Inside his body, his soul was tied by the chains of universal laws. There were only 93 chains remaining while 7 were already broken. Although only 7 chains were broken, they were enough to give him the power of creating life forms and many more. The bindings were also started to weaken slowly as his soul was finally starting to resist the bindings, but the resistance was only subconscious. As the boy didn''t remember who he was and his true identity, he didn''t even know about the bindings, thus he put no effort into getting free. There was something in his soul that was telling him to be free and destroy the world for what it did whereas there was another part that was telling him to take care of the world as if it was his own child. *** The immortal world, a realm that was stronger than the mortal worlds. It was a place where the strongest of human cultivators lived. A person from the mortal world was only able to enter the Immortal World after breaking through to the Saint Realm. Normal people couldn''t enter as there was a barrier between the Mortal Worlds and the Immortal Realm that could only be passed through by the Saint Realm or higher cultivators. There were many strong cultivators in the Immortal World that elevated from the mortal world and established their families in the Immortal Realm. That''s how strong clans and the sects got established in the Immortal World and began developing. Even though the Immortal World was so vast and had thousands of powerful families and sects, there were only 4 people that truly controlled the Immortal World. The North Emperor Qin Shen, the South Monarch Wu Li, the Eastern Emperor Du Wan, and the Western Empress Xi Linxi. Each of them ruled one of the 4 great empires. The Western Empress Xi Linxi was the Empress of the Xi Empire that ruled over the Western portion of the immortal world. The Great Xi Empire controlled the biggest territory, but the Great Qin Empire of the North was said to be the strongest Empire as Northern Emperor Qin Shen was the strongest amongst the 4 great rulers. He was said to have reached the peak of cultivation that mortals were capable of reaching. Only the people of the Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realms were capable of becoming stronger because of their Immortal Bloodline. The Great Qin Empire of North was in great unrest at the moment. Even the Emperor who was said to be the strongest amongst the humans looked scared as he read the letter that was in his hand. "The New Heavenly Realm Ruler? How can there be such a big change in the Heavenly Realm so fast? Also, why is the new Heavenly Emperor coming here? Does he wish to use us for a war against the Demon Realm? I don''t want to get involved in their matters, but can I really deny him?" Northern Emperor Qin Shen muttered with a frown. "Minister Mu! Start preparation for welcoming the new Heavenly Emperor. He''ll be coming here tonight. I don''t want anything to go wrong or I''ll have to cut your head to please the Heavenly Emperor. Be careful!" Northern Emperor Qin Shen told the person that was standing in front of him. "Yes, Your Majesty! I''ll do my best to please the Heavenly Emperor. I''ll arrange the most beautiful girls in our Empire to welcome him and follow him inside. There won''t be any mistake," Minister Mu replied. "Good! I have faith in you. We will also come with you to welcome him," The Emperor said as he glanced at the letter. "Yes, Your Majesty. I''ll get right to it,"Minister Mu said before he left the hall. Time kept passing and soon it was the night in the Immortal World when the people saw a huge flying beast come down from the sky. The beast looked as if it was shining as bright as the moon. The Beast was a Heaven Swallowing Eagle that was as big as the Royal Palace of the Northern Qin Empire. 110 Chapter 107: White Tiger Crown Prince Visit, Is he really dead? The Giant Beast was a Heaven Swallowing Eagle that was as big as the Royal Palace of the Northern Qin Empire. It was the Royal Beast of the Heavenly Realm that was only used when traveling to lower realms. War God Zhen came flying down to the ground and landed in front of the Northern Emperor Qin Shen. Minister Mu stood behind the Northern Emperor and over 10 beautiful girls stood on both sides of them. "Heavenly Emperor, Welcome to the Immortal World," Northern Emperor Qin Shen greeted War God Zhen. "Hmm, Let''s get inside. I don''t have time to waste on pleasantries. I''m here for something much more important," War God Zhen said. "Ah, yes, Of Course. Please follow me," Northern Emperor Qin Shen said as he walked inside the palace. War God Zhen followed after him. Northern Emperor Qin Shen brought him to the throne room where he had intentionally placed 2 thrones. The first throne was somewhat higher than the second throne. Although he didn''t like sitting lower than someone else, he had no choice when the other person was the Ruler of the Heavenly Realm. War God Zhen walked to the higher throne and sat on it. "You may sit," he told the Northern Emperor Qin Shen. Northern Emperor Qin Shen walked to the 2nd throne and sat on it. "Now let me get to the point. Although my heavenly realm possesses the strength to destroy the immortal world, I don''t wish to go it just to get a single person''s life. That''s why I came to you," War God Zhen said. Northern Emperor Qin Shen''s face lost all its colors as he heard the words about the destruction of the Immortal Realm. "Why does the Heavenly Emperor say such a thing? Our Immortal World has never done something that''s against the Heavenly Realm. Why would you threaten us like that? If there''s someone in the Immortal World that has offended you, I can personally kill him myself," Northern Emperor Qin Shen said. "That''s exactly what I need you to do. I have an enemy that has escaped from the Heavenly Realm. He used a Spatial Crystal to escape. I believe that he arrived in the immortal world. I need you to find that enemy for me and bring him to me!" War God Zhen explained. "Ah, alright! I''ll do it. If that person is in the Immortal World, I''ll find him!" Northern Emperor Qin Shen said. "I''m pretty sure that he is here so I expect to get the news of the boy''s capture soon. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be happy. And if I''m not happy, I won''t let you be happy," War God Zhen warned the Northern Emperor. War God Zhen knew that Xu Liang was planning to go to the Immortal World, so he fully believed that the crystal opened the path to the immortal world and this was where Xu Ming was hiding. "This is the portrait of that person," War God Zhen gave a scroll to Northern Emperor Qin Shen. Northern Emperor Qin Shen opened the scroll and couldn''t help but frown. "That looks like a child, but he is the son of a very powerful demonic cultivator. Although I managed to kill that demonic cultivator, his son has escaped. You must find him!" War God Zhen said as he stood up and walked towards the exit. War God Zhen stopped midway as he turned back to look at Northern Emperor Qin Shen. "I forgot to mention one thing. If this news reaches the Demon Realm, I''ll be the one that personally kills you. Don''t think that if you guys join the Demon Realm, you will survive against me," War God Zhen said before he left. He flew up to his giant beast that was still flying in the air. The flying beast was so big, that even though it was flying above the royal palace of the Northern Qi Empire, it was visible to the people that lived thousands of miles away from them. The beast flew to the sky as soon as War God Zhen landed on it. **** "The Heavenly Emperor is after a kid? Do I need to search for a kid? This is so embarrassing," Northern Emperor Qin Shen muttered as he looked at the portrait of Xu Ming. *** The Heavenly Realm had gone through such a big change, but the Demon Realm was just like before. There was only one supreme being that ruled overall, the Demon Emperor. Not a single person dared to plot against him. "Your Majesty, the Heavenly Realm is the weakest it has even been. Why don''t we attack them?" a demon general said to the Demon Emperor. "I don''t think I need to lift even a single finger for the Heavenly Realm''s destruction. There''s an idiot that''s already doing the job for me," The Demon Emperor responded. His voice contained such a power that forced others to feel true fear. "Your Majesty, I heard that the new Heavenly Emperor has absorbed the strength of the Illustrious Emperor using our long lost technique. He should be quite strong, right?" Another demon asked. "He is indeed strong, but I feel like he''s nowhere near Tian Zhu. Of course, that''s just a feeling. I haven''t personally faced him yet," Demon Emperor said. "Zhen, you do so many things to protect your home, but you can''t see. Your own actions are what''s causing this great disturbance. Even though I don''t know what''s exactly going to happen, I can see that it won''t be peaceful for long. Will it be a disturbance as great as last time, or something even bigger? I''m quite interested to see how it plays out," Demon Emperor muttered. The Demon Emperor was lost in thoughts when the door opened and a demon guard walked inside. "Your Majesty, The Crown Prince of the White Tiger Clan is requesting for a meeting," "Hmm? Those guys dared to send their Crown Prince out of the Palace? Interesting. Send him inside," The Demon Emperor said. The demon left and came back with a boy. The boy looked like he was 20 years old. He had white hair and white pupils that gave him a unique charm. There were sharp claws instead of normal human-like hands. "Prince of the White Tiger Clan, You don''t need to prove anything. I can already see that you''re from the white tiger clan," Demon Emperor said. "Hahaha, I apologize for that. I thought that showing would be easier than explaining," The White Tiger Prince said as his hands returned to normal human-like hands. "So, what brings you here? I thought the next in line heirs of the God Beast Clans never left their homes," Demon Emperor inquired. "It''s nothing extreme. I had to come here because of an old rule. There''s a rule in our White Tiger Clan that if a male likes a girl, he himself had to go to talk to her parents. That''s why I''m here," The White Tiger Prince said. "Before you ask anything, let me answer. Yes, I''m here to talk to you about your daughter''s marriage with me. I saw her portrait and I fell in love at first glance. want her to be my wife," he further added. "If that''s what you''re here for, then you can leave," The Demon Emperor said without any change in expression. "Don''t be in such a haste. Think things through. If your daughter marries me, she will be the Empress of the White Tiger Clan in the future. Forming the relationship with one of the strongest God Beast Clan is good for the Demon Realm as well," The White Tiger Prince said. "I''ll repeat what I said before. You can leave," The Demon Emperor said. "Are you looking down on my White Tiger Clan?" The White Tiger Prince asked. "I apologize, but I don''t have much respect for a clan that was almost destroyed by a human, so please stop talking as if it''s really that strong. I''m not scared of the White Tiger Clan. Leave before I''m forced to kill you," The Demon Emperor said as a smirk formed on his face. "Very well. I''m leaving, but I will never forget this disrespect," The White Tiger Prince said as he turned back and left. "Your Majesty, that kid was so arrogant, should we really let him leave?" A demon general asked. "Let him go. In my eyes, he''s just a kid that doesn''t know better. If he does the same thing one more time, then even his dead body won''t go back to the White Tiger Clan," The Demon Emperor said. "Your Majesty, I heard about the destruction of the White Tiger Clan so many times and I also heard that the one that did it is dead. How can such a strong person die? The person that single-handedly destroyed the White Tiger Clan and the Azure Dragon Clan, I can only imagine how strong he must be. Is he really dead?" the demon general asked. 111 Chapter 108: Gone or no The Demon Emperor heard the question and went silent for a moment as if he was trying to remember the past. "Ah, Your Majesty? I apologize for asking the unnecessary question. You don''t need to answer me," the demon general said as he saw the Demon Emperor not answering. "Ah, no. it''s fine. It''s not a bad question," Demon Emperor replied. "Is he really dead? Even I wonder if he is really gone or is there still something left of him," The Demon Emperor said as he closed his eyes. **** "That bastard, does he think I''m not worthy of his daughter? Just because in the past, we were defeated by a monster, does he think that we aren''t strong? He has become so arrogant. He thinks our white tiger clan can''t take care of the Demonic Realm?" The White Tiger Crown Prince cursed as he left the palace. "No matter what, his daughter will definitely become mine. He can''t prevent it!" He said as he started flying away from the Royal Palace. **** Xu Ming was still in the forest in the Mighty Demon Sect. It was Zi Zhenfeng that was taking care of them while Wu Tian and Xu Ming cultivated. There was no problem so far as people didn''t attack them, but that peace didn''t last for long. It was the 6th day in the forest. When everything started, 1002 people had entered the forest, but more than half of them were already killed. There were many teams that were completely wiped out while there were some teams that only had one or two people remaining. Only 47 teams were fully intact. Most of the weak teams were fully wiped out and only the strong ones remained. The ones that had the enlightening balls had to go through vicious battles. Some of those teams had managed to successfully protect the ball while there were some teams that weren''t lucky or strong enough. The teams that still didn''t have the ball were starting to get desperate as the time kept passing. It was already the 6th day and when the 7th day was over, the trial would be over along with their dreams to get selected in the Inner Sect. Zi Zhenfeng was getting bored when he heard the footsteps of someone. "You! Give me that ball and we won''t do anything!" A boy came out of the bushes as he pointed his sword towards Zi Zhenfeng. "You alone? Do you think you can do anything?" Zi Zhenfeng said with an amused look on his face. "I''m not alone! They are with me!" the boy let out as 5 more people came out of the bushes. "Were you all waiting for him to finish his dialogues?" Zi Zhenfeng said with a wry smile on his face. "It''s interesting that 2 teams joined hands, but you''re still not enough. Unless you want to die, leave," Zi Zhenfeng said casually. He didn''t even bother standing up for them. "Hahaha, We all know who you are. I know that the 6 of us won''t be enough for you, but who said that it''s just the 6 of us?" The boy said smilingly. "I guess this is getting somewhat serious. 20 teams joined together to get a single enlightening ball? I don''t understand how it works?" Zi Zhenfeng asked with a confused look on his face. "It''s simple. We are not strong enough to face the big teams like yours. If this keeps on going like this, none of us will be able to take the ball and get selected, that''s why we decided to join hands together to get the ball. Later on, we will decide who keeps the ball," the boy in the lead said. "Interesting. I like your determination. Here, you can keep the ball," Zi Zhenfeng grinned as he threw the ball towards the boy. The boy was shocked as he caught the ball. "W-what? What''s happening here? How can you give the ball so easily? Don''t you want to keep the ball and get selected?" He asked in shock. "Nah, we just joined this test because our masters wanted us to join. See? We are cultivating here and not even trying to fight. We don''t want to fight for the ball that we don''t even need. Also, I think you need the ball more than us. You guys can leave," Zi Zhenfeng said. "Hmm? Are you serious?" the boy asked in surprise. "Yeah, I''m really serious. Now leave. Don''t disturb our peace," Zi Zhenfeng said. "Ah, right," The boy said as he turned back and walked away. The others followed after him. They were still walking away when Zi Zhenfeng heard their voices. "Hey Fu Lixun, give that ball to us!" "Wait, he gave it to me. We all had an equal chance in this way and I won. So why should I give it to you?" "Hah, now the ball is their problem. I give them 10 minutes before they start fighting for the ball. That''s what happens when you don''t decide on a proper plan before getting teams together to get something that only one person can keep" Zi Zhenfeng chuckled as he relaxed and rested his back against the tree. After a few hours, Xu Ming stopped his cultivation. It was his turn to guard them. "You can go cultivate now," He told Zi Zhenfeng. "Oh, you''re up. Alright," Zi Zhenfeng sat straight as he heard Xu Ming''s voice. "Where is the ball?" Xu Ming asked as he found the ball missing. "I finally got the opportunity to give it away, and I gave it away. If I''m not wrong, they should still be fighting for the ball," Zi Zhenfeng chuckled as he explained what had happened. "Great, Now we just have to get the ball back tomorrow night," Xu Ming said as he smiled lightly. Zi Zhenfeng began cultivation. More time passed and even Wu Tian woke up. He was also informed about the ball being given to someone else. Just like that, time kept passing. Even the 6th night passed away. The 6th night was one of the most intense nights yet as everyone fought for the balls. It was the 7th night. The test was said to be over early morning at 4 am, so everyone had 6 more hours only. Xu Ming, Wu Tian, and Zi Zhenfeng were all standing together as they gazed towards the pillar of the light. "It''s finally time for some action. I can''t tell you how boring the last 7 days have been," Zi Zhenfeng said as a smile appeared on his face. "I don''t think any of us enjoyed spending 7 days under a tree. But it will all be over in a few hours. We will all become an inner sect disciple," Wu Tian commented. "Yup, let''s see who has the ball that''s closest to us," Zi Zhenfeng said as he started walking towards the pillar of light. After walking for around 20 minutes, they finally reached the place. They could see the team that had the ball. It was fighting against 7 other teams at the same time, but it didn''t look as if they were at a disadvantage. "I guess we got a tough opponent here. Those 3 are the personal disciples of the elders as well. The leader is Mu Li, the personal disciple of Elder Xu. He is a 6th stage Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator. His cultivation is one minor realm higher than mine, but I should be able to handle him. The other one is the disciple of Elder Li. His cultivation is the same as Zi Zhenfeng''s. They are both at the 5th stage of the Spirit Establishment Realm. Zi Zengfeng should be able to take care of him as well," Wu Tian said "The real problem is the 3rd guy. The one that holds the ball. He is also a 5th stage Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator, so Xu Ming can''t fight him and the other 2 won''t let us get near him. Let''s watch, maybe one of them will get information. We still have 5 hours left," He further added. Xu Ming heard his words, but he didn''t say anything. He was sure that he could even defeat Mu Li with the strength he held, but there was no need to explain. All that really mattered was getting that ball. 2 hours passed away and the other teams were killed. Only the team of Mu Li was left. They didn''t look injured either. All 3 of them were perfectly fine. "None of them were hurt. That''s not good. Alright, Xu Ming, you need to block that guy for some time. Zi Zhenfeng, finish your opponent fast and go help, Xu Ming. I''ll take care of Mu Li and come for help as well. We can''t let it go wrong," Wu Tian said as he pointed towards the boy that held the ball. Zi Zhenfeng nodded his head. "I''ll block him," Xu Ming said, but the real plan in his mind was entirely different. Wu Tian, Zi Zhenfeng, and Xu Ming stepped forth. 112 Chapter 109: Another Kill "You finally decided to come out. I''ve been wondering how long you guys would stay there," Mu Li said as he glanced back at Wu Tian. "I would''ve asked you to give that enlightening ball to us, but I know that you won''t do it. Let''s just fight and get it done with," Wu Tian said as he pointed his sword towards Mu Li. "Sure. That''s the best way to solve this. I won''t go easy on you though. It doesn''t matter that you''re the Disciple of an elder. All my attacks will be aimed at killing you, so think carefully," Mu Li told Wu Tian. "You should give it your all. I wouldn''t want to kill someone who is weak," Wu Tian replied and without waiting for a response, he moved towards Mu Li as he attacked with his sword. His target was Mu Li''s chest but Mu Li intercepted the attack with his sword. Mu Li was stronger and had higher cultivation, but still, he was forced a step backward. Wu Tian on the other hand was forced back 2 steps. Zi Zhenfeng also attacked the second strongest cultivator. "They left a kid for me? Are they serious? That feels like an insult, but oh well, the faster I kill you, the faster I can get back to killing them," The 3rd cultivator said as he glared at Xu Ming. He pulled his blade out as he ran towards Xu Ming to attack, but before he could get near, he saw Xu Ming disappear from his vision. Xu Ming was so fast that the guy couldn''t even see him moving. The guy finally saw Xu Ming, but it was too late. Xu Ming''s sword was already resting on his neck. He started sweating as he said, "Don''t..." But before he could finish his sentence, Xu Ming''s sword moved. The guy''s neck was cut off as his head fell down to the ground. The others were still busy in their battle and they didn''t see Xu Ming''s battle otherwise they would have been shocked. Xu Ming slowly walked forth and picked up the enlightening ball. "I got the ball," Xu Ming let out loud as he informed Wu Tian and the others who were still in an intense battle. "What? H-he killed Dan chu?" Mu Li was shocked and just as shocked was Wu Tian. They both recovered their focus as they attacked the opponent and their battle continued. They knew that they didn''t have the time to be distracted. Mu Li''s team was outnumbered and that''s why he wished to finish the battle fast so that he could balance the numbers, but Wu Tian was proving to be a tough opponent. Despite having weaker cultivation, Wu Tian was giving an equal fight to him. "Die for me!" Mu Li called out as he used his movement skill and created some distance between them. "Starry Destruction!" He let out as he got into a sword stance. His sword started shining brightly as if he was a bright star. He swung his sword and a bright white arc of light left his sword and advanced towards Wu Tian. "Nirvana Slash," Wu Tian said as he also used his sword skill. Wu Tian and Mu Li both crashed on the ground away from each other. Both of them could feel their bodies being hurt but they both stood up as they again ran towards each other. Their swords clashed once more. Xu Ming wondered if he should interfere, but he didn''t as he could see that Wu Tian was giving it his all in this fight and he was enjoying it. Interfering in his fight would be something like insulting him and doubting his abilities. He just stood back with the ball in his hand as he watched their battle. Their battle continued for around 2 hours and both of them could feel as if they were running out of Qi. It was 2 am in the morning and the trial was supposed to be over by 4 am. There were only 2 more hours left. It was Mu Li''s team that was more desperate at the moment as the ball was with Xu Ming. "Mu Li! What are you doing?! Stop playing with him and hurry up! We don''t have all night to get that ball," Mu Li''s teammate said. He looked deeply concerned. He was still fighting Zi Zhenfeng and their battle was just as intense. Zi Zhenfeng had a few blade wounds on his body and similarly, he had a few wounds on his body. Just like that 2 more hours passed away. Even though Mu Li tried his best to be free of Wu Tian and get the ball back, he wasn''t able to shake him off. Ultimately, that heard a loud announcement. "Everyone, the test is over! Stop fighting! The teams that still have the Enlightening Ball have won. Everyone needs to come back to the main hall. Those who are found to attack the teams with the balls after this moment shall be killed without any explanation," Wu Tian stopped the battle and Mu Li also stopped attacking. "Congratulations on victory. I guess you guys did outperform us this time," Mu Li said to Wu Tian. "Thank you, but it''s all thanks to Xu Ming. If he hasn''t gotten that ball, I don''t believe we would have won," Wu Tian said as he looked at Xu Ming with praise in his eyes. "Indeed. That boy is good. Despite being so young, he managed to take someone so strong down. If you guys hadn''t attacked our team, both our teams would have been selected, but that''s alright. It was a good battle," Mu Li said smilingly. "Alright, Let''s go back. There''s no point in wasting time here anymore," Mu Li said casually as he started walking back. After an hour, they all got back to the Martial Hall. The In-Charge of the test, Silus, and his 2 friends were standing in the hall when Xu Ming and the others entered. They were the last ones to come back. "Alright. You guys are the ones that are still alive. Let me announce the names of the ones that are selected to be inner sect disciples," Silus said. There were only 120 people that were back in the hall which meant that 882 disciples that took part in the test had died. Even though the number of dead was large, Silus seemed as if he was surprised that so many had survived. "The ones that are selected are Wu Tian, Zi Zhenfeng, Xu Ming, Ye Manli, Qu Min, Su Yao, Ru Zheng... and Po Liun. Come forward and take your provision badges," Silus called out 18 names as not all of the winning teams were intact. The ones whose names were called out stepped forth and took the small coin-shaped badge that was lying on the table above the paper of the participants'' names. "The ones that aren''t selected can leave now," Silus said. Mu Li and the other ones that failed the test left the hall and went back to the outer sect. "Alright. From now on, you guys are the proud disciples of the inner sect so first of all, congratulations. Now back to the important things. You guys need to come to the Inner Sect Registration Hall with your provisional badges and there you will be given your real badges with your names on it," He further said. "He is Xuan Yu. You will all see him in the Registration Hall. After you guys receive your badges, he will show you around the sect and tell you the rules that you must follow. If anyone is found to break those rules, he will be crippled," Silus told them as he pointed towards the guy that was standing behind him. "Alright. Now you can leave as well. Be on time, tomorrow at 9 am in the Registration Hall," Silus said before he turned back and left the hall with the other 2 inner disciples. Xu Ming couldn''t help but stare at the badge. It was proof that he was a step closer to his objective of entering the core sect and taking back the necklace that had his mother. "Hey, Xu Ming? Why are you in a daze? Let''s go," Zi Zhenfeng called out Xu Ming as he saw him looking at the provisional badge. Xu Ming glanced back at Zi Zhenfeng and nodded his head as he turned back and left with them. They all walked back to the outer sect and separated as they entered their courtyards. Xu Ming entered his room and fell down to his bed. It had been 7 days since he had a proper sleep so he instantly fell asleep on the bed. He again found himself back in the dream of that dark place where he saw that little boy. 113 Chapter 110: Marriage? Xu Ming found himself back in the dark place, but this time, he didn''t see the boy there. The place looked empty. "Did he really leave this place?" Xu Ming muttered as he looked around, but neither the boy nor his bird was found. "Sigh, This is weird. Now I have to stay alone in this prison-like place until I wake up," Xu Ming said as he depressingly gazed in the darkness. He stayed there for hours but instead of wasting time, he started to comprehend the Sword Art of Destruction. He had already read the whole manual, but he hadn''t tried to comprehend it. He was hoping to comprehend it after coming back from the trial, but he fell asleep as soon as he came back. "One sword to destroy everything," '' I have comprehended the 3 strikes of heavens which gave me some insight and understanding on the way of the sword, but I just say, that insights were nothing in front of what I''m seeing here. Both the skills are so different. Although I expected the Sword Art of Destruction to be stronger, it''s on a whole different level. I can''t even comprehend it yet as it needs the understanding of Sword Intent which I haven''t formed yet,'' Xu Ming thought. "The main problem is how to form a sword intent. I don''t have the books that teach how to form it. I know father had sword intent, but how did he turn it?" Xu Ming let out with a frown on his face. "When I wake up, I need to find a book about sword intent in the sect," he muttered. After a few more hours, Xu Ming woke up. He had slept for over 12 hours and it was already midnight when he woke up. "In the morning, I''ll officially become the Inner Sect and then I should be allowed to enter the skill hall of the Inner Sect. Hopefully, they will have something useful. I don''t want this skill to go to waste. If I''m not wrong, it should be the second strongest skill amongst the 3, right after the Thunder Storm," He stood up as he left the courtyard. ''It''s dark outside, but this darkness is nothing like the darkness of that place,'' Xu Ming thought as he continued walking. It had been so long since he actually felt his surroundings in peace. He kept walking and after some time, reached a Small Hut. He stopped before the hut as he observed it. It was the same hut he had spent his 3 years before becoming the disciple of the outer sect. Xu Ming stepped towards the hut and knocked on the door but the door wasn''t opened. "It is late, they must be sleeping," Xu Ming muttered as he turned back and left. He got back to the old lake. The lake still looked as empty as he had left it. Only half of the water was left, but it was still enough to swim in it. As he got near the lake, he saw a girl swimming in the lake. The girl saw him as well. "Who are you? How dare you peak at me!" The girl let out as he covered her body in water. Only her head was visible. "I''m not here to peak at you. It''s the place I come often. You already know it," Xu Ming said. "I know it? How can I know it! It''s my first time seeing someone like you! You peeked at me and now you''re making excuses? You''re quite shameless, aren''t you?" The girl replied. "Oh right. I guess you wouldn''t recognize me now that I look like this. I''m the same boy that you met thrice at this place," Xu Ming let out. He had already recognized the girl and it was the same one that came here when he was still a servant and cultivating here, but she didn''t recognize him as he had grown up. "I met you 3 times here? Wait, You''re that kid? What the heck? How did you grow up so fast?" The girl exclaimed in surprise as he understood what he was talking about. "It''s something related to cultivation. I don''t know the exact term for it, but it''s when your body grows after you get a major breakthrough," Xu Ming explained. "Something like that exists?" She asked with a weird look on her face. "I think it does exist. You have the proof right before your eyes," Xu Ming replied. "Wait a minute! Now that you have grown up, doesn''t that mean that a grown-up man had seen my naked body 3 times? What the heck! How do you want to take responsibility?!" She called out as she glared at him. "What responsibility?" Xu Ming asked in confusion. He didn''t understand what she meant. "Before my mother died, she used to tell me things. She used to say that if a woman is seen by a man without clothes 3 times, she must marry that man," The girl said. "That is stupid," Xu Ming replied straight. "That''s not stupid! You need to take responsibility!" The girl said as she glared at him. "You know, my mother also told me a few things. She once told me that I should stay away from crazy women. I think I now understand what she talked about," Xu Ming said as he turned back to leave. "Her wait!" the girl came out of the water and ran after Xu Ming, but as she was running after him, she stumbled. Xu Ming heard her voice and turned back only to find her speedily coming in his direction. He could see that she was about to fall. He stepped towards her and reached out his hand to prevent her from falling. Fortunately, he managed to stop her. The girl wasn''t wearing any clothes, and Xu Ming''s hands are on her shoulders holding her at her place. He could see her everything, but his focus was on her face at the moment. "It''s the 4th time you saw me like this. You must marry me," She said to him. "It was you that came running without clothes. It doesn''t feel like something a girl that is concerned about her body being seen would do!" Xu Ming responded. "I didn''t have time to get dressed! You were going away! I don''t even know the courtyard you stay in!" She said with an upset look on her face as she stood up straight. "Sorry, but I''m not changing my mind. I''m not marrying you for something so stupid," Xu Ming said as he again turned back to leave. The girl''s face turned red as she saw him leave. "You! How dare you turn your back at your wife!" She bellowed as she kicked towards his back. Xu Ming turned back and caught her leg. She could see that he was way stronger than her and she wasn''t even close to being his match. "I don''t know much about marriage, but I think married people are supposed to respect each other. Just this small gesture alone proves that you''re not worthy to be with me," Xu Ming said before he released her legs and left. The girl just stood there with a blank look on her face as she watched him leave. "He! What does he think he is? How dare you disrespect me like that? He thinks that just because he''s stronger, I can''t do anything?" The girl said with clenched teeth. She hurriedly got dressed and chased after Xu Ming. She saw him enter his courtyard. "I''ll definitely get you to accept me as your wife, even if I have to use unfair means!" She said as she stepped towards his courtyard. Xu Ming wasn''t concerned about someone breaking into his courtyard and stealing anything as he kept everything in his storage ring which was always on his finger and invisible, that''s why he didn''t pay particular attention to security. Although he locked the door, he didn''t even check the windows. The windows were unlocked, but he didn''t know it. He asked back to his bedroom and sat in a meditative position as he began cultivating. The girl walked closer to his courtyard. She tried pushing the door but found it locked. Then she walked towards the windows. The window opened without much effort, bringing a grin on her face. ''I''ll see how you deny me now! My mother''s words won''t go to waste!'' She thought as she entered his room. She walked towards his bedroom and saw him sitting in a meditative position in Cultivation. ''You underestimated me, but not for long,'' She thought as she stepped towards him. 114 Chapter 111: Forced The girl stepped closer to Xu Ming and sat near her. "Wake up!" She said as she tapped his shoulders. Xu Ming opened his eyes and saw the girl sitting in front of him. "What are you doing in my courtyard?" He asked in surprise. "Are you going to marry me or not?" She asked him. "I''m not going to marry you. Please leave," He told her. "Do you think you can just leave me after using me to fulfill your beastly desires?" She asked as she smirked. Xu Ming looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Did you lose your memory?" He asked in a surprise. "Sigh, You still don''t understand, Do you?" She said as she tore off the sleeves of her clothes. "What are you doing?" He asked in surprise. "What am I doing? What do you think will happen if I scream that you have forced me to sleep with you?" He asked. "Are you threatening me?" He asked as he looked at her in full seriousness. "Yes! If you don''t agree to marry me, I will tell everyone about your beastly nature. I''ll make it difficult for you to live in the sect," She said as she smiled. "You''re indeed crazy. Leave and do what you want," He told her before he stood up and walked up to his bed. "Y-you''re seriously not worried? You think that I won''t do it?! Think carefully! If I do it, you will be punished! You might even be crippled!" She said. "Leave right now! I don''t have time to entertain you. Only an idiot will believe you," He told her. "You are crazy! You should be scared! Why aren''t you scared!" She bellowed at Xu Ming. Xu Ming didn''t reply to her. "Hmph! You''re right! I won''t do it as I don''t want my future husband to die. Mother said that I must always protect my husband. I''ll pick a different way then!" She said as she stood up and walked up to Xu Ming. She sat on the bed right beside him. Xu Ming stood up and walked to the other side of the bed, but she followed him. She kept sticking closer to him. "I didn''t see you naked 3 times! So you don''t have to do it! It was so dark the first time that I didn''t even see you. So you''re still free," Xu Ming lied in order to get her to leave. "Do you think you can fool me! I won''t leave unless you promise to marry me!" She replied. "There''s no way I''m going to marry you! For the last time, leave, before I get angry," Xu Ming warned her. "Nope," She said as she placed her arms on her thin waist and glared at him. Xu Ming stepped towards her as he picked her in his arms and carried her on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes before he started walking towards the exit. "Hey! Put me down!" The girl said, but Xu Ming only stopped when he was out of his courtyard and put her down before he entered his courtyard and closed the door. "He didn''t close the windows? Hah, he didn''t think how I entered, did he?" The girl muttered with a wry smile on her face as she again entered his place through the window. She walked to his bedroom, but she didn''t find Xu Ming there. All she saw were his clothes lying on the bed. ''The clothes that he was wearing? Is he in the shower?" She muttered as she heard the sound of water droplets falling on the ground. "Hmph! Despite being a guy, he thinks that he can leave me? Even if he doesn''t accept it, I''m already his wife," She said in full seriousness as she stepped towards the washroom. The door of the washroom was closed, but it wasn''t locked. She entered the place and saw Xu Ming. Xu Ming''s back was facing him. "Should I help?" She asked. Xu Ming turned back in surprise and he was shocked to see her there. "Can''t you leave me alone? I''m having some serious thoughts about killing you now!" Xu Ming let out in anger as he glared at her. "First promise to marry me!" She said in stubbornness. He stepped towards her and grabbed her neck as he raised her in the air. The girl was clearly having difficulty in breathing, but her eyes didn''t look the least bit worried. "Promise to marry me!" She repeated. "Alright. You can come tomorrow and we can talk about it in full seriousness. Right now I''m tired and I can''t think proper," He told her as he put her down with an annoyed look on her face. She smiled as she said, "That''s like my good husband. I''ll come tomorrow and we can clear the details." "I''ll leave now. A girl and a boy shouldn''t stay together before marriage," She said as she left. "Crazy girl. But as I said, I can''t marry you," Xu Ming muttered as he continued his shower. He left the shower and got dressed before he resumed his cultivation. Just like that, morning arrived. Xu Ming got up and left his courtyard as he walked towards the entrance of the inner sect. As he got there, he saw Wu Tian and Zi Zhenfeng already waiting there. "Hey, you''re finally here," Zi Zhenfeng said. They showed their provisional badges to guards and entered the inner sect. They got to the Sect Registration Hall. They entered the place and saw Xuan Yu there. He was the person that was assigned to them to show them around and get them registered. "You''re here. Stand in the line. When it''s your number, you can enter the place and register yourself so that you can get your real badges," Xuan Yu said. They stood in the line. There were already 20 other provisional disciples there ahead of them. After 50 minutes, it was finally their number. Xu Ming was first to enter amongst them and soon came out of there with a new and shining badge on his chest. He also had a Dark Green Robe that was the proof of him being an Inner sect disciple. Zi Zhenfeng and Wu Tian also got their badges. More disciples kept going in and coming out and soon all those that had passed the Trials were finished with the Registration. "Congratulations guys. The 40 of you are now the official disciple of the Inner Sect. Come with me. I''ll show you around," Xuan Yu congratulated them before he walked out of the Registration Hall. He walked on the walkway while the other disciples followed him. "You guys are new so you might not know a few of our rules that are different from the Outer Sect, but I''ll tell you today and you must keep them in mind. If anyone is found breaking them, they would be crippled or killed. So listen carefully," Xuan Yu said. "Rule 1: You can involve yourself in sexual activities with other disciples, but you can''t force anyone?" "Rule 2: If you kill someone in the sect, you will be crippled unless you can convince the Elders'' Panel that you had a valid reason. But don''t even try it as no one had ever managed to convince them after killing anyone," Xuan Yu continued. "Rule 3: The Inner Sect has a ranking system. You can challenge anyone that has a ranking and if you win, you will get their ranking and that person will lose his ranking. But if you challenge and fail 5 times without even a single victory, you will be crippled and thrown out of the sect," "Rule 4: Falling in love with someone from the outside is a crime. If you''re done out, you will either be crippled or killed along with your lover," "Rule 5; If you cause harm to any property belonging to the sect, you will have to pay 10 times its cost in 7 days and if you fail, you will be killed, "Rule 6: You must complete 1 mission of this sect every 6 months. If you fail, you will be crippled," "Rule 7... Oh, we''re already here. This place is the Skill Hall where you can get skills in exchange for contribution points to the sect. It''s an important place of the Sect," He said as he noticed a building on his left. "Let''s continue. Rule 7: You must..." He continued speaking about the rules as he resumed talking. Xuan Yu had told them about 20 rules before they got to the next important place. "This is the 8 Trigram Battle Formation. You can come here once a month and take the test. Your performance here will determine your Ranking. It''s the second way of getting a rank without having to challenge someone," Xuan Yu said. "It''s you?" Xuan Yu was still speaking when someone called from behind. Xu Ming and the others turned back to look at the person. 115 Chapter 112: Core Sec They all looked back and saw a red-haired boy walking towards them. The boy looked to be 20 and wore the red robes. "Xuan Yu, have you been given the duty to show the newbies around again? Hahaha, It should''ve been Silus this time, shouldn''t it? Is Silus still treating you like a servant?" the boy asked Xuan Yu as he looked at him in pity. "Stop talking nonsense about Senior Brother Silus! You might be stronger than me, but you''re still not at the level of Senior Brother Silus to talk so lightly about him," Xuan Yu replied as a frown appeared on his face. "Hah, are you talking about ranking? It''s only a matter of time little guy. Anyway, do your servant''s duty if you like it. It''s not like care. I was just somewhat worried that you were going to lose your dignity as an Inner Disciple, but I guess you have lost it long ago," the red-haired boy laughed out loud as he entered the Ranking Building. "Ignore that guy. He''s just someone that''s jealous. Anyway, let''s continue. Are there any questions about the Ranking Hall?" Xuan Yu asked everyone. "Senior Xuan, Why was that guy wearing a Red Robe? We were given green robes when we became Inner Sect Disciples. Is he special? What should we do if we want a red robe? That robe looks cool," Zi Zhenfeng asked. "To get a red robe, you must be ranked under Top 50 in the Ranking of the Inner Sect. Only the Top 50 Rankers can get the red robes. That''s why I don''t even have a red robe yet. I''m Rank 53. The guy that just walked in is Rank 32," Xuan Yu explained. "So we must defeat someone stronger than you to get a red robe?" Zi Zhenfeng asked in surprise. "Yeah, but don''t even dream about that. You guys are too weak. Most of you are in the middle of the Spirit Establishment Realm whereas even the weakest person in the top 100 is a Gold Core Realm cultivator. It would be a big deal if you even manage to get in the top 500," Xuan Yu explained. "That is indeed tough, but no reason to feel defeated. We still have time to grow and we will definitely break through to the Gold Core Realm and get the top rankings," Zi Zhenfeng chuckled as he said. "That''s good. Keep up the motivation everyone. You still have a long journey ahead of you. Even if you can''t get in the rankings now, you can definitely get in it in the future," Xuan Yu replied to them. He liked the optimism of Zi Zhenfeng. "I have one suggestion for you though. Before challenging someone for their ranking, you should always check your strength by going in the 8 Trigram Formation. The Ranking you will receive will reflect your true strength. If the other person''s ranking is higher, that means he is stronger than you. That''s why you should always be careful when it comes to ranking," Xuan Yu said. "What are the benefits of being in the rankings?" Wu Tian inquired. "So the top 50 get 200 Qi Crystals and 2000 contribution points. It''s amazing," Zi Zhenfeng let out in surprise. He knew how important Qi Crystals were, which made him realize how good the rewards were. "That''s not all they get. The Top 50 is like an entirely different level than the rest. This is where the true rewards come in. The one that managed to get into the top 50 is allowed to choose a peak Gold Core Skill from the skill pavilion," Xuan Yu replied. "The top 10 rewards are even crazier. If one manages to enter the top 10, he is allowed to spend 1 day in the True Refinement Pond. The one in the top 3 is allowed to spend 3 days. And the Rank 1 is allowed to spend 7 days in the True Refinement Pond," He added. "True Refinement Pond? I''ve never heard of it. What''s that?" Wu Tian asked with a confused look on his face. "True Refinement Pond is not in our Inner Sect. It''s in the Core Sect and it''s a really miraculous place. It is said that when one bathes in the water of True Refinement Pond, all the impurities of the person''s bodies are cleaned and their cultivation speed increased. The longer one stays in the pond, the more impurities will be purified. That''s why everyone wants to get a higher rank and get in the True Refinement Pond," Xuan Yu explained. "It can increase cultivation speed? Isn''t it said that the cultivation speed depends on a person''s talent and it can''t be increased?" Wu Tian inquired. "It''s the truth that the cultivation speed depends on a person''s talent and it can''t be increased in any other way. But the Pond works a little differently. You know that every human''s body has impurity, what you don''t know is that the impurity decreases your cultivation speed and that''s why a person isn''t even able to cultivate at his full speed. It''s like you have a carriage that can move at 100 kmph, but you can''t get it to move above 80," "The Pond removes those impurities and allows you to use more of your potential cultivation speed," Xuan Yu explained. "Oh? That''s interesting. Looks like getting ranked should be our main target if we want to reach higher," Zi Zhenfeng said. "The True Refinement Pond is inside the Core Sect. If we get in the top 10 rankings, we can enter the Core Sect?" Xu Ming asked. This was the only thing he was interested in. At the moment, his main goal was to enter the Core Sect and find the girl known as the battle fairy to take his necklace back. "Yes. You will be taken to the True Refinement Pond inside the Core Sect, but you won''t be allowed to roam around. The Core Sect is an important place of the Mighty Demon Sect and if you really want to see the Core Sect and explore it, you need to become a core disciple," Xuan Yu said. He could feel that Xu Ming was more interested in the Core Sect that he was in the True Refinement Pond. "What can we do to become the Core Disciple?" Xu Ming inquired instantly. "There are a few ways to become a Core Disciple. First is if you manage to catch the eyes of a Core Elder. That''s a simple way and that''s the impossible way as the Core Elders don''t leave the Core Sect," "The Second Method is a long method. You need to take the Core Promotion Test to become the Core Disciple, but you need to be in the Top 5 Ranking in the Inner Sect to even attempt the Core Promotion Test. Again, that''s so difficult that it is in the territory of almost impossible. But if you keep working hard, maybe after 5 or 10 years you will be able to achieve it," Xuan Yu said. "Alright. Enough Questions. Let''s get back to the tour. It''s getting late," Xuan Yu said as he continued walking. After walking for 20 minutes, they got to a tall building. It seemed like a tall tower that had over 10 floors. It was a circular tower that had a diameter of 500 meters. "This is the Practice Pavilion. It''s a place where you can come to practice your skill. No matter how powerful your skill is, the practice room won''t be damaged. It cost 100 contribution points to spend a day here so it''s quite expensive," Xuan Yu said. " You guys can get 10 contribution points every month, so you can enter this place after 10 months if you save your Points. Of course, you can shorten the time period by earning more contribution points if you go on missions," He added. "Cheh, a place to practice skills? Instead of paying the contribution points, I would much rather practice outside," Zi Zhenfeng casually let out. "Did you forget the rule? If you destroy any property, you will need to pay 100 times its value. If you fail, you''ll be crippled," Wu Tian reminded him. "Exactly. That''s the only reason this place was established and the reason people use it. Don''t practice outside and it will be good for you," Xuan Yu said as he looked at Zi Zhenfeng. Xu Ming observed the Practice Pavilion in deep thought, ''It should be a good place to practice the Sword Art of Destruction, but first I need to learn sword intent.'' 116 Chapter 113: Finding Sword Inten "Alright. Let''s continue," Xuan Yu changed the topic as he resumed walking. Some more time passed away before they got to another big building. "This place is another one of the important places of the inner sect. It''s the Skill Pavilion. You might''ve seen the Skill Pavilion of the outer sect, this one is similar, but it contains way more martial skills. It even has Gold Grade skills and Earth Grade skills. You can get the skills from here but you would need to pay the contribution points and a person can only get 3 skills from the Skill Pavilion of the Inner Sect in their lifetime," Xuan Yu said. "So, you must choose carefully before you select the skills. After getting 3 skills, you won''t be able to get any skill from there, no matter how many contribution points you have," Xuan Yu added. "True. We need to think carefully and not lose ourselves in our haste. It would be good to wait for a little and collect enough contribution points before going there to get a skill," Wu Tian said. "Right," They again began their exploration. Xuan Yu showed them many other places that were an important part of the inner sect, but the Skill Pavilion, the practice hall, and the Ranking Pavilion were the 3 core places of the inner sect. "Alright. That was everything that you need to know as the new disciples. Those are the Courtyards where you will be staying. Let me tell you the ones that belong to you," "Courtyard No. 5412 is for Xu Ming. Number 5413 is for Wu Tian. Number 5414 is Zi Zhenfeng''s courtyard..." Xuan Yu kept calling out names and soon he assigned them to everyone. "Alright. I''ll take my leave now. Remember the rules and don''t break it and that''s all," He said before he left. "We''re finally the Disciples of the inner sect. Now we can only rise and never look back. This is just the beginning. I think I''ll enter secluded cultivation and only come out after breaking through," Zi Zhenfeng said as he walked towards his courtyard with Xu Ming and Wu Tian. "Me too. I can also feel that a breakthrough is near," Wu Tian said, smilingly. "What about you, Xu Ming?" Zi Zhenfeng inquired as he looked towards Xu Ming. "I will go to the skill pavilion and increase my strength," Xu Ming replied. "That''s great as well. But don''t forget, you can only select 3 skills. You should wait till you have more contribution points," Zi Zhenfeng reminded him. "Yea, I will remember that," Xu Ming smilingly said before he separated from them and entered his courtyard. Xu Ming entered the courtyard which was much bigger than the courtyard of the outer sect. The Outer Sect courtyards only had 1 room and 1 Hall, even though they were big. On the other hand, the Inner Sect courtyard had 3 rooms and an even bigger hall. it was all for a single disciple and just like the outer sect, he didn''t have to share his courtyard with anyone else. "Qi Crystal," Xu Ming picked up and observed the Qi Crystal. "Too bad that I can''t use it. It would have been great if they had given me Origin Crystals instead, but I''m not even sure if they know what they are. The chances of Origin Crystal existing in this world are too low," Xu Ming sighed as he put the Qi Crystal back in his storage ring. He chose one of the 3 rooms as his bedroom and entered it. He sat in a meditative position as he began cultivating. Audit the Qi was denser in the Inner Sect compared to the Outer Sect, The Origin Energy was more or less the same. He cultivated throughout the night and only woke up when it was morning. He stopped cultivating and sat up. He got ready after a shower before he left his courtyard. What Xu Ming needed the most right now was something that could help him comprehend the Sword Intent. He left his courtyard and walked through the inner sect to get to the Skill Pavilion. He entered the Skill Pavilion and walked up to the Elder that was sitting some distance away from the entrance. "Ah, excuse me, Elder. Can you tell me if I can find something in the Skill Pavilion that can possibly help me understand sword intent?" Xu Ming asked the Elder. "I''ve never seen you before, are you new?" The Elder inquired. "Yeah, I''m new to the inner sect," Xu Ming replied. "So you want to comprehend the Sword Intent? There are not many people in the sect that decide to truly walk the path of the sword," The Elder told him. "I want to learn it. Is there something that can help me?" Xu Ming inquired. "Although our sect isn''t famous for its Swordsmen, we did have a few great swordsmen throughout our history. There''s a book that was written by a person that was known as the greatest swordsman of his time. He did write his understanding about his journey with the sword and his sword intent," "You can get that book. Keep in mind that it''s only about his understanding and it might not help you in the least. Comprehending the sword intent can not be taught, but the book can show you a possible path. That''s the one I would suggest to you if you are really serious about it," The Elder said. "I will take that," Xu Ming told the Elder. When he came here, he wasn''t even sure if he could find something like this in the sect, but a book written by someone that managed to comprehend Sword Intent was indeed the best for him. "I don''t think you can get it. You''re a new disciple, so you might not have enough contribution points to exchange for the book," The Elder said as he glanced at Xu Ming. "How much does it cost? I have 200 contribution points from when I completed the mission on the outer sect and 10 points from my monthly allowance," Xu Ming informed the Elder. "That book is worth 500 contribution points so you will need 390 more to get it," The Elder told Xu Ming. "390 contribution points? Shouldn''t it be 290 contribution points?" Xu Ming inquired. "No, you need 390 more. The Contribution Points that you collected in the outer sect are only worth half its value in the Inner Sect. So you only have 110 contribution points," The Elder explained. "Oh, alright. Thanks for the explanation. I''ll be back after collecting enough points as fast as I can," Xu Ming responded as he turned back. "You don''t have to be in a hurry. Take you time and don''t hurt yourself," The Elder reminded Xu Ming before he left. "Sigh, most people that come here are after martial skills or sword skills. It''s been so long since a person came here asking about Sword Intent," The Elder muttered as he smiled. ***** Xu Ming left the Skill Pavilion and walked towards the Mission Hall. "The only possible way to get enough contribution points is to complete a mission. If I waited for monthly allowances, it would take me over 3 years," Xu Ming muttered. He reached the Mission Hall and walked to the Elder that was In-Charge of the Mission Hall. He asked for suitable missions that can help him get 400 or more points. "More than 400 contribution points? You would need to take a Rank B Mission for that," The Elder said as he showed the available missions to Xu Ming. "This is the easiest mission in the Rank B category and it gives you exactly 400 contribution points. How about it?" He showed a mission paper to Xu Ming. "A mission to enter Profound Beast Valley and bring 20 dark seed fruits?" Xu Ming read the mission. "Yes. The mission is to bring the Dark Seed Fruits that are only found in Profound Beast Valley, but as it''s a Grade B Mission, you can already guess that it won''t be easy. The Profound Beast Valley is inhabited by various powerful Beasts. You can even find an Earth Realm Beast if you''re unlucky," The Elder told him. "Don''t worry about that though. The chances of that happening are really low. The Higher Realm beasts live in the depths of the Profound Beast Valley and the Dark Seed Fruits can be found on the edge of the Profound Beast Valley. You can meet Initial Gold Realm beasts there, but the chance of finding the stronger beasts are next to nothing," The Elder explained. "Initial Gold Realm beasts? Alright. I''ll take the mission," Xu Ming said. **** Back in the outer sect, the girl that called herself Xu Ming''s wife was walking towards the Outer Sect Mission Hall with puffed up cheeks. 117 Chapter 114: Gold Realm "That Bastard! He left and didn''t even tell me that he became an Inner Disciple! I had to find out from others. And now I can''t even go there to meet him!" Sui Ru let out as anger clouded her face. "I''ll definitely become an Inner sect disciple and then no one can stop me from meeting you!" She muttered before she entered the Skill Hall. She went to take a mission as she hadn''t completed her compulsory mission and she was near the deadline. She came out with a scroll in her hand after 20 minutes. "Going to the Profound Beast Valley, huh. It''s a good thing that the mission doesn''t need me to enter the Profound Beast Valley. I can get the Green Sun Leaves that grow outside the Profound Beast Valley and come back. It sucks that the mission rewards low contribution points though," She muttered. **** "Can I get a map? I don''t have a map to navigate my way there and back," Xu Ming asked the Elder of the Skill Hall. The only map he had was the false map that was given to him by Wu. "Here, this map can help you," Elder said as he gave him a map. "Thanks for the help," Xu Ming thanked him before he left. He left the Skill Pavilion of the Inner Sect. He brought the Wild Eagle Beast out of his storage ring and got on top of it as he left the sect. Although he had the Profound Crane of the person he killed, he didn''t use it. Coincidentally, he left the sect around 20 minutes after Sui Ru, who also used a Wild Eagle Beast. Both their destinations were the same, but Xu Ming didn''t see her, neither did she see her because of their 20 minutes difference. Both their beasts had the same speed. Sui Ru landed near the Profound Beast Valley first and started looking around for the leaves and not much later, she found the leaves. The mission was so much easier that she was stunned. ''Even though it''s the lowest grade mission, it shouldn''t be so easy. Or maybe I lucked out," She said smilingly before she took the leave and got ready to leave, but that''s when she noticed another Profound Eagle Beast coming towards her. She could see a person sitting on it, which brought a surprised smile on her face. She couldn''t help but laugh lightly. Xu Ming landed near the Profound Beast Valley and couldn''t help but sigh as he saw Sui Ru. He was cursing his luck. "Did you come to help me? How did you find out that I was here? I guess you''re finally ready to accept me as your wife, right?" She chuckled as she stepped towards him. "I''m not getting married. The faster you understand that, the better it would be," He told her in full seriousness. "I''m here for a mission," He added before he started walking towards the Profound Beast Valley. "Wait a minute? Your mission is to enter the Profound Beast Valley?" She exclaimed in shock. Xu Ming nodded his head. Xu Ming entered the Profound Beast Valley. "Why are you coming inside with me?" He asked without looking back. "Of course I can''t let you die," Sui Ru replied as she continued following him. "You know I''m stronger than you right? If anyone should be worried, it''s you!" He said as he stopped and turned back. Sui Ru hadn''t expected that he would turn back, and as she was following him so closely, her body collided with Xu Ming. "I don''t care if you''re stronger. My mother said that it is a wife''s duty to protect her husband just like it''s her husband''s duty to protect her," She said in full seriousness. "You''ve gone crazy. We are not husband and wife. So please don''t chase after death. I''m not going to save you if you''re in trouble, so leave right now, beggars you''re killed unnecessarily," Xu Ming did before he turned back and continued walking deeper. He kept looking at his surroundings to look for the fruit he was here for. Sui Ru didn''t stop following him even after he warned her so many times. Ultimately, he gave up talking to her and started ignoring her as he put all his focus on his search. "What are you looking for?" Sui Ru asked. "I need 20 dark seed fruits," Xu Ming answered her. "Wait? I''ve seen Dark Seed fruits before. Aren''t the fruits right there, the dark seed fruits?" She asked as she pointed towards a certain direction. Xu Ming looked towards the tree where she was pointing at and noticed a few Dark Seed Fruits. The Fruits were as small as a strawberry from Earth and they were green in color. Xu Ming walked towards the tree and picked the Fruits. He found 10 Dark Seed fruits in the tree and kept them in his storage ring. "See? I helped you. Aren''t I a good wife?" Sui Ru chuckled. Xu Ming looked towards her and brought his sword out as he started walking towards her. Sui Ru was shocked as she saw Xu Ming coming towards her. "W-what are you..." Before she could finish her words, she saw Xu Ming increase his speed as he moved past her and thrust his sword towards the beast that was behind her. The Sword penetrated the skull of the beast that gave a loud roar before he died. "As a cultivator, you can''t even look at your back! If I was a little late, you would be dead! Don''t play with your life if you can''t look out for yourself!" Xu Ming scolded her as he kept the sword back. Instead of feeling bad, Sui Ru started laughing out loud. "Why are you laughing? Is your life a joke?" Xu Ming asked her with a frown. "I''m just happy. You did your job of a husband really well," She said as she controlled her laughter. "What do you mean?" Xu Ming asked. "I told you before that my mother said that it is a wife''s duty to protect her husband just like it''s her husband''s duty to protect her. You said that you won''t protect me, but you still did. Even though you don''t accept it out loud, you do accept me as your wife as well," Sui Ru said. "You''re really crazy. I don''t understand why I''m still surprised. I didn''t save you because I care for you. I just did it because you helped me find the Dark Seed Fruit and I didn''t want to have you die so fast after helping me. Think of it as me settling our scores," Xu Ming said before he continued walking ahead. He had found 10 Dark Seed Fruits and he needed to find 10 more before completing the mission. They looked around for quite some time but didn''t find more fruits. They did meet a few initial Spirit Grade Beasts that Xu Ming managed to kill pretty easily. They kept moving deeper into the forest before they noticed another tree that had Dark Seed Fruits. Xu Ming walked up to the tree and took the Dark Seed Fruits and kept them in his storage ring, but that''s when he sensed danger. He looked back and found a Giant Golden Realm Beast. It was an Earth Trampling Bull that was the size of an elephant. It had gray skin and two long horns coming out of its forehead. It was a 2nd stage Gold Realm Beast. "T-that''s too strong. Are we going to die right now?" Sui Ru let out as she stared at the Earth Trampling Bull in fear. "It''s time for me to protect my husband. You run away, I''ll delay the beast for you," She said to Xu Ming as she gripped her sword firmly, ready to give it her all. "I''m not going. You run. I''ll also leave the forest after dealing with the beast. We can meet outside," Xu Ming said to her as he placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her behind him. "I''m not going to leave you behind!" She said with full determination. "Sigh, You''re really stubborn. At Least stay back. I can handle the beast," Xu Ming said again. "N..." She opened her mouth to say something. Before she could even say something, Xu Ming said to her, " If you don''t move back, we will both die. Don''t disturb me and move back!" Sui Ru could see the seriousness on Xu Ming''s face as she stepped back. "Sigh, it''s going to be my first time battling a strong beast. Let''s see how strong I have become," Xu Ming muttered as he glanced at the Earth Trampling Bull that war glaring at him with its blood-red eyes. 118 Chapter 115: Instant Breakthrough The Earth Trampling Bull started running towards Xu Ming with its horns pointed towards him. Xu Ming didn''t go in a physical clash and simply used the 1st Strikes of Heaven. The sword left a dark trail of light as it slashed ahead. The bright arc of light left the sword and moved towards the Earth Trampling Bull, leaving hot wind behind as it grazed through the wind. The Earth Trampling Bull saw the bright trail of light coming towards it and instead of clashing with it, it changed its direction as it tried to dodge the attack, but it failed. Although it saved its head, the attack left a deep bloody wound on its body. Blood dripped down to the ground slowly from the wound. The Earth Trampling Bull''s eyes turned blood red as it once again ran towards Xu Ming. Although the Earth Trampling Bull that Xu Ming faced was a Gold Realm Beast, it was one of the easiest Gold Grade Beasts when it came to hunting as it was said that the Earth Trampling Beast knew no skills. All it was able to do was to use brute force. It was said to be a wild beast that didn''t use it''s brain when fighting. That''s why the cultivators preferred to fight it instead of fighting any other Gold Realm Beast. Xu Ming again used the 1st Strike of Heaven against the Earth Trampling Bull but the Earth Trampling Bull didn''t dodge it as it had lost whatever sense of reasoning it had. The attack passed through the neck of the Earth Trampling Bull and separated its head from its body. ''That was much easier than I had expected,'' Xu Ming thought with a frown as he saw the body of the Earth Trampling Bull fall down to the ground. He turned back to look towards Sui Ru and saw her standing near a tree looking at him as if she was looking at a monster. She was so shocked to see that Xu Ming was able to kill a Gold Grade Beast so easily. "I completed my mission. I''m leaving," Xu Ming told her before he started walking towards the exit. "Hey, wait for me," Sui Ru called out as she chased after him. Xu Ming walked through the Profound Beast Valley and just as he was close to leaving the valley, he saw a small tree. The tree was only as tall as Xu Ming. The tree had many branches but no leaves. What attracted Xu Ming''s attention the most was the small yellow fruit that was hanging on one of its branches. Xu Ming stepped towards the tree and picked the small yellow fruit. It was a fruit that he had never seen before, but it was something that intrigued him the most. He could feel that the fruit had some traces of Origin Energy. "Do you know which fruit it is?" He asked Sui Ru who was standing behind him. "It''s edible?" Xu Ming muttered as he brought the fruit closer to his mouth and ate it. He finished eating the fruit and that''s when he felt as if his body was being filled with Origin Energy. In less than a minute, he achieved a breakthrough. He had broken through to the 6th Stage of Spirit Establishment Realm in just an instant. ''It has so much Origin Energy. I need to find more fruits like this,'' Xu Ming thought as he looked at the tree. "Is it a common fruit? Where can I get more Yellow Nature Fruits?" Xu Ming asked Sui Ru. "Although it''s a useless fruit, it is indeed rare. I''ve read that it grows in random places. The only thing that''s commonly known about it is that if you find a Yellow Nature Fruit tree in an area, you won''t find a second one in a hundred miles range," Sui Ru explained to Xu Ming. "2 Yellow Nature Fruit trees can''t grow in a hundred miles area?" Xu Ming asked as he glanced back at her. "Yeah, well, that''s just an estimate. When it comes to it, it''s possible that you won''t be able to find another tree like this in a 10000-mile radius. As I said, these trees are impossible to find. They only bear 1 Yellow Nature Fruit and when that fruit is taken, the Tree starts dying," She replied. "Is there no way to save the tree?" He asked her. "Nope. And even if you saved the tree, a second fruit won''t appear," She replied. "Is there no market or place where I can get another fruit like this?" He asked her. "There is no place like that. As I said, this fruit is useless fruit. Even if someone finds the fruit, they won''t take it to the market to sell it as they won''t even be able to get a bronze coin for it," She replied. Xu Ming nodded his head in disappointment as he left the place. Xu Ming looked somewhat upset as he stepped out of the Profound Beast Valley. "Hey, do you really like the taste of the Yellow Nature Fruit so much? I think I''ve heard about a Yellow Nature Fruit tree being in our sect," Sui Ru said. "Hmm? Where?" Xu Ming asked her as he looked back. "I heard that Elder Wu has a small garden. There''s a Yellow Nature Fruit tree there," She answered him. "Elder Wu? Alright thanks," Xu Ming said before he got on top of his Wild Eagle Beast and left. "It''s so strange that he''s so eager to get a useless fruit, but I don''t mind. People have strange hobbies," Sui Ru chuckled, but she suddenly stopped as she remembered something, "He left! He didn''t even finish our talks about marriage," Sui Ru got on top of his flying beast and left the Profound Beast Valley as well. After a long trip, Xu Ming got back to the sect. The first place he went to was the Courtyard of Elder Wu. Xu Ming knocked on the door of Elder Wu''s place and it was opened by the same old servant as the last time. The Servant recognized Xu Ming and without him having to say anything, he brought him to Elder Wu. "Elder Wu," Xu Ming called out as he stood outside Elder Wu''s door. "Ah, Ming? Come on inside," Elder Wu replied. Xu Ming opened the door and entered his room. He found Elder Wu sitting in a meditative position. "Did I disturb Elder''s Cultivation?" Xu Ming asked as he saw Elder Wu like that. "No, it''s nothing. I just finished my cultivation. You came at the right time. Tell me what brought you here? Is someone troubling you in the Inner Sect? I can talk to some people there," Elder Wu said, smilingly. "There''s no problem, Elder. I''m here for a completely different reason. I heard that you have a Yellow Nature Fruit tree. I was just wondering if that was true," Xu Ming asked without any hesitation. "It''s true. Do you want the tree? You can take it if you need it," Elder Wu told Xu Ming. "I need the Yellow Nature Fruit from it," Xu Ming told him. "Yellow Nature Fruit? Ah, of course. You can take it," Elder Wu replied. "Si?" Elder Wu called out. Immediately the old servant entered the room. "Take Little Ming to my garden. He needs a fruit. Let him take whichever fruit he wants," Elder Wu said. "Yes Master," The old servant responded before he took Xu Ming with him. Xu Ming was brought to a beautiful garden that contained many beautiful trees and plants. "This is the garden of Master," the servant informed Xu Ming, but Xu Ming''s attention was over something else entirely. He was looking at the Yellow Nature Fruit tree which looked similar to the one he had seen in the Profound Beast Valley. He stepped towards the tree and observed the Yellow Nature Fruit before he picked it and ate it. He felt another burst of energy inside his body. Although it didn''t make him have an instant breakthrough like last time, he could feel that he was near a breakthrough. He could feel that after a night of cultivation, he would become a 7th Stage Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator. "Thanks for showing me the place. I''m done. I''ll take my leave," Xu Ming said to the servant before he left the garden. He climbed on his Wild Eagle Beast and left the place. Soon, he entered the Inner Sect. Xu Ming landed before the Mission Pavilion of the Inner Sect and entered the place. 119 Chapter 116: Golden Core Xu Ming entered the Mission Pavillion and walked up to the Mission Elder and submitted the 20 Dark Seed Fruits. He was given 400 contribution points in return which raised his total Contribution Points to 510 which was enough for him to get the book that he needed from the skill hall. "Great work Kid. You must have been lucky to not face a strong beast," the Elder said to Xu Ming who simply nodded his head and left the Skill Pavilion. Xu Ming straight went to the Skill Hall to get the book about sword comprehension. "I''m back, Elder. I have enough contribution points. Can you give me the book now?" Xu Ming asked. "Oh? That was fast. Give me your badge," the Elder was visibly surprised at how fast Xu Ming collected the points, but he didn''t let the shock delay him. The Elder took the badge of Xu Ming and deducted 500 contribution points from it. "Here you go. You can keep this book with you for 6 years maximum. You must return the book after that or you will be fined. If you lost the book, you will be punished, so take care of it," the Elder said to Xu Ming before he gave him the book. The book was very thin, unlike what Xu Ming had expected. When he was told that the book contained the lifetime understanding of the sword of a great sword cultivator, he had assumed that it must be thousands of pages long, but it seemed to have less than 100 pages. The Elder saw Xu Ming''s strange gaze and he started laughing. "You seem to be underestimating this book. Take it. It''s not fake. Although it has fewer pages, it''s content is absolutely the best we have," the Elder replied to Xu Ming. Xu Ming took the book and thanked the Elder before he left the Skill Hall. He walked back to his courtyard and sat on his bed before he began reading the book. The book seemed to be written just like other books, but its words were mysteriously sharp. The words gave Xu Ming the feeling as if he was in the presence of thousands of swords. The words were simple to understand yet difficult. The book talked about a journey. A journey from holding a sword for the first time to mastering the sword and understanding its intent. Xu Ming was so immersed in the book that he finished the book without even realizing it. The journey described was so deep and meaningful. Even though the book didn''t talk about how one could understand sword intent, it did talk about sword intent in general. Also, after reading the book Xu Ming had a feeling as if he understood the sword much better. A sword was not just a weapon for a sword cultivator, but a companion as well. The Sword Intent could only be understood when a cultivator understood this essence of the sword. Xu Ming put the book to the side and brought a sword out of his storage ring. He just held the sword in his hand and sat there in the same position as he looked at the sword. He moved his hand over the sword''s body and he was able to feel it''s sharpness. Xu Ming used the sword to practice inside the courtyard and comprehend its essence. It was a process that needed him to understand, even Martial Soul didn''t help him with it as this was not a skill. Xu Ming kept using his sword. Even when he cultivated, he kept the sword in his lap. He never sent the sword back in his storage ring. His time was spent either cultivating or practicing his sword. Just like that, 3 more years passed away before he finally managed to comprehend the Sword Intent. Even in the Heavenly Realm, if someone learned the Sword Intent in 3 years, he would be considered a heavenly genius. Most talented Heavenly Realm youngsters took at least 10 years before they comprehended Sword Intent. Only Xu Liang was an exception who had comprehended the Sword Intent in less than a year and that too unintentionally. It had been 3 years and Xu Ming had also broken through to the 1st stage Gold Realm cultivator. He had formed his golden core which was surprisingly not even golden. His golden core was transparent in color and basically invisible. If he wasn''t connected to his golden core, Xu Ming wouldn''t even know that his Golden Core was there. It was weird for him as he knew that the golden cores weren''t supposed to be transparent, but he had no one he could talk to about this. His body had too many secrets and he himself was somewhat unusual which he has already realized. Xu Ming also completed missions every 6 months and he has collected a sizable amount of contribution points that were still unused. He had completed 5 missions in the last 3 years which gave him over 3000 contribution points. He was saving contribution points for Practice Hall where he was supposed to practice the Sword Art of Destruction, but he had only just learned the Sword Intent. As Xu Ming left the house, he walked to the Mission Pavilion first instead of going to the Practice Hall as it was his time of the month to select his mission. It had been over 5 months and if he still didn''t complete a mandatory mission, he would be punished. As Xu Ming got to the Mission Pavilion, he saw Zi Zhenfeng and Wu Tian there. "Oh, Ming? How''s your cultivation going?" Wu Tian asked. "You finally got the time to come? I thought you would spend your lifetime inside," Zi Zhenfeng said jokingly. "I did come out before to do missions," Xu Ming replied. "And you didn''t even feel like coming to meet us?" Zi Zhenfeng said as he stared at Xu Ming as if he was emotionally hurt. "Stop teasing him. Anyway, you came at just the right time. A new mission has been issued and it''s really rewarding. It''s a mission for a team of 5 and we already have 4 people. Would you like to join us? If we succeed, each of us will get 2000 contribution points," Wu Tian told Xu Ming. Xu Ming thought for only a second before he nodded his head. "I have to complete a mission anyway, I''ll join you," he said. "Awesome. This is the mission. You can read it. We will be leaving tomorrow morning. I''ll go inform the others as well. Zhenfeng, Go help Xu Ming register in our team," Wu Tian said as he gave Xu Ming a form and left the Mission Pavilion. Xu Ming read the mission as he walked to the Mission Pavilion Elder and registered himself. The mission was not easy, but it was not impossible as well. The Mission was about going to the Kingdom of Estie and destroying the Min Clan. The Min Clan was a small-time cultivation family that worked as the spy of Mighty Demon Sect in the Estie Kingdom, but they had suddenly stopped working with them and instead joined with the Herini sect. The envoy that was assigned to them was killed with the help of an Elder of Herini Sect as well. The Mission was to find the reason for their betrayal and to destroy the Min Clan. The strongest cultivator of the Min Clan was only at the 7th stage of Spirit Establishment Realm, but the real difficulty of the Mission was because of the involvement of Herini Sect. Even though the Mighty Demon Sect could destroy the Min Clan with ease, they didn''t want to give so much attention to the Min Clan as they thought that it was below their standards. That''s why the mission was given to Inner Sect Disciples. Xu Ming understood the mission well and realized that it wasn''t simply destroying a clan, but it was destroying a clan that was under the Herini Sect''s protection. Xu Ming separated from Zi Zhenfeng and walked back to his courtyard. He took a shower before he climbed on the bed and fell asleep. Soon, the night passed away. It was early morning when Xu Ming woke up. He got dressed and left his courtyard to meet up with Wu Tian and the others. As Xu Ming got there, he saw 2 new people standing beside Wu Tian and Zi Zhenfeng. Both of them were girls. "You''re here. Come, let me introduce everyone. That''s Mina, and that''s Maya. Girls, he''s our friend Xu Ming," Zi Zhenfeng introduced everyone. "Let''s go. We wouldn''t delay. The faster we finish the mission, the faster we can come back," Wu Tian said as he brought his flying beast out of his beast bag. Xu Ming and the others did the same and they left the sect. 120 Chapter 117: We helped them Everyone departed from the sect on their separate beasts with Wu Tian being in the lead. The journey was long and they had to stop midway once as they camped for the night. They set up a camp that was big enough to accommodate all 5 of them. They stayed the night in the camp and resumed their journey the next morning. After traveling for one more day, they finally reached the Estie Kingdom. They all entered the Royal City. They were wearing normal clothes and not their sect uniforms as they had to do some survey about what the mission actually entailed and why the Min Clan betrayed the Mighty Demon Sect. They all went to a hotel and booked 5 rooms for themselves to stay in during their stay in the kingdom. Sitting inside one of those rooms, they discussed their plan. "I''ll go do some research first to see if the Herini Sect''s disciples are in the Min Clan or not. Then we can come up with the plan about what to do next," Wu Tian said "Is there really a need for that? Just go there and kill them. So what if a few disciples will be there? We can take care of them," Zi Zhenfeng responded. "I''m just thinking of ways to complete the mission more effectively. There''s no need to use the brute force without knowing anything. I''ll tell you what I find and then we will decide when and how to attack. You guys can travel to the city and try to gain information on your own as well. Just don''t stay together to bring suspicions on yourself," Wu Tian told him before he left the room. Everyone else left as well and got to work. While the girls decided to stick together, Xu Ming and Zi Zhenfeng went their different ways. Xu Ming went to the market first. He still had 4 gold coins on him that he had received the first time he went out on a mission. He wanted to explore the market to try his luck and to see if he could find the Yellow Nature Fruit. Xu Ming roamed through the crowded markets. He even asked strangers and shopkeepers along the way if anyone had seen a Yellow Nature Fruit, but the answer he received was a no every time. Xu Ming was casually strolling through the market when he saw a small stall that was selling necklaces, bracelets, and a few other accessories. He walked up to the stall and started observing the accessories. What truly attracted his attention was a small necklace that looked similar to the necklace his mother was in. He picked up the necklace and started observing it before he shook his head in disappointment. Although the necklace looked similar, it wasn''t the same. It looked only 90 percent similar and it also didn''t have any special energy inside it that the other necklace had. "How much is this necklace worth?" He asked the stall owner who was a middle-aged woman. "1 gold coin!" The woman replied. "Alright. I''m taking it," Xu Ming told her as he took the necklace and gave her a gold coin. He didn''t haggle over the price and left. ''When I meet that girl, I can give this necklace to her in exchange for the real necklace if she likes it so much,'' He thought. Xu Ming was walking on the street when he heard a voice. ''Come on, Young Master Min! You''ve been selected as a disciple of the prestigious Herini Sect. There should definitely be a party!" Xu Ming turned back towards the direction that voice came from and saw a boy talking to a young blonde boy. From their words, Xu Ming understood that the boy was someone from the Min Clan. ''He became a disciple of the sect, which shouldn''t be shocking considering that they betrayed the Mighty Demon Sect for the Herini Sect,'' Xu Ming thought. "Alright. This Young Master is happy today. I''ll give you a treat. Drink as much as you want!" The blonde boy said, smilingly. "Thank you, Young Master," Min Gu said with a prideful smile. They entered the bar. Xu Ming followed after them and entered the bar as well. He saw on a table that was near Min Gu but still acted as if he was a stranger. He didn''t even look toward Min Gu and just used his physical senses to hear his words. "Brother Min, I don''t understand one thing. How did you get selected though? The entrance exams are later this year. Why would they go out of their way to select you?" "Hahaha, there''s nothing difficult for our Min Clan. We haven''t gained our reputation in the city for nothing. The Herini Sect and my Min Clan are really close. Of course, they allowed me to become their disciple. That''s not all, we also have 2 Peak Spirit Establishment Realm cultivators from the Herini Sect residing in our sect right now," Min Gu said as he laughed out loud. "The disciples of the Herini Sect are staying in your sect? I never knew that the Min Clan was so great. I feel like a frog at the bottom of the well. I''m so glad that I decided to become your follower," the boy responded with an almost fawning expression. "Hahaha, yeah. Our Clan is on our way to becoming one of the strongest clans in our kingdom. Our rise is imminent," Min Gu said with a grin on his face. "Oh, right. There is a news story going around that the Herini Sect disciples killed an evil cultivator of the Mighty Demon Sect. The Herini Sect is so great," the boy told Min Gu. "It''s the truth, but what you don''t know is that our Clan also had a hand in it. They wouldn''t be able to do anything if we hadn''t helped them," Min Gu replied. "Really? That''s so amazing," the boy said. "Can you tell me what actually happened?" he asked Min Gu. "I can''t talk about that as it involves some sensitive matters. Just drink, don''t talk about something else," Min Gu said as he picked up the glass and started drinking. Xu Ming stood up and left the bar. He got the information he needed and now he knew how many disciples of the Herini Sect they had. He even found out their strength which didn''t worry him as he was now a Gold Core Realm cultivator. Xu Ming strolled through the market for the rest of the day hoping to find something useful, but he didn''t see anything that he needed. He walked back when it started getting dark. Xu Ming walked back to the hotel and entered the room that they had decided to meet in. The others were already there by now. "Alright. Now that we''re all here, we can talk about what we found out. You two can go first," Wu Tian told the girls. "We couldn''t find anything useful other than some basic information about the Min Clan. We did confirm that their Clan Master is a 7th stage Spirit Establishment Realm cultivator," The girls replied. "Zhenfeng, what did you find?" Wu Tian asked. "I did find out that a member of the Min Clan has become the disciple of the Herini Sect which is quite odd as this is not the time they recruit people," Zi Zhenfeng said. "That''s right. I discovered something similar. I also found out that there are Herini Sect disciples inside the Clan, but I couldn''t discover more," Wu Tian said. "Xu Ming, you?" He asked Xu Ming. "I got some information as well. It is true that the Min Clan Members helped catch the Envoy of the Mighty Demon Sect. They also got the position for their member in the sect because of that. There might be even more rewards that I don''t know about. As for the disciples, there are 2 disciples of the Herini Sect in the Min Clan. Both of them are at the Peak Spirit Establishment Realm," Xu Ming replied. "What the...! How did you get so much information?" Zi Zhenfeng asked in shock. "I saw the Min Clan member that was selected for the sect. He was bragging about it in the bar," Xu Ming replied. "Incredible. Your information should be really useful, but this also highlights our problem. The Herini Sect disciples are Peak Spirit Establishment Realm cultivators whereas Zi Zhenfeng and I are only at the 8th stage of Spirit Establishment Realm. We can''t finish this mission without getting the cultivators out of the clan for some time. Any plans?" Wu Tian asked. "I have a plan. But this plan will be dangerous and might cause someone to lose their life as well," Zi Zhenfeng suggested. "What plan?" Wu Tian asked in curiosity. 121 Chapter 118: Slaughter "One of us would need to attack the Min Clan and the attention of the Herini Sect disciples before running away. Those disciples will chase after that person and the others can enter the clan and destroy it," Zi Zhenfeng suggested. "No, that''s too dangerous. It''s basically courting death. The person that acts as bait will definitely die," Wu Tian shook his head. "I understand. That''s why I''m nominating myself for this task. I am the fastest person and I believe that I can escape," Zi Zhenfeng replied. "Are you serious? No. I can''t allow that," Wu Tian shook his head. "We should attack directly. I''ll fight those disciples," Xu Ming said amidst their conversation. "What are you saying? You know they are at the peak Spirit Establishment Realm, right? Don''t overestimate yourself," the girls told Xu Ming as they laughed. Wu Tian on the other hand looked fully serious. "I know how fast your cultivation is, but are you sure about that? Is your cultivation high enough to take on the peak Spirit Establishment Realm cultivators?" Wu Tian asked Xu Ming. "My cultivation is high enough," Xu Ming replied. "Alright. We''ll do a frontal attack tomorrow. Don''t let anyone escape from the clan or the mission might fail," Wu Tian said. The girls looked confused as they heard his words, but they nodded their heads as well. "Good. Go get some sleep. Tomorrow''s going to be a big day," he told them before he left. The night passed away and the morning arrived when Xu Ming and the others left the hotel and stepped towards the Min Clan residence. They walked up to their doors, but they were stopped by the guards from entering. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The guards asked them as they found them suspicious. "We''re someone you shouldn''t have stopped," Wu Tian muttered as he slashed with his sword. Both the guards were killed instantly. Wu Tian knocked on the door which was opened by a Butler, but as soon as the door opened, the butler was killed as they stepped inside. They kept moving deeper and deeper, leaving a trail of bodies behind. Even though Xu Ming was with them, he hadn''t killed anybody here yet. "Who are you! How dare you attack our Clan!" a bearded old man stood in their path with a sword in his hand. "A 5th stage Spirit Establishment Realm Cultivation, and so much arrogance? Let me bring you to your place!" Zi Zhenfeng said as he stepped forth. "Impudence!" The old man roared loudly as he attacked. Their swords clashed with each other which resulted in the old man flying away and crashing on the ground like a broken kite. "Cheh, I thought you would at least give me a fight, but you''re even worse than 3rd stage Spirit Establishment Realm cultivators of our sect," Zi Zhenfeng said in a mocking tone as he stepped towards the old man. The team went deeper into the mansion and killed everyone they found. "Why are you not killing anyone?" the female cultivator of the team asked Xu Ming. "I''ll kill the disciples of the Herini Sect," Xu Ming replied. "Heh, are you worried about being your hands dirty with kids'' blood?" the girl chuckled before she returned her focus back to the search and kill. ******** Two young boys in their early 20s were sitting in their chairs as they drank their tree when a white-bearded man walked up to them. "We''re under attack! They should be people from the Mighty Demon Sect. Please help us Masters!" the Clan Master of the Min Clan said to them. "Oh? They''re here? Alright. We''ll handle it. You don''t need to worry about it," the man on the left said as he stood up. The man on the right also stood up. They followed the Sect Master of the Min Clan and they were brought to the hallway where Wu Tian and the others were busy slaughtering everyone. "You''re the disciples of the Mighty Demon Sect? I must say that I''m disappointed. Your Cultivation is too weak, but it''s alright. Killing 5 Mighty Demon Sect disciples should be enough to raise our reputation in the city. No one is going to worry about your Cultivation," The Elder Disciple of the Herini Sect said. "Who wants to die first?" The second disciple said. "You Demons! Do you think that you can keep our clan in control forever? You are nothing but demons! I can''t understand what my ancestors were thinking when they decided to become the spy for your sect, but I won''t be as stupid. You are all evil and you need to be killed!" The Clan Master said. "I don''t mind you betraying the Sect. At least we got such a nice mission because of this. I should thank you instead," Zi Zhenfeng chuckled as he responded. "You need to be alive to get the mission rewards but you won''t be after we''re done with you!" The disciples of the Herini Sect said as they brought their sword out. "Girls, you should take care of the clan master, I and Zhenfeng will handle one of the Herini Sect disciples while Xu Ming kills the other," Wu Tian commanded. "You think I''m weak!" The Clan master of the Min Sect bellowed in anger as he attacked Wu Tian, but the girls intercepted his attack. "We''re your opponent old man," they said as they attacked back. Wu Tian and Zi Zhenfeng also attacked the guy on the left which seemed weaker. "They left a weak-looking kid for me? Whatever, I''ll just deal with you," the Herini Sect disciple muttered as he attacked Xu Ming. He used his sword to attack and used his full strength, but Xu Ming raised his sword and easily stopped his attack. "What?" the man exclaimed in shock as he noticed that his full-powered attack was stopped so easily. He hadn''t even managed to move the boy back even an inch. "How is this possible!" he muttered in shock, but Xu Ming swung his sword, making him fly back. The Disciple of the Herini Sect fell on the ground 50 meters away from Xu Ming. "I''ll kill you!" The man roared as he stood up, but his face lost all its color as he saw Xu Ming standing in front of him. Xu Ming''s sword moved and sliced his head off his body. The man couldn''t even make a noise as he died. Xu Ming looked at the distance and saw Zi Zhenfeng and Wu Tian having difficulty in fighting the remaining disciple of the Herini Sect. He walked up to them and killed the remaining disciple with ease, shocking everyone. The Clan Master of the Min Sect froze in shock as he saw both the disciples of the Herini Sect die. He was so shocked that he didn''t even notice the attack of the girls that landed on him and killed him. "You should be able to handle the rest. I''ll be outside," Xu Ming said to Wu Tian before he walked away from them and left the mansion. The Slaughter continued for hours. no one was spared. Even the kids were killed. It was evening when Wu Tian and the others came out of the Min Clan Mansion. "We''re done. We can leave," Wu Tian told Xu Ming. Xu Ming nodded his head. They all brought their flying beasts out of their beast bag and left the Kingdom. The Journey back seemed to be much shorter. The female Disciples of the Mighty Demon Sect kept trying to talk to Xu Ming along the way as both of them were impressed by Xu Ming''s performance and his strength. They all got back to the sect and went to the Mission Pavilion to collect their contribution points. Each of them got 2000 contribution points. They all thanked Xu Ming once more before they all left for their courtyards. Xu Ming on the other hand walked to the Practice Arena as he wanted to practice Sword Art of Destruction. Now he had plenty of time to spend days there. Xu Ming entered the Mission Pavilion and asked for a room. He paid the contribution points to spend 2 days here in advance. He was shown his room where he was allowed to practice. Xu Ming entered the room and closed the door behind him. He looked at the walls and felt as if they were made from something strong. He tried hitting the wall with his sword, but not even a single scratch was left behind on the wall. "This should be the perfect place to practice it. There''s no need to hold back here," Xu Ming muttered as he brought his sword out and gripped it firmly in his hand. 122 Chapter 119: Search He closed his eyes as he stood in a proper sword stance. He could feel the Origin Energy moving through his body, which ultimately passed through his hands, nourishing them. The air in the room was previously still, but now it had started moving as if there was a whirlwind in the room. His Sword Intent was released in its full glory that resonated with his sword. The sword that was just a regular sword, now seemed as if it was a treasure sword that was roaring to show it''s full prowess under the effects of his Sword Intent. "Sword Art of Destruction!" Xu Ming muttered as he finally opened his beautiful blue eyes and swung his sword. He didn''t use much strength to swing the sword. That''s why his movement of the sword didn''t look forced; instead, it looked nimble. The sword slashed through the air, and a powerful bright arc of light came out of his sword and struck the wall. A deep groove was left on the wall. "They were right. The walls are indeed strong. There''s no major damage from the attack. If I was practicing in my place, my Courtyard would''ve been blown to smithereens," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at his sword. "As for the attack power of the skill, I''m quite satisfied. Even though I wasn''t able to bring it''s full strength out, even the small bit of its powers were satisfactory. It is indeed stronger than the Heavenly Vajra Finger," Long Chen muttered. He rested for a short moment, as using this skill has depleted his energy. He sat in a meditative position and began his cultivation to fasten his recovery. After 3 hours, he again stood up and tried the same skill. Another mark was left on the ground. The same process repeated as he started cultivating. He stood up once more, and this time he used Heavenly Vajra Finger. A small dent was left on the wall. Even though it wasn''t as deep as the mark left behind by the Sword Art of Destruction, it was still something significant. For the next two days, Xu Ming kept using his skills one after another and increased his control over them. With time, his mastery kept growing. As his time got over, he left the room and left the Practice Hall as he walked back to his courtyard. A day after Xu Ming left that room, a girl entered the same room to practice her skills, but she was shocked silly as she saw the condition of the room. The room that was said to be impossible even to scratch now had dents and deep slashes in them. "W-what just happened here? Did any Elder practice his skills here? No! Even Inner Sect Elders should not possess such powerful attacks. Did the core sect elders come here? That seems to be the only possible option. That should be what happened," She muttered as she closed the door behind her and began her practice. ***** It was all a tiring process. He was so tired that he didn''t even bother closing the door of his bedroom as he fell asleep. He slept like a child in peace, without any worries or any tension of the burden of revenge that he had to carry all his life. **** Back in the Immortal Realm, the Northern Emperor had searched far and wide in search of Xu Ming, but he wasn''t able to find him. "I have searched everywhere in the North, but that boy doesn''t seem to be here. I will be going to the other three empires to talk to them. We all need to find that kid!" The Northern Emperor said. "But Your Majesty, didn''t you say that it''s a matter related to the new Heavenly Emperor? Can you talk about it to them?" his minister asked. "I won''t be telling them the whole truth. I''ll tell them that I want to find that kid because he killed someone close to me. That should be enough for them to help me in the kid''s search," Heavenly Emperor said. "That should be good," His minister nodded his head. "We''ll be leaving right now. Handle the things until we return," the Northern Emperor said as he left the palace. The Northern Emperor sat on his flying beast and left the place. He flew towards the east. It took him two days to get to the Eastern Empire. He stopped before the Royal Palace and landed on the ground as he walked towards the entrance. The guards didn''t even dare to stop him as they saw an intimidating aura. The Northern Emperor entered the Royal Palace and saw the Western Emperor standing before him. "When I felt the powerful aura, I thought that it must be you. It looks like my instincts are still on point. What do you want here?" The Western Emperor asked the Northern Emperor. "I need to talk to you about something important," the Northern Emperor said. "Alright. Come with me," The Western Emperor said as he brought the Northern Emperor with him to his hall. "No one would be able to hear our voices. Tell me what it is about," the Western Emperor asked. "That''s a kid that assassinated someone close to me. I searched my whole Empire, but I couldn''t find the kid. I believe that he escaped the north. I came here looking for him," the Northern Emperor said. "Oh? So you want my help to find him in the East? Alright, since it''s you asking personally, I''ll help you. Give me a portrait of that boy," The Western Emperor told the Northern Emperor. The Northern Emperor took out a scroll and gave it to the Western Emperor. This was not the original portrait that was given to the Northern Emperor by the Heavenly Emperor; instead, it was a copy. The king had many copies made that he had spread throughout his Empire to search for that boy. "This kid? Isn''t he a little too young to be killing?" The Western Emperor said with a frown on his face. "There''s no minimum age for a criminal. He''s the one that committed such a grave crime, and I''ll punish him on my own when I find him," the Northern Emperor said. "Alright. I''ll get the copies made, and I will spread out throughout my Empire. I''ll also send my guards to look for him. If the kids in our Empire, we''ll find him," the Western Emperor said in a confident tone. "Alright. Use the transmission Talisman to inform me if you find him. Also, try to catch him alive," The Northern Emperor said before he stood up. "Are you leaving?" The Western Emperor asked. "Yeah, I need to go to the South and West as well. That kid could be there as well," The Northern Emperor said. "Alright. Say hi to the Eastern Empress for me," The Western Emperor told the Northern Emperor before he left. The Northern Emperor left the place and went to the Southern Empire and informed the Southern Emperor about the same thing. Even the Southern Emperor had agreed. Lastly, the Northern Emperor went to the Eastern Empress, but that''s where things got complicated. "Are you considering me a fool? This kid killed someone? Can''t you come up with some better excuse? Tell me what this kid possesses that you want to take? There should be a reason like that. If I''m not wrong, the kid must''ve found a treasure that you want to take, isn''t it?" The Eastern Empress asked the Northern Emperor with an amused smile on her face. "The kid possesses nothing of worth. You can keep any item he possesses if you find him. I won''t ask for anything, only the kid," the Northern Emperor said to her in full seriousness. "I don''t believe it. Until you tell me the real reason, I won''t help you," the Eastern Empress said as she started looking elsewhere. "Alright. I''ll tell you, but you can''t let the news leak, or we will all die. I''m not the one that wants the kid," the Northern Emperor said. "The new Heavenly Emperor wants the kid. He told me that the kid is a demon spawn, and he''s in our Immortal World. If I don''t give him the kid soon, he''ll wage war on our Immortal Realm!" The Northern Emperor. "The new Heavenly Emperor? He wants the kid? Is this kid really a demon spawn? How can a demon kid worry the Heavenly Emperor so much? Is there something special about the king?" The Eastern Empress asked the Northern Emperor. "Even though I don''t know his specialty or his powers, even if he''s a demon, he shouldn''t be strong yet. We can definitely catch him!" The Northern Emperor said to her. 123 Chapter 120: 8-Trigram Formation "Alright. I''ll help you. Leave his portrait behind. I''ll contact you if I find him," The Eastern Empress said. "Alright. Keep in mind that we have limited time. If we can''t find him, there will be a war, and it would result in great destruction," The Northern Emperor said. "If we can''t find him, how about we ask help from the Demon Realm? If we''re going to war, it would be easier with them on our side," The Eastern Empress said. "Don''t be ignorant. Even if we fight by joining up with the Demon Realm, the battle would still be more harmful to us. It''s not beneficial to get involved in the battle of those two, so as far as possible, I want to avoid war," The Northern Emperor said. "We can try our best as much as we want, but we can''t stop it if they want it," The Eastern Empress said. "That will be our last resort. For now, just focus on finding the boy," the Northern Emperor said before he stood up and left the Palace of Eastern Empress. **** Xu Ming woke up and went to take a shower. He got ready and left the courtyard. ''I''ve learned all the things I can, but there''s still room for improvement. Most of my skills are from the Heavenly Realm, but I should select some normal skills as well. I haven''t used much of my contribution points after all,'' Xu Ming thought. He went to the Skill Hall of the Inner Sect to select a skill. He entered the Skill Hall and found the Elder of the Skill Hall. "I need to get some skills," he informed the Elder. "Go to the first floor and select the skill that you want. The Contribution Points needed are written on the skill books. Also, you can''t stay there for more than half an hour, get the skill fast, and come back here," the Elder said. Xu Ming nodded his head and walked to the first floor. There were lines of shelves there with thousands of books. "It''s impossible to find a suitable book in such a short time," Xu Ming muttered as he started going through the shelves and books one after another. He kept reading the description of skills before skipping to the next book. Xu Ming was still going through the books when another person got to the first floor, but that person didn''t stay there. Instead, he continued going upwards and got to the second floor. Xu Ming looked at him with curiosity clear on his face. "Oh, man. I wish I was also in the top 500 of inner sect rankings, if I was, I would be allowed to go to the second floor as well," "Me too. I heard that the second floor contains real good skills. If I had a chance of getting ranked in the top 500, I wouldn''t bother wasting my time on skills from the first floor and would have gone to the second floor instead. Alas, I''m not as talented as then. I can only be satisfied with the skills from here," Xu Ming heard the conversation of the other disciples that were already on the second floor. "That was fast. Which skill did you choose?" the Elder inquired as he saw Xu Ming coming down. "I didn''t select any skills. I heard that the second floor is the place where the good skills are, so I''ll select skills from there," Xu Ming told him. "From the second floor? You can''t get skills from there until you get ranked in the top 100. Would you really not choose a skill before that? Don''t aim too high, kid. This might take years," the Elder told Xu Ming. "Thanks for the advice, Elder," Xu Ming said before he left. "I wonder what rank I can get, if I use my full strength, I should be able to get in the top 500, I''m already in Gold Core Realm," Xu Ming muttered as he walked towards the Ranking Arena that contained the 8 Trigram Battle Formation which could be used to get ranked. Xu Ming was walking towards that place when he stopped in his spot as he saw a girl at a distance. It was Sui Ru, the same girl that claimed to be his wife. He didn''t want to waste his time with her; thus, he turned back and walked behind a building. He only stepped out when the girl left. "That girl, did she get promoted to an Inner Disciple as well. I need to stay away from her," Xu Ming muttered as he stepped towards the Ranking Arena. After walking for over 10 minutes, he reached the Ranking Arena. Xu Ming stepped inside the Ranking Arena and walked towards the In Charge of that place, who was a 25-26-year-old girl. "Welcome to the Ranking Arena. Is this your first time coming here, or you''ve been here before?" The girl asked Xu Ming. "It''s my first time here. I want to enter the 8-Trigram Battle Formation to get my ranking," Xu Ming replied to her. "Oh, Alright. Room no. Three should be empty now. You can enter that room. Place your disciple badge at the center of the formation in the room, and the formation will activate," She told Xu Ming. "Alright, Thanks," Xu Ming said to the girl. "Best of luck," the girl told Xu Ming before he left. Xu Ming found room no. 3 and entered the place. The door automatically closed behind him. Xu Ming saw a long and beautiful formation on the ground in front of him. He walked to the center of the formation and placed his badge there. The formation lit up and started shining. Soon, Xu Ming found himself in a different place. He was in a deserted place. There was a small stone pillar behind him. He was wondering what was happening when he heard a voice. "Protect the pillar!" the voice said. "Protect the pillar? From what?" Xu Ming muttered, but that''s when he saw a small orc-like creature running towards him. "From him, I suppose," he muttered as he brought his sword out of his storage ring. He swung his sword as soon as the creature got near him and slashed the creature apart. Some more time passed before he saw two more creatures like that running towards him. He killed them with ease as well, but then four creatures like this came running. "1st strike of Heaven!" Xu Ming muttered as he swung his sword. A powerful arc of light left his sword and cut the 4 creatures in an instant. It didn''t stop as eight creatures came. They all held clubs in their hands this time, and they came from different directions. Four of them came from the right while the other four came from the left. "So that''s how it''s going to be," Xu Ming muttered as he ran towards the four on the left. He killed them first before he ran towards the four on the other side and killed them as well. The number of assailants that were eight had turned to 16. This time they were not humanoid creatures, but Wolf Beasts with sharp teeth and dangerous claws. They came from all four directions. "This will keep getting tough with time," Xu Ming muttered as he raised his sword. He kept using the 1st Strike of Heaven as this was his only long-range skill that consumed less Origin Energy. His Sword Art of Destruction and Heavenly Vajra finger were both power-hungry skills that depleted half his Origin Energy with each usage. Xu Ming kept protecting the pillar against the wave of monsters, but the wave kept getting stronger each time. After he finished the 15th wave, he heard the voice again, telling him that he was allowed to rest for 5 hours now. Xu Ming breathed in relief as he sat down on the ground and started cultivating. If it had kept going on for longer, he would have been defeated. After 15 waves, he only had 10% of his Origin Energy remaining. He cultivated for 5 hours to fasten his Origin Energy recovery. Fortunately,5 hours were enough for him to get in peak condition. He stood up after 5 hours, right after the announcement that the 16th wave was about to come. Xu Ming watched the 16th wave and was quite surprised as the wave was different. Instead of hundreds of weaker monsters, he now had to face 4 Initial Gold Realm beasts. "Now it''s quality instead of quantity? It''s fine. It''s much better than protecting the pillar against hundreds of beasts coming in from different directions," Xu Ming muttered. 124 Chapter 121: Ranked The 4 Gold Realm beasts ran towards the pillar to break it. Without giving them the chance to make it difficult for him, Xu Ming used his 1st Strike of Heaven to take care of the beast in the south. Not waiting any longer, he attacked the beast on the east with the same attack. Similarly, the 1st Strike of Heaven killed the beast in the North. He looked towards the west. There was the pillar between him and the beast on the west that had gotten dangerously close to him. Xu Ming used the Origin Energy Movement and passed through the pillar as he appeared on the other side of the pillar. The beast had jumped in the air, targeting the pillar when Xu Ming passed through the pillar and thrust his sword ahead. The sword penetrated the body of the beast, killing him instantly. Without any break, more monsters came. This time the number was doubled. The fight continued for a long time. Xu Ming kept killing, and the monsters kept increasing in numbers. Xu Ming knew that it would have been a lot easier for him if he was faced with a single super powerful monster instead of hundreds of weaker ones as his skills were too powerful. Still, they were not versatile enough to handle multiple opponents. It would still be manageable if the monsters were all coming from a single direction, but they were all spread out, which made it even more difficult. "I should''ve learned Thunderstorm. That would make it so easier for me," Xu Ming muttered as he kept killing the beasts. He was on the 30th wave, and the number of monsters was in the hundreds. He was struggling to keep up with them all, and ultimately, the pillar was destroyed by one of the monsters. Xu Ming found himself back in the room; the formation had stopped working. The test was over. "The place is indeed good for practice, but too chaotic," he muttered as he looked towards the formation. He rested for a few minutes before he picked up his badge from the center of the formation and stood up. Xu Ming walked out of the room and went to the girl that was in charge of this place. "The test is over? You took quite a long time in there. Did you fall asleep in the room? Anyway, it was your first time, right? Don''t worry about your ranking. I''m sure your performance will instead with time, and one day, you''ll get in the top 500," the girl comforted him. Even though she didn''t know Xu Ming''s rank or about his performance, she gave a general reaction that she gave to all first-time performers as it was a given that it was impossible to enter in the top 500 in the first try. "Where can I see my ranking?" Xu Ming asked her. "Oh? Thanks," Xu Ming thanked her before he started observing his badge. "Seventeen?" Xu Ming let out as he saw the number on the badge. "Seventeen? Hahaha, You don''t know how to read, do you? Show me," the girl chuckled as she extended her hands towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming gave her the badge. The girl looked at his badge and was stunned as she saw the number on it. "S-seventeen? How is that even possible?" She let out in shock. "In your first try, you not only got in the top 500 but in the top 50? How?! Were you lying about this meeting your first time? That must be it! That''s no way it was your first time. You should be in the top hundred last time. That''s right, that makes more sense," the girl convinced herself. "Seventeen? Fell slightly short of top 10; otherwise, I would be allowed to enter the Core sect once," Xu Ming muttered in disappointment. "I''ll try again," Xu Ming told the girl. "You can''t! You can only take this test once a month. If you want to rank higher, you can come next month, or you can challenge someone higher," the girl told him. "Oh, alright. I''ll challenge someone," Xu Ming said. "Don''t be in such a haste. The strength difference between a rank 17 and rank 16 is much bigger than the strength difference between rank 100 and rank 200. The higher you go, the wider the gap will become. I''d suggest you wait for a month and try the test again," the girl told him. "Alright. I''ll get the skills I need in the meantime," Xu Ming muttered. "I''ll take my leave then," Xu Ming told her as he turned back. "Wait a minute," the girls called out as she stopped him. Xu Ming stopped and turned back in curiosity. "You can''t go out like this. As you''re in The top 50 ranked, you must wear the red robe to highlight your position. That''s the rule of the sect," She told him as she brought out a red robe and gave him. "Alright," Xu Ming said and changed his robes. He was now wearing a red robe. "Also, I should inform you that your badge is credited with 2000 contribution points, which is the monthly allowance for the top 50 disciples. Your 200 Qi crystals will be sent to your courtyard," She informed him. "Alright, thanks," Xu Ming said as he left. He walked through the sect and attracted many gazes towards him. His red robe was something that highlighted his position as one of the strongest disciples of the Inner Sect. Except for the fellow red-robed disciples, no one could even dare to offend him. Xu Ming walked back to his room as it was already night by now. He cultivated for the night and stopped when it was morning. He walked back to the Skill Hall of the Inner Sect. His arrival shocked the Elder of the Skill Hall. "A red robe? You''re in the top 50 now? How is that possible?" The Elder exclaimed in shock. "You can see my badge. I don''t want you to doubt that I stole the robe," Xu Ming said as he showed his badge to the Elder. He still remembered the day he was doubted for stealing the clothes of an Outer Sect disciple. If Elder Wu hadn''t helped him, he would have been crippled. Xu Ming didn''t want to go through the same misunderstanding once more. That''s why he instantly showed his badge. "It''s true. That''s incredible, Kid. Getting in the top 50 in your first try, I guess you do have the potential of getting ranked in the top 10 in the future. Since you''re in the top 50, you''re allowed to go to the 3rd floor. You can pick the skill you need and come back," The Elder told him. "Is there a time limit?" Xu Ming asked the Elder. "There is no time limit, and you can take as much time as you need, but do remember that there is a formation on the 3rd floor. If you read more than the short description of a skill book, you''ll be thrown out of the first floor. This is done so that people don''t spend their time up there to read all the books instead of leaving with one," the Elder told him. "I''ll keep that in mind," Xu Ming said as he went towards the stairs. He walked up to the 1st floor and then went higher under the jealous eyes of the other disciples. He stopped on the 3rd floor. There were many shelves there, but the quantity of the books was way smaller in comparison to the 1st floor. There seemed to be only 100-200 books there, but the great thing was that these were all the strongest Gold Grade Skills in the Inner Sect. Xu Ming walked up to the first book and read its description. "Stone Crushing Finger? A finger related skill that makes the finger as strong as a treasured hammer?" "I already have something like that. Also, close-range attacks are not what I need at the moment," Xu Ming muttered as he put the book back and picked up a different book. "Fist of the Mighty Demon? A skill that was developed by the founder of the Mighty Demon Sect? Not good enough. It''s Qi consumption is even higher than the Heavenly Vajra Finger, and its strength is lower. Also, it''s a close-range skill," Xu Ming muttered before picking up a different skill. "Soul Search? Now, this is something interesting. It uses the soul power to Search through opponents memories, but if the opponent''s soul power is higher, the skill might backlash," "Not a fighting skill, but I''m intrigued by it," he muttered. "If I don''t find anything suitable, I''ll take it," he said before he put the book back and picked up a different book. 125 Chapter 122: Skill Selection Xu Ming checked the next skill book. "Beastly Transformation, a skill that transforms you into a beast for a short period of time. It can increase the strength, speed, and healing of the cultivator," Xu Ming muttered as he read the next skill book description. "Good skill, but not suitable for me. I don''t want to fight like that," Xu Ming thought as he put the book back. He moved onto the next skill. Xu Ming kept checking out skills one after another. He didn''t want to miss out on the chance of selecting a skill as he was only allowed to choose one at the moment. He didn''t want to make a wrong selection; thus, he thought a lot about his decision. He saw many skills there. There were attack related skills, weapon-related skills, movement skills, and many unorthodox skills like the soul search as well. After checking every book, Xu Ming came to a decision that Soul Search was what he wanted. Soul Search was a unique skill that could be useful for him in the long run whenever he needed answers from others. He could always find more attack and movement skills, but he wasn''t sure if he would come across a skill like that ever again. Xu Ming picked up the booklet of soul search and walked towards the stairs, but before he could get there, he saw another Red Robe disciple coming up. The Red Robed disciple looked at Xu Ming curiously as this was his first time seeing Xu Ming. "I''ve never seen you before. Are you new in the Red Robed rankings?" the boy asked Xu Ming. "Yeah, I got ranked today," Xu Ming replied. "Oh, nice. Congrats. Which skill are you choosing?" the boy asked Xu Ming as he saw the book in his hands. "Soul Search," Xu Ming replied. "Oh, that''s an unorthodox skill you got there. Are you sure that you don''t want to choose better skills that can increase your strength?" the boy asked Xu Ming. "I''ve made my choice. I''ll get going now," Xu Ming said as he went down the stairs. "Interesting guy," the boy chuckled as he stepped towards the stairs. "Have you selected a book?" the Elder of the Skill Hall asked Xu Ming, who stood in front of him. Xu Ming showed the soul search booklet to the Elder. "Oh, Soul Search. It might be a fun skill, but it''s dangerous as well. If you use it on someone against their will, and their soul power turned out to be higher than yours, you might die as well," the Elder warned Xu Ming. "I know, Elder. I read that in the description," Xu Ming replied. "Alright. If you say so, Soul Search will cost you 2000 contribution points, Give me your badge," the Elder told Xu Ming. Xu Ming gave his badge to the Elder. The Elder returned the badge after deducting 2000 contribution points. "Be careful with the skill," the Elder warned Xu Ming one last time. Xu Ming nodded his head and left the Skill Hall. Xu Ming once again hid behind a building and waited for her to pass. "I need to get to the Core Sect as fast as I can. I can''t stay in the Inner Sect for longer," Xu Ming muttered as he stood behind the building. He used his Divine Sense to see if she had left, and after finding out that she did leave, he came out. Xu Ming walked back to his courtyard and closed the door. He put the booklet in his storage ring and went into the shower. After getting a nice shower, he walked out and got dressed before sitting on the bed. He brought the book, Soul Search out of his storage ring, and started reading it. The book was relatively easy to understand, and he comprehended it on the first try itself. He was sure that he would be able to perform it as described, but as he hadn''t tested it on anyone, he wasn''t sure how it would be. He couldn''t try it on any random person either as this was a skill that might make that person lose his sanity after Xu Ming performed the soul search on him. The skill was like a double edged sword that could harm others as well as harm themselves. Xu Ming put the book back in his storage ring and started resting on her. He took a long peaceful sleep before waking up in the morning. He stood up and left his courtyard. "When I was in the mission hall, I felt I lacked a ranged area control skill. I do have Thunderstorm, but I haven''t comprehended it because of location restrictions, but I can''t delay it further. I need to leave the Sect," Xu Ming muttered. He wanted to go outside the sect, find an empty-looking mountain, and practice thunderstorm, which would boost his skill even further. Xu Ming walked up to the exit of the Inner Sect and left the Inner Sect. When he was in the Outer Sect, he brought out his Wild Eagle Beast and got on top of it before he left the sect. Xu Ming was now a Ranked Inner disciple, and he was allowed to leave the sect without having any mission. Xu Ming left the sect. After flying for over 4 Hours, Xu Ming saw a mountain. His Wild Eagle Beast was flying there when other flying beasts attacked him. It seemed as if that was the place of those beasts, and they didn''t allow anyone to enter their airspace. Xu Ming had already realized that it would be dangerous if his flying beast was harmed as he would fall to his death, that''s why Xu Ming stood up and pulled out his sword. He attacked the other beasts proactively without giving them a chance to get near his beasts. Xu Ming''s 1st Strike of Heaven was enough for Xu Ming to cut the other flying beasts in half. As one of the beasts was killed, the other seemed to become even more violent. Instead of attacking Xu Ming''s eagle, they started targeting him, but it only made it more dangerous for them. The beasts kept dying one after another without being able to even scratch Xu Ming. Soon, all these beasts were killed, and the battle was over. Xu Ming made his Wild Eagle fly above the mountain a few times to see if it was actually empty or not. After making sure that the mountain was really barren, Xu Ming got his beast down on the mountain and got off of it. Xu Ming sent the Eagle inside the beast bag before he sat down on the mountain. He brought the skill booklet of Thunderstorm out of his storage ring and started reading it once more just to make sure that he didn''t forget everything. "That should be it," He muttered as he stood up. Xu Ming raised his right hand towards the sky. He changed the flow of Origin Energy inside his body as it was described in the skill book. He could feel the change in his body as he did that. He was able to feel his surroundings better, but he also felt like he was weaker in this way. His Origin Energy was getting depleted fast. "Thunderstorm!" He commanded in a firm voice. Clouds started taking shape in the sky, and they surrounded the sky in no time. Even the sun wasn''t visible in the sky. The only thing that he could see was the dark clouds in the sky. The clouds started roaring loudly. Xu Ming could also see blue light appear in the clouds occasionally. It lasted for a few seconds before the first thunderbolt fell down to the ground in front of Xu Ming. It didn''t stop with one thunderbolt, though. Thunderbolts kept falling one after another all-around Xu Ming. In a span of short 3 minutes, over 50 thunderbolts fell down to the ground, turning the ground black wherever they fell. The skill only lasted for this long before the clouds disappeared, and the clear sky appeared again. Xu Ming also fell down to his knees. He was feeling exasperated as a single skill consumed all his Origin Energy. The Origin Energy consumption of Thunderstorm turned out to be twice that of the Sword Art of Destruction. "It did attack around 50 or so times if I compare it with Sword Art of Destruction. It doesn''t seem that bad. The skill is super strong in a sense. The only downsides of it is that fact that it doesn''t differentiate between friend and enemies," "The bolts fall all around me without my control. It might even harm a friend along with the enemy," Xu Ming muttered as he looked towards the ground. He started resting as he tried to restore his Origin Energy reserves. 126 Chapter 123: Heavenly Treasure Xu Ming cultivated for 3 hours on top of the mountain, and after he recovered his Origin Energy, he again used Thunderstorm. The sky was covered by the roaring dark clouds once again. Thunderbolts started falling around Xu Ming. It seemed as if it was raining thunder. Far away from the mountain, there existed a small town. The town people managed to see the beautiful thunderstorm on the mountain. They couldn''t help but bow down as they faced towards the hill. They thought that it was a godly phenomenon that was happening for the first time. There was only a single man that didn''t bow down and stayed standing. It was a man that didn''t belong to this place. The man saw the phenomenon as well and started frowning. ''What''s happening? Is there a heavenly treasure appearing there?'' he thought as he stared towards the mountain. Xu Ming was again depleted as he used all his energy. He could feel that the second time, the casting was much faster. Even though the Origin Energy consumption was the same, the faster performance of the skill proved that his control over the skill had somewhat improved. He wanted to perform the skill as many times as it took for him to improve his control even further. He knew that it would take a lot of time, but he was ready. Xu Ming cultivated more and restored his Origin Energy reserve. He also noticed that the Origin Energy he could store was getting bigger and bigger each time he depleted all his Origin Energy and restored it. Xu Ming kept repeating it until he had performed thunderstorm five times already. He could feel his improvement slowing down by the 5th time. He felt like his control would reach its limit the next time he tried it. Xu Ming was restoring his energy when a man stepped on top of the mountain. He was the same red hair man that had misunderstood the lighting as the phenomenon that appears at the birth of the heavenly treasure. After climbing the mountain for a long time, he had reached the peak. He didn''t even rest as he was worried that someone else would reach there and take the treasure before him. As he stepped on the peak of the mountain, he saw Xu Ming sitting there, cultivating. He looked around but saw no treasure there. "Hey, boy! Where is my treasure!" he called out as he pointed his finger towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming stopped his cultivation and slowly opened his eyes as he looked at the red-haired man. "What treasure?" Xu Ming asked. "Don''t act ignorant! I''m talking about the treasure that took birth on top of this mountain! You can''t fool me as I saw the lighting myself! Hurry up and take the treasure out! A kid like you shouldn''t keep something so precious," the man said to Xu Ming. "There is no treasure here. The lightning wasn''t because of a treasure, either. A cultivator was using his skill here," Xu Ming responded. "You can look for yourself if you doubt me," Xu Ming casually said as he stood up. He had already restored his Origin Energy by now. "You''re not going to understand with words, I think. Let me teach you what I meant by force then!" the man told Xu Ming as he pointed his sword towards him. The man started running towards Xu Ming with his sword. "Thunderstorm!" Xu Ming didn''t move and simply used his skill. The skill activated instantly. In less than 2 seconds, the clear sky was again covered in clouds before the rain of thunder started. Thunderbolts fell everywhere on the ground. Some of them even landed on the man who was running towards Xu Ming. The man was struck by four thunderbolts that managed to burn his flesh off. One of the thunderbolts fell on top of his head, killing him instantly. The red-haired man''s charred body was lying on the ground, lifeless by the time the thunderstorm ended. "I told you that there were no treasures," Xu Ming muttered before he kicked the body away. The body went down the mountain. Xu Ming again sat down and began cultivating. It was already midnight by the time he finished his cultivation. His Origin Energy was fully restored, and he decided to go back to the sect. Xu Ming brought the Wild Eagle Beast out of his storage ring and got on top of it. The beast started flying back towards the Sect. By afternoon, Xu Ming managed to reach the Sect. He was flying towards the Inner Sect when he saw Elder Wu on the ground. He seemed to be talking to a 19-20-year-old girl. He didn''t disturb him and entered the inner sect. He walked back to his courtyard. He just wanted to sleep as he got inside his courtyard, but what he saw stunned him. There were too many letters lying on the other side of his doorsteps. Xu Ming picked up one of the letters and read them. "A ranking challenge?" Xu Ming muttered. He picked up another letter and read it, but it had similar content. One by one, Xu Ming read all the letters and found similar content in all of them. They were all challenge letters written by various disciples that wanted to challenge Xu Ming to the ranking battle. The letters came from every disciple that ranked below him. Except for the top 16 ranked disciples, everyone in the Top 100 had sent a challenge to Xu Ming. In others'' eyes, Xu Ming was a new Disciple that had miraculously managed to enter the top 100 on his first try. They all felt that fighting Xu Ming would be an easier feat, and they might even be able to get his 17th rank. There was a rule in the sect that a disciple had to accept a challenge or challenge someone higher than them if they managed to get on the top 500 rankings. Because of that rule, Xu Ming had to fight at least once this month. He could accept a challenger from the ones that sent him the letter or challenge someone higher. "If it''s like this, I might as well challenge the 10th rank right now. I should be allowed to enter the Cleansing Pond of the core sect for one day when I win," Xu Ming muttered as he threw the letters on the ground and walked back to his room. He had decided that he will challenge someone in the top 10 tomorrow, but for now, he wanted to rest. Xu Ming fell down to his bed and fell asleep. The rest of the day passed away, and even the night passed away as the morning arrived. Xu Ming stretched his arms as he slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and got ready. He picked up a paper and wrote a challenge letter. He didn''t mention the name of the opponent, though, as he himself didn''t know the name of the ranked ones. After he finished writing the letter, he left his courtyard with the letter in his hand. He asked around and found the courtyard of Sun Zhen, who was ranked 10th in the Inner Sect rankings. Xu Ming walked to Sun Zhen''s courtyard and knocked on his door. Sun Zhen opened the door and looked at Xu Ming with curiosity. "Red Robe and a new face, you must be the new guy that''s caused so much disturbance in the sect by barging in the rankings. What are you doing here?" Sun Zhen asked Xu Ming. "I''m here to challenge you for a ranking battle," Xu Ming said as he gave the letter to Sun Zhen. "Oh? You want to challenge me? Alright, I would also love to see how a person managed to get so highly ranked in such a short time. We can fight tomorrow," Sun Zhen told Xu Ming as he accepted the letter and the challenge. "You can meet me at the Ranking Pavilion. Our battle will be there," Sun Zhen added. Xu Ming agreed as well before he left the place and walked back to his courtyard. As he was walking back, he met another red-robed disciple. "You must be Xu Ming. Did you get my challenge letter? When are we fighting?" the boy asked Xu Ming. "I''m fighting someone else," Xu Ming replied. "Why? You''re rank 17; I''m rank 18, are you really going to accept the challenge of someone lower ranked? Or are you scared of fighting me?" the boy asked Xu Ming. "I''m fighting Sun Zhen tomorrow," Xu Ming replied. "S-sun Zhen? You''re fighting him? Do you not know who he is?" the boy exclaimed in surprise. 127 Chapter 124: Destroying the opponen "I know. He''s rank 10," Xu Ming told the boy before he left. "That''s not all he is, you Idiot!" the boy muttered, but Xu Ming had already left by now. Xu Ming was walking back to his courtyard, but this time he made a mistake. As he was talking to the boy, Sui Ru was coming towards him from behind. She had managed to see him, and she sneakily followed Xu Ming. Xu Ming sensed something. He felt as if he was being followed, but when he looked back, there was no one there. He didn''t know that Sui Ru had hidden behind a tree when she saw him stop. Xu Ming turned back and started walking again, but this time, he used his Divine Sense on his surroundings, and he saw Sui Ru coming out of her hiding. "Sigh, She did find me. I should''ve been more careful,'' Xu Ming though as he walked to a random courtyard. He used his Origin Energy as he passed through the walls of one of the courtyards. Sui Ru stopped outside. She thought that this courtyard belonged to Xu Ming, but she didn''t know that just like Xu Ming entered the courtyard, he left from the other side. This was how Xu Ming lost Sui Ru from his trail as he walked inside his real courtyard far away from this place. Xu Ming entered his courtyard. As he entered, he saw more challenge letters there. Apparently, people thought that he was scared of accepting the challenges of people. Thus even the lower-ranked cultivators started thinking that he was weak. That''s why he started getting even more challenges. Xu Ming ignored the letters and walked back to his room. He spent the rest of his day cultivating and trying to increase his strength. Just like that, another day passed away. Xu Ming stopped his cultivation the next morning and left his courtyard as he walked to the Ranking Pavilion. It was the date of his battle with Sun Zhen. As he got to the ranking hall, he found out that it was filled with disciples. It was as if everyone had found out that there was going to be a battle here today. Even a few disciples from the top 10 came here to watch the battle. Sun Zhen was standing with a few of them and talking when he saw Xu Ming. "You''re here. You made me wait for quite some time," Sun Zhen told Xu Ming. "So he''s the guy. He doesn''t look like an idiot like I expected. I''d say that he looks even better than you," a girl that stood beside Sun Zhen chuckled as she teased Sun Zhen. "I agree that he''s not bad looking, but there''s no need to compare, is there?" another boy said. Xu Ming walked up to Sun Zhen and asked him, "Let''s start the battle. I don''t want to stay here longer than I need to." His words stunned others. It took them all a while to process it before they started laughing. "It''s not just me. You know that my brother isn''t interested in watching fights. He just wants to pass the Core Sect trial. He''s not interested in anything else," Sun Zhen said. "I know. It''s so unfortunate that despite holding the 1st Rank for three years, he''s not able to complete the core sect trial," "Yeah, I want him to leave the Inner Sect so that we can have a chance at the 1st Rank. But if he''s not able to complete the Inner Sect trial, then that just goes on to say about the toughness of the Inner Sect trials," Once the topic started, quite a few red-robed disciples began talking about it. "Are you fighting or not?" Xu Ming once again asked. "Alright, alright. Let''s fight then," Sun Zhen said as he stepped towards Xu Ming. "Guys, please move back. Free the arena for our battle," Sun Zhen told everyone. They all stepped back. "Alright. Since you''re lower-ranked, I''ll allow you to have the first ten moves. Go on ahead. I won''t do anything but defend," Sun Zhen told Xu Ming. "Alright," Xu Ming muttered as he brought his sword out. "Isn''t that a mortal grade sword? Despite being an Inner sect disciple, you use such a trash sword?" Sun Zhen exclaimed in surprise as he saw Xu Ming''s sword, but the next moment, his expressions changed as he saw Xu Ming''s attack coming towards him. Xu Ming had used the 1st Strike of Heaven as his first attack, and he was so fast that he didn''t even give Sun Zhen the time to get ready. Sun Zhen pulled his sword out in a hurry and tried to block the attack, but the attack was more powerful. He was tossed back like a broken kite, landing far away from his original position. "That was unexpected," Sun Zhen said as he stood up. He wasn''t seriously harmed, but he was somewhat injured, even though only lightly. His clothes were dirty as well. He was just talking, when another attack came towards him. Xu Ming had once again used the 1st Strike of Heaven without even letting him finish his words. The same thing repeated once more as Sun Zhen was tossed back. He landed even further. Every other disciple in that place just watched it blankly. They weren''t sure what was happening at the moment. It was as if Sun Zhen was a toy, and Xu Ming was playing with it. *ahu ahu* "At Least let me finish before attacking me!" Sun Zhen once more stood up after coughing excessively. His face has turned red, but his eyes opened wide as he saw another attack coming towards him. His tragedy continued, and not just once. He was tossed back around nine times already. Sun Zhen clearly looked like he was in bad condition, but he was still not seriously harmed. He has managed to protect his body from Xu Ming''s attack as much as he could. "That was the 9th attack. Once more and your ten attacks will be finished. Then I''ll show you what a true attack is like! Go on, kid! Attack me one last time before you''re defeated. It''s going to be the same attack, isn''t it?" Sun Zhen said to Xu Ming, but Xu Ming didn''t respond. Xu Ming raised his hand towards Sun Zhen and pointed his finger at him. Sun Zhen was visibly confused, and so was everyone else. "What are you..." He started asking a question. "Heavenly Vajra Finger," Xu Ming muttered without waiting for him to finish his question. A golden finger made from his Origin Energy took shape in front of him that attacked Sun Zhen. Sun Zhen could feel the terrifying power of the finger, and he sensed that he wouldn''t be able to protect himself if he just defended, and he allowed the attack to get to him. With his victory on the line, he broke his promise as he attacked proactively with his strongest skill. "Heavenly Mountain Cutting Strike!" Sun Zhen roared as he used all the strength he had to attack. A powerful arc of light left his Gold Grade Sword and clashed with the golden finger. Sun Zhen''s attack was destroyed instantly, but it managed to weaken Xu Ming''s attack as well; still, Xu Ming''s attack didn''t stop moving towards Sun Zhen. Sun Zhen again used his sword to protect his body, but the attack was too powerful. He was once more tossed back, but this time his whole body was bleeding. Most of his bones were broken. He fell on the ground and didn''t move even a little. The other disciples that were close to him ran up to him as they checked his body. "His condition is bad, but he''s still alive. He''s just unconscious, but we need to get him treated," one of them said. They all picked him up and left the Ranking Arena. Xu Ming looked at the back of his badge and saw that the number had changed. The number that was shown as seventeen had changed to ten now. Xu Ming left the Ranking Arena and walked back to his courtyard. The disciples in the top 10 had left with Sun Zhen, and the ones that were left didn''t bother to disturb Xu Ming as they were all frightened by his performance today. Xu Ming entered his courtyard and began cultivating. In today''s battle, most of his Origin Energy was depleted, and he was tired as well. Xu Ming cultivated for the whole night, and he also achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation. He kept cultivating in and maintained the momentum of his cultivation. 128 Chapter 125: Rise After cultivating for all night long, Xu Ming had broken through to the second stage of Gold Core Realm. He had already finished the battle, and he didn''t have to fight anyone else. For the next four months, Xu Ming rarely left his courtyard and spent all his time inside, cultivating and only went out when it was time to battle. He had four more battles in the last four months and fought Rank 8, Rank 6, Rank 4 and Rank 3 in the Inner Sect rankings. Although he was allowed to enter the Cleansing Pond in the Core Sect for one day, because of him being ranked in the top 10, he didn''t select it as he knew that it was not the best way. He was confident that he would be able to get the 1st Rank and get to enter the Core Sect for seven days. He didn''t want to select the smaller advantage and lose the chance of the bigger one. There was a rule that an Inner Sect disciple could enter the Cleansing Pond only once, which he found out later. If he had chosen to enter now, he wouldn''t be able to enter after getting the first rank. He was waiting to increase his rank, and he had realized that defeating the higher rank opponents was much easier for him than getting the 1st Rank using 8-trigram battle formation. He had already sent a challenge to both rank two and rank 1, but none of them had selected the challenge yet. Xu Ming achieved two more breakthroughs in the last four months and managed to become a 4th stage Gold Core Realm cultivator. His strength kept increasing day by day. It was the 5th month, and Xu Ming was still cultivating inside his courtyard when he heard the knock on the door. Xu Ming stood up and walked to the door. As he opened the door, he saw a dark-haired man standing on the other side of the door. Before Xu Ming could even ask anything, the man started talking. "Senior Brother Wang sent me. He asked me to tell you that he has accepted your challenge. The battle will be in the Ranking Pavillion after seven days," the man informed Xu Ming before he left. Xu Ming walked inside his courtyard. "That would be the second rank. After this fight, I should be able to target the first rank and get the opportunity to enter the Core Sect. It won''t be long, Mother," Xu Ming muttered as he walked inside his room. He resumed his cultivation. Xu Ming cultivated for six more days before he stopped and left the courtyard. The Inner Sect has a place where people sold medicines and artifacts. It was said that one could find everything they needed in the sect. As Xu Ming entered the place, his red robe attracted everyone''s attention. After all this time, everyone had recognized who Xu Ming was. They knew that Xu Ming was a person that never lost a fight and only challenged stronger people. Six months ago, none of these people would have even imagined that a completely new person who never held a rank would be able to get in the top 3 and that too so easily. Xu Ming walked through the marketplace and saw many sellers. Some were selling medicines; some were selling accessories, some even sold clothes. After walking for over 15 minutes, he saw what he was looking for. There was a small stall that sold weapons. Xu Ming walked up to the stall and picked up one of the swords. "Is it a gold grade sword?" Xu Ming asked the red-haired guy. "Yeah, it''s a peak Gold Grade Sword. I can promise you that you won''t find one like this in this whole place, Senior Brother," The red-haired guy replied. Xu Ming started observing it and realized that it was indeed quite good. "How much are you charging for this sword?" Xu Ming asked the man. "I-i can give it to Senior Brother for only 1000 contribution points, or a 100 Qi Crystals," the man answered Xu Ming. He didn''t want to give a false price as he knew Xu Ming, and he was intimidated by him. "Alright, here are 100 Qi Crystal," Xu Ming muttered as he gave 100 Qi Crystals to the man. He had been getting quite a lot of Qi Crystals as his allowance after his rise in rankings, but unfortunately, he didn''t have a use for them. That''s why he had quite a lot of Qi Crystals in his storage. Xu Ming got the Sword and left the place. He got back to his courtyard. He had three swords in his storage ring now. The first one was a Mortal Grade Sword that he had been using in all his battles now. The second was a God Grade Sword of his Father that he didn''t want to use unless absolutely necessary, and the 3rd one was the Gold Grade Sword that he had just bought. His mortal grade sword was almost unusable after all these battles, and it was close to getting broken. Xu Ming spent the rest of the day cultivating. It was the day of the battle when he stopped cultivating and left his courtyard. He walked to the Ranking Pavilion and saw Wang Lanjiang standing there. There was also the dark-haired man there, but there was no one else other than them. In the previous fights, the Ranking Pavillion was almost always filled with people, but not today. "Are you going to stand there or come here so that we can start the fight?" Wang Lanjiang said to Xu Ming. Xu Ming stepped forth as he stood in front of Wang Lanjiang. He brought his sword out and got ready to fight. "Interesting. I was told that you always use a mortal grade sword. It looks like you finally decided to upgrade. Good decision," Wang Lanjiang told Xu Ming while he took his sword out as well. "I''ve heard that your finger attack is frightening and defeats your opponents in your first try? Let''s try a simple battle. I will use my strongest skill, and you use your strongest skill. Let''s finish it with one attack!" Wang Lanjiang said to Xu Ming. ''Hah, he would be naive to think that he can defeat me with that attack. I wasn''t accepting his challenge as I was trying to master a skill¡ªthe strongest skill of our Inner Sect that was given to me by my master. Even in the Core Sect, this skill would be the most sought after. After all this time, I finally comprehended it. It''s the right time to test its power,'' he thought. "Alright," Xu Ming agreed. Wang Lanjiang got in his attacking stance and got ready to attack. "Buddha Enlightening Palm!" he let out as he attacked. A Giant Yellow palm appeared in front of him, which was made from the natural Qi of the atmosphere and reinforced by its strength. "Heavenly Vajra Finger!" Xu Ming muttered as a giant golden finger appeared in front of him, which seemed even bigger than last time. As his cultivation was increased, he was also able to utilize more of the strength of the Heavenly Vajra Finger. The Golden Finger and the Yellow Palm clashed with each other. The Golden Finger broke the yellow palm and passed through it as it flew towards Wang Lanjiang. Wang Lanjiang was scared as he saw his attack being destroyed. He had never expected that his strongest attack would be so utterly destroyed. "Shield of Nature!" Wang Lanjiang let out as he used his defensive skill. His whole body was covered by a semi-transparent greenish barrier, but as soon as the finger touched it, the barrier broke like shattered glass. The finger struck Wang Lanjiang, making him fly away like a broken kite. He crashed on the wall at the other end of the hall as he coughed out a mouthful of blood. His chest bones were broken, and he had lost consciousness. "Senior Brother!" the dark-haired man screamed as he ran towards Wang Lanjiang. He picked him up and left the Ranking Pavillion. Xu Ming looked at his badge and saw the number that was being shown on it. He was now the 2nd strongest person amongst the Inner Sect Disciples. Xu Ming left the Ranking Pavillion and walked back to his courtyard. What happened to Wang Lanjiang was none of his concern now. Xu Ming entered his courtyard and again got busy in his cultivation as he waited for the 1st rank to accept his challenge. Everyone in the sect knew about Xu Ming''s rise to the second rank, and they were all wondering if the 1st ranked disciple was going to accept his challenge. They had never expected that such a big change would occur in the sect. 129 Chapter 126: Not accepting Even though everyone was waiting for the first rank Sun Mu to accept the challenge of Xu Ming, it didn''t happen. One month passed, and there was no information about Sun Mu accepting the challenge. Even though everyone else had to fight at least one ranking battle every month, there was no restriction like that for the 1st rank. It was said that only someone from the top 3 was allowed to challenge the Rank one, and accepting the challenge entirely depended on the 1st ranked person. They only had to fight once every year instead of once every month. No one had any information as to why Sun Mu wasn''t accepting the challenges. It was said that he was only focused on the Core Sect trials to become the Core Sect disciple, and he didn''t want to waste time fighting anyone unless he had to. That''s why, even when Xu Ming beat his brother Sun Zhen, he never came for revenge. It was clear that he wasn''t interested in revenge; otherwise, he would have accepted the challenge. Xu Ming waited for over a month, but he got no response. He even went to the courtyard of Sun Mu, but Sun Mu wasn''t there. That''s what Sun Mu''s servant told him, and even when he used his Divine Sense, he found out that Sun Mu was really not inside the courtyard. "Where is he! It''s already been over a month since I got the 2nd Rank, but even till now, I haven''t received the opportunity to fight. It''s also nearing the time for me to complete another mission from the sect. If he still doesn''t accept my challenge in the next two days, I would have to leave on a mission," Xu Ming muttered as he walked back home. He was walking back when someone called him from behind. "Hey, Xu Ming!" Xu Ming turned back and saw Zi Zhenfeng there. "Oh, man. It''s getting so difficult to see you nowadays. Congrats on getting the 2nd Rank. I''m still amazed at how fast you rose to the top. I barely managed to get in the top 500 after all these years, and you''re already in top 2," Zi Zhenfeng said, smilingly. "Thank you," Xu Ming replied. "When are you fighting for the first rank? Has Sun Mu still not agreed?" Zi Zhenfeng inquired. "No. I haven''t been able to see him. I have no idea where he is and if he intends to accept my challenge," Xu Ming replied. "It shouldn''t be long before he accepts the challenge. As far as I know, the last time he had a ranking battle was ten months ago. You must know about the rule as well; he has to accept a challenge once every 12 months, or he would be punished. He should accept your challenge in the next two months at most," Zi Zhenfeng told Xu Ming as he smiled. "That would be for the best. It''s already been so long," Xu Ming muttered. "Anyway, I''m going to the mission hall to get a mission, do you want to come with me? We can get a joint," Long Chen asked him. "Alright. I''ll see you later," Zi Zhenfeng said as he left. Xu Ming strolled through the Inner Sect, and while walking, he entered the outer sect. It had been a long time since he had last seen Elder Wu. He wanted to meet him. He wore the Red Robe of the Inner Sect top rankers, but most of the outer sect disciples didn''t know what this robe represented. The Elders of the sect knew everything about it, though. Xu Ming was walking towards the Elder Wu''s courtyard when he saw a commotion. "You trash! Didn''t I tell you that if I see a speck of dust on my table, I''ll break your bones? You still dared to be lazy when cleaning?" As Xu Ming got near, he saw an Outer Sect Servant lying on the ground, whereas a few Outer Sect disciples were surrounding him. Xu Ming recognized the guy lying on the ground. It was Yao, the person that took care of Xu Ming when he was little. They stayed in the same courtyard. He was also the one that taught Xu Ming about the basic art of sword fighting. The Outer Disciple that was scolding him kicked towards Yao''s face, but Xu Ming appeared before them, using his Origin Movement. Xu Ming kicked the feet that were coming towards Yao''s face. The Outer Sect Disciple roared in pain as his leg clashed with Xu Ming''s legs. The bones of his legs were broken. He fell down on the ground and started groaning in pain like a pig being slaughtered. Even though the Outer Disciple didn''t know that Xu Ming was a top ranker, they did realize that he was from the Inner Sect. No one dared to attack him. Elder Jin was walking from nearby when he heard a pained scream. He was the same Elder that had sent a disciple to kill Xu Ming previously. "What''s the commotion here? What is happening?" He asked as he walked up to the crowd. "Elder! He attacked Brother Win!" Someone said as they pointed towards Xu Ming. "You?" Elder Jin was stunned as he saw Xu Ming''s face. He also noticed his red robe, which brought another shock to his face. ''How can someone with 0 Cultivation talent get to such a high level? Did the potential measuring orb really show false information?'' he thought as he frowned. "Even if you''re a High-Rank Inner Disciple, you''re not allowed to attack Outer Disciples! Why did you attack him?" Elder Jin asked Xu Ming. "I saw him lying on the ground. I came to pick him up when I saw a kick coming towards me. I reacted in self-defense, which is a perfectly fine reason for an Inner Disciple," Xu Ming replied. He had already read most of the rules, and he knew that he had to do and what he didn''t. "This... Alright. It''s fine this time, but don''t do this again," he was stunned at Xu Ming''s response, but he reacted calmly as he knew that he couldn''t do much. "You guys! What the heck are you doing here! Go back to what you were doing!" he scolded the other disciples who left. "Take him to the physician," He told another outer disciple who picked up the injured guy and left. Elder Jin walked away. ''I haven''t forgotten that you were the one that tried to kill me. One day, I''ll return everything,'' Xu Ming thought as he watched Elder Jin leave. He extended his hands towards Yao and helped him get up. "A-are you Xu Ming?" Yao asked Xu Ming. "Yes. I''m Xu Ming, Brother Yao," Xu Ming said smilingly. "Wow, You''ve grown up so much. And not obligated in size, but in personality as well. You feel more open now. Previously, you only looked down as if nothing was worth your time here," Yao said to Xu Ming. "Cultivation helped me mature," Xu Ming replied. Then though he was still upset on the inside and melancholic, now he didn''t let outy show on the outside. "How are others?" Xu Ming asked. "They''re fine. They should be at work now. Do you want to meet them?" Yao inquired. "No, it''s fine. Let them work; I have somewhere to be as well," Xu Ming responded. "Oh, alright. Thanks for helping me, little brother. When you are brought here as a servant, I never expected that you would be able to shine so brightly. I hope that your rise will never stop," Yao said as he smiled. "Thank You, brother Yao. I''ll visit again sometime. Hopefully, on the night when you''re all together," Xu Ming said. They talked a little more before Xu Ming left. He walked to the Courtyard of Elder Wu and knocked on the door, which was opened by his servant. The Servant recognized Xu Ming and, without even asking anything, allowed him entry inside. Xu Ming entered the courtyard and walked to the room of Elder Wu "Elder Wu?" he called out as he knocked on Elder Wu''s door. "Xu Ming? Come on inside," Elder Wu said. Xu Ming pushed the door open and entered inside. "Do you need something or are you here just to see this old man?" Elder Wu chuckled as he asked. "I''m here to see you today. I don''t need anything. Unless you have more Yellow Nature Fruit," Xu Ming said, smilingly. "I wish I had more to give you, but they can''t be purchased or bought. They can only be found if one is lucky. Unfortunately, no one tried to find them as they all think it is a useless fruit," Elder Wu said. "Yeah, It would be nice if the world had more Yellow Nature Fruit," Xu Ming muttered. "True. It''s really useful for some even though it''s not useful for most," Elder Wu muttered. 130 Chapter 127: Core tes "Hmm? How is it useful for people?" Xu Ming asked Elder Wu. Even though he knew that it was useful for him, he didn''t understand what Elder Wu was talking about. It shouldn''t be helpful for mortals, that''s what he knew. "Hahaha, You should already know why it''s useful. Isn''t that why you came looking for it?" Elder Wu asked with an amused smile on his face. "I know how useful it is for me, but I want to know what you are talking about?" Xu Ming inquired. "If you know how it''s useful for you, then that''s enough. There''s no need to talk about it anymore," Elder Wu chuckled. "How is your cultivation progressing?" he asked further. "It''s going good," Xu Ming replied. "That''s better. Get stronger while you have the opportunity. You can never know what times may be ahead," Elder Wu said softly. "I know what exactly times are ahead, and I won''t let anything stop me from doing what I want," Xu Ming responded. "That''s the spirit I like," Elder Wu said, smilingly. Xu Ming talked some more with Elder Wu about his progress. He even asked some of his doubts about the cultivation that he had. After an hour of conversation, he left. Xu Ming walked to the lake, where he cultivated for countless nights and observed it. Even though he cultivated here for so long, he still didn''t understand why this place had more Origin Qi compared to the other places in the Outer Sect even though these places were so near. He swam to the depths of the pond as well, thinking that there might be something unusual there, but there was nothing there either. So many days had passed, and he was still curious about it, but there were no answers in sight. Xu Ming walked back to the Inner Sect and went inside his courtyard. He cultivated for two more days as he waited for Sun Mu to accept his challenge, but two days passed away without any information. He couldn''t wait any longer as he had to complete a mission now because it had already been five months 29 days before he accepted a mission. Xu Ming walked to the mission hall, and this time he intentionally chose the most straightforward mission that would be fine in a few days. He didn''t go after contribution points as he didn''t want to miss the chance of fighting. The Mission he selected was a simple mission that was to escort a girl to her clan outside. It only paid ten contribution points. He didn''t know why a girl would need an escort, but he accepted a mission as her clan was located at a day''s distance from their sect. After a few hours, he met the girl who looked to be 13-14 years old. He was quite amazed that such a young girl was a disciple of the Inner Sect. "It''s alright. Can you tell me why this mission was issued, though?" Xu Ming asked the girl. "It is embarrassing to talk about it, but I guess you deserve to know. The thing is that I''m bad with directions. I always get lost when I go home even when I use the map," the girl said with an embarrassed smile on her face. "That''s the reason?" Xu Ming was visibly surprised as this reason was something he never expected. He thought that the girl might have an enemy or something, but he found her reason to be somewhat funny. "Alright. Let''s go," he muttered as he brought his Wild Eagle Beast out of his storage bag. The girl also brought her beast out, which was a pink Enchanting Swan. They both got v on their beasts and started flying away from the mission hall. They left the sect and flew towards the nearby kingdom. It was just as Xu Ming had expected; they got to the kingdom in less than a day. Xu Ming and the girl stood in front of her clan. "Come inside. I can''t let you go like this," the girl told Xu Ming when he started leaking. "I have more things to do. I''ll take my leave," Xu Ming said as he got on his beast and left the place. Another day passed away as he got back to the sect. He walked to Sun Mu''s courtyard to ask about the status of their battle. "Is Sun Mu inside?" he asked the servant that opened the door. "Master is still not back," the servant replied. "Tell me where he is. I can''t wait all my life for him. I''ll go to him myself!" Xu Ming said to the servant. "Master should be outside the sect preparing for the Core Sect promotion test. You won''t be able to find him," the servant replied. "When is the test?" Xu Ming asked. "He can take it when he comes back," The servant said. "You know when he will come back?" Xu Ming asked. "I don''t know anything," the servant said. Xu Ming sighed as he walked back. ''No matter what, he must be back and accept a challenge in the next month; otherwise, he would be punished, and I''d become the 1st rank without fighting,'' Xu Ming thought as he walked back. He entered his courtyard and started cultivating. Just like that, 20 days passed away before he heard another knock on his door. Xu Ming stopped his cultivation and walked to the door. As he opened it, he saw the servant of Sun Mu there. "Is he back?" Xu Ming asked him "Yes. Master is back. He said that he would go to attempt the Core Sect Test tomorrow. If he succeeds, you will become 1st ranked disciple, and if he fails, you can have a ranking battle. The test will last for two days, so if things go wrong, the battle will be held on the 3rd day," the Servant said "Alright. Thanks. I''ll come to his courtyard at the end of the 2nd day to confirm the details," Xu Ming said as he nodded his head. The servant walked back, and Xu Ming walked back to his room. He spent more time cultivating as he had been. He was trying to increase his progress. Time kept trickling away slowly. While Xu Ming was cultivating, Sun Mu was going through the Core Sect trial. Everyone knew about it, and they all wondered if he would succeed this time or not. "He should be able to succeed. I''ve heard that his progress this time it''s really great," "That''s what I thought all those times as well, but he didn''t succeed. I''m not too optimistic about this time after getting disappointed so many times," "We''ll know the results soon. Don''t worry about it. It will be clear if it''s the same as all those times or different," Another day passed away, and there was no news about how the test was going. Almost everyone was curious about Sun Mu''s performance. Ultimately Sun Mu got back to the Inner Sect with a tired-looking face. He looked as if he went through a great fight, and he even looked injured. Sun Mu walked inside his courtyard. Soon, another news was spread that he wasn''t able to become the Core Sect disciple. His result became the talk of the whole sect "I guess he failed. Sigh, I told you, there''s no reason to be too optimistic about it," "He still can''t pass the test. I wonder how horrifying the test is. They should at least release some information about the test. Why keep it a secret," "Who knows, the sect must have a reason, or maybe they don''t think we''re worthy of knowing. Only the first rank disciple is told about it. Not even the ones on the top 10 know, let alone us who aren''t even ranked," A group of disciples was talking amongst themselves when Xu Ming walked past them. He got to the courtyard of Sun Mu and knocked on the door. The servant was the one that opened the door. "I heard that he''s back, but he''s injured. Are we still having a fight tomorrow?" Xu Ming asked the servant. "Wait, I''ll ask Master," the servant said as he went inside. After 5 minutes, he walked back. "He said that he needs time to recuperate. The battle will be three days from now, in the ranking arena," the servant conveyed the message. "3 days, alright," Xu Ming muttered as he walked back. Xu Ming again got back to his cultivation and cultivated for the next few days. On the day of the battle, he stopped his cultivation. He took a shower and got ready before he left his courtyard. He walked to the Ranking Arena. 131 Chapter 128: Plans gone wrong Xu Ming reached the Ranking Pavillion, but he was surprised as he saw it empty. Other than the girl that handled the matters of the Ranking Hall, there was no one else there. He walked to the girl. "I was supposed to have a battle with the 1st Rank Sun Mu today. Is he not here yet?" he asked the girl. "Sun Mu? He hadn''t come here," the girl shook her head. "He hasn''t? Did he cancel it again?" Xu Ming muttered as he stepped out of the Ranking Pavillion and walked towards the courtyard of Sun Mu. Xu Ming knocked on the door and met up with the servant of Sun Mu. "Where is he?" Xu Ming asked. "Master is in his room. He can''t come out. Please go back," the servant said as he tried to close the door, but Xu Ming stopped the door from closing as he used his hand. "Enough is enough! Call him out this instant, or I''ll come inside! I''m not wasting even a second more on this stupidity! Does he think that I''m a beggar? I''m asking for a fight, not for him to give me anything that belongs to him! Call him out!" Xu Ming roared in anger. "If he''s not out by 5 minutes, I''ll come inside and drag him out myself!" he added. "I-i can''t," the servant shook his head even though he looked scared. "Step aside!" Xu Ming pushed him to the side and entered his courtyard. He walked to the nearest room and pushed the door open. As soon as the door opened, Xu Ming was stunned. He stood there, bewildered. Sun Mu was lying on the bed; his eyes were closed. He was shirtless, and Xu Ming was able to see the deep wounds on his chest, which still hadn''t healed. "Master still hasn''t healed. Generally, these wounds should have healed in 2 days, but the healing is taking much longer than we had expected. He''s also gaining and losing consciousness regularly," the servant said to Xu Ming as he stood behind him. Xi Ming walked closer to Sun Mu and looked at the wounds. "Was this because of the Core Entrance Tests?" he asked the servant standing behind. "Yes. I don''t know what cruel tests they have to harm my master so badly. The last time he went to the test, he came back injured as well, but that wasn''t as serious as it is this time," the servant replied. "He was stronger than last time if I''m not wrong. Still, he came back worse than before. It seems like the test is something that gets worse; the stronger one is," Xu Ming muttered. He turned back to look towards the servant. "I''ll be back to check on him after a few days. Hopefully, he would be healed by then," Xu Ming stood. He left Sun Mu''s courtyard and walked back towards his courtyard. "His one year without accepting a challenge will end in 2 weeks. I don''t think the sect will punish him seeing his situation. I don''t like the fact that it is delayed, but it doesn''t seem like I can do anything," he muttered. "Hey! Stop!" Xu Ming recognized that voice, but he didn''t stop. Instead, he fastened his pace, and soon, he was running. A girl was running after him, calling him out, but Xu Ming was much faster. He again used his Origin Movement and entered someone''s Courtyard and left from the other side as he lost the trail of the girl. He got back to his Courtyard. "I can''t believe I''m running away from a girl, but she''s crazy. No matter how many times I tell her, she doesn''t understand. I can''t marry her for a stupid reason like that," he muttered as he sat on his bed. He laid on the bed as he closed his eyes and calmed down his mind. "It''s just the beginning of my life, and I''m already feeling too tired. I would never have expected my life to change like this. It''s all because of him," Xu Ming muttered as he remembered War God Zhen''s face. **** Back in the Immortal Realm, the Northern Emperor and the others have looked all around, but they haven''t found Xu Ming. At the moment, War God Zhen was standing before the Northern Emperor, just staring at him silently. "So you still haven''t found him," War God Zhen said. "I''ve searched every corner of the Immortal World, but I didn''t find him. That can only mean that he''s not here. He should be in the Mortal World or the Demon Realm if he''s not in the Heavenly Realm," Northern Emperor said. "You think someone from the Heavenly Realm would go to the Mortal Realm when they wanted to go to the Immortal World? There''s no Spatial Crystal that can take one to the Demon Realm! This is the only place he can come! Stop pretending! Tell me right this instant where he is!" War God Zhen said as he used his aura on the Northern Emperor to show his dominance. "Please control yourself. Everything I''ve said is true! I''m not going to sit here and die for your paranoia! You want to kill me, then do it! But remember one thing! The immortal world won''t be neutral anymore! Our Immortal World has always stayed out of the conflict of the Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm, but if you don''t stop this right this instant, then that might change!" The Northern Emperor replied without stepping back even an inch. War God Zhen looked at him and started laughing out loud. He stepped closer to the Northern Emperor slowly. Each of his steps seemed to resonate with the world. He stood just half a meter away from him and looked deep into the Northern Emperor''s eyes. "Are you trying to threaten me?" he asked in a heavy tone. "I''m not. I''m just saying that I never lied to you. The kid is not here, and if you still don''t believe me and attack our world, then you can imagine how our relationship would become. I''m suggesting you to not throw everything away because of a stupid suspicion," Northern Emperor replied. "Very Well. I''ll look into the mortal world as well. If that kid is not there, then I wouldn''t care who you join up with. The immortal world will become history just like the Royal Family of the Heavenly Realm is history now," War God Zhen muttered before he turned back and left. The Northern Emperor watched him leave before he walked to his throne and sat on it. He was tired after facing War God Zhen''s aura for so long. ***** Xu Ming didn''t realize when he fell asleep on the bed. He woke up after 4 hours. He sat up and left his courtyard as he looked towards the sky. He didn''t know why, but he suddenly had an urge to get to the sky. It was as if something was calling for him. He kept looking towards the sky, but that feeling didn''t weaken. It only got stronger. The feeling kept getting stronger until it abruptly disappeared as if it was never there. He just stood there confused, wondering what had just happened. He again walked back into his courtyard and started cultivating. He cultivated for four days straight before he went to check up on Sun Mu. He was told that Sun Mu''s condition was somewhat better, but he still wasn''t healed. He wasn''t in any condition to fight. After getting the news, Xu Ming walked back, engulfed in disappointment. He again got back to his courtyard and drowned himself in cultivation to increase his strength and utilize the time he spent waiting for him to heal. Just like that, time kept passing. Another week had passed, and the reply was still the same. Sun Mu''s condition was better, but his wounds hadn''t healed. He even entered the place once more to see Sun Mu himself, but it was just as the Servant had said. He still looked injured, but at least he wasn''t unconscious anymore. "You must be Xu Ming. The person that is eager for the battle," Sun Mu weakly said to Xu Ming. "Yes," Xu Ming replied. "I''m sorry for delaying it so much. I found out about your challenge when I came back from training, but I wanted to try the test first. I worked so hard for it, I wanted to be in my best condition when I attempted the test, and that''s why I went for the test before fighting you. If I had succeeded, we would have gotten what we wanted, but things didn''t go as planned," Sun Mu said. "Don''t worry, though. I''ll definitely give you that fight. I believe that I might heal in a week, and if I still don''t heal, it doesn''t matter. I''ll fight you in whatever condition I am at the moment. There won''t be any more delay in it," he added. 132 Chapter 129: Breaking Records "Alright. I will wait for you to heal," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at Sun Mu. No matter how much hurry he was in, he had no choice but to wait to see the condition of Sun Mu. "I can see that you''re in a hurry to fight me. Is there something you want after becoming the first ranked disciple? You know, there''s not much difference between the 1st and the 2nd rank when it comes to allowance. The only reason I can think of is that you want to enter the core sect as well, just like me, right?" Sun Mu asked as he glanced at Xu Ming. "Yes," Xu Ming replied without any expression on his face. "You know, I''ve been the 1st Ranked Inner Sect disciple for the last four years, and yet I haven''t been able to become a core sect disciple. It''s not that simple, and you only know how tough it is when you get here. When I was the second rank, I was just as eager as you are right now because my target was the same... a seat in the core sect. I didn''t want to wait for even a second on my journey to the first rank, but it has been a steep slope after that," "I, who couldn''t wait for even a day to get here, had to wait for four years, and I still haven''t managed to succeed. You can''t even imagine how tough it is as all you see is what is in front of you, which is not even close to what you can''t see," Sun Mu said to Xu Ming. "What is the Core Sect Test?" Xu Ming asked. He had heard that it was dangerous, but no one in the sect knew what it exactly was. "The test? I am not allowed to talk about that, but it''s not easy. The stronger you are, the tougher it will be," he said. "That doesn''t explain anything," Xu Ming said. "I can''t tell you more than that. When you get into my position, you will understand why I can''t talk about it. You won''t understand now," Sun Mu said. Xu Ming looked at him briefly before he shook his head and walked away. "He will understand soon enough. I don''t think I would be healed in a week. If he can defeat the 2nd rank Wu Li, he should be able to defeat me when I''m weakened as well. That''s fine as well, though. It''s not like I''m doing anything productive here. I still need to grow so that one day I can become a core sect disciple," Sun Mu muttered. Xu Ming left Sun Mu''s courtyard with disappointment and went back to his place. "The faster I want it to be, the slower it is," Xu Ming muttered as he sighed. He fell down to his bed. After half an hour, he got off the bed and resumed his cultivation. **** While Xu Ming was cultivating, the girl that everyone knew as Battle Fairy was also cultivating. A coffin-shaped necklace was wrapped around her neck. The girl opened her eyes after some time. She stood up and walked to the shower. The water droplets fell over her jade-like body. The only thing that was still on her body was the beautiful necklace. "I don''t know why, but since the moment I got this necklace, my cultivation speed has improved, but it''s so strange. Even my master looked at it and judged that it''s not an artifact. It would be a normal necklace made from the most useless materials as it doesn''t have any Qi, but it doesn''t feel like this is so simple," the girl muttered. ''Should I go and ask that kid myself? No, if we can''t uncover anything special about it, how could that boy know. He must think that it''s a normal necklace as well,'' she thought as she gave up on her thoughts. She finished her shower and stepped out of her washroom. She had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock on the door. She walked to the door and opened it. A Blonde haired girl walked inside. "How did the Core Exam go? Did the participant succeed this time?" Battle Fairy asked the blonde-haired girl. "Huh, it was a disaster. I don''t think that boy would be able to get off the bed for a month," the blonde-haired girl sighed. "It''s useless. I think it would be a long time before we get a new addition to our Core Sect," she added. "Does it matter? The core sect doesn''t need people if they can''t even pass a simple test," Battle Fairy said. "You know that it''s not that easy. I myself tried three times before I managed to succeed. It is true though, the current generation of the Inner Sect is much worse than the older generation," The Blonde haired girl said. "Maybe," the battle fairy muttered. "Oh, Right. I heard that there is a new guy there. He rose the rankings so fast that he''s already ranked two now," the blonde-haired girl told her. "Is there something special about that? People rise and fall all the time," Battle Fairy replied. "That''s not it. By fast rise, I meant that it hasn''t even been four years since the guy joined the Inner Sect, and he''s already at rank 2 in the Inner Sect. He will be the new contender for the Core Trials if he wins the battle against the 1st rank," "If he succeeds in that and passes the trial in less than a year, he would break your record of being the fastest person to become a core disciple from joining the Inner Sect," The Blonde haired girl said. "How old is he?" Battle Fairy asked. "He should be 12 now, but he looks like he''s 18. He had a much faster growth because of the breakthrough to Spirit Establishment Realm," The Blonde Haired girl said. "Interesting, right? You were the youngest person to hold the 1st Rank at the age of 15, but he might break that record as well," She added. "If he''s so talented, why isn''t any Elder Selecting him to be a core disciple directly?" The Battle Fairy inquired. "The same reason they didn''t select you. The Sect Master has told the Elders not to select the boy to the core sect. He wants to see the boy''s true potential and how far he can go," The blonde-haired girl said as she chuckled. "It''s interesting. That boy is certainly talented. What''s his Talent Grade?" Battle Fairy asked. "No one knows yet. The Elders aren''t testing it according to the Sect Master''s wishes. He wishes to keep it suspenseful and only see it when he enters the core sect," The blonde-haired girl said. "I''m quite curious about that boy. If I''m not wrong, that sect master should be thinking about taking him as a personal disciple of his talent is decent. His performance so far is certainly great," she added. The Battle Fairy didn''t say anything. "If it happens, you might have another contender for the Sect Master''s position," The blonde-haired girl started laughing. "It doesn''t matter to me who gets that position. If the Sect Master thinks that someone else will be better for this position, then great," Battle Fairy responded. **** Seven days passed away, and it was the day Sun Mu had promised him for the fight. Xu Ming was hopeful that Sun Mu would be healed by now. Xu Ming stopped his cultivation and stood up as he got ready and left his courtyard. He went to the Ranking Pavilion. As Xu Ming got to the Ranking Hall, he saw Sun Mu there. Sun Mu still didn''t look like he was perfectly healed, but he definitely looked pumped up for the battle. "You''re here. You sure made me wait for so long. Alright. Let''s not waste more time. I''m ready to start the battle," Sun Mu said. "Are you certain? I don''t think you would be able to fight in a condition like that. Please accept defeat," Xu Ming told him in full seriousness. "Hahaha, a true cultivator will never accept defeat before the fight starts, my friend. Even if my body is injured, my determination and my cultivation is still intact. You should not underestimate me; otherwise, you will never have that first rank that you want so eagerly," Sun Mu said as he smiled. "You and your brother are so different. I genuinely feel respect for you. That''s how a person should be. Alright, I''ll give you my all during the battle," Xu Ming said as he stepped towards him. "That''s the spirit," Sun Mu let out as he brought his sword out. Xu Ming also brought his Gold Grade Sword out as well. They both stood in front of each other as they waited for the other person to attack first. 133 Chapter 130: Battle to the top "Are you waiting for an injured man to attack you?" Sun Mu asked Xu Ming as he chuckled. Xu Ming moved towards him and attacked Sun Mu with sword. Sun Mu met Xu Ming''s attack head-on, but he was still forced back two steps because of the heavy impact. Sun Mu turned his body in a full circle in order to give his sword more momentum. Xu Ming moved back and dodged the attack of Sun Mu. Sun Mu''s attack missed its target and hit only empty air. There was a distance created between them. "3 strikes of Heaven, 2nd Strike!" Sun Mu let out loud as he swung his sword. A bright arc of light escaped his sword that moved towards Xu Ming, but Xu Ming used the same attack. " 3 Strikes of Heaven: 2nd Strike!" Xu Ming swung his sword. Both of them had the same attack, but there were two differences between their attacks. The first difference was that Sun Mu''s cultivation was higher, and the time he spent learning the skill was longer as well. That''s why he was able to bring more power to this skill. On the other hand, the second difference was that Sun Mu''s skill used Natural Qi, whereas Xu Ming''s skill used Origin Energy, which was genuinely more powerful. Both had an advantage in one way or another, but still, Xu Ming''s attack was more powerful and destroyed Sun Mu''s attack and kept advancing towards Sun Mu. Sun Mu was visibly surprised and jumped to the side as he dodged the attack. "Strong," he muttered as he stood up and looked towards Xu Ming, who was looking at him. "Why aren''t you using your finger skill?" Sun Mu asked. He was told that it was Xu Ming''s strongest attack, but he hadn''t used it yet. "I don''t want to use it today. You''re already injured, and you might not be able to take it. Also, I want to enjoy this fight and fight like a true warrior. I know I can win even then," Xu Ming said. "Hahaha, I don''t know what to think of it. It sounds like you''re taking pity on me, but then again, it might just be me who hasn''t been able to make you use your skill," Sun Mu laughed in a self-deprecating manner. "Very well. Let''s fight like true beasts without the skills," he added as he threw the sword to the side. "Pick up the sword. I don''t want to fight with fist. Fight like a swordsman with swords," Xu Ming said. Sun Mu was stunned and somewhat embarrassed now. He walked to the sword that he had thrown away and picked it up. The fight continued, and both the guys used their swordsmanship. Even though they used swords, their physical strength also played an essential role in it. The fight continued for over 20 minutes, and none of them had used any skills by now, but Sun Mu''s condition was clearly looking worse. He still held onto his ground and never fell down. After ten more minutes, it had gotten so intense that Sun Mu''s hands had started shaking. He couldn''t even hold onto his sword anymore, which fell down to the ground. Xu Ming pointed his sword towards Sun Mu''s neck but didn''t attack. "The fight is over. You lost," Xu Ming announced. Sun Mu smiled as he sat down on his bed. "Yeah, I lost," he said. Xu Ming looked towards his badge and saw the number 2 change to number 1. He had officially become the number 1 disciple. A smile appeared on his face as he was now one step closer to his target. He extended his hands towards Sun Mu to help him up. "Weird. I was told that you never help your opponents and leave them behind after winning," Sun Mu muttered. "They don''t have my respect, but you do. I''ll take you back," Xu Ming said. Sun Mu started laughing as he caught the hands of Xu Ming and stood up. They left the Ranking Hall and walked to Sun Mu''s courtyard. Xu Ming and Sun Mu entered his courtyard, and Xu Ming was about to leave when Sun Mu stopped him. "You wanted to know what the core trial is, right?" Sun Mu asked. "Yes," Xu Ming answered. "Elder Mu should be coming to you soon to explain about it. You''ll understand everything, but I have advice for you. Think carefully and take your time. Approach the test carefully as your strength won''t always help you win," Sun Mu told him. "I''ll keep that advice in mind," Xu Ming said before he left. Xu Ming walked back to his courtyard. Sun Mu had told him that an Elder would come to his place in a few days to tell him about everything. He had decided to wait for him to come. Xu Ming entered his courtyard. He didn''t even open his door and began using the Origin Movement. As Xu Ming got inside his place, he found the woman sitting there on his bed. "Who are you? Do you need anything from me?" Xu Ming asked the woman. "I''m the Elder Mu. I''m in charge of the matters related to the Core Sect in the Inner Sect," the Woman said. "Oh, you''re here to tell me about the Core Test?" Xu Ming asked. "Quite clever. You understood it. That''s exactly why I''m here," the Woman said, smilingly. "That was fast. I thought you would get here after a few days," Xu Ming muttered. "Oh? So it was Sun Mu who told you that I would be coming. That makes more sense. Anyway, I didn''t want to delay it. Too many eyes are on you right now. I can''t be lazy on my duty," Elder Mu said as she chuckled. "The test that we are talking about will decide if you become the Inner Sect disciple or not, so listen carefully. You can attempt the test once every three months. The tests will only be at the start of the month, so if you want to attempt the Core Promotion Test, you need to inform me at least five days before the month ends," she said. "The earliest you can attempt a test is next month, so you have a whole month to train yourself. The test will be conducted in the pocket dimension of the sect. As for the other details and the content of the test will depend upon your Strength at that time, so I can''t tell you what it will be yet. You will be told about that on the day of the test when we measure your cultivation," She said. "You basically didn''t tell me anything about the test other than when I can take it," Xu Ming told her. "As I said, the test will depend on your strength at that time, so even I don''t know what it will be. Oh right, I was told that you still haven''t used your chance to enter the Cleansing Pond of the Core Sect. When are you planning to do it? Don''t waste the opportunity. The faster you do that, the better it would be for your Cultivation," Elder Mu said. "I was about to talk about that. I want to enter the Cleansing Pond as soon as I can," Xu Ming told her. "Alright. I''ll take you to the Pond tomorrow. Since you are 1st Rank, you will be allowed to stay there for a week," Elder Mu explained. "That''s good," Xu Ming nodded his head. He kept standing there as he watched her. "Are you going to leave? Or do you have something else to tell me?" Xu Ming asked her as he watched her not leaving. Elder Mu smiled as he stood up. "So many people have high hopes for you. I hope you won''t disappoint," She said to Xu Ming before she left. Xu Ming closed the door and started his cultivation. "Early morning, he heard a knock on the door," he opened the door and saw Elder Mu standing there. "You still aren''t ready? Are you coming or not?" She asked him. "I thought we would go later. It''s only 4 in the morning. I''ll be ready in minutes," Xu Ming told her as he walked inside After a few minutes, he stepped out, adequately dressed. Elder Mu took Xu Ming towards the Core sect. The guards didn''t stop them and allowed them to enter. The Core Sect seemed to be much bigger than the Core Sect, but it looked deserted. Xu Ming rarely saw any buildings there. "Why is this place like this?" He asked Elder Mu. "It has been like this since the sect was established. The Core Sect has very few disciples as it selects the best if the best. It''s same for everything that," 134 Chapter 131: Cleansing " You won''t find the quantity like outside, but the quality would be absolutely incredible. That''s why the Core Sect doesn''t have many buildings, and the ones it has are oftentimes smaller than the ones in the Inner Sect," she replied. "Oh," Xu Ming nodded his head. He was brought to a small pond that was not guarded in the least. "This is the Cleansing Pond. Take your clothes off and jump inside. I''ll stay here," Elder Mu told him. "Can''t you leave and come back after seven days?" Xu Ming inquired. "Why would I leave? I need to stay here to make sure no problem occurs. If I leave and anything happens, I''ll be punished," Elder Mu said. "I have a question. If this place is so important, then why is it not guarded?" Xu Ming asked her as he looked around. There was nothing around him. Not a single person other than them could be seen. "Do you know when was the last time the Core Sect had a new disciple?" Elder Mu asked. "No. What does that have to do with it?" She asked. "It was six years ago. One month is enough time for that disciple to cleanse as must impurities from this pond as possible. Every disciple has utilized the pond, and it doesn''t have any benefit for them anymore. Why would the Sect waste time by putting someone here," Elder Mu turned said. "That makes sense, I guess," Xu Ming muttered. "Alright. Take your clothes and jump in the water. Your seven days started the moment you entered the core sect. You''re literally wasting the previous time by not entering the water," Elder Mu replied. "I''m going," Xu Ming said as he walked towards the Pond. He started taking his clothes off. Elder Mu turned back to give Xu Ming his privacy. Xu Ming jumped inside the pond. He thought that he would feel something as soon as he got inside the water, but the things were different. He felt nothing. No impurities were coming out of his body. To him, this water felt like average water. He started frowning as he wondered what was happening. "I feel nothing happening. Is this supposed to be like this?" Xu Ming asked the woman. "You''re going. You might not understand the profundities. Just stay in the water and let it do its work," Elder Mu said. "Alright," Xu Ming muttered as he stayed in the water. What Elder Mu didn''t know was that Xu Ming''s body was already as pure as it could be. His body had no impurity, so this water was useless for him. "Do you know who the girl called Battle Fairy is?" Xu Ming asked Elder Mu. "Who doesn''t know her. She''s the star disciple of the core sect and a potential Sect Master of the future," Elder Mu replied. "Can you take me to meet her?" Xu Ming asked her. "Meet her? Why?" Elder Mu inquired with a frown. "She has something that belongs to me. I want it back," Xu Ming said. "I don''t care about what she takes and what she doesn''t. The thing she took from me is more important to me than my life. I would really appreciate it if you could help me meet her," Xu Ming told her. "I wish I could, but it''s impossible. There''s no way I can help you get to her. Her position in the Sect is way higher than mine. Even I''m not allowed to go where she stays. Secondly, you were allowed inside the core sect to cleanse your impurities in the pond for seven days," Elder Mu explained to Xu Ming. "That''s all the permission that you have. If you''re found to be roaming other places in the sect, then you''ll be punished no matter how much the higher-ups like you. And I''ll be punished with you," she added. Xu Ming was disappointed in her response. "What''s the thing that you want, though?" she asked. "I''ll talk to her about this when I see her," Xu Ming replied. "To see her, you must succeed in the Core Tests. If you do, then with the amount of attention that you have, you''ll reach the high tier of the core sect instantly," Elder Mu told him. "I will definitely do it. I will take back what''s mine," Xu Ming muttered. Xu Ming had realized that this water was useless, so he decided to cultivate instead of wasting time. Xu Ming began his cultivation and started absorbing the Origin Energy from his surroundings. The Origin Energy entered his body and nourished it before getting collected in his soul space. His cultivation rose slowly. Even though his cultivation was still slower than it would have been if he was in the Heaven Realm, his cultivation speed was still amazing for a place that lacked the Origin Energy. His cultivation speed also saw a massive rise in it after he broke through to the Spirit Establishment Realm and formed his 6 Winged Martial Soul. Xu Ming cultivated for the whole day and night for seven days straight and only came out occasionally to sleep when he was too tired of cultivating. Elder Mu kept an eye on him through his time there. "Alright. Your seven days are over. Come out of the water," She told Xu Ming one afternoon. Xu Ming listened to him and came out of the water. He got dressed. "I''m ready to leave," He told Elder Mu. Elder Mu turned back and looked towards Xu Ming. "Oh, I can see the changes. It looks like you removed a lot of impurities. Are you feeling good now?" She asked. "I literally feel no difference in terms of impurities," Xu Ming commented. "As I said, you might not be able to see it as you''re inexperienced, but I can see it clearly. The pond had been really useful to you," Elder Mu said to him. "If that''s what you want to think, then fine," Xu Ming replied. She took Xu Ming with her, and they left the Core Sect. She entered his courtyard along with him and sat on his bed. "Now that we''re done with it, time to talk about the future. The Core Trial, when are you going to attempt it," She asked him. "As I said, I want to attempt it as soon as I can," Xu Ming said. "Alright. I''ll schedule it at the start of the next month. You can start your preparation. Best of luck, boy, I and many others have high hopes on you," she told Xu Ming before she stood up and left. "Don''t worry, even if I don''t have luck, I won''t let anything come in my way. I will definitely succeed and get what I want," Xu Ming muttered as he sat on his bed and laid on it. "Come to think of it; I haven''t seen that dream in a long time. I wonder what happened to the boy? Did he leave successfully? He should''ve left since he wasn''t there last time," Xu Ming muttered. "It was strange how I found him so familiar. That cute phoenix as well. If father was alive, he might''ve been and to answer what it was about," As he thought about his father, he started getting emotional. Xu Ming looked at his ring as his eyes got wet. "I promise you, father. The one that killed you, I will destroy him," He let out as flames of revenge burned in his heart. After half an hour, he sat up and started cultivating. He cultivated for four days before he heard a knock on his door. He stopped his cultivation and walked to the door. Opening the door, he saw Sun Mu standing outside. "How are you feeling?" Xu Ming asked. "Not fully healed, but I''m better than I was when we fought," Sun Mu said. "That''s good. Did you need something?" Xu Ming inquired. "Yeah, I wanted your help," Sun Mu told him. "You want my help? With what?" Xu Ming asked. "I am leaving the sect to train. I was hoping if I could ask you to do something for me," Sun Mu said. "I can''t answer without hearing your request. What do you want me to do?" Xu Ming inquired. "You don''t have to do anything right now. What I need you to do can only be done once you''re inside the Core Sect. I believe that you have the hope of entering the Core Sect before me, and I''m leaving for a long time, that''s why I came to ask you," Sun Mu said. "You can get to the point straight. There''s no need to talk around the topic. It shouldn''t be that serious," Xu Ming told him. 135 Chapter 132: Theyre coming "It is indeed not a serious matter, but it''s a really important matter for me and one of the main reasons I wanted to enter the Core Sect," Sun Mu said. "As I said, you can talk freely. I won''t tell anyone if you''re worried about that. Also, I don''t care enough to tell anyone. Just be open," Xu Ming said. "Alright. I want you to deliver a letter for me," Sun Mu said. "Why don''t you deliver that yourself?" Xu Ming inquired. "Because I can''t. The person I want you to deliver this letter to resides in the Core Sect, and I can''t go there. As I''m leaving the sect for some time, I was hoping that you will be able to deliver it for me," Sun Mu said to Xu Ming. There was a grave look on his face as he talked about it. "I can''t enter the core sect either," Xu Ming told him. "I know you can''t enter, but I hope that if you manage to enter the Core Sect before I return, you can do it," Sun Mu said. "Alright, I''ll do it if I manage to get in the core sect. Who should I give the letter to?" Xu Ming inquired. "I want you to give this letter to a girl called Mi Lin," Sun Mu told Xu Ming. "Is this Mi Lin your family or your lover?" Xu Ming asked. "She''s my nothing yet, but I do love her. I just didn''t receive the opportunity to propose to her before she entered the core sect. That''s one of my motivations for entering the Core Sect. It''s so that I can tell her my true feelings," Sun Mu said. "There''s nothing inappropriate, right? I don''t want to be considered a bad guy when I deliver that letter to her," Xu Ming said. "Don''t worry. That wouldn''t happen. There''s nothing inappropriate in my letter, and you''ll have no trouble after you give her the letter," Xu Ming said. "Alright. Give me the letter," Xu Ming said. Sun Mu brought the letter out of his pocket and gave it to Xu Ming. "I''ll take my leave now. Best of luck for the test," Sun Mu said smilingly as he walked away. Xu Ming walked inside his courtyard and closed the door. He was curious about what the letter contained, but he controlled his curiosity and stopped himself from opening the letter. He put the letter in his storage ring. He walked back to his room and fell down on his bed. Soon he fell asleep. After 7 hours, he woke up and got back to his cultivation. From then on, his schedule only contained two things, mainly¡ª Sleeping and cultivating. Just like that, six days passed away in the blink of an eye. Xu Ming stood up and walked to the door of his courtyard. It was raining outside at the moment. He extended his hand outside his door and let the droplets of water fall over his hand. The water was cold to the touch, but it gave Xu Ming a refreshing feeling. He stepped out of the water and let the water fall over his body. His clothes started getting wet as raindrops washed them gently. He looked into the distant horizon without caring for the water. There was a melancholic look on his face as he remembered the first rain he saw with his family. It was unclear if it was tears that fell from his eyes or the water from the rain that made it seem as if he was crying. "Xu Ming? What are you doing in the rain? You''ll get sick," Xu Ming was standing still without moving when he heard a voice. He looked to his left and saw Wu Tian standing there with an umbrella above his head. "Are you alright? Is there something worrying you?" Wu Tian asked. "It''s nothing," Xu Ming smiled as he looked towards Wu Tian while the droplets kept falling down his face, probably hiding some real tears amidst them. "Get inside. The weather is not great nowadays. I don''t know what''s happening, but it''s been like this for the last two days. Rain appears and disappears abruptly, without any logic or reasoning. It''s as if the weather is playing with us. Don''t get wet in this rain or you might actually get sick. Something really strange is going on here," Wu Tian informed Xu Ming. "I''ll listen to you," Xu Ming said as he nodded his head. He turned back and entered his courtyard. Wu Tian also continued walking towards his destination. Xu Ming entered his room and took off all his clothes and got a towel to dry his body. He changed his clothes and laid on his bed. "What happened, definitely shouldn''t have happened. Everything is destroyed. Everything is gone," Xu Ming muttered as he looked towards the roof. He brought out the family portrait that was in his storage ring and started looking at it. The smile of his father and mother in the portrait brought a smile on his face and a tear in his eyes at the same time, which made it confusing to judge his true feelings. "I''m sorry, father. Your son was useless. He couldn''t do anything to save you," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at his father in the portrait. "Mother, I couldn''t save my father, but I''ll definitely save you. No matter what happens, I will find you," Xu Ming said. He fell asleep while keeping that portrait close to his heart. **** Back in the dark place, the 5-year-old Xu Liang was back on his Origin Position. He tried to leave, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t find the exit. In the end, he found himself where he started. "There is no light," Xu Liang muttered as he glanced at the Ice Phoenix sitting on his shoulders. **** The Place Xu Liang was inside, was a place that looked similar to the Ancient Ruin. At the moment, two men were standing outside the Ruins. "Incredible. It looks like we found an unexplored Ancient Ruin. I hope there will be treasures inside," One of the men said. "Of course, there will be treasures inside. That isn''t a problem. The Real problem should be about entering it. The traps and formations in ruins like these are always lethal. There''s no way for us to enter without risking our lives," the Second Person said. "Don''t worry so much. You know that we''ve broken inside all the Ancient Ruins we came across. This one shouldn''t be impossible either," the first person said. ***** Back in the Mighty Demon Sect, Xu Ming was still sleeping. It had been 8 hours, but the rain didn''t stop outside. Elder Wu was also sitting in his courtyard looking at the rain outside the window. "The signal is clear. Someone is coming to our world. I expected them to be much faster, but I guess they''re finally starting," Elder Wu muttered. "Sigh, Things might get complicated if it''s someone like him. Anyone what should be fine, but not him," Elder Wu let out as he closed his eyes. Xu Ming slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He found the portrait still in his hand. He looked at the portrait one more time before he put it back in his storage ring. He sat straight as he again started his cultivation amidst the beautiful melody of rain. The cultivation lasted for three more days without a break. Xu Ming only stopped on the 4th day. He stood up and took his clothes off as he went into the shower, but his eyes opened wide as he saw Sui Ru standing there without clothes. Her hairs were still wet as if she had just c finished showering. She saw Xu Ming enter the shower, and she was surprised, but she didn''t do anything to hide her body. "You should knock before entering, you know," She told Xu Ming. "This is my Courtyard! What the heck are you doing inside!" she told Xu Ming. "Of course, I''m showering. Am I not allowed to shower?" She asked in curiosity. "Do it in your own courtyard. You''re being annoying," Xu Ming said to her from the top of his lungs "Of Course it''s my courtyard. What belongs to you belongs to me," she said. "I''ve killed women before. I swear if you don''t leave, another number will be added to that list!" Xu Ming warned her. "Heh, Of course, I don''t mind you killing women. Kill everyone that dares to come close to you. Only I''m allowed to be close to you," she said smilingly. "You''re crazy. Hey, get dressed and leave, or I''ll throw you out in that condition. Think carefully. I''m waiting outside," Ryder said as he left and walked back to his bed. He got dressed. After a few minutes, the girl came out, but she was still not wearing anything. "I guess you''ve chosen to be thrown out like that," Xu Ming said as he stood up. 136 Chapter 133: 10 years "Sure. Throw me out. If that''s what you want then I won''t resist," She said with a stubborn look on her face Xu Ming stood up and walked up to her and caught her hand as he pulled her towards the exit. It was as the girl had said, she didn''t resist. She didn''t try to hide her body either and allowed Xu Ming to pull her. Xu Ming led her to the door, but stopped and didn''t open the door. He released her hand as he hit his head on the door lightly. "Why are you doing this to me? Do you really hate me that much? I have so many things going on right now, and I don''t want to take on one more problem. Can''t you have pity on me and leave me alone?" Xu Ming asked. "What do you mean? Why would I hate you," Sui Ru asked him. "Of course, you hate me. Despite me saying that I don''t want to marry anyone, you keep doing this to make me go crazy. I don''t want to kill you in anger and then get punished by the sect and lose my opportunity to get what I want," Xu Ming said as he sighed. "I wouldn''t have had to do this if you hadn''t seen me three times. I promised my mother that I would listen to her. I can''t let her words go to waste," the girl said. "You told her that you would marry the person if someone saw you naked three times, but you never promised her that you would marry them instantly. She also never talked about the timeline. There''s no need to be in such a hurry. Give me ten years to get my thoughts clear. Don''t come to me in the meantime," Xu Ming said. "Alright. I''ll do it if that''s what you want, but what if even after ten years, you''re not willing to do it, or you run away," the girl asked. "Of Course I wouldn''t run away. Why would I run away from the Sect? There''s no reason for me to run away," Xu Ming responded. "You''ll enter the core Sect, and I wouldn''t be able to follow you. You''re just saying it to get me to drop the idea," She told him as she looked unconvinced. "That''s not it. If you leave me alone, I might think about it and agree, but if you keep troubling me like this, I''ll never be serious about this, and the marriage will never happen. Things might just end with me killing you in the end. So take the civil way and give me some freedom to think about it without making me hate you for your stupid behavior," he told her in full seriousness. He was trying his best to get her to back off and stop disturbing him. "Alright. I won''t disturb you anymore and wait for your answer," Sui Ru said as she looked down. She walked inside and got dressed before she left the house "Hopefully, that''s the last I''ll see of her for a while," Xu Ming muttered as he looked around. He walked back inside his room and took his clothes off before he went for the shower that was interrupted because of Sui Ru. After a long and calming shower, he walked out and dried his body before getting dressed. As he got there, the Elder In-Charge of that place recognized him and greeted him with full respect. "I want to use a room for practice," Xu Ming told the Elder. The Elder told him about the room that was free and personally brought him there. Xu Ming entered the room and closed the door behind him. He didn''t face to worry about the contribution points either as he was loaded with contribution points now. He got tons of them, and his allowance was also multiple times higher. There was nothing he lacked at the moment when it came to resources either. "I so badly want to use father''s sword to see his powers, but unfortunately, I can''t. Everyone will feel it''s power if I keep it out longer than a brief moment, let alone using it," he muttered as he sighed. He brought out the Gold Realm Sword that he had purchased. The last time he used the Sword Art of Destruction, he had used a mortal grade sword as he didn''t have the Gold Grade Sword at that time, but now he had an upgraded weapon. He couldn''t help but wonder if the attack strength will be the same or if it will be more powerful now that he had a stronger weapon. "Show me your full power," Xu Ming muttered as he gripped his Golden Grade Sword and got in his sword stance. "Sword Art of Destruction," he muttered as he swung his sword. A terrifying arc of light left his sword and struck the wall, but it was indeed more powerful than he had expected. Last time his attack had managed to leave a deep groove on the wall, but this time, he left a meter deep slash in the wall. "It is indeed more powerful with an upgraded weapon, but my higher Cultivation might have affected it as well," Xu Ming muttered. "The last time I tried to use this attack, my cultivation was nowhere near it is now. It''s unclear how much each of them contributed, but both of them had an important role in increasing the strength of my attack," Xu Ming muttered. He tried the attack again, but this time he targeted a different portion of the wall. The result was still the same. A meter deep slash was left in the wall. He sat down on the ground, tired. Even though his Cultivation was higher, the skill still consumed half his Origin Energy just to exert the small power of the skill. He started cultivating and recollecting his Origin Energy. Xu Ming cultivated for over 3 hours before he managed to restore his Origin Energy. He picked up the Golden Grade Sword and put it back in his storage ring and brought out the Mortal Grade Sword. "Let''s See how much difference it actually makes," he muttered as he gripped the Mortal Grade Sword firmly in his hand and got in a sword stance. "Sword Art of Destruction!" he muttered as he swung his sword. The attack once more left his sword and struck the wall. Another deep slash was left behind in the wall, but it was only 90 centimeters deep this time. Xu Ming looked at the wall and nodded his head. Although the weapon doesn''t affect the attack too much, it does increase its Strength by 10 percent. Or Maybe it does allow the attack to freely exert itself which a mortal grade sword can''t do," he muttered. He tried the attack once more and depleted all his energy. He sat down and started cultivation once more. He stood up once more after getting better and started another round of attacks. For the next three days, Xu Ming practiced all his skills here. He practiced the 3rd Strike of Heaven, which he had learned, but no one knew about it. No one had been able to force him to use the skill since the movement he comprehended the 3rd strike. The best someone made him use was Sun Mu, and it was only the 2nd Strike of Heaven. He also used his Heavenly Vajra Finger. It was more powerful than before, as well. After four days, Xu Ming left the room and walked back to the Elder, who handled the matters of the Practice Hall. "I''m leaving," Xu Ming informed the Elder. "Oh, alright. Come back anytime you feel like practicing," the Elder said smilingly. "Alright," Xu Ming nodded with a casual smile on his face before he left the place. As Xu Ming stepped out of the Practice Arena, the weather was sunny, but after 15 minutes, the weather changed, and it started raining. "Wu Tian was right. The weather is acting up strangely. This sudden rain is not something I expected," Xu Ming muttered as he walked back under the heavy rain. It was not just the Mighty Demon Sect that was going through the rain, but the whole continent, but Xu Ming didn''t know that. He reached his courtyard and entered inside. After entering his room, he took the wet clothes off and started drying his body using a towel. He wore dry clothes. He laid on his bed and started sleeping. In the last four days, he hadn''t slept for a moment, and he was already pretty tired. The sleep came instantly. Xu Ming slept like a baby for 12 hours before abruptly waking up with a horrified look on his face. He breathed in heavily as he thought about what he saw. His face was covered in sweat. 137 Chapter 134: Little Girl Xu Ming seemed tired, but his heart was beating faster, and his breathing was heavy. His dream had managed to horrify him. He saw himself fighting War God Zhen. The fight wasn''t going as he expected, and he was defeated, but instead of attacking him, War God Zhen killed his mother. Xu Ming screamed at the top of his lungs before he woke up. "This was frightening. I can never let that dream come to reality," Xu Ming muttered as he held his forehead in his hand tightly. "I need to be absolutely sure of my strength before I go to face him. The first time I face him should be the last day of his life. I can''t let my eagerness make me take the wrong step," he let out in full seriousness. He stood up and walked to the door to get a fresh breath of air, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw the heavy rain that made him down. Even though he used to like rain, he was starting to dislike it. It was raining more often nowadays. Not only Xu Ming but the whole sect was finding it weird. The pond that had lost over half of its water after Xu Ming used his Heavenly Vajra Finger on it was now filled to the brim again. There was water almost everywhere in the sect. People were having difficulty leaving the sect because the ground had turned to mud. Only the concrete floors were safe to walk on. Even the drainage system was working on overload to keep the sect from being filled with water. "I''ve been here for years, but I never saw it rain this much. The weather is going crazy," Xu Ming muttered as he looked around. "The sky is still filled with dark clouds. It doesn''t seem like the rain is going to stop anytime soon," Xu Ming muttered. He walked inside the courtyard and took his umbrella before he walked back to the door. He opened the umbrella and left his courtyard. Xu Ming walked on the solid walkway amidst the heavy rain. The rain fell around Xu Ming, but his umbrella managed to keep him mostly dry. He walked through the sect as if he was taking a nice walk to calm his chaotic mind that was in chaos, struggling to calm down after that terrible dream. He heard the sound of rain falling on the ground and on the top of his umbrella. Even though he was annoyed by the constant rain, he couldn''t help but calm down from the sound of the rain. In that way, he was a whole lot similar to Xu Liang. Even Xu Liang used to like the rain a lot whenever he saw it. When Xu Liang used to work, he didn''t like rain in the least, but when he found out about his terminal disease and started spending the rest of his days in the hospital, he grew to like the rain. The sound of the rain was what calmed his mind and made him appreciate the rain. Even though Xu Liang died and his soul Transmigrated, that feeling never left. Unfortunately, it never rained in the Heavenly Realm so he couldn''t see it there. Xu Ming was walking near the Practice Pavillion when he heard a commotion. Two people were arguing inside the Practice Pavilion. Even though the sound of the rain was loud, their arguments were even louder. "I will take the last room. Don''t argue with me about that!" "Why do you get to take that room? I stepped over the stairs first," "No, I was faster. I asked the Elder for the room before you," "No, I asked before you! I should be the one who gets that room!" Xu Ming looked towards the pavilion in curiosity before he started walking towards it. Xu Ming entered the Practice Pavilion and walked closer to the Elder. "Oh, Young Master Ming. Welcome. Are you here to practice? I have a room available for you," the Elder said. "It''s alright. I don''t want to practice at the moment. What are they arguing about?" Xu Ming asked the elder. "The argument is for the practice room. Both of them came at the same time, and they both asked for a room together. The problem is that only one room is available here," the Elder told Xu Ming. "Oh," Xu Ming muttered. "I asked them to decide amongst themselves about who gets the room. Instead of discussing, they started arguing," the Elder said. Both the guys were still arguing about the room, and they hadn''t noticed Xu Ming entering. "How about you decide who gets the room?" the Elder asked Xu Ming. "Me? You should be the one deciding which gets the room. Aren''t you the In-Charge of this place?" Xu Ming asked with a wry smile on his face. "Of course, I am in charge, and I''m asking you to select who gets the room. Whoever you select will be given the room," the Elder said. Xu Ming looked towards the people arguing and nodded his head. "Alright. I''ll select the one," Xu Ming said. "Silence!" the Elder bellowed as he looked towards the guys. His shout managed to attract the attention of the guys who looked back towards the elder. "You don''t have to argue anymore. He will decide who gets the room," the Elder said. Both the guys silently nodded their heads as they recognized Xu Ming. Even if someone didn''t know who Xu Ming was, his red robe was pretty evident to show his high position. "I''ve been given the responsibility to choose which one of you gets the room, and unfortunately I can only choose one, so the person that isn''t chosen would have to wait for the next time when the room gets free," Xu Ming informed both of them. "Yes, Senior Brother," they both replied at the same time. "I will ask both of you some questions. Answer as honestly as you can," Xu Ming said. "You must have heard that cultivation should be the most important thing to a person. I believe that, as well. My question to you is what is more important for you. Cultivation or family?" Xu Ming inquired. Both of them replied, but their answers were different. While the guy on the right said Family, the guy on the left said cultivation. '' He said that he believes cultivation is most important for a person. Of course, I would get that room. That idiot chose the wrong answer and went against Senior Brother''s opinion,'' the guy on the left though. "I''ve decided. Give the room to the one that said family," Xu Ming told the Elder. The guy on the right was visibly happy, whereas the guy on the left was stunned at losing. "Senior Brother, didn''t you say that you believe that Cultivation should be the most important thing to a person?" he asked. "I believe that it would be important, but not more important than one''s family. We gain Cultivation even when we are mortals, but we can''t gain a family if we don''t have it," Xu Ming replied. The guy looked down as he nodded. He looked at the other guy before he left the place. "That was a fast decision. I didn''t expect it to be over like that. I''m impressed," the Elder praised Xu Ming. "It was just a personal preference. I still believe that you should be the one who decided," Xu Ming said. " It''s no big deal. I decide, or you decide, it''s the same thing," the Elder chuckled. "If you say so. I''ll be going now," Xu Ming said before he left the place. Xu Ming continued his walk through the sect and soon reached the Ranking Arena. He looked towards the structure that was safely resisting the rain without letting a single raindrop enter inside. He continued walking and circled around the sect. He didn''t see many people outside in the rain. Most of them are indoors as the rain had been going on for a long time. Xu Ming was walking through when something came down from the sky and landed in front of him. "This?" Xu Ming muttered as he bent forward and picked the thing that fell down from the sky. It was a tiny girl. The girl was as tall as the Xu Ming''s palm and similarly sized. "What is this? I didn''t hear about creatures like that, but then again, it''s not like I got my education in the heavenly realm," Xu Ming muttered. The girl was wearing a little green dress. She had her eyes closed, but Xu Ming could see her breathe. "She''s so small. I can''t even hold to feel her nerves, but at least she''s breathing. She should just be unconscious," he muttered as he looked at her. He canceled his walk and walked back to his courtyard. Xu Ming entered his courtyard and brought her to his bedroom. "Her clothes are wet as well, but I don''t have spare clothes for her," he muttered as he looked at her in full seriousness. 138 Chapter 135: Ancestral God Beas The girl seemed to be a miniature version of a 21-22-year-old girl. Xu Ming noticed that her clothes were wet, and to not get her sick, he removed her dress and placed her on the bed, covering her with a blanket. He placed the dress on the side to dry off. He walked inside the washroom to wash his face and hands before coming back to the room. "The world is much more vast than I expected. There are so many things that I''m ignorant about, and now there''s a species like that as well. I wonder when she''ll wake up. I do want to hear her answers about her species," Xu Ming muttered as he observed her sleeping face. He sat on a chair as he waited for her to wake up. He decided not to cultivate at the moment as it would be bad for him if she woke up and left without him even knowing about it. Xu Ming waited on the chair silently as he watched her sleep. "I wonder if there are more tiny people like her. If they have a Kingdom, it would be so interesting to see it," Xu Ming muttered as he stared at her. Time kept passing slowly, and just like that, 10 hours passed away, but she didn''t wake up. Xu Ming stood up from his chair and walked closer to her. He stood near her as he watched her. He wasn''t sure if she was still breathing or not. He extended his finger towards her nose and checked if she was breathing, and it turned out that he couldn''t feel the air coming out of her nose. He frowned as he removed the blanket from her and checked to see if her chest was moving up and down on not. *sigh* He breathed in relief as he saw her breathing. "At Least she''s breathing. It might be because she''s so small that it''s tough to see," He again covered her body with the blanket and walked back to the chair. Another round of waiting began while the girl slept, Xu Ming waited. The waiting lasted for another 7 hours before the girl finally showed a movement. "Mmm" She stretched her arms as she slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly she remembered what had happened to her and she sat up straight, with caution. "Where am I?" she muttered as she looked around. She started looking from the left, whereas Xu Ming was sitting on her right side. "My dress?" she exclaimed in shock as she saw her dress lying there. She looked down and realized that she wasn''t wearing anything. "It got wet in the rain. I removed it so that you don''t get sick," Xu Ming said to her. The girl shockingly turned to her right and saw Xu Ming. "Who are you?" She said as she covered her body under the blanket. "I''m someone who lives here. I saw you fall from the sky under the heavy rain. You were unconscious, so you brought you here," Xu Ming said. "Is there something wrong with being able to see you?" Xu Ming inquired. "Of Course. It should be impossible for you. No mortals can see us! Only the people from the Demon Realm or the ones from the Heavenly Realm should be able to see us! You can''t be mortal! Who are you?" She asked Xu Ming with a look of disbelief. "Did I arrive in the Demon Realm, or is it the Heavenly Realm?" "You''re neither in the Heavenly Realm nor in the Demon Realm. You''re in the mortal world. I can guarantee that" Xu Ming told her. "You''re not mortal, are you? Who are you?" the girl asked him. "I''ll answer after you answer me. Tell me who you are first," Xu Ming said. "I''m Valeria. I''m from the Spirit Fairy Species. Now tell me about you," She asked Xu Ming. "I know you''re not mortal. Which realm are you from?" "I''m from the Heavenly Realm," Xu Ming replied. "I thought so. You don''t seem like a demon. You seem too soft for that," she let out as she observed Xu Ming. The girl seemed to believe Xu Ming. Xu Ming didn''t reply to her statement; instead, he asked his question. "What are Spirit Fairies?" The girl looked at him in confusion. "You''re from the Heavenly Realm, but you don''t know about us, Spirit Fairies?" she asked. "I came to the Mortal World when I was young. I didn''t get the time to study in the Mortal Realm," Xu Ming replied. "Oh, that does explain your lack of knowledge, but it also makes me doubt you. Why would someone from there send a child to the Mortal World? Have they gone crazy? Did you commit a crime," She asked. "I didn''t commit any crime, but the one that committed the crime is the reason I''m here. One day, he''ll definitely get the retribution," Xu Ming told her. "I don''t know what you''re talking about. I haven''t kept myself updated with the news from the Heavenly Realm in the last 20 years. How''s the Heavenly Emperor?" she inquired. "He''s dead," Xu Ming told her. "He''s dead? How is that possible? How can someone like him be dead?" she exclaimed in shock. "If he weren''t dead, nothing like this would ever happen," Xu Ming exclaimed as he looked down. "Anyway, what happened to you? Why did I find you in such a condition?" Xu Ming asked her. "It''s a long story. Some things happened; someone was chasing me. I used the Space Crystal to come to the Mortal World to escape. I was hurt in the process and lost my consciousness, I guess," she explained. "So you escaped just like me. I find our situation so similar," Xu Ming let out. "I was also unconscious when I arrived here." "Our situation does end in a similar manner, but it has many differences. I''m the betrayed Princess of the Spirit Fairy Realm. Not someone normal," she said to Xu Ming. "Oh, Really? If you say so," Xu Ming muttered. He didn''t bother telling her that he was the Prince of the Heavenly Realm, and his family was similarly betrayed. Xu Ming stood up as he walked towards her dress. He picked up the dress and gave it to the girl. "Your dress is dry now. You can get dressed," he told her. The girl took the dress but didn''t wear it. "Turn back and don''t look here until I tell you to," she said to Xu Ming. Xu Ming turned back as he did what she said and gave her privacy. The girl came out of the blanket and started getting dressed. As she finished dressing, she called out Xu Ming. "I''m done. You can turn back," she said. Xu Ming turned back to look towards her. "The one that''s after you, does he know that you''re in this Mortal World?" Xu Ming asked. "No, they should not know that I''m here. The crystal I used was what I found. Only my mother knew that I had that crystal. No one else knows about it," the girl said. "That''s good," he let out. "Oh right, you didn''t tell me your name," the girl said as she looked at Xu Ming. ''I''m called Xu Ming," Xu Ming answered her. "Xu Ming, that sounds like a nice name. What does it mean?" She asked. "Mother used to say that it means light. Something that drives away the darkness," Xu Ming replied. "Light, huh, good. But she might have been wrong about one thing. While it can be true that light drives away the darkness, it''s not always the case. More often than not, it''s the case of darkness swallowing the light. We have a story about that in our realm as well," she explained. "What story?" Xu Ming asked her with curiosity on his face. "It''s about the two Ancient Beasts. They are what you call the Ancestors of the 9 God Beasts. I don''t know how true the story is, but in the time forgotten, there were two beasts. One of them was the Ancient Myriad Beast, who was said to be the protector of Darkness and the Ancient Rainbow Phoenix, who was said to be the protector of Light. The story talked about their battle that lasted for millions of years. Can you guess who won?" she asked Xu Ming. "Who?" Xu Ming asked. He hadn''t heard of this story, so it was new for him. He had no idea who would have won. "No one won. In the end, they both killed each other. It is said that they might still exist in this world, waiting for the right time to appear and fulfill their destiny of selecting a victor," she said. "The Ancestral God Beasts? and they still exist?" Xu Ming asked her. "It''s what the story said, but if it''s real or not is for the individual to assume. I can''t say anything about it," she told Xu Ming. 139 Chapter 136: Laws " You are right. It can''t be said if it''s true or not, but you must have an opinion about it. What do you think about it? Is it true or not? You''re more knowledgeable, so you must have seen a lot of things to form your opinion, Right?" Xu Ming asked the little girl. "I think it''s a fake story. There is no way someone that strong could have existed, they fought, and we still haven''t been destroyed. If it were true, there would be destruction all around. The whole world should have been destroyed if that was the case," the girl said. "True, but maybe they didn''t want to destroy the world and fought in a place that wouldn''t affect others?" Xu Ming suggested. The girl looked at him with a confused look on her face. "That''s a strange line of thought you have there. Why would they do it like that? Do you really think that they had a reason to be worried about the puny little worlds? Why would they care what gets destroyed and what doesn''t?" the girl asked him. "I''m just saying. I heard the stories about my grandfather. He was strong, but whenever he fought, he tried to keep the damage to his surroundings as contained as possible no matter what happened," Xu Ming replied. The girl shook her head as she sat down on the bed. "That''s a naive thought that you have. There''s a difference between someone from the Heavenly Realm and the Ancestral God Beast. Just like you can''t compare an insect to an Immortal, you can compare an immortal to an Ancestral God Beast," she told him. "It is true, but not true as well. The Ancestral God Beast should be like Ancestors of the God Beast. No matter how much a person hates someone, they won''t destroy everything around them. If they did, would there really be any meaning left in victory?" Xu Ming asked. "I''m just explaining my point of view. You can have different thoughts, but you''re still naive. You still don''t understand the thoughts of the mighty beings," Valeria told Xu Ming. "Maybe, You might be right as well. I can''t comment as I haven''t read the story and have no impression of it. I''m only judging based on what you told me," Xu Ming responded. "It really sucks that I''m stuck in a mortal world, though. I wish I had a crystal that brought me to higher worlds instead. The Spirit Qi here is really weak. I''m not even sure if I can increase my Strength by staying here. It would be impossible to grow strong in a backward place like this. I need to go to the immortal realm, at least," she muttered. "Is there a way to go there? I need to go there in the future," Xu Ming told her. "Of course, there are ways to go there. You can use a Spatial Crystal, but I don''t have one. Do you have some Spatial Crystals?" she asked Xu Ming. "I don''t have any spatial crystals," Xu Ming replied. "None that I have seen at least." "That''s true, I''m not strong enough, but one day I will be. Nothing can stop me from going back to the Heavenly Realm," Xu Ming said, determination filling his face. "Do you really miss your home that much?" She inquired. "It''s not about home. It''s about someone at home," Xu Ming replied. "I want to go home and expose that traitor in front of everyone. My mother still doesn''t know what happened to me. He will pay for what he did when I expose him!" the girl let out. "What did he do to you, and what actually happened?" Xu Ming inquired. "The person was the son of the Commander of our Spirit Fairy Realm. I saw him molesting someone, and I confronted him. He begged me not to tell mother, but I didn''t listen. That bastard attacked me! I would have died if I had not used the Space Crystal then and there," She said. "Why would he attack you for that? It''s not like one would be killed for that. His position is pretty high as well, being the commander''s son. Was he so scared of getting punished?" Xu Ming asked. "That''s not it. Performing an act like that is the biggest crime a person can commit in the Spirit Fairy Realm! If one is caught, they would most certainly be put to death. It won''t matter how high their position is. That''s the law made by our ancestors, and no one can voice against the law," Valeria said. "That''s a strict law, but it''s good. He was definitely stupid to do it even after knowing about it. Is everyone in the Spirit Fairy Realm as ''smart'' as him?" he asked. "No, the Spirit Fairy Realm is not like them at all. Most of the people there were almost as smart as me. Everyone abides by the law, and there are no crimes there, that''s why I was shocked when I saw someone like him doing something like that," she said. "I don''t know why, but I feel like something isn''t adding up here," Xu Ming muttered. "What are you talking about? It''s clear that he''s an evil guy and I''m sure he did something like this many times. It''s just that I managed to catch him this time," Valerie commented. "If you say that," Xu Ming muttered. He decided to drop the topic as he was sure by now that the girl before him was a stubborn girl who would always believe their opinion. Also, it was not like he knew anything better about the situation. He decided to stop talking. He turned his body sideways and started walking towards the washroom. "Where are you going?" she asked. "I''m going for a shower. I feel like getting some water over my head," he told her. Xu Ming left her behind and entered the washroom. After half an hour, he stepped out of the washroom. His hair was dripping wet. He walked to the table nearby and started drying his hair using a towel. The girl was lying on the bed, looking at the roof. "Are you getting bored here?" Xu Ming asked her. "Nah, I''ve just been thinking about what my life has turned into. I never expected that I would be lying on a giant bed in a mortal world," Valeria told Xu Ming. "I think the same thing almost every day, so I can understand what you''re going through. Also, it''s not a giant bed; you''re the one who''s tiny," Xu Ming replied. "Whatever. Do you have any Spirit Crystals that I can use to cultivate?" she asked Xu Ming. "I don''t even know that there was a thing like Spirit Crystals before you told me," he said as a wry smile covered his face. "It''s so difficult to grow stronger here. This place sucks," she let out annoyingly. "How about you take a shower as well? It''s good to calm the mind. The best calming medicine I know about," Xu Ming told her. She didn''t reply to him and kept looking towards the roof, but after 5 seconds, she sat up and flew towards the washroom. "You can fly?" Xu Ming let out in surprise. "Of Course I can fly. Even a 5-year-old can fly in our place, what''s so shocking about it," she let out before she entered the washroom. Xu Ming walked to the bed and looked down. The girl stepped out of the shower after 10 minutes. "How are you feeling?" Xu Ming asked her. "Not bad, it does have a soothing Effect just like you told me, but my worries are still there. I don''t want to spend hundreds of years here to get strong enough to go to the Immortal World," she let out as she looked towards him. "Oh, Right. I noticed that your cultivation is only at the Gold Core realm. How is that possible? Aren''t the ones born in the Heavenly Realm the Earth Realm cultivators from their birth?" she asked. "Yes, a child who is born in our place has a cultivation at the Earth Realm, but I didn''t. I was told that it''s because my father didn''t have the Bloodline of the Heavenly Realm," Xu Ming replied to her. "He wasn''t from the Heavenly Realm? What the fuck? Your mother had a son with someone from the Demon Realm? Is that why you''re here?" the girl exclaimed in surprise. "No, my father was a mortal," Xu Ming said. "You''re kidding. There''s no way a mortal would be allowed to marry someone from up there," Valeria said in disbelief as if she didn''t believe him in the slightest. 140 Chapter 137: Stealing "I''m not joking. It did happen. My father was a mortal, and my mother was from the Heavenly Realm. They got married in the Heavenly Realm and stayed there," Xu Ming replied. "Strange. I never thought that those guys would allow something like this to happen, but then again, people change. I can''t deny the possibility of that happening," Valeria said as she folded her arms and nodded her head. "That would explain you not having a high cultivation from birth as well," she said. "Yeah. That''s why I''m working hard to increase my Cultivation from the bottom. I can''t sit here and waste time. The time I have is limited," Xu Ming said. "Anyway, it looks like you''ll have to stay here as well and work hard as I do. The chances of finding the spirit crystals for your Cultivation are really low. It might take some time, but we''ll definitely get to the level to get to our destinations," Xu Ming said. "True. I can understand what you''re saying. I have no other choice but to follow this world''s rules," she said. "Exactly. You can rest for a while, or you start right now. You can decide. If you want to go on a walk, you can take a walk outside as well. From what you told me, I don''t think anyone else would be able to see you here," Xu Ming told her. Why are you telling me all this? Are you going somewhere?" Valeria asked. "Not really. I''m just going to cultivate, and I might not wake up anytime soon. You might start getting bored. That''s why I suggest that" Xu Ming replied. Valeria nodded her head. "I understand," He sat down on the bed and started his Cultivation. As Xu Ming was lost in cultivation, Valeria climbed to the bed and started sleeping instead. She slept for 4 hours before she woke up. She sat up and watched Xu Ming, who was still cultivating. She again laid down on the bed and started watching the roof. She was actually starting to get bored, but she didn''t feel like cultivating at the moment. "Hey, can you hear me?" She asked Xu Ming. Xu Ming didn''t reply as if he didn''t hear her. "I''m so bored!" she muttered. She started flying towards the door. She had to struggle to open the door, but she managed to succeed. The door was opened, and she left the courtyard. Valeria flew inside the Sect as if she was taking a tour of her new place. As she flew, she saw many disciples outside, but those disciples weren''t able to see her. The rain had stopped now, and the sky was clear, which made the guys who didn''t like the rain to finally come out of the houses and give some sunlight to their body. As Valeria was flying, she passed by Zi Zhenfeng and Sui Ru and even many of the elders. She flew from the inner sect to the Core Sect. Valeria entered the Core Sect and got to the Cleansing Lake. "I''ll come here to cultivate after telling him, but first, I need to complete the tour. Who knows, I might find a spirit Crystal," She muttered as she flew further. After flying for over 10 minutes, she reached the place when the core disciple''s courtyards were situated. She entered the nearest courtyard and started looking inside. After not finding anything of use there, she left that place and flew towards another courtyard. Just like that, she kept hopping from one courtyard to another, hoping to find something of use to her. Soon, she entered the courtyard of the girl that was known as the Battle Fairy throughout the sect. The courtyard was empty. The battle fairy had gone outside to talk to an Elder about something and wasn''t her. Valerie searched through the whole place and tried to find something of significance. As she was going through her bedroom, she found something that brought a smile to her face. There was a crystal lying under the pillow on the bed. The crystal seemed like a crudely cut diamond. "Awesome! I finally found it! I need to take it from here before the owner of this place comes back," Valeria muttered as she picked up the spirit crystal and started flying away. As she left, she tried to be as careful as she could to not come under anyone''s attention. Even though she couldn''t be seen, people could still see the Spirit Crystal. They would definitely find it suspicious if they saw a crystal flying. She didn''t want anything to go wrong here as this spirit crystal was useful for her cultivation. She flew as carefully as she could and when she felt like she needed to. After all the hard work, she managed to pull it through as she left the Core Sect without getting caught. She got back to Xu Ming''s courtyard and reached his bedroom. She threw the Spirit Crystal on the bed and landed on the bed. As soon as she got to the bed, she fell down as if she was exhausted after all this hard work. She didn''t move from her position for over 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes, she sat up. She looked towards the Spirit Crystal. "I never thought that I would have to work so hard for a low-level Spirit Crystal. I never lacked anything back home, but now I''m poor. I even stole something. It''s all because of that asshole! I would definitely watch him die right before my eyes. Just wait for me to get home," She muttered as she clenched her tiny fists. Valeria placed her hand over the Small Spirit Crystal and started absorbing its energy through Cultivation. **** Back in the Core Sect, Battle Fairy walked back inside her courtyard. She instantly went to her bedroom and sat on the bed. "They can''t even do one thing right," she muttered Battle Fairy removed her pillow to take her Crystal, but her expressions changed as she saw that there was nothing under the pillow. She stood up abruptly and started looking everywhere inside the room. No corner was left unturned in her search for that crystal. "It''s nowhere. Someone actually dared to steal from my place! They took my Concentration, Crystal. It was a rare gift given to me by my master. I can''t believe someone actually dared to do it. They must have a death wish!" she let out loud as she clenched her fist. She left her courtyard and walked to the punishment hall. She had decided to find the culprit no matter what it took. She was ready even if she needed to have every courtyard checked. She entered the Punishment Hall of the Core Sect and went to the Punishment Elder, who was one of the top powerhouses of the Sect. The Punishment Elder was a woman who seemed like she was in her early 30s. She was wearing a red dress, covered by a grey robe. "Oh, it''s you. What brought you here today?" The Punishment Elder asked her. "Sometime dared to steal something from my Courtyard. I''m here to ask you to declare a lockdown in the whole sect and search every place. I need that item back at any cost," she told the Elder. "Can there really be someone stupid enough to steal from you? Anyway, what was stolen?" the Elder asked "The Concentration Crystal. It was a gift from my Master, and I want it back," she insisted, which also seemed as if she was commanding the Punishment Elder. "Alright. I''ll find it. The Core Sect doesn''t allow stealing. The person will definitely be punished accordingly," the Elder said. "I''ll be the one punishing him. You just bring me back my crystal," she told the Elder. **** As Valeria was using the Spirit Crystal to cultivate, she had no idea that the whole core Sect was going through a commotion because of her. Every disciple''s courtyard was being searched thoroughly. The Core Sect was in chaos. Some Core Disciples were even angry that the sect was treating them as thieves. Valeria had no idea, but even if she knew, she wouldn''t have cared about it. Her cultivation and her going back to home was more important to her than anything else. ***** Three days passed, and Xu Ming briefly stopped his cultivation. He stood up and stretched his arms. She turned back to look towards the bed, hoping to see Valeria there, but he was stunned as he saw a Crystal there. Valeria seemed to be cultivating from it. "Is that the Spirit Crystal she talked about? How did she get it?" he wondered. Even though he was curious about the crystal and where she found it, he decided not to disturb her as she seemed to be deeply engrossed in her Cultivation. 141 Chapter 138: Unable to answer Xu Ming decided to let her cultivate in peace while he walked to the bed. He laid on the bed beside the girl who was cultivating. He has been Cultivating for a long time. He was tired as well as sleepy. He soon fell asleep. **** Inside the core sect, the commotion was still going on. Except for the high ranking Elders, everyone''s places were being searched from top to bottom. Everyone was being looked through the eyes of suspicion. Everyone''s rooms were searched, and only one courtyard was left. This Courtyard belonged to Situ Mu, who was the Personal Disciple of the Core Sect Supreme Elder. He and Battle Fairy Mia were both the top Core Disciples. They were both considered to be the candidates for becoming the next Sect Master. Even though they were both at the top, people thought that Mia had the higher. Chance of becoming the Sect Master as she was the only person after the Sect Master in the sect who had grade 9 talent. Situ Mu, on the other hand, had a grade 8 talent. Battle Fairy Mia reached the courtyard of Situ Mu with Punishment Elder and a few other disciples of Punishment Hall. Mia knocked on the door. The servant of Situ Mu opened the door, but without replying anything, Mia moved him to the side and entered the courtyard. "Wait, where are you going?! Stop!" The Servant called out loud. Situ Mu was in his bedroom cultivating when he heard the commotion. He stopped his Cultivation and stood up. Situ Mu stepped out of his courtyard and watched Battle Fairy Mia and the others inside his place. His servant was trying to stop them. "Mia! Is this how you behave in the sect? It''s my courtyard, not a public garden, that you can enter anytime! Elder, how can you allow her to behave so atrociously in the Sect?" Situ Mu said. "Situ Mu, The matter is somewhat serious. Mia has lost the concentration crystal that was given to her by the sect master. We''re trying to find it. It''s not just your place; we''re searching every courtyard," The Punishment Elder said. "Is that how things work here now? A person loses something, and the punishment hall searches everyone''s Courtyard like criminals? What if I say that my paintbrush is stolen? I doubt that she stole it. Would you let me search her courtyard as well? What if every Core Disciple comes to you with a lost complaint? Will you search for everyone''s Courtyard every day? Is this the duty of the punishment hall?" Situ Mu said to the Punishment Elder as if he was mocking his logic. "This..." The Punishment Elder was stunned and didn''t know how to respond. He could also see that he wasn''t entirely right in doing that either, and his action today might cause a wave of uncertainty and anger in the disciples. She started searching the whole place. In fact, she searched this place even more carefully as Situ Mu was the person she was most suspicious of. "Very well. Search it. Don''t worry; I would definitely show you how it feels. Coincidentally something is stolen from my courtyard every day. Stay prepared to open the doors daily to have your house ransacked," Situ Mu told her. He walked towards a chair that was lying on the hall and sat on it. He watched his house being ransacked without taking his eyes off. His heart was raging in a fury. He was feeling insulted. "You left that corner. Search carefully. You might miss whatever you''re looking for," he commented as if he was telling Mia to search carefully. The search continued for half an hour. Every corner of the house was scoured, but the crystal wasn''t found. Situ Mu even allowed himself to be checked to clear any lingering suspicion. Even after all that, they didn''t find the Concentration Crystal. Battle Fairy Mia was the one who was most disappointed because of this. "Satisfied? Huh, Punishment Elder, I just noticed that my paints are stolen. I need your guys to search through the whole Sect," Situ Mu said to the Punishment Elder. "Situ Mu, Calm down. It''s nothing personal. Everyone''s house was searched, not just your own. Just think of it as an unfortunate situation," the Punishment Elder said. "I don''t care why you did it. I want the same rights as her. A Punishment Elder shouldn''t show his partiality. If that''s the case that the whole Punishment Hall is compromised and can''t work efficiently," Situ Mu said, stunning the Punishment Elder. "Leave if you didn''t find anything. Continue the search of every courtyard for her. I''ll be coming to the Punishment Hall when everything''s over. We will see if you''re partial or not," he added as he walked back to his room. He didn''t forget to glance back at Battle Fairy Mia before he entered his room. ''Looks like we are going to have a problem soon. If I search for him, it would just increase the instability and lack of trust in the punishment hall, and if I don''t do it, he will call me partial and complain to Supreme Elder,'' the Punishment Elder looked towards the door of Situ Mu and sighed. They left his courtyard. "With that courtyard, we have now checked every place other than the courtyards of the Elders and the Sect Master. I won''t go to check there and make things worse. Could it be that you kept it somewhere and forgot?" The Punishment Elder asked Battle Fairy Mia. "I don''t think any elder will do it. It should be the job of a disciple. Also, I clearly remember where I had kept it. I even searched my whole place. Someone definitely took it," Mia replied. "But we checked every disciple, and we still couldn''t find it. Maybe whoever stole it buried it somewhere or threw it away. It seems impossible to find it if we still haven''t found it. I''m sorry, but I can''t help you with this one," the Punishment Elder sighed as he left, leaving a bewildered Mia behind. Mia looked towards the sky as she shook her head. "Whoever you are, when I find you, you would know what the faith of thieves is," she muttered. She left that place and walked back to her courtyard with disappointment clearly written on her face. ***** The Sect Master of the Mighty Demon Sect was sitting in his room, cultivating. He had no idea about anything that had just happened in the sect as no one disturbed him when he was cultivating unless there was a grave matter that needed him. He finished cultivating and stood up as he left his room and stepped out to the hall. "Did something happen when I was in my closed-door cultivation?" the Sect Master asked his servant, who was standing in the hall. He was assigned to find out all the information about the sect when the sect master was cultivating so that he could inform him after the sect master woke up from his cultivation. "Yes, Master, a big commotion occurred today that shadows everything else that happened in the last few days," the Servant said. "What happened?" the Sect Master asked with curiosity on his face. "From what I heard, someone stole the Concentration Crystal that you gifted to young miss Mia. She took the help of the Punishment Hall to search everyone''s courtyard. Although the crystal wasn''t found, it did create the unrest in the core sect. The disciples are angry at the Punishment Hall," the Servant replied. "Is that so? I wouldn''t blame them. When someone is blamed when they are innocent, it''s reasonable to be angry about it," the Sect Master sighed as he shook his head. "It was a rare crystal, but Mia shouldn''t be affected much because of it. The only thing that it did was increase her focus on cultivation," he added. "What else happened in the sect?" The Sect Master asked. "The boy named Xu Ming got the 1st rank. He entered the core sect and bathed in the cleansing pond for seven days," The Servant replied. "Oh, I was waiting for that. So far, he hasn''t disappointed. I can''t wait to see his performance in the Core Trials. His growth has been even faster than Mia. From what I can see, he''s a grade 9 talent like Mia as well. Everything will be clear after he becomes a core disciple," the Sect Master muttered. "Anything else happened?" He asked. "There are a few more things that happened. Situ Mu achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation," the servant replied. 142 Chapter 139: We need to search your place The sect master nodded his head slowly. "Oh, nice.Even as a rank eight talent, he definitely performs much better. Situ Mu is talented as well," "What else happened?" he asked. "After a long time, The Core Rankings went through a change. The Rank 4 disciple defeated rank three and climbed higher in the ranks. Now Du Qun is the 3rd ranked disciple," the servant replied. "Oh? It is good news. It means that Du Qun progressed in his cultivation. Also, it would motivate the ones that dropped down in the rankings to start climbing higher and work hard as well. I felt that everything had stagnated, but it looks like the things are indeed taking a turn for the better," The Sect Master smiled. He walked towards the chair that was lying near him and sat on it. "What else?" The Sect Master asked. "The Rain has continued misbehaving. One minute the sky is clear, and the next minute it''s raining. Sometimes it rains for days. Our drainage system is working for now, but the rain might overwhelm it soon. It is also affecting the Disciples of the sect who can''t go out on missions in these strange times. Although it''s a natural phenomenon and there''s nothing that we could do about it, I thought that you should know," the Servant said. "It doesn''t seem like a natural phenomenon, though. It has never been like this. It feels like something big is going to happen that might break the balance of our world," The Sect Master muttered as his finger tapped on the armrest of the chair. "I just hope that it''s my misconception and that this thing is not that serious." ''Anything else that I should know about?" The Sect Master asked again. "Oh, right. There was one more thing. Elder Wu came to meet you, but he went back as soon as he found out that you were cultivating. He told me to tell you that he came," The Servant replied. "Elder Wu came here? He never leaves the Outer Sect. What could it be that brought him here?" The Sect Master frowned as he stood up. "Take care of this place. I''m going to meet him," The Sect Master told the servant before he left. The Sect Master left the Core Sect and went to the Outer Sect to meet Elder Wu. **** Xu Ming was still sleeping on his bed, like a child. His peaceful face didn''t show any hint of the tragic past of this boy who seemed like a prince. Valeria finished absorbing the Spirit Crystal. She opened her eyes and stretched her arms as she stood up. "Yaa, It feels so good after absorbing the Spirit Crystals. Although the purity was worse, it did increase my strength by a little," Valeria smiled happily as she looked at the piece of the Spirit Crystal that had lost its shine. "Where is that boy?" She muttered in confusion as she thought about Xu Ming. She looked around the room and ultimately found him on the bed behind her. Soon, she fell asleep. The time passed away peacefully, and the morning arrived. Xu Ming didn''t know how long he slept, but he was woken up by the knock on his door. He opened his eyes slowly as he sat up. He walked towards the door. Xu Ming was greeted by two disciples of the punishment hall as soon as he opened the door. "Do you need anything?" Xu Ming inquired. "Ah, yes, Senior Brother Ming. The thing is that we have been assigned the duty to search everyone''s courtyard. A Core Disciple lost her Concentration Crystal, and after it wasn''t found in the Core Sect, they decided to spread the search parameters to the Inner Sect as well," The Punishment Hall disciple replied to Xu Ming. "So, you''re here to search my courtyard?" Xu Ming asked. "Yes. That''s what we''ve been asked to do. I hope you won''t deny us," the disciples replied. ''The concentration crystal? Is that the Spirit Crystal that Valeria brought from who knows where? It was stolen? If they found that in my place, I might be in trouble. I did become a thief in front of everyone''s eyes,'' Xu Ming thought with a frown. "Ah, Senior Brother Ming, can you move to the side? We can''t enter if you keep standing before the door," the disciple asked as he saw Xu Ming not moving. "I''m not moving. Do you think I''m a thief?" Xu Ming let out with an angry look on his face. The disciples grew worried as they saw the angry look on Xu Ming''s face. They knew how strong Xu Ming was. He was the first rank Inner Sect Disciple, after all. The last thing they wanted to do was to antagonize Xu Ming. "T-that''s not it. It''s just that the sect wants to do what it could to solve the matter of that lost crystal," the disciple replied. "A core Disciple lost it, so it should be in the Core Sect. I''m not letting anyone destroy my place for such a stupid. If you really think that I have it, then say it to my face, and I''ll allow you entry to my place, but if you don''t find anything, then don''t expect this matter to drop easily!" Xu Ming threatened them subtly. "W-we... Of Course, we don''t think that you''re a thief. We would never think that. You are the hero of our sect, and you don''t need to do a single thing like that. In fact, I also think that this whole matter is stupid. There''s no way that the ring will be in our Inner Sect. It should still be in the Core Sect, but they are just disturbing as for the sake of it," the Disciple replied to Xu Ming and agreed with him in order to calm him down. "So, do you still need to search my place even after knowing that I''m innocent?" Xu Ming asked with a grave look on his face. "N-not at all. We know you''re innocent. Why would we still want to search your place? We will just tell out seniors that we searched your place and found nothing," the Punishment Hall Disciples said, smilingly. "That''s better. It''s good that you guys are not stupid," Xu Ming told them before he entered his courtyard. The guys turned back and left empty-handed. Xu Ming watched them leave before he sighed and entered his courtyard. He closed the door and went towards his bedroom. He stood before the girl and watched her sleep with the crystal lying beside her. "You little trouble, You stole that crystal and didn''t even tell me. You know how much trouble I would be in if someone found that thing in my place?'' Xu Ming muttered with an annoyed look on his face as he watched her sleep peacefully without a single care about anything. "I''ll wait for you to wake up before talking to you. You need to learn that stolen items shouldn''t be brought here without telling me," he muttered as he stepped forth and picked up the spirit crystal. He put that back in his storage ring. *Sigh* "I expected myself to be cultivating, not handing this mess. Whatever, what''s done is done. I can''t change anything. I can only focus on cultivation while I have the time," He sat in a meditative position on the ground as he started cultivating. Time kept passing slowly, and days passed. Valeria went to the core sect again. 143 Chapter 140: Who is stronger Valeria entered the Core Sect once more. She went to the courtyard of Battle Fairy Mia, where she found that Spirit Crystal last time and continued her search from there, but she didn''t find another Spirit Crystal there. She moved on to the next courtyard and continued her search for the Spirit Crystals. She searched for half a day, but she didn''t find even a single Spirit Crystal. She had searched the courtyards of all the disciples. She moved deeper into the sect and went towards the courtyards of the Elders. Coincidentally, the first courtyard she found was a courtyard that belonged to the Supreme Elder of the Sect, who was also the master of Situ Mu. The Supreme Elder was cultivating in his room, unaware of the fact that a tiny thief was roaming in her house, in search of a crystal. Valeria searched every place of the courtyard but didn''t find the Spirit Crystal she was looking for. The only place she hadn''t searched was the bedroom of the supreme elder, where he was cultivating at the moment. After thinking for a short moment, she decided to go to the bedroom. She flew inside the bedroom and saw an old man sitting on the ground and cultivating. His eyes were closed, and he seemed as if he was lost in the world of cultivation, completely unaware of what happened in his surroundings. She started looking around the room and finished her search after 10 minutes. She was just about to leave when she noticed the necklace on the Supreme Elder''s neck. It was a spirit crystal that he was wearing as a pendant. ''Is it even possible to take that from his neck?'' She thought as she frowned. She was tempted to give it a try, but she controlled herself. She left the courtyard. ''I can''t take it from his neck. He would definitely realize. Dammit, why couldn''t it be as easy as last time? Why would someone wear a Spirit Crystal as a necklace? It''s not an accessory but a cultivation resource. Just keep it on the bed and leave!'' she thought as she moved over to the next courtyard. It took her around 20 minutes to fly to the next courtyard. The second courtyard also belonged to an Elder, but that Elder was not in his courtyard at this time, giving Valeria a free rein to search his courtyard. Valeria looked through his courtyard and searched his place from top to bottom, but she didn''t find the Spirit Crystal there. With a disappointed look on her face, she left the courtyard and left in search of her next target. During the day, she searched every Elder''s courtyard. She had searched every place in the core sect, and the only place she still hasn''t explored was the Courtyard of the Sect Master. At the moment, she was flying towards the Courtyard of the Sect Master of the Mighty Demon Sect. Valeria reached his courtyard and entered the place. Valeria started searching the hall to find the Spirit Crystal. It was at that moment; the Sect Master entered the Courtyard. "Hahahaha, you should have told me if you wanted that. When I found out that you came for some reason, I thought it was some big matter. I left this place but didn''t take that item with me. You should''ve told him. If I knew you wanted it, I would''ve come to your place with that item," the Sect Master said smilingly as he glanced towards the man behind him. It was blind elder Wu that had come with him. The Servant immediately stood up as he saw them enter. "Wait here. I''ll be right back with that," The Sect Master said to Elder Wu as he pointed towards the chair. Elder Wu sat on the chair, whereas the Sect Master went to his bedroom. Valeria was still looking through the hall when she felt as if someone was looking at her. She turned back and saw Elder Wu facing her, but his eyes were closed. "This was unexpected. This place has some really interesting things," Elder Wu let out casually The servant thought that he was talking about the stuff in the hall. "Yeah, Master selected most of the things himself," he told Elder Wu. The Sect Master came out of the bedroom with a small ring. "Here it is. It''s in this Storage Ring," The Sect Master as he gave a ring to Elder Wu. "Thanks," Elder Wu said as he stood up and started leaving. He glanced one last time towards the door of the Sect Master''s bedroom, where Valeria was entering at the moment. He simply smiled as he walked away. The Sect Master walked back to the hall and sat on his chair. The servant closed the door and walked after him. "Ahmm, Master. If you don''t mind, can I ask you something?" The Servant asked the Sect Master. "Sure. You''ve been with me for so long. You don''t need to take my permission to ask anything," The Sect Master said, smilingly. "Master, I''ve seen many people come here. From Core Elders to the Supreme Elder, they all came here, but I''ve never seen you be so respectful to any of them. Why are you so respectful in front of Elder Wu? Isn''t he only an Outer Sect Elder?" the Servant asked. "He''s only an Outer Sect Elder because he wanted to be an Outer Sect Elder, not because he''s not talented enough to get a higher position," the Sect Master replied. "I know it''s not my place to ask this, but is there a reason someone would prefer to be an Outer Sect Elder than have a higher position?" the servant asked again. "That''s the question even I ask. I still don''t know the answer to it, though," the Sect Master sighed as he shook his head. "Is he stronger than the Supreme Elder? You''re not like this even before the supreme elder," the servant asked. "Is he stronger than the Supreme Elder? What do you think?" the Sect Master asked with an amused smile on his face. "I''m not sure. I don''t think he should be stronger than the Supreme Elder," The Servant replied. "Maybe he''s stronger, or maybe he''s weaker. All I can say is that you should never judge someone by their looks. You remember the legend of Master Long, right?" the Sect Master asked. "I heard the story, but isn''t that only a legend. It''s most probably a fiction that someone made up. The Strongest Clan of our world offended an 18-19-year-old boy, and it was wiped out in an instant. That does not seem possible," the Servant shook his head. "That''s not all of it is there? You might see it as a fiction, but the people that died that day didn''t have the same luck you had. Even I feel the chill run down my spine when I read the description of that day," The Sect Master said. "There are mountains beyond mountains." "Is that story real, Master?" the Servant asked. "It should be. My master told me that story. He said that his ancestors were right there. His ancestor also wrote everything he saw that day. It was utter destruction that no normal human being should be capable of causing," the Sect Master said as he shook his head. "Not something a human should be able to do? Was he a True Demon?" the Servant asked. "Maybe he was, or maybe he was a god. Is there really a difference between the two?" the Sect Master said with an amused smile on his face. " The only thing that story teaches us is that a single child is enough to destroy an empire. One should never underestimate anyone," the Sect Master said. It was at that time; he heard the sound of something falling in his bedroom. 144 Chapter 141: Never Return The Sect Master stood up and walked towards his bedroom. As he got there, he found the pieces of a cup lying on the ground. "Someone was here," the Sect Master muttered as he glanced at the broken cup. He used his Spiritual Sense to cover his surroundings in order to find the culprit. His spiritual sense was more than enough to cover his courtyard entirely. He saw himself and his servant through the use of his Spiritual Sense, but other than themselves, he couldn''t see anyone else in the room. Valerie was still in the room, but she was standing still in one of the corners of the room without moving. "I can''t see anyone, but someone definitely came here, and I don''t think they left," The Sect Master muttered. He started searching the room. He checked his wardrobe and other places, but he still couldn''t find anyone. He started walking in the direction of Valeria. After taking a few steps forward, he stood just before her. He looked in his direction. "What are you doing here?" the Sect Master muttered as he extended his hands towards Valeria. He picked up the bracelet that was lying just a few inches away from Valeria before he stood up. "There seems to be no one here, master. Maybe it didn''t fall because of a person. It must be a coincidence that it happened," The Servant told the Sect Master. "Maybe," the Sect Master said, but he still looked suspicious. He glanced back one last time before he left the room. ''How could I be so stupid. I should''ve been careful while searching. I would''ve been in real trouble if I was caught,'' the girl thought before she started walking. She had almost finished her search when she accidentally hit the cup and made it fall down. She instantly stopped flying and stood on the side to be as safe as she could. After the Sect Master left the room, Valeria also stepped out of it. Instead of flying, she walked her way out and left the courtyard of the Sect Master. After leaving the courtyard, she began flying. She flew back towards the courtyard of Long Chen. After some time, she got back to the courtyard, but as soon as she got back, she saw Xu Ming sitting on the bed, glaring at her. "Where did you go?" Xu Ming asked her. "I-i went out to have a walk," Valeria replied. "You went outside to have a walk or to steal a Spirit Crystal?" Ryder asked her. "Steal a Spirit Crystal? What are you talking about?" Valeria acted ignorantly. "Please explain to me where you brought this from?" Xu Ming asked her as he showed her the Spirit Crystal that she had used up. "What do you mean where I brought this from? Do you think I hid it in my pockets when I fell down from the sky? Of Course, I found it in the sect," Valeria replied. "I found it randomly lying on a bed," Valeria replied. "Oh, so you found it in someone''s courtyard. Don''t you think that if it''s inside someone''s courtyard, then it would belong to someone? Taking someone''s belonging without asking, isn''t that the same as stealing?" Xu Ming inquired. "T-that''s not stealing. There was no one in that place. It was most probably an abandoned courtyard. Someone abandoned that poor spirit Crystal. I just gave it a home and brought it with me," Valeria said. Xu Ming just looked at her blankly before he facepalmed himself. He couldn''t believe that he made that seem like a righteous decision. "Isn''t it possible that the owner left the place for some time?" Xu Ming asked her. "Ah, it''s possible," Valeria replied. "I don''t want to waste too much time on it, but please understand that stealing is wrong. You know how much chaos you caused in the sect because you decided to steal? I myself barely escaped getting caught because of your theft. I''ll just tell you this one last time, I will not be against you stealing if it''s about the resources that you need for Cultivation, but you can''t steal without even telling me!" Xu Ming told her. "The next time you decide to steal something, you must first come to me and tell me the whole situation. If you still don''t understand, then you can just leave and never come back," Xu Ming further said. "I understand. I won''t do it again," Valeria said as she looked down. "I was just excited to find the resource for my Cultivation. I didn''t think through." "I can understand your eagerness. I also want to get stronger and achieve my goals as fast as I can, but you can''t make decisions blindly. One wrong step and everything will go to waste," Xu Ming told her. "I understand. I''m sorry," Valeria apologized to Xu Ming. "It''s good that you understand. Just talk to me if there''s something like this first. It''s always better to take a second opinion when you feel eager to do something," Xu Ming said. "There is something that I wanted to do, but I didn''t do it," Valeria told him. "What?" Xu Ming inquired. "I saw another Spirit Crystal. A man was using it, but I didn''t take it," Valeria said. "That''s good. If you had taken it, you would have been caught. At Least you''re somewhat sensible," Xu Ming let out. "Who is that man! Maybe I can trade something with him and get you that Spirit Crystal?" "I don''t know what that man is, but he has the second biggest residence I saw. He was quite old looking and had a white beard," Valeria said. "So you were talking about an Elder, it''s impossible. I don''t think the Qi crystals would be enough to attract his attention and to make him exchange for that Spirit Crystal," Xu Ming muttered. "Don''t you have any treasure? I heard that old men like collecting items," Valeria said. "There is nothing that I can trade that would make him exchange," Xu Ming replied. ''There are some things that would make him exchange anything, but those are what I will never trade for crystals,'' he thought. Valeria looked disappointed as she landed on the bed. "Don''t worry about this. If you can find two Spirit Crystals in the sect, then it must not be that rare. You will definitely get more of them in the future," Xu Ming told her. "I understand that* Valeria replied, but she still looked down. "Just cultivate naturally. It might be slow, but it''s definitely not impossible. I''ve been cultivating that way as well. I can''t use Qi in this world, so I''m on the same boat, but I''m still growing, and I won''t let my growth ever be halted because of lack of resources," Xu Ming told her. He sat up and got off the bed. "I said all I wanted to say. I hope you will understand. You can never achieve anything by just being dependent on resources. The Strength has more value when you achieve it the hard way instead of the easy way," He told Valeria before he walked to the side and sat down on the ground. "I will normally cultivate from now on," Valerie told him in a confident tone. "That''s the Spirit. I''m going to be busy in Cultivation; you can cultivate as well. Just don''t do anything I told you not to do," Xu Ming told her before he closed his eyes and started his Cultivation. Valeria looked towards Xu Ming, sitting on the ground. After some time, she stood up and left the place. She once again flew towards the core sect. ''It would have been so good if I had the Spirit Crystal of that old man,'' she thought. 145 Chapter 142: Pregnan Valeria once again entered the Core Sect, but this time her destination was different than it had been last time. Instead of going towards the courtyards to look for Spirit Crystals, she went towards another place. Valeria stopped before a beautiful pond that was far away from the courtyards. It was the same pond where Xu Ming was brought to cleanse his impurities. When Valeria had seen the pond, she had already thought that it would be the best place to cultivate in, but she had decided to put her focus on the Spirit Crystals instead. After getting scolded by Xu Ming, she decided to focus on her cultivation the hard way. She thought that she would still try to get Spirit Crystals, but she would do that with Long Chen''s help. The cold breeze was even colder because of the pond as it touched her skin. Valeria sat on the ground near the pond and started her cultivation. The whole place was empty as always, and there was no noise, either that would disturb her. The outdoor location only made it better for her to cultivate. The only problem was the ever-changing weather. She wasn''t sure how long it would stay sunny before it started raining, but she decided to use whatever time she had to the fullest to cultivate. She hoped that the weather would stay just like that, but as soon as she thought that, the sky started to darken. Dark Clouds enclosed the sky, decreasing the brightness of the sun. Even though the surroundings got dark, Valeria didn''t notice it as her eyes were closed. The clouds only became denser until the first drop of rain fell down from the sky. The single raindrop traveled the distance of tens of miles before it fell on the head of Valeria. Valeria stopped her Cultivation as she started looking up, more raindrops fell on her face as the rain began. Valeria flew towards the tree and sat under it, taking cover from the rain. "I just thought about it, and here comes the rain," Valerie said with a wry smile on her face. "Does the world really not want me to cultivate honestly?" She waited under the tree for the rain to stop, but the rain only grew worse with the passing of time. She finally decided to give up as she flew back under the rain. After some time, she got back to Xu Ming''s courtyard, who was still cultivating. Xu Ming was still cultivating, unaware of the fact that Valeria had snuck out and came back to his courtyard. It hadn''t been long since she left either. Valeria''s clothes were wet, and she didn''t have a separate pair of clothes. She took off the dress she was wearing and placed it on the side to dry off before he entered the bedsheets. She covered her body with bedsheets and gave up on the idea of cultivating. Instead, she started getting lazy as she closed her eyes. Soon, she fell asleep. She didn''t leave the courtyard as it was still raining outside and she was tired as well, because of the rain. ''It''s not like it would make much difference cultivating there or cultivating here,'' she gave herself an excuse. Some more days passed away, and none of them stopped their cultivation. It was already the end of the month when Xu Ming opened his eyes. He sat up and walked to the shower. After finishing with the shower, he got dressed. "I did achieve a breakthrough. Hopefully, It will be enough to complete the Core Trial. It''s already the end of the month, and tomorrow, I will be taken for the trial. Whatever happens next depends on the trials. I can''t waste the chance," Xu Ming muttered. " Every day I delay is another day I''m away from my mother." Xu Ming looked towards Valeria, who was still cultivating. "Looks like she listened to me. She''s just like a child, but at least she''s not that stupid," He said smilingly before he walked to the bed and sat on it. He watched the girl cultivate. He couldn''t feel any flow of Origin Energy around her, and he also knew that she didn''t use Qi energy. It was quite fascinating for him to find out there there was another type of energy in this world other than Qi and Origin Energy. He had never known about the existence of Spirit Energy. He couldn''t help but think about how many things he didn''t know because he couldn''t study in the Heavenly Realm. Every time he thought and the Heavenly Realm, a flame of anger was enlightened in his heart. He hated War God Zhen with every piece of his soul and body. The situation has changed in such a way that he couldn''t even think of a good thing about the Heavenly Realm without thinking about War God Zhen. Every time he thought about that, the flashback haunted him. The flashback that showed how his father''s life was taken. Xu Ming laid on the bed as he closed his eyes and fell in a deep thought. He wondered if it would take him a hundred years to get to that level, or would he be able to do it in less? If someone knew that he was thinking about becoming as strong as the Emperor of Heavenly Realm from nothing in hundred years, they would have called him stupid, but Xu Ming knew that it was only temporary. Even in a place that lacked Origin Energy, his cultivation speed was so fast; he could feel how fast it would become when he goes to the higher realms. He was confident that he could achieve that goal; he just wasn''t sure how long it would take him. **** Back in the Heavenly Realm, War God Zhen was inside his palace. He was hurriedly walking towards his bedroom as he was given valuable information by a maid. He went as fast as he could. As soon as he entered his bedroom, he saw a woman lying on the bed. "Is it the truth?" He asked softly as he stepped towards the woman. "Are you really going to become a mother?" "Yes," The Woman said, smilingly. The woman on the bed was the wife of War God Zhen. War God Zhen was just informed that his wife was pregnant, and he came running. "T-that''s such good news," War God Zhen said with an excited look on his face as he sat on the bed and held the hand of his wife gently. 146 Chapter 143: Time "You will have two kids who will call you father now," His Wife told him, smilingly. "Two?" War God Zhen asked in a surprise. "The Goddess of Medicine told me that it''s going to twins. One boy and one girl," His Wife told him. "Incredible! You just doubled my happiness. I always wanted to start a family of my own, and now my family is going to be complete. Us and our two kids. I''m never going to let anyone hurt them. They''ll be the rulers of this land! The sky shall be their playground, and the Land shall be their toy!" War God Zhen said as if he was making a declaration. "Hehehe, look at you. Already making a promise like that. I can already see you spoiling the kids," the Woman said as she chuckled. "Of Course. Why wouldn''t I spoil them? They are my kids! The kids of the King of Heaven! So what if I spoil them," War God Zhen replied. "We already know that one is going to be a boy; the other is going to be a girl. We still have a lot of time. Be sure to think of a nice name for them," the Woman told War God Zhen. "Ah, right! I need to come up with the names. Don''t worry; I''ll pick the best names for them," War God Zhen said with a wide grin on his face "Anyway, where is she?" he asked. "Who? Are you talking about the Goddess of Medicine? She should be in the guest room. She said that she was tired. She would leave after some rest," "I''ll go talk to her. You should rest," He kissed the forehead of his wife before he stood up and left the room. War God Zhen walked to the guest room and knocked ok the door. "Wen Yin?" He called out. The goddess of Medicine opened the door. "Thank you for coming and telling us such great news," War God Zhen told her. "About your kids? It''s alright. It''s not like I hate your wife. I was called here, and I came," Goddess of Medicine Wen Yin replied. "Am I really going to be the father of 2? How long before the kids come out?" He asked. "Yeah, it should be 2. Anyway, are you sure that it''s the time to be happy?" She inquired. "What do you mean?" War God Zhen asked her. The Goddess of Medicine looked towards him before she sighed. "Did you forget what you did? You killed the rightful heir of the Royal Throne. His son is still alive. I had hoped that you wouldn''t have kids as things are looking grim. I believe that he will come back. Everything will be destroyed. I don''t know if your kids can escape the carnage. I feel bad for the innocent souls being dragged into this." "You are talking about that demon spawn? So what if I hadn''t found him yet? He can only love for so long before I kill him. You are overestimating him. I''ll soon find him and kill him," War God Zhen said. "He won''t have the opportunity. I guarantee you! He will soon be found. I don''t let him grow enough to be a threat," War God Zhen replied. "I''m already telling you that if he comes here, then I''m not sure if I''ll support you. I''ll stay back and watch everything fall once again as I watched it on that cursed day. It still haunts me that the person he considered as family stabbed him in the back while I watched. I won''t join in the fight against his kid," Goddess of Medicine informed him before she started walking back. "I don''t expect you to do anything. Just keep taking care of the health of my wife and my kids. That''s all I need. As for the betrayal, You know why I did that. No matter how much I cared for Xu Liang, he was a demon. I couldn''t let the throne of the Heavenly Realm fall into the hands of a Demon. His son is also the same, and he will suffer the same fate," War God Zhen told her. " Don''t think that it doesn''t hurt me. I hate it as well, but that''s what I have to do as the Heavenly Realm Warrior. No one can threaten my home, not even someone like them whom I considered family at one time," he continued. "You''re so lost in what you think is right that you can''t see what is wrong. It''s so disappointing. I just hope that nothing bad will happen. I don''t want the Heavenly Realm to be destroyed by the Heavenly Realm. We''ve already lost most of our top warriors. If only you could make things right with Xu Ming, you might be able to repent up to some extent. We don''t need to make our own people our enemies. Please understand," Goddess of Medicine said in an effort to open War God Zhen''s eyes that were covered by the curtain of his own self-righteousness. "You always talk about such things. I came to talk about my kids, not about that demon spawn. Please drop this topic here. Also, you can''t leave this place. Since my wife is pregnant, you should stay here in case something goes wrong. You can ask for anything you need. Just treat it as your home," War God Zhen told her before he left. "She just doesn''t understand. I can''t only think with my heart. As a sensible person, I just always think with my head. The Demons sent Xu Liang as a spy who hid well until his life was threatened. That''s when he showed his true colors. She saw it, but she still doesn''t believe," War God Zhen muttered as he clenched his fist. "It won''t be long before I find him now." ****. There existed thousands of mortal worlds in this universe. One of those worlds was the world where Xu Ming was staying. He was sleeping in bed when he heard a knock on the door. "It should be her. I guess it''s time," Xu Ming muttered as he sat up. 147 Chapter 144: End Goal Xu Ming sat up and walked towards the door. Valeria was sleeping at the moment. Xu Ming opened the door and saw the person standing outside. It was a woman. She was Elder Mu that was assigned to handle matters related to Xu Ming''s core trials. "It''s time for your test. Let''s go," She told Xu Ming. "Alright. Just give me a minute. I''ll change my clothes. I''ll be right back," Xu Ming told her before he walked back. He didn''t forget to close the door behind him. He walked back to his room and tried to wake up Valeria, who was still sleeping. "Hmm? What is it? Can''t you let me sleep?" Valeria woke up and looked towards Xu Ming with her sleepy eyes. "You can sleep all you want after I leave. Just hear me out for a while." Xu Ming told her. "I''m leaving for some time. It might take a few days, but I''ll be back. Just don''t create any trouble." "You''re leaving? Where are you going? Let me come with you," she answered. "I''m going to the promotion trials. It''s going to be tough and dangerous. There''s no need for you to come," Xu Ming told her. "What are you talking about? Of course, I''m coming. It''s not like anyone else can see me. Let alone humans; even beasts can''t see me. I won''t be harmed in the least. I want to see how the trials here are like," Valeria told him. "If you aren''t here, I might go to that place to look at the Spirit Crystals. Think carefully." Xu Ming sighed as he looked at her stubborn expression. He did agree with one thing, though. The trial''s dangers to her were almost non-existent. No one would even know about her unless she spoke. "Alright. You can come with me, but on one condition," Xu Ming said to her. " You can''t speak a single word unless we are alone." "I agree," Valeria said happily as she flew up and landed on his shoulders. She sat on his shoulders. "Do I look like a carriage?" Xu Ming asked. "Come on. I''m as light as a feather. Just let me sit here for a while," Valeria replied. Xu Ming shook his head as he began walking towards the door. He opened the door. "Hmm? Are you not changing your clothes?" Elder Mu was surprised as she saw Xu Ming dressed in the same clothes. "Yeah. These clothes are just fine," Xu Ming answered her. "Alright. Come with me." She brought her flying beast out of the beast bag. It was a Giant Snow White Eagle that was 4 meters long. Each of its wings had a length of 4 meters as well. Elder Mu sat on top of the snow-white eagle "Come up," she said to Xu Ming. Xu Ming also climbed on the Eagle and sat behind her. "Aren''t we going to the Core Sect? It''s not too far away. You didn''t use a beast last time, why now?" Xu Ming asked. "I understand," Xu Ming nodded his head. The beast started flying towards the core sect. "You said that the test would be decided on the date. Do you know what the test is? Has it been decided?" Xu Ming asked. "You will know when we get there. What I can say is that many people are waiting for you there. You''ve attracted a lot of attention, and they are all eager to see how you perform," she replied. Xu Ming didn''t react. He didn''t care about the attention or fame. What he wanted was to get in the core sect. Suddenly, he thought of something. "Will Battle Fairy be there?" he asked. "She? No, she won''t be there, I think. She should be busy elsewhere," Elder Mu told him. "Oh." Xu Ming looked down. "Don''t worry about it. If you succeed in the trial this time, then you would get a position that would be equal to her. You will break her record, and you can even become the personal disciple of the sect master. You will become the 3rd contender for the Sect Master position," Elder Mu said. "I don''t want the sect master position. I only want to meet her," Xu Ming reacted with almost no happiness. "Geez, you''re a strange person. Generally, a person would be happy at the mere thought of being able to become the sect master, but you, on the other hand, are just so emotionless. It''s really strange. You should see how important the position of the Sect Master is. It''s the ultimate end goal,'' she said as she looked with Xu Ming weirdly "No, that''s not an end goal. It will never be the end goal for me. My end goal is something that will really be the end of it all. The end of life''s mission," Xu Ming muttered. "What is your end goal?" Elder Mu asked him. "My end goal is not something I can tell you." Xu Ming refused to answer her. "Sigh, you can''t even imagine what I would give to have a chance to be the Sect Master. You just don''t understand the value of it. As a cultivator, becoming the Sect Master of a sect like the Mighty Demon Sect is a dream come true. You might not have it as a goal, what this is what every Cultivator here would strive for if they had the opportunity," Elder Mu said. "It that''s what the cultivators here strive for, then they are all wrong. As a cultivator, the greed of a position is the worst. A cultivator shouldn''t be greedy for things, whether they are resources, property, position, or anything else. The position is only temporary. You know that positions don''t matter when the devils rule the land of the gods," Xu Ming said. "Devils rule the land of gods? What are you trying to say? What land of gods?" Elder Mu asked. "Your fantasy and your thoughts are so interesting sometimes. The words you use to express them sounds poetic." "The land of gods is the place that wouldn''t have been ruled by the devils. A day will come when things will set its course right," Xu Ming said. "I still don''t understand. Maybe I''m too old to understand the terms kids use nowadays," she smiled as she shook her head. They continued flying for a long time before she finally said something. "We''re here," 148 Chapter 145: The Core Trial "We are here," Elder Mu said to him. Their Eagle landed on the ground before a small group of people. Elder Mu and Ryder got down from the beast. Elder Mu brought him to the people that were standing there and introduced him. "This is Xu Ming, the guy you''ve been waiting to meet," Elder Mu said to the men. She had the second-lowest position amongst the people present here at the moment. There were around ten people there, and Xu Ming only recognized one of them. He didn''t understand what Elder Wu was doing here. Elder Wu was an Elder of the Outer Sect. Generally, he shouldn''t be here in the core sect. "Welcome to the Core Sect, Young Man. I''m the Sect Master of the Mighty Demon Sect. My name is Rin Wankun, and these are all Grand Elders of the Sect...." The Sect Master introduced himself and the other people that were there. Almost all of them were big names of the sect. "He''s Elder Wu, but I heard that you''ve already met him, so I don''t think there''s a need to introduce him to you," the Sect Master said smilingly. Xu Ming greeted them all politely. He still wondered if it was normal for them all to be here during the trial. He wasn''t told about it, but maybe the trials were so crucial that the Important Elders attended it every time. There was a small portal in front of him. "Let me explain your trial. To become a core sect disciple, you need to enter the portal. You will be taken to a special place that is filled with dangers. You have seven days of time to kill and bring 50 Peak Gold Realm Beasts back," The Sect Master told Xu Ming. "The cultivation realm of the beast is somewhat higher than your cultivation realm, and the number of beasts you need to hunt is kept higher as well, but if you can do this, You will be selected as the Core Sect disciple." The Sect Master explained to him what he had to do. He brought out a small golden storage ring and gave that to Xu Ming. "It is the Peak Mortal Grade storage ring. It has enough space to keep 100 beasts inside, so you shouldn''t have any problem keeping 50 inside." Xu Ming took the ring and wore it on his left hand. Next, the Sect Master brought out a small jade. "This is a special jade. When you are in danger, you can crush it. We will know that you are in danger. Someone will enter that place to bring you out, as long as you can stay alive in whatever danger you were in." The Sect Master told him. "It is a dangerous trial, and the place is a dangerous place. You will definitely die if you''re not careful, and no one would be able to save you. So don''t do anything that you might not be able to handle, and when you find the situation getting bad, crush the jade before it''s too late," he added. ''I guess that''s why he said that the stronger one''s cultivation is, the tougher the trial will be,'' Xu Ming thought. He was in the Initial Gold Core Realm, but he was told to hunt 50 Peak Gold realm beasts. If he had a stronger cultivation, he would''ve been told to hunt even stronger beasts. The trial was not easy, to say the least. It was almost impossible for an Initial Gold Core Realm cultivator to hunt the Peak Gold Core Realm beasts alone. The sect master also told him some more minor things like the portal was the only way to enter and leave that place, so he should lose direction inside. He wouldn''t be able to return in time if he forgot the location of the portal. "Do you understand everything?" the Sect Master asked. "I understand," Xu Ming agreed. "Good," the Sect Master nodded his head. "I look forward to your performance." "Do you want to say something?" The Sect Master asked Elder Wu. Elder Wu nodded his head. He looked towards Xu Ming. He smiled lightly. If Xu Ming hadn''t known about Elder Wu being blind, he would''ve been sure that Elder Wu was looking towards his Shoulders where Valeria was sitting. "Best of Luck." Elder Wu wished Xu Ming luck. "You can enter now." The Sect Master told Xu Ming to enter. Valeria was sitting on Xu Ming''s shoulders. She was surprised to see the men in front of her. One of them gave her a strange feeling as if he was looking at him, whereas another person was the one whose house she broke into. She hadn''t realized that the person was the big boss of this place. Xu Ming started walking towards the portal. He entered the portal without thinking for even a little and found himself on the other side of the portal. He was standing in what seemed like a Jungle. Dry leaves were lying everywhere on the ground. The trees were not as close to each other as forests generally had. There were over 5 meters of difference between each tree. The Sky looked the same as the Sky of the Core Sect, but as he looked back, he couldn''t see the Elders. It was definitely a different place. "This is definitely a different space. I don''t think it''s in the Core Sect. I wonder if I use the Sword of Judgement, would the others still be able to feel it? There''s no need to take the risk," Xu Ming muttered. He started walking ahead in search of the Beasts. He had already brought his Gold Realm Sword out of his Storage Ring. He was holding the sword in his right hand as he continued walking inside. He had only walked for two minutes before he saw a beast, but it wasn''t a beast he was looking for. The beast he saw was a Spirit Grade beast. Way weaker than the target he wanted. The Spirit Grade beast ran away as soon as he saw Xu Ming. Xu Ming didn''t follow him as the beast was useless for him. He spread out his Divine Sense to see through his surroundings in order to see if there were any peak Gold Realm beasts nearby. Using his Divine Sense, he did find a few Gold Realm Beasts. The only problem was that the beasts weren''t alone. 149 Chapter 146: Different Cultivation Xu Ming saw a group of 3 Peak Gold Realm Beasts using his Divine Sense. The beasts were sitting near a lake. All 3 of them were Lightning Leopards that were known for their lightning-fast speed. Their claws had the power to paralyze the person they scratched. They were known as one of the most dangerous beasts to face if someone didn''t know about their specialty. A person scratched by them had no chance of winning a battle as he wouldn''t even be able to move a finger because of the paralysis. Xu Ming walked towards the lake slowly. No matter how much he wanted to be stealthy, but it was impossible as there was no place on the ground that wasn''t covered in dry leaves. Every step of his resonated with a cracking sound. Xu Ming reached near the lake, but the Lightning Leopards had already noticed him. Xu Ming held his sword firmly in both his hand and closed his eyes. He wanted to entirely rely on his Divine Sense as he knew that his eyes might lose their sight because of their high speed, but his Divine Sense will never forget it. He noticed all one Lightning Leopard jumping towards him. The other 2 Lightning Leopards stayed behind as if they were sure that one of them was enough to deal with the weak-looking boy in front of them. "Heavenly Vajra Finger!" Xu Ming straight away used his strongest skill. A giant golden finger made entirely from Origin Energy appeared before him and started moving towards the Lightning Leopard. Even though the Leopard was fast, the Heavenly Vajra Finger was even faster. It was a god grade skill, filled with destructive power. The disturbance could be felt in the surroundings just because of the existence of this Heavenly Vajra Finger. The Lightning Leopard was mid-air, with no way to move. The Heavenly Vajra Finger hit the Lightning Leopard. He was killed in an instant, and his dead body was tossed to the side. The Heavenly Vajra Finger still didn''t stop, though. The attack of the Heavenly Vajra Finge continued ahead. It struck the two remaining Lightning Leopards that were sitting just behind. They hadn''t expected that things would change so fast. They didn''t even have the time to dodge before the Heavenly Vajra Finger struck them. The 2nd Leopard was killed as well, but the power of the skill had weakened as it reached the 3rd Lightning Leopard. The 3rd Lightning Leopard was hit as well, but it wasn''t killed. It was lying on the ground. Its body was bleeding, and most of its bones were broken, but it was still breathing. Xu Ming walked to the Heavenly Leopard. The Leopard''s weak eyes never left the sight of Xu Ming. Xu Ming stopped before the Leopard. Without looking in the Leopard''s eyes, Xu Ming swung his sword and killed the Last Lightning Leopard. The eyes of the Lightning Leopard closed as it died. Xu Ming kept its body in the Storage Ring that was given to him by the Sect Master. He walked to the other bodies and kept them in the ring as well. After doing all this, he climbed on top of one of the branches of the trees and started recollection of his Origin Energy. He had depleted half his energy to cast that skill. He didn''t want to go to other hunts without his full strength. "That was a God Grade Skill, wasn''t it? Amazing. I thought that only the high position people in the Heavenly Realm were allowed to learn it. You must''ve been from a well off family," Valeria said to Xu Ming. She was surprised when she saw him use the skill. She didn''t know that he would have an ability at that level. She wanted to ask him right then, but she didn''t disturb him during the fight and waited for the right time. "Yes," Xu Ming replied to get in a single word. "Despite being from such a high-level family, you''re down here. I guess you were right. Even though you weren''t at my level, you were still the son of someone from a decently positioned family. Both of us are the prime example of falling from Heaven to Hell," Valeria said smilingly. "I didn''t ask it before, but what''s your cultivation Realm?" Xu Ming asked Valeria. He wanted to change the topic as he didn''t want to hear about how bad things were now. "I''m at the Peak 2nd Spirit Warrior Realm," Valeria replied "What''s that? Do you guys have a different cultivation system compared to us?" Xu Ming asked her. "Of course. Did you just realize that? Spirit Fairies have a different cultivation realm," Valeria replied. "Can you make it easy for me and talk in terms that I can understand? What is the 2nd Spirit Warrior Realm equivalent to?" Xu Ming asked. "It''s somewhat similar to where you are at right now. My cultivation realm is similar to yours. We aren''t as lucky as the Heavenly Realm kids who are at the high cultivation realm right from the birth," Valeria replied. "Oh, so you can help me kill the beasts if you''re in the same realm as me," Xu Ming said to her. "I can''t. I don''t know any offensive skills of Spirit Fairies," Valeria said with an embarrassed look in his face. "You don''t? You should have access to them all. You are the daughter of the Queen." Xu Ming looked at her in confusion. He couldn''t understand why he didn''t learn offensive skills. She had a position, so she should have been able to. He did realize that he didn''t know much about the Spirit Fairy race, but it was still strange. "I didn''t like learning the skills. I didn''t like fighting and killing. I especially hated the skills that helped people kill each other, so I didn''t learn them," Valeria replied to him. "That... I guess people have different convections. I can''t blame you for having a different way of thinking. What skills do you know then?" Xu Ming asked her. "I know many skills. I did learn most of the high-grade skills that are non-offensive, so I can definitely be of help here, but I can''t kill any beast," Valeria replied. "Alright. Tell me the skills so that I can come up with the more effective plan of action," Xu Ming told her. 150 Chapter 147: Special Skill "There are quite a few good ones," Valeria said with a proud look on her face before she went on to talk about her skills. She told Xu Ming about all the skills that she has learned. "Those are some good skills. I''ve never heard about skills like that," Xu Ming muttered as he heard about her skills. "Of Course you haven''t heard about it. These are the special skills of our spirit fairy race. I don''t think anyone else could make skills like these. Not someone from the mortal world at least. "Alright. I think I understand how I can use your help. Let me rest for a while before we start hunting," Xu Ming muttered. After an hour of resting, his Origin Energy reserves were full now. He got down from the branch and continued on his search. His Divine Sense was turning out to be pretty useful in finding the targets. Xu Ming continued to look throughout his surroundings. He found another Peak Gold Core Realm beast. It was a single beast this time. It was called the Dark Horned Tiger. Its size was much smaller than the Lightning Leopard. Although it was called a Dark Horned Tiger, it was half the size of the tigers from the earth. It had a 30-centimeter long dark horn on its head that was known as it''s lifeline. There were two ways to kill a Dark Horned Tiger. One was by killing him the normal way using brute strength, and the second option was to hit it''s Dark Horn. The Dark Horned Tiger died whenever someone touched their Horn. It was a strange beast, and no one knew why their Horn was related to their lives. Some said that their Horn was linked to their heart and contained a strange kind of energy. Once a person touched their horn, that energy was contaminated, which in turn ended up killing them. The Dark Horned Tiger was also a long-range attacker as it didn''t prefer coming in close contact with the opponent due to its vulnerability twisted to its Horn. The Dark Horned Tiger opened its mouth and shot out something that seemed like a ball of dark light. It didn''t stop at once and kept attacking Xu Ming with similar attacks. Xu Ming didn''t bother dodging the attack; instead, he stood in his position. He got into a sword stance and got in a position to attack The ball of light managed to reach near Xu Ming, but it didn''t hit him. It seemed as if Xu Ming was about to be hit by the light, but a barrier appeared before him that stopped the attacks. "2nd Strike of Heaven!" Xu Ming slashed with his sword. The barrier disappeared right before his attack. A compelling arc of light escaped from his sword and flew towards the Dark Horned Tiger. The Dark Horned Tiger hadn''t expected that the reversal would happen for fast. He wasn''t even prepared to dodge. The attack landed on the neck of the Dark Horned Tiger. He trusted his sword into the Dark Horned Tiger''s neck, killing him in an instant. Xu Ming put the body in his storage ring. "How was my barrier? It was cool, wasn''t it?" Valeria asked as a grin formed on her face. "It was good. I was somewhat doubtful about your ability, but the barrier was definitely not bad," Xu Ming told her. "I told you that there was no need to doubt me. All my skills are most awesome," Valeria said, proudly. They continued walking further in search of more beasts. Xu Ming found another beast after only 10 minutes. It was another Lightning Leopard, but it was killed as well. Xu Ming was getting more efficient in killing the beasts with time. He didn''t use his God-Level Skills to kill the Lightning Leopard this time. He only used his lower-level skills as he didn''t think that he would ever spend so much Origin Energy just to kill a single Lightning Leopard. His attack, combined with Valeria''s defense, made them a strong team. They kept killing beasts as they found them. Soon, the day finished, and it was night. It was only the first day, and still, Xu Ming had killed 13 Peak Gold Realm Beasts. If it kept going like this, he would finish the Trial in less than four days instead of the seven that was assigned to him. He had expected that the Trial would be tough, but it was turning out to be much easier for him. He gave its credit to the Elders, underestimating his real strength. He knew that they judged his strength based on his cultivation Realm and the strength he showed to get to the 1st Rank in the Inner Ranking battles, but they didn''t know that he hadn''t used all his strength in those battles. His real strength was far superior to an average guy that had the same cultivation as him. The Beasts of this world and the cultivators they all used Qi to achieve their cultivation realm, but he, on the other hand, had used his much superior Origin Energy to cultivate. The Origin Energy was said to be the Energy of the Immortals, whereas the Qi energy was supposed to be the Energy of the Mortals. Although there were situations where Qi was comparable to Origin Energy, he didn''t know about it as no one that cultivated using Qi had managed to reach that level. There was only one person throughout history that reached the true peak, just by using his Qi energy. He didn''t have any special physique or anything, but still, he was the person that the world remembered from the legends. It was said that the person was the same person that had destroyed the 2 God Beast Clans. The person reached such a high level only using Qi. The White Tiger Clan and the Azure Dragon Clan suffered the wrath and were almost completely destroyed. Xu Ming didn''t know about any of this, and he still thought that there was no way that Qi Energy could ever reach the level of the Origin Energy. He slept during the night on the top of the branch. He had told Valeria to keep an eye on the surroundings while he slept. Xu Ming slept during the night and woke up as the first ray of the sunlight fell on his face. He got down from the tree branch. "You can go to sleep now," he told Valeria, who had stayed up all night. 151 Chapter 148: Earth Realm Beas "There''s no need for that. I can stay up for a few days without needing any sleep. It''s a specialty of our Spirit Fairy Race," Valeria told Xu Ming. "Really? Then why did I find you sleeping so many times before?" Xu Ming asked. Her words did not convince him. "That''s because I was bored. I said that we don''t need to sleep every day, but I never said that we couldn''t sleep. I only sleep two times. One is when I am actually sleepy, and the second time is when I''m bored," Valeria replied. "So, you''re not sleepy and not bored?" Xu Ming asked her. "Yeah. I''m not sleepy. Also, we are in the middle of a battleground. How can I be bored?" Valeria responded. "Alright. Let''s continue then," Xu Ming told her. Valeria sat on Xu Ming''s shoulders while he started walking ahead. They had already killed 13 Peak Gold Core Realm beasts on the 1st day itself and only needed to kill 37 more. They say six days to finish this task Xu Ming continued walking deeper into the forest and farther from the entrance portal in search of the Peak Gold Realm beasts. He was constantly using his Divine Sense to keep an eye on his surroundings. Since he had entered this place, he had found hundreds of Spirit Realm beasts but only 13 Peak Gold Realm Beasts. After walking for an hour, he found a beast. It would be better to say that the beast found him Xu Ming could see through his Divine Sense that a Dark Storm Sparrow was flying towards his direction. Without giving it a chance to attack, Xu Ming got into a sword stance. "3rd Strike of Heaven!" He swung his sword. The Dark Storm Sparrow had still not reached yet, but Xu Ming had guessed its trajectory and realized how long it would take it to reach near them. A bright arc of light left his sword and went towards the sky. The Dark Storm Sparrow had just reached there when Xu Ming''s attack hit it. The attack managed to cut off its wing. The right-wing of the Dark Storm Sparrow was cut off, making it fall to the ground. Xu Ming was already waiting there. The Dark Storm Sparrow fell right before his feet. Xu Ming raised his sword and thrust it in the neck of the Dark Storm Sparrow, killing it instantly. "That brings our number to fourteen. Only thirty-six more to go," Xu Ming muttered. He put the body of the Dark Storm Sparrow in the storage ring that was given him by the Sect Master to hold the beast''s body. The Sect Master didn''t know that Xu Ming already had a ring of his own. Xu Ming''s ring was much bigger, as well. The Sect Master would''ve been shocked if he was able to see the ring of Xu Ming. Xu Ming found it really useful that he could make his ring go invisibly; otherwise, he would long have been caught. Xu Ming started walking ahead in search of more beasts. Xu Ming didn''t know how strong that beast was, but from the roar, it sounded like it was definitely stronger than the beasts that he had met in this place so far. The roar was powerful, and Xu Ming understood that the best was definitely a strong beast who was most probably in the Earth Realm. Even though Xu Ming wasn''t afraid of the beast, he decided to ignore it. He only needed to hunt Gold Realm beasts. He didn''t want to waste his energy to fight an Earth Realm beast for no reason. He changed his direction and started walking in another direction. There was also a different thought process behind it. He felt that the Gold Realm beasts wouldn''t stay in the area of the Earth Realm beast. The chances of him finding a Peak Gold Realm beast ahead was almost negligible in his eyes. Thus, he changed his direction and started walking in a different direction. Xu Ming continued walking in the direction he had chosen, and after some time, he started finding the Peak Gold Realm Beasts that he was looking for. In the next 4 hours, he found 5 Peak Gold Realm Beasts, and he killed them all. He had killed 19 Peak Gold Realm beasts, and it wasn''t even the afternoon of the second day. Even though he killed five beasts in such a short time, he had also depleted most of his energy. Xu Ming''s Origin Energy reserves were running low. He decided to rest. Xu Ming climbed on one of the trees and sat on its branch as he started resting and restoring his Origin Energy Reserves. Xu Ming sat on the branch. While he was restoring his Origin Energy, he noticed Valeria lying on his lap. She was sleeping. "I wonder if she sat bored now or if she sat lying about the ''no need of sleep for days'' thing," Xu Ming muttered as he watched her sleep. After 4 hours, his Origin Energy reserves were full, and he was ready to get to work, but Valeria was still sleeping. He wondered if he should wake her up, but he gave up on that plan. She kept an eye on him all night long to keep him safe; he decided to wait a few hours for her to wake up. He shifted her to his hand from his lap as he jumped down from the tree. He made sure that she didn''t feel the impact of his landing. "I can at least find the location of the other beasts in the meantime," Xu Ming muttered as he continued waiting ahead. He had Valeria sleeping on his palm, without any trouble. She was sleeping like a child. After walking for an hour, Xu Ming found more Peak Gold Realm Beasts. There were 2 Peak Gold Realm Beasts. Both of them were fighting each other, but none of them was injured. It seemed as if the fight had just started. On one side was the Peak Gold Realm beast Snow Eating Bear whereas on the other side was the Blood Red Wolf. Both of these had different specialties. While the Blood Red Wolf had speed as its defining trait, the Snow Eating Bear was more well known for its strength that was able to crush its opponents to smithereens. 152 Chapter 149: Going for the kill The Snow Eating Wolf was fighting against the Blood Red Wolf. The battle was deafening and brutal. In no time, they were both bloodied because of the battle. Their roars echoed throughout the forest. The loud roars managed to wake up Valeria, who was peacefully sleeping in Xu Ming''s hands. "What''s happening?" she asked as she opened her eyes slowly. She sat up as she looked around her to get a general understanding of the situation. "We are near a battle. The two big guys are fighting," Xu Ming told her as he pointed towards the beasts as the distance. "Oh, I guess I fell asleep. You should''ve woken me up if you were coming here," she muttered as she flew up and landed on Xu Ming''s shoulders. "Are you going to hunt them?" she asked him. "Yeah, just let them weaken each other first. It would save some of my energy," Xu Ming responded. The fight of the beasts continued for quite some time. Both of them were extremely injured, but none of them was willing to give up. After some time, It was clear that the Snow Eating Bear had won the battle. The Blood Red Wolf was lying on the ground. Its breathing was weak, but it didn''t look like it had the strength to sit up. The Snow Eating Bear was about to deal the final blow when he sensed danger. He wanted to dodge, but he was too late already. A sword came flying towards him and penetrated its neck. The Snow Eating Bear fell down to the ground and died instantly. Xu Ming walked towards the Snow Eating Bear. He gripped the handle of his sword and pulled his sword out of its neck below, stabbing it in the chest of the Snow Eating Bear. He walked towards the Blood Red Wolf that was lying on the ground, weakly. The eyes of the Blood Red Wolf were still open when Xu Ming stabbed his sword in the body of the Blood Red Wolf multiple times, killing it. Xu Ming kept the bodies of the Blood Red Wolf and the Snow Eating Bear in his storage ring. "That makes it 21. Good going so far. We only need to kill six more to break yesterday''s record of 13 kills," Valeria said to Xu Ming. "Yeah, it should be possible. We have most of the day. I''m hoping to finish the trial in less than three days, so I would need to increase the kills," Xu Ming muttered. He started walking ahead as he again spread out his Divine Sense. The Divine Sense converted 200 meters around Xu Ming. He saw a lot of weaker beasts and a few Gold Realm beasts as well, but he didn''t see any other Peak Gold Realm beast. He continued waiting ahead, and after 20 minutes, he found the beasts he was looking for through his Divine Sense. He saw a pack of 100 Winged Lions. The Winged Lions had white wings on their back, but they couldn''t use those wings to fly. Amongst the 100, The were 70 Spirit Grade Beasts and 30 Gold Grade Beasts. Amongst the 30 Gold Grade Beasts, only 6 of them were Peak Gold Grade Beasts. Xu Ming walked towards the beasts. "That''s a good opportunity. You can break the record on one try," Valeria muttered as she saw the beasts. "It''s not that easy. There are too many beasts there. Generally, the weaker beasts would run away, but not this time. If I attack their home when their leaders are around, they will definitely not run away. I''d have to face them all," Xu Ming muttered. "I''m sure you can do it. I can protect you against some of the attacks and watch your back while you focus on killing the beasts. You shouldn''t ignore this group. I''m sure you can kill them all at once with my help," Valeria said. She had seen how Xu Ming fought, and she was confident that he would be able to deal with them. "Well, there is something that I can try, but it would cost me a lot of my Origin Energy. We would have no choice but to run if things don''t go as planned," Xu Ming muttered. Valeria was curious about what he was talking about. "There''s no shame in running. Let''s try what you suggested," she told Xu Ming. Xu Ming gripped his sword firmly and started moving in the direction of the ground. He jumped in the middle of the ground. The Winged Lions roared as they saw Xu Ming. Most of them started attacking him, but Valeria''s barrier protected him. Xu Ming raised his hand towards the sky. "Thunder Storm!" he let out with a power-filled voice. His voice reverberated with nature. The sky started to darken. Dark clouds covered the sky above their head. The clouds began roaring in as if a storm was brewing inside them. After a few more seconds, hundreds of thunderbolts fell down from the sky. It seemed as if the heavens were angry and wanted to cleanse all the sins of this planet through their heavenly thunder. The Thunderbolts fell all around Xu Ming, but not on him. Except for the spot where Xu Ming was standing, every other place suffered the wrath of thunder. The Winged Lions were hit by the thunder and died instantly. Xu Ming had used most of his Origin Energy to cast the Thunderstorm this time and only had very little Origin Energy left inside his body. These thunderbolts had managed to kill most of the Winged Lions. Only a few Winged Lions managed to escape the bolts as they ran away. Almost all of the Peak Gold Realm Beasts were dead except one. There was one Peak Gold Realm Winged Lion who had managed to escape the thunderstorm. Only his wing was hit by the thunderbolt, which injured him but didn''t kill him. As soon as the thunderstorm stopped, he roared loudly as he looked towards the sky. The Peak Gold Realm Winged Lion jumped towards Xu Ming. His intention was clear. He wanted to kill Xu Ming to take revenge for what Xu Ming did to him. Xu Ming watched the Winged Lion coming towards him. "Valeria, cast the barrier!" Xu Ming told Valeria. Valeria cast the barrier that stopped the Winged Lion attack from landing on Xu Ming. 153 Chapter 150: The Grandson The attack didn''t land on Xu Ming as the barrier stopped the Winged Lion. Xu Ming was wholly protected under the barrier. Xu Ming moved his sword back and used all his power to attack. "Open it now!" he let out loud as he thrust the sword forth. The barrier that was stopping the Winged Lion disappeared, and the Sword of Xu Ming penetrated the Skull of the Winged Lion. The Winged Lion hadn''t expected that an attack would come out of the barrier. His eyes were wide open as he died. Xu Ming dropped down to his knees as he took a deep breath. "We did it. It was the first time I used over ninety percent of my Origin Energy to cast the Thunderstorm. It was definitely more powerful," Xu Ming muttered. "That... was a powerful attack. I feel that you weren''t able to bring out its full force, but from what I can imagine, if the Heavenly King used this attack, he would''ve been able to destroy this whole planet with ease. It''s definitely one of the strongest skills I have seen," Valeria said. She still looked somewhat stunned. "You don''t even know the half of it. I think the Sword Art of Destruction would be even more powerful when used with the Sword of Judgement," Xu Ming said. He sat down on the ground, giving rest to his already tired body. "The Sword of Judgement? Are you talking about THE Sword of Judgement? One of the 4 God Grade Weapons in existence?" Valeria had her mouth wide open as she heard his words. "It should be the same," Xu Ming replied. "Of Course any attack would be disastrously more powerful with it. It''s a freaking God Grade Weapon, after all! Also, the Heavenly Emperor had that sword before, and I don''t think he even needed to use that sword to destroy anything. The gentle flick of the Heavenly Emperor''s hand should have been enough to destroy planets. Still, you claim that he died. Who has the sword now? The next king? '''' She asked him. "No, that traitor doesn''t have that sword," Xu Ming said. "The new king doesn''t have the Sword of Judgement? I agree that I haven''t heard about news related to the Heavenly Realm in a long time, but he wouldn''t just give away a God Grade Weapon to anyone. The person who became the new king wouldn''t just let anyone else take the sword either. Who has it now if not him?" Valeria asked, shocked. "The grandson of the Heavenly Emperor has the sword," Xu Ming replied to her. Xu Ming stood up, despite being tired. With his aching feet, he walked towards the bodies of the Peak Gold Realm beasts and started putting them in his storage ring. While Valeria talked, Xu Ming kept the bodies of all 6 Peak Gold Grade Beasts in his storage ring. "The Grandson isn''t lucky," Xu Ming muttered as he shook his head. "What do you know about him? You''ve been in this place for so long; you won''t know how enjoyable the lives of the Royals are. The Prince would have everything he needed. Best education, best treasures, and best everything. You can''t even imagine how lucky the Grandson of the Heavenly Emperor would be. He should have a similarly pleasurable life in the Heavenly Realm as I lived in the Spirit Fairy world as their Princess," Valeria replied. "No, he''s living the same life that you''re living right now. Is that considered lucky? If losing your whole family is lucky, I would have wished that I was unlucky instead," Xu Ming responded. No matter how naive Valeria was, she caught the hidden hints in Xu Ming''s bitterness. "You mean..." "Yeah. I''m the grandson that you consider lucky. Look at me. Do I look lucky?" Xu Ming asked her. "You are the Prince of the Heavenly Realm?" Valeria''s little mouth was open wide as she heard Xu Ming''s words. "Yeah." Xu Ming muttered as he carried his tired body to the nearby tree and sat under its shade, resting his back against the tree. For a long time, Valeria didn''t speak a word as she tried to process the shocking revelation that she had just received. "Can you tell me everything if you don''t mind?" she asked Xu Ming. Xu Ming closed his eyes as he remembered his past and started describing everything that he went through. He talked about how his life in the Heavenly Realm was. He spoke about his Loving Grandfather. He talked about his dearest father and mother. The whole story sounded like a fairy tale before it suddenly turned into a nightmare as he reached the point of the attack on the Heavenly Palace. He talked about his mother meeting poison and how the last thing he saw was his father being killed. Valeria was just standing there stunned. Her eyes were already filled with tears. Tears were spilling out of her eyes like the barrage of her emotions was broken. "That bastard War God! He''s the biggest trash in this universe. He deserves to die the worst death," Valeria said as she sobbed. "I-i hate him! You must kill him with your own hands!" She further said. "Don''t worry about that. I swear to heavens. I will destroy him. I will give him the painful death that he deserves, but not before I make him watch his family being destroyed. I''ll destroy everything that he possesses. I''ll take every happiness and every emotion away from him, leaving only eternal despair. He took everything from me, and I will take everything from him!" Xu Ming said as he clenched his fist firmly while looking towards the sky. "I''ll help you with everything I can. You have my full support! Even if you want to destroy the heavens, I''ll support you! Also, don''t worry about your mother. You talked about the herb that could heal her. We have a single piece of that herb in our castle. We will definitely wake up your mother. You won''t lose her because of that poison!" Valeria told him, with full determination in her voice. 154 Chapter 151: Sword of Time Xu Ming looked at her seriously before he burst into laughter. She looked just as determined as him. It had been a long time since he had laughed like that. He couldn''t even remember when it was the last time. He smiled some times when he was with others, but most of it was faked. His whole being was filled with melancholy since the moment he came to this planet. Valeria didn''t know how rare it was for him to laugh as she hadn''t been with him for long. If anyone else like Zi Zhenfeng or Wu Tian, who knew Xu Ming in the last 5--10 years, were here, then they would''ve been shocked. "Are you laughing at me? Do you think that I can''t help you?" Valeria asked as she pouted. "Not at all. I''m laughing because you reminded me that I don''t need to be alone. I can have people that can be close to me. More importantly, I''m laughing because I''m happy. You gave me the best news of my life. My mother''s poison can be healed. I am happy because I met you. You came like an angel to my life with the cure for my mother. This is the first time in long that I''ve felt so happy," Xu Ming said to her. "Oh, it''s good then. We can definitely cure your mom as soon as we get to the Spirit Fairy World. I can also get rid of that bastard who committed the crime in our Realm," Valeria said. "We''ll get there when we are strong enough. You and I, we both need to get stronger," Xu Ming muttered. "Yes, we do," Valeria nodded her head. She walked towards Xu Ming and sat on his right thing, resting her back in his body. "Are you tired as well?" Xu Ming asked her. "Why? I can''t be tired?" Valeria inquired. "Not at all. Just rest for some time. We need to get to work after I collect my energy," Xu Ming replied. Both of them rested, and none of them said anything for the next fifteen minutes. Valeria was the one who opened her mouth first. "Can I ask you something?" Valeria asked. "Sure, ask me anything," Xu Ming said. "If you could reverse time and go back to the time when your father was alive to warn everyone, would you do it?" Valeria asked. "In a heartbeat," Xu Ming responded without taking even a second to think about it. "Why do you ask?" "There is a way to do that," Valeria replied to him. "There is a way to reverse time? How?" Xu Ming asked in disbelief. "There are actually two ways to do it. First of it is somehow comprehending the Law of Time and increasing your comprehension until your Law Seed becomes the Ancestral Tree of time." " Then you would be able to do anything you want, but it''s almost impossible. No one has been able to do this before. It''s almost impossible to comprehend the Time Law, let alone getting it to such a high level," Valeria said. "The Law of Time, huh," Xu Ming muttered as he thought about it. "Who was he? Did that form an Ancestral Tree of Time?" Xu Ming asked. "I don''t know about that. The legend only said that he was a master of space and time. It didn''t talk about how deep his comprehension in each of those laws was. Also, there is a rumor that he died, but I don''t know if we could trust those rumors," Valeria said. "A person who knew two supreme laws? And he still died? I would''ve loved to meet him," Xu Ming muttered. "As I said, no one knows if he is actually alive or dead. No one saw him die, I think. He just disappeared, or maybe someone managed to join him but didn''t tell anyone. Anything is possible. It might all just be a fairytale that the ancestors made up," Valeria said. "If he can comprehend those laws, then I would be able to do it as well, Anyway, What''s the second way?" he asked. "The second method is by finding a lost artifact," Valeria answered him. "A lost artifact?" Xu Ming asked in confusion. "Yeah, there is a legend around that as well. It was said that there was a legendary artifact in this world that could control time. It was called The Sword of Time. There was a girl who found the Sword of time in an ancient ruin. After some research in the ruins, she found out the name of the sword, and it''s uses," Valeria started explaining. "She excitedly went home and told her family about it. The sword had a specialty that it could take a person back in time by up to ten thousand years. There was also a negative side to that said. When a person used it, he would be taken back in time, but he would only be able to live for 24 hours after using the sword. After those 24 hours, that person and his past or future iterations will disappear from this world," "For example, if you used that artifact to go back in time when the little Xu Ming was in heavenly Realm, you would be able to warn your family and help them, but after 24 hours, you will die, and the Young Xu Ming will disappear forever," She said. "What if I go back to the time when I wasn''t born?" Xu Ming inquired. "Then you will die in that time after 24 hours, and Xu Ming will never be born. This is the dark side of this artifact," Valeria said, shocking Xu Ming. "Anyway, back to that story. That girl showed her family that sword. Her family prohibited her from using the sword, but her older brother had something different in his mind. He stole the sword one night and used it to go back in time by ten years to the time her girlfriend was killed. He saved her girlfriend, but he died. The sword disappeared," "There is another rumor related to the sword. It said that the person who controlled space and time found the Sword. Not sure how true those rumors are. Even if they are true, after that man''s death, the sword is still lost somewhere," Valeria said. 155 Chapter 152: The Uncertain Plan "So it doesn''t matter if that man found the Sword out not. The fact remains that the sword is missing. I don''t think it will be easy to find that sword, but if I could find it, I would use it if there was a possibility of saving father and stopping this from happening," Xu Ming muttered. "You can always try to comprehend the Law of Time, but I don''t even understand where to start. There haven''t been many who formed time essence, let alone comprehending a law of time. It might be luck," Valeria said. "I will try to find things about the Law of Time to get more understanding about him. There must be someone or something that holds the knowledge that could help me," Xu Ming muttered. They sat there in silence, resting. Xu Ming closed his eyes as he felt the cold wind brushing against his skin, providing him with comfort. The moment seemed as if it was stopped in time. Xu Ming finally felt somewhat calm in his heart. He was just half a step away from entering the Core Sect, and he also knew how to get the cure for his mother. Things were finally looking like they were falling in their place. He rested for a few more hours before he stood up and continued ahead in search of more beasts. His energy was restored, and he was feeling fresh. He had twenty-seven Peak Gold Core Realm beasts in his storage ring already, and he only needed twenty-three more. After some search, he found more beasts. Throughout the day, Xu Ming kept searching for beasts and hunting them. By the time it was night, he already had 32 beasts in his Storage Ring. He stopped hunting when it was night and found a place to sleep. "It was a great day. We not only broke yesterday''s records but went way above that¡ª19 beasts in a day. If we go by this rate, by tomorrow night, we will be done with this place. I want to leave this place so badly. It''s boring," Valeria said to Xu Ming. "I''ll try to finish it tomorrow. Then we will leave this place and go to a new place. The Core Sect should be a good place. After I get my mother back, we can think about what to do next," Xu Ming muttered. Previously he used to think that he would leave the sect after getting the necklace back, but he realized that staying in the sect had helped him a lot. Even though the sect didn''t have Origin Energy Crystals, they could help him; the Sect did have many other resources. The only downside was that he would constantly be under people''s radar after getting to the core sect. He wanted to plan properly about what to do next after getting the necklace. He might even be able to get a few good things from the sect if he stayed here for some time. He talked with Valeria for some time before Valeria told him to go to sleep. She said that he was wasting precious time by not sleeping. Valeria had offered to stay up again to protect him when he slept. The night passed away in silence, and the Sun rose in the sky. Xu Ming woke up from his slumber as the first ray of light fell on him. He stretched his arm as he yawned. "Good Morning." Valeria greeted him as she saw Xu Ming waking up. "Good Morning. You can go to sleep now," Xu Ming said. Before she could say anything, he continued speaking. "Don''t give me an excuse like last time. Just sleep like a good girl. You can rest while I look for more beasts. You can at least get the sleep for a few hours till I find a beast," he said. Valeria nodded. "Can you stay here like this until I fall asleep? I like sleeping on your lap," She said. "Alright," Xu Ming told her. Valeria was already sitting on his leg, but she closed her eyes and laid down. Xu Ming watched her sleep. After some time, she fell asleep. After making sure that she was actually sleepy, Xu Ming shifted her to his palm and carried her with him as he walked forth. He walked through the forest for over 2 hours, but he didn''t find any Peak Gold Realm beast. It was the 3rd hour when he finally noticed one from his Divine Sense. There was a 3 Horned Dark Deer sleeping near a tree. "hey, Valeria. Wake up. I found something," Xu Ming tried to wake up Valeria. He didn''t want to put her down as another beast might come and harm her. After some time, Valeria woke up. "Did you find the target?" she asked. "Yes. I found the target. It''s a 3 Horned Dark Deer around 150 meters away from us," Xu Ming said. "Oh, what''re we waiting for then. Let''s get to hunting," Valeria said with a wide smile on her face as she flew up and sat on his shoulders. Xu Ming smiled as he saw her enthusiasm. He brought his Gold Grade Sword out of his storage ring and started walking towards the 3 Horned Dark Deer. The 3 Horned Dark Deer heard the sound of footsteps and woke up as he looked in the direction of Xu Ming. After some time, Xu Ming and the 3 Horned Dark Deer were facing each other. Both of them are only 30 meters away from each other. "Can you cast a barrier around it to prevent it from leaving? I want to take this fight easy without wasting much energy," Xu Ming said. "Of Course. You already know that I have the skill," Valeria said as she grinned. She used her martial skill as she pointed her finger towards the 3 Horned Dark Deer. A barrier appeared around the 3 Horned Dark Deer that was around 10 meters in diameter. The Deer tried to break the barrier with brute strength, but it didn''t work. "Hurry. The barrier might break," Valeria said to Xu Ming. "Release the barrier when my attack reaches it," Xu Ming said as he got into a sword stance. He started using his Origin Energy. "3rd Strike of Heaven!" Xu Ming let out as he swung his sword. A powerful arc of light left his sword and flew towards the 3 Horned Dark Deer. As soon as this attack reached near the barrier, Valeria stopped her spell. 156 Chapter 153: Against Earth Realm The 3 Horned Dark Deer was about to attack the barrier again when the attack landed on it and cut its head off. "This is much easier when the beasts don''t move," Xu Ming said as he walked closer to the beast and put his body in the storage ring. "That makes it one for the day. Now we only need 17 more, and we''ll win," Valeria chuckled "Yeah, we''ve been quite lucky that we haven''t met stronger beasts. It has been going pretty smoothly. It doesn''t even feel like a deadly trial," Xu Ming said as he left that place. "Of course, it wouldn''t feel hard. You have such powerful skills that those guys didn''t know about. You also have the help of the great me. Things can''t go bad with me around," Valeria said as she grinned. "I just hope it keeps going this smoothly, just for one more day. After that, we would be able to leave," Xu Ming muttered as he continued on his search for peak Gold Realm beasts. He kept using his Divine Sense and changed his direction whenever he saw an Earth Realm beast. His Divine Sense had a much wider range than the spiritual sense of other people. Even the Earth Realm Cultivator''s Spiritual Sense wasn''t able to see as far as Xu Ming''s Divine Sense. Xu Ming''s Divine Sense helped him avoid Earth Realm Beasts before he could get in their range. Thus, he kept escaping close encounters that would otherwise have resulted in him fighting the beasts. Xu Ming was walking ahead when he saw another beast within the range of his Divine Sense. He hurriedly ran towards the beast as he could see that the beast was going away in the opposite direction. "Valeria, You must cast a barrier around it, just like you did the last time. This is the best strategy, and I want us to implement this when we face a single beast. Wasting energy unnecessarily would only waste more of our time in resting. The faster we finish, the faster we can leave," Xu Ming told her. After some time, Xu Ming reached near the beast. He used his Origin Movement to pass through the trees to save time when chasing after the Beast. The beast noticed Xu Ming and started running even faster. "Can you cast it yet?" Xu Ming asked Valeria. "No, it''s too far away right now. I need to be closer to it to cast the barrier," Valeria replied to Xu Ming. "Alright." Xu Ming kept chasing after the beast. The distance between them kept decreasing until Xu Ming was just 20 meters away from the beast. Valeria raised her hand and used her Martial Skill on the beast. A barrier appeared around the beast. The beast was running and crashed against the barrier, but still, the barrier wasn''t broken. Xu Ming stopped running and got ready to attack. "16 more to go! We are an incredible team," Valeria said smilingly. "We are indeed a good team," Xu Ming smiled as he walked closer to the beast and placed it on his storage ring, but his expressions changed as he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Xu Ming turned back, only to see a giant mammoth-like beast standing behind him. It was an Earth Realm beast. Xu Ming was so engrossed in catching the beast that he didn''t use his Divine Sense to see his surroundings. He had entered the range of an Earth Realm beast unknowingly. "Earth Trampling Mammoth," Xu Ming muttered. It was a 1st stage Earth Realm Beast. There was a big difference between the first stage Earth Realm beast and a peak Gold Realm beast. Xu Ming hadn''t yet faced an Earth Realm Beast, but he realized that it wasn''t going to be as easy as hunting Gold Realm beasts. The Earth Trampling Mammoth was 5 meters tall and 7 meters long. Its trunk alone had a diameter of half a meter. It had dark blue fur that kept it warm and increased its defense. The Earth Trampling Mammoth had two long white teeth near its trunk and a long black horn on its forehead. "Valeria, Will your barrier work on it?" Xu Ming asked Valeria in a low voice. "It seems too strong. I don''t think it will work, but let me try," Valeria said as she raised her hand and cast a barrier around the Earth Trampling Mammoth. Xu Ming got into a sword stance. He was just about to attack when he saw the Earth Trampling Mammoth open its mouth. A ball of flaming red light came out of its mouth and struck the barrier, instantly shattering it like glass. The ball of red light didn''t stop and flew straight towards Xu Ming at Lightning speed. Xu Ming stopped thinking about attacking and hurriedly jumped to the side, barely dodging the attack. " He''s too strong. My barrier won''t last against it. My cultivation is too low compared to it. How about you use that Thunder Storm?"She asked Xu Ming. "No, it would not be feasible to use that here. We only face a single beast, but its defense is too strong. If ThunderStorm fails, then I would be too weak even to run away. Thunderstorm is a wide area attack, so it''s not efficient against a single opponent as a lot of the energy is wasted to attack the surroundings," Xu Ming replied. "What are you going to do then?" Valeria asked. "I..." Xu Ming was about to reply, but he saw another attack coming towards him. He once again dodged the attack. "Thunderstorm is a Wide Area attack, but I''m going to use a single point attack. I''ll use the Sword Art of Destruction. All of my energy will be focused on one point only. It will be more effective, but if it fails, then we might have to run away," Xu Ming said to Valeria. He brought out a mortal grade sword and threw it towards the Earth Trampling Mammoth to divert its attention while he got ready to attack. Xu Ming got in a sword stance and gripped the hilt of his sword firmly. He sent all his Origin Energy towards his sword. The air surrounding him started getting restless as if it was anticipating the strength of Xu Ming''s attack. 157 Chapter 154: Offer Xu Ming''s sword was looking strikingly sharp. He was on the cusp of attacking. "Sword Art of Destruction!" Xu Ming muttered as he swung his sword. It seemed as if his sword was burning in dark flames because of his origin energy. A bright and powerful arc of light left his sword and advanced towards the Earth Trampling Mammoth. Xu Ming was shocked to see that his Gold Realm Sword was turned to dust right after this attack. He couldn''t understand why it was. He had used the Sword Art of Destruction from this sword before, but the sword wasn''t destroyed. Why was it that it was destroyed this time? His attack also felt more powerful than it had been when he used it in the Training Room. He couldn''t understand. Was there something in the Training Room that decreased the power of his attack, or was it something else? He couldn''t help but wonder. The bright arc of light was moving towards the Earth Trampling Mammoth, like lightning. The Earth Trampling Mammoth opened its mouth and shot out an orb of fire. It kept shooting out the attacks, but Xu Ming''s sword attack wasn''t affected. Xu Ming''s attack kept cutting the attacks of the Earth Trampling Mammoth, as it kept advancing ahead. The Earth Trampling Mammoth was somewhat scared. It didn''t have time to dodge. It covered its body with a special barrier, which increased its defense even more. It thought that it was safe, but it turned out to be a wrong assumption. Xu Ming''s attack cut through the barrier like butter before it cut the Earth Trampling Mammoth''s neck, killing it instantly. Xu Ming''s Origin Energy was almost depleted, but this time he was still able to walk. Xu Ming walked to the Earth Trampling Mammoth, and put its body in the storage ring, but this time, instead of putting it in the Storage Ring given to him by the sect master, he kept it in his father''s storage ring. He didn''t want others to find out that he killed an Earth Realm Beast. "You were right. Facing Earth Realm Beasts is unnecessary effort with no rewards," Valeria said. "Yeah, I even lost my sword. Now I only have a mortal grade sword. I don''t think I can use that for long either. And we still have more beasts to hunt," Xu Ming muttered as he picked up the Mortal Grade Sword that he had thrown towards the Earth Trampling Mammoth to divert its attention. He only has two swords, and one of them was broken already. Now he only had the sword that was used to train new disciples of the outer sect. A mortal grade sword that was considered a useless weapon. Xu Ming put the sword in his storage ring before he walked to a tree and sat down around it as he began to rest. The hunt continued throughout the day, and Xu Ming kept killing beasts one after another. Everything was going great with him. He was having no difficulty in finding Peak Gold Realm beasts, and hunting was even easier with the help of Valeria. He also didn''t need to use his God Grade Skills. It was evening, and Xu Ming was fighting his 50th Peak Gold Realm Beast. The beast was defeated in no time. Xu Ming kept the last body in the storage ring given to him by the sect master. "Finally, we did it! That makes it 50! Let''s leave this place," Valeria said excitedly. "Yeah, We can leave. It would take us a long time just to get back to the portal. We should get there by tomorrow afternoon if we start walking now," Xu Ming said as he started waiting back. He walked throughout the night without sleeping. He had already decided that now he would only sleep after he got out of this place. As he went back, he ignored every beast. He was already done with the hunting, and he didn''t care if he saw a Peak Gold Realm beast. The cold night passed away, and the morning arrived, but Xu Ming didn''t stop. He continued walking non-stop even though he was somewhat sleepy. After some more time, he reached the portal. "Sigh, I can finally leave this place," Xu Ming said as he walked into the portal and disappeared. Xu Ming came out of the portal on the other side. He saw that three people were still there. Elder Mu, who escorted him here, the blind Elder Wu and the Sect Master. Only Elder Mu was keeping an eye on the portal while the other two seemed like they were cultivating under the tree. "You are out so soon? Did you give up already? You don''t look harmed. What happened inside?" Elder Mu asked. She thought that Xu Ming had failed. Her voice attracted the attention of the Sect Master and Elder Wu, who stopped their cultivation and looked towards Xu Ming. "You''re out. How many bodies did you collect?" the Sect Master asked Xu Ming. "I collected 50," Xu Ming replied. "Oh, nice. How many of them are the bodies of Peak Gold Realm beasts?" the Sect Master asked with a slight smile on his face. "All 50 of them," Xu Ming let out softly as he brought all the bodies out of the storage ring. The bodies of 50 Peak Gold Realm beasts were lying before the Sect Master. Elder Mu was shocked, "You collected 50 already? Y-you succeeded?" The Sect Master, on the other hand, started laughing. "Good. Very Good," He said. "Good work," Elder Wu said to Xu Ming with a gentle smile on his face. "Well done, Xu Ming. You have broken three records already. You have not only become the youngest person to finish the Core Sect Trial, but also the person who became a Core Sect disciple from the Outer Sect disciple in the least time. You also became the person that finished a core trial the fastest. My sect is really lucky to have someone like you," the Sect Master said. "I would like to reward you something on this great day, but the thing that I reward you depends on your answer. Answer me, Xu Ming, would you like to become my personal disciple?" The Sect Master asked with a slight smile on his face. Even though Elder Mu had already expected that she was still surprised when it actually happened, the Sect Master looked even happier than he looked when he took Battle Fairy Mia as his disciple. 158 Chapter 155: I want my necklace. "Tell me, boy. Would you like to become my disciple?" the Sect Master asked Xu Ming. "I want to select my gift on my own. Can you give me what I want?" Xu Ming asked the Sect Master. He wanted to ask him for what he actually wanted. "Of Course. As long as it''s not something outrageous, I can give you whatever you want!" the Sect Master said. "I want an item of mine. It''s on someone else. I want nothing but that item," Xu Ming said. "I will accept you as master if you give me that item." "Sure. If that item is yours, then you deserve it. Tell me who took it. I promise you that I will get it to you," The Sect Master said, proudly. Elder Mu somehow understood what he wanted to talk about. She couldn''t help but imagine how the Sect Master would react when he found out that the item is with his other personal disciple. "A girl called Battle Fairy Mia has it. She was the one who brought me to this sect when I was unconscious, and I''m pretty thankful for her. Without her, I don''t even know if I would be able to reach that level, but after I woke up, I was told that she had my necklace. I want that necklace," Xu Ming said. "That useless coffin-shaped necklace that she considers special is yours?" the Sect Master asked. "Yes. I wanted to meet her to get it back, but I wasn''t allowed in the core sect. I''ve been working hard to get entry to the core sect, and now I finally have an opportunity. I will become your disciple if you give me my necklace," Xu Ming said. "Alright. Come with me," the Sect Master said smilingly as he brought his flying beast out of his storage ring. He and Elder Wu got on the beast. Xu Ming also climbed on it. The Beast started flying in the air and left. "I wonder how this will go. It shouldn''t be a problem now that the sect master has agreed," Elder Mu muttered. She was left behind, and she didn''t have such high authority to travel with the Sect Master. She couldn''t understand why the Sect Master was allowing Elder Wu to go with him. Generally, her position is higher than Elder Wu, who was an Outer Sect Elder, but Elder Wu seemed pretty close to the Sect Master. She shook her head ultimately as she gave up thinking about it. She brought her beast out of her storage ring and started flying away. **** The Sect Master stopped before the courtyard of Battle Fairy Mia. The beast landed in front of the courtyard. The Sect Master walked towards the door and knocked on it. After a few minutes, Mia opened the door. She was surprised to see the Sect Master with a young boy. She didn''t recognize the boy as the one she had brought back to the sect. "Master," She joined her fist to her palm as she bowed down a little. "Yes, Master. You know it already," Mia said as she showed the necklace that was hidden by her dress. "Yes, you told me this. Can you tell me where you found it?" the Sect Master asked. "I found it when I was coming back from a Mission. It was lying on the ground," she replied. "Hmm?" the Sect Master looked towards the boy in confusion. "Are you sure that you didn''t take it from a kid?" he asked. "No, Master. I found it on the ground, but I did see a kid lying unconscious nearby. I brought him back and left him in the Outer Sect. He should be a servant there," she said. "Oh, so that''s what happened. The thing is that the necklace belongs to that boy. It should be that it fell down when he lost consciousness. He came to me to ask you to return the necklace," The Sect Master said. "It was his? Ah," Mia looked at the necklace in hesitation. "Can I give that boy something else in return? I... I''m ready to give him a treasure even more precious than it. As you had said, this item is not even an artifact. He should be happy if I give him an artifact," Mia said. "What do you say, boy?" the Sect Master asked Xu Ming. "Hmm? Is he that boy? How did he get so big... Wait a minute, is he the one that had a massive growth because of a Cultivation breakthrough? The new number 1 in the Inner Sect?" Mia asked as she looked at Xu Ming. "Yes. He is the same person. And not only that, from today, he is the Core Sect Disciple. He became the youngest person to enter the core sect. He also took only four days to complete the Core Trials," The Sect Master said as he smiled. "Hmm?" Mia was surprised to hear that. She hadn''t expected that the boy she heard about would succeed in the Core Trial in his first try, let alone finish it in just four days. "I can give you an Earth Grade Sword in exchange for this useless necklace," Mia said to Xu Ming. ''Hmph, Such a show-off. Does she think she can buy anything with treasures? That Idiot doesn''t even know that the thing she called useless is one of the top treasures of the Heavens,'' Valeria thought as she rolled her eyes. "Firstly, I would like to thank you for saving me and for bringing me to the sect. You helped me a lot," Xu Ming started speaking as he thanked her. "Secondly, Nothing can replace the position of that necklace in my heart. I want no treasure. I just want that necklace," Xu Ming said. "What is so special about that necklace?" Mia asked. Even the Sect Master looked curiously at Xu Ming, waiting to hear his response. "This necklace is the last thing that my father gave me before he died. It''s the last bit of family that I have left. Please return the necklace," Xu Ming said as he looked at the necklace. His face was filled with emotions as he remembered the face of his father when he threw the necklace towards him. "Family bonds shouldn''t be destroyed. Even if you like the necklace, it belongs to him. The necklace is just a necklace for you, but it is much more than that for the boy. I think you should return it," Elder Wu told Mia. 159 Chapter 156: The return "Please return it, Mia. Master will give you another treasure in exchange," The Sect Master told Battle Fairy Mia as he saw her hesitate. Mia looked at her necklace as she sighed. "Alright. I''ll return it." Mia took the necklace off her neck and threw it towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming caught the necklace with proper care. Finally, the thing he had been striving to get was in his hand. His eyes were slightly wet as a soothing relief filled his heart. Xu Ming looked at the necklace, and a gentle smile covered his face. It was as if he had finally got his family back. His mother was resting inside the necklace, paused in time. "Thank you." Xu Ming thanked Mia as he wore the necklace. The small coffin was placed near his heart. "I will go back if there''s nothing else," Mia didn''t reply to Xu Ming. Instead, she asked the Sect Master. "You can go back. You can come to me later to tell me what treasure you want. I''ll do my best to get that for you," the Sect Master said, smilingly. Mia turned back and walked inside the house. "Well, now that you''ve got the necklace you wanted, let''s go to my place. We can talk there," the Sect Master said to Xu Ming as he walked back his flying beast. Xu Ming, Elder Wu, and the sect master stood on the beast, which started flying and brought them to the Sect Master''s Courtyard. They got off the beast and entered the Courtyard. ***** Sect Master and Elder Wu were sitting on a chair while Xu Ming was standing before them. "Well, Xu Ming, You got what you wanted. Tell me, will you become my disciple?" the Sect Master said. "I promised that I would do it if you get me my necklace. I won''t break my promise," Xu Ming declared. "Good. From today on, You are my personal disciple. Here, take this," the Sect Master said to Xu Ming as he brought something out of his storage ring. It was a small hexagonal badge that was black in color. There was Xu Ming''s name written on one side of the badge. "This will be the proof that you are my personal disciple and a core sect disciple," He said. Xu Ming walked closer to the Sect Master and took the badge. "Also, here is the dress that you need to wear from now on. It''s fine if you don''t wear the dress, but you definitely need to wear this robe." The Sect Master brought out a set of clothing. The Clothes were black, but the robe was a mixture of black and crimson. The outer side of the robe was black, whereas the inner side of the robe was crimson. There was a word written on the back of the robe in small characters that were barely visible. It read as ''Core Demon'' Xu Ming took the clothing as well, but he didn''t change his clothes. He only donned the robe. He called for his servant and told him to escort Xu Ming to the room that was assigned to him from now on. "You can take my beast," he added. The Servant nodded his head as he took Xu Ming with him outside the courtyard. They left the place on the beast of the sect master. ***** The Sect Master and Elder Wu were sitting alone in the hall after Xu Ming left with the servant. "It was quite unexpected that he rejected treasures from Mia and from me just to get that necklace that isn''t even a treasure. I hadn''t expected that such familial bonds still exist," The Sect Master said. "They existed long ago, but I think people''s hearts have been corrupted with time. Everyone is losing the bonds with their family. They care more for Strength and Treasures than they do for the family whereas Xu Ming''s heard seems to be attached to his family more than treasures," Elder Wu replied "It''s strange how he still managed to come that far with that mindset. Generally, this naive mindset isn''t suited for Cultivators as this can often become an obstruction in their path to greatness, but it''s the opposite with Xu Ming. In fact, with this naive thing thinking, he had managed to come farther than the ones then lust after strength. I wonder how much of it is due to his talent and how much of it is due to his will," the Sect Master said to Elder Wu. "I don''t think that he isn''t after strength. He might be the one that values strength more than any of us do. The only difference is that he values family as much. It might work in his favor in the future, or it might go against him. Only time can tell," Elder Wu sighed. "Anyway, why didn''t you test his talent? Weren''t you the most excited about that?" Elder Wu asked the sect master. "I''ll do that tomorrow in front of everyone. I don''t think his talent will be bad, but if his talent turns out to be bad, then it would only motivate others. They will think that if he can break so many records without great talent then why can''t we. That would be good for the sect. On the other hand, if his talent is greater than others, then also, it will motivate others to work hard so that they don''t fall behind. It''s more beneficial for the sect to do it publicly," The Sect Master said. "Everything will be out in the open tomorrow," he added. "How do you think it will go?" he asked Elder Wu. "The chances are that you will be surprised," Elder Wu said as a subtle smile appeared on his face. **** The Sect Master''s Servant brought Xu Ming to a courtyard. To Xu Ming''s surprise, he found out that his courtyard was nearest to Mia''s courtyard. He wondered if the Sect had intentionally done this. "This will be your courtyard from now on. Everything that you might need is already inside. If you need anything to be brought back from your Inner Sect residence, then tell me. I will arrange for that," he said to Xu Ming. "It''s alright. I don''t need anything," Xu Ming replied before he stepped inside the courtyard. "Is he going to spend his days in the same set of clothes?" The Servant muttered. He didn''t know that Xu Ming had everything, including his clothes, in his Storage Ring. 160 Chapter 157: Entering the Ancient Ruin "It has nothing to do with me," The Servant muttered as he left the place. "Our new home. This place is definitely better than the last one," Valeria told Xu Ming as she saw the inside of the courtyard. "Yeah, it''s good," Xu Ming muttered, but his mind was clearly on the necklace. Xu Ming walked to the bedroom and laid on his bed before he started observing the necklace. "Don''t worry, mother. I already know of a way to heal you. You will soon be free from the bindings of time," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at the small coffin. "Congrats on getting back the necklace. From the way I see it, you already achieved the first of your three targets. Only two more to go," she said to him. "My three targets?" Xu Ming asked her. "Yeah. Getting back the necklace, healing your mother, and killing that traitor. The second target will be completed when we leave this place and then the third one. After that, you will become the ruler of Heavens," Valeria said to him. "Oh, You forgot one then. I don''t have 3, but 4 targets. One of them is to help you get back home so that you can give me the herbs that I need and also so that you can get your revenge," Xu Ming said. Valeria laughed out loud. "Right, right. That should be important as well," Valeria told him with a grin on her face. She walked towards him and laid on the bed as well. Xu Ming kept the necklace in his storage ring. "Why did you put it in your ring? Aren''t you going to wear it?" Valeria asked him. "She deserves to be in the safest place. I don''t want the necklace to be damaged if something unexpected happens," Xu Ming replied to her. "If that''s that you want," Valeria let out as she shook her head. "Anyway, I''m going to sleep. It had been so long in that forest since I had a peaceful sleep. Good night," Valeria told Xu Ming. "Good night," Xu Ming responded. He sat up and walked into the shower room to take a nice shower. He came out after some time, dried his hair, and wore a cleaner set of clothes before he walked back to his bed. He laid on his bed and closed his eyes. Soon, he also fell asleep. **** In this Vast Universe, there were thousands of planets and millions of species. All of these were created by only two beings, but both of them had disappeared from this universe like they were nothing but a fleeting dream. There were many relics of the past left undiscovered in this Vast universe. There were treasures, miraculous plants, and even some strange ruins. From the first glance, it was clear that mere mortals couldn''t have built these places. Even those immortals had no chance to build something so incredible. One of these places was an ancient ruin that was filled with nothing but darkness. They had stayed here for a long time, trying to enter this place, but it was just too hard. After all this time, they had barely managed to get near the entrance of the ruins, and they had almost died many times. They didn''t give up in the face of dangers, though. They only grew more excited about the danger of the ruin as they had discovered that, in most cases, the difficulty of entering a ruin signified how precious the thing inside the ruin was. From the way things had gone so far, they were sure that the ruins contained the things that were miraculous enough to change the history of this world. They spent another four days, and ultimately, they succeeded. Even though they succeeded in entering the ruins, they had to pay a high cost. They lost all their treasures that they had found from other ruins just to pass through the formations and the traps that would''ve killed anyone. They entered the ruins excitedly, but they only found darkness inside. They brought out a rod from their storage ring that started shining and lit up the surroundings. "Let''s go deeper. I don''t think we will find the treasures in the outskirts of the ruins. Be careful, though. There might be dangers inside," one of the men said. "Hehehe, Are you forgetting that I''m just as knowledgeable as you. I know how these things go," the other guy replied. They walked deeper into the ruins. **** It was early morning when Xu Ming woke up by a knock on his door. He walked to the door and found the Sect Master''s Servant outside. "Come with me," the Servant said. "Give me a minute," Xu Ming said as he walked back into his room. He understood what he wanted. "Who is it?" Valeria asked Xu Ming. She had also woken up by the sound. "It''s that servant. He should be here to bring me to the Sect Master. Are you coming?" he asked her. "Of course," Valeria said as she flew up and sat on his shoulder. Xu Ming left the courtyard and got on the flying beast of the Sect Master that had come with the servant. "Are we not going to the Sect Master''s place?" Xu Ming asked as he noticed that the direction they were going in was slightly different. "We''re going to a different place, but Master is already waiting for you there," the Servant replied. He brought Xu Ming to a big building. The beast landed on the ground before that building. The Servant escorted Xu Ming inside the building. He was brought to a big hall that already had many people. Almost every Elder of the core sect was there. Some of the disciples were there as well. There was also Battle Fairy Mia in the hall. She was standing before the Sect Master. Another thing that Xu Ming noticed was that there was a table before the Sect Master that had a semi-transparent orb on it. "Oh, Xu Ming. You are here. Come fast," the Sect Master called Xu Ming as he noticed him. Xu Ming walked up to the sect master. "Everyone, Silence! My personal disciple, Xu Ming, is here. We will be beginning the talent measuring," the Sect Master let out loud. "Xu Ming, place your hand on this orb," He told Xu Ming. "This is a potential measuring orb. It will measure your talent and potential for cultivation," he added. "Oh, so they use this to measure the talent here. Back home, we don''t need to use resources like this," Valeria said. 161 Chapter 158: Talent Exposed Battle Fairy Mia stood behind, shaking her head. She had seen Xu Ming go through the potential measuring when she had brought him to the sect. She still remembered that the crystal hadn''t shined at that time. Now that she had seen the achievements of Xu Ming, she was sure that there was something wrong with that semi transparent crystal. She was quite curious about Xu Ming''s real talent. ''It should be grade 9,'' she thought. Xu Ming stepped closer to the orb and placed his hand on it. "You''ll definitely shock everyone. You''re a Heavenly Realm kid. Can they even compare to your talent? Even this small orb shouldn''t be able to measure your potential," Valeria said to Xu Ming. The Potential Measuring Orb was an item that was used by the sects to measure someone''s potential and talent. When someone hands touched the orb, it showed the number from 1 to 9. A talent of one signified trash, while a talent of 9 was a once in a millennia genius. Battle Fairy Mia and the Sect Master were the only 2 level 9 talents in this sect. Xu Ming''s hand touched the orb, but nothing happened. Everyone waited in great anticipation, but 5 minutes passed away, the orb didn''t show any number. "Is something wrong with that orb? Get a new one," the Sect Master told one of the elders. ''Could it be that he really doesn''t have any potential? How could he get such Cultivation and strength without having potential?'' Mia thought as she looked at Xu Ming. The others also looked at him suspiciously. "Could it be that he has no talent? Did he cheat to get here?" "He must''ve found some miraculous Cultivation resources to increase his Cultivation. It''s not his hard work but luck that brought him here." Many of the Elders started whispering amongst themselves, but suddenly, the orb started shining. It was showing a number. The sect master saw the one showing inside the orb, which soon changed to a two. The number kept increasing until the orb was showing a shining nine. "A level 9 talent. He is just as talented as the sect master. The third Level Nine talent of our sect. Also, his achievements are even higher than the battle fairy''s. He is the prime contender to become the next sect master now. In fact, he is in the lead," The Grand Elder of the Sect muttered, smilingly. The Sect Master also looked happy. There was a big smile on his face, but that smile instantly disappeared when he saw what happened next. The hall that was noisy after seeing Xu Ming''s level 9 talent was suddenly silent. The number that was showing inside the orb changed. The crystal orb was showing a zero now, but there was a one before that zero. "Impossible!" the Sect Master said with a look of disbelief on his face. He and the few other Elders of the sect knew the secret of the Potential Measuring Orb. The rumor said that level 9 was not the highest level of potential that this orb could measure. The rumor said that it could also measure the potential of a level 10 talent, but that was only seen as a rumor as no one had seen that happen before, but right now, it was happening before their eyes. "Incredible. A level 10 talent? This has never happened before. Genius! He''s a heavenly genius!" "Our Sect will become an overlord soon. The good days are near." "A level 10 talent? There''s just no competition anymore. He will definitely become the next sect master. I''m willing to bet with anyone who thinks otherwise!" All of the Elders were excited at the appearance of the level 10 talent. Even Battle Fairy Mia, who always looked stern, was shocked. Her mouth was slightly opened as she stared at the number inside the orb. The Sect Master was so happy that he started laughing. "Hahaha, I knew that you would have a good talent, but I must say that I never expected that it would be that high. I have never been as excited as I am right now. My disciple is a level 10 talent," the Sect Master said. Xu Ming took his hand off of the orb even though the orb was starting to shine brighter. "Congrats, Sect Master." "Congratulations, Sect Master." "Long live the Mighty Demon Sect." The praises and the chants started. There was a mood of excitement everywhere. There were only a few people that were upset with this development, but they didn''t let it show on their faces. They all congratulated the Sect Master for getting such an amazing disciple before they started praising Xu Ming. Xu Ming didn''t reply to the praises and just stayed silent. "Hah, they are getting so happy at this small demonstration like it''s something big. You didn''t even show your real potential. There''s no way that orb can measure that. The mortals are really naive," Valeria chuckled as she watched everyone acting up. After some time, they turned Silent as the Sect Master commanded them not to make noise. "Xu Ming. You have made me really happy. Here, take this pure Qi Crystal as a reward. It contains the purest of Qi that is refined by me after using a lot of expensive resources. If you use it, you can instantly jump up to 3 minor realms in Cultivation in just three days," the Sect Master said as he brought out a small crystal from his pocket. Xu Ming wasn''t really excited as he saw this crystal. The Qi crystals were just too useless for him, no matter how miraculous they were for others. The jump of 3 minor realms in Cultivation was a huge deal, but it didn''t matter for him as his Cultivation used a different type of energy. He held the crystal in his pocket and thanked the Sect Master. "Use it well," the Sect Master told Xu Ming. "The Sect Master successfully refined that crystal? Amazing. His abilities are really increasing. Also, I think that no one deserved that crystal more than Xu Ming. It wouldn''t give the same increase in Cultivation if people with the higher Cultivation used it," The Grand Elder muttered. "Alright, everyone. The ceremony is over. You can all get back to your work," the Sect Master informed everyone. The other Elders heard his command and started leaving. "Xu Ming, come with me. I need to take you somewhere," the Sect Master told Xu Ming as he also started leaving. Xu Ming followed him to his beast. 162 Chapter 159: Ancestor Xu Ming walked behind the Sect Master. After leaving the place, both of them got on the flying beast of the Sect Master. The beast started flying high in the air. It flew in the air for quite sometime before the Sect Master commanded it to land on the ground. Xu Ming noticed that they were far away from the Sect Master''s residence and in a place that had no buildings nearby. The beast landed on the empty grasslands in the middle of nowhere. The sect master got off the beast, and Xu Ming followed behind him. The Sect Master continued walking ahead as he looked at the ground carefully as if he was looking for something. After some time, he stopped at a certain spot. There was a hexagonal shape carved at the place on the ground. The Sect Master brought out something from his storage ring that seemed like the badge similar to the one that he had given to Xu Ming. It was slightly bigger than Xu Ming''s badge, and it was hexagonal in shape, which seemed to be the same size as the carving that was on the ground. The Sect Master placed his badge on the ground above the carving. Both to them seemed to be on perfect alignment before the Sect Master pressed the badge lightly. After he did that, he picked up the badge and placed it back in his storage ring. Xu Ming looked at everything curiously from behind, wondering what was going to happen. This whole thing felt somewhat new, but he could guess that it was probably a secret method to open some place. "Follow me," the Sect Master said as he stepped 19 steps forward. Xu Ming also walked after him so that he was standing close to him. He didn''t want to screw anything up at the moment. The Sect Master stopped after the 19th step and didn''t move anymore as if he was done with whatever he was doing. Xu Ming also waited to see what would happen next. He was waiting to see some secret passageway according to his thoughts. After a few more minutes, Xu Ming heard a noise. He could see the ground shaking slowly which was barely noticeable if someone wasn''t careful. A crack started developing on the ground in front of them, which became wider. After it was wide enough, Xu Ming noticed the stairs inside the cavity. "Let''s go in. Don''t be afraid," the Sect Master said to him as he stepped towards the stairs and entered underground. "This is weird. He wouldn''t be sacrificing you, would he?" Valeria muttered with a wry smile on his face. "It shouldn''t be that. I think I have a general idea what he might be doing," Xu Ming muttered as he stepped forth. He stepped on the stairs as well and went down. There was a long hallway at the end of the stairs where the Sect Master was waiting for him. "It''s not far now. We''ll reach there in 5 minutes," the Sect Master said as he continued ahead. "You know who that man is?" the Sect Master asked. "He is the one that established this sect. He is the founder of the Mighty Demon Sect. My master brought me here when he made me his successor and decided that I would be the next sect master. He told me about the founder and everything I am about to tell you next. I wanted for everyone to grow and reach their full potential before I decided who I would select as my successor, but who would have expected that I would find a grade 10 talent," The Sect Master said as he sighed. Xu Ming didn''t react and just listened. "There are some things about the founder that no one knows about. Even I wouldn''t have known that if my master hadn''t told me. The Ancestor of the Mighty Demon Sect was also a grade 10 talent just like you. It had been so many years since he died, but our sect didn''t get another grade 10 talent. My master told me that the Ancestor left that box and warned everyone that it should only be given to a grade 10 talent. My master hoped that we would get a grade 10 talent someday to fulfill the Ancestor''s wish, and today it will come true," The Sect Master said. "Xu Ming, Even though this box belongs to the Ancestor, as per his wishes, I would like to give it to you. Go ahead and accept your gift," the Sect Master said. Xu Ming looked at him for a brief moment before he stepped forward. He stood before the box, but he didn''t pick it. He looked towards the portrait and bowed his head. "Thank you for the gift," Xu Ming said, looking at the portrait. He moved his hand towards the box and picked it up. He was about to open it, but the Sect Master stopped him. "Don''t open that here. Open it when you''re back. I don''t want to see what''s inside as it belongs to you, and I don''t want to be influenced by it," the Sect Master said. Xu Ming nodded his head. "Let''s leave now that we are done here. This cave has fulfilled its purpose of protecting that item," the Sect Master sighed as he started walking towards the exit. Xu Ming followed the Sect Master with the box in his hand. They got on the flying beast of the sect master, which dropped Xu Ming in front of his courtyard. "Don''t tell anyone about the box and the thing inside it," the Sect Master told Xu Ming before leaving. "Looks like you gained something big. I wonder what it will be," Valeria laughed out loud after the Sect Master left. Xu Ming walked towards his courtyard and entered. He closed the door before walking to his bedroom. He placed the box on his bed. "Open it. Let''s see what''s inside. It should be a treasure or a skill most probably. Whatever it is, will be helpful to you in most cases," Valeria said. "Unless it''s a Qi crystal. I hope it isn''t that," Xu Ming muttered as he shook his head. "Think happy thoughts. There will definitely be something big inside," Valeria comforted Xu Ming. Xu Ming reached out his hand and touched the box. He started opening it. 163 Chapter 160: The Treasure Xu Ming opened the small box slowly. As soon as the box opened, a strange pungent smell came out of it and filled the room. Xu Ming covered his mouth with a cloth to protect himself from this smell. The smell was decreasing with time, but Xu Ming didn''t wait for it. He brought the item from the box outside and closed the box. After some time, the smell disappeared. "Why are you so comfortable? Did you not get that smell?" Xu Ming asked her. "What smell?" Valeria asked in confusion. "The weird smell that came out of that box when I opened it," Xu Ming said. "I didn''t smell anything strange. Was that why you were covering your nose? I was wondering about that," Valeria replied to Xu Ming''s confusion. "So you didn''t smell anything. Maybe the Spirit Fairies can''t sense it," Xu Ming muttered as he dropped the matter. He stopped covering his nose and started observing the item. It was a weird item which he found weirder the more he thought about it. It was a mask that was probably used to hide the face. He was still wondering about it when some information started appearing in his mind. It was as if some information was being transferred to his brain from this mask. It was the knowledge about this mask that he was gaining, which stopped after some time. "Mask of Mischief?" Xu Ming muttered in confusion. "Mask of Mischief? I don''t think I''ve heard of it before. Isn''t this a simple mask? Just a waste of time," Valeria said as she shook her head. "It''s not a simple mask. It''s a mask that can help someone disguise themselves. It changes someone''s voice, their face, their body shape to make them seem like the person they want to look like. A really miraculous item, the more I think about it," Xu Ming explained to Xun. "Really? Something that can disguise so much? Can this even work? What principle does it work on? It would be one thing if it could change the face, but changing voice and body shape, that''s the tough part," Valeria inquired. "I have no idea about that. Whoever made it must''ve been a genius artificer," Xu Ming said. "Isn''t it also possible that the one who made it didn''t add so many features, and someone modified it after that to make it more useful?" Valeria commented. "Whatever it is, it''s just too useful. The only downside is that it can only be used for 5 minutes in a day," Xu Ming let out as he observed the mask. He sent the mask back in his storage ring after he finished observing and testing it. "This is a good treasure, to say the least. It can be instrumental in the future, especially for you," Valeria told Xu Ming. "Yeah, the Sect is indeed a good place. It is a safe environment, and your position is pretty high here. As long as the sect isn''t destroyed, it''s the best place for you to gain strength. I think you should cultivate here until you hit your bottleneck. We can leave then," Valeria told him. "It''s not like we can leave this planet before you''re strong enough. We can''t even break open the exit to leave this planet." "Can you get off my shoulders now?" Xu Ming asked Valeria as he placed the box in his storage ring. "Does this pretty lady offend you somehow? It''s not like I''m taking away something from you! I just like this seat more," Valeria said, pouting. "Get down. I have something important to do," Xu Ming said sternly. "Alright, alright," Valeria let out with an annoyed look on her face as she landed on the bed. Xu Ming laid down on his bed. Resting his head on the pillow, he closed his eyes. "This was your important stuff?!" Valeria glared at Xu Ming and asked. "Sleep is important," Xu Ming replied. "Hmph," Valeria stood up and climbed over Xu Ming''s chest and laid there. "I''m not getting down then. It''s important too," She said. "Suit yourself. I just didn''t want to see you crushed, but if that''s what you want, then be my guest," Xu Ming muttered, but he didn''t do anything. He fell asleep soon. **** The next morning arrived, and Xu Ming woke up. The Sect Master had told him that he could collect a treasure from the treasure hall and a skill from the skill hall by showing his disciple badge. He was told that he would be allowed to select any skill from the skill hall as he was the Sect Master''s personal disciple. He could also get an Earth Realm artifact from the treasure hall. He couldn''t select sky grade artifacts though as only Grand Elders and the Sect Master could have those. Xu Ming opened his eyes and saw Valeria sleeping on his chest. "This girl is just too stubborn. She would only have blamed me if I had turned, and she was crushed. She''s stubborn just like a child," Xu Ming muttered as he shook his head. He turned his body sideways, making her fall on the bed before he stood up. Valeria still hadn''t woken up. Xu Ming decided to leave her behind. He left his courtyard and walked towards the Skill Hall first. He was more curious about the skills he could receive than about the treasures. He already had the Sword of Judgement after all, which was the strongest grade. As Xu Ming entered the Skill Hall, the Elder recognized him. The Skill Hall Elder didn''t even ask for Xu Ming''s badge as he had met him during yesterday''s ceremony. After seeing that Xu Ming was a grade 10 talent, there was just no doubt in his mind that Xu Ming would become the next Sect Master. He brought Xu Ming to the skill library of the top floor of the Skill Hall, which contained their strongest skills. Even though there were only a hundred or so skills here, all of them were sky grade skills. Xu Ming was allowed to choose between any of them. Xu Ming was told that he could select one Sky grade skill from this floor or 2 Earth Grade Skills from the lower floor. Xu Ming told the Elder that he would like to see the Sky Grade skills first. 164 Chapter 161: The Skill Xu Ming went through all the skills in the place one by one, reading the description of every single one of them. Even though there were less than two hundred Sky Grade skill books here, it took him over two hours to go through all of them. After he finished reading, the Skill Elder asked him if he had made up his mind. "Are you selecting a skill from here, or do you want to see the Earth Grade Books as well?" he asked. "I would like to see Earth Grade Skills so that I can better decide the skill that I want to get," Xu Ming nodded his head. Even though there were some really great books that he liked, he wanted to see all the options before making up his mind. "Alright. Come with me," The Elder brought Xu Ming to the lower floor, which contained the Earth Grade Books. Even though this floor was the same size as the floor above, this one had way more books. This floor contained over a thousand Skill Books, which filled most of the shelves here. "It would take quite a lot of time if you want to read the description of all of them. How about I show you the top skills instead?" The Elder suggested. "There''s no need for that. I would prefer to read about all of them," Xu Ming replied. He realized that the skills that the Skill Hall Elder considered to be important might be useless for him, while some of the skills that he deemed to be useless might be priceless for him. He was different from the people here. They didn''t know what would suit him more. People back in the outer sect considered the Origin Movement useless, but it was pretty useful for him, and he was probably the only one in the whole sect that was able to cultivate that skill. He wasn''t in such a hurry that he would let the Elder select skills for him based on his knowledge. He didn''t want to miss out on any unorthodox skill like the Origin Movement. "Alright. I will go downstairs again. It might take you many hours to go through the skills. Just come down after choosing a skill. Also, I think that I should remind you that there is a format here that keeps the count of the books. If by the time you leave this floor and come to me, there is any book missing them there will be an alarm," " So please put the books in their right places after you read their description. If you put them down or any other place and went down, then the alarm will ring. It won''t ring if you take 1 Sky Grade Book or Two Earth Grade Skills as we have arranged it accordingly. I hope you won''t mind and think that we are doubting you. This is just the protocol," The Elder said apologetically. "I understand. I will keep those things in mind," Xu Ming replied to the Elder. The Elder nodded his head before he went down. "What a stupid idiot. They are so suspicious. It''s making me angry," Valeria said with an annoyed look on her face after the Elder left. He stepped forward and picked up the first book. Time kept passing slowly as he kept going through the books one by one. His speed of reading the books was fast, but it still took him over 12 hours to read through the description of all the books here as he not only read them but tried to get an understanding of what that skill did before moving on to the next one. It was late at night, but he was still in the Skill Hall. Even though the Same Elder was not on duty, there was another Elder that had taken his place for the night. Xu Ming finished all the Earth Grade Books. Just like the books on the above floor, he found some useful ones here as well, but nothing extraordinary. "Decided on the skill you''ll get?" Valeria asked him. "Yeah, I will get a Sky Grade Skill. That one seems to be the most useful for me," Xu Ming muttered as he went to the stairs. Xu Ming stopped on the floor that had the Sky Grade Skills. He picked up a skill book that he had chosen. It was called the Fist of Buddha. It was said to be a skill that was useful against humans as well as against spirits. It was a fist skill that harmed the human it was used on, but it destroyed the spirits if it was used on the spirits as long as the spirit was weaker than him. "A book to harm Spirits?" Valeria asked as she looked at him with a frown. "This is not for you. Think of it as a precaution. After meeting you, I recorded that there are also spirits in this world that are more difficult to deal with compared to humans. I would need to go to your Spirit Fairy Realm to get the medicine for my mother, and I might face some enemies there. If I can perfectly master this skill by that time, I would be better equipped to defend myself," Xu Ming replied to Valeria. "Oh, alright. That makes sense. Although the spirit fairies are nice, there exist some trash spirit fairies like that guy that broke our laws and made me fall here," Valeria said as she nodded her head. Xu Ming took the Fist of Buddha Manual with him and went downstairs. He went to the ground floor and saw the Elder that was in charge at night. The Elder was comfortably sleeping on his chair without a care for the world. "Want me to slap him to wake him up?" Valeria asked Xu Ming. Xu Ming didn''t reply to her and only walked towards the Elder. "Elder, wake up," He asked as he shook the Elder''s body. "Hmm? What?" The Elder woke up as he looked around. "Oh, it''s you. Have you selected a skill?" the Elder asked him. "Yes, U selected the Sky Grade Fist of Buddha," Xu Ming showed the book to the Elder. "Well, I hear no alarm. You can leave," the Elder replied. Xu Ming nodded his head as he walked out. 165 Chapter 162: Rise to Prominence It was still late at night. Just a few more hours, and it would be dawn. Xu Ming wanted to go to the treasure hall after this as well, but he decided to delay the plans since it was just too late at the moment. Instead of going to the core treasure hall, he walked back to his courtyard. Soon, he reached his courtyard, but before he could walk inside, he heard a voice. The voice was so low that it would be impossible for someone to listen to it, but his senses were much sharper that made him able to hear the voice. Xu Ming looked to his right and realized that the voice was coming from a nearby courtyard. It was coming from the courtyard of Battle Fairy Mia, which sounded like a girl was singing. "Do you hear that as well?" Xu Ming asked Valeria. "Hear what?" Valeria inquired in return. Even though she was from the Spirit Fairy Race, her senses were weaker than the senses of Xu Ming. "Someone was singing," Xu Ming muttered. Instead of talking to her, he walked towards Mia''s courtyard out of curiosity. As he reached near her house, he spread out his Divine Sense to check his surroundings to see who it was. The image of Mia in his mind was that of a stern person. He didn''t believe that she would sing in such a cute voice. His Divine Sense scanned Mia''s house and gave him the answer that he hadn''t expected. It was exactly Xia who was singing the song, and she was inside her courtyard, which signified how powerful Xu Ming''s hearing sense was. Xu Ming wanted to see with his own eyes, but he dropped the idea as he reached near her courtyard. It wasn''t fair to disturb someone''s privacy. He was about to walk back when the singing stopped. "What are you doing here?" He heard a voice from behind. Xu Ming turned back and saw Battle Fairy Mia standing there. "I live on this courtyard," Xu Ming replied to her as he pointed towards his courtyard. He was standing between her courtyard and his courtyard. "I was taking a walk around my place." "Oh," Mia nodded her head as she put down her guard. "Oh, right. I had something to talk to you about. I was trying to find an opportunity," Xu Ming told her as he remembered about something. "What do you want to talk about? I don''t have anything else that belongs to you now," Mia replied straight away as she shook her head. "Oh, that''s not it. On that topic, thank you again for returning my necklace. But what I wanted to talk about was something else." Xu Ming moved his hand behind his back so that she wouldn''t see him bringing something out of his storage ring. He brought out the Coffin Shaped Necklace replica that he had purchased. "Throw it here," Mia responded as she saw the necklace. From first glance, she also found it similar to the necklace she gave Xu Ming. Xu Ming threw the necklace towards Mia. Mia caught the necklace and started observing it. "It looks similar," she muttered as she wore the necklace. "No, it doesn''t give that calming sensation. I''ll keep it though," she said as she nodded her head. Xu Ming smiled as he saw her accept the gift. Now he felt much better. "Good Night," he wished her night before he turned back. He was about to leave, but he left a fleeting comment before he left. "Your voice is really nice. And your songs as well." "Hmm?" Mia was stunned to hear that. She didn''t expect that Xu Ming had heard her, but before she could reply, Xu Ming was already inside his courtyard. She stood there for some time, just looking at his courtyard before she walked back as well. Xu Ming dropped on his bed as he closed his eyes and soon fell asleep. The next morning, he woke up when it was afternoon. He showered and got ready before he left the courtyard with Valeria once again. He went to the Treasure Hall this time. The Treasure Hall of the core sect had the best treasures of the sect. Most of the treasures had belonged to the sect for a long time, while since of them were brought back by disciples and elders of the Core Sect after destroying some sects. Some Artifacts in the treasure hall were forged by the disciples of the Mighty Demon Sect themselves. The Core Sect had some good Artificers in its long history that made many significant artifacts for the sect, which were still in the treasure hall. Xu Ming entered the Treasure Hall, and he was greeted the same way by the Treasure Hall Elder like he was welcomed by the Skill Hall Elder. Almost everyone in the Core Sect knew about him as every Elder was present when his Potential was measured. All the disciples of the Core Sect also found out about this. Most of them were jealous of Xu Ming''s talent, while some were genuinely impressed after they found out what he had achieved. Not only the core sect but the Inner Sect and the Outer Sect had also heard about Xu Ming''s talent. He had become the idol of the disciples in the sect. Xu Ming''s name was already known by most of the disciples in the Inner Sect as he had risen in the Inner Ranking the fastest, but his further achievements brought him to a god-tier in the disciples'' eyes. The outer sect, on the other hand, was the only place where most of the disciples didn''t know about Xu Ming. Most of them fight even knowing how he looked, but now that he was famous, his stories were being told in the entire Outer Sect about how a servant rose to the top of the sect. There were stories about the Outer Elder threatening to cripple him for facing the bullies, and him being saved by Elder Wu. Most of them that heard his story for the first time couldn''t believe that Xu Ming had been a servant. How could a servant become the next potential sect master? Even though he was a grade 10 Talent, it shouldn''t be this fast! Was the grade 10 talent really that miraculous? They all thought. 166 Chapter 163: The treasure Xu Ming had no idea that his name was being spread around in the sect like he was a god. He was focused on choosing an Earth Grade Treasure for himself from the long line of weapons that were placed before him. The Treasure Hall Elder had directly taken him to the room that had the Earth Grade Treasures. The room had over a hundred Earth Grade Treasures. Most of them were Weapons, while some were accessories. "Do you want offensive artifacts, defensive artifacts, or accessories with passive effects?" The Elder asked Xu Ming. "I want to see them all. Can you show me around?" Xu Ming asked the Elder. "Alright. I understand. Let''s start with accessories first. We only have 13 Earth Grade Accessories. Only 5 of them are suited for males, so I would skip the ones that are female-oriented." The Elder brought Xu Ming to a bracelet that was placed on a red cloth. "This is the Bracelet of Wind. It had been made by one of our own Artificers. He added the wind formation on it, which helps you with your speed." He then brought Xu Ming to the next accessory, which was a pair of black boots. "These are called the Earth Traversing Boots. This can help you walk without getting tired. Their effects are limited to walking, though. You can walk for thousands of miles while wearing them, and you don''t get tired, but you can''t run. The effect won''t work when running," The Elder said as he pointed towards the boots. "That''s an interesting effect," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at the boots. "But, they are pretty useless to me." "Agreed. These boots were brought back from another sect after we destroyed them," the Elder explained. They moved to the next item. Slowly, the Elder showed Xu Ming every Earth Grade Accessory Artifact, but Xu Ming didn''t find them interesting. The effects of some of these things were good, but he didn''t feel that they helped him much. "Let''s move on to the Defensive Artifacts then." The Elder started showing Xu Ming the Defence Artifacts, which had Shields, Robes, and many more forms. Most of them were used to protect the wielder in one way or another. There were 45 Earth Grade Defensive Artifacts in the room. "That was the last Defensive Artifact we had. Did you find any of them interesting?" the Elder asked as he glanced at Xu Ming. "Some of them were good, and I found them interesting, but I would still like to see the rest before I make a choice," Xu Ming told the Elder. Two hours had already passed since Xu Ming had stepped into this room and he had seen close to half of the artifacts "Alright." The Elder moved over to the first offensive artifact, which was a Spear that had the silver top and a golden body. "You want to know who had defeated him?" the Elder asked Xu Ming with an amused smile on his face. "Who?" Xu Ming asked. "He was too arrogant. He challenged our sect master to a duel, and our sect master accepted. You can already expect the result. That man was killed, and his artifact ended up in our Treasure Hall," the Elder laughed as he explained. "I''m not a spear user, unfortunately. Let''s move over to another weapon," Xu Ming told the Elder The Elder showed him another weapon, which was a blade. It was called the Killer Guan Blade. It also had a backstory, which talked about how a killer used this blade to commit Slaughter all around the continent. That man was ultimately killed by a righteous sect who took his weapon. After some time, that righteous sect and the Mighty Demon Sect came into conflict with each other, and the Mighty Demon Sect destroyed that righteous sect. This was how their treasures and this blade ended up here. Xu Ming could feel a murderous aura from the blade that seemed malicious. "This blade is corrupted by the blood. Don''t choose it," Valeria told Xu Ming. Xu Ming nodded his head and skipped the blade. After this blade, the Elder showed him many other weapons. They saw every weapon that this room had in the next hour. Xu Ming found many weapons, from swords to blades to knives. He even saw a whip here. "This is all we have. Which one of these do you want?" the Elder asked after he finished showing Xu Ming everything. Xu Ming had seen everything, but he still didn''t find anything interesting. None of these weapons seemed extraordinary, but he still chose a sword. He had a Gold Grade Sword, which was broken in the Core Trials. He had no weapons now other than a mortal grade sword and his God Grade Sword. He wanted a weapon he could use normally. He selected a sword that was called the "Kun Lan Sword." It was a pitch-black sword with a blood-red handle. The Sword looked good, and it also had a more impressive backstory behind it. It was said that the Sect Master used this sword for most of his young life. It was a mighty sword that never let him down. Xu Ming selected the sword and told the Elder his choice before he left the Treasure Hall with the sword in his hand. He didn''t put it in his storage ring as he didn''t want anyone to know that he had one. He walked back to his courtyard with the sword in his hand. He didn''t see anyone on the way. He had noticed it often. He didn''t see many people in the Core Sect. Most of the people spent most of their time in secluded Cultivation, unlike the disciples of the Inner Sect. This place looked too empty. Xu Ming reached his courtyard and placed his sword in his storage ring. "Now you have done everything, just focus on Cultivation and breaking through. You can safely stay here and Cultivate until you face a bottleneck. I wonder how strong you will be when we leave this place," Valeria chuckled as she flew towards the bed and landed on it. "Not me. You need to cultivate as well. You can''t slack off just because you have me," Xu Ming replied to her as he shook his head. "I understand. I will Cultivate as well. We can race who is stronger by the time we leave," Valeria said, smilingly. 167 Chapter 164: Chaos begins Time kept passing slowly. The times were of peace, and Xu Ming could cultivate without any difficulty. He didn''t need to go to any mission, nor did he have to do anything else for the sects. He was living a comfortable life. Xu ming received the resources from the sect, which were in the forms of Qi crystals that were useless for him. He couldn''t use them at all, so they kept going in his storage ring. He had tens of thousands of Qi Crystals, and this number only kept increasing every month. The sect master did not disturb him uselessly either and only met him once in a while to talk to Xu Ming about his cultivations. He wanted to help more, but Xu Ming never came to ask him for any help ever. He just assumed that Xu Ming didn''t like asking for help; still, he went to his courtyard every month of his own volition. Another year passed away. The same routine continued for Xu Ming for the next year as well. Valeria was also growing at a decent pace. Even though she didn''t use a spirit crystal or any other resources, her strength still grew with time as she continued her cultivation. During the last two years, Xu Ming had a lot of growth. He had become an 8th stage Gold Core Realm Cultivator. **** It had been exactly two years since Xu Ming had stepped into the core sect as the core disciple. Today seemed like a peaceful day, but this peace was disturbed by a heavy knock on the door. Xu Ming opened his eyes as he looked towards the door. His light blue eyes looked slightly more mature. He also looked more grown-up now. His body was even leaner, and his height had also increased, but the change was barely noticeable. Valeria, on the other hand, still looked the same. She was still tiny, which was probably never going to change. There was another round of heavy knocking on the door. It made it seem like someone was really desperate. Xu Ming stood up and opened the door. As he opened the door, he found the Servant of the Sect Master standing on the other side. "What happened?" Xu Ming asked in curiosity. "You need to run! Right this instant!" the Servant said to Xu Ming. He was horrified, which made Xu Ming turn serious as well. "What happened, tell me! Why do I need to run?" Xu Ming asked again. "Master! He is dead! It''s not safe! Run!" the Servant said again. He was about to speak again, but as soon as he opened his mouth, only blood came out. The servant fell down with his face on the ground. Only then did Xu Ming saw the reality. The back of the servant was covered in blood, which had turned everything red. "What is happening here?" Valeria also flew outside. She was stunned to see that someone was covered in blood, lying on the ground. "Why is every place so silent then? There is no blood on the ground, and no chaos," Valeria asked in confusion. "I remember now. Today should be the Annual Core Tournament. I didn''t attend it, but others probably did. Something must have happened there," Xu Ming muttered as he walked towards Mia''s courtyard just to be sure if she was there or not. He used his origin movement to enter the place only to find it empty. He again stepped out, but he was shocked to see some people surrounding the body of the servant, all of them had their Swords out, and they were wearing clothes that didn''t make it seem like they were the disciples of the Mighty Demon Sect. They also wore the Mask that covered their face and a red cloak with a Python Symbol on it. "Hehe, so this dog died after escaping here. But why to this courtyard? Is anyone here?" one of the men muttered. "You guys check that courtyard. While we''re at it, let''s just check if other courtyards are empty or not. We can''t dismiss the possibility of everyone not being there," he told his fellow disciples who nodded their heads. They spread out to check courtyards separately. Xu Ming hid inside Mia''s courtyard. "I was right. We''re Under attack," Xu Ming muttered. "These guys being able to roam freely in the sect doesn''t give me a good feeling either. Even though I don''t know what happened, it would be best to assume that everyone is dead," Valeria told Xu Ming. "That makes sense. It''s good if they are alive, but I can''t put all my hopes on them. I need to leave," Xu Ming muttered as he decided. "Yeah, If they killed the strongest dude of the sect, I don''t think you can face them at all. Even if you use the Sword of Judgement, in the end, you will lose. Their number will be too big," Valeria told Xu Ming. Xu Ming moved towards the back of the courtyard and used his Origin Movement to pass through the back wall as he stepped out. He used his spiritual sense to scan his surroundings so that he could understand the positioning of the people that were present here. He saw one of the men breaking the door of Mia''s courtyard. Xu Ming walked away from that place and kept using his Divine Sense to keep himself safe from the enemies. "Wait a minute. I can use them," Xu Ming muttered as he glanced back. He walked back and entered Mia''s courtyard again. He silently appeared behind the man that was looking through her place and sliced his neck off. He didn''t want to damage the clothes of the man. The man''s body shape was similar to Xu Ming, so he wanted to use the man''s clothes and the mask to join himself with the infiltrators. He took the clothes off of the man and wore the clothes. He also wore the mask of the man to cover his face and wore the red Python cloak on top. He kept the body of the man in his storage ring. Xu Ming stepped out of the courtyard confidently. "Li Mu, Did you find anyone there?" one of the men asked. Xu Ming shook his head. 168 Chapter 165: The mystery behind the infiltrators "Alright. Check the other places then. After checking these courtyards, we can go back and join everyone else," the person told Xu Ming, not recognizing that there was someone else behind that mask. Xu Ming turned back and walked towards another courtyard to check those places. "Why are you joining them? Isn''t it more dangerous?" Valeria asked Xu Ming. She couldn''t understand why he was joining them instead of escaping. "We can''t escape. We are forgetting something important. If the sect is under attack, then they would have taken precautions to prevent people from escaping. Even if I manage to leave the sect, Escaping will be difficult. The flying beast that I have can''t fly much fast. It''s much more feasible to stick with them in disguise. Especially with the Mask of Mischief. They can''t recognize me, and I can see what''s actually happening and how bad the situation actually is," Xu Ming replied to her. Xu Ming kept going in and out of various courtyards, pretending to check if someone was inside or not. In a short span of a few minutes, he had checked many courtyards. In a few hours, they checked many courtyards and finished with the search. "There was no one here," "No one here either," Xu Ming also activated the effects of the Mask of Mischief to make his voice seem like the voice of the man he had killed before he also answered, "No one here either." "Alright. Let''s go back then," The one in the lead let out before he brought a huge golden eagle out of his Beast Bag. The Eagle was so big that it could easily carry tens of humans on it. All the masked people climbed on the Eagle. Xu Ming also followed the others as he got on top of the Golden Eagle. ''The person that kept the Eagle should be the leader of this small team,'' Xu Ming thought as he glanced at the person. He honestly wondered what the identity of these people was. The only clue he had so far was this python symbol on their clothes that Xu Ming didn''t recognize. ''I should''ve spent some time reading about other sects as well. They should be one of our enemy sects as well. If I had known about their identity, I would be better prepared,'' Xu Ming thought as he shook his head. The Golden Eagle flew through the core sect, which xu MIng found completely empty. There was not a single person that could be seen on the ground other than a few people that were dressed in the same clothes as the infiltrators that were with Xu Ming. After a short time, Xu Ming finally started seeing blood on the ground. There were bodies lying on the ground. The bodies that belonged to his fellow sect disciples. They were lying on the ground lifeless. Their blood flew out of their body constantly. There were masked people on the ground that were lining up the dead bodies. "Hehehe, this went easier than I was expecting. Who knew that one of the strongest sects of this continent would be this weak," one of the guys that was sitting near Long Chen started laughing. "I''m disappointed as well. Who knows, the next sect we target would be able to give us some challenges. So far, I have only received disappointment from the peak powers of this sect," another person responded. "of course the sects would be weak. No one can compare to our sect. Isn''t this why we left on this quest to conquer all continents on this world. The weakness of these sects are only proving how right we were," another person chimed in. "Guys, You can''t grow content. We have begun our conquer journey from this continent because this was the weakest continent. We will move to stronger continents. We are going from low to high, not high to low. It will get fun later." The leader said as he glanced back. "Yeah, if we had started from the strongest continent, things would get boring quickly since we would know that there is no competition, but if we start from the bottom, there will always be hope that the next continent will be better." It seemed like everyone understood as they all nodded their heads. ''Are they not from here? Xu Ming wondered as he glanced at everyone. "from their words, it seemed like they thought too little of this continent and that they were not from here. Xu Ming got a feeling that they were probably the peak power of another continent or perhaps from another mortal world that had some information about this world. Their words didn''t make it seem like they did it because of some enmity or from some revenge. Xu Ming hoped that he could just step forward and ask them straight away what they were trying to do here, but that would simply expose his identity here. He just wanted to stay silent and passively get the information that he could get until he found an opportunity to leave the sect and escape this place. They reached near the arena, which Xu Ming recognized to be the place where the tournament was supposed to be held. Xu Ming saw people sitting on their knees, surrounded by a few people that were in masks while thousands of bodies lay around them. The only few people from their sect that he found to be alive were the disciples. He looked to the side of the arena and saw the dead bodies of the Elders. Even the Sect Master''s lifeless body was lying on the ground. His head was separated from his body which proved to Xu Ming how gruesome his death was, Xu Ming couldn''t help but clench his fist as he looked at the body of the sect master. He could feel his blood boiling. He wanted to kill them all, but he controlled his anger. There were tens of people standing there that looked to be older. They seemed like they held more power as they did not wear the mask. They were wearing white clothes and a crimson robe. All of them were wearing a python shaped black ring, unlike the others that Xu Ming had seen. He assumed that they were probably the Elders or the leaders. There was another person that was there, but he was sitting on a throne that was placed there like a king. 169 Chapter 166: Destruction Everywhere It was a man who had golden hair and pitch-black eyes. He looked like he was in his early 30s. His facial features were quite handsome. He also wore a python ring, but his python ring was golden. He was sitting there casually like he was the leader of the infiltrators. That man with the golden python ring suddenly felt a terrifying killing intent, which abruptly disappeared before he could find the source of that intent. Xu Ming had controlled his killing intent right on time, even though he was extremely devastated as he saw the body of his master on the ground. The man stood up as he looked around to see if someone was looking at him, but other than his own men, he only found a few Mighty Demon Sect disciples looking at him. "How long before everything is ready, Nian?" the man asked one of his men. "Pretty soon, Young Master. Our men are searching everywhere in the sect. After the search is completed, we will be done here," the person called Nian replied. He was the second in command at this place after the guy with the crimson Python Ring. "I''m getting bored here. Tell the others to finish it fast. Also, send a few people to check our surroundings. Make sure that no enemy is hiding nearby," the person said before he sat back on the Chair. The Golden Eagle landed on the arena. "You guys stay here. I will go and inform the elders," the leader of the small team Xu Ming was pretending to be a part of, told Xu Ming and the others before he walked towards the people that were standing near the person that was sitting on a chair. Xu Ming glanced at the disciples that were captured to see if there was someone he knew, but he didn''t find anyone he recognized. ''Mia isn''t here either. Is she dead?'' Xu Ming thought after not finding Mia amongst them. "Can you see the strength of that guy?" Valeria asked as she pointed towards the guy that was sitting on a chair. Xu Ming shook his head. He couldn''t see their cultivation as the strength gap between them was too big for that to happen. "Soon, we will be done here. Then we can go to another sect of this continent," one of the guys let out. "I want to slaughter more." "The chances of that happening are too low. The sect probably selected a few top sects of this continent. Other teams should be taking care of those sects. Unless one of them fails, we probably won''t have an opportunity. We will probably go back home." "I wonder when we will get an opportunity to fight again," another person chimed in. "It is so fun to kill. I don''t care if I face strong opponents or weak! The feeling I get after I kill is so intoxicating. I can''t wait to face people again." The others started laughing at the comment. Time kept passing slowly, and more and more masked men kept arriving at this arena. Xu Ming saw them bring Sui Ru here as well. Her hands were tied behind her back. They threw her near the other Core disciples of the Mighty Demon Sect that were kept alive. She was the same girl who kept troubling Xu Ming, asking him to marry her. Xu Ming had already forgotten about her and was just reminded when he saw her. Xu Ming also saw some people bring Zi Zhenfeng and Wu Tian like prisoners. There were around a thousand more masked men in the arena. There were hundreds of Inner and outer sect disciples that were in imprisonment at the moment while only 20-30 core disciples were alive. "Hah, the Number of people that were kept alive is more than I expected," the man that was standing beside Xu Ming commented as he looked at the imprisoned disciples. "Well, You know why they are kept alive. You should be happy that there are more," another person answered. This was a female voice. Xu Ming glanced to his left. He hadn''t expected that the person that''s standing on his left was a girl. Her voice sounded sweet, unlike the cruel voices of the men. Xu Ming hadn''t heard that person talk before, so he didn''t know that she was a girl. Her chest was also not giving anything away. She probably tied her chest using something or just wasn''t that gifted. "I know, but still. I was just surprised. I was expecting for no one but ten or twenty to be left alive, but when the number is in the hundreds, Of Course, it''s shocking." The blonde-haired man that was sitting on a chair sat up as he was informed that everyone was here. Their mission was completed. "Alright, everyone. You did well. Time to go back!" The man let out loud as he brought out a talisman. He placed the talisman on the ground before him. A light started shining in the talisman, which kept expanding until it surrounded the whole arena. It seemed like a formation that suddenly activated. Everyone disappeared from that place. **** The Mighty Demon Sect arena that was filled with thousands of people was suddenly empty. That could be said for the whole sect as well. In the entire Mighty Demon Sect, only dead bodies could be seen. No other person was left alive. A formation was shining in the arena, which started shrinking. Just as it was about to disappear, a blast occurred. Fire shot out towards the sky, which took the shape of a flying python. That day, the whole continent saw this strange phenomenon in many locations. That day, every top sect was destroyed. Only dead bodies were left behind. There was also one thing that was similar between the destroyed sect. People saw a flame python in the sky, right above the sects that were destroyed. The flame python stayed in the air for days, not letting anyone forget what had happened. **** A person appeared in the arena of the Mighty Demon Sect out of thin air right after everyone had disappeared. The person looked towards the sky at the flame python. It was the Blind Elder Wu whose eyes seemed like they could see everything. He walked towards the Sect Master''s dead body and sighed. "I am sorry, my friend. But I can''t interfere unless he is in danger of death. I could do nothing but watch while you died," Elder Wu muttered as he shook his head. 170 Chapter 167: In Enemys Den "It is good for him, though. Now he will be in a different place. The place that''s already been checked by the Envoy of Heaven. That place is much safer for him than this continent where the Envoy of Heaven will come soon. I was wondering how I could make him leave this place without interfering myself," Elder Wu muttered as he shook his head. "Let''s see how things unfold from here on," He let out as he waved his finger in front of him. A teleportation portal appeared before him in which Elder Wu entered and disappeared. ***** Xu Ming and the others appeared in a different place. There was black-grass on the ground and tall buildings everywhere. Xu Ming''s body was feeling somewhat refreshed suddenly. This place had double the amount of origin energy that the Mighty Demon Sect had, which made him realize that he was probably not in that continent anymore. Xu Ming looked around and realized that he was inside what seemed like a garden. There were four formations on various corners of the gardens. "You guys can go back and rest. You will be informed when it''s time to leave again," one of the Elders said before he left with the other Elders. He stepped over the black formation on the north and disappeared. Xu Ming realized that other than the Elders, most of them were disciples of this place. That''s what he assumed, at least. Xu Ming noticed half of the masked disciples taking the prisoners towards one of the formations on the ground, which worked as a teleportation formation. The formation they walked towards was towards the west side of the garden. Xu Ming saw them leaving and taking the prisoners, which included Zi Zhenfeng and Wu Tian. He also walked with those masked men. "Li Mu, where are you going? It''s not our team''s duty to escort the prisoners. Come back," one of the masked people stepped forth and placed their hand over Xu Ming''s head. This person was the girl whom Xu Ming thought to be a guy previously. Xu Ming remembered that he was addressed as Li My before. That was the name of the guy he was pretending to be. Xu Ming stopped and turned back, but he was still feeling uneasy as he watched them take his friends away. "Let''s go to our second," the girl said as she held Xu Ming''s hand and took him towards the formation on the south. Xu Ming couldn''t help but glance back at the prisoners being taken away. He wanted to see where they were being taken to so that he could help them in the future, but he wasn''t able to without causing suspicions about his identity. He had no choice but to go with the flow. "I can understand man. I also wanted to shed a little more blood, but what can we do? We can only wait for the next hunting trip," one of the disciples noticed Xu Ming looking back. He thought that Xu Ming wanted to kill more. Xu Ming clenched his fist as he disappeared from that place and appeared in a different location. "I''m jealous, man. Your and Li Mu''s courtyard is right where this formation leads to. We on the other hand still need to walk more to get to our place," One of the masked men let out with an annoyed look on his face as he glanced at Xu Ming and the girl. He took off his mask, revealing a chubby face. The girl also removed her mask, revealing a beautiful face that was no less in beauty when compared to Battle Fairy Mia. The others also took off their masks, revealing their faces. Surprisingly, there were more hotels in the group than the guys. Xu Ming also followed suit not to seem strange. He activated his Mask of Mischief and took off the fake mask. His face looked exactly like the face of the person he had killed. "Bye, guys. I''ll probably go into closed-door cultivation. See you again on the next hunting," one of the guys said before he left. Slowly everyone left. Xu Ming and the girl were the only ones still standing there. Xu Ming had found out the name of the girl while one of the girls mentioned her by name when bidding her farewell. The girl''s name was Yanli. She started walking, and Xu Ming followed her. "Here comes your place. This is where we separate. Bye Li Mu, this was fun," Yanli said with a beautiful smile on her face before she left. She walked over to the next courtyard and entered it. Xu Ming wondered what the girl''s relation was to the one that was killed. They seemed close but not as close as lovers. He felt like she was looking at him as a close friend. Xu Ming shook his head as he walked towards the courtyard that was supposed to be his. The courtyard was pitch black in color, which looked somewhat dark and grim, yet beautiful at the same time. The courtyard was three times the size of the courtyard that he had received when he was in the Mighty Demon Sect. Xu Ming opened the courtyard and entered the place. There was a chubby man sleeping on the couch who had woken up as soon as the door was opened. He stood up instantly as he greeted Xu Ming. "Welcome back, Master," the person said. ''I guess he is the servant. Good. I can use him to get some information,'' Xu Ming thought as he looked at the man. The mask of mischief was still activated, which caused Xu Ming''s voice to change as well. "Looks like you had fun while I was not here," Xu Ming said as he looked around. "Ah, No master. I was working, and I got tired. I decided to rest for a few minutes. I would get back to work," the servant let out as he stood straight with his chest pumped out, which was still smaller than his stomach. "Really? Tell me what your name is," Xu Ming asked. The servant looked at him in confusion. "My name is Dugu Yan," The servant answered. "Good. At Least your mind is still working. You probably haven''t fallen asleep long ago," Xu Ming let out, pretending like he was agreeing with him. "Of Course. As I said, I''m wide awake Master. You can test me more if you want," The man said proudly. "Let me test more," Xu Ming took him up on the offer as that''s what he actually wanted. 171 Chapter 168: Not leaving "What is where we are?" Xu Ming asked. "We are in your courtyard, Master," the man replied. "Where is my courtyard?" Xu Ming asked. "It''s in the South section of the sect," The servant answered. "Where is the south section of the sect?" Xu Ming inquired. "Inside our Royal Nine Suns Sect," The Servant answered. "Where is our Royal Nine Suns Sect?" Xu Ming kept asking questions in this manner. His main target was to know if he was still in the same world or not. "It''s in the Dark Wrath Kingdom, Master," the servant answered with a fawning smile on his face. It was as if the Dark Wrath Kingdom was somehow big in his heart, which increased his respect towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming noticed this subtle change and couldn''t help but wonder if the person he was pretending to be had something to do with the Dark Wrath Kingdom. He couldn''t ask that question, though, as he wanted to continue the pattern. "Where is the Dark Wrath Kingdom?" Xu Ming asked the servant. "The Dark Wrath Kingdom is in the Fire God Continent, Master," the servant answered. Xu Ming heard the Fire God Continent, but he didn''t remember anything. He hadn''t read extensively about the continents when he was in the sect, but he did hear about the name of their planet. He walked to hear if he was on the same planet as that would mean that the Fire God Continent was a different continent of their world. "Where is the Fire God Continent?" Xu Ming inquired. "This... It''s in our world," the servant asked with an embarrassed smile on his face. "Weren''t you boasting that I could ask you anything? How come you don''t know the name of our planet?" Xu Ming snorted. "I apologize, Master, but this servant of yours doesn''t remember," The servant apologized. "Let me ask you more things than. I will ask you the most simple question which you should know about. I would definitely be disappointed if you can''t answer my questions," Xu Ming said in full seriousness. "I will do my best, Master. I won''t fail this test!" The Servant replied as he hit his chest. "What is my relationship with the Dark Wrath Kingdom?" Xu Ming asked the man. "This... I know this. Master is the Third Prince of the Dark Wrath Kingdom!" the Servant replied. ''The heck? I killed the Third Prince of their kingdom, and now I''m impersonating him?'' Xu Ming was surprised as he got this information. Even Valeria was shocked. She had been sitting on Xu Ming''s shoulder silently all this time. Even she could see how serious this situation was. If someone found out that he wasn''t who Xu Ming was pretending to be, he would be killed. Even if he escaped, he would be chased by the army of the kingdom for killing their Prince. "Good. Why am I in this sect?" Xu Ming asked. "Because Master wanted to study in the best sect of the kingdom instead of going to other kingdoms to study," The Servant answered. "Right. Now let me get to the tougher questions. How is my relationship with the Crown Prince?" Xu Ming inquired. "Crown Prince? Is this a trick question, Master? The Crown Prince hasn''t even been selected yet, Master," the Servant let out with a confused look on his face. "Right. You do have a presence of mind. Very good," Xu Ming praised the servant. He had realized that he had made a mistake, but he was happy that the servant was stupid enough to come to a reason himself. "If you know that, then you must also know why the Crown Prince hasn''t been selected? Let me see if you know," Xu Ming asked as he sat on a chair with one of his legs resting above his other leg. "It''s because His Majesty is waiting for three of his sons to turn 20 before he could start an official trial to see who is more worthy to be the kind. Master will be turning 20 in five months. Their trials will start then, and if master wins, he will be the Crown Prince," The Servant answered. "Good. Now one last question for the day. Tell me if I go into a secluded Cultivation for a month, what can go wrong?" Xu Ming asked. He wanted to see if there were any classes that he needed to attend or if he could be free to spend his time in freedom. "The only thing I can think of is that your friendly neighbor will be angry that you didn''t inform her before going to a secluded Cultivation. Other than that, Master has no problem. You are the Prince of our Kingdom, after all," the Servant answered. "Good. That''s enough questions for today. I''m happy that you haven''t gone stupid. I would ask more questions later to make sure that your mind stays active," Xu Ming told the servant. "Now go and clear the bedsheet of my room. They were dirty when I left." The Servant instantly nodded his head before he walked back to a room. Xu Ming observed to see which room belonged to him. He soon found his room, but he still kept sitting on his chair. He was lost in deep thoughts, trying to come up with a plan on that to go next. After some time, the servant came out of the room and informed Xu Ming that the room was cleaned again. "Good work. I''m going to my room. No matter who arrives, tell them that I''m in Secluded Cultivation and that you won''t know when I''ll come out," Xu Ming told the servant before he stood up and walked inside his room. The room was mostly empty. Other than a wardrobe and a king-size bed, there was nothing else in the room. Xu Ming closed the door behind him and walked back to the bed as he laid down on the bed. "We need to leave this place," Valeria reminded Xu Ming. "I know. I also want to leave, but there are more things that we need to do. I can''t leave some of the people behind. I left my father behind once; I''m not leaving my friends behind now," Xu Ming declared. 172 Chapter 169: Fiance "You can''t help them. You need to think about saving yourself first. If you go to save others, you will lose your life as well," Valeria told Xu Ming, trying to convince him. "I won''t save them all, but I will save the ones that helped me. If father were here, he would''ve done the same thing," Xu Ming said, shaking his head. "But your father is dead. He was killed by the ones that he trusted. You''re doing the same thing, risking your life for the ones that are not even your blood," Valeria let out, firmly. Xu Ming was shocked to hear her words. He somehow felt angry at her words because she involved his father. "I-I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it that way. What I meant was that if something happened to you, who will take care of your mother? Even if she is woken up, will she be able to live knowing that her husband and her son are dead? Don''t think about yourself only. Think about your mother, as well. Think about your revenge. Think about the future. Don''t put everything on the line to save some friends. Leave them behind! One''s own life is what matters the most," Valeria let out, shaking her hand. "If it was me in the prison, would you leave me behind?" Xu Ming asked Valeria. "No, I would try my best to save you no matter what I have to do, but things are different between you and me. I am different. I can try and fail, but I won''t get caught or die as a result. Also, I''m not impersonating anyone. I don''t even exist for people of this world. You, on the other hand, will get caught and killed. Our situations aren''t the same," Valeria said sternly. "Don''t put your life on the line for some random people of the mortal world," she added. "I would be dead if it weren''t for this mortal world and the people," Xu Ming declared. "I understand your emotion, but you need to think rationally. It is impossible to save them in this place. You can''t do it," Valeria replied to him. "What if I am able to save their lives without putting my life in danger?" Xu Ming inquired. "Then I won''t oppose you. As long as it''s not something that will put your life in danger, it will be fine, but nothing more than that. Your life is more important than the lives of these mortals," Valeria nodded her head as she answered his question. "Alright." Xu Ming knew that he couldn''t think of a plan without knowing the full information about this thing and what the sect planned to do with them, but he couldn''t be eager to know the information as well; otherwise, he would expose himself. Xu Ming shook his head as he decided to collect more information on the next day. He stayed in the room and started to utilize his time in Cultivation to make him stronger. He cultivated the whole night, and he only stopped when he heard the knock on his door in the morning. "Master, hurry. There is trouble. Open the door." Xu Ming recognized the voice as it belonged to his servant. Xu Ming stood up and activated the effects of his Mask of Mischief before he opened the door. "What happened? Why did you interrupt my Cultivation?" Xu Ming asked the servant. "Master, trouble is here. She has come! She is standing outside the door." the man said. "Who is here? And why do you look so scared? Tell me who is here?" Xu Ming asked in confusion. "Are you talking about Yanli?" " It''s not her. It''s a disaster! Your Fiance as here!" The servant answered. "My Fiance?" Xu Ming exclaimed as his eyes opened wide. "It must be the fiance of Li Mu, the guy you''re pretending to be," Valeria said in his ears. "Ah, right. My fiance is here. Do you know her name?" he asked the servant. ''Is this another question to check my memory?'' the servant thought. "Ah, yes. She is Madam Yu Yan," The servant replied. "Right. You do remember. Now tell me, Why are we so afraid of her?" Xu Ming asked. Before the servant could answer, the door was broken open. "Li Mu! How long are you going to hide! Come out!" A girl''s voice came out. Xu Ming stepped out of his room and walked into the hall. He could see a girl standing there. The girl looked like she was 18-19 years old. She was just as tall as Xu Ming. She wore a beautiful red dress that had a white ribbon tied around her thin waist. She had long black hair that came down to her knees. Her beautiful brown eyes found Xu Ming and lit up. "There you are! At Least you didn''t try to hide like the other times. Maybe you will finally be a man and accept my challenge!" the girl let out as she glared at Xu Ming. "Challenge?" Xu Ming looked at her in confusion. He didn''t understand what she was talking about, but he still had to deal with the situation somehow. From the way she talked about, it seemed like Li Mu didn''t want to accept her challenge. He decided to maintain the same stance. "Can we just drop that whole challenge thing? I don''t want to do it," Xu Ming let out, shaking his head. The girl was instantly furious. His face was turning red in anger. She brought a sword out of her storage ring and instantly attacked Xu Ming. Her initial plan was to scare Xu Ming into accepting her challenge by scaring him. She was about to stop before her sword did any actual damage, but she was stunned as she saw Xu Ming''s reaction. He was as fast as lightning as he dodged her sword before it even got near him. "So you have some skills, but this wasn''t a real attack. If you do not accept my challenge, I will just kill you directly," the girl let out as she pointed her sword towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming shook her head. "Are you really going to kill your fiance, Yu Yan?" Xu Ming asked her. "Don''t worry about that; I won''t have a second thought about killing you if you don''t accept my challenge today. I won''t wait for your decision anymore! The choice is yours. Would you accept my challenge or keep your stance and die today!" The girl let out, sternly. 173 Chapter 170: Rights Challenge ''Just who is this girl? Does she want to kill her fiance for a challenge? And she isn''t even worried about it? How can she threaten the Prince of this kingdom so freely?'' Xu Ming thought. "Aren''t you afraid of killing a prince?" Xu Ming asked the girl as he looked at her in confusion. "Why would I be worried about killing you! Stop changing the topic! Just tell me if you accept my challenge or not!" The Girl let out again. "What do you think I will do?" Xu Ming inquired again. "You will try to make an excuse, but it''s not going to work today! It''s either you accept my challenge or die!" the girl let out. "Alright. Repeat the challenge for me, only then will I reply," Xu Ming let out in a calm tone. "You know what the challenge is! Fight me! If I win, this engagement will be canceled. If you win, I will drop the idea of canceling the engagement," Yu Yan told Xu Ming. ''Ah, I guess I get it. It must be arranged marriage. They engaged Yu Yan and the guy I killed when they were young, and now she wants to break the engagement. But if I let the engagement be broken, I might be called by the King since he would be angry at his son. I am a fake, I don''t want to face the King yet, or I would be caught. I can only fight her and win, to keep the status quo since she isn''t going to go away without me accepting the challenge,'' Xu Ming thought. "Answer me!" The girl said as she pointed her weapon at Xu Ming again. "Alright. I accept the challenge. We will fight tomorrow, but I don''t want anyone to watch our battle. I will only fight if it''s a private battle in a private place," Xu Ming told her. The girl was stunned. For a moment, she didn''t know how to respond. Her mouth was open. She never imagined that Xu Ming would accept her challenge since he was so scared of her before. She had planned to force him to accept the challenge, but it went way too easy that she found it difficult to believe. "Y-you accept the challenge?" She asked again, just to be sure. "Yeah, I accept the challenge. You can select a place and come to take me tomorrow. As long as it''s a private place where no one else would be able to see us fight, I would be ready to fight with you," Xu Ming said again. "Alright. I will select a place and come to take you tomorrow. But if I found out that you have escaped or that you were lying, you will die!" the Girl threatened Xu Ming again before she left. ''Sigh, I guess I can imagine why that guy was scared. She is intimidating, and she isn''t weak either,'' Xu Ming thought. The Servant was standing in the back, watching everything. "Go close the door and come back," Xu Ming told him as he sat on a chair. The servant went towards the door and closed it before he walked back. "Who is Yu Yan?" He asked. " She is your fiance," The Servant replied. "Why is she so eager to challenge me?" Xu Ming asked again. "Because she wants to use the Second Law of the Kingdom to break the engagement," The Servant answered. "What is the Second Law of the Kingdom?" "The Second Law states that when a man and a woman are engaged by their family, the engagement can''t be broken unless both sides agree. There is only one way to break the engagement if the other side doesn''t agree, which is by way of Rights Challenge," "What is the right challenge?" Xu Ming asked again. He wanted to find the answers, but each answer made things more complicated for him. "The girl can challenge the boy, or the boy can challenge the girl for a battle. The Rights Challenge is only active when both of the parties accept the challenge. If the one that challenged the other person wins, they get what they demanded. If the person loses, they will not get what they demanded, and they would have to stay content with the situation. Miss Yu Yan challenged you to break the engagement. If she wins, the engagement will be broken; if she loses, she will accept you as her fiance," The Servant answered in detail. ''So that''s how it is. I can''t let her win then. My disguise might be exposed if I lose, and the King calls me to reprimand me. I need to win and stay in the role until I save my friends,'' Xu Ming thought. "Good. I think you have grown smarter than before. This test thing seems to be working. I''ll continue it so that your growth doesn''t halt," Xu Ming let out as he smiled. "Why wasn''t Yu Yan afraid of killing me?" Xu Ming asked again. "She is the daughter of the Sect Master, so her position in this Kingdom is not much lower than the Master. The Sect Master and the King are close friends, so I don''t think that she would be punished for hurting you. Only you will be scolded for being weak, but I don''t believe Madam Yu Yan will go as far as killing you. She would never be able to justify that. So she threatened you with the threat of killing, but she meant that she would break all your bones. That''s what she said last time she came here," The Servant answered. ''Master is definitely asking this to test my memory since she mentioned this last time when she came here. Master underestimated my memory,'' the Servant was happy on the inside. ''The Daughter of the Sect Master, huh, That brings things into perspective,'' Xu Ming thought. ''Whatever happens, I can''t let her win.'' Xu Ming changed his question and asked more about the guy he was pretending to be like how he fought in battles, what strategy he used. Even though the servant didn''t know most of these things in detail, he was able to provide Xu Ming with some valid information. He kept collecting information for the next few hours, and after he felt like he had asked a lot of questions to the servant, he allowed him to go back. He knew that he couldn''t hurry everything, but he had to get answers. He found out all he needed to. Even the rumors that the servant knew regarding what happened to the prisoners. 174 Chapter 171: The Battle against Yu Yan Xu Ming walked back to his room and closed the door. He was sitting on the bed as he looked at a ring in his hand. It was a ring that belonged to Li Mu, the person he was pretending to be. Xu Ming knew that he couldn''t use his Weapons; otherwise, he might attract some unnecessary attention, so he was going to use the weapons of Lu Mu. He sent his consciousness inside the ring to see the things it held. He found a few clothes, some eatables, and some books inside, but there was a weapon as well. Xu Ming couldn''t help but shake his head as he saw the weapon. "An ax? I don''t have any experience using an Axe. Couldn''t he have just used a sword or something?" Xu Ming complained. "Don''t worry about anything. It''s just an ax, nothing serious," Valeria let out casually. "It''s a brutal weapon. I don''t think you need to learn it. Just swing it randomly like a brute." "I didn''t understand if you''re joking or being serious? You want me to go out swinging an ax against an experienced enemy who will use proper weapons and skills to face me?" Xu Ming asked in confusion. "As I said, the specialty of the Axe is its strength. I know it because quite a lot of warriors in our world are ax warriors, and I saw their fights. They use pure strength to defeat the enemy. Sometimes even skills don''t stand a chance before pure strength," She replied. "Also, it''s not like you only have strength. I saw her move when she attacked you. Your speed should be much faster than her, and your reaction speed is something that I haven''t seen before. With the combination of all those, you can defeat her," she added. "I sure do hope so, because I''m not going to use any of my offensive skills in a battle against her. They are just too distinct, and they would attract the attention of the enemy and might make them doubt my identity. I''m going to use my physical attributes and movement skills only," Xu Ming added. "That seems to be the best option at the moment. Whatever happens, you can''t do anything that exposes your identity," Valeria told Xu Ming. "Yeah, Fortunately, the people that the sect imprisoned aren''t going to be killed. I never expected that this would be the reason for them to bring people from our sect here. At Least we have time until they conquer all the continents," Xu Ming muttered. He had found out about why the sect imprisoned people. He had expected that they would probably Sacrifice them or steal their life force, but the reality was quite different, which made him realize that they were safe for quite some time. "Yeah, now you don''t have to be in a hurry to save them. At least you don''t do anything stupid in your hurry now," Valeria said. Valeria didn''t reply and started looking elsewhere. Xu Ming shook his head as he laid on the bed. He closed his eyes and started resting. He didn''t know when, but he soon fell asleep. His mask was still on his face, but he had deactivated its effect since he was inside the room. The mask still acted like a normal mask, though. Xu Ming slept on the bed in peace and comfort. The peace was broken by the constant knocking on the door, though. Xu Ming stood up and looked at the clock. "Sigh, it''s already the next day. That was a good sleep. I don''t know when was the last time I slept so nice," Xu Ming muttered as he shook his head. He opened the door and saw his servant at the door. "Miss Yu Yan is at the door, Master," The Servant told Xu Ming. "I expected that. I''m leaving with her. I''ll be back soon," Xu Ming told the Servant as he started walking towards the exit. "I''ll keep the pain-relieving medicine ready for you, Master. Don''t worry." Xu Ming was near the door when he heard the scream of his servant from behind. ''That Idiot, is he trying to be considerate or demotivate me?'' Xu Ming thought, shaking his head. As he stepped out of his courtyard, he saw Yu Yan standing there. She was dressed in male attire, which still made her look pretty. "You proved me wrong. You haven''t run away. It''s good," Yu Yan nodded her head in praise. "Can we get it done fast? I don''t want to drag it too much," Xu Ming told her as he glanced at her. He had already activated the Mask of Mischief, which made him look like Li Mu. "Hmph, acting like a lion. I''ll see how long it takes before you start begging me to leave you," Yu Yan muttered as she snorted. "Follow me," She said as she stepped over her Flying Condor. Xu Mung also walked over the Condor and stood behind her. The Flying Condor started flying and took them in a certain direction. After flying for over an hour, the Condor landed on the ground near a beautiful courtyard that seemed to be made of the purest of white marbles. "Since you wanted to fight in a private place, we will fight in my private practice arena behind my courtyard so that you don''t get an excuse," Yu Yan said as she landed on the ground. She kept her beast back in the beast back and started walking towards the hall that was behind her courtyard. Xu Ming followed behind her. Soon, they were both standing inside a big hall. Other than the outer walls of the halls, there was nothing else inside. There wasn''t even a stone floor. There was soil on the ground. "This is where we will fight. You can go into that corner and get ready for a fight. I''m giving you a few minutes," Yu Yan told Xu Ming as she pointed towards the other end of the hall. Xu Ming started walking away from her. He stood in the opposite corner to her and brought his ax out of his storage ring. "You have a nice ax. Too bad that such a great Treasure is being wasted on someone like you," Yu Yan sighed as she saw the ax. She knew that the ax was an important Treasure even though it looked like a normal ax, but Li Mu wasn''t able to use it properly. 175 Chapter 172: Battle for the glory Even if he knew ax skills, he wouldn''t have been able to use it since he was pretending to be someone else and couldn''t do anything that would expose his identity. If he used any skills that the original host didn''t know, it would attract much more attention than him acting strange or having faster reflexes. Yu Yan also brought her sword out and held it firmly in her hand. "Your weapon is nice too," Xu Ming complimented her as well. "I don''t need your praise," Yu Yan snorted. "Since I was the one that challenged you, you can attack first," She told Xu Ming. "It''s fine. I prefer having you attack first," Xu Ming responded. Since he couldn''t use any skills, he preferred having her close it so he could surprise her or have a chance at winning. "If you say so," Yu Yan let out as she raised her sword. She slashed down with her sword. A bright green arc of light escaped her sword and moved towards Xu Ming. Xu Ming saw the attack coming towards him. Instead of facing the attack from the front, Xu Ming dodged the attack. He jumped to the side, barely dodging the attack. "Once a coward, always a coward," Yu Yan muttered as she looked at Xu Ming in anger. She kept using the same attack, without moving and Xu Ming kept dodging. ''Looks like she won''t come close in the least. I''ll have to go in after all," Xu Ming thought as he started running towards her. His speed increased suddenly. His sudden increase in speed had managed to shock Yu Yan. Before she knew it, Xu Ming was before her. Xu Ming attacked with his ax, but Yu Yan blocked the attack with her sword. Yu Yan''s expressions suddenly changed as she realized the physical power hidden in that attack. Even though she had blocked the attack, just the sheer force itself was able to throw her back. She was pushed back ten steps, but before she could even control her footing, she saw Xu Ming appear before her again. She saw his ax coming toward her. Even though she had lost her balance, she was forced to block the attack. This time, the attack was even more powerful than the last time. Xu Ming''s physical power in itself was too powerful, but because of this ax, his power was even more amplified. Because she hadn''t found her footing, her defense was even weaker now. She was tossed back like a broken kite as she crashed against the wall. She landed onto her knees. She stopped up amidst the aching pain. "You bas..." she had just opened her mouth, but before she could even finish her sentence, she saw Xu Ming coming towards her with his ax. She also coughed out a mouthful of blood as she landed on the ground. Since Xu Ming had found an opportunity to dominate Yu Yan, he wasn''t willing to give it up. He didn''t want her to pull out any of her crazy trump cards, so he kept appearing before her without giving her a chance to do anything. Yu Yan kept getting tossed all around the room. It can come to a situation where she wasn''t even getting the opportunity to stand before she was attacked. Blood was coming out of her mouth, and her clothes were covered in dust while Xu Ming wasn''t injured in the least. His clothes were still spotless. Yu Yan''s sword had also fallen off her hand, which was now in Xu Ming''s hand. Xu Ming was standing before Yu Yan while she was lying on the ground. His sword was resting on her neck. "I can kill you if I want. This fight is already over," Xu Ming muttered before he threw her sword to the ground and walked back towards the door. He stepped out of the hall without looking at Yu Yan. Yu Yan kept watching her back until he left the hall. He brought out the flying beast that was in Li Mu''s beast bag and stood on it. The beast started flying and took Xu Ming back to Li Mu''s courtyard. Xu Ming stepped down of the beast and placed the beast into the bag. As he stepped inside his courtyard, he saw it filled with herbs. "What is all this?" Xu Ming asked the servant who was mixing the herbs and crushing them. "This is for my Master, who is going to be beaten badly. I need to prepare the medicine bath to help him recover after he comes back defeate..." The Servant was subconsciously replying, but he abruptly stopped as he recognized the voice. He told the back slowly. "M-master, you''re back?" He stood up in shock as he saw Xu Ming. "You''re fine? Did the fight get canceled?" "I won," Xu Ming replied. The servant looked at Xu Ming as if he did not believe him. "Whatever, I''m going back to my room. I''ll be in secluded Cultivation. Don''t let anyone disturb me," Xu Ming said as he walked inside his room. Xu Ming closed the door and canceled the effects of his Mask of Mischief and removed it as he laid on the bed. Xu Ming thought about the fight and realized that the fight had indeed gone pretty good. He was also starting to appreciate the ax as a weapon. "Fighting with brute force was not that bad. I guess no weapon is bad, after all. Each weapon has a different set of specialty." he muttered. "I told you, an ax is a good weapon. You can definitely make it your main weapon," Valeria commented. "No, I would still prefer swords. I have the most powerful weapon, which is a sword, after all. No matter how amazing an Ax can be, I still need to master the sword so I can better utilize the Sword of Justice when the time comes," Xu Ming responded. "That is true, as well. No weapon can come close to a god grade weapon. Since you already have a God Grade Sword, you should stick with it," Valeria replied as she nodded her head. "I haven''t seen a god grade weapon before. I wonder what the Sword of Justice looks like. Can you show me what that sword looks like?" she asked Xu Ming. 176 Chapter 173: Im going to die? He had a plan, but it was not something he could exert so fast because of certain limitations and his lack of knowledge. Xu Ming cultivated for the day and night. It was the next morning when his concentration was broken because of the knocking on the door He put the mask of mischief back on his face as he stood up and walked towards the door. He activated the effect of the Mask before he opened the door. "Why are you disturbing me now? Didn''t I tell you not to disturb me unless absolutely necessary?" Xu Ming let out as he opened the door. As the door was opened, Xu Ming frowned as he realized that the person standing before him was not his servant. Instead, it was a girl. It was the same girl that he had defeated in a battle yesterday. "What do you want?" Xu Ming asked Yu Yan. "I came here to tell you that I accept my defeat. You won the battle, and I lost the Rights Challenge. I can''t break off the engagement now," Yu Yan said. "That''s good," Xu Ming nodded his head as he acknowledged her decision, which was technically in his favor since now the engagement wouldn''t get canceled and he wouldn''t attract unnecessary attention because of the broken engagement. "Although I lost the battle and the right to break off the engagement, you still have that right. And you won the battle as well. I came here to request you," Yu Yan let out as she dropped down to one knee before Xu Ming. "Please break the engagement yourself and free me." Xu Ming looked at her in confusion. What was her obsession with breaking off the engagement? Was Li Mu really that bad? He was the Prince of this kingdom. A girl shouldn''t be that eager to break off the engagement that she would be willing to go down to her knee to break off her engagement, especially if the girl was as proud as Yu Yan. "Why do you want to break off the engagement badly? Are you in love with someone else?" Xu Ming asked her. "No," the girl replied. "Then what is it?" Xu Ming inquired. "I... I just don''t want to marry someone and become a widow," Yu Yan let out as she stood up. "Ahh... Are you saying that I''m going to die, and that''s why you don''t want to marry me?" Xu Ming asked as he smiled wryly. "Or are you saying that you will murder me if I marry you, and you don''t want that to happen if it can be avoided?" Yu Yan looked at Xu Ming as if she was looking at an idiot. "Don''t pretend as if you don''t know. The whole kingdom knows that you will die in the trial to become the crown prince. I don''t want to marry someone who will die," ''I will die in the battle to become the crown prince? What the heck? Is she serious?'' Xu Ming thought as he frowned. "It''s the truth that we all know. You''re the weakest of the three Princes that will be attempting to become the crown prince, so it''s obvious that you will die. Only one Prince can stay alive at the end, and no way in hell will you be the one," Yu Yan let out. "Well, thank you for the vote of confidence," Xu Ming chuckled as he heard her words. He had already decided that he wouldn''t stay in the kingdom for long, so there was no need for him to fight any other Prince. He wasn''t even the real Li Mu, so he wanted to stay as far away from Li Mu''s father or his brothers. "You can joke all you want. I guess you have come to terms with your death, but why are you trying to spoil my life with yours. Cancel the engagement, and then you can die in peace. Don''t drag me down with you," Yu Yan let out in annoyance. "I''m not dragging you down, and you will know about that soon. As for the engagement, I can''t break it. I apologize for that, but I have reasons of my own." Xu Ming refused to budge from his stance. He was ready to annoy his fiance, but he wasn''t ready to annoy Li Mu''s father. "You are a bastard!" Yu Yan stomped her foot on the ground before she left. "Well, she looked confident that you would die in whatever trials. You think she forgot how you thrashed her yesterday?" Valeria muttered while sitting on Xu Ming''s shoulders. "I don''t think she forgot, but she probably knows the difference in strength between her and the other Princes," Xu Ming muttered as he stepped out of his room. "Now, where did that guy go? He should be taking care of the courtyard, but someone came in and left, and he''s nowhere to be found," Xu Ming muttered as he looked around the courtyard. He searched everywhere, but he couldn''t find his servant. "Maybe he went outside to return the herbs he got for you," Valeria chuckled as she remembered the situation before. "Maybe," Xu Ming muttered as he walked closer to the main door and closed it. "That girl, she didn''t even close the door before she left. It doesn''t look like she has any manners. Your Fiance is not a wife material," Valeria let out. "She is not my fiance," Xu Ming responded. Xu Ming was about to walk back when he heard more knocking on the door. He turned back and opened the door, only to find his servant standing there. He looked like he was severely beaten. His face was swollen, and there was a dark mark on his eyes. Xu Ming moved aside and allowed him to enter. "What happened to you? Who did this?" Xu Ming asked as the servant sat on a chair. "N-no one, Master," The Servant replied. "I fell down." ''Can''t you come up with a better lie, at least?'' Xu Ming thought as he looked at the servant. "Don''t lie to me. Tell me what," He said sternly. The servant had just opened his mouth when Xu Ming heard more knocking on the door. It seemed less like knocking, and more like someone was hitting the door heavily. "Wait here, I''ll be right back," Xu Ming said as he turned back. "No, Master, don''t go!" The servant instantly let out. 177 Chapter 174: Trouble again As soon as the door was opened, he found many people standing there. Around twenty people were standing outside. All of them looked to be the same age as Li Mu. "Yes? Do you all need something?" Xu Ming inquired. "Li Mu, bring your servant out! Today, we will break his legs!" The person in the lead said. It was a boy who looked like he was in his early twenties. He was wearing a robe that highlighted his position as a disciple of this sect. "Why do you want me to call him out? What did he do to you?" Xu Ming inquired. "That bastard made my sister Gu Yao fall down! He deserves to be punished!" The boy said. ''Gu Yao? She must be another disciple, I guess,'' Xu Ming thought. "How did he make her fall down? Did he push her, or did he accidentally hit her and made her fall down? Those two things can be entirely different depending on the context," Xu Ming replied. "I don''t care why he did what he did or how it happened! The truth is, my sister fell down because of a trash servant. You need to hand him over to me right now!" The boy said. ''Sigh, these guys don''t respect the Prince either. It looks like they all believe that Li Mu has no chance of becoming the Prince, and he will die in the trial of crown. Such a good position of a prince not it didn''t come with any benefits and only trouble. No one will kill me because I''m a prince at the moment, but they won''t be shy of beating me since I probably don''t have any high position anywhere,'' Xu Ming thought with a wry smile on his face. "He just came back, and he was already beaten black and blue. You need to do something else. I believe that he already got his punishment. Please leave," Xu Ming replied as he turned back. "Li Mu, don''t believe that just because of your position, you can do anything! I don''t care what happens today, I am taking that guy with me!" the boy let out as he started walking towards the courtyard. The guy was just before the entrance when Xu Ming reached out his hand and stopped the guy from moving forward. "You can''t stop me, Li Mu!" the boy said. The boy held Xu Ming''s hand and pushed him outside, but he wasn''t able to. The boy hadn''t expected that he wouldn''t be able to move Xu Ming. It was as if he was pulling a mountain. He was also feeling embarrassed after failing, especially when he was being watched by twenty fellow disciples that he had brought with him. "You bastard, Stop making things difficult for me!" The boy let out as he kicked Xu Ming''s chest. Xu Ming hadn''t expected that he would be kicked like that. He flew back and crashed on the table. The table broke apart. "Master, are you fine?" Xu Ming''s servant came up to him and helped him up. He was about to start walking towards Gu Mao, who was the brother of Gu Yao, but Xu Ming stopped him. "It''s not about you anymore. They attacked a prince, and I can''t let it go. It doesn''t matter how I behaved before this day. It doesn''t matter if I maintained my dignity before or not, today will be a day when I won''t let anyone trample my dignity," Xu Ming said out loud. As he spoke, he also included something to give himself some room. He had already separated himself from the past behavior of Li Mu. If Li Mu were a coward before today, it would be seen as him becoming brave today, and no one will doubt his actions. Xu Ming stepped forth and left the servant behind. He also brought his ax out of his storage ring. "If you want a war, let''s have it. I wonder who will get more punishment. If you killed me, a prince or if I killed you," Xu Ming let out. "You bastard, you think you can scare me with that false bravado?" Gu Mao let out as he ran towards Xu Ming and punched out again. Even though Xu Ming could''ve used his ax to cut off the hands of Gu Mao with ease, he didn''t do it since he was clearly bragging about killing Gu Mao. He didn''t want to increase the troubles to that level. Beating up Gu Mao would be fine, but killing him might be too much. Xu Ming moved his feet skillfully and lowered his head as he dodged the attack, but that wasn''t enough. He also punched out after he dodged the attack of Gu Mao. His fist connected with Gu Mao''s face, instantly making Gu Mao regret his choices. Five of Gu Mao''s teeth were broken as he flew back like a broken kite. Blood had started to seep out of his mouth before he had even crashed on the ground. Gu Mao flew out the door and landed over one of the twenty guys that were standing outside. His mouth was filled with blood, and he had also lost consciousness. This single punch was enough to make him see the stars. Xu Ming stepped out of the courtyard and noticed that Gu Mao was already unconscious. "I didn''t expect that it would be over this fast. Anyway, take him back to whatever hole he came from. He looks like he might need help," Xu Ming said with a wry smile on his face. He walked inside the courtyard and closed the door. The guys that were standing outside didn''t move even an inch for the next few minutes as they kept standing in a daze. After a long time, they moved. They carried the unconscious Gu Mao back with them. Inside the courtyard, the servant was looking shocked at Xu Ming. "What?" Xu Ming inquired as he noticed the shock on the servant''s face. The servant instantly dropped down to his knees. "I don''t know how to thank you enough. It would have been perfectly fine if you had thrown me outside, but you stood up for me. I am lucky to have you as my master. Thank you," The servant declared. 178 Chapter 175: Relationship "Anyway, was that all that happened today or something else too?" He asked the servant. "That was all. I was going to return the herbs that I got for you. After selling them, just as I turned to walk back, I hit the young miss. That''s when it all started. I was beaten, but I survived. I didn''t expect that more people would come to beat me up, though," the servant let out with a wry smile on his face. "That''s what happens when you don''t have strength. You need to be careful when you leave. It''s a world of the strong. Weak people like you would be wiped in an instant if you offend them. The only way to survive is to have strength or to have a stronger person to depend on," Xu Ming let out as he educated his servant on how to be careful. "Master, can I tell you something?" The servant suddenly asked. "Yeah, what?" Xu Ming asked curiously. "I feel like you have changed, and I like this change. You are more confident now, and you take a stand. I always knew that you were strong, you just didn''t have enough confidence, but now that you have it, I feel like you can really survive in the trials after all. But you need to train more. You need to be careful and not take the trials lightly," "Previously, I felt as if you had given up on your life since you knew that you were about to die in the trials after all, but I can see a new light in your eyes. You can do it, and I have full faith in your master. I have a feeling that you can and will become the Crown Prince!" The servant started talking. From his expressions, it was clear that he was a little emotional. "Yeah, I hope to survive, so I had to change a little," Xu Ming smiled as he used the convenient excuse that he had received. "Anyway, How about we go for a walk? I have tested your memory on general topics, but today, I want to test your outdoor knowledge," Xu Ming said as he glanced towards the door. Even though he knew the basics of the sect, he still needed to see and understand this place better, and today was an excellent opportunity. "Uhm, today?" The servant asked with a wry smile on his face. "Yeah, are you worried about those people? Don''t worry. I won''t let anyone harm you. You already got your punishment, and after that, they were in the wrong for breaking into my courtyard and attacking me. Any argument they make won''t stand before any Elder," Xu Ming said. "Alright," The servant agreed as he nodded his head. They left the courtyard and started walking away from it. "Your father, It is decent considering all things, but I don''t think it is as good as the Eldest Prince. The king dotes on him the most, so I assume that he is the favorite son. Also, you have spent your last nine years in the sect and haven''t gone to meet your father even once, and he didn''t call you to meet him either. It makes me believe that there might be some problems, but I can only assume that it is decent and not great," the servant let out. "What you describe sounds awful. Why do you say that it''s a decent relationship then?" Xu Ming inquired with a curious look on his face. "Because you still get money and resources from the Royal Palace. They bring it directly to the sect. I would believe that your relationship should be decent for them to still care to send you resources," The servant replied. "Can''t it be because they don''t want me to bring shame to them in the trial by showing up with trash Cultivation? You know the idiom that a pig is always fed well before slaughter. Can''t I be the pig?" Xu Ming inquired as he chuckled. He believed that the King honestly didn''t care for him after listening to his words. It was a good thing for Xu Ming, though. Since he hadn''t met the king in the last seven years, Xu Ming could succeed in fooling him if there ever came a time to meet the king. "This..." The servant was stunned as he heard the words. "I never thought about it that way." "It''s fine; there are many small things that are easily ignored," Xu Ming muttered. "What''s that building?" Xu Ming inquired as he pointed towards a building in the front. "That''s the skill library. It''s a place where you can buy skills with credits. You can come back any time to read the skills you brought in the library if you ever needed," Xu Ming replied. ''Nice, so It is a combination of a skill hall and a skill vault where Cultivators can deposit their skill books to read in the future. If that''s the case, I can see the skills of Li Mu as well. I can not only see them, but learn them to make my stay here easier. After learning his skills, I would be able to fight freely while keeping my real identity safe,'' Xu Ming thought. "Right answer," Xu Ming nodded his head. "Now, tell me how one can access the skills they had learned after going inside?" Xu Ming asked. "A disciple can show their badge to the Library Helpers or the Elder, and tell them that they want to see their previous skills. All the skill books that the disciple had received before will be brought to them," The servant said. "Nice," Xu Ming muttered. ''Tomorrow, I can learn the skills of Li Mu,'' Xu Ming decided. He continued walking ahead and soon reached another big building that looked just as big as the skill library. "What is this place?" Xu Ming inquired. "This is the betting arena," The servant replied. "What''s a Betting Arena?" Xu Ming inquired. ''This is the first time I hear about this,'' he thought. 179 Chapter 176: The mysteries "It''s an important establishment here where people can fight or make bets. The arena has some Cultivators that are the disciples of the sect. They keep their faces hidden by masks and fight. The winner gets lots of treasures. The others can also bet on the flights, and if they win, they get more money according to the betting rate," The servant explained. "Also, if someone from the audience wants to take part in the fight, they can also jump in the arena and challenge the winner. If they win, they get the treasures instead," He added. ''So, it''s that. A place for entertainment and for poor disciples to get treasures through fighting,'' Xu Ming thought. "Should we see the fight? It should be going on right now as well," The servant reminded Xu Ming. "Alright. I do have some time for it. Let''s check it," Xu Ming responded as he started walking towards the Betting Arena. Xu Ming pushed the doors open and left the place with his servant. The place had a lot of people, but it wasn''t crowded enough to make standing here uncomfortable. There were loud cheers everywhere. Xu Ming stepped forth, and he was able to see the ring where two masked Cultivators were fighting. People were cheering for their favorite supporter. ''This seems fake. Those fighters are faking it,'' Xu Ming thought as he watched the battle for five minutes. He could notice some small details that made him believe that the fight was staged. ''Is this a scam to get as much money as they can from bets? Make the one that got more bets to lose and rake in the money. It will be a profitable business if they control the fighters. "We''re leaving," Xu Ming told the servant as he started walking towards the exit. The servant followed closely behind him. "Prince Li, is that you?" Just as Xu Ming was about to leave, he heard a voice from behind. He looked back and saw a man in his late twenties walking towards him with a glass of wine in his hand. Xu Ming didn''t know about him, and he didn''t ask the servant either. It would be too much stretching if he asked the servant a question at this time. "Have you come to bet again? Come with me. Let''s go to my cabin. Although it''s too late for this fight, you can bet on the next fight. It''ll start right after this one," the man said to Xu Ming. From the man''s words, Xu Ming understood some things. It seemed like Li Mu often came here to bet. He was a prince, and he got lots of money and resources, so it wasn''t difficult to believe that he wasted money here. "Not today. I just remembered that I had something to do. Bye," Xu Ming replied as he turned back and walked out with his servant, leaving the stunned man behind. **** Xu Ming continued walking through the place and saw many things. One of the buildings that he saw was called the Artificer Hall. It was a place where one could pay for weapons or treasures to be crafted by their favorite artificer in the sect. Although all of the Artificers were the disciples of the Sect, they charged a lot of money for crafting Artifacts, and the person that was paying them was supposed to arrange for the materials as well. It was a very famous place. Xu Ming could see people going in and out of this place. Another place he saw was the Dark Hall of Pain. It was a very unique place, as well. Xu Ming hadn''t expected that there would be a place like this. It was a place where a person went to get beaten. That was literally it. Even though it sounded impossible, he was told that this place was crowded a lot of the time as it was so popular. He also believed that since he saw a lot of people entering the place with his own eyes. Inside this place, a person was beaten badly, but the beating was somehow so precise that even though it hurt, it also unlocked some of the blocked acupoints of people and helped them get stronger. Xu Ming was intrigued by the idea, but he didn''t enter the place to see it. He continued walking ahead. He didn''t want to be beaten since he believed that all his acupoints were already clear because of his origins. The only thing that he lacked was the Origin Energy. "I feel spirit energy nearby!" Xu Ming was walking when he heard Valeria''s voice in her ears. She sounded excited. "Where?" Xu Ming muttered in a low voice. "On your left side. From the forest," Valeria replied to him. Xu Ming looked to his left and saw a forest there. He wasn''t focusing on the forests along the way since he had seen many in the sect. It was like the sect had these forests as gardens. Xu Ming turned to his left and started walking towards the forest. "Master, wait! You can''t go there. Have you forgotten that this forest belongs to him?" Xu Ming''s servant called out from behind. Xu Ming stopped as he turned back. ''Is it forbidden to enter the forest? It sounds like private property. Should I sneak in at night to see what''s inside or ask the permission of the owner?'' Xu Ming wondered. "I know it belongs to him," Xu Ming told the servant casually. I just want to look from closer. It''s not like he will punish me for looking at the forest without entering it," Xu Ming said to the servant as he resumed walking towards the forest. He stood before the forest and tried to look inside, but as far as he could see, he only saw trees. He understood that he needed to enter this place to see the true depths of the forest, but he couldn''t for some reason. "Do you want to sneak inside? I''ll stay here. Just take a look and come out. If there''s trouble, scream loudly, and I''ll enter," Xu Mung told Valeria while keeping a low voice. "Alright," Valeria nodded her head as she got off his shoulders and flew inside the forest. 180 Chapter 177: The Forest of the Dark Elder His servant looked at him in confusion. "Ah, should we continue ahead? The Dark Elder might misunderstand if we stay near this place. It is better to stay clear of him," The Servant suggested. "I''m not entering the forest. I just find the weather quite nice. The wind feels the best here. I''ll just stroll in this area for a little while," Xu Ming gave an excuse as he started strolling right beside the forest. He also kept his focus towards the forest to hear Valeria''s voice in case she called out for help. "You can also do like I''m doing. This is really good for health," Xu Ming said to the servant as he smiled. The Servant smiled wryly, but he didn''t refuse. He also started trailing behind Xu Ming as both of them strolled. "While we''re at this topic, let''s talk about the Dark Elder. What do you think about him?" Xu Ming inquired. Xu Ming didn''t have any idea of who this Dark Elder was, but from what he was able to guess so far, the Dark Elder was the owner of this forest, and he was a fierce person since his servant looked really scared when he was about to enter the forest. "The Dark Elder is a really frightening existence. She is the person that is the Head of the Punishment Department. She enforces all the rules in the sect. She is also someone that had the authority to kill a disciple without any explanation. She has also used this power and killed the son of a wealthy clan. There was a big commotion from that clan, but the Sect didn''t punish her. She is just too powerful in the sect," The Servant replied. ''Dark Elder is a woman?'' Xu Ming thought. "Do you think she can kill a Prince?" Xu Ming inquired as he glanced back towards the forest. "I don''t think that she can. I don''t think anyone can. At Least not at this time. The Trials for the position of the Crown Prince are going to begin soon. The king needs three of his sons to participate in the Trials. That''s the tradition. That''s why he is was waiting for so long for you to grow up," The Servant explained. "If something happened to you, then the King would be really angry since, in that case, he would need to wait for your Fourth brother to grow up before commencing the Trial. No one would take the risk of infuriating the king at a time like this," he continued. ''That''s true. The more someone waits for something, the more annoyed he''ll be when that is obstructed because of someone else. Well, at least that provides me some cover for some time,'' Xu Ming thought as he nodded his head. ''No one would be willing to kill me, but if I do something to offend the Dark Elder, the punishment will be pretty significant. They can''t kill me, but they can beat the crap out of me," he thought as he continued walking back and forth before the forest. "How long is she taking? Did something happen inside, or is she still looking around?" Xu Ming wondered. He was somewhat worrying. He was continuing back and forth as he wondered if he should just risk entering the forest. It wasn''t like he would be killed for that. As for the punishment, as long as it wasn''t death, it was bearable. Xu Ming finally faced the forest as he decided to enter when he heard a voice from behind him. "There he is!" Xu Ming recognized that voice. He had heard that voice, not a long time ago. It was the voice of the boy he had beaten for attacking him. He turned back and saw the boy. Gu Mao was standing there, pointing towards Xu Ming. There was a woman standing beside him. The woman looked like she was in her early 20s. She had beautiful silvery hair and hazel eyes. Her thin arched eyebrows, red lips, and a beautiful face was something that was enough to make any man find her attractive, but Xu Ming didn''t feel anything. He didn''t like the arrogant expression on her face as if she was above him. Her condescending gaze was looking at him like he was a trash that was not worth her time. "You hurt my brother, Li Mu! Do you know how big that mistake is? Since I respect your father, I won''t beat you up. Just apologize to my brother," The girl said proudly. Xu Ming couldn''t help but shake his head. He found this approach to be really stupid. Even if he were apologetic, he wouldn''t have apologized after hearing that tone, let alone the fact that he didn''t care one bit about beating up Gu Mao. He did remember that Gu Mao had mentioned that her sister''s name was Gu Yao. She was the person his servant had collided with. "Your brother attacked me first," Xu Ming replied casually. "So what! He is younger than you. So what if you had taken a singly hit! He is a child. He was naive, but you could have made a sensible decision! Did you really need to beat him black and blue? Apologize to him right this instant for being unfair and for bullying him," Gu Yao let out as he pointed her finger at Xu Ming. Xu Ming looked at her as if he was looking at an idiot. What kind of thinking was that? "How old are you?" Xu Ming asked her without answering her. "Why?" The girl asked with a frown. "You look like you''re in your late twenties," Xu Ming let out with a thoughtful look on his face. "You rascal! Are you insulting me?! I''m in my early twenties! Stop being an idiot," The girl let out furiously. "So you''re older than me. Can I hit you? Please don''t attack me. I will be naive before you since I''m young. Be the bigger person and lead by an example," Xu Ming responded as he smiled. He was using her own stupid logic on her since he knew that Li Mu was not even twenty yet. "What nonsense are you talking about! You still don''t accept your wrong!" The Girl let out as she glared at him while her face turned red. 181 Chapter 178: Eldest Prince He could see what was happening behind him without looking in that direction just because of his Divine Sense, which he had activated as soon as he turned back. He noticed that Gu Yao flew towards him as she punched out. He had already expected that she might do something like this, so he wasn''t surprised in the least. Xu Ming turned to the side just when her hand was about to touch his back and dodged the attack. He caught her wrist and used her momentum against her to get her on the ground as he got behind her while twisting her arm. Gu Yao was lying on the ground on her stomach while her back was facing the sky. Xu Ming was holding her right hand that was twisted behind her back. He also caught her left hand and brought them closer. Gu Yao tried to free herself, but she wasn''t able to. Xu Ming was just too strong somehow. She didn''t know why, but she felt as if she was a child that was held by a deity. Xu Ming sat on the ground near her as he continued to keep her down on the ground. He had used his strength, and he wasn''t going to let her be free of his grip after she attacked him. "You know that I can do many things right now. I can beat you black and blue, and I can do more things as well. According to your logic, it would be fine since I''m younger, and you can''t get angry since you''re older. I don''t know if you''re too stupid or if I''m the only one that doesn''t understand this logic, but listen carefully. You best my servant for an accident, but I didn''t come to you to ask for an apology," "It was your brother that came to my courtyard to beat my servant again. He also attacked me. As a prince, my dignity is the dignity of my father and of this kingdom. I can''t let him, you, or anyone else, destroy this dignity that comes with this position. If you or your brother ever tried to come in my way or in the way of my staff, I would be forced to come to you. I hope it won''t come to that," Xu Ming let out as he stood up and released her hand. "Leave now. And if you try to attack me again, I will make you regret that," Xu Ming declared. Xu Ming had just spoken when he heard the sound of clapping from behind. He frowned as he turned back. He turned around and saw a man standing there. The man was wearing a beautiful robe that made him seem as handsome as a prince. The man was someone Xu Ming had never seen before, so he didn''t recognize the man. The Man had beautiful blonde hair that came down to his shoulders. The hair was tied. Xu Ming didn''t know who he was, so he didn''t say anything. It was better to stay silent than screw something here. ''Eldest Prince? The Eldest Brother of Li Mu?'' Xu Ming thought as he understood who the man was. The Prince ignored the girl as he focused on Xu Ming. "Third Brother, aren''t you going to greet First Brother?" the man let out with a smile on his face. "Could it be that you have forgotten this brother of yours since we haven''t met in a few years?" The man inquired. Xu Ming didn''t react. He knew how royals greeted usually, but he didn''t realize how Li Mu greeted the Eldest Prince when he last met him. "Anyway, I was wondering how you would have grown in the last three years, but I must say, I''m impressed with what I saw and heard just now. As a Prince, We can''t fall short. The Dignity of our Kingdom falls on our Shoulders. I am impressed," the man let out after he saw Xu Ming not reply. He didn''t seem as if he was affected by the lack of reply. Xu Ming nodded his head. "As for you," The man said as he shifted his focus to the girl called Gu Yao. His expressions had turned serious. "Were you really trying to bully my Third Brother? Do you not have any respect for the crown?" "I... I am sorry. I made a mistake," Gu Yao apologized as she lowered her gaze. "Don''t repeat this mistake again. Third Brother might''ve left you, but if a news of something like this happening again comes to my ears, you won''t be existing in this world," the man let out. "Now get out of here," The man let out as he stopped looking at her. Gu Yao hurriedly left with her brother. The man was the Eldest Son of the King and the best candidate for the Crown Prince. He was also the strongest Prince. Most of the citizens of the kingdom believed that he was going to be the winner of the trial. He was already considered the Crown Prince by a lot of the citizens. His name was Li Xu. "What brought you to me after so long?" Xu Ming inquired in a bitter tone. He was using vague words to establish some sense of familiarity. "Is there a need for the reason? Can''t an elder brother come to meet the little brother?" Li Xu inquired with a subtle smile on his face. "Yes, there needs to be a reason as the elder brother didn''t come for so long, and he suddenly decided to come to see me after so long. Be honest with me," Xu Ming let out in a straightforward manner. " I feel like you have changed. You sound more serious and grim," Li Xu muttered as he shook his head. "People change. Especially after being ignored for so long," Xu Ming replied. Since he didn''t have any knowledge about how Li Mu talked to his brother and brother, Xu Ming decided to start everything from scratch with the act of a bitter brother. This was the most easily explainable thing since Li Mu was basically sidelined for so many years. 182 Chapter 179: The meeting? "I understand that. Anyway, there is indeed a reason for me to come here. Let''s go into your courtyard so that we can talk in peace. This place doesn''t seem like an appropriate place. I would also love to see the place my little brother lives in," Li Xu let out as he shook his head. "Ah, There''s no need to go anywhere else. We can talk here. The courtyard isn''t special or anything. It''s much better here," Xu Ming replied as he shook his head. He didn''t want to leave since Valeria was still inside the forest. He needed to wait for her here if he couldn''t go inside the forest. Li Xu looked at Xu Ming as he shook his head. He showed a little disappointment on his face. Xu Ming could see a little bit of anger hidden behind Li Xu''s face. "You don''t even want to take your First Brother to your courtyard? It''s fine, I guess. The matter is not that serious anyway. We can talk here," Li Xu agreed as he nodded his head. "There is a celebration in the Palace tomorrow night. That''s what I came here for. Father invited you to attend it, and I''m here to inform you," Li Xu replied to Xu Ming. ''A celebration? He sent you to invite me?" Xu Ming inquired with a stunned look on his face. "Well, he sent a servant, but I decided to come instead. I also wanted to see how you were doing, so this thing worked out," Li Xu replied casually. "What is this celebration about?" Xu Ming inquired with a frown on his face. He didn''t want to meet the king. He wanted to avoid it for as long as he could, but when the King invited him, there was no way to dodge it. He still wanted to know the reason for this celebration so that he could better prepare himself for what was about to happen. "The reason? Think of that as a surprise. You will know tomorrow," Li Xu replied as he smiled. "The Royal Carriage will arrive at the entrance of the Palace in the morning to take you," He added. Xu Ming just looked at him blankly as he controlled his face from showing the surprised expression on his face. "I was thinking that you would show me around your sect when I come here, but it doesn''t seem like that would be possible. Whatever, it was good seeing you after a long time. Sweet dreams," Li Xu let out as he turned back. "Bye, Third Brother. I''ll see you tomorrow," He said before he started eating away. "Amazing. It was my first time seeing the Eldest Prince. I must say, I had a different image of him in my mind. He seemed really gentle and loving," The Servant let out. "Don''t Trust anyone so easily. It''s easy to show a fake side while keeping the real side hidden deep inside their heart. The cruelest people are the ones that love pretending to be the kindest. It''s not their words that you should look at, but the actions," Xu Ming muttered as he shook his head. The Servant opened his mouth to say something, but as he saw the stern expression of Xu Ming, he closed his mouth and started walking back. The Servant glanced back one last time before Xu Ming disappeared from his view. After the Servant left, Xu Ming looked around, and after seeing that no one was here, he stepped inside the forest. Xu Ming started running inside the forest as he tried to find Valeria. He didn''t scream since he didn''t want to attract the attention of people outside. He kept using his Divine Sense as he tried to find Valeria. After running for over twenty minutes, he found Valeria through his Divine Sense, but what he saw stunned him. He stopped in his tracks as he blankly looked in Valeria''s direction. "This idiot!" He muttered as he started flying towards her. After some time, he reached near her. Xu Ming stood behind Valeria as he glared at her, but since her back was facing him, she didn''t see him. Valeria was more focused on something else entirely. She was sitting on the ground, eating a Green Fruit with great interest. "How''s the taste?" Xu Ming let out suddenly. His words stunned Valeria. She turned back. "Oh, It''s you. You won''t believe what I found here. Look at these fruits! These are the Spirit Fruits that are filled with Spirit Energy. This Energy helps my Cultivation massively. I can''t believe that I''m so lucky to have found these in such a place," Valeria replied with a grin on her face. "My memory is weak. Can you tell me what our plan was?" Xu Ming inquired as he looked at her. "Plan? Which plan?" Valeria asked in confusion. "You idiot! I told you just to look inside and to come to tell me if you find anything. It wasn''t for you to start eating things inside. Do you know how worried I was?! You''re such a spoiled child," Xu Ming let out in annoyance as he started to leave. Valeria sat there, looking at his back blankly. Xu Ming stepped out of the forest and started walking back. He was angry, but he didn''t let his anger cloud his judgment. He knew that the important matter at hand was about the celebration and the meeting with the King. He didn''t know what kind of circumstances there might be, so he decided to learn Li Mu''s skill so that he could have some backup since he couldn''t use his original skills. Xu Ming walked into the skill library. He walked to the Elder that he saw here. "Elder, I need to see all the skills I learned before," Xu Ming said as he gave Li Mu''s disciple badge to the Elder. The Elder checked the badge and nodded his head. He called his helper and told him to bring all the books of Xu Ming. After five minutes, the helper can''t back with five booklets and handed them over to Xu Ming. "I''m sure you know, but you can only read the books here. You can''t take them outside," The Elder informed Xu Ming. Xu Ming nodded his head. He took the books and walked to a table. He placed the book on the table and sat down on the chair before it. 183 Chapter 180: Entrance to Royal Palace "I am sorry." Xu Ming lowered the skill book and saw Valeria standing before him on the table. She looked regretful, and she was apologizing to Xu Ming. He didn''t say anything, though. He again raised his book and started putting his focus on it. He was ignoring Valeria. "I know I screwed up. I was just too excited after seeing the Spirit Fruits that I forgot about informing you. I regret my decision, and I promise that I won''t do this again," Valeria replied as she apologized again. She was really feeling bad, and she was hoping to get forgiveness for her mistake, which might have put them in danger. "Pleaseeeee," She let out again. "In our Spirit Fairy Realm, each person gets three chances as long as their mistakes are not too big. Think of it as my first mistake," Valeria said. "First? What about the stealing?" Xu Ming whispered as he shook his head. "Ah, take it as my second mistake then. I won''t make a third one. I promise!" She let out as she placed her hand on her chest. "What if there''s a third time?" Xu Ming asked in a low voice while still keeping his eyes on the book as if he was reading it. "Then you can give me any punishment you want," Valeria let out. Xu Ming sighed as he nodded his head. "This should be the last time," He told her. "It will be," Valeria said as she nodded her head repeatedly. She placed her hand close to her chest as if she was promising in her strange manner. "Good," Xu Ming nodded his head and forgave her. Xu Ming started reading the skills. Since it was his first time, it took longer to read the books, but the skills were surprisingly easy to learn. That''s what he noticed. These were the skills that had limited potential. They were able to give the Cultivator strength, which was considerably more than other skills, and these skills were the easiest to learn, but the strength of these skills didn''t grow strong with an increase in Cultivation. This was the reason why most of the Cultivators didn''t choose these skills since learning these skills was beneficial at first, but these skills became useless as the Cultivator became stronger. The Cultivators preferred using skills that had similar strength and had the potential to grow with the Cultivator even though they were complicated. ''I wonder if he intentionally chose the skills that were fast and powerful since he was worried about the trials. He probably didn''t believe that he could live longer than the trials, so he didn''t bother looking at the potential of the skills,'' Xu Ming muttered as he guessed the motives of Li Mu for choosing these skills. "It''s good for me. It takes me a much shorter time to comprehend these skills, at least," He muttered. He went back to his courting and started practicing the skills while trying to make sure that he didn''t accidentally destroy the courtyard of Li Mu. During the night, he practiced the skills and gained a mastery over these skills. His six-winged martial soul helped him in learning as well. Without the 6-winged martial soul, it would have taken him much longer to master these skills. The night passed away in practicing while Valeria slept soundly. It was soon the morning. Xu Ming was ready to leave. He had showered and dressed the best he could. Just as he was about to start leaving, he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door of his courtyard and saw an old man standing outside. "Greetings, Prince Mu. I''m here to escort you to the Royal Palace. Are you ready to leave?" the old man inquired. "Yeah, let''s leave," Xu Ming replied as he stepped out of the courtyard. The Old Man brought out a talisman and crushed it. A shining formation appeared on the ground. "This will take us outside the Sect," The Old Man informed Xu Ming as he stepped on the formation. Xu Ming stepped on the formation as well while Valeria sat on his shoulders. The Formation shone even more brightly, and Xu Ming disappeared. Xu Ming and the Old Man appeared outside the barrier of the Sect. Xu Ming looked back and only saw a Golden Barrier. He understood that it was to keep the sect safe from intruders, and this was something which made it impossible for anyone to see the sect while they were standing outside the barrier. There was a silver carriage standing before the Old Man. The Carriage was pulled by a beast that seemed like a three-horned dark rhino. The Old Man gestured for Xu Ming to enter in the carriage. Xu Ming entered the carriage and sat inside. The Old man was sitting outside since he was the driver of the carriage. ''They sent the driver to escort me. I guess that really didn''t respect the Third Prince. At first, I thought that they sent a butler at least, but I guess that was too much to expect. It''s not like I care, though. I''m not the real Prince,'' Xu Ming thought as he shook his head. The Carriage traveled for around four hours without stopping. After traveling for four hours, the carriage stopped. As the carriage stopped, Xu Ming opened the door and looked outside. He realized that the carriage was right before the entrance of a giant mansion. There were a lot of carriages before his Carriage. Generally, as a prince, his carriage should have been given space to pass, but he understood why this wasn''t happening. According to his assumption, the Royal Palace didn''t send the Royal Carriage to bring him. The carriage he was sitting in was probably just a normal carriage, which was why no one was giving the carriage space to pass. He found this thing somewhat disappointing, but he didn''t put his mind to it. It didn''t matter if he was fast or late to the party. All he needed was to attend it and then leave. The carriages ahead kept moving as the people kept stepping out of the carriage and entering the Palace. After a wait of twenty minutes, it was Xu Ming''s turn. The carriage was right before the door. He stepped out of the carriage and stepped towards the door. The servants recognized him and greeted him as they escorted him inside. 184 Chapter 181: Little Cang The maid took him to the central hall, where the function was taking place. The King was sitting on the throne while the other guests were sitting on the round tables that were spread out throughout the great hall. So far, only wine was being served for the guests. There was one seat on the left side of the seat of the King, where a beautiful middle-aged woman was sitting. The Woman was the Queen of the Kingdom, and she was the main wife of the King. She was also the mother of the first prince. Xu Ming was pretending to be the third Prince Li Mu, and the mother of the third Prince was already dead. The Second and the Fourth Princes'' mothers were still alive, and they had the position of the King''s concubines. The Concubines were sitting on the seats, which were on the left side of the Queen''s seat. There were four seats behind the throne of the King towards his right side, and three of the seats were filled already. On the first seat to the king''s right side was the First Prince, Li Xu. The Second Prince Li Kun was sitting on the second seat. He was looking pretty confident as he drank the wine from his glass. The Second Prince couldn''t help but glance at the First Prince occasionally. The third seat was empty as it probably belonged to the Third Prince, Li Mu, who was Xu Ming. The Fourth Prince, Li Cang, was sitting on the fourth seat. Amongst the first four princes, only the Fourth Prince Li Cang was the person that was no older than twenty. On the contrary, he was not even in his mid-teens. The first three princes were all older than twenty. The third Prince Li Mu was said to have turned twenty this month. The Third Prince''s age was what kept the battle for the crown delayed as it was a tradition here that the Crown Prince was selected through the deadly Trials of Crown here. The trials can only begin when three princes could take part in it, and all three of them needed to be over twenty to be qualified. Since the third Prince was not Twenty, everyone had to wait for the battle of the crown, but the Crown Prince had turned Twenty, and everyone knew that the Battle for the Crown would begin soon. There were a few more princes who were even younger than the fourth Prince, but they were not here. They were told to stay back. The sect did follow the orders of the King if there was something really important to be done, but other than that, they stayed inside their own bubble. The King also didn''t disturb the sect much since there was nothing that the King couldn''t handle himself. **** Xu Ming stepped into the hall, and he immediately attracted everyone''s attention. Almost everyone in the hall was looking at Xu Ming. Xu Ming was wearing pretty normal clothing and the Mask of Mischief, which helped him transform into the third Prince, Li Mu. Xu Ming also roamed his gaze over the whole hall, and he saw many people sitting on the various tables, and he didn''t recognize any of them. It seemed like many powerful families had sent someone to this function. He was also amazed to see a lot of young people in the hall that came with their families, but Xu Ming noticed that their Cultivation was quite good. They were definitely from the prominent Cultivation Families of the sect. He also saw another person here. It was a person that he had met before. His Fiance, who was actually Li Mu''s fiance, was sitting on one of the tables with a middle-aged woman. She wasn''t even looking at him, and she was more focused on talking to the middle-aged woman. Xu Ming also saw the King and recognized him instantly. He had already met the first prince, so it was easy to guess that the one sitting beside him was the second prince. He raised that they were all sitting in order, and he also found out the seat he was supposed to sit at. Before he could start walking, he heard the first prince''s voice. "Third Brother, Why are you standing there? Come, sit," The Fourth Prince excitedly told Xu Ming as he gestured towards the seat beside him. Amongst all the princes, only the Fourth Prince liked the third Prince since the third Prince was really close to the fourth Prince. They were literally like blood brothers, even though both of them were from different mothers. Li Mu had also saved the Fourth Prince when he was only four years old, which gave birth to his brotherly feeling towards the third Prince. Xu Ming had also found out that the Third Prince had a close relationship with the Fourth Prince. Xu Ming walked towards the Fourth Prince and sat on the empty seat between the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince. "How are you, Fourth Brother?" Xu Ming asked the Fourth Prince. "Brother? Are you angry with me? Why are you not calling me Little Cang like always? Did I make a mistake?" The Fourth Prince asked with a confused look on his face. ''How would I know that I called you Little Cang. Whatever I can still save it,'' Xu Ming thought as he maintained his straight expressions. "We are in a public setting, Little Cang. I thought that it would be nice if I gave you a formal greeting since you''re a big boy now. Are you sure that you still want this brother of yours to call you Little Cang?" Xu Ming inquired with a wry smile on his face. "I would always be little for you," Xu Cang told Xu Ming. "Alright, Little Cang," Xu Ming let out as he glanced at Li Cang with a calm smile on his face. 185 Chapter 182: The Battle of the Crown It was like he was born just to die for nothing. The first and the second Prince, on the other hand, were the ones that were truly fighting for the throne. Even though one of the two eldest princes will die in the battle of the crown as well, that would definitely be for the crown. In people''s minds, that death was better and more prideful than just dying like the cannon fodder, which was the third Prince. "Third Brother, you took your sweet time coming here. Everyone was waiting for you. You really know how to be a Royal and make people wait for you," The First Prince said to Xu Ming as he smiled. "Well, I can''t take all the credit for that. Whoever chose the carriages did a good by not sending the same old boring Royal Carriages for me. The Carriage I got was just too good, so we moved slowly to show it off to the people," Xu Ming replied sarcastically. "Speaking of that, who was the one that decided to send that carriage?" Xu Ming inquired. "Silence!" The King let out as he glanced at the Hall. It was unclear if he said it just now to the whole hall or just for Xu Ming as everyone was talking. Everyone went silent as they looked towards the king. "Since everyone is here, Let us declare something important. The battle for the crown will be held after 20 days. In the 20 days, the Princes will try to form connections with various clans for their support in the battle for the crown. This day and the evening will be a celebration for the future as we will get the Crown Prince soon. Also, it will also be an opportunity for the Princes to get to know the young masters of various clans that came here today," The King declared. After the declaration, a commotion again started. Various clan leaders started talking amongst themselves as they heard this news. "I was thinking that this would be about that. I was right. The Battle for the Crown will begin soon," A Clan Master said as he smiled. "It''s time for our clan to choose and support the right candidate. If we get it right, well get close to the next King," Another Clan Master said to his son. " Try to get close to the First Prince and let me take your help. We will contribute the resources not only young people from prominent clans can participate to help the candidates in the battles, so you have a really good chance of getting close to the next king," Another Young Master said to his daughter. Xu Ming sat there in confusion since he didn''t know what it was about and what he had to do. He couldn''t even ask anyone either about the Internal stuff, but he did understand that the battle probably allowed taking the help of the young masters of the various clans. From Xu Ming''s understanding, A part of the Battle for Crown was some War-like battle where the Princes and their teams did things together like doing some tasks or fighting. This was his assumption from the talks of people, but without getting a confirmation, this was just a theory. Xu Ming saw the First Prince standing up as he walked to the table at the front. It was the table of Yu Yan, who was the daughter of the Sect Master and the Fiance of the third Prince. What Xu Ming didn''t know was that Yu Yan was not only the daughter of the Sect Master of one of the Most Powerful Sect in this world where Xu Ming stayed in, but she was also the daughter of the only daughter of the Duan Clan Master. The Duan Clan was one of the three most powerful clans in the kingdom. The Clan Master was said to be an influential expert and his granddaughter Yu Yan was also quite strong. The first prince was trying to get her in his team despite knowing that she sat the Fiance of the Third Prince. Yu Yan came with a middle-aged man whom Xu Ming assumed to be her father, but that man was her maternal uncle in reality. The Clan Master of the Ruan Clan told him to escort Yu Yan to this function as the representative of the Ruan Clan. "Lady Yu, I think that you know my intentions already. Would you be willing to join me in the Battle of the Crown?" The First Prince offered Yu Yan. "Prince Xu, You know that I''m the Fiance of the Third Prince. Why do you believe that I would join you?" Yu Yan inquired with a casual expression on her face. "You''re here not as his fiance but as someone from the Ruan Clan. You know that my Third Brother has no hope of succeeding. A clever lady like you should support me," The First Prince said. Xu Ming frowned as he stood up. He could feel that the First Prince was intentionally doing it, and it was terrible if he succeeded since Xu Ming only had one person that might help him with this, and that person was Yu Yan. Xu Ming stood up and started walking toward Yu Yan''s table as well since he could see that the celebration had begun and the King had left. "First Brother, Would you give me some privacy with my Fiance?" Xu Ming asked the First Prince as he tapped on his shoulder. "Third Brother, You..." The First Prince was about to say something, but his face started twitching as he noticed that Xu Ming was not even focusing on him; instead, Xu Ming was talking to Yu Yan. " I didn''t know you were coming here. We could''ve come together if I had known," Xu Ming said as he sat at the table beside Yu Yan. Yu Yan glanced at Xu Ming but didn''t say anything. 186 Chapter 183: Failed "Third Brother, are you really trying to find allies? It wouldn''t be good if you dragged Miss Yan''s clan down with you. Don''t be petty," The First Prince said to Xu Ming. "What dragging the clan down or finding allies? I''m just sitting here talking to my future wife. I don''t understand where you get that strange idea from," Xu Ming replied casually. "Oh? Then you should mind if I ask...." The Third Prince again started talking, but Xu Ming again cut him off. "Anyway, how was your trip here? You didn''t face any problems, did you?" Xu Ming asked Yu Yan. Even though he said that he wasn''t looking for allies, he knew that he couldn''t let Yu Yan go with the first prince. If there was any person here, they might be willing to become his ally; then it would be Yu Yan. He needed an ally since he couldn''t escape the troubles of participation. All he could do was take part and win, but to win, he needed a knowledgeable ally. The only choice he had was Yu Yan, who was not only the granddaughter of a top clan in the kingdom, but she was also the daughter of the Sect master. She was really powerful and knowledgeable. "Suit yourself," The First Prince calmly collected himself as he left that table and went up to the next powerful clan with a casual expression on his face. The Second Prince was on the move as well. "You don''t need to care about any problems we might have faced or not faced," Yu Yan let out as she rolled her eyes. Xu Ming knew that it was going to be tough to convince her, but he needed to do it. It was at that moment, Valeria started whispering in his ears. "She is your fiance. Use that to convince her. Get into the flirting mode and make her accept. I''m sure you can do it. Just do as I say," Valeria whispered in Xu Ming''s ears and started explaining he needed to do. "Why wouldn''t I care? I''m your husband, after all. If I don''t care, then who will?" Xu Ming let out a confused expression on his face. " You''re not my..." Yu Yan was about to say that Xu Ming was not going to be her husband, but she stopped herself as she remembered that she was defeated, and she had lost her rights. She must marry Xu Ming now whenever he wanted. "Why should I trust you?" Yu Yan asked Xu Ming as she looked in his eyes, trying to find a shred of a lie. "Because I do what I say. I did tell you that I won''t let you break off the engagement, that''s what I did. I told you that I would defeat you, that''s what I did. Similarly, I promise you that I will get the crown, and I fully intend to keep that promise. All I''m asking from you is a little bit of faith in your husband," Xu Ming said as he kept his gaze matched with her gaze without taking his eyes off for even a second. Yu Yan looked at the earnest expression of Xu Ming for a long time before she shook her head. "I''m not going to help you. To keep our clan''s dignity, I won''t support other princes either. Our clan will stay out of the battle for the crown. It would be best if you were looking for other allies," Yu Yan said before she stopped looking at him. "But..." Xu Ming was saying something, but he saw that Yu Yan didn''t even try to hear his words as she started talking to the middle-aged man. Xu Ming felt upset as well as annoyed at her response. He still kindly stood up and left the table. He looked all around the hall, but he noticed that whenever his gaze met someone, that person instantly started looking elsewhere as if they didn''t want to be seen by him. "I guess there''s no other option. You might just need to go solo on this. If even that girl is not willing to help you, then I doubt anyone else would be able to," Valeria said to Xu Ming as she sighed. Xu Ming also nodded his head as he felt the same thing. He turned back and walked back to his seat. Yu Yan glanced at his back as he was walking away but only for an instant. Xu Ming sat on his seat beside the Fourth Prince. "What happened, big brother? Are you not going to go talk to them like the others?" The Fourth Prince asked Xu Ming. "Not really. I''ll go alone to this Trial and win alone. That would be more epic. Don''t you think so?" Xu Ming smiled as he rubbed the Fourth Prince''s head. "That would be really epic. Yes. I heard that it''s a tough event and if you win it alone, then you will be really famous. I believe that brother can do it," The Fourth Prince said as he smiled innocently. ''The Royal Family still has bonds like this. It''s contrary to what I believed. Then I''ll do exactly that and make you proud," Xu Ming replied. Two more hours passed away before the introduction ceremony was over, and all the Princes came back. After the introduction ceremony, the feast began. All the dishes were made by the royal chefs using the most expensive ingredients that were available in the kingdom. The Servants served the dishes to everyone here. After everyone finished eating, it was time to leave. The king announced some other minor details about the first part of the Battle for the Crown as well. He announced the place it would take place. The first part of the trial was said to take place in the City of Death. 187 Chapter 184: Look into my eyes The Royal City went through a bloodbath in the war that war fought in the Royal City. Most of the citizens of the city were killed. There was blood everywhere. It all ended with the death of the Royal Clan and everyone that was loyal to the King. The Li Clan became the new Royal Clan with the crowning of the new king. They left the blood-soaked Royal City and made a new city the residence of the Royal clan. The City that was once filled with life became known as the city of Death, where no person lived. In fact, no one was allowed to even enter the City of Death, or they were to be put to death. Since then, the City of Death was only used for the Battles of the Crown and nothing else. After the declaration of the Battle Location, the party was over, and everyone started leaving. Xu Ming walked back to the Fourth Prince and talked to him a little more. He knew that only the Fourth Prince was close to him, which he could use to his advantage in the future. "Little Cang, will you come to see the battles in the Valley of Death?" Xu Ming asked the fourth Prince. "I want to, but I don''t believe father will allow me since only the people who are older than fifteen and younger than 30 are allowed to enter that place," the fourth Prince said with a disappointed look on his face. ''Younger than thirty and older than fifteen. So it''s a war of young people. It''s good to know that there won''t be any powerful Cultivator there. As long as it''s just young cultivators like Yu Yan, I''ll be able to handle them,'' Xu Ming thought as he believed that he got good information. "Oh, right. There''s that too. It''s fine, though. You can just stay safe and wait for the good news of victory," Xu Ming said with a smile on his face. "Is that so? I didn''t know that the Third Brother had become an idiot after entering the most powerful sect of this kingdom? What are they teaching you to make you so overconfident? Please Share." Xu Ming was talking to the Fourth Prince when he heard a mocking tone. He looked back and saw the Second Prince standing there. "Don''t alone time has the strength to change everyone, Second Brother. As for my overconfidence, are you not the one that''s overconfident? Ignoring a potential enemy is the definition of overconfidence in my head," Xu Ming replied with a casual smile on his face. "Oh? You have also learned to use big words. It would be fun to see if you''re still brave or not when we get to the Valley of Death," The Second Prince said in an expressionless tone before he left the place. Xu Ming recognized that woman to be a concubine of the King. Since she was calling for Li Cang, he believed that she was the mother of the Fourth Prince. "I''m coming, Mother!" The Fourth Prince let out as he stood up. "Bye, Third Brother. Mother is calling me. Best of luck for the Battles. I am sure that you will win it," The Fourth Prince said to Xu Ming before he left. ''I guess it''s not that easy getting the information from the Royal Clan. There are so many people around, and no one is left alone,'' Xu Ming thought as he stood up. He was the only person that was still left in this great hall. Xu Ming also started walking towards the exit. He found a servant and told them to bring out a carriage to take him back. The Servant left to inform the butler while Xu Ming left the Royal Palace. Xu Ming started waiting outside for someone to come with the carriage driver, but even after half an hour passed away, no one came. Xu Ming was about to go inside to see what was taking them so long. He wondered if they were messing with him again or not. "Do you need a lift?" Just when Xu Ming was about to enter the Palace, he heard a voice from behind. "You haven''t left yet?" Xu Ming inquired as he turned back. He saw Yu Yan standing behind him. "I was waiting for you," Yu Yan said. "Why? I thought you hated me?" Xu Ming inquired as he looked at her in confusion. " We are going to the sect, and I thought you would go there too. Stop talking nonsense. Do you want a lift or not?" Yu Yan inquired with an annoyed look on her face. " Of course, I''ll come since the other option involves creating a mess in the Royal Palace. It''s better to leave peacefully," Xu Ming let out as he smiled. He walked with Yu Yan and entered her carriage. The carriage started moving in the direction of the sect. This carriage had a much faster speed than the speed of the carriage that brought him here. "Are you sure that you don''t want to help me in the battle of the Crown? I can seriously use some help. I need you," Xu Ming said to Yu Yan as he tried to convince her once again. "I meant what I said. The best I can do is not take part in the battle. That''s all I''m going to do since I don''t want to be involved in your death if I join the other side. If I join your side, I''ll only get a defeat, which wouldn''t be good for my Clan. I''m not taking part," Yu Yan declared. "You don''t have to worry about that. I told you that I''d win. Look into my eyes. Do you think that I''m lying?" Xu Ming asked as he placed his hands on Yu Yan''s shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. " If you''re so confident, then why do you need me?" Yu Yan said sarcastically. "I''m not going to be fooled by this." "I need you because you are smarter than me and more knowledgeable about this event. I have the strength, but I need a planner," Xu Ming said. 188 Chapter 185: Final Decision "Exactly. I''ll be the strength; you''ll be the brain. Together, we can get the throne, and you won''t become a widow," Xu Ming said, hoping to hit on her weakness to get her to agree. So far, the only useful thing he knew about her was that she didn''t want to be known as his window. That''s why she tried to break the marriage, but she failed. She tried to convince him with words as she requested him to break off the engagement, but she failed as well. She also refused to take part in any other Prince''s team since she didn''t want to be known as the woman that helped others kill her husband. It meant that she cared a lot about the traditions and what the world would think of her in this regard. At long as he protected that from crumbling, she might help him "Are you really trying to use that on me?" Yu Yan asked Xu Ming as she frowned. "Use what?" Xu Ming let out as he acted ignorantly. " I am not stupid enough to not understand that you''re trying to do. You think I''ll help you just to protect myself from becoming a widow in the world''s eyes, but you''re wrong. You can die for all I care. If you want, you can break off the engagement right now and let me be free while you die alone. If that''s not what you want, then don''t break off the engagement and let me become a widow. There is no way I''m dying with you out there," Yu Yan let out with a calm expression on her face. " So, you won''t help me whatever happens?" Xu Ming asked Yu Yan in full seriousness. " I won''t," Yu Yan replied sternly. "Very Well. Don''t help me. At Least I''ll die knowing I have a beautiful wife," Xu Ming let out as he shook his head. The carriage kept moving through the roads as the silence filled the cabin. Neither Xu Min nor Yu Yan says anything. After some more time, they reached back to the sect. Both Xu Ming and Yu Yan stepped out of the carriage and went their separate ways. While Xu Ming went towards his courtyard, Yu Yan went towards her place. None of them even tried to glance towards each other even once. "Master, You''re back," the servant let out excitedly as he saw Xu Ming enter. "Why are you so surprised? Were you expecting me not to return?" Xu Ming inquired casually as he walked towards the chair. "Well, there was a possibility," The servant muttered softly. "Don''t talk nonsense. Bring me some water," Xu Ming let out as he sat comfortably. "Right away, Master." The servant nodded his head as he stood up and went towards the kitchen. After a few minutes, he came back with a glass of water. He gave the water to Xu Ming. Xu Ming drank the water before he stood up. Xu Ming entered his room and closed the door as he laid on the bed. " That didn''t go as planned," Xu Ming muttered as he sighed. "Hmph, who does that girl think she is to not help you? A Heavenly Prince asked the help of a mortal, and the mortal refused?! If the people in the Higher Realms knew it, they wouldn''t know what to say. Stupid girl," Valeria let out as she laid beside Xu Ming. "Well, I''m not a Heavenly Prince anymore. I''m just a guy in her eyes¡ªthe guy who is a good for nothing. I should blame this Li Mu''s previous actions as well for not giving it his all. If everyone didn''t think that he had no chance of winning or if he was a known genius here, I would have a better chance at it," Xu Ming let out as he sighed. He knew that all blame couldn''t be placed on others. "Still! They are idiots not to see! You defeated the girl so easily! She should be the first one to believe that you have the ability, yet she didn''t trust you," Valeria muttered in annoyance. "Forget her. It''s her life. I can''t force her to help me," Xu Ming replied. "I do need to win, though. Even though I''m alone in this trial, I need to win. I want to save the prisoners in the future, and I can only do that with the identity of a prince. As for the identity, I can only keep the identity if I win the trial of the crown and become the crown prince. The crown is the only way, but the path is going to be the one filled with blood," Xu Ming let out as he looked towards the roof. "You can do it easily. You have the strength, and your skills can destroy them with ease. Don''t worry. You don''t need anyone," Valeria said to Xu Ming as she comforted him. "Yeah. As long as there is no one keeping an eye on that place, I can do that, but I don''t believe that will be the case. There should be only eyes on that trial in that place. I can only use my real skills sneakily. I would need to use Li Mu''s skills for most," Xu Ming let out as he sighed. "That''s true. You would need to use that skill. I was probably too optimistic. They would not let the event be unsupervised. I''ll still help you. They can not see me, and I can help you sneakily," Valeria told Xu Ming. "Hah, I''ll take you up on that offer. You''ll be the first ally in the trial of the crown," Xu Ming let out as he smiled. "Yeah, who needs more people when the two of us are together. Let it be like that hunting. The team of super hunters," Valeria said as she chuckled. " You really are a child," Xu Ming let out as he smiled wryly. "Huh? I''m a pure adult! You''re the one who''s a kid in the Heavenly Realm she," Valeria replied as she rolled her eyes. The both of them spent the next half an hour discussing how they would do it in various situations. Since they didn''t know what the event would be exactly about, they planned for both, attack and defense. After some time, Xu Ming fell asleep. 189 Chapter 186: Help "You can''t enter. Master said that he is going to cultivate, and he doesn''t worry about being disturbed. You can leave for now. I''ll tell my master when he wakes up." Xu Ming heard his servant''s voice. " What''s happening outside? Is someone there to meet me?" Xu Ming let out as he stood up and started walking towards the exit. Valeria was still steeping on the bed, but as no one couldn''t see her anyways, he didn''t bother waking her up. Xu Ming opened the door of his room. "Why are you making so much noise?" Xu Ming let out in a calm tone. "Hmm? It''s you?" Xu Ming let out as he recognized the person who was standing outside. A girl was standing in front of his servant in a blue dress. He recognized the girl as the same girl that was in the team that was in Li Mu''s team when they traveled to his sect. From what he had understood at that time, the girl was Li Mu''s friend. " Yanli? What brought you here?" Xu Ming inquired as he looked at Yanli. Yanli saw Xu Ming and smiled. " You came just at the right time. I was about to leave, thinking that you were busy in Cultivation," Yanli let out with a wry smile on her face. "I was cultivating, but the noise was disturbing me, so I came to check. Anyway, what are you here for?" Xu Ming asked Yanli with a confused look on his face. "After I came back from our mission, I went straight into secluded cultivation. I just came out today and heard about the Trial of Crown. Are you really taking part in it?" Yanli asked Xu Ming with a concerned look on her face. " Do you think I have an option?" Xu Ming couldn''t help but laugh at her question. Everyone knew that three princes were needed for the trial, and he was the third Prince. There was no way he could escape this trial while keeping his position. "I am taking part in the trial," Xu Ming smiled as he nodded his head. " Let me help you then. I heard that the Princes need people to help them in the trials. I want to be there for you. I want to help you," Yanli told Xu Ming as she looked at him earnestly. " Sorry, but that can''t happen. It''s true that they''re allowing princes to take the help of young people during the trial, but they can only be from powerful clans of the kingdom. It''s fine, though; I''ll handle it. Thanks for the offer," Xu Ming answered her as he shook his head. "Huh? What do you mean? Won''t they allow the 5th most powerful clan in the kingdom, either? Is that really the case? I should ask my father. This shouldn''t be the case," Yanli let out with a confused look on her face. " Your family is definitely qualified, but I don''t want you to participate. It''s going to be pretty dangerous, and I don''t want you to get injured for my sake. I''ll be able to take care of myself. You stay safe on the outside. I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself if something happened to you because of me," Xu Ming replied to Yanli as he sighed. He was hoping to make it seem like he said that to keep her safe so that she still insisted on helping him. "You idiot! Did you really expect me to stay out of it while you put your life in danger? I''ll be able to help you and might even succeed. At least we have a chance of keeping you safe. Let me participate, or there will be no one worse than me," Yanli let out in an annoyed tone as she glared at Xu Ming. Xu Ming couldn''t help but smile wryly at her response as he saw her stern expressions. "But I... Fine. There''s no winning against you. You can be on my team, but your survival will be our priority," Xu Ming answered as he agreed. "Good. Now let''s form a plan for the trial," Yanli let out as she started walking towards Xu Ming''s bedroom. "Wait a minute. The plan can wait. Let''s do that later," Xu Ming said as he walked after her inside his bedroom, but his expressions turned serious as he saw Yanli trying to sit on the bed. She was going to sit where Valeria was sleeping like a log. Xu Ming instantly ran forward and jumped on the bed, making sure that he didn''t fall on Valeria as he reached out his hand to cover Valeria and protect her at the last moment. Yanli was trying to sit on the bed when she saw something touch her butt. She felt as if it was a hand. Her face turned red as she realized that Xu Ming''s hand was touching her butt. "Eeek," She stood up straight as she turned back to look at Xu Ming. "W-What were you doing?" Yanli asked Xu Ming. "I... this isn''t what it looks like," Xu Ming let out as he struggled to find an answer to what had happened. He indeed placed his palm on his butt to stop her from sitting on Valeria. Yanli was in a sitting motion, and he used sufficient strength to be able to keep her up, which made it seem like he was grabbing her butt. " What is it then," Yanli let out with a red face as she placed her hand on her back. "I... actually... right. The bed is very dirty. Since I hadn''t slept on the bed for a long time, I didn''t clean it. If you had sat on it, your clothes would be dirty. I had to save you," Xu Ming had an excuse that he suddenly thought of. He knew that it was a stupid excuse, but that''s what came to his mind at the moment. "S-so, you touched my b-back to help me protect my clothes?" Yanli inquired as she smiled wryly. Xu Ming nodded his head repeatedly. "Yes. That''s exactly it. It''s fine if my clothes get dirty, but I can''t let the clothes of my guest get dirty because of me," Xu Ming explained. 190 Chapter 187: The Good and the Bad "Of Course. It''ll be bad if your clothes get dirty. Wait, let me clean the bed. Oh, right, I have a better option. Why don''t we sit outside? There are chairs there which are pretty clean. That''s right. We can talk in comfort there," Xu Ming let out as he excitedly stood up. He placed his hand on Yanli''s shoulders as he started walking towards the exit of the door. Yanli also did the same as she walked with him. Her face was a little red as Xu Ming''s hand was still resting on her shoulders though. They got out of Xu Ming''s room. ''That Idiot is still sleeping like a monster. Just how deep she sleeps?'' Xu Ming thought as he left the room while wondering how it was possible for Valeria to sleep still even after he talked so much inside the room and even moved her body. Xu Ming left the room with her and entered the hall. He sat on one of the chairs and had her sit on another chair right in front of him. "So, tell me. What do you know about the Trial for the Crown? After knowing that, I can think about what I need to tell you if you miss anything. You can start from the beginning," Xu Ming told Yanli as he nodded his head. He was making it seem like he wanted to help her by sharing the secrets of the Trial of Crown that she didn''t know, but in reality, he was after her knowledge. Xu Ming didn''t have much idea about how the Trial of Crown worked. He only knew that would face everyone else, but nothing other than that. He found it to be the perfect opportunity to get the answers. "I think I know everything that''s known to the public and to the heirs of other clans. I might not know the secrets that are exclusively known to the Princes," Yanli replied. "I understand that, but still. I want to know what you know first to know I need to talk about. Just for a single moment, forget that I''m the Prince who knows everything about the Battle of Crown. Please think of me as a kid who is new to this world and don''t know anything about this trial. Explain to me like that," Xu Ming told Yanli as he smiled. ''It''s the truth, after all. Talk to me like I don''t know anything,'' Xu Ming thought as he glanced at Yanli. "Ah, fine. The trial of the Crown means that it''s the battle to become the Crown Prince. It is a battle that is fought between the Three oldest Princes in the line of direct succession. You''re the Third Prince, so you''re the third person that needs to take part in it and get it to progress." " The First Trial is in the old Capital as you already know. The old Capital is an abandoned city where no one lives, but most of the structures there are still intact. It is going to become a war city during the trial of the battle." Yanli started explaining about the first trial for the crown and what it entailed. "The Three Princes will each form a faction of their own which can only consist of the Young Heirs of Various influential clans of the city. All three of the factions will take over a different portion of the city and make it their headquarters," She explained. " The three factions will each be given a Red Flag that they need to place over their residence where they stay in the City. When a faction manages to successfully steal the flags of the other two factions, they win and get an amazing advantage in that next trial, according to the stories. I don''t know what that advantage will be," She let out as she finished explaining the process of victory. "That''s interesting to know. What else? Is that the only way to win? This doesn''t sound that dangerous," Xu Ming inquired as he looked at her. "Hahaha, you''re really getting into that role of not knowing anything. Fine. That''s not the only way to win," Yanli explained to Xu Ming "What''s the other way then?" Xu Ming inquired. He had some ideas about the other ways, but he wanted to be sure. "The other ways are to kill the leaders of the opposite factions. If no Prince dies, then all the princes go to the next round of the trial, and the Prince who gets the two flags gets the advantage. On the other hand, if one of the Prince dies, then this round is already considered over. The person who killed is thought to be the winner of this round. Also, if a prince surrenders without fighting, he''ll be killed." "The two living princes go to the next stage of the trials. The only difference here is that in this case, the Prince of the faction that kills the MC gets an advantage. Not only that, the second prince gets a disadvantage," Yanli told Xu Ming. Xu Ming frowned as he heard her words. Her words basically meant that this was a hunt, and it was going to be a hunt where everyone else will be hunting for him. ''Definitely, the second way of victory is better. Not only can the person get an advantage, but the enemy gets a disadvantage as well. They need to kill a Prince to get that, and I would have to be an idiot not to know the Prince they''ll target. That makes it much simpler, as well. As long as I kill a Prince, I won''t have to fight against the army of other princes. It''s bad and good at the same time,'' Xu Ming thought as he looked at the face of Yanli. "That''s right. That''s all you need to know. There''s no need to know any more than this. As for the plan, it''s simple. I''ll kill a Prince. They say a good offense is the best defense. They wouldn''t expect me to come after them. I''ll use that to my advantage," Xu Ming said to Yanli. "Are you sure? The other princes will have a big faction, and they are much stronger as well. We can pretend to fight and let them steal the flag? At Least you''ll survive this round," Yanli told Xu Ming. 191 Chapter 188: Can you make kids Alone? "On the other hand, if they killed one of the Princes, not only will they have no need to fight the other Prince, they''ll get more out of it as well. Not only will they get an advantage in the next trial, but the other Prince will also get a disadvantage as well. Do you really think they will decide to go after the Flag in that case?" he asked Yanli as he frowned. "They, ah, they will probably try to kill a Prince to get an advantage," Yanli replied as she nodded her head. "Yeah, that''s not a probability, though. That''s a confirmation. They will go with the easier route that gives them more benefits, and that''s killing a prince. Which prince do you think you will try to kill? I don''t think there''s any doubt in that, is there?" He asked Yanli. "They will try to kill you..." Yanli replied to Xu Ming as she frowned. " Yup. It''s not a three-way war. Instead, it''s a hunting. It''s a hunt where the prey is the Third Prince, and the Hunters are the First and the Second Prince with their teams," Xu Ming let out as he shook his head. "That''s so..." Yanli wanted to say something, but she couldn''t find words to express herself. "It''s unfair, but the trials aren''t supposed to be fair. They''re unfair, and they''ll be unfair. The King wants the trials to select the best prince, and it counts strength too," Xu Ming said. He wanted to say something else entirely about how he heard that the King was a ruthless being who was unfair himself on certain matters, but he didn''t say that since that might''ve exposed some things. Xu Ming looked at Yanli and saw a look of understanding on her face. "Anyway, in this hunt, there is only one way to survive, and that way is to become the hunter instead. The only way to end this chase is to become the hunter and kill a Prince to win this trial. With that advantage, the next trial should be somewhat easier as well," Xu Ming said. He saw his servant waiting in the back, but he didn''t bother telling him to leave. "So you want to target a Prince in the trial of the crown? Are you going to go after the Second Prince?" Yanli inquired as she looked at Xu Ming with great interest. "No, that''s not what I want to do. Instead, I want to target the First Prince. This war will be confusing, and it will give me many opportunities to target the first prince. I want to take him out in this trial so that I only have to face the second prince next," Xu Ming said to Yanli. "Don''t worry. I''ve already planned everything. You''ll be the one holding our base there and making them feel like I''m inside, scared. In reality, I''ll be trying to kill the First Prince. This whole event will be over that way," Xu Ming told Yanli. The truth was that it wasn''t Xu Ming''s actual plan. His real plan was something else entirely, but the matter of the fact was that he didn''t trust people enough to tell them the plan. Even though he had faith in his strength, he wanted to play it safe. He had long ago stopped trusting people with his life. He was friendly with a lot of people from his old sect, but he only trusted a few amongst them. Even amongst those few, he didn''t trust anyone to tell them something that could get him killed. The only person he actually trusted at all was Valeria. Valeria had been with him for the longest time, and she helped him in many dangerous situations. Even though the situation wasn''t dangerous for her and her helping him didn''t put her in harm''s way, he trusted her with a lot of things. He didn''t understand why it was, but there was some kind of bond between them. When it came to Yanli and his servant or any other person here, he didn''t trust them at all. There was a possibility that they might decide to sell him out if the other princes approach them or they were already working for them, so he decided to tell them the false plan. The only part that was true about this plan was the part about Yanli staying in their base while he went out. "Are you sure you want to kill the First Prince first?" Yanli asked again. "Yup. He''ll be my target," Xu Ming replied as he smiled. " I understand that. I have faith in you. You can do this," Yanli said as she nodded her head. "What''s the rest of the plan?" Xu Ming started telling her the plan¨C Not the plan he was going to follow but the plan he wanted her to know. After telling her the plan, he talked some more things about Yanli to make sure that she understood. After spending 3 hours in Xu Ming''s courtyard, Yanli left. Xu Ming went back to his room as well and closed the door. " This little devil is still sleeping," Xu Ming muttered as he saw Valeria still steeping on the bed. He walked to the bad and sat beside Valeria. "How long do you plan to sleep," Xu Ming let out as he jiggled her body. "Hmmm, stop disturbing me. I slept late last night," Valeria replied in annoyance. "You Idiot, you slept late, so what! Don''t you think you should be aware of the surroundings when you sleep! You little sleeping monster," Xu Ming continued shaking Valeria''s body. "You''re so annoying. If you don''t change that, you''ll never find a wife," Valeria let out in annoyance as she opened her eyes after getting disturbed a lot. "Why do I need a wife? I''m fine the way I am," Xu Ming replied casually as he rolled his eyes. "Hmph, you little kid, can you make babies alone?" Valeria scolded Xu Ming as she looked at him. 192 Chapter 189: Eve of War " Why worry about those humans then? Don''t worry about them, and just leave this place. You don''t have to fight in this dogfight. This thing would be a lot easier if you just start caring for yourself," Valeria told Xu Ming as she looked at him in confusion. " You won''t understand it. It''s just something that I can''t do. If I leave the people that trusted me and betrayed them, What difference does it make me from War God Zhen that did the same to my father? There is one thing that I''m scared at the thought of, and it is becoming like War God Zhen. I can kill innocents that are in my path! I can kill anyone that stands before me, whether it be a beast or a human! But what I can''t do is betray my family and friends for my own benefit," Xu Ming muttered as he sighed. "As I said, you won''t understand. There''s also another thing. Think of it as an added bonus. We don''t know where we are at the moment. All we know is that we are not where we used to be in the Mighty Demon Sect. This place can be a different world, as well. Without knowledge and power, it''s impossible to get anywhere." Xu Ming continued explaining. " What we have before is a dangerous pit which can result in our death if we take a wrong turn, but the same ditch has a door at the bottom of it which leads to the throne that will give us Power and Knowledge. With that power, we can not only survive, but we can become stronger. It''s one step forward in the right direction towards our destination," He said to Valeria. "Ah, I didn''t think it like that. It is indeed a good opportunity, but the problem remains. You will have to be alert. As you said, one single step and you''ll be exposed. As long as you can escape after that, it''s fine, but if you can''t, then it''s all over," Valeria reminded Xu Ming. "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing, and if worst comes to worst, I''ll do everything I can to kill everyone that sees me using my powers even if I have to use the sword of my Father," Xu Ming said as he looked at the Ancient Ring of his father. He looks at the necklace that was keeping the time freeze for his mother. "Please give me blessing, mother," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at the necklace gently. "Your son will definitely succeed. I''ll get you out of there." **** The day passed away in preparation, and the second day passed too. During the two days, not many people came to meet Xu Ming, and he spent most of his time inside his room. He kept trying to comprehend the skills of Li Mu since they were the skills he could use publically. Instead of just using Origin Energy as the replacement of Qi as a power source for his skills, he wanted to change the skills itself to make the Origin Energy be its core. The Skill would look the same, but the strength of the skill would increase multiple folds more than it would if he just used Origin Energy instead of Qi. He wanted to use the rest of his time, enhancing the skills of Li Mu to prepare for the upcoming Battle. Normally, it would''ve been impossible for someone to understand skills like those at all, let alone to change them, but Xu Ming had realized that his comprehension was a little too powerful for this word''s Knowledge. He thought that it was because of his bloodline that came from Heaven itself. He thought that it was because his Grandfather was the real Heavenly Emperor, but the reality was different. In his eyes, his father was just an average human that didn''t have the bloodline of the Heaven, but he didn''t know that the person he was thinking to have a lesser bloodline was actually... Slowly, a week passed away, and except Yanli, who had agreed to help him, no one else came to his house. It was as if no one even wanted to be close to him in fear that Xu Ming would ask them to be in his team. People were avoiding Xu Ming like he was a plague. Whenever Xu Ming left his courtyard, people avoided him and went in different directions. Not even his fiance Yu Yan came to meet him. Xu Ming had already expected that. It was clear that Yu Yan didn''t want to help him for whatever reason, and he had stopped expecting her to come to his help. Soon, the time of departure arrived. This time, a real Luxurious Royal carriage came to escort Xu Ming to the City of Ruins. The butler was the same, though. It was the same guy that had come last time. Xu Ming was already standing before his courtyard, waiting for his escort when he saw the butler come. "It''s you again. Did you bring the same creepy carriage?" Xu Ming asked sarcastically. "The best carriage has arrived for the Prince. Since everyone knows that this will be a dangerous trial for the Prince, which might even result in him perishing, people at the palace decide to send the best carriage for the Prince," The butler said with a smile. He was already subtly hinting that it would be his last journey. "Huh, So you already decided that I''m going to die. Interesting. I look forward to seeing your expressions later on," Xu Ming said as he smiled back. The servant again used a Teleportation Talisman that formed a Transposition Formation below their feet and Teleported then outside the Sect. **** Xu Ming appeared outside the palace with the servant and saw a beautiful carriage standing there. There were four horses tied to the carriage. All four of the horses were Demon Beast horses that looked multiple times faster than the horses that the previous carriage had used. 193 Chapter 190: Reaching city of Ruins "Hah," The eunuch simply chuckled and didn''t reply. He looked at Xu Ming mockingly as if he found his words funny. ''You and crown prince? Only in your dreams can you think of becoming the Crown Prince! The place you''re going to will be your graveyard. You shouldn''t even think about coming out alive, let alone coming back as the crown prince,'' the Eunuch thought as he smiled. He didn''t express his thoughts publicly, though. Xu Ming could already guess what that man was thinking from his expressions. "It''s obvious. That man is thinking that you are going to die. He has no idea about what''s actually going to happen," Valeria said to Xu Ming as she laughed. "Let him think what he wants. Soon, the entire Kingdom is going to know the reality. The Crown Prince position will be mine," Xu Ming muttered as he walked towards the carriage. He opened the door of the carriage and entered inside. Xu Ming sat on the carriage while the Eunuch sat at the driver seat. The carriage started moving slowly towards the city of ruins. Xu Ming was the only person sitting inside the carriage. Valeria was still on his shoulders, but Xu Ming didn''t ask her to get down from his shoulders. He had already become habitual of Valeria sitting on his shoulders. In fact, he felt weird when she was not sitting on his shoulders. While Xu Ming''s carriage was moving towards the City of Ruins, many more carriages were moving in that direction. One of those carriages was the carriage of the First Prince. It was moving towards the city of Ruins. The First Prince''s carriage was just as luxurious as the carriage Xu Ming was traveling in, if not more. The Carriage looked more intimidating, though. There were hundreds of horses and guards escorting the carriage of the First Prince. Everyone that saw the carriage realized that the carriage belonged to a Prince as they saw the number of guards escorting it. The First Prince also waved at them from inside the carriage as he moved ahead. Xu Ming''s carriage was more isolated, though. There were no guards escorting it. In fact, there was no security for it at all. Xu Ming was very vulnerable, and if any bandits even tried to attack the carriage, then the responsibility of protection would fall on himself if he didn''t want to die. Not only the royal carriages but even other carriages were moving around the city at the moment. Most of them belonged to the carriages of the Prominent clans of the kingdom that were moving towards the city of ruins. All these carriages had Young Master and Young Mistresses of the Powerful clans that were going towards the city of Ruins to take part in the event. Most of the Young Masters of the Cultivation families had already decided on the Prince they were going to support after the political fiasco that went on during the last few days. Most families had approached the Princes to show their support and to join their party from the front, while a rare few powerful families that were undecided were approached by the princes to convince them to support them. At the moment, most of the families had chosen a side. Some bad even chose both sides. The pieces were set, and now the only thing that was left was to show their affiliation outside the City of Ruins. **** "Hah, this reminds me of the hunting we did in the Mighty Demon Sect. All the beasts were against us, and the two of us were alone. Not only did we crush them, but we did so in the record time. Time to repeat the same thing again. The best hunter duo is at the case," Valeria laughed out loud as she sat on Xu Ming''s shoulders. "Yup, It''ll be a hunting event, alright. Everyone thinks that they''ll be hunting me, but the reality is entirely different. I''ll be hunting him," Xu Ming muttered as he looked at the covered window. He moved the covers to the side and saw the beautiful scenery outside. The beautiful trees looked even more charming under the bright sunlight. "Such a beautiful day. Too bad, it''ll be covered in bloodshed," Xu Ming muttered as he stopped looking outside and covered the window again. **** After a full day and night of travel, the carriage reached its destination. It was a new morning, but people knew that it wasn''t going to be a peaceful day. The rise of the sun was telling everyone to be ready for the war. There were many people standing at the entrance of a city that was mostly void of people. It was a city that was left in ruins after a tragic uprising that left millions of people dead. The Royal Family was wiped out, which marked the beginning of a new era with a new Royal Family at the helm. With that began the rise of the Royal Li Family, and Xu Ming was impersonating as their Third Prince, Li Mu at the moment. **** Xu Ming''s carriage stopped at the entrance of the City of Ruins. "We are here." Xu Ming heard the voice of the Eunuch. "Time to see what this City of Ruins actually is. I wonder how big their teams will be," Xu Ming muttered as he opened the door of the carriage and stepped outside. As soon as Xu Ming stepped out, he saw a big crowd of people. Hundreds of Young Masters and Young Misses of their clans were here, and each of them were here with two powerful Cultivators of their clans as guards. " The number of people here is more than I expected," Xu Ming muttered as he frowned. He also saw the Two Princes and the Minister of Kingdom standing beside them. 194 Chapter 191: The Selection Xu Ming walked closer to the Royal Minister and the other princes. He could already see a lot of young people there, and the girl called Yanli was also there in the crowd. Two powerful Cultivators were standing behind her, like her guards. Xu Ming glanced at her for a brief second. ''She''s here. I guess it wouldn''t be as embarrassing here. At Least one person will choose me,'' he thought as he stood beside the Second Prince. He knew that all of the Young Master and Young misses will select the First and the Second Prince since no one trusts his chances of winning, but he knew that Yanli would choose him. Even though he didn''t have full trust in her to tell her his secrets, he was fine to have a person on his team that he could use for this trial. "Alright. Since you are here as well, we can finally begin. The First Trial of The Crown. Since some clans have only risen recently and haven''t participated in the last Battle of the Crown, they might not have all the information about this trial. Let me repeat it once for you all. Listen carefully," The Royal Minister declared as he glanced at everyone. "The Battle of the Crown is a war between the Princes. All three princes will be like three opposing forces in the war. All of them will have their supporters with them in this war. It depends on them how they perform with their team. All three princes will be given a Red Flag with their name that they need to have above their base that they decide to stay in. The winner of the Trial will be the Prince that comes out of the City of Ruins with all three Red Flags. You can also come with the body of a dead prince, and you''ll win the trial," The Royal Commander explained. He glanced at the heirs of various Clans before he continued. "Also, only Young Heirs of Various Clans can enter the City of Ruins. No one older than 25 is allowed inside the City of Ruins. It''ll be a wild place where anything is possible. You can all die, and no one will be there to save you since none of you can take your guards inside. Even I will not be going inside. You''re all on your own. There will be no overseer. Anything is possible. So think carefully before you choose to take part in it," he said. The words of the Royal Minister were serious, but the young heirs didn''t have much change in their expressions as if they knew about it already. "Alright. Now that I''m finished with the explanation, let''s begin with the next part. Selection of teams," The Royal Minister let out as he stepped forward. "First Prince, please move over to that side," he said as he pointed towards the left, telling the first prince to move to the side. The First Prince did as he was told. The Second Prince was standing in the middle previously, so he wasn''t told to move; instead, Xu Ming was told to move to the right. Each Prince was standing, twenty meters away from each other now. " Time for the selection! The Heirs that support the First Prince, please move over to his side and stand in front of him," The Royal Minister let out as he glanced at the heirs. As soon as his words left his mouth, the people started moving. There were around two hundred young heirs standing in the ground, and around Hundred and Ten heirs started walking and stood on the side of the First Prince. The First Prince smirked as he glanced at the Second Prince, showing off that he had more support than him. "Cheh," the Second Prince snorted as he rolled his eyes, ignoring the smug look on the First Prince''s face. ''He got more support. That''s to be expected. He''s the eldest Prince, after all. I''m still surprised that the Second Prince managed to get the rest of the heirs. He must have a few tricks up his sleeve as well,'' Xu Ming stared at the Second Prince. "The ones that support the Second Prince, move over to his side," he said, glancing at the rest of the heirs. Xu Ming had already guessed that everyone except Yanli would move over to the Second Prince''s side, so he was not curious about what was going to happen, but that''s when he got a shock as he saw everyone moving over to the Second Prince''s side. Even Yanli had moved over to the Second Prince''s side. "What the heck?" Xu Ming muttered as he failed to hide his surprise. Yanli didn''t even look at him as she stood in front of the Second Prince. '' Did her family force her to choose the Second Prince, or was that a scheme? To make me think that I have someone to take care of the base, so I don''t look for another partner?'' Xu Ming wondered as he frowned. He wasn''t expecting any support from Yanli, and he had a different plan of his own that didn''t have much use for her, but he still felt surprised. He decided to stop thinking about it since it didn''t matter at all. What happened has already happened. It wasn''t like he told her his real plan anyway. "Third Prince, do you not have anyone that will support you?" the Royal Minister asked Xu Ming, even though he already knew the answer. "Minister Wang, you should know my Third Brother. He''s really brave. He doesn''t need any help. He must be thinking about fighting alone," The First Prince said with a smile on his face. "First Brother, you don''t have to be so kind. It''s obvious that not even a single person thinks Third Brother can win," The Second Prince responded as he chuckled. The Heirs started laughing as they heard Second Prince''s words. Xu Ming glanced at the Second Prince. Chapter 195 - 192: Not an option "My First Brother and my second brother might need the help of hundreds of people to win a simple battle, but I''m enough. It would''ve been good if I had just one more person, though. It doesn''t matter anymore. I''ll handle it on my own," he continued. Everyone had started listening carefully as Xu Ming started talking, but by the end of it, they were all laughing as if Xu Ming was telling a joke. Xu Ming ignored most of it though. He took a subtle glance at Yanli before he waved his hand. ; The Royal Minister looked at Xu Ming with an annoyed look on his face as he sighed. "Alright. Now that everyone is ready, I announce the battle of the crown..." ; He was about to declare the beginning of the event when he heard the sound of a horse coming towards him. He looked to the back. Xu Ming and the others also looked back to see who was arriving so late. They saw a carriage coming towards them. The carriage looked pretty luxurious, and it seemed to have a peculiar symbol on it. Xu Ming didn''t recognize it, but the First and the Second Prince realized it. ; "The Ruan Clan is here," the First Prince muttered as he smirked. "Did they accept my invitation?" "Hmph, keep dreaming, First Brother. I personally went there to them. It''s obvious that they sent their heir to help me," The Second Prince replied as he smiled confidently. Xu Ming heard their words and found out that it was the Carriage of Ruan Clan, and he also knew someone from the Ruan Clan. He wondered if the person was here for him. ; The Carriage stopped near them as its door opened. A beautiful girl stepped out of the carriage. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress that shone even brighter in the daylight. "Yu Yan," Xu Ming muttered as he saw the girl. "Didn''t this girl say that she wasn''t going to participate in this thing?" The girl he saw coming out of the carriage was Yu Yan, who is the daughter of the Sect Master of the Sect he was currently staying in. Not only that, but she was also the Granddaughter of the Ruan Clan Patriarch. ; More importantly, she was his Fiance in name. She was actually the fiance of the guy he was impersonating as. "Little girl, you are late. I can''t allow you to take part in the battle of the crown," The Royal Minister suddenly said as he shook his head. "Minister Wang, please don''t do that. You hadn''t finished announcing the start of the event. She arrived just on time. Please let her take part," the First Prince said. He was sure that the girl was there to join him since he had personally offered her a place in his team. "Sigh, if the two of you insist, I''ll allow her to join. I won''t repeat the rules, though," the Royal Minister said as he waved his hand. "Little Girl, select one of the three princes to join their teams," he told Yu Yan. ; "Miss Yan. I was sure that you would come. Please come to my side," First Prince said to Yu Yan. "First Brother, don''t be like that. You know she''s here for me. The Ruan Clan sent her here, after all. I was the closest to them," the Second Prince chimed in. "Miss Yan, come here," he added. Yu Yan looked at the both of them before she shifted her gaze towards the third Prince, Xu Ming. She started walking, but the direction she walked in had managed to shock everyone. She was not walking towards the First Prince, who had over a hundred members in his team. She wasn''t walking towards the Second Prince either, who had ninety members in his team. Contrary to everyone''s expectations, she was walking towards the Third Prince. Xu Ming had no member in his team. In everyone''s eyes, he was destined to be defeated. No one could understand why a girl from one of the Top Clans, if the Kingdom was walking towards a person who had no chance of victory. "I get it. He''s her fiance. Even though he has no chance of victory and he''s going to die, she still wants to help him and fulfill her duties one last time. Such a pure girl," One of the heirs said out loud. Others heard his words and thought that he was right. "Waah, such a pure-hearted girl. She just had to be engaged to the worse of all the princes. Such bad luck." "Sigh, she was engaged to the Prince who was destined to die. Who even thought that this engagement was a good idea. Why didn''t her family oppose it? They basically wrote in her destiny that she was going to be a widow." "Poor girl." "The Third Prince is so bad. He should''ve canceled the engagement since he knows that he was just going to die, yet he''s dragging her down with him. He''s so selfish." "I agree. The Third Prince is not only the weakest but most selfish too. I''m amazed someone like him was born in the Royal Family. All the other princes are so good. It''s just him who''s like this." All the heirs started chiming in. In their eyes, Yu Yan was a victim of Xu Ming, which was why she was doing it. Xu Ming heard their words but didn''t react. He did agree that he was using her. He intentionally didn''t break the engagement since he wanted her help. More importantly, he knew that he was going to win, so he didn''t feel the need to break any engagement. There was no way Yu Yan was going to be widowed even though her real Fiance was already dead. "You came for me. I''m surprised," Xu Ming told Yu Yan as he smiled. "Don''t be too happy. It''s still not going to be easy for you to win. You''ll have to give it your all and follow the words you told me¡ªthat you will win," Yu Yan told Xu Ming. "I will win. Defeat is not an option. I still have many things to do," He muttered as he looked towards the sky. Chapter 196 - 193: The Beginning Of The Deadly Trial "I will win. Defeat is not an option. I still have many things to do," Xu Ming. "She chose him?" The First Prince muttered as he looked towards Xu Ming and Yu Yan. ; His face was expressionless and seemed as if he was not mad at all, but only he knew how angry he was feeling on the inside. The Second Prince also looked at Xu Ming, hiding his killing intent. He was so angry that he wanted to kill Xu Ming right now and show Yu Yan that she made a mistake by choosing Xu Ming. "Alright. Now that everyone is here and all the teams are formed, you can all go inside the City of Ruins. You have today to find a place to stay and arrange everything. There can be no battles today. From tomorrow, you can use any and all methods to get the flag or to reach your goal. You all have seven days, excluding today," the Royal Minister said to everyone as he pointed towards the entrance of the city. The First Prince took the lead as he started walking towards the entrance of the city. His robe moved with the wind as he walked. Over a hundred youngsters followed after him. The Second Prince didn''t hurry to enter. Instead, he walked towards Xu Ming. " Miss Yu Yan, You made a bad choice by choosing him. You still have a chance. Come into my team and step away from this inevitable loser. I''ll ask the Royal Minister to allow you to join my team. This is the last chance. Make your mistakes right," the Second Prince said to Yu Yan. "You should think about yourself, second brother," Xu Ming chimed in as he stepped in between Yu Yan and the Second Prince. "I''m just being a caring Prince. I don''t want an innocent girl to be stuck with someone who''s about to die in a few days. Now, step aside and let the lady decide," The Second Prince said as he smirked. "Didn''t she already decide in front of everyone? Were you lost in some thought as she completely ignored you and selected a team?" Xu Ming inquired sarcastically. The Second Prince clenched his fist as he glared at Xu Ming, but he soon started smiling and released his fist. "Little Brother, You know as much as I do that you don''t stand a chance in this trial. In Fact, I''m sure you know that you''ll be the first one dying. First, Brother won''t go after your flag. He''ll go after your head. You know you''ll die as much as I and everyone else knows. I''m sure those girl knows too. She just made a mistake," The Second Prince said, glancing at Yu Yan. "Let her choose again. Why are you so worried? Or are you afraid that she''ll select me?" He asked again. Xu Ming turned back as he sighed. ''This guy is definitely an Idiot,'' He thought as he started walking towards the entrance of the city. Yu Yan followed after him, ignoring the Second Prince. "Miss Yan, wait! You didn''t answer me," the Second Prince called out as he reached out his hand. Yu Yan stopped as she glanced back. " Second Prince, I know that I''m not a kid. I can decide for myself. When I selected a team at first, I knew what I was doing. I don''t need a second attempt," Yu Yan told the Second Prince sternly before she continued after Xu Ming. She entered the city with Xu Ming as well. " That bitch! Who does she think she is? I''ll show her! I''ll see how brave she is when I crush that idiot''s head right in front of her eyes. She''ll forever regret not choosing my team," the Second Prince cursed as he looked at the distant back of Yu Yan and Xu Ming. He also started walking towards the entrance of the city with his Red Flag in his hand. His team of close to ninety people followed after him, including Yanli, who had betrayed Xu Ming''s trust and joined the Second Prince''s team. She seemed to be thinking about something as she frowned. **** Xu Ming walked inside the city of ruins and wondered where he should go. He was sure that both of the princes would look for a base at the center. ; Just as he had expected, he saw the First Prince walking towards the center of the city. The Second Prince wasn''t here yet, so Xu Ming didn''t know where he would be going, but he ?ssumed that the second Prince would most probably look for a base at the center as well to show his dominance. He didn''t care who got the base at the center. Instead, he decided to make a base near the East Side of the city. The East Side of the city had more buildings than the center as it was a place where commoners lived. Houses were closely packed here, unlike the center where the royals lived or the West where the nobles lived. Xu Ming wanted to utilize the terrain to his advantage, and this closely packed place was something that gave him more advantage to handle a crowd. As the movement space was limited here, this place was much more easier to defend than the other places. Even in this place, Xu Ming chose the house at the end of the block. "This place is good for defense. I thought that you would choose something like this," Yu Yan muttered as she nodded her head. "At Least you do have some brain." "I have many more things too that you should hope never to see," Xu Ming muttered as he sighed. He opened the door of the old house he had selected. He entered inside. The house seemed to be filled with dust everywhere. "It''s so dirty," Yu Yan muttered as she looked around. "You can clean if you want. I won''t mind," Xu Ming said as he sat on a chair after patting it a little. "I''m not your maid. Do it yourself," Yu Yan let out in annoyance. " I don''t have a problem with a little dust," Xu Ming replied casually. "Hmph," Yu Yan snorted. "What''s the plan?" She asked Xu Ming. "What plan?" Xu Ming asked innocently. "The plan to win, you idiot," Yu Yan said as she rolled her eyes. "Oh? That plan? It''s simple. You stay at the front and keep me alive; I''ll hide in the back. After that, you will go and kill the Princes for me," Xu Ming said innocently, stunning Yu Yan.