Chapter 406: Gathering of Heroes
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
Opposite them, another bunch of green-dressed men were gathered together. The three people in the lead were the Meng brothers and there were ten plus green-dressed men seated behind with a casual expression on their faces. It seemed like the martial arts of these ten plus green-dressed men were not weaker than the three Meng brothers! If the other green-dressed men had the same strength as the three Meng brothers, the bunch of them together would have a frightening strength. They would probably be even stronger than the Yu Family's group!
To their south was another hundred-odd people and the one in the lead was someone familiar to Ling Tian: the number one expert of the BeiMing Family, BeiMing Kong.
Yu Family, Xiao Family, DongFang Family and the BeiMing Family. Any one of these families would be a frightening force and not many people in the world would be able to escape from the gathering of all these families! These were the elites of all these families!
Ling Tian and Li Xue rushed together side by side and were currently 300 feet away behind a tree, watching DongFang JingLei from afar. Currently, both of them were in the same state, with their auras fully retracted and their presence melding into the tree beside them. Even if someone were to pass by the tree right now, he would never be able to tell that someone was hiding by the tree!
If there was anything that didn't seem right in front of them, it would be the fact that despite having a large number of people gathered together, none of them interacted with each other and there was a tense atmosphere in the air. It was as though there was a subtle killing intent lingering in their midst. The killing intent being emanated smashed onto one's psyche over and over again like the waves crashing onto the beaches and the weaker guards were completely pale. Their clothes were also drenched with sweat and they felt a chill from the cold winds.
Rushing all the way here, Ling Tian was shocked to realize that Li Xue's movement technique was actually not weaker than his own! The most shocking thing was not the speed of Li Xue's movement techniques but her skill and agility! Ling Tian had already known that this lass's movement techniques couldn't be too weak with the cultivation she had displayed and he would not be too shocked even if she was faster than him. However, Ling Tian was truly amazed by Li Xue's skill.
Li Xue was able to perfectly combine the use of jumping, speeding up, dodging, and soaring to great perfection and every single step she took was calculated in great detail. Every time she realized there was someone, the way she was able to naturally hide her presence with the nature around her was something that Ling Tian had rarely seen after entering this world! Just her skill of utilizing her movement technique was not below his own. It had even exceeded his greatest enemy of this generation, Justice. Of course, this was only when considering her skill. If her speed would be compared to Justice, she would definitely be slightly slower. But the most bizarre thing of all was the fact that Li Xue's movement techniques seemed to be similar to Ling Tian's martial arts and movement techniques.
Ever since he entered this world, there was no one who was able to compete with him in movement techniques. Even if it was Justice, he would definitely be able to emerge victorious. However, Li Xue's movement technique was actually unbelievably exquisite and no weaker than his own. Furthermore, Ling Tian was also puzzled about how Li Xue could have such a skillful use of her movement techniques. After all, Ling Tian's own achievement was thanks to the thousand year heritage of his movement techniques and his numerous experiences of being chased.
Someone who had never stood at the peak of authority would never be able to appreciate the pleasure of looking down at everyone. A wealthy merchant who had everything he needed would never be able to understand the feelings of a beggar who had trouble finding his three meals. Similarly, a person who had never lived on the edge of life and death would never be able to truly understand a concealment technique which had been through many years of accumulation. This was also the reason why Ling Tian was able to escape from Justice's grasp time and time again. After all, after killing numerous experts and being at the top of the world, Justice was greatly lacking in his ability to detect danger.
Could a young beautiful lady like Li Xue have possibly experienced the same things he had? Why else could she have such a mystical movement technique? Why did she have such keen senses to detect danger? Such keen senses were something that could never be faked or purposefully hidden. It was because they had already become a subconscious action of an individual.
Just who was Li Xue? All of a sudden, the delicate figure in front of him seemed to have been cloaked with a layer of mystery! What a mysterious lady! Mysterious to the point she was unfathomable!
It seems like when things are completed here I will have to investigate into the background of this lady.
Just when Ling Tian was thinking to himself, a buzzing sound sounded by his ears, "Do you think that it is very strange?"
Compressing her voice into a line! Just how strong was she?
Ling Tian did not move an inch as he transmitted back, "What is strange?"At the same time, he felt that their actions were pretty hilarious. After all, they were only a few feet apart and it was completely unnecessary to use such a method to communicate!
"My movement techniques! For a weak lady like me to have movement techniques comparable to young noble Ling, don't you find it a strange thing?" Li Xue said with a hint of delight in her voice. It was as though she was a little girl bragging about the new skill she had just learned.
"Movement techniques? A lady's movement techniques have always been a notch above a man's. While Miss's movement techniques are brilliant, there isn't a need to make a fuss about it, right?" Ling Tian snickered in his heart, Before I even bothered asking, this lass actually couldn't remain patient and asked me such a question.
Li Xue chuckled in her heart, This fellow is as stubborn as ever. At the same time, her emotions were stirred and a distant memory surfaced in her heart as a bright smile could be seen on her face. With regards to Ling Tian's provocative words, she had completely ignored them.
Ling Tian looked at her with doubt and felt as though he had plunged his fists into cotton. However, he didn't have the time to be bothered about her as an unexpected figure appeared.
All of a sudden, a burly man walked down the mountain with a dozen others and he was actually the Family Head of the NanGong Family, NanGong TianLong! His face was extremely solemn with a malicious aura emanating. Who would have imagined that NanGong TianLong would be here too! Ling Tian could not help but sneer in his heart, Has your NanGong Family not learned from your mistakes in Sky Bearing?! Since you have arrived, all of you better be prepared!
Seeing the various powers gather before him, a dense killing intent rose in his heart and his savage aura could no longer be controlled!
What a joke! The Xiao Family who had years of ties with his Ling Family was present! The Yu Family who had just sent their dowry to the Ling Family was present! The DongFang Family which expressed their goodwill towards his Ling Family was also here! Even the NanGong Family which he was previously in an alliance with was also present! Furthermore, even the BeiMing Family which the Ling Family didn't have any ties with was also present! All the various powers were gathered here today with their own ulterior motives and sinister plots. At the same time, all of their goals were the same: to kill Ling Tian!
Since all of you want me dead, wouldn't I be letting all of you down if I do not repay all of your 'kindness'?
At this moment, DongFang JingLei suddenly gave out a loud laugh and broke the silence. He then stood up and cupped his fists towards the Xiao Family, "The DongFang Family thanks the elders of the Xiao Family for their protection and care. For JingLei to witness the reclusive elders making their appearances, it is truly my honor."
Meng JueChen remained seated and did not bother standing up as he replied with a smile, "Second Master DongFang is being too courteous, it isn't much."
DongFang JingLei chuckled and just when he was about to say something, NanGong TianLong's voice sounded, "Second Master DongFang, you previously spread the news that you wanted to burn down the mountains to force Ling Tian out. Now that all the various powers have retreated their forces from the mountains, I wonder when is Second Master planning to take action?"
DongFang JingLei's expression changed slightly and he smiled, "Family Head NanGong is being too serious. The news that I had spread was only a plot to force Ling Tian out. As long as Ling Tian has a heart for the commoners, he would have definitely appeared. Since he has not appeared up till now, it can be seen that he places his life above the lives of the thousands living in the mountains. With my plan failing, JingLei is truly extremely guilty and as for burning the mountain down, how can we be as cruel as Ling Tian? After all, this matter concerns the lives of thousands, and JingLei would never dare to perform such an immoral act."
NanGong TianLong sneered in response, "What a dignified excuse! Is Second Master DongFang trying to make a fool out of us all with your plan?"
At this moment, NanGong TianLong was incomparably depressed in his heart. Ever since he led 300 elites to Sky Bearing, he had faced restrictions at every turn and nothing had gone well for him. There was almost no chance for him to catch his breath and the elites of his family were almost wiped out completely! Currently, his second brother, NanGong TianHu and his daughter, NanGong Yu, were still in Sky Bearing on the pretext of being in an alliance but it was no different from them being confined. As for the reason, it was all thanks to the Yang and Ling Family. Especially when the Ling Family had forced his NanGong Family to battle the Yang Family while they watched by the side and caused the elites of his NanGong Family to be almost completely wiped out! This bitter resentment had stifled NanGong TianLong to the point he almost fell ill! Their NanGong Family was only able to secretly escape from Sky Bearing after the Yu Family had arrived and taken up the attention of the Ling Family. At that time, apart from NanGong TianHu and NanGong Yu, there were less than ten elites who returned back to their home base safely!
Such a heavy blow had destroyed more than half of the NanGong Family's strength! With his NanGong Family being part of the Eight Great Families, how could NanGong TianLong swallow this ball of anger? While the Yang Family was destroyed, the Ling Family was still around. Be it the old or young, male or female, there wasn't a single good person in the whole Ling Family! They were all full of schemes! The moment he heard that Ling Tian was being pursued by the Martial Order Medallion owner, NanGong TianLong felt as though he was over the moon! Thus, he personally led a few experts out to deal with Ling Tian as well. Now that DongFang JingLei was giving up on his plan to deal with Ling Tian, NanGong TianLong could not help but feel bitter in his heart as he retorted with sarcasm. If not for NanGong TianLong hating Ling Tian to the core, he would have never said such unwise words in consideration of DongFang JingLei's status and the present scenario!
DongFang JingLei's tone also turned chilly, "Perhaps Family Head NanGong may not know, but apart from Ling Tian being present, the Martial Order Medallion owner is also in the mountains. If I were to ask brother TianLong to light the fire, would you dare to do so?!"
While Nangong TianLong was the Family Head of a Great Family, the talents of his family were lacking and their strength far too weak. The present NanGong Family was probably even worse off than the XiMen Family being led by XiMen Sa. Thus, DongFang JingLei did not give any face to NanGong TianLong at all!
NanGong TianLong burst out laughing and said with disdain, "Martial Order Medallion owner? So what? Isn't he a human as well? Sending justice? Does he really think that he is justice? Would he be able to escape if we burn down the whole mountain?"
As these words were said, the experts of the Xiao Family began looking at the pails of kerosene as their eyes lit up.
"Pa pa pa pa!" Four crisp slapping sounds sounded and a figure flashed past quickly. NanGong TianLong let out a miserable groan as his figure was lifted up into the air. The next moment, his figure slammed onto the floor with blood all over his face and ten of his teeth knocked out cleanly from their roots!
In NanGong TianLong's original position was a green-dressed man standing there silently. While he was under the gaze of almost a thousand people, he was completely indifferent as though the experts did not exist!
He did not place them in his sight!
Despite there being almost a hundred XianTian cultivators around, not a single person was able to detect his arrival or see how he had beaten up NanGong TianLong. None of them saw his arrival and it was as though he had been standing there originally for a long time already! At the same time, he seemed to have melded into his surroundings and was one with the heavens and earth!
Martial Order Medallion owner! Sending justice!
Silence filled the place!
Chapter 407: Number One Expert
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
The family head from one of the Eight Great Families, NanGong TianLong, actually could not even withstand a single blow from the legendary Martial Order Medallion owner! The more accurate way to put it would be that he did not even get to see the person's face before he got continuously slapped, falling like a gunny sack on the floor!
The faces of everyone present changed. Though the NanGong Family was on the verge of decline, they were still one of the top eight families. While NanGong TianLong couldn't compare to the profound cultivation of Ling Tian and Yu ManLou, he was still a first-rate expert! If that was the case, then wasn't the strength of the Martial Order Medallion owner a little too terrifying to behold?
The eyes everyone looking at that green-robed figure had unknowingly changed to horror! Was this still the strength of 'one person'?
Before this, while everyone had heard the name of this number one expert and had heard many tales about his exploits, they were after all just recounts and were hard to imagine. After all, nobody had ever personally witnessed the might of Justice, and while they admired him, they did not feel that it was worth creating a fuss. However, the events today left them all terrified. A family head, whose strength most present were clear about, was actually like a three-year-old toddler in front of Justice, without the strength to retaliate at all!
The reason why everyone remained ignorant was not that no one had actually seen Justice act, but because all those who had actually faced off against Justice were dead without exception. Of those who were 'fortunate' to die under his hands, which of them wasn't a great figure that was renowned in the world? The last example was the first elder of the Yu Family, Yu ChaoChen, who ended up like the rest before him in an empty pipe dream of defeating Justice. Among those that Justice wanted to kill, there was only one exception who had not died! And he happened to be the reason that all the great families had gathered: Ling Tian!
"This seat has accepted the terms of the Martial Order Medallion, 'a token for a life'! Since I've personally come out to kill Ling Tian, then even the Beyond Heavens Sect doesn't have room to negotiate with me. So then, why have all of you present come to this place?" Justice quietly spoke in a bland voice. However, everyone could hear the displeasure in his voice. Justice had displayed his utter disregard for the common life, holding life and death in his hands to the extreme!
As the instigator of this incident, DongFang JingLei knew that he had nowhere to hide, and could only cough dryly as he stepped out, "Please forgive us, senior. I was too nosy and knew that with Ling Tian's wild ambition, coupled with his desire to do evil and vicious things, he would be a danger to this world if left unchecked. Thus, I gathered everyone here to rally for Senior! So long as we could personally see that thief Ling Tian die under Senior's hands, that would be a joy to us. Of course, if Senior would allow, we could follow behind you and put in an effort to aid Senior to the best of our abilities. That would be an incomparably honorable thing for us!"
Seeing how DongFang JingLei twisted white to become black so effortlessly, as though this matter really existed, they all thought to themselves that he really lived up to his name as the strategist of the DongFang Family. With such glib tongue, he was really good at slandering people. Everyone chimed in immediately, assenting to his words. All those people were the ones who acted as though they owned the heavens and earth before Justice had appeared, but upon discovering the difference in their abilities and that of Justice's, they had kept quiet out of fear that, if they angered this expert, they would fall into endless trouble. Even the soul brothers from the Yu Family who were known for being arrogant had fallen into silence, without putting up any objections whatsoever!
A trace of ridicule flashed past Justice's face, hidden quickly as he coldly snorted, "The way the Beyond Heaven's Martial Order Medallion owner does things, I only need to answer to myself. Do I still need you guys at the side to act as my stumbling blocks? No matter where you came from, or what your motives are, you had better scram back to where you came from! If I find anyone tarrying, then I'll regard it as failure to comply with the words of the Beyond Heavens. At that time, I will not go easy!"
The crowd went into an uproar. All of them came over from thousands of kilometers away, so who would be willing to just easily retreat like that? Even if the Beyond Heavens Martial Order Medallion owner was the current number one expert, one could not be so overbearing, right? However, no one was silly enough to be the scapegoat and object, inviting a huge trouble onto themselves. Thus, the entire place suddenly fell into silence!
"Hehehe, Martial Order Medallion owner, the number one expert. Your tone is indeed overbearing, your authority impressive!" An eccentric voice suddenly sounded, and within it was full of sarcasm. If one were to listen closely, they might even hear a trace of hatred within, as well as envy! This was Meng JueChen, who stared at Justice with a deep hatred!
Justice leisurely turned around, staring straight at Meng JueChen and frowned lightly, "You're calling into question my Sect's affairs, and refusing to leave, is that it?!"
"Why does this old man need to go? Just based on what you say? A simple 'questioning my sect affairs'?!" Meng JueChen let out a bark of laughter. "Don't think that hanging that rotten signboard of your Beyond Heavens on my head will make you unbeatable or use that to scare off people! Others might fear your false reputation, but this old man doesn't put you in my eyes at all! What 'questioning the Sect', 'Heavenly Justice', more like a heavenly joke! You may not be able to achieve the number one expert under heavens, but you are wholly deserving of the number one lunatic under heavens title! Hahahaha…."
This person was probably the insane one!
Everyone gazed towards Meng JueChen as though they were looking at a dead man. He had already seen Justice personally act but still dared to oppose Justice so vehemently, was he looking to die?
"Very good!" Out of everyone's expectations, Justice not only did not burst into a rage but started laughing, "Since you refuse to move, that is akin to provoking Beyond Heaven's reputation! I admire your courage, but I'll have to ask you to leave your life behind." After that he gazed around before speaking again, "Are there any more of such people with similar thoughts? Those that have, I'll invite you to stay, the rest may scram!"
The moment the crowd broke into a commotion, Justice's face also darkened as he continued, "Gathering all of you here today is mainly to give you a warning, as well as a second chance at life! The mission of this seat hunting down Ling Tian, if anyone dares to interfere with any matters regarding this from today onward, then you will be the enemy of this seat! And to my enemies, I'll only perform a single action, killing them without mercy!" The last four words were emphasized heavily by him, along with a burst of his internal energy!
It was as though the apocalypse had arrived early. The entire surroundings trembled a little following the four words that Justice spoke!
The warriors from the DongFang family were unluckily nearest to Justice, but they merely possessed average cultivation. All of them received a blow to their psyche, having a sort of feeling in which their entire meridians were being turned upside down. With a unified 'wa' sound, all of them vomited out blood, and fainted!
To think that an angered shout from Justice could go as far as this!
Who would counter this sort of heaven shaking cultivation?
DongFang JingLei's face fluctuated, and he came to a decision, smiling warmly as he replied, "I originally thought of just lending my meager strength to the mix, but since Senior thinks that I might impede his affairs, then the DongFang family will not bother Senior any further. We'll retreat and anxiously wait for your good news!" Waving his hands, he shouted, "DongFang Family, retreat!"
The BeiMing family did not even speak a single word throughout the whole exchange, merely cupping a fist towards Justice before leaving silently. Farther ahead was an empty spot, it was not known when the Yu Family vacated under the leadership of the soul brothers.
Justice cracked a cold smile as he watched everyone slowly leave. A peculiar expression was seen on his face.
These people came from over a thousand miles away. If they could not see Ling Tian die in front of them, then how could they leave so easily? Actually, Justice was also well aware that these people were merely biding their time! So long as they were unable to see Ling Tian truly dead in front of them, then they would not rest in peace. Justice even felt that, if it were not for the fact that everyone was relying on him to kill Ling Tian, he would have long become public enemy number one!
But Justice did not care, did not give a d*mn! He had used the signpost method to drag everyone over here just to inform them about his attitude, and not to start a massacre. However, if they still remained unrepentant, then he would definitely not give any more mercy the next time he saw them! Since he had pursued Ling Tian unsuccessfully for so many days, his killing intent was already overflowing, and he really wanted to vent his frustrations! However, it was sad that most of them knew their boundaries and left.
However, in every group, there would always be a few that were oblivious, and would only regret it upon seeing their coffins prepared for them!
For example… The fifteen people behind him. A grim smile surfaced on Justice's face as he slowly turned around…
Li Xue watched the group of people swiftly leave and could not help but remark, "All of them are here to kill you?! Your enemies? Wow, how are you still not public enemy number one?! A scourge of mankind?!" While she compressed her voice into a thin line, Ling Tian could still hear the anger and killing intent within her voice. This girl, why is she angry about my matters?
"That's right, they're all here to kill me. To say that I'm their enemy is also not wrong. But scourge of mankind… that might be going too far." Ling Tian chuckled. "Aren't my people skills fantastic?"
Li Xue did not reply but grumbled silently in her heart, This guy, be it in the past or present, always had this sort of 'crazy popularity'! How infuriating!
But without question, the moment Li Xue knew that all those people came to sentence Ling Tian to death, it caused her calm and indifferent heart to blaze up in the flames of anger for the first time, with killing intent fermenting slowly within!
Since I destroyed your past life, let me return it to you in this present life!
Chapter 408: Starting War Respectively
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
But without question, the moment Li Xue knew that all those people came to sentence Ling Tian to death, for the first time it caused her calm and indifferent heart to blaze up in the flames of anger, with killing intent fermenting slowly within!
Since I destroyed your past life, let me return it to you in this present life!
Tian'ge, I'll never let anyone harm you in this world!
And those who want to kill you, I. Will. Not. Let. Anyone. Off!
No matter who!
In a split second, the crowd parted like water flowing downhill, only leaving Justice and the fifteen people from the self-proclaimed Xiao Family. Of course, even the injured NanGong TianLong had, with the help of his family members, run off as quickly as he could!
Justice slowly turned around to face them, indifferently commenting, "While I might have the tag of Heavenly Justice, I hate killing the most. Before killing Ling Tian, I didn't want to engage in any other sort of killing! However, since some people are naturally seeking for death, provoking my baseline of 'doing what I say', then this seat is very willing to grant their wishes!"
Meng JueChen sniggered as he replied, "Justice, the two of us were originally enemies to begin with. We've lain within the mortal world for over four decades, concealing our identities and forsaking everything within the human world in order to annihilate your Beyond Heavens! Others might be afraid of this martial head name, but do you think this old man puts you in my eyes?"
"So, it was you guys." Justice calmly spoke. "This explains why you were willing to stay, or even dared to remain behind. An ambitious character, but having to conceal your identity for over forty years, living a life without seeing the daylight, neither alive nor dead. Our Sect head never desired to pursue the past matters, but you guys just had to send yourselves up for the slaughter. No worries, I'll grant you that wish. Under my hands, you will not have pain or injuries, only death! I'll send you to meet your ancestors."
Meng JueChen suddenly gave out a mournful laugh, "Justice, do you really think you can achieve that? Beyond Heavens? Dogsh*t! Forty years ago, your Beyond Heavens launched a sneak attack, using all sorts of underhanded methods to defeat us. A bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites, making my sect lose most of its fighting strength and decline as a result. This blood feud will not allow us to share the same skies, now and forever! Today, I want to reclaim a debt of blood from your body!"
"This Sect has never bothered to dip their fingers into worldly affairs. Forty years ago, were it not for the fact that you guys came to the Heavenly Star Continent to try to eliminate us, we would not have taken such drastic action. We were merely enacting heaven's will, getting rid of evil presences from this world! A bunch of people who overestimate themselves, even death can't wipe away your crimes. How dare you still talk about dignity and such matters, what a joke!"
"Your mother's fart! Justice, the Beyond Heavens Sect is merely a cold-blooded executioner! What is it based on that you guys are considered number one under the heavens, while we have to live our lives in hiding? The heavens require a change in power, Justice!" Meng JueChen venomously spat in return.
Justice merely sighed wearily, as he closed his eyes and replied, "No wonder then. It was no wonder that Yin JueKong's treasured saber landed in the hands of the Xiao family, and no wonder their ambition is so huge! Such deep plotting! It was actually all because of you guys. However, to want to claim a blood debt from my body, did you believe that you already possessed the ability of Yin JueKong from a millennium ago?"
Upon hearing the words Yin JueKong, a change came over the faces of Meng JueChen and company, and even Ling Tian who was hiding behind a tree showed some shock.
Ling Tian clearly remembered that on one of the days where he was idly chatting with Ye QingChen, the latter had mentioned a few words. "With outstanding martial arts approaching the level of a saint, breaking through the boundary for the peak of martial arts. That is the Above Heavens Sect head Yin JueKong, who has killed enough people that the bones could make up a hill!"
Could it be that all the so-called Xiao Family experts actually belonged to the Above Heaven Sect? That the Xiao Family always had the Above Heavens Sect people pulling the strings? Ling Tian's heart grew heavy at that thought.
"While we do not possess the exceptional skills of Ancestor Yin, it's a simple matter if we want to just kill you!" Meng JueChen clenched his teeth and spoke. "Today, let us perish together with the martial head!"
Following his words, the fifteen experts fanned out, forming a semicircle and placing Justice in the middle. The sound of scraping metal could be heard as all their swords left the sheaths at the same time, dazzling the eyes of any who saw it.
A chance! Ling Tian exclaimed to himself. He secretly calculated, wondering if he could wipe Justice off in a single blow if he were to work together with this group of people. Even if they could not, there was still Li Xue, who was showing a considerable intention to protect him! The people from Above Heavens were obviously experts. One could see that every one of them were at least in the small success stage of the XianTian realm. Under such a lineup, even if it were Justice, he would also need to put in his all to defend. If he were to join in with Li Xue, what would the situation become?
If he could wipe out Justice now, then what would happen in the future? If he could not kill Justice now, then what? Ling Tian did not forget that these fifteen people from Above Heavens also had their own motives. While they held a teeth gnashing-hatred against Justice, Ling Tian also believed that, given the opportunity, they would also not let him go!
After weighing the costs and benefits, Ling Tian finally chose to give up on this attractive idea. However, since there was an opportunity which presented itself, it would not be wise to leave it hanging! While he had given up on this chance to deal with Justice, he would not do so for NanGong TianLong as well as his people! Opportunity, a beautiful double-edged sword!
Ling Tian believed that Justice would definitely be able to handle that bunch of riff-raff from Above Heavens, and most likely they would not be able to kill him in a short period of time. During this time he should take the chance to clean his place a little! A cruel smile hung on his face as intense bloodlust started to reek from his body!
He cast a meaningful glance towards Li Xue, before the two of them floated upwards, shooting deep into the forest!
Before this, the two of them were completely stationary, holding even their breaths, as though they had merged into the tree. While Justice's spiritual sense was abnormally astute, he still would not be able to tell them apart. However, the moment they moved, Justice was immediately able to sense their presence. Only then did he realize that his targets had actually been unnoticed audience members the whole time. He couldn't help but shout, "Where do you think you're going?!" before preparing to rush over.
"Where do you think you're going?!" A similar shout was heard before a dazzling sword beam flashed over. Behind it was a sarcastic smile of Meng JueChen as he ridiculed, "The magnificent Martial Order Medallion owner, aren't you known as the number one expert under heavens, doing only what you say, and undefeated throughout the world? Are you trying to renege on our battle now?"
Cold laughter immediately rang out from all the other fourteen people simultaneously. They in fact thought that Justice really intended to escape, that he was afraid of them! As such, their courage soared, and they readied their swords, preparing to engage.
"A bunch of idiots! Indeed it's true, good advice falls on deaf ears. Damned ghosts!" Justice could only watch as the two of them entered the forest. His temper soared to new heights as he spoke, "Since you guys really seek death, I'll give it to you!" It had taken him much effort to finally locate that brat's whereabouts, but now his plan of pursuing him was being foiled in front of his eyes. How would he feel?
"You're the damned ghost. Fifteen of us joining hands will be enough to end your life. You don't even possess the same strength as our Ancestor Yin that year after all!" Meng JueChen laughed as his sword flashed dangerously.
Justice's eyes gleamed as he let out a mocking laughter, "Yin JueKong? So what if it's him, he had merely entered the large success of the XianTian realm. Let me tell you something. I'm sure all of you still remember your senior of that year, named Xu RuoMeng right, although I feel that he should have changed his name to mean dashed dreams instead! 1 He had also entered the large success stage of the XianTiam realm, definitely not below that of Yin JueKong! But do you know what was his ending?
"Elder Meng is brimming with talent, with fearsome achievements. He has never been defeated before, and could be considered the top expert in our sect, comparable to Ancestor Yin back then! He has entered into a life-death cultivation, but he should be the real number one expert instead!" A haughty smile was plastered on Meng JueChen's face.
"Closed up?! Indeed, calling you an idiot was right. Has anyone even gone to check on him? That year, when Xu RuoMeng challenged the various experts from the Heavenly Star Continent, he indeed never suffered from a defeat, but unfortunately, he came across me in the end! Right now, I'm afraid the person you deem as the top expert in your sect has already become a bunch of ashes, hahaha!" Justice calmly threw out a bomb as though he was spouting some mysterious principles!
"You… utter rubbish! Elder Meng could achieve complete victory even when against the various forces of the Heavenly Star Continent, and has closed up to make further progress in his cultivation!" Meng JueChen's face turned ashen as he severely rebutted him.
"I've said it before, that under my hands, there will not be any injuries, and this includes your undefeated elder Meng! However, you need not be too sad, because very soon, I'll too send you guys down to accompany your Elder Meng!" A boundless killing intent spread out from Justice in an instant, and with a light shout, his body avoided a sword thrust towards him as he pulled his sword out from his sheath and rushed forward!
Ling Tian stared at the far distance which NanGong TianLong and his group had retreated to, speeding with all his might in that direction. Following closely by him was naturally the mysterious girl Li Xue. While Ling Tian's movement techniques were displayed at ninety percent of his maximum strength, the lass was surprisingly able to keep up!
"You're thinking of killing them?" Li Xue slightly knitted her brows, a cold light flashing through her eyes. Even while sticking close to Ling Tian, she still had the breath to chat.
"How could I just allow them to attempt to kill me without retaliating? Am I not allowed to go after them as well?" The killing aura that Ling Tian had suppressed for a long time finally flared up again as he spoke. The aura suffused across the whole area, leading the surrounding birds to fly up in fright, roaming around the air above him. Avian creatures had always been sensitive to such killing intent, far more than humans themselves!
At the same time, Ling Tian could minutely sense that a strong pressure had suddenly burst out behind him, blending into his killing intent and harmonizing within, increasing its might by a notch!
Turning his head back to observe, he only saw the masked face of Li Xue, with a pair of crystal clear pupils full of killing intent. She replied, "Since that's the case, then count me in."
A sense of warmth suffused in Ling Tian's heart, as he felt a feeling of meeting someone whom he had not met for a long time, causing him to let out a smile. However, her next sentence almost caused Ling Tian to fall off from the sky.
Li Xue slowly sighed and spoke, "Actually, I haven't killed anyone for sixteen years!" There was a hint of reminiscence hidden deep within her voice.
What an arrogant sentence! Ling Tian staggered and almost fell headfirst!
Chapter 409: Destroying the NanGong Family!
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
My lord! Looking at her, this lass would probably not pass sixteen years of age. And she even dared to say that she had not killed for sixteen years?! What frightening speech!
As though she discovered a problem with what she said, Li Xue showed some panic before covering up, "My meaning was, in this life I've lived for sixteen years, but have not killed anyone yet!"
"This life?" Ling Tian asked a little suspiciously. "Don't tell me you've lived for more than one life?"
"Hehe..." A lovable smile appeared on Li Xue's face, and she suddenly accelerated in front of him as she replied, "Who doesn't pass through the samsara of life and death? I've already lived for several lives, maybe tens or even hundreds of lives. That's a perfectly normal matter!"
Knowing that he had been duped again, Ling Tian gazed at the graceful body in front of him, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry. He had the sudden urge to catch up to her and thoroughly spank those two little butt cheeks of hers! But, thinking twice, Ling Tian questioned whether he who was fearless would actually dare to slight this slim lass in front of him! This person… seemed to be someone who could not be provoked.
NanGong TianLong walked with a dejected expression on the mountain road. While his injuries were not serious, he had suffered a major loss in face being slapped in front of all those major powers by Justice! And this was given the fact that the NanGong Family had barely any face left!
The teeth in his mouth had almost all fallen out, causing his voice to sound extremely strange. As such, NanGong TianLong decided that it was better for him not to speak a single word. However, the constant gleam in his eyes betrayed his desire for revenge! But thinking about it, their family could not even deal with a single Ling Tian, so where would they have the chance to talk about handling the number one expert? He could not help but feel dismayed at this.
The bodyguard beside him naturally knew what he was so depressed about and softly spoke, "Family Head need not feel grieved, that person was the Martial Order Medallion owner after all, the publicly acclaimed number one expert. Losing to him in one exchange is definitely not something to be ashamed about. Furthermore, Family Head has managed to come out in one piece after exchanging moves with him, that should be something to be proud of. If we were to ask the pugilistic world, just how many people could say that they are able to walk away in one piece after challenging the Martial Order Medallion owner?"
TianLong let out a depressed grunt, his face totally red in embarrassment. What thing of retreating in one piece from the other party's hands? The person just could not be bothered to kill him, that was all! However, this consolation made his heart feel a lot better, and he could actually just hypnotize himself to believe this path of thought. He let out a frustrated breath, before hatefully saying, "Ling Tian got off too cheaply!"
"Too cheaply? I'm not at any advantage! Haha, haven't I already come up to you? Have you been good so far, Family Head NanGong! Oh, your appearance looks like you're not in good shape, can you still speak coherently?" A voice filled with iciness and killing intent suddenly sounded above his head, followed by two sounds of agonized wails as the last two members of his family's experts suddenly fell onto the ground, their necks twisted at an unnatural angle.
Ling Tian bore a smile on his face as he slowly revealed himself. Walking step by step over, his white robes fluttered with the wind. He seemed like a long-lost friend who had just met his bosom buddy once again, the expression on his face appearing like he was in extreme joy.
Beside him, one of the NanGong Family guards yelled as he viciously brought his blade down on him!
"Too rude!" Ling Tian chastized as he waved his sleeve without even turning his head. He easily caught that guard's wrist and applying a bit of force caused the latter's blade to fall out of his hands. A little bit more force and a snapping and tearing sound was heard before the guard's entire arm was almost torn off my Ling Tian. Fresh blood spouted, along with the appearance of some white jagged pieces of bone that could be seen.
The intense pain only allowed that guard to let out a scream of misery before he passed out. Even in his unconscious state, his body continued to twitch. One could imagine how much misery he was undergoing!
Ling Tian grasped that broken arm with one hand, dragging the guard as he warmly smiled while walking towards NanGong TianLong. "Family Head NanGong, we've only not met for a while, and the entire Universe seems to have reversed. To the point that even my ally the NanGong Family has chosen to hunt me down. This really makes Ling Tian sigh in regret, that things are never constant in this world!"
"Ling Tian!" NanGong TianLong suffered from a huge shock. Due to more than half of his teeth being knocked out, he could only manage a vague interpretation of the two words, and they came out sounding like a leaky tap!
"Family Head NanGong, my good alliance friend, you really have a good memory. To think that you still can remember who I am!" Ling Tian let out an unrestrained smile as he politely replied. "A pity that no matter how good your memory is, you failed to remember that what I, Ling Tian, hate the most is betrayal. And you just so happened to have touched my greatest taboo." A resigned sigh came out from Ling Tian' mouth. "I really feel sorry for you."
NanGong TianLong's body began to tremble violently, as he slowly stepped back, his face dyed a pale white, "Ling Tian…., you, what do you want? There are numerous experts from the various families here and all of them want your life. If I were you, I would immediately escape, or else this will be your burial ground!"
"Many thanks to family head for thinking about me even at this critical juncture, but I've never placed any of them in my eyes at all. Besides, didn't you just ask me what I wanted to do?" Ling Tian blandly smiled as he shook the arm that he was carrying. This movement caused that unlucky guard to awaken from his unconscious state due to the pain he had received, letting out another strangled scream as he bore with the pain. Large beads of sweat trickled down his entire body, as it uncontrollably trembled, to the point that the guard could not even voice out the word 'pain'...
What a bloody method, what a cruel person!
"I didn't think of doing anything, but just wanted to know what Family Head NanGong wanted to do. Rest assured, just based on your previous caring thought for me, I'll not let you suffer any hardship!" Ling Tian blandly spoke, and suddenly his face turned ferocious, "I can tell you right now, that your actions today have thoroughly broken my bottom line! I've decided that, in this heaven and earth, your NanGong family can now cease to exist!"
"You can leave in peace. On the road to the yellow springs, you won't be lonely for too long! Definitely not!" Ling Tian cackled as his right hand jerked, tearing off the last tendons that were left keeping the broken arm of the guard attached. He then wielded it as a weapon, as he rushed towards NanGong TianLong, slapping it down!
NanGong TianLong let out a mad shout. At this life and death juncture, he gathered all his strength under the pressure and let out the strongest strike he could muster!
A pity that his abdomen suddenly felt a sharp pain. As it turns out, he had unexpectedly received a vicious kick from Ling Tian! His tall and sturdy body was kicked upward and fell almost five feet away! When his sword sheath at his waist fell onto the ground, it even let out a clean cracking sound!
This family head of the NanGong family, the successors of the 'Sword God Manual', had in his panic forgot to draw his treasured sword! He had totally forgotten to use his most proficient martial arts to go against the enemy! This was evidence of how much pressure Ling Tian gave him.
Ling Tian let out a cold smile as he slowly walked towards where NanGong TianLong lay.
From his surroundings came sounds of shock and dismay, and seven or eight shadows suddenly rushed up and away, fleeing in different directions without any regard whatsoever!
Ling Tian acted as if he did not see that scene, his eyelids not even batting.
Suddenly, shrill sounds rang out as the eight sturdy shadows fell down at almost the same time. They uniformly turned into meat piles, blood leaking out of their mouths. It was as though they had tripped and fallen, but all eight of them had already stopped breathing!
In one blow, eight of them immediately lost their lives!
What sort of penetrative martial art was that? And what sort of frightening killer could do this?!
A light blue colored figure which showcased its endless elegance slowly drifted into the scene like a dream becoming reality. Li Xue slowly drew a white cloth from her bosom before using it to wipe her hands that she had used to kill the eight people a while ago. This action was as though she had just finished her meal. Then, that piece of white cloth fluttered out of her hands, following the wind to come to rest on a high branch! This scene was as though she was offering her condolences to the once grand and majestic NanGong family!
Li Xue's indifferent eyes roved over the remaining four experts from the NanGong family, causing them to stiffen up. A fearful glance appeared in their eyes as they felt their legs turn to jelly, causing them to kneel down on the floor with pitiful expressions.
A hint of disdain appeared on Li Xue's face as she turned her gaze back onto Ling Tian.
NanGong TianLong was breathing laboriously as he tried to get up, his face filled with endless remorse! That's right, he regretted everything. If he had honestly and quietly remained at Gold Jade City, then he would still be the high and mighty head of the NanGong Family! Furthermore, there would still be the tag of Ling Tian's only alliance mate on his head, and if Ling Tian were to really manage to escape, then he would definitely show kindness to the people in his alliance! Not only would he not kill them off, but he would even make sure that the NanGong Family retained their power, and increasing their prestige and influence was also not impossible!
Even if Ling Tian could not escape from the pursuit of Justice, what did it matter to him? Could he have obtained another sort of benefit from joining in? What his NanGong Family needed most was to bide their time, and recoup their strength, waiting for the future!
However, it was his obsession that led him to here, wanting to see the miserable face of Ling Tian and let out that breath of frustration on his chest! This was simply looking for trouble!
The NanGong Family would never have any future to speak about!
At this point, NanGong TianLong truly regretted his actions, but what a pity that his regret came a little bit late!
Ling Tian slowly bent down, his eyes shooting out a callous and cruel gaze as his pale hand decisively closed around NanGong TianLong's throat. Under the latter's pleading and pitiful gaze, he slowly tightened his grip!
Chapter 410: Killing the Talents
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
From NanGong TianLong's throat came the sound of bones grinding against each other. The fresh air of this world had already lost touch with the latter's lungs, causing the fear of death to surface as the throes of suffocation set in. This fear seeped into the mind of the NanGong Family head bit by bit, and just when he reached the final clarity before death, NanGong TianLong seemed to have obtained some sort of release, his face settling into a peaceful expression.
However, Ling Tian did not notice this point as he suddenly let go of his hand, allowing air to pass in. NanGong TianLong suddenly jumped back from the throes of death, his mouth automatically sucking in air as he stared strangely at this frightening youth opponent of his.
"I forgot to mention something, but even if I don't tell you, I believe that NanGong Le at the yellow springs would also do the same thing!" A hint of apology could be heard in Ling Tian's voice. "Actually, the Yang Family was indeed innocent. The cause of Young Noble NanGong Le's death was not due to the Yangs!"
The lifeless eyes of NanGong TianLong suddenly rolled, as a few threads of clarity came back to his mind. He seemed to have somehow understood something, as he suddenly stared viciously at Ling Tian, much like a cornered beast.
"NanGong Le was killed by me!" A hint of pity could be heard from Ling Tian's tone as he spoke, "He was the first unfortunate sacrifice in the war between the Yang and my Ling Family. This is perhaps the only point that I am apologetic to your family about. However, even if time were to rewind, I would still do the same thing! A pity that I have no idea on how to compensate you guys. I can only send you off with the knowledge that it was my fault." Ling Tian closed his eyes and muttered, "Go in peace, NanGong TianLong. If there's a next life, then you can seek revenge there!"
The corners of NanGong TianLong's eyes seem to expand explosively at this moment as his body, which was lying flat on the ground, raised up a foot high before dropping back down. His eyes were open impossibly wide, to the point the corners of his eyes started to tear, letting out two streams of blood trails. Finally, he was still, not moving a single bit as he continued to stare into the sky, full of hatred and unwillingness, as though pondering about life...
Ling Tian's previous kick had perfectly connected with his DanTian, causing him irreparable damage. And now, with this piece of disastrous news, all of TianLong's meridians burst apart, so that even if an immortal came, he would probably be unable to reverse the situation!
The NanGong Family Head, NanGong TianLong, died!
Ling Tian let out a light sigh, before standing up weakly. A blue flash passed by his eyes, and Li Xue was already silently standing in front of him, her eyes full of concern. Her hand moved and handed another snow-white handkerchief over.
Ling Tian laughed, giving her a consoling look as he unceremoniously took the handkerchief, wiping his face with it. Li Xue let out a small smile as she took back the handkerchief, lightly folding it before putting it back into her bosom.
Just before this, Li Xue had killed the eight experts of the NanGong family without so much as move, and after killing, she had wiped her hands with her napkin before heartlessly throwing it away. However, she had actually kept the cloth this time after Ling Tian had wiped his face with it. If Ling Tian noticed this, he would definitely start to suspect something, but a pity that Ling Tian was busy handling NanGong TianLong's body, and did not notice this strange incident.
Upon turning around, Ling Tian immediately noticed the other eight bodies piled into a heap, and his pupils shrank as he lifted his head up to stare at Li Xue. This, how was this action that of a person who had not killed for sixteen years (all her life)? In Ling Tian's heart, Li Xue became more of an enigma!
This sort of killing method was impeccably authentic and brilliant! How was this someone who had never killed before? D*mn, one could not get more professional than this!
Even if it was Ling Jian who took action, he might not be as clean as what Li Xue had done!
Even for Ling Tian himself, when he had first killed someone in his past life, he had felt disgusted for nearly half a month! It was only after he had undertaken more than ten missions that he put this revulsion behind. Even if it was the current Ling Jian, recognized as a bloodthirsty demon by others, the head of the First Pavilion, he had vomited and almost fainted when he had first killed!
But the soft and weak looking lass in front of him who claimed that she had never killed in all her life had cleanly finished off eight experts with an indifferent face, as though it was a mundane action she would do every day! Worse still, her eyes did not even change as she killed!
Ling Tian believed that there were all sorts of geniuses in this world, but there would definitely not be this sort of terrifying talent!
An extinct killing genius born just to kill?! Only ghosts would believe you!
With a stomach full of doubt, Ling Tian could only let out a bitter smile. It seemed like this mysterious convenient helper of his really was holding back quite a few secrets. He had to be on his guard.
However, if one were to tell Ling Tian that Li Xue had some untoward designs on him, Ling Tian would not believe it for even a second. This was because his Divine Shocking Dragon Formula mainly cultivated in the heart and mental state after reaching the XianTian realm, and the feeling which Li Xue sent out to him was of unprecedented safety, even to the point of familiarity. This was the first time Ling Tian ever felt this way from anyone. Thus, Ling Tian had no doubts of Li Xue's goodwill towards him!
Casting a cold glance at the other four experts still kneeling on the ground, the experts of the NanGong Family were now trembling in fear. Just as he was about to make a move, he suddenly had a thought as his gaze once again landed on Li Xue. A plan surfaced as he stared at this group of people coldly and spoke, "As for you guys, I don't want to say much, but neither do I want to let you go. You should just commit suicide!"
Ling Tian's words were soft, but they were heard extremely clearly by Li Xue even though she was standing by the side.
Hearing this, Li Xue could not help but frown as though she wanted to object, before pushing it back down. However, seeing Ling Tian putting his hands behind him and standing by the side nonchalantly, she could endure no longer and opened her mouth, "How could you leave it this way? These people, in order to live, have done all sorts of evil deeds, and you still want them to have the courage to commit suicide?"
Ling Tian's gaze sharpened as he deeply stared at her before suddenly laughing. He replied, "That's indeed the case. However, for such despicable people, killing them would dirty my hands, and releasing them would allow them to reveal the secret. In your opinion, what should I do?"
Li Xue let out a laugh as she ridiculed, "Oh great noble Ling, the lives that have been ended by your hands, even if the count has not reached ten thousand, has at least reached eight thousand. You want to let them go just because they cannot retaliate? You would give them a path to walk just because they have done too many evil deeds? You asking them to commit suicide is merely to allow them to rebel to justify you killing them! But do you know how much saliva you have to waste just to achieve your goal? Since you're going to kill them in the end, whatever they do they would still be dead! So why not just cleanly wipe them out? Is it worth it for you to waste your precious time on them? Do you have a lot of time to waste?"
Li Xue's words were not only sharp but harsh. She was only left with pointing a finger at his nose and literally lashing out at him, but her tone obviously meant that.
Ling Tian cracked a smile at this, "Sister Xue'er makes a lot of sense. This disciple has received your teachings."
Li Xue snorted as her lips curled up, "This kind of pointless method is just purely to maintain the so-called moral high ground of an expert above all. You're obviously numb to killing but you still want to justify yourself! This makes people sick! Be a man, if you need to kill then kill, if you want to let them go then do so, it's merely a thought, why do you need to care so much? Being wishy-washy and all, how can you achieve anything big like this!"
Ling Tian laughed and agreed, but in his heart, he shivered with fear, Indeed, this lass is not simple! Not only are her methods ruthless, on par with me, but if she was a man then this world would have another person capable of flipping the heavens upside down! If she was a man, then so long as I felt that I was disadvantaged, even if I couldn't bear to do so I would definitely finish him off! She, just where exactly did she come from? And how can she give me such a comfortable feeling?
Among all the ladies that Ling Tian had seen in this world, just based on decisiveness, probably no one could compare to Li Xue! Be it the meticulous and outstanding Ling Chen, the resourceful Yu BingYan, or even the future heir of the Shui Family, Shui QianRou, they all did not possess such a ruthless decisiveness!
This sort of character, be it man and woman, if standing on the enemy's side, would be an extreme blight to him!
Just what sort of aristocratic family, what sort of character, could groom such an outstanding lady?
Even the Beyond Heavens Sect could not guarantee that they could produce such a character!
Unless... However, once the thought surfaced, Ling Tian immediately banished it. It was so nonsensical that he could not bring himself to believe it!
Ling Tian's thoughts quickly flashed through his mind and he nodded as he murmured, "Let's go." His body floated up, and his right sleeve flicked out. Four pin-sized dots shot like shooting stars into the center of each man's forehead. Following stuffy groans, the four of them stopped breathing even before they fell flat on the ground. And Ling Tian as well as Li Xue's figures were nowhere to be seen.
Before Ling Tian left, he happened to look back on the scene, and observed a spotlessly white handkerchief still lightly fluttering with the breeze.
At the same time, it was as though Ling Tian had received a great shock. In that instant, he seemed to have something at the back of his head, but however he tried, he could not remember it. This image subtly gave him the impression of a dream, and by the time his mental state cleared, he could not recall the details any longer. Ling Tian furiously dug through his brain, trying to recall, what exactly was it that he thought of?
No matter what it was, Ling Tian had the feeling that this flash of insight that came and went, was extremely important to him! Unbelievably important!
What exactly did I miss?!
Chapter 411: Full of Nonsense
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
Ling Tian felt as though there were a few phrases in his head but just did not know what they were. After leaving the place and breathing a breath of fresh air, Ling Tian felt his mood lighten up as the frustrating thoughts were thrown out of his head.
Li Xue stood behind him silently and realized that Ling Tian was suddenly silent and in thought. She couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about? Why do you look so troubled?"
"I was thinking," Ling Tian responded, "just what kind of a background does little sister Xue'er have? Just what kind of an organization would be able to bring up a talent like little sister Xue'er?!"
With a 'kacha' sound, Li Xue broke a branch under her feet as she chuckled, "What kind of a background could this little sister have? This little sister's substandard martial arts are all my natural-born talent! Hehe, since big brother has asked me about it, why doesn't this little sister give a self-introduction?"
Ling Tian let out a hearty laugh and said, "It would be my pleasure."
"Sour! How sour!" Li Xue covered her lips out of habit as she giggled and realized that her veil was still on. She then placed her hands down and said slowly, "This little sister was born on the Misty Peak not too far away from here. My father, Li YuanNian, was a woodcutter and my mother was an ordinary peasant. When this little sister was about seven years old, both my parents passed away from illness and this little sister has been staying in the mountains alone since then. This time, I coincidentally met you in the mountains and this has been the longest I have been away from home."
Ling Tian began to simmer as he thought, If you aren't willing to tell me the truth, can't you come up with a better lie? Would anyone in the world possibly believe that lousy story of yours? Only an idiot or fool would believe you!
Little sister, aren't you a little too fantastic at cooking up a story? Would the daughter of a woodcutter have a demeanor and bearing like you? Would she have such unparalleled martial arts? Would she be able to kill eight men without breaking a sweat at all?
Can't you at least come up with a better story like a reclusive expert taking a liking to your talents and teaching you all of his martial arts? Then, he transmitted all of his cultivation to you on his deathbed thus resulting in your present level of martial arts… If you were to give me such a story, I would at the very least be able to convince myself to believe you! At the very least, it wouldn't be that obvious of a lie!
"It has been tough on you, little sister Xue'er!" Ling Tian said in an emotional tone, "You would actually leave your home because of me and lead such a miserable life. This brother here is moved to the point tears are welling up in my eyes. This brother will definitely repay little sister's kindness in the future!"
"Go and die! Can't you be serious!" Li Xue couldn't help but chuckle, "I know that you will not believe me but this is indeed the truth. Even though I myself can't believe the truth, it is up to you whether or not you want to believe it."
Ling Tian let out two dry coughs and immediately stopped probing Li Xue about her background. No matter what, one must never argue with a lady about who was right! One must never try to reason with a lady! Be it in the ancient times or the 21st century, this was a golden rule which carried the truths of the universe!
If a lady were to argue with you that the sun is actually a mooncake, it is best for you to just agree with her and even make her feel that she is right. Woah, so that was actually a mooncake? It really looks extremely appetizing and must definitely be delicious. It is definitely a double yoke mooncake… If you dare to disagree with her, you will definitely find yourself in an endless argument and she would definitely be able to come up with a thousand reasons to make you admit that the sun is actually a mooncake.
Don't believe me? Break off a piece to try it for yourself! We will then see if you believe me or not!
"Xue'er, your martial arts are indeed extraordinary and this little brother truly admires you greatly. You can definitely name yourself as the number one lady in the world today. However, I wonder which expert is your master? It can't be that you don't have a master right?" Ling Tian bootlicked and praised Li Xue as though he did not have any other intention.
This little brat has become more crafty after coming to this world. However, it is a pity that there will always be someone more crafty! Li Xue then wittily replied, "This little sister's martial arts were due to a fortuitous encounter. When I was eight years old with both my parents deceased, this little sister had no choice but to go into the mountains to pick some fruits to fill my empty stomach. However, I fell off a tree by accident and thought that I would be accompanying my parents in death. Who would have imagined that there was a cave under the tree which was covered up by weeds? After this little sister fell down, my petite figure was caught by the weeds and I was actually completely uninjured. I also managed to find that cave because of that."
"Cough cough cough…" Ling Tian began coughing incessantly, Dammit, what an exaggerated lie! Petite figure? Caught by the weeds? What kind of weeds would be able to catch the figure of a falling girl? The force of the fall would be a hundred catties at the very least, right? Unless those weeds were the immortal plants grown by the Queen Mother of the Celestial Palace?!
Cave! Falling down from a tree and entering the cave! Then why didn't you fall into it while climbing up the tree? Furthermore, how could the opening of a cave be facing the skies? Wouldn't that be a pitfall instead? If that's the case, not to mention a few years or centuries, it would have been covered up by soil in just a mere few months!
Looking at the thick-skinned lass continuing her story in an unembarrassed fashion, Ling Tian raised his hands in surrender as he said with a bitter laugh, "Then you entered the cave and were shocked to realize that it was the tomb of a martial arts senior, am I right? This senior was an unparalleled expert from a few hundred years ago and by the side of his remains were a few easily understood martial arts manuals. You then cultivated according to the manuals and actually attained heaven-shocking martial arts. However, you treated riches and honors like fleeting clouds and so decided to lead a reclusive life in the mountains. Upon meeting me coincidentally this time, you found that we got along pretty well, and upon finding out that I was in trouble you decided to help me and leave the mountain. Am I right?"
"Wow!" Li Xue looked at Ling Tian with a feigned look of worship, "Tian'ge! You are truly too talented! Your guess was completely correct. I finally understand that it wasn't a coincidence for you to become the number one enemy of the world. To think that you were actually able to guess the rest of the story. Admiration, admiration… this little sister is truly filled with admiration! Hehehe…"
Looking at this lass laughing so gleefully, Ling Tian's face was covered with black lines! He sped up his movement techniques and wanted to leave this thick-skinned lass behind. At the same time, he felt that this feeling of being frustrated to the point he wanted to explode was actually quite familiar…
"You… why are you running? Do you want to have a competition of speed? I don't mind!" Li Xue sped up as she said delightedly, "Who asked you to doubt my background? Hehe…"
"I was wrong…" Ling Tian said with a defeated look. He knew that it was impossible for him to shake this lass off and began to plead, "I won't call you little sister anymore. Big sister, please continue to keep it a secret and stop making up stories… There isn't a need for you to talk about your majestic past anymore!"
Li Xue burst out into a joyful giggle as Ling Tian let out a depressed sigh and continued speeding forward. At the same time, a saying by a sage surfaced in his mind: A despicable man and a female are the two most difficult people to raise! A sage is a sage indeed, his words were just far too accurate!
From far behind them, a sudden explosion could be heard. It was like thunder on a clear sky and as though the wrath of the heavens was incurred! The earth shattered and rivers flowed backward!
Both of them could feel the ground beneath them trembling! The ground beneath them then flipped over, burying the leaves underground and the pine trees around them shook from the tremors, covering the ground with a new layer of pine leaves!
"It seems like Justice has truly gone crazy! Those fellows are probably dead! It is a pity I can't witness it for myself… what a pity!" Both of them looked back at the same time with solemn faces. While they were extremely far away, they could still feel such a huge tremor. One could imagine just how devastated the actual battlefield was!
"This person's martial arts are truly… truly… the number one in the world! He is far above me!" Li Xue looked towards the pine leaves falling onto the ground and felt the true prestige of the number one expert. She couldn't help but feel a lingering fear from when she tried to hold Justice back. "If he really intended to kill me back then, would I have been able to escape?" For the first time in her life, she couldn't help but feel her confidence was shaken.
When she had faced Justice and used her wits to make a fool out of him, this lass did indeed look down on the title of 'number one expert'. Furthermore, his movement technique was truly too hideous and far from a match to her own and Ling Tian's movement techniques.
Chapter 412: Temporarily Safe
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Li Xue even thought that for Ling Tian to constantly use tricks and plots to face off, or even to flee away from Justice was a pointless thing! If they were to combine their strengths, they could actually defeat Justice. She thought that it was because Ling Tian couldn't bring himself to trust her completely and thus chose to use his current method. Once their relationship got better, then it would be a piece of cake to handle this number one expert!
However, following her witnessing the might of Justice's strength even at the distance of over a few hundred feet, she could now fully appreciate the dominance Justice held over everyone! The little lass finally began to show a little fear! She suddenly felt that for her to be able to trick Justice that day was all because of a fluke! And even more so, she finally understood why even though Ling Tian knew she was willing to go all out to support him, he still refused to clash head-on with his enemy!
This sort of unparalleled strength, unrivaled on this world!
This Martial Order Medallion owner was indeed too frightening to behold!
Seeing Li Xue's extremely horrified appearance, Ling Tian immediately concluded that the shock this lass had experienced was definitely no small thing. He couldn't help but smirk to himself, but only let out a defeated smile as he spoke, "Surprising, right? While most of the people in legends don't match up in reality, Justice is someone where his reputation can't compare to meeting him in person, more imposing in flesh than in legends! He's a really difficult opponent to handle, and at least in near future, both of us are not his match!"
"Yes! This little sister here did not expect that this Martial Order Medallion owner could actually possess such earth-shattering might, Tian'ge, why would such an expert bother to chase you? You... you.." Right now, Li Xue didn't even try to hide her restraining fear towards Justice. However, displayed in her voice was not her fear of Justice, but rather a deep concern towards Ling Tian. This was because she could clearly feel that, with Justice's current cultivation, even if they were to work together, they would still not be his match. And with the request of the Martial Order Medallion, Ling Tian had to die no matter what! Did that mean Ling Tian had no chance to live whatsoever? This little lass began to worry!
It was as though Ling Tian's safety was more important than her own!
A sense of warmth entered Ling Tian's heart, as he smilingly gazed at Li Xue's worried expression. He couldn't resist stretching out his right hand, gently arranging her messed up hair as he warmly replied, "I might not beat him currently in martial skills, but he is far from being capable enough to kill me! It's alright, he won't be able to kill me. Besides, you were thinking on a wrong path earlier on. That heaven and earth-shattering force just now might be scary, but… hehehe… silly lass."
"But what?" Li Xue pressed on.
"It takes two hands to clap, silly lass!" Ling Tian laughed out as he began to walk again. "If the Above Heaven fellows did not use their full strength to receive his blow, while Justice might be unrivaled, he would still not be able to reach such a state! This is because that sort of strength is not something that a single person can actually unleash! So long as Justice is still by himself, he will never reach such a state!"
"So that's the case! Aiya, I'm too stupid…"Li Xue immediately hung her head in dejection, "That makes sense too, a person's meridians have a limited capacity, and no matter how strong Justice is, the meridians can never continuously expand. With his current skill, if he were to imbibe twofold of his current strength, then his meridians would definitely explode, hahahaha…" Li Xue joyously laughed, before realizing that something was wrong. She turned her head, only to realize that Ling Tian had suddenly stopped, and curiously turned to look at him.
He stood stock still in the middle of the plains, his eyes staring straight like lightning bolts! His eyes seem to hold a myriad of mysteries, and his face gradually grew stern.
"What… what's wrong?" Li Xue suddenly felt panicky. Could it be that she had accidentally said something wrong?
Ling Tian's mind was brewing. He did not know exactly what he was thinking about, he just felt a rumbling in his mind, a dizziness assaulting him, making him extremely uncomfortable.
Li Xue's words might seem harmless, but as a listener, he would naturally deliberate over that.
"A person's meridians will always have a limit."
"A person's meridians will always have a limit."
This simple sentence echoed in his brain again and again!
Simple, foreign yet familiar! As though this was a principle he had not heard in a long time!
A principle of his past life!
Ever since he had descended upon this world, his contact with the various pugilists couldn't be said to have been little, to the point that he himself was responsible for the annihilation of almost half of the Eight Great Families. Even the number one expert from the number one sect had engaged in conversation with him, and as for the number one Great Family, the Yu Family's Yu ManTian had also exchanged blows with him a few times! Through his five underlings, Ling Tian had also discovered a lot of snippets of information obtained from Yu ManTian, but no one had ever mentioned this particular theory!
But Li Xue so precisely hit the nail on the head! Was this a coincidence? Did such a coincidence even exist?
He shook his head vigorously, clearing his thoughts. The eyes which Ling Tian used to observe Li Xue now had a few more points of uncertainty.
"What's wrong?" Li Xue anxiously asked.
"Oh, I just recalled something. We have neglected one point." Ling Tian hid his suspicions in his heart, and laughed as he spoke, "Have you realized anything from the final earth shattering commotion earlier?"
"What have I realized? What can I realize? Justice's strength?" Li Xue seemed to be at a loss as she blankly replied.
"Haha..." Ling Tian laughed out as he swiftly thought of the proper words to say. "You're thinking in the wrong direction. I meant to say that we should be temporarily safe now."
"Temporarily safe? Oh, I get it!" Li Xue suddenly exclaimed, "That's right, if Justice's opponents can cause such an impact to occur, that would mean that the fifteen of them are all true exponents, and with their combined strength, it would definitely not be below that of Justice himself. With their current hatred toward him, they wouldn't let him go so easily, and Justice, being the number one expert, can't just merely flee the scene. Thus this battle would be a desperate one, which would probably end up with both sides suffering losses."
"That's right," A praising glint shone from Ling Tian's eyes. He had only come out this question as a last-minute topic, but Li Xue was actually able to infer so much in an instant, her intellect was definitely without question! "Make a guess, Justice vs the fifteen of them. Who would win?"
Li Xue immediately furrowed her brows and deeply pondered before saying, "It seems like the ultimate victor should still be Justice."
"Oh? Reason?" Ling Tian's brows shot up.
"I had originally thought that if both of them ended up with losses, then they would definitely have their vital energy damaged. At that time, we could be fishermen and take the chance to sentence Justice to death! However, with Justice having fought with you for quite a while, although you might have escaped quite a few times, he is also not someone who is all brawn and no brains. The blow earlier was definitely caused only by purely internal energy comparison." Li Xue carefully analyzed. "Thus, if the fifteen of them work together, and only manage to force Justice into this state, then it must be said that Justice has full confidence in this battle. He believes that he will not be hurt and can even get an advantage!"
"Haha, excellent! The opposing side has fifteen people after all. If anyone of them gets injured, then the advantage would definitely go to the side with more people. With Justice's capability, he would definitely be able to face off with them one on one, killing them off separately! Thus, if Justice dares to do such a move with all of them, it is a given that he has absolute confidence and certainty in himself!" Ling Tian finished off with a laugh.
"That's right, this is also what I have analyzed. However, there is a bottom line, that no matter how heaven-defying Justice is, he is definitely unable to leave uninjured! He might be the number one expert, but if he gets injured and wishes to continue pursuing me regardless, not only will his injuries not recover, but there's even the chance that our roles would change! Thus..."
Ling Tian concluded with finality, 'So long as Justice's wounds aren't fully healed, he won't appear in front of me. And for someone of Justice's level, he wouldn't easily get injured, hence once he receives an injury, it would be worse than normal! While he might be strong, for him to recover to the peak from an injury would require half a month to a full month! Within this time frame, we can plan out an elaborate scheme, targeting those people who wish to hit me while I'm down, and not have to worry about a blade hovering over my neck during this period!"
"Ah ha. Since that's the case, then what are you waiting for?" Li Xue let out a mesmerizing laugh before her face turned cold and she seriously spoke, "Tian'ge, what do you think of us getting rid of Justice while he's injured and recuperating? Would that not be settling the matter once and for all? Not leaving any blights behind?"
Ling Tian let out a bitter laugh at this suggestion, "I would want that more than you actually, but do you think that's remotely possible? Let's not talk about first finding him. Even if we manage to do so, can we get rid of him without suffering any injuries whatsoever?"
Li Xue could only let out a long sigh, and mirrored Ling Tian's bitter smile, "Only if we go for mutual destruction then can we probably kill him."
"That's right. If we corner him, and he chooses to burn his life force, then he would enter his peak state for a short period of time. While this might resign him to death, once he does so, none of those who corner him will be left alive!"
Ling Tian's expression was grave as he continued, "Furthermore, we can't confirm right now to what degree he will be injured upon ending the fight with the fifteen of them. Better to be cautious."
"Don't tell me that we have to wait till he comes after you? Then we'll be stuck at a spot again! Your cultivation can't possibly surpass him in the short run! This matter is a huge headache!" Li Xue furrowed her brows in frustration.
"Hehe, regarding this point, you can relax. I've made a bet with Justice, that if he can't kill me within half a year, then he would give up on his pursuit triggered by the Martial Order Medallion. Furthermore, he will owe me three favors!" Ling Tian winked before laughing suggestively.
Chapter 413: Internal Affairs of DongFang
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
"Only half a year of time?" An expression of joy appeared in Li Xue's eyes. Others might not be aware of Ling Tian's patience but how could she be unaware? That year, in order to investigate Ling Tian, she had spent quite a bit of her family's resources, grasping hold of whatever matters that were related to Ling Tian. Furthermore, with Ling Tian's skillful escape techniques, let's not mention half a year, he could even do so for his entire life if he wanted!
Since the technology of the previous world couldn't even do anything to him, then what more the strength of one single person? Even if Justice had the ability to commune with heaven and earth, compared to Ling Tian's cunning, he could only lament at his powerlessness!
"Then why not you just hide yourself and be done with it?" Li Xue had a slight tone of reprimanding him.
"Hide myself? Xue'er, based on your current cultivation, you can probably see what realm I've reached. Just based on my own efforts, I would probably need a decade to break through this bottleneck." Ling Tian exclaimed. "To have Justice pursue me like this, while it might be a death summons to others, to me it is the most opportune chance!"
"Unbelievably crafty!" Li Xue grinned, "People look with fear at such a matter, but you are actually using this sort of life-and-death struggle to hone your skills! What a weirdo."
"Wahaha…" Ling Tian let out a huge laugh, before suddenly stalling as he stared in front of him. On the path ahead of them, there were signs of snapped branches, obviously the work of a large troop on horseback.
"Xue'er, it seems like we've caught another big fish this time." Ling Tian smirked.
"Big fish? Don't tell me it's the DongFang Family?" Li Xue perked up, excitedly asking.
"Just based on the numbers, only the DongFang and BeiMing families have brought this many people. However, the BeiMing's group is filled with experts, so their tracks will not be so obvious. This only leaves us with the DongFang Family, whose ordinary guards number quite a few in their group, which will cause such obvious tracks to be formed."
"And only the DongFang family would rely on their own strength to appear arrogant, right?" Li Xue lightly laughed in return, "I really find it surprising that some people actually have the guts to offend you. Don't tell me that you've never shown them your strength?"
"It's precisely because they saw my strength, that it left them with this deep impression," Ling Tian grinned in return. "This is fighting for dominance for all under heavens, and this is different from fighting for hegemony in the pugilistic world. The strong can afford to stay in a corner for the pugilistic world, but on the chessboard for world dominance, it's the tallest trees that will get blown down first! No matter which side wins, the rest will suffer the same consequence of annihilation. Furthermore, this sort of annihilation will be an utter destruction of the country or the family clan! Thus, once someone like me who defies logic appears, won't I naturally become the public enemy?"
"Oh? From this, does it mean that you've revealed your abilities at too early a date?" Li Xue was astute and immediately guessed the crux of Ling Tian's troubles.
"That's right! At that time, I really underestimated the various experts of this world." Ling Tian let out a sign full of regret.
Ling Tian couldn't be said to have no regrets!
Since he had already endured for a whole sixteen years, would a few more years actually matter? At that time, they would have Long Xiao as the Sky Bearing Emperor being the figurehead, blocking the winds and rains from the outside while he could use his own strength to a greater potential, infiltrating the various aristocratic families more… once everything had been settled, how easy that would have been!
However, under his rage, a thunderous commotion was created when all was still! The impact was created, but it went a little too far. This caused the entire world to turn towards his direction, and for him to become a thorn in the eye for the various major powers. This miscalculation ended up having blades in daylight and daggers in the night to rush towards him!
But Ling Tian felt that his actions were justified!
Be it to protect Ling Chen, or to rescue his father from the entrapment, or even to wash the Ling Family with blood, even if there were more options available for Ling Tian, he would still make the same moves!
In this life, I want all of my relatives to live in safety and happiness!
...
Just as that heaven shaking sound of battle rang out, DongFang JingLei was seated in a tent not far away from the mountain, about to drink a cup of tea. When the soundwave passed by, the delicately designed teacup of white jade fell onto the ground, shattering into pieces.
With his eyes tracing the direction of the source of noise, DongFang JingLei quietly drew in a deep breath. Astonishment filled his entire face, as such divine power should not be something that a human could unleash. Indeed, he was peerless for a reason! Even after cultivation for half his life, he originally thought his accomplishments were quite notable, but he probably couldn't even reach up to 20% of the power of that blow. Upon recalling how the Martial Order Medallion owner talked to them, he shivered. If he had not listen to Justice when Justice nicely asked them to scram, wouldn't he have turned into a corpse by now?
DongFang JingLei was the blood brother of the Family Head and normally led the expedition without hesitation, not knowing the meaning of fear. Even during the trip to Sky Bearing, he had no fear when facing the extremely imposing Ling Tian. However, he felt the thread of hesitation and fear about his decision to leave earlier quickly change into joy on his luck to have escaped early on!
He might have over a thousand in military strength with him right now, with all of them being true elites, but in the eyes of Justice, this bunch was as good as reared livestock to him. Were he to actually want your life, even if one were to hide within a ten thousand strong army, then you would still have only one outcome: Death.
"That was close! Thankfully, we were not rash previously!" DongFang JingLei felt a lingering fear, feeling a few drops of cold sweat on his forehead and a cool sensation on his back.
"Second Master, before we left the house, the Family Head secretly entrusted us with something. Do you still recall?" A light voice sounded beside him. This person was DongFang HuaHu, a trusted expert in the DongFang family. If one were to compare the entire DongFang Family, his martial skills would only lose to the family head DongFang JingTian and JingLei. He had few opponents and had already stabilized himself in the XianTian realm for at least ten years, his achievements not below that of the Third Master Yu ManTian.
"What did elder brother say…? Oh, that. Let's not talk about it anymore." DongFang JingLei sigh, "HuaHu, in such a circumstance, what kind of hope can one have? That's not hoping any more, that's called an illusion! An illusion which can't be fulfilled! I don't even know what brother is thinking of. Us coming here and receiving news of Ling Tian's death is considered good enough, but to have designs on the Martial Order Medallion owner, now that's preposterous! Justice's words already indicate the Beyond Heavens unlimited influence, just like beyond the heavens themselves. Once the words come out, they are akin to laws; laws that can't be disobeyed. This is a publicly acknowledged thing, and even if the offender is a prestigious person, there can only be death for him!
DongFang HuaHu gravely sighed as he commented, "This subordinate also had his suspicions initially, but after previously seeing Justice's methods, I concluded that he is truly the top exponent of this world! I too am not sure what Family Head is thinking, to actually order us to be the fisherman and get rid of both Ling Tian and Justice when they're injured! It's alright if it's just Ling Tian, but what's so good in offending the Beyond Heavens? Can they even be offended in the first place?!" DongFang HuaHu's tone contained a bit of dissatisfaction towards the end.
"How could elder brother be unaware of the reason? He's just using this excuse to get rid of me!" DongFang JingLei suddenly shook his head sadly. "My existence is already threatening the influence he has in our family and the imperial court, and thus this mission is actually just to send me to my death!"
"Ah?!" DongFang HuaHu got a shock. "Second Master, are you sure?"
DongFang JingLei let out a strained smile, "How could I be not sure? Elder brother has decided to get rid of me, and this isn't even a secret inside the family anymore! Let's just start with you. In front of my older brother, how much respect do you even give him now? And those two idiots, He ChuLai and He ChuQu, are even more incorrigible, only listening to me, and even daring to disobey my elder brother when he tried to send them on a mission! Nowadays, our brothers only know that the DongFang Family has a JingLei, but not a JingTian! Just this point is enough for my brother to throw me the death sentence! High merits will shake the owner, as high influence will shake the chief. There's no difference between these two phrases!"
"He did not even have the qualifications to sit on the family head's seat!" DongFang HuaHu snorted out of his nose. "Such a foolish person is not entitled to the title of Family Head! Second Master, since he has already moved against you, why not we go all out…"
"Nonsense!" DongFang JingLei shook his head vigorously. "At such a chaotic time, with various powers eyeing each other, how can the DongFang Family be exposed to a rift? Me bringing all of you out this time can be considered hiding from him. It's fine if you guys don't want to help keep the peace and quiet, but you're even thinking of inciting chaos?"
HuaHu lowered his head, but his expression was still that of indignance. Suddenly, he lifted his head and asked in curiosity, "Second Master, but aren't we out this time solely to look for Ling Tian? Why is it…?"
DongFang JingLei muttered, "This time round, our first objective is actually Ling Tian, and we definitely can't allow him to go back to Sky Bearing alive. The second objective is naturally to avoid my elder brother. While I don't place any importance on the seat of Family Head, Elder brother views that with extreme importance!" As he spoke, he sighed again.
"I still don't get it, what's so scary about this Ling Tian? He's being chased by Justice until he's about to die, but Second Master continues to brood over this matter. Are you afraid that he can't be eliminated fast enough?" DongFang HuaHu scratched his head in confusion and asked.
"That person is, after all, a genius! A once-in-a-century genius!" A grave expression appeared to DongFang JingLei's face. "If we did not go over to Sky Bearing previously, I wouldn't have found out that Sky Bearing actually concealed such a frightening character, much like a sleeping dragon. With such talent, he actually wore the hat of the number one silkpants since he was young, why was that?"