"Brother Lingtian, why are you here? Are you here for me?"
A young lady in purple appeared before Li Lingtian the moment he said his piece. The young girl who was about fourteen or fifteen years old looked about Li Lingtian's age.
The two little dimples on that exquisitely flawless face enhanced her overall adorability. Her witty eyes fixated on Li Lingtian as she spoke.
She was Tang Zimeng, the granddaughter of the empire's King Kaoshan. Sharing the same birthdate, she was the same age as Li Lingtian. The difference between their birth was only by an hour.
For this reason, Great General Tang Feilong and Li Zhongyang arranged a betrothal between them. Tang Zimeng and Li Lingtian grew up together, but the duo gradually drifted apart after they began their cultivation journey in Sky Cloud Sect.
'D*mn it, you must be blind to go after Nangong Mingyue when your fiancée's no less than her. In fact, there's an air of cuteness and elegance to her.' After feasting his eyes on Tang Zimeng, Li Lingtian cursed at his former self.
"I'm thinking of making a trip to the Ten Thousand Demons Valley,"
Li Lingtian answered Tang Zimeng while he cursed in his heart. This gorgeous girl was a rare sight to behold as he was captivated by those dimples in particular.
In the beginning, Li Lingtian often came here to look for Tang Zimeng but the former had become occupied with cultivation in the last one to two years. As Li Lingtian's cultivation level pulled away from Tang Zimeng's, they both grew distant.
"Oh.
"What? You're going to Ten Thousand Demons Valley?"
Tang Zimeng expressed acknowledgment but quickly caught on. Surely Li Lingtian was joking when he said he was going to Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
Although she was a Tier Seven Warrior, she dared not simply venture into Ten Thousand Demons Valley by herself. Li Lingtian might be a genius disciple, but he had a late start and was only a peripheral disciple. Without pills and great skills, the cultivation level between them was worlds apart.
Moreover, Tang Zimeng had a Tier Nine Warrior Spirit sister in Sky Cloud Sect, which put her on a great advantage and at a different level from Li Lingtian.
"Humph, you piece of trash, stay away from Zimeng. Why don't you take a look in the mirror?"
Zou Yunxiao was displeased to see Tang Zimeng and Li Lingtian engaged in a conversation. He had pursued Tang Zimeng for over a year yet she had not spoken a word to him. There was no way he could tolerate Tang Zimeng acting close to a good-for-nothing.
"Haha, Zou Yunxiao, just let it be. Don't tell me that you wouldn't dare lay hands on a good-for-nothing?"
"All that cultivation fed to a dog."
"Junior Sister Tang Zimeng isn't someone you can bang. Of course, that piece of trash doesn't have the right either."
At this time, many disciples who were entering Ten Thousand Demons Valley burst into laughter after they caught a glimpse of Li Lingtian and the other two. These disciples disapproved of Zou Yunxiao but they too thought nothing less of a good-for-nothing like Li Lingtian.
"Shut up."
As fellow disciples insulted Li Lingtian, the sweet smile on Tang Zimeng's face disappeared into a cold stiffened face. A long sword appeared in her hand.
Tang Zimeng was anxious about Li Lingtian's lack in cultivation level. Since this was a world where the fittest survives so, of course, she hoped for a dauntless Powerhouse as her future husband.
Nevertheless, she grew up together with Brother Lingtian and could not tolerate anyone mocking him. She would rather live an uneventful life than have anyone insulting Brother Lingtian.
At the thought that she had barely spent time with Brother Lingtian in the recent one to two years due to cultivation, Tang Zimeng felt guilty.
"Junior Sister Zimeng, don't be angry. Why be angry over him?"
"This is a world where only the fittest will survive, why would you stand for a good-for-nothing?"
"You're definitely a piece of trash, hiding behind a woman."
Zou Yunxiao and the other Warriors were stunned. Tang Zimeng may not have a high cultivation level but she had a Tier Nine Warrior Spirit sister that they dared not mess with. Moreover, Tang Zimeng was a rare beauty.
Coming back to his senses, Zou Yunxiao immediately explained to Tang Zimeng in a soft tone before he darted a cold look at Li Lingtian. The more Tang Zimeng defended Li Lingtian, the more he was infuriated.
"Will you catch a shriveling disease if you don't speak?"
Li Lingtian was taken aback by Tang Zimeng's reaction. Based on his understanding of this world, this was where the law of the jungle applied and relationships meant nothing.
However, he was surprised by Tang Zimeng's actions of setting herself against others in order to defend him. After all, relationships took a backseat in the name of money and power in his past life and this world was no different.
Li Lingtian's heart was filled with warmth by Tang Zimeng's behavior. There was no reason for him to turn his back on her as she had his back.
As a smile deepened on his face, Li Lingtian gently took a step out and stood before Zou Yunxiao. His cold eyes looked at Zou Yunxiao as though he was an idiot.
"You're looking for death."
It did not occur to Zou Yunxiao that Li Lingtian would challenge him in front of a gorgeous girl. He was enraged to be humiliated and disrespected in front of Tang Zimeng.
Swinging his long sword, Zou Yunxiao launched a fierce blade glare towards Li Lingtian. With only a five yards distance between them, the blade was swung in the blink of an eye.
"Brother Lingtian, be careful."
Although Tang Zimeng was surprised, she could not stop him in time. Moreover, her Tier Six abilities would not be able to save Li Lingtian against Zou Yunxiao who was at Tier Eight. With a pale face, Tang Zimeng's chest tightened.
However, she soon found herself staring at Li Lingtian in shock while the other disciples who remained stared at Li Lingtian in fear as though they had seen a ghost.
Li Lingtian single-handedly swung his sword to slice a flickering silver blade glow before he retrieved his right hand. Li Lingtian stood still as though he never moved an inch, but a dull clash was soon heard.
"Cling."
"Pft szh."
Time froze on a despaired Zou Yunxiao whose long sword was now split in half. Besides that, his cultivation of True Qi was quickly leaking from a cut that could be seen through the tear in the abdomen area of his clothes.
"Ah, you crippled my cultivation level! Ah! My cultivation level!"
The releasing sensation of his cultivation was clear to Zou Yunxiao that his Dantian was crippled. Unable to bear the weight of it, Zou Yunxiao let out a horrifying scream.
"What a terrifying swing."
"What speed."
"That was a vicious blade glare."
"Is he still the same piece of trash?"
The Warriors who mocked both Li Lingtian and Zou Yunxiao earlier were completely dumbstruck. With overwhelming fear, they hung their heads low, afraid to see eye-to-eye with Li Lingtian.
"Brother Lingtian, your cultivation level?"
In a state of shock, Tang Zimeng's dainty mouth dropped wide open but she cupped one hand over it. She was startled by Brother Lingtian's capabilities.
It was long before she returned to her senses to probe into his abilities. Was this the same Brother Lingtian? The former Brother Lingtian may be good to her but he was a little weak and never had such a smooth, clean approach.
Moreover, Tang Zimeng was amused at the thought of Li Lingtian's words before. She now saw Li Lingtian in a new light as though she was seeing him for the first time.
"I just broke through Tier Six Warrior not long ago."
Li Lingtian did not keep it a secret. There was no need to conceal the truth since he was only a Tier Six Warrior. His cultivation level would only improve from here anyway.
"Great, this is great! Sixth Grandfather won't oppose to us anymore,"
Tang Zimeng happily added. The blossoming smile on her face took Li Lingtian's breath away.
"Your Sixth Grandfather?"
Li Lingtian was confused and curious to learn that Sixth Grandfather had opposed their betrothal.
"Nothing, nothing."
Tang Zimeng's alarm bells rang at Li Lingtian's question. Brother Lingtian would definitely blow a fuse if he were to find out. So, she immediately shook her head.
"Girl, tell me, what is this about?"
Having lived two lifetimes, Li Lingtian knew there was more to this little girl's action. As such, with a serious face, he asked in a soft voice.
"Sixth Grandfather wants to betroth me to Duanmu Qing."
As there was no point in fooling him, Tang Zimeng told the truth. There were a few outstanding characters in Sky Cloud Sect and some of them were Warrior King Powerhouses.
Duanmu Qing was an inner sect disciple and a Tier Six Warrior Spirit. As this was a dog-eat-dog world, Tang Zimeng's Sixth Grandfather naturally wanted Tang Zimeng to marry Duanmu Qing.
"Hehe, I see and what are your thoughts?"
After Li Lingtian had said that, he advanced forward without taking another look at Zou Yunxiao. The law of the jungle principle ran deep within Warriors so he could only count on himself in gaining strength.
Very quickly, Li Lingtian had entered Ten Thousand Demons Valley, disappearing from Tang Zimeng's line of vision. By the time Tang Zimeng returned to her senses, Li Lingtian was long gone.
"Brother Lingtian, yo-you did that intentionally."
Tang Zimeng stomped her foot and pouted her luscious lips in an alluring manner at the disappearance of Li Lingtian. Then, she darted off in the opposite direction, leaving behind the crippled Zou Yunxiao and a few terror-stricken Warriors.
They held their breath in until Li Lingtian and Tang Zimeng had left the scene.
"What a terrifying cultivation level. Is he really a Tier Six Warrior?"
"I'm a Tier Seven Warrior but I'm not certain if I can overcome that strike. Is he still the same good-for-nothing we know?"
"It's best we distance ourselves from him before we get ourselves in trouble."
"Hehe, it'll be fun to see how this plays out. Duanmu Qing isn't one to mess with."
The Warriors mumbled among themselves before they left Ten Thousand Demons Valley. It was only right to stay away since Li Lingtian had entered Ten Thousand Demons Valley. After all, they did not want to risk their lives fronting with Li Lingtian.
Back inside Ten Thousand Demons Valley, Li Lingtian came across many Tier Six and above outer sect as well as inner sect disciples who joined forces in eliminating demonic beasts while searching for medicinal supplies.