There were altogether nine layers of the Body Refining Tier. The first to third layers were usually called the early stage of Body Refining Tier, fourth to sixth levels were the middle stage, and seventh to ninth levels were the late stage. Martial artists from three different stages had a great disparity in their strength.
And the higher the layer, the larger the disparity was. A martial artist at the ninth layer facing a martial artist at the eighth layer would have an overwhelming advantage. However, a martial artist at the first layer of Body Refining Tier against a martial artist from the second layer would not be at such a large disadvantage.
Previously, Ling Han seemed to be only two layers below Zhang Yuan, but there was a major disparity of one stage between them. However, Ling Mu Yun was at the seventh layer of Body Refining Tier, and was of the late stage of Body Refining Tier—higher than Ling Han by two stages.
This was an unbreachable gap. Even if Ling Han had once been one of the strongest Heaven Tier warriors, he would still be unable to breach this huge difference in ability. After all, the base he had now was too low.
So what to do?
Ling Han’s eyes grew serious, and taking advantage of the moment the other’s palm was heading towards him, he suddenly raised his fist in an attack.
Ling Mu Yun could not help showing an expression of ridicule. Although he didn’t know how Ling Han managed to come here, he was a well-known piece of trash amongst the whole of Ling Clan. What kind of threat could he be to himself?
He circulated Origin Power, and his chest muscles hardened, becoming as dense as iron. So what if he received a hit from Ling Han? The important thing now was to restrict Ling Han and not allow him the chance to open his mouth.
Sure enough.
The corners of Ling Han’s mouth curved in a slight smile. The other’s reaction was completely within his expectations. ‘You’re about to suffer this time!’
"Peng!" Because Ling Mu Yun did not make any move to dodge, this sudden punch hit its target solidly.
Ling Mu Yun still looked disdainful as he extended his hand and placed it on Ling Han’s shoulder. "Young Brother Han, I’ll send you back-" he hadn’t finished speaking before he spat out a mouthful of blood. This wasn’t even the end. He felt his chest was boiling, as if he was about to throw up all his internal organs.
He suddenly fell and sat down on the ground, his expression extremely ugly.
"Teng, teng, teng," Ling Han retreated a total of seven steps. He stopped once his back met the wall behind him.
What was this?
Ling Han had used a special technique in that punch. Its name was "Hill Separating Shock". It allowed power to pass through the opponent’s defenses before exploding, which was why although Ling Mu Yun had used Origin Power to defend, Ling Han’s power still managed to pass through his muscles and explode inside his body. Naturally, it became an extremely heavy blow to Ling Mu Yun.
This was also thanks to the fact that Ling Mu Yun was at the seventh layer of Body Refining Tier. Otherwise, he would have been seriously injured by this punch. Even death would not be an impossibility.
To look down upon one of the strongest of the Heaven Tier warriors was to bring trouble onto oneself.
Still, seventh layer of Body Refining Tier was still seventh layer of Body Refining Tier. The rebound of Origin Power was still far from what Ling Han could handle. Thus, he too had been jarred to the point that he staggered and retreated. Due to the shock of power, his right arm was suddenly dislocated.
"Ka!" Ling Han did not even wrinkle his brow and used his left hand to twist his right arm back into position.
It wasn’t until that moment that Ling Zhong Kuan and his group finally reacted. They were all angered and shocked. Their anger was because Ling Han had actually wounded Ling Mu Yun, while their shock was because they were wondering: how had this piece of trash managed to accomplish such a feat?
Meanwhile, the few maidservants were even more dumbfounded—was this still the Young Master Han they knew? How could he be so fierce that, with one punch, he had injured Young Master Mu Yun, who has always been known as a genius, to the point that the latter was throwing up blood!
"Little beast, how dare you be so ruthless!" Ling Zhong Kuan immediately shouted. "Mu Yun was only worried about you and wanted to send you back to your room, yet you did something so ruthless, you crazy dog!"
He sure was sly, immediately making a verbal counter-attack through false accusation.
Ling Mu Yun too regained his breath. When his eyes fell upon Ling Han, they were filled with murder—he was the genius of the Ling Clan, and yet he was actually injured by a piece of trash. How could his ego accept such a blow?
Ling Han completely ignored the two, and instead looked at Liu Yu Tong. "Miss, you’re sick!"
This!
Ling Zhong Kuan was about to make a move, but when he heard these words, he forcefully held back.
The other was a student from Hu Yang Academy, and Hu Yang Academy was established by the Imperial Family of Rain Country. Those who managed to enroll there would definitely have come from a strong, huge background, and would be something that far exceed the background of a person at Element Gathering Tier.
However, Ling Han actually said that the other was sick... was he seeking death?
‘Very good, now implicate Ling Dong Xing too,’ Chief Butler thought. Someone would do his dirty work for him and he would be able to easily take the position of Clan Head. ‘Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Ling Dong Xing, ah, Ling Dong Xing, you would never have thought that your son is not only a piece of trash, but also someone who will ruin you!’
When Liu Yu Tong looked at Ling Han, her eyes revealed slight disgust.
She was born very beautiful, and was also the princess of one of the Eight Great Clans of the Imperial City, the Liu Clan. The Liu Clan was an existence that was only below the Imperial Family in status—and naturally, she did not lack any number of young men who tried to ingratiate themselves with her. Some would even try the opposite, pretending to be cold to attract her interest.
She naturally thought that Ling Han was the same sort of pest, only that he was using the method of "cursing" her... This was the first time that she had encountered this tactic, but this did not give her any feeling of novelty, only disgust.
"How dare you!" Ling Zhong Kuan was an observant man, and shouted in a timely manner, "Kneel down quickly and apologize to Miss Liu!"
Ling Han gave a calm smile. "In this world, aside from my parents, I will kneel down to no one!" Looking at Liu Yu Tong, he walked towards her. He stopped once he was about three steps away.
That was because he knew this was the limit of the other’s patience. If he went any closer, she would definitely take action.
He didn’t want to be hit one bit.
"Since you were ten, have you been fainting every year for no reason? In the beginning, it was once a year, but it has become more and more frequent. At present, you should be fainting once every ten days," Ling Han spoke with a lowered voice, only allowing Liu Yu Tong alone to hear his words.
Liu Yu Tong’s expression changed. This illness of hers was only known to a few select people, even in the Liu Clan. How did Ling Han manage to find out about it? She couldn’t refrain from once again sizing up Ling Han as she asked, "You know the reason?"
"Naturally!" Ling Han proudly nodded. Otherwise, he would not speak such shocking words. "It’s Three Yin Vanishing Veins. It’s a kind of curse from the gods. Those who possess the Three Yin Vanishing Veins would usually only be able to live until twenty. That’s because during your twentieth year, you will once again fall unconscious, forever unable to regain consciousness."
Liu Yu Tong was silent, but she believed Ling Han’s words because after her symptoms became more and more serious, her family had brought her to visit many famous doctors. However, every doctor she visited could not do anything, and didn’t even know the name of the illness. Still, one of them deduced that she would faint more and more frequently and, one day, she would no longer wake up.
Now, she had finally found out what illness she had, but what of it? All the famous doctors in Rain Country could not do anything, so she naturally would not think that Ling Han had any way to help.
"I can heal you," Ling Han said at that very moment.
Liu Yu Tong’s heart trembled, but her face did not reveal anything. "If you can heal me, I can allow you to become a court official, or even let you have uncountable resources for cultivation."
Ling Han mustered a smile. "There is only one way to heal the Three Yin Vanishing Veins, and that is to train in Three Yin Mysterious Arts, and it just so happens that I know this art. I can teach you, but there is one condition—you have to become my follower."
Liu Yu Tong could not restrain anger in her heart. She was the princess of the Liu Clan, and was also a genius in martial arts. At the age of seventeen, she had already reached the eighth layer of Element Gathering Tier. And now a puny little martial artist at second layer of Body Refining Tier actually wanted to take her in as a follower? Where did he get his confidence and boldness from?
"Don’t feel wronged, because I can give you a wider horizon. I can let you rise to a higher level in martial arts. The Seven Great Vanishing Lands, the Four Great Dead Valleys, the Three Great Bottomless Oceans, have you seen them before?" Ling Han’s sweet temptation followed. Although the Three Yin Vanishing Veins were a curse in nature, there was always hope in every situation. Their owner would also usually possess a Heaven Grade Spirit Base. Once trained in Three Yin Mysterious Arts, the owner would naturally soar.
Liu Yu Tong could not stop eagerness from rising within her heart. She had a passionate desire to pursue martial arts, and it was the focus of everything in her life.