Chapter 353: Martial Arts Realm
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
Ling Chen felt as though there was a sword stabbing right through her heart, and her eyes were already clouded by tears with her voice trembling, "Yu Family's plans? What plans?" She knew that all the plans of the Yu Family would only come to fruition if Ling Tian left the Ling Residence or even the world… Thinking about that, how could Ling Chen not be devastated? How would she be able to think clearly?
Ling Tian let out a sigh, pulled her into his embrace, and patted her on the back. "Silly lass, we can no longer avoid the matter and have to face it boldly! Since we cannot avoid the enemy, we have to use all we have to exterminate him! Life and death isn't anything big, so why should we be so bothered about it? Don't forget that when you first met your young noble, we were still kids and both the Yang and Imperial Families were far stronger than us at that time. However, what has happened now?"
Ling Chen clenched her teeth and nodded her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. At the same time, her gaze also turned ice cold, "No matter who it is who wants to harm young noble, I will make sure they don't leave alive! At the very least, I will just accompany my young noble into the next life. As long as we can live and die together, death isn't scary at all!"
Ling Tian suddenly felt the temperature of his surroundings plunge down as the hot summer suddenly felt like the freezing chiller! Under Ling Chen's feet, a thick layer of ice had already been formed by the chilly killing intent rising from within her heart!
Ling Tian couldn't help but be shocked. For the first time in her life, this gentle fairy had unleashed such a powerful wave of killing intent towards someone!
The only reason was because the person wanted to harm Ling Tian!
Also, this included Wei ChengPing from Northern Wei! This name was already engraved onto a 'list of death' in Ling Chen's heart! Ling Chen had already decided that the moment Ling Jian came out, the first mission for him would be the slaughter of Wei ChengPing and his imperial family! As long as Ling Jian were to let a single one remain alive, he would have let down the young noble's many years of teachings!
"The Yu Family has always faced difficulty in Sky Bearing for the past decade due to our interference. As long as they want to continue establishing ground in Sky Bearing, they would definitely have to do it in secret. However, it would be impossible for them to have a large foundation established. Thus, Sky Bearing is probably the only place in the whole continent where the Yu Family's strength is weak. After having many hidden confrontations, the Yu Family did not gain the upper hand and Sky Bearing has already turned into Yu ManLou's biggest worry! Even in his dreams, he would probably be thinking about how he can arrange a chess piece into the center of the continent! Thus, it wouldn't matter if the Yu Family doesn't come this time. But the moment they arrive, they would definitely launch a thunder-like move!" Ling Tian paced around slowly as he continued pondering over just what the Yu Family's plan was.
Behind him, a gust of wind sounded and Ling Tian's eyes erupted forth with killing intent!
"Little brother, have you been well? An uninvited guest is here to disturb you." A crisp laugh sounded from behind him.
"Brother Ye!" Ling Tian turned around with excitement, "I never imagined that you would be here at such a moment. What gust of wind brought you here today?"
Ye QingChen let out a smile and leisurely walked over. However, Ling Tian's acute senses could already detect a tinge of worry hidden in Ye QingChen's eyes.
"Little brother, this time, you are really in trouble. If you cannot get through this…" Ye QingChen shook his head and paused there.
"Ah ah, it seems like older brother already knows that someone in your sect wants me dead," Ling Tian said with a calm smile. "Older brother can't possibly be here to carry out the mission right?" As Ling Tian said that, Ling Chen began to grow nervous as she warily looked at Ye QingChen.
"That mission can only be carried out by the holder of the Martial Order Medallion. This old man has spent my whole life dwelling on other unimportant things and my martial arts achievement is extremely limited. How can I be the owner of the Martial Order Medallion?" Ye QingChen said with a chuckle, "In every generation, there can only be a single owner of the Martial Order Medallion. His martial arts must definitely be at the peak with his medicinal skills reaching perfection. This old man is ashamed to say that my martial arts can only be considered a third-rate existence in the sect."
"Only a single person?" Ling Tian said with a smile, "Is he dressed in green?"
"Haha…" Ye QingChen laughed out loud, "That unreasonable nut is indeed usually dressed in green. I didn't expect you to have seen him already. How is he?" Ye QingChen was obviously asking if the both of them had exchanged pointers before.
Ling Tian responded by shaking his head, "The martial arts of that individual are far too powerful! For the next ten years, I won't be able to match up to him!" Thinking for a while, Ling Tian added, "It would be impossible for me to deal with him, or even kill him now."
"Kill him?" Ye QingChen laughed, "Little brother, this older brother doesn't want to scare you but there probably isn't anyone capable of killing him in the world! His martial arts are undoubtedly the number one in the world!"
"Oh, then what is older brother's purpose for this visit? Is it to destroy the last shred of my confidence?! Or is it to lend me assistance to escape from the Martial Order Medallion?"
"Quit dreaming." Ye QingChen rolled his eyes and scolded laughingly. His tone then turned serious as he said solemnly, "Little brother, this older brother is here to ask you something." Ye QingChen took a step forward and said with undisguised worry, "Follow this old man and leave the conflict of the pugilistic world. Join me to carefreely roam the continent and enjoy the rest of your life. With little brother's cultivation, it wouldn't be impossible for you to ascend to immortality! How about that?"
"As long as you agree, there wouldn't be a Ling Tian in the mortal world anymore and I would be in charge of talking to the Martial Order Medallion owner! There definitely wouldn't be a problem! Even if that murderous nut is completely heartless, he would still have to show this old man some face."
In Ye QingChen's estimations, after making such an offer, the arrogant Ling Tian who had the ambition to rule the world, would probably respond with disdain or even fly into a rage. However, Ye QingChen really admired this youth in front of him and really wanted to save him from his current predicament. He had already thought of how he should deal with Ling Tian's reaction. If not for the fact that he had previously personally witnessed Ling Tian's stunning martial arts, he would probably have thoughts of kidnapping Ling Tian and taking him away.
However, Ling Tian unexpectedly didn't reject him on the spot and fell into deep thought instead. After pacing around the courtyard for a while, he sat down on a bench below the rack of grapes and again fell into deep thought. He obviously didn't take Ye QingChen's words lightly and seemed to be considering something.
A long while later Ling Tian asked, "Older brother, you exchanged pointers with this little brother back then as well. Do you really not think that I can triumph this time? Does this little brother not have even a chance to win?!"
Ye QingChen let out a long sigh and said, "If we didn't exchange pointers back then, I wouldn't be so worried. However, it is because little brother's strength is too stunning that I am afraid you wouldn't be willing to take a step back and would choose to fight to the death! As long as there exists a single trace of hope, I wouldn't be willing to do this either! Originally, if both parties can enter into the XianTian realm, as long as one party cannot win, it wouldn't be difficult for him to make a retreat. However, this person is an exception! You don't know just how frightening he really is until facing him yourself!" After considering for a while, Ye QingChen said with difficulty, "He… he has already surpassed the realm of 'Martial Learning'!"
"Oh? He has already surpassed the realm of 'Martial Learning'?" Ling Tian frowned and drew a circle on the ground before saying in an indifferent manner, "It seems that he has entered into the 'Martial Way' realm?"
"Ah?" Ye QingChen was startled, "You already know about the… Martial Way realm?"
"That's right!" Ling Tian put on a carefree smile and said, "The so-called martial arts can actually be split into four different realms. The common people are ignorant and think that a mere boxing routine or swinging their swords around can be considered the study of martial arts. However, they are extremely wrong!"
"Mmm? I would like to hear more." Ye QingChen also seemed to be puzzled. What Ling Tian had just said was also recorded in the records of Beyond Heavens but was vastly different. Thus, he couldn't help but ask with curiosity.
"If one strengthens his body with martial arts and is capable of displaying a few boxing routines to become a street entertainer, that is the 'Martial Technique' realm. It is just a technique for people to earn their living and can barely be considered martial arts." Ling Tian said slowly, "That is the most shallow form of boxing and isn't anything special. When facing an opponent, if their opponent was an ordinary individual, it wouldn't matter much. But if they were to face a person who has truly cultivated proper martial arts, it would be useless. It is only good for entertaining people and putting up a show and can be said to be the lowest form of martial arts."
"The second category is the 'Martial Skill' realm. The eighteen martial weapons can be considered within it and someone who has trained to the second realm can enter the battlefield to kill their enemies. In other words, only the second realm of Martial Skill onwards has the ability to cause fatal damage. However, it can only amount to so much and even if one can be proficient in all eighteen weapons, he wouldn't be considered much!"
"As for the third category, it is the 'Martial Learning' realm. It includes the martial techniques that the men from the pugilistic world use." Ling Tian said with a proud smile, "Martial arts is a type of science and one has to use his whole life to explore and research it. Only when one reaches such a realm would he be able to compare martial arts as a scholarly art. In the world today, there probably aren't many who have achieved such a realm."
Ling Tian then lifted his head up and smiled at Ye QingChen, "Brother Ye is a good example. Only those who enter the XianTian realm can be barely considered to be part of the Martial Learning realm. As for the others, there isn't even a need to talk about them."
"However, the highest realm of martial arts is called the 'Martial Way'!" Ling Tian said with a serene expression, "The way of martial arts! This is a realm that one can only look at but not attain! Of the millions of martial arts practitioners in the world, it would be rare to see even a single person attain this realm! The Martial Way realm emphasizes becoming one with the world. Perhaps one wouldn't be capable of moving the mountains and controlling the oceans, but he would be able to take a peek into the heavenly ways! I never imagined that there was someone in the world who has achieved such a realm!"
Ye QingChen was shocked to the point he couldn't say a thing. Ling Tian's explanation was almost identical to what was recorded in Beyond Heavens and was even more detailed. However… the records of Beyond Heavens were written by generations of peerless martial arts experts! Just how was Ling Tian able to know all of this despite his young age?