There was, however, one point that Ling Tian had failed to predict. After Ling Jian had comprehended this level, in just a short two years, his usage and skill were comparable to Ling Tian and Li Xue! Based on Li Xue’s judgment, Ling Jian’s assassination skills at that time had become a sort of art, allowing one to witness the beauty of death at the moment of killing! Ling Tian commented that if merely based on the skill level of assassinations, even Justice would have to be ranked behind him!
Of course, this was only based on assassination techniques, and it did not mean that Ling Jian had the ability to kill anybody he wished. For example, Yu ManLou and Shui WuBo, based on Ling Tian’s skill, even if he completely hid his killing intent, he would still face an insurmountable difficulty when assassinating them. As for Justice, nothing more needed to be said!
Inside the room, Ling Chen worriedly stared at the four people who resembled sculptures as they stood there. “Young Noble, the shock this time might be too big to Ling Jian? I’m afraid…”
Ling Chen and Ling Jian grew up together since they were young, thus to her, Ling Jian was akin to a blood-related sibling. Other than Ling Tian, he was the closest to her. Even when she flared up and beat Ling Jian up the other time, he still held no grudge against her. However, Li Xue was considered an outsider to the two of them, hence to be beaten up so badly by a poor and weak girl, how much face would Ling Jian still have left?! Ling Chen could not help but worry!
“Nothing will happen!” Ling Tian shook his head, “When he was back in Northern Wei, I had already discovered some of his problems. With the reputation the First Pavilion enjoys in Heavenly Star, he started to think that he could go wherever he wished. He wasn’t aware that he had not met with any unique circumstances or missions, and thus thought of himself as high and mighty, looking down on martial exponents! Thus at that time when he met against the exponents of the Yu Family, with Yu ManLou himself taking action, if it was not a coincidence for me to be in the same place, his life would forever be forfeit there! From now onwards, our enemies, the Xiao and Yu Family, will all possess true experts. If we still allow them to behave rashly, then our losses will undoubtedly be great. The Yu and Xiao, one with a millennium-long background and the other with Above Heavens as a backer. Their foundations are strong and they can afford the losses, but we can’t! Especially Ling Jian and Ling Chi’s group, they’re akin to my own brothers. Even if we can lose them, would you be willing?”
“In these few years, after coming into contact so many times, their identities can no longer just be compared to leader-subordinate relationships. They’re all my brothers, my comrades. I’m not willing to see anyone injured!” Ling Tian gazed to the horizon, slowly speaking, “Thus, everything must change. But if I were to execute the change, no matter how I beat Ling Jian, there will not be any hate, and the effects would be poorer. Thus, when I was inside Northern Wei, I happened to bring this up. Li Xue said she would handle it, and thus I didn’t ask further.”
Ling Tian smiled, “Never did I think that she would play the role of such a shameful person, with her actions so extreme. However, this is good as well. This is the sort of method Ling Jian needs to thoroughly wake up. While painful and humiliating, it is this sort of pain and humiliation that can make him improve continuously. The reason why I never exposed this was because he’s treating Li Xue as a benchmark now, not me. I cannot let him lose sight.”
“Sister Li Xue’s actions are just always so extreme.” Upon recalling the cruel training Li Xue forced upon her, Ling Chen could not help but let out a shiver. She then frowned, “But while Ah’Jian is improving, Li Xue is also constantly improving. Her talent is one that is seldom seen in life, other than young noble and Justice himself. Even Mister Ye QingChen might not be her opponent at all! How could Ling Jian have the chance…”
Ling Tian laughed in response, “This will see how much Ling Jian can transform, and to what stage he can break through. During the breakthrough phase, he will naturally follow the path to the peak of the martial way. However, if he really wishes to scale to the summit, then just one failure isn’t enough for him. He needs a true failure, an event that will make him fall then stand up again before he will really find the true way.”
In that instant, Ling Chen understood what Ling Tian was talking about, and her eyes widened in shocked, “Martial Order Medalion owner, Justice?!”
Ling Tian snorted in laughter, “That’s right! Today is only a duel and not a decisive battle. As such, there is only battle intent, and not killing intent. When Ling Jian faces off with Justice, that would be a real life and death battle. If he manages to survive, then there will not be anything in this world that can kill Ling Jian anymore!”
“When I deem it suitable, I’ll arrange for Ling Jian to fight against Justice!” Ling Tian laughed.
“When will that time be? To fight with Justice, isn’t that as good as looking for death? While I only exchanged one blow with him the other time, my impression was that he himself was unfathomable. At that time, I could only pray for young noble to annihilate the enemy quickly and had nightmares due to fear every day. Thinking back, I still tremble with fear. Young noble was able to escape from the pinnacle not only because of your profound cultivation but also because of good luck. Do you think Ah’Jian is as lucky as young noble?” Ling Chen spoke with undisguised anxiety.
Ling Tian only stared gently at her as he replied, “No, for Ling Jian against Justice, while he might lose, he will not be in life-threatening danger. Truth be told, luck played a huge role as to why I was able to escape from Justice’s hands, but Ah’Jian would not be in true danger. Because the time he fights with Justice will be directly before my last battle with Justice too.” Ling Tian gazed afar, falling silent. After a while, he slowly spoke, “Justice and I have been anticipating this battle, and before it, he will not kill my friends or my subordinates to destroy my mood. This would also vent his killing intent, which would not be beneficial for him!”
Ling Tian’s tone was one of indifference, as though the matter was of no consequence, just like the drifting clouds and wind. However, Ling Chen could detect an overflowing battle intent from him. This sort of anticipation gave Ling Chen a sense of heartache.
It seems like there would still be a final battle between Justice and Ling Tian one day!
Ling Chen did not know how she felt in her heart, she knew just how scary Justice was. To think that her beloved was actually going to battle him with such confidence! Hearing his tone, it seemed as though the two of them had come to some secret decision! Ling Chen only felt a sense of sadness, as well as some pride.
Just how many people in this world could face off against Justice? Most likely, only her young noble would dare to claim so!
On that day, with that battle, it would definitely shake the old and illuminate the new, an unprecedented battle never to be replicated!
****** ****** ******
Ling Tian lightly stretched out two fingers, placing them on Yu BingYan’s meridians. He closed his eyes, feeling his own internal energy flow like mercury into her meridians. Even though his eyes were closed, true his internal energy, he had a clear roadmap of her internal circuits, precisely and exactly appearing within his brains, without a single bit of detail missing.
Yu BingYan, however, did not even bother with what sort of condition her body had deteriorated to, neither did she know if her illness could be cured. All she did was to use her eyes to dumbly look at Ling Tian’s face, full of love and satisfaction. The face that she had not seen for four months had appeared once more, giving her unknown bliss and happiness. So long as he was back, so long as nothing was wrong with him, nothing else mattered. Her illness? She would die sooner or later, what did it count for?
Internal energy flowed into her slowly, filling up the meridians in her entire body. For the first time, Ling Tian truly understood what was called the Divine Black Negative Meridians!
Within Yu BingYan’s heart meridian, there was a gas of a thick dark green color that spread from there, covering the various meridians and intertwining in a complicated manner all over her body. Through his true energy, Ling Tian could feel that the dark green gas contained an extreme frosty energy!
The strength of this frost came from absorbing the nutrients in Yu BingYan’s body. If it was allowed to absorb to a certain extent, then it would rapidly multiply in strength once more. In the end, it was bound to replace the current meridians, and by then, there would be no way to save the situation!
Between Yu BingYan’s TanZhong and DanTian acupoints, there instead existed a faint golden strength that let out a warm glow, continuously eroding at the power of the frosty negative energy in her body, keeping it in balance. However, through the process, the strength of it was also slowly dissipating. Ling Tian knew that it was the Great Cyclic Pellet she ate the last time, which allowed the two opposing types of energies to clash and melt each other. However, from the situation, it seemed that while the Great Cyclic Pellet had the ability to curb, it was not able to solve the problem from the root, because its strength and efficacy were not enough.
This was seen from the two warring sides, where the Great Cyclic Pellet’s strength was in a weakening state. However, within Yu BingYan’s Dantian another warm source of strength actually existed, stubbornly guarding the area, neither attacking but not relinquishing any space. Probing it, Ling Tian realized it was the Mysterious Yin Essence Heart Sutra he gave her that year. It seemed like this sort of internal cultivation method had some sort of effect after all.