Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Ling Xiao had been in this world for a full month. He'd originally planned to break through the twelve meridians, but unfortunately, the last few proved incredibly difficult to break through, and so far he'd only opened the tenth.
Tonight, he was preparing to attack the eleventh.
The long-accumulated profound energy formed a surging, hot current, flowing unimpeded until he reached a barrier.
"Boom!" The energy in his body crashed into the blocked meridians.
The intense impact once again pierced Ling Xiao's heart, causing him to scream in agony. Beads of sweat streamed down his body, drenching him. Veins popped out, and a faint glow of blood gleamed between his pores, making him appear incredibly ferocious.
This was his fifteenth failure.
"Damn it! I don't believe I can break through!" Ling Xiao gritted his teeth, gathering his energy once more, and launched another attack. "Boom."
"Puff!" This time, Ling Xiao failed to succeed. Instead, the energy backfired, causing internal injuries and a mouthful of blood to spurt out of his mouth.
"Damn, that nearly killed me!" Ling Xiao collapsed to the ground, his entire body weakened.
Ling Xiao lay quietly that night, his eyes half closed.
When he awoke the next day, he felt refreshed, as if uninjured. This was thanks to the self-healing properties of his Sanfen Guiyuan Qi.
As soon as Ling Xiao left the room, he found Bai Yuxi waiting at the door with water ready for him to wash his face.
Ling Xiao, accustomed to her care, smiled at her and said, "Yuxi, you're up so early! Thank you for your hard work." As he spoke, he picked up a towel and washed his face.
Bai Yuxi smiled charmingly, saying, "It's my duty to serve the young master. It's not hard work at all."
Ling Xiao was stunned by her smile. Bai Yuxi's pretty face, as always, was bare, without a trace of makeup. Her naturally smooth, delicate skin, crescent-shaped eyes, and round, rosy cherry lips, flanked by two shallow dimples, made her easily captivated.
Bai Yuxi's heart pounded under Ling Xiao's gaze, and a sweet feeling inexplicably welled up in her. She gently turned away from her rosy face, appearing even more shy and charming.
"I'm... I'm sorry," Ling Xiao apologized, putting down his towel and running to the courtyard to begin his morning exercise.
As Ling Xiao walked on his "Cloud Phantom," he cursed himself for being shameless. He had actually reacted when he looked at Bai Yuxi earlier.
Bai Yuxi watched Ling Xiao's strange steps, and suddenly her blooming smile blossomed once again, eclipsing everything else around her. Not long after, a hearty laugh echoed from one of the houses. "Haha, I did it!"
"Brother Zhan, what's wrong?" followed by Ting Meng Xiyun's worried voice.
Ling Xiao had just stopped walking when his father came running out.
Ling Zhan, like a child excited after getting candy, said to Ling Xiao, "Son, Dad, I did it! I did it!"
Ling Xiao was delighted. "Dad, have you opened all your meridians?"
Ling Zhan's words immediately made him smile awkwardly. "How could it be so fast? I just... I just opened the first meridian. Ten days of hard work have finally paid off. I believe I'll be able to practice again in less than six months, haha."
"Oh, that's good. I wish Dad a speedy recovery," Ling Xiao congratulated. For the past ten days, his father had been in seclusion, cultivating. Now that he had emerged, he was beaming with joy. He had thought his father had opened all his meridians, but he had only opened one. He couldn't help but feel a little excited. Ling Zhan could tell Ling Xiao wasn't being sincere, so he couldn't help but ask, "Xiao'er, how long did it take you to break through your first meridian?"
"It took quite a while," Ling Xiao said after a moment's thought, not wanting to dampen his father's confidence.
Hearing this, Ling Zhan straightened his back and said, "Don't be discouraged. I, your father, also practiced day and night to achieve such a breakthrough in such a short time. As long as you persevere and work hard every day, I believe you'll soon be able to achieve the same speed."
Ling Xiao was speechless. He didn't want to dampen his father's confidence and was about to return to his room.
However, Ling Zhan got a little too excited and asked proudly, "Xiao'er, you've been practicing for a month now. How many meridians have you opened?" In reality, he wondered if his son had only opened one or two. After all, opening meridians is a very painful process, and he wondered if his son could handle it!
"We still need two more to complete the twelve meridians," Ling Xiao said, turning and returning to his room. "Two isn't bad... What? I still need to open two more?" Ling Zhan muttered to himself, then suddenly cried out in shock.
He'd painstakingly spent ten days opening the first meridian, thinking he was quite impressive. But his son had opened all ten in just one month any times faster than him!
Instantly, Ling Zhan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, his pride waning.
Meng Xiyun patted Ling Zhan's shoulder from behind and said, "Brother Zhan, what are you yelling about so early in the morning?"
"No, I can't lose to my son," Ling Zhan ignored his wife, shook his head, and said with a determined look before turning and running back to his study to retreat.
"What's wrong with you? You're acting like a child, so irritable!" Meng Xiyun muttered to herself, glancing resentfully at her husband as he ran back to the study. Ling Xiao didn't practice again today. He hadn't been able to break through his eleventh meridian last night, and knowing it might be severely damaged, he planned to travel to the Desolate Mountains to search for a second-level Black Ginseng King. The Black Ginseng King has the ability to dredge the meridians, invigorate the collaterals, increase profound energy, and prolong lifespan, and can be taken directly. While consuming the Black Ginseng King wouldn't help him break through his meridians directly, it would relax and expand previously opened meridians, enhancing profound energy and helping him break through barriers the next time he tried to break through them.
The Black Ginseng King can be purchased at the Spiritual Herb Hall, but it costs 1,800 gold coins, a sum not easily available to the average person. If his father were valued by the family, perhaps this wouldn't be a big deal. But now that his family has lost their status and only receives a monthly allowance of 30 gold coins, 1,800 gold coins is an astronomical sum for them.
Therefore, Ling Xiao's only hope for the Black Ginseng King is to search for it in the Desolate Mountains. However, before setting off for the Wilderness Mountains, Ling Xiao had to visit the market to gather some outdoor supplies and find a suitable weapon. Besides his most powerful martial arts, his Sky Frost Fist, Cloud-Splitting Palm, and Wind God Kick, he also possessed even more powerful killing moves that he had yet to demonstrate.
After bathing, Ling Xiao changed into a pristine white robe. Bai Yuxi styled his long hair, which, paired with his handsome face, gave him the air of a young, elegant man.
"Yuxi, I'm going to the market today. Do you want to come with me?" Ling Xiao asked, pleading.
Bai Yuxi whispered, "Your servant will obey my orders, young master."
"I've told you countless times, never say 'your servant' again, or I'll stop serving you," Ling Xiao said sternly.
"Your servant... Yuxi understands," Bai Yuxi said, her eyes slightly red, pinching the corner of her clothes. Ling Xiao's heart softened, and he caressed Bai Yuxi's delicate face, saying, "Be good and obedient from now on. Remember, you are a member of our Ling family, not a slave or a servant, but my parents' goddaughter. You must hold your head high and behave like a human being, understand?"
Bai Yuxi blinked her long eyelashes, her delicate face flushing adorably. Feeling Ling Xiao's gentle touch, she felt as if her entire heart had melted. She immediately whispered, "I will obey you, Master. From now on, I will only serve you and my parents."
"Yes, that's right. Come with me to the market," Ling Xiao nodded. He said this to build Bai Yuxi's confidence, so that she could live a strong and independent life in the future.
After walking for a quarter of an hour from home, the two of them arrived at the Meteorite City Market again.
"Yuxi, do you know where there's a weapons shop?" Ling Xiao turned to Bai Yuxi and asked. Bai Yuxi didn't know what she was thinking. After a pause, she asked, "Young Master, what are you asking me?"
"Do you know where I can buy weapons?" Ling Xiao repeated.
"I know one in the east of the city," Bai Yuxi replied.
"Okay, take me there," Ling Xiao said.
After walking for a while, the two of them arrived at a shop where a variety of weapons were hung at the door.
Ling Xiao took a look around and walked in.
"Please feel free to take a look, ladies and gentlemen," an elderly man in his fifties said.
Ling Xiao nodded at the old man and walked directly to the display of various swords.
These swords were all very stylish, but they lacked a certain alluring aura. It was obvious at a glance that they were just ordinary weapons.
However, finding a good weapon in such a place was not easy. Ling Xiao picked up a dazzling giant sword and examined it. Its exterior was magnificent, its hilt a dragon head, and the blade carved with several spiritual patterns. It must be a fine sword.
"Young Master, you have excellent taste. This is a first-grade, intermediate-level dragon sword. It's made of rare black iron and weighs forty-eight kilograms. It can even injure a second-grade sandshovel," the old man explained immediately.
A second-grade sandshovel is a spiritual beast with exceptionally strong defenses, and ordinary weapons cannot harm its flesh.
"How much is this sword?" Ling Xiao asked.
"Only seventy gold coins. If you truly need it, I'll let you take it for sixty-eight." The old man was quite articulate.
"Sixty-eight gold coins?" Ling Xiao's eyes widened at the words. The purse he'd snatched from Ma Zi last time only held twenty-five gold coins, yet a first-grade, intermediate-level weapon like this was so expensive. How could he possibly afford it? "Let me see if there are any other good weapons," Ling Xiao said, naturally unable to appear needy. A man who cared about appearances, he immediately put on a show of pretentiousness.
The old man's eyes lit up, and he smiled at Ling Xiao, saying, "We have some top-quality weapons in the backyard. Please step forward, young master."
Ling Xiao and Bai Yuxi followed the old man to the backyard of the shop, then to a house. Entering, they were greeted by a dazzling array of weapons.
"These are all high-level weapons of the first tier and above, and there are also quite a few second-tier weapons. Young master, please take a look and see if you find anything that satisfies you," the old man said.