"Ling Xiao, why don't you quickly bow to the Grand Elder?" Ling Cang, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up anxiously.
Ling Xiao paused, then bowed to the Grand Elder as well, though not as fervently as the other four.
Seeing Ling Xiao's reaction, Ling Cang felt a surge of anger, silently cursing the boy for not knowing when to stop.
The Grand Elder, hands clasped behind his back, narrowed his eyes, and began to examine Ling Kuang first, then said with a chuckle, "Not bad, not bad. You're truly a promising youngster."
Hearing the Grand Elder's praise, Ling Kuang nearly cheered with joy, but he calmly returned the greeting, "Thank you, Grand Elder, for the kind compliment."
Standing nearby, Second Elder Ling Mo smiled a rare smile, as if Ling Kuang's spot in the Grand Elder's sight was a foregone conclusion. Immediately, the Grand Elder glanced at Ling Lin again. "You're not bad either." Just as Ling Lin was about to praise him, he added, "It's a pity your attributes don't match mine."
This remark sent Ling Lin and Fourth Elder Ling Wei into a cold slump, leaving them feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"Don't be pessimistic. As long as you work hard, your achievements will be no less than his," the Grand Elder added. He didn't want to see such a promising young man's confidence shattered.
The Grand Elder's words restored Ling Lin's confidence. She nodded firmly and said, "Thank you, Grand Elder. I will definitely work hard."
The Grand Elder nodded, then turned his gaze to Ling Li, raising his brow slightly. "Not bad, not bad. You're on track to break through to the Xuanshi realm soon. Your mind is very determined, and your future achievements are limitless."
"Thank you, Grand Elder, for your kind words," Ling Li bowed in gratitude. He's eighteen now, and in another six months he'll be nineteen. He's confident he'll be able to break through to the Xuanshi realm within that timeframe. His talent is undoubtedly superior to Ling Kuang's, not inferior. He only loses out in age, being a year younger. Otherwise, his current achievements would undoubtedly be no less than Ling Kuang's.
The Grand Elder turned his attention to Ling Xiao and Ling Xing. Ling Xiao remained indifferent, though he still held the elder in high regard. Ling Xing, on the other hand, was incredibly nervous. He was frail and worried the Grand Elder might simply ignore him.
Regarding both Ling Xiao and Ling Xing, the Grand Elder simply said, "Both are very good."
This perplexed the clan leader and the other elders. They were unsure who the Grand Elder had chosen: Ling Kuang or Ling Li? These two had the greatest chances, and the Grand Elder gave them the highest evaluations. This wasn't just a matter of personal achievement; it also affected the balance of factions within the Ling family. If the Grand Elder chose Ling Kuang, the Second Elder's faction would be further strengthened, and the next position of Clan Leader would undoubtedly go to the Second Elder's son. If the Grand Elder chose Ling Li, Ling Cang's position would be unshakable. The Second and Fifth Elders would undoubtedly restrain their arrogance and stop targeting Ling Cang. None of them dared to challenge the Grand Elder's authority.
Absolute silence fell upon the room, as everyone quietly awaited the Grand Elder's decision.
However, only one person spoke impatiently, "Third Elder, give me my reward first! I need to get back to dinner." It was none other than Ling Xiao. He had no interest in waiting for the old man's decision. The test had taken up most of the day, and he was already hungry. As soon as Ling Xiao said this, he once again became the focus of everyone's attention. This guy was such a joke, so ignorant of his own limitations. With the Grand Elder here, how could he have a say?
Ling Cang frowned and shouted, "Don't be rude!"
"If you want to go back, go ahead. No one's stopping you," Second Elder Ling Mo said unhappily.
"But I haven't received my reward yet!" Ling Xiao said, feeling equally unhappy. He had worked so hard to achieve this, and now he was leaving without any benefits. This was unacceptable.
"Hmph, offending the Grand Elder is a capital offense. Know what's good for you and leave now, or even the clan leader won't be able to protect you," Fifth Elder Ling Yan snorted.
"Damn it, you old man! I'm going to beat your grandson, and you're kicking me out without even receiving a reward. No way!" Ling Xiao cursed. He'd been patient for a long time. The Fifth Elder was constantly giving him a hard time, clearly displeased. He didn't need to be nice to them.
"You dare to scold me, Clan Leader? You saw it too. Ling Xiao has committed insubordination and violated clan rules. He deserves to be punished." The Fifth Elder's beard puffed with rage. He seized the opportunity to punish Ling Xiao and embarrass Ling Cang at the same time. It was a two-birds-with-one-stone move, a truly vicious plot.
Just as Ling Cang was feeling embarrassment, the Grand Elder let out a kind laugh. "Don't worry, your reward is here." With that, a fragment of a scroll appeared in the Grand Elder's hand.
"What is this?" Ling Xiao asked, puzzled.
"Take a look and you'll see," the Grand Elder said. With a gentle wave of his hand, the fragment landed in front of Ling Xiao. The four people standing beside Ling Xiao didn't understand what the Grand Elder meant, but the other elders nearby all had a vague guess. The Second and Fifth Elders' expressions instantly darkened to the point of ugliness. Only Third Elder Ling Yuan wore a gentle smile, as if he already knew.
Ling Xiao flipped through the fragmented scroll, his eyes sparkling as he muttered to himself, "It's the last three transformations of the Vajra Five Transformations." Then he looked up at the Grand Elder and said, "Thank you for the reward, Grand Elder. Since there's nothing else to do, I'll be leaving now. You guys continue your conversation."
With that, Ling Xiao scooped up the fragmented copy of the last three transformations of the Vajra Five Transformations and tucked it into his arms, turned, and left.
Everyone was speechless at Ling Xiao's behavior. This guy didn't seem to realize how lucky he was. "Xiao'er, don't be so rude! Hurry and thank the Grand Elder!" Ling Cang was terribly anxious. He hadn't expected the Grand Elder to actually take a liking to Ling Xiao. He was ecstatic, but seeing Ling Xiao so unappreciative, he wanted to slap him to death. This kid was so willful.
"Didn't I already thank you? I have to go back to eat. No need to see me off." Ling Xiao didn't even turn around, waved goodbye, and continued walking forward without a trace of nostalgia.
"You little bastard!" Ling Cang shouted softly, and was about to grab Ling Xiao back, but the Grand Elder waved his sleeves and said with a grin, "I'm hungry too, so I'll just ask this kid for a meal."
With that, he actually took two steps and chased after Ling Xiao.
Leaving everyone stunned. ...
A fortnight later, a shirtless young man was exposed to the harshest heat under the blazing sun. His skin was as black as charcoal, and streams of sweat streamed down his body like rain. Most astonishingly, faint wisps of scorching white smoke rose from his body.
It turned out that he wasn't just suffering from the scorching sun; four gold-faced bronze mirrors surrounded him, reflecting the sunlight back onto him. The concentrated heat was five times greater, enough to roast anyone. Yet, the young man, carrying two buckets of water in both hands, galloped, gritting his teeth and persevering, mentally reciting the cultivation mantra.
Not far away, beneath a trellis of green vines, an elderly man was leisurely sipping wine. Beside him, a beautiful young woman kept pouring wine for him, making him laugh and feel incredibly happy, as if he hadn't felt this relaxed and joyful in a long time. "Old Master, can you please let the young master rest? He's almost giving up," the young woman beside him patted the old man's shoulder, trying to persuade the young man who was being scorched in the sun.
The old man smiled and said, "I didn't ask him to be so diligent. He insisted on doing it himself. Why don't you just persuade him?"
The young woman raged, "The young master won't listen to me."
"Then he wouldn't listen to me either," the old man replied, defiantly.
The young woman stamped her feet in anger, but she could do nothing.
After a while, the young man, scorching in the sun, roared non-stop, his face ferocious, as if transformed into a wild animal. His dark skin even began to crack, making him look terrifying.
"Young Master, stop practicing," the young woman cried out, unwilling to serve the old man. The young man seemed to hear nothing, screaming "Ah... Ah..." repeatedly.
The skin on his face finally cracked and peeled off, the tiny cracks spreading like a spider web from his face to his neck, chest, arms, and other places.
"Cold water soak!" the old man beneath the vine suddenly shouted.
The young man shook his arms, and two buckets of water flew towards the nearby wooden barrel, and finally he jumped into it.
"Ziz... ziz..." A series of hot and cold sounds echoed.
"Ah!" The young man in the barrel screamed again.
"Young Master!" the young woman cried out in shock, covering her face. She didn't dare look at the torture the young man was suffering. She felt extremely uncomfortable. "Haha, I didn't expect to reach the first level of 'Skin Refining' in just one month. Such talent and such hard work are inseparable," the old man praised with great satisfaction, stroking his white beard, not a trace of pain at the young man's plight.
After a long while, the young man in the wooden barrel emerged, exclaiming, "It hurts so much! Practicing external martial arts is such a pain."
"Young Master, are you okay?" the girl exclaimed, then hurriedly ran towards the young man in the barrel.
"I'm fine. What's the problem? I can handle this little hardship," the young man said, patting his strong chest.
The girl then realized the young man was naked, and her cheeks flushed. She was about to turn away, as if she had witnessed something strange. She asked in surprise, "Young Master, your face..."
"What's wrong with my face?" the young man asked, touching his face. However, upon touching his face, he was startled to discover a large chunk of skin had peeled off.
As he touched a piece, the entirety of his face peeled off miraculously, revealing skin beneath that was as white and smooth as a newborn baby's, truly enviable.
"What...what's going on? Did I complete the first layer?" the young man muttered to himself, looking at the skin peeling off his chest.
"Indeed, you've completed the first layer of 'skin refinement,'" an elderly man nearby replied.
"Haha, a month of suffering is finally over!" the young man laughed, then leaped from the barrel. The dead skin had completely fallen off, leaving him radiant with energy, his skin smooth and delicate, yet still muscular and handsome. He was truly a handsome young man.
This young man, needless to say, was Ling Xiao, who had been diligently practicing the "Vajra Five Transformations." The young woman was his maid, Bai Yuxi, and the elderly man was the Ling family's Grand Elder.