Wei Dai'er pursed her lips and said quietly, "This is a topographic map of a secret realm in the Wilderness Mountains. It was drawn by the captain of a squad of the Blue Wolf Regiment. They strayed into a dangerous area, allegedly guarded by a powerful spirit beast of at least rank three. All fifty members of their squad perished at the beast's claws. The captain, relying on his wind attribute, finally escaped. He drew this map, and it eventually fell into my hands."
Wei Dai'er knew she couldn't fool Ling Xiao again, so most of what she said was true.
"Secret realm?" Ling Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly understood. He had previously read extensively about this continent in the library within the Ling family's inner courtyard and had a basic understanding of the term.
A secret realm refers to the place where powerful warriors rest in meditation. There, they leave behind their entire life's treasures, including profound skills, weapons, elixirs, and even their inheritance.
The first three items have already driven many people crazy, but the last one is probably the dream of everyone.
The thought of this made Ling Xiao's heart flutter. Ling Xiao wouldn't have too many profound skills, weapons, or elixirs. As for inheritance, he didn't care. After all, he was a time traveler, carrying the memories and inheritance of his past life. If he could return to his previous level, he would be a superb master.
Ling Xiao glanced at the route on the rag again and forced himself to memorize the approximate route. Then he tossed the rag back to Wei Dai'er and said, "A gentleman doesn't take what others want. I'll give it back to you. Look at the look in your eyes, you really think I'm your father's murderer. Alas, I just stood up for you. It's so hard to be a good person in this world these days!"
Wei Dai'er grabbed the rag and stared at Ling Xiao in surprise. She couldn't believe that the eldest son of the Ling family wasn't interested in the map of the secret realm. It was a secret realm. Even the patriarchs of the major families would be tempted by it. Didn't he know what a secret realm was?
"Sister, don't stare at me like that. It makes me shy," Ling Xiao said, his face flushing slightly. Wei Dai'er grumbled inwardly and tucked the rag back into her arms.
"Okay, brother, I'm going home. I hope next time we meet, I'll treat you." Ling Xiao waved, leading Hu Liu and Hu Qi downstairs.
Wei Dai'er gazed at Ling Xiao's elegant figure, her mind lost in thought. Something in her heart seemed to stir, and then, remembering something, she fled to the window and shouted at Ling Xiao, who had already arrived downstairs, "Asshole, give me back the Red Vermilion Fruit."
"Good sister, consider this a meeting gift for my brother," Ling Xiao said with a smile, waving her hand without turning back.
"Asshole," Wei Dai'er stomped her foot and shouted, then jumped down the stairs and left in the other direction.
...
Half an hour later, a group of large men on handsome horses appeared in front of Weixiangju. There were nearly a hundred of them, each one looking ferocious and ferocious. Ordinary civilians quickly hid inside their houses. Several men dismounted and scurried toward the battered Weixiangju. After a moment, one man emerged, approaching the most majestic low-rank Fiery Horse. He addressed the sturdy man in a suit of green armor, riding atop it: "Reporting to the team, the deputy team leader is... he's dead."
"What? Explain clearly!" the man on the horse shouted in a commanding tone.
"The deputy team leader is dead."
"Asshole!" the man on the horse shouted, then kicked off his horse's back and, like an eagle spreading its wings, leaped toward the second floor of Weixiangju.
This man was Qinglang, leader of the Qinglang Mercenary Group. He was Black Wolf's eldest brother, possessing the terrifying strength of a high-level Xuanshi and a renowned expert in Meteorite City. His mercenary group already numbered over 500 men. In Meteorite City, no one, save the larger families, dared to provoke the Qinglang Mercenaries. Green Wolf stared at Black Wolf's undying gaze, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles crackling as he raised his head and roared, "Wei Dai'er, you slut! I'll make sure your Cold Snake Group disappears from Meteorite City."
...
In the Ling Clan's inner courtyard, in Second Elder Ling Mo's secret room, the Fifth Elder and he were discussing a secret.
"Brother, are you just going to wait like this?" the Fifth Elder said to the Second Elder with a gloomy expression as he sat nearby.
"Then what do you want?" the Second Elder asked calmly, taking a sip of his tea.
"In my opinion, we must kill that Mianweizi immediately," the Fifth Elder said with a fierce look in his eyes. "Hmph, don't I want to? He's protected by the Tiger Guards now, and that old man loves him dearly. How could he allow anything to happen to him? If he backfires, everything we've done will be ruined," the Second Elder said unhappily. After a pause, he added, "Just bear with it for a while. When the major clans compete, I'll take back everything I've lost."
The Fifth Elder glanced at the Second Elder, then sighed deeply and fell silent.
In truth, he understood his eldest brother's point, but he truly didn't want to see that Rabbit Weizi grow up. The thought of it made him feel that he would become their nightmare in the future. He couldn't rest easy unless he was eliminated soon.
"Alright, don't worry about this anymore. Urge that old ghost to refine the medicine quickly. We only have a year. Give him everything he needs," the Second Elder instructed. "Yes, big brother."
...
Ling Xiao received a second-grade, intermediate-grade Red Vermilion Fruit from Wei Dai'er and returned home delighted.
All the way, he kept sighing, "What a wonderful thing this Red Vermilion Fruit is!"
Ling Xiao had already memorized the "Record of Spiritual Herbs" by heart, and he recognized the Red Vermilion Fruit the first time he saw it. This Red Vermilion Fruit has the effect of increasing the profound strength and purity of fire-attributed warriors. It's also a common spiritual fruit used in refining elixirs. If sold, it could fetch at least several thousand gold coins, making it no less valuable than a second-grade, intermediate-grade weapon.
The Red Vermilion Fruit might not be of much use to Ling Xiao right now, but it's a spiritual fruit that's easy to get hold of, so if things don't work out, he could make a small fortune selling it鈥攁 way of paying Wei Dai'er for using him.
After returning home, Ling Xiao put the Red Vermilion Fruit away with the other items he'd looted from the Grand Elder and began cultivating his profound strength. After today's battle, the profound energy he had been accumulating for days began to transform. He realized that his profound energy was now sufficient to break through to the mid-level Xuanzhe.
The higher the level of martial arts a cultivator reaches, the greater the strength required, and the slower their advancement speed. Despite Ling Xiao's natural talent, breaking through to the lower levels of Xuanzhe was certainly not as easy as breaking through to the martial apprentice level.
Ling Xiao meditated and entered a state of concentration, his body beginning to circulate the first stage of the Three-Part Return to Origin Qi, "Forming the Origin."
The Three-Part Return to Origin Qi is divided into three stages, nine levels, each with three layers: the first stage, "Forming the Origin," the second, "Transforming into Crystal," and the third, "Nothingness."
The first stage, "Forming the Origin," is divided into three levels: Qi Collection, Meridian Development, and Acupoint Expansion.
Ling Xiao currently utilizes the internal energy of Cloud-Removing Energy, Wind God Power, and Heavenly Frost Energy as a foundation, guiding these three different internal energies into the Three-Part Return to Origin Qi. Repeating this process endlessly, he increases his profound energy, which is also the first stage of Qi Collection. It turns out that opening the twelve meridians allowed Ling Xiao to condense profound energy and become a profound practitioner. Now, cultivating Qi absorption would further aid his accumulation of profound energy, facilitating a breakthrough.
As the three internal energies channeled into his body, Ling Xiao's face flickered with a look of uncertainty, a truly bizarre expression.
After two hours of meditation, a faint white mist enveloped Ling Xiao's body, indicating that his profound energy had reached a critical point.
Now, when would he break through?
Ling Xiao accelerated the flow of his profound energy. Waves of profound energy surged forward like waves, eventually piling up layer upon layer to attack the critical point.
Boom, boom, boom!
All his profound energy converged into one place, and after repeated impacts, he finally broke through the critical point. The profound energy began to nourish his limbs, bones, and internal organs.
Ling Xiao felt an overwhelming sense of comfort throughout his body. His strength was multiplying, and he appeared even more energetic than before. "I've finally reached the Intermediate Xuanzhe level! How slow!" Ling Xiao wiped the sweat from his face, chuckled softly, and then muttered to himself in dissatisfaction.
If anyone else heard him, they'd probably drown in spit. Damn, this breakthrough speed is still too slow! Wouldn't everyone else be banging their heads against the wall?
It usually takes a warrior at least a year or two to break through from a low-level Xuanzhe to an intermediate-level Xuanzhe. And that's for warriors with decent talent. Less talented warriors might take three to five years, and those without talent might never break through in their entire lives.
The Three-Part Return to Origin Qi is a powerful internal cultivation technique. Coupled with his astonishing talent and diligent practice, the three combined into one, naturally, his cultivation speed is several, even dozens, times faster than that of an ordinary person. This speed is comparable to that of a demon.
If it were anyone else, they'd be overjoyed every day, but this guy still complains about it. It's no wonder this doesn't provoke widespread outrage.
A silent night passed, and the east gradually brightened.
Early in the morning, Ling Zhan ran to the courtyard and burst into laughter. "Brother Zhan, stop laughing so loudly! You're disturbing Xiao'er's sleep," Meng Xiyun said, looking at her husband with a look of joy.
"Dad, what's Mom happy about? Hey, Dad, you became a Mystic Master!" Ling Xiao asked, emerging from his room. He glanced at his father, only then realizing why he was so happy.
"Yes, son, Daddy has become a Mystic Master again, haha!" Ling Zhan laughed wildly like a child who had been given candy.
"Congratulations, Daddy! Looks like we can have more food today!" Ling Xiao said happily for Ling Zhan.
"Yes, let's have a nice drink together today, but first you have to fight me for a few moves," Ling Zhan replied, then threw a bare-handed punch at Ling Xiao.
"Don't blame your son for embarrassing you if you lose!" Ling Xiao reacted quickly, retreating before Ling Zhan could strike. "We're at the same level. Although you achieved your breakthrough a month earlier than me, Daddy won't necessarily lose to you," Ling Zhan declared with full fighting spirit. He had once cultivated to the pinnacle of the Mystic Master realm, and his combat experience and skills remained, so he believed he wouldn't lose to his son.
"Since that's the case, then come on. Let me be your witness," Ling Xiao said with a confident smile. Even if he were only a low-level Mystic Master, he would be fully confident of defeating Ling Zhan. Not to mention that he had become a mid-level Mystic Master, far more powerful than the average high-level Mystic Master. Even against a Mystic Master, surviving would be no problem.
"How dare you look down on me? Watch this!" Ling Zhan lunged forward again, this time with a punch faster and more powerful than before.
Ling Xiao, of course, gave the old man some respect and didn't knock him down outright. Instead, he suppressed his strength and engaged him in a duel.
Fists and kicks clashed, emitting bursts of whistling sounds. Meng Xiyun, watching from the side, felt increasingly relieved. Her family was finally no longer useless.
The two men fought bare-handed for half an hour.
Ling Zhan paused, angrily saying, "You're quite good, kid. I can't even beat you."
"Hey, Daddy, you're not bad either. Your son can't beat you either." Ling Xiao, not wanting to rub the old man the wrong way, had been giving him a break during the fight.
"Alright, that's enough for today. After a few days of recovery, I'll definitely defeat you," Ling Zhan declared confidently.
"There's no way you can beat him," a hoarse voice declared confidently from a distance.