Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Chapter 321: Chapter 257: Ye Zi’s Opportunity

Finding someone in this world he could cultivate with, especially a woman he was fond of, filled Ling Xiao with genuine joy.

Cultivators, in essence, are lonely. Their lifespans are extremely long, but they spend most of that time in quiet solitude. Seclusion and cultivation were basically the entirety of a cultivator’s duties. They yearned for the Immortal Path, longing to cultivate to the Mahayana Stage and ascend to the heavens in broad daylight...

But in reality, though cultivators had been numerous from ancient to modern times, how many had truly been able to ascend? Even if this world was rich in Spiritual Qi and all the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were his alone to enjoy, so what? He couldn’t guarantee that he could reach that final step. He had already formed his Golden Core and could be considered to have entered the Taoist Sect, but for the path ahead, Ling Xiao could only feel his way forward in the dark. In his previous life, he had never had any experience beyond the Golden Core Stage; he had nothing to draw from.

More importantly, in this world, there was no one who could meticulously guide him as they had back in Shushan.

That was why Ling Xiao was so eager to find a few like-minded cultivators to practice and improve with. This world had abundant Spiritual Qi, so there was no need to fight over fortune. However, the current Ling Xiao understood better than anyone how possessing a treasure could lead to disaster. The Nine Swords of Dugu swordsmanship he had unintentionally used was considered a Divine Sword Skill, drawing the covetous gazes of countless people.

The Beauty Pills and other elixirs he refined were also believed to be from a Secret Manual found in some Ancient Ruins, which stirred the greed in countless hearts.

’In the end, all I can say is that I underestimated my own abilities and grossly underestimated the depths of human greed in this world!’

’Those nobles, the people from hidden families and sects—most of them were the same. As soon as they saw something good on someone else, useful or not, they’d scheme to get it into their own pockets. It was as if not doing so would be a betrayal of their own conscience!’

From his time in the Imperial Capital, His Majesty the King had been like that, as had the sect behind Xie Xiaoyan. After arriving in Penzes City, the duplicity of the Southern King, Li Wutong, made Ling Xiao realize even more starkly how cruel this world was. The struggles between people and their dark machinations were far more complex than in the Cultivation Realm he had known.

So, Ling Xiao was always learning, silently enduring and growing. Fortunately, he had always had trustworthy friends, loyal subordinates, a caring family, and deeply affectionate female confidantes by his side.

There was Yisha, who had abandoned her family; Feng Ling, who had traveled a thousand miles for him; Song Mingyue, who had stood by him through life and death; and in his arms... Ye Zi.

A beautiful curve formed at the corners of Ling Xiao’s lips. For the first time, he realized just how much he truly had!

Without even realizing it, he had already gathered several beautiful confidantes!

He had also acquired many treasures, building his collection from nothing. There was the Urgently Cold Cauldron, refined from Cold Iron Essence worthy of being an Innate Magical Treasure, which could be used for Artifact Refining and as a defensive shelter! And the Spatial Container, the masterpiece of this world’s greatest Alchemy Master! It could preserve Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for eons! It could only be described as a miracle!

Ling Xiao had a nagging suspicion that this Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron might also have been the work of that same Alchemy Master from the early ancient era. He couldn’t imagine who else could have refined this Cold Iron Essence—a substance so cold its aura alone could freeze a man to death.

However, this was just a guess. After all, there was no proof. This Alchemy Master seemed to be an extremely private person; neither the Spatial Container nor the Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron bore any information about their creator’s identity.

Whoever found them became their master!

This generosity of spirit, when compared to the common practice in the Cultivation Realm—where cultivators would brand their magical treasures with their strongest Divine Sense, rendering them useless until the mark was erased—truly made Ling Xiao feel humbled.

Then there was the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword. To be precise, the demon blood on it was now completely gone, and the red lotus had receded. After being cleansed by the powerful and pure energy of the Deep Sea Demon Chapter, it had become a sword of righteous energy.

The sword is the king of weapons, a Sacred Artifact of old. Before this, the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword was, for all intents and purposes, a demonic sword. Its every aspect fit the profile: it was stained with the blood of a powerful Great Demon, forged from Meteorite Iron from an unknown space, and its growth had been fueled by blood and slaughter as it absorbed the essence of powerful Magical Beasts. It had always left one with a sense of unease, a fear that it might one day turn on its master.

All of this was resolved thanks to the Deep Sea Demon Chapter. The creature had a lifespan of tens of thousands of years and had schemed endlessly, but in a twist of fate, its own cleverness became its downfall, and it was utterly annihilated by Ling Xiao. If the Deep Sea Demon Chapter hadn’t been such an overly cunning Magical Beast and had simply focused on its own cultivation—perhaps by possessing one of its own kind—it probably would have regained its formidable power long ago.

But no, from the very beginning, it had been drawn to unorthodox methods. As a powerful Magical Beast, an overlord of the deep sea, it just had to try to become human by devouring Martial Artists in the Holy Sanctuary to increase its strength. Even after failing, it was not resigned. It spent ten thousand years plotting, its ambition undiminished, even as its soul had cultivated to an almost tangible state, possessing immense power.

But compared to a cultivator like Ling Xiao, whose knowledge was so broad and varied, it was still too naive.

After this battle, the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword also received immense benefits. In the words of the Taoist School, it had obtained a great karmic opportunity. Its evil aura washed away, the demonic blade was transformed into a treasured sword controlled by its wielder, not one that controlled him.

Inside the Spatial Container was a vast collection of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, nearly everything he could ask for. Ling Xiao wouldn’t have to worry about ingredients for Alchemy for a long time.

The Ice Sea Secret Race seemed straightforward. All they wanted was to be accepted and recognized by humanity, and Ling Xiao’s actions had made him the first to do so. The Ice Sea Secret Clan People even saw Ling Xiao as their god.

The Zhe Family hadn’t made any moves. After Ling Xiao’s last meeting with the hidden families and sects, those on good terms with him had all gotten what they wanted.

They might not have bought the Beauty Pills just for the women in their families. In many hidden families and sects, the status of women wasn’t particularly high.

Essentially every family had its own Pharmacists who specialized in researching elixirs and Artifact Refiners who crafted Enchanted Weapons. If they could unlock the secrets of Ling Xiao’s elixirs, it would bring their families an enormous benefit.

Ling Xiao didn’t care about any of this. He wasn’t the least bit afraid of the Beauty Pill’s formula being cracked. If he didn’t have that much confidence, he wouldn’t have released such a wildly profitable elixir in the first place.

Ling Xiao opened his eyes and gazed softly at Ye Zi, whose face shone with a captivating glow. Though their Dual Cultivation had been one of the soul, without physical touch, the joy it brought was no less intense than that of the flesh.

Ye Zi had also just emerged from that state of Enlightenment. In that brief moment, she had clearly felt Ling Xiao’s heart—his Daoxin, wrapped in layers of barriers, a heart that seemed filled with ten thousand years of loneliness. Her own heart ached to discover that Ling Xiao’s Daoxin was so empty it felt as if there was nothing inside at all.

In the corners of that Daoxin, Ye Zi sensed Ling Xiao’s many emotions—for his family, for his lovers, for his friends, and for his enemies. These feelings washed over her, and in that instant, she suddenly comprehended many truths.

The Dao is profoundly mysterious and can only be understood through one’s own efforts to achieve enlightenment.

Moreover, once you’ve achieved it, you’ve achieved it; there’s no faking it. In this, Ye Zi had taken her first step onto the path. And surprisingly, she was also walking Ling Xiao’s Path of Emotion.

Her heart was completely tied to Ling Xiao’s, like a vine clinging to a towering tree. The more magnificently the tree grew, the more vibrant and beautiful the vine became. If the tree withered, the vine would also die.

Ye Zi reached out, her pale wrists revealed as her delicate hands gently traced Ling Xiao’s cheeks. Her misty eyes were as gentle as water, crinkling into two beautiful crescents. She wrinkled her elegant nose slightly and said softly, "Ling Xiao, your heart feels so empty. From now on, I’m going to fill it!"

Ling Xiao reached out, catching her jade-like hands, and chuckled. "You little rascal, you’re quite ambitious. Since you have a Spirit Root and have stepped through the gates of the Taoist Sect, you must cultivate diligently. Ye Zi, I believe that one day, you will find your family. If you become powerful enough, you can help them if they are in trouble!"

Ye Wen Ni’s expression dimmed. Her eyelids lowered as she lightly bit her lip, her thick eyelashes fluttering. "You’re right," she said. "Even if I can’t find my family in this life, I will still work hard to become strong... for you!"

「Early the next morning.」

Ling Xiao rose before dawn and took Ye Zi outside, sitting with her and teaching her how to absorb the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. He planned for her to follow a step-by-step process, starting her cultivation from the Qi Cultivation Stage. When the time came for her Foundation Establishment, he would refine a Foundation Establishment Pill and help her build her foundation in one fell swoop, making Ye Zi this world’s second... Cultivator!

Outside the Marquis’s Mansion, a series of hurried footsteps sounded. A tall, slender man in black, wearing a large conical hat that hid his face, approached the mansion gates. In a flash, he was at the entrance.

Several guards immediately appeared and surrounded him, staring coldly at the man in black. One of them said in a low voice, "You are trespassing at the Marquis’s Mansion. State your purpose!"

"Easy, friends," the man said. "I am a disciple of the Marquis and have urgent business to report!"

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