Training

Training

Three days later.

Black Stone City

A young man strolled down the street. He wore a black robe, his blue-silver hair flowing down his back. A half-mask covered his face, revealing only a pair of blue-gold eyes. He stood around 1.7 meters tall. It was Xiao Ling, who had left Jia Nan Academy for training.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a little boy who looked eleven or twelve pushed through the crowd and rushed toward him, seemingly fleeing from something. Yet his path, intentionally or otherwise, was aimed straight at Xiao Ling.

Bang!

Before he came within two meters of them, the little boy was violently swatted away. His chest seemed to have taken a heavy blow and caved in slightly. He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, struggled a few times, then collapsed onto the ground. Without prompt treatment, such injuries would likely prove fatal. Several small coin pouches also fell from his chest, exposing his identity.

Xiao Ling withdrew his outstretched hand, his gaze utterly cold. With a slight activation of the Absorption Palm, several pouches of gold coins flew into his hand and were stored in the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night.

Several concealed gazes lurking in the shadows of the street gradually withdrew as well.

It had already been three days since he left Jia Nan Academy. Since Xiao Ling had used the Hundred Thousand Year Blue Silver Emperor Torso Bone's Disguise skill to maintain the appearance of a five-star Dou Shi, those above Da Dou Shi disdained to target him on the road to Black Stone City, while those below Dou Shi did not dare provoke him.

Those who came to trouble Xiao Ling were all Dou Shi and Da Dou Shi. In the end, Xiao Ling robbed every last one of them.

He still remembered the two five-star Da Dou Shi who had tracked him. Once he entered an alley, the two surrounded him. Xiao Ling first pretended to surrender. When one of them approached, he ambushed him, then fought the other one-on-one for several exchanges before killing him.

The two men had been dumbfounded at the time. Xiao Ling merely said, "You two aren't bad. You can keep being brothers in the Myriad Soul Banner." Then he collected them both into the Myriad Soul Banner.

He entered a fairly lavish inn and walked to the front desk. Xiao Ling said to the fat man behind it, "Book me a room."

The fat man had been napping behind the counter. When he saw someone enter the inn, he gave Xiao Ling a careful once-over, and a glint of gold flashed through his tiny eyes.

Xiao Ling casually tossed over a small coin pouch, packed full of gold coins that clinked and jingled.

The greed in the fat man's eyes surged. He weighed the pouch in his hand, then looked at the Storage Ring on Xiao Ling's hand and the belt around his waist. The greed in his smile only grew, though he said with feigned disdain, "This is the best inn in town. That little money isn't enough."

"You'll need to add at least another ten... no, twenty gold coins."

Beneath his black robe, Xiao Ling lowered his eyes without any reaction and tossed over another pouch.

Seeing Xiao Ling's generous manner, the fat man seemed to see a colossal fat sheep before him and became even more enthusiastic. "Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment. I'll arrange a room for you right away."

At the same time, he cursed inwardly for having asked too little. But he could make a tidy profit tonight. A mere Dou Shi possessing two storage tools had to be worth a fortune.

Entering his room, Xiao Ling looked around. It was not particularly luxurious, but it was fully furnished with tables, chairs, and a bed.

He walked to the bed and sat cross-legged, taking out a wanted poster from the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night.

A closer look revealed that the portrait on it was none other than the fat man downstairs, along with some basic information.

[Tang Ritian, skilled in Hammer Technique Dou Skills, cultivation: eight-star Da Dou Shi. Runs an inn in Black Stone City and frequently murders guests within it.]

Storing the wanted poster back in his belt, Xiao Ling muttered to himself, "A true hunter always appears as prey. Hopefully, the battle will be over tonight. It'll be a good chance to test the power of the Dou Skill I previously imitated and created."

No longer thinking about it, he sat cross-legged and formed a cultivation hand seal, beginning his training. His body started absorbing Dou Qi, while his Soul Perception remained constantly alert to every movement around the room.

At three in the morning, the moon shone bright amid sparse stars.

While cultivating, Xiao Ling discovered a figure approaching his room.

Focusing his Soul Perception, he found that it was Tang Ritian from downstairs. Tang Ritian held a pitch-black sledgehammer in his hand, his eyes brimming with greed.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling swiftly withdrew from cultivation. He first used the Disguise skill to conceal his aura, then summoned the Blazing Wolf Beast Fire and the Nether Sea Flood Dragon Beast Beast Fire, merging them together. Once their energies reached equilibrium, they formed a strange flaming lotus.

His Soul Perception focused outside the door. The instant Tang Ritian opened the room door, Xiao Ling immediately hurled a Buddha's Rage Fire Lotus at him.

Sensing tremendous energy hurtling toward him, Tang Ritian hastily swung his great hammer and shouted, "How can it be this strong? Take my ultimate technique, the Great Sumeru Hammer!" Unfortunately, before he could swing it out, the fire lotus had already landed on him and exploded before his chest. Fortunately, he activated his Dou Qi Armor in time. Otherwise, he might have been blasted straight into ashes.

Boom!

A massive hole was immediately blasted through the inn, and flames began spreading in every direction.

Xiao Ling had already leapt out the window and moved some distance away, so he was unaffected. But Tang Ritian had taken the Buddha's Rage Fire Lotus at point-blank range. One of his arms was now a bloody mess, and burns of all sizes covered his body.

Seeing Xiao Ling standing there unscathed and staring at him with indifferent eyes, Tang Ritian ignored his injuries and fled into the distance.

But Xiao Ling had no intention of giving him that chance. The moment he spotted Tang Ritian, he charged after him.

Seeing the Dou Qi Armor on Xiao Ling's body, Tang Ritian knew he had been set up. Already seriously injured, he had almost no hope of escaping. He shouted at Xiao Ling, "Young hero, this was all my fault today. I'll serve you like an ox or horse. Please spare this lowly man's worthless life."

Yet deep hatred lay hidden in his pleading eyes. He had already sensed that Xiao Ling was merely a one-star Da Dou Shi. He planned to ambush Xiao Ling once his guard was down. With his strength as an eight-star Da Dou Shi, he would surely succeed and kill him in one strike.

But Xiao Ling gave him no chance to continue speaking. Using Wind Chasing Steps, he rapidly closed in on Tang Ritian. Under Tang Ritian's terrified gaze, he sent a Crimson Flame Fist at his heart meridian. Although Tang Ritian raised his great hammer to block it, it was knocked aside after two seconds of deadlock. Before Tang Ritian's horrified eyes, Xiao Ling's fist pierced through his chest.

Xiao Ling's combat principle was simple: strike when you're sick and finish you off. He had seen too many villains die from talking too much. Xiao Ling had no intention of becoming such an idiot villain.

He withdrew his fist, burned away the blood on it with Beast Fire, then took Tang Ritian's Storage Ring. He collected his soul into the Myriad Soul Banner, recorded the corpse with a Residue Crystal, draped himself in a black robe, and disappeared into the night.