bookandnovel Chapter 14578 Lin Muying is unwilling
Chapter 14578 Lin Muying is unwilling
Ling Xiao walked up to Lin Lang, whose face was expressionless. He took out twenty source crystals from his storage ring and pushed them over... This was the winner's prize.
Ling Xiao didn't take it, but stared intently at him: "Continue matching opponents."
Lin Lang suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt: "You just finished a battle, your breathing is a little disordered, and you've expended a lot of energy. Are you sure you want to continue?"
"Confirmed." Ling Xiao's tone was calm yet firm, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Now is the time when fighting spirit is boiling, and also the best opportunity to temper oneself."
He craved this kind of battle so much... a life-or-death struggle stripped of spiritual enhancements and divine weapon effects, relying purely on his own foundation, combat skills, and willpower.
Although his brief encounter with Zhang Hong wasn't particularly dangerous, it gave him a more nuanced understanding of controlling power and seizing opportunities.
This kind of down-to-earth improvement is far more solid and reassuring than relying on external things.
External things, however powerful, are ultimately fleeting and illusory; only by strengthening oneself can one stand firm in dire straits.
Lin Lang stared at him for a few moments, and seeing his resolute expression, he said nothing more, waving his hand to reactivate the arena formation. Amidst the surging blue light, another figure with a powerful aura slowly materialized at the other end of the arena…
From then on, Ling Xiao embarked on an almost insane path of training in the Death Arena.
Day after day, aside from necessary rest and recovery to process his combat insights, he spent almost all his time in the arena. His opponents changed constantly, growing stronger and stronger, and each battle became increasingly dangerous.
He was once cornered by a demonic cultivator who was skilled in shadow assassination. The cultivator's movements were unpredictable and ghostly, and his dagger, gleaming with a poisoned light, sliced through his shoulder blade and broke three of his ribs.
But he gritted his teeth and used his demonic power to disrupt his opponent's mind, then used the momentum to counterattack and win the victory despite his wounded body.
He once clashed with a strong man who practiced a fierce fist technique. The man's body was as strong as a wild beast, and his fist could split rocks. The two fought hard for dozens of rounds. Ling Xiao's arms were covered in blood and flesh, but he shattered the man's arm bones by using his more exquisite power and stood until the end.
He even encountered a martial artist with exceptionally strong spiritual power, skilled in mental techniques. The invisible mental impact nearly destroyed his sea of consciousness. In the critical moment, Ling Xiao drew upon his demonic intent to protect his mind, turning the opponent's spiritual power back on him, rendering him insane, and winning without a fight.
The repeated near-defeats and brushes with death did not deter Ling Xiao; instead, they fueled his excitement.
Every push to the limit, every near-death experience, made him clearly see his shortcomings: the subtle sluggishness in the transitions between moves, the unnecessary losses in power conversion, and his unfamiliarity in dealing with bizarre attacks...
He noted down these weaknesses one by one and deliberately made up for them and honed them repeatedly in subsequent battles.
His swordsmanship became increasingly refined and fierce, combining strength and gentleness. At times, it was as heavy as a mountain pressing down, and at other times as light and agile as a swallow soaring in the air. The use of demonic intent also became increasingly hidden and cunning. It could be condensed into a blade to tear apart the enemy's body, or it could be transformed into something invisible to erode the mind. It was difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake, and it was impossible to defend against.
His aura, refined and precipitated through intense life-or-death battles, evolved from its initial sharpness to a deeper, more restrained depth.
They appear ordinary on ordinary days, but only when they strike do they unleash a chilling sharpness, like a peerless, deadly blade hidden in its sheath, ready to draw blood when drawn.
……
The dark, secret chamber deep within the city lord's mansion in Jueling City.
Lin Muying sat alone on the cold jade bed, several jade slips shimmering with a faint light floating in front of her. Inside were all the information she had gathered about Ling Xiao using the vast intelligence network of Jueling City...
Every detail, from his initial appearance in a remote town in the Realm of Annihilation, to stirring up trouble in the Holy Temple, killing the Watchers, and then to every battle he fought after entering the Arena of Extinction, was recorded.
An old man in black robes stood silently behind her like a shadow, his voice as deep as an ancient well:
“City Lord, this boy’s origins are too strange. His father, Ling Xiao, has long been lost to the past, as if he appeared out of thin air. Yet he has connections with several ancient beings in the Silent Realm who have been living in seclusion for thousands of years, and has even gained the favor and protection of some of them… This is no coincidence.”
He paused, his tone becoming even more grave: "The most troublesome one is that woman named Yue Nu. Our spies have exhausted all means, even sacrificing several core members, but they still cannot find out her background. She is like... someone who has never existed in any records, yet possesses terrifying strength that can crush even those in the Returning to Truth Realm."
Lin Muying lightly stroked the jade slip with her fingertips, her eyes filled with complex and unfathomable emotions, including greed, fear, and a hint of barely perceptible curiosity: "A young man who appeared out of nowhere, followed by a mysterious and unpredictable powerhouse, who can also stir up the stagnant waters of the Silent Realm... the secrets he holds are probably more numerous than we can imagine."
"Even if ten World Lords joined forces and used all their strength to surround and kill her, could they capture the Moon Maiden?"
Lin Muying suddenly spoke, her voice as cold as ice, exploding in the deathly silent room, carrying a hint of desperate probing.
The old man in black robes shuddered, his breath caught in his throat, and he lowered his head, his voice unusually solemn: "The Realm Lord level is already the pinnacle of combat power in the Silent Realm. Ten of them working together are enough to sweep away any ancient sect and flatten a vast territory. But facing that Moon Maiden... I dare not make any rash judgments, and I don't even see the slightest chance of victory."
Lin Muying remained silent for a long time, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the cold jade bed. Finally, she suddenly stood up and said in a resolute tone, "Come with me to see Qingluan."
In the west of the city, there is a street-facing tavern with mottled walls.
Qingluan leaned against the carved wooden window, toying with a celadon wine cup in her hand, pouring herself a drink. Her purple dress gleamed coldly in the dim light, and her languid and leisurely demeanor was completely out of place with the noisy drinking games around her, as if she had created her own world.
Lin Muying pushed open the door and entered, sitting directly opposite her. With a flick of her palm, a pale blue light enveloped the table, completely isolating it from the surrounding noise. She didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point: "Qingluan, if my Jueling City were to spare no expense in uniting with the surrounding forces..."
"No."
Qingluan raised her hand to interrupt her, tapping her fingertips on the rim of her cup. Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable resolve as she looked at her with a half-smile, "Aying, put away your greed. Let alone ten Realm Lords, even if you multiply that by ten and gather a hundred Realm Lords, going there would only be suicide... The only difference is that she would need to expend some effort to clean up the mess."
Lin Muying's pupils contracted sharply, her body lurched forward, and her voice trembled: "What level has she reached? Could it be... that she has transcended the human realm and entered the legendary realm?"
Qingluan put down her wine cup, her gaze fixed on the distant sky outside the window, her tone as ethereal as mist: "Realm? To her, that's nothing more than a meaningless label set by bored people. The opponents in this world who could make her take anything even slightly serious are probably people we wouldn't even be worthy of seeing." (End of Chapter)