Ling Xiao had a 40% chance of victory while his opponent had a 60% chance. Naturally, this was just based on their surface strength. In a real fight, he felt that his chances were much higher.
After all, his advantage from his Landscape Martial Soul was too big.
“Little Thief, you have a sharp tongue, but you cannot escape death today! Although your strength is close to Peak Rank Four Martial Vein, and that flying sword attack even reached the attack power of a Peak Rank Five Martial Vein, you will still die!”
The robust man claimed this, but he didn’t actually move.
Ling Xiao knew the man feared his flying sword.
The robust man knew that that unpredictable yet powerful flying sword was the greatest threat.
“Since I’ll die soon, can you tell me who sent you all to kill me?” Ling Xiao suddenly asked.
The robust man rolled his eyes and laughed, “You want to know? I’ll tell you! It was your Ling Clan’s Ling…”
His voice suddenly became very quiet.
Ling Xiao took a step forward to hear it better.
“Chance!”
The robust man hideously grinned.
Although he had told the truth, his aim was not to inform Ling Xiao; he only wanted him to make a mistake.
Now, he instantly moved.
Despite having a large, robust body, in just one jump, he instantly closed on Ling Xiao.
This was not a movement technique, only pure physical strength.
“Die!”
The robust man seemed to remember the dead, fat, old man and the vicious-looking woman as fury clouded his face. He roared, and his hands changed into claws midair.
Those claws unexpectedly glimmered like steel.
However, a smile also appeared on Ling Xiao’s face.
“Not good!”
A sword light pierced through the air.
Startled, the robust man tried to halt his attack.
He was very clear about this sword’s power that matched a Peak Rank Five Martial Vein martial artist’s.
Although he had a cultivation base of Peak Rank Five Martial Vein, his defense was only at initial stage Rank Five Martial Vein, so he could not resist the attack.
In midair, it was impossible to dodge; he could only block.
“Fortunately, this kid’s flying sword is rather straightforward. Although it’s fast, I can block it!”
After his initial panic, the robust man quickly calmed himself.
His claws directly grabbed at the flying sword. Since his attack power was similarly at Peak Rank Five Martial Vein, he wouldn’t suffer any losses in this head-on collision.
However, he didn’t notice Ling Xiao’s disdainful smile.
“Eh?”
The moment the sword light and his claws were about to collide, the light suddenly disappeared.
The robust man trembled. In a fight, an opponent’s attack suddenly disappearing was a terrifying thing.
He anxiously searched for it, nearly overwhelmed in fear.
However, this fear didn’t last long.
His head and body separated. That kind of feeling was too strange: he could see blood spurting from his own neck.
“His sword can actually change directions?”
This was his last thought.
“Hu——!”
After confirming the robust man’s death, Ling Xiao directly sat on the ground.
This battle had seemed fast but had actually been dangerous.
If that robust man hadn’t jumped over during Ling Xiao’s “weakness,” even with changing his sword’s trajectory, he wouldn’t have succeeded so easily.
This had been a battle of wits and courage.
One round after another, he had relied on his powerful thinking ability granted by the Landscape Martial Soul to lead his opponent by the nose.
Using this kind of ability also had extreme costs.
The Landscape Martial Soul consumed not only gang qi but also soul power.
If he had remained in that flawless planning state any longer, the aftermath would not be limited to his current exhaustion.
Resting on the ground, Ling Xiao didn’t even bother looting the man’s storage ring.
Weakness of the soul was a lot more uncomfortable than when it happened to his body.
“Hereafter, I will simply call this state “Enter Soul.” I have to learn secret techniques to strengthen my soul in the future. Otherwise, the time period of “Enter Soul” will be too short, and its assistance in battle will be limited.”
Like that, it would be easier to describe and use later.
After resting for about an hour, Ling Xiao slowly stood, shaking off his previous dizziness.
He walked over and took the robust man’s common grade storage ring.
Inside were nearly 50,000 taels of silver, 10,000 taels of gold, and three gang qi pills as well as the peak martial art <Snow Lotus Qi Formula>.
Ling Xiao opened that <Snow Lotus Qi Formula> in surprise. Although he had originally thought of cultivating it, he helplessly shook his head after reading its description.
“<Snow Lotus Qi Formula>, a first-rate peak martial art, is an internal core law. When used with <Snow Lotus Sword Formula>, it’s close to transcendent grade. Only those who have awakened a Snow Lotus Martial Soul or a person born with the Snow Lotus Physique can cultivate it……”
Snow Lotus Martial Soul?
In this world, a martial soul was already as rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn, not to mention such an exotic flower-type martial soul. This martial art was useless.
Still, he would keep it. Perhaps, it would come to use in the future.
Thinking this, he casually threw it into the Landscape Painting.
Eh?
At that instant, something strange happened.
In the small village, an icy mountain materialized.
Many snow lotuses grew along it.
Among them, the one at the peak was the largest and most beautiful.
“Landscape Martial Soul is all-inclusive!”
These words formed above the Landscape Painting.
Even if he were stupid, he would understand what this meant upon considering the icy mountain with snow lotuses.
His Landscape Martial Soul could hold and propagate all creations! It could even emulate a Snow Lotus Martial Soul!
Thus, he could learn this <Snow Lotus Qi Formula>!
He had always wanted a first-rate internal core law. Now, he had obtained one without much effort.
He didn’t know where the robust man found this thing, but clearly, the man had been unable to learn it and left it in his storage ring. Ling Xiao guessed that he had been unable to sell such a specific good.
As for destroying it, he would naturally have been reluctant to part with such a treasure.
Now, Ling Xiao had taken cheap advantage of his reluctance.
Originally, he had planned on immediately cultivating <Snow Lotus Qi Formula>, but he suddenly sensed a dangerous aura approaching.
Using his martial soul, he identified three red dots, indicating three demonic beasts. Moreover, they were extremely dangerous peak demonic beasts.
If it had been just one, he might have stayed to fight with it, but since there were three, he didn’t even think about it. That would be courting death.
After all, demonic beasts were generally stronger than same-level martial artists. Fighting against the equal or higher level demonic beasts would put him at a disadvantage.
“I should return home. Since I’ve received this <Snow Lotus Qi Formula>, I need to raise my cultivation first. As for <Nine Transformation Golden Body Art>, I can cultivate it afterward. As long as I breakthrough to Rank Five Martial Vein, I’m confident in obtaining at least second place in the finals!”
He didn’t dare to aim for first because he was unclear about Ling Feifan’s actual strength.
“Boom!”
Just as he was about to leave, the ground shook.
“Earthquake?”
“No, a large demonic beast is approaching!”
Ling Xiao looked into the distance. In the forest, a huge figure comparable to a small mountain slowly trudged closer.
