"How has Ling Xiao become so powerful!"
Everyone who knew Ling Xiao,
those who had once mocked and looked down on him,
were now embarrassed and dumbfounded, filled with dread.
They couldn’t believe that Ling Xiao had actually beaten Ling Tieshou, ranked fourth in the Elite Hall!
How was this possible!
Ling Chong was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground, fearing that Ling Xiao would come after him for trouble, and at that time, no one here would be able to help him.
"Don’t worry, I generally have no interest in trash!"
Ling Xiao looked disdainfully at Ling Chong kneeling on the ground, the person who had almost bullied and humiliated him every day was now kneeling before him.
He felt incredibly proud and excited.
Indeed, with strength, one could reclaim their dignity.
Ling Chong’s heart was filled with bitterness; he remembered how he often used to say these two words to Ling Xiao.
But now the tables had turned.
"Brother Feng, what should we do, he won! He actually beat Ling Tieshou, he will definitely come for revenge..."
Ling Yu no longer had the appearance of a proud little princess; she was trembling all over, her eyes filled with fear.
Even though Ling Xiao didn’t spare her a single glance, she was still terrified.
This was probably what they call a guilty conscience.
"Hmph, that’s just because Ling Tieshou was foolish,"
There was also a hint of nervousness in Ling Feng’s expression, but he could always find reasons to comfort himself.
"If it weren’t for Ling Tieshou foolishly using Instant Strike and depleting all his True Qi, the one who would have lost would’ve been Ling Xiao. Sister Yu, don’t be scared, I’m about to grasp the trick to Qi Transformation into Gang; once I condense Gang Qi, I can kill him with one move!"
"That’s right! Brother Feng, you’re right, he’s just good at Body Movement Technique and hardly has any attacking moves,"
Hearing Ling Feng’s words, Ling Yu instantly breathed a sigh of relief, and hugged his arm tightly.
Right now, he was the only one she could rely on.
If even Ling Feng wasn’t a match for Ling Xiao, then she really would have no one to turn to.
Ling Yihang, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and a slight smile appeared on his lips as he said softly, "Yi Xue, it seems we have met a real challenger."
In his eyes, among everyone in the Elite Hall, only Ling Yixue was qualified to challenge him.
Now there was one more person who seemed like they might challenge him, Ling Xiao.
"Brother, you’re too kind. I am still far from being able to compare with you. However, Ling Xiao has indeed improved rapidly. If he can master the method of Qi Transformation into Gang, he could indeed pose a threat to you,"
Ling Yixue’s bright eyes sparkled.
She knew that Ling Yihang was the only disciple in the entire Elite Hall who had mastered Gang Qi.
"Elder Ling has come out of seclusion!"
Just as everyone was buzzing with discussion, shocked and bewildered by Ling Xiao’s newfound strength, a voice exclaimed.
The noisy chatter immediately stopped.
Everyone’s attention turned to the front.
That was where Elder Ling had been in seclusion.
A powerful aura burst forth from behind the stone gate, and an old but robust man dressed in coarse linen, stepped out of the stone chamber.
He was clearly in his sixties or seventies, yet his stride was vigorous, hardly befitting an old man.
"Is that Elder Ling, one of the four great experts of Tianfeng City! The Clan Leader of the Ling Clan!"
Ling Xiao was somewhat excited too.
He looked up, and his Mountain and River Martial Soul suddenly started operating, attempting to perceive Elder Ling’s cultivation level.
However, what appeared was an aura sharp as a blade’s edge.
The difference in strength was too great; even the Mountain and River Martial Soul couldn’t decipher Elder Ling’s message.
Elder Ling’s given name was Ling Xiaotian.
In the past, he once ventured alone into the Black Scarf Thief Lair and slaughtered hundreds of Black Scarf Thieves, also killing one of their leaders.
To this day, this heroic tale is still circulated in Tianfeng City.
The Black Scarf Thieves despised Ling Xiaotian, yet they did not dare touch the Ling Family, all because of his presence.
Ling Xiaotian’s gaze suddenly shifted towards the audience below.
This aura compelled many disciples to suddenly kneel on the ground, completely unable to control their bodies. The invisible pressure was simply too terrifying.
Of course, there were a few who remained standing.
The two from Genius Hall still wore smiles on their faces, having experienced this aura before. As long as one possessed Gang Qi inside their body, they wouldn’t be affected.
Elder Ling was testing the disciples’ strength.
There were four other people standing as well.
One was Ling Yihang, with an indifferent expression.
One was Ling Yixue, her brows slightly furrowed.
One was Ling Feng, who used his longsword to support himself on the ground, just managing to keep his body under control.
The other was Ling Xiao, who, just when he felt his body was about to give in, found the oppressive force easily dissolved by the Mountain and River Martial Soul.
So, he appeared even more at ease than Ling Yixue.
"Is this the strength of the strongest man in Tianfeng City? When will we reach his level?"
"Stop dreaming, Elder Ling’s strength isn’t so easily attained."
"Let’s just focus on condensing Gang Qi for now."
Although they knelt on the ground, the disciples were not in the least bit dissatisfied, but rather filled with longing and anticipation.
They were full of reverence and adoration.
Martial Vein Quadruple Layer, Gang Qi Stage, and the title of Wu Tu were realms countless Martial Artists in the Northern Han Kingdom and indeed the entire world dreamt of reaching.
Once, such expectations were merely a beautiful dream to Ling Xiao.
However, now that he knew there were Transcendent Nine Realms above the Ninth Layer Pinnacle of Martial Veins,
his mentality had undergone a significant shift, and his horizons had broadened.
To him, the Martial Vein Quadruple Layer was just a stepping stone, a short-term goal.
His current dream was to enter the Transcendent Realm.
"You disciples of this generation are the worst I’ve ever seen!"
Ling Xiaotian suddenly spoke up.
"Hehe, the old man is at it again," whispered two disciples from Genius Hall, unable to help but laugh softly.
"Right, he said the same thing to us back in the day. Actually, this generation is quite impressive; to think that four people have withstood his pressure."
"That’s true, Elder Ling is actually quite pleased."
As they spoke, they suddenly felt the warning glare from Ling Xiaotian and quickly stuck out their tongues, closing their mouths immediately.
Ling Xiaotian continued, "As everyone knows, the Ninth Layer of Martial Veins is divided into three stages—the Awakening Stage, the Gang Qi Stage, and the Explosive Qi Stage! The respective titles obtained are Martial Student, Wu Tu, and Martial Master!"
Although his voice was not loud, it had an incredible penetrating power. Even several hundred meters away, it could be heard clearly.
These words from Elder Ling were actually common knowledge. Any member of the Ling Clan who practiced Martial Arts knew this.
[Awakening Stage]: Mainly focused on tempering the body, condensing True Qi, and laying a solid foundation for cultivating stronger Martial Arts.
[Gang Qi Stage]: When True Qi is condensed to a certain level and the body can no longer contain it, it’s time to condense True Qi, transforming it into Gang Qi, which is purer and can injure from afar, with power far surpassing True Qi.
[Explosive Qi Stage]: Although the energy within the body doesn’t fundamentally change and is still Gang Qi, the amount stored at this stage is incomparably more than before. The focus is on cultivating more powerful Martial Arts, allowing for instantaneous explosive attacks. With the power of one person, one could easily withstand thousands, and it’s possible for a single punch to destroy a village.
Many records state that Martial Masters at the pinnacle of the Ninth Layer often face enemy armies single-handedly, and easily slaughtering thousands is quite normal.
Once one cultivates to this realm, they are basically invincible in the eyes of common Martial Artists.