Ling Xiao found it a bit strange that Ling Yihang and Ling Yixue had come to see him together all of a sudden.
"Oh, I almost forgot, we’re here to ask if you have gone to the Book Collection Pavilion to claim the Martial Arts,"
Ling Yihang said, cutting in.
"Ah, that matter, thanks to the two of you for reminding me. As a matter of fact, I was just about to go."
Ling Xiao said with a smile, cupping his hands in thanks.
"Ah, top-tier Martial Arts, truly enviable. I was just one spot short."
Ling Yihang sighed, it was impossible not to envy such an opportunity. He was the fourth-ranked in this competition, and only the top three were entitled to claim the top-tier Martial Arts.
"Junior brother, you should hurry and make your choice. Selecting top-tier Martial Arts is a significant matter; we will not disturb you further,"
Ling Yixue said with a smile.
"Thank you for the reminder, senior sister. I will be on my way then."
Ling Xiao bid farewell to Ling Yihang and Ling Yixue and set off for the Book Collection Pavilion.
However, on the way, he heard a startling piece of news.
Ling Feifan had been defeated again.
And not just defeated; he had lost even more miserably this time, succumbing to his opponent in a single move.
"Who did Ling Feifan lose to?"
Ling Xiao had always felt that Ling Feifan was the only disciple in the Ling Family who could pose a threat to him, and now that Ling Feifan had lost in a single move, he couldn’t help but be concerned.
"Senior brother Ling Xiao!"
The two disciples greeted him hurriedly with their hands cupped.
"No need for formalities. Who exactly did Ling Feifan lose to?"
He did not put on airs of superiority; after all, he had also been a lower-ranked disciple and knew the bitterness and frustration of being humiliated.
"It was senior brother Ling Chen!"
"Ling Chen? Who is Ling Chen?"
Ling Xiao was puzzled, for he hadn’t been with the Ling Family for long and hadn’t heard of this name before.
"It’s no wonder Senior Brother Ling Xiao doesn’t know. Four years ago, Senior Brother Ling Chen defeated Ling Feifan and won first place in that year’s ranking competition. He was merely thirteen at the time, and afterward, he traveled the world with a chivalrous expert and has only returned today."
"I see, thank you both."
Ling Xiao took a deep breath; no wonder he didn’t recognize him. It turned out to be someone who was once even more talented than Ling Feifan.
But it didn’t matter. Whoever it was, it didn’t affect him much. His current priority was to continue getting stronger.
After thinking it over, he continued towards the Book Collection Pavilion.
"Senior Brother Ling Xiao is really different. As the number one of the Genius Hall, he is so polite even to us lower-ranked disciples."
"Indeed, much better than that Ling Feifan."
Ling Xiao did not hear the two people’s comments, but even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered. He always acted independently of other people’s opinions.
Before long, he arrived at the Book Collection Pavilion.
However, the person guarding the Book Collection Pavilion today was neither Ling Jiu nor Ling Shisan, but Second Master Ling.
Upon seeing each other, they couldn’t help but exchange a smile.
If previously Second Master Ling had intentions of currying favor with Ling Xiao and using him as a tool in the power struggle, his thoughts had changed by now.
He only wished to maintain a good relationship with Ling Xiao, as he could see that Ling Xiao’s potential was limitless and was definitely someone worth befriending.
"Ling Xiao, you’re here today to take three top-tier Martial Arts, right?"
Second Master Ling asked.
"Come, follow me to the third floor. Most of the Martial Arts there are Advanced Martial Arts, but there are also a few top-tier Martial Arts."
Second Master Ling walked ahead, eagerly introducing things to Ling Xiao.
"Second Master Ling, are there only so many top Martial Arts in the Ling Family?"
Ling Xiao asked, puzzled.
"The Ling Family is one of the Four Great Clans in Tianfeng City, but in the grand scheme of the Northern Han Kingdom, we are merely a seventh-grade family. It’s natural that we don’t have too many top Martial Arts; about twenty or so."
Second Master Ling explained: "Six of them are kept on this third floor; the rest are stored on the fourth level."
"If they’re all top Martial Arts, why is there such a distinction?"
Ling Xiao asked, not understanding.
"In fact, although there isn’t a clear hierarchy among top Martial Arts, they are still divided into three tiers based on their power and rarity: Beginner Stage top Martial Arts, rare top Martial Arts, and superior top Martial Arts."
Second Master Ling answered.
"There’s actually such a division? Eh?"
Upon hearing Second Master Ling’s words, Ling Xiao noticed that new prompts appeared on his Mountain and River Map.
His Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique actually belonged to superior top Martial Arts.
The Snow Lotus Qi Technique was a rare top Martial Art.
Whereas the Soaring Cloud Step: Transforming Dragon and Bull Demon Technique: Condensing Evil Spirits were regarded as Beginner Stage top Martial Arts.
No wonder he felt something was odd; although they were all top Martial Arts, the Nine Rotations Golden Body Technique was obviously much more powerful and also much harder to master.
"This is the third floor; well, feel free to choose. With me here today, you won’t face any time constraints. Choose wisely, and be sure to pick three top Martial Arts that suit you."
Second Master Ling said with a smile.
Having someone around sure made things easier. If it had been Ling Jiu or Ling Shisan guarding the Book Collection Pavilion, he would probably have encountered difficulties again.
"Thank you, Second Master Ling."
Ling Xiao didn’t hesitate to say thanks. The third floor was different from the second one. The six top Martial Arts were clearly labeled, which made choosing much easier.
Even though he no longer rated Advanced Martial Arts, they could still be useful for verifying certain martial techniques.
So, he first looked through all the Advanced Martial Arts on the third floor, copying them directly into the library of his Mountain and River World.
He copied the six top Martial Arts as well.
However, to avoid arousing suspicion, he still pretended to pick and choose for a bit.
Among these six top Martial Arts, there were three that he was particularly interested in.
One of them was the Heavy Shadow Sword Technique.
After much consideration, Ling Xiao still found the elegance and freedom of swordplay appealing, so he decided to try mastering Sword Techniques.
The Heavy Shadow Sword Technique, a Beginner Stage top swordplay technique, had the advantage of creating three shadow avatars during an attack.
These three shadow avatars were identical to the original body, with the strongest being equivalent to fifty percent of the original’s strength.
The shadow avatars weren’t very potent in attack, but their true value lay in their ability to confuse the enemy, allowing Ling Xiao to execute his real lethal moves.
Moreover, possessing a Martial Soul Avatar meant he could have a total of four avatars. For him, mastering the Heavy Shadow Sword Technique would indeed be twice as effective for half the effort.
The second top Martial Art he was interested in was the Sword-Controlling Technique Black Iron Scroll. He wasn’t sure what the "Black Iron" part signified, but he knew for certain it was a Beginner Stage top Martial Art.
This top Martial Art had a similar effect to the Hundred Steps Flying Sword Technique, but the Sword-Controlling Technique Black Iron Scroll was of a higher class, with greatly enhanced attack power and speed.
Most importantly, the Sword-Controlling Technique Black Iron Scroll could produce a sword shadow, resulting in two sword beams per attack and making it exceedingly difficult for enemies to defend.
The third top Martial Art Ling Xiao selected was the Soul Condensation Art, also a Beginner Stage top Martial Art, which was a secret technique for cultivating the soul. It had no other benefit than enhancing Soul Power and strengthening the soul.
Yet, this was particularly vital to Ling Xiao.
As for the remaining three top Martial Arts, he didn’t plan on looking at them for now, understanding the principle that biting off more than one can chew could lead to trouble. It would be time enough to master the other three once he had fully learned the current ones.
The only pity was that all the top Martial Arts available on this third level were merely at the Beginner Stage.
Considering the Ling Family had only about twenty top Martial Arts in total, placing six on the third level was already quite generous. He guessed the rest must be held on the fourth level; unfortunately, he had no chance to access that now.