Chapter 33: The Ling Family Ancestor

"How did Ling Xiao become so powerful!"

Everyone knew Ling Xiao.

Those who had once mocked or looked down on him were now wearing embarrassed, stunned expressions, their hearts filled with trepidation.

They could not believe that Ling Xiao had actually defeated Ling Tiehand, the fourth-ranked member of the Elite Hall!

How was this possible!

Ling Chong was so terrified that he fell directly to his knees. He was deathly afraid that Ling Xiao would come to settle scores with him, and at this moment, no one here could help him.

"Don't worry, I generally have no interest in trash!"

Ling Xiao looked down disdainfully at the kneeling Ling Chong. This man, who had once bullied and humiliated him almost every single day, was now kneeling before him.

A profound sense of pride and excitement surged in his heart.

As expected, once you gain strength, you can reclaim your dignity.

"Trash, is it?"

Bitterness welled up in Ling Chong's heart as he thought of how he used to call Ling Xiao by that very word.

Now, the tables had turned.

"Brother Feng, what should we do? He won! He actually beat Ling Tiehand... he's definitely going to come after me for revenge..."

Ling Yu had long since lost her persona as a proud little princess. She was trembling all over, her eyes filled with terror.

Even though Ling Xiao hadn't even spared her a glance, she was still paralyzed with fear.

This was likely what people called "a guilty conscience."

"Hmph, that's just because Ling Tiehand was foolish."

Ling Feng also looked a bit nervous, but he always found ways to comfort himself.

"If Ling Tiehand hadn't forcibly used the Instant Strike secret technique and exhausted his true qi, the loser would have inevitably been Ling Xiao. Sister Yu, don't be afraid. I am about to master the secret of transforming Qi into Gang. Once I condense Gang Qi, I can kill him in a single move!"

"That's right! You're right, Brother Feng! He's only good at movement techniques; he has almost no actual attack moves."

Hearing Ling Feng's words, Ling Yu breathed a sigh of relief and clung tightly to his arm.

The only person she could rely on now was Ling Feng.

If even Ling Feng was no match for Ling Xiao, then she truly would have no protector left.

Ling Yihang, who had been keeping his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth as he said calmly, "Yixue, I'm afraid we have encountered a true challenger."

In his estimation, within the entire Elite Hall, only Ling Yixue was qualified to challenge him.

Now, there was another potential challenger: Ling Xiao.

"Senior Brother, you are too kind. I am still far from your level. However, this Ling Xiao is progressing truly fast. If he can master the method of transforming Qi into Gang, he really will pose a threat to you."

Ling Yixue's bright eyes shimmered.

She knew that Ling Yihang was the only disciple in the entire Elite Hall who had mastered Gang Qi.

...

"Old Master Ling has emerged from seclusion!"

Just as the crowd was buzzing with discussion, marveling at Ling Xiao's sudden growth, a voice rang out.

The clamor ceased instantly.

Everyone's attention shifted forward.

That was where Old Master Ling had been in seclusion.

*Boom!*

A powerful aura erupted from behind the stone doors, and a robust, elderly man dressed in coarse martial attire stepped out of the stone chamber.

Though he was clearly in his sixties or seventies, he walked with such vigor and strength that he hardly seemed like an old man at all.

"Is that Old Master Ling? One of the four great experts of Tianfeng City! The Patriarch of the Ling Clan!"

Ling Xiao was also somewhat excited.

He looked up, and his Mountain and River Martial Soul suddenly activated, attempting to peer through Old Master Ling's cultivation level.

However, what appeared in his vision was a mass of energy as sharp as a blade.

The gap in strength was too vast; even the Mountain and River Martial Soul could not analyze Old Master Ling's information.

Old Master Ling's real name was Ling Xiaotian.

Years ago, he had single-handedly stormed a Black Scarf bandit nest, slaughtering hundreds of them and killing one of their leaders.

To this day, that legendary tale still circulated throughout Tianfeng City.

The Black Scarf bandits hated Ling Xiaotian, yet they dared not touch the Ling family precisely because of his existence.

Ling Xiaotian's gaze suddenly swept toward the disciples below.

This aura forced many disciples to suddenly drop to their knees, unable to control their bodies. This invisible pressure was simply too terrifying.

Of course, a few people remained standing.

The two disciples from the Genius Hall still wore smiles on their faces; they had experienced this aura long ago. As long as one possessed Gang Qi within their body, they would not be affected.

Old Master Ling was testing the disciples' strength.

Four others also remained standing.

Ling Yihang, with a calm expression.

Ling Yixue, with a slight frown.

Ling Feng, who was using his longsword to prop himself up, having just managed to stabilize his body.

And finally, Ling Xiao. When he felt his body was about to buckle, the pressure was actually easily neutralized by his Mountain and River Martial Soul.

Consequently, he appeared even more composed than Ling Yixue.

"Incredible!"

"Is this the strength of the strongest person in Tianfeng City? When will we ever reach his level?"

"Don't even dream about it. Old Master Ling's strength isn't something easily attained."

"We should just focus on condensing our Gang Qi first."

Despite being on their knees, the disciples felt no resentment; instead, they were filled with longing and anticipation.

They were filled with awe and worship.

The Fourth Stage of the Martial Vein, the Gang Qi Stage, and the title of Martial Apprentice—these were the realms that countless martial artists in the Northern Han Kingdom and the entire world dreamed of achieving.

Once, such expectations were nothing more than a pipe dream for Ling Xiao.

However, now that he knew there was a Transcendental Ninth Stage above the Ninth Stage of the Martial Vein, his mindset had undergone a massive shift, and his horizons had broadened.

The Fourth Stage of the Martial Vein was merely a stepping stone to him, a short-term goal.

His current dream was to enter the Transcendental Realm.

"This batch of disciples is the worst I have ever seen!"

Ling Xiaotian suddenly spoke.

"Hehe, the Old Master is using that routine again," the two disciples from the Genius Hall whispered with a chuckle.

"Yeah, we said the same thing back in our day. Actually, this batch is quite impressive; four of them actually withstood his pressure."

"Exactly. The Old Master is actually quite pleased."

As they spoke, they suddenly felt a warning gaze from Ling Xiaotian. They hurriedly stuck out their tongues and shut their mouths.

Ling Xiaotian continued, "As everyone knows, the Ninth Stage of the Martial Vein is divided into three phases: the Awakening Stage, the Gang Qi Stage, and the Qi Burst Stage! One earns the titles of Martial Student, Martial Apprentice, and Martial Master respectively!"

Though his voice was not loud, it had immense penetrating power. Even from hundreds of meters away, it could be heard clearly.

What Old Master Ling said was essentially common knowledge; any member of the Ling family who practiced martial arts would know it.

[Awakening Stage]: Primarily focused on physical training and condensing true qi to build a solid foundation for cultivating stronger martial arts.

[Gang Qi Stage]: When true qi reaches a certain level and the body can no longer contain it, one must condense the true qi into Gang Qi. Gang Qi is purer and can injure enemies from a distance, with power far exceeding that of true qi.

[Qi Burst Stage]: Although there is no fundamental change in the internal energy—it remains Gang Qi—the reserves of Gang Qi at this stage are incomparable to before. At this point, the focus shifts to cultivating more powerful martial arts. With the instantaneous burst of Gang Qi, a single person can easily withstand ten thousand, and it is even possible to destroy a village with a single punch.

Many books record that a Martial Master at the peak of the Ninth Stage of the Martial Vein can often face an entire enemy army single-handedly, and killing ten thousand people is considered normal.

Once one reaches this realm, they are essentially considered invincible in the eyes of secular martial artists.

(End of Chapter)