Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 127 Part 1! Hope you'll enjoy it!
This week: Like I mentioned previously, I've been altering my writing process in terms of how much words I write every time, which day of the week I'm writing on, etc. The result is pretty good so far, with not only my 'productivity' increasing(I'm getting closer to two advance chapters a week), but I also have much more free time overall, so it's really win-win. I even have a bit of time to set up the next book series, mainly the Power System which will be more Martial Art/Body Refinement than the one used in the current story. The 'Golden Finger' will also be different, though there will be some similarities with the current Three perks one Gotta give the MC some advantages, otherwise, what's the point, right? The last thing I can tell you about it is that it will take place in a Europe/China Martial Art Medieval World, where I will mix what I like from both time period and fantasy novels I read before. A bit like the story you're currently reading. It's just advance preparation, though, since the story won't come out for a while for obvious reason. Well, since my writing speed is increasing, the time needed may be shorter than predicted. Who knows?
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Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Omniscient P.O.V.
Letting out a sigh, the other man declared. "What else can we do but provide resources? I mean, it's not as if we could do anything more for her." Seeing the frown on her face, he understood that, as her first real friend, Adeliya had a special place in her heart, and if she were to fall, it might damage Ling's Dao Heart. If he were to be honest with himself, though he was not as close to the redhead as his wife was, saying that he would feel nothing if she were to fall during her Tribulation would be a lie, especially since he knew that Demian, his pupil, would most likely be devastated. Thus, he racked his brain, when an 'old' educated guess resurfaced in his mind, which would, if proven true, completely remove Ling's worries. Thus, in a bid to soothe her fear, he chose to share it with his wife, even though it was still merely speculation. "Actually, I have a theory about Demian's and Seraphine's... Peculiarities, shall we say. It's nothing certain, mind you, but I think it's quite likely." Having grabbed the woman's attention, he continued. "I think those abnormalities originate from Demian, though I'm not sure if it's a peculiar physique or a special Item. Also, I think it can be used by others, which is why Seraphine shows the same attributes. Now, since Liya and Bryn don't exhibit the same peculiarities, I believe that it should be somewhat related to Dual Cultivation. If that's true, then it shouldn't be long before those two benefits from Demian's 'gifts'. As soon as she does, Liya's foundation should receive a massive boost, at least if the effect is the same as for Seraphine." The knowing smile on his face brought a few giggles to the now much more relaxed Asian-looking woman, who stated. "Because they're pretty much a couple... Or is it quadrouple? Anyway, I see your point. If you're right, then..." Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly interrupted by a notification coming from her communication token. While bringing it out, she noticed her husband mirroring her actions with his own Token, giving her a bad premonition. Fortunately, her husband's reassuring words brought her out of her gloomy mood, so she chose not to overthink and instead checked the message she received first. An instant later, her expression turned furious. "That Li Family again. They really love getting in our way! And that Liu Jing! Who does that bitch think she is?! Just because we've been low-key since we reached Peak Core Formation, every cats and dogs think they can walk all over us!" Though Sergei showed no anger outwardly, an intense Killing Intent was growing in his Heart, prompting him to coldly ask. "Do you want to do it, or should I?" Shaking her head, Ling responded in a similar tone. "Since it's a woman, it's better for me to deal with her." Whether that was true or it was simply because she wanted to use that foolish woman as a punching ball, Sergei knew perfectly well in his Heart. 'Too bad I won't be able to show off in front of my student...' He exclaimed inwardly, feeling a bit disappointed at the missed opportunity, while out loud he replied. "Fine. It's best if you use Void Travel in case something unexpected happens."
To be fair, he was not very worried about anything going wrong. After all, even though that 'Senior Protector Captain' did go against them, there was a limit to what she could safely do without consequences. At most, she would probably bully the children and the guards a bit, display her might, and would stop there. Nonetheless, Sergei did not reach his current Cultivation level by being negligent, which was why he reminded Ling to be quick. Nodding her head, the latter replied. "I had the same idea, don't worry. See you in a bit, Darling." As she stood up and was about to leave, she turned back toward Sergei and exclaimed with a radiant smile. "By the way, I love you very much, my dear husband!" Her body then immediately vanished from her previous spot, leaving the dark-haired man's words hanging in the air. "I love you too, my dear Wife." On Ling's side, because she travelled through the Void, though only through its most shallow layer, her speed was incomparable to her normal flying speed. Thus, a mere few seconds later, she had already reached the Wisdom Tide Library's secret realm, where she found herself in front of a scene that made her briefly lose control over her Killing Intent, which ended up with many low-level cultivators below fainting from the mental shock. In less than an instant, her training took over, and she directed it only at that woman floating in the air and about to cripple Wang Xiong. Ling dearly wanted to obliterate that Liu woman on the spot, but she knew she could not because of the City's protective Formation. Thus, she had to go with the next best thing. While using her Aura laced with Void Intent to dissipate the pressure, forcing the Mikhailovs' team of eight and destroying the Metal Element Spell rushing toward Wang with some simple Dark Elemental Energy manipulation, she declared, her tone filled with barely contained fury. "Merely a Senior Protector Captain, and you already think you can order my Serene River Mansion? Is it because of my cultivation base? Well, since you think I'm too weak to deserve respect, let's spar together! We're both at Peak Core Formation, so you can't say I'm bullying you!" Despite having only used a few tens of percent of her true strength in that Spell, Liu Jing felt a shiver coursing through her spine at the ridiculous ease with which it was resolved. After all, the difference between using a Spell and simple Elemental manipulation was extremely different. It was the difference between splashing someone with a certain amount of water and using that same amount through a pressurized water cannon. The results were completely different. Thus, Liu Jing was beginning to realize that she might have made a mistake by dismissing the other party just because she had the same cultivation base. Her previous thought process was: with both of them having the same cultivation base at Peak Core Formation level, the difference in combat power between them could not be that large, right? At most, the other party would have barely reached the Entry Grade of Void through Elemental Intent, which, granted, would have made it impossible for Liu Jing to beat Feng Ling because of the Void's elusive characteristics, and the Captain might have been suppressed by her opponent. However, to vanish her Spell with Elemental manipulation was way beyond 'just suppressing' her. It was merely her speculation, as her power was too weak to clearly ascertain the details, but Feng Ling's Aura reminded Liu Jing of those Void Seed cultivators she met in the past, with two words coming to mind: 'plain transcendence'. On Ling's side, her body swiftly disappeared from her previous location before appearing in front of the Mansion's team of eight people, without anyone being able to see her move. While using a strand of her Mana to help the eight stand up, she exclaimed, completely ignoring the frozen woman still floating in the air, though her Soul Sense covered most of the Secret realm, noting every single person's movement. "I'm sorry you all had to go through all that. It's my mistake thinking that a Senior Protector Captain from the Protector Hall, which is supposed to protect the Federation's citizens, would end up using her position to bully innocents."
That sudden accusation immediately brought Liu Jing's mind back to the current situation, not because of the words themselves, but because of who uttered them. After all, status in the Federation was what mattered the most, with cultivation determining how high that status could be. Before seeing her in the flesh, Liu Jing dismissed the so-called 'Serene River Alchemy Queen' as merely someone having the potential to reach the Void Seed Rank, but now she understood that the woman's fighting prowess had actually reached the level already. As for her exact strength, Jing was too weak to determine its extent. Whatever the case, she had offended the woman, and there was nothing she could do to change that. Fortunately, there was a Heavenly Fire Mansion backing her, and since she had not gone too far, they would probably protect her. As expected, as Ling checked if any of them was injured, giving a few Healing Pills to those who were, a handsome twenty-year-old-looking man sporting orange hair with glints of red and wearing a luxurious looking red and gold hanfu appeared floating in the air by Liu Jing's side, his lips' corners lifted into a 'professional smile' that did little to hide the malicious glint in the man's gaze when directed toward the nine of them. As soon as he appeared, he used his Mana to carry his voice to them. "It's an honor for I, Young Heavenly Fire King, to meet the legendary Serene River Queen in the flesh. I apologize for my friend here, Senior Protector Captain Liu Jing. I understand that her reaction may have been a bit rash. But it's also true that your guard did speak rudely to her, not paying attention to the difference in position and cultivation level." Turning toward the new arrival, Ling's brow furrowed before she retorted, her tone extremely sarcastic. "I see your Li Family is still using the same tricks. Using others while you hide like rats. With so little courage, I really wonder how those old ghosts in your family passed through the Heart Demon Tribulation and reached the Void Seed Rank. The ways of Heaven and Earth are truly mysterious." With each word uttered, Li Tianming felt as if one were stabbing his Heart. As the saying went, 'Words only had the power you gave them'. For the arrogant 'young' man, her accusation was even more painful since he knew she was telling the truth, though he would never admit it out loud. Now, if he were someone with thicker skin, he might have been able to ignore her words. Unfortunately, as a spoiled scion of a Mid Grade King Rank Force, tolerance was not exactly his forte. Thus, Tianming, his expression contorting in anger, was only capable of uttering one word. "You!" Before he could say anything else, Ling, with a disdainful expression, commented. "Seems like your brain matches your courage, uh? Anyway, unless you want to team up with that bitch up there, you better fuck off to the side, like a good dog." The other party's dismissive actions struck a blow to the proud Young King, who exclaimed. "You dare treat me like that! You're just..." Before he could say anything else, Feng Ling, with a single thought, had a wave of Dark Elemental Energy crush him to the ground, breaking bones, tearing muscles, and ripping tendons. The acute and sudden pain knocked Tianming out for a brief moment, though his consciousness swiftly returned when Ling's cold voice filled with Killing Intent reached his ears. "One more word from you and I'll cripple you completely. Also, tell those old ghosts behind you that my husband and I have limited patience. Keep up the nonsense, and in a few years, we'll make sure that your Family's 10,000-year legacy will end in your generation." Having witnessed her disregard for his status and ruthlessness, Li Tianming did not dare challenge her threat. Instead he chose to keep quiet, using his Soul Power to take out some Healing Pills from his Void Ring. After all, his current injuries, though looking awful, could easily be healed by some precious Healing Pills and some rest. However, if he were to have his foundation completely crippled, the difficulty of healing his body might be too high for his Family to bother trying. Not only would he lose any possibility of cultivating further, but he would also lose his current strength and status as Young King to one of the other Core Formation young cultivators from the Family. Truly a case of 'losing one's wife on top of losing one's army'.
With the annoying fly finally dealt with, Ling turned toward Liu Jing, her expression as cold as frost. "Now that the annoying pest is taken care of, it's your turn." Furrowing her brows slightly, Jing replied hesitantly. "This... I didn't injure any of them seriously. At most, I would have crippled that guard, but as Young King Li mentioned, it was because of your man's rudeness." Hearing those words, a dangerous smile appeared on Feng's beautiful face. Her eyes narrowing, she retorted, every word filled with Killing Intent. "Merely cripple him, you say? Do you think my people can be crippled at will?!" Pausing for a second to take a deep breath, she then added. "It seems like you still don't understand your mistake. No matter, words are clearly not enough, so I'll make your body understand." While the other woman uttered the word 'You!' while trying to rein in the slight panic growing in her Heart, Ling activated her Personal Token and sent an encoded message. ["This is Peak Elite Enforcer, Code Name Agent Rouge. Crime witnessed: Bribery by a Mid Grade King Rank Force and Assault with Permanent Crippling Attempt on two Peak Elite Enforcers' personnel. Offender: Liu Jing, Serving as Senior Protector Captain for the Wisdom Tide Library in Bright Star City. Punishment demanded: Temporary crippling through a forced spar by Agent Rouge. Demotion to Lieutenant Position. Over."] Barely a second went past, and she received the answer. ["Punishment authorized. Over."] Hearing the words she wanted to hear, Ling sent the token back into her Void Ring before she muttered, a smile that sent shivers of fear down the other woman's spine gracing Ling's lips. "Ever heard that you shouldn't bother a sleeping dragoness? Let me show you why..."