On Piaomiao Peak, Lin Huang was momentarily stunned.
The black-robed man’s words echoed in his ears like rolling thunder. He never expected that the transaction the man had mentioned would be related to this news—news regarding the person who crippled Lin Cangxue’s Martial Soul, the very person Lin Huang dreamed of dragging out into the open.
This was someone the Divine General’s Mansion’s Dark Department had spent three years investigating but failed to uncover, yet this black-robed man actually knew. Whether true or false, he definitely knew something.
"Who is that person?" Lin Huang asked. The Array Puppet in front of him simultaneously halted its movements and returned to his side.
"What? Didn’t you say there was no transaction to be made between us?" the man in black laughed slyly. Smoothing his disheveled robes, he stared down condescendingly at Lin Huang.
"I never accept threats!" Anger flared between Lin Huang’s brows. He stared fixedly at the black-robed man, his voice chillingly squeezing through his gritted teeth. "My master once said that if we can’t find that person, we will slaughter every Martial Artist above the Celestial Element Realm in the East Spirit Realm. Surely, one of them will be the right target!"
"You..." The smile on the man in black’s face inexplicably froze, and a trace of icy chill crept into his heart. Then, he let out a dumbfounded laugh, musing at Lin Huang’s arrogance. "What an ignorant fool who doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and—"
Before the man in black could finish his sentence, he sensed an aura emerging from Piaomiao Peak, drawing closer and closer. This caused his expression to stiffen slightly. With a flash, he vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a low murmur echoing in Lin Huang’s ears, "I hope that the next time I come to find you, you will offer the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers with both hands. This is an extremely fair transaction."
Lin Huang looked thoughtfully in the direction the man in black had departed, frowning. Soon after, he also hurriedly left Piaomiao Peak. As for Song Chaoyang, it was unknown whether he was dead or alive.
On his way back to Celestial Waterfall Cliff, Lin Huang’s mind was a tangled mess. He could not figure out what kind of secrets were hidden within all of this. The way the black-robed man looked at him felt exactly the same as when he was targeted by the Blood Crow’s Eye. Back then, in order to seal the Blood Crow within his body, Martial Marquis Jia Wanjin continuously dropped in Realm, his strength waning day by day.
This man actually knew who crippled Lin Cangxue’s Martial Soul, and he also needed the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers. What was the relationship between the Blood Crow’s Eye and the Ancient Scroll?
***
The only thing Lin Huang could deduce right now was that there must be a connection between Lin Cangxue and the Blood Crow. Could it be that she was targeted by the Blood Crow’s Eye? Or was the crippling of her Martial Soul related to it?
At this thought, the fierce light in Lin Huang’s eyes surged even stronger. If even Jia Wanjin could not contend against the Blood Crow with his Martial Techniques, how could Lin Cangxue possibly deal with it?
"Perhaps, the next time we meet, this secret won’t be so mysterious anymore!" Lin Huang murmured under Celestial Waterfall Cliff, a cold smile flickering in his eyes as if he were anticipating the black-robed man’s next appearance. As long as he appeared, there would be a chance to figure everything out.
***
Beneath Celestial Waterfall Cliff!
When Lu Han saw Lin Huang again, his expression changed. He found that Lin Huang looked as though he was possessed, wildly practicing under the waterfall with a giant sword. He had been crazy before, but never this crazy. Previously, Lin Huang would rest for a moment after Cultivating for an hour. But now, Lu Han had watched him wield his saber for four whole hours without the slightest break. He could see Lin Huang’s exhaustion, but he could also see the fierce, wolf-like glare in his eyes.
Before, Lin Huang was just practicing his saber, but after observing him for half an hour, Lu Han realized that Lin Huang wasn’t practicing his saber—he was Slicing Water Flow.
Slicing Water Flow! It was an incomprehensible Cultivation method.
Lu Han had originally been in a rare good mood and cooked a meal. Figuring that Lin Huang had been Cultivating for so long, he wanted to bring him some food, only to receive two icy words in response: "Not hungry!"
Lu Han remembered that earlier that day, Lin Huang had Cultivated under the waterfall until he simply passed out from exhaustion. It was only then that Lu Han dragged him out of the Dark River and carried him back to his room. However, in less than three hours, Lin Huang dragged his giant sword back under the waterfall. Lu Han’s eyelids twitched at the sight as he thought, "What kind of provocation did this guy suffer to act like this right after returning to Celestial Waterfall Cliff?"
Lu Han’s guess was right on the mark. Lin Huang had indeed been provoked. He was provoked by Yun Feifei, the black-robed man, Lin Cangxue, and everyone else. During the battle in the Fengxue Domain, Jun Qingcheng hadn’t hesitated to face thousands of Martial Artists alone just to save him. To avenge him, Lin Cangxue charged into the Eastern Palace alone, resulting in her Martial Soul shattering. In the rainy alleyways, Shen Diexin nearly burned her Martial Soul to save him and buy him a sliver of survival. Yun Feifei’s Transplanting Flower and Wood had stolen his sister Lin Cangxue’s Cultivation, yet he did not even know who his enemy was. Now, he was also dragged into the mysterious incident involving the Blood Crow.
Jun Qingcheng was still missing. Lin Cangxue’s Martial Soul had yet to undergo Nirvana.
***
Lin Huang had too many things to do, and all of them required formidable strength—a strength so absolute that others could not resist it. Moreover, he didn’t have much time. He couldn’t let Lin Cangxue wait forever for her Martial Soul to recover. He needed to uncover the secrets of the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers and find the enemy who had shattered the Profound Frost Cyan Phoenix Bird. He also had to search for Jun Qingcheng.
All of this required powerful strength, and Lin Huang’s current Realm was clearly lagging behind. What could a mere Earth Element Realm do? He had to rely on the Array Puppet for everything, and the Array Puppet could only be used a few more times. Besides, Lin Huang had his own pride and anger. He didn’t want to be protected behind a woman every time, nor did he want to use the Array Puppet in every fight.
He wanted to be with Jun Qingcheng. He was the disciple of the Mortal World Butcher, Xiao Yishan. He was the younger brother of the East Spirit Legend, Lin Cangxue. And he was the son of Lin Changtian, the man who once single-handedly suppressed all the experts in the East Spirit Realm.
He could not be ordinary! He would not allow himself to be ordinary!
So, Lin Huang went mad. He had completely turned into a different person. In his eyes, becoming stronger was the only absolute truth. Only by striking out slash after slash, breaking through his physical limits, and shattering the shackles of his meridians could he rapidly become stronger! Right now, resting for even a quarter hour felt like a waste of his life.
On the third day after Lin Huang entered this manic state, Lu Han also went mad. He was driven mad because the commotion Lin Huang caused was simply too loud. Wherever the giant sword swung, no living creature within thirty meters was spared. How was he supposed to Cultivate? Watching the crisscrossing, sharp saber auras under the waterfall, Lu Han’s eyelids twitched violently. Every slash Lin Huang made sent a tremor of palpitation deep into his heart.
It must be known that he, Lu Han, had the Cultivation of the Earth Element Sixth Heaven. His Realm was vastly higher than Lin Huang’s. Yet, upon seeing Lin Huang’s saber auras, he couldn’t stop a sense of impending danger from welling up inside him.
Beneath the waterfall, Lin Huang was like a tireless Ironman, continuously wielding the giant sword in his hands and endlessly practicing Three Thousand Miles, Slaying Kunlun, and Shooting the Celestial Wolf. These were the three moves that Lin Huang had practiced until he knew them by heart. In his eyes, these three moves were no longer breathtaking. But after two days of manic Cultivation... these three moves had begun to evolve. Lin Huang finally understood the true Mystical Techniques behind these three moves and Cultivated them to the Ultimate Realm, making their power far exceed what it used to be.
The mighty waterfall plunged down, splashing water and swirling cold mist, as majestic and awe-inspiring as a White Dragon crossing a river. Beneath Celestial Waterfall Cliff, masked by the roaring thunder of the water, a slightly emaciated figure wielded the giant sword in his hands, tirelessly slashing at the water currents again and again.
In the distance, Lu Han hid at the edge of the waterfall to Cultivate, his cheeks puffed out as he sulked. This situation had persisted for a month and a half!
Ever since Lin Huang started practicing the One Slash, Lu Han hardly approached him. It was not just out of fear for the giant sword’s destructive power, but mostly because the commotion Lin Huang caused was simply too great for him to Cultivate in peace.
In the waterfall, Lin Huang maintained a constant aura of coldness and solemnity, swinging the giant sword time and time again. The power trailing off the blade’s edge was far stronger than when he had first begun his training. Over the past month and a half, he had been trying to find the feel of the Godslaying One Slash.
If he wanted to, Lin Huang could Cultivate the Godslaying One Slash at any time... but thinking carefully about it, he always felt that the Godslaying One Slash from his previous life lacked a certain profound essence. And the key to this trace of essence perhaps lay within Three Thousand Miles, Slaying Kunlun, and Shooting the Celestial Wolf. Only by grasping this trace of essence would Lin Huang allow himself to start Cultivating the Godslaying One Slash. Because only a Godslaying One Slash born of that essence would be perfect.
Aside from this, there was another point that gave Lin Huang a pleasant surprise. Within this month and a half, as Lin Huang broke through his limits countless times, the Great Vajra Technique—which he had ceased actively practicing—reached the Ultimate Realm.
There were myriad Martial Techniques in the world, most of which were created by Martial Artists. After going through countless trials and verifications, they would eventually reach a state of perfection. However, it was extremely difficult for latecomers who practiced these Martial Techniques to unleash their perfect power. After all, a Cultivator was not the creator. Without understanding what the creator was thinking, it was hard to execute the created technique to its perfect Realm.
Of course, this wasn’t absolute. There were naturally countless geniuses, prodigies, and eccentrics in the world who possessed an innate feel for Martial Techniques. Through Cultivation, they could sense the original Martial Artist’s Mental Realm, or deduce the inherent meaning hidden within the technique themselves, thereby perfectly unleashing its power.
Such a state was referred to as the Ultimate Realm. Above the Ultimate Realm, there was also the Destruction Realm. However, bringing a Martial Technique to the Ultimate Realm was already shocking enough. If one were to push a Martial Technique to the Destruction Realm, its power would break past its original limits and reach a whole new height. Those who could achieve this were none other than peerless talents.
Lin Huang was able to Cultivate the Great Vajra Technique to the Ultimate Realm mostly because he was training beneath Celestial Waterfall Cliff. It was through solid, unyielding tempering that he had unknowingly comprehended the Great Vajra Technique’s ultimate Mystical Techniques.
Regarding such a harvest, Lin Huang smiled in delight. Previously, the Great Vajra Technique had become somewhat strained when facing Earth Element Martial Artists. But an Ultimate Realm Great Vajra Technique was enough to let his physical body contend against Earth Element Second Heaven Martial Artists. And Lin Huang had only broken through to the Earth Element First Heaven seven days ago.
Thinking of this, Lin Huang couldn’t help but shake his head. "This time, my physical strength has once again run ahead of my Realm!"
Over the following month, Lin Huang continued to practice Three Thousand Miles, Slaying Kunlun, and Shooting the Celestial Wolf. However, his swinging speed grew slower and slower, and his Cultivation time became shorter. After practicing for less than an hour each time, he would sit cross-legged under the waterfall in deep thought. His brows were furrowed tightly, making him look like a little old man.
The power accumulated in his body from the three Saber Techniques made him itch to start fusing the Godslaying One Slash. However, he still hadn’t found that trace of essence. What was even more terrifying was that he seemed to have lost his direction in fusing the Godslaying One Slash. He had no idea how to perfectly merge it into existence.
He was stuck! Or rather... for the first time, he had fallen into a Martial Arts Illusion Barrier.