Chapter 156: Chapter 155: Fifth Level_1
"He actually broke through!"
Xiao Muyu covered her small mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with utter disbelief.
She had thought Ling Chen was doomed this time. Surprisingly, not only did he survive the danger, but he also seized the opportunity to advance his realm!
If word of this got out, Lu Youzhen and Feng Chibai, who were here earlier, would probably have their eyes pop out in shock.
"You freak! Are you immune to all poisons?" Xiao Muyu exclaimed. She had witnessed everything, and her mood had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. If someone with a weaker mental fortitude had seen it, they might have been scared witless by now.
"More or less," Ling Chen replied, glancing down at the Blood Jade he wore on his chest. With this jade, he thought, he truly could be considered immune to all poisons.
But this Blood Jade was not something he could control. Sometimes it seemed to possess a spirit of its own, while at other times, it didn’t appear quite so magical.
I bet she never imagined that this bizarre poison she used on me would actually end up helping me so much, Ling Chen thought with a cold smile. The woman he referred to was, naturally, Liu Xiling. He had seen her true colors, and from this moment on, he would draw a clear line and sever all ties with this Demonic Woman.
"Ling Chen, what do you plan to do then? Liu Xiling is your birth mother, after all," Xiao Muyu said with a sigh. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed such a ruthless mother could exist in this world.
"She was once my mother. I won’t seek to harm her personally. However, I will destroy the Saint Witch Religion in the future. I will defeat her with my own hands and bring her before my father’s grave to make her repent and atone for her sins."
A chilling light flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes. His bond as mother and son with Liu Xiling had reached its end. Having narrowly escaped death, it felt as though even the heavens were aiding him, granting him the chance to seek vengeance and eliminate evil to defend the righteous path. How could he possibly waste such an opportunity?
"I believe you can do it," Xiao Muyu affirmed with a nod. If he could even manage to come back from the brink of death, what couldn’t he accomplish?
"However, the Saint Witch Religion is filled with numerous experts, and your mother is a Top Sky Apex Strong. There’s still a considerable gap between you and her. If you want to achieve this, you have a long road ahead. You mustn’t be rash."
"I’m aware of that," Ling Chen nodded. He certainly wouldn’t act recklessly without sufficient strength. This time, he had been deceived by the image he had of Liu Xiling, which led him to take such a perilous risk. Thinking back on it now sent a shiver down his spine.
A facade maintained for fifteen long years. It turned out that everything was just a carefully constructed lie. Ling Chen had always believed parents were the most dependable people in the world, but Liu Xiling’s actions had now plunged him into despair regarding such kinship.
The only person in this world he could completely trust was himself.
"Muyu, about this Blood Jade, you must keep it a secret for me," Ling Chen said, his gaze falling upon Xiao Muyu before him. He was still deeply grateful to her. Even when he was afflicted by the Heavenly Shadow Poison, she hadn’t abandoned him and had helped him down from Ghost Fog Mountain.
He trusted no one now, but he still trusted Xiao Muyu.
"Don’t worry," Xiao Muyu nodded. "This jade of yours is truly miraculous. It can even neutralize an overbearing and rare poison like the Heavenly Shadow Poison; it must be an extraordinary treasure of this world. If those with malicious intent were to learn of it, it would be extremely dangerous." Without that Blood Jade, Ling Chen would likely be a corpse by now.
"There’s nothing left for us on Ghost Fog Mountain. Let’s go," Ling Chen said, glancing towards the summit. This place would be where he severed the maternal bond between himself and Liu Xiling.
Yesterday, mother and son; today, bitter enemies.
Having calmed his turbulent emotions, Ling Chen departed from this place with Xiao Muyu, heading onward.
「...」
Not far from Ghost Fog Mountain lay a small town called Heavenly Immortal Town.
The surrounding hundred miles were desolate wilderness, with this being the only town, and thus, it was quite bustling with people. On the main street, one could occasionally see martial artists in peculiar attire and prominent figures of the Jianghu.
In the town’s sole teahouse, most Jianghu guests congregated to drink tea, rest, gather news, and exchange information.
The murmur of discussions rose and fell throughout the teahouse.
"Have you heard? Something big happened recently on Ghost Fog Mountain!" one of them, a man wearing a turban who appeared to be from a frontier region, began. "The Demon Sect Saintess Liu Xiling, the Demon Elder, Myriad Dao Sect Master Lu Youzhen, and Feng Chibai, former Villa Owner of Chiyu Mountain Manor—these four figures, renowned throughout the Martial World—all appeared on Ghost Fog Mountain simultaneously, nearly sparking a major battle."
"What? Such a momentous event occurred?"
Everyone at the table was astounded. Liu Xiling, the Demon Elder, Lu Youzhen, and Feng Chibai—these four were all Top Sky Apex Strong experts, great figures standing at the pinnacle of the Martial World.
Since the death of Martial Arts Supreme Ling Tianyu, the Martial World today lacked a publicly acknowledged strongest individual. However, these four undoubtedly possessed the capability to contend for the title of Martial Arts Supreme.
"So, did they fight or not?" a scrawny man with monkey-like features asked impatiently.
The others also craned their necks, listening with rapt attention.
"I don’t know," the man with the turban replied, shaking his head.
"Damn it, then what crap are you spouting!" the scrawny man exclaimed, sweeping his arm out, looking utterly disappointed.
"Exactly! For such a major event, you didn’t even bother to find out the details!"
The others also expressed their considerable disappointment.
"Although I don’t know if they fought, I do know another piece of explosive news," the man with the turban said, slightly miffed. He cleared his throat and continued.
"What is it?" The group’s interest was piqued once more.
"Ling Chen!" the man with the turban declared, his gaze sweeping over the others. "Ling Chen, the Martial World’s foremost prodigy, was personally killed by his own mother—the Demon Sect Saintess, Liu Xiling!"
"Impossible!"
Disbelief flashed across their faces. The news of Ling Chen being killed, while perhaps not as momentous as a clash between four great experts, was still quite astonishing.
Just as the man with the turban was about to say more, his body suddenly flew backward uncontrollably, and then a woman grabbed him by the neck.
"Girl, what do you think you’re doing?!" the man with the turban shouted, his face contorted with anger and pain.
"You said Ling Chen was killed by the Demon Sect Saintess. What exactly happened? Explain it clearly! If you do, I’ll spare your life. Otherwise, I’ll snap your neck," a glacial voice sounded beside the man’s ear.
He turned his eyes and saw a strikingly beautiful woman’s face. If Ling Chen were here, he would undoubtedly recognize her. For this woman was none other than Yun Tianhe’s second senior sister, Yu Qingxuan, who was famous on the Heavenly List.