Behind the Ling Mansion.
Ling Tianxiang, dressed in a red martial arts outfit, held a three-foot-long sword and was practising sword techniques in the dense forest.
Rather than sword techniques, it was more like a sword dance. Although sword energy scattered, bringing up leaves, the overall feeling was soft. Each move and form was gentle and graceful, without a trace of killing intent.
Red sword energy whistled, leaves rustled down, carried by the breeze, dancing gracefully in the sky.
Ling Tianxiang was already a beauty who could make fish sink, and birds fall, and the moon hide, and flowers blush. At this moment, against the backdrop of the sword dance, she was even more like a celestial maiden descending to the mortal world, elegant, ethereal, and extraordinary.
Lingbo Sword Technique.
It was widely recognised in the cultivation world as the weakest and most useless sword technique, but also the most beautiful and popular among female cultivators. Basically, ninety percent of female cultivators knew this sword technique. It was said that if practised to perfection, the sword energy produced would be seven colours, incredibly beautiful.
"Miss..." The voice of the maid, Bi He, suddenly came from a distance.
Ling Tianxiang wiped away her fragrant sweat, looked at Bi He, who was quickly running towards her, and frowned, "Didn't I say not to disturb me unless something is wrong?"
Bi He panted and quickly explained, "Miss, I have news about Ling Xian."
"Where is he? Tell me quickly." Ling Tianxiang's beautiful eyes lit up.
"He should have gone home. He just defeated Ling Bai in one move in the training grounds and broke the Canglang Sword Technique, which is famous throughout Qingcheng!" Bi He's pretty face was filled with shock and admiration.
Ling Tianxiang, however, was not shocked by this news, as if she had long expected it. Her pretty face was full of joy.
"Miss, that's the Canglang Sword Technique, a powerful sword technique that has troubled countless strong cultivators in Qingcheng. It was actually broken by him. Aren't you shocked?" Bi He asked in surprise.
"Why should I be shocked? I've known for a long time that he is definitely not someone who will stay in a pond. He will eventually transform into a dragon and soar through the nine heavens." Ling Tianxiang smiled brightly.
She was not surprised at all by this event that shook the entire Qingcheng. After she returned from the Thousand Mountains Secret Forest, she specifically went to the Scripture Pavilion to check ancient books about the Heavenly Eye and found some clues.
The strange black and white pupils and the cold, bloody divine sword perfectly matched the description of the Heavenly Eye that Punishes the World in the ancient books. This made Ling Tianxiang certain that the Heavenly Eye awakened by Ling Xian was indeed the legendary Punishes the World!
Fourth on the list!
These four words alone were enough to shock the entire cultivation world!
One must know that any kind of Heavenly Eye is extremely rare, and only those with peerless talent or astonishing luck have the possibility of awakening a Heavenly Eye. This has nothing to do with cultivation level. Even if one cultivates to the True Immortal realm, if they don't have the aptitude or opportunity, they cannot awaken a Heavenly Eye.
As for the legendary supreme Heavenly Eye, Punishes the World, it has not appeared for a full 120,000 years. One of its basic abilities is to see through the weaknesses of all divine abilities and techniques. What is a mere Canglang Sword Technique?
Therefore, Ling Tianxiang was naturally not shocked by this. Her mind was now filled with the scene of Ling Xian holding the Divine Sword of Annihilation, turning the tide and unleashing his divine power. Her desire to see Ling Xian became even more urgent.
"Miss truly has good taste. Young Master Ling is famous now. The most common phrase I heard on my way here was how mighty and powerful Young Master Ling is." Bi He pursed her lips and smiled.
"That's right. When have I ever been wrong in my judgment?" Ling Tianxiang was slightly proud. With a wave of her jade hand, a mirror appeared out of thin air. She looked at her beautiful face in the mirror, and her pretty face couldn't help but blush.
"Hmph, I'm so beautiful, I don't believe you won't be moved, you brat."
...
Ling Xian's home was located in the most remote corner of the Ling Mansion. In the small courtyard, there were two tiled houses, which looked somewhat dilapidated due to disrepair.
This was the place where he had lived for fourteen years. Although it was broken, it was filled with warmth.
His parents died when he was young, and Ling Xian was alone and helpless.
It was this broken house that gave him a trace of comfort and sheltered him from the wind and rain, so he always had a feeling of attachment to it.
Pushing open the courtyard door, Ling Xian walked in at a leisurely pace.
The furnishings in the house were extremely simple. Apart from some essential tables and chairs, there was almost nothing of value, which showed that he lived a very poor life.
In the north of the house, there was a memorial hall with two memorial tablets. One was engraved with the words "Ling Tianzong," and the other was engraved with the words "Bai Rou."
Those were the memorial tablets of his parents.
"Father, Mother, your child is back." Ling Xian respectfully offered three sticks of incense, and a mist rose in his eyes.
Not long after he was born, Ling Tianzong and his wife passed away, so his memories of his parents were very vague, and he didn't have deep feelings for them. However, the blood flowing in his veins often made him miss Ling Tianzong and his wife.
After a moment of silence, Ling Xian wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, then walked to the old bed and lay down. He closed his eyes and sorted out the rumour he had just learned from Ling Bai in his mind.
As for the rumour that Ling Tianxiang had fallen for him and would only marry him, Ling Xian completely disbelieved it. Moreover, he didn't care how Ling Tianxiang knew his identity. What he cared about most was whether Ling Tianxiang had broken her oath and revealed the fact that he possessed the Heavenly Eye.
If she hadn't said anything, then everything would be fine.
If she had, then the thing he worried about most would happen. First, it would be the Ling family's attitude, whether they would choose to cultivate and protect him, or transplant his Heavenly Eye onto someone else. Second, it would be the attitude of other forces in Qingcheng, and even forces outside of Qingcheng.
After all, Punishes the World is supremely powerful and invincible, and holds immense attraction for cultivators all over the world.
As for the sensation he caused throughout the city with a casual move, Ling Xian also felt quite a headache. He really didn't expect that the Canglang Sword Technique held such a high status in the eyes of all Qingcheng cultivators, and that he had actually seen through its weakness and defeated it in one move. This couldn't help but shock the cultivators of Qingcheng.
He felt deeply helpless about this. He was used to being low-key and living a life without a sense of presence. Now, he suddenly found that he had become the focus of all cultivators in the city. Apart from a slight discomfort, there was also a hint of secret joy in his heart.
Men always want to be the centre of attention.
"Otherwise, should I go to the Thousand Mountains Secret Forest to avoid the limelight first?" Ling Xian muttered to himself.
This matter had both good and bad effects on him. The good side was that the entire Qingcheng knew about his talent, and the Ling family should invest heavily in cultivating him and providing him with cultivation resources. The bad side was that some forces hostile to the Ling family would not watch a new star in the cultivation world rise, and would send people to eliminate him.
For example, the Fang family.
Ling Xian still remembered the Fang family hiring rogue cultivators to assassinate Ling Tianxiang.
"Hmm?"
Ling Xian was contemplating his future plans when he suddenly heard light and quick footsteps approaching from not far away, and his brows furrowed.
"Ling Xian, I finally found you." Ling Tianxiang strode in, her urgent mood making her ignore basic etiquette, leaving only her strong longing for Ling Xian.
"Ling Tianxiang!"
His expression condensed, Ling Xian's eyes instantly transformed into Punishes the World, and a divine sword shrouded in blood light shone forth. In Ling Tianxiang's astonished gaze, it was placed on her fair neck, emitting a chilling killing intent.
Ling Tianxiang's cherry lips slightly parted, her pretty face full of disbelief. She had come with a heart full of joy and longing, but at this moment, it all turned into deep grievance and confusion.
Mist rose in her autumn-water-like eyes, and she looked as if she was about to cry, appearing pitiful.
The second time.
The second time he put a sword to her neck, Ling Tianxiang looked resentfully at the young man who had left a deep mark on her heart. She was full of confusion, but she didn't speak, just looked at him, expressing her complex emotions with her moving eyes.
Ling Xian understood the confusion, disappointment, and grievance conveyed by those beautiful eyes. He couldn't help but tremble in his heart, realising that he might have misunderstood her. Before confirming whether she had revealed his secret, his actions just now were indeed a bit excessive.
He dismissed the Divine Sword of Annihilation, turned his head, and dared not look directly into those resentful, beautiful eyes. He apologised, "I'm sorry, I was worried about whether you had broken your oath, so I drew my sword just now."
"I, Ling Tianxiang, am not the kind of ungrateful person, let alone having made a Heavenly Dao oath. How could I possibly say it? You can rest assured about this." Ling Tianxiang snorted coldly, but a hint of a smile flashed in her beautiful eyes.
After a moment of silence, Ling Xian chose to believe her words and quickly changed the subject, "How did you know my identity?"
"The robe you gave me had a token inside that represented your identity as a Ling family disciple. Combining that with the fake name Xian Ling you mentioned, I guessed it." Ling Tianxiang said indifferently.
"So that's how it is." Ling Xian suddenly realised and asked, "Then, what's with that rumour?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Tianxiang's pretty face immediately turned red, and she softly defended herself, "Well, after I returned to the Ling family, I wanted to find you and thank you properly. As a result, the people below somehow twisted it, and it became that rumour."
"Forget it, let's not talk about the past. Why did you come to find me?" Ling Xian asked.
"This..." Ling Tianxiang's pretty face flushed. How should she answer this? She couldn't possibly tell him that she came because she missed him.
Suddenly, a thought flashed in her mind. She remembered the Ling family's annual martial arts competition and said in a sweet voice, "I wanted to ask if you're interested in participating in the family's martial arts competition?"
Ling Xian was startled. He had forgotten about this matter, but he already had a clear plan for what he would do next, so he refused, "Let's forget it. With my meagre skills, I'll just make a fool of myself."
"How could that be? I heard that you defeated Ling Bai, the number one among the collateral branches, and also broke the Canglang Sword Technique. This shows that your cultivation and talent are not weak. Why don't you show off your skills in the family martial arts competition?" Ling Tianxiang really wanted Ling Xian to participate in the competition. She wanted to see Ling Xian standing on the stage, killing all sides and looking majestic.
"It's a meaningless thing. Why should I waste my time on that?" Ling Xian said.
"How is it meaningless?" Ling Tianxiang was startled and explained, "First, by participating in the competition, you can gain experience from the battles. Second, with your strength, you will definitely get a ranking in the top three of the family, and then you can get generous rewards. Moreover, the secret realm will open this year, and you can also get a secret realm token."
"There's also a secret realm token reward." Ling Xian was surprised. The family martial arts competition is held once a year to test the growth of the family's disciples over the past year. The rewards have always been attractive, and this year they even added a secret realm token reward. The competition must be fierce. If he hadn't already gotten one from the city lord, he wouldn't be able to help but be tempted.
"Yes, you've caught a good time. As long as you get into the top five, you can get a secret realm token. When the secret realm opens, we can team up and go in to seek opportunities." Ling Tianxiang thought he was tempted and accidentally revealed her innermost thoughts.
She wanted to enter the secret realm with Ling Xian.