Chapter 9

"Uncle, there's no need to be anxious. As the saying goes, one must eat rice mouthful by mouthful and walk step by step. Our Ling family has been weak for a long time, and it will not rise again in a day or two."

"Now we have a good start. I believe that with time, no curse will be an obstacle. Our Ling family will surely produce geniuses again."

Ling Xian spoke with great certainty, his voice seemingly magical, reviving the somewhat dejected Ling Tianxiong.

Isn't that so?

Although the curse has not been lifted, the Ling family's current situation has improved significantly. As the saying goes, one cannot eat hot tofu in a hurry. Why should I be in a rush?

...

The sun was bright. After leaving Uncle's residence, it was already past noon. Ling Xian, basking in the sunlight, walked back to his small courtyard.

Yesterday, he tasted the sweetness of cultivation, but the family was still in a precarious state. Time waits for no one, and Ling Xian planned to continue advancing. After all, third-rate experts are still too weak. For the Ling family to rise again, this level of strength is far from enough.

Not to mention, the Chen family is a significant threat. Yesterday, they were temporarily scared off by his empty city strategy, but this only solved the immediate crisis. After they returned and thought it over, they might realize the suspicious nature of the situation.

In this world, strength is paramount. Using strategy is not impossible, but it cannot fundamentally solve the problem.

Deception can only be a temporary measure. For the Ling family to rise again, they need solid strength.

Ling Xian was not sure how to lift the curse, but the immediate priority was to continue cultivating to enhance his strength.

As long as he is strong, no one will dare to provoke the family. He could gradually think of ways to lift the curse.

Ling Xian had already made up his mind!

After returning to his room, he sat cross-legged, and with a thought, he took out the jade slip and placed it on his forehead, continuing to study.

Although the ancestors left several treasures, cultivation still requires perseverance and hard work. Nothing comes without effort. To gain, one must first give.

This cultivation technique is difficult and profound, far more complex than martial arts manuals. Ling Xian read it word by word, afraid of missing anything.

At this moment, his body was filled with true qi, but after passing through the Conception and Governor Vessels in reverse, it transformed into a thin stream of spiritual energy.

The cultivation technique was indeed miraculous. The transformation between spiritual energy and true qi had no loss or delay.

In other words, he could convert as needed, using whatever he wanted. Ling Xian tried several times until he could smoothly convert between the two, and with a thought, the spiritual energy and true qi could complement each other.

Then Ling Xian entered a meditative state. His current spiritual energy was still very weak. Cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight, especially with the "Hundred Spirits True Explanation" left by the first ancestor, which emphasizes the foundation. The early stages of cultivation are much slower than ordinary techniques.

However, the benefits are evident. Although the early stages are slow, the solid foundation will show various advantages in the later stages. The ancestor even suggested that for the first three layers of the "Hundred Spirits True Explanation," it is best not to consume spiritual items, but to cultivate purely by absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.

Of course, in this small world, the essence is sparse. Doing so would be a significant challenge and difficulty. However, once the most difficult period is overcome, the benefits will accompany the entire cultivation process.

Good fortune and misfortune are interdependent. Such benefits are not available in a large world with abundant essence.

Ling Xian put down the jade slip, having made his decision. For the next stage of cultivation, he did not plan to consume spiritual pills. Although this would slow down his progress, it would bring countless benefits throughout his cultivation.

Laying a solid foundation!

Ling Xian was not a person who sought quick success and instant benefits. Moreover, although this method of cultivation is slower, each increase in spiritual energy can be converted into a vast amount of true qi, so the speed of martial cultivation would still be considerable.

Several hours passed in a flash. Ling Xian opened his eyes. This meditation had only slightly increased his spiritual energy. After all, the path of cultivation is arduous, and cultivating without consuming pills is extremely difficult.

However, Ling Xian was not discouraged. Although the increase in spiritual energy was minimal, he had other gains.

When he opened his eyes, he found that the world had become much clearer. The sky was bright, the earth was yellow, and the leaves were lush and vibrant. Everywhere was full of vitality. The dewdrops on the grass tips were clear and transparent, and the steps of ants could not escape his sight.

The entire world seemed different.

This is... seeing the big picture from small details!

Did he actually reach this legendary realm?

Ling Xian's face showed surprise.

"Seeing the big picture from small details" means that as one's cultivation increases, the ability to perceive the outside world gradually strengthens. After reaching this realm, vision, hearing, and reaction speed are all ten times that of ordinary people.

These enhancements naturally lead to a significant increase in strength!

The benefits are hard to describe, but only those who have broken through to the ninth layer of the Body Tempering stage, reaching the realm of a world-class expert, can achieve this.

Ling Xian did not expect to achieve this so easily. He was still at the fourth layer of the Body Tempering stage, but with the enhanced sensory abilities, he had the confidence to defeat a fifth-layer martial artist!

It sounded unbelievable.

In this world, the division of strength is absolute. Even a single level difference can be a vast gap.

Challenging a higher level is unheard of.

But Ling Xian felt that challenging a fifth-layer expert was not a problem for him now.

The path of cultivation cannot be measured by ordinary standards; it is truly miraculous. A short meditation brought him so many surprises.

And the benefits did not stop there.

Martial artists cultivate their bodies, and the division of realms mostly depends on true qi, which has attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, each corresponding to different martial techniques.

For example, the Fire Dragon Palm requires fire-attribute true qi to drive it. The five elements are interrelated and can counter each other, so different attributes of martial techniques require the corresponding true qi as a foundation.

But now, Ling Xian was not bound by this. Using the "Hundred Spirits True Explanation" to cultivate spiritual energy and then converting it into true qi, he could choose any attribute he wanted.

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth—whatever he wanted.

He could convert at will with a thought.

Even wind-attribute and lightning-attribute true qi, which are variations, were possible.

The power far exceeded that of ordinary martial artists.

In just a short morning, Ling Xian's strength had greatly improved.

...

A creaking sound reached his ears. Ling Xian opened his eyes and saw a young girl standing behind him.

She smiled charmingly, her face beautiful and curious.

"Xiao Yun, what are you doing here?"

Ling Xiaoyun, the beloved daughter of Uncle, and Ling Xian's cousin, was just fifteen years old. She was gentle and humorous, the family's source of joy.

"Ling Xian brother, Father sent me to call you."

"Uncle?" Ling Xian's face showed a hint of surprise: "What's the matter?"

"The Chen family... They have sent the 20,000 taels of silver they owed us."

"Oh?"

Ling Xian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, showing a hint of surprise. He had used the empty city strategy to repel the enemy, and the Chen family had been temporarily deceived. But after thinking it over, they should have seen through the deception.

If he were in their position, he would not let it go. But they not only did not seek revenge; they even sent the silver as agreed.

Are the Chen family all fools?

Or do they have some hidden agenda?

Ling Xian leaned towards the latter. Although the Chen family is just a third-rate small family, they have a hundred-year legacy. To establish themselves in Luoyun Mountain, they relied on more than just a few third-rate experts.

They must have their reasons.

"Let's go and see."

...

The silver was piled up like a small mountain. There were over 10,000 taels of silver, and the rest were silver bills, which had been verified to be genuine and could be exchanged.

The family members were all overjoyed. A thousand years ago, the Ling family was incredibly wealthy, and 10,000 taels of silver was just a drop in the bucket. Even a common family member who did not practice martial arts would not care. But times have changed, and the current Ling family is in dire straits.

They can barely afford food!

The declining Ling family can't even eat enough. The core disciples of martial arts are still better off, but ordinary family members often go hungry. With so much silver, they could buy millions of pounds of grain, ensuring that the Ling family would not worry about food for at least a few years.

And all of this was brought about by Ling Xian!

If not for the wise and brave leader, the family would have faced a disaster yesterday, let alone gain so much wealth.

The family members looked at Ling Xian with gratitude and admiration, believing he would lead the family to its former glory.

...

At the Chen family's residence, the patriarch's house.

"Father, why did you do this? That Ling boy was just bluffing. Their family has already declined, and the title of Hero King is just a joke now. Not only did you not take revenge for me, but you also sent them so much wealth. What were you thinking?"

Chen Yunfei's voice was hysterical, filled with resentment. As the young master of the Chen family, he was used to being arrogant and domineering. Yesterday, he was beaten by Ling Xian and thrown into a manure pit.

The manure pit was used to accumulate fertilizer for the fields, filled with old manure. He almost fainted from the stench and drank several mouthfuls of manure water, almost vomiting his bile. He hated Ling Xian to the bone and wanted to extract his soul and refine it, but his father not only did not seek revenge but also sent a large amount of wealth to the Ling family, driving him to the brink of madness.

"Hmph, what do you know? As the saying goes, a hundred-legged worm does not stiffen even when it dies. The Ling family was once ennobled as the Hero King, with a legacy from ancient times. Even though they have declined, they are not something we can easily challenge. Why should we get involved in this mess?" Chen Gongxuan's cold voice echoed, showing more maturity as the head of the family.

"But..."

"You don't need to worry. Even if I don't act, the Ling family will still fall into an irredeemable situation."

PS: Fellow Daoists, you're not being very supportive. I want to make a push for the new book rankings. Can you help me?

I need recommendations and collections!