Chapter 9

Ling Jiu looked at Ling Xiao with a hint of disdain.

The reason he agreed to let Ling Xiao touch the two paintings was, of course, not without reason.

These two paintings were left by the ancestors of the Ling family, said to seal two extraordinary martial arts.

These two martial arts are extremely difficult for any martial artist to cultivate, but once successfully cultivated, they would benefit the practitioner for life.

However, to obtain these two martial arts, one must first break the restrictions on the paintings.

The ancestors of the Ling family did not specify the reason for this, only saying that they were waiting for the right person.

However, over the past few hundred years, countless people have tried to retrieve the two martial arts from the paintings, but all have failed.

Even the current head of the Ling family, who is now very powerful, has failed.

Ling Jiu, of course, has also tried. He very much wanted to give these two martial arts to his son, Ling Chong, to learn.

Unfortunately, he also failed.

Because of this, he did not believe for a moment that Ling Xiao could succeed.

However, in the next moment, Ling Jiu's eyes nearly popped out.

Ling Xiao effortlessly retrieved the two martial arts from the paintings with almost no effort.

One was the *Ox Demon Technique*, and the other was the *Soaring Cloud Step*.

"Hand them over!"

After the shock, Ling Jiu quickly showed a greedy look.

"Lord Jiu, didn't you just say that if I retrieve these two books, I can take them away?"

Ling Xiao frowned but quickly glanced through the contents of the two books, copying them into the *Mountain and River Map*.

He knew that he couldn't match Ling Jiu's strength, so the books would ultimately be taken by Ling Jiu. Therefore, he couldn't let himself lose out.

"Didn't you hear me tell you to hand them over?"

Suddenly, Ling Jiu waved his hand, and a powerful force sent Ling Xiao flying, with the two martial arts landing in Ling Jiu's hands.

"Ha ha ha ha, truly, after searching high and low, I found it without any effort!"

Ling Jiu laughed maniacally, then waved his hand again, picking two random martial arts from the bookshelf and throwing them to Ling Xiao.

"Boy, don't be不服气 (unconvinced). These two extraordinary martial arts are not for you. The two martial arts I've given you are intermediate-level techniques. Take them back and practice well; you won't lose out."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Ling Jiu laughed, eager to read the two extraordinary martial arts.

Although Ling Xiao was hit and spat blood, he felt somewhat relieved in his heart.

Because the two extraordinary martial arts had already been copied.

He would not forget today's humiliation.

Ling Jiu, remember this. One day, I, Ling Xiao, will make you suffer a hundred times more humiliation!

Ling Xiao said nothing, took the two martial arts that Ling Jiu threw on the ground, and left. Coincidentally, these two martial arts were exactly the ones he hadn't had time to copy before.

Don't waste a good opportunity.

"Ha ha ha, that beggar also deserves to cultivate the Ling family's extraordinary martial arts? What a joke!"

Ling Jiu, seeing Ling Xiao leave obediently, felt extremely pleased. He looked through the contents of the two martial arts and was indeed surprised.

Unfortunately, these two martial arts have a condition: they can only be cultivated by martial artists in the Awakening stage. In other words, those beyond the third level of the Martial Vein cannot practice them unless they abandon their cultivation.

But who would be so foolish?

He could only take these extraordinary martial arts back for his son, Ling Chong, to cultivate.

Ling Xiao left the library in a rather狼狈 (embarrassed) state, being pointed at and mocked along the way.

The incident in the library had been exaggerated and altered by the Ling family's disciples and spread around.

It had become a story where Ling Xiao attempted to steal martial arts from the library but was caught and punished by Ling Jiu's keen eye.

Ling Xiao was unaware of this, but he understood that any explanation now would be useless. The only way to prove his innocence was to surpass Ling Jiu in strength.

He also believed that Ling Jiu wouldn't make a big fuss, otherwise the truth would eventually come out, and it would be embarrassing for him.

After all, the Ling family was not a monolithic entity, and Ling Jiu still had to consider certain things.

Back home, Ling Xiao entered his room and took out the *Soaring Cloud Step* to read.

*Soaring Cloud Step*: A growth-type movement technique, currently at the *Soaring Cloud Step* stage. Each time it grows, the name of the technique changes, and the conditions required also change, but the goal remains the same!

After cultivation, it can make a martial artist as light as a swallow, able to step on clouds and chase the moon, and even control the mist and clouds. If one can advance to the highest stage, they can even ride the clouds and laugh at the heavens!

This movement technique can only be cultivated from the Awakening stage; otherwise, the foundation will be unstable, and it will not succeed.

Even at the *Soaring Cloud Step* stage, if one can cultivate it to perfection, they can briefly float in the air and fight on the clouds for a certain period!

At this stage, below the sixth level of the Martial Vein (the Gang Qi stage), it is almost an invincible movement technique.

Seeing this, Ling Xiao's pain disappeared, replaced by excitement!

An invincible movement technique below the Gang Qi stage!

This means that he wouldn't need to change his movement technique until he reached the sixth level of the Martial Vein, and this was just the *Soaring Cloud Step* stage.

This technique can grow.

Briefly floating in the air and even fighting on the clouds for a certain period—such a movement technique, even if Ling Xiao was not well-informed, he had never heard of it before.

He could be sure that there was nothing like it among intermediate-level movement techniques. As for high-level movement techniques, he didn't know, but he guessed there were few, as even the Ling family's experts who cultivated high-level movement techniques couldn't fight on the clouds.

Truly, these are extraordinary martial arts!

However, why did the Ling family's ancestor seal these extraordinary martial arts in paintings instead of letting the disciples cultivate them?

With this question in mind, Ling Xiao continued reading. Indeed, on the last page, he saw a handwritten note.

"This extraordinary martial art can only be successfully cultivated by those who have awakened their martial soul. Ordinary martial artists may also achieve some results, but at most, they will only reach the intermediate level of a movement technique, which is mediocre. Moreover, the cultivation difficulty is too high, which can affect progress, so it is sealed!"

It seems that the Ling family's ancestor knew about martial souls and might have even seen someone who had awakened a martial soul!

Could it be that martial souls have not completely disappeared? It's just that there are very few people who have awakened martial souls, so it's almost as if they have disappeared?

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha ha!

Ling Xiao couldn't help but laugh wildly in his room.

Ling Jiu, Ling Jiu, you disregarded your own dignity and shamelessly took the two extraordinary martial arts from me, but in the end, it was all for nothing.

Well, I'll use these extraordinary martial arts to teach your son a lesson at the annual competition!

In addition, the cultivation method of the *Soaring Cloud Step* is a bit troublesome.

It requires that one must have an intermediate-level movement technique reach the perfect state before the *Soaring Cloud Step* can be activated.

The *Soaring Cloud Step* has nine stages, ultimately reaching perfection.

In other words, there is no specific cultivation method; it grows through the experience accumulated from other movement techniques.

Seeing this, he quickly checked the *Ox Demon Technique* and found something interesting.

The *Soaring Cloud Step* pursues grace and speed, which is a movement technique.

The *Ox Demon Technique*, on the other hand, pursues strength and dominance, which is the application of martial skills.

Moreover, the *Ox Demon Technique* is also a growth-type martial art, but unlike the *Soaring Cloud Step*, which grows through accumulated experience, the *Ox Demon Technique* grows through devouring.

Not devouring true qi or people, but devouring cultivation experience.