Chapter 122: Chapter 121: Testing the Sword

Ling Tianxiao sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea in one hand. His eyes were slightly narrowed as if savoring the tea’s aroma, but his gaze kept darting toward his wife’s face. His staring made Lady Ling’s cheeks flush, and she couldn’t help but shoot her husband a fierce glare.

She chided him gently, "We’re an old married couple. What are you staring at? It’s not like you’ve never seen me before. The children will be here soon, don’t let them laugh at us!"

Scolded by his wife, Ling Tianxiao didn’t say anything, just chuckled foolishly. He had almost failed to recognize her just now. This stunning young woman with a bashful expression greeting him was actually his wife. He almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He’d never forget how his wife looked when she was young, but that was at least a decade or two ago.

Now, their eldest son, Lingzhi, was already twenty-five, and Lady Ling was well over forty. For a long time, Ling Tianxiao had grown accustomed to his wife becoming more dignified, composed, and graceful. He never expected her to suddenly look twenty years younger. The visual shock was nothing compared to the impact on his heart.

When he learned that his wife and youngest daughter had both consumed the legendary Vantia Holy Fruit, General Ling Tianxiao’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He sucked in a sharp breath and couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, "Xiao’Er brought it back?"

Lady Ling nodded, her face glowing with happiness. For a mother, there was no greater joy than seeing her son succeed.

"Good kid! He’s really got guts!"

General Ling Tianxiao was visibly excited. If it weren’t the middle of the day, he would have been tempted to carry his wife back to their room immediately and enjoy some... private time. The passion, nervousness, and excitement of a young man surged through him once more, making him feel like he had returned to his youth.

So much so that when Ling Xiao and Ling Yun’Er arrived, they could still see the irrepressible smile on Ling Tianxiao’s face, as well as the faint blush and shy look in Lady Ling’s eyes.

After hearing the full story, the relaxed expression on Ling Tianxiao’s face vanished. Although he had known the gist of it before returning, his family’s account was far more detailed.

After a long silence, Ling Tianxiao let out a long breath and said in a low voice, "The Ling Family’s foundation isn’t deep. For Xiao’Er to be made a Viscount—and a hereditary one at that—is truly a stroke of great fortune. And that fief... hehe, it’s a great place! Penzes City, the Second Prince’s territory. It’s much better than our family’s fief in that bitter, cold land up north!"

Lady Ling shot her husband a look. "How can you say something so nonchalant at a time like this? Penzes City is clearly a primary target for the Beast Race’s invasion. How can Xiao’Er possibly go there!"

Ling Tianxiao smiled calmly, replying without a hint of concern, "The Beast Race? Do you really think the Second Prince’s army is just for show? Don’t just look at our eldest’s Tiger Roar Assault Team, with its fine equipment and powerful combat strength. Let me tell you, the Second Prince has at least a hundred thousand elite troops just like the Tiger Roar Assault Team!"

"Heavens, that many?" Lady Ling was no shallow woman; she naturally understood what a hundred-thousand-strong army with excellent equipment and powerful combat strength represented.

"But... Xiao’Er is taking over his territory, after all. The Second Prince... will he really help?" Lady Ling asked hesitantly.

"Xiao’Er took his territory? What a joke! Within the borders of the Lanyue Empire, with the exception of the nobles’ fiefs, all land belongs to His Majesty the King! Does the Second Prince dare claim it’s his land?" A proud look appeared on Ling Tianxiao’s face. "From now on, that place belongs to our Ling Family!"

Lady Ling glanced at her husband, a little startled, but was wise enough not to ask further. A woman of her standing knew what to ask and what not to ask. As the saying goes, even an honest official can’t settle family affairs. Ling Tianxiao only ever acted soft and played dumb in front of his wife; guarding the Empire’s Western Border for many years, he was known for being ruthless and clear-headed.

At this, Ling Xiao looked up at his father. Unlike with his mother, although Ling Xiao had come to accept this man as his father, he could never be as close to him. ’Perhaps it’s true that like poles repel,’ he thought. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"What gives you such confidence, Father?"

Ling Tianxiao gave Ling Xiao a half-smile. "Have the sons of our Ling Family, a line of generals, ever been cowards? What if I said that I, your old man, believe in you? Would you believe it? Hahaha!"

Below, Ling Yun’Er pouted slightly, her lips twitching as she tried to suppress a laugh.

Ling Tianxiao suddenly sighed. ’My old friend’s feelings must be quite complicated right now.’

Lady Ling’s eyebrows shot up. "Why on earth are you bringing up the Xie Family? That girl was blind, and Xie Zhongting has become nothing but a crass opportunist. We can’t afford friends like that!"

Ling Tianxiao lowered his head and said in a heavy voice, "Fame and fortune can be ruinous!" Looking up at Ling Xiao, he continued, "Kid, I know you’re smart. Just remember four words, and I guarantee you’ll have no worries in Penzes City: Stay out of it. Right now, the Second Prince and the Crown Prince are fighting tooth and nail for the throne. Why would either of them go out of their way to offend someone like me, who holds significant military power?"

Ling Xiao nodded. Ling Tianxiao’s advice was exactly what he’d been thinking. He had never planned on getting friendly with anyone anyway. Besides, he figured he had already offended the Crown Prince deeply by killing his son’s newly recruited High-level Martial Artist and insulting his precious daughter. Even if Li Tianlie still had ideas about winning him over, how could Ling Xiao possibly side with them?

His acquaintance with Li Tianluo was only because Li Tianluo seemed sincere enough. Although he had approached Ling Xiao with the goal of befriending the Ling Family, he wasn’t obnoxious about it. Still, it was only a personal friendship. Now that Ling Xiao was taking over the Southern King’s territory—even though it was currently deserted due to the threat from the Beast Race—its uniquely advantageous geographical location destined it to be valuable. Even if the Southern King and Li Tianluo said nothing, they couldn’t be happy about it.

Ling Tianxiao looked at his increasingly composed son and nodded in satisfaction. He was an expert at leading an army, but his parenting skills were nothing to write home about. He had beaten both his sons since they were little, a firm believer in the saying "spare the rod, spoil the child." As such, speaking gently to his children always felt awkward for him.

"And what’s this about your sword skills? Why are there rumors everywhere that your sword skill and cultivation technique are Divine-level?" Ling Tianxiao said with a solemn expression. "Compared to you offending the Crown Prince and potentially angering the Southern King, this is what worries me more."

Ling Xiao was silent for a moment before chuckling. "What Divine-level Sword Skill? Father, you believe in baseless rumors too?"

Ling Tianxiao’s face hardened. He snorted, "You’re my son. Of course I don’t believe you’d hide a Divine Sword Skill from me, but other people won’t think that way! You need to understand, I’m considered an expert in the army, but if you put me in the Sword Guild, I wouldn’t even rank in the top one thousand in the Lanyue Empire alone! There are plenty of High-level Martial Artists, but not many high-level sword skills or cultivation techniques. Even though you’ve opened your Celestial Vein, your cultivation is only at the Great Sword Master level. Forget about anything too advanced—if we really fought, you wouldn’t be able to block a single one of my moves!"

Seeing the disbelief in Ling Xiao’s eyes, Ling Tianxiao seemed to get fired up. It was as if... his wife’s sudden return to youthful beauty had reignited the passion that had lain dormant in his blood for years.

"Come on, kid! Today, I’ll let you see for yourself the power of your old man, a Tier Three Demon Swordsmen with a Mid-tier Celestial-level Sword Skill!"

With that, Ling Tianxiao stood up and said to his wife and his eager daughter, "The two of you stay here!"

"Why?" Ling Yun’Er pouted her cute lips. "I want to watch too!"

Ling Tianxiao glanced at his daughter and said coolly, "We’ll talk when you’ve mastered the third level of Hurricane Break and broken through to the rank of Mad Sword Master."

Ling Yun’Er was only at the first level of Hurricane Break. Lately, she had been practicing the Jade Maiden Sword Skill, which was more suitable for her, and had long since cast Hurricane Break aside. She hadn’t expected her father to see right through her. She stomped to the side, grumbling, "All you know is how to be mean!"

Ling Tianxiao glared, but then he noticed the displeased look on his wife’s face, and his temper instantly cooled. He said to Ling Yun’Er, "Fine, but just this once! You must remember, on the path of cultivation, if you don’t advance, you fall behind. Don’t think you can be arrogant and look down on everyone just because you ate a Holy Fruit. You haven’t earned that right yet! Relying on external items is ultimately not the proper path. Have you ever seen a true expert who reached the top by eating elixirs? Only diligent cultivation will lead to greater achievements!"

Ling Yun’Er could only nod. She didn’t mention that she had been training very hard recently, just not on the family’s Hurricane Break sword skill, but on the Jade Maiden Sword Skill she preferred. Otherwise, her father would surely scold her for biting off more than she could chew.

The three of them mounted three fine steeds that Ling Tianxiao had brought back from the army, left the Imperial Capital, and galloped west!

Twenty li west of the Imperial Capital was a large, abandoned stone quarry. Years of quarrying had left the mountains there looking as if they had been sliced open, with sheer cliffs running from top to bottom.

The highest point was over a thousand meters tall, and the visual impact was enough to make one feel dizzy just standing at the bottom.

Many people also used this place for training, such as climbing the cliffs bare-handed or practicing their Sword Qi. Even the Imperial Academy often used it as a good place to practice Sword Qi.

The massive rocks were riddled with holes, a testament to the diligent sweat of countless Martial Artists.

Seeing the towering stone mountains in the distance, Ling Yun’Er cried out in excitement. Being cooped up in the manor for so many days had been torture for a girl with such a lively and active nature. She was getting impatient, eager to test just how strong she had become!

Ever since taking the Vantia Holy Fruit, she hadn’t even gone to the Sword Guild, afraid that others would discover her massive increase in strength and grow suspicious of Ling Xiao!

"Whoa, this is great! No one’s here today. I’ll go first!" Ling Yun’Er shouted, leaping from her horse’s back. She drew her longsword in mid-air, and a streak of gray Sword Qi shot from the blade, viciously striking a grayish-white boulder that was taller than a person!