Chapter 41: Li Shi Shi Translator: / KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas At a corner of the martial arts practice field. Duan Ling Tian’s body was like a spirit serpent as his figure shifted ceaselessly... He seemed slow but was actually swift as the wind. “I should be able to break through the initial stage in at least ten days or at most half a month’s time.” Duan Ling Tian’s figure jerked and he once again stood still. The corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile. According to Rebirth Martial Emperor’s memories, Duan Ling Tian knew that his Spirit Serpent Movement Technique was currently in the rudiments stage and would soon be able to step into the initial stage. When the Spirit Serpent Movement Technique steps into the initial stage, he will gain a qualitative change in speed... Spirit Serpent Movement Technique is a high grade Profound Rank martial skill. Even at the initial stage, it is comparable to a middle grade Profound Rank martial skill at the mastery stage and a low grade Profound Rank martial skill at the perfection stage. Duan Ling Tian stopped cultivating in a timely manner as perseverance was key and results wouldn’t be achieved overnight. He was prepared to return home and absorb the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid to cultivate so that he can reach the ninth level of the Body Tempering Stage as soon as possible. According to what he gathered, the yearly clan martial meet would be held two months from now. If he wanted to become an inner court disciple, he would need to show strength that greatly exceeded his peers’ during the clan martial meet. The corner of the martial arts practice field that Duan Ling Tian chose was quite deserted. When he walked out and arrived at the central area of the martial arts practice field, he noticed a group of people standing scattered around and watching something. Influenced by his curiosity, he walked over. In the middle of the crowd, a beautiful and graceful figure stood there. In her hands was a three-foot-long blade that had transformed into a sword luster, skillfully revealing an extraordinary sword skill. This was a beautiful young girl around the age of seventeen. Her face was as fair as flowers and as beautiful as the moon. Since he arrived in this world, she was the only woman he had seen besides Ke Er and his mother with such an outstanding appearance. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺 The young girl had soft and straight long hair which accompanied her figures movements, lightly fluctuating. Under the blazing sun’s illumination, the three-foot-long blade in her hand flickered with a dazzling lustre. Abruptly, an ancient mammoth silhouette developed above her. Whoosh! Her sword struck out, leaving a string of afterimages behind as it swept past. Three leaves that dropped off a tree on the side were all cut in two, drifting down to the ground. When the girl finished, she was already drenched in sweat. Clap clap clap clap... Immediately, the surroundings sounded with applause and cheers. “As expected of one of our outer court’s top three, Big Sister Shi Shi. Her Perfect Stage Shadow Sword is too formidable.” “Yeah, cutting three leaves which were not in a straight line with only one sword strike. In the entire outer court, I’m afraid only Big Sister Shi Shi is capable of it.” “Seventeen years old and at the ninth level of the Body Tempering Stage. With the low grade Profound Rank martial skill, Shadow Sword, cultivated to the perfection stage, Big Sister Shi Shi is first on the list in our Li Clan’s younger generation females. ...... Duan Ling Tian heard the surrounding cheers and applause. Top three in the outer court? Big Sister Shi Shi? “Could it be that she is Li Shi Shi?” Duan Ling Tian recalled that when he went to the trade market medicine store a few days ago, Li Xiao and Li Yuan mentioned a girl called Li Shi Shi in their chat. Seeing her today, she really deserved her reputation! In terms of her appearance, she was just a fraction inferior to his Ke Er... “Big Sister Shi Shi, wipe your sweat.” A young girl lightly smiled as she passed a handkerchief to Li Shi Shi. After Li Shi Shi wiped off the sweat on her forehead, her clear pupils constricted as she noticed that one of the gazes from the crowd was different from the rest. All of the people present were practically lost in amazement towards her sword skill. But this person seemed to be thinking that her sword skill was not worthy to be taken seriously. In her heart arose a slight sense of loss and competitiveness. “You think my sword skill is ordinary?” Under the gazes of the surrounding people, Li Shi Shi arrived in front of the youth, her tone containing a trace of questioning. At this moment, the people present noticed the youth. “Eh, isn’t he Duan Ling Tian?” “It’s him! I was there on that day.” “He seems to be only sixteen...” “Eh, the young girl who’s usually inseparable from him is actually not here. I heard that that young girl’s beauty is even slightly above Li Shi Shi’s.” ...... Hearing the surrounding discussion, Li Shi Shi’s clear eyes flashed with a trace of surprise. She had heard of what happened a few days ago. “Your sword skill... is not bad. If you lessen the flair slightly, maybe it could become even stronger.” Duan Ling Tian, who was the focus of the crowd, indifferently nodded. “Flair?” The surrounding crowd roared in laughter. “This Duan Ling Tian can’t be thinking that just because his Howling Tiger Fist is formidable, he is capable of giving Big Sister Shi Shi guidance in her sword skills, right?” “Just a layman, but he dares to talk nonsense!” “Big Sister Shi Shi’s Shadow Sword’s cultivation stage is perhaps similar to his Howling Tiger Fist, but Big Sister Shi Shi’s cultivation is one level higher than his; combined with the three-foot-long blade in her hand, she would be able to easily defeat him.” ...... The crowd started to defend Li Shi Shi against Duan Ling Tian. “I only heard that your Howling Tiger Fist is formidable. Could it be that you’re also proficient in sword skills?” Li Shi Shi glanced at Duan Ling Tian with a profound gaze. Duan Ling Tian didn’t expect that speaking the truth would give rise to public wrath. He couldn’t help but sigh in his heart. Sometimes it isn’t easy to be a truthful person... “Sword!” Walking out in large strides, Duan Ling Tian unfolded his hand in front of Li Shi Shi. Li Shi Shi reacted and passed the her sword to Duan Ling Tian. Her gaze emitted astonishment as she guessed what Duan Ling Tian planned to do. “This Duan Ling Tian still wants to display his slight skill in front of an expert?” “He’s simply too rash!” Most people who noticed this scene had a disdainful expression. Duan Ling Tian took no notice as the facts would be able to speak for themselves. In the next moment, Duan Ling Tian replaced Li Shi Shi. His hand grasped the three-foot-long blade as he stood in the middle of the crowd. The wind swept by and the leaves of the tree started drifting down. Whoosh! Under the gazes of everyone, Duan Ling Tian’s sword moved. But everyone present, including Li Shi Shi, only saw a flowing shine flicker by. From start to finish, they weren’t even able to see how Duan Ling Tian struck with his sword. “He’s completed his sword strike?” Everyone had doubt in their hearts. “Quickly, look!” Someone seemed as if to have noticed something. What they saw was that from the the string of leaves that had drifted down from the tree earlier, there were more than ten that had been sliced into two, slowly dropping to the ground. Hiss! The people present couldn’t help but exhale deep breaths of cold air. Only after Duan Ling Tian had returned the sword and left did Li Shi Shi finally regain her senses. Looking at the proud and aloof view of his back from afar, Li Shi Shi’s heart had a feeling of defeat for the first time. The honor of being the top three in the outer court seemed like a title made to mock to her. Since the day she started cultivating, she had always used a sword. Towards sword skills, she had an intuition that exceeded common people. She knew in her heart that if she had to fight Duan Ling Tian one day, even if Duan Ling Tian’s cultivation was lower than hers by one level, Duan Ling Tian could easily defeat her or even kill her with that sword strike from before. “Duan Ling Tian, I’ll remember you.” Li Shi Shi silently said in her heart. Duan Ling Tian saw what happened earlier as something that was just casually done, not even worth mentioning. But using Li Shi Shi’s low grade Profound Rank martial skill, Shadow Sword, as a reference, combined with Rebirth Martial Emperor‘s memories to estimate... Duan Ling Tian came to a conclusion. His Sword Drawing Arts at full strength had a might comparable to a middle grade Profound Rank sword skill at the perfection stage, or comparable to a high grade Profound Rank sword skill at the mastery stage. If he took someone by surprise, it could even achieve the effect of a high grade Profound Rank sword skill. “Hmm?” Duan Ling Tian abruptly stopped walking as he looked towards the path home. The two figures were standing there. They seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time. LI Yuan, Li Xiao. Duan Ling Tian casually glanced at them before deciding to go around them. But who knew that they would be so overbearing, even blocking Duan Ling Tian’s path once more. “Is something the matter?” Duan Ling Tian’s eyes flashed with a cold light. He didn’t want to create trouble, but it didn’t mean he was scared of it. “Duan Ling Tian, give us all the silver bills you have!” Li Xiao grunted. Having Li Yuan, one of the top three in the outer court, to back him up, he was filled with confidence. If he knew of the marvelous sword skill that Duan Ling Tian had executed in the martial arts practice field earlier that even caused one of the top three in the outer court, Li Shi Shi, to feel admiration and her own inferiority, he would probably not have such thoughts as the one now. The affairs of the world were marvelously so. “You want all the silver bills I have?” Duan Ling Tian laughed and patted his ‘thick’ chest. “I did bring quite the amount of silver bills, but why should I give them to you?” “Why?” Li Xiao sneered, “If you don’t want to suffer, then be good and hand over all your silver bills. Also, from now on, make the young girl that’s always by your side, Ke Er, accompany Brother Li Yuan.” “Shut up!” Duan Ling Tian’s sword-shaped eyebrows twitched. His expression didn’t seem angry, but it had an imposing manner, and an extremely terrifying killing intent instantly enveloped Li Xiao. Ke Er was like the reversed scale on a dragon’s neck to him; touch it and he would go into a rage and kill the person! Li Xiao’s expression became fearful and his legs started to shiver. Killing intent like Asura’s caused his mental barriers to collapse. “Hmmph!” Duan Ling Tian walked away in large strides with a snort. If he was at any other place, he would have long ago crippled or killed Li Xiao. But this was the Aurora City Li Clan; if he crippled or killed Li Xiao, even if the Li Clan disregarded the matter, Li Xiao’s family would not let it go. After all, Li Xiao was a main clan disciple with deep roots in the Clan. He couldn’t avoid having to think twice. “Brother Li Yuan, why didn’t you stop him?” Li Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. He had a puzzled expression as he looked Li Yuan. “Looks like we looked down upon this Duan Ling Tian. He isn’t ordinary.” Li Yuan’s expression was heavy. Although Duan Ling Tian’s killing intent was directed at Li Xiao earlier, he was lightly touched by it and it caused his heart to shake. “Surely it doesn’t mean that we’re just going to let it go like this?” Li Xiao had an unwilling expression. Drawing in a deep breath, Li Yuan slowly said, “We can go look for him again once my Golden Bell Cover steps into the initial stage. For some reason, I don’t have any confidence in winning right now.” “What?” Li Xiao’s expression was filled with disbelief. He didn’t expect that a mere branch family disciple, and a disciple with another surname at that, would actually be able to cause Li Yuan who was considered one of the top three in the other court to think twice. After hesitating for a while, Li Xiao asked, “Brother Li Yuan, should we get my brother to make a move?” Li Yuan’s eyes flickered as he slowly said, “What, don’t tell me you want to let your brother get a share? According to what I know, although you two are siblings, your relationship isn’t that good. Your brother has both openly and secretly called you trash. If he takes part in the matter, I’m worried all the benefits of our efforts will be reaped by him.” Li Xiao’s expression turned grim. This was a real possibility. There was no one who was more clear of his brother’s conducts than himself, dominating and fearless! “OK then, we’ll wait for Brother Li Yuan’s Golden Bell Cover to step into the initial stage. Humph! We’ll just let that Duan Ling Tian be complacent for a few more days.” Li Xiao quickly made a decision.