“This rain is so similar to that night three years ago. If only it would last until tomorrow.” A cold sneer flickered across Li Tianming’s lips as he made his way to the Flameyellow Pagoda. It was the night before the promised day, so he wanted to cultivate for a while longer.
“Big brother!” Just as he arrived at the pagoda, a young girl dressed in a blue skirt greeted him, her expression just as joyous as his.
“Ling’er!” He hadn’t seen her since leaving the Abyssal Trials, so it went without saying that he missed her.
“Big brother!” She trotted toward him, almost immediately drenched without beast ki to block out the rain. With her long hair plastered on her rosy cheeks, the beauty she gave off was different from her usual self.
“Don’t get drenched by the rain.” Li Tianming shielded her from the downpour and brought her into the Flameyellow Pagoda. There wasn’t anyone there, since all the disciples were waiting inside the stadium for the next day’s battle.
Li Tianming carefully manipulated his Aeternal Infernal Beast Ki, using it like a heater to dry her hair and clothes. She wasn’t a beastmaster, so it would be easy for her to catch a cold.
“Big brother, father wouldn’t let us out and had us locked up for the past few days,” Jiang Feiling pouted.
“I guessed as much.” It was only natural that the king would have his clan’s safety as his top priority.
“Well, how do you suppose I made it out?” She blinked mischievously.
“Let me guess, you threw a tantrum and made the guards feel bad?” Li Tianming laughed.
“Of course not.” Her eyes glowed with joy. “I unsealed another ability from my nails.”
“For real?”
“Of course!”
“Then go ahead and show me.”
“Alright!” Taking a few lighthearted steps, she beckoned at Li Tianming with a mischievous smile. “Big brother, run toward me as fast as you can.”
“Let’s see what’s up your slee— ” Li Tianming dashed forward and nearly broke his nose before he could complete his sentence.
“What the heck is that?” It almost felt like he had run headlong into a wall.
“That’s Spatial Wall. You can use it to block and obstruct your opponents. There are other uses for it, too.” As she spoke, she suddenly vanished.
“Where did you go?”
“I’m still here, come to this side.” Li Tianming walked along the wall, discovering that Jiang Feiling was hidden behind her wall.
“I can control what people see on these walls, so it can even camouflage us. I’m still not that familiar with it for now, but with sufficient practice, I should be able to form even more Spatial Walls.”
“Wow, as expected of my Ling’er!” Li Tianming smiled. The ability wasn’t just powerful, but also opened up all sorts of options in battle, making their combination even stronger during Spiritual Attachment.
“Of course!” Jiang Feiling clenched her fist tightly with an eager look on her face. “Big brother, I want to help you defeat them tomorrow.”
That was her main purpose for sneaking out using the Spatial Wall while Jiang Qingluan kept the guards distracted.
“You don’t have to.” Li Tianming’s lips curved upward.
“Why?”
“They don’t quite qualify.” Li Tianming’s courage would have sounded unfounded, or even foolish, if she didn’t know his secrets.
“Ling’er, all you need to do is help me make one more breakthrough tonight.”
“Sure.” At this point in time, she was willing to do anything to help him. Anything at all would be better than helplessly waiting inside the palace.
“Big brother, your hair. It’s quite pretty when it’s white....” Jiang Feiling bounced along beside him and played with the tips of his long hair.
“Did you only just notice?”
“Of course not, I just didn’t say anything.”
“Why?”
“It looked very… girlish....”
“Nonsense! Look at these muscles.”
Li Tianming’s cheeks flushed. What a disgrace for her to call me girlish! Perhaps I need to show her just how manly I truly am!
Li Tianming approached the Flameyellow Rock, speaking domineeringly, “Ling’er, ride me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Ah, I mean, attach to me.” Accidentally exposing his real thoughts was a big oof.
“Huh.” How could Jiang Feiling not know what he was thinking? But she attached to him nonetheless. It had been a month since she had last merged with his body, and Li Tianming felt the terrifying burst of power once more. It was even more effective than taboo techniques like the Purple Blood-Imprint, and with her, Li Tianming felt like the world was within his grasp. Spiritual Attachment was a mysterious ability that both boosted his strength and aided him in his cultivation.
“Big brother, you feel very different now. What’re those rings?” As she surged into Li Tianming’s body, she instantly discovered the ten rings on his body.
“That’s Lifesbane.”
“No, there’s something fundamentally different now. It’s like you’re ten times better now in terms of how well you can absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Is Lifesbane usually this powerful?” she asked curiously.
That was something even Li Tianming himself didn’t know. But the fact that he could improve by two levels and master the three demises were all thanks to Lifesbane. Without it, he might not even be able to defeat Yueling Ji tomorrow.
“Let’s give it a try.”
He punched the Flameyellow Rock, just like how he did the first time he got the rock’s blessing. Even the little chick and the black cat had left his lifebound space to cultivate.
“Meow Meow!” Jiang Feiling was elated to reunite with the cute little cat.
“Who’s calling me meow!” The black cat’s eyes were wide open.
“That’s your sister-in-law, be respectful.” The little chick bopped its brother’s head.
...
Each booming jab on the Flameyellow Rock was accompanied by the black heavenly patterns congregating once more.
“Looks like it’s had enough rest and is ready to help me with my cultivation again.” Li Tianming smiled as he continued punching the rock, the patterns swimming faster and faster in response.
About an hour later, Li Tianming was sucked onto the Flameyellow Rock again, and a familiar gush of spiritual energy permeated his body.
“The conversion really is ten times more efficient than it was previously. Your body truly has significantly changed because of Lifesbane,” Jiang Feiling sounded surprised.
“Not bad right? Did that convince you to pick me as your boyfriend?”
“Nah, try again when you’re as strong as the vice-potentate.”
“Isn’t that a bit too ambitious?”
“Li Tianming, you still have me. I can warm your bed for you!” the little chick snickered.
“Why don’t you go live happily ever after with Meow Meow....”
“Meow?” As for the black cat, it was completely out of the loop.
If anyone were to walk into the Flameyellow Pagoda, they would discover the incredible sight of Li Tianming and his two beasts joking around while they were stuck to the Flameyellow Rock.
...
Another hour later, they finally made a breakthrough. Less than ten days after he had broken through to the seventh level, Li Tianming was now eighth level Spiritsource. Even with his perfect synchronisation with the Flameyellow Rock, this wouldn’t be possible if not for his Lifesbane. Cultivation was a process that became more difficult the further one went, and a more reasonable expectation without Lifesbane would be reaching the sixth level, instead.
What was there to worry about for the battle tomorrow? In the time Yueling Ji took to get from ninth level Spiritsource to first level Unity, Li Tianming had ascended three levels!
As expected, when the storm of spiritual energy was over, Li Tianming was repulsed from the rock. He left the rings, after which Jiang Feiling materialized beside him, knowing that Li Tianming could settle the fight himself tomorrow.
The two of them shared a knowing smile when their gazes met. Li Tianming glanced in the direction of Flameyellow Stadium, and the downpour showed no signs of stopping.
It was time to bring a conclusion to what had happened three years ago.
……
As Li Tianming took Jiang Feiling’s hand in his and left the Flameyellow Pagoda, he didn’t notice the two pairs of eyes staring at them from the darkness. Only when they had left did the two figures walk into the Flameyellow Pagoda and observe the changes to the rock.
“Interesting.”
“Rather interesting, yes.”
Not long after, the middle-aged man and the girl melted back into the shadows.
……
Within a private room at the Flameyellow Stadium, Li Tianming laid his Grand Thunderflare Sword by the window, its tip pointing at the center of the arena. Jiang Feiling stood quietly beside him as the two of them watched raindrops pelt the glass window.
The storm brewed with even greater intensity as the fated battle approached. Despite the calamitous weather, the room was quiet—with the exception of Ying Huo, who was bouncing around energetically. Meow Meow, on the other hand, was deep in slumber.
The night felt like it lasted forever, but the sun eventually rose. Even then, the rain didn’t show signs of abating, and puddles had formed within the stadium. The spectators in the stands swayed with the wind, anxiously waiting for the battle to start.
The long-awaited hour arrived.
The Wei Clan had arrived, and even Wei Qing and Wei Zikun were there. Wei Jing saw that Li Tianming was accompanied by Jiang Feiling, and chose to leave them undisturbed. Everyone was aware that this was the most important day in Li Tianming’s life.
The Lightning Manor and Yueling Clan arrived slightly later. Strangely, they walked in two seperate groups, as if they were unrelated. All the members of the Yueling Clan were there, led by a haughty Yueling Ji.
As for the Lightning Manor, surprisingly, it was still the heavily injured Lightning Seigneur leading the clan. Then again, he was the only who could support Lin Xiaoting and cheer him on. He was carried on a stretcher, with an invisible barrier blocking the rain for him. Even from outside the barrier, his pale face and trembling body were clearly visible.
As for Lin Xiaoting, his bloodshot eyes bulged, and killing intent oozed out around him. He wouldn’t let anyone challenge his position as the champion of their generation, not even Yueling Ji.
The tension between the two factions was palpable. Just then, the two inspectors arrived together with the Vermilion Bird King.
“Let’s not waste any time.” With a wave of his hand, Jin Yixuan activated the Heavenly Pattern Barrier.
It was time. Li Tianming picked up his Grand Thunderflare Sword and walked through the rain into the arena. A flash of lightning suddenly lit up the entire stadium, illuminating the white-haired youth that was standing there like an angel of death.