Bang!
A china teacup was smashed to the ground and broke into pieces with debris flying.
Lu Ting gnashed with a somber face, "Qian Qi, why the hell did you stop me? Together, we could have killed that little thing just like taking candy from a baby!"
Qian Qi frowned and said, "You really believe that Shiao Tianren and the rest of the villagers would stand by and let us kill him?"
Lu Ting replied with a cold hum, "Those villagers are just ordinary people who know nothing about cultivation. It won't make any difference even if they help Lin Xun. I can defeat them all with just one hand."
Qian Qi got angry. What an idiot! If they now went against the whole village, who'd be willing to plant spiritual grains for them?
Sick of explaining, Qian Qi directly said, "Did you forget what I told you last time? The little thing Lin Xun will go to Pock Sun's spiritual land to kill the pests a few days later. It's about 10 kilometers away from the village. We can kill him there!"
Lu Ting was in a bit daze. Still unreconciled in heart, he responded fiercely, "Good! Then I'll wait for a few more days!"
Qian Qi said with a greedy smile, "When the little thing is killed, all treasures in the snow-spot leopard and one-horned lizard will be ours!"
Lu Ting was thrilled! With a hideous look on his face, he thought in heart, "Little thing! Enjoy your last days in this world!"
For many days in a row, Lin Xun spent all his time cultivating apart from helping villagers wipe out the pests in their spiritual lands.
He studied the Meditation Magic, perceived the profoundness of Spirit-concentrating Manual and practiced Marching Boxing as well as Six-word Saberplay. Not a second was wasted.
The flesh and blood of the leopard and the one-horned lizard Lin Xun hunted last time had been divided up quite a bit, but the rest was enough for him to eat for more than ten days.
The good thing was Lin Xun's cultivating speed was much faster with the help of the beasts' flesh and blood. Yesterday, he even got a chance to break through to the third level of Martial Realm, but he restrained at the last moment.
Now he got four spirit swirls in his Heart Vessels and Four Acupoints, which seemed to have lessened the spirit power he refined, but, in reality, such changes had improved the quality of his spirit power by four degrees, making it purer, thicker and solider than ever.
Lin Xun had no intention to advance to the next level until he refined all his spirit power to the fullest extent. And the reason was quite simple, for a more sustainable and longer journey in cultivation.
The solider the foundation was, the smoother the road would be in the future. This had been an everlasting truth since ancient times!
However, those who could really follow this truth were not many as not everyone had the opportunity to refine his spirit power with four spirit swirls just like Lin Xun did.
For a common practitioner, his foundation of cultivation was predetermined and unchangeable no matter how hard he tried.
In the morning, Lin Xun woke up from his meditation. His breaths were sharp like an arrow, long and concise, and the abundant spirit energy flowed throughout his body vibrantly.
"I will break through to the next level within one or two days!"
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xun inhaled like a whale swallowing water, turning the air nearby into a torrent rushing towards his mouth and flooding to his limbs and bones. Then he exhaled a turbid qi from his nose.
It was the "exhale the old and inhale the new" phenomenon in cultivation, which was to inhale the pure air to refine qi throughout the body and exhale the foul qi out, a sign for progressing to the third level of Martial Real, Viscera Opening.
Viscera Opening meant to open the five internal organs, which corresponded with the five elements. It indicated a step further in the seeking of Tao when one could connect the meridians and veins along his viscera and run his spirit power through it.
"Exhale the old and inhale the new" was to prepare for the Viscera Opening. Clearing the turbid qi inside the body and running spirit power to connect the five internal organs would bring new changes to all aspects of a practitioner, including qi function, vitality, spirit…
Walking out of his room, Lin Xun practiced all moves of Marching Boxing and Six-word Saberplay in the morning light. Then he washed hurriedly and left home.
Today, he was scheduled to go with Pock Sun and help to destroy the pests in his spiritual land that was about 10 kilometers away from the village. He had to set out early to get back before noon.
Walking down the village road, Lin Xun constantly nodded with a smile as responses to all the warm greetings he received on the way. Apparently, Lin Xin was well accepted and respected by the villagers due to all the efforts he made these days.
"Uncle Lin, when will you teach us martial arts?" A little kid asked happily.
"Soon, it won't take long." Lin Xun answered and touched the little kid's head with a hearty smile. He then joined Pock Sun, who was waiting some distance away, and walked out of the village.
Now only the pests in Pock Sun's spiritual land were not eliminated. After this, he would be able to spare some time to teach those children martial arts.
Pock Sun was an honest and dull middle-aged man. They didn't say a word on the way.
It took them more than an hour to get to the 0.27-hectre spiritual land belonging to Pock Sun. The Smoking Mountain was only a short distance away.
Upon his arriving, Lin Xun couldn't help looking at the Smoking Mountain, which was steep and over 300 meters high with huge rocks dotting on its surface. Unlike the cyan color of the nearby mountains, the Smoking Mountain was red just like burning flames. How remarkable!
More than one hundred years ago, a practitioner from Donglin City passed by and stumbled across a small lode of Feiyun Fire Copper inside the Smoking Mountain, which was how Feiyun Village got its name.
However, time changed. After the lode was hollowed out, those great men who dug the mine left, abandoning all slaves to their fate. All villagers in Feiyun were the descendants of those deserted mine slaves.
Lin Xun heard this from Shiao Tianren. So he involuntarily watched the mountain closely for some time.
However, as far as he knew, a place that harbored Feiyun Fire Copper must have special feng shui.
"Given the chance, I'll go to the Smoking Mountain and check it carefully. If those who excavated the lode were as blind as a bat, maybe I could find something valuable!"
Lin Xun made up his mind immediately when the idea came to him.
Without any delay, he took out his tools at ease and walked into the spiritual land. Pock Sun was waiting some distance away when he started to inscribe the Light-attracting Spiritual Tattoo.
"The damn thing is here. Let's move!"
Lu Ting hid behind a huge rock on the foot of the Smoking Mountain not far away from the spiritual land, wearing an excited and ferocious look.
"Wait a minute. This little thing uses out his spirit power every time he inscribes a spiritual tattoo. That is our best chance to kill him." Qian Qi replied with calmness and great caution.
Feeling discontent about Qian Qi's decision, Lu Ting blurted out, "You don't think we can kill the boy easily with our cultivation?"
"Better be careful." Qian Qi was not persuaded.
Lu Ting felt so angry that he glared his eyes large. He just couldn't understand why Qian Qi, who was at the third level of Martial Realm, would take the damn thing Lin Xun so seriously.
Soon a golden light soared high into the sky with a humming sound in the spiritual land.
Seeing the Light-attracting Spiritual Tattoo taking effect, Qian Qi gave out a long sigh and said, "If he were not against us, Brother Lian Rufeng could really use his ability. What a pity!"
"Don't be hypocritical!" Lu Ting disdained him immediately.
Qian Qi smiled and gave no concern to his response. Standing up, he walked directly to the spiritual land and said, "Let's go. Time to gather our prey."
"We should have taken action earlier!"
Lu Ting had long lost his patience. Jumping up abruptly, he rushed to Lin Xun just like a bloodthirsty bull with a huge hammer shimmering with slivery chill in his hand.
…
Knowing for sure that the Light-attracting Spiritual Tattoo would take effect and wipe out all the pests in minutes, Lin Xun walked out of the spiritual land without even looking at it. To his surprise, he didn't find Pock Sun.
"Where is he?" Feeling strange, Lin Xun scanned around. Then he saw two figures moving fast towards him. One was thin and fierce with a surly face and a long spare in his hand; the other was tall and grim and carried a great hammer. They were no other but Qian Qi and Lu Ting!
Apparently, they didn't come to greet. But Lin Xun was quite collected as he knew already that Qian Qi and Lu Ting would attack him one day. He just didn't expect it would be today.
Thinking of Pock Sun's disappearance, it suddenly occurred to Lin Xun that they must have plotted this long ago.
This place was remote and far away from Feiyun Village without a single person passing by, making it impossible to ask for help. It was definitely a good place for murder.
Lin Xun was clear that it must be Qian's idea as Lu Ting was just a rude man who'd never have such wisdom.
Standing there quietly and watching Qian Qi and Lu Ting getting closer, Lin Xun was quite composed with even a hardly discernable smile at the corners of his mouth.
"You've finally come!" Lin Xun said with a gentle voice.
Both Qian Qi and Lu Ting were shocked as they had thought that Lin Xun would run away with their sudden appearance. It never occurred to them that he would just stand there silently as if waiting for their arrival.
"Stop putting on an act! I'd like to see who the hell could save you today!" Lu Ting cursed harshly. The calmer Lin Xun looked, the angrier and more resentful he got.
Qian Qi was also surprised by the calmness Lin Xun demonstrated, then he recollected himself, gaze turning sharp and cold. No matter what Lin Xun was up to, he must die today.
"You two picked a good place. I was worried about where on earth I could kill you two quietly without leaving any clue. Now you have dug your own grave, saving me loads of trouble."
In his smiling voice Lin Xun slowly took out the cyan dagger from his waist. The air around him changed suddenly at that instant.