Chapter 365 – I’ll Take All Comers

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Shi Hanshan wanted to have a match against Lin Ming. However, because their difference in cultivation was too great, he had no way to challenge him.

He didn’t think that Lin Ming would actually offer himself up.

Shi Hanshan didn’t look down on Lin Ming. Rather, it was because of Lin Ming’s overabundance of talent that he had aimed for him. He believed that with Lin Ming’s talent, he would become a lofty character in the future, a powerhouse on the level of Zhan Yunjian. But now, his current ability was far too weak.

Shi Hanshan realized that he wouldn’t be a match for Lin Ming in a few years. So while Lin Ming was still small and weak, he would take this opportunity to savagely crush him underneath his boot. To crush a monstrous genius beneath one’s boot was a very rewarding experience.

Thinking this, the smile on Shi Hanshan’s face became increasingly wide. He was originally a sorry and foul looking figure, but now with such a bright smiling face, it really caused one’s skin to crawl.

“Lin Ming, don’t be so impulsive. Are you sure? If you aren’t then let me go on first. You’ve already taken the title of number one amongst the Pulse Condensation period. Even if you don’t fight anymore, no one will say anything about you. If you lose, you’ll also lose all the honor that you’ve gained.” Mu Zhaoxuan nervously said.

Lin Ming nodded, his words honest, “I have complete confidence.”

Complete confidence?

Mu Zhaoxuan was shocked. She already thought it would be extraordinary if Lin Ming had a 60 or 70% assurance to win. That would leave some room for doubt. But she didn’t expect that Lin Ming would directly say that he had full confidence he would emerge victorious!

If he said this with such belief, then how could she possibly reject him?

Lin Ming had just stepped onstage when Mu Qianyu’s true essence sound transmission resounded in his ears, “Lin Ming, you won’t have a problem this match, right?”

“No problem at all.” Lin Ming turned around and was surprised to see Mu Qianyu looking at him with a fond smile in her eyes. This startled Lin Ming, was there something to be so happy about?

“Mm. I guess that since you walk on stage so decisively, you won’t have a problem.” After Lin Ming continuously defeated Ma Junhui and Zhou Xiaoling, Mu Qianyu suddenly remembered that Lin Ming himself was a monstrous talent of preposterous proportions, and that all her worries had been in vain. At Thundercrash Mountain, he had even absorbed a low-grade earth-step Thunder Soul, so what other matter could be impossible to him? She smiled as she said, “Lin Ming, Honorable Master bids me to tell you that if you can defeat Shi Hanshan, she’ll have a reward for you.”

“Oh?” Lin Ming was immediately happy. This was a great fortune! A reward that a top fourth-grade sect would give out would naturally be some fantastic treasure.

“What sort of reward?” Lin Ming asked with gusto, his spirit stirred up.

“Haha, you really wake up without some rewards, hm? How about you take a guess?” Mu Qianyu said, keeping Lin Ming in suspense. Lin Ming paused – whatever could have Mu Qianyu keep him in suspense would truly be a wonderful treasure.

What could it be?

Heaven Opening Pills?

Medium-grade, or even high-grade true essence stones?

Although these objects were valuable, they were still relatively popular and common, and were equivalent to money. They shouldn’t be able to enter Mu Qianyu’s eyes.

Maybe it was some miracle medicine like the Shattered Demon Heart Crystal that could help a Xiantian master reach the Revolving Core realm?

That was impossible. Old lady Yuhuang had no idea that he was hiding away his Tempering Marrow realm. And the Shattered Demon Heart Crystal was no different from the purest poison to a Pulse Condensation period martial artist. Old lady Yuhuang would not reward him with something unreasonable that wouldn’t help him at this stage.

“Is it some valuable material that can help increase one’s strength?” Lin Ming casually guessed.

“That sort of thing is useless to you. You already have enough Heaven Opening Pills, so you’re probably tired of eating them. And if you eat too many, you’ll build up too much pill toxin. What Honorable Master promised to reward you is the blood of the Vermillion Bird, this is the transplantation of a Saint Beast’s bloodline!

Transplanting a Saint Beast’s bloodline? When Lin Ming had first heard about the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’, he had also heard Mu Qianyu mention that the Vermillion Bird bloodline could be transplanted onto another person.

In order to cultivate the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’ and the ‘Blue Lian Abstract Phantom Code’ to their core realm, one had to have the bloodline of the Vermillion Bird or Blue Luan. Otherwise, it was impossible to cultivate.

In Divine Phoenix Island, there were very few individuals that were truly born with the Vermillion Bird Bloodline. Most of the disciples that had this bloodline had it transplanted within them during the Houtian realm. This so-called ‘transplant’ was in fact taking the blood of the Vermillion Bird Saint Beast and sealing it into one’s body using a secret technique, forcing the Vermillion Bird blood to penetrate into one’s bone marrow and fuse with their own bloodline.

This sort of bloodline transplant was very modest. It could only increase a disciple’s fire-attribute true essence fusion compatibility and ability to cultivate the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’ by a small amount. Its effects were very limited.

Let alone expecting this bloodline transplant to allow one to cultivate the core sections of the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’ and ‘Blue Lian Abstract Phantom Code’.

But for Mu Qianyu to emphasize this reward so much, this would definitely not be the usual Saint Beast bloodline transplantation.

Lin Ming couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Mu shouldn’t be speaking of the same bloodline that the inner court disciples have, right?”

“Of course not.” Mu Qianyu snapped back. “You really are too greedy, you can’t lose a bit at all. It is the Vermillion Bird’s blood essence transplant. Honored Master has said that the more geniuses you defeat, and the stronger they are, the richer the bloodline that will be bestowed to you. Honorable Master has the capital, and this is an extremely rare opportunity.”

Mu Qianyu laughed as she spoke. Because Lin Ming could have such a grand opportunity, her mood was also very good.

Lin Ming was jubilant, this was actually the Vermilion Bird’s blood essence transplant! Blood essence and blood were to completely different concepts. Whether it was a Saint Beast or martial artist, losing a bit of blood wasn’t anything at all. They could easily recover it in several days. But if one lost blood essence, that would harm their very foundation.

Once one’s blood essence was drained, that was equal to one’s life being damaged, and also losing cultivation. If a martial artist lost their blood essence, that was an absolute death sentence.

Even Lin Ming didn’t dare to risk his own blood essence. The power of his blood vitality used his blood essence as its base.

For a Vermillion Bird to leave behind blood essence, there were only two possibilities. The Vermillion Bird had either been killed, or had died a natural death.

Ultimately, a Vermillion Bird was a Saint Beast. It was not an endless and immortal being like a phoenix. Its so-called bathing in the fires of nirvana was really only used to treat wounds. Even the most grievous of wounds could be treated by undergoing the fires of nirvana. But, undergoing nirvana would not actually lengthen a Vermillion Bird’s lifespan.

At the end of a Vermillion Bird’s life, they would complete their final nirvana, and also die in nirvana.

After a Vermillion Bird died, they would leave behind a small cup of blood essence.

If Lin Ming could obtain enough Vermillion Bird blood essence and transplant it within himself, his bloodline might not be as pure as that of Mu Qianyu or Mu Bingyun, but it was more than enough to cultivate the core section of the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’!

This was too important to Lin Ming’s future cultivation of the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’.

Prior to this, the reason that Lin Ming had joined Divine Phoenix Island, besides Mu Qianyu, was that he had joint interests with Divine Phoenix Island. Divine Phoenix Island valued Lin Ming’s talent, but Lin Ming also needed the resources that Divine Phoenix Island could provide. In the future, if Lin Ming could reach the Revolving Core realm, he would in turn be able to help lead Divine Phoenix Island to a stronger position, and even help assist them in becoming a fifth-grade sect.

Lin Ming didn’t think that he was taking advantage of Divine Phoenix Island in any way – that was why he didn’t even prostrate himself in front of old lady Yuhuang.

But now, after Lin Ming heard Mu Qianyu mention the Vermillion Bird blood essence, even he found it difficult to keep his beating heart calm. This was Vermillion Bird blood essence! It was an enormous benefit to any Divine Phoenix Island disciple. From the founding of Divine Phoenix Island until now, just how many Vermillion Birds had died? How much Vermillion Bird blood essence could there possibly be? By comparison, after generation after generation of Divine Phoenix Island disciples coming and going, who knew who how many individuals there were.

Since Vermillion Bird blood essence could be preserved this far, it must be precious to the point that even old lady Yuhuang was reluctant to use it. Yet she had taken out something so treasured and was even rewarding it to him. This act of kindness was enough to engrave itself upon Lin Ming’s mind.

But even though old lady Yuhuang had taken out the blood essence as a reward, the ultimate goal was a joining of mutual interests. Lin Ming also firmed his resolve. In his life, he would help Divine Phoenix Island become a fifth-grade sect. Once he became a Revolving Core Supreme Elder, this shouldn’t be too difficult for him.

Lin Ming couldn’t help but glance at old lady Yuhuang. He was surprised to find that she was still sitting in her chair, her expression reticent and cloudy.

Seeing Lin Ming look at her, old lady Yuhuang sent him a true essence sound transmission, “Boy, don’t be happy so early. If you lose then you won’t get anything. At that time, don’t come crying to me.”

Lin Ming grinned, “Hey, I can win!”

“Humph, I believe you can defeat Shi Hanshan. But once you win, there will be even more Houtian masters challenging you. Do you think you can defeat the dozens of Houtian masters from the six great sects?”

As old lady Yuhuang spoke, a wave of heroic pride and dignity flooded through Lin Ming. He took a deep breath, calmly saying, “Whoever comes will come. I’ll take all comers!”

Old lady Yuhuang was shocked. This boy was really too arrogant. But, the young should be a bit arrogant, and they should also have an indomitable and cavalier attitude with absolute belief in their own abilities. Only then would they be able to bring out their true potential!

“Good. Then let this old woman have a look at just how many you can take!” Old lady Yuhuang was also looking forward to seeing just how far Lin Ming could go.

Old lady Yuhuang had just finished speaking when another voice sounded in Lin Ming’s ear, “Brother Lin, are we going to do this or what?”

Lin Ming turned to see Shi Hanshan grinning at him. He looked like a simple and honest man, but the truth was that it was only a veneer that hid his cunning edge.

Lin Ming discovered that he had been speaking with Mu Qianyu and old lady Yuhuang too long, and was just standing at the edge of the stage, not even having entered yet.

Shi Hanshan naturally assumed that Lin Ming was afraid.

Because he had impulsively stood up, he had walked halfway but suddenly regretted it. With Lin Ming’s age and cultivation, if he decided to change his direction midway, although it was shameful it was also an understandable action.

This was not what Shi Hanshan was hoping to see.

He cupped his hands across his chest and said, “Brother Lin, you’re very strong. Perhaps within the entire Five Element Region, there is no junior in the Pulse Condensation period that can defeat you. Even Thundercrest Sect’s Junior-apprentice Sister Zhou is not your match at all. Although I am at the Houtian realm, my talent is much worse than yours. Against a ‘Lesser Saint’ talent like yourself, I’m not any better. However, Brother Lin is still young. If Brother Lin doesn’t wish to fight, then I naturally will not force the issue. It’s just that I will find it truly regrettable that I won’t be able to experience the top sub-Houtian master of the South Horizon Region.”

Shi Hanshan’s words seemed to be filled with yearning emotion, but that ‘Lesser Saint’ title was intended to deliberately belittle themselves and raise Lin Ming’s proud nature. This truth was that this was another method of provoking that was completely different from the demeaning kind of the idiotic Ma Junhui. Perhaps this method of prodding was even more effective.

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