Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
In terms of who had advanced the most in cultivation levels, obviously Ding Ping was the one.
In the beginning, he had just broken through to the Spiritual Infant Tier. Now, three months later, he had already advanced to the Shattering Void Tier. In total, he had advanced three major tiers and almost 30 minor levels.
This was a feat that would cause one’s head to go numb even if placed in the Immortal Realm.
Apart from Ling Han, was there any other person who possessed a Reincarnation Tree?
It looked like a short three months, yet Ding Ping’s true dao comprehension time had actually spanned almost 90 years! Of course, one could only comprehend dao with their spirit when cultivating under the Reincarnation Tree—their physical body would remain at its initial cultivation level. In other words, Ding Ping’s cultivation time wasn’t genuinely 90 years. In any case, however, it was still definitely at least 30 years.
Ding Ping was brimming with confidence right now. He yearned to surpass his three uncles and genuinely become helpful to Ling Han. The sight of Ling Han being taken away continued to replay itself in his mind. He didn’t want to be separated from his master in such a way ever again.
Ding Ping was willing to toil through hardships, and his talent was also outstanding to begin with. Coupled with the resources he had now, it was only natural that his cultivation improved at a rapid pace.
Contrary to his incredible cultivation speed, the cultivation speed of the Rain Emperor, Helian Tianyun, and others all slowed down after they broke through to the Immortal level. It was genuinely possible that they would be surpassed by Ding Ping—they would be caught up to at the very least.
Ling Han was obviously delighted at Ding Ping’s improvements. With a smile, he said, “Third Brother, there’s a strong possibility that Ding Ping will catch up to you. Big Brother is also in danger of being caught up to. Second Brother is the most talented, so unless Ding Ping comes across some fated opportunity, he most likely won’t be able to catch up.”
Murong Qing couldn’t help but let out a wretched wail. As a senior, it was far too humiliating to be surpassed by a junior.
He grabbed Ling Han’s arm, and said, “Fourth Brother, you definitely have to give me some special treatment. If you don’t, you’ll never hear the end of it!” Just thinking about being surpassed was terrifying.
Everyone erupted in laughter upon hearing this.
“Third Uncle, sit tight and wait for me to surpass you!” Ding Ping was still carrying a huge boulder that had been carved with divine patterns of gravity on his back. He had become addicted to carrying huge boulders, and he even carried one as he slept. The others all joked that he was a turtle transformed into a human.
There was another “person” who had seen great improvements in their cultivation—Rock Spirit.
The Rock Spirit had seen almost no improvement in the past year or so, remaining at the Shattering Void Tier. Once Ling Han returned, however, it naturally had rocks to eat again. After crunching on rocks for over two months, it transformed into a rock ball as if it had entered into hibernation. It didn’t move for several days.
However, it finally welcomed a period of explosive growth a few days ago, successfully advancing into the Immortal level.
Spirits of the Five Elements were different from Demonic Beasts. Demonic Beasts could transform into human form after reaching the Immortal level, whereas the Rock Spirit had always been in a humanoid form. It was just that its body was composed of stone. After advancing to the Immortal level, however, the Rock Spirit finally became able to speak.
Even so, the Rock Spirit didn’t enjoy speaking. It remained the same as before, with its hobby being chewing on the leg of Ling Han’s trousers and acting cute. This drew strong disdain from the Asura Demon Emperor. ‘You’re not a bloody dog, so why are you trying to act like one?’
“Woof, woof!” He nudged the Rock Spirit as he barked.
‘Why is this Rock Spirit always competing with me? I’m the dog here, okay?’
Ling Han didn’t only help the Rain Emperor and his other friends. Rather, he even distributed spiritual herbs to the guards in the palace, allowing their cultivation to improve significantly. It was just that they didn’t have the right to enter the Black Tower and cultivate under the Reincarnation Tree.
After all, the Reincarnation Tree only provided a limited number of spots. Right now, it was only able to support the cultivation of 10 people at a time.
Even so, the guards in the palace saw great improvements. In the past, their cultivation level was generally at the Flower Blossom Tier. Now, however, they were breaking through to the Spiritual Infant Tier one after another. Moreover, all of this had happened within a short span of three months. This was extremely astonishing.
Ling Han turned to his disciple, and said, “Ding Ping, return home for a few days. We’ll set off for the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire in one month at most. Heavens knows when we’ll be able to return again.”
In reality, Ding Ping didn’t want to return home. To him, the Ding Clan wasn’t his home. It was merely a place where had been born and where he had lived.
However, he didn’t dare go against his master’s will. He packed his belongings and set off for home.
The Ding Ping of now wasn’t the same as the trash that he had been before. Rather, he was a personal disciple of the current emperor. Moreover, his own cultivation had also reached an impressive level. No one in the Ding Clan knew that he was already at the Shattering Void Tier. Anyhow, the Spiritual Infant Tier was already a supreme level in the eyes of most people.
Thus, he naturally received a warm welcome when he returned to the Ding Clan. However, some people still gave him the cold shoulder, with others even showing hostility. This caused Ding Ping’s heart to almost skip a beat.
He was naturally aware of the hidden turbulences swirling through the government. There were some factions secretly scheming to usurp the Great Ling Empire’s throne and become rulers themselves. Ding Ping detested such people with all of his heart.
His master had succeeded in opening the sky, freeing everyone from the evil claws of the five sects as a result. This had saved them from the fate of being refined into an alchemical pill. Moreover, his master had even been taken away as a hostage because of this. And yet, these people were actually planning to repay this debt with betrayal!
He hoped that such traitorous trash didn’t exist in the Ding Clan. If they did, he would personally kill them!
An elder waved at him, and said, “Hehe, Ding Ping, come, come, come. Come over here for a few words.” This elder was called Ding Chang, and was an influential member of the Ding Clan.
He had been at the Flower Blossom Tier in the small world, and he had initially thought that he would remain stuck at this tier and eventually die of old age. In a pleasant turn of events, he had received a great deal of benefits after Ling Han opened the sky. As a result, he had been able to advance to the Spiritual Infant Tier in these past two years. This extended his lifespan by another 200 years.
He had already lost his ambitions before all of this occurred. However, the fact that he could now live for 200 more years reignited his lust for power.
“Seventh Great-grandfather.” Under Ling Han’s influence, Ding Ping was still relatively respectful to his elders even though he didn’t have any good impression of them.
Ding Chang nodded, slightly flaunting his seniority. In his eyes, Ding Ping was still a junior of the Ding Clan no matter how powerful he was. Thus, it was Ding Ping’s obligation to act upon his wishes. He pointed to the seat in front of him, and said, “Sit.”
His expression became serious once Ding Ping sat down, and he said, “Ping’er, it’s been almost two years since His Majesty left, am I correct?”
Ding Ping’s heart jolted, yet his expression remained unchanged. Ling Han had taught him to remain calm and composed in all situations. H
e simply nodded, and said, “Master has indeed been away for almost two years.”
“Ping’er, there’s a saying that a nation can’t go a day without a ruler!” Ding Chang chuckled as a startling glimmer burst to life in his aged eyes.
It was lust for power, lust that made this elder seem like a giddy youth who had seen a beautiful woman for the first time.
“Seventh Great-grandfather, what are you trying to say?” Ding Ping asked after a brief moment of hesitation.
Ding Chang chuckled, and said, “You’re the only disciple of His Majesty, so shouldn’t you ascend the throne now that His Majesty has left, perhaps never to return?”
Shua!
Ding Ping instantly stood up, and said, “Seventh Great-grandfather, be careful with what you say!”
“What kind of attitude is that?!” Ding Chang flared up with rage. Was this brat trying to revolt? He actually dared to speak to him in such a disrespectful manner?!
“Seventh Great-grandfather, you’re drunk!” Ding Ping waved his sleeves, and was about to leave.
Ding Chang slammed the table, and roared, “Stop right there!”
Ding Ping ignored him and continued to walk forward.
“Heh, young man, didn’t you hear your elder telling you to stop?” A figure suddenly appeared before Ding Ping, blocking his path. “It’s bad manners to disrespect your elders.”
Ding Ping trained his gaze on the person before him. He was a youth who was at most 24 or 25 years old. A sword was strapped to his back, and an astonishing sword intent radiated from his entire body. It was as if he were the sword, and the sword was him.
“Who are you?!” Ding Ping asked in a low voice. He could feel strong pressure from this youth, and it was clear that the cultivation level of this youth was no weaker than his.
Shattering Void Tier!
Chapter 1080 - Five Sects Reappear
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“Me?” A smile appeared on the youth’s face, and he said, “I’m Zhang Mo. I used to have a nickname, the Small Sword Emperor. However, there’s no way I can keep that nickname anymore. This is the Immortal Realm, and if I still dare to call myself the Small Sword Emperor, someone will eventually beat me to death!”
“Heaven’s Sword Sect!” Ding Ping said in a low voice.
He finally understood that the five sects were the ones behind the hidden turbulences swirling in the government.
‘Are these people pigheads?’
They already knew that the five sects had wanted to refine them into a Realm Pill, yet right now, they were still listening to their encouragement! They were going to betray Ling Han! Were fame and power truly that attractive? Could it really cause one to become so stubborn?
“Heh, what a coincidence,” Zhang Mo said indifferently. “We had wanted to trick you into coming back, but who knew that you would come running back yourself?”
Ding Ping’s feeling of apprehension disappeared now that the true culprits had revealed themselves. He had already reached the third layer of the Shattering Void Tier, and coupled with his devastating explosiveness, he could achieve a battle prowess of 12 stars. In addition, he could still draw on the power of the nation, and he furthermore possessed treasures that had been gifted to him by Ling Han. He wasn’t afraid of anyone at the Shattering Void Tier.
Ding Ping wore a composed expression, and said, “I’ll never betray my master. So what if you guys capture me?”
“Hahahaha! We only need a puppet!” Ding Chang burst into laughter, and continued, “You’re Ling Han’s disciple, so it’s well within reason for you to ascend the throne!”
His face flushed red with excitement. He had never dreamed that a day would come when he could become the ruler of an empire.
In fact, even his “old buddy” which had shriveled long ago became reinvigorated with life. He felt an urge to find some young woman to root.
Sure enough, power was the strongest aphrodisiac for man.
“Retard!” Zhang Mo casually waved his palm, instantly forming a sword light that decapitated Ding Chang.
Peng!
Blood sprayed through the air.
Ding Chang’s head rolled along the ground for a few seconds before coming to a stop. A look of shock and surprise was frozen on his face. He couldn’t understand why Zhang Mo had suddenly attacked him. Weren’t they allies? Weren’t they going to rule the Great Ling Empire together?
Ding Ping didn’t have a shred of sympathy for him. This person had betrayed Ling Han, and he had already been lenient by not personally killing him. He shook his head, and said, “Seventh Great-grandfather, you were making a deal with the devil. They merely wanted to use you guys to lure me back.”
A glimmer flashed across Ding Chang’s eyes. Then, it disappeared—forever.
He could have enjoyed an extra 200 years of peaceful life, and because of his relationship with Ding Ping, he even had an opportunity to reach the Deity Transformation Tier or Heaven Tier. This was the Immortal Realm, after all, so treasures at the mortal level were widely available!
However, he had lusted after power, a power that far surpassed what he could wield. In the end, his dreams were shattered, and he paid for it with his life.
“Are you going to surrender, or do I have to use force?” Zhang Mo asked calmly.
He had always been a prodigy, and he had already reached the Shattering Void Tier prior to Ling Han opening the sky. Now that he had cultivated in the Immortal Realm for almost two years, his cultivation level had already shot up to the ninth layer of the Shattering Void Tier, his battle prowess soaring to 15 stars. This was thanks to the richness of the Spiritual Qi here, and also thanks to the fact that the five sects had quite some resources.
This wasn’t Zhang Mo’s limit, though, and thus he didn’t hurry to break through to the Mountain River Tier. Instead, he planned to accumulate his cultivation and attempt to reach the supreme battle prowess of 20 stars.
15 Stars of the Shattering Void Tier wasn’t enough to satisfy him.
Ding Ping roared with laughter, and said, “We’ll only know who’s stronger than who after we do battle!”
“Heh, our intel is wrong. Who would’ve thought that you’d reach the Shattering Void Tier so quickly!” Zhang Mo smiled, and continued, “This attribute is quite similar to your master’s. The speed of your cultivation is truly troublesome. I genuinely want to kill you now lest you become a larger threat in the future!”
If they had been able to kill Ling Han, the Lower Realm would have still belonged to the small world. If that had been the case, the great elites from the five sects would have been able to refine another Realm Pill soon.
As for them, they would have also been able to enter the Immortal Realm soon—they wouldn’t have ascended to the Joint Peace Planet, but instead to the ancestral grounds of the five sects!
They couldn’t receive an inkling of the Immortal Realm’s resources while on the Joint Peace Planet. Living here was like living in a barren land, and this left them feeling extremely suffocated. In fact, it even made them feel despair! Thus, after lying low for two years or so, they decided to launch a fatal strike and change the ruler of the Great Ling Empire!
They would first use Ding Ping as a puppet emperor, and then kick him off the throne in the future. There would eventually come a day when they would finally reestablish contact with the five sects in the Immortal Realm, which would allow them to return to their ancestral grounds.
Ding Ping balled his hands into fists, and said, “You can try if you want!”
He still had yet to battle against someone at an equivalent cultivation level after advancing to the Shattering Void Tier. Although Ling Han had once suppressed his own cultivation level and fought against him, his freakish master was absolutely inhuman. He had been pummeled until despair was the only thing remaining in his mind.
Zhang Mo chuckled coldly as he raised his hand, and said, “Heh, even your confidence is like that
of your master. That makes me even more infuriated!”
Shua, shua, shua!
Several sword lights swept toward Ding Ping.
Zhang Mo was called the Small Sword Emperor, so it was only natural that he was supremely talented in the Sword Dao. Sword intent radiated from his body with his each and every action.
Ding Ping was unafraid. He let out a mighty roar as he threw his fists outward.
Peng!
A powerful force compressed the air, forming a shield before Ding Ping and obliterating the sword lights.
“Hmm?” An expression of astonishment finally appeared on Zhang Mo’s face. The battle prowess of Ding Ping was a bit beyond his expectations.
‘He’s clearly only at the third layer of the Shattering Void Tier, so how can he be so powerful?’
“I’m still weaker than my master, but suppressing you should pose no problem at all!”
Pa, pa, pa!
Ding Ping cranked his neck, causing explosive crackles to sound from the joints in his body.
Although he hadn’t been able to learn the Indestructible Heaven’s Scroll, he had been able to learn the Nine Dragons Tyrant Body Art, which allowed him to set foot on a path of dual cultivation. This was also the reason behind his being able to wield power at Nine Stars of the Shattering Void Tier even though he was only at the third layer of the Shattering Void Tier. Moreover, his explosiveness could elevate his battle prowess to an even more terrifying level.
Zhang Mo seethed with rage. He came from the same generation as Ling Han, and there had even been a time when he had been able to suppress Ling Han. However, his opponent’s disciple actually dared to say that suppressing him wouldn’t be a problem?
‘F*ck! He’s far too arrogant!’
He drew his sword, and said, “Young man, you’re far too arrogant!”
“I’m not arrogant, I’m confident!” Ding Ping was in high spirits, and wouldn’t be afraid no matter what opponent he came across. This was another quality that Ling Han had taught him. Of course, not being afraid and needlessly charging toward death were two completely different things. If he knew that he was no match for the opponent, he would do everything within his ability to retreat. Only by staying alive would he have any chance of turning the tables.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 554