In a vast expanse of misty snow, countless ice flakes were being blown in circular fashion by the freezing winds. They collided against one another in the middle of the air, releasing a spine chilling coldness, which threatened to freeze the human soul.

This is the Snowfall Realm, one of the numerous realms within the Divine Domain. The Snowfall Realm is ever snowing, turning any trace of water into frosty snow.

Within these desolate lands of snow, in a certain area, the snowflakes suddenly moved around in a spiral, as though it had been affected by something. The snowflakes melded with one another before gradually spreading out into a form of whirlpool. A glowing curtain, seemingly made of quicksilver appeared out of thin air. In the next instant, a woman wearing an ocean blue robe emerged from within.

This woman exuded an aura of eminence, her black hair descended like a waterfall, her entire body emanating an atmosphere of sacred purity. She was just like a blooming snowy jade lotus flower. However, the woman’s face was pale and traces of blood could be seen from the corners of her lips, disrupting her gentle aura of spirituality.

The glowing curtain disappeared and the woman spat out a mouthful of blood, her consciousness becoming weaker.

“Sister!”

A clear feminine voice sounded out in the air and a white sphere of light emerged from the woman’s body. The white sphere transformed into the body of a young woman. “Sister, how are you?”

“It is nothing,” The woman in ocean blue dress waved her had. She who had been seriously injured was forced to create a fissure in space and teleport over through such a great distance to another realm within the Divine Domain. This had left her suffering from an even greater degree of injuries.

“Where is this?” The woman in ocean blue dress asked.

The young woman produced a jade instrument and used her spiritual awareness to probe it before replying. “Sister, we have arrived at the Snowfall Realm.”

“Snowfall Realm?” The blue dressed woman was momentarily shocked, then she gave out a sigh. “There are three thousand realms within the Divine Domain whereas I have travelled through the Void numerous times. And yet, I end up escaping into the one realm I did not want to end up in. My real name is Mu Qian Xue (snow)1, and this is the Snowfall Realm. Snow fall, snow fall, perhaps this is where I will fall…”

“Sister, you won’t, we…” Just as the young woman was talking, a violent fluctuation of energies suddenly appeared in the air. In the next moment, an invisible pair of hands tore down the space. Next, a man in black walked out from the tear in space and stood upright in the middle of the air.

After seeing the appearance of this man, the young woman’s face changed greatly and her words became lost within her throat.

The black man was handsome and outstanding in bearing, however, a crimson shade was emanating from both his pupils, granting him a fearsome visage. Seeing Mu Qianxue, he gave a light laugh. “Your Holiness, we meet again.”

Mu Qianxue’s countenance remained cold. Although she had expected that the other side would chase her, she did not expect that it would happen so fast.

The man continued “Your Holiness, for things to develop until such an extent is truly regrettable. I truly had no choice regarding the destruction of the High Verdant Sacred Lands. For beings such as you and me with such a kind of cultivation level, there is nothing in the world that we could not obtain. Thus, what you and I both desire is only absolute power and eternity. Why don’t Your Holiness hand over the Divine Magic Cube to me? We can study it together and explore the secrets hidden within the Magic Cube. We can be partners through it all, what do you think?”

Mu Qianxue channelled the divine energies within her body and coldly replied. “There is no need to talk about nonsensical subjects. Tian Mingzi, you may be capable of destroying the High Verdant Sacred Lands; but you will have to pay dearly if you wish to kill me.”

“Is that so? Then I guess I will have to give it a try,” The one called Tian Mingzi showed an air of indifference. His right had turned, and an ancient looking pagoda appeared in his hands. This is the Catastrophic Spirit Treasure, God Sealing Pagoda, capable of sealing gods and imprisoning demons. It could also serve as a vessel capable of accommodating ten thousand warriors. Half a month ago, this man had utilized this divine pagoda to transport ten thousand masters from all over the Divine Domain and brought them over to the High Verdant Sacred Lands, leading to its destruction.

Tian Mingzi tossed the God Sealing Pagoda into the air. Next, a golden light filled the area and ten thousand masters appeared within the Snowfall Realm. In just an instant, the skies were blotted by the countless shadows.

Ten thousand figures stood in the middle of the air, their gazes were all directed at the two helpless women standing upon the snowy landscape. Their eyes were filled with coldness and indifference.

Observing all this, the corners of Mu Qianxue’s mouth curled into a sneer. She had been waiting for this exact moment: Dark Infernal Sacred Lands, Mystifying Primal Sacred Lands, Ancient Anarchic Palace, Malevolent Blood Island… all of you came together in concert to destroy my High Verdant Sacred Lands. As compensation, I will use my own soul to bury all of you today!

Tian Mingzi spoke out. “Mu Qianxue, in terms of your strength and Heavenly defying talent, you are someone who deserves my respect and admiration. But as of now, you are already grievously injured. There is no chance for you to win against ten thousand masters of the Divine Domain. I still advise you to just surrender the Divine Magic Cube. I will spare you and your sister.”

Mu Qianxue ignored him. Focusing her mind, a one cubic inch grey coloured cube with black coloured inscriptions on its surface slowly appeared from Mu Qianxue’s palm. This is the object that had shaken up the entire Divine Domain, the Divine Magic Cube.

Mu Qianxue infused all of her divine energies into the Divine Magic Cube. Even though the Divine Magic Cube had been with her for over a year, she still could not comprehend the profound mysteries within it. Perhaps the Divine Magic Cube is the crystallized form of what is left of the soul of a legendary True God that had fallen. It possesses the terrifying power to pulverize every single soul. However, Mu Qianxue’s current strength was insufficient to fully control this power. If she were to use it, then her own soul would be devoured and sealed by the Divine Magic Cube.

“Yue’er, do not resist.”

“Sister?” The young woman did not understand what Mu Qianxue meant. At that moment, a layer of light enveloped her body. This light was meant to pierce the Void and transport her through space.

Mu Qianxue wanted to first send her sister away. Once she activated the forbidden powers of the Magic Cube, the soul of every living being in the vicinity would be absorbed and pulverized. This was also the reason why she was unable to deploy the forbidden powers of the Divine Magic Cube back in the High Verdant Sacred Lands.

“Hehe, you want to send your sister away? How could I allow that?” Tian Mingzi moved both hands, forming a seal. He had wanted to freeze the surrounding Void space, however, his face suddenly changed. The Divine Magic Cube within Mu Qianxue’s palm was seemingly condensing a horrifying amount of power that had instilled a sense of fear into his soul, causing it to tremble.

This is… Tian Mingzi’s heart raced and his seal-forming pattern changed. He had sensed a life-threatening crisis heading his way.

The Worldly Primal Qi all went berserk in that one instant, creating an energy vortex on the surface of the Divine Magic Cube.

“Using my soul as the guide, I shall avail myself to the power of God, Soul Extermination!”

Mu Qianxue spat out those words in a cold and clear manner, following which her body was transformed into specks of starlight. Her soul and spiritual awareness were both transformed into light streams and were absorbed and fused into the Divine Magic Cube. Watching all this, Tian Mingzi’s face changed greatly. Without any hesitation, he quickly ripped out a tear in space, intending to make a run for it. However, it was at this moment that the terrifying energies upon the Divine Magic Cube’s surface exploded outwards.

It was as though the stars itself had exploded, the surrounding space transformed into an imagery of paper being torn asunder. It was only now that the ten thousand masters from the Divine Domain that had arrived upon Snowfall Realm realized the life and death predicament that they were in. Those of them with the ability to pass through realms all tried to escape through the Void. Unfortunately, it was too late. The surrounding space was decimated by the terrifying energies and the resulting spiral storm absorbed all of them, akin to scraps of paper being sucked in. Their bodies were transformed into dust and vanished while their souls were crushed by the spiralling storm into fragments. Those soul fragments were then absorbed into the Magic Cube.

The large-scale amount of spatial collapse rendered a huge chunk of the Snowfall Realm into a dead zone. This zone had turned into an area filled with space storms capable of destroying everything. As for the Divine Magic Cube, it devoured every single one of the soul fragments and was also propelled into the spiralling space storm, entering into the Void…

[1 The pinyin for ‘snow’ is ‘xuě’.]

[since the MC for MW is not from modern Earth, there will not be any real world politics issue like in OEM.]

Within the Sky Fortune City, the capital of Sky Fortune Kingdom, the Seven Profound Martial House stands before the Great Mountain Zhou. Seven Profound Martial House, it is the martial house set up by the Seven Profound Valley, a martial arts clan with over six hundred years of heritage. It is also the only martial house set up by them in the Sky Fortune Kingdom.

As one of the biggest martial house, Seven Profound Martial House possesses a great number of legacy martial skills and martial masters as its tutors. It was only natural that it would become the holy land of the many young aspiring martial artists. Correspondingly, the entrance qualifications for new recruits in Seven Profound Martial House were set at a high threshold. It would not be an exaggeration to say that only one in a million would be able to qualify.

Under the scorching heat of summer, a teenage boy stood within a forest of the Great Mountain Zhou. Both his fists were wrapped up with strips of cloth as he stood bare chested before a rough looking big tree. He threw punch after punch, striking heavily against the tree trunk.

“Peng!” “Peng!” Heavy sounds echoed out around the forest. The layer of bark on the big tree that were struck had sunk downwards noticeably, exposing its greyish wooden texture. On its surface, traces of blood could be seen.

This teenager’s name is Lin Ming. He possesses a Grade Three Martial Talent.

In Sky Fortune Kingdom, half of its citizens have no martial talent to speak of and are unsuitable towards the path of martial arts. As for the other half, at least eighty per cent of them have a Grade One Martial Talent. Even if these people were to practice martial arts, they would not be able to reach anywhere. One in ten of the remaining people have a ninety per cent chance of having Grade Two Martial Talent. If these people were to be diligent in their practice of martial arts, they have a chance to accomplish something in life. However, becoming a master of the martial arts would be near hopeless for them.

Lin Ming’s Grade Three Martial Talent could be considered as a high-class existence. If one were to be boastful, one could claim that he is the cream of the crop. However, even with his martial talent, it would still be difficult for him to enter the Seven Profound Martial House!

Lin Ming was well aware of this. Together with his female childhood friend, the beautiful Lan Yunyue who also has a Grade Three Martial Talent, they had agreed to take the entrance assessment for the Sky Fortune Martial House even though it is nowhere near as good as the Seven Profound Martial House.

The Sky Fortune Martial House is part of Sky Fortune Kingdom. Since the day of its inception, it has only eighty years’ worth of martial skills, legacy and foundation, a limited number indeed. Legacy martial skills are something of great importance to martial artists. Without a good set of martial skills, the goal of completing the final Physical Training Stage, the Pulse Condensing Stage or higher would be near impossible.

The Pulse Condensing Stage is a realm that most martial artists vied for. It is also the first turning point for cultivators of the martial way. Once the Pulse Condensing Stage is successfully attained, a martial artist’s lifespan would be greatly increased. Additionally, they would also be granted the title of nobility, allowing them to live a life of prosperity, bringing a blessing to their descendants.

It is in this Pulse Condensing Stage training that the Sky Fortune Martial House falls greatly behind the Seven Profound Martial House.

Lin Ming’s heart pulsed for the sake of the martial way. It was only natural that he too, desired to enter the Seven Profound Martial House. If his talent was insufficient, then he could only rely on his own diligence and perseverance to impress the examiners. However, the prospect of him entering was very low. Moreover, once he failed, he would have to waste half a year’s time to wait for another opportunity. For martial artists, this amount of time is highly precious.

Placing all this into consideration, in addition to the fact that he had promised Lan Yunyue, Lin Ming decided instead to enter the Sky Fortune Martial House.

Lin Ming and Lan Yunyue had trained and played together for many years. Even though the both of them were still young and the topic of marriage never came up, those emotions have already begun budding. Lin Ming’s parents on the other hand, had shown their approval and love towards Lan Yunyue. They would always invite Lan Yunyue to their house for dinner.

A mutual feeling of goodwill existed between Lin Ming and Lan Yunyue, leaving only a thin piece of paper between the two. Once they grow slightly older, this piece of paper would certainly be torn apart.

Lin Ming viewed the agreement between them both seriously. He had determined to charge towards the Pulse Condensing Stage even if he could only train within the Sky Fortune Martial House!

However, on the day that Sky Fortune Martial House held its entrance assessment, Lan Yunyue failed to show up.

At first, Lin Ming had assumed that Lan Yunyue was unable to arrive due to some matters. It was only later that he learnt of Lan Yunyue entering the Seven Profound Martial House. Additionally, the one who had ensured her success in becoming a disciple of Seven Profound Martial House was Zhu Yan, the genius Young Master of Green Mulberry City’s number one family.

Although Lin Ming was only fifteen years old, he had accompanied his parents to do battle on the outside before. Thus, he has a greater level of maturity compared to others. He understood the meaning behind Zhu Yan’s act of ensuring that the Seven Profound Martial House accepted Lan Yunyue.

For a great family such as the Zhu Family, their prerequisite in selecting future wives lied not in terms of appearances, but rather their martial talent. A highly talented wife would have a higher chance of giving birth to a martial genius. Although Lan Yunyue’s family is only average, her Grade Three Martial Talent is very good considering her gender. In addition, Lan Yunyue herself is a beauty with an outstanding temperament. It was only natural that Zhu Yan would fall for her.

For Lan Yunyue, the difference between the Sky Fortune Martial House and Seven Profound Martial House is simply too great. The opportunities, honour, glory, and potential accomplishments that both could able to provide are simply incomparable. This is especially true regarding the extension of life that could be gained after one successfully reaches the Pulse Condensing Stage. Such a kind of temptation is simply irresistible for girls.

Faced with such appealing prospects, most females would have chosen to go with Zhu Yan as well. After all, Zhu Yan himself possesses handsome features; his family background and future are both far better compared to Lin Ming’s.

Although he was able to understand, to say that this matter did not greatly affect Lin Ming would be a lie. He shut himself within his room for three days. After that, he walked out and proceeded to eat, sleep and train. Moreover, the intensity of his training had become much higher than before.

Before Lan Yunyue had left him, Lin Ming had already made the decision to break through into the Pulse Condensing Stage and pursue an even higher realm of martial cultivation. The current Lin Ming was no different. If he still had any doubts before, then Lan Yunyue’s act of leaving him had hardened his resolve towards the Martial Way.

He made the decision to enter the entrance assessment for the Seven Profound Martial House, no matter how difficult the process may be.

“Peng!” “Peng!” The heavy sounds of fists striking against the tree trunk echoed continuously throughout the forest. The name of this tree is Iron Tree. Not only does it possess an extremely tough layer of bark, it also has strong regenerative properties. Many beginners of the martial way would choose this Iron Tree to train themselves.

After throwing out who knew how many punches, Lin Ming finally exhausted himself. Leaning upon a tree trunk, he sat down on a piece of rock and removed some herbs from a backpack placed on the ground. He smeared them onto the surface of his fists and kneaded. For those who pursue martial arts, frequent usage of body treatment herbs is necessary. Not doing so would cause internal injuries to build up. Once these internal injuries accumulate, there is a possibility of becoming a cripple or even death.

This herb is called Iron Thread Grass. It was given this name because the green juice produced from squeezing Iron Thread Grass could help heal wounds but would cause a terribly painful sensation akin to having iron threads brushing upon the wounds.

Lin Ming gritted his teeth as he endured the pain. He retrieved a white cloth from within the backpack and rolled it around his fists, bandaging it.

Truth be told, there were many other herbs that are more effective compared to the Iron Thread Grass. These herbs also has a milder side effect, but comes at a much higher price. Lin Ming’s circumstances made it impossible for him to afford such herbs.

Lin Ming’s parents run a restaurant within Green Mulberry City. However, this restaurant does not belong to them. It actually belonged to the Lin Family1 of Green Mulberry City.

Although Lin Ming’s maiden name is also Lin, his family line had been separated from the Lin Family by several generations. The Lin Family placed some off their less important assets into the hands of their distant relatives for management. Lin Ming’s parents livelihood were dependent on their management of this restaurant. Every year they would be given a fixed amount of income and some commission. This money was naturally enough for them to subsist on, however, it would be a stretch to use it to fund Lin Ming’s pursuit of martial arts.

Lin Ming’s parents had originally wanted Lin Ming to continue the family business and become a treasurer for the restaurant. However, seeing Lin Ming’s ardent devotion towards the martial way, they instead chose to take out all their savings for Lin Ming to purchase healing herbs.

Since then, Lin Ming’s family savings had decreased bit by bit. But Lin Ming on the other hand had remained at the first stage of Physical Training.

The Physical Training Stage is the first realm for those who pursue the martial way. It involves the primal tempering of their bodies and is separated into six stages. The first stage is Strength Training, second is Flesh Training, third is Viscera Training, fourth is Altering Muscle, fifth is Bone Forging and sixth is Pulse Condensing. After that, one would be able to step into the Primal Assemblage Stage.

After applying the Iron Thread Grass juice onto his wounds, Lin Ming rested for half a long hour (1 hour) to allow his wounds to absorb the medicinal properties of the herb. He then straightened himself and was about to continue training his fists when a fat youngster walked into view. This fat youngster was carrying a long sword with him. Seeing Lin Ming, he grinned and spoke. “Brother Lin, today is the registration day for the entrance assessment of the Seven Profound Martial House. Could it be that you have forgotten about it? Why are you still practicing your fists here?”

This youngster’s name is Lin Xiaodong, he is slightly younger than Lin Ming. Growing up together, the two of them have a very strong bond of brotherhood.

Lin Xiaodong is a direct descendant of the Lin Family. However, even for direct descendants, there exists a form of ranking. As it happens, Lin Xiaodong is part of the lowest ranked ones. As for Lin Xiaodong’s parents, they too were engaged in business and have a close relationship with Lin Ming’s parents.

After seeing Lin Xiaodong, Lin Ming turned his attention back to the tree trunk and said. “The beginning part of the registration will have too many people. The queue would take up to one or two long hours. Going there now would be a waste of time.”

“Damn it, you won’t even let go of this small amount of time. Do you really have to go that far?” Lin Xiaodong spoke out in exaggeration and walked up to the tree trunk. Observing the indentations caused by the fists and the traces of blood, he turned to see Lin Ming’s bandaged fists. He then let out a sigh of disappointment. “You really are crazy, to be able to damage Iron Wood to such an extent. However, with your current training methods, Iron Thread Grass alone won’t be enough. If you keep this up, your hands would become crippled!”

Lin Ming did not say anything. The martial way is a constant struggle against Heaven. Considering his Grade Three Martial Talent, attaining the Sixth Stage of Pulse Condensation was incredibly hard. If he does not give it his all while he was still young, then he would have no hope at achieving his goal. Once he had given his all, there would certainly be the possibility of him becoming a cripple due to the accumulation of internal injuries. However, there was also the possibility of him attaining success before that happens. And once he could successfully enter the Pulse Condensation Stage, he could attain true primal tempering of the body and the internal injuries would vanish.

For Lin Ming, this was a battle with his back against the raging river2. This was also a gamble with his life on the line.

Lin Xiaodong gave a sigh and pulled out a bundle from his bosom. He unfurled the bundle layer by layer and said. “Brother Ming, take this.”

Lin Ming turned around and was shocked to find a bloody crimson coloured ginseng lying upon the cloth bundle. Judging from its appearance, this strain of blood ginseng is at least a hundred years old. It is a high-grade medicine used for mending wounds and nourishing blood. A thin slice is enough for each use. In addition, the powerful healing properties of this blood ginseng are very gentle. This blood ginseng should be worth at least a hundred and fifty gold liangs, the equivalent of Lin Ming’s family’s annual income.

Lin Ming’s body paused, and he shook his head. “I cannot accept this Blood Ginseng.”

Even though they are close brothers, this Blood Ginseng is simply too expensive. Lin Xiaodong’s position within the Lin Family is very low. Even though his family situation is much better when compared to Lin Ming’s it would still be far from comfortable if their income were used to supplement Lin Xiaodong’s martial training.

Lin Xiaodong forcibly pushed the Blood Ginseng onto Lin Ming and said. “I bought this Blood Ginseng for you. You know how I train, I fish every three days and dry the fishing nets every two days3. My body’s injuries are no more than a fart’s worth. Using this would be a waste. If you refuse then I would have bought this for nothing. I do not have much ambitions in life. I just want to continue holding on to my position as a direct descendant of the Lin Family. As long as I do not end up losing this position and my next generation could also successfully maintain their place in the Lin Family, that is enough for me.”

Lin Ming stayed silent for a moment before keeping the Blood Ginseng. He then spoke out. “Very well, I will accept this Blood Ginseng. For the sake of this ginseng, I must break through to the Pulse Condensation Stage.”

“Haha, now that is more like it. Not only should you break through into the Pulse Condensation Stage, you must also turn that son of a bitch, Zhu Yan upside down. That bastard has been an eyesore for a long time!”

Zhu Yan huh… Lin Ming sighed lightly. Zhu Yan had already been admitted into the Seven Profound Martial House. In addition, Zhu Yan is currently one of the high ranked disciples within the inner Heavenly Abode, his strength having reached the pinnacle of the Third Stage of Physical Training. Even so, Lin Ming had set defeating Zhu Yan as his objective. This decision was not due to Lan Yunyue but rather due to his pursuit of the martial way. This path required him breaking through one threshold after another; conquering one mountain after another. As for Zhu Yan, he has the honourable spot of being the number one to be conquered.

At the foot of the Great Mountain Zhou lied a stretch of buildings extending up to twenty li (10km) in length. This is the area of operations for the Seven Profound Martial House and the Sky Fortune Martial House and today is the day of registration for those who wishes to take the Seven Profound Martial House’s entrance assessment. A crowd was gathered on the field before the Seven Profound Martial House.

Even though Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong had deliberately chosen to arrive late, they came to realize that they had underestimated the number of applicants. The applicants were all lined up in three lines, with each line extending up to several meters in length. Judging by the current queue, half a long hour (1 hour) would be needed before registration could be completed.

“We will have to wait,” Lin Xiaodong gave a sigh and stood helplessly in line.

“En,” Lin Ming nodded his head.

“Hey, there are very few people there,” Lin Xiaodong pointed towards a small gate nearby. There were only a few people there. Furthermore, the ground was also paved with red carpet.

“That place is reserved for nobles…” Lin Ming noticed the writings on the sign.

Since the Seven Profound Martial House was built upon the grounds, buildings and resources of Sky Fortune Kingdom, it was only natural for them to give some face to the elite classes of the kingdom. In fact, many of the martial house’s affairs would be handed over to the elites to manage. One such example would be today’s registration for entrance assessment.

“Damn it,” Lin Xiaodong muttered in discontent. Nobility was something that only the Imperial Family could grant and could be inherited. Even though the Lin Family is a wealthy family, it is not a noble family.

Lin Xiaodong was cursing off at the nobles while consoling himself when the doors of the gate opened. Two young males strode out from the gate; one of them was wearing blue clothes with a long sword attached to his waist. His hair was tied up into a gold coloured headgear and had a handsome appearance.

Seeing the appearance of this man caused Lin Ming to frown. This was none other than Zhu Yan.

The Zhu Family’s daughter had married into the Imperial Family and had become the Eldest Prince’s favoured concubine. With the Eldest Prince’s position in the royal family, the Zhu Family soared to become the number one family within Green Mulberry City. Moreover, they were also granted the rank of nobility, thus allowing Zhu Yan to ensure Lan Yunyue’s admittance into the Seven Profound Martial House.

“Damn, we end up meeting a detestable person,” Lin Xiaodong muttered unhappily.

Zhu Yan was walking side by side with the other young man. A few other nobles waiting outside then chose to follow the two of them. It would appear that Zhu Yan was bringing the other young man to register. The two of them continued walking forward. At this rate, it was inevitable that Lin Ming and Zhu Yan bump into one another.

With his current position and strength, it was possible that he would end up suffering badly if they were to bump into one another. But, Lin Ming chose not to run and instead looked forward in a calm manner as Zhu Yan approached.

Zhu Yan’s pace was disrupted after catching sight of Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong. His first reaction was that of shock. After that, he frowned. Seeing Lin Ming made him feel uncomfortable. Although he had snatched away Lan Yunyue, she had refused to engage in any acts of intimacy before their wedding. Clearly, Lin Ming still exists within Lan Yunyue’s heart, not to mention her feelings of guilt. The only reason she had chosen Zhu Yan was due to the Seven Profound Martial House. As a man, Zhu Yan was unable to tolerate the fact that his future wife’s heart remained within the palms of another man.

“You are called Lin Ming, am I right? How unexpected, you would actually follow us all the way here. You, with a mere cultivation level of First Stage in Physical Training want to take the test to enter the Seven Profound Martial House?”

The meaning behind Zhu Yan’s words was obvious. He would never allow Lin Ming to enter the Seven Profound Martial House. Even though Lin Ming’s strength was of no threat to him, Lin Ming’s existence within the Seven Profound Martial House would make it impossible for Lan Yunyue to forget Lin Ming.

“Whether or not I manage to pass the assessment is my own problem. I am not here as a result of following anyone. I am here due to my pursuit of the Martial Way.”

“The Martial Way? A mere above average talent like you dared to utter the words of pursuing the Martial Way? Insolence!” Having said that, Zhu Yan’s finger released a light sound; after that, his long sword shot out from its sheath! Zhu Yan grasped onto the sword and slashed the air, releasing an intense sword qi, which created an air splitting sound. A barely visible wave flew outwards, directly cutting down half the canopy of a nearby tree.

The sounds of “pususu” could be heard as a large number of branches and leaves fell to the ground. The people around all stared with bulging eyes. Most of them were of roughly the same age as Zhu Yan and were not that much younger. However, Zhu Yan’s accomplishment in the Martial Way had already left them far behind.

The reason Zhu Yan unleashed this sword slash was to give Lin Ming a mental blow, and show him the gap between the two of them. “I am a Grade Four Martial Talent. I began training in martial arts since I was twelve, consuming countless medicinal pills in the process and have now entered the Heavenly Abode’s Sword Sect within the Seven Profound Martial House. I am currently at the pinnacle of the Third Stage of Physical Training. Even so, I am barely at the beginning stage of the Martial Way. And yet, someone like you with a mere First Stage in Physical Training dared to talk about the Martial Way?”

Zhu Yan’s manner of speech was so arrogant, it caused Lin Xiaodong to become enraged. “Surnamed Zhu! You are simply someone born two years earlier than us! What are you boasting about? If our age were reversed, this senior would use just one hand to toss you away!”

Zhu Yan frowned and turned to look at Lin Xiaodong. He took a step forward, the primal energies within his body exploded outwards as he asked. “Who are you?”

“I…” Due to the oppressive pressure sent out by Zhu Yan, Lin Xiaodong’s words were stuck in his throat. He took a step backwards, swallowed his own saliva and patted his chest before speaking. “This Young Master is called Lin Xiaodong, you better remember it!”

“Lin Xiaodong? Heng, those from the Lin Family that has the qualifications to talk with me can be counted with one hand. What makes you think that a clown like you have the qualifications to speak to me? That includes even you, Lin Ming! If not for Lan Yunyue, you have no qualifications to talk to me at all! I will give you this advice, a man must know his own limits. Someone like Lan Yunyue is not someone that you could match up to.”

A female with Grade Three Martial Talent with good looks and bearing is rare within Green Mulberry City. Most of them would only appear in great families. However, considering the conflicts of interest between the great families, they would never allow their talented females to be married off into other families, leading to the strengthening of their rivals’ bloodline. Thus, most great families would request that the male side marry into their family. This is the reason why Zhu Yan had said that.

“A thousand gold liangs! From today onwards, I do not want to see you face again!” Zhu Yan said as he pulled out a stack of gold bills from his sleeves.

The people around were rendered speechless. A thousand gold liangs is a very high sum of money, enough for a martial artist in the Physical Training Stage to buy up necessary high-grade herbs for training usage for up to three years.

“A thousand gold liangs? Do you take us for beggars?” Lin Xiaodong pushed back the stack of gold bills. Truth be told, he was simply putting on a brave façade. Even for him, a thousand gold liangs is a huge sum of wealth.

Zhu Yan flicked his hands and a powerful repelling force knocked Lin Xiaodong away. Zhu Yan coldly stared at Lin Ming, awaiting his answer.

Lin Ming took a deep breath before speaking out in a slow yet powerful tone. “Zhu Yan, I am not your match in terms of talent, I am even less so in terms of family support. However, the cultivation of martial arts does not depend only on talent and financial support; there is an even more important factor… the heart of a martial artist!”

“Your cultivation of martial arts is done for the sake of wealth, status and vanity. However, my cultivation of martial arts is done for the sake of pursuing the Martial Way. The Martial Way does not exist for those with talent, it does not exist for those with authority and it does not exist for those with money. It exists for those whose heart beats for the sake of martial arts! There will come a day when I will surpass you!” As he reached the end of his sentence, Lin Ming spoke out each word with emphasis and in a clear voice. Everyone who were standing nearby could clearly make out what he had said.

A Grade Three Talent wanted to chase after a Grade Four Talent. In addition, there was an enormous gap in terms of background between them both. This brat has gone mad!

Hearing Lin Ming’s words, Zhu Yan became momentarily stunned before laughing out. “Good! Very good indeed! I will be waiting for you!” After saying that, Zhu Yan kept the stack of gold bills. With a “weng” sound, the long sword returned to its sheath. Zhu Yan then gave Lin Ming a long look before turning away.

[1 It shares the same concept as a clan where everyone has the same maiden name, but are not of the same grandfather.]

[2 A position of no retreat. A strategy employed by famed General Han Xin of the Han Dynasty in the Battle of Jingxing.]

[3 ‘Fish every three days and dry the fishing nets every two days’ \= ‘三天打鱼两天晒网’ \= A very relaxed way of doing things.]

“Brother Ming, you were truly domineering back then!” Lin Xiaodong said with gusto as they walked down the road.

Lin Ming remained quiet. The things that he had said back then had sounded grand and impressive, however, it would be extremely difficult for him to surpass Zhu Yan. The amount of effort that he would be required to pay would be colossal.

He has no fear of hard work or bitterness. But the same could not be said for internal injuries. Medicinal herbs were needed to heal those injuries and those medicines were undoubtedly expensive.

Lin Xiaodong was able to guess what Lin Ming was thinking and said. “Brother Ming, all you need to do is train hard. As for the financial side of things, I will figure it out for you. Just be rest assured, even though my grandfather’s position in the family is not high, it is still nothing to scoff at. Taking out a few hundred gold liangs is not impossible for me.”

Lin Ming stopped walking and turned around to face Lin Xiaodong. In life, there are many fair weather friends, but those who would offer help in times of need are rare. Between brothers, saying thanks would be hypocritical. Yet, Lin Ming still stopped and said in a serious tone. “Xiaodong, thank you”

“Enough, stop this. This is too much for me. I am not someone who pursues much in life. Taking the entrance assessment for the Seven Profound Martial House is simply a way to protect my father’s reputation. Brother Ming, I will bet on you. After you become a master in the future, you must help cover my *** a bit, hahaha.”

Lin Ming gave a hearty smile and laughed. “En! With a brother like you, I will definitely persevere onwards onto the Martial Way.”

By the time Lin Ming returned to his dwelling place, it was already evening. This room was one that he had rented. During this period of time, from the day that Seven Profound Martial House began its registration for entrance assessment until the day of its assessment, all the dwelling places within Sky Fortune City would be packed and inns full. The rental rates would undoubtedly increase by half. Thus, many applicants would choose to rent a room. Naturally, that in itself was not a cheap option.

Lin Ming had rented a single room of only ten square meters in area with a very simple set up. Just as he was about to begin his meditation upon the bed, someone knocked on the door.

Lin Ming opened the door to see the landlady standing there. The landlady is a roughly fifty years old woman with a somewhat obese body. The landlady’s face was usually fierce and harsh, but today she was sporting a pleasant looking smile, causing Lin Ming to feel that something was off.

“Landlady, is there anything?”

“This… little fellow, I am sorry, but can you please vacate this room.”

“En?” Lin Ming frowned. “Why?”

“Hehe, sorry, but I have rented this room,” A harsh sounding male voice interrupted. Lin Ming turned around and found a man with huge monkey like ears walking in from the hallway. The man was smiling in a seemingly playful manner.

Looking at him for a moment, Lin Ming recognized him as one of the underlings that had followed along behind Zhu Yan and the other young man. It appeared that he is the underling of the other young man. Back then, the other young man had remained silent and only looked at Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong with an expression of contempt.

No doubt, the young man was currently trying to get in the good books of Zhu Yan by sending his own underling to cause problems for Lin Ming. All he needed to do was offer a rental fee several times higher than what he had and the landlady would naturally be willing to force him out.

Presently, the Seven Profound Martial House is holding its registration event, leading to difficulty in searching for a dwelling place. Finding another place to rent was easier said than done. But even if he did, there was no guarantee that this underling would not appear to cause problems for him again.

Lin Ming’s face turned heavy and he gazed coldly at the landlady. “Back then we had agreed that I will be renting for five months. I have also paid you the five months’ rent in advance. Currently, there is still three more months until the deadline. But, you want me to leave now?”

The landlady smiled apologetically. “This… Naturally, I am aware of this. How about this? I will return the rent for the three months back to you. How about that?”

“Ah! Return me the three months’ rent? You have quite the calculative mind!” Lin Ming’s anger had begun boiling. If this landlady had been forced to evict him due to the pressure of the other person, then Lin Ming would simply have left. However, her current actions and words have made him furious.

“Hey, what are you talking about. Back then, we had only talked about it and not signed off on anything. This room is mine. Who I choose to rent it to is up to me!” Considering Sky Fortune City’s status as the capital city of Sky Fortune Kingdom, all the property owners here have a subconscious sense of superiority. To them, all those who came from the outside are but country bumpkins; they would look down upon them while speaking in tones of disdain towards them. Furthermore, this man beside her was obviously someone sent by a rich and powerful family. With someone like this backing her up, the landlady became more courageous.

At this moment, the man with monkey like ears laughed out arrogantly. “If you are sensible, then just get out immediately. I will tell you something else. This Young Master has my eyes on you. Even if you manage to find another place to rent, I will still be able to throw you out. Within this three months before the entrance assessment for the Seven Profound Martial House begins, you should just resign yourself to sleeping in the streets, haha!”

The man laughed.

For those who were born within the circle of elites, it was only natural for them to form an arrogant sense of superiority. However, even when they were expressing their arrogance, they would still maintain a certain bearing of grace and speech, just like Zhu Yan. This person standing before him on the other hand was revealing a ***** form of arrogance, one befitting those of bullies who could only depend on others.

Lin Ming stared at the man with monkey like ears, his eyes turning colder with each passing moment.

“What are you looking at? Are you thinking about hitting me? Let me tell you, my Young Master is the second son of the lord of the Defence Army for Sky Fortune City. If you dare beat this Young Master, then this Young Master will…”

“Scram!” Lin Ming shouted and threw out a punch, striking the man squarely in this nose. With a “peng”, the man flew out followed by a series of crashing sounds. After which, the man lied on a pile of debris amidst broken furnitures and pots, his hair dishevelled and his face dripping with blood.

A fist capable of indenting Iron Tree struck the man squarely in the face. The result could be imagined, the man’s nose had totally sunk inwards.

The landlady became shocked, her eyes bulged out for several moments before suddenly shouted out miserably. “Help! Murder!”

The landlady rushed out, but her fat legs were unable to work properly and she fell on the floor with a plop.

Lin Ming stepped towards the man with monkey like ears. Even though his First Stage of Physical Training was only the beginner territory of the martial way, it was by no means worthless. After all, many people within Sky Fortune Kingdom were unable to train in martial arts. Lin Ming on the other hand was a good talent to begin with. In addition, he was very hard working. Amongst one thousand peers of the same talent, it may be difficult to find even one with the same level of strength as him. As for this man, he was simply an underling and did not take much effort for Lin Ming to deal with him.

The man kept moaning, he had never imagined that Lin Ming would actually beat him. He raised a blood-stained finger and pointed at Lin Ming. “You… you dare hit me, you… you are finished.”

“I do not know what would happen to me, but I do know that you are finished,” Lin Ming delivered a kick at the man’s abdomen, causing him to cry out miserably. Once again, he flew out. Only this time, he broke through the door and ended up being kicked all the way outside the house.

Lin Ming did not say anything. He returned to his room and packed up his belongings and began to leave. The entire house had been reduced to a state of mess, causing blood to drip out of the landlady’s heart. She timidly said. “You… you cannot leave like that, you… must… must compensate.”

Lin Ming stopped walking, he turned around to face the landlady who was slumped on the floor like a human meatball. He asked. “Compensate?”

“Compensate… compensate…” The landlady’s voice began losing its strength. She felt as though the gaze of the young man before her was just like a window into the nine infernal abysses, causing her to shudder.

Without saying anything, Lin Ming punched the walls, his fist penetrating through the brick walls of the house, causing the entire house to shudder and dust to fall off the ceiling. The landlady screamed out and fainted.

Lin Ming carried his luggage and walked out of the house without even glancing at the fainted man.

Lin Ming was well aware that after beating up this man, the person behind him would never let this go and would certainly bring upon Lin Ming no small amount of trouble. However, Lin Ming had no regrets.

As a man, there was a need to endure. If the person who had come today was a martial artist, Lin Ming would not have acted as he did and would have chosen to endure. This loss was one that must be endured. However, the one who appeared before him was a worthless underling, one who could only depend on the backing of his master. If Lin Ming had to endure what this kind of person had to say, then what was the point of him learning martial arts?

That was simply incompatible with the Martial Way within Lin Ming’s heart.

Thus, Lin Ming left the neighbourhood. After a while, he put down his backpack and started considering how to solve his dwelling problem. As of now, all the inns were full; in addition, the prices were also far too expensive for him. Even though he has no objections to sleeping in the wilds, Lin Xiaodong would probably throw a fuss and insist on bringing him to his own abode.

If Lin Ming were to do so and the second son of the Army Lord sends his men there, Lin Xiaodong himself can forget about sleeping in his house. He will have to accompany Lin Ming and sleep on the streets.

Moreover, Lin Ming had just provoked a dangerous trouble. There was no guarantee that the Army Lord’s second son would not send some thugs over. In these people’s eyes, causing others to become crippled was no big matter. Lin Ming did not want to bring such a kind of problem to Lin Xiaodong.

If that is the case, then where could I go?

After contemplating about it, Lin Ming finally thought of a place – the most luxurious dining establishment in Sky Fortune City – Grand Clarity Pavilion.

The Grand Clarity Pavilion’s consumer base are all of the highest class. In addition, they themselves possess a strong background. With such a strong base of power, a mere second son of an Army Lord could no nothing against it.

The reason Lin Ming wanted to go to Grand Clarity Pavilion was obviously not to spend money to rent a place. He was headed there to find work. Lin Ming’s parents operate a restaurant, it was a given that Lin Ming would be able to cook, the taste of his cooking was quite good as well. However, he was not conceited enough to think that he could compete with those cooks in Sky Fortune City. After all, his forte did not lie in the area of cooking…

…

Grand Clarity Pavilion remained brightly lit even as Lin Ming arrived. It is the establishment with the best business in Sky Fortune City.

Lin Ming’s clothes were too ordinary, causing all who saw him entering the establishment to look at him with a strange expression. A person with such a kind of clothes would usually be unable to eat within this Grand Clarity Pavilion. Furthermore, there was also the fact that Lin Ming is only a fifteen-year-old teenager.

However, the waiter maintained a favourable manner as he walked over and asked. “Little brother, are you here with your parents?”

Lin Ming shook his head and replied. “I am here for a job.”

Hearing that, the waiter frowned. What kind of job could a mere fifteen-year-old kid do? Here, waiting requires beauties who are at least eighteen years old or handsome males who are at least twenty years old. As for cooking, what kind of cooking could a fifteen-year-old kid produce?

“Go away, don’t cause a disturbance here,” The waiter waved his hand impatiently.

“I can really work, just let me into the kitchen to try.”

The waiter asked in an unhappy voice. “What can you do?”

Lin Ming smiled and replied. “Deboning.”

“What?” The waiter became stunned.

…

Deboning is a biased line of work and not every restaurant would set up such a job. This job requires the meat dresser to cut up the quarry or hunted animals into pieces while removing its bones.

A master level meat dresser could cut up a cow with ease and skill, a good meat dresser could also cut up a cow, but would require a change of knife every year. Some meat dressers even need to change their knives once a month. In addition, the efficiency involved was low and they would need half a day to cut up a cow.

As for Grand Clarity Pavilion, their ingredients are not cow meat but Ferocious Beasts meat. The meat of Ferocious Beasts is delicious but their scales, skin, bones and tendons are exceptionally tough. Ordinary people would have to struggle to great lengths just to cut out a small part of it. Martial arts masters on the other hand would not be willing to lower themselves to do such a kind of job. Even if they were willing, someone who does not understand how the muscles, bone and tendons come together would not be able to do it. Using pure strength alone in the cutting up process would cause it to lose its delicious taste.

Deboning was how Lin Ming had first come into contact with the Martial Way. Within his parents restaurant, he trained himself in the deboning process every day for the past ten years.

It was a very tiring job! Lin Ming had never considered himself a genius in the martial way. All he could depend on was his own hard work, and continue training over and over again. That was how he managed to form his solid martial foundation, by slashing down the knife, slash after slash within the kitchen.

The waiter was unable to chase Lin Ming away and could only bring him over to the kitchen…

“Sister Lan, this little brother wants to apply work as a deboning worker.”

“Deboning worker?” Within the Grand Clarity Pavilion kitchen, a beautiful woman in her twenties wearing a gorgeous dress appraised Lin Ming. Observing the plain clothes on his body and the backpack he was carrying which made him appear like a refugee, she frowned. She then spoke in a dissatisfied manner towards the waiter who brought Lin Ming in. “What are you doing, bringing just anybody into the kitchen. Dong Zi, give him some silver and send him away.”

Obviously, this beautiful woman considered Lin Ming as a distressed child. As for the rebuked waiter, his face was bitter. Truthfully, he had tried to push Lin Ming out, but had discovered that Lin Ming’s legs seemed to have grown roots and was immovable.

A young man had moved over to drive Lin Ming away. However, at this moment, he suddenly felt his hands becoming lighter. He stared in confusion as Lin Ming had somehow taken away the boning knife that he was holding.

Before the man named Dong Zi could understand what had happened, Lin Ming said. “I am not here to beg for money. Sister, it won’t be too late for you to drive me away after seeing my craftsmanship.”

The beautiful woman was slightly surprised; it appeared that this little kid has some experience in the craft. She shot a look at Dong Zi and said. “How useless, you cannot even handle a little kid. Go to the storehouse and bring over a pig.” After that, she turned to Lin Ming and said. “If you can complete it in half a long hour (1 hour), then I will allow you to stay in Grand Clarity Pavilion.”

Dong Zi knew that he had lost face and turned shamefully to go bring the pig over. However, Lin Ming interrupted him. “No need, I will do that one.”

Lin Ming said as he pointed towards a Scaled Draconic Beast.

The beautiful woman became surprised. A Scaled Drconic Beast is a Level Two Ferocious Beast whose body is brimming with muscles. These muscles are extremely tough and could resist even normal sword attacks. However, using certain herbs and simmering it for three days and nights would produce a thick soup with delicious taste.

For such a kind of Ferocious Beast, even a deboning master would have a difficult time cutting it up. This kid is crazy.

“Are you joking? This Scaled Draconic Beast is worth over a hundred gold liangs. How do you plan to pay us if you end up ruining it?” Dong Zi spoke out in discontent. He was still unhappy at Lin Ming for taking away his knife.

The beautiful woman gave Dong Zi a glance and snapped. “If I let you ruin it, do you think you have what it takes to ruin it?”

Dong Zi suddenly found himself becoming speechless. The Scaled Draconic Beast is not the same as pigs, cows or sheep. Ordinary people would not be able to break its scales even with a knife. Ruining it was not something that normal people could manage to accomplish.

The woman turned to face Lin Ming and said. “I will let you cut!”

Lin Ming nodded his head and picked the best boning knife in the kitchen. He had only cut Scaled Draconic Beasts twice; both times were during the birthday some important figures in the Lin Family. After all, Ferocious Beasts was not something that an average person could afford to buy.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming carefully stroked the scales of the Scaled Draconic Beast, feeling the whereabouts of its veins. This process took up the time of an incense’s stick. In his mind, he formed a diagram of the veins. Comparing it with the diagram of his previous Scaled Draconic Beast, he confirmed it to be correct.

While waiting, some people became impatient and finally asked. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you cutting?”

“Stop trying to be mysterious and just cut it.”

It was only natural that these people would become impatient. A fifteen-year-old teenager claiming to be able to debone a Level Two Ferocious Beast, it could only appear to be a prank to them.

Lin Ming turned a deaf ear to these questions. He picked up the knife, his eyes becoming extremely focused. For him, the deboning process was the equivalent of a practice session.

After having confirmed the diagram of the veins, Lin Ming finally began. He did not use an axe or a slaughtering blade; he only used the hard to wield boning knife.

In the hands of Lin Ming, this ordinary knife turned into an exceptionally sharp weapon. The knife descended and the Scaled Draconic Beast’s scales were cut apart!

Observing this occurrence, the person who had been asking questions immediately shut his mouth. This feat alone would have required wrist strength of at least three hundred jin (181.4 kg). For them, the feat of dismembering a Scaled Draconic Beast would normally require either axes or saws.

The edge of the knife moved through the gap in the veins, cutting through it smoothly as though he was cutting through paper. Everyone could only hear the sounds of “shua shua” before the Scaled Draconic Beast’s white muscles were revealed.

Looking at how easily Lin Ming was cutting away, the man called Dong Zi rubbed his eyes. He suspected that there was something wrong with his eyes. Is this little kid really cutting apart a Scaled Draconic Beast?

Lin Ming moved gracefully. Occasionally, a few unavoidable tendons would interrupt his work. When that happened, he would use brute strength to pull it out. Thus, he ended up using about less than half a long hour to cut the Scaled Draconic Beast into pieces. Beside the pieces of meat, rows of ribs were laid down in order. These were the most valuable part of the Scaled Draconic Beast. The lengths of these ribs were all consistent, showing almost no loss during work.

This scene caused everyone to become astounded. What Lin Ming had done may seem easy, but everyone here knew that the dismembering of a Scaled Draconic Beast is a huge project, requiring around five strong men to work in tandem for around half a day. However, that teenager only has a slightly reddish face after completing the task. Judging by his looks, cutting up a few more would not be a problem!

As it was already night, the Grand Clarity Pavilion was no longer that busy, allowing many of its kitchen members to quietly watch the scene unfold. Then, Lin Ming placed down the knife and asked. “Can I work here now? My working hours must not exceed two long hours (4 hours) and my asking monthly salary is at five gold liangs. One more thing, you need to provide food and accommodation for me.”

The beautiful woman pondered this for a moment before nodding. “Deal!”

Lin Ming’s condition was not low; however, it was worth it. Judging by the speed Lin Ming had shown earlier, many things could be done within two long hours. Most importantly, his work was highly efficient, causing very little loss in key ingredients.

Thus, Lin Ming began working for Grand Clarity Pavilion. The two long hours he spent there was not a loss because it was also a form of training for him. Punching tree trunks was a form of training in brute strength, while deboning was a form of precision training.

On that very night, Lin Ming remained in the storehouse and cut apart three Level One Ferocious Beasts. After having done so, his entire body was drenched in sweat and his arms were feeling sore. He prepared to cut apart the last one before heading to his lodge to rest.

For the last one, he chose another Level Two Ferocious Beast – Goldback Pangolin, this Ferocious Beast has teeth that could crush stones and could drill through a mountain as though it was tofu.

Due to having consumed too much primal energies earlier, Lin Ming had to exert a great deal of strength in order to cut open the Goldback Pangolin’s scaled abdomen. The reason he had chosen this Goldback Pangolin was to force himself to surpass his limits.

After cutting open the scales, his work became much easier. The knife-edge slid through the gap between the muscles of the Goldback Pangolin abdomen. However, it was at this moment that Lin Ming felt the knife being blocked. It felt as though the knife had run into something hard.

Bones? No, the central abdomen area should not have any bones.

If that is not it, then could it be rocks? No, the Goldback Pangolin may occasionally swallow rocks, but those rocks would have been crushed to smithereens. Even if it were not crushed to smithereens, the powerful acid within its stomach would erode it. Such a big rock could not possibly continue to exist inside, could it be…

Inner Core?

Thinking of this possibility, Lin Ming became excited. An Inner Core from a Level Two Ferocious Beast is a valuable item. Even if he does not sell it, he could consume it, bringing a considerable amount of benefit to his body.

Lin Ming slipped on a pair of gloves and carefully retrieved the hard item while avoiding the stomach acid. Looking at it, Lin Ming became disappointed. It was a square shaped object, which meant that it was not an Inner Core, because Inner Cores are all spherical in shape.

It really does look like a stone, but there is something peculiar about this stone…

The grey coloured cube seemed to have been neatly cut, with precise corners. In addition, the six surface areas of the cube were engraved with black coloured inscriptions, giving it a mysterious aura.

Metal?

Lin Ming carefully observed it. It did not seem to be metal, nor does it appear to be stone. Perhaps it is a form of jade?