Chapter 18: Breakthrough  

/ KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas

Half a month later, in a spacious courtyard in the Li family estate.

An old man leaned back on a deck chair with his eyes closed in comfort, enjoying the feeling of the sun shining on his skin.

Behind him stood a youth with bright eyes, giving him a massage.

“Grand Elder, I’ll give you another massage half a month from now. At that time, your hidden injuries will be completely cured.”

The youth massaged as he said this.

“Kid, if it wasn’t for you, this old bag of bones would have to suffer for who knows how long.”

The old man sighed.

In these last few years, he nearly went insane from the torture his hidden injuries caused him.

Being able to eradicate his injuries was the best news he could ever come upon.

“Don’t mention it, Grand Elder. I’m only doing what you paid me to do.”

The youth shook his head while smiling lightly.

Massaging the old man for a thousand silver each time was an extremely lucrative business to him.

“I heard you refused the Patriarch’s help.”

The old man abruptly asked.

“Yes, I’m not in need of money at the moment, and everything I need can be bought from the marketplace. There’s no reason for me to waste the family’s resources; those resources would be better used on someone who needs it more than me.”

The youth smiled.

“Kid, you make it sound like you’re so kind, but why didn’t I notice that you were so enlightened? The true reason you declined was because you don’t want to owe the Li family, or should I say you don’t want get tied up with the Li family, right?”

With just one remark, the old man unraveled the youth’s true thoughts.

The youth smiled embarrassedly. As expected, wisdom and experience came with age.

It was exactly as the old man said; he didn’t want to get tied up with the Li family. He was going to leave sooner or later to explore the vast world.

The Li family and Fresh Breeze Town were merely a starting point for him.

“Hu!”

The youth stopped massaging.

The old man opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of foul air, then he passed a stack of silver bills to the profusely sweating youth.

“Grand Elder, I’ll be leaving now. See you in half a month.”

The youth laughed playfully.

After the youth left, the old man muttered to himself.

“I hope you will be able to pleasantly surprise me two and a half months from now.”

Duan Ling Tian went straight home after leaving Grand Elder Li Huo’s residence.

As he entered the courtyard, he saw a gentle and graceful figure rapidly drawing and sheathing her sword over and over, repeating unceasingly....

It was as if she was unaware of what exhaustion was.

The young girl was dripping in sweat and biting on her pink lips. Her clear eyes, which were as clear as water, were filled with a sense of resolution!

Duan Ling Tian felt a tug in his heartstrings as he watched her.

“Ke Er, sword cultivation strives to follow the heart and not overdo things. Overexerting yourself will only cause more harm than good.”

He gently said as he walked forward and grabbed the young girl’s drawing arm.

“Young master, Ke Er wishes to master the Sword Drawing Arts as soon as possible, because only then will Ke Er be able to protect young master, help young master beat up bad people, and save young master from being bullied by bad people.”

The young girl had a flushed face and was breathing heavily as she earnestly said this.

“Silly girl, go get some rest.”

Duan Ling Tian’s heart was warm as he gently touched the young girl’s soft hair.

The young girl nodded. She seemed meek like a kitten.

Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique, Spirit Serpent Form!

That night, the youth sat inside the bath barrel while greedily absorbing the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid within....

When he finished absorbing the medicinal liquid, his lifeblood’s strengthening and his fleshly body’s metamorphosis had arrived at a critical threshold.

He walked out of the bath barrel and put on some clothes.

“Tomorrow morning I will surely be able to break through to the fourth level of the Body Tempering stage.... But, if I want to kill Fang Qiang with certainty two and a half months from now, I need to break through to the seventh level at a bare minimum. Improving cultivation gets more difficult as the levels progress, so I will undoubtedly be unable to achieve the seventh level of the Body Tempering stage in two and half months from by only relying on the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid. Maybe it’s time I go get some things from the marketplace.”

The youth’s eyes flickered as he muttered to himself.

In the morning of the following day, when the sun had not risen yet, the youth woke up and poured a portion of the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid into the bath barrel before beginning to cultivate.

After a night of rest, the medicinal properties that fused into his body during the medicinal bath last night had finally been fully absorbed by him.

While circulating Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique’s Spirit Serpent Form, the youth sat inside the bath barrel with his eyes closed, greedily absorbing the medicinal liquid.

After an unknown amount of time.

When dawn arrived, the rays of morning sunlight shone upon the earth. After passing through the curtain, tiny rays of sunlight gently shone upon the youth. Only then did he slowly open his eyes.

Splash

The youth stood up and casually stretched his body. His bones emitted a clear and melodious sound as they rubbed together....

Suddenly, a smile appeared on the youth’s face.

“I’ve finally broken through.”

He lifted his palms upwards and slowly clenched them into fists.

Feeling the explosive strength within his body, the smile on the youth’s face became even wider.

“It’s exactly as I expected; while an ordinary fourth level Body Tempering martial artist would gain two hundred pounds of strength, I gained a full three hundred pounds!

The Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique was indeed different from other cultivation methods.

After putting on his clothes, the youth pushed open the door, walked out, and enjoyed bathing in the rays of sunlight.

Whoosh! Clang! Whoosh! Clang! Whoosh! Clang!

......

The clear and melodious sounds of a sword being drawn and sheathed entered his ears.

Only then did Duan Ling Tian notice that Ke Er had been seriously cultivating her Drawing Sword Arts since early in the morning.

The young girl chose to cultivate far off in the corner of the courtyard so she could avoid disturbing Duan Ling Tian’s and his mother’s sweet dreams.

If he hadn’t walked out of his room, he would definitely be unable to hear these sounds.

Duan Ling Tian sighed as he understood that Ke Er was having a difficult time forgetting the matter of him being injured the other day.

She had been cultivating desperately in these past few days. Not only did her cultivation step into the third level of the Body Tempering stage, but she even became proficient in the rudiments of the Sword Drawing Arts.

It can be said that everything Ke Er was doing was for him... to protect him.

“Ke Er, stop cultivating for now and accompany me to the marketplace.”

Duan Ling Tian lightly smiled as he walked over.

“Young master, I’ll go prepare some breakfast.”

The young girl put away her sword. Seeming tall and graceful, her cheeks, which were without make up, had a slight blush.

“It’s alright, let’s eat out.”

“Then I’ll prepare some for Madam....”

“Don’t worry about it; my mom can make breakfast herself. Let’s go.”

Duan Ling Tian grabbed the young girl’s hand. On the way out, he didn’t forget to look towards his mother’s room to call out.

“Mom, I’m taking Ke Er out. Take care of your breakfast yourself.”

After Duan Ling Tian and Ke Er left.

“Is this considered forgetting the mother after getting a wife?”

The woman shook her head and the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

“Boss, Boss, wait for me....wait for me!”

As the couple walked out of the Li family estate, a voice combined with heavy breathing sounded from behind them.

A little fatty with the fat on his body flinging about stopped in front of them, blocking their path as he bent over panting.

“Were you calling me?”

Duan Ling Tian turned around and looked behind himself but did not notice anyone else.

The little fatty was slightly familiar, but he could not remember who he was. Could he be a lackey of the old Duan Ling Tian?

But the old Duan Ling Tian was sickly; would anyone actually be willing to be his lackey?

“Boss, of course it’s you. You are my idol.”

The little fatty nodded his head like a chick pecking grain. The fat on his face was shaking.

“I don’t know you.”

Creasing his eyebrows, Duan Ling Tian held the young girl’s hand and continued forward.

“Boss, it was my wrong to pull down your pants when we were kids, but you don’t have to be so resentful, right? The other day, when you crippled Li Jie, it really helped me vent some resentment, and also, Boss, you crippled him and nothing happened to you. You’re really amazing!”

The little fatty jubilantly followed, his mouth not stopping.

Pull down my pants?

Hearing what the little fatty said, a vague picture popped into Duan Ling Tian’s head.

It was one of the memories of the old Duan Ling Tian.

In the memory, a group of five or six-year-old kids were playing....

Suddenly, a little fatty snuck up behind him and pulled down his pants, causing all of the kids to start laughing, then he cried out of grievance.

“You’re Li Xuan?”

Duan Ling Tian finally remembered.

This fatty was the only son of Fifth Elder Li Ting. He had gone away from Fresh Breeze Town with his grandfather at an early age but unexpectedly had returned.

“Boss, you finally remembered me.”

The little fatty’s eyes shone brightly.

“When did you return? Also, why are you calling me Boss?”

Asked Duan Ling Tian.

In his memories, the old Duan Ling Tian did not often come into contact with the little fatty, let alone take him as a lackey.

“I’ve been back for two months. Since you helped me teach Li Jie a lesson and because you’re so formidable, I decided to make you my boss. Boss, from now on I’m one of your people, so you have to take good care of me!”

The little fatty laughed, blinking his small eyes.

After hearing an explanation from the little fatty, Duan Ling Tian found out that upon returning, the little fatty came into conflict with Li Jie’s little brother, Li Xin. But since Li Xin wasn’t his match, he brought his brother, Li Jie, to beat him up.

“I crippled Li Jie for my own reasons; I wasn’t trying to help you.... Besides, you’re not one of my people, and I have no intention of becoming your boss, so stop bothering me!”

Duan Ling Tian said indifferently with a cold voice He held the young girl’s hand and walked away without turning back.

Being sold out by a brother in his previous life taught him an important lesson: he would never take another brother without a good reason, as he didn’t want to have a ticking time bomb by his side.

A thief from within is hard to guard against!

The little fatty didn’t expect Duan Ling Tian to turn hostile so abruptly, so he was stunned on the spot and watched the couple slowly move further away.

Behind his chubby face was a pair of eyes full of grievance.