Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After issuing a stern “do not disturb” order, Yang Ling mustered his utmost concentration and began to cultivate. He meticulously examined the Ice-sealing Throne, trying to decipher its secrets. It is impossible to advance another level within this period, but there might be a quantum leap in his prowess should he master the Ice-sealing Throne.
As expected of a Divine Weapon. It is truly unlike any other!
The Ice-sealing Armor glowed a wavy silver when he instilled a strand of Wizard Power. A massive ripple of energy surged out of the armor, and mysterious formations began to take shape. Very soon, the temperature dropped quickly. The more Wizard Power he inputted into the armor, the lower the temperature goes.
Similar to the armor, the Snow Divine Sword glowed silverish after the infusion of Wizard Power. Cryptic patterns began to form. Yang Ling made a slash with the sword. Accompanied by a slash of bone-chilling coldness, a tough boulder was split into two.
The attack power doubled?
Yang Ling was elated to see how a light slash could easily slice a boulder. He gradually increased the input of Wizard Power, and as expected, the attack power became higher and higher. Very quickly, the piercing sword aura left deep marks in the yard.
If infusing Wizard Power could lead to an increase in attack power, how does injecting Mental Energy affect the Divine Weapon?
Yang Ling stared at the snowflakes filling the sky and had an idea. He quickly instilled Mental Energy into the armor. To his surprise, there was no response from the armor at all, no matter how much Mental Energy he used.
That’s weird. What went wrong?
Yang Ling caressed the unresponsive armor and fell deep in thoughts. Logically speaking, there must be something more about the Divine Weapons other than increasing attack power. It must have some other uses, just that he still knew not of how to activate them.
One part Wizard Power, one part Mental Energy. Nope, it doesn’t work.
One part Wizard Power, two parts Mental Energy. Still not working?
… …
Yang Ling experimented, again and again, exploring the intricacies of the Ice-sealing Throne in detail. He adjusted the ratio of Wizard Power to Mental Energy tirelessly.
Ding… …
His hard work paid off at last. He lost track of time, but the moment the ratio of Wizard Power to Mental Energy hit 1 to 9, there was finally some change with the Ice-sealing Throne. “Ding!” a soft ring, and sharp spikes popped out of joints such as elbows and knees. A mild stab and the spike pushed deeply into rock-solid granite!
A humanoid killing machine?
Yang Ling felt the ferocious transformation on the armor. He put the Snow Divine Sword aside and summoned a wild Violent Earth Bear from the Wizard Pagoda’s Space. He fought with it bare-fisted; punching, elbowing, kneeing, kicking…every single blow struck down powerfully with a deeply cutting freezing effect.
Howl… …
In the face of Yang Ling’s thundering close-ranged attacks, the Violent Earth Bear could not put up a decent fight. The freezing spells that hit its body numbed and slowed it, giving Yang Ling, the humanoid killing machine, even more of an advantage.
The Violent Earth Bear, Chimeras, Dragons, Unicorns, Dark Dragons…Yang Ling went from one ferocious magical beast to the next. He became more and apter at battling and pushed the close combat abilities of a Divine Wizard to the limit. When used with the Earth Evasion Spell that worked like teleportation, he could even stand up to the Dark Dragon King in a bare-fisted fight.
High-Level Wizards mainly practice their control over souls, touching the very essence of strength in the world. However, this did not mean that they lacked in close combat. Every time Yang Ling cultivate, the Body Honing Wizard Mantra would circulate automatically. Be it is muscles or bones, a vast amount of energy has been absorbed into his body. The accumulation of power had strengthened his body to the extent that shocked even Yang Ling himself.
A sharp Blood Elf Dagger could not cut his skin, even without the Ice-sealing Throne Armor and the infusion of Wizard Power. Even the Dark Dragon recognized as peerless in close combat could not severely injure him with his claw. At most, it would leave a light cut.
Legend has it that Ancient Wizards could overturn the heavens and walk the land unopposed solely with their practically unbreakable bodies. That statement held some truth, after all!
According to Stele’s explanation, some wizards went unorthodox in their cultivation. Instead of practicing their control over souls, they poured everything into perfecting the Body Honing Wizard Mantra and achieved physical greatness. They have an astounding defense and a staggering offense, pinpoint accurate attacks at high speeds… … they carved a place for themselves as terrifying physical combatants.
If Yang Ling had reservations regarding Stele’s records before his experiments, his doubts were dispelled after defeating Flying Dragons and Dark Dragons famous for their robust bodies. He now better understood the profoundness of Wizard Mantras. He was filled with confidence regarding the upcoming match.
A Beginner Divine Wizard is already equivalent to a Sage Level Expert. When he reached the level of an Intermediate Divine Wizard, he could easily defeat most Sage Level Experts with ease. Lightning moves akin to teleportation, razor-sharp attacks during close combat, and unstoppable Soul Attacks…Yang Ling has it all. Even without summoning his Magical Beasts, he is confident to take on powerhouses at the peak of Sage Level, or even a beginner level Domain Expert.
“Sir, Sir… …”
Yang Ling lost track of time as he fully immersed himself in training. Suddenly, a series of yells came from outside. Yang Ling retracted his Wizard Power and Mental Energy and returned the Ice-sealing Throne Armor to its original form. He put on a long robe and stepped out. Goode and the others were already waiting.
“Sir, Sword Emperor Elderweiss has blocked the castle entrance!” Goode frowned deeply and darkly, “Sir Casia returned to the castle after hearing the news. Shall we request him to lend a hand…”
Goode trailed off, but everyone present understood what he meant, including Yang Ling. He realized everyone’s concerns straight away, “There’s no hurry. Come, let’s see how it goes.”
There’s no hurry?
Everyone stared at the nonchalant Yang Ling and could only shake their heads, quickly catching up to him.
Having heard that the Sword Emperor Elderweiss has arrived at Wissen Town to challenge Yang Ling, people streamed in from all directions. They pointed at Elderweiss donned in white and began to murmur between themselves.
“Tsk tsk, what an oppressive murderous intent! As expected from the Sword Emperor, who reap lives like a death reaper!”
“Hmph, I don’t care who he is! So long as His Lordship is in danger, I, Arkas, will be the first to rush up!”
“That’s right! Enough about Battle Energy and spells. Hunters and guards should all go up, and we’ll kill him in a stampede!”
… …
How the arrogant Elderweiss blocked the castle gates had infuriated the people, especially so for the hunters and warriors who are naturally aggressive. They pulled out their sharp and lethal weapons at once.
“Are you Yang Ling, the Lord of the Magical Beast Realm who command tens of millions of troops?” Elderweiss was expressionless as he watched Yang Ling being escorted up the castle wall.
A sky full of snowflakes, an upright figure, and icy gaze and a crushing energy ripple… …
Yang Ling was secretly astounded when he first saw Elderweiss. He is not a regular Sage Level Expert, Yang Ling concluded. He quickly recovered from his initial surprise and answered mildly, “That is right. I am Yang Ling!”
“Very well. I heard that you have already attained the peak of Sage Level. Come, let us spar and see which of us has the faster sword!”
Swish! Elderweiss pulled out his long, sharp blade in preparation of battle, his pointed and cold gaze fixated at Yang Ling, who was still standing atop the castle walls. Although he felt no intense energy pulses from Yang Ling, he dare not let down his guard.
He would always give his all and launch his most lethal strike! Otherwise, he would rather not fight at all.
Over the centuries, he has killed more powerhouses that he could count. Amongst them, there are domain experts that have been long-time big names. Every single time, no matter how strong his opponent is, he would give everything he’s got, and would ultimately emerge victoriously.
“So you want to see which of us has the faster sword?” Yang Ling looked at Elderweiss, who was more than ready to fight. He gave a half-hearted smile, “Why should I agree to spar with you? We are less than acquaintances. As the Lord, I am swamped with work!”
Less than acquaintances?
Elderweiss was ready in his fighting stance, fully intending to end the fight quickly. However, he was so stunned by Yang Ling’s words that he forgot what to say. He has seen many kinds of opponents. Some belittled their enemies, and some cowered in the face of death; however, it was his first time seeing an opponent like Yang Ling.
Elderweiss was not the only one who spaced out. The watchers were too at a loss of words, and they all stared wordlessly at Yang Ling above the castle wall. They could not tell if Yang Ling meant something more profound, or if he was trying to cook up an excuse to evade a fight that he could never win.
“Hmph! His Lordship, don’t tell me that you’re too scared to fight?” Elderweiss looked scornfully at Yang Ling after his initial astonishment.
“Heheh, you’re wrong, Sir Elderweiss. I am not afraid. I simply felt that it is not worthwhile!” Yang Ling smiled at their confused faces, “What is the meaning of life? I’d say that it lies in enjoying every day of life. When men of status like me decide to enter a competition, it should be about who has a larger territory, who is the wealthier one, and who is living a more comfortable life. A centuries-old geezer like you who runs around in cold winter days without a servant…pardon me for being honest, but your life is a failure!”
A centuries-old geezer?
Did he call his life a failure?
Everyone burst into laughter when they understood what Yang Ling had said. Especially the Corpse Wizard King, who stood beside Yang Ling. The Corpse Wizard King laughed screechingly as he went, “Kekeke!” Elderweiss went red in anger and trembled in great fury.
Over the centuries, everyone had treated him with respect, even those whom he was about to fight. He never expected Yang Ling to see him as worthless as a beggar!
“You…come down and fight me if you’ve got galls!” Elderweiss forcefully suppressed the fury in his heart and glared at Yang Ling atop the castle wall. He silently swore that when they fight, he will not stop until he has shredded Yang Ling into pieces.
The dignity of the Sword Emperor cannot be sullied. Yang Ling must pay with his blood for that blatant disrespect!
“I’m sorry, but in my eyes, being good at fighting is not all that amazing!” Yang Ling’s smile brightened several degrees deeper as he saw Elderweiss shake with rage. He continued to provoke, “Of course, I don’t mind granting your wish to seek death. However, you would need to defeat my followers before you can challenge me. I’m not someone who would accept challenges from nobodies. Otherwise, wouldn’t I, the Lord, be annoyed to death if people queued to challenge me every day?”
The angrier his opponent, the higher the chance for them to slip up. In other words, the more Elderweiss responds to his provocation, the easier it is to seek an opportunity to land a sure-kill strike. Yang Ling has formulated a complete plan to deal with Sword Emperor Elderweiss over the days. He has prepared a grand feast!
