Free Web NovelChapter 237: Chapter 195: The Origin of the Hidden Aristocratic Families
He had killed the man, and he had no regrets. Even if he could do it all over again, Ling Xiao believed he would make the same choice.
In truth, aside from Gou You, the messengers from the hidden families and sects were all remarkably low-key. This was evident from the fact that they had spent months in Penzes City without ever causing trouble. The people of the hidden families and the people of the Mortal World were from two completely different worlds. To put it another way, the hidden families and sects had no interest in the vast majority of mortals, so how could their paths ever cross?
If not for Ling Xiao’s meteoric rise and stunning appearance before the world, his very act of opening his Celestial Vein would have been a miracle in itself, and the speed at which his strength soared was an even greater one. It wasn’t as if the continent had never seen peerless geniuses. Take the Sword Saint Yun Zilan, for example. He wasn’t from any hidden family or sect, yet in just over fifty years, he rose all the way to the rank of Sword Saint. In fact, many hidden families and sects had records on Yun Zilan, because he had once challenged countless hidden families! He never suffered a single defeat.
This was a humiliation for those hidden families, something no one was willing to bring up—that a peerless Martial Artist who had appeared out of nowhere from the Mortal World had once single-handedly challenged every hidden family and sect, and had remained undefeated.
For this very reason, after hearing of Ling Xiao’s achievements, the hidden families and sects couldn’t help but be reminded of a name they would rather forget: Sword Saint Yun Zilan.
Some mistakes, once made, are enough to serve as a lifelong lesson. In many of the families, there were even people still living who had personally witnessed Yun Zilan’s power back then.
That’s right, three hundred years had passed. Yet within those families, some titans from that era still survived, though they spent their days in seclusion, having long ago stopped meddling in family affairs. Only if a family faced a great crisis, the threat of annihilation, would those old monsters who had reached the levels of Sword Emperor or Sword Venerable... truly emerge.
Otherwise, it was impossible to get them to show themselves. As a result, many descendants in the hidden families and sects had never met these old ancestors. Some had only heard that their forebears were still alive, but in truth, not even their great-grandfathers had ever laid eyes on them.
The hidden families and sects also had members whose cultivation was not particularly profound. Their lifespans were limited, and such individuals were typically entrusted with important family duties—for instance, contacting their proxies in the Mortal World. These tasks were handled by those with relatively low innate talent.
Of course, there were a few exceptions, like Song Mingyue, who was out seeking a cure for his father, which also served as a form of training. Then there were people like Gou You and Li Yan. Speaking of whom, despite their formidable strength, they were in fact already nearing the end of their lifespans.
In other words, they had already reached the pinnacle of their lifetime achievements.
People like them were entrusted with senior positions in the Outer Hall of their family or sect, wielding considerable power and prestige. Ling Xiao had learned all of this from Song Mingyue, who had sought him out that very evening.
Song Mingyue was desperate to find a cure for his father, so he certainly couldn’t stand by and watch Ling Xiao get into trouble. He explained these matters in great detail, including his reasons for believing that Gou You was, in fact, from the Dragon Valley Gou Family.
"The hidden families aren’t really concerned with being high-profile or low-profile," the dashingly handsome Song Mingyue said with a smile. He sat opposite Ling Xiao, a cup of fragrant tea before him. "They only care about potential gains. To be honest, our family is indeed a little different from most of them."
Ling Xiao smiled back at Song Mingyue. He found the man’s disposition to be gentle and sophisticated, his speech refined and courteous. In fact, not even many well-bred nobles possessed such grace. For this reason, Ling Xiao quite admired Song Mingyue.
"How are you different? You say the hidden families are driven by profit. Does your Sea Domain Song Family not pursue profit as well?"
"We do, of course we do!" Song Mingyue said, his eyes shining brightly. "The core purpose of the hidden families is, of course, to seek the pinnacle of the Martial Dao. Everything else revolves around this goal! The so-called ’profits’ the hidden families fight over are a bit different from the fame and wealth most mortals pursue. For example, if a treasure were to appear somewhere, or an ancient sword from the Ancient Era were to be unearthed, it would definitely attract the attention of the hidden families. If the rumors prove true, a fight is inevitable! No one would pass up such an opportunity."
"It’s just that our family is far away on an island, hehe. A lot of the time, news doesn’t reach us in a timely fashion. As a result, our family has rarely participated in the competition for newly discovered Ancient Ruins. Eventually, we simply withdrew from these conflicts that cause heavy casualties among our clansmen. Because... in the vast ocean, both above and below the waves, there are actually plenty of Ancient Ruins to be discovered, hehe."
Ling Xiao smiled, suddenly thinking of his sister, Ling Su. He had yet to meet her since coming to this world. He thought to himself, ’My sister must be quite a formidable woman, daring to travel to a foreign land alone for an archaeological expedition. I wonder if she’ll also discover some Ancient Ruins and unearth some kind of treasure.’
Song Mingyue took a sip of tea and continued, "Take the now very common Space Rings, for instance..." freёwebnovel.com
"Huh? Space Rings are common?" Ling Xiao extended his hand, looking at the one on his finger. ’This was a gift from Rock Shenke!’
"Of course they are. Haven’t you noticed? None of the Messengers from the hidden families and sects carry weapons. That’s because they’re all wearing these kinds of rings!"
Now that Song Mingyue mentioned it, Ling Xiao did recall seeing them. Still, he asked, "But aren’t these rings supposed to be the masterwork of the Great Mages of the Ancient Era? That only a Great Mage could create one? I heard they’re supposed to be extremely rare, but you make them sound practically worthless."
Song Mingyue smiled faintly, took a black ring from his finger, and placed it in his palm. "There are two types of Space Rings. One has an enormous capacity, enough for a single person to carry the military provisions for a thousand soldiers! That is the work of a Great Mage. As for the one in my hand, its capacity is tiny—only a few cubic meters, enough to carry some personal belongings. In the Ancient Era, these small-capacity Space Rings were practically mass-produced! As for why they are so rare in the Mortal World, hehe, that’s because many hidden families... are literally built on top of Ancient Ruins! Those families gradually developed and became major powers only after obtaining numerous treasures, sword techniques, and Cultivation Techniques from them."
This was the first time Ling Xiao had heard such a thing. It dawned on him. "No wonder the hidden families are so powerful. So, in a sense, they are the inheritors of an ancient legacy..."
Song Mingyue nodded. "Precisely. In fact, the hidden families and sects aren’t necessarily tucked away in remote mountains and forests. Some are located right within the Mortal World, and their members often brush past ordinary people on the street. Their paths simply never cross. Because according to all the texts passed down from ancient times, the pinnacle of the Martial Dao can grant one immortality and indestructibility!"
’Immortality and indestructibility...’ Ling Xiao quietly mouthed the words. ’How similar that is to the goal of Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm! Could it be that the hidden families and sects of this world are also seeking the same path, just through different means? In the Cultivation Realm, the direction of Cultivation is clear, and every Cultivator knows how to practice it.’
’But this world... is still in the exploratory phase!’
That’s right! As the realization struck him, a smile touched Ling Xiao’s lips. The people of this world were indeed seeking that same path!
’The Great Dao has a million paths!’ Ling Xiao silently recited the sacred proverb of the Cultivation Realm. Any trace of contempt he held for the people of this world vanished. ’Everyone has their own Dao. Just like the legendary Yun Zilan... who knows, maybe he already achieved godhood!’
’The Spiritual Qi in this world is so abundant. If someone just stumbles upon the right method, success is highly likely!’
At that moment, Song Mingyue looked up with a smile. "I would guess that Brother Ling’s sect must also be a powerful hidden family, one that focuses on medicine and elixirs and has never gotten involved in the disputes between hidden families. Otherwise, you would surely be quite familiar with these matters."
Ling Xiao gave a slight smile but didn’t answer Song Mingyue. ’My sect?’ he thought. ’If only my sect were in this world! Unfortunately, unless I can truly cultivate to the Mahayana Stage and ascend in broad daylight, I might have a chance to return to Shushan. Otherwise, there’s little hope of ever seeing my people again.’
A wave of sorrow washed over Ling Xiao as he thought of this. After all, he had lived in the Cultivation Realm for many years and had deep ties to it. However, the emotion quickly subsided, replaced by composure. He smiled at Song Mingyue and said, "Thank you for your advice today, Brother Song. Rest assured, once I’ve taken care of my affairs here, I will immediately accompany you to the Sea Domain."
Song Mingyue stood and gave Ling Xiao a deep bow. "Then... I’ll be depending on you, Brother Ling!"
After Song Mingyue left, Ling Xiao remained seated, lost in thought. Ye Zi came in. Having already heard about the day’s events from Yisha, she was a little worried. She walked up behind Ling Xiao, and her slender hands began to gently massage his shoulders.
Ling Xiao remained still, his expression unchanged. He wasn’t particularly worried; rather, he was captivated by two words.
"Ancient Ruins," Ling Xiao said softly. "Ye Zi, have you ever heard of them?"
Ye Wen Ni paused, startled, then nodded. "Of course I have. In fact, I’ve even seen some Ancient Ruins before!"
"What?" Ling Xiao stared, stunned. "You’ve seen them?"
Ye Wen Ni didn’t quite understand the excitement in Ling Xiao’s voice. She nodded. "What’s so strange about that? There’s a site on a small mountain several miles from Wutang Town. We used to go play there all the time when we were kids!"
"Then hurry and tell me, what’s inside!"
