The weather was great. The blue sky was clear and cloudless, the sea calm, and the rays of the sun radiated back from the surface, dazzling anyone who saw it.
Ling Yun and Little White left the cave abode to the speedboat. They quickly brought out the box of Maotai.
They had been on Turtle Island for quite some time. The food and water that Tang Meng prepared for them were almost gone. They had three days of rations left at most. Bai Xianer's tribulation came at a good time.
Ling Yun was beside himself now that Little White could speak and had to have celebratory drinks!
Ling Yun stored the box of Maotai away in his spatial ring and was about to leave when his reflection in the water caught his eye. Little White was right, he had grown a beard.
Ling Yun whipped out the Dragon Vein Sword amusingly, and with a swish of his hand, the thick beard disappeared, instantly revealing his clean, handsome face.
Ling Yun's hair was pretty long as well, but he wasn't bothered by it.
They returned to the cave abode and began their feast. Ling Yun took out all the delicious food and opened the bottle of Maotai.
"Xian Er, what is the martial art you are cultivating? It looks similar to that of human pract.i.tioners, but it feels different somehow…" Ling Yun asked casually as he took a sip of spirit.
"Master Big Brother Ling Yun, the martial art Xian Er is practicing came from a book called The Demonic Book of the Heavenly Central Nine Stars…"
"Master Big Brother Ling Yun is too awkward-sounding, change it to something else!" Ling Yun glared.
"Master Big Brother…" Bai Xianer's charming eyes rolled in her socket as she thought about it.
That rendered Ling Yun speechless. He looked at Bai Xianer and said helplessly, "Call me Big Brother Yun instead! The Demonic Book of the Heavenly Central Nine Stars… You movements are as fast as lighting, what is this skill called?"
"Big Brother Yun, there are all kinds of martial arts styles in The Demonic Book of the Heavenly Central Nine Stars. So far, Xian Er has only learned the Celestial Fox Illusion, the Spiritual Fox Ghost Finger, and my movement skill, the Nine Star Studded Flash. If my transformation succeeds, I will be able to cast the Red Flame Heavenly Palm…"
Ling Yun nodded in approval. The Red Flame Heavenly Palm was very suitable for Bai Xianer since she belonged to the fire attribute.
"Any other cool skills?" Ling Yun asked with heightened interest.
"There are a lot more, such as the Fire Fox Flame and Scorching Dragon Knife… However, these are more challenging, so Xian Er has yet to learn them…" Bai Xianer said with a certain degree of self-consciousness.
Ling Yun nodded again and continued, "So, what is Xian Er's personal attribute skill? How do you improve and breakthrough each realm?"
"Xian Er doesn't know what my personal attribute skill is called. I seemed to know it naturally…" Bai Xianer blushed.
"I'll give it a name then! How about the Celestial Fox Attribute?" Ling Yun suggested with a smirk.
Bai Xianer blinked with joy. "Thank you, Master Big Brother!"
"Xian Er, go through your tribulation in that valley tonight. I have laid out a positive and negative eight trigrams formation, it should be able to help you…"Ling Yun pointed toward a direction outside of the cave.
Bai Xianer nodded with a smile.
Ling Yun took out all of his Lightning Trap Talismans and the Level Two Gold Talismans and Defense Talismans. He handed them over to Bai Xianer. "These talisman charms will be able to help you in your tribulation. Use them as you like, don't worry about saving them!"
Little White knew how to use these talisman charms without any guidance from Ling Yun.
"Xian Er, you have to rely on your own strength to overcome the tribulation. There is no meaning in fear and avoidance. You have to steel your heart and display all your skills. Your tribulation will be successful as long as you don't die. Do you get it?"
"Thank you for the wise words of wisdom, Master. Xian Er understand." Bai Xianer nodded.
He was addressed as Master again after such a short while. Ling Yun sighed inwardly, knowing there was still a long way to go.
"If any troublemakers come to the island tonight, just run towards them boldly!" Ling Yun said wickedly.
Bai Xianer's pair of alluring fox eyes locked onto Ling Yun's' with a sly twinkle. She obviously knew the meaning behind that.
Ling Yun downed a whole bottle of Maotai in no time. After half a liter of fragrant spirit, Ling Yun felt refreshed and pleased.
"Come, I'll bring you to the Myriad Nine Slaughter Formation and guide you on the right pathways…"
Bai Xianer was intuitive and brilliant. She could travel freely in the Myriad Nine Slaughter Formation after just one demonstration by Ling Yun.
Ling Yun didn't cultivate for the whole day. He deliberately brought Bai Xianer around the island to release her tension. They only returned to the cave abode at night.
After dinner, Ling Yun packed everything in the cave abode and stored it in the spatial ring. He then changed into his stealth clothing and brought Bai Xianer to the highest peak of Turtle Island.
The tribulation would occur at any moment, but Ling Yun wasn't worried. Various changes in nature would happen right before the tribulation. They would arrive at the valley within a few seconds, everything was within reach.
Ling Yun had reached the peak of Physique Tempering Stage Six after so many days of cultivation! It was in part due to the ma.s.sive amount of water spiritual energy he had absorbed. He had also replenished his spiritual energy with the dragon saliva twice during this period.
Ling Yun's Stellar Condensation Technique improved by leaps and bounds as well. His cultivation speed more than doubled since he left the city, but he remained stagnant at the thirteenth minor realm. He still had some way to go to the fourteenth realm.
Normal spiritual energy no longer had any effect on the advancement of the Stellar Condensation Technique. Ling Yun could only rely on the essence of the moon and stars to quench the thirst in his body. There was no shortcut, he had to acc.u.mulate it over time.
However, Ling Yun was satisfied with the current progress. It was enough for his self-defense, and he wanted to cultivate steadily.
What delighted Ling Yun was that his Yin-Yang Eye was about to see further and clearer with the advancement of his Yin-Yang harmony balance. He could see through Bai Xianer's illusions immediately.
The ultimate objective of the Yin-Yang Eye was to see through yin and yang, making a simple illusion no challenge to Ling Yun.
Ling Yun stood at the peak, peering through the dark night sky. The corner of his mouth curved into a mocking crescent at the scene in the northeast direction.
A huge s.h.i.+p appeared on the horizon, slowly approaching Turtle Island.
Ling Yun didn't know what kind of s.h.i.+p it was, he only knew that it was huge.
"Did they finally decided what to do, or are they finally done with their preparations? Anyhow, their timing is perfect…" Ling Yun smiled, the odds were in his favor.
"Master Big Brother, who's here? Is that a s.h.i.+p from j.a.pan?" Bai Xianer asked since she couldn't see it.
Generally speaking, animals had better eyesight than humans, especially in the dark. However, because of the Yin-Yang Eye, Ling Yun's eyesight was far better than Little White's even though she had sprouted a third tail. That was terrifying.
"Not sure, but since it didn't come from the northeast, it should be on their side," Ling Yun replied with a smile.
It was either from j.a.pan or the United States. There was definitely more than one s.h.i.+p, but they were too far away to be seen just yet.
"Xian Er, don't fret. Concentrate on your tribulation and do as I say!" Ling Yun got up and told Bai Xianer with a smile.
That "huge s.h.i.+p" finally came to a halt when it was eight nautical miles away from Turtle Island. More than an hour had pa.s.sed by then, and night had fallen.
It wasn't just some huge s.h.i.+p, it was a whole fleet of aircraft carriers from the United States! The s.h.i.+p that Ling Yun spotted was the main aircraft carrier of the Seventh Fleet, nicknamed "The Chick"!
The Chick was brightly lit. The Defense Force on board was fully equipped, their eyes staring in the direction of Turtle Island. Tension was high.
There wasn't only them. A hundred j.a.panese were there, donning either grey or black ninja garbs and holding the iconic katana. They were masked entirely, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed. These windows were filled with murderous intent and pure hatred!
They were ninjas of at least Houtian Realm Level Eight, while the ten most powerful were of Xiantian Realm Level Two and above!
Two leaders were of Xiantian Realm Level Three! They would be considered ordinary if not for the weapons in their hands.
"Kill the Huaxia Pract.i.tioner and avenge our outstanding naval officers!"
This was the common howl and mission of the ninjas!
The two leaders were Tokugawa Takeo and Yusei Yanagi. They stared at Turtle Island for a long time before exchanging meaningful glances. Their eyes were as sharp as hawks, squinting slightly.
Tokugawa Takeo gave a loud war cry. "Depart!"
The hundred j.a.panese ninjas jumped silently into speedboats surrounding The Chick and charged towards Turtle Island.
Tokugawa Takeo and Yusei Yanagi, on the other hand, boarded a helicopter with the United States Marines that was heading towards the same destination!
Ling Yun looked on indifferently and gave a quick smile.
That was because he could clearly feel his surroundings grow quiet and abnormal. Time seemed to have stagnated!
The gentle waves, the white foam from the ripples. Not a bit of wind and not a sound!
Ling Yun turned towards Xian Er and patted her shoulder. "Let's begin your tribulation!"