Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

For Ling Yun, who was urgently trying to improve his realm, he lacked spiritual energy the most!

Regardless of what it was, Ling Yun was never going to let go of items with a connection to spiritual energy.

If the congratulatory gift Long Tianjiao sent Ling Yun yesterday wasn't 2.7 billion but something with spiritual energy, Ling Yun would have accepted it without hesitation. He had no other choice because this was what he lacked the most.

Even though Ling Yun was touched by the five hundred million, he didn't lack money now. He wasn't short on skills because he had plenty of powerful cultivation techniques that he couldn't even find time to cultivate. As for the cloth weaved by the Golden Black Devilish Silkworm, it was indeed rare. However, if Ling Yun started forging equipment, it wouldn't be hard for him to produce an impervious s.h.i.+rt. All he needed to do was include a few spell formations on an ordinary s.h.i.+rt. Therefore, he wasn't anxious at all.

However, it was different for spiritual energy. If Ling Yun wanted to speed up his cultivation and improve his strength, he needed sufficient spiritual energy!

This wooden box could actually emit Wood Spiritual Energy so powerful, so pure, and with such exuberant life force… How could Ling Yun not be curious about it?

Moreover, there was a wooden box in his Qingshui Wharf Mansion that was exactly the same.

"Cui Lao, what's inside the wooden box?" Ling Yun continued staring at the wooden box for half a day. He had already absorbed quite a bit of Wood Spiritual Energy before asking this question.

Cui Lao smiled casually as he bent over to pick up the wooden box. He placed it on the table and didn't waste any time or beat around the bush. He opened up the wooden box, and Wood Spiritual Energy surged out of the box vigorously. Ling Yun instantly absorbed everything he could, not wanting to waste a drop.

Ling Yun paused for a moment before saying, "This…"

It was a log of wood, a dried-up one. The entire log of wood was black, and even the two ends of the wood were charred black as though struck by lightning.

This log of wood was about one meter long and as thick as a human's arm. The entire piece of wood was perfectly straight and was charred black from exterior to interior. It looked just like a black iron rod.

A log of wood like that should have been completely rotten by now, but Ling Yun could clearly see that there was something protruding at the edge of the wood. There was a soft and tender yellow bud displaying tenacious life force and exuding vitality!

This was a new lease on life!

That formidable, pure, and vigorous Wood Spiritual Energy was actually being emitted from this melon seed-sized soft bud!

"Whoos.h.!.+"

Ling Yun was so shocked that he could no longer sit down. In that instant, he stood up straight away!

Cui Lao appeared as though he knew that Ling Yun would be this shocked as he simply sat there calmly. He smiled at Ling Yun. "Young chap, pick it up, and take a look…"

When Cui Lao said that, Ling Yun had already extended his hand to grab the wood for a closer look.

The bark of the wood was really rough, and it was truly as black as processed coal in a blast furnace. While holding it in his hands, it felt really heavy, and there was a really unusual texture.

"Eh… Looking at the surface of this wood and the grains of the bark, this looks like willow wood…"

Ling Yun was astonished by this one-meter long piece of wood, which should have weighed a little over five kilograms at most, especially after rotting. However, this piece of wood was at least 40 kilograms, and willow wood would never be so heavy!

Ling Yun recalled how heavy the wooden box in his house was and finally made sense of it.

When Cui Lao saw Ling Yun a.n.a.lyzing the wood in his hands, he couldn't help but grow excited as he commented with a trembling voice, "Young chap, pierce your finger and drip one drop of your blood onto the wood…"

Ling Yun was taken aback. This was merely a piece of wood, so was this really necessary?

Of course, Ling Yun didn't know that Cui Lao was getting him prepared for a blood drop recognition!

However, Ling Yun knew that Cui Lao would never hurt him, so he used the fingernail of his right thumb to make a small cut on his index finger. Fresh blood started flowing out of his finger.

This was the most crucial moment where Cui Lao was the most emotional and excited. His entire body was trembling so badly that he stood up as he said to Ling Yun, "Young chap, hurry up and drip your fresh blood onto the wood!"

His voice was emotional and almost desperate.

Ling Yun was very straightforward and instantly pressed his index finger onto the wood!

Ling Yun was completely dumbstruck by the scene that occurred after he pressed his finger down!

When his finger pressed on the rough surface of the wood, Ling Yun's blood didn't stop on the surface. The blood instantly soaked into the wood, and the grains on the surface of the wood spread rapidly!

Moreover, that wasn't all, Ling Yun could feel an increase in the speed of his blood circulation. The blood in his body started converging towards the wound on his finger, and a steady flow of blood entered the wood!

d.a.m.n, it's sucking my blood!

Even though this scene was astonis.h.i.+ng, Ling Yun managed to keep his calm. Instead of panicking and pulling his hand away, he held onto the wood tightly and allowed it to absorb his blood.

After cultivating to Physique Tempering Stage Eight, Ling Yun's current energy center was much greater than that of an ordinary person. With an ocean full of exuberant blood energy, he wasn't too bothered with the bit of blood that was taken away from him.

When Cui Lao saw what Ling Yun was doing, he had no intention of stopping him. His eyes were sparkling, and they had grown red as he watched on!

Ling Yun's blood flowed much faster and at a much larger volume as time pa.s.sed by. The wood was like a starving infant feeding on Ling Yun's blood greedily. It had no intention to stop!

"Young Master!" Cui Lao could no longer maintain his balance when standing up as he was no longer trying to conceal his ident.i.ty. He didn't change the way he addressed Ling Yun and simply shouted "Young Master"!

Cui Lao's eyes were red and filled with tears, and he could be seen trembling. He flashed over to the sofa and started bowing towards Ling Yun!

"Cui Lao, don't do that!"

Ling Yun was caught off guard, and Cui Lao was already kneeling on the ground. He was kowtowing towards Ling Yun, and when he lifted his head, his eyes were blurred by his emotional tears!

"Cui Lao, what are you doing? Hurry up and get up!"

Ling Yun was anxious because he had no other choice. He held onto the blood-sucking wood with his right hand as he flew forward, bent over, and helped Cui Lao up!

"Cui Lao, you can tell me anything you want. By kneeling like that, you make me really helpless!"

After Ling Yun helped Cui Lao up, he looked awkwardly at Cui Lao as his right hand was still holding on to the pitch-black wood.

Cui Lao's eyes were blurred by his tears as he grabbed onto Ling Yun's arm tightly. He swallowed his saliva but didn't manage to say anything for a while.

After a long while, Cui Lao finally wiped the tears off his face as he turned to look at the piece of wood that Ling Yun was still holding. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Young Master, it's about time. You can release your hand now…"

Ling Yun didn't know, but Cui Lao knew about the wood. The wood loved to absorb blood, but one shouldn't allow it to absorb as it wished. This was because there would be no end to it.

This was nothing at all because Ling Yun had experienced the same thing with the Emperor Brush, where even more of his blood was absorbed. Therefore, he replied casually, "Cui Lao, don't worry about it. I have a lot of blood, so I can afford to let it absorb a while more…"

Ling Yun could sense the greediness of the wood, and he was slightly worried too. After so long and with that much blood flowing into the wood, Ling Yun didn't feel the blood connection that he should have formed with the wood. This was definitely unusual.

Was it sucking Ling Yun's blood for nothing?

However, the fact that this wood would behave in this eccentric manner proved that it was an exceptional treasure. Even if he couldn't connect with it through the blood absorption, he wasn't too bothered. After all, this treasure would belong to him in the future, so he had plenty of time to a.n.a.lyze it.

Furthermore, although the wood was greedy for blood, it wasn't as sticky as the Emperor Brush. Ling Yun knew that as long as he wanted to release his hand, he could stop the wood from continuing to take his blood. Therefore, he wasn't worried.

"Cui Lao, please take a seat…" Ling Yun helped Cui Lao to take his seat as he returned to his own seat with the wood.

"Cui Lao, I heard you address me as Young Master earlier. This…" Ling Yun stared at Cui Lao and spoke in a serious manner.

Cui Lao stared right back at Ling Yun with his emotional eyes as he suddenly lifted his hand to wipe the warm tears off his face. "Young Master, my name is Cui Zhongwu, and I am a member… of Beijing's Ling Family!"

G.o.d!

Ling Yun was shocked once again as he jumped out of his seat. Beijing's Ling Family, it was really Beijing's Ling Family!

Even though Ling Yun had guessed it from the start and had this feeling that he was somehow related to the Ling Family from Beijing, he was still dumbfounded when Cui Lao told him this personally.

"In just two short months, Young Master has already interacted with members of Beijing's Cao Family, Sun Family, Chen Family, Long Family, and Li Family… I think you have quite a bit of understanding of the seven big families in Beijing, right?"

Cui Lao sighed, thinking about how he was going to explain himself in a manner that Ling Yun could accept. Hence, he decided to start by talking about the seven big families.

Cui Lao's words were true. There was no need for further description of Ling Yun's relations.h.i.+p with the Cao Family's Cao Shanshan, and he even slaughtered Sun Tianbiao and his family of three. Back in Shennongjia, he killed the Chen Family's Chen Jianren and met Chen Jianrou on the East Sea. He s.n.a.t.c.hed Long Tianjiao's wife and even hit Long Tianyu and Li Youmin in the face at Ning Er's birthday celebration!

Of course, what Cui Lao didn't know was that Ling Yun had already met his sister from the same father but different mothers, Ling Xue from the Ling Family.

It could be said that out of the seven big families in Beijing, Ling Yun had some form of interaction with six of the families in some way or another. The only one missing was the mysterious and low-key Ye Family.

While Ling Yun was still in shock, he let out a deep breath before nodding his head. "En! Normally, Aunty will talk to me about these matters…"

When Cui Lao saw how serious Ling Yun looked, he took in a deep breath before explaining.

"Young Master, forgive me for being direct. You are the descendant of the Ling Family, one of the seven big families in Beijing. You are the biological son of the Ling Family's Third Master, Ling Xiao!"