True Martial World - Chapter 40: Each having a Scheme

Early the next morning, the members of the warrior preparation camp arrived at the square. They already knew that Zhang Yuxian had left. Many people had heard Zhang Yuxian's beast galloping away last night. Of course, that included Yi Yun.

"Yi Yun!" At the square, Lian Chengyu called Yi Yun from afar. His expression was still warm.

"Young Master Lian, what's the matter?" Yi Yun asked with a smile; he knew that Lian Chengyu's current demeanor was an act for the villagers.

At the square, there were many onlookers. Although Lian Chengyu had long since wanted to get rid of Yi Yun, he did not want to do it in front of the villagers.

Having appreciated Yi Yun, it was possible Zhang Yuxian would return to the Lian tribal clan for Yi Yun after he completed his mission.

Even if Zhang Yuxian didn't return, he might ask about Yi Yun at the kingdom's selection.

If Lian Chengyu had attacked Yi Yun in public, it would ease his emotions, but with so many people watching, word would spread. At any rate, he couldn't silence the entire tribe.

If the matter was investigated by Zhang Yuxian, Lian Chengyu would be implicated. Hence, he planned on using a slow and steady manner to get rid of Yi Yun.

Noticing that Lian Chengyu did not turn the tables, Yi Yun happily joined in with Lian Chengyu's shenanigans. Besides, if they were to really break out into conflict, Yi Yun's strength was still insufficient. Also, Yi Yun was still not done absorbing the desolate bone essence.

"Yi Yun, Lord Zhang left behind a note and a box of pills. In the note, he instructed that the pills were for the both of us. The pill for me isn't a mild drug. A person with low cultivation cannot eat it. As for yours, it's very suitable for building a beginner's foundation."

Lian Chengyu reasoned it well. If Yi Yun didn't know who he was, he would have fully believed in it.

"Oh, a pill!?" said Yi Yun as his eyes lit up. He was extremely excited and anticipant. "Lord Zhang left a pill for me?"

"Yes!" Seeing Yi Yun's silly look, Lian Chengyu sneered in his mind. He's indeed a retard. He actually believed that there was a pie in the sky.

"Lord Zhang sure is generous. The kindness he has shown the both of us must be remembered even if we rise up!" Lian Chengyu patted and advised Yi Yun, but in his eyes, there was killing intent.

With Zhang Yuxian gone, Lian Chengyu could no longer conceal his killing intent towards Yi Yun.

"Young Master Lian’s words are wise. I will not forget it," Yi Yun answered with a sincere desire to learn. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"Yi Yun, your talent is far greater than mine. When the desolate bone essence is extracted, I intend to give you some of it. This desolate bone essence not only concerns our future, but it concerns the future of a thousand lives living in the Lian tribal clan. I can't trust anyone else but little brother Yi. I will be more assured if you lead the brewing."

"Let's do it this way. In the day, you will carry on refining the desolate bones. When it is refined, we shall consume it together as brothers. I will then help you, allowing you to reach the second realm of Mortal Blood, Vigor. I will then give you the pill from Lord Zhang, allowing your cultivation to go one step further!"

Lian Chengyu smirked as he said those words. Yi Yun, on the other hand, knew it was a mocking expression.

Without Zhang Yuxian, to Lian Chengyu, Yi Yun was just a child who could be crushed easily in his palms.

Even if Lian Chengyu had really prepared a pill for him, it would most likely be a slow-acting poison. It would paralyze him and cause him to slowly die in pain.

But from Lian Chengyu's point of view, no poison was better than the Frost Python's frost toxin. It was without cure. Using the Frost Python's frost toxin to kill Yi Yun was most fitting!

"I will complete whatever matter Young Master Lian assigns me." Yi Yun patted his chest with a guarantee. He pledged like a hot-blooded youth.

When Zhang Yuxian arrived in the Lian tribal clan, the refining of the desolate bones had not been halted. Its location was just moved to the Lian Clan Herb Mountain. After all, having a huge cauldron burning day and night when Zhang Yuxian entered the Lian tribal clan was not appropriate.

Lian Chengyu wanted to use the frost toxin to continue harming Yi Yun and slowly push him towards a miserable death. It would also allay suspicions away from him since dead men tell no tales.

As for Yi Yun, he planned to absorb all the energy of the desolate bones before he fell out with Lian Chengyu. He wanted to break through to the Qi Gatherer realm, increasing the chips in his hand.

As such, both of them quickly hit it off as they each had their own schemes. With that, Yi Yun happily went to refine the desolate bone.

Of course, to Lian Chengyu, Yi Yun's elated behavior resembled an immature kid.

"This retard. I'm sending him to his death, yet he remains so happy. How could my talent lose to this retard? How humiliating is that!" Lian Chengyu sneered. He balled his fist so tightly that his knuckles emitted soft explosive sounds.

...

Yi Yun was pining after the desolate bones, as he had not absorbed its energy for three days.

Without the desolate bones supplementing him with energy, Yi Yun's cultivation was slower. He would also feel hungry as a result.

"Damn it kid, where did you die to?"

The dark faced men in charge of refining the bones snapped at Yi Yun.

These men had been staying up on the Lian Clan Herb Mountain, so they were not aware of the events that happened with Zhang Yuxian.

Their impression of Yi Yun was still that of an ill-ridden child. So they were not amiable towards him.

Yi Yun did not pay them any attention. He went to his familiar spot and began chopping wood.

Today, he was prepared to absorb all the energy from the desolate bone because Yi Yun knew that there was not much time left. Lian Chengyu's patience might run out in a few days.

He had to break through into the fifth Mortal Blood level, the Qi Gatherer realm.

Facing the burning cauldron, Yi Yun took in a deep breath. In his vision, he saw endless points of lights.

These points of lights were like a delectable cuisine; Yi Yun was already drooling.

Come on, I'll eat it clean!

With that in mind, Yi Yun conjured up a purple vortex with his heart in the eye of the storm.

In that split second, Yi Yun felt his body heat up. A heat flow began circulating through the conception and governor vessels that Yi Yun had just recently opened up.

After that, in Yi Yun's vision, several purplish-red light dots appeared from the cauldron's mouth before an uncountable number of light dots began to emerge from the "Li Fire Water", and flew towards Yi Yun like a flock of birds!

"This..." Yi Yun was momentarily shocked. The number of light dots were more than he had anticipated. It had even formed a line!

"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"

The light drops rained on Yi Yun's body, entering his meridians without resistance.

Yi Yun suddenly felt his body tremble. He felt his meridians were about to burst!

Pain!

An extremely intense pain caused Yi Yun to fall to the ground. And the energies were still entering his body without pause. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

If the men refining the desolate bones could see, they would see Yi Yun's body covered by a halo.

True Martial World - Chapter 39: A person’s most painful experience in life

Yi Yun repeatedly performed the twelve movements of the Elephant Swallowing Technique. For an unknown reason, it was extremely energy depleting. In Yi Yun's semi-conscious state, he repeated the moves five times before he felt exhausted!

Yi Yun opened his eyes and felt his abdomen burning, it was as if a fire had lit up!

Large amounts of blood and energy was supplied to his stomach in a surging fashion!

A normal person would have their blood flow to their stomachs after a meal. This was to aid the digestive process.

Yi Yun was in a similar situation, just magnified a hundred times.

Yi Yun felt that if he wished, his entire body's blood could be condensed within his stomach. Even metal nails and glass could be digested!

The bloated feeling from eating the Guanyin clay had completely vanished. Under the strong peristalsis within his stomach, the coagulated Guanyin clay had already been separated.

Yi Yun lifted his head to realize that everyone was looking at him. Zhang Yuxian had a smile on his face. As for the people from the warrior preparation camp, they could only be described as astonished, jealous, and hostile.

At that moment, Lian Chengyu walked over to Yi Yun with a smile.

"Yi Yun, I must give in." Yi Yun looked surprised as Lian Chengyu said that. Lian Chengyu also patted Yi Yun's shoulder saying nicely, "Yi Yun, to be honest, I was wondering if you had passed the preliminaries due to sheer luck. But you have just proven yourself. I hereby apologize to you. I can't believe that you have such great talent!"

Lian Chengyu was not stingy with his praise. "In the past, using you to pick herbs was a waste of talent. From now on, you can enter the warrior preparation camp. The Lian tribal clan will focus on grooming you!"

"It's too bad that the kingdom's selection is in a few weeks. You have to blame me for not noticing your talent, wasting your time. With only this amount of time left to practice martial arts, it's unlikely you can pass the kingdom's selection…"

"But it's alright. If this stupid brother of yours becomes a kingdom warrior, I will definitely help you. I will ensure that you will be able to leave this vast wilderness. When the time comes, you will be able to support our Lian tribal clan, and be glorious. We can even mass migrate into the cities!" Lian Chengyu said earnestly. His eyes did not exhibit the slightest amount of deceit.

If Yi Yun did not know Lian Chengyu well, he would have been fooled!

It is impossible to judge a man's heart from his face. If a person that was good at hiding his true intentions so wished, it would be impossible to tell from his facial expression what he was truly thinking. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Lian Chengyu was exactly doing so.

Yi Yun understood that he was doing it as an act in front of Zhang Yuxian.

The moment Zhang Yuxian left, Lian Chengyu would reveal his true colors.

How could Lian Chengyu tolerate his growth?

Yi Yun sillily smiled, saying to Lian Chengyu, "Thank you Young Master Lian, I will not disappoint you."

Seeing Yi Yun fooled, Lian Chengyu broke into a smile. He did not expect that under the skin of this twelve-year-old was an adult with richer experience than himself.

Lian Chengyu carried on with some words of encouragement before turning towards Zhang Yuxian saying, "Lord Zhang, I'm a dumb student. My perceptivity is not as good as my younger brother, Yi Yun. I still haven't mastered the Elephant Swallowing Technique, could Lord Zhang please demonstrate it again for us students?"

Since he had decided to settle scores later, Lian Chengyu showed humility on the surface. But for Zhao Tiezhu and company to hear those words, they began choking.

"Young Master Lian…"

Zhao Tiezhu was worried. How could Lian Chengyu think so highly of Yi Yun? How could he say those words…

"Shut up. All of you are good for nothings. All the tribe's rations and meat were provided to you, but you can't even learn this Elephant Swallowing Technique today. It's so humiliating. If you don't practice it well, do you really want to die with your stomachs ruptured from eating Guanyin clay?"

The moment Lian Chengyu said "die", Zhao Tiezhu and company suddenly changed their expressions. Right, this isn't a joke. If they didn't learn it well, they would have to live with the consequences!

Seeing Lian Chengyu appropriate handling of matters, and his good choice of words, Zhang Yuxian nodded. Lian Chengyu had both talent and good leadership potential. He was a talented individual.

Zhang Yuxian said, "For this Elephant Swallowing Technique, eating wood and Guanyin clay is just the beginning stage. If you meet the criteria, you can even try eating materials with devastating energies or treasures that are extremely difficult to digest. The effects of practicing the skill will be better."

These words were only for Lian Chengyu and Yi Yun. From Zhang Yuxian point of view, only Lian Chengyu and Yi Yun had the ability to leave the vast wilderness and become a true warrior.

He turned towards Zhao Tiezhu and company, saying, "As for you, although you won't have the opportunity to eat all those treasures, but if you were to master the Elephant Swallowing Technique, you will be able to eat grass roots and tree bark safely during a famine. It will be a great boon to your survival. Even learning a tiny bit will be extremely valuable for you."

"I will do it again. The speed will be much slower. Look carefully. To be able to identify the charm of the Elephant Swallowing Technique will all depend on yourself!"

With that, Zhang Yuxian began moving again.

He really slowed down, but he was still unable to get through to Zhao Tiezhu and company.

The result for that night was wailings from the toilets of the Lian tribal clan.

Some people say that the most painful thing in life is the failure to find a bathroom when experiencing diarrhea. They would eventually have to shit in their pants.

But for Zhao Tiezhu and company, what would this be called?

Only those who experienced what Zhao Tiezhu was feeling will know that even shitting in their pants was extreme bliss.

That night, the only doctor in the Lian tribal clan boiled a huge pot of laxatives. Every member of the warrior preparation camp drank it, but they still could not succeed in excreting what they consumed out.

As a last resort, they had to follow Zhang Yuxian's words. They used their fingers to dig. When they realized their fingers were not long enough, they used bamboo sticks.

As for bamboo sticks being inserted into their rectum…

That feeling was…"heavenly".

In fact, using a bamboo stick to dig was not easy. It was an extremely difficult task for an individual, because they could not see.

As a last resort, they had to "help" one another. They had to reveal their ass, getting a brother to help…

That scene was too perfect that Yi Yun didn't want to think about it.

To be able to bust ass for a comrade was nothing. But to help a comrade dig out shit, that would be true love. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Just listening to the shrill cries, one could imagine the carnage happening. The bamboo sticks might have dug through something…

On the second day, Zhao Tiezhu and company's faces walked soft-footedly with an ashen expression. They had not been able to sleep the whole night for they were constantly running to the toilet. Even after they had drunk the laxative, all that came out was yellow liquid, as for the bamboo sticks… Even known tortures were nothing in comparison. However, they were thankful that they did not eat too much Guanyin clay. As a result of the laxatives and the digging, no one died.

…

For the second day of training, Zhao Tiezhu and company no longer dared to eat the Guanyin clay. As such, Zhang Yuxian only taught Yi Yun and Lian Chengyu.

Eventually, Zhang Yuxian did not even stay the full three days at the Lian tribal clan.

On the second night, a jade slip that accompanied Zhang Yuxian trembled while producing a sound.

This jade slip was a messaging device the Jing Long Wei used.

Seeing the jade slip tremble, Zhang Yuxian's expression changed. He left a note, mounted his beast and disappeared into the night…

True Martial World - Chapter 38: Charm

F**k, is he teasing me?

Zhao Tiezhu was crushed. This isn't some Elephant Swallowing Technique, it's a prank!

Many of the warrior preparation camp members had already begun digging their throats with their fingers, hoping to vomit out the Guanyin clay and wood they had just eaten.

However, it was useless. The Guanyin clay was extremely sticky. The moment it reached the stomach, it sank and coagulated. Vomiting this final block would prove difficult.

Even though the men from the warrior preparation camp had vomited out their gastric juices, only a few wood splinters came out. The Guanyin clay was still bound tightly in their stomachs.

Momentarily, the men all froze up.

"Lord Zhang, please stop joking. I couldn't even see your movements!" said one of the men who were close to tears.

"How could anyone learn such a movement?"

Despite hearing the complaints of the warrior preparation camp members, Zhang Yuxian remained indifferent. He did the twelve moves of the Elephant Swallowing Technique again. However, this time, he did it at a slower speed, allowing the people from the warrior preparation camp to see better.

But Yi Yun realized that when Zhang Yuxian lowered his speed, there was a charm lacking in his set of moves!

And it was this charm that was the crux of this set of moves!

"Let me try!" At that moment, Lian Chengyu stood forward.

Lian Chengyu had already eaten quite a bit of Guanyin clay and wood.

Lian Chengyu had some perceptive ability after all. He barely demonstrated the movements Zhang Yuxian had done. But in fact, his movements were far from correct.

Of course, only Yi Yun could tell. As for Zhao Tiezhu and company, they were filled with admiration.

"Young Master Lian is a man of God!"

"Wow, how could you do those moves?" Zhao Tiezhu and company began to suck up. They were truly filled with admiration for Lian Chengyu as he astounded them.

But Zhang Yuxian looked at Lian Chengyu and said lightly, "That barely counts."

Given this evaluation made Lian Chengyu feel a sense of defeat. The moves were too hard, and he felt it was quite impressive that he was able to mimic it.

But Zhang Yuxian only rated it as "barely counts". His standards were too high.

Lian Chengyu always had confidence in his talent. He felt that it was not because he failed to do well, but a result of Zhang Yuxian's overly strict standards. Zhang Yuxian was also not generous with his praises. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

At that moment, Lian Chengyu noticed that Zhang Yuxian's gaze was focused on Yi Yun.

Yi Yun had closed his eyes as if in a daze.

Lian Chengyu sneered.

Having eaten so much wood and Guanyin clay, the kid’s stomach must be hurting right now.

This Elephant Swallowing Technique was so difficult, the set of movements was filled with mystery. How could a twelve-year-old like him learn it? It was best that he died a painful death from a ruptured stomach!

Due to Zhang Yuxian's high praise for Yi Yun, Lian Chengyu treated Yi Yun with great animosity.

Yi Yun was fully immersed in his own world.

Yi Yun could not be bothered watching Lian Chengyu's movements after a while. It was because Lian Chengyu could only barely match a few of the moves. And it was those moves that Yi Yun realized lacked a certain charm!

From this point, Yi Yun realized something. He closed his eyes and began pondering.

In Yi Yun's mind, Zhang Yuxian's movements were repeated again and again like a movie.

After breaking through to the Meridian realm, Yi Yun's five senses were extremely keen. Although Zhang Yuxian's movements were quick, Yi Yun still managed to gain some insight.

Also having lived two lives, he had very high perceptivity. His eyes had been nourished by both the Purple Crystal and his meridians, making the motion of Zhang Yuxian that was replicated in his mind even clearer. The outer form first came together, and slowly each move began to emit that charm.

Yi Yun realized that the Elephant Swallowing Technique was extremely mysterious.

First, one had to eat hard-to-digest and impossible to excrete food. Next, they had to use this set of mysterious moves to train their stomach and intestines.

These moves, if one paid attention to the poses, would have their charm reduced.

If one wanted to reflect the charm, then the poses would no longer be accurate.

It was a fascinating mystic technique!

Yi Yun began to have such a thought. He felt that the Elephant Swallowing Technique was more mystical than the "Dragon Rib Tiger Bone Fist". But why would a cornerstone skill of the Jing Long Wei be widely spread among the grassroots?

It wasn't time to think about this. Yi Yun began to reach out his hands according to his memories.

Suddenly, Yi Yun began to move. With his eyes slightly closed, and without any sense of direction, he began to demonstrate the movements of Zhang Yuxian using the mysterious feelings in his memories.

One by one, Yi Yun's train of thought became clearer, and his speed increased.

People who were looking at Yi Yun only saw a blurred shadow of Yi Yun!

Zhang Yuxian's eyes suddenly lit up.

Yi Yun managed to simulate a trace of the charm of the Elephant Swallowing Technique in his first practice! This had nothing to do with one's practice or physique. Only a person's perceptivity mattered.

The difficulty of the Elephant Swallowing Technique was its comprehension. It took Zhang Yuxian a long while to understand the charms behind the Elephant Swallowing Technique. He too had suffered from eating Guanyin clay back in his day.

This kid, Yi Yun, had an exceptionally perceptive mind!

As for the men from the warrior preparation camp, they were all shocked at Yi Yun's movements. They did not understand the mystery behind the Elephant Swallowing Technique, but no matter how dumb they were, they knew that Yi Yun wasn't doing it haphazardly. Because they too perceived an incomprehensible illusion from Yi Yun's movements!

"This…This kid…" The men were stunned. They did not need to judge if Yi Yun's moves were accurate. From Zhang Yuxian's eyes, they knew they had to accept a more frustrating reality. Yi Yun could perform the Elephant Swallowing Technique!

"How could this be. This little slave born from a low caste managed to learn Lord Zhang's movements after he demonstrated it twice?" Zhao Tiezhu and company did not know how many times Zhang Yuxian had demonstrated the moves. They only saw his figure blur twice, hence they had concluded that he had done it twice. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"He actually learned such a difficult move?" The members of the warrior preparation camp found it unacceptable. They had always been condescending, and deep down, they felt they were the ruling class of the Lian tribal clan.

But today, an inferior plebeian had climbed over their heads, suppressing them greatly.

The lifting of stone rollers, which they were proud of was worthless in the eyes of Zhang Yuxian, but they could not learn a thing Zhang Yuxian taught them.

Even the bright star of the clan, Lian Chengyu was suppressed by Yi Yun!

Lian Chengyu clenched his fists. A deep sense of anger and frustration burned in his eyes. This sense of frustration slowly turned into cold killing intent!

True Martial World - Chapter 37: Twelve Moves

Seeing that Yi Yun was the first to follow his instructions, Zhang Yuxian nodded with satisfaction. The others did not think likewise. Zhao Tiezhu looked at Yi Yun eating the tree and sneered.

It wasn't so simple eating wood.

You may be trying to be a hero, but I'll see how you burst to your death later.

When the people faced famine, people ate grass roots and tree bark. But no one tried eating wood, especially uncooked hardwood.

Other than termites or borers, few animals in the world ate wood. The wood fibers in the wood was not something the stomach could digest.

"Go! Dig up some Guanyin clay!" Zhang Yuxian ordered. Guanyin clay was actually magnesium silicate. No one knew why it was called Guanyin clay. Perhaps people looked to the Guanyin goddess for help during times of famine. This clay could fill the stomachs, so it obtained such a name.

But in reality, Guanyin clay was a poison. It was not harmful in small amounts. But slightly larger portions would result in indigestion. It would be impossible to excrete it out, and a person would eventually die of abdominal distension.

Coincidentally, the Lian tribal clan had such a material. Some people may wonder why would people eat the Guanyin clay if they knew it could kill?

This was because of the ignorance of the local people. They believed that if they had a sincere heart, they would receive salvation from the goddess, Guanyin.

The second reason was that Guanyin clay tasted much better than tree bark and grass-roots. Its appearance and taste resembled flour. Some people who could not resist the temptation under extreme hunger would die from eating too much.

The Guanyin clay was dug up and piled into a bunch.

This Guanyin clay was moved over by the citizens. The citizens of the Lian tribal clan had become onlookers.

Seeing the people from the warrior preparation camp about to eat the Guanyin clay, the onlookers were worried. It was okay eating some Guanyin clay, but the results would be devastating if they finished that large amount.

"Begin," Zhang Yuxian said lightly. Yi Yun did not hesitate and began eating the Guanyin clay in large amounts. It did not have any special taste but it tasted a bit creamy.

The Guanyin clay was much easier to swallow than the wood.

Seeing Yi Yun's actions, the people from the warrior preparation camp could not take that lying down.

They bit the bullet and began eating.

They believed Zhang Yuxian wasn't out to harm them. Although it was awful eating that, they had to endure the eating in order to practice the skill!

But just as the thought flashed in their heads, Zhang Yuxian destroyed that thought when he said, "The Elephant Swallowing Technique isn't that easy to learn. Some people who ate the Guanyin clay for the practice of Elephant Swallowing Technique did not manage to learn it before dying of abdominal distention."

"What!?"

Upon hearing Zhang Yuxian's words, the courage they had mustered deflated.

If you can't master the Elephant Swallowing Technique, eating all this wood and Guanyin clay would result in death!

Learning this technique could result in death. They thought they would be subjected to suffering, but it would not be life-threatening. But the truth proved that they had thought wrong!

Seeing Zhao Tiezhu and company's expressions, Zhang Yuxian gave a disdainful glance, "Do you think the practicing of martial arts is to treat others to dinner and having a good time? And from that, you will learn a peerless skill?"

"When a warrior practices the arts, he has to understand that he will constantly confront death! There are often deaths even among the Jing Long Wei members' normal training! Without pushing your body to its limits, how do you expect to break through!?"

"The path of martial arts, entering mysterious lands, vendettas, vying for treasure, destroying the devil within, escaping death, surviving tragedies! Which one of those doesn't have death involved? You are only at the beginning stages. If you don't dare to eat Guanyin clay, then don't practice martial arts. Just die in this vast wilderness!"

Zhang Yuxian had no more demands from the likes of these people. He also did not say how much Guanyin clay or wood a beginner of the Elephant Swallowing Technique should consume. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

It was up to a person's courage to determine how much he should eat.

The warrior preparation camp members looked at each other. They subconsciously began to slow down their eating speeds.

As for Yi Yun, he paused for a while. After a short silence, he began eating at a constant speed, not affected by those words.

Zhang Yuxian noticed Yi Yun and nodded. This courage was admirable.

As for Zhao Tiezhu and company, they naturally noticed Yi Yun’s constant eating of the wood and Guanyin clay. Zhao Tiezhu maliciously whispered, "That little bastard, he may be showing off now, but he will die from a ruptured stomach later!"

"Don't mind the idiot, Brother Zhao. We are just beginners. Let's not eat too much. 250 grams, no…200 to 250 grams should do…"

The men from the warrior preparation camp began to carefully weigh the amount they ate. They ate it sparingly like a gluttonous child unwilling to finish a cake.

"Brother Zhao, don't bite off more than you can chew. Let's do it step by step. We will do it steadily. We will let Lord Zhang see our martial arts talent! How could we not match up to a little kid!"

The men from the warrior preparation camp suppressed their anger. Zhang Yuxian had looked down on them, and his words implied that he had chosen them just to fill the numbers.

They had conceded to that, but they could not agree to Zhang Yuxian’s high appraisal of a sickly child like Yi Yun!

They thought they could lift stone rollers while practicing martial arts with Zhang Yuxian. It was their forte where they could posture and easily repress Yi Yun. It would have been fun.

But they never expected that they were required to eat a tree for their cultivation!

It was like a bolt out of the blue!

"It's just eating wood and Guanyin clay. What's there to fear? Bros, eat! We have to exceed Yi Yun. This little chick is just here to play after all."

Zhao Tiezhu grew madder and madder just thinking. If the other men did not dare eat, he would purposely eat more. He did not believe he would be unable to learn the Elephant Swallowing Technique.

At this point, Yi Yun had already eaten about a kilogram of Guanyin clay at a leisurely speed. The Guanyin clay had begun to expand in his stomach. He felt as if a lead block had been stuffed into his stomach and was falling.

Yi Yun's stomach began to hurt.

This kind of pain was not obvious in the beginning, but it became worse as time went by, to the point of causing people to die from pain.

Suddenly, Yi Yun heard a voice say, "Follow me, do these twelve moves."

Yi Yun raised his head and saw Zhang Yuxian standing in front of everyone. Zhang Yuxian eyes were on him, with an encouraging smile.

With that, Zhang Yuxian began to move.

It was hard to describe Zhang Yuxian's movements. His movements looked like a blur. It seemed like he was standing in another space-time dimension, having cut off contact from the outside world.

He demonstrated each of the moves which were extremely strange. But when the actions connected, it gave off a consistent natural feel.

Zhang Yuxian's speed varied. It contained a hard to describe charm.

These actions appeared in the irises of the people, but it was as if seeing a shadow that didn't exist. It looked like an illusion.

Dreamy…

Yi Yun suddenly thought of something, he felt like it was a dream seeing Zhang Yuxian's movements.

In a dream, the things seen, the words said were all very real and clear.

It was possible to have utmost creativity in the dreams, creating beautiful poems.

One could feel that his literary talent was excellent in the dream, but no matter what, he would never be able to remember what was written or said.

Upon waking up, everything would be forgotten.

Seeing Zhang Yuxian's movements, Yi Yun had such a strange idea.

Is the "Elephant Swallowing Technique" just a fundamental skill? Why do I find it much better than the "Dragon Rib Tiger Bone Fist"?

Yi Yun could not believe it.

At this point, Zhang Yuxian had already finished. Although he could not remember most of the moves, Yi Yun knew that Zhang Yuxian had done the entire set of movements three times!

"Alright, these are the twelve moves of the Elephant Swallowing Technique. Do it accordingly. If you can do it, you will have some small success with the Elephant Swallowing Technique, and it wouldn't be hard to digest that bit of Guanyin clay."

Wh…What?

Hearing Zhang Yuxian's words, Zhao Tiezhu and company stared wide-eyed!

What did Zhang Yuxian just do?

They only saw a blur. Zhang Yuxian's body shook, leaving some after-images, and then he was back there standing.

Some of them were thinking if they were giddy, since they had seen double.

They did not understand the situation. It was impossible for them to follow Zhang Yuxian's movements!

Upon seeing the sodden expressions of the warrior preparation camp members, Zhang Yuxian asked, "What's the problem?"

"A…A question…" Zhao Tiezhu swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said his question with difficulty. "If…If we can't learn yo…your movements, then wh…what will happen to the Guanyin clay and wood that we just ate?"

Zhao Tiezhu felt hopeless. It was too complicated. He couldn't even understand the moves. It was impossible for him to learn it in three days!

"Oh?" Zhang Yuxian frowned. He could not be bothered with Zhao Tiezhu's retarded question and said, "When you go to the bathroom, use a finger or a pick to dig, and you might survive. Remember not to drink any water."

Hearing Zhang Yuxian finish his words, Zhao Tiezhu and company suddenly felt like they had eaten a kilogram of shit, the kind that had been festering in the intestines for days.

That expression was indescribable.

True Martial World - Chapter 36: Really have to eat the tree?

"Oh? Do you not understand?" Seeing Zhao Tiezhu hesitate, Zhang Yuxian's expression turned cold.

"I..." Zhao Tiezhu was speechless. He felt that Zhang Yuxian was teasing him.

Did Lord Zhang hear his lampooning of Yi Yun, and was purposely teasing him?

But no matter how discontent he was, he did not dare to retort Zhang Yuxian.

At that moment, the members of the warrior preparation camp looked at Zhao Tiezhu with pity. They knew what words Zhao Tiezhu had previously said to Yi Yun.

They did not expect retribution to come so quickly!

Seeing Zhao Tiezhu's misfortune, the two men who had pitched in about eating a large stone roller and drinking the East River's water began to twitch.

They wished they could slap their own mouths. Why did they join Zhao Tiezhu's craziness? It was possible they would receive their just deserves in a while!

It was possible to take a bite or two from the large pagoda tree, but how could one eat the stone roller.

"Zhao Tiezhu, what are you idling for? You were ordered to eat the tree, did you not hear?"

Lian Chengyu saw Zhao Tiezhu's reluctance and reprimanded him.

Lian Chengyu did not care what the reason was. He decided that since it was commanded by Zhang Yuxian, any order from the High Ambassador had to be complied. After all, it wasn't just because of his rotten luck.

"I...I..." Zhao Tiezhu made up his mind despite his bitter face. He said, "I'll eat..."

He crouched down and broke off a piece of wood.

Zhao Tiezhu looked at this piece of wood with a tearless grief. This piece of wood could be used to build a house. I'm being treated as a termite!

Seeing Lian Chengyu's unfriendly face, Zhao Tiezhu could only resign to fate as he stuffed the piece of wood into his mouth with his eyes closed.

This taste was was an indescribable 'enjoyment'.

Zhao Tiezhu felt as if his throat was being torn apart. He had managed to swallow a piece with extreme difficulty. He looked at Zhang Yuxian helplessly. It read, "Is that enough?"

But Zhang Yuxian simply said, "Carry on!"

Zhao Tiezhu almost fainted!

He was great at lifting stone rollers, chopping trees and piling, but eating wood was a torture!

"Lord Zhang, I don't understand this mystic technique?" Lian Chengyu had originally thought that Zhang Yuxian was teasing Zhao Tiezhu, letting him understand the importance of following orders.

But now it didn't look right. It appeared as if making Zhao Tiezhu eat the tree was part of the mystic technique.

If so, then even he had to eat the wood in a while. So he asked to be sure.

Towards Lian Chengyu, Zhang Yuxian's attitude was better. He said, "This mystic technique is known as the 'Elephant Swallowing Technique'. It's a technique used to train your stomach and digestive abilities! A person who accomplishes much in the Elephant Swallowing Technique can eat as much as they want every meal. It is rumored some can even eat an entire elephant, hence its name."

The members of the warrior preparation camp had an expression on their faces. Simply stated, this Elephant Swallowing Technique was just a technique for eating.

Isn't this a gluttony skill? Can this be considered a mystic technique?

Seeing the expression on the members of the warrior preparation camp, Zhang Yuxian knew what was on their minds.

He said disdainfully, "You people have the exposure similar to an ant. How dare you evaluate the cornerstone skill of the Jing Long Wei! Simply ridiculous!"

"Training a warrior's stomach is very important! With good heart and lungs, you can endure longer, and fight harder. But being good at fighting can't be better than cultivation. With your stomach strong, it will be a benefit to cultivation!"

"For Mortal Blood warriors, you may be moving stone rollers, fighting, climbing up trees and houses. Where does all this energy come from? It's from your meals!"

"Some warriors with a well-trained stomach have astonishing appetite. They can finish a cow in three days, the amount of nutrition they absorb will naturally be more. Their muscles will grow stronger, and their strength increases naturally."

Zhang Yuxian's voice was loud but Yi Yun was moved by his speech.

Indeed, a warrior's energy output was terrific. This energy had to come from somewhere. And that energy source for Mortal Blood warriors had to come from their meals.

Meals were energy. If one could eat more, there would be natural benefits.

Consider the children of average talent that came from noble families. Most of the time, they would not be distributed desolate bone essence for their cultivation. The only method to increase their strength was by eating desolate beast meat.

Most people would be full from about four kilograms of desolate beast meat. With such an appetite, it was pointless for them; they might as well take care of the family business.

There were others who could eat a hundred kilograms of desolate beast meat and still have room for more.

All the desolate beast meat could be digested, obtaining the essence within. By working hard to cultivate, they would be able to reach a higher level.

Hence, having a good stomach allowed one an advantage!

Zhang Yuxian's foundation mystic technique was the Elephant Swallowing Technique.

It was a fundamental technique for practicing the arts!

Zhang Yuxian carried on, "The warriors from the large tribes, practice the Elephant Swallowing Technique with desolate beast meat. As you lack the materials in the Cloud Wilderness, you can't even fill your stomachs. However practicing the Elephant Swallowing Technique is still useful!"

"Having a strong stomach allows you to absorb the nutrients of anything you eat!"

"Commoners will waste a lot of the essence when they digest the five grains they eat. Most of it is excreted as feces."

"Human waste is even eaten by dogs. Maggots thrive in the feces and the dung beetles roll the dung into balls as their brooding chambers! In it, there are large amounts of nutrients that were not completely absorbed!"

"If you can't even absorb completely the five grains, don't even think about eating precious foods!"

"Without a good stomach, you won't even be able to digest precious foods!"

"After learning the Elephant Swallowing Technique, you will be able to absorb anything you eat completely! When you encounter a famine, you can eat and digest the bark on the trees or Guanyin clay 1  , giving you the nutrition to sustain life!"

"From today, your meals will consist of tree roots, tree bark and Guanyin Clay. After you are done eating, follow my method to practice your Elephant Swallowing Technique to kickstart your stomach to digest these hard-to-digest foods into nutrients!"

After hearing Zhang Yuxian's words, the members of the warrior preparation camp were speechless. They had to eat that?

They could only have wood and Guanyin clay as meals for three days!

They had originally thought that they would be able to feast on the meat Zhang Yuxian had obtained from hunting fierce beasts.

However, reality is cruel. Not only did they have no chance at eating fierce beast meat, they were not also barred from eating rice porridge.

The faces of the members of the warrior preparation camp were bitter. No one wanted to eat the tree.

They needed to at least ease into the process.

As they looked at each other, Yi Yun walked out of the group. He crouched down in front of the big pagoda tree, broke off a branch and swallowed it down, leaves and all.

Practicing the arts wasn't meant to be an enjoyment. It required suffering, frustration and the risking of their lives. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

It was not limited to only martial arts. Yi Yun knew that on Earth, children who practiced acrobatics, dance or Judo underwent tough training. For example, a teacher would kneel on a child's back to exert pressure. That kind of pain wasn't something an adult could endure.

In this strange world, behind the scenes of a peerless expert was indescribable effort. Eating some wood or Guanyin clay was nothing.

True Martial World - Chapter 35: Cornerstone Skill of the Army

Late in the morning, Yi Yun came to the school ground. Zhao Tiezhu and the bunch of warrior preparation camp members had arrived early with eagerness. They had moved big stone rollers and millstones over.

These boors relied on these items to train their strength. It was what they were best at, and something they were extremely proud of.

So although Zhang Yuxian had not arrived, these men from the warrior preparation camp had begun lifting the stone rollers.

There were many villagers in the vicinity. They could not stop themselves from watching such a lively scene.

"Oh, isn't this our martial arts whiz! How about it, have a go at it." Zhao Tiezhu demonstrated as he saw Yi Yun squeeze out from the crowd.

"Peng!"

With a thud, Zhao Tiezhu had thrown a 250-kilogram stone roller in front of Yi Yun.

"Do you dare to have a go at it?" said Zhao Tiezhu with a contemptuous look at Yi Yun.

In front of all these people, Zhao Tiezhu wanted to prove that it was only through sheer good luck that Yi Yun was considered a martial arts prodigy.

"Brother Zhao, you are being too hard on him. How could he lift a 250-kilogram stone roller? Come little brother, why don't you try this small rock weight."

Another man threw a hundred-kilogram rock weight at Yi Yun. He complemented Zhao Tiezhu in humiliating Yi Yun.

To them, even twenty-five kilograms would be tough for Yi Yun, not to mention a hundred kilograms. How could he be a martial art prodigy?

Yi Yun looked at them as if they were retards. He couldn't be bothered with them.

He had already proven his talent for martial arts. He did not care if they believed for he had already achieved his goal of planting the seed in their minds.

Next, he had to cultivate properly. When he showcased his extraordinary strength at the Kingdom's selection, it would be understandable.

Yi Yun did not plan on being in direct conflict with Lian Chengyu. Lian Chengyu's cultivation was one level higher than his, and he had rich fighting experience. Besides, Lian Chengyu wasn't just one person, there were others like Yao Yuan and the Patriarch, and numerous people from the upper echelon that supported Lian Chengyu.

If it really came down to it, Yi Yun felt his current strength was too weak. Besides, he had a weakness—Jiang Xiaorou.

"Lord Zhang is here!" Suddenly a man shouted in a low voice. All the members of the warrior preparation camp scattered like chickens and began lifting the stone rollers.

"Hey! Ha! Hey! Ha!"

These people had been lifting stone rollers for years, resulting in a harmonious chant.

The scene was really in full swing.

Accompanied by Lian Chengyu, Zhang Yuxian walked to the center of the square. The men's faces were flushed with excitement. They tried to display their strength to Zhang Yuxian, hoping to gain some credit. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Amongst all, Zhao Tiezhu was working the hardest. The expression on his face read, "Do you see it?" This was his real strength. He could fool around with a 250-kilogram stone roller. How could he be incomparable to a small kid. Lord Zhang, take a good look, did you make a mistake just now?

Seeing this scene, Zhang Yuxian frowned. He felt his minimal amount of patience grinding low. The upper echelon of the kingdom did not know any better and wanted to hold a kingdom selection in the wilderness. And he had to take on the task to which he felt like he was teaching a pile of trash.

"You bunch of trash, stand well for me!" Zhang Yuxian suddenly roared. His sound waves exploded forward like a bomb, scaring the members of the warrior preparation camp. They all released their grip.

"Peng! Peng! Peng!"

Many of them nearly broke their backs by dropping the stone roller on the ground.

Zhao Tiezhu and the rest were a little dumbfounded. They did not expect the originally majestic but amiable Zhang Yuxian to change totally.

In fact, the Jing Long Wei was an army. As an instructor in a unit, it was common to beat a person to death. Zhang Yuxian was being moderate because he could not be bothered to stoop down to the level of junk. Beating these trash who had brain problems was a sully to his reputation as a Jing Long Wei member.

"You bunch of idiots! I will only be teaching you three days of skills during this visit to the Lian tribal clan! I had originally wanted to teach you fist skills or movement skills, but from your actions and ignorance, I doubt I can finish teaching you a skill."

Zhang Yuxian swept the crowd with his sharp gaze. It felt like a knife had scraped past their face, itching their facial skin!

Zhang Yuxian turned and walked to a corner of the school field. In that corner stood a tall and thick tree.

This was the "large pagoda tree" Zhao Tiezhu had promised to eat when he mocked Yi Yun.

Zhang Yuxian stood in front of the large pagoda tree. He looked up and suddenly sent a chop towards the tree.

"Ka-cha!"

A crisp sound erupted. This large pagoda tree had been cut down with Zhang Yuxian's hand chop!

Wow–

The men from the warrior preparation camp gasped at seeing this scene. The surrounding villagers were shocked and couldn't stop grinning. They had never seen such a terrific display of skills.

Lian Chengyu's eyebrows jumped. If it was a kick, he would have been able to do the same. But a casual hand chop to bring down a large pagoda tree as if he was cutting grass was a shocking display of power.

Zhang Yuxian dragged the large pagoda tree that weighed thousands of kilograms as if it was a wooden stick. He threw the big tree before the members of the warrior preparation camp.

As the people looked at the tree, they recalled Zhang Yuxian's words. Zhang Yuxian had said that he will teach them one skill. Was it this hand chop?

Thinking of this, many of them couldn't help but anticipate it. This move was too cool. Even if they couldn't match Zhang Yuxian, just a tenth of the power would be extremely cool!

"Today the skill I'm teaching you is neither a technique not a combat skill. It's a mystic technique! It's a cornerstone skill of the Jing Long Wei. It’s priceless! If you can learn it well, the path of martial arts will be smoother for you, and it will greatly increase your body's strength. It will also increase your survivability!"

Zhang Yuxian's words aroused the curiosity of the people. Not only did it help in their martial arts, it also increased their strength, and even survivability. It was a cornerstone skill of the Jing Long Wei!

This mystic technique sure sounded great. What was it?

"You!" Zhang Yuxian pointed at Zhao Tiezhu, "Step forward!"

Zhao Tiezhu intelligently stepped forward in front of Zhang Yuxian. He was a part nervous and a part excited.

"This mystic technique will be demonstrated by you." Zhao Tiezhu was delighted hearing those words; a good outcome had fallen into his lap. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Hahaha.

Zhao Tiezhu laughed in his heart thrice. Zhang Yuxian was going to personally impart the mystic technique to himself. Would he not learn it well?

Although Lord Zhang did not say anything, he had appreciated me after all. It was expected, I am one of the strongest in the entire warrior preparation camp.

With today's practice target being that large pagoda tree, I would at least be able to cut down a large piece of bark with one chop!

As Zhao Tiezhu was itching to try, Zhang Yuxian split the large pagoda tree apart with two chops!

Following that, Zhang Yuxian pointed at the large pagoda tree and said to Zhao Tiezhu, "You! Eat this large pagoda tree!"

With those words, an excited Zhao Tiezhu nearly tumbled, planting his head into the ground.

What? What the f**k?

Eat this large pagoda tree.

Eat the large pagoda tree.

Eat the tree.

Eat…

The words rang in Zhao Tiezhu's head. He couldn't believe Zhang Yuxian.

I couldn't have heard it wrongly!

True Martial World - Chapter 34: Jiang Xiaorou’s warning

Yi Yun and Jiang Xiaorou returned home almost under the escort of all the villagers.

To the Lian tribal clan, it was big news that Yi Yun had passed the examination.

A poor kid had been chosen by a High Ambassador and he would be given martial art pointers. He could even participate in the kingdom selection in the future!

This could not be described by any auspicious omen.

"You say, I watched this Yun-kiddo grow up. I never felt anything special about him. He's really a martial arts prodigy? And to contest in the kingdom selection. Is that true?"

"Since it was said by the High Ambassador himself, there has to be some truth in it. But I doubt he would have enough time to prepare for the Kingdom's selection. Even if Yi Yun was a prodigy, he would have absolutely no hope."

To the villagers of the Lian tribal clan, they knew that martial arts wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. The Kingdom's selection was an elite selection process. He was one lucky fuck to catch Zhang Yuxian's fancy.

It would be akin to daydreaming for him to pass the Kingdom's selection.

No matter how clever a child was, giving a child, who had never read before a scholarly collection was pointless. It would never allow him to pass the exam to become a scholar in two months.

It was the same logic with participating in the kingdom selection. The Lian tribal clan had come to a consensus, which no one doubted.

With a lot of effort, Jiang Xiaorou finally brought Yi Yun home.

Despite Jiang Xiaorou closing the courtyard's door, many people had climbed up the walls to look into Jiang Xiaorou's house. As the mud walls in the villagers were short, a kid could easily climb up the walls.

As a result, a row of people were slumped over Jiang Xiaorou's house walls. The mud walls began to sink, as if they were about to collapse.

Jiang Xiaorou did not bother about that as mixed thoughts plagued her. She was proud of her brother, but it was also mixed with the fear and confusion of the unknown future.

Jiang Xiaorou knew that Yi Yun only had talent and that he lacked strength.

The villagers might have mixed it up, thinking that Yi Yun had undergone a life changing event. Jiang Xiaorou knew that in the vast wilderness, strength was of utmost importance. A person with talent had to let the strength grow to be of use, or it would be useless!

"Yun-er, Lord Zhang said you had a Seamless Body, do you know what a Seamless Body is?" Jiang Xiaorou held onto Yi Yun's hands as she sat by the bedside.

Yi Yun shook his head, "Sis Xiaorou, could it be that you know what it is?"

"Yes...I've heard a bit about this. A Seamless Body means that a body does not have any energy 'leaks'. Such a constitution is extremely suitable for practicing martial arts."

"A Seamless Body also has levels. The lowest level is Mortal Blood Seamless Body. One can be without leaks while in the Mortal Blood realm, but will not be able to do so upon reaching Purple Blood. A Purple Blood Seamless Body would not have any leaks in both the Mortal Blood and Purple Blood realm. But at higher levels, they will not be able to do so...I don't know what you are at the moment."

Yi Yun was surprised at Jiang Xiaorou's words, "Sis Xiaorou, how do you know so much?"

Jiang Xiaorou touched Yi Yun's head saying, "When I was young, I had my talent tested by my family, so I had learned something from there."

"The steps to testing a Seamless Body were extremely troublesome. That Lord Zhang did not have any array set up, and his cultivation was limited, so he could only test you crudely..."

"A person with Seamless Body is highly appreciated in a clan. But if you were only a Mortal Blood Seamless Body, then the appreciation will be limited. However the higher levels of Seamless Body are extremely rare. I remember on the day of the test, a cousin of mine named Jiang Mingzhe was a Sage level Seamless Body. The entire family was overjoyed, and they celebrated for days. There were many VIPs who came during those days, as for the details, I don't really remember anymore..." Yi Yun was stunned after hearing Jiang Xiaorou's words. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Sage level Seamless Body?

Although he didn't know what level that was, it sounded really powerful.

And...to be able to produce such a constitution in the family, what sort of clan did Jiang Xiaorou belong to?

Yi Yun knew that Jiang Xiaorou came from a rich background. She was taught how to write from a young age. She had read widely, so she knew about cultivation. It was impossible for children that came from small families.

Having been born in such a clan, how did she inexplicably find herself seeking refuge in the vast wilderness, to be eventually adopted by his own family?

Yi Yun could not help but ask, "Sis Xiaorou, what sort of family clan was yours?"

Jiang Xiaorou wrinkled her little brow as she thought for a while before shaking her head saying, "I don't remember anymore. I only remember it was a big family clan. Then I remember...that I began reading and writing at a young age. I remember the courtyard I stayed in when I was young. As for the events after that, I don't remember anymore even if I tried."

Jiang Xiaorou's words piqued Yi Yun’s curiosity. Did Jiang Xiaorou's family experience some huge transition?

Could such a brilliant family have been destroyed, causing the clan to disperse?

Dynasties rose and fell, families grew and were destroyed. In this world, nothing was eternal.

"Yun-er, this set of clothes was made by me. See if it fits." As Jiang Xiaorou said that, she took out a set of newly sewn clothes from some old baggage.

It was made of blue fabric. It was very rough as people from the Cloud Wilderness usually wore clothes made of linen. They were tough and resistant.

Yi Yun was surprised. The family was so poor that locks were not needed. It was not an exaggeration but a fact. Poor families like Yi Yun's did not have locks. In the Cloud Wilderness, locks made of metal were expensive. A poor family's entire fortune was not worth more than the price of a lock.

Despite such a situation, Jiang Xiaorou had been able to obtain a piece of cloth to make him new clothes?

Yi Yun received the clothes with mixed feelings. Although the cloth was rough, it was elegant and neat. The ends of the cloth were studded with tiny pins. This was sewn one stitch at a time by Jiang Xiaorou.

Honestly, the texture of the clothes was not good, in fact, it was pretty bad. Compared to the cotton and silk clothes Yi Yun had experienced on Earth, it was a difference like night and day.

But such a piece of clothing made Yi Yun feel extremely special.

"Quick, put it on. I wanted to give it to you for the new year, but you will be practicing martial arts today in the school yard. It's a joyous occasion, so you should wear something nice. Others won’t be able to mock you that way." Jiang Xiaorou's words formed a lump in Yi Yun’s throat. He took a deep breath before taking off his tattered clothes. He then changed into the new set of clothes.

As the saying goes—clothes make a man just as a saddle makes a horse. Jiang Xiaorou's clothes were extremely fitting. Although it was made of linen, it matched well with Yi Yun's growing body and the aura he obtained after breaking through into the Meridian realm. It was eye-catching.

Jiang Xiaorou pulled Yi Yun in front of her and looked all over him, feeling extremely pleased.

But she recalled something, saying, "Yun-er, you may have been appreciated by Lord Zhang, but Lord Zhang will leave in three days. He isn't related to us, so it will be hard for him to take care of us, so in the future, we must rely on ourselves."

"Lord Zhang may say you have a lot of talent, but talent is not enough for protection. You might face a disaster before you mature. It's because an elephant has tusks, while a rhinoceros has a horn that they are hunted. When you are practicing under Lord Zhang, don't be too excessive. Keeping things low key and staying cautious is the right way to go."

"Especially people like Lian Chengyu who are extremely narrow minded. He will not spare you if you steal his limelight!"

"When Lord Zhang is here, Lian Chengyu would not dare try anything, but what would happen after Lord Zhang leaves? Lord Zhang wouldn't know what sort of person Lian Chengyu is, nor would he know the ongoings in the Lian tribal clan and Lian Chengyu’s hostility towards you. Lord Zhang likely has his hands tied with some matters, and he came here out of convenience for the Kingdom's selection preliminaries. He will likely not put too much thought into it, and wouldn't meddle with the internal affairs of the Lian tribal clan. Hoping for him to protect you will be extremely difficult. Do you understand?" Jiang Xiaorou said a lot in one breath, astonishing Yi Yun.

Jiang Xiaorou's thoughts were prudent. Her understanding of people and the world exceeded girls her age.

A normal girl would have fainted upon hearing how her brother had been appreciated by a High Ambassador. She wouldn't stay at home to give him advice, but run off to the neighbors to brag about her capable brother.

"Sis Xiaorou, I understand everything that you said," Yi Yun held Jiang Xiaorou's hand. "Don't worry, if I wasn't confident in dealing with Lian Chengyu, I would never have stepped forward today."

Yi Yun had carefully weighed his choices before registering.

Without question, Yi Yun had to pass the preliminaries hosted by Zhang Yuxian. Not only was it a required ticket for entry to the Kingdom's selection, but to be able to be imparted skills from Zhang Yuxian made Yi Yun extremely interested.

Previously, Yi Yun had stolen lessons from Yao Yuan, so the effectiveness was largely reduced. Yi Yun had to step forward when Zhang Yuxian was making his selection.

However, Yi Yun could only reveal his talent, but not reveal his actual training in front of Zhang Yuxian.

Zhang Yuxian did not know Yi Yun's trump card. Neither did Lian Chengyu know. Yi Yun was a weak kid a few days before, without herbs or people imparting skills to him, it was preposterous that he reached the Meridian realm out of nowhere!

If Lian Chengyu informed Zhang Yuxian of this, Zhang Yuxian would feel suspicious. A proud person like him could not even have such a fast cultivation speed even if he ate all sorts of precious herbs daily.

At that time, Zhang Yuxian might even suspect that he had a secret!

Although Zhang Yuxian seemed like an upright person, it was best to err on the side of caution. An upright person could be tempted by the huge treasure in front of him to do horrible acts. Yi Yun definitely could not expose the Purple Crystal.