N-A-A 9. The Secrets of the Ling Family
9. The Secrets of the Ling Family
Night, in the Ling family's main study
A dozen or so bright red candles were placed around the study, illuminating the entire room.
Books, some with animal hide covers and others with modern paper covers, were neatly arranged on the bookshelves around the study, exuding a rustic, scholarly fragrance under the firelight.
In the entire main study, only a set of antique wooden desk and chair, a wooden sofa, and a tea table were placed near the innermost bookshelf. Apart from these, there was nothing else in the main study except for the bookshelves and books. Judging from the fine grain and intricate carvings on the desk, chair, sofa, and tea table, the three items were probably worth no less than several thousand gold soul coins.
At this moment, illuminated by the candlelight, four figures sat on the wooden sofa. Upon closer inspection, two familiar figures could be identified as Ling Yongsheng and Ling Bingtian, the father and son who had shocked the entire Ice City at noon.
The other two figures, one of whom looked similar to Ling Yongsheng, were middle-aged men.
However, compared to Ling Yongsheng, his physique appeared even more robust. Light black hair grew on his head, trimmed into the buzz cut common in the Extreme Ice Army. His eyes were wide open, his eyebrows thick, his face square, his appearance imposing, and he exuded an aura of authority. All of this proved the man's identity: Ling Yongsheng's eldest son, Ling Bingtian's biological father, the current city lord of Extreme Ice City, the current Duke of Extreme Ice, and the current commander-in-chief of the Extreme Ice Army—Ling An. He was also a current Extreme Ice Douluo with a cultivation level of 92, and his martial soul was the Ling family's inherited martial soul, the Frost Soul Chain Dragon Spear.
The other figure was somewhat different from Ling Yongsheng and Ling An; he looked very old.
Long, pale hair flowed down from the top of his head to his waist. The signs of age and hardship were starkly apparent on his wrinkled face; his body was slightly hunched, no longer upright, and age spots covered his dark skin visible beneath his blue brocade robe. From any angle, the old man was no longer young. Only the occasional glint of light in his squinting eyes revealed that he still possessed a remarkably vigorous spirit.
This person is the other one of the two Title Douluos of the Ling family before Ling Yongsheng's return. He is Ling Yongyi, the chief elder of the Ling family and also Ling Yongsheng's younger brother. He is an Ice Dragon Douluo with the same cultivation level of 92 Title Douluo. His martial soul is the Ice Cloud Dragon, a dragon species that lives in the sky all year round. When flying in the clouds, its speed can briefly break through the speed of sound.
Shortly after Ling Bingtian and Ling Yongsheng returned to the Ling residence, Ling An and Ling Yongyi also returned with a head. That head belonged to Zhao Tong's accomplice, Old Snake. That guy's martial soul was the Soul-Devouring Serpent, which specialized in cultivating by devouring people's souls, and his cultivation had reached the level of a 91-level Title Douluo.
If he had provoked an ordinary Title Douluo, he might not have been a match for him, but clearly both he and Zhao Tong had chosen the wrong target. Under the relentless pursuit of Ling Yongyi, the powerful attacks of Ling An, and the frigid environment surrounding Extreme Ice City, the old snake had nowhere to run. Finally, in a fierce battle across a snowy mountain range, Ling An severed his head, ending his wicked life.
With the death of Old Snake, Ling Bingtian finally felt completely relieved. Previously, the Ling family had sent people to contact others who had suffered persecution in other parts of the mainland, confirming that Zhao Tong and Old Snake were acting alone, without any other followers or organization; they were simply a hit-and-run duo. With Old Snake dead, there was no longer any need to worry about other evil spirit masters seeking revenge.
Upon their return, the Ling family immediately hosted a grand banquet to celebrate the lifting of the alert. After all, Zhao Tong's target was children, although his primary target was undoubtedly Ling Bingtian, rumored to be a child prodigy, but no one knew if he would harm his own child. Now, with Zhao Tong dead at Ling Yongsheng's hands, the danger was completely over.
The banquet was extremely lively, with many of the Ling family's key figures bringing out their treasured possessions, such as fine wines stored for over ten years and meat from recently hunted ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts. Many soul masters drank themselves into a stupor, and even those who could use their soul power to dispel the effects of the alcohol chose to indulge themselves for the night.
The atmosphere of the banquet reached its peak after Ling Yongsheng publicly announced Ling Bingtian's genius achievement of awakening the Ice Crystal Phoenix, the ultimate martial soul, and possessing innate full soul power.
The Ling family members present were initially shocked, but then erupted in uncontrollable jubilation. They raised their glasses high, letting out various cheers and screams. The Ling family, a military family, celebrated differently from the nobles in the inland areas of the Heavenly Soul Empire; their way of expressing joy was far more unrestrained.
Ling Bingtian's exceptional talent is extremely rare even within the Ling family, and could be considered the first of its kind in thousands of years.
Generally speaking, no more than ten soul masters in the Ling family have awakened the Frost Soul Chain Dragon Spear in the past hundred years. The others will awaken other martial souls for various reasons, and the vast majority of them are ordinary martial souls.
Even among Soul Masters who awaken the Frost Soul Chain Dragon Spear, not every one can awaken powerful innate Soul Power. Thousands of years of experience have taught the Ling family that innate level six and seven are the norm for Frost Soul Chain Dragon Spear Soul Masters. A Frost Soul Chain Dragon Spear Soul Master capable of awakening innate level eight is enough for the Ling family to cultivate with great effort, making them one of the Ling family's next generation of high-end forces.
If a Soul Master awakens to the ninth level of the Innate Realm, the Ling family will generally designate them as the next head of the family. They will then devote all their efforts to nurturing them into the next pillar of the Ling family. This is the case with Ling Yongsheng and Ling An; both awakened to the ninth level of Innate Realm Soul Power and, under the Ling family's strong support, quickly reached the Title Douluo realm.
If a peerless genius with innate full soul power were to emerge, there would be no need to elaborate further. The Ling family would provide the highest level of protection and nurturing to ensure their growth and safeguard the Ling family for centuries. Soul masters who awaken innate full soul power naturally possess powerful martial souls, and their ability to recover soul power far surpasses that of other soul masters, making them significantly stronger than other soul masters of the same level.
Two thousand years ago, there was such an ancestor. After becoming a Title Douluo, he guarded the Ice City for three hundred years, and the army of the Douling Empire dared not set foot within the Ice City's territory for three hundred years. Even after his death, the army of the Douling Empire did not dare to set foot on the border for nearly a hundred years.
Now, the Ling family has finally produced another genius Soul Master who has awakened innate full Soul Power. How could this not excite and overjoy the entire Ling family?
The banquet eventually came to a close under Ling Jun's organization; otherwise, given the state of the men in the Ling family at the time, they probably would have drunk until the wee hours of the morning.
Finally, after resting and enjoying a sumptuous dinner, Ling Bingtian, led by his father Ling An, arrived at his usual office. Ling Jun, who had been informed beforehand, didn't stop them. She knew he had something important to discuss with Ling Bingtian, likely the key to the Ling family's enduring strength. Being as virtuous as she was, she wouldn't risk offending him at such a time.
Inside, Ling Yongsheng and Ling Yongyi were already seated, brewing tea and waiting. Ling Yongsheng left shortly after announcing Ling Bingtian's news, otherwise some of the younger boys below would have been too shy to cheer freely.
Ling Yongyi naturally shared the same thought and left the table with Ling Yongsheng. He was one of the few members of the Ling family of the same generation as Ling Yongsheng, and also Ling Yongsheng's younger brother. Most importantly, he was well aware of what Ling Yongsheng was about to say. And as one of the Ling family's strongest fighters, it was necessary for him to attend and listen in on this matter.
Once Ling Bingtian was settled on the wooden sofa, Ling Yongsheng held up a teacup filled with tea and handed it to him with one hand.
Ling Bingtian quickly accepted the teacup with both hands and thanked him. He then placed the teacup on the tea table, sat down, and waited for Ling Yongsheng to speak.
Seeing this, Ling Yongsheng no longer hesitated and waved his hand, and a soul power shield enveloped the entire main study.
Ling Bingtian's heart tightened, realizing once again the importance of the upcoming conversation. Although he couldn't fully sense the range of the soul power shield, Ling Bingtian could clearly feel an additional layer of soul power appearing beside him.
Sure enough, Ling Yongsheng's first words surprised him: "Xiao Tian, the martial soul you awakened is probably not just the ultimate martial soul, and your soul power is probably not just the innate full soul power either." Although it was a question, Ling Yongsheng used a confident tone.
Ling Bingtian was shocked. He hadn't expected the old man to have figured it out. At first, even he hadn't realized it, but then he thought of the novels he had read in his previous life and realized that his martial soul was probably more than just an ultimate martial soul.
He nodded, responding to Ling Yongsheng, which shocked Ling Yongyi and Ling An standing beside him. Above the Innate Full Soul Power? What kind of realm is that?
Ling Yongsheng stopped talking and suddenly produced a crystal ball that looked a size larger than the blue crystal ball he had at noon, which he handed to Ling Bingtian.
Ling Bingtian understood and placed his right hand on the crystal ball, beginning to channel his soul power into the crystal ball through its suction.
The crystal ball quickly lit up in the eyes of the four people, a point, a side, half a ball, and finally the light stopped at a mark slightly more than halfway.
Apart from Ling Bingtian, the three elders with many years of experience could immediately discern the level of soul power displayed by the crystal ball.
Level 15 Soul Power! Innate Level 15 Soul Power!
"What's going on?" Ling An, the youngest of the three, couldn't contain himself. The scene before him was far beyond his comprehension. He had never heard of anyone breaking through level ten in soul power during innate awakening, whether in books or in the real world.
Although Ling Yongyi didn't say anything, his bulging eyes and expression revealed his doubt and curiosity.
Seeing that the light in the crystal ball no longer extended upwards, Ling Yongsheng withdrew the crystal ball from his hand, revealing a satisfied and cheerful expression. He said smugly, "I always tell you guys to read more books, but you never listen. Look, now you're suffering the consequences of your ignorance." With that, he waved his right hand, and an ancient book with an animal hide cover was lifted from the shelf beside him by his soul power and placed in his hand.
Ling Yongsheng gently opened the book with his calloused right hand and turned to a page with a golden human figure. Behind the figure were three pairs of wings, and below the image was an ancient saying and its translation by later generations.
Ling Yongyi and Ling An both stepped forward, eager to see what was going on. They glanced at the image first, then began reading the text below. Ling An slowly read aloud: "In ancient times, there was a race of Angelic Martial Souls, blessed by the gods, who awakened divine Martial Souls, their innate soul power reaching level twenty. Hiss—"
Even as a Title Douluo, Ling An was utterly astonished. Innate Soul Power Level 20—what did that mean? It meant that this Soul Master could absorb a hundred-year Soul Ring (around 800 years old) with their first Soul Ring, and if their physical abilities were properly trained, they could even attempt to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring with their first! Most importantly, such a Soul Master would start at the Great Soul Master level, almost certainly guaranteeing their future as a Super Douluo. And then there was the added benefit of divine protection!
Ling An dared not think any further. It seemed these Soul Masters were born to reach that highest level. Now, although his son wasn't at the innate level 20 Soul Power, was there still a possibility he could inherit the power from that secret realm...?
As he thought deeper, a fervent look flashed in Ling An's eyes, the same one that Ling Yongsheng had shown in the carriage earlier.
Ling Yongyi, standing to the side, also seemed to have thought of something, his eyes shining with an even more intense light than Ling An's. He excitedly asked, "Second Brother, does this mean...?"
Seeing their reactions, Ling Yongsheng chuckled lightly, first waving in response to Ling Yongyi, then saying, "Now you know why I'm so excited. My grandson Bingtian has the potential to become a god!" His tone was calm, but it carried an unwavering resolve.
Ling An and Ling Yongyi both nodded in agreement, but Ling Bingtian, surrounded by the three elders, looked slightly embarrassed. His grandfather's words reminded him of a joke from a classic work in his past life. He used to find it laughable, but now, as the subject of that joke, he felt genuinely awkward.
"Alright, now that you understand Xiaotian's situation, I'll get straight to the point." Ling Yongsheng smiled as he looked at Ling Bingtian beside him, sat up straight, and said in a serious tone, "Xiaotian, what we're about to tell you is extremely important. After you leave this room, even if your mother asks you, you absolutely cannot tell her. Do you understand what I mean?" Ling An and Ling Yongyi also sat upright beside him, looking at Ling Bingtian with encouraging eyes.
"Yes, I understand, Grandpa." Ling Bingtian also suppressed the strange look on his face. His experience in his previous life and the education he received in this life made him understand that what Ling Yongsheng was about to say was probably the reason why the Ling family had been able to prosper for thousands of years.
"Alright, what I'm going to tell you is that our family is not only the Extreme Ice Duke family of the Heavenly Soul Empire. The Ling family's more important identity is that we are actually the Guardian God Clan." Ling Yongsheng said these astonishing words in a calm tone.
"Guardian God Clan?" Ling Bingtian's face showed just the right amount of surprise and confusion, but after hearing Ling Yongsheng's words, he had some guesses in his heart.
Ling Yongsheng didn't wait any longer. He continued, "Xiao Tian, you must have heard the story of the original Shrek Seven Devils when you were a child. I want to tell you that the rumors are true. These seven ancestors ascended to the God Realm and became gods ten thousand years ago!" After a pause, he continued, "And the leader among them, the core figure of the original Seven Devils, Tang San, who destroyed the Spirit Empire's conspiracy and ultimately became the Sea God, received help from the Guardian Clan who supported the Sea God in his youth. Our Ling family is precisely the Guardian Clan of the Ice God in the God Realm."
"Just as I thought," Ling Bingtian murmured to himself. The people on Seagod Island back then were the guardians of the Seagod. As for Tang San, whom Ling Yongsheng mentioned later, Ling Bingtian didn't have much to say. This transmigrator from ten thousand years ago wasn't too bad in the first era of Douluo Continent. But in the second era, what he did could only be described as utterly inhuman.
As for the Ice God, that name doesn't sound like the name of a high-level god. Could he just be a second-level god? However, in order to match his grandfather's impassioned speech, Ling Bingtian still showed an excited look at the right time.
As expected, Ling Yongsheng nodded in satisfaction after seeing Ling Bingtian's excited expression, and then continued, "I'm sure you heard the legend of the Ice God from Ah Jun when you were little. His divine power covers every cold corner of the continent. At the same time, he also protects every Northern citizen who believes in him." His words were filled with reverence and fervor for the Ice God.
After all, unlike other ordinary believers, the Ling family is the guardian clan of the Ice God, so the Ling family's higher-ups naturally hold the Ice God in far higher esteem than other believers.
Then, Ling Yongsheng told Ling Bingtian how the Ling family became a guardian clan.
After a quarter of the candle had burned, Ling Bingtian finally filtered out the unnecessary information from Ling Yongsheng and learned the information she wanted to know.