Chapter 133 – Digging Your Own Grave
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“Early Bone Forging stage!” Lin Ming instantly judged. His cultivation was not too far off from Zhang Guanyu’s, and he was able to see through his cultivation level.
In the Seven Profound Martial House’s Heavenly Abode, there were only two disciples at the Bone Forging stage. One was Ta Ku, and the other was Zhang Guanyu. Their true combat prowess outside of the Seven Profound Martial House was absolutely stronger than regular peak Bone Forging stage martial artist!
“Oh, Mister Lin! What a fortunate meeting, fortunate meeting!” After Zhang Guanyu saw Lin Ming, he closed his fan and walked forwards with a bright smile plastered on his face.
Lin Ming smiled as he saw Zhang Guanyu’s acting. ‘You’re a good one, Zhang Guanyu; much better than Zhu Yan!’
At most, Zhu Yan was just sinister, vicious and subject to changing moods. But this Zhang Guanyu, not only was he demented, but his skin was so thick to the point of making one’s blood boil!
“I wouldn’t have thought, I really wouldn’t have thought!” Zhang Guanyu pulled up his robes and sat down on a stool in front of Lin Ming. “I didn’t think that Brother Lin would actually be an inscription grand master. When I heard this news, I just couldn’t believe it! Wow! A 15 year old inscription grand master. What kind of concept is that?”
“Ah, it’s such a pity, the legacies of the Seven Profound Martial House don’t include an inscription master among them, otherwise with Brother Lin’s amazing ability, you would have already been slated to be a core disciple of the Seven Profound Martial House!” Zhang Guanyu began to swing his fan while he familiarized himself with Lin Ming’s appearance.
After Zhang Guanyu had discovered that the rising star Lin Ming was the guest inscription master of the Inscription Association, he was truly quite shocked. This Lin Ming’s perception was just too terrifying; in such a short period of studying he had already become an inscription grand master. This caused him to feeling all the more uneasy, but since he was now enemies with Lin Ming, he could not retreat.
Lin Ming had not spoken, but Wang Yuhan was already angry. In her life she had seen two kinds of men she hated the most. The first were the womanizers, and the second were the vicious brutes. But this Zhang Guanyu just happened to be both.
“Zhang Guanyu, you are not welcome within the Inscription Association, I ask that you leave immediately!”
Coming from an aristocratic background, Wang Yuhan’s self-control was very finely tuned. Even if she spoke words in anger, there wasn’t a trace of anger in them. Zhang Guanyu simply disregarded these words. He would never be mad against beautiful women, especially beautiful women that he had yet to conquer.
Zhang Guanyu looked at Wang Yuhan and smiled, saying, “Miss Wang is so charming. I also like this straightforward temper. How about Miss Wang comes to my place another day and we can have a little chat and drink together?”
Listening to Zhang Guanyu’s words, Wang Yuhan flew into a wild rage. Not only did he ignore her, but he was also propositioning her straight in her face.
Then, Lin Ming coldly said, “Sir Zhang, if you have no business here, then please leave. After four months, I will naturally pay a visit, but right now I am very busy, please do not bother me at my job.”
“Haha, Mister Lin, I heard that Mister Lin is collecting the most rare and valuable of materials. I just so happened to bring some with me today…” As Zhang Guanyu said this, he took out a small jar from his spatial ring. That small jar was filled with a dark, garnet liquid, very thick, as if it were some sort of heavy mercury.
“Fifth-level vicious beast blood?” Lin Ming’s eyes shined. He had already been looking for some fifth-level vicious beast blood for a long time, but still hadn’t found any. The Allied Trade Association, who had existed since before the Sky Fortune Kingdom was founded, truly had a profoundly terrifying capability.
“Haha, Brother Lin has such great eyes, this truly is fifth-level vicious beast blood. I came here today to ask Brother Lin about a matter concerning inscription technique…” Zhang Guanyu extracted a longsword from his spatial ring. The sword was three feet three inches in length. The handle was simple, and the sword edge was shimmering cold. Above the blade was a blue colored flower pattern that looked as if it had been traced from ten thousand year cold ice. One could see with just a glance that this was an excellent sword.
Lin Ming probed with his soul force, and was immediately shocked, “High-grade human-step treasure sword!”
This was the first time that he had seen a high-grade human-step treasure. Perhaps in the entire Sky Fortune Kingdom, only figures like Muyi and Wang Xuanji who were Houtian masters would have the qualifications to wield such a treasure as their weapon! This kind of treasure could not be bought in the Sky Fortune Kingdom.
“Brother Lin really has some extraordinary experience. Indeed, this is a high-grade human-step treasure. I hoped to have an inscription symbol placed on it. I need an true essence increase of 50% inscription symbol, that also comes with a skill of inscription. If Brother Lin can achieve this, I can have the Allied Trade Association help Brother Lin look for several materials that Brother Lin is missing.
“50% true essence amplification inscriptions symbol?” Lin Ming frowned. “I can’t do that.”
“Right… That’s really too bad, but… perhaps Brother Lin is looking for these materials for his master. Perhaps Brother Lin can request his master to do this? I will reward him greatly.” Zhang Guanyu said with a bit hesitation, and waved his fan.
Lin Ming immediately understood Zhang Guanyu’s intentions. The reason he came today, was to investigate the matter of his master!
Yes, even if Lin Ming’s perception was astonishing, it was simply impossible for a 16 year old to become a self-taught top inscription grand master. Lin Ming’s inscription technique was not part of Sky Fortune Kingdom’s school of inscription technique; it was clearly from somewhere else. This was what Zhang Guanyu was dreading.
Lin Ming said, “You do not need to worry about why I am collecting the materials that I am. As for my master, he is usually wandering the world; I cannot find him. So you do not need to count on him to help you.”
“Oh… so it’s like this…” Zhang Guanyu’s thoughts raced. Although he was demented like a rabid dog, a rabid dog would still not dare to bit a tiger. He was indeed probing what sort of person Lin Ming’s master was.
He guessed that Lin Ming’s master should have been a Houtian stage martial artist whose strength would be comparable to Muyi. But, this person’s level of inscription technique actually surpassed Wang Xuanji!
As for the Xiantian masters, he never thought of that. Xiantian stage martial artists were simply legendary existences. If they took in a disciple, how could they possibly have their disciple enter into the Seven Profound Martial House and have them struggle for the Seven Profound Martial House’s resources? Not only that, but also compel them into a situation where they would have to undergo a core disciple test.
A Xiantian master, even if placed in the third-grade sect, the Seven Profound Valleys, would be an extraordinary character!
The Allied Trade Association, with their deep history and influence, would not fear a single Houtian stage martial artist. This because the Allied Trade Association had their own Houtian stage master.
And it seemed that this Houtian master did not have a deep connection with Lin Ming. Before this, Zhang Guanyu had already investigated Lin Ming’s past just to be sure. Lin Ming had always been living a very frugal and lonely life. He had used the most basic medicinal cures for a very long time. He had tried to sell his inscription symbols at the Hundred Treasure Pavilion, but the Hundred Treasure Pavilion was actually one of the Allied Trade Association’s stores.
What was most likely was that Lin Ming had encountered a fortuitous opportunity, and found the inheritance of a peak Houtian master. Relying on his amazing perception, he had become a self-taught inscription grand master!
This would explain why he had such strength at his young age, but was still poor and had to enter into the Seven Profound Martial House!
Zhang Guanyu was insane and demented, but he was not stupid. With just a few clues, he was able to come close to deducing Lin Ming’s true situation. It was just that what Lin Ming had found was not the inheritance of a peak Houtian master, but the inheritances of the topmost powerhouses within the Realm of the Gods!
Thinking this, Zhang Guanyu smiled, but within his smile was hidden a ferocious intent. He decided not to change the plan he had to deal with Lin Ming. He would make Lin Ming suffer an incomparably pitiful fate, so that his ‘spirit’ would never be smooth again!
“Ah, that’s such a pity. I missed a chance to meet such a senior expert of inscription. But, Mister Lin, since I have already taken out this bottle of fifth-level vicious beast blood, I have no intention of taking it back. I would like to ask Mister Lin if Mister Lin can personally help me and guarantee me a top skill of inscription along with the highest amplification that Mister Lin can achieve.”
“If you request a specific attribute, then I can go up to 41%. If there is no specific attribute, then I can go up to 43%.”
Hearing Lin Ming say this, Wang Yuhan anxiously said, “Mister Lin, do not help him. He will use your own inscription symbol that you place on that sword to deal with you!”
This was undeniable. The reason that Zhang Guanyu came today, was first to inquire about Lin Ming’s master, and second was to find an inscription symbol for his high-grade human-step treasure sword. At this time, within the Sky Fortune Kingdom, Lin Ming’s inscription technique was second to none.
“Haha, if Mister Lin is afraid of helping me with an inscription symbol, then I may have the Allied Trade Association use their connections and go to Huoluo Nation to look. Although it will take a great deal of effort and a very high price, I think I will be able to find an inscription master that can conform to my needs.”
There were many powerhouses within the Huoluo Nation; their level of inscription technique was correspondingly higher than Sky Fortune Kingdom’s. But, to find an inscription master that knew the techniques to add a top-tier skill of inscription was simply impossible. At best they would have a few masters that could surpass Lin Ming’s true essence amplification.
Lin Ming smiled and said, “You don’t need to taunt me. Since I’ve already decided to fight with you, then naturally I want to defeat you in your strongest condition. This is my Dao of martial arts!” Lin Ming was certainly willing to draw an inscription symbol for Zhang Guanyu. He had just said a moment ago that the most important material he needed was some fifth-level vicious beast blood. If he missed this opportunity, he didn’t know when the next time that he would find any was.
It was not wrong that an inscription symbol could increase Zhang Guanyu’s combat prowess, but a body inscription symbol would increase one’s strength even more!
Zhang Guanyu would never have even dreamed that the fifth-level vicious beast blood that he brought to Lin Ming’s hand would be able to directly improve his strength and cultivation speed.
“Hehe, then I’ll trouble Mister Lin,” Zhang Guanyu licked his lips. He did not think that Lin Ming would really have complied. His original intention was to have Lin Ming refuse him, and then frustrate his proud heart a little. After all, the might of a high-grade human-step treasure coupled with the power of a top-tier inscription symbol was simply terrifying. Even facing Lin Ming’s dark purple elastic iron spear, if he poured enough true essence into his sword, he could simply cut that spear in half!
If the weapon was sliced apart, then how would he continue fighting the battle?
Zhang Guanyu said, “I do not need a specific attribute, and 43% amplification is good. But what if Mister Lin cannot achieve this or if Mister Lin places some sort of hidden secret within the inscription symbol?”
Lin Ming lightly coughed and said, “Humph, if you don’t believe me, then why look for me? Doesn’t your so called Allied Trade Association have an inscription master? Even if they cannot draw up a skill of inscription, they can still examine the truth of the inscription symbol that I draw up! I won’t ruin my proud work merely to ruin some high-grade human-step treasure of your Allied Trade Association!
“Good! Then I’ll be waiting here.”
Seeing that this matter had come to a foregone conclusion, Wang Yuhan sighed. Lin Ming was just too impulsive; now was not the time to be swayed by personal feelings.
Zhang Guanyu’s strength was very formidable, yet Lin Ming was actually helping him create a top-tier weapon. Nicely putting it, he was simply being impulsive with his own emotions, but crudely putting it, he was just digging his own grave!