Ling Han decided to head to Balance Mountain for training.
Balance Mountain was about eighty kilometers north of Gray Cloud Town. It was not a very large mountain. Even the continuous length and breadth of it measured just over one hundred kilometres. There were four towns within the mountain's vicinity, and their residents largely depended on the mountain for their livelihood.
The reason being, this mountain had both medicinal herbs as well as demonic beasts, and to a martial artist, both of these things were beneficial.
Unlike the gigantic mountain range that was the Seven Wind Mountains, where the demonic beasts were extremely powerful to the point that even strong warriors of the Spiritual Ocean Tier dared not venture too deeply, the strongest demonic beast in Balance Mountain was only in the Element Gathering Tier and could only be found in the innermost parts of the mountain range. Thus, as long as they did not venture too deeply into the mountain range, Balance Mountain was an excellent training grounds for a martial artist in the Body Refining Tier.
Ling Han knew very well that purely practicing would never let him train in a martial arts skill to the highest level. To achieve that, he had to experience actual battle!
Although Ling Dong Xing did not want his son to take risks, he also knew that it was impossible for a real martial artist to grow up protected like a plant in a greenhouse. Moreover, Liu Yu Tong would be by Ling Han's side to protect him, so naturally he did not need to worry that they would encounter some danger. Therefore, he agreed.
He was also very busy now. He was currently making preparations for the counterattack against the Cheng Clan while also reorganizing the Ling Clan to regain power over the clan, which Ling Zhong Kuan had partially taken over these past few years.
Ling Han and Liu Yu Tong very quickly began their journey, setting off towards Balance Mountain.
As Balance Mountain was quite close by, they did not need to bring too much baggage with them and had only brought two, three changes of clothing. Yet, even so, they still carried a sizable bundle, each.
This caused Ling Han to miss the spatial ring from his previous life.
A spatial ring seemed to be not much different from a normal ring, yet there was an incredible space within it that could accommodate a large number of items. If you were going on a trip, bringing a spatial ring along would be very convenient.
However, the method to create spatial rings was long lost with the passage of time, so there was only an extremely limited number available. In his last life, only a strong warrior of at least Flower Blossom Tier could possess one. Otherwise, even if you had very luckily obtained one, it would still bring a fatal disaster to you as its owner!
A spatial ring was something extremely valuable.
They traveled by foot. A distance of eighty kilometers was nothing much to a martial artist and they only spent about two hours on their journey. The two of them set off in the morning, and they had already entered the vicinity of Balance Mountain by noon.
They could hear the distant roars of tigers and cries of monkeys. As they looked everything over, a strongly fragrant, primitive, desolate air blew against their faces.
"Let's go!" Ling Han walked in front, and said, "As long as it's a demonic beast in the Body Refining Tier, you don't have to do anything. Just leave it to me."
"Very well," Liu Yu Tong nodded.
However, Balance Mountain was not a place that was filled to the brim with demonic beasts. Although the two deliberately searched for them, they did not encounter even one. They didn't even encounter any ordinary wild beast. As the sky slowly darkened, the two of them began to feel hungry.
They had only brought a small amount of food as emergency rations. They had actually intended to hunt the demonic beasts on the mountain for food.
"We have to quickly hunt a demonic beast. Otherwise, we'll have to go hungry tonight," Ling Han said as he brandished the iron sword in his hand. He had bought the sword before he had departed for the journey. It was considerably expensive, being priced at ten silver coins. It would be enough against a demonic beast of Body Refining Tier, but against a demonic beast of Element Gathering Tier, it wouldn't even be able to break through its defense.
Moreover, he was not an equal opponent for a demonic beast in the Element Gathering Tier anyway.
Liu Yu Tong suddenly stopped walking.
"What is it, have you heard something?" Ling Han said with a bit of excitement.
"My shoelaces came undone," Liu Yu Tong crouched down.
He never imagined that this woman had a bit of a sense of humor. Ling Han shrugged and waited until Liu Yu Tong stood up. The two of them then continued their way forward. However, they had not walked too far before Liu Yu Tong once again crouched down.
"Your shoelaces came undone again?" Ling Han asked.
"No, I heard something!" Liu Yu Tong looked over in a particular direction. Her expression was still icy cold.
This woman definitely had a cold sense of humor.
Ling Han too glanced in the same direction. Liu Yu Tong was in the Element Gathering Tier, so her sight and hearing were much stronger than his. The shrubs in front of them were shaking, as if something was making its way out.
Very quickly, a gigantic wolf's head emerged, rapidly followed by the appearance of its body. It was about the size of a water buffalo and was blood-red in color, though its skin had several rotting scars scattered all over its body. It looked a little disgusting.
"Our luck's not bad, this is a Rotten Blood Wolf!" Ling Han's eyes lit up. Cultivating the Indestructible Heaven Scroll required various valuable materials to support his training, and the fresh blood of demonic beasts was currently the best material available, while the Rotten Blood Wolf could be considered as one of the strongest demonic beasts in the Body Refining Tier.
"Be careful!" Liu Yu Tong reminded. A mature Rotten Blood Wolf was a being in the ninth layer of Body Refining Tier. Other than that, demonic beasts always had a big advantage over humanity when it came to strength and defense, and that was the case even when a demonic beast and a human cultivator had similar cultivation.
The advantage of martial artists, on the other hand, was in the fact that they could use various martial arts skills and weapons to greatly increase their own power.
However, Ling Han was only in the seventh layer of Body Refining Tier now. There was too big a gap between him and the Rotten Blood Wolf. Moreover, a martial artist could die at any moment in a battle against a demonic beast. The battle would not end even if you shout "Stop" or "I give up".
"Don't worry!" Ling Han smiled. Wielding the iron sword in his hand, his expression immediately became serious.
The Rotten Blood Wolf continuously released deep growls. In front of it stood two people. The man did not look very threatening to it, but the woman standing behind him caused the wolf to feel dread. However, due to the ferocious nature of a demonic beast, it was not willing to give up its prey.
The blood and flesh of demonic beasts were considered extremely nutritious to any martial artist, but martial artists were likewise a very nutritious meal to demonic beasts.
The Rotten Blood Wolf was very cautious. It did not attack right away.
"Yu Tong, step back," Ling Han said. Wolves were an extremely patient, very careful species. It must have sensed Liu Yu Tong's hidden strength.
Liu Yu Tong frowned faintly. Considering the current distance, she would be able to help him in time if he needed it. But if this distance increased, then should Ling Han encounter any danger, she might not be able to do anything to help him.
"Trust me," Ling Han smiled.
Liu Yu Tong finally stepped back slowly.
The Rotten Blood Wolf's ferocious nature was immediately roused. The claws of its front paws dug into the ground and its jaws opened, revealing two rows of sharp dagger-like teeth, exuding a cold air.
Ling Han crooked his finger, and said, "You big stupid dog, come, come, come!"
"Ao!" The Rotten Blood Wolf released a howl, pouncing abruptly at a very surprising speed.
Ling Han did not panic. With a wave of his long sword, the Shocking Electricity Sword Arts had already been initiated.
"Shua!" Only one sword stabbed forward yet two flashes of cold light appeared. One of them was the sword itself, while the other was a white-colored energy.
"Sword Qi!" Liu Yu Tong could not help breathing out in shock.
Sword Qi was the symbol of a swordsman, just like a saber's wielder needed to have Saber Qi. It was incomparably sharp, and extremely powerful.
She had not formed Sword Qi yet she knew the difficulty of achieving it–she had an uncle who had been acclaimed as a genius in the art of the sword, yet he had only formed Sword Qi after five years of immersing himself in the path of the sword.
Was this guy really human?
Ling Han felt no surprise however. Forming Sword Qi was only a natural course of event, his goal was Sword Point! [1]
Sword Point was the solid form of Sword Qi. Its power was even stronger. Unfortunately, he had not spent much time on sword arts in his last life so he had only formed Sword Qi, and did not manage to form Sword Point.
The prerequisite for forming Sword Point was that one thrust of the sword would have tens of flashes of Sword Qi, which then had to be condensed into Sword Point. Just now, he had only managed to release one flash of Sword Qi. He still had a very long way to go.
The next step from Sword Point was Sword Heart. This was the highest level one could achieve on the path of the sword.
However, against a Rotten Blood Wolf, one flash of Sword Qi was more than enough.
[1] ED/N: I know it sounds a bit average in English, but it sounds cool in Chinese (apparently) and it's very difficult to find a cool, appropriate and more figurative translation. Btw, "point" is the official English name for the tip of a sword's blade (no, it has nothing to do with a certain reindeer who ate hito hito no mi).