"…"
As a flute's melody enters her ears, Yao Ying opens her eyes.
On the surface, this melody sounds calming, but there is evidently a hint of blade-like tension in it.
*Aooouu…*
"…"
Turning her head towards Lin Yu Heng, Yao Ying sees the latter raising their index finger close to their chest.
Coiling around Lin Yu Heng's finger are three serpentine dragons.
"…"
Opening his eyes, and seeing the same thing, Qing Ming Yang asks—
"Lin-xiong, you finished comprehending that divine art?"
"…"
Lowering his hand, and causing the white dragons to dissipate, Lin Yu Heng shakes his head, and replies—
"Not even close. …I'm starting to feel like the things we call a divine art in our world is nothing more than a joke."
"You as well?"
The same thought had crossed Qing Ming Yang's mind—when he was attempting to gain enlightenment on the Chaotic Five Essence Hand.
"Hmm."
Contemplating for a brief instance, Lin Yu Heng says—
"According to some of the old books that I've read—back when the Everlasting Spirit Realm was at its prime, we possessed divine arts that were capable of transforming under special circumstances. However, much of those divine arts have been lost to us—because the creators of them had died during the war with the outer realm forces. Due to this, most of the cultivation methods and divine arts that are currently in circulation, they're basically modified forms of the originals. In fact, some of the techniques that were modeled after them, they might not even be complete."
Heaving a sigh, Qing Ming Yang says—
"Senior comes from beyond our world, he must have a lot more divine arts in his head. Still, I doubt we'd ever be able to get another from him."
"Forget it, just this one divine art is more than enough to last us an entire lifetime. If my grandfather managed to obtain this Thousand Dragons Shatter the Heavens, he would already be a Heaven Manifestation realm practitioner."
"Oh, so if I managed to gain enlightenment on this hand art, I'd be able to become a Heaven Manifestation realm practitioner as well?"
Throwing Qing Ming Yang a doubtful look, Lin Yu Heng replies—
"Who knows? But between the three of us right now, you're the only one without a special core."
"…"
Having this pointed out by Lin Yu Heng, Qing Ming Yang frowns, whereas Yao Ying chuckles.
"At least my core is grade four, unlike the average—that only has a grade three or below!"
Ignoring Qing Ming Yang, Lin Yu Heng turns to Yao Ying, and remarks—
"I wouldn't be surprised if Lady Yao Ying makes a breakthrough in the near future. There's a special medallion that can be used—to avoid the tribulation lightning of this world, do you have one?"
It's not uncommon for a practitioner to die during a tribulation. If anything, it's all too common for something like that to occur.
That being said, this is another value of the Leng Bing Realm that the Ling Yuan family has been exploiting, the ability to avoid having to deal with tribulations—ensuring that the members of this organization are all able to make a safe breakthrough.
Nodding her head, Yao Ying replies—
"I got one from a friend after my previous breakthrough."
To avoid a situation like last time, Nuo'er had given Yao Ying a medallion for that exact purpose.
As for why Nuo'er didn't prepare one before, it's mainly due to her not expecting Yao Ying to make a breakthrough that early—after all, the latter was only in the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm back then.
"Early congratulations then."
"Un."
As Yao Ying nods her head, Qing Ming Yang turns to Lin Yu Heng, and asks—
"Lin-xiong, you know that she and I have a score to settle, right? Why do I feel like you're rooting for her instead of me?"
Towards these questions, Lin Yu Heng simply replies—
"I still haven't given you a beating for dragging me into this shit storm, have I?"
"…"
Immediately, Qing Ming Yang turns silent, to which, Yao Ying turns to the former, and says—
"Surnamed Qing, tell me what those two siblings of mine had said—when they hired you to kill me, along with whatever else that you might know."
"…"
Despite finding it displeasing with the way Yao Ying had made her demands, Qing Ming Yang figured that there wasn't any harm in coming clean with the matter.
"Qingshan Zi and that Lan Mang'er, they basically said—they hate seeing you roaming around their estate. Apparently, you're suspected to be a child that Chen Shi Xiao Yin's third wife had with someone else."
"…"
Blinking her eyes, Yao Ying frowns in contemplation.
For a while, Yao Ying doesn't say anything, but eventually—
"Their estate, is it? …Then who is my real father?"
"I wouldn't know. The reason they suspect you to be an illegitimate child is because of your eyes. Maybe, that's a clue?"
Keeping this matter in mind, Yao Ying says—
"…Thanks."
Being told thanks by Yao Ying—although begrudgingly, causes Qing Ming Yang to raise an eye, and feel somewhat awkward.
"…"
Closing her eyes, Yao Ying returns to cultivating the Hand of the Beast Lord, while thinking—
(I want a claw that can rip everything apart, something that cannot be stopped, something that will let me tear apart every person and everything that gets in my way.)