This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder

Chapter 524: Mo Ling

Mo Ling, age thirty-seven. Even in the Primordial Realm, he would be a genius to reach the Acupoint Opening Realm at his current age. Granted, it seemed that he used a lot of pills and many resources to quicken his cultivation. Yet, Tianyi could see that he had a solid foundation despite the external aid.

He was originally just an ordinary native living on an island far away from the coast of the continent. Even if he was training to be a warrior, he only had below average talent in comparison to all the geniuses of the continent. Everything changed on the fork of fate.

Like the protagonist of a novel, his childhood sweetheart left him for a noble!

That should have been to the end of the tale. Mo Ling should have disappeared into obscurity. Without talent, he could never hope to amount to anything, but shockingly, Mo Ling suddenly displayed talent he had never shown before. He rapidly rose up in the sect he had joined.

Coincidentally, the sect also included the man who stole his childhood sweetheart. Before the two could clash, the sect took part in a multi-force competition, hosted by the regional overlord, Peacock Island.

Peacock Island relied on the monster bloodline contained in their body to produce a master warrior each generation. Without fail, the master warrior would be a woman, because only the female could perfectly display the power of their bloodline.

The companion accompanying Mo Ling was the next head of Peacock Island, Xuan Quegling.

Tianyi didn’t take her seriously. People with strong bloodlines had a leg up against other cultivators, but only in the lower stages. Instead of helping, their bloodline would become a shackle when they attempted their Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation. If they ever made it that far.

Of course, if Xuan Quegling could absorb a drop of a Five Element Peacock’s blood in the Divine Realm, it would be another story.

Back to the competition. Each force would send out their ten quasi warriors to compete. When the tournament first began, Mo Ling was only at the tail end among the participants. His love rival was one of the top contenders. When the tournament ended, he improved enough to rank third among all one hundred participants, gaining the right to train on Peacock Island.

It was there that he had his first encounter with Xuan Quegling.

Of course, nothing came to fruition at the time. It wasn’t until the end of the training that she noticed him. Mo Ling displayed greater progress than the rest of the quasi warriors that arrived on the island. At the climax, he even fought against the man who stole his childhood friend and came out the victor despite having a weaker cultivation base.

Mo Ling ended the last threads tying him to his ordinary self after that battle and successfully stepped onto a new path.

Afterward, Peacock Island and the forces under it fell under a crisis. A powerful force from the coastal region of the continent invaded, intending to absorb the power of Peacock Island and its bloodline. Even the island master of Peacock Island could not repel the invasion because the invader had three master warriors.

Two of them were native to the coastal region, while one was outside help. Yes, it was the imperial protector of Emperor Hall.

The man was a servant-disciple of the Immortal Court that volunteered. Honestly, the investigation into the Impermanence Realm wasn’t really worth it. There was a high chance that the participants would die here. Not from battle, but from old age. Hence why most of them were cultivators that no longer had any potential left.

This servant-disciple was different. He had performed every trick in the book to join the Immortal Court. He probably thought that he could rise and become a proper disciple after joining, but reality hit him hard. The servant-disciple had neither the willpower nor the talent.

He regretted joining the Immortal Court. If he had stayed in his hometown, he would have been a noble lord. Even if his cultivation could not reach the same height, he would be the one giving orders, not the one receiving them. So, when he heard that he had a chance to enter a lower realm, he jumped at it.

He would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Granted, the servant disciple was far from one of the decision makers of the Emperor Hall. Still, his background made him heads and shoulders above the denizens of the Impermanence Realm. Perhaps it was because of Tianyi’s laissez-faire orders to gather intel, but the servant disciple used the investigation as an excuse to run amok.

Naturally, Mo Ling played a crucial role in repelling the invaders. Not only did he kill a warrior master with his Spiraling Demon Sphere, he also forced the imperial protector to flee. All this without significant sacrifice on his side. This did not include the warrior that seduced his childhood friend away.

Shortly after winning the war, Mo Ling became a master and stepped foot onto the greater continent. Accompanying him was Xuan Queling. The two traveled the outer regions before finally entering the central region, where Tianyi met them.

Stolen story; please report.

And well, the rest was history.

As for other information. Although the investigators didn’t know the exact martial cultivation method Mo Ling practiced, it was undoubtedly of the wind attribute. Like Zi Zun, it had a focus on controlling extraordinary types of wind and transforming the body to emulate wind.

Even after his change, Mo Ling’s talent was still average. So, he was suspected to be in possession of an artifact that sped up his cultivation or temporarily increased his talent. His bone age matched his history, so the artifact did not have a temporal effect.

Aside from that, there was one attribute that Mo Ling displayed extraordinary talent in mastering techniques. Although the levels of techniques were rather low compared to the Primordial Realm, it did not mean Mo Ling was not excellent. He could master techniques that took other people years or decades. His Spiraling Demon Sphere was a self-created technique born from the insights he gained from mastering different techniques. Although it was immature, even a venerable would be hard pressed to replicate his feat.

It had the potential to be an immortal-rank technique. In fact, it reminded Tianyi of Yan Nie’s self-created World Incinerating Mandala.

Tianyi put the report down and summoned his ever-faithful servant. “So, have you warned them to watch their conduct?”

Su Bojing bowed. “Yes. It was an oversight on my part. Those that acted arrogant have been punished.”

Tianyi waved his hands. “Well, as long as they aren’t behaving likescum, I’m fine with how they act. I subconsciously look down on the natural denizens, so I have no right to force them to do the opposite. How’s the investigation for the secret?”

“We have not made much progress,” Su Bojing said with a shake of his head. “Although there is a recurring legend that is worthy of note.”

“Oh?”

“According to legend, once every thousand years, a Bodhi Tree will emerge from the ground. During this time, anyone who drinks a drop of sap from it will be able to become a venerable. Those that swallow its seed will achieve enlightenment and become a saint. The one that becomes its master is said to be able to become an immortal,” Su Bojing said. “Although it’s called the Bodhi Tree, I do not think it’s the one recorded in legends from the primordial era. Its effect does not rival that of the Heavenly Law Lotus or the Allheaven Jianmu Tree.”

Tianyi held his chin. “The Bodhi Tree has a close relationship with Buddhism. If it is really a Bodhi Tree, I’m not surprised if the Buddhists sealed off the Impermanence Realm. When is the next appearance of the Bodhi Tree?”

“Estimated to appear in fifty to a hundred years, give or take a decade,” Su Bojing said.

“Fifty to a hundred years,” Tianyi muttered. He glanced at his subordinate. “Do you think Mo Ling would have become a peak soul nourishing grandmaster or a world merging venerable?”

“Forgive me for saying this, but I don’t see what’s so special about him. His progress is astounding considering the lacking spiritual qi in the world, but he relied on external aid. If he wants to become a peak grandmaster or a venerable, he must swallow far more resources than before. It’s almost impossible,” Su Bojing said.

“But I believe he can do it,” Tianyi said. “I think he might be the key to the Bodhi Tree. Insert someone to his side to keep a watch on him. Make sure he doesn’t suspect anything.”

Although puzzled, Su Bojing obeyed. He already had a candidate in mind. She was a native of the Impermanence Realm the Emperor Hall recruited. Unlike Mo Ling, she had an astounding talent for the warrior path.

It was a common enough tale. Her father was the lord of Northwind Mountain. Unfortunately, he was betrayed by those he trusted and ousted by his competitors. Were it not for a stroke of luck, she would have followed in his footsteps, six feet under.

Now, all she wished for was to avenge her father and blast those who wronged her with rightful vengeance. She swore it upon her new name, Chou Nu.

It was simple enough to orchestrate an encounter, considering that Mo Ling had formed an enmity with White Bone Valley after he killed three of their members. The coup in Northwind Mountain also had hints of White Bone Valley’s interception, so Chou Nu and Mo Ling naturally formed a connection over their mutual enemy.

Naturally, White Bone Valley found them and gave chase. It was a dangerous time where Mo Ling, Xuan Queling, and Chou Nu nearly died many times, but they survived. They killed many of their pursuers and escaped from the rest, coming out stronger than before.

Finally, they found refuge in the clan of Mo Ling’s mother.

Mo Ling’s father was an ordinary man. By a stroke of luck, he happened to wed the genius of the Qi Clan, who had lost her memories. Shortly after birthing Mo Ling, she regained her memory and left. Although the Qi Clan would not support Mo Ling against White Bone Valley, his mother still had some influence as the master warrior closest to becoming a grandmaster. Keeping them safe was all she could do.

However, Mo Ling hated relying on his mother, who had abandoned him before. So, after their injuries healed and Xuan Queling advanced to a master warrior, the group of three left.

And so, as journeys went, the trio grew stronger. They gained an ally in White Bone Valley’s archrival, Frost Flame Valley as well as Thunderclap Academy, who were an extremely mysterious force, even when compared to the immortal families. Throughout the history of the Impermanence Realm, only Thunderclap Academy continued its lineage without end. Not even the strongest force on the continent, the Pill Palace, dared to take Thunderclap Academy lightly.

Decades passed and Mo Ling reached the Soul Nourishing Realm, though the outside thought he became a grandmaster warrior. Of course, there was an adventure sprinkled here and there that greatly aided in his cultivation.

With his addition, the Frost Flame Valley attacked White Bone Valley, forever erasing the name from history. In its place rose Peacock Valley. Their victory shocked the central region and made the forces wary of earning their ire. The weaker forces, at least.

However, peace did not last long as rumors that the bones in the renamed valley belong to that of a powerful demon. According to the rumor, those who got it would have the chance to obtain immortality. The flames of war that reduced to an ember reignited once more.

Three decades passed. The central region was in chaos. Not only have many forces been destroyed, but the reclusive immortal families also roamed the wider world once more. It was the twilight before the dawn of a new era. Were it not for an explosive piece of news, battles would have broken out, not just in the central region.

For the sake of obtaining the Bodhi Tree Sap and the possibility of its seed, the warriors temporarily sheathed their blades and loosened their bows.