Qin Hong and Qin Zhong left.
The heavy atmosphere in the Ling Clan's living room also dissipated along with them.
A kindly light began to flicker in Elder Ling's eyes.
"Foster Father, I drove Qin Hong away. You're not angry with me, are you?" Ling Fei said, scratching his head and looking at his foster father after Qin Hong and his men had departed.
"Silly child, that you could do such a thing... Father is overjoyed. How could I possibly be angry with you?" Elder Ling said with a smile, patting Ling Fei's head.
"But your injuries?" Ling Fei said with a frown.
He had long resolved to cultivate diligently and become a powerful expert, so he hadn't given Qin Hong's so-called Spirit Medicine a second thought.
'But what about my foster father? His injuries are severe. Doesn't he desperately wish to recover?'
And just now, Ling Fei had taken it upon himself to reject Qin Hong.
"Though I may be old, you and Xue Xi are like my own children. How could I marry her off to someone like Qin Hong for the sake of a single Elixir?"
Elder Ling said with a benevolent expression.
"Father is very pleased that you were able to resist the temptation."
Hearing this, a happy smile bloomed on Xue Xi's pretty face.
She was an orphan, adopted by her foster father when she was young.
In her heart, she had always been filled with gratitude.
However, she also didn't want to marry Qin Hong.
After all, Qin Hong had a terrible reputation. Marrying him would surely lead to a miserable end.
But she also felt guilty for not being able to ease her foster father's worries.
"Yes." Seeing his foster father speak this way, Ling Fei nodded emphatically.
Ling Fei had admired his foster father's principles ever since he was a child.
In his heart, his foster father was a sage.
"Foster Father, don't worry. I will definitely cultivate with all my might. When the time comes, I will find you a Celestial Essence Pill. And if a Celestial Essence Pill isn't enough, I'll learn Alchemy myself! I'll refine the best Elixirs to make you well again, so you can live to be a hundred! No, two hundred!"
Ling Fei's gaze was firm as he spoke with resolute conviction.
"Good child, your intentions are more than enough," Elder Ling said, his face filled with relief as he gently patted the back of Ling Fei's head and took a deep breath.
In Ling Fei's heart, his foster father was a great hero.
But in Elder Ling's heart, this child also made him feel proud.
Watching from the side, Wu Dapang's face was full of emotion.
He also greatly admired Elder Ling.
Likewise, Ling Fei's ambition, filial piety, and unyielding character also earned Wu Dapang's admiration.
He still remembered when they were younger...
Back then, Ling Fei was so frail he looked like he could be blown over by a gust of wind.
At that time, Wu Dapang didn't even want to spar with Ling Fei.
Ling Fei's constitution was just too poor, and he was afraid he would injure him with a single punch.
Sparring with him was meaningless.
But because he owed Elder Ling a debt of gratitude, Wu Dapang stuck with it.
However, Ling Fei's performance over the next few years made Wu Dapang see him in a new light, and the two gradually became good buddies.
"Uncle Ling, Brother Fei is incredible now! He even beat Huang Liang today," Wu Dapang suddenly remembered the day's events and said with an excited look on his face. "Look, I sparred with him and he nearly beat me to a pulp! Besides, even if Brother Fei can't get a Celestial Essence Pill, you've still got me, right?"
"Pfft!" Seeing this, Xue Xi couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.
Fatty Wu was currently black and blue, a truly miserable sight.
"Oh?" At these words, Elder Ling's brow twitched. He looked at Wu Dapang, then back at Ling Fei.
"Foster Father, I got into a fight today," Ling Fei said, his brow slightly furrowed.
Wu Dapang immediately felt that this was bad.
Elder Ling did not like Ling Fei getting into fights.
"Uncle Ling, it was like this... that Huang Liang was being too much of a bully..." He briefly explained what happened.
Elder Ling nodded slightly, then said, "One refines the body to cultivate the mind. The Martial Arts World is full of powerful experts. You must always remember: if others do not offend me, I will not offend them."
"Yes!" Ling Fei nodded.
"Of course, a Martial Artist cannot be weak-willed either. You must have the heart of an expert, a heart without fear. Only then can you overcome all kinds of difficulties."
"A person must know right from wrong and have principles!" Elder Ling said with a solemn expression.
"This child will definitely heed Foster Father's teachings," Ling Fei said, his gaze firm.
Wu Dapang, at the side, also nodded repeatedly, feeling that what Elder Ling said was profound and mysterious, yet held great wisdom.
"Very good!" Elder Ling nodded slightly.
"Foster Father, could you prescribe some medicine for Dapang?" Ling Fei then asked.
Seeing Wu Dapang's black and blue appearance, he felt a little bad.
"Alright!" Elder Ling nodded slightly, then said, "Little Fatty, come with me. As long as Uncle Ling prescribes you some medicine, your injuries will certainly heal."
"You got it!" Wu Dapang's face lit up with joy.
Soon, Elder Ling had an attendant prepare the medicinal herbs.
Then, he had Xue Xi prepare a medicinal bath.
In a guest room, Fatty Wu was together with Elder Ling.
"Little Fatty, you've been at the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering for some time now, haven't you?" Elder Ling said after examining Wu Dapang's body.
"Replying to Uncle Ling, I reached the Perfect Body Tempering Eighth Layer long ago," the little fatty said with a smile.
"Sparring with Fei'er every day all these years must have been hard on you. Seeing as you're a good-natured kid, Uncle Ling will give you a hand today."
Elder Ling said with a smile.
"Give me a hand?" Wu Dapang's face was full of astonishment.
Looking at him now, a sharp glint seemed to flicker in the haggard Elder Ling's eyes.
"The Ninth Layer of Body Tempering is the Blood Refining Realm. As long as you open up the body's meridians and allow the Blood Qi to flow freely, you can naturally step into the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering."
Elder Ling smiled, and then his somewhat withered palm suddenly shot out.
Before Wu Dapang could react, Elder Ling had already grabbed him and tossed him onto the nearby couch as if he were a straw doll.
In the next moment, Wu Dapang found that his clothes had been stripped off, though he didn't know when.
THUD!
Landing on the couch, Wu Dapang still felt as if he were in a dream.
'Fast, too fast!' he thought. He felt like he hadn't even seen clearly how Elder Ling had moved.
Furthermore, he felt no pain at all when he landed on the couch.
'Everyone says Elder Ling used to be an Innate Realm expert. It seems they were right,' Wu Dapang mused to himself.
"Relax. This old man is about to perform acupuncture on you!" Just then, Elder Ling was already holding a Golden Needle, plunging it into one of Wu Dapang's acupoints.
...
A moment later, Elder Ling removed the needles.
Wu Dapang, however, lay on the couch with a look of pure bliss.
At this moment, he felt the Blood Qi inside his body flowing with incredible smoothness.
It was as if long rivers within his body had been cleared, and now a thousand streams were surging, his Blood Qi exceptionally vigorous.
"Foster Father, the medicine is ready," Xue Xi's voice came from the adjacent medicine room.
"Go soak in the medicinal liquid," Elder Ling said with a smile.
"You got it," Wu Dapang said, his face full of happiness.
Then, he entered the medicine room next door and stepped into the medicinal barrel.
But Xue Xi had already left, which left the little fatty with a look of regret.
One hour later, the little fatty finally stepped out of the medicinal barrel.
"Uncle Ling, can I really break through to the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering now?" the little fatty asked, his face full of anticipation.
"As long as you do as I say, you'll be able to do it in seven days at the latest," said Elder Ling.
"Seven days?" The little fatty's eyes showed anticipation. He then bowed and said, "Thank you, Elder Ling."
"You're a good kid too. Just be a good person from now on," Elder Ling said with a slight nod. "However, you are not to mention this matter to anyone else."
"Definitely, definitely," Wu Dapang nodded repeatedly.
He was very obedient when it came to Elder Ling's words.
Wu Dapang left.
Ling Fei, meanwhile, was reading ancient texts.
"Some Cultivators are born with hard bones, while others, after practicing a Profound Mysterious Technique, will also have their bones become as hard as iron, difficult to harm with blades or swords."
Finally, Ling Fei found the information he was looking for in an ancient book.
'It seems my True Dragon Body Refining Technique really can make one's bones incomparably hard,' Ling Fei murmured to himself, closing the book.
A confident light flickered in his eyes, and he was filled with even greater anticipation for the True Dragon Body Refining Technique.