Chapter 165: Escape.

"Huh?" Zhong Ling's expression was startled at Qu Feiyan's words, and a flicker of alarm flashed across her eyes.

Zhong Ling had no reason not to be wary. Murong Qiudi had previously been plotting against her martial arts, even poisoning her in the end. If she hadn't had the sudden inspiration to devise a way to trick Murong Qiudi, she might have been caught.

Now that Qu Feiyan had spoken again, Zhong Ling began to seriously suspect that she was an accomplice of Murong Qiudi.

As she thought about this, a wave of murderous intent welled up in her heart.

Dongfang Bubai, Yao Yue, and even Ye Xiu noticed the murderous intent rising in Zhong Ling's heart.

However, they thought her reaction was perfectly normal.

After all, no one in the martial arts world would want to share the secrets of their martial arts, let alone something as shady as the Beiming Divine Art.

It would be strange if Zhong Ling didn't react to Qu Feiyan's abrupt question.

"Hiss!"

Qu Feiyan shuddered, even getting goosebumps, at the spur of murderous intent. Zhong Ling's killing intent was, after all, directed at her. It was only because it wasn't particularly strong, otherwise, Qu Feiyan would have been frightened to death.

Ye Xiu instinctively placed himself in front of Qu Feiyan. Dongfang Bubai and Yao Yue almost simultaneously locked their auras on Zhong Ling.

A strong sense of danger surged within Zhong Ling, causing her expression to change. She quickly retreated, instantly creating a distance of over ten meters.

The atmosphere, which had been peaceful, where she felt like she had already been immersed in the moment, was instantly distorted by Qu Feiyan's words.

"Miss Zhong, don't misunderstand. Feifei didn't mean that. She didn't have any other intentions. She's just stupid," Ye Xiu said to Zhong Ling.

After all, Ye Xiu didn't have any ill feelings towards Zhong Ling.

Hearing Ye Xiu say this about her, Qu Feiyan couldn't help but pout. However, thinking that the situation had indeed turned out this way because of her words, Ye Xiu's call for her being clueless seemed perfectly natural.

"Well, I just thought, since we're all sisters anyway, it's okay to share martial arts skills," Qu Feiyan said with a slight pout.

Ye Xiu glanced back in surprise, unsure of what was going through Qu Feiyan's mind. Could martial arts be shared so casually? And sisters? They'd only just met, hadn't they? Why would Qu Feiyan call Zhong Ling her sister?

It wasn't just Ye Xiu who was speechless; everyone else stared at Qu Feiyan in silence.

Of course, for them, possessing the diary and having come to her on their own initiative could, in most cases, be considered sisters.

After all, they shared secrets and common goals. While there were certainly conflicts between them, calling them sisters wasn't wrong.

However, there was a prerequisite: they both knew each other had the diary. Now, Zhong Ling was clearly unaware that everyone else owned the diary. Therefore, Qu Feiyan's words were misplaced at this moment.

Zhong Ling, on the other hand, watched Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue warily.

Of Ye Xiu's group, only Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue were Grandmasters, posing the greatest threat to Zhong Ling.

Now, Zhong Ling felt a surge of regret, regretting her impulsiveness.

She felt she shouldn't have approached Ye Xiu

in the first place. While the diary indicated a certain fondness from Ye Xiu, Zhong Ling felt that this level of affection couldn't compare to the North Sea Divine Art.

If Ye Xiu and the others knew she was cultivating the North Sea Divine Art, it would be strange if they didn't covet it!

After all, this was the North Sea Divine Art, capable of absorbing the power of others and making it their own.

It could easily transform one into a Ninth-Level Grandmaster. Even if one cultivated the North Sea Divine Art, one would never reach the Grandmaster realm, unless they had a fortuitous encounter like she had with the diary.

However, a Grandmaster level, especially one at the ninth level, is considered a master among masters in the martial arts world, even powerful enough to suppress an entire sect. After all, a sect's ability to become a first-rate sect hinges on its Grandmasters.

For example, the Yihua Palace and the Sun-Moon Divine Sect achieved first-rate status thanks to Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue Lianxing, who, before meeting Ye Xiu, had already reached the eighth and ninth levels of the Grandmaster realm.

Of course, now that Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue have become Grandmasters, the Sun-Moon Divine Sect and the Yihua Palace are now considered super-first-rate forces.

Of course, even within super-first-rate forces, there are strong and weak. Sects like

the Sun-Moon Divine Sect and the Yihua Palace, each boasting a Grandmaster, are considered the weakest of the super-first-rate forces.

Shaolin and Wudang, while also super-first-rate, secretly possess celestial beings above the Grandmaster level, making them the pinnacle of the super-first-rate forces. It's not an exaggeration to call them martial arts sanctuaries.

The cultivation level of a celestial being is enough to suppress an entire nation.

Precisely because of this status, most masters of the celestial being realm remain hidden. The strongest individuals who truly operate in the martial arts world, those who are publicly recognized, are often Grandmasters.

Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue, observing Zhong Ling's vigilance, even entertained the idea of taking advantage of this opportunity to eliminate her.

After all, Zhong Ling seemed hostile to them, barely an enemy. However,

Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue exchanged a glance and suppressed the thought.

Ultimately, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue were worried about each other.

What if, after they eliminated Zhong Ling, she was actually trying to sabotage them?

Could she reveal her sinister intentions to Ye Xiu, lowering his favorability towards her and reducing the rewards from the diary, ultimately surpassing her and permanently suppressing her?

And so, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue's thoughts were put to rest.

Moreover, no matter how you look at it, Zhong Ling posed little threat to them.

Their true rivals were each other. Of course, while Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue wouldn't kill Zhong Ling, they also wouldn't offer to explain anything.

The best outcome for Zhong Ling was for her to be frightened away.

So, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue simultaneously restrained their auras.

Zhong Ling noticed the auras locked onto her by Yaoyue and Dongfang Bubai vanish, but she didn't immediately relax, unsure of their intentions.

However, with the auras gone, she felt somewhat relieved. Facing Ye Xiu and his group, she began to retreat step by step.

The distance between them and Ye Xiu gradually widened, until, after reaching a distance of over a hundred meters, she turned and left. She

used the Light Footsteps technique, vanishing from Ye Xiu and his group's sight in the blink of an eye.

Zhong Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief after disappearing from Ye Xiu's sight.

However, she still felt a bit uneasy. She was confused as to why Qu Feiyan knew she possessed the Beiming Divine Art.

Well, Qu Feiyan hadn't said Zhong Ling possessed the Beiming Divine Art, only that she might possess a martial art that could absorb the cultivation of others. But the meaning was pretty much the same.

Zhong Ling was also puzzled as to why Dongfang Bubai and Yao Yue had let her go.

Knowing she possessed a martial art like the Beiming Divine Art that could absorb the cultivation of others wouldn't make them greedy?

It was just like her previous encounter with Murong Qiudi.

But Zhong Ling couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder.

After she arrived in Nanjing, Murong Qiudi had been eyeing her for the Beiming Divine Art. And now, Qu Feiyan knew she could absorb the cultivation of others.

She had never encountered such a situation before.

Zhong Ling felt her little brain was a bit overwhelmed.

After all, Zhong Ling was only slightly intelligent, not supremely brilliant.

Anyway, Zhong Ling now feels that she can no longer get close to Ye Xiu and the others.

"Oh, so, did I come here for nothing this time? Do you want to go home?" Zhong Ling suddenly felt a little homesick.

Meanwhile, after Zhong Ling left, Ye Xiu and the others couldn't help but cast their gazes on Qu Feiyan.

Snap—

Ye Xiu slapped Qu Feiyan on the head.

"Qu Feiyan, what the hell is going on in your head? Haven't you ever thought about what to say and what not to say?" Ye Xiu looked at Qu Feiyan speechlessly.

Qu Feiyan stuck out her tongue. She couldn't explain anything at the moment. After all, she couldn't tell them about the diary.

She also couldn't explain that because everyone had a diary, they had lost their guard and said whatever they thought.

In short, Qu Feiyan became a typical brainless person.

After that, Zhong Ling's matter was temporarily over.

Only Ye Xiu was there.

Before going to bed, he took out his diary and prepared to write about Zhong Ling in it.

"I met someone today, Zhong Ling! Yes, it's the Zhong Ling in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils."

"Zhong Ling, who was supposed to be in Dali, actually ran to the Ming Dynasty."

"I didn't think it was her at first, if her identity hadn't been exposed by the lightning marten."

"However, if Huang Rong, who was supposed to be in the Song Dynasty, could run to the Ming Dynasty, it doesn't seem surprising that Zhong Ling from Dali ran to the Ming Dynasty."

"Zhong Ling is quite cute, but what surprised me was that I didn't expect Zhong Ling to be so strong. She is actually a grandmaster!!!"

"Can you imagine? Zhong Ling! The younger sister in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils who had some roles in the early stages but not many in the later stages, actually became a grandmaster!"

"It's hard to imagine, it's really hard to imagine. Is Zhong Ling cheating? Her cheat is more powerful than mine, more awesome than me."

"I'm not even a grandmaster yet. Zhong Ling is already a grandmaster. Could it be that Zhong Ling is actually a time traveler?"

"But it doesn't seem like it. I didn't detect any signs of a time traveler on her."

"So, the reason why Zhong Ling became a grandmaster is most likely because she obtained the North Sea Divine Art."

"After all, Zhong Ling got a little mad after that girl Qu Feiyan mentioned a martial art that can absorb the cultivation of others."

"The reason why Zhong Ling is so sensitive is probably because she obtained the North Sea Divine Art."

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect it. In this world of comprehensive martial arts, the one who obtained the North Sea Divine Art is actually Zhong Ling. I wonder if Duan Yu, the protagonist of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, has obtained the North Sea Divine Art. If Duan Yu didn't obtain the North Sea Divine Art, would his future destiny have changed?"

"Tsk tsk tsk tsk, it seems that in the world of comprehensive martial arts, the original protagonist may not still be the protagonist."

"But the North Sea Divine Art seems to be quite powerful. It actually made Zhong Ling a grandmaster. You know, if the Wedding Dress Divine Art is practiced to the last level of Transforming Flowers and Grafting Trees, absorbing the cultivation of others, it can only make the cultivation reach the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm. After that, it takes decades of training and refined true energy to break through to the Grandmaster Realm. So is the North Sea Divine Art more awesome than the Wedding Dress Divine Art?" "

The Xiaoyao Sect is indeed quite powerful. The Beiming Divine Art, the Xiaowuxiang Art and the Bahuang Liuhe Weiwoduzhong Gong, uh, the Bahuang Liuhe Weiwoduzhong Gong, seems to be the Eternal Spring Art, which was originally not suitable for women to practice. It was created after Wu Xingyun forcibly twisted the art. Tsk, Mr. Jin always modifies the version and makes a mess of it. I don't know which version of the setting this Zongwu World uses." "

However, the upper limit of the Zongwu World is high. So the Beiming Divine Art, the Xiaowuxiang Art and the Bahuang Liuhe Weiwoduzhong Gong, the three of them should have the same origin. After the three martial arts are integrated, they will become an even more powerful martial art. I don't know whether it will be the Beiming Rebirth Method or Xiaoyao Yufeng after the three martial arts are integrated."

"If it's the Beiming Rebirth Method, that would be awesome. Even if a person explodes, he can be reborn. He can even say that he is immortal."

"Forget it, let's not talk about this."

"Anyway, Zhong Ling should have been scared away this time."

"After all, the Beiming Divine Art, a martial art that absorbs the cultivation of others, is really too attractive. Just like this girl Qu Feiyan, she seems to want it in her dreams. For this reason, she even asked Dongfang for the Star-Absorbing Art more than once."

"If I didn't have a cheat, I would have wanted the Beiming Divine Art."

"It's a pity that even for the Beiming Divine Art, its limit should be the Grandmaster. So for me, it's a chicken rib. No, it's not even a chicken rib."

"But for Qu Feiyan, it is indeed quite attractive. After all, as long as you practice the Beiming Divine Art, you can easily become a Grandmaster." "

You know, Dongfang and Yaoyue, the two of them, seemed to be promoted to the Grandmaster realm after they met, had a conflict, and fought several fierce battles, and stimulated each other." "

So, this Beiming Divine Art is so attractive to normal martial artists!"

"Feifei, this girl is still a bit rash. She rashly asked about the martial arts practiced by Zhong Ling. She asked Zhong Ling directly and made her angry."

"Really? It's a good thing Dongfang and Yaoyue were here, otherwise Zhong Ling might have slapped her to death."

"No, she needs to be taught a lesson, at least not to be so reckless. Dongfang and Yaoyue were here this time, but what if they're not here in the future? Wouldn't she have really been beaten to death?" "

Well, the task of educating Feifei should be left to Dongfang. After all, Feifei is pretty obedient in front of Dongfang, even though she can be quite suicidal sometimes."

After writing down the key points of today's events, Ye Xiu closed his diary.

Just as Ye Xiu finished writing, he was called out by someone.

Ye Xiu felt a little bit of anticipation, but also a little helpless.

Couldn't he just not call out the person?

And he was already a Grandmaster. Facing this kind of power, he was still powerless, which made Ye Xiu feel a little frustrated.

When would he truly be the master of his own house?

While Ye Xiu was lost in thought, Yao Yue, dressed in white, floated into Ye Xiu's room.

According to the agreement between Dongfang Bubai and Yao Yue, the two would alternate daily. Since Dongfang Bubai was stronger than Yao Yue, he grabbed the first day, so Yao Yue naturally came the second.

Seeing Yao Yue, Ye Xiu felt a little more excited.

It wasn't that Ye Xiu was tired of Dongfang Bubai, but the rotation provided some novelty.

However, even with Yao Yue, Ye Xiu could only passively be manipulated.

...

Zhong Ling took out her diary and saw what Ye Xiu had written today. Her expression was slightly strange.

She didn't expect Ye Xiu to mention her so frequently in his diary today.

But it seemed to be expected.

After all, her appearance was indeed a surprise to Ye Xiu,

especially since Zhong Ling was a Grandmaster.

It was natural for Ye Xiu to think of the North Sea Divine Art.

As for Qu Feiyan's question, Zhong Ling suspected it might be because Ye Xiu had mentioned it during their conversations.

After all, she knew about it because Ye Xiu had written about it in his diary.

Seeing her name appear so many times in the diary, Zhong Ling felt a mixture of joy and melancholy. After all,

even though she possessed the North Sea Divine Art, she couldn't just show up in front of Ye Xiu and the others. Who knew that Dongfang Bubai and Yao Yue might let her go this time, but they might not do the same next time.

This time, Ye Xiu mentioned the three divine arts of the Xiaoyao Sect in his diary: the North Sea Divine Art, the Small Wuxiang Art, and the Eight Desolations and Six Directions Weiwo Duzun Art.

These three martial arts could even be combined to form the North Sea Rebirth Method or Xiaoyao Yufeng.

The North Sea Divine Art could allow one to cultivate to the ninth level of Grandmaster or even Grandmaster level. So what about the North Sea Rebirth Method and Xiaoyao Yufeng? Couldn't they also allow one to reach the level of a celestial being?

Even Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue would be tempted by a celestial-level technique.

Thinking of this, Zhong Ling became increasingly hesitant to appear before them.

In truth, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue were indeed somewhat curious about the Beiming Rebirth Method and Xiaoyao Yufeng, but they weren't as enthusiastic as Zhong Ling imagined.

Perhaps it was because after becoming the diary's holders, and especially after Ye Xiu's favorability with them increased, they were able to receive more and more rewards.

These rewards weren't just internal cultivation levels, but also techniques.

This led Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue to adopt a similar viewpoint to Ye Xiu's: with cheats, other martial arts skills became less important.

Furthermore, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue had already found their own paths. If they wanted to improve their strength, they could only follow their path, creating the most suitable techniques for themselves, and ultimately becoming celestial beings, or even earthly immortals.

Even if they obtained the Beiming Rebirth Method or Xiaoyao Yufeng, at most they would only learn from them. Therefore, they didn't really care too much about the Beiming Rebirth Method and Xiaoyao Yufeng.

However, while Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue didn't care, others did.

For example, Murong Qiudi, because Ye Xiu didn't have a high favorability with her, didn't yet know the true extent of the diary's rewards. Therefore, she still desperately wanted to obtain the Beiming Rebirth Method and Xiaoyao Yufeng.

The Beiming Divine Art alone was difficult to obtain from Zhong Ling, let alone the Beiming Rebirth Method or Xiaoyao Yufeng, which required the combined skills of the three Xiaoyao Sects.

"It's too difficult. However, Zhong Ling has left Ye Xiu and the others because of the Beiming Divine Art—this presents an opportunity." Murong Qiudi's eyes lit up.

Previously, with Zhong Ling around, she couldn't approach Ye Xiu. But now, with Zhong Ling no longer by Ye Xiu's side, she could reconnect with him.

This thought brightened Murong Qiudi's mood, and even her desire for the Beiming Divine Art was temporarily suppressed.

Another person who coveted the North Sea Divine Art was Liu Sheng

Piao Xu. With her talent and martial arts training, becoming a Grandmaster would be a piece of cake for her!

However, if she could obtain the North Sea Divine Art, she could easily train a group of powerful Grandmasters, or even Grandmasters. Then, her Liu Sheng Clan could rise again in Japan, perhaps even rapidly, ultimately reaching heights previously unattainable.

However, the diary stated that Zhong Ling was a Grandmaster, and Liu Sheng Piao Xu was no match for her. Therefore, Liu Sheng Piao Xu had to suppress her desire.

"I should get closer to Ye Xiu first, improve my favorability, and enhance my own strength. After all, even if I obtain the North Sea Divine Art, I can't pass it on until my own strength improves," Liu Sheng Piao Xu thought to herself.

However, Liu Sheng Piao Xu still deeply desired the North Sea Divine Art, and even the North Sea Rebirth Method. However, she was more rational, knowing that neither the North Sea Divine Art nor the North Sea Rebirth Method was within her current reach. Catching Ye Xiu is actually the easiest and most important thing for her to do at the moment.