Batian Martial Soul

Chapter 14009 I'm Willing but Powerless

The training grounds of Batian City are a place Ling Xiao visits every day.

Here, he sparred with all sorts of martial artists, giving his all in every exchange.

Swords flashed and shadows danced, fists and kicks whistled through the air, and each collision unleashed tremendous power.

After each sparring session, he would drag his tired but determined body to a quiet place to sit down.

It might be a quiet corner, or a stone bench under a big tree. He sat there quietly, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind to carefully comprehend the mysteries of martial arts.

He kept replaying every detail of the sparring session in his mind: his opponent's moves, his own responses, and those fleeting moments of inspiration.

It was during this process that he truly understood the importance of the word "enlightenment" for a martial artist.

The path of martial arts is not something that can be mastered simply by hard work; it also requires a deep understanding of its essence.

Each insight was like a beacon in the darkness, making his path in martial arts clearer and clearer.

And so, Ling Xiao spent half a month cultivating in Batian City.

For the past two weeks, he has been like a tireless training machine, studying martial arts day and night.

Because of this, he seemed to have a cheat code activated, and his abilities in all aspects were greatly improved.

His martial arts skills were already quite impressive, and now they have improved by leaps and bounds.

Especially in terms of strength and speed, even without relying on the two great skills of Divine Magic Form and Five Dragon Technique, his speed and strength are several times stronger than before.

With a light flick of his fist, he could create a gust of wind; with a single step, he could instantly traverse several meters, as if he had been reborn.

On this day, Ling Xiao was concentrating on his cultivation, automatically blocking out all sounds around him.

Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing, his brow furrowing slightly, as if he had noticed something amiss.

His ears twitched slightly, as if he had caught a whiff of something unusual.

A thought struck him, and he turned and walked in one direction, his steps light and swift.

In a dense forest outside Batian City, the trees are lush and green, their branches and leaves intertwined, forming a natural barrier.

Ling Xiao carefully moved through the woods, taking each step with extreme caution, afraid of disturbing anything.

He would sometimes stop and listen to the sounds around him; at other times he would speed up and run towards his destination.

He hadn't walked far when he saw a familiar figure: Qin Xianglan.

Ling Xiao was both surprised and delighted. His eyes lit up instantly, and he blurted out, "Miss Qin, what are you doing here?"

His voice carried a hint of surprise and excitement, as if he had encountered a long-lost relative in this desolate wilderness.

Qin Xianglan's expression was serious; there was no smile on her face, and her eyes revealed a sense of solemnity.

She nodded simply and said, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go somewhere else."

After saying that, she turned and left, her steps hurried, as if she had something urgent to attend to.

Ling Xiao quickly followed, his mind filled with questions. He wondered why Qin Xianglan was here and why she was in such a hurry.

The two walked into the depths of the dense forest, where the trees were even denser, almost blocking out the sky.

Qin Xianglan stopped and looked around. After confirming that no one else was around, she suddenly stopped and turned to ask, "I heard you've joined the Demon Sea?"

Although her voice was not loud, it was full of questioning and doubt.

Ling Xiao couldn't help but laugh, a hearty laugh tinged with a hint of helplessness. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Qin Xianglan, saying, "Miss Qin, your information is far too unreliable!"

"How could I possibly side with the Demon Sea?"

"Although I, Ling Xiao, am not some great hero, I am by no means the kind of spineless coward who would betray his promise and defect to the enemy camp."

"However, Miss Qin, you came all this way to see me, surely it wasn't just to ask about this? Is there something else?"

Qin Xianglan remained silent for a while, her head lowered, her dark hair falling on both sides of her face, making it impossible to see her expression.

She simply stood there quietly, not answering Ling Xiao's question, as if lost in deep thought.

Seeing this, Ling Xiao crossed his arms, a slightly teasing smile appeared on his lips, and continued, "Miss Qin, I've discovered something very interesting."

"Do you want to know what it is?"

Qin Xianglan slowly raised her head, looked calmly at Ling Xiao, and gently shook her head, her gesture carrying a hint of cold indifference that kept people at a distance.

Ling Xiao sighed, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes. He slowly paced back and forth, saying, "Back then, we fought against the Demon Sea together. Everyone swore an oath to fight side by side, but what was the result?"

“We’re like a pile of loose sand here; we’ve never really been united.”

“That sanctuary, outwardly righteous, has repeatedly tried to kill me, treating me like a thorn in their side; apart from you and Liu Heng, everyone else has stood by and watched me fall into trouble.”

"I guess everyone else is probably hoping I'll disappear soon. In their eyes, I'm probably just a nuisance."

Qin Xianglan remained silent, but a complex emotion flashed in her eyes—guilt, helplessness, and an unspeakable heartache.

She bit her lip slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

Ling Xiao looked up into the distance, where a range of rolling mountains were tinged with orange-red in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He took a deep breath and continued, "I know my abilities are limited, and I can't be a savior."

"I don't have such grand ambitions as to save the whole world."

"I only hope that my friends, Batian City, and I can be safe and sound, and that everyone can have a place to settle down and make a living in this chaotic world. That's enough."

"But such a simple wish is so difficult to fulfill."

Qin Xianglan looked at Ling Xiao, her eyes filled with conflict, hesitant to speak.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, as if a thousand words were stuck in her throat.

Ling Xiao sighed, his eyes revealing deep weariness, and then said, "After the Demon Sea took over the territories of your forces, it carried out a large-scale massacre. Those innocent people, those comrades who once fought side by side, all suffered a terrible fate."

"I want to help you, but I'm outnumbered and powerless."

"I have done my best to get that young demon king to let Batian City go, even at the cost of dealing with and fighting against them, but this is all I can do."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xianglan sighed helplessly, her sigh like a drifting leaf, carrying endless loneliness and powerlessness.

She knew in her heart that Ling Xiao was telling the truth, and every word was like a sharp knife, precisely piercing the softest part of her heart.