Chapter 778 - 767: The Crow on the Celestial Ladder

After all, Ding Ling’s reputation precedes him.

For any player daring to offend him, Ding Ling would take ruthless action.

Countless players have been killed by Ding Ling.

In forums of the real world, there are dedicated threads analyzing Ding Ling’s character.

Through countless data analysis, players have generally understood and seen through Ding Ling’s character.

They know that Ding Ling repays kindness, seeks revenge, and is decisive in killing, unwilling to associate much with players.

If it weren’t like this.

Players probably would have swarmed him long ago.

...

In the following days.

Ding Ling stayed at the Prince’s Mansion, discussing Dao with Tong Yuan, Wang Yue, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, and others.

In the evenings, he accompanied Diao Chan and the others practicing the Martial Dao True Understanding.

During the day, he took time out of his busy schedule to guide Cao Ang and Cao Chong a bit.

Ding Ling had also deciphered Cao Chong’s "True Sun Skill" and personally established his foundation.

Due to Cao Chong’s extremely special physique, his body naturally carried a bit of True Sun Flame.

Thus, Ding Ling only needed to guide this bit of true flame to successfully open up Cao Chong’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Yet since Cao Chong was physically weak, opening them all at once could easily lead to the true flame backfiring and causing harm.

Therefore.

Ding Ling opened one meridian for Cao Chong per day.

Like this for eight days.

After the Eight Meridians were all connected.

Ding Ling began guiding Cao Chong in practicing the True Sun Skill.

Initially, there was no need to directly absorb the sun’s fire qi; Cao Chong only needed to face himself, gradually drawing and refining the pure true flame power within his body for his own use.

Once completely absorbed and refined, the foundation establishment was considered successful.

By then, he could attempt to absorb the sun’s fire qi in the sky.

If he could indeed absorb the sun’s fire qi.

Over time, Cao Chong becoming a Fire God was definitely not out of reach.

Everything proceeded step by step.

Diao Chan, Zhen Jiang, and others grew increasingly strong.

Each, with Ding Ling’s full assistance, drew a strand of Martial Arts True Qi and paved their path toward becoming a Grandmaster.

Each one of them now became a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

Moreover, they were Grandmasters who practiced Immortal Level Magic and Skill, with exceptionally stable foundations!

In reverse ascension, they could easily cut down ordinary Shattering Level experts.

But Ding Ling was still not satisfied.

He intended to make a concerted effort to cultivate Diao Chan, Da and Xiao Qiao, Du Qingcheng, and others into Shattering Level experts, so he could leave with peace of mind.

However, it was on this very day.

Zhao Yun reported that a crow flew straight into the Celestial Ladder, beyond their pursuit.

"A crow?"

Ding Ling stood with his hands behind his back, looking towards the direction of the Celestial Ladder:

"Is it Zuo Ci?"

’It should be.’

Under Ding Ling’s guidance, Zhao Yun’s Martial Dao True Understanding had already reached entry level. Nowadays, he grew stronger just by walking and eating. Over time, he had completely changed; his aura was particularly intimidating, evident to all as a top expert:

"He briefly exchanged blows with me, was defeated, got injured, screamed, and dissipated into smoke. Moments later, he suddenly reformed into a crow shape in mid-air and rapidly shot toward the Celestial Ladder. I pursued but he escaped. To avoid delaying the news, I reported back to the Prince immediately!"

"I’ll go take a look."

Ding Ling took a step, and in the next moment, he was beside the Celestial Ladder.

Pan Feng was stationed here with his army, and upon seeing Ding Ling, he immediately saluted respectfully.

The other soldiers, with fervent zeal, looked at Ding Ling, loudly cheering "Prince!"

Ding Ling nodded with a smile, and with another step, he ascended the Celestial Ladder, turning lightly, resembling a wisp of smoke, vanishing in front of Pan Feng and the others in the blink of an eye.

Pan Feng and the others were amazed:

"No wonder he is the Prince! That crow may have fled swiftly, but if it were any slower and encountered the Prince, it surely wouldn’t have escaped death!"

Among these soldiers were also players.

Players were convinced that Ding Ling intended to leave this world and would likely step onto the Celestial Ladder.

Moreover, with Ding Ling dispatching Zhao Yun and Pan Feng to guard the Celestial Ladder, something significant must be at hand, prompting astute players to join the guard.

Unsurprisingly, seeing Ding Ling up close, their hearts burned with fervor:

"Ding Ling is much more handsome than I imagined! Also, his aura and charm are extremely high."

"That’s secondary; the most crucial thing is, he is too strong. With a spin, he darted into the clouds. Such speed is indeed just like what those under Zang Ba described, so fast the naked eye can’t catch!"

"Ding Ling is already so strong. Do you think a nuclear missile could defeat him?"

"I think not. A nuclear missile is powerful, but Ding Ling seems even faster! Whether an airplane can catch up with Ding Ling is questionable, let alone hitting him. And with such speed, who can guess how high his defense might be? Perhaps Ding Ling could withstand a nuclear missile without a scratch now?"

...

Players whispered among themselves.

Their envy and jealousy of Ding Ling reached a pinnacle.

Certainly, they also ardently wished that Ding Ling would leave behind some top-notch Divine Skills and Secret Techniques so that they could save much effort, but alas, Ding Ling was high above, like someone from another world, making it incredibly difficult to converse with him, let alone seek his guidance!

"How exactly can we gain Ding Ling’s favor?"

Players worried.

...

...

Ding Ling activated the Celestial Patrol Step, covering several hundred miles with a step, like a deity traversing the mortal realm. Before long, he had unknowingly journeyed thousands, tens of thousands of miles.

At the end of the Celestial Ladder, he saw a crow taking flight.

The crow was entirely black as ink, looking rather familiar.

Ding Ling briefly recalled, freezing on a past scene: a crow suddenly appeared on the phoenix tree in the Prince’s Mansion’s front courtyard!

"Zuo Ci."

Ding Ling took a stride, floating out like smoke, reaching the crow’s front in an instant, blocking its path to the ’Gate of Glory’.

"It’s you!"

The crow widened its eyes in horror, its pair of black wings flapping faster. It tried several times to bypass Ding Ling and enter the Gate of Glory, but failed. Desperate, it cawed sharply, suddenly turning into green smoke and disappearing.

Ding Ling’s Seeking Truth Dao Eye activated, his gaze like a torch, in a moment locking onto a position in the void, pointing it out!

Whoosh!

A Sword Qi shot forth, like a meteor, hitting an object with a bang, followed by a scream as a crow fell from mid-air, rolling down the Celestial Ladder.

Ding Ling did not intervene, simply watching it quietly.

He could see that this crow was merely one of Zuo Ci’s incarnations.

Only possessing part of Zuo Ci’s Soul Division.

By now.

Ding Ling’s Martial Dao reached Tongtian, his strength and cultivation compared to the Three Kingdoms era was worlds apart, so he thought slightly.

He pondered through the reasoning and rationale within.

Undoubtedly, Zuo Ci must have divided a soul portion to inhabit a crow’s body, and then, using the Soul-Devouring Skill, devoured the crow’s soul, allowing him to fully control the crow’s body.