Two months passed like a flow of water in the river. Yes, that was actually rather fast but for someone who regards time as priceless, that was far too short!

‘Two months already. Although my research about this world’s energy and around cultivation has progressed further at the same time. It was also because of Ye Yingyuan.’

Manstein just silently let the boy played with the girl. And when he talked about play, in reality they were sparring! But the problem started because this time it was started to cold outside, the nature had given its signal for the Autumn Season.

Ye Yingyuan prepared his stance and perfected his position of his sword. While at the other side, Li Ling had also done the same, with her own technique and stance of course.

Ye Yingyuan widened the gap between his feet and at the same time, gripped his sword and pointed it at Li Ling. This was his new style after learning and sparring with her for two months.

Li Ling could not lose out and she changed her feet position. Her saber was emitting a faint light that could only be seen by only them!

“HAAA!” eventually, Ye Yingyuan charged first with the sword’s tip totally pointed towards Li Ling. But Li Ling just easily lifted the saber and unexpectedly, could change the direction the sword was aiming.

But Ye Yingyuan also had more ways to deal with this. He released the sword and using his hand, he formed a certain pattern and then he used his energy to create a sword that formed from pure energy.

But the form of the sword was rough and unstable. He just directly slashed it at Li Ling without minding his sword that he discarded. Li Ling who was about to be hit by the energy sword suddenly moved her saber in an elegant and beautiful dance.

With every move, she could repel the part of the energy the energy sword had. But Ye Yingyuan once again jumped and retrieved his original sword and swung his sword that formed a white line.

The sounds of two metal collided against each other could be heard. They clashed for about three seconds before they separate. The exchange for arms strength at that time was actually to gauge the power that the opponent had.

“Your arms strength are increasing again!” said Ye Yingyuan. Then he breathed in and out some energy to circulate them in and out.

“Mm, you too.” Li Ling proudly smiled towards Ye Yingyuan. She also developed some countermeasures against the attack that Ye Yingyuan would execute but it was also the same for Ye Yingyuan himself.

“Are you ready to be defeated by me? Take a look at this move!” Ye Yingyuan moved at the speed that eyes could not catch the movement for half a second. This was the most stressing movement Ye Yingyuan used.

Seeing that he was disappeared for a moment made Li Ling focused her sense and felt the air around her to detect anything that would come to her. This was Li Ling’s natural way of detecting and react to it according to the movement by the enemy.

‘Here I come!’ Ye Yingyuan who had seen the blindspot behind Li Ling was ready to strike. He moved his sword diagonally and it was aimed at Li Ling’s back!

Ye Yingyuan had a happy expression because he had trained this move within these two months!

Just as the sword was about to get at the point blank, a light made the sword that previously moved at the fixed direction was stopped. When the light dimed, a saber could be seen to block the sword’s tip from touching the body that was behind.

“How!?” this made Ye Yingyuan surprised to the deep of his heart. Despite his training in special movement, but Ye Yingyuan in the end could not end it in his favor!

“You lose!” Li Ling said and then humming happily. Though she had done it in a manner that like enjoying the fight but actually she also feared that moment when Ye Yingyuan escaped from her sight!

“I still lose in the end...” Ye Yingyuan dejected once again.

Actually, ever since Ye Yingyuan helped Li Ling in her technique, he was pushed toward the line of a battle where he could only lose or draw at best. Even when their level was just a slim difference but Ye Yingyuan still lost to Li Ling.

“No, actually your movement at the last moment really caught me off guard.” Said Li Ling when she tried to help Ye Yingyuan stood up.

Ye Yingyuan patted the dirt in his clothes before looked at Li Ling. ‘Just why she often come here?’ Ye Yingyuan thought for the moment.

“Oh, is that so? But how can you do that? Is there any secrets to do it?” asked Ye Yingyuan with his pleaded and pitiful face. This was done in order to make Li Ling said the words he wanted to hear.

“Not much, just read some books!” Li Ling clearly knew about him wanted to use this method to extract the information he wanted but how could she do that so easily?

“Read some books? Are you kidding me?” the longer Ye Yingyuan had interacted with Li Ling, the more things he could know about her. For him, it was clear that Li Ling did not want to tell him straight!

“Of course not.” Li Ling stuck her tongue out.

‘Hah, what a play.’ After completed the research and some additional case, Manstein needed to take a look to the outside world. Being caged in another body that he had no control over made him worry about some things.

Currently, half of his theory was considered correct. The first, he could not maintain his condition for a long time. It was because the different soul would try to devour one whose the power was weaker.

If the two souls merge, one of the soul’s owner would definitely die and for the other, they would absorb everything the loser’s soul possess like memories.

‘This two months, I can’t even shift my attention to something else entirely just because of some doubts in me. Well, at least there is no disruption from outside.’

He also checked the condition of every single person he had encountered before, even to the point where Manstein was almost confused to filter the information.

The overall condition could be said like this. Right now, Xuan City was in normal condition and its people still lived normally, which was nice. But it was not the same for its mayor and the people from Ye Residence.

The first thing that happened was almost two months ago when the merchants and some children were playing outside the city. It was very usual for the children to play outside the city as long as someone watched over them.

But someone appeared from nowhere and started to kidnapping them. Of course, the caretaker whose task was to watch over those children also ended the same.

Luckily, a few days later they all came back. No one was hurt and the only thing that left troublesome was that they could not remember the person or the place they were brought to.

And in the end, that case was labeled as mysterious kidnapping by someone who could cultivate. But this was not the only case that happened.

Few weeks after that, there was also a report from several merchants that traveled from and to the city stated that some people had bought all of their product which was somehow unbelievable.

‘That was the recent news. Anyway, I can only think of that particular person who make such a ruckus. Whoever it was, I’m sure that they need something and can buy batch even from the most expensive goods.’

But the most confusing part about it was the first case of kidnapping. Anything was normal after that, no more kidnapping as if the culprit had gone with the wind.

Manstein could only speculate and therefore he just leisurely enjoys his life in the soul realm. As for the owner of the body? The person himself was prepared for something grand and dangerous.

‘Oh, I almost forget about it!’ Manstein just remembered something about obstacle when someone wanted to breakthrough to the next stage in cultivation. ‘Will it affect me as well?’

What he talked about was actually a tribulation. Speaking about tribulation, everyone that cultivated with these energy that appeared from the heaven and earth was learned about it and in turn could prepared for it.

On that day, the sparring had come to the end once again. Ye Yingyuan was lost in thought, rewinding the event a few minutes ago. He still held his sword, instead of released his grip.

‘That second when I focused all my attention to hit her with my strike, I feel it.’ Even if it was faint, Ye Yingyuan would feel the power that appeared from that time.

‘What is it that I do that time?’ he wanted to recreate that event once again but this was only a joke!

“Yingyuan, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” seeing that Ye Yingyuan dazed off for a long time and did not respond made her heart filled with worry so she asked.

‘Wake up!’ from the soul realm, Manstein shouted. Because of that, Ye Yingyuan moved his eyebrows and his eyes returned to normal.

“Hm, what?” Ye Yingyuan remembered that he still stood at the same position. But then he suddenly felt that in his sword, a string of power could be felt. So he swung it in the direction where there was no one.

That direction was also where Ye Yingyuan could see a leaf was floating.

Nothing happened. This made Ye Yingyuan dropped his shoulders in disappointment. “It was said that the lowest level in intent can make your sword cut leaves at the certain distance.” Murmured Ye Yingyuan.

“From the looks of it, I’m still too early to completely master the basic of intent.” In the end, he could only sigh for a long time. He was surprised when his back was hit.

He turned around to realize that Li Ling had seen everything. He swung the sword actually could not escape from her sight.

“Are you trying to do something?” actually she had used the time to analyze the power that resides in the sword when Ye Yingyuan had swung it.

“Not much, just a try. Let’s go inside and wait for my father.”

-

At the entrance of the city, most people that walked in the street wore more robes to fight against the low temperature outside. They just walked away like in the previous month without much problem.

At this time, two guards inspected the people that came to the city. Although right now it was near the winter, the trade between cities still worked and stable.

“Next one, what did you bring?” their sights landed on some carriages that the person in front of them had.

“This is the esteemed guest that came here to visit someone at Ye Residence. I hope that you will inform them about it. Here, take this as a proof.” It was the driver of the carriage that talked with these two guards.

He took the token from his sleeves and revealed the item he had spoken of.

“This is...” seeing the token, they were surprised in their heart. Only a few people could have this kind of token because that token was actually used in this very city!

“From your face, I understand that you recognize this token.” The driver stated the fact and now he was smiling.

Then, a hundred soldiers came towards the city’s entrance. “The mayor....he also in the crowd of the soldiers!” someone exclaimed loudly which could be heard by everyone present.

Then they saw the figure that became their leader and ruler in this city. His large body and leather clothing made him attract so much attention because his clothes were different from other people.

“From here on, I will take care of this guest.” Said Li Dian to those two guards that kneeling before him.

“Thank you!” that words made them relieved and at the same time, they also guessed that the guest this time was someone with a great prestige.

Li Dian walked towards the carriage while he himself was basked with the stare of every person that stood near him. Soon, the carriage’s door was opened and someone walked out from inside.