Bing felt as if the ring wanted to get his attention.
"Haha what the h.e.l.l am I thinking? I'd certainly get whipped to death if I tried to hide anything from the demoness." He said to himself before exiting the room and meeting with Jing.
He showed her all the goodies he got from the Huan clan members.
"Alright set it on the floor so I can have a good look. There had to be something of worth inside that room since all these people are dead out here." Jing said.
A majority of the items were just different types of pills but amongst the items there were some mortal-ranked and earth-ranked martial arts and some more swords. She left the rings alone due to Li Li signaling to her that there was something strange about them.
"What is with the obsession with swords? Aren't there other weapons being sold?" Jing muttered in annoyance as she put the 20th sword inside her ring.
"Swords are seen as the king of all weapons, my Empress. The number of famous cultivators that use a weapon that isn't a sword can be counted on two hands." Bing informed.
"How boring." Jing commented as she put on the first ring.
Jing's mind was suddenly pulled inside the ring and she was taken into a whole new place. It looked as if she was inside a royal palace. There was an empty throne in front of her and luxurious and fancy designed furniture all around her. Art pieces of wonder and amazement littered the walls. Jing wondered where in the world has she been brought to and was about to start exploring this place but suddenly a mysterious old man appeared in front of her.
He was dressed like a servant and seemed to be staring at her with hate in his eyes.
"Leave immediately!" He roared.
Jing felt a fierce wave of qi smash into her. She was unable to keep her feet grounded and was sent flying into a painting on the wall. She smashed into the picture frame and fell to the soft velvety rug. Anger and annoyance rushed to her face. If she doesn't teach this old man the true meaning of pain, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.
Jing got up off the floor with no discernible injuries present on her. Her body healed them too quickly for her to even notice it.
"I will not teach you any of my martial arts you disgusting thief! You killed my heir and I will never forgive you." He announced.
"I don't need your permission! If I want something, I'm going to get it regardless of who stands in my way." Jing retorted.
"I'd like to see you try. Now leave my heirloom!" He shouted once more, this time forcefully making Jing exit from the mental plane.
Jing returned back to the ruins with Bing and Li Li. She blinked her eyes a few times before a p.i.s.sed off expression painted her face. Bing immediately bowed in submission while Li Li looked around for any threats.
"I'm fine. Don't mind me. Bing stay in that position for a moment." Jing said.
Jing inserted the ring inside her hand using 914's ability and started refining the ring on 1:1 mode. She consciously switched the ring out with a similar one without the powerful old ghost inside. The ring exited out of her opposite hand and she pulled it back inside herself and refined it on fine this time. The old man said he wouldn't teach her any of his martial arts but she didn't need his stinking techniques in the first place. She couldn't learn them even if she tried anyway because she wasn't even a cultivator yet!
Martial arts can only be utilized through qi. Something Jing does not have quite yet. Maybe she could make some for Li Li though. With 914's ability, she could certainly make something that doesn't exist, like for say a martial arts technique for birds. She'd have to experiment a few times once she reaches the sect, but for now she'll just put it on her to-do list.
Jing refined the ring on fine and made it so that a copy of the wearer would be able to request certain types of martial arts that the old man knew and show them step by step how to perform them and master them. The ring exited her opposite hand and she placed the ring inside her storage ring. This could be quite a good gift for one of her future underlings. Bing has been doing a good job so far, but this type of reward was far too good for him right now.
Jing then tried on the second ring and mentally braced herself to enter another weird plane but found out that she didn't feel anything. Nothing special happened when she put on the ring this time.
"Li Li, you said this one was strange too?" She asked.
Li Li nodded and Jing was confused.
"Empress, it might be that the ring needs qi to properly function. Some artifacts are able to bond with people through blood or qi." Bing suggested.
Jing used her nail to cut into the back of her arm. Her nail sliced her flesh quite easily and blood dripped on the ring. The trio waited for any sign of something special happening and still no success.
"Put this thing on and shoot some qi into it." Jing ordered.
"May I raise my head?" He asked carefully in case this was a trick question for her to just physically a.s.sault him.
"Hurry up and put it on."
Bing raised his head and struggled to put the ring around his fat index finger but managed to squeeze it on. Since Bing was a 2nd level qi gatherer, he wasn't able to infuse his qi into objects quite yet but he could use his qi to empower his body and strike the ring. Allowing the ring to take in his leftover qi from the attack.
The ring began to light up, blinding Bing. Li Li and Jing were fine due to their refinement. Bright lights couldn't blind them. The two of them saw a four-armed figure flashed on the surface of the ring as a light blue aura started flowing into Bing's head.
"Is this what qi looks like outside the body?" Jing questioned as she had no idea what else this blue stuff could be.
She tried to touch it as the blue gaseous stream was flowing into Bing's head but felt nothing as it pa.s.sed through her hand without any change. She didn't feel a change in temperature or any type of feeling as her hand move straight through it. The qi just continued to flow into Bing's head. Jing wondered what the h.e.l.l was even happening right now but the only person who could was currently knocked out. Bing's eyes were rolled to the back of his head and his mouth was gaping wide open.
This ghastly state didn't last long though. The ring stopped whatever it was doing and Bing returned back to his normal state. He was a bit out of it though but that didn't stop him from forming a smile on his face once he realized what kind of treasure he just gained.
"I'm waiting." Jing said.
Bing suddenly snapped out of it once he heard Jing's commanding tone and relayed what gains he just obtained.
"I've just been given 3 techniques Empress. One auxiliary, one body, and one movement martial arts." Bing shared.
"Go on show me." She said with interest in her voice.
"I won't be able to move much afterwards Empress if I go through all three of them. My qi will be mostly empty and I will barely be able to walk."
"We have pills. Hurry up and show me."
"Very well..." Bing said with nervousness in his voice.
The techniques he's just gained knowledge of will be very beneficial to him. They are all sky-ranked martial arts with the potential to rival heaven-ranked ones! As long as he trains diligently and continues to advance in his cultivation, his rise to the top will only be a matter of time and effort!
Bing had Jing and Li Li follow him back into the large room before. He told them to give him some s.p.a.ce and they did as he prepared to use the first technique he's gained. Devil's Arms, the auxiliary martial art. Most auxiliary martial arts utilize a special breathing pattern. This auxiliary skill in particular was special because if one trained this technique to the peak level, they would be capable of materializing hands the size of the heavens and more numerous that stars in the sky.
All martial arts have levels to them. Elementary, Initial, Intermediate, Advanced and Mastered. Training to the mastered stage of a martial arts is very rare unless you were the creator of the technique. The only way one can train to the peak of a martial skill is by fully comprehending the technique with their body, mind, and soul. If one can't comprehend a technique with all 3, they will forever be stuck at the high rank for the skill. Even if they spend 1000s of years practicing, it's all futile if they can't comprehend with their entire being.
Bing infused qi throughout his body as he performed the correct breathing pattern. Jing watched as Bing's flesh began to shift and move across his belly. The area beneath his arm pits started to flesh out and form into two secondary limbs. The fat on Bing's belly began to spread into the second pair of arms he's gained. It looked as if the fat was somehow turning into muscle as the second pair of arms looked very muscular in comparison to Bing's original arms which were flabby and smooth.
Jing watched Bing's new lean figure trying out his new arms.
"It feels completely natural..." Bing muttered.
"What else can you do besides have 4 arms?" Jing asked.
"Well.. I feel like I can move all four of them differently without any problems and I don't think I have a dominant arm anymore. I feel like I can move them all the same." Bing said as he put his shield in each hand and tried out different moves with them.
'There has to be something more to it than just growing arms...' Jing thought.
"Alright get on to the next one." Jing said.
This second martial art was called Devil's Physique. It was a body martial skill which meant he had to circulate qi throughout his body in a special pattern. If this skill was trained to the mastered stage, it is said that the user will be able to roam throughout the heavens with their body without an equal and crush all that oppose them. If he circulated his qi the wrong way, he could risk crippling himself or failing the skill entirely. The higher ranked the martial arts, the more precise and complicated the patterns are.
Bing took extra precaution in performing this skill. He sat in a meditative pose and closed his eyes. Fully focused and concentrated on moving his qi in the correct pathways through his body. To Jing, it seemed that this skill was much harder than the one before it. Sweat was dripping from every inch of Bing's body. His eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on moving his qi exactly how he wanted. Flowing through his blood, beautifully coating his muscles, weaving through his bones. His qi traveled through his entire frame enhancing his physique.
Bing exhaled the impurities inside his body from his mouth in the form of a black smog. He calmly rose up from the ground and began flexing as he felt a newfound source of energy surging throughout his body.
"I feel like a whole new Ai Bing!" He said with glee and excitement.
To show off his new strength he stomped the ground with as much force as he could, causing it to shatter beneath him. Jing nodded with a satisfied look on her face.
"Block this." She said as he kicked towards his face without holding back much.
Bing was still frightened of the demoness but with the technique he just gained surely, he should be able to defend himself now shouldn't he? To be extra careful he cross guarded with all four of his arms against Jing's kick. The kick landed onto his arms and a pained expression appeared on his face. The weight behind Jing's kick was far more than he was expecting! He felt like his bones were on the verge of cracking from that single blow alone. She was definitely holding back on him earlier when she physically abused him or he'd be crippled by now!
The s.a.d.i.s.tic grin painting her face made Bing's face pale. She wasn't going all out in the slightest. She was toying with him, putting him in his place so he doesn't get too big a head from this. Saying that even with 3 sky-ranked martial arts, she's still his Master. With a sullen but understanding look, he dropped his guard and bowed his head.
"Smarter than you look. You're impressing me more and more. Now quickly show me the last one so we can leave this dirty place." Jing said with a pleased smile on her face.
"Yes Empress." Bing responded.
The final sky-ranked martial skill he was given was called Swift Devil. It was a movement martial art that gave the user the speed of a devil. If trained to the peak level, one could move with enough force to shatter mountains and split oceans. Bing was most afraid to try movement technique. This was because he had no idea how fast he would be moving. He just hoped his body technique was strong enough to protect him from any serious damage.
Bing moved to the far end of the opposite side of the room as he ate a qi pill and used the qi for his technique. He flowed his qi through his lower body in the pattern listed for the technique and braced himself as he felt a surge of strength rushing from his legs. He hoped the demoness would be ready with recovery pills in case this turns out horribly. Or at the very least has enough humanity to catch him before he crashes into something. With her strength, catching him should be easy enough right?
"Hurry up!" Jing ordered.
Bing's clothes were already soaked in sweat. He doubted he could sweat any further. But orders are orders...
"Swift Devil!" Bing shouted before vanishing from his previous spot.
Jing watched as her slave's speed increased to the point where it was almost hard for her to notice him. If she wasn't focused on him, he would definitely be nothing more than a blur. This skill could be very useful. As a sneak attack and a method of getting away. Jing would have no chance of catching up to Bing if he used this consistently. But she's sure that he wouldn't be able to get very far based on how he looks right now.
Bing managed to stop himself just before he collided with the walls of the ruin and was breathing heavily. It seems his movement technique takes more on his body than his actual qi to work. He was crouched over taking big gulps of air. He was secretly pleased that he was able to control himself and be aware of his surroundings while he was using the skill.
"Alright let's go back up. Carry me." Jing ordered as she placed her thighs around Bing's neck.
Her smooth brown legs hung across Bing's chest. Li Li stayed perched on her shoulder and Bing slowly got up after catching his breathe. He stopped using his auxiliary technique and returned back to his original round appearance. He would be in heaven right now if a girl that wasn't the demoness did this. Her body is simply too lacking for him to find any small pleasures in this. He would never show his dissatisfaction on his face though, he was positive she would break him apart if he did. So, Bing carried Jing and Li Li all the way back to the surface with a goofy smile on his face.
