When people had their innate talent awakened, for some, it happened all at once. For others, it would persist over a period of time. Regardless, innate talent in general wasn’t capable of being cultivated. However, it could grow and mature to a certain extent, just like humans could unlock the potential in their brains. Every person’s limit was 100%, and some would be able to unlock and access more of it, and others less of it. For those who could unlock more, they were able to reach around 20%, and were considered as incredible geniuses. As for 100%, that was simply unimaginable and unheard of.
Thus, a person’s innate talent could only improve, and never worsen. But for 99% of people who awoke their innate talent, it would awaken in a flash, and within this group, those whose innate talent could grow were considered exceptions.
So Li Xuan’s actions were naturally done with reason, and were the manifestation of the traditional ‘7th Xing Tempering Skill’, rumored to be able to awaken 7th Xing innate talent. Then if Li Mo was able to unlock such a level, it wouldn’t be surprising to other people.
However, this process had to progress slowly and steadily. But, in order to speed up Li Mo’s cultivation a bit more, Li Xuan had chosen to just hide his innate talent instead of directly sealing it off.
Slowly, once Li Mo matured and felt that his inner strength was a bit off, he would inspect his body in detail only to discover it. Then, he wouldn’t conceal it, and would simply credit the effect to the ‘7th Xing Tempering Skill’, so that n.o.body would connect it with Li Xuan.
This world was so enormous and strange. If he wasn’t strong enough, what would happen if people found out that he could improve other people’s innate talent? Such an incident would simply shake the whole world, and could he still desire to live then? This fact would probably be even more earth-shaking than *Tang Seng Meat (唐僧肉).
(*TL: Tang Seng Meat, or táng sēng ròu, is a term originating from a renowned Chinese novel called The Journey to the West, and was believed to bestow immortality among consumption. As such, many monsters drooled and yearned for it, and because of its benefits, it incited the pursuit of many, even to the extent that no cost would be spared to obtain it.)
Li Xuan understood this, and so did Li Mo. Hence, the fact that they had restored their strength was naturally kept secret. As for recovering their wounds and innate talent, there wasn’t a true need to keep quiet about it as much because some higher grade pills or high-level praying techniques were able to heal these issues. It was just that if common people were crippled, then naturally they wouldn’t have enough money to recover. However, for those with money such as the n.o.bility, such a matter wasn’t significant.
Therefore, on the aspect of recovery, it wouldn’t attract too much attention.
“Big bro, it’s done. After around ten days of rest, yep, everything will be totally recovered. At that time, your cultivation will have basically recovered entirely as well.” Li Xuan chuckled and confidently said.
“Ah—finally, it’s finally recovered. From now on, I don’t ever want to get wounded again, not because I’m afraid of getting hurt, but because of this torturous method of yours, brat. To even make one’s soul tremble, even thinking about it is a nightmare…” Li Mo’s face twitched a bit. He was only able to bear that soul-piercing pain because of his strong willpower, yet his face was still as pale as paper. If it was any other ordinary person, that person would likely faint from pain, then wake up and faint from pain again, the cycle repeating several hundred times.
“Big Bro, this is also a kind of test for you. En, once you’ve fully recovered, it may even be that your innate talent has improved. After all, innate talent manifested during awakening doesn’t necessarily completely awaken all at once.” Li Xuan laughed as he spoke.
“If it really is like that, Big Bro wouldn’t care even if he had to endure that pain hundreds of thousands of more times. But…” Li Mo let out a bitter laugh. That helpless feeling of not being able to control one’s innate talent really made a person feel sorrowful.
Innate talent was like a container of water. The bigger the container, the more water it would be able to carry, and without a container, even if you wanted to fill something with water, it would naturally be very difficult.
4th Xiang innate talent allowed one to cultivate until 4th Xiang without any worries or bottlenecks. There would only be complications during the subsequent cultivation. If one had no innate talent whatsoever, without even reaching the first layer, forget about cultivating speed, it would be very hard to just understand the natural law of the world and sense any magic elements. Cultivation speed without innate talent could be described in one word: slow.
In regards to average people, people with 2nd Hui innate talent were all considered geniuses. However, to large clans, if you didn’t have even 3rd Fen or 4th Xiang innate talent, then you could only be considered as mediocre. This was because if others progressed without any bottlenecks, and you were still bitterly comprehending the realms, then the disparity would grow far too great.
Concerning one’s understanding of the realms, each level was undoubtedly harder than the previous one. Hence, the level of innate talent was of paramount importance.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the heavens won’t turn their back on a person who painstakingly tries!” Li Xuan cautiously commented.
“Well said! Since I’ve already stood up, the road is simply beneath my feet. Just because I don’t have innate talent means that I can’t become a genius or an expert? Who says that an expert absolutely must have innate talent!” After hearing Li Xuan’s words, a sudden surge of willpower and determination burst forth in Li Mo’s heart, as if at this very moment, an expert’s mindset had been ignited.
“Good! With this kind of att.i.tude, why would Big Bro need to worry about whether he can become strong!” Li Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He knew that Li Mo had finally gotten back up.
In that case, the only other regret was that adorable, but pitiful young girl who left home.
(TL: Author uses the word loli but… I don’t really think it quite fits in this situation)
Ai, what a sin.
“Xuan Er, if you’re ready, then let’s get going!” Outside the door, Li Xuan’s father, Li Ning, had already changed into a faint cyan magic robe, and this magic robe was Li Ning’s best outfit. He normally couldn’t bear to wear it.
“Father, Big Bro’s going to come with me.” Li Xuan immediately replied.
“No need. Just us two as father and son are enough to cancel the marriage agreement. It doesn’t matter much to us, the main point is just to let them know of the cancellation.” Li Ning rejected Li Xuan’s proposal.
“Big Bro, since Father said no, then—”
“Don’t worry, go ahead. Big Bro understands. These things are only small things, and what should make Big Bro happy is that you are growing up!”
“Alright. Big Bro, I’m leaving now.”
“En! She will definitely regret it!”
Only when they began walking on the road did Li Xuan finally realize what ‘backbiting’ meant, because on the road, the gazes of everyone exuded ridicule, mockery, despise, disdain, and once in a while, a few young women from the slums would give him a ‘what a pity’ look. This kind of feeling made Li Xuan’s att.i.tude as a peak martial artist crumble a bit, involuntarily.
At this moment, he began to think that all he observed and noticed really expressed things too clearly.
As for Li Ning, he simply stood straight and stuck his chest out, neither servile nor overbearing, and totally ignored the different gazes and expressions of the pa.s.sing people.
Once they had left the slums and arrived on the common road of Meiyue District, Li Ning directly headed for a dark, castle-like building.
On the common streets, this house was considered as pretty extravagant, but only in the commoners district, because this house couldn’t even compare to the next district where the n.o.bility resided.
“Aiya, it’s actually Brother Li. Oh, A-Xuan has also come. Coincidentally, Lisa is home right now. En, please come in, come in.” A middle-aged man walked over, and when he saw Li Ning, he immediately exposed a smile and conducted himself very courteously.
“Brother Reid, the main reason we came today is about the marriage agreement between our two houses.” After pondering for a while, Li Ning informed Reid as he walked in.
He was a straightforward person, and concerning the Reid whom he had friendly relations with, he didn’t feel like playing any games.
Embarra.s.sment immediately flashed over Reid’s aged face, and he immediately sighed helplessly, his whole person seeming to have become haggard and old in an instant: “Brother Li, I’ve already heard about this matter. I, Reid, apologize to you, but since it pained A-Xuan to the point of killing himself, this marriage need no longer persist.”
“This 4th Xiang 1st layer magical beast core is to serve as my apology to you, Brother Xiong—”
Right as Reid took out the magical beast core, a shrill voice split the air, interrupting him: “Father, although Balan (伯兰) gifted this core to you, it really should be for my use. Humph! You were actually going to give it to this useless person!”
“Impudent! Don’t tell me that your father’s life isn’t even worth one magical beast core?!”
As Reid suddenly roared, his two eyes had turned red.
Lisa suddenly blanked, then her eyes also turned red. Looking towards Li Xuan, she said in a voice full of hatred: “You piece of trash, you useless person. Even if you get this magical beast core, you’ll still forever be someone who’ll never stand in the spotlight, you—”
“Pa—”
A resonant slap abruptly silenced the whole parlor.
Li Xuan’s figure flashed, and he immediately stepped back. As he used a napkin to wipe his hands, a cold and fierce voice said disdainfully: “Lisa, you don’t need to rail and shout before me! This magical beast core isn’t even something I’d value! I’m telling you now that in my eyes, you are only a clown, an ant!”
“Today, I’ve come to settle this matter of cancelling the marriage agreement! The past Li Xuan has already died, and the Li Xuan from now on will be an existence you can never hope to match!”
After saying this, Li Xuan threw the agreement of cancelling the marriage signed by both parties into the air.
On this agreement, the original resolute, clear, and forceful writing of Reid and Li Ning immediately seemed to have turned a bit dazzling.
“Father, we’re leaving!”
“Brother Reid, we’ll be taking our leave now. Your debt has already been paid, and from now on, we are no longer a.s.sociated!” Li Ning stared deeply into Reid’s eyes, then immediately turned and left.
As for that agreement drifting in the air, all of a sudden it exploded in the air, bursting into countless flames upon combustion, and it formed the character, ‘休’ (TL: rest, cease), lingering for a long while after.
This character held a clear implication, that Li Xuan had ‘broke’ it off with Lisa!
This feat required a terrifying level of elemental energy control and elemental affinity, and as a matter a fact, it basically required an incredibly terrifying level of innate talent!
This feat, Li Xuan had simply casually performed, and when Reid saw this, his face immediately went pale.
And this moment, with both her hands cradling her swollen cheek, Lisa didn’t dare to believe that that cowardly and incompetent piece of trash actually had the audacity to slap her!
This cowardly and incompetent piece of trash could actually control the fire element with such a perfect degree of achievement!
The man in front of Reid who was almost like his grandchild, could actually break through Balan’s forbidden seal and recover his innate talent?
No, no, this was impossible! Absolutely impossible!
“Li Xuan, just because you’ve recovered your innate talent doesn’t mean that I’d long for you! I will forever trample you beneath my feet, and make you kneel and lick my toes! I am going to make you pay for slapping me today!”
Lisa’s heart suddenly surged with monstrous, billowing waves, and an intense hatred began to blaze violently!