Due to his sealed cultivation base, Ling Tian didn't even manage to sleep well the past half a month.
Finally, having returned to normal, his tense nerves could relax again.
He managed to sleep sweetly tonight.
"Holy Son, wake up."
A soft voice rang in his ears. Ling Tian opened his eyes slightly, seeing a beautiful girl standing by the bed, his clothes in hand.
"Holy Son, it's time to eat breakfast," the beautiful sister whispered.
Her name was Aqin. Originally a noble daughter of the Shen family, she angered the Ling family, which ended in her whole family being annexed. She herself ended up becoming Ling Tian's maid later on.
But this was not the end of her tragic fate.
After she came to Sacred Heaven Sect, Ling Tian took her in to serve him in his daily needs. It's not because of how much he liked her. On the contrary, Aqin suffered quite a torment under his hands. Scoldings and beatings were just part of her general treatment. If not for the sect's rules prohibiting relations between men and women, she would have already ended up as his Human Cauldron.
As for why Ling Tian decided to take her in, it was mostly because she was as obedient as a dog.
"Aqin is wrong. Please punish me, Holy Son!"
When Ling Tian's gaze fell on her body, Aqin fell into a panic, immediately dropping down on her knees.
Seeing her still bruised body, Ling Tian couldn't help but shake his head. Such a beautiful girl, how could the previous owner of my body do something like that to her?
"You didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to apologize to me," Ling Tian said.
Aqin became even more panicked when she heard this. She suddenly banged her head on the ground.
"Aqin is wrong, please punish me!" she prostrated herself on the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably. Evidently, her fear was at its worst.
Ling Tian sighed. A psychological trauma like this, acquired over many years, couldn't just be healed overnight. With just a sudden change in temperament, she would eventually still hold doubts. The best way would be to keep the current status quo and slowly change it over time for the better.
"Get up and help me dress," he said lightly.
"Yes." Aqin stood up and served Ling Tian skillfully and gently.
He was dressed in a pure white brocade robe with golden openwork trimming on its inside.
Sporting a piece of transparent jade hanging on his pristine white belt on his waist, he looked as handsome and noble as a charming and elegant lord.
Aqin looked at him without blinking.
"Do I look good?" Ling Tian asked.
Aqin nodded earnestly, "Holy Son is the best!"
Ling Tian couldn't help but pinch her small face. "You have good eyes, girl."
After speaking to her, he got up and left. With him gone the room turned quiet.
Aqin covered her cheek, opening her small mouth slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She stood frozen in place, like a statue, for a long time.
—
After breakfast, Ling Tian wandered around with his hands behind his back.
Due to his Dao Devouring Cultivation Method, he was able to cultivate at all times no matter what he was doing, so there was no reason for him to focus on meditation anymore.
Which in terms just meant he had nothing to do.
"Hello, Holy Son."
"Hail Holy Son!"
All the disciples he met along the way greeted him respectfully. Though Ling Tian kept a cold and indifferent expression throughout all of this.
"Holy Son!" At this time, a soft cry sounded out behind him.
Ling Tian turned his head and saw a pretty girl standing behind him. Her eyes narrowed to crescents as she smiled at him.
"Junior Sister?" Ling Tian raised his brows.
If someone had to be blamed for the misunderstanding between him and the sect master the day before it should be her.
Li Xinran smiled happily. "Good morning, Holy Son. I haven't seen you for just one day and it seems you have become even more handsome."
Do I need your reminder?
Ling Tian said coldly, "Good morning, why are you standing here instead of going to cultivate?"
Evidently, Li Xinran was already accustomed to his attitude. She smiled, "Holy Son, I have made rapid progress in my cultivation. I am now in the late stage of Qi Refining and even Elder Su called me a little genius!"
Her tone was rather coquettish, similar to a child waiting to be praised.
"What does it matter to me?"
Before Ling Tian could speak these words, the system's voice sounded out in his head.
[New mission available.]
[Please give guidance to the junior sister's cultivation problems to help her make progress. While the protagonist waits for his sister to come receive him at the foot of mountain.]
[The quality of the reward depends on the degree of the completion of the task!]
Ling Tian's pupils constricted slightly.
The protagonist… already?
According to the original plot, this person should still be struggling at the bottom of the cultivation world, getting bullied by outer disciples, accumulating resentment and opportunities like a compressed spring.
And now—
He's already coming to the Sacred Heaven Sect?
Ling Tian felt an invisible pressure settle on his shoulders.
The system never issued missions without reason. Especially not mentioning the protagonist so casually, as if it were just another NPC arriving late for breakfast.
'So he's here to receive his sister…' Ling Tian muttered internally.
That meant Li Xinran.
Ling Tian's gaze shifted back to the smiling girl in front of him.
"Holy Son?" Li Xinran was still waiting for his praise.
"Genius? Oh, are you now?" Ling Tian sneered.
Li Xinran pouted and was not satisfied with his words. "Elder Su said it personally. He said that I am very talented and our sects cultivation method is a good fit for me. He said my future achievements will be very great!"
"Talent… hehe~" Ling Tian shook his head and said, "You are sixteen years old this year, right? When I was your age, I had already entered into the Golden Core state. Meanwhile, you are still only at Qi Refining. You couldn't even reach Foundation Establishment so far."
"With such low talent, you dare to call yourself a genius in front of me?"
"That's ridiculous!"
Ling Tian's indifferent voice was as cold as winter itself.
The disciples on the side couldn't help but shudder. This really was our Holy Son's style. He was just unrelenting!
Li Xinran's small mouth slumped into a frown. Her round eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Ling Tian said with a poker face, "Do you not believe me?"
Li Xinran bit her lip, lowered her head, and said nothing.
"Nevermind, then I'll give you a chance to prove yourself."
"How do I prove myself?" Li Xinran raised her head.
"Fight with me." Ling Tian said casually.
"What?!" Li Xinran froze in place.
The air froze.
Several passing disciples nearly stumbled over their own feet.
"B-battle?" Li Xinran stared at him in disbelief. "Holy Son, you're… joking, right?"
Ling Tian looked at her quietly, his expression unreadable.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Li Xinran swallowed.
But instead of fear, excitement flickered in her eyes.
"To receive guidance from Holy Son… is that really okay?" she asked hesitantly.
Ling Tian turned around and started walking. "Come to the martial platform in one incense stick's time."
"Holy Son—!" she hurriedly followed two steps before stopping. "Will you… go easy on me?"
Ling Tian didn't turn his head.
"If I do," he said flatly, "you'll never know how far you really are from being a genius."
Li Xinran's heart thumped violently.
So cool…
As expected of Holy Son!
—
News spread faster than fire on dry grass.
"The Holy Son is personally guiding Junior Sister Li!"
"They're going to spar!"
"Isn't she the disciple Elder Su praised recently?"
"Bold! How dare she challenge the Holy Son!"
Within moments, the martial platform was surrounded by disciples.
Li Xinran, gladly, took her position in the martial platform. She bowed her head, her body slightly shivering.
Meanwhile, Ling Tian took his place opposite her with his hands behind his back, appearing to be fully relaxed. The both of them formed two sharp contrasts.
This time's fight seemed to have caused a great uproar, attracting almost all disciples from the main peak.
Among the noise, the crowd gathered around the ring.
"What's going on?"
"Holy Son is going to fight with Junior Sister!"
"Ahem! Why? Isn't this a small worm shaking a big tree!?"
"Junior Sister Li angered Holy Son just now. She is really unlucky this time around."
"Before that, I have already told her not to pester Holy Son or she will regret it!"
"Junior Sister Li is very talented. I hope that Holy Son will show mercy and not cripple her cultivation."
"With Holy Son's merciless personality, Junior Sister Li this time will… alas!"
At this time some female disciples who had a good relationship with Li Xinran had already rushed to call the elders.
The reason for that was, that no one that angered Holy Son in the past ended well.
Only the elders could possibly save Li Xinran now.
Nearby, a graceful figure slowly floated down. Her eyes tightly locked onto Ling Tian.
"Tian'er?"
…
In the ring, Ling Tian raised his index finger and lightly said, "The gap between our realms is too large. I won't bully you. I will not use my cultivation base nor will I use spirit weapons. I will only use this finger."
"Within the time of a stick of incense, you can use any method. As long as you can hit me once, I'll consider it as your win."
Not using cultivation and just using one finger? Such contempt for me!
"Am I so bad in the eyes of Holy Son?" Li Xinran felt a little aggrieved.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
Li Xinran slowly clenched her fists, her eyes firm.
Even if she knew she was not his opponent, she must do her best to prove herself to him. She was qualified to stand beside him!
"Let's start then." Ling Tian hooked his finger and stood in a lax and unguarded way.
Li Xinran inhaled, and her cultivation base began to circulate rapidly.
Li Xinran exhaled slowly.
Her spiritual energy surged.
A faint azure glow wrapped around her body as Qi Refining–late stage energy circulated rapidly through her meridians. Though still shallow compared to true experts, her aura was stable, clean, and unusually refined for her realm.
"Wind Spirit Step!"
She stomped lightly.
Her figure blurred, leaving behind a faint afterimage as she dashed toward Ling Tian. A ripple of surprise passed through the crowd.
"Fast!"
"That movement technique is at least high-grade!"
"Junior Sister Li really is talented!"
Ling Tian's eyes narrowed slightly.
Not bad.
But—
Too clean.
Too predictable.
Li Xinran closed the distance in an instant, her palm glowing faintly as she gathered Qi. She thrust forward decisively, her movement crisp and textbook-perfect.
"Palm of Clear Springs!"
But as soon as she moved her hands, Ling Tian's slender index finger already touched her throat.
Li Xinran's eyes widened in shock.
"Screaming so loudly, are you worried that others won't know your move? Come again." Ling Tian said in an uninterested tone, retracting his finger.
Hoo~
Li Xinran adjusted her state of mind, again she turned into a blur and attacked Ling Tian. But no matter where she appeared, that finger, just like a ghost, always reached the flaw in her movement first.
Boom!
Ling Tian's finger struck her flying, "Can you move faster?!"
Boom!
"You're too slow!"
Boom!
"Still too slow! Is this all of your strength?"
Boom!
Li Xinran got sent flying again and again, she fell heavily back down on the ring. She struggled to get up, staggering. Her clothes were covered with dust, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth, she looked very much embarrassed.
She felt sharp pain radiating from the places Ling Tian's index finger had poked during the battle. It felt as if her muscles would tear and bones would break if this kept going.
Ling Tian had his hands behind his back. His white clothes were still pristine, not even containing a speck of dust on them.
The disciples around the stage covered their eyes.
Awful. This is too awful!
Is this the result of the offending Holy Son?
"Holy Son, please let her go!" Elder Su arrived at the spot in a hurry at this moment.
Li Xinran was very talented. She was second only to Ling Tian in Sacred Heaven Sect and was Elder Su's most proud disciple.
Her current realm was low simply because she hadn't cultivated for long.
"To preserve the inheritance of my cultivation method, I can't afford anything happening to her. Please have mercy!" Just as Elder Su was about to fly onto the stage, a wave of terrifying pressure forced her back down to the ground.
She turned her head in amazement and saw Ye Qingxian standing behind her.
"Sect Master!" Elder Su hurriedly knelt on one knee.
An invisible force held her up, and Ye Qingxian said lightly, "Don't interfere, look carefully."
"But…" Elder Su tried to say something but swallowed her words before she could finish.
"Even the sect master doesn't care about you… Xinran, no one can save you this time." Elder Su sighed silently.
On the ring, Ling Tian shook his head and disdainfully said, "Can't hold on anymore? You have ten breaths left. You can also choose to give up."
"Xinran, please give up!"
"The other party is the Holy Son. It's not a shame even if you lose!"
"Yes, don't hold on, you have reached your limit!"
The disciples around the stage shouted anxiously.
Li Xinran was cute and had a charming personality. She was obviously very popular among the disciples.
No one wanted her to have an accident.
"I haven't reached my limit yet. There is still a chance!" Li Xinran wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth, her eyes burning with determination, "Holy Son, I will definitely let you recognize me!"
"Oh, let's continue then," Ling Tian said indifferently.
"Great." Li Xinran circulated her cultivation technique to the extreme, and her whole body blurred as if she was about to merge with the wind.
"Wind Spirit Step. Hurricane!"
Her body exploded and covered the sky in razor sharp wind, before sweeping down towards Ling Tian.
Her real body was hidden in these wind, and even using the divine consciousness she wasn't easy to detect.
The disciples around the ring had their eyes straightened. They didn't expect that their cute junior sister would have such strong combat prowess.
"An insignificant move!"
Ling Tian casually pointed with his finger. A muffled snort immediately rang out in the air.
The wind stopped abruptly. Li Xinran's body froze midair. Ling Tian's index finger was pointed straight at the center of her forehead.
Puff!
Li Xinran coughed up a bit of blood, afterwards, she fell to the ring akin to a kite that just had its string cut.
Li Xinran's face was deathly pale, and her heart ground to ashes. The pain in her heart was far stronger than that of her body.
"The gap is so insurmountable, I can't even reach the hem of his robe!"
"His attacks were filled with ruthlessness without a shed of mercy. In his eyes, I must be no different than others."
Li Xinran felt like her heart was being pricked by a thousand needles.
"Xinran!" Elder Su exclaimed and flew into the ring.
However, Ling Tian stood to block her.
Elder Su was anxious, "Holy Son, she's already beaten like this. Your anger should already be appeased, right? Please go easy on her!"
Ling Tian ignored her and stared at Li Xinran.
"Now, are you convinced?"
"Yes." Li Xinran's voice was so hoarse as if she lost her soul.
"The path to immortality is difficult; we need to tread the path with caution. If you don't want to be forgotten like those ordinary cultivators in history, you would have to put in the effort that surpasses them. Although talent determines the upper limit, the level of effort will determine your lower limit." Ling Tian's voice was distinct.
"I accept Holy Son's teachings." Li Xinran nodded.
"Your meridians were blocked before, which causes the circulation of your Qi to be sluggish. This was why you have been unable to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm," Ling Tian continued, " Do you still remember those acupoints I hit on your body?"
"Acupoint?" Li Xinran was stunned for a moment and said, "I remember…"
"Run your cultivation method by the acupoints I hit again," Ling Tian said.
"Ok." Li Xinran did not question him.
She forcefully endured the pain in her entire body as she sat cross-legged and began to circulate her cultivation method.
She was shocked just after circulating her Qi once. Her originally obstructed meridians were now opened, and her Qi flow was doubled!
The surrounding spiritual Qi was attracted by her and poured into her body.
"This…"
Elder Su glanced at Ling Tian in surprise.
So it was like this! No wonder the sect master didn't let me interfere!
Li Xinran circulated her cultivation method for forty-eight cycles. The spiritual Qi in her body had already been compressed to the extreme, and her robe fluttered without the presence of wind.
"Open your mouth."
Ling Tian quickly shot a pill from his hand.
Li Xinran obediently opened her lips, and the pill just happened to fall into her mouth. Next, the pill transformed into a stream of heat that navigated along her meridians.
Boom!
The spiritual Qi in her body was instantly ignited, soaring her into the sky!
After ten minutes, all of the spiritual Qi stopped leaking and started to gather into her body.
Li Xinran opened her eyes. A faint light flashed through her eyes as she cried out in disbelief, "My Qi has liquefied. I've entered Foundation Establishment!"
"What!"
"Junior Sister Lu has reached Foundation Establishment?"
The disciples around the stage were dumbfounded.
Hadn't she been beaten by Holy Son? Why did she suddenly break through to the Foundation Establishment realm?
Elder Su walked forward with a smile. "If it weren't for the fact that the Holy Son opened up your blocked meridians and used a precious Marrow Cleansing Pill, how could you have reached Foundation Establishment so smoothly? What are you standing there for? Quickly thank Holy Son for his assistance!"
Elder Su was very surprised. Dredging one's meridians was something that one could only slowly refine on their own. External help would only destabilize one's foundation.
However, Ling Tian was actually able to accurately find the blockage without using his spirit Qi. This method was truly terrifying!
"He's indeed worthy of the title of Holy Son… is this a sign that Holy Son wants to draw me over to his side? Should I start to support him in the sect affairs now?" Elder Su glanced at Ling Tian and became even more cautious.
"Thank you, Holy Son!" Li Xinran's smile bloomed like a flower.
Her heart felt like a honeypot. It turned out that even though Holy Son seemed to be teaching her a lesson, he was actually trying to help her break through.
For this reason, he even used a precious Marrow Cleansing Pill on her.
"You don't need to thank me. It's because I can't bear with your bad talent any longer," Ling Tian said expressionlessly.
Li Xinran: o(〃▽〃)o
He was clearly concerned about me, yet he still refused to admit it.
So proud and adorable!
I really wanted to bite him.
Ling Tian said, "Also, I didn't give you the pill for nothing. Remember to repay me twofold!"
Li Xinran said, "Yes! My entire body belongs to Holy Son. You can come and take it anytime!"
Ling Tian: "..."
The other female disciples also looked at him in a daze. It seemed that the Holy Son was not the same as the rumors. His cold face but soft interior were just too fascinating!
The entire arena was filled with pink bubbles.
At the corner, Ye Qingxian was like a piece of ice emitting a bone-piercing coldness.
"Hehe…" The corner of her mouth twitched, "These rebellious disciples, should I banish them all from the sect?"
Ling Tian couldn't help but shiver.
At this moment, the mission had been completed. He immediately slipped away in a flash.
***
Stone me, I can take it!
Leave a review, seriously, it helps.