Chapter no.4

[ 1 day later ]

The Demon Horned Sheep let out a chorus of warning cries, their red horns glinting menacingly in the dim light. A lone human figure approached them, axe in one hand and sword in the other. This was Lin Lingtian, a 2 Star Bronze rank Demon Spiritualist, adorned in tattered leather armor, frayed at the edges from years of use. His rugged face was etched with scars, a testament to the many battles he had fought and survived.

As Lin Lingtian drew closer, the sheep's cries grew louder, their agitation palpable. One of them charged at him with ferocity, its horns aimed straight at his chest. With a swift motion, Lin Lingtian swung his axe, cleaving the demon beast's head in two. The other three sheep let out cries of anger and charged toward him.

Lin Lingtian could feel the War God Technique within him respond to the impending battle. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the onslaught. With a powerful swing of his sword, he slashed at the ground in front of him, creating a cloud of dust. The demon beasts emerged from the cloud, confused and disoriented.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Lingtian ****** his sword into the nape of one of the demon beasts. With a wave of his hand, his axe flew towards the head of the other. The demon sheep's head rolled on the ground, while the remaining sheep shuddered in fear at the sight of their fallen kin.

Lin Lingtian let out a low chuckle, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. The sound of the sheep's final cries echoed through the desolate landscape, as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

As Lin Lingtian wiped down the blade of his sword, he let out a deep sigh of lamentation. With a heavy heart, he accessed the interface before him, pondering the weight of his actions and the consequences that would follow. The air around him was thick with the solemnity of his thoughts, as he considered the choices that had led him to this moment.

[ Name: Lin Lingtian ]

[ Age: 13 ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Spiritualist Rank: 2-star bronze rank ]

[ Fighter Rank : 3 Star Bronze Rank ]

[ Health: 720/720 ]

[ Stamina: 580/580 ]

[ Strength: 8 ]

[ Speed: 9 ]

[ Soul Realm: Orange Soul Realm (1%) ]

[ Soul Attribute: Attributeless ]

[ Soul Form: Yin Wooden Lotus ]

[ Law: ------- ]

[ Soul Force: 299 ]

[ Cultivation technique: War God Technique: Army of the Underworld ]

[ Skill: Appraisal level 2 ]

[ Positive Status: Wood yin Infusion, War God Chant level 2, Body Strengthening, Hearing Enhancement, War God's Battle Instincts level 3]

[ Negative Status: Heart Demon Soul Contract ]

Lin Lingtian closed the interface and sighed, unlike for others each step for him in cultivation will get harder and harder.

The Interface showed that his soul force was 299 but in actuality, it didn't take into account the quality of his soul force.

With the War God Chant and Wood Yin Infusion statuses always being active his meridians were always stretched causing his soul sea to get continuously absorb soul force and stronger as the quality of his soul force increases, his path onward will get harder but he was pretty confident in saying that anyone in the same rank as him was not his opponent at all.

He had calculated that his power was actually equal to that of a 1-star silver rank.

His battle against the 4 demon Horned sheep had allowed his War God's Battle Instincts to increase their level.

The War God Battle Instincts allowed him to proficiently use weapons and hand-to-hand combat but what he wanted was to increase that level of the War God Chant the question was how?

To increase his cultivation through increasing the level of the war God Chant was done through battle but even when fighting the group of Demon Beast it only stimulated the War God Technique only for the beginning of the battle so what should he do?

While thinking, Lin Lingtian's gaze went toward the pill bottle on his desk that was given to him by Shen Xiu.

Taking the pill bottle, he pulled a blue sphere with quite the medicinal aroma.

Casting an appraisal on it.

[ Appraisal level 2 ]

[ Item: Soul Assembling Pill ]

[ Rank: Trash ]

[ Description: Edible ]

Tossing the pill into his mouth, Soul Force began to flow into his dantian.

[ Soul Assembling Pill has been eaten ]

[ Soul Assembling: 30% increase in soul absorption ]

[ War God Technique is absorbing the soul force of the medicinal herbs of the pill ]

Lin Lingtian looked at the pill bottle and found all of the pills were the Soul Assembling and with not interested in the pill bottle as he has gone back to thinking of a solution to his predicament of how he could advance in rank.

A few minutes go by as an idea clicks in his head.

" That could work ."

....

( 4 days later )

( Baaaaa! )

The cries of a Demon Horned Sheep could be heard but due to the location of where they were, no one could hear the cries of the sheep.

Lin Lingtian was dragging a demon Horned sheep by its horn towards a hole he had dug in the holy orchid training ground.

This hole was his version of Kodoku.

Kodoku, When mixing several insects in a jar, they kill one another until only one survived. The last surviving insect is much deadlier and more dangerous.

Throwing the demon beast into the pit with 100 others demon Horned sheep that were looking at him in hate as he could feel their killer's intent.

Taking off his shirt, Lin Lingtian began swinging his sword as he was using the War God's Battle Instincts to make his swordsmanship stronger.

He was waiting.

( 10 hours Later )

Ok, now he was done waiting. Lin Lingtian grabbed a handful of Black Jade Grass and threw it into the pit.

( Baaaa! )

Hungry and tired, the demon beasts started attacking one another just to get the Black Jade Grass.

The moment the first blood was spilled, Lin Lingtian smiled and jumped down as the muscles all over his body tensed up.

The Demon Horned Sheep Horde looked at Lin Lingtian with bloodlust visible in their eyes.

A grin covered Lin Lingtian's face as purple soul force erupted from his body.

This battlefield was stimulating the War God Technique.

( Baaaa! )

One brave demon Horned sheep charged forward even with the pressure of Lin Lingtian who was as strong as a 4-star silver rank even though he was just a 2 Star Bronze rank.

( Swish )

With one swipe of his sword, the top of the head of the demon Horned sheep flew through the air.

The Demon Horned sheep began to get angrier and angrier as their bloodlust even affected the birds sitting the far away branches to fall out the tree out of instinctual fear.

The face of such bloodlust Lin Lingtian's grin became more excited

( Boom )

His purple aura began to show shades of crimson.

( Wooosh )

Even before the demon beasts could blink, he was in front of them having bifurcated one of their kin.

Using the corpse of the demon beast, Lin Lingtian jumped into the air, as soul force according to the War God's Battle Instincts began to cover his axe and his sword.

( Swissssss )

Lin Lingtian began to slice each demon beast apart as if they were made out of paper.

Blood covered the bare body of Lin Lingtian whose aura began to turn a shade of crimson like he was bathed in the blood of his victims.

Twirling his axe, Lin Lingtian threw the axe as it embedded into the skull of the demon Horned sheep.

Doing a front flip, Lin Lingtian sliced the demon beast's legs and in one succession decapitated him.

Lin Lingtian twisted his body to avoid an attack from a demon Horned sheep which was different.

He could feel it, the War God Technique was being stimulated by this battle.

The Horned on its head was in flames.

The Demon Beast had mutated out of the need for survival as it had entered into a 3-star bronze rank.

Lin Lingtian grinned as he used his soul force to deflect the Attack of the demon beast.

( Stttttt )

Sparks flew through the battlefield as Lin Lingtian's sword clashed with the flaming Horns of the Demon beast.

[ War God's Chant level 3 ]

[ War God's Battle Instincts level 4 ]

[ Demon Spiritualists: 3-star bronze rank ]

Lin Lingtian looked at the demon beast that was charging at him.

' Looks like playtime is over '

Lin Lingtian changed the position of his sword as he grabbed the jaw of the horned sheep in his right hand.

( Crack! )

With a less gentle squeeze, the jaw of the demon beast completely shattered.

The Demon Horned Sheep didn't even have time to wail in pain as Lin Lingtian had slashed the head and divided it into two halves.

The remaining Demon Horned sheep began to back away from the human as they looked on at the human in fear.

Soul Force twirled around the weapons of Lin Lingtian as he smiled at the remaining demon beast.

Lin Lingtian took one step forward and flew into the remaining crowd of petrified from fear Demon Beasts.

( Baaaaaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! )

The last screams of the Demon Horned sheep filled the Holy Orchid Training Ground but where they were situated no one could or had had the last wails of the Demon Horned sheep before their ultimate demise.

[ One Week Later ]

[ Holy Orchid Apprentice Fighters Class ]

The three young men sat at the back of the class, their heads close together in a hushed conversation. Lu Piao, Nie Li, and Du Zhe pondered a problem that had confounded them for days. They had managed to accumulate three hundred Demon Spirit Coins after hunting the elusive Demon Horned Sheep, but now the beasts seemed to have disappeared from the Holy Orchid Training Ground. For seven days straight, they had searched without success, wondering if a more dangerous predator had descended upon the area.

Nie Li lost in thought, contemplated the scarcity of resources for cultivation. His mind raced with questions of how to gain access to the pills and tools necessary for advancement.

Suddenly, a young woman with blonde hair and a ponytail appeared before them.

"Lu Piao," she called out.

Lu Piao leaped up, eager to impress the girl. "Hey!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with a hint of flirtation.

The girl, unmoved by his antics, delivered her request. "Lu Piao, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Ask away, ask away," Lu Piao responded, trying to mask his enthusiasm.

She handed him a white letter. "Could you give this to Senior Lin Lingtian?"

She turned and left, leaving Lu Piao with a white envelope in his hands.

Nie Li eyed his friend curiously. "What's wrong with him?"

Du Zhe explained, "His room is next to Lin Lingtian's, so he often gets asked to deliver love letters to him."

Nie Li grumbled, "Why does that bastard get so much attention when he doesn't even show up to class?"

Lu Piao offered a defense. "Well, he did become the youngest bronze rank in the history of the Holy Orchid, even though he's an orphan."

Nie Li's thoughts turned to Lin Lingtian. "Do you know anything about him?"

Lu Piao replied, "Rumors say he was a servant of the Sacred Family, and that the Patriarch betrothed him to Shen Xiu because of his talents."

Du Zhe interjected, "No way."

Lu Piao continued, "Last night, while we were searching for Demon Horned Sheep, I went to bed to get some rest, and there he was."

Nie Li leaned in, intrigued. "What happened?"

Lu Piao's voice quivered as he recounted his experience. "The moment he came close to me, I felt afraid, like I was not standing before a human but something else entirely. His presence was suffocating."

Nie Li's gaze hardened, and he resolved to take action. "Guys, after school, we're going to the Alchemist Association."

His friends were confused. "Why?" they asked in unison.

"Just trust me," he said, his mind already working to uncover the truth behind Lin Lingtian's mysterious power.

Unknown to Lin Lingtian, his mere presence in this world had set into motion a chain of events that would have far-reaching consequences.

...

[ Holy Orchid Training Grounds ]

The stench of iron fouled the atmosphere, a pungent miasma that clung to the very fibers of Lin Lingtian's being. Seated upon a rocky outcropping, he meticulously polished his instruments of war, the metallic screech of sharpening steel blending with the cacophony of carnage that echoed across the battlefield.

Blood and entrails littered the ground like a grotesque tapestry, the viscous fluid seeping into the soil and staining it a deep crimson hue. Lin Lingtian could practically taste the coppery tang of blood in the air, a metallic flavor that lingered on his tongue and seared his nostrils.

With a fluid motion, he rose from his perch, sinews, and tendons coiled like steel springs as he began the gruesome task of dismantling the fallen beasts. The War God Technique had imbued his soul with an otherworldly power, transforming his body into a living weapon, honed and deadly.

Lin Lingtian pulled up his interface.

[ Name: Lin Lingtian ]

[ Age: 13 ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Spiritualist Rank: 3-star bronze rank ]

[ Fighter Rank: 5 Star Bronze Rank ]

[ Health: 1210/1210 ]

[ Stamina: 950/950 ]

[ Strength: 10 ]

[ Speed: 12 ]

[ Soul Realm: Orange Soul Realm ( 12.56%) ]

[ Soul Attribute: Attributeless ]

[ Soul Form: Yin Wooden Lotus ]

[ Law: ------- ]

[ Soul Force: 399 ]

[ Cultivation technique: War God Technique: Army of the Underworld ]

[ Skill: Appraisal level 3 ]

[ Positive Status: Wood yin Infusion, War God Chant level 3, Body

Strengthening, Hearing Enhancement, War God's Battle Instincts level 4 ]

[ Negative Status: Heart Demon Soul Contract ]

Lin Lingtian traversed through the dense forest, his mind consumed by a vexing conundrum. He sought the blood of a Wood-Yin-attributed demon beast to construct his second heart, a quest that required great monetary investment. His savings stood at a modest sum of 20,356 Demon Spirit Coins, earned through arduous hunts.

As he strode forth, a fragrant aroma permeated his senses, a scent that seemed to seep into his very soul. It compelled him to hasten his pace, his body moving with an almost inhuman speed. Above, a luminous orb hung in the night sky, illuminating the surroundings with a pale light. The hum of nocturnal insects filled the air, their melodies forming a haunting chorus.

Amidst this symphony, a piercing cry rents the air, the sound of anguish and torment. Lin Lingtian's countenance darkened, his senses honing in on the source of the sound. He vanished into the woods, silent as a shadow, his keen eyes scanning the moonlit clearing before him.

There, he beheld a slender figure, draped in a leather jacket, her body encased in a sheen of icy blue. She writhed in agony, her face twisted in pain as she emitted pitiful screams. Lin Lingtian's senses surged, detecting the accumulated yin soul force that had wrought this cruel fate upon her.

"Xiao Ning'er?" Lin Lingtian hummed in surprise.

Lin Lingtian touched the hand of Xiao Ning'er, it was covered in ice and he couldn't help but suck in a mouthful of air.

This was the Artic Cold Disease.

Females produced Yin soul force more abundantly than males. And cultivating under the moonlight was a method for increasing the production of Yin soul force.

Yin Soul Force was better for snow wind demon spiritualists or cultivators with the Soul attribute of Snow wind or Yin. So was the Cultivation technique she was using that required her to absorb abundant amounts of Yin Soul Force. Too much of which, could lead to Arctic Cold Disease.

He had personally experienced the Artic Cold Disease for a few minutes, this had caused him to search about it out of curiosity what did Glory City suggest was the cure for such a disease?

Well, he found the Daoyin Technique, never practiced it but he still remembered it.

Lin Lingtian looked at the body of Xiao Ning'er.

This girl was strong, in so much pain she was still conscious.

[ An Hour Ago ]

[ Xiao Ning'er's POV ]

Xaoi Ning'er focused as best she could. The chilling cold of her body and the blazing hot pain from her feet made it incredibly hard to cultivate, but still, she persisted. She'd been here for hours already, near the entrance of the training area where demon beasts knew not to venture. Beasts they were, but the more powerful their soul force, the more intelligent they became, and they knew powerful demon spiritualists kept watch near the gates and would kill them if they came too close.

This was the only time she could cultivate. During the day her time was filled up with Shen Fei trying to get close to her, her family making demands of her, studying, and now starting today classes. The night was the only time she had to cultivate.

And she had to get as strong as possible, as quickly as possible. The orange-haired girl refused to become Shen Fei's woman. If it weren't for her father, the elders of the Winged Dragon family would have already married her off to the arrogant redhead from the Sacred Family and had her pumping out babies.

It was common for girls her age to be married off at her age already. Especially one like her whose growth had been enhanced with elixirs. Thirteen she may be, but Xiao Ning'er knew her body and mind had matured quicker and was more like that what it would have been like once she reached around sixteen to eighteen years old.

She was the most developed in her class. Both curve-wise in regards to the girls, and height-wise compared to everyone else. She was the tallest of her class, even Ye Ziyun, the closest to reaching the bronze rank in their class except for that genius Lin Lingtian.

The pain in her feet spiked and the aura of her cultivation faltered, puttering out like a flickering candle in the middle of a rain storm. "Ah!" Ning'er gasped, falling to her knees and gritting her teeth as she tried to endure the pain running up from her feet.

What was wrong with her!? In the last few months, this condition had appeared out of nowhere and none of her family knew what it was.

Tears prickled in the corner of Ning'er's

eyes. ' It isn't fair!' she raged internally. All she wanted was to be free, to pursue her own choices in life. She didn't want to be the bed warmer of that arrogant fool Shen Fei.

Was that too much to ask for?

Persisting through the pain, Xiao Ning'er at a soul-assembling pill and began cultivating.

Her body was cold yet hot.

It felt like she was walking on pins and needles.

But she could feel it, she was so close to achieving a 1-star bronze rank.

Just one more push.

( Crack! )

Happiness filled her, she was finally doing it. She was breaking through to the 1-star bronze rank.

Her soul Force began to change as Yin Soul Force began to penetrate her body.

Pain engulfed her.

She felt like she was on fire as well as she was freezing to death.

A layer of Ice began to form on the right side of her face and both of her hands.

She wanted to cry.

She wanted to scream.

' Help .'

' Pl...ease....hel...help....m...mmmeee.'

A few agonizing minutes go by as a shadowy figure enters her vision.

' Am I going to die? '

' At least I don't have to marry that piece of trash Shen Fei .'

Darkness engulfed her.

Lin Lingtian looked at the unconscious Xiao Ning'er and began to think.

' What should I do ? '

' This is the Artic Cold Disease .'

' Do I use the Daoyin Technique that I have never practiced ?'

' What should I do ?'

Looking at the form of Xiao Ning'er.

' Why do I have to help her anyway? It's not like I know her .'

Lin Lingtian looked at his hands and then slapped himself.

He may be someone that wouldn't bat an eye when seeing and performing massacres of Demon Beasts due to the War God Technique affecting his mind but he was stillborn on Earth, and his morals still were there.

Remembering the pain that flashed through the girl's eyes, Lin Lingtian slapped himself again for thinking like a total psychopath.

Channeling Yang Soul Force into the tips of his fingers.

An orange flame covered his fingertips according to the Daoyin Technique he remembered.

The War God Technique gave him a 340% increased enlightenment.

He still didn't know the full effects of increased enlightenment but he certainly could memorize and comprehend techniques on another level.

Just from his memories he had performed the Daoyin Technique.

Lin Lingtian tried to massage Xiao Ning'er face which was covered in ice formed from yin soul force.

Hours go by yet the Daoyin is not showing any great results while yes the ice was melting it was not helping much.

[ Appraisal Level 3 ]

[ Name: Xiao Ning'er ]

[ Status: Artic Cold Disease ]

[ Description: Critical Danger of Death ( 75 % ) ]

The percentage had only decreased from 80 to 75 %

The moment was fraught with tension, as Lin Lingtian's eyes flicked between the Appraisal window and the icy mask that covered Xiao Ning'er's face. He could sense her aura, and feel the chill of her spirit. He knew he had to act quickly if he was to save her.

With a sudden surge of will, he placed his hands upon her cheeks, closing his eyes in concentration. His soul force surged forth, mingling with the yin energy that lay coiled within her body. He could feel it, like a dark flame burning within her.

As he worked, he sensed a strange familiarity, a sense of deja vu that he couldn't quite place. It was like he had done this before, in another life or another world.

Suddenly, the ice shattered, revealing a charred mark on her face. He could sense the yin energy coursing through her leg, and then... he felt it, cold darkness creeping into her heart.

Without a second thought, he tore away her clothes, revealing the black ice that had formed upon her chest. He could feel the yin energy seeping into her soul, and he knew he had to act fast.

With a sudden surge of power, he injected his soul force into her body, closing his eyes in concentration. He could feel the yin and yang energies mingling within her, struggling for dominance.

It was a delicate dance, a balancing act between life and death. He could feel her spirit-stirring, her soul force growing stronger. With a sudden burst of energy, her aura erupted, a new, stronger force born from the harmony of yin and yang.

As the energy faded, he could feel her pulse quickening, her breath growing stronger. He knew she was safe, for now. But he also knew that the battle was far from over.

As Lin Lingtian gazed upon the bare-chested and unconscious form of Xiao Ning'er, his eyes lingered on her breasts.

' Is a 13 year supposed to have such a body ?'

Picking her up, Lin Lingtian disappeared into the Forest.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Xiao Ning'er slowly opened her eyes, grogginess making it hard for her to focus. She blinked a few times, taking in her surroundings. The room was dark and filled with an eerie silence. It felt like she was in some sort of dream, but the pain in her body told her otherwise. She tried to move, but her limbs were heavy as if they were made of lead. It was then that she noticed the cloak draped over her, covering her entire body

As she struggled to sit up, she became aware of the excruciating pain in her hands. Looking down, she gasped in horror as she saw that her skin was charred and blackened like it had been burnt to a crisp. She tried to scream, but her voice caught in her throat. What was happening to her?

Suddenly, a sound interrupted her thoughts. It was a faint chirping sound, like that of a bird. She turned towards the window and saw a small bird perched on the sill, its wings flapping as it chirped away. It was a comforting sound, one that brought a sense of calm to her.

"Looks like you're awake."

The voice came from behind her, and she turned to see the man who had caused quite a stir during their first day of class - Lin Lingtian. He was reclining lazily on the circular window, reading a parchment and writing something down on a piece of paper. His attire was striking, with a pair of grey shin-length boots adorned with red trim, and white baggy pants tucked into them, and tied at the waist with a red sash. His arms were adorned with grey and red bracers, which only served to highlight his muscular, well-defined torso.

Xiao Ning'er was confused.

"You're probably wondering what's going on," Lin Lingtian said, looking up from his parchment. "You've been infected with the Artic Cold Disease."

He spoke in a nonchalant tone as if it were just another day in the office. But Xiao Ning'er could hear the undercurrent of concern in his voice.

"At night, the legs feel as though they are on fire while the rest of the body feels very cold. At midnight, the body is wracked with so much pain that continuing the cultivation is impossible. The bruising is also extremely painful and does not dissipate, instead spreading throughout the body."

Xiao Ning'er listened in horror as Lin Lingtian described her symptoms.

" This is due to absorbing the yin soul force produced during the night. This accumulation of yin soul force may lead to being bedridden, crippling of your cultivation or death ."

Xiao Ning'er stood frozen, her heart pounding with shock and horror. Was she truly doomed to marry that despicable scum Shen Fei? Her mind was plagued with dark thoughts as she remembered the pain from the night before.

But then, a voice spoke, breaking through her despair. "Well, I don't have to tell you what happened last night," said Lin Lingtian, his voice low and steady.

Xiao Ning'er's right arm twitched as she remembered the agony of the night before. But then Lin Lingtian continued, "Well, lucky for you, I treated your Arctic Cold Disease."

A flicker of hope ignited in Xiao Ning'er's heart. "But due to you breaking through the 1-star bronze rank and the treatment being late, there are some issues," Lin Lingtian added, his tone grave.

Xiao Ning'er clenched her fists, bracing herself for the worst. "Lin Lingtian, what is wrong with me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Wanna hear the good news or the bad news first?" Lin Lingtian replied, his eyes locking onto hers.

"The good news," Xiao Ning'er said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lin Lingtian smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, to treat your yin soul force, I injected my yang soul force--"

A deep blush spread across Xiao Ning'er's cheeks as she interrupted him, "Not like that! Okay, you pervert."

Lin Lingtian chuckled, enjoying her embarrassment. "Anyway, due to the harmony created by the yin and yang soul forces, your cultivation has been enhanced. Congratulations, you've achieved a 2-star bronze rank."

Xiao Ning'er was stunned, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. A warm hand reached out and touched her head, and she found herself enveloped in the strong embrace of Lin Lingtian's muscular body.

Suddenly, he picked her up, bridal style, causing her to let out a small squeal of surprise. He then set her down on the rooftop and pointed up at the sky.

As she gazed up at the stars, Xiao Ning'er was mesmerized by their beauty. A few minutes passed in silence as she contemplated her newfound strength and the possibility of a brighter future.

Xiao Ning'er sat on the ground, staring up at the night sky. She felt relieved that her artic cold disease had finally been cured, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. Lin Lingtian, the man who had just saved her life, handed her a mirror. As she gazed into it, she gasped in surprise at the sight of an ugly black burn mark covering half of her once-beautiful face.

She touched the burnt mark, feeling its rough texture. But even though her beauty was gone, she felt a sense of power within her. She was one step closer to freeing herself from the shackles that had held her captive for so long.

"Thank you," she said, turning to Lin Lingtian.

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile.

Xiao Ning'er couldn't help but feel curious about why he had saved her. "Can I ask you something?" she said.

"Of course," he replied.

"Why did you save me?"

Lin Lingtian grinned mischievously and gave her a wink. "Would you believe me if I said I did it out of love?"

Xiao Ning'er laughed at his ridiculous pose, and Lin Lingtian sat down beside her, looking up at the sky. "Who knows why I helped you?" he said. "Maybe I just wanted to prove to myself that I'm not some monster, that I'm still human, I guess."

Xiao Ning'er nodded, feeling grateful for his help. "Thank you," she said.

"Well, this all was caused by the lousy technique you were practicing," Lin Lingtian said, pulling out a parchment from his Interspatial ring. "This technique is lousy. The meridian pulsing technique here to simulate lightning through them is an interesting touch and would increase cultivation speed. But it's too aggressive and would burn out the meridians. No wonder you got arctic disease so easily. Using this would make you more susceptible to soul force-based illnesses."

Xiao Ning'er listened intently, feeling grateful for his insight.

The War God Technique was a top-level Cultivation technique and yet it only gave 40% increased Enlightenment which was enhanced by wood yin Infusion status to 340%, something like flaws in such a low-level Cultivation technique was extremely easy.

"Eh?" Ning'er blinked. He had found a flaw in one of the vaunted cultivation techniques of her family that had been around for hundreds of years.

Lin Lingtian said that he had thoroughly checked this cultivation technique and began to state its flaws and corrections "And this: 'Connecting the heart and eye.' Needs to be replaced with 'Connecting the heart and mind." Lin noted, before continuing, "And this bit too as well to: 'When the will and spirit merge, the heart and mind will connect."

Ning'er stared at him in shock as he continued talking, pointing out bits of the technique her family had practically worshipped for hundreds of years, and telling her to replace them and that what he said would be much safer and much more effective.

Xiao Ning'er's gaze towards Lin Lingtian initially had a hint of confusion in it, but it was soon turned into one filled with admiration.

How much knowledge regarding soul force must one have to change this high-ranked soul force cultivation technique to such an extent? Even Black Gold rank Demon Spiritualists wouldn't necessarily be able to do such a thing. Could his understanding of cultivation have long surpassed a Black Gold rank Demon Spiritualist's, even reaching towards the Legend rank Demon Spiritualists realm?

She couldn't tell what her feelings

towards Lin Lingtian were: awe, worship?

"Hold on Lin Lingtian" she blurted, "Can you say all that again and let me memorize it down?"

Lin sighed and rolled his eyes,

"Couldn't you have said that before I went off on a tangent?" he griped, though there was no admonishment in it, a small unabashed grin on his face, "You're lucky your cute you know."

Ning'er squeaked but a sad look crossed her eyes as she touched the burnt side of her face.

Seeing her melancholy expression, Lin Lingtian knew that he had to do something to cheer her up. He wrapped his arm around her in a gentle side hug, and she leaned into him, grateful for the comfort he offered.

"Xiao Ning'er," he said, his voice soft and reassuring, "do you know where true beauty comes from?"

She looked up at him, curious despite herself. "Where?" she asked.

He pointed at her chest, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Your tits," he said, drawing out the words for dramatic effect.

Ning'er's cheeks turned bright red at his crude joke, but despite herself, she couldn't help but laugh. It was a small moment of levity in an otherwise serious conversation, but it was enough to lift her spirits.

Lin Lingtian let out a soft chuckle at the sight of Xiao Ning'er's surprised expression. Her reaction to his joke had been priceless, but he knew that there was more to beauty than just physical appearance.

"Beauty can be defined in many ways," he said, his voice gentle and reassuring. "If you find beauty in yourself or your heart, then that is all that matters."

As he handed her the parchment paper with the modified cultivation technique, he couldn't help but notice the way she looked up at him. There was something in her gaze that made his heart skip a beat, and he felt a faint blush creeping up his neck.

The next day, Lin Lingtian found himself walking through the halls of Holy Orchid, his thoughts preoccupied with the events of the previous day. He had come to check on Xiao Ning'er, to make sure that she was doing alright.

He had never been fond of the place, mostly because he didn't want to deal with the likes of Shen Xiu, but he was willing to put up with it for the sake of the girl he had grown to care for.

As he walked, he couldn't help but overhear the whispers of the other students. They were staring at him, and he knew that they were talking about him.

"He's so handsome," one girl whispered to her friend.

Lin Lingtian let out a small sigh, not caring for the attention. All he cared about was making sure that Xiao Ning'er was doing alright, and that she knew that he was there for her, no matter what.

.

.

.

Lin Lingtian strode down the hallways of the academy, his ears pricking up at the hushed whispers that trailed in his wake. It pleased him to no end that the girls were calling him handsome and the boys were looking at him with envy. He felt a sense of pride at his good looks and charm, but his attention was soon drawn to a conversation that caught his interest.

"Have you heard the rumors about the Goddess Xiao Ning'er?" a student murmured to his friend.

Lin Lingtian slowed down, feigning disinterest as he listened in.

"What rumors?" the other student asked.

"They say that when she was advancing to the 1-star bronze rank, something happened that disfigured her face and made her ugly," the first student whispered conspiratorially.

Lin Lingtian felt a pang of sympathy for the poor girl. He had never spoken to her before, but he knew her by reputation. She was known for her ethereal beauty and grace, and it was a shame that she had been struck down by misfortune.

But his sympathy turned to anger as he overheard the next part of the conversation.

"Shen Fei was so disgusted by her disfigured face that he called off his marriage with her and renounced the Sacred Family's engagement," the first student continued. "Even the Winged Dragon Family tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't budge. He spat on her and said he would rather die than marry her."

Lin Lingtian gritted his teeth. He knew Shen Fei by reputation as well, and it was not a good one. The young master of the Sacred Family was notorious for treating women as objects, using them, and discarding them at will. And now that Xiao Ning'er's beauty had been marred by the Artic Cold Disease, Shen Fei had no use for her. Lin Lingtian felt a surge of disgust at the thought.

He moved swiftly through the crowd of students, his mind preoccupied with other matters. He had heard another conversation earlier that had caught his attention - something about the Alchemist Association buying up a lot of Purple Haze Grass in bulk. He had also heard whispers of a new pill that was said to work wonders, and many noble families were clamoring to get their hands on it.

Lin Lingtian grumbled inwardly about not having the money to buy the pill and elevate his status. But his priorities lay elsewhere. He needed to get his hands on information about the blood of Wood Yin attribute Demon Beasts, and that required a significant amount of money. He couldn't afford to waste his resources on something as trivial as a new pill, no matter how miraculous its effects may be.

As I walked into the classroom, my eyes immediately landed on Xiao Ning'er. Her delicate hands were covered in bandages and the burnt side of her face was a painful reminder of the attack she had suffered. But what caught my attention more was the way the other students were treating her.

No one sat next to her, and the girls whispered and laughed behind their hands, casting disgusted looks her way. It was a sad sight to behold, but it wasn't surprising. This was the way of the world - the weak were preyed upon by the strong, and those who were different were shunned and ostracized.

But I was not like them. As I made my way towards Xiao Ning'er, passing by a table where Nie Li, Lu Piao, and Du Zhe sat, I could feel Nie Li's eyes on me. There was a hint of recognition in his gaze, and I knew he must have sensed my power.

I sat down beside Xiao Ning'er and couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, even with the scars. "How was your day?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

To my surprise, she smiled at me and offered me some pastries she had made. As we ate, she told me about her day and how the man who had once held a marriage contract with her had terminated it. She was free now, and while the reason for her freedom was not something to be celebrated, it was still a relief for her.

As we chatted, I couldn't help but notice how her eyes lit up when I complimented her cooking. "You would make a great wife one day," I said, half-jokingly.

Xiao Ning'er blushed at my words, and I couldn't resist teasing her. "Hey, Xiao Ning'er, want to marry me?" I asked, grinning mischievously.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she blushed even harder. I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. "Oh, Ning'er, you wouldn't happen to be imagining something dirty right now, would you?" I teased, closing one eye in a wink.

She hid her face in embarrassment, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of affection for her. She was so innocent and pure, unlike the scheming and conniving people around us.

As I leaned back in my chair, my gaze drifted towards the back row of the classroom, where three figures sat, concealing their presence. One of them was a gold rank, and the other two were 1-star silver ranks.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***