Deliberate Avoidance, Soul Power Level Reached Forty

The next day.

Because of what had happened between them in the dining hall last night, Le Ling felt somewhat awkward.

Moreover, she found her own feelings increasingly inexplicable.

So, to avoid him for the time being, she decided that from today onward, she would not return to Spirit Hall after her afternoon classes. Instead, she would eat dinner directly at the academy cafeteria.

Afterward, she would continue cultivating in the Simulated Cultivation Environment.

Le Ling said to Hu Liena and the other two, "After afternoon classes, you can head back first. I plan to have dinner at the cafeteria, then continue cultivating."

Hu Liena frowned. "Little Le Sister, you cultivate instead of resting at noon, and you're going again at night. You'll be exhausted. You should still go back tonight."

Xie Yue and Yan nodded in agreement as well.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Le Ling said, "The cultivation results from that previous half month were pretty good. I believe I'll be able to break through the bottleneck in another half month, so I need to work even harder."

"Once I break through the bottleneck and reach level forty, then return after obtaining my soul ring, I'll relax a little. You don't need to worry!"

The three of them knew they could not persuade Le Ling.

Hu Liena could only say, "All right, then. How long will you cultivate at night? I'll tell the guard driving the carriage to come pick you up from the academy around that time from now on."

After thinking for a moment, Le Ling said, "Just have the guard wait outside the academy after nightfall."

"Okay."

Afterward, Hu Liena and the other two left the academy.

Once they returned to Spirit Hall, Xie Yue deliberately made a trip to the Worship Hall as he had last time, intending to personally inform the Great Offering of Little Le Sister's whereabouts.

Before the main hall of the Worship Hall.

At that moment, since Qian Daoliu was busy, the guards at the entrance reported Xie Yue's arrival to Steward Yao.

"Young Master Xie Yue, is something the matter?"

Although the Worship Hall did not think much of Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, they were still the Pope's people, so the steward immediately came outside to receive him.

"Steward Yao, may I ask whether the Great Offering is here?"

Steward Yao was the chief steward of the Worship Hall and the Great Offering's personal attendant.

Though he was a servant, he held a certain degree of influence, so Xie Yue remained quite polite toward him.

Steward Yao said, "My lord is in the Council Hall. If Young Master Xie Yue has something to say, you may tell this subordinate."

Xie Yue nodded and truthfully told him that Le Ling would be cultivating at night as well.

The steward frowned slightly after hearing this.

Cultivating at night too? Miss Le Ling was working far too hard, wasn't she?!

Or was cultivation merely an excuse?

Could it be that Miss Le Ling and my lord had quarreled again last night, so she did not want to come to the Worship Hall?!

"This subordinate understands. I will inform my lord shortly. Thank you for making a special trip to tell us, Young Master Xie Yue. Please hurry back for dinner and get some rest."

"You're too polite, Steward Yao."

With that, Xie Yue turned and left the Worship Hall.

Steward Yao then waited outside the Council Hall. Only after his master had finished discussing matters with the other Six Offerings did he enter the hall.

"My lord, Young Master Xie Yue came earlier to inform us that from tonight onward, Miss Le Ling will have dinner in the cafeteria before continuing to cultivate in the academy's Simulated Cultivation Environment. She will not return until nightfall."

Qian Daoliu fell silent after hearing this!

Jiang Mo teased, "Sister-in-law is working so hard. Could it be that she has taken a fancy to some junior student at the academy? Maybe cultivation is just an excuse, and she's actually fallen for someone else!"

"Eldest Brother, there are so many young and handsome little—ah..."

Before he could finish courting death, Qian Jun, who was seated beside him, had already struck his younger brother on the head!

Qian Jun did not actually want to hit him, but that idiot's mouth was far too foul, and Eldest Brother's expression had clearly turned unpleasant.

For his younger brother's safety, he had no choice but to put righteousness before family!

Jin E spoke up to soothe him. "Eldest Brother, don't listen to Seventh Brother's nonsense. That dog mouth of his has never been able to spit out ivory!"

Azure Luan also agreed. "That's right, Eldest Brother. Didn't we already say that Sister-in-law's Soul Power Level had reached the level thirty-nine bottleneck? She must be working this hard because she wants to break through and reach level forty as soon as possible. Don't overthink it!"

In truth, Qian Daoliu knew without them telling him.

How could his Ling'er possibly be interested in those academy brats who had not even grown all their hair yet!

So, she was either trying to break through her bottleneck, or she was avoiding him because of what had happened in the dining hall last night!

Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet and said, "Now that the discussion is over, if there is nothing else to do in your halls, come to the dining hall and keep me company for dinner."

The six men all nodded.

From that night onward, Le Ling ate alone in the academy cafeteria.

The other Six Offerings feared that Eldest Brother would be in a bad mood, so they all took the initiative to accompany him for dinner at dusk.

Although his brothers kept him company, Qian Daoliu could not see his Ling'er at noon.

Nor could he see her at night before she went to sleep. He could only see her sleeping figure after she had fallen asleep, when he climbed through her window and entered her bedroom.

That left him rather depressed!

Meanwhile, because Le Ling cultivated in the Simulated Cultivation Environment both at noon and at night, her Soul Power improved twice as effectively over the following half month.

Finally, at nightfall one day half a month later.

She clearly felt her Soul Power suddenly surge, as though something was about to burst through every limb and bone in her body!

After Le Ling gritted her teeth and endured for an hour, the force that had been blocking her Soul Power within her body was finally shattered by the surging power!

She immediately opened her eyes and jumped up in delight.

"Wonderful!"

"My Soul Power Level has finally risen to forty!!"

By then, the night was deep.

Le Ling knew that breaking through the bottleneck had delayed her by an extra hour tonight.

It was already late, and fearing that the guard with the carriage would become anxious while waiting at the academy, she immediately got up and left the Simulated Cultivation Environment.

Half an hour later, she happily returned to her room in the front courtyard of the Papal Palace.

At that moment, when the maid A Jian saw that she had finally returned, she hurried over and asked worriedly, "Little Le Sister, why are you back so late tonight?"

Le Ling smiled. "Because I finally broke through the level thirty-nine bottleneck just now, and my Soul Power Level rose to forty. That delayed me for a while."

Although A Jian was not a Soul Master, she knew how important it was for a Soul Master to raise their Soul Power Level by a whole rank.

She was immediately happy for Little Le Sister as well.

"Little Le Sister, congratulations!"

Le Ling said, "Thank you."

But after congratulating her, A Jian's expression became somewhat strange.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Le Ling asked in confusion, "What is it?"

After hesitating for a moment, A Jian cautiously said, "Little Le Sister, I remember that when we had just been recruited into Spirit Hall and lived together in the maids' shared dormitory, you had nightmares almost every night."

"But after coming here, my room is right beside yours, yet I have not heard you cry out from nightmares even once."

At the maid's reminder, Le Ling suddenly realized that it seemed she had not woken from a nightmare in a very long time!

What was going on?

Just as she was puzzled herself, A Jian suddenly took a golden strand of hair wrapped in a handkerchief from her blouse pocket and held it out to her.

"Little Le Sister, there's something else strange. When I was tidying your bed just now, I accidentally found this golden hair on your pillow. But your hair isn't golden!"

When Le Ling saw the golden hair, her eyes suddenly widened.

She was far too familiar with this strand of golden hair!

Because when the two of them had been intimate in the past, she had stroked it countless times!

The second round of PK has ended. The results will be announced this afternoon. Darlings, wish for this book to successfully advance to the third round.

Also, thank you to everyone who voted with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets yesterday, as well as those quietly following along.

Thank you. ()