Either explode and die, or compete yourself to death, isn't it just a choice between two?

Lin Qi yelped as if her backside were on fire, letting out a wail that sounded quite pitiful.

"Sister Feng Ling, you tricked a child!"

She tearfully accused Feng Ling, her voice choked with sobs.

They couldn't just fool her because she was young!

If they had given her even a little psychological preparation, she wouldn't have willingly stepped into this wretched bathtub, not even if it meant death.

Wasn't this just a weakened version of being roasted in an alchemy furnace?!

In the next room, Luo Ci, who had just braced himself and stepped one foot into the bathtub, heard the scream and slipped in entirely, startled.

A stinging sensation surged from all directions at once, contorting his entire face in pain. He gritted his teeth, holding back any sound.

Listening to Lin Qi's miserable cries from next door, Luo Ci suddenly felt as if the pain in his own body wasn't as bad.

Luo Ci clenched his teeth.

He absolutely wouldn't make a sound, or how would he mock their second senior sister later?!

Lin Qi was completely unaware of Luo Ci's little scheme, and even if she knew, she couldn't do anything about it.

It was simply too painful!

She thought that once she got through the initial wave, the pain in her body would lessen, but who knew the agony would pile up like waves, each one higher than the last.

Lin Qi felt like she could pass out at any moment if she just closed her eyes.

A ball of flames burned within her, seeming to incinerate her flesh, blood, tendons, and veins. Lin Qi was in so much pain her fingers were close to piercing the wooden tub.

Beside her, Feng Ling reminded her not to pass out, as doing so would halve the effectiveness of the medicinal effects.

Lin Qi began her path of wailing and howling.

An entire afternoon passed, and Lin Qi absorbed the black and red body-tempering potion completely. She lay on the bed, half-dead, unable to even lift a finger.

Feng Ling silently took out a packet of needles from her person, grasped a slender silver needle, and stood by Lin Qi's bed with a cool demeanor.

"Come on, take off your clothes!"

Lin Qi: ...

Lin Qi was too exhausted to even ask about the silver needles' effects. She slumped on the bed, letting Feng Ling do as she pleased.

Surprisingly, the usually taciturn Feng Ling started to talk.

She explained, "The silver needles stimulate acupoints, which can promote the absorption of the medicinal effects."

Lin Qi stared blankly ahead, her eyes dulled. She asked in a hoarse voice, "Sister Feng Ling, is body tempering done once every half month?"

Seeing her obedient and sensible demeanor, Feng Ling felt a pang of sympathy. "The half-monthly session is to expel internal cold with the Fire Spirit Flower. This is to refine your physique; you need to soak twice every seven days."

Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat.

"Twice a week?!"

Her eyes rolled back, and she wished she could just pass out.

Feng Ling continued, "True Monarch Qingyun said that your Bloodline Power awakened prematurely. If you don't quickly increase your physical strength, your body might not be able to withstand the power of your bloodline, and there's a high chance you could explode and die. Therefore, your body-tempering medicine is much stronger than Yuan Xi's and Luo Ci's, and you need to temper your body more frequently."

"Explode and die?!"

Lin Qi's hoarse voice couldn't hide her shock.

So, her life countdown wasn't a hundred years, but possibly even shorter!

Lin Qi felt like the words "short-lived ghost" were practically written on her face.

If she wanted to live, she had to endure this pain.

Lin Qi held her breath in her chest.

She didn't want to die!

Wasn't it just body tempering?

Temper!

Just bear with it, and it will pass...

Lin Qi:

Seeing Lin Qi accept everything so quickly, Feng Ling's admiration was unconcealed.

"Your steadfastness of will is the strongest I have ever seen in my life."

"Little Qi, you truly don't seem like a four-year-old child."

Under the dual impact of body and soul, Lin Qi's state of mind had already become as calm as still water.

"Since Mother entered closed-door cultivation, I haven't been a child anymore."

Feng Ling was taken aback, her gaze towards Lin Qi tinged with a hint of surprise.

After the body tempering, Lin Qi was so exhausted her eyelids were about to close, but the thought of her potentially exploding and dying at any moment scared her awake, and she immediately scrambled out of bed.

"Let's train!"

It's either explode and die, or get myself tangled up and die. It's just a choice between two, isn't it?!

Who's afraid of who!

Taking advantage of the early hour, Lin Qi, after eating and drinking her fill, took her small wooden sword to find True Monarch Qingyun.

Luo Ci, who was half-dead in the next room, heard the commotion and used his jade token to contact Lin Qi.

"Where are you going?"

Lin Qi's voice carried a sense of determination to die.

"To find Master to learn swordsmanship and movement techniques!"

Luo Ci was completely stunned.

He wanted to die too.

Can't she just stop for a bit?

"Aren't you tired?" he asked, unwilling to give up.

Lin Qi's face twitched. "Tired!"

"Then why are you so enthusiastic?!"

Lin Qi mimicked Senior Sister Yuan Xi's profound tone, "You don't understand. I have no choice but to work hard."

Luo Ci was speechless. He pushed himself up from the bed and gritted his teeth, "I'll go with you!"

Lin Qi raised an eyebrow. "Junior Brother doesn't need to force yourself..."

Before she could finish, Luo Ci interrupted, "I'm not forcing myself!"

He snorted proudly, "At least I didn't howl during body tempering today, unlike some people who screamed like ghosts. Anyone hearing it would think something terrible had happened."

Lin Qi's eyes sharpened, and her hand suddenly itched.

Her voice hoarse, she said, "Junior Brother, you better walk faster. Later, Senior Sister wants to ask you for advice on movement techniques."

Sensing the anger in Lin Qi's voice, Luo Ci immediately shut his mouth.

True Monarch Qingyun wasn't surprised by Lin Qi's arrival, but her eyes deepened with a smile when she saw Luo Ci.

"As expected, when Xiao Qi returned, Luo Ci's training became much more diligent. I like to see you two motivating each other to work hard."

Lin Qi & Luo Ci: Heh.

Zonglei Peak possessed a unique movement technique called the Zonglei Art, an Earth Tier low-grade movement technique. When cultivated to mastery, one could traverse between thunderclouds.

After learning the core principles and footwork, Lin Qi was about to start practicing the movement technique.

True Monarch Qingyun smiled and took out her Eight-faced Flowing Wind Array Plate, tossing it up.

"Xiao Qi, Luo Ci, get on and train."

Lin Qi subconsciously glanced at Luo Ci by her side and saw his tearful expression.

Lin Qi: ...

Lin Qi stepped onto the array plate with a look of determination to die.

Four wind blades instantly attacked Lin Qi from four directions. Lin Qi instinctively dodged, and True Monarch Qingyun's voice came to her ears, "Use your movement technique!"

Lin Qi's steps faltered.

In that momentary pause, a wind blade struck her fiercely. Lin Qi staggered back five or six steps before managing to stabilize herself.

Before she could even catch her breath, the remaining wind blades came at her.

These wind blades followed a pattern. Lin Qi dodged them several times according to the rules, realizing that each step landed precisely on the critical points of the Zonglei Art.

After a few repetitions, she had completely familiarized herself with the first stage of the movement technique and couldn't help but marvel at True Monarch Qingyun's skill.

Initially, there were only four wind blades crisscrossing from various directions, which Lin Qi and Luo Ci could still handle.

Just as Lin Qi adapted, the four blades immediately became eight.

Luo Ci, being experienced, had anticipated this and dodged skillfully. His footwork was fluid, carrying a unique rhythm.

Lin Qi, being a novice, quickly found herself in a state of disarray again.

Luo Ci stole a laugh amidst the chaos and taunted Lin Qi.

"Senior Sister, you just said you wanted to ask me for advice. I didn't expect the opportunity to come so quickly?"

Lin Qi sneered and, without thinking, moved her steps closer to Luo Ci.