Qing Lin
Like a weary bird returning to its nest, Qing Lin threw herself into Lin Ming. Her slender shoulders trembled slightly with excitement, and a sob that had been suppressed for a long time finally escaped her lips.
All the hardships he had endured alone over the years, the longing for his deceased loved ones, and the thrill and fear he felt when he subdued the Nine Profound Nether Python all turned into scalding tears at this moment, soaking Lin Ming's clothes.
Lin Ming gently patted her back, just as he had comforted the helpless Little Qing Lin in Stone Desert City many years ago, his voice gentle. "It's alright, it's alright now, Qing Lin. It's so good to meet you here."
Zi Yan blinked her big eyes, curiously observing the girl who had suddenly appeared. Although she knew Qing Lin, Zi Yan's lips were slightly pouting, as if she was a little dissatisfied with this sudden "sharing".
Xiong Zhan scratched his head, a look of realization appearing on his honest face. Although he wasn't quite sure of the specifics, he guessed that this must be an old friend of the Sect Master from his early years.
After a while, Qing Lin finally stopped crying, lifted her head from Lin Ming, her pretty face flushed, wiped away her tears somewhat embarrassedly, took a step back, and stood properly, but her reddened eyes were still fixed on Lin Ming, as if afraid that he would disappear again in the blink of an eye.
"Brother Lin Ming... I... am I dreaming? Is it really... really you?" Her voice still trembled with a sob, her tone filled with unbelievable joy.
"Of course it's not a dream." Lin Ming smiled and ruffled her hair. This familiar gesture made Qing Lin's cheeks blush even more, but her heart was filled with boundless warmth.
"As for you, how come you're all alone deep in the Meteor Beast Mountain Range? And you've even provoked a ferocious beast like the Nine Profound Nether Python? Weren't you in the Heavenly Snake Mansion?"
Mentioning this, Qing Lin's eyes dimmed for a moment, then became resolute again. She gathered her thoughts and began to briefly recount her experiences.
"I have indeed been in the Heavenly Snake Mansion. The palace has treated me very well, and has devoted itself to nurturing my Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, so my strength has improved very quickly."
Qing Lin said softly, "But... I always worried about Elder Hai and Brother Lin Ming. Later, I heard some news about the Jia Ma Empire, and I couldn't rest easy, so... I found an opportunity and secretly left the Heavenly Snake Mansion."
She glanced at Lin Ming nervously, and seeing that he didn't seem to blame her, she continued, "I went back to the Jia Ma Empire first and found Sister Ya Fei and Elder Hai. It was from Elder Hai that I learned that Brother Lin Ming, you had already gone to the Middle Continent and become a very powerful expert."
Her eyes shone with a mixture of admiration and longing. "Knowing that Brother Lin Ming was in the Middle Continent, I made up my mind to come and find you."
However, her journey to the Middle Continent was not without its challenges.
"In the latter half of my wormhole journey, I encountered an extremely terrifying Spatial Storm!" Qing Lin recalled with lingering fear, a trace of lingering dread flashing across his face.
"That storm was terrifying; the entire wormhole tunnel almost collapsed, and the Space Ship I was on was swept into the turbulence... When I woke up, I found myself lying in an unfamiliar mountain range. Later I learned that it was already in the Southern Region of the Middle Continent."
"Spatial Storm!" Lin Ming raised an eyebrow. This situation was indeed dangerous, and it was fortunate that Qing Lin had survived.
While Space Wormhole are convenient, connecting distant wormholes across different domains, especially those that are old and poorly maintained, does indeed pose a risk of encountering Spatial Storm.
"I've been traveling around the Southern Region for a while, trying to find out about you, Brother Lin Ming, but the Middle Continent is too vast, and the Southern Region are full of remote ancient forests with poor communication, so I haven't found anything."
Qing Lin's tone was somewhat downcast, but she quickly cheered up again.
"Later, I heard that the Meteor Beast Mountain Range is a notorious dangerous place in the Southern Region, inhabited by countless powerful Magical Beasts, including various snakes... I thought that my Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils might come in handy here. If I could subdue some powerful snake Magical Beasts, I could not only protect myself but also find Brother Lin Ming more easily, so... I came in."
She glanced at Lin Ming and whispered, "I didn't expect to sense the aura of this Nine Profound Nether Python so soon after entering. Its bloodline is very strong, and it's extremely attractive to my Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, so I wanted to give it a try... but I almost..."
She lowered her head in embarrassment; if Lin Ming hadn't intervened in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
After listening to Qing Lin's account, Lin Ming couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of fate. Who could have imagined that the timid Little Qing Lin from the Jia Ma Empire back then would now grow into Peak Dou Ancestor expert capable of venturing alone into the Meteor Beast Mountain Range and attempting to subdue Eighth Order Magical Beast?
Even more unexpectedly, the two would reunite in this most treacherous mountain range in the Southern Region in such a way.
"Luck is truly a wonderful thing. It's amazing that my brother and I were able to meet here," Lin Ming said with a smile.
Qing Lin nodded vigorously in agreement.
Lin Ming looked at Qing Lin again. At this moment, the blue Three Flower Mark on her eyes had disappeared, but Lin Ming could still feel a powerful yet gentle aura contained within it, which was the Nine Profound Nether Python that had been subdued.
Immediately, Lin Ming laughed and said, "Speaking of which, Qing Lin, you've actually turned misfortune into blessing this time. The Nine Profound Nether Python is a powerful existence even among the Nether Python Clan, with enormous potential. With it, both your cultivation and your safety have gained a great deal of protection."
Qing Lin nodded, a sweet smile spreading across her face, "Hehe! I have to Brother Lin Ming for helping me earlier! Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have been able to subdue it."
Qing Lin also felt the immense power within the mark, her heart filled with joy. This was not only a great help, but also a reward for Brother Lin Ming's personal assistance.
"By the way, Brother Lin Ming, did you come to the Meteor Beast Mountain Range for Magical Beasts too?" Qing Lin asked curiously. After all, Magical Beasts resources were the most abundant resource here.
Lin Ming briefly recounted the establishment of the Five Elements Sect and his journey to explore the Fallen Phoenix Abyss and the Beast Taming Sect Ruins.
"The Fallen Phoenix Abyss? That sounds very dangerous..." A hint of worry appeared in Qing Lin's eyes.
"Danger and opportunity go hand in hand," Lin Ming said with a smile. "Now that we've encountered this, Qing Lin, you should come with us. It's ultimately unsafe for you to be alone in these mountains."
"Okay! Hehe." Qing Lin immediately replied with a smile. Being able to travel with Brother Lin Ming was exactly what she had been dreaming of.
"You little rascal!" Lin Ming chuckled helplessly, then introduced Xiong Zhan to Qing Lin. "Zi Yan, Qing Lin, you two don't need to introduce yourselves! This is Xiong Zhan, an elder of the sect."
"Greetings, Sister Zi Yan; greetings, Elder Xiong Zhan." Qing Lin quickly and obediently bowed.
She recognized Zi Yan. But the faint yet palpable pressure emanating from Zi Yan at this moment made her bloodline tremble slightly, which startled her.
At this moment, Zi Yan also welcomed Zi Yan back with a smile.
Xiong Zhan smiled honestly, "You're welcome, Miss Qinglin. With you joining us, our team will be stronger."
At this point, Lin Ming's original team of three officially became a team of four.
Although Qing Lin's own strength is at the Peak Dou Ancestor, only slightly stronger than Zi Yan is also at the Dou Zong realm, the Nine Profound Nether Python that she just subdued is a genuine Eighth Order Magical Beast! Its strength is probably comparable to a three-star peak Dou Zun expert!
With such strength, even Xiong Zhan, who had revealed his Ancient Dragon Bear form, wouldn't dare say he could be certain of victory against it.
After all, the Nine Profound Nether Python's bloodline is also extremely noble, and its innate abilities are unpredictable. Especially in this cold and gloomy place, it can unleash its full power.
The team's overall strength has been greatly enhanced by the addition of Qing Lin and Nine Profound Nether Python!
"Alright, we can't stay here any longer. The commotion we just made might attract other trouble. Let's leave this Poisonous Miasma forest and find a safe place to rest before continuing deeper," Lin Ming decided.
Qing Lin naturally had no objections and obediently followed Lin Ming's side.
With Qing Lin joining the group, and her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils granting her extraordinary perception of serpentine Magical Beasts, the team's journey through the Shadow Poisonous Fog Forest became significantly smoother.
Soon after, the four found a natural cave located beneath the roots of a giant, dead tree. Lin Ming set up a Space Barrier at the cave entrance to conceal their presence, and the four decided to rest there for a day before continuing their journey.
Inside the cave, the air was filled with a damp, earthy smell, mixed with a faint, ancient, and imposing aura that flowed slowly through the silence.
Qing Lin sat cross-legged on a smooth Blue Stone, her white skirt draped down, concealing the tiny water droplets that had condensed on the edge of the Blue Stone. A faint blue halo surrounded her, as if she were shrouded in a thin veil, rising and falling gently with the rhythm of her breath.
Her tightly closed eyes were now open, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath them. Her hands formed a complex hand seal, and the azure Spiritual Energy swirling around her fingertips flowed, echoing the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils in her eyes.
A moment later, Qing Lin closed her eyes again, her mind sinking into the space formed by the Three-Flower Pupils. At this moment, with faint blue light patterns flickering between the gaps in the Nine Profound Nether Python's scales, it obediently lay on the ground, its massive head gently touching the ground, allowing the power emanating from the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils to envelop its entire body.
As Qing Lin's mind sank in, the power of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils suddenly increased, and the three purple patterns transformed into slender threads of light, wrapping around the body of the Nine Profound Nether Python like vines.
The light threads pierced through the gaps in the scales, precisely connecting to the Spiritual Energy channels within the Giant Python's body. The previously dormant python power was instantly awakened, transforming into streams of pure black energy that flowed slowly towards Qing Lin's dantian, guided by the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
As the first wisp of python power surged into his body, Qing Lin's lips unconsciously curled up slightly, and a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.
The power of this Nine Profound Nether Python was far more profound than she had imagined, carrying the ferocity and weight unique to ancient beasts. However, under the guidance of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, it became as docile as a stream, slowly flowing along her meridians.
Qing Lin deliberately slowed his breathing, guiding the python's power along his own Cultivation Method meridians. With each flow, a portion of the python's power was absorbed by the meridian walls and transformed into his own fighting power.
At this moment, Qing Lin clearly felt that his meridians had become wider and stronger under the nourishment of the python's power, and the Spiritual Energy vortex in his dantian was spinning faster and faster, emitting a faint hum.
As a result, Qing Lin's aura, which had been at the Peak Dou Ancestor, began to rise slowly, as if injected with new vitality.
Seeing Qing Lin's aura increase so much, Lin Ming couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying power of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils technique.