Teaching

"Heaven Dou City had always forbidden Slaughter, let alone the extermination of an entire sect. The Iron Blood Sect was the one that broke the rules." Vina looked at Tang Ya and spoke softly.

"I can help you reclaim your family's residence and punish the Iron Blood Sect's chief culprits according to the law. As for the others, you will have to rely on yourself."

Tang Ya's eyes reddened, tears glistening at their corners. She said softly, "That is already enough. I will avenge the rest myself."

Seeing Tang Ya so moved, the last trace of wariness and hostility Vina held toward her vanished as well. She sighed lightly, stepped forward, and took Tang Ya's hand.

Tang Ya hurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her lips curved into a radiant smile, her pretty face like a pear blossom kissed by rain.

"I'm sorry. I... I never thought I would be able to avenge myself so soon. I'm just too happy."

Thinking of how she had spent the past few months constantly on edge, traveling from the Clear Sky Sect to Shrek, only for someone she had never met before to be willing to help her take revenge in the end, her feelings became especially complicated.

She knew Vina was willing to help her because of Lin Ran, but she was still deeply grateful.

Tang Ya patted her still-undeveloped chest and promised, "If you ever need anything from me in the future, I will do everything in my power."

"Really?"

Vina's eyes immediately lit up. Her beautiful, shimmering gaze turned to Lin Ran, then back to Tang Ya.

Tang Ya was startled and hastily added, "Other than asking me to leave Xiao Ran, I'll agree to anything else."

Vina looked rather regretful.

Seeing that the two were getting along fairly well, Lin Ran spoke at the right moment. "Vina, I'll have to trouble you with Xiao Ya's matter."

Vina shook her head and looked at Lin Ran. Her bright eyes rippled like water as she opened her mouth to speak, paused, then hesitated again.

Lin Ran had always treated her with this same neither-too-close-nor-too-distant attitude, courteous and respectful.

He was somewhat closer to her than he was to ordinary people, yet somewhat more polite than he would be to someone truly close to him.

Over the past two years, she had more or less guessed the reason behind Lin Ran's attitude.

She was a princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, representing both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Heavenly Soul Royal Family.

Lin Ran, meanwhile, was the Young Sect Master of the Body Sect, representing the Body Sect.

The two of them represented the attitudes of their respective factions. Now that a period of upheaval had arrived, one that concerned the future of both sides, Lin Ran naturally had to give more thought to how he interacted with her.

Moreover, there was something else she could not quite determine: Lin Ran did not seem to hold much approval for the Heaven Dou Empire.

He did not reject it, but neither did he seem particularly fond of it. This had become even more apparent after Lin Ran gradually came to understand the Heaven Dou Empire over the past two years.

After hesitating for a moment, Vina finally said:

"It is nothing. I know you may seem cold on the outside, but you are warm-hearted within. Xiao Ya has had a difficult life, so of course you were willing to help her. And since I have always wished to share your desires, I naturally would not begrudge offering my help. Besides, this matter is merely a small effort for me."

She has always wished to share my desires?

Hearing the girl openly express her affection, Lin Ran's heart skipped a beat. After a brief silence, he said:

"Over the past two years, I have received much kindness from you. You gave me a soul bone, and you have also been helping maintain this little courtyard all this time, yet I have never returned the favor. As it happens, I prepared two gifts for you during this trip. They should be of some help to you."

Gifts?

So is this simply returning the favor, or does he truly want to give them to me?

The thought flashed through Vina's mind, but she could not suppress her happiness. The corners of her lips rose slightly, and anticipation filled her eyes.

Lin Ran pressed a finger to Vina's forehead and said in a low voice:

"Do not resist. I'll transmit them to you with Mental Power."

Ever since he had successfully cultivated Astrology and Soul Dragon Wander, he had been able to transmit information with Mental Power effortlessly. It was rather convenient now; when teaching Cultivation Methods, he could also pass on the martial insights the system had given him.

Following his instructions, Vina relaxed her mind and allowed Lin Ran to enter her Spiritual Sea.

As Lin Ran's Mental Power flowed in, an image and several passages of—profoundly mysterious books?—appeared in her mind.

"Longevity Skill—Wood Chapter? Myriad Leaves Flying Flowers?"

Vina softly murmured as she browsed the additional information in her mind.

Lin Ran said, "These can be considered two Meditation Methods. Your main cultivation centers on your Snow Lotus Martial Soul, and these two Meditation Methods are wood-aligned, making them perfectly suited to you."

"First, see whether you can cultivate the Wood Chapter of the Longevity Skill, then try cultivating Myriad Leaves Flying Flowers. The Wood Chapter of the Longevity Skill can accelerate your cultivation and grant your soul power a wood attribute. As for its other wondrous uses, you will understand them yourself after successfully cultivating it."

"As for Myriad Leaves Flying Flowers, you may treat it as a Self-Created Soul Skill. It allows you to control and communicate with vegetation, and comprehend the principles of plants and trees. It should be greatly beneficial to your Martial Soul's cultivation. If you can master both, then I imagine you will face no bottlenecks before reaching Super Douluo."

Vina froze upon hearing this. Biting her lip, she said softly, "Th-this is far too precious."

She had already finished examining the two Cultivation Methods in her mind and understood full well just how precious these methods of cultivation were.

These were things capable of overturning the current methods of soul master cultivation across the Douluo Continent! They could even allow someone without Innate Soul Power to become a soul master!

Setting aside the profoundly mysterious Longevity Skill, which she could not fully understand, Myriad Leaves Flying Flowers alone would be enough to establish the greatest sect on the continent.

Back then, the Clear Sky Sect had dominated the continent with the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes and the Exploding Ring. Myriad Leaves Flying Flowers was in no way inferior to—perhaps even far surpassed—the Clear Sky Sect's ultimate arts.

Lin Ran smiled. "This is the first gift I have given you. Are you going to refuse it? I have never declined any of the gifts you gave me. Just do not pass it on to anyone else."

Vina nodded gently. Her eyes rippled as she gazed at Lin Ran with a tender look.

"Does your Body Sect also possess Cultivation Methods similar to the ultimate arts of our Tang Sect?"

Tang Ya's voice rang out. Lin Ran turned his head and saw the girl blinking her large, curious eyes. She said with some wonder, "This is the first time I've seen another sect possess such ultimate arts. Your Body Sect truly deserves to be one of the continent's strongest sects."

Lin Ran glanced at Vina, then at Tang Ya, wondering whether he should give the Falling Leaves, Flying Flowers technique to Tang Ya as well.

Vina probably would not say something like, "I thought it was only for me. Turns out all the other girls got one too," right?

As for the wood chapter of the Longevity Skill, Tang Ya cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, so she likely could not practice it.

Just as Lin Ran was about to speak, Huo Yun'er's voice came from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready."

Tang Ya's Phoenix Eyes lit up. Forgetting all about her curiosity over Cultivation Methods, she cried out in delight, "Coming!"

Then she impatiently grabbed Lin Ran and Vina and pulled them toward the kitchen. "Come on, come on, come on! I've been looking forward to Aunt Huo's cooking for ages."

Lin Ran sighed and could only let Tang Ya pull him along.

At the dining table, every time Tang Ya tasted a dish, she could not help marveling at how well Lin Ran ate. Whenever she tasted something especially satisfying, she even let out a blissful moan.

Lin Ran could not help covering his face. Huo Yun'er, on the other hand, beamed at Tang Ya and kept placing food onto her plate.

As Huo Yun'er served Tang Ya more food, she turned to Lin Ran and asked, "Xiao Ran, does the injured girl upstairs need me to prepare some porridge for her?"

Lin Ran shook his head. "No need. She probably won't wake up for the time being. As for food, there are specialized pills that can replenish her nutrients."

Huo Yun'er paused, then asked worriedly, "Is that girl's injury really so serious? Even your teacher couldn't do anything?"

Lin Ran said, "Her injuries have mostly recovered. The reason she remains unconscious is because of her martial soul."

"Teacher guessed that her martial soul probably has some kind of defect. Before she was injured, she likely forced herself to unleash some latent potential in her martial soul, causing a severe backlash. Combined with her previous grave injuries, she was suffering both internally and externally. It was already a stroke of luck that she did not die."

"Then now, she—" Huo Yun'er said anxiously.

Lin Ran replied, "Whether she can wake up, and what state she'll be in when she does, depends entirely on her willpower and fate. We can only treat her external injuries."

For a moment, the dining table fell silent.

Seeing this, Lin Ran said, "There's no need for everyone to worry. Her condition was stable all the way here. She should be fine."