Ye Lingling's First Spirit Ring

Hearing the undisguised hatred in her tone, Luo Can could not help asking:

"Mm, let's call you 'Qian Renxue' for now. What do you plan to do when facing another version of yourself?"

"Hehe..."

Qian Renxue let out a soft laugh, her voice dripping with mockery.

"That idiot completely denied my existence during the God Trial. She could not even face her truest desires and darkness. Since that is the case—"

She tilted her head, a trace of cruelty in her violet-gold eyes.

"I can only 'devour' her and create a more complete 'me.'"

"I see." Luo Can nodded and asked, "When do you plan to act?"

"The current 'me' probably has not begun carrying out the plan to infiltrate Tiandou yet." Qian Renxue looked thoughtful. "Judging by the timeline, there should be around three years left. When she is ready to replace Xue Qinghe, that will be the best time for me to strike."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Luo Can, amusement gleaming in her eyes.

"Well? Want to lend me a hand?"

Luo Can answered with almost no hesitation.

"Sure."

After a pause, he continued asking:

"What about after devouring her? What do you plan to do then?"

"Destroy the Heaven Dou Empire," Qian Renxue said calmly. "Since that woman's plan is to unify the continent, I will lend her a hand."

Hearing this, Luo Can studied the woman before him seriously.

Moonlight spilled across her silver-white hair. Her violet-gold pupils were as deep as an abyss, and the faint, almost-smiling curve of her lips gave her a dangerous yet alluring charm.

"If one day," Luo Can said slowly, "I become enemies with that woman, what will you do?"

Qian Renxue shrugged, her tone casual.

"As long as you do not kill her, do whatever you want."

After saying that, a complicated emotion flashed through her eyes.

Luo Can nodded and did not ask further.

He put away his fishing rod, walked beneath the Dragon Blood Tree, sat cross-legged, and began meditating.

Qian Renxue found a patch of clean, soft grass and lay down without a care. She closed her eyes and felt this body.

The rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the faint chill of wind brushing over her skin, even the fullness of Soul Power flowing through her body.

Everything felt so real.

She no longer had to remain trapped deep within that idiot's consciousness, watching her make foolish choices again and again, watching her hands and feet bound by so-called "light" and "justice."

Having a body... feels so good.

She sighed inwardly. Before she knew it, she had completely relaxed and fallen into a deep sleep.

The next day, the sun rose.

A burst of lively chatter broke the morning's tranquility.

"Senior Sister Lingling! Hurry up and let me see your first Spirit Ring!"

"Oh my gosh! It really is a thousand-year Spirit Ring?!"

"Senior Sister, you're amazing! A thousand-year Spirit Ring as your first one—who would believe that if you told them?"

"Ah, what a shame... If I had met Master earlier, my first Spirit Ring definitely would not have been a hundred-year one either..."

Luo Can slowly opened his eyes and saw Dugu Yan surrounding Ye Lingling, her little face full of envy and admiration. Though Ye Lingling tried hard to keep a straight face, she could not hide the pride in her eyes.

On the grass nearby, Qian Renxue also sat up.

She stretched lazily and elegantly. Her curvaceous figure looked even more alluring in the morning light. Walking over to Luo Can, she raised her chin slightly and gestured toward the two little girls.

"Who are these two little ones...?"

"My disciples." Luo Can stood and patted down his robe. "Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan."

He walked over to the two little girls.

They immediately stopped talking and bowed respectfully.

"Good morning, Master!"

"Mm."

Luo Can nodded, his gaze settling on Ye Lingling. "Starting today, you can begin practicing the third form of the Tiger King Mountain-Crushing Fist."

"Yes, Master!"

Ye Lingling's eyes lit up.

At that moment, the two little girls finally noticed Qian Renxue behind Luo Can.

Dugu Yan blinked her large eyes, curiously examining this breathtakingly beautiful older sister. Unable to hold back, she quietly asked:

"Master... who is she?"

Ye Lingling also looked over curiously.

Just as Luo Can was about to introduce her, Qian Renxue spoke first. "My name is Qian Renxue. As for my relationship with your master..."

She deliberately paused, a playful smile curling across her lips. "Mm—let's call us 'close friends.'"

Close friends.

Luo Can's mouth twitched, but he did not refute her.

The two little girls and their "older sister" briefly got acquainted. Qian Renxue was clearly quite interested in the two young disciples, especially when she learned that Ye Lingling's first Spirit Ring was thousand-year. Surprise flashed through her eyes.

She chuckled. "Looks like you are quite a competent master."

In the kitchen, Luo Can bustled around the stove.

Qian Renxue leaned against the kitchen doorway with her arms crossed, her eyes following Luo Can's movements.

She watched the man skillfully handle medicinal herbs, control the heat, and adjust proportions as if he had done it countless times.

"You spoil those two little girls a lot," she said abruptly.

Without turning around, Luo Can continued handling the herbs in his hands.

"Mm. I have many ideas I want to realize through them, so many things need to be prepared personally."

He paused. "For example, these Medicinal Meals—they can strengthen their foundations, replenish their vitality, reinforce their bodies, and nourish their meridians. That way, their potential can be developed to the greatest extent."

Qian Renxue nodded and said nothing more.

Yet her gaze remained on Luo Can, with a trace of envy deep in her eyes.

After a while, she suddenly changed the subject.

"You took Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan as disciples. Then what is your relationship with the Nine-Heart Begonia Ye Clan and Dugu Bo?"

"I resolved their Martial Soul Curse and the backlash from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent poison," Luo Can said indifferently. "For now, they are my people."

Qian Renxue's eyes brightened slightly.

"Then..." She moved closer to Luo Can and lowered her voice. "Can you call Dugu Bo here?"

Luo Can finally looked up at her. "What do you want to do?"

Qian Renxue grinned. "Beat him up."

Luo Can: "..."

He remembered.

In the original story, it was Dugu Bo who discovered that Xue Ye had been poisoned and brought Tang San into the imperial palace, completely exposing Qian Renxue's plan to infiltrate Tiandou.

So to this Dark Qian Renxue, Dugu Bo was absolutely someone deserving "special attention."

"Just do not kill him," Luo Can finally said.

"Don't worry." Qian Renxue smiled until her eyes curved into crescents. "I know my limits. I will just use 'sparring' as an excuse to have some 'fun' with him."

Luo Can shook his head and said no more.

Half an hour later, breakfast was ready.

Luo Can portioned out a full day's meals for the two little girls, covered them with insulated lids, then took off his apron and looked toward Qian Renxue, who was still leaning against the doorway.

"I am leaving The Valley for a while. What about you?"

"Me?" Qian Renxue stretched, revealing her slender waist. "I'll stay behind! It will be a good chance to get familiar with the place."

Luo Can nodded and did not say anything else.

He walked out of the kitchen, spread his Golden Dragon Wings, and shot into the sky, disappearing into the clouds in the blink of an eye.

Qian Renxue watched him leave. Only after he had completely vanished from sight did she withdraw her gaze.

She turned and walked back into the kitchen.

Her eyes fell upon the food containers on the stove, each covered with a lid.

She hesitated for about three seconds.

Then she reached out and lifted one of the lids.

An enticing fragrance rushed toward her.

Inside was a plate of braised pork belly, bright red and glossy, immersed in rich sauce. The meat had been stewed until tender, with layers of lean and fat, its surface shining with tempting oil.

Qian Renxue picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and placed it in her mouth.

The soft, glutinous meat melted over her tongue. The savory-sweet sauce mixed with a faint medicinal fragrance and instantly filled her entire mouth.

Her eyes lit up.

"This taste..."

She picked up another piece and savored it carefully, surprise flashing through her eyes.

"It is even better than what the imperial chefs in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace make..."

As the Xue Qinghe who had infiltrated the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace for many years, what delicacies from land and sea had she not eaten? Yet this seemingly ordinary plate of braised pork belly had reached an almost perfect level, whether in flavor, heat control, or the balance of medicinal properties.

She licked the corner of her lips, delight flashing through her eyes.

Then—

She sat down.

She picked up a bowl, served herself rice, and began taking dishes.

Her movements remained elegant, but she was not slow at all. She chewed every bite carefully, yet the food on the table visibly dwindled at a rapid pace.

Braised pork belly, Steamed Fish, Medicinal Chicken Soup...

Half an hour later.

When Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan finished their morning training, their stomachs growling with hunger, and excitedly ran into the kitchen to eat breakfast—

The two little girls stared at the empty plates, then looked at Qian Renxue, frozen for quite some time.

Then their little mouths drooped, and their eyes immediately reddened.

"O-our food..."

"The medicinal cuisine my master specially made..."

Qian Renxue looked at the two little girls who were about to cry, blinked, and wore an innocent expression.

"Mm... sorry. I accidentally finished it all."

She paused, then added:

"But it really did taste good. Your master's cooking is excellent."

Ye Lingling & Dugu Yan: "..."

At that moment, the same thought arose in both little girls' hearts—

This pretty older sister was a bad person!

At that moment, Luo Can had already arrived at the medicinal herb shop, completely unaware that the three carefully prepared meals he had made for his two young disciples had all ended up in a certain Dark Angel's stomach.