???
Wait, was this really what he should be thinking about right now?
How old was Qing Lin?
"System, Qing Lin doesn't seem to be an adult yet, does she?"
[Absorbing the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils physique can make Qing Lin reach adulthood early. Host, there's no need to worry.]
"I see." Xiao Ze nodded slightly.
He might not have been able to bring himself to touch Qing Lin while she was still a child, but that was fine. The system had found a way to make her an adult, so now he could marry her without a care.
"System, you truly understand me."
Coming back to his senses, Xiao Ze nodded in satisfaction, then took a cultivation manual from his Storage Ring and handed it to her.
"Good disciple, consider this cultivation technique your master's welcoming gift."
"From this day onward, you must cultivate diligently and not disappoint your master's painstaking efforts."
"Yes, Master. Qing Lin will remember your teachings." Qing Lin nodded firmly.
Watching from the side, Xiao Ding felt deeply relieved.
The fact that his third brother had taken a liking to her meant Qing Lin had found a good place to belong. The mercenary corps wasn't really suitable for her.
Afterward, Qing Lin led him to the room that had been prepared for him.
"Master, this is the room I arranged for you. Please rest here. If you need anything, you can tell me at any time. I'll be right next door." With that, Qing Lin prepared to leave.
"No need to hurry, Qing Lin. You don't have to be so reserved around your master. From the moment you became my disciple, you should be the one making others watch your expression." Xiao Ze instructed her earnestly.
Qing Lin nodded slightly and said softly, "I understand, Master."
"Since your master has nothing else to do, why don't I help you build a solid foundation beneath the moonlight?" Xiao Ze then led Qing Lin to sit on the bed.
"This disciple will follow all of Master's instructions."
In front of a Dou Zong expert, Qing Lin felt immense pressure and was at a loss for what to do.
Seeing how reserved she was, Xiao Ze smiled. "Relax. Cultivation isn't as difficult as you imagine."
Qing Lin nodded.
"However, before you truly begin cultivating, I must first help you awaken your innate physique," Xiao Ze continued.
"Physique?" Qing Lin asked in confusion. "Master, could it be that I possess a special cultivation physique?"
She had certainly heard of physiques. The Dou Qi Continent was vast, and many rare and powerful physiques had been passed down through the ages.
Without exception, those who possessed them were mighty experts at the very pinnacle of the continent.
And now, her master was saying that she had one too...
"That's right. As a half-human, half-Snake-Person, you ordinarily wouldn't have lived past the age of two. But there are always exceptions, and you are one of them. You possess the extremely rare Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils physique, but it has yet to awaken. Qing Lin, look into my eyes!" As he spoke, Xiao Ze urged the Dou Qi within him into motion.
Qing Lin didn't know what the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils physique was, but she knew her master wouldn't harm her.
Their eyes met, and at once, a primordial force within her was released ahead of time.
Deep within Qing Lin's pupils lay three tiny green dots. Under his power, they gradually came into view.
On closer inspection, the three green dots resembled tiny flower buds. They radiated a powerful suction, as though even one's soul could be drawn inside.
Fortunately, Xiao Ze was a Dou Zong. The effect on him was negligible.
Qing Lin could clearly feel a force awakening within her body. It was powerful—far beyond anything she could control at her current level.
"Master, I can't take it anymore!" Qing Lin cried out in pain.
"Dou Emperor is already your limit?"
Xiao Ze controlled the force in his hand, limiting the awakening power to the Dou Emperor level.
Given Qing Lin's current physique, Dou Emperor was already the limit. Any more, and she risked bursting apart.
At last, under his precise control, the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils awakened perfectly, and Qing Lin rose straight to One-Star Dou Emperor.
She had gone from a frail young girl to a One-Star Dou Emperor in just a few hours. If his eldest and second brothers found out, he wondered if they would die of envy.
"Master, is it over?" Feeling the surging Dou Qi within her, Qing Lin was so dizzy she felt almost drunk.
"Congratulations, Qing Lin."
Looking at Qing Lin, reborn anew, Xiao Ze felt deeply gratified.
By now, with the system's help, Qing Lin had successfully reached adulthood.
Her petite figure had become graceful and slender, with soft shoulders and a waist so slim it could be clasped in one hand. Her curving figure combined a young woman's freshness with mature allure.
Qing Lin slowly opened her beautiful eyes, but when she looked at herself in the mirror, she was utterly stunned. The changes to her appearance far outstripped the changes in her cultivation.
"Master, I... what...?" Even her voice sounded much more mature.
Qing Lin was completely bewildered. She had only awakened her physique, so how had she changed like this?
"It's like this, Qing Lin. The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils within you are immensely powerful. At thirteen or fourteen, you wouldn't have been able to withstand them. I took it upon myself to use a special method to make you several years older. You won't blame your master, will you?"
As he said this, Xiao Ze felt a little guilty.
When all was said and done, he was just lusting after her body.
"Master... I'm grateful to you. How could I possibly blame you?" Seeing how exhausted her master looked, Qing Lin was deeply moved.
She knew her master had sacrificed so, so much for her.
"Thank you, Master."
The next moment, Qing Lin reached out and hugged Xiao Ze tightly.
"Good disciple, this is only what your master should do." Xiao Ze gladly accepted his disciple's embrace.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Ze finally mustered the courage to look at Qing Lin. "Qing Lin, are you willing to marry your master?"
He didn't know how many times he had said those words, but this was the first time he had said them to his disciple.
After all, this scene was just too damn melodramatic: a master marrying his disciple.
But to his surprise, after a moment's hesitation, Qing Lin didn't refuse. Instead, she kissed him.
After a long while, their lips parted, and their breathing gradually grew heavier.
"I'm willing, Master."
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host, on marrying SSS-rank Qing Lin. Hidden reward triggered... ] [ Ding! Marriage reward issued: Heavenly Rank Low Grade Dou Technique: Great Heaven Creation Palm (restrictions can be ignored)! ] [ Ding! Wedding gift issued: Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake Soul! ]
The system's voice drifted over. His heart pounded with excitement, and his hands trembled.
Xiao Ze had never expected the system to reward him with a Heavenly Rank Dou Technique!
He knew that one generally needed to reach the Dou Zun Realm at the very least to unleash a Heavenly Rank Dou Technique. To bring out its full power, one usually needed to be at the Dou Sheng level or above. Only upon reaching Dou Sheng could one truly master the ability to control the power of heaven and earth, which provided the foundation for using a Heavenly Rank Dou Technique.
But he could ignore those restrictions and unleash it directly.
With a Heavenly Rank Dou Technique at his disposal, he could even go toe-to-toe with a Dou Zun expert.
The Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake Soul was also a good thing. It would be perfect for Qing Lin to nourish herself with.
The next moment, Xiao Ze was no longer troubled by guilt. He pounced straight at her.
The two immediately tumbled together.
That night, they stayed awake till dawn, their passionate cries continuing without pause.
Before you continue