Gone from this village, no shop in this town

"You..."

"Why are you just standing there? Say something. Is my affection really that hard to accept?"

After waiting a while longer, Hu Liena realized that Lin Chuan, having snapped out of his daze, remained motionless and silent. Bitterness welled up in her heart, and her anxiety was plain for all to see.

Yet, she suppressed the trepidation in her heart, slowly sinking into a state of despondency amidst her despair.

Following the despair came a massive sense of emptiness; a complex mix of unwillingness and powerlessness spread from the depths of her heart.

Hu Liena's beautiful fox-like eyes filled with tears once more, and the expectant light in her gaze dimmed.

After Lin Chuan finished silently roasting Giratina in his mind, he looked at the weeping Hu Liena, took a deep breath, and reached out to wipe the tears from her face.

"Love is something I've never really paid much attention to."

"Only having great strength is fundamental; I haven't thought much about anything else until now."

"Aside from becoming stronger, I have little interest in other things. Desire occupies a very small space in my life—so small that it's just like eating..."

"If necessary, I can give it up, just like I can skip lunch when I'm busy."

Hu Liena's tears kept falling, and Lin Chuan could only smile bitterly as he wiped them away one by one, explaining patiently.

The ultimate meaning of his words was nothing more than:

"It's not that I have no feelings for you, it's just that these feelings haven't been placed into the category of romantic love."

Hearing this, Hu Liena asked with lingering unwillingness:

"Then why can't they be placed there? Do you already have someone you like? Is it Qian Renxue?"

This question gave Lin Chuan a genuine headache.

It was likely the law of the Romance Continent at work; one simply couldn't avoid romance.

This was the rhythm of being served on a silver platter, wasn't it?

"There is no one in that position. Qian Renxue and I have only met twice; you're overthinking it."

Learning that Lin Chuan didn't have anyone else and was simply indifferent to romance, the disappointment in her heart eased by more than half.

However, Giratina, who had been silenced by his retort, continued to tease him at this moment:

"I think you like them all, don't you?"

"You didn't say that when you saw Qian Renxue. She was calling you 'brother' this and 'brother' that, not at all like the 'only met twice' you claim~?"

"What a stubborn man, still pretending that 'desire occupies a very small space in my life~'"

"How can you say such things with a straight face?"

Lin Chuan's face darkened, and he retorted:

"I'm not a scumbag! I just want to give them a home, but they all keep coveting my body."

He let out a long sigh and said helplessly to Hu Liena:

"You don't need to use your charm techniques on me anymore. With your strength, you cannot bewitch me; my spiritual power has already reached the Soul Saint level, comparable to a Soul Douluo."

"These illusions are basically useless against me. I can suppress my body, but my reason will not be lost."

Because his current focus was truly not on emotions, perhaps it wouldn't be too late to discuss these things after becoming a Titled Douluo.

He also planned to stabilize his soul power before beginning to absorb the Evil God Bead.

Just as he was about to continue persuading Hu Liena, he found that she was already flushed, her body soft and curled up in his arms.

The warm breath and the touch of her soft body were a form of torture for Lin Chuan.

In the end, he could only sigh in compromise:

"You on the roof, there's no need to keep spreading this aphrodisiac."

"This was supposed to be a matter of mutual consent; if you do this, doesn't it turn into a case of victim-blaming?"

Hu Liena inappropriately wrapped her fair, jade-like arms around Lin Chuan's neck, buried her head in his shoulder, and said with a trembling voice:

"I like you. I like whatever you do. It's not... because of the medicine."

Seeing Lin Chuan remain indifferent, sitting there like a statue, the passionate person on the roof couldn't watch anymore.

"The little girl has already been so direct, yet you still won't agree."

"Falling in love won't delay your cultivation. You really are as stiff and old-fashioned as ever."

"You clearly like her, yet you insist on dragging it out. She's already throwing herself at you, and you're still so indifferent. It's no good to have such a poor body at such a young age."

The woman's words left Lin Chuan very confused.

Naturally filtering out her suggestive remarks, he projected his spiritual power to sense her, only to be gently blocked by another powerful wave of spiritual energy.

Listening to her words, it seemed they had known each other for a long time.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have said something like, "You really are as stiff and old-fashioned as ever."

Yet, during his time at Martial Soul Hall, he had not had much contact with other women.

The other party's spiritual power prevented him from sensing the specific situation, but it was at least level eighty-five or higher.

Hu Liena buried her face in the crook of Lin Chuan's neck, her warm breath making him suffer.

Since there were feelings involved and she had delivered herself to his doorstep, it would be unreasonable not to take a bite!

With that, a smile curled at the corners of Lin Chuan's mouth as he said:

"That's true. Strength is certainly important, but it's like the saying goes: 'Opportunity knocks but once.'"

"I will strive to become stronger afterward."

"However, before that, I must ask you to leave, senior. Being watched like this is rather embarrassing."

The woman on the roof let out a scoff.

Nevertheless, under Lin Chuan's spiritual perception, she departed.

The young girl in his arms had already shed most of her clothing due to the heat, revealing her perfect, delicate body, and was trembling slightly from extreme nervousness.

In Lin Chuan's embrace, she felt her entire body go limp.

Her face was burning red, as if she were in a sauna.

Watching the girl's alluring appearance, a wicked smile rose on Lin Chuan's lips.

She had delivered herself to him voluntarily.

At first, it was out of respect for his target, but now, it was out of respect for himself.

"Nervous?"

"It's too late."

Having said that, he reached out and removed Hu Liena's shoes.

A pair of fair, tender jade feet were exposed to the air.

The jade feet were crystal clear, a flush of red beneath the white, with a perfectly arched instep that could barely be held in one hand.

Hu Liena's initiative left Lin Chuan with no reservations; he rolled over, pinned her beneath him on the soft bed, and leaned down to kiss her.

The next morning.

The sun rose, and warm rays slanted through the window left open from the night before, casting a distorted shadow on the floor.

Lin Chuan woke up from the bed with a yawn, feeling refreshed.

He had been tossing and turning from yesterday afternoon until midnight before finally falling asleep.

But his standard biological clock ensured he woke up at roughly this time, even if he hadn't rested well.

Hu Liena's alluring body still lay in his arms, quietly pressed against his toned abdominal muscles.

Gently brushing away the strands of hair clinging to her cheeks and seeing her somewhat haggard appearance, Lin Chuan slowly rose from the bed.

His movements were very slow, but they still stirred Hu Liena, causing her to wake up slowly, her eyes hazy.

Recalling the scenes from yesterday, she became instantly clear-headed.

Seeing their current state, Hu Liena shyly reached for her clothes.

The moment she moved, the soreness in her body made her frown in discomfort.