Ling Luochen led Long Jinyu to sit across from each other at a small table near the balcony.
Morning light streamed through the glass, adding a touch of warmth to the cool, austere room.
Ling Luochen sat upright, her back perfectly straight, both hands properly placed atop her closed knees. Her gaze remained lowered on the teacup before her, and she did not dare meet the silver-haired youth's eyes.
She was far less calm inside than she appeared.
This was her first time speaking alone with the legendary "little senior sister" at such close range.
Inner court disciples knew far more than outer court disciples did, and they understood even better the weight carried by the name "Long Jinyu."
A genius youth, the youngest inner court student, a top-tier dragon soul master, the greatest figure Shrek had seen in ten thousand years, the dean of Yanhuang Lingyun... and terrifying strength that allowed him to effortlessly crush Soul Emperors despite being only a Soul Ancestor.
Any one of that string of accolades would have been dazzling enough on someone else. Yet they were all gathered upon one person, so numerous that they inspired reverence.
Those who did not know him worshipped him because of the rumors. Those who did know him respected him even more for what they had witnessed firsthand.
The more Ling Luochen thought about it, the less she could control her heartbeat. She even began to feel the same restrained nervousness she would when facing an elder.
What was more, the pure, high-grade ice-element aura around Long Jinyu was a fatal temptation to her. It constantly stirred at the source of her martial soul, making her want to draw closer—and even... giving rise to certain "criminal" thoughts she should not have had.
She could only forcibly suppress the