Yan Lingji Plays with Fire and Gets Burned

The tank was transparent and filled with water.

A woman floated within, her dark hair fanning out like seaweed. A few strips of cloth barely covered her vital areas, failing to conceal her exquisite curves.

A man dressed like a noble stood before the crystal tank.

He wore luxurious robes with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, staring greedily at the woman inside.

"Peerless Ghost should be arriving soon, right?" Zhao Linchuan muttered to himself, as if recalling something.

The voice shattered the deathly silence of the dungeon.

"Who goes there?!" The guard drew his sword abruptly, the sharp ring of steel echoing through the dungeon.

Zhao Linchuan stepped slowly out of the shadows, his expression indifferent.

"I am your ancestor."

As he spoke, golden light erupted from Zhao Linchuan's right hand, and the Supreme Ease Golden Edge appeared in his palm.

With a flick of his wrist, a brilliant golden beam slashed outward, swift as a startled swan and unstoppable as a bamboo-splitting force.

The guard had no time to react before the golden light swept across his neck. His movements froze, and his body slumped limply to the ground.

The noble's eyes widened in terror. He opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, the golden light reached him!

Crack...!

Thud--!

The sound of shattering crystal and the dull thud of two bodies hitting the floor followed in quick succession.

A massive volume of water surged out like a beast breaking free from its cage, roaring as it transformed into a towering wave that swept across the room.

Zhao Linchuan remained unhurried, twisting his right wrist to make the Supreme Ease Golden Edge glow once more.

With a single slash, a golden sword aura cut through the air, cleaving the incoming wave in two.

The water rushed past both sides of his body, crashing into the stone wall behind him and kicking up a mist of spray.

Amidst the swirling mist, a figure fell along with the current.

Zhao Linchuan stepped forward and reached out to catch the soft body.

She was soaked through, her skin cold to the touch, and strands of dark hair clung to his arm, carrying a faint chill.

"Come with me." Zhao Linchuan held her horizontally in his arms and whispered to himself: 'Return to Douluo Continent.'

Space rippled once more, instantly enveloping them both.

A long while later.

In the main hall, Zhao Linchuan and Yan Lingji sat facing each other.

He briefly explained their current situation: this was another world called the Douluo Continent, where soul power reigned supreme and the strong looked down upon all living things.

And she had followed him here.

"...In short," Zhao Linchuan picked up a teacup and took a sip, "you can live here without worry."

"The worst-case scenario is merely changing masters."

"Master?" Yan Lingji repeated the word, her voice rising slightly at the end as a mysterious smile curled her lips.

She held her left arm across her chest, a posture that perfectly shielded the skin exposed by the strips of cloth, yet only added to her provocative allure.

She took a step forward, tilting her head slightly, her pitch-black eyes gazing straight into Zhao Linchuan's.

"So... do you want to possess me?"

Zhao Linchuan did not avoid her gaze. He looked straight at her, his expression calm. "Beautiful things deserve to be appreciated."

"Beautiful things?" Yan Lingji narrowed her eyes, a hint of coldness flickering in her gaze. "Do you treat me like an object?"

"A pebble on the roadside and a piece of fine jade in one's palm can both be called 'objects'," Zhao Linchuan said, his tone unchanging. "But they are entirely different."

"Oh?" Yan Lingji paused for a moment, then raised her right hand, her index finger gently tapping against Zhao Linchuan's chest.

"Your eyes... are full of desire."

She tilted her head slightly, her finger tracing a small circle over his heart.

"I can tell... you want many things."

Zhao Linchuan did not stop the hand that was stirring up trouble; he even let it stay there.

He simply lowered his eyes to look at her fingertip, his tone calm. "Desire makes me strong."

He raised his eyes, his gaze meeting hers at an incredibly close distance.

"If I didn't even have desire, how would I be any different from a walking corpse?"

The corners of his lips lifted, his smile carrying a trace of openness.

"Besides, facing a seductress like you, wouldn't it be an insult to you if I felt no desire?"

Yan Lingji's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a faint glimmer of light suddenly ignited at the fingertip she pressed against Zhao Linchuan's chest.

The light was warm yet dangerous, like a flame on the verge of igniting, dancing between the two of them.

Yan Lingji drew closer once more, her breath brushing against his jaw. Her lips were nearly pressed to his earlobe, and her voice was so soft it seemed to drift from the depths of a dream.

"Tell me... you..."

"Ah--!"

Before she could finish, Yan Lingji let out a startled cry; her wrist had been firmly seized by a warm palm.

Yan Lingji's pupils constricted. She instinctively tried to pull away, only to find that the grip was neither too tight nor too loose—just enough to render her unable to break free.

"You--?!" The composure on her face finally showed a crack, her voice laced with panic. "You weren't affected by my Fire Charm Technique?"

"No." Zhao Linchuan applied a slight pressure to her hand, pulling her forward.

Yan Lingji lost her footing and tumbled into his arms.

His arm circled her waist, pinning her firmly against him. As he lowered his head, his voice sounded deep, as if vibrating from the very depths of his chest.

"I was."

The words landed by her ear, accompanied by his warm breath.

"Don't--!"

The next day.

The sun was high in the sky.

Sunlight spilled through the window lattice, spreading a warm patch of gold across the edge of the bed.

Zhao Linchuan turned on his side and patted the figure wrapped in the quilt beside him.

"What time do you think it is?" He deliberately raised his voice. "Time to get up and pee."

A hand reached out from the quilt and slapped his hand hard.

"Are you sick?!"

Yan Lingji poked her head out from the covers, her long hair scattered messily across the pillow.

She glared at him, her eyes filled with a mix of irritation and shame, her voice still slightly hoarse.

"You didn't just exhaust me all night; can't I even sleep for a while in the morning?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She simply pulled the quilt up higher, leaving only her eyes exposed, and mumbled vaguely:

"You inhuman beast..."

Yesterday, she had intended to test him, hoping to use the Fire Charm Technique to gauge his true strength.

Who would have thought it would backfire? Not only did the Fire Charm Technique fail to control him, but she had ended up trapped herself.

That inhuman man had tortured her relentlessly throughout the night.

During the process, he had even insisted she step on him with her feet—it was absolutely absurd!

"Bastard!"

Her cheeks burned instantly. She buried her face back into the quilt and cursed muffledly.

Zhao Linchuan couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her ostrich-like display.

He threw off the covers and stood up, his bare feet touching the cold floor as he grabbed the outer robe draped over the back of a chair and threw it on.

"Sleep a bit longer then. I'm going to get you something to eat."

"Don't wander off when you wake up. Wait for me to return so I can teach you how to cultivate."

He finished dressing, pushed the door open, and stepped out, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.