The crystal tank was transparent, filled with water.
A woman floated in the water, her dark hair spread out like seaweed. A few strips of cloth barely covered her most private parts, but did nothing to hide her graceful curves.
A man dressed like a noble stood before the crystal tank.
He wore luxurious clothes, a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and stared greedily at the woman inside.
"Peerless Ghost should be here soon, right?" Zhao Linchuan murmured, as if recalling something.
His voice shattered the dungeon's dead silence.
"Who's there?!" A guard whipped out his sword. The sharp ring of steel rang through the dungeon.
Zhao Linchuan slowly stepped out of the shadows, his expression calm.
"I'm your ancestor."
As he spoke, golden light flashed in Zhao Linchuan's right hand. The Supreme Ease Golden Edge was already in his grasp.
His hand rose and his sword fell. A dazzling streak of golden light slashed across the air, swift as a startled swan and unstoppable as a splitting bamboo.
The guard didn't even have time to react before the golden light swept across his neck. His movements froze, then his body crumpled to the ground.
The noble's eyes widened in terror. He opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, the golden light was already upon him!
Crack...!
Thud—!
The crystal shattered, followed by the muffled thump of two bodies hitting the ground.
A great rush of water burst free like a beast escaping its cage, roaring outward in a monstrous wave.
Zhao Linchuan remained unruffled. He turned his right wrist, and the Supreme Ease Golden Edge gleamed once more.
He slashed. A golden sword beam shot forth, cleaving the onrushing wave in two by sheer force.
Water roared past on either side of him, then crashed against the stone walls behind him, sending spray billowing through the air.
Through the drifting mist, a figure fell with the rushing water.
Zhao Linchuan stepped forward and caught the soft body in his arms.
She was soaked through, her skin cold. A few strands of dark hair clung to his arm, carrying a faint chill.
"Come with me." Zhao Linchuan lifted her into his arms and silently thought, Return to Douluo Continent.
The space rippled once more, enveloping the two of them in an instant.
After a long while.
In the main room, Zhao Linchuan and Yan Lingji sat facing each other.
He briefly explained their current situation. This was another world, called Douluo Continent. Here, Soul Power reigned supreme, and the strong looked down upon all living things.
And she had come here with him.
"...In short," Zhao Linchuan said, taking a sip of tea, "you can live here without a care."
"The worst that could happen is that you've simply changed masters."
"Master?" Yan Lingji repeated the word, her final syllable rising slightly. An inscrutable smile tugged at her lips.
She held her left arm across her chest. The pose just happened to cover the glimpse of skin exposed between her strips of cloth, yet only made her seem all the more like she was trying to hide what could not be hidden.
She took a step forward and tilted her head up slightly, her dark eyes gazing straight into Zhao Linchuan's.
"So... do you want me?"
Zhao Linchuan didn't look away. He met her gaze with an unruffled expression. "Beautiful things deserve to be admired."
"Beautiful things?" Yan Lingji narrowed her eyes. A chill crept into her gaze. "You think of me as a thing?"
"A pebble by the roadside and a piece of fine jade in the palm can both be called 'things,'" Zhao Linchuan replied, his tone unchanged. "But they're worlds apart."
"Oh?" Yan Lingji paused for a moment, then raised her right hand and lightly pressed her index finger against Zhao Linchuan's chest.
"Your eyes... are full of desire."
She tilted her head slightly, tracing a small circle over his chest with her finger.
"I can tell... you want many things."
Zhao Linchuan didn't stop that mischievous hand, even letting it linger where it was.
He only lowered his gaze to her fingertip and said calmly, "Desire makes me stronger."
He lifted his eyes, meeting hers at very close range.
"If I had no desires at all, how would I be any different from the walking dead?"
The corner of his mouth lifted, his smile carrying a hint of frankness.
"Besides, faced with a seductive enchantress like you, if I had no desire, wouldn't that be an insult to you?"
Yan Lingji's lashes fluttered. A faint glimmer suddenly lit beneath the fingertip resting against Zhao Linchuan's chest.
The light was warm and dangerous, like a flame on the verge of catching, flickering between them.
Yan Lingji moved closer again. Her breath brushed his jaw, and her lips nearly touched his ear. Her voice was soft as if it came from the depths of a dream.
"Tell me... you..."
"Ah—!"
Before she could finish, Yan Lingji cried out. A warm hand had clamped tightly around her wrist.
Yan Lingji's pupils narrowed. She instinctively tried to pull away, only to find that his grip was neither too strong nor too weak—just enough to keep her from breaking free.
"You—?!" Her composure finally cracked, panic creeping into her voice. "You weren't affected by my Fire Charm Technique?"
"No." Zhao Linchuan tightened his grip slightly and pulled her toward him.
Yan Lingji lost her footing and fell into his arms.
His arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly in place. As he lowered his head, his voice rumbled deep in his chest.
"I was."
His voice fell by her ear, warm breath accompanying it.
"Don't—!"
The next day.
The sun was already high in the sky.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, laying a warm golden patch beside the bed.
Zhao Linchuan turned onto his side and patted the bundled-up figure beside him.
"What time do you think it is?" He deliberately raised his voice. "Time to get up and pee."
A hand emerged from the covers and smacked the back of his hand.
"Are you sick or something?"
Yan Lingji poked her head out from under the quilt, her long hair tousled across the pillow.
She glared at him, her eyes filled with both anger and mortification, her voice still a little hoarse.
"You wore me out all night, and now you're telling me I can't even sleep in?"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She simply pulled the quilt higher, leaving only her eyes exposed, and mumbled through it:
"You absolute brute..."
Yesterday, she had meant to test him, to use her Fire Charm Technique to probe his limits.
Who knew her plan would backfire? The Fire Charm Technique failed to control him, and she ended up getting herself into trouble instead.
That inhuman man had tormented her all night.
And he kept making her step on him with her feet. It was utterly absurd!
"Bastard!"
Her cheeks suddenly burned. She buried her face in the quilt and cursed under her breath.
Zhao Linchuan watched her acting like an ostrich and couldn't help laughing.
He threw off the covers and got up, stepping barefoot onto the cold floor. He grabbed the robe draped over the back of a chair and tossed it on.
"Then sleep a little longer. I'll go get you something to eat."
"Once you're up, don't wander off. Wait for me to come back and teach you how to cultivate."
He finished dressing, opened the door, and left. His footsteps gradually faded away.
Before you continue