"Yes, it is indeed dark now; it's been a while."
Xiao Tianci nodded with a smile.
After all, she was such a young girl, and she had spent so much time with him without eating or drinking anything.
It's quite remarkable that they've managed to hold on this long.
"I don't know if there will still be food left at this time, so I'm sorry you missed dinner."
Xiao Tianci looked at Qing Lin with a hint of apology and spoke.
"No, it's alright." Qing Lin shook her head, seemingly unconcerned.
Then, Xiao Tianci watched as Qing Lin carefully took out a cloth bag from her bosom.
Inside the cloth bag, there appeared to be a few somewhat rough-textured flatbreads.
Qing Lin took out a cake from the cake, and then handed one to Xiao Tianci somewhat shyly, as if she was worried that Xiao Tianci would find it unappetizing. She looked at Xiao Tianci cautiously.
Xiao Tianci naturally took the cake out of curiosity.
The texture of this cake is a bit hard; it might be difficult to chew if eaten directly. It would be better to drink it with water.
However, since it was Qing Lin's good intention, Xiao Tianci still took a big bite and swallowed it.
The biscuit wasn't as bad as it looked. It had a slightly salty taste, somewhat like the salty biscuits Xiao Tianci had eaten in his previous life.
Seeing Xiao Tianci eat the pancake, Qing Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief. Then she also took out a pancake, exactly the same as Xiao Tianci's, and took a big bite.
She had occasionally shared this pancake with others before, but almost everyone who received it showed a disgusted expression. It was considered good if they didn't throw it on the ground and stomp on it, let alone eat it.
Therefore, Qing Lin later became taciturn and never shared these things with others.
"Did you make these pancakes?" Xiao Tianci asked casually while eating them.
"Hmm." Qing Lin seemed to be enjoying her food very much, as if what she was holding was some kind of delicacy.
She nodded, then said somewhat indistinctly, "I basically don't eat with those mercenary uncles, so I have to learn to cook by myself."
"Is this what you usually eat?" Xiao Tianci was taken aback.
Clearly, they hadn't expected Qing Lin to give that answer.
No wonder Qing Lin's face looked malnourished.
It would be strange if they could get enough nutrition from eating only this much food every day.
Moreover, a girl her age is going through puberty.
"No, Commander Xiao Ding and the others sometimes invite me to eat with them."
Qing Lin shook her head, clearly quite satisfied, and said, "If it weren't for Commander Xiao Ding and the others, I probably would have starved to death long ago."
"Come with me."
After swallowing the last bite of the pancake, Xiao Tianci spoke.
He originally intended to take the Inorganic Dou Ling Pill Elixir, but now Xiao Tianci has changed his mind.
"Ah?"
Qing Lin followed him out, somewhat curious.
Xiao Tianci entered the courtyard and took out the corpse of a first-tier magical beast, the Green Wood Pig, which he had killed previously.
Using the Sword Control Technique, the Cold Sky Sword was used to cut the Green Wood Pig's body into small pieces.
Under Qing Lin's somewhat curious gaze, Xiao Tianci neatly and efficiently set up a simple grill, then started a fire and spoke.
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting for so long today, so I'll treat you to a nice meal."
Xiao Tianci wasn't lacking in high-grade, better-quality demonic beast carcasses, but he considered that Qing Lin currently lacked the strength to protect herself, and that higher-grade meat contained significantly more energy, which Qing Lin might not be able to withstand.
After hearing Xiao Tianci's words, Qing Lin looked expectantly at the sizzling meat on the grill.
The meal lasted until very late, and Qing Lin's belly was slightly swollen by then.
Only then, urged on by Xiao Tianci, did she reluctantly run back to her room to rest, turning back every few steps.
"Sigh, that girl is quite adorable." Xiao Tianci sighed as he watched Qing Lin's disappearing figure.
He knew that what he was doing was only a temporary solution, since he wasn't going to stay with the Desert Iron Mercenary Group forever.
After I leave, Qing Lin will probably immediately return to her previous situation.
However, if he were to keep Qing Lin by his side, Xiao Tianci wouldn't have the energy to take care of her.
"It seems I can only speak to Brother Xiao Ding and the others properly before I leave, asking them to take good care of Qing Lin."
Thinking about this, Xiao Tianci returned to his room.
He sat on the bed meditating for a long time, adjusting himself to his peak condition, before taking out the Limitless Dou Ling Pill and swallowing it in one gulp.
The same sensation as last time immediately appeared in Xiao Tianci's body.
With the help of the immense energy of the Limitless Dou Ling Pill, Xiao Tianci hurriedly followed the operating route of the Green Emperor Longevity Art to strengthen his own power.
Time flew by and it was daytime.
But Xiao Tianci's cultivation was not yet over.
Having received Xiao Tianci's reminder yesterday, Qing Lin, upon waking up early in the morning, did not knock on Xiao Tianci's door directly. Instead, she moved a stool and waited quietly in the shade outside Xiao Tianci's door, subtly reminding the members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group who wanted to come looking for Xiao Tianci.
The room was filled with a powerful energy, and the energy of heaven and earth surged wildly.
However, thanks to Xiao Tianci's prior preparations, the restless energy of heaven and earth did not affect the Desert Iron Mercenary Group in the slightest.
Even Qing Lin, who was guarding outside Xiao Tianci's door, didn't sense it.
And so a day and a night passed.
The effects of the Limitless Dou Ling Pill were waning.
And Xiao Tiancuo, whose eyes had been closed for nearly two days, finally opened slowly at this moment.
As Xiao Tianci opened his eyes, his dark pupils immediately flashed with sparks, like a thunderstorm!
At that moment, the air inside the room seemed to ignite with flames!
An incomparably powerful aura slowly emanated from Xiao Tianci's body.
This aura was like a sleeping lion, slowly raising its head and letting out a deafening roar towards the sky.
Under this overwhelming aura, which was many times stronger than before, even the house that Xiao Tianci had sealed off began to tremble slightly.
Cracks emanated from the bed where Xiao Tianci was sitting, eventually spreading to the ground and spreading into the distance!
Xiao Tianci slowly rose from the bed step and floated into the air.
He looked at his palm, feeling the immense Dou Qi erupting within him like a torrent, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Is this the power of Dou Emperor level...?"