"Mm, it's been two years." Lu Ling smiled helplessly and gently stroked her back with a hint of affection.
The longing accumulated over two years surged endlessly like a tide. Lu Ling found this position a little uncomfortable and was about to carry Xin Xia onto the bed.
Hum.
His mental world shook violently. A familiar, sacred power flowed from Ye Xin Xia's body, while the phantom of the Divine Soul beside his Blessing Element nebula shone brilliantly.
My ability... seems to have grown stronger? It really is just as Master said.
But I still don't know the true nature of this special ability of mine. Is it learning, or plundering?
If it's plundering, Xin Xia should be able to stand before long.
"Xin Xia, have you been eating a lot these past two years? You feel ten pounds heavier."
"I have not!" Ye Xin Xia's pretty face flushed, and she lightly thumped Lu Ling once, twice, three times...
"That hurts."
"I'll beat you to death."
"Hehehe, you couldn't bear to."
"I couldn't bear to."
"...Come sit beside me."
Ye Xin Xia's straightforward response proved unexpectedly effective, briefly leaving Lu Ling speechless.
With Lu Ling's help, Ye Xin Xia shifted over and hugged his arm, pressing her entire body against his.
After two years apart, she did not dare let go at all, afraid Lu Ling would disappear again as he had two years before.
"Is Mu Ningxue not here?"
"She's at the Imperial Capital Academy. Big Sister Ning Xue was admitted early. Impressive, right?"
"Impressive. But if she's not here, who's looking after you?"
"A maid Uncle Mu arranged for me, a big sister a dozen or so years older. Besides, I can't have Big Sister Ning Xue looking after me. It's already very kind of them to let me live here. Having their little princess look after an outsider like me-where would the propriety be in that?" Ye Xin Xia puffed out her cheeks and poked Lu Ling's fair face.
Wouldn't that make her an auntie? A big sister a dozen or so years older?
Uncle Mu was, naturally, Mu Zhuoyun.
"Xin Xia, before long, I'll heal your legs."
"Mm, I believe you, Big Brother." Seeing how serious Lu Ling was, Ye Xin Xia nodded earnestly too.
"Ah..."
Ye Xin Xia suddenly felt herself floating up and hurriedly hugged Lu Ling's neck.
"Come on, I'll take you out for a stroll."
"Okay!" Ye Xin Xia's delight gradually overtook her surprise and embarrassment.
Without using any magic, Lu Ling treated himself as an entirely ordinary person and took Ye Xin Xia on a leisurely stroll around Mu-Style Manor.
Even though these surroundings were already as familiar to Ye Xin Xia as could be, she was still very happy.
Just as they were about to leave the manor, a middle-aged man suddenly hurried up to them.
"Young Master Lu Ling, you came back without even telling me. I could have prepared a banquet to give you a proper welcome. How about tonight?" Mu Zhuoyun said, bowing and scraping before Lu Ling.
"Just call me Lu Ling. We can talk about dinner tonight."
"Yes, yes, yes. I'll have people start preparing right away. Unfortunately, Ning Xue is studying at the Imperial Capital Academy and won't be back until next month."
"Back? What for?" Lu Ling asked.
"There's a magic duel here next month. Ning Xue will be attending..."
"Oh. We're off."
A magic duel?
It's... Yu Ang, right?
More than half a month later.
The young man who had caused a sensation in Bo City defeated the Mu Family's adopted son, Yu Ang, and earned the right to cultivate at the Earth Sacred Spring.
This result surprised countless people in Bo City and made everyone aware of Mo Fan, a genius from humble origins who possessed Innate Dual Element.
At Mu Family Manor, a girl with icy-blue silver hair was pushing a girl in a wheelchair along for a stroll.
That spectacular magic duel had not affected them.
"Xin Xia, where did Lu Ling go?" Mu Ningxue asked.
"...He said a couple of days ago that he had something to take care of outside. As for what, I don't know," Ye Xin Xia said.
"Ah, when you told me he'd come back, I was so excited. But now that I've finally returned, he's nowhere to be seen." Mu Ningxue sighed silently.
"You'll see him eventually. There's no rush," Ye Xin Xia consoled her.
"The well-fed know nothing of the hungry man's hunger. These past few days, you've probably even been sleeping with Lu Ling," Mu Ningxue said scornfully.
"I have not!" Ye Xin Xia instantly flushed scarlet.
"..." Mu Ningxue was speechless.
Judging by that reaction, she most likely has.
Unfortunately, neither girl saw Lu Ling again before the heavy rain arrived.
A few days later.
A strange rain suddenly fell from the sky.
"Finally, they've made their move." On a hill at the edge of Bo City, Lu Ling concealed himself, letting no one discover his whereabouts.
This rain would last at least most of the day, enough time for him to find the mastermind hiding behind the scenes. But... to reduce casualties, he had to be as fast as possible!
The Rainmaker, Wu Ku!
Over the past few days, Lu Ling had used his Shadow Element to cover almost every hill around Bo City. He was already extremely familiar with the terrain here. He refused to believe he could not find him.
Meanwhile, on a hill ten li outside Bo City.
A monk stood with his eyes tightly shut, concentrating on casting his spell. Water elements so dense they had almost become tangible swirled around him, flowing endlessly into his water prayer beads before carrying the carefully prepared Frenzy Spring into the sky, turning into this storm of bloody wind and sanguine rain.
This sacred ritual had only just begun. Wu Ku had to remain intensely focused to cast a rain that would last a full day and night.
You really made me search.
Lu Ling's figure appeared three hundred meters away.
As expected, just as he had guessed, the best place to cast the rain was the mountaintop.
"Long Zhanye, start charging up now. In a moment, do as I said. I'll set him up for an instant blast!"
"Got it... I never imagined you could be so despicable." Long Zhanye offered a rare word of praise.
"What do you mean, despicable? This is strategy," Lu Ling rebuked her, turning into a shadow and rapidly closing in on Wu Ku.
Fifty meters!
Now!
"Dimensional Summoning."
Accompanied by an intimidating dragon's roar, the Heavenly Star White Dragon's head emerged first from the Dimensional Gate.
"Whoosh!!!"
A torrent of feverish energy gathered in her mouth. With a furious roar, it unleashed scorching dragon breath straight at Wu Ku.
The rain instantly turned into scalding steam. Nearby trees and rocks caught fire, melting into scorching lava!
"What?!" Wu Ku's eyelids twitched violently. The moment he opened his eyes, he found a pillar of destructive fire already right in front of him!
Wu Ku was about to cast a defense when he discovered he could not move at all.
"Giant Shadow Nail, pear thorn."
"Space Rhythm, Time Lag."
The two immobilizing spells were cast almost instantaneously, locking Wu Ku firmly in place.
Giant Shadow Nail imprisoned the soul; Time Lag imprisoned space.
In terms of cultivation speed, Lu Ling's mental strength left all his magic elements in the dust.
After half a year, he had leaped straight from the Fifth Realm to the Seventh Realm, mental strength equivalent to the level of a Lesser Heavenly Seed!
With Dimensional Magic enhanced by such mental strength, he refused to believe Wu Ku could break free immediately!
"Chaos, magic blade."
Lu Ling split his attention to control it. The Star Map of his Chaos Element blazed with light, and an ethereal, transparent magic blade formed right beside Wu Ku's right hand, chopping off the hand holding the water prayer beads.
"Aah!!!"