Ling Yiran, Xue Qing'er

"Why did you come out?" Lin Yu asked with a smile.

"Hmph, I'll come out whenever I want. What's it to you!"

Xiaobai pouted in displeasure, looking quite adorable.

None of Lin Yu's earlier activities in the Cold Moon Pavilion had escaped Xiaobai's eyes.

For some reason, although she had only just met Lin Yu, seeing him interact with other girls left Xiaobai feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.

Although she wanted to shake off that discomfort as quickly as possible, she simply seemed unable to do so.

And earlier, Yin Hao had delivered himself right to her doorstep, giving Xiaobai the perfect outlet for her feelings!

"None of my business. Please, do as you like."

Lin Yu waved with a smile. He couldn't be bothered to provoke this tigress.

"Who dares hurt my son!"

Suddenly, a roar brimming with fury thundered through the heavens and earth!

The voice belonged to none other than Yin Chen, the sect master of the Yin Baleful Intent Sect!

"This old ghost came too? Perfect timing."

Hearing that voice, Lin Yu yawned, a satisfied look appearing on his face.

This self-management awareness of delivering himself right to the doorstep was rather good.

"Insolent little thief, hand over my son at once!"

Yin Chen's expression was utterly grim. The young man before him looked about his son's age, yet his son had actually fallen into his hands?

"You probably won't have a chance to see him again in this lifetime."

Lin Yu chuckled.

"What? You..."

At those words, Yin Chen's eyes instantly turned bloodred, and the terrifying might of the Nascent Soul Realm erupted from him!

He immediately understood what Lin Yu meant.

His son had already died at the hands of these two!

Yet Yin Chen simply could not accept it.

His son was clearly already a supreme expert at the Golden Core Stage, yet he had died just like that, right under his nose!

"Aaaaaaah! Brat, I'll make you both pay with your lives!"

Yin Chen roared madly, immediately unleashing his strongest killing move!

For a moment, heaven and earth changed color!

"So noisy."

Just then, a young girl's voice rang out.

In the very next instant, brilliant white light blazed forth.

The enormous body of the Six-Winged Holy Tiger appeared once more!

Smack!

A gigantic tiger paw descended, delivering another resounding slap!

The gigantic tiger paw rapidly grew larger in Yin Chen's eyes.

With utterly stunning force, it directly shattered the crown of Yin Chen's skull!

"This... how is this possible..."

In the final moment of his life, Yin Chen only had time to utter that one cry of unwillingness!

A supreme expert at the Nascent Soul Peak Stage had fallen just like that!

"That old man talked too much. So noisy."

She had slapped Yin Chen into dust with a single blow.

Yet Xiaobai acted as though nothing had happened, turning back into a little kitten and burrowing into Lin Yu's arms.

"Still so violent. Can't you be a little gentler..."

Lin Yu smacked his lips. One look confirmed it: sure enough, she was still the same hot-tempered tigress from his previous life.

"Hmph, you're not allowed to criticize me. You were going to kill him anyway!"

Xiaobai muttered in displeasure. Although she was in a bad mood today, she would not kill indiscriminately.

With both Yin Hao and Yin Chen, Xiaobai had only struck first after sensing killing intent from Lin Yu.

"All right, here's some fruit as a reward."

Smiling, Lin Yu stuffed an immortal fruit into Xiaobai's mouth.

"Mmph... delicious."

Xiaobai swallowed the immortal fruit in one satisfied gulp, her brows immediately relaxing considerably.

"I'll take a look around some other places. It should be about time by then."

Lin Yu stroked Xiaobai's plump little head, then headed off into the distance once more.

The Sun Radiance Palace.

"Hmm? Big Sister, did something just pass by?"

A blonde girl with exquisite features slowly opened her eyes and asked in puzzlement.

No particular expression showed on her face, and she carried an elegant air of ethereal beauty.

A closer look would reveal that both her irises were also an extremely rare golden color.

"There did seem to be some fluctuations in power, but they were probably just normal disturbances between heaven and earth."

"Don't overthink it. Focus on cultivating and preparing for the coming grand sect gathering."

Beside the blonde girl, another girl slowly opened her eyes as well.

Had anyone stood before them, they would have been astonished to discover that the two girls looked almost exactly alike!

They were, in fact, a pair of stunningly beautiful twins!

However, the girl addressed as Big Sister had a somewhat more serene and refined air, and her features revealed more heroic spirit as well.

"It seems it might have just been my imagination..."

The blonde girl gently shook her head and gazed at the azure sky in the distance, her thoughts drifting far away.

The Great Yan Empire, the Eastern Region's imperial palace.

"Big Brother, did you feel it? The palace seems a little different today."

A girl with short, wine-red hair blinked her large eyes, turning sideways to ask the young man sitting cross-legged beside her.

"Oh? There are actually days that even you find unusual?"

A faint smile curled the young man's lips. His younger sister was like a moon surrounded by stars in the imperial family; he rarely heard her ask such questions.

"But yes, it does feel as though an old acquaintance has come to visit. Are there guests at the palace today?"

At this, a hint of puzzlement appeared on the young man's face as well. As he recalled, no one was supposed to be visiting the palace today.

"How strange. Why do I feel this way..."

The prince and princess of the Eastern Domain Imperial Family both paused their cultivation, seemingly preoccupied.

Sea Heart City, the Sea Heart Auction House.

"Yiran, have you really made up your mind?"

"The Qianyuan Sect may be good, but in terms of comfort and convenience for cultivation, it certainly can't compare to staying at home."

"If you're going out there, you'll have to be prepared to endure hardship..."

Ling Shanhai looked at his granddaughter with some worry, his tone deeply concerned as he questioned her.

Over the past two years, Ling Yiran had completely abandoned her former attitude of fishing for three days and drying her nets for two, cultivating diligently day after day for two whole years, almost to the point of obsession!

Many disciples in Sea Heart City secretly clicked their tongues in amazement. They had never expected this seemingly indolent young lady to have such a desperately hardworking side when it came to cultivation!

Of course, only Ling Yiran herself understood the reason behind it best.

As for anyone else, probably only Ling Shanhai, who knew the inside story, could guess a thing or two.

And under such desperate cultivation, Ling Yiran's strength had rapidly risen to the Golden Core Second Tier in just these two short years!

That speed could only be called terrifying!

"Grandpa, I'm not afraid. I have to go."

Ling Yiran lightly bit her red lip with her pearly teeth, a heartbreaking trace of stubbornness in her eyes.

All her efforts over these past two years had been for the chance to appear at the Qianyuan Sect's admission assembly at this very moment!

From beginning to end, she had never forgotten what that youth had said to her two years ago as his figure disappeared.

"My name is Lin Yu."

"If fate allows, let's meet again at this round of the Qianyuan Sect's admission assembly!"

"..."

Over these two years, whenever Ling Yiran grew tired from cultivating, the youth's clear voice would ring in her ears.

Lin Yu, wait for me.

The stubborn girl clenched her fists and gazed into the distance.

Behind her, the old man with a weathered face took it all in. A thousand words reached his lips, but none came out. In the end, they helplessly became a soft sigh...

Clear Frost Manor.

Dressed in a plain white gown, Xue Qing'er stood in the air, gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

"Master, what's wrong?"

Su Ying looked at Xue Qing'er with some puzzlement. In her memory, the latter rarely wore such a wistful expression.

Over these two years, under Xue Qing'er's guidance, Su Ying's cultivation had also risen to the Foundation Establishment Ninth Tier!

"It's nothing."

Xue Qing'er spoke softly. The breathtaking beauty outlined by her profile left even Su Ying staring blankly for a second.

"Little Ying, I'll be going down the mountain tomorrow. If anything urgent comes up, consult with the supreme elders and handle it."

"Understood, Master." Su Ying nodded respectfully, though she felt somewhat puzzled.

Over the past two years, her master had only gone out twice, both times on official business.

But tomorrow, there did not seem to be any important matters that required Xue Qing'er to handle them personally...

"It's been two years..."

"Are you... doing well..."

Xue Qing'er gazed into the distance, a faint trace of longing appearing in her eyes.

The veil of night gradually faded, and the horizon grew faintly pale.