Ling

Biodata

Power Progression

• Sixth-rank goal: Ling says reaching the sixth rank will eliminate his need to hibernate. He later promises to reach it within two years and awaken an ability before accompanying Feng Rumeng to her homeland 23 40.

Background / History

Childhood and the Green Snake Tribe

Ling and his mother, Su Qian, came from outside Sunset Forest and joined the Green Snake Tribe after Qing Ran rescued them during a period of danger. Ling regards Qing Ran as a father and later gives him ten green crystals to support his advancement 41.

Although raised in Sunset Forest, Ling visited several beast cities with his mother. As a child, he discovered a hot spring hidden behind a waterfall and subsequently used it as his cold-season hibernation site 24 27.

Before the cold season, Ling threw the snake female Lan off a cliff. Su Qian later resolved the resulting dispute, and the Green Snake Tribe’s chief agreed that Ling could continue living there 36 41.

Meeting Feng Rumeng

Feng Rumeng first encounters Ling when she trips over his enormous snake body near the Fierce Tiger Tribe. His tail is torn in two, his other wounds are severe, and he cannot move or return to human form. Though frightened by his threats, she leaves him two fish 9 10.

She continues bringing food and eventually applies crushed medicinal leaves to his wounds. Ling initially suspects her motives, but her repeated help softens his attitude: apart from his mother, no female had ever given him food 13 14 15.

During the cold season, Ling carries Feng Rumeng back to her cave, helps lower her fever, and supplies prey. He later explains that he waited until coming of age before asking her to become his mate 23.

Becoming Mates

Ling arrives to claim Feng Rumeng as his mate on the day he comes of age. When she warns him that she cannot bear cubs, he insists that he wants a home rather than offspring. He renovates her cave, supplies furnishings and utensils, and promises that she will not go hungry 22 23.

They begin cooking together, and Ling makes wooden bathtubs filled with hot spring water at her request. They become mates that evening, leaving a snake-shaped mate mark on her arm 24 25.

While hunting together, Ling fights a bear beastman who attempts to abduct her. Feng Rumeng cuts the bear’s throat, and Ling shields her from its dying attack, nearly losing his tail. Her refusal to look down on him for struggling against an opponent strengthens his determination to advance 25 26.

Separation, Reunion, and Advancement Preparations

After bird beastmen abduct Feng Rumeng, Ling searches for her but cannot detect her through either scent or their mate connection. By their reunion at the Eagle Tribe, he is visibly exhausted and blames himself for failing to protect her 28 33 35.

Concerned about leaving her alone during his coming breakthrough, Ling asks Hu Yun to consider becoming her beast husband. He dislikes the prospect of sharing her, but places her safety above that preference. Feng Rumeng ultimately tells him that she never intended to take Hu Yun as a mate 36 38 39 43.

Before departing, Ling visits the Green Snake Tribe with Feng Rumeng and learns that Su Qian has left, instructing them not to search for her. He resolves to bring his mother back once he becomes strong enough 41.

Ling leaves food and crystals for Feng Rumeng and arranges assistance from Batu and Jianyue. At his chosen advancement site, he opens her parting gift and finds a pouch filled with seventh-tier red crystals, renewing his resolve to succeed 43 44 48.

Appearance

• Human form: Handsome, with long purple hair, purple eyes, thin lips, long eyelashes, and smooth, jade-like skin. Feng Rumeng likens his appearance to a seductive young master of the demonic path 23 27 40.
• Snake form: A purple serpent more than ten meters long and as thick as a water barrel, with slit pupils, a forked tongue, and two small bumps on his head 10 25.
• Half-beast form: Retains his human upper body while using a snake tail in place of his legs 26 35.
• Hair ornament: Wears a braid secured with the blue diamond hair tie Feng Rumeng makes for him; he finds the hairstyle convenient for work 41.

Personality

Ling initially presents himself as cold, irritable, and suspicious. Even after Feng Rumeng begins feeding him, he questions why a rankless female would help him without an apparent benefit. Her persistence gradually earns his trust 10 13 14.

With Feng Rumeng, he becomes affectionate, teasing, and attentive. He cooks, cleans, carries her, comforts her after nightmares, and takes pride in fulfilling her requests. He values their shared home despite her stated inability to bear cubs 23 24 27 37.

His protectiveness can become violent and possessive. He attacks Hu Feng after Feng Rumeng is hurt and threatens Lina with his fangs when she reaches for her. In private, he can also be overbearing, carrying Feng Rumeng to the hot spring despite her objections 35 37 39.

Ling is deeply insecure about his ability to keep her safe. He vents his frustration on beasts and a tree after the confrontation with Hu Feng, imagining how differently others would behave if he were an eighth- or tenth-tier expert. Nevertheless, he is willing to recommend another mate for her protection and explicitly says that she should choose someone she likes 36 38.

Abilities & Skills

Transformation and Physical Combat

Ling can shift between human, snake, and half-beast forms 25 26.

• Uses his tail to constrict enemies, strike with enough force to hurl a leopard into a tree, and catch or carry Feng Rumeng 25 26 42.
• Moves rapidly through the forest and can leap between high branches while carrying her 25 42.
• Has a natural combat advantage over opponents of the same rank. Lina’s two mates previously fought him together without gaining the upper hand 36 37.
• Limit: Severe injuries initially prevent him from moving or transforming 10.

Venom and Fangs

Ling identifies himself as highly venomous and uses his fangs in combat 25 26.

• Bites the bear beastman’s face during their fight 26.
• Extends his fangs to intimidate Lina when she attempts to grab Feng Rumeng 37.

Spatial Storage

Ling possesses a personal storage space from which he retrieves prey, water, crystals, and crafted objects 23 24 37.

• Stores large quantities of colored stones gathered with his tail 27.
• Transports thirty ferocious-beast corpses for trade with the Silver Wolf Tribe 42.

Hunting and Tracking

Ling hunts both ordinary prey and ranked ferocious beasts, supplying food and trade goods 23 40 42.

• Identifies a lynx beast’s scent near a trap 42.
• Cooperates with Feng Rumeng’s baiting and slingshot tactics to kill more than a dozen ferocious beasts in one day, including three fourth-rank beasts, without injury 40.
• Limit: Cannot locate Feng Rumeng by scent or mate sensing during her disappearance 33.

Cooking and Craftsmanship

Ling quickly learns recipes and adapts Feng Rumeng’s designs 24 37 42.

• Prepares flatbreads, meat pies, vegetable soup, fish balls, and hand-pulled noodles 24 36 37 38.
• Renovates the cave and makes smooth wooden bathtubs to her specifications 23 24.
• Makes lightweight clothing from his shed snakeskin, using her existing clothes as design references 40 42.
• Pierces colored stones with a bone needle for their handmade bracelets 40.

Beast Crystal Recovery

• Absorbs Beast Crystals to recover during and after combat; his wounds visibly begin healing after Feng Rumeng feeds him crystals following the bear attack 26.
• Gives Feng Rumeng crystals when she is exhausted or recovering 24 27 37.

Equipment / Items

• Blue diamond hair tie — Made by Feng Rumeng and worn at the end of his braid 40 41.
• Colored-stone bracelet — Crafted with Feng Rumeng from stones she identifies as high-purity diamonds 40.
• Space ring from Su Qian — Entrusted to Qing Ran and delivered to Ling after his mother’s departure 41.
• Beast-hide advancement pouch — Feng Rumeng’s farewell gift, filled with seventh-tier red Beast Crystals 44 48.

Relationships

• Feng Rumeng — Mate and the person whose care changes his initially distrustful attitude. He calls her “Little Meng’er,” builds a home with her, and makes her safety his principal reason for advancing 14 23 26 38.
• Su Qian — Mother. She raised him, took him to beast cities, and settled the dispute involving Lan before leaving the tribe 24 41.
• Qing Ran — Su Qian’s mate and Ling’s father figure. He rescued mother and son, and Ling remains grateful for that help 41.
• Hu Yun — Friend whom Ling considers strong enough to protect Feng Rumeng during his absence. Ling proposes that he become her additional mate, but the arrangement does not proceed 36 38 43.
• Hu Feng — Childhood acquaintance. Their relationship becomes openly hostile when Hu Feng knocks away food Feng Rumeng is offering Jianyue and hurts her hand 35.
• Jianyue and Batu — Trusted allies whom Ling asks to help feed and protect Feng Rumeng while he advances 43.
• Yin Ze — Childhood friend and sparring companion; trades with Ling at the Silver Wolf Tribe 42.
• Lan — Snake female whom Ling threw off a cliff before the cold season. The resulting tribal dispute was later resolved by Su Qian 36 41.

Original-Plot Role

• According to Bai Zhenzhen’s system, Ling was originally a background character mentioned mainly because of his friendship with Hu Yun 43.
• In that account, rivals ambushed and gravely injured him while he competed to become Lan’s first beast husband. After being abandoned, he turned dark, threw Lan off a cliff, and left for another continent, disappearing from the story 43.
• His relationship with Feng Rumeng is a deviation that Bai Zhenzhen’s system cannot explain; its search finds no records of her 43.

Notable Quotes

“I told you, I don’t want cubs. I just want a home.” 23

“Go to sleep, Little Meng’er. I’ll always be here.” 27

“I’m suggesting you choose a mate, but I also hope you’ll choose someone you like.” 38