99: Warmth under the lamp, jealousy in the sea

Qingyun Sect, Holy Son Peak.

This peak was once the residence of successive Saints and Saintesses, but never before had it been enveloped by such rich and pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi as it was today.

The Spiritual Qi materialized into visible mist, swirling around the mountain.

Exotic flowers and rare herbs, nourished by the sweet dew, bloomed overnight with a spiritual charm that transcended their usual grade.

Inside the Immortal Cave, all was silent.

A Spirit Gathering Array operated noiselessly, drawing all the mountain's Spiritual Qi towards it, yet only forming a gentle barrier around the figure in the center.

Lin Gou's eyes were tightly closed.

His aura was completely internalized, no longer possessing the domineering and flamboyant presence it had during his Undergoing Tribulation.

He looked like an ordinary young man who had just embarked on the path of cultivation, plain, handsome, and harmless.

However, within his Dantian Qi Sea, a completely different scene unfolded.

A fist-sized Golden Core slowly rotated.

Upon the Golden Core, white, purple, and gold Dao auras flowed ceaselessly, intertwining yet distinctly separate, forming an incredibly profound Taiji Dao Diagram.

Each rotation seemed to evolve the birth and destruction of a Universe.

Lin Gou's consciousness was focused on the System panel in his mind.

Ding! Detected that the host has completed the “Heavenly Tribulation Body Refining, Devouring Tribulation Eye” death method, rated SSS+ (Legendary)!

Death reward settlement in progress...

Congratulations to the host for obtaining:

1. Supreme Dao Foundation — Three-Colored Legendary Golden Core (Dao, Demonic, and Divine auras in one body, impervious to all laws, limitless potential).

2. Supreme Divine Soul Cultivation Technique — “Ten Thousand Tribulations Undying Demon Soul” (Fragment).

3. Supreme Body Refining Cultivation Technique — “Godfiend Undying Body” (Fragment).

4. Heavenly Dao Origin Fragment x1.

5. Revival cooldown permanently -50%.

6. Free attribute points +1000.

7. Additional reward: Prestige title “First Prodigy of All Ages”.

The series of System prompts caused Lin Gou's unperturbed Dao Heart, usually as still as an ancient well, to ripple slightly.

This time, he truly profited immensely.

Exchanging one revival opportunity for this unprecedented Dao Foundation and numerous benefits was a huge gain.

He even somewhat anticipated how he would die next time.

Intruding into a life restricted zone and being erased by the power of rules, he wondered what good things might drop?

As he pondered, a faint sound came from outside the Immortal Cave.

Lin Gou did not open his eyes.

His Divine Sense, however, had already silently extended outwards.

Outside the Immortal Cave entrance, in the clearing that had been swept clean by the aftershocks of the Lightning Tribulation.

A slender figure was carefully tiptoeing, using a damp silk handkerchief to wipe the dust off the Immortal Cave's stone door.

It was Zhao Linger.

She had changed into a simple and elegant moon-white long dress, her expression focused and devout.

Her movements were light and slow, as if afraid to disturb the person inside the Immortal Cave who was “cultivating to consolidate his realm”.

Her eyes were still red and swollen from crying.

But in those gentle, watery eyes, there was no trace of the despair from before; instead, they overflowed with the cherished peace of something lost and found again.

Lin Gou's Divine Sense could clearly “see” her trembling eyelashes and “feel” the sense of relief in each of her breaths.

At this moment, his Dao Heart, which had become somewhat cold and aloof after devouring the Tribulation Eye, was quietly melted by this gentle figure.

He slowly withdrew his aura, which had almost merged with the Heaven and Earth.

Then, as if just waking from a deep meditation, he let out a soft sigh.

“Ling'er, come in.”

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached outside the Immortal Cave.

Zhao Linger's body trembled slightly.

She stopped her movements, a blush quickly spreading from her fair neck to her earlobes.

She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, hesitated for a moment, then picked up a warm jade tray that had been prepared on the stone table nearby, took small steps, and walked into the Immortal Cave with her head bowed.

Inside the Immortal Cave, a long-burning lamp flickered.

The lamp's light was soft, dispelling all chill.

Zhao Linger walked up to Lin Gou, placed the tray down, but still dared not look up at him.

“Senior Brother Lin... you... you're awake.”

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, carrying a hint of imperceptible nervousness.

On the tray was a bowl of steaming soup, emitting a calming and Qi-stabilizing herbal fragrance.

“I... I was afraid you might be unstable after your Breakthrough, so... so I made you a bowl of calming soup.”

Lin Gou looked at her small head, almost buried in her chest, and her two jade-like hands nervously clasped together, feeling an inexplicable softness in his heart.

He reached out to take the bowl of soup.

“Thank you, Junior Sister.”

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the warm soup bowl, Zhao Linger seemed to remember something and instinctively reached out to steady it.

Their fingertips.

In the air.

Under the dim lamplight.

Without warning, they touched.

Lin Gou's fingertips were warm.

Zhao Linger's fingertips were cool.

The sensation was as light as a feather brushing across water.

Zhao Linger's body, however, stiffened abruptly as if struck by an invisible current.

She let out a faint gasp, like a startled fawn, and quickly pulled her hand back.

She swiftly hid her small hand behind her back, clenching it tightly.

Her cheeks, in a brief moment, went from a shy blush to the color of a ripe apple.

Inside the Immortal Cave, an extreme silence instantly fell.

So quiet that only their clearly audible breaths remained.

And the sound of their hearts, pounding like drums.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Zhao Linger couldn't even tell if it was her own heartbeat or his.

Lin Gou looked at her, a smile appearing in his eyes.

He calmly picked up the bowl of soup, gently blew on it to cool it, then drank it all in one gulp.

The warm soup slid down his throat, carrying the fresh scent of herbs and a faint, refreshing sweetness.

That warm current quietly soothed the tightly strung heartstrings of “Lin Gou” himself, which had been strained by his constant courting of death.

“It's delicious.”

He put down the soup bowl and said softly.

“Better than any Spirit Pill or miracle medicine I've ever had.”

This compliment made Zhao Linger's head drop even lower.

She responded with an almost inaudible sound.

“Mm...”

Lin Gou looked at her and suddenly spoke.

“You've worked hard these past three days.”

A simple sentence, like a key, instantly opened the dam of “shyness” in Zhao Linger's heart.

Her shoulders began to tremble slightly.

A glistening tear, without warning, slid from the corner of her downcast eye, hit the smooth stone slab, and shattered into a tiny splash.

Immediately after.

Came the second drop, the third drop.

She didn't cry out loud, only bit her lip tightly, trying hard to suppress it.

But her constantly trembling body and the surging tears revealed all the grievances, fear, and current peace that had accumulated in her heart for three whole days.

Lin Gou sighed softly in his heart.

He stood up and walked over to her.

Then, before Zhao Linger could even react, he extended his arms and gently pulled her trembling, delicate body into his embrace.

Zhao Linger's body instantly stiffened.

Her mind completely crashed.

A familiar scent, carrying a hint of faint sunshine, completely enveloped her.

His firm, warm chest became her only support at this moment.

The string that had been taut for three days and three nights finally snapped completely.

“Woo...”

A long-suppressed sob finally escaped her throat.

Immediately after.

Came a torrent of tears, like a mountain collapsing and a sea roaring.

She cried loudly, like a child who had been lost for three days and three nights and finally found her way home.

She buried her face deep in Lin Gou's chest.

With her small hands, she desperately clutched the robes on his back, her knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

As if letting go would turn this embrace back into an empty dream.

Lin Gou did not speak.

He just held her quietly.

One hand gently, rhythmically, patted her constantly trembling back.

He could feel the warmth of her tears rapidly soaking through his clothes, burning all the way to his skin.

He could even clearly feel her heart pounding violently, a mixture of ecstasy and sorrow.

“I'm back.”

After a long while, he said softly in her ear, in a tone of tenderness he had never used before.

“I'm sorry for making you worry.”

“This time, I won't leave again.”

His voice was very soft.

Yet it seemed to possess the most powerful magic in the world.

Zhao Linger's crying gradually changed from wailing to soft sobs.

She didn't look up, still burying her face in his embrace, and forcefully “hmmph” in a muffled voice with a heavy nasal tone.

This embrace seemed to last as long as a century.

Outside the Immortal Cave, the moonlight, at some unknown time, had grown increasingly cold and clear.

Just as this warmth was almost melting the entire Immortal Cave, a cold aura, like a drawn sharp sword, appeared outside the Immortal Cave.

That aura was completely undisguised, full of sharpness and keenness.

“Li Hanyue requests an audience with Senior Brother Lin.”

An equally cold female voice rang out from outside the Immortal Cave.

Zhao Linger, in his arms, stiffened slightly.

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she suddenly broke free from Lin Gou's embrace, haphazardly wiping the tear stains from her face with her sleeve, her face still flushed with embarrassment and panic.

Lin Gou looked at her adorable, flustered appearance and couldn't help but smile.

“Let her in.”

He returned to his original seat, his expression regaining its calm.

Zhao Linger took a deep breath, tried to compose herself, then turned and said softly to the outside of the cave.

“Senior Sister Li, please come in.”

The stone door slid open silently.

Li Hanyue, dressed in white, walked in slowly.

In her hand, she still held that ancient longsword.

The moment she entered the Immortal Cave, her gaze locked directly onto Lin Gou.

In her clear, cold-pond-like eyes, there was no inquiry, no politeness, only a nearly tangible, burning Battle Intent.

She glanced at Zhao Linger, who had slightly red eyes and an unnatural expression, her brow furrowing imperceptibly, but quickly shifted her gaze away.

“Has your cultivation stabilized?”

She got straight to the point.

Lin Gou nodded.

“Almost.”

“Very good.”

Li Hanyue's voice remained flat.

“Once you've completely stabilized, I want to fight you.”

Her tone was not a discussion, but a statement.

Beside her, Zhao Linger's face showed a worried expression.

“Senior Sister Li, Senior Brother Lin has just...”

Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Gou raised his hand to interrupt her.

Lin Gou looked at Li Hanyue's eyes, burning with fire, and suddenly smiled.

He understood.

For a sword fanatic like Li Hanyue, a hearty and exhilarating battle was the highest form of respect.

It was also the only way she knew to approach someone.

Clumsy, yet incredibly pure.

“Good.”

Lin Gou's reply was just one word.

Hearing this answer, Li Hanyue's face, which was like ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, seemed to show a subtle loosening.

“I'll wait for you.”

After saying these three words, she turned, holding her sword, and left.

The entire process was smooth and flowing, just like her sword.

Inside the Immortal Cave, silence returned once more.

Zhao Linger watched Li Hanyue's retreating figure, then looked at Lin Gou, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately she didn't speak.

She just silently picked up the empty soup bowl.

“I... I'll go out first, Senior Brother, you rest well.”

With that, she lowered her head and quickly walked out of the Immortal Cave.

Lin Gou watched her retreating figure, but his Divine Sense quietly extended out again.

He “saw” that Zhao Linger hadn't gone far.

She merely placed the tray back on the stone table at the entrance, then, with a flicker of her figure, hid behind a large bluestone not far outside the Immortal Cave.

She poked out half of her small head, her large, watery eyes staring unblinkingly at the Immortal Cave entrance.

Her small face was filled with nervousness, worry, and a hint of... a faint sourness that even she herself hadn't noticed.

As if guarding against anyone else coming to look for her Senior Brother Lin.

When Lin Gou saw this scene, the smile on his lips could no longer be suppressed.

This silly girl.

He chuckled inwardly, a mischievous idea quietly surfacing in his mind.

He cleared his throat and deliberately spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, but just clear enough to reach behind the bluestone, saying aloud to himself.

“Ah, what a busy life.”

“Just sent one away here, and there's another waiting over there.”

“It's a dark and windy night, perfect for a rendezvous with a beauty. It seems I should go to my other appointment.”

His voice carried a hint of feigned helplessness and nonchalance.

Behind the bluestone.

The slender figure, as expected, trembled all over.

Zhao Linger's big eyes, which had been fixed on the cave entrance, instantly widened into perfect circles.

Her cheeks, at a visible speed, puffed up little by little, like an angry little pufferfish.

Beauty?

Another appointment?

This big liar! This big scoundrel!

Didn't he say he wouldn't leave again!

An inexplicable sense of grievance and annoyance instantly rushed into her heart.

In her anger, she gently stomped her small foot, clad in cloud-patterned soft boots, on the ground.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Lin Gou took in all her reactions, feeling greatly amused.

He stood up, stretched, and his bones let out a series of crackling sounds.

His heart, which had just undergone the baptism of warmth and jealousy, was now completely clear.

He stepped out, leisurely walking out of the Immortal Cave.

As he passed the bluestone, his peripheral vision, seemingly unintentionally, glanced over.

It met a pair of eyes that hadn't had time to retract, filled with a hint of resentment, a bit of annoyance, and a touch of grievance.

Zhao Linger gasped as if caught red-handed, and quickly pulled her head back.

The curve of Lin Gou's lips lifted even higher.

He did not stop walking.

His figure flickered, transforming into a blue stream of light, instantly soaring into the sky and disappearing into the deep night.

Only leaving behind the small figure behind the bluestone, hugging her knees, burying her chin in her arms, still sulking quietly.

Lin Gou's figure swiftly traveled through the night sky.

His destination was higher up.

Qingyun Sect, the peak of the Main Peak, Wen Tian Platform.

That was the highest place in the entire Sect, and also the closest to the moon.

The moonlight tonight was beautiful.

The bright moonlight, like mercury, poured down, coating the entire Wen Tian Platform with a layer of sacred silver frost.

A fiery red figure was already waiting there.

She leaned against a ten-thousand-year-old cold jade, her posture seductive, her curves fully revealed.

A crimson dress fluttered in the night wind, like an eternal flame that would never extinguish.

It was indeed the Demonic Sect's Prodigy, Su Meier.

She seemed to have already sensed Lin Gou's arrival and slowly turned around.

Her captivating face held a lazy yet dangerous smile.

Her charming peach blossom eyes, under the moonlight, shimmered with a peculiar light.

“Little man, you've finally arrived.”

“This elder sister was almost getting impatient, you know.”