10: The clown fawns over her, the saint remains as cold as ice.

The Tianyuan Secret Realm was like an ancient wasteland forgotten by time.

The canopies of towering ancient trees blotted out the sun, the Spiritual Qi in the air was as thick as syrup, and the roars of prehistoric beasts rose and fell, stirring up echoes in the dark forest.

Opportunity and killing intent followed each other like shadows here.

As soon as the Cultivators entered the Secret Realm, they were randomly teleported to various locations by an ancient power.

Qin Feng's figure appeared in a deathly silent, dense forest.

He was in no hurry to find treasure; instead, he immediately took out a simple and unadorned compass from his storage ring.

On the compass, a slender needle was vibrating slightly, pointing firmly toward the northeast.

This was the secret treasure 'Heaven and Earth Concentric Lock' he had obtained during a chance encounter in his early years. As long as the Sub-lock was attached to a target, the Mother Lock could track them from ten thousand miles away.

Earlier, outside the Secret Realm, he had taken advantage of the surging crowds to use an imperceptible trace of spiritual power to precisely flick a Sub-lock, smaller than a speck of dust, onto Ling Qingzhu's Phoenix Carriage.

"Heh."

The corner of Qin Feng's mouth curled into a confident arc, as if he held the world in his palm.

"Trying to shake me off? Yaochi Saintess, from the moment you stepped into my sight, you were destined to be mine."

He put away the compass, and his body turned into a streak of light, speeding toward Ling Qingzhu's direction.

He wouldn't catch up immediately; that would be too deliberate.

What he needed to do was stage one seamless 'accidental encounter' after another, letting this iceberg completely melt before his warmth and power... Half an hour later.

Beside a quiet valley stream, a Demon Leopard, its entire body burning with pitch-black demonic flames, was confronting a figure in white.

The Demon Leopard was a Vicious Beast of the first level of the Saint Realm. Its Aura was ferocious, and saliva dripped from its fangs, corroding the ground.

Ling Qingzhu's expression was indifferent.

She didn't even place this beast in her eyes. What was circling in her mind were the words from Su Chen's diary.

"He's here."

Her cold gaze flicked toward the dense forest on the side, and the corner of her mouth curled into a cold, mocking sneer.

"He's coming. The hypocrite is coming with his ridiculous script."

She raised her jade-like hand slightly, intending to casually wipe it out.

At that moment, a blue figure 'happened' to rush out from the forest, accompanied by a shout full of righteous indignation!

"Monster, do not be so arrogant! Fairy, do not panic, This Qin is here!"

Qin Feng's posture was like an unsheathed sharp sword. A heroic and fearless smile hung on his face as the longsword in his hand whirled into a sky full of sword light, as if the radiance of the Righteous Path had descended here, stabbing straight at the Demon Leopard's head!

He had calculated perfectly.

Making a heroic entrance and slaying the Yao Beast would both display his strength and win her favor—a perfect opening.

However, while he was fast,

Someone was faster than him!

The moment he leapt out, a trace of extreme disgust flashed deep in Ling Qingzhu's eyes.

She didn't even bother to look at Qin Feng's flashy performance.

Across the empty space, she simply gave a light flick of her slender hand toward the Demon Leopard.

"Ssh."

A strand of cold air, thinner than a hair, silently pierced through the Void Realm.

The cold air arrived first despite being launched later, precisely sinking into the center of the Demon Leopard's brow.

"Awoo..."

The Demon Leopard, which had been filled with ferocious flames just a second ago, had its scream stuck in its throat. Its entire body, from the inside out, was instantly covered in a layer of translucent ice crystals.

"Bang!"

With a crisp sound, the Saint Realm Yao Beast turned into a pile of sparkling ice shards on the ground.

One strike, an instant kill!

Qin Feng's magnificent and determined sword strike barely passed through the shattered afterimage of the Demon Leopard, hitting nothing but air.

He used too much force, causing his body to stumble, nearly falling over.

He froze on the spot.

The 'heroic and fearless' expression on his face completely solidified.

Like a ridiculous statue.

This... this script is wrong!

Wasn't she supposed to be in a bitter struggle, waiting for my brilliant entrance to save her in a moment of peril, leaving her moved to tears of gratitude?

How did she kill it in one move?

Is her strength so much greater than the rumors suggested?

Ling Qingzhu didn't even give him a glance, as if he were just a puff of air.

She walked straight past Qin Feng, leaving only a cold back and a sentence so indifferent it carried no emotion.

"No need."

The voice was very light, yet it was like an invisible slap across Qin Feng's face.

Qin Feng stood there petrified, his cheeks burning hot.

He took a deep breath and frantically hypnotized himself: That's right! This is a test! What kind of person is the Yaochi Saintess? How could she easily show favor to a man? She is testing my sincerity! Yes, it must be so!

As expected of the Yaochi Saintess, her thoughts are truly profound!

I cannot give up!

Thinking of this, Qin Feng's fighting spirit was reignited, and he chased after her again... Two hours later.

In front of a cliff, a rare thousand-year-old 'Dust-Washing Flower' was swaying in the wind.

Ling Qingzhu was about to pick it.

"Fairy, please wait!"

Qin Feng's voice 'happened' to ring out again.

He stepped out from behind a giant tree with an impeccable, gentle smile on his face, holding a Spirit Medicine of even greater age in his hand.

"Fairy, I just happened to discover this item. I think it would be of more use to you. Please accept it."

He acted with perfect manners and full sincerity.

Ling Qingzhu glanced at him indifferently, her gaze lingering on the Spirit Medicine in his hand for a brief moment.

Her heart was completely unmoved: "Here he goes again. Trying to please me? Pity, this part wasn't in Su Chen's diary. Is it an improvisation? Poor acting."

Then, right in front of Qin Feng, her gaze bypassed that thousand-year 'Dust-Washing Flower' and landed on an extremely hidden rock crevice beside it.

In the crevice, a three-thousand-year-old top-grade 'Dust-Washing Flower' was blooming quietly, its spiritual light restrained. Without a powerful Divine Sense, it would be impossible to discover.

She reached out her jade-like fingers and plucked it.

The 'generous gift' Qin Feng held so proudly in his hand instantly became a laughingstock.

Ling Qingzhu put away the Spirit Medicine and, still with that ice-cold appearance, walked past him.

This time, she didn't even bother to speak.

She only left behind a cold and haughty single syllable that seemed to come from her nose.

"Mhm."

Qin Feng: "..."

It felt like another knife had been stabbed into his chest; the muscles on his face were twitching.

She did it on purpose!

Absolutely on purpose!

He suppressed the urge to curse and continued his brainwashing: Calm down! This is a deeper level of testing! She is testing my patience!

...Over the next few days.

Qin Feng was like a jumping clown, exhausting all his tricks.

Sometimes he would slay Yao Beasts, sometimes offer treasures, and sometimes share intelligence.

But Ling Qingzhu could always resolve the battle in a more casual way before he could act; produce something better when he offered treasures; and had already seen through everything when he shared intelligence.

All his performances and carefully designed plans struck against ten-thousand-year-old profound ice.

Ling Qingzhu's responses to him were always those few words.

Mhm.

Oh.

No need.

Qin Feng's Dao Heart was on the verge of collapsing from these few words.

He began to doubt his life.

One day, when he 'encountered' her again and was dismissed with a cold 'Oh,' he finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

He watched Ling Qingzhu's departing back, the gentle smile on his face peeling away inch by inch, replaced by a twisted, hideous expression.

"Bitch!"

He roared with the most vicious voice in his heart, his fists clenched so hard they creaked, his nails sinking deep into his palms.

"A bitch who doesn't know what's good for her!"

"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit! When we get to the nine-leaf reincarnation grass, I'll see how arrogant you can still be!"

"When the time comes, I'll make you kneel on the ground and beg me! I'll make you realize what the consequences are for offending me, Qin Feng!"

The resentment in his heart climbed to its peak.

He no longer pestered her, pretending to give up, but in reality, he used a secret technique to hide his presence further away, trailing closely behind Ling Qingzhu.

All his hope was pinned on the final script.

He firmly believed that as long as he acted according to plan, this haughty woman would eventually throw herself into his arms!

He stared fixedly at the white figure ahead, his eyes paranoid and crazed.

And Ling Qingzhu, ahead of him, had a cold arc curl at the corner of her mouth that no one noticed.

"This Qin Feng is even stupider and more annoying than what was written in Su Chen's diary."

She thought to herself.

"However..."

"That bastard Su Chen actually said I'm all chest and no brains... I'll settle this score with him properly after I get the nine-leaf reincarnation grass and head back!"