148: Chapter 148 She is... no longer qualified for reincarnation...

Chen Yan watched the sudden flush on Leng Qingshuang's cheeks, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

Yet, in his actions, he did not hesitate at all.

"Hehehe~ If I don't make a move now, when will I?"

He immediately cast the bewildered Bai Zhi beside him to the back of his mind, switched his expression to one of obedience and consideration, and darted over to Leng Qingshuang.

This sequence of movements was fluid and incredibly smooth, leaving Bai Zhi completely dumbfounded.

She watched Chen Yan's back as he headed straight for Leng Qingshuang, then looked at her own hand still extended in mid-air, frozen as she tried to say something.

She stood there, completely stunned.

Then, her pretty face instantly flushed bright red, a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"Wait, what? I'm still here, okay!?"

"Chen Yan, you bastard!!!"

"You actually dared to ignore me!"

"This Young Miss is a beauty, how dare you ignore me!"

"Damn it!"

[Favorability +20!]

[Bai Zhi Favorability: 21/100!]

But at this moment, how could Chen Yan care about her?

He arrived before Leng Qingshuang, bowed slightly, a sincere, credit-seeking smile on his face.

"Sister~ I held the first line of defense today, don't you think I'm awesome?"

While reporting the battle situation, he edged closer to Leng Qingshuang.

The tip of his nose caught that unique, cool fragrance of plum blossoms on a snowy mountain peak emanating from his Revered Master.

It caused his heart to flutter slightly.

"Ah~ Revered Master's fragrance is simply intoxicating."

Seeing that his Revered Master did not react, he shamelessly pressed against her side and subconsciously took two deep breaths.

"*Sniff sniff*~~~ I can never get enough of Revered Master's scent~~~"

"Revered Master's body is so fragrant and soft; I really want to hold her in my arms and cherish her... *Cough cough*! Sin, sin! I am a proper Disciple!"

"However, Revered Master's jealous look just now was truly so cute!"

"To think she's so possessive, to think she cares about me so much, yet she still pretends to be aloof!"

"Hmph! Tsundere!"

[rebellious value +6489!]

[Favorability +5!]

[Leng Qingshuang Favorability: 81/100!]

Hearing the System notification sound in his head, Chen Yan's eyes instantly lit up.

"Holy crap!? What is going on?"

He bared his teeth, his heart filled with excitement!

"Damn, I get it now! I freaking get it now! So this is the correct way to grind Revered Master's favorability!"

"First, find a way to make Revered Master jealous, make her feel a sense of crisis, then actively stick to her and coax her, showing that she is the only one in my heart!"

"With this push and pull, doesn't the favorability just 'whoosh' right up? I've learned it! I've learned it!"

"This is basically the Xuanhuan version of PUA... *Pui*! This is clearly the 'Guide to Advancing Revered Master-Disciple Relationships'!"

After secretly enjoying himself for a while, Chen Yan quickly composed himself, his face full of solemnity as he began to discuss serious matters.

He recounted all his observations and speculations regarding Lin Qinger's abnormal behavior to Leng Qingshuang in detail.

"Sister, I discovered something very strange."

"Look at Lin Qinger; it looks like she is attacking all of us indiscriminately."

"But there have been several times when I encountered danger, and she would 'just happen' to strike at the critical moment to help me out."

"Also, Sister, have you noticed that although Lin Qinger is constantly killing, she seems to intentionally or unintentionally avoid the battle circle where our Taiqing Sword Sect Disciples are?"

"The ones she kills are all people from other Sects."

Leng Qingshuang listened quietly to Chen Yan's narrative, and a hint of doubt slowly appeared on her cold, pretty face.

She nodded slightly, her voice cold: "I noticed it too."

"Logically speaking, Magic Soldiers are killing Puppets refined by others using secret techniques and should have absolutely no self-awareness."

The two Revered Master and Disciple discussed in low voices, analyzing the situation before them.

The surrounding air seemed to carry a hint of an indescribable, ambiguous atmosphere because the two were standing so close.

However, just at this moment, an untimely figure approached with a grin, instantly breaking the subtle atmosphere between the two.

"Are you talking about that Heavenly Demon carrier from just now? I might know a little about her situation~"

Xiao Shiyu appeared beside them at some unknown time, toying with a small seal in her hand, wearing an innocent expression.

Chen Yan silently rolled his eyes, raging internally.

"Damn it! Die, you annoying third wheel, get lost!"

"Don't think I don't know that you lesbian want to get close to my Revered Master!"

"I was just cultivating Revered Master-Disciple feelings with my Revered Master, and you come to mess it up! Get lost, get lost, get lost!"

But Xiao Shiyu seemed not to see the eye-roll Chen Yan gave her. She chuckled, her gaze landing on Leng Qingshuang's face as she spoke to herself:

"According to our Duobao Pavilion's secret records, the Will of the Immortal Abode within this Lihuo Immortal Abode is not a living being in the traditional sense."

"It is more like a program that strictly adheres to certain Heavenly Dao rules and runs on its own."

Her statement made both Chen Yan and Leng Qingshuang pause in surprise.

"A... program that follows Heavenly Dao rules?"

Xiao Shiyu put away the smile on her face, her expression becoming somewhat serious. She continued to explain:

"Based on the intelligence we obtained, in order to test the trial-takers who enter, the Lihuo Immortal Abode needs a 'Gatekeeper' with sufficient strength to suppress the entire scene!"

"And as the entity that suppresses the Nether Soul Secret Realm, the Immortal Abode should have selected those who have fallen into the demonic path from the Nether Soul Secret Realm!"

"Unexpectedly, because Lin Qinger awakened the Heavenly Demon Physique, she perfectly met all the conditions of the Will of the Immortal Abode."

"Therefore, she was chosen by the Immortal Abode. From the moment the Immortal Abode appeared, she was forcibly snatched away, had massive amounts of Devilish Qi poured into her by the Immortal Abode, and was molded into this 'humanoid Magic Soldier' responsible for guarding the gate!"

Speaking to this point, she paused, her tone involuntarily carrying a trace of pity.

"And in the process of infusing Devilish Qi, her own Divine Soul, her own consciousness, were just useless Impurities to the Will of the Immortal Abode."

"So, she should, possibly... have already had her Divine Soul and consciousness erased by the Immortal Abode, reduced to a... tool for this final stage!"

Boom! Xiao Shiyu's words were like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens, exploding in their minds.

The last shred of hope in Chen Yan's heart was smashed to pieces by these words.

"Lin Qinger's Divine Soul and consciousness were erased? But that doesn't make sense! If she has no self-awareness... then... then who was it that 'just happened' to save me time and time again? Why does she only kill people from other Sects, but not touch the people of the Taiqing Sword Sect?"

Seeming to see the doubt in Chen Yan's eyes, Xiao Shiyu softly explained again: "It is obsession..."

Chen Yan turned to look at her, his eyes full of inquiry.

Xiao Shiyu looked at him, gave a wry smile, and said: "I am not sure either."

"But according to Duobao Pavilion's intelligence records: if a person dies with too heavy an obsession, their remnant soul will subconsciously guard the person most important to them while they were alive."

"Her situation is extremely similar to the theory of 'obsession'!"

Chen Yan opened his mouth, only to find his throat incredibly dry.

He hesitated and asked softly: "So... you mean... Lin Qinger, she actually... died long ago when she was snatched into the Immortal Abode?"

Hearing this question, Xiao Shiyu looked up in the direction of Lin Qinger. In those eyes, usually so sharp and shrewd, a rare trace of pity was revealed.

"No, Chen Yan, you misunderstood."

"She didn't die..."

"She is... ineligible for Reincarnation..."