34: Lin Qingxi's road to redemption, the first Daozi is here

On the fifth day of being stuck at the ninth level of the Spirit Dao Realm, Jun Lingxiao broke through.

He officially stepped into the Divine Dao Realm, where his spiritual platform and Dao embryo were connected, removing all obstacles to the conversion of spiritual power. His Dao power surged, and the might of his Mortal Sword grew with it.

Of course, his body didn't fall behind either; his current physical strength allowed him to sustain the first gear of 'Kindling' for eight minutes! This was much better than the initial five minutes.

He even gave this move a name: Kindling Jun Lingxiao.

Unexpectedly, the System even recorded this as his innate Divine Ability, and he heard that his Physique also came with an innate Divine Ability.

After a few days of dejection, Jun Hongxuan, with his white hair and strange gazes, ultimately didn't lose his position as a Dao Child. This was largely thanks to Jun Lingxiao, who had just made a contribution to the Family by arranging a marriage with the Ye Family. One Dao Child might not be important, but if he was close to the Divine Son, it was a different matter.

It also saved Jun Lingxiao some Face.

During this time, Jun Hongxuan returned to his cheerful and outgoing self, even Cultivating more diligently, as if he didn't care about his life, quickly reaching the eighth level of the Divine Dao Realm. However, he would often inexplicably sit in one place, lost in thought for a while, though no one knew what he was thinking.

As for the legendary First Dao Child, she had already entered the Spirit Sea Realm, and it was even rumored that she had begun to ponder her Domain.

No one in this world would stop; everyone was constantly pushing forward.

During the days of continued Cultivation, An Luoxin, that woman, kept finding ways to tease him. Eventually, she even used the excuse of taking better care of him to remodel his room. Originally, they had two separate, adjacent rooms, but An Luoxin directly smashed the dividing wall, turning it into one room.

As for punishment, taking care of one's master closely did seem to be a maid's duty, so he let her be.

On this day, Jun Lingxiao went to the God Tablet Platform as usual. More than a thousand people had signed up for his 'Turnover Ranking,' and over twenty arenas were bustling even at night, with people constantly competing. All sorts of techniques emerged, and many Elders stood by, observing and occasionally offering guidance. The Old Ancestor frequently nodded in approval, and rewards were directly distributed by the Family.

The division between the main Family and branch families still existed, though it had significantly diminished, marking a good start.

Calculated daily, the top-ranked person would dine with Jun Lingxiao, so his dinner location was moved directly to the God Tablet Platform. His dining companions kept changing, as no one seemed to be able to hold the top spot for more than Three Heavens.

It was just another ordinary day, but unexpectedly, when Jun Lingxiao arrived at the God Tablet Platform today, he saw an unfamiliar figure.

A tall, cold, and beautiful woman, with her long sword still sheathed, defeated Geniuses like Lin Qingxi, and she seemed to do it with great ease.

“She has some background.”

Jun Lingxiao walked over without a sound and watched from the side.

“He gave you resources, and I thought you had great potential. Is this all there is?”

“These are the people he favors?”

“Simply laughable!”

The cold and beautiful woman, appearing to be seventeen, pointed her unsheathed sword at Lin Qingxi. Although Lin Qingxi was younger, she was considered exceptionally talented and grew quickly, yet she couldn't last three moves against this woman.

And even though the woman hadn't drawn her sword, Lin Qingxi's body was covered in sword marks and wounds, making her look pitiable.

“You're not allowed to slander the Divine Son!”

Lin Qingxi, gasping for air, held her sword and retorted with a flushed Face, completely ignoring her injuries.

She accepted that her skills were inferior, but to speak ill of Jun Lingxiao was unacceptable!

Seeing her still wanting to fight, Jun Lingxiao walked over, looked up at the woman on the arena from below, tilted his head, and tentatively asked:

“First Dao Child?”

He had heard from Jun Hongxuan that the First Dao Child had always wanted to compete for the position of Divine Son, so she was the only one who would come looking for trouble now.

The woman on the stage was not surprised by Jun Lingxiao's appearance; she seemed to have sensed his arrival long ago.

She nodded faintly, her cold and beautiful Face devoid of expression, only her beautiful Phoenix eyes, with a hint of majesty, swept over him.

“By your rules, I am first today. Follow me.”

Her voice was as clear and cold as snow, speaking with utmost indifference, as if she had been waiting for him. After speaking, she simply walked away.

She had something to say to him privately.

Jun Lingxiao thought for a moment and decided to follow, to see what this First Dao Child, Chu Yuxi, wanted.

However, Lin Qingxi's voice came from behind him again.

“Your Highness, am I... useless?”

Lin Qingxi's voice was weak, her eyes downcast, not daring to meet his gaze.

He could tell Lin Qingxi was in great pain, not physical, but her Dao Heart was wavering.

Her eyes held a deep longing when she looked at him, hard to ignore. As a member of an affiliated Family, the Lin Family, she desperately wanted to become strong enough to be Jun Lingxiao's follower, to stand before him and clear his path.

But she felt she didn't have that qualification.

So, she was lost, a kind of confusion as if she had lost her direction for effort.

Jun Lingxiao was like a fire; the closer she got, the more pain she felt.

In response, Jun Lingxiao smiled freely, walked forward, and stroked the girl's hair.

“No, I have never thought you were useless.”

“She is the First Dao Child and much older than you. It's normal that you couldn't defeat her.”

“Lin Qingxi, if no one else has told you, then I will: you are excellent, better than many people here.”

“You are the youngest here, but also the most diligent.”

“Others may not know, but I do. You often practice sword until late at night, and you spar with those stronger than you until you're covered in wounds, yet you never give up. I've even seen you beg others to go another round.”

“Lin Qingxi, you are truly amazing.”

Jun Lingxiao gazed at Lin Qingxi, speaking from his heart.

Yes, he didn't stay in the Divine Son Hall every day. The Divine Son Hall was not far from the God Tablet Platform, and with his clear Dao Heart, he could certainly see the girl practicing sword at night if he wished.

Although she was from an affiliated Family, her efforts were genuine. Even if she was a Genius, more powerful than her peers, the people here were not seven or eight-year-olds, but teenagers, carefully selected Prodigies of the Jun Family. She had endured countless lonely nights to barely stand on the same starting line as everyone else present.

It was hard to imagine that a child who was neither a Transmigration nor a Rebirth possessed such perseverance. At only five or six years old, her palms had already developed calluses from sword practice.

Truly remarkable.

'He knows everything...'

Lin Qingxi's small body trembled violently as she listened. When she looked up and met Jun Lingxiao's serious and confident eyes, her cheeks flushed, and she immediately fell deeply into them, unable to extricate herself.

Everything she had done was not in vain. Jun Lingxiao's few words made all her previous suffering seem to have been rewarded, making her feel sweet and filling her with renewed strength.

But was that enough?

Apparently not; she was a greedy child.

Lin Qingxi's small Face turned crimson from what was said. First, she whispered like a startled fawn:

“I'm not as good as Your Highness says...”

As her voice faded, a sudden impulse arose in Lin Qingxi's heart: 'Perhaps now is the chance to say it...'

Thinking this, she mustered her courage, looked up at Jun Lingxiao several times, then lowered her head again as if startled. Jun Lingxiao watched her with a faint smile, waiting for her to speak.

“Can I... become Your Highness's follower in the future?”

After saying this, Lin Qingxi seemed to deflate, shrinking into a ball, her head even lower, somewhat afraid to look up.

Jun Lingxiao found her appearance amusing, so he decided to tease her. He deliberately observed her closely, drew out a long 'Well...' from his mouth, then made to walk away:

“About that...”

Lin Qingxi felt every second of waiting for the answer was torture. Finally, she looked down at Jun Lingxiao's disappearing footsteps, feeling extremely low. She couldn't wait to look up and explain, but when she did, she froze.

Jun Lingxiao was standing not far away, watching her, as if he had been waiting for her to look up. His eyes held a comforting warmth that made her heart tingle.

She wanted to avert her gaze, but unexpectedly, she was firmly captivated by those eyes, unable to move.

It seemed she hadn't been looked at like this by anyone since she became sensible.

Encouraging and sympathetic eyes... he stood there, watching her seriously. The evening breeze blew, Jun Lingxiao's black hair at his temples fluttered in the wind, and bright light shone on the bright young man. Everything was just right, not a single detail amiss. Those eyes, clear and serious, looked at her.

Though young, he already possessed a handsome demeanor, and the coldness and elegance emanating from his bones were hard to ignore. But strangely, Lin Qingxi's gaze was drawn to the incongruous tear mole on his Face, falling deeply into it, unwilling to extricate herself.

Jun Lingxiao watched Lin Qingxi with a smile, his eyes full of comfort.

“Finally willing to look up.”

“Why do you always keep such a beautiful Face down? Be confident, lift your head.”

“If you want to be my follower, you can't always keep your head down. You must hold your head high, chest out, and step on everyone else. Only then can you be my follower.”

“So, Lin Qingxi.”

“Become stronger.”

“It's okay even if you're slow.”

“I am the Divine Son of the Jun Family. I will always be at the forefront of everyone. You just need to look up to see me.”

“Lin Qingxi, look up at me.”

That day, the sun was just right, and the wind was gentle.

Lin Qingxi vaguely remembered saying 'Okay.' However... as she gazed at the boy shining like the midday sun before her, she secretly made a life-changing decision in her heart.

Thereafter, she held her head high, never looking down again.

But... it was also from then on that Lin Qingxi's bright eyes held nothing but him.