Ye Lingling couldn't help but remember that Ning Rongrong had also accepted a rare herb from Su Ming to evolve her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. That was what had led to her relationship with him too! Rongrong had no right to tease her when she had been just as "easy to sway."
Muttering under her breath, Lingling said, "Rongrong, you were just the same! It didn't take you any longer than it did for me—just a few months after meeting him, you fell for him too because of that herb!"
Ning Rongrong froze, momentarily at a loss for words, which prompted Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing to burst out laughing.
The girls also noticed something important: Su Ming had just given Lingling a herb to help her. Curious, they all turned to Su Ming, who explained, "Yes, it's as you think. Lingling's Nine Hearts Begonia has a limitation: it only allows her to heal, which makes its support abilities too narrow for her liking."
"So I gave her a rare herb called the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, which evolved her martial soul. She can show you the results after lunch."
After lunch, Ye Lingling displayed her new martial soul while Su Ming explained its effects. They quickly realized how impressive the upgrade was; Lingling now seemed more like an assassin than a healer, similar to Zhu Zhuqing's Ghost Shadow Cat.
The next morning, Su Ming set out with Ye Lingling to the Sunset Forest to find her a suitable soul beast.
Yesterday, Su Ming's diary had mentioned Ye Lingling the most, which granted her a special reward—a boost to her cultivation speed, equivalent to someone with innate full spirit power. Thrilled, she realized this would help her quickly catch up to the others.
The Sunset Forest didn't have many ten-thousand-year soul beasts, but finding a thousand-year one was fairly easy. Su Ming soon located a six-thousand-year-old soul beast, a good match for Lingling's needs. However, as a support-type spirit master, she had a relatively low endurance, making the absorption process more challenging.
Su Ming assisted her at first, using his abilities to support her life force, allowing her to absorb the spirit ring more easily. After a few hours, Lingling successfully absorbed the spirit ring, her cultivation level rising to forty-four—now on par with Ning Rongrong.
Once she finished, Lingling immediately gave Su Ming a heartfelt hug, grateful for his efforts to help her reach this stage. She knew how hard he'd worked that day, spending hours locating the soul beast and then staying to protect her.
Seeing that no one was around, she dared to hold onto him a bit longer, taking advantage of their privacy.
Su Ming, with a gentle smile, patted her head, "Alright, take a moment to get used to your new strength. I'll take you somewhere we can rest for the night; it'll be safer than staying out here."
Ye Lingling's heart raced—did he mean they would be staying somewhere alone overnight? What if Su Ming couldn't resist her? Should she resist or just give in right away?
Blushing deeply, she quickly shook off the thought. Su Ming seemed not to notice, thinking her reaction was due to their earlier hug.
He then led her by the hand, "I'll take you somewhere secure. It's protected by a poison array my master set up. Unless a beast has reached a ten-thousand-year level, it won't get through."
As they neared the poison array, its dense green fog made Ye Lingling feel a bit nervous. Her evolved Yin-Yang Twin Lotus granted her a better sense of poison levels, and she could feel the intense toxicity in front of her.
Su Ming reassured her, "Don't worry; the antidote we took will keep you safe. Inside, the scenery is beautiful."
After some effort, the two finally arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. A vibrant landscape of rare herbs greeted them, stretching out in a breathtaking sea of flowers. Lingling felt as if she'd walked into a fairy tale.
Looking over the lush growth, Su Ming felt satisfied, silently thanking the system for its catalyst, which had accelerated the herbs' regrowth within just six months.
Seeing the stars in Ye Lingling's eyes, he smiled. "Yes, these herbs are where I found the ones I gave you."
Lingling looked at him with admiration. "It's amazing! This place is beautiful!"
Su Ming nodded, but he cautioned, "They're beautiful to look at, but be careful—some of them are highly poisonous. Just admire them from a distance."
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X, i have finished uploading the whole series in patreon, thanks for supporting me and special thanks to all the patrons for joining
Readers...lend me your power stones...if you don't know how to get power stones? log in webnovel and get power stones everyday
Upon hearing Su Ming's warning, Ye Lingling felt a chill run down her spine. Without his advice, she might have impulsively touched the mesmerizing plants around them.
But as she admired the vibrant blooms, her heart began to flutter with excitement. Holding Su Ming's hand tightly, she eagerly requested he explain each plant to her. Though slightly exasperated, Su Ming obliged, introducing her to each herb. From legendary medicinal herbs to rare yet lesser-known varieties, the garden had it all.
At some point, a subtle, intimate atmosphere surrounded them. Staring into Lingling's beautiful eyes, Su Ming felt his self-restraint slipping. As their eyes met, Lingling's heart raced, nearly beating out of her chest. She closed her eyes and raised herself onto her toes, nervously awaiting the moment.
Su Ming leaned in, kissing her gently.
When they finally parted, Su Ming looked deeply at her and whispered, "Are you ready?"
Blushing deeply, Lingling shyly nodded. She had prepared herself for this moment ever since agreeing to be his girlfriend the previous day. Though the timing was unexpected, Su Ming had always been supportive, so she felt secure and only a little nervous.
Lingling hesitantly murmured, "Are… are we doing this here?"
Smiling, Su Ming conjured a cozy wooden cottage, enveloping them in privacy.
As night fell, a sense of serenity blanketed the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Lingling was in awe of the new experiences, but she soon realized Su Ming's energy was unyielding. Although she was a healer and could recover faster than most, an entire night was beyond her capacity.
She finally understood what Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong had hinted about; Su Ming was truly unstoppable, and she couldn't keep up with him alone.
Feeling a little guilty, Su Ming promised himself to take things more gradually in the future.
At that moment, a system notification echoed in Lingling's mind.
Ding! Congratulations, Ye Lingling. Your relationship with the host has progressed. You are rewarded with Divine Legacy—a trial of godhood awaits upon reaching level ninety Titled Douluo. Pass, and you will attain the godly rank.
Excited beyond words, Lingling could hardly contain herself. The reward mirrored the one Ning Rongrong had received, suggesting that if she continued to grow alongside Su Ming, reaching the divine realm with him was within her grasp.
Su Ming misinterpreted her joy, assuming she had yet to reach her limit. Feeling as if he were invited, he leaned in again.
"Su Ming… please, I really can't…" Lingling stammered, but Su Ming was already set on his next move.
Meanwhile, the other girls were utterly shocked upon reading his diary's update. How had Su Ming and Ye Lingling become so close, so fast? Xiao Wu couldn't help but marvel at his speed, remembering their years together before reaching the same stage.
Now alone with Su Ming until noon, Lingling finally admitted she was exhausted, barely able to recover. Laughing, Su Ming agreed it was time to head back, sharing a meal from his storage ring before preparing to return.
Back at the academy, he planned to test their martial soul fusion technique once more, confident they were now perfectly synchronized.
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT