Divine Family Mansion, Chen Linlin's courtyard.
As the night deepened, cold breeze swept through the residence, giving a feeling of quiet stillness.
After the trio of girls had their soul realms examined by Xue Hui and were given suitable cultivation techniques to practice, Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling immediately entered a deep meditative state to cultivate.
Because of this, Chen Linlin and Xue Hui decided to leave the trio alone to avoid disturbing them, as they went off to do their own things.
Chen Linlin, who went to her room to prepare, had to accompany her parents to meet some important merchants to talk about business, which greatly bored her.
While Chen Linlin was fighting the urge to yawn in front of everyone, Xue Hui, who was perched atop one of his origin spheres, flew toward the Holy Orchid Institute undetected.
Earlier that day, Xue Hui, who got punished alongside Nie Li and his group, happened to overhear their conversation about how they were going to increase their soul force and become Demon Spiritualists.
The first thing on their agenda was to obtain an enormous amount of Demon Spirit Coins.
Demon Spirit Coins are the currency used in Glory City to buy goods, including cultivation materials.
Normally, if one wishes to become a Demon Spiritualist, they would need to spend at least millions of Demon Spirit Coins just to break through to Silver Rank.
Money that Nie Li and his group didn't have to begin with.
If Nie Li and his group were lacking resources, the logical step for them to earn money would be by hunting Demon Beasts.
And from the way Nie Li sent his friend, Lu Piao, to purchase bows and arrows, it was safe to say that Xue Hui's assumption was correct.
And this is exactly why Xue Hui was heading back to the Holy Orchid Institute, since it had facilities where students could freely hunt Demon Beasts without needing to go outside the walls.
It is called the Hunting Ground.
It is a place built by Ye Mo and the Holy Orchid Institute's principal in order to help students earn a little while practicing.
Routinely, experts would hunt Demon Beasts in the outside world and place them inside the Hunting Ground to help students earn some money by hunting them.
For someone like Nie Li, who hasn't stepped into Bronze Rank, the Hunting Ground is the safest place he could go to hunt and earn some Demon Spirit Coins.
Which serves as a perfect opportunity for Xue Hui to observe Nie Li and learn more about him.
WOOSH!
As the Origin Sphere arrived at the Hunting Ground, Xue Hui leapt down, landing his foot on the trunk of a tree.
Looking around, Xue Hui scanned the surroundings.
The Hunting Grounds were made to replicate the forest outside the walls. The place Xue Hui was in was called the outskirts, the safest part of the Hunting Ground.
It was occupied by Bronze Rank Demon Beasts, mostly herbivore types.
"They're not here," Xue Hui whispered, failing to locate Nie Li.
Unless Xue Hui was wrong about Nie Li's current strength, there was no way their little group would be allowed to go outside the walls, let alone hunt there.
Deciding to look around, Xue Hui hopped down and gracefully landed on the grassy field. As he walked, he heard a faint rustling sound not far from him.
Turning toward it, Xue Hui saw a Demon Beast emerge from beneath the shadows of the trees. His gaze landed on the creature as it looked back and brandished its horn toward him. It was a Horned Sheep, a Demon Beast with Bronze Rank strength.
Kreeeeek!
Shhhh-tik!
Fsshh!
With a furious screech, the Horned Sheep charged at Xue Hui.
With a stomp on the ground, Xue Hui turned the attacking beast into a solid ice sculpture. The beast's angry scowl was perfectly preserved beneath the veil of ice, unaware of its own passing, before it exploded into fine ice powder.
After dealing with the beast, Xue Hui continued his stroll, his eyes lingering as he searched for any sign of Nie Li and his group's whereabouts.
Xue Hui's footsteps halted as he sensed a familiar aura not far from him. Curious, he walked toward its direction.
His steps were light as he moved through the trees. Stopping, Xue Hui's gaze landed on a girl sitting cross-legged in the heart of the forest. Her orange hair glistened under the moonlight. She wore a dark-toned training outfit that clung to her slim frame. Alone in the middle of the forest, she gave off an ethereal, almost otherworldly aura.
This person was none other than Xiao Ning'er, the same age as Xue Hui and a member of the Winged Dragon Family, one of the noble families.
She looked lonely as she sat in the cold, quiet forest, practicing deep into the night.
Xue Hui's eyes skimmed over Xiao Ning'er's body and immediately noticed the faint shaking.
Xue Hui's expression furrowed. Uncontrollable shaking, disrupted breathing, and uneven sweating, those were telltale signs of cultivation backlash. And by the look of it, Xue Hui was certain she had caused it herself.
Sighing, Xue Hui shook his head, feeling sorry for Xiao Ning'er.
'Young Miss, what has pushed you to this extent, to willingly put yourself through such torment?' he thought inwardly.
It was then that a memory from the past resurfaced in Xue Hui's mind.
Before the fall of Glory City, news spread throughout the city that Xiao Ning'er had abandoned her family and escaped into the Black Devil Forest.
The rumor was that Xiao Ning'er had been scheduled to marry Shen Fei before the year's end. Her disappearance was said to be her last resort to escape the life of becoming the wife of someone as horrible as Shen Fei.
Divine Family Mansion.
"Life is pretty cruel for those who only wish to live freely, huh, Hui-Hui?"
Inside Chen Linlin's residence, Xue Hui, who was in the middle of changing the bed, looked up to see Chen Linlin gazing solemnly through the window. Her long white hair cascaded down her back, framing her emaciated body. Her pale skin stood in stark contrast to the vibrant colors of the surroundings.
Her listless eyes held no trace of light. "Hui-Hui," she said softly, "if you ever have the chance to help someone like Xiao Ning'er, do it. No one deserves to be chained by such a cruel fate."
Xue Hui didn't know if she was talking about Xiao Ning'er alone or including herself as well, but he was sure of one thing, he was powerless to help anyone, especially Chen Linlin.
Back in the present.
"WHO!?"
Hearing Xiao Ning'er's panicked voice,
Xue Hui was jolted back to the scene in front of him.
Her calm composure gone, Xiao Ning'er stood up immediately and took out a dagger from her interspatial ring.
Seeing this, Xue Hui quickly raised both his arms in a non-threatening manner.
"Lady Xiao Ning'er, there's no need to be alarmed. I was just wandering around when I happened to stumble upon you. I apologize for startling you." With a troubled smile, Xue Hui kept his arms raised as he waited for her to calm down.
Judging the situation to be safe, Xiao Ning'er stored the dagger back into her interspatial ring and released the breath she had been holding.
"This place is way too far from the Divine Family Mansion for you to wander around," Xiao Ning'er said, her tone cold and distant.
Hearing her speak, Xue Hui chuckled inwardly. 'No wonder she's known as a cold beauty; even I am not exempt from her icy treatment.'
"Well, no one told me that I'm not allowed to wander far from my home. Oh, and in my defense, I didn't have enough time during the day to explore most of the Holy Orchid Institute. There are just too many crowds for my liking."
Biting her lip, Xiao Ning'er's expression returned to neutral. She nodded before turning around to leave.
But before she could take a full step, she heard Xue Hui speak again.
"Would you mind sitting with me for a while?"
Xiao Ning'er paused and shot him an annoyed look.
He was seated on an elegant-looking chair, a table stood before himi, neatly arranged with expensive-looking china, along with a variety of sweets and a slice of cake.
Xue Hui tapped the chair beside him, gesturing for Xiao Ning'er to sit.
Whatever little respect Xiao Ning'er had for Xue Hui vanished instantly.
Earlier, in the Fighter Apprentice class, when she saw how Xue Hui didn't cower in front of Shen Yue and even forced him to retreat, she had thought of him as righteous and brave.
After class, she had also seen Xue Hui getting along with some commoner students, making her believe he was someone who didn't discriminate.
This had made her view him in a better light.
But all those positive impressions were cast into oblivion. Xue Hui current actions made Xiao Ning'er see him as nothing more than a lecherous man who only wished to surround himself with girls.
"No, I have somewhere to be," she said, her tone colder than before, with a hint of irritation.
"Oh, if that's the case, then I won't bother Lady Xiao Ning'er any longer." Xue Hui's courteous smile disappeared as his tone turned heavy. "Just make sure to drink plenty of spirit-burned mint tea every six hours. It's not going to heal your Arctic disease, but at the very least, it will help prevent your body from exploding."
Xiao Ning'er's body stiffened. Her gaze unconsciously dropped to her foot, where a noticeable violet bruise could be seen.
Her body trembled.
No one else knew about her condition, not even her own father, as she had chosen to hide it, afraid they would stop her from cultivating.
And that was something Xiao Ning'er didn't want to happen, not when time was running out.
Ever since the day of her engagement, when Xiao Ning'er discovered what kind of person her fiancé truly was, fear had taken root in her heart. The more horror stories she heard from women who had fallen victim to Shen Fei's lecherous hands, the more she found herself unable to sleep peacefully.
That was why she pushed herself so hard in cultivation, believing that if she could break through to a higher realm, she might be able to fight back against her fate.
But hearing Xue Hui's words, Xiao Ning'er's heart shattered into pieces. All those hardships, the pain, the sleepless nights, were they all for nothing? In the end, fate seemed set on marrying her to Shen Fei.
Xiao Ning'er didn't notice when tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her mind was filled with countless thoughts, and none of them were good.
Until she felt a warm, soothing sensation enter her body through her hand.
Xiao Ning'er sniffled. Seeing Xue Hui's hands holding hers, she felt vulnerable. Her fingers moved, curling around his hand as if it were the only thing keeping her from slipping into total despair.
Her eyes met his, and what she saw beneath that faint lilac glow were eyes filled with compassion and understanding.
"Don't cry, Lady Xiao Ning'er. Since I'm here, you'll be fine now."
She wanted to retort, to tell him to let go of her hand, to call his words a bluff, but the feeling of leaning on someone for comfort made her swallow those words.
Xiao Ning'er felt herself being gently pulled by Xue Hui. Without the will to resist, she allowed herself to be guided to the chair.
"Lady Xiao Ning'er, all I want you to do is trust me. I'm a doctor, I won't do anything to harm you. That would go against my principles," he said as he knelt in front of her.
"Mhm," Xiao Ning'er nodded, her face reddening when Xue Hui held her foot.
Opening his other hand, Xue Hui summoned a fist-sized blue sphere that hovered above his palm like a bubble.
The blue Origin Sphere released a pure water aura. It split into ten identical pieces, molding themselves into the shape of acupuncture needles, which then positioned themselves along Xiao Ning'er's meridians.
"Ahmm!"
Xiao Ning'er quickly covered her mouth to stifle a sound that almost escaped.
Xue Hui's method of removing her Arctic disease was so soothing that her body trembled as the gentle energy flowed through her meridians.
"Just let it happen. Don't resist. This method will get rid of your Arctic disease."
Xue Hui's fingers hovered above the needles. Each tip emitted a dark blue vapor, drawing out the cold energy within Xiao Ning'er's meridians.
Her body trembled as she realized the pain was fading.
Moments later.
With disbelief in her eyes, Xiao Ning'er stared at her foot. The pain she had endured for months had completely vanished.
The treatment was so quick that she hadn't even noticed when Xue Hui retrieved the needles, merged them back into a sphere, and made them disappear.
Finished, Xue Hui stood up from the ground, sat back down on the chair, and poured himself some tea. Taking a sip, he waited for Xiao Ning'er to process everything.
"Why?"
After several minutes, the silence was broken by Xiao Ning'er's soft shaking voice.
"We don't know each other, yet you appeared out of nowhere and helped me. I don't understand why."
Hearing her question, Xue Hui shifted his gaze from his cup to her.
He noticed that Xiao Ning'er no longer carried her usual cold demeanor.
"Because you looked like you needed someone to save you."
Hearing his answer, Xiao Ning'er's cheeks flushed red. She averted her gaze, avoiding his eyes.
Xue Hui let out a low chuckle, finding it strange how soft and bashful she seemed now compared to earlier.
After a moment of thought, Xue Hui nodded. "Alright, that should do it."
Confused, Xiao Ning'er watched as he took out an unused Soul Crystal and handed it to her.
"Take this and inject your soul force into it. I want to check something."
Though she didn't understand why, Xiao Ning'er did as he asked, channeling a strand of her soul force into the soul crystal.
While she lamented her lack of progress in cultivation, Xue Hui focused on examining her soul form and attributes.
Leaning closer, Xiao Ning'er's face turned crimson as their faces came inches apart.
One thing she noticed was that Xue Hui didn't carry the usual scent of a man. Instead, he had a unique, sweet woody fragrance, strange, yet somehow pleasant.
Her eyes suddenly widened as she realized what she was doing.
She had just been blatantly sniffing him.
Embarrassed, she quickly turned her head away. Her face and even the nape of her neck flushed red.
Unaware of Xiao Ning'er's current predicament, Xue Hui continued observing the Soul Crystal.
"Green Soul Realm, soul force of 78, soul form, Winged Lightning," Xue Hui said, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.
Xiao Ning'er was truly one of the geniuses of the younger generation. Her innate talent even surpassed Jing Ya's.
And Jing Ya herself was a hidden talent. With enough cultivation resources, even without the supreme cultivation technique Xue Hui had imparted to her, she would have been able to break through to Legend Rank.
Yet Xiao Ning'er surpassed even her in terms of innate talent.
Even Xue Hui couldn't help but feel a trace of jealousy.
Xue Hui gave Xiao Ning'er a knowing grin before taking out a black scroll. With a few smooth strokes using his Horned Sheep pen, he inscribed a supreme cultivation technique suited to Xiao Ning'er's soul form.
"Heavenly Tempest, World Dominator Cultivation Technique."
Xue Hui laughed inwardly. With this technique, along with the ones he had given to Chen Linlin and the others, all of them were above Emperor-level techniques. The Sage Emperor had no idea what kind of catastrophic monsters Xue Hui was nurturing.
"Discard the cultivation technique you've been practicing and replace it with this. I assure you, with this technique, you'll be able to reach Legend Rank within a year."
With a bewildered expression, Xiao Ning'er accepted the scroll and began reading its contents.
To her surprise, merely reading it caused her soul realm to surge. Her hands tightened around the scroll as excitement welled within her, she could feel that with this technique, she would reach unimaginable heights.
And when that happened…
With widened eyes, Xiao Ning'er looked back at Xue Hui. Her lips trembled as she spoke.
"A-again… why?"
Her gaze lingered on his beaming face.
Xue Hui's grin widened, the soft glow in his eyes intensifying, making Xiao Ning'er's breath hitch.
"Because you and I want the same thing… to fight back against our cruel fate."
End of Chapter 42