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**
On the cliff side, beside a temporary cave residence.
Qing Lin sat at the edge of the cliff, legs tucked up, resting her chin in her palms, her eyes gazing into the depths of the marshland.
Behind her, from within the cave, a powerful aura was faintly surging—sometimes erupting, sometimes receding—clearly still unstable.
"Big Sister Xian'er sent a message not long ago. She said she's already broken through and is now stabilizing her realm," Qing Lin murmured to herself. "Young Master entered the marsh just over a day ago. Based on his usual pace, it'll probably take another two or three days before he returns."
Even though she knew Wei Yang wouldn't return early, she still habitually sat here every day, waiting.
"I feel like my cultivation speed is so slow… I wonder how long it'll take before I can catch up with Young Master and Big Sister Xian'er."
Qing Lin frowned in frustration and said in a soft voice, "I feel so useless… like a burden. I really hate this feeling."
In truth, her cultivation speed was already exceptionally fast.
In total, she had only been cultivating for barely two years, and she was already at the peak of Dou Shi.
Compared to the "cheat-mode" cultivation speed of Xiao Yan, she was actually even a bit faster.
From the moment Xiao Yan's engagement was annulled and he regained his talent, starting from three segments of Dou Qi, it had been about two and a half years until now.
Three months ago, Xiao Yan was a Two-Star Dou Shi. Even after successfully devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame, at best he might have reached the peak of Dou Shi—not likely to leap directly into Da Dou Shi.
And besides, Xiao Yan had previously been a One-Star Dou Zhe. From Third-Stage Dou Zhi Qi to Dou Zhe didn't count as actual cultivation—it was more like reclaiming what he had lost.
By contrast, Qing Lin had started as an ordinary person and cultivated all the way to the peak of Dou Shi in just two years—half a year less than Xiao Yan.
All things considered, she was doing great.
Wei Yang himself had taken several years to go from a First-Stage Dou Zhi Qi to the peak of Dou Shi.
Still, Qing Lin remained dissatisfied.
She patted her sleeves and spoke in a coaxing tone, "Big Eye, Little Red, I want to speed up my cultivation. Can you two give me a bit more energy each day to absorb? Please?"
Hiss hiss~
Two light hissing sounds came from within her sleeves—firm and clear rejections.
Wei Yang had once warned them very sternly: the energy they transmitted to Qing Lin each day must be strictly controlled. Absolutely no exceptions!
The snakes didn't dare defy that command or risk challenging Wei Yang's authority.
Besides, they understood well that cultivation was a gradual process—there could be no rushing.
For the sake of their master's safety—and their own scaly little lives—they wouldn't dare act recklessly.
If something happened to Qing Lin, Wei Yang would undoubtedly skin them alive and tear them to pieces.
Hiss hiss~
After refusing, the two snakes began their usual nagging, patiently explaining why one must not rush cultivation.
These were all lessons Wei Yang had taught them, and now they were parroting them back to Qing Lin.
"Aiya, you two always say the same thing. I get it, I get it already," Qing Lin grumbled, clutching her ears and puffing her cheeks in frustration.
"I just want to grow stronger faster… so I can help Young Master sooner," she muttered softly. "What if someone bullies Young Master in the future? If I'm strong… then if anyone dares to touch him…"
Her face lit up with longing.
She couldn't help imagining it: one day, Wei Yang is surrounded by powerful enemies, struggling to hold his own.
Big Sister Xian'er is wounded and unable to fight any longer.
At that critical moment, she explodes onto the battlefield, unleashing unstoppable power—sweeping away all foes with a wave of her hand, saving Young Master before everyone's astonished eyes.
And then she shouts coldly: "Anyone who dares touch my Young Master… dies!"
Meanwhile, the injured and exhausted Young Master is nestled in her embrace, gazing at her with deep affection…
As she imagined it, her cheeks flushed a deep red, and a trace of flirtatious charm surfaced in her eyes.
Feeling the heat on her face, she bashfully covered it with her hands.
"Aiya, how embarrassing! Qing Lin, what nonsense are you fantasizing about…"
"And besides—ptooey, ptooey! Young Master is the strongest in the world. How could he ever be in danger? He's the one who bullies others!"
She kept muttering in a low voice, glancing furtively around her through the gaps in her fingers, as if worried someone might've overheard her delusional daydreams.
"Big Eye, Little Red, you two heard nothing just now, understand?" Qing Lin warned in a whisper. "If… if you dare blab… I'll stew you both!"
…
The two snakes fell completely silent.
This girl… she's not well.
Just then—
Whoosh—
From the distant sky, a familiar black streak of light pierced through the layers of poisonous mist, shooting straight toward the cliff side.
"It's Young Master!" Qing Lin cried out in surprise, leaping to her feet.
She instantly panicked, her face flustered and overwhelmed, as if she'd been caught red-handed doing something sneaky.
"Don't panic… don't panic…"
Taking several deep breaths, Qing Lin finally managed to calm herself. Then her eyes filled with joy as she stared into the sky, waiting expectantly.
"Huh? Young Master… it looks like he's not alone?" Qing Lin murmured in surprise.
Beside the black light was a tall, broad-shouldered figure, completely wrapped in a wide black robe, yet still appearing intimidatingly burly.
He walked through the air with slow, deliberate steps. But with each step, it was as if space itself bent to his will, air and distance offering no resistance, keeping pace closely beside that streak of black light—just half a body behind.
"Walking through the air… that's a Dou Zong expert!" Qing Lin exclaimed in shock.
In just a few flashes, the black light had reached the cliff side.
Swoosh!
Wei Yang retracted his wings and landed steadily on the ground.
"Young Master!" Qing Lin beamed with delight, jogging forward to greet him.
"Haha, I'm back," Wei Yang laughed heartily. In his great mood, he casually draped an arm around Qing Lin's shoulder and chuckled, "I was gone for just one day, and you were already out here waiting for me?"
"Mhm…" Qing Lin nodded shyly, her cheeks tinged with pink.
"Silly girl." Wei Yang's arm tightened slightly around her shoulder, a warmth blooming in his chest.
He was quietly touched.
"Young Master, you seem really happy today—and you came back so early. Did something good happen?" Qing Lin asked, eyes bright.
"That's right." Wei Yang nodded with a smile, then glanced at the figure standing silently off to the side like a statue and said, "Let me tell you about it…"
He gave Qing Lin a quick rundown of his journey and what he had gained.
"Wow…" Qing Lin gasped again and again as she listened, utterly captivated.
At the end, she smiled and said excitedly, "Congratulations, Young Master! You not only found the Ghostly Poison Flame, but even brought back a Dou Zong subordinate!"
"Hahahaha~" Wei Yang burst into laughter again.
This trip's harvest was definitely worth celebrating.
Acquiring a Dou Zong-level subordinate was a pleasant surprise, but it was still a secondary reward.
Finding the Ghostly Poison Flame—that was the real jackpot!
What was a mid-tier Dou Zong compared to the value of a Heavenly Flame?
With a thought, Wei Yang signaled the man forward.
The figure stepped up and stood before Wei Yang.
With a flick of his hand, Wei Yang pulled back the man's hood, revealing a rugged, fierce-looking face covered in fine, dark-purple scales.
On his forehead jutted a horn about thirty centimeters long, stabbing proudly toward the sky.
"So this is the Rank 7 One-Horned Purple Scale Python?" Qing Lin looked on in fascination. From him, she could sense a strangely familiar aura.
It was a sensation specific to the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils—a sense that only serpent-type magical beasts would give off.
"Amazing… he transformed from a serpent into human form." She was full of wonder.
"His name is Du Jiao. Actually… calling him my subordinate isn't quite right. Technically, he's yours now," Wei Yang said with a smile.
Qing Lin blinked, then softly bit her lower lip and protested, "Everything that belongs to Qing Lin… belongs to Young Master."
"Uh…" Wei Yang was momentarily speechless, both amused and touched. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
Qing Lin immediately closed her eyes and leaned into it, a look of bliss on her face.
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