Chapter 156: I Just Want to Get Closer to My Master

Chapter 156: I Just Want to Get Closer to My Master

With his eyes closed, Lin Nuo felt something brush against his shoulder, startling him.

He opened his eyes and looked to the right.

It was Ling Meng; she had moved to touch his shoulder!

Lin Nuo quickly retreated, but Ling Meng matched his movement, coming closer.

“What are you doing?”

“Um… I just feel like I want to get closer to my master…”

Ling Meng’s face was bright red, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor.

Something felt off, extremely off.

“Get away, move aside.”

“I feel that bathing together with my master will greatly enhance my cultivation.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“Just give it a try; I have a feeling it would be effective.”

Ling Meng stubbornly held onto her viewpoint, thinking that getting closer to Lin Nuo in the Spirit Spring might lead to newfound strength.

Lin Nuo was at a loss; this disciple’s mind was already gone upon arriving.

Time to make a graceful exit—he’d take his leave!

Thinking to run, Lin Nuo was suddenly caught by Ling Meng’s strong grip.

Wow, what strength!

She really was the Demon Path Goddess; despite her youth, her power was quite impressive.

“Let go!”

“I won’t.”

“If you keep this up, I’ll make my move.”

“What’s the big deal about just bathing together?”

“It’s a huge deal!”

Lin Nuo had no choice; he quickly grabbed a hidden weapon by the spring and threw it at Ling Meng.

However, a powerful surge of Demon Qi emanated from Ling Meng, blocking the weapon from reaching her.

What?! So strong?!

With the concealed weapon thwarted, Lin Nuo’s defense was down.

“Master, stop struggling!”

Ling Meng’s grip intensified, and Lin Nuo couldn’t match her strength.

As Lin Nuo saw her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red, a strange smile began to creep onto her face.

It was as if she wanted to devour him.

If she pulled him close, who knew what would happen next?

He might end up as her offering due to her Demon Path methods!

As he realized he was about to get pulled in, he thought, Damn! Can’t a guy catch a break?

Lin Nuo focused the little bit of spirit energy he had and activated the Demon Slow Technique.

This was a high-level Demon Path skill; with enough Demon Soul Power and spirit energy, it could slow down an opponent’s actions and strength over a distance, reducing its consumption as they got closer.

If they touched, the effect would be minimal.

Lin Nuo put all his strength into reducing Ling Meng’s power, just enough so he could break free, even for just a second.

He clenched his teeth and executed the Demon Slow Technique, but Ling Meng instinctively resisted, increasing her strength against his magic.

Ha, as your master, how could I possibly not be able to handle a little Demon Disciple like you?

Damn it, it seems I really can’t handle her.

This Demon Slow Technique must be a fake; it’s useless! With the force she’s using, she could leave handprint marks on me!

No way out now.

Bang!

Lin Nuo was finally pulled over by Ling Meng, and the impact was so strong they crashed together, falling into the spring with a splash!

Yet in that moment, as they fell together, Lin Nuo seized the opportunity and used the Demon Slow Technique again. Since they were now in full contact, the technique’s power amplified.

Ling Meng’s limbs slowed down, and Lin Nuo quickly broke free from her grasp.

Bang!

Just as Lin Nuo pulled away, she caught his hand again, causing him to tumble onto her once more, splashing water everywhere.

“Master, don’t go!”

“You’ve really lost your mind.”

Lin Nuo exerted the Demon Slow Technique again and found the hidden weapon right where he had dropped it.

He turned into a melee assassin, stabbing it toward her hand.

Success! Her grip weakened significantly.

This time, he managed to break free.

Time to bail!

Bare as he was, he hastily scrambled to the shore and grabbed his clothes.

“Master, where are you going?!”

Ling Meng popped her head out of the spring, seeing Lin Nuo getting dressed and making a run for it.

“Finish your bath first; then I’ll come over.”

With a whoosh, the wind-like man vanished, leaving no trace.

“Ugh… this smelly master has too many tricks up his sleeve.”

Ling Meng puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. One of her hands had been hit by the hidden weapon, leaving her weak, so she had to use her Demon Power to push the paralyzing toxin out of her system.

He really managed to shake her off; how frustrating!

But after this experience in the Spirit Spring, Ling Meng became even more convinced that Lin Nuo could make her stronger.

Teaching her cultivation was one thing, but she felt that just being close to her master would empower her.

No real evidence, just her instinct.

So she must have chosen the right master after all.

……

After a long period of tussling with Ling Meng, Lin Nuo was finally able to relax and enjoy the bath.

Back in the cave, Ling Meng had already gathered firewood and started a fire.

She picked that up quickly; clearly, she knew survival in the wild required making fire.

“Master, are you done bathing?”

“Yes.”

“Come sit by the fire and warm up.”

Lin Nuo sat in front of the fire, the light illuminating Ling Meng’s face clearly.

He said, “You were too outrageous just now.”

“As a disciple, is it wrong to want to be closer to my master? There shouldn’t be any barriers between us.”

“But what you did was crossing the line.”

“Then I’ll be more careful next time.”

Though she said that, Lin Nuo couldn’t detect any sense of remorse.

This Demon Path Goddess seemed rather dangerous.

“Master, I don’t know why, but while bathing, I felt compelled to get closer to you. Now that the desire isn’t as strong, could it be the influence of the Spirit Spring causing my thoughts to become distorted?” Ling Meng asked.

“It’s not the Spirit Spring; at first, you acted recklessly, but now you recognize your mistake and have restrained yourself.”

“Oh, maybe.”

Ling Meng listened, but as for the reason, she’d rather not think too deeply about it.

After this incident, Lin Nuo kept a close watch on her oddly suspicious behavior. He began to wonder whether there was something wrong with his own physique.

If he really had the Physique of a Cauldron, that would not be good. He was supposed to cultivate the villain, not be replaced by the villain!

If it was just an innocent closeness, there was no harm in it; he’d just need to be cautious when they practiced together in the future.

“Today marks your first day of initiation; get some rest early. Tomorrow, I’ll teach you Demon Path techniques, and later on, I’ll take you into real combat.”

“Real combat? Where are we going for that?”

“We’ll look for some fierce creatures like Demon Beasts and Spirit Beasts. With your talent, you should at least challenge a Heavenly-level fierce beast.”

“Heavenly-level? I-I can’t do that…”

“If I say you can, then you can! If you can’t even handle a Heavenly-level fierce beast, what’s the use of practicing the Demon Path techniques?”

Master is so strict…

Hearing Lin Nuo’s stern words, Ling Meng felt a bit worried, but then thought, her master was so strong, so his expectations must be high.

Alright then, she’d work hard on her cultivation and not let her master down!

……

“Daoist Wu, you mean to say the other two seniors were killed by the Demon Woman of the Refining Demon Sect, and then you were saved by a stranger?”

“Yes, that woman was truly terrifying. Luckily, a powerful person helped me, saving my life, but unfortunately, my two companions couldn’t escape their fate.”

Wu Huai sighed, recounting the events of being ambushed by Ling Meng to the two girls from Tianling Mountain.

The two girls, Liu Shuqin and Su Kexin, had been sent down the mountain to carry out a task.