Chapter 428: Tian Yan: Is there a better way to break through the Refining Void stage than this?
Ding!
A symphony of clanging metal echoed through a private room in a tavern, culminating in a male scream of despair.
Just before dying, the man’s eyes widened as he stared at the petite assassin, utterly baffled — how could she be weaker in cultivation but so much stronger in actual fighting?
“Done.”
The assassin, dressed head to toe in black, stood beside the fallen man. Her small frame was wrapped in a black cloth, only her glowing red eyes visible.
Those eyes had no hint of emotion—well, until she saw the bl**d left on the short sword. Then, they shimmered with a flicker of… excitement? Bloodthirst? Whatever it was, it looked a little dangerous.
Deep within her gaze, a desire for more bloodshed surfaced—a craving for rivers of bl**d. Her gaze flicked involuntarily to the panicked maidservants. Several overly sensitive maids fainted the instant her gaze swept over them.
But she quickly suppressed her craving, and before her guards arrived, she shattered the window and vanished into the night.
Meanwhile, a cultivator of considerable skill hurried inside just as she was leaving. His eyes burned with fury as he looked down at the dead man:
“Chase! Chase them down! Dig three feet—no, dig to the Earth’s core—just catch that assassin!”
However, the assassin, having already accomplished her k*ll, had already fled beyond the city walls through her impeccable lightness techniques.
She now stood alone in a dense forest, removing the black cloth from her face to reveal an exquisite petite visage.
She took a deep breath, inhaling the forest’s air—not out of nerves, but from that uncontrollable surge of excitement bubbling up inside her.
But she remembered her promise. Her emotions, though stirred, did not rule her. As her excitement simmered down, her eyes returned to their usual pale color.
She took out a small notebook, filled with names—most of them already crossed out. She picked up a pen and marked off one more.
Clearly, the crossed-out names represented those she had successfully assassinated.
“Next is… no, better go back first.”
She flicked her head, recalling her second promise to Bai Feng—not to k*ll for fun, but to hone her sword skills.
Right now, she wasn’t entirely sure how to handle her own state of mind. If that was the case, she definitely needed to leave.
She closed her eyes, gradually pulling herself out of the virtual training and back into reality.
In reality:
“Brother.”
Little Qi blinked awake, scanning the room. Then, she leapt down from her chair and hurried over to Bai Feng sitting nearby.
The next moment, she threw herself at Bai Feng with a flourish.
Bai Feng caught her easily and chuckled, tousling her hair. She then squinted happily, basking in the moment.
Looking at her clutching onto him, nearly clutching his clothes as if her life depended on it, Bai Feng could tell—she had become more clingy and proactive. If it were before, Little Qi would have just stood nearby, watching him with big eyes, waiting for him to pick her up. Now, she was throwing herself at him instead.
He said nothing, simply holding her and gently combing through her long white hair.
Little Qi said nothing either, simply lying in Bai Feng’s arms, feeling the gentle strokes of his fingers in her hair—a warmth and sense of security she hadn’t known before. Even her inner restlessness gradually eased.
Gradually, she closed her eyes, breathing evenly, clutching his clothes tightly.
“Do you think she’s been practicing faster?”
Tian Yan appeared beside Bai Feng, leaning in his ear and whispering softly.
Bai Feng nodded. “Yeah, I can tell. Little Qi’s cultivation speed is even faster than Yu Mo’s now.”
“But I’m more surprised that this virtual world you created actually accelerates her training,” Tian Yan said, her face blank as she stared at the Array. Her expression was hard to read.
“I didn’t expect that either,” Bai Feng chuckled lightly, patting Little Qi’s head. He had a faint guess—though he didn’t plan to stop her, not really. More like guiding her. Little Qi always felt dissatisfied with her speed, so now that she saw hope, if he were to intervene again, her mind might go awry.
Is this… cyber immortal cultivation?
Tian Yan withdrew her gaze, fixing Bai Feng with a serious tone.
“You must live well,” she said.
Little Qi, who was once hindered by her peculiar destiny, had grown at a glacial pace because of Bai Feng. Now, with this virtual world, she was developing faster—if Bai Feng were to disappear, the world wouldn’t just face some baby demon king in the growth stage. It’d face a fully matured, apocalyptic demon king.
Bai Feng tilted his head to glance at Tian Yan. “Then you better protect me well. And if I go missing, your cultivation will also run into trouble.”
“Tonight, you’re going to breakthrough to the Refining Void stage first,” Bai Feng said suddenly.
…
“So… as long as I do this, I can break through the Refining Void stage?” Bai Feng, dressed in a flimsy shirt, sat at the bedside while Tian Yan pressed against him, even nuzzling his clothes with her tiny face. Her expression was unreadable, but her actions looked quite happy.
“Exactly. The closer I am to you, the better the effect,” Tian Yan whispered.
After training together for a while, Tian Yan suddenly loosened her grip on Bai Feng.
“What’s wrong? Are you about to breakthrough?”
“No,” Tian Yan shook her head. “Just rest normally. I can cultivate while you sleep.”
“… I thought you’d strip the last piece of clothing on me!”
“Hmm… not impossible,” Tian Yan pondered for a few seconds before reaching out to touch Bai Feng’s slim shirt.
“You really just climb upward once you get a pole, huh?” Bai Feng teased, swatting her hand away.
Tian Yan wasn’t annoyed. She scooted closer to the bed, patting the mattress.
“Then go ahead and rest properly.”
Bai Feng sighed and laid down in the middle of the bed. He was curious—what was Tian Yan planning?
Once he was lying down, Tian Yan turned off the light overhead, pulled the comforter over him, and then side-lying beside him, staring.
Bai Feng: “…”
This girl Tian Yan really goes all out.
A few minutes later…
“Are you asleep?”
“I… no, stop staring at me. I can’t sleep like this,” Bai Feng said.
“Then there’s nothing I can do,” Tian Yan replied softly.
“What?”
Bai Feng hesitated and opened his eyes. But he didn’t see Tian Yan beside him. Instead, suddenly, he realized something slippery was slipping into his arms.
“You…”
“Shh, aren’t we supposed to be soulmates? What are you nervous about?” Tian Yan’s voice drifted from under the quilt.
“So this is your way of breaking through the Refining Void stage?”
“Could there be a better method than this?”
Bai Feng fell silent. Well… maybe there was.
