Chapter Sixty-Four: Luo Ling’s Thoughts

PS: The Three Rivers was exposed once again, haha... The scribe hardly knows what to say, feeling a faint sadness in his heart, a taste that can't quite be described. The membership click ranking has always been just a little short of reaching the homepage. Brothers, the scribe earnestly begs you to spare a few minutes and help him just this once, would you? The recommendation votes are far from ideal, too. The scribe is truly serious, genuinely working hard to write this book. Please, could you give him a glimmer of hope?

Han Lingyue had helped him a great deal. Without Han, he likely wouldn’t have completed the first ring of the Nine Suns Divine Skill. Moreover, Han had gifted him a divine pill worth twenty million crystal coins—not only solving his problem with killing the Blood Sword Alliance, but also granting him a spot in the Nine Rivers Base Genius Training Camp. This kindness was immense!

“If Han passes the instructor assessment, choosing him as our instructor wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Ke Bei smiled slightly, speaking to Xiao Jiu. As for selecting an instructor, Ke Bei was rather indifferent; his power was mainly increased by completing system tasks. Now with the second layer of the Energy Cultivation Skill, all he needed was to keep training, and his strength would steadily rise.

In martial techniques, he had the third form of the saber style left by Old Bearded Father. If he mastered it, his power would surely surge! Ke Bei’s purpose in joining the Nine Rivers Base Genius Training Camp was to search for the Heaven Awakening Tower; the instructor was of little consequence.

As the two walked and talked, they arrived at a villa nestled at the foot of Mist Gold Mountain, backed by the mountain itself.

“This is quite impressive,” Ke Bei surveyed Xiao Jiu’s villa, feeling a slight shock in his heart and uttering a sigh. This home was every bit as grand as the Blood Sword Alliance’s headquarters villa. For an ordinary student at the Nine Rivers Genius Training Camp, the treatment was astonishingly good. Thinking of the little hut he once lived in at South City’s Ten Thousand Sheds in Lingfeng City, Ke Bei couldn’t help but muse, “You must be tired today as well—go rest for now,” Xiao Jiu said softly, noticing Ke Bei’s pale face and apparent weakness.

All the villas at the foot of Mist Gold Mountain were uniform in design, each with three floors; the only difference was their location. Xiao Jiu led Ke Bei to a bedroom on the third floor. Ke Bei bade him goodnight and went to rest. The illusory scene at Azure Dragon Bridge had truly shaken him; the physical exhaustion was secondary, the psychological wounds were primary.

Li Qianqian’s death was his life’s regret, a wound in his soul that would never heal.

Ke Bei tossed and turned, Li Qianqian’s image lingering in his mind. At last, he simply sat up and gave up on sleep. He still didn’t know whether the Heaven Awakening Tower was truly at the Nine Rivers Base. Strength was the foundation of everything. Now, cultivating the Energy Skill for one day increased his power by two men’s worth; every day’s time was precious.

The night passed as Ke Bei quietly trained in the Energy Cultivation Skill. At dawn, when the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, Ke Bei opened his eyes.

He gently pushed open the door, not disturbing Xiao Jiu, and slowly walked out, strolling down the gravel path at the mountain’s foot. His nostrils flared as he breathed the clean morning air, feeling instantly invigorated.

Looking toward Azure Dragon Lake, he saw mist rising above the water, and a smile crept to his lips. “The environment of this Nine Rivers Base Genius Training Camp is truly extraordinary,” Ke Bei smiled calmly. The apocalypse felt distant here; everywhere exuded a tranquil elegance. Ke Bei followed the gravel path toward Azure Dragon Lake, wanting to see the water.

He had grown up without ever seeing a great lake—just as those who have never seen the sea long to witness it—Ke Bei’s mood now was tinged with curiosity and inexplicable delight.

Just as he reached the lakeside, before he could greedily gaze at the crystal-clear water, he suddenly froze, standing motionless, eyes bright with surprise and an unidentifiable joy as he stared ahead at the figure washing her face in the clear lake.

Her purple hair cascaded freely, the black tight battle suit accentuating her graceful curves. At that moment, her cheeks bore a faint laziness, adding a subtle allure to her usually heroic face. Such a sight left Ke Bei stunned.

Luo Ling! It was Luo Ling—what was she doing here?

Ke Bei’s heart suddenly raced; he stared blankly at her figure by the lake, feeling at a loss for what to do. Should he greet her? He ought to, surely—she had saved his life, after all.

Ke Bei pondered for a long while, found himself a reason to say hello, exhaled softly, and tried to make his smile as gentle as possible. He stepped forward, just about to speak, when Luo Ling turned around suddenly.

“Ke Bei? Is it really you? How did you come here?” Luo Ling’s face was first surprised, then lit up with irrepressible joy as she quickly stood and walked over to him.

Just as she reached him, Luo Ling seemed to realize something, and a blush spread across her fair cheeks. The always dashing Luo Ling suddenly showed a shy, girlish side.

“You...”

“You...”

They both started to speak, then paused, looking at each other and laughing.

“You go first—how did you come here?” Luo Ling covered her lips with her hand, her voice clear and lively.

“The spot from Lingfeng City—Brother Han Lingyue gave it to me, so... yesterday I crossed Azure Dragon Bridge,” Ke Bei smiled. He had nothing to hide from Luo Ling; after all, they had survived together twice, and he felt an inexplicable closeness.

“Han Lingyue? You know Han Lingyue!” Luo Ling’s eyes widened in surprise. She naturally knew Han Lingyue’s name—a terrifying presence who had stayed in the top three of the Azure Dragon Ranking for five consecutive years; scarcely anyone at Nine Rivers Base didn’t know of him.

Her own brother was also in the top ten of the Azure Dragon Ranking, but he deeply admired Han Lingyue. Before Luo Ling ever entered the Genius Training Camp, her brother often mentioned Han Lingyue; hearing it so often, Luo Ling felt as if she knew Han Lingyue, even though she had not yet met him.

“Haha, so you know Han as well?” Ke Bei smiled, looking at the surprised Luo Ling.

“Of course I do! I often hear my brother talk about him.”

“You and Han... Han Lingyue are close?” Luo Ling’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she carefully looked at Ke Bei.

“Yes, quite close,” Ke Bei couldn’t tell what Luo Ling was thinking, so he nodded honestly.

“Then... could you introduce me to him? My brother has always idolized him, and I... I want to meet him,” Luo Ling bit her lip, cheeks tinged with pink, her bright eyes fixed on Ke Bei, long lashes fluttering as she spoke softly.

“Of course, no problem!” Ke Bei felt a strange tremor in his heart at Luo Ling’s shy expression, patting his chest and answering cheerfully.

“Oh...” Luo Ling’s expression dimmed rather than brightened at Ke Bei’s straightforward answer. She clenched her fingers, a faint sadness rising in her heart. “So he really doesn’t... doesn’t like me. Sister Youyou once said that men care about this a lot.”

Luo Ling’s disappointment flashed across her eyes, but she quickly smiled. “There are so many fun places on Mist Gold Mountain, you surely haven’t been. I’ll show you around!” she said brightly.

“Alright,” Ke Bei smiled. He liked the feeling of being with Luo Ling; he couldn’t say exactly why, but he felt comfortable, and his face naturally relaxed into a smile.

Just as the two prepared to leave the lakeside, a familiar figure appeared—Hei Qin, who had fought Ke Bei at Moon Watching Lake, suddenly stood before them.

“Damn!” Ke Bei’s brows furrowed; his heart grew heavy. He could escape alone, but Luo Ling was beside him—what now?