As the last remnants of Qi dispersed into the air, He Yue wasted no time rushing to Nie Yong's side.
"Are you fine, Nie Yong?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.
Nie Yong, now feeling more powerful than ever, couldn't help but chuckle. Instead of answering right away, he lifted his hand and lightly poked her forehead—just like a certain older brother once did.
"You're really cute when you're worried," he teased, his lips curling into a smirk.
He Yue's face instantly turned crimson. "Shut up, you moron!" she snapped, stepping back slightly.
But Nie Yong wasn't done. "Look at you," he continued, his smirk widening. "All embarrassed and flustered—"
"I said shut up!" Her embarrassment quickly turned into frustration, and before she knew it, her instincts took over. Her hand shot forward in a slap aimed straight for his face.
But Nie Yong effortlessly caught her wrist.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to pause. Their eyes met.
Now that he was really looking at her, Nie Yong found himself… appreciating what he saw. He Yue was a great beauty—perhaps not as mature and voluptuous as Lan Chu Die, but there was an undeniable charm in her features, a fiery spirit that made her even more captivating.
He Yue, on the other hand, was experiencing something entirely different. As Nie Yong's firm grip held her hand in place, she felt her heart pound erratically against her chest.
What is happening to me?
Her mind raced. Why am I reacting like this? Do I… like this guy? No way. But then…
Her eyes traced his face. Something was different. His jawline, his features—he didn't look as rough as before. He wasn't handsome, just normal, but he also wasn't as 'ugly' as he was before.
Wait… why does he look better now?
She frowned slightly. Am I seeing him differently because I… like him?
A wave of panic settled in her chest. Come on, He Yue! You can't be catching feelings for a guy like this!
Her fingers twitched in his grasp, and her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
Nie Yong, still holding her hand, only raised an eyebrow, amused by the sudden shift in her expression.
"You're staring," he mused.
"Shut up!" she barked again, wrenching her hand free before turning around to hide her flustered face.
Nie Yong chuckled. This girl… she's really something—
Nie Yong's thoughts were abruptly cut off by a fierce, feminine shout.
"You fucking pervert!"
A voice filled with outrage echoed through the air, causing both Nie Yong and He Yue to freeze.
Nie Yong turned his head, only to see Lan Chu Die storming toward him, her expression filled with nothing but disgust.
Her eyes locked onto him with fiery indignation, her every step radiating a threatening aura.
"What are you doing to that girl?" she demanded, her voice sharp like a blade.
But Lan Chu Die wasn't done. Without hesitation, she strode up to him, her eyes burning with hostility.
"Sister Die, I—"
"Shut it!" she snapped, cutting him off before he could even explain. "Sister Die? You even know me, and yet you dare to spout such shameless excuses?"
Nie Yong felt his jaw drop. Wait… she doesn't recognize me?
Wanting to clear up the misunderstanding, he pointed at himself. "Sister Die, don't you recognize me?"
Lan Chu Die scoffed, folding her arms. "Why would I recognize you? I'd rather die than acknowledge the face of a pervert like you!"
With that, she stepped between Nie Yong and He Yue, her body shielding the younger girl as if protecting her from some predator.
Damn... did my appearance ranking up from worst to average really have that much of an impact on my face? Nie Yong thought, his mind struggling to keep up with the absurdity of the situation. Was I that ugly before?
Shaking off his disbelief, he took a deep breath and tried again. "Sister Die, I'm your martial brother, Nie—"
Before he could even finish, Lan Chu Die cut him off again with a look of pure disdain.
"Martial brother?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with venom. "How dare you call yourself my martial brother?"
Nie Yong blinked. What the hell is she on about now?
"You're using your status as a disciple of the High Heaven Pavilion to play around with fragile, beautiful girls! Absolutely disgusting!" she accused, her words carrying a fiery righteousness that left no room for rebuttal.
"Eh?" Nie Yong's brain practically short-circuited.
Behind Lan Chu Die, He Yue hesitantly stepped forward, attempting to speak on his behalf. "Ehm, older sister, he—"
But even she wasn't spared.
"Don't try to defend him, sister!" Lan Chu Die interrupted, her voice fierce. "I know how these scumbags operate! He probably promised to get you into the High Heaven Pavilion if you did anything he told you, didn't he?!"
Nie Yong's eye twitched. Where the hell is she getting this nonsense from?!
But Lan Chu Die was already on a roll.
"But don't worry!" she declared righteously, puffing out her chest. "I'll make sure you enter the sect! You'll grow strong enough to take your revenge on this bastard!"
Before Nie Yong could even react, she shot him one last fierce glare and grabbed He Yue by the hand.
"Come on, sister, let's go!"
And just like that, He Yue was dragged away toward the sect, leaving Nie Yong standing there in stunned silence.
His mind finally rebooted. What the fuck just happened? Lan Chu Die is a straight-up crazy feminist!
As He Yue was being pulled along, she turned her head back toward Nie Yong.
Her expression was unreadable for a moment—until her lips curled into an amused smile, her eyes glinting with barely restrained laughter.
She was enjoying this.
Nie Yong, still speechless, shot her a flat look in return.
And just like that, He Yue disappeared with Lan Chu Die, leaving Nie Yong alone in the aftermath of sheer, unfiltered absurdity.
...
A couple of days had passed since the absurd encounter with Lan Chu Die.
Inside his small room in the High Heaven Pavilion, Nie Yong trained relentlessly, his body drenched in sweat as he pushed himself beyond his limits. Every breath he took was filled with resolve—he needed to break through to the 7th Tempered Body Stage.
His fists struck forward, wind and ghostly Yin Qi swirling around them as Phantom Gale Wrath roared in his veins. Through sheer effort, perseverance, and obviously to his saint rank Martial Talent, he had pushed the martial skill to level 41. Each strike carried deadly precision, and his entire body was honed for battle.
And then—
A surge of power erupted from deep within him.
His bones trembled, his muscles tightened, and his meridians expanded as an explosive wave of energy spread through his body.
[The host has broken through the 7th Tempered Body Stage!]
Nie Yong's eyes widened. I did it!
[The host's current battle power: 6th Initial Element Stage!]
A wide grin spread across his face. "Finally!" He clenched his fists, feeling the raw strength coursing through him. "I can finally start practicing my Secret Art!"
Without wasting another second, he shot up to his feet and rushed out of his room.
"There's no time to waste—let's go to the Coiling Dragon Stream!"
To be continued...
***
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Hey guys, I have great news today. Earlier this morning, while I was having one of my medical checks of routine, my doctor discovered something unusual in my Parkison. Something that didn't quite belong to the Parkinson's characteristics. Worried, he immediately started analyzing me more and more until he found out that what I had wasn't the Parkinson, but another condition (whose name is too complex for me to remember), which is treatable! Finally! I am really happy guys! Really, really happy! I've never been this happy, not even when I lost my V!