Chapter Thirty-Five: Zhao Lin'er Breaks Through

Heh, is it time to put on an act again? Qian Bo sneered coldly in his heart. The so-called miraculous abilities Zhao Lin’er spoke of—Luo Tian’s supposed guidance for Body Tempering disciples—were, at best, a matter of debate. Whether it was true or not was still up in the air, and whether he could still offer guidance at the Qi Condensation stage was equally uncertain.

Besides, even if he did possess such ability, so what? In the world of cultivators, strength was the only measure of respect. At that thought, Qian Bo suddenly realized he had overlooked something—Luo Tian had already reached the fourth cycle of Qi Condensation, slightly ahead of himself.

“Senior Brother Luo, yes, there are some problems!” Zhao Lin’er brightened the moment Luo Tian asked, her eyes flashing with sudden understanding. “While cultivating…”

As Zhao Lin’er finished her sentence, Luo Tian nodded with calm assurance. “Begin circulating your cultivation method, and I’ll take a look. But let’s be clear—three hundred contribution points per session.”

Qian Bo shot Luo Tian a disdainful glance. Bumpkin! Has he ever even courted a girl? To win a woman’s heart, and the first thing he does is talk about contribution points? Doesn’t he have any sense of propriety? Lin’er is so clever—she’d never fall for such a crude ploy!

Ordinarily, Qian Bo would look after Zhao Lin’er during missions, and when it came to things like pills, he always made a show of generosity, letting her take whatever she wished. Yet, despite Lin’er’s gentle and charming demeanor, whenever it involved items exchanged for contribution points, she kept a polite but clear distance. This only fueled Qian Bo’s desire; he was convinced that with persistence, Lin’er would one day accept his gifts as her own.

“Three hundred contribution points?” Zhao Lin’er’s lips parted in surprise before she voiced her concern. “Senior Brother, isn’t that a bit low?”

Back in the days of menial labor, there wasn’t much to trade, so Luo Tian simply refrained from doing chores. But now, as outer disciples, contribution points were extremely valuable. Charging only three hundred points for cultivation guidance seemed far too little. Zhao Lin’er was well aware of how much the inner disciples charged and the complexity of their explanations; Luo Tian’s price was an absolute bargain.

Qian Bo’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. My Lin’er, how can you be so naive? Three hundred points could at least buy you some cultivation resources—why give them to someone like him? Are girls these days really so easily deceived?

“It’s fine, now’s not the time to set the price too high.”

Luo Tian waved his hand slightly, clearly thinking it too low himself, as if he were suffering a huge loss.

“All right, then I’ll trouble Senior Brother to take a look!” Zhao Lin’er smiled gently, closed her eyes, and began to circulate her vital energy. Despite the jolting of the carriage, this basic practice was something every cultivator was intimately familiar with, so there was little risk of mishap.

A golden light flashed in Luo Tian’s eyes as he observed the flow of energy within Zhao Lin’er’s body, his gaze following the movement of her vital energy in detail.

That scoundrel! Shameless rogue! Qian Bo gritted his teeth in hatred. In his eyes, Luo Tian’s expression was lecherous, his gaze brazenly roaming over Zhao Lin’er’s graceful figure. To ogle his woman so openly—this was an outrage! Still, for all his anger, Qian Bo dared not interrupt Zhao Lin’er’s energy circulation, so he could only sit upright like a gentleman, stealing glances at her delicate form.

She’s my woman—I can look at her as much as I like!

In no time at all, the cycle of energy circulation was complete. Zhao Lin’er exhaled softly, playfully sticking out her tongue. “Senior Brother, how was it?”

Her adorable expression set Qian Bo’s heart ablaze with desire, and thinking of Luo Tian’s shameless behavior only made his anger burn hotter.

“I’ve looked it over—there are a few spots where problems arise.” Luo Tian pondered for a moment, then pointed out the main issues he had observed.

From past experience, Luo Tian had discovered something: the experience points for upgrading his Divine Eyes weren’t limited by the source, but he only received a reward once the problem was truly resolved, and only once per person per issue. So, even though he had guided Zhao Lin’er before as a menial, it was still effective at the Qi Condensation stage—as long as she kept encountering new cultivation problems, he could keep gaining experience.

“Yes!” “That’s right…” “Senior Brother Luo, you’re amazing!” Zhao Lin’er listened to Luo Tian’s detailed explanation, nodding repeatedly, her face full of admiration and gratitude.

If she had taken these cultivation questions to an inner disciple, who knows how long it would take to get answers, or whether they’d even be correct. Who would have thought Senior Brother Luo would still be so remarkable at the Qi Condensation stage, and charge so little for his guidance! In cultivation, strength is everything; which cultivator doesn’t long to grow stronger? To resolve such issues for merely a few hundred contribution points—this was a bargain indeed.

“Lin’er, don’t trust people too easily!” Qian Bo, seeing the two growing ever closer, couldn’t help but interject.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother Qian—Senior Brother Luo would never deceive me,” Zhao Lin’er replied coolly. She understood Qian Bo’s intentions all too well, and her refusal to accept his gifts was a deliberate choice. Such favors are always hard to repay; it’s best not to accept them at all.

Senior Brother Luo’s guidance, on the other hand, came with a clear price and the understanding that both sides would keep things strictly business; that was true propriety. The price was fair, and there would be no expectation of favors in return—this was someone she could trust. As for those who made a pretense of giving things away for free, who would dare accept their kindness so lightly?

“Lin’er, you must be cautious. Remember, you can never truly know another’s heart,” Qian Bo said, his face full of concern, but inwardly burning with jealousy. What was so special about Luo Tian that Lin’er would treat him like this? Wasn’t he just a conman?

“It’s fine, Senior Brother Qian. I’m going to cultivate now,” Zhao Lin’er said, her voice turning cold as she sensed Qian Bo’s intention to persist, instantly putting up a wall of distance. Without waiting for a reply, she closed her eyes and began her cultivation.

Throughout Qian Bo’s remarks, Luo Tian said nothing, his expression placid. Whether or not he was a fraud would be clear once Zhao Lin’er broke through—there would be no need for words.

Qian Bo sat there in anxious discomfort, as if a thousand ants were crawling over his body.

Zhao Lin’er, recalling Luo Tian’s instructions, followed them precisely, guiding her vital energy smoothly. After a while, the light around her shifted from orange to yellow, and golden brilliance filled the carriage.

She really broke through?

Qian Bo’s mouth twitched involuntarily, lost for words.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Luo!” Zhao Lin’er had been stuck at the bottleneck of the second cycle for some time, worried but helpless—until Luo Tian’s guidance helped her break through. Overjoyed, she grabbed Luo Tian’s hand in gratitude, her excitement plain to see.