Lin Ningâan was convinced that she was seeing a vision and not reality, but she still suffocated as if her body and heart was wrenched, seeing this depiction of her life being so hard.
It wasnât that she felt bad or sad.
She was miserable, and wanted to kill these people.
The self she saw in the spirit mirror looked exactly like her, with the manner she spoke and appearance exactly the same.
The only difference was that she was too gentle.
She should have killed him on the night she was tied up by Shan Junqing for the wedding.
The more these thoughts flung about in her mind, the angrier she became. Lin Ningâan flung away the spirit mirror just as a figure came in from outside the door, directly catching it.
âWhatâs wrong with my Ningâan? So angry all of a sudden.â
Lin Shiheng was still wearing the same white and dark patterned clothes as he looked at his daughter with doting eyes and the corners of his mouth raised.
âDad!!â
Lin Ningâan, who was full of anger, immediately rushed over like a little beast who was wronged outside as she turned back to her original shape and flew to the coronet on top of his head to rant out the feelings swirling in her chest.
âThis spirit mirror is broken. I obviously used the correct divination method, and all that came out was nonsense!â
Lin Shiheng glanced at the dark mirror and dropped it on the bed with his spiritual force.
âThis spirit mirror is a mystical object. It wouldnât break so easily.â
âBut! The result of the divination was completely different from what actually happened!â
âMaybe it was projecting an alternate reality. This spiritual mirror is a mystical object, so naturally it would differ from other divination mirrors. Thereâs no need for you to be so concerned.â
He let his daughter fly down and touched the bump on her head.
âSoon it will be your turn to cross tribulation. Are you prepared?â
âYes!â
As soon as cultivation was mentioned, Lin Ningâan immediately lifted her chest and raised her head.
âDad, rest assured. I have cultivated well. Recently, Iâve been staying with Shan Huaiyu from time to time, and Iâm sure Iâll be able to protect him!â
Remembering the Shan Huaiyu depicted in the mirror, she curled the tip of her tail. Regardless, although she still had anger in her heart, she felt that she shouldnât be angry with Shan Huaiyu, who had done nothing so far.
(TNote: Gurl please⊠once a scum, well⊠always scum. Unless someone transmigrates into his body⊠mueheheâŠ)
She has been preparing since she knew she was going to cross the Heavenly Fury Calamity soon.
The Heavenly Fury Calamity is the most powerful calamity in which loved ones, friends and lovers were turned away.
Lin Ningâan wasnât afraid as her father said to just go through the motions. Once she passes this Heavenly Fury calamity, her previous damaged dragon body because of her injuries could be repaired, and she would ascend to the heavenly realm instantly.
âDad is my only relative. Dad is so powerful too, so it will definitely go fine. Just, I donât have a lover. Even Shan Huaiyu is just a friend, and his spiritual power is low anyways. So long as I protect him, he would be fine.â
Once she finished speaking her thoughts out loud, Lin Ningâan proudly flew around with her tail curled. Although she had no dragon horns and no dragon claws, she was still a dragon, so she could naturally fly around the air.
Lin Shiheng smiled and looked at his daughter flying away happily.
âThen, itâs time to wait for the sectâs Grand Competition.â
As it happened, before the clan competition, Shan Huaiyu encountered fatal danger during training.
Lucky for him, Lin Ningâan couldnât resist his pestering and agreed to join him. In order to protect Shan Huaiyu, she even revealed her true form.
When the blood-covered Shan Huaiyu was dragged to the cave, Lin Ningâan took out the elixir given by her father and fed it into his mouth. As she gave him the elixir, she admonished the immobile boy, âDonât tell anyone about me not being human! It will bring me trouble if others know.â
In the past 5 years, Shan Huaiyu, who had grown to become a young adult, looked at her in a daze and responded with difficulty.
âOkay, I wonât tell anyone.â
âNingâan, you saved me even at the expense of revealing your true form, do⊠Do you have some feelings for me?â
Lin Ningâan met Shan Huaiyuâs affectionate eyes as soon as she looked down.
Her mind immediately recalled the Shan Huaiyu in the spirit mirror who spoke of love while personally giving away his trusting lover to his master.
Even though she knew they were different, she winced.
âWhatâs going on in your head? I only think of you as a close friend. What kind of feelings do you mean?â
Shan Huaiyu still stared at her and refused to give up hope. âMy injuries are very serious. Iâm afraid that I wonât be able to walk for a while. Right now, the only way to save me is through dual cultivation!â
(TNote: dual cultivation = this way of cultivation meant having intercourse, while their spiritual powers intertwine, and cultivate together. Other times it meant one sucks the spiritual power out of the other.)
Lin Ningâan immediately jumped 8 feet away.
âYou arenât a 3-year-old child. Dual cultivation can only be done between husband and wife. I am an elder and you are a junior. How can we dual cultivate?â
Shan Huaiyu coughed and made a weak gesture, âBut Iâm badly hurt. Ningâan, since you are at the Mahayana stage, a dual cultivation session with me will definitely make me heal fasterâŠâ
Lin Ningâan then replied, âItâs written in the books. If one side is higher than the other, it means to give their own spiritual power to the low side. I have worked so hard to cultivate this spiritual power. Why should I give it to you in vain?â
Lin Ningâan wasnât polite at all. âBesides, although your injury is serious, it can get better after some time for recovery. Why do you have to dual cultivate with me?â
âMaybeâŠâ
âDonât say anymore. Say it one more time and Iâll get angry.â
In fact, Lin Ningâan already wanted to flip out.
She has been taught well, and she already understood a lot of things. Shan Huaiyu himself was raised in the sectâs school, so how could he not know these things?
He was definitely just playing dumb. But seeing her show her true form, he probably thought she was as simple-minded as those demons and could be fooled easily.
It was awful⊠How did she make such a friend?
After dragging Shan Huaiyu all the way back, Lin Ningâan went back to her residence and complained about it to her father.
After complaining, she added, âI want to cut ties with him. Dad, you donât have to fight for me.â
Even after listening to her lament, Lin Shiheng wasnât perturbed. âNingâan, rest assured. In the end, he still has a use, so I wonât do anything to him.â
âUse, what use?â
Lin Ningâan asked him curiously several times, but when she saw that her father didnât answer, she didnât bother to ask anymore. Then, she went into seclusion until the Grand Clan Competition.
After waking up, she heard that many people came from other sects this time. Lin Ningâan hardly ever went down the mountain and was a little curious about other sects. When sitting on the bench, her pair of clear eyes couldnât stop looking around.
As she stared about, she spotted a loving couple.
The man was handsome, while the woman was delicate and gentle. They looked at each other and smiled from time to time.
Interestingly, with her keen eyes, Lin Ningâan didnât miss the maid who served beside the couple. As she looked more closely at the man, when the woman wasnât paying attention, the man would hold the maidâs hand.
Looks like there was another âseeminglyâ loving couple.
âWho are they? Their spiritual energy isnât very pure, but their cultivations are quite high.â
The disciple who happened to sit beside her hastened to give this elder, who was many generations higher than himself, an explanation, âItâs just a couple of loose cultivators. I heard that they ate something when they were in the mortal realm, and it advanced them to the Divine Transformation stage in one breath. Because of a monarch and minister relationship with Elder Junqing in the mortal world, their relationship with our clan is still acceptable.â
(TNote: loose cultivator = cultivator that donât worship a sect/ doesnât enter a school.)
âMonarch and minister?â
Since the last spiritual mirror incident, Lin Ningâan was even more disgusted with Shan Junqing. She could tell the difference between Shan Huaiyu and his spirit mirror self, but Shan Junqing was a man who wanted to molest her as soon as they met.
That was his nature. Bah!
Obviously, the disciple knew the matter specially, and replied, âElder Junqing once worked as an official in the mortal world before he entered the cultivation realm. This pair of loose cultivators were the emperor and empress of the Mortal Realm at first. Then, they ate spiritual herbs and came to the cultivation realm.â
âOh ⊠so thatâs what happened. It seems that the Mortal Realm isnât as barren as the school teachers said. There are still such spiritual herbs that can help mortals reach the Divine Transformation stage with a single bite.â
Lin Ningâan yawned as she unconsciously rubbed her bare white forehead, apparently losing interest in the emperor and empress who had a relationship with Shan Junqing, and turned away.
She didnât realize that the couple were watching her as well.
âFor some reason, seeing that girl made me feel a little uneasy.â
Zhang Zirou frowned slightly and leaned toward her husbandâs side feeling warmth and reassurance from being held in his arms.
âYou are always like this. You and I have been immortals for a hundred years. Look at that girl, sheâs a teenager. She wouldnât even have a foundation, so thereâs nothing to be upset about.â
Ji Yuzhen hugged his wife tighter, his tone slightly impatient.
When he was a mortal, his wifeâs little attention and devotion to her husband would make him enjoy her love very much. However, when they reached the Divine Transformation stage, they lived much longer than the average human. After such a long time spent together, Ji Yuzhen had become more impatient with his wife who hadnât changed in a hundred years.
Nonetheless, they still had deep feelings, and they were both Divine Transformation cultivators. He had to give her some face sometimes, more or less.
This was also the thing that made Ji Yuzhen uncomfortable. If he hadnât decided to cut the dragon horn and let his wife eat it, how could the two have had such a good life? Zhang Zirouâs ability to become a cultivator depended on him, and it turned out the same as him. Unfortunately, she was a jealous woman, and he was only allowed to be with her alone.
In the mortal world, he was an emperor. She too only relied on being the empress.
When they arrived at the cultivation realm, she got up on an equal footing. Even if he liked another little maid, she just had to intervene without relent.
Thinking of this, Ji Yuzhen had some regrets. He should have eaten the two dragon horns by himself at the beginning. Once he became a cultivator, he would teach her to cultivate, and then her status will be the same as that of the mortal world.
Itâs just too late to think about it now. He gently patted his wifeâs body to soothe her as his eyes fell on the maid who waited on him.
Most of the cultivators were indifferent to the world, full of immortal aura. Although this maidservant had a low status, she was also beautiful, so his eyes couldnât help but be drawn to her.