Ling Xinghe said in a tempting tone, her attitude very serious, not at all like she was joking.
The other Array Peak disciples were completely used to this scene, showing no surprise. As soon as Ling Xinghe appeared, they obediently lined up in a row, not daring to take a deep breath, afraid they’d be punished to kneel through class for the next seven days.
Seeing this, Lin Huanhuan was stunned. For some reason, she heard a crackling sound in her heart.
The image of Ling Xinghe as a cold, ethereal fairy from her first arrival shattered completely. This impact on her was no less than reading a doujinshi in her previous life, where the seemingly delicate little white flower turned out to be a twisted sadist, feigning weakness just to lure people in, only to torture them to death once she dragged them to a secluded place.
“Th-this doesn’t seem right.” Lin Huanhuan didn’t know what to say for a moment, forced a smile to cover her embarrassment.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. Survival of the fittest. Leaning on a strong person is good for you, too. Having a little sister with high formation talent is also a good thing for me. It’s a win-win.”
“Uh, uh…” Lin Huanhuan thought for a long time before coming up with a temporary response. She quickly said, “Don’t you already have a little sister? Why do you want to claim another one? That’s not right, is it?”
Ling Dongdong ran up with a tear-streaked face, hugging Ling Xinghe’s thigh and begging, “Yeah, sis, I was just bullied by them! Shouldn’t you get revenge for me?”
“Besides, I’m your real little sister. Why would you want Lin Huanhuan to be your sister? What’s so good about her? How does she compare to me?”
Ling Xinghe glanced down at her, frowned slightly, and snorted coldly. “I don’t have a useless little sister like you. Losing in formation cultivation to disciples from other peaks in a competition—what good are you?”
“You are no longer my little sister. I announce that from today, we are cutting ties. I will now make Lin Huanhuan, this more talented child, my little sister. Get lost.”
With that, Ling Xinghe shook her leg, and Ling Dongdong flew off, rolling several times on the ground before slamming her head into a practice pillar, dazed with stars spinning.
Ling Xinghe also noticed Lin Huanhuan’s reluctance and took the initiative to suggest, “Then let’s go inside to talk. There are too many people here, so you might not feel free to relax. Once we’re inside, you’ll naturally loosen up.”
Lin Huanhuan rolled her eyes inwardly. ‘Even if there were fewer people, there’s no way I’d relax. And going inside so you can do as you please? Dream on.’
Though she had imagined Senior Sister of Array Peak might be a bit eccentric before coming, actually meeting her was an eye-opening experience.
—
After the two went inside, the other Array Peak disciples finally felt their pressure plummet and perked up again.
Although Lin Huanhuan’s victory over Ling Dongdong earlier showed that her formation talent was definitely remarkable, when Ling Xinghe herself, the Senior Sister of Array Peak, came out to personally acknowledge her, they truly realized how terrifying Lin Huanhuan’s formation talent was.
After all, in the entire Lingyun Sect, there were fewer than ten people whose formation talent Ling Xinghe recognized. And among those she wanted to claim as relatives, there were fewer than three. No one expected to see a fourth today—truly a stroke of luck!
And now, Lin Huanhuan, possessing such powerful formation talent, was actually cultivating other paths—from their perspective, this was a huge deviation, a clear case of being misled.
But even more shocking was the fact that before Lin Huanhuan had actually revealed her formation talent, someone had already discovered its existence in advance. That was simply terrifying.
Everyone couldn’t help but turn to look at Huyan Yazhi. She stood with her chest out and head high, looking like she had everything under control. It made others feel that the Huyan Yazhi they once knew so well had become unfamiliar, her figure gradually growing tall and unfathomable.
Huyan Yazhi naturally noticed the looks from these Array Peak disciples and felt secretly pleased. Who would have thought she could have such a day, being admired by almost the entire Array Peak?
Everything happening now strengthened her determination to follow Lin Huanhuan from now on, and her aspiration to learn all the formation knowledge Lin Huanhuan possessed.
The disciples hesitated for a few seconds, then chose to swarm in and surround Huyan Yazhi.
Huyan Yazhi was startled at first, thinking these guys were fed up with her and were about to beat her up for relief. She was just about to kneel and beg them not to hit her face, when she heard them say:
“Master Huyan, we were blind in the past. Please don’t take offense. You spotted Lin Huanhuan’s talent in the crowd at a single glance—do you have the ability to see through others’ talents?”
“Can you check for me what talent I have? How much hidden formation talent do I have?”
Huyan Yazhi initially wanted to refuse. She didn’t have that ability at all; if she did, she would have used it long ago and wouldn’t have been stuck in Array Peak all these years. But when she heard they were willing to pay spirit stones, she immediately changed her mind.
‘Why not take advantage of a bargain? It’s just making up a few remarks, not cutting off flesh. What’s there not to say?’
Of course, Huyan Yazhi didn’t dare spout nonsense at random, or she would be easily exposed and cause trouble. She hesitated for a moment internally and decided to use the fortune-teller method: blurry processing, trying not to say anything precise, packing several meanings into one sentence—that way it wouldn’t be easy to reveal her lack of skill.
While Huyan Yazhi was busy fooling the other Array Peak disciples, Lin Huanhuan was also going through a test.
As soon as they entered the inner room, Ling Xinghe sat down directly, crossed her legs, and smiled. “Becoming my little sister will only bring you benefits, no harm. I’ll handle your sister’s side, so you don’t have to worry about trouble. What do you think? I’m generous enough, right?”
It sounded tempting, but Lin Huanhuan still chose to refuse. “Sorry, Senior Sister Xinghe, I’m really not that interested in formations. I truly can’t comply.”
At this, Ling Xinghe snorted coldly. “So ungrateful. Just like your sister—equally annoying!”
“Refuse if you want. Did I really want you to be my little sister that badly? I was just struck by a whim earlier. Now even if you beg, I won’t accept you as my little sister, hmph!”
“Er, haha.” Lin Huanhuan smiled awkwardly, at a loss. ‘Why does Ling Xinghe feel a bit tsundere? Must be my imagination.’
Ling Xinghe looked up and said calmly, “Alright, sit down. Now, let’s talk about what you came here for.”