In Dong Yuner’s bedroom.
“Chirp—chirp—”
Outside the window lattice came the sound of cicadas.
As soon as the hour of Yin arrived, Dong Yuner’s biological clock woke her. Her body instinctively opened its eyes, stiffly climbed down, and put on her clothes.
Only after finishing all of this did her slightly muddled mind fully wake up.
Looking out, the entire world was still immersed in night, with life having entered a dormant phase.
‘Life is short and precious. Even in this cultivation world, if one cannot climb to a higher realm within a limited lifespan, then death is nothing more than a fleeting moment.’
A trace of determination flashed through her eyes. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door and stepped outside. The cool night wind slipped in through her collar, punishing her for defying natural biological rhythms.
If this were the past, even if she woke early, she would not have gone this far. It was truly inhuman.
But—
After learning that Lin Huanhuan’s strength had completely surpassed hers, a sense of urgency and anxiety rose within her. She desperately wanted to improve, preferably catching up to Lin Huanhuan.
Especially after Lin Huanhuan began pushing herself relentlessly, that feeling became even stronger.
‘I do not want to fall behind Miss. I want to keep pace with her, to stay by her side without making her sad, all the way until the cultivation world is destroyed—or until we die together in this lifetime. That is my greatest wish.’
To realize this wish, she could only do everything possible to suppress her body’s instincts, squeezing out nearly all her free time to cultivate in hopes of catching up.
With that thought, Dong Yuner raised her long, fair arm, gripped her sword, and swiftly began practicing her sword techniques.
At this moment, she had already touched the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment realm. She only lacked the final step of forging her Dao Foundation to break through. So during this period of searching for rare treasures, she planned to polish the sword techniques she had mastered until they were flawless.
Only then could she advance another step beyond the peak.
The longsword rotated smoothly through the air. Sword flowers bloomed again and again with piercing sounds as she practiced repeatedly.
In the blink of an eye, more than an hour passed. Sweat dripped from her chin onto the ground. She gathered her strength and slashed once, sword light dazzling.
That sword energy dissipated in midair thirty zhang away. Fifty zhang still felt impossibly distant.
Dong Yuner clenched her fist. “Still not enough? There is still such a big gap. How long do I have to practice?”
She tightened her grip on the sword, intending to continue, but suddenly realized that the wrist holding the hilt was trembling violently beyond her control.
Sweat flowing from her chin had already soaked the ground.
Fatigue surged like a tide, like a giant beast dragging at her body, trying to force her to lie down.
All of this reflected one fact: her body had reached its limit and needed rest.
Dong Yuner sighed. Weariness showed between her brows as she set the sword down. “I’ll rest for a bit first.”
It was not that she could not endure the torment of exhaustion. Rather, she knew clearly that continuing would not bring improvement and might even cause regression.
‘The pain of being unable to keep up with Miss is far more tormenting than this.’
‘But can I really succeed? Can I truly catch up to Miss with my own ability?’
She slumped to the ground, gazing up at the night sky, feeling lost.
She did not remain dejected for long. As soon as a bit of strength returned, she picked up the sword again and began to dance.
‘Whether I succeed or fail, I want to give it everything. Not for some regret-free failure, but because only this way can I grasp that sliver of hope and obtain the future I want.’
With that thought, there was nothing else in her heart. She simply kept swinging her sword.
After another half cup of tea’s time, the door to Lin Huanhuan’s bedroom suddenly opened. Dong Yuner looked over in surprise and saw the person who had been unsettling her heart staring at her in astonishment.
‘Why is Miss up so early?’
Confused, she greeted her. After learning that Lin Huanhuan indeed had other matters to attend to, she finally let out a long breath.
‘If Miss were like me as well, then I really would not have any advantage left. Even though this thought is selfish, I still feel much more at ease.’
Then another question arose in her mind.
‘Miss deliberately woke up so early today. What exactly does she have to do?’
‘I really want to know. Everything related to Miss—I want to understand it all, every detail.’
Though she thought this way, she did not secretly follow to investigate, because she believed that if it were something related to her and something she needed to know, Lin Huanhuan would definitely tell her.
As for what was not mentioned, it likely meant she did not need to know it yet, so she should not pry.
‘Miss must have her reasons.’
Only after Lin Huanhuan completely disappeared from her sight did she withdraw her gaze and repeat her earlier practice.
When the sky turned pale like a fish belly and golden light pierced through the clouds, disciples of the Lingyun Sect gradually rose to begin a new day of cultivation. Dong Yuner finally sheathed her sword, took out a handkerchief, and carefully wiped the sweat from her body. Only after confirming there was no odor did she stop.
Temporarily concluded.
“It’s about time to make breakfast. Miss will need to eat soon.”
Having just finished such intense training, her body still exhausted, going straight to cooking would naturally be draining. Dong Yuner was no exception.
But when she thought that the food was for Lin Huanhuan, that Lin Huanhuan would personally eat the breakfast she made bite by bite, that her cooking would fill Miss’s stomach and make her happy—
She felt an overwhelming sense of joy, as if all fatigue had been swept away, leaving her with endless energy to do these things.
After finishing breakfast, she waited a while longer, yet still did not see Lin Huanhuan return. Only then did she remember that Lin Huanhuan had not mentioned when she would be back.
That meant she might return very late.
Dong Yuner rested her cheek on her hand, looking outside with a slightly resentful gaze.
Suddenly, a thought surfaced in her mind.
‘Should I do as usual? Take advantage of Miss not being here to relax a bit in her room?’
‘She does not know when she will return anyway. If I do not go, I lose nothing. And chances like this only get fewer each time.’
The desire rising from the depths of her heart burned like raging flames. In the blink of an eye, it swallowed her reason, and she immediately made her decision.
Entering Lin Huanhuan’s room, she quickly closed the doors and windows, went to the bed, and touched the sheets that had already gone completely cold. A trace of disappointment flashed across her face.
She lifted the quilt, hugged it to her chest, buried her face in it, and inhaled deeply again and again.
‘Miss’s scent, hehe. It feels just like hugging Miss. I am holding Miss’s quilt now, and Miss will use this quilt tonight. Rounding it up, isn’t this the same as me hugging Miss?’
As she was thinking this, the door was suddenly pushed open. Startled, she quickly turned around and met Lin Huanhuan’s stunned gaze.