The Binding of the Maiden

Xie Yuling's response didn't come as a surprise to Lin Mo.

He simply watched her quietly, the usual laziness in his gaze fading away, replaced by an uncharacteristic solemnity.

"Are you planning to just participate this one time, or do you want to learn more about the other side of this world?"

Lin Mo's expression was unusually serious.

She instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes, feeling both afraid and inexplicably expectant.

Raising her head to meet Lin Mo's deep gaze, she asked cautiously, "I... I haven't decided yet, but I want to experience more things with you."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lin Mo did something rare—he reached out, hooked a finger under Xie Yuling's chin, and tilted her face up.

"The more you experience, the more you'll be bound to it."

His thumb brushed lightly against her skin, his tone laced with amusement. "After a while, there might be no way to separate."

Boom!

Xie Yuling's cheeks instantly burned crimson, heat rushing straight to the top of her head, turning even the tips of her ears pink.

Her mind went blank, and she stammered, unable to form a single word.

Seeing her thoroughly flustered state, Lin Mo could no longer hide the laughter in his eyes.

"Just teasing you."

He withdrew his hand, his tone lightening again:

"Don’t worry. If you ever get bored or tired of it, I can turn you back into a complete ordinary person, seal away these memories, and ensure you’ll never be involved with these things again."

This statement unsettled Xie Yuling even more than his earlier teasing.

Almost instinctively, she lunged forward and grabbed Lin Mo’s wrist with surprising strength.

"No way!"

Her eyes were filled with urgency, as if afraid he might actually do it the next second.

Lin Mo let her hold on, then raised his other hand to ruffle her slightly messy hair.

"There might be danger, remember? Like that Liulin Plaza spewing black mist—that belonged to the other world. We might run into things like that someday."

"I’m not scared!" Xie Yuling shook her head vehemently, not backing down at all. Instead, she puffed out her chest and pulled out a stack of yellow talismans from her pocket, waving them proudly. "Even if there’s danger, I’m not afraid! I’m Li Xiaolang!"

Her earnest yet hilariously chuunibyou act finally made Lin Mo burst into laughter.

"Oh? Then should I call myself Lin Zhiben Mo?"

Lin Mo spread his palm, fingers twitching slightly, and a fresh deck of playing cards materialized out of thin air, resting neatly in his hand.

Xie Yuling’s eyes sparkled as she immediately got into character: "Then I want to see you in a cool battle outfit."

"Not happening," Lin Mo refused with mock seriousness. "We’re still missing a Tomoyo to take pictures for us."

"That’s fine, we’ll just ask Meowth."

Seeing the girl regain her energy, the last traces of doubt in Lin Mo’s heart vanished.

He was almost certain now—the system’s "Huangting Nourishing Spirit Scripture" was meant for her.

Xie Yuling’s innate spiritual sensitivity indicated a natural talent for mental cultivation.

Which meant he needed to prepare as well.

--System: I wasn’t even acting, okay? Any perceptive reader would’ve figured it out by now.--

Late at night, Lin Mo glanced at the yellow talismans in the fridge, confirming that the soul sealed inside showed no signs of dissipating, then phased through the wall into Xie Yuling’s room.

Moonlight seeped through the gaps in the curtains, casting a silver glow on the floor.

The girl, clad in bear-print pajamas, lay curled on her side, clutching a nearly flattened fox plushie in a death grip, her legs tightly wrapped around it.

Lin Mo walked to the bedside and shook his head with quiet amusement.

This girl.

He reached out, pressing his warm palm gently against her smooth forehead.

Originally, he had considered simply handing the "Huangting Nourishing Spirit Scripture" to Xie Yuling for her to cultivate on her own.

But after some thought, he quickly dismissed the idea. The only reason he could master it was because of the system.

If Xie Yuling tried to decipher it herself, she’d likely struggle for three to five years without even understanding the first page.

Having her study it independently was impossible.

Rather than waste time, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

In the next moment, refined spiritual energy flowed from his palm, transforming into a gentle current that silently seeped into the girl’s body.

This energy carefully nourished her limbs and meridians, following an intricate and profound path as it circulated.

This was the true cultivation method of the "Huangting Nourishing Spirit Scripture."

His guidance was a hundred times more effective than her fumbling attempts.

One cycle, two cycles…

By the time the energy completed its thirty-sixth cycle, Lin Mo slowly withdrew his hand.

This was the absolute limit her mortal body could currently endure.

If she were to cultivate on her own, managing even five cycles would be an overachievement.

But thirty-six cycles was her current threshold.

He could clearly sense it—deep within her dantian, a faint yet pure new energy had taken root.

Magical power.

It was similar in nature to the energy within Shouzhen’s body.

As for himself…

Lin Mo spread his palm, and a denser, far more potent energy flickered at his fingertips.

This was spiritual energy.

Above magical power lay spiritual energy.

From the very beginning of his cultivation, his starting point had been different from others.

It was only after interacting with Shouzhen and the others that Lin Mo belatedly realized this.

So far, he had yet to encounter anyone else capable of wielding spiritual energy. Perhaps they were all hidden away—or perhaps none existed at all.

Lin Mo gazed at Xie Yuling, who was sound asleep and even smacking her lips as if dreaming of feasting on shrimp, his expression calm.

Now, the seed had been planted.

Only when she discovered this power herself and could consciously guide it into meditation would she truly push open that door.

But for now, she’d have to wait a while longer.

With that thought, Lin Mo gradually faded into the air.

The next morning.

Xie Yuling stretched lazily and sat up in bed.

For some reason, she woke up feeling completely refreshed, without even the slightest urge to laze around.

She swung her legs off the bed, her entire body feeling light and relaxed. Twisting her neck left and right, she noticed none of the usual muscle stiffness.

Puzzled but pleased, she headed out of her room to wash up.

As she passed the kitchen, Zheng Yuan called out, "Rare sight—our young miss actually woke up on her own on a weekend. Got plans?"

Xie Yuling paused at the kitchen door and scratched her head. "Nope, just woke up naturally."

Zheng Yuan leaned out, giving her a once-over.

"You look a bit paler than before?"

Xie Yuling immediately hurried to the bathroom to check herself in the mirror.

"Really? Maybe it’s just the post-sleep glow?"

She did feel unusually clear-headed this morning, but as for looking paler—probably just her imagination.