Ling'er's Talent, Autumn's Rise Begins

The Leng Family.

Main Gate.

Whoosh!

As shadows gathered, Gu Yan's figure appeared at the entrance.

He stepped forward, about to knock and enter.

But then, as if sensing something, he muttered in surprise, "Hmm? This is... Ling'er's aura?"

Meanwhile, in the backyard.

"Wow! Sis, look at me!"

Roar!!

Leng Ling'er hovered mid-air, bathed in a dazzling golden light as nine golden dragons coiled and roared around her.

Their bodies seemed forged from pure gold, every scale gleaming with blinding radiance.

The dragons twisted through the air, their tails whipping up gusts of wind with every swing, their roars shaking the earth beneath them.

Yunxing clapped excitedly, shouting, "Nine Dragons of the Supreme! It's actually the Nine Dragons of the Supreme!"

"Your Majesty, the Dragon King, your talent surpasses all previous Dragon Kings!!!"

Bai Qionglan and Ning Qian stood nearby, exchanging stunned glances.

"Damn... Ling'er-jie is actually this terrifying..." Bai Qionglan gulped. Could she ever catch up to this?

Ning Qian was equally awestruck. So this was... Ling'er-jie's true potential?

And she was the new Dragon King too...

Wait—could this be fate's way of tying her and Ling'er-jie together?

Leng Qingqiu stood silently, utterly speechless.

In just two days.

Leng Ling'er had already broken through to the Postnatal Martial Artist realm.

A complete novice in cultivation... turned out to be a once-in-a-millennium genius?!

The Dragon King Palace's supreme technique, the [Nine Revolutions Divine Dragon Art], which even past Dragon Kings had failed to fully master—

Leng Ling'er had grasped it in one try?

Not only that, but her first attempt had summoned the nine divine dragon phantoms of the technique!

Damn!

My little sister Ling'er has the makings of a Grandmaster!!

Leng Qingqiu was both shocked and relieved.

At this rate, Leng Ling'er would undoubtedly become one of the world's strongest!

At least she wouldn’t have to worry about Ling'er being bullied in the future.

Just then—

"Oh? Ling'er's already at the Postnatal stage?"

"This kid's talent isn't half bad."

Gu Yan's voice suddenly echoed through the courtyard.

Leng Qingqiu stiffened, sensing his presence behind her.

Hmm?

Gu Yan... seemed even better at concealing his aura now.

Even with her heightened perception, she had to be this close to detect him.

Which meant... these past two days, while Ling'er and she had been improving—

Gu Yan had also been growing stronger, and at an absurdly rapid pace.

"Brother-in-law!"

Leng Ling'er dispersed the dragons and landed with a cool flourish, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up.

"So? What do you think? I’ll catch up to you in no time."

Gu Yan stood beside Leng Qingqiu and nodded lightly. "True. Soon, your sister and I will be counting on you for protection."

"Heh, you bet!"

"And forget motorcycles—I’m riding a giant golden dragon from now on!"

Leng Ling'er puffed up with pride.

She always knew she was a genius!

Becoming a Grandmaster was just a matter of time!

Ah, cultivation really is a piece of cake...

"Ling'er, don’t get overconfident. There are plenty of geniuses out there who surpass you."

"The ancient martial world is filled with prodigies—some even break through to the Innate Realm in a single day."

"But none of them lived long enough to grow. Because... a dead genius is no genius at all."

Leng Qingqiu cut off her daydreaming with a stern tone.

Even with Ling'er's talent, arrogance could be fatal.

Unless you advanced a whole realm every day...

The consequences would be unthinkable.

"Got it, sis..."

Leng Ling'er shrank back, suddenly nervous. Damn...

Was her talent actually mediocre by the world's standards?

Right—

Her sister had mentioned a place called the ancient martial world.

With its unique geographical advantages, it must be teeming with powerhouses and geniuses.

Ugh!

Compared to them, she might not even rank!

No, no, she couldn’t get cocky. She needed to train harder!

With that, she grabbed Ning Qian and Bai Qionglan’s hands. "Come on, you two! Train with me!"

"Your Majesty, wait for me~~"

The group hurried off to another area to practice.

Finally, Leng Qingqiu and Gu Yan were left in peace.

Gu Yan took her hand, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Qingqiu, it’s been a while."

He really had missed her. And it had been a long time—at least for him.

The flow of time in his memories differed from reality. Decades had passed for him there.

Now that he was back, his mindset had shifted.

Everything felt... surreal.

"Two days is 'a while' to you?"

"What have you been up to lately?"

Leng Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile faintly at his words.

"A bit of everything. Come on, let’s walk and talk."

Gu Yan led her along as they strolled side by side through the courtyard.

It was winter now—cold, with most plants withered or bare.

Back when Leng Qingqiu still had her dagger, her constitution made her immune to extreme temperatures.

But now...

Gu Yan tightened his grip on her hand. Her palm was no longer icy but carried a faint warmth.

The change made his efforts feel worthwhile.

They chatted as they walked.

When the conversation turned serious, Gu Yan replied vaguely:

"Lately, I’ve been focusing on improving my strength."

"With the imminent rise of martial artists worldwide, and you, Qingqiu, destined to stand at the pinnacle... If I don’t keep up..."

"I’ll be left behind."

Leng Qingqiu smirked. "Pfft. What can a blind woman like me do?"

"Ling'er is the real martial arts prodigy now."

Gu Yan shook his head with a laugh. "Qingqiu, you pioneered an entirely new cultivation system with your mental energy techniques."

"That alone makes you a genius among geniuses."

"If you joined the Martial Arts Department, you’d be its brightest star."

His words struck a chord.

Leng Qingqiu had actually discussed joining the Martial Arts Department with Xiao Leng long ago.

But she’d never acted on it.

Now, hearing Gu Yan say this...

Did he want her to join?

But why? He took the dagger, pushed her toward the Martial Arts Department...

Yet he became the Night King.

Didn’t he know the price of that title?

Every martial faction in the world would hunt him down.

Her heart grew heavy. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible loomed ahead.

She squeezed his hand tighter.

Maybe it was her imagination, but...

Right now, Gu Yan’s palm felt colder than usual.

And...

"Gu Yan."

"Yeah?"

"You’ve changed."

Gu Yan paused, then chuckled. "Changed how?"

They stopped walking.

Leng Qingqiu opened her eyes, studying the essence of his life force intently.

In her perception...

Gu Yan's life essence still shone brilliantly, but...

Leng Qingqiu keenly sensed that in just these past two days,

Gu Yan seemed to have gone through something significant.

The weight in his heart had grown heavier...

She pursed her lips lightly and said, "You've stopped loving me."

Gu Yan froze, confused. "Qingqiu, what are you talking about? How could I not love you?"

What was wrong with Qingqiu? There was no way he could ever stop loving her.

Was it because he hadn't visited these past two days?

Had he disappointed Leng Qingqiu?

However,

after a moment of hesitation, Leng Qingqiu took Gu Yan's hand, lifted her head, and whispered with flushed cheeks, "Because... even now, when there's no one left around us..."

"You... you're still acting so indifferent."

The usual Gu Yan would have already started getting handsy with her by now.

But this time...

He really had changed.

After Leng Qingqiu finished speaking,

"........."

?!

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

Leng Qingqiu suddenly realized the unintended implication of her words.

She hurriedly tried to explain, "Ah, I didn’t mean th—... Mmm!!"

Her voice was abruptly cut off.

Gu Yan's "desire for Qingqiu" had been ignited.