The moonlight was bright and clear, dappled shadows of trees scattered across the forest floor.
The atmosphere was tender and charged with unspoken feeling.
Xiao Ning'er looked up at Nie Li. His expression was calm and earnest, and she could still feel a lingering warmth where the bruises had been. She was filled with gratitude — without Nie Li, she had no idea how much longer she would have struggled in agony. It was he who had pulled her out of that bottomless mire.
Being looked at by Xiao Ning'er made Nie Li somewhat awkward, given that he had touched places he probably shouldn't have — and, honestly, the feel of them hadn't been bad at all.
"Nie Li, you've offended the Sacred Family. You absolutely must be careful," Xiao Ning'er said. She knew the Sacred Family was despicable and shameless. Years ago, her Wing Dragon Family had declined precisely because they had fallen into a trap set by the Sacred Family, and more than eighty percent of their assets had come under Sacred Family control, forcing them into dependency.
Even now, the Wing Dragon Family had never recovered its former strength. Among the great families, they ranked near the very bottom — one more step and they would fall to being nothing more than a mere noble household.
"I know what I'm doing. The Sacred Family is a clan that trades on reputation, so they won't make a move on me right away. I expect it'll be at least a few months before they settle scores with me, once the attention dies down." Nie Li smiled faintly. But by then, he would have countermeasures in place.
The confidence radiating from Nie Li gave Xiao Ning'er the impression that no problem in the world could faze him. In her heart, she was filled with admiration for him.
"When we get back, find an unused Soul Crystal, and I'll help you test your aptitude," Nie Li suggested. As they grew to know each other better, Nie Li felt that Xiao Ning'er was a genuinely good girl. Perhaps one day she could become a powerful ally. He decided to teach her some formidable cultivation techniques.
"An unused Soul Crystal — like this one?" Xiao Ning'er asked. She produced a初级 Soul Crystal from her Space Ring. "I have three of them here."
"So you already have some. That's perfect." Nie Li smiled and picked one up. "Pour your Soul Power into it and let me see."
"All right." Xiao Ning'er nodded and channeled her Soul Power into the crystal. It immediately blazed with brilliant light, the points of glowing energy within coalescing into the silhouette of a Wing Dragon, spreading its wings in flight.
Nie Li looked at Xiao Ning'er with surprise. "Soul Power of 83, wind-thunder elemental affinity, and your soul manifestation is the Wing Dragon Form."
No wonder Xiao Ning'er's cultivation speed had been so extraordinary in her previous life. Even after bedridden for two years, her cultivation had still risen rapidly. A Wing Dragon Form soul manifestation — that was a once-in-a-hundred-thousand talent. Anyone who possessed such a soul manifestation could cultivate any technique at remarkable speed, and if they practiced wind-thunder techniques, the results would be even more astonishing.
"Wind-thunder elemental affinity? Soul manifestation? Wing Dragon Form?" Xiao Ning'er didn't quite understand the string of terms Nie Li had just rattled off. Confusion filled her beautiful eyes.
"It means you're suited to cultivating wind-thunder techniques." Nie Li thought for a moment. "I happen to have a technique here. I'll give it to you."
This wind-thunder technique was something Nie Li had obtained in a lost ancient city, and it was perfectly suited for someone with the Wing Dragon Form soul manifestation. Once Xiao Ning'er began cultivating it, her power would skyrocket — likely even faster than Nie Li's own.
A Wing Dragon Form soul manifestation — this talent was so extraordinary that even Nie Li felt a pang of envy.
"This technique is far more powerful than anything you've been cultivating," Nie Li said as he transmitted the technique's incantations and other knowledge to her.
Xiao Ning'er committed the technique to memory and contemplated it carefully. Sure enough, this wind-thunder technique was incomparably powerful! Every other technique she had ever seen was nothing but scrap compared to this one!
"This technique is called the Wind Thunder Wing Dragon Art!" Nie Li said with a smile. "It's the perfect technique for you!"
"Thank you." Xiao Ning'er raised her head and gazed at Nie Li with gratitude. She had no idea how she could ever repay him. First he had freed her from her suffering, and now he had given her such an incredibly powerful technique. She bit her lip gently, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I don't know how to make this up to you. Whatever you ask me to do, I'm willing."
Hearing Xiao Ning'er's soft words, Nie Li felt a flutter in his chest. He looked at her lovely, enchanting face and gave a wry smile. "We're friends. Helping each other is what friends do. When I run into trouble in the future, you'll help me too, right?"
"Mm." Xiao Ning'er nodded, though a faint shadow of disappointment flickered through her pretty eyes. If Nie Li were to ask her to be his girlfriend right then and there, she would have agreed without a moment's hesitation.
The two of them cultivated for several hours. Xiao Ning'er practiced the Wind Thunder Wing Dragon Art that Nie Li had given her, and her power surged beyond anything she could have imagined. A person with a Wing Dragon Form soul manifestation was already a once-in-a-hundred-thousand prodigy by nature — and with a supreme technique perfectly suited to that constitution, progress was truly measured in leaps and bounds.
Although the Heavenly Dao Divine Art was far more powerful in the long run, in the early stages, the Wind Thunder Wing Dragon Art offered a much faster rate of cultivation advancement!
By the time dawn began to break, a faint cyan glow had already begun to radiate from Xiao Ning'er's body.
"The cultivation speed of the Wind Thunder Wing Dragon Art is genuinely terrifying. It's only been a short while and she's already approaching the threshold of Bronze One Star," Nie Li marveled. In comparison, his own talent, along with that of
By the time Xiao Ning'er opened her eyes, Nie Li had already left. A flicker of disappointment crossed her gaze. Growing up, she had rarely interacted with boys at all — and the only one who had ever truly caught her attention was Nie Li. The thought of him filled her heart with warmth.