"Are there any precautions I should take?"
"Hmm, I've tested it before and confird there are no issues. But with two people and a cat, you should try to stay close to each other. Also, no one should be standing within two ters. The cat needs to be in a backpack, and try to use backpacks for your luggage as much as possible."
Ren Suo opened his backpack and nodded at the Black Cat. It jumped onto the clothes in the backpack and then tugged the zipper closed from the inside, leaving just its little head poking out.
He slung the backpack over his shoulder, and Ren Xingi ca out from the other side with her luggage organized. After they both put on their clothes and shoes, Ren's mother hesitated in the living room before saying, "Send a ssage as soon as you arrive. I want to try it next ti."
Ren's mother was actually a bit worried, but saying sothing like, "Are you sure it's really safe?" would have been aningless—if Ren Suo wasn't certain it was safe, he wouldn't be taking his sister along. Objecting wouldn't be good either. Once said, it would seem as though Ren's mother didn't trust her future daughter-in-law, as if she feared her daughter-in-law was planning to murder her own husband. In fact, Ren's mother didn't distrust Dong Chengling; she was simply uneasy about new technology. Middle-aged people are much slower to accept new technology than the younger generation. The fact that she could use Douyin and WeChat, and even edit her selfies with filters, already made her the trendiest queen among the neighborhood aunties.
But her husband hadn't objected, and her son had no doubts, so she had to suppress her worries, trying her best to say goodbye to her children in a casual and breezy manner.
Ren Suo nodded and walked to the open space in the center of the living room, gesturing for his sister to co closer. "Cheng Ling said it's best for us to stay close."
Ren Xingi blinked. Before she could say anything, Ren Suo pulled her close, glanced at her, and said, "Your bangs are too long. Use a hairpin to clip them back."
"This hairstyle is called a 'princess cut,'" Ren Xingi said irritably. "I finally got my hair nice and soft. I'm going for an overall aesthetic that can't be clipped up."
"Oh." Ren Suo blinked, patted her head, and nodded. "It really is quite soft. Compared to Luna's fur..."
"OW?"
"Still, Luna's fur feels a bit better." Ultimately, Ren Suo didn't go against his conscience to complint his sister.
Ren Xingi pouted with a hum. Just then, Ren Suo suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist and held her in his embrace. "Hold on to tight."
Ren's father and Ren's mother, who were watching TV and looking at their phones respectively, looked up without blinking.
Then Ren Suo took out his phone and called, "Cheng Ling, we're ready."
"Good."
At this mont, Ren Xingi, still bewildered, had just managed to extend her hands to embrace Ren Suo. She hadn't even had ti to warm up to the mories when she noticed the light entering her eyes change—from the slightly harsh white incandescent light to a warm-toned LED light.
"Big Brother!—"
With a soft, tender call, a little girl squeezed Ren Xingi aside. Ren Xingi clicked her tongue, squatted down, and picked Little Jiu up. "Little Jiu, did you miss ?"
"Yes, I missed Little Star," Little Jiu struggled in Ren Xingi's arms, wriggling back and forth. "Little Jiu also missed Big Brother very much! Let go of , I want to hug Big Brother!"
"But I really want to hug you too, so I refuse!" Ren Xingi was slightly frustrated. It was a rare opportunity to relive past warmth, only to have it disrupted within seconds by this little girl, so she spitefully held on to Little Jiu. However, Little Jiu was surprisingly strong—Ren Xingi, a second turn Cultivator, couldn't even suppress her!
It's worth noting that Ren Xingi herself wasn't the fragile type. Before Cultivation, Ren Suo couldn't even beat her at arm wrestling! With the boost from her Cultivation, her strength was definitely greater than that of an adult male, yet she still couldn't restrain Little Jiu!
Suddenly, like a deflating balloon, Little Jiu went limp and said tensely, "Big-Big Brother, who is she?"
By then, Ren Suo had taken the Black Cat out of the backpack. Hearing Little Jiu's voice, he blinked, brought the Black Cat to Little Jiu, and said, "Let's get acquainted. Little Jiu, this is Luna. Luna, this is Little Jiu."
"OW." The Black Cat let out a languid ow. Little Jiu also owed nervously, cautiously reaching out her finger to touch the Black Cat's paw.
Seeing that the Black Cat didn't resist her, Little Jiu's expression instantly changed from nervous to joyful. She wriggled free from Ren Xingi's grasp, then picked up the Black Cat, sat on the couch, and started to babble. The Black Cat occasionally responded with a ow, creating an exceedingly innocent scene—if posted on Douyin, it could likely rake in tens of thousands of likes.
"Xing i, do you feel anything amiss?" Dong Chengling asked, helping Ren Xingi take off her backpack and pulling her to sit down.
Ren Xingi shook her head hurriedly. "I didn't feel anything. One mont I was ho, and the next I was here. Teacher Dong, you're getting more and more amazing."
Ren Suo also sighed and said, "Yeah, I thought Spiritual Energy Coordinates could only take one person. I didn't expect you, Cheng Ling, could also bring along luggage, my sister, and a cat without it being overloaded!"
After learning that Ren Suo and Ren Xingi hadn't bought train tickets and were planning to co over tomorrow, Dong Chengling had proposed to directly use Spatial Teleportation to bring them to Lian River.
Ren Suo's Spiritual Energy Coordinates were inherently permanent, and Dong Chengling had further enchanted them during their last eting. Therefore, even bringing a few extra pieces of luggage, an additional cat, and a sister who weighed no more than one hundred jin was surprisingly manageable.
Dong Chengling didn't look tired at all. She brought out two small bowls of sweet dumplings from the kitchen and smiled. "These are sweet dumplings I brought back from ho. Try them."
Although Ren Suo and Ren Xingi had already eaten earlier, they were Cultivators, after all. Not only was their appetite far greater than that of an ordinary glutton, but their digestive ability was also comparable to that of a soy milk juicer. Moreover, there were only three dumplings in each bowl, which to them was truly just 'a taste'.
The sweet dumplings tasted similar to rice dumplings, as both are made from glutinous rice and fillings. However, rice dumplings are a bit 'stickier,' with a chewy texture. Sweet dumplings are a little sweeter and not as sticky to the teeth.
As Ren Suo ate, he asked, "Cheng Ling, did you also teleport directly from ho?"
Dong Chengling nodded. "Yes, I left a set of Spiritual Energy Coordinates here. After celebrating the festival at ho, I brought Little Jiu back to clean up and then called you."
Ren Suo inquired, "Why didn't you stay at ho for another night before coming over?"
"I was worried you would buy a ticket and take the bus back early in the morning," Dong Chengling said with a smile. "I wanted to show off to you, spend the festival with you, and see you a bit sooner than anyone else. So, I ca back earlier and found a reason to pull you over."
Dong Chengling's series of standard attacks dealt a critical hit to Ren Suo, plunging him into a state of Dizziness. Ren Xingi quickly changed the subject. "Is it really that convenient? You can teleport over with Little Jiu and luggage in one go without getting tired?"
"You might have so misunderstandings about Spatial Movent," Dong Chengling explained. "During Spatial Movent, the process doesn't involve tagging an individual. Rather, it montarily tears open space and then transfers all objects enveloped by Spiritual Energy through spatial overlap. For example, when I usually teleport, it's not like I teleport away while my clothes and shoes are left behind. That's because when I teleport, I envelop my entire being with Spiritual Energy."
Ren Xingi deduced further, "So, you just used the Spiritual Energy from my brother's necklace to envelop all of us, then directly tore through space and 'threw' us over here?"
Dong Chengling nodded with approval. "Exactly. Whether I teleport just Suo, or all of you, it's all the sa to . There's no difference."
After finishing the sweet dumplings, Ren Suo opened his backpack, pulled out a small bag with a ❤ pattern, and handed it to Dong Chengling. "Cheng Ling, a Valentine's Day gift."
Dong Chengling paused for a mont, looked at Ren Xingi, and laughed. "Thank you. But, I thought you would give it to in private."
"Hm?" Ren Suo scratched his head. "But there aren't any outsiders here..."
"Suo," Dong Chengling thought for a mont and then said very seriously, "Perhaps you and Xing i can't understand, but my parents have been very affectionate since I was little..."
"No!" Ren Suo and Ren Xingi said in unison, "We understand!"
"That's good," Dong Chengling continued. "Although I didn't feel much about it when I was younger, as I grew up, I realized that this kind of behavior from parents can have a certain negative impact on others. According to philosophical theories, a person's essence is the sum of all their social relations. Therefore, when in a group, it's polite to be mindful of the atmosphere."
"Such interactions between couples, in the presence of a third party, may cause embarrassnt, confusion, envy, jealousy, and other emotions in that person. Often, the reason friendships between couples and their friends beco distant is because they don't distinguish between private and public spaces."
Dong Chengling nodded towards Ren Xingi. "Xing i, I know you don't think that way. I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell Suo there's no need to 'show off affection' just for the sake of it."
Ren Xingi nodded with a smile on her face, but in her heart, she was crying and roaring, No, that's exactly what I think! I'm just like a sour, pathetic, and redundant pickled fish here...
Looking at Ren Suo, Dong Chengling said, "Suo, I don't need other people's approval to maintain my feelings, and neither do you. Given this, I prefer to reserve slightly more intimate couple interactions for private monts when it's just the two of us. Besides, compared to being affectionate anyti and anywhere, I believe that by slightly restraining our emotions, nurturing the mood, and cultivating anticipation, we can both achieve a better experience of intimacy."
Dong Chengling discussed these potentially embarrassing topics with such an upright and candid deanor that Ren Suo was left dumbfounded. "Cheng Ling, you're so knowledgeable!"
"Well, I've read a lot of books about emotions these days, and educational reference materials also had content on how to handle student romance issues," Dong Chengling said. "If I don't know sothing, I have to learn it, right?"
When Dong Chengling said this, there was no sense of incongruity at all. It even gave Ren Suo and Ren Xingi the distinct impression that yes, dating required studying, perhaps even getting a certificate or sothing...
Then Dong Chengling went to the bedroom, took out a notebook, and holding it with both hands, handed it to Ren Suo. "This is my gift to you."
A notebook? Does Chengling think I'm the type of person who uses journals? Ren Suo thought.
A journal? Does Teacher Dong intend to cultivate Bro's habit of journaling to understand his emotional world for targeted critical hits? Ren Xingi wondered.
Both Ren Suo and Ren Xingi simultaneously had a simple and a complex thought. However, it wasn't until Ren Suo opened the notebook that they realized things were actually more complex, yet simpler, than they had imagined—
"These are the reflections I recorded when I advanced to the fourth transformation, as well as so areas I noted during my introspection that could further strengthen my training."
Dong Chengling said, "Currently, the Tactical Bureau and academy systems do not have official guidance manuals for fourth transformation Cultivators. Many of my experiences might be specific to my own situation, so you'll need to use your own judgnt when reading and learning from them. Although it's not anything valuable, given your current situation, I think this Valentine's Day gift is quite suitable for you…"
Although she said this, Dong Chengling's face turned slightly red as she spoke. Despite having read so many works on emotions and achieving so success in teaching, when it ca to love, this was her first ti riding the bridal sedan, so to speak, and she was uncertain if what she was doing was right.
After much thought, she decided to write "Dong Chengling's Fourth Transformation Insights" overnight. It not only contained her sentints but was also extrely practical and included her expectations for Ren Suo. The only problem was that this type of gift didn't appear on any 'gifts n like' lists in those emotional works…
"This is like stumbling upon an internet café when you're bored, or finding a pillow when you're sleepy. What incredible luck! Chengling, I really like this gift."
Ren Suo, who had never let Dong Chengling down, was no exception this ti. He held the notebook as if it were a Supre Treasure. "I just so happen to need information like this. I was planning to search the internal network when I got back, but I didn't expect you'd give such a great gift, Chengling."
Dong Chengling and Ren Xingi blinked, asking in unison, "You're going to advance to the fourth transformation!?"
"Yes!"
For so reason, Ren Suo clearly hadn't cultivated at ho and didn't even equip the "Lazy Diligence's Body" at night. Yet, a couple of days ago, he suddenly felt his Qi Cyclone was odd. It always left him feeling unsatisfied. He triggered a "data stream" and found that his cultivation progress had reached "third turn, 100%."
Ren Suo was at a loss. Then, for so reason, his thoughts suddenly turned towards his sleep quality at night.
These days, every morning when he woke up, his body felt as exhausted as if it had been ravaged a myriad of tis over by several Zhao Huoluns during the night. Although he quickly recovered from the exhaustion upon waking and felt quite spirited, Ren Suo always sensed sothing was off. Moreover, on so nights, he'd even taken off his clothes in his sleep.
He felt that his rapid progress in cultivation might be related to the quality of his sleep and wondered if using the "Lazy Diligence's Body" so much had caused his body to beco an independent entity with its own thoughts.
As soon as I fall asleep, it diligently gets up to cultivate on its own. That must be why my body is so tired.
But lacking any concrete evidence, Ren Suo didn't delve deeper. Instead, he focused on sothing more important—advancing to the fourth transformation!
Ren Suo knew all too well how formidable the fourth transformation was.
Famous throughout the nation, a signature figure of the Mysterious Country, Taoist You Jian, was a fourth transformation Cultivator!
The darling of the Lian River Counterasure Bureau and Heavenly Lotus Academy, Dong Chengling, who could earn a tidy sum just from daily Cultivation and teaching, was a fourth transformation Cultivator!
The Great Wall's mbership recruitnt standard was to be a fourth transformation Cultivator!
The humanoid Weapons of tactical level designated by the internal network were fourth transformation Cultivators!
In short, becoming a fourth transformation Cultivator would be all gains and no losses for Ren Suo, the Player content with a life of idle gaming!
Moreover, to achieve the goal of 'protecting Dong Chengling,' he at least needed the power of the fourth transformation; otherwise, he could only shout '666' from behind her.
As Ren Suo began reading the fourth transformation insights, Ren Xingi asked with a depressed face, "Bro, didn't you just advance to the third turn not long ago? And you were also in a coma for a month. How co you're about to advance to the fourth transformation now?"
"I had a miraculous encounter in The Dark Side of the Moon," Ren Suo honestly replied. "Yueyan also had a miraculous encounter; she'll probably reach the third turn soon."
Ren Xingi was taken aback for a mont, then turned her head, her teeth clenched, and asked Dong Chengling, "Teacher Dong, are we still going to have the intensive training classes this sester?"
Dong Chengling blinked her eyes and smiled as she patted Ren Xingi's head. "Yes, we are. I will apply to the academy to lift the restrictions on the Great Cultivation Field, allowing those in the intensive training class to cultivate."
Feeling Dong Chengling's affectionate gesture, Ren Xingi experienced a surge of warmth in her heart, but at the sa ti, a sense of loss. She suddenly rembered the slogan her male classmates chanted under their breath—"Teacher Dong is the best in the world."
She had been harboring plenty of sches these days. Her plan was to return to Lian River, engage in alliances, and employ various tactics—sowing discord, feigning madness, deceiving the heavens, usurping the host's role—she had even devised steps for each plot.
However, now that Dong Chengling had patted her on the head, all her malicious sches had dissipated like clouds after rain. It wasn't that her conscience had suddenly awakened, but purely because she knew she was as ineffective as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Against such a forthright and imposing army of one hundred thousand, her own ragtag bunch, lacking true legitimacy, couldn't compare. No matter how many cunning tricks she had up her sleeve, they were no match for a righteous force. She wasn't the Son of Destiny—could she really expect a teor to fall from the sky and grant her Victory? Speaking of strength, she was about to be utterly overshadowed by Gu Yueyan. Aside from Lin Xianyu, she couldn't beat anyone else!
She felt she wasn't just a sour, pathetic, and redundant pickled fish, but also a yellow-braised chicken—yellow with despair, stewed in frustration, and utterly useless junk...
"Chengling, one of the conditions for advancing to the fourth transformation is... a strong conviction?" Ren Suo asked as he read, suddenly raising a question. "Does it an sothing like having a strong will?"
Dong Chengling shook her head. "No, it's about having a strong conviction—a thought that you absolutely must complete, an ideal that you absolutely must realize. Strong will refers to your ability to persevere in the face of adversity. Strong conviction, on the other hand, refers to possessing a desire so potent that you'd willingly face any adversity for it."
Ren Xingi interrupted, "It's asking if you have a dream."
Does goofing around and playing gas count as an ideal? Ren Suo tugged at the corner of his mouth, thinking, In this world, can a Salted Fish without dreams not even make it to the fourth transformation? Won't Lin Xianyu be stuck at the third turn for the rest of her life then?
After pondering for a mont, Dong Chengling looked at Ren Suo and said, "Actually, it doesn't have to be a dream; any specific thought will do. For instance, becoming stronger, Changsheng, achieving eternal youth, obtaining sothing specific, protecting soone, or fulfilling certain unspeakable desires…"
Ren Suo felt uneasy under Dong Chengling's gaze. If I ascend to the fourth transformation on the conviction of 'I want it all,' and fail to achieve it later on, will my Dao heart collapse and I'll drop back to the third turn?
Seeing them chat made Ren Xingi feel depressed. She looked down at her phone and said, "Bro, it's past midnight. Let's go back to sleep!"
Dong Chengling nodded and didn't try to keep them. She rely advised, "Get so rest. And don't trust everything in my notes too much; you need to use your own judgnt."
"Yes, I'll read it carefully," Ren Suo earnestly replied. "After I finish, I will treasure this gift and won't let anyone else see it."
Ren Suo's attitude pleased Dong Chengling. Ren Xingi went over to pick up her backpack, glanced at the moonless night sky outside, and let out a soft sigh.
Suddenly, she saw a Star Scar streak across the night sky, like a teor. She closed her eyes instinctively and unwittingly made a wish.
By the ti she opened her eyes, the teor had vanished. Ren Xingi couldn't help but smile wryly.
Why does a teor fly so fast? Because it doesn't want to fulfill my wish. Why does a teor fly so fast? Because it's in a hurry to grant soone else's wish.
Although she knew that complaining and placing her hopes on Destiny were aningless acts of weakness, Ren Xingi couldn't help but quietly lant: I too wish for an accident, for a Miracle…
After reigning in her negative emotions, Ren Xingi glanced at the balcony and suddenly noticed a figure standing there.
The warm indoor light illuminated his attire—jet-black, as exquisite as a work of art, yet clearly War Armor, glistening as if polished. Ren Xingi could clearly see his sharp boots, his flexible yet hard skirt armor, Gauntlets like dragon claws, a fully protective bodysuit, a prideful and aloof Beast Mimicry mask, and beneath that mask… a pair of eyes emitting a bright red glow!
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