A/N: I apologize to everyone for my absence; given the current state of affairs in my county, I anticipate not posting for so ti. Since I reside in Lebanon, one should be aware of what's going on there simply by watching the news.
I moved out of my house to a new location, and I'm having trouble writing because I don't have any Wi-Fi or anything else at the mont.
I'll attempt writing offline and stockpiling as many chapters as possible till I can post so, and I sincerely hope everyone can understand.
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When Chen Tian arrived at the Ming mansion, he went directly to the girls' room, but to his surprise, neither woman was there.
"Where did they go?"
Chen Tian's spiritual senses quickly expanded, trying to locate them. Now that he was at the Peak of the Foundation Realm, his spiritual sense was several tis stronger than before. He could easily cover the entire mansion with his senses, which, at the Peak of the Foundation Realm, extended to a radius of 200 ters.
It didn't take Chen Tian long to find Aria, Emilia, Ming Ming, and, to his astonishnt, Leng Zhiqing with them.
"Did this girl follow them as well?" Chen Tian mused, intrigued by Leng Zhiqing's sudden appearance. He had expected her to take much longer to reconcile with Aria, but seeing her there now made him wonder if sothing had happened while he was away.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Tian swiftly walked through the halls of the Ming Mansion, his footsteps light but purposeful. His thoughts briefly lingered on his recent encounters with Baihu and Hongyao, but he pushed them aside as he neared Aria and Emilia's location.
As he approached, the unmistakable sounds of combat reached his ears. His curiosity piqued, and he quickened his pace. Upon reaching the courtyard, the scene that welcod him caused him to raise an eyebrow.
Aria and Emilia were sparring, their movents swift, but full of small mistakes that were evident to Chen Tian's trained eyes.
"They've both improved since I last saw them, but…" Chen Tian thought to himself.
They still fight like mortals.
Despite their progress, Aria and Emilia had never fought against real cultivators, and their skills were still lacking in comparison.
"I should help them refine their techniques," Chen Tian decided as he approached.
"Aria! Emilia!" Ming Ming shouted excitedly, cheering them on. She was clearly impressed by their fight.
Leng Zhiqing, standing beside Ming Ming, watched with sharp eyes. Unlike Ming Ming, who believed Aria and Emilia had trained hard to reach this level, Leng Zhiqing knew the truth—it was all thanks to Chen Tian's help.
As she watched them exchange blows, her expression remained unreadable, but her thoughts were turbulent. "So, this is the result of Chen Tian's help?" She silently mused, observing their grace and power.
A small fla of jealousy flickered in her chest. She had always prided herself on being the best, never liking the feeling of being weak. Watching Aria and Emilia—won she once saw as no threat—grow so powerful made her realize how far behind she was.
"They've co so far… and it's all because of him." Leng Zhiqing thought bitterly, her hands curling into tight fists.
She craved that power too. Wanting to break her own limits, to wield strength that would make her formidable, independent of anyone. Se wanted to stand on equal footing with Chen Tian.
Her face remained calm, but underneath, a storm of desire, frustration, and ambition raged.
Chen Tian walked steadily toward the group, his black hair flowing behind him and his striking blue eyes shimring like a calm ocean under the sunlight. Although he had returned his hair to its original color, he kept his blue eyes. He had felt strange with half of his hair turning white, so he decided to go back to black for now.
Ming Ming was the first to spot him, her eyes lighting up as a wide smile spread across her face. "Chen Tian!" she exclaid, excitent and warmth filling her voice as she ran toward him. "You're back!"
Chen Tian smiled gently at her and nodded. "I'm back."
Brimming with excitent, Ming Ming turned to the others. "Aria! Emilia! Look who's here!"
The two won stopped sparring, slightly out of breath, and turned to see Chen Tian approaching. Their faces lit up with a mix of joy and relief, but they didn't rush over like Ming Ming. Instead, they exchanged a quick glance, silently communicating sothing between them, before walking over calmly.
Leng Zhiqing, who had also noticed Chen Tian's arrival, stayed where she was. Her gaze was sharp, yet guarded, as she observed him. Her expression was cold, but her eyes scrutinized every detail of his appearance, especially his blue eyes.
As Chen Tian approached, Ming Ming grabbed his arm cheerfully. "You missed a great match!" she said enthusiastically. "Aria and Emilia have improved so much! You should've seen them."
Chen Tian chuckled softly.
"Thanks to you," Leng Zhiqing said, her voice smooth and calm. Chen Tian t her gaze, sensing the unspoken tension in her words. He knew what she ant but chose not to address it directly. "They've worked hard," he replied. "I only gave them a small push."
Leng Zhiqing's smile tightened, but she remained silent, her thoughts churning once again. She couldn't deny that Chen Tian's presence stirred sothing deep inside her—sothing she couldn't quite na.
"You're back?" Emilia asked as she and Aria approached. Both won had been worried when Chen Tian ntioned Baihu and her cultivation level, but now that he had returned, they sighed in relief.
Though they didn't fully understand how powerful a Nascent Soul cultivator was, they knew from just their own breakthroughs, the fact that advancing from the Body Refinent to Qi Refinent felt like they could achieve anything made them realize how terrifying the other realms.
Leng Zhiqing looked up at Emilia and Aria, her expression unreadable.
"I'm back. You both have made great progress," Chen Tian said, causing both won to swell with pride. The feeling that soone they admired recognized their hard work was deeply gratifying.
"Chen Tian, can I ask you a favor?" Ming Ming suddenly asked, her voice filled with uncertainty. Chen Tian tilted his head, noticing her mix of nervousness and determination.
"Of course, Ming Ming. What do you need?" he replied, his tone gentle and encouraging.
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Taking a deep breath, Ming Ming spoke, "Can you… train ? I want to improve my skills even further."
A rush of relief washed over Ming Ming as she finally voiced her request.
She had hesitated to ask for help, but after watching Aria and Emilia spar and knowing that Chen Tian had helped them, she too wanted to grow stronger.
With the grand expedition approaching, she felt the need to improve before it started.
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