NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 69: Chapter 69
"Senior Lingling, Gu Ran, it's so late. Why aren't you two sleeping yet?" Jun Tianlin asked as he glanced at the two of them.
"I can't sleep. I'm thinking about something" Ye Lingling replied. Her voice always cold and distant, sounded even lonelier in the quiet forest.
"You are my boss. If the boss doesn't sleep how can a younger brother rest on his own?" Gu Ran smiled naively His loyalty made him a very competent younger brother.
"That's right Gu Ran. You are very loyal" Jun Tianlin said with a smile "As for Senior Sister Lingling, are you too excited? Your strength has improved so much all of a sudden." It was understandable for Ye Lingling to be unable to sleep having just obtained a thousand-year soul ring.
Ye Lingling shook her head "No, I don't pursue strength that much. I don't need to be like you, Gu Ran, or Tian Heng, who must shoulder the responsibilities of your clans. Our Nine Hearts Flowering Apple lineage has always been a single-line inheritance. We possess only healing abilities, so we can only survive by relying on other clans."
"Nine Hearts Flowering Apple—it's the world's number one healing spirit. No clan would ever refuse your joining" Jun Tianlin said though he found Ye Lingling's mood unusual. Despite having such a powerful martial spirit she didn't seem happy.
Ye Lingling smiled bitterly "Yes, no clan would reject me but I don't want to join any clan. Tian Heng invited me to join the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan before but I declined. Their people are too strong-willed and I dislike that atmosphere."
"I want to find real support like my mother did" she added softly her voice carrying a hint of longing.
Jun Tianlin nodded "That's right. By the way, what do you think of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan? We have the best reputation across the continent." He admired the strength of the Nine Hearts Flowering Apple but without combat power a healing spirit like hers would need someone trustworthy to protect her.
"For such a large clan as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, what they dont lack most are auxiliary soul masters so someone like me would have no status there and It would feel like living under someone else's roof" Ye Lingling said with a wry smile She had considered joining the clan but feared she wouldn't be valued.
"You misunderstand" Jun Tianlin explained "If you joined us, Uncle Ning would wake up laughing in his dreams While your martial spirit is auxiliary like ours your positioning is entirely different. Healing power is precisely what the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan lacks."
Ye Lingling pondered his words There was some truth in what Jun Tianlin said and perhaps she could truly receive strong training there.
Seeing her hesitation Jun Tianlin glanced at Gu Ran, an idea forming in his mind. He decided to strike while the iron was hot "By the way, Senior Sister, what do you think of Gu Ran? After absorbing the Iron Armor Peony his defense is no weaker than the Shi brothers, and his attack power is even stronger. He's destined to become a Titled Douluo. You two are of similar age—why not consider dating him? He's Bone Douluo's disciple and if you marry him, you won't be living under someone else's roof and uou'll have your own family."
Jun Tianlin was very fond of his loyal younger brother. Ye Lingling was beautiful and had a strong martial spirit and making her a perfect match for Gu Ran.
With two future Douluos in their generation, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would be unstoppable. Behind Jun Tianlin stood Ning Rongrong the strongest amplifier. Behind Gu Ran would be Ye Lingling the most powerful healer. It would be a legendary story.
"You—at such a young age, how can you say something so frivolous?" Ye Lingling's cheeks flushed red her usual composure shaken.
Since entering the Soul Hunting Forest Gu Ran had protected her at every step. She'd only seen it as teammates looking out for each other but now, Jun Tianlin's words added an unexpected tension to the air.
"Boss, what nonsense are you saying? How could a fairy like Senior Sister Ye be interested in me?" Gu Ran stuttered his voice betraying his nervousness.
Jun Tianlin saw through him though. Gu Ran clearly had feelings for Ye Lingling and his reaction made that obvious.
Gu Ran felt wronged He hadn't thought of her that way before but now that Jun Tianlin had pointed it out then he couldn't ignore the growing ambiguity between them.
"What's there that makes you unworthy? Senior Sister Lingling is amazing, but you're also destined to become a Titled Douluo of our clan!" Jun Tianlin scolded. He really wanted to slap some sense into this guy. If he didn't already have Rongrong then he'd never let someone else have a chance with such a beautiful girl as Ye Lingling.
[TL:though this was harem]
"A person without confidence can never reach the highest realm, no matter how talented they are" Ye Lingling said coldly disappointment evident in her tone. She had been intrigued by Jun Tianlin's words but Gu Ran's lack of self-belief frustrated her.
Suddenly a rustling noise came from the woods. Jun Tianlin stood up swiftly positioning himself to protect Ye Lingling and Gu Ran "There's murderous intent. Senior Sister, Gu Ran be careful!"
Hearing that Gu Ran instinctively pulled Ye Lingling behind him. Though he didn't sense anything yet—he wasn't as sensitive to danger as Jun Tianlin—he trusted his boss completely "Boss, should we wake the teachers?"
"No need. Let's see what's coming first. If it's just some ignorant hundred-year-old soul beasts, there's no need to disturb everyone's rest." As he spoke Jun Tianlin's eyes gleamed with golden light, illuminating the dark night.
Activating his external soul bone Jun Tianlin could see clearly even in complete darkness.
"Is that… a soul bone?" Ye Lingling asked, astonished She hadn't realized Jun Tianlin had been holding back this much strength. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's foundation ran far deeper than she'd imagined.
Gu Ran though not particularly ambitious had been the first to protect her in a critical moment. This touched her deeply and if he matured in the future, perhaps she might give him a chance.
She hadn't yet noticed that Jun Tianlin's soul bone was no ordinary one—it was an external soul bone, far more precious.
"There are two soul beasts" Jun Tianlin reported. "Pitch-black bodies, wings, humanoid shapes They're extremely fast, with sharp fangs. They're moving quickly through the jungle."
His description reminded him of the vampires from his previous life.
"It's the Dark Night Demon Spirit!" Ye Lingling ever the top student immediately identified them "These soul beasts appear only at night, feeding on the blood of humans and other soul beasts. It seems we've caught their attention. Xiaotian, can you estimate their size?"
Jun Tianlin focused for a moment "They're about 1.5 to 1.6 meters tall."
Ye Lingling nodded "Those are thousand-year-old soul beasts, likely between 1,500 and 1,600 years old. They're perfect targets for us!"