My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

"Young man, you won. You did well. Remember to look for that guy later. He still owes you an opportunity!" Old Mo pointed to the Inner Court Dean's face and then laughed and left.

Just as Lin Chong was somewhat bewildered, the Ye sisters rushed from the audience onto the stage. The elder sister, Ye Wanxi, immediately grabbed Lin Chong's wrist to examine it. Confirming it was simply due to overexertion, she angrily exclaimed, "Didn't I tell you you couldn't do this? And you still… Waaah…"

Just as he was about to say something, Lin Chong excitedly hugged Ye Wanxi and lowered his head to kiss her rosy lips. Ye Qingyi, the younger sister standing to the side, couldn't help but feel jealous, as if she had been force-fed a lot of dog food on the spot.

"Do you really have to show off your love right now? You jerk!"

……

Chapter 109 The Beginning of Dual Cultivation

During her time in the Inner Academy, Lin Ran took over the administration of the Inner Academy and began to reform it. At the same time, she also started to organize the Inner Academy's Heavenly Ranking Competition. While other academies were making great strides, Linghua Academy was still in a slump and had not yet started the competition.

As for the girl who won first place in the outer academy's awards, Chi Sinian, it was a bit of a pity. She wasn't quite suitable for the Flower Sect's inheritance, so he could only accept her as a nominal disciple and train her for a period of time. Fu Yuemei, on the other hand, was quite interesting. If she could make a name for herself in the inner academy, he could give her a chance to test her.

Lin Ran also began to try dual cultivation with Wen Qianyi, but it was full of difficulties. It was not as smooth and effortless as his dual cultivation with Meng Qing. When he cultivated with Wen Qianyi, the spiritual energy was like that of enemies, constantly generating various frictions and struggles.

He could only attribute this to the fact that the cultivation methods were not from the same source.

After a period of trying, they finally found the trick, and the two were finally able to cultivate together smoothly, and the cultivation speed was much faster than when one person was cultivating alone.

Although Lin Ran knew that if he were with Meng Qing, their cultivation speed at the Ice Spirit Jade Lake would be three or four times faster than it is now, or even more terrifying, what more could he ask for? Wen Qianyi's willingness to cultivate with him was already a great honor for him. Moreover, given the special nature of the Ice Spirit Jade Lake, only those with Heavenly Fire or Yin-Cold attribute cultivation techniques like Wen Qianyi could cultivate there.

The two tried cultivating together in the Spirit Gathering Array training room in the inner courtyard for a while. Wen Qianyi looked at Lin Ran with bright eyes and said, "Senior, why don't we try it at the Ice Spirit Jade Lake!"

Let's give it a try. There's no time like the present. On the very day Wen Qianyi suggested going to Ice Spirit Jade Lake for cultivation, the two of them went straight into the continuous mountains behind the inner courtyard and arrived at Ice Spirit Jade Lake once again.

The vast and dark Ice Spirit Jade Lake was previously only partially explored by Lin Ran and his group. This time, however, they specifically found a place within the lake that was perfect for cultivation.

Near the center of Ice Spirit Jade Lake, there is a place with many stone pillars at the bottom of the water. Some of these pillars are as big as millstones, and a person can sit cross-legged in them with only their head sticking out.

This place of cultivation reminded Lin Ran of the classic scene of dual cultivation among wildflowers, and he and Wen Qianyi were in a similar situation.

The energy was much denser near the center of the lake, but the accompanying chill was also much more biting. Lin Ran had to expend more spiritual energy to create the protective shield than she did on the outskirts. Moreover, the cold mist in the center of the lake was almost tangible, making it difficult to see clearly when one was inside it.

Lin Ran and Wen Qianyi hovered in mid-air, exchanging glances. Wen Qianyi, who had initially expressed her desire to cultivate, now seemed hesitant. Finally, Lin Ran awkwardly scratched her head and came up with a compromise, saying, "How about I go down first, and when I'm ready, I'll call out to you, and then you can come down..."

"Don't worry, I won't open my eyes!"

Lin Ran knew what Wen Qianyi was thinking, and quickly added a sentence.

“I…I believe you…” Wen Qianyi said softly.

"Then I'll wait for you downstairs!"

Lin Ran smiled and then disappeared into the thick, cold fog. After finding a spot, she quickly removed her "armor" and sat cross-legged on the stone pillar.

The moment she made contact, a bone-chilling cold emanated from the stone pillar, accompanied by a surge of pure energy, which startled Lin Ran.

It feels like sitting directly on a cold toilet seat in the dead of winter, the chill shooting straight into your eyes.

Lin Ran calmed his mind and deployed a protective shield to resist the cold air. At the same time, he tried to refine the pure energy that had entered his body. However, this was quite mentally taxing. He had to exert a lot of effort to peel away the pure energy from the cold air before he could absorb and refine it.

"This energy is indeed pure, but this chill is really too annoying!" Lin Ran thought to himself. He was also very much looking forward to cultivating together with Wen Qianyi. What would the effect be?

After waiting for a long time, Lin Ran heard a splash in the water, accompanied by a gasp. With her rich imagination, Lin Ran began to conjure up a beautiful scene in her mind.

No wonder Mr. Lu Xun said: "Upon seeing short sleeves, one immediately thinks of white arms, immediately thinks of ** bodies… immediately thinks of…"

The gentleman's insight is indeed sharp and profound...

After a while, a trembling voice rang out: "Senior... you can start now!"

The voices were soft and close; both knew that the distance between them was probably only half a meter or even less. Although they couldn't see anything, it was enough to spark their imaginations.

Lin Ran also calmed himself down. Wen Qianyi's willingness to cultivate together with him showed that she trusted him completely.

Lin Ran suppressed the rising desire in her heart, calmed her mind, and met the jade hand that reached out to her. At the moment of contact, both of them trembled, but then they began their dual cultivation journey according to the cultivation method.

Wen Qianyi was responsible for refining the pure energy that was constantly attached to the cold air, while Lin Ran absorbed it and fused it with her own spiritual power to send it back. This cycle continued, and both of their spiritual power could be continuously improved. If one of them was unstable in their cultivation, the other could provide timely support.

Without being disturbed, the two focused their minds on cultivation, fully activating their techniques.

After cultivating for an unknown period of time, Lin Ran voluntarily stopped the dual cultivation and said in a deep voice, "Let's stop here for today. Haste makes waste. Our cultivation results today have been quite good. Let's continue tomorrow!"

Wen Qianyi didn't speak, but Lin Ran took the initiative to ease the awkwardness, saying, "I'll wait for you at the cave entrance!"

After saying that, Lin Ran stood up and transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the cave entrance.

While flying, she quickly got dressed. Lin Ran waited at the cave entrance for a short while before Wen Qianyi arrived.

Lin Ran glanced at Wen Qianyi discreetly and saw that Wen Qianyi was as usual, with a faint smile on her face and her cheeks rosy. Moreover, she responded to him when he spoke, which put Lin Ran at ease.

For the next period of time, Lin Ran transformed into a time management master. During the day, she handled affairs, and at night, she and Wen Qianyi would tacitly go to the Ice Spirit Jade Lake to cultivate. Perhaps because they did it more often, neither of them was as nervous or shy as they were at the beginning, and they cultivated step by step each time.

Lin Ran's cultivation level was originally Nirvana Realm Three-Star, and now she's not far from Four-Star, just one bottleneck away. With a little effort, she can break through. As for Wen Qianyi, since her last breakthrough to Spirit Pill Realm Three-Star, she's also just one step away from Four-Star.

Keep in mind that they had only been practicing dual cultivation for a year or two, and in less than a month, they had already achieved such amazing results. Lin Ran could already see the peak of the Nirvana Realm beckoning to him.

……

Wen Qianyi herself has now transformed into a master of time management. During the day, she is responsible for refining pills or teaching students how to refine pills, and at night she has to cultivate. However, she is still happy with this kind of life. Being able to spend time cultivating with her seniors and make progress together always makes her feel very joyful.

However, the speed at which she improved her cultivation level caught the attention of her older sister, Wen Bixuan.

One evening, as Wen Qianyi was about to go to cultivate, her older sister Wen Bixuan suddenly came out, looked at Wen Qianyi with a somewhat worried look in her eyes, and said in a slightly softer voice, "Qianyi, how come your cultivation speed has been so fast lately? I saw you were only at the third level of the Spirit Pill Realm not long ago, and now you are almost at the fourth level. You didn't just take pills randomly, did you?"

When asked about her rapid progress, Wen Qianyi showed a hint of unease, but fearing her older sister would notice, she quickly concealed it and laughed, "Sister, I haven't been taking pills indiscriminately. I am, after all, a sixth-level alchemist, and I know the dangers of pills!"

Although Wen Bixuan hid it well, those slightly unnatural expressions were all caught by Wen Bixuan, whose strength was at the Dragon Transformation Realm.

Wen Bixuan didn't want to alert the enemy, so she instructed, "Be careful not to cultivate too fast. If your foundation isn't solid and you become too superficial, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."

"I know, sister, I'm going to cultivate now!" Wen Qianyi tugged at Wen Bixuan's arm and pleaded with her for a while before leaving the house and flying towards the back mountain of the academy.

Wen Bixuan walked out of the house and stood in the courtyard, looking up in the direction Wen Qianyi had left. With her powerful soul force, she could tell that Wen Qianyi was heading in the direction of the Ice Spirit Jade Lake.

This made Wen Bixuan even more puzzled. She knew Qianyi very well and knew that apart from refining medicine, Qianyi usually stayed in the cultivation room in the courtyard to cultivate. Why would she go to Ice Spirit Jade Lake to cultivate now?

This was all too strange, which immediately reminded Wen Bixuan of someone: the only man in Linghua Academy. She had also recently heard that Qianyi and Lin Ran were getting close, and that their relationship was supposedly very intimate.

In addition, Qianyi's progress was too fast, and she even went to Ice Spirit Jade Lake to cultivate for the first time, which made Wen Bixuan worry about her younger sister.

Although Lin Ran had proven that he was indeed fine, Wen Bixuan was worried that Lin Ran had deceived her younger sister. You see, her sister had never been in contact with many men since she was a child. If she were to be fooled by a married man, how could she have the face to be the older sister?

The thought was terrifying. Wen Bixuan quietly followed the direction Wen Qianyi had left in. She wanted to see what Qianyi was doing in the Ice Spirit Jade Lake!

……

Chapter 110 Maybe I'll be unhappy.

Wen Qianyi was unaware that her older sister had been following him from afar. She had originally planned to break through to the fourth level of the Spirit Pill Realm in one go today, but her sister's strange questions tonight made her worried. If her sister knew that she and her senior were cultivating like this, she felt that the two of them would be severely punished.

So Wen Qianyi is thinking of going to inform others, and she will temporarily stop cultivating for the next few days. They will continue cultivating together after this dangerous period has passed.

When Wen Qianyi saw Lin Ran waiting outside the entrance, she landed in front of Lin Ran and used soul transmission to say directly, "Senior, my sister is acting strangely today. I feel like she might have noticed that my progress has been too fast lately. Maybe we should stop our dual cultivation for now?"

"Ok?"

Lin Ran leaned back strategically, somewhat startled by Wen Qianyi's words, and quickly asked, "What exactly did your sister do?"

Wen Qianyi described the scene in detail. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran said, "Your sister is probably just suspicious of how fast your strength is improving. You can continue to cultivate inside for a while. Once your sister lowers her guard, we can continue our dual cultivation together!"

"Is this... okay?" Wen Qianyi asked.

For some reason, she felt a little reluctant to part ways. It was such a rare opportunity... wouldn't they have even less time to spend together in the future?

Lin Ran replied with a smile, "There's plenty of time. It's just that our cultivation will be a little slower for a while. It's a good opportunity to solidify our foundation so that we can find a chance to break through later!"

"Uh-huh!"

Wen Qianyi nodded. After exchanging a few words, Lin Ran transformed into a streak of light and left, while Wen Qianyi went into the Ice Spirit Jade Lake to cultivate. As Lin Ran had instructed, she continued to cultivate and stabilize her realm. Once her foundation was solid, the two of them would then begin their breakthrough.

Far behind, somewhere in the sky, Wen Bixuan watched Lin Ran's departing figure, then looked at her younger sister as she disappeared into the Ice Spirit Jade Lake, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

"Why is Lin Ran here? Why did they meet here so late..."

Wen Bixuan pondered the possibility that Lin Ran and her sister had met here late at night. She considered many possibilities. Perhaps it was because she had alerted them that Lin Ran left after the two had talked for a while.

"It seems I need to keep an eye on things for a while. I can't let Qianyi go astray and do something she'll regret for the rest of her life!" Wen Bixuan thought to herself. This time, she was going to play the long game and catch a big fish. She wanted to see what these two were up to behind the scenes. Qianyi's sudden trip to Ice Spirit Jade Lake to cultivate and her sudden surge in strength must have a reason, and Lin Ran was the key.

……

For the next period of time, Lin Ran could only cultivate by himself at night, as the cultivation cheat device could not be activated, which made him feel uncomfortable all over.

As expected, having gotten used to the extra points, he's now a little reluctant to put in this kind of arduous training. After all, having a pretty and fragrant little sister accompany you to study and do your homework is definitely much better than doing it alone by yourself.

"No wonder there are people in the dangerous triangle who cultivate through that special kind of dual cultivation. Cultivating while enjoying pleasure is really addictive. Who wouldn't love it to become stronger by rewarding themselves with happiness!" Lin Ran thought to herself.

If there were such a cultivation method, with a solid foundation and without harming the body, he would definitely open a huge harem and diligently cultivate every day. But unfortunately, as far as Lin Ran knows, the strength cultivated by that so-called dual cultivation technique is far inferior to that of hard cultivation.

Recently, the dean has been coming to see him frequently, even though he never did when he was in the other department. Recently, he has been coming to see him often, and has also been subtly asking about Qianyi.

Lin Ran knew perfectly well that Wen Bixuan was suspicious of what he and Wen Qianyi had been doing at the Ice Spirit Jade Lake late at night. Lin Ran gave a lot of platitudes and managed to evade the question.

Furthermore, it strengthened my resolve not to seek help from Qianyi during this period. However, their relationship always seemed to resemble an affair, mainly because dual cultivation requires disarming oneself. Dual cultivation already sounds improper, and this arrangement only makes it more improper.

Moreover, Lin Ran has recently been troubled by the upcoming Inner Academy Heavenly Ranking Competition, which makes it even more difficult for her to cultivate. It is said that this Heavenly Ranking Competition is to select people to participate in the Continental Academy Competition in the future.

Some time ago, Lin Ran heard from Qiu Qingzi that there was a mysterious secret realm in Jiezhou that had attracted many powerful forces. He might also lead a team to explore that secret realm together with Tianli and Songling Academy.

The secret realm was secondary; Lin Ran was more interested in knowing about his son's situation. According to the investigation he sent to Tianli Academy, his son, who had the potential to become an emperor, had actually defeated a Spirit Pill Realm expert and entered the top eight of the Heavenly Ranking, becoming a dark horse.

This excited him so much that he couldn't wait to see his son, give him a big hug, and then give his precious baby to his son.

He was also looking forward to seeing what his son would think when he became the headmaster of Linghua Academy.

……

After some time, Wen Qianyi noticed that her older sister had finally stopped her strange behavior. Now that her cultivation level was solid, she did want to cultivate with her senior, but she still didn't dare to take the initiative to approach him, feeling that it would make her seem too unreserved.

Moreover, the alchemy tasks recently assigned by the academy have been quite heavy. Wen Qianyi sometimes stays in the alchemy room for several days, or even more than half a month, and her dual cultivation with Lin Ran has been suspended for a long time.

One day, Lin Ran was handling a task in her office when Wen Qianyi came to discuss matters concerning the Alchemy Department with her, since Lin Ran was now in charge of all matters concerning the Inner Court.

After arranging things for Wen Qianyi, Lin Ran looked at Wen Qianyi's unkempt and disheveled appearance. Although she was still beautiful, there was something different about her. She couldn't help but laugh and say, "Have you been too busy refining medicine lately to find the time?"

"Oh, right, I have something for you!"

Wen Qianyi nodded gently. She didn't complain, but just quietly looked at Lin Ran. Suddenly, she took out a delicate little jade bottle from her spatial ring and sealed the bottle opening with a special technique. Even so, a fragrant aroma still wafted into Lin Ran's nostrils.