Mortal: I really didn't want to be reborn as Zi Ling!

Half an hour later.

After bidding farewell to her parents, Zi Ling followed a maid through a series of corridors.

The maid's footsteps were light, and her skirt trailed softly on the floor tiles.

Zi Ling followed behind with her eyes lowered, having already considered all the possibilities in her mind several times, but she still couldn't be sure of Jin Kui's true intention in summoning her.

Upon arriving at our destination, the main hall doors were wide open.

The maid stopped by the door, gestured for them to enter, and then bowed and withdrew.

Zi Ling took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.

The hall was more spacious than she had expected.

There were no carved beams or painted rafters, no magical artifacts on display; the walls were all made of white jade bricks and stones, with only a set of ever-burning chandeliers hanging directly above.

The dim lighting bathed the entire hall in a warm, hazy glow.

Her gaze fell on the figure standing in the center of the hall.

He wore a white robe with gold trim, and was tall and slender. His hands were clasped behind his back, the hem of his robe remaining perfectly still. The dim light from behind cast a long shadow of him, stretching all the way to Zi Ling's feet.

Zi Ling glanced at it once and then lowered her head.

"Junior Ziling greets the Grand Elder!"

She stretched out her hands, clasped them together, bowed, and respectfully gave a salute.

The sound echoed through the empty hall for a moment, then fell silent.

Quiet.

It was extremely quiet; apart from the occasional flicker of the flame, there was no other sound. At that moment, she seemed to hear her own heartbeat.

Zi Ling remained bent over, her gaze fixed on the floor tiles. The white jade tiles were polished to an extremely smooth finish, faintly reflecting her own blurry outline.

The flame of the eternal lamp flickered on the brick surface, and the shadow of Elder Jin Kui swayed back and forth with it.

Zi Ling felt her heart beating faster and faster, one beat, two beats, three beats—

She didn't know how much time had passed, but Zi Ling's waist began to ache, her body trembled slightly, and a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, glistening faintly under the light.

But she dared not move.

I don't even dare to think about it.

Faced with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, she could only try her best to suppress her thoughts and not think about anything.

If the other party possesses some kind of secret technique to detect mental fluctuations, she must prepare for the worst.

Zi Ling lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the brick surface. She pressed her fingernails into her palm, leaving crescent-shaped white marks, then released them, then pressed them down again, trying to distract herself.

Just as Zi Ling felt her hand being pinched raw and her waist about to break, the figure finally moved.

Jin Kui waved his hand.

No need for formalities.

The sound wasn't loud, but it made the air buzz.

"Thank you, Elder!"

Zi Ling straightened up with a sigh of relief.

Looking up, she realized that Jin Kui had turned around at some point. However, the hood of his white robe was pulled low, completely obscuring the upper half of his face. Zi Ling could only see his thin jaw and short, dark beard; she couldn't see his eyes or read any expression from him.

Jin Kui's gaze lingered on her for a moment.

"Hmm—Young friend Wang is quite lucky!"

Jin Kui's voice carried a hint of emotion, "He's given birth to a daughter, a beauty so exquisite, already possessing such looks at only twelve years old. Once she fully blossoms, she'll likely be a beauty that could topple kingdoms and shake the entire Chaotic Star Sea!"

Zi Ling felt a chill run down her spine.

She wore a veil—a top-grade magical artifact that her mother had commissioned at great expense to create, capable of blocking the divine sense of even a Core Formation cultivator.

But Jin Kui easily pierced through this veil, as if it didn't exist at all.

The methods of a Nascent Soul cultivator were indeed beyond her comprehension.

Fortunately, it's rare to encounter a Nascent Soul level embryo in the entire Chaotic Star Sea.

"The Grand Elder praises you."

Zi Ling bowed slightly, her voice neither humble nor arrogant, "Beauty fades to bones, powder and rouge become skeletons. If one cannot attain immortality, one will ultimately return to dust after a thousand years."

Jin Kui's jaw twitched slightly.

"You—you're quite different from your parents."

Jin Kui's tone held a hint of surprise: "To be able to see through the essence of things at such a young age. No wonder you were able to reach the Foundation Establishment stage at twelve!"

Just as Zi Ling was about to politely decline, Jin Kui waved his hand.

"What a pity."

His voice suddenly lowered, as if he had remembered something troubling him. "My disciple is about your age, and he's always mischievous. If he had your temperament, he would probably have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and I wouldn't have to worry about him so much."

Zi Ling's heart stirred slightly.

Disciple of Elder Jin Kui?

This person wasn't mentioned in the original work. But to have Jin Kui take her so seriously, and to be of similar age—

Could it be Ling Yuling?

With the two saints in seclusion, Ling Yuling, the young master of the Star Palace, can't be left without guidance.

Looking across the entire Star Palace, the most suitable person is none other than the Grand Elder before us.

Thinking of this, a slight stirring occurred to her heart.

"I was forced into this situation."

Zi Ling lowered her eyes, a perfectly timed hint of melancholy in her voice: "With my three spiritual roots, if I don't work hard, I'm afraid I'll never reach the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime. If I could have a master like you, like your disciple, as my support—I would also like to be cherished by your side and live a carefree childhood!"

"Hehehe—"

Jin Kui's laughter echoed in the empty hall, causing the eternal flame to flicker violently.

"You're quite an interesting little girl. What, you want to become my apprentice?"

Zi Ling's heart skipped a beat.

"This junior dares not hope for such a thing."

She lowered her head, her voice growing even more respectful: "To be personally summoned by the Grand Elder is already an immense honor; how could this junior dare to dream of such a thing!"

But her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.

If she could truly become Jin Kui's disciple—even if only a nominal one—then no one in the entire Chaotic Star Sea would dare to openly make a move against her.

As for the chaos a hundred years from now, once the Void Heaven Palace opens, she will go directly to Tiannan with Old Demon Han.

What does it have to do with her that the Star Palace and the Reverse Star Alliance are fighting to the death?

only--

Zi Ling sighed inwardly.

With her three spiritual roots, she wouldn't even catch Jin Kui's eye. Unless she reveals her virginal, untouched body.

But once that thing is exposed, the consequences are unpredictable.

After all, he has a demonic physique.

"That sly little girl."

Jin Kui chuckled.

Zi Ling's body stiffened slightly.

She could feel the other person's gaze on her, like an invisible knife cutting her open from head to toe. Her heart raced uncontrollably, and her breathing quickened. The finger twisting the hem of her clothes tightened even more.

Jin Kui shook his head.

He certainly saw through Zi Ling's little scheme.

To be fair, he was indeed satisfied with the little girl's performance from the moment she entered the main hall until now.

It could even be described as amazing—at the age of twelve, his words and actions were more composed than many old guys who had cultivated for hundreds of years.

He speaks with perfect tact, knowing when to advance and when to retreat, striking the perfect balance.

But his qualifications were too poor.

Three spiritual roots.

To achieve Nascent Soul formation, one needs to invest a massive amount of resources.

Jin Kui is not alone; he has a large family behind him that needs his support. He cannot afford to waste his limited resources on someone with little hope.

unless--

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